Chapter 188: The Strongest Snake (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 188: The Strongest Snake (6)
...The storm of sword strikes raged on without pause. With its tail pinned down, the Basilisk endured the fierce onslaught. Kang Geomma swung his blade, constantly shifting his position.
Merely sealing the Basilisk's movements was not enough. The purpose of this relentless offensive was to deliver a fatal blow.
A red dot flashed amidst the thick stone dust. Kang Geomma instinctively retreated, an alarm of danger blaring in his head.
At that exact moment, an anomaly occurred. A sinister radiance spread in all directions, and a frost-like chill instantly swallowed the surroundings.
Hummmm.
The sword energy flying toward the beast petrified in midair and rained down in pieces. The sound of shattering stone echoed from all directions. He had barely escaped the range of effect, but it was by a hair's breadth.
'Wait, it can turn aura into stone?'
He had been warned by Hon that the targets of petrification were not limited to physical objects. But aura was 'energy'. To turn that into stone—it was the moment he truly experienced the viciousness of the Evil Eye. Kang Geomma clicked his tongue.
'So, whittling it down with ranged attacks from afar is out of the question, huh.'
To truly annihilate it, he had to swing his blade directly. But he couldn't just charge in blindly.
Hadn't he just witnessed the power of the Evil Eye? If he made eye contact with the beast for even a split second, he would be reduced to stone fragments. Moreover, the beast wielded dual swords. The combination of the Evil Eye of Petrification and blades was diabolically threatening.
"How does a damn snake even wield swords in the first place? What, did you evolve from a snake into a lizard while I wasn't looking?"
Kang Geomma wiped the sweat pooling on his chin with his sleeve. Then, narrowing his eyes, he watched the Basilisk. His eyes flickered like burning embers.
'The compatibility is bad enough, but this crazy lava keeps restricting my movements.'
But what could he do? Kang Geomma quickly wiped his sweat and immediately threw himself forward. If he lost the momentum now, things would truly spiral out of control.
"My Lord..."
Watching Kang Geomma, Choi Seol-ah's face filled with worry. Her lord was clearly exhausted. Part of it was likely tension, but above all, it was because of the intense heat of the volcanic zone. Even she, standing far away, felt dizzy as if her head were boiling.
How much worse must it be for her lord, who was moving around in this sweltering environment?
Battles were not decided by skill alone. Complex factors like environment, luck, and compatibility were just as important. Yet, among these, the environment and compatibility were far too harsh.
Grit.
She ground her teeth fiercely. Her finger, which had been repeatedly pulling the trigger, stopped. There was already enough cover anyway. Firing more magic bullets at the ceiling wouldn't be very effective anymore. She quickly checked her remaining ammunition.
'The number of remaining bullets is...'
Three. Before she knew it, she had used almost all of her hundred bullets. Choi Seol-ah rolled the lead bullets in her palm like walnuts. She was experiencing an internal conflict.
'What if I get closer and shoot with magic bullets?'
She could distract the Basilisk. Additionally, shooting from close range would greatly increase the destructive power. But the risk was far greater. Intervening in a fight between transcendents would only make her a nuisance.
'If I get within its range, it's instant death.'
That place was a scene intimately close to death. She had survived this far by clinging on with everything she had. Even villains would bow to her obsession with survival.
Yet, this choice was no different from crawling into her own grave. Loyalty to her lord? Their relationship had started with her getting stabbed. On top of that, even her 'Mark of the Thrall' had been stolen. It wouldn't be strange for her to harbor murderous intent toward Kang Geomma.
'...But.'
Choi Seol-ah tightly clenched her hand that had been playing with the lead bullets. With eyes filled with determination, she looked at Hon. Hon was exerting all her strength to maintain the force field. Choi Seol-ah smiled faintly and called out to her.
"Hey, Hon."
Hon didn't react at first. Choi Seol-ah spoke once more.
"Hon, your ears are so long, but are you deaf? Why are you ignoring me, you dragon!"
"...Yes?"
Only then did Hon look back at Choi Seol-ah. Her eyes were wide with shock. Hon parted her lips.
"H-has your brain gone bad from being soaked in magic power? There's no way that arrogant Boradori would call my name..."
"Hey! Is that really what you thought of me all this time?!"
Choi Seol-ah snapped, but soon let out a sigh. She raised her head and looked straight at Hon. A purple glow leaked from her eyes.
At the suddenly changed atmosphere, Hon swallowed hard. Choi Seol-ah spoke in a low voice.
"From what I see, poking around with guns and magic from here is useless. At best, we're just making cover..."
Choi Seol-ah gestured with her chin toward the front. The Basilisk was wielding its dual swords, slicing the surrounding stalactites into pieces.
"Looking at it, your younger brother is using swords, contrary to our expectations. But how does a snake even use swords...? Anyway, then we should do something unexpected too."
"......."
Hon also shifted her gaze to where Kang Geomma was. Kang Geomma was pushing the Basilisk back.
'But.'
The balance of the battle was slowly becoming equal. Above all, Hon was also puzzled by how the Basilisk was wielding swords. Although its figure was obscured by the stone dust, it felt as if it were standing on two feet...
It was impossible for an Imoogi that had failed to become a dragon to mimic a human form. But as time passed, an ominous premonition crept over her. The goosebumps that had only been on her spine spread to her entire body.
'There's no way.'
Could the Basilisk have actually become a dragon by eating human flesh? The entire clan had deemed it impossible, but there was no such thing as an absolute, unchanging truth.
On extremely rare occasions, utterly unbelievable things did happen. Like humanity's victory seven hundred years ago.
So, even if just to be absolutely sure, she had to see it with her own eyes. After a brief moment of deliberation, Hon nodded to Choi Seol-ah.
"I agree with that opinion. However, if we enter the range of the Evil Eye, our lives are as good as gone. Are you okay with that?"
"Uh..."
Choi Seol-ah trailed off. Hearing it out loud, she couldn't help but hesitate. But she soon shook her head.
"Yeah. Even if I run away from here, I'll just be killed by my Lord anyway. I'd rather turn to stone than get stabbed."
Choi Seol-ah rubbed the bridge of her nose. A handful of cold sweat broke out on her index finger.
"You said the opposite earlier... Never mind."
Watching her pretend to be calm, Hon shook her head. It was then that the hair all over her body stood on end.
'It has been a long time, sister.'
"......!"
A voice echoed in her head. Hon reflexively cast her gaze forward. A pair of ruby-like glittering lights shone from the hazy dust cloud. It was the Evil Eye of Petrification.
Even though she was out of range, Hon felt her body shrink. Despite being pushed into a corner, her younger brother's eyes were filled with murderous intent. It was like the gaze of a beast waiting for the perfect moment to ambush.
'Do not interfere with me, sister.'
"Ugh."
Hon staggered from a sudden headache and clutched her temples. Even though it was just a voice filled with malice, her mind felt hazy.
The Basilisk continued.
'I have no desire to harm my own flesh and blood with my hands. If you just leave behind the two humans you came with, I will spare your life. If I consume the flesh and bones of these two, I can achieve my long-cherished desire.'
It was an incredibly arrogant tone. Hon fiercely shouted back in her mind.
—Do you think that makes any sense, Basil? Every Imoogi is given the chance to become a dragon. The one who rejected that was none other than you.
'Ha, ridiculous. Hontail, you seem to think I am doing this simply to become a dragon. That insignificant species has been out of my mind since I grew up. What I want is a realm above that.'
—What...?
'I will be reborn as Alduin.'
At those words, Hon felt her blood run cold. The Black Dragon, Alduin. Despite its epithet, it was not a dragon.
Hon muttered with a bewildered face.
"The strongest snake."
An impure existence that even dragons hesitated to speak of. Yet, its strength was said to be comparable to the First Dragon Lord.
'I had absolutely no intention of becoming a dragon from the very beginning. What is so good about being the highest rank among demons yet just watching and wasting time? And Hontail, you must have felt it. Just receiving my words is enough to make you, a dragon, stagger. All of this is the result of devouring human spiritual bodies.'
The Basilisk laughed hoarsely. The wind blew unnaturally. At that, Kang Geomma, who was unleashing his Sashimi, slightly pulled back.
The eerie energy condensed and then spread rapidly, pushing away the dust cloud all at once.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the gust of wind completely destroyed more than half of the stalactites.
In the next moment, the Basilisk's figure was gradually revealed. Kang Geomma was the first to be bewildered. He blinked his eyes several times.
"Is that really a snake?"
Black scales covered its entire body, a long tongue protruded, and a spiked tail. There were traces of shedding skin here and there, as if it were in the middle of molting.
Standing on two legs, it held two black swords in its hands. It possessed all the characteristics of a snake, but its appearance was infinitely close to a human.
"...Fuck."
Choi Seol-ah froze with a dumbfounded expression. Her burning fighting spirit was extinguished like a candle in the wind. It was a grotesque appearance that made her break out in hives just by looking at it.
But more than that, its aura was ferocious. It felt as if her bones would be sucked dry just by approaching. Choi Seol-ah unconsciously took a step back. Just then, another massive energy surged beside her.
"P-Pointy-ears?"
Despite Choi Seol-ah's call, Hon kept her head lowered. Hon bit her lip hard. A deep shadow fell over her face.
'Basilisk.'
Hon recalled her memories of her younger brother from the past. Although she couldn't say he had a good temper, he hadn't been this bad. At some point, he became drunk on his own strength and disregarded life, which was the starting point of his corruption.
The elders of the clan had branded her younger brother as an impure snake and sought to execute him, saying that the seed of evil must be plucked early.
Having accidentally overheard this, Hon had banished the Basilisk to the Demon Realm. Even if it was a barren environment, it would be better than dying.
However, contrary to her intentions, her younger brother had slipped into the Human Realm and became a magical beast.
'This is all my fault.'
If she had followed the clan's will instead of her personal feelings back then, there would have been no innocent sacrifices.
'So, I must take responsibility.'
Moreover, her younger brother wanted to become Alduin. That alone was enough. There was no more room for hesitation.
"I..."
Hon raised her eyes and stared at the Basilisk. A yellow glow flowed from her eyes as the shadow cleared. She spoke as if making a declaration.
"...I will stop you, no matter what."
Black mist gathered around Hon, shaping into a massive figure. Wings sprouting from the shoulders, long, soaring horns, and...
Roaaaaaaar!
A roar that shook the entire area. Barely maintaining her balance, Choi Seol-ah tilted her head back and looked up. A single word escaped her wide-open mouth.
"A dragon."
Hontail spoke to Choi Seol-ah. Her tone was unusually heavy, like lead.
"Let us go, contractor. I shall be your wings."
Dazed, Choi Seol-ah nodded. The moment she climbed onto her back, her body floated into the air.
Choi Seol-ah lowered her posture to secure her position. Then, she peeked her head out and looked down.
In an instant, the dragon flew far from the ground, close to the ceiling.
The air was the domain of dragons, a place no snake could covet. A mere snake like the Basilisk could not extend its reach to this height.
Hontail flapped her wings. The beating of her wings created a gale, driving away all the heat and darkness.