Almost there

Kaden pushed his legs harder, his heart hammering against his ribs. The exit. He had to reach the exit before they closed in.

A sharp hiss rang out—too close.

Kaden twisted mid-sprint. Instinct screamed through his body.

A second snake—larger than the last—burst from the shadows of a side tunnel, its gleaming fangs aimed directly at his throat.

Kaden reacted instantly.

[Sanguine Roots.]

A cluster of crimson, spike-tipped vines exploded from the cavern walls, slamming into the serpent and driving it back. The beast screeched, its massive body coiling defensively, but Kaden didn't stay to finish the fight.

There was no time.

He launched himself forward, dodging debris, his speed fueled by desperation. The exit tunnel loomed ahead, but the ground was shaking too violently now. Would he even make it?

The answer came in the form of a deafening crash.

Something massive dropped directly in front of him. Kaden skidded to a halt. His breath caught in his throat.

Another snake. No—three.

Their thick, monstrous bodies blocked his path, their scales dark as poisoned emeralds. These weren't ordinary beasts. Their auras radiated mana, stronger than the one he had just killed.

Quasi-core. Every single one.

Kaden's blood ran cold. Too many. He was strong, but this was a slaughter waiting to happen.

The ground shook again. The cavern's walls split. An opening appeared on his right. Kaden did not hesitate as he grabbed the chance to launch himself back into the open clearing. The snakes that were right behind him finally stopped.

However, it did not last long. Though the three huge ones did not follow him, several other pairs of eyes popped up and one by one smaller green snakes slithered out of the hole, coming at him full speed.

Kaden barely had time before the first snake lunged but the beast was only level 20 and at a non- quasi core stage just like him. He summoned [Sanguine Roots] but the snake was faster. Its lean body whipped through the air with lethal speed.

Kaden did not waste time and activated the next skill. [Thorn Whip]

A barbed vine lashed outward, striking the first snake mid-air. The beast screeched, its momentum halting as the whip's serrated thorns burrowed into its flesh, anchoring it in place.

But it wasn't alone. More were coming.

Four. Five. Six.

They spilled from the tunnel like a living tide of emerald scales, their forked tongues flickering, their slit pupils locked onto him.

Kaden's eyes widened but the next second a smile appeared on his face. It looked like he was going to meet his target today after all. He was at level 24 already and these six should be more than enough to push him over the threshold.

He madly swung the [Thorn Whip] like a berserker, lashing out at the snakes with ruthless precision. The whip crackled through the air, its jagged thorns carving deep gouges into the serpents' bodies.

One of them lunged—too slow. Kaden sidestepped, twisting his wrist. The Thorn Whip coiled around the snake's throat, snapping taut. With a flick of his wrist—he pulled.

The creature's head whipped sideways, slamming into a jagged rock. Crack. The body spasmed once, then went still.

[Ding! You have killed a Green Pit Serpent!]

Kaden barely had time to register the notification before another snake lunged from the left. He pivoted, dodging the strike by mere inches.

[Sanguine Roots.]

Tendrils erupted from the ground, impaling the serpent mid-lunge, skewering it straight through the gut. It shrieked and thrashed, but the roots held firm, draining the last remnants of its life force.

[Ding! You have killed a Green Pit Serpent!]

Kaden's eyes flashed. Almost there. Three more snakes remained. 

Kaden was worried that the other three would flee but it looked like they had no intention of doing something like that. In fact, they did not even adjust their attack pattern and came at him as if they were in a mad frenzy.

The barbed tendrils of [Thorn Whip] lashed out, cracking through the air like a predator's fangs. Kaden didn't even hesitate—his grip was firm, his aim precise.

The whip coiled around the neck of the closest serpent, tightening like a noose. With a violent jerk, Kaden yanked it forward—straight into the waiting maw of [Sanguine Roots.]

The crimson roots burst upward, impaling the snake mid-air. It let out a strangled hiss, its body thrashing wildly, but the moment its life force drained—it fell limp.

[Ding! You have killed a Green Pit Serpent!]

In the time he dealt with this one, the other two managed to reach him and dug their fangs into his leg and chest.

A searing pain erupted through Kaden's body as the serpents' fangs sank deep into his flesh. His breath hitched, his vision momentarily swimming with the sheer intensity of the venom coursing into his bloodstream.

But the blur cleared up instantly.

[Ding! Poisoned state is expelled. You have gained Inferior Poison Resistance]