Disaster of the Rampaging Pythons

Wen Zhi'an pressed her lips together.

She pressed her ear to the wall, listening to the sounds coming from outside the warehouse, and her heart suddenly leaped into her throat.

Hiss—hiss—

It was the sound of pythons flicking their tongues.

And there was a noisy multitude of them. It did not sound like one snake, but a whole swarm, accompanied by the faint sound of their damp bodies slithering across the tiles.

Ever since that explosion over half an hour ago, the commotion in the North District had grown increasingly strange. Gunfire and the roars of monsters rose and fell one after another.

Had the defensive line fallen?

Why were there so many monsters inside the military district?

But their communication watches seemed to have malfunctioned. She had no way of learning what was happening outside, and Lin Yan was still asleep, leaving her unable to make a decision.

But from the sounds outside, it was obvious that a group of snake-type monsters had come to the laboratory. Wen Zhi'an stared at the warehouse door, worry filling her heart.

She had no idea how strong these monsters were. Could she handle them?

She had no confidence.

She glanced at Lin Yan lying nearby, and something gently tugged at her heartstrings.

She suddenly realized that she seemed to have developed a special sense of dependence on this boy. No matter what happened, as long as he was there, she was no longer afraid.

When she had seen the Black Cat earlier, she had even prepared herself to die. Yet she had not felt the slightest panic or fear.

Because he had held her hand. He had not been afraid.

So she was not afraid either.

Behind that figure, it seemed as though every storm would be calmed.

And he had truly done it. Wen Zhi'an had thought about it for a long time and still could not understand it, but that was the truth. In the illusion created by that Black Cat, he had said:

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Whenever she thought of it, the scene seemed to appear before her eyes again.

That golden-armored War God had drawn his bow and set an arrow, his divine might as oppressive as a prison. The young man had been high-spirited and radiant. She was afraid she would never forget it for the rest of her life.

Wen Zhi'an rubbed Lin Yan's hair.

Lin Yan.

Wake up soon.

Earlier, she had found a T-3 mental potion in the warehouse and injected it into Lin Yan.

But its exact effects varied from person to person, so she had no idea when he would wake up.

The T-3 mental potion was a new type of drug that could stimulate brain neurons and improve cardiac function, thereby accelerating the recovery of mental power. It was rarely seen on the market now. She had not expected this warehouse to happen to have some in stock.

Still, that was only normal. This was the North District Research Institute, after all.

Boom!

The warehouse doors suddenly shuddered violently, as though someone were trying to force them open.

Wen Zhi'an focused her gaze. The warehouse door still trembled slightly, but there was no further movement.

Silence.

Had they left?

Just as she began to relax a little, another tremendous crash rang out. The immense force made Wen Zhi'an, standing in the middle of the warehouse, hear a buzzing in her ears.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Whatever was outside seemed to have grown angry, madly ramming into the warehouse doors.

Chā!

The doors were smashed open!

Her gaze swept outside, but there was nothing there. Then, a red forked tongue emerged from the doorway. Immediately after, a python's head poked in. Its yellow-and-white scales looked damp, and its cold eyes were terrifying.

Wen Zhi'an's heart trembled.

She calmed herself and gripped Lin Yan's Heavenly Gang Battle Sword. Judging by its size, it was merely a high-level Beast Soldier, an F-rank Jade Yellow Python. As long as she did not panic, she could handle it.

But naturally, it was not that simple.

Another Jade Yellow Python appeared outside the door.

One, two, three, four...

What?

Wen Zhi'an felt chilled to the bone as they began to move slowly into the warehouse.

She could not hesitate any longer.

Waiting would only mean a slow death.

She tightened her grip on the sword and was just about to move when a hand pressed down on her sword hand. His firm, calm voice sounded beside her ear. "Leave it to me."

The taut string in Wen Zhi'an's heart suddenly loosened.

She turned to look at him. She wanted to say something, but in the end said nothing. She merely returned the Heavenly Gang Battle Sword to its rightful owner.

Lin Yan surveyed the situation. There were already dozens of snakes in the warehouse, and they looked rather horrifying. Even the weakest among them were mid-level Beast Soldiers. Even for him, they would be difficult to deal with.

Moreover, because he had not anticipated that monsters would suddenly infiltrate the laboratory, he was not wearing his combat suit and had only brought his battle sword. He needed to be even more careful now.

Lin Yan said calmly, "Zhi'an, look around the warehouse. Scatter alcohol, sulfur, quicklime powder, and things like that on the ground. It can weaken their sensory abilities to a certain extent."

Wen Zhi'an nodded. "Okay."

Snakes were highly sensitive to irritating smells. Even monsters retained that trait.

The effect would not be significant.

But even the slightest advantage was precious.

Silver-white sword light flared, and Lin Yan charged resolutely into the swarm of snakes.

Destruction, thunder, sharpness, blinding.

Swordsmanship was not always a matter of SS-rank being stronger than S-rank in every respect. True mastery came from integrating them all.

The rank of an attack technique was more reflected in the differences in exertion techniques. The fourth level of the Po Jun Sword could unleash 2.5 times one's strength, and even the max-level All Things Severed was no more than that. Yet the skills studied by War Gods and Planetary-level warriors naturally went far beyond mere exertion.

For example, a fast sword and a heavy sword could reach the same level of exertion, yet display entirely different forms.

The Po Jun Sword was certainly exquisite, but in speed it could not compare to the Thunderclap Sword. All Things Severed surpassed it in sheer ferocity. If he trapped himself within those confines, he would instead lose his adaptability.

Even Bright Light Swordplay and the Thunderclap Sword might not be without merit.

Amid the encirclement of snakes, Lin Yan gained a different understanding of swordsmanship.

Through Soul Power Add Points, he had raised several sword arts to their highest level, aside from the incomplete Po Jun Sword manual. But knowing a skill and mastering it had never been the same thing.

With the Po Jun Sword and the swordsmanship traits granted by the system, his exertion had reached four times its usual strength. In other words, with physical abilities close to those of a high-level Warrior, he could even unleash the power of a mid-level General.

But combat was not simply about using brute force. When the gap was immense, strength could naturally overcome skill. But when the difference was slight, skill could also tip the scales of battle.

Now, his thoughts were quick, and his understanding of swordsmanship deepened by the day. Only through this battle did his skill truly become solid, turning as refined and effortless as his marksmanship.

Yet even so.

He could not kill them all.

Lin Yan groaned inwardly. Had he stumbled into a snake nest?

He had only just awakened and had not even had time to ask about many things. Still, Wen Zhi'an might not know either. Why had so many pythons appeared within the North District military camp?

His sword twisted out, piercing through the body of a Jade Yellow Python.

A sour smell filled the air.

Some of it was the scent of chemical agents. Some of it was the smell of Jade Yellow Python blood.

Lin Yan suddenly felt something. Looking over, he saw a python as thick as a water barrel, its length impossible to judge, slithering inside as well.

Jade Yellow King Python!

Lin Yan's heart jolted. Judging by its thickness, this Jade Yellow King Python was probably a mid-level Beast General. Under normal circumstances, it should be around forty meters long.

But these pythons possessed immense strength and thick hides. Moreover, Jade Yellow Pythons were already a type of python that had evolved venomous fangs and could secrete a neurotoxin. The Jade Yellow King Python's venom was even more frightening.

He breathed lightly, his mind racing.

All he had in hand was a Series 5 Heavenly Gang Battle Sword. Even breaking through the Jade Yellow King Python's scales would be extremely difficult. He had little confidence in defeating this monster.

In the end, he had trained for too short a time.

At most, it had only been a little over ten days since he had transmigrated. Reaching his current strength was already thanks to his cheat and his own relentless cultivation.

Taking another step forward would not be easy.

Lin Yan suppressed these anxious thoughts. No matter what, no matter what kind of enemy he faced, he could never admit defeat.

Heh.

His fighting spirit surged. So what if it was a mid-level Beast General Jade Yellow King Python? What was there to fear?

No one knew the sharpness of his sword. Only when it was stained with this creature's blood today would it be made clear.

Why think so much? Just kill it.

I wasn't satisfied with the chapter I wrote, so I rewrote it. The second update tonight may also be rather late.