The giant python appeared

Another day had dawned—the day the expedition first came face-to-face with a Mutant Giant Python in the original story.

Kazuhiko Uchiha knew what happened next, so naturally, he would not let the boat miss the fork in the waterway. The Bloody Mary therefore did not crash at the foot of the waterfall as it had in the original story, and the expedition continued safely along its planned route.

"Mr. Kazuhiko, are you getting used to life aboard? I have some macadamia nuts here. Would you like some?"

Grateful to Kazuhiko Uchiha for saving her life, Gail had been especially friendly toward him since yesterday, frequently striking up conversations and occasionally offering him tasty snacks.

"Thank you, but I'm not much of a snack person." Kazuhiko Uchiha put away his scroll and shook his head, politely declining Gail's offer.

"All right. I'm sure Sam will like these." Gail put the snacks away and was about to pass them to Sam beside her when she suddenly pointed toward the edge of the forest along the riverbank and cried in horror, "Oh my God! What is that?"

Everyone looked where Gail was pointing and saw a mutated python over twenty meters long, its thick body coiled around a fierce, hefty wild boar, crushing it to death.

The chatterbox Kerr ducked behind Kazuhiko Uchiha in fright and shouted in panic, "Oh my God, am I dreaming? What the hell is that thing? How can a python be that big?!"

Dr. Jack showed little fear of the giant python in the distance. Excitement shone in his eyes; clearly, he had discovered something that interested him.

"It's probably an anaconda that's undergone some kind of mutation. Keep quiet. Let's get out of here."

Captain Bill was a retired soldier with some knowledge of tropical rainforest wildlife. He knew that mutated plants and animals occasionally appeared in the rainforest, so he did not panic. He immediately returned to the wheelhouse, increased the boat's speed, and swiftly steered away from that dangerous stretch of forest.

Even after leaving the forest far behind, everyone remained shaken by the Mutant Giant Python. A heavy silence settled over the boat until the chatterbox Kerr sidled up to Kazuhiko Uchiha again.

"Hey, buddy, can that amazing Chinese kung fu of yours handle a monster like that?"

Kerr looked at Kazuhiko Uchiha expectantly, hoping for an affirmative answer to dispel his unease.

"Don't worry. I can handle it."

Sure enough, after hearing Kazuhiko Uchiha's answer, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

If even Kazuhiko Uchiha, the strongest among them, could not deal with the Mutant Giant Python, many aboard would probably have chosen to abandon this dangerous expedition.

Dr. Jack gave Kazuhiko Uchiha a grateful look, then rallied everyone with an impassioned speech. "Guys, danger and opportunity go hand in hand. As long as we succeed, everything the future has to offer will be waiting for us."

As soon as Dr. Jack finished, the burly Jordan chimed in. "Jack's right. It's all worth it. Think about it: if everyone needs one pill a day, even at a dollar a pill, we'll become billionaires."

"Well, you future billionaires, if you strike it rich, please remember this poor little boat captain. Give me enough money to replace the Bloody Mary with a new one." Captain Bill returned from the wheelhouse and, seeing the subdued mood, smiled and joked with everyone.

After their banter, the atmosphere on deck grew lively again. Seeing this, Kazuhiko Uchiha returned to the boat's roof to continue his training.

A day later, the expedition reached the Satan Basin, and the Bloody Mary docked at the edge of the forest.

Kazuhiko Uchiha entered the forest first to scout the area. Only after he confirmed there was no immediate danger nearby did the expedition members disembark one by one.

"All right, folks, this is your destination. Best of luck." Once the expedition had gone ashore, Captain Bill stood on deck and bade them farewell. "If you need me to pick you up later, I'll give you a ten-percent discount."

"Then it's a deal, you crook!" Jordan, who handled the finances, cursed with a laugh. He shouldered a piece of positioning equipment for Kerr and followed the others into the depths of the dark, dense forest.

Once inside the forest, Kazuhiko Uchiha lost his earlier easygoing air and became more cautious. He knew that the coming stretch would be the most critical part of his mission.

The primeval forest was an extremely dangerous place for the expedition. Besides the numerous Mutant Giant Pythons, it harbored all sorts of inconspicuous yet deadly creatures, such as highly poisonous dart frogs and man-eating army ants that devoured everything in their path.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, Kazuhiko Uchiha took out the Steel Katana and guarded Dr. Jack as he stumbled over the uneven ground, never allowing himself to relax for a moment.

During the rainy season, the rainforest floor was extremely slippery. After struggling forward for two kilometers, the expedition was forced to stop.

Looking at the swamp-like stretch of muddy water ahead, formed by the rainy season's downpours, Dr. Jack swore under his breath, then ordered Kerr, who was in charge of route planning, "Find us another route. We don't have much time."

"Sure, Doctor, but you know these routes are only simulations. Whether we can actually get through isn't up to me."

Kerr kept rambling as he operated the device in his hands, and soon produced a new route map.

The new route was more roundabout than the previous one, adding nearly half a day to their journey. Eager to harvest the Blood Orchids as soon as possible, Dr. Jack gave everyone only half an hour to rest before setting off toward their destination again.

"Stop. Stay here and don't move. Wait until I get back."

With his keen senses, Kazuhiko Uchiha heard the faint sounds of a giant python slithering in the distance. He had the expedition stop where they were and went ahead alone, intending to kill it before it reached the group.

A Mutant Giant Python over twenty meters long flicked its tongue as it wound through the rainforest, setting off in search of its lunch.

Sensing a tiny heat source approaching, the Mutant Giant Python paid it no mind. It continued slithering at an unhurried pace toward the river where it usually hunted.

Suddenly, the Mutant Giant Python sensed the heat source accelerate and close in rapidly. Before it could react, it felt its body slip out of its control. A sharp pain shot through its head, and it instantly lost consciousness.

Kazuhiko Uchiha appeared beside the Mutant Giant Python's corpse. He took a few short breaths, calming his pounding heart.

The energy-burst technique might grant a brief increase in strength, but it also put more strain on my body. Looks like I'll have to work harder on toughening myself up.

Kazuhiko Uchiha cut out the Mutant Giant Python's gallbladder and placed it in his storage space. Then he flicked the blood off his Tachi and kicked the corpse, now severed in two, into a nearby mud pool.

After taking care of everything, Kazuhiko Uchiha returned to the expedition. Under his protection, the group continued toward their destination.

Over the next stretch of their journey, Kazuhiko Uchiha discovered more than a dozen lone Mutant Giant Pythons. He killed them one by one, collecting quite a few Mutant Snake Gallbladders.

As the group ventured deeper, the number of mutated pythons kept increasing. They even encountered several traveling together in the same area.

If Kazuhiko Uchiha's guess was right, they were nearing the Mutant Giant Pythons' nest—the place where the Blood Orchid grew.