Episode 186: The Strongest Snake (4)
Easy, easy.
The poison sprayed like gas engulfed the snakes. Hon, who was watching the scene, almost lost sight of Hanwoo.
‘… What, what is this?’
For a dragon, there is nothing more disrespectful than looking away from meat right in front of you. But wouldn’t anyone else have a similar reaction if they saw this?
The spirit slowly raised its head. The snake that had died instantly was showing off its majesty with its body erected.
Playing dead? No. There wasn’t even a hint of magical power. It was clearly a corpse.
And one more thing.
Why was the snake, which was his enemy, wiping out his own kind? Hon did not understand a single thing about this situation.
She lowered her head again. In the place where her eyes met, Kanggeomma was standing next to the snake. He was chewing meat and watching the scene with a calm face. His expression did not change even in the face of screams pouring in from all directions.
Choi Seol-ah patted the ‘soul’ that had become a face from which the soul had left.
“Eat quickly while the lord deals with them. They’ll probably leave as soon as they’re all dead.”
“… Both you and Mr. Kanggeomma. How can you be calm in this situation? Am I a strange dragon for being surprised?”
“Look at this little bastard. He speaks so fluently now that he’s got a dialect. Okay, if you’re not going to eat meat, hand it over to me.”
Choi Seol-ah stretched out her greedy hand. The spirit quickly fell away from the clutches and stuffed the meat into her mouth. Ah! Even so, the taste was amazing.
Is it because it is top-quality Korean beef, or is it because of the chef’s skills? For a moment, I feel like I’m going crazy.
As if his eyes were becoming hazy, he suddenly shook his head.
“That trick of trying to steal the meat by asking questions! Why have you been feeding me sausages every day while leaving such delicious meat behind?!”
Choi Seol-ah clicked her tongue. She had no choice but to finish eating her beef.
“Tch. I fed him and put him to bed, but he’s complaining about the side dishes… … . Is this why they say raising children is useless?”
Hon felt a slight sense of guilt. Just a few weeks ago, he had been grateful for even a piece of bread, so how could he have sounded so full? And even though he had been nagging her here and there, it was true that Bora had taken care of him.
Hon chewed his lower lip and then opened his mouth with difficulty.
“I appreciate that, but… … . Please answer my question first. What is that power and why are you so calm?”
“I don’t know exactly, but it seems that my lord can revive an enemy he has killed.”
“T-What is that! Make sense! Even our Dragon Lord said that it would be impossible!”
“Hey, you little punk. Do you still think our lord is on the same level as the Dragon Lord?”
“… … .”
Hon was speechless at the retort that asked something so obvious. Choi Seol-ah shrugged and continued.
“I understand your reaction. I felt the same way at first. That’s why I asked, but it seems like you don’t have the heart to answer. What should I do then? If the lord tells you not to ask any more questions, you should just stay still. So, you and I just do our own thing, and don’t bother the lord.”
Choi Seol-ah sucked her fingers. Even her fingernails were soaked with that ecstatic taste.
While the demons around him were being swept away, he was licking his hand calmly. Hon watched his reckless behavior blankly.
Choi Seol-ah smiled broadly at her.
“And the reason I can be calm? That’s because of course… … .”
Choi Seol-ah nodded in the direction ahead instead of saying anything else. Hon’s gaze also followed Choi Seol-ah.
The demons have become so soft that even their bones are rotten. In the middle of them stands Kanggeomma with a static expression.
“The safest place in the world is with the lord.”
Choi Seol-ah stared at Kang Geum-ma’s back for a long time. Her eyes were filled with infinite trust.
“That’s why I’m calm. Of course, my life is often threatened by my lord. At least I won’t be killed by the enemy. If you feel that your life is in danger, you should stick close behind your lord. Do you understand?”
* * *
The demon’s attack was over. After looking around, it seemed like no more enemies would pop out, so we tidied up and moved on.
Actually, I was thinking of riding the snake like a bus. It was romantic and I didn’t have to worry about mobs. However, after exactly 10 minutes, the snake turned into a corpse again.
It was a shame. I even gave the snake a name of my own.
Namely, Todogas. The idea of spraying poison gas reminded me of ‘that guy’.
‘Good job, Todogas.’
Leaving behind a small regret, I moved my legs diligently. Of course, before leaving, I did not forget to prepare the materials. I put scales and a few pairs of fresh fangs in my backpack.
Thud, thud.
Thanks to the efforts of Todogas, the path has been completely cleared. There are no obstacles blocking the way. If we continue like this, we will soon reach the location where the final boss is.
‘I guess I should do some maintenance before I go in.’
There was no problem because everyone had their own equipment. The important thing was mental armament. In particular, Choi Seol-ah, who had become extremely lax, was very annoying. If she moved one bit, she would turn into a decoration in the dungeon.
So, I called out to Choi Seol-ah, who was walking beside me. To explain the roles and guidelines for behavior after encountering the demon.
“You don’t want to be a stone decoration here, do you?”
Choi Seol-ah nodded. Her purple hair was so fierce that it became disheveled.
“Then listen carefully to what I say. After you enter the dungeon, you… … .”
* * *
… After walking like that for three hours, I finally reached the gate that seemed to be the entrance.
The front door was cracked like a broken window, and lava was seething through the crack. At first glance, it looked like a red snake was wrapped around the door.
“ah.”
Only then did Choi Seol-ah realize it. Beyond this, a S-class demon, Basilisk, was waiting for its prey. A chill ran down her spine.
When I look back, I wonder why I came here. I admit that the nobleman is upset. But why did I have to accompany him? I was his babysitter for a few weeks, and now he’s risking his life on the gambling table.
Although I said that it was safe to be by my lord’s side, in real life, variables can arise at any time. Moreover, my lord has entrusted me with an important mission.
The burden felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds on my shoulders. But on the other hand, I felt proud of myself. I felt like I had finally been acknowledged by my lord.
‘You can do it, Choi Seol-ah. You can do it!’
Choi Seol-ah slapped both of her cheeks. Then she looked at the nobleman.
The soul stared intently at the gate. The crimson of the lava seeped into his face, but it could not completely hide his pallor.
The nobleman had a childish look to him, but his eyes were always sunken. His eyes sparkled when he ate meat.
‘The kid has this look on his face like he’s seen everything in the world… ‘
As I looked at it, I couldn’t help but sigh. For some reason, my chest felt itchy. It was a strange feeling that was both unfamiliar and familiar.
Choi Seol-ah tilted her head repeatedly and then quickly gave up on the thought.
At that time, Kanggeomma summoned her and her soul.
“As soon as you enter, the battle begins. Hon, you should refrain from turning back into a dragon as much as possible. From what I’ve heard, it seems like you’ll face a strong backlash if you shed your human form.”
“still…….”
“I’m not saying you should never do it. In an emergency, what else can you do? You have to fight as Dragon-type. But think of it as a last resort and save it as much as possible.”
The soul that had been in agony for a moment hardened its expression.
“all right.”
“As you are family, Basilisk will pay attention to you. Choi Seol-ah and I will most likely not be considered humans. We will exploit that timing. Choi Seol-ah, just move as I asked you earlier.”
“yep!”
Choi Seol-ah put effort into her answer for no reason. For some reason, her master smiled faintly. Her clown ascended to heaven.
After the pre-briefing, Kang Geum-ma walked toward the main gate. The gate was firmly shut, as if blocking entry. Kang Geum-ma sneered and took out the master key.
S ＼ Geong
The shoulders of the swordsman turned pale, and a diagonal line was drawn like a ray of light. The gate collapsed a beat too late.
Kugu palace!
A heavy vibration shook the road surface, and the sparks and rice were flying wildly.
Kanggeomma rolled the sashimi round and round on his palm like a western gunfighter. The blade, which had been spinning like a pinwheel, fell into the scabbard. At the same time, he retrieved the scattered light.
“… … .”
The spirit was no longer surprised. With that sword, he instantly killed the giant snake with a heart attack, and revived the demon he had killed.
What else could I do that I couldn’t open the door horizontally? My soul had become numb because of the continuous shock. The back of my head was slightly numb.
But this may be the process of the mind understanding the scene. Perhaps the mind is not sure where to start being surprised.
Still, this slight headache washed away my anxiety.
“Oh, shit. The dust.”
Kanggeomma waved his hand to blow away the dust. Only then did the interior begin to come into view.
First, he checked the ceiling. There were piles of icicle rocks hanging from it.
‘thank god.’
Kang Geum-ma felt a brief sense of relief. If he was stopped here, all his plans would have been in vain.
But it was too early to relax. The real start was just now. Kanggeomma opened his eyes wide and looked straight ahead. The pitch-black space was sucking up all the light.
At that moment, a sinister gaze flashed through the dark curtain. The snake’s eyes glowed like red beads.
The shape other than the light was dissolved into the darkness. However, only the crimson aura could tell what it was.
The unclean serpent, the basilisk.
The bastard was scanning me with his pomegranate-like eyes, and he was slowly approaching me.
Kang Geum-ma didn’t like that gaze. It was like he thought a rat had come to a snake’s hole on its own.
‘It seems that the bastard hasn’t realized the true identity of the soul yet.’
The range of the ‘Eye of Petrification’ was 200 meters. And the gap between them was the key to defeating that guy.
Trembles. Kang Geum-ma took the first step. Following him, Hon and Choi Seol-ah followed one by one. One step, then another. Not hasty, but cautious… … That’s bullshit.
“Choi Seol-ah!”
“Old story!”
At Kang Geum-ma’s loud shout, Choi Seol-ah quickly pulled out her revolver. The gun aimed at the ceiling and fired.
Valid!
A light burst of gunfire hit the ceiling. Lead bullets gnawed at the base of the icicles like pencil lead. The dangling rocks soon fell to the ground.
As she pulled the trigger, Choi Seol-ah recalled the instructions her master had given her earlier.
‘Perhaps your role in this expedition will be the most important.’
‘What should I do…?’
The lord raised his index finger and pointed to the ceiling.
‘You see the stalactites up there? Shoot them with your gun and knock them down. Then the spirit will use magic to temporarily hold them in midair.’
The lord continued with honest eyes.
‘You can’t approach the basilisk with your eyes closed anyway. In that case, we should put a blindfold on it and approach it.’
‘no way!’
‘That’s right. The icicles in this cave will act as a blindfold to protect me from the eyes of the stone.’
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
A rain of rocks poured down through the pitch darkness.
Just before the sharp tip of the spike touched the ground, the spirit clenched its fist and scattered its magical power.
Woof woof woof.
The vast expanse of the station holds the raindrops in the air, but it doesn’t last long.
The spirit turned around. She shouted in a bloodshot voice.
“Now is the time!”
The strong swordsman leapt off the ground. His explosive speed surpassed that of a bullet. He leaped out like a bolt of lightning and stepped on the stone steps between the icicles.
Tiring. The sound of a bullet hitting the floor.
Choi Seol-ah loaded the bullet and quickly aimed at the stalactite.
I will act as a shield while my lord approaches the bastard. I will do my best.
“Leave the rest to us and just move forward, my lord!”
Valid. Valid. Yes!
Feeling the gunshots ringing again, Kanggeomma flicked his wrist and took off his scabbard.
[The protection of the Sword God is manifested.]
