King of the Snakes
A massive serpent flicked its forked tongue and locked eyes with me.
The moment our gazes met, a warning flared up.
Petrification status progressing. 1%
I dropped my eyes at once and sprinted into the forest.
The thing came after me, toppling trees as it went.
What the hell was going on?
This wasn't a Shadow Fang?
A serpent introduced as the Tyrant of Petrification. The way the stone started creeping through me the second our eyes met left no doubt — this was exactly the monster I was thinking of.
A Basilisk…
But the creature they called the King of Snakes — on the tenth floor?
"Fuck… this is way too much, even for this place."
Petrification: 1%.
After that message appeared, I felt the skin on my shin, under my pants, hardening into stone.
I had to avoid eye contact at all costs!
"Kyaaaak!"
With a shriek, the Basilisk exhaled — and the grass and trees around it withered on the spot. I wasn't exempt from that breath either.
Passive skill activated.
I needed to run faster. With that thought, I activated the skill I'd evolved right before entering this place.
"Super Acceleration!"
Super Acceleration
My blood surged hot and fast. The ground cracked under my feet, and the scenery whipped away behind me — a speed that made ordinary Acceleration look like a stroll.
Then I flipped on another skill.
"Dense Poisonous Afterimage!"
Dense Poisonous Afterimage
Thick green smoke billowed out behind me — denser than the Basilisk's own breath — and swallowed the creature whole, like a smoke grenade.
I bolted and ducked behind a tree for a moment's cover.
But of course it's a Basilisk…
The poison gas did nothing. The thing just flicked its tongue, hunting for me. It would track me by body heat soon enough. I needed a plan.
Poison? No chance. This was a monster called the King of Venom. Poison wouldn't work — not unless I had something far stronger.
Then what about a slash?
From behind the tree, I studied its torso. Those scales looked rock-hard. Could I even cut through them?
No — then what the hell am I supposed to do?!
It had found me. The Basilisk was closing in, one massive tree after another crashing down in its path. Then, from where it stood, a strange sound rose — like phlegm being gathered deep in the lungs.
"Don't tell me…"
I peeked from behind the trunk — and saw it rear up, head thrown far back.
I knew instantly what was coming.
It was about to spit — acid venom, thick as phlegm!!!
"Aaaagh!!"
I dove out from behind the tree and sprinted sideways.
A high-pressure torrent of acid venom blasted the spot where I'd been standing. With a deep kuuuu, the stream carved a straight line through the forest, melting trees and undergrowth into sludge.
No choice, then. First things first — I had to find out if I could even cut it!
I charged straight at the thing with Super Acceleration.
"Uoooooh!!"
I ran screaming like a madman. Its gaze swung toward me, and mine inevitably met its eyes — I couldn't track its attacks if I only stared at the body.
Petrification status progressing. 4%
The percentage climbed fast. Not just my shin now — my thigh, my chest. The skin was hardening.
Still fine…!!
I kept chanting it as I closed the distance. Please… please just cut!!
Two steps left. On the first step I tightened my grip on the daggers and activated a skill.
Poison Coating!
Poison Coating
On the second step I sucked in a huge breath and brought both daggers down on a single point of its scales with everything I had.
Chiiik—
The iron of my blades skidded across the scales with a harsh, grating screech.
"Please!!!"
Veins stood out on my forearms as I poured more force into the strike. But then—
Ting—
A light scrape, and my attack bounced off.
Its head came at me at terrifying speed.
"Kuoohhh!"
Petrification status progressing. 8%
I threw myself sideways and barely dodged. With a heavy thud, its strike gouged the earth right beside me. Taking that massive blow head-on would be the end of me — and if it hit while I was petrified, the stone skin would sheer right off with the rest of me.
Patches of stone were spreading fast across my body. Still only skin-deep for now. A little longer, though, and it would reach deeper — turn flesh and bone to rock.
The Basilisk reared up again and fixed me with its stare. It exhaled a thin breath, watching — then shrieked, "Kyahaak!!" and lunged with its head.
No good. I'd shove a few Fire Balls down its throat and dive underneath!
I thrust out my left hand and muttered,
"Fire Ball!"
Fire Ball
A sphere of flame gathered in Giseok's hand and shot forward. It was a skill that normally required chanting — but Giseok had obtained it already at Master rank, so no chant was needed.
"Fire Ball! Fire Ball!"
Three Fire Balls streaked through the air. They wouldn't deal serious damage, but they might force that open maw shut.
I watched them fly and prepared to dive under the creature — when suddenly—
KWA-BOOM!!!
An explosion roared out of nowhere. Startled, I skidded to a halt and threw myself backward with everything I had.
"What the hell did I just see?"
The Fire Balls had detonated before they even touched the Basilisk — and the blast hit far harder than expected. Its mouth was charred black; the creature reeled, dazed.
Don't tell me…?
What had been pouring from its mouth was poison smoke. Poison gas. Which meant—
"A gas explosion."
The realization pulled a smile across my lips.
The venom in its breath was potent, but thin. And my poison gas?
"Super Acceleration. Dense Poisonous Afterimage."
Super Acceleration
Dense Poisonous Afterimage
Blood roared through my veins. Thick green smoke poured out behind me in writhing coils. I sprinted at the Basilisk with everything I had.
"Kyahaah!!"
From its blackened mouth it shrieked, rearing back, preparing to spit something.
That again?
I didn't stop. I couldn't afford to slow down.
Petrification status progressing. 15%
Even locking eyes with it was unavoidable — I needed that visual to dodge the acid venom about to come.
Moments later, it unleashed the same acid stream as before, pouring it straight at me.
Chwaaa—
I reacted with Super Acceleration and barely slipped clear. Trees and boulders melted where the venom ran. But because I never stopped, I closed the distance — and then I launched myself at a tree right beside the creature.
Passive skill active.
With that passive, my jump carried me onto the tree in an instant. Then, spring-like, I kicked off again — bouncing from tree to tree around the Basilisk, climbing higher with every leap.
Tuk. Tuk.
I kicked off every trunk in reach, chaining the movement. The slipstream of my high-speed path dragged the poison gas with it, coiling around the creature like a vortex.
Enough.
From that height I kicked off one last tree and launched myself at the Basilisk.
Petrification status progressing. 25%
The stone had reached my face. Its eyes had tracked me the whole way — but at the end, it hadn't expected me to dive straight at it. For a split second, I slipped from its field of view.
Shuuung~
I landed on top of its head. The smoke had already closed in, sealing the Basilisk completely. It felt me on its skull and started to lift its head.
"Just hold still a second. This is the last one."
I murmured under my breath,
"Release Poisonous Afterimage."
The smoke pouring from my back cut off at once. In the same motion I bent my knees and launched myself skyward with everything I had.
My body tore through the air, rocketing upward — like I'd become a missile. Eleven meters above the Basilisk's head. Below me: dense jungle, fallen giants of trees, and the creature itself.
I thrust my left hand downward and roared,
"So long!!! Fire Ball!!!"
Fire Ball
Scorching power gathered in my left hand. When it was full, I fired it straight down.
A blazing sphere of flame streaked toward the ground — and the moment it touched that billowing green cloud—
KURURURU-KWAAAAANG!!
A chain of explosions erupted in a roaring vortex. Heat and blast pressure slammed all the way up to where I floated. My bangs whipped back, forehead bare, and I was flung far through the air.
"Eugh—!!"
A moment later I was falling, the ground rushing up. No — I had to grab something, anything!
Luckily this was a jungle. Even if I couldn't catch hold, the thick branches would break my fall, slowing me bit by bit. Still, I clawed for whatever I could reach. My skin was heavily petrified. If I hit the ground like this—
It's going to hurt like absolute hell!!
With that thought I managed to snag a vine hanging from a branch.
I'm aliv—?
The second the hope crossed my mind, the vine snapped with a sharp tuk! and I plummeted toward the earth.
There was nothing left to grab.
Farewell… my beautiful skin…
I closed my eyes.