Chapter 58

Chapter 58

There was no time to retrieve the luggage left in the cabin; Silem and his companion quickly followed Tu Si towards the camp's entrance facing the outpost.

Before the trio could reach the camp gate, they heard Luca's tense voice from the watchtower where he was still on duty.

"Captain, we probably won't make it back in time."

Tu Si suddenly looked up and saw, in the distance of the forest, the faint glint of massive scales moving through the darkness.

Tu Si's pupils constricted sharply. Although he couldn't see the creature in full, it was clearly a rare Level 7 monster found at the edge of the Black Forest.

A Black Gold Iron Armored Python.

This monster excelled at concealment. Despite its enormous size, its scales carried magical traces that could deceive others, allowing it to silently approach the camp under Luca's watchful eyes.

The Black Gold Iron Armored Python was known for its patience during hunts, willing to spend days stalking its prey.

No one knew how long this python had been lurking around the camp, likely since the last patrol team was still active, watching and waiting in the shadows.

Taking advantage of the chaos outside as the beast tide began, the python silently completed its encirclement while the patrol team was distracted by the running monsters.

Without bothering to maintain its disguise upon being discovered, the entire creature revealed itself, swiftly approaching the camp's fence from the forest's edge with a terrifying speed relative to its massive size.

Silem looked out and saw only the immense, slowly writhing black scales. He couldn't even locate the head of this terrifying monster.

This was his first encounter with such a fearsome creature. The python's towering height and terrifying length left him deeply shaken.

The five-member squad instantly gathered together, placing Simon and Silem in the center of their formation.

"Damn, when did this thing get here?" Luca scratched his head in frustration.

Feeling ashamed that a Level 7 monster had sneaked so close under his watch, he felt deeply humiliated.

"Now is not the time to dwell on that. This is a Level 7 monster that excels at concealment. Don't blame yourself needlessly," Tu Si said, drawing the large sword strapped to his back and stepping forward to the front of the group.

As the captain, he was the backbone of the team. If he couldn't stand firm, the entire squad would crumble.

Even so, the team members were still at a loss, staring at the black silhouette outside the camp.

The massive, wall-like body surrounded the camp, leaving no escape. The monster's body moved like a living wall, inching closer to them.

"Everyone, focus. We must find the head of this damn thing," Tu Si shouted, equally nervous but determined to stay calm to lead his team to safety until reinforcements arrived from the outpost.

The Black Gold Iron Armored Python typically hunted by coiling its body into an impenetrable ring, hiding its head within and gradually compressing the circle until its prey was trapped.

This monster had extremely strong defenses, with only a single vulnerable spot on its forehead.

Given its formidable defensive capabilities, even a Level 8 or 9 knight would struggle to breach its defenses without finding its head.

Thus, the only hope for survival was to locate the python's head and have Tu Si strike its weakest point, killing it instantly.

However, the python was experienced and kept its head well hidden, making it impossible for anyone to spot it.

Meanwhile, the wooden fence surrounding the camp was being crushed under the python's immense weight.

Branches as thick as wrists, compared to the python's size, were like fragile toothpicks, breaking and crushing into the ground in mere seconds.

The python's "hunting enclosure" was slowly shrinking.

"Can we jump over it?" Simon asked, his voice trembling. He clung tightly to Silem, his face pale.

"It won't work," Luca shook his head. "One of this creature's abilities is 'Iron Wall.' When its body fully coils, it creates a barrier about a hundred meters high."

"Unless we can leap over a hundred meters, we won't break through. The 'Iron Wall' is even stronger than its natural defenses."

Just as everyone was at a loss, watching helplessly as the python tightened its grip like a cat playing with its prey,

Little Eight, who had been staying close to Silem, calmly walked to Silem's side and rubbed against him.

"What's wrong, Little Eight?" Silem looked at his Ice Flame Hound, unsure of what it wanted.

For some reason, seeing Little Eight eased his panic. Though Silem didn't believe Little Eight could defeat the terrifying monster, he felt a sense of security.

Little Eight shook itself and signaled Silem to remove the backpack from its back.

Silem and Simon quickly removed the load from Little Eight.

Little Eight looked into Silem's eyes, gently nudging its furry head into Silem's chest, asking him to stroke its neck fur. Then, it stood up straight and shook itself vigorously.

Afterward, Little Eight started running around the camp in small steps.

As it ran, icy blue flames spread like a river, gradually covering the area around the camp.

Little Eight's speed increased rapidly, turning it into a gray lightning bolt, too fast even for a Level 5 knight like Tu Si to track.

"Silem! Tell your pet not to act rashly!" Tu Si shouted, turning abruptly in shock.