novelraw Chapter 36: JACOB’S POV [BONUS - ]
Chapter 36: JACOB’S POV [BONUS - ]
Chapter 36: JACOB’S POV [BONUS Chapter]
" With that level of commotion from earlier, we’re bound to run into other sharks."
" Please help us, get rid of a few of them first."
I gave them a sharp nod, then turned back to the dark water.
I chuckled in my head before speeding forward at top speed.
Rather than swimming , it looked more like I was launching myself forward.
My tail, which felt like a massive slab of pure muscle, whipped behind me with a force that made the water tremble in my wake.
The pressure waves I created were so strong I could feel them vibrating against my own skin.
My body was far more powerful than one could realize. In my human life, I was sure I must be strong as well, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to survive this far down into the see.
But in my merfolk form, I was even more powerful.
Now, I was no different from a living machine.
In the blink of an eye, the distance I’d crossed was astonishing.
The coral reef became a blur of colors beneath me as I tore through the water, cutting a path straight toward the enemy.
’There you guys are.’
A cold light flashed past my eyes when I saw the pack of sharks not too far away.
They were spread out in a loose line, their eyes fixed on me.
There were so many of them. Bull sharks, tiger sharks, and even a few jagged-looking ones I didn’t recognize. Probably species of this fantasy world.
They looked hungry, but more than that, they looked driven.
At the same time, I could also sense Garin and the others catching up from behind.
They were trying to keep up, clearly I’d left them in the dust.
My claws gleamed coldly in the ocean light. I let them grow just a little longer, feeling the sharpness of the edges.
I then pushed my speed even more, shooting towards the encroaching sharks at top speed.
I felt like a bullet heading for a target.
Rather than charging towards them at once, which would have been suicidal, I shifted my movements midway.
I used my side fins to bank hard, banking like a fighter jet.
I avoided the middle of the pack where the most jaws were waiting and shot towards its edge instead.
I needed to pick them off one by one, or at least break their formation.
There, I closed the gap between me and a lone shark that had drifted a bit too far from its friends.
It was a big one, scarred and ugly, with a jagged fin.
The shark’s body jerked, as if stunned by my swift movements.
It probably didn’t expect anything in this reef to move that fast.
It tried to snap its head around to bite at me, its muscles tensing for a strike.
But it was already too late.
I didn’t hesitate.
Unlike before when I was dealing with the sea cow, these guys didn’t make me feel an ounce of pity at all, rather all I felt was trepidation.
These things were here to kill my friends so how could I possibly hesitate now?
My claws flashed through the dim light as I slashed the creature into several halves.
I hit it with my full strength, my claws tearing through skin and bone like they were nothing more than wet paper.
The shark didn’t even have time to bleed before it was over.
Seeing the blood of the dead shark spread out in a dark, blooming cloud, I felt a sudden jolt of fear.
’ oh no no no no no!’ I instinctively panicked, fearing for the worst.
I waited for the madness to take over, for the hunger to scream at me to eat the remains.
But nothing happened.
Only then did I recall why.
’ Good thing I’m still holding my breath.’ I felt relieved knowing I was still sane even then.
The "no-breathing" trick was holding up.
Moreover, I felt as if I could continue to hold my breath for a while more.
My lungs didn’t even feel tight yet. Rather, I felt strong, fast, and completely in control.
The other sharks, on the other hand, weren’t so happy with the death of their pack mate.
They didn’t flee in fear. Instead, the smell of their friend’s blood seemed to drive them into a frenzy.
They turned as one, their bodies twisting in the water with terrifying speed.
Like a school of vicious piranhas, they all pounced towards me at the same time. It was a feeding frenzy with jaws wide open, a wall of teeth and muscle closing in from every side.
’Ganging up on one guy, you guys aren’t playing fair!’
I yelled in my mind, the panic finally starting to flare up. I didn’t have time to be proud of my kill.
I had to move or I was going to be shredded.
I pushed off the dead shark’s carcass, hurriedly swimming back in fear.
I twisted my body, tucking my arms in and kicking my tail with everything I had.
I narrowly avoided the gruesome attack. A set of jaws snapped shut just inches from my trailing tail fin, the force of the bite sending a shockwave through the water that I felt in my bones.
Another shark grazed my shoulder, its rough skin feeling like sandpaper against my arm.
I scrambled backward, trying to put some distance between me and the swarm.
Sure, I’d killed one of them so quickly, but when it came down to it, I was still a mortal. I didn’t have a hard shell or a poisonous sting.
I just had my strength and my claws. Against one shark, I was a god. Against fifteen, I was just a very fast piece of meat.
’If those things corner me, I’ll be toast...’
I thought to myself. My expression looked quite grim as I watched them circle back.
They were far smarter than I gave them credit for or perhaps I was wrong and it was merely an act of instinct.
Heaven knew I hoped it was merely instinct, because if these guys were far smarter than they were letting on, that would mean this missions difficulty had gone up quite a lot.