Javier and Rebecca felt quite helpless.
They had hidden in nearly ten rooms, but the giant snake had smashed through ten room doors, one after another, as if they had a tracker on them. No matter how they tried to escape, they couldn't. As soon as they hid, the giant snake would find them, which made Javier exclaim, "This is evil!"
"This tracking radar is too effective."
"There's nowhere to run."
"We want to fight to the death, but we can't."
"Because the weapons they currently possess can hardly kill the giant snake in front of them; they can only cause minor damage. There are no grenades, no rocket launchers, and no Molotov cocktails. Everything is so scarce. If Javier had known the outcome would be like this, he would have prepared more throwing objects…"
"Crack—!!!"
And in the instant of thought,
A huge hole was once again smashed into the room door.
A snake head as large as a car drilled in, its searchlight-like yellow-green vertical pupils staring intently at a cabinet in the room. Information particles told it that one of the two stinky rats, Javier and Rebecca, was hiding inside.
"Hiss…!"
"Pfft—whoosh—!!!"
Without hesitation,
After confirming the target's location, the giant snake once again opened its gaping maw, revealing two fangs like elephant tusks. The needle-like tips were aimed at the cabinet, and it violently sprayed two terrifying streams of venom. As the strongest infected mutant snake, it naturally possessed the skill of venom spitting.
But compared to the previous group of over 40 venomous snakes,
The venom spat out by the giant snake in front of them was like a high-pressure water gun; its speed was incredibly fast, and the quantity was immense. Coupled with the white steam rising from the dark-green venom, if one were truly hit, the terrifying corrosive ability would likely melt flesh instantly!
"Bang!"
Seeing this,
Javier, hiding in the cabinet, didn't hesitate. He kicked open the cabinet door and quickly scrambled out, rolling and crawling.
The high-pressure water gun-like venom spray then violently drenched the wooden cabinet.
"Pfft…!"
With almost no surprise,
The moment the two made contact,
The wooden cabinet, drenched in the highly corrosive venom, quickly began to emit thick white smoke. Subsequently, the entire cabinet visibly corroded and disintegrated before their eyes, eventually turning into a pile of indescribable wooden sludge.
Having evaded one attack,
Javier didn't hesitate. He quickly pulled out the Desert Eagle from his waist and pulled the trigger, firing eight consecutive shots. The magazine was emptied in just 2 seconds, and eight continuous bullets shot towards the giant snake from different directions!
"Clang, clang, clang—!!!"
And the sound that made Javier's heart sink rang out.
There was no sound of bullets penetrating flesh or even piercing through, as imagined. Instead, it sounded as if they had all hit a steel plate, with only sparks flying. Javier could not hide his disappointment. This was a.50 caliber semi-automatic pistol bullet, and it couldn't break through the giant snake's scales? Javier looked at the Desert Eagle in his hand, which had even been reinforced, with some confusion and doubt in his eyes, and couldn't help but sigh, "Is this Magnum artifact going to be outdated so quickly in my hands?"
"What does this mean?"
"Is my Magnum not worthy?"
"Or did I, Javier, affect the Magnum's strength—?"
Ahem, of course,
It's not that outrageous, actually.
If Javier looked closely, there were already clear bullet craters on the giant snake's scales, and the scale's defense had been penetrated. It was just that the giant snake's muscles and scales had jammed the bullets, preventing them from penetrating further. This created the illusion that even.50 caliber bullets couldn't break through its defense.
But no matter what…
Such shallow wounds were indeed painless and inconsequential to the giant snake, unable to cause any significant effective damage to it.
And those scales were indeed formidable, embedded like iron plates on the outside, making them very difficult to breach, not to mention the high-density muscles inside for defense.
As for the giant snake's bald, dark head, that was probably the hardest part, likely as hard and thick as steel, definitely not a defense that pistol bullets could penetrate.
However,
This does not mean the giant snake is invincible.
Even the strongest armor has crevices where one can penetrate. The giant snake's eyes, including its abdomen, are its weak points. If one can seize the opportunity to accurately hit these weak points, it can cause considerable damage to the giant snake. Of course, it is indeed not a one-hit kill!
"We can only wait for an opportunity…"
"Rebecca, stop hiding! Hurry and run, bullets are useless against this beastly giant snake. We can only escape for now and see if there are any special weapons in other rooms. Otherwise, it's impossible to kill this giant snake with just a pistol."
Seeing this,
Javier could only express his helplessness and lead Rebecca to flee.
Pistols couldn't penetrate its defense, and shotguns, from too far away, didn't do enough damage. From close range, the damage was sufficient, but the problem was... getting close and going head-to-head with the giant snake. Wasn't that just asking for death? Its gaping maw could swallow Javier and Rebecca in an instant, so getting close was simply impossible.
And because Javier hadn't thought of a good solution yet, he could only try to buy time. So, without any hesitation, Javier put away his Desert Eagle and turned to run. This room was interconnected; the door next to it could open to an adjacent room, and that girl Rebecca was hiding inside.
Javier planned to slowly lead the giant snake around the Mansion Villa, searching some rooms to see if he could find any fuel or similar items to make Molotov cocktails. Only then would they have a chance to deal with the giant snake!
However,
What Javier and Rebecca didn't expect was that
Later, the two would lead the giant snake to an unexpected place, a place that even Javier and Rebecca themselves hadn't anticipated. After all, they were just wandering around aimlessly and didn't realize that this aimless wandering could bring two boss monsters together to fight each other. This was an unimaginable thing…
Chapter Fifteen: Giant Snake vs. Plant 42
"Plant 42 Report Log—"
"Four days have passed since the incident. Plant 42 is growing at an astonishing rate. Although there are still many unknowns about this plant, one thing is certain: the T-Virus has a relatively severe impact on it."
"The T-Virus has completely altered the host's structure and size. From its current state, it's absolutely impossible to imagine its original appearance. There is no other similar creature on Earth. We also discovered that Plant 42 has two main nutrient sources. One is through its roots absorbing nutrients; its roots have already penetrated into the basement."
"After the incident, a researcher went mad and attacked the large water tank. Afterwards, the basement turned into a swimming pool. It's highly possible that the chemicals in the tank contributed to the rapid growth of Plant 42, but it's still unconfirmed… the exact proportion of the chemicals to T-Virus residue."
"The spherical object of Plant 42 hangs from the ceiling on the first floor. We can confirm it reached the first floor through the ventilation ducts. The countless, uncountable vine-like tentacles can extend continuously from within the spherical object."
"And we believe its second method of nutrient acquisition is through hunting with its tentacles. When prey approaches, the vines quickly entangle the prey and use the tentacles to drain their blood. Of course, we also found that it seems to possess intelligence; when not capturing prey or during dormancy, it uses its tentacles to block doorframes to prevent intruders."
"Unfortunately, several of our researchers have been attacked by Plant 42, but at the same time, we also discovered a pattern: when the petals of its spherical object open, it becomes very aggressive…"
"May 21, 1998, Henry Sutton—"
Looking at the report in their hands,
Jill and Barry looked at each other, their expressions a mix of hesitation. All these documents were scattered on the ground. In front of them was an area with wooden walls and wooden doors, and from the cracks in these walls and doors, some emerald green vine plants were seeping out.
Just like the beloved ivy people plant,
Its tendrils were firmly rooted in these walls, forming an armor-like presence. This method allowed Plant 42's defense system to be more complete. Wooden walls reinforced with vines seemed to be no weaker than brick and mortar walls. Plant 42 could rely on these reinforced walls to protect itself.
Additionally, the vine tendrils on the outside
Could also serve as Plant 42's fourth, fifth, and numerous other eyes. No matter what creature passed outside the walls, it could sense it sensitively!
Therefore,
Although only separated by a wooden vine wall,
Jill and Barry could still confirm that the area ahead was Plant 42's lair. That's why Jill and Barry seemed so hesitant. They had followed clues to this place, but what awaited them was the immensely powerful Plant 42. This put them in a difficult situation.
Inside…
They might find more crucial clues, or perhaps the third Cursed Mask, but they might also encounter unprecedented danger. After all, they didn't have much experience dealing with this kind of monster.
But if they gave up…
The two felt uneasy. Setting aside what clues or the third Cursed Mask might be hidden inside, just the existence of a monster like Plant 42 was something Jill and Barry were determined to eliminate.
Because, judging from the situation recorded in the document, Plant 42 grows remarkably fast, has strong survival capabilities, high reproductive rates, and abundant nutrient sources. It can eat meat or simply rely on its roots to absorb water and soil for nutrients, making it extremely difficult to kill.
So, if Jill and Barry were to leave it unchecked, even if they truly escaped the Mansion Villa, as long as Plant 42 was not dead, it might take over the entire Mansion Villa, with its reproductive tendrils everywhere, completely transforming the Mansion Villa into a forest castle.
It could even use the Mansion Villa as its base,
And continue to spread outwards.
If it left the Mansion Villa, there would be countless prey and water sources in the Akeley Mountains. At that time, Plant 42 would become even stronger, and dominating the Akeley Mountains might even become a reality. It would wantonly attack prey and people around the mountains, causing an even greater disaster.
And in order not to let Plant 42 continue to grow stronger,
Jill and Barry internally wished to eliminate Plant 42, but looking at the dense vine tendrils present in every corner of the walls, as if these plants had eyes and could breathe, Jill and Barry felt the fear of being constantly monitored.
They also understood the immense power of Plant 42 before them; it wasn't something they could deal with easily. They had to come up with a perfect plan!
"…"
"We definitely can't fight it alone; we need to be clever… How about we use herbicide, Barry! Go collect herbicide. It's in the Plant Greenhouse from before. One barrel of herbicide definitely isn't enough, but what if there's a lot of herbicide?"
"Since guns can't solve it, then herbicide will definitely work, after all, Plant 42 is still within the category of plants!"
After thinking for a while,
Jill came up with a solution: simple and crude herbicide. Earlier, when acquiring the first Cursed Mask in the Plant Greenhouse, Jill had discovered the researchers' self-prepared herbicide, which was specifically used as an inhibitor to observe Plant 42's growth.
If that thing was used as a weapon,
It would definitely be much stronger than mere firearms.
At least it could cause real damage to Plant 42, so this was a good idea. But how to get enough dosage of herbicide was a problem. After all, if Plant 42's main body was truly as huge as described in the document,
It probably wouldn't be something that could be solved with just one barrel or one bag of herbicide. They would need at least ten barrels or ten bags of herbicide to have a chance.
"Alright…"
"This is indeed a good idea. Since that's the case, without further ado, let's start. Jill, you go look for spraying equipment and water sources. I'll transport the herbicide. We'll meet back here later, and once we have enough herbicide, we'll deal with Plant 42 inside!"
Facing Jill's suggestion,
Barry, standing beside her, agreed, as he also believed it was the only way. To deal with plants, besides fire, it seemed only herbicide remained. However, they hadn't found a large amount of fuel, and fire attacks were very dangerous, potentially burning down the entire Mansion Villa.
After all, if the Mansion Villa caught fire, it could spread throughout the Akeley Mountains. While a large fire could indeed kill everything, it would ultimately be a short-sighted and counterproductive method. The benefits brought by the entire Akeley Mountains were not something that members of their S.T.A.R.S team could casually compare.
Since that was the case… then all that was left was herbicide irrigation—!
However,
Just as Jill and Barry were preparing to act,
"Bang—!"
"Rumble—!!!"
Suddenly, a series of loud noises and violent tremors echoed within the Mansion Villa. The floor beneath their feet shook as if a major earthquake had occurred. Dust rained down from above, threatening to collapse. This made Jill and Barry's faces change, and they quickly leaned against the pillars along the corridor to steady themselves.
"What was that sound?!"
"Damn it, is this an earthquake? Or is the Mansion about to collapse?!"
Jill and Barry, feeling the violent commotion, murmured with grave expressions. They couldn't imagine what could cause such intense tremors in the Mansion Villa. Was it a cannon attack? Or an explosion, or perhaps a natural disaster?
But the next second!
Rapid footsteps and familiar voices then followed.
"Thump-thump-thump…!!!"
"Thump-thump-thump…!!!"
"Faster, Rebecca, just a little more. We're almost at the next area. Don't let that giant snake catch us. It's going to catch up very soon."
"I really can't go on… Huff, Javier, don't you have any ideas? This giant snake is too troublesome, we can't shake it off no matter what. Why don't we just set the Mansion Villa on fire? It would be so simple and easy to end it all!"
How incredibly familiar these two voices were. Usually, upon hearing them, Jill and Barry's hearts would immediately sink with a 'thump,' because for some reason, it seemed that whenever Javier and Rebecca were around, things would become incredibly complicated and difficult to resolve.
Therefore, when Jill and Barry heard these two voices, their expressions became extremely grim. They had a premonition… that something very bad was about to happen.
No,
This wasn't a premonition, but an absolute certainty,
Because in Jill and Barry's minds, Javier and Rebecca were like magnets for bad luck. When those two were present, nothing good ever happened. And this time was no exception…