Boom!
With a powerful stomp, a one-meter area where he landed collapsed as Davis charged at the creature.
With every step, he accelerated and increased in intensity, leaving behind afterimages.
Two meters from the Bull Horned Python, he jumped, descending onto the beast while unsheathing his claws and forcefully striking its forehead, roaring,
"Die!"
"Clang."
Something felt off; instead of piercing its forehead and spraying blood and brain matter everywhere,
"Hah, why isn't it dead? Am I still that weak? No, the scales are too tough," he murmured.
What he wasn't aware of was that in this forest, the Bull Horned Python was an Apex Predator, not due to its strength, but because of its defense.
To overcome its protection, one must be an entire rank above it, or else it's simply a death sentence. Besides its defense, its speed was exceptional in the forest.
This was precisely why he came to a sudden halt.
Looking down, he realized that his claws couldn't penetrate the snake's scales, creating sparks as they collided.
It was as if he were attempting to pierce titanium.
However, the force of his attack slammed the python's head into the ground, causing its mouth to bleed.
As if prompted, the beast overcame its fear and lashed out at Davis with its massive tail, slicing through the air as it swung.
Still mumbling, Davis couldn't dodge in time and was struck.
"Thwack."
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The hit sent him crashing into trees, uprooting and breaking them as he went.
"F...king worm, I'll kill..."
He couldn't finish because the beast was already above him, mouth open, fangs glinting with blood, lunging toward him.
"Shit, I can't escape!"
He knew he couldn't get away, so he braced for the impact.
But instinctively, his wings, which he hadn't used since the fight began, moved; with a powerful flap, he was propelled backward into the air.
"Arrrggghhhhh! I can... I can fly?"
"I can fly!! Woo!!!"
"Shit!"
Yet without control, he plunged into the forest like a meteorite.
"Boom!"
The forest floor trembled, sending dust, broken branches, and some feathers into the sky.
"Ouch!
"That hurts! Ouch, ouch, ouch!!! Not doing that again until I master flying."
Davis rose from the chaos he had caused and winced, sensing a presence. Turning to his right, he saw a python staring at him blankly, as if asking, "Are you serious?"
Davis's face turned red with anger, possibly at the snake or himself, as he charged at the creature.
This time, he withdrew his claws and made a fist, lunging at the beast and raining punches on it, left and right, mixing blood and broken scales into the fray.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom! Boom! Thwack! Thwack!"
The battle raged on for several minutes.
"Just die, worm!" Davis roared, dodging the snake's mouth and extending his claws, making his hand resemble a sword as he thrust through the python's eye and into its brain.
"Roar!! Roar!!"
"Thwack!! Thwack!!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Sensing its impending death, the beast lashed out wildly, slamming Davis to the ground multiple times, knocking the air from his lungs.
But he didn't relent, letting out a fierce roar:
"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!!!!!"
He summoned his Solar sun qi, flooding the beast's brain with Sun true Flames, incinerating it, but the python refused to let itself die alone and resorted to its ultimate technique.
"Shadow Death Coil!"
The snake wrapped around Davis, binding him forcefully, and using its incredibly hard scales, it attempted to crush him with its last ounce of strength.
But Davis unleashed his Stellar star qi to encase his body, greatly boosting his defense. Soon, the python's strength waned, and it perished.
"Huff, huff."
Even after witnessing its death, Davis remained on high alert, sensing it might be baiting him again, so he used the system appraisal.
*Ding*
*SYSTEM APPRAISING*:
*RACE*: Bull Horned Python *
*RANK*: Rank 3 Peak *
*STATUS*: Dead *
"Hahahaha, finally dead," he exclaimed, stopping the use of his Solar and Stellar qi, and began to relax but soon realized that was a mistake.
"Crack! Crack!!"
"Arrrggghhhhh!"
He heard the sound of ribs breaking, the pain was unbearable, making him roar in agony; even in death, the beast had not released him. He quickly tapped into his Stellar star qi to boost himself.
"Damn beast, can't you let me be even in death? I should have known, when a snake dies, it doesn't mean the body has died."
After a struggle, he finally escaped the coil. "Haaa, finally free!" he thought, and sat down, only to leap back up in pain.
"Arrggghhh! What now?"
Looking down, he was shocked and cried out, "MY BALLS! Why am I NAKED?"
____________________________________________
Unbeknownst to him, since he emerged from the egg, he had been naked; although he saw himself nude, he hadn't paid attention until now.