Chapter 189

Chapter 189

"Silver horn!" Evan suddenly recalled Kalu's words—the python's power came from the silver horn on its head. He stopped going for the vital spot, grabbed the scales beneath the snake's head with his left hand, and as the python lifted its head, he flipped himself onto the snake's neck. He locked his legs around the snake's body, and with his right hand, he drove the dagger straight into the junction between the silver horn and the snake's head. This time, the blade met no resistance, piercing through scales and muscle directly into the base of the horn.

The green-scaled unicorn python let out a bloodcurdling shriek. The glow of the silver horn instantly dimmed, and the snake's grip loosened. Yet it still refused to give up, rearing up and slamming Evan into a nearby rock, trying to shake him off. Evan held onto the dagger's hilt, pressing himself against the snake, letting the rock's jagged edges tear into his back, leaving bloody gashes. He could feel the snake's muscles squeezing the dagger—if this continued, the blade would get pushed out.

In that critical moment, Evan suddenly remembered the "using their own strength against them" technique taught at the military academy. He let go of his right hand, leaving the dagger stuck in the snake, then wrapped both arms around the snake's head and slammed his forehead hard into its eye.

A dull thud echoed. Evan saw stars, while the green-scaled unicorn python, its eye badly hurt, thrashed violently. Losing balance, it crashed with him into a pile of dead leaves.

As they fell, Evan seized the opportunity, regripping the dagger's hilt and using the momentum of the descent to drive the blade another three inches deeper. This time, he struck the python's brain nerves with precision. The snake's body jerked once, then went limp like a deflated balloon. The constricting force vanished entirely, only its tail twitched against the ground, scattering dead leaves.

Evan collapsed into the pile of leaves, gasping for breath. Every muscle in his body was shaking. The cuts on his back, forehead, and arms were burning, blood, sweat, and snake blood soaked his clothes beyond recognition.

He looked down at his legs—deep bruises had formed where the snake had squeezed him, making it hard to even walk. But he had no time to rest. He knew that in the rainforest, the scent of blood would attract more danger. He had to get the snake's gallbladder out fast and get out of there.

Struggling to his feet, Evan walked to the python's corpse and pulled the dagger from its body. The blade was still sharp, though covered in snake blood, glowing with an eerie red light. Following the instructions in the mission manual, he cut a long slit in the snake's belly with the dagger, then reached inside, feeling around through a mess of organs—the unicorn python's gallbladder was in a special position, right beside the heart, shaped like an oval bead, dark green in color, and covered with a thin membrane.

The second he touched the gallbladder, Evan breathed a sigh of relief. Carefully, he extracted it, wrapped it in pre-prepared oil paper, and placed it in his pack.

Just then, he noticed a piece of pale blue stone embedded in the muscle at the base of the silver horn, emitting a faint glow.

"Is this... a fragment of the Sea Heart Stone?" Evan's heart stirred. He recalled Kalu saying that the Sea Heart Stone attracted unicorn pythons. It seemed this green-scaled one had been drawn to the rotting leaf valley by this very fragment.

Using his dagger, Evan dug out the Sea Heart Stone fragment and held it in his palm—it was only the size of a fingernail, yet unusually heavy, with a smooth, warm surface and a faint energy fluctuation.

The silver badge in his watch case suddenly grew hot, emitting a weak white light, as if resonating with the Sea Heart Stone fragment. Evan felt puzzled—what was the purpose of this fragment? Why did it trigger a reaction from the silver badge? But he had no time to ponder. He placed the fragment into the watch case alongside the badge, then turned to leave.

Just then, the sound of chaotic footsteps and soldiers' shouts came from a distance. Evan's heart tightened—it was the Colonial Force! They must have been drawn by the sounds of the fight and the scent of blood.

Without a second thought, Evan dragged his injured leg into a nearby bush, following Kalu's map toward the exit of the rotting leaf valley. He knew this wasn't the time for a direct confrontation with the Colonial Force. He had to leave quickly, return to the Twelfth Island, and hand over the gallbladder to the Palm Leaf Club in exchange for the potion materials he needed.

Evan trudged painfully through the underbrush. The wounds on his back, aggravated by the strenuous movement, split open again, blood trickling down his spine and dripping onto the dead leaves, leaving a trail of blurred red stains.

But he dared not stop. He could feel the Colonial Force getting closer—their shouts and the sound of rifles being loaded were clearly audible. Just as he was about to escape the valley, a gunshot rang out behind him. The bullet grazed his ear and struck a nearby tree trunk, sending wood chips flying.

"There he is! After him!" soldiers shouted from behind. Gritting his teeth, Evan quickened his pace and finally burst out of the rotting leaf valley, diving into a dense thicket of arrow bamboo.

The bamboo grove was thick and tall, providing excellent cover. When the Colonial Force arrived, they saw the endless expanse of bamboo and could only curse in frustration, unwilling to venture in—they knew that in such groves, native hunter traps were everywhere, and one misstep could mean death.

Hidden in the bamboo, Evan listened as the footsteps of the Colonial Force gradually faded away. He let out a sigh of relief, leaning against a bamboo stalk as he collapsed again. This time, he truly had no strength left.

He looked down at his pack—the oil-paper-wrapped gallbladder was still there, and the Sea Heart Stone fragment and silver badge in his watch case were safe.

He smiled. It had been a rough trip. Though the journey had been incredibly arduous, he had completed his mission and even gained a Sea Heart Stone fragment. This trip to the Fourth Island had been well worth it.

After resting for about half an hour, Evan felt some strength return. He struggled to his feet and, following Kalu's map, headed toward the rendezvous point agreed upon with Old Shark.

The rainforest remained perilous—poisonous moths, spiders, and snakes were everywhere—but Evan was no longer as tense as before. After the life-and-death struggle with the green-scaled unicorn python, his mindset had grown calmer, and his ability to handle danger had improved. He knew that in this colony filled with supernatural powers and conspiracies, only by becoming stronger could he survive.

After about an hour of walking, Evan finally spotted Old Shark's sailboat, the "Old Shark," anchored in a hidden bay. Old Shark stood on the deck, anxiously scanning the surroundings.

When he saw Evan, Old Shark's face lit up with a delighted smile. He quickly ran down the gangplank and supported him: "Kid, you're back! I thought something had happened to you!" Evan smiled, pulling the oil-paper-wrapped gallbladder from his pack: "Mission accomplished."

Old Shark took the gallbladder, opened the oil paper, and examined it, a look of approval on his face: "Good job, kid! This green-scaled unicorn python gallbladder is a treasure—it'll fetch a good price at the Palm Leaf Club. By the way, where's Kalu? Why didn't he come back with you?" Evan sighed and told Old Shark about Kalu's injury. Old Shark frowned: "That Kalu, always so stubborn. Don't worry, I'll send someone to pick him up. He's a living map of the rainforest—we can't afford to lose him."

Evan followed Old Shark onto the deck. The boat slowly left the bay, heading toward the Twelfth Island. Standing on the deck, he gazed at the outline of the Fourth Island in the distance, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This trip to the Fourth Island had not only allowed him to complete his mission and obtain potion materials but also unexpectedly revealed the secret of the Sea Heart Stone and brought him into direct conflict with the Colonial Force.

He knew this was only the beginning. In this colony full of danger and opportunity, there were more secrets waiting to be uncovered, more challenges waiting to be faced.

Evan touched the silver badge and Sea Heart Stone fragment in his watch case. The badge's temperature had returned to normal, while the fragment still emitted a faint glow.