Chapter 62: The Snake Queen
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62: The Snake Queen
Let's assess the situation.
First, I just woke up.
And in the process, I'd naturally ended up cuddling the Ball Python.
How must I have looked to that snake?
A black lizard who stole her precious devotee, ate the stolen elixir, and is now sleeping with said devotee.
“Ssshaaaaaaak!”
Objectively speaking, I deserved to die.
But I couldn't let that happen.
Stay calm.
Cold blood.
Help me think straight.
First, the Snake Queen standing before me.
Her true identity was a Basilisk.
Not some Green Basilisk lizard, but a real Basilisk.
【Basilisk】
A mythical giant snake, sometimes referred to as a type of dragon.
Its left eye holds the power of deadly poison, and its right eye holds the power of petrification.
It is an apex predator with the potential for infinite growth.
Unlike with the Hydra and the Human-faced Bird, a status window was appearing.
Was she a lower-class being than them?
No, that couldn't be right.
I could only see this much because my Wild Eye skill had leveled up.
Even at level 5, I couldn't see anything beyond its species.
Its status, and even its level, were invisible.
This was a monster beyond measure.
And its size.
It was even larger than the Titanoboa I had seen in the Silver Dragon Cave.
A being so powerful I couldn't even begin to compare myself to it.
…But how in the world did it get inside this temple?
Considering the size of the passages I'd come through, there was no way a body that massive could have entered.
But this wasn't the time for such thoughts.
I had to find a way to survive.
Think about the cards in your hand.
“Gek-ge-ge-gek!”
Force was meaningless.
The only thing I had was the Ball Python sleeping in my arms.
This little snake had to be precious to the Basilisk.
It might be a bit underhanded, but I had to use the python to my fullest advantage.
The fact that it hadn't attacked me before I woke up must mean it didn't want the python, who was so close to me, to get hurt.
As long as we were stuck together like this, even a Basilisk shouldn't be able to attack me.
[The Snake Queen gazes at you.]
Gazes?
Something felt off.
Seeing its right eye flash…
Petrification!
Craaaaaack!
A beam of petrification shot out.
C-crack….
I thought it wouldn't attack because I was clinging to the python. I was wrong.
Is this how it ends?
My body turning to stone?
Will I become another statue guarding this temple?
C-crack, crack.
My body slowly turned to stone…
Or not.
I could feel the surface of my skin petrifying, but it was reverting back to normal in real time.
What was this?
Did I have some kind of petrification resistance I didn't know about?
Even after the Basilisk's petrification beam ended, I was completely unharmed.
There was just a fine powder of crumbled stone scattered around me.
[The Snake Queen finds you interesting.]
That's right.
I may not look it, but I'm a basilisk too.
It's possible I'm immune to petrification.
“Gek-ge-ge-gek!”
Snake Queen-nim. Let's talk this out.
“Gek-ge-gek!”
I earnestly appealed to the Basilisk.
Using Poison Accumulation, I tried to express that I, too, might be a species similar to a Basilisk.
Ever heard of a Green Basilisk lizard?
[The Snake Queen frowns.]
I'm screwed.
It had the opposite effect.
The Snake Queen began to approach me.
Petrification doesn't work on me.
A Basilisk's poison would be dangerous, but my All-Poison Immunity should be able to neutralize some of it.
But that physical strength… there was no way I could block it.
Dodging was the best option.
But I couldn't see any way to dodge.
Am I going to die like this?
The Basilisk's head drew closer and closer.
Just as I focused my internal energy to make a final, desperate struggle…
“…Hiek?”
The soundly sleeping Ball Python woke up.
After all that commotion, it was probably stranger that it was only waking up now.
Lucky Charm. You should run.
That snake is a vicious beast that attacks whether you're here or not.
“Gek-gek!”
But the python didn't back down.
It wriggled forward and blocked the path between me and the Basilisk.
Creaak.
The python opened its mouth wide.
…No way.
“Piyak!”
With a cute little war cry, a beam of light shot out from the python's mouth.
KABOOOM!
The output was even stronger than what I'd seen before.
Tssssss….
Of course, the python's attack wasn't strong enough to pierce the Basilisk's scales.
But it was meaningful.
Because the look in the Basilisk's eyes had changed.
[The Snake Queen is flustered.]
“Ssshaaaak….”
It almost looked like it was cautiously watching the python.
“Piyaaaak!”
The python glared fiercely at the Snake Queen.
…Is something like this even possible?
You could bring a hundred pythons, and they probably wouldn't even measure up to a single segment of that tail.
What in the world was this Lucky Charm's true identity?
On a hunch, I activated my enhanced Wild Eye.
【Ball Python LV14】
【Traits】
「Princess」「Tomboy」「Paralysis Immunity」「Poison Immunity」「Gaegaek Faith」
【Status】
「Anger」「Annoyance」
Wait a minute.
Princess?
A princess?
[The Snake Queen is at a loss.]
I'd only said it as a joke, but was this python really its daughter?
“Piyaaaak!”
The Ball Python hissed, unable to contain its anger.
“Ssshaaaaaak….”
The Basilisk's fearsome face slowly backed away.
Go, Lucky Charm! Drive your mother away!
[The Snake Queen glares at you resentfully.]
Hey, why are you looking at me like that?
Of course, from the Basilisk's perspective, it must seem like her precious daughter was completely swept off her feet by some strange black lizard.
The sight of her preciously raised daughter listening to some shady black lizard and getting angry at her own parent.
If I were in the Basilisk's shoes, I'd probably be angry too.
But that's that.
This little one is all I have, too!
“Hieeek….”
[【Ball Python LV14】 is embarrassed.]
[The Snake Queen glares at you.]
Ah, screw it.
I don't know anymore.
Go, Python, win!
“Piyaaaak!”
The python wrapped its chubby body around me, scolding the Basilisk.
Look at that Basilisk's expression.
Even a monster whose level couldn't be measured was hopelessly weak in front of its own child.
“Piyaaaak!”
“Ssshaaa….”
The Basilisk's ferocious aura gradually diminished.
They say no parent can win against their child.
I'm proud of you, Python.
“Piyaaaak!”
As if it thought it had scolded the Basilisk enough, the python turned to me and smiled brightly.
No.
It's not time for that yet.
“Gek-ge-gek!”
That snake could kill me the moment you show an opening!
But contrary to my expectations, no attack followed.
“Ssshaaaa….”
The Basilisk simply kept its distance, observing me and the python.
…Is it going to just watch for now?
Alright.
Since the python worked so hard, I should give it lots of pets.
“Hieeek….”
The python flicked its tongue, wriggling all over.
You did well.
…But, Mother-in-law.
Your glare is a bit too intense.
I think some of that petrification beam is starting to leak out.
The Basilisk stared at me intently.
[The Snake Queen wants her precious daughter back.]
“Gek-gek!”
No way.
If I give her to you, who knows what you'll do to me?
I'm taking your daughter with me.
“Hiek….”
The python, now in a good mood, wagged its tail gently.
“Ssshaaaaaak….”
The Basilisk flicked its tongue, glaring at me.
It was a little scary, but I'd figured out that as long as the python was on my side, it couldn't attack me.
Even if it could kill me, it would earn its precious daughter's resentment for the rest of her life.
If she's so precious, you should have kept a better eye on her.
With that thought, worthy of a third-rate thug, I gripped the python's tail tightly.
“Ssshaaaaaaak!”
The Basilisk's eyes wavered.
[The Snake Queen wishes to converse with you.]
There we go.
It would have been so much better if you'd come out like this from the start.
Shooting petrification beams right off the bat.
You're putting the Basilisk name to shame.
“Gek-ge-ge-gek!”
Let's talk this out.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy.
There was no guarantee that snake could understand my "gek-gek" sounds, nor could I fully grasp its intentions from the fragmented information the status window provided.
[The Snake Queen is contemplating.]
But can't the Snake Queen speak human language?
The King of Birds could speak, albeit clumsily.
Then again, the King of Birds had a human face, so that was probably why.
How could something with a snake's face speak human words?
Still, I was someone who had communicated smoothly with spiders and snakes.
In the end, a Basilisk was just a big snake.
We should be able to have a conversation.
“Gek-gek.”
Just as I started gek-ing to start a dialogue, a hazy mist formed around the Basilisk's body.
Through the silhouette, I could tell the Snake Queen's size was gradually shrinking.
Right.
No wonder it felt strange for it to be inside this temple.
So it can reduce its size.
Either that, or what I saw before was some kind of gigantification skill.
It didn't matter either way.
The smaller it got, the safer I would be.
“It's been a while since I've shown this form.”
I like the smaller form better.
…Wait, did I just hear a voice?
A human voice, at that.
Unlike the King of Birds, it was quite a fluent sound.
A somewhat dry, emotionless voice that reminded me of Baek Yeon-yeong.
No way.
The mist enveloping the Basilisk slowly faded.
“To take my daughter… What an impudent little creature you are.”