No More Fishing

Even in such a dire situation, Finnley managed to command everyone telling them whose turn it was to use a bomb. After Fionn, Jin used one, then Amelka. Every time someone uses a bomb, we prayed for the croak below not to detect it. They even placed it in the ground like how you would put a newborn on its cradle.

The answer I came up with for the question in mind is simple. It's because we are hiding behind a smoke of poison gas and they couldn't "fight" us without getting killed or intoxicated by the poison

So, when Finnley looked at me, pointed at the bomb on the ground then at his left wrist. I shook my head in response.

Confused, Finnley mouthed the word 'why?' without making a sound.

I could see that the confusion also infected everyone like a virus. Looking at me with both a baffled and curious expression.

Since we do not know how loud we could be until the croak deep in the sand could detect us, we communicated with the same random sign language as we did in the second wave. This time including Finnley.

Showing the palm of my hand, I try to tell them to wait for me to process how to tell them what I think. Then, I mouthed the word 'I' while pointing at myself.

I could see some of them also point at me with their index fingers. I nod while repeatedly mouthing, "Yes, me."

Finnley waved his hand. Circling from front to back. I understood that he asks me to proceed.

My hand is now pointed at my head while I mouthed the word 'idea' a couple of times.

With a loud whisper, Urick said, "What's the plan?"

As if a concerted gesture, Siti, Aran, Finnley, myself, and even Amelka turned to Urick, and placed our index fingers in front of our mouths combined with the widening of our eyes. Though, I didn't see a change in Amelka's expression.

With the "no sound", yet loud "shut up!" from us, Urick had an embarrassed smile as he scratch the back of his head.

Then, he mouthed the same words, "What's the plan?", this time not making a sound.

In response, I pointed at the poison gas bomb on the ground. Then, I formed an "x" with my index fingers. And mouthed the words, "Don't use." As well as shaking my head.

Though they understood what I was saying, they became more confused. I guess they wanted to know the reason why I'm telling them not to use a poison gas bomb.

Incapable of speaking, I saw Urick asked a lot of questions and said some profanities without making a sound. All that I understood is him saying, "Why?" and "We dead".

Trying to explain again, I formed the same cross with my fingers, pointed at the bomb, and mouthed, "No bomb." Then, I pointed below and formed the same cross, "No croak below."

Finnley immediately understood what I'm trying to say. The others didn't also take long to understand where I'm getting at.

"You sure?" Finnley mouthed.

"No."

The active bomb on the ground is nearing its end. Finnley looked at us one by one. "Vote," he said. Then he pointed at me and mouthed, "Agreed" while doing a gesture of raising his hand.

Everyone agreed and nods. Finnley counted down using his fingers.

The vote happened. Jin and Amelka raised their hand. We waited a few seconds, but aside from them, no one else raised their hand.

Following the decision of the group, I used a poison gas bomb and placed it on the ground as carefully as I could when Finnley told me to.

Standing still on the deep sand while focusing on the movement of the monster below made everyone more tense and exhausted. Sweat kept pouring everywhere on my face. My eyes felt tired and are closing by themselves. It came to a point where I couldn't feel my legs.

I should've stayed lying on the ground, I thought. But, I know that the danger outweighs the comfort of lying on the ground. If I get detected, my chances of dodging became slim to none.

The sweat and exhaustion is also obvious when I looked at the others. Are we just going to wait it out?

As the bomb that I used is about to expire, Finnley looked at Amelka. He told her in whatever manner he could, to use a bomb when he signals.

A sudden and more audible noise of the moving sand from below alerted us. We focused like we were not even tired.

The croak started to attack. It missed Finnley by a few inches on the right. I saw him fall a bit to the ditch made by the croak.

Finnley's breathing became heavy and his eyes blinked faster as he balanced himself. Thankfully, he manages to calm himself and his breathing in seconds.

Then, like we didn't expect, the croak began to attack again. This time, the monster missed everyone. And is not even close.

Nervous, we heightened our focus trying to hear the monster before it attacks and hit one of us who was unlucky.

While we wait for the attack, we all heard another thud followed by a scream that stopped only after a second. It came from another group of players. No one looked at them. We already witnessed the same thing happen earlier, and our focus lies on not being in the same situation as those poor souls.

Luckily, the croak missed us again.

This happened a few more times before Amelka's turn to use a poison gas bomb. But before she use it, she looked at me, then turned to Finnley.

Still looking at Finnley, Amelka pointed at me and mouthed the word "plan." Finnley knew what she was saying. And so is everyone else.

"Vote, again," Finnley replied.

All the while, the croak still attacks us in random places.

This time, together with me, Amelka, and Jin. One by one, everyone raised their hands. It started with Fionn. After that Aran and Finnley followed suit. Still unsure, Urick also raised his hand after shaking his head. While a grim expression stayed on Siti's face as she raised hers after seeing everyone do so.

Again, I could understand their reaction. It's a crazy decision after all. Even crazier if you do not know what's the reasoning behind it. They must have trust in me and maybe they are also wearied by all that happened.

With the vote, it has been decided. Once the current gas bomb went out, we won't use another and fight against the croaks without cover. I hope that my deduction is correct.

While still covered by the gas, I pulled out a silver bomb which is not set. I clicked the blue button and picked "timer" on the screen that appeared. I am unsure but, I set it to ten seconds. Unlike the poison gas which changes to the color purple, when the timer is picked the bomb didn't change its color.

Like a wave, everyone did the same when they saw it. We also gripped our combat knives harder.

Slowly, the poison gas dissipates. Revealing us for the monstrous croaks to prey upon. And when not even a trace of it remains, I could hear Siti's breathing become louder. We tried to calm her down, as the worried expression on our faces became more apparent while still stagnant and trying not to make any sound.

We braced for what was about to come. A minute later, the sound of the moving sand from below vanished.

"What do we do?!? Urick said.

Some of us tried to shush him again with our index fingers close to our mouths.

Even with Urick's loud voice, we didn't hear the croak everyone expected to come from below.

Instead, the croaks that are submerged in the sand and are roaming around our vicinity showing only their webbed dorsal fins began to swim in a pattern. With ease, they formed a circle surrounding and entrapping us.

"Wha-what's happening, Gray?" Aran asked.

I didn't expect something like this to happen. "I don't know," I said.

"Bro... Ain't this part of your plan?"

Realizing that we are already having a conversation yet didn't feel anything moving below us, Finnley replied to what Urick said.

"They're not doing anything yet. I think we might be on to something."

"We're trapped! That's what we are on!" Siti said aloud.

Amelka looked at her, "Don't shout," She said. Siti glared at her. But didn't say anything else after.

The croaks continue to swim in a circular pattern. We are the only ones who decided to stop hiding behind an area of poison gas. The other groups still maintained theirs.

"Dude, they doing a ritual or some shady shit."

On the surface, what Urick said might be true.

Finnley walked to me, "Gray, what's your idea?" he asked.

With the given time, I managed to tell them my thoughts in the clearest and briefest way I could. Including the fact about their description which says that they are "prideful warriors."

"So you're saying that... all of them won't attack us?" Jin asked.

I nodded, "That's right. Like how they didn't attack you when you were already on the ground earlier. And like how only one of them jumps when someone is sent flying to the sky."

Finnley nods, "I see," he said, "then, I guess we have to fight."

He said those words with great fear and nervousness in his expression.

Hearing what Finnley said, I gulped.

"Right."

And Urick who just realized what we meant couldn't stop himself from swearing.

"Oh shi-"

But, he was interrupted by Jin who saw croaks emerging from the sand.