Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Page 131

Can it be successful?

Many people have doubts about this plan, but it is the best solution at present.

The rescue workers who were with Andres continued to comfort him.

Don't give up.

Gao Hai could hear that it was a young man's voice.

Don't give up, Andres. We'll get you out of here. Hold on, your wife is waiting for you outside. You have to get back alive, you know? You must get back alive!

The man gently patted Andres's legs and spoke earnestly to him.

A buzzing sound gradually rose inside the cave.

Those were small drilling devices preparing to set up pulleys.

Wilbo and the rescue workers discussed how to better set up the pulleys, their faces showing deep concern. Meanwhile, Pei Di, who had been woken up late at night to arrive, yawned and paced impatiently, feeling quite helpless and frustrated that this had happened in the scenic area. He subconsciously began calculating the lost revenue and other related matters.

When it was 4 a.m., the equipment was finally set up, and people began to pull Andres up, lifting him little by little from the cave entrance using ropes tied to his legs.

Hope seems to have emerged.

But soon, the winding cave trapped Andres's legs. The intense pain caused Andres to scream in agony. He had been trapped headfirst in the cave for fourteen hours, his legs too weak to bend due to lack of blood flow, yet his nerves still transmitted intense pain.

Perhaps we should just cut off his leg; it wouldn't matter if we just tore it off.

Someone spoke from the darkness.

[No, Mr. Andres is already very weak. If he breaks his leg in his current state, there is a very high chance that he will go into shock and fall into a coma, and he may very well die.]

Other voices immediately refuted this.

【What can we do? This can't go on; he's been hanging upside down there for over ten hours.】

Someone spoke up anxiously, their emotions clearly becoming somewhat agitated.

Let's rebuild the pulleys and try again.

Finally, one of the people made the final decision, and the rescue team resumed operations.

Andres' condition is getting worse.

More than ten hours of being upside down gradually blurred his consciousness, and pain swept over his body. In this inescapable darkness, his spirit collapsed little by little.

Hey, hello, I'm Howard Smith, you can just call me Howard.

Then, another voice rang out from behind.

【Hello……】

Andres's voice had become somewhat weak.

We're already preparing a new rescue plan. How are you doing? Are you alright?

Howard's voice came from above.

To be honest, it's not good...

After a brief moment of hesitation, Andres was no longer able to maintain his optimism.

Let's talk. Tell me about your situation, your family, anything. I'll always be here for you.

Howard's voice was much closer; he seemed to have already slipped into the narrow cave, right behind him.

【family……】

"Yes, that's right. Your wife's name is Hidal, isn't it? She's waiting for you outside. Would you like to talk to her?"

Is she...is she here too?

Yes, I have a walkie-talkie here, uh… you can't hear me from your position, so I'll relay it to you. Your wife said, “Please keep fighting, I love you.” Did you hear that? That's what your wife said to you.

"Yes... I heard you. Please tell her I will definitely come out. Wait for me..."

In the darkness, Gao Hai could hear Andres's suppressed sobs.

Before this moment, he didn't know what kind of person this was, what kind of childhood he had, what kind of experiences he had, how he met the person he loved, how they got together, until they had a child, until this moment, this man was imprisoned here.

He only heard the man muttering, saying things like "I will definitely come out," though his voice was trembling, and perhaps even he himself couldn't fully believe it.

In the 19th hour, around 7 a.m. the next day, the new pulley system was completed.

Howard's voice carried a hint of unease. In order to set up the new pulley system as quickly as possible, the fixing and placement of some pulleys did not quite conform to the rules and standards. But Andres's condition was getting worse, and he didn't have much time to wait. So, in the end, the rescue began, using the new pulley system to slowly pull Andres up.

Hang in there!

The excruciating pain in his leg caused Andres to scream again.

[It's almost done!]

Light gradually seeped out from above.

Hang in there!

Looking up, he could already see Howard staring at him.

His wife's voice came through the walkie-talkie, a voice he could clearly hear, pleading for his safe return.

The rescue team and firefighters grabbed the rope, shouting and pulling with all their might.

Lift it up a little more.

Raise it up a little bit more.

Andres seems to be able to breathe relatively fresh air now.

He could see Howard's encouraging smile, even though he was covered in sweat.

And behind him, the rock wall where the cracks were widening little by little.

Boom——

The sound of shattering accompanied the body's fall.

Andres fell heavily, getting stuck deeper and tighter in the crevice than before.

Howard was knocked unconscious by the rock and only regained consciousness after a long time. Due to the severity of his injuries, he had to be taken away by other rescue team members for treatment.

The light disappeared once again.

Andres let out a low groan of pain.

tick-

Blood dripped from his smashed head and landed on Gao Hai's forehead.

Tick-tick-tick-

Drop by drop, it slowly fell, just like Andres's fate, plummeting downwards until it disappeared into the dust.

I'm going to die here. I can't get out of here, am I?

It seemed as if I could hear his voice ringing in my ears.

Everything began to gradually dissipate and sink into darkness.

Gao Hai never saw the rescue teams again, nor the people arguing about how to rescue them, nor anything else in the cave.

It was as if he had become Andres himself, sinking into the boundless darkness, unable to escape from it.

Andres eventually stopped breathing.

He was never able to leave the cave, and even after his death, because his body was stiff, the rescue team was even less able to take him out of the cave.

He can only remain here forever, until he rots and dissolves into the cave.

The shattered image has vanished from my sight.

Gao Hai could only feel the lingering warmth of the ring pulled from the corpse's finger, and the last remaining trace of that warm afternoon from his memory.

The groom nervously straightened his suit, while the bride, in a white dress, looked up at him.

【will you marry me?】

He smiled at her somewhat awkwardly.

[That's so cliché. Aren't you usually so good at talking?]

She blinked and chuckled softly at him.

Oops, sorry, looks like my sense of humor is failing me.

He awkwardly reached out and scratched his face, but as soon as he put his hand down, she grabbed it.

It's okay, I like it, so I'm willing.

With smiles on their faces, they exchanged rings and placed them on each other's fingers.

Sunlight streamed through the church windows, illuminating the two of them.

That day was so warm, but now only cold darkness remains.

I can't feel anything anymore.