Chapter Sixteen: A Successful Escape

The two of them were very unfamiliar with the terrain of this place. It took an enormous amount of effort to finally find the edge of the water pool. Logically, they should have been able to return the same way, but unexpectedly, after leaving the chief’s room, the directions seemed completely altered.

Su Chen was starting to run low on energy, but surprisingly, Gu Xi’s stamina remained strong. She didn’t even seem out of breath. Could this be the positive effect of her robust physique? It was quite delightful.

Just as they were about to approach the pool, the originally clear blue sky suddenly became covered with thick, heavy clouds. The cloud layer was so low it almost pressed down on their heads.

“This pool doesn’t look like an escape route at all,” Su Chen said. He wasn’t doubting why Gu Xi knew this place, but rather wanted to confirm if the water beneath all these algae was truly a passage off the floating island.

“If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do,” Gu Xi replied, her anger toward the man fading into indifference, and then into resignation. She was a bit long-winded.

As she spoke, Gu Xi took off her jacket, revealing a tight black vest underneath. The vest clung closely, outlining her well-toned figure and the defined lines of her abdomen. Then she slipped off her long boots, standing barefoot on the soil beside the pool.

“Hey, big brother, what are you standing there for?” Gu Xi was almost ready to enter the water.

Su Chen didn’t dare look directly at her.

“Have you never seen a girl before? It’s this kind of situation. Big brother, don’t pretend to be so reserved,” Gu Xi said, exasperated. How could a grown man be so...

“Oh, well, I—I won’t take off my clothes. I’ll just jump in like this. It’s okay to get wet or dirty!” Su Chen replied, his ears flushed red.

“You’ll definitely need to dive under the water, and we don’t know how long it will take. I suggest you take off your clothes,” Gu Xi said impatiently.

Still, Su Chen remained unmoved.

“...Fine,” Gu Xi said, throwing unnecessary daily items and absorbent supplies from her backpack onto the shore. She kept only some commonly used tools inside, then slung the bag back over her shoulders.

“I’ll count down three, two, one. We jump together. This rope will tie our backpacks together so we can always find each other,” Gu Xi said, fastening the ropes on their backs. Then, both of them plunged headfirst into the water.

She had to admit, she admired these rat people a bit. The moment she entered the water, she found the water so thick that she couldn’t open her eyes.

Not only that, it was incredibly foul-smelling! Unable to open her eyes meant she couldn’t locate the exit.

After less than a minute underwater, Gu Xi and Su Chen couldn’t hold their breath any longer. They surfaced, gasping for air.

“Here’s the plan: you stay on top, take off your backpack so it can float as a life jacket. I’ll dive down with my backpack on, connected to your floating one by the rope. If I don’t respond, you come down to find me. If the drag is too strong or I get bitten by something, pull the rope hard, and if necessary, you escape,” Gu Xi explained.

Seeing Su Chen’s poor stamina, she felt powerless and had no choice but to try this strategy to help them find the exit faster.

“Alright, I’ll go,” Su Chen said.

“You’re no good for this. Look at you—you’re about to faint from exhaustion. Don’t suddenly get stubborn now,” Gu Xi replied.

“Trust me, I’ll get out. I’ll let you eat well and regain your strength. Hold on, okay?” Gu Xi comforted him before diving back underwater.

Sure enough, the plan worked. She felt something buoyant pulling her along the surface. Very good.

She forced her eyes open and could barely make out some faint direction underwater. She just hoped no unknown creatures would attack her at this moment.

She continued to dive deeper. After about two meters, she dared not go further and stopped at that depth, pinching her nose and equalizing the pressure in her ears.

After a moment’s adjustment, she pressed on, holding her breath. Fortunately, she had a large lung capacity. In less than a minute, she reached about three to four meters deep.

There, she stopped because she seemed to have reached the bottom—her feet could touch the ground. She crawled forward along the bottom, feeling the smooth surface beneath her hands. It was different from the scenery above.

Looking around, she noticed a spot bubbling continuously. She swam toward it.

Finally, hope appeared. The bubbling spot had to be the exit.

On the surface, Su Chen was struggling to hold on. He felt the rope pulling in one direction and floated with the backpacks toward that place.

Underwater, Gu Xi reached the bubbling area and found a manhole cover. However, it was sealed shut. She had no experience prying open a manhole cover barehanded.

So she took off her backpack, rummaged through it, and found a small screwdriver. With no other choice, she used it to pry at the bubbling hole with all her might.

Thanks to her basic physical strength, the manhole cover flipped open.

At that moment, it was like pulling the plug in a filled bathtub—the water formed a huge suction vortex, churning the pool.

Gu Xi, at the bottom, was the first to be sucked in, rapidly pulled downward. Before she could see the structure clearly, she was swept away through a narrow pipe—similar to the water slides she dreamed about as a child, but at a terrifying height.

She felt an overwhelming sense of weightlessness. Though she wasn’t afraid of much, that sensation nearly made her heart skip a beat.

She held her nose and ears to prevent the rushing water from forcing its way up her throat, which could cause suffocation.

Meanwhile, inside the pipe, a man’s scream echoed.

“Ahhh!” It was Su Chen. After a few calls, silence followed.

Having never dived before, he didn’t realize he would choke on water. After a few cries, he passed out from drowning.

The two of them slid down the tube for nearly three minutes.

Splash!

They finally fell one after the other onto a very soft surface.

Gu Xi felt her feet touch solid ground and finally relaxed. Her body ached, and she opened her eyes.