They continued forward.
The stench of blood and flesh permeated the air.
Bai Youwei covered her nose for a while, but realizing she couldn't realistically hold her breath indefinitely, she dropped her hand and resigned herself to the putrid air.
After walking a short distance, the outline of the overpass became faintly visible, its structure similarly covered in fleshy lumps.
At the same time, they saw something else.
…A group of creatures, resembling skinned freaks, with abnormally large heads and disproportionately thin limbs.
They clambered over the fleshy mounds, gnawing and scraping. The wounds they left oozed pus, mucus, and blood. The pinkish flesh turned a dark purple from the corrosive effect.
Bai Youwei felt nauseous.
She couldn't help but recall the movie "Lord of the Rings" from over a century ago. There was a character named Gollum, and these things looked similar!
No… not quite. These things were even more disgusting!
Gollum at least had a pair of bright, large eyes, but these creatures… she stared for a long time and couldn't locate their eyes!
"What the hell are these things?" Tan Xiao blurted out. "Alien babies?"
As soon as he spoke, the crimson monsters seemed to sense the noise and abruptly turned towards them!
Their faces were blank except for a gaping maw.
"Holy crap…" Tan Xiao gasped.
In an instant!
Seven or eight monsters all crawled towards them!
Their thin, spindly limbs, seemingly lacking strength, gripped the fleshy mounds like stick insects, propelling them forward with surprising speed!
Tan Xiao didn't even have time to curse! He immediately swung his baseball bat, sending one flying with each strike! Another swing, another splattered creature!
They really did shatter!
It felt like bursting a blood bag, the contents instantly liquefying and merging with the flesh underfoot. Not even a bone remained, only the overpowering stench of blood.
Mr. Cheng used his cane as a weapon, nervously swinging it without any real technique, yet managing to repel several of the creatures.
"Everyone be careful!" he called out. "These things might be poisonous. Try to avoid direct contact!"
"Old Cheng, why didn't you say so earlier?!" Tan Xiao smashed the head of another monster, getting splattered in the face with hot, fishy blood.
He gagged in disgust. "Ugh! Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!!!"
The monsters were terrifying in appearance and quick in their movements, but their small size and fragility made them manageable, even when surrounded by seven or eight at a time.
Pan Xiaoxin, shielded in the center of the group, was pale as a sheet.
Despite all his mental preparation, he hadn't anticipated this group's ruthlessness! Less than five minutes into the maze and they were already battling monsters! And… even the sixty-year-old grandpa was valiantly taking down several of them!
Of everyone present, only Bai Youwei seemed relatively normal, sitting motionless in her wheelchair like a frail young woman.
This gave Pan Xiaoxin, the elementary school student, a slight sense of comfort.
Shen Mo pinned the last monster under his foot.
He controlled his strength, grinding its slippery head into the ground without crushing it completely. He frowned and said, "Come and take a look at this."
Cheng Weicai crouched down, carefully observing the monster, and poked its teeth with his cane.
"Its body carries some kind of toxin that corrodes protein and fat, but the effect on us seems minimal…"
Mr. Cheng glanced at Tan Xiao's unharmed face and then gently poked the monster's head with his cane.
Unexpectedly, the slightest touch created a hole, and the monster instantly dissolved into a puddle of blood under Shen Mo's foot.
Mr. Cheng was momentarily stunned. "…Hmm, the head is exceptionally fragile. That's likely their weakness. They seem to travel in packs, so there are probably many more in this maze."
Shen Mo turned to Bai Youwei. "Any thoughts?"
Bai Youwei looked disgusted. "They're so disgusting."
Shen Mo: "…"
Bai Youwei repeated with a grimace, "So disgusting… so disgusting…"
It seemed their strategist had suffered no small shock.