[Author’s Note] Thank you for reading. Chapter 9
3. Ruins008 Part – Ruins #2
I peeked at the sleeping snake and the stairs behind it and let out a small, thoughtful “Hmm.”
To step through the door, I inevitably needed to get closer to the snake.
‘It won’t suddenly wake up or anything, right?’
I recalled the documentaries I enjoyed watching. They often said that snakes have poor hearing and don’t pick up sounds well.
The myth that playing a flute or whistling at night would bring snakes out was, apparently, a whole load of nonsense.
Their sense of smell was based on flicking their tongues to gather scents, so I doubted that the sleeping creature would catch a whiff of me.
Yet, just maybe, there was a chance of that happening.
I trembled all over. With my shaky legs under control, I took a cautious step toward the snake’s rear.
—Hoo-woom, hoo-woom.
Occasionally, a heavy breath escaped from its nose.
It suddenly reminded me of that time I stealthily grabbed the TV remote from my sleeping father’s hand.
Like my father back then, this creature was undoubtedly deep in slumber.
—Hrrrmm.
The snake stirred its head suddenly. It seemed that the light refracting from the crystals was invading its sweet dreams.
I tucked the crystals back into my robe. The light leaked out, but my arm blocked it, plunging the cave back into darkness.
As the snake wriggled its head, the sound of its rough scales rubbing against each other echoed through the wide chamber. I stood frozen, forgetting even to breathe. Thump, thump—my heart pounded loudly.
To calm my racing heart, I squeezed the crystals I held tighter.
—Hoo-woom.
After some time passed, the snake resumed its steady, even breaths. I, too, inhaled softly, letting out the breath I had been holding in.
‘Not much further now.’
Carefully avoiding the statues lounging near the snake, I finally reached the door, pushing my body through.
I could see the faint moonlight filtering down from the top of the stairs. A breeze wafted down, kissing my cheeks as it passed.
The ancient nest—the evening wind of that forest seemed chilly and eerie, yet who would have guessed it would feel so welcoming?
I ascended the stairs cautiously.
The steps were strewn with dirt and stones, so I remained mindful not to make a racket as I climbed.
Once I reached the top, I craned my neck through the illuminated hole. Before me appeared a small space puncturing the ceiling, like a manhole with wrought iron bars.
Beyond the iron bars piled high with leaves, two moons glimmered blue against the forest sky.
As I stretched out my hand toward the ceiling, the iron bars creaked ominously.
Like the swords the statues held, many areas were covered in rusty patches; it seemed they could definitely be broken with a little effort.
‘It’s so rusty, it might make a loud noise.’
I glanced down the stairs.
The snake was hidden from view by the ceiling at the staircase base, but its breathing loomed large in the air.
My mind raced for a brief moment.
Before the snake woke up, breaking through the ceiling and making a quick getaway seemed like the best plan.
‘The entrance to the stairs is small, so the snake might not be able to fit its head through here.’
What could be called a door or passageway leading down to the stairs was clearly narrower than the snake’s gigantic head.
Assuming this stone structure was built sturdily, even if it did wake up, there was little chance it could reach me with its fangs.
‘But just in case, let’s escape as quickly as possible.’
I popped the crystal into my mouth, planted my feet firmly on the ground, and pressed my front paws against the ceiling.
I struck a pose reminiscent of Atlas hoisting the Earth or Sisyphus holding back a rolling boulder.
Creeeeak, screeech.
Rusty metals squealed as they shifted in the ceiling’s crevice, and I felt a glimmer of hope as I sensed the upward motion.
Just a little more effort, and I’d be outta here!
—Sssssss…
A disturbing sensation wafted up from below the stairs.
I felt anxious enough to worry about the crystal I held in my mouth shattering, so I gripped my jaws and limbs tightly.
Creeeak, screeech.
As the iron bars pressed out, a heavy impact sent me off balance. Turning my head, I saw the snake’s green eyes peering at me through the narrow doorframe.
My hairs stood on end, and it felt like the bl**d in my veins froze.
It was nothing compared to the three-eyed wolf; this was the true, complete predator.
With a powerful thud, the snake slammed its head and body against the narrow doorway.
Dust fell from the stone building as if it would collapse at any moment.
‘I’ve gotta get away fast!’
They say life-threatening situations can boost one’s strength to the extreme, right? I felt an unprecedented rush as I pushed against the ceiling.
Screeeech, woosh.
The rusty plates finally gave way, and at last, an exit to the surface was revealed. Joy surged in me as I leaped and thrust my body into the opening.
—Sssss.
At that moment, something sticky and slippery coiled around my back leg, yanking me back.
‘What the heck is this!?’
It was the snake’s long tongue! It had shot forward into the tight space like a chameleon or a frog, snaring me up.
I was yanked down to the underground floor in the blink of an eye. As I collapsed onto the ground, the snake’s eyes came into view.
—Kaaak!
In a rage for being disturbed from its slumber, or maybe in a wild celebration of this unexpected meal, it opened its mouth wide and hissed threateningly.
Green venom dripped from its thick fangs.
I scrambled to my feet and turned back toward the stairs. At that moment, the massive tail struck down, smashing the passageway.
While staring at the collapsed stairs, I saw the snake’s green eyes narrowing, gleaming like a crescent moon.
‘So, I really have to fight, huh.’
I crouched low and growled. I may have tussled with humans, wolves, and imps before, but I’d never fought a humongous snake, and I had no idea what to do.
—Kaaak!
The snake roared again. Its green eyes shone brightly, scanning the area. With that, a loud cracking sound echoed as objects froze and shattered.
Leaves that had fallen on the ground instantaneously turned to stone. Not just the leaves, everything visible turned rigid and hard.
‘Turned to stone?’
I felt like I had been socked in the head! The memory surfaced of the meticulously crafted statues that didn’t seem like much but clearly held power.
They might not be statues at all, but living creatures!
One thing was certain: this snake had the power to petrify things with its gaze, similar to Medusa from Greek mythology.
—Sssss.
The snake tilted its head slightly. For a moment, its eyes burst with green light again.
The hardened, petrified objects crackled uneasily.
Only I and the surrounding leaves remained unharmed.
—Sssss.
The snake’s eyes narrowed even further. Its unpleasant gaze scanned me up and down.
I raised my gaze to meet its head.
There was a part of its forehead where the scales had split open and red bl**d seeped out. Was that from when it banged against the stairs earlier?
‘It can be injured too.’
The fact that it was bleeding made me feel like it wasn’t some monstrous creature but a living being, just like me.
Crouched on all fours, I faced off against it.
In terms of size, I was at a complete disadvantage—a mouse before a snake—but for some reason, it seemed hesitant to pounce and instead was just lurking, waiting for the perfect moment.
From its green eyes, I could sense a mix of irritation and anxiety.
‘Being cautious in hunting, huh?’
I too racked my brain, trying to figure it out.
It appeared that it was a shrewd creature capable of snaring me with its tongue and smashing down my escape route.
The snake was likely being extra careful to avoid taking damages from my poisonous quills.
A cornered prey could give up on life and send its fangs flying, after all.
I had felt that keenly with the imps, the marbling.
‘Right now, I’m still in the position of prey.’
—Haaak!
Suddenly, it seemed to spot an opening, and it lunged at me with its mouth wide open.
In a surprising burst of speed, I couldn’t dodge in time and was captured between its fangs.
—Ughh!
I screamed in pain as it pierced through me. In the chaos, the crystal I had been holding fell to the ground with a clear chime.
—Who do you think you’re biting?!
In the midst of being impaled, a surge of rage overcame me.
It was both frustration at my abrupt downfall in this miserable world and anger at being viewed as just another meal by that big sack of scales.
The overwhelming pain quickly morphed into a vivid crimson anger.
I sharpened my claws and began to rake at whatever I could reach inside its mouth and on its scales.
—Haaak!
It opened its jaws wide, dropping me to the ground. The scales all around its face had peeled away, revealing deep wounds.
As I grinned, looking at its grotesque reptilian face dripping bl**d, I couldn’t help but feel a surprising sense of exhilaration.
Considering how large it was, it turned out it wasn’t so terrifying after all.
*
The queen of the legless beasts, the basilisk El-Gasa, lost her bearings in a pain she hadn’t felt in decades.
This was the first time she’d felt such agony since the three-eyed wolf.
The beast she had thought would be an easy snack was somehow unaffected by her Ma’an.
Moreover, she had plunged her fangs deep into its body, injecting venom with all her might, yet it moved without a hitch and even fought back!
How could this be? Such potent venom should have incapacitated any creature many times larger than this one.
Her mouth and face stung from the claws that had grazed her. They were far from ordinary—even capable of leaving wounds on her hard-as-rock scales.
—Kaarrrk.
The creature reared up and, balancing itself on its two hind legs like a human, let out a tremendous roar. Even El-Gasa’s not-so-great hearing couldn’t ignore the sound.
That roar, so unlike any ordinary beast, stirred up a flicker of déjà vu in her.
Once, a very long time ago, perhaps when she had been just a tiny serpent, she might have heard such a howl.
But despite having evolved multiple times into a superior being, El-Gasa was still merely a beast, and could only recall a vague sense of “I think I’ve heard this before,” without being able to pinpoint a time.
—Kaarrrk.
As the echoes of the roar continued, El-Gasa felt her body shaking. She realized, to her surprise, that she was experiencing fear.
Having lived through countless seasonal shifts, she was now afraid of a merely snack-sized creature.
—Kaarrrk.
The creature’s crimson eyes flickered with light.
El-Gasa felt her bl**d suddenly freeze.
It didn’t take long for her to realize what this creature truly was.
It was none other than Breed Ratel, mortal enemy of snakes.
The way it lunged without fear or hesitation at a vastly larger beast was undoubtedly a trait inherent to the Ratel species.
Sure, this guy looked pretty different from the Breed Ratel she knew, but the anger coursing through it and its resistance to poison were unmistakably ratel-like traits.
The ratels had eagerly devoured El-Gasa’s mother and her precious eggs as they raided the nest.
The mother, who could paralyze a three-eyed wolf with just a single drop of venom, showed no concern when faced with the Fire Snake Viper.
The intoxicated creature had dozed off, snoring and drooling as it slept, only to wake up and start feasting on its fellow snakes once again.
A memory of her own past, trembling and hiding in a corner of the nest, flickered through her mind.
But this time was different.
She had grown enormously, and this creature still bore the fresh scent of a newborn.
—Sssss.
The noble queen of the snakes, El-Gasa, could not accept that she was feeling fear.
With a massive mouth wide open, she charged at the creature.
If poison and Ma’an had no impact, just constrict and twist it to d*ath.
However, with its claws raking her body, El-Gasa found herself retreating, twisting away from the brunt of the attack.
Having lived comfortably relying on her powers, she had no idea how to fight against an opponent against whom her skills didn’t work.
