Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Chicken-head Hunt. (2)

 Kkieeeeeek!

Three chicken-heads sprinted toward us, screeching.

‘Basilisks, huh.’

The knights furrowed their brows.

Rather than fear or horror, their faces were a mix of confusion and disbelief.

And for good reason... Basilisks weren’t exactly impressive monsters.

True to their chicken-head nature, their attack patterns were simple, and their physical strength was average at best.

The only real danger was if one got bitten by the snake attached to its tail—you’d be poisoned by its petrification venom and turn to stone in two or three days...

‘Honestly, you’d have to be an idiot to let that happen.’

Even if someone did get poisoned, going to a priest or physician would make detoxification easy enough.

In other words...

‘Nothing special.’

‘Should I go?’

That meant these things weren’t much of a threat.

Just as everyone drew their swords and prepared for battle—

“Out of the wayyyyy!”

“...Brother?”

Beryl, who had been cowering until now, suddenly burst forward with a determined look on his face.

‘As long as it’s not a ghost, I’ll take it on!’

Uuuuuung!

His eyes glowed blue as he activated body reinforcement.

“Hyaaaah!”

Spinning his body, he slipped smoothly between the basilisks, slashing through them as he passed to the other side.

A movement as fast as lightning, yet flowing like water.

“Phewwww...”

And the moment he sheathed his sword—

Crack! Craaack! Craaaccck!

 Kkieeeek!

The basilisks’ heads belatedly flew off, spraying blue blood into the air before collapsing uselessly to the ground.

At the same time, Beryl gave a smirk and said:

“That was easy.”

At that moment, Hardin scowled and muttered a brief remark.

“What a load of crap.”

The same guy who had just been whining about ghosts now acting all cool.

As Hardin openly criticized him—

“Ahem! Ghosts, my ass.”

“Now he wants to act like a hero...”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Ahem!”

Embarrassing... really.

Beryl scratched his cheek awkwardly and let out a fake cough before pointing at the basilisk corpses and asking:

“Young Master, should we dismantle these things then?”

“Dismantle? For what?”

“What do you mean, for what? You’re going to use their venom to build the breakwater, aren’t you?”

At Beryl’s words, everyone nodded.

“Oh, is that it?”

“Yeah, if it’s their venom...”

It was common knowledge—even little kids knew—that basilisk venom caused stone growth and petrified objects upon contact.

If a bunch of these guys kept showing up, they might actually make for useful materials.

Just as everyone was agreeing to the idea—

“Bullshit. That’s not gonna work.”

“Pardon?”

“That venom barely amounts to anything... You think you can build a breakwater catching those things?”

“Then they’re not the materials?”

“No, they’re not, so quit talking nonsense and follow me.”

"...Ah, yes."

Then what on earth was it?

The knights looked at Hardin, who was walking in the lead, with confused eyes.

‘Does he really have something else in mind?’

Hardin was constantly observing his surroundings, sometimes even wetting his finger with spit to check the wind direction.

Maybe that’s why—

“This way.”

“Yes, sir.”

“This time, to the left.”

At every fork in the path, Hardin made his choices without hesitation.

And after walking a few more steps—

 Kkieeeeeek!

“Watch out, Young Master!”

A basilisk hiding in the darkness lunged out to attack, and the knights swiftly cut them down.

This repeated several times as they continued for dozens more minutes.

And the knights’ doubts only grew deeper.

‘For something that’s supposedly not a material… there are way too many of them here.’

‘…How deep is this damn cave?’

They had probably been inside for about an hour now, and the only things they had seen were bats, basilisks, and what they assumed was their droppings.

But just then—

“Phewww, we’re almost there.”

“We’re… almost there?”

After hearing Hardin’s words, they realized the cave’s width and ceiling had started to expand at some point.

And after going about a hundred more steps in that widened space—

“Huhhh?”

“This place…”

The knights blinked and looked around.

They had arrived at a vast chamber where neither the ceiling height nor the distance to the walls could be measured.

Even when they pushed their lanterns forward, the light wasn’t enough to fully illuminate the space.

Then, Hardin knelt down, placed his lantern on the ground, and rested his hand over it.

“Hhrrmph!”

Fwoosh!

As a blue glow sparked at his fingertips, the flame inside the lantern flared up, brightly illuminating the interior.

And at that moment, the entire unknown space revealed itself, and everyone’s eyes widened.

‘Why is there a place like this inside a stone mountain?’

It was a massive dome-shaped chamber.

The ceiling was so high and the walls so far apart that the light couldn’t reach the ends.

Jagged rocks jutted out from the walls like spikes, but the most unusual part… was the far wall at the end of the dome.

‘What a strange atmosphere…’

Something protruded from the wall—too large and distant to see clearly.

At a glance, it looked vaguely human, or perhaps beast-like.

It was so enormous that the place felt like a massive temple built to worship some colossal being.

With the added glow of the lantern, it even gave off a strangely sacred aura.

‘Is this… some kind of heretic temple?’

‘Why is something like this here?’

Just as everyone stood there dumbfounded, their mouths agape—

“That’s the material.”

“…What?”

“The material for building the breakwater. That, right there.”

Hardin pointed to the wall with his finger as he spoke.

‘What’s he talking about?’

The knights blinked, looking back and forth between the cave wall and Hardin.

“That’s just a wall, isn’t it? Don’t tell me… you’re planning to tear that down?”

“Are you stupid? How could we carry something that big?”

“But you said that’s the material.”

Everyone looked puzzled, not understanding what he meant.

“Hup!”

Suddenly, Hardin approached the wall, stretched out both arms, and began climbing it.

Slowly, steadily.

With the ceiling so high, just getting up there took a while.

Eventually, he reached the topmost point of the rock.

“Phewwww…”

He rummaged through his coat and pulled out a flask.

“What’s that for all of a sudden?”

The knights craned their necks, watching Hardin with confused expressions.

The flask contained a mysterious potion he had concocted along the way using herbs and oils he’d gathered.

No one could figure out why he was taking it out now.

Tap.

Hardin landed near what appeared to be the head-like protrusion on the wall and opened the flask.

Drizzle… Sssssss!

As he poured the potion over it, smoke began to rise from where the liquid touched the surface.

The knights just stood there watching, clueless as to what was happening.

Crack… Crack!

Cracks began to form where the potion had touched the wall.

‘Huh?’

‘What… what’s he doing?’

The cracks that began from the top of the rock spread halfway down the wall—

And that’s when Beryl flinched and muttered.

“Wh-What the…?”

“What is it, brother?”

“Just now… didn’t the ground shake?”

“The ground? I didn’t notice anyth—”

Gooooooong!

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, the entire cave began to tremble.

Dust fell from the ceiling, and the vibration could be felt violently through their bodies.

“An earthquake?”

“What the hell’s going on?”

Even from the massive rock in front of them, stone fragments began to crumble off—and then…

“Watch out above!”

“Eeeek!”

Crack! Crash!

Sharp stones hanging from the ceiling broke off and crashed to the floor.

Everyone scrambled in a panic, running around to avoid the falling debris.

Amid the chaos, Manton raised his head and waved his arms, shouting urgently.

“Young Master, get down! It’s dangerous!”

Because Hardin was still clinging to the wall.

But then, Hardin smirked.

“Hup.”

He raised his fist as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

Then—

Boom!

He slammed his fist down on the rock he was perched on.

Crack-crack-crack!

The cracks that had been spreading slowly now exploded outward all at once, and the rocks clinging to the wall shattered and began to crumble, tumbling to the ground.

Then—

‘What the hell is he doing?’

‘Is that... fur?’

From behind the crumbling rock, something white was visible.

Just as everyone strained their eyes to get a clearer look—

 Kkieeeeeeeeeek!

“Argh!”

A piercing screech erupted, so loud it felt like it tore through their ears. Everyone covered them instinctively.

Then, the wall collapsed completely, and something white burst through it.

“W-What the—?”

“What is that…?”

Everyone’s eyes widened to the brink of tearing.

What stood before them, breaking through the wall of stone, was a massive white mountain.

It had enormous wings, a sharp yellow beak, and red eyes the size of boulders.

It was a creature that looked like an enormous version of the basilisks they’d grown sick of seeing in this cave—dozens of times bigger.

From its mouth, white mist drifted out as it emanated an overwhelming presence.

As they slowly regained their senses, some finally recognized it.

That thing was...

“Cockatrice?”

“...What’s that thing doing here?”

Cockatrice.

The female basilisk, and queen of all basilisks.

 Grrrrrrrrr...

Perhaps because it had just woken up—

The cockatrice blinked slowly and used its beak to preen its feathers.

The Daphne Knights, who were watching this scene up close, couldn’t stop their bodies from trembling.

None of them had ever seen one before, but they had all heard of its infamous reputation.

 The cockatrice’s venom? It’s nothing like a basilisk’s.

 The quantity, the potency… it's probably a hundred times worse at minimum.

Everyone had heard the tales—about adventuring parties turned to stone and shattered, or how even the strongest knights would be doomed if they let their guard down.

Of course, rumors tended to exaggerate… but if there wasn’t at least a grain of truth, they wouldn’t have spread in the first place.

Gulp.

The sound of dry swallows echoed from all around.

‘I knew something was off.’

‘This entire mountain… is its nest?’

The ruins they saw climbing the mountain, the countless basilisks they’d fought on the way here—

There had certainly been many clues.

But the appearance of this thing was so rare, no one had even considered it.

‘How the hell did that guy find this place?’

‘Why would he even go after that thing…?’

Everyone turned to Hardin with a mix of confusion and blame on their faces.

And then—

Manton, as if realizing something, let out a gasp of recognition.

“Th-That thing… that’s the material the Young Master was looking for.”

“Material?”

When Mikkelsen asked, Manton nodded vigorously and drew his sword as he began to explain.

"Right. Compared to a basilisk, that thing's venom gland is much larger... and its venom is said to be far more potent. If we can subjugate that thing, we could definitely use it as material for the breakwater. Isn’t that right, Young Master?"

When Manton asked for confirmation, Hardin—who had by now made his way down to the knights—crossed his arms and shook his head firmly.

"Mm, that’s not it."

"Sorry? It’s not? Then why on earth are we—"

"No, we are going to use that thing, but we’re not going to kill it."

"Excuse me?"

"Even if that venom gland is big, do you really think it’s enough to build an entire breakwater? Use your head for once, will you?"

"If you’re not going to kill it, then what did we come here for?"

Hardin approached Manton and pushed his hand—still holding his sword—back into its sheath as he said:

"We’re going to capture it alive."

"What?"

"What are you talking about…?"

"Is it that hard to understand? We’re going to capture that thing alive and use it to build the breakwater. That way, we can keep using it over and over."

Hardin gave a satisfied grin as he recalled a memory from the past.

 I’m telling you, using that cockatrice for construction sped things up like crazy.

 Come on, that can’t be real.

 I swear! As long as you tame it properly…

That was what the drunken dwarf had once said.

But the knights’ reactions were the complete opposite.

‘Is he seriously saying this?’

That thing… that enormous thing... he planned to capture it alive?

All eyes turned back to the cockatrice.

And at that moment—

 Kkieeek! Kkieeeeeek!

Was it ready?

The cockatrice’s crimson eyes flared as it shook its massive body and spread its wings wide.

Flap! Flap!

Dust and rubble clinging to its body scattered in all directions, slamming against the walls.

It was already huge, but with its wings spread, the entire chamber felt as if it were suffocating under its presence.

Then—

“Now that’s a sturdy one. Bet it spits venom real well.”

Hardin smiled in satisfaction.

But the knights who saw that expression...

‘Capture that thing? We’d barely be able to kill it.’

‘He’s lost his mind.’

They froze up, clearly overwhelmed.

And right after—

 Kkieeeeeek!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The cockatrice charged forward violently.

“E-Everyone, battle positionnnns!”

“Damn it!”

As Beryl shouted, the knights reflexively drew their swords, blue light flashing from their eyes.

But then—

“The hell are you all doing.”

Smack! Smack!

Hardin kicked the knights away with brutal force.

“Argh!”

“What are you doing, sir?!”

The knights sprawled on the ground with their swords shouted in protest, and Hardin, arms crossed, responded.

“I just told you. Just now. We’re not killing it—we’re capturing it. So what are you doing drawing your swords?”

“N-Now wait a minute, you’ve got to make some sense here...”

While Mikkelsen shouted with a tearful expression—

 Kkieeeek!

The cockatrice had already charged up to right behind Hardin, lunging forward with its massive beak.

“Hup!”

In that instant, Hardin leaped hard to the side.

KWAANG!

The cockatrice crashed into the wall, its beak slamming into the stone while its giant body wobbled clumsily from the impact.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the wall where its beak had lodged, and large chunks of rock fell to the ground.

Had Hardin been even a moment slower, his body would've been flattened just like that wall.

‘Damn it... What kind of monster even is that?’

‘How the hell are we supposed to capture that thing?!’

Just as everyone instinctively reached down to grab their fallen swords—

KWAANG!

Hardin scowled sharply and stomped the ground, his voice booming through the cave.

“I’ll say this one last time. If any of you draw your swords, I’ll kill you myself!”

“B-But...”

“Then how the hell are we supposed to deal with that thing?!”

“We brought chains, didn’t we?”

“Huh?”

Mikkelsen asked in disbelief, and Hardin rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a chain and gripping it with both hands.

“Take them out. We’re capturing it with this.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Does this look like a time for jokes?”

God damn it! What kind of lunacy is this!

With miserable faces, everyone hurried to pull out their chains and grasp them tightly.

Meanwhile—

 Kkieeeek!

The cockatrice, now pulling its beak free from the wall with a wobble, flared its crimson eyes and flapped its wings.

Its feathers stood on end—it was visibly enraged.

 Krrhhkk! Krrhhhkkk!

Then it let out a bizarre, retching sound, causing a surge of tension among the group.

‘No way... Don’t tell me it’s that...’

That dreaded “don’t tell me” always ends up catching someone off guard.

SPLAAAAT!

A torrent of violet liquid spewed from the cockatrice’s beak.

“You’ve gotta be kiddiiiiiiiiiing me!”

The knights’ shrill cries filled the cavern as their screams echoed everywhere.

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