Shaa!!
The viper's eye was severely injured and it tried to back away from Diether.
It was definitely lethal damage after hearing that painful cry!
This sword thrust contains about half of his spiritual energy! He was planning to end it with that strike but the evil beast still managed to back away at the critical moment.
Well, it doesn't matter now! He still has enough energy to pursue the beast and finish this task!
The young man didn't give it a chance to gather its strength to fight back or to flee...
As soon as he pulled out the bloodied shinai and put up his stance, he placed his strength on his left foot and forcefully stomped on the ground to gain enough speed and close his distance from the injured evil beast...
Baam!
Another powerful swing came from Diether. This time, the thick scales covering the evil beast's body caved in!
'I see... So that what happens...'
Diether was enlightened after realizing the effects of his attacks against the large beast.
A while ago, even with all his powerful strikes, the viper seems to be invincible and taking them without any issues...
However, after he managed to stab his opponent's eye, the energy covering the entire body of the beast had lessened by a significant amount.
His strikes were now dealing some damages to the beast!
'I can do this!'
This discovery only strengthened his resolve to eliminate the beast without any help from the two Hunters or from his Master...
"Hah!"
Another strike hits the body of the viper. The scales on the part where it was hit were completely destroyed and there was even a hint of green blood that can be seen.
***
"This kid is really something... I'm impressed."
"That strike he used to injure the beast's eye... It was magnificently done..."
It was Kyle and Brian who were watching the whole event. As an experienced Hunter, they have many ways to deal with this type of evil beast as they possess various weapons or tools with them that can be handy in this encounter.
They already have prior knowledge of hunting this type of three-eyed viper...
However, the young man in front of them was only relying on the blunt wooden sword he had gotten somewhere.
Even though it was sturdy and could handle his channeling of spiritual energy, there would still be a high chance for it to get destroyed considering that it was colliding against another form of spiritual energy.
Once that happens, he will no longer have any means to fight against that beast.
"The viper is also under pressure... It might--"
"Hurry... Take out your antivenom..."
Brian said in the end while also bringing out his own antivenom vial.
The two were aware of the danger that follows after fighting against this venomous beast...
This three-eyed viper wouldn't just go down without any fight and if it felt that it was being cornered and about to perish, they would normally release a cloud of venom that could affect not only its prey but the surroundings that it will leave behind.
In short, it would be a disaster if it wasn't immediately controlled once it was released. It may affect the nearby beasts and harm valuable herbs around this place.
Baam!
The viper was actually thrown away by another powerful strike from Diether.
However, the two hunters weren't too happy at this time as they focus on the viper's actions.
It seems that the young man has the advantage but in truth, they were both at their limits. He already consumed most of his energy and it could be seen from his body full of sweat and his heavy breathing.
Even though the viper was injured and bleeding... It still possesses some vitality enough to last for long while. Once it managed to escape and return to its pond, it would only need a little time before it would get fully healed and take vengeance to the young man.
The two hunters looked at each other as if asking whether they should act now or wait a little bit more.
Thud!
This sound stopped them from hesitating. It was Diether who kneeled on the ground due to exhaustion.
Whoosh!
They immediately arrived in front of Diether and faced the viper while holding their weapons. Both of them were equipped with a short blade on their right hands.
"Hold on, kid. We'll finish this quickly. It seems that this evil beast we found was a bit too strong..."
"We'll find an easier one after this... Don't worry... There were tons of thems appearing during this season..."
They didn't forget to encourage the kid after they interrupted the fight.
It would be a problem if Diether felt that being a Hunter was a hopeless endeavor. They realized during the battle that he was a good seedling and has a bright future if he continued on his path.
It would be such a waste if he just became a farmer or merchant once he grows up due to this single failure.
Clang! Clang!
Although the viper didn't release the cloud of venom that they were expecting, they didn't put away the vial of antivenom and even opened it up after noticing the dripping venom on the viper's mouth...
However, as soon as they were about to approach the beast, Diether spoke up...
"Uhmm... Thank you for your concern seniors. But... it seems that I've won this time..."
Thud! Thud!
It fell!
The viper's head fell on the ground and even bounced once... It was motionless!
It doesn't seem to be sleeping or unconscious and was completely devoid of life.
"What happened?!"
The two exclaimed at the same time. It was such a bizarre thing to happen.
They were sure that the beast was still filled with vitality a moment ago. Although it was injured, it shouldn't die just like that...
These Evil Beast were creatures that boast high intelligence together with their extreme tenacity.
'That's weird... Let's inspect the body of this viper first and see what happened... Diether seems to only need some rest...'
"Kyle, ensure that Diether has no hidden injuries or if he's secretly poisoned."
Brian said after thinking of the current situation.
The two can only study the viper or ask Diether himself to learn what trick did he use to finish off the beast.
After all, it didn't even manage to release its life-saving ability in the form of a venom cloud!