"Never mind, nine is already good enough. I didn't expect to get any badges at all."
At this point, Duan Chen could only comfort himself.
He pocketed all nine badges. No one objected or showed any unusual emotions. Their obedience satisfied him, though he felt he should explain.
"I'll keep the badges for now. I have a guess in my mind, but I can't tell you yet, not even through other means."
The so-called other means was telepathic communication.
— He said that because he had no spiritual energy left to support telepathic communication.
The one big move earlier had drained all his spiritual energy, and he was now slowly replenishing it.
The others didn't seem bothered and nodded, indicating their willingness.
With the blue-uniformed staff out of the way, they could finally enter the python enclosure.
However.
"Save us!"
"Save us!"
"Are you people from outside? Hurry and save us, this zoo is not normal."
"Please save me, I have a lot of money. I'll give you anything you want."
"..."
The scene that unfolded inside the python enclosure stunned them. The cages did not contain snakes, but men.
Some of these men were unshaven, while others looked like refined gentlemen. However, without exception, they were all locked in cages, handcuffed and bound with rebar.
They desperately grabbed the bars, pleading for help from those outside.
Duan Chen ignored these men, looking left and right, but couldn't find the snakes he was looking for.
"Where are the pythons?"
He asked, puzzled.
Not only was he puzzled, but the others were too.
There was nothing here except these men.
Oh, wait.
There were also four women.
However, these four women were locked in a different cage. They remained silent, looking very haggard. When they saw people entering, they merely raised their eyes, not crying out for help like the others. Their expressions seemed to convey a sense of resignation, as if they didn't want to waste their energy.
"Snakes."
"But here, they're imprisoning people."
"Rabbits."
"The tourists there are all animals."
"The rabbits looked lively, as if they had a person inside."
The clues in Duan Chen's mind suddenly connected.
His eyes lit up.
Could it be possible?
These people here were the snakes.
He looked at Hill standing beside him.
Hill's gaze shifted from one person to another. Her expression was devoid of any emotion.
Duan Chen spoke in a low voice.
"Do you know this is the python enclosure?"
At this question, the group of people trapped in the cages fell silent for a moment.
They did know.
The answer was affirmative.
But they didn't say it. Instead, they babbled on, trying to muddy the waters.
"Of course, we know this is the snake enclosure, but we're not snakes. Young man, if you save us, we'll all repay you."
"I'll give you money, lots of money."
"I have gold, a lot of gold."
"I have many beautiful women. If you want them, I can give them to you."
"..."
Their incessant chatter reached Duan Chen's ears.
Duan Chen shook his head slightly.
"I see snakes, do you see them?"
Jun Ci was not a fool. He naturally understood such a clear hint and nodded. Looking at the people caged around them, he said with a chilling tone,
"They are not far away, they are right in front of you."
"The snakes of desire."
"They are here."
As he directly exposed their true nature, those people froze for an instant, and then their bodies suddenly began to decay.
From the decaying liquid, small snakes emerged, one after another. These small snakes swirled around the liquid, devouring it all like the game Snake, letting out satisfied burps. Then, they flicked their tongues, looking at the other small snakes. They bared their fangs again.
All of this happened incredibly quickly. The people outside barely had time to react. When they saw it, it was like watching a synchronized animation.
A group of snakes was born.
The decaying liquid was consumed.
The snakes swallowed all the liquid.
The snakes began to devour each other.
Finally, an exceptionally large python appeared, filling the entire cage.
It was incredibly fast.
"This is going to be difficult."
"It looks like we have to fight."
Duan Chen couldn't muster any strength. His spiritual energy had been completely depleted.
It wasn't because he wanted to go all out to kill a minor monster, but because he discovered that to use his power in the zoo, he needed to expend even more spiritual energy.
He frowned, clearly displeased.
Yuan Qingqing was still missing, and now this had happened.
However, did they not get the chance to act?
Because the snake, an embodiment of desire, coiled around them, opened its mouth, and its red tongue flicked out as it asked a question.
"The Desire Serpent's choice question, please listen carefully."
"You have lost two companions, and these two companions are each in different crises. You can choose to save one, but only one. If you save one, the other will die."
Two images appeared before them. The people in these images were all familiar faces. The first was Yuan Qingqing, unconscious in the lion enclosure, surrounded by a pride of lions. The other was Qin Nanyuan, surrounded by a group of monsters, appearing unable to escape, yet her expression was calm.
The Desire Serpent's tail tapped the ground rhythmically, making a "thud" sound.
"Choose."
Duan Chen's heart sank. He glanced at Jun Ci standing beside him and then looked up at the Desire Serpent hovering above.
"If we make a choice, will the one we choose be sent to us?"
"That's right."
The Desire Serpent grinned. It was hard to imagine a snake smiling. It flicked its tail.
"If you make a choice, the chosen person will be safe and will appear beside you."
"The other person will die."
It urged them on.
"Choose."
Voices of men, women, old, and young all resounded from its throat.
"Choose!"