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墨書 Inktalez
Apologies for the delay.
Third felt a tightening in his chest, unable to relax as he kept his gaze fixed ahead.
Xin Shui Su had long vanished into the night. Third had no intention of pursuing further and was about to turn back.
A vague sensation crept over Seven, as if something was approaching. With no time to think, Third swiftly drew a dagger from his side and turned to stab, hitting the target squarely. A pained howl echoed in the air. Third received a punch that sent him crashing to the ground. He pressed a hand against his chest, feeling blood seep from the corner of his mouth.
The flashlight lay discarded nearby, its flickering beam illuminating the space between them, though it was intermittent due to the damage it had sustained.
With one hand braced against the ground, Third could feel the power behind that blow. Seven sluggishly rose to his feet, feeling drained.
The flashlight continued its erratic dance of light and shadow, and when it illuminated Third, he finally caught a glimpse of his opponent's face.
It was a wild man, Third muttered under his breath.
The wild man's voice shifted from an angry roar to a full-blown growl, the hilt of the dagger still protruding from his body. Slowly, he seemed to transcend his rage and charged at Third, blood pooling around him.
Third struggled to maintain his footing as the wild man lunged forward, nearly stumbling over himself. He took a step back, clutching his chest, coughing painfully as he wiped the blood from his lips.
As the wild man closed in, Third managed to dodge just in time. He quickly ran a few steps back, creating some distance between them.
Desperate to draw his gun from his waist, Third found nothing but empty air. The flashlight continued its flickering; glancing down, he noticed his black pistol lying on the ground—likely dropped when he fell earlier.
The wild man was injured too but appeared even more invigorated, his roars shattering the silence of the night.
Now, with unfavorable lighting conditions for Third, the wild man—like a 'bear blind in the dark'—had adapted well to the shadows. It was undeniable that he possessed formidable vitality.
Although they were both human, their living environments were different, and so were their life forms.
Third coughed twice, his complexion slightly pale; the previous blow had struck him squarely in the chest. He thought to himself that if this continued, he would surely be the one at a disadvantage.
As the light flickered, Third could clearly see that the wild man's wounds were still bleeding.
Determined, Third took a deep breath, bit down hard on his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of blood. He could feel his mental state improving significantly.
If he directly confronted the wild man, he would undoubtedly lose. His only chance now was to grab that gun.
As Third moved slightly, the wild man immediately reacted with great force, lunging toward Third once again. Seizing the opportunity, Third dodged the wild man's attack and circled behind him. He thought his plan was about to succeed. However, he had underestimated the wild man's strength.
The wild man's reaction speed was astonishingly quick; he turned around in an instant and caught up with Third, delivering a punch to his back. Third collapsed to the ground, spitting out another mouthful of blood.
He wanted desperately to get back up, but his supporting hand gave way again, leaving him unable to rise.
Rolling over to face the wild man, Third saw him illuminated by the flickering light; he looked even more sinister. The wild man roared, revealing his sharp fangs.
He completely disregarded his own safety, having already considered Third as prey; today he was determined to kill him to vent his fury.
Seeing the unscathed wild man made Third feel a chill run down his spine. It seemed he would die here today. With a sigh, he thought about how heavy this life had become; perhaps death was not such a terrible release after all. Slowly closing his eyes, he awaited the arrival of death. Sometimes, when one comes to terms with it, death is not frightening at all.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, striking the wild man's arm. Both of his arms were injured, and the intense pain caused him to scream in agony.
He glanced back as if understanding the current situation and quickly darted into the depths of darkness, disappearing from sight.
Hearing the gunshot, Third opened his eyes, the flashlight's beam flickering in and out.
Suddenly, a voice calmly said, "You can't die yet."
In the dim light, Third recognized the figure before him—it was Xin Shui Su. She stood gracefully in front of him, her hair swaying gently in the evening breeze.
The flickering light made it difficult for Third to see Xin Shui Su clearly.
She reached out her hand toward him. Third stared at it in confusion; she clearly lacked patience and pulled him up to his feet.
He coughed twice, blood spilling from his mouth.
Xin Shui Su realized the severity of his injuries and said, "Aren't you a doctor? Can't you heal yourself?"
Third didn't respond, unsure of what to say. He was a doctor, but he had just been saved by her and hadn't had the chance to treat himself.
From her pocket, Xin Shui Su took out an exquisite Jade Bottle and handed him two delicate pills. "Take these internally first, then apply them externally."
Third nodded and swallowed the two pills. He had no external wounds; he had only scraped some skin when he fell earlier.
He returned the Jade Bottle to her, saying, "Thank you."
Xin Shui Su accepted the bottle and, in one swift motion, drew a dagger and slashed at Third's back.
Feeling the cold glint of the blade, Third's pores opened in fear. However, her speed was too fast, and given his current state of injury, he couldn't evade her attack.
Taking a deep breath, Third prepared to face the outcome. Suddenly, he heard the sound of fabric tearing; his clothes were ripped apart by Xin Shui Su, exposing his back.
Xin Shui Su glanced at him and spread the potion from the jade bottle across his back. It started with a chilling sensation, which gradually turned warmer, and Third felt much better.
Third exhaled a breath of stale air, and it seemed his spirits had lifted. Throughout this process, Xin Shui Su remained silent.
Third stretched his waist, feeling some recovery in his physical strength. Xin Shui Su capped the bottle and said, "Let's go." With that, he moved ahead.
The flashlight was still flickering on the ground. Third bent down to pick it up and held it in his hand as he followed step by step.
Xin Shui Su quickly vanished from sight, and Third could hardly keep up. If he hadn't been injured, he might have been able to catch up.
Now, Third felt like a wandering monk, taking one step at a time.
After walking about a hundred meters, suddenly a figure reappeared beside Third.
Supporting him as they moved forward.
After such a tumultuous night, dawn was beginning to break; the sky was tinged with a pale light. The sun started to rise from an unknown horizon.
As children, we often wondered where the sun came from and where it went down. We thought it was just behind the mountain we could see. Later, when we climbed that mountain, we discovered the sun rose and set behind another one.
As we grew older, we realized that only the sun could remain eternal while humanity must face aging and death; our final resting place is visible.
The entire archaeological team had not rested all night. When Third and Xin Shui Su arrived, the campfire was still burning fiercely. Seven and Wang Er Gou had yet to wake up, while Second sat by a pile of burning wood on watch.
Only he remained completely awake, needing to ensure the safety of these people's lives. Although they had no connection to him, Second was born with a sense of responsibility.
When Xin Shui Su helped Third approach, Second immediately noticed and got up to check. Upon seeing the injured Third, the relief he had felt earlier tightened again, and he hurried over to support Third with his other hand.
Seeing Second arrive, Xin Shui Su let go. Second supported Third and asked a series of questions. Third smiled and reassured him, saying, "I'm fine, don't worry."
Second helped Third sit by the fire.
The morning dew had fallen, making it perhaps even colder than at night.
Third's complexion looked quite pale as he sat by the fire. After Seven and Wang Er Gou woke up, they gathered around.
Understanding Third's condition, Seven said, "Third, you need to replenish your strength. Wait here; I'll go find something good."
With that, he ran off, and Wang Er Gou chased after him. Second remarked, "I can't leave those two alone; I’ll go check on them too."
Xin Shui Su sat beside Third.
The mood of the entire archaeological team was rather low and disheartened. They had argued all night, with some saying, "If the team leader doesn't show up today, we should head back down the mountain."
The morning sun slowly began to warm the air. Due to lack of rest, everyone's eyes appeared dry and weary.
If there was one thing abundant in these mountains, it was resources; however, without tools, they could only hunt animals.
Wild beasts were certainly not lacking in the mountains.
The three soon had some success, bringing back a moose and several wild rabbits. Seven took care of the preparation.
They placed the meat directly over the fire, continuously adding firewood and roasting it over a large flame. Soon, a delicious aroma filled the air, and Second called everyone over to eat.
Once the meat was cooked, they quickly divided it among themselves. Seven's cooking skills were truly impressive.
Seven directly cut a piece of the best thigh meat and offered it to Third. However, Xin Shui Su intervened, saying, "He can't eat greasy food right now."
Seven's hand froze in mid-air, the moose meat still steaming with aroma. Third swallowed hard and reached out to take it.
"Did you not hear what I just said?" Xin Shui Su continued.
Third felt speechless, cursing inwardly but saying aloud, "Seven, you all go ahead and eat." After saying that, he swallowed again.
Xin Shui Su told him to wait a moment before walking away. As soon as Seven saw Xin Shui Su was gone, he rushed forward.
Third, feeling frustrated but unable to resist, took the meat and began to gnaw on it. However, his body was weak and couldn't handle such rich food; after just a couple of bites, he choked.
The meat he spat out was stained with blood, and Third coughed repeatedly until he finally spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seven hurriedly patted Third's back while Xin Shui Su returned with some fruit in her arms.
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