INHA Chapter 32

It was like a sudden clap of thunder, causing all the passengers to become even more panicked. Even the police officers had grim expressions on their faces.

On their way here, they had watched the live stream. Their department, being close to the Anomaly Handling Bureau, often dealt with strange cases. Although nothing was officially stated, the police gradually became aware that there seemed to be a more secretive department dedicated to handling these odd cases.

Since they had never seen it firsthand, it remained only a speculation. It was rumored that the police chief knew something about it, but no one dared to ask directly. Moreover, there was an order that any strange case should be reported immediately.

Watching the live stream of the hooded young man displaying his ability to control water, their speculation was finally confirmed.

Furthermore, before coming here, the police chief had personally instructed them to unconditionally obey the instructions of the special officers upon arrival. His tone and expression implied that failure to follow orders might result in serious consequences.

Watching the live stream, they realized it wasn’t a misconception; those people indeed had special abilities, just like the ones in the video.

The police suspected that the previous human screams were likely from the eight passengers who had left. They were probably in grave danger now.

However, this was just a guess. Without confirming it firsthand, they needed to proceed with the rescue as soon as possible.

Additionally, they had to deal with the monster fish.

They couldn’t allow such a man-eating creature to remain in the lake. Orders quickly came down to eliminate the monster fish.

But the monster fish was powerful, and there were still many passengers on the cruise ship, creating a difficult situation.

Fortunately, there were four speedboats on the cruise ship, enough to evade the monster fish.

Jiu Chao made a quick decision and instructed the officers, “I’ll handle the blood and flesh. You need to immediately use the speedboats to intercept the other monster fish. Don’t let it get close.”

Firstly, there were already injured passengers on the cruise ship who couldn’t handle any more distress.

Secondly, the monster fish was likely attracted by the flesh and blood.

Though this was just a guess, if the monster fish came over, the ensuing battle might spread the flesh farther, making it harder to collect.

The handlers nodded, arranging for the crew to prepare two speedboats, allowing them to split up and fight more flexibly.

Since all the handlers could drive the speedboats, there was no need to bring crew members along.

This crisis was unlike dealing with resentful spirits, which often followed discernible patterns. These unpredictable monsters presented a whole new level of danger, especially in the water where many uncertainties existed.

Not everyone could swim faster than a monster fish.

The handlers split into two teams and disappeared into the night with their speedboats.

The passengers on the cruise ship were still in a state of panic, clamoring to leave immediately.

One officer refused, saying, “Sorry, we can’t leave just yet. We have some things to take care of, and please don’t worry. Special officers have already gone to intercept the monster.”

He added, “We are equipped with weapons, which significantly increases our safety. Most importantly, another police boat will arrive shortly.”

“Then why can’t we leave now? Why wait for another boat?” After surviving one crisis, the passengers didn’t want to stay another minute.

Many shared this sentiment, though some stayed silent, waiting to see what would happen.

The officers on this ship were specifically assigned to collect the monster’s remains and handle any sudden incidents.

Thus, they couldn’t leave the scene.

They had to wait for the other boat to transport the passengers away from the danger.

But the few persistent passengers insisted on a clear answer. The officers repeated their earlier statement, “The police boat will arrive soon. Please be patient and rest assured.”

“No, we want to leave now.”

“Exactly!”

“Get us out of here now.”

Before the officers could respond, Jiu Chao couldn’t help but scoff, “Fine, leaving isn’t impossible.”

The officers turned to see that the speaker was the person their chief had repeatedly warned them to respect, and the special officers also held him in high regard.

This indicated that either his status was high or his abilities were formidable.

“Really?”

“Are you serious?”

The skeptical passengers didn’t understand why they couldn’t just leave. What could be more important than the lives of the people on this ship?

The officers were bound by orders not to disclose the mission details to the passengers.

But Jiu Chao wasn’t constrained by such rules. Seeing the passengers, especially the few small, frightened children, he suggested, “There is a way. There are still two speedboats below. You can take those. However, the children must stay on the ship. Staying here under my protection is the safest option.”

The passengers were stunned, not understanding where this man got such confidence.

“But… but what if we encounter a third monster fish along the way?” one of the passengers asked.

Jiu Chao sighed. “You can leave on this cruise ship. But the longer those monster fish corpses remain in the lake, the more mutant fish will appear. You should understand how severe the consequences could be.”

The passengers were speechless. They hadn’t realized that this was the reason the ship had to stay. An elderly man who had been silent raised his hand and asked Jiu Chao, “So you’re here to collect the monster’s remains?”

Time was of the essence.

Jiu Chao looked at the old man with surprise and nodded.

After a few seconds of silence, the old man said, “I’ll help you collect them. We can’t let more of these terrifying creatures appear in the lake, or more people will suffer.”

Another passenger chimed in, “I’ll help too. There’s nothing else to do here anyway, so I might as well do something good.”

“I’ll join too.”

After a moment of silence, more and more passengers raised their hands in agreement, even a brave six-year-old girl.

However, a few passengers hesitated, conflicted. They weren’t scared but had sensitive noses that made them prone to motion sickness and vomiting at foul smells. The monster fish’s meat and blood were the most nauseating things they had ever smelled. It would take immense courage to volunteer.

Jiu Chao’s gaze softened, and after a long silence, he said, “No, you should stay on the ship. You’re all just ordinary people. If you have any wounds, you might get infected by the monster fish’s blood and flesh.”

He generally had no fondness for humans. His willingness to explain this time was purely due to the presence of the children.

To a long-lived demon like him, these children were even more vulnerable than cubs, always stirring a sense of compassion.

Xu Dongyou watched this scene, deeply moved and increasingly glad he had risked nearly drowning to save everyone.

Humans might have their despicable sides, but they also have a beautiful and kind side that makes the world seem wonderful.

Jiu Chao made a hand seal. A red light appeared in his palm, circling in the air.

The red light flew over and formed a glowing ring around the passengers.

The passengers gasped, both awed and a bit scared.

At this moment, they remembered his confident assertion that he could protect the children.

Now, the passengers fell silent, unable to calm down.

This scene was yet another challenge to their worldview.

Although Xu Dongyou had previously demonstrated the water evasion spell, this was the first time the passengers had witnessed magic so closely. The shock was hard to settle.

The policemen’s hands trembled slightly. They quickly maintained their calm demeanor, though they were as shocked as the passengers.

A thought flashed through their minds: their guess was correct, this man was not an ordinary person.

The scene became so quiet that Xu Dongyou felt a bit awkward. He approached Jiu Chao and asked softly, “What is this red circle for?”

The other passengers immediately perked up their ears, and the policemen stared straight ahead, straining to listen.

They were also curious about the red circle.

Jiu Chao barely suppressed a sigh of relief, finally escaping the extremely awkward situation that made his fur feel like it was about to bristle. Struggling to maintain his aloof demeanor, he replied to Xu Dongyou, “It’s nothing. It’s just a barrier to protect them from the monster fish.”

Xu Dongyou’s eyes lit up instantly.

He realized that such spells were even more flexible and useful than tools.

Jiu Chao, feeling a bit guilty, kept up his cool facade and turned to leave. “Let’s get to work.”

Xu Dongyou followed closely behind, and the other policemen also headed out.

Only then did the passengers dare to speak in low voices, curiously examining the red circle but not daring to touch it or test its effectiveness.

They whispered among themselves, both curious and afraid.

The mysterious young man who had saved everyone earlier and the few people just now were likely from the same organization.

The young man could control water, while the one who made the red circle had yet to reveal his abilities. The others who left on the speedboats to stop the monster fish probably had different abilities as well.

“That young man alone could kill the monster fish. Now that several people have gone, there should be no problem,” the elderly man said.

He seemed like a simple countryman, but age had given him a clearer perspective than the younger ones. He kindly reminded everyone, “Staying here is the safest option. At least we have two people capable of dealing with the monster fish.”

The passengers didn’t speak, but they took the old man’s words to heart.

Indeed, staying on the ship was the safest.

A few minutes later, a police boat approached, its flashing lights making the passengers realize its arrival.

A policeman walked in and announced, “The police boat is here. You can board it and go home now.”

The passengers who had insisted on leaving earlier reacted the most, immediately saying, “No! I’m not leaving!”

“Me neither.”

The other passengers nodded, indicating they didn’t want to leave either.

Policeman: “???”

Earlier, you were all desperate to leave. Why the change now?

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