Chapter 43 White Hole Prison (20)

Chapter 43: White Hole Prison (Twenty)

Only after everyone had left Shi Wu's line of sight did the one-sided fight suddenly come to a halt.

A strange, heavy stillness hung in the air.

Shi Wu and Bao Yan remained locked in a stalemate, neither speaking. Their breaths mingled in the still air, carrying a faint, unsettling warmth.

The knuckles of Bao Yan's hand, which was tightly gripping Shi Wu's shoulder, twitched almost imperceptibly. Their eyes briefly locked before instantly darting away.

Shi Wu slightly turned his head to look toward the corridor where the door had been tightly shut. Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a slow, cryptic smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

The smile was abrupt and inscrutable. It was enough to send a chill down your spine.

Seeing this smile, Bao Yan frowned lightly, a flicker of instinctive wariness in his eyes.

"You—"

He'd barely gotten the word out.

But Shi Wu, as if he had been waiting for this moment, suddenly yanked out a small spherical creature from his embrace—it was none other than "Little Snot."

Little Snot had clearly just been yanked from its slumber. Dazed and confused, it opened its dome-like glass eyes, seemingly unable to grasp the situation. It even burbled happily, rubbing against Shi Wu's hand.

Bao Yan's face instantly darkened.

A bad feeling had just dawned on him when, sure enough, the next second, his vision went dark—Shi Wu had directly thrown Little Snot onto his face!

The slippery little thing, still warm from Shi Wu's body, clung limply to Bao Yan's face, leaving him frozen in surprise for a few seconds.

In a flash, the tables turned. Taking advantage of Bao Yan's momentary distraction, Shi Wu turned decisively and broke free from his restraint.

The door was pulled open with a loud *clang*. Shi Wu swiftly dashed out of the room.

In the corridor ahead, he could make out several figures moving in the distance.

The three people outside had actually run back!

"Brother!" Scarface cried out with relief, unable to hide his nervousness. "Are you okay? We got worried..."

The young woman bringing up the rear waved at him. "Hurry, let's go! We need to get out of here quickly!"

The lanky man looked at the half-open door behind Shi Wu. "Let's go, quick. Don't let that lunatic inside catch up."

Shi Wu didn't speak. His gaze swept over the three of them, and he immediately broke into a run outward. "Run!"

As soon as the word left his mouth, he took the lead, charging ahead. The other three immediately turned and followed. Their chaotic footsteps echoed in the empty corridor.

Inside the room.

The one called the "lunatic," Bao Yan, stood by the door, seemingly just regaining his composure.

He didn't give chase. Instead, he remained standing there, his gaze dark and unreadable. The next moment, he reached out and plucked Little Snot from where it was snuggling against his chest, holding it up. He let out a low, derisive chuckle.

Shi Wu led the three of them in a frantic sprint.

At the far end of the corridor was the open door. However, the lights outside, which had been bright as day for the prisoners to read and write, were now dark. Only a faint reflection of the corridor light spilled out.

The broadcast voice continued to echo coldly overhead:

"Please, all prisoners, put down your books, line up in an orderly manner, and proceed to the designated area. The library's main entrance is about to close."

"Damn it!" Scarface cursed, practically scrambling after them.

They rushed out the door, only realizing upon reaching the interior of the library that they could barely see a thing.

Tall bookshelves stood one after another, blocking the only faint light source.

"I can't see! What do we do?" The girl's voice held a hint of panic. She was the last to step onto the fifth floor, despair washing over her as she took in the scene before her.

The library was too vast.

Scarface peered into the darkness but could see nothing. He could only feel his own rapid breathing and the pounding of his heart.

"Damn, why does the library feel like a haunted house now?"

The tall, thin man also swallowed hard. "Y-yeah. Should we... just wait here? Wait for the lights to come back on?"

Shi Wu was speechless. "Do you really think this place is that kind?"

No sooner had he spoken than a sudden "creak—" sounded.

It was the sound of the library's main door closing!

"Is the main door closing?!" The girl took a panicked step back, almost knocking over a nearby bookshelf.

But before they could react further, the door to the corridor behind them also slammed shut with a loud "bang."

Darkness surged in like a tide.

At that very moment, Shi Wu's ears caught a faint rustling sound, like countless tiny insects squirming in the dark, or perhaps something not human slowly approaching with malice.

He frowned sharply, glancing around, but it was impossible to discern anything in the thick darkness. Only the library's distinctive smells of ink, paper, and mildew gradually intensified, enveloping the area.

An ominous thought instantly flashed through his mind: If they couldn't get out tonight, something terrible would likely happen.

And right now, he didn't have...

Scarface was sweating profusely with anxiety. "There aren't really those kinds of monsters from before here, are there?"

Shi Wu sighed lightly. "I don't know either."

The girl gritted her teeth and suddenly spoke to the group. "I... I actually remember a little... At least, I've been here several times before. I remember some paths. But, I'm not sure if you want to trust me..."

"I trust you!" Shi Wu replied without any hesitation, his tone decisive.

The girl was taken aback, her nose tingling with emotion. "But, I don't remember very clearly either. What if we go the wrong way..."

"Going the wrong way is better than waiting here to die," Scarface interjected. "Little sister, lead the way! I believe in you!"

The tall, thin man also offered quiet reassurance. "Don't panic. Take your time. We'll all follow you."

Shi Wu's tone was encouraging. "Don't be afraid. You're actually braver and smarter than you think."

The girl took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "Then... alright! Everyone hold hands. Don't get separated!"

So, each person grabbed hold of another, and they slowly began to feel their way through the darkness.

The girl walked at the front, with Scarface behind her, Shi Wu in the middle, and the tall, thin man cautiously bringing up the rear.

However, the unfeeling voice overhead sounded again:

"Five minutes until the door closes completely."

That cold voice was like a death knell, making one's blood run cold in an instant.

The girl's steps faltered, her voice trembling: "Five minutes... five minutes isn't enough time..."

"It's enough!" Shi Wu said decisively, his firm voice gradually steadying the girl. "Keep going, you can do it. We all believe in you."

"Yeah, sis! It's only five floors. I can usually do five floors in under a minute!"

Gritting her teeth, the girl frantically recalled the path she had taken many times before, urging the others forward a few quick steps.

Finally, they reached a fork.

But the girl suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?"

Feeling the pause, Scarface asked from behind.

"I... I can't remember." The girl's voice was choked with sobs, as if she had completely broken down.

"I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry, I... I really can't remember which way is right. I've let everyone down..."

"It's okay, don't panic!" The tall, thin man tried to comfort her. "You've already brought us this far, that's amazing! Don't cry! The rest of us don't even remember the way."

Scarface also fought down his own anxiety and patted her shoulder. "Right, calm down, sis. Think carefully, do you remember anything about this area? We'll wait for you!"

The girl sniffled and shook her head.

"It's fine! Just think a bit more, sis!"

"I really... can't remember anything..." the girl sobbed.

At that moment, everyone fell silent. The corridor was filled only with their ragged breathing.

"But—but—" the girl suddenly spoke up again, "here... I remember there's a very strange area nearby, with those... those books that have a particularly... uh... particularly strange color..."

Scarface was taken aback: "Strange books?"

"Particular color?" Shi Wu was puzzled.

The tall, thin man coughed, his voice sounding odd and a bit unnatural: "I... I might know. You're probably talking about that... 'adult' section..."

The girl froze, tears welling up but not falling: "...?"

Scarface's expression turned strange: "..."

Shi Wu: "..."

"So, do you remember the way?" Shi Wu pressed on.

After all, you'd probably look at that kind of book more carefully and pay extra attention to the surroundings.

"I... I might remember." The tall, thin man's cheeks flushed slightly. He cautiously moved to the front, groped along the bookshelf ahead, accurately pulled out a book, flipped through it, and even sniffed it.

Then he declared with certainty: "Left! Go left for the stairs!"

Scarface couldn't help but chuckle: "Bro, nice! Your sense of smell is really something else!"

"Get lost!" The tall, thin man's face instantly darkened.

The atmosphere lightened considerably, and even the girl giggled.

Then, they quickly headed left.

Before long, their feet stepped onto a cold, iron step.

"I found the stairs!" the girl exclaimed excitedly.

But before they could catch their breath, the stiff broadcast voice sounded overhead again:

"Three minutes until the library door closes."

At that moment, almost in unison, everyone charged downward.

The steep spiral staircase was enveloped in darkness; they could see nothing and had to rely only on a vague sense of space and their own intuition.

The girl was at the front, her hand gripping the cold railing tightly, rushing down step by step without even a moment to catch her breath.

Scarface kept muttering curses under his breath. Shi Wu listened carefully and realized the big guy was constantly insulting everyone's parents and ancestors.

The corner of Shi Wu's mouth twitched: ...

"Two minutes until the library door closes."

"Ah—"

Suddenly, the girl screamed, nearly tumbling down the stairs.

"Sis, watch your step! Don't panic!" Scarface caught her, his face already covered in sweat.

Shi Wu looked back: "Can you still run?!"

"Yes!" Gritting her teeth, the girl pushed on and continued charging down.

As they circled down floor by floor, they finally saw a faint light at the bottom.

It was the last weak glow spilling from outside the door, seemingly the only direction guiding them.

"See that! That's the door!" the tall, thin man shouted.

They desperately rushed down, each exhausted, but no one dared to relax for a second.

"One minute until the library door closes."