Death

Bang bang bang bang—!

Rumble—!

Broken rocks kept crashing down, landing beside the fleeing group!

No one dared to stop, afraid that slowing down even a little would get them crushed by the boulders overhead!

Even so, the falling rubble still struck quite a few people. Even Sun Lei's left shoulder was seriously injured!

Fortunately, death had not yet descended upon anyone.

"Haah... haah..."

The rapid, heavy panting was the main melody of the group. Everyone was already exhausted, yet they still clenched their teeth and desperately ran forward!

"Faster, faster, faster! A little faster!"

Luo Wei's face was grim as he kept shouting:

"Hang in there a little longer! We'll reach the exit soon!"

Hope flashed in the exhausted team members' eyes as they gritted their teeth and desperately pumped their legs!

Rumble...

No one knew how far they had run. Only after the collapse stopped did Luo Wei and the others gradually come to a halt.

"Haah... haah..."

Everyone collapsed limply onto the ground, gasping for breath. Their skin was soaked with sweat, and they looked utterly disheveled.

At that moment, no one had the energy to care about their appearance. They only wanted to draw in more oxygen to repay their overtaxed bodies!

However, a breathless chuckle gradually rang out, followed by more and more laughter.

"Heh heh..."

"Heh heh heh!"

"Hahaha..."

The joy of surviving the disaster made the team members sprawled across the ground laugh involuntarily.

Sun Lei lay on the ground listening to the laughter around him, his vacant eyes fixed on the rock wall in the darkness as a bitter smile appeared on his face.

He turned his head and looked at the still-laughing people around him, silently counting several times.

Several more team members had vanished without a sound!

It was a crushing defeat—not even a hard-won victory!

Sun Lei struggled to sit up. He glanced at Luo Wei, who was sitting against a fallen rock, and asked softly:

"Did we escape?"

Luo Wei nodded and said hoarsely:

"Yeah, we escaped..."

Sun Lei clenched his fists and said in a low voice:

"That was... one hell of a sorry escape..."

"Being alive is already good enough. If that ogre had caught up with us, we probably would have all died."

Huo Lian appeared beside Sun Lei and reached out to pat his head.

She smiled at Sun Lei and sat down directly, ignoring the dirt and disorder on the ground.

"Ah... I'm so tired~!"

Huo Lian tilted her head back and let out a long sigh.

Sun Lei turned his head slightly and glanced at Huo Lian.

Under the faint light, her body was covered in gray-black dust, and she looked utterly disheveled!

He saw blood flowing down Huo Lian's body. It did not seem to be blood from her previous injuries.

"Are you all right, Sister Huo Lian?"

Concern showed on Sun Lei's face as he asked softly.

After all, Huo Lian had been the closest person to the detonation site.

"Ah... I'm fine, I'm fine. I already drank a Healing Potion."

Huo Lian raised her hand and waved it weakly as she said:

"If we'd prepared ahead of time, I wouldn't have needed to get so close just to use the magic core as a bomb."

"All right, stop talking. Once you've rested, get up and keep moving. We need to return to the surface as quickly as possible!"

Luo Wei stood up and patted the dust from his backside as he said gravely:

"It's already been four hours since the World Gate appeared. If we delay too long and the World Gate solidifies, we'll be in trouble!"

The City Guard's battle was not over yet. After returning to the surface, they had to quickly assemble the troops and destroy this World Gate!

Once a World Gate solidified, it could no longer be destroyed. They could only use sealing arts to seal it.

However, sealing arts were not omnipotent. One day, it would open again, threatening the city's safety!

Hearing Luo Wei's command, everyone stood up without a word and began checking their equipment in preparation for departure!

Luo Wei glanced at the team members who had gradually gathered and nodded.

"Is everyone ready? Let's go..."

Clatter...

The sound of falling rubble suddenly rang out!

Luo Wei's expression tightened. He stopped speaking and raised his hand, signaling everyone nearby to remain silent!

Clatter... crackle!

The sound of stones rolling down continued to ring out. Everyone turned around together and looked at the pile of rubble blocking the passage behind them!

A terrible premonition suddenly welled up in everyone's hearts!

"Get out..."

Luo Wei shouted for the team members to retreat at once. However, before he could finish speaking, the rubble in front of them suddenly collapsed!

Rumble—!!!

Amid the thunderous crash of falling stones, a huge figure appeared before them!

The ogre stared fixedly at the people frozen before it, its blood-red eyes filled with fury!

"An ogre..."

Sun Lei's eyes widened as he stared at the monster before him in disbelief!

Why was it here?!

They had no time to think. Before anyone could react, the ogre was already roaring as it charged toward Luo Wei and the others!

Roar—!!!

The roar reverberated through the sewer. Everyone's vision blurred, and dull pain spread through their internal organs!

In the next instant, everyone felt a terrifying gale sweep past them!

Boom—!!

The last image remaining in their eyes was the terrifying strike of the ogre swinging its club!

In an instant, Sun Lei felt like a withered leaf drifting in the wind as he was sent flying far away by the gale!

No one knew how many times Sun Lei rolled across the ground before he slammed violently into a huge boulder!

Pfft!

Sun Lei spat out a large mouthful of blood. His entire body lay limp on the ground, trembling violently, his face twisted in agony.

He felt as though every bone in his body had come apart!

"Cough cough cough... Is anyone still alive...?"

Sun Lei dragged his nearly shattered body upright with difficulty. He turned his head, hoping to see someone else who had survived like him.

Yet all he saw were shattered corpses!

Blood and flesh were scattered across the rocks and ground, covering his entire field of vision as though someone had deliberately smeared them there!

"Urgh...!"

Sun Lei covered his mouth, but the intense nausea made him vomit!

Blood mixed with scraps of food flowed between his fingers. His eyes were wide open, and tears streamed down involuntarily!

Sun Lei was not actually afraid of corpses. He vomited because of the grief of seeing his teammates die and the fear brought on by the ogre's overwhelming, irresistible strength!

The immense mental pressure had triggered a physical stress response!

Roar—!!!

A terrifying roar came from far away. Sun Lei hurriedly raised his head and looked toward where he had been before!

"An ogre..."

The magic-core lamp, not yet extinguished, still emitted light, but that light appeared so faint!

Sun Lei could only force his eyes wide open, but his blurred vision allowed him to see only two figures standing before the ogre!

"Run!"

The two figures seemed to be waving at him, their mouths appearing to shout something.

"Is that Captain Luo and Sister Huo Lian...?"

Sun Lei could not see clearly, but he was utterly certain in his heart that they were Luo Wei and Huo Lian!

"Why... when you've already died... when this opponent can't be defeated..."

Sun Lei struggled toward the two figures, anxiously muttering something under his breath.

He did not understand why they still were not running.

Sun Lei wanted to run over and shout for them to escape!

However, he found that no matter how hard he tried, he could not make a sound. His legs also felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead!

He watched helplessly as the ogre raised the giant wooden club in its hand and roared as it swung it toward one of them!

Bang!

Blood and limbs splattered through the air, and a life vanished just like that!

"No..."

Sun Lei's eyes widened as he murmured to himself.

He watched the other figure charge forward as if staking everything on the attempt and wrap both arms around the ogre's waist!

Rumble—!!!

An explosion sent Sun Lei flying once again and drowned out the last trace of his consciousness!

They're dead... They're all dead...