Chapter 51: The Sea of Snakes

Chapter 51: The Sea of Snakes

"It should be around here!"

After some searching, George noticed that the golden arrow kept shifting within a hundred-meter radius. He instructed Isa to keep the jet invisible and hovering in the air, then jumped out of the plane himself.

"Found it."

Hovering above the desert valley, George used his binoculars to spot a makeshift military base built next to a cave. The base was surrounded by crates of missiles stamped with the Stark Industries logo, and armed terrorists patrolled the area.

George didn't launch an immediate attack. Instead, under the cover of night, he quietly landed near the valley and found a suitable sniping spot. He then took out the sniper rifle strapped to his back.

He wasn't sure if there were hidden guards in the valley besides the obvious patrols. If he attacked directly, the visible guards wouldn't be a problem, but hidden snipers could catch him off guard.

Unfortunately, he hadn't yet mastered the Disillusionment Charm, a high-level spell that would allow him to become invisible. If he could, he could sneak in undetected.

"I need to lure them out."

Putting down the sniper rifle, George pondered for a moment and soon came up with a plan.

"Serpensortia!"

"Serpensortia!"

"Serpensortia!"

One by one, desert rattlesnakes appeared beside George as he continuously cast the spell.

In the Harry Potter world, the power of magic varied depending on the wizard's skill. The same fire spell could create a sea of flames in Dumbledore's hands or a mere flicker in a student's. The Killing Curse, when cast by an adult wizard, was lethal, but when cast by a child, it might only cause a nosebleed.

However, a wizard's magical reserves were essentially limitless. If you were determined, you could cast spells indefinitely without running out of magic.

At most, prolonged spellcasting would make you physically tired—just like waving your arms nonstop would exhaust you. But with enough willpower, you could cast spells for 24 hours straight.

The reason for this was beyond George's current understanding of magic.

He speculated that either wizards could convert external energy into magic, making their reserves inexhaustible, or their magical recovery rate was incredibly fast—like a game character with a 100x mana regeneration rate, ensuring their magic never ran out.

But that wasn't his concern right now.

He was taking advantage of his wizard blood's inexhaustible magic to continuously cast the Snake Summoning Charm, creating an army of venomous snakes.

"I really am a Slytherin at heart."

Looking at the thousands of desert rattlesnakes hissing before him, George stretched his sore arms and felt his throat going hoarse.

Since he was casting spells with hand gestures, he could only manage six or seven Snake Summoning Charms per minute. Summoning over a thousand snakes had taken him more than two hours of nonstop chanting and gesturing.

"I need to figure out how to make a wand soon."

If he had a wand, he could cast thirty Snake Summoning Charms per minute, summoning a thousand snakes in just over half an hour.

"Go! Bite anyone you see!"

At George's command, the swarm of snakes dispersed, slithering down the valley from all directions.

No matter how well-hidden the terrorists were, they couldn't escape the detection of so many snakes.

Even if a bite didn't kill them immediately, they'd have to leave their hiding spots to seek treatment—giving George the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Ah! Snakes!"

Sure enough, it didn't take long for screams to echo from various corners of the valley. Though George couldn't understand their language, it was clear they'd been bitten by his summoned snakes.

Gunfire followed as the visible guards rushed to aid their hidden comrades under siege by the snakes.

Meanwhile, inside the cave, a lieutenant burst into the leader's room:

"Boss, something's wrong! Our men outside are being bitten by snakes!"

"Idiot! If they're bitten, treat them! It's not like they've never been bitten before!"

The bald leader, initially thinking the base had been discovered by the military, jumped out of bed. Hearing it was just snake bites, he kicked the lieutenant in frustration.

Getting bitten by snakes in the desert was common. A bit of folk medicine and the right antidote usually did the trick. How could such a trivial matter disturb his rest?

"Boss, it's not just one snake. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands!"

The lieutenant explained, still on the ground.

The leader froze:

"Hundreds? Are you joking?"

Snakes in the desert were normal, but hundreds? Even if they'd stumbled into a nest, this was excessive.

But he quickly accepted the reality when he checked the surveillance monitors. The screens showed a sea of snakes swarming his men, sending a chill down his spine.

"Leave two men to guard Tony Stark. Everyone else, grab flamethrowers and follow me. We're having roasted snake for breakfast tomorrow!"

The leader, though shaken, quickly devised a plan.

Using guns against snakes was like using a cannon to swat a fly—ineffective and risky. Flamethrowers were the way to go.

Inside the cave, Tony Stark was startled by the commotion outside. He tried to peek through the door crack but was harshly scolded by the two guards stationed there.

Two months ago, he had been kidnapped by terrorists while demonstrating his latest missile to the military. During the chaos, he was injured by his own weapon and saved by Dr. Yinsen, another captive.

Through Yinsen, he learned that his weapons, designed to protect his country, had become tools for mass murder. He also realized the terrorists had kept him alive to force him to build advanced missiles for their global domination.

This had driven him to the brink of suicide.

But Yinsen's words had reignited his will to live. Together, they had built a crude Arc Reactor and begun designing the first Iron Man suit.

"Don't worry. It doesn't seem to be about us. They're dealing with some problem outside."

"That's a relief."

Hearing Tony's words, Yinsen relaxed.

They had already started crafting parts for the Iron Man suit. If discovered, they'd be doomed.

Outside the cave, George watched as the snakes were incinerated by flamethrowers and the injured hidden guards were carried inside. He quietly set up his sniper rifle.

"Didn't expect the leader to come out himself. Perfect timing to take him out first."

(End of Chapter)