Getting Out

He did not reply for a while, just staring into her eyes.

"We do not have time, do you understand?" The girl turned around and ducked again towards the guy, her bun unwinding and her long locks flipping everywhere. Their lips accidently brushed past each other. Li Ming Hao saw another arrow shooting inches above the girl's head. If she had not done that, she would have been shot in the head.

He then snapped back to reality and got up on his knees. Su Xin Yu got up to cover his back.

"Where do I go?"

"Just go behind the wall. There will be some mechanism to close this door. Even if there isn't, we will be safe there," replied the girl who was heavily panting because of all the sudden movement. More than that, the fact that she had to run from far to reach here in time, she had not even gotten a break before the trap started acting.

The guy scurried away as soon as he could. The girl flung a few of the arrows with her knife, a knife she had always carried with her for such conditions only. As soon as Li Ming Hao took refuge against the wall, he noticed that the clothes on Su Xin Yu were torn at the back. There were burn markings and her jacket was falling apart. More than that, her back was charred with burns that were quite visible. And still this girl helped him.

What an idiot he was! He should have been the one protecting this lass but he hid behind her. He was just so startled that he could not think of anything in that moment.

"Quick, get up. We won't be able to pass this opening unless we close the door," Su Xin Yu again jolted him back from his thoughts. She was hiding behind the wall too now but the arrows kept coming in, covering the whole passageway in the safe tunnel as well.

"What do you want me to do?" an exhausted yet alert Li Ming Hao asked. He wanted to help in any way rather than just sitting down. His pride would not allow that.

"Look for any lever or something of the sorts, there should be some trick to close this. Otherwise I'll have to become your shield again." Su Xin Yu looked at the nervous guy and broke some unfortunate news to him. Those arrows were indeed deadly.

"Anything but that. Actually, how about I do the guarding this time? It's not that wide an area." Thinking in simple terms, the door that opened was about fifteen feet wide. If they made a run for it, they would be safe, right?

Su Xin Yu took out a few knives from her side bag. She threw them all about five feet apart, starting from her side. Wherever she threw the knife, it was shot by an arrow. In layman language, the area covered by the arrows was much larger than mere fifteen feet. By the time they would get out, they would become coal. Plus, she was injured, so not in her top condition. The arrows were also just not burning, they had poison in them as well.

"The arrows are tracking movement. By the time you get out, you'll be a net." Did he think this was child's play? Her ancestors had also tried to convert this place into a safe area for their fellow tribesmen, just in case their tyrannical rulers became a threat to their existence. The traps were not going to be easy to deactivate.

"Okay fine, I'll look for something, you take rest here."

"Yeah. Also, sorry. I had no idea that there was a second tunnel like this. If I had known, I would have gotten more supplies," the girl's face was losing color. Her lips had gotten a bit blue.

Although Li Ming Hao was interested in archeology, he also knew how difficult it was to be exploring any ruins. He had gone through rigorous safety trainings. He was also quite versed in martial arts. Now that he noticed the color of her lips turning to blue, he knew she had been poisoned. Shit! How was he going to deal with this? He clenched his fists. He was the one in the wrong, and she was still apologizing?

"Anyway, once we shut this cave, then we just need to walk a mile or so and we'll be out in the school garden," she spoke through heavy huffs. It was becoming difficult for her to speak at all. Just in case, she did not make out, she should at least let this poor soul know how to get out of here.

"This opens in school garden?" Li Ming Hao was amazed. How was the construction done that this dungeon started in the room just opposite the school garden and ended there itself? And it was out there in the open, why was not everyone using it?

"Yeah, weird right?" she chuckled. She had the same reaction when she had discovered where the cave opened. But this new tunnel, if she survived this, she needed to get into it once again. If she could not figure out the combination at the wooden door, then she would need to enter the cave from here. She had seen so much stuff on the way that she had to absolutely explore it and look for hints on her dad.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped her eyes and she fainted.