Chapter 13

As if feeling the hostility coming from Rain, the Killer Ants immediately surrounded him, baring their fangs and claws at him before pouncing towards him.

Rain was not flustered at all, jumping up. Invoking [Leap] he used his legs, rhythmically using the tree bark to climb higher, leaping through the air as he avoided the first wave of attacks from the Killer Ants. Leaping once more, Rain finally broke through the encirclement of the Killer Ants.

Then, finally, he landed softly behind one of the Killer Ants, using [Lasing Tail Kick] to knock it up, striking it in the throat, followed by [Burst Fist], [Power Strike] and [Double Slash]--Combo 1, Combo 2, Combo 3. The pitiful giant ant that couldn’t react by the sudden attack was beaten senseless by Rain while still suspended in midair. However, Rain didn't stop there and continued to attack the Killer Ant, methodically striking at the joints he could see. Then, after using all his skills, he once again jumped back before any of the Killer Ants reached his direction and activated [Stealth], hurriedly climbing at the top of the branch of the nearby tree.

The Killer Ants had already surrounded the area up to six to seven meters. If he tried to break through with just stealth, the skill wouldn’t last long and he would appear in the middle of the encirclement once again. Therefore, Rain tried to hide. However, when the Stealth ended, the Killer Ants immediately found him and rocked the tree he was at, while some climbed it.

How did…?

Did they found him by smell?

Rain furrowed his brows. Escaping is impossible. Hiding is even more impossible! He gritted his teeth in frustration as he realized he could only fight to the death.

Grasping the long sword’s hilt tightly, Rain jumped down while attacking the Killer Ants that was climbing the tree. Cries and shrieks could be heard as he swung his sword and claws that created sparks and metallic sounds the moment they hit the Killer Ants tough carapace.

The only thing that was worth celebrating for at this very moment was the fact that Killer Ants doesn’t have any Active Skills. [Killer Ants] only possess passive abilities such as enhanced strength and tough carapace. If they possess troublesome active skills such as the [Poison Ivy] and [Lightning Rabbit], even a Lv2 expert might actually say farewell to his life upon meeting this group of monsters, much less a Lv1 like Rain.

“Damn!”

Though Rain stopped the blow that came from the front, the Killer Ant’s legs lashed, exerting more force into the strike. His body lightly floated from the impact, his organs seemed to have been shaken by a big force that he almost throws up what he had eaten a while ago. Still, biting his tongue to avoid losing his consciousness, Rain used the recoil and sent a horizontal slash towards the giant ant’s body.

The sword miraculously struck the exposed neck of the monster when it raised its head, trying to nip Rain’s body with its large fangs.

Blood splattered and echoing cry resounded, almost blasting out Rain’s eardrums due to his closeness on the Killer Ant. However, he persevered and his hand glowed golden as electric sparks appeared, wrapping his hand.

“Lightning Bolt!!”

Booom!! The group of Killer Ants in front of him was blasted away by the explosion. As expected, Lightning Bolt is much more efficient if it hits not the monster but a large rock or tree beside them. The splinters and debris might not enough to kill them but it’s sufficient enough to blow them away.

Looking at the clearing between the monsters, Rain finally saw a passage of escape.

“Bone Spikes!!” Rain immediately slams his hand on the ground, creating Bone Spikes that stop the Killer Ants that tried to recover the gap between the monsters.

3 seconds…2 seconds… 1 second… exactly 3 seconds, the Bone Spikes faded and finally disappeared.

[Agility Ex] wooosh. Rain’s speed doubled in an instant and he runs like the wind the moment the Bone Spikes completely disappeared.

4 meters, 3 meters, 2 meters… Rain finally saw the end of the Killer Ants and only a meter. His expression brightened and even his lisp curled upwards—with this… However, it seems like Rain’s luck fell short.

“…?!!” His eyes widened in shock as a Large Ant with beady-like eyes appeared from under the bushes, its fangs that looked like sharp daggers bore against his face.

“Shit!” Rain’s expression paled. His plan fell short and he was now facing death directly.

Rain heard Sylphy’s alarmed voice inside his head and felt the surging power along with the lightness as if he was separating from his body—Sylphy must be attempting to take over to save himself.

Although Rain was stubborn, he knows when to give up. This is a game over for him. Although his plan almost succeeded, nevertheless, in the end, a plan is still a plan.

When the Killer Ant was about to hit Rain, suddenly—

“Ara ara,” a voice rang out and a long, emerald-colored snake tail struck the Killer Ant like a jackhammer, blowing it away.

It’s Carapace cave in, killing the monster instantly.

Just by the look of the Killer Ants carapace, one could easily surmise the terrifying force behind the attack.

If it had hit a human being, surely, forget about breaking bones, they would have turned into a mush potato!

However, what matters for Rain was not the fact that he had escaped death but the fact that he found the tail extremely familiar—green-scaled tail of that of a large snake—could it be…

“Lafetti?!” Rain eyes beamed in happiness. He immediately regained his control over his body and stood up, tracing the snake tail in front of him.

However, when he did, his eyes turned wide, and his expression stiffened.

It wasn’t Lafetti…

And not just one person, at that…

“Hm? Did I hear it correctly, Drova? The name he had called out, why do I find it so familiar…?”

One of the people who had appeared and saved him muttered. It was the one seemingly leading the group as she was walking in between the two and with a regal air around her that looked as if she had grown from a noble family, and that everything around her was under her—all commoners but her.

However, when she showed herself out of the bushes, which cannot be considered human appeared in all of its glory.

Rather than fair, smooth legs, emerald scales across all over the tail of a snake, which was her lower body. Just like Laffeti, she was a Gorgon—and judging from the tail connected to her, she was the one who had saved him from that impending pain, or perhaps even death.

Though, she was excellent not just the air and demeanor she had. But appearance as well, possessing a face of regal and unapproachable beauty like that of a supermodel on a fashion runway, and large, and shimmering red eyes that were like the ocean of blood that one could get lost in, if not for the reptilian slit on each of her pupils that seemed alluring and enchanting all the same. Her lips were as red as rubies as if blood was painted on them—turning them even more captivating.

If not for the ‘something’ that was on top of her head, that rather than hair, they were slithering emerald and golden snakes, hissing and slithering, some standing up, some hanging but all glared at the youth before them, with curiosity, and interest, and doubt in those countless ruby-like eyes.

“You heard not wrong, Chief. What he had said, indeed, was the name Lafetti… and I may add, he did it after seeing your tail, so I presume you are not mistaken…so am I,”

The one called Drova answered. Looking at her pretty face, one would think that she was a few years older than Rain, a dozen inches taller if she tried to stand with the same leg length of a normal human with her tail, and a whole lot more athletic looking than him.

With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly like a western girl working in Hollywood as a Supermodel, and her eyes; startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take him down in a fight.

Even the air around her was like a stormy brewing, ready to show its might the moment a signal was given.

Being stared by her was like a wolf eyeing on a prey. Pretty unsettling, but still, you just can’t avert your eyes.

She glanced at the Killer Ants, then back at him.

“…But how did he know her? Who is this human? I have never seen him before. Much less, a human in the Lair… that’s already a miracle of itself…”

The last Lamian of the group mumbled with her eyes as she gazed at Rain, head to toe, seemingly trying to scrutinize every detail of his body. She has long silver hair, purple reptilian eyes, and white skin like that of fresh snow. Among the three, aside from the snake-haired beauty, she exuded an air of intelligence compared to the golden-haired Lamian.

“Is that so…? Ara, this is quite interesting…”

With her white skin and red eyes, the Medusa-like beauty they called Chief gave off a cold, indifferent first impression, but after seeing her gentle, friendly smile, it became immediately clear that her seemingly unfriendly appearance was misleading.

“Are you…” Rain stayed-rooted in front of them, seemingly at a lost—understanding but somewhat not. However, what’s for certain was that these three Gorgons had known of his lover, and perhaps, might even be family.

Rain tried to say something, when suddenly he heard and noticed the Killer Ants had already, for some reason, managed to recover from their daze as they slowly crept towards them, although vigilant on the three Gorgons appearance, nonetheless, they are the creatures that don’t know fear at all. In their eyes, all that happened was that a single prey had become four…

Noticing their intent to attack, Rain grits his teeth and without hesitation, he bolted.

“…?!”

The three Gorgons saw Rain’s action and two of them furrowed their brows.

The golden-haired one hurriedly clenched her sword which was hanging on her waist and stood in front of the snake-haired gorgon. However, when she was about to pull her sword and intercept Rain, a hand appeared on her shoulder, stopping her from what she was about to do.

“Chief?” Drova asked, in doubt.

But the snake-haired Gorgon just smiled and watched Rain rushing towards them. And just as she expected, when the youth arrived in front of them, instead of running past them, he stopped and turned his back at them, his hand clenched on the sword tightly, pointing the blade not at them, like the usual scene among the meeting of their kind and humans, but instead pointed at the true enemies before them.

To Rain, there were only two types of people in this world. One is enemy, one is a family. And it as obvious which is which in this situation.

“I’m sorry if I somewhat involved you on this, it’s not my intention to do so.” He glanced back and smiled wryly, his pure and honest gaze that looked like the blue sky itself looked extremely apologetic. “...and also, thanks for saving me,”

The three Gorgon stared at the youth’s back, their eyes widened in surprise.

This human… never did in their wildest dream that the human youth before them would do something like this. And what’s even more surprising, something that even Dova and Stagna who hardly get surprised by anything after living for so long, was shocked to the point that they felt Goosebumps, was the look in his eyes--pure and honest, with not the least bit of malice and disgust that should have been normal to appear.

His expression or his eyes didn’t even change when he laid his eyes upon them for the first time. Especially, not when he saw their Chief for the very first time. Something like that, only a blind man could appear so gullible!

Just like the two Gorgons, the snake-haired woman stared at the youth’s back in shock and a complete surprise coloring her expression. The last time, someone had laid eyes upon her visage, all of them opened their eyes wide as they could, almost popping out, followed by a long scream of fear and despair.

In their eyes, emotions of hate, disgust, anger, and much more negative emotions that could even a sun-like warm heart turned colder.

She was not someone who had not understood what her appearance appeared to any creature in the world. Lamians are hated and disgusted by humans. However, their appearance still evokes lust from them. Apart from their lower bodies, their human-like parts are among the finest in the human world. Hence, if possible, a human would rather capture them and turn them into a slave if possible due to their captivating appearance.

However, she…?

She, who had inherited the curse of their Ancestor, the dense bloodline that ruled among the other Gorgons—to any creature aside from their race, she was an abomination.

Her hair of venomous snakes; and her reptilian, furious orbs that could evoke fear and disgust to those who saw them.

The loathsome greenish tinge and disgusting scales that covered every part of her body, and the close and primal hatred that seeped on her expression whenever one looked at her—although she knows that these were just an illusion, created from the curse of the bloodline, but that’s what she appeared in the eyes of the world.

She appeared far more disgusting than scaly Lizardians.

Not one was an exception…unless; you are one of the daughters of Medusa, child of the Lamians.

However, there can never be a man among her kind, a man possessing such blood.

And even if there was, it would one among the millions.

And yet, for a human to not even bat an eye upon seeing her horrifying visage—

This was a first… she muttered, somewhat in disbelief. The snakes slithered across each other, and she felt them connected to her head. Though they seemed to be somewhat excited—this had never happened before.

“Human, who are you?” she asked.

“Hm? Me? My name’s Rain, Rain Revert… though I don’t think this was a situation where we should introduce ourselves, anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Rain smiled wryly as he glanced at her, then returned his gaze back at the slowly creeping Killer Ants around them.

It seems like they are once again been surrounded.