Chapter 432 430-The Lethal Weapon
Ethan was acutely aware that he needed to remain vigilant.
A single moment of inattention could lead to an unexpected downfall, even in a seemingly straightforward situation.
Hence, Ethan couldn't afford the slightest relaxation in his focus or alertness.
At this juncture, Ethan was thoroughly incensed by the brown Venomous Serpent.
Without offering the serpent a moment to recover, Ethan watched as it retreated to the side, visibly in agony.
He wasted no time in repeating his previous tactic, leaping towards the serpent with the intention of crushing it underfoot.
Ethan exerted a significant amount of force in this leap.
The brown Venomous Serpent, recognizing the severity of the situation, hastily moved to evade.
However, it was evident that the serpent had sustained injuries.
Its speed, though still rapid in reaction, was noticeably slower in terms of bodily movement.
The serpent had to exert a great deal of effort to narrowly avoid Ethan's attack.
Learning from his previous experience, Ethan was careful not to apply too much force this time.
The ground below was wet and soft, and he knew that if his foot became stuck in the mud again, it would require considerable effort to pull free.
Moreover, in the heat of battle, if the brown Venomous Serpent seized the opportunity to bite his leg again, Ethan would find himself in a similar predicament as before, but potentially even more vulnerable.
This time, Ethan's other shoe was already lost, leaving him without the option to pull his foot from a shoe if bitten.
A direct bite from the brown Venomous Serpent would mean immediate danger.
Therefore, Ethan carefully controlled his strength, ensuring that his foot did not sink into the ground upon landing.
At that moment, Ethan's initial kick missed its target, but he quickly lifted his other leg and delivered a powerful kick towards the brown Venomous Serpent.
The serpent, being in close proximity, couldn't evade in time and was sent flying into the air.
As Ethan watched the serpent's body being propelled upwards, he raised his hand to strike, but unexpectedly, the brown Venomous Serpent suddenly spewed a jet of black smoke in Ethan's direction.
Taken aback by this unforeseen attack, Ethan swiftly moved to dodge the noxious cloud.
However, given his close proximity to the serpent, evading was no simple feat.
Thanks to his quick reflexes, Ethan narrowly escaped the assault.
Despite successfully avoiding the smoke, Ethan found himself in a disheveled state.
The lack of one shoe had already made his footing unstable, and the rapid evasion caused him to lose balance, resulting in him falling to the ground.
Ethan had never anticipated that this seemingly unthreatening brown Venomous Serpent, which he had previously underestimated, could bring him to such a disheveled condition.
It was a stark reminder that in the Venomous Serpent Swamp, no creature was to be taken lightly, each being more formidable than the last.
The black smoke emitted by the brown Venomous Serpent was ominously dark, a clear indication of its toxicity.
Ethan knew that any contact with it would likely lead to poisoning.
Fortuitously, Ethan managed to dodge just in time, narrowly avoiding the toxic cloud unleashed by the brown Venomous Serpent.n/-OvεlB1n
This venomous smog, it seemed, was the serpent's final defense mechanism and secret weapon, reserved for critical moments as a last-ditch effort to overcome its adversaries.
Ethan had not witnessed this serpent deploying such a tactic before.
Ethan surmised that the serpent would only resort to this method in dire circumstances, likely only when it was significantly outmatched and its life was in grave danger.
This deadly fog, he speculated, was the serpent's ultimate trump card, used only in a desperate bid to defeat a superior opponent.
He guessed that the serpent would not employ this poisonous fog lightly, suggesting that its use might also entail a considerable cost to the serpent itself.
Otherwise, it would not have waited until such a critical juncture to deploy its lethal weapon.
While Ethan was pondering this, the brown Venomous Serpent unexpectedly launched another cloud of black smoke in his direction.
This took Ethan completely by surprise.
He had assumed that after expending its energy in the first attack, the serpent would be incapable of producing more venomous fog.
However, contrary to his expectations, the serpent had managed to emit another toxic cloud.
At that moment, Ethan was lying on the ground, making evasion exceedingly difficult.
With no time to consider any other option, he quickly rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the deadly cloud.
His quick thinking and agile reaction saved him from what could have been a perilous situation.
It was evident that the brown Venomous Serpent's second emission of smoke was noticeably less intense than the first; the color was dimmer, and the volume reduced.
Clearly, producing this toxic fog was a significant drain on the serpent's energy reserves.
Now, with its strength considerably depleted, the serpent could not generate as much poisonous smoke as it had previously.
Despite the reduced threat, the smoke still posed a significant danger to Ethan.
Thus, his timely evasion was crucial; otherwise, he would have found himself in a dire situation.
A surge of anger welled up in Ethan.
Throughout this encounter, the brown Venomous Serpent had managed to put him in a rather disheveled state, something that hadn't happened to him even in previous encounters with more formidable serpents.
This time, driven by a mix of frustration and determination, Ethan resolved to end the fight and eliminate the brown Venomous Serpent.
Previously, Ethan had somewhat underestimated the serpent, not fully anticipating that it could push him to such extremes.
Now, no longer holding back, he seized the opportunity as the serpent was weakened from expelling the venomous fog.
In a swift movement, Ethan reached out and firmly grasped the serpent's vital spot, the "seven inches."
After its consecutive emissions of black fog, it was apparent that the brown Venomous Serpent was significantly weakened compared to before.
Its movements had slowed, lacking the speed and agility it had initially displayed.
Ethan's grasp was precise and firm, successfully capturing the critical point of the brown Venomous Serpent.
At that moment, the brown Venomous Serpent opened its mouth as if to spew more poison, but Ethan was quick to thwart any such attempt.
With a firm grip, he deftly twisted his wrist, turning the serpent's head away, directing it towards a position facing away from him.
As a result, when the brown Venomous Serpent released its venomous cloud, it was significantly less substantial than before.
Clearly, the consecutive efforts to expel the toxic fog had exhausted the serpent, leaving it with barely any strength to produce more.
Moreover, since the serpent was facing the opposite direction, the little poison it managed to emit did not come anywhere close to Ethan, instead dispersing into the air on the other side.
Realizing that he had firmly captured the brown Venomous Serpent, Ethan understood that the battle was nearing its end, and victory was almost certain.
The serpent, evidently depleted of strength and devoid of any further means to alter the course of the fight, was now incapable of turning the tide.
However, facing an opponent like the brown Venomous Serpent, known for its unexpected and dangerous tactics, Ethan remained vigilant.
He knew well the adage that even when hunting a rabbit, the eagle must exert full effort.
Thus, in dealing with this brown Venomous Serpent, which had caused him considerable trouble, Ethan was careful not to underestimate it or let his guard down.
Even in the current, seemingly clear-cut battle situation, Ethan remained vigilant, fearing that the brown Venomous Serpent might still pull off some unexpected maneuver.
Despite the serpent appearing to have exhausted its strength and poison, this was a life-and-death moment.
Ethan couldn't be certain if the brown Venomous Serpent had any secret tricks up its sleeve, or if it held an ace in the hole to save itself.
At this juncture, Ethan sensed that the Venomous Serpent in his grasp had visibly weakened, its body growing limp.
While it seemed that the worst was over, just as Ethan was preparing to deal a final blow, the brown Venomous Serpent suddenly turned its head toward him once more.
It opened its mouth, seemingly poised to release another poisonous mist.
Ethan couldn't have anticipated that, at this critical moment, the Venomous Serpent still had the energy to unleash its deadly mist once again.
It appeared that its determination far exceeded Ethan's expectations.