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墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Squad Leader pondered for a while but couldn't make a decision. Instead, he turned to Xiao Guolin and asked, "Xiao Team, what do you think about this?" I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me, cursing inwardly. With his indecisive nature, Xiao Guolin would surely lose all resolve if he was doused with cold water. Surprisingly, Xiao Guolin didn't express an opinion; instead, he made a statement that clearly shifted the responsibility: "Our Archaeology team can't help with this matter, so we won't throw out random ideas and complicate things."
I couldn't understand why Xiao Guolin had changed his mind so quickly. However, this prompted Zhao Squad Leader to make a swift decision: hunting. The return of two automatic rifles filled Zhao Squad Leader with confidence. After Xiao Guolin declared that the Archaeology team wouldn't participate or voice any opinions, I instinctively kept my mouth shut. As long as things didn't stray from the planned course, I was more than happy to stay out of it. Zhao Squad Leader immediately used the Walkie-Talkie to call for the automatic rifles, ammunition belts, and grenade belts to be lowered down.
However, he followed up with a statement that sent chills down Liu Squad Leader's spine: "Liu Squad Leader, you've seen that thing before; you lead the way."
Seeing Liu Squad Leader's pale face, I thought to myself that this was bad. He was terrified of that creature to his core; who knew what he might do in a panic? He could even turn against us at the last moment. I had also promised not to involve him in the hunting operation. So I quickly said to Zhao Squad Leader, "Liu Squad Leader's injuries aren't suitable for further risks."
Zhao Squad Leader responded readily, "Then you go; one of you two has to go. You know we haven't seen that thing and need a guide."
Suddenly, I realized this might be a trap—a scheme to take the gun from my hands. If they separated me from Liu Squad Leader, they could easily demand I hand over my weapon, and getting it back would be nearly impossible. This was unacceptable to me. Ever since I learned about the mission Liu Squad Leader received from Li Squad Leader and his stance on whether or not to shoot, holding onto this gun had become my most steadfast resolve. I glanced apologetically at Liu Squad Leader and said, "There's no choice; it looks like we have to go again."
Liu Squad Leader looked at me with a pained expression but said nothing and lowered his head in defeat. I imagined he understood Zhao Squad Leader's intentions as well. Zhao Squad Leader hadn't anticipated this outcome; however, now he had no choice but to accept it.
The automatic rifles and grenades were quickly prepared. The soldier accompanying Xu Xinming excitedly pulled out a bundle of thin rope from his pocket when he heard we were going hunting and asked us, "Do we need traps? I'm good at setting them." I couldn't help but chuckle at him, "Can you set them in water?" The soldier blushed and replied, "Of course not." With Liu Squad Leader and me joining in, the hunting team grew to five members, with four automatic weapons brought along. Liu Squad Leader could only use one hand now and would have to handle the lighting duties. It was obviously inconvenient for him to shoot with one hand, but using it for the flashlight was no problem. The catch was that the person responsible for lighting had to walk at the front of the group. After a short while of walking ahead, Liu Squad Leader slowed down; he felt embarrassed about being scared but forced himself to keep moving forward.
I could tell without thinking that he was mentally cursing my entire family. Worried he might crack under pressure and ruin our mission, I hurried ahead a few steps and told him firmly, "Watch your step and stick close to me."
Without his psychological burden weighing me down, I moved quickly ahead and soon picked up the pace for the entire team. With me as a living reference point, Liu Squad Leader's tension eased somewhat. After marching briskly for a while, I felt it was time to stop; I raised my fist in front of me as a signal.
Then I turned to Zhao Squad Leader who had caught up: "This is good enough. There's not much point in going further."
Zhao Squad Leader nodded and signaled for the soldiers to proceed according to plan.
The plan was formulated under my leadership, as I and Liu Squad Leader were the only ones who had encountered it and had some understanding of its characteristics. Based on its sensitivity to light, we decided to use illumination to attract it. However, we did not intend to use the Powerful Flashlight; if something went wrong and the Powerful Flashlight got damaged, it would not just be a loss but could potentially endanger everyone. We planned to use torches to lure it out.
While waiting for Zhao Squad Leader to return, I made over ten torch sticks. This time, Zhao Squad Leader brought back a large amount of textiles, sleeping bags, empty first aid kits, Seats covers, and cushions that could provide warmth or be used for burning. We quickly made a few torches for this operation to capture the Aquatic Creature.
I chose a spot where there were some crevices in the Cave Wall that could hold the torches. When lighting the torches, we realized how difficult it was to ignite them without any grease or other flammable materials. Fortunately, before I set out, I had asked Cao Mingzhe for some paper, and after much effort, I finally managed to light the torches.
Three torches were inserted into the cracks of the Cave Wall; their long shafts allowed the flames to illuminate the Pavement clearly. The distance between the three torches was about five meters, and we split into two groups, hiding in the darkness on either side. I instructed the soldiers to keep low and protect themselves. I would be the one to fire the first shot; they didn’t know what our target was, and I was worried they might shoot at the wrong thing. Obtaining food and grease was our primary goal for this operation, and taking down that massive Aquatic Creature was also very important to me. I felt its presence would threaten my subsequent search plans.
I, Liu Squad Leader, and another soldier were on one side while Zhao Squad Leader and Xu Xinming were on the other. This arrangement made sense in terms of weapon distribution; each group had a powerful automatic rifle.
After waiting for ten minutes, I began to lose hope for this operation. The Pavement was calm, with gentle waves lapping against the Embankment; the area illuminated by our fire was limited compared to how far a Powerful Flashlight could shine. The torchlight only reached about five meters of Pavement. Moreover, without grease, the torches couldn’t burn for long; their flames had already started to dim and wouldn’t last much longer.
This wouldn’t do; what should I do? After a moment of anxious thought, I realized there might be another possibility. When Liu Squad Leader and I lured out the giant Aquatic Creature before, besides illumination, another factor was that we were eating. Food scraps fell into the water; although these scraps weren’t enough to fill its teeth, the smell of food might attract it as well. In this underground water source with no light, there should be little food available. If we could attract it with the scent of our compressed food, it became a viable option.
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