Escape from the Deep Sea

A sharp clang rang out as Cang Ning met the Devil Fish's tail head-on, and the two sides became locked in a fierce struggle.

Perhaps it was the fins that had been hindering their mobility just moments ago; now unshackled, each of them proved to be a formidable fighter in their own right.

But although the four of them were skilled, they gradually began to lose ground under the sweeping arcs of the Devil Fish's massive tail.

Song Weishi wanted to end this battle quickly. Rather than joining the fight against the monster, she turned and hurled her harpoon at the man in front of the little girl.

The girl who had been hiding behind the others finally revealed her true face. Her features were bizarre—flat, with no ridges or curves to speak of. On her face sat the mouth of a Devil Fish, along with an assortment of mismatched features.

It looked as if a Devil Fish had forcibly grafted its mouth onto a human face, as if the two existed on entirely different layers of reality.

Apart from her face, every other part of her body was indistinguishable from a human's. No wonder she'd kept her face covered.

With her concealment gone, the little girl let out a shriek that instantly drew the attention of the Devil Fish still locked in combat.

It had gone through considerable trouble to draw everyone's attention to itself, only for Song Weishi to completely ignore the script and impale the girl instead.

Her harpoon pierced straight through the girl's body, hoisting her into the air. The girl's scream turned shrill and piercing, blood staining the fabric of her dress. She flailed her arms frantically, trying to break free from the harpoon's grip.

Only now did Song Weishi notice that beneath the girl's skirt, three tails were snaking out, firmly connected to the three people, burrowing through their waists and abdomens, seemingly drawing something out of them.

These tails were short, and stretching themselves across three people simultaneously couldn't be easy. No wonder those three walked with such difficulty.

As Song Weishi sushed the girl aloft, its struggling intensified. With a series of wet pops, the three tails ripped free from the trio's bodies, yet not a single drop of blood followed them out.

The three lay sprawled on the ground, their faces ashen, as if all their strength had been drained away. They were barely alive, half-dead on the floor.

The girl's screaming drove the already agitated Devil Fish into a frenzy. It lashed out, sending two people flying with a single whip of its tail, then charged straight at Song Weishi.

Song Weishi slammed the girl onto the ground, pinning her there, and stomped on its still-screaming mouth. "Take another step forward, and I swear I'll kill it."

The Devil Fish stopped in its tracks. The fury on its face was unmistakable, but it lowered its head and fixed its eyes—located on its back—on Song Weishi.

"Let her go, and we can talk this out properly."

Its voice was low, reverting to that gentlemanly tone from before.

It was as if the violent outburst moments ago had been nothing but Song Weishi's imagination.

Song Weishi recalled a sly, scheming snake from a cartoon she'd watched as a child—first all promises and temptation, then revealing its true nature in the end. This Devil Fish didn't even bother to hide its intentions. Song Weishi didn't trust a single word it said.

Still, she played along. "Then let us go. I know your school of fish is out there. My question is, how do I know they won't attack us?"

The Devil Fish looked at the girl pinned to the ground, shifting its weight as it took a few steps closer.

"I can give you some seaweed that will let you breathe freely underwater. With that, the fish outside won't attack you anymore. You'll be able to make it back up to the surface. What do you say?"

Song Weishi nodded and said it could work. A smile instantly spread across the Devil Fish's face—it still couldn't quite mask its emotions.

"Then I'll go get the seaweed for you."

Song Weishi suddenly changed her mind, looking down. "Wait, never mind. I don't think you're being sincere."

The Devil Fish stopped mid-step, turning around with its mouth agape, seemingly shocked at how quickly she'd flip-flopped.

Song Weishi pointed at the tail extending from the girl on the ground, reaching out to burrow into her flesh. The tail was still writhing, nearly managing to latch onto Song Weishi before she stopped it.

The sight made the Devil Fish frantic, rubbing its fleshy fins together like a nervous human.

"That was an accident."

Song Weishi didn't retract her harpoon. "I've been wondering about something. With your strength, you shouldn't have any trouble dealing with us. But you care so much about this thing that you don't dare go for the kill. That means this thing must be extremely important to you."

The little girl had survived in this waterless cabin for so long. She was every bit a monster, just like the Devil Fish, yet she didn't need water.

These three people sustaining her were still human. So was her development heading toward land?

Just like the jumping spider from before, using a specific medium to blend in among the crowd.

Could this girl be the Devil Fish's medium?

Song Weishi recalled what these people had said earlier about making a deal with the devil. Here, there didn't seem to be any other devil besides the Devil Fish.

After hearing Song Weishi's words, the Devil Fish stood there, its cold gaze locked on her without blinking.

Its body began to swell, growing from its original two meters into a broad five or six meters, its thickness increasing as well.

The only thing that didn't change was its thick, powerful tail, which swished impatiently back and forth.

Its skin seemed to have dried out a bit, losing some of its former sheen. Song Weishi noticed its gills were working harder, taking heavy, labored breaths.

Although it was far more adapted than the ordinary monsters, it was still a marine creature, and staying long in a dry space would cause it discomfort.

The group closed in around the Devil Fish, harpoons aimed at its center, surrounding it without an ounce of fear.

Their eyes were bloodshot with battle lust. If Song Weishi weren't still locked in her standoff, they'd have already charged.

Song Weishi voiced her speculation aloud. The Devil Fish's expression barely changed—or rather, beyond surprise, anger, and pleasure, it couldn't really convey much else.

"Going back on your word is not a quality befitting a decent person."

It spat the words out dryly. Song Weishi shook her head. "That applies to people. What good qualities do I need to maintain with a fish like you?"

The Devil Fish grew enraged by her words, its body inflating rapidly, like a pufferfish.

"Damn it, Song Wei, stop talking! You're gonna make it explode!"

Zhu Gaoge hastily called out. Song Weishi glanced at her but remained unmoved, merely driving the harpoon deeper. The girl's screams grew weaker, now faint and labored, gasping through the gills in her neck, as if she might die at any moment.

"Actually, this is just a tool for you to reach land. I could give it to you, but I want double the seaweed in return."

Song Weishi pushed the girl on the harpoon a little farther away, bringing her almost right to the Devil Fish's face. At this distance, it could reach her with just a flick of its tail.

Its swelling body halted instantly. The others' hearts were in their throats, terrified that Song Weishi might lose her leverage and make their escape even harder.

Its gaze was now firmly locked on the girl. Fish memories were short; it quickly reverted to its earlier demeanor, though this time, with its larger size, its voice had grown deeper.

"Human, this is your last chance. We can keep to our own domains—land for you, sea for me. There's no need for you to oppose me. This seaweed will let you breathe freely in the ocean and make it back to the surface."

With that, the Devil Fish stuck its tail into its mouth and pulled out long strands of green seaweed. The seaweed resembled foxtail algae—rings of fluffy, feathery greens, soft and quite lovely.

Song Weishi unhurriedly fixed the harpoon in place against a chair, shooting a look at the others to signal them to put on their fins.

The three people who had been lying on the ground, their eyes dull and lifeless, suddenly lit up at the sight of the seaweed. They practically crawled their way over to the Devil Fish.

"Please, give us some seaweed. I want to get out. I want to go home. I've given you everything you asked for. Please, let me go home."

The Devil Fish whipped its tail without mercy, sending all three sprawling. "I do so enjoy people like you—those who betray their companions. So much nourishing human grease, truly delicious. You'll stay here at the bottom of the sea with me forever."

It burst into raucous laughter, and with a flick of its tail, it swept up the girl still impaled on the harpoon and flung her onto the three.

The girl, who had been on the verge of death moments ago, drove her nimble tails into the three bodies and was instantly rejuvenated.

She rose from the ground. The three didn't share her luck—the moment the tails pierced their bodies, they withered rapidly, as if all the moisture had been sucked from them.

Song Weishi thought of those people she'd seen earlier, baking under the sun on the road. Now these three had the same lifeless, leathery skin, turning into three damp corpses.

The girl smacked her lips with satisfaction. The contours of her face suddenly became a bit more defined, but only slightly. The area where her eyes should have been turned pitch black. She pouted and turned her gaze toward the group.

"Ah, ladies, I'm afraid what I said earlier doesn't count anymore. My child hasn't had her fill. Stay here—it's your honor to become our nourishment."

The Devil Fish's mouth curled to an impossibly wide grin. The group's faces fell. Song Weishi didn't get angry though; she simply pried open a nearby crate painted with a picture of a liquor bottle.

Inside were glass bottles filled with a clear white liquid. It was a common party drink, a bar staple—vodka. Easy to store, and no cruise ship would be without it. These spirits were all high-proof.

Song Weishi raised a few bottles and passed them to the others.

By now, the Devil Fish and the little girl stood side by side, wearing identical smiles on their faces. Song Weishi returned a smile of her own. From her space, she pulled out a lighter she'd picked up from a convenience store, then kicked all the seaweed the fish had produced into a pile at her feet.

"I knew making a deal with a thing like you was a pipe dream. But you still don't understand humans. For instance, you don't know what this is. And who the hell uses a wine glass to hold seawater?"

Song Weishi and the others hurled the bottles over. Catching on instantly, they threw while nervously biting down on their oxygen regulators.

The Devil Fish clearly had no idea what was in the glass bottles. After all, most underwater trash was filled with seawater. Apart from octopuses and a few shellfish, no fish paid them any mind.

It thrust its tail forward, its sharp caudal spine piercing straight through a bottle. The liquid splashed all over it. Aside from an unpleasant smell and a quick chill, it felt no real discomfort.

It let out a strange cackle, swishing its tail as it surged forward, the whole fish radiating unbridled arrogance.

The group scrambled up to the rooms on the upper floor. On the ground, the fish didn't move as swiftly as humans. Song Weishi took up the rear, walking last, slipping into the dark to gather the seaweed beneath her feet into her space. She tossed down the lighter, then dashed up the stairs two at a time. Zhu Gaoge slammed the door shut behind them.

The fire outside ignited almost instantly. The entire hall was brilliantly illuminated, like the ship had returned to that glittering, revelrous night before disaster struck.

Countless silhouettes flickered back onto the walls in the firelight. The flames caught the crimson carpet, and inside the hall, the Devil Fish's mournful cries became the most extravagant symphony echoing through the depths.

The fire spread rapidly, consuming every dry wooden surface and plush carpet that hadn't been soaked. Bottle after bottle shattered, and the entire hall was swallowed by a sea of flame.

Cowering in the room, the group began battering at the window. Song Weishi pulled out a glass breaker and pushed the others aside. The pane, which had held firm moments before, instantly spiderwebbed under the tool's impact.

Seawater came gushing in. They hurriedly put on their breathing apparatuses.

Something thumped against the window from outside. Under the beam of their headlamp, a ghastly white Devil Fish belly was pressed flat against the glass.