The Eleventh Night - Part 4 - How Can I Repay You?

They didn't hear Renir as the Pentafive was panicking what to do.

When they saved Renir for the first time, they exhausted their energies to accomplish that, and now, they have to do it again without energy!

How will they do that?

What if the Water Sentinel comes back now, sensing Renir on the water?

"Should we eat our chylefruits then just repeat what we did earlier?"

"But, we only have five chylefruit bits."

"No, it's fine, we now know that we could catch the water creatures without a spear or a fishing pole."

"Alright, let's take one now immediately, we can't be late."

They all decided as quickly as possible.

"Umm, guys. I'm already here.", Renir waved his hand trying to get their attention while having the jacket, wrinkled after he dried it.

The jacket was a bit big even for Renir and he was comfortable with it. Even without his trusty underwear, it would not be a problem, but still, it was better if he has.

"Eh?", Hanzee, who was in the opposite of Renir, looked at him.

When their eyes locked to each other, Renir waved again with a confused smile. He didn't know what was happening.

"What is it, Hanzee?", Veronia asked while she took a piece of chylefruit from her belly bag.

"How did you get here?!", Hanzee ran and looked out the window. Looking if this was a ghost he was looking at while Renir's body afloat on the flood.

Because for him, there was no way a human could swim that fast, let alone the water creatures as obstacles!

"Eh? I entered by the entrance downstairs...", Renir had his eyebrows furrowed.

'Maybe he's a fast swimmer...?', Hanzee thought.

Yes, Renir is definitely a fast swimmer.

"You... you really had us worried...", Sceke dropped on the soiled chair with sweat on his face.

"How?", Renir tilted his head.

"What do you mean how?", Old Ze's white thick beard shuddered, "The flood is full of water creatures such as drainers which would stick its mouth to you and continuously sip your blood and the scrapers which, by its name, scrape your skin until you bleed to death. It was a good thing you got lucky and didn't encounter any of them."

The old man said with a harsh voice to scare Renir. Because not only he but the rest of them thought that Renir was a man who has no knowledge about what the water creatures were since he was new to the world of Gantlet.

"So they are called drainers and scrapers...", Renir thought it made sense for such names to be called to those foul water creatures.

"Yeah... and unlucky for you to meet the Water Sentinel, the boss sort of these water creatures.", Veronia shook her head, she wanted to scold Renir for acting recklessly, "Just from saving you from these water creatures, we've used four chylefruits."

But her words brought an unaccounted outcome: It made Renir guilty, "Ugh!", he reacted while thinking, 'They used four chylefruits just to save me...'

He could make up for it if only there were any more chylefruits in the woodland, but even the woodland was gone and flood on top of it. How could he make up for it?

Chylefruits are the only source of energy in Gantlet....

'No...', Renir thought of an idea.

When Veronia saw Renir's reaction and complexion after hearing her, she realized what was the meaning behind her words so she tried to correct it, "Ah, no, I didn't mean that. We still have many chylefruits to spare.", she said.

"No!", Renir replied, "I would repay you back. So are water creatures fine?", he said with little confidence.

For him, these people were veteran so they definitely can catch water creatures by themselves. So he decided he will try hard and catch as many as possible in the abyss where the sword-like water creatures were.

"No, no, you don't have t-", Veronia paused and processed thoughts on her head, "Huh?", she felt she heard something unbelievable from this kid.

"Did you just say water creatures?", Sceke looked at Renir, "You would repay us by water creatures?"

"Is it not fine?", Renir scratched his head, thinking of another way to repay them and release him from guilt.

"No, of course, water creatures are valuable. If you have any way to catch them. We are happy to help you!", Sceke smiled. It was not wrong for Renir to repay them since they did use chylefruits (bits) to save him. And it looked like the kid was on a guilt trip. He only wished Renir wasn't bluffing.

"Tsk", Veronia clicked her tongue, "Opportunist bastard."

"Shut up, sexy woman.", Sceke replied under his breath.

"How is that a retort?!", Veronia shouted back, "Or is that intentional to harass me?!"

Old Ze and Hanzee ignored the two since they were curious about what Renir would reply so they listened carefully by the cave's window.

While Ye, on the other hand, was just minding her own business, listening innocently.

"A way to catch them?", Renir didn't know to explain it so he tried in the simplest way he could since it should have been obvious in the first place, "When in the water, they will come to you, right?"

They all nodded although its dangerous to bait them in the water, nobody interrupted Renir.

"So what I do is I just simply...", Renir paused to find the right term in his head.

"Simply???", Sceke had his toes fidgeting.

Renir's eyes widened and found the right word, "Grab!"

"....grab?", Veronia's eyes squinted while Old Ze was confused. Hanzee and Sceke, on the other hand, were silent, they felt Renir was still not finished. Maybe there is a trick they don't know.

"Yes, you grab them and throw them to the ground, or in this cave, so that they won't get away!", Renir continued, "We just need a bag or some sort."

Sceke and Hanzee's eyebrows twitched when they heard Renir finished, but before they could react.

"That's dumb!", even the child Ye thought so too as she pointed her finger towards Renir.

"Eh?!", Renir was shocked!

'Did he got hit on the head or something?', Sceke thought and pitied as he declined Renir's offer, "Sorry but we can't help you with that."

"Hm? No, it's fine. I'll do it myself. It is my debt after all.", Renir said confidently.

"No, wait, that's ridiculous.", Old Ze couldn't believe what Renir was saying.

"How can you do it by yourself?!", Hanzee felt this man was out of his mind.

"No, it's easy...", Renir didn't know what to respond, 'Maybe they think I'm still weak since I got eaten by the Water Sentinel? Should I prove myself to them first?', he thought.

"Just watch me and let me show you how near here.", Renir compromised.

'He's tough...', Sceke admired Renir's bravery so he agreed, "Fine, let him be."

"What?", Veronia exclaimed.

"He's just nearby, what could go wrong?", Sceke shook his shoulder optimistically.

"Right!", Renir smiled as he walked to the window which he was stopped by Old Ze.

"Oh, not this time.", Old Ze frowned, 'Why does he want jumping from here? I could never do that!'

"Hm, okay.", Renir scratched his head while he descended down the stairs, followed by the five.

Once they arrived at the cave's entrance, Sceke pointed at the water in front of them, "Okay, show us how you do it."

What Sceke had in mind was maybe this kid, Renir had something up his sleeve like a transcendent skill since he survived until the tenth night, or he was just reckless.

Yeah, they haven't asked him what rank he currently was.

So either they will learn about Renir's power or Renir will learn not to be so reckless after this.

Sceke didn't have hesitation to let Renir risk himself, 'He needed a harsh lesson. I mean, who would think they could outswim the Water Sentinel.', that was still on his mind.

"Eh?", Renir looked at the front of them, "Just there?"

Sceke nodded, "We are just testing it so it doesn't need to be that far away."

Veronia and Old Ze just stayed silent since they realized this was reasonable.

And Renir just agreed to it. It was better for them to see him up close anyways. He will let them know how he catches water creatures since what the little girl had said to him still bothered him.

Such a simple method could never be dumb!

So he jumped into the water with a splash that made the five wipe their drenched faces.

Then he floated and said, "I'll just wait for the water creatures to sense me and they will gather in swarms.", Renir tried to explain the obvious which he felt was stupid for doing so.

He then did not wait for too long since translucent beings underneath the water shone as it reflected the moonlight could be seen not so far away. Just one second and they were already beside Renir.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea...", Veronia whispered when she saw the swarms of water creatures.

One drainer quickly slithered through the water to bite Renir then - Bogsh!* the sound of something heavy and powerful hitting the water was heard.

None of the five clearly saw what happened but they just saw in front of them...

"Just like that, you grab them.", Renir indifferently explained while a drainer was impaled by his metallic claws while his sharp teeth and also, metallic jaw revealed itselves after a single thought.

"....."

That was the moment the five shuddered when they realized this man was not on the same league as they are, they stared at him smiling with his sharp teeth shining.