From a fork in the tunnel on the left ca a faint noise—the unsettling, dry rustle of sothing slithering across the ground.
Hiss—
In the blink of an eye, the sound was right in front of them.
It was a massive python that filled most of the cave. No—on closer look, a pair of black horns grew from its head. This was definitely no ordinary snake.
In just one exchange—
The mont their eyes t, the giant serpent reared back, its mouth instantly gathering a horrifying mass of green sli.
"Hm?"
"Damn it!"
Shane's survival instinct exploded. He grabbed Frieren—who was still confused—and bolted without hesitation.
[Weight Reduction (Green/Uncommon)]: Reduces carried weight by 30%.
[Sprint (Blue/Rare)]: Increases running speed by 2 tis.
With the enchantnts on his boots, Shane moved like the wind.
Slung over his shoulder, Frieren bounced as they narrowly slipped past the serpent's fangs.
"So fast."
A sincere remark from Frieren.
Shane had no ti to enjoy the admiration of an elf girl. He felt like his HP bar was flickering wildly.
It could drop to zero at any mont!
To make things worse, the mine was filled with Mana-Sealing Stone. Frieren couldn't use magic. Not only could she not help—she had beco a "normal girl" who needed protection.
He was just a beginner! Struggling to survive on his own was hard enough, and now he had to protect a helpless teammate on top of that. This was ridiculous!
"Your speed is faster than most warriors I've seen."
"But it's strange… your fra is quite slender. You don't look like a warrior at all."
Hanging upside down over Shane's shoulder, staring straight into the serpent's gaping maw, Frieren still had the leisure to analyze him.
Shane nearly spat blood.
Slender?
Where did you get that from?!
Not to brag, but these muscles could crush mosquitoes. You ignorant old girl… humph, but I'll forgive your ignorance.
Huff—
Huff—
No ti to argue. His stamina was draining fast. Even with buffs, he couldn't keep running forever.
What now?
The serpent was closing in.
"Is that thing a magical beast? Why is it spitting?!" Shane gritted his teeth.
"Hmm… yes and no."
"...?"
Pfft.
A terrifying glob of green sli shot straight toward them.
Shane bent low, barely dodging it.
Where the sli hit the ground, it sizzled and smoked. No need to think—it was definitely highly toxic.
One shot missed, another ca. The serpent kept spraying venom, and one of the globs was heading straight at them—too fast to dodge.
At the critical mont, Shane drew his sword and raised it horizontally to block.
The incoming venom, just before impact, seed to be pulled by sothing, abruptly changing direction and deflecting to the side.
[Deflection Field (Blue/Rare)]: Summons a chaotic field that blocks one ranged attack
One of the enchantnts on his sword had just saved them.
"Hm?"
Sensing the unusual energy fluctuation in the air, Frieren looked at the otherwise unremarkable sword in Shane's hand with a hint of curiosity.
The imdiate danger passed.
Shane took the opportunity to hide with Frieren behind a protruding rock.
Strangely, after they stopped moving, the giant serpent also ca to a halt. The massive creature tilted its head, its movents becoming sluggish.
Shane frowned.
What is it doing?
Observing the odd behavior, Frieren tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Listen, Shane," she said softly, her voice slowing, "this might be a hybrid between a Venom Dragon and a python."
A Venom Dragon?
Shane had heard of them—cave-dwelling aquatic dragons with multiple eyes that hunted using poison.
But weren't they supposed to live in the northern highlands?
What was one doing in the south?!
Watching the serpent, Frieren continued, "I noticed earlier—when it moves, its body sways uncontrollably from side to side, frequently crashing into the cave walls."
Following her words, Shane observed more closely.
She was right. Its movents were strange.
It kept tilting its head, and it would occasionally bump into the walls as it moved—like a drunk who couldn't control their direction, or…
"It doesn't have vision?" Shane whispered.
Frieren nodded. "I can't be certain, but it's highly likely."
"Magical beasts and animals rarely produce hybrids. When they do, most of those subspecies have developntal defects. We might be able to use that."
Shane thought it over. If it couldn't see, then as long as they stayed silent and retreated quietly, they could escape.
But…
He glanced at the maze-like, narrow tunnels.
In this environnt—deathly quiet, with poor visibility—even the slightest kick of a pebble would echo endlessly, amplified through the cave.
Staying completely silent until finding an exit? Impossible.
And with a monster like that lurking behind them, the danger doubled. The chance of being chased again—or running into it around a corner—was too high.
That left only one option.
Shane rembered his offhand joke that morning about "paying rent or killing a dragon."
He hadn't expected it to co true.
Even if it was just a Venom Dragon subspecies, it still counted as having "dragon blood."
Looks like he really was going to slay a dragon today.
If it couldn't see, then as long as he could circle behind it and land a surprise attack…
He took a deep breath.
Shane tightened the coarse rope wrapped around his sword hilt and gripped it firmly with both hands.
"Frieren, could you do a favor?"
"Hm?"
"We just t, and we're only temporary teammates, but I heard there's a tradition in this town—before heading into battle, a young warrior receives a 'Kiss to Pray for Victory' from a beautiful lady."
"..."
Frieren tightened her grip on her staff, her expression clearly saying, 'If you keep talking, I'll deal with you before the serpent does.'
Shane smacked his lips…
"Alright then. I'm going."
Holding his breath, he crouched low and pressed himself against the rock wall.
Slowly, he moved toward the serpent.
In his previous life, he hadn't even killed a chicken. Since coming here, he'd explored a few dungeons, but only ever followed others, picking up scraps. He'd never faced a real monster.
This kind of direct hunt—this was his first ti.
Now, he forced himself to overco the fear in his heart.
As he got closer, the patterns on the serpent's body beca clearer. Beneath the scales that had fallen off from crashing into the walls, pink flesh was exposed—no different from a normal reptile.
Huff—
Reaching his planned position, Shane nodded toward Frieren in the distance.
She understood. Picking up a stone, she threw it toward another fork in the tunnel.
Clack.
The sound imdiately drew the serpent's attention. It lunged toward the noise, exposing its entire back to Shane.
Now!
Driven by fear, Shane's body moved on instinct. He pushed off with both legs, raised his sword high, and swung down with all his strength.
Crackle.
As he struck, the once ordinary sword erupted with silver-white lightning.
[Electrocution (Blue/Rare)]: Attacks carry lightning effects, dealing additional electric damage and applying a 1-second paralysis on hit
Lightning roared through the cave, crackling violently.
Holding the blade with lightning, Shane looked like a god descending upon the world.
Slash.
The blade, trailing brilliant arcs of lightning, cut into the serpent's vital point at its neck.
Buzz—
The electric shock and paralysis from the enchantnt took effect instantly. The serpent's entire body stiffened, trembling uncontrollably.
And so, from behind her cover, Frieren watched as the previously unstoppable giant serpent was—
Slash.
Buzz—
Slash.
Buzz—
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