073. Martine's Greatest Dancer!
"You shall be bitten by a serpent and die once."
That was the oracle delivered to Gerard Martain at the age of twenty.
He had always been bold and extraordinary since childhood. When he heard the prophecy of his own death, Gerard's first thought was this:
'Has this bishop finally lost his mind?'
The Martine family was the largest patron of the Church of Light. They poured massive donations into that diocese every year. As a result, the Martaines could occasionally receive oracles.
Having turned twenty, Gerard had come to the bishop seeking insight into his future.
'Is he just whining for more donations?'
It wasn't unreasonable for Gerard Martain to think that way. The bishop he'd asked for the oracle was infamous for his greed outweighing his piety.
"Could you say that one more time?"
He asked anyway, despite the taboo of interrupting an oracle.
Gerard looked at the bishop's face, hoping for more details—and flinched in shock.
The bishop's eyes had no pupils, only whites. His hair fluttered on its own, and a halo-like glow emanated from behind his head.
Bishops adorning themselves with holy magic was common enough. But this felt different.
Gerard sensed it instinctively.
The bishop's mouth opened again.
"Y-you sh-shall be b-bit-ten by a s-s-s-ser-pent and d-die once."
"Whoa, shit!"
The voice echoed like it came from a cave.
The startled Gerard demanded urgently,
"Die? Then what should I do?"
If you're going to give such an ominous prophecy, at least tell me how to overcome it.
But the bishop simply collapsed, nose bleeding profusely.
No doubt about it—a genuine oracle.
A real one. Even the mighty Martine heir couldn't help but feel fear.
Someday, bitten by a serpent.
Gerard's first act was to hide the oracle. Even the bishop himself couldn't remember saying it, making it easy.
Next, he sought ways to overcome it.
Was there no escaping the prophecy of death?
He investigated every angle. The conclusion was despairing.
If the prophecy was true, Gerard would surely die.
Should he just wait it out, assuming it might be wrong?
True to his Martine blood, Gerard refused to sit idly.
Instead of accepting inevitable death, he resolved to fight until the end, searching for a way.
'Once.'
He fixated on that word. If once, then maybe twice?
Perhaps. What even was death? Heart stopping? Or loss of all demonic essence?
Exploiting that ambiguity might let him defy the prophecy.
From age twenty, he began his 'preparations.'
When a thorn from the serpent's body pierced his throat.
Gerard Martain thought,
'This should count as being bitten to death, right?'
That was his last thought.
Carotid severed, spinal nerves damaged—fatal for sure.
Consciousness blacked out, heart undoubtedly stopped.
That's when his ancient contingency activated.
Gerard Martain's bare body bore a bizarre tattoo, like a pagan savage's curse—and it worked similarly.
Boom!
The chest tattoo glowed, body convulsing.
The stopped heart was forced to beat again.
Muscles, taut as if to burst, began shrinking.
That energy poured into healing the wound.
The marquis's grand frame, which had filled his massive golden armor solidly, diminished.
Skin shriveled too.
Hearing returned first.
"Saaak!"
A startled serpent cry. Frivolous sound for such a beast, he thought.
As flesh regenerated, the throat thorn was pushed out.
It dangled briefly before he dropped to the ground.
Thud!
He landed balanced.
"Damn oracle."
Was a prophecy truly inevitable?
Gerard let out a hollow laugh.
His armor was dwarf-forged mistilgold plate, blessed besides. Yet the thorn had slipped precisely through helmet and breastplate gap.
A freak coincidence? Or fate?
'Armor feels loose.'
Shrunk muscles no longer filled it, rattling naturally.
But his vitality hadn't vanished.
Perhaps relief from death's shadow sharpened his mind.
"Jooah!"
He clapped sharply.
Holy knights witnessing their lord's revival cheered through tears.
"Let's have a proper go."
He declared to the serpent before him.
Pitch Throw Law lv5
Light Blessing lv10
Martine Combat Art lv20
Skills activated in unison. Herculean strength surged through him.
Armor clanking, he smashed fist into serpent body.
Kaboom!
Sawdust-like wood shards exploded. The massive chimera serpent's body even lifted slightly.
Amid it, wooden tendrils shot from its body to impale the marquis.
Clang!
But they failed this time. Not a scratch on his solid plate.
Wham!
Another fist pulverized serpent flesh. Pointed knuckle gauntlet shredded it to sawdust per strike.
Hundreds of thin branches swarmed the marquis.
Unable to pierce, chimera serpent opted to bind him.
Marquis ripped entangled branches, swinging fists in counter.
"W-we'll help, sir!"
Mounted holy knights joined. True knights, auras cloaking swords and spears.
Snap, crunch!
Weapons severed branches, embedding in trunks.
But matchup sucked. Humans had two arms; tougher tendrils numbered hundreds.
They tripped horses' legs. Knights unhorsed inevitably.
Not lethal alone, but one unluckily snared at ankle.
"Urk!"
Chimera lifted knight like hammer, swinging.
Marquis, thrusting spear to intercept, lowered in horror.
Bang!
Marquis and knight tumbled entangled.
Marquis shoved knight aside, rising fast.
Rumble!
Serpent crushed the spot, carving deep trench.
Marquis gritted teeth, ordering subordinates.
"Don't interfere—withdraw! Slay other beasts!"
Danger wasn't just the leader. Swarming minions like dog packs posed greater threat.
"Yes sir!"
Knight remounted, scattering to fight surrounding monsters.
Good for chimera serpent. Hundreds of branches ensnared marquis and vicinity.
Soon, he vanished entirely.
In thorn forest, marquis rampaged tiger-like.
Brawl began.
* * *
Close. Too close.
That old knight definitely died.
Yet revived.
Throat pierced, yet lives. Tough even for monsters.
Crazy grandpa.
'Resurrection skill?'
Maybe. Side effect shriveled him, though.
Still terrifyingly strong. Maybe stronger than Gunter.
Name's Marquis Martain? Heroic, from rumors.
Packed insane skills too.
'Damn it!'
Steal Crown lv4
Currently borrowing Giantification lv0
Still had father's borrowed Giantification lv0.
Can't use Steal Crown till fully mine.
Problem: no practice chance.
Low level? My Giantification imperfect—size grows, but strength/durability lags.
In enemy swarm, it'd turn me porcupine via arrows.
Maybe evolve to Porcupine Serpent.
Kaboom!
"Groooar!"
Chimera serpent screamed in agony.
Truth: borrowing skills irrelevant now.
'Die, Martain!'
Beginner Elemental Magic: Fire lv4
Fired fireball at face.
"Damn it again!"
I did what I could.
Martain headbutted it to bits. Face unburnt—impressive.
But fireball to obscure vision anyway.
Ray lv2
Death ray. Light to steal hero's life shot from my mouth.
Pew—
"Hot damn, shit!"
No! Pierced silverback Akimus's muscle, yet barely acne on cheek.
Not just relying on armor.
-Basic aura operation.
Pellelian commentary mid-battle.
-Hero's fine armor; aura only on exposed face.
Like shonen commentator.
After ruining with resurrection.
Furious old knight thrust spear.
Out of range normally.
Whoosh!
Spear-tip aura launched. Sword beam? Spear qi clearly.
Life-death crisis, but chimera serpent shielded.
Recalled tendrils protected me.
Crack!
Dozens of tendrils—siege-defying—shattered instantly.
Old knight grinned instead.
"That black snake's your weakness!"
Black snake: me with Black Scale.
Human cunning boundless.
Stopped targeting chimera body, speared me.
Crunch, crack—
More branches extended to block.
Knight ignored defense, all-out attack.
Chimera flailing to protect me.
"Hahaha!"
Pretend-attacking me to shave chimera.
Pretend-attacking chimera to target me.
I magicked/slashed resistance, but tide turning.
"Groooar!"
Chimera roared pained. Regeneration slowing.
Knight's scorching aura bad matchup maybe.
'Hey bastard! Fight without me on!'
But as always, dumbass ignored.
Idiot.
'What're you doing to baby!'
Yelled at marquis too.
Chimera too nearsighted maybe.
"Ancient beast that huge should've stayed in Great Forest forever. Came seeking death? Hahaha!"
Spear accelerated. How such power from shrunken frame?
"Die."
Spear-tip glowed red-hot.
Like Gunter's moon slice—special skill.
'...No.'
Spear-tip mercilessly pierced chimera body.
Ting!
Like striking tin drum.
Chimera body swelled, exploded.
Instantly, hundreds branches blasted outward like explosion.
Not chimera's will.
Myriad branches draped like curtain, Great Forest illusion.
Gaping chimera torso revealed crimson something inside.
Chimera heart, magic stone, or... seed?
"Meee..."
Chimera whimpered weakly.
Knight smirked, reaching for red thing.
Me? I wasn't idle.
Slice.
Severed binding tendrils finally.
Acceleration lv7
Predator Leap lv3
Can't pierce armor. Face attacks fail.
Then slip through armor gap.
Focused on killing chimera, missed my accelerated lunge.
I succeeded slipping into nape gap.
Stubborn bastard. Kept ripping chimera heart to last.
Crunch!
Odd sound.
Armor interior loose enough for me.
I writhed; knight screeched weirdly.
"Argh, eek!"
Ticklish type!
Armor reeked of sweat.
Endure briefly.
Tore linen undershirt with teeth wildly.
'Into navel, human!'
Chomp, but like chewing raw rubber. Skin tough.
My teeth ached. Human flesh this honed?
Abandon body entry.
Squish—
Inject deadly venom instead.
"Gaaaah!"
Ticklish giggles turned agony scream.
Bang, kaboom!
Pounded armor trying to grab me.
Obviously couldn't rip own armor.
Even removing helmet, reaching inside failed.
Plate like this needs squire help to don/doff.
Knight thrashed in pain.
Tried crushing me by twisting, but I slithered eel-like.
Poison Scale lv1
Gashed flesh, coated wounds venom.
Endure with grit, human.
This chimera's revenge? No, just wild law: kill or be killed.
I shed icy tears, dancing death's waltz.
* * *
Holy knights saw neither marquis nor leader serpent.
Due to chimera's hundreds branches.
From afar, like forest sprouted mid-battlefield.
But radiant light bursting within.
"Ooh!"
Holy knights knew: captain's ultimate.
Light Isle.
Martine's finisher rivaling Gunter's moon slice.
Fatal thrust surely claimed wood serpent.
Living tendrils stiffened, withered dramatically.
Interior revealed.
Giant serpent fallen, their captain stood proud survivor.
"Wooooh! Captain!"
"God of Light!"
Holy knights wept joy.
Monster wave wouldn't end sans boss, but monumental feat.
Rushed to marquis—then froze.
"C-captain?"
Reason: Gerard Martain danced.
Tap, tap!
Jaunty steps like northern folk dance.
Marquis loved partying drunk, but battlefield?
Victory that joyful?
"Y-you lot. Hic!"
Spotting knights, marquis pounded chest suddenly.
Gorilla-like.
Knight panicked.
"Sh-should we join dancing?"
"Nonsense...!"
Panic brief.
"Aaaah!"
Marquis screamed agony, collapsing.
Knight rushed beside.
"Kek, cough."
"C-captain! What's wrong!"
Face purple. Breathing labored long.
Neurotoxin symptoms.
"S-snake..."
"Snake? You slayed it!"
Chimera venom seemingly. No armor holes though.
"No, hic. Not that, strange... hic."
Marquis eyes rolled back.
"To priest—now!"
Knight hoisted lord.
* * *
-Got him!
Spell slightly off? Pellelian's resurrection failed.
Marquis body gushed demonic essence unbelievable for human.
True death.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.