"What... just happened?" Job asked in bewilderment. They were all stunned by the sudden turn of events, as none of them had expected this reaction.
"Is it just me, or did we scare the living hell out of them?"
"I never thought something like this would happen."
Noah and Jack muttered their disbelief.
"Maybe it's not because of us... but because they're afraid of someone with a high ranking. But who could it be?" Bella speculated unconsciously.
As soon as Bella mentioned that, the other three members of the group joined in deep thought. After a few seconds of contemplation, they locked eyes with each other and simultaneously shouted, "John!"
Their collective reasoning led them to two potential candidates for the individuals who could cause such fear: Kalsie and John.
However, considering the cold-hearted nature required to evoke such a reaction, they concluded that it could only be John.
While Peter's name did cross their minds as well when thinking of strong individuals, they reasoned that if it were him, he wouldn't have let go of such easy targets. This left only John, their friend, as the likely culprit.
"****!! We need to find out where John is!!!"
"Hurry, let's go after them!!"
"I think they went in this direction!"
"How fast can they run!?"
Without wasting any time, they immediately pursued the fleeing group in the hope of reuniting with John.
******
"Phew, that was terrifying..."
"At least we made it out."
After escaping from Job and the others, the trio finally halted, catching their breath. Fear still lingered on their faces.
"I guess luck was finally on our side! I thought we were done for out there... One of them was already ruthless, but facing all four at once!? Damn!"
"Touma, what's our next move?" A blond boy inquired, his expression filled with concern, addressing the tallest boy among them.
"We'll regain our stamina and then keep running," Touma replied as he wiped away his sweat.
Recognizing their own limitations, these three had devised a strategy to survive the test by avoiding confrontations and prioritizing their safety. Not everyone succumbed to greed when faced with death and fear.
"Don't worry; nothing will happen—"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?"
"Why did you!?!"
The moment the thin boy spoke those words, an eruption of anger and fear swept through them for some inexplicable reason. Ignoring the boy's protestations, they anxiously glanced behind them, their faces draining of color.
From behind, a group of four people was rapidly closing in on them.
"You idiot!! How cursed is your mouth!?!" Touma shouted at the thin boy, feeling the weight of his jinxing words.
"It's not my fault!" The thin boy felt bad, but deep down, he knew the truth. After all, he was the same person who had earlier said,'This way seems safe,' just before they unluckily stumbled upon Job and the others.
"Hurry up and run faster!!!" They wasted no time and accelerated their pace.
Job and his group also increased their speed, watching the three fleeing figures with determination.
"What on earth did John do to terrify them like this?!?" Bella's voice dripped with frustration.
"Who cares?! Focus on stopping those idiots!!"
"Hey!!! You three, stop ****ing running away!!!" Job shouted at them.
"Idiot!! They'll never stop if you say that!!!"
"Stop nagging and hurry, or we'll lose them."
They were able to follow the fleeing trio due to the footsteps left behind by Touma and his friends. If not for that trail, Job and his group might have lost them in the vast maze.
*******
"****!! A dead-end!!" Touma cursed when they reached the end of a narrow passage. Although they had encountered numerous dead-ends earlier, their predicament now felt far more dire.
Touma angrily punched the wall in frustration.
"Touma-"
"No!! Please don't say a single word!!"
"But-!!"
"No means no!!"
The boy attempted to speak, but Touma adamantly denied him, refusing to listen.
"Why not let him speak?"
"No. His mouth is cursed-!!" Touma retorted but halted abruptly, his attention drawn to an unfamiliar voice that didn't belong to anyone in his group.
"!!!" He spun around in surprise.
"Oh, so that's why you scolded him earlier too," Job remarked with a sly smile, his spear pointed squarely at Touma.
Touma observed two archers restraining his companions, while a third person was positioned behind, scanning for potential ambushes.
'It's over!!!' Touma thought in despair.
"Please don't torture us!!" He pleaded with desperation, his companions joining in the pleas.
"Why on earth would we do that?"
"Forget about that! Have you seen our teammate called John, Ranker #3?" Jack questioned from the rear.
At the mention of this name, the trio trembled, vividly recalling a harrowing scene they wished they could forget.
"Tell me, what did he do to make you guys so scared of him?" Bella asked curiously.
Touma hesitated, but under the threat of the spear before him, he divulged whatever he knew.
Job and the others were deeply shocked upon hearing how John had tormented some individuals, finding it hard to digest this revelation.
"You're telling the truth, right?" Job pressed Touma once more, who vigorously nodded in agreement.
"YES!! We were at a distance from him, but we witnessed it!!" Touma replied, trembling with fear.
"Woah, I never expected that…."
"But torturing is something…." Bella hesitantly interjected.
"Those people must have attacked him. We all know his nature by now, so don't be surprised."
"Yeah, that could be the reason."
The group understood how people could act out of greed, so they found the situation less strange than it seemed. After all, their current circumstances were peculiar enough.
"Let's go. We have to regroup with him as soon as possible!!" Job declared.
Ignoring Touma and his companions, they quickly moved toward the direction Touma had indicated John might be.
As Job and the others departed, the trio felt a wave of relief wash over them, shedding tears of gratitude and happiness.
"We aren't dead…."