The rumbling behind him grew closer.
Ian didn't need to look back to "feel" it. That thing was coming after him.
The SHASHA sound of threads scraping against rock came from behind him, dense and ceaseless, like a tide washing over a beach.
The stale air was replaced by a thicker, acrid stench that made his throat tighten with every breath.
He pushed the Furnace Body Tempering Skill to its limit, breaking into a desperate sprint.
The effects of the Spirit Cat Potion were still active. His body felt as light as a feather, his reflexes as quick as lightning.
But the path beneath his feet was warping. The walls of the corridor pressed inward, and on the reliefs, the eyes of the carved faces all opened, staring fixedly at him.
"To the left!" Gaga shrieked from his shoulder.
Without a second thought, Ian swerved sharply to the left.
BOOM!
