Nightmare Assault
Chapter 408: Don't Turn Back

Chapter 408: Don't Turn Back

Chen Yi came closer and closer. They could even see her red eyes behind the curtain of her hair. The redness paired nicely with the red dress. It was very creepy. The strangest thing was that Chen Yi’s legs didn’t move. She was controlled by a mysterious force to follow their car.

The taxi had started to slow down. In less than a few seconds, Chen Yi would reach the car door. It was time to make a decision. Hua Luo glanced at the flustered Chu Jiu. He reached out towards the side door that she was leaning against. As he pushed it open, he shoved her out. The moment Chu Jiu fell out, the endless tunnel welcomed light.

Hua Luo was renewed with hope. He crawled to the driver’s seat and pulled back the annoying dress. He stepped on the gas. The car growled heavily.

Just as he was about to drive out of the tunnel, the car halted. Then, the car crumpled like it had hit a wall. But… there was nothing there!

The inertia didn’t give Hua Luo the time to think. He was sent flying out of the car and into the tunnel’s rock wall. He spat out blood. He leaned on the wall with difficulty. His every breath tasted of blood.

His lungs were pierced by his ribs. A metal rod impaled his body at an awkward angle. He could barely lift his arm. His eyes were dyed red. He gasped for air as he clutched a piece of paper in his hand.

A bloody shadow stood before him, but he didn’t even have the energy to raise his head. The next second, a powerful force destroyed his wrist. Hua Luo gritted his teeth to stop himself from screaming. In his haze, he tried to stop it, but his other arm was severed at the elbow. The paper… was taken away.

When the shadow opened the paper, the shadow was stunned. The paper… was empty.

The resentful figure realised something and instantly looked back down into the darkness. The next second, someone hugged her feet tightly.

“Chu Jiu!” Hua Luo shouted into the darkness. “Keep running into the dark. Do not turn back!”

About ten metres away, a small frame struggled to stand up. She staggered and ran into the dark. The paper that she held fluttered in the wind.

Chu Jiu tried her best to run, holding the painting that represented hope. They had to surrender this painting to Lin Chen to end this mission. Then, her friends… wouldn’t have died for no reason. Her tears wouldn’t stop falling. As Hua Luo predicted, the ghost’s goal wasn’t to kill travellers. She wanted… the painting that could end everything.

The ghost’s power had a limited range. Only by luring the ghost to his side would Chu Jiu have the chance to survive. His bet was correct.

Chu Jiu turned the corner and found the door they came in from. To be precise, it was a giant canvas. From here, she could leave this world in the painting. However, as she opened the door, a hand landed on her shoulder. “Jiujiu.”

Chu Jiu’s eyes shrank. It was Sister Chen Yi’s voice. Her voice was laced with pain and sadness. She clearly didn’t want Chu Jiu to abandon her.

“Jiujiu.” Chen Yi continued, “I’m in so much pain. I have been trapped in this tunnel. This place is so dark. I’ve walked for a long time, but I can’t escape. I thought I would die there. Thankfully, you’re here. You’re finally here. You’ll save me, right?” Chen Yi’s voice lifted with anticipation. “Jiujiu, I know you will not abandon me.”

“Chu Jiu.” Another hand landed on her other shoulder. This hand was covered in blood. “Cough…” It was Hua Luo’s voice. He sounded heavily injured. “It’s so painful. Thankfully, Chen Yi saved me. Chu Jiu, quick… open the door. We… will go back together. Quick, before it is too late!”

Chu Jiu’s body shook as tears poured out of her eyes. She slowly reached out without turning back to remove their hands from her shoulders. When she touched Chen Yi’s hand, the latter froze for a second.

“I’m sorry.” Chu Jiu gritted her teeth and her tears fell. The next second, she pushed open the door. Once she crossed the threshold, she returned to the corridor. She collapsed to the ground as if all energy had left her body.

…

“Don’t give up…” Fatty shook the person on his back and continued to walk downwards. The corridor was filled with heat waves and smoke. Fatty relied fully on his instinct to keep moving.

Along the way, he encountered the injured Li Zhumei. Fatty thought she was too slow if she tried to walk on her own, so he carried her on his back. They walked for a long time down the stairs. Fatty repeated the same movement many times, but when he took another glance, there were still more steps. Do these stairs lead to hell? He cursed internally.

“It’s… fine.” He consoled Li Zhumei through his heavy breaths. “It’s not that far now. I remember the way back. We’re almost there.” He was worried that Li Zhumei would lose hope. Once a person lost hope, bad things would happen.

However, Fatty’s stamina was limited. His larger size was not optimal. Li Zhumei felt heavier on his back. The smoke entered his nose. He started to suffocate. With a shaky step, he fell down the stairs. Li Zhumei tumbled down with him. After a few struggles, Fatty tried to stand up. The first thing he did was to search for Li Zhumei. Soon, he touched a hand.

“Are you alright?” His voice changed from inhaling all the smoke.

“You… need to go.” Li Zhumei sounded weak. She knew she wouldn’t survive. “I can’t move anymore.”

The next second, Li Zhumei felt an arm that was singed by the heat pull her up. She was dragged along by a stubborn force.

“Come on!” Fatty croaked. “Don’t waste your breath. I will bring you out of here.”