CHAPTER 74: THE GOLDEN GAUNTLET

The bridge was a long, narrow suspension bridge that spanned the vast, dark chasm as far as the eye could see. Its entire structure, including the deck, railings, and suspension supports, shone with a blinding, polished gold.

While the bridge was materializing, all the party members stood up. Julius had returned to being a tattoo while Aika had changed into a raven that flew above me.

The moment the entire bridge materialized, I took a step and tapped my foot on the bridge to see if it was solid. It creaked but it looked sturdy. I then looked to the others and nodded toward the bridge. Then I turned and began crossing it.

Dion hopped on his left leg, hopped on his right, and then took off running behind me. Celeste was the third with Evelyn last.

We all began running slowly at first, but quickly picked up speed. The bridge was so narrow that even two people would have difficulty running side by side, so we ran in a straight line.

While we ran, I couldn’t take my eyes off the one-hour timer that had appeared in front of me. For the first five minutes, I maintained my pace, feeling no fatigue. Another ten minutes passed, and I was still in peak condition and felt I could run for longer.

However, as the next fifteen minutes passed, I slowly began to feel I was reaching my limit. Though, I gritted my teeth and pushed on.

I glanced behind me to see Dion running with his mouth open and breathing heavily like a gasping bellows.

Looking away from him, I focused my gaze on the end of the bridge, pushing my legs harder, trying to gain as much distance as possible while my stamina was still artificially boosted.

Another fifteen minutes of intense running passed, and then Dion yelled from the rear, "Goodness... how are you all the way up there?"

My eyes widened and I looked back to see Dion lagging far behind. ’Jeez, this dude.’

"Hey, come on. Pick up speed." I yelled, slowing my pace just a bit.

Dion gritted his teeth and tried to pick up speed. It didn’t take long for him to catch up with me.

"I feel like I’m going to drop dead." He muttered hoarsely.

After a few seconds, I rasped in the same hoarse manner, "How are the others doing?"

Dion took a quick look back, then faced straight ahead again. "They’re not too far behind."

’That’s great, we’ll all make it then...’ I thought as I looked back ahead and pushed even harder.

My eyes were stinging with sweat causing me to blink rapidly multiple times. My entire body was drenched and exhausted, and i couldn’t breathe properly. Still, I couldn’t slow. I had to... I had to keep running.

By the time we had only five minutes left on the clock, I finally saw the edge of the bridge far away.

A wave of relief washed over me, causing my dry lips to curl upwards. But I was so tired that I was now jogging and holding the golden railing for support. My vision was blurry and my legs wobbled with every uneven step.

"Just... a little further... just a ..."

I finally stopped for a quick, ragged breath, but in less than a few seconds, I pushed off again.

’Almost there... almost...’

I pushed and pushed and pushed... until finally, I reached the end, then collapsed onto the edge of the new territory.

It took a few seconds before my swimming vision could settle on the timer: [03:46]

Just then, I could hear someone groaning. I pushed myself up and turned toward the bridge to see Dion just crawling out onto the edge, after which he slumped onto the ground unconscious.

Then a pang suddenly gripped my chest, and I immediately whipped my head toward the bridge, where I could see Celeste and Evelyn a fair distance away, walking and dragging themselves using the bridge’s golden railing for support.

’Will they be able to make it?’

"Hurry!" I screamed hoarsely, attempting to stand, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. I only managed to lurch forward onto my hands and knees.

I crawled to the edge of the bridge then called out again in the same cracked voice. "You guys should hurry! There’s less than three minutes left!"

Evelyn narrowly took over Celeste and immediately grabbed her hand, then she pulled them both into a slow, tired sprint.

I frowned as I looked from the timer back to them. It didn’t seem like they would make it in time.

’Come on, come on, come on...’ I thought, my gaze darting frantically between the timer and the two exhausted figures struggling toward me. The seconds were vanishing like smoke.

They both gasped and panted as they pushed themselves forward.

[01:03]

’Come on...’

[00:47]

’Just a bit more...’

[00:23]

My heart began to beat even faster...

[00:09]

’Almost... come on...’

[00:01]

At this point, they were about five meters away.

[00:00]

My eyes darted from the timer to them, and then I yelled at the top of my voice.

"JUMP!"

Suddenly the golden bridge cracked and began to crumble into fine golden dust.

But just before the entire bridge completely crumbled, Evelyn tightened her grip on Celeste arm and both of them jumped across the void.

However, it seemed that the distance was too much for them, making it impossible to even grab onto the edge.

I saw Evelyn’s outstretched hand and panic in both their eyes.

In that brief fraction of a second, I lunged forward without thinking, reached out, and grabbed Evelyn’s hand.

But almost immediately, I screamed in pain as the weight was so crushing and my exhaustion immediately changed to raw agony. Evelyn was clutching Celeste, and both women dangled over the chasm, supported only by my single, failing arm.

I felt like my shoulder would dislocate from its socket, and I heard a sickening pop suggesting that my arm had likely broken. It took every fiber of my will to not also plunge over the edge, but the more I held on, the more my grip on Evelyn was failing.

I groaned in agony and fear of letting go, but right at that failing moment, Aika materialized beside me into her human form and grabbed onto Evelyn’s arm as well.

Then she let out a cry as she was instantly yanked forward, the sudden, doubled weight of Evelyn and Celeste threatening to pull us both over the precipice.

She slammed her elbows and knees into the ground and then began dragging them both upward with a desperate, guttural grunt.

Then right at that critical moment, drops of blood fell from Evelyn’s sleeve. The drops instantly coalesced together and transformed into a vampire bat that swooped to the edge beside me, and in a flash, it solidified into Julius’s human form.

Without slowing down, he immediately threw himself flat, reached out, and grabbed Evelyn’s arm.

We all pulled together, straining and grunting, until both Celeste and Evelyn were finally hauled over the edge onto the safe, solid ground.