Host, I see a cave up ahead that you can stay in for the night Oh great, was wondering for how long you wanted me to run for..it’s already night time.
The sound of a hiss ripped through the air and my steps froze in place as I glanced around in search of what had made that sound.
System?
What was that?
Um, host… What is it?
Where did that come from?
It sounded like a snake!
Noctis perhaps?
No, it wasn’t that close and Noctis is still weak right now, or he would have constricted me to death.
Something rolled out of the bushes ahead of me and I staggered back two steps at the sight before me.
A serpent.
No, not a normal serpent beastman….this was a monster.
Its massive body dragged heavily across the ground, crushing leaves and snapping branches beneath thick black coils marked by three sickly silver stripes running across its scales.
The stripes looked unnatural against the darkness of its body, almost diseased, glowing faintly beneath the moonlight like rotting scars.
Its scales were dull and rough in certain places, as though parts of its skin had begun decaying while it was still alive.
I nearly gagged.
The creature’s eyes were the worst part.
Pale yellow, cloudy and madness swirled inside them.
Its forked tongue flicked out slowly, tasting the air before its enormous head lifted in my direction.
A deep hiss slithered through the forest, low and threatening enough to make every hair on my body rise.
And then I remembered.
Tier-striped serpents.
A violent breed of rogue snake beastmen that had lost control of their evolution and descended into bloodthirsty madness.
And instantly, I knew that this one…this must be one of those people who were hunting Noctis.
I gulped, slowly taking more steps backwards with hopes that it hadn’t seen me.
Serpents has excellent sight, especially in the dark Shut up!
Who knows, maybe it might notice you too and we’ll be snake food!
Host, that’s not possi—aargh!!!
The serpent hissed wildly at me and I almost stumbled in fear and amusement at the system’s fear.
You were saying?
Run!
Run, run, RUN!!!!
With pleasure.
I turned to the side and bolted off, running twice as fast as I had been before and from behind me, I could hear the sounds of the serpent giving chase.
System, what do I do?
This can’t go on forever!!
Snakes are fast if you don’t remember!!
The international interface has not yet been opened or you would be able to procure whatever you need Not the time!!
Don’t you have something of yours like this dagger you sold me?
If the main system finds out, we’ll both suffer!!
I’ll return it to you after we escape, and you can take five of my points!!!
Uhhhh System!!!!
I tumbled to the side, almost falling over my feet as I continued running but I could feel the serpent gaining on me.
A sharp hiss sounded beside my ears and my blood ran cold as I darted to the other side just as a sharp tail whipped past me and sliced through a big tree.
CRASH!!!
I watched that huge tree groan and creak before it went falling to the ground with a loud thud and my heart shuttered.
I…I could have been dead…in a second!
Okay, okay.
Here it is host.
Something materialized in my palms but my eyes were still stuck on the tree Wake up and dodge!!
I quickly jumped into the thorn filled bushes by the side just as a sizzling stuff went flying past me and my eyes widened as I realized what it was.
Venom Venom.
I glanced down at my hands and found a bow and quiver filled with lots and lots of arrows and my brows furrowed.
System, I’m not even playing…have you seen the scales on that thing?
You think this thing would pierce it?
Do you really want me to die???
It’s a mythril bow and arrow, the world’s finest.
It can pierce through anything!
It can?
I stared at the bow doubtfully..it didn’t look like something that could do that…it looked more like it would snap if I didn’t hold it well.
Just aim the arrow and fucking shoot Fine.
I quickly moved further into the throne filled bushes, uncaring how it scratched at my skin till I bled.
I had a bigger problem now and if this serpent curled around me wasn’t so weak, he would have eaten and chewed out this ugly beast on my heels like a rabbit!
I could see the snake, it was scanning the entire place in search of me…it was relying on sight, good thing they didn’t have much blessing in the aspect of smell or I would have been completely and utterly fucked.
I had taken archery classes out of boredom back in my world due to the fact that I had no friends or family or anything that would keep me company so although I was beseeched with fear, I forced my hands to be steady as I took aim.
First, I needed to blind him and I had to be very fast about it.
I can’t blind an eye and leave the other, it would just kill me.
I had to do it quickly.
Drawing in a deep breath, I slowly dropped Noctis and my basket that had surprisingly remained intact throughout the run.
“Stay here and no matter what happens, do not come out or I’ll kill you too!” I whispered furiously to Noctis before turning back around to face the snake.
I steeled myself for a moment before lunging forward and as if it had been waiting for me for a while now, it snapped its large head towards me and hissed before lunging at me too.
I almost panicked as I took aim and released the arrow but watching it sail forward, I held my breath and released another arrow and then another and a fourth one before slamming hard to the ground.
A sharp wail split the air as the arrows found their mark.
Two had gone exactly where I wanted, into its two slitted eyes and the others had sailed away into the night.
A waste but still … Good job, host!!
“Not done yet!” The serpent thrashed violently, its massive body slamming through trees and crushing bushes beneath its weight as black blood splattered across the forest floor.
Its shrieks were horrifyingly loud, raw and I could tell that it was downright furious with me.
Blindly, the creature lunged forward and I threw myself backwards just in time as its enormous jaws snapped shut barely inches from my face.
The force of it sent dirt exploding everywhere.
“Fuck!” I rolled across the ground, immediately scrambling back to my feet while clutching the bow tightly.
The serpent had gone insane..completely insane.
You think?
Why don’t you try getting shot in both your eyes?
Not the time!
Without its sight, it began smashing into everything around it, its giant tail whipping wildly through the forest like a living weapon.
A tree exploded beside me and another cracked in half, one hit from that thing and I knew I was becoming meat paste.
Host, behind you!!!
I ducked instantly.
CRACK!!!
The tail sliced above my head and slammed into the rocks behind me hard enough to shatter them apart and my scalp instantly went numb.
Nope, absolutely not….I was too young to die like this.
The serpent suddenly stopped moving and my breath caught as its tongue flicked rapidly through the air.
Shit.
Even blind, it was tracking my position.
“Why is it still finding me?!” I hissed while backing away carefully.
Heat detection.
“I don’t hate snakes but I’m beginning to hate this one..” The serpent suddenly launched toward me with terrifying speed and I barely managed to jump aside before its body crashed into the ground where I had stood seconds earlier.
The earth trembled beneath the impact but I didn’t stop moving this time.
Good, very good.
A moving target was harder to catch.
I quickly pulled another arrow from the quiver while running.
Think, Lyrielle, think!
Its eyes were gone but it was still moving and it was still dangerous.
What kills snakes again?!
The mouth?
The head?!
Heart?!
Wait— Serpents!!
The weak point was beneath the scales under the throat!
I nearly cried from happiness.
“Thank you, past me!” I spun around sharply, sliding across the dirt as I raised the bow again and the blind serpent hissed furiously and charged toward the sound instantly.
Perfect.
“Come here, you overgrown shoelace.” Host, this is not the time for insults!!
“What?!
It calms my nerves!” The serpent opened its jaws wide as it lunged and I inhaled sharply and released the arrow.
The mythril arrow tore through the air like silver lightning and pierced directly through the underside of its throat.
For one second—everything went deathly still and then, the serpent let out a horrible screech.
Black blood exploded everywhere as the creature began convulsing violently, smashing through the forest in a frenzy of pain.
I turned and ran immediately to hide because absolutely not, I was not staying around for its dying tantrum.
Trees crashed behind me one after another while the ground shook beneath my feet and then suddenly— Silence.
Total silence and my steps slowly came to a halt.
“Is it dead?” A loud thud echoed through the forest and I turned cautiously.
The enormous serpent lay collapsed between broken trees, its body twitching weakly before finally going still.
And then my legs gave out beneath me.
I dropped onto the ground breathing heavily, sweat soaking my entire body.
“Holy shit.” You survived!
“Barely!” I stared at the dead serpent for a long moment before laughing shakily to myself.
Then immediately burst into tears.
“I almost died!!” That…that was understandable.
“I hate this novel!
I hate snakes!
I hate beastworld!” A familiar dry voice suddenly echoed behind me.
“Yet you still saved a serpent.” My entire body froze.
let’s hope she gets them.