Chapter 67
Cynthia quickly bolted, trying to get away from the area. Rounding the fountain and turning into a side path lined with bizarre flowers shaped like black, clawed hands, she saw an arch decorated with dried, withered rose vines. Beyond it was the exit out of the Gorgon’s territory.
Relief flooded her as she ran for it, but suddenly the ground shook as if an earthquake had struck, and the Gorgon burst through the dirt right in front of her.
“Aaah! Sellie!”
Cynthia screamed and fell backward in terror as the Gorgon began to spread the fleshy tendrils of its face, one by one.
She couldn’t even get to her feet. She was frozen, trembling in fear. But a thin thread of rationality flashed through her mind.
‘The mask’s effect is still active!’
The time was quickly ticking down, but there was still some left.
The Gorgon didn’t notice her. It seemed only to sense something suspicious. Otherwise, with that huge eyeball already protruding from the fleshy mass, it would have turned her to stone without hesitation.
The real problem was Cynthia herself. Face-to-face with the Gorgon, she couldn’t even get up. No matter how she tried to move, fear held her legs in place.
The Gorgon didn’t leave easily, either. Maybe out of instinct as a living creature, or as if it truly perceived something invisible, it rolled its abnormally large eyeball around, searching.
The Fox Mask’s time continued to count down.
Cynthia’s mouth grew dry. No options appeared, and her body refused to move. Even if she managed to get up and run behind the Gorgon’s tail right now, she’d be spotted before she could reach the exit once the mask’s time ran out.
Would turning to stone hurt? What if she stayed conscious after turning to stone, right up until the Gorgon ate her?
Those horrifying thoughts filled her as she squeezed her eyes shut. Just then, the Gorgon slowly closed its fleshy tendrils.
Cynthia was finally freed from its gaze and managed to get to her feet, trembling all over. But she still couldn’t run. The Fox Mask’s time was almost up, and the Gorgon still loitered on the ground above its tunnel, making no move to go back inside as it slowly crawled along the earth.
“Huff, ngh.”
Staggering, Cynthia forced herself toward the exit. Whatever happens, happens, she thought. Maybe because she’d partly given up on surviving, her legs moved more easily than before.
Thanks to that, she nearly made it to the exit with just two seconds left on the timer.
Just then, the Gorgon—crawling slowly—suddenly thrust its fleshy head toward Cynthia’s back.
It had sensed something suspicious again. Seeing the fleshy mass open with a tearing sound, Cynthia squeezed her eyes shut. A cold sense of death crept up her spine.
Even so, she forced herself to keep taking one step after another.
“……”
When she opened her eyes again, she was already outside the exit. The Gorgon was turning its body away, retreating back into its territory.
Without realizing it, Cynthia let out the breath she’d been holding, watching as the Gorgon slowly dragged its tail away into the distance. Lifting her head, she saw the Fox Mask’s timer.
The time had stopped.
“What… is this…”
Panting, Cynthia collapsed where she stood.
At that moment, the Fox Mask’s timer suddenly resumed and quickly counted down to zero. Once its time was up, the Fox Mask crumbled away, scattering like rotten leaves.
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