Chapter 98: Countdown to Death
Mo Jin let out a loud roar, and Liu Xing, who had already prepared himself, charged straight ahead, crashing into the crowd.
If the Earth-boring Demon Worm hadn't taken control of these villagers, and if these villagers still possessed their free will, they would undoubtedly have been able to stop Liu Xing's escape or even kill him.
However, at this moment, these villagers, now under the control of the Earth-boring Demon Worm, moved like zombies, their reaction time painfully slow. Liu Xing had already pushed past them before they lethargically reached out to try to stop him. As for the villagers carrying "weapons," they struggled feebly to drag their "weapons," step by step, in an attempt to chase Liu Xing.
As for the Village Chief, who was completely under the sway of the Earth-boring Demon Worm, the threat level plummeted because he had handed his shotgun to another villager. After all, the Earth-boring Demon Worm had only controlled the Village Chief and hadn't enhanced his physical abilities. Therefore, the Village Chief remained an ordinary elderly person. Although he successfully grabbed Mo Jin, Mo Jin easily broke free from the Village Chief's grasp without any struggle.
As a result, Liu Xing and his two companions effortlessly rushed out of the Ancestral Hall. Meanwhile, the villagers moved like movie zombies, turning slowly to pursue Liu Xing and his friends.
Because Mo Jin had been delayed by the Village Chief's embrace, Liu Xing arrived first at the location of the tractor. He immediately addressed KP Snail, saying, "KP, what kind of check do I need to pass right now? Hurry!"
"You only need to pass a driving check right now. Once you pass the driving check, you can start this tractor. However, it requires one minute to start, and then you can drive it out of Earth Dragon Village," KP Snail replied quickly.
Liu Xing, 76/50, failed.
KP Snail chuckled and said, "It looks like your luck isn't on your side. Since you didn't pass the driving check, you haven't figured out how to start the tractor. Therefore, you can choose to take a difficult luck check. If you succeed, you might accidentally start the tractor. If you fail, well, I'm afraid you'll damage the tractor. It's your decision."
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. His luck stat was 80, and with a difficult check, it would be reduced to 40. Considering that he had just failed a driving check with a stat of 50, Liu Xing decided not to rely on luck. After all, the consequences of failure would mean certain doom. Therefore, he thought it best to leave it to Mo Jin.
At this moment, Mo Jin and Shi Ying closed the doors of the Ancestral Hall tightly and braced themselves against them. They then secured the wooden bars across the doors.
The villagers controlled by the Earth-boring Demon Worm may not have had much strength, but the Earth-boring Demon Worm was no fool. It directed the villagers to use a "human wave" tactic, causing them to fall against the Ancestral Hall's doors, using their weight to press against them. Mo Jin and Shi Ying felt immense pressure, and the wooden bars began to deform.
"Mo Jin, I can't figure out how to operate this tractor, and I don't know how to start it. So, I'll leave it to you to start the tractor," Liu Xing said as he ran to the entrance of the Ancestral Hall and braced the door.
Mo Jin had already anticipated Liu Xing's failed driving check, so she was prepared. "Alright, even though I haven't driven a tractor before, I'm confident in my driving skills. So, you two hold the door, and I'll get this tractor up and running in no time."
Mo Jin spoke and immediately sprinted towards the tractor. Before reaching the tractor, she made a skill check request to KP Snail, saying, "KP, please let me make a driving skill check now!"
Mo Jin, 39/70, succeeded.
Upon hearing Mo Jin's successful driving skill check, Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief. However, he still worried that Mo Jin might abandon him and Shi Ying and make a run for it alone.
But this time, KP Snail was surprisingly humane. He provided a one-minute countdown, with announcements every five seconds.
Liu Xing and Shi Ying exchanged glances and silently communicated their plan. Liu Xing said, "Shi Ying, when I say run, we'll go to the tractor together. Don't hesitate."
Retreat had to be synchronized; otherwise, if one person left early, the villagers might push open the gate and trap the other person, making escape impossible.
Shi Ying nodded without saying much. She feared that speaking would cause her to lose her breath, especially since the pressure inside the Ancestral Hall was increasing. If not for the wooden bar across the door, Liu Xing and Shi Ying would have been unable to hold the door.
With thirty seconds left until the tractor's start, Liu Xing noticed that the wooden bar was beginning to crack. The point of collapse was not far off, and the importance of the wooden bar was clear. If it broke, Liu Xing and Shi Ying would have to retreat.
Ten seconds later, the wooden bar finally gave in to the pressure, collapsing. Fortunately, Liu Xing had been closely monitoring its condition. As the wooden bar shattered, he shouted to Shi Ying, "Run!"
In response, Liu Xing and Shi Ying turned around simultaneously and sprinted toward the tractor.
The villagers at the front of the group, who had pushed down the gate, fell like dominoes when it collapsed. However, those behind them were not lagging behind and stepped over the fallen villagers, chasing after Liu Xing and his companions.
Since the tractor was right at the entrance of the Ancestral Hall, Liu Xing and Shi Ying reached it in less than five seconds. Now, there were only fifteen seconds left until the tractor would start!
For most people, fifteen seconds might pass unnoticed, but for Liu Xing and his companions, it felt like an eternity. The reason was that the villagers controlled by the Earth-boring Demon Worm were now less than five meters away!
"Damn it!"
Liu Xing, who had been keeping an eye on the villagers, suddenly heard Mo Jin's cursing behind him. He couldn't help but turn to look at Mo Jin and was shocked to see her pulling out a handgun from her pocket!
"Oh, no," Liu Xing swore under his breath because he understood that Mo Jin's target was not the villagers but himself and Shi Ying!
After all, there's a joke that goes, "When you and your friend encounter a Shoggoth and you don't have an Elder Sign, how can you escape the Shoggoth's pursuit? The answer is simple: just run faster than your friend."
And now, that's exactly what Mo Jin was thinking. If she injured or killed Liu Xing and Shi Ying with her gun, the villagers would surely prioritize capturing them, allowing Mo Jin to hold out until the tractor started and escape Earth Dragon Village.
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