The Billionaire's Regret

Chapter 96

Ivy slowly opened her eyes and saw damp leaves strewn about on the ground. She discovered that she couldn't move because she was bound by something. She noticed an indigenous person squatting next to her when she turned around, staring at her. His dark skin was streaked with a variety of colored markings. Ivy couldn't help but cry out in surprise. The man gave her a friendly smile. He sat bare-chested and sported long, unkempt hair. His neck was adorned with animal bone-like ornaments, and a circle of leaves surrounded his lower body. Ivy shivered in terror. She sat up and scooted away from him in terror, surveying her surroundings. She was in a simple tent-like structure made of many branches and leaves. The branches resembled those of the most common type of tree in the jungle. The branches' curvature was very flexible, and the dense branches and leaves stacked layer by layer kept the wind and rain out. The space, however, was limited, and there was no ventilation. Inside, it was moist and dim. Ivy's weak face was pale and glum. As she awoke, the sensations of being cold, thirsty, and hungry became more unbearable. 'Am I still trapped in this hellhole?' Her fingers were clenched so tightly that they turned white. The man approached her and attempted to touch her, but she screamed and dodged. She turned around to see dozens of identically dressed men not far away. They had deep, protruding features that gave them a fierce appearance. They resembled the indigenous people she had seen in documentaries. Her heart sank deeper as if it were falling into an abyss. 'W-where in the world am I?!' Ivy felt an intense chill run down her spine when she saw the situation. 'Are these the people who dragged my limbs here?' In front of them, the tribal people stacked firewood. A strong man was sitting there who appeared to be their chief. Others took thin pieces of wood and rubbed them against a thick, dry log. The bottom of the stickOriginal from NôvelDrama.Org.

soon began to smoke. As the fire grew, it was placed on another pile of dried leaves. The fire spread quickly as the firewood burned quickly. 'Rubbing fire sticks? Is this a primitive civilization?' Ivy's face was filled with disbelief. 'God must be playing a cruel joke on me!' Ivy didn't want to be trapped in this hellhole any longer! Before she could sink any further into despair, she noticed one of the burly men pointing with his finger in the direction of Ivy. Then he made an eating gesture while pointing to the fire and his mouth. Even a fool could figure out what that meant. She was going to be roasted by these indigenous people! What bad luck! Ivy trembled in fear and raised her eyes to the man staring at her. She flashed a smile that was more akin to a frown. "I apologize for the inconvenience. Bye for now!" Ivy rose to her feet and began to run, but before taking two steps, she tripped and fell over the many sticks and branches littering the ground. She was already dizzy and feverish and only felt slightly better after a few hours of sleep. Her mind went completely blank after the fall. Ivy collapsed on the ground. Another man noticed the situation and approached another man wearing shoes and gibbering and gesticulating. Even though the shoes worn by the man in front of her were so encrusted in mud that she couldn't tell what they were initially made of, the shoes had laces! This was an adolescent tribe. How did he get laces on his shoes? Ivy's eyes glowed. She suddenly climbed up to tug his shoes with an unexpected burst of strength. Ivy couldn't shake the man because he was tall and robust. She noticed the hazy trademark. La Sportiva is a world-renowned Italian brand. Their outdoor sports equipment was well-known throughout the world. 'Is anyone else stranded here like me?' Ivy subconsciously raised her eyes to see the man. She couldn't see his face because it was

covered in markings, but his eyes twinkled brightly as he winked and smiled at her. She felt a strong sense of familiarity when their eyes met. "You're a fake—" Before she could finish, someone rushed up to her and yanked her arm, dragging her towards the fire. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine being roasted and devoured by a cannibal tribe! "No... No... Help!" As more and more people gathered around her, she screamed. She looked around and couldn't tell which one was the phony native she'd seen earlier! The sky was dim, surrounded by thick jungle, and the distant sea breeze howled like a wild beast crouching in the dark, waiting for the opportunity to devour everything. The bonfire burned brightly as the indigenous people stared at her as if she were prey. Despite their varying heights, they were all mostly naked and filthy. Their faces were colored, and the lower half of their bodies were covered by a simple skirt made of branches and leaves. They appeared to be terrifying and fierce. They resembled indigenous people she had only seen on television. “Hello? Kamusta? Bon jour? Hallo? Hola….” Ivy attempted to say hello in sixteen different languages, but the people in front of her did not respond and babbled in another language. Their lack of responsiveness was depressing! Where was that phony native who was wearing shoes earlier? Ivy wasn't sure if she had misheard, but she heard a distinct snicker amid the gibberish. That gleeful laugh could only come from someone like her from the city. She jerked her head up and looked into her bright eyes. Before she could rejoice, several men lifted her and carried her to the bonfire. She was freezing. Her mind was occupied by only one thought. 'Are they going to roast me alive?!' "Cannibalism is against the law!" Ivy screamed in horror as the men abruptly let go of her and threw her.

She was unconcerned about her pain. Just as she was about to stand up, she noticed the men encircling her, holding fire-lit branches they had picked up from the bonfire. The circle was small at first, but it grew larger and larger as more people joined in. The indigenous people formed a circle around her, holding torches and singing and dancing. It was a bizarre sight. Ivy was becoming increasingly concerned. The group waved their torches at her every time she tried to run out of the circle, forcing her back into it. They refused to let her out. The flames licked at her body as the temperature rose, and the smoke caused her to cough incessantly. Ivy was frantically running in circles. She was simply at a loss for what to do. 'Is there anyone out there who can help me?' Ivy coughed loudly, covering her nose and mouth. Simba, pretending to be dead, scratched at her pocket. "Mama, I looked through my database. It's some kind of sacrificial ritual from the past." Ivy's heart sank as she heard the words. 'Am I going to die?!' "Simba, you're a tiger, aren't you? Can you pounce on them and bite them?" Simba was deafeningly quiet for a few seconds before speaking cutely. "In her original design, Shane Hardly gave me aggressiveness, but after the Great God Ryan remodeled me, my aggressiveness became zero. Mama, you can pounce on them and bite them." Ivy was rendered speechless. 'I just got snubbed by a stupid tiger.' She was about to ask Simba where she could run when everyone around her stopped singing and dancing. Their expressions became solemn. Ivy quickly closed her mouth. She couldn't bear the thought of them noticing Simba's presence. She'd even lose the only thing she could talk to if she didn't! Everyone abruptly stopped talking and tilted their heads back, strange expressions on their faces, to look at the sky. Only the crackling of the firewood could be heard in the silence. It sounded eerie, terrifying, and

chilling. The group's leader, wielding a wand, took a few steps back, leaving a gap in the circle. An older woman with a winged face entered with a large leaf in her hand. The woman looked at Ivy, held up the leaf, and said something Ivy didn't understand. The woman then pointed to the items on the ground before returning to her mouth and making an eating gesture. She walked away after untying the thorny branches that bound Ivy's wrists. The people in Ivy's immediate vicinity reformed a circle around her. Everyone in the circle looked quietly at Ivy in the circle's center. Countless eyes stared at her in the dark, like wild beasts. Ivy lowered her gaze. There was dried meat, dried fish, and two wild fruits on the leaf. Her stomach churned in an instant. She hadn't eaten in a few days. She sucked her saliva. She threw caution to the wind, picked up the food, and shoved it into her mouth. There was no need to be concerned about whether or not it was poisoned. How can a hellhole like this have high-quality goods like poison? Ivy's etiquette, education, and manners have all crumbled like ash! She had no idea what kind of meat it was, but it smelled good and was salty and flavorful. It just needed a little seasoning, but it was the most delicious meal she'd ever had. The indigenous people looked delighted as they watched her devour everything on the leaf. She watched as they threw the torches in their hands on the ground before she could react. In an instant, the flames formed a circle around her and engulfed her. Ivy was taken aback. She shivered as a strange chill ran down her spine. The branches were dipped in fish oil when lit on fire and burned wildly. The flames, which were more than three feet high, gradually approached, shrinking the circle. She was coughing uncontrollably because the smoke was suffocating her. Thick smoke continued to enter her lungs. 'Was it really their intention to roast me to death?' Indeed. Ivy shuddered in horror and couldn't hold back her rage when she realized the truth. Outside, a group of people sang and danced with glee, as if they were performing some kind of sacrificial ritual! Ivy had just eaten their offering, so she had accepted her role as a sacrifice in their

eyes. Ivy desired to flee. She couldn't just sit around and die. Except for the smoke, nothing could be seen in the darkness. Their demonic chants and movements were all she could hear! Lightning struck the bleak and dreary sky just as the fire circle narrowed to about five feet away from her. Thunder rumbled as the black clouds gathered. The indigenous people exchanged strange glances. Some of them looked uncomfortably at Ivy, who was standing in the center of the fire ring. Then, in the next split second, icy rain began to fall. Everyone ran away from the rain, looking for a place to hide. No one was paying attention to Ivy any longer. The torrential rain put out torches about to kill her. While the smoke rose, Ivy was about to take advantage of the chaos to flee when a man grabbed her hand and yanked her away. Ivy's struggle was futile against him, so she could only follow him in vain. She looked up subconsciously when they ran out of smoke. It was that fake native with the shoes!