I Start with a Mysterious Island-Chapter 35: Why So Arrogant if You’re Not Poisonous?
While Lin Li observed the Black Snake Beast, the Black Snake Beast was also observing him.
’This prey looks absolutely delicious. I came all the way here from the wilderness, several kilometers away, just to find a meal. This long journey was definitely not a waste of time.’
"HISSS..."
The famished Black Snake Beast let out a hiss at Lin Li. First, its eyes began to glow with a faint golden Spiritual Light, and then its entire body was enveloped in the same golden luminescence.
The faint golden Spiritual Light enveloped its pitch-black scales, making the massive Black Snake Beast’s already intimidating presence even more menacing.
’It’s coming.’ Seeing the Black Snake Beast’s posture, Lin Li knew instantly that the creature was about to attack.
"HISSS..."
The Black Snake Beast swayed its head, its cold, serpentine eyes glowing with a faint golden Spiritual Light and staring fixedly at Lin Li. After another hiss, its coiled upper body shot forward like a compressed spring.
The beast’s massive head shot toward Lin Li with lightning speed. As it moved, the Black Snake Beast opened its maw wide, its sharp fangs gleaming coldly. It intended to swallow its prey in a single gulp.
On full alert, Lin Li was already prepared to dodge the moment he saw the Black Snake Beast’s intent to attack.
The instant the Black Snake Beast’s head shot forward, Lin Li was already leaping to his right.
The Black Snake Beast’s attack was incredibly fast. ’There’s no room for hesitation. Even half a second of delay, and its attack will land.’
"THUD."
Lin Li’s decisive dodge was the right move. The Black Snake Beast’s attack hit nothing but air, its massive head slamming viciously into the ground with a muffled thud.
"Whew..."
Having narrowly dodged the Black Snake Beast’s preemptive strike, Lin Li noticed a small depression in the ground where its head had slammed.
He heaved a long sigh of relief, feeling his heart pounding faster in his chest.
’Don’t get nervous. This Black Snake Beast might look fierce and terrifying, but I can clearly keep up with its attack speed.
As long as I keep a cool head and trust my reflexes, it’ll have a hard time biting me.’
After this small internal pep talk, Lin Li felt his wildly pounding heart calm down considerably.
"HISSS..."
The Black Snake Beast was furious that its strike had missed. At the same time, it was also somewhat shocked. ’This prey actually managed to dodge my fatal lunge.’
As an experienced predator of the wilderness, the Black Snake Beast was no fool.
’My confident, preemptive strike was dodged. This prey, which I thought would be a delicious meal, isn’t as easy to handle as I first imagined.’
’But that doesn’t matter. It’s not like I haven’t encountered difficult prey before. With my massive body, it’s only a matter of time before I capture this little thing.’
The Black Snake Beast slithered forward, slowly closing in on Lin Li. It flicked its crimson tongue, and a hiss that could make one’s skin crawl spread through the small clearing.
The small critters hiding in the dense surrounding grass trembled in fear at the Black Snake Beast’s terrifying hisses. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, they began to flee.
"HISSS..."
A sharp hiss suddenly erupted—the Black Snake Beast’s signal to attack.
Hearing the sudden change in the Black Snake Beast’s hiss, Lin Li instantly realized it was about to launch a fierce assault.
"RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE..."
This time, the Black Snake Beast didn’t use its previous lunging attack. Instead, it slithered rapidly toward Lin Li, trying to close the distance for close-quarters combat.
This just went to show what an experienced predator the Black Snake Beast was. ’If you can dodge my attack from a distance, then I’ll just get closer. I’ll stick right to you and attack. Let’s see you try and dodge that.’
Having dodged the Black Snake Beast’s preemptive strike, Lin Li had also obtained the information he needed: he had determined that this Black Snake Beast was non-venomous.
When it had opened its maw to lunge at him earlier, it hadn’t spat any venom.
’Since you’re not venomous, I can fight you without worry.’
"POOF."
Lin Li raised his gauze-wrapped left hand. Spiritual Light bloomed from his fingertips, and as a faint golden light flashed, an egg-sized Fireball materialized above them.
"HISSS...?"
Charging toward Lin Li with ferocious momentum, the Black Snake Beast saw the small Fireball suddenly appear over its prey’s hand, and it slowed its advance ever so slightly.
In its view, however, an egg-sized Fireball couldn’t possibly cause it any real harm. So after slowing for a moment, it suddenly accelerated again.
But in the next second, the egg-sized Fireball hovering over Lin Li’s fingertips instantly swelled to the size of an apple.
Its volume had increased severalfold, and so, naturally, had its power.
’You big black thing, what’re you so arrogant for if you’re not even venomous? Eat this...’ Lin Li cursed inwardly at the charging Black Snake Beast and flicked his hand, sending the Fireball he created flying.
"WHOOSH..."
The apple-sized Fireball shot out at an incredible speed.
The Black Snake Beast was charging so fast that by the time it saw the Fireball suddenly expand and hurtle toward it, it was too late to dodge.
However, as an experienced predator, it could still react in a crisis to minimize the damage.
With a sudden flex of its slick body, the Black Snake Beast’s head snapped upward.
The Fireball, which Lin Li had aimed at the Black Snake Beast’s head, missed its original target and slammed directly into the beast’s black-scaled body.
"BOOM."
The orange-red Fireball exploded on impact with the Black Snake Beast’s body.
In an instant, the explosion tore a chunk of flesh and blood from the Black Snake Beast’s body.
The scorching flames from the explosion seared the wound, leaving it charred black. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
"HISSS..."
The intense pain sent the Black Snake Beast thrashing wildly, its massive body slamming against the ground again and again, kicking up clouds of dust.
...
