Chapter 184: The Strongest Snake (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: The Strongest Snake (2)
Choi Seol-ah’s shoulders trembled slightly.
‘Are these… all of them?’
Stone statues of people were scattered everywhere. Their gestures and expressions were so lifelike, it seemed as though they had been alive just moments ago. It felt as if their sorrowful screams were still echoing in her ears.
The further they walked among the statues, the paler Choi Seol-ah’s face became. She looked around restlessly as she walked.
Ten, twenty, thirty, fifty... By the time she passed a hundred, Choi Seol-ah gave up counting. The number of victims was simply too high.
Choi Seol-ah urgently called out to Hon.
"Pointy-ears! You're saying all of these people were done in by your younger brother?"
Hon turned her head halfway back. Deep sorrow was etched into her partially revealed face. She was just as shocked by the tragedy her younger brother had personally wrought.
She nodded heavily.
"...Yes. That's right. Every single one of them fell victim to Basilisk's ability, the 'Evil Eye of Petrification.'"
The Demon Eye was something extremely rare to awaken, even among demons. Every single possessor of one gained the ability to use 'Trait Magic.' And Basilisk had opened those eyes early on—unlike his older sister, Hon.
"I already knew that because you told me before we came here, pointy-ears! But seriously, this is on the level of a massacre!"
Great power always came with a price. The magic power required to use a Demon Eye was downright murderous.
For average demons, using it just two or three times in a row would completely deplete their magic power, leading to death.
Demons even referred to the Demon Eye as 'the eye that devours its master.' Those who awakened it received special treatment, but they were never objects of envy or jealousy.
Thus, because of this fatal weakness, those who awakened it utilized the Demon Eye as a sort of ultimate trump card. Without such a risk, a Demon Eye would be no different from an invincible cheat key.
But what if, hypothetically, someone could handle that astronomical consumption of magic power? It meant they could spam their ultimate move as if it were a basic attack.
Hon took in the sight of each and every statue. Then, she spoke again, her voice heavy with complex emotions.
"I didn't know it would be this bad either..."
"Hey, pointy-ears! Is 'I didn't know' your only excuse?! You said he could only activate his Demon Eye about five times at most! Looking at the state of these statues, it looks like he petrified twenty people at a time!"
Choi Seol-ah yelled in frustration at Hon's faint tone. She was practically driven mad with anxiety. Coming this far was one thing, but if she tried to run away now, she would have to welcome a cold blade into her flesh.
Perhaps it was a strange sort of attachment born of bickering, but whenever that pointy-eared dragon made such a sorrowful face, she felt an odd sense of pity. That was why she had tagged along, pretending to give in. At least her life would be guaranteed as long as she was with her Lord.
Yet, with every step she took, her anxiety swelled. Sure, she would survive because she was with her Lord. But would she really be able to escape with all her limbs intact? What if one of her body parts got petrified?
There would obviously be no proper cure, and the only way would be to chop it off before the petrification spread to her entire body. Her Lord's sashimi knife would flash, bidding farewell to whichever limb was turning to stone.
Choi Seol-ah's upper and lower teeth clattered relentlessly like castanets. She wanted to live with both arms and both legs until the day she died.
'Should I run away now? Being stabbed in the stomach and hospitalized seems better than being disabled.'
Just then, her Lord placed a hand on her shoulder. Instantly, Choi Seol-ah's body jolted as if she had been electrocuted.
Kang Geomma stared at her without saying a word.
"..."
"Hehe."
Choi Seol-ah mimed zipping her lips shut and nodded vigorously. I overstepped. Please save me! She beamed a desperate, sparkling gaze at her Lord.
"Since you're an adult, listen to me while I'm still using words, okay?"
Nod, nod!
Kang Geomma only then withdrew his hand and his murderous intent. Hon watched the scene with curious eyes.
Hon was a highly observant dragon. Her quick mastery of the Korean language was proof of that. Consequently, she had a vague understanding of how human society functioned.
'Humans are very devoted to their age culture.'
Demons only followed the law of power; they did not respect someone just because they were older. The reason for this was their long lifespans. When everyone lived for nearly a thousand years, what did a few extra years matter?
In contrast, humans treated their elders with utmost respect. When she first drifted into the Human Realm, Hon had found that aspect impressive. At the same time, it had felt incredibly charming.
'Since humans have short lifespans, they must revere those who have lived longer.'
That being said...
The relationship between those two had a bizarre dynamic. Even though Kang Geomma was clearly ten years younger, he spoke down to Boradori. Not only that, but if she talked back even slightly, he would immediately release his murderous intent. Then, Boradori would shut her mouth instantly.
Only the strong had a voice, while the weak simply nodded. It was highly reminiscent of the demonic ecosystem. Even the titles they used were strange. Boradori called Kang Geomma "Lord, Lord."
Yet, after some time passed, Boradori would start teasing him again, as if proving the saying that humans are creatures of forgetfulness. And then she would fall silent in submission once more. She repeatedly walked that tightrope.
'At this point, isn't she just enjoying it?'
A faint smile played on Hon's lips. Thanks to the chemistry between the two, the atmosphere, which had been as cold and rigid as the stone statues, softened considerably. Moreover, she felt a secret sense of satisfaction.
She kept nagging me just because I ate some meat!
* * *
I suddenly asked Hon.
"You said the Evil Eye of Petrification is an ability that turns anyone who makes eye contact into stone, right? Then wouldn't it be fine if I just fought with my eyes closed?"
"That's practically impossible. The targets of petrification aren't limited to living things. He can solidify the ground, lava, and even the wind. If you fight with your eyes closed, my younger brother will likely manipulate the terrain—obstructing your movement, things like that."
"...Ah."
I let out a short sigh. The Evil Eye of Petrification was an incredibly broken ability.
The attribute of the [Blessing of the Sword God] was also an eye-related ability, much like a Demon Eye. Its true power was unleashed only when I swung my sword along the red lines drawn on the target.
So I had planned to fight based on my sparring experience with All Mute. But now she was saying he could manipulate the terrain. A chaotic battle naturally played out in my mind.
'But how did Hon plan to deal with a brother like that?'
While I was thinking, Hon formulated a battle plan as she walked.
"Still, he won't be able to use his ability continuously. No matter how much magic power he has, it will definitely place a heavy burden on him. When that happens, I will transform into a dragon and unleash magic. You two can provide cover fire from behind."
"Transform into a dragon? That means releasing your restrictions."
"Yes, that's right. I will probably exhaust most of my magic power, but there's no other way. He's so strong that no one but another dragon can stand against him. The only saving grace is that Basilisk relies heavily on his Demon Eye, so he can't use other magic. Let me emphasize this once more: you two will be in the back..."
"Pfft, hahaha!"
Out of nowhere, Choi Seol-ah burst into laughter. A single strand of hair on the crown of Hon's head stood straight up like an exclamation mark. Soon, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"...What is so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. It's just that you're the first person to ever ask my Lord to play a support role. That was just too hilarious."
Choi Seol-ah said, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye. Hon could only blink her widened eyes.
"Pointy-ears, have you ever seen someone give a magical beast a heart attack with a sashimi knife?"
"...?"
"Whether it's the Evil Eye of Petrification or whatever, our Lord can slice through all of it with his sashimi knife! Right?!"
Choi Seol-ah whipped around to look at me. I ignored her gaze, which practically begged for praise. At that, she slumped in disappointment and muttered some complaint.
Praise... praise... praise...
"..."
Ignoring even that, I spoke to Hon again.
I had many questions about the Demon Eyes. After all, there would surely be plenty of those who had awakened them among the demons I would face in the future.
Acquiring knowledge about them now would undoubtedly prove useful later.
"Hon, from what you're saying, it sounds like the Evil Eye of Petrification is the strongest among the Demon Eyes. Is that right?"
"At the moment, my younger brother's Demon Eye is indeed the strongest, but the strongest Demon Eye in history is something else entirely."
The Evil Eye of Petrification alone could go beyond turning targets into stone to even distorting the terrain. Yet there was a Demon Eye stronger than that? Honestly, I couldn't even imagine it.
"The Evil Eye of the Loop. It is said to be a legendary Demon Eye that can distort the future and the past, eternity and infinity, structure and interpretation—but 'only once.'"
Because there is birth, there is death, and what exists must be destroyed for something new to fill the void. In this way, everything in the world takes on a structure of infinite circulation.
And the power to change only the outcome without touching that loop of circulation—that is the Evil Eye of the Loop. It was an ability that was difficult to grasp at first glance.
Perhaps because it wasn't as intuitive as the Evil Eye of Petrification, which simply turned everything to stone. Just hearing the explanation made me wonder why it was considered the strongest in history.
But upon deeper reflection, it was a truly shocking ability.
To put it simply, it meant it was possible to redefine the proposition of 1+1=2 into 1+1=3. The more I thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
A Demon Eye that defied providence. Even Hon, as she explained it, added that it was closer to a Divine Eye than a mere Demon Eye.
Who could its possessor have been? When I asked Hon, the answer came immediately.
"The one who awakened it was the First Dragon Lord, Lord Ouroboros. However, after transferring that power to a human 700 years ago, he passed away."
"Aren't Demon Eyes only usable by demons? Since their source is magic power."
"As I just mentioned, the 'Evil Eye of the Loop' is slightly different in nature. Since its power is comparable to a Divine Eye, the price is not magic power, but one's own life. Therefore, even a human with absolutely no magic power would have no problem using it. Of course, since even our Dragon Lord passed away merely from transferring it, the recipient would have to be a human who surpassed him."
"A human superior to a Dragon Lord? There was such a human?"
"...Yes. There was exactly one in history. The only human whom even Lord Ouroboros held in awe."
At my barrage of questions, Hon's expression turned slightly solemn.
"It is a name that everyone knows. Whether they are demons or humans."
A name everyone knew. Instantly, a chill ran down my spine.
Hon's mouth opened once more.
"Balor Joaquin."
"...!"
"There is still much debate over why Lord Ouroboros transferred it to the Hero of the Origin. It makes sense, considering he gave a treasure that would never be seen again in history to a human. However, it is said that the great Dragon Lord did not have a single regret. In fact, he is said to have left these words upon his passing."
In Miracle Blessing M, countless unresolved mysteries existed. Whether by the game developers' design, these were mysteries that were never fully revealed and only circulated among players as rumors.
If I had to pick the most prominent ones, they would be: the true identity of the Demon King, and the ability of Balor Joaquin. Just those two.
The former would naturally be revealed as one approached the ending. But the latter? There was a high probability it would remain unrevealed forever.
But it seemed that I...
Had become the one and only player to learn the game's greatest MacGuffin.
'The Hero of the Origin's ability was a Demon Eye?'
Amidst my confusion, Hon conveyed the final words of the First Dragon Lord to me in a reverent voice.
"They say Balor Joaquin wanted to prevent the inevitable destruction. He embarked on a journey to a far-off place to find the answer, and to do so, he absolutely needed the Evil Eye of the Loop..."
Before Hon could even finish her sentence, a toxic energy surged from ahead.
Sssssss.
The sound of something slithering smoothly across the floor. Everyone's gaze snapped forward.