Chapter 344:Signal.

Chapter 344: 344:Signal.

Silver raised his gun but nothing came out. He waiting for almost a minute but no movement came. He activated Spatial Sense again.

[Spatial Sense Lv2 Activated.]

His awareness spread into the water, it was then that he noticed something long moving slowly beneath the surface.

His expression hardened as he stepped backward. The shape stopped as though noticing him and so did he.

Silver concentrated.

The creature was partially buried beneath mud. It was several meters long and coiled. The water distorted his perception enough that he couldn’t identify it properly.

He deactivated Spatial Sense and immediately used Insight in the direction of the disturbance.

[Insight Activated.]

For a moment, nothing appeared as he searched for it, then the system locked onto the creature.

[Mudwater Serpent]

[Tier: Three]

[Type: Aquatic / Strength.]

[Primary Traits: Constricting Strength, Mud Camouflage, Burst Strike, Aquatic Ambush.]

[Secondary Trait: Vibration Sensitivity.]

[Primary Weaknesses: Eyes, lower jaw, spinal junction behind skull.]

[Threat Assessment: Moderate.]

Silver exhaled slowly.

Tier Three.

It was finally something that he could deal with without almost dying. That thought lasted less than a second before he started to reconsider.

The Mudwater Serpent attacked as though knowing it was being underestimated. The water exploded in a mixture of mad, water and dead plants.

Silver fired immediately.

[Phantom Draw Lv3 Activated.]

Pfft! Pfft!

The first bullet struck scales but the second missed entirely. The serpent’s head slammed into Silver’s chest.

He flew backward from the sheer force of it. The mud cushioned the impact but it also swallowed half his arm.

Silver cursed and rolled, releasing himself.

The snake came again sensing his weakness. Its body was thicker than his waist, covered in dark brown scales that blended almost perfectly with the water.

He fired.

Pfft!

This shot struck near the eye. The serpent twisted at the sudden pain, blood dripping into the stream from the force.

Silver scrambled upright but his foot sank into the mud. The snake lunged again. He tried to sidestep but his left foot was stuck.

"Shit."

He ripped it free just as the serpent’s jaws snapped past his arm, narrowly escaping the fatal bite. The creature’s body followed and slammed into Silver.

He fell again, but before he could recover, the snake coiled around his leg. Silver felt pressure immediately. It was not enough to break anything yet, but enough to make him very aware of Insight’s strength classification.

The serpent tightened around him. Silver grabbed its body.

[Primal Strength Lv2 Activated.]

His muscles surged as he pulled but the snake resisted. To make it worse, mud slid beneath him making it even mire slippery. The coil tightened.

Pain shot through his knee, it felt as though his bone was being broken. He gritted his teeth.

"You picked the wrong leg today."

He forced his hands between the coil and his thigh. The serpent tightened again after noticing what he was doing.

Silver’s arms shook but he pushed through.

[Primal Strength Lv2 proficiency increased.]

He saw the notification and almost laughed.

"Of course it did."

He pulled harder. The coil loosened slightly nd that was enough. He yanked his leg free from them.

The serpent immediately turned its head toward him but Silver had already raised the handgun.

Pfft!

The bullet struck its lower jaw. Blood sprayed onto the mud from the wound. It recoiled.

Silver moved, or tried to, but the mud made speed nearly impossible.

He switched tactics. He holstered the handgun and drew the blade. The serpent disappeared into the water in his Distraction

His expression tightened. He couldn’t see it.

[Spatial Sense Lv2 Activated.]

He felt the movement beneath the mud coming from the left.

He turned as the serpent shot out and slashed, the sword cutting across its neck, but not deep enough. The creature’s body smashed into him.

Silver lost his footing again, landing knee-deep in muddy water. The snake circled, clearly looking for an opening.

He kept Spatial Sense active. He could feel it moving around him, it was too fast for the terrain. The serpent attacked from behind.

Silver spun, sword up. It’s open jaws struck steel, teeth scraping along the blade.

He shoved at it.

[Primal Strength Lv2 Activated.]

The serpent recoiled at the pain. Silver stepped forward but his boot sank and he nearly fell. The snake exploited this; its tail whipped around.

The impact struck Silver’s side. He crashed into the water, cold muddy water swallowing him completely. His headlamp beam vanished beneath brown liquid.

For a second, everything became chaos, then Spatial Sense saved him. He noticed that the serpent was coming.

[Short-Step Lv2 Activated.]

Space folded and he reappeared several meters away on slightly firmer ground. Water poured from his clothes, making them heavy and uncomfortably sticky.

The serpent surfaced, looking for him. He fired again.

[Phantom Draw Lv3 Activated.]

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

One shot entered the open mouth, the second struck near the eye, and the third hit the neck. The serpent thrashed violently. Silver didn’t wait. He rushed forward but the mud slowed him, again.

The serpent recovered faster, and lunged. He twisted sideways, the jaws grazing his shoulder. His sword came down, striking it behind the skull.

Insight’s weak point.

The serpent screamed. Silver pulled the sword free, then struck it again. It rolled, its tail sweeping across his legs, he also fell.

The snake tried to coil around him but he jammed the sword between its body and his chest. The serpent squeezed.

His ribs protested and his arms shook from all the strain.

Primal Strength surged

[Primal Strength Lv2 proficiency increased.]

Silver pushed at it but the snake tightened. His sword edge cut deeper into its body and blood poured into the mud. He snarled and forced the blade upward.

The serpent convulsed from the pain and the pressure loosened. He tore himself free and stumbled to his feet.

The snake tried to retreat into the water but Silver aimed.

[Phantom Draw Lv3 Activated.]

Pfft!

The bullet entered through the damaged area behind the skull and the serpent collapsed. Its body thrashed twice, then stopped.

Silver stood there breathing heavily, mud covering him from head to toe. His clean clothes were ruined, again. He looked down at himself, then at the dead serpent.

"You know what? I’m not even angry anymore."

He definitely was.

Silver waited another minute but no movement which insight confirmed.

[Mudwater Serpent ~ Deceased.]

[Tier Three Core detected.]

[Core Attribute: Strength.]

Silver’s interest returned immediately.

Strength.

He cut the core out. The smooth object felt warm in his palm despite the cold water.

A Tier Three strength-type core.

His Primal Strength skill was already at ninety-six percent before this fight. He looked at the core.

"You’re definitely useful."

He stored it.