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墨書 Inktalez
I jumped out only to realize that the rope on the crossbow bolt had not been cut yet. The force of the bolt embedded in the wood wouldn't be very strong, but once the rope was taut, it would surely be pulled out. However, once it was pulled out, it would definitely rebound due to the elasticity of the rope. If I were struck by it at that moment, it would be a tragic fate. Moreover, my position was right above the two Lao People, making it most likely for me to be impaled.
I accurately landed on top of the two Lao People, my weight and impact causing them to sink into the water. While they struggled to keep their heads above the pavement, I grabbed the rope binding them together with one hand and pulled out my dagger with the other. Leaning back, I cut through the taut rope connected to the crossbow bolt. Then, using my left arm, I pulled myself back onto the two Lao People.
As I leaned back while holding onto the rope, I noticed that I had once again triggered a hook on one of the Lao People. He let out a howl before continuing to pull himself up the rope with all his might. I felt deep sympathy and regret for him, but there was nothing I could do; only those bound together could advance together. My right arm was of no use in this situation; being tied together didn’t help much.
Not long after we jumped off the wood, the massive log began to tilt along the swirling wall and entered the vortex's trajectory. I could feel some pull from the vortex towards us, but thankfully we hadn’t entered its range yet. The gravitational pull from outside was still manageable, and both Lao People were desperately trying to distance themselves from it, which reduced its pull on us.
Compared to the two Lao People who were fighting for their lives, I could only silently cheer them on while keeping an eye on the movements of the vortex. I had no idea if this vortex would move with the current; hopefully not.
We remained at the edge of the vortex. Not far behind me, the pavement sloped downward. Even without being affected by the swirling water flow of the vortex, the sheer volume of water rushing down this steep incline was terrifying.
The enormous log had already been caught by the vortex and began spinning rapidly within it. When I turned to observe it, I noticed that it did not enter horizontally into the vortex. Of course, it wouldn’t plunge straight in either. It seemed that based on its entry time into the vortex, this log tilted at a 45-degree angle as it spun and gradually accelerated downward.
However, this log was so large that it significantly affected the rotation speed of the vortex. Around this log, the walls of the vortex appeared extremely uneven. In other areas, however, under high-speed rotation, they were smooth like a mirror. It seemed that different flow speeds in various layers of the vortex acted upon this single log, causing dramatic changes in flow speed here and resulting in an irregular bulge in what I called the Vortex Wall.
The Giant Log was slightly lifted by this bulging water as if it were a zipper on a smooth mirror. Yet this zipper vibrated imperceptibly, creating fine ripples in both sides of the water that resembled white threads along a zipper's edges. I was awed by nature's craftsmanship and couldn't help but admire its beauty.
However, this seemingly harmonious beauty lasted only a moment; in an instant, the vibrations of the Giant Log transformed from subtle to violently chaotic and suddenly exploded apart. So thoroughly did it disintegrate that within moments it turned into a cloud of wood chips that scattered across the walls of the vortex and splattered into both its interior and exterior.
The explosion of the Giant Log produced a tremendous sound—deep and muffled—but it pierced through the roaring water noise and reached my ears with such intensity that my eardrums felt pain. At the same time, shockwaves from its explosion traveled through the water towards us; fortunately, water absorbed and dissipated these shockwaves without causing us harm. However, flying wood chips brought me pain; despite quickly turning my head to avoid disfigurement or losing my eyesight from them, I felt sharp stings on my back and buttocks—one, two, three, four, five points of severe pain. I realized I had been hit; wood chips had embedded themselves into my body.
If we hadn't come out, we would have probably turned into hedgehogs by now. That was the only way I could comfort myself.
When I turned my head, the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight in my mouth naturally illuminated the path ahead, shining on the massive tree that resembled a ship. The distance between us was surprisingly short, and my desire to survive surged within me; even the splinters embedded in my body seemed to hurt less.
Under the white light of the One-Eyed Beast, two Vietnamese were standing on a huge branch, alternating their hands to pull up a rope. No wonder we were moving so quickly; it turned out both sides were working hard to shorten the distance.
Although I was puzzled by the two Vietnamese's sudden change in demeanor, I still expressed my gratitude to them as I climbed up the Towering Tree. However, their expressions were far from friendly; their faces were dark, showing no signs of excitement. I almost wanted to ask if they had lost someone dear.
I quickly noticed something unusual: Jack was carrying two guns on his back. Damn, this American Guy was incredible—he had disarmed two Vietnamese.
The Towering Tree was much more stable in the water; at least it didn't shake as violently as our wooden raft did. The dense branches also helped secure our bodies. I grabbed a branch and made my way over to Jack, saying, "Thank you."
Jack was turned slightly, looking in a certain direction, and he didn't acknowledge my thanks. Although I was annoyed by his behavior, the fact remained that he had saved us, and I had no right to lose my temper. Still, I felt compelled to voice my thoughts; we had only gained temporary safety, and there was still a chance we could be crushed at Dam Hill.
"Thank you for saving the two Lao People." This was sincere; while I didn't think their lives were more valuable than mine, if given the chance, I would willingly risk my life to save them. They were the most innocent among us, and my excessive sense of responsibility wouldn't allow me to watch them die before me.
Jack looked at me with some surprise and tossed me a Micro Submachine Gun from his back. "Give me two batteries."
I felt a flush of heat on my face. "We threw everything away. It's a miracle we made it back alive."
Jack cursed under his breath as he stared at me. I felt a bit guilty and spat before turning back.
The batteries were in my backpack and those of the two Lao People. To stay afloat in the water, we had discarded most of our batteries. After getting onto the large log, in order to save another Lao People, both Buasong and I had placed our backpacks on the log for easier movement. The outcome was predictable; after several impacts from the current, our backpacks had long since disappeared without a trace.
However, I remember another person carrying a backpack. When I lay in the water on his back, I felt something bulging behind him. I needed to confirm this; if not, we would be out of batteries. That would be bad.
Just as I turned around, I heard Jack shout from behind, "Over here! Hurry, there's no time!"
My mind buzzed; what was going on now?
(To Be Continued...)
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