My Bugged System Made Me Too OP!-Chapter 36: Green-horned snake

Suddenly, another rustle echoed from above.

From the tree directly over the squirrel.

His senses tingled, but before he could even turn his head—

A flash of green dropped from the canopy.

A long, slender snake with shimmering emerald scales and a short, sharp horn protruding from its forehead shot downward like a falling spear.

The snake landed directly on the squirrel’s back, its body moving with terrifying speed. In a single fluid motion, its tail coiled tightly around the squirrel’s torso, locking it in place.

The squirrel shrieked.

A high, desperate sound that pierced the heavy air of the forest.

It thrashed wildly, claws scraping against bark and soil, trying to break free. Its tiny body twisted and writhed in panic, but the coils only tightened further.

The snake’s horn glinted faintly under the filtered sunlight.

Then—

It struck again.

Its jaws snapped forward and sank into the squirrel’s neck without mercy.

The squirrel’s shrieks turned into choked squeals. Its body convulsed violently, limbs jerking uncontrollably as venom spread through its bloodstream.

It shook and struggled for a while before going still.

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

A faint chill slid down his spine.

He had barely sensed the snake until the exact moment it leapt. Even with his boosted Sense stat, the creature had almost gone completely unnoticed.

That realization unsettled him more than the kill itself.

The snake’s scales were nearly identical in shade to the surrounding leaves. It had blended seamlessly into the canopy, perfectly camouflaged among the foliage.

If not for the squirrel’s movement—

If not for that small, frantic distraction—

He would have walked directly beneath that tree.

His gaze hardened slightly.

He had been planning to head in that exact direction moments earlier.

’It’s good I was being careful...’ he thought. ’If not, I could be the one attacked.’

And unlike the squirrel, he wouldn’t have had time to shriek.

His eyes remained fixed on the predator.

The snake loosened its coils gradually, but did not leave. Instead, it began sliding in slow circles around the squirrel’s corpse, its tongue flicking in and out methodically as if confirming the kill.

Its movements were eerily calm.

The horn on its forehead was small but sharp, curving slightly forward like a natural dagger.

Green Horned Snake.

He had read about it before.

A low-grade mana beast, but extremely dangerous due to its stealth and potent venom.

It rarely confronted prey head-on, and instead struck when least expected.

Its venom was known to paralyze within seconds and stop the heart shortly after.

It was a mutated-grade mana

beast — a tier above the small squirrel it had just killed. The squirrel had only carried faint traces of ambient mana, barely enough to be considered a beast at all.

This snake, however, had a more concentrated flow of mana running beneath its emerald scales.

The Green Horned Snake continued its slow, almost ritualistic circling of the corpse, like it was savouring the kill.

Noah had read before that this species had a strange habit — it loved circling its prey several times before devouring it. As though asserting dominance. As though enjoying the helplessness of its victim even after death.

A predator through and through.

Noah remained completely still.

He was waiting.

He didn’t want to engage it while it was fully alert.

Its venom alone could paralyze within seconds. Even as a Core Magus, he had no desire to test his endurance against neurotoxin.

’Let it lower its guard,’ he thought calmly.

That would be the best moment.

Still, he didn’t focus solely on the snake.

His heightened Sense spread outward in a careful radius. He scanned the surrounding trees, the bushes, the roots beneath him. He listened for irregular breathing patterns. Felt for stray pulses of mana.

But the forest remained still.

No movement beyond insects and distant birds.

Satisfied, he shifted his attention back to the snake.

The Green Horned Snake finally stopped circling.

Its body uncoiled slightly, then repositioned itself beside the squirrel’s head.

Without hesitation, it opened its jaws wide.

And began swallowing from the head first.

Its jaws stretched unnaturally wide, fangs retracting as its throat expanded. The squirrel’s small skull disappeared gradually past its mouth. The snake’s body rippled as it worked the corpse inward.

Noah smirked faintly.

"Got you," he murmured under his breath.

He slowly extended one hand forward, palm facing the distracted beast.

Mana gathered instantly.

Lightning crackled to life in front of his palm, sparks snapping violently as energy condensed into a dense sphere.

A Lightning Ball formed rapidly, bright and unstable, humming with compressed voltage.

The snake sensed something, but it was already too late.

Noah released it.

The sphere shot forward at rapid speed, tearing through the air in a streak of white-blue light.

It struck the snake’s upper body directly.

And detonated.

A sharp explosion of lightning erupted in a burst of crackling energy. The impact blasted leaves outward and sent a shockwave rippling through nearby branches.

The Green Horned Snake convulsed violently.

Its body twisted and jerked uncontrollably as lightning coursed through its scaled frame. The mana within it reacted chaotically, amplifying the electrical current instead of resisting it.

Sparks burst from between its scales.

The scent of burnt flesh filled the air.

Its coils tightened reflexively around the half-swallowed squirrel, but the movement quickly became erratic. The beast writhed, slamming against the tree trunk once before collapsing to the forest floor.

Electricity continued to arc across its body for a few seconds longer, frying its internal organs from the inside out.

Then the snake went still.

Its jaws remained stretched open, the squirrel’s body still lodged halfway inside. Its forked tongue hung limply between lifeless fangs.

Noah lowered his hand slowly, watching for any sign of movement.

But there was none.

A low chuckle escaped him, feeling excited at how he killed the beast.

’It died in one attack...’ he thought, eyes narrowing slightly. ’That was easier than I expected.’

But even as satisfaction flickered through him, he didn’t relax fully.