Chapter 82. Nose-walking Natives
Upon hearing Charles' words, the others scanned their surroundings to find that their companion, wrapped in his distinctive bandages, was nowhere to be seen.
A ripple of dread surfaced on their faces. How did their comrade vanish without a trace?
"When was the last time anyone saw Bandages?" Charles asked in a calm tone as he tried to suppress the rising anxiety within him.
"I saw him." James raised his hand in hesitation before he continued. "Five minutes ago, he was right in front of me."
"I don't think so. I haven't seen him since at least ten minutes ago," Lily interjected and poked her head out of Charles' collar.
The crew had varied accounts, but they could collectively infer that Bandages had disappeared within the last ten minutes.
Studying the thick mist that surrounded them, Charles' brows subconsciously pressed together, and he turned to Audric. "Turn into a bat and follow the arrows I inscribed on the walls. See if Bandages lost his way somewhere."
Audric nodded affirmatively, and his cloak billowed out as he shapeshifted into a bat. Bats could use their echolocation to navigate, and the thick fog did nothing to obstruct them.
Very soon, the vampire returned. Audric's despondent shake of his head confirmed Charles' worst suspicions—Bandages' disappearance had something to do with this island.
Leaning against the wall, Charles frowned as he thought of countermeasures.
Charles disliked this kind of situation more than battling horrifying monsters.
At least with monsters, they could still fight the creatures head-on, but against an unseen and unknown threat like now, no amount of strength could offer them a solution.
Just then, a resounding boom echoed from within the fog, startling everyone.
Charles immediately opened a Mirrorbox, and the sunlight from within penetrated the mist once more. However, there was nothing to be seen where the sound had come from.
Following the series of events, the thick fog around them started to thin. However, Charles felt that the change was malicious rather than kind.
Under everyone's intense gaze, Charles instructed, "Let's get out of here first."
Frey immediately protested, "Captain! But we haven't found First Mate Bandages!"
"Do as I say. We'll get out first and discuss later." With that, Charles led the group to move out immediately. Although he felt sorry for Bandages, Charles was the captain, and his duty was to prioritize the crew's safety. If one could disappear, another could follow.
Until they found out the reason behind Bandages' disappearance, staying put wasn't the most rational decision. Charles couldn't risk the lives of everyone else for one crewmate. Moreover, Bandages was a devout Fhtagnist with strong regenerative powers. He wouldn't fall that easily.
They could also devise a rescue plan once they were out.
Under Charles' command, everyone followed the arrows etched on the labyrinthine walls and speedily retraced their steps back to the exit.
The glow from their fire torches pierced through the thick fog; the squelching sound of their footfalls in the mud was the only sound that echoed in the air.
But as the crew lit up their second batch of fire torches, Charles' face grew increasingly grim. They had been running for quite a long while, enough to be reaching the maze's exit, but why did he see no opening in sight?
"Wait!" Charles called out for his crew to stop. He then turned to the arrow carved on the wall and carefully examined it. After a meticulous inspection, he confirmed that the hidden lines he had deliberately placed within the arrow were all in place. The arrow was definitely his work, and no one had tampered with it.
But yet, with the markings, they couldn't get out of the maze. A wave of befuddlement washed over Charles. What was the deal with this labyrinth? Was it alive and could shift and change?
Fortunately, before Charles entered the maze, he had considered this possible scenario. His Dark Blade slashed across his finger, and he smeared the blood on the Bat Mirror. Black fur sprouted on his face while fleshy membranes rapidly grew from under his arms.
As his face gradually turned into a monstrous bat, he turned to his crewmates and instructed, "Stay put. Once I find the exit, I'll return and take everyone out."
No matter how intricate a labyrinth might be, it was only a two-dimensional problem. As long as he carried the crew on his back, they could directly soar into the air and get out of this maze.
After a few seconds, Charles had completely transformed into a giant bat. The flapping of his bat wings sent ripples across the muddy surface beneath them. With a push of his feet, Charles soared into the air.
The monstrous bat opened its gaping maw and released ultrasonic waves that were beyond a human's hearing range. As the waves bounced back due to objects in their path, Charles could conjure a mental map of his surroundings.
Even though he had seen the complex structure of the maze earlier, he was still struck with awe when the entire structure formed in his mind. The multiple twisted and intertwined intersections were dizzying. Ignoring the twists and turns, Charles soared upward.
As he flapped his wings faster, Charles immediately noticed something amiss. No matter how high he ascended, the labyrinth walls rose with him like a shadow.
Three minutes later, Charles halted in mid-air and sent an ultrasonic wave downward. However, the expected echo didn't return. He was at least a thousand kilometers away above ground.
The current situation clearly defied logic. Charles still remembered the appearance of the island. Even with the fog obscuring his vision, he was certain that the island was not this high.
Seeing no result from further ascension, Charles decided to descend.
"Captain, how did it go?" Dipp asked anxiously as Charles drank from a plasma packet.
"It doesn't work. I flew a thousand kilometers up, but the walls kept rising with me."
Charles' reply cast a gloom on everyone's faces. They couldn't find an exit despite following the arrows, and the walls stretched more than a thousand kilometers high. They were evidently trapped.
"Don't panic. We have another way." Charles fished up a packet of explosives from James' backpack.
Boom!
A spray of rubble erupted as the labyrinth wall was blown open. With the illumination of their fire torches, they could make out the other side of the wall that was shrouded in fog.
If they couldn't find the exit, they could simply make their own exit. Straight lines were always the quickest way through any maze.
As continuous blasts rang out, the crew moved swiftly through each opening. Charles initially thought that they would soon return to the marsh.
However, reality didn't progress as per his expectations. As they emerged from another hole, the distant pitter-patter of water droplets hitting the water's surface reached their ears.
The drip-drop sound rapidly grew in frequency and volume and very soon echoed like rain on a silent night.
With his guard up, Charles looked in the direction of the noise. A peculiar group of creatures moving toward them gradually came into view.
The beings looked like hairless rats standing on their forelegs. Every organ on their bodies was deformed and elongated. Their noses resembled elephant trunks, curved as they tapped on the water's surface rhythmically. They were walking with their noses.
The pitter-patter sound from earlier was created as these creatures navigated through the murky waters.
The near-meter-tall nose-walking oddities were multitudinous. Clustered together on the black, murky waters, they looked like corn stalks densely packed in a field. Encountering such creatures in such a cursed place was definitely unsettling.
Dipp drew a dagger from his boot; the weapon's design was similar to Charles' Dark Blade. Swallowing a gulp, he turned toward his Captain as he awaited instructions.
"Hold on. Let's see what they're up to," Charles ordered as he pressed down on the gun barrel of one of his crewmates.
1. I think Mr.Author forgot about the vampire...Let's just assume Audric is hidden safely or outside of the Mirrorbox's AOE.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om