Dante, still on guard, looked at the small snake in a strange way. Its appearance was indeed unique.
It had light-blue, scaly skin and completely green eyes. Its body measured about sixty centimeters, and on its back were circular-shaped symbols near the upper part.
It stared back at Dante and seemed to prepare for an attack. However, when it moved, it merely splashed water at him and appeared to wiggle with joy.
Dante looked visibly confused. Was a snake supposed to do that? Moreover, he quickly realized that this small creature was the one that had splashed him with water repeatedly before.
"Could this be a harmless attack?" he finished his thought with curiosity.
Still facing each other, Dante blinked lightly, unsure of what to do — attack, dry himself, or laugh. However, every time he blinked, the snake seemed to mimic him.
I guess I can imagine she isn't venomous, Dante thought. The small snake was blue to blend perfectly with the water and didn't seem to have any exposed venom glands.
And not only that — it also seemed childishly toned, which might indicate that it killed by constriction.
But why does she keep throwing water at me? Dante wondered, still puzzled.
Splash, splash, splash.
She started splashing Dante again, cheerfully, which only confused him further.
Maybe she's trying to drive me away... but not in a hostile way, Dante thought, as he decided to leave.
But as soon as his body turned, the small snake stopped splashing water, tilted her head slightly, and began to stare at Dante curiously.
Splash.
Another sound of water echoed in Dante's ears, but this time nothing hit him — the small snake had jumped onto his shoulder and was now staring straight at him.
As soon as she touched Dante's shoulder, his hand moved toward her, but the snake easily dodged and slithered to the other side, resting on his opposite shoulder.
Dante flinched and stepped back a few meters while trying to grab her with his hand. However, she simply coiled around him and kept staring.
"Tsk," a murmur escaped Dante's lips as he began to grow irritated with the beast, which looked at him innocently.
"Kyu."
Suddenly, a sound came from the small creature, which still looked at him with the same innocence — but now seemed happy.
What should I do? Dante wondered. The beast didn't seem like it would leave him alone, and he didn't have the energy to waste trying to kill it.
"Whatever," Dante said, beginning to ignore the little snake. His goal now was to see how the golden-fanged lion was doing. Since she wouldn't attack him, she would probably flee once she saw the lion.
He then continued moving south, where the lion's den was located. That was when the snake seemed to realize she was no longer the center of attention and decided to stay perched on his shoulder.
As expected, the lake wasn't too far from the lion's den. Along the way, he could see blood on the ground and fallen trees — remnants from when the lion had chased him, and from the blood of the snakes he had thrown. However, there was also some faintly golden blood.
It probably belonged to the lion. It seemed the battle with the thunder rhinoceros had left him wounded.
Dante approached, positioning himself atop a tree and observing the lion from a distance. From afar, it was nearly impossible to see him, as he was completely hidden within his den.
But at a glance, Dante could spot strands of fur in a blood-red hue — something that likely held good meaning for him.
However, one thought lingered in Dante's mind: to attack or not? This was the lion's weakest moment — and his as well.
Moreover, the lion had apparently used a language-based ability and fought against a higher-ranked beast. The chances of being in worse condition clearly leaned toward the lion.
The Calactus Flower was still intact, and this was probably Dante's best chance.
With only one arm, he was limited to his pseudo-spiritual spear. Ideally, he would set traps, but a wounded lion would hardly leave the area around its den — and setting a trap here would clearly be foolish.
Well, it doesn't matter... it's live or die, Dante thought, leaping from the tree and charging toward the lion's den, spear in hand.
This would be their first direct battle.