Wilderness: I Tame Beasts to Survive-Chapter 52 - 51: Shriek

CLACK~

"HIIISSS!!"

The stone struck the Iron-toothed Giant Snake on the head. It wasn’t powerful, but it was incredibly insulting!

It let out a series of furious hisses, lashing its body and accelerating once more.

The eighty-some meters vanished in a flash.

Just as the two Iron-toothed Giant Snakes charged past the far side of the massive boulder, one after the other.

Suddenly, hundreds of Vine Whips, some emerald green and others ink-black, burst out from the other side. In the blink of an eye, the two Iron-toothed Giant Snakes were densely entangled in them!

Before the two snakes could even process what was happening, they instinctively turned their heads.

Several rapidly spinning, emerald Rhombic Crystals loomed large in their pupils.

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

Eight Emerald Flower Thorns shot precisely into the eye sockets of the two Iron-toothed Giant Snakes, producing a muffled impact.

The two pairs of brass-colored pupils were instantly destroyed by the exploding Wood Type Spiritual Energy, and brain matter began to ooze from the dark, empty sockets.

The Iron-toothed Giant Snakes, so aggressive just moments before, were instantly lifeless.

"We did it!" Han Ning and the others behind him broke into joyous expressions at the sight.

Killing the Iron-toothed Giant Snakes this way was much easier than a head-on confrontation.

Han Ning signaled for Yin Yi and the Silver Lotus Wood to drag the two snake carcasses into the bushes and hide them. He then walked behind the massive boulder again, took aim at another pair of mating Iron-toothed Giant Snakes, and drew his bowstring.

SWOOSH!

Whether by a stroke of luck or not, the arrow flew true and struck one of the Iron-toothed Giant Snakes right in its privates!

"HIIISSS!!!"

Although the arrow’s force was negligible to an Iron-toothed Giant Snake, a strike to its rather vulnerable privates sent a shudder through its entire body.

Even Han Ning, standing far away, could faintly sense its explosive fury.

’Sorry about that... Didn’t mean to.’

This pair of snakes needed no further provocation. Han Ning gave a wave to the rapidly approaching Iron-toothed Giant Snakes and quickly retreated.

A few seconds later, two more fresh snake carcasses lay behind the grayish-white boulder.

Over the next while, Han Ning repeated the process, using the same provocation tactic to lure another six Iron-toothed Giant Snakes, successfully killing them with the help of Yin Yi and the Silver Lotus Wood.

It was on Han Ning’s fifth attempt that the largest Iron-toothed Giant Snake, the one on the verge of evolving, finally noticed something was amiss.

"Hiss!"

It raised its head and saw that half of the pack had vanished. Its gaze shifted to a nearby companion that Han Ning had just provoked. Then, its eyes, gleaming with a metallic luster, fixed coldly on Han Ning as it let out a terrifying hiss that sounded like screeching metal.

At this sound, the remaining giant snakes were startled into alertness, gathering around their leader.

Han Ning sprinted backward, grabbing his walkie-talkie. His voice was urgent. "This is bad! The Iron-toothed Giant Snake leader is onto our plan! Everyone, prepare for battle!"

The words had barely left his mouth when, eighty meters away, the silvery-white scales on one side of the leader’s body began to fan out, one by one, like a blooming flower.

A sharp hum reached their ears as that section of metallic scales began to vibrate at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

The next second, it reared its head and spun its body.

Its entire seven-meter-long body instantly transformed into a silver-and-black metallic whirlwind, blasting toward Han Ning’s position.

’...Tusk Piercing Fang?’

By now, Han Ning had reached his companions. He raised his rifle and, along with the others who were armed, opened fire on the silvery whirlwind.

The rifles had a range of over two hundred meters, allowing them to attack the pack of snakes from a distance with heavy firepower.

RAT-A-TAT, RAT-A-TAT-TAT~

The roar of gunfire filled the air. A dense spray of bullets slammed into the silver whirlwind, producing a series of sharp PINGs and a shower of brilliant sparks.

The brass projectiles did nothing to slow the leader’s advance. Without exception, every bullet that struck the whirlwind was deflected!

"Leave it to Yin Yi! The rest of us and the Silver Lotus Wood will hold off the pack behind it."

Seeing that the rifles were completely ineffective, Han Ning decisively switched targets.

The Iron-toothed Giant Snake leader moved a fair bit faster than its companions.

Just as it sped past the massive boulder, Yin Yi, who had been hiding in the dark, unleashed her fully charged Emerald Flower Thorns, aiming straight for the high-speed silver whirlwind!

A brilliant emerald flower bloomed.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~

Dozens of emerald-green Crystal Stones shot out like homing missiles, trailing faint plumes of light as they slammed violently into the silver whirlwind.

The blooming Flower Thorns, carrying terrifying Wood Type Spiritual Energy, detonated between the Iron-toothed Giant Snake’s scales.

BOOM!

The speeding Iron-toothed Giant Snake shuddered to a halt. Its spinning ceased, and it reverted to its original black-and-silver form before crashing into the grass to the side.

Like a mobile turret, Yin Yi seized the opportunity as the giant snake fell. The emerald flowers blooming from her hands once again shone with dazzling brilliance.

Dozens of rapidly spinning Rhombic Crystals materialized once more.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Crystal Stones shot into the gaps between the Iron-toothed Giant Snake’s scales one after another, their powerful concussive force shattering its armor.

This concentrated volley reduced the giant snake to a bloody pulp.

Only then did the other Iron-toothed Giant Snakes from the rear finally arrive!

What met them was a barrage of furious Emerald Flower Thorns, dozens of Silver Thorns glowing with green light, and rifle bullets packed with kinetic energy.

Yin Yi hovered in midair, manipulating the Emerald Flower Thorns. She split the dozens of Crystal Stones, scattering them in a volley toward the seven remaining giant snakes below.

From a distance, it looked like a spectacular green firework exploding in the sky.

The explosion was immediately followed by the agonized cries of the giant snakes.

After just one concentrated volley, all the remaining giant snakes collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

There was no need for Yin Yi to expend any more Spiritual Energy.

The Silver Lotus Wood and the approaching humans finished off the struggling snakes one by one, ending their lives.

On the grassy field, only the leader of the Iron-toothed Snakes—the one whose armor even rifle bullets could not penetrate—was left, squirming on the verge of death.

"Yin Yi, finish it!" Han Ning ordered, looking at the giant snake’s tenacious Life Force.

"Ling~"

Yin Yi flew before the Iron-toothed Giant Snake leader and raised a Vine Whip. A rhombic Crystal Stone materialized, poised to shoot into the giant snake’s brain.

But in the next instant, the grievously wounded, near-death Iron-toothed Giant Snake suddenly reared its head. Using all its remaining Power, it let out a final, piercing shriek that sounded like scraping metal. "HIIISSS!!"

The shriek seemed powerful enough to split stone and pierce the clouds, echoing across the battlefield.

PFFT!

Before the shriek could fully escape, Yin Yi’s Flower Thorn pierced its brain, cutting the sound short.

Han Ning’s expression remained grave. ’It wasn’t calling for backup, was it?’

"HIIISSS!!"

The words had barely left his mouth when an even louder, more piercing shriek answered from the northwest.