The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 713: The Illusory Starry Sky

Maybe it wasn't all bad.

The narrow passage held back the churning current.

His oxygen was running out. Lu Li abandoned his exploration and, as best he could, retraced his steps.

The current pushed at Lu Li's back, helping him return to the 'island' faster, but he risked overshooting it and being swept downstream...

A flicker of light cut through the dense darkness.

Veering slightly off course, Lu Li swam toward the light on the surface and broke through.

With a splash, he hauled himself onto the rocks. He sat down by the fire, catching his breath.

"Find a way out?" Friday asked, holding a tin can.

"Next time."

Lu Li's reply was brief.Whether it was a sigh of despair or a flicker of hope, it was impossible to tell.

As his body warmed, Lu Li filled the empty can with water and set it on the fire. He drank the hot water before setting out again.

Once he was warm, Lu Li plunged back into the subterranean river, swimming along the familiar route.

The icy current tugged him back, his skin paling from the cold. The walls narrowed rapidly, and after about fifteen meters, the passage shrank to a gap just twenty centimeters wide.

In the pitch-black, filled only with the rush of water, Lu Li released a stream of air bubbles that vanished into the current. He slid his hand into the narrow crevice, braced his shoulder against the stone obstruction, and tried to stretch his body.

For a fleeting moment, his fingertips brushed against something other than churning water. It lasted only an instant, but in that touch, Lu Li felt a sense of calm and stillness.

He had touched air.

His oxygen was nearly gone, but Lu Li didn't turn back. Bracing his feet against the walls, he continued to probe the passage with his hand.

The gap's width was uneven. Maybe, if he swam further in one direction, it would open up enough for a person to squeeze through.

Perhaps this was the very spot where he had first fallen into the subterranean river.

Before his air ran out completely, Lu Li returned to the "island" and hauled his soaking body onto the rocks.

"Find it?" Friday asked.

"Yes."

Lu Li's expression remained calm, as if he were indifferent to his discovery. Only his words betrayed his thoughts. "Can you get me a rope? Or a waterskin?"

A rope would ensure he didn't lose his way back to the "island," while a waterskin filled with air would let him stay underwater longer.

Reaching the passage had pushed him to his absolute limit; he couldn't have gone any further without having to worry about the return trip.

"I'll try," Friday said. She dipped her hand into the river, swirled it around, then wiped it on her black robe.

"It's no use."

Clearly, Friday had no intention of helping Lu Li escape.

Lu Li said nothing. He waited until he was warm again, then, just as before, heated some water. He warmed himself thoroughly by the fire, holding the hot can and drinking slowly to build up his body heat.

After a few minutes, Lu Li set down the empty can, filled his lungs, and plunged into the icy river, heading for the narrow passage between the stone walls.

Fighting against the icy current, he reached the gap once more and began to move to the right.

After swimming a short distance, Lu Li reached up and felt the passage. It seemed to have changed slightly, but he couldn't be sure.

He released a stream of bubbles that were instantly swallowed by the current. Overcoming the burning in his lungs, Lu Li swam onward.

Ten more seconds.

Lu Li mentally counted down the seconds he had left, then reached for the passage again.

This time, the feeling was completely different. The current was weaker, and the gap had widened—it felt as if a person could slip through.

Without hesitating, Lu Li gripped the edges of the opening and pulled himself upward against the current. His head passed through the gap, followed by his neck, but his chest caught.

Lu Li stretched his arms forward, and now nearly half of his forearms were out of the water. He could distinctly feel the wind blowing across his skin.

Reaching higher, he cupped his hand, scooping the air and bringing it to his face.

Lu Li inhaled. A rush of thin air and cold water flooded his nose, pouring down his trachea and into his lungs.

Lu Li fought back the urge to double over and cough.

A fit of coughing could make him inhale more water, causing him to lose consciousness.

Salvation was within reach, but Lu Li faced a choice.

The passage was narrow. He might be able to force his way through and return to the outside world. But there was also the risk of getting wedged in the crevice, doomed to a slow, agonizing death by drowning.

Lu Li pulled back, making his choice: he would return to the cavern.

He navigated by memory back to the spot where he'd first touched air, then let go, allowing the current to sweep him back.

Ten meters, five meters, one meter...

The lack of oxygen was making it hard for Lu Li to think clearly.

He should have been near the "island" by now, but a stone ceiling was still above him, and his eyes saw nothing but impenetrable darkness.

Had he gone off course?

Lu Li pressed his hands against the wall, trying to steady himself in the current as he painstakingly shifted to the right.

A long stream of bubbles escaped his mouth, dissolving into the churning current. His strength was failing.

His consciousness began to fade. Downstream, a warm, soft light seemed to flow toward him, like the dawn breaking over the horizon, illuminating the entire ocean.

He could no longer control his body. The only thing Lu Li could do before he passed out was clamp his mouth and nose shut, to keep the icy water from filling his lungs and hastening his death. He let the current carry him toward the source of light...

Like a boat striking a reef, Lu Li's body slammed into the rocks. A pale hand reached out and pulled him from the current.

Friday lowered the Beacon. After dragging a blue-lipped Lu Li onto the rocks, she pressed down on his chest, forcing air into his lungs.

Consciousness flooded back into his body. His breathing steadied, and Lu Li rolled onto his side, coughing and sputtering up water.

"You almost drowned," Friday said.

"I found... the way out." Wiping water from his mouth, Lu Li huddled closer to the fire for warmth.

Friday's expression didn't change. Her voice was flat, as if nothing of note had happened. "Congratulations. We can get out of here."

This time, his rest was a long one.

Prolonged exposure to the icy water and lack of oxygen had brought on hypothermia.

Lu Li wrapped his coat tighter around himself and added more wood to the fire, trying to stop his body temperature from dropping any further.

Once rested, he heated more water, warmed himself thoroughly, and stepped back into the subterranean river.

This time, Lu Li didn't swim straight for the passage. Instead, he angled slightly to the right, heading for the wider section he had found earlier.

The gap gradually narrowed, as if about to close completely. Lu Li patiently pushed onward.

Just as his oxygen was about to run out, the passage widened again, seeming even larger than before...

Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Li surged into the gap. His head went through, followed by his body...

Lu Li broke the surface.

The muffled underwater sounds abruptly sharpened, and the roar of the churning water became deafening, as if the river itself were celebrating his return to the living.

Lu Li hauled himself out of the passage and stood, dripping, as he tilted his head back to look at the sky.

A magnificent, star-filled sky stretched out above him.

If it was a real sky.

And if those were real stars.