EPISODE 24

"There are snake hatchlings—!"

Luan's cry caught Arjan and Carzakh's attention. It took only a few seconds for them to grasp its meaning. He wasn't merely mentioning the presence of the Sapphire Snake in the cave.

Snake hatchlings?

Carzakh immediately expanded his awareness, focusing on the entrance. He quickly detected the presence of many creatures.

This can't be happening!

However, awareness and panic were two different things.

Carzakh's mind became blank the moment he noticed the enemies' existence.

When the hell did the Sapphire Snake give birth? In addition, why didn't I notice it?

Shortly afterward, Carzakh saw the same scene Luan had witnessed earlier. He identified the space beyond the wall, and a chill crept up from the soles of his feet when he noticed the pure white eggs nestled there.

This situation wasn't coincidental—it was deliberate on the Sapphire Snake's part. She had concealed it from him, and the realization sent a fresh wave of fear coursing through him.

Carzakh had always acknowledged the Sapphire Snake's cunning. He was, after all, the one who had warned Arjan and Luan about her intelligence.

Yet, his arrogance had blinded him. Despite recognizing her as a lifelong nemesis, a part of him still dismissed her, thinking, It is a mere beast. It doesn't have the intellect to outwit a human.

At that moment, he realized how wrong he was. This monster, which he had considered a mere beast, had deceived him with clear malice.

As Carzakh's hatred for the Sapphire Snake grew, he realized that she would likely find him just as disgustingly persistent. That was why she had hidden the fact that she laid eggs.

This Jewel Beast had no concept of deceiving the enemy or setting traps. She simply understood, instinctively, that by hiding this fact, she could turn the situation in her favor. She had blocked the entrance with her massive body and raised her offspring beyond it.

From the beginning, choosing this cave as a nest had been part of her insidious scheme.

While Carzakh had been engaging in an unseen war of nerves with the Sapphire Snake, her offspring had likely grown strong and intended to kill him one day in place of their mother.

Carzakh, you idiot. Why didn't you notice? he berated himself.

As he reflected, the signs seemed glaringly obvious in hindsight. The Sapphire Snake had appeared unusually weak. Her hibernation had stretched far beyond the norm, even for winter. And while she was known to change locations frequently, she had remained in this cave for years.

What if Luan hadn't come here? Or what if he had delayed another six months, ignoring Luan's insistence to kill the snake today?

Like an idiot, Carzakh would've kept looking for opportunities, only to be ripped apart by fully grown snakes a few months later.

Kieeek!

The Sapphire Snake's offspring swarmed in. Though far smaller than their mother, their size made them incredibly agile.

Carzakh stepped back and slashed at the hatchlings. In that brief exchange, he realized that their scales' toughness was formidable as well.

How many are there?

He could roughly see dozens.

To kill one or two of them reliably, Carzakh would need to channel a significant amount of mana into his sword. But he didn't have much mana to spare at the moment.

He had focused entirely on the Sapphire Snake, believing he could quickly exact his revenge. Excitement had clouded his judgment, and he had recklessly infused his sword with mana without considering the long-term consequences.

Now that he thought about it, he should have been suspicious. The fight against the Sapphire Snake hadn't seemed easier because of Arjan and Luan's assistance, nor because of his own condition. It was simply because she was exhausted from laying the eggs.

This isn't good, Carzakh realized.

No matter how strong he was, he wouldn't be able to kill the hatchlings once his mana was depleted. Honestly, he felt overwhelmed but wasn't going to die without a fight.

"Shit." Carzakh gritted his teeth and cried out while pouring mana into his sword, "Whoever wants to join their mother, come at me first! You son of a bitch!"

***

Did snakes understand curse words?

I wasn't sure whether they comprehended the words themselves or were simply irritated by Carzakh's shouting. Either way, his outbursts had drawn the snakes' attention, giving me just enough time to assess the situation.

First, the Sapphire Snake. She was dying but not dead yet. Her survival wasn't guaranteed, though if left alone, she could recover. The blood pooled beneath her in quantities would suggest otherwise, yet her vitality was not to be underestimated.

Next, I looked at Carzakh and Arjan.

The first surprise was Arjan's movements. She fought using the same techniques she had used to defeat the assassins before—brutal moves with severe side effects. From a distance, I could see her body straining.

She can't keep this up for long.

Carzakh was in even worse shape. It couldn't be helped—he had spent all his energy on the Sapphire Snake. Worse still, most of the snake hatchlings focused on him. It seemed like he would die instantly if he made a mistake.

That left me. I was the only one in decent condition, the only one capable of turning the tide.

There was no time to hesitate. I acted immediately, executing the plan forming in my mind.

I sprang onto the Sapphire Snake's tail, battered and torn from repeated blows, and propelled myself forward, sprinting along her back.

The Sapphire Snake hissed and twisted her body.

She is a tough bitch.

It was hard to believe she had this much energy left even after Carzakh had slashed her at least ten times.

The cave was enormous, though not wide enough to fully accommodate the Sapphire Snake, whose size rivaled that of a small hill.

The rampaging creature smashed against the floor, walls, and occasionally the ceiling. The entire cave quaked as if on the verge of collapse.

This bitch wasn't about to crush us all, was she?

The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. She had offspring, and her wounds were severe. Though a cunning snake capable of setting traps, she had earned a strange sort of trust.

Still, running along her sleek, grill-like back wasn't easy.

Meanwhile, the hatchlings chasing me fell off in droves. Reluctantly, I had to admit that this worked in my favor, allowing me to run more slowly across the snake's back.

At that moment, the Sapphire Snake stopped moving, and a strange sensation of air being drawn into one spot gave me goosebumps.

I had heard of this phenomenon before from Carzakh.

"Breath!" Carzakh's shout echoed from somewhere below.

Shooot!

Cold air burst from every part of the Sapphire Snake's body.

***

It was common to exhale through one's airway, but Arjan had heard that amphibians, like frogs, breathed through their skin. Could this snake release a Breath attack and cold air through hers as well?

Arjan nearly lost consciousness in the swirling cold. It had been slightly chilly earlier, but now, she was on the brink of freezing to death—something that would likely happen if she lost consciousness.

"Haaaah..." Arjan exhaled.

She had to use mana. She needed to get her heart pumping and circulate her stagnant blood.

However, it didn't go as planned. The Cold Qi had penetrated deep into her flesh. It was too cold.

I can't move. This is far colder than the Swordmaster described, Arjan thought in alarm.

The snake had just given birth, and its body should have been weak. So, why did the Cold Qi feel so much stronger?

Arjan scanned the cave and quickly found the answer. The Sapphire Snake wasn't the only one releasing a Breath. The hatchlings, understanding their mother's intentions, were releasing Cold Qi in unison.

Arjan gripped her dagger, though she couldn't be sure if her hand was tight around it. Her body felt numb, save for the cold—this was all she could manage for now.

Dammit.

Even Arjan, the furthest from the Sapphire Snake, was suffering. Carzakh, who wielded a sword nearby, or Luan, running along the snake's back, would have frozen long ago.

Arjan's consciousness slowly faded. She bit her lip hard, but no blood came out.

Then, in the midst of the icy air, she thought she saw something unreal. Flames seemed to rise from the Sapphire Snake's back, which appeared to be carved from ice.

***

I almost died. I wasn't joking. I caught a blurry glimpse of Spirit Mountain. I would have turned into an ice statue if I had realized even a second later that Cold Qi was being released.

I was fine now. The cold no longer froze me, and I wasn't feeling the chill. I kept running, never stopping, even when the Sapphire Snake released Cold Qi. That's why I was still alive.

I used Sun Shadow Steps, channeling my Fire Qi through my entire body, especially on the soles of my feet.

I didn't need to adjust my firepower as much as I had when fighting the assassin because my goal here wasn't to deceive the vision. As a result, my steps left a trail of fiery footprints.

Despite the dire situation, my habit led me to name this technique—Sun Shadow Steps, Scorching Dash.

Kieeek!

Shit, it was going to be intense. I was pouring my internal energy into each step.

For a weakened Sapphire Snake, the flames would be unbearable. Since I was placing weight with each step, wouldn't she feel as if fireballs were falling from the sky and hitting her back?

In any case, the earlier Breath was the Sapphire Snake's final move. Now, she was so powerless she couldn't even struggle. Thanks to this, my running became much smoother.

Hissssss!

Halfway along the Sapphire Snake's back, the hatchlings, which had fallen off earlier, came after me again. Their devotion to their mother was truly admirable.

Why, though? Snakes were known for their cold-blooded nature.

It looks like their bond is strong.

Then what should I do now?

I couldn't stop running. The moment these little snakes surrounded me, I'd be dead. But I couldn't keep running forever. This snake was long, but there was an end. When I reached her head, I'd have no choice but to jump, and I'd be surrounded when I hit the ground. Meanwhile, I was losing a lot of internal energy using Scorching Dash.

I reached the snake's head just in time. Pausing to catch my breath, I glanced behind me and saw the group of hatchlings close by.

When the moment to act arrived, I channeled internal energy into my fist and unleashed the White Sun Style's Sixth Move, Falling Fire.

My fist was engulfed in red flames, and I struck the Sapphire Snake's head. The scales shattered, and the skull beneath them broke apart.

Though more than half of my remaining internal energy was depleted in that instant, it didn't matter. This Jewel Beast was definitely dead.

The Sapphire Snake's massive body collapsed to the ground. I watched as the hatchlings chasing me fell one by one. The fall was steep, but I doubted it would harm them. I would be lucky if one or two got tangled and crushed.

In any case, I was briefly free of their pursuit and landed on the ground.

The dead Sapphire Snake lay before me, its mouth agape. Blood flowed steadily from its eyes and mouth, and I could see the cross-section of her tongue that Arjan had severed.

Then I stepped into her mouth.

Kieeek!

The hatchlings soon regained their senses and rushed toward me, frantic as if they realized their mother was dead.

I slowly exhaled, eyes fixed on the incoming enemy.

I had chosen the snake's mouth as my battlefield. Although it was a damp, unpleasant place, it had one advantage—I only had to focus on the enemy before me. At least here, I couldn't be surrounded.

Even though there is nowhere to run—

I burst out laughing.

Having come this far, I had no intention of retreating. Only two outcomes remained: either I would kill all the snake hatchlings, or I would die.

Kyaaack!

Of course, this stinky place wouldn't be my grave.