Chapter 3

However, no one wanted to argue with Serena.

Nightfall was approaching, and if they didn’t find a safe house soon, everyone would die.

Fortunately, the location where the safe house reappeared wasn’t far from us.

The moment the safe house lit up, the horrors were shut out.

They seemed unable to see us, even though we were standing right in front of them.

Everyone let out a long sigh of relief. Any horror outside the door could tear us apart with ease.

However, Bennett frowned deeply and sighed. After a long silence, he finally said, “To prevent this instance from manifesting in the real world, the authorities will destroy it soon.”

“Are we… going to be trapped here forever?”

Despair was written all over the team members’ faces.

However, Serena didn’t seem concerned. “What are you all so afraid of? As long as we survive the next wave of horrors, we’ll obtain another survival item and open the portal.”

Serena had no idea that no one would be able to survive the next wave of horrors.

I opened my spatial satchel and took out a specialized survival item, then contacted base headquarters.

Our director, Jason Parker, had spatial powers, so tearing open a rift wouldn’t be a problem.

“Don’t worry, everyone. I’ve contacted headquarters through the survival item. Mr. Parker just needs some time to tear open the rift.”

Everyone broke into relieved smiles at my words.

Serena pulled Finn into her arms. “Finn, we’ll be out of here soon.”

“Serena, I knew you’d protect me.”

“Captain, I remember that the spatial tunnel can only transport the Awakened Ones, right?” Bennett lowered his voice and pulled me into a corner. “There are two people on our team who…”

I nodded. “Serena has the survival item needed to open this instance’s exit portal. She should be able to use the spatial tunnel with its help. She wants Finn to survive, doesn’t she?”

Bennett and I exchanged a knowing smile.

“Finn, don’t worry. I’ll definitely get you out of here!”

I smiled faintly as I watched the scene.

I wondered what Serena would do once the rift opened.

Would she truly act like a heroine and sacrifice herself to save him, or would she finally reveal the darkness inside her?

Certain that they could escape, Serena and Finn both relaxed.

They squandered all their resources. Finn even used a warding sigil to create sparkling bursts of light for Serena, just to cheer her up.

Ten minutes before the spatial tunnel opened, Serena suddenly came to find me.

“Ryan, give me this instance’s reward.”

Serena looked at me with an unquestionable tone.

I frowned. The reward from this instance was a fruit from the horror realm.

No matter how severely someone was injured by a horror, eating this fruit would immediately purge the corruptive energy from their body.

“Why do you need it? Was someone attacked by a horror?”

Serena looked anxious, as if the sky were falling.

“No. Finn’s leg was clawed by a horror, remember? The wound looks pretty deep. It might leave a scar!

“Stop wasting time and take out the fruit! Finn is too embarrassed to complain, but he’s been hurting badly for a long time.”

I stared at Serena as she made her argument with complete confidence, and a cold glint flashed across my eyes.

“Serena, do you know what this fruit means? It’s the only survival item we’ve found that can heal wounds inflicted by horrors.

“It has immense research value. It represents humanity’s hope of escaping the horror instances.”

“I know that, but there will definitely be other useful items in future instances. Finn is in pain right now. He keeps crying that his leg hurts!”

Everyone looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

The instances refreshed randomly every time, and no one knew what rewards they would drop.

A fruit like this was a once-in-a-lifetime find, yet she wanted to use it to ease Finn’s pain?