Although the young wizards still had the energy to trade barbs, Youzui had in fact reached the point of utter exhaustion—in every sense of the word.
From talismans to array disks, from Cannabis Grass used to brew Magic Potions to Yellow Skin Paper used to draw talismans, from their physical strength to their mental stamina.
All of it was gone.
Not a drop remained.
The Pocket Watch in his hand gave a sharp click.
A startling chill surged through the hunting ground once more.
The Hunting Team Captain shuddered, lowered his head to check the time, and saw that exactly three minutes remained until midnight.
"Run!"
He roared.
When he turned around, his teammates had already fled in a cloud of dust. Dylan had kept his word and was running at the very front, his figure like a wisp of green smoke; Xiao Xiao, short with stubby legs, trailed at the back—though not quite last, since their captain was still covering their retreat.
"Bastards."
The young government-funded student cursed under his breath, yet could not help smiling. Without looking back, he fired a few wild shots at the mass of darkness, then took off after them.
As long as even one member of the hunting team remained in the hunting ground when it ended, they would not lose! Zheng Qing hardened his resolve as the group ran in circles around the hunting ground, doing their utmost to keep away from the monster.
But with their strength exhausted and vast stretches of the hunting ground blanketed in black shadow, their struggle seemed especially powerless.
"Zur-Baha-Sar!"
The enormous shadow, like a demonic giant, roared those words.
"What the hell is it howling about?!" Zheng Qing was panting hard, his legs feeling as though they had been filled with lead. Even so, he