Alex decided to strike first.
The moment he made up his mind, he pushed off the ground and rushed forward with surprising speed, closing the distance between himself and the Burrow Serpent.
But the creature reacted instantly.
The moment it sensed danger, its many small legs began moving rapidly, and its body twisted sharply as it started digging into the earth.
"Shit!"
Alex cursed under his breath as he lunged forward.
By the time he reached the spot where the serpent had been only seconds ago, the ground had already sealed over. The creature had vanished beneath the soil.
Alex immediately began moving, running in quick circles around the area.
He knew better than to remain standing still.
'There's no way to predict where it will appear.' he thought. 'It could strike from anywhere.'
The forest floor looked calm, but he knew the monster was moving beneath it.
Then—
~Shhhk~
A faint sound reached his ears.
Alex glanced down and noticed a thin crack forming in the soil near his feet.
Although he had been moving constantly, the serpent was incredibly fast underground. In the blink of an eye, it had already caught up to him.
The ground burst open.
The Burrow Serpent shot upward, its body lunging toward him. Its mouth opened wide, revealing sharp fangs glistening with poison.
For a split second, the creature was about to sink those fangs into his leg.
Alex reacted instinctively, twisting his body to the right at the last moment.
The serpent's attack barely missed him.
He jumped back quickly.
"That was close…" he muttered, his heart beating faster now.
Hidden not far away, Mei Lin watched the entire scene unfold.
'He lacks real combat experience .'she thought quietly as she observed Alex's movements.
His reactions weren't refined, and his footwork lacked precision. It was clear he hadn't fought many real battles before.
Still, he had managed to avoid a fatal strike.
Meanwhile, the serpent had not retreated far. Because of Alex's quick movement, the two of them were now much closer to each other than before.
Alex seized the opportunity.
Without giving the creature time to dig again, he stepped forward and threw a powerful punch.
His fist slammed into the serpent's body.
The impact sent the creature flying backward before it crashed hard against the trunk of a nearby tree.
The serpent dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.
For a brief moment, both sides paused.
Alex used the time to think.
'There's no way I can reach it before it digs again.' he realized.
He took several steps backward, creating distance.
If the serpent managed to disappear underground again while he stood too close, it could easily ambush him from below.
That would be dangerous.
As Alex focused on the fight, another realization suddenly struck him.
'I'm not even using my qi.'
Until now, he had been relying only on his physical strength.
Without hesitation, Alex began circulating the qi within his body. The familiar energy flowed through his meridians, strengthening his muscles and sharpening his senses.
Hidden among the trees, Mei Lin noticed the change.
'So he's finally using qi.' she thought.
At that moment, Alex noticed movement again.
A crack appeared in the soil behind him.
The ground slowly began to split open as the serpent prepared to emerge.
But this time, Alex was ready.
Before the creature could fully burst out of the ground, Alex turned and struck the cracking earth with a powerful punch.
His fist slammed into the spot just as the serpent tried to surface.
The blow disrupted the creature's movement and forced it to halt halfway through its attack.
Alex quickly stepped back again.
A few seconds later, the Burrow Serpent finally emerged from the ground completely.
But now the situation had changed.
Alex was prepared.
The moment the creature appeared, Alex stepped forward and unleashed another punch, this time infused with qi.
The impact was far stronger than before.
The serpent's body shook violently as the force struck it head-on. For an instant, Alex sensed the creature's cultivation.
'Second Stage of the Foundation Realm.' he realized.
But he didn't stop there.
Before the serpent could react, Alex continued attacking.
One punch.
Then another.
Then another.
His fists struck the creature repeatedly, each blow carrying the force of circulating qi.
The serpent's body was thrown against the ground again and again, unable to recover from the relentless assault.
Finally, it stopped moving.
Alex stood there, breathing slightly heavier than before as he stared at the creature lying motionless on the ground.
'Is it dead?' he wondered.
He cautiously stepped back, keeping his eyes on it for several seconds.
The serpent didn't move.
Not even a twitch.
Only then did Alex allow himself to relax slightly.
The Burrow Serpent was truly dead.
After confirming that the Burrow Serpent was truly dead, Alex finally allowed himself to relax.
The tension in his shoulders eased as he let out a slow breath.
'So this is what a real fight feels like.' he thought.
It had been dangerous, far more unpredictable than anything he had imagined while reading books in the library. Yet at the same time, a quiet sense of satisfaction settled in his chest.
He had survived.
More importantly, he had won.
Without wasting time, Alex knelt beside the creature and began extracting the useful materials he had learned about from the books. Carefully, he removed the venom sac and the monster core hidden within its body.
The process wasn't pleasant, but Alex forced himself to remain calm and focused.
Once he finished, he placed the materials into the bag he had bought earlier and wiped his hands on the grass.
Then he stood up and continued deeper into the forest.
Now that the first battle was behind him, his movements carried more confidence than before. His senses remained alert as his eyes scanned the surroundings for both herbs and potential threats.
Time passed quietly.
After walking for a while, Alex suddenly sensed movement ahead.
Two creatures emerged from between the trees.
They were roughly the size of large wolves, their bodies lean and tense, their eyes fixed directly on him. Alex could immediately sense their cultivation level.
Both were at the First Layer of the Foundation Realm.
The beasts did not hesitate.
Almost as if they had silently agreed, the two monsters lunged at him at the same time.
But this time, Alex was far calmer than he had been during his fight with the Burrow Serpent.
His body moved instinctively.
He shifted to the side, narrowly avoiding the first beast as it rushed past him. At the same time, he stepped forward and pivoted smoothly, dodging the second attack with surprising ease.
His movements were faster than the monsters expected.
Before they could even fully turn around to attack again, Alex had already moved.
One swift strike.
Then another.
His fists, strengthened by circulating qi, struck with precise force.
The monsters barely had time to react.
Within moments, both creatures collapsed onto the forest floor.
Silence returned to the area.
Alex stood still for a moment, watching the bodies carefully to make sure they were no longer moving.
The entire fight had lasted only a few minutes.
Compared to his earlier battle, this one had felt almost effortless.
'Looks like I'm getting used to this.' he thought quietly.
After a brief pause, Alex walked over and began extracting their monster cores, just as he had done before.
Once he finished, he placed the cores inside his bag.