Chapter 89: The Golden Arc
Steel shrieked against scales. Venom hissed as it ate into the soil. Ethan's breath came ragged, sweat stinging his eyes as he forced the serpent back with another desperate swing. The dark blade clashed with snapping fangs, barely holding ground. Each impact rattled his bones, his arm already bruised and cut.
The beast pressed harder, its massive coils tearing through the undergrowth. It was hungry, relentless—driven by the gnawing void in its belly. Its eyes blazed, unblinking, fixed only on him.
Ethan stumbled aside as its tail smashed into the ground, roots shattering beneath the blow. His ribs ached, his blood dripped steadily, but still he refused to falter.
Then—like a spark in the fog—something flickered in his mind.
