"Hoo…"
The airflow from his breathing stirred up dust, which fell into his nostrils.
The rock walls were growing narrower and narrower.
There was no way to lift his head.
No way to turn around.
Every breath was becoming more and more oppressive.
It felt as if, in this moment, he wasn't advancing through a rock-formed cave but was instead wrapped tightly by layers of rock walls, bound so densely around his body that he couldn't move a muscle.
"Hoo…"
Ahead in his line of sight, the path was narrowing even further.
At first, Gao Hai had only been crawling on the ground, slowly inching through the low cave.
But gradually, he realized he had to keep his arms extended forward. The cave was becoming so narrow—less than 50 centimeters wide—that he couldn't pull his hands back. He could only stretch them out ahead to avoid getting stuck.
"Hoo…"
Yet the cave ahead narrowed even more.
Bit by bit, Gao Hai's body writhed forward in the dark tunnel.
He could hear the sound of his explorer suit rubbing against the rock walls.
Dull, one after another, like something slowly being torn apart.
Drip—
A drop of water fell on the side of his face, making a clear splashing sound.
Gao Hai's breathing grew even heavier.
Every inhale and exhale pressed his chest cavity against the rock walls, with no way to fully expand.
The harsh friction sounds continued incessantly.
Clearly, his helmet could no longer adapt to the cave's height.
No sound from Chika Fujiwara.
No sound from anyone else.
Only this seemingly endless black cave stretched on, and he was the sole prisoner desperate to escape.
Click!
After a crisp sound, Gao Hai had to stop.
His helmet was completely stuck; he couldn't move forward anymore.
Gao Hai guessed the tunnel's height here was less than 40 centimeters. He could barely lift his head, and the helmet was a massive hindrance. To proceed, he'd have to remove it.
Tch… what a hassle…
Removing the helmet was extremely difficult. Gao Hai struggled to back up a bit; otherwise, his head was jammed in place. Then, in an awkward position—arms extended forward—he barely retracted his forearms, unbuckled the helmet, tilted his head, and slowly pulled it off bit by bit.
Not being able to retract his arms caused more trouble than expected; he couldn't even wipe the dust from his face. Panting, he slowly maneuvered the helmet ahead, using it as a flashlight.
His backpack was similarly positioned in front. Every time he advanced a distance, he'd push the pack forward, then crawl up to it, repeating the cycle inch by inch.
The blood-colored cloth doll, capable of sharing senses, was at the edge of the light source. Gao Hai didn't dare let it venture beyond; though it shared senses, it lacked night vision. In total darkness, it would provide no visibility, and if danger struck, it couldn't warn him—instead, it might draw targeting and endanger him.
"Hoo…"
In another slow exhale, Gao Hai began feeling dizzy.
A faint buzzing pierced his ears.
His strength seemed to wane.
Gao Hai knew this was oxygen deprivation.
He'd been in this overly confined space too long; he had to escape quickly. Continuing like this, he might pass out here, and the next time he opened his eyes, it could be the start of the third loop.
"Hoo…"
He could only keep crawling forward.
His body could barely exert force now.
Rock walls pressed from all sides, and he could only grip protrusions, inching his entire body along.
His legs similarly couldn't bend; there was no room.
The experience was indescribably awful.
But Gao Hai soon realized that when bad things happen, they rarely come singly.
Zzzt—
The lamp embedded in his helmet suddenly flickered.
Hey, no way? I'm using fresh batteries; it shouldn't fail this soon.
Realizing something was wrong, Gao Hai struggled to check the helmet, but just as he moved, the light went out completely.
Darkness.
Absolute darkness without a shred of light engulfed his vision.
In that moment, he couldn't see anything, only crawl onward in the pitch black.
Claustrophobia.
The term suddenly came to mind.
In the pre-fixation [Red Nut Gray Hole] player-summarized [Tourist Rules], this was something tourist players absolutely couldn't utter—or even think. In a sense, the rule hinted at events in this cave.
But Gao Hai wasn't pondering the cave's tragedy; it was the term itself.
Medically, claustrophobia is fear of enclosed or crowded spaces, dread of unknown ills there. Elevators, train cars, plane cabins trigger it. Caves rarely do—perhaps because sufferers avoid them.
Gao Hai had always thought himself immune, distant from such disorders—until crawling this narrow tunnel.
Can you imagine?
You're prone in a narrow, damp, cold cave. Rocks press from above, below, sides—like crushing you flat, clinging so tight breathing strains, chest cavity locked.
Can't bend legs; even shifting numb ones hits walls.
Can't lower arms to sides; must extend forward as rocks clamp body flanks. As it narrows, shoulders feel crushed; soon, can't even bend elbows.
Then, light vanishes—total darkness.
"Hoo…"
Gao Hai considered himself calm, but even he breathed quicker momentarily, heart racing slightly, taking seconds to steady.
Spare flashlight in backpack.
But the headlamp failure wasn't coincidence.
He was sure—because he heard breathing behind.
He'd entered a weird-power zone tied to darkness; its presence disabled his light.
Flashlight now wouldn't help until escaping its range.
[Hoo…]
The sound was close.
So close Gao Hai wondered if one reach would grab his ankle, drag him to abyss.
But he silently crawled on, having the doll blindly return to him, storing it in the watch lest emergencies doom it.
He saw nothing.
Only by feel, touching walls, persisting inch by inch.
How far? 100 meters? 200? Longer? Shorter? No way to tell; just move in dark.
[Hoo…]
Heavy breathing seemed beside him.
But nothing there—no "beside" here.
Blessing sensed the follower gone, like never there.
Out of range? Maybe relight helmet.
Reaching, he touched cold, stiff—not rock-solid—thing.
Corpse feel.
Black cave still narrow—no headroom, only writhing.
But around—not walls—corpses.
Suddenly, not cave tunnel, but corpse-pit tunnel amid piled bodies.
Foul stench spread.
Darkness silenced land.
Realizing wrong, Gao Hai tried backing; feet kicked corpses blocking retreat.
No way back?
In silence, hesitating
Hands brushed faces; limbs, torsos—whole, mangled; guts, bones, maggots on rot.
Road slicker in stench.
Like sliding in corpse grease, sticky squeezes as pushed aside.
Then suddenly, back to cold stone cave.
No corpses, filth.
Just dark ahead, narrower cave.
"Urgh…"
Breath hitched.
Couldn't maintain slight head-lift.
Height dropped more.
To proceed, lower head to ground like body, squeeze deeper.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Posture change made breathing harder.
No choice; struggle in dark, inching.
Even head-flat, stuck.
Side head—one ear ground, one wall—wriggle.
Initially, neck-cracking pose.
As height fell, ears scraped bloody, neck pain eased—ears hurt more.
Screech—screech—
Suit-rock friction.
Blood down cheek mixed gravel dust, sweet-salty lips.
Fully jammed, Gao Hai gritted teeth, writhed forward.
Ceiling spike snagged ear; on push, tore half off—one wall-hung, half stayed, blood flooding ear.
Pain indescribable.
But Blessing dulled it; half-ear loss not severe.
Can't stop; crawl on.
Grip walls.
Right hand missed.
What?
Walls widened slightly.
Height suffocating—side-head only—but right arm room; no constant extend.
Drip—
Clear drop ahead.
Inhaled, dizzy from mild hypoxia, inched forward.
Froze.
Right space freed arm.
But if not widened, but… fork?
[Blood Vessel] fork rule…
Reacting, struggled back.
Before move, hand grabbed his from ahead.
[Please…]
Weak voice.
[Save me…]
Irresistible force yanked forward; mangled ear fully tore.
Sounds flooded ears.
Muffled sobs.
Labored gasps.
Slow mechanical slide.
"Mm…"
Gao Hai opened eyes.
Sat slowly in dim cave.
Where was I?
Touched ear—bloody, half-torn.
Deep breath, iodine, bandage; gritted, wrapped quick.
Right—cleared [Blood Vessel]; grueling, but out.
Time leave; cross Great Cliff, Great Slide, surface area; assess, contact Maki, Kaguya; unite, escape.
But… why fuzzy on exiting [Blood Vessel]? Exhausted, passed out post-exit?
Rubbed temple, vague daze.
What happened?
I…
"Waaah, f-finally out."
Chika's wail shifted focus.
Turned; saw scratched-face Chika wriggling from entrance. Blessing confirmed her; approached as she grinned foolishly, crawled bit, stuck.
"G-Gao-kun, stuck again…"
Pitiful plea.
Familiar; twitched lip, grabbed hand, pulled slowly free.
"Waaah… ouch…"
Head shook in pain.
Helmet lamp swayed, casting white light.
Light stretched backpack shadow long.
At feet, behind—light lit rugged ground, sheer walls—no his shadow.
________________________________________
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