NOVPUB
Chapter 56: The Fall of The Aqua Serpent Beast.
The Fall of The Aqua Serpent Beast.
"I’ll learn this damn magic," he growled, locking his gaze on the serpent. "But first, I’ll carve it out of your corpse."
The serpent hissed, coils tightening. Another blast tore from its throat—a spiraling jet of water.
Leon raised his sword. Clang! The force slammed into the blade, nearly wrenching it from his grip. A crack snaked down the hilt.
You hellspawn fish bastard," he spat, staggering backward.
His breath came in harsh gasps. His hands throbbed. For the first time today in this never-ending forest fight—he felt more than hurt. He felt deep, biting annoyance.
He charged once more. Weaving to the left, leaping off a rock. He kicked off a tree, spinning in mid-leap—slash!
A slash appeared along the serpent’s neck—but not severe.
The snake rose and bellowed once more, launching another geyser of water under Leon’s landing position.
BOOM!
The blast threw him out of control. He spun, landed hard on one knee, and slid on wet stone.
A voice inside his head.
[System Notice]
Host, if fighting continues on current trajectory, estimated probability of death: 80%
Leon breathed slowly, wiped blood off his lip.
Then he grumbled, "You really know how to kill the mood, don’t you?
[System: Sarcasm detected. Do you wish to turn on motivational mode?]
"Not the time!"
He leaped back as the serpent whipped out another tail swipe. It shattered the stone he’d stood on to rubble.
[System Reminder: Have Host you forgotten the knowledge bestowed by the System?]
His gaze narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
[System: Aqua Serpent-Beasts: Life-force condensed in horn structure. Shatter the horn and
leads to internal mana collapse.]
Leon’s eyes went to the monster’s head. The horn—crested back like a crown, jagged.
"Son of a. you could’ve told me sooner."
[System: Host seemed to be enjoying fight. Also, Host never asked.]
Leon breathed through his teeth. "Smartass." Okay. Focus. He ducked low, spread wide.
"Alright then. Let’s take your crown off."
"Alright then," Leon growled, his mouth twisting into a hard grin. "Let’s take your crown off."
The snake hissed angrily—and, for the first time, it retreated. Water surged around it as it partially submerged, attempting to hide its horn.
Playtime’s over?
Leon’s boots touched the ground, and he took off—sprinting, jumping from boulder to rubble as if the ground were his playground. Water cannons detonated around him—BOOM! WHOOSH! —but he didn’t slow.
His blood was boiling, sword singing in his hands, each intake of air crackling with the rush of fight.
"Go on then!" he bellowed, scything through a gusher. "Not now, though!"
A jet screamed against his cheek—flipped him, ducked, and kicked off a cypress root.
"Falling Petal Dance: Second Bloom—!"
SHING! His blade helixed downward in a shining slash.
CLANG! It clanged against the horn—bounded off. No shatter.
Leon landed hard, skidded, and continued to chuckle.
Harder than you look, huh?" he snarled through a smile. "Good. I like a challenge."
The serpent bellowed and lashed its tail—CRACK! It flung Leon into a tree. The trunk burst in two.
He fell into the mud—hard. But instead of wincing, he stood up with fire burning in his eyes and blood on his teeth.
"This," he panted, "this is what I’m talking about.
His gaze fixed on the whirling armor of water guarding the horn.
Cursed intelligence. Resilient. Strategic. Flawless.
"Let me see you’re so smart when youily dead."
Leon pushed forward once more, adrenaline searing pain out of his mind. The snake roared with rage, water bubbling like a tidal deity.
But Leon didn’t hesitate—he sprang high, blade overhead.
"BREAK!!"
KRRAK!!
His sword crashed against the watery armor—broke it. The horn shattered.
The snake shrieked—SHREEEEEE!!—thrashing wildly.
Leon rode the frenzy, blade crashing down again—WHAM! The break went deeper.
The beast spewed a geyser—BOOOOM! —sweeping Leon off his feet.
In mid-air, his smile broadened.
"One more—!"
CRACK!!
In mid-air, he spun—teeth gritted, arms throbbing—
And with a last roar of effort—
In mid-air, Leon spun—teeth gritted, arms shaking from exhaustion.
With a last roar, full of rage and defiance—
"RAAAAAH!!"
CRACK!!
His blade bit deep. The serpent’s horn snapped off clean with a deafening shatter.
The beast froze.
Then, it let out one final, soul-rending scream—low and guttural, ringing out across the forest:
"ROOOAAARRRRRGHHH!!"
It wasn’t pain—it was fury, shock, the bellow of a dying monarch.
A nauseating shudder coursed through its huge frame. It jerked wildly, tail lashing back and forth. Water erupted from its nostrils and jaws in blasting torrents—FWOOOSH! —as mana burst from within, flashing like lightning in the maelstrom of its dying spasms.
Leon struck the ground hard on one knee. His sword broke in his hand—beyond repair. The shattered hilt clattered on the ground next to him.
Then it came—the end.
The serpent thrashed once, then its enormous body collapsed. With a tremendous crash, its body splashed into the lake.
SPLAAAASHHH!
A wall of water roared up, drenching Leon in an instant. It slammed like a wave, icy and unrelenting, stripping the blood from his face and arms, drenching him to the bone.He didn’t budge.
He just stood—soaked, panting—watching as the beast slowly submerged into the depths. Ripples spread out in immaculate silence, as if the world itself were holding its breath.
Stillness.
Then—
[DING!]
[Master Realm Magical Beast defeated: Aqua Serpent-Beast.]
[10 Blank Points awarded.]
[Total BP: 170]
Leon fell onto the silver grass with a loud thud, breath harsh, chest labouring like bellows. His cloak was stuck to him—tattered, wet, and smeared with blood. His hair dripped down across his face, matted and stuck to his forehead.
A low rumbling chuckle echoed from his throat.
"That... was a fight."
His voice was gruff, cracked with fatigue—but tinged with an odd, almost wild satisfaction. His entire body ached. Each breath jolted pain through his ribs, and his vision throbbed with the stodgy beat of his heart.
"And this agony..." he slurred, gazing down at the welts, the slashes, the blood. "Is like my body’s been ripped in two."
He winced and moved, looking at the broken hilt beside him.
"Sigh... This sword finally broke down, huh?"
He picked it up, looked at the broken edge, and then discarded it with a worn-out grin.
"Guess I need a new one. One that can make it through more than one boss battle."
He leaned back and saw the sky—sunlight filtering through the trees.
"At least three hours till sunset..."
[DING!]
A gentle chime resonated in his ears.
A pale blue screen glowed to life before him.
[System: Scanning area around me.]
[Scan complete. Magical fluctuation found at lakebed. Source: Unknown.]
Leon’s eyes flickered open. "Wait. what? There’s something down there?"
His heart skipped a beat.
"What is it?" he asked, trying to force himself up against the agony.
[System: A treasure.]
Leon’s eyebrow jerked. Following a moment of hesitation, he mumbled, "You knew, didn’t you? About the treasure. from the beginning.
[System: Positive.]
He looked at the bright screen for an instant and then groaned low. "You’ve got to be kidding me. And why the devil’s hell didn’t you let me know earlier?"
[System: Host did not ask.] 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Leon clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Tch. Classic."
[System: I am programmed to help, not spoil. I indicate directions. It’s your option to walk them.]
Leon rolled his eyes and let out a dry laugh. "Oh great, now you’re doing fortune cookie wisdom."
Leon exhaled slowly, then pushed himself to his feet. Every muscle screamed in protest, his limbs heavy and trembling. His ribs ached with each breath, and dried blood clung to his skin like second armor. But he moved anyway—because that’s what he did.
Step by step, he approached the lake.
Once, the water had shone like melted silver in the sun and the silver tree. Now it lapped in shades of red. The fight had stripped the beauty from this location—broken trees stood at crooked angles, the delicate silver leaf trees knocked over and splattered with blood. And still, the water shone, reflecting a sky that hadn’t yet caught on to the fact that something had died here.
Leon halted at the water’s edge.
The serpent’s body floated in the shallows, massive and unmoving. Its lifeless eyes were still wide—locked on him, as if refusing to accept defeat.
He smirked, tilting his head.
"What?" he muttered. "You’re dead. Don’t give me that look."
No answer, of course.
With a short breath and a quiet grunt, Leon stepped forward—and dove in lake.
