Chapter 440: Chapter 440: Apex Predator
Lu Zhen threw a punch instinctively when the creature surfaced again.
Flames erupted around his fists as he struck downward.
BOOM!
The impact sent the creature back into the water.
However, his entire arm felt numb afterwards.
"That thing is tough. Not easy to take down." He commented.
Lu Hao stepped forward to stand where Lu Zhen had been standing.
"Let me try."
Lightning surfaced from his body.
CRACK!
A bolt shot into the water, illuminating the creature’s form beneath the surface.
It convulsed for a moment, but then started moving again as if nothing had happened.
"What on earth is this thing? It can even resist lightning." Lu Tao commented feeling utterly useless.
"This is more than just mutation. Heck, it can’t even be called evolving. It’s too much." Leng Pan commented.
At this moment, the creature seemed to have been angered and attacked from below.
The boat rocked a few times and if not for the weight of the five people onboard steadying it, it might have overturned.
"We can’t fight it like this," Lu Zhen said. "The water is its territory."
Leng Pan pondered those words for a moment before standing up.
"Let me try the earlier trick. I want to see if I can take away its territory."
She raised both hands and the water around them began to move.
A moment later, a massive sphere of water lifted into the air, pulling the creature with it.
The beast thrashed violently, its body twisting as it tried to escape.
But Leng Pan’s control was absolute.
"Got it," she said coldly.
She hadn’t expected to succeed. After all, this creature seemed to be more intelligent than the fish she had dealt with earlier.
Now, they could finally see the creature’s enormous body clearly.
It was at least ten meters long.
Its scales were thick and jagged and its fins sharp like blades.
Its body was glowing with faint lines.
"What the hell is that?" Lu Tao asked in shock.
Leng Pan observed the creature suspended in the air closely before replying.
"These are energy channels. It’s absorbing energy from the water."
"Kill it now!" Lu Zhen said, feeling no mercy at all.
If this creature was let go and it kept absorbing energy and became any stronger, many survivors would perish.
It was better to deal with it now.
Lu Hao didn’t hesitate as bolts of lightning shot out of his hands and struck the suspended creature repeatedly.
CRACK!! CRACK!! CRACK!!!
The creature’s body convulsed with every hit.
The creature roared as if in extreme pain.
It let out a deep, terrifying sound that echoed across the flooded city.
"It’s not dead!" Lu Tao shouted
How was it still alive after getting electrocuted so many times in the water?
Leng Pan’s eyes flashed when she saw this.
She clenched her fists like she had done with the dish, silently controlling the water molecules around the creature.
The water compressed tighter and tighter.
The creature’s body began to crack under the pressure. But still, it continued to resist.
Leng Pan wondered just how thick its skin was.
"Enough," Leng Pan said coldly.
Her eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
The water sphere shrank further and further, until the creature couldn’t resist anymore.
Its body finally gave in and it exploded into pieces.
Blood and fragments scattered through the water.
The group stood there in the boat for a while looking at the water that had turned even darker due to the blood.
"That thing was strong, and it seemed this was not the end." Leng Pan commented.
"The smaller fish were just the first stage," she continued. "This... is the next."
"And there will probably be more." Assistant Yao finally spoke after a long time.
As they went back to the base, no one said a word.
They still couldn’t believe what they had seen and we’re still processing the battle.
This creature showed them that they weren’t just fighting against zombies and aliens in the apocalypse.
In fact, the apocalypse was evolving layer by layer and each layer was more dangerous than the last.
After returning to the Lu family apartment, both Leng Pan and Lu Zhen said goodnight to their family then went back to their own apartment.
Leng Pan couldn’t sleep and she couldn’t stop thinking about that creature.
She stood by the window looking outside and wondering how many more creatures like that one existed.
Lu Zhen walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"We’ll handle it," he said softly.
Leng Pan didn’t respond immediately.
Her gaze remained fixed on the dark water below.
"...We have to even if we don’t want to do it." she finally said.
That night was anything but peaceful.
The rain finally stopped, but even so, no one could sleep soundly.
Word of the creature had spread fast and now everyone was afraid it would attack them in their sleep.
At first, it was just whispers among those who had seen Leng Pan’s team return soaked and unusually quiet. Then, it turned into discussions.
By midnight, it had become unease and by morning, it turned into fear.
People gathered in their respective buildings to gossip in hushed tones.
"Did you hear? There’s something big in the water..."
"They said it almost overturned the boat..."
"I heard it took Commander Leng and the others working together to kill it..."
"What if there are more?"
In fact, it wasn’t just the survivors in the base asking this question. Even Leng Pan and her elite team were wondering about the same.
However, they couldn’t show fear and had to appear unbothered.
However, they knew for sure that there were indeed more of those creatures in the water.
Leng Pan stood on the balcony overlooking the flooded base, her expression calm but her eyes remained sharp.
She didn’t stop the rumors going around in different buildings.
In fact... she wanted them to spread.
Fear, when controlled, could be useful. It made people cautious and that caution kept them alive.
