Living As the Villainess Queen (Web Novel KR)-Chapter 422.1

Mahar focused all its senses on preventing the kings from climbing onto its massive body. Akil advanced cautiously, his blade gleaming in the scattered light, but retreated again as the serpent-like beast slammed its two remaining tails against the ground with a deafening thud.

Clicking his tongue in frustration, Akil circled the creature, maintaining a measured distance.

“It’s really losing control,” he muttered under his breath. Then, narrowing his eyes, he added, “Could the core be hidden in its tail?”

The beast’s entire body shimmered faintly, specks of light flickering across its surface like fireflies trapped beneath its skin. The glow masked any definitive sign of a core. If it was in the tail, the creature’s agile movements made targeting it far from easy. Still, Akil knew one thing for certain: the tails had to be removed. Their destructive range was a threat, and despite its immense size, the creature had one glaring weakness—its slow recovery rate.

I’ll sever all the tails, he decided, tightening his grip on his blade. He watched for an opening, his muscles coiled like a spring.

While Akil calculated his next move, Pered acted without hesitation. In a blur of motion, he drew the dagger from his waist and sprang forward. The royal weapons wielded by the Dark King—a longsword and an unusually long dagger—lacked the overwhelming destructive power of other legendary armaments. However, what they lacked in raw force, they made up for in their unmatched sharpness and ability to retain Praz, the concentrated energy of their wielders. Even after leaving their master’s hand, the energy could persist, making the weapons uniquely lethal.

Earlier, Pered had deliberately released his blade, a calculated maneuver rather than a mistake. The weapon, infused with Praz, had been aimed at the creature’s most vulnerable point: the eyes. If the energy did its work, it would burrow deeper into the serpent’s inner eye, crippling its sight.

Now, Pered landed squarely on the serpent’s less erratic dorsal side, avoiding the flailing tails. In one fluid motion, he plunged his glowing violet dagger into a narrow gap between its armored scales. The blade bit deep, slicing through the hardened exterior and tearing into the flesh beneath.

Mahar thrashed violently, flipping its massive body in an attempt to crush its attacker. Pered, however, anticipated the move and sprang away just before the beast’s back slammed into the ground.

Seizing the brief moment as the creature struggled to rise again, Kasser leapt forward, landing near its neck—a vulnerable spot akin to the nape of a human.

“I need to immobilize this thing,” he muttered. His target was clear: the brain. Damaging it would slow the creature’s movements and make accessing the core—hidden deep within its neck—far easier.

Mahar whipped its head frantically, attempting to shake Kasser off. Clinging tightly to his blade, which was wedged between the thick scales, Kasser gritted his teeth as the centrifugal force flung his body into the air. Despite the strain on his arms, he refused to let go.

While Mahar’s attention fixated on dislodging Kasser, the other kings seized the opportunity to attack. The serpent now faced four relentless opponents, each moving unpredictably, their strategies forcing it into a defensive spiral.

Akil darted toward one of the remaining tails again. His patience and relentless effort paid off as his blade struck true, severing the tail halfway. The mutilated appendage dangled grotesquely, spurting viscous fluid.

The serpent screeched in agony, its head snapping toward the wounded tail. As Mahar lunged with venomous fangs, Akil leapt back just in time, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike.

Meanwhile, Pered landed on the exposed flesh he had stripped earlier. With calculated precision, he drove his dagger deeper into the soft tissue, carving through the sinewy mass.

Akil, catching sight of Pered’s efforts, frowned in dismay. He quickly realized what Pered intended—to burrow his way inside the beast and attack the core from within.

Akil grimaced, his face twisting with disgust. The idea alone churned his stomach. He knew all too well that once the core was destroyed, the creature’s body would disintegrate, but not before releasing a nauseating stench from its decaying fluids. As someone with a weak stomach, the thought was unbearable.

“There’s no way I’m doing that,” Akil muttered under his breath, stepping back to reassess his role in the fight. Watching Pered’s unwavering determination, he shook his head, muttering bitterly, “What a tenacious bastard.” Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel{f}ire.net

Despite the kings’ combined efforts, Mahar remained confined within the palace grounds. A rising tide of urgency surged within the beast—it couldn’t afford to be delayed any longer.

With a sudden burst of speed, the serpent accelerated, its massive coils spiraling forward with terrifying force. Its remaining red eye gleamed with unrestrained fury, the hatred it bore for humans driving its every move. But the square was empty; Richard had seen to the complete evacuation of everyone in the vicinity.

Frustration boiled over into rage. Mahar slammed its head against the ground with earth-shaking force, sending Kasser hurtling from its nape. Kasser hit the ground hard but rolled smoothly to his feet, steadying himself. His eyes locked with Riner’s from across the battlefield.

“Where is it?” Riner shouted, his voice strained over the chaos.

Though the distance made it hard to hear, Kasser understood the question. He pointed to his own neck, mouthing the word clearly: “The neck.”

Riner clicked his tongue in frustration, his gaze darting over the serpent’s chaotic movements. Dozens of faintly glowing points dotted its neck, their shimmering light obscuring the core’s true location.

“Damn it,” he muttered, the weight of their predicament sinking in.

Destroying the core himself wasn’t feasible—there was no time to stab at every glowing spot in desperation. As much as it rankled him, the final blow would have to go to Kasser. Riner exhaled sharply, resigning himself to teamwork.

“The brain, then,” he said under his breath, a plan forming rapidly.

If he could destroy the brain while Kasser shattered the core, they could end this monster together.

Flames of red Praz flared around Riner as he surged forward. Suppressing his energy to avoid detection, he leapt onto the serpent’s head and began scaling toward its crown with practiced precision.

Kasser, sensing Riner’s intent, moved into position. Unleashing his Praz in the form of a massive energy serpent, he drew Mahar’s attention. The beast roared, fangs bared, perceiving Kasser as the greater threat.

While Mahar focused on Kasser, Riner struck. With a single, devastating blow, he drove his greatsword into the serpent’s skull. The destructive force of his strike shattered the thick bone, splitting it cleanly.

The faint Praz lingering in Pered’s earlier blade resonated with Riner’s energy, driving even deeper into Mahar’s brain. The serpent froze mid-screech, its massive body momentarily paralyzed.

Kasser seized the moment. Channeling every ounce of his Praz into the tip of his blade, he lunged with deadly precision toward the exposed core.

This can’t be…!

Mahar’s consciousness dissolved into nothingness. The agony of its end felt less like physical pain and more like an overwhelming despair—a realization of its own annihilation.

Light erupted from the shattered core, illuminating the square in a blinding glow. A heartbeat later, the massive serpent’s body detonated, its monstrous form reduced to a rain of radiant fragments.