There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

“Then tell me, Zach, what’s the most important thing about being a sheriff?” I continued to ask seriously.

Zack scratched his head: "Fair enforcement?"

I flatly denied it, saying, "It's patience! As a sheriff, you can't be too harsh on a small town with a small population. You should be more understanding of the residents' daily behavior. So tell me, what's the most important thing about being a neighbor?"

Zach hesitated before answering softly, "Is it 'getting along harmoniously'?"

I waved my hand decisively: "It's not 'loving each other'... Pshaw, okay, it's 'getting along well.' So I think whether as the sheriff or as your neighbor, I should check up on your life."

"First, demonstrate to me how you used to fish. Did you engage in indiscriminate fishing, killing, electrofishing, or poisoning? Did you comply with fisheries protection regulations?"

After saying that, I waved the fishing rod in my hand: "Teach me how to fish while you're at it ('-ω-`)."

After a long silence, Zack finally spoke, "I think appointing you, Marcus, as sheriff might be a major loss for the Federation..."

"I know, with my talent I should be a mayor, or even the president of the federal government wouldn't be out of the question. Teach me how to fish!"

Zack looked at me with a complicated expression, took the fishing rod and walked with me to the seaside. We sat on the dock where the boats were moored, took out a piece of bread from his pocket, crushed it into a ball and hung it on the fishing hook.

"That's right. When fishing, you have to keep your hand steady and find a shallow area with plenty of bait. I often scatter some bait at this dock, so the fish are quite concentrated here."

"In spring, the temperature fluctuates between hot and cold. At this time, fish tend to stay in deeper waters, so you must find a place where the water is about five meters deep to fish. The rest is just waiting patiently."

Zack spoke in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing the fish in the water. But I soon noticed a problem.

Although Zack's voice was soft, a tremor could be heard that he couldn't hide. From his pupils, which dilated and contracted as he spoke, it was clear that he was in a state of extreme or intense fear.

His hand holding the fishing rod began to tremble slightly, the darkness in his eyes grew more pronounced, and sweat beaded on his forehead. His taciturn nature became evident, creating an aura completely different from his usual self.

Oh no, I forgot he has sea phobia! Letting him sit on the beach fishing like this is like tethering him to a sleeping tiger, subjecting him to constant mental torture.

But I could also see that Zach wasn't just sitting there stubbornly. There was an extraordinary light of will in his eyes, resisting the fear in his heart, silently confronting the terrifying enemy before him.

As time passed, the standoff, though only a few minutes had gone by, felt like an eternity to me. Just as I feared, I had a feeling that this battle would be futile for Zack.

I wanted to persuade him to leave, but I couldn't bear to belittle his efforts, so I tried my best to change the subject and said, "Zack, I seem to remember hearing that you taught Gu Le Gu how to fish?"

Zach seemed to have been jolted awake by a heavy blow. His forehead was covered in sweat, but he managed a few smiles and tried to answer me in a normal tone.

"Yeah... that guy didn't know anything when he first boarded the ship. As a rich young master, he was also very weak, so we had to put him in charge of fishing, and at the same time, train him from scratch. After all these years, he's finally starting to look like a real man!"

When Zack spoke of his old friend, his goofy smile softened the menacing expression. It seemed, as Boss Dart had said, that while his friends hadn't forgotten him, he had never forgotten his companions. This might be why he had persevered and was still trying to confront his fear of the ocean.

"Exercise methods? Tell me about them in detail," I asked.

Zach suddenly closed his eyes, sighed dejectedly, then threw his fishing rod, which had yielded no catch, aside and walked back to the beach.

I knew, without realizing it, that his attempt had failed once again.

“Actually, our training methods are very crude,” Zach said, slumping on the beach. “We sailors are all closely connected with the sea. From a young age, every day on the ship we fight, work, and move things. Ten-meter-long ropes are our jump ropes, and anchors weighing hundreds of kilograms are our toys. We’ll fight over a few words, bare-handed until everyone is lying down.”

"I remember it was when I was eleven years old. After I finished eating, I got into a fight with them. I was attacked by three or five people working together, and I was almost at my breaking point. But then, for a moment, I felt like the world had changed. The dust in the air was so fine that I could see it clearly. The fierce pursuit that had been happening suddenly became like slow motion, and I easily dodged it..."

“After that, I often entered this state, and everything I did was like a tiger with wings. The old sailors said that I had received a revelation from the sea god.”

"That's when I learned that among the sailors, there are often those who, like me, suddenly have an epiphany and possess superhuman strength. The time and intensity at which these people can maintain this superhuman state varies depending on the strength of their talent. The average member can probably last for 5-10 minutes."

I listened blankly to Zack's description and asked, "So, Zack, how long can you maintain this?"

Zach grinned: "The longest I've ever tried is 12 hours."

Are you the hidden big shot?

According to Zack, their method of unlocking human potential seems to be to lay a solid foundation through daily training and physical conditioning from a young age, followed by Spartan-style combat training to find opportunities for breakthroughs. Once a breakthrough is achieved, one can enter a super state beyond human limits, with the upper limit determined by individual aptitude.

Moreover, judging from this description, the feeling of clear hearing and eyesight, and spiritual elevation, should be a super state brought about by a surge of adrenocortical hormones acting on human organs and senses.

In layman's terms, it's like... a first-order genetic lock?!

"Have you ever seen a big ball of light? You know, the kind that floats in mid-air and gives you whatever you want."

Zach looked at the sky in confusion: "Is the answer to your riddle the sun?"

"Who's playing a riddle with you!" I couldn't help but complain. Zack's thinking is getting increasingly divergent; who did he learn that from?

Since Zack hasn't seen the main god, I'm relieved.

"Zack, do you think I can learn your methods?"

Zack looked at me and hesitated before saying, "Marcus, I don't mean to discourage you. Although your strength is outstanding, judging from your physical attributes, it's probably difficult to use our methods..."

I persisted, saying, "The body isn't everything, is it? Do you have any quick tips? Or any key points about diet and sleep?"

Zack shook his head: "There's no such thing. On a ship, only one or two people can receive the sea god's revelation. Many others will die because they can't control it."

"Okay..." I replied disappointedly. This was indeed a limit ability similar to unlocking genetic locks, but the method was crude, inefficient, far from having a well-developed system, and accompanied by a persistently high mortality rate.

“But when it comes to food, there’s one thing that’s absolutely essential,” Zack surprisingly added.

"Huh? What is it?" I seemed to have grasped a glimmer of hope.

“It’s spinach! We eat spinach for every meal on the ship! The association elders all say it’s very beneficial.”

"..."

Zack, I might have misunderstood you. It seems you don't have any intrinsic connection to the Main God Space. Is your method something you learned from Popeye the Sailor Man?

Chapter 216 Zack took a deep breath

I've completely given up on the Sailors' Alliance's unreliable training methods.

Doing manual labor, getting into gang fights, and eating spinach—this trinity allows one to awaken extraordinary powers. Doesn't that sound like the perfect protagonist template?

"Zack, what abilities do you people who have received the revelation of the sea god have besides increased strength? You can't possibly have infinitely increased strength, can you?"

Zack stood up, brushed the sand off his clothes, and said, "Of course not. Look at Gu Le Gu. At first, he was the same size as you. Later, he received the inspiration of the sea god and became more manly, strong enough to lift an oak barrel."

Gu Legu? I remembered seeing him fishing on TV; he was a muscular, dark-skinned man...

Okay, my summary isn't very rigorous, and I missed an important point. That is, training in this way will turn you into a muscular hunk with a fist that can support a person and arms that can run a horse.

"However, Gu Le Gu started training too late and missed the golden period, so his potential was not developed very well. True marine athletes, after training for a period of time, will also improve their control over muscles and breathing when their strength potential reaches its limit."

"How exactly will it be improved?" I asked.

Zach smiled proudly: "For example, being able to dive to a depth of 300 meters without tools and quickly recover and stop bleeding after being injured; being able to fight orcas and great white sharks with bare hands in the sea; being able to cross 200 nautical miles back to land after a shipwreck by eating fish and riding the waves. These are all real examples among sailors."

"You guys are all like dragons..." I exclaimed. No wonder the Navigators' Alliance can monopolize the sea routes. With the size of these small boats, they openly and covertly oppose the Federal Government. Just releasing these humanoid tyrannosaurus rex is a destabilizing factor. If they're caught, they could be executed first and tried later without any grievance. Naturally, it's better to let them wreak havoc on these uninhabited outer seas.

But I still have a question: "I heard that you used to be the captain, Zack. How are ranks determined within your team? Is it based on who's the best at fighting?"

Zack grinned and continued to smile, as if he had mentioned his pride: "Being able to fight is of course the most important thing! But just being able to fight will only get you a captain of the sailors at best. Once the second potential I mentioned is fully developed, someone will receive further enlightenment from the sea god, and their memory and thinking abilities will be enhanced. They will be able to memorize even the most complex sea charts at a glance and plan the optimal route."

"That's why I'm the captain. After all, you can practice fighting, but you can't imitate this kind of ability."

Zack grinned sheepishly and looked at me apologetically.

Ugh, this is infuriating. Who would have thought that Zach, who seems so brainless, is actually a genius?

No, it must be because their average IQ is too low! It's like the ape-like level that has emerged among mountain gorillas!

"In short, let's go fishing first!"

I picked up the fishing rod and cast it into the deep water near the dock.

Zack probably sensed that his situation had affected me, and besides, the possibility of me wanting to learn had basically been eliminated. He tried to be tactful, suggesting that it was already too late for someone like Gu Le Gu to join the crew in their teens, let alone for me to start training at my age.

The big guy came over carrying a box of bread and walked up to me, saying, "Don't be discouraged, there will definitely be other ways."

Then, he cautiously pointed to the fishing rod and said, "Didn't you put any bait on the fish?"

Oh no, I was careless.

I knew things were going badly, but I didn't want to be further humiliated, so I had no choice but to sit there and try to appear calm and collected.

Zack advised, "I used to be known as the fishing prince, you definitely can't do it like this..."

“There are some things you don’t understand.” I sat on the dock, my eyes fixed intently on the undulating sea, seemingly confidently waiting for the fish to take the bait.

Zack watched my performance in silence, letting time tick by. But the float on the water remained completely still…

Of course there was no movement! How could the fish bite without bait?

But to have your threats exposed so quickly is just too awful...

No... I have to think of a way!

Doraemon... no, the Colonizer System! Help me think of a solution!

…………

The sea breeze gently caressed the two silent figures, swirling and drifting along the beach, carrying the scent of the sea to their very senses. For Zack, the smell here was all too familiar, a scent that, along with the aroma of rum, gunpowder, and the stench of sailors' feet, had permeated the first half of his life.

The air-conditioned girl, who came over from the next room, also appeared, clueless, following the sea breeze girls, curiously observing the two silly, motionless people.

Lengqi-chan playfully leaned closer to Zack's face, trying to pluck two thick strands of hair, but to no avail. However, none of this dampened Lengqi-chan's good mood. The place looked deserted, and the two people in front of her posed no threat. Mom wouldn't have to worry about me getting into trouble anymore!

It's just regular fishing, no problem!

Leng Qijiang watched the ordinary fishing with confidence. A young man, eyes slightly closed, appeared calm and composed, devoid of any worldly concerns. His hands were firm and steady, his expression serene and composed, his fishing hook empty and unsteady…

Uh-huh?

There weren't any fish!

Leng Qijiang's eyes sharpened, seeing through the young man's bluff. How could he possibly catch a fish without even casting bait? Did he think he was some kind of keyboard warrior, having reached the level of "keyboard warriors who can create anything"?

However, after seeing Zack's expression, Lengqi Jiang also showed a knowing look. Zack's expression also carried a hint of reluctance and hesitation, clearly indicating that he knew the truth but couldn't bear to expose it, hence his inner struggle.

Haifengjiang has already arrived at the bay and checked it out. He told the air conditioner that there's nothing in the water except some household garbage, let alone fish that are stupid enough to take the bait even without it!

Hahaha, that's hilarious! Go and tease them!

The cool sauce drifted to the fishing hook, playfully shaking the sleeping float and creating ripples that blurred the water's surface.

The young man fishing immediately noticed something, reached out and pulled on his fishing rod, probably to see if there were any fish biting the hook underwater.

But Lengqi Jiang tilted her head in confusion and suddenly felt something was wrong. She had already stopped shaking the float, so why was the fishing hook still shaking so frantically, as if something was really about to take the bait!

"rise!"

I felt a noticeably heavy force coming from the fishing rod, so it must be noon!

The invisible cold air was hit by the sudden burst of water and flew towards the shore. It took a while before it finally hid next to Zack, still shaken by the unexpected turn of events, and ran away, never to approach the sea again.

It's safer here!