"Ah, sh*t," Alisha muttered in frustration as she sprinted toward Summer, desperately trying to save him.
But it was all in vain. She looked around frantically, only to realize that Summer had already disappeared.
Lucia and the others stood frozen, their expressions stunned by the sudden turn of events.
"Boom!"
At that moment, the giant snake swung its massive tail, aiming straight for them.
"Arghh..." Several mercenaries were instantly crushed by the overwhelming force of the tail.
The shockwave sent Lucia and the others crashing away, blood spilling from their mouths as they hit the ground.
Bang!
Thud!
Some collided with the earth, while others were slammed into the trees.
"Fu*k!"
The pain from the impact was immediate and intense.
Alisha and the others struggled to stand.
"You guys okay?" Silver called out casually from a tree branch above, a smirk on his face.
"You should've been down here to know that, Silver," Yang retorted, grimacing as he wiped the blood from his mouth.
Lucia couldn't agree more with his statement.
Alisha summoned her greatsword and used it to push herself up.
"Hey, as*hole! Why didn't your teleportation crystal work when it was supposed to?" Alisha angrily asked Rudra, who stood a short distance away, nursing some bruises.
Rudra, who had been lost in thought, snapped back at her. "Why are you asking me? Oh my god, you don't even know how to use a teleportation crystal properly, and now you're blaming me?" He felt a surge of irritation. "You should have activated it a few milliseconds earlier before throwing it. It takes time to activate, you know."
Alisha glared at Rudra, frustration boiling over. "Well, You could've mentioned that before I got it from you." Alisha retorted, not backing down. The anger in her voice was evident, but it was mixed with a hint of desperation. Summer was gone, and the giant snake was still remained a threat.
Lucia, still wincing from the impact, quickly assessed the situation. The group was scattered, injured, and disoriented, while the Winged Viper Snake loomed over them, its eyes glinting with malice. They couldn't afford to argue now, not with the creature ready to strike again...
"Enough! We can't waste any more time arguing. We need to save ourselves. We can't defeat that thing with our current strength."
As everyone fell silent, Alisha turned to Rudra, her voice urgent. "Rudra, where does that teleportation crystal lead? We need to find Summer immediately—he's vulnerable right now."
Rudra hesitated before replying. "I'm sorry... it's a random teleportation, and I have no idea where it leads. But its range should be around 1,000 kilometers."
"What? 1,000 kilometers? How is Summer supposed to survive if he ends up in the deeper region?" Alisha's voice quivered with rising panic.
"Sir, we need to leave immediately. Most of the mercenaries are dead," Mr. Orak interjected, stepping forward to address Rudra. "That thing won't stop until it kills us all. We should escape before it targets us next," he whispered urgently.
Lucia tightened her grip on her rapier. "We have to find Summer, guys. Let's move. We'll search inside the zone first. If he's outside the zone, even better."
"Alright, Lucia. Let's go," Silver said, swiftly jumping down from the tree.
Yang and Alisha hurriedly gathered their scattered gear.
Then, the group split up, each heading in their own direction. Rudra and the Surpasser took one path, while Lucia's team took another. The mercenaries, unable to keep up, became cannon fodder, their blood and bodies left behind as the giant snake devoured them one by one, buying precious time for the others to escape.
Somewhere in the Primal Zone...
Summer blinked, slowly opening his eyes.
"Where am I now?" he muttered, glancing around. He was in an unfamiliar location, surrounded by dense bushes and towering trees. Unfortunately, this meant he was still inside the Primal Zone.
Realizing the danger of his situation, Summer quickly pulled out his Gravity Spear from his space bracelet. He controlled his breathing, trying to make his presence as low and silent as possible.
With shallow breaths, he began to climb a tall tree, using its branches and trunks for support. His above-average physique served him well in this moment. He knew he was alone now and would have to rely entirely on himself to survive. There was no other option.
"But how could I be so unlucky?" he grumbled inwardly.
He quickly reached a high vantage point, perching on a sturdy branch, and scanned the horizon. The dense canopy stretched endlessly in all directions, a sea of dark green broken only by the occasional burst of vibrant flowers or the towering silhouettes of ancient trees.
The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting long shadows and painting the sky with hues of amber and gold.
As Summer oriented himself, he judged the direction where the sun was setting. He wasn't searching for a way out; he intended to reach his initial destination no matter what.
With the map in hand, he had to determine his path, as electronic devices and compasses were useless in the Primal Zone. Here, the magnetic fields were chaotic, and strange energies distorted any signal. The sun and the map were his only reliable guides.
The problem was, he didn't know how far the teleportation had moved him.
"I need to climb higher to match the terrain with the map," he thought, glancing down at the crumpled, hand-drawn map that had already begun to wear from the humidity.
The forest around him was a maze of thick trunks covered in moss, lianas hanging like ropes, and enormous ferns that spread out in every direction. Strange sounds filled the air—distant roars, rustling leaves, and the occasional shriek of some unknown creature echoing through the jungle.
The air was filled with moisture, carrying the scent of earth, decaying wood, and the sharp tang of some unidentifiable flora.
He climbed higher, pushing himself through the tangled network of branches, each ascent becoming more grueling as he neared 200 meters. His muscles burned with effort, and his hands grew slippery with sweat, but he pressed on. The bark was rough and covered in slippery moss, adding to the challenge. His BioFlex suit, designed for protection, saved him from cuts and scrapes as he rubbed against the abrasive surface.
Finally, at nearly 350 meters, he reached a point where the canopy thinned, allowing him a broader view of the landscape. The sight was both awe-inspiring and daunting. The jungle stretched for miles, a vast, untamed wilderness. Far in the distance, he could see the outline of a mountain range, with one peak standing taller than the rest, its summit shrouded in mist.
"I need to reach that mountain," Summer muttered, his voice determined as he marked its location on his map. The towering peak was his best chance of navigating through this treacherous zone.
The sun, now slightly past its zenith, cast a golden light on the treetops, but it would sink below the horizon in a few hours. Time was against him, and the Primal Zone was known to be far more dangerous after dark.
KAAAWRR...
Suddenly, he heard screams of a crow like creature, instantly making his nerves tensed.