Chapter 183 – The Strongest Serpent (1)

MacGuffin. It’s a term that refers to an object or element that drives the plot forward but has little to no explanation or context of its own.

In Miracle Blessing M, there are MacGuffins like that too.

Or rather, more than half of the game could be considered one giant pile of MacGuffins. The fact that they were scattered around just for developer convenience… was to be expected.

The corrupted serpent, Basilisk. A monster that only exists as a mission boss, but whose backstory remains shrouded in mystery.

…Well, that’s pretty common for S-rank beasts.

This was also where I learned the backstory of Lich King Draugr. Even the fierce beast Manticore didn’t have much lore.

But among them all, the one with the most unresolved clues… was probably Basilisk.

All because it belonged to the “serpent” race.

In Miracle Blessing M, serpents are automatically classified as demons.

Even Jörmungandr was a demon. Dragons, generally speaking, are considered a superior subclass of serpents.

In that sense, Basilisk was a walking contradiction. Nicknamed the “impure serpent,” yet not classified as a demon but as a magical beast.

Players debated it endlessly, but there was never a solid answer. In the end, everyone just agreed—it was another MacGuffin.

Ultimately, it fit the lore—a magical beast as strong as a demon.

Probably a development oversight left it as an “unresolved detail.” I used to think that too.

“Dragons aren’t born as dragons. When they hatch, they’re called Imugi. If they live in chastity and train for hundreds of years, a pearl of pure energy forms in their body. Only then can they become dragons.”

I listened to Horn’s explanation while sighing internally.

I had heard legends of serpents who failed to become dragons and turned into man-eating monsters.

‘So that’s where dragons come from…’

In short: even if something is an Imugi, if it hasn’t evolved, it doesn’t even count as a “real” demon.

Horn continued, speaking in Korean instead of the magical tongue so Choi Seol-ah could understand too.

“Actually, Basilisk was chosen from birth to become the next Dragon Lord. The amount of mana he was born with was unmatched.”

Dragons are considered a special race among demons because of their immense mana. They accumulate magic power just by breathing.

And among them, Basilisk stood out the most. If he had matured, he probably would’ve been the strongest Dragon Lord in history. Horn said it with a mix of pride and sorrow.

“…I’m not just saying that because he’s my brother. He really was that talented.”

“Huh? So why didn’t he become a dragon? That makes no sense.”

At Seol-ah’s sarcastic comment, Horn let out a quiet sigh. Her expression said, “Were you even listening?”

For the instructor’s benefit, Horn patiently explained again:

“To become a dragon, strength alone isn’t enough. When an Imugi comes of age, they must enter a special cave known as the ‘serpent’s cave’ and live a life of chastity for a hundred years. They’re only allowed to eat mugwort and garlic. By avoiding meat and purifying their body with those herbs, their pure mana crystallizes into a pearl called yeouiju.”

“…….”

“And after becoming a dragon, they must be careful with their actions. If they commit impure acts, the pearl cracks. For example, committing indiscriminate massacres… or wiping out an entire race.”

All that effort to become a dragon can be undone by a single wrong deed. That’s why dragons avoid killing.

“…But Basilisk, despite his strength, couldn’t handle that life of abstinence, could he?”

Horn nodded firmly.

“Yes, exactly. So many expectations were placed on him that his pride grew too much. For someone like him, surviving only on garlic and mugwort was impossible. Still, he wanted to become the strongest dragon. So he looked for another way.”

“There was another way?”

Horn shook her head with a grim face.

“If there was, no one would waste a hundred years. But he believed he could absorb pure energy from outside instead of purifying himself within. He chose to feed on humans with pure energy…”

Horn paused, squeezing her eyes shut. Then, after a moment, she continued with difficulty:

“And so… my brother came to the human world. To better consume vital energy, he settled in a hidden place and began luring people. But my clan… just watched. They were afraid intervening would taint their own yeouiju. Only I… as his sister, couldn’t just sit and do nothing.”

Those last words came from the heart. Even if her own pearl cracked, she wasn’t going to abandon him.

Maybe it was the same thing the Swordmaster thought when he faced Draugr.

But unlike Orion Nibelung, who didn’t want to become a monster, Basilisk was different.

A monster driven by the desire to become a dragon through corrupt means.

And he was also an S-rank beast. The Association had classified him as humanity’s worst threat.

“……”

The conversation paused under a heavy silence. The one who broke it was Choi Seol-ah.

“Hey, are you planning to take that thing down by yourself? Don’t you think that’s impossible?”

Horn didn’t answer. Maybe she was still annoyed about being called “big ears,” or maybe she was deep in thought.

But, as always, Choi Seol-ah didn’t hold back:

“And with your level of courage… You let yourself get kidnapped by humans! You’re never gonna beat your brother like that. It’s not like that name is scary for no reason.”

“…….”

“I know it sounds weird coming from me, but I know how strong he is. The Association even put together a special unit just to hunt him down.”

“B-but…”

Just as Horn tried to respond, Choi Seol-ah looked straight at me.

“Sir, why don’t we just send her back home instead?”

I stared at her. With that innocent-looking face, sometimes I really wanted to smack her. But this time, I let it slide.

After all, she was just trying to help Horn in her own way.

Choi Seol-ah showing empathy? A former villain acting selflessly. A real miracle. Maybe she’d even become human one day.

But her next comment erased all my admiration.

“Because if she stays here a couple more weeks, my bank account’s going to collapse!”

“…Expecting anything from you was a mistake.”

I rubbed my sore eyes and organized my thoughts.

A rare chance to get the fourth fragment and a dragon spirit stone. There was no room for hesitation.

I slowly opened my eyes, looked straight at Horn, and said:

“We’re going together.”

To hunt the serpent.

***

We took three days to prepare—Horn, Choi Seol-ah, and I.

Originally, I had thought about bringing the club members. But after thinking it over for a few minutes, I shook my head.

The objective was clear: eliminate Basilisk. As Seol-ah had mentioned, even the Association had formed special squads to hunt it. It was an S-rank magical beast. Bringing teenagers on a mission like this would’ve been completely irresponsible.

It wasn’t that I wanted to hide anything from them—I just wanted to prevent any tragedy. With Choi Seol-ah as deadweight, there was already enough risk.

As the date approached, Seol-ah began throwing tantrums, saying she didn’t want to go.

She had a strong survival instinct, so once she realized what we were getting into, she must’ve gotten scared.

So I gave her two choices: die before going, or die once we got there. She picked the second.

After a preparation period full of ups and downs, the fifth day finally arrived.

We met at the academy’s portal at the scheduled time. This time, we’d be using the teleportation system. We had authorization thanks to Choi Seol-ah’s status as an instructor.

Before boarding the warp, I checked the group’s condition.

Choi Seol-ah had dark circles under her eyes—she clearly hadn’t slept. As expected, I turned to Horn.

In her eyes burned an unshakable determination. She was the one who initiated this mission.

“Let’s go.”

I stepped through the portal first, followed by Horn, then Seol-ah.

The moment my feet touched the warp, an overwhelming pressure seized my entire body.

Whooooosh…

It felt like an invisible force was pulling everything toward a white point on the horizon. Just as my consciousness started to waver, my body stabilized all at once.

I opened my eyes, which I’d been squeezing shut—and was momentarily stunned by the landscape.

A barren island, with a central elevation shaped like a volcano. The air reeked of sulfur, sharp enough to sting the nose. Rivers of lava bubbled in the distance.

It was the complete opposite of the grim, cold atmosphere of the undead dungeon.

‘So this is the place.’

We had arrived at the “Shattered Island,” the site where Basilisk had made its nest.

Soon after, the space behind me distorted and spit out Horn and Choi Seol-ah. Both nearly fell but managed to stay on their feet.

They also took in the dungeon with awe. The oppressive atmosphere left them speechless.

Horn was the first to react. She pointed toward a specific spot.

“I can sense a familiar mana… from there.”

Ahead of us was an entrance shaped like a serpent’s open jaws. It was obvious that was the dungeon’s gate.

“There…”

Horn’s expression darkened. After staring silently for a while, she began walking ahead on her own.

Her footsteps sank slightly into the semi-liquid ground, as if stamping a seal with every step. Choi Seol-ah and I followed silently.

***

Inside the dungeon.

As we entered, a silent cavern greeted us.

It was far larger than I had imagined. The path coiled like a snake, winding in a way that made getting lost easy.

But we moved forward without issue, thanks to Horn tracking the mana.

‘Even Choi Seol-ah is doing her part properly.’

And me? What was my role? Obviously, to eliminate Basilisk.

However, there was one detail that bothered me—a special “trait” of Basilisk that Horn had told me about. If it was true, he was an enemy with terrible synergy against me.

‘In terms of compatibility, this could be even more annoying than a Corps Commander.’

I was scratching my head in frustration when—

“Goddammit…”

I heard Choi Seol-ah curse next to me.

I turned in the same direction she was looking.

The area was covered in dozens of statues, perfectly aligned. A chilling sight.

And we knew exactly what they were.

They were the heroes who had been petrified by Basilisk’s demonic gaze.