"Su Han!" Chen Qian roared, his voice cracking with desperation.
?He wanted to rush to the rock, to see if his friend was still breathing, but the Four-Colored Snake wouldn't let him. The beast was coiled like a spring, its cold eyes fixed on the remaining hunters. If Chen Qian moved an inch toward Su Han, the monster would tear into the rest of the team.
?"Su Han... you better be alive, damn it!" Chen Qian shouted inwardly. He knew the force of that impact. Surviving a hit like that was almost impossible.
?Captain Zhao, who usually kept her cool like a professional killer, now had eyes filled with a rare flash of worry. Her strikes became faster, more violent.
?Slash! Shing!
?She rained down a barrage of blows on the snake’s scales, her sword a blur of steel. She didn't just want to kill it; she wanted to shred it. Even though she’d only known Su Han for a short time, that kid had left a mark on her. She couldn't stand the thought of such a young talent dying in this godforsaken hole.
?Her eyes turned bloodshot. Rage took over. Beside her, Chen Qian was fighting like a madman too. In his heart, he had already started calling Su Han a friend. He never thought their friendship would be this short.
?The rest of the team was drenched in sweat. Some had already looked at the crater and whispered, "He's gone. No way he survived that."
?Over at the rock, Su Han was a mess of blood and dust. His teeth were ground together so hard they nearly shattered. But he wasn't dead.
?Before the tail had even hit him, he had anticipated the blow. He had already pulled a Low-level High-grade healing pill—worth 20 System Points—and shoved it under his tongue.
?[DING! HEALING PILL ACTIVATED!]
?The moment he hit the rock, his bones snapped, but the pill’s power exploded in his veins. Combined with his Invincible Supreme Dragon bloodline, his body was like reinforced iron. His bones were knitting back together at a visible speed.
?"Your mother's eyes..." he hissed, a bloody curse escaping his lips.
?The pain was agonizing, but the healing was fast. He forced himself up, his eyes turning cold and glowing red. He looked at the snake with a gaze that could kill.
?"I took that hit just so the mission wouldn't fail... but I'm not done with you yet, you piece of shit."
?He reached down and grabbed his Wolf Tooth Dagger from the dirt. Step by step, he started walking back toward the fight.
?At the center, the snake was losing its mind. Captain Zhao’s relentless attacks were driving it into a frenzy.
?Ptu!
?The snake spat a glob of burning venom at her. She twisted her body to dodge, but the snake was waiting. Its tail whipped around and caught her right in the ribs.
?Thud!
?Even with her High-grade armor, the force was massive. She was sent skidding back several meters, coughing up a spray of dark blood.
?The snake didn't stop. It turned its sights on Chen Qian and the other 7th-level warrior. Sweat poured down their faces as they swung their blades, but the beast was too fast now.
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?Crack!
?The tail caught the other 7th-level warrior. He wasn't as lucky as Su Han. He flew through the air, his armor cracked and his strength completely drained. He was alive, but he was out of the fight.
?Chen Qian was alone now. Captain Zhao scrambled to her feet, her face pale.
?"Everyone, stay back!" she screamed to the 6th-level members. "The beast has gone berserk! Don't get close or you'll die!"
?The burden was now entirely on Zhao and Chen Qian, and they were buckling under the pressure. One man was down, Su Han was presumed dead, and the snake was coming for blood.
?The snake’s tail swung again, aimed straight at Chen Qian’s head. He opened his mouth to scream, trying to move, but his legs felt like lead. He was too slow.
?Captain Zhao was too far to reach him. The team members watched in horror, their backs turning cold with the chill of death.
?"This is it," someone whispered. "We need to run!"
?Just as the tail was about to crush Chen Qian into a pulp, a shadow blurred across the ground.
Just as the team felt the cold grip of helplessness, a pair of blood-stained hands shot out from the dust.
?Grab!
?The hands clamped onto the edge of the snake’s massive tail. The sound of boots grinding against the dirt echoed through the clearing as a figure was dragged back, his teeth bared in a primal snarl.
?Everyone froze. Standing there, with his clothes shredded and his skin soaked in dark red, was Su Han.
?His hair was matted with blood. His eyes were glowing like burning coals. He had just activated his bloodline skill: Invincible Supreme Dragon’s Rage.
?Su Han had exactly one minute. One minute of doubled strength to end this nightmare. Even with his power surging, stopping that tail felt like holding back a mountain, but he didn't let go.
?"Su Han! You're alive!" Chen Qian yelled, a wave of relief washing over him.
?Captain Zhao didn't waste a heartbeat. Seeing Su Han pinning the tail, she lunged forward with everything she had.
?Slash!
?Her sword hissed through the air, aiming straight for the snake’s yellow eyes. The beast tried to pull back, but Su Han held firm. The blade bit deep into the snake's eye socket.
?Squelch!
?Black, foul-smelling ichor sprayed everywhere. The snake shrieked, its body twisting in agony.
?Su Han let go of the tail and drew his Wolf Tooth Dagger. He didn't aim blindly; his mind was calculating like a machine.
?"I have to break it in one spot," he hissed.
?He lunged at the snake's flank and unleashed a brutal "Nine-Time Slash."
?Clang! Crack!
?The first strike cracked the scales. The second drew blood. Su Han didn't stop, pouring all his rage into the same jagged wound.
?"Hold this piece of shit down!" Su Han roared at Zhao and Chen Qian.
?Even though Zhao was the leader, she didn't hesitate. Su Han’s dominant, overbearing aura commanded the battlefield. She and Chen Qian dove in, distracting the beast's head with a barrage of strikes.
?[SHADOW STEPS MASTERY: 14%... 17%... 22%]
?Su Han was moving like a ghost, his blade flickering in and out of the same bloody hole he had carved in the snake's side.
?Fifty seconds had passed. He had ten seconds of God-mode left.
?With one final, desperate Nine-Time Slash, Su Han ripped open a massive crater in the snake’s body. Organs and thick, black gore spilled onto the grass.
?The snake panicked. It didn't want to fight anymore; it wanted its cave. It started slithering back toward the dark hole, thrashing its body to clear a path.
?"Ten seconds..." Su Han growled, his heart thumping against his ribs.
?Captain Zhao and Chen Qian saw the opening and went for the kill. Zhao stabbed at the open mouth while Chen Qian aimed for the remaining eye.
?Ptu!
?The snake spat a desperate glob of venom at Chen Qian. He managed to slice his melting clothes off, but a few drops hit his skin.
?"ARGH!"
?Chen Qian screamed as his flesh began to sizzle. The snake’s tail whipped around to finish him, but Su Han was faster.
?Whoosh!
?Su Han grabbed Zhao and Chen Qian, pulling them back with speed that left them breathless. They gasped, realizing that Su Han had just saved them from being crushed into paste.
?The distraction gave the snake its chance. It lunged into the narrow cave opening, desperate to hide.
?Su Han wasn't going to let 500 XP crawl away.
?"Get back here, you bastard!"
?He lunged forward, grabbing onto the snake's tail and disappearing into the dark, narrow tunnel with the beast.
?The team watched in absolute horror. Su Han was being dragged into the earth, his body slamming against the jagged stone walls as the snake retreated.
?Thud! Crash!
?The sounds of flesh hitting rock echoed from inside the cave. Then, slowly, the noise died down.
?Silence.
?The mercenaries stood around the hole, their mouths hanging open. Sweat poured down their faces. Their eyes were filled with a mix of fear, shock, and grief.
?"He went in..." one mercenary whispered, his voice trembling. "He actually went in after it."
?They stared into the darkness, wondering if the boy who had cheated death twice had finally run out of luck.
