I hurled that package out, but it struck nothing, falling straight into the bonfire. The nearest monstrous insect had already crawled to my feet, and in the firelight, I could clearly see the frost-like white markings on its body.

At that moment, my mind was a complete blank; I could only instinctively kick out, repeatedly driving back those things. Kicking and backing away like that, I unknowingly found myself back in the middle of the crowd.

I scrambled up like a madman, grabbing onto someone’s leg to keep from falling, and after regaining a slight composure, I realized the leg I was clinging to belonged to Section Chief Wang. However, he was staring in utter shock out beyond the firelight. Following his gaze, I witnessed an unbelievable sight: the swarm of monstrous insects was actually retreating on its own, and judging by their speed, they were moving even faster than when they arrived.

What on earth made them pull back like that?

The doubt didn't linger long. The scent of sulfur drifting on the air reminded me of the packet Old Li had given me before we set out—the packet of sulfur powder. It turned out that when I fell, the packet of sulfur powder had dropped to the ground, and in my frantic tossing about, I had grabbed it and thrown it out.

The smell emanating from the sulfur powder burning in the fire was the key to their retreat! Realizing this, I felt a slight measure of calm wash over my terror, as at least there was a sliver of hope. Yet, even knowing they detested the smell of sulfur, what good did it do? The little sulfur powder we had left was nowhere near enough to see us safely out.

Besides, those bugs didn't seem to be killed or harmed by this substance; my estimation was that they merely found the odor repulsive at most.

Unexpectedly, I wasn't the only one who realized the sulfur powder might be the key to scaring off the bugs. Those few individuals seemed to have grasped the situation as well. Almost immediately after the insects retreated, they descended like maniacs upon the half-bag of sulfur powder that remained!

A bitter taste filled my mouth. The situation was still uncertain, and they had already devolved into this state. If we encountered further danger later, I truly couldn’t imagine what these people would become.

Forcing myself to calm down, I stopped dwelling on their actions, but my resolve hardened: should a true crisis emerge, I would immediately consider abandoning these people.

I am no saint, and this isn't some television drama; I am just an ordinary person. What concern are their lives or deaths to me?

Just then, because most of the sulfur powder was now clutched in their hands, the smell in the air began to fade. A dark thought struck me: indeed, the eerie sound of countless insects crawling began once more, sending a shiver down my spine.

Looking over at the others, not a single one was willing to toss what they held into the fire. I wanted to erupt in anger, but looking at their faces extinguished the urge; losing my temper with these people would only end up hurting myself.

Stepping back a few paces, I glanced toward the stairwell opening behind me and suddenly noticed a rusty drainpipe running alongside the wall; perhaps I could climb up that way.

While I was already contemplating climbing, I knew that in this current state, if I tried to ascend alone, they would likely tear me back down before I got halfway. Furthermore, even setting aside the question of their morality, if several people crowded onto that pipe—which already looked ancient—I couldn't guarantee it could bear the weight of so many bodies.

All these thoughts flashed through my mind in what was actually a very short span of time. Having made a decision, I roared, “Line up by age! We need to find a way up to the second floor!”

I never expected those few people to obey meekly, but surprisingly, after my shout, they were momentarily stunned before quickly and efficiently forming a single file line in front of me.

Thinking back later, I understood their psychological state at that moment; in such a situation, they needed someone to take the lead, and after Old Li left, I had inadvertently become their designated leader in their eyes.

I didn't ponder this much at the time. Seeing how compliant they were made me relax a bit, and I quickly directed them to climb up in order, with Section Chief Wang naturally taking the first position without question.

Usually listless, they suddenly displayed surprising agility. Despite continuous cries of alarm, the group managed to climb up, albeit narrowly escaping disaster.

Naturally, I stayed behind to cover the rear. By the time they were up, I could see the monstrous insects reappearing at the doorway.

Without hesitating, I rushed to climb the metal pipe.

However, I hadn't anticipated that the pipe would have loosened after the several of them had climbed it. With my backpack still on, the strain caused the pipe to finally give way with a sharp crack.

Hearing the sound, my heart sank. The entire pipe began to fall, and the support beneath my feet immediately gave way. Instinctively, I reached out, but found nothing solid within grasp.

My body lost its balance from the sudden shift, and I missed my footing entirely, sliding down to the ground.

The moment I hit the floor, I heard a sharp snap—in that short time, insects had already crawled to that spot!

Only then did true despair wash over me. Behind me, the dense, scratching sound of masses of insects crawling filled the air.

All I could do was desperately reach for the pipe beside me, but I accidentally yanked too hard, pulling down the remaining section and nearly crushing myself in the process.

I was stunned. The second floor was at least three and a half meters up, and I had never learned any special climbing techniques. How could I possibly scale it?

Was this truly how I, Luo, would meet my end here? Or should I turn back and attempt to charge through the swarm of insects?

But the moment I turned, my brain exploded. Over there, at least two to three hundred monstrous insects were slowly crawling toward me. Charging through them would surely turn me into their dinner.

I was truly hopeless then, lacking even the will to fight, and could only watch slowly as the insects approached.

Just as despair overwhelmed me, a ball of fire dropped near my feet, and a faint scent of sulfur began to permeate the air.

They had saved me. A torrent of complex emotions flooded my heart. Before I could process it all, a length of backpack strap was lowered down.

After a struggle, I managed to climb up. All of us were utterly exhausted, but before we could catch our breath, I heard bad news: Section Chief Wang, the first one up, was missing!