Reincarnated as a Land Shark???

Chapter 10: Impending Peak of Power

Returning to my familiar haunt is probably a good course of action for now. Little Shark and I have been hunting the whole time we've been back in the reefs, but most of the time we're not actually eating what we catch.

I feel bad about it, but I've decided that my best course of action is to hunt for EXP.

I bring my claws down across the face of the Cthulhu Hatchling as it tries to catch me from the side, finishing it off with a swift bite. I look over to see Little Shark ferociously attacking what seems to be a rock but is actually a rock-like monster called a Sea Golem. A quick Status Inspection reveals that its HP hasn't even gone down by one point, even with Little Shark's constant flurry of ferocious attacks. H-Hang in there, Little Shark!

Considering how many times I've leveled up while Little Shark futilely tries to put a scratch in the golem, Little Shark is definitely smaller than me now.

I hear the familiar sound of experience gain, feeling myself grow a little as it flows in. That makes another level... meaning I'm level eleven now? I glance at the ever-present status window that has been active since I first opened it. I wonder if it will ever go away?

And just like that, it's gone.

Wait, what?

It's gone? Wait, how do I get it back open? What?

It turns out my panic was for nothing. As I willed it to reappear, it did so. I frown, willing it away and lo and behold, it vanishes again.

IT WAS THAT SIMPLE THIS WHOLE TIME!

There's a thud as Little Shark tail slaps the golem before thrashing away, holding its likely throbbing tailfin between its foreclaws and writhing in pain.

Little Shark, don't you think you should give up by now? It hasn't even bothered to twitch since you started and if you actually hurt it it'd probably mess you up.

As you can probably tell, I haven't exactly gotten all of these levels in one day. I've been spending the past few days in the reefs hunting for EXP to gain levels, as I've already stated. So far, prey has been plentiful, but slowly I've noticed the appearance of a different sort of monster. It looks like a lot of the Cthulhu hatchlings have grown into a variety of creatures, their features changing along with it. Some of them are Youngling Cthulhu now, which seem to be a simple step up from the Cthulhu Hatchlings I've fought so far. From what I can tell they just get bigger bodies and more gross spiky tentacle arms. Seems like they gain a thicker skin too, which makes them harder to bite. For some reason though, it seems like the only ones that make it to this point are extremely low-leveled. But how does that work exactly?
Does it have something to do with the fact that a lot of them are becoming lv MAX?

Speaking of lv MAX... I'm about to hit it. By the looks of things, that means a halt in my growth aside from my skills and abilities. Though it will mean I'll likely be as strong as I can get, it has the downside of meaning it'll be much harder to get any stronger from here on out.

Well, I have one level left before I figure out what happens.

I wonder if it's like hitting my prime and my level steadily goes down from there?

...Oh god that's a scary thought why did I think that.

But it is plausible. If I grow in accordance to my level, levelling could be like aging. If that's the case, I think I might've driven myself to my death right after my new life began... another intimidating thought.

In any case, I should probably go over and stop Little Shark from hurting itself anymore on that golem. Its HP is going down and everything...

I swim over between it and the golem, shaking my head. It's just not worth it anymore!

Little Shark gapes its jaws in defiance, almost like it's yelling at me. Come to think of it, I open my mouth every time I want to communicate something - a remnant of how I was before my reincarnation I guess.

But the meaning is loud and clear. It wants to keep attacking the golem until the thing dies.

I wish I could communicate it better, but... I just shake my head solemnly, hoping it gets the point across. Little Shark pouts, but seems to come to the realization that it isn't even scratching it and gives up, following me as we head further into the reef.

I think I'm done levelling for now. The idea of premature aging is a bit too much for me right now - my new life just started after all, I don't want it to end so soon!

As we return to the cave, however, I'm surprised to find it's occupied by sharks that are NOT sleeping.

A Status inspection reveals them all to be rather low leveled. Little Shark seems to have expected them, circling them happily. They slowly rouse themselves from their dosing, swimming up through the water to the cave entrance.

Little Shark circles me a few times with a very bright expression for a shark. I guess that means she'll be back?

And just like that, they disappear out into the open water.

It takes me exactly ten seconds to start missing it. I got strangely used to its company over the past few days, so now being alone feels odd, like the water around me is colder than before.

Well, it's been a long day of hunting, and the sun is setting...

Ah, that's probably it. Little Shark wanted to join the big swarm heading up to shore. Since I never want to go with it, it went and found some other low leveled sharks to go with it. Not entirely sure how it communicated this intent, but Little Shark has always been very oddly expressive.

I watch as the sun sets and the swarm begins. It's as eerie an event as always, and no matter how many times I see it I can't help but imagine being amongst the few creatures that were caught out and reduced to bloody streams of water slowly filtered through the swarm.

No matter how long I spend in this form, I guess I'll never really feel like one of them, huh?