The Dragon’s Embodiment

”So, this is how my lifes gonna end, huh? Its actually… pretty lame, Id say. ”

Drowning in darkness, floating at nothingness, Esecleus closed his eyes, accepting his death after getting squished tightly by the Queen Cobra.

[But what do you regret?]

A voice spoke to him. It was not coming from anywhere but his head. The voice talked inside his head.

”Regret? I don have any. I lived my life to its fullest. However… If I were to regret something Id done in my life, its being unable to **ing smash that Queen Cobras head until her flesh mixed on the ground. ”

[Hmm, is that so? I see you wish to have one more go against the Queen Cobra. I shall grant it for your satisfaction.]

And so Esecleus became witness to the rewinding of time. The blood and flesh he spat out all came back inside his body while his crashed bones went back to normal.

Time kept going back until the scenario where Elxid was unfortunately swallowed by the snake.

”Haa! ”

Esecleus was out of breath. He could not believe what just happened, but he needed to face the remaining spawns of the Queen Cobra, or he might face death again.

”Farewell, Idiot. ”

He even uttered the same words he said when Elxid got swallowed by the snake. However, the course of events slightly changed. Instead of losing consciousness, Trevor was a witness his friend dying inside the cobras stomach.

”The Queen Cobra did not munch on him this time. Is it because of the weird events? ”

”No, Elxid! ”

His incapability to execute the Queen Cobra when he had the chance to do so shattered his will to fight. He was starting to lose hope. His friends death added up to the extreme distress he was feeling at the moment.

Like a vessel that had lost its master, Trevor turned into a useless hunter—a human, eventually forfeiting the raid and accepting his demise at the hands of the vigorous Queen Cobra.

Esecleus, on the other hand, recalled the next few events that would happen. Queen Cobra ignored the weak-willed Trevor and went straight to attack him after slaying three of its spawns.

Just like last time, the Queen Cobra crawled in a circular motion, surrounding Esecleus with its large body. However, Esecleus was not foolish enough to get caught the second time.

Before the Queen Cobra could envelop him with its large figure, Esecleus climbed up onto its scaly body, dragging a sword and scraping the snakes body with it while the sledgehammer rested on his right shoulder.

”Hiss! ”

”Oh, do you hate the sound of your scales getting scraped? Then, Ill gladly give you some more. ”

When it tried to crawl away, to shake Esecleus off its body, the hunter used the sledgehammer and slammed it onto the Queen Cobras body. He then broke two scales and used the sword as leverage against the tactic the Queen Cobra thought of.

Esecleus grabbed tightly on the hilt, enduring the shaking speed of the Queen Cobra until it eventually stopped to replenish the stamina it lost.

”Hiss? ”

Like it had a thought of its own, a consciousness, awareness of things, the Queen Cobra checked if Esecleus was still on its back.

Luckily, it stood its body, giving Esecleus a leeway—the chance to hide from the snakes precarious eyes.

”Hiss, hiss! ”

”You
e surely bleeding where I stabbed you, ” he whispered softly to avoid attention from the snake.

”Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! ”

Luck was on Esecleus side. Trevors sudden uproarious cry diverted the Queen Cobras attention from Esecleus to himself. But Trevor was just there, sitting on the ground, blankly staring at the dirt and blood while the Queen Cobra approached.

”Good, keep going. ”

As someone who had seen the worst—people sacrificing each other for their own sake—Esecleus would not care even a little if people around him died because no one gave a damn about him when he was freezing outside, dying from hunger, and getting fried under the intense heat of the sun. No one was there to share an umbrella with him or a meal when he was alone and feeling lonely.

All this time, Esecleus was alone. He only got himself, so he made sure to look carefully for himself.

”My life was not valued by anyone, so why should I care if other people die or live? ”

Esecleus used the opportunity to use Trevor as bait while he tried to land the decisive blow on the snake.

”Ahhhhh!!! ”

”Hiss! ”

”Its showtime! ”

Trevors back was against the wall, yet the Queen Cobra was not slowing down. Its speed would be enough to inflict serious damage onto itself if it ever crashes on the wall in an attempt to kill Trevor.

”Either way, Im killing you here! ”

And so the Queen Cobras wide open mouth crashed onto the wall, creating a loud thudding sound that affected Esecleus plan to execute the snake. He had to hold onto the hilt as tight as he could, or he would have flung forward which would result in him turning into a human paste.

The impact had Esecleus almost flown away. It was all thanks to his quick-witted actions that made him safe.

”The Queen Cobras not moving. Is it dead, or did it lose consciousness on the impact? ”

The reason for Queen Cobras direct actions and why they did not stop was because of clever thinking of Trevor. With the use of his skill Inevitable Taunt, the snake had no choice but to solely focus its anger on Trevor.

So, Trevor did not just mindlessly exclaim in frustration, but he was helping Esecleus defeat the Queen Cobra.

”I–I need a… hand here. ”

Esecleus heard Trevors voice. He immediately pulled away the unconscious Queen Cobra with all his might, though only the head, after he jumped down to help Trevor.

”You
e one lucky bastard! ”

Trevor was not severely injured. Thanks to the wall behind him, the Queen Cobra did not cause that much damage to Trevor.

”How… I wish everyone was as lucky as me… ”

”Just be glad that you
e still alive. Live for the sake of others and learn something from this. And be strong enough to save yourself because not all the time there will be someone to save your sorry ass. ”

There was not much Esecleus could do about the injured Trevor. The path leading back to their world will not open until the guardian of the threshold is defeated.

”I was not really expecting you to survive, so Id give you that. And as someone who does not want someone dying on me in that state, Ill assure you that youll live to see another day. ”

Before the Queen Cobra regained consciousness, Esecleus hurried back on top of its head, looking for the spot where Elxid tried stabbing.

”There it is. ”

He found the cracked scale on Queen Cobras head, picked up the sledgehammer, and borrowed Trevors sword lying on the ground after he flung away from getting hit by the boulder-like tail of the snake.

”This blade looks dull, but Im sure this will do. ”

The scale was tearable, and it was the perfect spot to stab the snake that would kill it. Its brain was located exactly where the broken scale was. All he needs to do is pierce its skull with the blade and there won be much the Queen Cobra can do.

Esecleus held the hilt with both of his hands as he raised the sword with the blades tip pointing where he tore the scale away.

”On second thought, Im just gonna make sure this blade will pierce. ”

He switched from Trevors sword to the sledgehammer. And with all his might, breathing, yelling ”ahh ” at top of his lungs, which was draining, Esecleus then pulled a compelling strike onto the Queen Cobras skull.

Crack. He and Trevor heard its skull shattering within one strike, which unfortunately led to the snakes arousal.

It screeches, not a hiss, displaying serious pain in its eyes. The Queen Cobra sensed that Esecleus was standing on its head, so it immediately stood its body and shook itself to get Esecleus off its head.

”No, no, no. I ain gonna let you do what you want. ”

He fell but caught onto the broken skull of the snake, barely grabbing. Strugglingly, Esecleus tried holding onto it with both hands, propping his feet onto the slippery scale of the Queen Cobra.

The Queen Cobra kept on shaking off Esecleus due to the extreme pain it was feeling.

”If… I could just… reach inside its skull! ”

Esecleus was given one last chance. The Queen Cobra was in a rage, vigorous and uproarious.

”Just a… little closer! ”

He was left with no choice. Esecleus, with the remaining ounce of strength in his body, lifted himself to finally reach inside the snakes skull.

”I got you now. ”

Disgustingly, Esecleus felt the squishy and soft brain of the Queen Cobra. He violently messed with the brain, clawing inside and pulling a handful of chunks of the brain.

It once again screeches louder than it ever did. Its wild movements became much shaky, and the rhythm slowly receded when Esecleus did not stop mangling its brain with his right hand.

”Is this really his first time? Esecleus seemed so accustomed to violence. Its actually scary. ”

Only violence and merciless actions are reflected in Trevors eyes as he looks at the sinister smile on Esecleus face.

~