Chapter 70: Gaegaek Death Beam
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: Gaegaek Death Beam
What would Baek Yeon-yeong have done?
If the man had simply begged for his life, I would have ignored him.
Her code of chivalry wasn't about unconditionally saving the pitiful.
But what that man wanted wasn't his own safety.
Someone was on the verge of death because of him.
To save that person, he got on his knees and pleaded.
This was the same man who had run away upon seeing me as a Crocodile Monitor.
My current form was even more fearsome than it was then, certainly not less.
And yet, he suppressed that fear and made a wish for another's sake.
Even while thinking I was just a beast that could devour him.
I don't know his story.
He might even be a villain.
But judging him could come later.
It wouldn't be too late to judge after I've somehow saved the petrified person.
“Grrrr…”
I didn't know if defeating the Cockatrice would undo the petrification, but I had to do what I could.
The distance between us gradually closed.
I had wondered countless times what a Gogadurisu would look like.
It wasn't much different from what the Snake Queen had described, but it wasn't exactly the same either.
I thought it would be about the size of a chicken at most, but the only trace of a chicken was its cry.
I’d thought a Cockatrice was closer to a bird, but looking at it now, it definitely seemed more like a snake.
It had a snake for a tail, and its head looked like a snake with a beak.
What was the difference in power between us?
I could see its level, so the gap probably wasn't as wide as the one between me and the Snake Queen or the King of Birds.
If that was the case, I could definitely win.
“Krrrrr…”
I let out a low growl to threaten it.
There was only one reason I had revealed myself like this.
Its petrification power was a skill that couldn't be used consecutively.
Even if it could, it would be impossible for it to generate enough output to affect me, who had resistance.
If I wasted time, the beast would recover.
I had to strike hard and fast before that happened.
“COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOO!”
The Cockatrice had another weapon besides petrification.
Poison.
It could spew a potent poison, nearly as powerful as its petrification.
But my body had withstood the venom of a Dilophosaurus.
It would be difficult to inflict a fatal wound on me with poison.
Since it was a creature that wielded poison, my own poison attacks probably wouldn't do much damage either.
Our poisons were ineffective against each other.
The only way to harm one another was through physical combat.
The Cockatrice was larger than a Terror Bird.
In terms of sheer size, I was at a disadvantage.
In a straightforward physical fight, I would likely lose.
Of course, if that were all there was to it, I'd have no reason to face it.
“Grrrrrr…”
I had one weapon it didn't.
Information.
There was an information gap between us.
I knew what cards it held, and what I could block.
If I exploited that, winning would be easier.
“Kkieeee!”
The Cockatrice began to spew a poison mist.
It was a good move.
A way to block my approach and deal damage one-sidedly.
If I got held up here, a petrification beam would surely follow.
Of course, when I said it was a good move, I meant if its opponent were an ordinary lizard.
Thump!
Using the principles of the Little Dragon's Heavenly Ascent Steps, I leaped toward it, stepping on blades of grass.
The poison mist was dense.
It flapped its wings in panic, clearly not expecting me to charge through it.
This was the information gap.
I knew it would use poison; it didn't predict I would have resistance to it.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV1」.]
[Temporarily acquired 「Uprooting Heavens and Overpowering the World」.]
Rumble—
A profound internal energy pressed down on the beast.
Strength to uproot mountains, spirit to cover the world.
Uprooting Heavens and Overpowering the World wasn't simply about overwhelming an opponent with spirit.
Crrrack.
My internal energy gathered at a single point.
SHRED!
My forepaw, imbued with the principles of the Dragon's Claws, struck its head.
The beast's head was twisted nearly halfway around.
There was no way it could regain its senses.
SLASH!
With my other paw, I viciously slashed its wing.
“Kkieeeeek!”
The Cockatrice shrieked in pain.
Ideally, I would press this advantage and finish it off, but the situation wouldn't last.
That combo was a surprise attack that fully exploited my information advantage.
One more time, before it recovered!
CLANG!
It blocked my Dragon's Claws with the hand on its other, unscathed wing.
Once blocked, I retreated without hesitation.
Continuing a close-quarters fight wasn't a good choice.
“Kkieeeee!”
The beast went berserk.
Despite taking a direct hit from Dragon's Claws, its thick neck didn't break; it held firm.
Its defense was higher than I expected.
“Kirararak!”
It seemed to have a lot of health, too.
It charged at me with ferocious momentum.
Seeing its talons twitch, it must have been planning to impale me with those sharp claws.
If I got stabbed by those feet, even my Dragon Scales would be shattered.
Fight leg arts with leg arts.
KWAAAAANG!
The moment I took a step, the ground shook.
The internal energy in my leg traveled through the ground, rushing toward the Cockatrice at high speed.
BOOM!
“Kkeeeeeeeek!”
The beast's stance crumbled.
This was my chance.
I rapidly closed in, just as I was about to use Dragon's Claws.
“Kigigik.”
One of the Cockatrice's eyes began to glow.
It was smirking vilely.
The Gaze of Petrification.
I didn't know if it had just become reusable, or if it could have used it all along but was hiding its strength.
The important thing was that in my current state, I was completely exposed to that gaze.
Was this why it pretended to be enraged and charged so recklessly?
Smart for a birdbrain.
Saving its trump card until the end.
A good decision.
But if you were going to save it, you should have saved it a little longer.
I activated Sprint.
The reason I was only activating this skill now was to add a variation to my movements.
Of course, it would be difficult to escape that gaze with Sprint alone.
The leg art I learned from Baek Yeon-yeong, the Ancient Dragon Leg Art.
The Ancient Dragon Leg Art was a leg art, but it wasn't limited to just kicks.
Wandering Dragon Illusion was a leg art imbued with the principles of illusion.
It mixed feints and real attacks so the opponent couldn't predict or react.
SWOOOOSH!
With my speed amplified by Wandering Dragon Illusion, I instantly got behind it.
Its eyes were staring into empty space.
KWAAAAAANG!
My internal energy-infused Dragon's Claws mercilessly smashed its head.
“Kkieeeeeek!”
Crack.
I heard the sound of its neck bones cracking.
But its transcendent muscles forced its body to function even with cracked bones.
I couldn't let it create distance now.
I had to stick as close as possible and suppress its gaze.
I grabbed its neck tightly with my left paw.
“Krrrrrrk!”
The Cockatrice thrashed wildly.
It was called thrashing, but with a body that size flailing about, even I, who was holding on, started to sustain minor injuries.
CRUNCH!
Its sharp claws and talons dug into my flesh.
Drip, drip.
Blood trickled down.
But the damage it was taking was greater.
CHOMP!
I bit down on its neck.
Grind.
I bit down so hard it felt like my teeth would shatter.
Its neck was so thick my teeth didn't even sink in properly, but its body was already in a bad state. If I kept accumulating damage, even that thick neck would eventually break.
If I used the Nine Yin White Bone Claw with Reverse Scale, I could deal more damage, but I couldn't get the right angle from this position. It was an attack with a large motion, so I could have been hit by petrification.
“Kkieeeeeeeeeek!”
The beast let out a tremendous shriek.
It was a horrific sound, enough to make my ears bleed.
The fact that it was only showing this kind of attack now meant it was starting to reach its limit.
“Krrrrrr…”
I could see a path to victory.
If I maintained this position and drained its stamina, I should be able to break its neck soon.
CRUNCH!
A sudden, overwhelming pain made my mind go blank.
The source of the pain was my right ankle.
And what had attacked it was the Cockatrice's other head.
The beast had two heads all along.
The snake head on its tail wasn't just for decoration.
BOOM!
The Cockatrice didn't miss the moment my bite weakened and succeeded in breaking free from my grasp.
“Kkieeeeek!”
The Cockatrice shrieked in fury and charged at me.
Naturally, its charge was accompanied by the Gaze of Petrification.
With my injured leg, there was no way I could dodge it.
Crack, crackle!
My body began to turn to stone.
“Kokokokooook!”
The Cockatrice charged, its massive mouth wide open, as if to repay all the humiliation it had suffered.
…
Did you really think I hadn't considered your second head?
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV1」.]
Crumble.
The stone encasing my skin crumbled to dust.
The basis for my confidence that I could win—the information gap.
I knew I could resist its petrification.
A full-power Gaze of Petrification might be a different story, but a shallow, uncharged attack like this had no chance of working on me.
[Temporarily acquiring 「Nine Yin White Bone Claw」.]
The Cockatrice seemed to realize something was wrong and tried to change direction.
But it was too late.
KWAAAAAAAAANG!
My five fingers shattered its head.
“Krrrk…”
It wasn't dead yet.
If it were, I would have leveled up immediately.
But it was certainly on the verge of death.
I couldn't give it a chance. I had to finish it.
Its head was a pulpy mess.
The fact that it was still breathing must have been because of the snake head on its tail.
If I killed that, this battle would be over.
The moment I raised my hand to kill the snake on its tail…
“Kkieeeeeeeeeeeek!”
An incredible roar echoed, and at the same time, my body froze.
Crumble.
My body was gradually turning to stone.
This attack was on a different level from the Gaze of Petrification I'd faced so far.
How on earth did it launch an attack like this in its current state?
My question was answered moments later.
“Kokioooooo!”
From within the pulped mess of its head, another head emerged.
A red comb. Pure white feathers.
It was unmistakably the head of a rooster.
…I really fell for it.
A complete bird's head, not a snake's.
This must have been a new ability it received from the King of Birds.
An ability even the Snake Queen didn't know about.
How tenacious.
Just when I thought I'd seen all its cards, it pulled out another one.
…Who would have thought a Cockatrice had three heads?
The newly emerged head had never used the Gaze of Petrification before.
In other words, the petrification it just used was at maximum output.
My body was stiffening.
But it wasn't over yet.
Think.
A way to break through this situation, with my arms and legs immobilized.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV1」.]
Reverse Scale, the skill that reproduces skills or martial arts I haven't learned.
Remember.
A technique that can be used without arms or legs.
Right, there was that.
The technique the King of Birds used.
The technique that left me near death with just a graze.
Destruction Ray.
[Insufficient understanding.]
What?
It was a message I'd never seen before.
It had always succeeded until now, so I never considered that Reverse Scale could fail.
The Human-faced Bird's Destruction Ray was something I couldn't copy.
Then again, how could I copy something I've only seen once?
I didn't even know the principle behind it.
The Cockatrice was getting closer.
Its head had changed, but its body was the same, so it was slow.
But it was more than fast enough to kill me while I was immobilized.
Is this how it ends?
Turned to stone, only to be shattered by that monstrous bird?
…
No.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV1」.]
The Human-faced Bird's Destruction Ray was beyond my comprehension.
But what about the technique used by the Snake Queen and Ball Python?
I opened my mouth wide.
To imitate the stance I had seen so many times.
Swish-Swish, who chirped while firing a beam at the Snake Queen.
The Snake Queen, who fired a Destruction Ray to train me.
I recalled their forms.
[The Snake Queen smiles at you.]
[Temporarily acquiring 「Destruction Ray LV1」.]
Right.
So this is how you do it.
I have to end it with this one shot.
There won't be a second chance.
If I miss, or if I fail to kill it, I'll be the one who dies.
[Your divinity rises sharply.]
In the corner of my vision, I saw the man from before.
He hadn't run away. He was bowing to me.
[Your divinity reacts to 「Destruction Ray LV1」.]
[Temporarily acquiring 「Gaegaek Death Beam LV1」.]
…What a name.
Sssssss.
I gathered every last bit of internal energy I could muster.
A fierce surge of internal energy rose from the depths of my dantian.
All of my power converged on a single point.
There was only one thing left to do.
Unleash this overwhelming power.
As naturally as breathing out.
Gaegaek (塏揢) Death Beam.