HLM -Chapter 1215 The Water Ghost Clings

Being grabbed from behind in the water, Wang Bo inwardly panicked.

Having grown up by the sea, he was familiar with swimming and underwater rescue techniques. Now he faced one of the most dangerous situations—someone had grabbed him from behind while struggling in the water.

They always say human potential is limitless, and Wang Bo believed it. When drowning, people can tap into that potential; even a little girl in the water can hold onto a grown man!

His strength was considerable, yet being held like this from behind made it extremely difficult to surface.

However, he didn’t panic. First, there were plenty of people around who could help him. Second, he was an excellent swimmer. He held his breath, elbowed backward at the person holding him in the chest, attempting to shove them away, and then planned to save them.

But things went awry. The person behind accidentally blocked his elbow twice, holding onto his arm and pinning him to their back.

Now Wang Bo truly felt a bit panicked.

In his hometown, this was the most feared situation in underwater rescue—nothing worse existed. It was called “the water ghost clings to your back,” meaning the person in this situation was as good as a water ghost. Water ghosts claim lives; humans in this position were basically dragged down as companions.

Instinctively, his potential surged. He blew bubbles underwater and struggled violently, trying to shake the person off.

At that moment, the drowning person behind him suddenly released their grip and swam to the surface. Wang Bo froze for a moment, realizing he had been tricked.

He then surfaced, gasping for breath, utterly winded.

Beside him was the swimming instructor, Buckle. Wiping water from his face, Buckle said, “What’s your name? Your swimming and lifeguard classes are now automatically passed. You can skip this course.”

Wang Bo steadied himself and, overjoyed, asked, “Really, instructor?”

Buckle nodded. “You did exceptionally well just now. Even if I hadn’t let go, you could’ve broken free. Clearly, you’re a swimming enthusiast.”

Atulu, who had just swum over, looked bewildered. “What’s going on? Instructor, you fell into the water?”

A student near the pool explained, “The instructor was pretending to fall. He said it’s our first lesson.”

Buckle added, “Correct. This is the real lesson. What you just saw was the first rescue demonstration. Don’t jump into the water lightly!”

“18002, explain to the class what happened when you were rescuing me just now.”

Wang Bo recounted the experience, ending with: “The water ghost clings to your back. This is an extremely dangerous underwater situation. Once it happens, both rescuer and victim are at serious risk!”

“So what should we do?” Sweet Guy asked anxiously from the poolside. He was one of the five non-swimmers.

Buckle said, “When someone falls into the water, don’t panic. Jump in, but don’t rush to rescue. First assess the situation and the victim’s stamina.”

“Let the drowning person struggle. There are three stages. The first stage is the desperate struggle phase. The victim has the most energy, their explosive strength can be dangerous to rescuers.”

“The third stage is near-death. The person is already drowning; their condition is critical, and they could die any moment. Rescue at this stage is almost too late.”

“The best time to act is the second stage, the fatigue phase. By then, the victim’s energy is mostly spent. When you rescue them, they cannot harm you.”

“How do we tell?” someone asked.

Buckle nodded. “Good question. Observation is crucial. First, check their position: in stage one, they float while struggling; stage two, they struggle but sink; stage three, they float passively.”

“Next, observe the water splashes. Stage one produces big splashes, sometimes a meter high; stage two, small splashes; stage three, none.”

He looked at Wang Bo and added, “Wang, with your skills, you can rescue anyone immediately, so these tips are less relevant to you. The faster you act, the better.”

Someone challenged, “Wang’s swimming is strong? I’m a member of Dunedin’s city swim team. I think I can do it too.”

Buckle smiled. “I’m talking about rescue, not competitive swimming. Underwater rescue is like underwater combat. It’s the only type of rescue where you must ‘defeat’ the victim before helping them.”

“Remember, underwater rescue is a contest between you and the victim. Only if you win can you save them.”

The young man still insisted, “Wang, let’s try it?”

Wang Bo grinned. “Underwater combat is too violent. How about this: I pretend to be the victim, you rescue me?”

“Sure!” The strong youth eagerly agreed.

Others stepped aside. Atulu whispered to those nearby, “Watch carefully; this is going to be interesting.”

They all respected Wang Bo’s underwater skills. Years ago, during a school fundraiser in Eva’s school, one of the events was swimming in water—and Wang Bo had nearly outperformed the donors themselves.

Once submerged, Wang Bo began to struggle. The youth took a deep breath and charged forward at astonishing speed. His swimming skills were indeed impressive.

But Buckle was right: this wasn’t a race, it was underwater combat.

The youth, experienced, reached for Wang Bo’s hair.

The pool water was clear. Buckle nodded approvingly and explained, “Exactly. If the victim has long hair, grab it first.”

Wang Bo had short hair, so the grab failed—but it was just a test.

As the youth attempted a second move, Wang Bo blocked him, grabbed his arm, and flicked his legs like a fish tail, flipping onto the youth’s back.

Then he wrapped his legs around the youth’s waist from behind and his arms around the chest, trapping the youth’s arms.

Atulu gasped. “Shit… is this the ‘old tree roots’ technique—or… the water ghost clings?!”

The youth struggled desperately, but Wang Bo held him tightly. Soon, they sank like stones.

At that point, Wang Bo released him and swam up. The youth followed, surfacing with a frustrated expression.

Buckle looked sternly at the students. “Did you see 18002 and 18013’s underwater contest just now? If you’re not fully prepared, that could be your fate!”

Seeing some students intimidated, he smiled. “Of course, this is an extreme case; you’ll probably never face it in your life. I’m only warning you: this lesson could save your life. Take it seriously!”