Chapter 196: Basilisk [Bonus Chapter 10/10]

Lukas caught a flash of the beast before he looked away.

It was a snake, and it had iridescent green scales that caught the sunlight across every surface, shifting color as the body moved.

A red crown sat flat against the top of its head, vivid against the green. It was long, far longer than the Chilopodas, its body thick through the middle and tapering at both ends.

The Basilisk hissed.

Lukas dropped his gaze to the sand in front of his feet and kept it there.

Ahead, he heard the snap of Karrakas’s bow.

The arrow cut through the air, grazing the snake.

The Basilisk hissed in pain, its body coiling in the sand.

Akira fired a [Death Bolt], the energy streaking through the air. The snake caught sight of it, dodging to the side. The bolt streaked past where it had been.

She adjusted immediately, firing three more in quick succession. This time, she aimed at the body instead of the head.

Two of the bolts hit the beast, the necrosis spreading along its body as the rot worked its way through the scales and into the muscle beneath.

It tried to lunge forward, but the middle section of its body refused to move.

The rot had taken the coordination out of it, and the snake collapsed onto the sand, its front half pulling forward while the rest couldn’t follow.

It thrashed once before Karrakas’ arrow hit the crown. The head exploded, and the snake went slack.

Akira moved forward without waiting, drawing her blade and cutting away the sections the necrosis had consumed before it could spread further.

The rotten parts fell away and she left them in the sand.

Karrakas crouched beside the remaining body. "The meat is a delicacy, so even with the head gone and the rotted sections removed, what’s left has real value."

He took one portion and stored it, while Akira gathered the rest.

They reoriented, Karrakas checking the compass, and continued southeast.

Something had been sitting in the back of Lukas’s mind since the Basilisk appeared.

He reached into his spatial ring and closed his hand around the [Kairos Fillet].

"Akira," he called out.

She glanced back.

He tossed the golden headband towards her, and she caught it without breaking stride.

After a second identifying what it was, she pressed it to her head.

It melded against her skin the same way it had with him, settling in as if it had always been there.

She looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

He grinned, giving her a thumbs up.

She chuckled, turning to face forward.

As they walked, the difference became immediately apparent.

With the [Kairos Fillet] on Akira’s head, she began reacting to beasts before they fully emerged from the sand.

She fired her [Death Bolt] half a second before they erupted, most of them dying before they even laid eyes on their targets, their bodies slumping back into the holes they’d come from.

The few that actually made it out and somehow escaped Akira’s bolt usually met Karrakas’s arrow.

And throughout it all, nothing came within thirty meters of Lukas.

They soon found themselves working with a few established habits.

Walk, scan, react, kill, and keep walking. The sun moved overhead and the red sand stretched on in every direction.

The three hour mark soon arrived.

Ding!

[Congratulations. You have cleared the quest.]

[Reward: +200 Gacha Points]

Lukas let the notification fade and checked his total as he walked.

He now had a total of one thousand points.

He thought about the skill and [Item] banners for half a second and dismissed the idea.

He had no interest in spending a thousand points on a single pull when there was a chance that he could get something better with the mystery box.

All he needed was another thousand points, and he’d be able to open it.

He kept walking, and two more hours passed.

The sun had moved noticeably across the sky by the time Karrakas called back to them.

"We’re stopping here to rest."

They stopped, and everyone reached for their water bottles immediately, drinking without waiting for the other to start. Lukas drained half of his before lowering it.

Then they each reached into their spatial rings and pulled out one of the large containers they’d bought earlier in the day.

Karrakas went first, lifting his above his head and tilting it forward. The water cascaded over him, soaking through his suit and running down his arms and neck. He exhaled as it hit him.

The water that reached the sand hissed on contact, thin wisps of steam rising from the surface before disappearing into the dry air.

The others followed, pouring the water over their heads.

Lukas saved a portion of his. He crouched slightly and poured the remaining water directly onto his feet, letting it run across the reddened skin of his soles.

He immediately felt relief, the pain lessening. He sighed before straightening.

They stood there for a few minutes, munching on their rations.

When they were done, Karrakas looked back at him. "Ready?"

"Yes," Lukas said. "Let’s continue."

And so they kept walking. However, as they walked, the number of beasts they encountered kept decreasing.

First, they walked for ten minutes without incident. Then twenty. Then the better part of an hour passed and nothing came.

Lukas noticed it but said nothing, his eyes narrowed as he kept watching around himself.

Up ahead, Akira broke the silence.

"Is the decreased population of beasts really because of the coming Turtle?" she asked Karrakas. "Does this mean it’s close to us?"

Karrakas shook his head as he walked. "Not necessarily. Beasts in the desert are far more sensitive to other powerful beasts than we are."

"They’ll clear out well in advance of something that strong. While I wouldn’t call this normal, it’s either that or there’s a stronger beast hunting other beasts that we haven’t come across."

"I see," Akira said.

They walked for another few minutes in silence, then all of a sudden, Akira gasped, her eyes widening in shock.

Karrakas’ head snapped to her immediately. "What is it?"

"Ten D-rank Chilopodas," she said, a hint of panic in her eyes. "They’re directly ahead of us."