A few more minutes passed, and the bloody battle from which no evidence would remain beside those left standing was coming to an end.
No more of Vale’s warriors had died, and nearly all invaders had lost their lives.
Of the few remaining, one was a Naga that was currently being led to Vale by Salo.
Sibilant hisses echoed through the dungeon, drawing closer.
Eventually, Salo ca into Vale’s view, and in front of her was a vicious snake.
As Vale’s eyes settled on the Naga, he thought to himself:
’Good taste...’
The human-snake hybrid had long, flowing dark-blue hair that swept back and nestled on the crest of her spine.
Her chest was hard to judge in size, hidden behind her scaly armor, but her torso was slender and curvy.
The Naga hissed again as it spewed venom at Salo, who dodged and glided to a stop next to Vale.
The Naga’s face was pointed and fierce. She had a slender, sharp nose and two pointy fangs hidden behind her blue lips that only revealed themselves when she spewed venom.
Continuing that blue trend... her skin was a light pastel blue, and her scales were glossy.
Her eyes were narrow and focused, giving her an overall mature vibe.
The blood-covered Salo giggled, then muttered to Vale after kissing him on the cheek.
"Have fun..."
Vale smiled at the succubus and gave her a nod as she retreated toward the Dungeon Core, leaving him alone with the snake, who had begun slithering toward him.
Vale summoned his armor and took a stance.
’Now, how do I go about this?’
The serpent rasped again, but this ti Vale understood it.
It simply said:
"Die..."
The Naga thrust its trident forward, trying to impale Vale.
Vale didn’t know exactly what to do or what would happen. But there was one constant:
’This isn’t going to be easy...’
He had to subdue the snake without hurting her, else it would only make Charming harder. Not to ntion that Vale didn’t even know if Charming an Ergent was possible.
Vale rolled under the strike but imdiately had to roll again to the side to dodge a spray of venom.
Vale had already prepared for this battle by making his fra as small as he could to boost his speed, but even then, the Ergent rivaled him with ease.
The serpent hissed and followed Vale with its head, continuing to gush venom.
Before the translucent substance could mar Vale, he dove away to create aningful space.
’I’m getting dizzy...’
Who knew Vale’s life would depend on rolling and flailing around?
Thankfully, the toxins the Naga could spew were not limitless.
As Vale stood up, the steady stream failed to reach him, sputtered, and dissipated.
He put his hands up with open palms and slowly backpedaled away as the Naga aid her trident.
"You, uh, wanna talk this out?"
The Naga spat a candid response:
"Die."
Then her snake body wiggled, slithering forth in a straight charge at Vale.
’Knew it wouldn’t be that easy...’
Instead of facing the Ergent Mutant head-on, Vale, whose back was nearly to the wall, turned to his side and began to run away in an attempt to create space. He even shapeshifted his calves and feet, optimizing his body for speed.
But it wasn’t enough to easily outpace an Ergent.
As Vale ran along the wall, the Naga followed close behind.
However, all of a sudden, the serpent slowed, and the top half of her body pulled back.
’What is she doing...?’
Vale got his answer a mont later when the Naga’s tail slingshotted forth and barely clipped his heel.
’Shit!’
Vale stumbled and then fell to the ground, barely turning his body in ti to watch as the Naga swiftly followed up its tail swipe with another jab of its trident.
Unable to react in ti, the silver-plated fork ramd into Vale’s chest, nearly piercing his armor. The snake continued to drive the trident into him until it slamd his body into the wall of the dungeon.
’Ow, fuck!’
Lust may have been dulling his pain, but it still most definitely hurt!
Vale sat, held against the wall, the tip of the trident pushing against his armor.
Vale gripped a prong as the Naga tried to pull it away. Yet, even though of a lower rank, the sheer class difference nearly closed the power gap. And, after adding ridges to his hand for a better grip, he was able to hold the trident.
Their tug of war continued, and Vale noticed the snake’s tail coiling, ready to swipe again.
Yet all his power was focused on holding the trident, trying to rip it away. Nor was he particularly in a position to dodge, even if he let go.
The snake’s tail began to flick as a dastardly idea entered Vale’s mind of how to turn the tables.
Well, maybe not turn the tables, but at least level the playing field.
’Don’t hate too much for this!’
As much as Vale didn’t want to hurt the Naga, he couldn’t let himself lose.
As the tail continued its path toward the stomach of his breastplate, Vale added bone-like flesh hooks to the side of his ankle. Hooks one would use to gut a fish.
Vale reinforced his leg with Aether and then threw it in the path of the Naga’s swipe.
"Argh!"
The end of the serpent’s tail smashed into Vale’s leg and imdiately crumpled and destroyed it; however, the reinforced hooks embedded themselves in the end of the tail.
Vale could tell his ankle was snapped and mangled, but still managed to twist his leg, locking the hooks in place.
Now it was up to him to keep his leg attached to his body and make the snake remain gaffed.
The Naga hissed in annoyance as it tried to pull away, but Vale reinforced his leg further, firmly locking his right leg to the tail; sadly, he couldn’t transform the parts where his ankle had been shattered, but he could at least stabilize.
The serpent didn’t seem in too much pain, but it cried out as it returned its focus to trying to recover control of its trident.
"Die..."
Vale winced in pain as he cast a glance down at his armor, noticing three indents from where the trident struck. Then, he looked up and into her blue eyes.
"You have pretty eyes."
But his complint was returned by the corners of her mouth, which twitched and revealed her fangs.
’Oh fuck.’
With little ti to think properly, Vale’s body reacted before his mind.
Vale released his hold on the trident and kicked off the ground with his left foot, and reached out for the serpent’s jaw to close it.
’Damn it!’
Vale managed to spring up, but his hand, instead of colliding with her jaw, slapped over her mouth.
As he expected, a steady stream of the corrosive venom began colliding into his palm.
"Arrgh!"
Vale was forced to keep his hand over her mouth, else he’d get blasted in his face.
Vale couldn’t see it, but he could feel the venom begin making his skin bubble and boil.
Then, like an ink sack, he felt his hand burst and a swath of blood shot from his palm and into the serpent’s throat.
The venom began entering Vale’s exposed palm, its paralyzing effects quickly claiming his arm.
’Damn it. This is impossible!’
Charming this beast was beyond his capabilities.
Vale opened his mouth to scream the codeword for Salo to kill this beast when he noticed a strange glint in the beast’s eye.
The flow of toxins stopped, and the snake closed her mouth. But due to chemical adhesion, Vale’s mangled hand stayed attached to her lips.
Her blue eyes flickered in fascination as she slowly opened her mouth again.
"Hmm?"
’Argh! Fuck! Fuck!’
Vale wanted to scream. He bit the bullet. Why?
The Naga’s forked tongue had begun flicking up and down on his open palm, enjoying licking his blood.
’Shit, this fucking hurts!’
As much as Vale wanted to give up in his conquest, he could see the ember of lust flicker in her eyes.
’Ow!’
It seed like she liked the taste of his blood.
As Vale started to recognize what was happening in earnest — the serpent committing this action from its passion, its desire.
Lust began to fight the pain, but it seed his current injuries were beyond its pay grade as he still felt the constant sting.
’No, wait...’
It wasn’t that Lust couldn’t muddle this pain. It was the serpent that willed for Vale to feel pain.
’This asshole!’
Vale tore his hand from the snake’s mouth, causing pieces of his flesh to rip off.
Finally, he glimpsed the poor state of his hand. His palm had been exposed, worn down to the muscle fibers, which were starting to weaken and snap. A few nerves were exposed and corroding.
As Vale watched in horror as the trend continued, the venom that had been coursing through his system caught up with his body and made him cough up a dribble of blood.
The Naga noticed and, with dubious eyes, threw herself upon Vale.
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