Chapter 185: The Strongest Snake (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: The Strongest Snake (3)
Choi Seol-ah's ears perked up. A faint, slithering rustle was slowly drawing near, accompanied by intermittent, raspy hissing. With just those two auditory clues, she knew exactly what it was.
It was the sound of a snake slithering across the ground.
How wonderful would it be if it were just a tiny rattlesnake? But that was nothing more than a fleeting hope.
Horror washed over Choi Seol-ah's face. Every time 'it' writhed, a minor tremor shook the earth. The ground wouldn't shake like this unless the creature was of an astronomical size.
Just then, her nose tingled sharply. Choi Seol-ah quickly pinched her nostrils shut with her index finger. Then, she slowly lowered her gaze. The green mist swirling around her knees was melting the leather of her Lui Vuitton shoes.
A luxury designer item was turning into a dishcloth. Choi Seol-ah's face went blank with shock before instantly flushing a furious crimson. The terror that had gripped her mind just moments ago was instantly swept away by pure rage.
"Y-You... you damn snake!"
Beside herself with rage, Choi Seol-ah whipped out her revolver. Just before her index finger could pull the trigger, Kang Geomma clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Quiet."
"B-But, My Lord! I braved the freezing dawn wind and waited in line forever just to buy these! They're limited edition, and they cost nearly thirty million won! They've been turned into complete rags, so how can I not be angry?!"
Muffled but still furious, Choi Seol-ah shook her foot to show him. Her shoes were riddled with holes as if gnawed by rats, and her toes wiggled through the gaps.
Kang Geomma frowned. Clicking his tongue, he dismissed her concerns.
"If your life is only worth thirty million won, feel free to charge right in."
"……."
"And you complain about Hon costing a million won a week, yet you blow thirty million on shoes? This won't do. Once we get out of here, I'm going to have to re-educate you."
"M-My Lord! Mercy...!"
At that moment, the monster slithering along the floor finally revealed itself. It was a colossal brown python. It was so massive that its head brushed the ceiling, and its coiled body resembled a small hill.
They were the picture of mice cornered by a snake.
The python flicked its tongue. When it snorted, a thick stream of green mist billowed out.
Its vertically slit eyes rolled around, scanning the three of them. Choi Seol-ah quietly holstered her revolver. Firing lead bullets at those thick scales wouldn't even leave a scratch.
However, the python did not attack immediately. It merely tilted its head in curiosity, observing the humans.
It was the first time it had encountered humans who didn't immediately flee upon seeing it. But if it decided to strike, the distance would be closed in an instant.
Choi Seol-ah's teeth chattered.
W-We have to run away right now.
She rolled her eyes to the side. Unlike her, who was pale with fright, her Lord looked completely indifferent. As he always, constantly, forever did.
It was such a dull reaction that it made her feel embarrassed for trembling. When on earth would this man ever lose his composure?
Still, I'd love to see my Lord's panicked face just once...
A perverted, sadistic urge dyed a corner of her heart pink.
No, no, get a grip!
Choi Seol-ah immediately shook her head to clear her stray thoughts.
She was already scolded often for not fixing her old villainous habits. If she got caught thinking this, she would definitely be smelling funeral incense—which was far scarier than any poison.
Choi Seol-ah quickly fixed her gaze back on her Lord. He was sizing up the enemy with narrowed eyes, his pupils half-hidden beneath his brow, dripping with sheer boredom.
Soon, her Lord spoke to the pointy-ears.
"That's not the Basilisk, right? It's just big, but it doesn't look like much. B+ rank at best?"
Her Lord spoke of the giant python as if grading meat. Startled, the pointy-ears nodded reluctantly.
"Yes. It's my first time seeing it, but it's probably one of the Basilisk's subordinates. Considering its size and the fact that it only spews poison, it's likely just a gatekeeper to block intruders. However, it's by no means an easy opponent. The poison will get thicker the closer we get, and by then, it won't just melt our clothes—it'll melt our bones."
"So we just need to kill that python without getting close, right?"
Kang Geomma replied, scratching his chin. Hon looked dumbfounded by his nonchalant tone.
"In theory, yes, but a way to defeat such a massive magical beast from a distance is...!"
"We can't get blocked by a mid-boss. And if it won't come to us, we just have to make it come."
Before he even finished speaking, Kang Geomma took a step forward. He trudged a few steps toward the python, activated the [Blessing of Communication], and opened his mouth.
―Move.
……?
The slit green irises narrowed even further. The snake's eyes blinked like traffic lights. Kang Geomma spoke again.
―If you don't want to move, then die.
The python reacted to the irritating provocation. Its green eyes turned blood red. It had gone berserk.
"Ssssssssssssssssssh!"
Its Fear filled the cavern. The moment its wide-open maw lunged toward its bite-sized prey, Kang Geomma flicked Murasame. At that sight, Choi Seol-ah cried out in an excited voice.
"C-Could it be? Am I going to see my Lord's that?!"
Her Lord's secret technique that had instantly killed the berserk ogre.
"Death Sashimi!"
At the boundary between mindscape and reality, the blade flashed white.
Slice.
The vertically narrowed irises dilated completely, and at the same time, the python's body slammed into the ground.
Crash!
The python twitched as if shocked by static electricity, its scales scraping along the floor. Debris flew in all directions as the stone statues caught in the aftermath shattered. Hon's clothes fluttered.
"Ugh. Where did this sudden wind come from...?"
Hon raised her arm to block the flying stone fragments. The wind, thick with stone dust, stung her eyes. Nevertheless, she forced her eyes open, straining her vision.
"Hieek!"
Hon fell backward in horror. Her dazed gaze met eyes that had lost all life—pupils that had turned a translucent gray-white. Hon stared blankly at her own reflection in them. Only the Y-shaped split tongue hung out of the python's mouth. It had died instantly without spilling a single drop of blood.
Her head throbbed. Why? How? Question marks popped up and disappeared at random. It was impossible to make sense of the situation with just perception and senses. Then, she suddenly remembered what Boradori had said.
'Pointy-ears, have you ever seen someone give a magical beast a heart attack with a sashimi knife?'
Creak. Hon turned her stiff neck forward as if petrified. The blade that had flashed light slid smoothly back into its scabbard. Kang Geomma let out a small breath. Even though they were in a volcanic zone, a white puff of breath rose.
Kang Geomma turned around. In Hon's eyes, that human looked far larger than the fallen python. An awe-inspiring presence. The murderous intent pricking her skin also played a part.
As the poison mist dispersed, he spoke.
"Let's rest here for a bit before we go."
"……."
"Since we need to eat, too."
Hon nodded silently. They had been walking continuously for nearly three hours. It was time for a break.
...And it was an offer she couldn't refuse anyway. Thus, the three of them built a fire right next to the python.
* * *
Crackle, crackle.
The sparks rose nicely. Kang Geomma seasoned three chunks of Korean beef he had prepared with salt and pepper. It was beef bought with Choi Seol-ah's card.
He skewered the seasoned meat on branches and placed them over the fire. Soon, the fat sizzled, releasing a savory aroma.
Since he had anticipated a forced march, they had to eat one meal inside the dungeon. It was a schedule to face an S-rank magical beast, but that didn't mean they could skip meals. They would fight better on a full stomach.
He had dealt with all kinds of monsters in the past. He had realized that ordinary strong opponents didn't even stimulate him, and there was no need to get anxious beforehand. It was actually more helpful to think of nothing at all.
But it wasn't enough for him alone to be calm. His party members also had to keep a firm grip on their minds and assist.
The Basilisk was an S-rank magical beast. It possessed the Evil Eye of Petrification, which was incredibly tricky just to hear about. Choi Seol-ah aside, Hon, who was a dragon, had to join them to guarantee the subjugation.
That's why he spent some money to buy 1++ Korean beef, intending to boost their morale and energy.
Stare.
The two of them stared intently at the Korean beef from both sides. It seemed his worries were unfounded. Hon's eyes, in particular, were dead serious as she looked at the meat. Her nostrils flared, determined not to miss even a whiff of the aroma.
The tight tension was melting away like beef fat. Around the time the smoke filled the cavern instead of the poison mist, Choi Seol-ah asked, reading the room.
"Um... My Lord. This is a bit of a late concern, but what if the magical beasts catch the scent since we're making such a strong smell? You have a plan, right?"
Kang Geomma replied, turning the meat.
"Yeah. So either look at the meat or be anxious, just pick one. You're making Hon next to you anxious too."
"Ah, yes. Sorry, hehe. By the way, how much is this Korean beef? The marbling looks like flowers, so it doesn't seem cheap."
"100,000 won per chunk."
"Oh! You really spent some money! Wow, as expected of my Lord, your generosity is huge! You're the best, the best!"
Choi Seol-ah made a fuss, raising both thumbs. Kang Geomma glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
She doesn't know it was bought with her money yet, does she?
Because he had Hon pickpocket her wallet to buy it. Kang Geomma's clan was, after all, the Seori Kang Clan.
Choi Seol-ah, who still didn't know the truth, scratched her temple awkwardly and looked back at the campfire.
After a while, Kang Geomma distributed the mouthwatering Korean beef chunk by chunk.
"Eat."
Forks and knives were a luxury. They had to hold it with their hands and eat. That added to the atmosphere and stimulated their appetite.
"Thank you for the food, My Lord!"
"I will eat well."
Hon and Choi Seol-ah bit into the meat. A tingling sensation shot through their jawbones. They stayed still like that for a few seconds.
Tears of emotion rolled down their cheeks and fell onto the surface of the meat. This was a taste that recreated emotion, not just meat.
No seasoning other than salt and pepper was used. But what was this shocking taste?
A perfect saltiness that pulled their appetite to the limit. The degree of cooking was also perfect, as if it could be chewed with just gums, not teeth.
Hon and Choi Seol-ah looked at each other as if they had promised. They nodded with the meat in their mouths.
'This is crazy. Right, pointy-ears?'
'In my dragon life, maybe I lived for this moment, Boradori.'
A lot of conversation passed through their eyes. Soon, they tore into the meat as if competing. Choi Seol-ah mumbled with her plump cheeks.
"My Lord, this is crazy. Seriously! No, how does it taste like this with only salt and pepper? Don't you want to open a meat restaurant? I think you'd rake in money with a rake! Wow, seriously amazing. Why doesn't it taste like this at home?"
"When you're hungry, even dirt tastes good. And is a campfire the same as a gas fire?"
Even though he said so, Kang Geomma smiled faintly. The surroundings were dark. In the middle of it, the warmth of people and fire warmed the air.
However, even gnats are bound to gather around a single ray of light in the darkness.
Sss. Sss. Sss.
Shadows cut through the darkness, drawing curved trajectories. The jaws that had been moving frantically stopped. The laughter ceased.
Choi Seol-ah turned her head slightly. Goosebumps rose all over her body. At a glance, hundreds of snakes had surrounded them from all directions.
They weren't as big as the python, but they were about twice the size of a human. Choi Seol-ah's lips, glistening with grease, trembled.
"M-M-My Lord!"
"Don't make a fuss."
Kang Geomma didn't react much. He glanced around with indifferent eyes and quietly walked toward the python's corpse. His eyes, without a single trace of anxiety, were calm.
"Those snakes sure know the smell of Korean beef. All the ones in the dungeon have gathered."
Kang Geomma was chewing the meat. He had hoped for this situation.
Soon, his right hand touched the python's scales. Kang Geomma spoke heavily, a dark light flowing from his eyes.
"Arise."
A gleam flashed in the python's dull eyes. It slowly raised its mountain-like body. Kang Geomma said, tearing off a piece of meat.
"They're interrupting my meal. Kill them all."
As soon as its master gave the order, the python snorted heavily. The wind laden with poison instantly erased hundreds of snakes.