Chapter 27: The Black Serpent

Time seemed to freeze.

Lin Yi remembered hearing people say that, just before death, time slows down, giving you the chance to reflect on your life like an unfolding painting. He never believed it—until now.

The tangible psychic shockwave twisted the space around him, slowly and steadily cutting toward his head. He could feel the sharp pain between his eyebrows as his scalp began to tear open.

The nearby zombies, drawn by the scent of blood, flailed their arms in slow motion, appearing almost ridiculous. Grains of sand, caught in the telekinetic force, fell one by one. The roaring sound was distorted, elongated, and difficult to discern.

Everything was so slow.

Then, in the middle of the unfolding painting, a streak of black lightning—an impossibly fast snake—appeared.

Its speed was so extreme that even Lin Yi, in his heightened state, couldn't react in time.

It arrived in an instant.

*Swoosh!*

The black snake leaped, positioning itself between Lin Yi and the psychic wave. The impact, strong enough to cut through tank armor, disappeared upon entering the snake's body, as if swallowed by the sea—silent and without a trace.

The snake let out a satisfied burp and wagged its tail at Lin Yi, as if expecting praise.

Time resumed, rushing forward like a roaring river.

Lin Yi was shaken to the core, staring at the black snake in disbelief. 

It was too fast.

The speed the snake had just displayed was beyond the limits of sound! If translated into agility stats, it would be at least 45 points! Even a Tier-3 mutated entity couldn't achieve such speed!

*Hissss*—the snake flicked its tongue, its body coiled. Lin Yi, oddly, detected a hint of flattery in the cold, reptilian eyes. 

His mouth was dry, and he was at a loss. 

What the hell... is this thing?

It appeared out of nowhere, saved his life, and was now looking at him as if seeking approval.

Before Lin Yi could ponder further, the snake suddenly turned and stood upright. It swelled, growing from a slender snake into a four-meter-tall giant python. 

Its black scales absorbed the sunlight, resembling a black hole. Two bulges appeared on its sharp head, as if something was about to emerge.

The red-dressed girl floating in midair stopped moving.

Her face remained expressionless, her deathly white eyes fixed on the black snake.

Fear?

Lin Yi noticed a hint of dread in the girl's reaction to the snake. She appeared to be a Tier-3 mutant, yet she was wary of this black serpent.

*Hiss!*

The girl stood suspended in the air, her powerful psychic energy surging outward, tearing everything nearby to shreds.

*Buzz!*

She raised one pale hand, pointing her fingers at the black python. 

In Lin Yi's senses, an intense psychic wave, far stronger than the one that had struck him, shot toward the python. 

Two monsters, both silent, began a deadly battle.

Lin Yi was bewildered. Why was there no communication between them?

The psychic impact arrived in an instant, but, as before, it vanished as soon as it hit the python's body.

The black python grinned mockingly, unmoved.

*Boom!*

In the next second, its massive body leaped into the air at an unnatural angle, appearing directly in front of the red-dressed mutant. Its jaws opened wide, ready to swallow her whole.

*Screech!*

Just as the jaws were about to close around her, the red-dressed girl let out a shrill scream. The sound carried a psychic shockwave that instantly burst the heads of the surrounding zombies within a hundred meters.

Lin Yi grunted in pain as blood flowed from his nose. His head throbbed as if it was about to split open. If not for his high Willpower stat, that scream would have shattered his consciousness.

But the scream wasn't directed at him or the surrounding zombies—it was aimed at the black python.

Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh bitterly. He wasn't even qualified to spectate this battle. The mere aftermath of their fight nearly killed him.

His mind spun with questions, but one was finally answered.

This scream... it was the same one he heard last night!

The venom, the piercing sound—it left a deep impression.

What happened last night?

Before Lin Yi could piece it together, the black snake relentlessly pursued, unfazed by the ear-splitting screech. It hesitated for a moment but continued its attempt to swallow the red-dressed mutant.

*Buzz.*

A faint spatial distortion followed.

In a bid to avoid being devoured, the red-dressed mutant vanished and reappeared some distance away, as if teleporting. Her aura had weakened significantly, and her psychic energy, which had been radiating outward, withdrew back into her body. 

It seemed this teleportation ability came at a great cost to her.

She remained in place, while the black python didn't pursue further. It stood still, as if waiting for something.

The two monsters stared each other down, yet despite the python's clear advantage, it did not attack again.

*Hissss.*

The snake flicked its tongue.

Amidst the standoff, it seemed the black python was communicating with the red-dressed mutant. 

A few seconds passed before Lin Yi watched the girl hesitate, then remove the necklace from around her neck and throw it toward the black python.

For the first time, Lin Yi saw emotion flicker across her childlike face: resentment, reluctance, yet acceptance.

The necklace, with its obsidian centerpiece, shimmered mysteriously as it flew through the air, drawing Lin Yi's gaze.

If only I could get my hands on it, Lin Yi thought, heart burning with desire.

According to the equipment description, once the missing component was fused, the *Hand of the Skullcrusher* would be upgraded to an epic-level item. An item of such power could change the tides of battle.

In his previous life, Lin Yi had only heard whispers of such items among the strongest of awakened beings. 

The power of epic equipment was legendary, capable of reshaping a player's strength entirely. Lin Yi speculated that there were very few of these items in the entire post-apocalyptic game world.

But no matter how much he desired it, Lin Yi dared not make a move. 

The necklace was meant for the black python.

Though the snake had saved him and even seemed to express some strange form of affection, Lin Yi wasn't foolish enough to assume the python wouldn't turn on him. 

A creature that could ignore the psychic attacks of a Tier-3 mutant and move at the speed of 45 agility points—such power was unrivaled at this stage. Lin Yi knew if the python attacked him, he wouldn't survive a single blow.

Though he didn't know where the black snake or its massive form came from, Lin Yi had a gut feeling that it was different from the zombies and mutated creatures affected by the virus.

After throwing the necklace, the red-dressed girl turned and flew off without hesitation.

Lin Yi observed her direction carefully, noting with surprise that she was headed toward the city center.

What's in the city center?

He remembered the mountain of corpses near the city's entrance, which also had traces of a Tier-3 mutant. Their target was likely the same—the city center.

His head pounded with unease.

The trajectory of this apocalypse was deviating entirely from his memories, leaving Lin Yi feeling as though he was losing control. 

But after a brief moment, Lin Yi pushed aside these feelings. 

Whatever happens, I have to face it. Pointless emotions won't help.

A cold wind swept in; the weather had become erratic in the post-apocalypse.

Lin Yi stood quietly in the crater, watching the black snake pick up the necklace with its mouth and swallow it whole.

A sigh of disappointment escaped his lips.

It seems the snake's goal was the obsidian gem in the necklace. 

He still didn't understand why it had saved him, but it was clear now that his hope of completing his equipment was gone.

He couldn't possibly fight against either of these monsters.

Letting go of his desire to obtain the obsidian, Lin Yi touched the *Hand of the Skullcrusher* on his right hand.

What a pity. If he had completed this equipment, he would have had a surefire way to kill the *Stitcher*.

Still, the outcome wasn't all bad—at least he had survived an encounter with a Tier-3 mutant, something extremely rare and lucky.

No point dwelling on it.

His injuries were gradually healing. With his high Constitution, his body recovered seven times faster than an average human's. While he couldn't regenerate lost limbs, his wounds and internal organs were rapidly mending.

It was as if he was waiting for judgment.

Even now, Lin Yi had no idea why the black snake had suddenly appeared and saved him. 

*Plop.*

Just as Lin Yi's unease peaked, the black python reverted to its slender snake form. 

It slithered happily toward him and opened its mouth.

The saliva-soaked necklace dropped onto the ground, as if it were a gift.

Lin Yi's breath quickened, his eyes darting between the snake and the necklace.

What the...?

A childlike voice echoed in his mind:

"Fuse... the equipment."