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墨書 Inktalez
Thinking of this, I quickly pulled out a pack of compressed food and tore open the packaging. Just as I was about to toss it aside, I reconsidered; if our mission failed, this pack of compressed food would be my last rations. I called over Liu Squad Leader to tear off a pocket from his pants and stuffed the pack of compressed food into it. Then I asked for the rope from that soldier and noticed he had something resembling a Tiger Claw on his belt. I gave him a curious glance, but there was no time to ponder; I took the Tiger Claw as well. I secured the pocket to ensure my rations wouldn’t get lost and then attached the Tiger Claw to the pocket.
I took a few steps toward the firelight, positioning myself in its glow, and whistled. I waved the fishing gear I had just fashioned toward the opposite side before throwing it with force. I pointed to where the gear landed in the water, indicating to Zhao Squad Leader, who was hidden in the darkness, while retreating back into the shadows holding onto the other end of the rope.
No one objected to my unconventional action; they probably felt there was no other way, and even a poor plan was worth trying. My biggest concern was that my rations wouldn’t get soaked, so when I returned, I asked the soldier, “Is the rope sturdy?”
“It’s made of beef tendon; how sturdy do you think it is?”
I nodded in satisfaction and wrapped the rope around my hand twice. Just as I was about to crouch down, an immense force yanked me up into the air.
In an instant, I was flying away from the Embankment. My posture in mid-air must have looked awkward because even in the pitch-black environment, I could still feel myself tumbling and spinning. The rope wrapped tightly around my right hand felt unbearably constricting. That was my last coherent thought.
Then my mind went blank, consciousness flickering between existence and oblivion, as a barrage of gunfire and explosions echoed in my ears. My body felt as cold as ice; I realized I had fallen into the water, and my right arm throbbed with excruciating pain. A strange image appeared before me—my high school classmate's face smiling at me; I had once liked her. In a daze, I wondered if she had died too.
A hand pulled me up from the Pavement; a strong grip seized my hair and dragged me out of the water. A Powerful Flashlight suddenly blinded me, and several hands tossed me onto the Embankment like livestock at a slaughterhouse. During this process, my right arm felt like it was about to be torn off; I must have cursed several times—whoever it was didn’t matter—I simply couldn’t endure this Severe Pain. But it made no difference; those holding onto my arms ignored my protests until I was thrown against the Cave Wall and finally released.
A hand slapped my back several times, jolting me awake as I spat out some water. Apart from Liu Squad Leader, everyone else was drenched; it seemed they all jumped into the water to save me. My feelings of gratitude were soon overshadowed by realization when I noticed Xu Xinming dragging something toward shore with a rope. It dawned on me that pulling me up was secondary; their main goal was to retrieve our spoils from this operation: our food.
However, I quickly regained my composure—our mission had succeeded, and I was fortunate enough to be alive; that was the best outcome.
A large creature was dragged to the water's edge; we struggled greatly to haul it onto the Embankment. When I saw it, my heart sank—it wasn’t that giant Aquatic Creature.
Neither Liu Squad Leader nor I could determine what that giant Aquatic Creature truly was since neither of us had seen its full form, but we were certain it wasn’t a fish. The prize before us was merely a massive fish.
This was probably the largest fish I had ever seen. It measured over five meters in length, with a slightly flattened head and a cylindrical body. Its dorsal fin was hard and prickly, and under the beam of the flashlight, its back appeared a dark brown, while its belly shone silver.
Zhao Squad Leader was very pleased with this catch. Despite shivering from the cold, he couldn't help but smile widely. He immediately instructed the soldiers to cut the fish into pieces and pack them into the first aid kits they had brought.
Once I regained my ability to think clearly, I sat up. My right arm was useless. I gritted my teeth against the pain and felt it with my left hand; thankfully, the bone wasn't broken, just dislocated. The light from the torch was dimming, but the Powerful Flashlight was still shining brightly, illuminating the work area. The fish was quite hefty, and its flesh was being cut into large chunks and stuffed into the first aid kits. Blood from the fish flowed everywhere on the embankment, trickling down to mix with the water.
I felt it necessary to remind Zhao Squad Leader of something important. Even though my physical condition prevented me from searching for or hunting that giant Aquatic Creature, I had to let him know that this large fish we had caught was not our original target. The creature that could potentially attack us still existed and could strike at any moment.
I shared this concern with Zhao Squad Leader, who immediately became alert. He looked at me and asked, "How are you doing? Can you shoot?"
No one knew about my dislocated arm, and I certainly didn't want to give him an excuse to take my gun away, so I nodded slightly. "I'm fine."
"Then you take care of security," Zhao Squad Leader said. "Let's hurry up and collect our spoils; we need to retreat soon."
I nodded in agreement as Zhao Squad Leader turned back to join the others in processing the catch, urging two soldiers along as he did so. It seemed my words had made him anxious.
Liu Squad Leader held a flashlight to illuminate the working soldiers; his expression was far more tense than mine as his eyes frequently darted toward the pavement. He looked ready to bolt at any moment. However, I seriously doubted whether he would have the courage to run if that giant Aquatic Creature appeared.
I leaned against the cave wall, feeling extremely cold. My sleeping bag clung tightly to me, and water dripped from its hem. In such conditions, standing still made me much colder than if I were moving around. Unable to endure the chill any longer, I began pacing back and forth to generate some warmth. Liu Squad Leader didn’t have this problem; he was the only one who hadn’t gone into the water, aside from getting splashed with a bit of water and fish blood—he remained quite dry and wouldn’t feel too cold standing there.
The gun hung around my neck; fortunately, it had already been unchambered. Otherwise, with one hand incapacitated, I wouldn't have known how to pull back the bolt. My index finger rested on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment. My anxiety and unease grew more pronounced; perhaps it was due to low body temperature that my focus began to wane. I had to keep reminding myself mentally not to lose concentration. My thoughts were scattered; strange images frequently flashed in my mind's eye, and I knew I couldn’t hold out much longer.
The light from the torch grew weaker, and since the Powerful Flashlight wasn’t directed toward the pavement anymore, I could barely see it—beyond a certain distance lay complete darkness. I could only judge potential danger by observing ripples on the surface of the pavement; that creature wouldn’t make a sound in the water—a fact confirmed by our previous encounter. To see better and farther ahead, I tried to stay close to the shore as I moved about; several times my trembling legs nearly slipped off the embankment into the water below.
I cursed silently in my heart: This is really damn annoying.
The first update is a bit late, so I apologize. I will try to release the second update before 7 PM. After uploading the second update yesterday, I took a moment to check the Dream Cup voting. Initially, there were five votes. Today, I saw that a friend commented in the review section and cast a vote, so I went straight to the six-vote area. There was no This Book, which made me happy. In the seven-vote area, there was still nothing, and my heart raced. It seemed like things were turning around. I kept scrolling until I reached the eighteen-vote area and finally saw my humble work. I was so moved that tears welled up in my eyes. My brothers are amazing; just yesterday, I envied the fans of Ear Root, but now I know my brothers are just as supportive. Thank you! I have no way to repay you except by writing with all my heart. I will work hard, and together we will make our mark!
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