I froze for a moment, then instinctively reached out and lightly rubbed the wall with my hand. A sticky sensation spread across my palm.
I reached out and pinched it. In an instant, something occurred to me.
"Qiao Seven, bring the high-powered flashlight!!"
I hurriedly turned around and called out. I had no time to explain to the others. Qiao Seven heard me, probably sensing the surprise in my voice, but he didn't
say
anything. He stood up and walked over with the flashlight, stopping beside me.
"Shine it on the wall. Hurry!"
As soon as I finished speaking, Qiao Seven shone the flashlight at the wall. When he illuminated the rock face from close range, I clearly
saw Qiao Seven's eyes sharpen.
There was no need to ask... The wall was covered in a slick layer of bacterial film. It was a type of bacteria that could survive without sunlight,
though it wasn't a kind of
plant, like mushrooms or anything similar. It was a film composed of bacteria.
Put simply, it was made up of substances metabolized by bacteria and some dead bacteria.
Seeing this, Qiao Seven immediately held the flashlight close to the walls and examined them. Before long, his expression grew increasingly grim, and
I... completely understood the
situation here.
This stalactite cave... could actually be filled with water!
Qiao Seven's brows knitted tightly. He reached out and touched the slimy rock wall, then turned and met my gaze. I said nothing,
and simply nodded.
"This place... is an underground river passage that could be flooded at any moment."
Qiao Seven's expression immediately darkened further, and our exchange made Fatty Two, standing not far away, turn deathly pale.
"N-no way, right? This place can be filled with water?"
Fatty Two's voice carried a hint of panic.