The Tutorial Boss Faces the Monster Wave
"If I can just grind it out a bit longer, I might slip away."
I readjusted my grip on the magic sword. Full HP. Theoretically, I was still standing at the pinnacle of power. Just don't get hit. I'd taken a hit already, but it was still manageable. "Ptui." Spitting blood, I burned the mana I'd absorbed while cleaving through the bastards with my blade.
The monsters didn't flinch even at the fierce blaze of mana flames licking the air. These weren't the type to cower from something like that—their sheer mass alone put them all in boss-class territory. I clicked my tongue, but a smirk tugged at my lips anyway.
Ssslrk. Vines sprouted from the ground right then. I rolled sideways and sprang to my feet in a leap. The rock the ogre had hurled crashed down. The earth erupted, the cliffside crumbled. Dodging the rain of dirt and stones like it was nothing, I charged straight at them.
The ogre scooped up a Stone Turtle and flung it my way. The massive beast bounced off the ground and tumbled toward the cliff. I dove underneath it, wedged myself between the ogre's legs, and thrust my blade upward through its crotch as it unfolded its tucked legs. The ogre split clean in half.
That's when the snake tail stabbed in. Before my feet even hit the dirt, I parried it with the magic sword. "Kuh...!" My gut churned with a gurgle as blood pooled in my stomach. It refluxed up my throat, and I heaved it out. "Ptui. Fuck."
Basilisk. Among all the mobs gathered so far, this was the one closest to S-rank. Even among A-ranks, there were tiers. Its scales—lighter and tougher than mithril—were infused with thick anti-magic properties, making them damn near impossible to slice even with Lion's Fang.
If the ogre was a mob with tricky, tool-based patterns, the basilisk was a true boss: slathered in every resistance imaginable, with raw bulk to match. A raid boss teaser if there ever was one.
I pulled a doll from my bosom. A ball-jointed doll dressed in ghostly lolita garb. Bait sealed with some evil spirit. "Eat this."
I hurled it into the heart of the monster horde. Their eyes followed its parabolic arc through the air. The window of distraction? Maybe a few dozen seconds at best. Seizing the gap while they fixated on the doll, I flung myself sideways and bolted. Yeah, you won't bite on that one.
The basilisk alone kept its gaze locked on me. No matter. Easier to handle without the trash mobs in the way. As I broke into a sprint, it pursued, whipping its long, massive body side to side, picking up speed to close in.
I wrapped mana around my legs and ran at full tilt. The basilisk overtook me, blocking the path ahead. A chill killing intent prickled my nape from behind—its tail speared into the spot I'd just vacated. The tip sharpened to a spearpoint, slicing through empty air. Snake tail thrust.
Footwork alone couldn't dodge it clean, so I deflected with the magic sword. The tail snagged along the blade's side, scales sparking flames with every graze. I ran along its flank. Then the tail bucked up and down, arcing over my head before slamming down. It gouged deep into the earth, then whipped horizontally.
Its enormous body snapped trees like matchsticks, splintering the forest mercilessly. "...."
I evaded the tail's one-sided lashing entirely, absorbing the rippling mana from my sword into my body to replenish what I'd burned. Basilisk. Even among A-rank monsters, it reigned in the top tier with overwhelming mass and resistances. To someone clueless, staring down that colossal frame and predatory aura would make it seem utterly hopeless.
Shieeek! The massive tail lashed like a whip. I charged hard, dodging while slashing at it with the magic sword. Clang! A groove carved into the scales, prying a gap open. Mana-stealing magic sword. This legendary blade ignored resistances, leaving wounds on the scales. That's the terror of gear advantages.
The basilisk gaped its maw to swallow me whole, foul stench barreling in. I veered aside to evade the bite, twisted my body, and raised the sword tip into a thrusting stance. Mana at max output. Lion's Fang. It pierced the scales faintly boosted damage, carving a deep gash into its neck.
"Kshaaaaaaa!!"
The basilisk shrieked, rearing its neck back long and far. Violet liquid bubbled and boiled in its mouth. Spraaay! It whipped its head, spraying the fluid everywhere. Purple slime fanned out in a cone. Petrification poison. The deadliest toxin that turns flesh to stone on contact. The basilisk's nastiest trick.
But I'm not the type to get caught off-guard by that. I yanked the cloak draped over my shoulders to cover exposed skin. The poison rained down like a shower. J jelly-like globs bounced off the fabric. I could feel the basilisk glaring, drooling more toxin as it stared me down. The scrape of its serpentine body against the ground.
Now. I channeled mana into the sword. Lion's Fang. Dodging its maw, the blade plunged back into the wound. Past the ironclad scales, soft flesh yielded, the edge sinking deep. Half its nape severed. "Kshaaaaaaa!!"
The basilisk wailed in agony, thrashing its bulk. I yanked the sword free, and blood gushed out like a flood. That's when it happened. It shook violently. Shuddering its entire body like mad. Blood sprayed everywhere in an unavoidable radius. A few monsters that had veered off the wave's path spotted me and charged.
Touching the basilisk's blood, their bodies grayed out, hardening to stone statues. A pattern you had to die to learn. Wounded, the basilisk spreads petrification poison wide as an AoE. Its blood was concentrated toxin far worse than its spit. Counter? Simple. Don't let it touch your skin.
I flipped the cloak over my head and charged the basilisk mid-pattern. Vision blacked out completely. No problem. Every thrash pattern, every basic move was burned into my brain. Eck had spectated a basilisk subjugation before—cross-verified to perfection.
Right after spraying blood, anemia leaves it groggy briefly. Elena needed two groggies to take it down, but me? A few hits and we're there. Gotcha.
I reignited the sword. Leaped into the half-severed nape, gripped it two-handed. The blade caught on split scales, slicing between them, severing, crushing with my full body weight. Planting my foot on the opposite ground, I peered through the gap. Succulent serpent flesh. Mana surged into the sword. Distant Sever.
A thin, long blue slash streaked through its innards. The serpent head hit the dirt; the body convulsed wildly. "Tch. Annoying to the end."
I backed off fast. The headless body flailed, splattering blood across the forest. The fountain from the stump lost steam, then slumped still.
"Hoo..." Got it. As I exhaled—
My head spun. What the— Lungs stung deep inside. Body growing sluggish. Fingers numb. Like full-body anesthesia in a hospital... "No way..."
Basilisk fluids aerosolized on spray, spreading mild paralysis toxin. Weaker than petrification, but on par with standard paralytics. In its death throes, microscopic droplets lingered. Never saw this pattern in-game. But there was an item for it.
Paralysis incense made from basilisk venom. "How the fuck was I supposed to predict that!" Fingers stiffened one by one, palm locking solid. Grip on the sword weakened. First, get to cover. But not too far. The basilisk's petrification ironically shields me now.
Tucked behind a tree untouched by the poison, amid stone monsters, I sat. Just endure the duration. The sword slipped from numb fingers to the ground. Limbs rigid, unresponsive. Sensation faded body-wide, mind drifting from flesh. Blurry vision caught hostile gazes converging one by one. Orcs, trolls... what else? Monsters spotting me glared with hatred.
A few approached barefooted, stepped in poison, turned to stone—hesitating at a distance like untouchable cake. But how long till they figure it? Even a thrown rock, and I'm done. My end left to luck. This it?
In my hazy mind, someone mocked and jeered.
- Strutting around like you know everything about this world, and you fuck it up like this?
'Still hanging around, huh.' Remnants of Eck innately bound to this body. The savage temper that wielded me early in my reincarnation. Time revealed an uncrossable gulf between us. Each realization made his presence sharper, more tangible. Used to be vague whispers; now it's full-on split personality. 'Driving me insane.'
A sharp sneer pierced my fading awareness. - Dumbass piece of shit. Should've bolted instead of tanking the tail. Paralyzed, unfocused, couldn't shake his chatter. He rummaged my skull unilaterally. The original owner's dregs, coiled deep, surfacing just to mock me.
- Just let that one village get wiped! He shrieked irritably. - Moment the basilisk showed, turn tail and run! Who cares if it's some subquest boss—flee! Original game had no basilisk here. First sight shocked me; bad timing let the ogre's log toss land.
- It's got jack shit to do with us! Why save a background village from a game? Eck's remnants spewed selfishness, shredding my eardrums. Basilisk becomes subquest boss. Probably peels off this wave, claims mithril mine turf. Village pulverized in process.
- Watched that girl Elena get jerked around and screwed over endlessly in the game. Why follow the dumb bitch? You a sucker? Retard? Fucking moron!
Eck was right—the basilisk could raze the village for all it mattered to me. No ties. I knew that. I know.
- Then why. 'But what choice did I have.' I let out a dry chuckle. 'I had the power to stop it. Without variables, I'd have escaped the wave and hit the city by now.'
Not dead yet. Once paralysis wears off, these mobs are a joke. 'Don't think in your weak-ass terms.'
- Oh yeah? So what're you doing now, Mr. Pro Gamer? Betting your life on luck. Worst variable. - Hand it over. Eck's will swelled. - Can't watch anymore. Been dying inside since Rebecca slipped me that sedative watching your idiot moves! Know how pissed I was? Let Jeina—who drugged me—walk free, didn't even punish Rebecca! How d'you think the adventurers saw me! All tied to my lifeline, he yelled.
- You wanna see it through too, right? That Elena you obsess over—I'll keep her by your side forever. Her gorgeous body, fuck it senseless till she's hooked. Eck's whisper burrowed into my ear. - Hand over control nice and quiet. Crude lust laced his snarling voice.
Thinks I didn't do it 'cause I didn't know his way? 'That savage temper's exactly what splits us. How'm I supposed to buy into a horny trash idea like yours.' Get moderately horny and maybe we'd blend. This fucker's no better than ex-guildmaster or Darko—arrogant lone-wolf prick.
- You frustrating fuck. Bitter taste filled my mouth. - Pussies like you die first. Why drag me in? Fuck. 'Without me, you'd be dead in a week. No thought for your karma?'
Fact was, I'd gambled on saving a village, accepting failure risk. Protecting faceless villagers. In a game, pointless side branch—wouldn't bother. Still...
"...."
Fingers wouldn't budge. Couldn't even turn my head. Shadows flickered at vision's edge. Thok. A pebble flew in. Ah, gonna die.
- Your sucker play called death. Who'd save you for saving them? Fuck. Asshole. Fucking retard. 'Harsh words.'
- 'Cause you, her virginity's still intact! Eck intoned pitifully.
"Haa..." Hot breath leaked through stiff lips. 'Don't wanna die.' The calm murmur dispersed into air. At least wanted to see Elena save the world. Pebble smacked my forehead. No pain. Small mercy? Then monsters edged closer. Found poison-free path.
Really the end? Can't dodge, can't block. Death inches away. Mere meters. "———Mister!!!" A hallucination rang in my ear.