"Do not fear, our negative emotions are like a perfect meal for it. That's also why it left us alive."
Listening to the occasional roars behind him, Jeffrey felt a sense of despair, but he still didn't give up on giving a glimmer of hope to the people around him, like Beck, Adolf, Ronald, and others.
"We must hold on until Father York arrives. Just wait for Father York to come…"
However, before he could finish his sentence, Beck, looking pale and distraught, interrupted him.
"Father York is just a man. What can he do when he arrives? Run away with us?"
This statement brought a sense of hopelessness.
Emotions are a strange thing. Within a certain range, they can be contagious.
Just like hearing laughter makes you laugh along.
When Beck spoke, despair instantly spread among the twenty-three people fleeing together.
Some employees, already broken, couldn't suppress their emotions upon hearing the growing roars behind them and started to sob uncontrollably.
Jeffrey didn't know how to respond. He knew some secrets about the church through his mother and knew that the church was not as harmless as it appeared, but he didn't know if Father York was the exorcist his mother mentioned.
At that moment, intense footsteps came from behind.
Jeffrey's eyes turned cold as he looked back.
In his view, three beast-like creatures appeared at the end of the corridor, resembling zombie wolves from movies, with bodies larger than tigers and stitched together.
"Roar!!!"
The three beasts, with their disgusting drool and sharp fangs, charged towards them at full speed.
"Oh my god…"
"…"
Someone in the crowd fell in panic, and within a few blinks, the three beasts pounced on the fallen employee.
"Roar!"
It was not hard to imagine the gruesome scene that would follow once the beasts caught their prey.
At this critical moment, a loud shout suddenly erupted.
"Repello!!!"
As the word was uttered, the three beasts were thrown backward as if hit by something, flying away with a thud.
The fallen person looked dumbfounded at Jeffrey, who had suddenly appeared beside them.
"Go!"
Jeffrey, holding a bone necklace and aiming at the three beasts trying to get up, said solemnly.
"Go!" He emphasized again, his face stern.
The fallen person, as if awakening from a dream, hurriedly got up, but their legs went soft from the fear of impending death.
"I…"
Before she could finish crying out, Beck suddenly appeared, supporting her and starting to run, with another colleague helping on the other side.
"Buddy! Don't die on me! Wait for my return!"
Hearing Beck's words from behind, Jeffrey looked at the beasts that had gotten up, their faces ferocious, and kissed the bone necklace.
"Mother, please give me strength."
"Repello!"
"…"
With Jeffrey suddenly standing his ground, the group regained their rhythm of fleeing, quickly reaching the sixth floor.
At this point, the atmosphere among the crowd turned even more somber than before. Apart from Beck, who was gritting his teeth, the others ran in a daze.
"Lord, I am your faithful follower, Lord, lead me out of this predicament! Give me strength and courage to face difficulties…"
Ronald, a devout believer, kept mumbling, holding his cross, seeking some kind of psychological support.
But his prayers seemed to go unheard, making the situation even more hopeless, especially when he saw another beast blocking the way ahead.
Like everyone else, Ronald stopped, staring blankly at the beast blocking their exit, losing all hope.
"Lord, can't you hear my plea…"
"F**k!"
Beck cursed, pulling out his gun, though he knew his Glock 19 was useless against such beasts. The bullets seemed like mere tickles to them.
"Who's with me to distract this one?"
As Beck reloaded his gun, he looked around at the crowd, only to see resigned expressions.
"F**k! Looks like it's up to me!"
Beck shook his head, charging towards the beast at the exit, ready to meet his death. It was his duty as a police officer, a role that made his wife proud.
"Roar!!!"
However, Beck noticed that the beast didn't even glance at him, instead growling nervously at the corner of the corridor.
"Roar!"
Realizing this, Beck slowed down, puzzled and cautious.
"Nervous? What's going on?"
Before he could understand why such a creature was showing signs of nervousness, a cold light suddenly flashed before his eyes. He saw a long sword appear out of nowhere, piercing through the beast's head with a fierce gust, the force of the strike sending the beast's head crashing to the ground.
"Roar!"
The painful howl of the beast drew the hopeless crowd's attention.
Like Beck, they saw a priest in a robe, with a large backpack, appear beside the beast. He casually pulled out the long sword and effortlessly beheaded the creature, with blood splattering everywhere but not touching him.
This simple yet absurd scene had a tremendous impact on them.
"Father York?"
Only Beck, staring at the priest, seemed a bit stunned and surprised, as if hope had come from an unexpected source.
Swoosh!
Father York flicked the blood off his knight's sword and turned to look at the stunned crowd and Beck. He knew there were still survivors.
"Officer Beck?"
Beck was still somewhat dazed, not quite processing the situation.
"Father York, you…"
Before he could finish, Beck suddenly realized something and urgently said,
"Father York! Jeffrey too…"
"I know."
Father York glanced at his unfinished first task and walked towards Beck, drawing his sword.
"Mrs. Hardy is very worried about you."
As he spoke, Father York walked past Beck, nodding to the stunned crowd who followed his every move.
"I've cleared a safe exit for you. Leave this place quickly."
After speaking, Father York moved a few meters away at a seemingly unhurried pace.
He already sensed a strong scent of lava and felt a trace of magical fluctuation.
"Lord, you have indeed heard my plea…"
Among the crowd, Ronald, holding his cross, watched the disappearing priest with full devotion.
At this moment, in another dim corridor, a person voluntarily stood as the last line of defense against the beasts.
"Repello!"
Jeffrey recited another repelling spell, once again pushing back the three beasts. Seeing Abigail at the end of the corridor, his face turned even paler.
He could feel the energy in the bone necklace weakening, probably only enough for two more spells.