Chapter 119: The Savior Arrives

“No, no, no!” Lu Tianming wanted to deny it outright, but he didn’t know how to respond to Chen Cao’s words and fell into silence.

At this moment, Chen Cao’s mind was elsewhere. It was true that Wu Ji had betrayed them, whether out of a desire to save his mother or for some other reason. Now that he was trapped here, he had no idea how to escape.

Chen Cao said, “People like Lu Tianming can change sometimes. Compared to the superficial world’s human nature, this tribe’s brutality is more direct and blunt.”

Lu Tianming’s voice choked with emotion as he said, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve spoiled Wu Ji. I think I’ll never get out of here. Wu Ji only wanted to learn from me; he never intended to rescue me!”

Chen Cao replied, “You have to rely on yourself. If you depend on others, you’ll be trapped here for life!”

Lu Tianming didn’t answer. In the darkness, Chen Cao heard a faint snapping sound, followed by quiet, nauseating refusal. Chen Cao knew Lu Tianming had lost hope—lost hope for life—and his actions confirmed it.

Stanley let out a slight snore. For him, the situation was hopeless now. If there was any escape, it was up to Chen Cao to figure it out. What he needed now was rest, then to follow Chen Cao—either to escape or die here. Life was already hanging by a thread. As for his fiancée, that was no longer something he should worry about.

Chen Cao also closed his eyes slightly. Relying on Lu Tianming for information was impossible now. After long travel and a recent battle, he was utterly exhausted. For now, the most important thing was conserving his strength.

Time ticked by, second by second. In truth, none of them truly slept. Their eyes remained half-closed, wary of when the natives might return. Stanley didn’t want to believe his fiancée was a lie. He had come here all for her. So what was this now? Waiting to die, or being dragged into some sort of arena to be beaten to death, like Chen Cao?

Though Chen Cao was tired, he felt no sleepiness—not because of anything else, but because he was hungry.

No food. An empty stomach. No hope. These were among the most tragic things in life, and Chen Cao had all three. Things couldn’t have been worse.

Snap. Probably the most comfortable person now was Lu Tianming. He was quietly eating, clinging to the tiny spark of will to survive in his heart. Thousands of days and nights had numbed him inside. He’d learned to waste time, to survive in an empty space with nothing tangible—but he hadn’t learned how to die or found the courage to do so. Such was the tragedy of human nature.

Just as the three were about to fall into eternal silence, Chen Cao suddenly sensed a faint flash behind his eyelids.

“Who’s there?” Chen Cao whispered sharply, his body tensing. In this darkness, the flash pierced the eyes of everyone present.

Then the light flickered again, twice in quick succession, followed by a low, hoarse voice: “I’m here to rescue you. You have two choices: come or stay. I don’t have much time. Three seconds to decide!”

Anyone would choose the first option, but Chen Cao hesitated for two seconds before saying, “I want to know—this isn’t a trap?”

But the darkness answered with silence.

“Hey, boss, this is our chance!” Stanley whispered beside him.

Chen Cao said, “In our situation, we’d rather not go out than become prey. If someone’s here to rescue us, they must have a purpose.”

Stanley’s voice held a hint of disappointment but still affirmed Chen Cao’s judgment.

Before their words finished, the deep, hoarse voice spoke again: “Alright, I’ll tell you. This isn’t a trap. I know what you want here. I want you to cooperate with me—nothing more. Three more seconds. You know how fierce the natives are. I don’t want to lose my life over you!”

Chen Cao answered without hesitation this time, “Fine. Tell me how you’ll get us out.”

The voice replied, “Simple. I’ve already taken out the two native guards above. The native with the long mustache will soon discover this place. Follow my light, but remember: I’ll only give you ten seconds. If you don’t come, I’ll pull up the ladder, understand?”

Chen Cao pondered. The other had lit a light and waved it gently. The voice added, “Forgot to tell you—there’s a bottomless chasm below.”

“Stanley, move!” Chen Cao said, lowering his posture to crawl toward the light. Stanley replied with a grunt and hurried forward.

Within seconds, the two reached the light. Then something cold pressed against Chen Cao’s head. In the darkness, the voice chuckled: “Sir, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. At least since you’ve come this far, you have to follow my rules, got it?”

Chen Cao reluctantly spread his hands but noticed that the man speaking in the Mainz dialect was invisible in the dark. He said, “Don’t worry. I won’t move.”

“Good. Take small steps forward… good… I’m up!” The dark figure spoke slowly, followed by muffled thuds. Chen Cao heard the sound of boots hitting wooden planks and guessed the man wore leather boots.

Following the dark figure step by step onto the shaky ladder, Chen Cao whispered to Stanley, “Hurry up!”

“Don’t worry, boss. I’m right here!” Stanley was unusually calm, not even flinching. But when he stepped onto the swaying ladder rungs, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

“Please, take me with you!” Lu Tianming pleaded as he suddenly knelt with a thud when Stanley had just stepped onto the ladder.

“No!” The dark figure began pulling the rope to raise the ladder, his voice firm.

“No!” Chen Cao grabbed the hand pulling the rope. “He’s my companion. We have to take him.”

The voice remained steady. “My plan is to rescue two. The ladder can only hold three. Either you go down, or your companion does.”

Chen Cao tugged hard on the rope, his decision made.

“Thank you!” Lu Tianming’s voice sounded grateful in the darkness.

Suddenly, the barrel of a gun pressed against Chen Cao’s head. The dark figure, evidently trained for night combat, aimed with unerring accuracy. His voice was cold and resolute: “You want us all to die? Either you all go down, or you all come up. Since I’m rescuing you, I haveI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.