Doomsday Pillars

Chapter 76 - Rattle The Cage

The group was now facing a much more dangerous threat. These three monstrous beasts that crawled the ground. These fifteen-meter slender serpents slithered silently, their dark green scales shimmered in the sunlight as their tongues occasionally flicked out to taste the fear in the air showing their four large fangs. 

The three monsters were the mutated reticulated pythons. Even before the mutation, these types of pythons were considered the third largest snake in the world. The reticulated python was among the few snakes that preyed on humans. Attacks on humans weren't frequent, but this species had been responsible for several reported human fatalities, both in the wild and captivity.

In Doomsday, even a harmless cat could become a threat after mutation; Pythons mutated into second stage animals, even more so. The three snakes looked outraged with their yellow eyes; it seemed that the explosion had rattled their cage hard.

The slimy bodies started smashing everything within their path, the trees, the gates, the abandoned cars, even the mutated monkeys near there.

BAAAMMMM!!!

One smash from the tail and a row of huge mutated monkeys were crushed on the ground, splattering blood everywhere.

The simple action from the snake shocked everyone. First stage beasts were incomparable to the second stage beasts because of the significant jump in power. The pythons advanced.

The group now had to face these three monsters, including a hundred plus mutated monkeys.

The peak stage fighters still somewhat held up, repelling the aggressive monkeys. Sergei, who looked to be the most injured, was arm-wrestling with three of them. Luckily, he had the most robust body among them. If it were anyone else, they would have been lying on the ground in pain.

"Get off!! You damned monkeys!" Sergei smacked one of the monkeys and crushed its head with his steel knuckle.

The twins were still fighting recklessly and should've been injured or dead a long time ago if Aria and the snipers hadn't helped. As for the rest of others, there was no group who had it any better. They were all still occupied with the apes, and now with the snakes about to join the fight, this could turn into a real disaster.

Alex quickly calculated the situation; he had never planned to attack the snake lair. If he had, he would've brought more firepower or would come later when he and the rest had evolved to earth realm.

Alex knew what exactly was the extent of these snakes' strengths; they were at least level 40. His golem could defeat one in a one on one fight and might even hold two at the same time, but Alex knew the lair had more than three snakes. He remembered in his previous life that there were six of them and one of them was a mother snake. For Alex, this was pure mathematics.

"Everyone retreat!!!"

There only had eight APVs left; it wouldn't be enough to fill everyone, so Alex came up with a plan that included his peak stage experts, which might give them a chance to outrun these abominations. What he was worried about were the special forces squads. 

Alex sent his golem to distract the three snakes, the golem jumped forward and punched down one of the snakes.

BAAAMMM!!!

The strong smash made the snake drop flat to the ground, the golem continued the attack by grabbing one of the abandoned cars and slamming it against the grounded snake.

BAAAMMM!!! BAAAMMM!!

The car exploded into pieces after one slam but that killed the snake. Alex felt a bit regretful he didn't have any weapon for the golem to use. He couldn't make one as well since none of the conventional human weapons would be strong enough to be used by the golem.

The other two snakes slithered past the golem and the golem managed to snatch the tail of one snake. However, that snake suddenly coiled around the golem, strangling it. Because of that, the third snake managed to pass the golem and head for the group.

When Rama noticed the snake coming, he focused all of his inner strength into the tip of his steel spear. Pulling back, he let out a powerful spear that rotated countless times in mid air heading for the snake which had been strangling the golem. This technique would create higher penetration power to the opponent's defense. 

PA!!!!!

The spear hit the snake's left eye, it loosened its coil, allowing the golem to escape. Aria, still using the .50 cal cartridges, and always aware of the situation, prepared her next shot. This time, her target was that snake's right eye.

BANG! It hit perfectly.

Now the second snake had become blind and in pain, it thrashed around. Everyone, without discussing, decided simultaneously to keep their distance and focus on the third snake, who had raised itself and closest to them.

On the other side, BRATATATATATATA...

The APV's 12.7mm machine gun bullets were able to hurt the snake, but it wasn't able to pierce it. It only made the third snake mad. These bullets couldn't stop the snake's advance to one of the APVs. Alex quickly took out an RPG grenade launcher from his storage ring and aimed at the approaching snake.

SHHHTTT...

CLANKK!!!

Unfortunately, the snake noticed it and was able to deflect the grenade with its huge tail.

KABOOMMM!!...

The grenade exploded on the side where more cars were parked. The snakes then pounced on one of the APVs and coiled around it. Unfortunately, two special forces squads, who were still inside the vehicles, were unable to get out and got crushed inside.

"..."

If only the grenade had hit, Alex thought. He hated to lose his strongest fighters, but this was the path Alex had chosen. Gains came together with the risks. But still, Alex was outraged. He shot another grenade at the snake.

KABOOMMM!

This time it was a hit. The grenade blew up near its head, burning its green scales, which was also spurting out blood at the point of impact. Alex shot two more grenades on the same spot.

KABOOMMM!!... KABOOMM!!!...

Both had precisely landed on the same spot, and finally, a hole appeared in its head, showing its insides. The python wiggled weakly, losing its energy, before stopping completely and crashing on the ground. One snake down, two more to go.

Seeing one snake blinded, another dead, and just a few dozen mutated monkeys left, Alex thought, this was the chance. Alex told the rest of the squads to fill the remaining APVs and go. There was nothing much they could do anyway.

"Go! Go! Go!"

The vehicles had a capacity of thirteen men. But because they were less APVs, they were forced to cram in more than the APVs should handle. Still, Alex needed them to get away from this location, so when things turned south, he only needed to worry about the peak experts. The APVs drove in full speed, exiting the area and still firing its machine gun when suddenly another huge figure came out of the forest, crashing with one of the APVs.

"..."

BANNNGGGG!!!

The Armored Personnel Vehicle, weighing 16.5 tonnes, easily got thrown away, flipping a few times on the ground. The thing that had crashed into it wasn't an ordinary beast.

"FUXXXXX!"

Seeing another APV full of special forces soldiers destroyed, Alex was in distress. There might be survivors left in those vehicles, but what Alex was more afraid of was now in front of them. It was the mutated mother python. Almost twice the size of the mutated reticulated pythons, and a high stage second stage mutated animal.