The vortex continued to churn. Seeing that the large boat could not get close, the people who had just boarded the small boats grew anxious. Watching the large boat sail further away, they shouted,
"Don't go, don't go! I don't want to die!"
"Don't leave, we are still here. How can you just leave?"
"If we had known the water was this dangerous, it would have been better to stay in the building and starve."
"What nonsense! Starve yourself if you want, I don't want to starve."
"Yes, not starve. Now we are surrounded by fish. We will end up as their dinner sooner or later."
"Stop talking nonsense! Don't go, we are still here. Help us!"
The people on the small boats shouted at the large boat. The noise never stopped, so irritating it made everyone on edge.
Lao Gao yelled directly, "Shut up! Stop shouting! Didn't you see the boat moved away because it hit something? If you want to be rescued, stop babbling!"
Lao Gao's shouting worked a little. Seeing the boat was not leaving, even though they were scolded, everyone had no complaints.
Once the noise on the small boat quieted, someone shouted back, "Hurry! Come on, hurry!"
But the small fish around them continued to swim, making the vortex stronger. The small boat, which had been relatively stable, now rocked in the swirling water.
The already anxious people panicked further.
Some stood to search for a safe spot. Some tried to stand to balance the boat. Even those who stayed seated rocked left and right. This behavior made the already unstable boat even harder to control. Comforting words did nothing.
Captain Zhang shouted urgently, "Don't stand! Lie down! Lie down on the boat!"
In panic, few could hear Captain Zhang. Soon, those who stood fell into the water. Strangely, even in deep water, people usually struggled to the surface. These people, however, disappeared with a single splash and made no sound.
As more fell into the water, they did not resurface. The people on the small boat sensed something was wrong.
"Something's wrong! Why don't they come up? My friend swims well. How come…" someone stammered.
Before they finished speaking, a strong stench of blood and a vivid red color spread beneath the boat.
"There is something under the water! Ah, something under the water!" everyone shouted in panic.
Indeed, something was below. That it could pull people down without a struggle was completely unexpected. With the floodwaters connecting rivers, lakes, and coastal areas, water creatures could move freely. Previously, they survived on trash in the water.
When extreme cold came, it froze many creatures. But some strong ones entered hibernation, only to reawaken during extreme heat, continuing life in the water. This explained how the fish they now saw survived.
Before the apocalypse, such things might seem unbelievable. But after seeing so many strange creatures, everything seemed possible.
No matter how these creatures survived the cold, they were aggressive now.
Lan Jin asked, "Does the ferry have underwater devices? Can we see what is under the water?"
Captain Zhang shook his head, pointing to the headset on his left ear. He had already sent people to scan, but they found nothing.
"Nothing at all? Then how did these people disappear? Have they been eaten?"
Being eaten was certain. Otherwise, how could so much blood spread in the water?
Captain Zhang asked, "Lan Jin, can you break up these swirling fish?"
Lan Jin glanced at them. "I'll try."
She sent a bolt of lightning at the fish. The explosion shook the water, sending sprays tens of meters high. The people on the boat were forced back and stared in astonishment at Lan Jin.
Shen Zhiyan said, "Your power is amazing."
Before Lan Jin could answer, the fish, flipped onto their backs in shallow water, fell heavily back into the surface. When they looked down again, the gap Lan Jin had made in the swirling circle of fish was instantly filled by other fish.
"Useless," Lan Jin said in disappointment. But the circle of fish seemed smaller because some had been removed.
"Maybe not useless. If you shock the whole circle, maybe it will work," one crew member suggested.
"The lightning is too powerful. I already used the smallest lightning power. If I shock the whole circle, the small boat will flip. We don't know what is under the water. If someone falls in and can't get out, whose fault is it?" Lan Jin replied.
Captain Zhang was speechless. That method could not be used.
Captain Zhang said suddenly, "We scanned underwater. We can't see anything. Is it because there is nothing? Or because it moves too fast to detect? Or is it too large, so it cannot be scanned?"
If it was just fast or small, it might be okay. But if it was huge—
"We need to get people out quickly and leave here," Captain Zhang said urgently.
This was not the open sea, and the lake was not that deep. Even a large creature could not swallow people whole. Still, who could be sure? Experiments are not limited to land creatures. Water creatures could be tested too.
Lan Jin did not want the team wiped out immediately. She asked, "Is there a plant-type ability on the boat? Can you use vines to bring people one by one?"