10 Fish Vendetta!

What that eel did was indeed foul. But it was a firm fact that Tim couldn't exactly do much about it right now. Because as a start, that enemy was 1.5 meters long. If size alone was not enough to scare him away, the prime enemy also carried a row of sharp jaws.

While the young stingray was just a 30-day-old marine animal, and could not measure forces with a far bigger enemy. Considering that the same opposer had a mako shark as a friend; it was a clear fact that the odds favoured the heavy side of the stick.

There wasn't much to do about it now. So he pushed such thoughts aside, and continued the hunting session. He had killed that bundle of ghost crabs, and now had to find a new spot to stash the food.

[Don't find a den that's close to the old one. Because the eel can find you and eat you]

Still pissed about the whole situation, he began lashing out. "The crab bodies are close to my old home. Why should I pick one that's far away, ha? That's stupid!"

[Those crabs were important when you had that old den, now make it a goal to find a new home. You can stack up other critters in there]

Taking a moment to calm down, he recalled what trouble of which simple holes could bring. Deadly at least, and definitely something that he did not want to experience once more.

Likewise, he questioned. "Which hole has the least bitty madmen?"

[Upcoming tip, free of charge]

[Generally, you need to sleep where big predators can't get in to. So look for a hole that you have trouble fitting through. Those can lead to a good den for low-level species like you]

It became a firm decision that those crabs he had recently slaughtered, paid no value. So he began using the last minutes of this marvelous level-5-speed, to get as far away from the coral reef as possible.

The young boy didn't even bother to check for any potential dens along the way. But was concentrated on finding a safer spot, he will seek out potential dens a bit later.

Throughout the little boy's mind, one word was being repeated. "Swim swim swim!"

...

He had swum about 300 meters away from the coral reef now. The swimming speed he encouraged was equal to that of a maniac; as he had covered such a distance in less than a minute. All thanks to that blessed speed.

But everything had a limit. In this case, stamina was behaving like a barricade. Rage descended as he landed over the sand underneath, simply because overworking one's body, surely helped to strip emotions away.

On the way here he did spot crabs or what looked like them, along with a few species of fish. But he did not want to stop and take a bite out of them, and the reasons for that were numerous.

First and most importantly, he did not want to rely on the reef, or anything close to that natural formation; regardless what the need was. Be it for food or any other purpose.

And two, he felt a bit too full and had to burn down some energy for that sake. It was interesting how he wanted to feel hungry now, while in the beginning he was suffering with opposite circumstances.

As for the reef he had left behind, it had become a big ego-game right now. He didn't even want to swim near it at the moment, as the emotions that were linked with it were unpleasant.

The little boy took a moment to glance through his surroundings, and allowed his stamina replenish for a while. After a moment, the young stingray spotted a slightly narrow hole, that was laying just a few meters away.

The structure of the hole was interesting. Because the entrance was supported by a significant bump. It would make one think that a greater world was behind it.

It did seem intriguing without a doubt. But he didn't want to rush in it, although it did seem system recommended. In other words, it looked safe. At the moment, Timmy had figured that the best solution was to dig himself in the sand.

The prime plan became to stalk the den for a good while. It would be a great way to filter out what threats this potential home had.

Falling asleep was not an option. He was especially exposed here, where a random animal could be inhabiting the other side of the short tunnel. A few simple seconds were required for this situation to turn sour, and it was a fate he did not want to explore.

...

A good hour had passed now, and Timothy hadn't seen any predators or normal fish for that matter; go in or out from this hole. It was somewhat distressing, as it sounded too quiet.

Through this hour, the stalking stingray had even flapped his fins a few times against the sand. All for the sake of attracting what could be hiding behind this hole.

But no, nothing came out. And this alone, could most definitely be a good thing as it screamed den potential. But paranoia remained as a prime emotion, a barricade.

Yet finally, he decided to try his luck and swim in it. The boy's fins squeezed through the entrance while he was going through it. This short tunnel could be just around 5 centimeters wide. A small girth for sure, but it wasn't necessarily a problem when it came to crossing it.

Since the tunnel was narrow, he had squeezed through about a meter deep under the sea-ground; it felt like an advantage, because it created an extra shield of protection against any predator that was lurking outside.

The young boy found himself in a bigger opening now. It seemed more like a ditch come to think of it, and didn't exactly provide any eye-catching characteristics. Ugly in some aspects, and it only stretched 4 or so feet across.

But at this point, it was perfect for the young fellow, although far less roomy compared to his old den.

The structure here was easy to understand. The exit who also behaved as an entrance, was a good example. It was located at the top of this den, towards the right corner. Simple and nice for sure.

The most unique characteristic was how this den sunk just about 7 feet deep. That was what gave that ditch-like vibe, especially since this place was also shaped in a circular manner.

There wasn't much light here either, but that could be because it was becoming dark above the surface's waters. The sun was setting, so reaching this new den right now, was perfect timing. Especially since the most dangerous predators roam at night.

"This place is ugly, where are all the colors?" Tim questioned himself after a while, not quite used to such an atmosphere.

[You're surrounded by gravel and rock. Sand is at the bottom too, so it proves perfect as a den for you. The darkness here is just another layer of camouflage]

That information forced the little boy to feel a tad weary, but that was not the whole reason behind such a state. He had been swimming around through most of the times, ever since he had reincarnated into this body.

So since this den looked perfect to sleep in without having to worry about getting eaten, the young stingray buried himself in the sand and uttered. "Good night, system."

[Good night, guest]

...

Rising, thankfully with no predator trying to molest the boy with a kiss: the first thing he heard was the system informing, [Sleep bar = 35/35]

But that was not all thankfully. Because with progress as the sole goal, the lady-sounding system specified. [Locate and kill any species of sardines]

[You can get a system point from each sardine you kill]

[Since this is a system given task, you will earn an additional point]