Jason circled the Giant Serpent Nest, his Six-Sided Mace at the ready. The serpents here were unlike the novices' beasts—each measured eight meters, their scales glinting like molten metal. Their attacks were swift, their jaws snapping with lethal precision.
"60 credits each," Jason muttered, calculating the risks. Not as bad as the Bullfrogs, but still deadly.
The battle was chaotic. The serpents coiled and struck, their movements fluid and unpredictable. Jason's mace clashed against scales, sparks flying. Bai Er fought with ghostly speed, his dagger slicing through the serpents' hides.
"Focus on the weak spots!" Bai Er called out, vanishing in a blur.
Jason gritted his teeth. This isn't the farm monsters we're used to.
Back in the city, exhaustion weighed on them.
"630 credits each," Jason said, staring at his score. Still a long way to Soul Purification.
As they returned to Dongmulianxie, masked figures blocked their path. At the forefront stood Zhao Monong, vice president of the Mask Guild, flanked by enforcers.
"You killed our man," Zhao Monong sneered. "Now you die."
Jason tensed. Six Level 7s… and that freak Zhao.
The fight erupted. Bai Er danced around a werewolf, his dagger finding gaps in its armor. Jason faced the muscle-bound enforcer, his mace cracking bone after bone.
"Finish him!" Zhao Monong ordered.
A hidden sniper's bullet grazed Jason's shoulder. Cursed mask users.
As Jason staggered, a voice cut through the chaos—smooth and mocking.
"Brother, you've gotten reckless," said Qiao Ruidu, Jason's estranged half-brother, stepping into the light. His presence radiated power, his aura suffocating.
Jason froze. The clone… he's here.
Qiao Ruidu's gaze locked onto Bai Er. "Kill him. Or I'll break every bone in your body."
Bai Er's mask cracked, revealing cold defiance. "Try it."