Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 266 - 258: The Straight-Shelled Nautilus

"Alright, your eyes are about to fall out. Take it. These were all extracted from your previous Magical Artifact—万象晶球." Master Shuzi waved his hand and said, "I’ve been busy working on it these past few days."

"Magical Artifact? Four minerals extracted from one crystal ball?" Han Qiwu was somewhat surprised as he took the two white and two black blocks of minerals. To be honest, if Master Shuzi hadn’t mentioned it, he would’ve completely forgotten about the Magical Artifact.

Master Shuzi said with a hint of pride, "If it weren’t the first time I was extracting something like this, I might have been able to pull out one more block for you!" After saying this, he added, "Next time, if you get another Magical Artifact, I’ll definitely be able to extract everything inside!"

"Alright." Han Qiwu nodded. "Thank you."

After thanking him, Han Qiwu excitedly examined the two types of stones.

[Dolomite]

[Usage: Material]

[Price: 350 gold]

[Note: Sometimes found near coral reefs, but more commonly near underwater volcanoes.]

[Basalt]

[Usage: Material]

[Price: 400 gold]

[Note: Most basalts are solidified from magma.]

The white one was dolomite, and the black one basalt.

After reading the notes on the stones, Han Qiwu instinctively asked, "Master, could it be that the place where the crystal ball was retrieved has an underwater volcano?" He wasn’t very familiar with the characteristics of underwater volcanoes and couldn’t determine it for certain.

Of course, most people aren’t familiar with underwater volcanoes.

Sometimes when you do get familiar, it’s too familiar.

Too hot.

Master Shuzi nodded, bent down, and pulled out a fragment of the Magical Artifact from under the counter, saying, "It’s a possibility, but rather than focusing on the underwater volcano, I think you could check for coral reefs around where the Magical Artifact was found. Look at this color—quite nice, isn’t it?" Saying this, he handed over a piece of green-and-gold coral for Han Qiwu to examine.

Han Qiwu received it and studied it closely.

It was indeed beautiful.

The green was crystal-like, and the gold looked regal.

Wait a minute, this thing was taken off the Magical Artifact?

Logically speaking, it should belong to me, right?

Seeming to read Han Qiwu’s thoughts, Master Shuzi waved his large hand and took the coral back, saying casually, "This was on the surface of the shell. The contents inside belong to you, but the shell stuff belongs to me. Besides, you wouldn’t rob an old man of his reward now, would you?"

Han Qiwu: "...Can you please put the hammer down and then talk?"

"No, no, it’s yours," Han Qiwu replied obediently.

"Alright, rest here for a moment. I’ll go forge the Intermediate Feeding Box for you." Master Shuzi smiled, lifted the curtain, and began hammering away in the back.

Han Qiwu toyed with the stones in his hands while thinking, "Could that place really have an underwater volcano? If so, wouldn’t there be a chance to fish for some unique species near the volcano?"

Might as well give it a try!

If I don’t catch any fish, I could at least grab some coral to gift Mr. Tang.

As he waited, he didn’t stay idle. Pouring himself a glass of water, he leaned back on his chair and began reading "The Legend of Giants."

Over half an hour later, Master Shuzi handed the Intermediate Feeding Box to Han Qiwu.

"Thank you so much. I’ll bring you something interesting next time to pay you back." Han Qiwu said, eagerly taking the box and examining it.

The Intermediate Feeding Box looked similar in design to the basic one, except it was about two sizes larger.

Once I get home, I’ll install it immediately!

Packing up his things, Han Qiwu left the blacksmith shop and prepared to go fishing for some quick cash.

Arriving at the entrance to the secret realm, he touched a large reef and stepped inside.

[Available stay time today: 0.5 hours]

Alright.

Half an hour it is.

At least it’s not raining today.

Adjusting his mindset, Han Qiwu quickly ran to the crab trap area and pulled up four traps baited with ordinary fish bait.

[Shrimp] ×1, [Wood Scraps] ×2, [Lobster] ×1.

The haul was barely acceptable.

Though he only caught two shrimp, thanks to the garbage recycling machine at home, the two wood scraps were equivalent to 16 pieces of lumber.

Not bad.

Wonder what results will come from the bait specifically meant for crab traps?

Let’s see!

Grabbing the rope, Han Qiwu gave it a pull.

It didn’t budge.

"Why is it so heavy?" Han Qiwu was surprised. He firmly gripped the rope with both hands, braced his feet against the ground, leaned back, and slowly pulled up the weighty crab trap.

[Large Rock] ×1

Han Qiwu: "...."

Got all excited for this?

The large rock was colorful and stuffed the crab trap to the brim.

"Fine. I’ll take it back and recycle it." Han Qiwu packed away the large rock and moved on to the next trap.

[Large Shrimp] ×1

[Large Mantis Shrimp] ×1

Both shrimp were noticeably larger than usual sizes, full of energy, with aggressive claws and pincers.

"Could the effect of the specialized bait be making everything caught in the traps larger?" Han Qiwu speculated while pulling up the last crab trap from the water.

The weight of this final trap was surprisingly light.

It looked practically empty upon emerging.

It wasn’t until most of the trap had risen above the water that Han Qiwu spotted a lone snail nestled in the corner.

The snail looked unique, with a straight shell featuring vibrant colors. It was about 50 cm long and highly lively.

[Congratulations! You’ve obtained a juvenile Straight-Shelled Nautilus ×1]

[Straight-Shelled Nautilus Juvenile]

[Maturity Time: At least 30 days]

[Products: Nautilus Shell, Straight-Shelled Nautilus Juveniles]

[Note: Nautilus shells are rare and high-end decorations]

"Straight-Shelled Nautilus?!" Han Qiwu was stunned and quickly stored it away, skillfully rebaiting the trap before tossing it back into the water and sprinting away.

No way! He remembered his college roommate being an enthusiast for bizarre forums, and one time in the dorm, he’d mentioned this creature.

An adult Straight-Shelled Nautilus could grow up to nearly ten meters in length and was a top predator in the Cambrian-period oceans.

If I’ve caught a baby one, better watch out for the adults!

With my scrawny little frame, I wouldn’t even survive one strike!

"No wonder it takes a month to mature—this thing has a high ceiling!" Glancing at the Straight-Shelled Nautilus in his storage compartment, Han Qiwu decided not to place it in the fishpond just yet.

When the opportunity arises, I’ll set up a separate pond just for it.

Let’s not forget, its shell is definitely worth a fortune.

Following this encounter with the Straight-Shelled Nautilus, Han Qiwu decided not to fish anymore in the secret realm today.

Since there wasn’t much time left anyway, he might as well head out and fish in the sea instead!

Leaving the secret realm, he walked to the nearby beach in search of the fishing spot he’d used last time.

Under the morning sun, Han Qiwu left a trail of footsteps across the shoreline.

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