At that moment, Mulan was also watching Hathaway and the others. In this unusual environment, his role as examiner allowed him a fairly clear, direct view of most of the students.
Hathaway's performance was outstanding, and Marlin had done very well too. But in a certain sense, Jenny, who had nearly gotten her classmates killed through sheer terror, had surprised Mulan even more.
In this environment, fear was the most terrifying thing of all. Those crushed by their own fear would only attract horrors, but Jenny's group had directly manifested the terror of her childhood. That worm had been very real.
Hathaway and Marlin finally calmed down from their exhilaration. Both went over to Jenny, looking nervously between her and their surroundings.
"That thing shouldn't appear again, right?"
"Probably not."
Hathaway looked at Jenny, then at Marlin, who was doing much the same. Each seemed to recognize a certain worry and inner struggle in the other. A few seconds later, Hathaway bent down first, and Marlin followed. Together, they pulled Jenny out of the mud.
Taking Jenny with them certainly meant accepting a risk, but they did it anyway.
Before long, Marlin began paying the price for unleashing her physical strength. Every muscle in her body grew weak and sore, accompanied by intense pain that even slowed her normal walking pace.
Although Hathaway's stamina fell short of what Marlin had displayed earlier, it was still beyond that of an ordinary person. She carried Jenny on her back while Marlin walked beside her.
"Hiss..."
The pain in her muscles made Marlin suck in a breath. She leaned against a nearby tree trunk and caught her breath for a moment.
"Does it hurt that much? Don't push yourself at a time like this. Take this."
Hathaway handed Marlin a branch. Marlin grimaced