Chapter 158: What a Coincidence!
After some chaos, Snek's "poisoning" was treated by medical personnel. It was determined to be a lobster allergy. Snek was fine; it was just a false alarm.
King didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It seemed lobsters were Snek's ultimate weakness.
After confirming Snek was alright, King and the others began investigating the mysterious shadow at the bottom of the sea.
King decided to use his "flying" skill to circle the sky and survey the sea surface, hoping to find the mysterious shadow reported by the fishermen.
The next day.
The sea was calm.
Due to the scorching weather, people flocked to the sea to escape the heat, jumping in like dumplings tossed into a pot. To beat the heat, the citizens got creative, inventing bizarre new pastimes like underwater mahjong and sea volleyball.
"Ring ring ring!"
King was patrolling in the sky when his phone suddenly rang. He took it out and answered.
"King, according to the fishermen who just returned, the mysterious shadow appears to be in the waters to the north. It seems to be moving northward."
"Okay, I understand. I'll go take a look."
After hanging up, King got his bearings and flew north.
Whoosh whoosh!
In the waters north of F-City, it was no longer calm. The wind howled and the clouds churned as waves surged toward the sky. The sea there was boiling like a kettle.
"A shadow?"
From a distance, King spotted a colossal shadow moving beneath the surface.
"A monster? The Deep Sea Clan?"
The shadow under the surface was definitely no fish. Through the shimmering waves, he could vaguely make out that it wasn't swimming, but... walking.
King took a camera from his backpack to film the astounding scene, preparing to hand the footage over to Sitch and the others for analysis.
The shadow seemed to sense it was being watched. It paused, turning its head slightly toward King's position. Suddenly, the sea roiled and massive waves crashed against the shore. With a loud *CRACK* that sounded like a sea dragon turning in its sleep, a car-sized boulder shot out of the water, heading straight for King.
"Hm? It spotted me?"
Watching the boulder hurtling toward him, King swiftly moved out of the way, narrowly dodging the projectile. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, put the camera away, and quickly retreated. Seeing King leave, the shadow at the bottom of the sea did not give chase but resumed its advance to the north. No one knew its destination.
At the same time, on the beach, Chain Toad was leading the children in their games. The children laughed as they chased each other, built sandcastles, and played in the water. They kept Chain Toad and Gunman running in circles. Fortunately, staff from the Yida Group were there to help, otherwise they would have been completely overwhelmed.
*Splash!*
Just as everyone was laughing and having fun, the waves churned violently. A sinister creature from the deep suddenly burst from the water, landing with a heavy thud in the shallows. The monster resembled a shark, stood nearly ten meters tall, and was covered in dripping water, its muscles as hard as granite. Once ashore, it let out a wild laugh.
"Wahahaha! I am the Shark General of the Deep Sea Clan! You damned humans! Not only have you occupied this prosperous land, but you've also hunted our shark kin for years..." His face was ferocious. "What's worse, you even turn the great shark people into grilled skewers! Unforgivable! All of you humans can go to hell and repent!"
He casually grabbed two refrigerator-sized boulders from the seabed and hurled them, smashing countless beach tents and instantly killing or injuring more than a dozen people.
"Aah, a monster! It's a monster! Everyone, run!"
"It's a monster from the sea! Quick, notify the Hero Association!"
"The fish and shrimp have turned into demons!"
The tourists swimming in the sea screamed in terror at the sight of the monster, scrambling to get away.
"A monster?"
Chain Toad and Gunman were equally shocked. The appearance of a monster now was the worst possible timing. They hadn't brought any weapons to the beach party; they were only wearing swim trunks.
"A monster's here, Daddy..."
"Where's Uncle King? Uncle King will beat the monster."
"And big brother Child Emperor and Grandpa Bang..."
Sensing the danger, the children subconsciously gathered around Chain Toad, nervously looking around in hopes of seeing the reassuring faces of King and the others.
Unfortunately, King was out patrolling the sea. Bang and Child Emperor were at the hospital watching over Snek. As for Puri-Puri Prisoner, he had hooked up with some handsome young man over an hour ago and was likely engaged in a very "in-depth exchange." And Charanko had wandered off somewhere to admire the beauties, nowhere to be seen.
"Toad, take the children and get out of here. I'll stay and hold it off."
Gunman stared grimly at the approaching monster. As a gunman without his guns, most of his combat power was gone. He might be able to handle a common Wolf-level monster, but this one looked incredibly strong—probably Tiger-level. He wasn't confident he could last long.
Chain Toad refused. "I'll stay. I'm stronger than you." In reality, his strength also relied on his chains. Without that special weapon, he wasn't much stronger than Gunman.
"Don't be stubborn," Gunman said, glancing at Chain Toad and gesturing to the children. "They need you. Take them away. Don't let them lose their fathers and families again."
With that, he grabbed a nearby chair and charged the monster.
"Oh? An ant that dares to resist me, the Shark General? Commendable courage. But you can still go die!"
Whoosh!
A boulder shot toward him. With nowhere to dodge, Gunman raised the chair to meet it. *Bang!* The chair instantly shattered. The boulder's momentum slowed slightly, but it still had enough force to smash a person into paste.
"Damn it!" Gunman roared, his eyes wide with fury.
*CRACK!*
In the nick of time, another chair flew from behind Gunman and crashed into the boulder, deflecting its path. At the same time, a figure leaped forward and tackled Gunman to the ground. The boulder smashed past, almost grazing their bodies. It was an incredibly close call.
"Toad, why did you come back?" Having escaped death, Gunman was stunned to see that Chain Toad had saved him.
Chain Toad pulled Gunman to his feet and smiled as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I'm a hero. What kind of hero abandons his comrades to run away? I remember King once said, 'If the heroes run, who will be left to fight?'"
"You..." Gunman opened his mouth, but could only let out a sigh and a wry smile. "You came back to die. What about the children?"
"I already had the Yida Group staff take them to safety. As for them... heh, they'll find new fathers in the future. King and the Hero Association will take good care of them."
Chain Toad's gaze was fixed on the Shark General charging toward them like a truck. He tore the iron pole from a nearby beach umbrella to use as a weapon.
"In that case, let's fight side by side! Hopefully, we can hold out until King and the others get here."
Gunman grinned nonchalantly and grabbed a beach chair, instantly putting thoughts of life and death out of his mind.
That's right. King was right. If heroes ran away, who would be left to fight?
"For the name of a hero... Never retreat!"
Chain Toad and Gunman each gripped their makeshift weapons, staring resolutely at the Shark General. Their muscles bulged, poised to strike...
"You're courting death! Let me send you to hell!" The Shark General laughed arrogantly, paying no mind to the two little ants before him.
Go!
Chain Toad and Gunman exchanged a look, tightened their grip on their weapons, and bent their knees, about to charge...
Just then—*WHOOSH!*
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air from above.
"What was that?"
The Shark General turned his head in confusion, his pupils suddenly contracting.
*SPLAT!*
A rock fell from the sky and smashed it into paste.
"This..."
Chain Toad and Gunman, who had prepared for a fight to the death, stared at each other in bewilderment. What just happened? A meteorite?
A moment later, King's surprised voice drifted down from the sky.
"Huh? Where did everyone on the beach go? Why did they all run off?"
What a... coincidence!
(end of chapter)