(Sam's POV + Adventurer POV)
(Sam's POV)
I flicked my tongue, tasting the lingering scent of blood in the air. The Stonehide Beast was nothing more than a carcass now, its power absorbed into me. I could still feel the rush of energy from the Devour, and the new skill—Frenzy—buzzed at the edge of my mind, ready to activate if I was ever near death.
'Not bad. This is definitely going to come in handy.'
I coiled back, glancing around the forest. The adventurers had retreated, leaving me to my feast. They weren't a threat, and I wasn't planning on sticking around long enough to become one to them.
With a quiet hiss, I slithered deeper into the forest, feeling the newfound strength from my recent hunt. My black scales shimmered in the fading light, and my red eyes scanned the area, always alert.
[Name: Unnamed]
[Species: Predator Snake]
[Level: 15]
[Rank: F]
[Skills:]
– [Bite Lv 5]
– [Venom Lv 5]
– [Slither Lv 4]
– [Stealth Lv 2]
– [Status Inspection Lv 2]
– [Devour Lv 1]
– [Harden Lv 1]
– [Burrow Lv 1]
– [Frenzy Lv 1]
[Traits:]
– [Cold-Blooded]
– [Predator's Intuition]
– [Enhanced Sensory (Advanced)]
– [Enhanced Physical Strength (Basic)]
[Status: Satisfied]
[Hunger: 0%]
It wasn't long before I found myself back in familiar territory. The forest was vast, but I'd explored enough of it by now to know where the dangerous creatures lurked—and more importantly, where my next prey might be hiding.
'Time to see how far I can push this new power.'
I slithered through the underbrush, keeping low as I searched for any sign of movement. My senses were sharper than ever, the Enhanced Sensory (Advanced) trait making every rustle, every vibration in the ground, feel like a beacon.
After a while, I caught the faintest hint of a scent—something reptilian, something dangerous. A small thrill of excitement ran through me.
(Lina's POV)
The walk back to town was silent, save for the occasional grunt of pain from Derrick, who was limping behind us. Leon led the way, his shoulders tense, while Marie kept glancing nervously over her shoulder, as if expecting that snake to reappear at any moment.
I couldn't get the image out of my head. The snake—its black scales shimmering in the light, its red eyes locking onto us before it slithered away, leaving behind the corpse of the Stonehide Beast.
'What was it?'
"Lina, keep up," Leon muttered, barely looking back at me. His voice was different now—no longer confident, but shaken. He hadn't been expecting that fight to end the way it had, and I could tell it was bothering him.
We hadn't just been outmatched by the Stonehide Beast; we'd been saved. By a snake, of all things. And not just any snake. There was something about it, something intelligent in the way it fought.
I frowned, tightening my grip on my bow as I hurried to catch up with the others. None of them wanted to talk about what had happened. But I couldn't stop thinking about it.
(Sam's POV)
The scent was getting stronger now. I could feel it in the air—something slithering, something large. I moved quietly, my body blending into the shadows as I approached the source of the scent.
Finally, I spotted it. A Scaled Lizard, its rough green scales glistening in the fading sunlight. It was bigger than me—maybe about six feet long—but I had the advantage of stealth, and more importantly, I had a new skill to test.
I coiled myself tightly, preparing to strike.
(Lina's POV)
By the time we reached the outskirts of the town, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the cobblestone streets. The Adventurer's Guild was still bustling with activity, but the familiar noise did little to ease the tension in the air.
We headed straight for the guild, where the receptionist raised an eyebrow at our disheveled appearance.
"You look like you've been through hell," she remarked, her eyes sweeping over Derrick's broken shield and Leon's torn armor.
Leon grunted in response, too tired to muster much more than that. "We need to report a completed quest."
Her gaze flicked between the four of us, landing on me for a brief moment before she nodded. "Right. Let's hear it."
Leon stepped forward, leaning against the counter. "We took down the Stonehide Beast, but…"
He hesitated, glancing at the rest of us. For a moment, I thought he might actually tell her about the snake—about how we were saved by something we couldn't explain.
But he didn't. "It was… tougher than we thought. Derrick got hurt. We barely made it out."
The receptionist nodded slowly, scribbling down a note. "I see. Well, F-Rank or not, Stonehide Beasts can be dangerous when cornered. I'll mark the quest as completed. You'll get your reward tomorrow."
Leon nodded, but I could tell his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't thinking about the reward, or the quest. He was thinking about the snake. We all were.
As we turned to leave, I shot one last glance at the receptionist. I could have said something—told her the truth about what happened. But I stayed quiet.
(Sam's POV)
I struck fast, sinking my fangs into the Scaled Lizard's side before it had a chance to react. It hissed in pain, thrashing wildly as it tried to shake me off, but my Bite had already injected enough Venom to start weakening it.
The fight was quick. The Scaled Lizard was strong, but it wasn't smart. Within minutes, it collapsed, its body twitching as the venom took hold.
[You have defeated Scaled Lizard (Lv 16).]
[You have gained 100 XP.]
[You have leveled up to Level 16.]
[Harden Lv 1 → Lv 2]
[Hunger decreased by 15%.]
'Still too easy.'
I coiled around the Scaled Lizard, preparing to Devour it. The process had become second nature to me by now—sink the fangs in, absorb the prey, and wait to see what I gained. The Devour skill activated automatically as I began to consume my meal.
[Devour Lv 1 activated.]
[You have gained the trait: Heat Resistance (Basic).]
'Interesting. This could be useful.'
With Heat Resistance (Basic), I'd be more resilient against fire or extreme heat in the future. A handy trait, especially if I ran into more adventurers with fire-based magic.
I moved on, eager to see what else the forest had to offer. The hunt wasn't over, and my new power meant I could take on even more dangerous prey.
(Lina's POV)
As we left the guild, Derrick groaned, stretching his sore muscles. "I'm gonna sleep for a week."
Marie nodded. "Same. That was... too close."
Leon was quiet. Too quiet.
I stayed at the back of the group, my thoughts still swirling around the snake. It had saved us—there was no denying that. But what did it want? And why did it intervene?
I didn't know. But I had a feeling we hadn't seen the last of it.