Адский Демон

Глава 6

There's another very important thing: speed. My stomach was still twitching after eating three compressed biscuits; those three biscuits weren't enough to satisfy it.

There must be something wrong with our vision, otherwise we wouldn't have walked back the same path without realizing it after going through several times. And the experiment Liang Yingwu and I just did proves that our sense of touch is also malfunctioning. That force that subtly operates in the darkness perfectly deceives our vision and touch.

Experiments in the Dark (5)

We must find some experiments that rely little or no on human senses to test the tunnel.

Furthermore, Bian Xiao'ou and Fei Qing suggested that if, as I said, something resembling a magic array was at work, then according to some ancient books, some arrays have a life gate that opens at a certain time of day. Shouldn't we send people through the passage every so often? Although I suspected that the so-called "ancient books" were just novels about immortals, Buddhas, and monsters, their point wasn't entirely unreasonable. Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance that the ghost cave might fail at some point, we couldn't let it slip by. So, after discussing it with Liang Yingwu, we decided that, outside of the experiments, we would send out a two-person exploration team every hour, carrying a flashlight, to walk through the passage.

Everyone sat in a circle, having already finished their breakfast. This time, we didn't turn on our flashlights because everyone had realized that if there was any danger here, the faint light from a flashlight wouldn't be enough to save us. It was better to conserve the power and use all the light, except for the light needed for urination and defecation, to explore the passageway.

They huddled together in the darkness, each person clutching their chest for warmth, the only sound the heavy breathing of each other, the only light emanating from their eyes. This light, if looked closely, was green, a reflection of the phosphorescence from the surrounding skeletons. Without these skeletons, even the eyes wouldn't glow. I thought to myself, if I gathered a pile of skeletons with strong phosphorescence and stacked them, it might provide some illumination. But this was just a thought; actually doing it might drive a student with a weak constitution insane. Good heavens, what would happen if someone went mad in a place like this? What would they do? I dared not think any further.

Despite the eerie atmosphere, everyone still came up with test plans for the tunnel one after another. In fact, at times like this, you have to keep your brain working at full capacity and not let it have time to think about things you shouldn't be thinking about.

Liu Wenying proposed a method called "back-to-back visual positioning," which we all thought was worth trying. This method requires two people, back to back. The person in front walks forward, while the person behind walks backward at the same speed, maintaining close back-to-back contact. Each person has a flashlight; one looks forward, and the other looks backward, ensuring no one backs up. If the passageway's visual influence on people isn't perfectly synchronized—meaning one person is affected before the other, even for just a second—it will be detected. However, if some force causes a person to reach a specific point in the passageway and a special situation arises, this method should also be able to detect them.

Liang Yingwu added that while walking, one should carefully observe the surroundings of the passageway and make a mental note of them, so that if one walks back to the previous section of the passageway, one can immediately recognize it.

I stood up, dusted myself off, and prepared to explore the tunnel again with Liang Yingwu using this new method, but then I heard several voices speaking almost in unison:

"Let me go."

I tried hard to make out who they were: He Yunkai and Bian Xiao'ou, and surprisingly, the introverted Guo Yonghua as well.

“This is a matter for all of us,” He Yunkai said. “Anyway, someone will have to go scout the way every hour, so it’s impossible for you and Teacher Liang to go forever.”

“Yes, let me and He Yun go,” Guo Yonghua said, “or, or, Lu…Lu Yun, do you…do you want to, do you want to come with me…” Guo Yonghua stammered again.

A slight tremor ran through me. I imagined Guo Yonghua's face must be burning red. This kid, usually so wooden, actually had the nerve to flirt with girls. But then again, this situation was a perfect opportunity, the best chance to show off his solid, reliable shoulders. Of course, this all depended on getting out of here; otherwise, if we all died here, even the most beautiful women would turn to dust, and the same would happen to our shoulders.

“I…I…” Lu Yun was clearly hesitant.

“I’ll go. Fei Qing and I will go together. The two of us should work together better.” Ka Xiao’ou’s words were more convincing. Fei Qing, who was next to him, gently hummed in agreement.

“Okay, be careful,” Liang Yingwu agreed.

Just as Bian Xiao'ou and Fei Qing were about to enter the passageway with flashlights, I reminded them:

"Keep your backs to each other as you enter the passageway. From now on, concentrate and try not to get distracted by anything else. When you're focused, you're less likely to be affected. Also, watch the beam of your flashlight and see if there are any signs of distortion."

Bian Xiao'ou and Fei Qing, back to back, carefully entered the passageway.

No one left their living area, but everyone stared at the entrance to the passageway, waiting, even though it was pitch black from there. In the darkness and silence, time passed very, very slowly.

Nearly twenty minutes later, I saw a faint beam of flashlight light at the entrance of the tunnel. My heart sank; I knew they had failed.

A few minutes later, Bian Xiao'ou and Fei Qing walked out of the passageway back to back.

“We failed,” Ka Xiao’ou said. He and Fei Qing walked back to the living area and turned off their flashlights. Before the light went out, I saw that both of them looked terrible.

“I didn’t see anything unusual, and besides, besides…” Bian Xiao’ou turned to look at Fei Qing.

“This is truly unbelievable. I couldn’t even distinguish these three passageways. How about you?” Bian Xiao’ou asked Fei Qing.

“All the passageways are exactly the same,” Fei Qing said.

“Exactly the same, how could that be?” Several people asked.

“It’s exactly the same. I’ve carefully studied the features of the first passageway. For example, when you first enter, there are three small, sunken circular grooves on the left and a triangular, slightly drooping rock on the top.”

"After walking five steps along the right-hand stone wall, there is a large, round, protruding rock about three centimeters high," Fei Qing added.

Experiments in the Dark (6)

"But when we turned to the second passage, all these features were exactly the same as in the first passage, and the same in the third passage, as if they were cast from the same mold."

A stir went through the crowd. This was too perfect; it was flawless.

“Let’s analyze this,” Liang Yingwu said.

"First of all, the influence of this tunnel on people begins at least from the entrance of the tunnel, and it is even possible that the cave we are in now is also affected."

"Secondly, this effect is simultaneous for multiple people, and the effect is uninterrupted along the way."

"Third, this influence is so powerful that even if ordinary people are fully focused, they cannot escape it, and at first glance, it is also done very well in terms of details."

Liang Yingwu concluded: "Therefore, we must find a new method, a new entry point."

The students started a new round of discussions, but I was far from optimistic.

Liang Yingwu seemed to notice that I was in a low mood, and walked over to me and asked, "What's wrong, Na Duo?"

“They’ve done such good work on these details, I’m worried it will be hard to find a way to break through,” I said, expressing my thoughts.

“No, I don’t think so. No matter what method is used, if the resulting illusion is similar to the natural state, or if there is no obvious logical conflict, then it will be very difficult to solve. But now, the state we are facing is too bizarre, excessively bizarre. There must be a flaw to be found in it,” Liang Yingwu said firmly.

"I hope so."

Liang Yingwu's words stirred me up again. A thought suddenly crossed my mind: if there were explosives here, blowing them up might break the formation. However, if it triggered a landslide, the end result would likely be the same. With that in mind, I dragged my travel bag over and rummaged through it, looking for anything useful.

My hands rummaged through the bag, finding only that long section of climbing rope. It was a full 100 meters long, enough to lift 200 kilograms, but in the current situation, it was useless.

Wait, a 100-meter-long rope.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and I was overjoyed. I exclaimed, "I've got an idea!"

"What method?" All the students immediately gathered around.

“Use a rope.” I took out the climbing rope.

“A rope…” Liang Yingwu slapped his thigh. “Great idea.”

Others seemed not to quite understand, so I explained: "If one person holds one end of the rope and another person holds the rope and walks into the tunnel, keeping the rope taut at all times, that is to say, they are not going back the way they came, until they have walked through all three tunnels, then all the sorcery will be broken."

Everyone immediately became excited. Such a simple method could very well break this formation. At least I can't think of any way to break my "walk forward with a taut rope" technique from the perspective of the person who set up the formation.

"I'll come up with the solution myself; none of you should try to take it from me," I said.

However, in the end, the entire trail was about 250 meters long, and my 100-meter climbing rope was far from enough. Fortunately, Liang Yingwu and He Yunkai each brought a 50-meter rope, as well as nearly ten short ropes of various colors that added up to less than 20 meters. They tied them all together, and there was still a gap of more than 30 meters.

"Unpack them," Liang Yingwu decided immediately. The bags of the nine men—me, Liang Yingwu, Zhu Wenying, Bian Xiao'ou, He Yunkai, Zhao Gang, Wang Fangyuan, Lin Zhipu, and Guo Yonghua—were completely cut open with scissors and twisted into rope, finally completing a "Baise Rope" about 300 meters long. It was 50 meters longer than originally estimated; we had to leave some leeway, after all.

This time, my assistant was Liang Yingwu. He stood at the entrance of the passageway, holding a long strip of "hundred-family rope" made of various materials. We had done a simple test before, and the rope's strength was not a problem. I walked into the cave with the end of the rope in my hand. With each step, Liang Yingwu would loosen a section of the rope. The force transmitted through the rope from Liang Yingwu gave me more confidence than ever before.

Anomalies in the Dark (1)

I didn't bring a flashlight; previous experiences had shown it wasn't very useful. This time, the rope in my hand was enough. I reached the first bend, turned, and took a few steps. The rope hugged the rough stone wall at the corner, slightly increasing the friction. I was a little worried that the rope might break from the rough stone, so I loosened my grip slightly. Liang Yingwu immediately felt it and pulled the rope three times. I pulled back a few times to show there was nothing wrong. Of course, I could have shouted, and he should have heard me, but in a place like this, I didn't want to do anything that would scare myself or others.

With each step forward, my heart pounded faster. I couldn't quite tell if it was excitement or trepidation, but I could still feel the rope remaining taut the entire time, meaning I hadn't gone back. The second corner was approaching. If I turned and walked forward, and the rope remained taut, then perhaps I could…

Thinking of this, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. My right hand, which was holding the rope, was already covered in sweat, sticky and slippery.

I turned the corner, the rope hugging the stone wall as it rounded the second bend, and I could hear the soft rustling sound of it scraping against the rock. Almost instinctively, I quickened my pace. It took Liang Yingwu a few seconds to adjust to my change in speed, but I'm sure a smile appeared on his face.

Because I'm about to leave.

We're almost at the end of the third passageway; there's a faint light ahead!

The "walking forward while keeping the rope taut" technique is indeed invincible.

Perhaps I was too excited about being free, because I didn't realize until I was almost out that the path beneath my feet was still flat. Maybe this wasn't the way out, but in any case, it was progress, and better than being trapped in that cave of bones.

Twenty steps, fifteen steps, ten, nine, eight, seven… I rushed forward at an almost sprinting pace, completely disregarding the caution one should exercise in a completely new and unfamiliar environment. Normally, I wouldn't be so reckless, but the dozens of hours of confinement in the Bone Cave had already robbed me of my composure. Could things get even worse?

I finally know what it feels like to fall from the clouds to the bottom of a cliff. Just four or five steps away from exiting the passage, I suddenly stopped as if struck by lightning. I could vaguely see what was in front of me, something I had never imagined. It felt like dozens of centipedes were crawling on my back, sending chills down my spine.

I instinctively pulled hard on the rope in my hand. This rope had been taut ever since I entered the cave, and it still had been. But who was standing not far in front of me if not Liang Yingwu and the others?

"Heavens!" I heard Liang Yingwu exclaim softly.

These few steps were incredibly difficult for me. With each step, through the beam of the flashlight in Lu Yun's hand beside Liang Yingwu, I could clearly see how Liang Yingwu, with a blank expression, coordinated with my steps, slowly releasing the rope from his hands.

As we reached the entrance to the passageway, everyone was stunned by the indescribable eeriness emanating from it. Some gaped, others bit their lips, unable to utter a sound. I slowly turned around, my neck cracking from the effort. Indeed, in the beam of the flashlight, two ropes, one held in Liang Yingwu's hand and the other in mine, stretched taut against the stone walls of the passageway, leading straight into the boundless darkness within.

The rope was taut the whole time, so I didn't turn back, but I still came back. And the rope was still taut, taut in a way that no one could imagine or explain.

What exactly happened?

The most basic physics principles were completely overturned at this moment, and I truly felt powerless.

"What should we do?" Even He Yunkai, who was usually the bravest, asked helplessly like a child at this moment.

"Go in, go in and take a look." Liang Yingwu's voice was dry.

The students were all terrified, so no one rushed to go into the passageway with me or Liang Yingwu to see what was going on. As for me, I also had the thought of running away, but my remaining rationality prevented me from letting the equally frightened Liang Yingwu go into the passageway alone.

Liang Yingwu and I walked forward slowly, pulling the rope back and forth. Because both hands were gripping the rope, Liang Yingwu's flashlight in his left hand couldn't hold it firmly to keep the beam straight ahead, so it swayed unsteadily.

I focused all my attention, wondering what I would see and what would happen. This time, it was destined to be unusual. Although I still hadn't left the tunnel, the taut rope that had mysteriously bent back meant that this tunnel, which had remained completely undisturbed, could no longer remain silent. The rope was only 300 meters long, while the tunnel was over 200 meters long. The point where the rope bent back must be in the second section of the tunnel. Of course, this was a conjecture based on common sense; perhaps the rope hadn't actually bent back, and within the space it occupied, it truly was taut in a straight line.

Sure enough, nothing was found in the first section of the passage. The two ropes followed the stone wall and turned a bend. Another situation that defied common sense occurred. The rope I was holding was indeed close to the inner corner of the stone wall, but the side that Liang Yingwu was holding seemed to be nailed to by an invisible nail, and "moved" forward along the outer side of the stone wall.

I no longer cared what kind of force was pressing the rope so firmly against the stone wall as if by a giant hand. Because we had only just rounded the second bend, in the dim light of my flashlight, I could clearly see the end of the rope.

From the second bend onwards, the rope's condition changed from the first section of the passageway. It deviated from the stone walls on either side and began to converge towards the center. The situation at the end of the rope is difficult to describe in words. If you had to put it in perspective, it's like a stake erected in the ground. Two people each hold one end of the rope, wrap the rope around the stake, and then run in the opposite direction. When they reach halfway through the rope's length, they will be "pulled" by the stake and unable to go any further. At the stake, the rope will bend into an acute angle.

Anomalies in the Dark (2)

Liang Yingwu and I were like two people running in opposite directions while holding a rope. The difference was that, even with the help of a flashlight, I couldn't see the stake that should have been there to stop the rope from coming back.

In other words, there is an invisible stake, or an invisible hand, holding the rope tightly a dozen or twenty meters ahead. The scene before me now is a rope bent into a tiny acute angle in mid-air, with the tip of the angle more than a meter off the ground, stuck in mid-air. I tried to pull hard, but it still wouldn't budge.

Liang Yingwu glanced at me; his nose was already covered with tiny beads of sweat.

"Who, who's there?"

A hoarse, dry voice echoed in the passageway. Liang Yingwu and I were panting, fully alert. The force that kept the ropes suspended in mid-air was right in front of us, hidden in the stone walls, even in the air.

"Thud," a bead of sweat fell from the tip of my nose to the ground. My question went unanswered, and the rope in mid-air showed no signs of loosening.

I slowly took a step forward, then another. At this point, if there was any danger, I believed that turning back would only lead to a quicker death.