Compared to the forest, the walk to the beach was considerably shorter. Richard remembered their first trip here, and it felt like a lifetime ago. He had to admit he was not nearly as nervous as the first time. His healing wounds ability was ready to use, though hopefully wouldn’t be needed. He had his super-kick ability unlocked, too. Also, according to what he heard, he wouldn’t be as susceptible to the lure.

  They reached the beach, and Marcus nodded to Savannah and Elias. Savannah glanced wide-eyed at Elias before shaking her head. “Marcus, no.”

  “You said your trap wasn’t far. I still have you in my sights.” Marcus then narrowed his eyes at Elias. “I still have you in my sights.”

  Elias rolled his eyes. “Come on, Savannah.”

  She grumbled as they headed toward wherever Savannah had set her trap.

  “Alright, newbies. Let’s pair you up. Amber and Richard together, Fang and Leylah. Shrub, join Richard and Amber, would you?” Marcus asked.

  “You got it,” Shrub said.

  “We’re looking for discarded seaweed. Make sure this seaweed isn’t growing from anywhere before you pick it up. And don’t touch the water.” Marcus pointed behind him. “We’ll go this way; you go that way. Five hundred steps, then come back.”

  Richard and Amber exchanged glances as he tried hard to keep a lot back. It didn’t help that he knew all the surprises in the forest.

  Shrub rested an enormous axe against his shoulder. “Will do.”

  Richard had no other choice but to follow Shrub. They walked in silence as Amber kept checking over her shoulder at Marcus and the others retreating in the distance. He made sure his feet never touched the water. Amber was on the other side of him, as Shrub was nearest to the forest.

  “You’re… sort of new, right, Shrub?” Richard asked, needing a conversation.

  “That I am. Arrived here three months ago. Almost four.” Shrub sighed. “It’s gone by pretty fast, honestly.”

  “Has it always felt like we’re… losing?” Richard asked.

  Shrub grunted. “It’s definitely gotten worse since I’ve been here.” He turned his head, keeping watch on the forest.

  Richard rubbed his arm and studied the water. It stretched as far as the horizon, and he felt that curiosity coming back. Darker creatures lived in that ocean, but he wanted to explore. He hated the idea that dangerous beings kept him from discovering all he could about this place. Even that nice little island in the distance made him curious about what he could see from there.

  They reached their first patch of seaweed. Shrub nudged it with his axe before nodding toward Amber and Richard. Amber hesitated, so Richard reached out and picked it up. As soon as he placed it near his back, it got sucked into his inventory, and he saw the image of seaweed in one of his slots. Shrub and Richard exchanged a thumbs up before they kept going.

  “So, Richard…” Amber said. “You okay?”

  Richard glanced at her, afraid of why she asked that. “I’m fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s just—”

  “I’m fine, Amber.”

  She sighed. “Fang’s been worried about you.”

  Shrub glanced at Richard, who balled his fists and kept focusing ahead. “And I don’t want you to worry about what Fang told you.”

  “If I were in his shoes, I’d be worried too,” Amber said.

  “He told you?” Richard asked.

  “Of course! Because he’s worried!”

  Shrub flinched. “Maybe we shouldn’t raise our voices so close to the forest.”

  Amber shrank back, her gaze also turning toward the trees. Richard rubbed his head, feeling annoyed. He needed to talk to Fang. This must have been about Richard panicking last night. He gave in to panic, and now Fang was telling everyone that Richard had had a moment of weakness. It felt like a betrayal.

  Richard saw a patch of seaweed and hurried ahead.

  “Richard—” Shrub started to say.

  “I know. Make sure it’s not growing from anywhere.”

  He gave the cluster of seaweed a good inspection as Amber and Shrub hurried to catch up. Richard couldn’t see it buried anywhere, so he did what Shrub did, pulling out his dagger and poking it. When it didn’t move, he picked up the large bunch and slipped it into his inventory.

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  “You’ve got to save some for me, you know,” Amber said.

  Richard opened his mouth to tell her to be quicker next time, but forced himself to keep those words inside. That was something Elias would do, and Richard did not want to be like that jackass.

  “You can get the next one.”

  Amber sighed as they fell in line. “I don’t see why this is making you so upset.”

  “Because it violates my privacy. Fang shouldn’t be blabbing to everyone what happened.”

  “And what would you have done if Fang hadn’t told anyone? Keep it to yourself?” Amber asked.

  “Yes. I would have. Because I’m fine.”

  “Men.” Amber spat the word out like it was a swear word.

  Richard shot her a glare, and she returned one of her own.

  “If it were a big deal, I would have talked to someone about it. But I didn’t, because I’m fine.”

  “Really? Fine? Do you show you’re fine by entering the forest when you haven’t even reached level five?” Amber asked.

  “No, you haven’t reached level five. I just hit level eight today.” Richard double-checked his bar, seeing a small sliver of color, which was about how much it was when he came out of the forest. Everyone was right. Farming gave very little experience.

  “Even so, you’re less than level ten, and you went into the forest after having a night where you sobbed—”

  “—I didn’t sob—”

  “—and Fang was worried. Rightfully so,” Amber said.

  “Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but we’re in the middle of an apocalypse, and our base is teetering on the edge of complete annihilation. I volunteered to help because they needed it.”

  “Don’t hide this behind the apocalypse.” Amber crossed her arms. “You’re being a little more reckless because of a bad night, and we’re here to help.”

  Richard kept his glare pointed toward her. “Don’t put words in my mouth. Don’t. I know what I feel, and I know how to handle myself.”

  “Why can’t you let us help you?” Amber asked.

  “We’re done with this conversation. Okay? I don’t need help. I’m perfectly fine doing things on my own.”

  Richard spotted another section of seaweed and headed for it.

  “You know, for someone who is so eager to make friends, you also do an excellent job of pushing them away,” Amber said.

  Richard stumbled to a stop, eyes wide. He touched his chest to make sure it wasn’t bleeding, because that hit him hard. He stared at Amber, who passed by him quietly, heading toward the pile of seaweed.

  Richard stared ahead, watching Amber tentatively take closer steps toward the seaweed. Richard felt as rooted to the spot as if a crawler was climbing up his leg.

  “Ouch,” Shrub said.

  “I’m… fine.”

  Shrub chuckled. “Of course you are.”

  “I’m serious.”

  Shrub rested the axe on the ground, leaning against the handle like it were a cane. “You both can be right, you know. You can be hurt by Fang’s actions, and Amber can be concerned that you’re throwing yourself into dangerous situations to avoid other feelings.”

  Richard sighed, rubbing his head. “Can we not have this conversation either?”

  “Sure, if that’s what you want.” Shrub watched as Amber reached out with a shaking finger to touch the seaweed. “I trust that you’re the sort that will reach out for help when needed. Because if you don’t…” Shrub sighed. “I’d hate for base two to have another Elias.”

  Richard fought the urge not to place his palms on his knees and take a deep breath from being so winded. He would have almost preferred Amber and Shrub to throw a fist at him. He felt like he was cut open, and he also expected to explode with rage. Raging against other people was something he used to do in the life he once forgot. His body was mentally prepared to scream, even if he refused to do so now.

  He started to piece together the possibility of why he died alone.

  Richard closed his eyes tight, taking a deep breath before letting it out. He still felt that rage. Amber and Fang acted like he had just thrown himself off a cliff. Base two got hit hard, and he was doing his best to make sure this place was safe. Maybe he could communicate this better without getting angry.

  Richard opened his eyes and headed toward Shrub and Amber. He glanced behind him to see Marcus and the others as tiny figures in the distance. He was glad he had his gloves to have plenty of inventory space.

  Shrub and Amber whispered as they waited for Richard to catch up. He was still irked at them, but did his best to put it behind him. He glanced at the ocean again when something felt off. His steps slowed as he focused on the ocean. Why did the ‘off’ feeling persist? It appeared like a stone in his gut, some sort of instinct screaming at him to pay attention. In an apocalypse, he didn’t dare let that go.

  “Richard?” Amber asked.

  “Yeah?”

  “You all right?” Amber asked.

  Richard fell silent. He knew that if he said he was fine, the argument would come back up again. So he wanted to prove he wasn’t a liar.

  “Something’s off.” Richard had barely finished the sentence when Shrub was by his side.

  “What? What feels off?” Shrub got his axe ready.

  “I’m not sure. Something out there.” Richard gestured toward the water.

  “Trust your instincts. Keep looking,” Shrub said.

  The sun reflecting off the ocean made his eyes water. He tried to do what Shrub said and trust his instincts, but he wasn’t sure what that would get him. He just kept staring at the water, shading his eyes.

  His stomach dropped when it hit him.

  “That… island. It moved since the last time I looked at it. It’s getting closer.”

  Shrub’s face dropped. “We’re not chancing it. Amber, come on. Let’s get back to Marcus now.”

  Amber was more than happy to listen. The three of them started running across the beach toward Marcus, Fang, and Leylah. Seeing them running, Marcus and the others ran over to meet them. The speed the system gave them made it so when they met, none of them were really panting.

  “What’s going on?” Marcus asked.

  Richard pointed at the sea. “The island. It’s moving.”

  Marcus winced and studied the island. “I… don’t think I ever saw that before.” He rubbed his chin in thought. Richard picked out the sound of a crying baby. He flinched. He was at a stronger level now. That lure shouldn’t affect him.

  Another baby cried, then another. Richard froze, his mind struggling with what he was hearing. He was certain he could get by with one baby crying. What did multiple babies mean?

  No, lure. They were multiple lures, not babies.

  Marcus dropped his hand. His head jerked toward the water.

  “Marcus?” Shrub asked, glancing at Richard and the other newbies.

  Richard didn’t even realize Fang was frozen next to him. Richard slowly lifted his gaze until he was staring at Shrub.

  “We need to leave,” Shrub said. “It’s not worth it. We don’t have the numbers.”

  Marcus opened his mouth to reply when the sand near the ocean shook. Richard almost fell over, and Fang grabbed his arm to hold him up. No one had time to ask a question as a twenty foot tall woman covered in barnacles lifted out of the sand. Her long seaweed hair made Richard’s stomach drop as crabs scuttled in and out of her hair. Her face was hardened white coral and skull-like, with sunken-in sockets that gave nothing but black mist and a singular point of white light.

  She slammed her palms on the ground; her five clawed fingers dug deeply into the wet sand. She opened her toothless mouth and bellowed as the lures all screamed in unison.