Chapter 216: The Serpent Legion
The Cult's Headquarters
The Mississippi River basin, with its fertile land and abundant rainfall, was once a major gathering point for Native American tribes. For some "indescribable" reasons, the Native Americans vanished, but their civilization's relics remained.
Native American civilization was diverse and complex, boasting over 600 different tribes at its peak, speaking over 200 distinct languages. Their size, appearance, skin color, language, and culture varied widely. The only commonality was the temple.
Temple architecture, epitomized by the Pyramid of the Sun, left a brilliant mark on global civilization. The Swamp Forest contained such a temple, with one difference: this temple was not above ground but underground.
Beneath the waterfall, in a vast, empty subterranean space.
Fires fueled by corpse oil flickered in the cool breeze, their swaying light illuminating the cavernous world. This was a stone-paved Sacrificial Road. Directly ahead, across dozens of steps, stood the mysterious Pyramid of the Sun.
The tower was carved with ancient Native American characters, mostly pictograms representing the sun, moon, and feathers. A dozen thick Cobra Kings were coiled on the steps, acting as royal guards for their king in this human-realm kingdom.
A Cobra King with a mottled body traversed the Sacrificial Road, climbed the steps, and stopped at the entrance. The main door slowly opened, and a sliver of light streamed out. The mottled snake king waited patiently, and only after receiving permission did it cautiously slither into the main hall.
"Master!"
A soft call echoed in the large hall. After a long silence, the gray-robed figure standing on the stone throne in the shadow of the lamps opened its eyes, revealing dragon-like pupils. The mottled snake king immediately prostrated itself on the ground.
"What is it?"
"Trouble in the east."
The mottled snake king spoke in a lowered, fearful voice. "News just arrived. A group of outsiders broke into the swamp and rescued Alec Holland."
"What!"
The gray-robed figure rose quickly, crossing the space in a single stride to stand before the mottled snake king, its angry vertical pupils fixed on the snake.
"Who did it? When?"
"Two... three hours ago. The exact identity is still... still unclear."
The mottled snake king was terrified, lacking the courage to lie. Remembering something, it quickly added, "A few days ago, Eddy reported that a group of sightseers arrived in town. I believe it must be them."
"Summon Eddy."
"Understood, I will go at once."
The mottled snake king, as if receiving a pardon, quickly slithered out of the main hall. Soon after, a pitch-black Cobra King appeared at the entrance—the very one that had appeared in the town.
It nervously whipped its tail, and a human-like look of fear crossed its ugly face.
The gray-robed figure stared coldly at it, as if looking at a plate of snake soup. After a long pause, it hissed,
"Capture the sightseers. Leave none alive."
The black snake king let out a long sigh of relief, hissing in a very low voice,
"I will not disappoint you, Master."
The Battle Begins
After learning the true identity of the cultists, the town became much quieter.
An ancient demon!
Just hearing the name made everyone uneasy. Even the hardened Stan Darloff and Maeve, who had experienced countless supernatural events, furrowed their brows.
Soon, the sunset approached and night fell.
The group quickly ate dinner and returned to their rooms to prepare for the battle tomorrow.
Zatanna found Luke, who was drawing design blueprints, and said without ceremony,
"I want a raise."
"A raise for what?"
Zatanna retorted angrily, "four hundred thousand to fight a demon? That's too little! I'm a sorceress, I must get a raise."
Luke was amused. He put down his pencil and asked curiously,
"How much do you want?"
"Six Hundred thousand."
"Are you sure?"
Zatanna lifted her chin, saying with total arrogance, "I'm worth that price."
"Fine! Six Hundred thousand it is. I'll transfer it all to you after the mission is complete."
"You promised. No backing out."
The girl left happily, looking like a little fox who had stolen a chicken. Luke shook his head speechlessly, thinking, Youth is great. She just sold her life for six Hundred thousand.
Just then, a beeping sound echoed in his mind. Luke quickly put on his sunglasses. When he saw the video feed from the drone, he was stunned.
The weather tonight was poor. The sky was covered in thick clouds, dark and without any moonlight. Before seven o'clock, the town was already plunged into darkness.
The night wind blew, bringing with it a few calls of ravens. Suddenly, a flock of birds took off from the woods, and a massive rustling sound emanated from the dark trees.
The old dog in the village lay prostrate on the ground, its shadow rapidly expanding, turning into a pitch-black wellspring. Three thick Cobra Kings emerged, their heads raised, staring intently at the tavern.
The rustling sounds grew denser. Large black shapes appeared in the shaking grass: long snake tongues, flat heads, wide hoods...
Countless venomous snakes slithered out of the forest, attacking from all directions, turning the town into an ocean of serpents.
In the tavern hall, a grim-faced Luke sat at the main table. The current situation of the town was being broadcast on the projector in front of him. It was clearly visible that the entire town had been flooded by Cobras: rooftops, lawns, puddles, wooden stakes... everywhere was covered in horrifying venomous snakes.
The sheer number of snakes was enough to make one's scalp crawl. Even the resolute Becky Beckman looked pale, let alone the others.
Luke glanced over the faces in the room and said gravely,
"I know you're all scared, but these snakes must die. If they don't die tonight, tomorrow will be much worse."
"Nelson, when will your boss arrive?"
"Soon. Forty minutes at most."
"Tell them they must get to the town in fifteen minutes."
"I'll call them now."
Nelson didn't stop to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He grabbed his phone and walked to the side.
Luke stood up, speaking clearly, "I don't need to tell you why these snakes are here. You all know. Tonight's fight is a rehearsal for tomorrow. The cult has many snake-handling experts. If anyone is scared, slit your own throat right now. I won't stop you."
Everyone's faces were tense. Although pale, their eyes were firm.
Luke nodded with satisfaction. "It seems we have no cowards among us. In that case, proceed according to the original plan. Remember: you can lose ground elsewhere, but the tavern must remain intact. It's our stronghold, and it's also the bait."
Once the command was given, everyone grabbed their weapons and left the hall. As they stepped out the door, a Cobra dropped from above, landing just two meters in front of them. Its flat head was raised high, its hood spread, showing a fierce desire to strike.
In that moment, everyone froze, as if they were staring at death itself.
Adam was the quickest to react. With a flash of his knife, he sliced the venomous snake into two pieces.
Luke frowned. "Don't be foolish. That's just the appetizer. The truly disgusting part is coming."
The group fell silent. They separated into teams of three, armed with various weapons, and took up defensive positions at the tavern's crucial points.
The great battle was about to erupt.
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!