Under the dim glow of their headlamps, the leading crocodile had already crawled to within five meters of them. Scout Finch's expression shifted constantly as she turned her head toward Kael Voss.
"Kael, are you going to shoot or not?"
Kael drew a deep breath, placed a calming hand on her shoulder, and whispered, "Hold on. Let it come closer. We need to make sure we land a clean shot—if we miss, it'll lunge at us, and we're done."
Though Scout's shoulders trembled with tension, she forced herself to suppress the urge to release her arrow, her eyes fixed on the approaching beast.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze. Kael held his breath, staring hard at the crocodile. Only when it crept two meters closer did he suddenly release his fingers.
At the instant he let go, a burst of bright light lit the space. Both Kael and Scout fired simultaneously—the sharp twang of the crossbow string and the whistle of a steel pellet slicing through the air echoed together. One crossbow bolt and one steel pellet slammed directly into the eyes of two different crocodiles.
The one struck by the bolt flipped over and fell back into the water, while the one hit by the pellet convulsed, then floated belly-up, lifeless.
The successful strike filled them both with momentary relief, but they didn't dare linger. They quickly reloaded, only to see three massive crab-like creatures rushing toward the dead crocodile.
Suddenly, Kael remembered—he'd seen something like these creatures on a wildlife documentary. They were called giant spider crabs, also nicknamed murder crabs.
He vaguely recalled the show explaining that these crabs had colossal forelimbs, with claws spanning over four meters. Their massive pincers were their deadliest weapons, capable of attacking not just humans, but even appearing in shark diets.
Back then, the sheer horror of the creature had left a deep impression on Kael. Now, seeing it in real life, he was stunned all over again.
More splashes echoed from beneath the artificial rock hill. Kael and Scout turned to see four more crocodiles crawling ashore. Scout instinctively reached for her quiver and gasped.
"Damn… all my bolts fell into the water when we went under."
"Don't worry. I've still got some pellets—"
Kael's sentence cut short as he reached for his pouch and realized the container of steel pellets was gone. His heart sank. He checked the cartridge—only two rounds left.
But instead of attacking Kael and Scout, the four new crocodiles joined the murder crabs, all pouncing on the same crocodile corpse. Their gaping jaws and vicious bites were horrifying to watch.
In the water, more turmoil churned. A cloud of blood bloomed beneath the surface—three sharks had arrived, tearing at the body of the crocodile Scout had taken down.
The scene chilled Kael and Scout to the bone. Kael thought grimly, That crocodile carcass won't satisfy seven bloodthirsty monsters. Once they're done feeding, we'll be next.
Panicked, he glanced around, but the surrounding darkness revealed nothing—just an impenetrable black void. There was no way of knowing which direction might lead to safety.
And even if they tried to flee, the water was full of crocodiles and sharks. A sense of utter despair crept over Kael, as if they were at the end of the road.
"Kael… do you think we're… going to die here?" Scout's voice trembled with despair as she watched the two dead crocodiles being ripped apart. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably as she looked at him.
"We're not at the end just yet."
Kael's heart pounded in his chest, but he fought to stay calm. Slinging his crossbow back over his shoulder, he drew the falchion strapped to his waist and took a deep breath, ready to fight to the death.
"Look! Over there—what's that?"
Scout pointed toward a floating rectangular plank on the water. Kael squinted. The object had a network of lines on it—like a map. His heart jumped. It wasn't far away. He quickly jogged over and scooped it out.
Together they studied the plank. Scout suddenly said, "Kael, this is a layout of the aquarium tour path! Look—here's the entrance, the main hall, the crocodile exhibit, the piranha tanks, the spider crab habitat…"
"Wait—"
Kael examined the surroundings, then drew a sharp breath. "This is… we're in the monitor lizard enclosure!"
Scout visibly trembled and instinctively glanced around. "Kael… aren't monitor lizards worse than crocodiles?"
Kael gave a grim nod. Monitor lizards were notorious scavengers—vicious, greedy, and willing to eat even the corpses of their own kind.
But the most terrifying part? Their saliva carried deadly bacteria. A single bite—even if you escaped—meant a slow, agonizing death from infection.
Using the map for reference, Kael and Scout examined their environment more carefully. Soon, the truth hit them—they were standing atop a faux rock formation that served as the nest of the monitor lizard exhibit.
As they turned to scan the area again, one of the rocks beneath Kael's foot suddenly sprang to life. In a blur of motion, it lunged upward.
Kael sensed the danger and leapt back instinctively—but not fast enough.
The "rock" had been a fully camouflaged monitor lizard, its patience terrifying. It had remained still all this time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Because the lighting was so dim—and because their focus had been on the crocodiles—neither Kael nor Scout had noticed the predator lurking just meters away.
Its scaly, stone-colored skin blended seamlessly into the terrain. Without close inspection, it was nearly impossible to distinguish it from the surrounding rocks.
With a sudden lunge, the monitor lizard sank its teeth into Kael's left leg. A sickening crunch followed. Kael felt like his shin bone had nearly snapped.
Through sheer willpower, he suppressed the scream and swung his blade down hard.
The falchion sliced into the beast's side, blood spraying everywhere. The lizard let out a hoarse, anguished screech, writhing violently as it tumbled off the faux mountain—straight into a pack of hungry crocodiles and murder crabs that descended on it instantly.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Kael glanced down at his leg. Thankfully, the anti-puncture suit had held. His leg throbbed with agony, but the skin hadn't been broken.
Scout stood frozen, mouth agape, staring at Kael. She couldn't speak. He could see pure terror in her eyes.
"Check that map again! We can't stay here!"
Kael knew they had no time to waste. He and Scout looked back at the layout and quickly found a potential route—a maintenance tunnel right beside the monitor lizard habitat. The path turned at two sharp right angles and ended at a door labeled FIRE ESCAPE.
Hope flickered in both of them.
Kael looked up and scanned the shadows. In the distance, he spotted a dark shape that might be the tunnel entrance—but it was hard to tell from so far away.
We can't stay here, he thought. Once those creatures finish devouring the carcasses, we're next. Whether that shadow leads to freedom or not, we have to take the chance.
Resolute, Kael turned to Scout. "Scout, don't be afraid. That might be our only way out. If we try, we might survive."
Scout's lips quivered, but she nodded. "I-I'm not afraid, Kael. I'm ready."
Kael stretched his limbs and nodded encouragingly. "Fear won't help us now. Come on—get on my back, I'll swim us there."
Scout shook her head. "I can swim."
Kael gave her a nod. Without another word, they gathered their gear and, while the crocodiles and murder crabs were still feasting, slipped quietly into the water behind the faux mountain.
It wasn't safe in the water either—but staying put meant certain death. If they were going to die, better to die trying to live.