"[Master Angler]? What am I, an old man that fishes for fun?" Rin exclaimed as she read the description when she was notified by the system. She was reading her newly acquired skill one by one, trying to make sense of their practicality of use, as well as their possible application for various scenarios.
"I don't have that much MP, so I would really appreciate it if the skills I get are passive ones, just like this [Fish Skin] and [One With Water] skill," she said.
[Fish Skin] allows the user to have high resistance to diseases. Given the limited watery environment that fishes are subjected to, several bacteria and microorganisms would undoubtedly cause severe infections in the animals. [Fish Skin] makes it so that these wouldnt happen by making the skin resistant to external intrusion, as well as bolstering the healing factor.
"This might come in handy since I don't really have a bath to use inside this cave. Besides, this cave is damp! Too damp!" Rin said as she moved on to read the description of her other skill.
[One with Water] allows the user to exercise mobility in the water column as much as it can when it is in the terrestrial setting. This means that Rin can still move as fast as she was flying when she is above or under the water.
"Wow! This is nice, lucky!" Rin said as she finished reading the descriptions. She was quite happy with the skills she earned so far. But, what bothered her most was the fact that she was still four (4) levels away from her first evolution.
"Well, they say that the "journey is the real treasure"! I'll eventually level up, so there is no need to rush. Oh, I know! I'll try using those skills that I've just learned!" Rin decided that it was pointless to agonize over something that she didn't have any control over (well, she does, she was just making excuses to herself so she could try her new skills) and decided to try out her skills.
She went and looked over the pool in front of her. Even with her enhanced vision, she couldn't see to the bottom. If this pool is capable of holding those many fishes at once, then it is probably larger at the bottom, or it connects to other areas. Well, there is only one t find out.
"First up, let's try this [Aquatic] skill," she said as she plunged into the water. Since the [Aquatic] skill is passive, she doesn't have to expend any MP just to activate it.
"Wow! So I don't have to hold my breath when underwater! So convenient! Then, how about movement?"
Rin started to flap her wings, gliding or swimming through the water like a fish would. There is a bat in her previous world, called the fishing bat that is used to taking their prey from underneath the water, much like what ospreys and kingfishers do.
"Wow, it's like I'm a fish now," she said. She started to use her [Detect Water] skill to search for prey underwater. Soon enough, she spotted something that is reminiscent of that of a catfish or an eel. However, the size is about twice the size of a Wel's catfish (AN: try Googling it), so Rin was reluctant to consider this as her prey or will it consider her the prey instead?
"It's times like this that [Appraisal] skills or [Analysis] skills that reveal information on enemies would come in handy. I can't just rush in without knowing how strong the enemy is," she said as she watched the fish move away.
However, due to reasons unknown, the fish suddenly turned around and headed her way.
"Woah, woah. You can't be serious, right?" Rin was clearly surprised at the fish's unexpected behavior. "It's coming this way, right!?" she exclaimed.
Sure enough, the fish had its sights on Rin. A small bat in the water was sure to be an appealing snack for something whose diet may only consist of other fishes in the area. Perhaps it got used to the taste of fish and is now searching for other food sources, and it just so happens that Rin was in the water.
The fish moved through the water with snake-like movements, not allowing Rin to predict where it would strike. Rin was surprised, but she still has the option of just surfacing, and that was exactly what she did.
With experienced movements, she started heading toward the surface, trying her best to break through the water at the soonest possible time possible. The fish saw her and began swimming after her, its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth opened wide, ready to swallow Rin the moment she either slowed down or slipped up.
"Wah!!!" Rin cried out as she desperately tried to flee. Her little excursion had turned quickly into a life-or-death situation. The fish was making a biting gesture with its mouth as it tries to nab Rin by her feet.
"Faster! Faster, my wings!"
It was at this moment that Rin broke through the water's surface and headed straight to the safety of the cave ceilings. As she looked back, she saw that the fish was also airborne, given the speed as it tries to nab her earlier.
"A chance!"
Rin quickly saw the opportunity of having an airborne opponent that is helpless outside its own element. Taking advantage of her [Master Angler] skill, she attacked the fish with every skill possible in her arsenal.
"[Hyper Fang]! [Poison Fang]!" she shouted the name of her skills. With the help of her newly-acquired skills, her attacks proved to be several times more effective to fish now. Taking advantage of her mobility, she pestered the fish with several claw attacks and bites through its body. She managed to slip as many attacks as possible within the three seconds of airborne time that the fish was subjected to.
"For the coup de grace! Hyahh!" she used both her claws to slice through the fish's abdomen. A surge of blood sprouts forth before the fish plunged down back into the pool. Rin waited above the water, hovering overheard to observe for anything that the fish might do if ever the attack didn't finish it off, but it looks like she didn't have to wait any longer. She could see a dark mass of something floating toward the surface. What resurfaced was none other than the fish itself. Its injuries and the effect of the [Poison] on its system may have been too much for it to endure, resulting in its death.