Rogue

10:21 AM

Chapter 80

To prevent the fierce beasts from fighting among themselves, the staff had relocated the dozen or so wild animals to different areas for release. They injected all of them with sedatives before opening the cages to keep the workers safe from potential attacks.

The giant white tiger, however, was not released immediately. Its fighting power was too strong–the game would be over as soon as it was set loose.

In the VIP viewing area, Kenji exclaimed in anger, “Why don’t we just let the white tiger out right now, Mr. Wade? Evangeline is too infuriating; she needs to learn a lesson about how Clusians will always come up short against Atharians.”

Presley Norton, a wealthy magnate from Kepraria, chimed in, “Evangeline has gone too far. She’s been taunting Jeffrey constantly. Her disrespect for him is a slap in the face to all of Atharians. She must be taught a lesson.”

Riley from Freedonia slammed his fist on the table, his face flushed with fury. “Damn it, Evangeline! She made our Freedonian contestant look like a chump. The game just started, and we were already knocked out. It’s humiliating. We need to let Jeffrey punish her!”

He had placed a bet on his country’s contestant, hoping he would last at least half a month. But less than half a day into the contest, and his guy was already out. Not only did he lose money, but he also lost face.

The wealthy man from Andgre also scowled. “The Clusians are so sneaky. They stole our smoke bombs, and then they used them to mess with our contestant’s direction. That’s not how a fair fight is supposed to be. We in Andgre should be able to take down a kangaroo–there’s no way we should lose to those Clusian weaklings!”

The people from other countries were seething with anger. None of them had bet on Evangeline to win, but before the show started, several wealthy Clusians had promised a lot of money on her.

Since everyone looked down on Evangeline, thinking she stood no chance, her odds were sky–high. If she managed to win, those who had bet against her would lose big time.

And the more skilled Evangeline was, the harder it would be for the wealthy backers from the other nations to fulfill the bounties they’d placed. That meant less money in their pockets.

“Listen up, everyone,” John said, raising his glass. “Let’s hold off on panicking. With Atharian talent like Jeffrey in the mix, we can’t lose this challenge. The white tiger is just too strong to set loose now; it would ruin everything. We should let these other beasts out first, and let them toy with the contestants for a bit. It’ll be a good way to bring down Evangeline’s arrogance and show her that there are plenty of stronger people–and animals–out there.”

The crowd nodded, grinning as they climbed onboard with his plan. “You’ve got it, Mr. Wade. Let’s start with a little appetizer. If she miraculously gets through, then we can unleash the white tiger. Imagine the fear on her face!”

“Just wait until she sees Jeffrey subduing the white tiger. She’ll be begging him for protection.” someone else added, a wicked grin plastered across his face.

“When that happens, all those bounty tasks will be a walk in the park. Our pockets will be lined with cash!”

“Here’s to the money that’s about to land in our pockets!” they laughed.

In the depths of the forest, the wild beasts that had been released were gradually waking up. Tigers, lions, black bears, grizzly bears, jaguars, cheetahs, gray wolves, wild boars, and a dozen others–each one a formidable predator from different regions and species–came to life.

They had been injected with a substance that fueled a raging fury inside them. The moment they awoke, they started howling violently, charging deeper into the woods, eager to confront any intruders they encountered.

Having been trained, these animals harbored strong aggression toward humans and recognized human scent with terrifying precision. So when they caught a whiff of human presence in the air, it was as if they had just inhaled a powerful stimulant. They immediately began tracking it down.

Meanwhile, Marian and Leigh were still waiting for rescue in the forest. As night fell, they anxiously noted that the helicopter still hadn’t arrived.

If it weren’t for the drone and the little mechanical bee filming them, they might have thought they had been truly abandoned,

Without flashlights, they relied on the faint light emitted by the drone and mechanical bee when darkness enveloped the forest, just enough to glimpse their surroundings.

“Leigh, why hasn’t the production team sent anyone to pick us up? Do you think they missed our message about giving up?” Marian asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“That shouldn’t be the case,” Leigh replied. “We’ve made it clear more than once.”

He lay back on the ground, his head spinning from the fall. When he had landed, he had hit his head hard enough to break something–and it felt like he might have a concussion. Each time he tried to stand, nausea churned in his stomach, forcing him to remain sprawled out on the forest floor, waiting for the rescue helicopter that didn’t seem to be coming anytime soon. As time dragged on and no help appeared, a sense of unease began creeping into his mind.

1/2

“What’s that noise?” Suddenly, Marian heard a rustling sound behind her and instinctively tensed up.

Leigh perked up, straining to listen.

“Roar!” A fearsome animal’s growl echoed through the trees.

“This is bad. That sounded like a lion, and it must be a big one. I can’t take it; we have to move quickly!” Marian exclaimed as she swiftly stood up, helping Leigh to his feet.

Leigh leaned on her, and they didn’t dare look back. They quickly left their spot, the drone trailing them, proving there was still someone keeping an eye on them.

“Damn it, hurry up and send someone to get us! We’ve already given up the competition!” Marian shouted at the drone, frustration boiling over. No one responded, so she continued guiding Leigh forward.

“Ah… Help!” Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air from behind. It was the four contestants who had been left defenseless after Evangeline broke their limbs, just like them, waiting forever for rescue. By the sounds of it, the lion was launching an attack on them.

Marian’s face went pale. Not daring to linger, she threw Leigh onto her back and sprinted forward.

The screams quickly faded away. Whether they had fainted from terror or had been killed, Marian could only guess, and she feared the worst. Then, she heard the rustling again. ‘Is the lion pursuing us? Hasn’t it just killed those four? Does it only enjoy the thrill of the hunt rather than actually eating its prey?‘ she wondered anxiously.

Panic surged through her, and her legs moved faster than ever, as if she could transform into a whirlwind. She gasped for breath, sweat coating her skin, not daring to stop.

Just then, a group of people appeared ahead. Marian’s eyes lit up; with more people, they might stand a chance against the lion. But her heart sank as she recognized three of them. She quickly turned to escape.

Before she could get far, Norbert dashed in front of her and kicked her hard.

Marian couldn’t dodge while carrying Leigh on her back, and they both tumbled to the ground, Leigh rolling off her.

“Hey, look who it is! The two little dogs of Evangeline,” Norbert said, a smirk playing on his lips. “Did your master ditch you?”

Kent strolled over, mockingly adding, “Why are you running so fast?”

At that moment, the lion caught up behind them. The massive beast paused, startled by their numbers, and stared warily at the group.

A malicious grin swept across Kent’s face as he kicked Leigh forward, sending him tumbling right in front of the lion.

Marian’s heart dropped. “No-” she screamed, desperation evident in her voice.

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