CHAPTER 74: ESCAPE

"Oh, no... What... What should we do?" The courier’s face turned pale as he saw the number of giant eels increasing.

Realizing the danger, Nalira acted fast. She used her fire skill and unleashed a fierce blast of flames toward the approaching swarm. The fire roared through the air, and the eels recoiled, diving back beneath the surface to escape the heat.

"Mr. Courier, this is our chance. I will hold off these creatures as much as possible," Nalira turned to him, her voice sharp. "Hurry, turn on the ship’s engine right now and take Shaan to the room to—"

"No. Let me help you."

"Shaan? Are you sure you’re okay?"

"Yes, Nalira. I’m fine." Shaan stood up and pulled out his dual short swords. "You’re going to need help fighting all these giant eels. Hurry up, Mr. Courier, go to the control room."

"Alright. I’m counting on both of you."

The courier immediately ran as fast as he could to the ship’s control room, and just a few minutes later, the ship began to move. Good, at least their ship was moving and they would be safe for a while.

"Shaan, stay alert." Nalira scanned the murky swamp around them, her eyes sharp and focused. "I’m sure those monsters are still near—"

Another powerful crash shook the entire ship violently. The two of them rushed over to one side of the ship and discovered that a group of giant eels in the swamp was trying to destroy the ship.

"Damn it. We have to protect this ship before it’s destroyed," Shaan exclaimed in a panic. "Robin Hood, use the Phantom Snare to immobilize these creatures."

[Alright, Shaan. I’ll be happy to do it.]

Several Robin arrows immediately shot swiftly toward the group of giant eels that continued to slam their bodies against the surface of the ship. In just a matter of seconds, the bodies of those creatures became paralyzed, stopping this group of giant eels’ wild attack.

"Good, at least now we don’t have to-"

"Shaan, behind you!"

Nalira pushed Shaan to the floor of the ship and quickly slashed the giant eel emerging from behind Shaan. In a matter of seconds, the giant eel’s body was split in two, splattering a purplish-black liquid that wet the floor of the ship.

"Oh my God, what’s happening?" A tense expression was visible on Shaan’s face as he saw the giant eel’s body split in two. "I have no idea this damn creature would attack me from behind."

"... Stay alert, Shaan. These giant eels can appear anywhere." She pulled Shaan’s hand and helped him stand up. "Now, we have to protect this ship as best we can."

***

The heavy rain grew louder by the minute, and the wind howled harder until it rocked their ship violently. To make things worse, the giant eels kept chasing them, launching one surprise attack after another.

’Slash! Slash!’

"Nalira, we can’t keep going like this," said Shaan, standing back-to-back with her. "These damn monsters won’t stop coming, and we need a way to get rid of them."

"I know," Nalira nodded. "But how? We don’t have any other options. We just have to keep attacking these giant eels again and again," she said, gripping her sword tightly. "Stay focused, and don’t let that swarm of eels reach the ship."

Another giant eel surfaced and lunged toward the ship once again. Nalira noticed it immediately, raised her sword, and prepared to strike the creature down.

"Take this, you—"

’KRA-KOOM!’

A bolt of thunder struck a massive tree near the ship, and the deafening sound froze Nalira in place. Her focus vanished in an instant, and her entire body trembled. She dropped her sword without meaning to.

"Nalira, calm down," said Shaan, trying to steady her. "The lightning won’t hurt you."

"No, no, no!" She instantly covered her ears and kept her head down. "I... I..."

She completely ignored Shaan’s words and just kept trembling in fear. To make matters worse, the giant eel seized the moment. It lunged forward, jaws wide open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth aimed straight at Nalira.

"Robin Hood, use your explosive quiver. Now!"

Robin Hood quickly released his arrow, successfully hitting the giant eel’s body. In just a few seconds, Robin Hood’s arrow exploded, sending the giant eel flying into the swamp.

[You successfully killed 1x Velmorrak.]

[You obtained 6 Dark Crystals]

[Robin Hood admires your actions, your bond increases by +4]

"Nalira, listen to me." Shaan grabbed her tear-streaked face gently. "It’s okay. You’re safe now. There’s nothing to be afraid of," he said, trying to calm her. "I’ll take you somewhere safe."

"...."

Shaan quickly led Nalira into the control room and saw Chelsie, now fully conscious. She immediately rushed toward Nalira and wrapped her arms around her, holding her tightly until Nalira finally calmed down.

"What happened to her?"

"She heard the thunder, and it triggered her like this," Shaan said, giving a brief explanation. "Chelsie, stay with her. I’ll take care of the rest."

"Uhmm... all right."

"Mr. Courier, those giant eels keep appearing, and we have to do something to get rid of them."

"I know, I know. But I also have a problem to deal with," said Mr. Courier, immediately turning the ship’s wheel to the side. "I have to avoid all the water bursts around the ship. Mind your own business."

"Water bursts? Shaan fell silent for a moment. ’Yes, that’s it. We can use that.’

"Mr. Courier, please steer the ship toward one of the water burst points near our ship," said Shaan. "Just wait for my instructions, and the ship will move to avoid the water burst point."

"What? Are you insane?" Mr. Courier frowned. "That’s way too risky! Do you want to die out here?"

"No. I have a plan to stop this swarm of giant eels," Shaan replied, trying to convince him. "Trust me. It’ll work."

Mr. Courier stayed quiet for a moment, then turned the wheel and directed the ship closer to the nearest water burst spots."I just hope your crazy idea doesn’t get us all killed."

Shaan rushed out of the control room and spotted even more giant eels gathering in the water. He quickly shouted at Robin Hood to keep firing his arrows while waiting for the small bubbles to multiply around the area.

’Come on... just a little more... almost there—Now!’

Shaan immediately gave the signal to Mr. Courier, and the ship quickly dodged the water burst just before it came out to the surface. Within seconds, all the giant eels surrounding the ship were thrown violently away, far from the ship.

"Yes! I did it!"

"Good job, Shaan!" Mr. Courier shouted excitedly. "Now, we can—Oh, crap!"

"A massive rock suddenly appeared right in front of their ship, and Mr. Courier quickly turned the wheel sharply, trying to avoid the rock, but..."

’SKRAAASH!’