Chapter 24: Complete Annihilation

“Bang.”

A rock the size of a human head was lashed out by the Iron-armored Python, slicing through the air at an incredible speed toward the Serpent Saliva Fruit.

“Bang.”

Just as Zhou Ming’s heart leapt with anxiety, the Viperhorn Venom Python swiftly struck, knocking the rock away before it could hit the fruit.

Seeing the Iron-armored Python’s body riddled with wounds from venom corrosion, Zhou Ming almost cursed aloud.

If you’re not capable enough to win, do you have to destroy the Serpent Saliva Fruit? Can’t you play fair?

The Viperhorn Venom Python truly lived up to its name as the Ferocious Beast that had claimed this territory when the Serpent Saliva Fruit first appeared.

Even when faced with both the Iron-armored Python and the Scarlet-scaled King Serpent trying to seize the fruit, it had still managed to severely wound them after paying a heavy price.

Now, realizing it could not obtain the Serpent Saliva Fruit, the Iron-armored Python—its scales shattered and peeling off—had decided to destroy the fruit outright.

“Boom!”

Like a furious beast’s roar, a thunderous explosion shook Zhou Ming’s ears.

In the distance, the victorious Viperhorn Venom Python suddenly had its upper body flung backward, dragging its lower body along with it.

The scene was so visually shocking—it was as if a giant had slapped the Viperhorn Venom Python across the face.

Zhou Ming immediately turned his gaze toward a dark-skinned, gaunt man not far away.

The tree beneath the man swayed slightly—the commotion just now had been caused by the heavy sniper rifle in his hands.

“Ratatatat…”

Right after the dark-skinned man fired, the burly man with a scarred face also made his move.

Flames spewed continuously from the muzzle of his heavy machine gun, bullets sweeping toward the agile and fast-moving Scarlet-scaled King Serpent.

The rain-like barrage of bullets sealed off all its escape routes, and when the serpent was forced into a corner, the bullets tore into its body with brutal force.

Unlike the Iron-armored Python, the Scarlet-scaled King Serpent had no such defensive might.

By the time the machine gun’s ammo was spent, its body was convulsing in place—it was already dead, and only its nerves were twitching in reflex.

Meanwhile, the leader of the hunter squad, as his companions attacked, summoned a three-meter-tall Diamond Ape beside him.

The Diamond Ape, famed for its strength and defense, let out a roar and charged the severely wounded Iron-armored Python.

At the same time, the leader himself lunged straight toward the Serpent Saliva Fruit.

Because of the Iron-armored Python’s earlier actions, the hunter squad had been forced to reveal their fangs prematurely.

Yet in doing so, they quickly gained control of the battlefield.

However, what they didn’t know was that behind the “oriole” lurked another hunter.

When the hunters made their move, Zhou Ming had also begun commanding his Ironthread Snake swarm into action—he had no intention of giving them a chance to react.

Over a dozen Ironthread Snakes slithered under his control to the base of the tree where the dark-skinned man was perched.

The sniper was the first target that needed to be eliminated.

Among Apprentice Beast Tamers, the most despised and feared opponents were sharpshooters—those with deadly aim had to be taken out first.

The small Ironthread Snakes climbed silently up the trunk, their light bodies causing no noise at all.

“Cough, cough.”

“Damn, this recoil’s still too strong.”

Having completed his shot, the dark-skinned man was rubbing his shoulder and catching his breath, just about to lift his heavy sniper rifle again—

When more than a dozen Ironthread Snakes suddenly dropped from above, biting straight into his unprotected neck and the hand resting on his shoulder.

“Ah—!”

Before the scream could even finish, paralysis spread through his body, and he convulsed before falling from the tree.

“Third!”

Hearing the commotion, the scar-faced man immediately became alert, shouting out to his comrade.

But he hadn’t realized that the ground beneath him, covered in weeds and leaves, had already been surrounded by Zhou Ming’s Ironthread Snakes.

“Swish, swish—”

Dozens of Ironthread Snakes shot up, lunging for his face and hands.

As someone capable of wielding a heavy machine gun, he had formidable physical strength.

He swung his combat knife wildly, severing several Ironthread Snakes in an instant.

His heavy machine gun—now out of bullets—was tossed aside.

With only a combat knife and pistol left, his power had dropped sharply.

Eventually, one quick Ironthread Snake managed to bite him.

“Ah—!”

Even with his strong physique, he let out a full-throated scream of agony.

“Third! Second!”

The leader, who had been circling around to avoid the Diamond Ape and Iron-armored Python’s brawl, noticed the sudden changes behind him.

After calling out several times and receiving no response, he decided to dash straight for the Serpent Saliva Fruit.

In the end, he chose the fruit—perhaps realizing his brothers’ fate, he made the rational choice to seize the Serpent Saliva Fruit instead.

Knowing someone was hiding in the dark, he also ordered the Diamond Ape to finish off the Iron-armored Python quickly.

“Roar!”

Pounding its chest, the Diamond Ape roared and tore the heavily injured Iron-armored Python in half, then abandoned the corpse and ran to its master’s side to guard him.

“Hiss, hiss, hiss—”

A dense chorus of hissing filled the air before them, blocking their path toward the Serpent Saliva Fruit.

Zhou Ming knew that with the Ferocious Beasts’ sharp senses, a sneak attack by the Ironthread Snakes would fail.

It was better to intercept the man halfway and stop him from reaching the fruit.

If the man managed to obtain it, Zhou Ming would completely lose the initiative.

These dozens of Ironthread Snakes had already been positioned around the Serpent Saliva Fruit in advance when the stranger hunter squad first acted.

“How can there be so many Ironthread Snakes? A Beast Tamer? No—impossible! No one can control mutated beasts, let alone command so many Ironthread Snakes!”

The sight before him completely overturned everything he knew about Beast Taming.

“Kill!”

The leader was decisive—he commanded the Diamond Ape to attack the swarm of Ironthread Snakes.

As long as he seized the Serpent Saliva Fruit, victory would be his.

The ape’s palm, wide as a fan, swept toward the snakes.

Under normal circumstances, the Ironthread Snakes would have been slaughtered instantly.

But this time, they were under a Beast Tamer’s control.

As the Diamond Ape’s strikes descended, the snakes scattered, evading the blows while slithering toward its master.

Seeing their coordinated movement, the leader was now certain—a Beast Tamer was indeed controlling them.

He opened fire with his Storm-series rifle, spraying bullets at the approaching Ironthread Snakes, while the Diamond Ape crushed them one after another with its fists.

Zhou Ming’s carefully deployed swarm was being wiped out fast.

“Bang.”

Just then, the leader froze mid-motion and suddenly collapsed face-first onto the ground.

The Diamond Ape, which had been wreaking havoc, let out a muffled groan and fell lifeless beside him.

Not far away, Zhou Ming stood with a twisted expression, holding a pistol—the one he had taken from the dark-skinned “Third.”

If you have a gun, why not use it? Who said a Beast Tamer can’t wield a beast of iron and fire?

“Cough, cough…”

The deaths of so many Ironthread Snakes sent stabbing pain through Zhou Ming’s head.

Fortunately, he had rushed over after claiming his spoils—otherwise, in his current state and with the few Ironthread Snakes left, he would’ve been unable to stop them from taking the Serpent Saliva Fruit.