Chapter 234 - 136: Water Arrow

Chapter 234: Chapter 136: Water Arrow

The oppressive quiet was strangely unsettling. Xu Mo pushed his senses to their absolute limit, focusing not only on the ground and the horizon but also keeping the silvery ribbon of the river in his peripheral vision, ever watchful for the slightest unusual ripple.

Time crawled by as the sun climbed higher, causing heat waves to shimmer in the air.

Just as Xu Mo and Zhang Yun were about to complete their morning patrol route and turn toward the next observation point, the murky water in the middle of the river, about thirty meters away, suddenly and silently parted. A massive, dark shadow slowly rose to the surface.

First to break the surface was an impossibly broad back covered in thick, dark-green scales. The edges of the scales were a horny, dark-brown material that reflected a greasy sheen in the sunlight. A moment later, a massive head emerged.

It was a fish, but it was far larger than yesterday’s attacker. He estimated its length was close to, if not over, a meter. Its body was incredibly thick, like an oversized battery.

Its head was flat and spade-shaped, with an enormous mouth. The mouth was slightly agape, revealing rows of jagged, yellowish-brown conical teeth.

The fish floated silently on the surface, its huge, lifeless eyes slowly swiveling to lock precisely onto Xu Mo and Zhang Yun on the bank.

Seeing the fish’s emotionless gaze fixed on him, Xu Mo frowned slightly. He gestured to Zhang Yun, and they both began to back away slowly.

Other than swiveling its eyes to follow them, the great fish made no other movement, simply staring as Xu Mo and Zhang Yun retreated. This went on for a full five or six seconds.

Faint ripples spread across the water around the great fish. Suddenly, its enormous mouth snapped open and shut—not a biting motion, but a compression, like the pump of a high-pressure water jet.

WHOOSH—!

A concentrated, high-speed bolt of water shot from its mouth, aimed directly at Zhang Yun on the bank. The projectile tore through the air with a piercing shriek, catching the sunlight in a brief, dangerous iridescence.

Although Zhang Yun was on high alert, the attack was simply too bizarre and sudden! Fortunately, the distance was great enough to give her a fraction of a second. Acting on pure instinct and her superb military training, she hurled herself sideways and backward the instant she heard the shriek of displaced air.

THWUMP!

The bolt of water grazed the edge of Zhang Yun’s tactical vest and slammed into the scorched earth two or three meters behind her. There was no splash. The concentrated jet acted like a solid projectile, blasting a bowl-sized crater several inches deep into the hard-packed ground. The surrounding earth showed a starburst of cracks from the impact, the edges of the crater dark with moisture.

Xu Mo’s eyes narrowed. ’If that had hit her directly,’ he thought, ’even with her tac vest, she’d have ended up with torn ligaments and broken bones.’

Without a moment’s hesitation, as the great fish opened its mouth to gather power for another shot, Xu Mo had his AK-47 raised and aimed.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

He fired a three-round burst in quick succession. The gunshots sounded brutally loud across the empty plains.

The first bullet struck precisely near one of the great fish’s grayish-white eyes. Its tough scales and bone absorbed most of the kinetic energy, but the round still penetrated, erupting in a spray of viscous fluid and flesh.

The second and third rounds hit almost simultaneously where the fish’s head met its torso, kicking up two more small bursts of blood.

GURGLE...

A low, muffled sound, thick with pain and rage, rose from beneath the water.

The great fish’s body plunged downward, its massive form vanishing completely beneath the surface, leaving behind nothing but settling ripples and a jarring slick of blood.

Xu Mo kept his rifle trained on the water, his eyes sharp. He knew that with the AK-47’s power, at that distance and angle, the shots were likely not fatal. A serious injury, at best.

Zhang Yun scrambled to her feet, brushing the scorched dirt from her uniform. Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady. She glanced at the crater left by the water jet, a flicker of lingering fear in her expression.

"You okay?" Xu Mo asked, his gaze still locked on the river’s surface.

"I’m fine. It was a close call," Zhang Yun said, catching her breath. She immediately raised her radio. "F-6 to command, emergency report! Midway through our patrol route, near the river channel, we were ambushed by a mutated aquatic lifeform. Subject is approximately one meter long, possesses a ranged high-pressure water jet attack. We engaged and wounded the target, which has retreated into the water. Its current status is unknown! I repeat, we’ve encountered a new type of mutated aquatic creature with ranged attack capabilities!"

After two seconds of silence, a voice crackled over the radio, more clipped than usual. "F-6, copy. Situation logged. Pull back to a safe distance immediately. Maintain observation but do not approach the river channel. A specialized team will follow up. Stay safe!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"Copy that."

Ending the call, Zhang Yun and Xu Mo exchanged a look, each seeing the gravity in the other’s eyes. A ranged attack—that was far beyond the scope of a typical mutated creature. Yesterday, it was a leaping ambush. Today, a water jet. Their methods of attack were evolving, and the danger was increasing exponentially.

On the opposite bank, their two "neighbors" had clearly witnessed the harrowing scene. They were too far away to hear anything clearly, but they had seen it all: the great fish surface, the water jet fire, Xu Mo open fire, and the fish sink. Right now, the two men were waving energetically toward them. Then they pointed at the river, waved their hands frantically in a shooing motion, and finally just backed away another ten-odd meters.

Their meaning was clear: *We saw that! It’s terrifying! Get back!*

Xu Mo waved back, signaling that they were okay. Then, without lingering, he and Zhang Yun moved away from the riverbank, proceeding quickly toward the next observation point.

They remained vigilant the entire way, their eyes on not only the river but also the surrounding plains.

The rest of their patrol was completed in an oppressive silence. Fortunately, the great fish didn’t reappear, nor were there any other disturbances from the river. But a heavier weight had settled on both of their hearts.

When they were relieved, the duty officer’s expression was even more solemn than the day before. He questioned them in detail about the attack, the power of the water jet, and the fish’s appearance, and once again stressed the importance of staying clear of the river.

On the way back to the city, Zhang Yun was silent for a long time. It wasn’t until they were about to part ways that she finally spoke, her voice laced with exhaustion and fear. "Xu Mo, today... if you hadn’t fired when you did, drawing its attention... or if it had fired another jet right after the first... I don’t think I would have been able to dodge it."

"Your reflexes were sharp, and it was a clean dodge." Xu Mo was being honest; Zhang Yun’s combat instincts were genuinely fast. "No one could have anticipated that kind of attack. Besides, from now on, every body of water will have to be treated as a no-go zone."

"Yeah." Zhang Yun nodded grimly and looked at Xu Mo. "Do you think these fish... and that thing from G-2... could they be connected somehow? It feels like more and more of these things are popping up."

Xu Mo paused, his gaze drifting toward the distant, towering silhouette of Jiang City’s walls. "Maybe it’s not that there are more of them," he said slowly. "Maybe they’ve always existed. We just never ran into them before. They’re only starting to become ’active’ now."

At his words, Zhang Yun flinched. An awful thought seemed to cross her mind, and her expression grew even darker. She said nothing more.

Back in his small courtyard, Xu Mo closed the door and let out a long breath. He had faced new threats two days in a row. While neither had posed a direct danger to him, the sense of an encroaching crisis was becoming more palpable by the day.

Walking into the yard, Xu Mo didn’t immediately begin his cultivation. Instead, he carefully replayed every detail of the great fish surfacing and firing its jet of water. ’That precise aim... the way it gathered and released that energy... it didn’t seem like pure instinct. It was more like an evolved hunting skill.’

’What does that imply? That mutated fish can now use skills? Or that *all* mutated creatures are starting to use them? If so, what kind of world is this becoming?’

Xu Mo shook his head, pushing the chaotic thoughts aside for now. ’Whatever the case, the only true answer is to get stronger.’

Sitting cross-legged, Xu Mo focused his mind and calmed his breath. Within him, the qi and blood of the Iron Bone Realm began to churn with unprecedented vitality, like a deep pool disturbed by a massive stone. He could feel a subtle, tingling heat spreading through his limbs—the sensation of growth. His bones felt denser, his fascia more elastic, and the channels through which his qi and blood flowed seemed to have widened ever so slightly.