Snake Scales

Clang!

The crisp sound of clashing metal rang through the cavern's open expanse, accompanied by sparks that vanished in the chilly air.

[Whirlwind Slash]

An iron-gray arc of sword light whistled down and struck the scales, which were as black as iron, in the blink of an eye.

"Ah... ow, ow, ow."

Xia Nan felt a numbing force of recoil travel up from the Sword Hilt, and half his body went numb in an instant.

What followed was the excruciating pain beneath the splint and bandages on his right hand.

He sat on the ground for a long while, his clothes soaked through with sweat before he finally recovered.

He leaned wearily against the stone wall, staring at the massive snake body before him, as thick as a train.

Then he looked up at the vicious snake head overhead, its Emerald Green eyes still open as they coldly watched him.

He could not help but sigh.

Was I too naive after all?

Driven by a sudden burst of inspiration, Xia Nan had just carried out his loot-collecting plan with great enthusiasm.

Though he did not know what species this Black Snake was, whether its Scale Armor or its Snake Gall, bringing either back to town would most likely earn him a sizable profit.

However, this Giant Snake, whose size had far surpassed ordinary imagination, seemed to possess defenses comparable to the most advanced armored vehicles.

Chopping, hacking, prying, drilling...

Over the past dozens of minutes, Xia Nan had exhausted all his strength and tried countless methods.

In the end, he had even forced himself to use [Whirlwind Slash] despite his injuries, yet he still made no progress whatsoever.

He even suspected that those cold, smooth black scales could easily withstand the bullets and explosives of his previous life's technological world.

Under such circumstances, the dagger and longsword in Xia Nan's hands were as primitive and powerless against the snake's body as humanity facing the Trisolarans' "droplet" in science fiction novels from his Previous Life.

He had also tried climbing the long serpent's body, hoping to reach the spot at the top of the cave where the Giant Snake had been pinned by stone spikes—

The Scale Armor there had surely been breached. If he could get up there, perhaps he could find some fragments, or even just a few drops of blood.

That attempt had ended in failure as well.

The scales appeared angular and clearly layered, but the gaps between them were extremely tight. His fingers could not reach in at all, making it difficult to find purchase while climbing.

The edges of the Scale Armor were sharp, and the slightest exertion would leave a cut on his hand that bled without stopping.

Moreover, the Giant Snake itself was suspended from the ceiling of the cavern. Even if he truly climbed up, falling from that height would mean instant death. Not even a Healing Potion could save him.

Supporting himself with his still-intact left arm, Xia Nan slowly rose with his back against the stone wall. The Beheading Longsword had already been sheathed.

Having seen countless methods of collecting Monster loot in the Adventurer's Manual, he knew full well just how many precious treasures a snake Monster of such enormous size contained.

What a waste.

His expression was complicated as he forcibly looked away.

He could not keep fixating on it.

No matter how much thought or effort he put in, impossible was impossible. What could not be done could not be done.

I'll come back later, if I get the chance.

What mattered most right now was finding an exit from this damned place.

Xia Nan slowly exhaled, calming himself and gathering his spirits once more.

He carefully examined the open cavern where he stood.

Unlike the deep, narrow passage from before, the luminous fungal colonies on the surrounding stone walls were especially active, their dim blue glow filling every corner of the space.

This also allowed Xia Nan to clearly observe details that should have been hidden in darkness.

"There are many traces of scraping and impact on both sides of the stone walls. They were probably left behind by this Giant Snake while it was alive."

"Given this snake's size, the passage I came through earlier was nowhere near large enough."

"Is there another exit, or is there some other reason?"

"The human remains that had been scattered everywhere earlier are completely gone here..."

"Hmm?"

Xia Nan's gaze suddenly froze.

He looked toward a corner deep within the cavern.

A pale patch entered his vision.

When he approached, he found a human corpse slumped against the wall.

Unlike the scattered bones he had encountered before, although this corpse had likewise become a Skeleton, it remained relatively intact as a whole.

Lower legs, pelvis, ribcage, skull...

Several scraps of dark blue cloth still draped over it, faintly revealing the shape of what had once been a "robe."

Yet the most eye-catching thing was the Dark Black Scale in the center of the corpse's chest. It had pierced through the spine from front to back and was embedded straight into the stone wall.

"What's this?"

Xia Nan's eyes lit up, and a sudden sense of delight washed over him, like finding a new village after passing through endless dark willows and blooming flowers.

"Excuse me," he softly said to the corpse before stepping forward.

He pulled the scale out of the stone wall with both hands.

Then he held it in his palm and examined it closely.

The scale was diamond-shaped, roughly the length of a forearm. Its surface was dark black and lustrous, cold and smooth to the touch. It was hard, yet he could also feel its inherent toughness.

Without question, the Diamond Scale now in Xia Nan's hand was precisely the Steel-Tough Snake Scale he had sought in vain after exhausting all his strength.

Remembering the absurd defensive power that had left not even a scratch on its surface when he used [Whirlwind Slash] with the Beheading Longsword, waves quietly stirred in Xia Nan's heart.

After he returned, perhaps he could ask the Blacksmith in River Valley Town to make a piece of equipment with this scale as the primary material.

"It should be Rock Hammer, right? I remember their shop offers custom orders."

To make full use of its defensive properties, turning it into armor or a shield would be best.

But it might not be large enough, and if it were a shield, he would likely need to find a way to learn some relevant techniques for using it.

Considering how sharp its edges were, perhaps making a small weapon was also an option?

I'll think about it after I get back.

Xia Nan shook his head.

He carefully buried the scale deep within his Backpack.

Then he suddenly found his cautious posture rather amusing.

If something really happened, given the defensive strength this scale had just displayed, even if his bones were turned to ash, it might not suffer any damage at all.

This unexpected discovery lifted his spirits somewhat.

He had intended to leave just like that, but then he suddenly noticed something else.

Beside the remains lay an Old Wooden Sword covered in dust, its surface marked by the passage of time.

To be safe, Xia Nan held his breath and focused his gaze on the wooden sword.

Then, unexpectedly,

a long string of translucent information appeared before his eyes.