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墨書 Inktalez
I was momentarily taken aback and asked, "Back to where?"
"To Boots," said Zhao Squad Leader. I could clearly feel Liu Squad Leader tremble at those words.
To prevent any extreme reaction from Liu Squad Leader, Zhao Squad Leader and I positioned ourselves on either side of him. I was genuinely worried that Liu Squad Leader might lose control again, so I reached out and patted him lightly to offer some comfort. My real fear was that he would suddenly jump up and run away. Although he no longer had Boots and wouldn't be able to run fast, he could still move silently. If he slipped out of our sight or entered a certain Branch, it would be nearly impossible to find him again. Sitting to his right, I was determined that if he did explode in anger, I would take out his Right Shoulder in an instant to incapacitate him.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" I asked, a mix of confusion and irritation in my voice.
"I needed to confirm the direction of the Branch we identified along the way. You know, if we get it wrong, we might not be able to return," Zhao Squad Leader replied quietly, and I sensed the uncertainty in his tone. However, compared to my clumsy approach, this method was worth a try.
"Then let's go with your plan," I immediately agreed.
"Why must we go back there? There's no way out; I support finding another route," Liu Squad Leader said with a tremor in his voice.
I understood Liu Squad Leader's feelings all too well; he was terrified of returning to the spot where Boots had appeared. But if we didn't go back there, we would have to start the entire process over again, exploring outward from this location. I had completely lost my sense of direction. Statistically speaking, this place was far less likely to lead us back to the entrance we came through or encounter Xiao Guolin and the others than the third layer we had already explored—the very spot where Boots had appeared.
Of course, I also harbored fears about the strange events surrounding that Branch. Yet I firmly believed one thing: this situation was definitely orchestrated by someone who wanted us to go mad and create chaos and confusion. This meant we were either getting closer to the truth or nearing an exit.
Since entering the Drainage Ditch, the horrors and absurdities we encountered had exceeded anything I had ever experienced in my life. I could understand anyone breaking down under such pressure; however, I found myself growing numb. Any terror or irrationality would only evoke a momentary fear before quickly fading into indifference—at least it weakened over time.
Trying to reason with Liu Squad Leader felt like playing music to a cow; besides, I wasn't in the mood for it. I decided it was time for a serious conversation with him. I didn't intend to engage in further debate; I just wanted him to understand the consequences of making another mistake.
It was too dark; there was no need for me to put on a cold face. This way, I could concentrate better, as long as I got the tone right.
"I don't want to explain the situation with the Boots, because frankly, I have no idea what it's about," I roared at the beginning. After a brief pause, I continued in a voice strained with suppressed anger, "I pulled you out from the crack; you know that process well. So it's not unreasonable to say that your life belongs to me now. Therefore, unless I give the nod, don’t even think about dying. You've already dragged us down twice in a row, and I won't allow a third time. To ensure we are not burdened by you again."
At this point, I stopped and pressed one hand on his Right Shoulder, my fingers digging into the brace holding his shoulder in place. My breathing grew heavy as I tightened my grip on the brace, seemingly caught in a fierce internal struggle, teetering on the edge of rage.
I could feel Liu Squad Leader trembling all over; his shoulder brace had shattered once before, and that pain had nearly broken him. Now, we had no painkillers at all. If I really tore off his brace, regardless of whether we ended up dead or alive, he would have to endure that agony until the very end. My tone and actions conveyed my resolute attitude. In truth, I was waiting for him to compromise, waiting for him to express himself.
Sure enough, Liu Squad Leader spoke to me in a voice that was almost crying, “Brother Qiang, I won’t run anymore, okay? I swear I won’t run away.”
I stopped applying pressure but didn’t release my grip either. It gave him the impression that I was hesitating.
“Brother Qiang, I promise,” Liu Squad Leader said eagerly.
I was very firm, speaking each word deliberately: “I would rather carry a useless person through the passage than allow you to jeopardize us again. You will walk this path with me.”
I sighed and released my grip. I wanted him to understand my determination to incapacitate him if necessary.
I heard Liu Squad Leader let out a long breath. Clearly, my words had a deterrent effect; I hoped he wouldn’t go crazy again because I was truly resolved to incapacitate him at the moment he lost control.
Zhao Squad Leader led the way at the front while Liu Squad Leader and I followed behind in order. Since Zhao Squad Leader only needed to rely on memory to guide us, there was no need for us to split up along the passage. I didn’t know how many Branches we had passed; I could only follow Zhao Squad Leader. He confidently turned left at an intersection without lighting a torch; instead, I used a hard object to draw an arrow indicating our direction in the dark. After entering this path, Zhao Squad Leader said, “The next direction is through the right-hand passage; we’ll proceed through the right side.”
As Zhao Squad Leader stopped, I placed one hand on Liu Squad Leader’s shoulder in front of me. After waiting for a moment, when movement resumed ahead, I followed Liu Squad Leader away from the left Cave Wall, crossing over to continue along the right Cave Wall. Our method of movement felt remarkably like that of blind people; even our actions must have resembled it closely.
The three of us are in a strange state right now, all filled with fear, yet each afraid of different things. Zhao Squad Leader has gone from fearing the failure of our mission to now simply fearing death here. He seems to be an atheist, scoffing at ghosts and deities. Since entering the underground, he has not linked any of the extraordinary occurrences we’ve encountered to the supernatural, which is quite similar to my own perspective. The only time he showed signs of breaking down or despair was when he got lost in the passageways, realizing he might die here. I believe that if real monsters were to appear, Zhao Squad Leader would dare to draw his gun and shoot, regardless of who or what stood in his way.
On the other hand, Liu Squad Leader has always been terrified of ghosts and spirits, whether they be water ghosts or mountain spirits. It’s baffling how someone who doesn’t even fear death can be so afraid of these entities; I can only find it utterly inexplicable.
As for me? I can only laugh at myself. What I fear are the supernatural phenomena here. This vast honeycomb-like maze and the enormous underground lake outside—I don’t believe the Ancients had the capability to construct such things. Everything happening here and anything that appears exceeds my understanding. Frankly, I’m afraid of too much; I fear everything about this place. I don’t hold much hope for returning alive, so I’m not afraid of dying.
Just like my situation, I don’t know how many intersections we’ve passed this time, but I can remember how many we’ve gone through on our way back. When we reached the fifth intersection and Zhao Squad Leader still hadn’t stopped, I sensed something was wrong. In such a short time, we couldn’t have traveled much further. The distance between each intersection should be roughly equal based on my pacing; even if we were just going in circles, having passed so many intersections should mean we’ve covered a considerable distance.
I remained silent, simply drawing an arrow indicating our direction with great effort.
After passing two more intersections, Zhao Squad Leader let out a long sigh: “We’re here.”
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