It took Matthew more than ten minutes to wake everyone up, and they looked wretched. Normal drinking water wasn’t enough to wake them up, so he went for the other alternative.

He dunked a bucket in the murky water.

He didn’t throw it on them because then he would have to clean the deck. All he had to do was stir it and put it under their nose.

Anyone who wouldn’t wake up after the stirred scent, he would then send them for a quick dunk.

He was hit more than once before he learned to run after the dunking.

With the mass stink fest over, they all learned what happened. After hearing the story, their faces turned uglier than when they smell the murky waters.

There was nothing Kain could say to make them feel better. He had already decided he would teach them to meditate when they arrived. At least when they start using source energy, they won’t be as susceptible to such attacks.

As for himself, he felt disgruntled. He was disgusted. He allowed his emotions to get the better of him. A low-level mutant beast could play on his emotions and get him to forget everything.

This wasn’t the first time. He was acting as if he had never experienced the collapse before. At most, he had never been on the water like this, but that didn’t mean he didn’t experience it.

He could feel he was too relaxed. The knowledge he had made him complacent. Knowing what was coming made him feel as if he had nothing to fear. That was far from the truth.

If low-level mutants could bother him now, what would happen in the next few years? He shook his head. He couldn’t allow himself to continue like this.

"Half an hour, max," Kain shouted. "Half an hour and we can all sleep in comfortable beds. We get one night of rest, then there are some things we need to talk about. We can’t allow another incident like earlier."

He was saying this more to himself than to them. They weren’t aware of the dangers, but he was.

Their faces slumped in distress after thinking about the incident again.

"Alright, don’t make that face. No one could have predicted that. Just be on high alert. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again."

They were still some distance away, but the tall skyscraper was a sight to behold. When other buildings around them were completely submerged, this monstrosity of a building stood tall, like a beacon of hope.

Standing at more than 800 meters tall, it was a sight to behold.

All configurations are the highest commercial standard for any luxury apartment.

They were on the last stretch, ready to leave the muddy waters behind.

But the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

The building wasn’t the disappointment. In fact, the building was their saving grace. The issue was the group of swordfish and whatever they were fighting.

They drew closer, curious. The engine was turned off, and the yacht drifted not far away. They were so close to Paradise Gates that they could almost touch it.

Kain narrowed his eyes, looking at the fight happening before him.

A section of the water was dark, much more so than its usual dirty colour. The smell drifted in the air; it was blood.

He focused on the figures, trying to dodge the swordfish attack and failing. With the size of these sea creatures, there was no reason for them to continue fighting.

They tossed and turned the figures, watching them scramble from one side to the other. In Kain’s eyes, it seemed they were playing.

Whatever it was, he had no reason to sit here. He needed to get to his destination. He turned on the engine, attempting to go around the playing swordfish.

Five minutes, that’s all it took. They had already bypassed the swordfish and were heading towards their final destination when the yacht jerked.

The sudden shock of the yacht shuddering and shaking made it hard for them to keep hold. Yet, they gripped the railing tight, unwilling to fall into the brown waters.

The grip of the hold, if anyone were to see it, they would know that the team had PTSD from the stinky waters

Luckily, the firm grip kept them from falling the first time. Unluckily, the swordfish had no intention of letting them off the hook. They continued to ravage the yacht. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Using their powerful tail, they toss them about. Using their bill, they shredded the hull. The sound of crunching and scraping was jarring to the ear.

"Everybody off! Swim as fast as you can. Get to Paradise Gates!" Kain shouted

Kain fought his way to the three children. They were standing near the cabin with Amelia. They didn’t have time to argue.

"Go! I’ll take them in," he said.

She nodded. The yacht began to capsize. She released the railing, allowing her body to fall along the length of the yacht towards the others.

"Let’s go!" she shouted to the others.

For a brief moment, they looked over at Kain with the children. When they heard Amelia jump in and saw Kain nod, they had no choice but to jump in.

"Dom, I need you to protect your brother and sister. Close your eyes and count to ten. When you open them again, you’ll be in a new place. Don’t panic. This is the secret base for the three of you."

He had them close their eyes and transfer them to their rooms.

The yacht was already half sunken. He dashed forward and leapt into the water. He swam towards his team, only to see the swordfish circling them. He shot forward like a bullet.

All those days of meditation finally paid off. He stepped into level two only a few hours. It enhanced his body further and gave him command over the elements.

Though he could only use it as a last-ditch effort, having that one shot was enough to change the tide in a battle. And a battle is exactly what he was about to have.

He needed to give them time to get to the building.