They did not stop after the first escape.
They accelerated.
1. Running Is No Longer a Direction
Qin Mian was already out of breath.
Not from distance.
From constant adjustment.
The ground changed under every step. Sometimes it dipped, sometimes it stretched, sometimes it hardened too late and sent pain shooting up her legs.
"Lie—!" she gasped.
"I know," Yin Lie said, gripping her wrist harder.
"Don't trust the floor."
That was the problem.
There was nothing else to trust.
2. The Sky Splits Again
A sharp tearing sound cut through the air.
Qin Mian looked up just in time to see three new fractures rip open above them.
Not small.
Wide.
Dark.
Something slid out of each one.
Then another.
Then more.
Her Anchor exploded with overlapping warnings.
"…Too many," she whispered.
Yin Lie counted fast.
"Eight," he said.
"Maybe ten."
3. Different Angles, Same Hunger
The scavengers did not move together.
One stayed high, drifting slowly, adjusting position.
Two spread wide, flanking from the sides.
Others stayed low, close to the ground, dragging distortion behind them like nets.
"They're boxing us in," Qin Mian said.
Yin Lie's jaw tightened.
"Yes," he replied.
"They learned."
4. Pressure Comes in Layers
The first wave hit her chest.
Not crushing.
Squeezing.
Her breath shortened. Her thoughts slowed.
Then a second pressure followed—lighter, but sharper—cutting into her senses, trying to dull reaction time.
Qin Mian cried out.
"It's stacking!"
Yin Lie slammed ice into the ground.
The shockwave shattered the first layer—
but the second remained.
Blood ran from his nose again.
"…I can't clear all of it at once," he admitted.
5. They Don't Need to Touch You
One scavenger drifted close.
It didn't attack.
It hovered just out of reach.
Qin Mian felt something wrong inside her chest.
Her heart skipped.
The Anchor screamed.
"It's interfering with me," she said, panic rising.
"It's not touching—"
"I know," Yin Lie snapped.
"It's starving you."
The scavenger fed on instability by slowing reaction, not causing damage.
That made it harder to fight.
6. Qin Mian Trips — On Purpose
Her foot slipped.
She fell hard onto the stone.
Pain exploded through her knee.
Yin Lie spun back instantly.
"Qin Mian—!"
She raised her head, eyes fierce despite the pain.
"Now!" she shouted.
The Anchor detonated outward.
Raw.
Loud.
Unfiltered emotion blasted into the space.
Fear. Anger. Desperation. Refusal.
Two scavengers recoiled violently, their outlines tearing.
7. Yin Lie Charges Through the Gap
Yin Lie didn't hesitate.
He ran straight into the opening.
Ice tore outward in jagged sheets, forcing definition where the scavengers were weakest.
One shattered.
Another split and fled.
A third slammed into him from the side.
Bones cracked.
He flew across the ground, skidding, blood freezing mid-air.
But the path was open.
8. Surrounded Again — Tighter This Time
They regrouped instinctively.
Back to back.
Breathing hard.
This time, the circle was smaller.
Closer.
The scavengers hovered just meters away now.
No rush.
No noise.
Waiting for fatigue.
Qin Mian's hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"…Lie," she whispered.
"I don't think they're testing anymore."
Yin Lie wiped blood from his mouth.
"They're committing."
9. Yin Lie Makes a Dangerous Call
He took a slow breath.
The ice around him thickened dangerously, unstable, cracking under its own formation.
"I'm going to break through again," he said.
Qin Mian's heart dropped.
"You can't—your body—"
"I know," he cut in.
He looked at her.
"You need to stay loud."
She swallowed hard.
"…That will hurt."
"Yes."
She nodded.
"Then do it."
10. The Loudest Moment Yet
Qin Mian screamed.
Not words.
Emotion.
The Anchor surged beyond safe limits.
Pain ripped through her chest, dropping her to one knee—but she stayed conscious.
The scavengers reacted violently.
Their coordination shattered.
That was the opening.
11. Yin Lie Burns What He Has Left
Yin Lie moved.
Ice exploded outward in a brutal, uncontrolled wave.
Not precision.
Force.
Two scavengers collapsed completely.
A third tore itself apart escaping.
The recoil slammed back into Yin Lie like a hammer.
He screamed as his body twisted, joints locking, ice piercing flesh.
He barely stayed upright.
12. The Chase Continues Anyway
The remaining scavengers pulled back.
Not fleeing.
Repositioning.
More fractures opened ahead.
The hunt was not over.
Not even close.
Qin Mian rushed to Yin Lie's side, holding him up.
"…We can't keep doing this," she whispered.
Yin Lie forced himself to stand.
"Yes," he said hoarsely.
"We can."
He looked into the broken sky.
"Because stopping means they catch us."
End of the Chapter
They ran again.
Not because they believed they would escape.
But because standing still meant being consumed.
Behind them, the scavengers adapted faster than before.
Ahead, the broken world offered no shelter.
Only more space to bleed in.
And somewhere in that endless pursuit, the truth settled heavily between them:
This was no longer a chase.
It was a war of endurance.
And neither of them was built
to last forever.