Enemy

"System, I've been waiting for an hour now! Where the hell are those crabs?" Tim let out yet another complaint but now at least his behaviour can be acceptable, it isn't easy to wait for an hour for food, while being dangerously hungry.

[You've been waiting for 37 minutes, guests aren't supposed to lie.]

[You should wait, crustacea will eventually come here. Talking isn't recommended, it can scare away prey.]

While the two exchanged a bit of words, Tim could feel something pointy touching his back, thankfully nothing is stabbing him but it still felt weird.

Upon in built reflex, Tim swings his tail and feels its barbs attaching to whatever touched his back, that should tell the creature to respect personal space. Wait no, this is what Tim has been waiting for.

Separating his barb from the creature, attaching it again, and repeating the procedure over and over.

Throughout the stabs, he could feel several pointy feet on his back, this must be a crab. Although killing it does feel hard on the conscious, it's either it or him.

The battle became short lasting, there isn't much a crab can do against a Stingray several times its size. Doesn't necessarily mean that Tim is large, but the crab species is just very small, possibly a juvenile.

Rising from the sand now as there is no reason to hide, Tim finally gets a glimpse of the crab in question.

It's small, obviously but also doesn't seem to escape a stereotypical crab's form apart from its yellow colour, covering most of the carcass.

It has swollen eyes, they poke out of its head but it looks like Tim hurt one of its eyes thanks to that barb randomly stabbing here and there.

Feeling a bit nauseous to consume an uncooked crab, not liking the countless stab wounds on it either, Tim thinks. "This is so disgusting, but I have no choice."

[You have other choices, death is an option but you have to starve through it.]

[As for what most of my guests were concerned about, as a Stingray you don't have taste buds so this meat won't make you hurl.]

"Wow thanks for all the motivation." Tim replies, not liking how the system has to comment on anything.

Buried in the sand, Tim had a bit more time to analyse this whole situation, this new life and he isn't a fan towards it even for the slightest minimum. He has somehow died, reincarnated into a Stingray's body and now has to just deal with it.

He thinks that the best this system can do is at least stay quiet, this whole new life is tiring enough and he doesn't need a moody system running its mouth. The system should know to keep quiet right now, considering that it can read Tim's little Stingray mind but no.

Sounds like the possible lady, the system that is, it sounds like a lady. She has agendas of her own and doesn't really care what Tim demands, and sees the man as a slave to her abilities.

Deciding to just get on with it, Tim sinks his jaws towards the dead crab's leg, felt absolute ease biting it off and suddenly remembered something about his jaws being level 2.

Not being able to taste anything but still liking how his stomach feels when food finally got in there, Tim gives in a bit more effort to swallow the rest of the crab's leg, taking one bite at a time which made the leg feel like some kind of edible stick.

This crab is small, possibly about 7 centimeters wide, so it proves that this one could almost be a newborn, tad sad to eat it but this is survival of the fittest.

Going for the crab's stomach now, Tim digs his jaws, feels the crab's back crack a tad bit, perhaps it was protected by a shell? Either way it feels mildly durable since Tim managed to bite through it, his Stingray body isn't exactly that big or powerful.

[Crustacea killed. 1 system point has been added as a reward.]

[System task completed. 1 additional system point has been rewarded.]

[Total system points = 6]

[Ghost crab identified, statistics have been saved in your collection.]

[Hunger is being tamed.]

[Effect on health, non existent.]

[Effect on sleep, +1 bar.]

[Effect on stamina, +1 bar.]

[This information can be used endlessly regardless of upgrades.]

Tad pissed of this system's never ending banter, but less pissed now compared to when he had nothing to eat, Tim utters. "Darn you've got a lot to say! Calm down, I just ate a crab."

And then goes for the crab again, biting where he left off and feeling his belly getting bigger and bigger.

Few bites later, with the small crab mostly consumed, getting tad tired of eating even, Tim hears the system yelling out statistics again.

[Hunger bar 7/15]

[System recommends sleep, you have eaten enough to not stave.]

[Short term sleep is recommended, predators are always on the move.]

Willingly agreeing with this darned system for once, Tim still has to ask. "Oh okay then, I do feel sleepy. Stingrays can sleep the same way humans do, right?"

[Affirmative. Do bury yourself in the sand, increases rates of survival against bigger predators.]

...

Opening his eyes, Tim spots a big fishy face, glaring him down and its teeth shining. At such a sight, he can't help letting out a bubley talk, panicking and demanding information. "What's that?"

[System recognizes a species of shark, specifics can't be given unless its meat is consumed.]

Not exactly caring what branch of species it is, Tim hollers. "Okay and how the hell do I get away from it?"

And Tim expects an instant reply but for once the system remains absolutely silent, not even willing to specify that she won't give such information.

Feeling the shark's nose touching his head, out of developing fear and animalistic instincts, he swings the barb against the shark and feels it meet flesh.

Good enough, the shark actually swims away, maybe Tim struck an eye? It's hard to tell, the shark swam away faster than it got stung.

Dashing out of the sand, hoping not to meet that shark again and find a safe space, Tim demands the system's help right after. "What do I do now? Why aren't you talking?"

[You're demanding information that doesn't reach your current criteria. Such options will be available for you after a few upgrades.]

Tremendously pissed by this greedy ass of a system, Tim hollers. "You greedy bastard! There won't be any upgrades if I become shark food."

Out of a sudden, Tim sees what could be the same shark, cross and block the straight forward way he was heading at. Revealing its nose, Jim can see a hole a couple of inches below the eye.

Yes, this is the same shark and it's angry!