I'm a Stingray?

Trying his absolute best to understand, Tim managed to ask an actually insightful question. "Oh... so my brain can carry 2 intelligences."

[That's a bit hard to explain. Typically, as a stingray, one wouldn't be able to have more than 1 intelligence.]

[But since you're a human who migrated in a stingray brain, the intelligences you have are numerous.]

[There can be hundreds of intelligences, each different based on a common individual.]

[But in you, system has recognized 5 intelligences that can be cultivated.]

[Your emotional intelligence is 60. Which is good, but not good enough to be considered average. This also explains your ego and crave for vengeance.]

Thankfully able to catch up with such information he never heard of, he questioned. "So, I'll be a genius someday?"

[You'll be like 5 geniuses combined, through a lot of hard work. That is, if you don't die.]

And that's where Timmy began to think in depth again. Although these predictions aroused the sense of adventure, he couldn't help thinking. "What's the point of being a super genius when I'm just a stingray? These are confusing times."

But yet the system didn't bother replying to that thought and added. [Option number 3 = Increase durability by 5 points.]

[Price 45 system points.]

A bit more sure by now that the system won't scam him, Tim still asked. "What's this? Does it mean I can swim deeper if I buy it?"

[No. This is a different type of durability. With this upgraded, you can withstand damage easier and lose less health when you take damage. Less compared to the past durability at least.]

[Your current durability is: 5]

"That sounds low... I should upgrade that as soon as possible or else this reef will kill me." Firmly realistic at this point but he just wanted to sound smarter.

But yet enthusiastic, in his head he screamed. "These upgrades sound a lot better! Finally things that will make me a better killer hehe."

Yet confusion striking his little brain, he asked. "But... I never heard of these upgrades before. If I remember right, you haven't told me these in the beginning."

[Reasons behind it are easy to explain.]

[In the beginning, I only explained the most important skill set that has a soul purpose of aiding survival.]

[If you have noticed, you always have the option to upgrade a main skill. Such as: Hunting capabilities, jaws and now the barb. Eventually you'll be able to upgrade the other main ones, all in perfect clock-wise order.]

[But there are also secondary skill sets, like: Any type of intelligence, durability, etc. These abilities aid survival but dominance as well.]

[These secondary abilities were given such label for the sake of order. If we put everything in one place and call them primary abilities, it would take months before you can go back to the first ability on the list and upgrade it.]

[So for the sake of order and survival, these abilities have been split in two sections. Like-wise, that's why you get to upgrade 2 secondary capabilities and only a single primary one, at a time.]

[It's all to balance the odds of survival, dominance, and of course a prime goal is to be a prodigy, apart from just surviving long enough in the beginning.]

Feeling like his tiny little brain would catch on fire at this point, Tim's brain lagged for a bit before he regained the ability to think. "Well you lied, these aren't easy to understand. But if I took it right, you're saying that I can become the strongest stingray to ever exist in the history of forever."

[Yes, you can become the strongest to ever live. That is, if you listen to me now when you're the dumbest, respectively.]

"Oh." Tim mouthed and heard Amie projecting what almost sounded like a shout. "Wake up! The pufferfish are waiting for us."

...

"So these are the pufferfish that have a special mission for me?" Tim asked, trying to water quote as best as he could with fins.

"Yup these are the ones." Rummy answered, certain of his memorisation capabilities.

Blinking about 7 times now just to be sure he wasn't hallucinating from the pain that the upgrade caused, Timmy asked. "I don't mean to be racist but why are they grey?"

"These are bronze pufferfish, that's how they're born." Amie cleared out, thankful that these fish don't understand the language.

They seem to be about double Tim's size, which typically wasn't a threat alone but these fine pieces of nature are known to rule their tribes with an iron fist. At least that's what the needlefish siblings saw.

This species also seemed a bit less fat, apart from their head being big that is. Generally it was interesting to look at them, beautiful in a shade way.

Willing to get the chit chat over with so he can explore for what can gain health, he asked without caring even a hunch more about these pufferfish. "Okay, what do they need me to do?"

And so, the biggest of these pufferfish cited like a dictator who had to pee. "Pipipipi! Pi pi, pipipipipi. Pi!!!"

Tim had absolutely no idea what all of that was about, but Rummy was quick to translate. "They're on constant war with this other pufferfish tribe, so they need you to deliver a deadly blow."

Looking at his surroundings, Tim almost instantly fact checked that claim. As these aren't many of these bronze pufferfish around, only like 7. So chances are, the rest must have died in fearsome battle.

But yet sceptic, he asked. "That's basically an assassination. I don't understand how stealth fits into this."

After a bit of discussion, the biggest of these fish, got closer to Timmy and spoke out. "Pipi."

Staggered beyond measure, all he could do was gaze at the pufferfish and hope that the fat head won't try to kiss.

Rummy once more interrupted and uttered a couple of words that didn't fail to strike the young stingray into a puzzle. "Stink bomb."