Chapter 226 224: Eldertail Snake

Chapter 226 224: Eldertail Snake

The Shadow Valley was relatively large, with an environment that was different than the rest of the Wysmire Mountain Range.

It didn't have the concept of night and day.

Instead, it existed in a state of perpetual darkness, with the only source of illumination being the ethereal glow of blue and purple lights in the sky.

"They resemble the Northern Lights of Earth."

These otherworldly lights reminded Val of Earth's Northern Lights, evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing.

Thinking of Earth, he had every intention to return.

He was killed in a nuclear explosion that had also destroyed everything he worked for.

But this nuclear attack wasn't a coincidence.

It was a planned attack.

Thus, he harbored a vengeful desire to return to Earth.

There were specific individuals he wanted to exact vengeance upon, individuals he wished to "skin the scalp off of" and kill with his own hands.

Besides this, he also wanted to know the outcome of the 3rd World War, which had been raging when he was killed.

Did it result in a devastating nuclear winter?

How many nations had survived the war, and what was the current state of humanity?

Was Earth on a path to recovery, or had it been ravaged so badly by the war that it had become an uninhabitable wasteland?

Ever since he reincarnated, he was consumed by curiosity about the fate of his home planet.

Thus, whether by glimpsing into Earth's reality or physically returning, he was determined to seek the answers to his question.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he had still vowed to find a way to make it happen.

'The place I'm in seems like it's custom-made for devils and beasts that hunts at night.

'I can't afford to let my guard down here, not even for a second.'

Val wore a grave expression on his face and stopped letting his thought wander.

His vigilance was raised high.

And he thoroughly scanned his surroundings for any sign of danger before proceeding to head deeper into the valley in search of his target.

The Shadow Valley was like a small world of its own. It was captivating but also deadly in equal measure.

It was a haven for devils and other malevolent entities, which thrived in its unique conditions.

As daytime was non-existent in the valley, devils could actively hunt 24 hours a day.

It was no surprise that the Shadow Valley was considered to be the place with the highest chance of encountering a devil.

'It's been half an hour, yet I am still to encounter a devil. I guess heaven is favouring me.'

Val considered himself lucky as his trek through the valley remained surprisingly uneventful; he encountered no devils after his skirmish with the Revenants.

While making his way deeper into the valley, Val found something that piqued his interest.

He stumbled upon this massive tree that was unlike any other he had seen so far.

The tree was so big, its canopy seemed to form a natural umbrella for the smaller trees around it, providing them with shade.

Vines wrapped around its trunk like nature's own decoration, but one vine, in particular, caught Val's eye.

This vine was thick, and it had these weird pink spots on it. It was different than the rest.

Unusual traits in the flora local to the Shadow Valley and other wildernesses in general were not unheard of.

So why was Val unable to move his eyes away from it?

Something in the back of his mind clicked. Immediately, he came to a stop.

'This vine looks almost identical to the descriptions I've heard of the Eldertail Snake.'

'It is too much of a coincidence to ignore.'

According to what he knew, the Eldertail snake usually disguises itself as a vine to trick its prey. Usually, it goes after Leafgrazer beasts that are native to the Shadow Valley and are known to feed on these vines. But it also attacks anyone that gets too close to its resting position.

'Maybe the vine coiled around the tall and thick tree is a eldertail snake in disguise?'

'Let's confirm it.'

Val narrowed his eyes, focusing intently on the vine.

With a thought, he activated his Detect ability.

Immediately, a semi-transparent screen materialized before him, displaying vital information.

Name: Eldertail Snake

HP: 120

Skills:

?Camouflage

?Rapid Lunge

?Serpent Mirage

Val's eyes scanned the screen quickly.

"I guess I was right. It really is what I think it is," he thought to himself, a sense of confirmation washing over him.

Val had read that the Eldertail Snake would attack anyone who entered its attack range, which was 15 feet from where it lay coiled.

With one swift lunge, it could cover that distance and strike its prey dead. Its current attack range was centered around the tree it was coiled around. If he reached 15 feet away from the tree, the snake would no doubt pounce towards him.

'I can use its hunting tactics to my advantage, and finish it in one blow,' Val thought to himself as he began moving closer to the tree the snake was wrapped around.

25 feet... 20 feet... 15 feet...

Swish!

Just as he hit the 15-foot mark, the snake uncoiled from the tree and sprang towards him like a flash of green light.

Although it was fast, Val's eyes were able to keep up with it.

For the first time, he got a good look at the creature.

It was extremely big and thick, and as it flew through the air and got closer to him, its mouth opened wide enough to swallow five humans whole.

"The only thing this snake's gonna chow down on today is a mouthful of my soul power," Val thought to himself.

And just like that, he flicked his finger.

A huge burst of soul power shot out from between his digits.

It slapped the giant snake right in its gaping maw with such force that a resounding "Bam" was heard.