Amivy knew she couldn’t escape.
But the hopelessness of this trap was different from the despair of being alone in the dark just moments ago.
Surrounded by monsters, Amivy was terrifyingly calm.
She looked down at the little white dog in her arms, dazed from the fright and impact.
A faint smile crossed her face.
Without hesitation, Amivy gathered all her strength and, while the monsters were still assessing the risk of their prey and hadn’t pounced immediately, she hurled the little white dog with all her might toward the light of the cave entrance.
“Xiao Bai! Run! Don’t look back! Go find that dog!”
She shouted in a hoarse voice.
The little white dog flew in a small arc through the air, letting out a terrified whimper.
Dazed, it even forgot it had wings, its four little paws flailing uselessly.
Amivy, the instant she threw the dog, had already placed herself between the direction Xiao Bai was flying and the monsters.
She had no weapon in her hands, only a pair of scraped, blood-and-dirt-covered fists.
But she stared intently at those flickering crimson dots in the darkness.
There was no fear in her eyes, only a nearly stubborn resolve.
“A true hero can’t run away from battle!”
With the faint light from the cave entrance, she finally got a clear look at the monsters that had chased her twice.
The creatures were hunched, walking on all fours, their bodies covered in rough hide.
Their heads were irregularly streamlined, covered in lumpy protrusions, and their mouths split open to their ears, filled with layer upon layer of fine, sharp teeth that constantly dripped with foul-smelling slime.
The monsters didn’t seem eager to pounce immediately.
They maintained their encirclement, creeping closer slowly, their crimson gazes locked firmly on Amivy.
These creatures clearly had extensive hunting experience, knowing how to wear down their prey’s stamina and will while minimizing their own risk.
Amivy also knew that if she showed any sign of fear or turned to run, the monsters would launch a fatal attack instantly.
She shifted her feet, adjusted her breathing, and forced herself to stay calm.
No holy sword, no hero’s magic—only this ordinary body that had been scorned since childhood.
Even so, she had to block these monsters.
She couldn’t let them get past her.
The monsters tightened their circle, their stench almost suffocating.
One of them lunged forward tentatively, moving quickly.
Amivy’s pupils contracted.
She recoiled almost instinctively and swung her fist to block.
Rip!
A cold, slippery sensation scraped across her arm, accompanied by the sound of tearing cloth and a searing pain.
The monster’s spiked foreleg had slashed her sleeve, leaving several bleeding wounds on her skin.
The sheer force numbed her arm, and she stumbled, nearly falling.
The attacking monster withdrew back into the darkness of the circle after its successful strike.
The prey’s weakness agitated them.
Their crimson lights flickered restlessly.
Amivy gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, and forced herself to stand firm.
She knew this was just the beginning.
Time crawled in the suffocating standoff.
The monsters’ probing attacks kept adding to Amivy’s wounds.
Her breathing grew more ragged.
Sweat and blood soaked her tattered clothes.
Her stamina was draining rapidly.
The monsters’ tentative strikes came more frequently and dangerously.
Several times, their teeth nearly grazed her throat.
Her vision began to blur, and her movements slowed.
Was she really going to die here?
For a damn test?
And that dog?
Could he have already died at the hands of these monsters?
A few more seconds passed.
One monster lost all patience.
It opened its massive jaws, pushed off its hind legs, and lunged at the wounded Amivy.
As the prey, Amivy could even count the number of teeth in that single row of fangs.
Just when she thought it was all over—
A blazing orange-red light illuminated her vision.
Then Amivy fell into a familiar, sturdy embrace.
In the orange firelight, she saw the monster that had pounced on her seemed to ignite.
Sss—!!!
It let out a sharp, agonized screech!
It recoiled as if electrocuted, instinctively retreating from the fire.
The other monsters that hadn’t pounced also quickly backed out of the firelight.
The tight encirclement collapsed instantly.
“The test was very successful, Prince Arthur. Sorry I’m late.”
A calm, familiar voice spoke—the voice of that dog.
Amivy felt that warmth and security for the second time.
“Hmph~ You dog. Where were you? Why did it take you so long to save me?”
That sturdy, warm feeling made Amivy unconsciously revert to her original girlish way of speaking.
Amivy felt relieved, but for Ian, that “girly” tone coming from the big, tough man in his arms was absolutely terrifying.
“Eugh… Let me ask first, Your Highness—your orientation is fine, right?”
“Cough, what are you saying, you dog? My orientation is perfectly normal. I was just too weak earlier, that’s why my voice sounded like that…”
Realizing her mistake, Amivy quickly explained.
“Is that so? We feel that…”
Afraid that Ian might discover something, Amivy hurriedly interrupted:
“Of course it’s true! I will absolutely never like someone of the same gender! And stop talking about this already—just get me out of here!”
“Mmm… Alright.”
Ian knew this wasn’t the time for such talk. The torch’s burn time was limited.
If they didn’t get out soon, he wouldn’t have to worry about losing his virtue—he’d have to worry about how to reincarnate.
“Can you still walk, Your Highness?”
Ian held Amivy with one arm and raised the torch with the other, but crawling along like that was too slow.
“Barely, but I need someone to support me…”
Amivy knew how slow their progress was.
But when she tried, she found that once the adrenaline faded, the wounds from the monsters began to ache.
Especially her right foot—the monsters had paid it special attention.
“Alright, then please bear with it for a while, Your Highness.”
Being able to walk was better than being dragged out by Ian.
So, with Ian’s support, the two of them slowly retreated toward the cave entrance, using the torchlight as a deterrent.
The monsters in the darkness continued to follow relentlessly, staying just outside the firelight’s range.
But fortunately, the torch Ian had made was of decent quality, just enough to last until they exited the cave.
The monsters, seeing their prey fully bathed in light, let out unwilling growls and slunk away from the entrance.
Ian and Amivy were finally safe—for now.
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