Her body shot up from the ground as if recoiling, heavy shackles clamped around her ankles, hindering her movement.
As she tried to dodge, the iron chain clanked, causing the snake to approach even faster.
Her heart leaped into her throat.
Her heart hammered so fast it felt like it would burst from her chest.
In her desperation, she bent down, snatched up a thicker tree branch from the ground, and without a second thought, swung it hard at the snake's head just before it lunged.
She missed. The snake, enraged, flicked its forked tongue more rapidly, accelerating towards her.
Sophie Sullivan dared not hesitate. By now, her palms were slick with sweat.
Ignoring everything else, she immediately launched a second attack.
This time, she hit the snake's head.
She took a deep breath and struck it hard, several times in rapid succession.
The snake's long body coiled around the branch, tightening its grip until it finally went still…
「One minute passed…」
