No, it didn't look like the shark Vince knew.
It was more like a monster fish he had never seen before. Its gills and caudal fin were glowing, and its mouth was wide open, with sharp teeth jagged and serrated, ready to chew on its prey like a meat grinder.
Seriously???
Raine hadn't given him a heads-up that there was a monster fish in the water!
He also hadn't read anything about the kinds of fish in this world in the book Raine had given him.
But there was no time to complain right now. The big fish had a great advantage underwater, and if he didn't level up his game, he would soon turn into minced meat inside the monster fish's stomach.
That was a dire end he didn't expect when he left Raine's manor earlier this morning.
What could he do now?
There was nothing else to do… but SWIM FASTER!!!
With the monster fish approaching him as if he were its first meal after a year of starvation, Vince had never been more determined to swim faster and get out of the water.
With the pressure of his impending doom, it was as if he suddenly got a boost of speed. His arms moved in a circular motion fast, and as if he were a seasoned swimmer, he went into a streamline position.
His body was straight and elongated, with his head in line with his spine. His arms were extended forward, one hand on top of the other, squeezing his ears. His legs were held together, with toes pointed, creating a narrow profile to reduce resistance in the water.
While in the streamline position, he performed a dolphin kick—a wave-like motion that started from his chest and flowed through to his feet. This kick was particularly effective at maintaining speed underwater.
Vince kept his focus and his breathing control in check. He didn't glance behind him because he knew that unnecessary movements would slow him down, so he just pushed himself forward.
Until he reached the surface of the water.
Finally!
Vince immediately climbed to the edge of the water where Raine was. He glanced behind him, and with the clear water, he saw the monster fish withdrawing below.
Vince took a deep breath. He was panting when he heard three slow claps. He turned to Raine with a confused look because the silver-haired lady was clapping and smiling at him with a satisfied expression.
"My dear Vince, you exceeded my expectations," she said sweetly.
"What do you mean?"
"Six seconds. You managed to cover the distance in only six seconds."
Vince's eyes widened in surprise. For real?!
"I knew it. You just needed a little push to do your best."
It was then that Vince realized something.
"You… knew about the monster fish?"
"It isn't called a monster fish, silly," she smirked. "I know it must have looked that way to you, but it's just a normal fish in freshwater."
"Normal fish? It didn't look like that to me, and it seemed too eager to eat me alive. Tsk!"
Raine chuckled sweetly, as if she had just heard something ridiculous.
"Freshwater fish are harmless, Vince, darling. Do you think I would let a lowlife harm you?" She shook her head, making puppy eyes that looked very cute on her. "You think so lowly of me. You are my potential mate, and I am also your mentor. I won't let any harm befall you. Not under my watch, at least."
Harmless? The fish looked scarier than any killer fish he had seen in movies.
Seeing Vince's doubt, Raine said, "It was my fault, okay? I put a kind of powder in your pocket earlier. It has a scent that attracts freshwater fish, but they will only chase you, not harm you. Freshwater fish here in Demon City are blind, but they can sense a demon's energy once they are close enough, and they don't prey on a demon's flesh."
Raine closed the distance between them and pulled something from his trouser pocket. It was a small packet of powder. She showed it to him with a smile.
"See? I told you."
"Phew. You finally did it, Master Vince. Lady Raine's idea isn't that bad."
Fiona spoke from behind Vince. She was flying, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction because, finally, the first day of her master's training was done, and she could return to Lady Raine's cozy home, where there was a comfortable bed and lots of delectable snacks! Yum.
"I can't believe I really did it in just six seconds," Vince muttered while looking at the waterfall.
"Nothing is impossible, Vince. You just have to push yourself to your limit and see how far you can go."
While watching Vince, Raine kept smiling like a lady who had just seen a rare jewel she wanted to keep for herself.
Though Raine didn't see Vince as a jewel. How she saw him right now was as a stone with the potential to become a diamond if it goes through enough high pressure and gets enough attention. And she was planning just that—turning Vince into a diamond no one could have but her. Only her.
"I thought it would take us a whole day before you achieved today's goal, but I was wrong. This calls for a celebration!"
Fiona's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Should we have lots of meat, Lady Raine?"
Raine clung to Vince's arm. "Of course, anything for my Vince. Now, let's head back to the manor."