Evelyn stopped running, relieved to see Collins lying unconscious on the ground. She pointed toward Number Three, her voice firm. "Take him to a safe place. Restrain him. Do not let him escape." She turned to Number Two, "Go and help Vivian in any way you can."
Both nodded in understanding. Number Three lifted Collins' limp form onto his shoulder and sprinted away, while Number Two dashed in the direction where Vivian was last seen. Evelyn let out a huge sigh of relief. "Finally, some peace," she muttered to herself. "I have to find Elena." Drawing on her training, she leapt up onto the nearest branch, climbing quickly to the top of the tree to scan the area. In the distance, Elena's massive vine-woven giant stood still and unmoving. "Is she okay?" Evelyn murmured. Without wasting a second, she dropped to the ground with a thud and broke into a sprint toward Elena's giant form.
Halfway there, Evelyn's foot suddenly caught in a hidden trap. Her leg was immobilized, rooted in place by the Manager's ability. Before she could react, another trap was triggered—a log tied to a rope swung toward her. She raised her arms, attempting to block it, but the impact threw her backward, freeing her leg from the trap but leaving her bruised. Groaning, she pushed herself up to a sitting position, her arms trembling from the blow. Taking a few steadying breaths, she muttered, "I forgot about the traps." Using a nearby tree for support, she slowly rose, starting with a light jog that gradually turned into a sprint.
Minutes later, Evelyn saw Vivian, Number Two, and Caleb locked in an intense battle. Caleb was fully focused on fighting Vivian, while Number Two assisted her as best he could. Pausing to catch her breath, Evelyn watched Caleb force Vivian back by detonating a bubble next to her, sending her off-balance. Vivian quickly stabilized herself with her wind ability, but Caleb took the opportunity to shift his attention to Number Two, forcing him to retreat, leaping from branch to branch and luring Caleb away from the girls.
Vivian spotted Evelyn out of the corner of her eye and quickly approached her. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, noticing Evelyn's heavy breathing. Evelyn managed a nod, still gasping for air. "Yeah. Yes. I'm okay."
Vivian's brows furrowed. "Where are you going? Everyone's supposed to be heading that way." She pointed in the opposite direction toward the finish area.
Taking a deep breath, Evelyn asked, "Have you heard from Elena?"
Vivian shook her head, confused. "No. Is there a problem?"
"After she dealt with Collins' wooden giant, I have no idea where she went. I'm hoping to find her near her giant." Evelyn pointed to the still, towering figure in the distance.
Vivian stepped forward, "Let me come with you."
Evelyn shook her head, urgency flashing in her eyes. "No. Number Two won't be able to defeat Caleb alone."
"Who?" Vivian looked puzzled.
Realizing she was giving too much away about her abilities, Evelyn hesitated. "Just... just go and help him. I'll find Elena and we'll meet at the finish area."
"Okay, be careful," Vivian said, giving Evelyn one last look before flying off after Caleb and Number Two.
Evelyn watched her sister disappear into the trees, then resumed her sprint. After several minutes, she finally reached the foot of Elena's giant. She stepped back a few paces, taking in the towering figure covered in thorny vines. "How am I going to get up there?" she wondered aloud. Approaching the base, she examined the vines, noting with some irony the sharp thorns covering them.
"Of course," she sighed. "I hope these thorns don't have any sedatives." Steeling herself, she gripped the vines tightly, feeling the sharp sting of the thorns pressing into her palms. Gritting her teeth, she began climbing, enduring the pain as best she could. Minutes passed as she painstakingly scaled the giant, and finally, exhausted and aching, she reached the shoulder. Surveying the forest below, she took a deep breath, letting out a small, victorious cheer for her achievement.
YOU ARE READING
Heroes of Veridia
Action*New chapter every two days. Third day if I'm lazy. Fathered by a notorious crime lord and trained by a legendary assassin, Evelyn is determined to cleanse Veridia of its deep-rooted corruption. But with her own father standing as one of the key fig...
