Chapter 54: Gathering Origin Cores

Turai stood poised, his sharp eyes locked onto the massive Dweller in front of him. The creature was a Spiked Cobra, a twenty-foot-long serpent with scales so thick and deadly that they gleamed like blackened steel. Each of its crimson eyes was filled with malice, and its body rippled with raw power. The short, lethal spikes covering its scales gleamed in the light, dripping with venom potent enough to corrode through metal within seconds. The Dweller's forked tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air, its deadly tail swaying dangerously.

Despite the creature's fearsome appearance, Turai barely saw it as a threat. It was a *Tier Four Dweller*, and after years of battling far more powerful creatures, Turai knew exactly how to handle it. Still, he didn't strike immediately. Instead, he allowed himself a moment to study the beast, watching how it moved and attacked, cataloging every behavior and potential weakness.