A Crystalline Serpent?

The name alone sent Tatehan's mind racing, his enhanced brain immediately beginning to construct images and possibilities of what such a creature might be.

He'd never heard of a Crystalline Serpent before, but the name itself was evocative enough to paint a picture. On Mars, naming conventions for creatures often reflected their most dangerous or distinctive characteristics.

Like how the Hexapod mauler had clearly shown what the creature would look like just by the name alone, same with the brutenecks.

The Only creature that had turned out to be only metaphorical in name was the shadow goblin.

Now, a "Crystalline" Serpent suggested something with a hardened, perhaps transparent or reflective exterior, scales made of crystal or some crystalline substance that could deflect attacks or refract light in disorienting ways.

And "Serpent" meant it was snake-like. Large, probably. Fast, definitely. Serpents on any world were predators built for ambush and striking with lethal precision.

With his knowledge points now at 85, Tatehan felt like they were doing wonders in terms of thinking ability and so, his mind constructed the image: a massive snake, perhaps twenty to thirty meters long.

Its body covered in interlocking crystalline scales that caught and reflected the harsh Martian sunlight. Each scale would be sharp-edged, capable of cutting through flesh and armor alike. The creature would likely move with frightening speed despite its size, its serpentine form allowing it to navigate the rocky wasteland terrain with ease, slipping through crevices, coiling around rock formations, striking from unexpected angles.

What would it be doing in the northern wastelands specifically?

Normal Serpents were ambush predators. They needed prey to survive. That meant the Crystalline Serpent would be in an area with sufficient foot traffic—other creatures, perhaps travelers, maybe even near settlements but far enough away to avoid organized hunting parties. The northern wastelands fit that description perfectly. Close enough to Waython Hollow that smaller creatures and desperate travelers ventured out, but remote enough that a massive predator could establish territory without constant interference.

The creature probably had a den somewhere. Serpents liked to have secure locations to retreat to, especially after feeding. Given the "Crystalline" designation, perhaps it nested in some kind of mineral-rich cave system where the walls themselves had crystalline formations. It would be well-camouflaged there, nearly invisible among the glittering stone.

Maybe Tatehan was starting to go off point with his imagination but nothing was exactly impossible in this Mars he was.

What abilities might the creature have?

Beyond the obvious physical advantages—size, strength, speed, those razor-sharp scales,Tatehan suspected there would be more. Creatures on Mars often had abilities that went beyond mere physical prowess. The Hexapod Mauler had possessed surprising intelligence and tactical awareness. The shadow goblins had moved with coordinated pack tactics that suggested some form of hive communication.

A Crystalline Serpent might have:

Optical abilities – Those crystalline scales could potentially refract light in specific patterns, creating illusions or blinding flashes that disoriented prey before the killing strike. Tatehan imagined the creature coiling its body in specific ways, turning itself into a living prism that projected false images or created zones of blindness.

Sonic attacks – Serpents often had specialized organs for producing sounds. A Crystalline Serpent might be able to vibrate its scales at specific frequencies, creating devastating sonic waves that could shatter rock, disorient prey, or even cause internal damage to soft tissue.

Venom – Of course. What serpent didn't have venom? But this wouldn't be ordinary venom. On a world like Mars where survival demanded extreme adaptations, the venom would likely be incredibly potent. Neurotoxic, hemotoxic, or perhaps something entirely unique to Martian biochemistry. One bite could mean death within minutes, maybe seconds.

And lastly, Regeneration – Those crystalline scales might not just be armor. If they were actually part of the creature's biology rather than just hardened skin, they might be able to regenerate damaged sections, making the serpent incredibly difficult to kill through conventional means.

How would Tatehan face such a creature?

He ran through tactical scenarios in his enhanced mind, playing out different approaches:

His first approach would be Direct Combat.

His sword would likely be ineffective against crystalline scales unless he could find weak points, the underbelly, perhaps, or the spaces between scales. His chakrams might fare better, their spinning force potentially able to chip or crack the crystalline surface, but it would take many hits to do significant damage.

His armor's kinetic absorption would be crucial. If the serpent struck him (and it would, given its speed) the armor would absorb most of the impact. He could then release that stored energy in a devastating counterattack, just as he had against Mub.

But a serpent wouldn't fight like Mub had. It wouldn't stand and trade blows. It would strike, retreat, strike again from a different angle. Constant movement. Constant repositioning.

His second approach would be Gravity Manipulation.

This was where Tatehan's real advantage lay.

He could increase the serpent's gravitational pull, making it sluggish and heavy, forcing it to expend enormous energy just to move its massive body. A creature that relied on speed would be crippled by such an approach.

He could even potentially use gravity to pull himself rapidly in different directions, giving him the mobility needed to avoid the serpent's strikes while positioning himself for attacks on vulnerable areas.

Approach Three would be Environmental Manipulation.

The northern wastelands were rocky, uneven terrain. Tatehan could use his gravity manipulation to weaponize the environment itself. Pulling large rocks down onto the serpent from above. Creating small gravitational anomalies that destabilized the ground beneath the creature, causing it to lose traction or even creating localized collapses in unstable terrain.

If the fight took place near the serpent's den (assuming it was in a cave system) Tatehan could potentially collapse sections of the cave, either trapping the creature or forcing it into confined spaces where its size became a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

The Ideal Strategy was the key stuff in this thing.

If Tatehan were to hunt this creature, he would:

Scout extensively first – Find the den, observe the serpent's behavior patterns, identify its hunting grounds and preferred strike locations.

Prepare the battlefield – Choose a location where the terrain favored him. Rocky areas with multiple escape routes but limited space for the serpent to maneuver its full length. Ideally somewhere with overhead rock formations he could pull down as weapons.

Bait and ambush – Rather than hunting the serpent, let it come to him. Use himself as bait in a location where he'd prepared gravitational traps and environmental hazards.

Exploit the armor – Let the serpent strike first. Absorb that kinetic energy. Use its own power against it in a devastating counterattack aimed at a vulnerable point.

Persistence – A creature that valuable wouldn't go down easily. Be prepared for a long fight. Use his partial regeneration to outlast the serpent's initial fury. Wait for mistakes, for fatigue, for that one opening that would allow a killing blow.

The fight would be dangerous. Possibly more dangerous than the Hexapod Mauler had been. But the reward—a Crystalline Serpent core worth a fortune, would make it worthwhile.

And beyond the monetary value, there was something else: the challenge itself. Tatehan was still learning the full extent of his abilities. Each major fight taught him something new about what he could do, about how his powers could be applied in creative ways. The Mauler had taught him to be really smart in dire times . Mub had taught him about gravity manipulation and a Kinetic ability one punch in combat.

A Crystalline Serpent would teach him something else. Something he hadn't discovered yet.

And that knowledge might be even more valuable than the core.

"...and then," Riven's voice pulled him back to the present, "I ran into those shadow goblins, then you, and now I'm back here. I never did find the serpent."

Tatehan blinked, realizing that despite the extensive mental simulation he'd just run through, barely a second had passed in real time. His enhanced mind could process information and run scenarios at incredible speed.

"Are you going back to look for it?" Tatehan asked.

"Maybe," Riven said thoughtfully. "If I can get enough supplies together and if no one else has killed it already. Opportunities like that don't come around often. A Crystalline Serpent core could set me up for a year, maybe more."

They stood in silence for a moment, Tatehan processing everything Riven had told him.

Hunting cores could be a viable way for him to earn resources. He already had combat abilities, he had his armor, and he'd proven he could take down dangerous creatures. The Hexapod Mauler was proof of that.

But facing a Crystalline Serpent would be extremely risky, just as his imagination had shown.

It was basically a massive, intelligent snake with crystalline armor and unknown abilities. Though he had guessed about what it would be, he wasn't sure.

Everything about it screamed danger.

But then again, if the cores were worth a fortune as Riven claimed, they would help him tremendously in repairing the spaceship. Maybe he could get enough resources to push the repair points up to the required number (forty points) so he could finally summon the vessel into his inventory and stop worrying about it being discovered.

That alone made the risk worth considering.

[Author's note: Going on a short break. On the first of next month I'll mass release 20 chapters]

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