My Three Vampire Queens In The Apocalypse-Chapter 16: The Craziest Protagonist [2]

By the time the Titanoboa reached me, I adjusted my position slightly, aligning myself just off-center from the fracture line while keeping my attention fixed on the giant snake.

And then he attacked.

The lunge came fast. Its massive form compressed and released in a single motion as its jaws opened wide enough to swallow me whole.

I didn’t react immediately. Timing mattered more than speed.

If I moved too early, nothing would happen. If I moved too late, it wouldn’t matter anymore.

The distance between us closed rapidly, the sound of its movement drowning out everything else as the platform trembled under its weight.

Then, at the last possible moment, I stepped aside and drove my foot down onto the fractured section of the platform.

For a brief second, nothing seemed to change. Then the message appeared.

[You have found a hidden piece of the scenario.]

[Hidden piece has been activated.]

THUMP!

The sound didn’t come from above, but from beneath us. A low, heavy impact rippled through the structure of the station itself.

The fractured section of the platform gave way under the combined force of impact and weight, collapsing inward just enough to disrupt the Titanoboa’s momentum.

That was all it took.

Its body surged forward, but the ground beneath it failed at the exact moment it needed support, causing its front half to drop abruptly while the rest of its massive length continued forward. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The result wasn’t a clean fall, but something worse. An awkward, unstable collapse that forced its head and upper body against the broken edge while the rest of it twisted behind.

Its movement didn’t stop, but it lost control. That was the real opening.

"Now."

Charles moved.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second, but it didn’t stop him this time. His hand shot forward, making contact with the Titanoboa’s exposed scales near its head, right where its movement had become uneven.

[Character "Charles Flintoff" is using his skill "Poison Hand Lv 1".]

The poison began to spread, and the change followed.

A subtle disruption ran through the creature’s body. There was now a slight delay between intention and movement, something that didn’t belong in a creature of that size. Its muscles reacted out of sync, its control slipping without its will.

The Titanoboa thrashed, trying to pull itself free from the collapsed section, but every movement only worsened its position. Its head remained trapped at an awkward angle, and the more force it used, the less stable it became.

"Back."

Charles withdrew immediately, retreating into position as the others adjusted around him. Their formation held, even as the chaos around us continued to spread.

The Titanoboa let out a distorted hiss. Its body reacted faster now, but without coordination. The poison had begun to interfere properly. It wasn’t enough to kill it, but it was enough to numb and disrupt its control.

That was all I needed.

[Carriage [5] has killed their first Titanoboa.]

A message appeared.

Shit. We were already behind.

If we didn’t kill all three before her, we would die here. We needed to be quicker.

I stepped forward again, closing the distance without hesitation. The risk had already been taken, and now it was just a matter of finishing what had been set in motion.

Up close, the scale of the creature was overwhelming, but it didn’t matter. Its head shifted toward me, its jaws opening again, but the timing was off.

The movement was slightly delayed, and that made all the difference.

I moved along the edge of the broken platform, using it to stabilize myself as I positioned myself near its lower jaw. The scales there were thick and layered, but not uniform.

There was always a gap. A small one, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.

I drove the steel rod in at an angle, forcing it through the softer section beneath the jaw. The resistance was real, but it gave way under pressure, and the reaction was immediate.

This time, the Titanoboa convulsed violently.

Its entire body reacted at once, thrashing against the broken platform as the damage and poison combined to push it past its limit. The movement was powerful, but uncontrolled, and that lack of control only made it worse for the creature itself.

Cracks spread further along the weakened section of the platform as its own weight worked against it, pulling more of its body into the collapse.

I stepped back before it could strike again. There was no need to stay close.

The outcome had already been decided.

Its movements slowed.

Not all at once, but in stages, as its strength failed to translate into effective motion. The thrashing weakened, lost coordination, and finally stopped altogether.

[You have defeated a ’Baby Titanoboa’.]

[Remaining: 2]

I let out a slow breath, the tension easing slightly as I shifted my gaze toward the remaining creatures.

They hadn’t rushed in, thankfully.

"...You planned that."

Charles’ voice came from behind me. I didn’t turn.

Instead, I kept my focus ahead, on the Titanoboas that were now moving more carefully. Their earlier aggression had dulled, replaced with a more controlled caution.

"...Of course."

The answer didn’t need anything more.

From the moment we stepped onto this platform, the outcome had already been decided.

The fracture in the ground, the hidden condition tied to impact and weight, the way these creatures reacted to movement... all of it had been part of the scenario.

"Get ready. We need to finish this quickly. Next time, it won’t be this simple."