While Amelia was arranging the building, Kain and the others were continuing their arduous...really boring journey.

It had almost been an hour, and there was no sign of fish. They had rowed away from the buildings and were in a clearing, surrounded by water.

The atmosphere was suffocating. The nine of them made eye contact with each other, willing each other to talk so as not to make things so awkward.

But no one dared to say much.

Finally, Jaylin decided to speak up, "Umm...Kain, how have the kids been doing? I haven’t seen them for a while."

Light flickered in his eyes when she asked, but he answered indifferently, "Doing fine. Just being kids."

The answer brought back the awkward tension.

The silence stretched into nothingness until they heard the water ripple.

The awkward tension gave way to something more dangerous. The least anxious of the group was Kain. When he heard the ripple, his senses honed in on it.

Contrary to his thoughts, the Source Energy was at least 30 feet out of their range. They could do nothing until it came closer.

The constant shuffling disturbed the water, ensuring that whatever it was would head directly towards them.

"Stop moving," he hissed. "It’s coming this way. Get ready."

A nervous energy spread within the group. They grabbed their weapons, ready to move if anything suspicious moved.

Paige managed to clutch the crossbow tightly in her hand. Her head was thundering in her ears. This was her first time out. She had no idea what to expect.

The eerie stillness made her hand tremble. Her finger on the trigger shook. If not for the hand that held hers, she would have sent the arrow flying.

’This girl, she really is jittery,’ thought Jaylin. She was watching her from the corner of her eye. It was obvious she wanted to prove herself, yet she was shaking like a leaf.

She couldn’t help thinking that maybe Verdana was right. They took everything for granted, while others are willing to put in the effort for better treatment.

While she surveyed the surroundings, she stroked Paige’s back.

"Calm down," she whispered. "Take a deep breath."

Paige turned to look at Jaylin. She had seen her on Floor One. She was always with the couple. She remembered them. The man talked too much, and the woman didn’t talk at all.

Paige’s eyes met Jaylin’s. She could feel the warmth of her hand. Her eyes radiated a softness that made Paige feel warm all over.

Suddenly, she felt nervous in a way that had nothing to do with whatever was splashing around in the water.

*thwack* *clack* *bang*

The sound of spearguns and crossbows was heard.

The two women, shocked by the sudden sound, turned to see an enormous fish, possibly more than 50 feet, opening its mouth. The water was sucked in, pulling them with it.

Kain watched them panic. He felt the pull of the raft and did nothing. This was for them to deal with. He had already stated that only in a situation of life and death would he intervene.

He wanted to see what ideas they would concoct.

Jaylin didn’t think. She saw the large mouth and used her crossbow to shoot the fish’s palate. The bow must have pierced it because the suction stopped, and the fish closed its mouth.

The group cheered, thinking they were lucky enough to scare off the fish when they saw it begin to sink. But their joy turned to horror when they saw the giant tail curve, sending a mass of water in their direction.

It created a wave, picking them up and creating the illusion of turbulent seas. They held on with all their might.

Jayling turned to Kain. He held on the raft like the rest of them, but the glee on his face was out of place. While they were panicking from sheer terror, he looked like a child riding his favourite ride.

Noticing her, Kain’s smile didn’t diminish; it grew. Save yourselves, he mouthed. She turned away from him, horrified.

She was caught between a crazy man and a giant fish.

Kain, on the other hand, was sincerely enjoying the ride. The moment they attacked the fish, he was ready for the chaos. He hadn’t intended for Jaylin to see him. Even his ’save yourselves’ comment was a spur-of-the-moment idea.

He had no intention of stepping in. He wanted to see their drive, their determination to live. He wanted the strongest people on his team. He needed people who were willing to risk everything.

So though he was enjoying this, he was also scouting. He watched and waited.

Jaylin whispered to Paige, and he heard it. "I think we’re on our own."

Jaylin watched the situation. The fish was on their left, ready to turn and churn up another set of waves to knock them off the raft. She saw the gills open, and an idea struck her.

’Gills!’ she thought, ’If they damage the gills, they might be able to get out of this.’

"Shoot the gills!" Jaylin shouted.

Whether it was out of a desperate need to live or a sudden hive mind, everyone heard Jaylin shout and immediately aimed for the gills. One lucky harpoon lodged itself there.

It thrashes wildly, and they tense. Jaylin once again gave the order. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. Her mind was racing at high speed, thinking of a solution.

"Hold the rope. It’s about to take us for a ride."

Working together, they managed to keep themselves afloat, but now they were being dragged. She watched them gritting their teeth, unable to manage.

She turned to Kain, who raised an eyebrow at her. His eyes were filled with anticipation. He was waiting for something. But what? She stared at him for some kind of hint. A secret code...something...anything.

Then she saw it. His eyes drifted from her to the rope to the fish.

It didn’t take long for her to realize what he was thinking. She looked from the rope to the fish. She took a deep breath.

"Hold it steady," she said.

She didn’t give them any time as she jumped off the raft. She grabbed the rope, her body cutting through the water. She felt the sharp sting, but she paid it no heed.

This was the first time she was actively using the strength of the Awakened. All this time, she had been meditating, but never really took it to heart how strong she was until now.

Had it been any other time, even jumping to grab the ropes, she would have long ended up under the raft, sinking in despair.

Now she could cling to the ropes and even move. She smiled and kept moving. She needed to do this before they were dragged too far.

It took some time, but she got close enough. She was tired, panting, but her eyes were glowing. She looked at the harpoon stuck in the gill and back at the people holding the line steady.

She had nothing but her hands, and that’s just what she used. She punched at the section of cartilage the harpoon was stuck in.

The wails of the fish were deafening, but she didn’t stop. One, two, three, each punch was her determination. And that determination paid off.

Blood gushed from the wound. She waited for a moment of slack to push the harpoon even deeper into the wound. The blood sprayed, causing the dark blood to spill into the water.

But the fish wasn’t dead. It thrashed more violently than before. Jaylin had to keep hitting it. Punching until it bled out completely. The fish went from erratic to weak and barely flopping.

Finally, it turned on its side and died.

Jaylin flopped onto the fish. There was no grace in it, only the pride of a job well done.