Reincarnated as a Land Shark???

Chapter 24: The Lake

Waking up is a rather painful ordeal. I haven't had to deal with sore muscles since I did PE in high school, and the sensation all over my body is not something I appreciate in the slightest. I'm also struck by the sensation that half of my body is as dry as a bone and that I'm only considered hydrated because my tail is stuck in the water. I drag my weary form back underwater for a bit to fix that as I reorient myself.

Hmm... I get the strange feeling I had a really weird dream last night, but I can't remember what it was.

As for what I did yesterday?

I did a salmon, that's what. I also remember swearing to myself to never try it again. Considering the significant amount of pain I'm in right now, that seems like a good idea.

My stomach gives a loud growl, and I drop my chin on the pebbly ground on the bottom of the river.

Right.

No refrigerator full of food nearby. I actually have to go hunt now. Great.

For a moment I consider starving myself, but intellect wins over laziness. Starving won't help my sore muscles in the least; protein is needed to repair them and I'll only get that if I go eat something. There's also that part where if I can ambush something good my pain will all go away on its own.

I check my status screen to make sure I'm good on water, wincing at the abnormal status displayed. Sore(Major) it says.

Well, this is what I get for being an idiot. Now I just have to live with it. I stand up, dragging myself out of the water. To my immense relief my legs are actually the least-sore part of me. It's probably because I didn't need to use them that much throughout that ordeal. I'll take the small mercies where I can.

I look out over the area I'm in, and then out towards the sea. It's really distant now... I think it's safe to say that I won't be hearing about the Nanaue for some time to come. Well, even if I'd stayed downriver where I'd killed that Ahuizotl I wouldn't have, but the extra distance gives me a bit more in terms of a sense of security.

As I walk through the area, I notice that there's a lot more grass and open space here now. This would be a great campground if there were still humans hanging around the area. As I walk, my eyes catch on the form of a deer. I crouch, trying to ambush it, but I probably should have expected the outcome. Its ears swivel to me almost immediately after I began to try and hunt it and its head snapped in my direction. With long, bouncing strides it's already fled the area far beyond the speeds I'm capable of.

As expected of a deer; those guys are sharp.

I continue moving through the woods, looking for anything interesting to eat. They land on a badger.

If I was still a human I would have turned around and walked the other way. As it is, I'm a landshark and I really don't care. I'm bigger, faster, and stronger than it and if I can just avoid those wicked claws it has I'll be fine.

It whirls around when it hears me approach, nasty-looking fangs bared, and swipes at me with its claws. Rather than play with it, I just reach out with my other claw and stamp down on its head.

Just like that, it's over. I get a meager amount of EXP and start eating.

...It's fluffy.

I have to keep spitting out hairballs as I do this. I didn't really notice it as much with the Ahuizotl, but this one's gross. It tastes really gamy and there's not enough meat on it.

I finish it anyways. It might have been more snack-sized to me than anything else but I don't exactly have a handy fridge or pantry full of food lying around so my next meal is going to depend entirely on what I can hunt.