Chapter 99: Catching Fish

Although Tank was reckless, he didn’t dare to wade directly into the water to catch fish. He could only squat by the riverbank, using himself as bait to lure those mutated monstrous fish.

Tank plunged his massive hand into the icy river water, stirring it about casually, causing droplets to splash everywhere.

“Hehehe...” The scent of flesh and blood spread with the current, easily attracting the mutated fish.

Before long, a shadow appeared downstream, swimming against the current. Its immense strength parted the water waves to either side.

“Here it comes! And it’s a big one...” Tank’s small eyes narrowed as he watched intently. The shadow was about five meters away when, with a sudden splash, it leapt from the water, lunging straight at his face.

The huge black fish’s body was cylindrical like a python, covered in numerous stripes. Its ferocious mouth was filled with sharp, razor-like teeth, exuding an air of extreme savagery.

Tank was no weakling. Reacting swiftly, his large hands clamped onto the black fish’s neck like iron pincers.

Then, turning around, he slammed backward onto the shore.

With a muffled bang, cracks spread across the ground.

But the giant fish’s vitality was formidable; it still hadn’t died.

Grabbing its tail with both hands, Tank swung it heavily against the ground several times, making the earth thud loudly.

Still not satisfied, he stomped hard on the fish’s head.

This time, the fish finally ceased struggling.

The noise had attracted Xiao Ba, who appeared not far off, tilting his head to observe.

Tank felt a bit embarrassed under the gaze, scratching his head as he lifted the large fish.

“Want some?”

“You’ve already stepped on it with your foot. No thanks—I don’t eat old pickled fish,” Xiao Ba said disdainfully, shaking his head.

“Suit yourself,” Tank muttered, prying open the fish’s head. “There’s still the brain inside...” He then eagerly began devouring the fish.

Though the fish was sizable, it was barely enough for Tank’s appetite; one wasn’t enough.

So he planned to return to the shore and continue fishing.

Xiao Ba called out from behind, “Hey, be careful not to fall into the river.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sharp,” Tank replied, waving his hand as he returned to the edge, squatting with his burly frame.

The sound of rushing water filled his ears.

Tank repeated his trick to lure the fish, and this time the response was much quicker. From afar, he saw a dark shape rolling and writhing beneath the water.

“Wow! An even bigger one...” Tank marveled inwardly.

---

Of course, if nothing went wrong, then something definitely did.

The shadow moved swiftly, shooting like an arrow, and with a splash, burst from the water.

Tank hastily reached out to grab it.

“Hm?”

The moment he caught hold, the sensation was surprisingly soft and sticky. Looking closely, it was actually a tentacle!

It looked like a squid’s tentacle, but the thickness below was even greater than Tank’s arm!

“What kind of fish is this?”

Before Tank could react, the tentacle twisted around his wrist like a long snake, quickly coiling up his entire arm, then suddenly yanked hard!

“Splash!”

A loud splash echoed.

Since Tank was squatting with an unstable center of gravity, the sudden pull sent him headfirst into the river.

Xiao Ba turned around, watching as water splashed violently.

“Thirsty?”

Tank struggled fiercely underwater, his head bobbing up and down.

“Roar—gulp gulp gulp...”

His arms and ankles were all entangled by more and more tentacles.

However, Tank’s strength was tremendous. He bit down hard on one tentacle and tore it off, spraying blue-black blood.

From behind in the water came a series of eerie, screeching howls.

Turning his head, he saw a huge, bizarre head emerge from the water. It was pale gray-white, with two pitch-black eyes as large as enormous brass bells.

The most chilling sight was its mouth, which opened in four sections like a blooming flower, filled with razor-sharp teeth.

Seeing the monster about to bite him, Tank hurriedly braced its head with both hands.

The two struggled fiercely. Thanks to Tank’s strength, he was not at a disadvantage. But because they were in the rough river currents, their tussle rapidly drifted downstream.

It looked like... this was going to turn into Tank’s drifting adventure.

At the critical moment, countless vines surged from the shore, entangling Tank’s body and pulling him back to land.

Clearly, the Plant Pot had come to help.

But the monstrous creature refused to give up, constantly trying to drag Tank into the deep water. For a time, the two were locked in a tug-of-war.

Yet from afar, Xiao Ba leapt swiftly, stepping onto the dense vines, using them as a bridge to rush toward the monster.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the creature’s front.

His claws slashed wildly, tearing into the monster’s flesh, splattering blue blood.

“Screech—”

The monster shrieked in pain and immediately released the tentacles, attempting to flee.

But Xiao Ba struck decisively.

His final claw pierced deep into the monster’s head, almost his entire arm disappearing inside.

---

The monstrous fish ceased struggling immediately, its blue-black blood flowing in the water, leaving a murky trail.

The Plant Pot used the vines to haul them all ashore.

Tank was soaked through, looking like a drenched rat, a bit embarrassed as he eyed the monstrous fish.

“What kind of fish is this?”

“A squid,” said the Plant Pot, grass growing atop his head as he walked over.

Xiao Ba’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You say a squid can appear in a river?”

The moment he spoke, the air fell silent. The three kings exchanged glances, feeling this question was somewhat beyond their scope...

But upon reexamining the gigantic corpse, it was indeed enormous. The head alone was nearly as big as Tank himself. It had over a dozen long tentacles, slender and covered with suckers.

All its physical features resembled a squid.

“Let me taste it,” Tank said, picking up a tentacle and biting into it. The suckers’ folds were covered with sand and grit.

“Ugh—gross. Tastes like the ocean.”

“You know what the ocean tastes like?” the Plant Pot asked curiously.

Tank nodded, explaining that when he first followed Lin Dong, he had eaten ice shrimp, crabs, and other seafood, and that was the flavor.

Could it really have swum all the way from the sea?

The three kings were baffled and thought it best to ask their leader.

Then, dragging the massive corpse, they headed toward the territory’s center.

...

Outside, the rain gradually lessened, approaching calm.

Lin Dong sat on the sofa.

He had heard that his little brother had caught a squid in the river...

He found it equally strange.

“Strange things happen every year, especially in the end times...”

Lin Dong went to the window, opened it, and peered down. On the street below lay the huge squid carcass.

Tank, Xiao Ba, and the Plant Pot stood beside it, looking up at him.

“A real squid?” Lin Dong muttered to himself.

Just then, a broadcast came from behind him.

“Official shelter report: Due to typhoon impact, the neighboring coastal city has suffered a massive storm surge, flooding two-thirds of the city...”

...