Chapter 130: The Water Trial (4)
After roughly ten minutes of intense swimming, Alexandre and Marlon finally managed to rejoin the leading group. They had swum at full speed, tapping into the very last reserves of their strength to close the gap created by the earlier chaos.
Still gasping for breath, Marlon broke the silence between labored breaths:
"What the hell just happened back there? I felt this horrible terror, and then everything just went completely black..."
Alexandre paused briefly, searching for the best way to explain something he didn't fully understand himself. Marlon deserved at least an attempt at clarity.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure," Alexandre admitted. "But it seems like some sort of collective hysteria hits Hunters after swimming for a prolonged time in the ocean."
Marlon's expression tightened, visibly troubled and anxious at the mention of a danger he'd never encountered before.
"Seriously? Shit, I've never heard anything like that!"
Alexandre nodded solemnly. "Me neither. It caught me completely off guard as well. It hit me too, but luckily I managed to regain control."
Marlon cast a nervous glance around, his voice less confident now.