Chapter 72 My Own
Should I call it a breath?
No, this was a destructive beam.
Not just any ordinary destructive beam, but a beam with the name *Kae-Gaek Death Beam*.
…Why does it have such a ridiculous name?
Let’s set that aside for now and focus.
*Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!*
The blue beam shot from my mouth flew toward the Cockatrice.
I didn’t worry about missing.
The range was broader and the speed was faster than I thought.
*Zzeooeoeoeoeng!*
An enormous shockwave occurred.
The Cockatrice seemed to resist for a moment, but it was helplessly pushed back.
I poured all my strength into it.
After all, if I didn’t finish it now, there wouldn’t be a next time.
*Kwaaaaang!*
An immense explosion erupted from the end of the beam.
The large trees around were swept up in the blast, toppling one by one.
*Ko-qua-a-a-a-a-ang!*
I coughed as I spat out the beam.
*Ko-qua-a….*
The sound gradually diminished.
That was the maximum firepower I could muster.
*Koogoo….*
The Cockatrice lay collapsed on the ground, not moving.
It was impressive that it even maintained some of its shape.
To think I had tried to take it down the conventional way.
My stiffened body began to move slightly.
The petrification was wearing off.
I had defeated it.
Since the petrification was lifting, I could only assume that I had killed it.
…But why am I not leveling up?
Could it be that it has another head?
No, that couldn’t be it.
Even if it had ten more heads, it shouldn’t be getting back up.
The power of the beam I just fired was strong enough to disintegrate its entire body.
A massive hole was visible in the Cockatrice’s body, even from here.
No matter how many heads it had, it would have to die with a hole in its heart.
It was impossible for it to rise in this state.
Moreover, wasn’t the petrification also lifting?
It was only reasonable to conclude that it was dead.
Everything pointed to that conclusion, except for one thing.
The message saying I leveled up hadn’t appeared.
The status window doesn’t lie.
If such a formidable foe had died, it would be normal for my level to increase.
The Cockatrice didn’t budge.
It was far beyond the stage of pretending to be dead.
A chill ran down my spine.
Was the status window malfunctioning?
If not, was it being kept alive by some unknown power?
My instincts screamed at me to rush to its corpse immediately.
I needed to continue piercing it with *Dragon Claws* to be prepared for any situation.
But though the petrification was lifting, my body wasn’t free enough to move.
I couldn’t run to it.
All I could do was watch.
*Kuguguk….*
I felt overwhelmed by an unseen force.
A very unsettling feeling.
That’s when it happened.
A sight beyond comprehension unfolded before me.
“*Kkrreeuk…*”
Black blood oozed from the mouth of the Cockatrice, which should have been dead.
A vile, phlegmy sound.
“How dare you….”
The Cockatrice, now a hunk of meat, staggered as it stood up.
It shouldn’t have been able to stand.
All its limbs were shattered, and the head that should have been attached above its neck was completely gone.
Even if I conceded that it could somehow stand up, how on earth was it speaking without a head?
And how could the Cockatrice, which could only mimic the cries of birds and chickens, suddenly speak like a human?
My whole body shuddered.
I wanted to control it, but my body trembled.
Primal fear gripped me.
“You dare…. kill my kin….”
It was a voice I had heard before.
“A snake… with legs….”
A monstrous bird with a human face.
The *Bird King*.
He hadn’t appeared directly.
There was no way I could miss his massive form.
He was speaking through the body of the Cockatrice.
Even though its vocal organs must have been completely destroyed.
*Thudududuk.*
The monstrous bird’s face emerged from the torn body of the Cockatrice.
“You caused such a commotion… killed my kin… in my territory….”
His voice was full of rage.
“Grrr….”
I could feel that the Bird King was forcibly holding onto the creature that should have died long ago.
Even though it wasn’t the true body, there was no way I could win against it in my current state.
It was a power that defied logic, keeping the creature alive even in death.
I couldn’t guarantee victory even in a better condition, let alone after exhausting all my strength.
“But… I like you.”
The creature’s grotesque face stared directly at me.
“I’ll give you… one last chance….”
*Flash!*
A disturbing purple aura surged.
I knew exactly what it was.
The technique the Bird King used when I first encountered him.
It could be called a form of brainwashing.
“Is a dragon… a snake, or a bird?”
The Bird King repeated the question he asked last time.
No matter how many times he asked, my answer wouldn’t change.
*Crack….*
I clenched my teeth, determined to resist.
“Do you think… you can resist in your current state…?”
*Pshuk.*
Blood gushed from the wounds I had sustained earlier.
“Think carefully. Consider the future as my kin….”
I felt an unpleasant sensation as something tried to invade my mind.
A vile brainwashing that sought to bend my thoughts to his will.
“Imagine yourself with free wings… spewing fire from your mouth, soaring freely in the sky with massive wings….”
As much as I hated to admit it, anyone could easily picture what he was describing.
If wings grew on a body covered in dragon scales, it could only mean one thing.
A dragon.
If I accepted his power, could I become a dragon?
Not just a trickster like a *Bearded Dragon* or *Green Basilisk*, but a true dragon.
A dragon that flew through the sky, breathing fire, covered in black scales.
Why would I refuse that?
No matter how close to a divine beast a guardian serpent might be, it would pale in comparison to a dragon.
I would skip countless evolutionary steps and become strong in an instant.
“I can see your desire…. Even though you pretend otherwise, I know you long for a human body as well….”
If I became a dragon, I could also assume a human form.
I could use something like polymorph.
“It’s the instinct of all divine creatures…. Accept my power, and you can have everything you desire…. Become mine…. Kill the snake, and become a servant of the bird….”
The voice that initially sounded dreadful began to sound sweet at some point.
It felt like all my problems would be solved if I just listened to him.
Would I need to keep risking my life, constantly struggling for survival?
With overwhelming power, all the problems I had worried about would vanish.
“Is a dragon… a snake, or a bird?”
Will I be swayed?
“*Grrrrr….*”
I let out a low, fierce growl.
It was an expression of my determination never to submit to him.
“Your resistance is meaningless….”
*Flash!*
Another blinding light burst forth.
“Now that one is dead, the burden should be lighter.”
My mind grew hazy.
I instinctively knew I had reached my limit.
The fact that I was still holding on was a miracle.
If a little more pressure were added, I might give in to him.
“Serve the Bird King.”
*Crack.*
At the moment I clenched my teeth.
*Whoosh.*
I felt one of my scales heat up.
No, it wasn’t just a feeling.
One of my scales had turned golden.
It was a warm light, like a mother’s embrace.
*[The Snake Queen’s Mark activates.]*
*Zzeooeoeoeoeoeng!*
A golden flash burst forth.
At the same time, a white arm wrapped around my body.
I couldn’t feel the touch.
An illusion.
No, it was more like a spiritual form.
Yet somehow, it felt warm.
A warmth peculiar to reptiles, which could be considered slightly cool.
I looked up at the owner of the spiritual form.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
An expressionless face.
It was a face I knew all too well.
The spirit of the Snake Queen glared coldly at the Cockatrice.
To be precise, she stared directly at the enormous spiritual form of the Bird King visible around it.
“You’ve crossed the line, Bird King.”
“How… is this possible?”
His voice clearly carried a tone of bewilderment.
“How dare you covet what belongs to another.”
Neither the Bird King nor the Snake Queen was here in person.
One had temporarily appeared, borrowing the body of a dead bird monster.
The other had sent a spiritual form through some unknown power.
Yet the aura they exuded far exceeded my full strength.
“Is this one of your servants? How dare you enter my territory….”
The Bird King spoke in anger.
The atmosphere was tense, as if they would clash at any moment.
The Snake Queen sneered at his reaction.
“Servant, does it look like that? Uhuht. Yes, I suppose that’s the only conclusion you could draw.”
“…So it’s not a servant? Then why have you stepped foot into my domain, Snake Queen?”
“When you covet what belongs to another, I have no choice but to intervene.”
“If it were your servant… I could understand…. But coming here for one who isn’t your servant,
that makes no sense…. Tell me the truth, Snake Queen. What is he?!”
His booming voice echoed through the entire jungle.
The Snake Queen briefly furrowed her pretty face.
She gently caressed my ear before raising a finger to her lips.
“Shhh.”
She replied with an expression that said, “Why are you asking something like that?”
“He is mine.”