Devouring Its Master
Even the mesh deck beneath Li Bai's feet was no exception. He fell into the water along with it.
Caught completely off guard, more than just the Institute 507 action team members fell into the water; people from the Great God Club were caught up in it too. In an instant, more than a dozen people were struggling desperately in the freezing lake.
The lake's high salinity wouldn't drown them, but the low winter temperatures could still cause hypothermia, leaving them frozen stiff—or even killing them.
"The water—the water's poisoned! Don't drink any!"
Thick layers of dead brine shrimp and patches of dead fish floated on the surface. Those who had fallen into the lake screamed in panic, searching for something to cling to so they could escape the dangerous water. The floats that had supported the mesh deck were their only option. Ignoring the dead shrimp and fish clinging to them, they splashed and paddled desperately toward the floats.
The lake's high density could instantly turn even a non-swimmer into a strong swimmer. Before long, people were clinging all over the floats. Their faces were pale not from poisoning, but from fright.
The poison in the lake water was constantly being diluted and broken down. By now, it had dropped below lethal levels. Apart from making their heads feel a little woozy, it posed little danger. Of course, that also depended on body weight and metabolic rate; a concentration of poison lethal to fish was not necessarily lethal to humans.
Those who realized they were still alive couldn't help feeling relieved and shaken after their initial uncertainty. In the end, they had escaped disaster by the skin of their teeth.
Unlike everyone else, Li Bai hadn't fallen into the water. He stood securely on its surface.