Ayaan blankly stared at the screen.
==============================
HIDDEN REQUIREMENT
==============================
A hidden condition has been met!
**Player has consumed 12 Water Serpent Pearls**:
- Water Serpent King detected the player who consumed its offsprings essence.
- Water Serpent King entered the rage state
- Water Serpent King forcefully leveled up Level 2 – Level 3
Defeat the Enraged Water Serpent King to multiply the rewards
==============================
Ayaan looked at the screen blankly as the wave of water washed over him. The Aqua respite activated and he didn't feel any discomfort with the railing taking most of the brunt.
But he couldn't help but think back to the words Ark said.
'Never settle for minimum'
At first, he really thought it was just an advice. After all, he gained a lot in the tutorial because of that. While most players are still in Level 1, he is already in Level 2 the gap between Level 2 and Level 3 is way too high. A ten thousand Exp, but still he is a lot closer to that than other players.
He took Ark's advice and decided to kill more water serpents to collect and consume more pearls.
If he had just killed and collected the 12 pearls from the start, the boss would have come and the quest would have been over. In the process, he wouldn't have killed as many serpents and his Exp wouldn't have increased as much.
But now, he is considering if the decision has been right. Despite his higher level, the water serpents have proven to be tough opponents.
His fatigue is almost fifty.
His HP dropped by twelve points because of the bite on his leg. In the water field, the sword has become an inefficient weapon, with all these disadvantages he is now facing an opponent tougher than it should be.
All because of his own doing.
A smirk appeared on his face. He didn't know if he should be more cautious or excited.
The wave passed over him. The water level increased. Previously, part of the railing is visible from the surface, now the building is completely drowned. Even the watch tower and the church have drowned completely.
He got up from his position and was about to swim to the surface when he saw the incoming creature.
Level 3: Water Serpent King[Enraged] [█████████████████████████] 100%
It is big alright. It is way too big. He assumed that it would be big but not to this extent. The level 1 serpent is bigger than him. Their length could be considered double his height. But this creature…
Just its head is half of Ayaan's height. Almost three feet in width. If he was still in fthe etal position and this creature managed to grab him, he would have been swallowed as a whole.
He didn't expect the difference between Level 1 and Level 3 would be this big.
The serpent king came at an incredible speed. Ayaan immediately abandoned any thought of trying to swim away from it. He could never escape that way.
Ayaan looked around…
'Think'
'Observe'
He noticed that the way the serpent king came… it didn't care for maneuvering around. Any obstacle that comes in its way is being destroyed. It destroyed the roofs of many buildings on its arrival. Ayaan finally picked a direction and started moving.
It was neither up, nor sideways or forward. He moved down.
As fast as he could, he swam down to get as close to the bottom as possible. He endured the pressure of water, which surprisingly didn't seem too unbearable as he swam forward.
The serpent king also changed its altitude and came deeper. Ayaan noticing this turned towards much narrow alleys once again and then swam through the buildings.
The serpent king didn't think to take such turns, instead, it changed its direction, it went through the buildings directly.
*RUMBLE* *RUMBLE*
Ayaan could feel the trembling behind him. The serpent king is crashing into the lowest floors of the concrete buildings. The buildings collapsed and fell on the serpent king, slowing it down.
It is easier to crash against the rooftops. But when the serpent king crashed against the pillars and also bore the full weight of the building that fell on it. He reckoned the water serpents would have easily died by now.
The serpent king went through four buildings before Ayaan realized there is no point in swimming away.
It reached him. He turned around and braced for impact.
[████████████████████████░] 98%
Even with all the destruction, its health didn't drop much.
The serpent king had its mouth closed as it crashed into Ayaan. It directly pushed him through. Luckily, Ayaan already found some free space to ensure that he wouldn't be subjected to the fate of crashing into buildings.
As he was being charged, he got stuck to its mouth. He looked directly at the serpent king's eyes. They are red instead of the blue he has seen on other serpents.
He gritted his teeth and took out the knife. He tried to stab the eye, but the serpent king moved and he slipped.
He couldn't find any grip. The scales are too smooth. As he dangled over, he kicked on the building's surface around him to get enough force and stabbed the eye.
*HISSSS*
He heard it. The hiss of pain, even in that deep water.
However, he didn't have the expected effect on the snake. In fact, he had the opposite.
The health only dropped by another two points. Its eye was certainly damaged, but the knife didn't go deep enough.
The serpent king opened its maw and almost caught hold of Ayaan's legs.
He lodged his legs on the bottom jaw, trying to exert whatever force he could. The knife stuck in its eye provided him with some grip. He took out his gun and placed it point blank against the root of its fang.
*BAM* *BAM*
Blood spurted out and the fang came off. The force falling on Ayaan trying to bite him down, has reduced. He kicked off and slipped to the side. In the process, he caught a hold of its fang.
The serpent king charged at him and chomped down.
Its one intact fang missed him and chomped on the block of concrete.
It lodged itself, just like the first serpent did in the concrete railing. Ayaan didn't hesitate and aimed the gun at point blank once again. This time, he shot at the jaw joint.
That's the only place he could see flesh not covered with those hard scales.
*BAM*
But one bullet is not enough. The snake tore through the concrete and slammed to the side.
Ayaan took the hit and he crashed into the wall of a nearby building.
[HP -10]
Just one hit. One clean hit and he already lost ten points.
'8 mins'
That's the time left in Aqua respite. He needs to finish this as soon as possible. Ayaan kicked the wall and launched himself towards the Serpent King.
The serpent king opened its maw wide open and charged at him. Ayaan at the last moment, slipped to the side.
*BAM*
He shot inside its mouth.
*HISS*
It closed it abruptly and maybe instinctively moved away from him. Ayaan who was swimming further along its body, looked at the fang in his hands.
It is the perfect size. Exactly as big as his knife.
He stabbed it into its flesh.
The fang went through the scale and penetrated its flesh.
He got the anchor he needed. He pulled himself towards its body and put the gun point blank against its body.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
He didn't hesitate and emptied four shots.
*HISS* *HISS*
The serpent finally felt it properly. It writhed in pain and slammed its entire body into the building. Before he crashed, Ayaan pulled the fang out and slipped to the side.
[███████████████░░░░░░░░░] 72%
Still, the damage is not too big. It is a significant amount, but not fatal. Not yet.
He swam towards the body, trying to repeat the same feat again, but the serpent king noticed this and slammed its tail against him.
[HP-4]
Ayaan couldn't stab the fang in time and took the hit. As he was sent crashing, the serpent king already intercepted his trajectory. It timed it perfectly and almost bit on it. The fang that he previously took helped him a lot.
His body got stuck exactly in that gap.
[HP-12]
His arm holding the gun was still outside. He aimed it at its jaw and shot.
*BAM* *BAM*
Its jaw loosened and hissed in pain. Ayaan slipped out and turned his body around, stabbing the fang into its other eye.
*BAM*
The snake hit him once again. This time, the fang stayed in the snake's head.
[HP – 10]
Ayaan felt extremely vigilant. His HP dropped to 76 points. He checked the serpent king's health.
[█████████████░░░░░░░░░░░] 60%
Sixty percent. It seems like he did more damage to the serpent king than it did to him, despite the level difference. However, for some reason, he had an ominous feeling. His instinct is telling him, that something bad is about to happen.
As for why? The serpent king that was raging until now, is not raging anymore.
Instead, it appeared calm. It didn't just charge at him. It is calmly waiting as if analyzing the best course of action. However, Ayaan didn't have that privilege. The health is not even his primary issue.
'Only four minutes left of Aqua respite.'
'Fatigue around 70'
He has to finish it as fast as possible. If his fatigue accumulates, he would be as sure as dead.
He gritted his teeth and looked at the serpent king.
'Observe'
'Focus'
'Big'
'Strong'
'Territorial advantage'
'Weak points? Weak points?'
As he was thinking, his gaze landed on one specific spot. There is one stab and four bullet holes. That's where he stabbed the fang and shot four times straight. That is the most damaged spot apart from the head.
He needs to find a way to use both of these spots.
*SWOOSH*
The serpent maybe sensing Ayaan's determination came at him like an arrow leaving the quiver.
Ayaan also shot forward.
*BAM* *BAM*
When they were close enough, it shot at the serpent king aiming at its head.
One bullet grazed past while the other missed as it slipped to the side. Ayaan used the chance to twist his body to the side and move past its head. He swam with all his strength while shooting at it.
*BAM* *BAM*
He emptied what was left of the magazine.
The serpent king twisted and turned its head as it dodged the bullets. Of course, the only thing that came out of this is that it slowed down a bit.
And that's all that Ayaan wanted.
He took out his other gun and shot again once the creature came closer.
*BAM*
This time, it was aimed at the fang.
*HISS*
The fang went deeper.
*BAM*
He hit it again. Before aiming at the second eye.
*BAM* *BAM*
The two shots bore a hole through the eyes.
*HISSSSSSSSSS*
Ayaan stayed on the spot, the snake charged in and chomped on him. Ayaan backed down and got hit by the tail at the last moment.
[HP-10]
But that was worth it, because the serpent king bit on its body, precisely near the spot where the serpent king has been injured the most.
Blood gushed out of its body like a cloud.
[Aqua respite skill deactivated]
Ayaan suddenly felt the pressure on his lungs.
[Fatigue +1]
[Fatigue +1]
[Fatigue +1]
It is accumulating at an unnatural rate. He swam towards the serpent king while holding his breath.
He took out the Mutant soldier sword and stabbed it on the head, before it could release the bit. The sword didn't go as smoothly as he wanted. He felt a great resistance. He used all the force he could apply to push it deeper.
The sword penetrated through the head and was about to enter the tail. But the Serpent king reacted quickly and pulled its tail off forcefully. It tore its flesh and the rear part of the tail barely hung to the first part.
Ayaan held on to the sword tightly while the snake shook wildly to get rid of him. The sword despite lodging in its head seemed to have avoided its brain.
[█████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 24%
And the health didn't drop as much as he wanted.
Ayaan felt like his lungs are about to explode. He cannot stay under water for long and this harsh movement is not exactly helping his situation.
He had to make a hard call and swim up, leaving the serpent king.
*GASP*
He took deep breaths as soon as he reached the surface.
But he didn't have much time. Ayaan sensed the serpent king coming for him from behind. He hurriedly swam to the side.
*HISSS*
The snake came out of the surface with his head aimed to bite him, but it missed.
It changed direction mid-air and charged towards Ayaan.
Ayaan faced the charge.
*SWOOSH*
The head crashed into him. But he held on to the sword, making sure that he didn't get blown away.
[HP-14]
His felt like his ribs are crushed along with his lungs. Whatever breath he caught is gone. However, he had no thoughts of leaving.
He gritted his teeth and held the sword hilt tightly, then he placed the gun's barrel on the head of the snake.
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
He didn't hesitate. He unloaded the whole magazine.
[███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 18%
[██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 11%
[█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 4%
[░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 0%
Only after the health completely dropped did Ayaan relax a bit and sighed.
He pulled the sword off of its head and noticed something.
Even with all the bullets that he fired, they didn't actually penetrate all the way through. The most they did was leave holes in the roof of its mouth, the resistance of this flesh is so high that bullets barely did anything.
Ayaan took a deep breath and calmed down, while the Serpent King's body disappeared.
[Exp+1000]
[MP+10]
A thousand Experience points and 10 MP, the serpent king is surely dead. In place of the body, the loot is dropped in hovering lights. But he didn't have the strength to touch them or check on them. His body is banged up.
He found himself dirty and soaked on the Hotel rooftop.