EPISODE 23

Not even a few days had passed, yet the Sapphire Snake I hadn't seen in so long seemed much larger than I remembered.

By the way, is it true that snakes keep growing until they die?

A Jewel Beast would certainly live far longer than ordinary snakes.

I suddenly wondered how old this snake was.

"Hoo..."

The sudden sigh drew my attention to Carzakh. Despite the biting chill that made every breath visible, the man was sweating profusely.

"Are you okay?" I asked

"Am I okay? Are you asking me that now?" Carzakh smiled calmly, but something about him felt off.

Well, one had to understand men and their pride. Still, it was surprising to see someone like him uneasy, no matter how formidable the opponent.

Arjan is...

Looking in her direction, I noticed there was still time before the battle commenced.

I turned back to Carzakh and pressed him, hoping to improve our chances, even if just by a fraction. "You are hiding something, right?"

"What?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It is about what happened between you and that Jewel Beast, Senior," I replied.

"And why do you think that?" he asked, his voice low and guarded.

"There is no clear reason," I said nonchalantly. "If you have something to say, you should say it now while there's time."

Carzakh stared at me for a moment before blurting out, "You cheeky brat."

Swearing at me now?

"You are similar to Delac," he muttered, pausing briefly. "It took what I valued most."

"More than your arm?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes," he answered grimly.

"What is it?" I pressed.

"Family," he said, the word heavy with emotion.

Carzakh fell silent as though searching for the right words.

"I had a younger brother, much younger than me—about your age. He kept insisting on going hiking with me, and I couldn't bring myself to refuse him.

"Though he lacked skill, his instincts were sharp. He was the first to sense the Sapphire Snake in the swamp. When that snake bastard opened its jaws, he shoved me out of the way. That was the last time I saw him. The one I was supposed to protect ended up protecting me."

I didn't know what to say, so I stayed quiet. Instead of looking at each other, we both stared at the massive Sapphire Snake.

"Since that day, I've hunted that snake bastard and fought it countless times. It's never ended. Every time I felt overwhelmed, I retreated to plan for the future. Back then, I thought it was the right choice. If I died, my brother's vengeance would have died with me."

Carzakh lowered his gaze to his hand. "But now, looking at myself, I wonder if I was simply being a coward instead of careful."

I remained silent.

"Fuck, I'm saying all kinds of things. Is it really my time to die?" he muttered.

"You have to live," I said firmly before pulling out the Ring Sword and handing it to Carzakh.

"What is this?" he asked, eyeing it skeptically.

"An artifact—the Ring Sword," I explained.

I had detonated it once during my fight with the assassins, but the weapon's main body was this ring. If I'd had it then, I could have drawn the sword and used it two or three more times, maybe more.

"I have a sword," he said.

"I know. Use this one as a spare," I replied.

"Why?"

"Because I'm strong even without utilizing sword techniques," I said with a confident smirk.

Carzakh's mouth twisted as he slid the sword he was holding back into its scabbard.

I explained with a smile, "It is simple to use. You can adjust the length by rotating the ring—"

I glanced at Carzakh's empty right sleeve and shrugged. "Which finger should I put it on?"

Carzakh silently raised his middle finger at me.

This fellow is so rude.

"Is this length okay?"

"A bit longer," he replied.

"How about now?"

"That's good," Carzakh said, his expression complicated as he studied the Ring Sword.

"Before a mission, Dan would always bring me a sword," he muttered.

Dan was likely his younger brother's name.

How did the older brother feel when using his deceased brother's name as a pseudonym?

I couldn't imagine that since I didn't have younger siblings and had little affection for my older brothers and sisters.

"Would Dan be happy if I killed this bastard?" he wondered aloud.

"How can a dead person be happy?"

Carzakh stared at me.

"Of course, this doesn't mean that nothing will change," I said thoughtfully. "I think the repose for the dead is more of a ritual for the living. If you kill it, your mindset will change, Senior. Won't that be enough for now?"

At this time, Arjan's location was confirmed. She was skillfully climbing the wall and was now within close range of the Sapphire Snake.

"Senior," I called.

"What is it?"

"That is an artifact," I pointed out again.

"You told me that earlier."

"It is expensive. Please use it well and return it," I urged.

He scoffed. "Ha."

Kuaaaah!

A deafening roar suddenly echoed. The Sapphire Snake went on a rampage as Arjan ran away.

She succeeded.

This was the beginning.

***

The small scale was clearly a weak point. Arjan knew it the moment she struck. This confidence didn't stem from a deep understanding of the snake's anatomy; instead, she focused on the Sapphire Snake's reaction and the sensation she felt.

A roar of pain echoed, chaos unfolding as blood poured from the snake's eyes and mouth. This response was too intense for a mere scale to be pierced.

Arjan soared through the air and landed near the cave's ceiling thanks to a protruding part of the wall. From this vantage point, she could fully see the Sapphire Snake's size.

It hit her again—it was massive.

This was an opponent Arjan couldn't kill, even if she died trying. No matter how many times she stabbed it with her dagger, it wouldn't fall.

Killing something this large would take days, even with excessive bleeding. Only Carzakh's attacks could likely defeat it.

The Swordmaster's skill enabled him to extend his Aura Blade, also known as Sword Flame, the advanced form of Mana Blade or Sword Qi, by several meters. With a sword of that magnitude, decapitating the giant snake seemed possible.

Therefore, Arjan's role was to distract. In a battlefield divided into three parts—head, body, and tail—hers was the head.

Kuaaaah!

The Sapphire Snake's rage seemed fixated solely on Arjan.

It was understandable; it had just awakened due to the worst pain imaginable.

For now, she focused on fleeing, narrowing her attention to dodging its strikes. Yet, despite her efforts, she felt the constant presence of death looming over her.

No matter where she ran in the cave, she couldn't escape the Sapphire Snake's reach. She could only dodge most of its attacks at the last moment.

Though she avoided the worst of them, flying debris, shattered walls, and other hazards left small injuries across her body.

Of course, there was no need for her to keep fleeing like this.

Slash!

The Sapphire Snake hissed once again as Carzakh struck it.

The Swordmaster's attack has landed.

That thought crossed Arjan's mind.

Though the snake's massive body obscured the view, Carzakh's assault had likely started below.

Carzakh was responsible for the body. His role was to deal devastating blows to the Sapphire Snake from the safest position, continuously inflicting damage. He had the strongest attack among the three of them.

Arjan noticed the Sapphire Snake's attention shifting away from her.

The snake was surprisingly clever. No matter how enraged it became, it never allowed itself to be consumed by anger.

With this brief attack, the snake had reassessed its enemies. It now considered Carzakh a greater threat than Arjan, who had fallen to the bottom of its priorities.

This was a positive development. With the snake focused on Carzakh, Arjan could more easily hide her presence. In such a situation, the assassin's method of combat proved most effective.

The next opportunity will come.

At that time, she would stab this Jewel Beast in the eye or cut out its tongue.

The snake hadn't forgotten Arjan's presence, but this no longer mattered. This would be a prolonged battle, and it would be impossible for the snake to keep track of her at all times. Even a brief moment of distraction would be enough.

At some point in the fight, whether from Carzakh's next slash that momentarily distracted the snake or from an opportunity Arjan seized, the Sapphire Snake would once again become aware of her presence.

***

Days like this came rarely—exceptionally clear when every part of the body and mind seemed to insist that it was the best day.

Carzakh wanted to defeat the Sapphire Snake on such a day. Yet, his condition wasn't ideal. Until just before the battle, he had felt off.

My mind is clear. In addition, his body was light. Perhaps due to this mood, there was nothing excessive about the Sword Flame surrounding his sword.

Carzakh realized the reason and inwardly laughed. What an interesting kid.

Luan had spoken to him just before the battle. It wasn't a grand conversation and didn't offer any meaningful advice. But sometimes, simply sharing what was on one's mind could clear one's head.

Carzakh suddenly remembered something. It had been so long since he had shared what was on his mind with anyone. The longer he held onto a thought, the heavier it became. Sometimes, he needed to share it to lighten the mental load, but he couldn't do so.

He is a cheeky kid, Carzakh thought.

Thanks to this, he had a rare experience. Starting in the worst condition, he found that the more he fought, the clearer his mind became. It felt as though his body was gaining momentum. With each swing of his sword, it grew sharper.

Although the Sapphire Snake was still a threat, it seemed weaker than before.

Carzakh jumped high and brought his sword down. Then, a straight line appeared on the Sapphire Snake's body.

Were the scales this easy to cut?

A twisted smile crossed Carzakh's face. His confidence grew with each moment of the fight.

Today, this Jewel Beast would die at his hands.

***

I struck the Sapphire Snake's tail as it whipped through the air. My wrist throbbed, but I managed to deflect it.

The tail was this Jewel Beast's primary weapon. Its scales, the size of rocks, were as hard as metal. When swung at high speeds, it was as deadly as a weapon of mass destruction. This made controlling the tail the key to winning the battle.

Arjan kept the Sapphire Snake's head occupied while Carzakh prepared to deliver the final blow.

My task was to block the tail's movements.

So far, everything was going as planned—perhaps too smoothly.

The Sapphire Snake's movements slowed as the wounds Carzakh inflicted took their toll. The blade, heavily coated with poison from the assassins, had a powerful effect against the snake, just as Osel had boasted.

A tearing sound echoed, and something fell with a thud.

At first, I assumed it was a bright red snake. But upon closer inspection, it was something different.

Is it the Sapphire Snake's tongue?

In other words, Arjan, who was in charge of the head, had achieved significant results.

The tongue was a more vital sensory organ for snakes than the eyes or nose. Now that we had successfully removed it, the snake could no longer fully track our position in this battle.

If that were the case, we had passed the most dangerous stages of the fight. All that remained was to steadily inflict wounds and render it immobile until we could sever its head.

Thus, I frowned.

Is this really all there is to it?

It wasn't weak. Even now, my life was in constant danger. But were Carzakh and Arjan so worried about an opponent of this caliber?

This is too easy.

My mind grew cold. The more optimistic the situation, the more nervous I became due to my senior brother's teachings.

Was I missing something?

I knocked away the tail once again.

Baaang!

The Sapphire Snake's tail slammed into the wall with such force that the wall shattered. The closer it got to death, the more intense the moment became, but this wouldn't last long. If I got the chance, I'd destroy its tail completely.

At that moment, I froze.

A new space appeared where the tail had struck. Behind the wall was an unexpected opening. It wasn't entirely unusual; the place where Carzakh had been hiding was similar.

However, a chill ran down my spine when I saw what lay beyond. Countless white eggs lined the space, and they had already hatched!

I quickly scanned the battlefield. The cave's other entrance, initially hidden by the Sapphire Snake's massive body, came into view. Beyond it, dust billowed wildly.

Rumble...!

"Shit. I knew it would be like this!" I cursed, gritting my teeth as the Sapphire Snakes rushed toward me.