Chapter 22: Mina, Do You Need Artificial Respiration?

This was not the time for hesitation. There was no room for doubt now. Who knew when the snake would suddenly lash out and attack?

Steve looked at Mina, whose face had gone pale and her eyes were glazed over in a daze. He whispered, "Don't be afraid, Mina. I'm going to catch the snake. Don't move and don't disturb it."

Mina barely registered Steve's words. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. Instead, her eyes welled with tears, pleading with him silently. The pitiful look in her eyes could melt even the coldest of hearts.

Steve, sensing the urgency of the situation, took a deep breath, mentally praying, Master System, it's time to test whether your skills are truly reliable.

Slowly, Steve extended his hand, inching it closer to the snake.

It felt as if time had stretched out. The short distance of less than half a meter seemed like an eternity.

Mina's body had become stiff with fear. She could feel herself slipping into panic, as if she might collapse at any moment. She regretted moving away from Steve earlier. If she had stayed closer, maybe he would have already caught the snake by now.

Chris and Jarvis were equally tense. They held their breath and watched Steve's every movement. They didn't question whether Steve could catch the snake. After all, if he was going to try, they believed he must have the skills for it. After all, he could dive, cook, make crab claws, and even dry conchs. Catching a snake? He could surely manage that.

But the reality was, Steve had never caught a snake before. This was the first time he was so close to one. His heart raced in his chest as he continued to stretch his hand forward, inch by agonizing inch.

At this moment, Steve's hand was just 20 centimeters from the snake. The snake, already aware of his movements, began to react. Its tail began to twitch, and its upper body lifted slightly, preparing to strike.

This was a warning. The snake was telling Steve to back off, or it would strike.

But Steve didn't know any of that. He had no idea how quickly this creature could move. All he knew was that he was so close. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to suppress the fear and nausea that churned in his stomach. He took one more step forward and grabbed the snake's head.

What Steve didn't realize was that no matter how fast a human could move, it was nothing compared to the speed of a snake, especially not a green mamba, known to be one of the fastest snakes in the world.

The attack speed of a snake is around 50 milliseconds, while a human's blink takes roughly 200 milliseconds. This means that in the blink of an eye, a snake can strike up to four times. Who could hope to dodge an attack that fast?

Moreover, the snake's body could withstand an astounding 30g of gravity when it strikes. To put that into perspective, even the best pilots would faint under just 10g of pressure.

With such speed and power, the snake's strike was almost inevitable.

Just as Steve was about to grab the snake, it opened its mouth wide and lunged at him, its fangs aimed directly at his hand.

For a split second, it seemed certain that Steve would be bitten. If that happened, he might not die, but his chances of being eliminated would be almost guaranteed.

Meanwhile, back in the live broadcast room, experts who knew about snakes had already predicted what would happen. They were sure that Steve would be eliminated. The animal and plant experts invited by the program team had also spotted the danger. They were preparing the necessary antivenom, just in case.

The world was watching, and many were waiting to see Steve fail. Countries that were rivals to Kyushu, like Chouguo, Xiaobang, and Xiaobaga, secretly gloated, eager to see Kyushu's contestant be the first to be eliminated.

The program team even broadcasted the footage of Steve attempting to catch the snake in the global live stream. The barrage of comments flooded the screen:

"This guy clearly doesn't know what he's doing. Is he planning to feed himself to that snake?"

"I really hope to see him get eaten by the snake, but that's impossible, right? I hope the show team has the serum ready."

"Wow, is Kyushu the first team to be eliminated? I thought they were supposed to be the strongest."

"Yo Xi Yo Xi, die and die."

"Haha, this guy's arrogance will be his downfall."

"Kyushu is out! Our team will surely take first place now."

Steve, however, had no idea that he was being watched by millions around the world. If he had known, he might have been more confident. But at this moment, all his focus was on the snake in front of him.

His hand was just 0.01 centimeters away from the snake's open mouth. To the naked eye, their movements were too fast to follow. But a high-speed camera would have caught every detail.

At that exact moment, when it seemed the snake would strike, Steve's hand moved in a blur, dodging the attack in the nick of time. The snake's fangs missed him by a hair's breadth. Steve then quickly grasped the snake's neck, pinning it down with incredible speed.

The snake might not have had a distinct neck, but Steve's hand was firm around its vital spot, preventing it from moving.

It was a move only possible with Kato's Hand—a technique Steve had perfected. This skill relied on rapid hand movements, fast enough to break through any defense.

In the past, Kato had used this skill to break countless records. No one could withstand it for more than three minutes. Now, Steve used it to subdue the snake with ease. The snake wrapped its body around his arm in an attempt to constrict him, but it was no match for his strength. It was a small snake, not a massive python, so Steve had no problem overpowering it.

With a sigh of relief, Steve tightened his grip on the snake's head, ensuring it couldn't escape. He quickly stood up, keeping the snake away from the others. The sweat on his face poured down, but he remained focused.

Meanwhile, Mina, who had been holding her breath the whole time, finally couldn't handle the stress. The moment Steve secured the snake, she collapsed into Bai Xiaolu's arms, fainting from the overwhelming fear.

Bai Xiaolu, horrified, cradled Mina's limp body and shook her gently. "Sister Mina! Sister Mina! Wake up!"

When Jarvis saw Mina's unconscious form, he rushed over, shouting, "Steve! Mina has fainted!"

Steve was at a loss. What could he do now? He had just caught the snake, and now Mina had fainted. Did he need to perform artificial respiration?

He looked down at the snake still in his hand, then back at Mina's pale face. Panic surged in him as he wondered what he should do next. He quickly scanned the area for a solution and spotted a large rock nearby.

Without wasting a moment, Steve placed the snake on the rock, raised the stone above his head, and brought it down with all his strength. The snake's head was crushed instantly, its body convulsing a few times before it lay still.

Steve didn't even bother to wash his hands. He ran to Mina's side, kneeling beside her. His mind raced. Should he try artificial respiration? Would that even help? He wasn't sure, but he knew he had to do something.

In a moment of panic and confusion, Steve gently pressed his hand to Mina's chest. As he prepared to take action, his thoughts raced, hoping that whatever happened next, it wouldn't be too late.

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