Chapter 187 – The Strongest Serpent (5)

Bang!

The muzzle flash lit up the darkness for an instant. Frozen images, like snapshots, flashed one after another—like a horror movie filming technique—amplifying the tension.

□ ■ □ ■ □ ■ □ ■

As the cycle of darkness and light repeated, Kang Geom-Ma pressed forward with determination, heading straight for that distant pair of glowing red points.

Despite his explosive speed, the distance didn’t shrink so easily. He had to hide between the floating stalactites to get close without being seen.

Feeling the wind brushing his cheek, Kang Geom-Ma thought I’m entering the activation range of the Petrifying Eye. He had to move fast enough not to be seen and use the environment as cover.

One mistake would be fatal. If he made eye contact, he’d instantly be turned to stone.

From here on out, agility was more important than speed.

‘From terrain to positioning… there’s way too much to think about.’

Still, his mind moved quickly, allowing him to advance without hesitation. He remained calm under this intense pressure thanks to his [Spirit Level].

‘A hundred meters left.’

He still couldn’t see Basilisk’s full form. If it were huge, it would’ve already been revealed—but that didn’t seem to be the case. From the silhouette, it looked roughly human-sized.

That was better. If it were as massive as “Koffing,” slicing it would be a hassle.

Kang Geom-Ma stepped with increasing speed, navigating straight lines and curves freely.

Horn’s eyes widened in shock.

‘How can a human move like that?’

Time seemed to flow differently for him. Each time he switched cover, his sword gave off a faint glow.

At first, she didn’t understand why he was bothering with that in such a tense moment. But as he drew closer to Basilisk, she understood.

He was cutting the mana floating in the air as he moved. That prevented the Petrifying Eye from reaching the others. Even while risking his life, he was thinking of his companions.

Being able to see mana was one thing. But cutting it like threads… that defied logic. It was the most unbelievable feat she’d seen so far.

If he were just a strong human, she might’ve admired him. But everything he did had purpose and reasoning—even consideration for others.

‘You are…’

Horn whispered barely audibly, but Choi Seol-ah suddenly shouted.

“Hey, Big Ears! Focus!”

“…Ah!”

Horn snapped back to her senses and immediately expanded her mana. Like a possessed sniper, Choi Seol-ah kept firing, causing stalactites to fall at key locations.

Glowing particles stuck to the falling rocks like rubber balls, magically suspending them mid-air.

Together, they had mapped the optimal route. Thanks to their support, Kang Geom-Ma managed to get within twenty paces of Basilisk.

Gunpowder smell and smoke still hung in the air. Choi Seol-ah lowered her hand to her waist.

‘This is where it gets real.’

The space between Basilisk and the Lord was wide open. She needed to fill that gap with more stalactites to hide him just before the eye activated. The more visual obstacles, the better.

But, as always, problems show up at the worst times…

‘Huh?’

Choi Seol-ah instinctively checked her belt. It was nearly empty. No more than nine bullets left rolling in the chamber.

“…Ah.”

She froze. Crap.

As the gunfire ceased, Kang Geom-Ma pressed against a rock. He could hear Basilisk moving behind it. The cold stone touched his back.

‘Fuck.’

He couldn’t see him, but he could feel it. The eye was activating as Basilisk approached.

The enemy had been waiting for the perfect moment too.

But drawing him in further had its own risks. Horn wouldn’t be able to hold the suspended stalactites much longer.

‘At most… one minute.’

He was cornered like a mouse in a trap. He couldn’t rely solely on instinct to fight blind without understanding Basilisk’s true power. It was too late to back off. And he had to consider how long the [Pain Immunity Blessing] would last.

‘I need more cover to fight him.’

There was only one way.

Kang Geom-Ma closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.

‘I’ll trust in Horn and Choi Seol-ah.’

With that resolution, he tightened his grip on the sword. The silence grew heavier.

“Big Ears! The Lord’s about to collide with Basilisk! Hurry up!”

This time it was Horn shouting at Choi Seol-ah. She stammered in panic.

“Only—only nine bullets left!”

“WHAT?! You said you brought plenty! How many did you bring?!”

“Well…”

Horn looked bewildered. Choi Seol-ah hesitated, then whispered under her breath.

“…A hundred.”

“What do you mean that’s all you brought?! Lord Kang Geom-Ma told you to bring extra! Without those metal rounds, that revolver is nothing but scrap! You should’ve brought more!”

Choi Seol-ah exploded in frustration, thoroughly pissed off.

“Do you know how much each bullet costs, Big Ears?! Due to weapon regulations, one bullet costs one million won! I spent a hundred million just coming here! And now you’re making me spend even more!”

Horn didn’t fully grasp the value of money. A hundred million? Was that a lot? Desperate, Choi Seol-ah lifted a bullet.

“This is worth ten pieces of that top-grade hanwoo we ate! A hundred million is a thousand pieces! Get it now?!”

The “hanwoo conversion” method worked. The value of the bullet lodged itself firmly in Horn’s mind.

“One bullet equals ten pieces of that heavenly meat?! Why?! Are humans crazy?!”

“Ugh, dragons just don’t get how the human world works. I’m not even going to explain firearm laws—you’ll pass out. We don’t have time for this…”

Choi Seol-ah stomped the ground in frustration. With nine bullets, she could maybe drop three rocks. But she needed at least ten for enough cover.

She bit her nails. Her pupils swirled like whirlpools. She thought back to the night Vendetta was annihilated. Then, one word flashed through her mind.

“Magic bullets.”

With regular bullets, even the best marksman couldn’t drop a rock with a single shot. That’s why she fired several times to wear away the base of the stalactites.

But magic bullets? One shot was enough. They could even drop three or four stalactites at once. The destructive power of a magic-charged bullet was like a cannon blast.

‘But…’

Choi Seol-ah’s spirit sank. She couldn’t use magic. For a human to wield mana, they had to be bound to a powerful demon…

Then her eyes widened. A pair of long ears lit up in her vision. The peak of the demonic food chain. A phenomenon. The only race with a non-aggression pact with the Corps Commanders. Every title ran through her head.

Choi Seol-ah shouted desperately.

“Big Ears! Form a contract with me right now!”

“Huh? Out of nowhere?”

Horn looked puzzled by the ridiculous demand.

“No time to explain! You’re a dragon—you must know how to make a contract!”

The clash between the Lord and Basilisk was imminent. No time for discussion.

“Of course I know… but in case you forgot, every contract requires payment. Something of equal value to the demon.”

“I know that already. Skip the lecture and get to it.”

As a former villain, Choi Seol-ah was well-versed in this stuff.

“Give me your hand. We’ll form the contract and help the Lord.”

Horn hesitated for a moment, then finally took her hand. A bluish glow wrapped around both of them like entwined vines.

A slight pain ran up Choi Seol-ah’s arm. She bit her lip and spoke with difficulty.

“I, Choi Seol-ah, wish to form a contract with Hon—er, Horntail. In exchange for your power, I offer free lodging at my home for one year.”

Whoosh…

The blue glow flickered, then disintegrated. Offer rejected. Not good enough.

“Huh? Why didn’t it work?!”

Even the contractor—Horn, in this case—couldn’t know in advance whether an offer was valid. The requesting side had to keep offering until the demon accepted.

“One year of lodging isn’t enough?! You greedy long-eared dragon! What else do you want?! My soul?!”

“Who wants your soul? You’ve barely got any humanity left! Come on, offer something better!”

“Damn it…”

Choi Seol-ah ruffled her hair in agony. She squeezed her eyes shut like she already knew what she had to say.

“One year of lodging… AND! I swear to give you one serving of top-grade hanwoo every day!”

Fwoosh!

The blue light ignited and scattered in glowing particles.

The contract was formed successfully.

***

‘There’s no other choice.’

That thought came to me after thirty seconds that felt like an hour. The stalactite I’m leaning against is about to crumble. Before that happens, I have to launch the attack first.

I’ll have to fight with my eyes closed—but that no longer matters. I glanced over at Horn and Choi Seol-ah. They were holding hands, as if they’d made peace.

I let out a dry laugh. Did they come all the way here just to reconcile? Absurd—but it didn’t bother me. I wish they’d gotten along from the start. I stopped wasting time on such thoughts and reversed my grip on the sashimi blade.

I closed my eyes. The undulating mana prickled my skin like needles. Its magnitude was on par with a tsunami.

Not only did I have to worry about the Petrifying Eye. The sheer mana emanating from that thing was monstrous.

Step.

Step? I almost opened my eyes. Basilisk is a snake. Why did it sound like footsteps? Until now, magical serpents made slithering, sticky sounds. But this sounded like bipedal steps.

‘Something’s not right.’

That’s when I felt a cold breeze graze my temple. Anyone who wields a sword knows what it is—sword aura.

I ducked at a ninety-degree angle. A sharp strike passed right over my back and sliced the cover in half.

Whoosh!

It didn’t stop with one slash. The blade swung up again from a low angle.

I pushed off hard with my ankles and slid sideways across the ground. Momentum carried me into a roll. My body spun like a rotisserie chicken in midair.

Slash!

Twin blades sliced above and below me at once, their icy edges grazing me.

“Shit.”

I used that brief opening to dash to a new cover. The twin swords followed without pause. I twisted and swung my sashimi blade to deflect them.

‘A snake… using swords?’

Horn never told me that. And snakes don’t have hands. How was it wielding two swords? At most, it could maybe bite down on one—but two?

As if that wasn’t enough, things got worse. Cracks and crashes echoed all around. The remaining cover was collapsing, one after another. There was nowhere left to hide.

‘Now I really can’t open my eyes.’

I kept moving nonstop, leaping between broken rocks like stepping stones. Basilisk crushed every one I touched with its twin swords.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I wanted to fight back, but with the Petrifying Eye, I had to keep my eyes closed. Still, I couldn’t run forever.

I had two options—and the choice would define this battle.

‘I’ve made my decision.’

I’m not one to flee. I’m going to cut this thing down like a blind swordsman. Even if it’s risky, I need to break this pattern of evasion. And just then—

Boom!

A dull explosion shook the area. Once, twice, three times. Huge blasts echoed one after another. I looked quickly toward the source of the noise.

Choi Seol-ah’s arm was raised high. Bullets soared toward the ceiling like artillery shells. The recoil was so strong, each shot nearly snapped her neck.

Rumble rumble rumble rumble.

The thunderous roars of the magic bullets rocked the chamber. Stalactites rained down like hail. Horn released mana to keep them suspended in the air.

“My Lord!”

“Kang Geom-Ma!”

They shouted in unison. A blue aura shimmered between them, like a visible bond tying them together.

Thanks to them, I now had space to move freely. I didn’t know how they managed it—but inwardly, I thanked them.

Whirl.

I twisted my body clockwise. I aimed ten sashimi blades at the tip of Basilisk’s tail, exposed between the rocks.

Clack.

The sashimis stabbed in like tacks, pinning down the tail. Unless it was a lizard, it couldn’t shed it. Now he was cornered.

“Stay right there.”

I crossed my arms and unleashed an X-shaped slash. A cross-shaped energy wave, imbued with aura, hurtled toward Basilisk.