The snake moved fast, rushing ahead like a runaway train, and Aren was forced to give chase, running at top speed, yet barely catching up.

Then the snake burst out of the tunnel into a massive underground cavern, and so did Aren. Both landed on the floor below, the snake with a deafening bang, Aren with a heavy thud.

He rolled and got back on his feet.

Aren was so focused on the snake that he failed to notice they were no longer alone. Somehow, his chase had led them straight into a section of the underground caves where the False Shadow and his party were hunting horned snakes.

The party consisted of five people. Shadow stood at the center, looking calm and high-and-mighty as always. Beside him was a tall, bulky man clad in full heavy armor, gripping a massive battle axe. Another man stood slightly behind, dressed in mage robes with purple fabric and golden trims.

There were two women as well. One had beautiful blonde hair, sharp eyes, and a striking face. She wore armor that left very little to the imagination and carried a greatsword far larger than her body.

The last woman was different from the rest. She was quiet, her dark hair cascading down to partially cover her eyes, though just enough could be seen to reveal a soft, observant gaze. Unlike the others, she dressed casually, completely covered in a black sweatshirt that reached her small hands, paired with blue jeans and boots.

When Aren noticed their presence, he was momentarily shocked and slightly amused. Was the great Shadow's hunt nothing more than a horned snake expedition?

'This dude…' Aren clicked his tongue silently.

Sadly, there was no time for greetings. The snake, now in a far more open and spacious environment, seemed to regain the confidence it had lost.

It let out a terrifying roar and lunged forward, its massive body slamming into the ground as it charged.

"It's not going to be that easy for you," Aren said, launching a Claw Strike at point-blank range. His claws dug deep into the snake's body, carving a massive wound as blood jetted out instantly.

The snake let out a horrendous cry but still pushed forward, forcing Aren to dodge. He leaped aside as the snake slammed into the cavern wall, rocks raining down from above.

"Should we help him?" the blonde woman asked Shadow as they watched in shock. None of them had ever seen a horned snake this large, or even imagined one could reach such a size.

Watching a single person fight it head-on left them stunned. But if he could do it, then Shadow surely could as well. That was why she asked.

Shadow calmly shook his head. "This isn't our fight," he said.

After that, she didn't press the issue. They all continued watching from the side, visibly impressed. As for the black-haired girl, she wasn't watching the fight as a whole, she was watching Aren. His movements drew her attention, precise and deliberate, and now she couldn't look away.

Aren bolted aside as the snake unleashed a wave of lightning that tore through the ground. Rocks flew, cracks spread, and the raw destructive power was undeniable. Still, Aren remained unbothered, his eyes already locked on his prey.

He lunged forward as soon as the lightning passed. The snake charged as well, but suddenly a shadowy tendril burst from the ground, wrapped around Aren, and hurled him into the air in a split second, shocking the snake.

Before it could react, two more tendrils shot upward, wrapping around him and snapping him back down like a slingshot. He descended at terrifying speed, fist crashing straight into the snake's head and slamming it into the ground.

BOOM!

The cavern shook violently.

Aren flipped off the snake's body, and before it could recover, he unleashed multiple Claw Strikes in rapid succession. Each strike cut deeper than the last, blood spraying across the stone floor.

The snake roared in agony and began thrashing wildly, then something unexpected happened.

Its entire body crackled with thick lightning. What followed was an extremely fast, overwhelmingly powerful blast.

Aren had no time to react.

The lightning slammed into him, launching him backward so violently that he crashed into the cavern wall and cracked it on impact.

"ROOOAR!"

The snake roared in pure rage, the sound so loud the cavern trembled and rocks fell from above.

Shadow and his party watched in disbelief. This was a horned snake? The sheer destructive power far exceeded anything they had ever seen from a monster.

They thought it was over.

Then Aren stood back up.

A smile spread across his face as if nothing had happened.

He cracked his neck slightly and rolled his shoulders. "You're giving me a pretty good workout," he said casually. "Sadly, it ends here."

He charged forward. His speed looked the same, but something was different. His movement felt perfect, as though he was following an invisible path.

He was.

Swift Wind guided him along the ideal flow.

The snake lunged, horn aimed straight to impale him. Aren dodged at the perfect moment, grabbed the horn, and used it to swing himself into the air. For a split second, he struck a spider-like pose above the monster, his fists crackling violently with lightning.

BOOOOM!

His punch shattered the horn and skull in one devastating blow. The snake slammed into the ground, skidding forward with Aren riding its back, but it never moved again.

It was dead.

[You have gained 500 Soul Fragments]

"He killed it," the bulky man muttered, axe hanging limply at his side. The entire party stared in shock.

Aren hopped off the corpse and, right before their eyes, activated Consume. The massive snake dissolved into shadow and merged with him, becoming part of his shadow army. He hoped it would retain its final, empowered state, adding yet another terrifying asset to his arsenal.

Moments later, the cloaked figure leaped down from the tunnel above and began walking toward Aren.

Aren immediately went on guard. He was certain this person wanted to fight.

But instead of attacking, the figure stopped, reached up, and removed their hood, revealing their face.

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