Die, Mantis Shrimp! (Continued)

At a distance of just over a meter, I lost all momentum. I quickly swung my legs, but the slightest loss of rhythm threw off my balance, and once again

I sank to the bottom of the river.

"Glug, glug~"

Bubbles slipped out past my lips. I couldn't hold my breath any longer, so I hurriedly took another breath. I had two and a half bottles left. If this kept up, I really was going to

drown here.

This time, I took a deep breath, then hung the bottle from my waist. I pushed off with my feet and leaped straight up about a meter. But

just as I was about to swim, a surge suddenly rushed through the riverbed. The powerful current left me unable to control

my body, and I drifted away with the flow.

Everything spun around me. I had no idea how far I'd been swept. There was nothing nearby to grab onto, and the stones in the water

were covered with slick moss. I couldn't get a grip.

I didn't know how many times I'd been spun around. When I finally came to a stop, I hurriedly blew out some bubbles and took another breath.

"Crack!"

The bottle had warped, too. The excess air inside floated straight up to the surface. Beneath my feet was a patch of sand and mud.

I slowly crouched, looked up to make sure of my direction,

then sprang upward!

"Snap!"

A sharp crack rang out. It felt like something had wrapped around my ankle. I turned instinctively, and a soft tentacle had grabbed me!

I hurriedly looked up along the tentacle...

An octopus!

Not an ordinary octopus from the water, but one in Zombie form. Its lower body had completely turned into tentacles, while scales had appeared on its