Chapter 148

The cameraman's face changed as he lowered his voice and asked, "Ms. Bennett, are you sure these are chicken eggs?"

"Yes, they are, and they might even be from a wild chicken or a pheasant. It's been a good haul today," Sophia said, standing and walking forward.

The cameraman stared thoughtfully at the spot where she had just been. A sense of unease crept over him. He couldn't ignore it any longer. Grabbing his equipment, he ran ahead, no longer filming Sophia, but sprinting urgently. Sophia was completely confused.

"Hey! Why are you running so fast? Wait for me!" Sophia shouted, panic in her voice.

She quickly started running to catch up, but the cameraman, attempting to keep filming her, flipped the camera around. Even as he ran, the lens stayed fixed on Sophia. Her frantic pace was captured in real time.

[Camera zoomed in:] "This isn't any bird egg or chicken egg. It looks like a snake egg!"

[Voiceover:] "She's a menace. Everyone else is running, and she's just pretending. Now she's picking up snake eggs to harm people!"

[Voiceover:] "The cameraman's running so fast. It's so funny!"

[Voiceover:] "Do you think the eggs she just picked up are really snake eggs?"

Viewers were left in stunned silence. Everyone else was running for their lives, but Sophia had stopped, and now even the cameraman was sprinting away. It was as if all eyes were on her. It was the first time since Sophia joined the variety show that she'd garnered everyone's full attention. The crowd was hooked, glued to the screen.

Sophia, however, had no idea what was going on.

Chapter 148

She couldn't shake the feeling that something ominous was behind her. Turning around, she saw nothing but empty space. Unease gripped her briefly. The image of the eggs kept flashing in her mind. She whispered, "A bird egg shouldn't be on the ground. But if it's not a chicken egg, then what is it?" Her worry deepened. Sophia became more and more anxious, her steps quickening as she ran after the cameraman. The faster she chased, the quicker he ran, as if afraid she would catch up. But Sophia, somehow finding strength, relentlessly pursued him.

"God, stop chasing me!" the cameraman shouted, his voice tinged with fear.

That egg had been large and elongated, and he had a sinking feeling it was a snake egg. Odalys and the others had run off quickly, adding to his worry. They had mentioned a giant python nearby.

"M. Stone!" the cameraman gasped, realizing his only hope was to lose Sophia and catch up to the group.

But Sophia wouldn't let him go. She stayed close behind, forcing the cameraman to panic. He swung around, grabbed the camera, and took a shortcut, following the navigation to rejoin the group.

Though the variety show participants weren't allowed internet access, the production team had satellite signals, allowing them to track the live stream. The cameraman's camera was connected to the satellite, boosting broadcast quality.

Ahead, Odalys was walking briskly, with Freya catching up, panting and saying, "That scared me. Thankfully, we haven't found anything yet."

"Odalys, are you sure there's a giant python around here?" Freya asked, looking uncertain.

Odalys paused, scanning the area carefully. "We should be safe here."

"Thank goodness," Selah muttered, relieved. She didn't care about her image anymore and plopped down on the grass.

Freya and Stellan took a break nearby, while Odalys, still full of energy, showed no sign of fatigue. She sighed, a quiet exhale of relief.

"Don't worry," Odalys said softly. "Pythons live for decades, and older animals are less likely to bother people. They stay in remote areas where humans rarely tread. All living things have spirits. We just have to avoid provoking it, and it won't come after us."

Chapter 148

Selah, intrigued, listened intently. "Odalys, do you really believe that everything has a spirit?" she asked, a little excited.

Odalys chuckled softly. "Of course. Humans and animals are very much alike. They both have good and evil within them. Animals are no different. It's just like magic. Those who truly have magical abilities rarely show it to others. It's only the fake ones who boast about it."

Odalys glanced around. "This place is close to mountains and water, with a good environment and clean air. Animals prefer living in such areas. The locals understand the rules. They don't provoke the animals, and the animals don't attack. Even though we're near a village, the giant pythons still live here peacefully, without disturbing the humans."

As Odalys finished speaking, the faint sound of Sophia's voice reached them. "Ah, wait for me!" Sophia's voice shrieked.

The cameraman rushed in, carrying the camera. He dashed into the crowd, relieved to see everyone resting, and whispered, "I can't keep up with her. She's too much to handle."

Everyone immediately understood he was talking about Sophia.

"Why isn't anyone waiting for me?" Sophia said, her eyes red, running up to them. She looked pitiful, and everyone fell silent.

The production team members turned their heads away. Atlas's lips moved slightly. For some reason, after being hit by Finnian last night, Atlas had been feeling off all day.

"Don't say anything," Odalys ordered sharply. Her expression turned serious as she stood and took a couple of steps forward.

Everyone held their breath, focusing their attention on her.

"What's going on?" Stellan asked in a hushed voice, rising to his feet.

Odalys's face grew darker. Her eyes narrowed, and she coldly stared at Sophia. "What were you doing back there?"

"I–I didn't do anything!" Sophia stammered, feeling the heat of Odalys's glare.

Chapter 148

Tears of frustration welled up in Sophia's eyes. She bit her lip and gave a bitter laugh. "Odalys, what gives you the right to yell? We all signed contracts to be here. Just because you think you're so tough doesn't mean you can yell at me whenever you feel like it. Who do you think you are!" Sophia shouted in a fit of rage.

The more Sophia shouted, the colder Odalys's gaze became. As their eyes locked, Sophia inexplicably felt a sense of panic.

"I'll ask you one more time," Odalys growled, her voice icy. "What did you do back there!"

Sophia recoiled, stepping backward until she was against a tree.

Odalys lowered her voice. "I told you earlier, there are giant pythons here. It's dangerous. No one should be doing anything. We need to get out of here quickly. Everything was fine earlier, and there were no signs of snakes moving around. It was safe. But now, the giant python is here. Didn't you hear it? What exactly did you do back there? Answer me!"

Sophia jumped at Odalys's angry tone. "I didn't do anything. Even if the giant python is coming, what does it have to do with me?"