DARK APPRENTICES

"Stats like this…"

Max's eyes widened, "It has long since surpassed the boundaries of a level 3 acolyte, and is most likely close to that of an official Magus?"

There were no records of the stats of official Magus in the A.I. Chip, so Max could only guess.

"That gray ape was already badly injured and busy protecting its spawn so it is impossible for it to win much less survive"

As Max predicted, after another half an hour, in the end, the giant Stone Titan Ape died by black feathered snake's poison and constriction.

The Black Plume Snake coiled around the dead ape and swallow the baby ape first. It defenselessly been eaten by the giant snake.

It is just the appetizer. The winged snake opens its large mouth and gulping the over fifty-meter giant ape from the head slowly toward the legs. The sight of a big snake swallowing even bigger ape is definitely gruesome.

"Would it easier to kill a snake that has just had a huge feast and is too heavy to move, rather than fight a giant hungry snake? No matter how big a snake is, it needs at least a few days to digest after it has swallowed that huge meal. It wouldn't move much during that time because its movement would be constrained by its heavy body. Thus, it would be slightly less dangerous to attack" Max pondering his next course of action.

Initially he following a trail of a giant creature and that creature was an injured Stone Titan Ape but in the end, it got eaten by a Black Plume Snake.

"I absolutely need that snake. I must at least get its brain because I can extract the clue regarding Quetzalcoatl that is connected to my previous world."

Still, Max was slightly worried. It was always more stressful to face a venomous animal than a non-venomous one.

"I only got one chance. A bloated snake will not attack. As long as I do not provoke it early and deal a quick finishing blow, I should be able to walk by safely." Max decided but when he wants to move, his body does not obey.

He realized that he was not as brave as he had thought. When his fear reached a certain level, his timidity took over his emotions completely. If it had been any other animal, he may have been braver.

"Pathetic! I am pathetic!" Max scolded himself.

Although he had been mentally preparing for it, he still felt a shiver down his spine when he actually saw it. This would be his closest contact with this world magical beast and he did not possess even a bit of confidence to deal with the winged snake even it in this state.

The snake was more than 20 meters long and its huge body was adorned with shiny, glossy scales with a tactile impression of metal. Max doubted that its scales were can be easily penetrated. They radiated under the drop of moonlight producing a rainbow-like halo. Its stomach was bulging and its whole body looked like as big as a small mountain. It was the kind of creature that could cause terror even from afar.

The area around it was very quiet.

The giant snake's amber-like, ice-cold eyes were not moving and its pupils were slightly dilated. It seemed like it was asleep. Max noticed that the black stripes on the top of its head formed a symbol. That symbol was a clear characteristic of its kind – it was indeed descendent of ancient winged serpent deity.

Its whole body was releasing that dreadful breath that could freeze one's blood.

The faint smell of rotten flesh due to the Black Plume Snake's poison wafted up from the hillside. It was utterly revolting.

Max gather his courage again and slowly moving before suddenly stop.

Numerous shadows flew toward the winged snake.

From far Max can saw the identities of the shadows are a group of black-robed apprentices.

"The dark apprentices!" Max froze on the spot when they came out from behind the winged snake.

From his perspective, the hiding place where they came out is directly opposite from where Max hides with the winged snake is in the middle of them.

Swiftly, the group of dark apprentices surrounded the winged snake and then casts the same spell. Their chanting is in unison with each other like a choir and a moment later tens of black arrows appeared from the air and soaring to strike the Black Plume Snake.

Drops of blood-spattered from the head of the giant winged snake. Its amber-like eye was blown off, a deep bloody hole forming in its place. The sleeping snake could never have expected such a great loss.

The pain made it wake up with a start and raise its huge head. It moved as fast as lightning, its shadow the only thing that could be seen. It also somehow stirred up the atmosphere, causing a sudden fierce wind.

It destroyed everything in the vicinity, its tail swinging around rapidly as it produced a loud sonic boom. All the trees nearby were snapped off, and debris and sand were thrust out in every direction like bullets, causing small red dots to form on their skin when they hit them.

"Fortunately I acted slower than them, if not I will be in their position. Sometimes cowardice also brought benefits. Haha.." Max was very grateful to them.

Even worst, their storms of black arrow also blew the winged snake stomach. The huge stomach was torn open and the dead ape gorged out from it.

The winged snake that loses the burden in its stomach regains it agile movement even it is heavily injured. The Black Plume Snake started to chase after the dark apprentices spraying corrosive venom and biting them.

"Haha! This is great. Now I just need to act like the famous chinese saying; The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! Let those two sides fight it out till death and I reap the benefits alone." Max was very happy with this outcome. He does not need to fight and kill the winged serpent himself and just need to wait for one side to down and give the finishing blow to both sides.

"Shit! Cancel the plan! Everyone retreat!" Screeching female voice came out from one of the dark apprentices. She noticed that the longer the battle is, her side will definitely lost.

An injured beast is more ferocious than any other beasts!

The other dark apprentices heard her command and all retreated toward the same direction and in that direction is where Max is hiding.

"You got to be kidding me! Why they ran over here! This is not part of the plan!" Max screamed in his mind.