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墨書 Inktalez
Xiao Guolin's words reminded me of something. During the descent of our Landing Craft, I noticed that the opening above was shifting to one side until the light from the opening vanished. At that moment, I believed the Ground personnel had sealed off the entrance.
Of course, I wouldn't think that the opening itself was moving; it should have been us moving instead. However, I didn't feel any lateral wind blowing. That was unusual. I exchanged this information with Xiao Guolin.
Xiao Guolin didn't seem particularly surprised. He simply said calmly, "No matter how the opening disappears, the purpose is to trap those coming down inside. If the opening doesn't move, then it's you who are moving. What can you explain or understand here with common sense? No, don't try to understand it with common sense."
Between advancing and retreating, Xiao Guolin chose to move forward. Just as he maintained his perspective, the purpose of the disappearing opening was to trap those coming down underground, and there would be no way back to the Ground from the Underground Water Reservoir.
The Landing Craft roared to life, flying over the Pavement. They had shaken off the Giant Octopus Monster and climbed up the Dam without encountering any more attacks from giant sea creatures along the way. Perhaps that chaotic assault had severely injured the Giant Octopus Monster.
In the USB drive that Xiao Guolin left for me, there was also a description about the Dam. Simply put, across from where we had emerged, on the other side of the Dam, lay a more mysterious place that could even reveal secrets about this area.
Xiao Guolin's goal was that location.
"That is a massive Dam," Xiao Guolin remarked with a hint of awe.
I certainly knew that the Dam beneath Lop Nur was many times larger than the one beneath Hakka People territory. The last time we descended, we hadn't even reached its edge.
The Dam was still under attack by Giant Millipedes. They launched a frenzied assault on Xiao Guolin and his team. Unfortunately for me, I was among those swarmed by those creatures; Xiao Guolin and his group were prepared, as they had brought Flame Throwers with them.
Xiao Guolin directed his warriors and members of the Expedition Team to eliminate as many Giant Millipedes as possible. According to him, even if the Giant Millipedes on top of the Dam weren't completely eradicated, they wouldn't form a population anymore, significantly reducing their threat. He was paving the way for future successors—namely me.
However, no one expected that I would not follow his old path and would go directly down to the back of the Dam.
He even led the Expedition Team members to a meal of roasted Millipede, and then they arrived at the other side of the Dam.
There lay a Rubble Forest. Huge stone pillars stood disordered and chaotic, reaching heights of three to five meters above the Dam. Even their powerful flashlights equipped with batteries could not illuminate the end of the Rubble Forest. It seemed like an endless stone forest.
There was no way to retreat. Xiao Guolin divided the Expedition Team into five groups, each entering the Rubble Forest to explore. He set a time limit of ten hours for each team. In other words, if they did not make any discoveries within ten hours, they would return the same way.
Each team was led by the bravest warriors and those with the most wilderness survival experience. Logically, as long as they did not encounter an unbelievable level of annihilation-level monsters, their excellent equipment should be able to handle it.
However, this separation turned out to be a permanent farewell. Xiao Guolin never saw his team members again, not until now.
"And then?" I asked expressionlessly.
To be frank, this story was uninteresting and rather foolish; even Fatty wouldn’t believe it. I merely posed a mechanical question that didn’t matter; how he answered was irrelevant. My mind was occupied with other thoughts, such as why he was lying.
"Then I came down," Xiao Guolin seemed to realize my disdainful tone but still answered seriously. "I climbed down from above."
I believed that. I believed he had the ability to climb down from above. If there was anyone in this world who could accomplish such a feat, I would undoubtedly say it was Cao Mingzhe; if there were two people, then the other must be Xiao Guolin.
He did not display the same extraordinary abilities as Cao Mingzhe. However, his performance in the Metal Passage earlier could be compared to Cao Mingzhe’s as well. Neither of them behaved like normal humans.
"You must have questions; I can hear it in your voice. I may not be able to explain everything clearly, but I will certainly tell you what I saw and heard. What do you want to know? What do you doubt?"
From Xiao Guolin's face, I could not discern any change in expression, but his voice was sincere, as if he wanted me to believe that everything was true.
To be honest, I have concerns. There are definitely false elements in Xiao Guolin's words; I can hear it. But I don't know the reasons behind his concealment or how much he is hiding. I'm worried that this part of the truth could bring disaster to me and the current group.
My disaster isn't solely about the truth that Xiao Guolin is hiding; it also includes Xiao Guolin himself. I believe all of his people are dead, yet he, as the leader, is still alive and treats this matter so lightly. That in itself is extremely evil.
I lowered my head and thought for a moment, realizing there were still some questions I needed to ask—not only to clarify things for myself but also to ease Xiao Guolin's vigilance. I could no longer be sure if we were still comrades.
I shook my head slightly and asked him, "You divided the personnel into five groups; you must be leading one of them, right?"
Xiao Guolin nodded. "Yes."
"Alright, I can accept that you can't find the other groups, but what about the people in your group? Are they lost? Or are they dead?"
"They're lost. Actually, they're dead. There's no difference."
"Old Xiao, you're being inconsistent. You care about Cao Mingzhe and keep asking about his whereabouts; until you confirm his death, you insist he's still alive. Your team members are also human; until we confirm their deaths, we can't list them as deceased."
"Cao Mingzhe can survive here; they cannot. It's not favoritism; without us few leading them, they wouldn't last twenty-four hours. That's reality."
I felt it was necessary to express my stance. "I don't agree with your approach. Until confirmed, I won't list them among the deceased."
"Zhang, I'm worried that your attitude is why I've concluded they are dead. Fine, I admit I haven't seen them die with my own eyes, but I truly don't believe they can survive. I won't allow this situation to change our original plan: to destroy Eternal Gate and blow everything up here is our ultimate mission. A little sacrifice is acceptable."
"Old Xiao, you don't have the right to decide their lives or deaths."
"Then you find a way to ensure the survival of the current team. I'm responsible for my team!"
Our conversation had reached a stalemate. There was a palpable tension in the air, and I felt there was no possibility for compromise between us. At least, I would not yield on this matter.
"Why abandon them? What was your purpose in coming here alone?"
"It’s not abandonment; I lost them."
"You lost even those who were by your side? How did that happen?"
Xiao Guolin remained facing the metal door as he spoke, like someone stubbornly staring at a wall. However, upon hearing my question, he turned his face toward me.
I could see emotions on his face—perhaps excitement, perhaps fear. His expression was blank, but the skin beneath seemed flushed, as if filled with blood.
He took a deep breath: "I saw Song Guilong."
(To Be Continued.)
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