The woman with red eyes.

She had been revived by Ketchalgoatal… no, more accurately, by Tae-Sae's power.

The Snake Queen knew nothing of such a resurrection ability, so it must be Tae-Sae's doing, not Ketchalgoatal's true power.

*Grrrr…*

A low growl rumbled from my throat.

This sound alone declared the red-eyed woman before me as an enemy.

Escaping the first illusion only led to yet another one. Only by shattering this too could I escape.

…

But waiting? What did she mean by that?

She didn’t seem hostile towards me, either. If anything, her gaze held a warmth, more akin to affection. Her eyes looked like Baek Yeon-Yeong's, yet they brimmed with a depth of emotion that Yeon-Yeong never expressed.

"I'm a bit taken aback. You shot that beam right at my face!"

The red-eyed woman laughed playfully.

"Did you really blast me with such a dangerous move without a second thought? Unbelievable!"

Though she said this, she seemed genuinely amused.

"That child alone would never have broken free. I suppose that’s what it means to have a partner to fill in where you fall short."

What was the purpose of this illusion?

She showed no hostility toward me and just kept talking on her own.

Was she trying to buy time?

"You're eager to escape this place, aren’t you?" she asked, as if reading my mind.

She quickly winked, or at least attempted to—it looked like the awkward attempt of someone unused to winking.

"Having a brief conversation won’t hurt. After all, it’s just a fleeting moment."

I didn’t answer. Communicating with some stranger in my hissing lizard sounds was near impossible, anyway.

Instead, I gave her a slight nod.

For some reason, it seemed this woman before me was not under Ketchalgoatal's control.

Which meant, potentially, she could help me.

"Escaping that illusion by your own strength… does that mean you’re ready to oppose Tae-Sae?"

Tae-Sae.

My opponent wasn’t just Ketchalgoatal.

"Is that wise, taking on Tae-Sae on top of Ketchalgoatal, when even he alone would be overwhelming?"

The evil deity behind him, Tae-Sae.

I would have to face him, too.

"You don’t have a plan, do you? Even before Ketchalgoatal's transformation, he was already a formidable opponent. Now, strengthened by Tae-Sae’s power, how can you possibly defeat him?"

I had no response.

She was hitting the nail on the head.

I had no strategy, no plan.

All I had focused on was breaking free from the illusion and confronting him head-on.

Even with everything I had, I doubted I could overcome him.

Still, retreat wasn’t an option. I’d rather die with dignity than live in shame.

"Those eyes of yours… I can see why the rumors about your wild escapades might hold some truth."

Was she making a joke in this situation?

If she was just going to babble uselessly, maybe I should ignore her and focus on escaping this space.

…No, I needed her help more than anything.

If this woman was indeed the Snake Queen’s mentor and not a mere illusion, she could be a crucial asset.

"I can’t interfere directly, but giving you some information should be fine."

Not allowed to interfere.

Her words sounded strange.

Wasn’t she under Tae-Sae's control?

Just a puppet moving without free will.

But what she was saying implied she had some degree of freedom.

…Could it be she hadn’t been fully consumed by Tae-Sae?

Then, who was it that I had attacked?

My mind chased one thought after another, but this wasn’t the time for that.

The important thing was that this woman might offer me a clue on defeating Ketchalgoatal.

"Because you’re her partner," she said.

I waited patiently for her to continue.

Anything she said might be useful.

"Ketchalgoatal was once a fragile creature."

I had seen it in the Snake Queen’s mind.

A smaller, timid creature compared to other snakes.

That was Ketchalgoatal.

"He still can’t fully handle Tae-Sae’s power."

I didn’t know much about Tae-Sae, but I knew he was an evil god. There was no way even a spiritual beast could wield his power without consequences.

But… this revelation did little to help me.

It only made things feel more hopeless.

If Ketchalgoatal was this powerful without fully accepting Tae-Sae's strength, how much stronger could he grow over time?

"He’s in a precarious state, like balancing on a tightrope."

Precarious.

Yet he still wielded enough strength to toy with me in this unstable state.

"Just a little nudge, and he’ll tip over on his own."

Could it really be that simple?

"Just one strike. All it takes is a single, decisive blow."

That single blow had to be a critical hit, one that could actually harm him.

If I couldn’t even scratch the Snake Queen, landing a critical hit on the far stronger Ketchalgoatal seemed impossible.

"Got it? I just gave you some huge insight."

I didn’t know. If anything, I felt even more uncertain.

As things stood, I couldn’t beat him.

…Or maybe there was still one last option.

With a resigned sigh, I lowered myself.

As humiliating as it was, I couldn’t defeat Ketchalgoatal in my current state.

But I couldn’t submit to him either.

So I had to find a way to win, no matter what.

After a long pause, the red-eyed woman finally spoke.

"What did you say your name was?"

She didn’t wait for my answer.

"Right, Hei."

The red-eyed woman already knew my name.

But I’d never told her.

"Whoever named you sure did a poor job."

Her voice softened as if lost in thought, her silence stretching on for what felt like eternity.

If I had sweat glands, I’d be drenched by now, sweating rivers.

I wanted to stick my tongue out and cool down in the heat.

But until the woman spoke again, I wouldn’t budge.

Yes, this was a form of blackmail.

As the Snake Queen’s partner, and since this woman clearly cared for the Queen, I could use that bond to my advantage.

Give me the information I need.

Without it, I won’t be able to save the Queen.

More time passed.

Finally, she spoke.

"Hei."

Her voice broke the silence.

"You want to know how to beat him, how to break through Tae-Sae’s defenses. Isn’t that what you want to ask?"

One blow.

To make it successful, I’d have to break through his defenses.

But at my current level, even reaching him was impossible.

Those tentacles, like shadows with countless eyes…

Just one of those tendrils was beyond what I could handle.

"Hei, I’ve already told you everything you need to know, countless times."

The red-eyed woman murmured cryptically, leaning in to whisper near my ear.

…That phrase I’d heard so many times before.

The same words she’d used when teaching the Snake Queen.

Something about raising one arm and focusing one’s energy…

I hadn’t understood it then, and I didn’t understand it now.

What did it mean?

Just like Baek Yeon-Yeong’s explanations, it was utterly indecipherable.

Boom.

The space trembled violently.

Instinctively, I knew what it meant.

It was time to leave.

But I still hadn’t found my answer.

All I had were her puzzling words.

I made some sort of noise between a yell and a scream.

Please, help me.

I don’t understand.

"Hei."

The red-eyed woman only smiled.

"It’s already within you."

---

The sky was dark and red.

Ketchalgoatal stood far in the distance.

The Snake Queen had managed to rise, but she looked utterly exhausted.

…I hadn’t reached any revelation.

But that didn’t mean I’d back down.

"Oh?"

Ketchalgoatal's grotesque face turned toward me.

"So, you broke free from the illusion."

A flash of interest crossed his face.

"Or… are you finally ready to accept my offer?"

I took a step forward.

"…Judging by your spirit, it seems you haven’t given in yet."

Boom!

Ketchalgoatal began to walk toward me as well.

The difference was that every step he took left a massive crater in the ground.

Meanwhile, my steps were feeble.

This was the difference between us.

"But since you didn’t come out right away, you must have enjoyed that sweet vision of the future I showed you."

A grin twisted across his face.

"That’s right. What I showed you wasn’t an illusion, but a future. If you follow me, that future can be yours!"

Boom!

"Be honest with your desires. What creature wouldn’t want to become human? You could live as a person, not a beast."

I glanced aside.

The Snake Queen, bleeding profusely, glared at me with frustration.

If I had snapped out of it, I should have run, not returned here.

Her expression held resentment, despair, anger… and faint affection.

She hadn’t abandoned me. I couldn’t abandon her either.

"So, mighty lizard with the scales of a dragon, this is your final chance. Make your choice."

This truly was my last opportunity.

He must have realized I couldn’t be brainwashed into submission.

So all that was

 left was to kill me before the Snake Queen’s eyes.

Step.

"…Are you choosing to drink the poisoned wine?"

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t tempted by humanity.

It would also be a lie to say I wasn’t afraid of dying.

There was an easier path.

If I submitted, I could live in peace.

But that wasn’t an option.

I was the partner of the Snake Queen, who once lost everything and roared from the depths.

I was Hei, Baek Yeon-Yeong’s disciple, a humble lizard striving to reach greater heights.

The lowest beast that aspired to climb to the top, bound by the promise of the Gecko.

"Gaekka (Resolute Roar)."

The lowest creature, crying out as it gazes upward.

"Gaekka (Iron Grip)."

The lowest creature, reaching to grasp what lies above.

"Gaekka (Open Gateway)."

The lowest creature, opening the door for others.

Gaekka was the path I had walked.

Submitting to another was a betrayal of all my bonds, a denial of myself.

A swarm of black and red tendrils hurtled toward me.

…

Time seemed to slow, the world moving at a crawl.

Flashes of memory passed before my eyes.

As I embraced the path of the Gecko, things I hadn’t seen became clear.

One hand reached to the sky.

The other to the earth.

As she had instructed, I summoned energy from the deepest depths of my core.

Finally, I understood.

The red-eyed woman’s teachings to the Snake Queen.

The gift the Snake Queen had passed to me.

The picture drawn by the Dragon-Scaled Snake.

As she said, it was already within me.

*Fwoosh!*

A ray of light pierced the blood-red sky.

The tendrils recoiled in pain, writhing in agony.

Realizing something was wrong, Ketchalgoatal scrambled into motion.

I no longer felt fear.

I was the supreme being in the world.

The most outstanding creature in existence.

The being who would stand above all.

*Tenjo Tenge Yuiga Dokuson*—Heaven and Earth, I Alone Am Honored.

This was my final life.

I would leave no regrets.