Chapter 14 Meeting After The Rain

• “Hold on!” Spencer bellowed, “We have a limited number of harpoons. Just hold on a little longer and we'll make it through!”
• Before anyone could respond, they heard a piercing scream.
• Turning his head, he was surprised to find that it was Candy.
• She wasn't as fortunate as Renee, the harpoon that pierced through had cut open her palm.
• Suddenly, Candy lost her strength, and the table in front of her was knocked askew by the incoming harpoon.
• “Watch out!”
• Jeremiah gritted his teeth, reaching out to grab the table in front of Candy.
• In that brief moment, a harpoon flew in accurately through the gap, piercing Michael's shoulder.
• He let out a cry of anguish, yet his hand still clung tightly to the edge of the table.
• “Don't panic!”
• Spencer reached out to steady Michael and then spread his hands apart, holding up half of the table on the latter's behalf.
• Without hesitation, Jeremiah reached out to steady Candy against the table.
• Fortunately, the two men were incredibly strong, and the formation began to stabilize once again.
• As the sounds of collision gradually subsided, everyone finally understood just how much the formation made sense.
• Based on what Spencer and Harvey had predicted, if everyone were to hold the table haphazardly, then the unstable table would allow the harpoons to pierce through.
• The current formation would cause the contact surface of the harpoon with the table from all five directions to become slanted, significantly reducing the piercing power of the harpoon.
• The harpoons that were shot from directly above would have its course altered due to the conical shape.
• After a while, the area beyond the table fell completely silent.
• “Is it over?” Michael asked through gritted teeth.
• “Just wait another minute,” Skyler responded.
• Everyone hoisted the table silently and waited for a minute, realizing that there was indeed no more movement outside.
• With utmost caution, Jeremiah carefully opened up a gap, stealing a glance outside.
• “F*ck...” He was instantly stunned by the sight before his eyes.
• Everyone gradually moved the table aside, only to find that the floor and table surface were practically brimming with harpoons.
• The two bodies lying on the ground were a gruesome sight to behold, looking like two hedgehogs, densely covered in spikes.
• Each harpoon was connected by a rope, with the other end connected through a hole in the wall. At that moment, the room was in utter disarray.
• Without hesitation, Harvey rolled up his sleeves and positioned himself next to Michael.
• His condition didn't look good. A harpoon had pierced his shoulder, demanding immediate attention.
• Michael slowly sat down, giving a bitter smile. “Earlier, I was wondering if I could really be that unlucky. Turns out, I actually was...”
• With a look of genuine remorse on her face, Candy quickly apologized to Michael.
• However, everyone knew that it wasn't entirely Candy's fault, for she too had her palm pierced by a harpoon.
• “Hey, missy, come here.” Jeremiah beckoned. “I'll bandage you up.”
• “Huh?” Candy was taken aback. “You know how to do that?”
• “A little.”
• Jeremiah tore a strip of fabric from the deceased Goat Head, then ripped the fabric into two pieces.
• A tight bandage was swiftly wrapped around Candy's arm to stop the bleeding, while another was delicately wrapped over the wound itself.
• “I used to get hurt often when I was out on the streets, so I taught myself some basic first aid,” said Jeremiah.
• Candy gave a slight nod, remaining silent.
• Everyone found a rare moment of tranquility since their arrival. It felt as if they had momentarily escaped the jaws of death.
• Yet, there was still no sign of the door in the western wing, and they continued to be confined in the d*mned room.
• What on earth is this place? What's outside the room?
• In less than a minute, a sigh could be heard coming from Harvey.
• When Skyler turned his head, he saw that Harvey, who was tending to Michael's wounds, had a troubled look on his face.
• “What's wrong?” Spencer inquired. “Is the injury severe?”
• “The injury isn't severe.” Harvey shook his head. “It's just that I can't remove the harpoon.”
• Everyone moved closer, only to find that the issue was indeed quite tricky.
• The tip of the harpoon was barbed, pulling it out would inflict greater harm to the injured.
• The tail end of the harpoon was attached to a rope.
• At that moment, Michael was like a fish that had been hooked. No matter where he swam, he would be tightly tethered by this rope.
• “The only option is to cut the rope and remove the harpoon from the front,” Harvey said, looking up. “But I don't have a sharp tool to do it.”
• At this moment, Michael's lips were somewhat pale. The harpoon lodged in his shoulder blade was causing him unbearable pain.
• “Let's use the other harpoons,” Spencer decisively suggested. “Even though a harpoon is a weapon, it's still considered a sharp tool.”
• “I guess there's no other choice,” Harvey agreed. “Author, I need you to lie down in the most comfortable position. We need to cut the rope on your back, but take it easy and go slow. Be mindful of the harpoon in front of you. We wouldn't want you to get hurt again.”
• Michael nodded, then began the arduous task of moving his body.
• Skyler watched the scene unfold, somehow feeling unsettled.
• Go slow? Is this really the time and place to go slow?
• He glanced at the ropes scattered all over the ground, a sense of foreboding surfacing in his mind.
• If my guess was correct, we are still racing against time.
• “We can't take our time!” Skyler suddenly exclaimed, “Remove the harpoon from him immediately!”
• He quickly strode over to the doctor's side, looking serious as he said to Michael, “Bear with it. I'm going to remove the harpoon from you right now!”
• Michael was somewhat puzzled, but he didn't refuse.
• “What are you doing?” Harvey pushed Skyler away irritably. “You're going to make his injuries worse!”
• “There's no time left. If we delay any longer, he'll die!” Skyler also pushed Harvey aside, and from behind, he immediately grabbed the harpoon lodged in Michael's back.
• A cry of agony echoed out.
• A harpoon could pierce its target easily, but removing it was a challenge on a whole different level.
• “Hey!” Spencer had also rushed over by then, pulling Skyler aside in an angry rebuke. “Are you trying to kill him, punk?”
• Skyler was obstructed twice, causing his expression to turn grim.
• “I understand you're trying to save his life,” he said, “but if we don't act quickly, the harpoon will...”
• Before Skyler could even finish speaking, the clanking sound of Michael's chains echoed again, as if some massive contraption had been set into motion once more.
• Along with it came Michael's heart-wrenching scream.
• It was then that everyone snapped back to reality, realizing that all the harpoons were gradually being retracted under the pull of the ropes.
• At that moment, Michael was also being dragged by a tremendous force across the ground.
• Skyler had noticed this quite some time ago. The rope attached to the harpoon wasn't just for show. They were bound to be pulled back to retrieve the harpoons sooner or later.
• Everyone was in a state of panic, running toward Michael. During this chaos, Spencer attempted to grab hold of the rope, trying to resist the immense force from within the black hole. But in the end, all his efforts were in vain.
• The table surface, which was pierced full with harpoons, was now gradually being torn apart by those same weapons as it too got pulled back.
• This power, capable of tearing apart wooden boards, was definitely not something that could be countered with bare hands.
• Although Michael was in excruciating pain, he quickly noticed another issue.
• If he were to be dragged toward the wall, he would be pinned mercilessly against it if he couldn't struggle free, left to meet his end.
• With these thoughts in mind, he rose painfully to his feet, grasping Skyler once more. He screamed, “Remove the harpoon! Do it now!”