From Moving Crates to Killing Gods-Chapter 76: Coco Calming

Kira didn’t hesitate. Vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around the creature’s legs. They snapped almost immediately under its strength, but it was enough to make it pause. Coco threw a canteen of dark water that splashed across its midsection, it probably did nothing... but he was probably doing his best. Phinyx waved his arms, yelling different debuff vibes from the side.

The creature’s attention fragmented, unsure which threat to address.

Finn’s voice cut through the chaos, strained but clear. "Allaran! The section it’s right there, dead center!"

That was all I needed.

I didn’t run toward the monster. I didn’t need to get closer. I just needed to focus.

The severed head was heavy in my left hand, cold metal against my palm. I raised it, and closed my eyes. My mind reached out, past the head in my grip, past the chaos of battle, toward the creature’s massive silver form.

Dead center. Where a heart should be.

I couldn’t see it. Couldn’t touch it. But I could feel it, that small pocket of organic warmth surrounded by endless cold metal. A heartbeat.

The head in my hand grew warm. The connection formed.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then my mind began to hiss.

Not a sound from outside, this came from within, a whisper that built in intensity until it filled my awareness completely. The space between the severed head and that beating heart collapsed in my perception, becoming a single connected point.

Switch.

The hissing stopped.

And suddenly my hand felt warm.

The creature had frozen mid motion, its body locked in place like a statue. It hung there, suspended. Then its legs gave out. Its massive form crashed to the wasteland floor with a thunderous impact.

Silence.

I looked down at my left hand. The severed head was gone somewhere deep inside that massive carcass, now I held a small beating heart.

It worked.

"Holy smokes." Finn breathed from somewhere behind me. "You actually did it."

Then, a system notification appeared.

[You Slayed: Disciple Silver Snake - Level ???]

[Soul Fades.]

"Well, now I’m sure it’s dead." I murmured as I dropped the heart into the ground. "I just hope it was the only one."

[You’ve received: Sterling Serpent Carapace.]

The serpent remained upright for a second.

No wound marked its chest. No blood spilled from its scales... though I wasn’t sure it had any. And yet, something vital had already vanished.

The brilliance in its eyes dimmed. Its jaw lost the murderous tension.

Then gravity claimed it.

The massive silver body tilted, as if the world itself had shifted and crashed onto its side. The impact thundered across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and loose stone.

"Allaran, are you okay?" Kira screamed as she approached.

"I am. I barely used Quickstep." I exclaimed. "But our serpent friend has definitely lost its light." I glanced at the lifeless husk, its eyes now dull. "Hard to survive after losing both a head and a heart."

I turned to check on the others. Coco was crouched behind a rock, barely peeking over it. Finn lay on the ground, drained after forcing his ability onto a moving target. Phinyx was making his way toward Coco, while Kira stood beside the fallen serpent, studying its massive silver body.

"Well, seems like you can kill Corruptors and whatever this serpent is." Kira reflected, nudging the silver carcass lightly with her boot.

"His name was Silver Snake, at least the system assigned it that name." I replied.

"Coco, you can stop hiding now." Phinyx said. "The snake is now dead, and if I don’t drink any water I’ll probably be the same soon."

"Is it really gone? How!? That thing grew a new head and ignores dark water. I tought that would be our end." Coco said, his voice trembling.

While Phinyx placed a steadying hand on Coco’s shoulder, letting his calming vibes settle over him, I walked toward Finn. His face was pale, eyes shut tight, but his chest rose and fell steadily.

"You did well Finn, thank’s to you I was able to finish this thing off." I said. "Are you okay?"

"If you define okay by ’not dead’ then I’m okay..." Finn said in a murmured, weak voice. "I don’t think I’ll be able to make the fourth outpost today."

"Should we return to the third outpost?" Kira asked as she approached us, concern softening her expression.

"Not really." Finn murmured. "We’re much closer to the next location, I can rest there."

"You say that now Finn, but I don’t know if you can even walk." I said, briefly wondering how much heavier he would feel now that I had crossed the first strength treshold.

Finn planted his hands on the ground and pushed himself up. Slowly, he managed to sit, then extended a hand toward me.

"Well, you can stand, can you walk?" I asked as I stepped back to give him space.

For a second Finn just stood there, swaying slightly. Then he shifted his weight as if testing whether his right leg would obey. His face tightened with visible strain.

"I can walk, of course I can." Finn said to himself as he finally moved his feet a little.

"Alright, walking man. I’m carrying you to the next outpost, just guide us while looking at the map." I said to Finn as I stepped in to grab him.

"Stand back, I have a girlfriend! Also I don’t want to be a burden..."

I closed the distance anyway and, as if he weighed no more than a child, lifted him onto my left shoulder in one smooth motion.

"Well, seems like I’ll be training my strength stat in an unconventional way." I expressed.

"We’re back, here’s the canteens." Phinyx said as he reached us. Coco lingered just behind him, keeping a cautious distance from the silver husk.

"What are you scared of Coco? You should be scared of the lake behind you, not this already dead serpent." I said.

"There’s more serpents coming!?" Coco hastily turned his head toward the small lake, his body starting to shiver.

"And there goes all the Coco calming I did before." Said Phinyx in a sad tone.