Chapter 283: Zena’s weapon!

Just when the beast was about to bite him with its fangs, a spear passed through its head. ​The heavy, lifeless body of the monster collapsed with a dull thud, pinning a thoroughly shocked Neil beneath its slimy scales.

Dead silence washed over the clearing, broken only by the crackle of loose bones settling in the pit.

Zyra rushed down the pit. Elfy was still unconscious. "What is wrong with her?" She was supposed to be this strong alien with beast genes! How could a slap from the tail of a snake render her unconscious so easily?

[A sharp bone stabbed through her head, if she was human, she would be dead. Feed her with this cell rejuvenation tonic.]

A small bottle materialized in her hands. Zyra quickly poured it in Elfy’s mouth.

[Ten minutes and she will be as good as new.]

After fixing Elfy, Zyra carried her out of the pit and laid her down on the muddy, grassy, ground for a moment. The others finished off the smaller Mad snakes. Etania was doing her best to wipe out the eggs as if she was seeking to send all Mad snakes into extinction.

A shadow fell over Zyra, and the stickiest, unwanted man in the universe smiled at her. "My day just got better," Neil said, "I just got saved by a gorgeous woman. You have to tell me if you are a natural green head or you just felt like blending in with the leaves."

​Zyra sat and slowly lowered her arm, dusting off her gloves as if she had just tossed out a piece of trash. "You really talk too much for someone with terrible reaction speed," she remarked dryly. She thought to herself that it was best not to share the fact that she had only jumped in to save his half-life beast not him.

​Neil blinked, wiping a smear of dark red beast-blood from his cheek. He looked down at the spear embedded clean through the snake’s skull, then up at Zyra. Despite his broken wrist and the embarrassing defeat, he had suffered, he forced a weak, boyish grin. "So_ how did you learn to fight like that?"

Zyra shook her head and rose to take back her spear from Neal’s blonde partner who was trying to pull it out of the snake’s head. She retrieved it with one hand and twirled it as if it weighed no more than a pebble.

Then, she set it down and gutted the snake, in search of the energy stone within.

Neil crouched next to her. "Wait, wait! Let me at least clean it for you. Least I can do after you saved our skins."

She pushed him aside and he reached for her spear. "Let me clean your spear then." He grabbed the shaft with both hands, puffed out his chest, and yanked. His boots skidded forward. His spine snapped backward. With a dramatic thud, Neil hit the dirt rear-first, staring at the spear in absolute betrayal. "What in the heavens is this thing made of!? How were you able to carry it?"

"Practice makes perfect," Zyra said coolly, not even looking back.

From the shadow of a nearby rock, Bullet raised his head and hissed, his yellow eyes dripping with disdain. "Weak-ass human. Can’t even lift a mere spear."

"I would love to see you try!" Neil growled, rubbing his bruised hand.

Bullet scrambled to his knees, gritted his teeth, and tried to lift the spear. His face turned purple. The spear didn’t budge a single millimeter.

Zyra stepped past him, caught the grip with one casual hand, and lifted the spear. Then it shrank and rested in her hand as a knife.

The surviving hunters gasped in unison.

"What?" one of Neil’s men whispered, wincing as he clutched a broken arm. "That’s_ that’s got to be high-grade Somnivore tech from the sanctum!"

Neil stared at the knife, his heart hammering against his ribs. Somnivore tech my foot, he thought, swallowing hard. That’s Zena’s legendary weapon. The one half of the big shots of the world had sent guild after guild to find, in every place Zena had ever been to.

He was sure it was the one because he was a weapon maniac. He had dozens of books on famous and lost Somnivore weapons. He had spent his life collecting as many unique ones as he could get his hands on. It had always been his dream to find Zena Scorpion’s spear. Now, he was 100% sure that this was the famous Zyra. How much should I offer for her to sell the spear?

A sharp groan broke the silence. Bianca collapsed back onto the grass, clutching her leg. "I think I broke a bone."

"Don’t move!" Etania rushed over, her hands already glowing with a soft healing energy. She pressed her palms against Neil’s leg, soothing the injury.

The blonde woman on Neil’s team stumbled forward, her eyes bright with sudden, desperate hope. She pointed toward two motionless bodies lying in the mud. "Soul Maiden! Can you_ can you save them too? Please!"

Etania paused, looking over at the fallen men. The pale, lifeless grey of their skin was unmistakable. She slowly shook her head, her voice quiet. "They are already dead. I’m sorry."

Neil let out a long, heavy breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right_ guess I’ve got bodies to burn then."

Once Bianca was patched up, the small group gathered the three unfortunate dead hunters. Neil lit the pyre; orange light danced across their tired faces as the smoke drifted toward the sky.

Zyra walked up beside Neil, watching the flames. "I heard you," she said softly. "Before the fight. You told your men to help us." She bowed her head, a rare gesture of deep respect. "Thank you."

Neil scratched his cheek, looking awkwardly at the ground. "Ah, don’t make a big deal out of it. Just doing what any decent hunter would do." His laughter faded, replaced by deep concern as he looked down the dark, twisting tunnel ahead. "Look, ma’am, don’t go any further."

Zyra’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"

"Ahead are ruins; The Serpent’s Heart." Neil warned, lowering his voice. "People say it’s a myth, but strange things happen down there. Most who enter get swallowed alive by the soft mud before they even see the energy stones and treasures that they come here in hopes to find." He shook his head, offering a dry, nervous laugh. "Heck, the crazy old hunters even swear the trees down there sit around talking to each other! Ridiculous, right? Just weird stories."

Zyra stared into the shadows her fingers tightening around her knife. "Thank you for the warning but I have been told that I am not a good listener." So, she was not going to listen.