Checking the notifications, Cain was pleased and helpless at the same time because despite having enough Evolution Points, Nix's rank couldn't be upgraded due to a qualification restriction.
When Cain noticed Nix had almost arrived near Fenix, he instructed Nix to stop as he jumped on Nix's head and immediately used his skill [Ice Storm] with two-thirds of his energy, intending to cool down the battlefield so that Elara and the others wouldn't be torched to death.
Fenix conjured a thin barrier of flames around him as he realized Cain's intention. The thin barrier shimmered faintly, keeping him from the storm outside the barrier since the storm was wildly ravaging the surroundings.
Once the storm had subsided, Cain looked around and nodded in satisfaction with the breezy atmosphere. He then signaled Nix to descend.
After Nix landed near Anya. Cain waved his hand as he took the corpse into the inventory.
On the contrary, Fenix, who was walking towards Nix while expecting countless praise from Ayla, almost fell over when he heard Ayla's words.
"Big Sis Sylvia, don't you think Uncle Fenix's fight was boring? He defeated that big rhino with just one slash," Ayla said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Big Sis Anya's fight was way more exciting."
Sylvia nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Big Sis Anya's fight is more epic because she actually exchanged blows with her opponents."
'These little girls.' Fenix gritted his teeth when he heard their conversation.
"My Lord, Can I hunt another beast? My hands are itchy because It's been ages since I've had a proper challenge." Fenix looked at Cain as he begged to give him another chance since Anya was still unconvinced with his strength.
"Fine! Let's hunt another one then."
Cain shook his head helplessly and thought that he might as well let Fenix hunt another beast, hoping that he would get many more Evolution Points so that he wouldn't go out again in the near future.
"Yeay! Another fight!" Ayla was overjoyed when she heard it, as she thought that she could watch another match.
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Subsequently, Cain tossed a medicinal liquid at Fenix so that he could recover his lost energy while he searched for the next beast.
15 minutes later…
Cain finally detected a beast that fit perfectly with his criteria to be Fenix's next target.
[Ding! Detected a Vine Serpent, High-level Conqueror Rank Beast 20 km West ahead]
[Race: Vine Serpent]
[Attributes: Peak-level Wood Element]
[Rank: High-level Conqueror Rank Beast]
[Qualification: Conqueror]
[Skills: Flourish Renewal, Venomous Tempest, Thornbind Coil, Serpentine Speed, Tail Slap, Snaring Vines, Camouflage Cloak, Venomous Lash]
[Strength]: 235 million
[Agility]: 245 million
[Health]: 260 million
[Sense]: 250 million
[Energy]: 230 million
Checking the serpent's information, Cain was quite surprised that it had many skills, as he hadn't expected it to be this troublesome.
However, since its enemy was Fenix, he didn't care about it much and immediately instructed Nix to head west.
After their distance was about 800 meters away, Can was finally able to see the serpent clearly.
The serpent's body resembled a massive snake, but instead of scales, its body was covered in thick, intertwined vines and leaves, giving it a plant-like appearance. The serpent's tail narrowed into a root-like addition that could burrow into the ground, allowing it to merge seamlessly with the environment.
"It's been a while since I've dealt with snakes." Fenix nodded in satisfaction and jumped onto the ground while thinking that he needed to make an interesting battle rather than killing it quickly.
That's why Fenix decided to not use his talent, as he also wanted to give a little bit of a challenge to himself.
Sensing a human had entered its territory, the serpent hisses loudly as if telling Fenix that he had entered into someone's territory. It revealed fangs dripping with a corrosive liquid.
The reason the serpent warned Fenix first was because, at its level, it rarely fought with the others since it had almost reached its pinnacle even in the entire world.
However, it wasn't a pushover either, as when it noticed that Fenix didn't care about its warning, the serpent immediately lunged at Fenix without hesitation.
Fenix already anticipated it and reacted by dodging to the side as his agility allowed him to evade the attack by a hair's breadth.
While dodging the attack, he swung his sword and used his skill [Burning Slash].
The serpent directly responded by creating vines extended outward to form a protective barrier, intending to block the incoming crescent-shaped sword fire energy.
Boom!
The flames clashed with the vines but could only scorch a part of them as it failed to break through entirely.
With a flick of its tail, the serpent retaliated by releasing a barrage of thorny vines infused with its [Venomous Lash] skill.
In response, Fenix slashed through the projectiles midair, but one thorn grazed his left arm, leaving a shallow cut. A burning sensation spread quickly as the venom worked its way into his body.
Fenix then used his [Ember Veins] skill, igniting his bloodstream with fiery energy to burn away the poison.
"Interesting." Fenix mumbled, his lips curling into a smirk. "But your poison isn't enough to take me down."
Before Fenix could notice it, the serpent coiled around a massive tree and used its [Camouflage Cloak] skill to blend into the surroundings.
For a moment, Fenix felt that the forest seemed to hold its breath as the serpent's presence was almost undetectable.
"It seems that it does have some interesting abilities." Fenix chuckled, as he hadn't expected that it was quite hard to detect the serpent's presence.
Though, he found it quite reasonable since this was its lair, and the surroundings had basically become its playground. He then closed his eyes and relied on his heightened senses to locate the serpent.
A faint rustle above alerted him just in time. The serpent struck from above, its jaws wide open to deliver a devastating bite.
Fenix leaped back, narrowly avoiding the strike. Flames erupted from his body as he used his skill [Ashstorm Surge], creating a swirling vortex of fire around him.
[A/N]
New Privilege tier is up with a 10% discount :)