Compared to the size of that creature, Arthur was nothing more than an ant. The difference was colossal.
And it wasn't just the size that terrified him, but the powerful, ancient aura emanating from the creature.
The system was unable to provide him with any information about the serpent. Both its name and level were blocked, replaced with '????????', which only reinforced just how overwhelming that monster truly was.
Arthur remained still. There was nothing he could do. Running was impossible. Fighting it was impossible.
Even the necklace he had obtained wouldn't work. In other words, he was adrift—completely defenseless in that moment.
The serpent's gaze was terrifying. Arthur waited for it to do something, but it simply remained still.
"What… are you?" Arthur asked, focusing on keeping his fear under control.
Deep down, he was terrified—but he refused to show it.
The serpent continued to stare at him. Then, it opened its mouth to speak.
The instant it did, a violent gust of wind blasted toward Arthur.
It was so powerful that he was sent flying, crashing into the ground. Even the nearby trees couldn't withstand the force.
"Isn't it obvious? I am an ancestral creature. Are you an idiot?"
Being called an idiot by a creature of such immeasurable size felt… strange.
The worst part was that Arthur didn't even have a way to retort.
Who would be brave enough to say anything in the presence of such a creature? One wrong sentence could mean death.
"How can I understand your language?" Arthur asked.
The serpent continued to look down on him with disdain.
"Obviously because you're now connected to this part of the dungeon. Damn it, didn't the previous Sovereign explain anything to you?"
That was exactly the answer Arthur had expected. He had only asked to be sure—and to try to change the subject.
"There's a letter in the cabin, but there's barely anything written in it. Apparently, he can't say much or they will find out and kill me. Can you explain what that means?"
The serpent fell silent for a few seconds. Arthur wasn't good at reading the facial expressions of an ancestral serpent—like most people—but he wasn't stupid.
"This serpent is hiding something from me," he thought.
After a few moments of silence, the serpent said, "I have no idea what that letter means. But tell me—do you think you have what it takes to receive the Mark?"
"Receive the Mark?"
The last time Arthur had bound himself to a dungeon, he had gained passives related to the goblins, the primary monsters of that particular dungeon.
This time, however, he had received nothing.
The only change was that he and the serpent could now speak the same language—and that was it.
"Yes. That," the serpent mocked. "Do you really understand nothing about how the Sovereign class works?"
It was painful for Arthur to admit that a dungeon creature knew more about his own class than he did—but unfortunately, that was the truth.
"When you bind yourself to a dungeon, and that dungeon is small, you receive abilities related to the most abundant creature within it," the serpent explained.
"When the dungeon is larger, you must bind yourself to specific parts of it. In doing so, you gain abilities tied to the creatures that inhabit the area you've bonded with. It also means those creatures will be friendly toward you."
"Now, in this world—where all creatures are far too powerful—you won't receive any system-granted abilities unless I first grant you the Mark. A small fragment of my essence. And of course, no one here is truly friendly toward you. I, for instance, could kill you at any moment."
Arthur knew the serpent was telling the truth. The killing intent radiating from its body was real—and terrifying.
"Does it only work this way in this world?" Arthur asked.
"It's not the world—it's the creatures," the serpent replied. "If you encounter a rare creature in a dungeon, one that is overwhelmingly powerful, you won't be able to tame it using the system alone. You'll have to earn it. The good part is that once you bind yourself to the dungeon, you'll be able to communicate with that creature."
The information the serpent was sharing was extremely important—things Arthur had never known.
"But what if I bind myself to a specific part of a dungeon, then later find a special creature and want to form some kind of bond with it? What do I do then?"
"You can cancel your previous bond," the serpent said. "Or, if you're strong enough, maintain more than one bond within the same dungeon. It all depends on your power. As I said before, in normal dungeons, you'll usually bind yourself to the entire dungeon. Only certain stronger, special dungeons will be different for you."
In short, only dungeons considered special—or of significantly higher rank—would be impossible for Arthur to bind to as a whole. The rest wouldn't pose a problem.
It was the first time Arthur had truly heard more about his class.
In most dungeons, the secret was to bind yourself to the dungeon and gain EXP by working with the dungeon's own creatures—just like the goblin tribe he was raising.
In special dungeons, however, Arthur had the chance to increase his power even further by forming bonds with special creatures—like the serpent standing before him.
"Well then, as for the Mark, there will be a small test," the serpent said. "Are you willing to take it?"
The creature wasn't forcing him to participate in the trial to receive the Mark. Arthur could refuse the offer and, perhaps, return to where he came from using the necklace—assuming the serpent allowed it.
But of course, he wouldn't refuse the chance to obtain the Mark of an ancestral serpent.
It could mean a massive increase in power—and that was exactly what he wanted right now.
"I accept the test," he said.
"Good. Come closer."
The serpent stopped speaking—and with that, the wind died down. Arthur was able to approach the shoreline, drawing closer to the creature.
The serpent moved toward him.
Then it opened its mouth—
—and swallowed him whole.