Wilderness Survival with Druid System

Chapter 134: Chapter 20: Transformation—Serpent Form Chen Wen

Chen Wen swallowed the snake meat along with the broken snake bones in one gulp.

The taste was ordinary, and Chen Wen didn’t dare to sprinkle salt.

He still didn’t have a stable water source now, barely managing with some fruit each day to meet his minimum needs.

If he ate salt at this time, it might exacerbate the lack of water.

But after surviving so many times, Chen Wen no longer cared about taste.

As he was eating the snake meat, the system also sent a message.

Chen Wen half-closed his eyes and began selecting traits.

[Targeting natural creation—Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, initiating plunder!]

[Plundering... Plunder complete!]

[Please choose one of the following three traits]

[Nocturnal (Blue): During the day, you will tend to rest in the cool shade]

[Note: Why rest in such sunny weather? — Western Diamondback Rattlesnake]

[Rattle (Purple): Your farting will cause great threat and unease to nearby creatures]

[Note: Hmm? — Western Diamondback Rattlesnake]

[Transformation (Western Diamondback Rattlesnake) (Blue): You can now transform into a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, gaining some of its traits. ps: Transformation trait, lasts for three hours, can end early, retain sanity during transformation, other traits can be used, transformation trait can be upgraded with Inheritance Points. Side effect: You may fart involuntarily for up to an hour depending on how long you transform]

[Note: Transform into me! — Western Diamondback Rattlesnake]

[Please make a choice or forfeit within one minute! Otherwise, the first trait will be chosen automatically!]

Chen Wen was silent.

The transformation trait was something he had long anticipated!

Whether it was transforming into a bird to soar the skies or a tiger to roar in the forest,

he had been eagerly awaiting it all.

But transforming into a rattlesnake... well, that’s acceptable too.

What is up with the transformation time limit?

And it comes with side effects too?

In almost that instant, Chen Wen’s anticipation for the transformation trait significantly diminished.

But the ability to upgrade it...

Would it perhaps get better after upgrading?

With questions in mind, Chen Wen chose his first transformation trait.

The show crew was still recording at that time, so he didn’t try it immediately.

Instead, he continued eating the snake meat and fruit from the prickly pear cactus.

...

In the dead of night.

At night, the show crew also needed to rest.

Only one monitor would continue to keep an eye on the screen, observing the contestants’ conditions.

So, Chen Wen pretended to be asleep, pushed the camera to face the wall of the shelter.

And he moved out of the camera’s view.

The satellite phone he was carrying wasn’t called by the show crew.

It seems the monitor was also dozing off.

Chen Wen chuckled silently and activated the transformation trait.

With a thought, Chen Wen’s body started to shrink and narrow at a visibly fast pace.

Scales quickly emerged from his skin.

Including his head, which was undergoing a magical transformation, with poison fangs slowly growing out.

It took less than five seconds.

Chen Wen disappeared, along with his clothes.

In his place was a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake with human consciousness!

Is this what transformation is?

Chen Wen felt the discomfort of having a new body and slowly crawled outside.

Transformed into a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Chen Wen felt that the biggest change was the slight unadjustment in movement.

After all, for a person, adapting to a rattlesnake’s body in a short time was indeed very hard.

But simple crawling, biting, injecting venom—

Chen Wen began to learn.

Because after he transformed into a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake,

his system suddenly had a lot more traits.

There were positive ones like [Poison Fang], [Crawling], [Neurotoxin]...

And negative ones like [Fear of Fire], [Nocturnal], [Shadow Hole]...

At this moment, Chen Wen had a deeper understanding of the transformation trait.

If every creature is a collection of traits,

the transformation trait essentially allows Chen Wen’s appearance to become that creature, then randomly draws most of that creature’s traits, and combines some of Chen Wen’s original traits with these traits.

Forming a new species.

This is the Druid’s transformation.

For instance, right now, Chen Wen still retains a human cognitive pattern, along with the traits acquired during this practice.

At the same time, he gained numerous temporary traits of the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.

But some were not gained.

For example, the rattlesnake’s cold-bloodedness, thermal imaging, etc.

But it was enough.

A rattlesnake with human cognition and perception was enough to dominate this desert.

In serpent form, Chen Wen began crawling.

He forced himself to resist the fear as he crawled past the campfire, heading to the base of the giant cactus.

Snake form Chen Wen wanted to try climbing up.

He had been eyeing that family of yellow-crest woodpeckers for a long time!

But Chen Wen overestimated his ability to navigate this body.

As he wrapped his body around the giant cactus, passing by the thorns,

his body slackened, and he fell down.

Not painful, but it did make Chen Wen a little angry.

Really?

How could he fall?

After calming his anger, Chen Wen glanced at the system.

Damn, this snake’s traits include an [Irritable] trait, no wonder he got angry just now.

Chen Wen forced himself to overcome the influence of negative traits and tried climbing again.

This time, he tried wrapping his body around the giant cactus to increase friction.

The effect was excellent.

Most of his body adhered to the giant cactus, and he began slowly climbing upwards using the temporary [Crawling] trait.

...

The yellow-crest woodpecker couple was already fast asleep.

As part of the woodpecker family, like most of their family members, they rest at night.

Simultaneously, they were also very cautious.

But today, someone with malicious intent arrived.

Not only did he come with malice, but also silently.

When snake form Chen Wen’s head appeared at the entrance of the hole, the two yellow-crest woodpeckers were still sound asleep.

Chen Wen slowly passed through the narrow entrance, extending his head in.

Unlike rattlesnakes hunting, they needed to continuously flick their tongues to gather external information and confirm the position of prey before hunting.

Such movements made quite a racket.

But snake form Chen Wen needed to do just one thing: get close, extend the poison fangs, inject the venom.

Human perception allowed Chen Wen to spot the yellow-crest woodpeckers by the light of the fire.

He silently approached, like the silent reaper raising his scythe.

When Chen Wen’s head was just five centimeters away from the yellow-crest woodpecker,

the scythe fell!

Hiss!

With a hiss, the poison fangs launched, accurately biting the front chest of the yellow-crest woodpecker.

Neurotoxin shot through the hollow fangs into the yellow-crest woodpecker’s body.

In almost an instant, the yellow-crest woodpecker died in its sleep.

The other yellow-crest woodpecker woke up with a start.

Instinct made it immediately react, retreating to the end of the nest.

The giant cactus was wide, and the nest they dug was narrow and deep.

Their companion might block this venomous snake!

Perhaps there was a sliver of hope here!

But the scene that unfolded would leave this yellow-crest woodpecker forever haunted.

The killer of its companion silently retracted its poison fangs, opening its mouth wide.

Under the terrified gaze of the yellow-crest woodpecker, another pair of poison fangs extended from that terrifying snake mouth, crossing the hope-bearing distance, and bit down.

Clack—

The yellow-crest woodpecker’s peculiar chirp abruptly ceased.

Venom injected.

Toxin potent enough to take down a human worked quickly on these small birds.

Snake mode Chen Wen slowly retracted the pharyngeal jaw provided by the moray eel, essentially a second mouth.

Sure enough, this trait was prepared for his transformed self.

Chen Wen muttered to himself.