(Sam's POV + Adventurer POV)
(Lina's POV)
Time seemed to slow down as the Stonehide Beast charged toward Marie, claws raised and glowing eyes locked on her. My breath caught in my throat, and my hands trembled so badly I could barely hold my bow.
"Marie, move!" I screamed, but she was frozen in place, fear plastered across her face. Her fireball sputtered out, weak, as the beast closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
I fired another arrow, this one aimed for its head, but the beast swatted it away like it was nothing.
(Sam's POV)
I could see it all unfold from the shadows.
The Stonehide Beast was in full Frenzy, faster and more aggressive than anything they'd faced so far. The adventurers had fought hard, but they were on the brink of being overwhelmed.
Marie was going to die if no one stepped in.
I didn't owe them anything. They weren't my concern. But... something about the scene triggered memories of my old life. I couldn't just sit back and watch these kids get slaughtered.
'What a pain...'
With a sigh, I uncoiled and slithered forward, keeping low to the ground. My black scales blended with the shadows, and my red eyes gleamed in the dim light, giving me the look of a predator on the hunt.
(Lina's POV)
Just as the Stonehide Beast brought its massive claws down toward Marie, something happened. There was a flash of movement—fast, too fast to follow—and then the beast roared in pain. I blinked, trying to make sense of it, but the next thing I knew, a snake, about 3-4 feet long, was coiled tightly around the beast's body, its fangs buried deep in the beast's neck.
The snake's black scales shimmered in the faint light, and its red eyes glowed with an eerie intensity.
"What the…?"
I stared in disbelief. The snake, despite its smaller size compared to the beast, was holding its own. Its appearance was terrifying—its dark scales and piercing red eyes made it look every bit the predator.
(Sam's POV)
My Bite connected with the beast's neck, sinking deep enough for my Venom to flow into its bloodstream. The Stonehide Beast struggled beneath me, thrashing and trying to dislodge my grip, but I wasn't about to let go.
Its Frenzy made it powerful, but it also made it reckless. I'd watched it long enough to see its weak spots. Now it was just a matter of wearing it down.
(Lina's POV)
The Stonehide Beast roared and flailed, trying to throw the snake off, but it was no use. Despite being smaller, the snake held on tight, tightening its coils around the beast's body.
Leon staggered to his feet, sword in hand, and stared at the scene with wide eyes. "What the hell is that thing?!"
"Is it… helping us?" Marie whispered, still in shock.
I didn't know. But the Stonehide Beast was weakening. The snake had it pinned, its red eyes gleaming as it tightened its grip.
"Now!" Leon shouted, shaking off his shock. "While it's distracted, hit it with everything you've got!"
Marie, still trembling, raised her hands and conjured another fireball. I drew my bow, aimed for the beast's head, and let the arrow fly.
(Sam's POV)
I felt the Stonehide Beast weakening beneath me. The adventurers weren't wasting their chance. Marie launched another fireball, and I saw the arrow from Lina soar through the air, striking the beast in the eye.
It roared one last time, then collapsed under my weight, finally going still.
[You have defeated Stonehide Beast (Lv 22).]
[You have gained 200 XP.]
[Hunger decreased by 20%.]
The fight was over.
I uncoiled from the dead beast, flicking my tongue to taste the air. The adventurers were still standing there, stunned, unsure of what had just happened.
(Lina's POV)
The beast was dead. Its massive body lay limp on the ground, and the black-scaled snake that had saved us was slowly uncoiling itself from the corpse.
I stared at the snake, still in shock. What was it? Why had it helped us?
The others were just as stunned. Leon cautiously approached the beast's body, sword still raised, while Derrick groaned from where he'd been thrown.
"Is it…" Marie whispered, "Is it going to attack us next?"
I didn't know. But the snake didn't seem interested in us. It slithered away from the beast, its red eyes glinting as it focused on the corpse instead.
Leon lowered his sword, breathing hard. "Whatever it is, it's not our enemy. At least… not right now."
(Sam's POV)
The adventurers were confused, but I didn't care. The Stonehide Beast was dead, and my hunger was gnawing at me. I approached the corpse, ready to devour it.
'This should be interesting.'
I sank my fangs into the beast's body, beginning the process of Devour.
[Devour Lv 1 activated.]
[You have gained the skill: Frenzy Lv 1.]
'Frenzy, huh? That'll come in handy.'
Frenzy was a situational but powerful skill. It would boost my strength and speed if I was near death, making it perfect for tight situations. Not bad at all.
The adventurers were still watching me, eyes wide with disbelief.
(Lina's POV)
The snake—this black-scaled, red-eyed creature—began eating the Stonehide Beast right in front of us. It was surreal. I should've been scared, but for some reason, I wasn't.
"Let's get out of here," Leon muttered, finally lowering his sword all the way. "Whatever that thing is, we don't want to piss it off."
Marie nodded quickly, already backing away. Derrick, still limping, gave a grunt of agreement.
I hesitated, watching the snake. It didn't seem interested in us, only in its meal.
"We're leaving," Leon called, but I didn't move.
'Why did it save us?' I wondered. The others might not have noticed, but I had. The snake hadn't needed to get involved. It had chosen to.
Before I could say anything, Leon grabbed my arm. "Lina, let's go. Now."
I shot one last glance at the snake before following the others back into the forest.
(Sam's POV)
I watched the adventurers retreat, their leader practically dragging Lina away. She had stared at me longer than the others—like she knew there was more to me than just a predator looking for a meal.
But that didn't matter. Not now, anyway.
For now, I had new skills to test and plenty of time to explore my growing power.