บท 48: 48. The Bamboo Mat Monster

As everyone sank into their own confusion, Andi, positioned at the far end of the boat, grew unsettled by a sound. It was like something creeping across the water's surface.

At first, he tried to ignore it, assuming it was just a figment of his own fear. But the sound grew louder, closing in, as if purposefully following their boat. He turned his head, tense, his eyes widening as he finally caught a glimpse of something only a few feet away.

"A bamboo mat monster?!" he thought, stunned.

He barely had a moment to process his shock. The creature—a huge, ancient fish resembling a stingray but covered in bamboo-patterned scales that made it look like a floating mat from a distance—lunged at him in an instant, wrapping itself tightly around him.

Andi couldn't scream or even gasp for air as the creature crushed him. It was so forceful that within seconds, he heard the snapping of his own bones. A strange heat engulfed his body as two sharp fangs emerged between rows of razor-sharp teeth, piercing into the crown of his head, draining his blood and brain as though savoring a refreshing drink.

Dark red mixed into the clear water as Andi's blood poured from his mouth and ears, washing away into the river as his body was dragged beneath the surface, straight into a whirlpool that appeared and vanished in an instant, pulling him down to the cold, dark depths below.

Splash!

"What was that sound?!"

Everyone jumped and spun around. Zacky, the closest to the noise, screamed in fear when he saw a spreading pool of blood blending with the river's clear water. "Blood! Blood!"

The others rushed over to him, peering into the water, their faces turning as pale as Zacky's.

"Damn! What the hell is this?!" Gavin blurted, startled.

Trisha, standing nearby, looked unsettled. She quickly realized something was wrong when she noticed one of her men was missing from the boat. "Where's Andi?!" she demanded, fixing Juna and Zacky with a sharp look. They instantly realized one of their group was gone.

The two men shook their heads in unison. "I don't know, Boss!" the bald man stammered in fear.

"Idiot! Weren't you right next to him this whole time?!" Trisha barked, furious.

The bald man shook his head again. "I... I was busy watching the Spiny Softshell Turtles! I had no idea what happened to Andi," Zacky stammered, intimidated.

Trisha raked her hands through her hair, frustrated.

"Did you hear any strange sounds before this?" Prince Arkana asked.

"No, I only heard the splash we all heard," Zacky replied.

Gavin furrowed his brow, thinking he'd missed something. "Hey, didn't your guy say something strange earlier?" he asked Trisha. "I think he mentioned seeing something floating in the distance."

"A bamboo mat! He did mention that to me!" Zacky exclaimed, suddenly recalling what Andi had whispered to him earlier.

Casildo quickly shot down the idea, clearly skeptical. "Baldy, are you serious? How could there be a mat out here? You think this is a picnic spot?!"

"I'm not lying! He actually told me that!" Zacky protested sincerely.

"Wait, did you say 'bamboo mat'?" Baron, who had been lost in thought, finally spoke up. Zacky nodded firmly.

Seeing his response, the young man with glasses spoke with certainty, "I get it now! That's the spirit of Lulun Samak!"

"Lulun Samak?" Casildo asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Haven't any of you heard of it?" Baron asked, looking around at the confused faces. "In some places, Lulun Samak goes by other names—Leled Samak, Gulung Samak, and more, all meaning 'bamboo mat roller.' It's an urban legend spirit that appears in rivers, not tied to one location."

"This spirit usually appears around rivers, resembling an ancient, flat fish with scales patterned like bamboo. From a distance, people often mistake it for a floating mat," Baron explained. "It can also disguise itself as a spiny softshell turtle, like the ones we saw earlier—"

"Save the explanation! Can't we focus on saving my crew's life first?!" Trisha cut him off, her voice sharp.

Baron replied flatly, "After seeing all that blood in the water, what are the odds he's still alive?" His words stopped her cold.

Gavin added, "I read an article about this spirit. From what I know, it drains its victims dry, wraps them up, and drags them to the riverbed, where it has a whirlpool den."

Casildo turned to Arkana, clearly bewildered. "Uh, Bro, have you heard of this creature? Because I sure haven't," he said.

Prince Arkana, who had been silently observing Baron and Gavin's explanation, finally spoke up. "My grandfather once told me about meeting a Depths Abomination that resembled an ancient fish and often dragged its prey to the riverbed." He shook his head, uncertain. "But I'm not sure if it's the same creature Baron and Gavin mean..."

"It's probably the same type, Prince," Gavin replied.

"As far as we know, even though other river spirits also pull victims under—like Antu Banyu from across the island, which drains bone marrow and drags people to the riverbed—those creatures are still different species. Lulun Samak is the only water spirit we know of that resembles an ancient fish," he concluded.

"So, let's say your theory is right. Then, do you know where this monster's den is?" Arkana asked.

"Bro, don't tell me you're planning to fight that ancient fish monster?!" Casildo protested, sounding alarmed.

The young prince simply answered, after a brief pause, "If we want another way to reach the second terrace, we'll have to find its den."

"Why?" Casildo asked, still confused.

Arkana looked at his friend seriously. "Because it's no coincidence there's a Depths Abomination here," he replied.

Baron added, "Prince, if we're looking for its den, we should search for a whirlpool around here. Since Lulun Samak drags its prey to the riverbed, there should be a hole beneath a whirlpool that it uses as its lair."

"But we haven't seen any whirlpools around here," Casildo objected quickly.

"Maybe the whirlpool only appears when Lulun Samak surfaces to hunt," Baron replied.

The burly man thought for a moment, then sighed, "So, we have to use someone as bait to lure it out?" he asked, looking around uncertainly. "But who's going to do it?"

Casildo scanned the others for answers, but to his dismay, everyone turned to look at him, clearly thinking the same thing. He scowled, already guessing the scheme in their heads.

"Damn it! Why are you all looking at me?!"

"Because you've got the thickest skull here," Prince Arkana replied with a deadpan expression.

Casildo gasped, indignant. "Bro, you seriously want to use me as bait?" he protested, looking betrayed. "I thought we had a special friendship!"

Arkana just smirked and patted his friend's shoulder calmly. "Don't worry, my plans never fail."