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墨書 Inktalez
To survive or to perish. For Hamlet, it was a question; for me, it has become a process. The sudden arrival of hope for life, followed by its abrupt disappearance, is so jarring and so cruel.
My heart, once racing with excitement, plummeted into a cold abyss. My body accelerated downward in an instant. It felt like riding a roller coaster, but the thrill was a hundred times more intense.
As my body fell faster, darkness returned to my vision. But it no longer mattered. My frozen limbs and numbed nerves left me powerless to react.
Tang Yumo remained soft in my arms, quiet like a sleeping cat. I never expected to share my final moments with such a gentle girl. Despite our past conflicts, accompanying each other in the end is a significant fate.
I even wondered how I would explain this to her or Fatty and Jack in another world. My brain was already in chaos from the cold and extreme stimulation.
"Thud." I fell onto my back.
My confused mind became even more chaotic, but I knew I wasn't dead—nor was I unconscious. It was Severe Pain that tormented me, the kind of pain that could wake me from unconsciousness.
Severe Pain coursed through my entire body. I felt as if I were falling apart; Tang Yumo's weight revealed her harder side under gravity. My ribs were likely broken in at least three places, my sternum seemed to have caved in, and my lungs must have been punctured by either the ribs or the sternum. Breathing felt like inhaling fire instead of air.
Yet none of this could deepen my sorrow. With one hand still able to move, I pushed Tang Yumo away. Tears streamed down my face as I sobbed uncontrollably. " Fatty, it's my fault you died. Couldn't you have dodged just a little?"
Indeed, I hadn't fallen onto the ground. Just as Tang Yumo had me as a cushion, I had another cushion beneath me— Fatty.
I prayed that when I landed on his round belly, he had already died; otherwise, not only would he suffer again, but I might not even have the courage to survive.
Aside from crying and letting out intermittent sobs and curses, there was nothing else I could do. Every bone in my body felt shattered; an unprecedented sense of helplessness and loneliness mixed with deep guilt for Fatty overwhelmed me. I broke down completely.
"Zhang, he's a pig. There's no need to shed tears for him." A cold voice echoed from the dark, icy space.
Jack! He's still alive! But this brought me no joy whatsoever.
"You have no right to insult my friend like that! He is not a pig!"
"Hmph. I'm surprised you think that way. So what do you believe he is instead?"
"Jack, I don't care how much misunderstanding or conflict you have with him. That word should not be used for him. It's an insult, and I will not allow it."
I could feel the warmth still lingering beneath me; it made me more inclined to believe that I had caused his death. Guilt and sorrow pressed down on me like a mountain as I choked out a roar into the darkness at Jack.
"Insult who? A pig?" Jack's flippant words came from the shadows, seemingly provoking my limits.
I felt blood rush to my head in an instant, roaring through the pain that was ten times worse than trigeminal neuralgia. I arched my body upward. I wanted to show Jack where my limits lay through action. I needed to help Fatty fulfill his regrets, even if it meant getting beaten up by American Guy; I would make my fist silence him.
But Severe Pain overcame my will and body; I remained half-reclined, rigid as if my muscles had turned as hard as bone. At the same time, my consciousness began to blur, as if I was entering another world—the final Destination.
Because I heard Fatty's voice. Still so annoying, yet so familiar.
"Who are you cursing? Not me, you Qiangzi. And you're still trying to match wits with me? Your IQ is quite something."
As Fatty's words fell, a 'thud' sounded, and a glimmer of light appeared not far from me. Behind the light was a grinning face, showing teeth but still wearing an infuriating smile.
My expression and tears froze simultaneously, feeling as if I had been captured in time.
"What is it down there?"
"It's a pig. You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Jack's tone sounded less annoying now.
My stiff upper body was finally melted by the scene before me, and with a thud, I fell down.
I turned my face towards Fatty, watching him limp over. He looked quite disheveled, holding a torch that illuminated his blood-streaked face. With each step he took, his body exaggeratedly swayed, and he gritted his teeth. When he leaned, I could see a terrible gash on his bald head.
Fatty reached me and glanced around before angrily cursing, "Damn it, you're tougher than I am."
I was almost in tears. "Bullshit. Your injuries are visible. I probably have broken bones all over and my lung might be punctured too. Even though you can't see it, it's worse."
Fatty nodded. "Then we're even."
His words nearly left me breathless. This Fat Man always knew how to get under my skin. I couldn't argue back; if I exerted myself too much while breathing, it felt like sulfuric acid was being poured into my airways.
As I bent over, Fatty slipped an arm under my armpit without asking for my consent and hoisted me up. The pain made me break out in a sweat, and the intense breathing triggered severe pain in my lungs; in that moment, I felt like I was about to die.
"If you want to kill me, find a quicker way. Don't torture me like this," I protested as soon as I could manage to speak.
"Stop being dramatic. Just bear with it; we can't stay here. It's not safe."
"How is it not safe? What's going on? Who's here?"
My barrage of questions left Fatty a bit dazed; perhaps he wasn't entirely sure himself. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said, "It's the American Guy."
"Do you really believe what the American Guy said? Have you lost your mind?" I wasn't upset that he believed Jack; I was frustrated that it had put me in such a precarious situation.
"His words are credible."
I couldn't fathom what kind of tricks Jack had used to convince Fatty. But I didn't have the time to ponder that. With Fatty's torchlight, I glanced at the creature that had saved both me and Tang Yumo.
It was truly a pig.
A Black Pig, to be precise. But it was so large, it resembled a calf.
I ground my teeth. "You did this? Impressive, Fatty. You've really learned some skills in such a short time."
Fatty looked unusually embarrassed for a moment. "It wasn't me; it was the American Guy. I owe my life to it; otherwise, I'd have been done for long ago."
I turned my gaze toward the direction of Jack's voice. In the flickering light of Fatty's torch, I saw Jack sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, his face unusually pale as he stared at me. (To Be Continued...)
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