The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 44

The shattered hull of the ship crashed heavily onto the leopard’s back. The violent impact nearly tore her apart, countless sharp fragments of all sizes piercing her fur, embedding themselves in her flesh, and even shattering her bones.

Within moments, bl00d gushed from dozens of wounds, rapidly staining the seawater crimson.

When Nora regained consciousness from the shock, her ears rang, her senses were dulled, and she felt suffocated, as if trapped in cotton.

She struggled to open her eyes. The overwhelming stench of bl00d assaulted her nostrils. After several labored breaths, she gradually regained clarity, only then realizing she was being held tightly in the arms of a large leopard.

Her heart clenched, and memories flooded her mind: the exploding ship, the churning sea of dead fish, and the leopard’s sudden, tightening embrace. She jerked her head up, meeting the leopard’s tightly closed eyes.

“Yi’an!” Nora frantically patted the leopard’s wet cheeks, but the only response was the silent, still seawater beyond the barrier.

Nora’s heart plummeted. She frantically tried to push the leopard away, but no matter how hard she struggled, Yi’an held her firmly in her arms, completely unresponsive.

“Yi’an, if you can hear me, let go!” Nora’s voice grew hoarse, tears streaming down her face. But the leopard remained motionless, as if deaf to her pleas.

Torn between conflicting emotions, Nora finally steeled herself against the sharp pain in her chest. She drew a dagger from her waist, her trembling right hand nearly losing its grip.

Glancing up at the leopard, she steeled her resolve, flipped the dagger around, and slammed the hilt against Yi’an’s elbow joint. Finally, the instinctive reaction triggered a spasm, forcing the leopard to release its grip.

Nora gasped with relief and immediately swam upward, wriggling free from Yi’an’s embrace.

Fortunately, the vortex at the bottom of the island had dissipated, and sunlight refracted through the water, indicating they were close to the surface.

But Nora had no energy to dwell on these details. As soon as she was free, she rushed back to Yi’an’s side.

She cradled the leopard’s head anxiously, her trembling fingers reaching beneath its nose. Relief washed over her as she detected a faint breath. Tears welled up in her eyes.

But when Nora touched the leopard’s back, her throat tightened instantly. The area felt completely bare, her hand coming away sticky and damp.

She quickly flipped the leopard over, and the sight before her pierced her heart like a dagger. The soft fur on the leopard’s back had vanished, replaced by a patchwork of raw, gaping wounds of all sizes. Wooden stakes were embedded across its back, bl00d gushing relentlessly from the wounds. Nora tried to stem the flow with her hands, but there was no way to stop it.

The tears Nora had been desperately holding back finally broke free, streaming down her face. She couldn’t help but sob, “Yi’an, Yi’an…”

Despite the overwhelming fear and pain, when she saw the barrier Yi’an had maintained even in her unconscious state to protect her from the seawater, Nora gritted her teeth. Forcing herself to look away from the gruesome wounds, she swam back to Yi’an, wrapped the leopard’s front paws around her neck, and began the arduous task of dragging her toward the surface. With every half-meter they ascended, a winding trail of bl00d stained the water behind them.

“Yi’an, Yi’an, hang on…”

Yi’an felt like she was dreaming.

Her body felt incredibly light, as if the sky were within reach and the white clouds were just a touch away. She recklessly chased after a white figure, suddenly accelerating and leaping onto its back. With a playful nip, she gently bit the creature’s ear, eliciting a soft chuckle from the snow leopard beneath her.

Footsteps approached from behind. The snow leopard lowered its head, allowing her to slide onto the grassy ground. Warm hands caught her as she fell.

The warm sunlight streamed from behind the owner of those hands, blinding her momentarily. Through the glare, she vaguely made out the silhouette of a woman.

“Yi’an,” the woman said.

That voice… why does it sound so familiar?

Not Mom, not Mommy… then it must be…

Nora.

That’s right, Nora. They were still in the ocean. They had been caught in a seawater explosion, and Nora had shielded her…

Yi’an’s eyes snapped open.

Her consciousness remained hazy, and the world swam in a blur, but it was clear they were no longer in the ocean. The surroundings were utterly still, and she lay on solid ground.

The snow leopard’s ears twitched. A faint sob seemed to come from beside her. Yi’an turned her head slightly, dimly perceiving Nora’s figure nearby.

She opened her mouth, but her throat was so dry and hoarse that not even a whisper escaped.

Yet Nora didn’t miss even this slight movement.

Teary-eyed, she leaned close to Yi’an’s head, clutching her paw and softly sobbing, “Yi’an, Yi’an, you’re finally awake.”

Yi’an moved her lips, desperately wanting to ask why she wasn’t in the sea and where she was, but when she inhaled, a searing pain shot through her entire body, especially her back, leaving her utterly drained.

“Yi’an, we’re in Coulson now,” Nora murmured, pressing her cheek against Yi’an’s paw, as if sensing her unspoken questions. “A fisherman near Coulson rescued us. The witch doctor cleaned your wounds for six hours, but your injuries are too severe. There’s nothing more they can do.”

“Yi’an, can you tell me how to save you?” Nora’s tears began to flow again as she spoke.

Yi’an lay sprawled on the ground, desperately wanting to reassure Nora and tell her not to cry. She didn’t know how to save herself either, but she couldn’t speak. Her chest wheezed like an old bellows, and the pain blurred her consciousness. Her eyes gradually lost focus, and her body grew colder.

Is this the taste of death? Before she could even process the thought, her head lolled to the side, and she lost consciousness again.

The leopard’s claw slipped gently from Nora’s hand.

Nora stood frozen for a long moment, then tentatively called out, “Yi’an? Are you asleep?”

The only response was a silence so profound it seemed even her breathing had ceased.

Nora’s lips trembled slightly, her mind buzzing. She stared blankly at the leopard, who had never looked so frail. Her fingertips, shaking, reached toward Yi’an’s nose. The tip was dry, and she could feel no warmth, no breath.

In an instant, terror burrowed into her heart like a festering wound, tearing through her chest and shattering her reason.

“Yi’an! Yi’an!!”

Nora cried out, frantically throwing herself forward to cradle Yi’an’s head. The icy nose pressed against her cheek as she repeated the name over and over: “Yi’an, open your eyes and look at me… please…”.

Tears streamed down her face, soaking into Yi’an’s fur, but there was no response.

Nora’s lips trembled uncontrollably, and the world blurred before her eyes.

She clutched Yi’an’s body, the warmth fading from her palms. It was a clear, sunny day, so why… why was her body so cold?!

“Is it because you’re too cold?” Nora murmured, her gaze unfocused as she stared at Yi’an, pressed against the leopard’s fur. Suddenly realizing something, she scrambled to her feet, frantically stripping off her clothes, carefully avoiding Yi’an’s wounds as she squeezed herself into the leopard’s embrace, clinging tightly to her.

“I know… you’re silent because you’re too cold…”

She nuzzled Yi’an’s head, coaxing her in a hoarse whisper, “I’ll warm you up. You have to get better.”

Her arms tightened around Yi’an, her body trembling slightly, whether from the damp chill or from despair, she couldn’t tell.

Nora buried her face in the leopard’s neck, tears dripping onto Yi’an’s cheek, but the leopard remained unresponsive.

Finally, she couldn’t hold back any longer, sobbing softly, “Please… wake up and tell me how to save you…”

But Yi’an remained silent, enveloped in an endless, icy stillness.

Time lost all meaning. Nora clung to Yi’an, motionless.

Even Holy Beasts… have their day of departure?

She didn’t know.

Nora didn’t know how long she had held Yi’an. Her tears had long since dried, and exhaustion blurred her consciousness. Leaning against Yi’an’s body, she gradually lost strength until darkness enveloped her vision.

Suddenly, a faint glow emanated from the pocket of her discarded clothes, slowly spreading across the leopard’s bare back. The gentle warmth seeped into her flesh, softly caressing the savage wounds.

After an unknown interval, Nora abruptly awoke. The body in her arms seemed to have regained warmth. Was it an illusion? She immediately sat up and peered at the prone leopard, her trembling fingers cautiously reaching beneath its nose. Instantly, Nora’s pupils constricted, her breath catching in her throat.

The tip of its nose… it was wet again!

Unable to believe her eyes, she leaned down, pressing her ear against the leopard’s chest. A faint but distinct heartbeat slowly pulsed into her ear.

“Cough, cough—”

A sudden cough startled Nora. She scrambled out of Yi’an’s embrace, her right hand trembling as she gently stroked the leopard’s chest.

Then, she swiftly grabbed the nearby water cup, tore off a clean piece of cotton cloth, soaked it, and carefully squeezed the damp cloth against Yi’an’s lips.

After completing these actions, she leaned down again, pressing her ear against Yi’an’s chest, terrified that everything had been a hallucination.

Thank goodness, her heart is still beating!

Nora couldn’t help but smile.

“W-why… are you… smiling?”

Nora lowered her head in disbelief. Those familiar gray-green eyes slowly opened, meeting her gaze. Instantly, her vision blurred.

“Yi’an! Yi’an! Yi’an!”

“Hey, hey, hey…”

She called out the name again and again, and the weakened leopard patiently responded in a soft voice.

Finally, tears streamed down her face. Overwhelmed by joy mixed with profound sorrow, she buried her face in Yi’an’s neck and sobbed softly.

Yi’an twitched her ears slightly, struggling to move her paw. She gently placed her paw pad on Nora’s cheek.

“Don’t… be sad…” Her lips barely moved, her weakness evident. “I won’t die.”

Before she could finish, Nora choked back a sob and lifted her head, staring at her through tear-blurred eyes. She pressed her hand firmly over Yi’an’s mouth, her voice a mix of laughter and tears. “Don’t talk about dying! Your mouth is always so foul!”