Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared-Chapter 1704: Fear and Confusion

A strange feeling crept over him. Gu Fan shook his head, tossing aside the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind. The priority right now was to figure out how to regroup with everyone else.

As for whether to go left or right, no one could make up their minds, so they all turned to the boss.

"What a hassle," the boss sighed, resigned to bearing the responsibility and pressure. He picked a direction at random.

Everyone followed the boss, having no choice. After all, he seemed strong and had a gun in hand. A gun meant a sense of security, right? freёnovelkiss.com

So, the group advanced along a row of houses, constantly alert to the surrounding noises. Especially that pitch-black grove nearby—they were truly worried something might leap out from there.

Gu Fan’s heart was racing, overwhelmed by tension and fear. He wondered, if "that thing" was following them, what method would it use? Would it jump between rooftops or keep pace with them through the forest?

Suddenly, something fell from the rooftop, hitting the ground with a crash and narrowly missing someone. The group was startled into a cold sweat.

Looking closely, Gu Fan realized it was debris from the roof. How could this happen for no reason? Could it really be a coincidence?

Wait a second. Gu Fan instinctively looked up and caught a glimpse of something like a rope swaying across the roof. His expression froze in shock—"that thing" was skulking across the rooftop, following them silently.

With a loud crash, a large section of roof tiles was dislodged, tumbling down and raining onto the group below.

"Not good! Run!" The group shielded their heads with their hands and dashed forward.

Gu Fan and Li Shi quickly used their backpacks to cover their heads, trying to protect themselves as much as possible. But seeing the constant downpour of tiles, each impact producing a sharp cracking sound, was enough to rattle anyone’s nerves.

Gradually, the falling debris became denser and more concentrated, even blocking their path ahead like a hailstorm.

Gu Fan knew they couldn’t outrun "that thing." It was too fast and could easily anticipate their path, knocking down debris to strike them.

"What now? There’s no way through." The group cast their eyes toward the pitch-black forest nearby.

The boss snorted coldly and charged into the forest first. Seeing this, the others hurriedly followed.

As soon as they entered the forest, they were engulfed in impenetrable darkness. Even with flashlights, a deep unease settled over them. This safety was only temporary.

Gu Fan took a good look around and noticed how strange the trees were. Their branches spread out like grasping claws, exuding an eerie vibe.

"No way... Could ’that thing’ have driven us in here on purpose?" Gu Fan’s worry grew. The dense forest made it easy for "that thing" to strike from any direction. Coupled with the dwindling light, it wouldn’t take much for the group to get separated.

The boss, being the boss, was also conscious of their precarious situation. He immediately ordered the group to stop moving deeper into the forest.

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped in their tracks and huddled closely together.

"Everyone, stay near the forest edge," Gu Fan suggested. "Let’s move along its boundary and figure out a way to get out of here."

Although Gu Fan’s idea made sense, the thought of taking orders from a high schooler left the group uneasy.

Old Six barked, "You’re just a student! Since when was it your turn to give orders?"

Gu Fan immediately nodded along, admitting his fault. He assured everyone that he trusted the boss’s wisdom to have already considered this strategy.

The boss, flattered by Gu Fan’s sycophancy, promptly declared they would indeed stick to the forest’s boundary.

Just then, low growls echoed from outside the forest, growing louder and closer. It sounded like "that thing" was charging toward them, instilling an invisible but palpable fear.

The group was paralyzed with dread. At that moment, who would dare to venture toward the forest’s edge? Some even began backing away.

Even hardened outlaws like the boss and his crew, armed with guns, were retreating. Their hands trembled as they gripped their weapons.

The darkness in the forest was overwhelming. The flashlights’ beams darted here and there, failing to locate "that thing." They only knew it was closing in on them.

Driven by fear, one person finally snapped and bolted deeper into the forest. Perhaps they thought "that thing" would prioritize attacking the nearest, most crowded target, leaving them a slim chance to survive if they distanced themselves.

"Wait! Don’t run! Come back! Don’t split up!" Gu Fan shouted anxiously, drawing everyone’s attention to the fleeing figure.

In that instant, a shadow leaped down from the trees, pouncing on the runner and sinking its teeth into them before retreating back into the canopy. The entire attack was so swift, no one could react in time.

Tortured screams erupted from above, chilling everyone to the core as the forest shook violently.

Moments later, the screaming stopped. An eerie silence descended upon the forest once again, leaving everyone trembling with fear.

"I can’t stay here anymore!" someone cried, losing their grip on reason and rushing deeper into the forest.

One runner was soon followed by others, each succumbing to terror. Gu Fan and Li Shi had no choice but to follow—they couldn’t afford to fall behind and become the next target.

As they ran, the boss shouted, "Don’t scatter! Stick together! Stay with me—I have a gun!"

The boss’s call jolted the runners into awareness, and they instinctively veered toward him as they continued fleeing.

After covering some distance, the boss ordered everyone to stop and took a headcount. Two people were missing, which filled the group with unease.

Someone suggested, "Maybe we should go back and look for them."

"Look for them? Are you crazy? Do you even realize what’s happening? We’re barely keeping ourselves alive!" Old Six shot back, his voice shaking despite his aggressive tone. His face betrayed his own fear.

Old Five added, "It’s their fault for running off. How is that on us? Why should we risk ourselves for them?"

Hearing this, Gu Fan felt uneasy, worried that such remarks would destroy the group’s unity and morale. But just as he opened his mouth to argue, the others started voicing their agreement.

In that moment, Gu Fan came to a grim realization: the so-called "unity to overcome adversity" was an illusion. Everyone was just leveraging the group to increase their own chances of survival. Their true goal wasn’t for everyone to live—it was for *themselves* to live. Take away that incentive, and any notions of unity would quickly crumble.

With no other choice, Gu Fan could only silently hope for the best for the two who had gone missing. There was nothing more he could do to help them.

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