197 Chapter 197: Cornered

Blood splashed on her face making her scrunch her face. Furrowing her brows, she opened her eyes slightly and saw the sabertooth tiger growling in pain. It was trying to close its mouth but couldn't because of the branch in between its jaws.

Hazel let out a breath before she shifted to the female saber-tooth tiger snarling. She tutted under her breath as she had used up all the branches she had found. She stood up swaying a little from the ground when she saw the female launch at her. 

Immediately Hazel grabbed the injured saber tooth tiger and pulled it in front of her. The female saber-tooth sank its teeth into the injured tiger making it let out pitiful voices. Hazel looked up and met the female's eyes.

She pursed her lips as she shoved the injured beast towards the female and took off. Her heart was beating rapidly at the close call, hoping desperately for the river to be nearby. 

Her eyes brightened when her ears picked up the sound of the waterfall and rushed towards it. She didn't hear any beasts behind her.

'Maybe they are waiting for the remaining horde'

Hazel forced her legs to move in the snow as she ran desperately, pushing aside the leaves. When the view came into her sight, she gasped.

A huge tree laid near the lake with its branches covering the entire sky. Her eyes shifted to the thunderous waterfall as it crashed into the lake creating ripples. She could see the other side of the shore making her eyes brighten in hope.

She rushed towards it and entered the lake only for her feet to flinch. The water was freezing making it impossible for her to swim across the lake. 

Hazel clamped her clattering teeth and turned around when she heard the roars behind her. She took a deep breath before she warmed her hands and legs with her fire mana. She took a step into the water and her body shuddered from the cold. 

She pushed herself a little further and her teeth began to clatter noisily. Her face paled when she saw the wide range she had to cover. 

'Would she die here?'

She would die either by the saber tooth or by the ice-cold water.

As she pushed her feet forward, she heard a strangely calm voice behind her, "Are you planning to die here, young lady?"

Hazel's eyes widened as she turned around swiftly. Her eyebrows knitted together when she saw a guy with long silver hair standing before her with his eyebrows raised. She frowned when she saw his eye color. 

Red?

She blinked and looked again and saw that his eyes were brown.

'Maybe it was her imagination?'

The silver-haired guy narrowed his eyes as he asked, "You are worried about that when you are freezing."

Her eyes widened when she saw him entering the water.

"No no... it's cold" 

But to her amazement, she saw the guy snort as he arrived in front of her. Hazel gaped at this bishounen before her. She snapped out of her thoughts when she saw him lifting her in his arms.

"W-what are you doing?"

The guy glanced down at her and sneered, "Do you want to die standing in this river?"

She might not have realized but she was standing in the most freezing water in the world. Three steps in the water were enough to kill someone. Yet she took five steps, surprising him. 

Hazel shut her clattering mouth and allowed him to carry her offshore. She realized that she was in the inner regions when she stepped into the water. After all the Cursed Lake only existed in the inner regions and it was known to have freezing water.

Her body shuddered as she snuggled deep for warmth making the guy glance at her. Hazel rubbed her hands, trying to warm themselves when she noticed that he was wearing a half buttoned-up white shirt.

The guy ignored her curious eyes as he placed her in the trunk of the huge tree. Her eyes widened when she saw him taking his robe off.

She asked with wide eyes, "Why are you removing your shirt?"

The guy ignored her words and took off his shirt. He threw the shirt at her before he paid attention to the roars coming closer. His eyes narrowed displeased by the disturbance.

Hazel was surprised by his gesture that she looked at him for a second before she slowly covered herself with his shirt. Surprisingly, the shirt was warm even after him entering the water. 

'Right! how was he able to enter the water?'

She got distracted when she heard the snarls near her. Her eyes widened in shock as she forgot about the impending danger. She got up on her feet, throwing his shirt away, and rushed towards him.

The guy flinched when her cold fingers touched his bare arm. He glanced at her hand before he looked at the girl who was looking around frantically. 

Her hair was in a mess while her dress was dirty. She had one of her arms injured but she looked around warily, determined to protect him which made him want to smile.

"Do you know anywhere we can hide?"

The guy raised his eyebrow as he snorted, "Why do you think I would know?"

Hazel turned to look at him and wondered the same. She frowned, "How did you reach here?"

The guy raised his eyebrow and asked, "How do you think?"

Furrowing her brows, Hazel pressed her lips as she didn't have an answer to this.

Before she could ask him again, she heard the thunderous roar behind her and turned around. She bit her lips when she saw the horde of saber tooth tiger glaring at her threateningly. She moved back and her back hit his chest, making him frown.

Hazel felt the coldness leave her body as she saw the fury behind their golden eyes. She noticed the leader of the saber tooth tiger snarl at her making her frown deeply.

Should she use her lightning? But she remembered her Grandmaster banning her from using her lightning mana. Her body might have recovered externally but internally, she can't use lightning for some time. 

She knitted her eyebrows in a dilemma. She couldn't possibly let the guy die along with her, right? 

Before she could come to an answer, she felt the guy turn her around and press her face in his shoulder blades. Stunned, Hazel didn't react immediately but reacted after a second.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily as she shoved him. But to her surprise, he didn't move but pressed her to him tighter.

"Don't move. I will take care of them"

Hazel widened her eyes in shock when his aura changed from calm to terrifying in an instant making her shudder in fright. She heard him whisper in her ear, "Don't be afraid"

Hazel felt the smile in his voice making her hold him tightly. The guy lifted his eyes to the saber tooth tigers who immediately shrank their

presence in his aura. His eyes turned blood red as he lifted his hand, pointing towards them, and muttered a word coldly sending shivers down her spine.

"Explode"

Instantly the mass bodies of those sabertooth tigers exploded one after the other, coloring the snow with glaring red. He didn't allow her to turn around until the last saber tooth tiger died.

Hazel sprung from his embrace and turned around to gasp loudly. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the exploded carcass spread across the snow. 

"Are you scared?"

Hearing his calm voice, she turned around slowly and looked at him. By this time, his eyes had returned to brown. She let her hand down as she asked warily, "Who are you?"

The guy frowned as he furrowed his brows looking for an answer. Before he could answer her, he heard a plop sound making him look at her.

To his surprise, Hazel was on the floor, staring at him in shock. 

Annoyed, he asked, "Are you that scared of me?"

Hazel had no voice coming out from her mouth. She blinked as she lifted her shaky hand pointing at something behind him. 

Hazel tried to muster energy in her feet but couldn't move in fright. Her face paled at the huge violet python gliding through the branches with its eyes on her. 

She dreaded snakes making her body tremble at its slimy body. 

Her heart screamed as she stared at the python in fear. The guy furrowed his brows was about to turn around when he felt her soft hands on his. He glanced down at his hands which were held by the girl tightly. 

She hurriedly whispered, "Don't move, it will kill you"