Into the Zombie World

Chapter 184 - Red Hognose Snake

Upon noticing the dark grey dot above him, Nile realized that the detection range of the System Map is not the same upwards. Normally, he could detect other beings 100+ meters around him, but it looks like it isn't the same upwards. 

He estimated that he could only detect objects 20 meters above him, for now. He even assumed that maybe the detection range of the System Map was actually in the form of a dome. 

Back to the present.

Nile warily keeps a distance of a few meters from the huge hognose snake in front of him. The snake was at the middle stage of level two, meaning, its strength was more than 21 and less than 25. Currently, he only has a strength of 25.125, it only a slight difference, being careful doesn't have a fee after all.

The snake's body was more or less bigger than his body. It was coiled on a thick branch as it glared and hissed at him. 

The snake had a hideous horn protruding just above its slitted eyes. Its fiery red scales shone with a metallic luster sun's light getting reflected on it. There were seven dark red dots from its nose all the way to the area below its head. 

Shriek!

The red hognose snake could no longer tolerate the staring contest as it pounced towards Nile with terrifying speed. 

Nile was alert from the start, upon noticing the action of the snake, he hurriedly jumped to another branch successfully evading the snake's strike. The branch he was standing earlier had become rubbles after the snake missed him. 

Fortunately, he evaded, if was hit by that strike, he knew that he would take considerable damage. 

Landing on another branch, he didn't wait for the snake to turn its head as the machete on his hand transformed into a harpoon with a tie. 

He leaps high in the air as he threw the harpoon towards the seventh dot below the snake's head. He recalled that the Achilles heel of the snake was located 7 inches below their head. He guessed that the seventh dot was also that same area. 

Woosh!

The harpoon tore through the air and hit the same spot that he aimed. As expected, it only manages to pierce an inch deep before it got bounced away. It's not that the weapon was not sharp enough, it's just that the snake's scales were more sturdier and Nile's strength is not strong enough to pierce it in one go. 

Nevertheless, he already expected the outcome. Using the rope tied on the harpoon, he retrieved the harpoon as he landed on another branch, creating more distance between him and the snake.

He noticed that even though it only manages to pierce an inch deep, the snake was still squirming in pain. He guessed that maybe it's because of the snake's weakness that he had struck.

Blood was oozing off below the snake's head, it coiled tightly on a branch as it squirmed and stared daggers at the Nile. 

After the pain subsided, the snake didn't hesitate to leap towards Nile again. Nile had already created a fair distance so he was not worried that he would not be able to react in time. 

Using the same move, he waited for the snake to pounce towards him before leaping towards another branch all the while throwing the harpoon towards the seventh dot below its head. 

Hissss!

The snake opened its jaw wide as it hissed due to the pain it was experiencing. The harpoon had managed to pierced more than an inch this time, it didn't hit the same wound but it was close enough to each other that the two wounds had combined into one. 

Like an agile monkey, Nile hops from one branch to another to make another safe distance from the snake. He knew that if he continued with the act, sooner or later, he would be able to take the snake down. The Instant Adapter Talent's effect was apparent. It allowed Nile to move like a monkey above the tree, it's as if he was Barzan, the jungle boy. It's as if the tree was his home from the start. 

However, he didn't expect that the snake would suddenly turn around, intending to escape. It looks like the snake knew that it won't be able to take him down, hence it decided to run for its life. 

"You're not getting away!" He exclaimed as he pulled the harpoon behind his back before throwing it like a professional javelin player. 

Swoosh! 

The harpoon created a gust of wind as it traveled and tore the air towards the escaping Snake.  This time, Nile aimed for the area around the snake's tail. Its body was smaller there, he hopes that the harpoon could pierce through its tail. 

The harpoon's blade has two hooks on its side, if it manages to pierce through, he knew that he could pin the snake down. 

Shriekkk! 

The snake let out an ear-piercing scream as the harpoon pierced its tail. It didn't manage to pierce just like what Nile had envisioned, fortunately, when the snake wriggled its tail, the end of the harpoon hit a branch, causing for it to be pushed deep inside, hence the reason why it managed to pierce through it. 

Nile smiled under the masks after seeing the accident, 'Luck is on my side, hehe!' He said.

The rope tied on the harpoon was getting pulled by the harpoon and the snake. However, Nile didn't wait for it to escape his grasp, he dives on a thicker branch and stomped his foot hard. Using his free hand, he hugged a branch thicker than his body, before coiling the other end of the rope on it. 

BAM!

The moment he finished tying the rope on the branch, as loud noise reached his ears as the snake's body got forcefully halted with the combination of Nile, Harpoon, Rope, and the Tree's branch.

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Thanks for reading guys.