In the game, there was one thing that players relied on, and that was the fact that they could simply respawn once they died.
However, this was no longer a game.
How could Ethan let the snake harm him?
Forget about dying! A snake's attack was extremely vicious and Ethan did not like to feel pain!
Instead of staying, he began to run out of the cave. What he did not know was the fact that Furcio saw his actions. To Furcio, this act was something that could only be called bravery.
Furcio could not help but frown as he straightened his back and stared at the spot where the snake and Ethan had gone through.
Ethan was skilled in fighting, but he did not possess any Essentia.
How could he defeat a snake like that?
Nevertheless, Ethan ran away and used himself as the snake's new target to distract it and save Furcio. If this is not heroic, then what is?
Furcio sighed. It was a heroic but extremely stupid move!
Naturally, Ethan had no idea or was even concerned about what Furcio was thinking. He had another reason why he chose to run away, and that was because he knew the snake's weakness.
This snake was not from this dungeon. It was already injured and could not afford to leave the cave to fight the insects nearby.
Ethan had a plan to weaken the snake without engaging it in direct combat. He knew that the snake was already hurt and didn't want to risk a fight.
So, he decided to exploit the snake's weakness more strategically.
The snake pursued him. Its wounded body made it sluggish, but it showed no signs of stopping. Still, Ethan took advantage of this as he increased the distance between them.
Just as he was about to reach the part of the cave where that sticky liquid was located, he stopped.
"I meant no harm," Ethan said as he raised both of his arms.
Inwardly, Ethan was cursing the system.
The system really wanted him to die! This was the only reason why the system would not allow him to use violence in missions like this.
Seeing the snake, he pushed the limits of persuasion, hoping that it would miraculously affect the creature.
And it did.
At least, the snake finally stopped moving and stared at him as if it had gotten confused.
"I am here to help," Ethan said gently. "I can help you."
The snake showed signs of understanding Ethan's words, but before things could get any clearer, Furcio suddenly reappeared and launched an attack on the snake.
Once again, a fierce battle unfolded, and Ethan could only stand by and watch, at a loss for words.
He thought Furcio was actually dead! Why is this beast still here?
For some reason, Furcio appeared even more powerful this time.
Did Furcio have some sort of boost or had he eaten some magical fruits?
Ethan was very confused as he watched the two creatures clash with savage intensity, hissing and growling in a furious dance of survival. Furcio's sharp claws and sword tore into the snake's wounded body.
The snake, although slow from its injuries, fought back valiantly as it attempted to fend off Furcio's relentless assault.
Ethan sighed. He wished there was a way to prevent the violence, but the system's rules seemed to force this conflict upon him.
Before long, the snake began to display signs of fatigue, and as a result, Furcio's attack landed on it.
Then, just as Furcio was poised to deliver a fatal blow to the exhausted snake, Ethan suddenly rushed forward, shouting, "Stop!"
Furcio halted mid-attack, his eyes locking onto Ethan in surprise. The snake, though injured and on the brink of defeat, seemed equally startled by the unexpected interruption.
"Stop it," Ethan said. "Don't kill it."
Furcio frowned as he jumped back and glared at the snake. "Give me a good reason to spare it," Furcio said. "It is wounded. I could take care of it now."
"It is not trying to harm us," Ethan said. "I can help it."
"Do you know this creature?" Furcio asked without taking his eyes off the snake.
"No, but I like it," Ethan replied.
Furcio was rendered speechless again, wondering if there was something wrong with Ethan's head. Was he dealing with a lunatic all along?
"Look," Ethan sighed. "I can help it."
"Are you trying to make another contract with this creature?" Furcio asked. "This is not something a human can deal with."
"I am not," Ethan replied, feeling helpless. He sighed inwardly. "Will you just listen to me?"
"I would not be able to defeat it if you heal it," Furcio said. "It is best that we kill it now and get out of this place."
"That is not the owner of this dungeon," Ethan said. "This place was full of insects, and that snake is not their Queen. We cannot leave this place if we do not defeat the Queen." Ethan was not entirely certain about this, as the game did not mention anything about defeating a Queen.
After a few minutes, Furcio narrowed his eyes at him. "You wanted to use the snake to defeat the Queen?" Furcio asked, suspicion flashed in his eyes.
"Yes," Ethan nodded.
Again, the beast looked unconvinced, but Ethan did not care. He was already walking towards the snake's damaged body. He spread his arms, trying to convince the snake that he was here for peace.
Inwardly, Ethan was confident that the snake was already on the verge of dying, so it could not harm him.
What Ethan did not know was that Furcio completely misunderstood his actions.
To Furcio, Ethan was simply trying to create a contract between him and the snake.
The fact that Ethan knew about contracts between humans and beasts left a bad taste in Furcio's mouth. This made Furcio conclude that Ethan's behavior was nothing but a risky attempt to form a contract with the snake to establish control over it.
Furcio narrowed his eyes. Since Ethan wanted to play this game, he was willing to play. He wanted to see how long Ethan would continue pretending.
...
A/N: I am just a few days away from completing my other novel. After that, I will shift my focus to this novel. My original plan was delayed due to some personal problems. Thank you for your understanding.