Sofia didn’t feel it was right to pick them. With how much MP she has, It will be risky!

‘Can I pick them and run straight away?’ Sofia thought as she stared at the Borage batches, ‘No, I better call the others’

Scratch! Hiss! She heard something in the overgrowth behind the trees. Sofia held tightly to her staff, ‘I didn’t pick any, what is over there’

Hiss! Hiss! She managed to catch a glimpse of the thing, long and thick it was!

‘It’s big!’ Sofia froze in place, ‘I never seen a snake as big as tree trunks before, is it a monster!’

Fear can be seen clearly in her eyes, her legs were trembling.

‘Should I call Cain? could he even hear me from this distance?’

‘No, if Cain can’t then she is my only hope!’

Sofia took a slow, deep breath, her heart was racing as she knew. The moment she opens her mouth, that monster will attack.

“SELENA!!!!!!!!!!!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, without wasting any time she started running.

Crimson Cobra was the name of the monster Sofia spotted, one of the most vicious and efficient predators of the forest! It was large enough to swallow a person whole and boasted one of one the deadliest venom known. Despite its name, the monster had brown and green scales, allowing it to blend with the forest. The monster was named after its crimson eyes.

The Borage plant attract herbivores when pulled out, The Crimson Cobra had evolved to take advantage of that! The monster learned to rub the Borage batches to attract his meal!

Sofia was right, she can’t fight that thing, she was outclassed on many levels! To be honest she felt that even Selena and Cain wouldn’t be able to help her.

The Cobra started chasing after Sofia immediately, The monster had no intention of letting a meal run away. Hiss!

Sofia took her dagger and wounded her hand, letting a trail of blood.

..

On the other side of the forest, Selena was happily running around the forest checking every tree, “Not this-nya!” and to another one “Neither this-nya!”

“Selena!” she heard a faint call in the distance, recognizing who it belonged to.

“What does she want-nya?” Selena changed her direction toward Sofia, She wasn’t in a hurry as the voice was too far away so she didn’t recognize the stress in Sofia’s voice!

“Did she find it-nya? Then why did she call me instead of Cain-nya?”

After running for around a minute, something entered Selena’s nose, the smell of Sofia’s blood.

“Eh!?” Something snapped inside her head, this wasn’t normal, what did happen?

Selena’s claws instantly extended to give her better traction to the ground, her hair stood up as her fangs emerged to the world. Her speed increased significantly as she chased the smell of blood.

“ROAAAAR!” It was several times louder than Sofia’s scream.

..

Cain didn’t have the same sharp hearing as Selena did so he didn’t catch Sofia’s call, he instead heard Selena’s roar. He instantly knew that something was off and that it probably wasn’t Selena!

‘Did something happen to Sofia?’ Cain climbed a tree as s as fast as he could to get a better view.

“I can’t see anything, At this rate, I might be late!” Cain regretted splitting up but this was no time for him to feel guilty.

Holding both his hands together, Cain focused his hardest trying to trace his Mana. Sofia’s nails were enchanted by him, he should be able to track them.

‘Come on, I don’t need details, just a general direction!’ After a few seconds of concentrating he managed to grasp a faint trace of his Mana to the north.

[Lesser Empowerment]

[Swiftness]

Cain jumped from the tree and started running as fast as he could, with each step his heart filled with fear! ‘Please be safe!’

..

Crack! Crack! The cobra’s head emerged in front of Sofia blocking her way.

“AHHHHHH!” She screamed throwing her staff directly in the monster’s mouth and started running in the other direction.

The cobra choked on it for a moment before spitting it out, Hiss!

Sofia suddenly felt a massive thing slamming into her side, BuhuA! Blood gushed from Sofia’s mouth as she felt her left arm and ribs crack! The Cobra smashed her with him its tail.

Taking that massive hit, Sofia’s light body was flung to the side, crashing into a tree.

Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Thump, thump! she could her hear heart pounding in her chest, her legs were shaking as she kept coughing blood.

Seeing his prey fall, the monster slithered slowly toward her intending to swallow her whole.

As the monster opened his mouth, Sofia slowly lifted her right hand.

[Firebolt] Directly into the throat, It was extremely painful it forced the Cobra to back down for a moment. Hissss!

Crack! In a rage, the cobra smacked Sofia on her right side as well with his tail, sending her flying yet again.

After taking the second hit, The pain was the only thing keeping Sofia conscious! She was already unable to breathe, her heartbeat was slowing down.

Her life was flashing before her eyes, fear and hopelessness filled her heart.

‘Be like flames!’ Her father’s words rang in her ears, ‘Don’t give up and fade before burning everything down!’ his words from when she was training to use magic came back to her.

Seeing her motionless body, The Cobra assumed she was already dead! Starting to swallow her legs first as they were closer. Gulp, as soon as her legs were inside the Cobra’s mouth, her torso dangling.

[Firebolt], [Firebolt] Sofia fired to last desperate attacks from her feet, directly into the Cobra’s throat. The monster growled in pain as it spat the girl out!

Sofia fell to the ground unconscious, finally losing all her strength. The monster stared at her in fear, to the Cobra she was a thing that kept hurting!

This followed with another tail strike, this time aiming to finish Sofia off by smashing her on the ground. At first, the Cobra was just toying with her meal with the first hit. The second one was out of rage, preferring its tail cause its mouth was slightly burned. But this last hit was different, It was out of fear, not wanting to get its mouth anywhere near Sofia’s body!

Hiss!

Thud! thud! thud! Groowl! Selena bit Sofia in the leg, dragging her body out of the way!historical

Not having enough time to think, Selena threw Sofia’s body under a tree and roared at the top of her lungs.

“ROAR!” Trying to intimidate the Cobra, She could feel her instincts screaming to run!

‘I can’t win!’ Selena was certain, ‘Its neck is too big to bite and I don’t think that my claws can pierce his scales!’

Selena glanced at Sofia’s body, ‘Is she is still alive, She isn’t breathing!’ The Cobra was staring at Selena, waiting for her to make a move.

‘If I moved to check her pulse he would lunge at us!’ Selena could tell the monster’s intention.

She can’t carry Sofia in her hands and run, she will slow her down. With Cain, she had the time and clothes to tie him to her back!

There was no need to speak with a monster, she could only do one thing! By time and cause as much noise to get Cain’s attention.

“ROAR!” Roaring as she charged at full speed, Her claws were fully extended and her mouth was drooling.

Seeing her frenzied Charge, the Cobra lifted its head high up to protect it. That was a smart move as Selena was aiming for the eyes!

Now the eyes weren’t an option she instead swung her claws at the monster’s side, Clank! They were hard, Selena felt as if she just clawed at steel.

Hiss! The Cobra tried to wrap its body around Selena.

In a swift move, Selena backed out dodging the grapple but before she could launch another attack, The Cobra attacked! Its tail was already racing toward Selena, ‘Did it plan this?’ Selena though.

Monsters usually just pummel at their prey, very rarely do you see one apply strategies! This had meant two things, either the monster had a decent intelligence or, ‘This isn’t the first time!’ This monster had prayed on humanoids before.

“ROAR!” Selena roared once again as she jumped avoiding the strike!

Growl! Using her claws and her reflexes, Selena rode the monster’s back, running atop its body, ‘It’s mine!’ “ROAR!” Selena roared as she claimed the monster’s eye with her claws.

Hiss! Being in excruciating pain, The Cobra turned its head trying to bite Selena!

“-Gaw!” Using her claws to grab the Cobra’s jaw and change directions, Selena counter-attacked by uppercutting the beast!

The force she put behind her punch was so great it recoiled back extremely hard, Causing Selena’s claws to loose grip! Her body recoiled toward the ground while the Cobra didn’t seem to budge.

‘I did feel it crack! It’s jaw!’ As that thought took over her mind, Selena was caught off guard, The Cobra had caught her, warping its body around Selena and trying to strangle her!

Selena tried to break free but wasn’t able to, the Cobra was just too strong!

“ROAR!” Selena roared at the top of her lungs, ‘Is this where I go?’ She thought.

Slash! A man cloaked in black appeared out of no slashing the Cobra’s other eye!

With that the Cobra growled in pain as she let go of Selena, The man quickly grabbed and took her to Sofia’s place.

“Drink one and give the other to the girl!” The man threw two red bottles in Selena’s hands.

“Shit, a single time won’t be enough for this! Miko, you better pay me with a whole night!” Daraku laughed at his bad luck!