Hank gestured toward the other Crimson Lizard carcass."Come on, get to work. You carry that one, I'll tie it up for you."
Ryan walked over to the second Crimson Lizard carcass and tried to lift it, but the body was unexpectedly heavy—he couldn't even budge it.
Panting, he asked, "How… how much does this thing weigh?"
Hank barely spared him a glance. "Eh, a little over two hundred kilos. Give or take."
"What?! There's no way I can carry this!" Ryan blurted out.
He stole another glance at Hank—already hauling a Crimson Lizard carcass on his back like it was nothing. Unreal.
Hank shot him a look, just as stunned. He frowned. "Wait… you're not an Enhancer?"
Ryan shook his head, confused. "What's an Enhancer?"
Hank's brow furrowed deeper, his tone laced with mockery. "You seriously don't know? Where the hell did you crawl out from?"
"I…" Ryan fumbled for an excuse when a guard's sharp shout cut through the air from the wall. "Quit dawdling!"
Hank shot Ryan a look, then turned to Jeb and called out, "Jeb, you take it."
Jeb had just finished gathering the last of the arrows. He shot Hank an annoyed look but didn't argue.
Without a word, he walked over, shoved the bundled arrows into Ryan's arms, and slung the Crimson Lizard onto his back.
Ryan's eyes widened. Jeb didn't make it look as effortless as Hank, but he still carried the massive carcass with surprising steadiness.
Jeb grabbed the rope ladder and began climbing up the wall. Suddenly, a guard shouted from above, "Hurry! A wildbeast is approaching!"
Ryan and Hank were utterly shocked but immediately ran toward the base of the wall. They had barely taken a few steps when a monstrous figure leaped from the distance, blocking their path.
"A Galebeast!" Hank exclaimed in surprise.
Ryan's heart shuddered as he got a clear look at the Galebeast. It resembled a black panther, but its body was covered in black scales, giving it a streamlined and agile appearance.
Its eyes glowed like cold blue gemstones, radiating an icy, predatory gaze.
Its limbs were muscular and powerful, each muscle seeming chiseled from stone, while its claws gleamed with deadly sharpness, reflecting the light like razors. Its long, flexible tail swished through the air, stirring up a faint breeze with every motion.
The Galebeast crouched low, its body coiled like a spring, ready to explode into action at any moment. It looked as though it could transform into a black lightning bolt, striking with deadly precision.
Before Ryan could react, the Galebeast lunged. It closed the distance in a flash, its claws carving deep gouges into the ground as it charged straight at him.
In that split second, Ryan could see every detail of the beast's gaping maw, its black fangs glinting with a menacing light.
A wave of terror washed over him, freezing him in place. The stench of the creature's breath hit him like a wall, making it hard to breathe.
The Galebeast's claws sliced through the air with a sharp, tearing sound, and time seemed to slow to a crawl.
A single thought flashed through Ryan's mind: i'm going to die.
Just as despair threatened to consume him, Hank burst forward like a bolt of lightning, slamming into Ryan and knocking him out of the way.
The Galebeast's claws grazed Hank's shoulder, tearing through flesh and sending a spray of blood into the air. The metallic tang of blood filled the air as Hank grunted in pain, but he stood his ground, shielding Ryan without hesitation.
Ryan was sent sprawling to the ground, his arrows scattering across the earth.
The Galebeast, enraged by its prey escaping, let out an ear-splitting roar.
It swiftly turned on Hank, its glowing eyes filled with fury.
Its claws scraped across the earth, carving deep grooves, as it prepared to pounce again.
Just then,a sharp whistle split the air. THWIP!
And an arrow streaked past, embedding itself into the dirt just inches from the Galebeast's snout, kicking up a spray of dust.
The Galebeast recoiled, its head snapping around as it scanned its surroundings.
Hard on its heels, more arrows followed in quick succession, flying with unerring precision toward the Galebeast.
The Galebeast twisted and rolled across the barren land, narrowly avoiding most of the projectiles, though a few still grazed its scales without causing serious harm.
Sensing the threat, the Galebeast abandoned its pursuit of Hank and Ryan.
With a final, furious snarl, it leaped into the distance, its massive form streaking across the plains. Within seconds, it vanished into the low brush of the wasteland, blending into the darkness that surrounded it.
Ryan stared at the fading silhouette of the Galebeast, his pulse still racing.
That was too damn close—his first real brush with death in this cursed world. He sucked in ragged breaths, willing his hands to stop trembling, but the shaking only worsened, fingers twitching like wounded birds.
Slowly, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing the countdown on his forearm.
What had once been nearly an hour had now dwindled to less than thirty minutes.
[Survive to Return: 00:26:43]
Ryan stared at the words. Survive to return. They curdled in his throat—what a cruel fucking joke.
He'd thought one hour would fly by—he'd be home in no time. But reality was far crueler than he had imagined.
From the Crimson Lizards to the Galebeast, every moment had been a fight to stay alive.
Every second in this hellhole was a fight to stay alive.
Now, with less than thirty minutes remaining, could he really make it? Would he actually last long enough to return home? At that moment, a single thought filled his mind—I just want to go home.
Hank walked over and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, man. It's over. The damn thing ran off."
Ryan's gaze fixed on the deep gashes across Hank's shoulder, blood seeping through the torn fabric.
His stomach knotted with guilt and gratitude. "I… I don't even know what to say. If you hadn't—" He swallowed hard, forcing in a steadying breath. "That wound looks bad. You alright?"
Hank grinned, waving off the concern. "Just a scratch.Come on,we're moving."
Ryan took a steadying breath and looked down at the scattered arrows—some knocked loose when Hank barreled into him, others freshly fired.
Gathering the scattered arrows, Ryan bound them hastily with twine.
Hank headed for the rope ladder, then turned back to signal Ryan. Even with the weight of the crimson lizard's corpse on his back and blood still trickling from his shoulder, his steps remained steady, his climb unfaltering.
Ryan clamped the arrow bundle tightly under his arm, ascending the ladder one-handed.
Each step landed with deliberate precision, his boots meeting the wooden rungs with solid thuds.
Finally, they reached the top of the wall. Hank swung himself over first, then reached back, grabbing Ryan's arm and helping him up.
Ryan set down the bundled arrows with a grunt, rolling his stiff shoulders as the weight lifted.
Hank's gaze flicked to the second crimson lizard corpse—Jeb had already hauled it up. Without hesitation, he strode over.
Loosening the ropes, he prepared to carefully lower the Crimson Lizard's carcass from his back—but the sharp pain in his injured shoulder made his grip faltered, and the weight shifted uncontrollably—before he could react, the heavy carcass tumbled onto the stone walkway with a dull thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The abrupt crash made the guards flinch. One of them let out a sharp curse. "Trying to give us a damn heart attack?"
"Sorry about that," Hank said sincerely.
One of the guards rolled his eyes and tossed him a bottle of salve. "Patch yourself up. Then clean the damn wall."
Hank caught the bottle and grinned. "Appreciate it."
Ryan stood off to the side, realizing that if not for the guards' timely arrows, the Galebeast might have torn them apart.
He looked up at them and said sincerely, "Thanks for saving our asses back there."
One of the guards barely spared him a glance before replying flatly, "That's our job. Now your job is to clean up the wall."