When the duo walked into the hall, the other people who were still eating at their tables looked at them with reverent eyes. But one question still lingered in everyone's mind: How did they get the fish? Did they really capture it themselves? Or did they buy it from some third party? And if so, who would that be?
The sad part was they would never know the truth—unless they witnessed these two youngsters capture the fish again with their own eyes.
Under the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd, Barry and Jasper walked into the special room. Inside, Mr. Marek was already seated behind the main desk, flipping through several documents.
The old man stood nearby, eagerly looking at the pages.
All his life he had seen many youngsters come to Fessi Village hoping to gain Achievement Points by catching the Giant Orange Snakehead. In the early years he had always been excited to see how many fish they captured and how many points they earned. But after running the cookhouse for nearly four decades, he had seen countless prodigies pass through this place—young talents who later went on to achieve great things in their lives.
He had witnessed many of those achievements.
Yet today he felt more excited than ever before.
For the first time, someone had captured the rumored fish, and they were about to receive their Achievement Points. He wanted to witness this moment personally and preserve the memory. Someday, when these youngsters achieved great fame, he would boast to others that he was the one who verified the fish.
'I knew those kids when they first started,' he imagined himself saying proudly.
The old man cast an excited glance at Barry and Jasper, already anticipating their future greatness.
While the old man was lost in his thoughts about this historic moment, Marek continued flipping through the documents in search of the reward details for the legendary catch.
Suddenly, he stopped.
He read the contents carefully.
After spending a full minute confirming the details, he lifted his eyes and looked at Barry and Jasper.
"The Achievement Points awarded for capturing the Golden Orange Snakehead are fifty," Marek announced.
Barry, who had been standing quietly since they entered the room, suddenly jerked as if struck by lightning.
An overwhelming surge of excitement exploded inside him.
"Hahahahaha! Fifty Achievement Points!"
He jumped up and down like a man possessed, flailing his arms wildly.
"Finally! I got my Achievement Points! Finally I can join [Captain Font Handler]!"
Barry continued jumping in joy until he eventually grew too tired and started gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, Jasper, who stood beside him, was completely startled by Barry's reaction. He instinctively moved a few steps away, wondering if the man had suddenly gone insane.
He couldn't understand why Barry was so happy about the number fifty.
As far as Jasper was concerned, fifty sounded like a very small reward for a fish that had nearly killed them.
At the very least, it should have been a thousand points, he thought.
If one point was worth at least a thousand gold, then that would have been far more reasonable.
However, Jasper didn't care much about the Achievement Points. What he really wanted was the money.
He had already earned 100,000 gold from the betting share, and he was still waiting for the bounty payment for the fish mentioned in the poster.
Considering the enormous size of the fish, it should weigh at least 5,000 kilograms. Since one kilogram of live fish was worth one gold coin, that meant another 5,000 gold.
Though that amount was small compared to the betting money, Jasper had no intention of giving up even a single coin.
What should I do with that much gold? Jasper wondered.
His thoughts drifted toward the future.
I should buy a big mansion and live safely with my family.
Marek, who had announced the reward, noticed the completely opposite reactions from the two.
One was overflowing with joy.
The other seemed almost indifferent.
But from Marek's perspective, what they had achieved was nothing short of remarkable.
"Here are the fifty black coins. I assume you two are partners and will split them equally," Marek said as he placed several round coins on the desk.
The coins looked as if they had been forged from pure darkness itself.
"Thank you, Mr. Marek."
Barry's eyes sparkled the moment he saw the black coins.
He had seen these coins many times before, but they had always been beyond his reach. Yet now they were finally in his possession.
He slowly picked up one coin and examined it closely.
It felt exactly as he had imagined.
After admiring it for a moment, he carefully placed it back on the table.
"Yes, Mr. Marek. We are a team, and we will split the reward equally," Barry said.
After all, he had been the one who suggested sharing the profits evenly. He had no intention of breaking that promise now.
"Very well," Marek replied.
He then brought out two delicate boxes decorated with intricate carvings.
Even Jasper could tell the boxes themselves looked expensive. In his mind, they were worth at least fifty gold coins.
If anyone heard Jasper's thoughts, they would probably vomit blood.
These were Wyer Containers, made from extremely rare materials. They were used to store valuable items safely. Once something was placed inside and the container was locked, it could preserve the item indefinitely.
The boxes were almost indestructible.
"Before I hand over your rewards, let me offer my heartfelt congratulations," Marek said as he placed equal amounts of coins into the two boxes and locked them.
Then he stood up.
"To be honest, I am somewhat jealous of both of you. When I first awakened my trait, I spent months at Fessi Lake trying to capture the rumored Golden Orange Snakehead."
He paused for a moment, remembering his past.
"But in the end, I failed even to witness the creature. So yes, I envy your achievement."
He looked at them seriously.
"And I will be watching closely to see what achievements you accomplish in the future."
"That said, let me offer you some advice. Since both of you plan to join [Captain Font Handler], you will face many opportunities. But remember—this world is cruel. Often, the strongest are the first to fall."
"So you must move forward carefully from now on. Every decision you make, every action you take—think carefully before you act."
"That is the advice I give to all young people preparing to go under a [Hwing Handler]."
"But you two managed to capture the legendary Golden Orange Snakehead. I have no doubt your names will one day be recorded in history."
"Once again, congratulations on your achievement. I wish you both the best."
After finishing his words, Marek handed the boxes to them.
Barry and Jasper listened attentively the entire time.
They both knew how powerful Marek was. When someone like him spoke, they could not afford to ignore his words.
They listened to every word—the regret, the warning, the caution, and the praise.
Hearing such a powerful man warn them about the harshness of the world made them feel the weight of reality.
Finally, they nodded and accepted the boxes.
"Thank you, Mr. Marek, for your kind words and advice. We will do our best to live up to your expectations," Barry said with a wide smile.
"Of course you will achieve great things. The entire world will remember your names," the old man added enthusiastically.
"Here is your betting money—200,000 gold—and the bounty reward of 50,000 gold. I hope you will visit this cook-house again in the future."
The old man handed them a finely crafted bracelet.
Jasper jolted with shock when he heard the bounty reward.
50,000 gold.
Not 5,000.
Am I dreaming? Jasper wondered as he mentally calculated the total amount of his share.