The rope wrapped around her hands was let out, bit by bit. To Paige Summers at that moment, the five-meter height felt no different from fifty. It was utterly nerve-wracking.
She was still afraid. Of course she was.
She was afraid the branch couldn't bear her weight and would snap, afraid the Mutant Beast would spot her too soon, afraid she'd miss a vital spot, afraid the Poisonous Liquid wouldn't be strong enough and the beast would have time to kill her before it died… There were too many potential accidents to be afraid of!
But with no other choice, she could only force herself to be calm.
Fortunately, everything was going smoothly so far.
Once she had descended to the end of the rope, she held her breath completely.
She was too close to the Mutant Beast—less than twenty meters away in a straight line. The rancid stench was overwhelming. She could only hope it wouldn't suddenly unleash its power and lunge at her.
However, the Beast-Mom seemed too focused on the eggs in the tree. It had battered the large tree until it was on the verge of collapse, and it didn't dare to look away, as if afraid it wouldn't be able to catch the eggs and they would smash on the ground.
Paige Summers finally let out a relieved breath. The sound was a bit loud, and, just as she'd hoped, the Mutant Beast abruptly turned around.
Now!
Her modified Crossbow no longer required the old sequence of nocking, drawing, and firing. The entire process was handled by a light pull of the trigger, like a machine gun. Therefore, Paige Summers's attack was incredibly fast. The Mutant Beast had barely turned to face her when two bolts were already whistling through the air, carrying a chilling air of death as they shot toward its eyes.
Eyes were a weak point, a vital spot for both humans and beasts. They were Paige Summers's first choice.
But there was a good reason people wanted the eggs of this type of Mutant Beast.
Its combat prowess was truly immense.
Even when caught off guard by a surprise attack, it reacted with incredible speed. Although it had no time to dodge, it resorted to the most brutal, and likely most effective, method: swiping at the incoming bolts with its sharp claws.
Paige Summers didn't see if the bolts were knocked away; she was already completely focused on firing the second two-bolt volley.
This time, her target was the beast's mouth.
Compared to the eyes, the mouth was a much larger target. But it was no less difficult, as the beast could snap it shut at any moment.
Next came the ears. Then the nose...
In short, she aimed for wherever the skin was thin and easy to pierce. Her goal was simple: 'I won't stop until this poison kills you!'
But just as she was moving on to the ears in her planned sequence, the Mutant Beast's cry suddenly changed.
It became high-pitched and sharp.
The sound waves it emitted felt tangible, stabbing directly into Paige Summers's mind. She felt an unbearable, splitting headache, and her vision began to black out in waves.
'Damn it, is this a sonic attack?!'
'It's too painful!'
'No, I'm done for if this continues!'
She gritted her teeth, quickly stowed her Crossbow, and began to shakily climb back up the rope.
'Get to the tree. I'll be safe in the tree for now.' At that moment, a single thought consumed her mind: 'I have to survive!'
Once again, she experienced the true meaning of human potential, especially in a life-or-death moment.
After Paige Summers hung from a branch like a limp sack of flour and slowly recovered, she realized the Mutant Beast's cries had stopped...
She propped herself up with her arms and shifted into a sitting position.
Looking down again, she saw the Mutant Beast. It was impossible to tell which bolt had been the fatal one, but its body had turned a deep purple and lay stiffly on the ground. It was no more than a meter directly below her.
Her heart was pounding. 'This... this must be the aftershock of fear.'
Paige Summers's body went limp. She leaned against the tree, feeling as if she didn't have an ounce of strength left.
Just then, however, the sparse, rhythmic sound of clapping suddenly rang out. It was completely out of place, creating a bizarre atmosphere in the newly silent forest.
Paige Summers's blood ran cold.
She instinctively drew her Crossbow and aimed in the direction of the sound.
The other person sensibly raised both hands at once, signaling he had no ill intent. "I came to back you up, but it looks like I was too late." Jayden Yeats paused, then added with sincerity, "That was an impressive performance!"
Without lowering her Crossbow, Paige Summers studied the man. '"Too late"? What a stupid lie. Does he think I'm a child? As if you didn't just come here because you were interested in this Mutant Beast!' She scoffed internally, but her composure was steady. She couldn't hope for goodwill, but at the very least, he truly didn't seem to have any malicious intent. On that account, she neither said nor did anything, instead focusing on gathering her scattered strength. Now was not the time to relax!