Even in daylight, the lake’s surface was shrouded in a thick mist. Forget about seeing the opposite shore—reaching the lake’s center was impossible.
The old-fashioned pedal boat was laborious to operate. With each turn of the axle, a harsh grinding noise echoed, and the pressure on one’s legs felt like being mired in quicksand. As the boat gradually moved deeper into the lake, everyone felt the vastness of this green expanse—like a boundless maw that could engulf anyone daring to intrude.
On the boat sat a large man with a sword strapped to his back and a woman wearing a feathered hat in the front, while Yi Chen and the blond Edmund sat side-by-side in the rear. The staff member sat facing them, his eyes fixed on their pedaling feet as though supervising slaves.
“Although previous riders didn’t encounter any issues, this lake gives me a bad feeling. If something goes wrong, we may be forced to cooperate,” Edmund said. “Let’s do introductions again. I’m Edmund, from the Mariano family.”
He continued, patting the broad back of the large man in front, “This is Dagobert, a fierce warrior from the North. His physique is partly due to his bloodline and partly due to the relentless cold that honed him… a future gentleman of strength. And this lovely lady here is my friend from training grounds, Juliana.”
“William,” Yi Chen muttered, giving the name of his body’s original owner before adding, “By the way, I wouldn’t recommend idle chatter here…”
Introductions over, they refocused on the lake. Due to the risk of infection and boating rules, no one dared touch the lake water, observing only with their eyes.
While Yi Chen stared at the lake’s surface for a long time, he suddenly felt a chilling gaze from the lake’s depths… as if something terrifying lay below, watching him. Little Grape, sensing this, began drooling.
“Dagobert, just keep rowing straight… leave the rest to us.”
With that, Edmund held a pistol decorated with feathered fletching in his left hand, loaded with silver bullets, while his right hand gripped a silver-plated short sword. His hawk-like gaze scanned the surroundings.
Juliana bent down to retrieve a dagger from her boot, also assuming a combat stance.
Yi Chen drew a silver axe from his waist, and Little Grape positioned itself on his shoulder.
Splash~ Water splattered as a scaly, shell-encrusted arm grabbed the edge of the boat.
As the bloated, waterlogged head surfaced, the cold barrel of a gun was pressed against its skull.
Bang~ The gunshot shattered the lake’s eerie silence.
Red fluid spread across the water as the first troublesome fish-man sank to the lake’s depths.
After making the kill, Edmund gave a tip, “To deal with these parasitic creatures, just destroy their brains... They haven’t yet evolved into true ‘Infected,’ so handling them isn’t too troublesome.
But take care; don’t let them damage the boat. I’d rather not end up in this filthy, disgusting green lake.”
As his words ended, three pairs of arms reached out from different directions, along with bloated, decayed heads filled with sharp teeth.
With a precise technique, blond-haired Edmund drove his short sword into a target’s face, piercing through its brain.
Juliana, with a swift reverse motion, drove her dagger into her target’s temple, even faster than Edmund.
Compared to the two seasoned fighters, Yi Chen—a ‘Latecomer’—naturally lacked some skills.
But in the face of the lake's danger, a powerful desire to kill the enemy formed in his mind.
Driven by this intent, plant-like roots sprouted from his hands, entwining with his axe and merging with its hickory wood handle.
This gave Yi Chen a firmer grip, allowing him to swing with greater force.
The silver edge cut precisely across the fish-man’s neck.
Scales, flesh, and vertebrae—any obstacle to the strike was overcome.
Swoosh! A bloated, decayed head flew through the air, landing with a splat on the boat.
As this head attempted to wriggle toward Yi Chen to harm him, a small black creature leaped from his shoulder, quickly swallowing the two “grapes” in the fish-man’s eyes. It then burrowed into the head, devouring the fresh tissue inside.
Upon seeing this, Dagbert and the two others fighting cast surprised glances at Yi Chen, raising their regard for him further.
After the group cooperated to eliminate nearly twenty of the infected fish-men from the lake, the boat reached the shore.
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