Chapter 5 - Triumph

Arthur could feel a hot liquid that was coming from the back of his head, he suffered concussion as a result from the attack.

He tried to get up but his legs were shaky and he couldn't get his head straight because of the concussion.

The dust faded and finally the snake could see Arthur's struggle, the snake sneered in its heart as it slowly slithered towards Arthur. It was taking its time to instill fear and despair towards the arrogant human who dared to challenge it.

It saw that Arthur was no longer holding his weapon and it made it delighted. It guessed that he must've lost it when the attack hit him.

The human was now as harmless as a baby.

Woooosh

The snake grabbed Arthur's ankle using its tail and hang him upside down. It slowly moved Arthur close to its face.

Hiiiiisssss!

It hissed maniacally at Arthur as if saying 'who's dinner now?'.

Blood continued to pour out of Arthur as he once again coughed up blood. His mouth opened and closed as if he was muttering something.

"All... in... stamina... " Arthur muttered weakly and a heartbeat later, a portion of his strength returned to him. But he didn't do anything that would make the snake raise its guard instead, he patiently waited.

The snake saw Arthur's mout moving but it didn't hear what it was nor cared. It just continued to watch Arthur's struggles. The human hit its face with his fists repeatedly but it didn't even tickle it let alone do any significant damage.

The serpent was in ecstasy as it watched the human do his final insignificant struggles.

Ah, this was it. This was what it wanted.

Arthur's struggles stopped and when the snake noticed this, it felt that this was the cream on top. The human has finally despaired and accepted his fate.

The snake opened its mouth, ready to eat its prey whole. However it noticed that the human once again moved, this action made the snake close its mouth and once again watched Arthur.

Didn't the human in front of it already gave up? It seemed to ask while watching Arthur.

Arthur gathered his strength for his final hurrah, the snake grew arrogant and didn't mind Arthur. It allowed him to do this last action before eating him.

But this was a mistake.

Finally the moment that Arthur had been patiently waiting for has appeared. Arthur imaginarily stab his dominant hand towards the snake's eye.

And at that moment, a katana appeared in his hand as it carried the momentum of Arthur's swing towards the eye.

This katana was the same katana that the snake thought that Arthur lost. At the tip of the katana was a small rectangular thing attached to it.

The snake saw the weapon appear out of thin air and hurriedly tried to dodge. But it failed, it was successfully caught off by surprise the attack!

Spuuurrtt!

Blood spurted out of the snakes left eye and it loudly cried out in pain.

The plan was to save his summons when he got home but now was not the time to be saving up his cards.

Arthur made a move and use all of his available summons. When he first got the skill he was still at level 3 and because of the frog, he leveled up to 5. That was why...

"Summon X5!" Arthur roared and a series of messages flashed in front of him but he immediately dismissed it.

He hardened his grip on his katana before shouting, "Explode!!!"

Arthur thanked the dust that gave him enough time to prepare himself for this all or nothing attack.

Yes, the time when he couldn't get up was only an act to lower the snake's guard. Although the concussion and pain was real, it wasn't to the point where he couldn't move.

The dust gave him enough time to attach a rare item, Voice Bomb, on the tip of his katana. This bomb is activated by voicing out 'Explode'. Its explosion was 8 times much greater than the grenades back on Earth.

This bomb was one of the things that his family gave him before he left.

The insides of the eyes of the snake visibly lit up before-

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion occurred inside the snake's body, destroying its insides to oblivion. The snake's outer scales successfully contained the explosion of the bomb, it just proved how hard its scales were.

That was why right from the beginning Arthur instantly set the snake's eyes as his target. Because he wasn't sure that his katana would do any effect at all.

It was then a message flashed on his retina.

[You have acquired a portion of Unranked Level 20 - Arrogant Serpent's Index. Strength +42 / Agility +32 / Stamina +58 / Health +50.]

[You have leveled up to level 6. You are given 3 free stat points.]

[You have leveled up to level 7. You are given 3 free stat points.]

[You have leveled up to level... ]

[You have leveled up to level 10. You are given 3 free stat points.]

'Thanks, sis you saved me.' Arthur thanked his older sister in his heart. Because if not for her then he might have really became snake food.

Arthur eyed the snake and his face instantly lit up, besides its body were two things that the snake had dropped in its death.

He was about to bend over and pick up his loot when a new series of messages flashed in front of him.

[Your summon Lucia have leveled up to level 1. Three stat points are automatically distributed.]

[Your summon Lucia have leveled up... ]

[Your summon Lucia have leveled up to level 7. Three stat points are automatically distributed.]

[Your summon Kent have leveled up to level 1. Three stat points are automatically distributed.]

[Your summon Kent have leveled up... ]

[Your summon Kent have leveled up to level 7. Three stat points are automatically distributed.]

[Your summon... ]

It continued up to the last summon. Arthur had completely forgotten that he have used up his summoning earlier. His purpose earlier for summoning was because if he was out for commission after the battle with the snake, or if he didn't succeeded in killing it he would then rely on his summons.

This was really an unexpected gain for him.

[All your summons have acquired a portion of Unranked Level 20 - Arrogant Serpent's Index. Strength +42 / Agility +32 / Stamina +58 / Health +50.]

This was the last message before it became quiet.

This...

Arthur may have greatly underestimated his skill.

He picked up the two items that was beside the snake's body. One was a purple colored scroll and the other was the Soul Core of the Unranked Serpent.

He would inspect both of them later. Arthur put them away in his storage ring before he turned around.

Arthur froze on the spot when he saw what was in front of him. There five beings were already kneeling in front of him.

One was a woman with short silver hair that only reached her shoulders, she wore a maid attire with white and black embroidery. Her curvaceous figure was the finishing touches, she was neither small nor big it could perhaps be described as perfect. Although Arthur couldn't see her face, he was sure that this woman in front of him wouldn't lose to his mom when it comes to beauty.

One was a man with spiky brown hair, he wore military gear and held a spear in his left hand.

The other three however, were the same in appearance. They were like hyenas but the difference was they were on their feet and were holding a spear.

What's more all of them jumped to level 7!

"Umm... uhh... rise" When Arthur commanded that word, he felt all the hair on his body stood up because of that. Cringe! Back then, he always thought it was cool and all but when the opportunity came he thought it was better to fight to the death than say that word again!

"Yes, master." The woman wearing maid attire took the lead and stood up. She looked at him with undisguised reverence and gentle warm gaze. The other four also followed after the woman, these four on the other hand looked at him with awe and respect.

Arthur instinctively took a deep breath when he fully saw the woman's face. She was simply breathtaking, literally!

"Please... be at ease with me. I'm only 15 years old and it's quite uncomfortable if you act like this. Act like we're family or something." Arthur practically begged, he wished for them not to act stiff like they were NPCs.

"Understood, master." The woman smiled but her voice this time contained a hint of playfulness.

The other four also followed suit.

Arthur still had qualms about the 'master' thingy but didn't say anything further.

He nodded and was about to check their stats when he realized that they were still in the forest.

"Let's get out of this forest first. Um, what are your names?" Arthur asked his summons.

"Forgive me, master. My name is Lucia, and I am always at your service." The beautiful woman with silver hair introduced herself first.

"I am called Kent, master. At your service." The man followed.

"We are Eiz / Diz / Nitz" the three hyenas said respectively.

"My name's Arthur Von Astraea. Please take good care of me." Arthur also introduced himself and bowed a little.

"M-master?! You can't bow to us!" Lucia frantically reacted like what he had done was a grievous sin.

"Miss Lucia is right, master." Kent's reaction was much calmer than Lucia, while the three nodded their heads like chicken pecking rice.

"Eh? Oh, okay." Arthur helplessly nodded.