Chapter 23 First Challenge

Evan's heart pounded in his chest as he caught sight of a snake-like monster piercing through the air and hurtling towards him, its triangular head glinting in the dappled light. It showcased that the sharpness of its head rivaled common blades. He knew that one wrong move could mean certain death, but he remained resolute and focused, his piercing gaze locked onto the monster.

Just as he was about to be pierced by the triangular head of the snake, Evan stepped to the side and tilted his body with a quickness that belied his size and experience, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike of the creature. It was just his agility that helped him evade it but also the combat experience of his past life.

It seemed as if time had stilled for a fleeting moment as Evan's chilling gaze locked onto the snake, which was still airborne and yet to pass by him.

It was in a compromising position where it couldn't evade any attack!

Without any hesitation, Evan made a decisive move, his sword glinting in the dappled light of the forest. In a swift and fluid motion, he swung his sword with all his might, aiming for its life.

Clang!

The clash was deafening, the sound of metal striking scaly flesh reverberating through the trees. Evan's sword had made contact with the body of the snake. The impact was so powerful that the monster spun wildly through the air, its massive body hurtling towards a nearby tree.

Thud!

There was a thunderous thud as the creature crashed into the tree, shaking it violently and sending leaves and twigs raining down on the forest floor.

It slipped down the tree, impacting against the ground weakly.

After whacking it away with his sword, Evan got a good look at it. Its elongated body was covered in scales, and its head was sharp and triangular, shaped just like an arrowhead.

Immediately, Evan recognized it immediately as a Thunder Snake, a rank-1 beast that was infamous for its agility and remarkable defense.

In Planet Avalon, beasts were categorized into ten ranks based on their strength and abilities. The weakest beasts were rank-1, while the strongest were rank-10. Each rank was further divided into ten levels, with level 1 being the lowest and level 10 being the highest.

Evan recalled from his past life memories that the number of lines on a Thunder Snake's body indicated its level.

As he observed the Thunder Snake before him, he counted only four stripes on its body, indicating that it was a level 4 beast of the first rank.

He knew that he had to be cautious as even though it was only a level 4 Thunder Snake, it still possessed a dangerous level of agility and a defense that he couldn't break with his strength.

Lirian, on the other hand, stood shocked by Evan's snake-avoiding skills! His mouth was wide open like a garage door that got stuck halfway. He was so stunned he couldn't even mutter a single word. It looked as if Lirian's jaw would hit the floor and shatter into a million pieces any moment now!

Evan laughed, seeing the face he was making, and couldn't help but say, "Bro, you'd better close your mouth before a family of birds decides to build a nest in there!"

"Wow, Frostbite, you are amazing with that sword!" Lirian exclaimed. "I've never seen a first-step soul manipulator move so quickly in a fight before. You were able to dodge the sneak attack of the snake and strike back in an instant. I don't think I could do that."

Evan responded, "Thanks, Lirian. I appreciate the compliment but don't get involved in my fight. I want to use this chance to warm up."

Lirian nodded in agreement, respecting Evan's wishes.

"Sure, I'll leave you to it. Besides, it doesn't seem like you need my help."

Evan focused his attention back on the Thunder Snake, who was glaring at him with red eyes.

Hiss!

The hiss that echoed through the air was enough to make anyone's skin crawl. The Thunder Snake coiled its body, ready to strike at any given moment.

Evan felt a familiar sense of unease as he watched the creature's movements. His eyes lit up as he remembered it was a pattern that he had seen before in his past life while playing the game and one that he had learned to anticipate. He knew that the snake was about to lunge at him with its mouth agape, ready to sink its venomous teeth into his flesh.

The Thunder Snake's exterior was rock-solid, impervious to the strength of even the most skilled soul manifestation realm cultivators. However, Evan knew that its insides were soft and vulnerable, making it easy to pierce with a precise attack.

He bided his time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, knowing that his chance to secure victory would come when the snake exposed its weakness. He just needed to grab it.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the Thunder Snake shot forward like a bolt of lightning, its jaws gaping wide as it aimed straight for Evan's neck.

ραпdα nᴏνa| сom Rather than dodging like a sane person, Evan stood his ground, thrusting his sword in the creature's direction.

Squelch!

The sword's slim blade plunged into the thunder snake's gaping mouth, and Evan heard a sickening voice as its curved tip penetrated its brain.

The Thunder snake was stopped two feet away from Evan and kept in mid-air by the sword.

Blood sprayed out from the grotesque wound, coating the Frost Demon's Fury sword in a crimson hue.

The blood slid down the Frost Demon's Fury sword surface and dripped on the ground drop by drop as the thunder snake remained hanging from its blade like a gruesome decoration, its lifeless body twitching in its final throes.

Its movement stopped, and Evan's ears were filled with the sound of a system notification.

[The intermediate-level Thunder Snake has been defeated! Congratulations on your victory! You have earned four experience points, +1 STR, +1 AGT!]