Seeing that the thing couldn't be killed by bullets, Boss Wu and I were left with only one thought: escape.

But there was only one passage here, and the creature was much faster than us in the water; escape was impossible.

So Boss Wu told us to scramble up toward the pile of bones behind us.

This idea was hatched in a moment of extreme panic, with absolutely no consideration for feasibility.

So, as I dug my hands into the piles of bone clubs, trying to climb, I realized there was no way to get a grip; every handful just slid down as bone dust, making ascent impossible.

I scrabbled a couple of times, then turned back to Boss Wu, my face etched with distress.

I saw his situation was much the same as mine—both of us struggling in vain to climb higher.

I glanced back at the thing in the water and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Because that creature was only five or six meters away from us, close enough to snatch either of us in an instant.

Standing before the bone pile, I felt utterly lost.

I patted down every pocket on my body, only to realize that my only means of defense, the Silver Fish short sword, had long since been lost somewhere.

But perhaps by luck, or some twist of fate, the thing in the water seemed to have no interest in me, charging straight toward Boss Wu instead.

Seeing this, I shouted from behind, "Watch out!"

But it was too late; the creature was practically touching the back of Boss Wu's heel.

I broke out in a cold sweat and lunged forward desperately, wanting to help.

At that moment, Boss Wu also turned his head, looking around tensely.

Then he asked me, "What is it?"

I felt a strange sense of confusion because as the thing neared Boss Wu, it suddenly slammed on the brakes, then submerged itself motionlessly in the viscous water.

However, it hadn't vanished, because I could see a dark, roughly meter-long shape lurking in the water right in front of Boss Wu's body.

So, I made a shushing gesture, pointed to the water, and whispered, "It's right in front of you. Be careful, don't move..."

Boss Wu registered this, looked down into the water, and instantly froze, muttering to himself, "How could it be this thing?"

Due to the water's refraction and the angle, I couldn't clearly make out what was in front of Boss Wu, but judging by his expression, it must be something truly bizarre, otherwise, his face wouldn't have turned so pale.

"Stay right there, don't move, and whatever you do, don't come over here, or we'll both die," Boss Wu murmured softly.

Even as he said that, I thought to myself that I couldn't just let him die; even if he died, I wouldn't escape either.

My mind raced, and I began to survey the surrounding environment, trying to figure out any sliver of hope for survival.

But just then, I noticed an even more pressing issue.

Boss Wu’s Cold Flame Torch was gradually dimming, perilously close to extinguishing.

I inwardly cursed, thinking we were absolutely doomed; if the light went out, this pitch-black cavern would make it impossible to see my own hand, and surviving would be a miracle.

Boss Wu had clearly noticed it too. I saw him standing still, but the veins on his neck looked ready to burst, and large drops of cold sweat trickled down his temples, forming concentric ripples in the water.

And the thing in the water seemed attracted by the Cold Flame Torch in Boss Wu's hand, lingering quietly, gazing up at the fading light in the darkness.

The extinguishing of the Cold Flame Torch wasn't instantaneous like a lighter or flashlight going out.

It was a process of the powder slowly burning down until the flame died.

I realized that as the torch's glow diminished, the creature in the water grew increasingly agitated, twisting its body constantly and releasing streams of bubbles.

The fading light made the shadows of the strange rocks and corpses around us appear even more spectral, while the dark silhouette in the water had a pair of eyes, large as light bulbs, that slowly grew brighter, emitting a terrifying golden-yellow glare.

I wondered what kind of demon possessed eyes that large.

It didn't look like a fish, because I could vaguely make out what looked like four limbs hidden beneath the water.

It didn't look like a turtle either, because its tail was exceptionally long and thin.

A particular animal suddenly crossed my mind: the otter, which often builds nests from rotten branches near riverbanks.

Otters are carnivores, but they mainly eat fish and shellfish, occasionally snatching a water bird if they’re in the mood; Boss Wu shouldn't be this terrified over that.

Just as I was wildly speculating, the Cold Flame Torch in Boss Wu's hand suddenly flickered out without a sound.

My heart sank along with the light, turning cold.

What was truly bizarre, however, was that the eyes of most animals shine because they reflect faint ambient light, like moonlight or a flashlight beam.

But this seemed to defy common sense, because although the only light source was gone, and there were absolutely no other sources in this cavern, the creature’s eyes became even brighter.

As I stood there stunned, gazing at the pair of eyes, I suddenly saw them move, and almost simultaneously, Boss Wu's gun spat two tongues of fire into the darkness, hitting the center of those eyes dead on.

The bullets struck the monster’s forehead, sparking off two flashes.

Then I heard a frantic splashing sound from the water, and the eyes began darting left and right uncontrollably.

Boss Wu yelled in the darkness, "You run! I'll hold it off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, I heard a heavy splash as something fell into the water.

Then, those bright eyes began moving toward the center of the cavern.

Observing that its speed was slower than when it first approached, and noting that it stopped occasionally, kicking up more splashing water, I concluded it must have seized Boss Wu and was dragging him deeper into the cave.

Although Boss Wu struggled desperately, his strength was ultimately no match for the creature's.

Seeing this dire situation, I knew I couldn't just leave him. Without giving it a second thought, I lunged forward.

My lunge was accurate; I managed to grab one of Boss Wu's arms.

Ignoring the vile mucus coating my mouth as I flipped over, I pressed down hard onto Boss Wu’s body.

No matter how strong the creature was, dragging two people was significantly more taxing.

It strained forward a few more steps, and I felt the tension ease on Boss Wu; we both stopped moving forward.

I scrambled up from the filthy slime and helped pull Boss Wu to his feet.

But before we could steady ourselves, a flash of yellow light erupted ahead, and the creature lunged straight at me.

Instantly, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, like being hit by a stone, and was thrown heavily backward.

If I hadn't been in the water, that impact surely would have snapped my neck.

I heard a loud whoosh as something entered the water beside me, momentarily stunning my mind.

Before I could react, there was another sound of something falling into the water right next to me.

I knew the creature had taken down Boss Wu too, and I immediately scrambled on all fours, trying to reach him.

But this time, the first thing my hand touched was Boss Wu's forehead.

The texture of his skin sent a chill through my heart, as his forehead was sticky and warm—he must have bled heavily.

Checking for movement, he was completely still, his state unknown—dead or merely unconscious.

I felt as if struck by lightning, frozen in place.

Then, another flash of golden light appeared before my eyes, and the creature lunged again.

Before I could even register it, Boss Wu’s limp body was being dragged away by the creature once more.

Since Boss Wu offered no resistance, the creature’s speed increased dramatically this time.

I lunged, missed again, and heard a chaotic thrashing sound ahead; clearly, Boss Wu had been dragged quite a distance.

I staggered upright, chased two steps, and then felt a searing pain in my chest, forcing me to stop and gasp for breath.

When I looked up again, those fiercely shining eyes had vanished.

A wave of despair washed over me. I shouted hoarsely, "Boss Wu!"

But there was no response from ahead, only the faint, rustling sound of small movements in the water from far away.

I knew then that there was no catching up; I couldn't help but feel dejected, watching a living man dragged away by that thing with absolutely no power to intervene.

Boss Wu was knocked out, dragged off to God knows where, and whether he would survive was uncertain.