Chapter 158: Taking Center Stage

Aman wasn't an idiot.

Devil's Eye? It was annoying, but it wasn't that big of a deal. The left head that tried devouring them in a single bite? That's ok, it'll just eat dirt!

'That one's the problem.'

The right head!

They had to prevent it from spewing its green liquid.

"Rio, Riesen..."

Aman had planned on stopping the right head with the twins, Rio and Riesen, but Kang Oh's actions drew his attention.

Kang Oh was glued to Cassio's neck and headed for the top of her head, as if he were climbing a tree!

'Heh. So that's your plan.'

The reason he was climbing up to the top of her head was to prevent the right head from spewing its green liquid.

"Go wild," Aman stared at Kang Oh and muttered.

* * *

The battle had taken a turn for the worse because of the right head's continuous barrage of green liquid. They had to stop it from doing so no matter what.

Thus, Kang Oh had clung to the snake's neck, regardless of how dangerous it was.

Kang Oh couldn't jump high enough to reach her head; besides, it'd pretty much be a jump to his death. After all, he'd be jumping into a barrage of green liquid.

"Ugh."

However, climbing up Cassio's neck wasn't easy either.

Not only did the right head keep moving, but its skin was slippery and there wasn't really anything to grab on to.

At least he was wearing the Baramut gauntlets. There were small hooks at the fingertip areas like a tiger's claws! With them, he was able to scale the snake without slipping.

'I need more power!'

Kang Oh gripped tightly with one hand so that he didn't fall, while his other hand went into his inventory and pulled out an item.

It was an item he'd bought at the auction house, Mido's Magic Wand!

"Devour, Ubist!"

Ubist, which was strapped to his back, erupted with darkness and consumed the wand.

[Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Mido's Magic Wind.]

[It is a BB-rank item.]

[Entering Gluttony mode.]

[For the next 10 minutes, the demon sword and your character's abilities are doubled.]

Power up!

"Let's go!"

Kang Oh gripped as tightly as he could. Though slight, his gloves were able to pierce through Cassio's snakeskin.

That was plenty.

He gritted his teeth and began climbing up to the top.

While doing so, he didn't forget about the left head. If it came for him, then he'd jump down as quickly as possible.

The left head was about to attack him, but it stopped; perhaps Cassio was worried that she'd hit herself. So, the left head left Kang Oh alone.

'That's a relief.'

The top was right ahead of him.

Kang Oh stretched out his hand in order to grab the right head's horn!

'Just a little bit more...'

His arm stretched all the way!

Kyaa!

Cassio suddenly shook her right head from left to right as if she were shaking off a fly.

Kang Oh quickly withdrew his arm and tightly grabbed her body. He'd essentially become a leech at this point.

Kiya, kyaa!

She thrashed around even more!

However, Kang Oh wouldn't fall. In the end, the snake head gave up first.

'Now!'

He stretched out his hand, grabbing a hold of the horn, and pulled his body above Cassio's head.

Kang Oh quickly shut his eyes too, so that he wouldn't be affected by Devil's Eye.

'It's been a while since I've done anything with my eyes closed.'

It'd certainly been a while, but he was used to it.

'I've defeated 100 gladiators and Ubist while blind!'

Kang Oh tightly grabbed onto the horn with one hand, and drew Ubist with his other.

Kyaa!

Cassio shook her right head while indiscriminately spewing green liquid into the air. She was attempting to get him off.

"Have a taste of this!"

Kang Oh swung downwards, the tip of his sword piercing through the snakeskin on her forehead.

Once, twice, a third time...

Whack, whack, whack!

Kyaahk, kyaahk, kya!

Her right head screamed, and she swung her head even more.

"Ugh!"

Kang Oh gritted his teeth. It felt like he'd be blown off, but he endured.

'Let's see who wins. Will it be you or me in the end!?'

Whenever the shakes became weaker, Kang Oh would attack.

Darkness Strike!

The jet-black wave devastated the right head. It was like it was bashed by a hammer!

Ultimately, the left head decided to intervene.

Shaa!

She opened her mouth and charged at Kang Oh.

He knew she was coming at him even with his eyes closed; he sensed a presence approaching him and felt a chill, which was his Hyper Intuition's way of warning him of danger.

'This is where I have to be careful!'

Kang Oh got ready to jump.

But he couldn't afford to jump too quickly. He had to jump at the precise moment.

Right now!

When he felt goosebumps on his skin, Kang Oh opened his eyes and jumped.

Chomp!

'It worked!'

As he fell, he saw the Snake Queen's left head biting her right head.

Now, the problem was...

That he was falling!

'I shouldn't fall to my death from this height, right!?'

He'd only jumped down because he believed he wouldn't die.

Once he reached the ground, he performed a roll that he'd learned at his kendo dojo, hoping that it'd reduce the amount of damage he took.

Thud!

[You have taken significant fall damage.]

[You have lost 40% of your HP.]

[The shock has reduced your physical abilities by 30%.]

"Heal him!"

He heard Aman say.

Raise Life!

Prayer to the Stars!

Natural Healing!

The healers momentarily focused all of their spells onto Kang Oh.

[Your HP has been replenished.]

[Healing per second has increased significantly.]

[Some of your physical abilities have been restored.]

"Umph."

Kang Oh stood up all of a sudden.

'As expected, I didn't die at that height.'

"Then, shall we have another go?"

Time to climb the Snake Queen again!

* * *

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to climb her again.

Once the Two-Headed Snake Queen, Cassio, entered the third phase, she began attacking differently.

The left head kept its mouth shut and swelled like a balloon.

"Something's coming! Get ready!" Aman said.

It was a gut feeling. Something dangerous was coming!

Paha!

The left head opened its mouth, spewing out a black liquid in a fan shape. It came rushing at them, its smell resembling oil.

'Oil? Is it...?'

The right head spewed out flames.

Roar!

It'd become an inferno.

"Uahk, fire!"

"Holy shit!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Move somewhere without flames! Shamans, use water spells to douse the flames of anyone on fire! Healers, heal everyone now!" Aman said urgently.

Even he wasn't free from the flames; he too sprinted towards an area where the flames weren't present.

Kang Oh did the same, and stuck right next to him.

"Is this how it is normally?"

"No. Normally, the Snake Queen spews poison breath. This is..."

"This is more like fire breath, isn't it?"

"It has a much wider range too."

One side of the mound had become an inferno.

"In any case, we have to get back into formation and counterattack. If it manages to use this attack again, then..."

"I think it is using it again."

Cassio's left head swelled once more, and flames ignited in the right head's mouth.

"Shit...! Get out of the way!"

That was the best that Aman could do.

Spurt!

A tsunami of flames came rushing at them once more. Unfortunately, a few of their troops died.

It was a raid boss, yes, but no one could've expected it to use such powerful AoE attacks in quick succession!

'There has to be a way...'

Every monster could be defeated!

A light bulb went off in Kang Oh's head.

The shape of the hill, which made it feel like they were engaging in siege warfare, the nest that resided within the mound, Cassio's lack of movement besides its neck and heads, and its body which was coiled around countless eggs!

'It's prioritizing the eggs! If that's the case, then...'

"We have to go over the hill and get to the eggs. Cassio won't be able to use her fire breath if we do," Kang Oh said.

"You want us to go in there? It's too risky."

But what if they got there and Cassio began rampaging about? They'd take severe casualties.

"It's the eye of the storm!"

Kang Oh wouldn't back down.

"Damn it, fine."

Aman and Kang Oh changed directions. They weren't dodging to the side; they were heading straight for her.

"Everyone, get over the hill and get to the eggs!"

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

"If you don't wanna die, then hurry up!"

Kang Oh and Aman were the first to scale the hill and jump inside Cassio's coiled body.

The rest of their troops would join up with them one or two at a time.

"We have to act like we're aiming for the eggs."

"Got it."

As soon as Kang Oh and Aman approached the eggs, one of Cassio's heads came rushing at them.

Kang Oh and Aman dodged, and completely got Cassio's attention.

"As expected. She isn't using her breath."

"If she uses her breath inside the nest, then she'll burn the eggs."

"Heok, heok."

Haa."

Their rear soldiers breathed haggardly and entered the nest as well.

"Get back into formation. Tanks and warriors in front, archers, shamans, and healers in the back!"

Everyone here was the best of the best. They all moved as one.

Cassio didn't move recklessly, fearing that she would damage her eggs.

'There are only about 22 of us left,' Kang Oh counted.

They'd started with 31 troops, but 9 of them had died or were incapacitated. They were so shorthanded that he'd take any help that he could get!

'Not just any help... An undead.'

"Summon Eder!"

"Huh? What!?"

The suddenly summoned Eder momentarily sported a vacant expression, but was completely shocked upon seeing the two-headed Cassio.

"Calm down."

"M-Mr. Kang Oh."

"It'll be over soon if you just cast Cursed Ground's Domain and keep your shield up like usual."

Eder's eyes rolled around. He'd pretty much understood what was going on.

"Understood."

"Cast Cursed Ground's Domain."

"Alright!"

Eder stomped on the ground twice. A magic circle formed underneath him, which transformed into black lines that spread outwards.

The Ruined Ramparts and Rusty Sword curses!

It was unlikely to have much of an effect on Cassio, but it would definitely draw her attention.

Shaa!

Kyaa!

Cassio's two heads shrieked menacingly.

Aman pointed his greatsword at Cassio.

"Attack!"

* * *

The Great Forest's strongest and most aggressive tribe was the Nedav Tribe!

They specialized in the Strong Body skill, which maximized one's physical abilities in exchange for a constant stream of MP.

Aman, Rio, and Riesen, all members of the Nedav Tribe, used said skill.

White energy arose from their bodies like a haze.

Behead!

Aman attacked Cassio's left head, his greatsword glimmering in red energy.

He possessed explosive speed and strength. Of course, Rio and Riesen did as well.

With the addition of Kang Oh using Gluttony, the four were able to push Cassio back.

Even so, Cassio wouldn't use her fire breath or her green liquid. It was because of the eggs.

She merely used Devil's Eye and tried gobbling them up.

Her attack pattern was incredibly simple!

Now, she attacked using her two heads in tandem, making things more difficult.

However, that alone wasn't enough to push back the Great Forest's elites.

"This really is the eye of the storm."

Aman was astonished. As of right now, Cassio was neither frightening nor dangerous to them.

"She only has 20% of her HP left!" Kula, who could gauge a person's HP, yelled.

"Good. Keep attacking until she dies, but don't let your guard down!"

"Ooh!"

Their morale shot up as victory was now in sight.

But there was no way it'd be that simple; if it was, Cassio wouldn't be a raid boss.

When Cassio's HP hit 5%, she stretched out her silver wings.

Flap, flap!

Her forceful flaps caused the wind to blow violently.

Emergency!

"She flew?"

She really has all kinds of tricks! Aman furrowed his brow.

Normal Snake Queens had wings, but they couldn't actually fly. There were clearly several differences between Cassio and a normal Snake Queen.

"This is bad."

Kang Oh sported a grave expression.

"Why?"

"Look at that."

Her flying had caused some of the eggs to crack.

"She's given up on her eggs."

"That means..."

"She's going to use her fire breath in the air! We have to get out of the nest."

"Damn it! Get out of the nest!" Aman yelled desperately.

Everyone sprinted out of the nest.

At that moment...

Cassio's left head spewed a ton of oil, and her right head ignited it.

Spurt, roar!

Here we go again!