At this moment, the 'old folks' finally understood the despair of the newcomers who were powerless and had no choice but to die. Most of them turned around and rushed towards the giant sand monster that they had previously avoided.
Only a few with the corresponding skill cards to protect them and who were not easily swayed showed feelings of regret and pity, but these emotions seemed excessively indifferent and cold in the face of their companions' life and death.
"Wait!" someone suddenly shouted excitedly, "The people over there have been mobilized!"
Suddenly, a strange rustling sound flew overhead, causing Su Yuran to stop running. Her breathing slowed, and her consciousness began to clear. She felt both fear and joy.
All those forced to approach the giant statue slowly looked up and saw a dense swarm of tiny black insects fly onto the giant sand monster's head, falling onto it like moths to a flame, creating a spectacular yet brutal rain of insects.
The shimmering light left a faint mark on the statue.
But as more and more tiny black insects swarmed in, the giant statue that had been waving its arms to shoo them away began to move slowly. First, its arms, which were the first to come into contact with the insects, came into contact with them, followed by its legs and body.
Unbeknownst to it, its feet and calves were covered with tiny black insects, which clung firmly to its body and instantly turned into sticky grains of sand, as if a layer of sand armor had been stuck to its shell.
"emission!"
A clear voice rang out, and arrows flew in, whistling through the air and cutting through the sandstorm, striking the huge statue directly.
Seeing this, the 'old people' who had regained control of their bodies looked extremely pale, their hopes plummeting like ice.
The sand monster, which even fire-breathing tubes couldn't defeat, wouldn't be afraid of an ordinary arrow.
Isn't that a joke?
This is no joke. When the arrow collided with the statue, it suddenly magnified, and the huge arrow successfully pierced the statue's heart. The statue, which should have shattered into sand and then quickly recovered, actually slowly developed fine cracks.
"emission!"
Another sound rang out.
The statue suddenly raised its head, as if sensing the impending danger, and tried to swing its arm to deflect the arrow flying through the air, but its movements were slow and stiff—with a thud, another giant arrow pierced through its abdomen.
The crack then spread, spread...
Everyone held their breath, afraid to blink. For a long time, even seeing the giant statue shatter into pieces, they couldn't believe it was real. After a long silence, their eyes, sore from staring, cautiously observed the massive ruins amidst the swirling yellow sand, finally confirming that it would not be restored.
A sob was heard, and as if it were contagious, people began to cry and laugh, uttering soft sounds of relief and cheers.
"Ah!" Cheng Shuang felt a sudden emptiness under her bottom as the teddy bear shrank in an instant, causing her to fall directly onto the floor. Rubbing her sore bottom, the little girl picked up the teddy bear, stood up, and looked around.
The large banquet hall was brightly lit, and among the guests were a few scattered people, their faces covered in dust, their expressions a mixture of surprise and lingering fear.
At least two-thirds of the people in the hall were gone...
Cheng Shuang pursed her lips, not seeing Du Jun around. Hei Zishan and Lie Fu were standing in front, their steps blocked by the Linen Guest, and they secretly winked at her.
Shao Yang, who was also alone, walked towards her.
The monster quietly slid down from the little girl's head and disappeared into her schoolbag. In the maze, although the monster had revealed itself, the maintainers were mostly focused on how to break through the statue's defenses, and few paid attention to the little girl's 'headwear'. Even those who were interested only thought that the little girl had a 'hat'-shaped card item.
For them, the giant bear, which acts like a bodyguard, is more intimidating.
"Shuangshuang, don't worry, your brother is on stage." Shao Yang stood beside the little girl and spoke of Du Jun.
Cheng Shuang smiled gratefully, "Is Aunt Xie on stage too?"
Shao Yang nodded, gently patting the girl's head in comfort. His face, weathered by the wind and sand, was plain yet resolute. Perhaps due to his military experience, both he and Xie Xiaoxian possessed a greater sense of responsibility than others, which was why they had come to inform the girl.
The host stood at the front of the stage, no longer surrounded by hostesses, but by complete darkness. His voice trembled with excitement as he raised his arm and shouted, "Welcome back, esteemed guests! Now, the prizes will be awarded! The third lucky winner—" He paused mysteriously, then pointed a slender finger behind him, "...the distinguished guest from A3115!"
Applause erupted, and the lined guests clapped enthusiastically, even more excited than if they themselves had won the award.
The lights came on in the direction the host pointed, clearly illuminating Xia Guang's face. He stiffly accepted the cruise ship commemorative badge from the host, and only then did a hint of joy appear in his eyes.
The next winner, Xie Xiaoxian, received a cruise ship jigsaw puzzle as her prize.
Unsurprisingly, the first place winner was Du Jun, whose prize was a cruise ship model.
"The welcome banquet has officially come to an end. We hope you all had a great time. If you have any questions, please feel free to submit them in the suggestion box at the service desk! Well then, esteemed guests, see you tomorrow!"
The tightly closed doors had been opened, and the humans eagerly filed out. Du Jun stepped down from the stage and found Cheng Shuang waiting for him, with Hei Zishan and Lie Fu standing on either side.
The aloof young man, who showed no emotion even after winning first prize, gently curled his lips, walked over, took the little girl's hand, and slowly left the banquet hall with his companion.
Cheng Shuang thought she wouldn't be able to sleep that night, but she fell asleep instantly as soon as she lay down on the bed. When dawn broke, the curtains opened automatically and the sunlight filled the bed, but it didn't wake her up.
The little girl was woken up by the ringing of the phone in her room. She rubbed her eyes, yawned sleepily, and said, "Hello!"
"Time to get up." It was Du Jun's voice on the other end of the phone. He could tell that the girl was still half asleep. He said slowly, "No need to rush. I'll come to your room to find you. Take your time to wash up."
"Oh!" The girl mumbled a reply, barely hanging up the phone before collapsing back onto the bed and falling asleep. She didn't wake until there was a knock at the door, at which point she jumped up and stumbled to the door. "Who is it?"
"Me!" The boy's voice was clear and bright, with a slight hoarseness from the early morning.
The little girl opened the door with a sense of relief. With her shoulder-length hair sticking up, she scratched her face shyly, looked up at the boy in sportswear with wet hair, put her hands together, and pleaded, "Big brother, I was wrong, I'll do it right away, give me ten minutes, no, five minutes!"
"It's okay, take your time, there's still time." Du Jun saw that the little girl's eyes were watery and she looked confused, and there were red marks on her face from being pressed down. He knew that she hadn't had enough sleep, so he helped her straighten her wrinkled collar. "I'm meeting Hei Zishan and the others in half an hour."
"Okay, okay!" The little girl immediately cheered up, grabbed the older boy and sat him on the single sofa, then ran into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up, even taking a break to poop.
When the two arrived on the eighth floor, it was breakfast time. Hei Zishan and Lie Fu were waiting at the entrance, and the four of them met up and went into the restaurant.
However, the four of them stopped in their tracks as soon as they entered, staring in disbelief at the area in the middle of the restaurant.
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