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墨書 Inktalez
Remember this for a second, as it will provide you with an exciting read.
It was a long road ahead, filled with a stimulating scent, yet we maintained a speed that was almost fast.
I had no idea when the corrosive water would come rushing down; all I could do was try my best to get away from here. The others felt the same way, including the injured. No one wanted to bathe in corrosive water, and no one wanted to end up like 'Xiao Guolin'.
Fatty remained silent until I reminded him that we were close to the exit. Only then did he allow us to extinguish the flashlight and discard the glow stick. He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a few stones.
These stones emitted a faint glow, a cold light that was dimmer than the glow stick's, leaning towards green, casting an eerie light on our faces.
He explained that mosquitoes outside were attracted to light and would chase after it. This green light was invisible to the Giant Mosquitoes.
The pungent smell from the corrosive water affected the Giant Mosquitoes even more; during this time, they wouldn’t gather at the cave entrance.
Once we got outside, as long as we didn’t make too much noise or shine too bright a light, we wouldn’t attract their attention.
I asked him who had told him this information—was it 'Xiao Guolin'?
He didn’t respond and led the way forward.
That was the only thing he said before reaching beneath the Dam.
After exiting the Metal Passage, we indeed didn’t see any Giant Mosquitoes. After walking along the stone wall for quite some time, Fatty stopped and turned back to me: “We’ve arrived; going up from here leads to the Dam you’ve seen before.”
I raised the glowing stone high and saw a rope hanging down from the cliff ahead. It was left by 'Xiao Guolin'.
I glanced at Fatty’s severed arm and said, “You and the injured stay behind; we’ll go up and pull you up.”
“No need.”
Fatty replied, gripping the rope with his left hand. With a strong pull, he lifted his body slightly, quickly clamping his legs around the lower part of the rope. He straightened his legs and body while keeping his left hand on the rope, climbing higher by pulling himself up. Just like that, he swiftly disappeared into the darkness.
Worry gnawed at me as I watched him vanish into the shadows above for a moment before turning back to Jack and Cui Zhiqiang: “The three of us will go up first; everyone else stay back to take care of the injured. Some of them will need us to pull them up with ropes. San Er, you and Sister Tang come up last; help me look after the injured.”
"Agreed," A San replied readily.
Tang Yumo said nothing, merely nodding in response.
I finished speaking and grabbed the rope to start climbing up.
I knew Fatty well. He was stubborn and would never show weakness in front of Jack. But with only one hand left, he could manage short climbs, but it would be difficult for him to sustain it over time. I didn’t want to watch him fall.
He might refuse help from others, especially Jack and the Hakka People, but he shouldn’t turn down my assistance.
I observed Fatty ’s resilience as he climbed up the not-so-short rope by himself. At the end of the rope was a section of cliff that was easier to scale. Jack, another warrior, and I hoisted the injured person up before continuing our ascent.
Xiao Guolin had tied ropes at every difficult climbing point, as if preparing an escape route for us. I knew he didn’t need the ropes.
Even with my excellent endurance, by the time I reached the top of the Dam, I felt a bit exhausted.
With a 'pop,' Fatty opened the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight, revealing a stone forest beneath its beam.
Fatty nodded at me, signaling me to follow.
I gritted my teeth and said to Jack and the others, "No breaks, keep moving."
After walking for a while, we stopped in front of a strangely shaped boulder. Fatty stood still, shining the flashlight around the boulder before exhaling. "We go in here; there are marks left by Xiao Guolin along the way. We can't go wrong."
That was it. He finally couldn’t hold on any longer and sat down on a long stone slab.
If Fatty couldn’t keep going, the others were even less able to; they immediately collapsed in various positions around us. Even Tang Yumo leaned against a rock, gasping for breath without any pretense.
I quietly sat beside Fatty. The stump of his severed right arm faced me. The wound had been treated poorly. Perhaps due to a shortage of anti-inflammatory medication, the unbandaged wound revealed signs of infection and rotting flesh, emitting a foul odor.
"Do you have any cigarettes?" Fatty asked me, sitting still.
I rested my elbows on my thighs, too exhausted to sit up straight, and shook my head lightly. "I'm out. That stuff is a luxury."
"I have some," Cui Zhiqiang said as he ran over, handing me half a pack. "I didn't dare smoke in the Metal Room with the injured around, afraid of exposing our position."
I pulled out two cigarettes, lit them, and handed one to Fatty.
Fatty took a deep drag, exhaling a thick plume of smoke. Suddenly, he said to me, "You've always asked why I help you. Since we were kids, I've never hesitated when it comes to your matters."
"I know," I nodded. "It's for a bowl of Braised Pork."
"No," Fatty tossed away the cigarette butt. "I was lying. It's for my mom."
I was taken aback, unable to respond.
"I lost my parents when I was young. Watching other friends call their moms affectionately made me incredibly jealous. You'll never understand that feeling."
I could only nod. "True. But that has nothing to do with why you help me."
"It does," Fatty exhaled and continued. "Back when we hadn't started school yet, there was a time I quietly asked your mom if I could call her 'Mom.'"
Fatty turned his face toward me, his big eyes glistening with red. "She said yes. That was the only time in my life that I called someone 'Mom.'"
Tears streamed down my face. I had never heard this story; my mom had never mentioned it. This must have been their secret.
I held back my sobs and stubbornly said, "That's my mom."
"Yes, of course," Fatty nodded slightly as he looked at me. "But that one word 'Mom' felt like lifting a heavy stone off my heart. It also made me feel responsible for protecting her. Not letting you get bullied is for Mom."
I wiped the tears from my face and said to Fatty, "For Mom, we both need to live well."
Fatty nodded and slowly walked forward. Not far ahead was the edge of the Dam, about ten meters away from the stone forest.
I nervously followed behind him, unsure of what he intended to do, but my instincts were screaming that something was wrong. His earlier words felt like a secret he had never shared with me.
As we approached the edge of the Dam, Fatty stopped, and I noticed his drooping shoulders suddenly tense up.
My heart raced, threatening to leap out of my chest. I was terrified he might do something foolish, so I hurried a few steps closer to him.
Fatty seemed to hear my footsteps and abruptly turned around, a sinister smile spreading across his face.
" Fatty!" I exclaimed in shock.
It wasn't just his terrifying expression that frightened me; it was the hard object pressing against my chest.
I looked down and saw a gun pointed at me. The weapon was held by his left hand— Fatty's left hand.
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