The cobblestones of Geyser Town were warm beneath Jack’s boots. It was a strange sensation. One that reminded him of the geothermal activity churning beneath the island's surface.

He could see brass pipes hissed at almost every corner. Venting white plumes of steam that caught the morning light. The town was a masterpiece of early industrialism era's architecture. Adjusted to accommodate the geothermal advantages.

"It's cozy here. In a mechanical sort of way." Jack remarked. "Industrialized in a way. But still retaining the comfort of resort town. What an interesting place."

"Indeed, Dear." Reina replied as she was clinging her hands on his. "The warmth here is quite relaxing. Its sulfuric smell isn't too overwhelming. It makes the air feel heavy, but not unpleasant."

They spent the first few hours exploring. Geyser Town wasn't large. But it was quite dense. Buildings were constructed from dark basalt and reinforced with copper plating to resist the sulfurous corrosion.

They wandered through the winding streets. Past shops selling curiosities crafted from polished fish bones and hardened volcanic rock. The cobblestones were smooth from generations of foot traffic.

Rune's glow shifted to a gentle green hue. Indicating comfort.

Jack kept his [Eyes of Judgement] active most of the time. His vision flickered with data as he scanned the crowds.

He found nothing special. Just regular locals and a few boisterous sailors. Normal humans. Non-transcendent beings. This town was also a mundane human settlement.

He smiled bitterly, feeling that he might be getting a bit paranoid. After their encounters with monsters, demons, and sinister transcendent beings, the mundane nature of the town felt... refreshing, yet strange.

Jack glanced around. There were no hidden cultists in the alleyways. No demonic shadows lurking in the steam. Just people living their lives.

"Anything interesting, Dear?" Reina asked. Noticing his silence.

"Nothing, Love." Jack said. "This town is normal. Boring. But encountering adventure in every place we go to is not very likely to happen."

Reina chuckled. "I'm not sure about that, Dear. We have the inheritors of fate and fortune in our ship. I won't be surprised if we discovered a legendary creature or a hidden treasure map here later."

"True." Jack actually agreed with that.

They kept exploring until they found an interesting public bathhouse near the center of town. It was a massive structure of marble and brass. The sign above the front door showed a fancy drawing of steaming pool.

For a few silver coins, they secured a private pool inside.

Inside, the steam was thick. It was muffling sounds and clinging to skin. The water was scalding at first, then incredibly soothing.

Jack leaned back against the smooth stone, closing his eyes as his body soaked in the minerals. Reina sat beside him. The water was shimmering against her skin. The mineral-rich water eased their tense muscles.

They did have convenient bathroom in the ship. One that allowed them to relax in hot water. But, it was still not as comfortable as the natural hot spring water here.

"We do need this, Dear." Reina muttered. Leaning her head on Jack's shoulder.

"Yeah!" Jack agreed. "The bathroom in the ship is nice. But it still can't compare to this one."

They stayed until their skin pruned. Enjoying the rare moment of domesticity. But as the afternoon approached, hunger drove them back into the town.

They found a bustling restaurant called the Steaming Kettle. It was a busy place filled with the roar of conversation. And the clatter of heavy ceramic plates.

They took a corner booth. While waiting for their roasted mutton and ale, Jack’s sensitive ears picked up the chatter from a nearby table. One where two grizzly-looking locals were feasting on some unfamiliar meat dishes.

"...bloody shame, I tell ya, Fin. No one's gonna beat old Man Haddock for that rod. Not with his insane luck." One of them, a burly man, started.

"Aye, but the kayak, Ron! The Unsinkable Fishing Kayak! That might even worth more than the Master Fisherman's Rod." The other, a lean man with a missing tooth, countered. "And there was also the Mysterious Fish Box. They say it used to belong to some sea god, that it grants wishes if you fill it with a leviathan's heart!”

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Jack narrowed his eyes. Those names sounded like transcendent items. The details were vague. But the context was clear. A fishing competition. Three prizes... all sounding like artifacts. This didn't seem... mundane.

"You joining the Great Fishing Competition, then?" Ron asked.

"Course I am! Tomorrow morning, bright and early, down at Whaleback Lagoon. Three prizes, Fin, three! Even the third prize is a rare one, they say. Better than any catch I’ve pulled this season."

Jack caught Reina's eye. She had likewise paused. Her expression subtly shifted from relaxed enjoyment to alert interest.

Rune sensed their change in focus. She immediately glowed a curious purple.

Then, from another table, a different snippet of conversation drifted over. From a younger couple.

"Did you see it again, Maeve?" The man whispered, his eyes wide. "The black cat? The one with the checkered shawl?"

"Oh, Bart! Don’t be daft!" Maeve scoffed. Though her voice held a tremor of unease. "It's just a stray. Definitely a stray. Probably someone's pet with a peculiar fashion sense."

"But it talked!" Bart insisted. Lowering his voice further. "You heard it too right? I still remember it clearly. It looked right at me and said: 'Interesting human. Too bad you don't have anything good enough to trade.' And then you also saw what happened. It shimmered. Like a bad reflection in water. Then it was gone."

"Don't talk about that again." Maeve retorted uncomfortably. "We might be hallucinating."

"The same hallucination?" Bart scoffed. "No way."

...

"A talking cat?" Reina whispered. A faint smile played on her lips. "And 'glitchy'? What did I say, Dear? With Leon and Chloe as our crew members, strange things bound to happen."

Jack nodded slowly. His mind was already working comparisons. Anomalies in this world were usually tied to transcendent beings or mystical phenomena.

A glitchy talking cat was far from normal. And a competition with artifact prizes, too. Geyser Town wasn't as mundane as it seemed.

"Interesting." Jack murmured. "Very interesting indeed, Love."

...

They returned to the Ocean Wanderer in the mid-afternoon. Leon Drake was sprawled on a coil of rope on the deck. Complaining about the lack of excitement. Mirella, on the other hand was sketching a distant geyser.

Later, when the crew had returned to the ship and gathered on the main cabin, Jack called a meeting.

He looked over his diverse crew members. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen..." He announced. "There's a fishing competition at the Whaleback Lagoon tomorrow. If I'm not mistaken, it's a chance to win some transcendent artifacts."

Leon's eyes lit up. "Artifacts? Now you’re talking my language, Captain."

"A fishing competition, you say, Captain?" Argust Osprey, the navigator, rubbed his palms against each other. "I haven't cast a line in months, but I used to be quite handy with a reel."

"And magical prizes!" Barnaby exclaimed. His eyes were glinting. He strummed his lute with excitement. "I've already had an idea for a song about such a victory!"

Don Donson wiped his hands on his apron. "Fresh fish, eh? Better than the salted rations, that’s for sure. Might as well try our luck."

Ned, Moby, and Bell also nodded enthusiastically. The women, however, had a different take.

Baroness Artheim considered it. "While treasure hunting is our primary objective... I must confess, fishing holds little appeal for me. I believe my time would be better spent exploring the town's archives, or perhaps… the hot springs.”

Serene smiled in agreement. "The hot springs were indeed more inviting than the fish."

Autumn, her sister, hummed in agreement. So did Mirella.

Chloe Chase, holding the sleeping Sparkle in her lap, chimed in. "I'd rather stay in the ship, Captain. I've just bought a couple of interesting books in town. I can't wait to read it."

Reina summarized. "The boys seem eager to join the competition. Let them try their hands on it then. We, girls, will take care of the ship and take turns on going to town when we want to."

Jack surveyed the group. It was settled.

"Alright then." He decided. "Girls! You could enjoy the town. But stay vigilant. Boys! Let's prepare our participation in the Great Fishing Competition."

Jack didn't waste time. He quickly divided the necessary tasks. Splitting the men into three groups. Each with their specific task.

He himself went straight to the ship's workshop. He wasn't going to let his men use standard wooden poles. If he wanted to win, he would use his knowledge and his power.

Moby and Bell joined him. All the three of them would craft fishing rods. But not the normal, traditional ones. Jack pulled out several rolls of high-tensile wire and began carving runes into the handles.

"These aren't just rods, are they?" Bell asked. Fascinated. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Definitely not. They will be steamrune fishing tools." Jack explained. His hands were moving with precision. "I won't go overboard with the enchantment and mechanism though. We only have one night to craft them after all. But I'll ensure that each fishing hook has a micro-vibration motor to mimic the movement of prey. And I'll put some useful enhancement in the lines, reels, and rods."

While Jack, Moby, and Bell worked, Barnaby and Argust set off to register their participation. Barnaby, with his minstrel charm, and Argust, with his fishing knowledge, were a good combination for this.

They returned less than an hour later. Confirming their entry.

Meanwhile, Leon, Ned, and Don huddled by the galley. Discussing bait. Don, as the cook, surprisingly had an intuitive understanding of flavors and appealing scents for fish.

"We need something irresistible." He declared. “Squid guts, spiced shrimp, maybe some fermented kelp for that extra… oomph."

Leon offered some strange suggestions from his past adventures. Ned, on the other hand, was already mincing a concoction of various scraps. A determined look was on his face.

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=====<O>=====

The ship buzzed with a rare, lighthearted energy. It wasn't for a perilous mission. It was just a mundane competition... for fun.