Chapter 174 Suddenly, a mere twitch of Oneidaâs finger sent a thin blade hurtling from her grasp, which then fiercely buried itself into the neck of the aquatic monster before her.
The aquatic monster let out a roar that seemed to make the very earth itself tremble.
At the same moment, its âhandâ unwittingly relaxed its grip.
Oneida took her chance to break free, tumbling down from her elevated bind to the solid ground below.
The very blade Oneida had casually picked up at the waterâs edge earlier proved to be unexpectedly useful But in an instant, the aquatic monster lapsed into a wild, raging frenzy, flailing its limbs and beating the pondâs surface ferociously.
Giant waves erupted from the once placid, emerald waters, soaking Oneida to the coreâonce again.
In the blink of an eyeâthe aquatic monster reached out multiple âhands,â one coiling tightly around Oneidaâs neck, another one binding her torso, and yet another clinging to her ankle.
Oneida was utterly immobilized, only being able to watch herself being pulled ever nearer to the aquatic monsterâs dreadful head.
Then, as it opened its jaws.
The rows of massive, needleâlike teeth were starkly alarming.
Oneida thought, âThe aquatic monster must see me as food. Itâs about to swallow me whole!
Stricken by panic, Oneida began to desperately thrash about.
The aquatic monster, sensing Oneidaâs resistance, constricted its grip even further, rendering her almost completely breathless. Her limbs refused to obey her commands.
Faced with the overpowering might of nature, human beings can seem incredibly fragile.
If only Oneida had her weapons, there might have been a chance... But now, Oneida was defenseless.
Being drawn closer to the aquatic monsterâs menacing maw, Oneida clenched her fists, ready for a last, daring push.
Thatâs when the sound of gunshots pierced the air by her ear.
A bullet whistled past, striking the monster with precision in its throat, brushing against Oneidaâs ear.
It was a hit.
Blue liquid began to seep from the wound.
The aquatic monster wailed in pain, the noise echoing as if the bullet had found a vital target.
It recoiled its appendages and swiftly submerged below the pondâs surface, vanishing from sight.
Now calm, the emerald pond seemed as tranquil as ever.
And Oneida was falling.
Bracing for impact, Oneida was unexpectedly caught in midâfall by a shadowy figure.
A strangerâs arm, cool yet oddly warm, had cushioned her descent.
Instinctively, Oneida looked up into the face of her savior.
A striking man met her gazeâwith chiseled features, short dark hair, and dressed entirely in black.
âYou...â Oneida looked into his eyes, the word escaping her lips before Oneida could help it.
âAre you okay?â The man looked down at her, his voice low and concerned.
Oneida thought, âHis voice is also unfamiliar. Who is this man, anyway? Why did he appear out of nowhere and happen to save me by such a fortuitous accident?â
1/3 4:31 PM Chapter 174 âIâm fine,â Oneida asserted, her gaze deeply surveying him while gently shaking her head.
Reassured by her response, the man finally relaxed his hold, carefully setting her back on the ground.
Oneidaâs eyes quickly caught the sight of the gun beside him.
It seemed likely that it was with this gun the man had wounded the creature.
However, the design of the gun was quite distinctive. It was not like the usual styles found on the market.
A thought abruptly streaked across her mind.
Her expression stiffened, and almost instinctively, Oneida asked, âAre you Knight?â
The man seemed taken aback by her sudden query, his cold gaze faltering for a fraction of a second.
Knight was a top commander under the leadership of Evan from Paragon Group, known for his exceptional marksmanship, and said to be the worldâs deadliest sniper.
His signature trait was the unique gun he wielded.
And right now, the gun beside this man looked astonishingly identical to the one Knight always used.
Hence Oneidaâs suspicion that the man before her might actually be Knight.
Oneida scrutinized him as if trying to discern any hint of truth from his expression.
Oneida thought, âWhy would someone from Paragon Group help me? And to think itâs the notorious Knight.â
After all, Oneida had had her fair share of clashes with Evan, the leader of Paragon Group.
Their relationship was far from good, with several disputes over interests.
As Oneida pondered this, the man before her finally broke the silence, confirming, âYes, Iâm Knight.â
Jackson watched Oneida, his wife in front of him, his heart equally turbulent with emotions.
Yes, the man who had saved Oneida was none other than Jackson, disguised and incognito.
At this moment, he appeared as his alter ego, Knight.
Jackson was both Evan, the leader of Paragon Group, and Knight, Evanâs ace sniper.
One man played two parts.
No one knew that Evan and Knight were in fact the same personâboth were Jackson.
Today, rushing to the Misty Forest, he couldnât possibly use his identity as Jackson. So, he donned a mask and became Knight.
Unexpectedly, Oneida had guessed his alternate persona.
Jacksonâs gaze, profound and searching, rested on Oneida before him, as for the first time, he looked at his wife with inquiring eyes.
In his memory, Oneida was a simple and adorable girl.
He had only ever conducted a basic check on her background, never delving too deeply.
He hadnât even bothered to have someone keep a close watch on her every move.
Naturally suspicious by nature, Jackson seemed unusually indulgent with Oneida.
For when Oneida looked up at him with her eyes shining bright and called him, he strangely let his guard down.
He didnât want to doubt her, investigate her, or surveil her...
But now, he realized he might have been mistaken.
Oneida knew of Knight from Paragon Group...
Jackson wondered, âWhat else does Oneida know inside that head of hers?â
2/3 3/3 4:31 PM Chapter 174 The shifting clouds in Jacksonâs eyes made Oneida feel strangely uncomfortable under his steady gaze.
Without betraying her discomfort, Oneida looked away and spoke slowly, âThough I donât know why you saved me, I still owe you thanks.â
The Second Act Revenge (Oneida and Jackson)
ï¤The Second Act 173 If Knight hadnât appeared in time, Oneida feared she would have been monster fodder.
Hearing her words, Jackson simply stated, âI happened to be passing by and lent a hand.
Oneida paused, pondering, âPassing by...? Is he serious? Just passing through the Misty Forest and just so happened to come to this wellâhidden cliff base... His passing byâ is a little too coincidental.
Jackson lowered his gaze to meet Oneidaâs.
He knew Oneida doubted him.
Only now did he realize that Oneida too had this side to her. Calm, vigilant, guarded. All this was beyond his expectations.
âWe should find a way out of here as soon as possible,â Oneidaâs voice continued, bringing him back. Oneida looked up and around before casually asking, âHow did you get down here?â
Jackson pointed to a rope nearby and said flatly, âUsed this.â
Oneida saw it and said, âIt is a good tool for us.â
Right after speaking, Oneida instinctively moved forward, but Jackson suddenly reached out, his hand pressing on Oneidaâs shoulder. âFirst, take off the wet clothes youâre wearing. Itâs very cold during the climb, and in this state, youâre likely to catch a cold.â
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