Why do I keep attracting Villainesses?

Chapter 35. JACOBS POV.[BONUS Chapter]

"If you don’t leave now, you’ll have more troublesome matters to deal with than just a few sharks," I said through gritted teeth. My voice sounded different, deeper, raspier, and full of a hunger that made me flinch at my own sound.

I was terrified that if they stayed, the next person I lunged at wouldn’t be a shark, but Garin.

"Even though, we aren’t leaving," Garin said, his voice remaining firm.

He didn’t back down. He gripped his bone spear and stood his ground.

There was no way he could bare to abandon me now after he’d promised to stick with me.

To Garin, it seemed a promise was worth everything.

Plus, I knew he understood the risks. He had heard the warnings from Artria. He wasn’t stupid, but was definitely loyal to a fault. Not only him, but even the others showed supportive gazes, refusing to leave in this situation.

’These guys really are something,’ I thought.

I didn’t know whether to be pleased with their loyalty or annoyed by the fact that they refused to leave. Their bravery was going to get them killed, and it was going to be my fault.

’If only there was a way for me to help without losing control,’ I wondered.

I felt anxious as my thirst for blood rose more and more.

It felt like a frustrating itch under my skin that I couldn’t scratch.

The scent of the sharks’ blood was like a drug, pulling at my mind, telling me to give in and just start killing.

’If I want to remain sane, I’ll have to get rid of all the blood in the water... But there’s no way that’s possible,’ I thought.

I looked at the vast ocean around us.

You couldn’t just "clean" the water. The blood was everywhere, drifting in the currents, calling to the beast inside me.

’But... perhaps.’ I thought as an idea suddenly crossed my mind.

’That’s it! I just need to isolate the smell!’ My eyes shimmered with realization.

If I could just get rid of the bloody smell, I didn’t really have to worry about the blood itself.

Eating flesh wasn’t enough to turn me crazed, but it seemed my only problem was with the scent of the blood itself.

If I could just get rid of that annoying scent, I could use my abilities to the of my capabilities.

I took a deep breath of the water, filling my lungs one last time before stopping my own breathing.

I tightened my throat and pulled my gills shut, sealing myself off from the outside world. It was a strange feeling, like plugging your nose while underwater, but much more intense.

I waited, counting the seconds in my head, watching the red haze in my vision and waiting for the hunger to strike again.

’ Please work’

’ Please work’

’ Please work’ I said over and over in my mind, my finger’s crossed in anticipation.

’....’ suddenly, my mind turned silent.

’It actually worked.’ I then said to myself in dumbfoundment.

I couldn’t believe it. My eyes widened with disbelief when I felt my bloodlust stop completely the moment I held my breath.

The hot, stinging pressure behind my eyes vanished.

The urge to scream and tear into something died down into a dull, manageable throb.

It was like someone had suddenly turned off a loud, screaming radio in my head.

To think it actually worked.

So long as I didn’t breathe in the bloody waters, I could actually keep my bloodlust at bay.

’I’m such an idiot, of course I can’t smell anything if I hold my breath.’

I felt like slapping my own forehead.

I wasn’t a genius when it came to the anatomy of merfolk, but I knew for a fact that for a human, they lost the ability to smell once they held their breath.

In my old world, if you walked into a room that smelled like rotten eggs, you just stopped breathing through your nose and you were fine.

Fortunately, the same thing worked even though I was in merfolk form.

My "smell" was tied to the water passing through my gills. No water, no scent. No scent, no bloodlust.

As for how long I could hold this breath of mine, I had no idea. This was the first time I’d tried such a thing in this body.

Back on land, I could go for maybe a minute if I was sitting still.

But here, with these dense muscles and the pressure of the deep sea, I felt like I had a lot more oxygen stored up.

Still, fighting took energy, and energy used up oxygen. I was on a timer now, and I didn’t know when the clock would hit zero.

With this realization, I shifted my focus towards the distance, particularly in the direction I’d smelt the bloody scent coming from earlier. Now that the fog in my brain had cleared, I could see much better.

’ It’s more dangerous than I expected...’ I said to myself.

The water ahead was dark, filled with shadows that were moving too fast to be kelp.

I could see the glint of sunlight hitting gray scales. They were coming, and they were coming fast.

Since I didn’t know exactly how long I could keep this up, I knew I had to do something about the encroaching predators as quickly as possible.

I couldn’t just stand here and wait for them to surround us.

If I ran out of breath while they were all over me, I’d inhale a lungful of blood and turn into a mindless beast right in the middle of the pack. That was a recipe for a very messy disaster.

’Since these guys are a stubborn bunch, might as well give them a head start.’

I looked back at Garin and the other mermen.

They were still holding their ground, looking at me with a mix of worry and confusion.

They didn’t know I was holding my breath; they probably just thought I had suddenly found some incredible mental strength.

" You seem a lot better now. Good, try to keep it up for now alright." Garin said.