"The peopleing to rescue us won’t let those bad guys hurt us. We’ll get out of here together, with your brother."


    Her hand never stopped gently rubbing Minerva’s, offering silent reassurance.


    But Minerva didn’t respond, clinging to Hera as if she hadn’t heard a word.


    After several tense minutes, the gunfire finally ceased, and Minerva, ever so slightly, rxed.


    Soon after, faint movements echoed around the vicinity.


    Hera and Minerva remained silent, not daring to make a sound, uncertain of who had arrived.


    The sound of measured footsteps grew nearer, but they were oddly quiet—too quiet, in fact.


    Both Hera and Minerva felt their nerves tighten, their hearts seemingly lodged in their throats, each step amplifying their unease.


    "Young Miss!" A head suddenly popped up from the corner like a mischievous monkey, startling both Hera and Minerva to the core, causing them to scream.


    Hera’s eyes snapped upward to the tree branches, searching for the big python.


    Thankfully, the snake appeared to be well-fed, only stirring slightly without opening its eyes. It seemed to ignore them entirely, its focus on dreand.


    Only then did Hera exhale a sigh of relief and turn to face the person who had called out to them.


    A man in histe thirties crouching at the edge, his face marked with ck camouge lines, wearing a camouge uniform and helmet.


    An assault rifle was slung across his back.


    He climbed up effortlessly, making no sound as he approached Hera and Minerva.


    At that moment, Minerva finally allowed herself to cry, tears flowing silently. It was as though she had found her lifeline—truly realizing that she was safe, and that help had arrived.


    Minerva threw her arms around Hera, her voice trembling with relief. "Hera, we’re saved! H-Hera, we’re really going to get out of here..." She sobbed quietly, the weight of fear finally lifting.


    "Yes, we are..." Hera murmured, offeringfort to Minerva as the man signaled to his team below the tree, instructing one to throw up a rope and another toe up and help lower Rafael.


    But just as they were about to move, Hera grabbed the sleeve of the man crouching beside them at the edge of the tree.


    Without saying a word, she subtly motioned for him to look up.


    It was only then that the soldier noticed the massive snake, coiled and asleep just a few thick branches above them.


    The creature’s bulk nearly spanned the entire area where they had been resting, as if it were guarding its territory—or its prey.


    The sight of the snake stunned him so much that he nearly lost his bnce and fell to the ground below.


    His foot slipped, but with years of wilderness experience and lightning-fast reflexes, he quickly regained hisposure.


    He signaled to his team below, his movements deliberate and silent.


    This time, they moved with extreme caution.


    The man below threw up the thick rope, and the soldier carefully began climbing, his movements measured and deliberate, making as little noise as possible.


    A foldable stretcher was slung across his back, ready to assist in lowering Rafael.


    Once they were both up, one of the men carefully made his way to a thick branch near the snake, preparing to tie the rope.


    Meanwhile, the other two focused on Rafael’s injuries.


    One was a former field medic, and the other, the captain, who had surprised Hera with his timely arrival.


    The medic’s eyes narrowed as he examined Rafael.


    Noticing the herbs in the wounds, he raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by the makeshift first aid.


    He nodded to himself, acknowledging the efforts of the person who did it.


    For now, he didn’t attempt to change the dressing, recognizing that it was effectively halting the bleeding.


    Instead, he and the captain carefully lifted Rafael, making sure not to jostle him, and began to transfer him to the stretcher.


    Rafael’s brow furrowed, and he grunted in pain as he was moved.


    The sharp sting of his injuries was still very much present. Seeing this, the field medic quickly administered a dose of liquid painkillers to help ease his difort, allowing him to rest a bit morefortably and hopefully dull the sensation of being jostled.


    Once Rafael was secured on the stretcher, the team moved him slowly and cautiously to the edge of the tree.


    Below, the rest of the team remained vignt, scanning for any signs of enemies.


    Two soldiers stood ready at the base, waiting for the stretcher to be pulleyed down using the rope.


    Above, the two men gripping the rope kept a careful watch on the massive python, ensuring its eyes remained closed.


    Meanwhile, the field medic focused on the stretcher, ready to signal the rope holders with a tap on their shoulders once it reached the ground and the waiting hands below.


    Thanks to their coordinated teamwork, they managed to bring Rafael down with rtive ease.


    Afterward, Hera quickly informed the captain that Minerva couldn’t walk on her own.


    The captain crouched down, preparing to let Minerva climb onto his back. Minerva hesitated, her eyes searching Hera’s face for reassurance before making the decision.


    Hera gave Minerva a reassuring nod.


    "It’s okay, you can trust them." She gave Minerva’s shoulder a gentle tap, encouraging her. With visible reluctance, Minerva climbed onto the captain’s back, clinging to him tightly as he began to descend.


    Hera followed closely behind, her eyes scanning the area.


    Thest to climb down was the soldier who had retrieved the rope.


    Fortunately, the snake remained still, and they were able to make their escape without incident, unscathed but tense from the close call.


    Once they reached the base, one of the soldiers approached Hera. By now, they had heard about the massive python up in the tree.


    "Young Miss, should we take care of the snake, or would you prefer we relocate it to a zoo?"


    Hera shook her head. "There’s no need to worry about the python. Let’s leave it in its natural habitat and request that this area be protected.


    After all, such a massive tree is rare—just like the python. It must be ancient. We can’t allow illegal loggers to cut the tree or poachers to harm it. Let it live. It helped us escape those who were after my friends."


    Minerva heard Hera’s words, and a sharp sting filled her eyes as the word <i>friend</i> echoed in her ears.