James jumped into the Gokru Lake and started to swim. The pill had enhanced his eyesight and he could see the lake bed. It was very ugly inside with loads of pieces of smelly mud floating around.
James’s ankles had started to turn numb due to the tightness of the rope around it. But, James continued to swim. The rope was very long and robust. Nothing happened for a while. James started to feel drowsy and his eyelids started closing.
Suddenly, the sand beneath rumbled.
James’s eyes opened at once and he became alert. Had something moved? Or was it just his imagination?
James got the answer almost at once, as a hole in the ground opened and the Scoshag started to come into view. James frantically tugged at the rope.
Nothing happened.
He tugged harder. The Scoshag was almost out of the hole, but no one seemed to be pulling him out.
James’s heart sank. He had feared this. The ones holding the rope would get distracted, no one would pull him out and the Scoshag would eat him up.
The Scoshag emerged from the sand bed of the sea.
James almost screamed. They had completely underestimated the size of the crab. It was enormous. James could see two little spots on its head – its eyes. They moved all around, trying to locate its prey.
James was having a bad day. As James tugged harder, the rope broke away from his ankle and he started falling towards the Scoshag.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Scoshag’s eyes focused on James.
James looked the crab straight in the eyes and focused as hard as he could. He used his Elemental Powers to shoot a sharp stream of water into the crab’s eyes. The confused crab momentarily stopped in its tracks. But it soon located James and swam towards him. James knew he was no match for the creature as he desperately tried to swim away from the Scoshag.
Meanwhile, on the banks, as the Scavenger talked and laughed with the others, suddenly Matt noticed something.
“Hey,” he said to the Scavenger. “Don’t you feel that the rope isn’t taut?”
The Scavenger pulled the rope. The entire rope came flying up into the air, and James wasn’t there.
The Scavenger’s face went white. “Oh my God!” He instantly pulled out the cage, swallowed a pill to enhance his eyesight and dived into the lake.
James dodged the crab for the fourth time and saw the Scavenger on the far side, looking around. James heaved a sigh of relief.
The crab had now turned its attention to the Scavenger and went after him. The Scavenger hid behind a large rock on the seabed.
James got an opportunity to concentrate. The water all around him, though dirty, was water after all, and it gave him a comforting strength. He knew what to do.
Not five seconds had passed before all the water in the lake lifted into the air. The crab landed on the lake bed, confused once again. The Scavenger rushed towards the crab with his cage.
Lynx, No One and Insanity jumped into the lake bed and surrounded the crab from all sides. Before the Scoshag could comprehend the situation and escape by changing his shape, the Scavenger leapt at the Scoshag with the cage. The cage expanded along the length of the crab, enveloping it.
The Scoshag was trapped.
“Move out. I can’t lift the water anymore!” James shouted. Everyone rushed out onto the shore. James let go of his control and tonnes of water crashed down on him.
James swam out of the water. Everyone clapped and complimented James for his bravery. James’s previous anger at the Scavenger’s carelessness was forgotten as suddenly, he was struck with a plan.
“Well, that went well,” Lynx said. “Now that we have the crab, we can go get the Trident.”
“Let me first rest for a while,” James said. “I am exhausted.”
“You deserve it, James. Rest for a while, while we strategize our next move.” Lynx said while sitting down on the banks of Gokru Lake.
James raised his finger. “About that only. While we rest, we can plan how to attack Hothel. Hothel won’t be defeated in a normal fight. That’s why… I have an amazing plan.”
“What do you have in mind?” Lynx asked.
James said, “I am depending on three things. Wormholes, invisibility and cleverness.” He looked around.
“Wormholes are no problem,” Insanity said. “Making wormholes is no big deal. “Cleverness is abound here. But invisibility…”
Lynx spoke up. “I know what to do about it.”
“Then listen up everyone,” James said. “Let me reveal my master plan.”
In three hours, they had gone over the entire plan and were rejuvenated after the rest. Everyone was nervous. The plan was risky, as usual, and included everyone. If anyone messed up, then it was over.
Insanity relayed some instructions. “Okay, let’s walk to the beach of the Sea of Trion, which is also called the Devil’s Sea. Hothel lives deep inside the sea and always carries the Trident.”
“Hey, we have the Devil’s Sea on Earth too,” James said. “Countless people have disappeared there. I always wondered what happened to them. Where did they go?”
“What do you think?” Insanity said.
Gears clicked in James’s brain. “You don’t mean to say -”
“Yes,” Insanity confirmed.
“What?” Archer asked, seeing James’s astonished expression.
“Invisible energy tunnels connect a few seas on Earth to the Dark World,” Insanity said. “One of them is the Devil’s Sea, where there is a place called the Bermuda Triangle. People who ‘disappeared’ there fell into one of the energy tunnels and got transported to the Dark World, to a place called Island of Humans.”
“That’s impossible,” James said, dismissing the thought at once.
“Trust me, I have seen and even met them,” Insanity said. “I have seen large ships, vessels and aeroplanes.”
“If that’s the case,” James said. “And if what you say is true, then why don’t the persons take the tunnel and return to Earth?”
“I think that must not be possible. Moreover, why would the humans want to go back?” Insanity said. “Many scientists and engineers worked for years to make luxury after luxury
