"Why does our Snake Queen always end up getting attacked by mental powers?"

Sensing the situation was turning sour, I fired the "Despicable Death Beam" right away. That should be fine, right?

The person looked strikingly similar to Baek Yeon-Yeong. She even resembled the Snake Queen.

…Yes, it was the same woman I saw in the Snake Queen's mental landscape.

Though I wasn’t certain, my choice had to be the right one.

"Graahh!"

With a roar, I let out the fierce cry of a brave lizard.

"This... this lowly lizard dares to...!"

The voice of Ketchalgoatal hissed, thick with malice. It seemed his plan was close to success before my interference.

"Gek."

I sprinted towards the safest place I could think of—right by the Snake Queen.

Honestly, my involvement in this battle was nonsense. I knew that both the Snake Queen and the Bird King were overwhelmingly strong. I couldn’t even see their levels, which meant they were beyond me. And witnessing the sheer force of this clash, I could tell they were even stronger than I had imagined.

The surroundings were utterly devastated. Enormous trees were reduced to stumps, and solid rock formations had crumbled away.

It was a battle between mythical beings. And here I was, the other mythical beast, Komodo-Rania, caught in the middle. Perhaps this was what a shrimp feels like between whales.

"Gegegek."

At least one of those whales was on my side.

"Companion," came the Snake Queen's voice as she regained her composure.

"You’re safe."

"Gek."

"I was so worried, thinking something had happened to you."

She gently brushed me with her tail.

"Kyahhh!"

Ketchalgoatal’s minions rushed towards us, their intent clear.

Just as we braced to retaliate, the Snake Queen took a deep breath.

And then—

Boom!

An immense destructive beam fired out, the same technique I’d seen her use in Argentavis’ nest. This time, however, it wasn’t a single blast. She unleashed wave after wave of attacks.

Kwak!

The beam's trajectory shifted as she moved her head, melting Ketchalgoatal’s army upon contact. No, even before contact, they evaporated instantly.

Not just the minions but even the elite units like Gogaduris and Biikjo dissolved upon contact. I had almost panicked when I saw those two alive; I’d already dealt with them before, so how were they still here?

Just facing those two alone was challenging enough—could I even assist the Snake Queen here?

Kraaak!

That worry was washed away by the Snake Queen’s destructive beam, which turned the enemies into black liquid.

Black liquid—an unsettling, shadowy substance, reminiscent of the strange powers I encountered with the Nachaljo. No matter how hard you hit them, they wouldn’t die. It was a power that defied the natural law of regeneration.

Ketchalgoatal was the source of that power. No doubt he used it to resurrect the Biikjo and the Cockatrice as well. However, something about their regeneration seemed particularly sluggish.

Perhaps it was a different kind of power from what I saw with the Nachaljo. Or maybe the Snake Queen’s attack had been so lethal that it delayed their recovery. If the damage exceeded a certain threshold, they couldn’t regenerate for a while.

The Snake Queen’s attack could kill them a hundred times over. Yet, even though they squirmed, they weren’t entirely dead. However, they were effectively out of the battle for now.

"The heart is not so easily trained," she said softly. "While the body grows strong, the mind has not kept pace."

Despite her overwhelming power, her psyche had been shaken once again.

"Gek."

I brushed my tail lightly against hers. How could anyone, human or snake, be perfect? I could help whenever she needed it.

"Yes. That’s what a companion is for, after all."

Vooom.

A fierce gust of wind surged. The source was none other than the Bird King, Ketchalgoatal.

"How is it that I can’t handle a mere lizard…?"

Frustration twisted his voice as he assumed an aggressive stance.

"Companion."

The Snake Queen’s tail touched my scales.

"The Biik are two yet one, and one yet two."

Woong.

A surge of powerful energy pulsed. The Biikjo’s core within me began to resonate wildly.

"Are you ready?"

I had trained countless times for this fight. Through meditations for insight and simulations with the Snake Queen, the snake and the lizard joined forces to face the Bird King.

"Gek!"

Before Ketchalgoatal could make his move, the Snake Queen lunged forward.

Wham!

With incredible momentum, the Basilisk charged at the Bird King. She had already used her large-scale attack to disable the weaker enemies, including the Biikjo and Cockatrice, so this time, she opted for close combat.

It was not to be underestimated. Even a single charge carried enough force to obliterate an opponent.

The Bird King would be in for a rough time if he allowed himself to be caught by the Snake Queen.

"Ugh!"

Instead of engaging, the Bird King took flight, soaring high into the sky. But the Snake Queen’s assault didn’t stop there. At the tip of her tail, a massive sword glinted—a sword larger than I was.

Swooosh!

The blade was forged from the feathers of the Golden Phoenix.

Yet Ketchalgoatal evaded her sword strikes with swift, agile movements.

"Such brute force is... meaningless!"

Indeed, close combat might not be effective. While the Snake Queen excelled in attack and defense, Ketchalgoatal specialized in speed and maneuverability. A powerful strike is pointless if it doesn’t hit.

But we weren’t done yet.

「Activating Dragon Scale Lv5」

The Snake Queen’s tail concealed yet another blade—Komodo-Rania, a legendary sword. It wasn’t merely hidden; rather, it clung tightly to her tail, so Ketchalgoatal, focused on her primary sword strikes, failed to notice it.

Just as he dodged one strike, I leapt into the air.

The Bird King’s face twisted as he saw the black-scaled lizard soaring towards him.

「Temporarily acquiring Bone-Claw of the Black Dragon」

There was no way he could have anticipated this.

As I swung my claw—

"Nice try."

A dark beam shot out within a narrow range. Unlike a typical destructive beam, it required no prep time. Even if he couldn’t predict it, he could still react. The Bird King sneered with satisfaction.

I was in mid-air; there was no way to dodge.

「Activating Dragon Scale Lv5」

…if I were still my old self, that is.

With my Dragon Scale at level five, I could now replicate previously unreachable skills. The technique I copied was that of the Compi Sage.

Sky Dragon Ascending Step.

To be precise, it was the move he used to dodge my attacks.

「Temporarily acquiring Sky-Walking Step - Unleashed」

Sky-Walking Step—an elite martial art allowing one to bend their body like a bow and defy physical laws. The Compi Sage had demonstrated it for me.

Even though my Dragon Scale had leveled up, mimicking this technique still took a toll. The energy cost was enormous, surpassing even three uses of Bone-Claw of the Black Dragon. It wasn’t efficient, nor was it easy to master.

But it was worth it.

Boom!

I narrowly dodged an otherwise unavoidable attack.

A perfect dodge opened a window for attack.

Gritting my teeth, I channeled my peak inner energy.

Lower energy center, middle energy center. The energy circulated through my entire body and focused in my forelimb.

Whoosh!

Blue flames engulfed my blood-stained body.

My most powerful strike.

With five fingers, I aimed to pierce his head.

Kraaack!

Bone-Claw of the Black Dragon.

"Khuaaak!"

Ketchalgoatal spat blood as he plummeted to the ground.

"Ssss!"

The Snake Queen dove after him, angling her body to catch him as he fell.

Even with the Bone-Claw, the damage would be minor. The gap between us was vast. But the psychological impact would be intense. He had underestimated me.

Kra-boom!

The Snake Queen’s body slam exploded against him.

"Curse you! How dare you!"

Here it was—the desperation phase.

He unleashed a relentless barrage of beams.

Pew-pew-pew!

And that wasn’t the end. He showered us with a multitude of attacks.

Boom!

I dodged alongside the Snake Queen, evading his assaults. Alone, I could never dodge his skills. But with her help, I could manage.

"You… will not…!"

The Bird King’s twisted face grew more grotesque. My attacks seemed to have had more effect than he anticipated.

"Companion, it’s time to end this."

She was right. The Bird King was now attacking blindly, neglecting his defense. This was our chance.

"Allow me to lead."

Rumble.

The Snake Queen’s body shimmered with golden light, powered by the Golden Phoenix feather wrapped around her tail. The aura was the perfect counter to Ketchalgoatal’s.

Her overwhelming inner energy suppressed everything in the vicinity. It was a unique technique of hers, which she called *Celestial Serpent Ascending*.

Not to be outdone,

 I unleashed my own skill.

「Activating Dragon Scale Lv5」

「Temporarily acquiring Mountain-Breaking Overpower」

The Biikjo’s core amplified both our powers. Resonating energies combined two distinct techniques into one.

*Celestial Mountain-Breaking Serpent Overpower.*

It was the force that could uproot mountains and enshroud the world with the serpent's energy.

Swoooosh!

The Snake Queen's golden light converged into a single beam.

And then—

Boom!

A spiraling blue aura coiled around the golden beam.

Kraaack!

Our combined attack pierced through Ketchalgoatal’s head.

Ka-boom!

A massive shockwave followed.

I nearly got flung away, but the Snake Queen’s tail caught me.

"Gek…."

I had no strength left, not even to lift a finger. The enlargement effect had worn off. I couldn’t fight any longer.

I hoped Ketchalgoatal was dead from that attack, but it seemed not—the level didn’t increase. Perhaps the kill was credited to the Snake Queen, or maybe he still clung to life.

Still, he couldn’t be unharmed.

As for the Snake Queen, she remained steady.

Our victory was assured.

The resonance with the Biikjo’s core had allowed us to use more power than usual. Without it, my attacks wouldn’t have had the same effect.

"Gekgek."

I looked up at the Snake Queen, silently urging her to finish it.

"Companion."

But she didn’t continue her attack. Did she think this was enough?

No, that wasn’t like her.

She trembled.

"Flee. Flee immediately."

Flee?

The word caught me off guard.

"Heh… heh…"

A voice emerged from the dust.

"Snake Queen, you never fail to impress."

It was Ketchalgoatal, speaking with clarity I hadn’t expected. He should have been gravely wounded by that last attack. How was he speaking so fluently?

Every instinct warned me to escape now. My body trembled, but I couldn’t leave. The Snake Queen stood between me and him.

"Run… run now…."

Despite her own fear, she urged me to retreat.

But I couldn’t just abandon her.

Ssssh!

Emerging from the mist, Ketchalgoatal’s form changed. No longer a bizarre bird, he appeared human—a mockery of humanity.

Hundreds of eyes adorned grotesque tendrils. He seemed to wear a human face like a mask.

Gone was the bird’s body, replaced by two arms and legs.

"I had hoped to walk the dragon’s path, but this isn’t so bad."

He looked somewhat human—or rather, he was a creature pretending to be one.

"How do I even thank you for guiding me on the path of rebirth?"

The Bird King was a weak snake. How could such a snake wipe out the Snake Queen’s family? How could he harm her mentor?

Only now did everything make sense.

**【 Inmyeonjo - True Form of Tae-Sae 】**

The true mastermind behind his power—a dark god, Tae-Sae.