The desperate cries for help echoed incessantly, reverberating through every crystal and mineral in the cave.
The moment the man was seen fleeing from that vast wave of spider monsters, a rising wave of mass panic spread throughout the entire mine.
A few began to whisper among themselves, trying to calm down, believing that the mercenaries and guards protecting them from the monsters would be able to handle the situation with ease.
Most of them, however, driven by fear, thought of running in the opposite direction of the monster wave, seeking refuge in the dark and equally dangerous depths of the dungeon, but, the first to attempt such a move had his chest pierced with a single swing of a sword by the mercenary leader.
"Anyone who dares move without my order will die immediately!" He roared, instilling fear in all the slaves, making them step back at once.
Tsk! They told me this would be an easy job since it's just a small dungeon... Damn it, I better be well rewarded after we get out of here.
"Stop panicking and follow me quickly! I'll take the lead, the supervisors will come right behind me to help guide the group along a safe path, followed by the guards and mercenaries, and finally, the slaves!"
The mercenary shouting with authority while holding his blood-stained sword was Galen, the leader of the small group of mercenaries hired to clear the dungeon as often as necessary throughout the entire month.
The bearded man with wavy black hair had an imposing presence at that moment, and as such, no one dared to defy his orders, not even the slaves, who were the most disadvantaged in this situation.
"Shit, he's clearly treating us like mere meat shields." Lorien whispered to your friend, a clear expression of indignation on his face.
"I know that, but it's better to follow his orders for now. At this moment, having a Bronze-ranked Spiritualist by our side is better than acting alone." Velka warned, staring directly at Galen with a subtle hint of anger in his eyes.
Thus, following the given formation, everyone started running from the wave of spiders, which was still several dozen meters away but quickly closing the gap due to their speed, far surpassing that of humans.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" A desperate, agonizing scream echoed, the voice of the mercenary seen earlier, as his strength slowly faded until there was complete silence.
Without stopping their frantic escape, most people glanced back, and the sight they beheld was far from pleasant.
With only his arm remaining visible for a few seconds before being shredded as well, the mercenary's entire body was not only devoured by the spiders' powerful jaws but also dissolved by the strong acid they released.
"Ugh... My God..."
Lorien couldn't help but feel utterly nauseated by the scene, catching glimpses of the horrifying sight of the man's corpse. His skeleton exposed in some areas, his organs being devoured by the spiders, and his eyes plucked out with ease.
Velka, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the gruesome sight. Of course, it was a disgusting and shocking view, even for him, but his focus was elsewhere, with a different thought occupying his mind at that moment.
No... I can't die here... I can't die after all these years living in this hell! He thought with a more serious and determined expression than before.
The hard and cold exterior he displayed, like someone without hope for a better life, was merely a facade to conceal his true desires and dreams of freedom, however slim the chances seemed in that environment.
Without time to rest, the escape continued for minutes that felt like endless hours, with exhaustion quickly taking over most people's bodies, their faces covered in sweat and the dust-filled air of the cave.
The spiders closed the distance more and more, and naturally, the despair only grew in the hearts of nearly everyone involved, especially, of course, the enslaved miners, the biggest victims of it all.
"I don't want to die, I don't want to die..."
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! If only I had paid off my damn debt..."
"Sob! Sob! This is the end! I'll never see my children again."
Anger, regret, sorrow, and bitterness consumed the minds of those people, who could only keep running forward while tears blurred their vision and streamed down their faces.
"Velka... We're going to live, right? We'll survive another day, won't we, Velka?" Even Lorien, someone usually calm and optimistic, couldn't help but confront the despair of uncertainty in such a situation.
Velka could only bite his lower lip as the frustration of being powerless grew inside him. "...Yes, we will survive, no matter the cost, Lorien..." he said, but he couldn't convey any confidence through his expression.
"Damn it... Shut the fuck up, you fools!!! I see a door ahead!! Just keep running and don't look back!!" The previously composed and cold mercenary leader shouted with fiery rage, fed up with the endless lamentations of the slaves and supervisors.
In those dark caverns, dominated by insects, wooden beams, and iron tracks, like an abandoned mine, a door to another room finally came into view, and the best of all, it was a steel door, strong enough to withstand the spiders' acid for at least a few minutes.
"Finally!" One of the supervisors exclaimed, his eyes wide with relief and a radiant smile on his face, beginning to cry from sheer happiness. "I can't believe we're going to make it—Ugh!"
With only a little more than 15 meters left to reach the door, the supervisor, whose vision was blurred by tears of joy, suddenly encountered misfortune, tripping over a large, pointed rock on the ground.
Blood trickled from his knee, staining his dark bluish robe, though he felt no pain thanks to the adrenaline. "Hel... Help me!" He shouted out in despair upon realizing he was being left behind by the rest of the group, watching the wave of spiders drawing ever closer as he glanced back.
"Foolish bastard... Ignore him!! Hurry!! Get inside!!" Galen ordered without a second thought, and everyone followed his command, including the supervisors, who wore sour expressions, unable to meet the supervisor's eyes as they fled.
No! I... I can't die here! I finally became an supervisor! Soon, I'll return to Black Jade City and see my family again!
At that moment, with less than 10 meters separating him from the approaching spider wave, while most people had already entered through the steel door, the supervisor, without hesitation, grabbed the first thing he saw in front of him and hurled it backward.
Quickly, he stood up, stumbling as he tried to run toward the door.
"Gah! You son of a—Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." The poor old slave screamed, unable to finish his curse before being brutally devoured by the spiders.
"Wa... Wait for me!!!"
The distance between the supervisor and the spiders was a mere 3 meters, while he was just over 1 meter away from the steel door. As a faint smile of hope began to form on his face, it happened...
Bam!
Just centimeters from reaching the door with his fingertips, it was suddenly slammed shut with force. In that instant, his hopeful smile vanished, replaced by an expression of utter despair and disbelief.
"...No... This can't be... This can't be real..."
Thus, with wide eyes, his face covered in dust, and feeling the spiders already crawling over his legs and back, the overseer had only one reaction, the purest form of desperation and madness one could have in such a moment: he laughed.
"... I'm dreaming... Yes! That's it, I'm dreaming... Haha... Hahaha... Hahahahahahaha!!!" He laughed as he felt his skin dissolve and his flesh devoured by the countless spiders crawling over his body...
That was the last thing the survivors heard before silence fell outside...