Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Right after all the water rolled down the long chain of eminence, plunging into the mass of water beneath with fearsome force, the divers, who had been submerged underwater, were brought to light. They looked weary, and their complexions were pale.
Apparently, they had begun their competition a long time ago.
Unlike orthodox diving, there were no diving boards installed on the pillars. Each contender was standing on top of a platform with a surface area of less than one-meter square. Lin Sanjiu had no idea how long or what the divers had experienced inside the water, but some of the pillars were empty.
Though the remaining divers had survived, their conditions were not any better either. They were shivering, their exposed skin was arctic white, and they appeared so fragile as if they would fall from the pillar at any moment. Even from afar, Lin Sanjiu could see their heaving chests and hear their labored breathing.
“What’s wrong with them?” Lin Sanjiu looked up and mumbled, “They seem so…”
“They seem so dead,” Soulsqn added, “Their countenances are even paler than yours.”
“Reverse diving,” the young man said, answering their doubts. “The first stage of diving requires divers to keep jumping until they appear above water. The only chance you have to breathe in oxygen is at the moment you leap out of the water. If you cannot do it, you either die of suffocation or get killed by the things beneath.”
“How do you know so much?”
“I once participated in the diving component. Anyway, the divers’ target is us, and their goal is to topple us into the water below. When they reach their goal, their session will be over, and we will have to replace them as divers to continue the game.”
“So, we are going to fight them?” Soulsqn asked, giving the young man a hard smack on the back with merriment. “Awesome! I’ll make sure they will regret making us their enemy!”
The young man sighed. His skin twitched a little after receiving the smack from Soulsqn. “Well, I hope you will live up to your—” Before he could finish his sentence, the water level rose suddenly. As if hit by waves, his body tilted a little bit. “Brace yourself. The wave is coming!”
However, it was too late for the team to do anything. They did not even have a chance to wipe the water droplets off their faces before they were thrown aside by the surge.
The young swimmer told them everything about the game, but he had not warned them to hold on tight. Perhaps he wanted to seize the opportunity and have the tidal wave knock the three of them down from his back. Nonetheless, his wish was granted. The moment the tide came, all three burdens on his back were swept away.
They had underestimated the strength of the waves.
Imagine that a thundercloud had formed underneath the water. For a moment, Lin Sanjiu could not hear anything aside from the roar of water that sounded like thunderclaps. She did not even have a chance to react before she was thrashed here and there by the torrent.
The thunderous surge of water engulfed her entire face, drowning out all sounds. The water stung her eyes, and her lungs burned ice-cold as she choked on the foamy liquid. A burning sensation spread quickly across her nostrils as more water flooded her nose. Worst of all, she could not kick herself out of the water no matter how hard she tried. Whenever she pushed herself close to the surface, more water would crash on her, inexorably pushing her deeper into the darkness below the river.
Regardless of how proficient a posthuman was at holding his or her breath underwater or how great of a swimmer he or she was, there was no way a human could withstand the power of nature.
Lin Sanjiu’s brain was a muddled mess. There weren’t any concrete, substantial thoughts in her mind, and all she could do was flail her arms and legs helplessly as she tried to propel herself towards the water surface. If it weren’t for Mrs. Manas, who covered her nose and mouth with Higher Consciousness in the nick of time, she would have exhausted all her strength in brandishing her limbs due to being overwhelmed by the fear of drowning.
The moment she snapped back to reality, she lost her way. Everywhere she looked, there was darkness. Soulsqn and the fatty were gone. Holding her breath, Lin Sanjiu swam upward with all her might, as she knew she did not have much time left.
Even at the bottom of the river, she could very clearly see the gleam of the light ripple, penetrating all the way through the darkness. Time was getting closer.
As the first wave quieted down, the undercurrent slowed down. Grasping the golden opportunity, Lin Sanjiu swam up as she rummaged through her arsenal of Special Items. However, before an idea could even take shape, a word appeared in her mind and her blood boiled.
The Internationale!
The trumpet sounds were muffled by the time they reached her ears. Nevertheless, the effect of [Heed to the call of socialism] was so powerful that even with the slightest sound, it could raise the hearer’s morale. With the newfound power that surged within her body, Lin Sanjiu pinpointed a direction and made her way toward it.
“Over here!”
The river was still choppy, but the intensity of the waves right now paled in comparison to the initial surge. Huffing heavily like a cow, Lin Sanjiu looked ahead. She saw the fatty sitting on top of the young swimmer’s head, waving his stubby arm as he yelled, “Quick! Come over here! Time is right behind you!”
Saving the fatty was probably the best choice she ever made.
When Lin Sanjiu finally reached the young man’s side, he turned around to look at Lin Sanjiu and sighed.
The young man had an aquiline nose, black hair, a pair of bushy eyebrows and long eyelashes. He did not hide his true feelings as he sighed, “You are back.”
Lin Sanjiu nodded.
“Fine then, at least I don’t have to carry three people now. Hold on tight,” the young man ordered. Then, he kicked the water and sprang towards the pillars, seeming to have used a Special Item to thrust him forward. He slightly levitated above the water like a speed boat, and the momentum generated broke the water into two foamy walls that flanked his sides.
Lin Sanjiu could not help shuddering at the cold breeze. Then, the fog in her brain cleared, and she realized what the young swimmer was talking about. She turned her head to the fatty and said, “Where is… Where is the girl that was with us just now?”
“She fell into the water,” the fatty explained. Then he frowned. “But she should be able to hear my trumpet too. I don’t know why she hasn’t returned yet, since she fell into the water a little bit later than you.”
‘Soulsqn is not a human, so how is there any possibility that she would be summoned by [Heed to the Call of Socialism]?’
Lin Sanjiu bit her lower lip and squinted her eyes to look back. After getting through so many ordeals together, their kinship had changed from that of mortal enemies to some sort of not-too-close-but-you-are-still-my-buddy type of relationship. When the fact that they were leaving the flesh worm behind came into her mind with splendid clarity, Lin Sanjiu had an impulse to rush back and save her.
But Lin Sanjiu pressed down the urge, as she knew that it was impossible.
She could barely see any contenders on the water surface, so how was she going to locate Soulsqn, who the waves had plunged into the bottom of the river? Putting everything else aside, with her swimming skills, going back into the river was no different from walking into the grave.
In the blink of an eye, Time had engulfed her previous standing spot.
“Don’t blame yourself,” the fatty comforted after seeing her expression, “The number of one’s days is fixed…”
Before he could finish his sentence, they had reached below the pillar. At this moment, a sharp whistle rang out through the air and caught their attention.
“They are coming!”
Both Lin Sanjiu and the fatty looked up, and they saw a few figures jumping into the air.
Perhaps they saw that the young man had two people on his back, for most of the divers targeted him. If they could topple all three of them into the river, at least three divers would be freed from the game.
Without wasting any seconds, Lin Sanjiu summoned her [Tornado Whip] and sent a tornado towards the few figures in the air.
There was no Special Item more suitable than [Tornado Whip] in dealing with airborne enemies. The whirlwind that came caught some of the divers off guard and flung them away. The divers gasped in surprise, but they quickly recomposed themselves as they reeled back to their pillars.
Lin Sanjiu let out a half sigh. However, before she could relax, her skin bristled and goosebumps ran up her spine. She looked skyward, and to her surprise, she saw one diver brave against the howling wind and charge straight at them.
