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墨書 Inktalez
I knew that my running looked awkward and ridiculous; it wasn't just a limp, but a full-blown struggle. It felt as if I were running on cotton, my legs completely powerless.
I was very close to the arched entrance, and even though I was moving slowly, I burst through the opening in no time. The Azure Brick Wall and the smooth stones of the Ground suddenly appeared before me, a sight so familiar that it sent chills down my spine.
I imagined my running style resembled that of Pan Changjiang's portrayal of a soldier in one of his films. My body swayed dramatically, causing the entire passage to flicker in and out of visibility under the erratic beam of the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight, heightening the sense of terror.
My mind was clear; despite my desperate sprint, most of my attention was focused behind me, listening intently for any sounds approaching from that direction. I didn't look back; I thought it would be pointless. The sounds reaching my ears were enough for me to make a judgment, and using the Flashlight to illuminate my path seemed far more meaningful.
I couldn't hear my feet hitting the ground, and combined with the sensation of running on cotton, I realized I was moving very slowly. This was different from when I had walked through the Drainage Ditch beneath Lop Nur, where every step echoed loudly. However, there were still sounds here—hard objects scraping or colliding—coming from behind me, indicating that whatever was pursuing me was getting closer.
Yet the sound wasn't urgent; it came sporadically, as if it were leisurely following me like a cat toying with a mouse.
I didn’t know its intentions, but I could sense it was herding me toward another place, as if it wasn’t yet time for dinner or it wanted to drive me to a restaurant before devouring me.
But I had no choice; I could only move frantically down the passageway amidst the sound of its claws tapping against the Ground—slow yet ominously close—unless I wanted to hasten my own demise.
The width and height of the passage matched my memories of the Drainage Ditch beneath Lop Nur. To prevent myself from getting dizzy from the Flashlight's beam while running, I adjusted the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight to its maximum setting. This way, instead of being a straight beam, the light spread out and illuminated the passage ahead with unusual clarity. At least this reduced the flickering shadows caused by my movements significantly.
I didn’t care that such bright light might expose me more clearly. In fact, this light only benefited me; it wouldn’t affect the Blood-Eyed Monster behind me in its pursuit.
Under this daylight-like brightness, I quickly noticed one difference between this passage and the Drainage Ditch beneath Lop Nur. The Azure Brick Wall on either side bore Erosion Marks as well, but these marks were much higher—almost reaching the arched Ceiling.
This discovery made me breathe a sigh of relief: I hadn’t bizarrely returned to Lop Nur after all.
Although I didn't know the actual purpose of this passage, I hoped for a flood at that moment, one that would submerge the passage entirely. At least that way, I wouldn't die in the jaws of the Blood-Eyed Monster; it could accompany me to the grave. Perhaps it would even allow Jack to escape unscathed.
Thinking of this, I began to worry and curse Jack, that glutton.
Just then, I suddenly noticed an opening ahead in the passage.
I adjusted the beam of my One-Eyed Beast Flashlight to its maximum setting. Although this reduced its range, the spread-out light illuminated both walls of the passage without leaving a shadow, making the opening clear as it jumped into the light.
Upon noticing the Erosion Marks on this passage, I deduced that it might be some sort of waterworks. I anticipated encountering an opening or exit because water must ultimately be stored somewhere.
However, seeing this opening still left me in disbelief. It was shaped like a cross. My mind went blank; I began to question the purpose of this passage. I couldn't believe that a Water Inlet would have a perfectly formed cross junction. Even someone like me, a liberal arts student studying Archaeology, knew that this contradicted basic principles of mechanics—how chaotic the currents would be at such an intersection!
At that moment, I also vaguely sensed another issue: in this passage, I felt no slope. If it were indeed a Water Inlet, there should be some noticeable incline; otherwise, it wouldn't facilitate the acceleration of water flow.
Of course, my heightened tension and focus on what was behind me might have contributed to my inability to perceive any slope in the passage. My legs felt so numb that I couldn't sense any incline at all. Yet even disregarding whether there was a slope or not, the very design of this cross junction fundamentally overturned my initial assumption about it being a Water Inlet.
I realized I was facing one of the biggest choices of my life, with three paths ahead—left, center, and right—and if I counted turning back to confront the Blood-Eyed Monster, that made four options. It felt incredibly extravagant.
The straight path ahead was clear and identical to my route in. The two lateral openings revealed only a green Brick Wall; what lay beyond remained unseen. At that moment, a thought struck me: perhaps I could use this opportunity to escape.
The choice to go straight was too obvious; I couldn't shake off my pursuer quickly enough to evade its gaze. Thus, I had no choice but to select one of the lateral passages; which one didn't matter much since I had no way of knowing what lay inside—I could only gamble on luck and hope to choose correctly toward an exit.
As I shook violently while running toward the opening, I tried to sense my limbs. Unfortunately and frustratingly, while I could command my body to react, my limbs sent back feelings of numbness to my brain. In other words, my body couldn't execute the commands issued by my brain with any agility.
This is terrible. It could cause my plan to fail, or even make it impossible to execute.
I decided to give it a try anyway, because I felt that there might not be another opportunity like this.
I had never used the word "staggering" because, although my body swayed a lot while running, I never felt like I was going to fall. It was like a person practicing drunken boxing; despite appearing unsteady and clumsy, the individual was very aware of what they were doing. That’s how I felt at the moment.
The crossroads were getting closer. I mentally reviewed the steps of my plan, convinced that as long as my body didn’t betray me midway, there was still a chance for success. Then I fixed my gaze on the top of the intersection and let out a long breath. There was no heart-stopping black hole in sight.
I felt that my experience in Lop Nur and the Underground Passage had left me with a phobia; wherever I went, as long as I passed an underground entrance, I would involuntarily look up. This included going through tunnels.
With that worry gone, my actions could finally begin. (To Be Continued...)
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