Chapter 12: The Serpent’s Challenge

Ling Wei rather enjoyed ‘another,’ but this was hardly the opportune moment to recreate the iconic ‘umbrella headshot’ scene.

To match Xia Shi’s incredible reaction speed, she silently cursed the moronic creature for its utter lack of situational awareness, yet waited patiently for a brief moment.

Only when the blood-soaked weapon pressed against her eye did she finally recoil and turn her head, deftly evading the strike.

With a subtle flick of her eyelashes, she even managed to alter the spear’s trajectory, ensuring Lu Chen, who was observing nearby, remained unharmed.

“Boom!”

Amidst the vibrating screech of metal tearing through air, the spear whistled past the girl’s cheek, leaving a perfectly precise gash.

Simultaneously, several more golden spears shot forth from various corners of the warehouse, shattering the air as they hurtled towards Ling Wei, aiming directly for her vital heart.

The girl licked the trickle of blood from her lips, then removed a hairpin from her head, snapping her fingers at the incoming projectiles.

“Transform.”

A single spark flared and vanished, replaced by a magnificent inferno that erupted from the ground, entirely engulfing the girl.

The spears, capable of cleaving metal and shattering stone, groaned as they lunged at the fiery orb, yet before they could even draw near, they were utterly evaporated and dissolved.

The flames unfurled like a blooming flower, revealing the figure of the magical girl, Fireworks, her fiery red hair fluttering in the wind.

Ling Wei waved a hand, retracting the scorching flames and intense heat that had permeated the entire area.

Much like Xia Shi, she possessed the ability to precisely control the flames’ reach, eliminating only her foes while leaving allies unharmed.

This meticulous control prevented her from inadvertently obliterating the town along with the monster, sparing the arriving Earth Defense Force members from exclaiming, “What in the world did you even protect?”

As she helped the dying administrator to his feet, using both flame and magic to staunch the blood gushing from his neck, her gaze drifted to the opposite side of the warehouse—the very direction from which the golden spears had launched their assault.

There, a cylindrical column, seemingly forged from gold and silver, began to twist and deform, collapsing onto the ground before transforming into a colossal, sinuously crawling serpent.

The colossal serpent evidently noticed the girl’s gaze.

Its belly pressed low to the ground, it glided silently towards the girl, layers of rippling waves emerging across its metallic skin.

Despite its distorted, ethereal path, the colossal serpent’s glass-like eyes remained fixed on Ling Wei, while its massive maw widened into a sinister smile.

“Fireworks… my dear Fireworks, it has been a long time. Are you pleased with my welcome gift?”

Ling Wei narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the colossal serpent from head to tail, a single thought forming in her mind.

‘No, who is this? I never knew Xia Shi had a hobby of keeping large reptilian pets.’

‘Miss Fireworks, have you properly applied for a breeding license? A creature of this size would typically be illegal, you know?’

After indulging in a few sarcastic remarks, the girl activated her telepathy.

[Zero, what’s the deal with this overly familiar reptilian lady?]

[Master, do you recall last year’s Original Sin Gathering, when you took a day off to slack off at home and had me impersonate you, enduring a full day of torture in your stead?]

[Must you bring up old scores now?]

[Those are your words, Master, not mine.]

[To get back to the main topic. Had you attended, you would know that this Miss Snake is Chrysomallos, the giant serpent who wields ‘Golden Alchemy’ magic, and Envy’s newly appointed right-hand since last year.]

[I see. What is its relationship with Xia Shi?]

[They are sworn enemies. Though the specifics remain unclear, ‘Golden Alchemy’ appears to be a powerful counter to Miss Fireworks’s ‘Scarlet Forging,’ allowing it to significantly aid Envy in the campaign to eliminate Xia Shi.]

[Understood, thank you. I’ll make sure to get you a day off for the next Original Sin Gathering.]

The girl severed the telepathic link, turning her gaze back to the colossal serpent before her.

While she yearned to beat this reptilian creature into a sheet of gold foil, to vent her fury over the stolen Silver Moon Heart, this particular foe seemed to possess a significant advantage against Xia Shi.

Thus, it was best not to overexert herself and expose any vulnerabilities.

Her plan was simple: gather information, feign a strenuous battle, and then seize an opportunity to make her escape.

Her expression hardening, she nocked an arrow to her bow, aiming a fiercely burning shaft of fire directly at the colossal serpent’s eye.

“A boring provocation, Chrysomallos. This time, I will certainly kill you.”

The colossal serpent immediately erupted into an exaggerated, maniacal cackle, much like an elementary school student who had just discovered the word “poop” for the first time.

“Ha… ha-ha, hahahaha! Excellent humor, Fireworks. A year has passed, and you remain as foolish, reckless, and unlearning as ever—”

Before it could finish its inane monologue, the girl released the arrow.

The brilliant white arrow vibrated once, then shot forth with a booming roar like tearing cloth, unleashing a tidal wave of circular heat that surged outwards in all directions.

Trailing comet-like crimson flames, it streaked through the air, striking the colossal serpent’s head with unerring accuracy.

“Boom—”

A deafening roar, powerful enough to rupture eardrums, erupted, illuminating the entire warehouse with a dazzling, domineering blaze.

The scorching heat melted the cylindrical columns beside the colossal serpent into boiling water, as if poised to vaporize everything in the vicinity into pure void.

****

Yet, a golden spear suddenly pierced through the inferno, hurtling directly towards Ling Wei!

She instinctively manipulated the flames, tilting her head to evade the fatal strike, permitting it only to leave another superficial scratch on her cheek.

Wiping away the trickling blood, she looked towards the dissipating smoke.

Chrysomallos coiled there, completely unscathed, its golden scales shimmering brilliantly.

Astonishingly, it had sustained not the slightest injury, merely being forced back a short distance.

“Fireworks… poor Fireworks, have you forgotten? Unlike the golden spears I launch, my body is forged from frost-flame steel, reinforced countless times, granting me unparalleled heat resistance.

“I can even withstand the flame baptism bestowed by the Original Witch! Your pathetic temperature is utterly incapable of harming me!”

“Today… I shall certainly claim your life, and the Silver Moon Heart you so brazenly plundered, returning them all to my great and handsome master!”

Ling Wei found herself nodding in reluctant admiration.

Not for the colossal serpent’s fire resistance, but for its astonishing ability to shamelessly flatter that Envy character without a hint of nausea.

Still, despite being a bit of a sycophant, this creature was indeed immune to all fire magic, rendering Fireworks utterly helpless against it.

Ling Wei nocked another arrow.

Seeing this, Chrysomallos once again burst into maniacal laughter, swiftly wriggling forward.

“Foolish! How many times must I tell you? These attacks are utterly ineffective against me—”

Mid-sentence, a barrage of dense, rocket-like projectiles, reminiscent of Vegeta’s signature energy blasts, rained down upon the colossal serpent, forcing her back several steps and preventing any further advance.

Moreover, unlike the previous shot, these rockets ignited into billowing plumes of smoke, engulfing the entire warehouse in a dense haze!

That being said, these arrows still proved incapable of inflicting actual damage upon the colossal serpent.

They served merely to achieve knockback, create smoke screens, and buy precious time.

“Ha… smoke, is it? Do you truly believe these toys can help you escape my hunt?”

Amidst the colossal serpent’s clamor, Ling Wei dismissed the volley of rockets, then helped the administrator to Lu Chen’s side.

Observing the girl’s serene expression, the young man had already surmised her impending words, and he found himself clenching his fists.

The girl offered the young man a faint smile.

“Lu Chen, take this old man outside. He requires immediate medical attention.”