The very thing Xiao Feng had feared most finally occurred. Without hesitation, the three-eyed crimson serpent lunged forward and sank its fangs into the softer flesh of the boar's underbelly, then wrenched its head violently to the side—ripping away a bloody swath of flesh.
The boar let out a soul-piercing wail, writhing and thrashing in a desperate attempt to escape, but the serpent, more ferocious and powerful, struck again—its jaws clamping down upon the boar's throat with lethal precision.
No matter how the boar struggled or screamed, the serpent refused to release its grip, pinning its massive prey ruthlessly to the ground.
Within minutes, the boar's violent tremors subsided. Its strength drained, and from its gaping maw seeped thick, blackish-green blood.
Perched upon a tree branch, Xiao Feng understood at once: the serpent wasn't just a behemoth—it was venomous, lethally so.
As the last flickers of life faded from the boar's body, Xiao Feng knew what came next. The three-eyed serpent would undoubtedly go for the D-class magic crystal buried within.
That boar had cost him immense effort. To see the spoils of his hard-won battle so easily claimed by this serpent was something Xiao Feng could not accept.
Without hesitation, he unslung the Blood Ghost from his back and aimed squarely at the serpent's head as it moved to devour the boar's core.
Bang!
A metallic clang rang out—sparks burst from the serpent's skull. It raised its head and turned to glare at Xiao Feng, its blood-red eyes gleaming with fury.
Xiao Feng smirked, then fired again.
"No matter how monstrous you creatures are," he thought grimly, "your eyes remain your greatest weakness…"
The shot rang true. One of the serpent's three eyes exploded in a burst of gore, reducing its infernal gaze to two.
Even a C-class beast couldn't bear such agony. The crimson serpent screamed, a blood-curdling screech that echoed through the forest, and shot toward Xiao Feng like a released arrow.
Xiao Feng was astonished by its speed. Even the six-legged black panther paled in comparison. In the blink of an eye, the serpent was upon him.
It struck, its massive head like a great blade cleaving through the tree branches where Xiao Feng had stood moments before.
Xiao Feng reacted instinctively—backflipping off the branch, landing deftly on the ground below. The serpent coiled and struck again, its jaws snapping mere inches from him.
Without wasting a breath, Xiao Feng turned and ran.
Though the dense jungle hindered larger beasts like the boar, it posed no obstacle to the serpent. It slithered effortlessly through the trees, hot on Xiao Feng's trail.
Zigzagging between trunks, Xiao Feng sprinted with all the speed his body could muster, but the distance between him and the serpent was closing fast.
His mind raced, but no plan came—only one thought consumed him: Run. Faster.
Any ordinary hunter would have been overtaken in seconds. But Xiao Feng was no ordinary man. He possessed a preternatural speed, uncanny reflexes, and a pair of gifted eyes that allowed him to navigate even the shadow-cloaked forest with inhuman swiftness.
As he ran, he glanced down at his wrist device and skimmed the terrain map of the surrounding kilometers.
There—on the display—a single word blinked. Hope.
Seizing upon it, he turned sharply and sprinted toward the marked coordinates. He summoned every last ounce of strength from his body. He had to reach it. He had to survive.
It was madness—no one had ever dared to challenge a C-class beast alone. Even a Level 7 esper equipped with heavy weaponry would only stand a sliver of a chance. Xiao Feng, barely a Level 4, was outmatched by three whole tiers.
And yet, he was not like other Level 4s. His mind was sharp—razor sharp.
Five thousand meters to go. He was nearing the jungle's edge. All that remained now was an all-out sprint across open terrain.
He burst from the trees like a phantom wind, vaulting over a massive boulder and hitting the ground running. His momentum carved a path through the wild grass, scattering it in his wake.
Behind him, the serpent loomed—head held high, slicing through the air like a crimson lance. It slithered over the same boulder with terrifying ease and resumed its relentless pursuit.
If he still had his off-road vehicle, perhaps he might have matched the serpent in this race. But Rice had taken it. All that remained were his legs.
Without hesitation, Xiao Feng cast aside the Blood Ghost and his black alloy blade. He stripped himself of every burden, every ounce of weight.
His speed surged once more—but even that could not stop the serpent from gaining on him.
One final glance at the display: one thousand meters.
As he ran, he shouted aloud—desperate and defiant—"Damn it, hold on… just a little longer!"
With that, he burned through every last drop of his energy reserves.
Beneath a dim, starlit sky, the open plain lay exposed—and upon it, the crimson serpent's figure was stark against the night. It was closing in: fifty meters… forty… thirty…
Xiao Feng could smell the beast's fetid stench once more. But now, he no longer felt fear. His destination was within reach.
With a sudden burst, he hurled himself forward, crashing into the ground. The force sent his body rolling in a tumbling blur.
Behind him, the crimson serpent let out a chilling shriek and pounced, closing the twenty-meter gap in less than a second.
In that single heartbeat, Xiao Feng's life hung in the balance.
Chapter 101 – The Three-Eyed Crimson Serpent(continued)
Yet in that fateful instant—just before the serpent's fangs could pierce his flesh—Xiao Feng's body rolled into the boundary of the designated zone marked on his map.
With a sudden hum, the air shimmered faintly. A mechanical whir stirred beneath the earth.
An unseen force surged upward. A burst of light exploded from the ground, enveloping Xiao Feng in a protective barrier at the exact moment the serpent struck.
Bang!
The serpent slammed into the barrier, its massive skull rebounding violently as arcs of energy lashed against its scales, scorching them with crackling bursts of light.
It reeled back, shrieking in pain and fury, thrashing its tail with such force that it gouged deep scars into the earth.
Xiao Feng, gasping for breath, lay sprawled within the shimmering shield. His vision blurred, muscles trembling from exhaustion, but he was alive.
He had made it.
This was the emergency defense zone—a relic from an old outpost, barely marked on any current maps. A forgotten sanctuary amid the wilderness.
Outside the barrier, the crimson serpent roared again, circling, striking against the shield again and again—but the field held fast.
Xiao Feng pushed himself upright, chest heaving, face drenched in sweat and blood. He looked into the creature's remaining two eyes and gave a weak, triumphant smile.
"You lose, monster," he muttered hoarsely.
Then, darkness overtook him, and he collapsed—unconscious, yet safe within the sanctuary's flickering light.