Chapter 88 The truth is either leave the cave or be eliminated...
[Map fragments obtained (3/4)]
Another map was lit up in the field of vision, and the distribution of the caves was clearly visible. One last map was needed to piece together the correct escape route.
Wearing a miner's helmet, Fang Zhiyi slowly retreated from the tunnel. The tunnel was too narrow; even turning around was difficult, so he could only exit backwards. After taking a few steps back, the headlight on his miner's helmet swayed wildly, and he suddenly noticed something hidden in a corner.
He groped his way forward, moved the stones on top, and saw a brown paper bag hidden underneath.
Upon opening the bag, one finds a thick stack of insurance policies inside.
[Insured persons: De, Eileen, Fox...]
The names listed above are all members of a cave exploration club, with total insurance coverage exceeding one million US dollars. Further down, the beneficiary of this massive policy is the club's founder, accompanied by his bank statements proving he has large sums of money transferred out, owes money to various banks, and has mortgaged all his credit assets. The policy payout is precisely what covers his debts.
Fang Zhiyi raised an eyebrow.
So this was because they owed too much money and were desperate to commit insurance fraud, which led to this adventure into the Cave of Death's Sighs.
[You have learned one fragment of the truth about the expedition team]
【Pieces of Truth Puzzle (4/6)】
Before them appeared a luxuriously decorated office, where a portly businessman laughed heartily: "No one can come out of this cave alive."
A timid voice came from the side: "How can you be so sure they can't get out..."
A glint of shrewdness flashed in the businessman's eyes: "I certainly have a way."
The scene abruptly shattered, the light and shadow flickered for a moment, and what appeared before them was still the narrow and gloomy cave.
Fang Zhiyi thoroughly searched the cave, making sure nothing was missed, before leaving and returning to the entrance he had come from. Chu Zhao was waiting there, holding onto the climbing rope.
Fang Zhiyi nodded at him: "Found it."
The last map fragment is in the upper left corner.
The two climbed up the rock face, one after the other. With the help of climbing ropes, going up was easier than coming down, and they returned to the second supply point without much effort.
The time on the digital watch shows that it is now close to midnight.
Fang Zhiyi landed on the ground, already showing the negative effect of [fatigue] on his body.
After battling wits and courage with the shadowy figure and navigating up and down the cave, their strength was almost completely depleted.
The two rested at the supply point for a night, ate something to replenish their strength and hunger, and then headed towards the last map fragment.
Following the clues, the first and final map fragment is located deep within the cave tunnel above.
Standing at the tunnel entrance, the cave was deep, damp, and cold, with gusts of cold wind blowing from the depths, causing the temperature to drop sharply.
Fang Zhiyi groped his way into the rock face.
The rock face was damp, and the condensed water dripped down, gathering into a muddy patch on the ground.
Halfway there, I heard the sound of rushing water coming from inside. I shone my flashlight on it and saw an underground lake in front of me.
As the sunlight fell, the lake surface shimmered, its water a clear, greenish-blue hue, with black and white pebbles scattered beneath. Stalactites, formed over thousands of years, stretched from the lakebed to the cave ceiling.
It makes one marvel at the wonders of nature.
Fang Zhiyi touched the surface of the lake, and a chill swept over him, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
Chu Zhao said, "I'll go down and get it."
Chu Zhao quickly stripped off his clothes and plunged into the water.
Fang Zhiyi used a flashlight to illuminate the area.
Standing on the shore and looking down, the water appeared clear and emerald green, as if one could reach out and touch the bottom. But once Chu Zhao went down, he realized that the clearer and greener the water, the deeper it was; he had been submerged for over a minute and still hadn't reached the bottom.
Splash—
The water rippled, and concentric circles of ripples spread outwards.
Chu Zhao moved nimbly, his back muscles taut, and with a kick of his legs, he swiftly broke through the water like a mermaid, reaching out to touch the bottommost rock.
The stone was pried up, stirring up the sediment that had settled underneath.
In an instant, the clear lake water turned murky, and silt and sand swirled up, obscuring the view.
Fang Zhiyi stood on the shore and couldn't see anything clearly, only hearing the rushing water.
After waiting a few minutes, with a gurgling sound, several bubbles rose to the surface of the water, and a patch of bright red blood spread out. Immediately afterwards, Chu Zhao broke out of the water, his wet hair plastered to his forehead, and water droplets rolled down his chin.
Fang Zhiyi's heart tightened: "What's wrong?"
Chu Zhao said, "There are piranhas in the water." He grabbed the piranha that had been attracted by the smell of blood. The palm-sized fish thrashed between his fingers, its mouth filled with fine, sharp teeth.
Fang Zhiyi: "Hurry up and come up!" He poked his head out from the shore and reached out to catch him.
Chu Zhao swam over, grabbed his hand, and struggled to climb ashore.
The water droplets dripping from his body soaked the shore. The temperature difference between the water and the cave was too great, and Chu Zhao's face turned pale and he couldn't stop trembling.
Fang Zhiyi took out a windbreaker and draped it over his shoulders.
Chu Zhao quickly treated his wounds, and as his body temperature rose, his complexion gradually improved. He pulled out a damp piece of parchment from his pocket; it was the last fragment of the map.
Map fragments obtained (4/4)
A map of the entire underground cave appeared before my eyes. The layout of the Cave of Death's Sigh was intricate and complex. Except for a section at the entrance that was a vertical drop, the other paths were all winding and twisting, and one wrong step could lead you into a dead end.
Fang Zhiyi studied the map carefully and finally found the correct escape route.
The entire cave has a vertical distance of up to 1,000 meters. They are currently in the upper part. As long as they go out of the tunnel and climb diagonally up 200 meters, they can find the third supply point.
The third supply point has a climbing rope hanging down from the entrance; you can reach the exit by following the rope.
It sounds simple, but the path ahead is not so easy. The rock walls on both sides are narrow, with no room to even turn around. If someone is slightly overweight, they will get stuck here and be unable to move forward or backward.
Fang Zhiyi untied the bag straps, pushed the backpack up first, then squeezed his upper body out of the gap, supported himself with his hands above, held his breath, tightened his waist and abdomen, and pulled himself out of the gap with force.
"Huff!" He let out a heavy breath and leaned against the rock wall, his whole body covered in dust and dirt, with small cuts and wounds on his face and hands.
Chu Zhao wasn't much better off; his chest heaved, and he said in a hoarse voice, "We're almost there."
When I run 200 meters normally, it feels very short; I can reach the finish line in 2 minutes. But when that distance becomes vertical, it feels very far.
It took us three hours to climb just 200 meters to reach the third supply point.
This is the closest supply point to the cave entrance. The campsite has three tents, and various sophisticated equipment and instruments are laid out on the ground: climbing ropes, lifting equipment, gloves, walkie-talkies...
Fang Zhiyi put on a pair of climbing gloves to protect her joints and the area between her thumb and forefinger. She tried to stretch her fingers, but it didn't affect her movement.
Chu Zhao searched around the supply point and found the rope hanging down from above.
Fang Zhiyi looked up and saw the rope swaying in mid-air. It was dark above and he couldn't find the exit.
Chu Zhao then assembled the climbing equipment and asked, "Shall we go up now?"
Fang Zhiyi thought for a moment: "No need to rush."
On the map, this is the last supply point. If we leave here, we'll have to climb to the exit in one go. To be on the safe side, we should rest here before setting off again.
Chu Zhao nodded: "Okay."
Fang Zhiyi sat cross-legged on the ground. Since they were near the exit and there were no more supply points, he needed to sort out the equipment in his backpack. He would leave the unused items here to avoid carrying too much weight and affecting his climb.
After packing his backpack, Fang Zhiyi took out two cans of Red Bull from the supermarket and handed one to Chu Zhao.
Pulling open the can, I took big gulps to replenish my energy, and my hunger and stamina instantly returned to a significant level.
With preparations nearly complete, Fang Zhiyi went to the tent one last time before leaving and found a treasure chest. The chest contained many supplies, which were useless to them, so they glanced at it and put it all back.
Fang Zhiyi moved the treasure chest around and found a list underneath. It contained the names of the members of the Cave Exploration Club, with a big red X drawn on it.
Turn it over, and there's a line of text written on the back.
Everyone must die.
No one can leave here.
[Including you]
The handwriting was frantic and forceful, the scarlet ink seeping into the paper as if dripping with blood.
Turning the list back to the front, a blur of writing appeared at the bottom, revealing his and Chu Zhao's names. Next to them, there was a cross, as if it were a death notice.
Fang Zhiyi shifted her gaze away from above and emerged from the tent.
Chu Zhao had already installed the supply station's facilities and tested them; there were no problems. "We can go up now."
Fang Zhiyi waved the list in his hand: "I found this one."
Chu Zhao took it and looked at it, then paused, saying, "It seems the road out won't be so easy."
Fang Zhiyi was completely unaffected and decisively said, "Even if it's difficult, we have to go." He snorted coldly, "Playing tricks? I don't believe it."
Fang Zhiyi attached the hand ascender to the lifting rope, tested its strength, and was the first to climb up the rock face.
The light beam from the miner's helmet shone on the opposite rock face, leaving it pockmarked and uneven, like grinning ghost faces.
Fang Zhiyi gripped the ascender, exerted force with his arms, and stepped up the rock face.
In the empty and silent cave, only the sound of each other's breathing echoed.
As you ascend, the rock walls on both sides push inward, making the passage narrower and narrower, allowing only one person to pass at a time.
After climbing for half an hour, Fang Zhiyi habitually pulled on the hand ascender, but suddenly hit an obstacle. Looking up, he saw a huge rock stuck in the rock wall, blocking the exit.
Fang Zhiyi hovered in mid-air and tried to push the boulder, but it didn't budge.
He opened the map to check if he had gone the wrong way. Looking around, he realized that there was only one exit from the cave in front of him, but... why was it blocked by a rock?
Fang Zhiyi observed carefully and found that there was no soil or gravel on the stone. Judging from its structure, it was not naturally formed, but rather looked like it had been artificially polished. Could it be that someone deliberately blocked the way?
[You have learned one fragment of the truth about the expedition team]
【Pieces of Truth Puzzle (5/6)】
...That's true.
The clues were connected.
The owner of a cave exploration club was heavily in debt. To pay it off, he bought exorbitantly priced insurance policies for the club's members and organized an expedition to the Cave of Death's Sigh.
To secure the million-dollar insurance payout, he blocked the exit with rocks after the expedition team entered the cave. In their search for another way out, the team ventured deeper into the cave, where they encountered hallucinogenic fog, leading to conflict and infighting among the members, with none surviving.
Knowing the truth now is useless, and it won't get them out of the cave.
Fang Zhiyi stared at the giant rock above him, wide-eyed: "Do you think it's possible to chisel this thing open?"
Chu Zhao examined the area for a moment and shook his head: "It's too narrow here. If a rock falls, it will definitely hit us."
Such a big rock, if it hits someone, it will definitely cause serious injury.
Fang Zhiyi pondered the stone above his head for a while, but couldn't come up with a solution for the time being.
Could it be that, as the list says, no one was able to leave the cave?
This is utterly outrageous to try and get the insurance money.
……etc.
If it's for insurance money, the outsiders will definitely want to know if the expedition team is alive or dead. Now that the boulder is blocking the exit, the people inside can't get out and the people outside can't get in. Doesn't that mean the plan has failed?
No, there must be another way to get out.
Fang Zhiyi looked at the map again.
The map shows winding caves and tunnels, and the first thing that catches the eye is the route marked on it.
If the owner of the cave exploration club never intended for the expedition team to go out in the first place, would the map he provided be genuine? Would the route be correct?
[You have learned one fragment of the truth about the expedition team]
【Pieces of Truth Puzzle (6/6)】
You already know the truth.
Large characters appeared before my eyes, fading from dark to light and disappearing into the map. A flash of white light, and the map distorted and rearranged, redrawing a route.
A long green line runs through the cave, extends from where the boulder lands, turns a corner, and disappears into a crevice in the rock wall.
Following the directions, Fang Zhiyi went around under the boulder and found an entrance.
The entrance was pitch black, and a damp wind blew in from it.
Fang Zhiyi unfastened the carabiner, jumped to the entrance of the passage, and crawled inside. His body became increasingly damp, and the water reached above his ankles. In front of him was an underground river.
The map shows that this underground river leads to the exit.
Fang Zhiyi shone his flashlight on the river. The river water washed over the banks, and the mud and pebbles flowed into the main stream, quickly disappearing on the other side.
The underground river didn't look deep. Fang Zhiyi leaned on Chu Zhao for support and stepped in, his foot firmly landing on the riverbed. The underground water was icy cold, and the stones were smooth; each step created a rushing sound.
The two people helped each other as they waded through the water.
The groundwater gradually deepened, and by the time we were halfway there, it was already above our waists, making walking difficult. Our backpacks got wet and became increasingly heavy, turning our survival gear into a burden.
Fang Zhiyi untied the straps and said, "Throw the bag away."
The gear in the backpack won't be needed for the rest of the journey; carrying it will only be a hindrance.
Dropping their backpacks was a desperate decision, which meant they would either have to cross the underground river to leave the cave or be eliminated.
Chu Zhao also unpacked his backpack.
With the burden lifted, the journey became much easier, but another challenge soon arose. The cave passage ahead narrowed, and the rock walls hugged the underground river, requiring them to dive to the bottom and swim a distance to get out.
No one can say for sure how far this distance is.
The riverbed is complex, with rushing water and turbulent undercurrents; one wrong step and you could easily sink deep into it.
Chu Zhao said, "I'll go in and take a look first."
Fang Zhiyi grabbed him and said, "No need, we'll go together."
The underground river water is icy cold. The longer you stay, the faster your strength will be depleted, and the lower your chances of getting out will be.
Since we're going to get through here anyway, we might as well go all out.
Fang Zhiyi resorted to his old trick, making a makeshift oxygen bag out of a plastic bag and hanging it around his waist.
Chu Zhao was the first to plunge in.
Fang Zhiyi watched his figure disappear into the distance, took a deep breath, and mentally prepared herself before diving into the water.
Glug glug—
I opened my eyes, and tiny bubbles rose to the surface. The light on my miner's helmet flickered, illuminating the scene at the bottom of the river.
The river water is a deep green, and the rock walls on both sides are marked by the flow of water. Stalactites hang from the top, refracting a dazzling light.
Chu Zhao led the way, his arms outstretched, his body moving nimbly as he swam through the water.
Fang Zhiyi followed closely behind, the gurgling sound of water echoing in his ears.
After swimming some distance, something strange suddenly happened underwater.
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