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墨書 Inktalez
Third did not respond, lost in thought about an ancient legend he had heard from his elders. He had always considered it just a story, but now it felt as if some unseen force was leading this legend toward reality.
As Third pondered deeply, he began to hypothesize step by step, trying to find a way out from this assumption.
The speed of their sliding increased, and Second shouted, feeling unsteady on his feet. Both of them clung tightly to the sturdy objects in the room.
Suddenly, a violent impact struck, and both were knocked unconscious.
After a while, they slowly regained consciousness. Second, feeling dizzy, got up from the floor. The room was now stable.
Third had not yet awakened. Second staggered over and nudged Third. Third's eyelids fluttered slightly before he opened his eyes wide in alertness. He glanced at Second, then shifted his gaze elsewhere before climbing to his feet and asking, “Second, how long have you been awake?” Second replied, “About a minute longer than you.”
The fire in the room still flickered, casting dancing shadows. Suddenly, Second's stomach growled; they hadn’t eaten anything since entering. Third felt the pangs of hunger as well.
If they didn’t leave soon, even if they weren’t killed by something else, hunger could claim their lives here.
After some discussion, they decided that since Second was in better shape than Third, he would lead the way while Third would bring up the rear.
Second slowly turned the doorknob. As he stepped through the door, the first thing that caught his eye was the railing of the third floor. Beyond it lay a graveyard; the light was dim, but it was clear that this cemetery was extensive.
Cold sweat broke out on Third's forehead as a chilling wind swept outside, creating a disordered and desolate atmosphere. Second was startled too; although he had seen graveyards before, he had never encountered one underground.
Second turned back to pass by Third, who was still processing what he saw. Once inside, Second exerted effort to fashion a simple torch from materials found within. The third floor now stood before a graveyard like a solitary mourner, watching over both of them and this desolate place with no hint of emotion. Many rooms on the third floor remained unopened, but at that moment, they couldn’t afford to worry about that.
When Second emerged again, Third was jolted back by a wave of heat.
The torch's light extended visibility several meters ahead, revealing only desolation and each silent grave. Unintentionally, Third found himself standing in line with Second.
The two of them stood at the entrance of the cemetery, surrounded by countless tombstones. Second took a deep breath and said, "Let's go in." The flickering flames of their torch danced in the wind, making a sound like whispers, as if they might extinguish at any moment. In fact, the light was indeed growing dimmer.
Third paused for a moment, suddenly captivated by something. There were carvings on the ground. " Second, shine the torch over here," Third called out.
As the light illuminated the area, the carvings became strikingly clear. A row of continuous symbols, either a map or text, was etched above, while below it was a line written in small seal script. Third wiped the ground clean. Having studied ancient medicine, Third had some understanding of Ancient Script and focused intently on that line of small seal script. The expression on Third's face shifted slightly as they read: "No entry for those not of my kin; violators will face death." Third silently repeated it several times in their mind.
Second, however, was anxiously asking, "What the hell does this mean?"
"It can be confirmed that this strange string of symbols is also a form of writing," Third thought to themselves. After hearing Second's question but not revealing the original meaning, Third replied casually, "This is a cemetery. The text above means 'Evergreen Cemetery.'" Second asked, "What does that mean?" Third answered nonchalantly, "It's just a burial ground."
Second nodded in vague understanding and chose not to dwell on it further. "Then let's get moving," Second said. As they spoke, Third glanced back at the isolated Third Floor and then at the cemetery, quickly making a decision in their mind: rather than waiting for disaster to strike, it was better to take initiative. Worse still, they had no chance to turn back now.
Third agreed with Second and followed in their footsteps.
The torch held by Second seemed to tremble in this place. As they stepped inside, they felt an overwhelming sense of history mixed with a hint of solemnity wash over them.
The cemetery was tangled with withered vines everywhere, occasionally interrupted by patches of wild grass. The two held their breath and tread carefully, their hearts racing as they stepped on the ground that echoed softly in the darkness. As they entered the graveyard, Third leaned closer to a tombstone to gather more information; however, to their disappointment, the inscriptions were no longer in seal script but had transformed into strange symbols.
These tombstones were constructed from solid stone—some large, some small; some simple and others magnificent. The sight left both of them feeling awestruck.
Yet Third had no time for admiration; those words kept haunting their mind: "violators will face death." Their focus was razor-sharp now, ready for any situation that might arise. Second remained vigilant but couldn't shake off their careless tendencies. This cemetery seemed vast; based on their pace, they had walked nearly a mile without seeing anything beyond tombstones, and the flickering light was becoming increasingly faint.
Everything had been relatively calm until now when Second suddenly shouted, "There's movement!" Third immediately reacted and chased after them while Second lagged slightly behind.
After running a few meters, Third spotted what was causing the disturbance—a mouse! It turned out to be just a false alarm. They both exhaled lightly; it felt like their energy was draining faster than before. "We need to find something to eat," Second said. Third nodded in agreement but knew that the current environment did not allow for such luxuries.
They continued forward as the tombstones grew denser around them. Their breathing became heavier; there was no energy left for conversation. The thought of oxygen deprivation crossed Third's mind quickly as they said, " Second, reduce your breathing rate; there's something wrong here—it's lacking oxygen." Second opened their mouth to respond.
"Try to speak as little as possible," Third continued, emphasizing the need for gestures instead. Second responded with a clear hand signal. The flames flickered, noticeably dimming.
The two continued to move through this space, their bodies growing heavier with each passing moment. Yet, there was still no sign of an end ahead, making the situation even more dire. The only belief sustaining them was the will to survive. As long as they were alive, anything was possible; death meant all hope was lost. After a long while, Third managed to speak again: "Second, lower your body." Second nodded, and they both hunched over, doing everything they could to conserve energy and oxygen.
After walking a bit further, their faces flushed from the lack of air, the symptoms of hypoxia became increasingly evident. If things continued this way, they would surely perish here; it seemed unlikely they would make it out alive.
They had once again found that desperate feeling of wanting to escape from the battlefield.
"I'm about to kick the bucket," Second gasped, his legs feeling as if they were weighed down by lead, each step a struggle. Third was in even worse shape but was still holding on. Their current state was grim; it wouldn't be long before death became inevitable.
Looking at Second, who seemed on the verge of collapsing, Third urged, "Second, don’t lose your spirit. We promised to make it out together." Second replied hoarsely, "How could I possibly die so easily?" His voice was already slurring.
"I will definitely make it out alive," Second insisted, but by the time he uttered "out," his voice had faded to a whisper. Third called out to him, but Second stood there motionless and silent.
Third hurried over and grasped Second's wrist to check his pulse; it was faint. He then placed his hand under Second's nose—his breathing was weak too—and the torch he held seemed barely alive.
There was no time to waste; if he delayed any longer, Second would truly be lost. Third thought urgently. He draped Second's arm over his shoulder and began dragging him forward step by step. The only thought in Third's mind was to get his brother out alive at any cost. As he pulled Second along, his own breathing grew heavier; each breath felt labored now. Every step felt like a battle against death itself. After covering a few meters, Third felt he could barely hold on.
Could it really be "those who defy must die"? Third couldn't help but mutter to himself.
After walking for a while longer, Third's face shifted from red to pale. He extinguished the torch to maximize their chances of survival.
Darkness enveloped them instantly, thick with the scent of death in the graveyard. Third realized he was nearing his limit; he couldn't last much longer and reminded himself of this fact.
He would soon die here if he didn't think of something. He couldn't afford to die yet; his family's mission remained unfulfilled—a secret he had never shared with anyone. Whenever he found himself relaxing in the face of despair, he always reminded himself: I cannot die; I absolutely must not. This mantra echoed in his mind.
Every second felt stretched tenfold or more. Third's steps began to falter; he could barely stand upright now, relying solely on sheer willpower to keep going.
Life and death are sometimes beyond our control, but at times we must fight for survival. Taking a deep breath, Third's eyes cleared somewhat as he pressed on.
After an unknown amount of time, a lush green color appeared before Third's eyes. It was an illusion, and Third hazily made a judgment in his mind.
At that moment, a person rushed over from the verdant area, anxiously saying, "Hurry over here!" In the haze, Third could still make out the person's distorted face due to urgency. Still hesitating, Third instinctively took a step back as the person quickened their pace towards them. With one swift motion, the person supported Second on their shoulder and grabbed Third with the other hand, running at incredible speed, showcasing their immense strength.
Just as they moved away, a massive centipede lunged at them. Slime dripped from its mouth to its antennae, and over a hundred pairs of legs scuttled rapidly on the ground, almost catching up to the three ahead. The person changed their footwork again, pulling away from the giant centipede for a moment.
Thus began a chase; the distance between them was not great until they finally left the graveyard behind. Only then did the centipede stop in frustration.
It seemed that the graveyard was an insurmountable barrier for the centipede, which let out a low hiss before crawling back.
Sweat beads like small pearls rolled down the person's forehead. After noticing that the sounds behind them had diminished, they stopped and set both individuals down on the ground. They checked on their injuries and tended to them briefly before leaving with the speed of a gust of wind.
When Second and Third awoke, they found themselves lying on a bed of soft plants with a fire burning nearby. With their eyes still half-closed, they vaguely saw someone approaching.
Third rubbed their eyes vigorously and finally recognized the figure as Seven.
Seeing both of them sit up, Seven rushed over to help them lie back down and produced some water he had found earlier, offering it to them to drink.
Second opened his mouth to speak, but Seven gestured for him to remain silent. Seven set up a grill and began roasting something over it. He had discovered some salt on Third earlier and started cooking with it. As he sprinkled salt onto the food, an enticing aroma wafted through the air—enough to make even a corpse rise from its slumber. Second turned over and hoarsely cursed, "Damn it, can't we just have some peace?"
Third managed a weak smile; that salt was meant for emergencies but had indeed served its purpose. After once again facing death's trials, he felt himself getting closer to the answers within his heart. Seven burst into laughter and said, "Hungry, Second? My cooking skills are no joke!"
Once Second stood up and grabbed some of the roasted food from the grill, he devoured it with gusto. He had eaten several pieces already; this was truly one of the best meals he had ever tasted. Seven remained silent with a smile while Third accepted food from Seven and began eating as well.
After replenishing some of their lost energy from these past few days, Second raised his voice slightly and said, "Seven, your cooking is indeed impressive."
Seven replied, "Second, you’re eating too fast; this Rat Meat still needs a bit more cooking." Upon hearing it was Rat Meat, Second quickly stuck his finger into his mouth and gagged out some bile. This wasn’t because Second was being picky; after years of wandering together, they had eaten all sorts of things. However, Cao Shi had always been particularly afraid of eating Rat Meat.
Amidst a burst of laughter, they managed to enjoy a brief moment of levity in the harsh environment, regaining some strength after a while.
Second finally had the chance to ask Seven, "How did you save us back there?" Seven scratched the back of his head in confusion and replied, "It wasn't me who saved you." Third's expression grew serious as he said, "It wasn't you."
Seven continued, "Yeah, I was by that pond when I noticed a shadow. I chased after it for quite a while until I lost track of it here, but then I found you guys. At first, I thought you were dead, but when I got closer, I realized you were still breathing. So, I went to find water and food for you. When I came back, you had woken up."
Third asked, "Then who was it just now?" But now, no one could provide an answer to that question.
They were still trapped beneath the swamp, and many things seemed shrouded in mystery. First's fate remained uncertain. Second remarked, "Whoever that bastard was who saved us didn't even leave a name." Third pondered silently while Seven chuckled lightly.
Meanwhile, deep within the swamp, an old man sneezed and mumbled to himself, "I haven't done anything bad lately; I even saved two clueless youngsters just now." After thinking for a moment, he concluded, "It must be that Yellow Flower Girl thinking of me again." With that thought, he wandered off into the distance.
Third asked, "Seven, have you encountered anything strange?" Seven straightened his expression and replied, "Actually, yes. This underground palace is much larger than I imagined. It doesn't just extend beneath this swamp; it likely reaches a much broader area. Before I got to the pond, I visited a palace."
"A palace?" Third asked in surprise. Second chimed in, "We just escaped from a palace."
Seven was slightly taken aback and quickly asked, "Can you describe the shape of that underground palace?"
After Third recounted his experience in the palace to Seven, Seven's face filled with intrigue as he murmured, "Could it be that we were just inside a palace?"
Third leaned closer and asked if he had seen a portrait of a girl. Seven nodded and said he had seen it several times. Second added, "We’ve seen it several times too." As they spoke about this, all three fell silent as if they were on the verge of touching an unspeakable secret but chose to remain tight-lipped.
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