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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing the judgment of "Liu Squad Leader," my mind felt like it had exploded. What kind of world is this, where we are being herded like livestock by a swarm of bugs? Ever since being chased by these creatures, I had lost my sense of spatial awareness, and my escape route had gradually shifted from a clear direction to a frantic scramble. However, I trusted Liu Squad Leader's ability to assess the situation, so when he made that judgment, my mind collapsed on the spot.
Although running aimlessly was a perilous endeavor, it was still preferable to diving into a trap set by the bugs. Even if it ultimately led to death, that was something I could accept. In an instant, I entered a frenzied state; my thoughts were chaotic, and I felt that I would rather risk my life here than become prey for those grotesque insects and fall into their traps.
"Let's fight back!" I shouted, stopping in my tracks and aiming Muzzle at the Dark Passage behind us.
Liu Squad Leader was excited by my decision to make a stand and was the first to voice his support. "Give me the torch; let's burn these bastards!"
Hu Aiguo swayed unsteadily without the support of me and Liu Squad Leader. "What should I do?"
His words struck me down. While Liu Squad Leader and I still had the strength to confront these bugs, Hu Aiguo and Zhao Squad Leader were unable to even fight back. Was I supposed to watch helplessly as they were devoured by the insects? Liu Squad Leader's hand reaching for the torch also froze, his excited expression turning into one of pain.
"Damn it," Liu Squad Leader cursed loudly as he withdrew his hand.
I supported Hu Aiguo and pushed Zhao Squad Leader, shouting, "Run."
It was a helpless situation; even if I wanted to face death, I couldn't let these soldiers follow me into oblivion. I had to do everything I could to save them. The destination the bugs were driving us toward was undoubtedly their nest; they intended to use us as breeding grounds and food for their larvae. While I didn't understand the life habits of these insects, it was clear that they had the capability to surround us yet left us a path for escape. This explanation seemed more reasonable than any other unless something even more terrifying awaited us.
Liu Squad Leader's face showed frustration and gloom. Just when he could prove himself through death, he had to die in such a humiliating way; the blow was palpable. My mood was equally sour; I couldn't bear this kind of disgraceful death either. I was already considering how to allocate my last few bullets, with one thing certain: the last bullet would be reserved for myself.
The further we ran, the more Liu Squad Leader's judgment proved correct. Under the pressure of the Swarm, we were running in a zigzag line. Losing our motivation to escape inevitably slowed our pace; I felt utterly exhausted, moving mechanically. I awaited that moment—the moment when my strength would fail me and I could no longer take another step, when I could look Hu Aiguo in the eye and say, "I did my best." At that moment, I would unleash all the bullets in my gun into those damned bugs, leaving four bullets behind. By then, everyone would surely want to avoid dying painfully under the insects' bites.
The Swarm behind us was gaining speed; we could clearly hear their approaching sounds. Strangely enough, every time we passed a Branch, another Swarm appeared at a different passage with impeccable timing—never arriving earlier than the previous Branch. The two Swarm Armies always met precisely at each Branch; their fierce competition bought us precious time and kept us from being caught by the Swarm behind us. It felt as if everything had been calculated perfectly.
What force was driving these insects? Gradually, I found it hard to believe that this behavior stemmed from their own volition.
At a fork in the road, we finally came to a stop. Yes, I found it difficult to move my feet; my body felt so weak that standing was a challenge. My spirit was nearly shattered, and the fear of death had faded into thoughts of how I might die. But none of this was the reason we halted; it was the branch before us.
Since entering this passage maze, every branch we encountered had been a Y-shaped fork in the road. Now, before us stood a T-junction, as if a hole had opened in the wall of the passage to our left, revealing a vast corridor. This corridor was shrouded in darkness, while on the cave wall directly ahead, a large arrow was drawn.
I let the creatures behind me draw closer as I stared blankly at the arrow. Although it appeared freshly painted, it was clear it wasn’t made by Xiao Guolin. Could it have been Song Guilong? Or perhaps the force behind the swarm? As long as it wasn’t from Xiao Guolin’s hand, I wouldn’t trust whoever had done it.
I leaned forward and asked Liu Squad Leader, “Do you have any idea about our general direction?”
Liu Squad Leader immediately replied, “The arrow doesn’t indicate direction. This way is closer.” He pointed toward the horizontal branch.
“Let’s go in,” I said without hesitation.
This corridor was roughly equivalent in size to those we had traversed before—very tall. After walking for a short while, I heard Liu Squad Leader exclaim, “Why is it so cold?”
His words made me aware of the chill as well. Indeed, the further we went, the colder it became, especially as my damp clothes clung to me, making me feel suddenly chilled.
I wiped my sweat and said, “The temperature has dropped a bit; just dry off your sweat.”
“That doesn’t help me,” Liu Squad Leader shouted angrily. “The ground is too cold; it's much lower than the air temperature.”
Surprised, I touched the cave wall with my hand and confirmed that it was indeed colder than the air around us. Looking again at Liu Squad Leader’s exaggeratedly raised foot, I didn’t know how to comfort him; of course, I didn’t consider taking off my shoes for him. Maintaining some dignity in death and avoiding further suffering before dying had become my bottom line.
“Hang in there; we’ll get through this section soon,” I nodded at Liu Squad Leader seriously.
"Liu Squad Leader" and "Hu Aiguo" turned their heads toward me simultaneously, their eyes clearly filled with disdain.
"Zhao Squad Leader" chimed in at an inappropriate moment, "It's colder up ahead."
"Hold the torch properly." I was so angry I almost kicked him. Would it kill you to keep quiet?
Sure enough, the further we ran, the colder it became. The frigid air rushed up from beneath my loose robe, sending goosebumps all over my body. It was painfully cold.
The low temperature seemed to affect the bugs even more; the sounds behind us grew increasingly frantic and chaotic as the "Swarm" surged forward at a frenzied pace. With the noise growing louder, we dared not slow down even a bit, desperately pushing ourselves to run faster.
I didn't look back, but I could feel that if I stopped for even a moment, I would be engulfed by the "Swarm."
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