Chapter 9 – Hunter and Prey
The silence of the night was broken only by the heavy patter of rain hitting the forest floor. The narrow path stretching deep into the woods was so thick with darkness that even moonlight struggled to reach it. This was the forbidden zone of the Academy Island's northwestern region — a place so dangerous that even maps marked it as "off-limits."
Most who entered here never returned.
Yet tonight, footsteps echoed there.
Seryn's steps were light, deliberate. The contents of the pack on his back didn't make a sound; every movement was measured, every breath calculated. He moved with the precision of a man who had once commanded armies — but now, he was nothing more than a "student," a "disgrace," a "failure."
None of that mattered anymore.
Tonight, he would step into the lair of one of the deadliest predators in history.
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"Serpent King…" he whispered. "Tonight will be its last hunt."
He knew this information from the novel he had read. Shortly before the academy attack, a dying, ancient serpent beast was discovered deep inside a cave, overlooked by everyone. Lucien was the one who would eventually find it, kill it, and claim its core — a vital element in the hero's victory.
But this time, things would be different.
Lucien would never find the Serpent King. Because Seryn would be the one to kill it.
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The deeper he went, the darker the forest became. The trees grew denser, the air heavier. A metallic stench — the unmistakable smell of blood — started seeping into the rain-soaked air. It was sharp, bitter, and ancient.
"This is it…" he muttered.
A massive cave entrance loomed before him, shaped like the open jaws of a beast. The air that blew from within was warm and humid, carrying with it the stench of rot and decay. Tiny bones crunched beneath his boots. This was no ordinary place — this was a king's feeding ground.
His hand moved to the hilt of his sword. The cold steel pressed against his skin, and his heartbeat quickened. This wasn't a training session. This wasn't an exam.
This… was a fight for survival.
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The cave interior was pitch dark. The only light came from bioluminescent fungi clinging to the ceiling, casting a faint green glow across the wet stone. The silence was suffocating. Seryn moved carefully, stopping after every step to listen, to feel the mana currents around him.
Then he heard it.
A deep, rumbling sound — like a mountain shifting.
The ground trembled.
Then came the breath — deep, ragged, primal.
Hhhhhhaaaahhhh…
Seryn's pupils dilated. There — in the heart of the darkness — two massive yellow eyes opened. Vertical, slit pupils like those of a predator locked directly onto him.
"It's noticed me…" he whispered.
A colossal shape began to stir. Scales shimmered faintly in the dark, muscles rippling beneath ancient, scarred flesh. The creature was easily over twenty meters long, its body as thick as a tree trunk. Even injured, even dying… it radiated sheer, overwhelming power.
The Serpent King.
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Seryn didn't make the first move. He couldn't.
The beast slithered forward, its massive coils dragging across the stone as it entered the center of the cave. Seryn backed away, pressing himself against the rocks. He slowed his breathing. A frontal assault would be suicide. One wrong move and he would die within seconds.
"If it gets close, I'm dead," he whispered. "I need to exploit its weaknesses…"
He remembered what the novel said: the Serpent King's lower left flank had an old wound — a scar from a battle with another apex beast. That scarred patch remained vulnerable. Hitting that spot was his only real chance.
But reaching it…
Would mean dancing with death itself.
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The beast struck first.
Its body coiled, then shot forward like a spear. Seryn barely managed to dodge as the ground exploded where he had stood a heartbeat earlier. Rocks splintered and scattered. A second strike came almost instantly — this time from above. The serpent lifted part of its enormous body and slammed it down like a hammer.
Seryn rolled aside. The impact shook the ground, and shards of rock rained down from the ceiling.
His breath was ragged, heart pounding.
One hit… and I'm done.
He pressed his hands against the ground and pushed himself up. Before the creature could strike again, he moved — fast.
He sprinted toward the jagged outcroppings at the cave's edge. The serpent followed, its massive body smashing into the earth like crashing waves. Seryn twisted at the last second, slipping past a whip-like tail and leaping onto a rocky ledge. He climbed higher — then launched himself down with his sword aimed forward.
Steel met scales.
A spark flew — but the blade failed to pierce deeply.
"Too thick…" he hissed.
The Serpent King roared, thrashing violently. Seryn was thrown midair and barely avoided being crushed. He hit the ground hard, rolling painfully. Blood filled his mouth; one of his elbows was bleeding badly.
But he was still alive.
Still fighting.
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The battle grew more vicious with every passing second. Seryn's sword found its mark a few more times, but only shallow cuts formed. The serpent's attacks grew faster, angrier, more desperate.
Once, its fangs missed his throat by mere centimeters.
Another time, its tail slammed into his side and sent him crashing into the cave wall, where something in his ribs cracked.
Yet he remained standing.
Still refusing to die.
"It's slowing…" he whispered through gritted teeth. "Time is on my side."
And indeed, it was. Years of captivity, the sealing magic, and the toll of old wounds had dulled the beast's reflexes. Its movements were still deadly — but now, they were predictable. Now, Seryn's plan could truly begin.
He scooped up a handful of dust and flung it toward the serpent's eyes, then vaulted upward. The creature reared back, inhaling deeply. Seryn could feel the heat of its breath — a storm of death waiting to be unleashed. He grabbed a ledge and pulled himself out of range.
The serpent lunged — and smashed headfirst into the rock wall.
A loud crack echoed.
The beast staggered.
"Now!" Seryn roared to himself.
With everything he had, he leaped down. Both hands gripped his sword as he drove the blade into the wounded scar on its flank. Metal split flesh with a sickening noise. The serpent shrieked in agony, its massive body convulsing wildly. Seryn clung on — until a sudden, brutal swing hurled him across the chamber. He slammed into a boulder and collapsed.
The pain was indescribable.
His breath was gone.
The world spun.
But that scream — that agonized scream — told him the beast was far from dead.
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Seryn dragged himself up, crawling through his own blood. He spat crimson onto the stone floor. His legs trembled. His fingers were numb.
But his eyes — his eyes still burned with resolve.
"It's not over…" he whispered.
The serpent slithered toward him, slower now but still terrifying. Its eyes burned with hatred and primal fury. Each breath shook the cavern walls.
One more strike… one more dance with death…
Seryn reached for his sword. His ribs screamed in protest as he forced himself upright.
And in the darkness, man and monster clashed once more.
The victor had yet to be decided.
But one thing was certain:
Only one of them would leave this cave alive.
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💭 Can Seryn triumph against an ancient predator far beyond his strength, or will this cave become his grave?