Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Saving Sentinel Bruno (Part 1)…

#Those who are afraid of water can skip this chapter

The moonlit night is hazy.

It was pitch black. Her hand groped upwards along the dry rock wall, grabbing some gravel. It rolled into the water, causing ripples and a loud echo. She moved her fingers to the side, and a trickle of water fell into her palm.

Where is this?

She subconsciously leaned against the wall, still wearing her shoes. She stretched her legs to test the water, and the soles of her shoes became heavy. A force lifted her up.

She was trapped in a cave, on a slope beside a lake.

It was so lonely that she seemed to be the only one left. She called out softly, "Hello, is anyone there?"

"Hello~Hello~Hello~"

Echoes echoed from near and far, overlapping with the following words. Her heart sank, but there was no response. Without light, she could see nothing.

Adrenaline surged, and she suppressed her fear, encouraging herself and suppressing her pessimistic thoughts while exploring the wall and reaching up.

She found a hard, round object, which suddenly changed in feel, becoming smooth like aluminum. Thinking she had touched a shell, she retracted her hand but did not move her feet, suppressing the urge to retreat because there was a dark river behind her.

"What is that..." she muttered, her heart beating like a bell or a drum. She felt it carefully and realized that it seemed to be a man-made object, with a slippery part that looked like a label.

She squatted down, picked up the pebble, held it in her hand, aimed in the direction, and threw it lightly. There was a crisp sound, but no other movement.

The darkness triggered all kinds of disaster imaginations, but the dead silence subverted these imaginations.

She felt an itch on her neck, and when she touched it, it was just a hair.

Unable to sit there and wait for death, she mustered up her courage, leaned against the wall, and touched the cylindrical object again. She placed it on the cold surface, fumbled around, and found the arc-shaped head and sealing ring.

It wasn't a corpse, it wasn't a strange creature, it was a jar.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was a man-made object, stuck in the wall. She took it down, but it felt heavy. She swayed a few times before she could steady herself, nearly falling into the river. She squatted down, put it on the ground, and found the matching supplies.

I accidentally unscrewed a latch, turned the wheel, and a stream of air sprayed into my face, which I quickly closed. This is an oxygen cylinder.

When I explored further to the side, I was surprised to see food hanging there, wrapped in waterproof cloth, on the ground and walls, and even life jackets.

She quickly blew it up, put it on, unpacked the food, and replenished her energy. Instead of calling for help, she knocked on the rock wall every once in a while to let the sound spread.

There was no response. She inserted her fingers into the water and felt the direction of the underground river. From some point on, the momentum increased and the backward inclination angle became larger, which meant that the flow speed increased.

A little moisture seeped into the soles of her shoes. She licked her lips in disbelief and took another step back. No, she couldn't believe it in her heart, but she honestly put on the buoyancy regulator vest, installed the scuba equipment, put on the fins, and they felt very heavy on her back.

It seemed like she had learned diving somewhere. Although she was nervous, she knew how to do it.

She turned on the lights, fixed her mask, and put the packaged food into her pockets. Fortunately, the pockets had zippers, so they wouldn't be washed away until they were full. Before the food got soaked, she took a few more bites.

The water level rose little by little, reaching my waist. I could feel my trouser legs floating in the water, and my worries grew. It seemed that I couldn't even leave a suicide note.

Perhaps her death was nearing, and she felt relieved. She remembered the agreement she had made with her best friend, wondering if she would remember to burn novels on her grave, so she could read them there too.

The water gradually submerged her chest. She could no longer stand. Her feet left the ground and she floated in the air. She clung to the rock wall with her hands, but could not withstand the force of the water. It broke apart, and she began to drift with the current.

The current was fast, but not dangerous. She would occasionally stay close to the rock face at the bends, using her hands and feet to avoid puncturing her life jacket. The water hadn't completely filled the cave, so she could stay afloat without using a tank.

I didn’t know how far I drifted or how much time had passed, but I was soaked and felt cold.

But when she reached her head, something hard hit her head, and the water kept pushing her back, but she couldn't get down and was floating on top. She wanted to push back and go against the current, but it was impossible.

She was trapped here, losing heat, and after a few hours, she would become hypothermic and unconscious, with her muscles stiff. The water level temporarily stabilized and the flow slowed down.

She knocked on the rock wall, but still no one responded. The carbon dioxide concentration in this area gradually increased, and she felt a little dizzy, so she couldn't tell whether the sound coming from the rock wall was real or her own hallucination.

Unwilling to suffocate to death, she put on a respirator and came back to life. She adjusted her posture and stuck to the rock wall, but there was a vibration coming from behind, which was not chaotic but very regular.

To get to that place, she had to dive down and pass through this sunken tunnel. Without a thruster, she didn't know if she could reach the other side, but staying here would mean death. Time was running out, so she hardened her heart, adjusted the flotation device, and entered the water.

The worse situation arose. When her feet swung, stirring up the mud and sand deposited at the bottom, her vision became extremely cloudy and she could not tell up from down, left from right. It seemed that every direction was the same. She was trapped at the bottom of the ditch and could not find a way out.

The more anxious she was, the faster she would flap her arms. Her energy would be consumed quickly, and her oxygen consumption would also increase. Thinking of this, she forced herself to stop and let the buoyancy carry her aloft.

Since the gas cylinders are placed there, someone must have been there. In order to prevent themselves from getting lost, these people usually place guide ropes along the way, but they may also break.

She felt something hooked over her ear, adjusted the position, and touched it with her hand. It turned out to be a nylon rope. It was very hard. It was really there!

The water flow became much calmer, and she swam along the guide rope and floated up smoothly. She passed several forks and swam for an unknown amount of time before finally emerging from the water.

The tank was running low. She tried the steep edge, but couldn't stand up. Since the water was calm, she carefully closed the valve and rested against the wall. The vibrations grew louder, and she was closer to the source. Hope ignited.

Xu Shanshan: "I'm here!"

"Is anyone there?" she knocked on the rock wall tirelessly.

There was feedback from the other side. Great! She was excited. She smiled faintly. She had regained some strength. No matter what it was, she was going there.

The road was very long. She swam excitedly along the wiring and heard the sound getting closer and closer, but at the end there was a cave that was completely flooded with water.

She couldn't hold her breath for much longer. Her panic had drained her oxygen tank, and she wasn't sure if she could make it to the other side. Without further delay, she put on her mask and swam down.

Mom, bless me.

She was a little unable to swim and her speed slowed down. The desire to survive drove her forward, but what came before exhaustion was the depletion of her oxygen tank.

The gas was becoming increasingly thinner. She tried to inhale harder, but there was nothing left. An average person could only hold their breath for thirty seconds. Her eyes felt sore, as if she were experiencing a last burst of energy. She kicked her feet hard and swam upwards.

Until the last second before she ran out of breath, river water rushed into her nose and mouth, and she choked and struggled continuously. Something was wrapped around her hands, feet, and back. Was it a water ghost?

She tried to struggle, but was held tightly until her lips were touched and her nostrils were pinched. She took a breath, which was warm and didn't seem to be water grass.

She looked up and saw a new mask on her face. She took a gulp of water, choking and coughing a few times, before realizing it was oxygen. She took a deep breath, calmed down, and looked in front of her. It was a person.

She was wearing a black diving suit. She remembered that rescuers were often entangled by drowning people, who kept struggling and blocking their swimming, but instead pulled them to the bottom of the water. When she realized it, she immediately froze and let them pull her.

They were heading diagonally upwards.

She was pushed up first, her upper body touching the shore, her limbs touching the air, she felt very cold, her whole body was shaking, her lips and teeth trembled uncontrollably.

She subconsciously closed the air valve and suddenly realized that it was not hers. A tube connected to her back belonged to someone else. Turning around, she saw a wrapped person emerging from the water.

First his hands came ashore, then his legs, and finally his whole body. He wore protective goggles and took off his hat. His short hair was completely wet and the back of his neck was shaved.

It wasn't until the man took off his glasses that she recognized him. Her voice trembled a little as she spoke, "Bruno?"

"It's me," the man said, standing with his hands on his hips, "Why are you here?"

"I... ha-che!" She couldn't help coughing as she recalled it, her upper and lower teeth rubbing against each other. She noticed his cheeks were slightly sunken, and his posture was a little strange. Seeing that she had a fever, the man squatted beside the bag, looking down. She couldn't have come here. This scene seemed illogical. Perhaps he was hallucinating.

When Bruno heard the woman's cry, he thought it was the lingering effects of pollutants. People who stay in a dark, oxygen-deficient and solitary environment for a long time can easily become unconscious.

But when he heard unusual movements in the water, he couldn't help but jump in when he thought of that possibility, but he didn't expect it was really her.

He heard the sound of a zipper sliding as she took off her heavy diving gear, turned off the lights, and muttered to herself, "Don't get my baby wet..."

Worried that she might catch a cold, Bruno said, "Take off your clothes."

"ah?"

The flashlight was set to low-light mode, but she could still see her wet pants through the half-transparent material, revealing the outline of her inner lining. Her legs were covered in water droplets and had standing hairs on end. She took out bags of food from her bulging pockets and piled them together.

When he heard this, he seemed to be distracted, his mouth open, his hands moving before his brain, trying to lift the edge of his shirt. Halfway through, he came to his senses, glared at me, and asked in a flat voice, "What do you want to do?"

She picked up the flashlight, shone it on him, and looked at the dry cloth in her hand: "Good."

The light suddenly disappeared. He walked over and the item was taken away. "Turn around and don't peek, or I'll beat you up."

He chuckled and spoke very confidently. He didn't know who had just pulled him. He turned around, squatted down, and began to undress.

In total darkness, with only the sense of touch, she took off all her clothes, shoes, and socks, and dried her torso. She felt much better. Her face flushed secretly at the sight of her bare skin. She put the towel down and grabbed some dry clothes to change into.

She only had a coat and trousers, so she thought about it and decided to give up. She waited for her clothes to dry and put on her own clothes, then coughed awkwardly twice.

The man changed his clothes and felt the water level on the shore. It was still at the mark and had not risen. Although it was an illusion, he was still subconsciously worried. He was even more worried with her around.

The dim light only illuminated half a meter around her, illuminating the "hill." She said proudly, "Are you hungry? I brought you some food. Don't eat too much."

He approached with a smile on his face, one high and one low, and said flatteringly, "I'm so hungry, baby. If you hadn't come, I would have starved to death."

No, are they familiar with each other?

Xu Shanshan was shocked by these words, and her tears were held back. Her emotions suddenly changed from nervousness and fear to speechlessness. No, buddy, we just had a conversation once, right?

How could she remember that he was about to go on a mission shortly after they met, and they had only video chatted after that? Didn’t he call her Miss Guide respectfully last time? Why did he suddenly call her baby?

"Don't shout." She tore open the plastic bag and handed the compressed biscuits to him. The man held it in his hand but didn't eat it. She didn't hear any chewing sound.

"Eat, uh, wait—"

When the man pounced on her, she was first frightened and fell backwards, then lay on the ground, her head resting on her hands, her lips bitten, and the man's nose poking her cheek.

The more she struggled, the more excited he became. Xu Shanshan thought about it and lay down. She didn't know what had gone wrong with him. Seeing that she was not using any strength, he gradually relaxed his strength and came closer to her, lying on the ground on his side, close to her body.

The flashlight suddenly went out, leaving everything pitch black, but the touch became clearer.

Xu Shanshan's mind was racing. Faced with such hooligan behavior, she wanted to kick his little brother to death, but then she thought again, in this dangerous environment, she couldn't lose her ability to move.

She couldn't hold back her anger. She still remembered how pitiful Bruno was when she just left, asking her not to forget him.

In her impression, the other person was clearly a clingy little pitiful guy, so how come his image collapsed?

How dare he do this to her right after they met? Fortunately, he just kissed and bit her, without any further outrageous actions.

When the man stood up with satisfaction, he was greeted with a slap in the face. His face was slapped to the side, but it didn't hurt, it felt warm.

As if his sense of reality had been drained away, Bruno covered his face. His eyes became clearer. "Hallucination?"

"I'm not fake, I'm a real person, you rascal, come here."