Chapter 31: Eye Contact
TL: Potato-tan
Proofreader: Asianpotato
‘Seriously, what the hell is a crocodile?’ But ever since she first fell into this underground labyrinth, Julia has never once spoken or acted carelessly. Almost everything Russell warned about came true.
Giant grubs falling from the ceiling, blind goblins leaping out of ant-like holes, and even corpses left for dead are reviving.
If Julia had fallen alone without Russell, she would have died long ago and become an undead wandering the labyrinth, just like them.
Julia turned her head in the direction that Russell was looking. When she focused her magic power into her eyes, she could see something faint approaching.
It was literally a crocodile. Not just one. A group of crocodiles was approaching.
Low-slung reptiles are approaching, swinging their short legs. But that doesn’t mean they’re small.
Instead of being low, they have wide, hard bodies covered in gray scales and leather. The beast’s eyes gleamed yellow. The beast’s mouth was filled with sharp, pointed teeth, which opened and closed with a clattering sound.
On top of that, they were not of an ordinary size. They seemed like they could even eat a big wolf.
“There is a giant snake and giant crocodiles. They’re a good match.”
“Huh?”
“Look further back.”
Julia put a little more magic power into her eyes. The technique of strengthening sensory organs by infusing them with magic power can cause permanent disability if the magic power operation ability is insufficient. Moreover, the eyes are one of the most complex structures in the human body.
However, Julia used her magic power with a more proficient operation than before, enabling her to identify the person Russell was referring to. Russell exclaimed softly. This woman also has considerable talent.
“. . .What a crocodile.”
Julia muttered.
A crocodile was slowly walking behind the six or so crocodiles. here was a huge monster that made the ones in front look like babies.
It was taller than Julia from the ground to the top of its head, and its body was so tightly covered with leather that it looked almost like armor. Russell agreed with her.
“Yeah. It’s like a dinosaur.”
“Dinosaur? What is it?”
“Isn’t there anything like that here? Don’t worry about it. Anyway, we have no choice but to fight now. Did you understand?”
“· · ·I don’t want to understand.”
Russell pointed out that they were now under attack from both front and back. Right in front of them, the ancient dragonkin, Basilisk, with its petrification eyes, was asleep, and behind them, a group of crocodiles and a giant crocodile were approaching.
Even if it was not an exaggeration to say that it was the biggest crisis situation they had faced since entering the labyrinth, Russell smiled broadly.
“Very good.”
Julia looked up at him with a bewildered look.
“What in the hell is so good? It’s perfect for dying.”
“Who said I’m going to die? Look. We’ve got food now. We’ll eat until we burst.”
The bewildered look has now turned into astonishment.
“W, What?! Are you crazy?!”
“Why? Snake and crocodile meat is delicious.”
“Have you ever eaten it?!”
“No.”
“If you hadn’t eaten it yourself!”
“I wanted to eat it.”
In his previous life, there were a few foods that he had vowed to eat when he traveled the world, and snake meat and crocodile meat were among them.
“They say it’s similar to chicken if cooked well. It’s also rich in protein.”
Protein could not be missed.
Julia shook her head fiercely.
“I’m not going to eat it. I’m not going to eat it. That’s a monster!”
“Monster or not, I’m going to eat it. Aren’t you hungry?”
“No matter how hungry I am! There’s something else to eat, how can you eat a monster. . .!”
‘This woman still doesn’t know real hunger. Humans are animals that even eat their own children when they’re hungry.’ Russell said.
“I’ll grab the snake. You take the crocodiles.”
Ultimately, his frail body sentenced him to death, preventing him from consuming reptile meat. However, now he has reincarnated into another world with the memories of his previous life. Furthermore, unlike his previous life’s weak body, he now has an unbearably strong body. He had strange eyes, however.
Julia looked at Russell, who was walking toward Basilisk, and hurriedly grabbed his arm.
“What are you talking about? Why are you taking the basilisk? Didn’t you hear what I just said? Basilisk has eyes of petrification! I’d rather take it. This helmet can deflect most curses.”
With that, Julia activated her armor. Then, as she had seen before, the folded pieces of iron clattered and stretched out, completely covering her head and face. The silver hair that had been hanging down also curled up on its own and went into the fancy helmet. Even when he looked at it again, it resembled Iron Man.
Julia spoke in a slightly buzzing voice.
“With this, I’ll be able to defend against that petrifying gaze.”
“Are you sure? That you can block it?”
“I can do it.”
“Your answer is a bit late.”
Russell turned away from Julia and looked at the basilisk below. Even when he looked at it again, it was big.
Suddenly, Russell recalled the scene from his previous life where an anaconda wrapped its body around the body of a caiman crocodile and crushed it before eating it. The basilisk was large enough to wrap its body around even the giant crocodile that came after them. It would be fun to make them fight.
“To qualify as an ancient dragonkin, one must be a creature from a far-off era. Besides, as far as I know, dragonkin are a race that gets stronger and stronger as they get older.”
“. . .That’s right.”
“If it’s that big, it must be at least a few hundred years old.”
“. . . . . . .”
“Take care of the crocodiles behind you. I don’t know how great that armor is, but I don’t think it’s enough to deal with a dragonkin that’s hundreds of years old. You’re not sure either.”
Julia shook her head. Her father’s armor, which has mobilized all of the empire’s magic and technology, is undoubtedly unique in this world. In addition to protective spells that block physical attacks, they can also deflect or block curses.
However, if you ask if it can fight even dragonkin, even the elves and dwarves who made this armor would shake their heads. Even diluted, the blood of the great race remained strong.
“T, Then, if you fight the crocodiles behind you and the basilisk. . .”
Russell shook his head.
“I hadn’t thought of that either, but I don’t want to recommend it. If those monsters start running around, this structure itself could collapse. Even if you manage to cross that gap, you may encounter misfortune, leading to the blockage of our path. I doubt those monsters will follow our intentions obediently. Let’s do as I say.”
“Are you confident? If you make a mistake, you might end up looking just like the statue below. Then, then I. . .”
Russell grinned at Julia, who couldn’t finish her words. And then he tapped his eyes.
“Don’t worry. I’m not the kind of person who loses in a staring contest. No one has ever stood properly while looking directly into my eyes.”
Julia looked up at Russell with bewildered eyes. A warrior, his upper body exposed without a single piece of armor, was smiling. She said it without realizing it.
“. . .Don’t die.”
A phrase that she had repeated countless times in the dim and distant past, when she could not even remember. However, time was cruel. She wondered at what age she had stopped looking for her mother’s grave.
With a click, the face cover slid to the left and right, revealing a beautiful face. Julia looked at Russell with her face bare like that and said again,
“Don’t die. If you die, I’ll kill you.”
Russell did not give the same old answer that he could not kill a dead person, but simply flicked her helmet with his finger. He then turned around and jumped down the passage.
She watched Russell’s back as he moved away, and she sent a sphere of light over his head. Under the white light, Russell’s skin glowed even whiter.
Julia, who had given him the maximum help she could, turned her body and looked at the passage. The group of crocodiles was approaching slowly but steadily. The distance had now gotten very close.
The face guard came out again and covered Julia’s face. She pulled out a long sword from its scabbard and held it in her hand; on the other hand, she gathered magic power and walked into the darkness.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Russell glanced at the glowing sphere above his head and continued walking.
In the distance, Basilisk’s head lay on the ground. The distance was quite far, but the huge head made the perspective a little strange, so it didn’t feel like it was getting smaller. However, Russell walked steadily and soon stopped, about ten steps away.
Then, a forked red tongue slipped out of Basilisk’s mouth. The long, grotesque tongue fluttered in the air several times and sniffed around the nostrils.
Snakes use their tongues to smell the air. There was something different in the air, which had felt like everyday life for a long time. The scent of fresh meat filled the air, something It had never noticed before.
Basilisk’s huge trapezoidal head slowly turned towards Russell. There was a small hole above the nostrils, right above the tongue, that was still fluttering.
Sssssssss.
There was a sound that resembled hundreds of fallen leaves rubbing against their bodies. It was the sound of Basilisk’s torso moving.
Russell’s head slowly rose.
The neck that connected to the torso rose as dark emerald scales rippled and moved. His eyes were not open. To be precise, there was no such thing as an eyelid, and something similar to a transparent membrane covered his eyes.
Basilisk moved his huge head and brought it right in front of Russell’s face.
Hoop. Hoop.
The baseball-sized nostrils blew out, scattering Russell’s hair. Basilisk spoke.
━Two long legs. A straight upper body. Two arms hanging down. A tiny head. It’s a human. Unbelievable.
The snake spoke only with magic power, never opening its mouth. It was a voice that made it difficult to tell whether it was a man or a woman.
Russell also stated:
“It’s been a long time.”
━Ah. . . It’s been a long time. In this deep, deep underground, there are only small goblins, rats, and disgusting grubs. It’s been a long time, really. And even more so, a hot human like this.
Basilisk glanced at the human in front of him, realizing that he could see the heat of his prey, not just his eyes.
It was dazzling. It was as if the blazing flames were forming the shape of a human being. It was the first time he had seen a human in this form, even after living for over two hundred years.
━Are you really human? The smell is correct, but my senses seem to be detecting a fire spirit.
“I’m not on fire.”
━Then. . . Oh, it’s magic power. Magic power. Such purity has a magical power. I’m tempted. The temptation is strong enough to reawaken the long-forgotten hunger.
Basilisk laughed. The forked tongue fluttered incessantly. I’m going crazy.
“Are you going to eat me?”
━The smell that makes me forget the change of seasons is coming from you. If I eat you and digest you, I can go higher. . . I can become complete. I’m sure.
Complete.
“Are you incomplete now?”
━All beings born from a dragon’s blood know this. You can tell as soon as you are born. There is no freedom. You humans don’t know. You, who have felt restraint as freedom, do not know true freedom.
“I don’t like word games. So, how are you going to eat me?”
━Hmph. . .
Basilisk’s head was turned to Russell’s side. Subsequently, both the neck attached to it and the torso shifted in sync. He could see what this snake was doing now. It’s about to wrap around. Basilisk continued to circle around Russell without stopping, completely surrounding him.
━First, I’ll make you completely stiff. I won’t turn you into stone, but I will make your large muscles rigid. Then I’ll swallow it whole. You will die in my stomach, slowly, very slowly. ., watching your body melt away with clear consciousness. That’s how you’ll become one with me.
The snake spoke slowly as it turned, its voice alternating between the left and the right. In the end, Russell was standing in a space so narrow that he couldn’t even take a step. In front, behind, and on both sides, there were only dark green scales.
The Basilisk, even without physically squeezing Russell’s body, anticipated human fear. The Basilisk, who could smell the emotions of animals with his nose, found that fear was sweeter than any spices sprinkled on food.
However, Russell did not express any fear. The snake smelled only a little curiosity and a little boredom there. ‘How dare!’
Basilisk didn’t like it. He was a hunter and an apex predator. Was it because he noticed the uncomfortable feeling? Russell said.
“Are you going to open your eyes now?”
━. . . That’s right. You must have seen the statues behind you. They’re fools who didn’t dodge in time or couldn’t sense my eyes. Don’t worry, your future is not like that.
“What are you talking about? I just wanted to say something too.”
━Your last words? I’ll hear it. Speak.
Russell chuckled.
“I’m confident in staring contests. So open your eyes and look carefully.”
The ancient dragonkin, the natural enemy of spiders and the king of all snakes, the master of the ultimate gaze, looked down at the small human in front of him in astonishment. This was the first time he had seen someone so brave, even after looking directly at him. He did not try to cover his eyes or run away in vain.
━I’ll do as you ask.
The snake slowly opened its eyes. The nictitating membrane that normally covered the cornea slowly slid left and right, revealing the pupils.
It was a grotesque eye with the shape of a pointed needle, yellow and light green, filling the iris. The pupils that were exposed to light drew sharp linear lines up and down.
As soon as the snake opened its eyes, it looked directly at Russell, so it was able to see his entire figure, not the shape of a white flame.
Russell, who was tall and large by human standards, was wearing leather boots and pants with nothing on his upper body. Russell carried a great sword on his back, both hands stretched out without holding anything.
The gaze that had come up from Russell’s toes as if it wanted to eat him with its eyes before swallowing him finally reached his face. And. . . . It met Russell’s violet eyes.
━!
Darkness.
Abysmal.
Where is this?
Indescribable.
Ha ha.
Of the abyss.
Kikiki.
Spread everywhere.
Obviously, I.
Saw. Giant.
Ho ho ho.
This place.
Infinitely small.
Hehehe. Look.
Boiling bubbles. Me.
There are no stars here.
Gulp.
Innumerable many. Eyes.
My ■■■.
Impudent.
Hoohoohoo. Ten thousand sparkling dewdrops.
A huge blade of grass covered the stars.
Countless whimpering legs whisper.
Wuwuwu. Shh. Intestines.
There is light.
There is no light.
Darkness.
Pow!
Basilisk’s eyeball burst. Blood flowed like a waterfall. The giant snake wailed.
━!!!!!!
The soundless power of magic shook the floor. Basilisk’s body moved at an incredible speed, and he rushed somewhere. The wall was there.
Kwang━!
The basilisk smashed its head into the wall. However, his leather and scales proved to be more resilient than stone, causing the stone to shatter instead of the skull.
━E-a-a-a-a-a-a-!
Thump, thump, thump. Basilisk banged his head without stopping. The room trembled, and pieces of stone and dust fell from the ceiling.
“I told you.”
Basilisk turned his head quickly to where the sound came from. Red blood flowed over the scales that had turned gray after flipping the dust. The snake, which now had empty eye sockets, looked at him with an organ that could sense heat.
━Ahhhhhhhhh. . .
The shape resembled a blazing white flame. He saw a lone glimmer where his head should have been. Two purple flames. It was looking at him.
“I’ve never lost a staring contest.”