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墨書 Inktalez
Jack cursed under his breath as he secured the last magazine to his belt. It wasn't the final magazine in front of him; there were still three unspent rounds in the Empty Magazine before him. Rather, he had finished loading bullets and was putting away the last fully loaded magazine.
"Pray. They're coming."
With that, Jack activated a One-Eyed Beast Flashlight, biting down on it. The beam was set to a wide angle, which reduced its penetration power but increased its coverage area.
In the air, within the visible range of the flashlight, there was nothing but emptiness. Not even a glimpse of the Giant Bat's ghostly form flickering in and out of sight. That meant they were just outside the flashlight's reach. Once they entered its range, even if he couldn't pinpoint them accurately, their Specter-like shapes would become visible.
But on the pavement, a white wave appeared from afar, at the edge of the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight's beam. It resembled waves stirred up by a hurricane or a massive creature lurking beneath the water, creating a surge as it approached us.
This wave, with both ends submerged beyond the One-Eyed Beast's beam, surged toward us with an unknown force propelling it forward.
I respected and envied those who had faith, like Jack. I always believed that having faith was a form of happiness for individuals. Those with faith lived more fulfilling lives; in extreme danger or before death, they faced it with greater calmness.
However, my education and the environment I grew up in led me to abandon faith altogether, even to criticize any semblance of belief in nothingness. By the time I matured enough to consider changing my views or believing in some unseen deity, it was too late. I think my generation has begun to worship money and is passing this belief onto the next. I feel powerless to criticize; I'm merely stating a fact.
At this moment, I had no one to pray to unless I placed a row of Renminbi, Dollars, and Vietnamese Dong at the bow of the boat.
I admitted that Fatty was more carefree than I was. If ghosts truly existed and he happened to encounter one, he would undoubtedly ponder its gender before deciding whether to run or not. Yet his behavior seemed unusual at this moment.
As Jack stopped loading bullets and illuminated the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight, revealing one side of the boat brightly before us, Tang Yumo and I almost simultaneously slowed our rowing motions. I worried that if I eased off alone, it might affect the boat's balance. But I soon realized that Tang Yumo, sitting on the side exposed to the crosswind beside me, had also slowed her rowing.
The only one who remained unchanged was Fatty. He certainly noticed the shift on our side of the boat. His kneeling posture gave him a higher vantage point than mine or Tang Yumo's; he should have seen more clearly than we did. Yet his rowing remained steady. His strength showed no signs of waning. Even as Tang Yumo and I nearly gave up, the boat's speed did not noticeably decrease.
Fatty was extremely dissatisfied with the performance of both me and Tang Yumo, especially with mine, which was evident in his subsequent shouts.
“Stop acting like a damn coward! You haven't even been bitten yet and you're ready to give up! Keep rowing; the waves they're creating aren't faster than us. Charge ahead and let them follow behind. I'll take care of these bastards.”
“Who do you think you are?! Am I someone who gives up easily?” I retorted, increasing my rowing speed.
Jack was already used to our banter, but Tang Yumo had never seen it before. Especially when Fatty got angry and his language became rough. Given Tang Yumo's status in Hakka Village, she probably hadn't heard such crude words before. I noticed her face turning even redder. When she glanced at me, she shot back a disdainful look, as if she considered me just as bad.
I had intended to remind Tang Yumo not to slow down her rowing, but seeing her expression made me hesitate. What was going on?
Fortunately, Tang Yumo accepted Fatty's refusal to give up. Although she looked down on both of us, her rowing speed picked up again.
Even though I wasn't on the side where the wind was blowing, it didn't stop me from observing that direction. I could see the scene on the other side just by tilting my head. However, turning my head meant facing Tang Yumo, and I really didn't want to confront that look in her eyes; it was too damaging to my pride. So I simply focused on rowing.
The crosswind grew stronger, not only overpowering the wind at the bow but also causing the boat to tilt slightly toward my side. The splintered wood and Tang Yumo were both leaning toward me.
“Here it comes.”
With that last word in the silence, the sound of a 16 automatic rifle plunged the Underground Cavern into hellish noise and chaos once again.
“Don't stop; keep rowing.” It was Jack's voice.
“You two keep going.” That was Fatty.
As soon as Fatty finished speaking, the boat's speed noticeably slowed down, and the water pouring down from above ceased. It seemed Fatty had stopped rowing. Whatever was causing the crosswind and waves, Jack's 16 could inflict real damage on it, preventing it from closing in on us. But what good would it do if we didn't row with all our might? Were we supposed to just tickle them with our 9?
I was truly at a loss to question this guy. He had stopped rowing, and the pressure on me and Tang Yumo instantly increased. I was using almost all my strength just to maintain the rhythm of our rowing.
The sound of the automatic rifle firing was continuous, as if it had an extended magazine. In reality, Jack was changing magazines with extraordinary speed and unconventional methods, keeping Muzzle's flames constantly alive. This was different from Jack's initial strategy. When he first encountered the Giant Bat, the sound of his rifle was sporadic, often firing in short bursts to take down the creature.
Now, Jack's rifle was nearly parallel to the river surface, with a foot-long flame shooting out bullets glowing red, tracing crimson trajectories that vanished into the darkness.
Behind me, a One-Eyed Beast Flashlight lit up. Without straining to turn my head, I could see that this guy was adjusting the flashlight's aperture and leaning out over the other side of the boat. He must have set the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight to high beam, casting a narrow beam of light. Fatty was leaning over the side of the boat, almost losing his balance as he peered at something.
Although my curiosity was strong, the urgency of escaping took precedence at that moment. Besides, from my position, I couldn't see any clearer than he could.
However, Fatty's posture helped keep the boat balanced; his weight pressed it back toward him. This allowed Tang Yumo to return to her normal position instead of leaning against me. Otherwise, we would have been awkwardly trying to row without bumping into each other.
"Shoot into the water! What is that thing?" Fatty suddenly shouted loudly.
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