The water’s surface settled.
Nick swept his flashlight across the area. No sign of the octopus monster.
“What did you just spray on it?” He pulled the front of his shirt up toward his nose and sniffed. His eyebrows knitted together hard. “……Toilet bowl cleaner??”
“Yeah, I had some left over from last time.” Bai Youwei answered from her stone pillar.
“……” Nick pulled his upper shirt off with disgust and threw it in the water. Still felt wrong, so he abandoned the whole thing entirely.
“It’s fine, you were already soaking in the water — it’s long since diluted away.”
Bai Youwei squirted a few more bursts of the cleaner across the water’s surface. The blue color bled and faded, gradually disappearing. The water showed no movement. “What do we do now? It doesn’t seem to be coming out.”
“It’s probably hiding nearby.” Shen Mo frowned, his voice low. “Going in the water like this is too dangerous. We need to draw it out somehow.”
“Easy.” Bai Youwei immediately lifted her hand — and pointed directly at Nick.
Nick had moved beyond speechlessness where she was concerned. “What are you trying to do now?!”
“Don’t you have a suckling pig?” Bai Youwei said. “Blow it up.”
Nick frowned back. “That’s the sacrificial offering for the demon god!”
“Deal with this monster first, worry about the demon god later!” Bai Youwei said. “Besides, I can’t swim — we absolutely have to kill it. If we don’t, I can’t get across.”
Nick’s temples throbbed visibly. “You’re only remembering you can’t swim now? You shouldn’t have shaken your shoe in the first place!!!”
“You’re a grown man bringing up old grievances — what does that even mean?” Bai Youwei’s brow drew together in clear displeasure, and she stated with full conviction: “Is this really the time for grievances? Please. I suggested using the suckling pig for the good of the whole team. If you can’t spare it, forget I said anything!”
“I……” Nick choked on his words. “Can’t spare it?”
I can’t spare a suckling pig?!
SERIOUSLY?!
Argh!!!
I’m actually going to die of rage!!!
……
【Suddenly feeling really bad for the captain……】
【He’s broken. The captain has fully, completely broken.】
【Still not going to say anything?! This Cabbage chaos has gone INTERGALACTIC now — everyone pile on! Bury her!!!!】
【Hahahaha Cabbage you’re amazing! Nobody can take Cabbage down! Long live the Cabbage Queen!!!!】
【Raise the Cabbage banner for ten thousand years!】
【Cabbage Party, rise up! CHARRRRGE!!!!!】
【Cabbage Party must prevail!!】
【Hahaha go ahead and fight — this is Cabbage’s domain!!!】
【I’m done. What even is this stream.】
【I just love how Cabbage little sis is always so uniquely herself~ beautiful~】
【Let’s be honest — this is not a refreshing stream. This is a full-scale mudslide disaster. Why is nobody stopping her?!】
【Cabbage fans, get OUT! OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT!!!!】
【Your mother can get out! The Cabbage fans rule here! Rule!! RULE!!!!!!】
【Cabbage fans must prevail!】
【Cabbage fans must prevail!】
……
The viewer comments raged on. Inside the stone chamber, a standoff had set in.
Nick refused to bring out the pig. Bai Youwei didn’t push further. She crouched down without a word, quietly cradling the one foot that had lost its shoe.
Ada and Shen Mo swept their flashlight beams across the water. The moment any movement appeared, they’d unload with maximum firepower.
But the monster wasn’t moving either.
It seemed to possess a certain intelligence — it knew its advantage was in the water, so it waited, patient and still, watching for its moment.
After a while……
The sound of plunk, plunk appeared on the water’s surface.
Nick’s first instinct was that the monster had returned. Then he realized — it was Bai Youwei, dropping something into the water. Plunk went one thing, plunk went another.
He bit down on his irritation, looked over at Shen Mo — and found Shen Mo entirely unperturbed.
Nobody going to do anything about this?
“What are you throwing?” Nick asked her, keeping a lid on his temper.
“Snacks~” Bai Youwei said lazily. “You won’t bring out the pig, so I thought I’d try and see if my snacks can draw it out……”
Plunk~
A dried plum hit the water.
Nick: “……”
Nick looked over at Shen Mo. Then at Ada.
Both of them were looking back at him. Waiting for him to produce the pig.
Fine……
He was done. He was genuinely, completely done.
Past the point of anger. Past the point of caring.
Nick reached into his pack compartment, pulled out the smooth, plump little suckling pig, and hurled it into the water with full force. A huge splash erupted.
—