Chapter 159: Red Demon
Flames swept through Cassio's nest, roasting the Winged Snake eggs.
Fortunately, all of the troops were able to make it out of the nest. However, this only marked the beginning of Cassio's bombardment of fire.
"Fire your ranged attacks! Give it everything you got!" Aman yelled roughly.
Cassio only had about 5% of her HP left.
If they didn't get rid of that remaining 5% in time, then the entire area would become an inferno and they'd become lumps of charcoal.
'It won't work.'
Kang Oh calmly assessed the situation.
Cassio would light up the entire area before the ranged attacks killed her.
After all, the arrows and spells barely chipped away at her HP.
'Is there any other way?'
He still had his last resort, Devil Trigger!
But becoming the Jet-Black Demon wouldn't allow him to fly...
'Wait a second. Could it...!?'
Kang Oh swapped between Ubist and Blood.
Devil Trigger!
He was engulfed by Demon Sword Blood's red light, and his entire silhouette became dark red.
A short while later...
His entire body from head to toe was now red, as if he'd been covered in blood. Kang Oh's face was covered by a mask in the shape of a bat in flight. Similarly, outstretched bat wings protruded from his back as well.
Arise, Red Demon!
[You can now use the Great Forest's Demon, Blood's power as your own.]
[You have gained a tremendous life stealing ability. The more you life steal, the more powerful you become.]
[You may now use Blood Red Aura, Blood Spike, Blood Spear, and Bat Metamorphosis.]
[The blood element is added to all of your skills, which expends HP.]
[You have been infused with Blood's deep resentment and hatred. Enemies will now fear you.]
[You have gained large, powerful wings. You may fly for 1 minute.]
[You may now converse with Blood.]
"I have wings!"
In the past, Blood had bat wings herself.
If that's the case, then wouldn't he gain access to those using Devil Trigger?
That was his thought process at least. Turns out he'd been right.
'Nice.'
Kang Oh tried to flap his newly found wings.
However, he wasn't used to having wings, so they didn't move as he liked.
"Hmph, you can't even move your wings properly."
A haggard girl's voice rang out through his mind.
"Blood?"
The system message had informed him that he could speak with her now, so he wasn't surprised.
"No, not Blood. Hey, Tasha."
She didn't like her demon name. After all, those damn humans had called her that name out of fear.
Kang Oh thought her timing couldn't be any better.
"Hey, Tasha. Could you control my wings for me?"
This wasn't the time to be practicing.
"Hmph."
Flap, flap, flap!
His bat wings began flapping, causing him to rise off the ground.
"To that overgrown snake!"
He pointed at the airborne Cassio.
"Don't order me around!" Tasha said bitingly.
'Tch. Fine, let's humor her.'
Killing the raid boss took priority.
"Please."
"Got it."
Then...
Cassio unleashed another fire breath, and the resultant flames spread everywhere.
"Hurry!"
He could feel his wings flying as fast as possible.
Kang Oh pierced through the flames with Tasha's help and flew towards Cassio.
Then, he used Blood Spear. Three blood red spears formed nearby.
Fire!
Whizz, whizz, whizz!
The blood spears pierced Cassio's silver wings.
Shaa! Kyaa!
Cassio flew towards Kang Oh. Both of her heads opened their mouths and attempted to swallow him whole.
"We have to dodge this!"
"I already know."
His red wings suddenly folded up and he did a nosedive. Then, he began plummeting to the floor.
Chomp!
Cassio's right head just grazed past him.
However, she still had her left head. It was only 5 meters away from him.
"Tasha!" Kang Oh said anxiously.
"Shut up!"
4 meters, 3 meters, 2 meters...!
"Uh-oh!"
Then, at that moment...!
His folded wings unfurled. With a mighty flap of his wings, he soared vertically into the air!
He narrowly avoided being eaten by the left head.
"Choke on this!"
Kang Oh swung Blood.
Blood Red Aura!
Bam!
A bright red aura cleaved through the air and struck Cassio's nape.
Next thing he knew, Cassio's right head came from behind and was gaining on him.
"Behind me!" Kang Oh shouted.
He flew as fast as he could to shake it off! However, the head was way too fast.
Kang Oh quickly formed more blood spears. He just shot them out at random; he didn't have time to be aiming right now.
Bam!
Fortunately, he'd managed to hit it. The right head staggered for but a moment, but that was plenty of time for Kang Oh to get away from it.
But then, Tasha suddenly said, "We're going to fall soon."
"What? How much time do we have left?"
"About... 10 seconds?"
"Shit."
He could only fly for a minute. After a minute had passed, he would lose his ability to fly and he'd plummet to the ground.
Kang Oh would probably be able to slow his fall by flapping his wings, but if that happened, then Cassio would be able to catch him and swallow him up.
If that's the case, then...
"Slow us down. I'll jump onto her when she comes for me."
"...Got it."
Once his wings stopped flapping, the right head (the blood spears had injured the bridge of its nose) came rushing at him.
"Now!"
His wings flapped forcefully one last time. He rose up into the air and landed on Cassio's right head.
"That's it. We can't fly anymore," Tasha said.
'I have to grab it!'
Kang Oh extended his hand.
Grab.
He just barely got a hold of the horn. Kang Oh used all of his strength to keep himself glued to the horn.
"Haa, haa. I did it!"
He'd successfully gotten on top of the right head!
"Sure, try your best," Tasha said.
But with everything that was going on, he lost focus, and his and Cassio's eyes met.
Devil's Eye!
However, it didn't have much of an effect on him, perhaps because he was using Devil Trigger.
'Good!'
Kang Oh used one hand to keep a firm grip on the horn, and used his other to thrust Blood.
Stab!
Kyaa!
The right head repeatedly tilted its head, bowed, and flicked in an effort to get him off.
Whenever it did, his wings really helped him maintain his balance so that he wouldn't fall off.
"Thanks."
Tasha was the one controlling his wings.
"Hmph."
Kang Oh kept stabbing Cassio with his sword, and the resulting shards of light were sucked into his blade! The number of stars on his blade kept going up.
The right head couldn't do anything to get him off. Cassio wasn't willing to risk her left head attacking her right.
'10 stacks.'
10 red stars had manifested on his sword!
Blood Red Aura!
A mighty red energy struck the right head once more.
Kyaa!
The right head shrieked.
Cassio came to a decision. She attacked Kang Oh with her left head.
However...!
It was already too late.
"This is the end!"
Kang Oh forcefully thrust his sword.
Tempest Tiger!
A golden aura erupted from his sword.
However, the tiger's stripes were red this time, not black. It must've gained the blood element via Devil Trigger.
Boom!
Kyaaaaaahk!
The gigantic force caused Cassio to shake, so much so that its HP was completely depleted in one fell swoop!
The raid boss, Cassio, began plummeting to the ground.
Kang Oh jumped off of her. He couldn't afford to fall with her.
Whoosh.
Thud!
Cassio's gigantic body made contact with the flame ridden ground. Black smoke and gray dust mixed together and rose from her body.
A short while later...
Kang Oh reappeared amidst the smoke and dust. He was slowly descending with his outstretched wings.
"He's over there!" someone yelled.
"We won!" Aman yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Yeahhhhhhhhhh!
Those who'd escaped the flames extended their hands towards Kang Oh. Their yells and cheers were unending.
* * *
Tap.
Kang Oh landed onto the floor.
"Thanks for everything."
"..."
Tasha didn't reply.
He'd deactivated Devil Trigger. Then, he received a system message.
[You have defeated the Two-Headed Snake Queen, Cassio.]
[Cassio is a unique monster.]
[Cassio drops items that bear her name.]
[Because you defeated a unique raid boss, your fame and some of your side stats have increased.]
[You have obtained the title, 'Absolute Snake Hunter'.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
"I was wondering... So it was a unique monster."
A unique monster.
There was only one of them that would ever appear in Arth, and they dropped items that bore their name.
The Two-Headed Snake Queen, Cassio, would never reappear within Arth.
Plus, the items that she dropped would be a one of. In other words, no one else would have an opportunity to obtain them unless they were sold.
"I leveled up twice in one go too. As expected of a raid boss."
Kang Oh grinned. With this, he was now level 197.
'I also have some great footage too.'
He'd recorded footage of the expedition, as well as his fight against a unique raid boss. Plus, most of that footage was of him carrying his team!
It didn't matter whether it was Hye Rim or Jin Cheol. He'd sell it to whoever was willing to pay him the most!
"You were amazing!"
"Mr. Kang Oh!"
"Yeahhhhhhhhh!"
Aman, Eder, and the surviving troops gathered around him.
It was clear who the MVP of this fight was.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo!"
Kang Oh raised his shoulders. 'Praise me more!'
"To think you'd fly into the sky. As expected of the man I acknowledged!"
Aman patted his shoulder.
"If it weren't for me, this hunt would've ended in failure," Kang Oh said haughtily.
"You're right. Let's go back and drink until we drop!"
"Let me in on that too."
"Me too."
"You can go ahead and do that. The flames are gone now, so let's go pick up the items that the Snake Queen left behind."
What kind of items would a unique raid boss drop?
"Haha, of course!"
There were some shining items around Cassio's grilled corpse. There were seven of them in total.
"Alright! Pay attention!"
Aman suddenly drew everyone's attention. He then pointed at Kang Oh.
"You all did well. And everyone knows that this man worked the hardest."
No one disagreed with him.
"So I want to give him a chance to take any one item that the Snake Queen dropped."
'Ooh! That's right. You're doing good, Aman!'
Kang Oh sported the biggest smile ever.
"I have no problems with that."
"Indeed."
'Of course you don't.'
Kang Oh grinned.
"Take a look around and pick one of them."
"I accept."
Kang Oh picked up the closest leather boots and looked over its item information.
'An S-rank item!'
It had a minimum level requirement of 300, and it had it all, whether it be abilities, effects, etc. It was a treasure amongst treasures!
'It's really good, but I have to go and see what else she dropped.'
Two of them were AA-rank materials. Pass.
'What is this?'
Kang Oh picked up an egg that radiated red light. It was about the same size as an ostrich egg.
[Phoenix Egg]
The egg of the legendary phoenix, a bird known to repeat the cycle of life and death. It will one day return amidst fire and ashes.
"A phoenix's egg. This'll sell for a ton too."
It was the egg of the legendary phoenix. If you were a Monster Trainer, then you'd try to buy this, regardless of how bankrupt it'd leave you after.
'But why is this here?' he suddenly thought, but Kang Oh lost interest and checked the next item.
An S-rank staff. It had a minimum level requirement of 300.
'This is good too. At this rate, I won't know what to choose.'
Kang Oh picked up the last item, an unusually shaped ring.
There was an oval red gem in the center, and what appeared to be a snake with its mouth wide opened trying to devour the gem.
But upon closer inspection, one could see an outstretched bird wing pattern on the gem.
"Item appraisal."
[Phoenix Egg Devouring Cassio Ring]
Cassio was once a normal snake, but one day, she found a phoenix egg. Upon consuming it, she became a unique existence. This ring depicts Cassio devouring the phoenix egg.
+ Resurrection: If you die, then you will be revived at tip-top condition. For 10 minutes following your resurrection, all of your abilities will increase by 20%, and half of the damage taken will be cut in half. (Cooldown: One month)
+ Devil Eye: Gives you the ability to use Devil's Eye, which plants fear in the hearts of your enemies and causes them to shrink away in fear.
+ Egg Eating Snake: Occasionally, something good will happen to you.
Rank: SS
Abilities: All stats +30, all elemental resistance +5%, Charisma +20, Luck +50.
Minimum Requirements: Level 300, Mental 300, Charisma 100.
Alternatively, possess the title, Absolute Snake Hunter.
Jackpot!
Thank you God, Buddha, etc.
It was an SS-rank ring that could revive him! Plus, it had Devil Eye too!
This was the best ring he could ask for, as his class, more than any other, had more risks associated with it for dying.
Moreover, Cassio's ring increased all of his stats, as well as all of his elemental resistances.
Not only that, but because he'd just obtained the 'Absolute Snake Hunter' title, he could equip it right away.
"I-I'll take this one."
Kang Oh's voice shook.
"Got it. Then I'll take the rest of the items and divvy them up later based on your contributions," Aman said.
"Yes sir!"
Kang Oh equipped the ring immediately. Then, his eyes became red as a result of Devil Eye.
[The side stat, Charisma, has been created.]
[Charisma is the impression you give to others, one strong enough to sway their hearts. If your Charisma is high, then people, even those you've just met, will follow you.]
[The side stat, Luck has been created.]
[Luck is luck.]
'Now I have an SS-ring on both hands!'
On one hand, he had Kunta's Ring, and on the other, he had Cassio's Ring.
"Hehehehe."
Kang Oh's laughter wouldn't stop.
Bravo, my life!