Chương 100: Retreat

The Black Scale Python had been slowed by Frostbite. Its massive body could no longer twist and strike with its original speed, leaving it with no choice but to open its jaws and bite toward Marcus. Vaelis immediately seized the opportunity. Another Thunderclap Arrow infused with aura shot forward! The Glass Arrowhead streaked through the air like a bolt of black lightning. It shot straight into the python's wide-open mouth, piercing through the softer flesh of its upper palate.

"ROAR... BOOM!!!" The Black Scale Python's hiss abruptly cut off. A violent explosion erupted inside its mouth! Once the lightning aura entered the Black Scale Python's body, it began unleashing its terrifying destructive power from within. The giant serpent's head was blasted violently from side to side. A mixture of blood, shattered fangs, and chunks of flesh erupted from its mouth and nostrils like a violent shockwave. Pain... Unimaginable pain!

Vaelis's perfectly timed shot sent the Black Scale Python completely into a frenzy. It released a miserable hiss. The terrifying muscles beneath its scales contracted violently, forcibly shattering the layer of ice covering its body! After breaking free from the frost, the Black Scale Python poured all of its rage onto the man standing in its way. Its massive tail rose into the air. Then, carrying a force that felt capable of splitting mountains, it swept toward Marcus!

"Ha!" Marcus released every ounce of his aura without holding anything back. A thick white Aura Shield enveloped his entire body. Even his shield was covered in the protective energy!

"CLANG!!!" The tail strike carried overwhelming force. Even Marcus's Aura Shield as a Mid-Tier Warrior struggled to endure the impact. His vision blurred, and his entire body was sent stumbling backward. He shook his head, preparing to recover and continue drawing the Black Scale Python's attention. Then he heard Zelier's shout from behind.

"Marcus! Move!" Marcus didn't hesitate for even a second. He trusted Zelier completely. The moment he heard those words, he immediately leapt to the side. With nothing blocking its path anymore, Zelier stood directly before the Black Scale Python. The spell in his hand was already complete. He swung the condensed water blade horizontally. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Severing Water!

"Shing... sssssss!" Something even Zelier hadn't expected happened. The Severing Water that could slice through massive boulders failed to cut through the python's scales instantly. A shrill sound like metal grinding against metal erupted. Blue sparks exploded between the water blade and the scales. The two forces became locked in a stalemate. The Black Scale Python attempted to open its jaws and bite Zelier. Vaelis immediately fired another Thunderclap Arrow.

The explosion knocked the serpent's head aside, buying Zelier precious time. Seeing this, Zelier increased his mana output without hesitation. The blue glow surrounding the water blade became even brighter. The immense pressure of compressed mana pushed its cutting power to an even higher level. Finally... After two seconds of deadlock—"Crack!" A flash of pale light appeared. The Black Scale Python's scales reached their limit. They shattered. Severing Water displayed its terrifying armor-breaking ability.

The blade sliced through the Black Scale Python's body. The enormous serpent was cut in half. The two massive sections of its body separated in midair. Blood and organs poured down like a storm, staining the entire pool crimson. Grey lowered his head, narrowly avoiding the tail strike of a Water Python. He glanced toward the main battlefield. His eyebrows shot upward.

"Beautiful!" However... Even after being cut in half, the Black Scale Python's astonishing vitality allowed it to launch one final struggle. Both halves of its body continued twitching and twisting in the swamp. It wasn't completely dead yet.

"Let's finish it!" Marcus roared. He leapt into the air and brought down the sharpened edge of his shield directly onto the serpent's head.

"THUD!" Using the force of his descent, the strike landed with devastating power. The blow crushed the Black Scale Python's skull and stopped its violent convulsions. Vaelis switched back to ordinary arrowheads. One Thunderclap Arrow after another bombarded the serpent's head. Explosions tore through flesh and blood until the creature's head became almost unrecognizable. Meanwhile, Zelier dealt with the remaining section of the tail alone. Severing Water activated once again.

Several sweeping cuts sliced the massive tail apart piece by piece. Finally, it stopped moving. After finishing the job, Zelier took the opportunity to condense one more Arcane Missile. He fired it directly into the ruined serpent head.

"BOOM!!!" That was the final blow. As the remaining mana dissipated, the Black Scale Python's life force completely vanished. Its enormous body crashed heavily into the swamp water. [Black Scale Python defeated!] On the other two battlefields, the flank battles were equally intense. Facing the enraged Water Pythons whose breeding ritual had been interrupted, Gark revealed an even more savage side of himself. He gripped his broadaxe tightly and charged straight through the snake swarm.

"ROAR!" The muscles in Gark's massive arms bulged. The broadaxe tore through the air with a violent whistle. It smashed directly into the head of a Water Python lunging toward him with its jaws wide open.

"Splurt!" The supposedly tough snake skull was cleaved apart. The strike split through its head and lower jaw together. Another Water Python slid in from the side, attempting to coil around his legs. But Gark didn't even bother dodging. He simply raised his rain-boot-covered foot and stomped down with brutal force. The immense power crushed the python's spine.

"Crack!" The creature collapsed instantly, paralyzed on the ground. Grey fought in a completely different style. Relying on his agile movements, he weaved through the battlefield and struck whenever an opening appeared. A Water Python suddenly burst from the muddy water, biting toward his ribs. But Grey moved as if he had eyes on the back of his head. His body twisted sideways with incredible speed, narrowly avoiding the attack. Then, as they passed each other— Grey's sword flashed.

A lightning-fast reverse thrust pierced forward. The blade entered through the Water Python's relatively vulnerable heart. One strike. One kill. The python's movement froze. Then its massive body went limp, collapsing into the mud while twitching helplessly. Using his speed advantage, Grey continued weaving through the snake swarm. Every time his sword struck, a spray of blood followed. Several arrows infused with aura flew across the battlefield. They exploded the Water Pythons still entangled with Gark and Grey.

After eliminating the Black Scale Python, Vaelis finally had time to provide support. Zelier's Wind Blade followed immediately after. Several more Water Pythons fell. With their breeding core—the Black Scale Python—gone... And after witnessing the terrifying combat ability of these humans... The remaining male Water Pythons finally understood. Continuing the fight meant nothing but death.

"... Ssss." A Water Python closest to Gark released an uneasy hiss. It stopped advancing. Slowly, it began retreating. Its massive body gradually disappeared beneath the murky swamp water. That movement spread through the entire snake swarm like a signal.

"Rustle... rustle..." Every surviving male Water Python abandoned the battle. They twisted their enormous bodies and fled toward the deeper regions of the swamp. Their black-scaled forms carved waves through the muddy water. Within only a dozen breaths... The once-aggressive snake swarm vanished completely. Only a trail of bubbles remained on the surface, slowly breaking apart.