Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 369 The Power to Change the World

Strength is weakness, and weakness is strength.

This is so counterintuitive, yet surprisingly logical.

Just like the wolf-headed swordsman himself had just experienced, when he was still very weak, he obtained those equipment, those weapons and armor, which made him feel powerful and made him feel that he could fight the giant serpent.

But just when he saw the giant serpent and truly felt powerful enough, in that instant of believing he was strong enough, he found himself unable to defeat the giant serpent.

Is there something wrong with the weapon?
Obviously not. He could sense the danger of the greatsword and see the giant serpent's aversion to the Leviathan's Fang—burying him in the ground wasn't enough; it also wanted to take the greatsword away, which showed that the greatsword truly threatened the giant serpent's life.

So, is there a problem with the armor?
Obviously not. The armor soaked in the blood of the ether dragon is indeed sturdy enough, and the fact that he is still alive is the best proof of that—even though his whole body was rammed into the ground by the serpent's tail, he still managed to survive. To be able to jump around after such a heavy blow is nothing short of a miracle.

Weapons and armor, no problem.

Therefore, it becomes obvious who has the problem.

"It's... me."

Wolf-headed swordsman Gekala gritted his teeth.

Although I hate to admit it, it's clear that after eliminating the factors that are not problematic, all that's left is himself.

Becoming stronger isn't the problem; the problem is that after becoming stronger, he himself isn't strong enough, and he can't control that immense power.

The reason he couldn't control it was actually because he wasn't weak enough.

"This……"

The conclusion was somewhat difficult to understand, even counterintuitive, but judging from the results, it seemed to be true. But now that he has become stronger, does he want to become weak again?

Gekkar thought about it and realized that such a thing was completely impossible.

Putting everything else aside, there's absolutely no way he could take off this suit of armor. After all, this suit of armor is practically his second life. Without it, he probably wouldn't even have the right to see that giant snake—that giant snake wouldn't even need to swing its long tail; just a breath from it would be enough to kill him eight times over.

As for the greatsword, it's even less likely that he'll give it up. Without Leviathan's Fang, he wouldn't even be able to break through the giant snake's defenses. If he were to actually fight it off, only to end up scratching the giant snake, that would be rather comical.

However, perhaps we won't need another battle.

Gekkar now finds the whole thing quite amusing.

"If you become stronger, you'll become weaker and unable to win... But if you become weaker, you'll truly be unable to win and truly be weak enough?"

It's completely incomprehensible and impossible to understand. For Gekkar, this situation is like being stuck in two abyss—if he takes off his equipment, he will die; if he puts on his equipment, he can't win. So how can he fight?
How exactly can he fight?
"I……"

Wolf-headed swordsman Gekala froze on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.

They even ignored the sigh of that unfamiliar consciousness.

"She's gone mad again...sigh."

As the wolf-headed swordsman remained stunned for a long time, the unfamiliar consciousness eventually stopped paying attention to the insignificant swordsman.

In any case, weaklings like these, who can be used as pawns, are everywhere.

However, taking it and using it is one thing, but taking it and using it is another.

The truly usable pieces are far too few. After all, most of the pieces are genuinely weak, those frail creatures who are already struggling to survive—which directly leads to the fact that when they gain power and become strong, their first reaction is not to do anything, but to experience their newfound strength.

The weaker one is, the more one craves power and the more one desires to become strong; this is something that almost all weak people think about.

But that's where the problem lies.

When they adopt the posture of a strong person, that is when they are at their weakest.

When they are weak, they are actually strong, because they have nothing and therefore have no fear. But when they become strong, they become weak again, simply because they have power and naturally begin to worry about losing it, to be anxious about gains and losses, and even to learn to be afraid.

In battle, regardless of the process, the outcome is simply life or death—probably speaking, even if it's a mortal fighting a prehistoric behemoth, the odds of winning or losing are fifty-fifty.

It's either live or die; there are only these two outcomes. Normally, there's no third possibility.

However, in many cases, the fighting itself is not necessarily normal.

The ideal battle is one in which both sides fight with all their might, using every skill they have, just to win the final victory—but the reality of battles is never this ideal state.

In real-world battles, both sides will feel fear, apprehension, and even cowardice, and may even retreat as a result.

Taking a step forward might mean death, but it could also mean life.

But if we take a step back, then all that's left is death.

The overconfidence in one's strength brought fear, and fear in turn brought unnecessary hesitation—just like this specially selected wolf-headed swordsman, who was beaten without any power to fight back because of that momentary hesitation.

Now, having realized the truth of everything, the wolf-headed swordsman was caught in a vortex of logic from which he could not escape.

Simply put, after witnessing the truth, the wolf-headed swordsman went completely mad.

"What a pity, it was working really well."

That consciousness sighed.

Since the Wolf-Headed Swordsman is useless, we can only choose another useful target.

The best targets would actually be the Ignivas, since they are experts in the use of consciousness, and their burning will, like a raging fire, signifies an inextinguishable passion. If it were them, even if they knew the truth of the world, they probably wouldn't feel disheartened.

Unfortunately, real, living Ignivas are extremely difficult to capture.

Even with this current opportunity, it remains the same.

"But before that, we need to deal with this snake first."

That thought solidified my resolve.

Hunting the Ignivas can wait; there will always be another opportunity. But killing this disgusting giant serpent is the most urgent matter, as it is now a matter of personal vendetta.

"And it must be done as soon as possible."

"After all, if nothing unexpected happens, that snake has probably already become aware of the existence of this power."

(End of this chapter)