Its entire body slammed into the board, and the solid wood shattered like a thin, brittle cracker — shattering instantly!

Shen Mo immediately threw himself flat. From behind him, an axe came hurtling through the air, crashing into the fish monster’s hideous head with a loud bang!

The fish monster let out a screech — as if it felt pain — and plunged back into the water with a tremendous crash!

“Get up here, quick!” Yan Qingwen bellowed, reaching a hand down toward Shen Mo in the water!

Shen Mo had just risen from the water when the fish monster launched itself upward again from behind him —

A massive shadow enveloped both Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Both men twisted to dodge — one vaulted over the staircase railing, the other retreated into the attic. The fish monster’s gaping, bloody maw came crashing down, and the wooden staircase steps shattered on impact, a great gaping hole bitten clean through!

Both men were engulfed by the flood!

The water level kept rising!

In an instant, the second floor was swamped!

Everyone scrambled frantically back toward the attic, and all they could hear was a relentless BANG BANG BANG of crashing impacts throughout the entire house! No one could see what was happening underwater! Every heart was clenched tight with dread!

The flashlight beams swept back and forth — apart from the murky, churning water surface, they could see nothing!

Teacher Cheng was frantic with worry, staring at the water and crying, “What do we do… what do we do…”

Su Man stood at the boundary between the attic floor and the floodwater, gripping her whip, screaming, “Yan Ge! …Yan Ge, where are you?!!”

“I’ll go down and look!” Tan Xiao leapt toward the water!

“Don’t go!!!” Bai Youwei shouted.

Before her voice had faded, Tan Xiao was already convulsing! His limbs flailed in jerking spasms, and at the same time the water surface flickered repeatedly with blue flashes of light! Even the palms Bai Youwei had braced against the floor felt a tingling numbness!

Electricity!

She instinctively looked down at her fluffy rabbit, then stared in disbelief at the water’s surface!

It wasn’t the rabbit!

“Get back! That fish can discharge electricity!” Bai Youwei shouted!

Those words sent expressions of terror rippling across everyone’s faces.

If the water monster could generate electricity, what would happen to Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen underwater?!

The usually iron-willed Su Man’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Damn it!” she snarled, and despite the risk of electric shock, she lashed her whip again and again across the water’s surface!

“Come out! You monster! Come out!!!”

“Have you lost your mind?!!” Li Li came rushing over and seized her, hauling her forcefully toward the back of the attic.

Lu Ang pushed himself upright on his still-healing leg and roared, “To hell with it! I’ll fight that thing!”

— BOOM!!!

Half the attic floor was ripped up!

The enormous fish monster had bitten through the attic floorboards, and Bai Youwei, Li Li, and Su Man all tumbled into the water at once!

Su Man was agile — in that critical moment she flung her whip! It caught on an iron decorative wall sconce. Su Man grabbed Li Li, and the two of them jerked to a halt in the water!

The whip slipped a notch!

Both of them slid uncontrollably down toward the water!

Just as they were about to go completely under, Lu Ang seized the whip! He strained with all his strength to drag both of them back up!

But the fish monster in the water turned and thrashed, biting through yet another large section of the floor!

The attic floor was not like the brick-reinforced second floor; it was a thin steel frame with a single layer of wooden boards laid over it — it couldn’t withstand the fish monster’s gnawing and ramming!

Zhu Shu, nearby, fell through into a gaping hole in the floor!

Lu Ang urgently reached out one hand to grab her!

Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin tried to rush over to help, but whenever they moved closer, the floorboards beneath them began cracking apart! They could only throw themselves flat on the ground — holding onto one of Lu Ang’s legs with both arms to keep him from being dragged into the water —

Even so, Lu Ang’s body kept sliding straight down toward the water! He couldn’t support three people’s weight, and with his leg wound not yet healed, his whole face contorted in agony!

Zhu Shu bit her lip, then suddenly let go of Lu Ang’s hand.

“Zhu Shu!” Lu Ang cried out in alarm, reaching down to grab her, but caught nothing but a patch of wet fabric.

Su Man and Li Li climbed back up into the attic, one after the other, gasping for breath, and sat together in the attic corner with Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin.

Everyone stood frozen, staring at the scene before them.

The attic had only half its floor left. The water surged up and down, dim and boundless.

And their companions — their fates unknown.

—