Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 693: I’m Back Again

Chapter 693: Chapter 693: I’m Back Again

"Finally, they were back up. Gu Fan stood and looked around, it indeed looked like the previous secret base they had visited. He said, "It seems we have found the place."

Upon hearing this, everyone sighed in relief. It had been a long and arduous journey indeed.

However, Lu Yi warned, "Don’t celebrate too soon, this place could be even more dangerous than outside... hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?"

Jie, Xu Haowen, and Gu Fan lifted Lu Yi together, and called out, "Everyone, help us throw this doomsayer into the sea."

"Wait, wait, can’t I just keep my mouth shut?" Lu Yi begged for mercy, an ’I-know-I’m-wrong’ expression on his face. Only then did everyone let him down.

It was at this moment that Lu Yi realized, sometimes, allies can be scarier than enemies.

They then took a headcount. Only Gu Fan, Lin Xi, Lu Yi, Xu Haowen, Jie and Hai remained. The others had either been taken by the mermaids or swallowed by those monsters. Every step thus far had been filled with danger.

"Alright, everyone, be careful, Lisa is certainly still here." Having said that, Gu Fan reached for his weapon only to discover that his stun rod had fallen into the sea.

Hai only had a dagger left. The thought of fighting the Wandering Sea Ghosts with it was hardly comforting.

Xu Haowen expressed his concern, "What should we do now? Although we have found this place, others don’t know this and can’t assist us. Plus, we can’t leave either."

Gu Fan shook his head, "Who says we can’t leave? Don’t forget how I escaped from here last time."

Hearing this, hope rekindled in everyone’s hearts. Their expressions seemed to say, ’we are relying on you, Gu Fan’.

Gu Fan wasn’t too fond of being entrusted with high expectations, the pressure was simply too immense. But he had to shoulder it nonetheless, to lead the group forward.

The secret base was expansive, and Gu Fan had no idea where he was, or where the large wooden ship was docked. All he felt was a throbbing headache from the lack of direction.

So, Lu Yi suggested, "How about we find someone here to ask for directions?"

"Good idea. If you are not afraid of having your Qi sucked by the Wandering Sea Ghosts, you are welcome to try. We won’t stop you." Everyone agreed in unison while Lu Yi immediately backtracked. He had never considered himself capable.

Gu Fan began to ponder. The exterior door had been sealed shut, likely Lisa’s doing, but why? If Lisa didn’t want them to get here, she could have simply controlled the island and prevented it from surfacing. Why seal the gate?

"Unless, Lisa pushed us to go under the sea..." Only then, Gu Fan realised why they hadn’t encountered the mermaids before, but had gotten attacked by them immediately during their first dive.

A chill ran down Gu Fan’s spine. He realized that he had fallen into a trap meticulously planned by Lisa. His expression turned extremely unpleasant.

Lin Xi quickly probed further about Gu Fan’s conjecture, "When Su Hui, Lisa, and I escaped, I saw many statues under the island. Lisa must have guessed that I saw these things."

"So what?" everyone looked puzzled. What was the connection?

Gu Fan proceeded to explain, "Lisa knew that we could steer the island. It was hard to shake us off her trail. She was also aware that you all would follow me, so she took full advantage of that."

However, everyone shook their heads, still unable to understand.

Gu Fan’s expression grew anxious, "If I were Lisa, I would want to get rid of you all. But the Wandering Sea Ghosts have suffered too many casualties and can no longer pose a threat to you. You are in the majority, and once you land on the island, the Sea Ghosts stand no chance on land."

Jie suggested, "You mentioned earlier that this island can be controlled by Lisa. So, couldn’t Lisa have just kept the island submerged?"

Gu Fan shook his head, "If it stays submerged for too long, the Sea Ghosts will run out of Qi. That would be even worse."

Lin Xi was the first to understand, "Gu Fan, are you saying that after sealing the door, Lisa made the island resurface, thwarting our plan to gain access to the secret base from above and forcing us to dive underwater in search of a new entrance?"

Gu Fan nodded gravely, "I saw numerous structures beneath the island. I also escaped via a large wooden ship under the island. I would definitely think of diving underwater to search for a new entrance. But as everyone will follow me, all these are within Lisa’s calculations."

When they heard this, everyone finally understood. It was indeed a trap set by Lisa. No wonder they had been tailing the island for days without encountering anything, only to face the mermaids during their first dive. It seemed that Lisa had summoned them.

Lin Xi’s brows furrowed, "Lisa plans to defend this island, keep us away, eliminate us, and replenish her Qi at the same time. Her plan indeed solves all these issues."

"So, now I’m worried that those who were previously captured by the mermaids might have fallen into Lisa’s hands. She might be inhaling loads of Qi even at this moment." Gu Fan’s heart rate quickened as he spoke, a sense of fear washing over him.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yi remarked, "Women are really manipulative. This is way too ruthless."

Lin Xi was not pleased with this comment and shot Lu Yi an irritated look. Lu Yi took the hint and quickly covered his mouth.

Xu Haowen looked around, worry etched on his face, "Now that we know it’s a trap, what should we do? Is it going to be dangerous?"

"While Lisa can anticipate my actions, she couldn’t have expected us to escape the mermaids. I didn’t even expect to find this place. Lisa certainly couldn’t have predicted that, which means we are safe for now." After a moment’s thought, Gu Fan added, "This place is huge, and there are fewer than ten Wandering Sea Ghosts left. It’s unlikely that they’ll find us. We just need to be cautious."

"That’s correct. Lisa definitely has no idea that we’re here, which means the current situation is in our favor." Lin Xi’s words meant to boost morale, but judging from everyone’s lackluster expressions, they knew the situation was dire.

"Alright, regardless, let’s first find where the large wooden ship is docked, then..." Gu Fan had yet to finish his sentence when a bout of dizziness hit him and he almost fell.

Lin Xi caught Gu Fan just in time, his face pale and his breath shallow, as though the majority of his life force had been sapped away. Lin Xi remembered what Su Hui had told her before. Her heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation.