The sudden curtain of rain caught everyone off guard at that moment.
Chika Fujiwara instinctively raised her hand to shield herself from the falling muddy water, while Gao Hai was momentarily distracted by the abrupt situation. Then, Kawano suddenly raised his pistol, aiming it straight at Gao Hai.
Bang!
In the sharp gunshot that followed, a spray of blood erupted from Kawano's chest. He staggered back a step, staring at Gao Hai in disbelief.
His S-rank physical attributes allowed Gao Hai to draw and fire faster, even while distracted. Though Kawano had cleared Twilight-level instances multiple times, his highest rating was only B-rank. His enhanced physique was impressive, but it paled against Gao Hai, who had surpassed human limits.
Boom—
In the next instant, the surging muddy water poured down like a torrent, instantly knocking all three to the ground.
A mudslide cascading from dozens or hundreds of meters high was nothing like mere rain. Caught off guard, Gao Hai was slammed into the ground by the current, his head cracking hard against a rock. The intense pain and dizziness nearly knocked him out on the spot.
Kawano fared even worse. The waterflow hurled him into the ground, then flung him against a wall, blood spraying as a sharp stone pierced his body.
Only Chika Fujiwara, who had spotted the flood first, escaped injury. She dropped prone, protecting her head with her helmet still on. Even so, the churning torrent made it hard to stay steady. After struggling several times, she swam to Gao Hai's side, dove under him, and pushed against his chest to lift him above the surface. Gao Hai gasped a deep breath through his nose, gritted his teeth to stay conscious, and began swimming through the rapids.
Boom—
An even larger flood continued cascading down.
The lower section of the Great Cliff was submerged in seconds, with water levels still rising.
Worse, the lower terrain at the Blood Vessel entrance created a whirlpool. Gao Hai's backpack was sucked in. If a person got caught, being forced into the narrow Blood Vessel would be disastrous—even colliding with rocks midway would be fatal for flesh-and-blood players.
"Hold on tight."
Gao Hai grabbed Chika and roared. With a mighty effort, he hurled her out of the water toward a protruding ledge on the cliff face. The flailing girl crashed hard onto the rocks but gritted her teeth, clinging with hands and feet to climb up.
Gao Hai followed, seizing protruding stones and hauling himself out. The Blood Vessel somewhat slowed the rising water, buying him a moment. But as he climbed, Kawano burst from the water, grabbing Gao Hai's back and yanking him under.
Damn this guy—
Muddy water blinded him instantly.
The violent current battered his body, making it impossible to stabilize.
[Die... for me...]
Amid the chaos, Gao Hai heard Kawano's voice—crystal clear and sinister despite the roar.
He was controlled by an out-of-control Obsession Item.
Gao Hai sensed it from Kawano's shifting aura.
Kawano resembled Gao Hai in the second loop of Shirakawa Apartments, after prolonged exposure to the Rescue Team Badge—mid-transformation from human to anomaly. Gao Hai had resisted with willpower, but Kawano clearly lacked that strength and was fully possessed.
No wonder those earlier hits hadn't killed him. Trouble now, especially in this situation.
Eyes closed, breath held.
Unable to see in the mud, Gao Hai ignored vision, using his Blessing as a locator for malice. He clenched his fist, spun, and smashed a hook into Kawano's face, deforming it. Kawano's grip loosened; Gao Hai kicked him away.
Next, Gao Hai scanned his watch for Obsession Items. Cloth doll... could restrain Kawano, but too hard to hit here. Faceless head... useless; he wasn't fully human. Blood Scissors... same issue; manipulation tricky now. Wait—use the simplest one!
[Die... for me...]
Kawano charged again through rising water.
Gao Hai slashed with the scalpel, severing his right arm at the shoulder.
The flood now reached Chika's ledge; she struggled upward. Fortunately, as a famous explorer site, the Great Cliff had pitons and ladders left by adventurers, letting her climb.
Gao Hai was tackled by one-armed Kawano, plunging back into the torrent and slamming a wall. He kicked Kawano away, but a falling rock struck him, sinking him deep.
"Gao-kun!"
Shocked at Gao Hai's reversal, Chika cried out—then was pelted by debris.
More rocks tumbled, burying struggling Kawano.
Roaring intensified; corpses—no, clothes—floated up amid rising water.
Gao Hai didn't resurface.
Chika inhaled deeply, eyed the murky flood, released her grip, and dove in.
Boom—boom—
Muffled thunder of water echoed in murk.
Headlamp useless in mud; Chika dove deeper, swimming by memory toward Gao Hai's fall.
Boom—
More rocks plunged.
Blood-red tinge overtook muddy yellow.
Chika saw Gao Hai—pinned by stones on body and arms, Kawano strangling his neck.
Kawano was ghostly horrific: half-face bloodied, grinning; other half a pallid, foam-mouthed youth's face, eyes bulging.
As Chika swam near, the pallid face turned toward her.
Kawano's face tore open, blood gushing, flesh and nerves ripping horrifically.
Distracted anomaly loosened grip; Gao Hai broke free, scalpel cleaving from forehead to chin, nearly bisecting his head.
But Kawano's hand—regrown—clutched a pill bottle. Sleeping pills?
The item that let him through Blood Vessel, now out of control possessing him?
Boom—
Basin-sized rock smashed Kawano.
He staggered; Gao Hai slapped the cloth doll onto him.
Bloody dolls materialized, seizing Kawano, dragging him aside.
Anomaly couldn't resist; dragged slowly. But pill-hand reached Gao Hai; third hand burst from Kawano's chest, prying Gao Hai's mouth for pills.
Need another item to restrain.
Gao Hai reached left—Kawano's knee pinned wrist.
Bastard...
Kawano's remaining half-face crazed; doomed, he aimed to take Gao Hai down.
Leg pinned, but forcible escape possible...
Pink hair neared amid swaying light.
Chika arrived, pistol—lost earlier—in hand. She swam behind, yanked Kawano's half-head, barrel to crown.
Thud—thud-thud-thud—
Muffled shots eerie, almost cute.
Novice emptied clip, broke trigger, unaware, pumping uselessly.
Five skull bullets overwhelmed even possessed Kawano; knee slackened.
Gao Hai wrenched legs free—ankle flesh torn to bone—kicked Kawano into dolls.
Grabbed Chika; surfaced.
Blood drowned half pool; mud-caked, lacerated Gao Hai and Chika surfaced unrecognizable.
Reached cliff, seized aids, climbed.
Roaring peaked.
Rocks fell.
Chika glanced: bloated corpses afloat, heads turning toward them. Terrified, she climbed frantically.
Boom—
Mud torrent nearly swept her.
Gao Hai grabbed, pulled up.
Dodged boulders amid debris; gritted teeth, hauled Chika higher.
How much farther...
Chika's breath ragged, faltering.
Can't stop...
Wails, pleas below.
Stop... caught... but exhausted... persist...
Strained upward amid cries.
[Weren't we touring cave? Why here?]
[Mommy, home, waaah—]
[How long here? Dark... hungry... save me...]
[Water from where... no, don't wanna die!]
[Help, save us, aah—glug...]
Things climbed from water, wailing, pursuing.
But couldn't leave surface.
Corpses piled.
Stench spread.
Swelling, rotting, dissolving.
Trapped eternally.
"Urgh... ha!"
Gao Hai reached top first, yanked thick nail, jammed into ground, braced flood, reached for exhausted Chika.
"Hurry! Faster!"
Grabbed pitons, endured arm burn.
Chika strained upward.
Breath heavy.
Vision blacked.
Can't stop...
Gao-kun above... must...
Reached.
But couldn't see grips.
Limbs failed.
Rope looped wrist, yanked tight.
"Hold on!"
Chika hoisted, pulled to Gao Hai.
Spare explorer rope—thin blue—looped lifeline.
Single-armed, cradled near-unconscious Chika.
Stood against torrent, heavy steps forward.
Weight and physique resisted current—but slowed him.
Cliff below flooded; bisected Kawano surfaced, crawling after.
"Biohazard boss? Endless stalking?!"
No spare energy; hastened to Great Slide.
Chika unconscious.
Gao Hai battered: bleeding head, torn ankle, countless bruises. Blessing dulled pain; else, depleted.
[Why... won't let... me die...]
Kawano neared.
"You? I'd love you dead!"
Knew anomaly spoke; snapped back.
Great Slide ahead—winding upward.
Mud poured.
Kawano close enough to grab.
Deep breath, stepped.
Locked on nearby dry ledge.
But stamina failing.
Figure rose from ledge, pistol aimed.
"Tilt head."
Gao Hai did; exposed Kawano.
Bang!
Kawano jerked, collapsed into flood, back to crimson pool.
________________________________________
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