Zhang Heng used Small Knife to dispatch the half-human, half-fish-frog creature. Afterward, he checked his diving gear, especially his air tank, confirming that it had not been damaged during the rolling and impact. Only then did he gesture to Nelly, asking whether she was all right.
Nelly was full of questions, but she had no way to ask them underwater.
Still, it felt good to be reunited with a companion, especially at a time like this. If Zhang Heng had not appeared in time, Nelly had nearly believed she would be buried in this underwater passage—or taken away by those ugly, terrifying monsters like the Pearl Diver Girls in the Wall Carvings.
But this was clearly not the time for reminiscing or thanks. Nelly had already used up quite a bit of compressed air breaking apart the rock wall earlier, and Zhang Heng's consumption in that fight could not have been small either. The two of them were still trapped in the passage. If they could not return to the surface before the air in their tanks ran out, they could only sleep here forever, keeping those horrifying Wall Carvings company.
Nelly had originally thought Zhang Heng would display some gentlemanly manners and take the lead to scout the way ahead, but to her surprise, he merely gestured for her to go first, apparently still intending to stay behind her.
That explained why Zhang Heng had been following behind her earlier without ever showing himself. He had clearly been using her as bait.
But Nelly was not stupid. She quickly realized why Zhang Heng had done so. She had seen how fast that half-human, half-fish-frog creature could swim—faster than an Olympic champion. If Zhang Heng had not relied on a sneak attack just now, even if he could have injured