Marcellus, his veins coursing with a rush of adrenaline, executed a flawless arc with his freshly acquired sword.
The blade cleaved through the atmosphere, a manifestation of deadly finesse, and found its target with uncanny accuracy upon the serpent's sinuous flank.
A grotesque hiss, like the lamentations of a forsaken creature, echoed through the air as the serpent convulsed in anguish. However, to Marcellus's astonishment, his blade rebounded repelled by the creature's scales, leaving the serpent unscathed.
Ralf, his grip firm on the hilt of his gleaming gladius, surged forward like a tempestuous wave crashing upon the serpent's head.
The serpent, a monstrous creature, acknowledged this challenge and unfurled its cavernous maw, a gaping portal poised to devour Ralf whole.
Yet, with the Balance of a Sequence 9 Sailor, he defied the odds, altering the trajectory of his lunge with impeccable timing.
His blade found its mark in the serpentine eyes, a strike executed with such precision that any deviation in the timing would have led to a cataclysmic change in the serpent's course.
His strike landed true, the gladius slicing through the beast's eye, releasing a noxious, greenish substance that only served to further kindle the serpent's wrath.
The serpent, with a sinister hiss, recoiled; it withdrew into a sinuous coil, a dark omen in the gloom, poised yet wary in the face of an unseen threat or perhaps in preparation to strike.
The preemptive strike has failed, well Ralf succeded but that was not the desired outcome.
With their initial attack thwarted, the trio quickly regrouped. Marcellus, Martia, and Ralf adjusted their positions, ready to engage the Hollow Serpent once more.
Ralf led the vanguard Martia and Marcellus trailed behind.
Martia, undeterred by the serpent's evasion, took the lead again. Her sword was relentless, and she aimed for another fast strike.
This time, she incorporated swift footwork into her attack, darting left and right in a mesmerizing display of agility.
Martia, with a Warrior's focus and the unyielding edge of her blade, launched a ferocious assault aimed at the head of the beast.
Her sword cleaved the air in a deadly arc towards the serpent. But the Hollow serpent, a creature of dark cunning, contorted its ghastly form to evade the strike. In the fluid motion of its retreat, it harnessed the momentum to recoil with venomous intent, lunging forth to sink its fangs into Martia's flesh.
Martia deflected the serpent's vicious assault. Her sword, swift and unerring, met the oncoming attack, turning it aside effortlessly. The force of the serpent's thwarted bite was such that it rent the earth beneath them, leaving a gaping maw in the ground where its deadly fangs had sought to claim Martia but instead found only the unyielding embrace of the soil.
Marcellus, his sword at the ready, trailed with a determined sprint. Lessons gleaned from their initial clash with the serpent were etched in his mind, honing his resolve to ensure each stroke was decisive.
His gaze, imbued with the acute perception of a Hollowed, locked onto their formidable foe. He scrutinized every sinuous movement, every menacing coil of the serpent, seeking a chink in its armoured scales.
Swiftly, he manoeuvred around the beast, with a calculated strike, he aimed for the tail, his blade slicing through the air with lethal intent.
However, to his astonishment, the sword met an impenetrable barrier. Whether it was the formidable hardness of the serpent's scales or the resilience of its flesh, Marcellus's blade could not sever the tail.
The realization dawned upon him – this creature was far more formidable than any foe they had faced before.
As the serpent's menacing gaze shifted towards Marcellus, sensing the threat he posed, a palpable shift in the air could be felt. In that moment, both Marcellus and Martia, with a shared instinct simultaneously made their strategic retreat from the immediate vicinity of the serpent's massive form.
Creating distance, they repositioned themselves, aware that proximity to the serpent spelt danger.
Edwin, though not a swordsman, played a crucial role in their formation. He kept a keen eye on the serpent's actions and shouted out warnings and suggestions to his companions, even though he was ignored for the most part.
His wooden cane remained at the ready, just in case an opportunity presented itself for him to contribute.
The Hollow Serpent, meanwhile, remained a formidable adversary. Its serpentine body slithered through the broken trees, and its emerald eyes glinted with cunning. As the trio closed in for another attack, it hissed menacingly, its venomous saliva sizzling on the ground.
As Marcellus and Martia took their tactical retreat, it was Ralf who once again surged ahead without coordination, leading the perilous charge.
However, the Hollow Serpent seized the opportunity and lashed out with its tail, an act akin to a whip cracking through the air and breaking the tree around in two. The impact was deafening, a resounding "whoop" that in ordinary circumstances would surely have shattered a person's skull like a fragile watermelon.
Yet, the Sailor's potions granted illusory scales granting Ralf a secret defence. it had bestowed upon him the gift of phantom scales. These illusory scales, deceptive yet formidable, rendered him slippery and elusive, akin to a phantom of the deep. They acted as protective armour, diminishing the force of the tail strike and mitigating the damage inflicted.
Still, the whip-like impact sent Ralf hurtling backwards, an unstoppable force smashing him through the unyielding embrace of the trees that lined his path, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
At this Marcellus' mouth became slightly agape, Marcellus and Martia's attacks were like a wave.
Martia resolutely aimed for its brain and heart, while Marcellus kept cutting on the tail to distract it. For some reason, it seemed more angry at Marcellus than at Martia.
Even though there might be an opening for it if it aims at Marcellus carefully, Martia's control has been perfect, making it unable to ignore her. Martia's attacks are unable to hit it directly, but the hollow serpent gradually starts to get tired and its movements slowly dull.
The battle continued its relentless cadence, the serpent's venom-drenched fangs threatened with every snap, and its sinuous tail cracked the air like a venomous lash.
But as fate wove its dark tapestry, it was Martia who with a graceful yet powerful strike, brought the serpent's grim saga to a close, severing its head from the writhing body. The creature, in its throes of impending defeat, uttered a final, mournful cry that reverberated through the desolate landscape.
Meanwhile, Marcellus, though unable to sever the tail of the hollow serpent, left sword marks upon the creature's scales. Deep indentations marred the surface, as though the tail had been sliced within the very heart of the serpentine armor. But the scales, stubborn and unyielding, clung to their integrity, refusing to be shattered, an enduring testament to the indomitable spirit of the venomous beast.
The battlefield now bore witness to the fallen serpent, its head separated from its body, within a 15-meter radius all the trees were cut down making it open. The duo of swordsmen, bloodied and exhausted, had emerged victorious.
The desolate landscape bore witness to their victory. Marcellus and Martia shared a moment of relief and exhaustion, their breaths heavy and their bodies marked by the rigours of combat. As they picked up their cloaks and sheathed their swords, the stillness was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps.
It was Edwin and a bloodied Ralf, miraculously alive but injured. Ralf's nose bled, a testament to the ordeal they had all endured.
Edwin wore a smile as he addressed Marcellus, "You are more skilled than you let on."
With a swift motion, he produced a container and carefully collected the serpent's blood.
Meanwhile, Martia wasted no time and sliced open the snake's belly, swiftly dispatching its offspring. The task was gruesome, but it ensured that the creatures would pose no further threat.
…
On that day, their evening meal consisted of the Hollow Serpent's meat. Some portions of the serpent's flesh were distributed to the people of Mythralis, a gesture of public charity by the governor and Church of Storms. Edwin and Livus carefully extracted the serpent's fangs and gathered its scales, with Edwin expressing his desire to fashion armour from them.