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墨書 Inktalez
The few ignited Millipedes first had their slender legs disappear in the flames, and soon, the writhing bodies on the ground ceased to struggle, leaving only a few piles of greasy firewood burning fiercely, emitting a charred aroma.
Once again, I couldn't help but give a thumbs up to Zhao Squad Leader's decisiveness; he truly spared no effort and acted without hesitation.
After taking down a few Giant Millipedes, Zhao Squad Leader didn't stop his pace. He dashed through the gaps between several fires, heading toward the direction he had determined.
Seeing this made me anxious, and I mentally scolded him: Are we going to die here!?
After pushing Hu Aiguo towards me, Liu Squad Leader held onto a steel helmet, ready for a desperate fight. It was clear he was completely entrusting Hu Aiguo to me. I didn't have time to wait for him to put on the helmet to help me; I simply hoisted Hu Aiguo onto my back and chased after Zhao Squad Leader. As I ran, I shouted back to Liu Squad Leader, "Hurry, keep up with the torch!"
Zhao Squad Leader quickly ran far ahead. I was so furious that I felt like I might vomit blood; all I could do was risk everything to chase after him. Carrying someone on my back left me breathless, and I had no strength left to call out to him. I was more worried that if I lost my energy, Hu Aiguo would slip off. Fortunately, it seemed that the fire had scared away all the Giant Millipedes; we didn’t encounter a single one along the way.
Finally, the torch ahead came to a stop. I stumbled over and saw Zhao Squad Leader standing upright. Exhausted, I unloaded Hu Aiguo and collapsed onto the ground. During this process, I even spat out some saliva; initially intending to aim it at Zhao Squad Leader's face, but lacking strength, it merely dribbled down my chin onto my sleeping bag.
Just as I was still catching my breath, Zhao Squad Leader asked me, "Where's Liu Squad Leader?"
I had been resting on the ground when I heard this question and immediately lay down flat. It wasn't an act; I was struck down by those words. A wave of helplessness and utter despair surged within me as images of Liu Squad Leader being torn apart by countless Giant Millipedes flashed through my mind. I even thought that it would be better if I just shot him myself; at least that would be a quicker death.
Zhao Squad Leader said, "I'll go find him."
I waved my hand while lying on the ground and gasped for several breaths before speaking, "Don't go; it’s pointless. Without fire, we’ll be the first to die." I pointed at myself and Hu Aiguo, making it clear that neither of us had the strength to move.
Zhao Squad Leader anxiously replied, "What should we do? We can't just watch him die."
I was too exhausted to speak and could only breathe heavily. I reached over to Hu Aiguo for his water bottle and took several deep swigs.
How could you run so slowly that you lost Liu Squad Leader? With your memory like that, you might end up losing yourself if you go back. I cursed him silently in my heart as I began to assess our current surroundings.
Behind Zhao Squad Leader was an impenetrable darkness; even under the light of the torch, nothing could be seen. However, right in front of him under the torchlight was the ground clearly visible—there were even a few empty shells of deflated Ironclad Pillbugs. Ignoring Zhao Squad Leader's anxious expression, I got up and began moving step by step behind him.
Soon, I realized what was happening. Behind Zhao Squad Leader was a vast expanse of pavement, while we were situated on a larger embankment. This embankment was unlike any I had encountered before; it was likely the shore we had speculated about. The water gently lapped against the embankment, creating white foam as it rolled onto the bank. The embankment was only slightly higher than the pavement, and I could easily reach down if I crouched. However, I refrained from doing so; it would be pointless to test the icy water, which was close to freezing. Sure, I could avoid those Giant Millipedes down there, but I certainly couldn't escape death itself. If things went wrong, it would be even worse. My mind raced to come up with a plan.
There was no way back; retreating meant facing the Ironclad Pillbugs, and defeat was guaranteed—no need to speculate on that.
Jumping into the water would lead to immediate hypothermia; there wouldn’t even be a chance for mild hypothermia. It would mean certain death.
A boat—if only we had a boat, we might have a chance to escape. We needed to search along the water's edge for one!
This was the only plan I could think of. I immediately voiced my thoughts, and Zhao Squad Leader shouted back, “I’m going to find Liu Squad Leader!”
“Forget it.” Before I could voice my frustration, a voice emerged from the darkness: “I’m here; help me.”
I turned toward the sound and saw a blurry figure moving in our direction. It was Liu Squad Leader’s voice. We hurried over and found him looking like a charred silhouette, covered in soot like something pulled from the bottom of a pot. The only recognizable features were his helmet and his dangling right arm. He had something dark slung over his left shoulder that made his movements awkward.
I shouted in anger, “Where have you been? What are you carrying? Didn’t you hear us telling you to keep up?”
Liu Squad Leader grinned, revealing his white teeth against his blackened face. “Good stuff—edible.”
The mention of food made me nearly jump with excitement. The three of us practically lunged at Liu Squad Leader, but when we saw what he had on his shoulder, my face turned green. It was a charred Giant Millipede.
“Can we eat this?” I asked uncertainly.
“Sure! I ate some already; it’s quite tasty,” Liu Squad Leader said, revealing black bits stuck in his teeth.
Still hesitating, Zhao Squad Leader and Hu Aiguo grabbed the charred creature from him and each tore off a piece, crunching loudly as they chewed. Hunger quickly overcame any psychological barriers I had; I reached out and broke off a chunk, biting into it with both hands.
The outer layer was carbonized and tasted bitter and burnt—like gnawing on coal. I peeled away some of the charred parts, and surprisingly, when I bit into it again, there was a flavor reminiscent of roasted meat—crispy and light, like eating fried dough twists. We were all starving, resembling a pack of dogs fighting over food as we quickly devoured the large piece of charred insect.
I had never felt so full before; perhaps it had been a long time since I last experienced such satisfaction. I let out a contented burp, thinking to myself that I could indulge as much as I wanted this time.
With my hunger satisfied, I felt energized and ready to follow through with our original plan. I crouched down to fill two water bottles, and then I shared my plan with Liu Squad Leader. After a moment of contemplation, he had no objections, and the four of us set off with our protruding bellies.
The first obstacle we encountered was another wave of Millipedes charging at us. Drawing from our previous experience, Zhao Squad Leader easily ignited a portion of them, causing the Giant Millipedes to scatter in panic. Judging by their direction, they headed toward the exit we had come from.
There were no boats in sight, nor would there be any. After walking for a while, I could only admit my frustration. This Embankment lacked any docking facilities; not even the most basic mooring posts were present, making it impossible for boats to stop here.
This was a heavy blow. I had no idea what the outcome would be if we continued along the water's edge, but I knew we wouldn’t be able to keep going until the end. Our torches were beginning to dim. If we didn’t find a safe escape route before they extinguished, our fate would be grim.
The Giant Millipedes that had bypassed us were all heading toward the exit we had used; they must have been going for a feast. If they filled their bellies, perhaps they would spare us—this might be our only hope for survival, at least for now. However, when we reached a stone pillar, that glimmer of hope shattered.
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