"Ahhh!"
Bald Head's screams echoed through the tunnel.
Qin Tian watched it all unfold, his gaze icy.
Though he had some history with Bearded Man and Bald Head, seeing his fellow humans humiliated and tortured by an orc still filled him with rage, as if a fire were blazing inside him.
But he didn't let his anger cloud his judgment.
He had watched closely from behind. The Myriad Poison Snake Person had been on guard against Bald Head the entire time, muscles taut and defenses up. If Qin Tian had fired then, he wouldn't have saved Bald Head—he would only have given himself away.
It might have seemed heartless, but for his teammates and his own safety, he had to make sacrifices.
He had only one chance to kill a Fourth Order Myriad Poison Snake Person.
To improve his odds, he decided to strengthen one of his talents—
[Ember Critical Strike]
He had accumulated more than 8,000 Evolution Points. Over 4,000 had come from that Fourth Order Shadow Catman, and he had just killed more than fifty Snake-men, earning nearly 3,000 more.
He set aside 3,000 Evolution Points as a reserve and invested all the remaining 5,000 or so.
Strengthening [Ember Critical Strike]
The Blue Talent Orb quivered slightly, its color deepening rapidly from pale blue to a richer shade.
At the same time, the stats for [Ember Critical Strike] changed.
[Name] Ember Critical Strike (Blue)
[Type] Active Talent
[Description] Burn up to 10% of your willpower, stamina, and energy. Your next attack has a high chance to deal 200%–250% damage, a low chance to deal 300%–350% damage, a very low chance to deal 400%–500% damage, and a negligible chance to deal up to 600% damage.
Compared to before, the minimum critical multiplier had risen from 150%–170% to 200%–250%, while the maximum had gone from 500% to 600%. The improvement was significant.
That gave Qin Tian more confidence.
To create a better shot and leave the Myriad Poison Snake Person no time to react, Qin Tian took a timed grenade from his Backpack and used Shadow Leap to move quickly into the tunnel opposite. There, he set the grenade's timer.
Then he returned to his original position, took out the Hidden Kill Rune Gun, steadied his breathing, and waited for the moment to come.
Boom!
The timed grenade detonated. The tremendous blast drew the Myriad Poison Snake Person's attention, and its head turned slightly to the side.
Qin Tian immediately pulled the trigger. Psionic Energy, stamina, and Mental Power drained away in an instant as he activated [Ember Critical Strike].
{[Ember Critical Strike] triggered. Your next attack will deal 320% critical damage.}
The Three Great Runes on the Hidden Kill Rune Gun lit up. The special Rune Bullet shot out, accelerating a second time under the boost from [Ember Critical Strike] as it flew toward the Myriad Poison Snake Person's nape. Not a sound accompanied it.
A few hundred meters was nothing to a Rune Bullet. It arrived in an instant.
The Myriad Poison Snake Person sensed Danger Descends and automatically surrounded itself with Psionic Energy. But under the combined force of the Hidden Kill Rune Gun and Ember Critical Strike, the hastily formed Psionic Energy shield was pierced in an instant.
The bullet tore away its skull. Its brain burst like a watermelon, scattering red and white across the ground.
Only when viscous fluid splattered across his face did Dai Jun react. His single eye was filled with shock and horror.
A Fourth Order Myriad Poison Snake Person—
One that could use poison to destroy an entire city, and whose danger, in the Empire's eyes, surpassed even that of a Sixth Order Beast Spirit Warrior—
Had just been shot in the head.
He whipped around and looked toward where the bullet had come from.
The figure that came into view seemed even more unbelievable.
How could it be him?!
After the Myriad Poison Snake Person died, Qin Tian gained a massive 5,300 Evolution Points. Three Talent Orbs flew toward him.
One fused with [Thermal Sense Control], slightly deepening its color.
The other two brought Qin Tian an immense surprise.
[Name] Lord of Snake Spirits (Blue)
[Type] Active Talent
[Description] You can communicate with all snake-type creatures and command them to serve you. You can also establish a mental connection with snakes and share their senses remotely.
[Name] Ten Thousand Poisons Snake Body (Purple)
[Type] Passive Talent
[Description] Your body now contains a Poison Sac capable of absorbing most poisons in the world and putting them to use. You can freely control the secretion and release of toxins. Toxins will subtly strengthen your body; the more potent the poison, the better the tempering effect.
A mysterious force reshaped Qin Tian's body. He could feel a new organ near the upper part of his abdomen: the Poison Sac granted by Ten Thousand Poisons Snake Body.
Inside it, all seven colors swirled and churned, with various toxins mixed together without interfering with one another.
Even more incredible, Qin Tian could instinctively distinguish the properties and uses of each toxin. He could extract and release any of them at will.
After a toxin was released, the Poison Sac would continue secreting more of it.
"No wonder every Myriad Poison Snake Person is a grave threat to the Empire."
Qin Tian murmured. Ten Thousand Poisons Snake Body might be a Purple Talent on par with Silver Bloodline, but in terms of lethality and destructive power, a Fourth Order Myriad Poison Snake Person was more terrifying than a Sixth Order Silver Beast Spirit Warrior.
As long as it absorbed enough poison, a Myriad Poison Snake Person could become a walking Natural Disaster, a poison king. Everything perished wherever it went; not a blade of grass survived.
Now that he had acquired [Ten Thousand Poisons Snake Body], poison would be food and supplements to him from then on. He would even have to seek out all kinds of toxins to strengthen his Poison Sac.
He could also both release poison and neutralize it.
Any toxin that entered the Poison Sac would be absorbed and broken down. It could reproduce and secrete the toxin, as well as secrete the corresponding antidote.
He had already identified the toxin that had knocked out the Earth Dragon Squad. All he needed to do was have the three of them inhale the antidote gas, and they would wake up.
[Ten Thousand Poisons Snake Body] was the first Purple Talent he had obtained, and its effects were extraordinarily powerful.
The other talent, the Blue [Lord of Snake Spirits], was also excellent.
It let him communicate with and command snakes. Most importantly, he could share their senses and viewpoints, which would be crucial for scouting environments and gathering intelligence.
After absorbing both talents, Qin Tian slung the Hidden Kill over his back, gripped a crack in the rock with both hands, and climbed swiftly down the smooth cliff face like a gecko. He landed firmly on the ground and walked toward Dai Jun.
As the man approached, Dai Jun's expression grew complicated. He rasped,
"I never thought you'd be the one to save me in the end."
"I never thought someone who started a drunken brawl would be so tough, either."
Qin Tian used his blade to cut through the chains around Dai Jun's hands and feet. Supporting him by the shoulder, he helped him slowly stand.
Dai Jun should have felt happy to hear Qin Tian's assessment of him. Yet when he saw the ruined corpse nearby, his heart felt as if it were being sliced apart. The pain left him unable to breathe.
Qin Tian noticed the grief on Dai Jun's face. He sighed and said,
"I'm sorry. I couldn't save him back then."
"It's not your fault. I'm the one who got Da Chao killed."
Dai Jun lowered his head. A tear of blood silently slid from the corner of his eye.
"Qin Tian, can I borrow your blade?" Dai Jun asked in a low voice.
Qin Tian frowned. "You..."
Dai Jun kept his head bowed, a bitter smile on his lips.
"Da Chao left a few minutes before me. If I go now, I should still be able to catch up with him."
"Qin Tian, I'm useless now. My hands are broken, and I'm blind in one eye. I'll never be able to kill orcs again. For me, a life like that would be worse than death."
"Just let me die here. With the Myriad Poison Snake Person to keep me company, I can face my old man and my mother with my head held high when I get down there."
Seeing the grief and resolve gleaming in Dai Jun's single eye, Qin Tian pressed his lips together. In the end, he handed him the War Blade.
"Thank you."
Dai Jun raised the War Blade and laid it against his neck. Just before he did it, he suddenly smiled.
"Brother, there's something I've always wanted to tell you. That blow to the back of my head—"
"That really fucking hurt!"
Shnk!
The blade swept across his throat, cutting his windpipe. Blood gushed out.
Clang—
The War Blade fell to the ground. Clutching his neck, Dai Jun staggered over to Bald Head and lay beside him. His single eye remained open, staring at the cavern ceiling, as a faint smile lifted his lips.
"Da Chao, slow down. Your big brother's coming to keep you company."
Drip, drip.
Drops of water fell into the Cold Pool, mingling with the blood and spreading outward.
Qin Tian stood beside Dai Jun and Lin Chao and sighed. Then he slowly raised a hand toward them and gave a crisp military salute.
"Rest in peace."
Before you continue