Chapter 23: The Dangerous Test of the Poisonous River
In the previous chapter, Ali and his companions made a courageous decision to cross the poisonous river.
But will they be able to overcome this deadly challenge?
Let's find out...
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Ali and his companions were fully prepared to cross the poisonous river. They had applied the mysterious potion to their weapons, slightly increasing their chances of survival.
As they approached the river, Ali asked the mysterious old man,
"What do we do next? I hope we don't make any mistakes!"
The mysterious old man replied,
"We need to press the button on that pillar standing by the riverbank, which will reveal a secret bridge!"
Sheikh Hamza said worriedly,
"But going to the riverbank is not without danger...!"
The old man replied,
"I know it can be dangerous, but we have no other choice!"
Ali and the others looked toward the river. The good thing was that no dangerous creatures were visible at that moment.
Noticing this, the old man said,
"Look, there are no poisonous creatures on the surface right now. Maybe they are resting underwater. We should take advantage of this opportunity!"
Ali agreed,
"Yes, you are right. This is a good opportunity!"
Sheikh Hamza asked the old man,
"But the question is—who will be brave enough to go to that pillar and press the button?"
The old man replied,
"We must move slowly and quietly, so there's no noise. Otherwise, those creatures will attack us!"
Junaid expressed his concern,
"But who will go there?"
The old man said,
"Don't worry about that. I will go myself to avoid any mistakes!"
Ali immediately said,
"If you say so, I will go!"
The old man shook his head and said,
"No, Ali. Speed and agility are needed there. You don't have that pace yet, so I will go!"
Ali took a deep breath and said,
"If you are going, please be cautious!"
After that, the mysterious old man moved forward to press the button on the pillar near the riverbank.
Taking slow and steady steps, he reached closer to the river. As he moved forward, his heartbeat grew faster. Sweat formed on his forehead, but his determination remained firm.
The old man took a deep breath and slowly advanced toward the pillar.
His heartbeat raced with every step. It felt as if someone was watching him. He glanced around cautiously and, without hesitation, pressed the button.
"Boom!"
A loud sound echoed, and a strange vibration rippled across the river. Gradually, a mysterious bridge began to rise from within the water.
But what was this! As soon as the bridge appeared, the river water started surging. Suddenly, the water stirred. Bubbles erupted.
Then came a terrifying "Grrrr!"
A massive crocodile leaped out of the water with lightning speed!
Its glowing red eyes burned with fury, and saliva dripped from its open jaws.
Its claws dug into the ground—ready to attack!
At the same time, a black poisonous snake slithered rapidly toward them.
Suddenly, both the crocodile and the snake lunged at the old man.
But the old man wasn't easy to catch! Just as the crocodile and snake gained momentum to pounce on him, the old man swiftly returned to Ali and the others.
But what was this!
The snake and the crocodile, now out of the river, started charging at Ali and the rest, ready to attack!
Junaid spoke in a panic,
"Ali, what is this... They're coming toward us!"
Ali asked the old man,
"What should we do in this tough situation?"
The old man thought for a moment and then said,
"We'll stay in pairs! I will be with Sheikh Hamza, and Ali and Junaid will be the other pair!"
By that time, the crocodile and snake had come dangerously close.
The old man shouted,
"Run, but keep helping each other!"
After that, Ali and Junaid ran to the right, while the old man and Sheikh Hamza moved to the left. The crocodile and snake chased after Ali and Junaid.
Junaid spoke in fear,
"Ali, they're following us!"
Ali said seriously,
"Junaid, get your wooden stick ready. I'll fight them with my iron rod!"
Just then, Sheikh Hamza and the mysterious old man arrived from behind.
The crocodile turned its mouth towards the old man and Sheikh Hamza to attack, while the deadly snake faced Ali and Junaid.
The mysterious old man shouted,
"Ali! Stay strong, you and Junaid fight that snake while I and Sheikh Hamza deal with the crocodile!"
In just a few moments, the snake reached them and lunged at Ali with lightning speed.
The snake struck like a flash! Ali ducked instantly—swung his stick—"Thud!" A direct hit to the snake's head!
"Thud!"
The snake flew towards a tree and couldn't move.
The old man's special potion on the stick worked—any creature struck would remain stuck where it fell.
Ali and Junaid had defeated the snake!
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamza and the old man were battling the crocodile. The crocodile was incredibly powerful.
The old man noticed that the crocodile's hind legs seemed weak. He signaled Sheikh Hamza.
Hamza struck the crocodile's leg from behind—
"Thud!"
The beast lost its balance and fell. At that moment, the old man grabbed the crocodile's tail with all his might.
Simultaneously, Sheikh Hamza and Ali struck from behind with the sword and iron rod.
Sheikh Hamza's sword also had the same potion applied.
As soon as the sword struck the crocodile, it immediately collapsed and became unable to move.
Now both the snake and the crocodile lay helpless.
The old man smiled and said,
"Well done, Ali and Junaid! We have defeated the most dangerous creatures of this poisonous river!"
Junaid pointed toward the bridge and said,
"Now there should be no problem crossing!"
The old man warned,
"We shouldn't waste any time. Before they regain their strength, we must cross the bridge!"
Sheikh Hamza nodded in agreement,
"Absolutely right! We must leave immediately!"
After that, Ali and the rest reached the edge of the poisonous river.
In front of them stood the mysterious bridge that had appeared when the button was pressed.
Now the big question was—
Will Ali and his companions cross the bridge safely?
Will they finally discover the hideout of Ameer Taahir?
To find out, read the next chapter...
Chapter 24 ...
To be Continued....