As Felix slept, he dreamed of a heavy plant crushing his chest. He twisted and turned, groaning. Thick, oily vines coiled around his legs, winding up his torso and squeezing tight. He heard a hiss, the vine scraping against the broad branch beneath him.

  Except, he wasn't dreaming.

  With a start, Felix's eyes shot open to find an enormous head inches from his face. Its predatory green eyes seemed to peer into his soul, cold and calculating. The pupils—two piercing black slits—were like bottomless abysses, drawing him in. The creature widened its maw, revealing four dagger-like fangs dripping with deep purple venom that stung like acid as it dripped onto his skin. A putrid smell of rusted metal and rotting meat wafted from its open mouth, making his eyes water. Its body constricted tighter, squeezing the breath from him.

  With one arm trapped at his side, Felix flexed the other and, without hesitation, grabbed at the creature's neck. His fingers dug into its tough, slimy scales. The snake's head jerked back, hissing in alarm. His grip hadn't broken its skin, but the pressure forced its coils to loosen slightly. Gasping, Felix yanked his other arm free and drew a deep breath.

  With a surge of adrenaline, he swung his fist upward, landing a solid blow against its jaw. The creature screeched, venom splattering across his face. Ignoring the searing pain, Felix let go of its neck, driving both thumbs into its eyes. A primal shout escaped his clenched jaw as he pressed harder, the slick orbs bursting under his thumbs with a sickening pop. His thumbs continued to dig, rupturing cartilage as it gave way to something soft and pulsing. A flash of heat ran up his arms as blood gushed from its sockets, cascading to the forest floor.

  The snake's body shuddered and convulsed violently before its head slumped onto Felix's chest. It let out a final, raspy breath and went limp as thick, corrosive venom fell from its sockets

  Felix's breathing was fast and shallow as he stared at the blood-soaked body atop him. His mind reeled, struggling to process the horror he'd just survived. "What the fuck..." he rasped, his voice hoarse and trembling.

  As his pulse slowed and the adrenaline faded, he felt a faint power well up inside him. Expecting he might be sick, he leaned over the edge of the branch, bracing himself. Nothing came. After a long moment, he leaned back, resting his head against the trunk. He felt fine. In fact, he felt great. The strange surge of power inside him didn't fade. Awkwardly wriggling free from the creature's grasp, he saw it fully -a 20-foot-long snake covered in green and brown scales, adorned with a pattern of colour and a forked tail tipped with razor-like spines.

  Felix's mouth hung open. "What just…" he whispered, staring down at his blood covered hands. His stomach churned and he began to retch.

  Once his stomach settled, he stared down at the monstrous creature, its body hanging like a macabre garland. "Fucking snakes..." he panted, trying to stabilize his breathing. In the dim moonlight filtering through the canopy, a small flashing dot in his periphery drew his attention. He opened his character sheet to read the message.

  Congratulations! You have defeated an infant Creeping Death.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He flexed his hands as his gaze drifted back to the snake at his feet. He carefully jabbed it with his toe, then a window popped up, startling him.

  Use innate ability 'Plunderer' on corpse?

  Confirm: Yes/No.

  A hard collision with the tree had him clutching his head, buried between his knees. “Can I get a warning next time?” He lifted his head and read the message. "I guess?"

  Due to a lack of sufficient tools, the quality of items will be decreased. Due to lack of sufficient skill, quality of items will be decreased.

  As he read the message, the snake's body began to decompose at a surreal speed. Felix stepped back, covering his nose. "Oh, that is foul," he muttered, watching in disgust and morbid fascination. The body seemed to melt, its skin shrivelling and falling away it wet, grotesque clumps. The meat began to visibly spoil, turning a deep, diseased green as its bones crumbled and turned to ash. His eyes were glued to the display, unable to avert his gaze despite how much he really wanted to, like watching a car crash. He grimaced at the mostly dissolved corpse. "Goldblum ain't got nothing on you, mate."

  You have received: Item - Torn Creeping Death skin, Quantity - 3, Quality - Very Poor.

  Item - Drop of Creeping Death Venom, Quantity - 2, Quality - Poor.

  Item - Small Creeping Death Barb, Quantity - 1, Quality - Good.

  He opened his inventory and pulled out the skin. Mangled and dripping with blood, chunks of flesh still clung to it. "That's... gross." He examined the hide carefully, examining the partially ruined scales scattering the surface. "I wonder what i can make with this..." As he considered the potential for the dishevelled skin, his finger plunged deep into an oozing piece of meat. He shuddered and gagged as he felt it bury under his nail. Quickly stowing it away, he pulled out and examined the venom. Only a single drop of purple liquid sat in a small vial, coated in blood.

  "I know it said 'drop,' but I was kinda hoping for more." He flicked the vial, which clinked like glass. "Where did the vial come from? Did the snake have it?" He scratched his chin, thinking. "No... that's stupid. It didn't have any pockets." Shaking his head, he put the venom back "how is 'where do snakes keep glass vials' a genuine question I'm asking?" He pulled out the last item, a nine inch barb. Smooth and surprisingly light, the barb had a hollow, keratin-like feel. Tapping it against the tree, it made a sound like hollow wood, with a gentle reverberation.

  "Hollow... that makes sense. This thing's too big to be this light." He hefted it, nodding in approval. "This would make a lethal weapon." He shuddered with a slight wince. "Glad I didn't get hit with it."

  Storing the item, he stared at the blood at his feet, Felix let out a shaky breath. His hands flexing unconsciously, still coated in sticky, dark red blood.

  "I feel... weird," he muttered, examining his fingers. "Shouldn't this have messed me up? That giant toad scared me shitless, but now..." He trailed off, recalling the moment he woke to the snake's predatory stare. There had been fear, yes, but only for a moment. Then instinct had taken over, sharp and unrelenting. His fear and panic returning only after the threat was gone.

  Felix glanced down at the snake's mangled corpse. "I should be scared… I think? But I'm not." Frowning, he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. "Is this part of some magic or ability? Or is it just me?"

  The question lingered as his gaze drifted to the canopy and his shoulders slumped as he cleared his mind. "I don't have time for this. There might be more." He muttered, casting a wary glance at the dark forest below.

  As he considered his next move, a faint sound tugged at the edge of his senses—a steady, distant roar. It was rhythmic and familiar, like a river carving its way through the forest. Felix tilted his head, focusing on the noise.

  "A river..." he murmured. "Water means I can wash this shit off... but it also means..." His thoughts trailed off, unease settling in. Rivers attracted life—both the kind he needed and the kind he really didn't.

  Straightening up, Felix tightened his jaw. "Guess I'll find out the hard way." He adjusted his footing on the branch, the blood-slicked bark creaking faintly under his weight. With one last glance at the dissolved pile of snake, he descended into the dark forest below, the distant roar guiding his steps.