Fortunately, the enemy has not yet noticed us. Hiding behind the rock, me and Erna decided to make a plan while keeping an eye on the cockatrice.
“It has two skills, Petrification Eye (Improved) and Paralyzing Eye. If we go out carelessly, we will be exploited and turned into stone in no time.”
“Then, what are you going to do? Snake can see us in the dark, right?”
“That’s probably right. A surprise attack taking advantage of the darkness would be difficult.”
The two of us folded our arms and ponder. According to the information Bud had told us beforehand, it was the bird’s eye that can petrify. The snake tail is mainly responsible for guarding its surroundings, and it can be ignored as long as we pay attention to its fangs. However, since it is highly venomous, he said that if we were bitten, we’ll be out of the picture.
“Let’s attack from two directions then. I’ll attack the snake. Erna, do something about the chicken.”
“Eh? I’ll deal with the main body?”
“If you don’t mind being bitten, we can change roles.”
Poison doesn’t work on me. Even if I am bitten by any chance, there is a good chance that I will be saved. Moreover, Erna can perform ranged attacks with magic. She should be able to deal with the cockatrice from a position where petrification can’t reach.
“I will stealthily approach the tail and cut off its head. After that, it will be a barrage of your magic.”
“I’m the key to this operation then. Alright, I’ll do my best.”
She’s motivated enough. The strategy I came up with is also perfect. Cockatrice is a big chicken after all. After I defeat it, I’ll make some fried chicken. Kukukuku.
Leaving Erna on the rocky ground, I begin to move with my stealth skill. I crept behind the cockatrice and drew the Bull King’s sword. The cracks in the sword have already been repaired with my Restoration Space magic so there is no problem in using it now.
When I got close enough, I slashed the sword at the snake.
“Huh!? It was able to dodge that!?”
The serpent dodged the sword with a quick movement. Its gaze wandered around where I was, and although it was not clear, it seemed to notice that there is someone here.
I was surprised. It can sense presence after all. I did saw it when I saw its status. I didn’t expect that there was a skill that could break the stealth skill though.
“Surururu!”
The snake approaches me while making such unique sound. The main body, the chicken, is still asleep and does not seem to start moving. Well, perhaps it’s because it doesn’t recognize me as someone dangerous.
“Flame Burst!”
At that moment, the cockatrice was engulfed in flames. I was not injured thanks to the power of my cloak, but my vision was dyed red.
Erna, this girl really…. She attacked ahead of time!
“!!”
The cockatrice spread its wings and blew out the flames in an instant. Strong wind blows in the valley, raising the dust everywhere.
“I-impossible…. It did not work!?”
“Koke!”
Just as Erna hides her face, a beam is released from the bird’s eye and hits the rock.
It’s a hair’s breadth! Goodness! A stone statue of an elf was on the verge of being built!
The main body is now focused on Erna and doesn’t seem to notice me yet. I should cut off the tail now. I activated the nerve strengthening skill and then I kicked the ground hard.
“Hup!”
The snake on its tail was easily severed and it flew up into the air. I quickly undone my stealth and waves my hands to attract its attention.
“Oiii! I’ll turn you into a fried chicken and eat you later!”
“Kokekokoko!”
The giant hen turns around and threatens me with a familiar cry. Probably because it possessed strengthened vocal cords, the loud sound it emitted made my eardrums ring. If I heard a voice like this early in the morning, I’d wake up right away for sure.
The cockatrice leaps high and tramples the ground with its weight. I took a backstep and fled backwards. In the place where I was earlier, the ground caved in and my feet shook. It’s big and the blow is heavy. I managed to avoid the pursuing petrification ray by rolling on the ground.
As expected, that petrification eye (improved) skill is in the way. I can’t get close to it.
“The first thing to do is to stop its movement. In that case…., Thread bomb!”
I shot a ball of thread from my fingertips. The white ball exploded just before it touched the cockatrice’s body , releasing a large number of threads. The sticky thread tangled around its body and tied it to the spot.
“Erna! Final blow!”
“Flare Zone!!”
The Flare Zone, a special class of magic, is activated.
A red dome-shaped space obscures the cockatrice, and the temperature is high enough to melt the rock. The threads that tied it were burned and its white feathers turned into charcoal. When the magic wore off, the cockatrice fell to the ground with a loud thud. Its eyes turned white and white smoke wafted from its blackened body.
However, there was still a weak breath.
“So tenacious! Can’t be helped then. I’ll give you guidance.”
I raised my sword and aimed it at its neck. Just as I was about to slash, the body of the magical beast glowed dazzlingly.
“Koke! Kokeke-”
The wound healed in an instant, and the missing feathers and tail were also restored. Not only that, but its whole body has also changed to sulfur yellow, and the crown and snake tail has become bellflower color. A monster about 20 meters tall and about 25 meters long was looking down on me.
| 【Analysis Result: Basilisk cockatrice: The evolution of the Heresy cockatrice. It has gained the ability to fly, which allows it to fly for up to 20 hours. Rarity: S, Overall Ability: A】 |
| 【Status】 Name: Basilisk Cockatrice Race: Basilisk Cockatrice Magic Attribute: Earth Magic: Rock Bullet, Rock Armor Skills: Fang King Technique (Special), Claw King Technique (Special), Vocal Cord Enhancement (Special), Presence Detection(Advanced), Steel Stomach (Intermediate), Flight (Beginner), Intimidation (Intermediate), Paralyzing Eye (Intermediate), Petrification Eye (Improved) (Intermediate), 2UP Evolution: Conditions are not met < Requirements: Emperor Fang Technique (Beginner), Emperor Claw Technique (Elementary), Ultrasonic Wave (Special), High-Speed Flight (Elementary) > |
It got me. Did it evolve at the last minute?
Moreover, it seems that it has even acquired the ability to fly. This is very bad. Up until now, it has only nested on the road, but if it can travel long distances, Bowl will be the first to be attacked for sure. If that happens, the city will surely be destroyed. We have to defeat it here somehow.
The cockatrice spread and flapped its wings. It is trying to escape into the sky.
“Erna, don’t let it escape!”
“I know! You don’t have to tell me that! Multiple Lightning Thunder!”
Countless purple lightning struck the cockatrices that started to fly. The current cockatrice’s defense power has also increased. Even Lightning Thunder can’t burn it. However, it succeeded in inhibiting its flight. It let out a scream and lands on the ground.
“I’ll fight you as many times as you want until I kill you. I wont lose to a chicken!”
I let out a short deep breath and then accelerated rapidly. First, I made a left uppercut into the opponent’s chest. That alone made the cockatrice’s body rise. I then roundhouse kicked it into the rock wall as it fell.
“Ko-, Koke……”
Although a bit unsteady, it stood up and turned its hostility on me. A dark green liquid spewed out of the snake’s mouth. I reflexively avoided it, and the liquid dissolved the rock it hit, giving off a strange smell. It’s a strong acidic poison. If it hits me, even I, might die.
“Tsu-! Uh-! Tei-!”
I distance myself from the cockatrice while avoiding the poison that is spewed one after another. As expected, it seems to be aware of its greatest weapon. It’s a very tough opponent.
Just as I dodged the poison for the fifth time, a petrification ray shot from both of its eyes and aimed at my body. I hurriedly ran to the shade of a rock and immediately checked the situation. By using my left arm as a shield, I was spared from the petrification of my whole body. However, my left arm up to the elbow was turned to stone.
“If things continue like this, we’ll be in trouble. It would be nice if Erna could create an opening for me…”
“Mind Break!”
With Erna’s cry, the cockatrice staggered. I looked around to see where she was, and she was shooting magic from above straight down.
“How dare you do that to Shinichi!!! I won’t forgive you! Multiple laser! Multiple Lightning Thunder! Multiple Flame Bursts! Multiple Spear Rain! Multiple Break Tornado!”
“F-Fool! Stop! Don’t shoot so much!”
My screams are in vain, magical storm rains down that changes the terrain. And then, there’s an explosion. The flash and shock wave destroyed the rock walls and created large craters in the valley. Its diameter is about 50 meters.
I was blown away and got caught on a tree branch growing on a cliff.
“I remember Dhal saying that mixing multiple spells would cause an explosion.”
My mage might be more dangerous than the cockatrice.
And as expected, part of the valley has disappeared spectacularly. I’m not sure how to explain this to Krypton. In the center of the crater, a black mass is wriggling slightly.
I put my wings out of my back and got closer to it.
“Ko…… ko-ko……”
The cockatrice is chirping in a weak voice. It was its bad luck for making Erna angry. This time, I cut off the cockatrice’s head, thrusts my sword into the ground and lowers my back.
“S-Shinichi! Shinichi!”
Erna landed nearby and hugged me tremblingly. Tears are flowing from her eyes, and she hugged me tightly.
“It was overkill you know. You didn’t have to go this far.”
“That’s because Shinichi’s left arm is turned into stone!”
“Ah-, this?”
I draw my sword and quickly amputated my left arm. The petrified arm shattered as it fell to the ground, leaving only the black bangles. From the cut, bones and nerves begin to regenerate, and the flesh surrounds them. In just about five seconds, my left arm was fully regenerated.
“………Give me back my tears.”
“Nope, not my fault. It’s your fault for forgetting that I got self-regeneration.”
I picked up the bangles and puts it on my left arm again. Well, I’m grateful that I was able to kill it thanks to Erna. It would have been dangerous for one person alone. I then acquired the skills from the cockatrice’s corpse. I got the Prescence detection, Steel stomach, Petrification eye (Improved) and 2UP.
I’ve already decided how to use 2UP.
I opened my status and then I increased the rank of the desired skill. In this battle, I had risen through the ranks of martial arts, universal thread, high-speed flight, and self-regeneration.
Skills that have evolved are displayed one after another in the field of view.
| 【Now that you have met certain conditions, your skills will evolve.】 【Skill Evolution: Analysis → Analysis+】 【Skill Evolution: Life or Death Technique → Heaven and Earth Meridian Hole 】 【Skill Evolution: Stealth → Stealth+】 【Skill Evolution: Division → Full Division】 【Skill Evolution: Enemy Search → Enemy Search+】 【Skill Evolution: King Dragon Breath→ Emperor Dragon Breath】 【Skill Evolution: Dragon Wave Slash → Dragon Slash Flash】 【Skill Evolution: Familiar Strengthening → Familiar Strengthening (Improved)】 【Conditions are met. Skills will be integrated and then evolved.】 【Integrated Evolution: Paralyzing Eye + Petrification Eye (Improved) = Eye of Stone(Improved)】 |
This time, it feels like growth has come all at once. It seems that the King Dragon Breath skill using 2UP has also evolved brilliantly.
By the way, the races High Elf, High Dwarf, High Beastman, and High Winged Man were all absorbed by Primordial Human after the battle with King Logas.
In the end, my status looked like this.
| [Status] Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (Emperor) <Primordial Human, Human (Hero Species), Emperor Dragoneut, Vampire> Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: None Magic: Restoration Space, Isolation Space Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, Indomitable Spirit, King’s Vessel, Emperor’s Vessel, Hero’s Vessel, Path to Relentless Evolution, Full Division(New), Heaven and Earth Meridian Hole(New), Analysis+ (New) ▹Special: Stealth, Enemy Search, Digestion Enhancement, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Leadership, Intimidation, Division, Sand Walking, Separation, Dragon Beheading Slash, Master of War(↑), Self-regeneration(↑) ▹Advanced: Theft, Limit Breakthrough, Danger Detection, Flight, Hardening, Nerve Strengthening, Limit Breakthrough, Self-recovery, Dictatorship, Plant manipulation(Improved), Universal Thread(↑), Presence Detection, High-speed Flight(↑) ▹Intermediate: Awakening, Impact Nullification, Underwater Adaptation, Metal Manipulation, Compression, Explosive Sword Dance ▹Beginner: Slash Nullification, Stealth+ (New), Enemy Search+ (New), Eye of Stone (Improved) (New), Familiar Strengthening (Improved)(New), Emperor Dragon Breath (New), Dragon Slash Flash(New) |
I was able to level up and the request was also accomplished. After things settled down, I decided to ask Erna the question I had from the battle earlier.
“What kind of magic is Mind Break? The cockatrice looked frightened.”
“Ah-, that’s a special dark magic. The effect is mental fatigue. It doesn’t work that well on humans, but it does a lot of damage to magical beasts.”
“I see. That’s interesting.”
Lasers, which are special magic of light, are also powerful, but special magic of darkness could also be a great weapon depending on how you use it. I’m looking forward to seeing her grow further.
“May I ask one more question?”
“What?”
“I’ve been wondering since I saw the cockatrice, is it a bird or a snake?”
Erna looked at me as if saying, “Don’t ask me the obvious”. She then answers with a confident expression,
“It’s definitely a snake.”
“…………I see.”
I decided to go back to Bowl City with Erna.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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