Chương 137: Chapter 142: The Snake

The snake was colossal. It raised itself far above the trees while its long body slithered across the ground, destroying the marsh and crushing whatever beasts lay in its path into pulp. I was transfixed for a second. Well, a second of my perceived time, but in that instant I pushed my Piercing Eyes skill further than ever while flooding my eyes with aura. The combined effect was far more powerful. I saw the snake in black and white.

Its bone-white scales looked dangerous on their own, like perfect meat grinders if you ever came into contact with them, and the grooves they left on the ground as it passed told a story. Every single one of them had ridges and hooks, but pointing in the direction of the snake's head, not the tail. It made a physical confrontation harder, but that wasn't the main problem. No, its tail was very long, and the end looked completely bone-like, thinner, and not only armored but armed too.

A bone scythe protruded from the end, staying vertical as the monster approached, undulating with its movements. I'd have to watch out for that. But the thing that stood out the most were its eyes. To my monochromatic vision they appeared bright green, acid green, toxic green, a storm of shifting hues swirling around its reptilian pupil. If that thing wasn't venomous, I would eat my hat. Not that it changed the fact that I would probably die from getting envenomed first. As it roared again I saw its open mouth.

It was filled with teeth, so many that it would have made a shark blush in shame. Not only that, but it had two fangs the size of my arms, if not bigger. The fact that it got triggered like a gen-z by the death of the lizard-man, and the predominance of reptilian monsters in the zone, was telling. This was its turf, and all the monsters had tried to stop me from rousing it because this thing was a menace for them too. Given that it had already killed a good few dozen just to approach me, it was clear enough.

But now, no monsters remained around. All tried to flee the approaching calamity, and it was honestly pissing me off. I preferred if they stayed, to function as batteries. I kept some from escaping with my tethers. More snake-men, big lizards, snakes, and other creatures frantically tried to cut them off, biting, striking, severing them, but it was futile. You'll stay with me now.

The snake seemed to approach slowly, but it would take it only a few seconds to reach me despite the distance, and my Accelerated Processing… So I cranked up the power of the skill. Then, applying Reinforced Infusion, the effect deepened. The skill was a godsend. It not only amplified the effect, but seemed to prevent the worst of the mental strain. It was still there, though, and I wouldn't be able to keep it up indefinitely. But it gave me time to think. And to prepare.

I flew higher, far beyond what should have been its reach. No reason to serve myself on a silver platter. Then I took the curses I had already planted on the now-dead Baron and added more. I was excited to see how this beast would react to a concoction of the worst curses for a physical fighter in my arsenal. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Resonant Suffering, Crushing Grip, Stiffening, Shatter Feedback, Autonomic Override, Velocity Tear, Deferred Ruin, Recoil Rupture, Echo Addiction, Tyrant Mind. One by one the curses took hold. I didn't apply Withered Vessel. It wouldn't change anything for my plan. Actually, I had a combination that would allow me to kill it without facing it at all. Lingering Decay, Living Deficit, Parasitic Bloom, Endless Drive, Exhaustion Debt, Heightened Hunger, Weight of the Fallen, Resonant Suffering.

This combination would be enough to make it die of hunger or fatigue very soon, maybe days. It would have to constantly move and kill, and it would get slower and slower. It would sap its life-force and strength until it could only sit still and die. It was beautifully insidious. A loop that was inescapable. Not to mention that with so many curses inside it, they could mutate and make even more of a mess. Actually… Malignant Threshold. I started infusing the curses with more power.

Let's see how it would react to this. The giant snake went wild, roaring constantly and pushing even harder to reach me. It coiled for a moment, then tried to swipe its tail through the air. I watched as the tail moved in slow motion, my perception fast enough to track it easily. It was too short. Until it wasn't. The fucking bony part of the tail segmented and extended far further than I thought possible. I had to act quickly if I didn't want to get split in half. My body was slow.

Despite my high stats, my mental ones were higher, and the skills that allowed me to see the attack wouldn't help me move any faster. I quickly mobilized my aura and created a small pane under my feet to push myself away. At the same time I tried to fly back. It was frustrating. I could see the attack coming. And I wouldn't make it in time. I was too slow. As I pushed my aura faster, I thought of what I could do. Then I turned my hands slightly outward. It wasn't an optimal position, but it would have to do.

I coated myself in aura, reinforced it, then prepared two hexes. The skills rested on my hands, and without a target the little evil things strained to latch onto something. But that would not be their fate. Curse Detonation. I was propelled back. I felt the blast impact my barrier and shove me away from my previous position. A moment later I saw the bone scythe pass in front of my face. The bastard had tried to adjust its trajectory at the last moment. I was unharmed. But it had been close. Too fucking close.

A stupid mistake. One I immediately corrected by flying even higher, as the snake's tail completed its arc and slammed into the ground with a thunderous boom. I watched it with schadenfreude as it writhed in pain. The curses punished the failed strike, blood seeping from its mouth. Four of the ten curses were damaging it through its own movement, and Resonant Suffering amplified everything, triggering them all at once and compounding the effects.

It was a testament to its durability that it was still in fighting shape. More than that, it began to coil around itself. Fast. I didn't like it. Not at all. I began preparing immediately, placing a small aura pane under my left foot, ready to push at a moment's notice. My eyes told me it was preparing to pounce, but not only that. A large amount of mana was gathering within its body, ready to unleash something nasty. I moved at the same moment it launched itself at me.

The train-sized snake was actually far slower than its tail attack. I dodged to the side easily, even when it tried to brush against me as it passed, to grind its body against mine. I managed to move away in time. I didn't let the attack go unanswered. I applied another curse. It was becoming harder to place them. This one in particular was nasty, but there was a limit to how many curses one could hold before something… happened. And I didn't want to turn this thing into a revenant. Not this time.

I applied Withered Vessel, reducing its overall stats by a fourth. Combined with the damage it had already taken and the other curses, it would make the fight much easier. But if the bastard understood what was happening, it didn't show it. Above me, still in the air, it twisted its body. As it lost momentum and began to fall, it opened its mouth. Like a dragon breathing fire, a massive plume of green gas erupted out at high pressure, expanding immensely as it poured into the sky.

The problem was that it wasn't aimed directly at me. Not at all. Like a fire hose without someone holding it steady, its head swung wildly, spreading a massive cloud of that green substance everywhere. And now I was caught between it and the ground. Back in its range.