Chapter 70: Azure basilisk (10)
While running away and holding his hoodie tightly, he heard the basilisk screech again. Jaster turned around, and his heart dropped.
He saw the basilisk slithering toward the grandma’s apartment.
"SHIT, GRANNY!" He acted quickly and grabbed a pebble from the ground, then threw it toward the snake.
The rock swung through the air and hit the beast’s colossal head. The snake shook its head, then turned toward the hooded Jaster.
Recognizing that white-haired kid, its eyes blazed, and it started slithering faster toward the boy.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" Jaster started running in the opposite direction.
The giant beast opened its deadly maw. A beam of lightning shot out from the snake’s throat and headed straight for Jaster.
The devastating beam burned anything in its path. The air itself seemed to be pulled toward the electric beam.
Jaster leaped to the side just in time before the beam struck the ground where he would have been.
The electric beam created a huge crater that dug deep into the ground. Jaster staggered while trying to get up, his leg shaking and breath heaving.
"Crazy snake!" He ran faster, his legs screaming in protest.
Behind him, the basilisk tore through the street, its massive body crashing through buildings like paper. Concrete shattered, glass exploded, and the ground trembled with every movement.
"It’s not giving up?!"
Jaster darted into the nearest apartment building, slammed the door open, and sprinted down the hallway. A deafening screech echoed behind him—
BOOM!
An indigo orb of lightning blasted through the wall, tearing the corridor apart.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
He leaped over the debris and kept running, turning sharply into a stairwell.
The walls behind him exploded inward as the basilisk forced its way through, its blades ripping through concrete like claws.
Jaster skipped steps, nearly slipping as he rushed down the stairs.
Another beam fired, the entire floor above him erupted, chunks of rubble raining down.
"Too close!"
He burst out of the building from the back exit, not even slowing down as he sprinted into another narrow street.
The basilisk followed relentlessly, its massive body smashing through the apartment, collapsing it from the inside as it chased him.
"Where’s this damn exit?!" He shouted in frustration. The basilisk kept following him while tearing down the apartment buildings behind him.
Rubble started raining down from the sky as a puff of dust surrounded Jaster. He couldn’t see what was in front of him, nor behind him. But he could still hear the snake screeching.
"SHIT!" Just when he thought all hope was lost, the dust began to settle, slowly revealing the road ahead.
Standing before Jaster was a pair of massive iron gates, towering over him like an unbreakable wall. The dark metal was forged into intricate swirling patterns, twisting vines and sharp, spear-like tips lining the top.
"Is that.... THAT’S THE EXIT!" He shouted in excitement. Jaster finally reached the gates and started rummaging through his pocket.
"Now, all I need is the key—" The boy’s blood ran cold. His gaze froze, but his arm was still rummaging through the pocket.
"Where.... Where’s the key?" His voice stuttered as he desperately kept searching his pocket.
"Don’t tell me... I dropped it." He looked back and saw the colossal beast slithering faster and faster, getting closer to Jaster.
"FUCK THIS!" He pulled his hand out of his pocket and put both hands on the iron gates. He looked down at Purple, who was tucked in his hoodie.
"Purple... I need you now." Purple’s eyes sparkled, and the gecko nodded at Jaster. It closed its yellow eyes, and its chest began to glow indigo.
Jaster’s chest started radiating indigo at the same time.
[ Skill activated — Wall Climb Lv. 1 ]
"Wall Climb... don’t fail me now..."
His hands pressed against the cold metal, then he started moving. Jaster ran straight up the gate. His feet stuck to the surface unnaturally, each step pulling him higher as the indigo glow pulsed beneath his skin.
"It’s working—!"
"SHRAAAAAK!"
The basilisk lunged forward.
Jaster didn’t dare look down, but he could feel the heat, the pressure, the sheer presence closing in behind him. A blast of lightning erupted—
BOOM!
The beam slammed into the gates just below him, sending a shockwave through the metal.
"WOAH—!"
His body jolted as the gate trembled violently, his grip nearly slipping.
"Don’t fall... don’t fall...!"
He climbed faster. His hands burned, his legs strained, but he forced himself upward, the spikes at the top growing closer.
Another indigo orb shot past him, barely missing his head before exploding against the gate. Fragments of metal and sparks rained down.
"THIS THING WON’T QUIT!"
The basilisk reared back again, its maw opening wide. Jaster pushed harder.
One more step. One more—
His hand grabbed the top of the gate, just beneath the sharp metal spikes.
"Got it—!"
The serpent suddenly struck the metal barrier. Jaster pulled himself up just as the beam tore through where he had been, the blast roaring beneath him.
He swung his leg over the top, ignoring the sharp edges scraping against him, and dropped to the other side.
"Whew, that was a close call—"
"SHRAKKKKKK!!!" The serpent rushed toward the gates as the giant metal wall shaken, containing the beast inside.
Jaster was taken aback. He crawled away from the gates. After catching his breath, he started chuckling.
"Ha... Ha... HAHAHAHA!" He got up and wiped all the dust from his jacket.
"HAHAHA! TAKE THAT, BASILISK!" The white-haired boy flipped off the snake while showing off his backside.
The snake seemed displeased by the boy’s actions. It squinted its eyes and proceeded to open its mouth.
"Oh, shit." Jaster scrambled out of there before the snake could burst through the metal gates and eat him alive.
---
(Stella POV)
After the basilisk decided to chased after Jaster, Stella came out of her hiding spot. She peeked outside the convenience store and saw the colossal snake’s tail disappear into a tight alleyway.
She sighed in relief and closed the convenience store door. She glanced at one of the many fallen shelves and dragged it in front of the door.
"Okay. This should secure me for a bit. Now, about Jaster’s plan..." Stella turned her head toward the many fallen items on the ground.
"Let’s get searching!"
