Chapter 15 Deadly Exploration 3

Now, we were cornered by the chimpanzees and the crocodiles with only one route of escape. We barreled down that trail, uncaring of the direction we were going in. This was solid proof humans unlocked infinite potential in dire situations. Running like lunatics, the two of us cleared the swamp and entered the thick forest. After countless twists and turns, we finally shook off the chimpanzee leader and the crocodiles. However, we were also completely lost. The forest was dense, and the air was muggy and suffocating. I had already given my shirt to Tina to stop her menstrual bleeding, so my upper half was bare and covered with tiny scratches made by branches. Sweat dripped onto the cuts, making it itch and hurt. Next to me, Allie was trying to catch her breath. Her shirt was thoroughly soaked in her sweat, and the wet fabric clung to her curves. I could feel my heart pound faster at the enticing sight. “I-I can’t do this anymore,” Allie said as she unceremoniously sat on the ground, but I hurriedly pulled her back up. “You shouldn’t rest immediately after vigorous activity. It’ll reduce blood flow to the brain and heart, which will then damage those organs. Come, let’s take a stroll. Take deep breaths as you walk to improve blood circulation.” Allie leaned against me. Her breath tickling my ear, she whispered, “I really can’t move, you’ll have to hold me up!” I felt my body tense in response when she brushed against me. Unfortunately, this was not the right place to teach her a lesson. I suppressed the burning flames of desire, propped her up, and scanned our surroundings. We were surrounded by trees of varying heights which grew so close together they seemed to intertwine. I closed my eyes and racked my brains, trying to find a way out. I soon recalled that this forest extended toward the east, and the sea was located to its west. Although I did not know where we were, we should be able to make it out of the forest if we continued west. Now, we just had to find the right direction. I climbed to the top of a large tree and determined the direction in which we should go by checking the sun. After reaching the ground, I promptly walked forwards while tugging Allie along. Allie staggered on her feet and whined, “Why are you walking so fast? I thought we agreed to stroll.” Irritated, I answered, “I took a look at the sun just now. It should be about four or five in the evening now. If we don’t make it out before nightfall, we’re as good as dead!” Allie held her tongue after that. We continued to push forward. Now and then, I would scale a tree to check that we were heading in the right direction. This process took a long time, and night-time quickly arrived. I felt agitated. The dangers of the forest multiplied at night as there were a lot of nocturnal animals that hunted for prey in the dark. Besides, I had been away from Hailey and the rest for the whole day, so they must be feeling anxious by now. I fervently hoped that they would just stay in the cave and wait for my return. Sadly, my restlessness could not sway the rise and fall of the sun. A blanket of darkness covered the forest. It was like I had a dark veil before my eyes - it was hard to see my surroundings, so making it out of the forest was virtually impossible. I stopped walking, pulling Allie to a halt as well. Since escaping the forest was out of the question, we would have to stay the night here. I squinted in the dark, trying to find a tree that we could scale and camp out on for the night. Just then, I heard a soft rustle behind me. I whipped around and saw a dark shadow appear between two trees that were more than ten meters away. It was too dim in the forest to make out the shadow, but a pair of emerald eyes gave away its owner’s malicious intent. “Climb the tree!” I growled under my breath while stepping forward to shield Allie with my body. The emerald eyes were nearing us. The animal appeared guarded as if it was testing the waters. As it approached, I could vaguely make out its spotted coat. It was a leopard! Thank goodness it was not a wolf! Although leopards were more powerful than wolves, leopards were solitary predators while wolves hunted in groups. This was not my first encounter with a leopard. After all, it was the most widely distributed species among the large felines. Found in forests, mountains, grasslands, deserts, and tropical forests, they could survive in any environment as long as there were food and shelter. Its subspecies, the snow leopard, could even be found on the world’s highest mountain range—the Himalayas. Running from a leopard would be a death trap. These jungle leopards could run at 120 kilometers per hour. Killing Usain Bolt would be a piece of cake for them. These wildcats were also good at scaling trees; they could climb up trees that were more than ten meters tall while holding an antelope between its teeth. This meant that taking a flight would be impossible, so the only option left was to fight it. It would be a duel to the death, as victory would only be announced when only one was left standing. This leopard had probably never seen a human. It watched us quietly as if it was sizing us up. I was famished and exhausted as I had used up most of my energy running away just now. My heart hammered against my ribcage at the thought of facing this grown leopard. However, I knew that if I died here, Hailey and the rest would follow shortly. My fingers tightened around the handle of the axe, and I locked eyes with the leopard, showing no sign of backing down. The leopard paused momentarily before nimbly walking toward me. Its walk was accompanied by a soft rustle. I crouched down, keeping my eyes on the feline. After taking a few casual steps, it suddenly pounced, lunging at me with lightning speed. Its speed was indescribable. In a blink of the eye, it was already right in front of me. I could clearly see its razor-sharp fangs, the webs of blood that spread across its green eyes, and its gaping maw. The putrid smell of its breath invaded my nostrils. The leopard swiped a large paw toward my neck, its claws glinting in a moonlight. “F*ck!” With a shout, I sprang up and brought my axe down on the leopard. The leopard was agile beyond belief. It twisted mid-air, easily avoiding the blade, and brushed past me. Its strong tail whipped across my face like a stinging slap. The fur on its tail was coarse and felt like needles. The slap alone nearly took me out. I shook my head to regain my senses when I felt a whoosh of air behind me. The leopard had landed and immediately leapt toward me. It was too late to dodge. I could only lean sideways to avoid a head-on collision, but its sharp nails slashed my back, ripping through the flesh. An agonized cry escaped my lips when I felt the burning pain. The wound caused by Jude had not recovered, and the leopard’s attack had worsened it. Although I could not see the extent of my injuries, I knew that my back was now ravaged. I threw myself onto the ground just as the leopard soared over me. The smell of blood had stimulated its senses. It let out a low growl and pounced at me again. Its movements were too fast. Before I could react, it landed on me. Its massive paws pressed my shoulders into the ground as it opened its mouth to bite down on my neck. I brought my head forward as hard as I could and smashed it into its nose with a dull thump. I instantly saw stars, but the leopard seemed to be in pain too, its actions faltering. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for. Directing all my energy to my waist, I lifted my legs and wrapped them around the leopard’s body. Twisting my body, I trapped the feline in a wrestling move and flipped us over so that I was now on top. Circling my arm, I smashed the axe into the leopard’s head. It let out an ear-splitting roar and struggled. Its claws made deep gashes on my back, but I paid it no heed. Mustering all my strength, I repeatedly hacked at its head. Blood splattered everywhere. The leopard’s head was now a mutilated, bloody mess. Its limbs went limp and fell to its side. It let out a harsh breath, but no longer had the ability to inhale. When it finally became still, I slumped forward on its body. Waves of debilitating pain washed over me. I was drained and ready to succumb to eternal rest. My mind whirled, and the whole world seemed to spin before my eyes. My eyelids drooped wearily. “Zayn!” Someone was violently shaking me. Annoyed, I opened my eyes to see Allie kneeling next to me. She was shaking my body. “You can’t fall asleep! Don’t sleep!” “I’m exhausted. Just let me sleep for a while.” I mumbled, my speech slurred and choppy. “You can’t!” Allie shook her head and said stubbornly, “I’ll tend to your wounds. You must sit up.” Allie ripped a strip of fabric from her shirt and carefully dabbed at my wounds to get rid of dirt and grass. In spite of her efforts to be gentle, I was still in a great deal of pain. Worried that my screams would attract other animals, I placed a stick between my teeth and bit down on it. By the time she had dressed my wounds, I had already crushed the stick. In a way, the pain was my lifesaver. It had driven off my sleepiness, making me wide-awake now. I picked up my axe, walked toward the leopard and sliced its neck open. Purple blood bubbled up and spilled over. I pressed my lips to the opening and gulped down the thick liquid. Starting a fire in this pitch-black forest would be asking for death, so I could only commit such a barbaric act in an attempt to seek warmth. The warm blood reeked of rust and dead fish, making my stomach churn. I fought back my disgust and took several mouthfuls. I was starving, so my empty stomach gladly accepted the blood, and I could feel my strength slowly return. “Here, take a few mouthfuls!” I beckoned Allie. Unexpectedly, Allie did not protest. Imitating me, she neared the gushing wound and drank the blood. Had it been Hailey and the rest, they would still not comply even if I talked off their ears. I gazed at Allie with admiration. She was really intelligent, and I felt comfortable spending time with her. After taking her drink, Allie raised her head to look at me. Her lips were stained red by blood as if she had smothered on a thick coat of lipstick. In the dim light of the night, she emanated a rugged beauty. Moreover, half of her shirt had been torn off to be used as bandages for my injuries, so her midriff was now exposed. Her ivory skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, and my hands itched to hold her slender waist. She walked toward me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Her sultry voice sent shocks of electricity through my body. “You’re a hero, my hero!” She tilted her chin and closed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering. She pouted her full lips. Is she... asking for a kiss?