Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 653: Maze and Fog

Chapter 653: Chapter 653: Maze and Fog

Even on the island, the mist was heavy, and they couldn’t see anything beyond thirty steps. This meant that if any danger approached, they would not be able to detect it in advance.

Lu Yi started to worry, "With this kind of situation, are we really going to go forward? Just so you know, I’m not leading the way."

"Don’t worry, no one’s asking you to lead," Gu Fan reassured him, then glanced at the boss. If anyone could handle this situation, it would be the boss.

The boss caught Gu Fan’s glance but made no response. Instead, Hai moved to the front with his subordinates, slowly forging a path with guns at the ready.

Jie was worried about Hai. They didn’t know what they’d encounter on the island. The first group to venture out was bound to suffer.

Gu Fan frowned, then said, "Sister Su, you bring up the rear. The rest of you follow." After speaking, Gu Fan moved forward, maintaining a certain distance from the boss. He didn’t want to get too close, and the distance would also allow the boss to intervene in case of danger.

The island had no trees, but there were many towering stones. The deeper into the island they got, the more these stones appeared. Some stood close together, others formed forks in the path.

"God, the mist was bad enough, and it’s nighttime too. Now with all these stones, it feels like we’ve wandered into a maze." Not only did Lu Yi feel this way, but Gu Fan did too.

This couldn’t go on. Gu Fan hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Don’t go forward anymore, we’re about to lose our bearing!"

The boss agreed and ordered Hai to call back his men who’d gone ahead. Hai promptly obeyed and picked up the radio to call out, but suddenly, a scream burst out from the radio. Everyone jumped, thinking something had happened to the group at the front.

Just as everyone was on high alert, a voice came from the radio, "Sorry, we made a mistake. We thought we saw Lisa, but it turned out to be a stone that looks like Lisa. Scared us to death!"

It was a false alarm. Everyone sighed with relief, but Lu Yi expressed his discontent, "You gave us quite a scare too. My heart can’t take this kind of excitement."

Hai then spoke, "Alright, enough talk. You guys get back here fast. We’re ending this exploration for now."

"Roger that!" The scout team responded and switched off the radio. But everyone waited for a long time without seeing them. With no sign of their return, a sense of worry began to grow.

Hai quickly picked up the radio again, "Hey, where are you? Why haven’t you returned yet? Answer me, answer me!"

The radio remained silent. This weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts. Could something really have happened this time?

"I don’t like this feeling. Let’s withdraw for now," suggested Lu Yi. Many others shared his sentiment, and the boss had already moved to the front, appearing unruffled.

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps roused everyone’s nerves. Everyone stared into the mist, hearts pounding, half expecting something ominous to emerge.

But it turned out to be the scouts, who’d all returned without a scratch. Once again, they’d been scared for nothing.

It turned out the radio was out of power, and they were unable to respond. Moreover, the gigantic stones had cut off many paths, causing them to lose their way. If they hadn’t heard Hai’s voice, they probably wouldn’t have found their way back.

Gu Fan once again realized the challenges of exploring this place. The fog, the maze-like terrain, unfamiliarity with the surroundings, and the uncertainty of dangers – not to mention the ever-looming threat of the sinking island. For safety’s sake, they resolved to return and make further plans.

Lu Yi immediately raised his hands in agreement, "Great idea! I’m hungry. Let’s hurry back."

However, after retreating for a short while, they noticed something amiss. The path ahead was blocked by a large stone.

"That’s strange. I’m sure we came from this direction. Did I remember it wrong?" Lu Yi looked confused, glancing at his companions who also assured they recalled the same direction.

Gu Fan urged everyone to stay calm, "The fog is heavy here, it’s very normal to have a mix-up. Let’s search around, we might find our original path."

Following Gu Fan’s suggestion, they searched around only to discover that the stone was massive, like a wall extending fifty steps in length before another path was available.

Gu Fan frowned and then asked the scouts to check if the route they took earlier was still there.

The scouts didn’t understand, but the boss ordered them to do as Gu Fan said. They returned to report that the path they’d taken earlier was gone, replaced by a large stone.

The path forward was lost, the path back was lost, had everyone collectively lost their sense of direction in the mist? Gu Fan didn’t believe so. Looking at the numerous huge stones around him, which resembled towering giants, he felt that this place wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

"What can we do to get out of here?" Leng Le looked to Gu Fan, hoping he could come up with a plan.

Su Hui speculated, "Although we’re in the mist, I’m still confident about my sense of direction. Yet, I don’t know why our way back has disappeared." She pointed at the melon seeds on the ground, which she had been dropping to mark their route to avoid getting lost.

"Don’t tell me, the stones have grown legs and moved here by themselves?" Lu Yi’s remark send chills down their spines. Even Lu Yi himself became fearful as he finished the sentence.

Gu Fan’s brows furrowed, touching his chin in thought, "If we didn’t go the wrong direction, then what Lu Yi had guessed may be correct..."

"Are you saying these stones can move by themselves?" Everyone was taken aback, some looking terrified.

Su Hui rolled her eyes at them, "You can’t really think this island is just an ordinary island."

Upon hearing this, everyone thought, "Yes, that’s correct. We knew this island was extraordinary before we set foot on it. We were bound to encounter something unusual. So it’s not impossible that the stones have moved to block our return path."

Although they adjusted their mindset, they still felt fearful because the problem still had to be resolved. They couldn’t just wait for the moving stones to retreat. They had to find a way to get back.

While they were still considering their options, Lu Yi had already started pleading, "Dear stone, we meant no harm. If you can hear us, could you please clear a path for us?"