It had never crossed Jason's mind that there would be a second tiger hidden in this godforsaken forest.
At that moment, he had no time to dodge. Staring at the tiger's massive jaws snapping down at him, he couldn't afford to think. The instant the beast knocked him to the ground, every ounce of hidden strength in his body surged into action. Fueled by adrenaline, his arms shot up and locked against the tiger, holding it back with all his might.
"Damn it!"
But a tiger's strength is not something a human can rival, no matter how well trained. Despite Jason's excellent physical condition and experience, his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
Roar!
The tiger pressed down harder, its weight crushing him. It snarled in frustration at Jason's resistance, saliva dripping onto his prey's face.
Jason paid no attention to the drool splashing over him. What did it matter, if he was about to die beneath a tiger's jaws?
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. A bullet tore through the air and struck deep into the tiger's flesh.
Roar!
The tiger howled in pain, its body lurching as it shifted its focus to Tommy, who stood aiming a pistol. Ignoring Jason beneath it, the beast charged toward the one who had hurt it.
But how could Jason let it escape like that?
The instant the tiger eased its pressure, Jason grabbed its fur and hauled himself onto its back as it tried to move.
The tiger immediately panicked. Abandoning its attack on Tommy, it twisted violently, thrashing in an attempt to throw off the weight clinging to it.
But now that he had his chance, Jason wasn't letting go. His lower body swung wildly, yet his arms locked around the tiger's torso with relentless force.
At the same time, his free hand drew the dagger at his waist. Seizing the moment, he drove it fiercely toward the tiger's eye.
But the violent shaking and his position on the beast's back threw off his aim. The blade struck the tiger's forehead instead.
The sharp dagger sank deep, only to be halted by the beast's hard skull, unable to penetrate further. He felt the recoil of resistance.
Rrrr!
Faced with death and wracked by pain, the tiger roared in fury, thrashing even more violently.
Jason was flung about, unable to land a second stab. He had no choice but to cling tightly to avoid being thrown off.
Drawing on his past experience with horse training, he adjusted his balance atop the bucking animal, waiting for the right moment.
"Damn it!"
As man and beast struggled, Tommy rushed closer, raising his rifle to support him.
"What's going on?" The others had arrived and froze at the sight of Jason locked in a deadly embrace with the tiger.
"Don't shoot!" Tommy had the best aim among them, but the constant twisting made him hesitate. One wrong shot could hit Jason instead of the tiger.
The terrifying scene kept him at a distance.
As Tommy hesitated, the tiger—after struggling for so long—finally began to tire, its movements slowing slightly.
"Wait… two damn tigers?" Glenn felt a chill run through him. Watching the exhausted beast still clutched by Jason, he and the others could only stare.
Jason's eyes burned with ferocity. Instead of blindly attacking the head again, he shifted tactics. He plunged the dagger into the tiger's relatively softer abdomen, yanked it out, and stabbed the same spot again and again in rapid succession.
Puchi!
The blade pierced deep into the tiger's belly. As it withdrew, blood gushed out in torrents, staining the snow crimson.
Roar!
The already weakened tiger let out a tortured howl as the repeated stabs tore into its abdomen. Its slowing movements suddenly turned frantic again.
Seeing this, Jason paused momentarily. His arms trembled faintly—he wasn't in much better shape.
Blood poured from the tiger's wounds, splattering everywhere.
Perhaps realizing it could not shake him off, the tiger's bloodshot eyes fixed on a nearby tree. It charged toward it.
At the last second, it twisted violently, slamming its side and back against the tree trunk.
The impact came without warning. Though Jason tried to adjust, he couldn't avoid it entirely.
Crack—!
His right arm and right leg smashed into the tree. The pain was like being run over by heavy machinery. His face twisted in agony, his body trembling. For a moment, he could barely hold on. The force nearly tore the dagger from his grip.
"Damn beast!"
Every joint in his body screamed. He knew he couldn't survive another impact. Ignoring the agony in his arm, he seized a fleeting opening and drove the dagger straight into the tiger's right eye.
The blade struck fast and deep—almost the entire dagger disappeared inside.
At the same time, Tommy took his shot.
Bang!
The bullet destroyed the tiger's other eye.
Roar!
Blinded completely, the tiger thrashed wildly, losing all sense of direction.
The dagger trembled as it remained lodged deep in its skull. Victory seemed within reach. Everyone could see the beast was fighting its last desperate battle.
But suddenly, the out-of-control tiger bolted blindly in one direction—as if trying to flee.
Ahead of it lay a large pit. At the bottom rested the corpse of the first tiger.
"Jason, let go!"
Tommy saw it clearly and shouted the warning.
Jason looked up and instantly understood. The beast was charging straight into a trap.
Without hesitation, he pushed himself off the tiger's back. A second later, he realized he was dangling over the edge of the pit. Below, sharp steel spikes gleamed.
His pupils shrank.
He twisted midair and grabbed onto the edge.
Rrrrr!
His fingers dug into the frozen earth. His eyes burned red as he fought not to fall. But his injured right arm and leg offered little support. Slowly, he began to slip.
Tommy rushed forward.
Jason roared inwardly, clinging on even as dirt-caked nails tore and broke. He didn't care.
He wanted to live. Too many people depended on him.
"I've got you!"
Whether it was the threat of death unlocking his final reserves or sheer willpower, Jason held on just long enough.
Tommy threw aside his weapon, grabbed Jason's arm with both hands, and hauled him up inch by inch.
With a heavy thud, Jason collapsed onto the snow. Tommy fell beside him, gasping for breath, drained from the rescue.
Staring at the sky, Jason's vision darkened. His body felt empty—overdrawn. The adrenaline had vanished completely.
Before he could gather another thought, dizziness overwhelmed him.
And then he knew nothing.
"Jason!" Glenn rushed over. For a brief moment, he glanced at the dead tigers, wondering what would happen if they suddenly rose like walkers.
"Finish them off! We don't know if they're still alive!" Daryl shouted as he approached the tiger that had wounded him, proceeding to pull out its fangs and claws—trophies he might never have the chance to claim again.