Shao Yong'an understood his predicament and knew the responsibility resting on his shoulders.
There was now a way to survive, but he had lost both eyes.
Even if he used Chang Nian to escape Diaoying Road, he would still be in the Ash World.
With his severe injuries, he could never make it back to Qingyuan Residential Community alive on his own, so he had to take Chang Nian with him.
Wen Yongxin gave him a long look, put aside all his disdain, and patted his shoulder as he said gravely:
"It's up to you now."
With those words, the dream ended.
Shao Yong'an slowly awoke to a field of vision containing only black and scarlet.
This time, he was no longer the timid, submissive middle-aged man he had once been, but a veteran who understood his responsibility and pressed forward with resolve.
The instant he awoke, he raised a hand, seized the tip of the steel needle before his eyes, and yanked it out.
Blood sprayed, and agony struck.
Yet his mind was incredibly clear. He had never been this calm before.
Shao Yong'an regulated his heartbeat with repeated deep breaths and tried to connect with the scarecrows he had placed earlier.
The supernatural totems he had laid out in advance proved invaluable at that moment, becoming his substitute eyes.
After sensing the scarecrows on the first floor, he gripped the stair railing, turned around, and headed back down.
From the Twelfth Floor, he retraced his way to the first.
But as he counted the steps in his head, he lost contact with one of the scarecrows he had placed on the first-floor landing.
This time, it had not merely disappeared. The connection had been severed completely.
Shao Yong'an's heart trembled. This meant some supernatural power had forcibly erased