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墨書 Inktalez
I had guessed halfway through, and everything fell apart. Something completely unexpected came out; I almost dropped the grenade in my hand, and most importantly, the automatic rifle didn’t fire. The magazine change that usually took two or three seconds was still not done by Zhao Squad Leader after I emptied a whole clip. Fortunately, the grenade was thrown far enough to reach its intended target. I didn’t have high hopes for the micro bullets; at this distance, their accuracy was hard to guarantee, and they definitely couldn’t compare to the range of an automatic rifle. But grenades were different; as long as they reached the designated spot, the shrapnel’s destructive power could very well make my plan succeed. However, it didn’t matter now; whether the plan succeeded or not, there was no chance for a remedy. After hearing the grenade explode with a loud bang, I shouted desperately, “Run!”
Zhao Squad Leader and Hu Aiguo jumped up at my shout and started running. It seemed that Hu Aiguo’s injuries weren’t too severe. Liu Squad Leader beside me was still staring blankly at the pavement and said, “With so many legs, can it outrun us?” I was almost driven mad by him. I kicked him hard and cursed, “Stop talking nonsense and run!” At that moment, I wondered if his head injury had worsened; it clearly seemed like a sign he was about to collapse. Liu Squad Leader stumbled from my kick but quickly got up and followed Zhao Squad Leader as we ran.
As the grenade exploded, fragments illuminated the pavement briefly before falling into the water, extinguishing the light and plunging the space back into darkness. The rapid shifts between extreme brightness and darkness made it hard for my eyes to adjust; Zhao Squad Leader’s torch ahead appeared very blurry, almost like a pixelated image, which was quite frustrating to look at. I stumbled along behind the dim light of the torch while the sounds of water behind us suddenly intensified—countless tentacles striking against the pavement and slicing through the air echoed from behind us. It was exhilarating; my adrenaline surged as I ran tirelessly, quickly catching up with Xiao Guolin and Cao Mingzhe.
Such loud and chaotic sounds were impossible for them to miss. However, without experiencing it firsthand or seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn’t truly grasp that shock or comprehend that fear. If they had felt it, I thought it would be hard for them to keep up with us. But their current speed clearly slowed us down. Zhao Squad Leader and I each grabbed one of them and ran forward desperately.
The enormous creature resembling an octopus behind us made increasingly louder noises; it seemed to transfer its fury from the water to the embankment, with its massive tentacles slamming against the cave wall, producing thunderous sounds. I could feel the ground trembling slightly under its strikes. However, its rage was aimless; it targeted only the embankment without any specific goal—like us.
The torches in our hands shone like beacons in the pitch-black underground world. From this point, I could conclude that my plan had succeeded—the micro bullets or grenade fragments must have blinded its eyes. Despite how dire our situation was, this realization brought me some relief. I felt our chances of survival had increased.
After running for a while, there was a sudden brief pause in the deafening noise behind us. Then that huge chaotic sound erupted again. I took a few steps forward and felt my face twitch nervously. I noticed a change in the sound behind us; it seemed to be moving toward us as if searching for us while striking against the embankment and cave wall, closing in on our escape route. We had become prey.
This process was evident; its approach was much faster than our escape speed because—as Liu Squad Leader had said—it had so many legs.
The vibrations of the ground became more pronounced as the sound of its massive tentacles thrashing through air and against the cave wall grew increasingly piercing. This thrilling presence spurred Xiao Guolin and Cao Mingzhe’s potential; despite their heavy breathing and racing hearts audible even to those nearby, they didn’t slow down but pushed themselves harder.
Yet we still couldn’t outrun it. Ever since this water monster determined its strategy, no sounds emerged from the water; all noises came from its strikes against the embankment and cave wall. At this moment, I believed even more than Liu Squad Leader that it was indeed a ghost from beneath the water.
As we passed a rest area, Liu Squad Leader stopped and shouted to Hu Aiguo, “Give me a grenade.”
His words made both Zhao Squad Leader and me halt as well. “What are you doing? That won’t help,” Zhao Squad Leader urged anxiously. “Don’t waste time here; maybe we can outrun it.”
“Outrun where?” Liu Squad Leader asked first. “If nothing unexpected happens, this path should be long. Our speed can’t match it; we’ll ultimately be killed by it. Someone has to stay behind to hold it off. I insisted on coming down here; this outcome is my responsibility—let me bear that burden.”
I sighed, knowing he was right; continuing like this would lead to total annihilation for us all. At the same time, I speculated that this water monster must be tracking us through sound—our footsteps and the slight vibrations they caused. If it could also find us through light, there would be no need for it to follow closely behind while thrashing around with its tentacles searching for us.
"I agree with Liu Squad Leader's suggestion." I quickly made my decision, standing by Liu Squad Leader's side. "Moreover, I am the main reason for this situation, so I have even more responsibility and obligation. Liu Squad Leader and I will stay behind to cover you; you all need to run. We will buy you as much time as possible."
My words were firm, but they caused one person to break down immediately—Zhao Squad Leader.
If it were just Liu Squad Leader staying behind, Zhao Squad Leader might have taken drastic measures. However, leaving a member of the Archaeology team behind to provide cover was something his sense of duty and pride would not allow him to do. I could see the conflicting emotions on his pained expression. This time, though, Zhao Squad Leader did not hesitate for long; perhaps time truly did not permit him to hesitate, and he had to make a decision quickly.
Zhao Squad Leader handed the torch in his hand to Hu Aiguo, speaking seriously: "I order you to ensure the safety of both Archaeology experts. Take them to a safe place."
Then he turned to Xiao Guolin: "Captain Xiao, please contact me immediately once you reach a safe location."
Right now, aside from one shoulder-mounted Walkie-Talkie with Xu Xinming's group, we had three portable Walkie-Talkies. Zhao Squad Leader and Captain Xiao each held one, while another was left with the Medic. This way, the Medic's Walkie-Talkie could serve as a relay station so that Zhao Squad Leader could keep track of the search situation on the upper level at any time.
Xiao Guolin had no choice but to comply unless he wanted to die or was prepared to sacrifice himself like Liu Squad Leader. However, it was clear he was not mentally prepared for that; he still had things to worry about.
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