Pursuit of the Giant Serpent

Melina was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pushing through the forest, following the traces of a massive serpent. She traced the deeply gouged marks and snapped branches with her fingertips, piecing together the puzzle before her eyes one fragment at a time. The depth of the tracks and the wounds on the trees weren't the work of any ordinary beast.

"With this kind of thickness... just how enormous is it?"

She muttered to herself, examining the trail once more. With every step, her curiosity grew. Despite the situation calling for caution, she couldn't help but feel a subtle thrill at the thought of encountering this colossal creature.

But in that instant, her leisure vanished.

Snap!

Something sliced through the air. Melina ducked on instinct, and the arrow whizzed past her, embedding itself in a tree with a quiver. If it had been aimed at her face, she'd dodged by sheer luck—otherwise, it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would've been a gruesome end.

"Who’s there?!"

Melina nocked an arrow without hesitation, her body moving on reflexive instinct guided by the feel in her fingertips. Her shot flew toward somewhere in the shadows of the forest, slicing nimbly through the underbrush and vanishing.

"Tch—"

A low groan echoed from the woods. Bushes rustled, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a group of unidentified figures emerged. They were lamia—half-human, half-snake. Their sharp eyes and gleaming scales amplified their intimidating presence.

Three lamia slowly encircled Melina, tightening the noose around her.

"Why did you attack me? If possible, I'd like to resolve this peacefully."

Melina spoke calmly, bowstring drawn taut, but she couldn't hide her tension. If words failed here, all that remained was a fight with no room for error.

"Hmph, an elf, huh."

The lead lamia scanned her up and down, muttering lowly. "Didn't expect to run into an elf here. Less annoying than humans, at least."

The hostility in their expressions softened slightly. As fellow dwellers in the embrace of nature, they seemed to lack the deep-seated hatred they held for humans.

Melina seized the opening. Her mind raced, recalling their traits.

"Sorry. Is this your territory? If you want, I'll leave right away."

Lamia were a race obsessed with defending their domains on instinct.

"Hmph, if you leave quietly... but that won't fly right now."

She'd pleaded earnestly, but the lamia rejected her firmly. Their eyes gleamed with predatory hatred, like hunters eyeing prey.

"Our queen is furious."

"Word is some human trespassed in our territory, and now more humans are flooding toward it. She ordered us to scour the entire forest. You might be one of them, so we can't just let you go."

Melina's mind reeled at their words. If true, the academy students were in grave danger. Scattered in different directions for their investigations, even with safety personnel posted throughout the woods, a full-scale lamia mobilization would overwhelm them.

Rustle—

As she pondered her options, another sound came from the bushes.

"What?!"

The lamia whipped their heads around, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠locking eyes on the source and entering full alert.

Scramble—

"Nyaa~"

But what burst out was none other than a white cat.

'Rathus...!'

Melina let out a sigh of relief. Her loyal companion, the nimble cat Rathus, had timed his entrance perfectly to disrupt the scene.

"Just a cat...?"

The lamia stared in momentary confusion. Seizing the split-second lapse, Melina struck.

"You're wide open!"

Three arrows loosed from her bow like lightning, piercing their targets dead-on. The lamia screamed and collapsed. She hadn't taken their lives, but the wounds would ensure they couldn't pursue.

"Rathus, now! Let's go!"

"Nyaa~!"

Melina pivoted with the cat and bolted. The rally point wasn't far from her position.

But worry gnawed at her. "I hope everyone's safe..."

Would the others make it? Was this forest crisis something they could handle? She gritted her teeth and ran, tension unrelenting until the rally point came into view.

"Hm."

What should he hunt? Just take down everything in sight? No, that'd be inefficient. Among the monsters here, the strongest were probably just cyclopses, black bears, or their superiors like devil cyclopses and giant black bears.

They'd been tough in the game, but Arnold now could handle them without issue.

"Search."

He cast the detection spell. Targeting only the strongest monsters nearby would suffice. The evaluation scored based solely on one's strongest kill—no need to waste effort elsewhere.

The local intel flooded his mind. As expected, those top monsters were nearby. Linking with his Tracking spell, a white line appeared like a navigation guide, pointing one way.

"......"

He followed the magic swiftly. As he stepped forward, a sharp wind whistled past his ears.

"Grrr..."

"Uooo!"

There they were. In the direction indicated, a devil cyclops and giant black bear faced off, baring fangs. The clash of a wicked one-eyed brute and a bear several times human-sized was intriguing, but he had no time to spectate.

Snap—

One step in, and a branch cracked underfoot. Sensitive as they were, the cyclops and bear snapped their gazes toward him simultaneously.

"Kuooo!"

"Uoooo!"

Their enmity shifted to him in an instant. They'd been glaring murderously at each other moments ago, but priorities had changed. Proving it, the devil cyclops glanced at the bear before charging Arnold.

Monsters instinctively targeted the greatest threat first—he'd been deemed more dangerous.

"Uwaaa!"

The hulking brute raised a man-sized club. Veins bulged on its swollen arm muscles as it swung down at his head.

Slash—

But Arnold wasn't fool enough to stand there. He drew his sword in a flash, slicing horizontally.

Splatter!

"Guh, gurok..."

The thick neck parted cleanly. The forest's apex predator here died without even a death rattle.

Thud—

The headless body toppled like a felled scarecrow.

Witnessing this, even the beastly black bear seemed cowed, its aura shrinking.

"Ku, kueong!"

It roared at him still, but Arnold approached the giant black bear nonchalantly. As its massive forepaw—human torso-sized—swung at him—

Crack!

"Kuhk—?!"

He darted in instead, smashing his fist into its muzzle. Without pause, he cast.

"Fire Blaster."

Boom! A deafening blast erupted from his hand, followed by a watermelon-bursting splat. The shockwave shook the woods, thick blood spraying everywhere.

"Ugh..."

A bit gruesome. Blood splattered his face and clothes, but purification magic could clean it up—no big deal.

"Phew."

Devil cyclops and giant black bear down. Unrecognizable now, but claws, hide, flesh samples, and magic stones would suffice for appraisal.

Monsters varied, but some harbored mana crystals inside.

"This should do."

He harvested the giant black bear's claws and hide, then dug out the devil cyclops's chest flesh for its magic stone.

Time to head back? With the raid event incoming, better early than late.

This exam featured an unforeseen crisis: the lamia assault. A horde swarming the rally point.

Timing-wise, now was perfect.

"Hope the others are fine."

Varis and the rest doing well? And could they take down the boss lamia at the end? With Professor Adria's help and combined strength, probably—

Assuming no other 'special variables'...