Zhu bolted. Pain exploded through her injuries, but she ignored it and pushed forward.
Behind her, a chilling cry split the air as the predator gave chase.
The forest erupted—animals shrieking warnings to one another.
The predator was hunting its prey. Anything in its path risked a brutal death.
Zhu felt like she was running a steeplechase marathon. She was jumping over roots, wading through puddles, avoiding trees or branches that suddenly popped up before her, and all the while, the voice urged her to run faster.
"Huff, huff, huff"
Zhu's lungs burned; she didn't know how she was still running when she was hurting all over. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through her body giving her an extra push.
"What the hell is chasing me?" Zhu asked to distract herself.
"A Bonecrest Wendle."
"What the hell is that?"
"It's a hulking beast, easily eight feet tall at the shoulder, its fur dark and thick like moss grown over centuries. Fungus clung to its coat in pale patches, pulsing faintly. Bone-white ridges jutted from its spine in a jagged crest that stretched from skull to tail. As it moved, those bony plates trembled, creating that resonant hum you felt in her chest. "
Zhu swallowed hard. Her mouth was dry as ash. "How… how did it find me?"
The entity answered with unsettling calm.
"You are leaking."
"What?! I—what does that even mean?!"
"When I tore your soul, the wound did not fully close. Your life force is seeping out. To a Wendle, that scent is irresistible."
"Your panic, your exhaustion, your pain—each produces a distinct chemical signature."
The entity sounded almost annoyingly analytical, as if giving a lecture.
"But the soul-scent… that is rare. It marks you as dying prey. Easy prey."
Zhu felt her stomach drop.
"So this is partially your fault."
"Correct."
Hearing the calm tone, Zhu rolled her eyes so hard it hurt.
Behind her, the creature cried out in excitement—the sound vibrated through her bones. A heartbeat later, she heard fabric tear. Hot pain flared at the back of her leg as one of the Wendle's claws grazed her.
The predator screeched in fury, frustrated that it had missed fresh meat by mere inches.
Zhu's heart lurched at the sound. Death was behind her—she didn't need to turn to confirm it. One glance would probably get her killed.
"Girl, you have a fifty per cent chance of surviving this," the entity said, maddeningly calm again.
"Well, that's not so bad. I thought being ripped apart by a predator meant zero chance of survival."
"I was not referring to the predator. I was referring to the fall."
Zhu frowned—then nearly tripped over an enormous root. "What fall?"
The instant the words left her mouth, the ground vanished beneath her feet.
Her stomach shot into her throat.
Oh.
That fall.
The bastard had led her straight to a cliff.
A fucking cliff.
She flailed, reaching for anything—branches, vines, a miracle—but her fingers closed on nothing but cold air.
"You fucking bastard! If I survive this, I'm going to kill you!" she screamed inside her head as she plummeted.
"I have no problem with that," it replied pleasantly.
Gravity spun her around, and she came face-to-face with the nightmare she had been running from.
The Wendle stood at the cliff's edge, its milky eyes unseeing yet somehow locked onto her. Its bony crest rattled in agitation. It screeched—a furious, frustrated wail.
After all that effort, its dinner had just gone flying off a cliff.
Zhu spun again. The forest rushed up toward her. She raised her arms instinctively, as if her hands could soften the world-shattering impact.
She slammed hard into the top of a massive oak tree, and branches poked at her as she tumbled downward. The forest swallowed her whole, snuffing out what little sunlight remained.
Branches whipped past her.
Thick vines snapped against her skin.
Ferns slapped her face.
One heavy branch caught her in the ribs, knocking the air from her lungs—but slowing her descent. She crashed through another tangle, then another, until finally her body was caught and suspended in a web of vines.
She hung there, swinging gently. For a long moment, she couldn't move.
Then Zhu started laughing.
Loudly. Wildly.
Like a woman who had absolutely lost her mind.
Her laughter was unhinged, echoing through the trees.
"Hahaha… HAHAHA—"
"Girl, it is best that you be quiet. You may attract more predators," the voice warned.
Instead of stopping, Zhu laughed harder, sounding every bit like someone who had finally snapped.
"This is it! This is the worst day in the history of all mankind!"
Her laughter grew increasingly manic.
"Girl, please stop being hysterical. The calmer you are, the more level-headed you will become."
"Of course I'm hysterical! After the day I've had, who wouldn't be?!"
Zhu looked up at the dark canopy above her. The path of her fall was marked by snapped branches and smears of her own blood. A heavy despair rose in her throat.
"I'm surprised I lasted this long," she said, voice trembling. "Sold off to be an old man's plaything, nearly raped, drowned, almost eaten by a monster, and then I survive falling off a cliff. A whole goddamn cliff!"
She struggled to breathe—laughter and tears tangling together in her chest.
"Given the situation, it is reasonable to become hysterical," the voice admitted. "However, such a state is not one you can afford to remain in. Besides, your situation could be much worse."
Zhu let out a shaky breath. "…That's true. I could still be with my dear husband."
The bitter joke helped her settle. She took several long breaths, grounding herself. She remembered her vow—revenge on every person who wronged her today. She would not die here. Not yet.
Sensing her regained resolve, the voice continued. "Girl, there is a mission you must complete before you rest. My strength is the only thing keeping you moving. Your internal injuries are severe. You need medical attention."
"Oh really? Never would've guessed," she muttered. "I feel as fresh as a daisy."
"Your sarcasm is noted," the voice said flatly. "As I was saying—there are no services available to you at the moment—"
"Oh no, really? Hard to tell, considering we're OBVIOUSLY at a five-star resort and not dangling from vines in a cursed jungle."
"I attribute your crankiness to physical exhaustion and psychosocial distress," the entity replied calmly. "Regardless, before I lead you somewhere safe to sleep, you must gather ingredients that will stabilise your condition."
Zhu rolled her eyes. "Why are you so long-winded? You could've just said the last part. Must you deliver a whole lecture first?"
"I am how I am."
"Mmhmm." Zhu groaned as she began detangling herself from the vines. She was dangling a few feet off the ground, suspended in an uncomfortable knot of greenery. She found a longer vine and tried to brace herself to climb down. "Tell me something—can't your power help with the pain?"
"They could," the voice confirmed.
Zhu waited. And waited. When it became clear the voice wasn't going to elaborate, she snapped, "So why don't you?" Frustration sharpened every word. The voice was always eager to explain irrelevant nonsense, yet conveniently silent about life-or-death issues like predators or cliffs.
"My powers are limited right now," the voice said calmly. "They are being used to keep you functional—preventing you from bleeding out or having your organs rupture. But if you wish, I could stop doing that and block your pain receptors. You would simply die within the hour."
Zhu rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. "Fine. What ingredients?"
"One hundred-year-old ginseng, a Purple Bayleaf Sunflower, and water from the Rushing Springs."
"I have no idea what any of those are."
"Obviously. But do not worry. Most of the ingredients are in this part of the forest. However, you will have difficulty acquiring the sunflower."
"Why?"
"Because they are zealously guarded by Censortins in one of the few clear meadows nearby."
"Oh, bother…" Zhu muttered.
Even with her limited knowledge, she knew exactly what Censortins were—tiny forest pests capable of leaving the Hollowvail for short periods. They travelled in mischievous little swarms, stealing shiny trinkets, sweets, and even flowers. Townspeople complained endlessly, but since Censortins helped replenish ambient mana, no one dared eradicate them.
"Censortins are nasty little things," Zhu said.
"Indeed. But I have a plan."
The voice didn't elaborate.
"…And what is the plan?" she asked irritably.
"My apologies. I was giving you time to get down from the vines. Our chatter appears to be distracting you."
Thwack.
The vines snapped clean through.
Zhu plummeted and hit the forest floor with a heavy thump.