She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 370

As Loyce slid past, she used her momentum to pivot nimbly to the bear’s side and rear. A cold light flashed in her eyes. The arrow in her left hand, held in a reverse grip, struck like a viper, driven by the full force of her body and her precise judgment, plunging deep into the bear’s more vulnerable rear leg joint, a spot not fully protected by thick fur.

*Thump!*

The arrow sank in deep.

“ROOAARRGH—!!” The bear let out a mangled, agonizing howl. The searing pain in its leg joint caused its massive body to stagger, completely disrupting its attack rhythm.

The crippled bear’s scream of pain echoed through the mountains. But it wasn’t just a cry of agony; it was a primal, savage call, the sound waves rolling through the dense forest.

“Hurry, Cyrilla! Run!” Marnie’s voice was a choked sob of pure terror as she half-dragged, half-carried Cyrilla across the uneven, root-strewn forest floor.

Cyrilla was a dead weight, her legs limp and clumsy. She nearly fell several times, saved only by Marnie’s iron grip on her arm.

“No, wait!” Cyrilla babbled, tears and snot streaming down her face. She pointed a trembling finger at a distant, upright figure, her tear-filled eyes wide with horror. “We’ve circled back! It’s Loyce! I see Loyce again!”

On the verge of a complete breakdown herself, Marnie screamed, “Go, go the other way!”

Just as they scrambled desperately up a steep slope covered in giant ferns, disaster struck again.

“Grraaaawl—!”

A low, brutal snarl, like a death knell from hell, erupted from the dense, almost lightless wall of ferns to their side.

Then, a brown figure, slightly smaller than the male bear but just as powerfully built, tore through the thick leaves like a phantom and lunged at them with terrifying speed.

“Aaaaaahhh!!!”

Cyrilla’s despairing shriek mingled with the she-bear’s roar, the sound reaching Loyce. Loyce’s head snapped toward the noise, and she couldn’t help but curse under her breath. *There’s another one?*

Cyrilla watched her nervously, preparing to follow.

However, just as they both reached the ground and had taken no more than two steps, a roar—even more savage, cunning, and bloodthirsty than before—erupted like a thunderclap from the wall of dense ferns directly in front of them.

Both girls froze in terror. The she-bear hadn’t left. It had used the thick foliage to perfectly conceal its massive body and overpowering scent, waiting for its prey to walk right into its trap. Having calculated the angle and timing perfectly, it burst from the ferns and lunged.

The two girls turned and ran, but human legs were no match for a starving bear. It closed the distance in an instant, its giant paw whistling through the air as it aimed for the closest target: Cyrilla. Its cavernous mouth opened, fangs bared, targeting Cyrilla’s vulnerable waist.

Cyrilla glanced back and saw the descending claw. A wave of absolute terror washed over her, obliterating all reason and the last shred of her humanity.

“NO—! DON’T BITE ME!!” Cyrilla let out a twisted, inhuman shriek. The will to survive crushed everything else. Her eyes filled with a mad desire for self-preservation.

At that critical moment, Cyrilla grabbed the unsuspecting Marnie beside her and, using every last ounce of her remaining strength, viciously shoved her backward—directly into the path of the attacking bear.