Chapter 974 Eliminated Without Mercy
The L2 Mystic Realm Command Center was abuzz with tension as Surman filed a formal complaint with the competition's committee against Rattlesnake Special Forces for violating the rules.
Meanwhile, the enforcement team issued a warning to the commander-in-chief of Vailia's Rattlesnake Special Forces, ordering him to instruct Nester, their front-line commander, to cease further harassment of the Peacock Kingdom's Wild Wolf Special Forces. Frustrated, Nester admitted, "At this rate, they won't even make it through Area Two. Their elimination is inevitable."
Vailia's command center reluctantly accepted the grim reality. Rattlesnake Special Forces were filled with regret. According to this year's competition format, they had a chance to secure a respectable ranking based on their physical endurance. Yet, they fell prey to the instigation of Peacock Kingdom's Wild Wolf Special Forces, choosing to target Dragon Soul instead.
This reckless move drained their supplies prematurely. Now, it was impossible for them to sustain themselves to the summit.
As things stood, Dragon Soul Special Forces, along with Peacock Kingdom's Wild Wolf Special Forces, Sakuranian Special Forces, and Autreynia's team, had already reached the mountain's peak. Left with no options, Rattlesnake Special Forces withdrew from the competition in defeat.
Beyond the mountain in Area Two lay a river, followed by the mysterious forest of Area Three. Out of the initial 80 teams, fewer than half remained.
Area Three was a harsh, primal forest, where freezing temperatures and fierce predators roamed. The Mystic Realm system had concealed each team's energy supplies and provisions in well-hidden locations, often guarded by dangerous beasts. It was almost guaranteed that retrieving these supplies would lead to a deadly encounter.
Talia, who had arrived early, had already completed her assigned tasks and had been waiting for some time. Robin's calculations had accurately predicted that Rattlesnake Special Forces, with their lack of strength and underhanded tactics, would fail to reach Area Three. Acting preemptively, Talia retrieved their energy supplies and water reserves, relocating them to Dragon Soul's designated area.
As Talia exited the area formerly occupied by Rattlesnake Special Forces, she spotted members of other teams arriving. These groups, acting on intel from their command centers, had finally made their way to the location, but they were too late.
Talia transported all the supplies to a cave on a nearby hill. Once everything was secured, she sent the coordinates to Gavin and Freya. Just as she settled in to rest, her instincts kicked in a faint rustling sound caught her attention. She froze as two massive pythons, each nearly 30 feet long and as thick as a grown man's arm, slithered silently toward her from both sides of the cave.
Her heart raced. The cave's narrow confines left her with no choice. If she wanted to escape, she would need to kill the snakes. Yet, the odds of successfully taking down both predators in such a space were slim. Death seemed almost certain if she failed. Talia drew her dagger, bracing herself for the inevitable. However, as she observed the pythons more closely, she noticed something peculiar: their eyes lacked focus, and their movements were guided purely by scent and sound.
After a tense moment of observation, Talia realized the pythons had been drawn to the scent of canned beef from the energy supplies. The two beasts slithered rapidly toward the source of the aroma.
Talia held her breath, panic tightening her chest. The canned beef was stacked right in front of her. After all the struggles she had endured to hide these supplies, the thought of losing them to the ravenous pythons was unbearable.
In a flash of desperation, she reached for a survival spray she had packed for emergencies. The spray emitted a sharp, unpleasant scent. Without hesitation, Talia doused the canned beef with it, hoping to repel the pythons before it was too late. The giant pythons froze in place.
One of the monstrous snakes stopped directly in front of Talia, its gaping jaws terrifyingly close to her face.
Talia's heart nearly stopped. She held her breath, desperately trying to avoid detection by the two blind pythons.
The standoff lasted for a full two minutes. The snakes continued sniffing around her, searching for the scent of the beef cans they'd initially detected.
When one python's head moved slightly away, Talia seized the opportunity. She quietly opened a can of beef and rolled it toward the cave entrance. The rich aroma quickly filled the air.
The pythons lingered around her for a few more moments, then began slithering toward the cave entrance, following the scent of the beef.
With the immediate danger diverted, Talia swiftly reorganized her energy supplies and buried them under a pile of dried grass in the cave.
Just then, faint footsteps echoed closer.
Talia quickly moved to a shadowy corner of the cave.
Peering toward the source of the sound, she spotted two members of the Wild Wolf Special Forces sneaking toward the cave. Their furtive movements suggested they had caught the scent of the beef cans and followed it here.
It was clear the Wild Wolf Special Forces intended to infiltrate the Dragon Soul territory and steal its energy supplies. They had likely searched the Rattlesnake Team's area, found nothing, and then ventured here.
Talia immediately reported the situation to Robin, emphasizing the presence of the pythons.
She proposed using the pythons to deal with the two would-be thieves, and Robin approved the plan.
The footsteps grew louder.
Talia opened another can of beef and tossed it toward the two approaching Wild Wolf members.
The men, drawn by the sound and scent, quickly entered the cave. Spotting the scattered beef cans, they crouched down to grab them.
Before they could react, the two pythons lunged with lightning speed.
The snakes struck before the Wild Wolf members could put up a fight, devouring them whole. The men's screams of agony echoed through the dense forest, turning the atmosphere chillingly sinister. The horrific cries alerted members of other teams who had already reached Area Three.
Hearing the screams, Gavin, Freya, and the rest of the Dragon Soul Special Forces immediately rushed toward the cave with their teammates.
Meanwhile, the remaining Wild Wolf Special Forces members recognized the voices of their comrades and sensed disaster. They hurried to the scene, accompanied by members of
Demberoa's Crocodile Sembers of
Forces, Sakurania's Blackforest Special Forces, Autreynia's SEAL Team, and other competitors
passing through the area.
When they arrived, they witnessed the aftermath. The Wild Wolf members had been torn apart by the pythons, leaving behind only scraps of shredded clothing and scattered strands of hair.
As Talia carefully carried the
supplies and bypassed the pythons to rejoin the Dragon Soul team, the remaining, Wild Wolf members charged forward, shouting furiously, "You're monsters! You stood by and watched while our teammates were devoured by those snakes and did nothing to help!" noveldrama
Gavin snorted coldly. "Your teammates trespassed into our territory, got themselves killed by the pythons, and now you're blaming us for not intervening?"
He stepped forward, his voice sharp.
"Let me ask you this: when two of your men couldn't fight off the pythons, how was one woman from our team supposed to stand a chance? Were we supposed to risk our people's lives to save thieves who infiltrated our territory?"
Turning to his team, Gavin barked, "Maverick, Brendon, Catherine, Ernest, prepare for combat. Anyone who dares obstruct our progress will be eliminated without mercy!"
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