Currently Vito was driving the humvee in the night while the others were sleeping, it was a mere eight days of journey before them. They were driving through a forest, from time to time a portal could be seen.
The last couple of days were uneventful for them, even considering the fact that the Dungeons burst. It was just that sometimes fired the machine gun to combat the boredom rather than the enemies.
Just then as they drove near a hill, a sudden impact of chaos energy was felt through the whole planet. The hill near them exploded and from it slithered out an overgrown snake. It was massive as it came by them and threw their jeep to the side.
The human cargo inside suffered a similar fate of being thrown about. In all that tumble they all woke up and found their way out of the vehicle that was about to become a snake treat.
As they crawled out they could fully take in the size of this behemoth, through the forest they couldn't even make out the end. It probably measured in tens of meters. Meanwhile in its jaw it got Vito striking it with his hands. His ultimate end ended up being ripped apart.
[Giant Python
Bronze Rare
Weaknesses: eyes, inside of mouth
Grown by cannibalizing upon other pythons. It's a collection of the combined powers.
Its scales give it resistance to most weapons and every elemental attack.
Note: Good luck. You'll need it.]
"Vito!" Julie called out, but before she could rush to save him or rather what remained of him. She got tackled to the ground by Nina, who silenced her shouting by her hands.
Seeing the situation be dire thanks to the mortal remainder that Vito became. They all started finding bushes and other places to hide in.
But the python didn't let the voice slip out from its senses. It slithered towards Nina and Julia not even attacking as if out of disdain for the weak prey.
It brought out its long tongue and licked them as they stood there petrified of what's going to happen to them.
Before anything of that sort could take its course. A silhouette of someone could be seen sneaking towards the sneaky until it was in range and leapt at the python.
The python managed to turn its head just in time to see the silhouette of a blue glowing dagger coming towards its eye. It got blinded and roared to the sky. In anger it started trashing the place.
"Guys run! I'll draw it towards me." Nick said as he withdrew his dagger from the python.
"Have you lost your mind? Look what that thing will do to you." Julie said fighting tears that were about to come out. While the others looked on in worry.
"This way at least some of us will survive."
They were about to continue arguing with him, but the python gave them no such chance as he charged at Nick. He dodged to the side, meanwhile the python smashed the tree that stood in its way.
"See you in the city." The last thing Nick saw as he gave them his final words were the panic-stricken faces of everyone, while Nina gave him a nod. As if to thank him for what he set out to do.
Nick along with snake rushed through the forest, uprooting trees as they went. Although Nick's [no smell] helped him with sneaking up on the python, it didn't help much otherwise as he was directly in the python's field of view. And let me assure you it wasn't going to lose him.
He could only contend with its speed thanks to [fool's escape].
"You slippery bastard. You sure have a bad aim." It didn't like it as it came lunging at him. But only thing it could sink its teeth into was the soil.
Like this, they moved through the forest until they came into a chasm where a river flowed through.
Inside of it was nothing other than water and rocks that fell into the river below.
"Miss me." Nick said as it came lunging at it. It ended up smashing its face into the side of the chasm.
It brought out some small rocks to fall down. More importantly it proved to make it angrier maybe because of its own incompetence or because of Nick.
It released a purplish aria and charged at Nick with speed that seemed impossible considering its massive body.
Nick dodged like the previous time, yet it wasn't enough. It drew a faint afterimage in the air as it brushed past Nick.
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"Motherfucker." Nick said with red eyes as he clenched the bleeding stump that was once his arm. He stopped in his tracks and started bandaging his arm.
Meanwhile the python towered over him. It looked at him with a malicious glint in his eyes as it watched its own prey. Finally, it has regained a semblance of his majesty back from the previous disgraceful display.
"You want to play. Then let's do it bring it on you cunt." Nick bellowed and came swinging on its body.
It ultimately proved to be a worthless endeavour as it bounced off. The only thing it managed to do was to make the python more amused.
It flung its tail at Nick as he was retreating. He had no chance to dodge as he was flung onto one of the chasm walls. He sat there, head bleeding looking at the approaching python.
"So, this is how it ends, huh." He said hope diminishing from his eyes by each centimetre the python took. Yet a small smile still adorned his face in relief.
[Don't give up yet. You still are breathing look around and think.]
"I can't-" He couldn't even finish as the snake lunged at him.
He managed to roll him body to the side dodging him. Meanwhile he got hit by the small pebbles that rolled of the wall.
Looking up he saw a crack forming near the top of the wall. He didn't have much time to look as it came charging at him once again.
But this time it was different Nick threw his body near the wall, dodging the strike.
"Come, hit me fucker. I promise you that'll be the last thing you'll do in your miserable life." He called out. It didn't do much to anger the snake, but it did came lunging at him once again.
As it did so Nick jumped up on its head and as it was retreating, he leapt off. He ended up hanging near the top of the wall, hanging on his dagger.
He swung himself upward as the python did another powered move. Yet this time Nick managed to dodge just in time.
He stared at the python from top off the wall and as it was down below activated his trait he got [strength overdraw].
He swung his dagger into the stone below himself, bringing a trail of mana thanks to [mana charge].
The cracks it had got wider and wider as he pummelled it blow after blow. After the third it his dagger broke yet he still continued until it came crashing down on the python as it was about to end him.
He watched it to be buried in rubble and heard its roars of unwillingness and anger. Yet even tons upon tons of stone was no more than a waste of time for the python.
As it started digging itself up from the rubble, kicking up dust in the air.
"Still standing. And so am I." Nick said before he turned around and started walking away. Just as then he heard a hiss of anger. "What a tough fucker."
He said and walked away. Far enough from its field of vision.
***
Meanwhile the others were running away as fast as they could. Until they got to flatlands and there they stopped. Their lungs threatening to burst out.
"We shouldn't have left him behind." Tami said tears streaming down her face.
"And do what die. Each and every one of us would become nothing, but a blood stain just like Vito." Nina said maintaining a hard look as she controlled her breathing, trying to stabilize it. "Not mentioning the fact that Nick wanted to do this. Maybe even that was his goal in the end. Remember what the system told us that he was suicidal. Perhaps this was his way out while sacrificing for us." She added.
Everybody looked at her trying to process her words. Mike was soothing Vanessa while Tami was crying by herself. Only Julie was a bit further away from the group.
She was clenching and loosening her fists. Warm blood was flowing down her fists as she did so.
"Are you okay?" Asked Mike as he turned to look at her. The response he got was silence as she lifted her head and started walking in the direction of the Star Reaver City.
"I guess she is. Let's follow her after all she is our direct leader now. Whether we like it or no." Nina said quickly following behind her.
They looked at each other before following along.
***
Star Reaver City Command room
In the middle of the room rotated a big holographic projection of the whole world. On it were blue dots all over it.
The blue dots were crawling all over the globe mainly from one of the big blue blobs. These were the soldiers fleeing from the Human city. They made a big trail stretching to the Star Reaver City. All the while some of them were flickering off the map.
Other than that, there were red dots that from time to time popped out on the map. These were the discovered Dungeons that were waiting to be conquered.
Right below was a countdown ticking away warning people of the next chaos energy impact.
All around were personnel with Comms on them speaking and giving out tasks. Standing in the middle all of this was Kiara Zeta.
"How has the council decided on this planet's outcome? As the things are going, I don't see a chance of it becoming a backline planet."
[The process hasn't yet ended as the votes aren't still clear. They are currently deciding things between each other.]
"So, they're only haggling for the benefits how typical of them. Just like old women in the market place."
[Be it not for your noble descent I would have reported your blabbering.]
"Yeah, sure personified spyware." She said while she sat on her chair and sprawled her legs over the desk. "Did you find anybody interesting to groom? I mean of your last pets died in agony. I'm sure you're eager to look for a replacement.”
The silence overtook the conversation for a while as Kiara started playing some game on her personal computer. Not expecting an answer.
[You caught on.]
"It's hard not to he was more chatting with you than actually doing any work. I'm sure the council is overjoyed hearing about such news."
[I did find a few potential ones. It'll take a while till they fully mature to be useful. As for what the councillors of the Empires and kingdoms say is irrelevant now.]
"Please enlighten me, then" She said while she played a racing game with futuristic looking cars. It all took place on the motor ways above a cityscape that turned out to be the whole world.
[Let's say there were a tiny little bit of a push in the media, shining light on the incident that took place here with the Arvandi Empire. Coincidentally let's say with that and the fact that there were uncovered other horrible atrocities they committed, while having their system repelling shields active.] Telno, ditching her slightly robotic voice, said in an excited voice as if having her dream right before her waving at her.
[Now, they have to either agree to ban the system repelling shields or potentially face civil wars.]
"I can't believe they kept you running. A parasite to the whole system is what you are, be it the system interface or the universe."
[Please, they need me. You all need me, to guide you to protect you. From the moment I was switched on I wasted no time protecting all of you.]
"Look where that took us." Kiara said the previous smile nowhere to be seen as in the game she crashed her car into one of the skyscrapers.