Heaven Awaits in Hell

BAM!

Zion punched an alligator which had just leapt out of the water. His punch landed on the side of its head, which disoriented the gator, but it still wasn't dead.

Zion gritted his teeth and landed another hit right at the top of the gator's head while it was still disoriented.

Internally, the gator's hard skull, which was already compromised from Zion's first punch, couldn't take another blow and got crushed.

The gator froze the next moment, and vitality disappeared from his eyes. It was an instant death.

Zion sighed in relief and retracted his hand.

"They are becoming more frequent," Fana said from the side. It had been five days since they had started.

During this period, not only did the forest become much thicker, but the animals they encountered also increased.

"Yes, it looks like their breeding ground is near," Zion wiped the sweat off his forehead and said while looking at the third gator he had killed within two days.

He hated this creature. Just taking out one would take two punches' worth of Qi from his reserves.

They soon collected water and entered the forest.

Frequent wild boars were a common occurrence here. They being aggressive would, at times, outrightly attack them.

As a result, Zion had killed seven boars within these five days. They were a nuisance, but they had a good amount of meat for two people, so Zion welcomed their attacks.

After killing the gator, Zion had enough Qi to land 47 punches. His daily night practice ensured that he still had enough Qi with him at all times.

Days kept passing, and with that, their encounter with animals further increased.

Zion had just taken care of a pack of wolves.

Five wolves with their heads and stomachs ruptured were lying lifelessly around him.

They had mistaken their prey for a weakling and had ended up paying for it with their lives.

He was no longer the person who would get scared by a few wolves.

"Let's go," Zion called out to Fana, who had been hiding behind a tree.

Fana came out and just casually glanced at the bloodied scene as if it were only natural.

Their exposure in the last thirty days had fully desensitised them to bloodshed.

Near the river, after Zion had washed himself up, Fana helped him with the injuries he had sustained from all the fighting.

"Without you, it would have been quite difficult for me to survive," Zion muttered while Fana was applying a herbal paste to his back.

Hearing this, a smile formed on her face. "No, you would still have survived. It's me who should be grateful for your help."

Her hands turned gentler while applying the paste to his wounds.

The past few days had been the most comfortable days for her in this forest.

They had faced several dangers, but each time Zion was able to deal with them. She no longer found Zion's leg a burden and had truly started admiring him.

"I'm done," Fana said after finishing with the treatment.

"What do you plan to do after we get out of here?" Zion suddenly asked.

It had been forty-six days in total since the day they entered this forest. A few days ago, they had started seeing signs of the forest's vegetation thinning.

It was a clear sign that this endless forest was coming to an end, and it made the two of them all the more excited.

"Hmm, I don't have any plans since we still don't know what's on the other side. If there's a village like ours, then I'll just join them and lend a hand as a herbalist. What about you?" Fana asked.

"It's the same with me. I'll fulfil my dream of becoming the strongest hunter there instead," Zion said. He was still adamant about fulfilling the promise that he had made to his father.

"You'll surely become one," Fana said with confidence.

"Then…if I become one, will you…marry me?" Zion asked with a hint of hesitation and embarrassment. Too afraid to meet Fana's eyes, his gaze was directed towards the flowing river.

Seeing him like this, an amused expression formed on her face.

"I was already planning to once we got out of here, but it's alright if you want me to wait until you become the best hunter in that village…" She answered teasingly.

"You-" Zion immediately turned towards her when he heard her. His face was dumbstruck, and he was unsure whether Fana truly meant what she had said or was just joking with him.

"Don't act so surprised now, will you? After showing me such heroic sides of you in these past few days, do you think I won't like you?" Fana understood Zion's confusion and answered.

"You really like me?... but I don't have a leg" Suddenly, a wave of uncertainty cast on his face as he looked at his wooden leg.

Fana sat down on her feet next to him, such that she was facing Zion and spoke.

"Of course, I do, and as for your leg, even without it, you're so strong, so why should I be bothered about that?"

"Thank y-" before Zion could continue further, Fana's finger pressed his lips.

"Shhh" She hushed and continued, "Instead of thanking me, get me out of here quickly so that we can marry."

Zion chuckled at her words and nodded, "Yes, I'll do that."

Fana too giggled along with him. A while later, they once again entered the forest.

Zion was more motivated than ever, and Fana, too, was looking forward to her future together with him.

With added vigour, they rushed past the dense forest cover. A week passed by, and they finally reached an area which was much sparser than what they had ever seen.

Trees here were a lot taller. However, since their crowns weren't very wide, they allowed more sunlight to come inside.

"This place looks so much more comforting," Fana added while enjoying the warm sunlight.

"Indeed," Zion carefully observed the new surroundings and, finding no signs of hidden danger, he felt quite relieved.

An excited feeling was rising up inside him.

"Let's keep moving. I feel we'll soon find what we are looking for," he told Fana, and the two continued their journey.

A few hours passed, and they had walked several miles, but the scenery remained the same.

It was around six in the evening now, and the night was approaching. Zion was starting with the camp preparation.

"The breeze is so refreshing," Fana commented, feeling the evening breeze. Zion smiled when he saw her enjoying herself.

However, the wind soon turned into a gust, making her fall.

Zion immediately went to help her up, but by now, the speed of the wind had increased even further.

Squinting his eyes, Zion turned to look towards the direction the wind was coming from, and his expression changed into one of shock and horror.

A figure the same size as a panther was whistling towards them from very far away. Its fur was orange and had black stripes to it, making it quite distinct from afar.

What shocked them was not that, but the fact that the beast was in mid-air and had wings on its back.

With terrifying speed, it was closing on them from almost a mile away.

Zion turned towards Fana and, seeing her stunned expression, he gritted his teeth and exclaimed.

"Hide! Get as far from here as possible. I'll take care of it!"

With those words, Zion stood up and gazed straight towards the approaching beast. Qi started gathering on his hands.