Mutant King Cobra

Lu Heng and the other Bone Demon devoured the corpses before them, then directed the demon to continue walking in the direction of the sound.

We found it after walking a short distance.

It turned out that the chirping sounds earlier were coming from this litter of baby mice. They were huddled in a pile of rags in the corner, their fur still unkempt, their pink skin wrinkled, their eyes still closed, and they kept chirping.

Lu Heng glanced at it twice, his expression unchanged.

"All cleared."

The Bone Demon stepped forward without hesitation.

After a few crisp sounds, the corner fell silent.

Lu Heng didn't look around much, turning to glance at his surroundings. At the end of the alley, amidst a pile of rubble and debris, a faint light shone. He walked over and parted the rubble—

A Bronze-Tier Treasure Chest lay there quietly.

Lu Heng squatted down and stared at the treasure chest for a few seconds.

"At least we've gained something."

He didn't rush to open it, but directly put the treasure chest into his Wristband Space.

There's no rush. We can drive it when we get back to the Shelter; it'll be safe then.

He stood up, dusted off his hands, and turned to look at the Bone Demon. The Bone Demon was already crouching to the side, quietly waiting for instructions.

"Let's go, keep going."

Lu Heng sheathed his Hunting Blade and continued forward along the alleyway.

The chattering sounds from before had ceased; the silence ahead was almost unbearable. He slowed his pace, with the Bone Demon following behind, one in front of the other, as they ventured deeper into the area.

After walking a short distance, the alley came to an end.

There's a bridge ahead.

It's an ordinary bridge, made of stone slabs, spanning a ditch. The ditch isn't wide, but you can't see the bottom; the water is murky and has a fishy smell.

Across the bridge was another alleyway, dark and seemingly endless.

Lu Heng stood at the bridgehead, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped onto the bridge.

When I reached the middle of the bridge, the stone slabs under my feet suddenly trembled.

It wasn't a slight tremor—the entire bridge was shaking.

Lu Heng paused, looking down at the water.

In the murky water, a huge shadow is slowly rising.

His pupils contracted, before he could even back away—

The water exploded with a roar, a column of water shooting several meters high, and a giant python leaped out of the water. Its body was as thick as a water bucket, and its grayish-white scales gleamed with a cold metallic light in the darkness. When coiled up, it was almost level with the bridge railing. Its body stretched from the water's surface all the way to the bottom of the bridge, and its tail was nowhere to be seen.

A huge triangular head hovered in front of Lu Heng, its vertical pupils staring coldly at him, its mouth open, revealing two rows of fine, Poison Fang.

A foul, fishy stench wafted towards us.

Lu Heng took a step back and gripped the Hunting Blade tightly.

"... Damn it."

Without saying a word, Lu Heng turned and ran.

"Bone Demon, retreat!"

The Bone Demon reacted extremely quickly and followed immediately.

Fighting it near the water is too risky. That thing comes from the water; the water is its territory. Even if you manage to cripple it, what if it dives into the water and escapes?

We must find an open space and create distance between us.

Lu Heng ran wildly along the alley, the ground behind him shaking constantly. The giant python rampaged through the narrow alley, crushing stone slabs and creating large cracks in the walls.

As Lu Heng ran, he raised his hand to summon his Wristband and scanned the giant python behind him.

The test results popped up.

[Mutant King Cobra]

Grade: Bronze Tier

Description: It is a mutation of the King Cobra, which has expanded to the size of a python. Its venom has undergone two mutations, greatly increasing its corrosiveness and lethality.

As Lu Heng ran, he almost tripped over his own foot.

... King Cobra?

His mind went blank for a moment.

This is underground in the city, where did this King Cobra from? Isn't that something from the rainforest?

Moreover, judging from its size, the mutation is quite profound, and the venom has undergone secondary enhancement. This level of mutation cannot be achieved in a day or two.

Lu Heng instantly understood. This snake had been released underground before the apocalypse, and without anyone caring for it, it slowly mutated by devouring underground creatures, eventually growing into its current form.

As for who put it there--

Lu Heng was too lazy to think about it anymore. There were plenty of people who did such despicable things before the apocalypse, so there was no point in pursuing it now.

The important thing is that the snake in front of him is still chasing him.

Another muffled thud came from behind as the giant python's tail swept across the wall, sending shards of stone flying, some of which landed near Lu Heng's feet.

He gritted his teeth and sped up, rounding a bend, when suddenly the view opened up before him—

A vast, empty underground plaza.

There are no obstructions, no blind spots, and the ground is a flat cement floor.

Lu Heng abruptly stopped and turned around.

"Bone Demon, prepare."

The Bone Demon had already stood beside him, its bone claws snapping open as it let out a low growl.

At the entrance of the alley, a huge snake head emerged from the darkness, its vertical pupils locking onto Lu Heng.

Lu Heng gripped the Hunting Blade tightly and took a deep breath.

"Come."

The snake moved.

Instead of charging straight at him, the snake's body suddenly sprang forward, its entire front half shooting towards Lu Heng like a spring at an absurdly fast speed.

Lu Heng rolled to the right, and the snake's head slammed into the spot where he had just been standing, creating a shallow crater in the concrete and sending gravel flying everywhere.

Before he could even regain his footing, the snake's head had already turned around, and its mouth opened—

A stream of grayish-green liquid spurted from the snake's mouth.

Lu Heng instinctively lunged to the left, the venom grazing his shoulder and landing on the ground behind him. A hissing, corrosive sound rang out, and a crater emitting white smoke instantly melted into the cement floor, its edges continuing to melt and expand.

Lu Heng felt a chill run down his spine.

This poison is fatal once you get it.

He rolled to his feet, and with Hunting Blade motion, he slashed the snake's body—a wound appeared, but the snake king before him became even more ferocious.

Lu Heng gritted his teeth and jumped back.

He remembered the Swamp Giant Python he had killed last time. At that time, the python had just awakened and was moving slowly, which gave him the opportunity to stab it through the head with a single blow.

But this one is different.

This Mutant King Cobra was fully conscious, reacted extremely quickly, attacked swiftly and viciously, and was venomous. That alone was enough to be fatal.

"Bone Demon, charge!"

The Bone Demon charged forward, its bone claws slamming into the snake's body.

With a muffled thud, the snake's body was knocked to the side, but its scales only dented slightly, without even a crack. The Bone Demon's attack power was more than enough to deal with the giant rat, but it couldn't break through the defenses of a mutated snake of this size.

The Bone Demon pounced again, grabbing the snake's body and trying to pull it down.

The snake's body suddenly twisted.

The Bone Demon was completely entangled, its bones creaking and groaning.

"Bone Demon, retreat! Don't try to fight back!"

The Bone Demon released its grip, squeezed out from the gap in the snake's body, and retreated to Lu Heng's side. It had a few more marks on its body, but it was nothing serious—its bones were hard and not broken.

The problem is, it can't hurt the snake.

Lu Heng gripped the Hunting Blade, his mind racing.

He dared not unleash his full power. Every time he attacked, he had to dodge the poison first, which distracted him greatly. Although the Bone Demon was immune to poison, the size difference was too great, and he couldn't break through its defenses. All he did was scratch the surface.

One can hit but misses; the other hits but can't penetrate.

The snake charged again.

Lu Heng dodged to the left, and the snake's head slammed into the wall behind him, causing half of the wall to collapse. He took the opportunity to make another cut on the snake's neck—another white mark.

He took a breath and stared at the enormous creature before him.

The grayish-white scales gleamed coldly in the darkness, the vertical pupils were icy, and the Poison Fang were still covered with sticky venom.

Lu Heng's heart sank.

A direct confrontation is futile.

We need to think of another way.