Free Web NovelChapter 54: Chapter 54: The Silent Lake Serpent
The Silent Lake Serpent rose with a sound the lake had hidden until now.
Water crashed against the shore. Wooden stakes shook. The camp lanterns rang wildly, silver tones pushing back the serpent’s oppressive aura. Its body was long and black-blue, covered in smooth scales that absorbed light. Unlike the Mirror Scale Lake Serpent from the contest zone, this creature did not reflect its surroundings.
It devoured them.
Wherever its shadow fell, sound weakened.
Even with the Sunken Bell restored, Qin Yuheng felt pressure settle over the camp.
The mission panel flashed.
[Final Boss Battle]
[Silent Lake Serpent]
[Level: 18]
[Status: Weakened]
[Abilities: Sound Devour, Lake Bind, Tail Crush, Drowning Mist]
[Weakness: Bell resonance, throat sound core, under-jaw scale line, lightning]
Qin Mo pointed at the panel.
"Weakened still says Level 18."
Qin Yuchen raised his sword.
"If we had not restored the bell, it might have been worse."
"That does not comfort me."
Qin Yuheng took command immediately.
"Qin Mo, keep the lanterns ringing. Use the bell post as the core. Qin Yuchen, protect him. Qin Lian, target the eyes and throat when it lowers its head. I will hold its attention."
Qin Yuchen looked at him.
"You cannot take a direct hit."
"I know."
The serpent lunged.
Its head crossed the shore in an instant, jaws opening wide enough to swallow half a barricade.
Qin Yuheng used Thunder Shadow Flash.
He moved sideways, barely avoiding the bite. His sword cut across the under-jaw scale line. Sparks and black-blue blood flew.
The serpent hissed.
This time, the sound was real, but distorted.
Qin Mo activated the central bell post.
All lanterns rang together.
The serpent’s body stiffened for a breath.
Qin Lian appeared near its side and drove one dagger toward its eye ridge. The serpent shifted, and the dagger scraped across scales instead of piercing.
Qin Yuchen struck the wounded jaw line.
His Iron Blood Thread Sword entered deeper than expected, cutting a thin line through the scale seam.
The serpent retaliated with its tail.
The massive body swept across the camp wall.
Boom!
Wood shattered.
[Camp Integrity: 61%]
Qin Mo’s face changed.
"If it hits twice more, the camp collapses!"
Qin Yuheng stepped forward.
He needed to keep the serpent from striking structures.
He released more thunder.
The Primordial Thunder Emperor Body surged, and violet-gold arcs ran along his sword.
He struck the serpent’s snout.
Not to wound deeply.
To anger.
The serpent’s eyes locked onto him.
Good.
It lunged again.
Qin Yuheng retreated toward the open shore, away from the camp structures. Each movement had to be exact. Too close to the water, and the serpent could use Lake Bind. Too close to the wall, and the camp would take damage.
The serpent opened its mouth.
Dark mist poured out.
[Warning: Drowning Mist.]
The mist rushed toward Qin Yuheng, heavy with the sensation of sinking.
His breathing slowed.
His limbs felt submerged.
The restored lanterns rang again, weakening the mist, but not removing it.
Qin Yuheng used Clear Mind Spirit Powder and circulated thunder through his chest.
The sensation broke.
He dashed forward instead of back.
His sword pierced into the edge of the serpent’s open mouth.
Thunder exploded.
The serpent recoiled violently.
Qin Lian seized the moment and struck one eye ridge.
This time, her dagger entered.
The serpent roared.
Qin Yuchen attacked the wounded jaw again.
Qin Mo activated a sound formation through the central bell.
A focused silver ripple struck the serpent’s throat.
The panel flashed. freeweɓnovel.cøm
[Throat sound core exposed.]
A small silver-black orb pulsed beneath the serpent’s throat.
Qin Yuheng’s eyes sharpened.
That was the key.
But the serpent immediately protected it, curling its body and sweeping the camp with another tail strike.
Qin Yuchen blocked flying debris from hitting Qin Mo.
Qin Lian rolled away.
Qin Yuheng used Thunder Shadow Flash to cross the shore and slash the tail’s side, diverting part of its force.
The wall still shook.
[Camp Integrity: 49%]
Below half.
But the lantern barrier remained strong due to the Sunken Bell.
[Lantern Sound Barrier: 91%]
Qin Mo shouted, "The bell is strong, the walls are not!" freeweɓnøvel.com
"Then we end it before the walls fall," Qin Yuheng said.
He took out a B Grade Water Barrier Talisman and threw it onto the shore. The talisman created a temporary stable zone over the wet ground.
Then he looked at Qin Mo.
"Can you ring the bell into its throat core again?"
"Once strongly. Maybe twice weakly."
"Strongly. On my signal."
Qin Mo swallowed a Mana Recovery Pill.
"Of course. The dangerous version."
Qin Yuheng looked at Qin Yuchen and Qin Lian.
"Force it to open its mouth."
Qin Yuchen understood.
He moved to the left, attacking the jaw wound. Qin Lian harassed the injured eye ridge. The serpent snapped at them, furious but cautious.
Qin Yuheng waited.
Then he stepped into its frontal range.
The serpent lunged.
"Now!"
Qin Mo slammed both hands onto the bell post.
The Sunken Bell answered from beneath the lake.
A deep silver sound erupted through the camp lanterns and struck the serpent’s throat.
The throat sound core emerged.
Qin Yuheng activated Thunder Shadow Flash.
First burst: under the serpent’s bite.
Second burst: up along the Water Barrier foothold.
Third burst: directly beneath the throat.
His legs screamed from strain.
His sword rose.
Violet-gold thunder condensed along the blade.
The serpent tried to pull back.
Too late.
Qin Yuheng pierced the throat sound core.
Silver sound and violet thunder exploded together.
The serpent’s body froze.
Then it thrashed wildly, smashing the lake surface and shore.
Qin Yuheng was thrown backward, but Qin Yuchen caught him before he hit the broken wall.
The serpent roared one final time.
Its massive body collapsed half in the water, half on the shore.
The mission panel appeared.
[Silent Lake Serpent defeated.]
[Final Boss slain.]
[Camp defended.]
[Hidden Mission: Silent Lake Sunken Bell restored.]
[Evaluation greatly increased.]
Qin Mo slid down the bell post.
"Alive. Somehow."
Qin Lian sat on a broken plank, breathing hard.
Qin Yuchen looked at Qin Yuheng.
"You used too much movement again."
Qin Yuheng smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
Qin Mo pointed at him.
"No maybe. The healer will recognize you."
The sky above Silent Lake slowly brightened.
Dawn arrived.
The camp had survived.
Barely.
But it had survived.
