After taking that glance back, Liu was horrified to find the Shaman, who had been running on two legs, was now down on all fours like a wild beast.
She charged towards them with terrifying speed, a ravenous wolf on the hunt!
"Holy crap, did she just devolve?!" Liu yelped, his brief moment of relief vanishing in an instant.
The Shaman, who had slowed down momentarily, surged forward with even greater speed as her hands touched the ground, faster than before!
Unlike animals, the skeletal and muscular structure of humans made it difficult for most to run effectively on all fours.
Aside from coordination, most people lacked the arm strength and flexibility to support their weight and propel themselves forward quickly.
Mimicking an animal for a short burst was one thing, but doing it for extended periods would lead to injuries.
Yet, the Shaman chasing them seemed to have truly transformed into a fearsome predator!
Her movements were grotesque and twisted, yet astonishingly fast!
In a matter of seconds, the distance between them had shrunk by ten meters!
She was now less than twenty meters away!
"Shit, bro, she's catching up!" Liu gasped, his lungs burning, vision blurring.
Only sheer willpower kept him going.
His body was at its limit.
Even if he willed himself to go faster, his legs wouldn't obey.
At this rate, the Shaman would catch him in less than five seconds!
Reaching the Fangcun Pond would take at least another twenty!
The gap between them closed relentlessly...
The Shaman's hideous face loomed larger with each passing moment.
Her features were contorted in a terrifying snarl, eyes bloodshot and devoid of any humanity.
Liu pushed himself like he was squeezing the last drops from a sponge, desperately trying to summon a final burst of energy.
But his legs wouldn't respond.
Finally, the Shaman was upon him.
Staring into the face of the monstrous witch about to pounce, Liu felt a wave of despair wash over him.
He had only one thought—if he survived this Blood Gate, he would take up long-distance running!
"Hey! Are you looking for this?"
Pinned to the ground by the Shaman, her bone blade poised to strike, Liu heard Ning's voice.
The Shaman paused, her bloodshot eyes fixated on the book in Ning's hand.
In a swift motion, he threw the book towards the Fangcun Pond!
The Shaman roared in fury and panic, releasing Liu and scrambling after the airborne book.
She snatched it from the air just before it could plunge into the water.
As soon as her fingers closed around the book, the Shaman instantly reverted to her human form.
Standing on the platform, back to the water, she faced them with murder in her eyes.
"The game is over, insects!" she hissed, a triumphant smile twisting her lips.
"Such a pity..."
"I win in the end... as always! I never lose!!"
Ning pulled the stunned Liu to his feet.
They walked slowly towards the platform, stopping at its base, and looked up at the Shaman.
"Yes," Ning said, a slow smile spreading across his face, "the game is over."
The Shaman's triumphant expression faltered.
A feeling of unease crept into her heart.
At that moment, the sound of churning water erupted from the pond behind her.
The gurgling grew louder, as if the entire pond was boiling!
The Shaman trembled involuntarily.
She looked down at the stone beneath her feet, her eyes widening in fear.
How... how did she get here?!
In her frenzy to catch Ning and the book, she had entered [that] state, a state where her rationality was suppressed.
She tried to step back from the platform's edge, but tendrils of black algae shot up from the water, wrapping around her body, binding her tightly!
"No... No!!"
The Shaman screamed, slashing at the algae with her bone blade!
The blade was sharp, capable of slicing through a vengeful spirit's unbreakable hair.
But the algae were relentless.
For every strand severed, more surged forward to take its place.
Soon, even her arms were pinned!
Gurgle—
Gurgle—
The churning grew louder, closer.
Suddenly, the water parted, and a woman's flayed skin rose slowly from the depths, stopping behind the Shaman.
The skin reached out, a single swipe of its hand severing the Shaman's fingers, sending them tumbling down onto the stone platform at their feet.
"Gah..." the Shaman cried out, but the algae quickly covered her mouth.
The skin picked up the fallen bone blade, turning it over in its grasp, examining it closely.
Then, tears of blood trickled from its eyes, and it began to sob, a mournful cry escaping its lips:
"Guang Xiu..."
"Guang Xiu..."
As if responding to the skin's mournful call, the bone blade trembled, vibrating in sync with its cries.
The Shaman struggled furiously.
She was strong, that much was undeniable.
Even as the skin held the blade, she managed to rip free one of her arms from the algae's grasp.
Clawing at the strands covering her mouth, she tore them away.
Finally free, she began chanting, strange, arcane words spilling from her lips.
As the chant grew louder, the skin cried out in pain.
The algae binding the Shaman ignited, burning away until nothing remained.
Below, Ning and Liu watched in shock.
"Holy shit, she's that strong?!" Liu yelped, a mix of awe and terror in his voice.
Just as it seemed the Shaman might break free, he grabbed a stone from the ground and hurled it at her.
Whether by luck or fate, the stone found its mark, lodging itself in the Shaman's open mouth, cutting off her chant.
The Shaman's eyes bulged.
She clutched at her throat, choking.
But by the time she managed to dislodge the stone, the black algae had returned, stronger than before.
This time, the vengeful spirit gave her no chance to escape.
YOU ARE READING
The Villa
TerrorA driverless bus, carrying a group of cursed individuals, journeys to a sinister black villa... Inside the villa, there's a door stained crimson with blood. The cursed souls, at regular intervals, are forcibly dragged through the blood-soaked...
