(This chapter serves as a plot reveal chapter involving a large amount of prototype events from Volume 2. Readers familiar with the prototype story of this volume may choose whether to watch or skip.)
[Andres... Andres...]
[Don't worry... I'm here... We'll definitely save you...]
[Don't worry... You'll definitely leave here safely...]
Those voices rang in Gao Hai's ears, then faded away.
In the immobile narrow cavern, that person's voice filled with anxiety occasionally echoed.
He was Andres's friend. Facing such a dangerous situation, he naturally tried his best to reassure Andres. But in this dark and eerie environment, the friend's own emotions were clearly poor too; his voice unconsciously trembled.
[It's fine.]
Gao Hai heard Andres's voice.
[It's fine, don't worry. I'm good, no problem. I've done training; this inverted position is nothing for me.]
Though jammed tightly in the cavern, Andres was still reassuring his friend.
Just like always, Andres was a cheerful and kind person. He knew well the psychological pressure of being in such a dark, narrow environment, so he kept talking to his friend to calm him down.
But in fact, his condition wasn't as good as he claimed. Prolonged inversion caused poor blood flow; Andres felt his head constantly swelling, extremely uncomfortable. And if this inverted state continued, it would undoubtedly threaten his life. Though he could barely resist the current discomfort with willpower, if it persisted, Andres's situation would only worsen.
At the same time, the friend who had gone for help had run up the pulley elevator at the Great Slide, exhausted. He desperately sought help from staff, guides, tourists—everyone he saw—telling them someone was trapped in the [Blood Vessel] and begging for rescue.
The staff immediately evacuated the site and called for help. The scenic area temporarily closed. Then, around 7 PM, the first rescuer reached Andres's side.
She was an explorer and volunteer who often gave speeches and attended discussions at fire stations.
Her name was Susan. Gao Hai had heard her voice, so he immediately recognized her.
[Hello, Mr. Andres. I'm Susan. How are you feeling now?]
In this past residual image, Susan's voice sounded very calm, just like the Susan Gao Hai had met in the instance. She seemed unchanged.
[Hello, Miss Susan. Thank you for coming. Please help me get out of here...]
Head-down in the cavern, Andres replied, trying to keep his tone light.
In the cavern, Susan and the friend who stayed began the rescue. She tried cutting Andres's jeans, tying a safety rope to his feet, then pulling with the friend—but ultimately failed to lift him out.
By 9 PM, Susan still couldn't rescue Andres and was exhausted herself.
Unable to continue, she had to exit the cavern.
By now, many rescuers had gathered outside. Professionals discussed plans: some suggested oiling the walls, others blowing open the cave with explosives, some tried bringing mini chisels and drills to create space. But these were either unrealistic, too dangerous, or useless—all failed.
Gao Hai heard Andres crying.
It was past midnight. Andres had been head-down in the cavern for over ten hours.
He cried softly, fingers gently rubbing his wedding ring.
His wife Hedal had arrived outside, anxiously awaiting her husband's return.
After multiple failures, rescuers devised a new plan: build a pulley system inside the cavern, tie ropes to Andres's legs, and pull him out bit by bit.
Would it work?
Many doubted, but it was the best option.
The rescuer with Andres kept reassuring him.
[Don't give up.]
Gao Hai heard a young man's voice.
[Don't give up, Andres. We'll save you. Hold on—your wife is waiting outside. You have to go back alive, okay? You must go back alive.]
The man gently patted Andres's legs, speaking earnestly.
A buzzing sound gradually rose in the cavern.
Mini drilling equipment prepared for the pulley.
Werbo discussed pulley setup with rescuers, face worried. Pedi, roused late at night, yawned impatiently, pacing, annoyed at the incident's impact on the scenic area, subconsciously calculating lost revenue.
At 4 AM, equipment was ready. They began pulling Andres via leg ropes, lifting him bit by bit from the cave mouth.
Hope seemed near.
But soon, the curved cavern jammed his legs. Intense pain made Andres scream. Head-down for fourteen hours, his legs lacked blood, couldn't bend—but nerves transmitted sharp pain.
[Maybe just chop his legs off. Yanking them won't matter.]
Someone said in the dark.
[No, Mr. Andres is weak. Leg amputation now risks shock and death.]
Another refuted.
[Then what? He can't hang inverted forever.]
Someone anxious, irritable.
[Rebuild the pulley. Try again.]
Final decision; rescuers acted again.
Andres's condition worsened.
Fourteen hours inverted blurred his mind; pain overwhelmed. In inescapable dark, his spirit crumbled bit by bit.
[Hey, I'm Howard Smith. Call me Howard.]
Then, another voice from behind.
[Hello...]
Andres's voice weak.
[We're prepping a new rescue plan. How are you?]
Howard's voice from above.
[Honestly... not good...]
After hesitation, Andres couldn't feign optimism.
[Talk to me. Your situation, family—anything. I'll stay with you.]
Howard's voice closer; he'd entered the narrow cavern behind.
[Family...]
[Yeah. Your wife—Hedal? She's outside. Want to talk?]
[She... is too?]
[Yes. Got a radio... uh, you can't hear, so I'll relay. Your wife says: 'Keep fighting. I love you.' Hear that? From your wife.]
[Mm... I heard. Tell her I'll get out. Wait for me...]
In dark, Gao Hai heard Andres's suppressed sob.
Until now, he hadn't known this man—his childhood, experiences, how he met his love, married, had a child—trapped here.
He heard the man murmur 'I'll get out,' trembling, doubting himself.
Hour 19, around 7 AM day two, new pulley ready.
Howard uneasy; hasty setup deviated from standards. But Andres worsening; no time. They pulled via new pulley.
[Hold on!]
Leg pain screamed Andres.
[Almost!]
Light seeped from above.
[Come on, endure!]
Looking up, Howard's encouraging smile.
Radio: wife's clear plea to return safe.
Rescuers, firefighters yanked ropes, shouting, pulling hard.
A bit more.
Just a little higher.
Andres breathed fresher air.
Saw sweaty Howard's smile.
Behind: widening rock fissure.
Boom—
Shattering with fall.
Andres plunged deep, jammed tighter.
Rock-struck Howard fainted, later awoke wounded, carried for treatment.
Light gone again.
Andres groaned in pain.
Drip—
Blood dripped from cracked head onto Gao Hai's forehead.
Drip—drip—
Drop after drop, like Andres's fate, falling to dust.
[I'll die here. Can't get out, right?]
His voice seemed in Gao Hai's ear.
All faded to dark.
Gao Hai saw no more rescuers, arguing people, cavern.
Like becoming Andres, sinking into endless dark, inescapable.
Andres stopped breathing.
Couldn't leave; post-death stiffness made extraction impossible.
Forever left, rotting, dissolving.
Shattered scenes gone.
Gao Hai felt ring's lingering warmth from corpse finger—memory's warm afternoon.
Groom nervously adjusted suit; bride in white gazed up.
[Will you marry me?]
He smiled awkwardly.
[So cliché. Aren't you witty?]
She winked, smiled low.
[Ahaha, sorry. Humor failed.]
He scratched face embarrassed; she grasped hand.
[It's fine. I like it. So, I will.]
Smiling, rings exchanged.
Sun through church windows warmed them.
That day warm; now icy dark.
Felt nothing.
But endless daily pain.
Dead?
Why still here?
Want out.
No more pain.
But... can't move...
Every day same: immobile, inverted in cavern.
Drip—
Save me. Don't want to die here.
Drip—
Hurts... hurts... don't want...
Drip—
Hedal... sorry...
Drip—
Drip—
Drip—
Only dripping echoed in dark.
Gao Hai's consciousness cleared from chaos.
Heard countless screams, wails; crawling struggles in cavern.
Pulled into dark hell endlessly.
Even post-Great Slide wall-seal, trapped in black cave.
Terror-stricken fled.
Vanished silently in dark caves, yet mysteriously alive, undying, wandering dark.
Andres's power?
Felt man's pain, despair.
Buried underground to death, unresting, maddening pain.
Power dragged more into hell; mistaken entrants like him—rotting, vanishing, yet undying, wandering or jammed corpses.
Drip—
But who did this?
Why missing sign?
Perfect wrong path, inescapable jam; near-success rescue failed.
Post-death, eerie power formed from experience, altering cavern, burying more lives.
Like orchestrated, manipulated step-by-step.
Drip—
Gao Hai's mind spun dizzy.
Harsher breaths, hunger-thirst agony surged post-ring memory fade.
Ring... core Obsession Item, effect... immortality...
No solution, Gao Hai wiped ring on arm wound, coating blood, struggled again.
Don't give up.
Absolutely not now.
Gao Hai urged inwardly.
Must escape successfully...
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