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墨書 Inktalez
I first lowered Jack and the backpack down with a rope, then jumped down myself.
I didn't think there was anything unusual about Jack's inner turmoil. Ever since entering this Valley, I had stumbled my way here, sustaining injuries that I couldn't even count. There were several times when I felt certain I would die. Yet the reality was that not only did I survive, but I also felt more alive than ever, like an invincible warrior. Honestly, I was a bit worried about being officially awarded this title when I returned.
Although Jack wasn't carrying anything, he still moved slowly and needed my assistance. However, he insisted on walking by himself to personally experience the dam.
My flashlight illuminated the junction between the lake and the dam; the surface of the dam was gray while the lake water appeared black, due to its depth. We moved forward towards the opposite bank of the Underground River, where we could see the meeting point of the lake and the dam.
This was my insistence; I had always harbored a deep fear of the underground lake, and if possible, I wanted to stay as far away from it as I could.
One of Jack's arms was useless; he could only lean on my shoulder with his left arm, using me as a crutch to move slowly. He habitually tucked a glow stick into his collar.
After walking for a while, I curiously flared my nostrils and sniffed deeply. Jack glanced at me and began to mimic my actions.
After a moment, Jack shook his head. "Maybe we passed it."
I turned back to look at the riverbank. Everything behind us had already faded into darkness; even with the One-Eyed Beast flashlight shining back there, I couldn't see the riverbank or any remnants of light on it. However, based on my judgment, we should be close to that big fish now. I had gutted it and cut off several pieces of flesh; the smell of blood carried far. The last time I came down here, it was by following that blood scent.
I uncertainly swept my flashlight around. The flat surface of the dam was covered with a layer of water, resembling a shimmering mirror. Aside from Jack and me, there was nothing above the pavement.
Jack had never been down here; he had only seen my flashlight from above without any real perception of what lay below. But I was different; I knew that big fish should be here. The current couldn't have washed it away. Yet it was nowhere to be found.
I couldn't help but furrow my brow as I took the Micro Submachine Gun off my neck and handed it to Jack. "You might need this."
Jack, with a glum expression, slung the Micro Submachine Gun around his neck. "Are you sure?"
I nodded.
"Are you sure I can even shoot in this state? Let alone reload?"
I nodded again, and Jack's words reminded me to dig two magazines out of my backpack and stuff them into his pockets.
"Don't get sentimental on me. If something happens, shoot quickly, or you might not even get the chance."
"What do you know? From the sound of it, you seem to know what will happen."
"The Genius knows what will happen! But that big fish won't just vanish into thin air. Do you think something that can make such a huge creature disappear is just a gecko? If it is, then it must be a whole swarm of them."
At this point, my heart sank. I could only think of one big creature devouring the big fish. If it were a group of social creatures, they could easily strip the carcass clean in no time. A fish left with nothing but bones could be swept away by the water, carried into the icy world on the other side of the Dam. And that possibility seemed even more likely.
The kind of octopus monster I feared should be hard to replicate; it should only exist in Lop Nur. It was unique. Not a massive octopus-like creature as large as a hill, but even an ordinary-sized octopus had never been documented in freshwater areas. Of course, the freshwater squid sold on certain online marketplaces didn't count.
With that in mind, I couldn't focus solely on the direction of the lake; I had to keep an eye on my surroundings and scout for any enemies.
This made our pace slower. Jack seemed to have developed anxiety, muttering repeatedly, "You must know. You must know..."
Fear was spreading. At this rate, we would freeze to death in the water; my feet were already numb. It didn't matter anymore; we had to get to the other side. As long as we were out of the water, there would be fewer dangers. I dragged Jack and quickened my pace.
Surprisingly, we encountered no danger. Neither Jack nor I suffered frostbite; in fact, we reached the other side of the Underground River without even getting completely frozen.
The bank on this side wasn't very high, just over a meter, and even Jack could climb up by himself. Moreover, the space here was not very large; the flashlight barely illuminated what might be the end. I couldn't be sure, but the end appeared gray rather than the usual impenetrable black.
These details weren't my primary concern. The terrain here was drastically different from that at the Lop Nur Underground Passage exit, which was what truly mattered to me. As soon as I saw that slightly over one-meter-high bank, a weight lifted from my heart. I knew I hadn't returned to that terrifying place that haunted my dreams.
As soon as Jack got ashore, he busied himself with starting a fire. The extra piece of fish oil I had was meant for this purpose; I divided it into several portions and packed them in my backpack.
I soaked some rags in the fish oil, and when ignited, they caught fire easily. Jack and I brought our feet close to the fire, rubbing them vigorously. They were almost frozen solid, and it took a long time before we could feel anything in our feet again.
With warmth returning to our feet, our bodies began to warm up as well, and my mind felt less sluggish. At the same time, Jack and I raised a question: the width of the pavement didn’t match up.
Based on our experience traveling downstream on the Underground River, it seemed to be gradually widening. The slowing water flow also supported this observation about the pavement's width.
When we swam across to the other side of the Underground River to avoid the Giant Bat, we could still clearly feel the current there; that area should be considered midstream of the Underground River. However, my judgment was that the river's surface width at that point was greater than what we had traversed on this bank. Jack felt similarly.
This left me puzzled. The water flow had completely stopped here; this was supposed to be the end of the Underground River and should have been where the pavement was widest. Why was it narrower instead? The lake surface had contracted here.
Jack did not agree with my viewpoint. While drying his soaked shoes by the fire, he suggested, "Is it possible that this isn't actually the edge of the Underground River?"
I looked at him like he was an idiot. "Are you saying we're still soaking in the river?"
Jack placed his two shoes side by side on the ground, pointing to each one. "This is water, and this is water too."
Then he pointed to the empty space between the two shoes. "We're right here."
I scratched my head. "Like two parallel lanes?"
"More like two tunnels, separated by a rock wall." Jack gestured toward the indistinct gray. "There should be a huge body of water over there."
I really didn't know how he thought; it seemed too unbelievable. His way of thinking was different from others.
"Let's keep moving forward; maybe we can go around." Jack pointed in the direction of the other side of the dam, into that dark, icy world.
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