The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 19

Nora quietly ate her jerky, the soft snores of Little Leopard, the crackling of the fire, and the howling of the blizzard all blending into her ears.

She didn’t find the sounds jarring. Looking up at the gray-white sky, she felt as if this symphony of life was composed just for her.

Nora nudged Little Leopard further into the crevice to protect her fur from the flames. The cub was fiercely protective of her coat; she’d sulked for days after her last bald patch.

After settling everything, Nora stroked Yi’an’s soft cheek, secured her dagger, and rose to venture outside.

Dusk was approaching. To prevent a repeat of the previous night’s ordeal, she decided to scout the area while the light was still decent.

Unlike the previous flat terrain, this area wasn’t immediately visible in its entirety, forcing her to search each section methodically.

Just as she was about to approach the last and largest boulder, a sudden sense of danger flashed through her mind. Nora immediately drew her dagger, crouched cautiously, every muscle tensed.

Sure enough, before she could fully prepare, a massive creature burst from behind the boulder and charged straight at her.

It was a colossal muskox.

Nora had no time to ponder why the muskox was attacking humans; it had already lowered its head and charged at her with its horns.

She retreated swiftly, holding her dagger horizontally across her chest, but the thick snow underfoot slowed her movements.

The muskox’s horns swept past her body, the wind from its charge exploding in her ears. She could even feel the violent heat radiating from its body.

After rolling across the ground to dissipate the force of the impact, Nora immediately sprang to her feet. The muskox had already turned back, its hooves digging furiously into the ground, sending snow flying.

“Stay calm… stay calm…” Nora regulated her breathing as she quietly retreated toward the boulder.

But the muskox’s gaze remained locked on her, clearly in an abnormal state, driven by a destructive impulse.

With a low growl, it suddenly leaped forward.

Just as it was about to trample her, Nora lunged backward, narrowly avoiding the attack by pressing herself against the boulder’s rear.

The moment the muskox crashed into the ground, the massive impact sent tremors through the earth, cracking the ground with hairline fissures.

“Phew… that was close…” Nora gasped for breath, but the muskox immediately launched another attack.

Growling, it pivoted and rammed its horns violently into the boulder.

Bang! A corner of the boulder shattered instantly, sending fragments of rock flying in all directions.

Nora was forced to dodge aside as several shards of rock grazed her cheek, leaving bloody streaks.

Undeterred, she seized the moment while the muskox adjusted its stance. She sprinted forward, leaped into the air, and thrust her dagger toward its neck.

But the muskox reacted with astonishing speed. It swung its head violently, its horns sweeping toward Nora with immense force.

Clang! The dagger struck the horn, sending sparks flying. The impact numbed Nora’s wrist, nearly dislodging her grip.

Gritting her teeth, she flipped away, but the muskox regained its balance and charged at her with a furious roar.

The commotion quickly roused Yi’an from her deep sleep. When she opened her eyes and found Nora gone, she knew something was wrong. She scrambled out of her scarf and raced toward the sound.

Nora relied on her agility to weave through the muskox’s attacks, narrowly evading the horns’ relentless pursuit each time.

Finally, during a close-quarters clash, Nora seized the moment when the muskox raised its foreleg. She plunged her dagger deep into its abdomen. The muskox let out a pained bellow, staggered backward, and stained the snow crimson, but the wound wasn’t fatal.

Panting heavily, her strength nearly exhausted, Nora still held her dagger defensively.

“Come on, one last time…” she murmured, gripping her dagger tightly.

The muskox lowered its head again, gathering its strength. White, steaming breath billowed from its nostrils as it charged forward with a thunderous roar.

Nora’s eyes turned icy as she braced for a final, desperate strike. Suddenly, a small, cannonball-like figure hurtled toward the muskox. The impact forced the massive creature to stumble two steps, its front hooves slipping into the snow, nearly throwing it off balance.

“Little Leopard?!” Nora cried out in shock.

Yi’an had been sprinting toward them. Her eyes registered Nora’s exhaustion and the raging muskox. Without a moment to think, her instincts took over. She leaped forward, launching herself at the beast.

The muskox shook violently, trying to dislodge Yi’an. But the little leopard was no pushover. She dug her claws firmly into its hide, opened her jaws, and sank her teeth into its neck.

The muskox roared in pain from Yi’an’s sharp bite, its frenzy intensifying. It charged wildly, smashing into rocks, sending rock fragments flying, and even causing tremors in the snow atop the mountain.

Clinging to the muskox’s back, Yi’an endured the brutal impacts. Every bone in her body ached, but she gritted her teeth, driving her claws deeper into the creature’s flesh.

After a frenzied rampage of over ten meters, the muskox finally staggered to a halt. Bl00d loss and exhaustion had left its massive body trembling violently.

Nora didn’t miss the opportunity Yi’an had painstakingly created. She clamped the dagger between her teeth and, using both hands and feet, lunged at the Muskox. Just before impact, she gripped the dagger, braced her legs against the ground, and slid swiftly beneath the Muskox’s belly.

The dagger followed her trajectory with deadly precision, slicing open the Muskox’s abdomen and tearing a deep, gaping wound.

The instant she cleared the massive creature, it crashed to the ground behind her.

Nora dropped to one knee, bracing herself with both hands on the ground. Her breath came in ragged gasps, sweat mingling with bl00d as it trickled down her cheek.

After a few moments, she struggled to her feet and dragged her exhausted body over to Little Leopard. Seeing the cub’s bright, alert eyes, Nora felt a wave of relief wash over her. “Little Leopard, are you alright?”

Mmmph…

Hearing that muffled sound, Nora immediately understood what had happened. She pressed down on the Muskox’s head, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on her face, and carefully freed Yi’an’s teeth once more.

Released from her predicament, Yi’an immediately leaped down and scampered to a patch of clean snow. She began devouring mouthful after mouthful, finally suppressing the strange, rank odor that had plagued her.

Nora followed, crouching down to gently pat the cub’s back.

Yi’an tilted her head, mewing her question: “Why does this big black ox smell so awful?”

“This must be a muskox in heat. The unpleasant smell is likely the musk scent it releases during mating season.”

Nora sensed something was off. She gently stroked Yi’an and said, “Muskoxen are herbivorous herd animals, and it’s not their mating season right now.”

“So… it’s still Baal?”

Yi’an didn’t think so. The Demon God’s control must require a Demonic Flame medium, but she hadn’t seen any unusual objects. This was indeed just a bull in heat.

However, the sudden appearance of a bull in heat above the snowline was still abnormal.

Connecting this to the original plot, Yi’an suddenly had a hunch.

“Are you saying His Majesty the Emperor might be colluding with the Demon God?” Nora asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Yi’an nodded firmly. No matter how wildly the plot veered, the overarching narrative suggested Emperor Sice was unlikely to remain uninvolved.

“Understood,” Nora said after a moment of contemplation. “We need to remind Mother about this when we get back.”

Muskox in heat have a strong, unpleasant odor, making their meat unsuitable for preservation.

As dusk approached, Nora decided to return directly to the crevice for the night, abandoning the effort to clean up the muskox carcass.

Fortunately, the blizzard subsided by evening, and the campfire remained lit.

Exhausted, the pair huddled together by the fire, too weary to care about the grime clinging to them.

Gazing at the flickering flames, Nora leaned close to Yi’an’s ear and whispered, “Thank you, Little Leopard.”

Yi’an twitched her ears, rolled over to face Nora, and gently touched her paw pad to Nora’s scabbed wound.

Nora clasped Yi’an’s small paw, gazing into her ocean-like, dewy eyes.