The blonde man tensed, roaring and expending all his strength, launching himself backward like a cannonball.
Though they didn't understand what had happened, everyone's expression changed drastically at the blonde man's reaction, and without a second thought, they immediately retreated.
The next moment, a black shadow suddenly shot out from the cave beneath the壯漢, leaping high and blocking out most of the light.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
It was a monstrous creature more than three times larger than the one they had seen before, with the head of a lion, the body of a tiger, and the tail of a scorpion. However, the sense of pressure it exuded was entirely different.
If the Death Claw previously impaled on the壯漢's hand was like a small dog, then the one before them was a prehistoric behemoth, a carnivorous, bloodthirsty one at that!
The gust of wind from the Death Claw’s leap also toppled the half-rotted corpse the壯漢 had been standing on, sending it backward.
Because there was a small slope behind it, when it tilted a hundred degrees, everyone saw its gruesome state.
Their scalps immediately tingled!
“Damn it!”
Number Two cursed to ward off his fear, just like the blonde man, holding nothing back and retreating frantically with all his might!
Then, they all underestimated the Death Claw’s speed.
As they felt a heavy landing sensation, they felt a chill down their backs, a foul stench entered their noses, and then they realized the Death Claw had already positioned itself in front of them.
Its four limbs, as thick as elephant legs, its bulging muscles mocking any fitness trainer, and its blood-red maw over a meter wide, just by its grinning, everyone felt a gaping maw of death sucking at their souls.
And at this moment, a figure was hanging from its scorpion tail.
Only then did everyone notice a small, humanoid head on its scorpion tail, with many octopus-like tentacles next to the head.
The tentacles were currently clinging tightly to a figure, burying its chest in front of the small head.
It was the Japanese man, Number Six!
The few of them instantly recognized the figure’s owner and felt their bodies turn ice-cold.
How long had it been? Ten seconds? Or five?
The remaining four stood frozen, their feet rooted to the spot, watching in horror as Number Six, hanging in the air, struggled.
Suddenly, a few of the tentacles holding onto Number Three loosened, and his body flipped into a reverse hook. Because of this, the others finally understood why Number Six was only struggling and not making a sound.
In front of the small head was a hideous human face with bared, bloody teeth, and Number Six’s neck had already been gnawed off!
With his windpipe severed, he could only let out faint sizzling sounds, the sounds of splashing blood.
The Muay Thai woman immediately covered the little girl’s eyes, feeling a chill shoot from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
It wasn't just her; everyone else felt almost the same!
Especially Number Two, who had been so boastful earlier, his legs trembled uncontrollably.
Hadn't they seen such gruesome scenes before? No, they had seen worse. But that was directed at ordinary people. For those at their level, such a situation would rarely occur outside!
And how much time had passed from start to finish? In just a brief exchange, Number Three, whose strength was close to theirs, had become like this. The impact of this was something the scenes they had witnessed before could not bring!
At this moment, the Death Claw was still, as if the human face on its scorpion tail was savoring the recent meal.
But the others dared not move.
They all had a strong feeling that whoever moved would die!
A wave of intense despair engulfed the few of them. Only now did they finally regret why they had taken this risk.
It was only then that they truly understood what the Death Claw meant.
But it seemed this realization had come too late. No one could afford the lesson learned at the cost of their lives.
However, just as everyone fell into a desperate silence, Li Chonglou’s voice suddenly came from in front of them, behind the Death Claw.
“Run! Run forward!”
Before the others could react, the Death Claw in front of them suddenly flickered and vanished from its spot.
The hearts of the few tightened, as if they all predicted they would be the next to die, but they quickly realized the Death Claw’s target was not them.
An explosion occurred at the Death Claw’s previous location, followed by a series of gunshots.
“Go!”
It was Li Chonglou’s anxious shout again. Only then did the others realize that Li Chonglou was using grenades and gunshots to distract the Death Claw.
“Damn it!”
The blonde man cursed, turned his head, and ran, sprinting toward the mountain of the last strange slope.
His movement triggered the remaining three like a chain reaction. Without hesitation, they followed the blonde man and ran wildly.
Number Five, don’t die!
The few of them shouted in their hearts. Although they knew it was impossible for anyone to survive the Death Claw’s clutches, Li Chonglou’s self-sacrificing act had touched their hearts.
Under the stimulus of the life-or-death crisis, all of them unleashed their great potential. The distance that should have taken them two minutes was covered by the four in less than a minute, successfully reaching the summit.
However, when they looked back, they found that Li Chonglou’s figure had suddenly disappeared.
The gunfire had also stopped. Currently, the Death Claw was slaughtering a group of monsters.
Where did this monster group come from? Where did Number Five go? Was he dead or had he escaped?
Three question marks flashed through the minds of the four. However, it was not the time to seek answers. After a brief glance, the four quickly fled towards the outside of Devil’s Valley.
It wasn't until half an hour later, when a yellow house reappeared within their sight, that their taut nerves finally relaxed.
“Damn it, I owe Number Five a life!”
After confirming their safety, Number Three cursed, his tone a mix of anger and gratitude.
The Muay Thai woman’s expression was complicated. Leaning against a large tree, she panted and remained silent.
The blonde man sighed, “If he can survive, that is.”
Although his words sounded heartless, it was the truth for everyone. Only the living had the meaning of repaying a debt. Otherwise, if the person was dead, the matter would soon fade with time.
For people like them, death meant the end. A dead person was meaningless.
Therefore, Number Two chimed in, “Let’s go. We’ll wait for him up there for half an hour. If he doesn’t return within half an hour, then there’s no need to wait anymore.”
The few of them nodded slightly, and then, with complicated expressions, they walked towards the yellow safe house above.
During this time, they couldn’t help but look back, as if hoping someone’s figure would suddenly appear.
Then, they suddenly heard a familiar voice from above.
“Why are you so slow?”