Unfortunately, the monkey reacted quickly and dodged her finishing blow; its tail hissed and lunged at her neck, and she swiftly dodged.
She frowned, stepping back slightly before rushing forward, pulling out a ready bow from her space bag.
Shooting the arrow at the monkey’s head, it used its tail to swipe at it. Its actions made Zoey smirk—the arrow hit its flesh and exploded, tearing off its skin.
A sharp scream of pain and anger rang out from the monkey as its tail flicked rapidly in the air, edges dripping with blood, while a continuous soft hissing filled the clearing.
The monkey, furious at being wounded twice, bellowed sharply and lunged at Zoey for the first ti, seizing a new target even though its original prey was still alive.
Zoey dodged, its tail just inches from her vital spots. The force of its attack tore a hole through the trees, and she broke out in a cold sweat at the thought of taking a direct hit.
Her gaze locked sharply on the screeching monkey, then swiftly moved to the explosive arrows, which she fired without hesitation, accurately hitting its shoulders and stomach.
"Boom!" The sound startled Selina, and the cheetah didn’t help matters by tossing her to the ground as it dashed toward its master to join the fight.
Selina hissed as the rough ground tore her skin; she quickly healed herself and ran to a tree to hide, watching the fierce fight unfold and ready to flee at the first sign of Zoey losing.
The cheetah growled and sank its fangs into the monkey’s legs, stopping it long enough for another of Zoey’s attacks to hit its target.
The monkey swung its tail at the cheetah, who dodged quickly, and the snake sank its fangs into the dirt.
Though the monkey had a burn mark and its fur was soaked with blood, its eyes stayed focused, showing no signs of exhaustion. Minutes passed, and Zoey felt her movents grow dull; her shoulders and hands throbbed from shooting arrows.
’I need to end this fight quickly, before things get worse for ,’ she thought inwardly, eyes darting around as her mind scrambled for ideas to kill this beast. Then her gaze fixed on the edge of the cliff, and an idea flickered.
Selina watched silently, her legs numb from standing, but she dared not sit down, and her eyes narrowed in confusion when she saw Zoey moving closer to her hiding spot.
’Is she trying to use as bait?!’ The thought made Selina’s heart tighten with fear. Her fingernails dug into the tree bark to stop her trembling, hoping not to attract their attention.
Zoey, unaware of what was going through Selina’s mind, deliberately moved the fight toward the cliff edge, which happened to be closer to Selina’s hiding spot.
The cheetah quickly understood its master’s signal and harassed the monkey with biting attacks, forcing it to back away as Zoey kept shooting arrows.
Seeing it closing in, she inhaled deeply and let out a scream. The shockwaves caught the monkey off guard, sending it tumbling over the edge. Before Zoey could celebrate, its snake-like tail lashed out, wrapping around her waist and yanking her over.
Selina’s eyes widened at what had happened, and she cautiously moved toward the edge, where the cheetah seed to be holding onto sothing with its mouth.
"Selina! Pull up!" she heard Zoey’s voice as she moved closer. Peeking out, she saw Zoey holding onto a falling branch while also supporting the monkey’s weight.
Her face was flushed, with veins bulging in her neck and hands from the strain. The cheetah was clutching her collar, and the force of pulling two weights was causing it to slide dangerously to the edge.
Instead of helping, Selina shook her head and stepped back—afraid she’d be dragged over the cliff if she tried to pull Zoey up.
"’W-Why are you...?’’ Zoey stamred in shock as the branch she clung to sank slightly under their weight. Small chunks of sand slid off the edges, showing it was barely holding—and it wouldn’t last much longer.
"Thank you for saving . I’ll never forget you," Selina murmured sincerely, then slipped away, leaving Zoey staring in stunned silence.
Although she appreciated Zoey’s help throughout their ti together, she wasn’t willing to risk her life to save her. Selina didn’t consider that if she had helped the cheetah pull Zoey up, she might have saved her.
Instead, she selfishly thought only of saving herself, forgetting she was a helpless healer in this dangerous world—and that Zoey was the only one keeping her alive and safe.
Zoey was overwheld with regret, wishing she had trusted her instincts, which had warned her about Selina. The branch broke, and her eyes dimd as she braced for the fall. The cheetah refused to release its grip and plunged with her.
The wind whistled past her ears, her short hair flying wildly in the air, and she closed her eyes. Her expression, initially filled with reluctance, gradually shifted to one of calm acceptance.
The cheetah shrank into its small form and clung to Zoey’s neck, whining softly as the two dove into the water.
With a loud plop and splash, Zoey plunged into the water, slamming her shoulders against a fallen log that had floated with her. The impact knocked her out cold.
She didn’t see the river surge forward in one unstoppable sweep, driving her toward the edge of another cliff, the drop below littered with boulders and moss-covered rocks.
The water slamd against her, roaring with force, trying to sweep her off. The cheetah clung desperately to a fallen branch, but the torrent was too strong, and together they tumbled over the edge.
Zoey was lucky not to land directly on any boulders, though her left arm smashed against one. She and the cheetah were carried wherever the current took them.
Days passed as Zoey drifted, disoriented, her breath heavy and her body burning as she fought to stay awake.
Her cheetah guarded her relentlessly, and upon seeing the figures walking past the shore, it softly roared for help.
"I’m not sharing my at with both of you. Who asked you to finish your own so quickly?" Adrian said with a frown, ignoring Daniel and Marvin’s pleading gaze.
"I’ll give you whatever prey we hunt next, just give a tiny bit... please." Marvin’s eyes were filled with sincerity, but Adrian didn’t believe him for a second.
Daniel kicked a stone absentmindedly, and it skittered into the water. He turned to Alex and was about to beg.
"Don’t even think about it, you’re wasting your ti." He was instantly shut down before he could speak.
Cole, walking at the back with a dazed look, heard a faint growl and turned toward the water, which shimred in the afternoon sun.
His gaze fell on Zoey, who was floating on a dead branch with a wet cheetah beside her.
"There’s soone in the water." Cole’s words silenced their discussion. They followed his gaze, and their eyes widened in surprise at seeing another person.
The Dungeon had teleported them to different locations, or so they assud after traveling across the surface without encountering anyone.
Their expressions shifted, a mix of seriousness and hope at the thought of finding Eva and the others.
Cole squatted, placing his hands on the water’s surface. He manipulated the water, creating ripples outward, and then a force pulled Zoey toward the shore.
Adrian saw Zoey’s feverish face and fed her a potion he took from his ring.
Her beast watched with a vigilant gaze, but when it saw they were genuinely helping, it relaxed, collapsing onto her side with a thud. Its limbs felt heavy as lead, and only sheer determination kept it paddling and floating beside her.
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