Chapter 431 - 431 431 Night Vipers

Words : 1570 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 431: Chapter 431: Night Vipers Chapter 431: Chapter 431: Night Vipers The mountain loomed in the distance, its dark, jagged peaks stretching high into the sky. Mist clung to the rocky slopes, giving it an eerie, almost haunting appearance. “Mount Darkstar isn’t like any other place,” Kars explained as they trekked along the rough terrain. “It’s home to all sorts of monsters—creatures you wouldn’t believe. We’ve got Shadow Crawlers, massive beasts that live in the caves. They can move through shadows, so if you see your shadow acting funny… well, you better start running.” The group listened as Kars continued, his voice steady and serious. “Then there are the Thornbeasts. They look like giant wolves, but their fur is made of razor-sharp thorns. One touch and you’ll be shredded to pieces. They hunt in packs, so if you see one, there’s more nearby.” As they hiked up the path, the air grew cooler, and the sound of birds and animals faded, leaving only the crunch of their footsteps on the rocky ground. “And don’t even get me started on the Razorbacks,” Kars said with a grimace. “They’re huge boar-like creatures with skin as tough as stone. If we run into one of those, it’s best we don’t fight unless we have to.” Su Jiyai quietly took it all in, her eyes scanning the landscape for any signs of the herbs she was searching for. After about half an hour of walking, Kars called for a break. The group settled down by a cluster of large boulders, taking out water bottles and snacks to refuel. Su Jiyai stood up, looking around with a careful gaze. She noticed something small and green poking out from behind a bush not far from where they were resting. “Hey, I’m gonna go explore a bit,” Su Jiyai said casually, hoping to avoid drawing too much attention. Kars nodded, barely paying her any mind as he took a long drink from his water bottle. “Don’t wander too far, Ragnar. We leave soon.” Su Jiyai nodded back and quickly moved away from the group. Once she was far enough, she crouched down near the bush and carefully brushed away the dirt. There it was—one of the herbs she needed. It had delicate, bright green leaves with tiny silver specks. Su Jiyai carefully dug it out with her hands, taking her time to make sure she didn’t damage the roots. Once it was free, she placed it into her system inventory with a small sigh of relief. One down, two more to go. Just as she was about to head back to the group, a strange smell wafted through the air. It was faint but unmistakable—a sweet, almost floral scent. Su Jiyai’s expression changed as she sniffed the air again. “Wait a minute… I know that smell.” She followed the scent to a small clearing not far from where she was standing. Her eyes widened as she spotted a cluster of eggs nestled between the rocks. The eggs were large, with smooth, pale shells, and the floral scent was strongest here. Her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered where she had smelled this scent before. Without wasting another second, Su Jiyai hurried back to the group. “Hey!” she called out, her voice urgent. “We need to get out of here!” Kars and the others looked up in surprise, their faces puzzled. “What’s the rush?” Mei asked, raising an eyebrow. The man who had picked on Su Jiyai yesterday scoffed, “For sure, he might have seen some bug and got scared.” “Blaze, shut up, and let Ragnar speak.” Kars chided. Su Jiyai took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. “I found… eggs. Over 40 of them. And the smell—it’s like lilies.” As soon as the words left her mouth, the entire group went silent. Their expressions shifted from confusion to alarm. “Lily scent?” Blaze asked, his face pale. “You’re sure?” Su Jiyai nodded. “Positive.” Kars’s eyes narrowed, and he stood up quickly, grabbing his weapon. “You know what that means, right?” Everyone did. No eggs had that smell unless they belonged to one specific creature. “Night Vipers,” Mei whispered, her face draining of color. Night Vipers were deadly serpents that only came out after dark. Their eggs gave off a scent similar to lilies, a natural warning for those who knew what to look for. They were fast, aggressive, and nearly impossible to outrun once they were awake. Kars cursed under his breath. “We can’t stay here. If we’re near their nest, we need to move now, before they hatch.” The group scrambled to pack up their things, their usual calm now replaced with tense urgency. “We head north,” Kars barked, his voice firm. “Away from the nest.” Su Jiyai quickly followed, her eyes scanning the area as they moved. The group moved quickly, leaving the area near the Night Viper’s nest behind them. The tension in the air was thick, but as they got farther away, everyone started to relax a little. Kars glanced at Su Jiyai, who had been quiet during the walk. “Hey, Ragnar,” Kars said, slowing down to walk beside her. “I owe you. You saved us back there. If you hadn’t noticed those eggs… well, things could’ve gotten ugly.” Blaze, who had been making fun of her earlier, nodded. “Yeah, you did good. I guess I was wrong about you.” Mei gave her a small smile. “Thanks for the warning, Ragnar. We’re lucky to have you.” The other woman named Juliet also nodded, “Thank you so much.” Her ‘thank you’ held a hint of shyness, but no one noticed it except Blaze whose expression darkened instantly. Su Jiyai nodded, feeling a little strange at their sudden change of attitude. But she was more focused on the herbs scattered across the mountain trail. Her eyes darted left and right, scanning for any more valuable plants. As they walked, Su Jiyai kept stopping to pick different herbs, carefully placing each one in her system inventory. It wasn’t long before auxiliary AI chimed in. [What are you doing? These aren’t the herbs you need for your mission.] Su Jiyai smirked to herself, picking another bunch of purple flowers. “I know that. But I plan to take them with me in my preservation capsule.” [Why?] the AI asked, sounding confused. “I’m going to grow them in my world,” Su Jiyai replied. “These herbs have amazing medicinal properties. See this one?” She held up a small plant with red leaves. “It can stop bleeding instantly. And this one,” she pointed to a yellow flower, “can boost someone’s energy for days.” The AI was silent for a moment before responding, [Are you sure you know what you’re talking about? These herbs are from a completely different dimension. Their properties could be totally different here.] Su Jiyai rolled her eyes. “I know what I’m talking about. Test me if you don’t believe me.” The AI hesitated before responding, [Fine. What does the purple herb you just picked do?] Su Jiyai didn’t even have to think about it. “That one reduces fever and helps heal infections. It’s super effective for treating burns too.” As the group continued their journey, Kars suddenly raised his hand, signaling for everyone to stop. “Look up ahead,” he said quietly, pointing toward the entrance of a large cave. “That’s the mine.” Su Jiyai’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the area. The mine entrance was huge, with jagged rocks surrounding it like the mouth of some giant beast. But what caught her attention was the movement near the entrance. Monsters. Big ones. “Looks like we’ve got company,” Kars muttered, gripping his weapon tightly. There were at least five creatures guarding the mine. They were huge, standing on four legs like lions, but their bodies were covered in scales instead of fur. Their glowing red eyes scanned the area, and every now and then, one of them would let out a low growl. “We can’t just walk in there,” Blaze whispered. “They’ll tear us apart.” Kars nodded, his face serious. “We need a plan.” While the others were discussing strategies, Su Jiyai’s eyes wandered to the side of the mine entrance. There, growing between the rocks, was the second herb she needed. It had long, silver leaves that shimmered in the dim light, and she could tell just by looking at it that it was rare and powerful. “There it is,” she muttered under her breath, her heart skipping a beat. But getting to it wouldn’t be easy with those monsters so close. However, Su Jiyai wasn’t tensed at all, instead, she took out her veil and wore it. Turning on the invisibility function, she sneaked to the area and carefully and slowly dug out the second herb. After securing it to space inventory, Su Jiyai heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the team. The interval was long, and the group members had noticed Su Jiyai’s disappearance. When she returned, Blaze taunted her, “We are not in a safe zone. Why are you strolling around?” “Seeing if I can escape when he takes action…” Su Jiyai murmured.

Chapter 431 - 431 431 Night Vipers

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