In just five seconds, the group dashed through the room, scrambled up the stairs, and hurried towards the second floor, their steps clumsy and frantic. But once again, the monster stirred awake, the ominous tolling of the bell-like sound growing nearer by the second.
This time, Chen Shang no longer had the camera or film, and the one item that could hold off the giant werewolf was with the now-deceased Huang Mao, whose remains were so ravaged that even his bones couldn't form a complete skeleton.
The five-second freeze had bought them a little time, but not enough. As the group barely made it up the stairs, the werewolf had already caught up.
Chen Shang glanced at the white-collar woman and the young man, who had fallen behind.
"Hey, old man, do you want to live?" Chen Shang asked quietly as they ran.
"Of course!" The older man didn't even hesitate before answering.
"Then listen to my orders. Do exactly as I say, understood?"
The older man nodded without question—Chen Shang had already saved him multiple times, so there was no reason to doubt him now.
Behind them, the young man was shouting, "Use the pocket watch! Teleport us out of here, to the outside of the castle!"
Hearing this, the older man reached for the pocket watch, but Chen Shang grabbed his hand, stopping him. "Don't use it. If you do, we'll lose our only chance."
The older man hesitated for a moment, but eventually chose not to press the watch.
"Damn it!" The young man cursed venomously behind them.
[Why don't they use it? If they don't, they're all going to die!]
[Even if they use it, they'll still die. They'll be teleported ahead by an hour, but what about the hour that remains? How will they escape?]
[They're dead either way. Might as well use it to buy a little more time.]
[You guys are forgetting—the streamer's smart. Watch his moves.]
Seeing that the older man truly wasn't going to use the pocket watch, the young man's eyes filled with murderous intent. He glanced coldly at the white-collar woman beside him. Without warning, he kicked her, sending her sprawling to the ground.
"If they won't use their abilities, then you'll just have to buy us some time. That werewolf can kill anyone in an instant now, and your healing skills won't help anymore. Blame those two for not saving you."
The white-collar woman struggled to get up and continue running, but the werewolf had already reached her. Its massive claws pierced through her body, pinning her to the ground as blood gushed out.
The foul breath of the beast washed over her, and in just a few bites, she was torn into an unrecognizable mess of flesh.
"As long as it catches someone, the werewolf will prioritize feeding on them. As long as I throw those two under the bus, I'll have enough time to escape!" The young man thought, his mind racing.
"Alright, now's the time! Teleport the two of us to the other side of the first-floor stairs. Quickly!" Chen Shang suddenly commanded.
The older man immediately complied, pressing the pocket watch. Time shifted, and the watch's hands moved forward by an hour. In an instant, Chen Shang and the older man disappeared, reappearing at the foot of the stairs on the other side of the first floor.
[Is the streamer really that cold-blooded? If he had used the pocket watch to teleport everyone, they could've all escaped by now, right?]
[Maybe he just doesn't like his teammates?]
[Is this what all highly intelligent people are like—complete scumbags?]
After teleporting, Chen Shang hurried to the back of the stairs. Sure enough, hidden under the carpet was a secret entrance—a trapdoor with a keyhole. Chen Shang pulled the golden key from his sleeve and inserted it into the lock.
"Why didn't we teleport everyone here?" the older man asked.
Chen Shang stepped aside, gesturing silently to the trapdoor.
It was then that the older man noticed that after the key was inserted, a progress bar appeared above the trapdoor.
[What the hell? Even opening a door has a loading screen?]
[That's ridiculous. By the time it opens, they'll be dead meat!]
[Did the streamer even calculate this? Without someone to distract the werewolf, they would've been wiped out here at the entrance!]
[666666]
[This is what it means to be a true strategist! Who was trash-talking the streamer earlier? Come apologize!]
After about ten seconds, the trapdoor suddenly popped open.
At the same time, a mechanical voice echoed in everyone's minds: [Your team has opened the hidden passage. The scent emanating from within has enraged the monster, which will now stop at nothing to hunt down all players, no longer prioritizing feeding.]
Upstairs, the young man collapsed in despair, staring at the massive jaws rushing toward him.
"Damn it!" He cursed one last time before the werewolf ripped him in half.
Meanwhile, Chen Shang and the older man jumped into the hidden passage below the trapdoor.
The passage was eerily quiet, so much so that they could hear their own heartbeats. It wasn't deep, but it stretched forward in a long, narrow corridor, the walls lined with glowing, cold-colored orbs.
They walked deeper into the passage, which gradually widened until it opened into a large underground chamber. With the dim, cool light surrounding them, they could see a black coffin in the center of the chamber. The coffin was made of an unknown material, exuding a subtle, woody fragrance.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]