Chapter 220: The Halo of Bad Luck
The Forest Awakens
The FBI agents were split into two groups: one guarding the waterfall, the other dispersed near the cave exit. They were armed to the teeth with heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, and every weapon imaginable.
As the cave exit was sealed with rocks and dirt, the atmosphere grew heavy.
The final battle was imminent!
The rain intensified, the cold drops beating down, adding a chilling, deadly feel to the impending fight.
Luke stood on the hillside, his finger resting on his sunglasses, observing the situation in the forest through the Hummingbirds. Behind him, Alec Holland and two large Treemen slowly approached.
The three did not speak; the atmosphere was tense. Suddenly, a scream pierced the quiet.
"Snakes! So many snakes!"
A senior FBI agent shrieked. "There are huge numbers of venomous snakes in the forest! We're surrounded!"
Looking down from above, it was clear through the rain and mist that large black masses were emerging from the woods. They came from all directions, dense and countless, quickly slithering toward the cave.
There were simply too many black shadows, stretching for a thousand meters, like a giant black tidal wave.
Everyone gasped. There were easily a dozen times more snakes than last night. Jack Harvey, who had never experienced this kind of spectacle, felt his back tighten. He hadn't been on the ground during the snake tide last night, and now, seeing tens of thousands of Cobras charging with fangs bared, he forgot to give the order.
A snake army of this size was something only the Treemen could possibly withstand. Luke turned to the Swamp Monster behind him.
"I need your help."
Alec Holland's voice was hoarse as he stated, "The Swamp Forest was once a vibrant world. It was home to 390 species of birds, over 70 species of beasts, 30 species of fish, and over 1,500 species of insects. Now, they are all gone. Only snakes remain."
"I hate snakes. They have no right to live in the forest."
Alec spread his hands and let out a roar filled with fury, a cry that carried a primal, soul-deep call. Instantly, the ground shook, the dirt churned, vines burst forth from the earth, and massive trees straightened their trunks...
The rain-soaked Swamp Forest lost its usual tranquility and became wild and enraged.
Dozens of towering Treemen charged toward the snake army, brandishing various weapons. Their wooden clubs slammed into the ground, each strike sending out a shockwave. Flesh exploded, and countless venomous snakes died instantly.
The black tidal wave surged toward the Treemen. They were fearless, swinging their weapons through the tide, unleashing the years of suppressed rage over their destroyed home and consumed friends.
The war between the Treemen and the venomous snakes was a truly shocking sight.
Let alone the inexperienced FBI agents, even Luke, who had lived two lives, was stunned. In the hazy rain and mist, giant Treemen wielding clubs and stone hammers fought the serpentine tide. The earth shook, and blood and flesh flew. Even hundreds of meters away, the suffocating atmosphere of the battlefield could be clearly felt.
Jack Harvey swallowed hard, staring at the Swamp Monster in shock. The power of the forest was truly terrifying.
Emily hesitated. "Should we go help?"
Luke shook his head.
"This is their grudge. Our target is the Snake King."
The Serpent King and the Curse
Just as he spoke, a massive flash of fire erupted from the cave.
Boom!
A burst of red flame shattered the rocks blocking the entrance. From the burning inferno, a figure slowly walked out. His body was exceptionally tall, over two meters. Beneath a gray robe, a tail covered in black scales whipped back and forth. He wore a black mask that obscured his face, but through the slits, the terrifying pressure emanating from his dragon pupils could be felt.
"You will all die!"
The gray-robed figure raised the Snake Head Scepter in his hand and slammed it heavily into the ground. A gray light wave rapidly spread outward from the scepter, instantly covering an area hundreds of meters wide.
A halo of light appeared at everyone's feet. The halo pulsed, emitting a deathly gray glow, like rotting swamp ground, creating an inexplicable sense of oppression.
"It's the demon Ghast's Halo of Bad Luck! Be careful!"
Alec warned. He pushed off the ground, rocketing forward like a cannonball. In mid-air, his body rapidly grew, transforming into a four-meter-tall giant. His hardened, wooden fist slammed down heavily toward the gray-robed figure's head.
The gray-robed figure raised a scaled, clawed hand, and a magic barrier appeared in the air.
Dong!
The fist collided with the barrier, creating a piercing boom.
Simultaneously, a half-leaning tree inexplicably fell down, crushing two FBI agents who couldn't dodge in time. As their comrades rushed to the rescue, one's foot slipped, and he fell hard to the ground.
Other people also began experiencing various accidents.
Luke was not spared. A Cobra flew from a distance, its landing point perfectly aligned with his position. Luke raised his hand and shot the Cobra away, but then, a landslide began on the slope behind him, sending a torrent of mud and rocks rolling down.
"Just one disaster after another."
Luke shook his head and rushed down the slope with Emily.
The accidents were happening too frequently. In a short time, seven FBI agents were injured, and one poor soul was bitten directly on the neck by a stray Cobra.
Everyone finally understood what the Bad Luck Curse meant.
Just then, the cave entrance collapsed. From the splintered rocks, dozens of thick Cobra Kings roared out, and the one leading them opened its mouth, spitting out a large cloud of purplish-black mist.
August, with his keen senses, quickly shouted,
"The mist is poisonous! Don't go near it!"
The FBI agents in the distance set up their heavy machine guns and opened fire on the cave entrance. The armor-piercing rounds were devastating, striking the Snake Kings and splashing blood everywhere.
Emily and Maeve stood together. One provided the heat, and the other transformed it into fire. The blazing flames rushed into the poison mist. The mist was incinerated, and the Snake Kings behind it, unable to dodge, were instantly engulfed by the inferno.
A barrage of bullets and flames crisscrossed, turning the cave entrance into a meat grinder. Several Snake Kings were killed in an instant.
The situation was looking good, but Luke still felt something was wrong.
Suddenly, a sharp scream came from the side. A Snake King, glowing with silvery-white light, rushed out and bit an unsuspecting machine gunner on the neck. The fangs pierced his flesh, and he was silenced in a blink.
At the same time, hissing sounds erupted all around. A dozen Cobra Kings materialized from nowhere, attacking the scattered agents.
No one was prepared for this new wave.
Fortunately, August reacted in time. A circle of Expulsion Light spread out, temporarily halting the Snake Kings' assault. The recovered agents quickly regrouped, retreating while firing at the Snake Kings.
The situation immediately devolved into chaos.
In a one-on-one fight, the agents were no match for the Snake Kings. Luckily, the presence of several metahumans helped stabilize the situation for the moment, but the continuous stream of bad luck was driving them mad.
Jammed bullets, slippery footing, sudden fits of coughing, uncontrollable itching in the armpit, and so on—these incidents seemed minor, but on the battlefield, they resulted in extremely dire consequences.
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