Blood carried Ballock on his shoulder to their hidden cave, obscured by tree leaves and trunks, four miles away. They had discovered this cave by chance before, and had been using it ever since, though some primitive beasts occasionally showed up.
Blood noticed along the way that he didn't feel tired at all. He spread his arms through the air.
Very refreshing!
All his life, he had walked. If he ran, he would tire in about a minute. Yet now he was gliding through the grasses and trees at full speed. Perhaps, without Ballock on his shoulder, he might've been faster.
Ten minutes had passed, but he was not tired at all; on the contrary, he felt energized. He could still run another mile.
Shortly after, he arrived at the cave.
The cave's entrance was narrow, about half a meter wide, with its height only slightly greater. A rock stood by its side.
He entered with the unconscious Ballock.
The cave's interior was somewhat spacious yet dark, enough to house ten men. Everything appeared as they had left it—except for the unwelcome company slithering just a few feet in front of him.
Blood shivered as he felt the aura released by the Earth-spill Cobra lurking in the corner. The distance between them could be crossed in an instant.
His eyesight had sharpened as well.
Blood lowered Ballock carefully to the ground, placing him on the cushion below. He knew he couldn't run back because the predator would be on his tail. He understood he couldn't outrun it, nor would he abandon Ballock.
Earth-spill Cobras were commonly seen in the Sand-scale Forest, being the most prevalent among the beasts. They usually hunted in groups, but that one appeared to be a stray.
Earth-spill Cobras were primitive by nature, seldom rising beyond the Iron Realm. Fewer still clawed their way into the Bronze Realm. An Earth-spill Cobra of the Silver Realm was nearly impossible.
Blood's eyes darted about, seeking aid, until a thought struck him—the firewood they had left behind last time. He edged carefully to the side. Just a few feet away, to his right, the wood waited.
The cobra had obviously noticed him but didn't seem to mind his shifting position, instead fixing its eyes to the left. The fact that it wasn't interrupting or bothering about him made him quicken his pace, but just three feet away from the wood he stopped.
Blood peered closely to ensure he had seen correctly, since the cave was dark.
Approximately one meter ahead was a wolf cub, frail and struggling. Its eyes locked onto Blood's, bewildered by the sudden presence of another figure.
It had been the first to appear here by chance, seeking a place to rest after being hunted by a group of explorers, but trouble wasn't over.
Minutes later, a cobra slithered in, drawn by the scent of blood.
The two beasts collided in a fierce struggle. The cobra thought the injured wolf would be easy prey, but the wolf cub proved stubborn.
The clash raged on for minutes, yet neither beast claimed victory. At last, they withdrew from one another.
The Cobra thought,
Since it couldn't win, it would wait until the wolf bled to death.
But the wolf had a different thought,
With enough time, it would recover its energy, and by then, this slithering beast would be no trouble at all.
Which led to the current scene. But something had changed; a third party had appeared.
Blood looked between the cobra and the wolf, lost in thought, which infuriated the cobra.
It instantly lashed out.
The new beast seemed weak, and in such a tense standoff, a third presence was never welcome.
Blood quickly seized the wood and swung it toward the cobra. The strike was swift, the wood cutting through the air with startling speed. It felt as though he had rehearsed this motion countless times before.
Even Blood himself was taken aback—by the precision of his movement and the sheer velocity of the swing.
When did he become so fast?
He thought in astonishment.
The wood struck the Earth-spill Cobra squarely in its gaping mouth, sending the serpent hurtling backward until it slammed against the cave wall with a resounding thud.
It was a crushing blow.
Blood lowered his gaze to his own hands, scrutinizing them in disbelief.
How was he this strong?
The question gnawed at him; the speed and force of his strike lingered in his mind.
The Earth-spill Cobra was no ordinary foe—it belonged to the Iron Realm, perhaps even in the mid-stages given the ferocity of its earlier outburst. For such a beast to be hurled back with that kind of force was unthinkable. And most importantly, it was done by him.
Blood's mind reeled. He had never believed himself capable of defeating a mid-stage Iron Realm creature.
Yet here it was.
He had just sent back an opponent of that caliber, a feat that should've been impossible.
The Earth-spill Cobra realized its error.
It seemed the newly arrived sleek beast was quite powerful and packed a lot of punch.
It had picked the wrong opponent.
The feeble wolf, though battered, was just as astonished as the cobra. Yet it didn't waste the chance. With a sudden burst, it lunged forward, pouncing upon the serpent while it was still reeling.
The Cobra had only just smashed into the wall, its body rattled from the heavy blow. It hadn't yet regained its footing.
The wolf's attack came swift and merciless, exploiting the serpent's moment of weakness.
The wolf understood the danger. The newly arrived beast had shown strength beyond expectation, and in its current wounded state, the wolf dared not provoke it. Engaging such a foe would be suicidal.
The wiser choice was the slithering cobra, whose eyes gleamed with deceit.
The Cobra lifted its head only to meet the wolf's descending claw; the impact drove its skull into the ground, leaving a dent in the cave floor. The wolf clamped down on the serpent's tail and, with its forepaws, pinned the cobra's head into the hole.
The serpent writhed and twisted, muscles coiling despite the smash—its strength hadn't been extinguished. If the struggle continued, the wolf would soon find it harder to hold the cobra in place.
The wolf glanced at Blood as if to say, finish it with a heavy blow.
Blood nodded and rushed forward. He brought his boot down twice on the cobra's flanks, then drew the long‑forgotten knife and plunged it into the cobra's belly again and again. The cobra writhed and convulsed, then slowly stilled.
Blood finally stopped when he saw the wriggling ceased.
Their bodies were dyed in blood.
The wolf stared down at the cobra's carcass; its features were mangled and unrecognizable.
Newcomers shouldn't be underestimated.
It thought intently, then dragged its exhausted body into the corner. It could hold out only for so long.
Blood stood frozen in his position as something appeared in his line of sight. He kept stabbing the cobra just to confirm he wasn't dreaming.
He heard a voice in his head the moment he killed the beast, and a red panel materialized before his eyes.
[Iron Realm Stage 6 Earth-spill Cobra killed]
[600 Exp obtained]
[Accumulated Exp: 600]
A voice he had never heard before, which he would hear often for the rest of his life, sounded in his head.