Why do I keep attracting Villainesses?

Chapter 38: Jacobs POV.

"I’ll be sure to leave them in the dust and make it back to the village, alright? I’m faster than any of these overgrown fish."

Garin turned silent, staring into my eyes as if thinking it over. He was looking for any sign of hesitation or fear. I tried to look as confident as possible, though inside, I was counting every second.

My lungs were screaming at me to take a breath, but I kept my gills clamped shut.

Eventually, he nodded with a stern face, realizing that I was their best shot at getting the others home safely.

"Alright, looks like we owe you one again," Garin said, his voice heavy with respect.

"Make sure to return in one piece," the other mermen added, offering their own words of comfort. They looked relieved but also guilty for leaving me behind.

I could tell they weren’t used to someone else taking the brunt of the danger for them, especially someone who was technically a "guest" in their village.

"Don’t forget, if you don’t make it back in time, you’ll have to deal with Artria on your own," Garin said, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, now I definitely have to make it back," I chuckled. The thought of a lecture from Artria was actually a pretty good motivator.

She was terrifyingly annoying when she was angry, and I didn’t want to find out what she’d do if I went missing on my first real outing.

While I looked carefree and even managed to crack a joke, I was actually worried inside.

Simply talking was using up the last bits of oxygen I had left stored in my lungs.

Every word felt like a tiny bit of my life was escaping in the form of bubbles.

I was running on fumes, and I knew that once they left, I would have to move faster than I ever had before.

Fortunately for me, Garin nodded once more. He signaled to the mermen, and they began to swim off, keeping the manatee close to them.

It was great that I didn’t have to waste any more oxygen on explanations. Now I just had to use my remaining reserves to deal with these annoying guys.

As soon as the group started to pull away, some of the sharks tried following after them.

They sensed the "weaker" prey moving and acted on instinct. I wasn’t going to let that happen.

I quickly sped over, cutting through the water like a blade. I delivered two vicious blows to the sides of two of the sharks that were leading the charge.

My fists connected with a dull thud that I felt all the way up my arm.

I didn’t hold back on those two blows. I felt their ribs snap, and they died in an instant, drifting off as the life left their eyes.

"And what do you guys think you’re doing? Eyes on me, got it!" I struck my chest with a closed fist, glaring at the rest of the pack provocatively.

I made myself as big and as loud as possible in the water, thrashing my tail to create a disturbance that would catch their attention.

Inwardly, I hoped they’d take the hint and stop chasing after the others. I needed them to focus entirely on me so the village would stay a secret.

Thankfully, it seemed luck was on my side, or perhaps I was in fact unlucky, because right after yelling at them, every single one of them shifted their murderous gazes towards me.

It was a terrifying sight. Over a hundred pairs of cold, black eyes locked onto my position at once. The water seemed to become even more tense with their collective aggression.

’Good! Now follow me, you fish bastards!’ I laughed in my mind.

The adrenaline was pumping through me now, masking the pain in my chest for a few more moments.

I picked up my pace and began swimming off in a completely different direction, away from the path Garin and the guys had taken.

The multitude of sharks, numbering over a hundred, quickly followed suit. They moved like a single, massive wave of teeth eager to rip flesh apart.

If any normal person saw the scene right now, they would definitely have nightmares for as long as they lived.

Being chased by over a hundred sharks isn’t a joke. It looked like a scene out of a horror movie, but I was the one in the middle of it.

My little life was really on the line here. If I tripped or hit a piece of coral, I’d be torn to pieces in seconds. I could hear the sound of the water rushing past my ears and the snap of jaws behind me.

’Let’s try to push even more,’ I told myself, encouraging my body to increase its speed even further.

I dug deep into my muscles, feeling that explosive shark-folk strength flare up. I didn’t just want to stay ahead of them; I wanted to leave these sharks in the dust.

I wanted to be so far gone that they’d give up and go back to the dark trenches where they belonged.

The sharks refused to give up easily. They were persistent, driven by the lingering scent of blood.

They continued to give chase, their tails whipping back and forth in a frantic effort to catch me.

But alas, one’s limitations couldn’t be ignored.

Compared to me, they were slow.

My body was built for bursts of speed that no normal shark could match.

It wasn’t long before these shit-heads were left in the dust.

I watched as the distance between us grew larger and larger until they were just tiny, frustrated dots in the distance.

My speed was simply too great to compare. I was a streak of light in the dark ocean.

"Hahaha! I actually did it!"

After having finally escaped them and making sure the coast was clear, I came to a stop near a large, peaceful forest of kelp.

I couldn’t hold it any longer. I took in a huge breath of water, feeling my gills flutter and my lungs expand.

The oxygen hit my system like a bolt of lightning, clearing the red haze from my eyes. I let out a burst of laughter that sent bubbles flying everywhere.

To think I’d done something that dangerous and walked away with ease. It felt amazing.

The rush of survival was better than any drug.

I had faced a hundred monsters and come out without a scratch.

’Hehehe, of course those fish-breaths couldn’t compare to one such as I,’ I chuckled lightly to myself.

I flexed my claws and looked at my hands.

I was getting better at this.

Not only had I learned to control my body and bloodlust , but for the first time, I wasn’t the loser here.

"Alright, now that that’s over, I better head on back to the village," I said, my stomach giving a loud growl. Now that the danger was gone, my body was reminding me that I hadn’t eaten in a while.

I was already thinking of what I’d eat after getting back. The mission was a success, and I had a lot to tell the others.

"I wonder what new dish Artria will make this time," I said, feeling a sense of warmth at the thought of the village. It was starting to feel like home.

I felt my mouth already drooling at the thought of her sushi-like cooking. She had a way of preparing raw fish with sea herbs that made it taste better than anything I’d ever had in my old life.

Maybe it was due to my new taste buds but darn was she a good cook.

Living rent-free, with daily meals and a cute girl who sleeps next to me every night, honestly, what more could a guy ask for? In my past life, I was always stressing about deadlines, rent, and making ends meet.

Now, I had a purpose, a community, and someone who actually seemed to care if I made it home in one piece.