Arthur stepped back hurriedly, as the rocky, serpentine tail barely missed his face by a hair’s breadth.

He tried to open up the distance as he conjured a second [Water Arrow].

As for his [Goblin’s Fang], he’d already given up on it. If John’s spear couldn’t break through this thing’s defense, the fang from a level 1 goblin wouldn’t stand a better chance.

The serpent lunged again, this time aiming for John.

The burly man pivoted sideways, barely dodging the snapping jaws that came for his head before his spear flashed again, this time at the snake’s belly. Again, the scales deflected most of the blow aside, but this time, the tip of his spear dug in just enough to draw a thin line of dark blood.

Arthur froze for a second, staring at the wound. Was the snake’s belly its weak point?

"No, that’s not it. Even that attack barely pierced its skin," he quickly shook his head.

Arthur’s second [Water Arrow] had already formed. He aimed for the base of the serpent’s skull this time, the chin... and missed it by a hair. The arrow struck just below its head, digging into its scales before dispersing.

But Arthur didn’t manage to draw any blood.

The snake’s tail whipped across the ground like a hammer, forcing Arthur to leap back.

Truth be told, Arthur didn’t know he could react this fast. He’d been second-guessing whether it had been worth pouring his free points into agility and strength, but right now it was definitely paying off.

He dodged the attack just in time, only for the creature’s head to swing toward him again, its tongue flicking rapidly.

And through the mist, Arthur caught the faint glimmer in its slanted yellow eyes.

Eyes?

That’s right. This thing had eyes. Slanted, serpentine yellow pupils!

"This is it!" Arthur thought to himself.

He activated his [Water Arrow] again, his mana gathering around his right palm. The snake seemed ready to strike too, pulling its body back into a tight coil, just like the first time it had attacked.

But this time, Arthur moved first!

A second later, his mana exploded as his third [Water Arrow] streaked forward and slammed right into the creature’s left eye! This time there was no shallow impact or skidding off hard scales. The arrow punched right through, bursting deep into the snake’s skull.

A rain of black ichor followed as the snake convulsed violently, thrashing for a few seconds before its body collapsed on the gravel.

Then... the familiar system notification appeared once again.

[Rock Serpent defeated. +34 EXP]

Arthur and John watched the serpent dissolve into motes of light.

Only when its body was halfway gone did John finally lower his spear and mutter in shock,

"Damn... what the hell was this? The Iron Boars here are one thing, but this damn snake was on another level entirely. Just how are you even supposed to kill these things man?"

Arthur nodded as he sat down and tried to catch his breath..

Putting the serpent’s sturdiness aside, just its teeth alone were probably enough to snap a person in half. John might have been able to tank a hit or two and survive thanks to his vitality stat, but even he would probably be in rough shape after that. Don’t even mention a mage like Arthur.

For a moment, the two of them just stood there, watching the snake’s corpse fade into nothingness. The dark ichor had already seeped into the ground, fading alongside its dead owner.

Arthur’s eyes scanned the ground, but again, there was no drop.

"Let’s keep going," Arthur said after a moment. There didn’t seem to be any more [Rock Serpents] in the area, but he didn’t want to linger around until they showed up.

John nodded.

"Yeah, let’s get out of here. Honestly, I’d rather face a group of Iron Boars or even the goblin shaman again than these damn snakes."

...

A moment later, the two of them continued to go up the mountain, following the ledge until it narrowed into a slanted path. Their climb became slower here, each step needing a careful plant so they wouldn’t slide back down.

Somehow, the mountain air felt cooler the higher up they went.

After another ten minutes of walking, the steep slope finally evened out into a wider expanse of land. Even the mist here seemed lighter, and the air smelled faintly of woodsmoke.

...Woodsmoke?

There was no mistaking it. Even through the white haze, Arthur soon spotted it. That faint orange flicker, dancing erratically inside the mist.

Their footsteps paused and Arthur and John glanced at each other. Somebody had actually set up a campfire in this place?

Slowly, they got closer, and the shapes around the fire came into view. Four players sat in a loose circle, their gear spread out nearby as they chatted loudly among themselves. They didn’t seem wary of any Rock Serpents or Iron Boars at all.

Arthur and John slowed down as they approached. The sight of the fire on the mountain was one thing, but it was the voices that caught Arthur’s attention.

"...I told you, it’s real. It’s called Stonehide Alpha. A level nine rare monster. A big bastard with a hide that looks like iron. The boars are nothing next to it."

"Yeah, yeah. And I suppose you went up there and gave it a pat, right?"

"No, but I saw the party that tried. Three guys who were on this mountain before we got here. One level 6 and two level 5s. They died before they even touched the thing."

"Greg, you bastard, are you messing with us? Why would a group of level 5s and 6s try to fight a level 9 monster? No, wait, how the hell did they even make it to the peak of the mountain in the first place?"