In the end, he could not even perspire anymore.
He panted and asked, "Sir, why do I feel like I'm walking in the desert?"
The middle-aged man opened his mouth. His throat hurt so much that he could not speak.
Suddenly, with a bang, the person beside him fell to the ground.
"Young man!"
The youth's arm trembled on the floor and could not exert strength.
He simply pressed his face against the floor and stopped moving. He muttered, "Sir, do I look like a fish in the desert?" As he spoke, he even mimicked the posture of a fish and twisted his waist.
The middle-aged man could not even stand properly. He took a few steps back before he could support his body.
He said, "Not bad. You're even in the mood to tease me. Your mind is still doing fine."
The youth smiled, "That's right. I'm very stable now, except for my footsteps. I feel light even when I'm lying on the ground. I'm afraid I'm about to ascend to heaven at any moment."
He licked his dry lips and said in a very dry tone, "Ah, why didn't I take the chance to drink a few mouthfuls before the water disappeared?"
He beat his chest in regret, "I don't care if it's dirty or not. I'll just drink until I'm full. I hope the next time the guardian beast shows up, it's still bringing us water. It doesn't matter if it's a shark or a whale. Really, it doesn't matter anymore."
The middle-aged man said, "When the sharks and whales appear, you won't say that. Stop talking and save your energy."
The young man opened his mouth and inhaled. He felt as if his throat was about to spit fire.
Even his eyelids became heavier. He murmured weakly, "Water, I really want to drink water. I'm so thirsty…"
The middle-aged man frowned and realized that something was wrong with him. He staggered over and knelt beside him.
"Young man, what's wrong? Don't sleep, stay awake."
The young man woke up and blinked blankly, saying: "Sir, your lips are bleeding."
The middle-aged man licked his lips as his blood moistened his lips. He actually had the urge to suck his blood.
He quickly pursed his lips and sat down beside him, panting slightly.
"Sir, is the hour almost up?"
"I suppose."
The middle-aged man raised his eyes and looked around. He was already so hungry that he was dizzy. The moment he moved, the black cloth in his vision was connected into one big field of darkness.
There seemed to be colorful waves turning bigger and smaller in the dark.
The middle-aged man rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again, the black cloth was still black, and there was nothing unusual.
"Sir, there's water!"
The young man suddenly sat up and crawled forward in surprise.
The middle-aged man looked over. Apart from the black cloth, there was only the floor. Where was the water? There was not even a drop of water.
He looked at the young man. His red cheeks and bright eyes stared straight ahead. He stood up with all his might and walked over unsteadily.
The middle-aged man frowned and pulled him back, "There's no water. Are you hallucinating?"
"No, it's really a pond. Look, it's very clear. There are no guardian beasts or big sharks."
The young man broke free from his grip and stumbled towards the direction.
Because his legs were heavy and his body could not keep up with his desire, he fell onto the ground heavily.
The middle-aged man went to help him up but felt a wave of dizziness.
He suddenly pressed down on his head, and after a long while, the buzzing sound in his head dissipated.
But when he looked up, the youth had disappeared.
He quickly looked around.
Nothing.
Even at the supposed area of the "pool", he was nowhere to be seen.
The middle-aged man's expression changed drastically as he shouted: "Young man!"
The huge black cloth fluttered gently, but there was no response.
"Young man!?"
What was going on?
What just happened?