Xavier gritted his teeth as he pushed himself back up. His ribs ached, and his breathing was uneven, but he had no time to dwell on the pain.
The ironfang snake coiled, its massive body grinding against the stone floor, and it locked eyes on Xavier.
The snake struck again, faster than before. Xavier barely managed to leap aside, rolling on the ground to avoid another strike.
The serpent let out a deep, guttural hiss, its jaw opening slightly—but not enough for an attack.
Xavier clenched his sword, sweat dripping down his brow.
'I need to force it to open its mouth wide. But how? Wait...if it has eyes only on me then I can use that to my advantage'
The ironfang lunged once more, this time twisting its body mid-air. Xavier had never seen a snake move like this—it wasn't just fast; it was unpredictable. The creature's tail whipped toward him from the side, a secondary attack that caught him off guard.
