Chapter 416 [Free]

The flesh was already reddening, but he watched closely to see if it would darken. If the area began to turn black, it meant the poison was fast-acting and deadly. But if the color remained the same, then it was likely a nerve toxin meant to paralyze temporarily.

He prayed for the latter.

If it were only a numbing poison, time would heal him.

But if it was the deadly kind... without an antidote, they were doomed.

The elderly man worked quickly as the mule cart jolted along the uneven path. He drew his dagger and carefully widened the wound to let the poison bleed out. His hands trembled, not just from the rough shaking of the cart, but from the mounting fear pressing on his chest.

Then, another young warrior was suddenly tossed into the cart by Mary. The old man flinched, his heartbeat quickening as the cart lurched again. The sight of another wounded youth only deepened his unease, but he forced himself to focus, gripping the dagger tighter as he continued his desperate work.

"Old man, what are you waiting for?!" an elderly woman snapped as she pushed past him to make room for herself. Seeing his hesitation, she snatched the dagger from his trembling hand without a second thought. With practiced precision, she cut a clean incision over the young man’s thigh, allowing the blood to flow freely.

As the crimson liquid seeped out, everyone watched anxiously, but there was no blackening of the flesh, no swelling or rash, and no sign of inflammation spreading around the wound. Relief flickered briefly across the woman’s face; at least for now, it didn’t seem to be a deadly poison.

"This isn’t a deadly poison, it’s a sedative," the elderly woman muttered, her brows furrowing deeply. "It’s meant to paralyze and knock out the target. Hunters often use this kind of toxin to keep their prey alive longer, so they can consume it slowly."

"Because once a creature dies, the meat spoils quickly if not cooked right away." Her voice dropped lower and became grim. "But for it to be used on us... that means we’re either being tested by another species that’s breached our kingdom’s territory, or we’re dealing with humanoid monsters. Possibly goblins... or gremlins."

Her words sent a chill down everyone’s spine. Even Mary, who was running not far from the mule cart, heard her serious murmurs.

By now, three young warriors had already been struck by the same poisoned darts, and a few of the animals were hit as well, and those animals were currently being dragged along by the other animals tied together with them, because no one wanted to leave them.

But if this went on, the caravan wouldn’t be able to move much farther... not unless they made the hard choice to cut the incapacitated animals loose and leave them behind.

"Miss Mary, look! I think there’s a clearing up ahead!" one of the coachmen shouted from the front wagon.

Mary immediately sprinted forward, her sharp eyes scanning the path ahead, and sure enough, there was an open clearing just beyond the treeline.

"Run! Faster!" she ordered through the mindlink, her tone sharp and commanding. "Don’t stop, no matter what!" Her senses were on high alert, but she still couldn’t pinpoint where the attackers were hiding.

Every movement she made was calculated; she couldn’t afford to stray too far from the caravan, or the others would be left vulnerable to be ambushed.

Although Mary could sense that their enemies were trailing them from behind, every time she turned around, she saw nothing, no movement, no shadow, nothing but the rustling of leaves. The fact that she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of them made her even more frustrated. Whoever they were, they were skilled at concealing themselves.

She had no choice but to draw them out into the open. Only then could she identify what they were dealing with. If these attackers were capable of long-range assaults, like elves with their bows, it would be a real problem.

Fortunately, she knew the poison darts had a limited range; they couldn’t reach more than a hundred meters.

That meant if they reached the center of the clearing, they could force their pursuers to expose themselves. And once she saw who, or what, was hunting them, she could finally form a counterattack plan.

But that was only true if their attackers relied solely on poison darts. If they carried other weapons, things would turn dire fast, especially since Mary had the caravan to protect.

Her heart pounded in her chest, nerves tightening like coiled wire. The thought of losing even one of her warriors sent a chill down her spine. She’d have to face her father, answer to the families of the fallen, and carry the weight of that guilt herself.

This moment felt like her true trial, a test to see if all her training would finally pay off.

Yet, the difference between drills and real battle was like night and day. For the first time, she could feel her very organs trembling, her fear not of death, but of failure, of disappointing her father and falling short of everyone’s expectations.

"Hooo..." Mary exhaled deeply, steam billowing from her nostrils as she ran, her sharp gaze scanning the surroundings. By now, she had positioned herself firmly at the rear of the caravan, acting as their shield.

"Ugh!" Mary whimpered as a sharp sting shot through her left hind leg. She didn’t even need to look; she already knew she’d been hit by the same poison dart that struck her warriors earlier.

Fortunately, her Alpha blood made her far more resilient. The sedative barely numbed her muscles, only causing her to falter for a brief moment before she pushed on, forcing her legs to move.

Her eyes darted around, trying to find where the attack came from, but once again, she couldn’t pinpoint the enemy’s location.

Whoever was firing those darts was clever; they were either moving swiftly, shooting while on the run, or stopping just long enough to launch an attack before vanishing back into cover. It was a relentless, calculated hunt meant to keep her guessing.

It was pure torture being the one hunted.

Mary could tell that whoever was attacking them was skilled in hit-and-run tactics, the kind of predator that relied on speed and stealth rather than strength. That alone told her something important: they knew they were physically weaker than her.

Even though she was the only real fighter guarding the caravan, her Alpha bloodline made her a dangerous opponent to face head-on. That must be why the enemy stayed hidden, striking from the shadows.

They weren’t just attacking her people; they were trying to break her. Every dart, every fallen warrior was meant to chip away at her resolve, to wear her down mentally before facing her directly. It was a cruel, calculated strategy, one designed not only to thin out her people’s numbers but to unravel her from the inside.

’This can’t go on. I have to calm down and stop moving to their rhythm!’ Mary told herself, forcing her breathing to steady as her sharp eyes swept the surroundings.