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墨書 Inktalez
When I opened my eyes again, everything was still hazy. My mind felt numb for a few minutes before I finally grasped my situation. Fortunately, I was still secured in my seat. The light in the Sealed Chamber was dim, likely due to a battery issue. Xiao Guolin and the injured soldier were also strapped into their seats, but they were lying on the side of the Escape Pod that had landed, making it look like they were resting against the flat surface of the pod.
I first checked our breathing masks and saw that they were all intact and covering our faces, which eased my mind a bit. I remained still for a moment, turning my neck to assess my body before starting a self-examination.
In truth, after taking a kick from Li Squad Leader, I should have checked for injuries immediately. However, the situation had been too chaotic, with various events unfolding rapidly. I had been mentally focused, busy processing information and considering all possible developments while also being prepared for any emergencies that might arise. There simply hadn’t been time to check for injuries.
I ran my hands over the exposed parts of my body and found no traces of blood; it seemed there were no external wounds. I felt along my bones and joints, and to my surprise, aside from some bruising on my left arm, I appeared to be mostly unscathed. Even where Li Squad Leader had kicked me in the chest, there was no significant pain—just a bit of tightness. My mind still felt a bit foggy as I thought: this must be what they call resilient bones.
After confirming that I was mostly fine, I quickly lifted Xiao Guolin's head to tend to his injuries.
Xiao Guolin had visible external wounds; there was a patch of brown blood crust on his head. I pressed gently on it and found it to be a hard injury with no signs of skull depression. I retrieved an emergency kit from under the seats and took out some gauze to perform a simple bandage. Although there was clean water available, his wound had already formed a scab, so I didn’t see the need to wash it.
Xiao Guolin's breathing was steady, and his pulse was slow; he seemed to be in a state of unconsciousness but appeared stable. I took out my military water bottle, supporting his head with one hand as I brought it to his lips.
This action elicited a response from him; he seemed extremely thirsty and instinctively took a sip when he sensed water. It looked like dehydration from blood loss. I didn’t continue to give him water but took advantage of his regained awareness to softly call his name.
After a moment, Xiao Guolin opened his eyes. His physical condition and reaction time were clearly not as sharp as mine; it took him longer to comprehend our current situation. However, his survival experience matched mine; once he regained mobility, he immediately began checking his own body for injuries. I reassured him about the wound on his head so he wouldn’t worry. Then I turned my attention to the soldier.
The soldier showed no obvious external injuries but was breathing rapidly with an unstable pulse, which gave me an unsettling feeling. After examining him thoroughly and confirming there were no more severe injuries—especially fractures in his head or limbs—I glanced at Xiao Guolin to seek his opinion. At that moment, I noticed Xiao Guolin looking at me with a strange expression.
My position was awkward. The Sealed Chamber was very cramped; in order to examine the soldier's body more easily, I had loosened his safety belt and laid him flat against what was currently the ground wall of the pod. Xiao Guolin remained secured in his seat below me, lying sideways next to the soldier. Meanwhile, I had positioned myself like a spider—my feet braced against the wall while my body and arms stretched out as much as possible between the two seats, hanging partially suspended in mid-air so that both hands were free to check the soldier’s condition. Thankfully, the confined space of the Sealed Chamber prevented me from falling onto this heavily unconscious soldier.
I thought Xiao Guolin was staring at me and felt an urge to scold him: What are you looking at?
His gaze was one of fear and disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost.
When I realized that his eyes were focused behind me, I nearly lost my balance. I quickly turned to follow Xiao Guolin's gaze and discovered that he was staring at the window of the Sealed Chamber.
The window of the Sealed Chamber was located on the cylindrical wall, and for safety reasons, it was heavily reinforced. Now, however, the glass was gone, likely shattered during a violent impact. I had been so focused on our safety that I hadn't noticed the broken window or the shards of glass scattered in the chaotic environment. But now, looking toward the window, I immediately sensed something was wrong, sending chills down my spine.
I was lying almost right next to the window; with a slight turn of my head, I could see clearly outside. The absence of glass made the window transparent, revealing an absolute darkness outside. This description may seem vague and hard to grasp, but I truly struggled to find words for this kind of blackness. The faint light from inside spilled out through the window as if it were merging into the darkness or being swallowed by it, illuminating not even an inch of the void outside. An innate fear of the dark gripped me instantly.
Xiao Guolin did not fare any better; he stared blankly at the pitch-black window without any expression.
Beyond fear, I felt more shock and confusion. Judging by the current silence around us, we were definitely buried deep in sand—so deep that even the roar of the Ground Black Sandstorm couldn't reach us. Yet, despite the shattered window, not a grain of sand had blown in, nor was there any trace of the dry heat typical of deserts. Although I wore a Breathing Mask, my exposed skin could still clearly feel that while it was dry inside the Escape Pod, the temperature was quite low.
Xiao Guolin and I remained frozen in place, each observing this cold black void from our own perspectives. We momentarily forgot about time and about the warriors who were still in danger and needed our help. After what felt like an eternity, Xiao Guolin began to unbuckle his safety belt. The sound of "Kara" pulled me back from my fear and confusion into reality. I watched as he pulled out a penlight from his pocket; after twisting it, it still worked. He bit down on it and clumsily began to crawl up.
The space in the Sealed Chamber was cramped, making large movements difficult. He also had to be careful not to step on any injured warriors; maintaining a standing position was challenging enough. At the same time, the connection tube of his Breathing Mask greatly restricted his range of motion.
I knew what he intended to do and cooperatively shifted my body to give him some space. Meanwhile, I glanced at my watch; two and a half hours had passed since I put on my Breathing Mask. If it weren't for seeing Xiao Guolin's connection tube trembling in front of me, I might have forgotten about this crucial detail: my oxygen supply was running low.
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