[STATUS]
Name: ???
Type: Abyss Coil Serpent
Age: 500 years
Level: 3
Abilities: Sharp Eyesight (C), Abyssal Toxin (A), Stone Skin (B), …
Description: A level-3 snake-like monster. It possesses extraordinary endurance, unmatched strength among monsters of the same level, and, most importantly, the most dangerous toxin in the world: Abyssal Toxin.
Note: If you encounter it, flee immediately. Your chances of survival are below one percent.
Raven's breath caught in his throat as he read the description. He hadn't expected them to encounter a level-three monster.
With their current strength, it would be no different from suicide.
"Raven, what should we do?" Claire whispered, her voice trembling.
Her gaze was fixed on the monster in fear. Compared to the wolf they had defeated earlier, the creature before them was far more terrifying and intimidating.
Although it hadn't noticed them, her fear didn't subside. On the contrary, it only intensified.
Amon gently patted her head and said softly, "Don't worry. We'll wait for it to leave. Try not to make even the slightest sound, okay?"
His warm breath brushed against Claire's ear. Her face flushed instantly, and her body began to tremble slightly.
Raven noticed her reaction, but the situation was too tense for him to tease her.
"Sssh…"
The snake occasionally flicked its tongue, its gaze sweeping across every corner as if searching for the prey it had marked.
Fortunately, the monster's vision was poor. Its Sharp Eyesight ability only activated at night.
However, Raven didn't dare to be careless. Their lives depended on this moment.
Second by second, time dragged on. Claire's body grew weak, and sweat began to drip from her neck and forehead.
The bushes where she and Raven were hiding were covered in sharp, dense leaves. Even the slightest movement could produce a sound that would immediately draw the snake's attention.
"Sshh…"
Unable to locate its prey, the snake eventually decided to leave the area.
Claire let out a quiet sigh of relief. Subconsciously, she shifted her foot—and a twig snapped beneath her weight.
The forest fell into dead silence. Raven and Claire exchanged terrified glances.
"Run!"
Without waiting for her response, Raven grabbed her arm and pulled her into a sprint.
Roar!
The snake monster let out a deafening roar, whipping around and giving chase.
"Damn it… damn it!" Raven cursed inwardly, panic and despair rising in his chest.
Looking back, he saw the snake barreling after them, its hungry gaze locked firmly onto them.
Because of its massive size, it should, in theory, have had difficulty catching up to them, especially with all the trees in the forest obstructing its path. But the monster wasn't a rational creature.
It slammed through trunks and toppled trees in its path.
Raven's breathing grew ragged as panic tightened its grip on him.
"Raven… I… I'm exhausted!"
Claire's strained voice came from behind. Her pace was already slowing, breaking their rhythm.
"Hang in there, Claire! If it catches us, we're dead!" Raven shouted.
"I really can't go on, Raven!" she replied, breathless.
Her beautiful face had turned deathly pale, as if all the blood had drained from her body.
"Damn it…" Raven gritted his teeth.
He suddenly realized that Claire's condition wasn't ordinary exhaustion but a panic attack.
In that state, the body could go into shock, unable to respond properly to sudden movement—like when he had forced her to run.
If this continued, she would collapse completely… and might even end up permanently impaired.
He couldn't let that happen—not only for her sake, but also because Claire was the key to fully unlocking the system's functions.
'There's no other choice,' he muttered grimly.
He stopped abruptly, crouched down, and hoisted Claire onto his back.
She froze in shock, her pale face flushing red almost instantly.
"Raven, what are you—"
Before she could finish, he stood up and secured her legs with his hands.
A strange, tingling sensation shot through her, and her breathing grew uneven as heat rushed to her face.
It was the first time she had ever been this close to a man—let alone in a situation like this.
"Don't say a word. This is the only way to escape that snake!"
Without waiting for a response, Raven bent his knees and sprinted forward.
Carrying Claire naturally should have slowed him down, but surprisingly, she was so light he barely felt her weight.
Still, with her pressed against his back, he couldn't ignore the soft warmth of her body against him.
'This woman has developed quite well,' he muttered with a faint smirk.
Fifteen minutes later…
"That monster isn't chasing us anymore," Raven said with a sigh of relief.
He gently set Claire down. "Can you move?"
Claire tried to stand and nodded weakly.
"I'm fine. Thank you," she replied softly.
If not for his help, she knew she would have died just now.
"[Ding! Obtained 10 affection points!]"
Seeing her growing affection, Raven merely smiled and said nothing.
He shifted his gaze forward. "There's a lake up ahead. Let's clean ourselves up and continue our journey afterward. We're running out of time."
Claire's expression turned serious as she clenched both fists tightly.
"Mm! Let's go!"