The eye-catching title attracted new viewers who, like the earlier ones, were confused about what was happening.
The live stream’s shaky footage of the dark sea and unsteady lights made it difficult to understand the situation.
【The camera is shaking too much. Where is the streamer? Why are there screams? It sounds eerie.】
【Can you stop shaking the phone? It’s pitch black, and I can’t see anything. Forget it, I’m leaving.】
【Can someone explain what’s happening? I’m scratching my head here.】
Zhao Ang clutched a seat to keep from being thrown around, trying to steady his phone to show the half-body corpse in the distance. His voice trembled as he explained, “Look over there, a monster fish just came out and ate the upper half of a person.”
【I can’t hear well; it’s all waves and screams. Speak louder, streamer.】
【I only caught bits and pieces. The streamer said a monster fish ate someone, but I can’t tell if it’s real.】
【Monster fish eating people? Are they shooting a movie?】
Zhao Ang zoomed in on the corpse, raising his shaky voice, “Can you all see it clearly now?”
The unsteady footage showed the half-body lying in a pool of blood.
Some viewers initially thought the corpse looked fake, wondering what kind of fish could bite off half a person’s body in one go.
Then the camera moved to the back of the cabin, showing other terrified passengers—old and young, including a family of three huddled together. A child clutched a teddy bear, crying and screaming.
The child’s innocent, fearful cries tugged at the viewers’ hearts. The fear and tension conveyed through the footage seemed to infect the audience.
A collective thought surfaced among the viewers.
Could this be real?
Meanwhile, others on the ship were frantically calling for help. The captain, drenched in cold sweat, yelled at the crewman using the spotlight to search the sea, “Have you found that thing yet?”
The crewman, trembling with fear, shook his head vigorously, “N-no, we haven’t found it.”
“Dammit, what the hell is that thing?” The captain cursed, controlling the ship’s wheel, seemingly using the swearing to cope with his fear.
The passengers instinctively gathered in the innermost part of the ship, causing a commotion.
Zhao Ang, excited, pointed the camera at the injured, “When the monster fish hit the ship, many people who didn’t have time to grab onto something were thrown and got hurt.”
The injured people clutched their wounds, while those less hurt used clothing to bandage their friends, desperately asking others for help, “Does anyone have a first aid kit? Please help us!”
But everyone was too preoccupied with their own survival.
In the live stream chat, comments were flooding in as many viewers shared the link with their contacts and groups, bringing even more people into the stream.
Zhao Ang, feeling more excited, switched the camera to his face and, using a hoarse voice, said, “Hello everyone, I’m Zhao Ang. Today, while taking a ship to an island, we were attacked by a monster.”
The chat exploded with rapid comments.
【This is so fake! A monster attack on a ship?】
【He’s desperate for fame, using such exaggerated titles.】
【But these bystanders are acting so real. It’s making me feel tense.】
【Even if it’s well-acted, it’s still fake, fake, fake!!!】
Seeing many calling it fake, Zhao Ang got angry and immediately turned the camera back to the injured people, saying, “Look at these injuries. How could this be fake?”
He then panned the camera to the ship and the crew searching the lake with spotlights, “Look carefully, this is an official cruise ship. Do you think I could rent a ship just to stage this for you?”
The camera showed not only young people but also the elderly, children, and couples. Their expressions were incredibly realistic, coupled with Zhao Ang’s previous points, making the audience question their skepticism.
Zhao Ang pointed the camera at the distant half-corpse, “That body was bitten in half by the monster fish. I swear I’ve never seen such a strange and huge fish in my life, nothing like a regular fish.”
Comments continued to pour in.
【The streamer is inexperienced. There are many large fish species in the world like sharks, blue whales, and orcas, all of which can bite a person in half.】
Another comment soon followed, providing a counter-argument.
【But large fish like blue whales and orcas are deep-sea creatures. From what I’ve seen, you’re on a lake. The cruise ship you’re on isn’t large enough to sail in the ocean, suggesting it’s a lake. Even in large lakes, it’s unlikely for fish to grow as big as blue whales or orcas, and those creatures wouldn’t attack a moving ship unless it was stationary, which might provoke curiosity and an attack from an orca.】
This detailed analysis made sense to many viewers, who began to agree with it.
【The expert is right.】
【Shoulder rubs and back pats for the expert.】
【So, there really isn’t a monster fish. It’s all fake. Let’s just enjoy the show without calling it out.】
Zhao Ang was momentarily speechless. He switched the camera back to the injured people. Regardless of whether the viewers thought it was real or fake, the number of viewers was steadily increasing, and the comments were flying fast.
Feeling a surge of excitement again, Zhao Ang continued filming.
An older, injured man noticed Zhao Ang filming and became angry. “What are you filming?”
Startled, Zhao Ang quickly moved the camera away, snapping back, “I wasn’t filming you.”
The man’s chest heaved with anger, his face pale from his injuries. Fearing the man might collapse, Zhao Ang reluctantly moved away.
At this moment, a man around forty stepped forward, trying to calm everyone and instructing them not to make loud noises to avoid attracting the monster fish’s attention.
The initial part of his message didn’t seem effective, but the latter part had an immediate impact. Everyone instinctively lowered their voices. Even those still speaking loudly quieted down after realizing the seriousness of the situation.
After the monster fish disappeared, Xu Dongyou immediately began searching the area. The darkness and insufficient lighting from the searchlights made it challenging, so he relied on his danger-sensing ability to locate the creature.
After several minutes, Xu Dongyou found nothing.
The monster fish might have left, submerged to the lake’s bottom, or was lying in wait somewhere without showing any intent to attack, which would explain why Xu Dongyou couldn’t sense anything.
Worried, Xu Dongyou returned to the cabin and saw someone trying to calm the crowd. He suggested, “Let’s move the unconscious and seriously injured to the innermost part of the ship.”
The man nodded, and they began moving the immobile injured. Other young people, now somewhat recovered, joined in to help.
Once this was done, Xu Dongyou and the others went to the cockpit and asked the captain for any available weapons or anything that could be used for defense.
Initially, the captain instinctively refused, seeing that apart from one relatively strong-looking person, the rest seemed unable to handle weapons. But considering the circumstances, he relented and had another crew member fetch the remaining tools for them.
Xu Dongyou chose a trident-like fish spear, while the other tools were similar, including an iron rod.
Each person armed themselves. Seeing the others heading to the ship’s edge to help the crew, Xu Dongyou asked, “Can any of you swim?”
Only two men raised their hands, while the rest shook their heads. Understanding the unspoken implication, the non-swimmers decided to stay in the cabin with their tools, ready to act as a second line of defense should the monster fish board the ship.
The three of them spread out.
Xu Dongyou stood at the edge of the boat, gripping his trident tightly. About three meters away, a crew member stood, anxiously holding a weapon, eyes fixed on the water, fearful of a surprise attack from the monster fish.
Xu Dongyou withdrew his gaze, biting his lip, his eyelashes trembling slightly under his hood.
The crew member was scared, and so was he.
He also felt guilty.
If he had reacted sooner, that person might still be alive.
But more than anything, Xu Dongyou felt an overwhelming sense of pressure and responsibility.
He didn’t want to see anyone else die on the ship.
He was probably the most capable person on the ship to deal with the monster fish, especially after learning some spells and demon arts in the past few days. He felt a strong duty to protect the ordinary people from the monster.
The insufficient lighting from the ship didn’t reach far enough to illuminate the distant lake, leaving everyone unable to see if the monster fish was still around. The crew member continuously scanned the area with the spotlight, changing its position every three seconds.
Xu Dongyou’s backpack contained talismans from the bureau and defensive tools from Elder Chen. Additionally, he had small items from Jiu Chao that could withstand a single attack. These were his trump cards against the monster fish.
However, these tools were only for defense, not for offense.
Fortunately, among the four types of talismans in his backpack, two were offensive.
One was called the Immobilizing Talisman, and the other was the Strength Talisman.
Xu Dongyou had memorized the incantation for the Immobilizing Talisman after hearing Zhang Wu recite it the first time he encountered a resentful spirit in the hallway.
Most importantly, using the Immobilizing Talisman was simple: it involved channeling spiritual energy into the talisman and reciting the incantation to attach it to the target.
As for the Strength Talisman, Xu Dongyou had decided to learn it because his weakness was his lack of physical strength. After practicing in the training room, he memorized the incantation for the Strength Talisman as well.
These two talismans were also the favorites among other operatives, so Xu Dongyou decided to learn them.
However, since the talismans were purchased by the chief as a favor, Tian Ze might be running low and desperately need them.
But the current situation was dire.
Xu Dongyou quickly decided. He took out a Strength Talisman from his backpack and placed it in his pocket for immediate use if necessary.
It would be better if he didn’t need it. But if he had to, the Strength Talisman would be his first line of defense against the monster fish.
The spotlight continued searching the lake. After nearly forty minutes, the crew members and other passengers helping out like Xu Dongyou began to wonder if the monster fish had left after eating.
Even those in the cabin started to relax slightly over time, believing that the monster fish had probably gone.
Someone suddenly said, “Has the monster fish gone? Are we safe now?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should ask the crew members.”
“Yeah, good idea.”
Although they talked like this, no one dared to leave the cabin.
Even if they suspected the monster fish had left, no one dared to speak loudly. The whispered conversations inside the cabin couldn’t possibly be heard by the crew outside.
Everyone feared attracting the monster fish lurking in the lake again.
For a while, the cabin fell into silence, interrupted only by soft conversations and faint sobbing.
As for Zhao Ang, he sat near the cabin exit, livestreaming the body. Despite wanting more viewership, he also feared attracting the monster fish with loud noises, so he kept his voice low.
The barrage in the chat was much quieter than before.
The camera only showed the same scenes from earlier, and many viewers found it boring and suspected it was a hoax, deciding to leave the livestream.
Only a small group insisted they had seen the monster fish earlier, but they were quickly mocked and silenced by others, even leading to arguments.
Zhao Ang felt increasingly dissatisfied, thinking these internet users were clueless. How could such realistic scenes be fake?
But he couldn’t stop the viewership numbers from slowly decreasing. Earlier, there were over two thousand people, but now there were barely over seven hundred, with at least half of them being fake accounts sent by the livestream platform.
The barrage in the chat had cooled down to updating every five to six seconds, all mocking him.
“You will regret this sooner or later. The content I filmed earlier will definitely make the news. Then you’ll know what you missed,” Zhao Ang burst out in frustration, his voice slightly raised.
People inside the cabin glanced at him, their faces showing displeasure.
Just then, the unsettled lake surface emitted a splashing sound, as if there were additional noises moving slowly toward Zhao Ang’s direction.
Xu Dongyou immediately grew tense, running towards Zhao Ang while gesturing for him to stop talking.
Other crew members, seeing Xu Dongyou’s actions, also grew nervous and hurried over.
The crew immediately aimed the spotlight at the lake surface in front of Zhao Ang, continuously searching.
Xu Dongyou tried to intervene but was too late.
The monster fish must now know that the people on the boat have discovered it!
As this thought flashed through his mind, Xu Dongyou sensed danger and rushed forward, pulling out his trident and leaping.
The monster fish surged out of the water, creating a huge splash with a loud bang, its massive body slamming onto the boat. The upper half of its body pressed against the boat, causing it to shake violently. Those who hadn’t grabbed onto something immediately were thrown out again, screams and cries echoing incessantly.
The monstrous fish’s gaping jaws, stained with flesh and blood, aimed directly at Zhao Ang.
All of this happened too suddenly. The monstrous fish rapidly approached, leaving Zhao Ang’s mind blank. He couldn’t react in time to escape, and his right hand, gripped tightly in fear, held onto the railing to prevent being thrown overboard.
His left hand happened to be holding the phone, capturing the entire scene. The viewers in the livestream room were instantly shaken, some even screamed and dropped their phones.
What on earth was that?
Was it a prop-made monster fish, or was there really a monster devouring people?
The next scene seemed even more dramatic. Suddenly, on the livestream screen, a person appeared bouncing up, a slender figure obscured by a hood covering most of their face. In the dark against the backlight, their face couldn’t be seen clearly.
But what could be seen was this person thrusting a trident toward the monster fish’s head in the backlight. It sounded like piercing through a hard shell, accompanied by the monster fish’s roar of pain. It gave the live-stream viewers a surreal sensation as if they were watching a blockbuster movie, the special effects so realistic that they almost seemed fake.
The monster fish, driven mad by pain, thrashed its tail wildly, desperately attacking the boat’s hull.
It was too large, and its frenzied assault quickly caused the hull to rupture, flooding water surging in. Everyone desperately grabbed onto anything they could, their bodies uncontrollably tossed around.
Zhao Ang still clung tightly to the railing, fearing being thrown overboard, but the surging water kept flooding in, making it impossible for him to continue livestreaming with his other hand.
At this moment, he didn’t want to livestream anymore. He just wanted to survive.
The audience in the livestream exploded, watching the shaking screen where nothing could be seen clearly, only hearing the monster fish’s roaring. The barrage of comments started flooding in at this moment.
【What the heck is that, real or fake?】
【So realistic, more realistic than big-budget movies. Why does it feel so much like it’s real?】
【If this is true, isn’t the anchor in danger? The monster fish already ate someone before. It’s probably too late to call the police now; by the time they arrive, the anchor might be dead.】
【Does anyone know where the anchor is? I’ll help call the police. Whether it’s real or fake, it’s about saving lives.】
【There was an expert earlier who said the anchor was on some lake, but I don’t know which lake exactly.】
【This is impossible. How could such a highly aggressive giant fish appear in the lake?】
The person who had previously doubted Zhao Ang had been watching the live stream all along and was now beginning to seriously question life.
【Wake up! I’ve never seen a fish like that before. It looks so terrifying, clearly mutated.】
The phone screen continued to shake. The people in the livestream room were becoming frantic, unable to do anything but stare at the screen and analyze the current situation from occasional glimpses.
【The boat has been breached by that monster fish and water is coming in. The monster looks tough with thick skin and flesh, estimated at about ten meters. How do we fight this?】
【The phone is still shaking, so the anchor should be fine for now. But does anyone know where the anchor is yet?】
The monster fish continued its frenzied thrashing, trying to dislodge Xu Dongyou. Other crew members and the tourists who had been helping spontaneously rushed over, attacking the fish with whatever weapons they had.
Its size was too massive; no one could push it off, only desperately trying to kill it before the boat sank completely.
However, the monster fish’s tough skin and flesh only showed cracks from the attacks, with no damage to its internal organs. This only infuriated it further, launching a reckless assault on the boat.
Due to the enormous weight of the monster fish, the boat sank faster, allowing water to rush in more quickly.
The monster fish continued attacking the boat. Many people, unable to continue holding onto anything due to the intensified rocking of the boat, were thrown overboard, screaming in terror.
Zhao Ang alone continued to grip the railing tightly, his body swaying with the rocking of the boat, yet he managed not to be thrown overboard.
He couldn’t use his other hand to hold onto his phone and continue the livestream. Fortunately, the phone case was tied with a rope and hung around his neck in advance, preventing it from falling off.
In the livestream room, people watched the increasingly shaky screen with growing curiosity and anxiety. Some had begun to screenshot the fleeting images of the monster fish and shared them on social media platforms.
Gradually, more and more viewers flooded into the live stream room. The sudden surge in popularity alerted the livestream staff that something unusual was happening. They immediately clicked into the live stream and watched for a while, vaguely realizing that this didn’t seem fake. Quickly, they promoted Zhao Ang’s livestream to the front page, drawing even more people into the room.
【What’s going on? The screen keeps shaking. I can’t see anything, and yet so many people are watching. Are they botting?】
【Why does it feel so chaotic? Where is this? Why is it so dark?】
【Came in utterly confused, leaving utterly confused.】
【”Ashu, you’re really showing off” smashed a yacht in the live stream “Brother Ang”, the treasure chest in the live stream is open, come share the joy, right?】
【??? Can someone explain what’s going on? How can a shaky screen like this get recommended to the front page, did they pay for it?】
【The title actually says “Monster Fish Eating People”. Just for fame, they’ll do anything. The website even recommended this? Aren’t they afraid of legal action for using such sensational headlines?】
While others distracted the monster fish, Xu Dongyou quickly pulled out his harpoon and jumped down from the fish, swiftly taking out a Strength Talisman from his pocket. This talisman wasn’t high-level, only doubling the user’s strength on top of their existing power.
Xu Dongyou mobilized his spiritual energy and silently chanted a spell in his mind. As soon as he activated the Strength Talisman, he immediately stuck it onto himself.
The talisman began to take effect, instantly boosting Xu Dongyou’s strength. He then carefully stowed away the talisman in his pocket to prevent it from falling off during the upcoming battle, lest it become ineffective.
Many people witnessed Xu Dongyou’s actions and were puzzled. But they didn’t have time to think further as their minds were consumed by fear of impending death and the monster’s relentless attacks.
Gripping his harpoon tightly, Xu Dongyou charged forward once more, targeting the monster fish’s existing wounds to inflict secondary damage.
Strike after strike, each one precise.
Soon, the wounds grew deeper, revealing glimpses of internal organs.
The monster fish let out an even angrier roar than before, its ferocity now fully ignited and its eyes reddened. It desperately sought to attack Xu Dongyou.
The other crew members finally snapped out of their shock at this stunning scene and hurried over to assist.
But Xu Dongyou stopped them, “Don’t come over.”
The crew members and a few passengers were anxious, but they didn’t heed Xu Dongyou’s words and rushed forward to help anyway.
Xu Dongyou had no choice but to strike again to draw the monster’s attention, then swiftly turned and leaped down.
“Don’t jump—” one of the crew members urgently shouted, rushing over to try and grab Xu Dongyou.
But it was too late.
By now, the monster fish had no interest in the delicious morsels on the boat. It roared in fury and turned to smash back into the lake, chasing after Xu Dongyou.
As Xu Dongyou dove into the lake, creating splashes, he rapidly mobilized his demonic power and employed the “Water Evasion” technique.
At this moment, he was immensely grateful for having finished that pot of tea earlier; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to access his demonic power now.
Like a fish, he swiftly swam away, while the monster fish swung its massive tail, creating bursts of spray in pursuit.
With the monster fish no longer weighing down the boat, it began to rise again, with only a trickle of water seeping in through the hull’s seams.
At least for the next few hours, everyone on board didn’t need to worry about the boat sinking.
Inside the cabin, the passengers were still in shock, unable to believe they had actually survived. Most of them were bewildered, wondering why the monster fish had suddenly left.
As the boat returned to calmness, Zhao Ang, still shaken, remembered his livestream room. He wasn’t sure if all the viewers had left during this time.
He quickly picked up his phone, rubbed his eyes again, and counted tens of thousands of viewers displayed on it, along with the barrage of comments that were frantically refreshing, although most were filled with curses.
But Zhao Ang’s excited hands continued to tremble.
Though he had no idea what had happened during this time, his viewership had never been this high before.
He was going to be famous!!
This thought suddenly rushed into his mind. He quickly climbed up, ignoring his own safety, and rushed to the railing of the boat, pointing the camera toward the massive creature on the lake surface. “Look, this is the monster fish I was talking about. I really didn’t lie.”
The spotlight also followed the monster fish closely. By now, even the most obtuse crew members realized why Xu Dongyou had jumped into the lake.
He did it to protect everyone and lead the monster fish away.
One of the crew members anxiously said, “But no matter how good someone is at swimming, they’ll still be caught by the fish eventually.”
It might happen—
All the crew members felt extremely uneasy but didn’t know how to help Xu Dongyou.
The purpose of the spotlight deliberately shining on the monster fish was also to distract its eyes, potentially slowing down its swimming speed and giving Xu Dongyou more time to swim farther away.
Suddenly, one of the crew members hesitated, “Have you guys noticed how fast that person is swimming?”
Others quickly widened their eyes and scrutinized carefully, realizing that the crew member was right.
That person seemed to be swimming too fast, almost as fast as a world swimming champion.
At the same time, they felt a glimmer of hope; if they could hold on a little longer, the police would arrive soon.
People hiding in the cabin couldn’t resist their curiosity. Several brave ones came out, followed by more and more tourists, watching the scene of the monster fish chasing after the person in the distance, suddenly worrying about that person.
A few young girls couldn’t bear to watch the cruel scene and asked a crew member, “Are the police coming soon?”
The crew member, feeling heavy-hearted, wiped blood from his face and said, “It’ll still take at least half an hour. Though this cruise ship isn’t fast, it’s been almost an hour since we departed from the port.”
“Can he hold on?”
No one could answer.
But no one attempted to help distract the monster fish either; nobody wanted that creature to come back and attack the ship again.
That was exactly why the crew members felt deeply saddened—the choice between one person’s safety and the safety of everyone on board was painfully clear.
Unable to bear seeing someone willing to risk danger for everyone’s sake meet such a fate, one crew member suddenly turned and picked up a weapon that had fallen earlier, ready to lower the small boat.
Seeing this, the other crew members gritted their teeth and followed suit.
They intended to use this small boat to divert the monster fish’s attention. Luckily, the small boat was fully fueled and could last for half an hour.
The captain hesitated for several seconds, then abruptly grabbed the youngest crew member present, scolding, “What heroics are you trying to show at such a young age? Stay put.”
With that, he took the last spot in the small boat and urged the person in charge of starting the engine, “Why aren’t we leaving yet?”
The other crew members felt increasingly conflicted. None had expected the captain, who often scolded them, to be not as bad as they had thought.
The youngest crew member stood there, unsure of what to do, not wanting to be left behind. Another passenger grabbed him.
Other passengers couldn’t help but try to persuade the crew members and the captain, “If you go out there, you’ll definitely die if the monster fish catches up. It’s too dangerous for so many of you to go out.”
The captain remained silent for several seconds before saying, “That young man who’s being chased by the monster fish right now saved all of us. If he sacrifices himself, how can we justify staying here?”
These words silenced the tourists.
“And more importantly, if he gets eaten by the monster fish, do you think any of us on this ship will survive? The ship can’t sail anymore.”
The captain’s statement shocked all the passengers, making them anxious. One of them quickly grabbed the captain and said to the other passengers, “We can’t let them go down. If this small boat gets smashed by the monster fish, we won’t even have a chance to leave here.”
Yeah.
This awakening phrase made everyone immediately look at the captain. But instead of rushing over to pull him away, they all tried to persuade him not to let everyone lose their chance to leave just to save one person.
This would mean everyone dying here!
The captain was so angry that he trembled all over. Why couldn’t these people use their heads? Even if they took this small boat, did they really think they could escape the monster fish’s attack?
Everyone would still die!
Several passengers who had fought alongside Xu Dongyou before couldn’t bear it. They tried to persuade the other passengers, saying everyone couldn’t just watch Xu Dongyou die. Now was the time to think of ways to delay and wait for the police to arrive.
At this point, Zhao Ang was so excited that he kept the phone’s camera focused on the monster fish, then shifted it to the crowd about to conflict in front of him.
This stimulating and highly topical scene would definitely make his livestream even more popular.
He was really going to be famous!!!
