Although victory seemed imminent, and their escape from this space would grant them much greater freedom and safety, the situation with Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei behind them was far from ideal.
"What do we do? We're almost caught," Zhou Niannian said to Dai Xiaomei beside her, her voice laced with fear. Meanwhile, Gun Gun, seeing Jiang Fan continuously shattering the pillars around them, joined in. It understood that Jiang Fan and Yao alone did not have enough strength, so it added its might.
Now, it followed closely behind Jiang Fan, cooperating with him to bring down the pillars and attack the pursuing monsters. However, in doing so, it overlooked one critical issue: its own absence as support.
The running speed of the two girls was significantly reduced, and the monsters were right behind them. Moreover, the monsters' speed was steadily increasing, and the girls were pushing themselves to their limits, constantly trying to accelerate.
At this moment, even though Dai Xiaomei couldn't utter a word, her expression clearly conveyed the depth of her fear and despair. She recalled how Jiang Fan had unhesitatingly abandoned Gun Gun earlier, simply because it slowed down the team's progress. Now, it was herself and Zhou Niannian who were falling behind. The thought brought tears to Dai Xiaomei's eyes, and she couldn't help but burst into loud sobs. Her crying was so low and guttural, it sounded like a dinosaur's lament. If they hadn't been fleeing for their lives, others might have stopped just to laugh.
Fortunately, the monsters hadn't quite caught up yet, with only a short distance remaining.
After a turn, Zhou Niannian desperately accelerated, trying to catch up to Jiang Fan's pace. Beside her, Dai Xiaomei saw Jiang Fan approaching the corner and also propelled herself forward with all her might. Yet, despite their efforts, the two girls couldn't have anticipated that after the turn, Gun Gun, Jiang Fan, and Yao would simply leave them behind.
Watching the distance between themselves and Jiang Fan's group grow wider and wider, Dai Xiaomei and Zhou Niannian fell into despair.
"Are we abandoned? We're going to die."
"I knew Jiang Fan would abandon us. And now, he really has."
Zhou Niannian, sobbing uncontrollably, said this to Dai Xiaomei. Dai Xiaomei, who hadn't reacted as intensely initially, couldn't help but start crying when Zhou Niannian said that. Clearly, if the two of them continued running, they would eventually be caught by the monsters when their stamina gave out. And then, they would face ruthless slaughter.
Although Zhou Niannian desperately wished for Jiang Fan to return and save her and Dai Xiaomei, given Jiang Fan's previous actions, she believed he would absolutely not risk his own safety to help them.
At the next turn, Jiang Fan's figure completely vanished. Yao and Gun Gun, following Jiang Fan's footsteps, also disappeared from their sight. At this point, even with sufficient speed, the two girls might not be able to find Jiang Fan and the others. After all, this dungeon had a maze-like quality when they entered, and keeping up with the main group was already an unknown.
Seeing the monsters behind them gradually closing in, as if driven into a frenzy, Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei even considered giving up resistance and dying right there. They had lost all hope of survival, and their eyes were filled with despair and fear.
"It's over, everything is over. We're going to die here. They won't come back for us."
Zhou Niannian's eyes shifted from a desperate desire to live to a look of utter despair and emptiness. The contrast was stark. Dai Xiaomei, beside her, looked just the same. Both of them had lost any thought of survival. They knew they were about to be devoured by these monsters, becoming their prey, while Jiang Fan, Yao, and Gun Gun would be the beneficiaries. They figured the monsters would be delayed by their demise, allowing the incredibly fast Jiang Fan, Yao, and Gun Gun to escape the castle safely.
At this moment, Zhou Niannian didn't appear pathetic, but rather somewhat stoic. Her eyes held no joy, only despair, and no fear. She stared blankly ahead, her limbs moving listlessly, as if ready to accept the judgment of death.
After a glance at Dai Xiaomei, it seemed Dai Xiaomei understood Zhou Niannian's sentiment. Almost simultaneously, the two of them stopped running and looked at each other. A hint of hurt appeared on their faces, but it was overshadowed by a sense of calm. When one approaches death infinitely, the final emotion is not fear, but serenity, because they both knew they could not survive, and no one would suddenly appear to spirit them away to safety.
Seeing Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei stop, the monsters, just as the two girls had imagined, pounced on them like a pack of ravenous hounds. The moment the monsters were infinitesimally close to them, a fire axe, appearing from nowhere, split the head of the foremost monster in two. Then, three figures emerged in front of them and leaped behind them, unleashing a furious and powerful barrage of attacks.
Monster blood splattered onto Jiang Fan, Yao, and Gun Gun. While the three of them were not a match for these monsters, these particular monsters were newly born and lacked immense power, so dealing with a few was not an issue for them.
Upon realizing Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei hadn't followed, Jiang Fan made a decisive move and, without hesitation, rushed back with Yao. Seeing this, Gun Gun immediately followed suit.
"Still standing there like fools? Run! The three of us can't hold them off for long."
Jiang Fan's voice snatched Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei back from the brink of despair. For Zhou Niannian, Jiang Fan's voice was like the dawn breaking through darkness, a ray of hope. Her future had been a pitch-black, dim prospect, but with Jiang Fan's cry, she seemed to have regained her life, her soul.
"Waaah!"
A sudden cry, as if resonating through the entire space.