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墨書 Inktalez
Despite the fact that the glow of the Glow Stick did not reach far, the rain outside the Rain Cover and the surrounding Banyan Trees were clearly visible. The absence of fog was the best news at the moment.
I directed the One-Eyed Beast towards the Pavement, and the water beneath the Banyan Tree remained murky, rolling away like thick soup. I raised my wrist to check the compass for the direction of the water flow; it pointed northeast, surprisingly aligning with the direction Fatty had indicated. This was quite a coincidence, as if some unseen force was guiding us to make the right choice.
I shone the One-Eyed Beast around, searching for the hill that should have appeared. At that moment, the rain acted like a dense fog, greatly obstructing the light's penetration. I could only see clearly within a twenty-meter radius around the Banyan Tree; beyond that lay a curtain of water.
Surrounding our Banyan Tree were several towering tropical plants, their canopies nearly touching each other. I thought that if it weren't for the heavy rain, I could climb or leap from this tree's canopy to another.
The rain was too heavy; I couldn't take any action in such downpour. I needed to wait until it brightened up to observe my surroundings before deciding on our next move. Frankly, I was very worried about Jack. Although he should have some wilderness survival experience, I had discovered through this venture that he possessed a strong adventurous spirit—he had even gone off alone to catch a terrifying Giant Scorpion, which was a reckless act. I wouldn't do such a thing; I didn't think any discovery was worth more than my life. What worried me most was what reckless actions he might take alone. Including his behavior last night, I suspected he had ulterior motives and was trying to shake us off.
But what he was doing was far too dangerous, especially alone. The environment here was bizarre and treacherous; facing unknown dangers alone would be incredibly difficult. In this flood caused by heavy rain, if he couldn't quickly find a piece of land or a hill, he could easily be swallowed by the flood. The best outcome would be to cling to a piece of wood and float downstream like I did, but that relied entirely on luck with no guarantees.
Leaning against the tree trunk, my mind wandered aimlessly as my eyes began to blur again, and soon I drifted into a light sleep.
This time, my sleep was not deep; fragmented nightmares invaded my mind. Each segment brought cold sweat to my brow. The last dream featured Buasong being killed by Ah Xiang—bloody and desperate—Buasong cried out for help before dying, shouting my name: "Qiang! Qiang!"
I woke up in a cold sweat and opened my eyes to see Buasong climbing towards the treetops, desperately calling my name.
I shook my head to clear my mind as Buasong continued shouting while pointing down at something beneath the tree, his face displaying fear and urgency. Following Buasong's finger, I looked in that direction.
It was already brightening up; although it remained overcast with torrential rain and mist heavily affecting visibility, one thing before me made my heart race with terror.
It was a massive Python. When I spotted it, this Python was not far from my feet; its enormous head measured over fifty centimeters in diameter, resembling a round barrel as its emotionless eyes fixed on me.
At the moment I leaped, the enormous Python opened its mouth and lunged at me. Its agility far surpassed that of a human. After missing its strike, the Python's foul-smelling maw, propelled by its spring-like body, continued to rise and attempt to swallow me whole.
I could feel the hot, stinking breath pouring from the snake's mouth, and I even caught a glimpse of its gaping throat, resembling a dark cavern. I was certain that if I fell into its jaws, I would drop straight into its stomach without it needing to exert any effort to swallow me.
This overwhelming fear ignited my greatest potential. As I leaped upward, I grabbed hold of the vines securing the Rain Cover with both hands and flipped onto it. This Rain Cover was large enough to shield all three of us from the rain and sturdy enough to withstand the Python's attack. When the giant snake tried to swallow it, all it managed to do was send water and me flying upward. As long as it couldn't engulf the Rain Cover in one bite, it would be entangled for a while; its mouth lacked the ability to tear.
The force of the Python and the hardness of its snout became painfully clear when it slammed into my back. A sharp pain shot through my right side as I was flung into the air, nearly causing me to lose consciousness. Desperately, I spread my limbs wide, gritting my teeth against the Severe Pain, praying to grab onto something or for someone to catch me. I couldn't afford to fall—whether into the Python's mouth or into the water below, either way would lead to my demise.
Fortunately, a hand caught me just in time, and I quickly leveraged it to grasp a thick branch. Thank you, Buasong. While another Lao person was already climbing toward the treetops, Buasong waited for me at a nearby height. Without his help, I would have already been in the Python's jaws.
The Rain Cover below served to delay the Python's advance; it was clear that the snake was frustrated by it, shaking the entire Banyan Tree in its fury. Taking advantage of this distraction, Buasong and I hastened our climb higher.
Rainwater streamed down like small rivers along the tree trunk, and the damp environment caused slippery moss to grow on many parts of it, significantly increasing our climbing difficulty. My right side likely suffered a broken rib from the Python's impact; each breath was labored due to Severe Pain, and any effort with my right arm sent jolts of agony through my back. Naturally, I fell behind Buasong.
As he climbed higher, he shouted loudly. I understood his concern, but I simply couldn't move faster. He seemed unwilling to leave me behind at a higher point, determined not to give up on me. The noise and vibrations from below grew increasingly intense as the Python appeared ready to break free from the Rain Cover's grasp. I didn't want Buasong risking his life alongside mine; under these circumstances, his assistance wouldn't help much—the problem lay with me since one of my arms was useless. Delaying any longer would only endanger him.
I tilted my head back and shouted at Buasong: "Don't worry about me! Keep climbing!"
At that moment, my mind went blank; I had forgotten all the Lao phrases I'd just learned from Buasong and couldn't gesture properly either. Raising my right arm triggered unbearable pain in my back; my left arm struggled to signal while my right hand couldn't grip a branch securely. Just lifting my head for a moment allowed rainwater from above and flowing down the trunk to fill my mouth.
I had no choice but to push forward. Seeing Buasong's reluctant gaze made it clear that if I didn't speed up to catch up with him, he might make a grave mistake. From his expression, I sensed he might consider coming down for me—a thought I could not accept.
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