The terror of a monster hits you intuitively through its sheer size. A snake with deadly venom is lethal whether small or large, but a big snake is still scarier than a small one. Probably because of the imagination it sparks. A giant snake looks like it could swallow you whole in one gulp if it wanted to.
That was why Prince Philly felt afraid, even though the snake was slaughtering the spider for them.
"Uwaaaah! Master!"
Amaen's fist-pumping frenzy was utterly incomprehensible.
Moreover, the snake didn't seem satisfied even after killing the spider. It raised that longsword (no hands, but the sword moved like it was alive) and hacked the spider to pieces. There seemed to be some method to the butchery. First, it sliced off all the useless legs. Then it lopped off the tiny head—small compared to its massive body—like harvesting coconuts from a palm tree, splitting it clean in half. Inside was nothing but a pale, mushy brain.
"Shiriit."
As if dissatisfied, it whipped the contents around. The spider's guts and fluids spilled out in a gush.
"Urk."
Philly retched involuntarily. The snake and Amaen didn't seem to care at all. He was apparently the only one here with a normal stomach.
"Saaak!"
Finally, the snake let out something like a cry of joy. What it pulled from the spider's belly was a fist-sized orb. Had the spider been nurturing it inside? Ah... an inner core, maybe an inner core.
And at last, the snake shrank back down. From big enough to gulp Philly in one bite to the thickness of a child's arm. The dramatic size change somehow put his mind at ease.
"Phew."
Plus, the snake looked in a great mood. Dancing along rhythm-less without any music—it made him want to add background tunes.
Probably... Professor Obern's familiar. Or a snake-shaped golem, maybe.
Not a golem, though. Not with that lifelike movement. A summon, perhaps? But it was definitely that snake from the staff. Like a gargoyle that comes alive from a statue to fend off intruders.
Either way, he needed to sweet-talk this dangerous snake. With that thought, Philly cautiously pulled jerky from his pocket.
"Here, here."
He tossed it in front of the snake.
"Don't come too close, ts ts ts, shh, good boy."
Snakes don't eat jerky anyway. You'd need at least a stunned rat for that—they gulp them down whole. Philly had actually raised a snake in the palace as a kid. Some hated it as a gross hobby, but he'd genuinely cherished it. Despite their looks—and depending on the breed—some snakes were docile. Treat them kindly, and they won't bite.
"You're ugly, but kinda cute up close. Ts ts ts, stay back, stop right there."
But this snake was different. Suddenly—thwack!—it lunged. Its head slammed into Philly's solar plexus.
"Ack! That hurts!"
"Saaak!"
'Insolent brat!' it seemed to hiss.
The snake glared at the collapsed Philly, then slithered up onto Amaen's arm.
"It says you're the insolent brat."
"W-what?"
"That's what Master says."
Was Amaen teasing him? But then, paper and a pen appeared out of nowhere, floating in the air.
"That's exactly what I said."
O, Obern?
"Not Obern—call me Ouroboros."
Philly's eyes trembled in confusion. He'd only learned after the fact that the snake was separate from Obern. And that Amaen's "master" was this snake.
"Master is an ancient being, worthy of the title 'sage.'"
He didn't look it, Philly thought, but Amaen's attitude was dead serious.
"Y-yeah... Lord Ouroboros."
The snake nodded vigorously. How did Amaen end up as this snake's disciple?
"A truly mythical tale."
That was the snake's curt dismissal. Fair enough—a commoner boy learning magic from a snake sounded like a fairy tale about "a great mage's childhood."
"Then Professor Obern is...?"
"Obern is, well... something like my colleague."
"Colleague..."
Makes sense for that guy to buddy up with something this insane. But a monster as a colleague, even with intelligence... definitely not a normal human.
"Prince Philly."
"Y-yes!"
"I'll give you a chance too. To become my disciple."
"Ah..."
Philly panicked. Become the snake's disciple? He glanced at Amaen, who was beaming. Was this for real? As Philly hemmed and hawed,
"What're you doing, Philly? It's waiting."
Amaen urged him like, hurry up and say thanks.
"Th-thank... you?"
"Perform the nine bows ritual properly."
What now? Amaen whispered: nine prostrations.
Nothing he couldn't do... but the momentum felt overwhelming. Philly nodded, swept along. It wasn't until the seventh bow that proper thoughts hit.
Is this okay?
Telling Grandmama or Father would spell disaster.
"Thus, you are now my disciple and Amaen's junior brother. Get along, no fighting. Keep your discipleship secret from others."
Good, a secret. Then came the horror.
"To celebrate my new disciple, a gift for you both."
The inner core from the spider. The snake divided it into three equal parts.
"Poison-free confirmed. Eat up."
Philly took his piece without thinking. Warm, steaming.
"Eat."
Ah, shouldn't have become a disciple. Philly swallowed hard, sweating coldly.
* * *
Professor Obern's staff. The snake dangling from it. He thrust it toward the spittle-flying Professor Damon, and the crystal snake ornament sprang to life, pummeling him. How? No idea, but it literally beat him. It even choked his neck, leaving Damon to faint pathetically. No chanting meant no escape spells.
The whole thing ended quicker than expected.
"Return."
At Obern's command, the snake climbed back and stiffened. Only then did the watching students realize: Obern had used a familiar to subdue Damon. Incredible. No proper spell, just a snake—real or magical?—taking down a fellow professor.
"All of you, take the injured and get out of the dungeon now."
Obern's voice was icy cold, dripping menace.
"Go call for help."
"What about you, Professor?"
One amid the fleeing bunch thought of others.
"I'll stay, block the spiders, and rescue the students."
Alone? How? Everyone wondered, but Obern snarled,
"You're in the way—get out!"
True, students flailing around would just hinder. They retreated en masse. Traps on the path were already disarmed or bypassed.
Once the students were gone, lone Obern extended his staff again. The snake dropped with a thud.
"P-please... take care."
His voice trembled as he bowed; the snake nodded.
It plunged into the dungeon without hesitation—to save the kids. Obern stayed behind, waiting.
That's how it went. Alone, Obern bit his lip in anxiety, heart pounding bloody. The prince had been bitten by spiders. And Damon's words weren't wrong—he'd stubbornly insisted on entering.
Obern's lowly family and court baron backer wouldn't protect him if things blew up.
"Please, please, God of Light, Hearth Goddess, Snake Lord..."
He knelt, praying desperately for the snake's safe return.
Footsteps echoed. Heaven was indifferent— from behind, not ahead.
"The prince was kidnapped?!"
"Spiders? Why would spiders come out of an instance dungeon?!"
Professors rushed in. Obern shot up from his knees. Cornered or not, he was the world's greatest actor, endorsed by the snake.
"Professor Obern, what happened?!"
As the arriving professors bellowed and approached,
"Shh."
Obern halted them, finger to lips: shut up and stay quiet. Overawed, they froze.
Silence stretched. Finally, one cracked.
"Professor, we need the situation to—"
"Shh!"
"Come on."
"Shut it!"
The cursed professor's eyes bulged, but Obern's face was gravely serious. They shut up, waiting. Obern just held his staff still.
The silence was agonizing. Truth was, Obern was the one shitting bricks, barely holding it together.
Gods—no, Snake!
Blessedly, the snake returned! Startled by the professors at first, it caught Obern's desperate gaze and meekly climbed the staff, stiffening into perfect ornament.
Magically, the prince and Amaen appeared too.
"Your Highness!"
"Are you safe?!"
Just spiderwebs on them—otherwise fine. Professors swarmed Philly.
A few surviving spiders lurked inside. As Obern turned to leave, he paused, glancing at his staff.
"Everyone, fall back. I'll incinerate the spiders."
Incinerate? Obern raised his staff, muttering an unintelligibly tiny incantation.
"...Prima Ignite."
⟨ Hellfire ⟩
Purple flames erupted.
Whoosh—
Air-searing fire. Hellfire. Gehenna. It burrowed into the cave, burning the spiders. Hot winds blasted. Professors realized: the young prof had unleashed hell magic.
Obern's fame soared again.
* * *
Headmaster Ballarnyar. Visiting the palace, he got grim news. Even his perpetual smile cracked.
Monsters in an instance dungeon. The third prince kidnapped by spiders.
Thankfully rescued.
Professor Obern used a familiar to save the prince and hell magic to incinerate the spiders.
His face lit up instantly.
"Hahaha!"
He burst out laughing.
"Just that level...? Impressive."
A familiar strong enough to slay monsters and rescue the prince. And hell magic. As one near magic's pinnacle, Ballarnyar knew immediately how profound that was.
But hiding such power despite his watch...
"Heh, layers upon layers like an onion."
"Y-yes."
The hasty reporter prof smiled awkwardly.
"Well, no issues? I'm off. Handle cleanup."
"Yes, sir."
Ballarnyar shook his whiskey bottle and turned. Palace grounds. King's drinking buddy Ballarnyar had come with gnome whiskey. Daytime? Booze anytime.
Whistling, he reached massive ornate doors. Familiar guards spotted him, turned, and bellowed,
"Your Highness, Duke Ballarnyar has arrived!"
"Let him in!"
Already tipsy voice.
Doors opened. Ballarnyar boomed,
"Your Highness, your friend has come!"
"Oho! Ballarnyar!"
The paunchy, flushed king welcomed him. Ballarnyar's beaming face cracked for a split second.
"Heh heh, long time, Headmaster."
"...Ah, Court Baron."
An unwelcome guest. The court baron was already there.
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