Chapter 185: Surprising Synergy
Shedding.
That’s how something as large as the serpent before them managed to escape Marion’s strings just before Adrian could cocoon it.
The two hadn’t sensed it because it had merged with the lava flowing within the chamber and only revealed itself when it was in their blind spots.
Adrian released the shadow cocoon, revealing the serpent’s shed skin, looking completely identical to the beast,
The only difference being the fact that it was hollow, something that was only revealed by the holes left behind by the spikes.
"Your ability truly is a strange one," Marion suddenly spoke up again, turning towards him, "how can shadows become tangible enough to hurt someone?"
"How can you transfer your soul through strings?" Adrian responded without looking at him.
"Ah," Marion seemed to have realized, nodding his head, "mana is weird, I suppose."
"It is," Adrian agreed as he looked back towards the beast.
The serpent fully revealed itself from the lava flow along the right wall, its new scales already fully formed, and it looked completely unblemished.
The shed skin had taken every wound they’d dealt to it, at least whatever little damage they managed to do.
It was completely unharmed.
Marion looked at it, then at the shed skin on the floor, then back at the serpent.
"So every time we damage it sufficiently," he said slowly, "it just sheds and with it, whatever damage we do."
"Hmm," Adrian nodded before adding, "though it seems to need to merge with the lava for a moment to form new scales."
"Is that so?" Marion muttered as he placed a hand on his chin, "then we’ll just have to force it to shed and then move it—"
He didn’t get to finish his words before Adrian pulled him sideways by the collar just moments before a stream of lava landed where he previously stood, creating a new channel for it to flow through.
"Don’t get distracted," Adrian said with a frown.
The heat from that attack felt higher than before, and from the glasses, he could very clearly see that its mana had suddenly increased.
But from the way it was leaking, he figured it was only temporary, perhaps similar to how the Oroborus’ mark forced him to the next rank every time he revived.
Marion adjusted his collar and looked at the serpent with slightly more fascination than before.
"It seems to have gotten stronger," he said.
"Temporarily," Adrian nodded, eyes still on the beast through his glasses, watching the mana leak from its scales like steam, "It’ll drop back down once it stabilizes."
"So we just have to survive until then."
"Or end it before then."
Marion considered both options with equal interest.
Though the serpent didn’t give them more time to deliberate, because the next second, the Serpent’s widely opened mouth was suddenly before them.
The creature aimed to swallow them both in a single go; unfortunately, the two were prepared for it this time.
Adrian and Marion immediately split up, going towards the creature’s left and right sides, respectively.
The moment they did, something else suddenly slammed into the creature, pulling its attention for a second.
Looking to the side, the beast spotted what seemed to be a bull, completely wrapped in lightning.
One of Adrian’s clones is possessing the bull.
The clone stomped its hoof, let out steam from its nose, before charging towards the serpent.
Thanks to the lightning element, its speed was almost too fast to track.... Almost.
BOOM!
Just before it could reach its target, the serpent lifted its tail and slammed it on the clone, completely crushing it.
As one would, after crushing an insect, the serpent completely ignored it and turned back to the two.
Surprisingly, one of the pests that came here for its treasure was just standing there looking at it.
The serpent soon launched itself at the pest, its maw widely open as it got closer and closer to him.
But it suddenly stopped in its tracks...or rather, it was forced to, and it was in proximity to the pest.
Marion smiled and patted the creature’s scaly snout and muttered, "Got you."
He hadn’t wasted a single second of the distraction Adrian’s clone had provided, and he had managed to weave his strings between the cracks of the serpent’s scales.
The strings now formed what seemed to be a spider’s web, using his strings, with the serpent in the center of it.
The beast tried to wiggle out of its skin again, as a way to free itself, but it just caused Marion to chuckle as he said, "That won’t work."
And he was right, after all, thanks to Adrian’s shadow, his strings had managed to cleanly go through the creature’s body and wrap themselves around its core.
Hence, the reason the beast didn’t feel itself being tangled in the strings.
"And now," Marion added as he looked up only to spot Adrian falling on the creature, and he landed on its head.
Placing a palm on its head, the creature tried struggling, but it was all for naught as the strings refused to allow it the slightest bit of movement.
Adrian didn’t mind it struggling as he kept his palm on its head. A few seconds later, it went completely still as a shadow spike pierced straight through its brain.
He silently lifted his palm off it as the shadow dissolved, and he hopped off the beast when he was certain it was properly dead.
"That was significantly harder than it needed to be," Marion muttered as he released the strings around it.
"You did well," Adrian said, and he truly meant it. Without Marion, he was certain that he’d have trouble taking an S-rank beast down.
Well, except he allowed Noctis to eat it, which the cat would be very pleased to do, but Adrian wouldn’t have that.
After all, unlike with the Oroborus, he wouldn’t gain anything new from the cat eating normal beasts.
Well, he would gain mana, but he doubted he was anywhere close to breaking through right now.
Marion looked at him with an expression that suggested he wasn’t sure what to do with a genuine compliment from this particular person.
"Don’t make it weird," he finally said before walking towards the egg again.
This time, he successfully reached the egg. Picking it up, he studied it for a moment before turning toward Adrian with a smile.
The moment Adrian saw that smile, his guard went up, and the shadow beneath his feet began to creep silently toward Marion.
"This must be quite interesting," Marion said, weighing the egg in his hand, "If you, the Cult Master, and the Prince all want it."
