Chapter 197: Chapter 197: To the center sanctuary

Seojun didn't say anything. He reached his hand out to help her up, but she slapped it away.

"I don't need your help!"

she snapped, getting to her feet on her own.

Without another word, she quickly got up and ran off again, moving so fast that Seojun barely saw her. As she passed, two contestants who were walking nearby got caught in the wind and were knocked off their feet, falling to the ground from her speed.

"What the—?!"

one of them shouted, while the other scrambled to stand.

Seojun didn't pay them much attention. He was focused on the woman who was already disappearing into the trees, moving like a flash.

As he watched, he saw something strange: a small bird was flying beside her, matching her speed. It fluttered around her as if it was part of her.

"Kyuu! Wow! She's so fast, Master! Kyuu!"

Sui, his slime, squeaked excitedly, bouncing beside Seojun.

Seojun just nodded. He was impressed by her speed, but he didn't let it bother him. There were still more important things to focus on.

Sui bounced higher in the air.

"Kyuu! I want to be that fast, Master!"

Seojun smiled faintly. "Yeah, Let's hurry up there too. We only have one hour"

On the other side, Andrew and Lila had been walking for what felt like hours, but it seemed like they were only getting more lost with each step.

The forest is too big for them and the timer was still ticking down.

Andrew wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the weight of exhaustion.

"Whoo! Let's rest, Lila. I can't walk anymore!" he groaned, slumping down onto the ground and lying flat on his back.

Lila, walking ahead, turned to him with an annoyed look. "Tsk! If you hadn't insisted on climbing that stupid cliff, you wouldn't be tired now! You really should have thought this through!"

Andrew pouted, sitting up. "Eh, it's my fault?" he asked, looking at her with wide eyes.

Lila threw her hands up in frustration. "Yes! It's your fault! You just had to climb it, didn't you?"

Andrew smiled a little, trying to lighten the mood. "But you liked the egg we got from it, right? It was so delicious!"

Lila rolled her eyes and stomped her foot. "Tsk. Still! Ugh, why am I even with you?" She glanced around, searching for any signs or clues to help them find the sanctuary. "We're lost, and now we're wasting time!"

Andrew chuckled and leaned against a nearby tree. "How are we supposed to find the center sanctuary, though?" he muttered to himself, looking up at the sky.

Lila clenched her fists in frustration. "I really want to get there first!" she whispered, then stopped herself and looked around again.

Andrew thought for a moment, then looked around, feeling something was off.

'I wonder where Seojun is... I didn't see him,'

he thought, scanning the forest for any sign of his friend.

Just as he was about to ask Lila if she had seen Seojun, he suddenly heard her scream.

"Lila?!" Andrew shouted, jumping to his feet and running in the direction of her voice. "Lila! Where are you?!"

He rushed forward, his heart pounding in his chest. After a few moments of calling her name, he stopped beside a large tree. He leaned against it to catch his breath, and as soon as he did, the ground suddenly shook beneath him.

"Ahh!" Andrew yelped, feeling the ground give way beneath his feet. He stumbled and fell into what felt like a deep hole.

"Wha—?!" he shouted as he tumbled down, his voice echoing around him. The fall felt like it went on forever " Aaahhh! Mommy! Aaaaahhhhh!"

before he suddenly landed with a soft

thud

.

He blinked and opened his teary eyes, feeling dazed. Looking around, he realized he had fallen into some kind of net. His heart was still racing from the fall.

Then, he heard a voice above him. "What the heck, Andrew?! Shut up! You scream like a woman!"

Andrew looked up, and to his surprise, he saw Lila looking down at him with an annoyed expression.

"Lila!" he shouted, a little embarrassed.

Lila crossed her arms. "You really are a mess, aren't you? Why'd you scream like that?"

Andrew looked up at her sheepishly, wiping the dirt from his face. "I didn't expect to fall into a hole!

"

he said, still flustered.

Lila sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Get out of the net, and let's keep moving. We're wasting time."

Andrew nodded and started trying to get out of the net. "Alright, alright. Where are we? Lila?"

As he finally climbed out of the net, he looked up at Lila, who was already walking off ahead, clearly irritated but still determined. He sighed and followed her, hoping they could find their way to the center sanctuary before it was too late.

"Do i look like i know?"

Andrew smiled to himself, knowing that no matter how much they argued, they still had each other's backs. 'We're like besties hehehe'

As Andrew and Lila walked through the dark tunnel, Andrew looked around, feeling uneasy.

"So dark..."

he muttered, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet cave.

The air was cold and damp, and the sound of water dripping could be heard in the distance

Lila, walking ahead, was more focused. "Stop looking around, Andrew! If you attract monsters I'll leave you here."

"So mean Lila!"

"Tsk... Wait, Look There's a light up ahead!" she pointed toward a small glow in the distance. Without waiting for him, she started running toward the light.

Andrew's heart raced as he heard a strange, scary noise coming from deeper in the cave. The sound made him feel more uneasy.

"So scary..."

he whispered, feeling goosebumps on his arms.

The cave seemed darker, and he couldn't see much around him.

Then, Andrew realized Lila had run ahead and was no longer with him. "Lila! Don't leave me alone!" he shouted, feeling a bit of panic.

"Wait for me!" He quickly ran after her, not wanting to be alone in the dark cave.

As he reached the light, he finally saw the exit. When he stepped out, the bright sunlight made him squint. "Ah!" he groaned, raising his arms to protect his eyes from the harsh light.

When he could finally see clearly, he looked around and realized they were now in a wide, open grassland. There were a few trees, but mostly just green land stretching out before them.

He scratched his head, confused.

"Were we underground just a second ago?" he muttered to himself. Everything felt so different now Sёarᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Looking around, Andrew saw other contestants spread out in the grassland. They all seemed to be looking at the same thing — a large sign in the distance that marked the center of the sanctuary.

Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of Andrew's eyes.

[Congratulations, Participant #602. You have arrived at the Center Sanctuary. Time: 25:33.]

Andrew blinked, still surprised.

"Wait... we made it already?" he said aloud, still trying to understand what had just happened and noticed some other people.

Lila, already at the sign, waved to him. "Come on, Andrew! Stop standing there and look at the sanctuary!" she called.