I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom - Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Teammate Bitten by a Snake

Eleven of them were tasked with gathering five hundred Star Spirit Grass plants, meaning each person needed to collect just over forty. Theoretically, this should have been an easy task, completed within an hour.

However, Star Spirit Grass required specific growing conditions and tended to hide in crevices between rocks, making the search time-consuming and physically demanding.

Shu Li opened his herb-collecting bag and roughly counted ten plants.

This was his progress after half an hour.

To find these ten plants, he had been forced to expand his search area, now more than two hundred meters away from his original position.

Shaking the dirt from his shovel, Shu Li stood up and scanned the surroundings for his teammates.

After a moment, he frowned.

Everyone except Nasha was within sight.

Strange, where is she?

“Sperien, what’s wrong?” Angele, who was standing about ten meters away, noticed him standing still and asked curiously.

“Have you seen Nasha?” Shu Li asked.

“Nasha? Isn’t she over there?” Angele pointed, but the spot was empty. He exclaimed in surprise, “That’s odd! She was just here! Where did she go?”

Shu Li looked in the direction Angel was pointing. Several large rocks lay scattered haphazardly, their shapes obscuring anyone crouching to gather medicinal herbs.

“I’ll go check it out,” Shu Li said, jogging forward. Just as he was about to leap onto a large rock, a piercing scream erupted from ahead.

“Ah! Snake—!”

It was Nasha’s terrified cry.

Without hesitation, the other teammates abandoned their herb-gathering and swiftly converged on Shu Li’s position.

Shu Li sprang onto the rock, his eyes immediately spotting the black-haired girl lying in the rocky terrain about ten meters away.

“Nasha!”

He sprinted forward, reaching her side in seconds. Kneeling beside her, he quickly assessed her condition.

Nasha’s face was deathly pale, her expression contorted in pain, her body convulsing violently. Her right leg was bent at an unnatural angle.

Ignoring propriety, Shu Li lifted her skirt, revealing a slender, jet-black snake coiled around her right ankle.

Hiss!

The snake’s mouth snapped open, exposing venom-dripping fangs as it lunged at Shu Li with lightning speed.

Startled, Shu Li reacted instantly. His fingers clamped down on the snake’s vital point, and with a sharp tug, he yanked the half-meter-long creature free.

As the others arrived, they stared in astonishment at the black snake pinned between Shu Li’s fingers. Celius swiftly drew his sword, and with a flash of white light, severed the snake’s head in a single stroke.

Shu Li casually discarded the snake’s body, the severed, headless corpse writhing on the rock, making him nauseous.

“Nasha’s been bitten by a snake?” Cindy crouched down, pulling Nasha into her arms and lifting the hem of her right pant leg with one hand.

“This is…” Her eyes widened.

Two bloody puncture wounds marked Nasha’s ankle, and half her leg had turned black.

“Poisonous!” the others exclaimed in alarm.

Shu Li swiftly retrieved a thin rope from his storage pouch and tied it tightly around Nasha’s knee to prevent the venom from spreading upward. He then drew a dagger and approached the wound.

“Nasha, bear with me,” he said gravely.

Nasha, leaning against Cindy’s chest, managed a weak reply: “Mmm…”

Shu Li tried to cut open the wound to drain the poisoned blood, but he hesitated several times, unable to bring himself to do it.

“I’ll do it,” Celius said, taking the dagger from him. With a clean, decisive motion, he sliced open the snakebite marks and squeezed forcefully to expel the venomous blood.

Once most of the blood had been drained, Shu Li coordinated by chanting a water-type magic spell, conjuring a Water Sphere to continuously flush and cleanse the wound.

When they finished, the Water Sphere vanished, and Nasha’s lower leg was no longer black and purple.

“I have medicinal herbs here,” Kumandi said, handing Shu Li a stone mortar filled with crushed herbs.

Shu Li took the mortar and noticed the herbs had already been ground. The aroma of the herbs made him pause.

This was Luo Jing Grass, a rare herb found only in the Faerie Forest, renowned for its exceptional hemostatic, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory properties.

It seemed Kumandi had discreetly retrieved the herbs from his storage ring and crushed them while the others weren’t paying attention.

The crushed herbs, unrecognizable in their original form, wouldn’t attract unwanted attention.

Shu Li scooped out the herbs and applied them to Nasha’s wound. The herbal juice stung her skin, causing her to bite her lip as fine beads of sweat covered her pale face.

Cindy held her tightly, reassuring her, “It’s okay, it’s okay now.”

After bandaging the wound and untying the rope around Nasha’s knee, Shu Li let out a long sigh.

Thanks to the timely treatment, her life was no longer in danger. Once they returned to the Academy, he would prepare a scar-removal potion for her. Applying it for a month would restore her skin to its original condition.

Of course, the scar-removal potion was a fairy secret formula, and some of the herbs required gathering from the Faerie Forest.

“We sprayed insect and snake repellent on ourselves. Why did Nasha still get bitten by this black snake?” Angele asked, puzzled.

When venturing into the wilderness for missions, insect and snake repellent potions were essential. Before entering the Woba Grand Canyon, everyone sprayed themselves with the potion to prevent bites.

“Could this snake be immune to the potion?” Budno crouched beside the black snake’s corpse, nudging it with his small shovel.

The snake flipped over, revealing golden scales on its belly.

“This is a Black Naja Snake,” Est said, frowning. “They always move in groups.”

Shu Li asked in surprise, “You mean… finding one means there’s a whole nest nearby?”

Just as terrifying as finding a cockroach.

Est nodded gravely.

Hector swallowed hard. “Um… how many snakes are in a nest?”

Est gripped his magic wand, scanning the surroundings warily. “A thousand, or even tens of thousands.”

“What?! Tens of thousands!” Hector paled in shock.

Celius listened intently, then barked, “Prepare for battle!”

The Light Squad swiftly entered combat formation.

Shu Li raised his magic wand, chanting a Light-attribute physical defense formation that enveloped the group. “Cindy, Hector, take care of Nasha.”

Cindy and Hector replied in unison, “Yes!”

Shu Li added, “The rest of you, form a circle and prepare for both offense and defense.”

“Understood!”

The group quickly arranged themselves, positioning Nasha, Cindy, and Hector in the center for protection.

“They’re coming!” Amanda’s pupils narrowed, the battle-hungry instincts of the Dragon Clan awakening within him.

Rustle, rustle—

Hiss, hiss, hiss—

In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of black snakes surged toward the Light Squad from all directions. Some were as thin as fingers, others as thick as water pipes, and still others as massive as pythons, sending shivers down the spines of Shu Li and his companions.

This is even worse than those pesky rats in Keshan Town!

The black snakes swarmed aggressively, completely encircling the Light Barrier protecting the Light Squad. The vanguard of snakes frantically slammed against the defensive shield.

Fortunately, Shu Li had cast an Intermediate Grand Mage-level barrier, which remained unshaken despite the relentless assault from thousands of snakes.

When undertaking missions in the wilderness, adaptability is key to survival.

Though he had disguised himself as a Mage Apprentice, Shu Li knew he had to unleash his true power when faced with such danger.

“So many?” Budno clicked his tongue. “Are they edible?”

Decio’s eyes widened. “They’re all venomous snakes! You dare eat them?”

Even at a time like this, he’s still thinking about food.

Budno whined, “I’m hungry!”

Judging by the sun’s position overhead, it must be noon—time for lunch.

Amanda stared at the relentless swarm of black snakes, licking his lips. “I’m hungry too.”

Every dragon possesses a powerful stomach, immune to poison. As long as the meat is tender, they can devour it.

These black snakes looked promising; their flavor must be exceptional.

Unfortunately, he was currently disguised as a human and couldn’t transform into his true form. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even make a proper meal.

Shu Li’s lips twitched. “We’ll eat lunch after we resolve this crisis.”

No sooner had he spoken than the back of his right hand grew hot. The Fire God’s Mark materialized, emitting a crimson light, and Falm’s chubby figure materialized.

“Is it mealtime? Is it mealtime?” Falm yawned widely, flapping his bat-like wings, still half-asleep.

Another glutton arrives. Shu Li’s face darkened as he pointed at the attacking black snakes. “Black Naja Snakes. Lots of them. Want to eat?”

Falm stared intently, drool dripping from his mouth. “Black Naja Snake! Delicious!”

As a Tenth-Tier Magical Beast who had lived for tens of thousands of years and devoured every creature on the continent, the Black Naja Snake was a staple in the Fire Dragon Lizard’s diet.

“Do as you please,” Shu Li said. “Just don’t let the Black Naja Snake swallow you whole.”

Falm shot him a sidelong glance. “They dare try to swallow me?”

Common snakes that weren’t even First-Tier Magical Beasts? Trying to swallow a Tenth-Tier Magical Beast? What a joke!

To assert his dominance, Falm pressed against the edge of the defense formation, radiating the overwhelming pressure of a high-level magical beast in an attempt to intimidate the black snakes.

Normally, these snakes would have fled at the mere hint of such pressure. But now, instead of retreating, they surged forward, violently ramming the defense formation.

Falm waved his short, stubby claws, bared his teeth, and let out a low growl from his throat.

The black snakes completely ignored the little demon beast’s childish roars, writhing rapidly and piling up against the defense formation’s perimeter.

Falm was furious.

What kind of snakes are these? Ignoring the dignity of a magical beast!

Damn it!

If it hadn’t been disguised as a little milk beast, it would have already transformed into its full size.

Shu Li was astonished. These black snakes were just ordinary reptiles, not even First-Tier magical beasts, yet they showed no fear of the Tenth-Tier Falm.

What gave them the audacity to challenge the authority of a high-level magical beast?

“Sperien, shouldn’t we attack?” Decio asked, gripping his magic wand, eager to strike.

“Not yet,” Shu Li replied. “Let all the snakes emerge first, then we’ll wipe them out in one fell swoop.”

These were just ordinary snakes, not magical beasts. A single fireball could incinerate a vast swarm. Since they were foolishly pouring out of their nests, they deserved a grand extermination package.

Falm, enraged, flew frantically within the Light Barrier. “Let me out! I want to feast!”

The Light Barrier was a physical defense formation, impenetrable to any solid matter.

Shu Li glanced at him. “We’ll release you once their numbers thin out.”

More importantly, they still hadn’t figured out why the black snakes showed no fear of high-level magical beasts. Caution was paramount; they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

Celius sheathed his sword, switched to an Advanced Magic Staff, narrowed his eyes slightly, and expanded his Perception to scan the surroundings within a hundred-meter radius.

Apart from the endless stream of black snakes slithering through the cracks, there was nothing else unusual.

Hector’s teeth chattered as he watched the ever-growing mass of black snakes. He stammered, “This… the sheer number of them is absurd!”

Cindy murmured, “Have we stumbled into a snake nest?”

Nasha rallied her strength and asked Cindy to help her stand.

“Are you sure you’re up to this?” Cindy asked anxiously.

“I’m fine now,” Nasha replied, drawing her magic wand and using it as a walking stick. “The pain in my wound has subsided.”

She couldn’t afford to be a burden to her companions; she needed to recover quickly and rejoin the fight.

Seeing the color return to Nasha’s cheeks, Cindy took her arm. “If you feel any discomfort, tell me immediately. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“I will,” Nasha assured her.

Ten minutes later, the black snakes had formed a thick, writhing “black wall” around the defense formation, pressing against the Light Barrier’s surface in a nauseating display.

If left unchecked, the entire barrier would be completely covered by the snakes within minutes.

“They’re trying to devour the light source,” Est observed.

Without the light source sustaining it, the Light Barrier would automatically collapse.

“No more waiting! Let’s thin their numbers first!” Shu Li commanded. The eleven members of the Light Squad raised their magic wands and unleashed a barrage of spells against the black snakes outside.

Boom!

Fireballs, light orbs, water arrows, wind blades, vines, and earth spikes rained down on the black snakes, erupting in deafening explosions.

Caught in the barrage of magical attacks, the black snakes didn’t even have time to hiss before dying in droves.

Within moments, the first wave of black snakes surrounding the Light Barrier had been wiped out.

But even more black snakes surged forward, relentlessly slamming into the Light Barrier.

Shu Li frowned, sensing the defense formation weakening. He immediately chanted an incantation to reinforce the barrier’s defenses.

“Why are these black snakes emitting so much black smoke after they die?” Hector asked, puzzled.

“Black smoke?” Shu Li had been so focused on casting spells that he hadn’t noticed the dark smoke rising from the snake corpses.

This is…

“Dark Force!” Shu Li exclaimed in alarm.

He frequently visited Vanaku, the Dark Elf territory, to perform Purification rituals on the Mother Tree, making him intimately familiar with the Dark Force. The moment he saw the black smoke rising from the snake corpses, he recognized it instantly.

No wonder they weren’t afraid of Falm.

Any creature tainted by the Dark Force would lose control and rampage, their maddened Souls finding temporary solace only in slaughter.