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墨書 Inktalez
I felt nauseous and dizzy. My vision was blurred and hazy. Am I dying? My heart was filled with unwillingness and disbelief; I couldn't believe that the person I trusted the most would do this to me, but this was the reality!
Hell was loud. This is what I told Jack. Yes, this time I really felt it—the chaotic noise ringing in my ears. But I couldn't see; my eyes were filled with red blood. This must be the color of hell.
"Damn it! What are you spacing out for? Are you trying to get us killed?!"
I actually heard Fatty's voice. God was truly fair! So quickly, the culprit was brought down to accompany me.
But I soon realized it wasn't like that. I heard gunshots and Tang Yumo's screams. Especially Tang Yumo's screams, right next to my ear, powerful, as if she was exerting herself when she shouted…
I experienced a brief moment of confusion, unable to determine whether I was in hell or underground. However, I quickly realized that I had sensations—my sense of touch and hearing were normal; it was just my vision that was blurry. I immediately wiped my face.
A massive black shadow appeared in my line of sight, so close it felt almost tangible. Alongside it was a gigantic foot.
The foot first stomped on my face, kicking me into the cabin. I lay on my back inside the cabin as that enormous black shadow swept past me. Even with only a single torch illuminating the ship, I could see clearly—it was a gigantic Bat.
The owner of the foot glared at me with blood-red eyes and shouted, "Stop playing dead! Light the torch!"
"Are you trying to kick me to death?!"
I cursed loudly as I fumbled for two torches from the side of the boat, unable to ignite them with my lighter. Blood rained down from above, mingling with the hot shell casings scattered around. Perhaps I still hadn’t recovered from the shock, or maybe I was just dazed from that kick from Fatty. I pressed the lighter twice, but it wouldn’t spark. Just then, a foot landed on my hand, causing the lighter to slip and fall onto the splintered wood of the deck, disappearing in an instant.
"Damn it."
I cursed again and crawled toward the bow of the ship.
The boat rocked violently, and everyone aboard struggled to maintain their balance. The torches stuck at the front flickered like dying candles in an autumn breeze, their light wavering unpredictably. Besides the four of us, there were other things on board—at least one Giant Bat lay dead or mortally wounded across the deck, blocking my path to ignite a torch.
I crawled on my stomach toward the back of the ship, unable to stand up. The thick darkness around me obscured how many monsters were attacking us, but I knew they were right above me. Even lying down, I could feel the massive gusts of air created by Bat wings.
The noise from the Giant Bat suddenly filled the air. It had appeared out of nowhere; before Fatty swung his knife in front of me, there had been no sound of the ultrasonic waves that Bats use to locate their prey.
I was the only one without a weapon—not even a sturdy stick to defend myself. In this state, if I dared to lift my head, I might lose it to a Giant Bat.
However, Fatty and Tang Yumo were also in a precarious situation. I could sense they were under severe pressure; there was hardly any space on this small boat. With no way to retreat in the dim light of flickering torches, I saw them instinctively lower their bodies. Especially Tang Yumo—her knees were bent deeply, and her footing was unsteady as she shifted nervously, seemingly trying to evade threats from above.
The sounds of blades slicing through bone, tearing fabric like paper, and an odd clashing noise—like two knives striking each other—mixed with intermittent gunfire filled the chaotic atmosphere.
The massive corpse of the Bat lay across the deck, separating us four and isolating Jack at the bow while also cutting off access to that flickering torch.
With both hands unable to exert any strength, I positioned myself on my knees and forcefully lifted one corner of the Giant Bat, tipping it off the side of the boat. The vessel rocked violently, but this action cleared my view ahead, revealing the flickering torch at the bow.
Suddenly, a foot kicked my shoulder, and I was thrown forward onto the deck. Damn it, I had been knocked down hard, my face crashing against the wooden surface of the boat, feeling as if my nose had flattened. However, the boat was small enough that when I fell, I found myself directly facing that swaying torch.
But those two torches were still pressing down on me. Earlier, in an effort to shove the Giant Bat's corpse overboard, I had placed them in front of me, and now they were pinned beneath me.
Before I could curse, a foot pressed down on my slightly raised backside. Fortunately, it was Tang Yumo's foot; her weight kept me from pulling out those torches for the moment. My core strength held up well enough to prevent any injury to my lower body. If that foot had belonged to Fatty, my future happiness would have been compromised.
I turned and shouted at Tang Yumo. In truth, I could easily have flipped her over, but I worried about sending her tumbling into the river. The space on the boat was too cramped; she could barely maintain her balance as it was. Even a slight push from me could send her sprawling.
Tang Yumo clearly realized that she wasn't standing on solid wood or debris anymore. Her body swayed violently as she struggled to maintain her balance and couldn't lift her foot. Moreover, she wasn't idle with her hands either; while bending to one side, she swung her Straight Blade in the opposite direction.
Upon hearing my shout, Tang Yumo straightened up slightly and lifted the foot that was on my waist, planting it firmly against the side of the boat.
I had had enough of being treated like a ball to be kicked around! I valued my dignity! I would rather bleed in battle than be used as a plaything in this cramped cabin.
As I pulled out the two torches from beneath me, I squatted and stood up abruptly, only to realize that Tang Yumo—the cold girl—was standing above me with one foot braced against the side of the boat. My sudden movement nearly sent her toppling over.
"Ah! What are you doing?!" Tang Yumo shrieked in surprise.
What can I do in this situation? Is it my fault that you chose such an ungraceful pose? Thankfully, Tang Yumo is wearing a tight-fitting outfit and long pants this time; if she had been in a traditional Hakka robe, I would have been the one screaming.
There was no time to waste explaining. I dashed forward, holding two torches toward the flickering flame at the bow of the boat.
The Hakka people's torches ignite easily. As I brought the two torches close to the flame, the fire blazed up.
With three torches, the brightness around the boat increased significantly, revealing flickering shadows in the previously pitch-black sky. Unlike under the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight where it was impossible to pinpoint their location, in the torchlight, these Giant Bats were no longer appearing and disappearing like they were teleporting. In the clear light of the torches, the silhouettes of the Giant Bats became visible; only when they flew away from the light did their forms become intermittent and hard to track.
I looked up into the air, feeling a surge of fear within me. (To Be Continued...)
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