Heavy pants resounded continuously.
A group of four men and two women lay sprawled on the blue grass in various awkward positions.
What they all had in common were their listless, tired gazes, sweaty bodies, and heavy breaths.
This was the E-rank party that had just escaped a chase from the Uncommon grade gorillas.
The party leader's plan had worked, to some extent at least.
Although he hadn't managed to evade the gorillas entirely, only about ten out of several dozen had chased them.
But those ten had pursued them relentlessly, pushing them to the brink!
In fact, they'd wished for death at some point during the chase!
After racing through the entire zone, the party had no choice but to enter a new one.
It wasn't until they crossed into this new zone that the gorillas finally halted their relentless pursuit and left them alone.
The team was so exhausted they wanted to curl up and nap, but they couldn't afford the luxury of sleep until they ensured their surroundings were safe enough.
"F*ck that crazy purple-haired brat!"
One of the party members, a short man with blue hair and a large scar on his lower lip, grunted in fury.
They had been resting peacefully until that troublemaker came running, dragging a horde of hairy beasts behind him.
He had brought chaos and forced them to sprint through an entire zone!
An entire zone!
The diameter of a zone was hundreds of kilometres!
It was so far he wanted to weep when he thought of the agony he'd endured during the chase.
He had already decided to quit being an adventurer once this mission was over. His family owned a profitable pepper chip business, and he planned to focus on making chips in the safety of his city.
He was fed up with risking his life in the spirit realm!
He would rather make chips! Pepper chips!
Wild, crazy thoughts swirled through the party members' minds as they rested in silence.
The party leader watched his members, who lay in silence, taking pills to replenish their energy and heal their wounds.
They moved like zombies, neither smiling nor speaking unless absolutely necessary.
He could feel his party falling apart and didn't know what to do. It was extremely frustrating!
Just as he was about to find some encouraging words to lift their spirits, a dreadful sound reached their ears.
Pat pat toop, pat pat toop, pat pat toop!
Immediately, their faces went ashen, and their breathing slowed.
A feeling of foreboding overwhelmed them all, and panic set in.
That sound...
That horrendous sound!
Without a second thought, the blue-haired party member leapt to his feet and began to run with all his might.
Seeing this, the other party members followed suit, sprinting with a desperation mixed with hatred and fury.
They didn't even wait for the party leader to give the order before they took off. As they glanced over their shoulders, they saw the expected sight.
The infuriating sight of a tall, purple-haired youth with a fluffy white bunny by his side, running with a crazed expression of panic, was all too familiar!
It was just too similar!
Fortunately, they had trusted their instincts and given themselves a head start. The party members glared at the hateful kid one last time before focusing on running.
The party leader, on the other hand, was too stunned to move.
How was this wicked kid still alive?!
For the first few seconds, he could only stare at the running youth in disbelief, wondering if they were doomed to a shared cursed fate.
"Which way to the nearest shelter?!"
Hearing the youth's shout, rage began to bubble up within him.
What had he done for this dreadful youth!
Why was he always tailing him?! What kind of wretched fate was this?
Did the heavens want to disband his party?!
Although the ground didn't tremble like before, the party leader knew without a doubt that something terrifying was pursuing the youth.
He didn't know how, but this youth somehow manages offend the most deadly groups in every zone!
So he did the next most logical thing and turned around, running for his life.
"Wait! Where's the nearest shelter!"
The youth's voice came again, this time more desperate.
The party leader didn't stay silent. His reply was a thunderous bark.
"Get lost!"
At that moment, the party leader and the youth were running side by side.
For a brief moment, they exchanged glances.
Neo saw the boiling hatred in the other party's eyes and was taken aback. Why did this man look like he wanted to commit murder?
Their side-by-side sprint was short-lived. The party leader's speed was no joke. He soon pulled ahead, widening the gap.
Despite all of Neo's enhancements, he couldn't match a fully-fledged body spiritual.
The distance grew in seconds!
Seeing this, Neo felt a twinge of panic at being left behind and yelled.
"Wait for me!"
The party leader staggered. How thick-skinned was this youth?
How dare he demand to be waited on?!
If it weren't for the looming danger, the party leader would have turned around and given the insufferable youth a piece of his mind.
But when he looked back, what he saw made him shiver.
It was a terrifying, nightmarish sight!
A black cloud zoomed after the youth and his rabbit, buzzing furiously like the growls of an enraged dragon.
Immediately, the experienced party leader and the other members, who looked back from a distance, knew what it was.
Mosquitoes!
Hundreds of thousands of them!
If that black cloud engulfed someone, it would drain them dry in mere seconds.
All the blood of the unfortunate individual would be sucked dry in mere moments!
It was so terrifying they nearly screamed.
Despite running into an unknown zone, the danger within seemed less frightening than this swarm of mosquitoes.
The party leader gave his instructions.
"Go right!"
He tried to divert his party away from the unfortunate youth, just as they had done before. But shockingly, as the party members veered right, the mad youth and his rabbit followed suit!
The party leader wanted to spit blood!
"Get lost, you wretch!"
"Save me first!"
"Left!"
Neo followed the party and dashed to the left as well! He was determined to stick to them like glue until they helped him or at least pointed him to the nearest shelter!
At this point, the party leader could only make a desperate attempt. His voice was weak and pleading as he said.
"Please leave us alone, you demon!"