My Manor

Although no sound could be heard underwater, the forceful swing of the shark's tail sent a rush of water that Jiang Hai could clearly feel. As if locking onto its prey, the shark surged toward him like an arrow, its jaws parting to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.

For a moment, Jiang Hai panicked, but he quickly regained his composure.

Before diving in, he had already considered how to deal with potential threats. If he encountered a ten-meter-long great white shark, a deep-sea squid of the same size, or even a sperm whale or killer whale, he might have had little chance of survival.

But a five-meter-long shark? He wasn't entirely helpless. Perhaps it was the dragon pattern on his body, or maybe it was his innate instincts, but Jiang Hai found himself unusually calm in this critical moment. Drawing on knowledge he had learned online, he immediately threw a punch.

The force of his strike was so great that it created a bubble in the deep, airless sea. His powerful fist, reinforced by the black mesh covering it, connected directly with the shark's nose.

When it comes to attacking a shark, there are two key weak points. The first is its nose—an organ more sensitive than even a dog's, capable of detecting the slightest movements over vast distances. The abundance of nerve endings there makes it incredibly fragile. If bitten by a shark, striking its nose can often force it to release its grip.

The second weak point is its eyes. Since sharks lack true eyelids, their eyes are vulnerable and easily damaged. Attacking them is another effective strategy.

Some say that a shark's gills are another weakness. Turtles, for example, often target a shark's gills when defending themselves. However, for a human, this is far less practical.

But even if attacking the gills wasn't an option, Jiang Hai knew that aiming for the nose and eyes was the right approach.

His punch landed squarely on the shark's snout, causing it to thrash wildly. It shook its head and attempted to retreat, but Jiang Hai wasn't about to let it go so easily. As his other hand reacted instinctively, he quickly grabbed his speargun. With a swift pull of the trigger, a sharp projectile shot toward the six-gill shark.

"Bang! Bang!" However, in his haste, Jiang Hai's aim was off. The spear struck the shark's abdomen rather than a vital spot, causing blood to flow into the water. The wounded shark thrashed violently, trying to dislodge the embedded spear, but the barbed tip made escape impossible.

Its struggle sent shockwaves through the water, and even the boat above shuddered under the impact.

Jiang Hai's heart clenched. If the boat capsized, it wouldn't just be about losing the treasures—it was tethered to his yacht, where ten women were waiting. He hadn't brought them all this way just to let them end up at the bottom of the sea.

Watching the shark's crazed flailing, Jiang Hai gritted his teeth. If he didn't kill it now, it would be the end of him!

He reloaded his speargun and fired again. This time, the shot pierced through the shark's left side, puncturing a vital organ. Even with two serious wounds, the shark continued to struggle.

Jiang Hai had no time to hesitate. He kicked off the seafloor and surged toward the shark, drawing the pistol strapped to his back.

Despite its injuries, the shark instinctively understood that Jiang Hai was the source of its suffering. It opened its bloodied jaws wide and lunged at him.

Instead of retreating, Jiang Hai thrust his arm into the shark's mouth. A sharp pain flared up as its teeth bit down, but his stab-resistant wetsuit absorbed most of the damage. The shark's bite force, though powerful, wasn't enough to tear through his protective gear.

Jiang Hai didn't hesitate. Holding the pistol steady inside the shark's mouth, he aimed for its brain and pulled the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Five consecutive shots rang out. The bullets tore through the shark's skull, and its body spasmed violently before going still. Its lifeless form slowly began sinking, dark clouds of blood trailing behind it.

Only when the shark finally ceased moving did Jiang Hai let out a deep breath of relief.

"Bang!"

Just as he relaxed, the massive body of the shark crashed against the wrecked ship, tilting it even further.

"Not good!" Jiang Hai muttered in frustration as the boat swayed dangerously.

He quickly located a nearby crate containing armor. Fortunately, it had remained intact. Without wasting any time, he grabbed it and swam toward the breach in the ship's hull.

Once outside, he saw that the wreck, previously stable, was now tilting at a sharp 45-degree angle. If it continued to sink, it could drag his yacht down with it.

It was now a race against time.

On the surface, Afra and the others watched anxiously as the ship tilted more and more. Though worried, they followed Jiang Hai's earlier instructions and stayed inside, hoping he would return soon.

Had Jiang Hai known that his orders would put them in danger, he would have never brought them here in the first place.

But regrets wouldn't help him now. The only thing that mattered was cutting the rope connecting the two boats.

Summoning all his strength, Jiang Hai propelled himself toward the thick, reinforced rope. He pulled out the dagger strapped to his waist and began hacking away. But after just a few slashes, he realized something—

He had been too naive.

To prevent the rope from snapping under pressure, he had specifically chosen the strongest type available, one reinforced with steel wires. Cutting through it would take at least ten minutes. But in this situation, he barely had a minute.

Just as panic started creeping in, his eyes caught sight of the wooden beam securing the rope.

"I'm an idiot!" he cursed under his breath.

Instead of cutting the rope, why not break the aged wood that had been submerged for nearly four centuries?

Without hesitation, Jiang Hai delivered a powerful kick. The once-sturdy wood, now weakened by centuries of seawater exposure, shattered instantly. With another forceful kick, the beam split completely, severing the rope's anchor point.

The wreck, unable to support itself any longer, tilted violently and plunged into the depths of the trench, taking Jiang Hai's oxygen tank, speargun, and other gear with it. Though it stung to lose them, he had no time for regret—he had solved the immediate crisis.

Letting out a relieved breath, he secured the armor to himself, grabbed a floating wooden plank, and began his ascent.

Swimming upwards was much easier than descending, thanks to the ocean's buoyancy. Within five or six minutes, Jiang Hai's headlamp illuminated the bottom of his yacht. Around it, he saw large bags filled with treasure.

A grin spread across his face. This time, he had truly struck gold!

With a final push, he surfaced, gasping for air.

While this deep-sea adventure had been rewarding, it had also been terrifying. He had almost doomed everyone on board and had barely escaped the jaws of a shark.

Treasures were valuable, but survival was priceless.

With a powerful heave, he hauled himself onto the deck and collapsed, exhausted. His body could handle the physical strain, but the mental toll was overwhelming.

After resting for half an hour, Jiang Hai sat up, tossed his armor aside, changed into dry clothes, and called for Afra and the others.

"The boat was shaking so much earlier. Are you okay?" Afra asked anxiously as soon as she saw him.

"I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you," Jiang Hai said with a small, apologetic smile. Then, his expression turned serious. "But now, it's time to reap our rewards."

Indeed, after everything, it was finally time to harvest the fruits of their perilous dive.

(To be continued.)