The Black Serpent

If there were suspected third-tier mutants here back then, or even second-tier mutants, there was no way that team could have brought the glove back.

After all, a group of over a thousand people attacking here with modern weapons, amidst the roar of grenades and gunfire, would undoubtedly attract the attention of the girl in the red-clad, even if they didn't go to Room 307. It's really hard to accept. Broken ribs pierced his lungs, and Clark coughed violently. Blood sprayed out with each breath, and he was in extremely critical condition.

If he weren't an awakened one with a high constitution for organ repair, an ordinary person would have died a long time ago. He had lost too much blood, and his limbs were growing cold.

With injuries like this, he couldn't even escape in the short term. Clark stared firmly at the slowly floating girl in the red-clad, his vision dim. Another mental shockwave, and he would undoubtedly meet his death.

The girl in the red-clad slowly raised her right hand, her young face devoid of expression. Waves of psychic energy condensed, about to rush towards him. An intense aura of death enveloped Clark, and he couldn't resist.

Like memories flashing before his eyes before death, a series of images raced through Clark's mind.

The indifferent Monica family inside the safe house. Viola clinging to him desperately. Dirk's agonized howl as he turned into a zombie. Lynn, trembling under a blanket with red-rimmed eyes. Arnold's hearty laughter as he proudly introduced his sister...

Viola, Dirk. I'm so sorry; I might never be able to see you again.

Clark chuckled bitterly, not expecting that his reincarnation wouldn't change anything at all. The mental shockwave struck in an instant, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, aimed at Clark's head.

Time seemed to freeze. Clark had heard people say that time would slow down just before death, allowing you to slowly reminisce about your life, like a scroll of memories. He used to be skeptical, but now he believed it.

The substantial mental shockwave distorted space, slowly and resolutely heading towards his head. He could even feel the pain at his forehead, his scalp slowly splitting. The slow-moving zombies around him swung their arms in a comical, exaggerated fashion. 

Particles of dust carried by the psychic power fell one by one. The roar became elongated and distorted, low and indistinct. Everything was moving so slowly. But in the center of this picture, a flash of black lightning suddenly appeared like a serpent. Its speed was so fast that even Clark couldn't react in time.

In the blink of an eye! The black serpent leaped, intercepting between Clark and the psychic shockwave. The shockwave, strong enough to cut through tank armor, entered the body of the black serpent and vanished instantly, as if it had dissipated into thin air, leaving no trace.

The black serpent let out a satisfied burp and then wagged its tail toward Clark as if taking credit. Time resumed its flow, roaring like a raging river.

Clark was shaken to the core, unbelievably staring at the black serpent in front of him. It was too fast; the speed at which the black serpent had burst forth had exceeded the speed of sound limits! 

If converted to agility, it was at least 45 points or higher! Such speed was even beyond what a third-tier mutant could achieve!

The serpent's tongue flickered, and the black serpent arched its body. Astonishingly, Clark could sense a hint of approval in its ice-cold eyes.

Clark couldn't understand why he could perceive emotions in the eyes of a snake. His mouth went dry, and he felt helpless. What the hell was this thing? It appeared out of nowhere, saved his life, and even seemed to show approval toward him.

Before Clark could contemplate further, the black serpent suddenly turned upright, instantly expanding from a slender snake into a four-meter-high python, its pitch-black scales swallowing the sunlight, resembling a black hole. 

There were two bulges on its sharp snake head, as if something was about to emerge. The red-dressed girl, floating in mid-air, ceased her movement. She remained expressionless, her pale pupils locked onto the black serpent.

From her reaction, Clark sensed that this suspected third-tier mutant held some fear towards the black serpent.

"Sssh!" The girl in the red dress stood in mid-air, her powerful psychic energy bursting out, tearing everything around her apart. She raised a pale finger towards the black python.

In Clark's perception, a psychic wave much stronger than the one that had struck him before surged forth and instantly struck the python. Two beings that both appeared to be monsters, but without a word, they began to engage in a battle.

This left Clark extremely puzzled. The psychic shockwave arrived in an instant, but, just like before, it disappeared upon entering the python's body. The black python split its mouth open, mocking and remaining in place.

"Boom!" In the next moment, the massive body of the black serpent leaped into the air at an angle that defied logic and appeared in front of the red-dressed mutant. Its gaping maw swallowed her whole.

Seeing the giant mouth closing in, the red-dressed girl emitted a sharp, piercing scream. This scream carried a psychic shock that instantly burst the heads of zombies within a hundred meters.

Clark let out a muffled groan, blood trickling from his nose. His head throbbed as if it were about to split open. If it weren't for his willpower far exceeding that of an ordinary awakened individual, this scream could have shattered his consciousness.

Furthermore, he could sense that the primary target of this scream was not him or the zombies around him but the black serpent.

Clark sighed bitterly, not expecting that he wouldn't even have the privilege to be a spectator. The aftermath of their battle was already taking half of his life.

His gaze became solemn, and some of his confusion was unraveled. This scream, he had heard it last night! It was filled with resentment and had left a deep impression on him.

What had happened last night? Before Clark could think it through, the black serpent didn't relent. Despite the scream that could kill thousands being just noise to it, it hesitated but continued to swallow the red-dressed mutant.

A slight spatial fluctuation occurred. To avoid being devoured, the red-dressed mutant mysteriously disappeared and reappeared not far away, as if teleporting.

Her aura had weakened considerably, and her psychic energy, previously overflowing, retracted into her body. It seemed that this teleportation-like ability consumed a great deal of energy for her.

The red-dressed mutant remained in place, and the black serpent also ceased its pursuit. It was unclear why, even when it had the upper hand, the black serpent didn't launch another attack.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss." The serpent hissed. In their standoff, it seemed that the black serpent was communicating with the red-dressed mutant.

A few seconds later, Clark watched as the red-dressed girl hesitated for a moment before taking off the necklace from her neck and throwing it towards the black serpent.

For the first time, Clark could discern emotions on her youthful face—resentment, reluctance, and helplessness. As the necklace was tossed, the obsidian stone at its center emitted a mysterious radiance that captivated Clark's gaze. If he could get his hands on it, that would be great, he thought, his heart burning.

According to the equipment description, when the missing parts of the [Skullcrusher's Hand] were fused, it would become an epic-tier equipment. As the name suggested, such equipment had boundless power.

In his previous life, Clark had only heard about epic-tier equipment in conversations with the most powerful awakened individuals. The might of epic-tier equipment was earth-shattering and could bring about a qualitative change in a player's strength.

Clark speculated that there might not even be many of such items in the entire Apocalypse game. Wanting to acquire it, Clark could only stay still and not make any rash moves.