NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44: Adrenaline
Zach felt like the tiger's green eyes pierced his body and locked it in place as he looked at its head, which appeared to float in the darkness of the surrounding trees.
Slowly, the tiger walked forward, its tall, muscular, furry body exposing itself to the light, one black strip at a time. It walked around the group of students, never breaking eye contact. It was like a wolf at a sheep buffet, taking its time deciding which piece of meat to taste test first.
But the tiger had already made its choice long ago.
Why go for the weakest piece of meat when it could go for the juiciest?
Without any warning other than a twitch of its long, fluffy tail, the tiger lunged, soaring through the air toward Zach, the human who looked like he was glowing in the tiger's eyes.
The tiger was large. It wasn't as big as the bronze-toothed ape, the stone crocodile, or the tree-legged spider. But it was big enough that one bite with its jaws opened wide would turn Zach's upper and lower bodies into separate entities.
That was also what it tried to do.
But it didn't take long for something, or rather, someone, to thwart its plans.
Yanael stepped in front of Zach and blocked the tiger with her shield, smacking it in the face. As the tiger's front paws touched the ground, Yanael lunged forward to try and stab it. But the tiger had pushed away before its back paws caught up to its front ones.
The tiger bounced to the side with its upper body and turned around, kicking against Yanael and her shield like a horse, using her as a stepping stone and springboard to shoot into a tree.
The tiger was deceptively agile.
It moved like a tiny bird as it snaked among the trees' branches. But it had been strong enough to send Yanael flying.
She didn't fly far and didn't receive any injuries. But the tiger's body contained more strength, weight, and explosive power than its moves suggested. It also moved through the trees without making a sound.
But the tiger had made a mistake.
It hadn't just attacked Zach. It had pushed back Yanael when she was trying to defend Zach.
Yanael grit her teeth, and her brow deepened in an angry frown. Angry at herself and at the tiger, she tightened the grip on her sword as she scanned their surroundings. Since the tiger was so quick, decisive, and agile, it wasn't worth trying to rely on the Sentinel or any of the other familiars.
Even if they saw it in time, they wouldn't be able to do anything, at least not until they stopped being frozen in fear by the tiger's intimidation and killing intent.
Zach felt something like cold water run down his back as his mind cleared and the image of the tiger's green eyes gradually faded from his vision. He shivered. He tried to swallow since his throat was dry but his mouth wasn't any better.
Zach came out of the state of being frozen in fear like he was bursting out of a cold bath.
The colors of the forest around him were clearer than ever. He could see the lines and veins on the leaves and flowers. He could count the individual strands of hair on Yanael's head in front of him.
He could smell her, the dried blood and smoke on his clothes.
Like a rush of air whizzing past and through him, Zach took in everything, including the tiger's attempt to harvest his life.
Zach let out a cold breath. His heart finally caught up to the situation and started beating at a pace only matched by the thunderous stampede of a herd of wild horses.
Like the forest itself was talking to him, Zach whipped his head to the left.
He couldn't see, sense, smell, taste, or hear anything out of the ordinary where he looked. Maybe that lack of anything strange was what was missing.
It tickled a sense Zach didn't even know he had, and he reached out with his hands, erecting a large golden barrier like a wall.
A moment later, the tiger crashed into the wall with its face first, squishing its nose flat.
Yanael didn't let go of the opportunity Zach made, even if she was curious how Zach sensed something even she missed.
In less than an instant, her wings and halo came out, unleashing her full strength and speed. Yanael flashed over the ground and cut diagonally through the air toward the barrier and the tiger on the other side.
The moment before her sword clashed with Zach's barrier, it disappeared and exposed the tiger, which, unfortunately, had overcome the shock from crashing into the golden barrier. The tiger's muscles were already tense like springs as it extended its legs and paws and shot off the ground again.
Yanael was moving in a straight line at full speed. The tiger had to turn around and start moving from a standstill. Even if it was faster, it still needed time to accelerate, however little it was.
The tiger couldn't fully escape Yanael's sharp blade. But instead of losing a limb or head, it only lost a tuft of fur and a strip of skin.
The tiger returned to the trees and stood on a branch, glaring down at Yanael and Zach. It growled before turning around with a flick of its tail and disappearing into the forest like a ghost.
Zach let out a deep sigh, and all the energy holding up his body vanished. He sank to the ground, his eyes and heart tired and throbbing. The others were still in a state of shock and only barely making it out after the tiger's presence disappeared.
Zach knew he shouldn't let down his guard, but he could tell that the tiger's last growl had been a warning that this wasn't over yet, that it would be back. But that meant it would leave before returning.
Zach and the others could breathe and regroup, though they had to wait for Rierdan and Nessa to wake up since they had passed out.