ODKO | Chapter 11

“Stay alert, it’s coming soon when it explodes.”

When Cayenne casually mentioned it, the magic stone he had thrown tumbled to the ground.

At first, the fire-imbued stone rolled across the dirt like an ordinary pebble, showing no immediate reaction. The soldiers—and Squad Leader Jack—stared at it in stunned silence, their expressions blank with disbelief.

The explosion occurred shortly after the magic stone stopped moving and everyone let their guard down.

Boom! Boom boom!

Everyone present finally understood why the Commander had ordered a retreat of thirty paces.

The fire magic stone—designed more for explosions than igniting flames—detonated with a deafening roar. Had they remained clustered together as before, they would have been caught in the shockwave or buried beneath the mass of flying dirt.

The explosion reverberated across the battlefield, not just once but five or six times, shaking the ground as everyone watched in stunned silence. Only when the final blast faded did the chaos settle.

What followed was an oppressive stillness. The suffocating silence that replaced the deafening noise was just as intense—so absolute that one could hear the breathing of someone standing across from them.

Jack involuntarily frowned under the weight of the eerie calm pressing down on his shoulders.

The air had changed.

If someone asked how, he wouldn’t be able to put it into words. It was just an instinct—a feeling deep in his bones.

“It’s coming.”

Something massive. Something beyond enormous.

Jack parted his lips, his throat dry from the tension that gripped him for no reason. Beside him, Cayenne kept his gaze fixed on a single spot on the ground, not responding. His black hair fluttered gently in the wind.

Rumble, rumble…

The earth began to tremble. The sound followed closely behind the vibrations. There had been tremors when the baby Vipers appeared, but this was different—the depth of the quake was far more ominous.

Without needing a warning, the soldiers instinctively sensed the impending crisis and crouched, lowering their stances.

They endured the shaking with tense expressions, but as the tremors intensified and dirt flew into the air, their tension soon turned to confusion.

Before long, even crouching became difficult. The ground rocked violently, forcing some soldiers to drop to one knee, while others drove their swords into the ground to maintain balance. Their eyes, now teetering on the edge of fear, instinctively sought Cayenne as if begging for guidance.

Yet he, too, remained crouched—his face unreadable. His sharp features and vacant expression were like those of a perfectly sculpted doll.

He had been staring at the ground in complete stillness for what felt like an eternity. Then, suddenly, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.

His blue eyes, which had been cold and subdued, flickered with an exhilarated light—bright and volatile, like an exploding magic stone.

Jack, noticing the shift, narrowed his eyes, a sense of unease creeping up his spine.

And then—

The vibrations ceased. The dust that had been swirling in the air slowly drifted back to the ground.

Before it had even settled, a monstrous roar shattered the silence.

Kaaaaaaah!!

“Ugh!”

Several soldiers, startled by the monstrous sound that erupted like an explosion, screamed. Though they had been on high alert, they couldn’t help but flinch, as if their hearts had dropped.

The creature that burst through the ground was enormous. Its snake-like head alone was as large as a castle tower. The massive maw, wide open, looked capable of swallowing dozens of people at once, and each of its razor-sharp teeth was the size of an adult man’s leg. Inside that cavernous mouth, a forked tongue, dripping with opaque liquid, writhed like a separate creature of its own.

Though they had known it would be huge, the reality far exceeded their vague imagination. Jack unconsciously tightened his grip on his sword, his brows furrowing. The mere thought of facing such a monstrosity sent cold sweat trickling down his back.

For a brief moment, Jack glanced at Cayenne, who stood beside him. Yet, his expression remained relaxed.

The lively sparkle in those blue eyes, calmly studying the Viper’s main body, eased the tension that had risen to the top of Jack’s head. Facing a monster of this scale without the slightest hint of fear—Cayenne had to know exactly how to deal with it.

“Alright!”

As if to prove Jack’s belief, Cayenne shouted cheerfully.

“Now, go, Jack Rabbit!!”

And then, Cayenne irresponsibly pushed Jack’s back.

Jack, thinking he must have misheard something, turned his eyes wide open to look back at Cayenne.

The Viper’s massive body, having emerged from underground, moved slowly, swaying from side to side. Its enormous size made its movements appear sluggish, but that was no comfort. Worse still, small vibrations rippled through the ground around its main body, which was covered in thick, black scales, as baby Vipers began to rise once more.

Startled, the soldiers instinctively turned their focus to the smaller Vipers, scrambling to fight them off instead of confronting the main body.

“What are you doing? Go catch it.”

Cayenne, with his arms crossed indifferently, gestured with his chin at Jack. Jack opened his mouth wide like the Viper that had just roared.

“What? Just me?!!”

“Then should I go?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Jack’s eyes widened as if they would fall out as he alternated looking at Cayenne and the Viper across. Realizing that Cayenne was completely serious, the blood drained from his face. It was no different from telling him to go die.

“How can I catch that by myself!”

“Why can’t you? You’re underestimating yourself too much. You can do it!”

“How much do you know about me to talk about underestimation!”

Filled with injustice, helplessness, and sorrow up to the top of his head, Jack was overwhelmed with the urge to throw his sword away. Cayenne’s tone, which was encouraging without meaning it, was like reading a book. It felt as if he was being pushed to the edge of a cliff.

Cayenne lightly clicked his tongue at Jack’s defiance and scratched his ear.

“Look closely, Jack Carlson. Do you see that thin line-like thing on the top of its head?”

Without any intention of moving himself, Cayenne tapped Jack’s shoulder and pointed to a part of the Viper’s head. There was indeed a long mark without developed scales around the top of the Viper’s head, where the disgusting mucus dripped from its massive mouth.

“…Yes.”

“The Viper is just big, but it has poor eyesight from living underground for a long time and is sluggish. If you target the relatively thin-scaled head, you can catch it easily. If you stab there, the Viper’s core will be shattered.”

Cayenne spoke as if it were a simple task. Jack nodded in understanding—then quickly came to his senses. Hearing it out loud made it sound easy, but the sheer height of the Viper’s crown, which Cayenne pointed to, was daunting. Instead of striking its weak spot, he was more likely to plummet to his death while attempting to climb the Viper’s back.

“The rest of the soldiers, catch the decoys rising around the main body and support the Squad Leader!”

Jack stood dazed, gripping his sword tightly. He had no confidence in defeating a monster so overwhelmingly large. However, before he could voice his hesitation, Cayenne shouted orders to the soldiers, who were battling in confusion around the Viper.

The thought crossed his mind—If he knows so well, why doesn’t he do it himself? But Jack couldn’t bring himself to say it. It was obvious he’d receive the same cold response as last time: Just do it.

‘Damn, whether I die like this or like that.’

Jack, who had lost any meaning for tomorrow, gripped his sword again. Watching Jack, who had resolved himself, Cayenne subtly raised an eyebrow. A faint hint of surprise was evident, but Jack, who had turned his back on Cayenne, couldn’t see that expression.

“If I die, please make sure to handle the aftermath properly.”

“Are you talking about this? I’ll make sure to provide enough compensation for your family in the countryside to live comfortably for three generations.”

At Cayenne’s smooth response, Jack glanced back at him with sad eyes. The cold indifference—his refusal to cheer him on even twice, to simply say you can do it—almost brought tears to his eyes. At least it was a relief that he wouldn’t have to stage a one-man protest in front of the audience chamber, risking decapitation, since compensation was guaranteed. The fact that he had to find solace in that was truly pitiful.

Soon, Jack steadied his mind and leaped down the hill. The slope wasn’t too steep, and he could descend quickly with just a few strides.

Skillfully cutting down the heads of the snakes rising from the ground in front of him, Jack carefully examined the Viper’s body. Up close, its massive scales were incredibly thick, caked with accumulated soil and rocks over time. If used well, climbing to the crown might not be as difficult as he had initially thought.

‘But… how did he know my family is in the countryside?’

Suddenly, the question arose at an oddly random timing.

“Squad Leader! Be careful!”

Jack was merely surveying the climbing route on the Viper’s body with his eyes when a sudden warning from a soldier pierced his ears, startling him. Before he could react, a small decoy Viper had emerged from the ground at some point—its fangs bared, poised right in front of him.