Chapter 219: The Taste of the Snake King
A Terrible and Charming Fellow
During the time she had spent with Luke, Zatanna's perception of him had completely changed. At first, she thought Luke was just a privileged son of a wealthy family, leveraging his family's legacy. Later, she found him to be a nice person—witty, generous, and a big spender. After the giant snake incident, however, she discovered the man was "different from his appearance," possessing profound shrewdness beneath his handsome, youthful exterior. He seemed idle but, in reality, had every detail under control.
All in all, he was a terrifying yet charming fellow, completely unlike his peers.
"How did you get this intelligence?"
"I have my ways."
Luke's expression was serious as he cautioned her, "This matter ends here. Don't worry about it any further. And if they ask about this photo, you say you know nothing."
"Why?"
In Zatanna's eyes, there was confusion. "Aren't we on the same side?"
"When dealing with government people, you always have to be careful. You'll understand later."
The girl was still puzzled and was about to ask more questions, but Luke waved her off. He left the bedroom, returned to his own room, used a Hummingbird to agree on a time for the operation with Alec Holland, and then lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
The night deepened. Unbeknownst to anyone, it was already two in the morning. A rustling sound emerged from the dark forest. Two Cobra Kings and a group of subordinates rushed toward the town. As they passed a clump of huge trees, the ground suddenly vibrated.
The massive trees straightened up, like giants awakening. Their thick trunks became bodies, and their dense branches became arms. They roared, answering an ancient call, descending upon the earth as Forest Guardians.
"Oh no, it's the Treemen!"
The snake king's expression drastically changed, and it turned to run.
Boom!
A tall figure landed directly in front of them—it was Alec Holland, transformed into the Swamp Monster. It lowered its head, looking down at them, its eyes filled with endless rage.
"Heretics who trample on life, your corpses will become nutrients, bringing new life to the forest."
Flooding the Lair
The night was completely overcast, and it was no surprise that it began to drizzle the next morning.
Luke looked up at the gloomy sky, his mood sinking.
"Damn weather!"
After confirming the route of operation, the group boarded the helicopters in batches, following the Hummingbirds' guidance to the designated location.
The Swamp Forest was vast, spanning nearly 13,000 square kilometers. The waterfall was located in the deepest part of the forest. The team did not approach directly but gathered in the dense woods nearby.
Nelson pulled out a topographical map. "Surveys show that the underground snake lair has two exits. One is the dark current beneath the waterfall, and the other is a cave at the foot of the back mountain. We need people for both exits."
Jack Harvey frowned.
"We don't have enough manpower."
The intelligence from Zatanna suggested there were at least twenty-plus Cobra Kings over six meters long inside the lair. They only had thirty-two people in total here, meaning each person would have to face a snake!
Luke interjected, "Then we blow up the dark current beneath the waterfall."
"That will tip them off."
Luke pointed above them. "The helicopters are so loud. The Cobras aren't deaf. Of course, they'll hear us."
"They know we've come and what our goal is. A surprise attack is impossible. We only have two options: either go in for a straight fight, or lure them out and fight in the forest."
The first option was clearly unfeasible. The enemy had the advantage in strength, and the lair was their home turf. Rushing in blindly was suicide.
Stan Darloff frowned. "How do we lure them out?"
Nelson tapped a stone, suggesting pointedly, "Our goal isn't just to destroy the Serpent Spirit Society but to uncover the secrets hidden behind it. If we blow up the whole mountain, things will get very messy."
"Who said anything about blowing up the mountain? The waterfall is so huge, and the pool is so deep; it would be a waste not to use it."
Luke snapped his fingers. Seven Hummingbirds descended from the sky and plunged one by one into the pool beneath the waterfall.
As a low sonic boom echoed from below, a vortex appeared in the center of the pool, and the water began to seep underground. Everyone immediately understood, casting glances at Luke. A true Master Shaw, his methods are certainly unique.
The underground space was at a lower altitude. Once the water started flowing in, it wouldn't stop until the space was flooded.
While Cobras can swim, they still need to breathe. To ensure there were no accidents, Luke also had Emily continuously inject cold air into the pool, keeping the temperature around ().
Snakes are cold-blooded animals; their internal temperature changes with the environment. If the external temperature drops too low, their body temperature will rapidly plummet, which could be lethal.
After this operation was complete, Luke headed straight for the cave entrance to wait for the snakes to emerge.
The Serpent's Desire
The frigid river water poured through the cracks blown open by the Hummingbirds, flooding the underground space. At first, it wasn't a problem, but as more and more water filled the lair, the trouble began.
Snakes hibernate, and the Snake Kings transformed from humans were no different. Every winter, they would gather in the warm lair, relying on mutual friction to get through the cold, long winter. They would only return to their respective territories when spring arrived.
The icy river water had already surged past the Sacrificial Road and was advancing toward the steps. If this continued, they would likely freeze to death.
Just then, the mottled Snake King slithered in urgently, saying in a panicked tone,
"They blocked the cave exit! The river water can't flow out!"
Hearing this news, the expressions of the surrounding Snake Kings immediately changed. Some showed disdain, others sneered secretly, and still others opened their mouths to reveal sharp fangs. A silver-bodied Snake King slithered to the main entrance, speaking in an exceptionally soft voice.
"Master, I haven't swallowed human flesh in so long. I want to eat."
The Snake King next to her cackled, "Zora, do you want to eat from above, or from below?"
"I want to eat from above and below."
The silver Snake King cast a captivating side-eye at him. As one of the few female Snake Kings, Zora had engaged in intimate contact with almost every snake king in the lair. The method of reproduction for snakes was no different from humans—it was a process of intimate exchange. The difference was that snake mating could last for tens of hours, over a hundred times longer than humans.
After transforming into a Snake King, the already promiscuous Zora became even more unrestrained. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, every second was spent on a cloud. That escalating, ecstatic flavor was beyond words.
The gray-robed figure stood at the main entrance with a grim expression. Behind him, two green Snake Kings raised their heads, their hoods spread wide.
"Jack Harvey, Luke Shaw!"
The two names echoed in the air. The killing intent in the gray-robed figure's eyes was almost palpable.
"You really think I don't know why you're here? Hiss, hiss, hiss!!" It opened its mouth, flicking its forked tongue out repeatedly, its expression extremely eerie. "You will never succeed. Destiny guides me. No one can resist."
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