Captain Zhao signaled for absolute silence. Her eyes were like shards of ice, hard and unforgiving as they scanned the dark mouth of the cave.

  ?"Everyone, stay alert!" she commanded, her voice a sharp whisper. Then she looked at the two clients who had brought this trouble. "You two, get as far back as you can. Now!"

  ?This Four-Colored Snake wasn't a joke. It was a Low-level High-grade beast, carrying the raw power of a 9th-level Body Refining warrior. One wrong move meant death.

  ?The Iron-Fist team had six people including the Captain, plus Su Han. Zhao was at the 8th-level, while Chen Qian and one other were at the 7th-level.

  ?The rest were 6th-level fighters. Zhao's eyes darted between Su Han and the two 7th-level warriors, her face tight with tension.

  ?"I’ll take the head," she stated, her hand gripping her sword hilt. "You three support me from the sides. The rest of you find openings from the back. Don't let it breathe!"

  ?Su Han nodded, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his weapon. He watched as Chen Qian pulled a small, leather pouch from his bag with trembling fingers.

  ?Chen Qian threw a handful of yellow powder into the narrow cave.

  ?Swoosh!

  ?Instantly, a bitter, foul stench filled the air, making everyone's eyes water.

  ?Su Han wrinkled his nose, his throat burning. "What is this crap? Are they trying to poison a poisonous snake?"

  ?He quickly shook the thought away. A beast like this would need a high-priced toxin to even feel a tickle. The mission pay wouldn't even cover the cost of a poison that strong.

  ?"Get ready! It’s coming out!" Zhao barked, her voice cracking the silence.

  ?A massive, black shape erupted from the cave like a coiled spring. It was over twenty meters long, its thick body covered in shimmering stripes of four deadly colors.

  ?Su Han felt his heart hammer against his ribs like a trapped bird. The thing was terrifyingly large, its scales scraping against the rocks with a dry, rasping sound.

  ?Hiss... Hiss!

  ?The snake flicked its long, forked tongue, tasting the air. Its yellow, slit-pupil eyes stared at the group as if they were nothing more than pieces of raw meat.

  ?"It really thinks we’re dinner," Su Han muttered, his jaw tightening.

  ?Everyone drew their weapons at once.

  ?Clang! Shing!

  ?Su Han pulled out his new Wolf Tooth Dagger, the blade gleaming under the dim light, his eyes turning sharp and predatory.

  ?[DING! NEW MISSION TRIGGERED!]

  ?The System’s cold, robotic voice rang in his head, making his pulse jump.

  ?[MISSION: KILL THE FOUR-COLORED SNAKE.]

  ?[BONUS CONDITION: NO TEAM MEMBER MUST DIE. IF A SINGLE PERSON PERISHES, THE MISSION FAILS.]

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  ?[REWARD: 500 XP, 50 SYSTEM STORE POINTS, YELLOW-GRADE HIGH-GRADE BLUE FLOWER ARMOR.]

  ?[PUNISHMENT FOR FAILURE: WOLF TOOTH DAGGER WILL BE CONFISCATED.]

  ?Su Han ground his teeth so hard they made a clicking sound. His eyes turned bloodshot with a sudden surge of rage.

  ?"You piece of shit system!" he roared inwardly. "If it was just about killing, I’d be fine. But protecting everyone? If one of these idiots trips and dies, it’s my fault?"

  ?He didn't have a choice. He cursed the system under his breath while the snake lunged forward with explosive, blurring speed.

  ?Captain Zhao swung her sword with a desperate roar.

  ?Clang!

  ?The metal hit the snake’s scales and sparked, but it barely left a scratch. The snake hissed in fury, whipping its massive tail toward her like a falling tree.

  ?Zhao used her movement skill to blur out of the way, the tail smashing the earth where she stood just a second ago.

  ?Thud!

  ?Two other mercenaries rushed in from the sides, their blades swinging wildly. Su Han didn't wait any longer.

  ?"Nine-Time Slash!"

  ?He lunged forward, his dagger glowing with a faint, lethal light as he unleashed a storm of strikes on the beast's thick flank.

  ?Slash! Slash! Slash!

  ?Even though his mastery of the Nine-Time Slash was at 100% and his power had doubled, Su Han was still only a 6th-level Body Refining warrior. His strikes didn't have enough raw force to deep-cut the beast's armor.

  ?The team attacked together, a chaotic dance of steel and scales, giving the snake no room to escape. But dodging its counters was becoming a bloody nightmare.

  ?Suddenly, the Four-Colored Snake unhinged its massive jaws, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth.

  ?Ptu!

  ?It spat a glob of red, bubbling liquid at a mercenary. The man was fast—he sliced off his own melting clothes with his blade before the liquid could touch his skin.

  ?Sizzzz!

  ?Within seconds, the discarded fabric turned into a steaming puddle of black liquid. Cold sweat broke out on everyone's foreheads. Their mouths went bone-dry.

  ?"Watch out for the spit!" Captain Zhao screamed, her eyes wide with terror. "It’s lethal! Don't let it touch your skin or you're done!"

  ?The mercenary who almost got hit felt a chill run down his spine, his legs shaking. But years of surviving this hellhole kicked in, and he forced himself back into the fray.

  ?Su Han realized the gravity of the situation. If one of these weaker members got hit and died, his mission was trash and his dagger was gone.

  ?"Should I use the Invincible Supreme Dragon bloodline skill?" he thought, grinding his teeth. "I only have one minute, and then I'm useless for an hour."

  ?He kept circling the beast, using his movement skill to stay alive.

  ?[SHADOW STEPS MASTERY: 7%... 9%... 11%]

  ?The progress was slowing down. Higher-grade techniques were clearly harder to master. He tried the same trick he used on the Black Wolf Leader—aiming for the eyes.

  ?But the snake was too smart. Every time Su Han lunged for the head, it opened its mouth to snap at him, its breath smelling of rot. Su Han had to fake a move, dodge, and strike its back instead.

  ?Suddenly, the snake’s massive tail whipped around like a heavy iron bar. Su Han had no armor to protect him.

  ?THUD!

  ?The impact sent him flying through the air. He crashed into the dirt, coughing up a mouthful of thick, red blood.

  ?"Dammit!"

  ?It felt like he had been hit by a high-speed train. His bones felt like they were vibrating out of his skin. Captain Zhao and two others immediately rushed the snake to keep it from crushing him.

  ?Su Han scrambled up, his vision swimming. He grabbed a handful of Low-grade healing pills from his inventory and shoved them into his mouth like candy.

  ?"You son of a bitch!" he cursed at the snake, his eyes turning a lethal, glowing shade of red.

  ?He gripped his dagger with a bloody hand and dove back into the chaos.

  ?An hour passed. The team was gasping for air, their stamina hitting rock bottom. But the snake, despite the dozens of cuts and bruises, still looked fresh. Its eyes seemed to be mocking them.

  ?Suddenly, the snake targeted a 6th-level mercenary who had tripped. It swung its heavy tail with bone-crushing force.

  ?Captain Zhao tried to move, but she was too far away. Everyone froze, their hearts stopping in their chests. They thought the man was dead for sure.

  ?Su Han was the closest. If that man died, the mission was over.

  ?He pushed his movement skill to the absolute, breaking limit.

  ?Whoosh!

  ?He lunged forward and shoved the mercenary out of the way with a violent grunt.

  ?CRACK!

  ?The tail slammed directly into Su Han’s unprotected back. The sound of snapping bones echoed through the clearing like a gunshot.

  ?Su Han was launched through the air like a ragdoll. He slammed into a massive rock with such force that it left a crater in the stone.

  ?Captain Zhao clenched her fists, her face pale. Chen Qian wiped the sweat from his face, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at the slumped body.

  ?No one knew if Su Han was even alive.