A massive body, more than half the height of the practice field—almost the size of a house.
A scaly exterior like that of a lizard, a long, serpentine physique, and a ferocious head with sharp, menacing teeth resembling a dragon.
And most notably, two wide, spread-out wings.
The crimson eyes filled with malice and killing intent, glaring at its prey, were enough to freeze the entire body of anyone who faced them.
A Class B monster, the Basilisk.
As expected of a relatively high-ranking monster, even though it was only a pseudo-living creature conjured through magic, its overwhelming presence instantly filled the entire practice field.
If it were an inexperienced novice, just locking eyes with that intense gaze would be enough to make them lose all will to fight and turn their back.
***
That’s precisely why I couldn’t help but feel perplexed.
I was sure it was my first time encountering such immense malice and killing intent, yet for some reason, my heart was calmer and steadier than ever.
In fact, I had been more nervous when I first stepped into the practice field.
Even I found it difficult to understand this strange sense of familiarity, leaving me feeling slightly bewildered.
It was then that the Basilisk, which had been watching my movements closely, initiated its attack.
Srrrkk—!
ShhhhAAAAAK!!!
A ruthless predator that closed the distance as if gliding across the floor, utilizing its flexible physique and remarkable speed.
Despite its massive body, it moved at a surprising pace, reaching me in the blink of an eye.
It opened its fearsome jaws as if to swallow me whole in one strike.
But that didn’t happen.
By the time its gleaming sharp teeth reached where I had been standing, I had long since moved to a safer location.
Realizing belatedly that its prey had evaded the attack, the creature began unleashing a barrage of indiscriminate assaults in my direction, its anger unmistakable.
It used everything—its mouth, tail, wings, and even its body.
The Basilisk launched a relentless series of assaults, employing ingenious methods that no ordinary creature could dream of.
Yet, despite its frenzied and desperate attacks, none of them even grazed the hem of my robe.
Of course, the Basilisk’s attacks were far from slow.
The absurd result stemmed from one simple reason: my unparalleled dynamic vision, which made its swift strikes appear as if they were in slow motion, combined with physical abilities that overwhelmed the creature and, most importantly, an unwavering composure as tranquil as a still lake.
These factors combined created the current situation, where its attacks failed to touch me at all.
***
If an experienced fighter were observing this, they would immediately realize that I wasn’t finishing it off on purpose but merely toying with it.
Even though the evaluation had only just begun, the difference in skill between the Basilisk and me was overwhelming.
The hideous creature reflected the irrational nature of monsters, relentlessly maintaining its will to fight.
But if it had even a shred of reason, it would have already acknowledged the gap in strength and abandoned the battle.
And the reason I continued to drag out the fight was none other than to figure out the nature of the emotion that had been consuming my mind ever since I first encountered this creature.
‘The only malice I’d ever faced in my life was from some rowdy delinquents I ran into on the streets.’
‘So how could I remain so unaffected by the immense pressure emanating from this monster?’
‘As if I had experienced situations like this countless times before.’
‘As if I had grown so numb to it all that it failed to stir me in the slightest…’
I could understand the powerful combat abilities that allowed me to toy with a Class B monster, as they aligned with the fact that I was a military-grade automaton.
But the sensations I felt at this moment, the emotions coursing through me, were entirely different.
‘If I were designed to feel no emotions at all, that might have explained it.’
‘But as someone capable of experiencing fear and negative emotions, the question only deepened.’
Ultimately, to find an answer to my question, I chose to calmly search within myself rather than end the battle quickly.
The Basilisk seemed to realize that I wasn’t focusing on the fight at all and was outright ignoring it.
Furious, it began to rampage even more.
It gathered blazing flames in its mouth, and soon, fiery breath erupted in all directions.
As a result, the flames from its mouth turned the practice field floor into a sea of fire, restricting my range of movement.
Unconsciously, I furrowed my brows.
To make matters worse, part of my robe, which I hadn’t properly secured, caught fire and began to singe.
While I was deeply focused on my inner thoughts, it was then that I heard that voice from beyond an unknown origin.
‘A mere wretched little lizard… To leave such an unsightly mark on my precious robe… Kill it. Kill it. Tear it to shreds. Such a lowly creature, ignorant of its place… it deserves no mercy.’
I couldn’t tell whose voice it was.
But one thing was clear—the moment I heard it, an uncontrollable and unimaginable fury surged from deep within me, filling my entire mind.
That fury soon morphed into a sticky, black emotion—madness and killing intent—that completely overtook me.
And naturally, all of it was directed at the foolish monster, unaware of the situation it was in.
***
Sssk-! Sssk-!
“KEEEEEEEEKKK!!!”
The first place the sharp longsword struck was the Basilisk’s wings.
Before it even realized what was happening, its wings were gone in an instant, and it began thrashing desperately, screaming in agony.
But that was only the beginning; the real ordeal had yet to begin.
Compared to what was about to happen, losing its wings was just a mere appetizer.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pshhk! Thuck! Sshhk!! Sssk!! Thuck! Chyaaaak!
Exploiting the gaps in its frenzied movements, I unleashed a relentless storm of strikes, each one faster and more precise than the last.
Stabbing, slicing, tearing. Stabbing and slicing. Stabbing, tearing, slicing.
Like peeling the skin off an apple with delicate precision, its exposed flesh was shredded with calculated brutality.
The continuous strikes, smooth as flowing water, were so swift and relentless that the creature could only stand frozen in terror, unable to resist.
That was the monster’s perspective, of course.
From my standpoint, I found it increasingly difficult to maintain composure as I was overwhelmed by an exhilarating sensation I had never experienced before.
It was a thrill beyond words, like scratching an itch deep within, becoming the explosive force driving my movements and pushing my physical abilities to their absolute limits.
Once I had thoroughly butchered the monster, leaving no part of it unscathed, it was time for the final act—the grand finale.
I leapt onto its tail and drove the longsword deep into its flesh.
Keeping the blade embedded, I surged forward, accelerating with every step, leaving a trail of opened entrails and blood spraying like crimson petals in my wake.
When I finally reached its head, I pulled the sword free, leapt high into the air, spun once mid-flight, and descended like an arrow, aiming directly at the creature.
Sssk-!!!!
Fwooooosh——-!
THUD!!!
I landed smoothly on the ground, and beside me fell the enormous body, now headless and lifeless.
A fountain of blood erupted from the neck of the headless body before it collapsed with a dull thud.
***
When it was all over, I stood there blankly for a moment, staring straight ahead.
And then I realized something and raised a hand to my face.
“…I’m smiling?”
Me?
Without even realizing it, my lips had curved into a grin.
And the electrifying excitement still lingering in my body wrapped around me like an intoxicating afterglow.
What had started as blind rage had been steered by none other than my pure, unrestrained will.
The result of that will was evident right before my eyes.
The Basilisk’s decapitated head, lying neatly severed on the ground.
Its body, unrecognizable and reduced to a blood-soaked heap of flesh, was sprawled across the now crimson-stained floor.
And most notably, my appearance, completely drenched in sticky, red liquid, leaving no trace of its original color, served as undeniable proof of the reality.
***
For a moment, I simply stood there, trembling slightly as I took in the aftermath.
Then, as if triggered by the end of the evaluation, the remains of the creature—the Basilisk—began to glow faintly with blue light.
The countless fragments of its body turned into shimmering shards, slowly disappearing like a mirage.
Thanks to this, the practice field, as well as my blood-soaked appearance, were fully restored to their original state, as if nothing had ever happened.
However, even though everything had returned to normal, I still hadn’t found the answer I was searching for.