The moment Leo and the others dashed out of the inner chamber, Chen Wei turned back for a split second, his eyes sharp.
"…Time to wrap this up."
From inside his sleeve, he pulled out a small device and threw it deep into the temple corridor.
"Bomb set."
Behind them, the sounds of battle were still echoing—heavy clashes, poison explosions, and shockwaves shaking the walls.
The Martial Artist Killer roared, breaking through debris as he tried to chase them.
"You're not getting away—!"
Before he could finish—
CLICK.
Chen Wei pressed the trigger.
Leo grabbed Sahara's hand tighter. "Run faster!"
Everyone pushed their limits, sprinting through the collapsing pathways.
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
One—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted from deep inside the temple.
The entire structure shook violently.
Outside, the ground cracked as the ancient ruin collapsed in on itself, burying everything under tons of sand and stone.
A huge sandwave rose into the sky like a storm.
Leo and the others were thrown forward by the shockwave, rolling across the desert.
For a moment… everything went silent.
Then—
"…Are we alive?" Leo muttered, lying flat on the sand.
Chen Wei slowly sat up, coughing. "Barely."
Yuna checked quickly. "Everyone's safe."
Sahara looked back at the destroyed temple, her expression mixed. "…That was my home."
Leo scratched his head awkwardly. "…Sorry."
"…It's fine," she said softly. "At least I'm out now."
Lily stood up, dusting herself.
But something felt… off.
She didn't say anything to Leo.
No shouting.
No anger.
Just silence.
Leo blinked. "…Wait."
He stood up and walked toward her. "You're… not going to hit me?"
No response.
"…Not even one slap?"
Still nothing.
Chen Wei smirked from behind. "You're in danger."
Leo frowned. "This is worse than getting hit."
He quickly followed Lily as she started walking ahead.
"Hey, Lily… are you mad?"
"…No."
"That 'no' sounded very angry."
"I said I'm not mad."
Leo panicked slightly. "Look, if this is about earlier—"
Lily suddenly stopped.
Leo almost crashed into her.
She turned slightly, her eyes calm… too calm.
"Focus on the mission, Leon."
Then she walked again.
Leo froze. "…Yeah, I'm definitely dead."
Sahara tilted her head. "What happened?"
Chen Wei crossed his arms. "Jealousy."
"I'm not jealous!" Lily said instantly from ahead.
"…I didn't even say anything," Chen Wei replied calmly.
Yuna sighed. "Can we please move before another enemy shows up?"
The group finally continued walking.
The desert stretched endlessly in front of them, the sun burning even hotter now.
Their water supply was low again.
Leo wiped sweat from his face. "…Why does every mission involve suffering?"
Chen Wei looked at him. "Because you're the main character."
"That's not a good reason!"
Sahara walked beside Leo, looking curious. "So… you really made those gloves yourself?"
Leo smiled a little. "Yeah. Saved my life too."
"They're cool," she said innocently.
From ahead—
"…Wow."
Lily's voice.
Everyone froze.
Leo slowly turned pale. "…I'm finished."
He immediately ran forward. "Lily, wait! It's not like that—"
"I didn't say anything," Lily replied calmly.
"That's the problem!"
Chen Wei laughed. "This is more entertaining than the fight."
Yuna shook her head. "You two are unbelievable."
Hours passed as they kept walking, their bodies getting more exhausted with every step.
The desert wind blew harshly, carrying heat and sand across their faces.
Finally, Leo took out the map again, breathing heavily.
"…We're getting closer."
Sahara pointed ahead. "The Lightning Temple… it's somewhere deep in this desert, on the other side."
Chen Wei narrowed his eyes. "Which means…"
"…more trouble," Yuna completed.
Leo looked at the endless sand ahead and sighed.
"Great."
But despite everything—
They kept moving forward.
Because stopping now…
Was not an option. 🔥