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墨書 Inktalez
If I take the first drawn Equilateral Hexagon as the center, the six surrounding Equilateral Hexagons can be considered as the second layer. Now I can clearly understand that there are twelve identical Equilateral Hexagons in the third layer, but I cannot accurately visualize them in my mind. I can only seek inspiration from the existing image.
What is it? My thoughts wander through these linear passages, able to shift instantly within the known canvas, yet that feeling of enlightenment has not emerged. I feel like a clumsy and ignorant child, aimlessly traversing through the imagined corridors.
After a moment, a method—a foolish method—appears in my mind.
If my idea is real, of course, it needs verification. We can use the central Hexagon as a focal point and search outward layer by layer. Ultimately, it might be possible to find an exit, or at least discover the whereabouts of Xiao Guolin and his team. However, this method is certainly not what I initially envisioned; although I can no longer recall that idea, I am sure this line of thought is entirely different from my original one.
The feasibility of this approach is low; our lighting does not allow for prolonged exploration. Unless we abandon illumination and explore in darkness, but that would be inefficient. When my thoughts become complicated, it becomes even harder to concentrate, making it impossible to visualize complex images. I have no choice but to set aside this foolish method and the tangled thoughts, focusing instead on drawing my map in my mind.
However, this task becomes increasingly difficult for me. I realize that ever since I was disturbed by that strange voice, concentrating has been a challenge. Just when I was on the verge of breaking down with frustration, a flicker of light appeared in the corridor before me.
I looked at the approaching light with mixed feelings—nervousness, anticipation, and a hint of panic—because that flicker could belong to Zhao Squad Leader or perhaps Xiao Guolin.
As the light drew closer, I shouted, "Is that you, Zhao Squad Leader?"
The light wavered slightly before Zhao Squad Leader's voice came through with a curse: "Damn it, Brother Qiang! Are you trying to scare us to death? Why did you put out the fire?"
With the sound coordinates established, both of them quickened their pace and soon stood before me. Observing their weary expressions, I explained, "We need to conserve our fire. It doesn't matter whether I'm here alone or not."
"We didn't find any markings left by Xiao Guolin at that branch," Zhao Squad Leader immediately asked about his main concern.
I shook my head. "No signs found. But I have an idea."
I then expressed my thoughts. Of course, I also mentioned that to prove this idea, I would have to take a risk and make a round.
Zhao Squad Leader immediately grabbed a hard object and drew a clumsy hexagon on the ground. He then traced lines to indicate branches and drew a second hexagon around it. I glanced at this dreadful drawing, worried that my thoughts might be led astray by it, and quickly looked up at Liu Squad Leader.
At that moment, the difference in everyone's spatial imagination became apparent. Liu Squad Leader didn't even glance at Zhao Squad Leader's drawing; he had entered a meditative state. After a moment, he suddenly exclaimed, "Is this a beehive?"
Damn it, my mind echoed with a loud bang. Yes, this was indeed what had initially flashed in my mind.
However, I quickly snapped back to reality and shook my head. "I also had that notion. But based on the paths we've explored, it should be a flat surface, not a three-dimensional structure."
"Are you sure?" Liu Squad Leader pointed to the ceiling above us.
What doubt could there be? I looked up at the ceiling, which was pitch black. I took the torch from Zhao Squad Leader, who was still squatting on the ground drawing circles, and held it high. The ceiling still presented an eerie darkness. I thought hard; this cave was quite high, but even when I held the torch up as high as I could, I could still see part of the cave ceiling. Yet this branch opening was invisible—what was going on? It was truly bizarre.
I held the torch high and jumped a few times but still couldn't see the ceiling. Unable to help myself, I asked Liu Squad Leader, "When did you notice this?"
Liu Squad Leader's face visibly twitched for a moment. "When we passed the first branch."
"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?"
"What? Didn't I see the ceiling?"
...I was so frustrated with him that I couldn't find words for a moment.
Yes, at that time, it was unwise to say anything that could cause panic. I couldn't blame him for this issue, but the fact that he deliberately ignored this information still frustrated me greatly. It could mislead our course of action. But what could we do now? After Liu Squad Leader pointed out the problem that had been troubling me, I realized it didn't help us escape the predicament; instead, it complicated the situation further. If one thought about it for a moment, it became clear how impractical this idea was. Regardless of the original intention behind constructing this passage, building it into a three-dimensional honeycomb structure held no practical significance. The difficulty of construction was unimaginable; at least I didn't believe their civilization could have completed such a project thousands of years ago. As for the height of the Branch opening exceeding that of the passage, while I couldn't provide a convincing explanation, vague and uncertain speculations could arise. For instance, each Branch opening would be a key area for construction, where personnel, equipment, and excavated materials would converge, especially large excavation machinery that would need to be assembled or disassembled there. This would require a relatively high space.
Once I formulated this speculation, I immediately received support from Zhao Squad Leader, who believed this explanation was correct and reasonable. However, Liu Squad Leader shook his head: "What if it's like this?" He brought his hands together, fingers interlaced as if he were holding a Nest in his palms. With his movable right arm, he placed this Nest somewhere in the space and then fashioned another one in the same manner, placing it in another part of the space. I watched as he continuously arranged these imagined objects in the void, my mind involuntarily focused to keep up with his train of thought. In my mind—no, it should be said in my imagination—a complex model emerged: a gigantic three-dimensional honeycomb. Of course, I knew this was impossible. In reality, a honeycomb is a single-layer hexagonal column structure and not the three-dimensional structure Liu Squad Leader envisioned. He could assume layers existed, but another problem arose: his assumption was that the stones surrounded by these passages were akin to the spaces within a honeycomb, while the passages themselves resembled the walls of the honeycomb. From his gestures and my understanding, the Nest he fashioned to represent the space inside the honeycomb was completely independent and suspended In Midair, which did not align with reality either. I immediately pointed out where his hypothesis fell short. I indicated one of the imagined Nests he had placed in midair: "First of all, these Nests cannot exist independently suspended; that defies logic and does not match current conditions. Furthermore, your idea is unfeasible; the volume of work and difficulty of construction would have been an impossible task for that era." "I was molding Zongzi," Liu Squad Leader seemed more concerned about having his creation called a Nest than having his overall conceptual work denied.
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