Fang Mu tilted his head, studying the snake with a mixture of amusement and disdain. It was a strange-looking creature, its rocky, uneven scales giving it the appearance of a living boulder. Yet, beneath that hardened exterior, it was still just another predator—one that had foolishly mistaken him for prey.
The snake’s eyes burned with malice, but its body betrayed it, shivering as though afflicted by an unseen poison. Its tail twitched weakly, struggling against a force it didn’t understand.
"You think you can take me?" Fang Mu sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.
The snake’s jaw twitched, but it was powerless to lash out.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Fang Mu shook his head in exaggerated disappointment. "Overestimating yourself like this… pathetic."
With slow, deliberate steps, he moved closer. The snake, though paralyzed, instinctively tried to coil back, its muscles convulsing in resistance. But no matter how hard it struggled, it remained frozen, a prisoner in its own body.
Fang Mu's smirk faded as he crouched down, resting his chin on his knuckles in thought. What should I do with this miserable thing?
Eating it was out of the question—it was far too large, and besides, he doubted it would taste good. Killing it outright felt too simple. No, something like this needed a proper lesson, a punishment fitting for its arrogance.
His fingers tapped against the damp earth as he considered his options. Then, a spark of inspiration struck him.
"Ah!" His eyes lit up, his grin widening with mischievous delight.
The snake shuddered. Though it couldn’t move, it felt the shift in the air, a primal terror washing over it. Something was very, very wrong. The frog—it had to be the frog—was radiating a presence far more terrifying than anything it had encountered before.
It didn’t know how or why, but a single dreadful realization clawed at its paralyzed mind. But no matter how desperately it willed its body to move, it remained locked in place—completely at the mercy of Fang Mu.
---
Fang Mu grabbed the snake, ignoring its desperate attempts to bite him. The snake struggled violently, but it was no use—its body was too weak to resist. Eventually, it stopped fighting and allowed Fang Mu to do as he pleased. Fang Mu yanked the snake's massive body, which was incredibly heavy, but he persisted, dragging it relentlessly. After hours of effort, they finally reached their destination: the edge of a murky swamp.
"I miss my hometown," Fang Mu muttered sarcastically as he gazed at the swamp, a place that reminded him of where he was born.
He dragged the snake's enormous body into the swamp, wading through the water until they reached the deepest part. Memories flooded back to him—when he was just a tadpole, there had been a kind of fish hidden in the swamp that nearly killed him. He had barely survived.
Hundreds of glistening eyes peered up from the depths, watching Fang Mu intently.
Then, Fang Mu bit the snake with his small teeth. Blood trailed from the wound, mixing with the murky water.
"Bye-bye," Fang Mu said with a mocking expression. He swam away, flapping his feet vigorously until he was a few meters from the now-floating snake. The snake writhed in agony as its blood spread through the water. Suddenly, a chill ran down its spine, intensifying its movements as it sensed an even greater threat. Hundreds of eyes in the swamp began to stir restlessly, moving with swift precision as they swam toward the surface.
Dozens of fish attacked the massive snake, their sharp teeth leaving countless bite marks. The snake's agony intensified, but it couldn't resist—its body was still paralyzed. It didn't scream or struggle. Instead, it simply stared at Fang Mu, as if memorizing the face of the one who had brought about its demise. Blood and flesh spilled into the water, staining the swamp as the snake met its grim fate.
Fang Mu watched the scene with delight, a sensation like thousands of fingers tickling him all over his body. After a few minutes, the huge snake was reduced to bones and flesh, which gradually sank beneath the water.
He slapped the water with both fins, laughing uncontrollably. His laughter was a strange mix of a frog's croak and the growl of a devil—a sound that sent chills down the spine of anyone who heard it. But suddenly, his laughter trailed off as hundreds of fish darted toward him.
"What the fuck?!" he exclaimed, turning around and dashing away with all his strength. He hadn’t expected that even he would be attacked by these shameless creatures. With all his might, he kicked his two legs and flapped the two fins , propelling himself forward. Behind him, the fish leaped and thrashed, and one or two managed to bite his butt, causing Fang Mu to jolt in pain.
"Fuck! Fuck!" he cursed as he reached the shore. He jumped onto the ground and rolled around, panting and gasping for air. He looked down and saw a piranha-like fish still clinging to his butt.
"You ungrateful bastards! I gave you all that food, and this is how you repay me?" Fang Mu snarled at them. He scraped the fish against the ground until it released its grip.
"Disrespectful little shits," Fang Mu muttered as he composed himself. Used his feet to gingerly touching the bite mark on his butt.
"Hmm," he grunted, turning around and departing from the scene.
The next morning, in a two-story cement building that served as the medicine hall, Tino lay in bed on the second floor. Beside him stood a middle-aged nurse, while in front of him were Elder Gido and Joba. After being paralyzed the previous night, Tino had regained his ability to speak, but he still couldn’t move his body.
The middle-aged woman was feeding Tino a herbal medicine.
"How are you feeling, Tino?" Elder Gido asked.
"I’m doing better, Elder Gido," Tino replied in a weak voice.
"That’s good to hear," Elder Gido said. "Focus on recovering your strength."
"Elder, can you tell me what happened to my hens?" Tino asked.
Elder Gido and Joba exchanged glances. They knew Tino was a dedicated breeder who loved his hens and chicks dearly.
"I’m sorry, Tino. They’re all dead," Elder Gido said with a heavy tone.
The room fell silent, and only Tino’s sigh could be heard.
"I see," Tino said, clenching his fists as his face turned red with anger.
"Tino, don’t agitate yourself," Elder Gido said anxiously.
"Tino, can you tell us what happened?" Joba asked. Hearing Joba’s question, Tino loosened his fists.
"Last night, the reason I didn’t join the patrol team was because I had a feeling the beast would come for my hens. So, I stayed behind to keep watch over the cage. Fortunately, my instincts were right. Unfortunately, I couldn’t catch it. I thought it was the end for me. At that moment, its eyes... they seemed to think like a human’s."
"What did the creature look like?" Elder Gido asked.
"It was a frog... but not like any frog I’ve ever seen. It was as big as adult head," Tino stammered as he spoke. "It had three eyes, two legs, and two fins on its chest. It looked like a frog, but... not quite."
"A frog?" Elder Gido and Joba exchanged glances.
"Yes, yes-s-s," Tino replied. "That beast we usually see in ponds and swamps. But this damn frog has a poisonous tongue. If it touches you, it paralyzes you."
"And... while I was paralyzed, it killed all my hens and chicks," Tino whined, his voice filled with frustration and sorrow. "I couldn’t do anything to stop it."
"I see," Elder Gido said, exchanging a concerned glance with Joba.
"Tino, don’t worry. I promise we’ll hunt that beast down," Joba said. As the leader of the hunters, he felt a deep responsibility for the safety of the village.
"Just rest for now," Elder Gido advised.
"Elder Gido is right, Tino. Focus on recovering. Don’t worry about your hens for now," Joba added.
As they turned to leave the room, Tino called out weakly, "Elder, be careful. That beast is cunning. I think... I think it might be an enchanted creature."
"I understand," Elder Gido said. "Thank you for the information."
Tino lay back in bed, deep in thought, as the nurse tended to him.
Outside the medicine hall, Elder Gido and Joba stepped out into the morning air.
"Elder Gido, do you think that beast is truly an enchanted creature, like Tino said?" Joba asked.
"I don’t know," Elder Gido replied. "But one thing is certain: that beast must be one of the Three-Eyed Toad species."
"You already know what you’re going to do, don’t you?" Elder Gido asked.
"Yes," Joba answer firmly.
"But Elder, I’ll need the other elite hunters. I’ll wait for them before making a move," Joba added.
"It’s up to you," Elder Gido said, leaving the decision in Joba’s hands.