Chapter 439: Chapter 439: Beneath the Surface
That night, the rain didn’t stop.
It fell steadily, rain drops tapping against windows, roofs, and the endless floodwaters that had swallowed the city whole.
The rhythmic sound should have been calming, but for many survivors, it felt like a warning.
A warning of a bigger threat to come.
Inside the Lu family apartment, the atmosphere was quieter than usual.
Even Lu Tao, who normally couldn’t sit still for more than a few minutes, was unusually subdued.
He sat on the couch with his laptop open, fingers flying across the keyboard as streams of data scrolled rapidly across the screen.
Due to the lack of sunlight, they had been using generators for power. You could hear the humming sound of the generator in the background.
"I have mapped out the areas where the fish attacks were reported," Lu Tao said without looking up. "It does not seem random."
Leng Pan, who was seated across from him, raised her head abruptly.
"Explain yourself please." She said solemnly.
Lu Tao tapped a few keys on the laptop and turned the screen toward her.
A rough map of the flooded city appeared on the screen.
Red markers blinked across particular spots on the map.
"They’re concentrated around these areas," Lu Tao pointed out. "And look at this..." he continued, zooming the screen further.
"These points form a pattern."
Lu Zhen, who had just been talking to Ouyang Jin at the door, walked over after closing the door.
He glanced at the screen once and immediately understood.
"A perimeter?" He asked.
Lu Tao nodded his head like a chick pecking rice.
"Exactly. It’s as if they’re guarding something there."
Leng Pan observed the map and another possibility surfaces in her mind, but she didn’t mention it.
Lu Hao, who had been standing quietly by the window, suddenly spoke.
"There’s something down there."
Everyone turned to look at him.
His eyes were focused on the water outside, his expression unreadable.
"I can feel it," he continued slowly. "It’s very faint... but it’s definitely there."
"What do you feel?" Leng Pan asked, curiosity written all over her face.
Lu Hao frowned a bit, as if trying to find the right words to express himself.
"... it’s like pressure, but not quite."
The atmosphere changed at his words.
Leng Pan stood up and took a raincoat hanging by the door and put it on.
"Let’s go and check it out." She wouldn’t feel at ease without knowing what was going on.
"Right now?" Li Yunjia asked, her voice filled with concern. She didn’t want her children risking their lives like this.
"It’s too dangerous at night," Auntie Li added.
"I know. So, we won’t go far. We’ll just get close enough to determine what we are dealing with them we’ll turn back. Don’t worry." Leng Pan comforted the two older women.
However, she might as well not have said anything.
Her explanation only made their anxiety soar.
Lu Zhen placed a hand on her shoulder as if giving her strength and courage.
"I’ll go with you."
Lu Hao also stepped away from the window immediately.
"And me."
Lu Tao hesitated for a moment before raising his hand.
"...Can I come this time?"
Leng Pan looked at him and after a brief pause, she nodded.
"Stay behind us. And don’t act recklessly."
Lu Tao grinned and gave a mock salute.
"Yes, Commander!"
The four of them, along with Assistant Yao, soon found themselves back on the water.
This time, the atmosphere was completely different.
The darkness made everything feel more dangerous and creepy.
The water was black, reflecting only faint glimmers of light from the flickering candles in the surrounding buildings.
And the silence around them was suffocating.
Even the mutated fish that had been so active earlier and attacking people seemed to have vanished.
"The water has become a little too quiet," Lu Zhen muttered.
They moved slowly toward one of the marked areas on Lu Tao’s map.
The air around them felt suffocating, as if something was causing it to become heavy.
Lu Tao shivered at the feeling creeping in on him.
"Okay... I don’t like this."
"Stay alert, don’t let your guard down." Lu Zhen said calmly.
Lu Hao stepped to the front of the boat.
Golden lightning flickered faintly around his fingers, illuminating the water in brief flashes.
’This guy really had all the talents.’ Leng Pan thought to herself.
During the brief lighting moments, they noticed a ripple in one part.
Something was moving under the water. Not on the surface but deep below.
Lu Hao’s eyes narrowed at the sight.
"It’s big."
"How big?" Lu Tao asked nervously.
Lu Hao didn’t answer immediately but thought for a moment before speaking again.
"...Bigger than the boat."
That was all they needed to hear.
They were about to turn around and leave when suddenly the boat rocked as something massive shot out of the water, sending slashes of water in all directions.
Assistant Yao, who was sitting near the helm nearly lost control of the boat.
"Hold steady." Lu Zhen shouted as he grabbed his wife to help her stabilize herself.
The creature surfaced briefly before disappearing again.
But that brief glimpse was enough to determine its species.
"That’s not a fish." Lu Tao said, his voice trembling slightly.
The body of the creature was long and thick, covered in dark, armored scales.
Its mouth was filled with rows of jagged teeth, and the eyes... glowed faintly in the darkness.
"A mutated apex predator," Leng Pan said calmly.
"And it’s on the hunt." Lu Zhen added.
"It seems we are the prey it has marked." Lu Hao also chimed in.
The water churned violently again.
The creature circled the boat repeatedly, creating waves that rocked it dangerously.
"It’s speed is too fast and it seems to have intelligence." Leng Pan added.
As if to prove her point, the creature attacked again.
It jumped from beneath the boat all of a sudden, its massive body slamming against the small boat and nearly overturning it.
Lu Tao grabbed onto the edge.
"Okay! Not okay! Definitely not okay!"
He regretted so much being a busy body and wanting to tag along.
He should just have stayed home.
