The safety rope.
For adventurers exploring dangerous areas like mountains or caves, this is considered an essential item.
However, in this eerie, constantly changing cave, the significance of this safety rope required some careful thought.
"The rules mention three safety ropes: one at the Big Slide, one at the Big Cliff, and one that passes through the large space—the artery—the heart. The last safety rope has already been damaged and cannot be used, especially when lost."
Takumi didn't touch the safety rope nailed to the wall but instead crouched down to observe it carefully.
"So, which area are we in now? The Big Slide is a very long, steep slope, right? This doesn't seem like it, and the Big Cliff is even less likely. So, we should be in the artery, right?"
Chika, who had crouched down alongside Takumi, curiously spoke up.
"But this safety rope doesn't seem to be damaged at all."
Takumi shook his head. Although he only observed it briefly, he didn't think this fixed rope could be considered "damaged."
"No, this rope is indeed damaged."
However, at this moment, Chika shook her head and raised an objection to Takumi's assessment.
"Damaged?"
Takumi could not help but pause for a moment, not quite understanding the basis for Chika's judgment.
"Takumi, look more closely. This safety rope has already started to fray. Many sections of the originally woven strands have snapped, and the color of the rope has clearly changed—some parts darker, some lighter. Any safety rope showing changes like these is unqualified. It's a damaged safety rope and cannot continue to be used."
"After all, a safety rope is the lifeline of explorers. Before every activity, explorers must inspect the safety rope—from stretching and swinging tests to static checks. Every aspect has to be covered, and even abnormal discoloration on the rope's surface is unacceptable."
"And this safety rope—mm, I just checked—it has already had its original hook removed, and it's been tied into a knot. On top of that, there's all this damage. By the standards of a safety rope, this one is absolutely an unqualified, damaged item. It's the kind of rope that explorers would throw straight into the trash. I have elders who know people involved in extreme sports, so I know these things very clearly. That's definitely the case."
At this moment, Fujiwara Chika very seriously explained all of this to Takumi.
In fact, while she was explaining, Takumi had already recalled the knowledge about safety ropes that Kyosei had taught him, and he followed along as he realized this point.
Subconsciously, he had been thinking about the rope from an ordinary person's perspective. Perhaps merely receiving the blessing of knowledge was not enough—he would still need to read relevant materials in his daily life and constantly reinforce the skills Kyosei had taught him.
"If that's the case, then next, we'll follow this rope, pick a direction, and go straight along it until the end."
After warning himself internally, Takumi stood up and then spoke decisively.
"Hey, hey, but according to the rule sheet, this rope should be very dangerous, shouldn't it?"
Chika had not expected Takumi to make such a decision, and immediately spoke up to question it.
"Yes. The original wording of Rule Twelve is: 'The safety rope installed in the artery connecting the Heart to the large space is already damaged. Do not grab it while moving forward, especially when you are already lost.' That means that once we reach out and grab this rope, something bad will happen. And if we're in a state where we're lost and don't know where we are, grabbing the rope becomes even more dangerous. Unless that rulebook is deliberately setting fake rules, this rope is extremely dangerous for us right now."
Takumi nodded lightly. He looked toward both sides of the cave, toward both sides of the rope, but was unable to see its end. Only then did he turn back to look at Chika, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
"But does this rule say anything like 'this safety rope will lead us to the wrong place'? It's dangerous, that's true. But it's also the only fixed 'reference point' we can find in this place. By following this rope, we will definitely reach either the large space or the Heart."
The only question was what they would encounter along the way.
Takumi did not say that last sentence out loud.
He merely motioned for Fujiwara Chika to follow behind him, then casually picked a direction and started moving forward.
"Mm, I see. Analyzing what can be seen and what can't be seen from the wording… right, just like a game, just like a game…"
Perhaps because she was still somewhat nervous, Fujiwara Chika muttered quietly to herself for a while before finally falling silent, obediently following behind Takumi.
It had to be said that this Fujiwara Chika was quite different from the lively girl in Takumi's impression. The willfulness and unreasonable antics from the original manga were nowhere to be found in the girl walking behind him. On the contrary, she could be said to be extremely well-behaved—aside from being briefly confused at the very beginning, she had remained very composed ever since.
Perhaps this was the multifaceted and complex nature of personality under different circumstances.
Thinking this, Takumi noticed that the path ahead was beginning to narrow again, so he bent down and continued forward.
From a height of 1.9 meters down to 1.4 meters, this passage covered only ten meters before such a drastic change in elevation appeared.
Chika, who was around 1.5 meters tall, only needed to bend slightly at the waist to keep moving forward, but Takumi, who was 1.8 meters tall, already had to lean his body forward significantly to proceed normally.
"Hoo…"
Takumi let out a deep breath and continued walking forward under the light of his headlamp.
The rock walls on both sides were gradually closing in.
This place was little by little becoming narrower.
[Thud—]
Even though Takumi was already bending as much as he could, his helmet still lightly bumped against the top of the rocky tunnel.
And farther ahead, the cave was shrinking even more.
"Takumi… this place…"
Chika behind him couldn't help speaking softly, already starting to hesitate about whether to keep moving forward along this route.
Takumi did not answer Chika immediately, but instead crouched down and slowly turned around.
Under the cold light cast by their two headlamps shining toward each other, Takumi could see Chika's slightly pale cheeks and her faintly trembling body.
She was very nervous. In this increasingly narrow, pitch-dark cave where no end could be seen, Fujiwara Chika—who had never truly faced danger—was showing a fearful and fragile side of herself.
"If the cave ahead becomes so small that we have to crawl through it, and we can't turn around at all, then we'll have to stay quiet and stop communicating with each other. Do you understand?"
Takumi reached out and placed his hand on Chika's shoulder, speaking seriously to the girl.
"Mm… I understand."
The girl, knowing Takumi was referring to those two narrow-area rules, nodded heavily. Although her fear had not disappeared, she still tried her best to ease her current state.
"Good. No matter what, don't grab the rope. If your body just brushes against it, it should be fine, but absolutely do not grab it with your hands. All right, let's keep going. Don't stay in this passage any longer."
He turned back to face the front of the cave.
Takumi took off his backpack, held it against his chest, and then continued forward.
The path ahead continued to narrow further.
Gradually, it had reached the point where Takumi had to crouch down just to keep moving forward.
Moving forward in such a narrow cave, it was naturally impossible not to touch that safety rope. However, after accidentally brushing against it several times, Takumi had basically confirmed that as long as it was only bodily contact, no abnormal change would occur.
From behind, he could still hear Chika's somewhat tense breathing.
She stayed tightly behind him the whole time, cautious and careful, like a small puppy.
Takumi still wanted to turn back and check on the girl, but the cave was already extremely narrow. At a height of less than one meter, with the rock walls on both sides almost pinching his shoulders, it was very difficult for Takumi to turn around, so he gave up on the idea.
The smell of blood gradually began to surface again.
Takumi noticed that bloodstains had started to appear on the safety rope. Judging by their shape, it seemed that someone with a bleeding hand had gripped the rope, causing it to become soaked with blood.
Dark red handprints began to appear on the rock walls on both sides, with bloody marks spreading along the way.
Those bloodstains were very fresh.
As if someone had just passed through here.
As if not long ago, some injured person had walked through this place, leaving their traces all the way.
[Thud—]
Takumi's helmet got stuck again.
It seemed like he had run into a protruding rock, but it didn't quite feel like that; the texture seemed a bit softer than stone.
"Hoo…"
It was very quiet.
In this cramped cave, it was so quiet that he could only hear his own breathing and heartbeat.
Takumi tilted his head slightly, trying to avoid it.
[Thud—]
He still hit it.
The same sensation as before.
So he held the backpack with one hand and raised the other, reaching up to steady his helmet.
A cold and rigid sensation.
He touched something that was already cold and stiff.
"…"
He raised his head and looked upward.
And met the gaze of that pale boy's face above him—its eyeballs no longer visible, only bloodshot whites.
The boy lay against the ceiling of the cave, one hand resting on his chest, his fingers positioned just right to block Takumi's helmet.
[Grab the rope and walk out. Everyone, don't give up—we can definitely get out!]
[Keep up, don't fall behind, don't let go—keep holding on!]
[We'll get out. All of us will definitely get out—we'll all make it out!]
It was as if such voices were echoing.
Takumi turned his head and looked at the boy's other hand.
The hand that was gripping the safety rope tightly, never letting go.
He began to look forward along the path ahead.
He saw densely packed human hands stretching onward, one after another, all gripping that safety rope.
Takumi lowered his head and brought his knees down to the ground, moving forward in a posture close to crawling, keeping his body pressed low as he advanced.
[Tap—]
A leather shoe brushed against his helmet.
[Tap—]
An outstretched finger touched his helmet.
[Tap—]
The teeth of a wide-open mouth bumped against his helmet.
Takumi did not look up.
But he could hear those people breathing.
The breathing of those who were gripping the rope, moving forward step by step, lying here—the slow breathing sounds of those people.
The breathing of the people lying above his head, one body after another, spread across this passage.
Just like usual, like something everyone can do—gently inhaling, then gently exhaling.
[Tap—Tap—]
Takumi simply continued forward in silence.
He reached out.
Pushed aside a broken leg blocking his way.
Did not look at the white maggots crawling out of the girl's nose by the wall.
Bent his body to avoid those two overlapping, blood-soaked bodies.
It was too crowded. He did not completely avoid them—half an eyeball and some rotten flesh like black sesame paste stuck to his helmet.
"Why are there so many people here… did they all fail to escape…"
Chika murmured softly behind him.
"Sorry, I'm just too nervous. Takumi, you don't need to answer me."
"It feels like I'll have nightmares if this keeps going… ahaha, though I don't even know if we'll survive."
"Is Kaguya really in this game too? Will she be okay facing things like this? She's actually not very brave…"
Perhaps to dispel her fear, after taking a few deep breaths, the girl behind him quickly became more talkative.
"So many people were trapped here. In the end, their final obsession must have been leaving this place, right?"
"Compared to them, is there really anything special about us?"
"Is that too pessimistic to say… it's just that, at times like this, it's really hard to stay optimistic, ahaha…"
He could feel the dejection in her tone.
A cute girl showing fear like this could easily stir a man's protective instinct and desire to step forward.
But at this moment, Takumi truly did not have the energy to talk about this or that with her.
He only lowered his head even further and moved toward the deeper part of the cave, passing beneath those bodies lying above him, one corpse after another.
[Why am I in this place?]
A line of dark red blood-written words passed by Takumi.
[It's so dark, so narrow, so cramped. What is this place?]
[I have to escape. I have to escape.]
[I'm not a Tourist. I'm not a Tourist. I—]
More blood-colored writing was discovered.
Along with it came sounds like whispered murmurs.
Takumi crawled forward another short distance.
He only stared intently ahead, staring at the still-narrow, pitch-black stretch of the tunnel before him.
"Those sounds… they're not following us, are they?"
"Or is it that the direction we're moving in is the same direction those sounds are going?"
Chika's voice behind him grew increasingly tense.
Takumi, however, remained silent and continued to focus on crawling forward.
"Hoo…"
He could hear his own breathing gradually becoming more rapid as his stamina was consumed.
How far had he already gone? How much time had passed?
There was no way to determine the answers to those questions.
Staying in this sunless, hellish place, it was impossible for a person to maintain any accurate sense of time.
If that was the case, what about the instance's time limit? Although fifteen days sounded generous, he had no way of knowing how long he had already spent inside the cave.
The doubt flashed through his mind without affecting his current state.
Takumi continued crawling forward.
At that moment, a mournful cry sounded from behind.
"Takumi, I—I think I'm stuck…"
He heard the sound of strained struggling.
"Takumi?"
Within the girl's trembling voice, Takumi had already crawled forward another stretch.
"W-wait, Takumi, I'm stuck… Takumi…"
She did not dare cry out loudly, seemingly afraid that the sound might draw something else over, and could only speak pitifully to Takumi.
But Takumi simply kept crawling forward, crawling past the narrow section before him and toward the wider area that had finally appeared ahead.
At this moment, the sound of breathing seemed to grow much heavier.
The rock walls on both sides, as well as the corpses overhead, seemed at this moment to press in even closer, as if they were about to crush him flat inside the cave.
But it was also at this moment that a pair of hands reached out from the front, suddenly grabbing his shoulders and forcefully dragging him forward and out.
"…"
It seemed like some kind of sound rang out behind him, then quickly disappeared.
Hugging his backpack, Takumi sat up from the ground, and then saw Fujiwara Chika sitting in front of him, her body somewhat dirty.
"I—I am an Explorer. I am Fujiwara Chika. I am going to the Heart to explore, and then leave the Red Nut Grey Cave."
Before Takumi could speak, Chika had already stared at him nervously and said it first.
"I am an Explorer. I am Takumi. I am going to the Heart to explore, and then leave the Red Nut Grey Cave. When did you arrive?"
Takumi, letting out a light sigh of relief as he spoke, turned his head to look back at the tunnel he had crawled out of, now completely empty, with no one inside it anymore.
"About… two or three minutes? You hadn't come out, so I was worried for quite a while."
Chika patted her chest, which was somewhat constricted by the protective suit, and replied in a calmer tone.
"Is that so?"
Takumi nodded lightly. Without saying anything more, he stood up and looked toward the enormous cave filled with many stone pillars.
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