Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Looking out over the black marshland, the darkness stretched endlessly. This was a vast and seemingly impossible forest swamp. In the black mire, oxygen was scarce, and many corpses of plants and animals, including human bodies, had been carbonized over time, providing nutrients for this swamp. As a result, it emitted a persistent stench of decay, and no one had ever managed to traverse this deathly forbidden zone unscathed.
It was precisely because of its extraordinary nature that it harbored its own secrets.
Seven, who had sunk into the depths, did not perish but began to uncover some secrets—some truths that were hard to believe yet could not be denied.
At that moment, Seven was crouched beside the three individuals who had just been swallowed by the whirlpool of the swamp. They had yet to awaken. The setting was a wooden cabin supported by four large Wood Pillars. At the top of the cabin was a large stone made of Basalt, and a faint beam of sunlight filtered through at an angle. The interior was relatively well-furnished with several wooden chairs and a table, along with some cooking utensils that looked quite old.
Inside the cabin, a kerosene lamp lit by Seven flickered weakly, releasing a musty scent of history. Seven hummed an unknown tune, appearing quite relaxed.
The first to awaken among them was Cao Shi. Upon opening his eyes and seeing a familiar figure, he called out to Seven, startled. Suddenly realizing he might also be dead, he reflected with some emotion: “Seven, we didn’t expect to become ghosts after dying and still be together. Truly, what good brothers we are.”
Saying this, he gave Seven a bear hug. Still recovering from Second's earlier scream, which had startled him, Seven felt quite bewildered by this sudden embrace.
Seven slowly pushed him away and said, “Second, we are not dead.” Second, as if hearing unbelievable news, replied, “Not dead? How is that possible?” Seven responded, “If you don’t believe me, try hitting yourself.”
After hearing this, Second actually punched himself and felt pain. Astonished yet excited, he shouted, “Damn it! I’m really not dead! Seven, I’m really alive!”
Seven let out a helpless chuckle and said, “Quickly check on First and Third.”
Second hurriedly asked, “First and Third are okay, right?”
“They’re fine,” Seven assured him. “Just unconscious like you.” Second laughed heartily again and said, “We brothers really have strong lives.”
First was the second to wake up. Upon waking up, he found himself staring into Second's wide-open eyes. “ Second, what are you doing?” he asked.
With a silly grin, Second replied, “Just wanted to see when you would wake up.”
Feeling helpless until he spotted Seven, First expressed surprise and then asked, “Is Third okay?”
“Nothing serious,” Seven answered.
After waking up, Third saw several people but did not show much reaction, remaining quite calm. He believed that existence itself was reasonable.
The four of them reunited, each harboring an indescribable emotion within.
As they reassessed their surroundings, First said, “Seven, according to what you said, you deduced that there was something more beneath based on a mouse.”
Seven nodded and replied, “I intended to notify you immediately after I fell, but I couldn't get back up for a while.”
“How did you find us then?” Second asked. “Seven said that while he was in this room, he heard a loud noise. Thinking something was amiss, he followed the sound and that’s when he discovered you.”
“By the way, big brother, how did you all end up here? But it’s good this way; at least we’re safe,” Seven sighed after speaking.
First lamented, “We encountered a massive swamp whirlpool and were swept down into it.”
“A swamp whirlpool,” Seven murmured upon hearing this. The thought of a whirlpool forming in a swamp made his expression grow serious. First asked, “Seven, do you know what this is about?”
Emerging from his thoughts, Seven replied, “This is unprecedented; however, I can assure you it’s not a natural phenomenon.”
Meanwhile, Third looked curiously at the furniture and calmly asked, “Does every room here have this furniture?”
After hearing the question, Seven answered, “No, I brought these from several nearby rooms.” Second chimed in, “Seven, you did well.”
Seven chuckled a few times before continuing, “These are just a few intact pieces; if we count those that are already broken, there should be quite a lot more.”
Third remarked, “It’s clear that this belongs to a wealthy person.” Seven sighed in agreement, “Indeed.”
First said, “Let’s not worry about that for now; we need to think about how to get out.”
Stopping his conversation with Third, Seven turned to First and said, "The material of this furniture is excellent, and it's quite old. We can deduce that the history of these houses is also very ancient."
Upon hearing this, First nodded and asked, "Seven, how much do you know about this place now?" Seven replied, "I currently know very little. I only know there are many similar houses here, and there's a pond below. I've checked the water quality, and many of the buildings here are quite complex. It's not hard to conclude that a group of master builders once gathered here."
Second interjected, "What good does all this talking do? It's better to explore ourselves."
Everyone laughed at this. Second looked puzzled and asked, "Did I say something wrong?" Seven responded, "No, Second, you're absolutely right. Talking so much is not as useful as going out to see for ourselves."
Hearing the praise, Second chuckled and said, "I was just saying."
After resting for a while to regain some strength, they followed Seven as he led the way. With a bit of preparation, they set off.
"As soon as we exit this door, we enter a long corridor made of wood, but the walls on both sides are stone," Seven explained.
He lit a torch, illuminating their surroundings as they walked. The light revealed numerous wall paintings that were uncolored and carved into the stone. As Seven brought the torch closer to the wall for better visibility, they saw various figures on the left wall—some wielding knives, spears, and clubs. When they touched the wall, they felt many areas were indented. Suddenly moving the torch, Seven illuminated a dense cluster of small carvings that appeared to be two vertical lines. First ran his hand over it from top to bottom and said, "This looks a bit like writing."
Third leaned in closer and remarked, "It does resemble it."
Seven added, "To me, it looks somewhat like a map."
"What do you mean?" First asked. Seven explained, "Look at how these strokes are connected without breaks; I suspect this might be some sort of indication."
Second inquired, "Seven, do you know what this map is for?"
Seven shook his head in response. Third did not offer any further opinions and continued walking. After a while, Seven said, "I haven't been past that point ahead; everyone should be careful." They all agreed there was no problem.
Their footsteps creaked on the wooden planks as they walked. The wall still displayed some murals. After about twenty minutes of walking, the creaking sound faded away and was replaced by the clanging noise of stepping on stone slabs. At this point, they had changed direction and found themselves on a path made of piled stones instead of numerous rooms.
"These stones that make up the Stone Path must have been cut from larger blocks; each one probably weighs several tons," Seven said.
"Damn, that's heavy," Second couldn't help but exclaim. Seven continued, "The density of these stones should be quite high. Look at the seams between them; there are almost no gaps."
First and Third leaned in closer, silently marveling at the grand scale of it all. The group continued down the Stone Path, which appeared rather empty inside. Occasionally, drops of water dripped from above, hitting the ground and creating a faint echo.
As Second walked along, feeling the stones, he suddenly touched a raised area. Without thinking, he pressed down on it, and in an instant, the group was thrown off balance and changed direction.
During this process, their torch was dropped, and they were plunged into darkness. First quickly regained his composure and called out, " Second." Second responded from nearby, "I'm here."
First called again, "Third," but received no reply. He shouted once more, still no response; Seven was also silent.
Second anxiously said, "This is bad! Third is missing. Seven is gone."
First replied, "Don't panic! It must have been the sudden change that separated us."
Second, still unaware of his role in the incident, asked, "Big brother, what do we do next?"
"I don't know either," First admitted. "Given the situation, we can only feel our way forward step by step."
Second nodded and rummaged through his pockets until he pulled out a spark. After blowing on it a few times, a small area around them was illuminated.
First was momentarily startled by the sudden light but quickly took in their surroundings. Before them lay a relatively large lake; First thought this must be the pool Seven had mentioned. Looking around further, he noticed a pavilion not far away and then a large stone wall beyond that. The stone wall was too far for them to see what lay beyond it. The entire area felt vast and empty; the pavilion appeared particularly isolated.
After observing for a while, First said, " Second, put out the fire to conserve the spark."
Second agreed and blew out the flame, plunging them back into darkness. The two of them carefully made their way to where the pavilion stood based on their earlier memory. The pavilion was constructed of wood and had a circular railing around its inner edge. First kicked at it forcefully, and the wood broke with a crack. He gathered up the pieces when suddenly he heard several more cracking sounds. Alerted, First quickly realized that Second had broken all the seats inside and was watching him intently.
Second smiled awkwardly and said nothing, while First was momentarily at a loss for words.
Second took out a spark and ignited the fire. The wood had been around for too long and had begun to decay, so it caught fire quickly upon contact, illuminating the entire space. Second kept adding more firewood without pause, while First picked up a handful of kindling and walked toward the wall, with Second following closely behind.
The massive, empty stone wall resembled a mural. Unlike before, this mural was painted in color, and astonishingly, it was a complete and perfect piece of art.
The two stepped back a bit to get a clearer view, but they still couldn't see the higher parts.
Second remarked, "It looks like a portrait of a person."
First nodded in agreement but remained silent.
At that moment, the flames surged dramatically. Both turned to look, and the entire pavilion was engulfed in flames. However, this space was still not fully illuminated, and they stared blankly for a while. With the situation set in motion, what more could First say?
When they turned back to look at the stone wall, they were utterly shocked—not just visually but also emotionally. The enormous mural displayed an unparalleled beauty that left everyone in awe.
It depicted the portrait of a girl, cut off at her waist. The wall's surface area was estimated to be several hundred square meters. The girl's delicate eyebrows were clearly visible, her eyes captivatingly enchanting, and her long black hair cascaded down like an unrestrained waterfall.
The colors used in the mural were vivid and distinct; the facial features were sharply defined. She wore a black dress with a white belt tied around her waist. The excess length of the belt hung down in front of her as she placed her hands together in front of her chest, seemingly praying for something, her expression radiating peace and serenity. Both were mesmerized; Second exclaimed, "This is clearly a living person!"
First was jolted awake by Second's words and glanced at him, still entranced by the mural. He quickly called out to bring him back to reality.
"What’s wrong?" Second asked.
Looking back at the portrait again, First couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "It's so beautiful!"
This wasn’t mere enchantment; it was a natural obsession born from humanity's innate love for beauty.
Comment 0 Comment Count