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墨書 Inktalez
“Loyalty and Righteousness, what’s wrong with you?” Li Xin reached out to touch my forehead.
I looked up at her and said, “It’s nothing, just a bit of a headache.”
At that moment, Mai Lao and Big Guy returned.
Jenny quickly asked, “How is it, Mai Lao? Can we get across to the shore?”
Mai Lao sat down and said, “No, we can’t. As soon as Big Guy and I step out of this jungle, those red bugs will crawl out from all directions. There’s no way to go.”
Big Guy added, “Yeah, good thing we ran fast; otherwise, those creepy things would have caught up with us.”
“Don’t worry, those strange bugs won’t dare come in here. We’re still safe for now,” I said quietly.
“Loyalty and Righteousness, are you feeling better?” Mai Lao smiled at me. He was happy to see me awake.
“I’m fine now, Mai Lao. We can’t just hide in this jungle forever; we need to find a way to leave. Let’s discuss it together,” I suggested.
Now that everyone was gathered, after waking the others up, we sat down on the ground to discuss how to escape. I also shared what I had encountered earlier with Mai Lao and the others.
Everyone felt it was quite strange. Originally, we had decided to leave, but returning to the shore was definitely not an option. Our only hope was to head up the mountain and see if there were any other exits.
Furthermore, I wanted to investigate that Shriveled Old Man and this mysterious island. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was not just a coincidence; it seemed like someone was orchestrating these events.
Perhaps this small island is truly the destination for our next stop. This time, there’s no need for a vote; the paths leading out have all been blocked, so we have no choice but to proceed this way.
Everyone decided to rest until early morning before marching toward the mountain peak. However, to reach the mountain, we must pass through this dense jungle, which is the only way forward. No one knows just how vast this jungle is, but I can feel danger creeping closer to us.
After finalizing our plans, the others lay back down to continue resting while I got up to search for some sturdy branches that I could hold in my hands. “Loyalty and Righteousness, what are you doing?” Mai Lao asked as he patrolled nearby. Seeing me clutching a bundle of branches, he looked a bit confused.
“I’m making a makeshift self-defense tool,” I replied. The first watch was between me and Mai Lao; in the wild, we always had to stay alert, and someone had to keep watch.
I sat on the ground and used my Diving Knife to sharpen the ends of the branches, turning them into makeshift spears. The Diving Knife was too short for effective escape, and aside from two Spears we had, all we were left with were Grenades.
Mai Lao came over and casually picked up a branch as well. He sat down beside me and said, “Good idea; let me help you.”
We worked quickly together, and in about half an hour, we ensured that everyone would have one. I held mine up and tested it, saying, “The thickness is just right; it’ll definitely do the job.”
Mai Lao set down what he was holding and asked, “Loyalty and Righteousness, about that Mysterious Old Man you mentioned earlier—did he have any distinguishing features?”
“Distinguishing features? Didn’t I already say? He was very thin, hunched over with a foul odor about him.” I arranged the weapons we had made together, ready to distribute them once everyone woke up.
“What I mean is, besides that, did he have any other characteristics? Like... his appearance or something?” Mai Lao gestured with his hands as he spoke.
“No, I couldn’t see his face. Why do you ask?” What did he mean by that?
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just felt strange. I remember you mentioning someone like that before but didn’t think much of it at the time. It just seems odd that anyone would live on such a desolate island.” As he spoke, Mai Lao stood up and looked around.
Leaning against a tree, I said, “I want to know too. I’ve always felt this island is unusual; it’s not just some simple deserted land.”
"Yeah, I originally thought it was a deserted island, but I didn't expect so many things to happen. Old Wang died such a tragic death," Mai Lao said with a hint of sadness.
I got up and walked over to ask, "By the way, Mai Lao, what do you think those red bugs are?"
Mai Lao shook his head and replied, "I don't know either. It's the first time I've seen such a terrifying creature. There's no record of this kind of bug in human history."
"But today I heard Changshan say that these strange bugs seem to be caused by some kind of curse. Have you heard about it?" I asked him cautiously. I remembered Changshan's words clearly; he was someone who spoke with principles and usually didn't make baseless claims.
"A curse? Did Changshan tell you that?" Mai Lao asked with a furrowed brow.
I nodded and said, "Yes, he told me directly. Could there really be such a thing as a curse?"
"It's hard to say. Since we set sail, nothing has been explainable by common sense. However, I've heard some things about this so-called curse, but most of them are legends or rumors with low credibility," Mai Lao said while stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"You know Changshan doesn't joke around. If he said that, there must be a reason behind it." Mai Lao didn't make a clear statement this time; was he pretending to be confused or did he really not know?
"Maybe. Eventually, the truth will come out. It's about time; let's call Big Guy and Jiao Ba up. We should both take a break."
When it was Big Guy and Jiao Ba's turn to stand guard, I drowsily leaned against the tree and fell asleep. I couldn't tell if it was a dream or not, but I kept hearing that old man's voice in my ear—emotionless, filled only with the calmness of death.
After that voice faded away, those red bugs surrounded us again. They scurried back and forth across my body, creating countless holes in me as they crawled out through my eyes and mouth...
I suddenly opened my eyes. Jiao Ba was sleeping soundly next to me, while Jenny and the others were also asleep across from us. Shunzi and Changshan were standing guard; I had to admit these two brothers were quite dedicated, constantly observing our surroundings.
"Brother Yi, you're awake?" Shunzi smiled and nodded at me when he saw I was up.
I glanced at the time; it should be a little past one in the afternoon. Why do I say that? Ever since we landed on this island, I've noticed that our watches are somehow affected, always running fast or slow. Each of our watches has a different time, so the time is not reliable, and there’s no sun here to help us figure out the exact hour.
“Let’s wake everyone up; it’s time for us to get moving.”
I looked up at the sky, which remained a dull gray. Although the dense branches above obscured it, it was still easy to tell. Since we set foot on this island, I hadn’t seen a single ray of sunlight, let alone felt the warmth it brings. This cursed Demon Island is indeed not a normal place.
After waking everyone up, I distributed the weapons made from branches that we had crafted yesterday. I also handed four grenades to Mai Lao; these are crucial for emergencies and should only be used as a last resort. Mai Lao had served in the military and knew how to handle them.
Once we packed our things, we prepared some Doll Face Fruits to stave off hunger and then began our march toward the mountain top through the jungle. As we walked for a while, I suddenly realized that this jungle was much larger than I had imagined.
It was even more terrifying than a primeval forest. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and those strange giant trees seemed almost alive. It felt like they were shifting as we walked, though perhaps I was just being overly sensitive due to my anxiety.
Deep within the jungle, there were no sounds of animals; apart from our footsteps, there was not even a whisper of wind. Without sunlight shining down, the jungle was incredibly dark and foreboding, sending chills down my spine.
Mai Lao led the way at the front while others followed in the middle. Jiao Ba and I brought up the rear. Jiao Ba muttered, “How much farther do we have to go? I’m exhausted! That mountain doesn’t seem far away, but this feels endless.”
“That’s what they call ‘the mountain looks close but is far away.’ You see how near that mountain appears? But walking there is quite a trek, especially in this rugged jungle,” I replied from the back, holding my spear.
Jiao Ba panted heavily and said, “Oh my god, Brother Yi, can we take a break? I can’t go on.”
I was feeling a bit tired myself, but we hadn’t been walking long. The main issue was that everyone had been resting poorly these past few days with little food to eat. Plus, after what happened with Old Wang that night with those strange bugs, we were all mentally and physically drained.
“Let’s take a break then. I’ll let Mai Lao know.” I shouted forward, “Mai Lao, let’s rest for a bit; everyone’s tired.”
Mai Lao stopped and turned back to wave his hand. “Everyone stay put and take a break.”
Jenny and Li Xin were both sweating profusely. Li Xin wiped her forehead and asked Jenny, "How are you? Can we make it?"
Jenny nodded reluctantly and said, "We can do it, I'm fine."
I sliced open the Doll Face Fruit and walked over to hand it to them, saying, "You two should drink something; don't get dehydrated."
Li Xin took it, glanced at me, and said, "Thanks. How much farther do we have to go?"
"I don't know either. If we get through this jungle, we should be almost at the foot of the mountain."
The island looked small, but traversing this jungle was truly exhausting. The ground was covered with mounds; there was hardly a flat spot anywhere. Several times, someone had fallen over, but fortunately, there weren't any strange creatures here; otherwise, it would have been a real hassle.
Just as we were resting, Shunzi suddenly called out to me, "Brother Yi, come over here and see what this is."
I hurried over to him and asked, "What's going on? Why the sudden excitement?"
"Look at this row of flowers!"
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