Resigned, they agreed to Jiang Fan's suggestion, to rest first before deciding on further actions.
The group dispersed in different directions, retrieving their pre-prepared food. Meanwhile, Zhou Niannian slowly turned her back.
It was clear she didn't want to answer many questions at the moment.
Knowing Jiang Fan would eventually try to offer psychological support, she deliberately kept her distance, fearing he might ask her something.
Her recent actions seemed not to be fully understood by others, especially since she was the closest to the monster.
In the face of death, everyone was equal. No matter who you were, fear would surely arise, even in the normally cheerful and optimistic Zhou Niannian.
All she wanted now was to go home, as she had never imagined encountering something so terrifying.
Zhou Niannian was seen squatting in a corner, hugging her knees, looking utterly dejected.
Seeing this, Jiang Fan roughly understood Zhou Niannian's state of mind.
Looking at Zhou Niannian's current state, he felt a bit awkward to say much.
Jiang Fan pretended not to notice, focusing on his own replenishment.
Dai Xiaomei, who had seen the monster's silhouette, found it lingering in her mind; clearly, she had also been scared.
Fortunately, the rest period helped her mood improve considerably.
She was no longer as tense as before, her breathing not as rapid.
Everyone was in their own spots, eating their prepared supplies and food.
Evidently, the ordeal had not affected Jiang Fan and Yao as much as it had Zhou Niannian.
As for Gun Gun, compared to ordinary people, it was much calmer.
After all, it was Chiyou's mount, and its strength was naturally formidable.
Faced with that small, gaunt figure, it was not a threat. However, it had not kept pace with the monster and could only let it escape.
The viewers in the live stream, having witnessed the scene, began posting their comments.
"Did you guys see that thing? I think I caught a glimpse of it. It was so terrifying."
"Absolutely. It vanished in the blink of an eye. And it was so close to Sister Zhou. How could anyone not be scared?"
"But Sister Zhou's current state is, frankly, quite troublesome. If we want to get out, we can only stay in those few spots now."
"I think Sister Zhou is slowing us down too much. Otherwise, this level would probably have been cleared already."
While a portion of viewers felt Zhou Niannian was being overly dramatic and wilful, as this wasn't just about her, the majority sided with Sister Zhou.
"I ask you, who isn't afraid of dying? How is this being dramatic and wilful? I think most people would be like Sister Zhou."
"It's already commendable that she bravely stepped forward. Now that she's encountered this monster, how can she possibly hold on? She's a girl after all."
"I think the best approach now is for us to help brainstorm some solutions. Professor Li, perhaps you could say something?"
Professor Li had also seen the scene in the live stream and was very surprised.
Faced with such a phenomenon, he didn't know how to find a way out either.
For this unexplainable problem, Professor Li chose to remain silent, merely watching in the live stream.
The viewers in the live stream didn't dwell on it, understanding that the professor had no solution. They intentionally skirted the topic, and after some discussion, no better resolution was found.
Ultimately, they had to abandon the idea of finding a different way to escape.
"That's the only way. If we don't stand in those specific locations, it's almost impossible to get out."
Upon seeing this comment, everyone unanimously agreed.
They also comforted Zhou Niannian in the live stream, urging her to regain her spirits and try again.
But Zhou Niannian hadn't recovered yet. After all, they hadn't experienced a brush with death. If it had happened to someone else, Zhou Niannian would have comforted them.
But this had happened right beside her, and she had seen that terrifying face. The memory still sent chills down her spine.
Dai Xiaomei beside her made a small sound, looking towards Yao.
She raised an eyebrow, as if indicating something.
But Yao's shake of the head clearly conveyed everything.
He hadn't come up with any good solutions either. For now, he was also waiting for Zhou Niannian to recover her spirits so they could try again to open the gate.
However, it was evident Zhou Niannian hadn't recovered.
And they could only continue to wait.
Dai Xiaomei let out a long sigh.
Resigned, yet also very understanding.
After all, she had been terrified when she saw that thing, though the monster had been further away from her.
But it had been extremely close to Zhou Niannian, practically face-to-face, making eye contact.
At this moment.
Slowly, muffled footsteps echoed from behind everyone. The sound could only belong to Gun Gun.
Gun Gun appeared somewhat exasperated, baring its teeth as it looked around.
Clearly, it was growing impatient and wanted to find the exit of this place.
Soon, it spotted the area resembling a large gate and charged towards it, slamming its shoulder against it repeatedly.
The entire cave seemed to tremble from Gun Gun's impact, giving the illusion of instability.
However, this was merely a misperception caused by the sound, as the cave did not appear as fragile as they imagined; it was incredibly sturdy.
After Gun Gun's forceful ramming, the gate did not open, nor did it show any signs of damage.
The simple few impacts did not deter those around, and Gun Gun, unable to open the gate, let out an angry roar.
The roar was so deafening that everyone within the cave felt it.
At this point, Gun Gun was preparing to use its full strength to ram the gate.
Hearing Gun Gun's roar, the others slowly turned their heads, watching Gun Gun prepare to charge towards the gate before them.
The posture looked incredibly fierce, indicating the impending impact would be incredibly heavy.