Chapter 1526

[ 635 words ]

If they tried to wade through the water now, the piranhas would catch the scent of their wounds and swarm them instantly.

Some of their protective gear had already been torn to shreds by the wolves, leaving them horrifyingly exposed.

The only viable option was to build a bridge.

“Constructing a bridge is going to burn too much daylight,” Silas noted, his brow furrowing in frustration.

Miller clapped his hands together with a grin. “It doesn’t need to be an engineering marvel. We just fell a massive tree, and we’re good to go.”

“The water isn’t that deep anyway.”

“We drop a trunk straight across and use it as a walkway.”

The stream was relatively narrow. Any of the towering ancient trees lining the bank would easily span the distance.

Under the circumstances, it was a flawless plan.

Without wasting a second, Miller’s tactical squad got to work, proving their elite field engineering skills.

When it came to wilderness demolition, they were absolute professionals.

Minutes later, a colossal tree groaned and crashed down over the water.

Because they had calculated the angle perfectly, it landed exactly where they needed it!

Although a portion of the trunk was submerged, as long as they sprinted across, the piranhas wouldn’t be able to catch them.

With the makeshift bridge secured, the team began the terrifying crossing.

Claire’s group went first. They weren’t the fastest, but the bark was still relatively dry, providing decent traction.

For the men crossing later, the slick, wet wood made every step a nightmare.

Zeke had been in the first group to cross.

Once safely on the other side, he began scanning the dense foliage.

“When I came through here last time, I think I took this route… I can’t be entirely sure anymore.”

If Zeke had moved with unwavering certainty, Silas might have suspected him even

more.

But seeing the local guide genuinely disoriented made Silas second-guess his own paranoia.

“Let’s try heading this way. I remember passing a massive dead tree around here last time.”

“Watch out!” a voice barked, right as Zeke took a step.

Zeke jumped out of his skin, looking up just in time to see a speckled viper inches from his face.

A tactical combat knife was buried deep into the snake’s skull, pinning it to the trunk.

The man who had shouted the warning was Silas, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the guide for a second.

Zeke clutched his chest, hyperventilating. “Captain Carl, thank you! You just saved my life!”

“These snakes are highly venomous and blend perfectly with the bark. By the time you spot them, you’re already dead.”

“My neighbor’s dad died from a bite just like that right here in The Aila Highlands.”

The horrifying memory of the neighbor’s agonizing death made Zeke shudder violently.

If that blade hadn’t pinned the viper, he would have been the one convulsing on the forest floor.

A bite in this wilderness was a guaranteed death sentence.

Let

The Aila Highlands was teeming with nightmares. It wasn’t just the predators, even the smallest insect could inject a lethal neurotoxin.

From that moment on, the entire squad moved with agonizing caution.

They followed the stream, hacking their way upstream through the overgrowth.

The terrain grew increasingly unforgiving. With zero footpaths, they had to carve their way through solid walls of vegetation.

Their machetes were chipped and

blunted Shortly after, one set

took a vicious bug bite to the scalp, and another was poisoned by a massive spider.

Everyone was practically bathing in Claire’s bug repellent.

It worked flawlessly against normal pests.

But it couldn’t stop the horrors dropping directly from the canopy onto their heads

and down their collars. It was an unwinnable battle.

Thankfully having Claire and Elias

on hand was a lifesaver The two medical prodigies quickly neutralized the toxins and patched the men up.

When it came to detoxification, Claire was a master.

Usually, the antidote to local venom grew within a few feet of the creature itself.

Once the toxins were flushed from their systems, the rest were just flesh wounds.

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