Super Gene Ⅱ: Evolution

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The combined strength of the two men and the pet finally stabilized the situation.

The fisherman gripped the fishing rod as if he were playing tug of war with the monster fish in the river.

It could no longer be considered fishing by now; it was a contest of who had greater strength, and whoever ran out of energy first would lose.

The stalemate continued, but the monster fish was too strong and restless, constantly swimming back and forth in the river, tugging on the fishing line.

From time to time, it would leap out of the water, stirring up huge waves.

Water splashed over Lin Shen and his companions, and Lin Shen dared not move an inch, only able to desperately hold on. The slightest relaxation could result in being pulled over.

Fortunately, endurance was Lin Shen's forte. With the empowerment of the Super-Base Pattern, Lin Shen's strength was unceasing.

The fisherman was fixated on the monster fish and did not pay much attention to Lin Shen behind him. He didn't know how much time had passed when he felt extremely exhausted and noticed that the force pulling him from behind had not weakened at all. With slight surprise in his heart, he turned and glanced at Lin Shen.

Seeing the carapace on Lin Shen's body, he was even more astonished.

"Are you practicing Evolution Theory?" the fisherman turned to ask while continuing to struggle against the monster fish.

"Yes, Evolution Theory," Lin Shen replied.

"To have reached this level with Evolution Theory, you're the first I've seen," the fisherman said with a smile, "Young brother, what do they call you?"

"Just call me Tian," Lin Shen said offhandedly.

"Alright, Tian, I owe you one today. If you ever need anything, just come find me," the fisherman said.

"And how should I address you, brother?" Lin Shen knew this man must be extraordinary.

"Just call me the fisherman," the fisherman's words left Lin Shen slightly startled.

For an unknown length of time, the two men and the pet grappled with the monster fish until its strength finally began to wane, giving both men a sigh of relief.

The fisherman did not let his guard down and still gripped the fishing rod tightly. After a while, seeing that the monster fish's strength was growing weaker, he began to reel in the line.

Just after a short length of line had been wound up, the monster fish suddenly burst forth with fierce strength, nearly ripping the fishing rod from the man's hands.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and immediately gripped the fishing rod with both hands again, preventing the rod from flying away.

"Cunning thing!" the fisherman cursed under his breath, not daring to let up any further.

After another long struggle, the monster fish truly had little energy left, and the fisherman began reeling in the line again.

Being able to reel in meant they could start "playing" the fish, and the pressure on the two men and the pet was significantly lessened.

It was hard to know how long it took, but finally, the monster fish was pulled to the riverbank.

"Tian, pull hard," the fisherman called out while backing away.

Lin Shen coordinated with the fisherman to pull with all their might—almost to the point of exhaustion—and they finally dragged the enormous creature onto the bank.

Not daring to unhook it there, the fisherman continued to pull the monster fish up the grassy slope and didn't let up until they were well up the slope, inside the grass. Only then did he breathe a long sigh of relief.

The monster fish flopped and jumped on the grass, but without legs and away from water, its abilities were greatly reduced. Furthermore, it had no energy left and could no longer stir up any waves.

The fisherman set down the fishing rod and took out a camera, tossing it to Lin Shen, "Tian, take a picture for me."

Lin Shen had anticipated this and took the camera without a word, snapping several photos of the fisherman and the monster fish together.

"Brother, you're not going to let it go, are you?" Lin Shen felt it a pity to release the monster fish they had struggled so hard to catch.

If the fisherman didn't want it, he could take it. The monster fish was undoubtedly a Mutated Crystal Base. Drinking its Base Mutation Fluid could be a boost to his mutation rates.

"I only want one thing, the rest is yours to take," the fisherman said as he pulled out a strange-looking dagger from his waist.

The dagger was crystal blue with strange Light Patterns flowing inside, giving the appearance of being forged from Ascension materials.

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The fisherman walked over to the monster fish, which was already out of strength, and with one stroke, severed the lantern-like crystal on its head.

The monster fish immediately thrashed violently, sending grass and dirt flying everywhere, but that was all it could manage.

"The rest is all yours," the fisherman said casually, not particularly interested in the Mutated Crystal Base.

Lin Shen quickly directed the Hell Rock Crystal Evil Dragon to charge down from the sky, slamming into the monster fish with great force and creating a large crater in the grassy slope.

After several consecutive heavy blows, the monster fish, drained of strength, quickly lay motionless.

Following another high-altitude dive and impact, the monster fish suddenly opened its mouth wide, and something flew out from within.

Lin Shen took a closer look and realized that it was Tian Xin, still bound by the fishing line.

Tian Xin was covered in a fishy, transparent slime but, surprisingly, was still alive and had not perished.

His carapace was mostly intact, with only a line of holes in some places, as if pierced by a spiked rake.

The halo above his head was still there, but its brightness had significantly dimmed.

"Tian Xin sure is tough to not die even in such a state," Lin Shen marveled to himself.

"Guys, stop messing with me, this could really kill someone," Tian Xin groaned while lying on the ground like a dead fish.

Lin Shen had no time to attend to him, and first collected the Base Mutation Fluid from the body of the monster fish.

Soon, his watch vibrated with a new message appearing on its screen.

"Killed a Mutated Crystal Base creature known as Soul Collector..."

Lin Shen was momentarily surprised: "This guy's name isn't 'fish'? What's the meaning behind 'Soul Collector'?"

But after briefly pondering, Lin Shen paid it no more mind. It was just a name; what it was called didn't matter.

Once he finished collecting the Base Mutation Fluid, Lin Shen turned to Tian Xin, stripping him of everything he had.

Tian Xin had recently gathered quite the collection of valuables. There were two Pet Launchers on him, each capable of holding ten Pet Capsules, and they were all filled.

His backpack contained a few more Pet Launchers and some Base Mutation Eggs, among which there were several Mutated Crystal Base Eggs.

"This guy really is a walking treasure trove!" Lin Shen searched Tian Xin's possessions while inwardly exclaiming.

Tian Xin had no strength left to resist and could only groan pitifully on the ground, filled with regret.

"Bro, how about we split these things fifty-fifty?" Lin Shen said as he laid the items in front of the fisherman.

"You keep them," the fisherman responded without glancing at the items, evidently uninterested.

"Then I won't be polite," Lin Shen, seeing the fisherman was solely focused on the lantern-like crystal and showed no interest in the items, unapologetically took them for himself.

He planned to consume the Mutated Crystal Base Eggs on the spot to increase his Base Mutation rate.

Having too many mutated pets wasn't useful; he couldn't command that many pets on his own.

"Tian, I'm leaving. If you need any help in the future, you can come find me at the Yashen Base," the fisherman said.

"Actually, there is something I'd like to ask for your guidance on," Lin Shen quickly said.

"What is it?" the fisherman asked, slightly taken aback, not expecting Lin Shen to be so forthright.

"I'm wondering if your Rod Skill can be taught to outsiders? If it's convenient, could you teach it to me? If not, that's okay," Lin Shen expressed his keen interest in the fisherman's uncanny Rod Skill.

The fisherman was momentarily stunned, then laughed, "You want to learn that, eh? No problem. It's just a fishing technique, not something all that remarkable. I'll teach you, but whether you can learn it or not will depend on your efforts."

While the fisherman said this, he thought gleefully to himself: "You want to learn my Earth-shattering Strike, kid? Then let's see if you've got the talent. If you can master even one-tenth or one-twentieth of it, consider it your good fortune."