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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing Jack's shout, I quickly turned to look at him. In such a life-and-death moment, any means of survival was worth trying, and I wanted him to give me a hint about what I could do. I hoped he wouldn't mess things up, but it didn't matter much; I thought there couldn't be a worse outcome.
However, Jack wasn't looking at me; it was clear he intended to handle this on his own. I saw him shove the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight into his mouth, raising both hands with the Micro Submachine Gun, the muzzle aimed upwards. In an instant, a tongue of flame shot out.
The Micro Submachine Gun fired rapidly, and within a few seconds, fifty rounds had been unleashed. As the gunfire ceased, I felt something fall from the sky, splashing water onto my face.
I directed the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight towards the pavement and saw several enormous bats struggling on it, sending up large splashes of water. I sensed that the number of bugs in the water had suddenly decreased; all the bugs on me were leaving.
It soon became clear why: a layer of crystalline frost had formed on the fallen bats. It seemed those bugs preferred the bats as their meal. The struggling of the bats grew weaker and weaker, and one bat that had attracted the most bugs sank helplessly to the bottom.
Just as I was feeling a mix of fear and excitement, I heard Jack shout, "Stop looking and run!"
I looked up to see that Jack had already swum quite a distance away.
I turned off the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight and focused on the light emitted by Jack's Glow Stick, desperately following him toward the opposite bank of the Underground River.
Though my physical strength had long reached its limit and my body felt weak and fatigued, my will to survive forced me to paddle with all my might. Fortunately, most of the bugs on me had been drawn away by the Giant Bats, significantly lightening my burden.
I didn't know if an aerial attack would come due to the decrease in bugs on me; we had no time or energy to worry about them. All my remaining strength was barely enough to ensure I could reach the opposite bank; there was no room for concern about anything else. I felt an urge to turn back; I had no idea how far away the opposite bank was and had no confidence in making it across. But I knew how far back it was and that I could swim back. However, I couldn't do that. I couldn't bring danger back to Lao People.
Fortunately, those Giant Bats didn't swoop down to attack Jack and me. I was acutely aware they were right above me; their sounds continuously stimulated my nerves, filling me with anxiety and fear but also igniting my last reserves of strength, compelling me to keep paddling.
I lost track of time; I had become numb. I thought that just a little more pressure would send me sinking to the bottom. In this state, I vaguely caught sight of the riverbank.
Jack's swimming speed was not fast. I thought his condition was similar to mine; we both had exhausted our strength, and our bodies were equally stiff and numb.
I exerted more effort to get closer to him and weakly shouted, "If we get to the shore, those Giant Bats will attack us. Don't stop—just run once you're up!"
I noticed Jack showed no reaction, still numbly paddling through the water. I had no choice but to swim harder and reached out to give him a firm tap when I was close enough.
Jack suddenly turned his head toward me as if startled. However, it was I who was truly frightened.
Jack had turned off the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight much earlier than I had, and our illumination relied entirely on his Glow Stick. The Glow Stick was still tucked into the collar of his back. In that moment he turned, the light from the Glow Stick illuminated his face clearly, casting an eerie blue glow that made him look like a corpse. His lips were dark and swollen, resembling two sausages.
I stared at him in horror, my limbs flailing chaotically in the water.
I saw his sausage-like lips move up and down, but no sound came out. Then he stared straight at me. I looked back at him in confusion until it suddenly dawned on me—he was poisoned.
Seeing Jack in such a ghastly state made me think of myself; I feared I might not be much better off. I touched my own face, especially my lips, which felt normal—soft and not swollen or hard. It seemed his condition was caused by chewing and swallowing insects.
When Jack saw that I wasn't responding, his sausage-like lips moved a few more times. They had swollen into two meaty sticks that could only open and close; I couldn't even decipher what he meant through lip reading. He seemed unaware of this limitation, even oblivious to the fact that he could no longer make any sound. I guessed he couldn’t hear anything either.
Fortunately, I could convey information through lip movements; as long as his brain wasn’t damaged, he should be able to understand me. From what I could see, only his sensory perception was affected; his comprehension and reaction abilities remained intact.
I tried to slow down my speech and told him with my lips, "You are poisoned. It must be from eating too many insects."
I noticed Jack's sausage-like lips moved slightly again; judging by his expression, he seemed to be cursing. The movement indicated a sound of exclamation—probably "damn." Ever since he learned that word, he had used it quite frequently; it wasn’t a wasted lesson after all.
"Your vocal cords and hearing are both compromised," I continued to explain with my lips. "Once we reach the shore, we need to hurry to detoxify you. There’s no time to waste—let's start a fire. I don’t believe these Bats are afraid of flames."
Jack ran his hand over his face, and when he touched his lips, his expression turned to surprise. However, as soon as he felt his own tongue, it shifted to fear. I glanced over and felt a chill run down my spine. His dark, swollen tongue nearly filled his mouth.
Jack's two sausage-like fingers twitched again, and then he turned back, swimming toward the now clearer riverbank.
I had hoped this glutton would play a crucial role, but it seemed I could rely on him for nothing in the end. Instead, I had to take care of him while I was starving myself. Thinking about this made me unconsciously move my arms a bit; there was no pain in my back, not even discomfort. This only strengthened my belief that Jack's medical degree was worthless.
The time after getting ashore was the most dangerous. I needed to start a fire as quickly as possible while ensuring that neither Jack nor I got torn apart by the group of Giant Bats during the process. After considering it, I realized it would be difficult to do this alone; I needed someone to cover me, at least to help me light the fire.
I immediately shared my thoughts with Jack and made a gesture as if shooting into the air, signaling him to cover me while I started the fire.
Jack numbly nodded. I noticed he was in bad shape; it seemed his spirit had been crushed, and he was very downcast. It was no surprise; if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't be able to smile either.
I turned on the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight, biting down on it while illuminating the riverbank right in front of me. What kind of world awaited us across the Underground River? (To Be Continued...)
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