Escaping from a mutant level creature in the forest

"Do not move, Darkening..." — Drayan whispered to his wolf.

The snake had skin completely dark like coal, with golden spots in some parts of its body. Its tongue was entirely red. The large reticulated python serpent swayed its head slightly as it observed the two prey. Its three-meter thickness was thicker than a tree trunk.

Initially, Drayan thought the snake was wrapped around just one tree, but looking at the trees in the background, hidden in the darkness, it was possible to see its body wrapped around other trunks.

Damn! It's so big! Can Cent match this?!

Drayan had his doubts.

But there was something strange about its third eye in the center of its forehead. No iris or pupil, only the sclera could be seen. It seemed like the third eye was incomplete, or as if the snake were blind.

However, the eye's shape was peculiar, like a flattened diamond filled with radiance, but Drayan couldn't focus on that at the moment.

If I move... it will attack, right? But I can't stay here forever...

"Darkening... Retreat slowly... maintain the distance..."

Drayan's heart raced like an engine about to explode, but he somehow remained calm.

The wolf was intelligent and recognized danger, obediently following its owner.

Drayan cautiously observed the snake, gripping his dagger firmly.

This damn creature... was watching me all this time?!

As Drayan walked along the ground, above his head, in the trees, a snake followed him. That was the source of his sense of danger. Due to the snake's dark color and ability to hide in shadows, Drayan was unable to see it, no matter how large it was.

A master of camouflage.

Darkening's paws were trembling. 2 meters. Darkening had retreated two meters.

5 meters. The snake was just watching.

10 meters. Drayan and Darkening felt somewhat secure now.

15 meters.

"Darkening! Run!"

SSSSSS!

The snake leaped from the tree, closing the distance in a single motion.

Jaws opened, revealing long, sharp teeth like a saber-toothed tiger's.

The snake was about to swallow Drayan.

In a desperate move, Drayan pulled Darkening into his body, canceling the summoning.

I need to use the Wind Crushing Fist! There is no tim!

Drayan tilted his body back and the snake bit the air. The jaw closing was strong enough to create a shockwave.

Drayan ran, using Wind Crushing Fist at level 1. His veins quickly turned red.

Sssss!

The snake penetrated the ground, and in the next moment, the earth beneath Drayan's feet cracked.

CRACK!

Not again!

BLOOOOM!

Drayan propelled himself backward, and a large amount of debris flew into the air as the snake emerged from under the ground, revealing its massive body.

Drayan was in the air, using his dagger to cut through the rocks flying towards him. The snake stretched its huge body to swallow Drayan.

Drayan used his body's flexibility, leaned backward again, and used his dagger to push the creature's chin away.

Crash!

Drayan's dagger created cracks, leaving no scratch on the creature's skin. His skin was so tough that Drayan's blow was reflected back at him, hitting him and sending him flying.

Drayan was thrown towards tree trunks that broke upon colliding with his body.

Damn! Damn! Damn!

Even with a bleeding forehead and some damaged bones and organs, Drayan ran. He left his bag behind to run faster.

Drayan ran through an area with many tree trunks. The snake was right behind him.

The snake avoided all the trunks, agile but as Drayan was always behind a tree, it naturally diverted around the trunk to attack, while Drayan was already behind another.

It was like a maze.

Drayan made some strange moves. He ran north, then east, west, south, seemingly random movements but with purpose.

Drayan noticed that the snake coiled around trees to gain an advantage. When coiled, it could jump from tree to tree to reach the prey quickly, as its heavy body wasn't fast sliding on the ground.

But this time, Drayan was surrounded by nearby trees. The snake was wrapping itself around each of them.

At times, an advantage becomes a disadvantage.

Drayan kept running away from the maze of trees.

Drayan couldn't stay in the maze of trees for much longer; at some point, the snake would start destroying the trunks instead of dodging them.

The snake stretched to bite, but something restrained its body. The trees were preventing it from advancing.

Drayan didn't celebrate; he knew it wouldn't hold her for long.

In the next moment, the snake broke more than twenty tree trunks that were holding its body.

What? So fast!

Drayan was gradually getting desperate, but something gave him hope.

A salvation? I haven't been abandoned! Apparently, I'm still lucky!

Drayan felt hope of surviving when he saw a large nearby lake, dividing the forest.

Drayan used the Wind Crushing Fist technique at level 2, tearing his veins. As the technique involved increasing strength, Drayan pushed the ground with his feet, moving faster.

But it wasn't enough; the snake was already close. Drayan was less than 30 meters from reaching the lake, but only 12 meters remained for the snake to reach it.

Drayan jumped, spinning his body towards the snake. He sucked in the air to his lungs and used his left hand to punch the air.

Boom!

The shockwave created by his punch pulled his body backward. With this, Drayan moved far enough from the snake and reached the lake.

The snake leaped to swallow Drayan. Drayan was about to enter the lake.

Pluffff!

Drayan dived into the lake.

But...

SPLASH!

The snake dived with its huge body, causing the lake water to splash in all directions.

Do you really want to eat me that badly?!

Drayan hadn't escaped yet. Now he was being pursued in the lake.