"The giant nymph couldn't actually climb the tree. It climbed incredibly fast, almost reaching the ship. Then it pulled the rope holding the harpoon attached to its back. So we had to do something, like manually unlock it."
Jacob paused, looked at the investigators to see if they were interested, and then continued his story.
"So my uncle decided to use a poison dart... the kind we keep for emergencies."
"Poison?" The officer raised an eyebrow. "Isn't your job to hunt nymphs and send them to the kitchen? How could you possibly use poison?"
"Well...it's necessary..." Jacob swallowed hard. "The poison acts quickly. Once it enters the bloodstream, it breaks down into enzymes that digest the muscles, causing premature nimes. When the animal dies, even if you use the flesh for food, there's no residual poison."
Jacob swallowed hard. He glanced at the investigating officer, who seemed interested in his story, and continued.
"So I unlocked it manually... and had to accelerate to escape, but I forgot that there was another nymph hanging from the scooter, weighing it down. When I unlocked the rope, the cable snapped, causing... me, the scooter, and the nymph to be flung in all directions!"
As the giant nymph climbed to the top of the tree, just meters from the vehicle, it let out a deafening roar that sent chills down the spine. It reached out its powerful hand, grabbed a grappling hook, and violently yanked the vehicle toward it.
The scooter lurched downwards into the treetops. Jacob saw its gleaming white fangs right in front of him.
"Manual override system! Under that panel!" Jacob shouted, trying to snap his scattered uncle out of it.
Breeze regained his senses. He yanked the circuit board beneath the harpoon gun, revealing a red lever.
"Jacob! Count to three, then speed off for dear life!" Breeze yelled, giving him his final warning.
"one!"
The lion raised its claws, preparing to strike.
"two!"
Jacob gripped the remaining throttle tightly.
"Three! Go!!!"
Boom!
The sound of the explosive pin snapping echoed, the cable snapping with immense force. The end of the rope sprang back, slamming violently into the giant nymph's chest. The force of the impact sent it tumbling backward.To the ground below.
But the centrifugal force was too violent for the damaged vehicle to withstand. The scooter spun wildly in mid-air like a top. Jacob tried to control it, but to no avail.
"Uncle!!!"
The last thing Jacob saw was treetops hurtling towards him, and the whole world turned blood red.Flames
Everything seems to fit together with what Hal recounted during the earlier investigation…
At the Nims Hunting Command Center.
The room was so silent you could hear the engine running from the monitor. Two vital signs on the screen flickered off, and an explosion was heard through the radio.
The group of hunters who went out with the two uncle and nephew have all returned to the station with their big prey, sent straight to the slaughterhouse.
"The signal…the connection is lost," Hal murmured, his face pale, his hands trembling on the control panel. The station masters and the other hunters began to crowd around the table.
"Is that Old Man Breeze and his grandson…?" a man whispered. "Press the emergency button! Send out the rescue droid!" someone shouted. "We have to go help them! Now!" Hal jumped up, grabbed his coat, and prepared to run out.
But an elder hunter gestured to stop him, his face expressionless but his eyes filled with despair. "Calm down, kid. Your ship crashed deep in the forest, and there are hundreds of crazed nymphs below... Going out now will only lead to your death."
"What am I supposed to do?! That's my friend!" Hal yelled, tears welling up in his eyes.
"There's nothing we can do now... but wait for news from the droid."
Everyone gradually dispersed to their respective duties, leaving behind a heavy silence. Hal slumped down in front of the empty screen. He grabbed his communication device and dialed repeatedly, even knowing that perhaps no one could hear him anymore.
"Jake... can you hear me... Jacob! Uncle Breeze!..."
"Answer me... Please..." The sound of the waves crashing."Bukkuan" was the only answer he received.
"Then the signal was lost."Jacob recounted the story with great enthusiasm, then his lips tightened. One of the officers read the information on the glass screen, and they whispered amongst themselves before one of them spoke up:
"And... what about the cargo ship that crashed nearby? Do you know anything about it?"
This sentence sent a shiver down Jacobson's spine.
"Oh no, I'm definitely going to get caught lying," Jacob stammered, a jumble of lies racing through his head...
But he answered briefly.
"I...I don't know! I'm just a nymph hunter!"
Jacob wasn't lying about this... The pulse on the monitor was normal because Jacob believed what he was saying.
He had to believe in order to survive.
The officers exchanged thoughtful glances before sighing.
"I'll send a report on this. While you wait for the Tower Governor's decision, you can just stay in jail."
Alright... the interrogation is complete. Take them back to their cells."
The officers ordered Jacob and Hal to be taken into custody. They were pushed into a damp, musty communal cell.
Hal's face turned pale.
"We're screwed, Jake..." Hal whispered, his voice trembling. "If your mother finds out about this..."
"Mom doesn't know. She's busy working at the center," Jacob replied through gritted teeth, but inwardly he was more worried about… her, who was bedridden at home.
"We have to find a way out. She's waiting for us."