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墨書 Inktalez
Horror Chapter
Jiang Liu had never been particularly strong, and carrying a full-grown person made it even worse. It wasn't long before he felt his strength waning, his breaths becoming increasingly labored.
As he watched Wang Ke walk ahead without looking back, a surge of nameless anger rose within him, but he quickly suppressed it. Bringing Sun Ting along was his own choice, just as it was Wang Ke's decision not to offer help. In terms of reason and emotion, his anger felt somewhat irrational.
The journey continued, and several times Jiang Liu wanted to call out to Wang Ke to stop for a break, but he ultimately held back, gritting his teeth and following on.
He had considered abandoning Sun Ting, but every time that thought crossed his mind, Xu Hai's pleading eyes would flash in his memory, making it impossible for him to go through with it.
He had no idea how long they had been walking when he felt completely drained and was about to give up and ask Wang Ke to stop for a rest. Just then, Wang Ke's voice rang out in front of him.
"Let me take over."
Jiang Liu couldn't quite describe his feelings at that moment; a sense of unexpected joy blossomed within him. He carefully lowered Sun Ting from his back and handed her over to Wang Ke, smiling as he said, "I knew you weren't that kind of person."
"What kind of person?" Wang Ke asked calmly.
"The kind that turns a blind eye to someone in need."
"You misunderstood. It's just that I believe Sun Ting still has some value," Wang Ke explained evenly.
Jiang Liu smiled without replying; he felt that Wang Ke was merely trying to find an excuse for himself as they continued walking down the corridor behind him.
After just a few minutes, Jiang Liu looked at the maze-like hallway and asked, "Where are we going? The second floor?"
"Almost there, we need to head back to the first floor."
"Why are we going back to the first floor?" Jiang Liu asked, puzzled.
"To prepare for the final showdown."
"What do you mean by preparing for the final showdown?" Jiang Liu blocked Wang Ke's path, demanding an explanation for his earlier statement.
Wang Ke, carrying Sun Ting on his back, sighed as he looked at the obstructive Jiang Liu. "Don't block the way. We've finally made it in front of them. If we keep delaying like this, we'll waste our advantage. Ask your questions while I answer them."
"Alright." Jiang Liu stepped aside, allowing Wang Ke to pass. "I have two questions. First, I want to know what you mean by the final showdown."
Wang Ke gazed into the dimly lit depths of the corridor ahead. "Because only one person can survive."
"What does that mean?" Jiang Liu's expression darkened. "One person? Are you saying only one of us can escape this situation?"
"That's not what I mean," Wang Ke shook his head. "What I mean is that each of us can only have one person survive this event."
"I still don't understand what you're saying."
"The meaning is quite clear; it's just that you don't want to think in that direction." Wang Ke slowed his pace, contemplating for a moment before speaking in a resigned tone. "I've encountered other versions of you on different floors, and your choices are almost always the same, leading to the same outcomes."
Jiang Liu grasped the implication of Wang Ke's words: similar choices led to similar endings, but the other versions of himself had already died, which meant that he too could meet the same fate in this floor.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Liu asked, "Didn't you say that all my other selves were killed by another version of me? So there must be one version of me that made a different choice."
"That's right, but I don't like that side of you. It's domineering and cold-blooded," Wang Ke replied.
Hearing the word "domineering," Jiang Liu immediately recalled the conversation they had heard in the dark room. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Earlier, when you heard my tone from outside the room, your breathing started to quicken. Looking back now, you must have recognized that version of me outside, or perhaps that version of me is actually the one who killed the others."
Wang Ke paused for a moment before continuing to walk, his tone tinged with a bitter smile. "That's correct."
"What happened?"
From Wang Ke's expression, Jiang Liu easily guessed that something significant had occurred between Wang Ke and another version of himself. It was clear that upon hearing his other self's voice, Wang Ke's breathing would begin to quicken, evidently suppressing his own impulses.
"Nothing much, just some unpleasant memories," Wang Ke replied vaguely, not revealing more to Jiang Liu.
"Then let me ask another question," Jiang Liu pressed on. "Was your earlier attitude towards me because of that other me?"
"Pretty much," Wang Ke said this time without evasion. He turned to look at Jiang Liu. "From the moment I first saw you, I treated you as if you were that other you. But as we interacted more, I realized you are completely different from him. Aside from the similar appearance, you two are practically different people. If I had to give an example, it would be like a person with split personalities."
For some reason, when Jiang Liu heard Wang Ke's last statement, his heart raced violently for a few beats. An image of a long-forgotten figure in black flashed through his mind.
Shaking his head to dispel the image of the figure from his thoughts, Jiang Liu looked at Wang Ke and asked, "Since you have such strong opinions about me, why did you later choose to tell me all this?"
"He's not like you; or at least in my eyes, you two are entirely different people," Wang Ke answered. "Since you're two different people, why shouldn't I trust you?"
Jiang Liu found himself at a loss for words in response to Wang Ke's statement and could only awkwardly chuckle a few times.
"Alright, we should be nearing the second floor. Do you have any more questions?"
"Just one. Where is the final battle going to take place?" Jiang Liu asked, looking into Wang Ke's eyes.
"I thought you wouldn't ask me that," Wang Ke replied, gazing back at Jiang Liu.
"Of course I would. We need to return to the first floor, but we came up from there. Going back seems redundant, and I don't believe we can all return to the same first floor in the same time and space. Since it's the final battleground, the place we need to go should be absolutely unique."
"Have you rested enough? It's your turn now."
Wang Ke set down Sun Ting and handed her over to Jiang Liu. Only after Jiang Liu had hoisted Sun Ting back onto his back did he continue.
"You’re right; our destination is not on the first floor, but rather another level—a level that only appears for those who have died."
"Too—Flat—Space," Jiang Liu pronounced each word carefully.
"That's enough for now; we'll discuss the rest later," Wang Ke said as he looked at the stairway ahead, then glanced at Jiang Liu carrying Sun Ting. "Actually, I really like people with your kind of personality."
Jiang Liu stared at Wang Ke, unsure why he suddenly said that. He didn't dwell on it, and the group headed toward the stairs.
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