Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 1219: Overturning Rivers and Seas

Chapter 1219: Chapter 1219: Overturning Rivers and Seas

The giant black fish seemed to realize they were up against a formidable opponent, as they didn’t rush into action but kept swimming around, continuing to look for opportunities.

Gu Fan watched as these giant black fish swam back and forth, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. His heart rate involuntarily quickened, he swallowed hard, and gripped the wooden spike in his hand tightly.

Suddenly, the giant black fish began to swim faster and faster, gradually churning up the currents, causing Gu Fan and his companions’ boat to start becoming unstable, making it difficult for them to maintain their footing.

Su Hui clung to the edge, trying to aim her crossbow at the giant black fish, but it was extremely difficult since they kept most of their bodies submerged, making it impossible for Su Hui to aim at their hearts while they were swiftly moving.

The giant black fish were cunning; using their speed, they occasionally struck the boat, and sometimes two of them collided with the boat simultaneously, causing it to spin in place and sending its occupants into panic.

One giant black fish’s strength was not enough to capsize a boat carrying eight people, but three of them, working together, charged and forcefully flipped one over.

The eight people on the boat fell into the water, desperately splashing and crying out for help.

The people nearby wanted to help, but could only watch helplessly as those who fell in were dragged underwater one by one, followed by copious amounts of blood surfacing, and even severed limbs.

If this continued, they would all be annihilated here. Gu Fan shouted, "Don’t you have any electric weapons or even fishing nets?"

Unexpectedly, both the Lightning and Flame Mercenary Corps were unprepared, leaving Gu Fan speechless. They hadn’t thought about heading to the River of Survival, let alone dealing with a crisis from the river. It was even more baffling that these two mercenary corps were so ill-prepared; could they even be considered professional?

With no other option, they had to resort to their ultimate trick. The Lightning and Flame Mercenary Corps took out a type of small bomb, then targeted the approaching giant black fish and tossed them in.

With a loud explosion, these bombs weren’t very powerful, but they were enough to disorient the giant black fish for a while, with some even getting injured.

As these bombs dropped one after another, there was no longer any place for the giant black fish to stand underwater, scattering them chaotically.

However, Gu Fan reminded, "Even though these bloodsucking black fish are injured, they will definitely recover. If we cannot deliver a fatal blow, they will eventually come back."

"We already know that!" both mercenary groups replied confidently, because although the bombs were not very potent, they contained many small wooden spikes that, upon exploding in the water, scattered and were highly likely to strike the heart of a giant black fish.

One by one, the bodies of the bloodsucking giant black fish surfaced, lifeless, their skins slowly turning to ashen gray.

"We did it," Lu Yi exclaimed, both shocked and delighted, then suddenly thought of something crucial and immediately demanded, "What is this? Such powerful weapons, why didn’t you use them earlier?"

The Lightning and Flame Mercenary Corps did not respond to this question, their expressions grave as they stared in the direction of the forest, as if worried about something.

Regarding this, Gu Fan explained, "They were originally on a secret mission. Bombs create such a loud disturbance; they would not use them unless absolutely necessary."

Lu Yi finally understood, then noticed everyone was counting heads. The Hunter’s Guild had lost one member, and the rest were from the two mercenary groups.

There was not much to count on Gu Fan’s side. He, Lu Yi, Lin Xi, Su Hui, and Ouyang Jin were all present, a quick glance confirmed no one was missing.

The faint sounds of gunfire could be heard nearby, making everyone’s hearts pound; it was uncertain how many from the numerous mercenary groups would return.

A member of the Lightning Mercenary Corps said, "This time, the countries surrounding the Dark Primitive Mountain have resolved to eliminate this threat. The mercenaries are just the preamble; the real troops are still behind. Once they clear out the Dark Primitive Mountains, the next target will be..."

Hearing this, Gu Fan’s heart sank, "Could the next target be Dark City?"

Lin Xi agreed, "Clearing the monsters from the Dark Primitive Mountains would indeed make the path to Dark City unobstructed, inadvertently aiding in its expansion. Who would do such a thing unless it was orchestrated by Organization X? But that seems unlikely, how could the neighboring countries allow Dark City to continue existing?"

Gu Fan furrowed his brow, "Strange, there are five countries around the Dark Primitive Mountains. Why would they come to a consensus so quickly, hire mercenaries, and then deploy the main army?"

Lin Xi’s eyes also flashed with confusion, "Yes, from the attacks on several towns to taking action by hiring mercenaries and mobilizing the main army, everything happened too quickly."

"Indeed," Gu Fan felt a conspiracy unfolding, "Unless the five surrounding countries had already planned to act against the Dark Primitive Mountains and Dark City, which is why they could mobilize the main forces so quickly."

A member from the same boat in the Lightning Mercenary Corps spoke up, "A long time ago, an army of over a thousand attempted to take down Dark City but were completely annihilated by the Dark Primitive Mountains, and since then, no one has dared to consider attacking Dark City."

Gu Fan nodded, "Correct. Although the dangers of the Dark Primitive Mountains make access to Dark City difficult, in fact, it also serves as a protective barrier. If I were Organization X, I would definitely hope this barrier continues to exist."

"To conquer Dark City, we must first take down the Dark Primitive Mountains. Organization X will definitely not stand by and watch the Dark Primitive Mountains fall; they will take action," Lin Xi looked into the forest, her heartbeat accelerating with excitement.

"If Organization X launches a large-scale operation, then the defense of Dark City will definitely weaken, and we might even pass through safely via the River of Survival," Gu Fan quickly sent his suggestion around. The operation was just beginning, and he believed Organization X had not yet made their move. Once they approached Dark City, they must carefully hide their tracks. The key to success or failure might well lie in the latter half."

Although members of the Lightning and Flame Mercenary Corps felt Gu Fan made a lot of sense, they were somewhat annoyed to be led by a young boy.

Irina, having interacted with Gu Fan multiple times, knew their capabilities and thus didn’t make an issue of it. As long as they could safely reach their destination, she was content to listen.

At that moment, Gu Fan was thinking about another matter, wondering who disliked Organization X so much and had the capability to organize such a large-scale offensive. Whomever it was, as long as they united against Organization X, Gu Fan welcomed them. But for some reason, he had a bad feeling that the person behind the scenes might pose a greater threat than Organization X itself.

"I hope I’m overthinking this." Gu Fan checked the time; there were still five hours until dark. That was when the real test would begin.