Chapter Thirty-Four: White Rain

I had never seen this person so panicked before; he grabbed my arm and dashed forward at breakneck speed. Though I was confused, I knew nothing good would come of lingering any longer on the bridge. I threw myself into the run, legs pumping desperately.

As we fled, I heard a crackling hiss from the bridge's surface, the strange vapor intensifying atop the stone slabs. Beneath our feet, the bubbling in the water grew fiercer—whatever lurked below was stirring.

"Is that thing about to crawl out?" I shouted.

Peanut ignored me completely, his mind fixed solely on getting us through. As we reached the middle of the bridge, Qin Feng caught up with us.

"This mist isn't right—are you two okay?" he called, not slowing as he twisted his body, taking the lead.

"Save your worry for yourself," Peanut replied, suddenly stopping dead.

I was caught off guard and slammed into his back. Despite his wiry frame, he was as solid as a wall; I nearly toppled over.

"What is it?" Qin Feng asked, glancing back.

"It's here," Peanut whispered, so softly that a chill swept through me.

The pool beneath us grew eerily calm, the bubbling ceased, leaving only the swirling white mist on the bridge. We fell silent, holding our breath, eyes fixed on the water below. Whether it was seconds or minutes, I can't say—then, suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the pool, like the surge of a tidal wave. The water was drawn upwards in a furious rush, as if something immense was pulling it.

At the same time, the stone bridge shook violently. Qin Feng grabbed me, and all three of us crouched down. Thankfully, the spider silk beneath our feet was adhesive; otherwise, we would've struggled to keep our balance on the railingless bridge.

"Behind us," Peanut cried. We spun around swiftly.

When we raised our flashlight beams, the sight before me was nothing short of miraculous.

"My God!" Even with a hundred minds, I could never have imagined such a thing could exist in this world. Every cell in my body trembled; the shock, the terror—no words in all human language could describe them.

Our vision was engulfed in white. In the sky above the far end of the bridge, a creature of unimaginable size soared over us. We saw its flank—a monstrous, pale catfish, or so it seemed, for on either side of its head grew tendrils nearly as long as its body. Yet unlike a fish, four razor-sharp claws jutted from its form, reminiscent of the talons described in ancient Chinese legends of dragons.

The scene before us was like a hidden dragon ascending to the heavens. It lasted only a few seconds, but I knew I would never forget what I saw.

Just as the beast was about to touch the rocky ceiling, it twisted suddenly, turning its head toward us. The mist on the bridge was swept away by the force of its movement. Its body was pure white, glowing with a faint sheen; even if we turned off our flashlights, we would see it clearly. In that instant, staring at its face, I couldn't discern what sort of creature it was. Its mouth was indeed like a catfish's, but above it, the eyes, the pronounced brow, and the white eyebrows—strangely, they bore a resemblance to a human.

At that moment, terror and awe ceased to matter—I was intent only on seeing it clearly. But then a deafening howl burst from the creature's mouth overhead, so fierce and resonant it matched the dragonsong I had always imagined.

A volley of water sprayed from its mouth—white masses tumbling down like countless snowballs from the sky.

"Watch out for those white things! Touch them and you're dead!" Peanut shouted, shielding himself with his backpack.

Qin Feng and I, utterly dazed, stared upwards. A glob of white liquid crashed onto the bridge, instantly dissolving the spider silk with a sizzling hiss.

More blobs fell around us, the corrosive noise snapping Qin Feng out of his stupor. He reacted swiftly, holding his backpack over my head, then snatched up the floodlight to block another incoming splash.

The giant beast soon plunged back into the pool, shaking the entire cavern.

I snapped to attention; the spider silk and stone beneath us were being eaten away by the white liquid. Before I could react, Peanut snatched my backpack and tossed it to Qin Feng.

"Don't touch those things. Inch forward, bit by bit. It'll rise again, and this bridge won't last much longer," Peanut shouted.

Suddenly, the bridge tilted left. Above us, the white liquid kept falling, landing on our gear and surroundings.

Peanut's backpack was already soaked, the outer layer dissolving rapidly. Luckily, our packs weren't cheap—inside the nylon shell was a waterproof, fireproof, and corrosion-resistant sealed layer. But the white liquid was so potent it could eat through stone; the seal wouldn't hold for long.

We crouched low, shuffling forward like clowns, struggling with every step. After half a minute, the rain of white liquid diminished. I thought the acid storm had finally ended, but then another dragonsong echoed from the water. The massive creature soared up again, this time from the left side, sweeping overhead like a Boeing 737 flying low. After a midair flip, it plunged into the pool to our right. The bridge shook anew, and the barrage of white liquid grew fiercer.

"Damn you, immortal bastard," Qin Feng cursed, suddenly furious. He tore off his backpack, ignoring the splashes, and fished out an object before discarding the pack.

He pulled out a green raincoat, swiftly donned it, then flipped down a transparent face shield from the hood.

"Qin Feng, are you crazy? What good is a raincoat?" I shouted.

"This is US Army gear—much better corrosion resistance than our backpacks. I put one in each of your packs. Put it on, quick!" As he spoke, another blob hit him. To my relief, the raincoat held up, showing a glimmer of hope.

The nickname "Madman" was well earned—when pushed, he cared for nothing. After helping me into my raincoat, he shielded me from the falling acid.

Once dressed, I looked to Peanut—and my heart sank. His pack's seal was gone, the acid soaking his equipment. Touching it would be fatal.

"This raincoat's big enough—let's share it," I suggested, reaching to undo the buttons.

Peanut pressed my hand down. "No need. You two go, I'll manage."

"You can't—" I began, but a blob smashed onto my head. The raincoat protected me, but the blow left me dizzy; Qin Feng caught me.

Through the haze, I saw Peanut toss his backpack aside, then draw a knife and grab the edge of the bridge. Before I could wonder what he was up to, he slipped over the side and vanished.

"Peanut!" I tried to rush over, but Qin Feng stopped me.

"He'll find his own way. If we don't leave now, we're done for," he said, dragging me forward.

That sprint was the hardest of my life.

The white liquid crashed down like hail, knocking me flat again and again. If not for Qin Feng, I would've fallen into the pool. The spider silk could no longer hold the bridge together; the ground grew softer, threatening collapse.

I don't know how long we ran. Suddenly, shapes appeared in the mist ahead, and Qin Feng shouted, "Stay back! We've got strong acid on us!" Then he hoisted me up; together, we leapt and tumbled to the ground.

As my body touched the cold, hard rock, all strength drained from me.