“If his power comes from the book, then severing his connection to it might weaken him…” Alexander thought excitedly. He realized that conquering this script wasn't impossible after all, and he could see a faint glimmer of victory ahead.

Indeed, it was a faint glimmer, but not entirely out of reach…

Hope, however small, must be fought for with all one's strength!

Alexander made a silent vow to himself: he would return to the Ghost Space alive.

...

Am I still alive?

Carmen came out of his petrified state.

In front of him lay a scene of ruins, and he found himself lying alone on the cold ground.

“Xu Lin, Xu Lin, how is he?”

A bad premonition rose within him as Carmen turned his head to find nothing where Xu Lin had been, only a torn piece of fabric left behind.

“Are you dead too?” Tears did not flow from his eyes, as they were long dry.

“Again… I’m the only one left.” Why is it that every time, he is the one who survives?

He silently gazed at the exploded ceiling above and let out a heavy sigh.

At that moment, he realized he was holding something in his hand.

The Lament Configuration, yes, the small box was still in his pocket.

“Haha, I can still use this trick. I almost forgot.”

A glimmer of redemption flashed in Carmen's eyes.

...

The sewer was dark, with water just reaching ankle height, as the group trudged through the darkness.

“There’s a fork ahead. Once we reach it, the water will become very turbulent. Be careful not to be swept away, or you’ll be flushed out to sea…” Pete warned.

They moved slowly, having noticed that the water was becoming increasingly fast.

At the same time, the monsters Janet had stationed in the sewers detected their presence and began to converge for an attack.

—Amidst the roar of gunfire, a battle between humans and monsters commenced.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Spain’s squad had eleven members left, all battle-hardened. After forming a “partnership” with Alexander, they became his strongest asset, while Jin Jianshu and the others nearly became a burden.

The number of small Shoggoths was considerable, yet they weren’t without weaknesses. The group discovered that these creatures couldn’t remain in the “real world” for long.

“Perhaps they lack power, or maybe they simply can’t be summoned and stay in the real world for too long…” Whatever the reason, it meant Shoggoths weren’t entirely insurmountable foes.

In such a cramped setting, using explosive grenades was out of the question, so they relied on firearm attacks to delay the creatures while moving.

This made for a perilous journey, and the elderly man named Cheng was the first to falter.

“I can’t keep up. You go on without me…” Mr. Cheng stumbled and fell, struggling to rise.

“Hold on a little longer, we’re almost there.”

Alexander spoke with a bitter voice, knowing Mr. Cheng was the most likely to die here.

His age and lack of stamina meant survival to the third act was mostly luck, but the coming trials required more than just a bit of luck.

“Enough, I won't make it to the end of Act Four. Give me a grenade—I don't want to die in a monster's maw…”

Mr. Cheng shook his head. After the long, grueling journey, he was exhausted.

“Sir, I give you this. May you have a safe journey!” Pete handed Mr. Cheng a grenade, saluted him briefly, and quickly moved on.

Alexander said nothing more. He wasn’t a god, unable to save everyone, and at this time, such hard decisions had to be made…

Yet, deep inside, there was still a flicker of reluctance.

Even so, he resolutely left, and seconds later, a violent explosion echoed through the tunnel they had just vacated…

“Strategist Cheng Yiming, deceased!” Pinocchio’s voice announced once more.

This was the harsh reality of the Ghost Space. The script world harbored no mercy; everyone was equally subject to “death,” regardless of who they were!

The struggle was ceaseless, more akin to a journey of escape. Most encounters with monsters ended in flight rather than combat.

A crisis soon emerged when they found themselves surrounded by Shoggoths, stuck with no path forward or back.

“Are we… really going to die here?” Jin Jianshu's voice trembled with despair.

“FUCK, I should’ve never listened to you…”

Spain was equally regretful but maintained, “Without you, I’d still come after Janet for payback.”

What more could Alexander say? He could only shake his head with a wry smile. It wasn’t a flaw in his strategy—his group was simply too weak to overcome this hurdle.

“Oh, if it’s about settling scores with Janet, would you mind bringing me along?” A strong, steady voice emerged from behind them. A man with one leg propped on a crutch stepped forward.

With a gesture, he summoned a large stag from the shadows, intercepting a Shoggoth charging towards them.

Carmen had returned, battered and missing a leg, yet standing resolute.

…His appearance rekindled a spark of hope within the strategists.

“Defeat them, my shadow beast!”

Carmen roared, commanding the stag-shaped shadow beast to transform. Its antlers enlarged like heavy swords, sweeping through the Shoggoths.

This was the innate ability of the “shadow beast,” requiring no additional survival points, though it could only be used once a day. Thus, every user was exceedingly judicious about employing this skill, never squandering their one daily use.

—The equipment, “Great Antlers of the Stag,” acted like a heavy sword or a spear, sharing characteristics with the sacrificial blade, dealing massive damage to aberrant creatures such as Shoggoths.

In under three minutes, Carmen carved a path for the group…

“Come on, the time for the final showdown is near!” Their hearts surged with anticipation, for at last, the script for the final act appeared in their minds.