Published at 21st of December 2025 9:23 am

Chapter 1355: Serpent Protocol

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Dragonshit!

Adam cursed inwardly as he tried to climb steadily, fingers digging into whatever cracks he could find.

The higher he went, the worse the wind became. Powerful gusts slammed against him, sharp enough to sting his skin and tear the warmth from his body. The temperature dropped so fast that his hands numbed, and his grip weakened with every meter he climbed.

It had to be known that he had undergone three cycles of body enhancement, yet the weather had such a harsh effect on his body. He had truly underestimated the cliff’s terrain beyond the hundred-meter mark!

More than once, his boots slipped on frosted rock. His body couldn’t help but lurch, his weight dropping into empty air for a split second before he caught another hold and pulled himself back in.

The cliff face offered almost nothing, just cold stone, thin ledges, and patches of ice forming from the wind’s sake. It was a good thing that the Stealth Cloak, a Grade 4 Artifact, provided minor defense to his body. Otherwise, he didn’t know if he’d be able to sustain the utterly harsh climate.

But still... he gritted his teeth.

Judging by my speed, it will take me at least two days to reach the clifftop!

The wind of the cliffside was the first threat. It didn’t blow in steady gusts. Each blast came from the side, and it came suddenly. It was strong enough to rip a hand from the rock if Adam wasn’t braced for it.

Moreover, the higher he climbed, the more unpredictable it became. One moment, the wind pressed him against the cliff, the next it tried to pull him backwards into the open air.

Every step had to be made with his full weight, and every handhold had to be tested more than once. A single mistake meant a drop straight down the jagged face. Although the fall wouldn’t kill him, it sure as hell would heavily injure him and completely wipe away whatever progress he’d made.

And he could not afford that. For time was of the essence.

Then there was the cold. It wasn’t a gradual chill but an abrupt shift, as if he’d crossed an invisible threshold. The air thinned, and the temperature plunged, draining heat from his limbs faster than he could generate it.

His fingers stiffened until they barely responded, making even simple gripping difficult and dangerous. Numbness crept up his arms and legs, slowing his reactions and making every slip harder to correct. The cold also made the stone brittle and slick, forcing him to readjust constantly to not lose balance.

Together, the wind and cold turned the climb into a battle of endurance. The wind threatened to throw him off. The cold threatened to shut his body.

And at any moment... either one could end the climb for good.

Adam turned his head and murmured, "At least I have company, eh?"

Strapped to his back, nestled comfortably underneath the Stealth Cloak, was a leather backpack.

"Gege!"

"Alright, buddy." Adam shuddered from the cold.

"Let’s climb this cliff, infiltrate the damned Wall, and then open the gates for our friends. After that... we’ll finally be on our way."

***

Beneath the cliffside, the battle raged with even greater ferocity than the day before.

Lines of Magi pushed against each other, spells flashing in rapid bursts as steel clashed in a constant grind. The ground shook from the repeated detonations of spells, and groups of Magi broke apart only to collide again moments later.

Wounded men were dragged back while fresh units rushed forward to fill the gaps. The air was heavy with the pungent smell of dust, smoke, and the sharp scent of blood as both armies threw themselves to fight without restraint. Neither side was willing to give even an inch.

Standing at the command tent, Goro crossed his arms and watched with a dark look on his face as his men entered the bloody meat grinder.

One thing that he’d noticed at the start of the battle was that all of Teisha Tang’s men were in good health. Comparatively, a little more than two hundred of his men were injured before entering the battle.

That could only mean one thing...

"Those bastards sure have a lot of me beyond the Wall," he muttered coldly.

Standing beside him, the Vice General of the army, Yorihiko Tsuitsui, nodded with a grave look on his face. He then turned to the cliff on the side and couldn’t help but mutter:

"Suppose Brother Ao does manage to climb to the clifftop... will he really be able to make his way through thousands of enemies on the other side?"

Goro remained silent for a long time. Inwardly, he thought to himself:

Both Brother Ao and I practice the body enhancement system, so I’m certain that he will be able to endure the harsh weather and reach the clifftop.

I have read about the clifftop being inhabited by strange creatures of the cold. Given his combat prowess, he should be able to fight them as well.

But infiltrating the Wall is the toughest. We still don’t know the true enemy numbers yet...

"Have faith in him," he finally said. "If he’s confident that he can do it, then we should trust him to do it."

He paused for a moment, his expression turning grim.

"The fifth day," he continued. "If the gates of the Wall haven’t opened by then, we will consider changing our strategy once again."

"Fifth day..." Yorihiko murmured with a complicated look in his eye.

He was concerned about Adam’s safety, as well as the army’s.

Right at that moment, Goro’s words thundered in his ears.

"Activate the serpent protocol," he solemnly ordered.

Yorihiko’s eyes widened. "So early?!"

"Yes, we need to go on the offensive now." Goro nodded.

A deep, resonant horn cut across the battlefield.

The Tsuitsui soldiers shifted at the familiar tone.

This was the prearranged signal!

Without hesitation, they reached into their pouches and swallowed a small, unremarkable pill.

Within a minute, a dark green miasma started to engulf the bloody battlefield. Visibility gradually dropped as the air grew heavier.

And then it happened...

The Tiesha Tang soldiers started to cough and stagger, their movements losing strength as they breathed in the dark green miasma.

Soon, more and more of them started showing the same symptoms.

The Tsuitsui army had finally unleashed their clan’s infamous poison arts!

Share