Inario Dungeon 8: Basilisk's Gaze and Princely Betrayal

No, wait. Inadia's got plenty of experience with this dungeon.

He might know some countermeasures or strategies I don't.

The guide for the highborn heirs from various nations wouldn't charge in so recklessly...

"Wh-what the hell!? Why is a monster like this here!? Wait, this can't be happening!!"

That guy's the most rattled one here!!

But Inadia seems to know how to handle it. The moment he spotted the basilisk, he raised his shield to block its gaze.

Ugh!

A tingling sensation hit me too, so I quickly ducked back into the passage to evade the basilisk's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stare.

If Inadia knows about this thing, he'll counterattack by now. I'll time my strike to match...

"Everyone!! Retreat!! Fall back!! Don't look at the basilisk's eyes!! Run!!"

The bastard ordered a retreat and bolted straight toward me.

Of course, no one's following him. They've all been caught in the basilisk's eyes.

This son of a bitch! Running off alone again without even checking the situation, spouting his scripted lines!!

"Inadia! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

I blocked his path and yelled.

Part of me wants to unload a barrage of curses, but I'm gritting my teeth and holding back.

"Get out of my way!! I'm going back to call for reinforcements!! That's the only way to save everyone!! Move, you porter!!"

Does that even make sense!? It took us four days to get here—reinforcements would arrive too late to even recover the bodies!! Give me a believable excuse!!

We wouldn't even need seven days...

In the end, the mounting stress and fear have stripped away his sanity, exposing his petty true nature.

Proof? He's pointing his sword at me right now.

He's clearly planning to kill me here and make his escape.

I'm not letting this lunatic off easy.

The moment he thrust at me, I triggered Happy Moment and twisted his body, redirecting the stab inward.

Toward the room's interior.

"Wha!? Why!? Why is the monster suddenly in front of me...?"

Inadia's words cut off mid-sentence. Looks like he got caught in the basilisk's gaze too.

Is everyone paralyzed?

Another Gazing debuff popped up on me. Maybe this basilisk senses my presence and is on guard.

I considered freezing time and charging in one shot, but there might be other threats, so I gripped Drasona's spear and probed the room's presence.

The tingling hits again. It's definitely watching me. But it's not coming for me—it's heading for someone else. Ashu.

Damn! Is this thing luring me out!? Or does it have the smarts to target the healer first!?

I ducked back into cover and shouted.

Ashu, the princess and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠saintess, wasn't wearing mere decorations—her robes were enchanted magical defenses.

True to the name Kalderan's Blessing, they shielded the wearer with holy blessings and sacred energy.

Like issuing a game command, I forcibly activated Ashu's gear from my Status Window inventory.

Caaaack!!

The beast lunging at Ashu with its massive maw staggered from the sudden impact.

The tingling faded, so I hurled the spear.

Ordered to [Target the eyes], it pierced the basilisk's right eye, which had been fixed on me.

With all threats neutralized, I drew my sword in frozen time and closed in.

Damn! Again!?

Even with time stopped, I feel my mana scattering.

But.

I know basilisks inside and out!!

Squish!!

With a wet sound, I rammed my sword into the basilisk's open maw, piercing its brain from the inside.

Time resumed, and the basilisk's remaining red eye rolled back as it collapsed.

Ashu stood frozen beside me like a mannequin, wide-eyed in shock. Everyone else too.

Panash with his halberd raised. Hodo mid-swing with his axe. Hairil clutching their staff, face frozen in terror. And Inadia, failing his thrust and toppling awkwardly.

Is it the eye's magic?

It's eerie yet fascinating how they're all frozen like pantomime actors, none collapsing.

"Anyway, glad you're all safe."

Thankfully, Ashu's body in my arms wasn't rigid like a mannequin—it was soft and alive.

Feeling her warmth put my mind at ease.

A bit of a hassle, but I dragged everyone—still mannequin-stiff—deeper into the passage.

Another basilisk could emerge from the opposite passage, so leaving them here was too risky.

Plus, it hid my abilities.

I saved Ashu for last, not wanting to reveal I could trigger someone else's magical gear.

I'd gotten these activation chants from Ashu before entering the dungeon. She never imagined I'd use them like this.

The moment the mannequin effect wore off, Ashu blinked, then hugged me with tears welling up.

"...That must've been terrifying."

Even frozen, they could see, hear, feel—but trapped in their bodies, helpless.

I'd felt it once before. Like a conscious vegetable, a horrifying imprisonment.

Worse, staring into a monster's jaws, inches from being eaten alive. Passing out would've been normal.

Oddly, it targeted Ashu first.

I took a moment to calm her. Once her trembling eased, I asked.

"Hey, Ashu. Can you lift the curse on the others too?"

"Y-yes... I can. I know this curse. I lifted it from you before, remember?"

"From me? Before?"

She meant when I'd wandered the Three-Colored Forest alone.

Oh, right. I'd thought the paralysis lifted because the basilisk's eyes were blocked by its open mouth—but no.

Ashu had sensed my peril through the Connection Ring and purified it remotely! The ring had hidden features I didn't know. Stalker-specialized, as expected.

No wonder the others hadn't snapped out of it even after the basilisk died.

Learning she'd saved my life from afar without me knowing... I was touched.

This girl—don't hide it like that!

I hugged her tightly again.

Good thing no one was watching.

Though I felt a twinge of guilt for delaying her curse lift.

While Ashu purified each one, I retrieved the spear and harvested the red eyes.

No one said to split loot, so it's fine. No one here would know their value anyway.

Next, I debated butchering the corpse for meat and smoking it.

"Kirgil, could you come here a moment?"

From deeper in the passage—not the boss room—Ashu called me. The others stood solemnly around Inadia, still frozen like a mannequin.

Ashu hadn't left him out of spite.

It was to judge his abandonment mid-battle.

This was practically a trial.

Ashu prayed, and Inadia—frozen in his clumsy thrust—toppled forward like a marionette with cut strings.

I'd already disarmed him.

"Ugh... This can't... No, everyone, I'm glad you're safe. Truly glad."

His smile was painfully ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠forced; everyone's glares were ice-cold.

If it were a porter like me, maybe—but Inadia was the leader. And he'd abandoned them all.

Panash spoke first.

"You claimed heavy responsibility upon yourself. Yet you discarded it."

"Hmph! I ain't working under a guy like that. If he ran a mine, the whole crew'd chuck picks at him."

"In our lands, we'd lop off his tail. Call him Tail-Hidden Coward for life."

After hearing everyone, Ashu looked to me.

"Kirgil, do you have anything to say?"

"From his rigid stance, you can tell—he tried to stab me and run."

"I'm sorry! I wasn't myself!! The monster's eyes bewitched me!!

Kirgil... I didn't know you were such an outstanding hero, or I wouldn't have..."

Inadia bared his neck in mock resolve, bowing deeply.

Half an hour ago he was talking down to me; now polite groveling and fake apologies. I wanna deck him.

Sorry, but I'm just a witness.

The judge here is Princess Ashushikara.

"As princess of Darania, I apologize on behalf of our hero's rudeness.

Regrettably, this perilous dungeon leaves us no room to weaken our force. I pledge, on my authority, a fitting punishment upon our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠return."

"Princess Ashushikara, please show mercy..."

"Inadia, you are no longer leader. Nor hero. Return to being a mere adventurer and prove your sincerity through deeds. That will factor into your punishment."

"Th-thank you for your boundless mercy, Princess Ashushikara."

Only after hearing he'd be forgiven if he hustled did Inadia kneel in relief.

Can't exactly summarily execute a noble heir, I guess. Frustrating, but Ashu's political savvy calls for deference here.

Personally, I'd tie him up, thrash him as an example, and make him the pack mule.

"Now, we'll need a new leader."

Ashu smiled brightly as she said it.

Everyone but Inadia turned to me.

No, guys, why put this on me?

Our unity's been great lately, but this is too much...

Hey Panash, that faint smile stands out today.

Hodo, why the thumbs-up?

Hairil, ears perked under that hat—isn't that your race's signal?

And Ashu...

Your grin's the heaviest burden right now.

You hyped me up just to debut me like this. You'd be a top producer back home.