Chapter 396 394-Setting Out
Sherry's words made it impossible for Ethan to refuse.
He felt her fervent breath on his face, stirring a whirlwind of emotions within him.
Unable to resist, Ethan embraced Sherry and kissed her lips.
...
The next day, the time had come for Ethan to set out.
As Sherry watched him pack his things, she couldn't help but ask, "Can't you really stay?"
Ethan shook his head, saying nothing.
He knew that in such a situation, words were futile; his mind was made up to leave.
Sherry said nothing more, silently seeing Ethan off on his journey.
They walked together for a long time, with Sherry showing no sign of wanting to return.
Finally, Ethan said, "Go back."
Sherry remained silent, but Ethan could see tears in her eyes, held back with great effort.
Seeing Sherry like this, Ethan couldn't help but embrace her again, whispering, "Wait for me. One day, I will return for you."
Sherry nodded, her lips meeting Ethan's in a kiss, and her tears finally breaking free.
Ethan held Sherry tightly, their kiss lingering for a long time before they parted.
With the kiss ending, Ethan set out once again.
This time, Sherry didn't continue to follow him.
She had already accompanied him a great distance, understanding that all farewells must come, even after a journey of a thousand miles.
Sherry stood still, watching Ethan until his figure had disappeared into the distance, then slowly, reluctantly, she turned back.
Ethan continued his journey forward, knowing that at this pace, it wouldn't be long before he would leave the Shadow Forest behind.
However, walking through the forest was inevitably slower than traveling on an unobstructed path.
After a morning's trek, Ethan started to feel tired. He leaned against a tree to rest for a while.
No sooner had he sat down than a faint rustling reached his ears.
Ethan instantly became alert.
The sound was soft, a whispering rustle, and from its tone, it seemed not far from him, prompting Ethan to be extra cautious.
Just then, a massive serpent suddenly leaped from a nearby tree, its gaping maw lunging towards Ethan.
This serpent was incredibly fast, even swifter than the Nocturnal Serpents Ethan had encountered before.
Had he not been somewhat aware and prepared, this could have been extremely dangerous.
As the serpent lunged, Ethan quickly dodged to the side.
However, he soon realized he had been somewhat careless.
If he had been standing, dodging would have been easy, but Ethan was sitting with his back against the tree, which made evading the serpent's attack much more difficult.
In his attempt to dodge, Ethan nearly fell to the ground, a sight of utter disarray.
Ethan inwardly cursed his luck.
He hadn't expected the tree he chose for a brief respite to harbor such a serpent.
Had he known, he would never have rested there.
With so many trees in the area, Ethan had randomly picked one to rest under, only to find it was the lair of a serpent.
Such luck left him utterly speechless.
However, Ethan had no time to dwell on his thoughts.
Before he could steady himself, the serpent launched another attack.
With his balance compromised, Ethan could only continue to dodge, having no chance to counterattack.
Fortunately, he had managed to stand up, which made the situation slightly better than before.
Once again, Ethan narrowly avoided the serpent's strike.
Seizing this brief respite, he stepped back a few paces, putting some distance between himself and the serpent.
Given the serpent's swift attack speed, staying too close would leave Ethan no time to react, so he dared not approach it too closely.
With some distance now between them, Ethan finally had the chance to closely observe the serpent.
Its body was pitch black, except for a diamond-shaped white spot right at the center of its head, giving the illusion of a third eye.
Ethan remembered a conversation he had with Sherry.
She had mentioned a black serpent that looked just like this, living in the forest.
Sherry had called it the Three-eyed Serpent, known for its formidable attack strength and strong territorial instincts.
It would attack anyone who dared to encroach upon its domain.
Sherry also mentioned that these Three-eyed Serpents typically lived in trees, making them hard to spot.
Once someone came too close, they would immediately launch an attack.
Many victims hadn't even gotten a clear look at the serpent before being swallowed whole, dying without ever knowing what had devoured them.
Seeing the creature before him, Ethan realized that this must be the very serpent Sherry had described.
He had never expected to encounter such a creature himself.
Fortunately, since Ethan had retreated to a safer distance from the Three-eyed Serpent, the creature did not pursue to attack him.
Instead, it remained in its place, fixing Ethan with a rigid, unblinking stare. Ethan, aware of the potential danger, did not let his guard down for even a moment.
Although the serpent remained motionless and had not launched another attack, Ethan knew it was perpetually ready to strike.
It seemed that after its initial two failed attempts, the Three-eyed Serpent had grown wary of Ethan's capabilities and reaction speed.
It now hesitated to make any rash moves, instead seeking the right moment to strike.
Caught in this predicament, Ethan found himself in a difficult situation.
Ahead lay the serpent, its gaping maw ready to devour him at any moment, making forward movement an impossibility.
At the same time, retreating was also out of the question.
Ethan was in a standoff with the serpent, and any attempt to back away would likely provoke an immediate attack.
The best course of action for Ethan, at that moment, was to remain still and observe, waiting to see what the serpent would do next.
Ethan stood motionless, and so did the serpent, each staring at the other, neither attacking nor retreating.
This standoff was excruciating for Ethan.
If the serpent chose to abandon its attack and return to the tree, Ethan could seize the opportunity to leave.
If it attacked, he could look for a chance to counter during its assault.
However, the current stalemate, with the Three-eyed Serpent utterly still, posed a significant challenge.
Ethan had to be continuously vigilant, watching the serpent's every move without blinking, always prepared for a sudden attack.
This tense vigilance was draining, but necessary to ensure his safety in the face of an unpredictable adversary.
As Ethan stood in a motionless standoff with the serpent, a faint rustling suddenly emanated from nearby.
Ethan's heart sank – something else was approaching!
While the Three-eyed Serpent was challenging, Ethan was confident in his ability to handle it.
The earlier disarray was merely due to a lack of preparation.
In a real fight with the Three-eyed Serpent, Ethan believed he had a good chance of winning.
However, with something else now approaching, caution was paramount, given the unknown nature of the new arrival.
The Three-eyed Serpent also seemed to sense the new presence, turning its head towards the source of the sound.
Ethan recognized this as an opportunity.
Attacking the serpent while it was distracted could be an effective strategy.
But with the arrival of this unknown entity, whose intentions – hostile or otherwise – were unclear, a rash attack on the serpent might leave him vulnerable to the newcomer.
Despite his confidence in his own abilities, Ethan knew better than to act recklessly in such a potentially disadvantageous situation.
Caution was the best approach.
Finally, the source of the noise revealed itself, and Ethan was taken aback to see another black serpent, strikingly similar to the first.
It was another Three-eyed Serpent, similar in size and appearance to the first, suggesting comparable strength.
Had the first serpent called for backup?
Ethan couldn't help but speculate.
The situation now was not just about facing a single serpent but dealing with two.
The challenge had just doubled, and Ethan knew he needed to reassess his strategy in light of this new development.
Now faced with the challenge of confronting two serpents simultaneously, Ethan felt a surge of adrenaline.
From the brief encounter earlier, he had discerned that the Three-eyed Serpents primarily relied on surprise attacks.
Typically concealed in the trees and hard to spot, they would launch sudden assaults on unsuspecting individuals.
However, once exposed, their power diminished significantly.
Even with both Three-eyed Serpents attacking him at the same time, Ethan was confident he could handle them.
At this moment, Ethan was fully prepared to face the combined assault of the two serpents.
However, with one on each side, they effectively had him surrounded, putting him at a tactical disadvantage.
Ethan knew he needed to find a way to break out of this encirclement and position himself more advantageously.
Only then could he fully unleash his capabilities without concern.
Thus, Ethan began looking for an opportunity to move to a more strategic position, aiming to avoid being caught in a pincer attack.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
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