The Fairy Trial would not halt for any personal reasons.
Indeed, within this space, there was no other means of escape save for being slain or successfully clearing the trial.
Thus, as time inexorably marched on, Bai Xia found herself thrust into a countdown before she had even fully grasped the situation.
Unbeknownst to them, a pall of dark mist had already engulfed the entire space.
Beyond Tian Zheng and the others close by, Bai Xia could discern nothing else, yet from within the surrounding black fog, peculiar rustling sounds emanated intermittently, lending a truly spine-chilling atmosphere to the dim environment.
It was as if something, having broken free from the shackles of darkness, was now bursting forth from its confines.
[Shadow Serpent]: Level 16, HP 100.
A venomous snake formed from the elemental power of darkness; despite its extremely fragile vitality and singular attack method, it is exceptionally dangerous.
Talent: Shadow Bite: All attacks inflict Dark Poison, dealing continuous damage and slowing affected targets.
Furthermore, its body continuously emits corrosive venomous mist into the surroundings.
Skill: Serpent Coil: Utilizes its resilient body to entwine enemies, inflicting minor dark corrosion and a brief immobilization effect.
Self-Detonation: Any attack will cause it to automatically explode, scattering dark venom and shadow corrosion into the vicinity.
Entangling an enemy for more than three seconds will also trigger an automatic explosion, stunning and slowing the target.
As pairs of crimson eyes ignited within the encroaching shadows, the monster’s complete information was finally laid bare before everyone.
The Shadow Serpent bore a striking resemblance to a cobra, its length comparable to a typical human arm.
Its jet-black body was covered in vein-like, blood-red patterns, and it held its triangular head high, giving it the unmistakable appearance of a highly venomous snake.
In fact, their appearance was not truly ugly; indeed, their scales, like polished black crystal, possessed a strange allure.
Bai Xia, however, was utterly incapable of appreciating this aesthetic.
All she felt at that moment was a profound chill of dread, for these types of obviously venomous snakes had always been her greatest fear.
Beyond Bai Xia’s reaction, the others, upon grasping the Shadow Serpent’s attributes, couldn’t help but frown.
In terms of raw stats, the Shadow Serpent’s HP was merely one-ninth that of an Elemental Spirit.
Facing such meager numbers, even Qian Zhong could dispatch them with a single strike.
But then…
“Coil plus Self-Detonation, and *any* attack makes them explode?”
The Shadow Serpents were not inherently powerful; one might even describe them as pitiful.
Yet, their self-detonation characteristic rendered them exceptionally troublesome.
This meant that both Bai Xia and Tian Zheng were virtually rendered useless.
After all, engaging in close combat would only result in self-inflicted injuries; even merely being approached by them could lead to severe damage.
Consequently, only Qian Qiao and Dream Butterfly remained in the team, capable of detonating them from a safe distance.
Relying solely on two individuals, however, seemed precarious at best.
“So, our main strategy has to be evasion?”
Gazing at the Shadow Serpents spawning from the surrounding black mist, Tian Zheng’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Fortunately, the system hadn’t gone insane and unleashed all one hundred Shadow Serpents at once; otherwise, they would likely have been wiped out instantly.
As the group deliberated on a countermeasure, the first five Shadow Serpents to spawn had already slithered out from the surrounding black mist.
Individually, they weren’t terrifying, but entwined together, they presented a somewhat unsettling sight.
‘If these things self-detonate, why don’t they explode when entangled together and corroded by each other’s powers?
‘If touching a companion also triggered an explosion, it would certainly save a lot of trouble.’
Of course, this was merely a fleeting thought.
As had been stated countless times, the system would never allow players an overly easy experience; a complete lack of challenge would fail to ignite their motivation.
Thus, with time ticking away, Tian Zheng, as the squad leader, made an immediate decision.
“Bai Xia and I will be responsible for luring them together,” he instructed.
“Then, once they’re clustered, Qian Qiao, you immediately unleash a magic barrage.
“Qian Zhong, protect Dream Butterfly; in fact, Dream Butterfly is my biggest concern right now, after all… huh?”
Mid-sentence, Tian Zheng noticed that Bai Xia’s state was distinctly off.
Her eyes were wide, fixed on the distant venomous snakes, her small face taut.
Though her expression remained largely unreadable, even the others could clearly sense her unease.
“Bai Xia? How could you— uh!”
The man’s words caught in his throat halfway through, as if a sudden realization had struck him.
He slapped his forehead sharply, then turned to the others.
“I completely forgot she seems to be terrified of these kinds of snakes!”
Tian Zheng distinctly recalled their first meeting, when Bai Xia had been cornered for a good while by an ordinary green snake at a crossroads, and he had ultimately been the one to resolve the situation.
At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it; it was hardly unusual for girls to be somewhat afraid of spiders, snakes, or insects.
Later, Bai Xia’s sharp and decisive combat style had made him completely forget about her phobia.
What *had* left a deep impression was her acrophobia, for the young woman’s body was truly soft, especially her thighs.
Now, suddenly remembering Bai Xia’s fear of snakes, Tian Zheng finally grasped the true extent of their predicament.
“Oh? Little One is actually afraid of snakes?
“Of course, I’m scared of them in real life too, but in a game, there shouldn’t be anything to fear, right?”
Qian Qiao was somewhat surprised; in truth, her reaction was the more typical one.
After all, no matter how realistic things appeared in a game, they were ultimately just strings of data to players.
It was like playing a shooting game and fighting zombies: would you hesitate to shoot and kill a zombie just because it was ugly?
Clearly, once one understood that everything was merely data, even the most terrifying opponent would inspire significantly less fear in players.
However, they were unaware of the fundamental difference between Bai Xia and themselves.
In this world, with its advanced technology, there were countless games and movies that offered immersive experiences, yet none could achieve the sheer realism and power of *Otherworld*.
Thus, the people of this world had long grown accustomed to encountering all manner of things that were indistinguishable from reality.
Bai Xia, however, was different.
She had only arrived in this world a little over half a month ago, and was still in an adjustment period for many things.
Previously, facing other monsters had been fine; goblins and lava giants alike were creatures of fantasy, and Bai Xia had fought them without any pressure.
Other creatures, like wolves and leopards, though extensions of real-life animals, didn’t evoke fear in her, so she felt nothing particular when confronting them.
Snakes, however, were an entirely different matter.
They had left a profound trauma on Bai Xia during her childhood, an experience that had etched a heart-pounding dread into her memory, one she could never forget.
Therefore, even though she knew these things were merely simulations, she still found it incredibly difficult to control the terror welling up within her as she faced the surrounding scene.
These were venomous snakes, after all, and terrifying ones at that, with such overwhelming numbers!
‘What should I do?’
Bai Xia’s mind went utterly blank; in reality, her underwear would likely be soaked through by now.
Yet, the system clearly had no intention of granting them time to strategize.
The moment the countdown ended, the Shadow Serpents, which had merely been gathering by the black mist, swiftly darted towards them!
Naturally, as it was only the first wave and the five Shadow Serpents were relatively close, Qian Qiao had already raised her staff and hurled a face-sized fireball onto their path before they could even draw near.
The fireball didn’t directly strike any of the Shadow Serpents, but with Qian Qiao’s precise control, the splashing flames completely engulfed three of them.
“Boom—!!”
The Shadow Serpents caught by the flames instantly exploded, and the spreading black mist swiftly swallowed the surrounding several meters.
The remaining two, propelled by the mist’s effects, accelerated their charge, only to be struck down the very next moment by Qian Qiao’s Fire Arrow and Dream Butterfly’s sole offensive skill, Sacred Arrow.
The first wave of Shadow Serpents had posed no real trouble, yet the current situation clearly remained far from optimistic.
Gazing at Bai Xia’s slightly pale face, Tian Zheng, who had been about to speak, ultimately let out a helpless sigh.
“Are you scared?” he asked softly.
“…I’m sorry.”
Deeply aware that her reaction to these snakes would cause problems for the entire team, Bai Xia took a deep breath, yet still found her legs feeling somewhat weak.
The man reached out and ruffled her hair firmly.
“It’s alright,” he reassured her. “It’s just a game.”
“Exactly, exactly! What’s there to be afraid of?
“But if Little One truly can’t handle them, then…”
Seizing the moment while new monsters were spawning, Qian Qiao interjected, then her eyes darted to Tian Zheng, a sudden smirk playing on her lips.
“Then we’ll just have this guy, Tian Zheng, carry you!”
“Huh?”
“Anyway, he’s pretty useless against Shadow Serpents that explode on attack, so wouldn’t it be perfect for him to carry you, Little One, and run together?”
Tian Zheng made no comment on Qian Qiao’s suggestion, but Qian Zhong and Dream Butterfly both nodded in strong agreement.
Only Bai Xia felt a sense of oddness.
While she certainly felt some fear, it wasn’t to the extent that she couldn’t move; she believed she could still manage to dodge without issue.
However, before she could utter a word, the second wave, instantly increasing to fifteen Shadow Serpents, had already spawned.
This time, they weren’t appearing from a fixed direction, but were rapidly approaching from three different fronts!
There was no time for chatter.
Qian Qiao immediately used her skills to detonate them from a distance, but the sheer increase in numbers and the shifting positions were far beyond what one or two skills could handle.
Consequently, they could only retreat swiftly towards the sole direction where no monsters were spawning.
Yet, the Shadow Serpents’ speed was astonishingly fast; in the blink of an eye, over ten of them were already closing in.
Tian Zheng abruptly pulled Bai Xia behind him, then with a flick of his wrist, suddenly hurled something forward.
As the bottle-like object shattered on the ground, he simultaneously flung a torch.
The black oil spilled from the shattered bottle instantly ignited, and the Shadow Serpents, passing through at incredible speed, exploded the moment they were scorched by the flames!
“Oh, I didn’t expect you to actually be somewhat useful, you scoundrel!”
Having just used her freshly cooled Fire Arrow to shatter several Shadow Serpents, Qian Qiao turned, surprised, and exclaimed.
Then, after receiving a faint glance from the man, she immediately fell silent, focusing on dodging and eliminating the monsters before them.