Should I call it a breath?

No, this is a destructive beam.

Not just any destructive beam, but a beam called the Kgaekdeath Beam.

…Why does it have such a name?

Putting that aside for now, let’s focus.

Kwagagagagagagak!

The blue beam shot from my mouth flew toward the cockatrice.

I wasn’t worried about missing.

The range was wider than I thought, and it was faster than I expected.

Jjeoreueueueueun!

A tremendous shockwave erupted.

The cockatrice seemed to resist at first, but it was being pushed back helplessly.

I poured my strength to the limit.

If I couldn’t finish it now, there wouldn’t be a next time.

Kwaaaan!

A massive explosion occurred at the end of the beam.

The large trees nearby were swept away by the explosion, disappearing one by one.

Kukwaaaaan!

I coughed as I released the beam.

Kukwaaa…

The sound gradually diminished.

That was the maximum firepower I could produce.

Kuguuuu…

The cockatrice lay on the ground, not moving.

I thought it was impressive that its form was still somewhat intact.

To think I had tried to take it down properly.

Its rigid body began to move slightly.

The petrifying power was fading.

I had defeated it.

With the petrification lifting, I could only think that it was finished.

…But why wasn’t I leveling up?

Could it be that it has another head?

No, that couldn't be the case.

Even if it had ten more heads, it shouldn’t be able to rise again.

The power of the beam I just fired was strong enough to disintegrate its entire body.

There was a large hole in the cockatrice’s body that was visible even from here.

Even if it had many heads, with a hole in its heart, it couldn’t survive.

It was logically impossible for it to rise in this state.

Moreover, the petrification was lifting.

It was reasonable to assume it was dead.

All the circumstances said so, but there was one exception.

The message about leveling up did not appear.

The status window does not lie.

If such a strong foe had died, it should have been normal for my level to increase.

The cockatrice didn’t move.

It had long passed the stage of playing dead.

A chill ran down my spine.

Was the status window malfunctioning?

If not, was it maintaining its life through some unknown power?

My instincts screamed at me to rush to its corpse.

I needed to keep injecting dragon blood in case of emergencies.

But it was only releasing petrification; it was not in a state to move freely.

I couldn’t run towards it.

All I could do was watch.

Kuguk…

I felt overwhelmed by something invisible.

It was a very uneasy feeling.

Then it happened.

An unbelievable sight unfolded that could not be explained by common sense.

“Grrr…”

Black blood flowed from the cockatrice’s mouth, which should have been dead.

A disgusting sound, like phlegm bubbling.

“How dare you…”

The cockatrice, now a hunk of meat, staggered to its feet.

It was in no condition to stand.

Its arms and legs were all shattered, and the head that should have been atop its neck was nowhere to be found.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, it could rise.

But how could it speak without a head?

And how could a creature that could only mimic the sounds of birds and chickens suddenly speak human words?

A shiver ran through my whole body.

I wanted to control myself, but my body trembled.

Instinctive terror had taken hold of me.

“You… killed my kin…”

I recognized that voice; I had heard it once before.

“A snake… with legs…”

A monster resembling a bird with a human face.

A Manticore, the king of birds.

He hadn’t appeared in person.

There was no way I wouldn’t notice that massive figure.

It was speaking through the cockatrice's body.

All of its vocal organs must have been crushed.

Thud thud thud.

The monster's face popped out from the torn body of the cockatrice.

“You invade my territory… kill my kin… and create a ruckus…”

His voice was filled with rage.

“Grrrr…”

I could feel that the Manticore was forcibly holding onto something that should have died long ago.

Even though it was not its main body, I knew I couldn't defeat it now.

Having a power that kept it alive despite being dead was beyond reason.

When I could not be certain of my strength even when in good condition, how could I contend against it now that I had exhausted all my energy?

“But… I found you interesting.”

Its grotesque face looked straight at me.

“I shall grant you… one last chance…”

Flash!

An unpleasant purple aura rippled.

I knew what it was.

It was the technique the Manticore used when I first met it.

A form of brainwashing, one could call it.

“Is a dragon… a snake or a bird?”

The king of birds asked the same question again.

No matter how many times he asked, my answer wouldn’t change.

I gritted my teeth to resist somehow.

“Do you think you can resist in that state…?”

Pish!

Blood burst from the wound I had sustained earlier.

“Think carefully about the future of you who will become my kin…”

A disgusting feeling as something entered my mind.

The brainwashing was insidiously changing my thoughts to fit its intentions.

“Imagine yourself with free wings… spewing fire from your mouth, flapping your enormous wings and soaring freely through the sky…”

As frustrating as it was, I could imagine everything it was saying.

For my body wrapped in dragon scales to grow wings meant only one thing.

A dragon.

If I accepted its power, could I not become a dragon?

Not a mere punning being like a Bearded Dragon or a Green Basilisk, but a true dragon.

A dragon covered in black scales, soaring through the sky and spewing flames.

Would I have any reason to refuse that?

No matter how much a Komodo Dragon was close to a mythical creature, it would pale in comparison to a dragon.

I would skip countless evolution processes and become stronger in an instant.

“I can see your desires… Though you pretend not to, I know you want a human body…”

If I became a dragon, I could also take on a human form.

I could use something called polymorph.

“It’s the instinct of all beings… Now, if you accept my power, you can obtain everything you imagine… Become mine… kill the snake and become a bird’s kin…”

At first, the voice had only sounded horrible, but at some point, it began to sound sweet.

Hearing those words made me feel like all my problems could be solved.

Would there be any need to risk my life and struggle for survival every time?

If I had overwhelming power, all the problems I had struggled with would disappear.

“Is a dragon… a snake or a bird?”

I wasn’t going to let this go.

“Grrrrrrr…”

I emitted a low, fierce growl.

It was a declaration of my will not to succumb to it.

“Your resistance means nothing…”

Flash!

Another burst of light.

“One has died, so the burden will be lighter now.”

My mind felt dazed.

I instinctively knew I had reached my limit.

It was a miracle that I was still holding on.

With just a little more pressure, I might succumb to it.

“Serve the king of birds.”

Grind.

The moment I gritted my teeth.

Flare.

One of my scales felt intensely hot.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

One of the scales turned golden.

It was a warm light, like a mother’s embrace.

[The Queen of Serpents’ Mark is activating.]

Jjeoreueueueun!

A burst of golden light erupted.

At the same time, a white arm enveloped my body.

I could not feel its touch.

An illusion.

No, it was more like a spiritual form.

But somehow, I felt warmth.

A slightly chilly warmth, unique to reptiles.

I looked up at the owner of the spirit.

Black hair.

Golden eyes.

A dry expression.

It was a face that was far too familiar.

The spirit of the Queen of Serpents looked at the cockatrice with cold eyes.

To be precise, it was staring directly at the enormous spirit of the Manticore nearby.

“You’re crossing the line, king of birds.”

“How… how did you?”

There was a clear tone of confusion in its voice.

“How dare you covet another's…”

Neither the king of birds nor the queen of serpents were their main bodies.

One was momentarily manifested through the body of a dead monster.

The other was sending its spirit with an unknown power.

But the energy felt was far beyond my full power.

“Are you one of my kin?… How dare you enter my territory…”

The king of birds said with anger.

There was a deadly atmosphere as if the two would clash at any moment.

The Queen of Serpents scoffed at his reaction.

“Kin? You think that’s the relationship? Hoohooh. That’s all you can think of.”

“…Are you saying they aren’t kin? Then why have you come to my domain, Queen of Serpents?”

“Because you’re coveting what is mine, I had no choice but to come.”

“If they are your kin… I can understand that… But to come here for someone who isn’t your kin is something I cannot comprehend… Speak the truth, Queen of Serpents. Who exactly is the author!?”

A thunderous voice reverberated throughout the jungle.

The Queen of Serpents frowned slightly at my question.

She gently touched my ear and raised her finger to her lips.

“Shh.”

She replied with an expression that said, Why are you asking that?

“He is mine.”