A Chapter 5 Interlude; A King's Challenger

  Kisol continent, unknown forest.

  My eyes opened to the bleariness of my surroundings, yet that didn't bother me in the slightest. I had never had to depend solely upon my eyes. They didn't lie parse, but they couldn't see everything like my tongue could. Though what had awakened me were the faint vibrations within the earth. Something of importance should have happened outside. Was it some idiot messing within my territory?

  A flicker of rage was born within me and I flicked out my tongue, tasting the air. There was the familiar sulphuric stench, which I ignored in favor of the other things, for example, the fear and terror, coupled with the smells of everything disturbed upon the forest floor, like the rot and the gloomy air, the spores, and the scents of the plants.

  Th flicker of rage grew as I felt a flavor I had never felt before among the many. Someone, or something dared challenge me?! Everyone feared me! This was my kingdom! It seems, a long time had passed since I had last given a brutal lesson!

  I pulled back my head, stored force within my muscles, then shot forward, slithering through the diagonally upwards tunnel before a burst of light fell into my eyelids. Many red tinged figures were running towards me, with some taking the cue of my glorious appearance to swerve away from me. Though, one of them, too late to react, became my snack. Within a single gulp, it was deposited into my stomach before I worked my muscles and started to make myself taller. Yet, even when I raised myself higher, my eyes failed to catch the challenger, but the their unique flavor was stronger on my tongue.

  Through the greenery I slithered, picking up the startled snacks here and there. After all, it wasn't everyday that I got to see enjoy so many pieces of food at once!

  When I flicked out my tongue just before reaching the destination, I tasted blood upon bringing it back. And it wasn't just that. I could feel a sharp energy in the air, testing my scales like droplets of water. Was the challenger this bold? Were they that convinced of their victory?! I had ruled this piece of land for as long as I could remember! Challengers had existed in the early days, but now, they had all been devoured. I had grown too strong, but never complacent. Why? Because of those abominations from the waters around the land.

  I breached the canopy, bringing me face to face with the challenger. Was his energy in a manling shape?! It was puzzling... Hadn't I devoured every single one of them a long time ago? I tasted the air, confirming that there was a lack of that manling scent. So, what was this thing before me, spewing sharp golden energy? The second thing I noticed was the fact that that same energy lingered among the delectable carnage, yet hadn't touched any of the trees, proving their skill.

  I accumulated my poison beneath my tongue, then spat out a glob of it towards the intruder only for a golden energy wall to manifest before it's path. When the glob made contact, sizzling sounds echoed in the space, with a revolting stench assaulting my tongue. I had prepared myself to hastily abandon from my location, yet the golden manling didn't move to attack.

  It had been a long time since I had last come across his kind, yet I could still recall the deluge of tastes in the air they exuded when under fear or terror, or even when they radiated that misplaced confidence... But what was with this golden manling? There was absolutely nothing in the air from him except the sharp stench of the golden energy. I knew that I couldn't see some colors, but when something was saturated with enough energy, their colors bled into my vision, as if some law made it so. Like some treasures I had devoured during my growth... No! I shouldn't be distracted!

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  I moved my body, kept a respectful distance, while slithering around the golden manling, searching for an opening. Though the embers of rage were still there, my blood was racing with excitement. It had become a rare thing for me to come across an evenly matched opponent. Those abominations from the water had either been too strong, or too weak. Those too strong, I waited until they went back into the water, while those too weak, I left them alone. Why? Because their meat was revolting!

  My eyes and tongue tracked the motionless figure. It wasn't following my movements at all. Was this arrogance? Then it would learn! I wasn't like my mindless brethren. No no no! I had awakened my intelligence when I had reached this level of power!

  When I aligned with its back, I lunged! Every single muscle released it's tension, increasing my speed to the point that the back of the manling enlarged in my gaze almost instantaneously! My maw was already opened, poised to swallow all of him, only for my gaze to blur and for it to almost vanish within my gaze, but I tracked it, only if barely, with my eyes!

  And that was when I felt a chill upon my neck, prompting me to launch one of my spinal spurs towards the general direction of the threat, while also increasing my speed, appearing just at the end of the clearing.

  When my attention shifted towards the golden figure, my heart paused for a moment as I caught them enlarging in my gaze, though, this time I had the initiative, so I accumulated enough venom for ten attacks, and spat them out at the fastest speed, packing enough force behind them such that even if they were blocked, they would slow down the manling.

  A sizzling sound erupted as five of them managed to slow down the golden shield before the manling, while the next five pushed him back, all the way into the clearing. I flicked out my tongue in annoyance. I only had nine spinal spurs, which had now been reduced to eight. And so far, I hadn't managed to injure my opponent.

  I had thought that manlings lacked the potential to absorb this energy, yet this golden manling was proving me wrong. That blade composed entirely of golden energy was a threat. My instincts had already told me that I shouldn't allow it to make contact with any part of me. After all, even the spur had been vertically bisected easily, yet it had been the hardest part of my body!

  But I wasn't one of those cowardly ones! I had risen out of challenges like these! My life on the line?! That didn't matter in the slightest! What really mattered was the drive to fight!

  So, I lunged before the figure could regain itself. The golden shield was leaking energy out of a few faults, giving me hope that I could injure the manling!

  Within one meter, I paused, transferring all the kinetic energy into my tail, which even to my senses, became a blur. The shield failed to offer any resistance, shattering instantly, before I felt my scales make contact with a solid object. For a moment, maybe less than my awareness, there was resistance, but that also vanished, with the golden manling shuttling far into the distance, leaving a long trail of destruction in his wake!

  I wanted to follow, yet before I could act on the impulse, I felt pain shoot up from my tail, and when I got a good look at it, pain and rage took over as I thrashed, destroying everything within my immediate vicinity. My glorious tail had been severed! As I gazed down at the fallen tip, a murderous rage overtook all of caution and rationality!

  I tensed every muscle, coiled myself into a bundle, then, shot out! Everything within my path was bulldozed! The stems blocking me, I bore holes through them... the ground, I left deep furrows as my speed reached a level where I appeared just before the manling, pulled back my head, and struck out, only for a golden shield to materialize, one large enough to block all of my massive head out. The Golden manling was embedded deep within a tilted tree, whose roots were clearing struggling to accommodate its weight.

  With a thought, I triggered a power I didn't normally use as it always drained me afterwards. The red small crystal chains sleeping within my heart lit up with a crimson light which seeped through my entire body, enlarging my already massive form, with my scales standing perpendicular to my skin, the pores beneath, releasing a blood mist that corroded everything that it touched.

  The moment I lunged, the shield didn't even last for an instant, shattering into shards as my massive maw opened, once again with the intention of gulping down this manling. I had come to the conclusion that should it prove successful, it would allow me to evolve further! That was something I wouldn't pass up!

  Before I could make contact though, a golden light spilled out, painting itself upon my scales and the thin film over my eyes. Then, before my very eyes, a sharp golden massive blade enlarged within my pupils even as my instincts screamed a life ending catastrophe, but for some reason, my speed was slower than the manling's attack.

  A feeling I had never felt before in my adult life took hold of me. Horror made my mind enter into a hyperactive state, yet every single solution turned out to be moot. The blade's swing was somehow faster than my reaction speed! Had this thing, been toying with me before?!