The Unorthodox Tomb Raider

"I don't think this is a problem. When that flare flew by, these things seemed to be afraid of it. This means that they are afraid of heat and light. As long as we light the torches and move a little gently, I think these things shouldn't attack us on their own."

Old Yang quickly reassured him.

“I think your idea is wrong. The temperature and brightness of that signal flare are extremely high, at least many times stronger than a torch. It’s understandable that those insects are afraid. Think about the monkey troop we encountered before. The monkey troop was only afraid of torches, not terrified of them. It can only scare them a little, not drive them away completely. If we go up and get surrounded, we’re really doomed.”

Wu Xie said.

"Judging from your confident demeanor, you must have come up with a brilliant plan!"

Old Yang looked at Wu Xie and asked.

"I don't have a mature solution, but I have an idea, I just don't know if it will work."

Wu Xie said.

"I knew you were a cunning little devil, always up to something. Hurry up and tell me, stop keeping me in suspense."

Old Yang urged.

“Going straight up would be extremely dangerous. If what Master Liang said is true, let’s assume it is. Those masks are alive and will definitely find a way to climb onto our faces. Forcing our way through will definitely result in sacrifices. If we can’t force it, then we’ll have to take a detour. Do you have any way to let us swing to the opposite rock wall? It’s easier to climb from there, and we can rest better.”

Wu Xie pointed to the cave in the distant rock wall and expressed his thoughts.

"Old Wu, you're not kidding me, are you? That far? You're going to swing all the way?"

Old Yang looked in the direction Wu Xie was pointing and sighed.

"This is the only way I have right now. I remember taking a rope from Lao Tai's backpack. Do you think that rope is long enough? If it really doesn't work, we'll have to go back the way we came. Next time we come, we'll bring a flamethrower, and then we can go straight through."

· ·········Request flowers· ···

Wu Xie said helplessly.

Old Yang pulled out a rope from his backpack. This was an essential item he found in Old Tai's backpack, and it even had a brand label on it. It was the best climbing rope in the world to date, and even special forces used this brand of climbing rope. It was clear that Old Tai and his group were very willing to spend money on equipment.

Before Wu Xie's trip to the Lu Palace, his third uncle had him buy equipment. Wu Xie only learned about many of those items by researching on the computer. A rope of this quality, as long as its diameter is greater than 10 millimeters, can easily withstand a weight of three tons even when falling. This rope is more than enough to support Fang Yun and his group.

...... ....... ...

It is known that the rope is strong enough, but the length of the rope is also a problem that must be considered. Old Yang lowered the rope down, estimated its strength, and sighed.

"In my opinion, this rope is at most fifteen meters long. It's still a long way from getting to the other side. Even if we attached all four of our belts, it wouldn't be enough!"

Old Yang said helplessly.

"So, this rope is a 16mm double-stranded rope. We can break the rope into two strands and join them together. That should cover the distance."

Wu Xie squeezed the rope and said.

"Uncle Wu, is your method really feasible? This rope is incredibly thin, won't it break? At this height, if the rope breaks, we'll all be dead!"

"I'm afraid," said Master Liang.

"I read it in a foreign mountaineering magazine, so it shouldn't be a lie."

Wu Xie slowly pulled out the rope and cut it in two. The thinness of the nylon rope far exceeded Wu Xie's imagination.

According to our understanding, a rope of this thickness cannot support the weight of four people. However, foreign sources do record that as long as it is reinforced nylon fiber with a diameter of eight millimeters, it can definitely be made into a secondary rope for mountaineering.

Unless there is a particularly strong downward force, the factory will not break suddenly under normal circumstances.

Chapter 340 The Feeling of Facing Death!

However, it's impossible to say that using it is completely without any danger. Usually, two ropes are used together to reduce the risk. But since he only has one rope right now, he can only pray to God for protection and trust in high technology. Wu Xie feels that he has been unlucky enough along the way and can't keep having bad luck.

Wu Xie handed the long rope he had tied to Lao Yang. Lao Yang looked at it with some skepticism, then took out a water bottle from his backpack and tied the rope to the water bottle in a special way. The purpose of the water bottle was to be used as a heavy object to throw to the other side.

Old Yang tried again and again, failing several times. After all, he was still very high off the ground on this bronze tree, so it was impossible for him to be as calm as when he was standing on the stable ground. Fortunately, he finally managed to entangle a stalagmite on the opposite side. When Old Yang pulled hard on the rope, it was taut and very secure.

"Alright, we finally got this rope sorted out. I won't say anything for now, but Old Wu, take a look and see if those rocks on the other side can hold up. That's the important question."

Old Yang sighed.

"I can't guarantee that either. I only studied architectural engineering, not geological exploration. I can't give you a definite answer, but this is the only way at the moment."

Wu Xie shook his head, but thought to himself.

"If the rock on the other side really can't hold on, it will most likely swing back to the side of the bronze tree. If it's lucky, it will crash into the trunk and at most be half-dead. If it's unlucky, it will definitely be riddled with holes by the bronze branches on the bronze tree."

Once everything was ready, Wu Xie tugged hard on the rope to make sure it was sturdy on both sides, then called on everyone to start climbing. However, Lao Yang and Master Liang didn't move; they just stood aside and watched Wu Xie.

Wu Xie glanced at Lao Yang and Liang Shiye and noticed that the two of them were looking at him with eyes that said they would never be the first to climb up, no matter what. Clearly, it would take a lot of courage to climb such a thin rope for the first time.

"No, could you two please stop looking at me like that? It makes me very uncomfortable. This is the only way right now. Otherwise, we'll have to turn back and come back with all our equipment next time. I definitely won't force our way through; that would be suicide."

Wu Xie said.

Unexpectedly, the two guys shook their heads, their eyes conveying the message: if you think you can do it, then go first and set an example for us; we'll follow behind.

Wu Xie cursed inwardly, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go up to set an example for them.

Before getting on the rope, Wu Xie handed over his tools, backpack, and other miscellaneous heavy items to Lao Yang and Liang Shiye to reduce his own weight as much as possible. All of these items could be tied to the other end of the rope.

When Lao Yang untied the rope from a distance, he swung all the debris down and pulled it back up, making it easy to cross. Lao Yang wasn't entirely at ease with the caves on the other side, so he put his pistol into Wu Xie's pocket, hoping it could at least offer some protection in case of any unexpected situation.

"Alas! The wind howls and the Yi River is cold; the brave warrior departs, never to return."

Wu Xie felt a sense of honor in facing death. He patted the two men on the shoulders, while the protagonist remained silent, simply nodding.

The two nodded to Wu Xie, who then turned and began to climb the rope. The moment his feet left the rope, Wu Xie felt as if his nerves were stretched taut as the rope itself.

Wu Xie closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He was prepared to hear the sound of the rope snapping, but to his surprise, the rope miraculously held on, only making some uncomfortable creaking sounds. In fact, these sounds were just the result of the knots on both sides suddenly tightening, and were not strange at all.

"Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down, you absolutely mustn't look down."

Wu Xie frantically chanted in his mind, trying to give himself a mental suggestion...

But that's how humans are; once they climb to a very high height, they subconsciously look down—it's an instinctive reaction, I suppose.

Wu Xie's eyes involuntarily glanced downwards, and that glance made him feel like his bile was about to burst.

"Old Wu, what are you standing there for? Stop dawdling and climb over there. You know, the longer you stay on the rope, the more dangerous it becomes."

Old Yang shouted immediately.

Wu Xie cursed Old Yang inwardly, took a deep breath, and began to climb towards the other side using both his hands and feet. This nylon rope had a certain elasticity, and it would shake every time he climbed up a little bit. This shaking was extremely violent, making Wu Xie feel extremely scared as he climbed.

In addition, the diameter of the rope was too small, and it was very uncomfortable to touch with his hands. Before long, Wu Xie felt that he was losing his strength.

As Wu Xie climbed further, his mind went completely blank, and he had no idea how he had managed to climb all that way.

The moment Wu Xie stepped onto solid ground, his legs immediately went weak.

He clung to the stalagmite beside him, sprawling into a muddy mess, panting heavily, not even having time to wipe the cold sweat from his brow.

With the torch in Wu Xie's hand, he lit it, stuck it to the side, and looked at Lao Yang and the others. At this moment, Liang Shiye was also trembling as he prepared to climb onto the rope.

"Master Liang, please calm down. Let Wu Xie check the situation over there. If it's not suitable to climb up, or if there are other dangers, we can save some energy."

Old Yang grabbed Liang Shiye and said.

Wu Xie raised the torch and looked around. There were only a few caves around, about half a person's height. They were man-made, judging from the marks.

However, after thousands of years of rainwater seepage, many newly formed stalactites have naturally appeared. These caves are quite damp, and it's possible that their carving on these cliffs is closely related to the ancient project of casting the bronze tree.

Chapter 341: Danger Lurks Everywhere! We've Been Tricked!

Looking up again, Wu Xie saw that the distance between the caves was not very far, about thirty or forty meters. Although climbing them was not particularly smooth or convenient, it was not difficult either.

The cave was empty and there was no danger inside.

Although Wu Xie had seen something in the cave from the bronze tree, he thought it was probably just a visual illusion caused by the change in light and shadow. In such a dark and eerie place, it was inevitable that his nerves would be a little abnormal.

"It's alright, it's alright. Climbing up here isn't difficult; you can climb up. There's nothing strange or unusual in this cave. Just come over."

Wu Xie addressed the crowd.

Old Yang patted Master Liang on the shoulder, indicating that Master Liang should go first.

Liang Shiye rubbed his face vigorously, carefully climbed up the thin rope, and moved towards Wu Xie, followed by Lao Yang.

Old Yang took a deep breath, tightly tied the flashlight to his hand, and carefully checked the knot on his side before cautiously climbing onto the rope. However, Old Yang's climbing speed was very fast, and in no time he had climbed to the middle of the rope.

Just then, the stalagmite on Wu Xie's side, where the rope was tied, suddenly made a strange sound. The three of them seemed to be nailed to the spot. Old Yang's face showed a look of extreme fear as he stared straight at Wu Xie. Wu Xie also quickly turned around and looked, his heart sinking to the bottom. A crack had appeared on the stalagmite.

"Hurry up and climb faster, this stalagmite has already cracked and is about to give way."

Wu Xie shouted immediately.

Wu Xie saw that Lao Yang did not react to the shouts and just stared at him without moving. But to Wu Xie's surprise, Lao Yang began to slowly back away, while gesturing to him as he retreated.

This puzzled Wu Xie greatly, and he couldn't understand what Lao Yang meant for a moment.

At that moment, Wu Xie suddenly had a very ominous premonition.

Old Yang pointed laboriously at the top of Wu Xie's head and whispered, "Quick! Run!"

Wu Xie and Master Liang were very puzzled. They looked up in the direction Old Yang pointed, and what they saw almost made them wet their pants. The stone wall, which had been empty just moments before, was suddenly covered with those human face masks, which were wriggling and making chilling noises as they swarmed towards Wu Xie like a tide.

At first glance, it looks like countless people are pressed against the wall, looking down at everyone; that feeling is truly chilling.

"Damn it, I'm so stupid. It appeared on the bronze tree, why didn't I think it appeared on this rock wall too? I'm doomed now. It seems like I'm going to die soon. Maybe I'll just have to wait here to die like those monkeys. In that case, I'd rather go down there and die sooner rather than later."

Wu Xie cursed himself in his heart.

"Hey, stop spacing out and come back here to cut the rope."

Old Yang shouted anxiously.