LIGHTNOVELSTORY EP.65
“Kokatriss. The name of the betrayer who turned against the snakes.”
I knew it would be like this.
Kokatriss must mean the Cockatrice.
A monster with the head of a chicken and the tail of a snake.
A reptile wielding the petrifying power that is often equated with the Basilisk.
Since it possesses traits of both a chicken and a snake, did it betray the Snake Queen and ally itself with the King of Birds?
“What I request of you is to eliminate Kokatriss.”
Indeed.
This Cockatrice has broken the balance.
Only someone like Komodo would be able to defeat that monster.
“…I wanted to ask for this, but I can’t afford to waste a word on something that’s only good for one use.”
Thank you for your consideration.
…Should I take this positively?
It’s as if her words imply that she assumes I won’t be able to defeat the Cockatrice.
“Hehe.”
It let out a sound that was highly ferocious.
With this, I should have proven my bravery.
“Uheheh. The more I see, the more amusing this is. If it weren’t for my daughter…”
Why does it keep wrapping around me in such a sly manner?
Shik Shik.
Get up.
Your mother has grown terrifying.
“Kokatriss is a very dangerous creature. Of course, compared to me, it is pathetic, but its power of petrification is on par with mine. Because of this, even beings stronger than Kokatriss hesitate to fight it.”
So, what the Snake Queen is saying is that while I may be able to defeat the Cockatrice, I could still lose my life to its petrification.
But I’m a being that withstood the petrification of the Snake Queen.
A large snake specialized in petrification? I could deal with it while lying down.
“Of course, I know you’re resistant to petrification. It’s probably thanks to the dragon scales surrounding your body. If not, there could be other reasons.”
You are quite perceptive.
I’ve already resisted the petrification of the Snake Queen, so how could I not withstand a lower version of that?
“But being resistant to petrification doesn’t mean you’re immune to it. Unlike my daughter and me, you aren’t immune. That means if you let your guard down, you could still fall victim to its petrification.”
Ssss.
The snake’s tail tickles my shoulder.
The Snake Queen’s gaze is fixed upon my shoulder.
Crackling.
Slowly, my shoulder begins to turn to stone.
When the Basilisk closed its eyes, the petrification was released, but from what just happened, it’s clear:
My resistance to petrification isn’t perfect.
The ability used when we first met was being adjusted for output.
“Of course, it would be reluctant to channel enough power to affect you. If it unleashed that level of strength, it wouldn’t be able to use petrification for a while. Unlike me, it relies solely on petrification, so it would be trying its best to conserve strength.”
This was a perfectly reasonable statement.
Wild beasts are extremely afraid of being injured.
If they weaken, they will immediately be pushed out by other competitors.
For the Cockatrice, which relies entirely on petrification, revealing its vulnerabilities would be even more fatal than an ordinary injury.
“But when it comes to a life-or-death fight, the story changes. In order to survive, it would unleash all its power and turn the intruder to stone.”
Now I understand the Snake Queen’s thoughts.
I am somewhat free from the Cockatrice’s abilities because I have resistance to petrification.
However, if I were to engage in a life-or-death confrontation, the likelihood of falling victim to the Cockatrice’s abilities, which would not consider anything else, would be very high.
That’s why I did not ask for her to defeat the Cockatrice.
“What I need is a clue about it.”
What the Snake Queen desires is a lead on the Cockatrice.
“If I spend time searching for it, the King of Birds will be up to something. If a third party, a legged snake, were to figure out Kokatriss’ location, it would lead to an embarrassing situation for the ugly bird.”
EP.66
“This seems like a suitable task.”
The reason is understandable, and the difficulty seems reasonable as well.
But one important thing is missing.
“What is it? That unsettling expression?”
Well, I am undertaking a mission that could cost me my life.
Isn’t there more?
“Caw, caw.”
The creature made a face of a conscience-stricken lizard.
“…Isn’t it an outrageous condition to forgive me for stealing the Eternal Golden Spirit Fruit?”
Of course, if I were to receive the Eternal Golden Spirit Fruit as a reward for this mission, I would welcome it with both hands.
But I’ve already consumed that.
I want more.
“Caw-caw.”
“Sigh… Truly, you are a greedy one.”
The Snake Queen narrowed her eyes.
“However, I do not dislike those with ambition.”
The Snake Queen, with her long tongue, licked the corner of her mouth.
…This must just be a snake habit, right?
There’s no other meaning to it, is there?
“Alright. If you fulfill my request, I will allow you to use the divine artifacts within this temple.”
Divine artifacts?
“There are various things here that can be called artifacts, as well as spiritual medicines. Most are either unknown in usage or broken, but a few are still usable.”
That sounds enticing.
“Yes. To motivate you, and since my daughter has returned, I suppose it’s not bad to show you one of them.”
The Snake Queen rose from her seat.
Without any hesitation, she carried the python on her back, coiling her tail around my body.
Slithering smoothly.
The Snake Queen moved with such speed and grace that it was astonishing, considering my own size is not that small.
In a place the Snake Queen led me to, there was a large object covered with a cloth.
An oval-shaped item.
I couldn’t tell exactly because it was hidden under the cloth, but it resembled a mirror.
“This divine artifact is called the Mirror of Possibilities.”
So it is a mirror.
However, the Mirror of Possibilities?
“You must have restructured your body multiple times to gain faith. This act, often referred to as ‘rebirth’ or ‘evolution’, means changing one’s form. The Mirror of Possibilities shows the destination of that process.”
What?
Such an item exists?
I glared with wild eyes, but no explanation surfaced.
This snake has no reason to lie to me, so it must be the truth… But is that even possible?
The Snake Queen smiled and removed the cloth covering the mirror.
Reflected in the mirror was the Snake Queen.
However, there was no change at all.
“As you can see, even when I am reflected in this mirror, there is no change. This form is my final destination. Though I am not fond of being considered a higher being for having a human form mixed with that of a snake, there is nothing I can do about it.”
She licked her lips.
Only a creature like a Basilisk can barely transform into a human.
I once thought that maybe I could return to being human as long as I wished for it, but it seems I have a long way to go.
I can’t help but admire Nepila Jurashika, who evolved directly from a spider into an Arachnid.
“When my daughter was reflected in the mirror, she appeared as just a large snake. But now, since she has eaten your tail, her potential has greatly increased, so a change should occur.”
The Snake Queen carefully picked up the sleeping Shik Shik.
The moment she brought Shik Shik close to the mirror.
Whoosh!
A burst of purple light rippled, and a new form began to emerge in the mirror.
The chubby snake, moving as if dancing, began to transform slowly.
It morphed into a large snake like a Basilisk, and at some point, its size shrank again.
Finally, an image of a doll emerged in the mirror.
Is that Shik Shik’s future?
…Not from a biological perspective.
I knew Shik Shik was a rather cute snake, but I never expected it to be like this.
I better treat her well from now on.
Not that I haven’t been already.
“Of course, this form is not a guaranteed future. It merely shows the possibility of becoming this way. So, doesn’t it pique your interest? To know where your own destination lies?”
It would be a lie if it didn’t pique my interest.
I wanted to confirm my own appearance right then and there.
“If you fulfill my request, I will grant you the use of the Mirror of Possibilities as an advance.”
“Caw-caw!”
Shik Shik nodded enthusiastically.
The Snake Queen formed a light arc with her lips.
“I am curious as well. Where the son-in-law’s destination might be.”
But why is she calling me a son-in-law all of a sudden?
The Snake Queen took a few steps back.
Without hesitation, she stood in front of the mirror.
Now that I’ve maximized my potential by eating the Eternal Golden Spirit Fruit, I wonder where my destination lies.
Even if I were to see my future form, that doesn’t guarantee it will come true.
As the Snake Queen said, it’s just a case of possibilities.
In other words, there is a chance to advance to a higher stage than what is reflected in the mirror.
After confirming my destination, I would be able to decide which direction to take.
There was no reason not to look into the mirror.
As I stood before it, a stronger light burst forth than before.
“Whoa… The intensity of the light is unusual. It feels like I am seeing my former self.”
Shapes began to emerge in the mirror.
It was something extraordinarily large.
The light was so bright that I couldn’t discern what the shape was exactly.
Now, just like with Shik Shik, the light would diminish, and my appearance would reveal itself.
With a pounding heart, I waited for the light to fade.
Bzzzzzzzt.
However, there were no signs of the light diminishing.
“What is this!”
I could hear the Snake Queen gasping in astonishment.
Crackle!
A large crack appeared in the mirror I was gazing into.
Oh.
Hold on.
Did I just break something?
Why is there a crack?
Something felt off.
The light wasn’t diminishing at all, and I couldn’t even see my reflection in the mirror.
Just as I realized something strange was happening and was about to step away from the mirror…
Crash!
The Mirror of Possibilities split in two.
…This is bad.
I just broke something my mother-in-law treasured.
I slightly turned my head to gauge the Snake Queen’s reaction.
She mumbled to herself in disbelief.
Yeah, I definitely messed up.
And it’s a major blunder.
Komodo is likely going to be proud of my accomplishments.
1. Convert a precious deity.
2. Sleep with the daughter of a noble family.
3. Steal and consume the Eternal Golden Spirit Fruit and other spiritual medicines.
4. Break the divine artifact, the Mirror of Possibilities (NEW!).
I accomplished a grand slam.
I think I’ve had a pretty decent life.
I will now become a lizard statue, guarding this temple for eternity.
“…Is it said that even a divine artifact couldn’t dare contain such a being?”