I'm a Stingray?

Chapter 17: Hunting session

And so after a ray of requests that portray proper scheduling, exchanged from one fish to the other, the group of 38 went out for their hunt, specifically the side quest to get food in this den.

Coral reefs tend to be full with life, and the little hunting grounds this group didn't have an understanding with, have been consumed by the shark invasion that stretched 6 months.

That sardine storm flocking the reef also contributed in to forcing the food resources of this reef, scarce.

Marlo described those facts right before they went out, the food situation isn't favourable but swimming away beyond the usual to scavenge for food, can most definitely fix this situation.

The group here understood that Tim is injured and a good portion even insisted that he holds back and waits here.

But Tim considered other opportunities, for example burning out food he ate for the sake of being able to eat more health raising species.

It can work out in the long run plus he's assigned with other fish so protection won't be scarce.

One thing that proved Marlo as an extraordinarily good leader, is the ability to properly manage a team.

The entire group for example, has been split in 7 parts which mostly includes 5 fish each. To add extra protection, he has assigned one or two sharks on each team.

However the point of splitting the group in 7 parts is to cover more territory. It wouldn't be so profitable if all 38 go at one place and find out that it has no resources or at best not enough of them.

It proves that he is worthy as a leader, which is odd itself because animals aren't supposed to be so smart, this is straight up a strategic hunting plan.

Although Tim doesn't quite understand the history of this group yet, nonetheless who assigned him as a leader. He hasn't been quite given the opportunity to know more due to the rush for food.

With the situation calming down a bit more now since everyone is swimming quiet for the hunt, Tim decides to ask. "Since when was this group created?"

Asking that question, he gives a glimpse at what's in front of him. Well it's sand and water but the destination is certain, they're going for that deep part of the ocean, the one that has a border separating shallow and deep water.

It's a bit more dangerous yes, but as a group they're stronger and this is where desperation meets opportunity, as more dangerous commonly equals to a bigger reward.

They have to swim 300 meters to get there but hopefully it will be worth it.

"2 years..." Answered a slithering sea snake, and hence the extra dots enhancing the letter S.

Seeing a snake in the den got Tim tad scared at first, but after a short conversation earlier he realized that this sea snake is a sweetheart. What's more blissful to comprehend is her name, Basilia.

It just has a nice ring to it, compliments her black and white striped skin.

The same snake elaborates on her claim. "I was the 7th to join... back then I had lost my mother by that eel who tricked you."

At this point Tim's thinking about how it has been 2 years and Basilia is still this small. The lady is just twice as long as Tim, possibly 30 cm long.

But instead he expresses hate towards these enemies. "That bastard! I swear, when I get big enough that trickster will pay."

Became fairly enranged under a second, not a good idea considering that his stamina feels limited due to this travelling. Thinking more about the snake's form here, she looks quite like an eel and that's what making Tim nervous a bit.

"We all want them dead, but there are many killers like him and our numbers are still small." A shark answered, chiming in the conversation.

Pointing out the obvious, Tim expresses. "But like, you're a shark."

"A small one, I can't kill an eel." He answers, and does have a point, being just half a meter long.

This looks like another reef shark, but this one has a funny name as well, an introduction has been made earlier. He's Eriz.

Well that quite killed the conversation, Tim has no reason to go against it when Eriz describes himself weaker.

Could be perfect timing as well, as they have reached the border now. Even better, Tim can spot something in the distance that represents what he has been hunting, a seahorse!

"Oh god I totally forgot about that." He expressed out loud and got quite a few strange stares.

"Forgot about what?" A sea turtle answers, a bit bigger than Tim in size and dark blue in colour with a few white stripes, this one is Tevenot.

And the only other fish with them is Alba the whiptail stingray a.k.a Tim's crush.

"I always wanted to know what seahorses taste like." Tim answers, wanting to avoid talking about a system only he can hear and debate with.

"Go for it." Eriz the shark encourages while eyeing another fish in the semi-far distance. "Sea horses are too small to bring back to the den, so just eat it."

With no hesitation and for the sake of progress, Tim takes a moment to build up momentum and swims just an inch above the sea horse, taking a bite mid charge.

Fairly was a bite strong enough to kill something so small, Tim feels tad bad about eating creatures, it can lead to wrecking a home, but this is survival of the fittest.

[Yellow seahorse killed, 1 system point has been rewarded.]

[Since this is a system given task, you also receive an additional point.]

[Total system points = 77]

[The following information have been saved in your collection and can be used limitlessly, upgrade regardless.]

[Effect on health, +2]

[Effect on hunger, +0.3]

[Effect on sleep, non existent.]

Effect on stamina, non existent.]

[Your total health = 57/100]

"Too much information system, but at least my tail feels a bit better." Tim thought, to which the system did not answer.

While Tim was debating with the system, Eriz the reef shark went and caught the prey, it's fairly large, almost as big as him.

"You got a tuna, nice!" Alba congratulated, while herself looking for prey and spotting one right where the border is.

Charging to it at full speed although the target technically can't go anywhere, Alba the stingray digs her jaws into it and comes back up, she killed a white clam.

"You can eat that?" Tim expressed, not quite liking to taste a clam.

Swimming a bit further away and dropping the clam on the shallow area, Alba questions. "What? Is your mouth too soft for that?"

"I have tough teeth!" Tim slightly shouts and gets a sudden burst of motivation.

Eriz being praised before Tim even aided that motivation, so he spots another clam 10 meters to their left and charges towards it.

Sinking his teeth on the white clam, Tim thinks. "However the hell am I supposed to eat this?"

[Hard clam killed, 1 system point has been rewarded.]

[Eating an entire hard clam grants the following.]

[Effect on health, non existent.]

[Effect on hunger, +1]

[Effect on sleep, +1]

[Effect on stamina, non existent.]

[Information has been saved in your collection and can be used limitlessly regardless of upgrades.]

Swimming back to Alba, he drops the clam near to where she dropped it and states. "See, easy kill for me."

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