Free Web NovelChapter 751: Chapter 93: Identifying the Venomous Snake
After identifying the venomous snake that bit Jens, Chen Wen immediately placed it around the campfire for Dennis to identify.
Dennis looked at the snake, frowning.
Seeing this expression, Chen Wen felt a twinge of anxiety, "A highly venomous snake?"
Dennis shook his head, "No, it should be a Desert Whipsnake, but I’m not very sure."
Not sure?
Chen Wen was taken aback; he didn’t expect Dennis to give such an answer.
"What do you mean?"
Dennis organized his thoughts and said, "The Desert Whipsnake is a large category, consisting of many types that might look different but are all called Desert Whipsnakes. I can’t identify the specifics."
"However, based on what you two described, I suspect it’s a Desert Whipsnake. It’s fast, small, active during the day, and rests at night. Plus, the venomous snakes active in this region are mainly Desert Whipsnakes and Brown Tree Snakes, and it’s obviously not a Brown Tree Snake, so it’s likely a Desert Whipsnake."
Hearing this, Chen Wen nodded slightly.
This snake was very likely the Desert Whipsnake Dennis mentioned.
"So, what now? Do we just leave it be?"
Chen Wen asked Jens, who still appeared very tense.
Dennis thought for a moment and said, "Let’s observe. If there’s no deterioration within thirty minutes, it’s a Desert Whipsnake. If it worsens, call for help immediately, there should be enough time."
Hearing this, Jens and Rolf exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond.
After all, it concerns Jens’ life. Can they just wait it out like this?
At this moment, Chen Wen said, "No need to wait thirty minutes. Cook it and let me taste it. If it’s a Desert Whipsnake, I should recognize it by the taste—I still remember the taste of Desert Whipsnake."
Taste it?
Jens and Rolf’s eyes nearly popped out.
Who in their right mind identifies a venomous snake by tasting it?
But Dennis seemed intrigued, "Let’s give it a try. After all, the shape of snakes is hard to differentiate, but their taste can be distinctive; many snakes have unique flavors."
As they were about to dissect and cook the suspected Desert Whipsnake,
Rolf weakly said, "You two, that might be a protected species..."
Chen Wen waved his hand dismissively, "We’re not bound by those laws."
Rolf’s eyes widened at this.
He felt a cold sweat coming on.
This group... could they be some sort of poaching outfit?
While Rolf’s imagination ran wild, Dennis explained the situation.
Realizing they were from the Australian Expedition Association, Rolf and Jens relaxed their vigilance.
"I see, then please go ahead, adventurers."
Upon learning Dennis’ identity, Rolf immediately said.
Dennis didn’t hesitate.
He borrowed a knife, swiftly split the still-moving snake, and placed it over the fire to roast.
After a few minutes, the half-cooked snake meat was delivered to Chen Wen.
Chen Wen took a bite, closing his eyes as if savoring the taste.
But Chen Wen didn’t truly have the ability to identify snake species by taste.
He was merely focusing inward, using his system to identify the snake’s species.
After swallowing the snake meat, the system gave no response.
"Hmm..."
Chen Wen opened his eyes and confidently said, "It’s definitely a Desert Whipsnake! It tastes the same as the one we ate!"
Hearing this, Dennis trusted him completely and said, "No problem, it’s a Desert Whipsnake. Its venom has minimal impact on humans, don’t worry, at most, the wound will be red and swollen for a day or two."
Dennis trusted Chen Wen, but the two still had doubts.
Was this cavalier identification method really reliable?
Seeing their skepticism, Chen Wen said directly, "Rest assured, I’m very experienced. We’ve come all the way from the southern desert, encountering countless venomous snakes and insects!"
Hearing this, Jens and Rolf were once again wide-eyed.
Rolf exclaimed incredulously, "What? You’ve come all the way from the southern desert?"
"Yes."
Dennis chimed in, "We’re participating in the association’s challenge, the Desert Extreme Challenge. I wonder if you’ve heard of it."
Upon hearing this, Jens seemed to remember something. freёweɓnovel.com
He furrowed his brow in thought for a while, then realized and said, "Desert Extreme Challenge? Eight Extremes Challenge, right?"
"Correct."
Dennis nodded.
"Oh my, you’re actually challengers of that event, truly unbelievable!"
Jens looked at the two, his eyes shining.
He knew very well what being a challenger in the Eight Extremes Challenge meant.
It was essentially a feast for the world’s top-tier survival experts!
With this status, their trust in Chen Wen and Dennis increased.
They sat by the campfire, waiting for about thirty more minutes.
As time passed, Jens didn’t feel any discomfort, and his wound hadn’t worsened either.
The only notable change was that the swelling around the wound seemed to have diminished significantly.
"It seems it really is the Desert Whipsnake you mentioned."
Jens finally breathed a sigh of relief and untied the bandage.
"Yes, get some rest. If there are any issues, come to us."
Chen Wen said as he prepared to leave.
However, Jens quickly stopped them, and to express his gratitude, he took out some canned fruit, offering it to take along.
Seeing the abundance of supplies Jens and his group had, Chen Wen and Dennis didn’t refuse.
...
Returning to their camp.
Chen Wen and Dennis recounted the previous events to their teammates.
Upon hearing it was a bite from a Desert Whipsnake, Fred, who had also been bitten before, remarked on how weak its venom was.
When he was bitten, he only felt some initial tension and pain, but after ten minutes, he felt no discomfort at all.
Conversely, the bruising caused by Chen Wen squeezing the muscle around the wound hurt for several days.
Hearing this, everyone laughed.
The little episode passed, and they agreed it was time to rest.
...
The following morning.
After breakfast, as Chen Wen and his group planned to explore the oasis,
Rolf and Jens arrived together.
They first asked Chen Wen’s group if there were any challenges or restrictions they should be aware of.
After learning there were none, they excitedly expressed their desire to join Chen Wen’s exploration.
Seeing the two holding their cameras, Dennis informed them, "Our challenge footage is exclusively contracted, so filming won’t be likely."
Hearing this, Jens seemed a bit disappointed.
But he quickly asked, "If we don’t film you, can we film the animals?"
As he spoke, Jens glanced at Chen Wen, who was feeding a Whistling Kite: "If I’m not mistaken, he’s feeding a Whistling Kite?"
Chen Wen nodded, looking at Jens.
After observing the night before, Jens roughly confirmed that Chen Wen seemed to be the leader of the group.
He reached out, shaking hands with Chen Wen warmly: "Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Jens, a wildlife photographer currently commissioned to shoot a documentary about the Australian wilderness."
"It’s titled Wild Australia."
Hearing this, Chen Wen’s group was slightly taken aback.
Filming a documentary?
With just two, no, four people?
By Chen Wen’s reckoning, wouldn’t filming a documentary be like shooting a movie, requiring at least dozens of people?
At the very least, you’d expect an array of animal spies doing the filming?
But looking at the equipment Jens and his partner wielded, Chen Wen wondered if they could produce anything substantial.
Seeming to notice Chen Wen’s skepticism,
Jens proudly stated, "Before meeting you, the four of us with two vehicles had traversed numerous regions of Australia, capturing footage over nearly three years and documenting many precious moments. If you don’t believe it, you can take a look!"
