"Plop!" As soon as Jiang Hai entered the water, his eyes swept around. He quickly spotted the sea otter rushing forward. Without saying a word, Jiang Hai gave chase.
The sea otter was indeed a skilled swimmer, but unfortunately, its speed underwater wasn't as impressive as its quick reactions. It could move quickly when it first entered the water, but within seconds, it was already three or five body lengths ahead of Jiang Hai.
If it were to take advantage of this gap, it wouldn't be too difficult for the sea otter to shake Jiang Hai off.
Although the sea otter's maximum swimming speed in the sea was only around 15 kilometers per hour, it was still faster than Jiang Hai, especially considering its superior agility underwater.
However, Jiang Hai wasn't easy to outmaneuver. Once he set his mind on catching the little creature, he wasn't about to give up easily.
He kicked off from the boat with his feet, and with the boat's recoil, Jiang Hai shot forward like a torpedo, closing in on the sea otter. The otter, now aware of the chase, panicked and swam faster, not bothering with a straight line. It simply hung behind Jiang Hai, swimming toward the other side.
As a mammal, the sea otter needed to breathe just like Jiang Hai. As long as it surfaced for air, Jiang Hai could catch up. This was his confidence.
But the sea otter was clever. Knowing it was being pursued, it didn't surface. Instead, it swam deeper, determined to avoid being caught.
The sea otter's maximum diving depth was about 50 meters, and after some training, a normal person could easily dive that deep, let alone Jiang Hai. And so, one person and one otter swam straight down to the ocean floor.
"Who's this?" Jiang Hai muttered inwardly as he saw the reef below. He hadn't noticed it earlier. Reefs were different from corals. Corals were colorful, even those that were one solid color, appearing greyish-white in clear seawater. The bright colors of corals could be seen from a long distance, especially in the type of water Jiang Hai was in.
But reefs were trickier to spot. What appeared before him was a small patch of reefs. If the sea otter darted into them, it would be difficult to catch. Jiang Hai hastened his pursuit and stretched out his hand to grab the otter, but the otter was swift and entered the reef first. Annoyed, Jiang Hai waved his fist in frustration.
Reefs were dangerous because they were home to various marine animals, such as conger eels, sea snakes, and other poisonous creatures. Jiang Hai had no intention of returning empty-handed.
Thinking quickly, he swam carefully into the reef. But just as he approached, he spotted a black and white sea snake, the ringed sea snake, a relatively common species. While not particularly dangerous to humans, sea snakes were something to be cautious about, especially since many larger carnivores would prey on them. Jiang Hai, however, was relieved to see the snake swim away.
Continuing to touch the reef, Jiang Hai slowly made his way through, but he didn't realize the sea otter hadn't gone deeper into the reef. It had merely hidden at the edge, knowing the reef's dangers. As Jiang Hai ventured further in, the otter quietly slipped away, leaving him alone.
Reefs, similar to coral reefs, were mostly made up of debris from marine life. Unlike the vibrant corals, reefs were usually dull, earthy brown, and under poor lighting, they could be quite eerie.
At this point, Jiang Hai was about 45 meters below the surface. The sunlight dimmed as he looked up and saw his boat, but everything around him seemed a little darker. Still, with his experience, Jiang Hai felt calm and continued to swim forward.
Soon, he encountered a sea eel. Known for being rather stupid and ugly, sea eels would attack anything that passed by, regardless of the threat. Since they weren't poisonous, Jiang Hai wasn't concerned, but he had no intention of wasting time with it. He bypassed the eel and moved on.
Then, from a gap between the reefs, he saw a group of fish—green, blue, red, orange, and a mix of other colors—swimming quietly. Surrounding them were transparent, silk-like threads. Jiang Hai paused, recognizing the creatures. He had heard of them but had never seen them up close, especially not in his coral group.
"Parrotfish," he muttered to himself, swimming closer. As he neared the group, he confirmed they were indeed parrotfish—about 30 of them, both large and small. This was no small group.
Most people might think of the parrotfish found in aquariums, but those were actually hybrids known as blood parrot fish, created from the red devil and purple firemouth species. True parrotfish, like those in front of him, belonged to the wrasse family and were much more beautiful.
Male parrotfish typically had green-orange or green-red coloring, while females were blue and yellow. The patterns on their bodies were as unique as human fingerprints.
Despite their appearance, these parrotfish were not for casual consumption. They primarily fed on poisonous materials, which left toxins in their bodies. Although delicious, the toxins made them dangerous to eat. At their most expensive, parrotfish could fetch dozens of US dollars per kilogram, but catching them was no easy feat.
They lived in deeper waters and preferred the shelter of coral reefs or rocky areas. Harvesting them wasn't just difficult; it was dangerous. The thought of blowing up coral reefs to catch them was unthinkable. These fish were protected by their close-knit schools, and attempting to catch them could result in significant costs.
Jiang Hai swam quietly, not wanting to disturb them. But after a moment's hesitation, he extended his hand and sent a surge of spiritual energy into the parrotfish.
The energy awakened the fish, and when they noticed, Jiang Hai was already swimming toward the surface.
The spiritual energy ensured they wouldn't freeze in the winter, but Jiang Hai didn't force them to stay in his territory. He had done what he could, and with that, he swam toward the surface.
Breaking through the water's surface, Jiang Hai saw his four animals anxiously circling the boat. He couldn't help but smile. It seemed the time he'd spent raising them had been worthwhile. (To be continued.)