Thanh Van gaze thinned with delight as the ship was now but a black dot in the distance. Who would have believed senior Wu would be filled with enough killing intent to leave all of them behind to suffer?
With this stunt alone, the willowy beauty would surely rise in ranks fast enough.
Impressive.
Under the eerie moon, chaos had suddenly broken out. The surface of the water rippled and tossed violently, the players kicking and screaming to reach shore.
Thanh Van slipped from Kruger's hold as he crept closer towards the edge of the port, peering out to the bottomless water.
The moon above shined faintly through the layer of mist, washing over the pale faces that struggle to stay above the surface.
Kim Jihun was in the midst of pulling a frightened player out of the water, and from the edge of his vision, Thanh Van recognized the man as Hai Le, the E-ranker.
Thanh Van peered at the frightened player with unreadable eyes, a thought bubbling up in his mind.
"T-thank you! Thank you!" Hai Le trembled as he crawled over the wooden planks like a soaked rat, near kissing the flaky surface.
"You are a fast swimmer," Thanh Van mused with a hint of a smile, and Hai Le looked up at him with wide eyes.
"W-what-"
"You were the first to run here, and the first to swim back."
"I-I couldn't swim far-" Hai Le's teeth chattered as he curled himself on the ground like a big, ugly fetus. "Too cold…"
"Get away from the edge of the pier!" Kim Jihun commanded, while his hand reached out, ready to pull another player up.
Thanh Van ignored the pitiful Hai Le as his attention washed over the surface of the water.
Along the shore line, few fast swimmers had managed to pull themselves away from the water and onto the dry land, relief shining from their bulging eyes.
Something terrible must have driven them out of the water, but Thanh Van couldn't see what had caused the herd to cry out with fear.
The water swayed and trashed, folding over the players as they struggled to stay floating. One second they were shrieking and gasping for air, the next they disappeared beneath the surface before resurfacing again, spluttering and cursing for help.
Except, one by one, the players furthest away from the shore no longer surfaced.
The water rippled as it split open. then the ocean stilled, glistening under the faint light.
Except that was no water.
"Your grace," Thanh Van called to Kim Jihun as he took a step back and away from the edge of the water. This was gonna get ugly - fast. "You should get away from the edge. Now."
The slick skin reflected the moonlight, like a smooth black stone surface resting over the seething water. It lay dormant while the water around it snaked out in horizontal ripples. Sinuous tentacles cut through the surface of the ocean simultaneously.
Tens of long bodies lined with razor sharp teeth slashed towards the players in terrifying accuracy.
Screams turned into gurgles as the appendixes wrapped around their bodies. The barbed teeth dug into their flesh and tore them off in strips and chunks of tenderised meat.
One by one the players were dragged beneath the surface, leaving behind the haunting silence and a dark crimson pool of water.
"Ruan An-" Kruger called as he helped the surviving players get away from the edge of the water. His arms busy supporting Christof Kunze's limping body. "Get back here!"
Call it morbid curiosity, but Thanh Van wanted to see which mythical creature the system had cooked up this time. He studied the creature that was fast approaching, the flat, glistening surface growing larger by the minute.
The water rippled violently now, the salty ocean breeze peppered with the coppery scent of blood.
"HELP! P-please! Help me!"
Oh, there was still someone alive in the water. Green eyes turned towards the saintly Kim Jihun.
CEO Kim was hanging by the edge of the port, reaching his arm out as far as he could, the other hand clawing at the closest wooden post for leverage.
"Just give me your arm!" Kim Jihun had turned pale, but he refused to look at the fast approaching monster. His gaze tightly locked on the wide, grey eyes and chestnut hair that clung to the player's terrified face as he trashed in the water pitifully, barely staying afloat.
A sudden familiarity struck Thanh Van when he stepped closer, crouching down next to Kim Jihun. This was the guy who had pissed senior Wu off back at the inn.
Thanh Van extended his long and slender hand, beckoning the player to grab on. "Be faster! It's coming!"
The player's face has lost all colour, eyes wide as saucers. "Please- don't- don't leave me-!"
"I can't reach you! Swim closer!" Kim Jihun was at his wits end. The player was still too far away. No matter how he tried to stretch himself out, the inches between them seemed like miles apart.
Thanh Van's eyes strained on the surface of the water behind the player. A dark shadow wriggled beneath the surface, barely noticeable in the darkness.
"It's here." Thanh Van hissed from between his teeth as he retreated, tugging at Kim Jihun's robes. There was no way they could make it - they had to move, now! "We don't have time for this, your grace!"
"Please don't - don't leave me!" The player was full of panic now, kicking and thrashing his feet. His fingers scratched against Kim Jihun's extended hand but failed to grasp on. "Please!"
"I got you!" Kim Jihun grabbed onto the extended hand, breathing out a sigh of relief as he reeled him in.
Relief bloomed on the player's face but it quickly turned white. Thanh Van cursed loudly, scrambling backwards as the barbed tentacle wrapped around the player's abdomen.
The grip over Kim Jihun's hand tightened into a wrist lock, and before he could react, a scream of sheer horror pierced his eardrums - and he was yanked towards the murky depths!
Kim Jihun's breath stilled in his throat as he hovered over the water, feet barely planted on the pier. The player clinging to his arm with a death grip gritted his teeth, pupils blown wide and mad with fear. "D-don't let go!"
Behind him, Thanh Van had dived after him just in time, clinging to his robes for dear life. "Let him go!"
"I can't!" Kim Jihun barked, his other arm still scratching at the wooden post with white knuckles.