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墨書 Inktalez
I was neither blind nor fainting, but I was certainly close to it.
The moment my vision cleared, I tossed aside the torch, pulled out the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight, and clicked it on, the sound of the 16 automatic rifle's bullet being chambered echoing in the air.
As I turned around, I glanced at A San, who was still half-leaning against the wall. I couldn't tell how terrifying my expression was, but I knew it wasn't relaxed. From A San's face, it was clear that my expression conveyed more than just unease. The flesh at the corner of his mouth twitched violently the instant my gaze fell upon him.
I had no words; I simply turned and ran towards the light ahead.
Soon, I caught up with a few slow movers, but I didn't stop. As I passed by Jack, I shoved the last remaining incendiary grenade into his hands.
"There's a big guy up ahead; I'm going to deal with it," I said in what seemed like a casual tone, though there was nothing casual about it—my voice was stiff.
"Damn it! If you're going to run, just run straight! Don't beat around the bush. Coward!" Liu Squad Leader shouted at me furiously.
I ignored him; there was no point in explaining myself. It wasn't worth it. In this situation, running off alone would indeed raise suspicions about my intentions. If Jack or any other soldier had asked me, I would have explained, but since it was Liu Squad Leader asking, I couldn't be bothered.
Jack shot Liu Squad Leader a sideways glance and coldly said, "He’s not a coward! He won’t abandon us."
"How can you trust him so easily? What if—"
"There is no 'what if,'" Jack interrupted Liu Squad Leader. "Yes, I trust him."
"Who told you that? Who said there's a big guy up ahead?" Jack turned to me and asked.
I didn’t stop but slowed down to match Jack's pace as we ran side by side. I pointed back with my right thumb. "A San—his."
"It's true."
A head and voice popped up from the other side of my body. A San had somehow caught up with us.
Jack's face, flushed from exertion, turned pale in an instant. He glanced back at the European on his back and said helplessly, "Then hurry up; we might not make it if you’re slow. I'm sorry. This time I can't fight alongside you."
"I've got this. I'll go with Brother Qiang." A San picked up the torch I had discarded and waved both torches around excitedly.
A San's declaration surprised not only me but also Jack. This wasn’t his usual style.
However, Jack quickly responded with a simple "Thank you."
Then he handed the pistol to him. "Use this; a burning stick won't do any good against everyone."
"Use mine. Your gun is useless," Liu Squad Leader said with a grim face as he handed his Type 95 automatic rifle to A San.
A San cheerfully accepted the rifle along with a pack of bullets.
I hurriedly gave Jack a few instructions and shook my head at A San. "If you're not afraid of dying, then follow me."
I immediately entered a sprint around the bend. I could only imagine Jack and Liu Squad Leader's jaws dropping behind me.
Although they were also running for their lives in the Metal Passage, they couldn't keep up with the stretcher team. They wouldn't even experience the sensation of centrifugal force, let alone stray from a straight line.
In this Metal Passage, only at high or near-high speeds would centrifugal force come into play.
I had no time to care about others' opinions or thoughts; not even Liu Squad Leader's. Even if Jack misunderstood me, I wouldn't give up on charging forward.
Because Xiao Ting and Tang Yumo were ahead.
I was truly prepared for the worst. But I also had to fulfill my promise. I had vowed to Fatty that I wouldn't let Xiao Ting die in front of me, but if there really were monsters ahead, with just Xiao Ting and Tang Yumo, they probably wouldn't last even a few minutes.
No matter what, I couldn't let Xiao Ting die before me. Maybe we were destined to die here this time, but I couldn't let her die without seeing Xiao Guolin first. I couldn't face Fatty empty-handed, under his gaze and trust.
Not long after running forward, I no longer doubted A San's hearing. I could hear the rumbling sound coming from deep within the Metal Passage myself.
Indeed. It was definitely something big. The rapid thudding of hooves echoed against the metal ground, producing a thunderous sound. And it wasn't just one; there were many of them, the dense sound of hooves pounding the ground resonating like an avalanche or tsunami.
The Metal Passage was exceptionally sturdy and hard; such intense stomping didn't make me feel any tremors from it. The sound only grew louder and louder, seemingly threatening to deafen me in the enclosed Metal Passage.
At the same time, a strong, pungent odor seemed to stimulate my brain directly without needing to pass through my nasal cavity. My lungs and eyes felt extremely uncomfortable under such intense stimulation.
It felt as if an iron brush was scraping through my respiratory tract all the way to my lungs. It hurt like hell. Tears uncontrollably streamed from my eyes; it perfectly fit a popular phrase: "crying rivers."
If Tang Yumo saw this scene, she would definitely misunderstand or be deeply moved.
I still hadn't seen any branches. The increasingly loud rumbling from the straight passage filled me with despair; I could almost envision Xiao Ting and Tang Yumo being trampled into mush by a horde of monsters.
"Xiao Ting!" I shouted hoarsely. Despite my voice being drowned out by the thunderous sounds around me, like autumn insects chirping weakly, I had no other choice but to hope that Xiao Ting was still alive and could respond to me. But there was nothing.
My vision began to blur. My heart had grown strong and hard, and I was mentally prepared for the worst. If Xiao Ting and Tang Yumo truly met with misfortune, all I could do was unleash my anger and bullets on that group of thugs. Of course, there was also my life at stake.
To me, dying seemed easier to accept than facing Fatty's gaze. In this world, I didn't feel indebted to anyone except Fatty.
Since I couldn't fulfill my promise, dying a little that night while avenging Xiao Ting could be seen as a small compensation for breaking my word.
In truth, it didn't make much difference; the Swarm of Mosquitoes behind us would drown us in the next moment anyway. It was just a matter of how we would die. Perhaps A San and I would die more heroically, without the humiliation of a pitiful end—that wouldn't be so bad.
What surprised me was that A San actually held up under the pressure, sticking close to me, almost running alongside me in tears. His eyes must have been struggling with the intense stench around us. Although I didn't look at his expression, his tears splashed onto my face as he sobbed.
Of course, my blurred vision left me with little energy to focus on his face. Even though I had finally begun to see him as a comrade, as one of my own, my gaze remained fixed ahead at the end of the Metal Passage, locked onto the light from the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight. I awaited the moment when a miracle would occur.
And it did appear! But what emerged was not a miracle; it was an evil scene that filled me with dread.
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