Thank You, Brother

Jin, the colossal, was launched almost fifty meters into the air. We looked at him dumbfounded. No one heard a hissing sound and no one expected an explosion to occur without hearing it first.

Jin, still in the air, manages to twist his body trying to land on his foot. With the kind of body he has, I thought he won't be able to do it, but, he is flexible, almost elastic.

He managed to cling to his combat knife in one hand and clenched something in the other while he is still falling midair. Then, a croak swimming under the deep sand only showing the fin on its back, jumped out of it like a giant trevally trying to catch its prey.

With perfect timing and angle, the croak opened its long crocodile snout trying to bite Jin's head.

"Look out!" I shouted.

Even without my warning, it seems like Jin already knew what was coming. I didn't notice that green poison gas already seeps out of his hand. Though his falling motion hinders the poison gas from protecting him.

We watched with nervous anticipation.

Jin waited for the croak's snout to be close. Then, he threw the poison gas bomb inside the croak's mouth. It made the monster a bit baffled and disturbed by its poison which gave Jin enough space and time to wrap the long snout of the croak around his arm. Giving it a bear hug. Then, he used the croak's body to serve as a cushion thinking it might lessen his incoming injury.

The contact of their bodies swayed Jin's landing direction away from us and the area of the poison gas. Though it was not that far away. With Finnley's quick thinking and not knowing whether the bomb Jin threw in the croak's mouth would be enough or not, as a support he threw a poison gas bomb on the area Jin will land.

Everything unfolded in mere seconds.

We heard a loud thud in the area where Jin and the croak fell. They were masked by the sand who splattered and danced in the air due to their fall.

Without us noticing, the other croaks are already on their way to Jin. But, to our surprise, they just stared and backed away when the poison gas bomb Finnley threw began to expand its reach.

"Bro, we gotta save him! He must've broken everything in his body, he'll die."

As Urick said, a fall from that height is lethal. Especially if you are Jin who must be seven feet tall and above a hundred kilograms. We should check him.

"Are you people stupid? He is dead. Let's stay here and wait this out," Siti said.

"Aren't you just complaining earlier?" I whispered.

Siti glared at me, "Then go save him and die, you virgin bastard," she said.

I ignored her, but Amelka was the one who replied to her taunt, "Then, stay here and don't follow us," she said with her expressionless face.

What Amelka said made Siti even pissed and also glared at her. But she couldn't say anything back to what she said.

Feeling that Amelka stood out for me, I tried my hardest not to get swayed by my impulsive thoughts of adding firewood to the flame by laughing at Siti.

It didn't take long for me to think of a simple solution.

"Let's throw poison gas bombs and make a path toward him," I said.

Jin is not even that further away from us. Two bombs would be enough to go to him.

Finlley nodded. Aside from Siti's remark, no one said anything against going to Jin. Even Fionn complied without any complaints.

Explosions that are caused by the burst of air still occur. But what was that explosion earlier? We didn't manage to discuss it since we are thinking about Jin and is on the way to help or save him.

After less than half a minute, the poison gas path we made manifested. We ran towards Jin hoping he survived the fall and that using the croaks body actually lessen his injury. Even Siti came with us. She must be afraid of being alone against those croaks. But, on the way, another bang happened without a warning. It almost hit Siti which made her squeal and shouted hundreds of bad words.

Again, we didn't see what it was.

We approached with great caution and saw Jin atop the croak's body. The croak has a few knife holes where a green liquid flows out. I guess it is the monster's blood. It was lifeless. Jin managed to slay that monster in midair.

"Jin?" Aran said in a soft voice.

Urick ran passed us and went directly to him. We watched as he checked Jin's breathing and pulse, Urick gave us a thumbs up informing us that Jin has both of them.

Then, Urick inspected his body to see his broken arms, leg, and probably a damaged spine. He might even suffer some internal injuries. Without second thoughts, Urick pulled out his first aid pill that Jin "returned" to him and used it again on him.

Seeing his quick action made me think that what he said about being a detective might be really true. Noticing everyone's reaction, I guess they think the same.

When I think about looking at us from an outside perspective, I couldn't imagine how silly our situation appears. Being inside a poison gas area waiting for a healing comrade, while moving back and forth avoiding the hissing sound that is about to cause an explosion. And a few times, the explosion that didn't give any warning happened. Luckily, no one was hit again after Jin.

No one expected it but, the thundering noises returned. The croaks stopped moving and stared at the tower. Even the ones swimming in the sand decided to go up to stand on it and look at the tower.

We waited for the gust of wind that we know will come. But after a minute of not coming, everyone felt a little sigh of relief. It seems like they're giving the players a little break.

It didn't take long for the pill to work its magic on Jin and for him to wake up. He gasped as he sat up all of a sudden, then breathed heavily as he touched everywhere in his body.

"I... I'm alive?"

Finnley tapped him on the shoulder and smiled. "Welcome back," he said.

"But how?" Jin paused and realized that someone must've used their pill to heal him.

"Who saved me?"

"It was Urick," Aran said.

Hearing that it was Urick who used his first aid pill to save him again, Jin looked at him. But before he could say anything, Urick spoke.

"Dude, don't get cheesy. Everyone's willing to do it"- he paused, then looked at Fionn and Siti- "well... I guess most of us are," he continued

Jin stood up, and with a smile on his face, he approached Urick and went for a hug.

"Thank you, brother."

Urick was about to dodge him but couldn't. He smiled and just went for the hug after hearing Jin's gratitude.

"Bro, you got a lot of debts now."

Jin chuckled and let go of Urick. Still looking at him with a smile, "I know. I owe you again," he said.

Curious about what caused those explosions that came without a hissing sound first, I asked Jin, "What happened?".

He told us that he is also unsure. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Thanks to his reaction speed that he trained every day, he managed to survive. But even his trained body couldn't tell what sent him flying.

Jin looked around, "The hissing stopped again?" he asked. I guess he just realized it.

"Yes, the tower activated when you were still unconscious. It made the hissing sounds and explosions stop, but, the gust of wind didn't arrive yet," Aran said.

It has been minutes since the activation of the tower. We decided to stop and rest after the last poison gas was extinguished. We haven't used another one since we thought that it would be a waste. And we are a distance away from the croaks who walked a bit and stared at the tower. We have enough time to use one when they began to move again.

Out of nowhere, Fionn spoke, "Should we attack them?" he said.

Most of us disagreed since we were not sure whether they will move if attacked or not. Considering that we have no clue, it's a huge gamble with us betting our lives.

The two players from Siti's previous group did the same. It seems like they are observing us thinking that we know what we're doing.

As I was still curious about what sent Jin flying, I tried to deduce it as much as I could while we rest. Knowing what it is might give us good leverage when the ordeal begins again.

Trying to know a bit more I asked Jin about his injuries. Whether he received all of them when he fell and hit the ground.

"No," he said. "When I was sent flying, I already feel my leg hurt. I think the explosion fractured it."

Everyone listens as they sat on the sand. Amelka is just observing and staying quiet. Fionn seems to do the same. On the other hand, Amelka must've shut Siti up for good since she just listens as well.

"Did it feel like being hit by a burst of air?" Finnley asked.

Jin tilted his head, "I haven't been hit by a burst of air that strong so I couldn't tell."

'What could it be?' I asked myself.

"Ah. I think I felt something solid hit my leg."

Hearing Jin said that it is something solid, something clicked in my head and I have a culprit in mind. When you think about it, it's pretty obvious.

But before I could say my thoughts, the sound of the gust of wind reached us. The moment Finnley heard its howl, he gave his command.

"Ready your knives! Don't use a gas bomb yet."