In the dark night, the villa stood like a towering giant. But this giant, humble in the face of the night, creaked and then crumbled in a thunderous collapse.
Under the immense power of the half-human, half-serpent creature, even the reinforced concrete structure of the building couldn't withstand. The creature's massive body coiled around it, bringing it down with a deafening "boom". Amidst the dust and debris, a figure leaped skywards.
The figure spread its arms in mid-air, appearing like a sprite flying under the moonlight. She positioned her hands in a diving stance, her dagger gleaming under the moonlight, as she lunged towards the monster.
The creature's massive tail swung with a gust of wind, the lithe figure undulating like a leaf amidst waves. Regardless of how swift the tail and body moved, they couldn't touch the figure who danced like an elf in the tempest, stabbing the creature with her short sword regularly.
Aggravated by the sporadic attacks, the monster let out a deep growl. The rumble was so intense it felt like a dagger piercing one's heart, causing the elf-like figure to falter.
"Dad!" Suddenly a voice echoed from some distance.
David Gustin looked distraught, screaming amidst the rubble of the collapsed villa, "Dad, are you there? Grandfather!" He was covered in dust. He had barely escaped the falling building, but the billowing dust had consumed him.
When the dust settled, he was coated with grime, disheveled and desperate. The ongoing fight between the woman and the monster stirred his worries further. He was concerned for his father and grandfather, but his calls had gone unanswered—a bad sign.
"Keep screaming. They're dead," a figure suddenly staggered down from the sky, wiping the sweat off his brow as he found his footing beside David. "The monster ate them... they were a good snack."
"Shut up! That's impossible..." David retorted angrily, "You brought this monster here, get out of my home!"
The woman shook her head at David, suddenly pushing him aside as she plunged to the side. A colossal shadow descended from the sky, smashing into the spot where they stood moments ago, creating a huge crater.
"Die!" A somewhat deranged David, having been shoved aside, scrambled to his feet and charged at the monster without considering if he was a match for it.
"Don't — Damn it!" The woman exclaimed, sprinting forward, her body airborne as she raised her short sword high, aiming it at the monster.
"Ah —" The monster suddenly spewed a jet of white fog at the charging David. The fog, seemingly alive, bent in mid-air and enveloped David, immobilizing him like a statue.
His mouth agape, stuck mid-scream, and his body poised mid-charge, David was soon encased in the frosty fog. Gradually, he turned into a sculpture, coated in a white substance that made him look like a snow sculpture.
"Damn it!" The woman's thrust pierced the monster's body, but before she could retract her blade, she was hit by a large palm, sending her flying and crashing through a wall, ultimately falling hard to the ground.
"Damn you!" The woman, incredibly pained by the blow that felt like it had shattered her leg bone, tried to struggle up, but the pain was unbearable. She ended up half-kneeling, her lower leg bone seemingly broken.
The half-human, half-serpent monster was already lifting its head high, its mouth wide open, ready to consume David, frozen stiff. Its human form suddenly transformed into a massive snake's head, effortlessly swallowing David.
After swallowing, the monstrous snake's head slowly reverted to its half-human, half-serpent form. But this wasn't the end. After some struggle, the monster's serpentine form slowly began to creak, eventually morphing into an entirely human body, no longer a half-human, half-serpent monstrosity.
"My God..." The immobile woman at the side couldn't help exclaiming, making the sign of the cross over her chest, "Lord, how is this possible? This...this can't be possible!" The man stood bare-chested, completely unconcerned about his nudity, his movements unashamedly exposed. He walked towards the woman, his eyes half-lidded as he looked down upon her, in a position of superiority, like a victorious conqueror gazing at his pitiful captive.
"Lamia," the woman struggled, trying to stand up but failing. She continued to kneel on one knee, using her sword to support herself, determined not to fall. However, she couldn't help but sneer at the approaching monster, "I never expected to see something like this..."
"Life is full of surprises... You never thought I would take on human form, did you?" The monster continued to gaze down at her, a mocking smirk on his face. "I didn't expect to evolve into a human form so quickly either. I should thank that old vampire for granting me this accelerated evolution ability."
"No, what I meant was, to see such a shameless person like you, who doesn't even bother to wear clothes." The woman couldn't help but chuckle. "Even if you've taken on a human form, you still lack the shame that humans possess. So... a monster is still a monster, regardless of what it transforms into."
"Is that so? But now you're my captive, and I hold all the power here..." The monster didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as he suddenly took a step back. A gunshot rang out, and a bullet struck his head, causing him to recoil. He then shifted his gaze forward.
The bullet simply bounced off his forehead. Standing before him was a man in a suit, wearing a fedora and holding a shotgun. Without hesitation, he continued to fire at the monster.
Bang! Bang! The monster was hit repeatedly, but the bullets didn't seem to have any effect on him. It didn't bother him at all. He just raised his head and watched as the man marched towards him.
After the bullets were expended, the man drew a broadsword from his waist—a large cross-shaped sword reminiscent of those used by medieval knights. He charged at the monster. Throughout the gunfire, he hadn't said a word.
The monster took a step back, narrowly avoiding the swift strike of the broadsword. Before the man could retract his sword, a jet of white fog sprayed towards him.
"Watch out!" The woman shouted loudly.
Although the man reacted quickly, his hand was still tainted by the white fog. He quickly retreated several steps. Just as he was about to swing his broadsword, his hand had become stiff. He couldn't hold onto the sword anymore, and it fell to the ground with a clang.
"Damn it!" The woman cried out in fear, attempting to move her body towards the man, but the intense pain made it unbearable. She could only crawl on the grass, trying to get closer to the man. Her eyes were filled with sorrow.
"I never thought... Don't come closer, don't touch me..." The man said to the woman. After taking several steps back, he became completely immobile. His hand turned pale and rigid, and his entire body slowly stiffened. He was covered in frost, looking like a frozen sculpture.
"Oh my God..."
The woman cried out in despair, tears streaming down her face.
Just as she cried out in despair, the man's entire body became stiff. He had turned into a frozen sculpture, standing there, even the wind blowing past him turned cold...