Northern Pine Woods.

Midnight sucked in the last drop of viscous liquid, licked his lips, and closed his eyes. He didn't rush to get up and continued lying sprawled on the nippy, humid ground. With no more interference, he calmly took in the sensation of the warmth, nurturing his body.

Two or three minutes later, it drowned him fully and imbued every cell within with life. It healed his wounds, stimulated his hematopoiesis, replenished what was lost, and purified his mind and psyche.

He felt serenity descend as everything returned to normal. The effects were so exaggerated that he couldn't help but feel amazed and apprehensive.

If this is the impact of consuming the Enigma raw, I can't imagine if it was a proper potion. Perhaps, a medicine concocted by the root can instantly deal with all flesh wounds and even some psychotic tendencies.

Indeed, the fruit is a legendary item. If properly processed, it can heal all ailments, disorders, and afflictions; a miracle drug in the truest sense of the word.

Phew

He exhaled and confirmed the authenticity of the information. It was one thing to read a book or use appraisal, and another to feel it in your flesh and bones. The mental shock was on a different scale. Unfortunately, this only made him feel the pinch again. Using the Enigma here was like giving a pearl to a swine. There was no way to appreciate its real beauty.

After two more seconds, he shook his head and nimbly stood up. What was done was done. Crying over spilled milk was meaningless, and the same applied to self-reproach. Instead of wasting time on what-ifs, he had to hurry up, deal with the aftermath, and find a place to rest. His body was in top condition and his mana had recovered slightly, but the mental fatigue remained. Only the accomplishment and victory kept him somehow going.

From his position by a tree, he looked around the dark calm forest and glanced toward the corpse. He analyzed the situation.

The battle and the following announcement must have caused a huge commotion. For now, the Lord's left-over aura will keep away the small fry, but I can't be sure about the jaguars and bears. They are nocturnal, after all. When the aura dissipates the carcass will possess appeal to such monsters.

And there is a certain chance of curious players trying to approach. If I dilly-dally, I may get besieged from all sides. I haven't been exposed yet, and I'd like to keep the status quo...

Should I swiftly leave the area? But, I can't waste this opportunity. How can I let the carcass simply rot away? The Lord's level is definitely high and so are its materials. Hmm...

He checked the time and the kill notification. He had two more hours until the snake returned to Earth's embrace. Perhaps, because the monster was so large, the AI judged that 30 minutes wouldn't be enough to harvest anything.

He rubbed his chin in thought and scanned the monster once again.

Even with the system's so-called 'benevolence', the body was too large and he had never harvested a snake. It was impossible to finish in the given time.

And my tools are very unprofessional. I doubt the shitty dirk can pierce through the skin or scales.

What to do? Use magic? The quality of the materials will suffer, but I can't find a better way. Besides, it isn't just a matter of ability and tools. My bag is halfway full and heavy from the prior harvest. There is no way to contain everything inside, nor can I bring it back with me...

A moment later he came up with a notion. It wasn't an optimal solution but it worked. I can discard the cheap materials and target only the important parts. This should be the skin, poison glands, and fangs.

As soon as he thought of this, he remembered how the Lord had looked at him. Its gaze was condescending and filled with the desire to gnaw his blood and flesh.

His heart thumped faster and he felt the need to vent his indignation. He wanted vengeance! And the best way to exact revenge was to return the favor. He had to try and eat the snake. Besides the bones and meat may have a use...

He easily convinced himself, tapped his finger on his temples, and came up with a new idea.

I will use the time and dissect as much as possible. Then I will fill my bag and hide the rest. What follows is a lot of draining workload. I will run to and fro the village and deposit the materials somewhere in the cemetery. Later, after sunrise, I will sell some stuff and use the money to rent a room inside an inn. The cemetery isn't popular with players, but the natives often visit the gravestones of their relatives and friends...

The clock was ticking, and he didn't have time to ponder further. He grumbled, rubbed his disheveled sweaty hair, and took a step forward.

Suddenly, he felt something poking at his privates. It was a place that shouldn't be revealed to others. Unless the said person was in an intimate relationship with him...

It feels particularly breezy... With an awkward premonition, he checked himself and froze. His ears reddened and his eyebrows twitched.

After he dispelled his cat form, he didn't have the time to think about the consequences. He was too busy trying to survive. Later he was preoccupied with dealing with his injuries, lamenting the loss of a Unique material, or reasoning a plan. Only now, did he remember he was fully naked!

He sucked a breath and quipped.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

To put it simply, I bared everything before the Lord. I fought a third of the battle buck-naked... Sigh, from this day forth, I can 'proudly' say that I have practiced naturism. I have even swayed my privates right before a snake...

What a great experience! I'd say it is a title-worthy one, but I really hope the AI will be lenient!

He used lampooning to calm his inner turmoil and suppress the upheavals in his heart. If this was in reality, his strong emotions would have definitely caused a seizure!

Regaining his bearings, he kept a poker face and brushed away the dirt and needles. Then as if nothing happened, ran toward his clothes.

Three seconds later, he was dressed and ready, but he wasn't feeling better. Even fully clothed, he hardly looked presentable.

The front part of his linen shirt was ruined. It was reduced to blood-soaked stripes of cloth that hung down limply on his sides. It exposed everything beneath. As for the backside and his pants, they didn't fare better. After he had crashed into a tree, the bark had rubbed off, breaking through the weak material. Countless holes of different shapes and sizes dotted his pitiful reward.

Sigh, at least my lower body is not visible...

Besides, this isn't rare. I have seen plenty of players with similar appearances. Only those who never fight can walk the streets in 'honor'.

Yes, even if I purchase a set of clothes, they will quickly end up in the same state. I still shapeshift often. I may lose them in the process too...

He soon accepted this reality. Buying clothes was wasteful and Euclex was not a fashion stage. It was fine as long as his lower body was invisible and he wasn't deemed a flasher. Feeling amused, his mood improved a lot and he reached the boss in five steps. Then he forcefully appraised it.

After their hazardous confrontation, he was certain that the skill would work. He already had quite a good idea of the Lord's skills and tendencies.

Ping

|The Slithering Lord

Grade: Unique

Title: Sovereign of The Northern Pine Woods.

In your domain, your aura will be unsurpassable. All living creatures feel a sense of awe and fear. They can't help but bow low and prostrate themselves to you. As a true monarch, you can roam your fief incognito.

Characteristics: The Slithering Lord is a snake monster with moderate intelligence and exceptional constitution. She moves quickly and has a lot of stamina. Her frame is powerful and sturdy, and her body is plated in petroleum-green scales.

The scales are very sharp and can cut through iron. They are sturdy, thick, and resistant to heat and fire. They can convert the heat into metabolic energy, which is used to nurture the body and further enhance the Lord's physical aspects.

The Lord is equipped with a pair of venomous glands. Her venom is neuroparalytic in nature. It isn't deadly, but it can stun the target for a while. However, She rarely relies on her fangs and prefers to crush and trample on her victims.

Note: On Her death's door, the Lord cried twice - 'Beware of half-lings' and 'I don't want to be reborn as shoes!'. It is said that Her shouts still resound inside the forest.|

"It was actually a lady?" Midnight read throughout the message and exclaimed. For some reason, he felt even more embarrassed. He felt that he had truly disrespected this poor snake. It was one thing to be killed by a tiny weak-looking creature, and another if that creature was naked while doing so!

At the same time, he felt enlightened. The description answered many of his questions.

So even monsters can possess a title? This is why I couldn't sense the snake even with my high perceptions. It wasn't because she used some magic, but a skill...

What about her aura? I felt some awe and fear, but it wasn't that exaggerated. It was just a natural reaction toward a stronger monster. I didn't feel the urge to bow...Yes, this can be considered a type of mental influence. My title as a Vespertine Scholar weakened or entirely negated it...

Heh, this time around, my sixth sense proved quite useful. If I had used Flamma, I would have nurtured the boss instead of killing it, erm her. Then I wouldn't have lived to tell the tail or regret my actions. Adding to the prior matter, I may have used my luck for at least five months!

She doesn't use her poison and tramples on her targets. This fits my observations. She looks down upon her enemy. This condescending and overconfident behavior tripped her feet...Not that she had any feet...

Phew

He rubbed his temples, pulled the rusty dirk, and prepared a common structure in his mind. Then he quickly got to work.

With the Lord's size, he couldn't apply his general dissection knowledge.

First, he struggled to decapitate the head, somehow pushed it to the side, and gradually peeled the skin in portions.

Then, he removed the venom glands. Similar to normal snakes, they were located right behind and below the eyes.

He cut the fangs, butchered portions of the meat, and took a few ribs as a memento. It took him nearly two hours to somehow finish everything. And in this process, his dirk became a glorious sacrifice when it snapped in two.

After thinking for a second, Midnight pursed his lips and used the wind to dig the eyes as well. They were like two tiny rusty golden orbs. Beautiful, but lifeless.

What was left of the once valiant and scary creature was now a pile of chopped-up meat, sticky pungent organs, milky white protruding bones, and a skull with gloomy empty sockets. The Lord's carcass was cold and ghastly sad.

"That's life. I won't apologize, nor will I weep for you. You would have done the same. Ripping me to shreds, feeding on my flesh and blood, until I melt into your stomach and degrade in nutrients for you..." He said as if speaking to himself.

Then he created water, washed his hands and face, and fell in silence. He stood slightly to the side and waited. He wanted to confirm a matter.

A minute later, the remains began to swell and rot. The flesh quickly turned into a stinky yellow pile, which soaked into the ground or evaporated in the air. Only the skeleton was left, but not for long. The white bones turned grey and brittle. Finally, they cracked and broke, as the pieces turned to dust. All of this happened in less than half a minute.

There was nothing left besides crushed trees and trampled herbs and flowers. Only the injured forest still remembered the fable of its Lord's death.

It is my first time seeing this in person. Until now, I finished relatively quickly and buried the rest.

Hmm, the rotting process is rather realistic. It is just accelerated to the limit and compressed in time. It's like decades or centuries are forced to happen in a moment...

Midnight turned his head and sized his spoils of war. Unlike the carcass, they were still the same. Of course, he wasn't too surprised. He already knew that when materials were gathered and the system accepted the result, they would be seen as unrelated to the body. Otherwise, the natives and the players couldn't craft, trade, or feed themselves.

What he wasn't sure was if the materials had to be inside a bag, or if they would be spared from the rotting process even if they weren't truly claimed.

With his curiosity satisfied, he didn't waste more time, nor did he wait for unwelcomed visitors to come and greet him. He rolled what was left of his sleeves and followed with his plan.

Two hours and seventeen minutes later in the cemetery, at the edge of the southern district of Lesotte.

He plopped onto the ground and tried to catch his breath. He was entirely exhausted from the whole ordeal.

Sigh, for some, the day just starts, but for me, yesterday is far from over...

He looked toward the yellow horizon. The sun was slowly rising and in no time, Lesotte would be busting with activity. However, he still had some work to do. While resting and waiting for the General Store and inns to open, he had to check on his rewards and sort through his materials.