As Rex's words echoed in the air, the soft footsteps grew clearer. Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the direction of the sound. Suddenly, a ragged young woman emerged from the shadows, her eyes flashing with wariness and a plea for help.
"Who's there?" Rex shouted sharply, pointing his longsword slightly forward, ready to strike at any moment.
The young woman raised her hands, trembling, and said in an almost hoarse voice, "Please...please don't...don't kill me...I've come...come for help..."
Carlos frowned, stepped forward, and asked in a low voice, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
The woman took a few breaths before managing to say, "My name is Lilia, and I'm an explorer who came in from another direction. Our team was attacked by a strange creature, and I'm the only one alive..."
Upon hearing this, the villagers in the group began to whisper among themselves.
“It seems we’re not the only ones in danger,” an elderly woman from the village remarked. “This place is truly full of unknowns.”
Chen Ge seemed somewhat distrustful, "How can you guarantee that you weren't sent by the enemy? Perhaps this is all just a trap."
Faced with everyone's doubts, a hint of grievance and helplessness flashed in Lilia's eyes. "I know you have reasons to doubt, but if this is a lie, I simply cannot survive alone in this labyrinth. Please, take me with you... I will do everything in my power to help fight those monsters!"
Seeing this, Anna gently tugged at Chen Ge's hand and softly suggested, "Perhaps giving her a chance wouldn't be a loss? It's always good to have more strength."
After a moment's thought, Rex nodded in agreement: "Alright, Miss Lilia, we'll believe you for now. But you must understand—if we find out you're lying, the consequences will be dire!"
Having gained their trust, Lilia quickly nodded in understanding, "Thank you... thank you so much everyone!"
Just then, the previously calm air suddenly became abnormal again, and a low, long howl broke the silence. "Oh my god, what's going on?!" A new member who had only recently joined asked in horror, looking around.
Chen Ge's expression hardened, and he said to everyone, "Listen carefully, maintain formation, and look out for each other. No matter what happens, remember—unity is strength!"
As the sound drew closer, a colossal beast, its body covered in scales, slowly emerged from the depths of darkness. Its eyes gleamed with greed and cruelty, and upon seeing the brave travelers, it roared, as if asserting its dominance and provoking them…
"Is everyone ready for battle?" Wright shouted, holding up his compass. "The objective has been determined, but we must first overcome this obstacle before we can proceed!"
His response was met with unwavering gazes and a shared determination from all the team members: "Whatever awaits us ahead, we will face it together hand in hand!"
The words had barely left his lips when the colossal beast was already poised to attack. A heavy tension filled the air, and everyone present knew that the upcoming battle would be a tremendous test of their limits...
In that instant, the mysterious green-eyed man who had been observing the situation from the shadows smiled knowingly—"Interesting, indeed extremely interesting..." Then, just as he had appeared, he vanished without a trace, leaving the warriors to engage in a life-or-death struggle with their powerful adversary...
The moment the mysterious green-eyed man vanished, the enormous beast leaped forward, attacking Carlos, who was closest to it. Its speed surprised everyone; almost instantly, its massive claws were already inches away.
"Watch out!" Rex roared as he charged forward, his longsword flashing silver as he clashed with the behemoth's forelimbs with lightning speed. Sparks from the clash of metal against scales illuminated the dark space. At the same time, Chen Ge quickly distanced himself from the monster and directed his teammates to adjust their formation. "Retreat! Prepare for a counterattack!"
Despite their fear, the villagers dispersed in an orderly fashion according to Chen Ge's instructions. Several older villagers even brought out homemade weapons and joined the battle. "This...this terrifying creature, can we really win?" a trembling voice asked, but no one gave him an answer.
Lilia, though pale, had a determined look in her eyes: "Trust me, I can do more than you think." With that, she quickly circled behind the monster, took several small, glowing blue vials from her pack, and tossed them towards the giant beast's tail. "What's that...?" someone exclaimed in surprise. The blue liquid ignited upon contact with fire, burning brightly on the monster's body without harming their own allies.
The behemoth roared in pain, temporarily turning its attention to its new companion. However, a change also occurred on the other side. Anna clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and began chanting. A warm, gentle energy gradually gathered in the air, forming a faint protective shield around each team member.
A chorus of gasps of amazement rose from the onlookers watching the battle. "Incredible! Who are they? How did they learn all those abilities?!" a young man exclaimed, dumbfounded. "I've never seen anything like this before... It's like a legendary hero battling a dragon, so thrilling!"
Encouraged by the voices from the outside world, the team's morale soared once more. "We cannot let these innocent people be harmed!" Rex brandished his sword, inspiring everyone. "Fight for peace and light!"
Surrounded, the behemoth became even more agitated. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wright carefully observed the enemy's wounds and attack patterns before suddenly having a flash of inspiration: "I have an idea! Everyone, get ready to act on my signal."
Just then, the seemingly invincible behemoth paused for a moment—clearly, it was in a critical moment of breathing. "Now!" With Wright's command, the entire team launched a deadly attack in unison: arrows, flames, and magic intertwined, heading straight for the core of the target.
As the smoke cleared, only a massive figure lay sprawled on the ground before them. The victory had come so quickly it was almost unbelievable. "So...we won?" a little girl asked softly, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“At least we’re still alive, and we’ve taken a solid step in the right direction,” Rekta replied, but he knew in his heart that it was far from over. Just as everyone relaxed slightly, an ominous aura approached from afar. “You really think this is the end? Naive… the real show is yet to come!”
Then a chilling laugh echoed throughout the maze. "That laugh... it sounds familiar yet completely strange... what the hell is coming to cause trouble again..." muttered the most senior member of the group.
"Regardless, we must remain vigilant. Who knows what challenges we'll face next?" Chen Ge calmly analyzed. Meanwhile, the green-eyed man standing in the distance smiled again, as if plotting an even more thrilling game. The unknown dangers that the future held were the deepest suspense in everyone's hearts.
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