"Start... Just start."

"Start!"

Merka climbed up onto the forklift, as tall as a two-story building, only to find the key conveniently inserted in the keyhole.

He turned the key and, like driving a race car, repeatedly stepped on the gas pedal, skillfully preheating the forklift.

The scorching hot air gushed out from its old, wrinkled exhaust pipe, resembling the breath of a fiery furnace.

This massive steel beast, resembling a locomotive, let out a groan under Merka's extreme operation.

The Owl God in the distance did not stop Merka, only watching him as he continuously exerted effort, emitting a fierce light that seemed to break through barriers, while driving the forklift with determination.

"I enjoy watching you struggle, Merka."

"I particularly enjoy watching you run in a sorry state, trudging through the muddy snow, eventually collapsing like a battered pot with numerous holes, then being buried under heavy snow."

"Listen, Merka, let me sneakily spoil the miserable way you'll die."

"The swamp of madness will float on the tide of death and swallow you."

"And just before you succumb to collapse, the final straw you'll grasp in this torrent of death will be me."

"Ha ha!"

"I am the inevitable source of your terror!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the Owl God sitting high above instantly melted like icing and exploded into a terrifying hole in midair.

The pitch-black, ominously foreboding black hole seemed like a gap gnawed by a world-wrecking giant owl on the World Tree.

Black surges emerged from the rippling black lake.

The shattered night rain oozed from the dreamy ink mirror, splashing twice on the ground before rushing towards Merka at high speed like a frenzied downpour.

The furious, pure black frenzy rushed down the mountainside like a startled herd on the grassy slope.

They surged down the hill, raising adult-sized waves of cruelty—exaggerated black rivers like avalanches, instantly obliterating a large section of interconnected laboratory buildings made up of containers and prisons.

Terrifying black arms, as if tainted with asphalt, reached out from the black river.

Riding the swiftly flowing black river, they reached out to grab the rear hitch of Merka's forklift.

"I'll fight you with everything I have!!!"

Merka gritted his teeth, holding onto the forklift's handle tightly, shifting into the fastest gear, pressing the gas pedal to the floor, ramming fiercely towards the large gate made of the mother of lakes.

With a resounding boom, a powerful shockwave hit Merka's forehead directly. He sat on the narrow seat, shaking violently, feeling as though his brain, even his whole head, was about to be thrown out.

The forklift smashed through the gate, traversing the flying sand and rocks in the air, directly entering the passage connecting the α-level compound.

The forklift didn't lose momentum, its grinding tires sounding like the roar of warriors in the arena, thrusting their spears ruthlessly into the enemy's heart.

"Fantastic... It worked..."

"What's next... where do I go next?"

In the rush, Merka dared not slow down at all, exerting all his strength, stepping on the gas pedal firmly. Even as tiny beads of sweat seeped from his slender ankles, drenching the insoles of his shoes, he couldn't relax a bit, fearing being overturned by the approaching black river.

Merka's throat trembled as he glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing the black tide closely following behind the car, feeling uncontrollable fear in his heart.

For some reason, he felt as if his body was ailing, almost unable to muster strength.

He subconsciously felt that this strange symptom might be related to the Owl God.

The nauseating, viscous black river seemed to carry a terrible plague with just one glance.

"Finally found the road to the next level..."

"A right turn goes upstairs... but can a left turn lead back to the botanical garden?"

Speeding along the smoke-free passage, Merka soon encountered a fork in the road.

Looking up, he saw a sign hanging from the ceiling, emitting a faint green light, indicating the directions of the two road options.

Turning right led to the next level, while turning left led to the botanical garden.

Without hesitation, Merka drove directly towards the botanical garden.

In his view, in the current situation, even going upstairs would be useless if he couldn't evade the pursuit of the Owl God.

To escape the Owl God, he needed the help of the backdrop, which he had left in the botanical garden and now had to retrieve it.