Under the dim sky, a layer of oppressive atmosphere pervaded, as if there were an invisible giant net tightly covering the valley. As time passed second by second, the dull footsteps grew closer, pounding like heavy hammers on the hearts of Shen Jingqi and Xu An.

Shen Jingqi and Xu An leaned against the dilapidated car, nervously straining their ears, listening carefully to every sound around them. Their eyes were full of vigilance, their bodies trembling slightly from excessive tension. Shen Jingqi's hand gripped the car key tightly, the knuckles turning white from exertion, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, trickling down his cheeks.

"Jingqi, listen, the footsteps are getting louder, the Mechanical Giant is coming." Xu An urged anxiously, his voice tinged with a slight tremor, his eyes filled with fear and anticipation. The fear was due to the enormous threat posed by the unknown Mechanical Giant, and the anticipation was the hope that Shen Jingqi could quickly repair the car and take them away from this dangerous place.

Shen Jingqi didn't speak. His eyes were fixed on the location of the car engine, his hands busy. His brows furrowed, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat soaking his back. Every action seemed so urgent yet cautious, fearing one wrong move would ruin everything.

Time seemed to stand still, each second passing excruciatingly. The dull footsteps grew closer, as if they were right behind them. Xu An couldn't help but glance at Shen Jingqi, his eyes full of anxiety and unease: "Jingqi, hurry up, if you don't fix it soon, we're done for."

Shen Jingqi gritted his teeth, ignoring Xu An's words, and focused more intently on the repair work. His hands moved quickly among the engine parts, sometimes tightening screws, sometimes checking the wiring. Suddenly, his hand stopped at a crucial component, which was severely damaged. Without replacement, the engine couldn't start.

"Damn, this part is broken, there's no spare part, what do we do now?" Shen Jingqi's heart tightened, rapidly searching his mind for solutions, attempting to find something among the pile of broken parts that could be a substitute.

Xu An, seeing Shen Jingqi suddenly stop, also had a premonition of doom in his heart: "Jingqi, what's wrong? Can't it be fixed?"

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself: "Don't panic, I'll think of something." He quickly rummaged through the pile of scattered parts, a determined look in his eyes. Suddenly, his hand stopped at an unassuming part. This part's shape was somewhat similar to the damaged one, but the size and material were different.

"No time to worry about it, let's try it out first." Shen Jingqi thought to himself. He quickly installed this part onto the engine. Then, he tightly gripped the starter, pulling it hard. The engine buzzed, but quickly died again.

"No, it still doesn't work." Shen Jingqi frowned, feeling a bit disheartened. But he didn't give up, carefully inspecting each part of the engine again, trying to find the problem.

At this moment, the dull footsteps were right upon them, as if they could feel the oppressive presence of the Mechanical Giant's enormous body. Xu An's face turned pale, his legs starting to weaken, almost collapsing to the ground: "Jingqi, we're really out of time, the Mechanical Giant is about to reach us."

Shen Jingqi ignored Xu An's words, his eyes focused intently on the engine, his brain working rapidly. Suddenly, he realized there was a problem with the wiring connection; a connector was not properly attached. He quickly reconnected the wiring and pulled the starter again.

This time, the engine roared to life, the sound like a trumpet of hope, kindling a glimmer of joy in both Shen Jingqi's and Xu An's hearts.

"It's fixed, let's go now," Shen Jingqi shouted excitedly, his voice carrying a hint of exhilaration and relief.

The two quickly jumped into the car, and Shen Jingqi slammed the accelerator. The car shot out of the valley like an arrow. Behind them was the fog-covered valley, the pursuing Mechanical Giant and the mutated mechanical creatures. The enormous body of the Mechanical Giant loomed in the mist, emitting deep roars, proclaiming its rage and refusal.

The car sped along the rugged mountain road, Shen Jingqi gripping the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixed ahead. His heart was still racing, his hands slightly trembling from exertion, but he knew they were temporarily safe. In his mind, the hideous face of the Mechanical Giant and the terrifying forms of those mutated mechanical creatures kept appearing.

"Jingqi, we escaped, that's great." Xu An said excitedly, a long-lost smile appearing on his face. The smile carried a hint of post-survival relief and anticipation for the future.

Shen Jingqi also breathed a sigh of relief, "Don't celebrate too early, we're not completely out of danger yet. We need to find a safe place and carefully plan how to deal with the Mechanical Giant." Shen Jingqi said, his voice steady and firm.

The car continued to drive along the road, the scenery gradually becoming more open. But both Shen Jingqi and Xu An felt no relaxation in their hearts, knowing danger could fall upon them at any moment again.

Suddenly, a fork in the road appeared ahead. One path led to a seemingly bustling town, the other to a desolate desert.

"Jingqi, which way should we go?" Xu An looked at the fork, hesitating a bit as he asked.

Shen Jingqi frowned, contemplating. Taking the road to the town seemed to have more people but might also easily attract the Mechanical Giant; the desert road had fewer people, but the environment was harsh, unknown dangers lurking.

"Let's take the town road first, maybe we'll find some help there." Shen Jingqi finally decided, stepping on the gas, driving in the direction of the town.

As the car gradually approached the town, they found the streets were deserted; all the shops had their doors tightly shut, a deathly silence. An eerie atmosphere hung in the air, as if hiding some unspeakable secret.

"Jingqi, why is this town so strange, not a soul in sight." Xu An said, looking at the silent streets around them, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

Shen Jingqi also sensed the anomaly, slowing down the car, carefully observing the surroundings. Suddenly, a gigantic figure appeared ahead, striking especially blinding in the sunlight.

"Oh no, it's the Mechanical Giant." Shen Jingqi was startled, quickly hitting the brakes. The car stopped not far from the Mechanical Giant, both of them nervously watching, not daring to make a sound.

The Mechanical Giant's massive body slowly turned around, its eyes glowing red, like two burning flames. It opened its mouth, letting out a deafening roar, the sound echoing over the town, as if it threatened to smash the entire town to pieces.

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