The air hissed. Before the smaller head could snap shut, Ryker threw himself toward the stone floor. He felt the rush of wind as the fangs missed his throat by inches, but his momentum sent him tumbling. His skull slammed into the jagged cavern wall with a sickening thud.
"Holy shit... I almost died," Ryker wheezed, clutching his head. Warm blood began to seep through his fingers, stinging his eyes.
He didn't have time to recover. A massive shadow swept across the floor as the larger Great Rock Python swung its tail like a heavy whip. Ryker tried to roll, but the impact caught him square in the shoulder. The force was like being hit by a runaway carriage.
A loud pop echoed in the tunnel, followed by a searing white heat. Ryker's left arm went limp, hanging at a useless angle.
"Ahh! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he screamed, the agony nearly making him black out. "Why can't anything go right?"
He scrambled to his feet, his vision swimming. The lantern had shattered, leaving only the dim, pulsing blue glow of his System screen and the faint bioluminescence of the dungeon moss. He looked around wildly. The snake was gone. The heavy coils had vanished into the darkness of the ceiling.
(Where is it? Where did it go?)
He looked up. The python was coiled around a high stone pillar, its massive maw unhinged, preparing for a final strike. It was a literal wall of teeth and muscle dropping from the air.
Ryker's eyes darted across the chamber. Near the far wall, a heavy, rusted hunk of metal part of an old mining hoist protruded from the masonry like a spear.
"If I can lure it over there... I might have a chance," he hissed through gritted teeth.
He ignored the throbbing in his dislocated shoulder and bolted. Behind him, the python hit the ground with enough force to crack the stone. It slithered with terrifying speed, its scales grinding against the floor like gravel in a blender. Ryker could hear the snapping of its jaws just inches from his heels.
He reached the metal hoist and spun around, pressing his back against the cold stone. The python reared up, its yellow eyes locked onto his chest. It lunged.
At the last second, Ryker dropped to the dirt.
The massive weight of the snake carried it forward. Unable to stop its momentum, the creature's own weight drove its soft underbelly directly into the jagged metal spike. A wet, tearing sound filled the air. The python thrashed, letting out a low, guttural hiss as it collapsed, pinned to the wall and gravely injured.
Ryker crawled away, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He was covered in dirt, blood, and snake bile. He looked at the dying creature, its movements growing slow and weak.
The blue screen flickered into life between them.
[Target: Great Rock Python (E-Rank) - Status: Near Death]
[Would you like to make this your pet?]
[YES / NO]
"Yes," Ryker whispered, his voice cracking. "Do it."
A blinding light erupted from the screen, flowing toward the snake and linking it to Ryker's soul. He felt a sudden, massive drain on his energy, like his very blood was being pulled through a straw.
The world tilted. His knees buckled, and Ryker collapsed onto the cold floor right next to the twitching snake.
[Contract Successful.]
[Beast Named: None]
[Evolution Path Unlocked.]