The Serpent's Essence
I moved exactly as Nyx instructed, my judgment suspended.
Normally I would have relied on Instinct alone to read and dodge the invisible attacks. Thanks to Nyx’s guidance, however, the difficulty of evading the Water Balls plummeted.
“Thanks, Goddess.”
—Hmph. So you finally recognize this goddess’s greatness?
“Yeah. Of course.”
I answered calmly even as another compressed sphere of water skimmed past my side.
The distance between us had narrowed rapidly. Ness still had its jaws wide open, gargling as it tried to compress more water.
—Is it not dangerous to approach so recklessly?
“No. Now’s the perfect moment.”
I pointed at Ness’s swollen belly.
“It can’t move freely until it finishes spitting out all that water.”
Ness’s skill, Water Ball, was a double-edged sword. Once it swallowed water, its movements were restricted until its stomach was sufficiently emptied. Just like a water balloon that grows heavy when filled.
The snake was now nothing more than a living water balloon.
I paddled around behind Ness’s neck. The creature twisted its stiff head to follow me.
—Front!
[Instinct detects killing intent.]
Nyx’s voice and the warning from Instinct rang out at the same time. This time, evasion was impossible. I had closed the distance too much to generate enough speed to escape the projectile’s trajectory.
Watermark activated.
Rectangular platform created at designated location.
A translucent square platform materialized above my head—roughly one square meter, just large enough for both feet. I spun half a turn in place, aimed the crown of my head toward the lakebed, and kicked off the Watermark.
The Water Ball missed by a hair’s breadth. Ness’s massive body rushed up from below.
—Impressive. You prepared such a move in advance!
Without Gills, I would have bought Watermarks and Blessed Ash Leaves in bulk. That had been Plan B—pure money-spending. Glad I didn’t need it.
Thanks to Gills, I had minimized consumption while seizing the opportunity.
Ness’s bulging belly loomed right in front of me. I deployed another Watermark. The reason I had risked closing the distance was precisely for this moment.
Grace of Greed activated.
A dark-red aura wrapped around the translucent platform. The platform, reinforced by the erosion effect, could withstand even a violent dance.
I planted my feet and assumed the starting stance of the Blood Claw Technique. To unleash the technique’s full power, I needed proper balance. That was why the skill’s effectiveness had been halved while hunting the fish earlier—there had been no stable footing.
But now?
What if I had a platform?
One square meter was cramped for the Blood Claw Technique, yet it was far better than nothing.
Internal energy gathered in my dantian and spread through the meridians according to the technique’s formula.
Crack!
Ness’s sturdy scales tore like paper. The wound was deeper than the first one I had inflicted. The synergy between Sharp Claws and the Blood Claw Technique was perfect.
Hiss! Hiss-hiss-hiss!!!
A pained shriek burst from Ness’s maw. Its body writhed left and right; the pain was clearly intense. Yet as long as it had not expelled all the water it had swallowed, it could not coil around me.
—Continuous fire. Head, then belly.
Two strikes in quick succession. I had used my head a little, hadn’t I?
Mana Absorb activated.
I tilted my head slightly to dodge the strike aimed at it. For the one targeting my abdomen, Mana Absorb handled the rest. I could not use it frequently due to the cooldown, but it was ideal when evasion was difficult.
“You think you can shake me off like that?”
Standing on the platform reinforced by Grace of Greed like a skateboard, I continued my assault. More and more wounds appeared across the snake’s hide. Blood flowing from the injuries soon dyed the surrounding water green.
[Instinct detects killing intent.]
A chilling sensation brushed the back of my neck. Nyx had not warned me—why?
I felt puzzled, yet I did not ignore Instinct’s warning. The instant I kicked off the platform and retreated—
Whoosh!
Ness’s body whipped around like a lash and struck the space I had just occupied. I had pulled my feet away, but I could not completely escape the attack of a twenty-meter-long serpent. A powerful impact slammed into my abdomen.
Spiked Carapace durability reduced by 52%.
“Kuhk!”
The shock was so great that I could not breathe for a moment. The carapace, strengthened by the essence of the iron fish, had lost half its durability in a single blow.
—Contractor!
Nyx’s worried voice reached me, but I had no time to reassure her. Ness still needed a little longer to expel the water it had swallowed. How had it moved so freely?
“Ah.”
My gaze fell on the wounds along Ness’s belly. The creature had expelled the swallowed water through those gashes, restoring its mobility.
It had come up with that idea even while being attacked. Not bad.
The snake had used its head after all.
Having emptied its stomach, Ness charged straight at me, brimming with confidence after landing a solid hit.
—Danger!
It’s fine. This level isn’t even a crisis.
“Haaaaah!!”
I unleashed another Roar, slowing Ness’s movements, while simultaneously spreading Grace of Greed across the water beneath my feet. Kicking off, I dodged once more.
Slash!
My razor-sharp claws carved fresh wounds across the serpent’s body as it passed. I had taken one hit, but in return I had dealt the maximum damage possible in that short window. Ness’s movements grew noticeably duller. I actively used Grace of Greed to evade its charges while steadily accumulating more injuries.
Blessed Ash Leaf used.
Resistance and buoyancy reduced by 30%.
Two hours had passed since the battle began. I chewed the last leaf.
—I cannot bear to watch. My heart is pounding.
Nyx muttered in a voice tinged with anxiety. A single mistake would lead straight to defeat. Whew… feels like my blood is drying up.
After that unexpected blow, I had not been hit even once. Meanwhile, Ness—who had done nothing but charge in a straight line—looked utterly miserable. Its entire body was covered in lacerations. Perhaps from blood loss, its speed had visibly decreased.
—Victory is within reach.
“Not yet.”
I shook my head. I could not relax until Ness used the ultimate technique it deployed when cornered.
Hiss!
The killing intent in Ness’s eyes suddenly intensified.
“Here it comes.”
I sensed the moment I had been waiting for had arrived.
Snake Tornado activated.
Ness began spinning in place. Its speed increased until a powerful whirlpool formed in the middle of the lake.
Rumble—!
Resisting the raging current was impossible. My body was swept along the flow Ness had created.
—Use the platform!
Nyx cried out anxiously. No. This is exactly what I was waiting for. More precisely, I had prepared for the moment the snake activated its skill.
Well, I did predict this.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. When cornered, Ness had a high probability of using Snake Tornado. The standard counter was to interrupt the activation with a cold-type attack, but I had no such means. Therefore—
I would have to gamble the moment it used the skill!
My body, caught in the vortex, shook violently. Damn, this is dizzying. It felt like being tossed inside a washing machine. At that instant, Instinct activated.
Hiss!
Along with the warning, Ness lunged. Even knowing it was coming, I could not dodge. The giant serpent’s gaping maw filled my vision.
Crunch! I was swallowed whole with no chance to escape. Fangs sank into my shoulder and thigh. The biting force was so tremendous that my Spiked Carapace shattered instantly. A burning pain flared.
—Contractor!!
Nyx’s scream echoed in my ears.
Watermark activated.
Rectangular platform created at designated location.
The third Watermark was placed directly on Ness’s tongue. I had saved it until the very last moment for this exact purpose!
Hiss?
Surprise leaked into Ness’s voice. Its hunting method was identical to an anaconda’s—swallow prey whole, then crush it inside its stomach. As long as I did not go down its throat, victory was mine!
Acidic Blood activated.
Sizzle!
Blood poured from the punctures left by the fangs. The red liquid flowed down Ness’s throat.
Hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss!!!
Ness screamed. But a problem had arisen. The fangs were embedded too deeply, and the excessive bleeding made me dizzy. My legs, standing on the Watermark, trembled like leaves.
This is getting dangerous.
—Quickly regain your balance!
That’s easier said than done.
While the effect of Acidic Blood had been maximized by the heavy blood loss, it had also made it harder for me to stay upright. In that desperate moment, the essence I had devoured from the blood-sucking mosquito surfaced in my mind. Nothing to lose!
Super Strength activated.
Vampirism activated.
I slashed Ness’s palate with my claws. Blood streamed from the wound. I opened my mouth wide and drank the green blood.
Whoa. That metallic taste…
Nausea threatened to rise, but I forced myself to keep drinking.
Life force within the target’s blood has been absorbed.
Gulp, gulp.
Never thought I’d be transfusing monster blood. How ironic.
Hiss……
Ness’s movements rapidly dulled. With acid poured directly into its throat on top of all the external wounds, it could no longer endure.
Boss Monster — Giant Snake Ness has been defeated.
An outstanding achievement has been recorded. Player Yu Jinho’s name has been inscribed upon the Tower.
Additional rewards will be granted upon completion of the tutorial.
Level has increased.
Ness’s body stopped moving. At last, its life had been extinguished.
—Contractor, you finally did it!
The black mist repeatedly gathered and dispersed. She seemed overjoyed.
“Even after I burned its insides, that snake bastard lasted way too long.”
—This goddess believed in your victory from the start.
“Sure you did.”
You were incredibly anxious for someone who claimed to believe in me.
—Do you truly doubt this goddess’s words?
“It showed.”
—Ugh……
Nyx let out a frustrated groan.
“Still, thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to hunt that monster easily.”
—Hmph. Do not try to flatter me.
“I mean it.”
If Nyx had not predicted the Water Balls’ trajectories, the fight would have dragged on much longer. Unable to benefit from the Earth Mother’s Blessing, I would have been in real danger if I had been bitten while already exhausted.
“It’s all thanks to you, Goddess.”
—Hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo! Those words are truly pleasing to hear!
Nyx’s voice was filled with pride. She really was an easy goddess to read.
I ran my hand over Ness’s corpse, its jaws still wide open.
Devouring the essence of Giant Snake Ness.
Essence devoured: 100%
Essence grade……
The moment I consumed Ness’s essence—
“W-What is this?!”
My eyes widened in shock.