Chapter Seven: The Throne in Peril

That roar was not something a creature of flesh and blood could produce. It was a mixture of the grating screech of metal on stone, the muffled echo of the abyss, and a pure, unadulterated malevolence that threatened to crush all life. The sound waves were like an invisible sledgehammer, slamming against the cave walls, sending loose rocks tumbling down. The thin curtain of vines at the cave entrance was violently ripped open by a foul-smelling gust of wind, revealing the outside—a pure, starless, moonless darkness that seemed capable of swallowing souls. Extreme fear instantly seized everyone's hearts. "Ah—!" Tang Xin's nerves, stretched to their breaking point, finally snapped. She let out a short scream, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted, falling straight backward. Fortunately, Professor Chen Wang, who was closest to her, quickly caught her, otherwise she would have fallen into the fire. But Professor Chen's own condition wasn't much better. His face was ashen, and the hand supporting Tang Xin trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind. This old scholar, who had seen countless skeletons in ancient tombs and spent his life exploring the secrets of death, felt the icy breath of death for the first time at this moment. His mind went blank; all his knowledge, all his rationality, were crushed into dust before this absolute, incomprehensible threat of violence. Lei Zhe's reaction was even worse. He, the supposed strongman of the team, was now like a frog stared down by a snake, frozen stiff in place. The hand gripping his machete was bulging with veins from the excessive force, but his arm felt heavy as lead and he couldn't lift it. His pupils were dilated to the extreme with fear, reflecting the profound void outside the cave. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, into his collar, sending a chilling shiver down his spine. He wanted to shout, to scream, but his throat felt like it was filled with cement, only able to produce hoarse, wheezing gasps. Su Manqi was slightly better than him, at least not completely losing her composure. But the color had completely drained from her delicate and beautiful face. She bit her lower lip hard, using the pain to fight against the panic that threatened to overwhelm her reason. Her body instinctively recoiled, wanting to hide in the deepest shadows of the cave, away from the cave entrance that had brought the announcement of death. Her mind raced, calculating the possibilities of survival, but every conclusion she reached pointed to despair. The only one who remained standing still was Huo Ying. Or rather, she wasn't completely still, but had entered a critical state between motion and stillness, characteristic of a top-tier hunter. All the muscles in her body were tensed to the limit, like a fully drawn bow. Her sharp, wolf-like eyes were fixed on the cave entrance, and she had silently raised her compound bow, an arrow with a three-pronged arrowhead nocked and ready to fire. However, even she felt an almost imperceptible tremor in her bow-holding fingers. She could feel that whatever was outside...was too big. It was larger than anything she had ever encountered in her hunting experience. The sheer oppressive force made it impossible for her to even lock onto a clear target. In that instant, the entire cave became a cage filled with despair and panic. In this frozen silence, a clear, calm voice, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, pierced through the thin film of panic like an ice pick. "Do you all want to die here?" It was Gu Qingshuang. She had somehow moved to stand by the fire, holding a thick branch with a fist-sized ball of fire burning brightly at its tip. The flickering firelight reflected in her dark pupils; there was no fear, no panic, only the absolute calm of a frozen lake. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power, instantly jolting everyone from their respective depths of fear. Lei Zhe, Su Manqi, Professor Chen... everyone's gaze involuntarily focused on her. At this moment, this slender girl holding a torch seemed to be the only source of light and support in this apocalyptic scene. Gu Qingshuang's gaze didn't even linger on them for more than half a second. She had already begun issuing instructions, speaking incredibly fast, but every word was perfectly clear: "Huo Ying!" "Here!" Huo Ying responded almost instinctively. "Listen to the sound, fire a warning arrow towards a point three meters high on the left side of the cave entrance! Don't shoot to kill, just graze the rock wall! I want to hear the sound!" Gu Qingshuang's instructions were incredibly precise. Huo Ying didn't hesitate for a moment. She understood the intention behind the command—to use the sound of the arrow cutting through the air and the sparks from hitting the rock wall to test and intimidate! She took a deep breath, and the taut bowstring was instantly released. "Whoosh—buzz!" The three-bladed hunting arrow, with a sharp whistling sound, streaked like a black lightning bolt, precisely grazing the rock wall on the left side of the cave entrance, bursting into a small cluster of dazzling sparks! "Roar—!!" The unknown giant outside was clearly angered by this sudden provocation, letting out another earth-shattering roar. But this time, the roar clearly carried a hint of irritation and confusion. Effective! This thought flashed through everyone's minds simultaneously. "Lei Zhe!" Gu Qingshuang's second command followed immediately, her gaze like a sharp blade cutting across his stiff face, "Your knife isn't just for show! Go and cut down all those vines at the cave entrance and pile them up at the entrance! Quickly!" Lei Zhe trembled violently at her shout, his survival instinct finally overcoming his fear. Like a machine programmed to act, he scrambled to the cave entrance, wielding his machete, frantically hacking at the tangled vines. "Professor Chen! Take care of Tang Xin, and then pile all our dry branches onto the bonfire! I want the biggest fire, the biggest smoke!" "Okay... okay!" Professor Chen also snapped back to reality. He placed the unconscious Tang Xin in a relatively safe corner, then, with trembling hands, began throwing everything flammable in the cave onto the bonfire. "Su Manqi," Gu Qingshuang's gaze finally fell on the woman who had been hiding in the shadows, "Take out the most expensive moisturizing spray from your backpack." Su Manqi froze, instinctively clutching her backpack. That was her last shred of dignity and reliance. Gu Qingshuang's eyes turned cold: "Now, either you use it to help us survive, or later, that thing will use your blood to moisturize itself. Choose." The threat of death was so direct and cruel. Su Manqi's face turned pale, then flushed, but finally, reluctantly, she took out the expensive spray from her backpack and threw it over. Gu Qingshuang caught it, and without even looking, twisted open the nozzle and poured most of the liquid onto several large leaves that Lei Zhe had just cut down, still dripping with sap. Then she threw the leaves into the blazing fire. "Sizzle—!" A thick white smoke, a mixture of chemical components and plant sap, rose into the air, carrying an extremely pungent smell, and rushed towards the cave entrance. Just then, the enraged monster finally lost its patience. "Bang!!" With a loud bang, a giant claw covered in dark green, lizard-like scales, violently tore through the vines blocking the entrance and reached into the cave! The claw was as big as a car tire, and its five sharp claws were like five black scythes, gleaming with a metallic cold light. Dark dirt and rotten leaves clung to the gaps between its claws. A strong stench, a mixture of rotting flesh and swampy air, instantly filled the entire cave. Facing this terrifying scene, Lei Zhe, who had just mustered a little courage, collapsed again, screaming, and throwing down his knife, tried to run deeper into the cave. "Stop!" Gu Qingshuang shouted sharply, "Do you want to lure it in by running in there?!" At the same time, she threw the burning torch in her hand, like a javelin, with all her might, towards the giant claw! The torch arced through the air in an orange-red curve, accurately hitting the back of the giant claw's hand. “Roar—!!!” A shriek, completely different from before, filled with pain and fury, rang out. The monster was clearly terrified of the flames. Its giant claws recoiled as if electrocuted, and the resulting gust of wind caused the bonfire to flicker violently. At the same time, Huo Ying's second arrow arrived. “Thump!” This time, she didn't choose to intimidate, but instead accurately shot into a gap in the scales exposed as the giant claw recoiled! The arrow didn't penetrate deeply, but the pain it caused was real. The burning pain of the flames, the stinging pain of the arrow, and the thick smoke billowing from the cave entrance—this triple blow finally made the massive monster feel the situation was becoming difficult. A furious and unwilling roar came from outside the cave, along with the sound of trees being violently broken. Then, the heavy, drum-like footsteps began to recede rapidly. *Thump… thump… thump…* The sound grew fainter and fainter, and finally disappeared completely into the darkness of the jungle. The suffocating, terrifying pressure that had been weighing down on everyone also receded like a tide. Inside the cave, a silence even more terrifying than before descended. Only the bonfire still crackled, and the thick smoke continued to rise, reminding everyone that everything that had just happened was not a nightmare. They had survived. No one spoke, only the sound of heavy, rapid breathing filled the air. After a long time, Professor Chen shakily stood up, walked to the cave entrance, and cautiously pushed aside the torn vines to look outside. Outside, there was nothing but endless darkness. “It… it’s gone?” His voice was dry and hoarse. No one answered. Everyone's gaze fell on the girl still standing by the bonfire. Gu Qingshuang. She slowly straightened her back, brushed off imaginary dust from her hands, her expression as calm as if she had just directed a perfectly ordinary fire drill. But at this moment, no one dared to look at her with the same eyes as before. In Professor Chen's eyes, there was genuine awe and gratitude. He knew that without this girl, all of them would now be nothing but shredded flesh under the monster's claws. Tang Xin had woken up at some point, and she was huddled in a corner, watching Gu Qingshuang's back. Her large eyes were filled with unreserved dependence and adoration. In her heart, Gu Qingshuang had become a god-like figure. Huo Ying silently put away her bow and walked to Gu Qingshuang's side, saying in a low voice, "Your command was very professional." This was the highest praise she could give. The look in her eyes was filled with the absolute trust of a warrior in her commander. From this moment on, she would be Gu Qingshuang's sharpest arrow. Lei Zhe and Su Manqi's expressions, however, were far more complex. Lei Zhe slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, his eyes a mixture of relief at surviving, unconcealed jealousy, and resentment at having his dignity completely stripped away. He looked at Gu Qingshuang, who was unconsciously surrounded by everyone, and felt like a complete joke. That cluster of firelight seemed to be mercilessly scorching his remaining, pathetic male pride. Su Manqi leaned against the rock wall, her lowered eyelids concealing the turbulent emotions in her eyes. Jealousy, unwillingness, fear... and a trace of powerlessness that she herself didn't want to admit... a feeling of being completely conquered. Her carefully constructed sense of superiority had been shattered tonight by the woman she once looked down upon the most, in the most primitive and violent way. Lin Weiyu... no, she was definitely not Lin Weiyu! Who exactly was she? This deathly silence was finally broken by an inappropriate and harsh remark. "Hmph, what are you so proud of?" Lei Zhe leaned against the rock wall, struggling to stand up. He looked at Gu Qingshuang, lowering his voice, but unable to hide the bitterness in his words, "If you hadn't insisted on making a fire, how would that monster have been attracted here? You almost got us all killed!" He tried to use this method to salvage some face and shift the blame onto Gu Qingshuang. However, this time, he didn't receive the expected agreement, not even the silent support from Su Manqi. What greeted him was Huo Ying's icy, dagger-like gaze. "Shut up," Huo Ying's voice was low, but full of warning, "Without this fire, we would all be dead by now. If you think your life is worthless, you can go out and face it yourself next time." Professor Chen also pushed up his glasses and said in an unprecedentedly serious tone, "Comrade Lei Zhe, everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Without Miss Lin, we would all be dead. That's a fact." Lei Zhe's face instantly turned a liver-purple color. He hadn't expected that his attempt to shift the blame would be met with such public refutation from everyone. He looked at Su Manqi for help, but found that she only glanced at him coldly before turning away, showing no intention of helping him. He, and she, were completely isolated at this moment. Gu Qingshuang completely ignored the farce. Her attention was entirely focused on the vines torn apart by the giant claws. She walked over, squatted down, and carefully examined the broken ends. Suddenly, her gaze narrowed. On a piece of torn vine debris, a palm-sized, dark green scale was attached. The scale was hard in texture, but its edges were unusually sharp. On the back of the scale, several blurry characters, seemingly artificially branded, were faintly visible. She carefully removed the scale and wiped away the mud with the corner of her clothes. Under the firelight, those characters clearly appeared— [Experimental Subject · Gengshen · 07] Gu Qingshuang's pupils suddenly constricted. *Experimental subject?* This wasn't just an unknown beast. This was... a man-made monster. She raised her head, looking at the bottomless darkness outside the cave, her expression becoming unprecedentedly serious. "Tonight won't be peaceful," she said slowly, her voice low, but it made everyone who had just relaxed slightly feel their hearts leap into their throats again. "The monster is injured and has been driven away by the firelight; it won't come back for a while," she analyzed calmly. "But it's not the only one. This island is probably full of such 'surprises'." She spread the scale out in her palm, showing it to everyone. "The production team's first task has probably already begun," Gu Qingshuang said, looking at the cold serial number, a chilling smile playing on her lips. "The theme is probably... 'Hunting,' or 'Being Hunted'." What would tomorrow bring? No one knew. But everyone understood that on this desolate island, the longest and bloodiest night had only just begun.