Chapter 41: Fortuitous Finder
A strange, pleasant sensation appeared in Raven's mind.
It was as if some mysterious power was attracting him from the direction where the vibration came from.
[Oh? An opportunity is arising. But it would be best if you were more careful because there will be no opportunities without danger.] Zera's voice echoed in his head.
"Should I go?" He asked in a concerned tone. Although he had grown stronger within a day, he knew many more monsters were outside.
[Hmm, I think we should take some precautions.] As Zera spoke, she summoned a strange reddish feather out of thin air.
A second later, the feather slowly descended and landed on his palm.
[Put a drop of blood on this feather and place it in this hideout.]
Raven did as he was told and quietly placed it on the ground.
[Now you can go out.] Zera added.
'What is that feather? Can it be of any help?' He looked at the feather in confusion and soon shook his head.
He took the leather bag and carefully retrieved the spear from the inventory, holding it firmly. Slowly and cautiously, he stepped out from his concealed hiding spot.
As moments passed, the entire forest revealed itself, appearing as clear as daylight to his eyes. Raven, ensuring no monsters were nearby, took a step forward, moving towards the direction where an unusual feeling tugged at him.
Stealthily maneuvering through the thick woods, he navigated across a small river and eventually emerged into a vast, grassland-like expanse. However, he sensed the ground's vibrations intensifying when he neared the center of the Mirage Woodlands.
"My target must be in the direction where the river water flows," Raven followed the river bank. Soon, he observed the river merging with another, forming a larger body of water.
His appreciation for the scenery was cut short as a roaring noise diverted his attention. After traversing in darkness for over two hours, he unexpectedly stood near a breathtaking waterfall.
The water crashed incessantly, hitting the rocky surface before scattering into the surroundings. The splashes collected at the base, forming a sizable lake. Raven, positioned at the waterfall's summit, marveled at the scene.
With amazement in his eyes, he murmured,
"How should I climb down?"
While pondering, he slowly turned his gaze toward where an intense roar and colliding sounds were coming from.
Before long, he saw a glimpse of two monstrous figures battling in the middle of the grassland, crashing and smashing the nearby tall trees, rocks, and bushes.
One of the monstrous figures appeared more like a gigantic snake with three heads, while the other seemed to be a towering Orc with a bloodthirsty aura around its whole body!
The serpent had crystalline blackish skin, emerald green eyes, three gigantic heads with the unique symbol 'W' below their throat regions, and looked around 30 meters long and 2 meters wide.
On the other hand, the gigantic Orc had unique skin almost similar to iron, had two horns, a similar pig face with ruthless red eyes, and even wore armor and a helm made of iron.
It appeared to be around 4 to 5 meters tall, with a muscular, fat body and monstrous hands and legs.
While wielding its gigantic axe made of pure iron, it smashed the enormous Snake's left head and gripped the right head with the other hand.
As the two monstrous entities clashed in a fierce battle, the air was filled with roars, crashes, and the unmistakable clash of steel against stone. Hidden at the top of the waterfall, Raven observed the spectacle with wide-eyed amazement.
The gigantic Snake hissed and thrashed with its three menacing heads, attempting to break free from the Orc's grip. The Orc, towering and muscular, exhibited brute strength as it wrestled with the serpent.
After some struggle, the Orc cut the Snake's head and gained an upper hand.
But what shocked Raven was that the severed head area of the Snake began to turn greenish liquid, regenerating new tissues, and started to take shape into another head.
Before long, a new head appeared in the severed area.
Upon witnessing the absurd scene, the Orc uttered a fierce cry and attacked fiercely. After a long struggle, Orc once again managed to severed the same head. But unlike before, the regeneration rate of the Snake's head began to take place much slower.
Utilizing the opportunity, the gigantic Orc shifted its attack to the other end. The battle continued like a race against time. The more the two monstrous entities battled, the more intense it became.
Although it looked like the gigantic serpentine Snake was cornered, the Orc was at a disadvantage from the beginning.
Unknown to the Orc, the serpentine Snake had long released a colorless and odorless poison to the surrounding air, weakening the Orc.
The gigantic Orc indeed had steel-like skin and instant regeneration ability, but it wasn't enough to counter the effect of the Snake's deadliest invisible poison.
What was more terrifying about the Snake's poison was that it affected the Orc's health without the Orc even knowing it.
The fierce battle lasted until late at night and soon reached the climax.
At that moment, the gigantic serpent had lost its two heads and even had multiple stab wounds on its neck and body areas. Bluish-green blood spewed all over the surroundings and corroded the nearby plants, grasses, and even trees.
On the other hand, the Orc's movement appeared as sluggish as a snail. Its left hand appeared completely purple and looked motionless. Its abdomen and left thigh also got corroded by the poison, and strange purplish blood was oozing out from it.
Alas, the Orc still didn't give up on its prey, squatted down a little, and used a strange skill to leap into the sky.
A second later, its gigantic body appeared more than 10 meters up in the sky and soon crashed onto the gigantic snake like a meteor.
While holding the axe in its right hand, it also used a sunshine-golden aura around the axe and enveloped the weapon like some armory.
A heartbeat later, the Orc directly appeared above the snake's head and cleaved it vertically up to its throat region, killing it.
Along with a loud thud, the Orc landed on the ground and dropped its weapon.
At the same moment, the corpse of the gigantic snake also fell on the grassy ground and started to twitch while spewing venomous blood on the Orc's face.
Although the Orc wanted to avoid the poison, it had no strength to move.
But it wasn't worried much. As long as the Orc rested for a few more hours, its innate regeneration ability could slowly replace the dying corrosive tissues.
With a relieved face, the gigantic Orc slowly fell backward and landed on the ground with a loud thud.
Raven, hidden behind the foliage, watched the aftermath of the intense battle unfold. The poisoned Orc lay on the ground, seemingly victorious but severely weakened by the snake's venom. The serpent's corpse continued to twitch, its regenerative abilities still at work even in death.
A sudden realization struck Raven. This was an opportunity, just as Zera had mentioned. The weakened Orc could be taken down, and the loot from both creatures could be his.
In the dim light of the moon, Raven went down the waterfall and silently approached the battlefield, his Night Vision skill revealing the details of the scene. The Orc, breathing heavily and struggling against the effects of the venom, seemed oblivious to Raven's presence.
Taking advantage of the situation, Raven drew his spear and approached the Orc cautiously. The Orc's eyes met his as he raised his spear for the final blow. There was a moment of mutual understanding between predator and prey.
With a sudden burst of strength, the Orc swung its arm, knocking Raven off balance. In truth, the Orc's arm didn't even gaze at his body, but the forceful air was more than enough to cause some damage to Raven.
He stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike. The Orc, despite its weakened state, was not to be underestimated.
The two locked eyes again, and Raven realized he had to act quickly.
"It's still a Magic Beast, after all!"
He opened the inventory and took a small vial containing a potent paralysis poison.
He then took a large syringe from the inventory and opened the potion vial to transfer the paralysis poison.
Injecting the poison into a syringe, he aimed for a vulnerable spot on the Orc's thigh region.
The Orc, sensing the threat, attempted to swat Raven away. Despite the struggle, Raven got closer to the Orc and managed to plunge the syringe into the Orc's thigh, injecting the potent paralysis poison directly into its bloodstream.
The effects were immediate. The Orc weakened; its muscles went completely stiff. Seizing the opportunity, Raven delivered a swift strike with his spear, finishing off the weakened creature. The Orc struggled with all its might by trying to shake its hand and legs but soon turned motionless.
It finally took its final breath.