Jiang Chen took a deep breath.
There was only one way out.
He unfastened his own safety rope, tied it securely with Debi's, and descended rapidly to reach her.
"Debi! Can you hear me?" he called urgently.
No response.
Her body hung limply, eyes shut tight, completely unresponsive.
Jiang Chen's chest tightened.
The situation was worse than he had expected.
There was no way to climb back up the waterfall. And if they stayed here, the ropes would eventually give out.
The only option—
The cave behind the waterfall.
Jiang Chen forced himself to focus.
Using his Terrain Scanner, he quickly calculated the cave's approximate entrance size and distance.
It was a gamble.
But the only one they had.
Holding Debi tightly in his arms, he began swinging.
At first, it was a small motion.
Then bigger.
Each time, he used the rope's momentum to increase the arc of their movement.
He was building up for the final leap.
The live chat was silent.
Every single viewer was holding their breath.
[He's really going to do it…]
[No way… That's insane.]
[He's going to launch them both THROUGH A WATERFALL?]
The risk was enormous.
If he missed—
They would be smashed against the rock wall or swept away by the torrents.
But if he did nothing—
The ropes would snap, and they'd fall into the abyss anyway.
Jump, and there's a chance.
Stay, and they die.
Jiang Chen made his choice.
As the rope reached its highest arc—
He released the safety locks.
And the two of them shot through the waterfall like human projectiles.
The impact was brutal.
It felt like smashing against concrete.
A force so strong it rattled his bones.
Darkness swallowed the screen.
The entire live chat froze.
[WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!]
[DID THEY MAKE IT?!]
[PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!]
For several agonizing seconds—
Nothing.
Then—
Jiang Chen's voice broke through the silence.
Cough "We're in."
The tension in the live stream snapped.
Millions of viewers let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding.
[HOLY SH*T HE DID IT.]
[My heart just stopped.]
[BRO JUMPED THROUGH A WATERFALL AND SURVIVED WTF.]
[Forget explorers—this man is BUILT DIFFERENT.]
But Jiang Chen had no time to celebrate.
He turned immediately to Debi.
Her body was cold.
Too cold.
Jiang Chen quickly checked her vitals.
She had a pulse. A heartbeat.
But her breathing was dangerously weak.
"Drowning shock," Jiang Chen muttered. "She must've inhaled too much water when the rope snapped."
He moved instantly.
Pulling off her soaked outer coat, he locked his hands together and placed them at the center of her chest.
And began CPR.
30 chest compressions.
2 rescue breaths.
He worked with clinical precision.
The rhythm had to be perfect—100 to 120 beats per minute.
Compression depth: 5 to 6 cm.
No mistakes.
"Come on, Debi… Wake up."
He repeated the cycle.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Debi gasped violently, choking on water.
Jiang Chen's eyes lit up.
He quickly helped her sit up so she wouldn't inhale the expelled water back into her lungs.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
Debi was trembling uncontrollably. She nodded weakly, barely able to speak.
Jiang Chen frowned.
She wasn't just physically exhausted.
The shock of the near-death experience was hitting her.
And in extreme environments, mental shock could be just as deadly.
Without hesitation, Jiang Chen stripped off his outer layer, pulled out dry clothing from his waterproof bag, and helped Debi change.
Then—
He wrapped his arms around her.
Holding her close.
Letting his warmth chase away the cold.
The live chat, which had been wild seconds ago, fell into a stunned silence.
No jokes.
No memes.
Just—
Respect.
Because they weren't just watching a live stream anymore.
They were watching survival.
The audience in the live chat breathed a collective sigh of relief when Debi finally came to.
[Debi is okay! Thank God!]
[Bro, Jiang Chen really hugged her like a hero in a movie.]
[Wait, why does this feel like the most unromantic romance ever?]
[Some of y'all don't get it. He's literally saving her life by sharing body heat. That's survival 101.]
—
After more than ten minutes, Debi finally regained her strength. The warmth of Jiang Chen's body, combined with the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat, made her feel safe in a way she hadn't expected.
A faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Jiang… thanks for saving me," she said softly.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Don't mention it. We're partners. Back in Kola Well, if it wasn't for your gunfire, I might've never made it out alive. Consider this me returning the favor."
He paused for a second. "Still cold? I can make a fire if you want."
Debi blinked. "Fire? In a cave?"
Then, rolling her eyes, she said, "No need. I'm fine now. But thanks."
"Alright," Jiang Chen nodded. He loosened his grip and stood up, already scanning their surroundings.
Meanwhile, the live chat was going wild.
[Bro really just let go and walked away. No hesitation.]
[How can one man be this dense?]
[Jiang Chen's emotions are like a brick wall—solid, unmovable.]
[But let's be honest, when he saved her just now? That was top-tier boyfriend energy.]
[I swear, he's the most unintentionally attractive man alive.]
[Protective, competent, doesn't mess around with girls—why is this man not cloned yet?!]
[This is the kind of guy romance novels say don't exist. Guess what? He does.]
—
Jiang Chen, of course, paid no attention to the chat. His focus was entirely on their surroundings.
The cave was massive—wide enough for a car to drive through.
But what really caught his eye—
The walls.
Straight lines, perfectly carved into the rock.
They weren't random cracks or water erosion marks.
These were deliberate.
"This… was carved by hand?" Jiang Chen murmured, running his fingers over the markings.
It was impossible to say for sure, but one thing was clear—these walls weren't naturally formed.
Pushing the thought aside for now, he turned back to Debi.
"Let's keep going."
She nodded. Having fully recovered, she was eager to move forward.
The two pressed on, venturing deeper into the unknown.
—
Minutes later, they reached an opening at the end of the tunnel.
Jiang Chen checked his scanner. "The readings suggest a massive space beyond this point."
Debi took a deep breath. "Then let's see what's on the other side."
Together, they stepped forward—
And then—
They froze.
Every muscle in their bodies locked up.
Their breath hitched.
The air around them felt heavy, suffocating.
Goosebumps covered their skin.
Because what they saw beyond the cave—
Shouldn't exist.
The live chat exploded.
[WHAT THE HELL?!]
[No. Freaking. WAY.]
[I'M ACTUALLY SCREAMING RIGHT NOW.]
[Nah, this is not real. It CAN'T be real.]
[WHAT DID THEY JUST FIND?!]
Jiang Chen and Debi stood motionless, unable to believe their eyes.
Because at the deepest point ever explored on Earth—
They had just uncovered something that defied all logic.
Something that could rewrite history itself.
And they were the first humans to ever lay eyes on it.