“26. 1? How did it change so fast? Didn’t we stop?” Echo said, watching the radar spinning quickly, surprised.
“Even though we stopped, the water is still flowing, so the ship will definitely drift. As long as we start moving, it’ll be fine,” Michael explained as he stood up.
Echo was a landlubber; she was great on solid ground but had no clue about water. This was her first time on a boat where she was actually alert, and she didn’t really grasp the theory and reality of it all.
Just as Echo nodded and was about to say something, she saw the radar jump again. “Too fast,” she frowned.
The battleship needed a moment to start, yet it had jumped a notch; the current was really something.
“Turn the ship around with full power, go at full speed, now!” As soon as Echo finished speaking, Ryan suddenly straightened up, his expression more serious than ever.
Echo was taken aback as Ryan swiftly lifted her, saying, “Hold on to me,” while he quickly started operating the controls.
Echo watched as Ryan operated the controls at lightning speed, pressing the joystick down hard. The bow of the ship swung around quickly, and the whole vessel started humming as it picked up speed in an instant.
Before Echo could process what was happening, she saw large swathes of water shifting in front of her. The horizon where the water met the sky changed rapidly, and she suddenly realized she had been so focused on the interference signal that she had ignored the dizziness. As the sensation rushed back, she felt her vision blur and a buzzing sound fill her head. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed Ryan’s arm, leaning her whole weight against his back.
“Pulling force increasing, a whirlpool forming.”
“Speed isn’t picking up.”
“Can’t sink; water pressure suddenly spiked.”
In an instant, Cobra, Hawk, Bill, and the others all spoke up, their voices tinged with surprise and caution, along with an undercurrent of anxiety.
Ryan said firmly, “All submarines, come on board. Abandon ship, now!” As he spoke, he switched channels rapidly, successfully turning the ship around and speeding away.
Michael, looking serious, noticed Echo struggling against Ryan’s back. He stepped over and said, “If you’re not feeling well, lean on me and rest for a bit. Don’t stand or look.” He tried to pull Echo away.
Echo quickly lifted her head and insisted, “No, don’t carry me. I’m fine right here.”
Michael’s expression turned serious. “Listen, don’t be stubborn. Mr. Ryan can’t focus on you right now. We shouldn’t distract him, at least not now.”
He reached over to pry Echo’s fingers off Ryan’s arm.
Seeing Michael’s serious demeanor, Echo asked, “What’s wrong?” She was about to release her grip on Ryan’s arm.
“Who told you to let go?” Ryan suddenly shouted without turning around, and Echo jumped, instinctively tightening her grip on him.
Michael’s brow furrowed deeply, but he didn’t push to pull Echo away.
She felt Ryan tense up beneath her and looked up at Michael, asking, “What’s going on?” She couldn’t bear to look outside at the vast ocean and couldn’t see what was happening out there.
Michael glanced at the sea and turned to Nick, whose face had gone pale. “Tell me everything you know, quickly.”
Nick, trembling and ghostly white, hurriedly explained, “This route is a death zone. There’s a whirlpool, centered around 26. 4 degrees. The center isn’t large, but its power is incredible, like a Category 10 tornado, covering hundreds of miles of sea. No ship that’s passed through it has ever escaped.”
He took a breath and continued, “The wrecks of ships that once navigated this route have been found a thousand miles away, which means this entire surface is almost completely affected. If we get caught in its massive pull, the consequences don’t even need to be said.”
After saying all this, Nick looked even paler, and the sound relayed through the speakers made everyone else on the ships shift uncomfortably.
“A whirlpool, a massive whirlpool,” Echo exclaimed, her face going white as she straightened up to look at the radar.
It was 26. 3 degrees now!
Echo’s face turned even paler, and at that moment, she couldn’t care less about feeling seasick. She quickly looked ahead and saw the ocean water flowing restlessly, the waves crashing one after another, still looking calm and beautiful.
But if Echo wasn’t mistaken, the entire water surface was flowing backward. The ship they were on was desperately pushing forward, yet the water seemed to be flowing in the opposite direction.
It was eerie-an unexplainable kind of eerie.
Echo took a deep breath. Looking over at Hawk and the others, she saw their submarines were struggling to dive; they didn’t dare go under at all. They were all rushing to abandon their subs and board the nearby warships instead.
The power of the water had reached an alarming level, and the strength beneath the surface was likely even greater.
No matter how advanced Ryan’s weapons were, against such natural forces, it was like throwing eggs at rocks.
Watching the abandoned submarines disappear in an instant, Echo felt her heart race.
“How could this happen?” Ivy, terrified, looked completely pale.
Brook wrapped his arms around her and said softly, “Don’t look.”
Seeing the worried expressions on Frank and Brook’s faces, Michael noticed the tremors starting among the crew. He spoke firmly, “Brace yourselves. No matter what happens, don’t panic. We all see the situation, and fear won’t help. Right now, we need to stay calm. If you can handle it, keep your eyes open; if not, just close them. Mr. Ryan needs complete quiet; we can’t add to the chaos.” He moved to stand behind Echo.
Brook and Frank exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and steadied themselves without saying a word. They had come this far; now it was all or nothing.
The waves were rolling, but it wasn’t like when they first hit the sea, with huge splashes. It was different now; everything was eerily quiet, just the sound of the wind whistling by. The surface had lost its massive waves, turning into a smooth, glassy expanse, calm yet chillingly powerful.
The three warships seemed almost frozen on the rapidly flowing water, struggling to move forward but also being pulled backward.
“Water flow is too fast; we’re moving backward instead of forward,” Bill shouted as he rushed onto Ryan’s warship.
Ryan remained silent.
The ship’s speed had picked up, but the current was too strong. The entire area was starting to flow backward, and the warship’s speed couldn’t penetrate that mirror-like surface.
Echo lowered her gaze, refusing to look at the reversing water. She focused tightly on the radar, where the needle was shaking and moving erratically toward 26. 3 and 26. 4 degrees. Instinctively, she clutched Ryan’s arm, knowing that if they got caught in the whirlpool’s center, the situation would be unimaginable.
“Abandon the third warship; stay close to me,” Ryan commanded in a low voice.
Echo watched as the crew from the nearby ship quickly made their way to Ryan’s vessel.
Since the two ships were moving at a similar speed and force, they were able to transfer personnel along the same line.
The sky started to darken.
Summer days were already long, and it was still only afternoon, so it shouldn’t have been getting dark.
But the swirling vortex was so powerful that it seemed to be changing the sky. It wasn’t really the day turning to night-it felt more like they were getting closer to the center of the vortex.
“Speed’s at 300 knots.”
“All speeds are maxed out, but the ship’s still moving backward.”
Reports came in quickly, clear and precise.
Bill sat next to Ryan, his hands flying over the instruments. His face grew more serious. The vortex’s power was too strong, like an invisible hand, pulling the ship back and preventing it from moving forward.
“Boss, we can’t escape this pull,” Hawk reported calmly from another warship. Cobra was at the helm, doing everything he could to push the ship forward.
Ryan’s face was stone-cold, his eyes dark with intensity. “Calculate the water current speed, increase the draft depth.”
Michael, standing behind Echo to support her, also wore a serious expression. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration. Even though his team was tense and pale, Michael knew they hadn’t experienced anything like this before.
But Ryan and his crew were well-trained. They’d been through this kind of pressure before.
What stood out wasn’t just their professionalism, but the unwavering trust they had in their leader. That trust wasn’t something that just happened; it had to be earned.
And standing there, with Ryan’s cold, commanding presence, Michael realized Ryan was even more formidable than he’d imagined.
A muffled cry broke the tension, and Ryan’s expression darkened immediately.
Michael spun around, looking at one of the young researchers-a man in his twenties, an expert in algae research-who had been part of their team. The man was pale, barely holding back his panic, and was showing signs of breaking down.