"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
Arrows continuously shot toward the python. The closer they got to the python, the higher the accuracy. Soon, the python was covered with arrows, bleeding profusely. It appeared to be severely injured, and its movement slowed down.
Seeing this as a chance not to be missed, the Guard Captain waved his hand, commanding the remaining soldiers to rush in with a large net and throw it over the python. The net's holes were only the size of a fingernail, and the three-meter-long python couldn't escape. It struggled within the net, only binding itself tighter.
The Guard Captain had a sly smile on his lips, thinking the task was about to be completed. Yet, the soldiers who surrounded the python suddenly let out a scream and quickly scattered.
The Guard Captain's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched.
Suddenly, half a meter high flames "poofed" up from the python's body. The orange-yellow color of the flames burned the entire net open and incinerated the arrows stuck in its body.
In the next moment, the python's speed surged. It lunged forward, biting the slowest soldier. The soldier screamed, ensnared by the python's coils, fell silent almost instantly. A moment later, the python pursued the other soldiers, leaving behind a charred corpse at the scene.
The Guard Captain's eyes turned red.
Richard watched, his eyes flashing slightly.
The color of the flames was closely related to the temperature. Aside from the influence of the fuel, generally speaking, the higher the brightness, the higher the temperature. For instance, the most common "sky blue" flames could reach about 2500°C. Red flames, on the other hand, typically had a temperature of around 1000°C. As for black flames, they looked cool but were filled with smoke due to incomplete combustion, with temperatures reaching only about 300°C, far below charcoal fires, which were around 600°C.
Based on the current orange-yellow color of the python's flames, they should be roughly around 1500°C. Although not as impressive as the sky blue flames' "purest of the furnace," they shouldn't be underestimated. After all, the melting point of iron was 1538°C, and these flames were almost enough to melt steel.
"It really seems like a magic creature," Richard muttered to himself. "This time, I am finally not disappointed. But as for capturing it, it's not going to be easy to handle..."
Another scream rang out as the flame-wreathed python coiled around another lagging soldier, taking his life.
Seeing this, the Guard Captain's eyes blazed with fury, his hidden ferocity flaring within. Watching the python pursue a third soldier, he gritted his teeth, clutching his longsword, and charged toward the python.
Thirty meters, twenty-five meters, twenty meters.
The intense heat surged from the distant python's body. The Guard Captain could feel his skin, exposed outside his armor, tingling with pain, but he ignored it completely and continued rushing closer.
Twenty meters, fifteen meters, ten meters.
The Guard Captain felt his iron armor become scalding hot, like a branding iron searing his skin, his expression twisted in pain. Yet, he still endured it, raised his longsword high, and aimed at the python's head, intending to slash it down.
At that moment, a short arrow whizzed past from behind him, scraping his ear and leaving a burning scratch on his face.
The Guard Captain was stunned and instinctively looked back, seeing Richard in the distance, expressionless, holding a crossbow in one hand and making a "come back" gesture with the other.
"If you don't want to die, come back," Richard said plainly.
"Prince... I..." The Guard Captain hesitated for a moment but eventually chose to obey, retreating quickly to Richard's side, panting. "Prince, this flame-wreathing python is really difficult to deal with. The rope net couldn't hold it. Should we go back and ask the craftsmen to make an iron net before coming again? Otherwise, at this rate, none of my men will survive..."
"I said when I came here, an ordinary net won't work," the Wizard mumbled softly beside him.
"Say that again!" The Guard Captain glared, looking as if he wanted to devour the Wizard. "If it weren't for you hiding the strength of this damned python, my men wouldn't have suffered such losses! I think you're doing it on purpose!"
"Enough," Richard spoke. "Whether he did it on purpose or not is not the point. Even if we go back, an iron net is useless now. The flames on this python are hot enough to melt an iron net."
"Then what do we do?" The Guard Captain was anxious.
"There is a way," Richard replied, turning his head to look at the burly man in black beside him.
The black-clad strongman had been carrying a box, following him quietly, never saying a word, like a shadow. Now, it was time to use that shadow.
"Use the latest product you brought from the shop," Richard whispered.
"Yes," the black-clad strongman nodded, saying nothing more as he quickly opened the box and took out a bomb.
At least it looked like a bomb—a very primitive bomb—a metallic ball with a long fuse attached.
After taking out the bomb, the black-clad strongman, without waiting for Richard's command, acted on his own. Swinging his arm, he hurled the bomb far out.
The black-clad strongman was strong, his throwing skills were excellent, and the heavy metallic ball, thrown like a hand grenade, rolled accurately to the flame python.
At this time, the flame python was engulfed in its flames, so the bomb's fuse didn't need to be lit; it caught fire automatically.
"Duck!" Richard immediately shouted. No one dared to disobey, and everyone dropped to the ground.
The next moment, a loud explosion echoed, jarring their ears painfully. The ground shook violently, and a strong gust of wind swept through, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
When everything settled, the Guard Captain and the soldiers stood up, looking at the python's original position with widening mouths.
They saw the once-unrivaled python now lay with its body broken, nearly cleaved in two like a snapped, dried branch. It lay on the ground, barely breathing.
Despite this, the Guard Captain dared not be too careless. With Richard's permission, he immediately called soldiers to use longbows from afar for a round of concentrated shooting, killing the python thoroughly before heaving a sigh of relief.
After finishing this, the Guard Captain turned to look at Richard. Richard did not display much excitement, maintaining a calm expression as he instructed, "Bring the python along and hasten back to the city. I must seize the time to dissect and research. Otherwise, with too much delay, it will lose essential vitality, causing many things to change. Also, everyone, do not speak of today's events to anyone. Understand?"
"Uh... yes," the Guard Captain quickly responded, ordering soldiers to tie the three-meter python onto a horse, ignoring the poor trembling horse.
At this point, Richard turned to the black-clad strongman and whispered, "The explosives were insufficiently potent. As expected, it should have killed it outright, so continue to make improvements. I'll provide you with some plans."
"That's good, let's go back."
"Yes." The black-clad strongman picked up the box and left.
Richard mounted his horse, leading the many cavalrymen back to Blue Lion City.