He could only pack one egg swiftly, then the other. With a stony expression, he came to Paige Summers's side, handed her a blue bag, and took a dark green one for himself. Then he walked away without looking back.
'Does he really think I don't know?'
Paige Summers looked at the bag in her hand, with absolutely no intention of running south as planned.
'If I still don't get it by now, how stupid would I have to be!'
'It wasn't that I didn't know they were looking for cannon fodder, but did they have to be so crude about it! There's zero finesse. Are they underestimating my intelligence?!'
'The south or west must be the direction the Mutant Beast is coming back from. Once it catches this scent, it'll come straight for me, ready for a fight to the death. With my speed, I might not get killed instantly, which is just the right amount of time for Blue to make a clean getaway with the egg…'
'And what was that about having backup? In reality, there's no one here for me at all, is there! Even if reinforcements do show up, it'll only be because the Hunting Party wants to take out both me and the beast. They'll wait until I've worn the Mutant Beast down—and most likely after I'm already dead in its jaws!'
'This is... not an ideal situation.'
While these thoughts ran through her head, Paige Summers had already slung the bag over her shoulder, singled out the tallest tree, and begun to climb.
Waiting around to die wasn't her style, but running straight for the rendezvous point was even less wise. Even if she succeeded in leading the beast to them, the Hunting Party would inevitably suffer heavy losses. What they would do to her after that was self-evident.
'So the only option is to save myself!'
Paige Summers didn't feel betrayed. This was because, from the very beginning, she had never considered the members of the Hunting Party her companions. 'Since we aren't comrades, just using each other, I'll just consider this a ride I hitched.'
Her right arm was incredibly strong, so she easily climbed halfway up the massive tree. She sat on a wide branch, completely unafraid of falling.
She opened the bag and wiped all the mud off the egg, then gave it a couple of gentle shakes.
'Huh, it's not a fake egg! But... this probably isn't the egg from the Mutant Beast they're so desperate for…'
After thinking for a moment, she put the egg back into the bag.
Just then, a long, drawn-out roar echoed from the distance. The sheer power behind it suggested an unstoppable force, ready to tear down anything in its path.
'Looks like the Beast-Mom knows her baby is missing.'
Paige Summers moved even faster. She tied the bag to a branch and slid down the trunk in a flash. As the roars grew closer, becoming deafening, she scrambled up the leafy tree on the opposite side with unprecedented speed, all in one burst of motion.
Before she had a chance to hide herself among the branches, the roar was practically on top of her.
It was a... creature that looked like a cross between a lion and a tiger. A mane on a tiger's head... To be honest, it wasn't a pretty sight. It was like someone had clumsily stuck a cat's head on a dog's body; the overwhelming impression Paige Summers got was one of jarring mismatch.
Paige Summers watched as it ducked into its cave and shot back out, roaring furiously before charging straight for the tree where the egg was hidden. Her nerves were stretched taut. Crossbow in hand, she took a stance, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
If it weren't for her trembling hands, her reaction would have been perfect.
Yes, she was afraid.
It was no normal animal; that much was obvious at a glance.
It stood nearly as tall as Paige Summers herself. Its eyes were bloodshot with rage, and ferocious, boar-like tusks protruded from its gaping maw, from which foul-smelling drool dripped. It couldn't climb, but when it slammed a paw against the tree, even the trunk—as thick as a millstone—began to shake violently…
Luckily, she had tied the bag on tightly, so while it swung back and forth, it held on and didn't fall. As for how much longer the tree could withstand the assault, it was hard to say.
Paige Summers instinctively took a deep breath to steady herself.
Unexpectedly, the Mutant Beast was incredibly perceptive. Even in its rage, its wide eyes shot a sharp glare in her direction. Only after she instantly held her breath did it turn away and go back to battering the tree.
Paige Summers gripped her Crossbow, finally managing to calm herself somewhat. It was then that she realized a major problem.
The Mutant Beast was positioned with its rear end aimed directly at her.
'So much for a vital spot.'
'Even though the Poisonous Liquid is powerful, I have zero experience fighting a Mutant Beast this big. Hitting a vital spot is definitely the safer bet!'
'But now…'
She stared at the Mutant Beast's violently thrashing tail, and a thought popped into her head. 'Is that... its butthole under there? Could that count as a vital spot?' The image of a direct hit to its rear end, followed by a world of pain, was incredibly crude. But bizarrely, the thought calmed her nerves.
Slowly, gently, she exhaled a breath heavy with tension and fear. Then, Paige Summers realized what the real problem was.
The distance was too great for a wooden arrow.
A wooden arrow was too light. Even with the Crossbow's excellent firing power, there was no guarantee it wouldn't veer off course. 'The safest bet is to get lower,' she thought, 'and cut the distance by at least half!'
'I have no choice. I have to risk it!'
Once she made the decision, her mind grew sharper, and she quickly devised a plan.
She reached back and pulled a rope from her backpack.
She estimated its length, tied one end around her waist, and looped the other over a sturdy branch, catching it as it fell.
She was currently about ten meters off the ground, and the rope was roughly the same length. That meant she could lower herself by at least half that distance. The Mutant Beast was bound to notice her. It would turn and charge. Its first leap wouldn't be able to reach her, but the second one would be a sure thing.
'So, I only have one chance, in that single moment!'
'To give the Poisonous Liquid time to work, I have to hit its vital spot before it pounces!'