The black-and-green snake's primitive instincts could not understand that Minori's retreat was deliberate.
Believing its prey was fleeing, the serpent reared its upper body—nearly half of its six-meter length lifting off the ground—compressing itself like a spring.
In the next instant—
It launched itself forward, fangs bared, a living spear of muscle and poison.
Exactly what I was waiting for.
Minori's eyes sharpened.
With a swift motion, he flipped the iron sword in his hand into a reverse grip and hurled it forward like a javelin.
The blade cut through the air with a heavy whistle—and struck true.
Bang!
The iron sword buried itself into the gaping mouth of the black-and-green snake.
White mucus, blood, and bits of shredded flesh exploded outward, staining the ground.
"HISSSS! ROARRR!!"
The serpent crashed to the forest floor, thrashing in agony.
Its thick tail lashed out wildly, smashing against the surrounding trees with deafening force.
Minori stepped back calmly, his expression cold and unmoved.
The black-and-green snake writhed and convulsed, but it was already doomed.
—
Hard scales are useless. Attack the soft parts.
Minori watched the snake quietly, waiting.
It struggled for nearly three minutes, but finally—
Its violent movements ceased.
The monster lay still, blood pooling beneath its ruined head.
—
[Gained 150 Experience Points]Current Experience: 421/1000
A small smile touched Minori's lips as he checked the floating message only he could see.
He moved forward, retrieving his iron sword from the blood-soaked ground, a look of faint disgust crossing his features.
The blade was drenched in slime and gore.
Without hesitation, Minori pulled out a piece of thick, hardened paper—crafted from an old magic scroll—and wiped the blade clean.
—
He turned to the massive corpse before him.
The black-and-green snake's body was mostly intact, save for the mangled head.
Its scales—
Fine and resilient.
They could likely be fashioned into armor.
However—
Armor made by this world's craftsmen would, at best, reach only the "Superior" grade.
Even if he spent days refining it, the result would be mediocre equipment.
Hardly enough to matter.
If Minori intended to challenge the Great Tomb of Nazarick, he would need far more.
In YGGDRASIL's system, equipment quality was divided into ten ranks:
[Lowest]: Levels 1–10
[Lower]: Levels 11–20
[Intermediate]: Levels 21–30
[Advanced]: Levels 31–40
[Highest]: Levels 41–50
[Legacy]: Levels 51–60
[Relic]: Levels 61–70
[Legendary]: Levels 71–80
[Artifact]: Levels 81–90
[Guild Weapon]: Levels 91–100
And beyond even these—stood the World-Class Items.
Against Nazarick, only artifact-level or better would suffice.
Minori crouched and placed a hand on the snake's cooling body.
With a silent mental command, he stored the massive corpse into his prop box.
At least it could fetch a decent price.
The loud commotion might have attracted other predators, but Minori wasn't concerned.
This territory clearly belonged to the black-and-green snake; no other monsters would approach for a time.
Without delay, Minori resumed his eastward journey through the Great Tob Forest.
The Great Tob Forest—
A primeval jungle stretching in a vast "U" shape around the Angelisia Mountains.
Roughly 120 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide, it was a region infested with monsters and wild beasts.
The village of Carne lay near the center, constantly battered by forest threats.
Minori estimated it would take considerable time to reach the ogres' territory.
Before long—
Noon arrived.
Minori checked a pocket watch and a rough map—both retrieved from his prop box—nodding in satisfaction.
One-third of the way covered.A bit slower than expected.
Time to speed up.
He bit into a piece of hard black bread as he marched forward, wasting no time.
Throughout the morning—
Besides the black-and-green snake, Minori had hunted:
Three wild boars
Five giant pythons (~five meters long)
Several lesser beasts and venomous insects (ignored for their low value)
The corpses of the two Eight Fingers members he had killed earlier were left behind.
By now, scavengers would have claimed them.
The deeper he pushed into the forest, the heavier the atmosphere became.
The massive trees blotted out the sunlight; only dim green twilight filtered down through the tangled canopy.
The air was thick and humid, carrying the sharp tang of vegetation and decay.
Minori drew his iron sword, using it to cut away vines and brush as he advanced.
Suddenly—
He paused.
A faint noise.
From the left.
He instinctively stepped back.
Whoosh!
A line of thick white spider silk shot past him, embedding itself in a tree.
Spider silk?!
Minori's gaze snapped to the source.
Perched upside-down among the branches—
A spider the size of a washbasin.
Its body was dirt-gray, marked with sickly purple patterns.
Its eight spindly legs moved with unnerving precision.
A Hanging Spider.
Minori's expression darkened.
He recalled it from the reports he had purchased.
Hanging Spiders weren't especially strong individually—
But their danger lay in their numbers.
Encountering one meant a colony lurked nearby.
Rustle—rustle—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Spider silk shot toward him from every direction!
Minori dodged agilely, breaking into a sprint.
Behind him, the forest seethed with motion.
Spiders swarmed over branches and down silk threads, dozens—hundreds—closing in.
The sound of their legs scraping over bark, the hissing of silk—
It was like the forest itself had come alive to devour him.
Minori gritted his teeth.
He glanced back—and his eyes twitched slightly.