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墨書 Inktalez
The light gently illuminated everything, gathering it all beneath "the eyelids."
Cao Shi and Third stood, one in front of the other, hesitant to make any sudden moves. The water in the pond ahead flowed slightly, producing a soft gurgling sound.
Their lips were now severely chapped, suffering from dehydration, indicating they had been down here for quite some time. Both of their physical conditions were poor.
Third said, "It should be fine."
Cao Shi snapped back to reality and replied, "Damn it, a coward isn't a true man. Besides, we can't get out now anyway." Second quickly returned to his usual self. Third smiled knowingly.
Second strode forward to catch up with Third, and together they walked toward the pond. Second cautiously tossed a stone into the water, causing a slight splash. They both sighed in relief as they stood by the pond's edge. Looking into the water, their reflections appeared particularly disheveled and unkempt; however, neither had the luxury of worrying about appearances when survival was at stake.
"This water should be drinkable, right?" Second asked while mimicking a swallowing motion.
Third crouched down, cupped his hands to scoop up some water, sniffed it, then extended his tongue to taste it. "This water should be fine to drink."
Upon hearing this, Second eagerly began gulping down the water as if he hadn't had anything to drink in ages. Third also drank heartily but appeared much more composed than Second.
Suddenly, a clear and crisp laugh rang out, echoing like silver bells before falling silent.
Both turned around simultaneously. Second shouted, "Which bastard is laughing? Come out! I'm not afraid of you!" Third scanned their surroundings cautiously. Second called out several more times but received no response.
Could it have been a mistake? Second wondered aloud. Third's expression grew serious. "It's possible."
"Damn it, if I'm going to die, then so be it. I haven't had enough to drink yet." With that, he turned back to the pond and continued drinking deeply until he was satisfied. "I'm full," Second declared.
Third kept a close watch on their surroundings. "Third," Second called out, "it's your turn to drink; I'll keep watch."
Third nodded and let Second keep an eye on things.
Crouching by the pond's edge, Third splashed some water on his face and rubbed it vigorously. Once he was done, he froze in shock as he saw the image of a girl reflected from the bottom of the pond.
It was strange; in his haste, Third accidentally stepped into the water, causing ripples that disturbed the surface. The girl's image seemed to float along with the waves as if her likeness filled the entire pond—from deep to shallow. Hearing the commotion, Second immediately reacted.
Third stepped back a little, and Second rushed over to support Third, asking what was wrong. Third replied, "There's something off about this water."
Second went over to take a look but didn’t see anything unusual, saying there was nothing there. Third stood up and walked over, and indeed, the strange sight had vanished. Could it have been an illusion?
Not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer, Third collected their thoughts and said, "We shouldn't stay here for long."
Second agreed without hesitation. There were two paths ahead of them, and without getting caught up in indecision, they chose the one they believed they hadn't taken before.
The light gradually faded, and once again, they found themselves engulfed in darkness.
After they left, the laughter from earlier echoed a few more times, melodious and enchanting. A tall column of water erupted from the pool, continuing for nearly a minute.
The path that Second and Third ventured down appeared equally deep and dark. However, they had long since adapted to the darkness, and now there was a hint of familiarity in their steps.
What set this path apart from others was a faint breeze that could be sensed. Having just drunk plenty of water, both felt their strength returning. Their steps were now more assured than before.
The road ahead remained an unknown.
This path was nothing particularly special—just "a road"—and the two walked through it normally. This time, they finally did not encounter that pool again.
It felt as if they had been liberated from something, their hearts lightening for a moment.
But then something astonishing appeared before them—a massive palace. Indeed, with visibility improved, it was clear that this was a palace. A gray palace constructed entirely of enormous stones, grand and magnificent.
They stood still, each expressing varying degrees of awe.
Second suggested, "Why don't we go inside and take a look?" Third nodded in agreement. Thus, almost as if guided by fate, they approached the entrance where a tall stone door loomed before them.
How were they supposed to get in? A wave of helplessness surged within Second. Third looked up at the stone door and felt a similar pressure. Second said, "If only Seven were here; he would surely know how to get in."
No sooner had the words left their lips than the stone door creaked open with a loud rumble. The two were startled and took several steps back as the door slowly opened. A gust of musty air filled with the scent of historical dust rushed toward them, causing both to cough uncontrollably. Once the dust settled, they cautiously stepped into the darkness beyond.
"Third," said, "Second, see if you can find an oil lamp." Second blew on the flame, and soon found the remaining lamps in the room. One by one, Second lit them, and suddenly the entire palace brightened up, revealing the interior clearly. Each chair in the stone hall was adorned with a skull. Third approached to examine these skulls and could tell that this place had some history.
The two shifted their gaze elsewhere. Damn it, they had encountered ghosts, Second thought uneasily. Third felt a similar sense of dread. In the center of the stone hall was a carved portrait of a girl. "This is going to be a long ordeal," Second muttered helplessly.
Third stared at the portrait, thinking that this dungeon must be closely related to the girl.
"I'll check out other areas," Second said weakly. After a moment of hesitation, Third replied, "I'll go too."
The palace had three layers, each about seven meters high. The main color scheme inside was predominantly white, with stone as the primary building material and wood as the secondary material, complemented by fabric.
The floors were connected by a wooden spiral staircase. Looking up, they could see the ceiling of the palace.
The railings between the floors were made of hollowed stone blocks.
Moreover, there were many rooms in this palace; however, it was strange that there was nothing inside them—empty and desolate. The two pushed open room after room, finding them all the same. "Damn it, these rich folks are odd; why would they need empty rooms?" Second cursed.
"Perhaps not," Third said quietly. Just as they opened the last room on the first floor, a shadow rushed past them like the wind and quickly slipped into the room they were about to enter. The door slammed shut behind it. Both Second and Third were startled and frightened; once they regained their composure, they tried to push open the door but to no avail. "Damn it! If you have guts, open this door!" Second shouted angrily. Third pushed against the door again but got no response and gave up, searching around for any mechanism that might open it. To their disappointment, there was nothing.
"Second, don't waste your effort; this door won't budge," Second cursed bitterly, blaming himself for not entering sooner and letting that "kid" get ahead.
Third remained silent; it seemed there were more than just the two of them here—he realized this fact.
"Let's go upstairs and take a look," Second shouted indignantly.
The two ascended the spiral staircase, which creaked under their weight—a sign of its age. Although the architecture here was remarkable, everything was subject to the ravages of time because time is an eternal killer.
Upon reaching the second floor and brightening their flames again, they noticed that its layout differed significantly from the first floor; almost all of it consisted of rooms tightly packed together like layers of an onion with no extra space.
They continued as before, opening one room after another. To their astonishment, the previously opened room was filled to capacity with chairs—so crowded that not even a single person could fit inside. Standing outside, Third touched one of the chairs; it was made of fine wood—that was his first impression. Before he could take in more details, Second eagerly pushed open another room which also turned out to be crammed full—this time with various tables: square tables, octagonal tables, and tea tables for guests. Second swallowed hard and said, "Who has so much time on their hands?"
All subsequent rooms were similarly filled with various items; however, one thing stood out: these were all common household items used in daily life.
In a house filled with blocks of salt, not in granules but stacked neatly, Third pulled out a knife and cut off a few chunks to tuck into his pocket. Second asked, "What do you need those salt blocks for, Third?" Third replied, "They might come in handy later." Second suppressed his curiosity and led the way up the stairs. As they ascended, both were oblivious to the continuous symbols carved into the steps beneath them, resembling those from their earlier departure.
The symbols were deeply embedded in the floorboards, almost hollowing out the wood. They stood out starkly yet seemed understated at that moment.
With strong curiosity driving them, the two reached the third floor. It appeared slightly narrower than the two floors below. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the building materials on this floor differed from those used in the other two.
The entire third floor felt like an independent space, as if it had no connection to the lower levels. There was a satirical fable that went like this: A landlord wanted to build a house and told the engineer, "I want three layers." The engineer understood and began construction. A day later, when the landlord came to check on the progress, he found workers digging the foundation. Anxiously, he rushed over and said, "I don't want two floors below; I only want the third floor." This fable was originally a satire, but now it seemed it could become a reality.
The idea of an independent third layer sounded absurd; in fact, if you told others about it, they would surely think you were foolish.
Feeling something was off, Third lowered his voice and said to Second, "Be careful, Second."
Second gripped a metal rod tightly in his hand, indicating he wasn't afraid. Third sighed in resignation.
Habitually, Second tried to open a door. At first, it didn’t budge; he pushed harder but still got no response. Finally, he put all his strength into it, yet the door remained immovable.
Third stepped forward and grabbed Second's wrist, signaling him to stop pushing. Only then did Second relent and mutter, "Why can't I push it?"
Third gestured for silence while shaking slightly; something was moving faintly. Second sensed it at that moment.
Standing firm, Second asked Third, "What is this?" The shaking intensified, making it difficult for them to maintain their balance.
"Oh no! Damn it! Is this an earthquake?" Second shouted. "Second, hold onto the railing and let's retreat to the second floor," Third instructed as he steadied himself against the railing. Looking down, Second cursed loudly, "Why isn't the second floor shaking?" They moved to the staircase entrance where the tremors on the third floor had escalated dramatically. They felt like drifting weeds on water being tossed back again.
After several rounds of being thrown about, both felt seasick. "Second, hold tight to the railing!" Third yelled.
They were once again thrown against the railing but this time held on firmly without letting go. Both were panting heavily. "What kind of nonsense is happening now?" Second complained weakly.
"Third, I think this is an independent entity," he replied as their bodies still struggled to stabilize amidst intermittent shaking. Another jolt caused them to see clearly how much space there was between the third and second floors—startling them as they were suddenly flung through a door that had previously resisted all their efforts to open. Now it had swallowed them whole.
The darkness engulfed the two once again, swaying for a while before Third couldn't help but vomit, though there was nothing in his stomach, only bitter bile came out. Second asked with concern, "Are you okay, Third?" Third wiped his mouth and replied lightly, "I'm fine, Second."
Suddenly, Second said, "It seems like the swaying isn't as intense anymore."
Third nodded. The motion was indeed becoming less pronounced, gradually coming to a stop. Second laughed heartily and said, "Damn it, finally stable."
"Not quite, Second, this thing is still moving."
"What?" Second looked skeptical. He took out the firestarter from his pocket and found a lamp in the room to light it. The room was surprisingly tidy; despite the earlier violent swaying, everything remained in place. Second didn't dwell on that and went straight to the door. As he opened it, his heart leaped from his stomach to his throat. "Damn it, this is going against the heavens." A gust of evening wind blew in from outside, bringing a chill.
Second cautiously withdrew his foot that was about to step out and slammed the door shut, retreating back into the corner of the room with a look of terror on his face.
"We're suspended," Second said, still shaken.
Third asked, "What's wrong, Second?" Second replied, "You should open the door and see for yourself."
Third walked over, grasped the doorknob, and slowly pulled it open. Another cold breeze rushed in, but Third felt an icy chill as if he had fallen into a frozen cavern. At that moment, they were suspended over twenty meters in the air; “Three Layers” seemed to be tethered by something and was gliding along. Third tightened his grip on the doorknob and took a step forward to look down. He could vaguely sense just how terrifying this height was.
He quickly stepped back inside and closed the door. His complexion had drained of color, more pale than before as if all the blood had been drawn out.
" Second, this time it seems we are truly in grave danger. If we fall midway, we will definitely be smashed to pieces."
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