The bricks that formed the walls were scattered on the ground. From the cracks, weeds grew vigorously. The house had holes everywhere, the roof had given way to the advance of trees, and vegetation took over everything, with vines covering the ground.
It was a small town swallowed by nature.
The mist there still hadn’t fully dissipated. It seemed to flow across the ground like a dense, ethereal presence.
Caroline followed the tracks. The cockatrice had vanished into that place.
She stopped at the edge of the mist and murmured a spell. An alchemical pattern marked on her body activated, covering her blade with a soft white glow.
The first forms of life emerged from the mist, which was also their essence. Creatures long extinct moved freely within it. No one knew what kind of life could emerge from such a mystery, and the anomalous intelligences that arose were called "mist demons."
However, the cockatrice wasn’t one of these creatures. Its limited intelligence didn’t even deserve to be called “wisdom.”
Caroline entered the abandoned town. From the signs of plant growth, it was clear the cockatrice had considered that place its territory for quite some time.
Even so, she remained cautious. After all, there was no rule that only the cockatrice could inhabit its domain.
Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her. She turned quickly but saw only a gray silhouette retreating into the mist.
Probably just a rat.
Caroline pressed on.
Above her, the cockatrice’s eyes glowed red from the roof of one of the houses. With its curved beak and forked tongue, it watched Caroline pass, letting out a silent roar of fury.
Then, it leaped from the roof. Its eight sharp claws spread open as it attacked, using the same tactic Caroline had used against it earlier.
Caroline spun on one foot, tilting her body. She dodged at the last second and then spun again. Her blade traced an arc in the air, striking the cockatrice before it could regain balance. Poisonous blood splattered.
The creature turned, attacking with its curved beak. Caroline jumped to the side and delivered a direct blow to the cockatrice’s head.
The sound of the blade striking stone echoed. This time, the creature learned from its mistakes and retreated before Caroline could cause further harm. On solid ground, the cockatrice was much more agile than it appeared.
It hesitated, viscous saliva dripping from its beak. Its red eyes glowed with uncertainty. Perhaps retreating was the best option.
Caroline, however, didn’t give it a chance. While the creature hesitated, she advanced, swinging her blade in brilliant arcs.
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The cockatrice dodged desperately until its back touched a high wall. It stopped. Climbing the wall would be fatal—its limited mind told it the woman behind it would surely attack during the ascent.
Unknowingly, the cockatrice had been cornered.
Caroline, however, didn’t rush forward immediately. She knew a cornered beast is even more dangerous, willing to fight to the death.
She approached cautiously, calculating each step. Her hands, claw-like, were raised to protect her body.
The cockatrice scratched the ground with its front claws, creating a trail of sparks on the stones. Its slender body concealed brutal strength. But before Caroline, neither its strength nor its venom would be enough.
Suddenly, the cockatrice tensed its muscles and leaped upward. It soared over Caroline, aiming for a spot behind her.
However, mid-air, its tail was grabbed. A colossal force yanked it back, slamming it into a stone wall.
The impact was devastating. The wall collapsed with a crash, raising a curtain of dust that drove the mist away from the area.
Caroline crushed the cockatrice against the rubble. The debris fell onto the creature, which writhed on the ground, letting out a scream that mixed pain and fury.
Without giving the creature time to react, Caroline hurled a metal sphere. It exploded into dozens of sharp blades that tore through the cockatrice completely.
Yet, even mutilated, the creature rose. Staggering, it tried to regain its balance.
Caroline didn’t relent. She joined the blades in her hand, transforming them into a single weapon.
The cockatrice surprised her. Instead of dodging, it lunged forward with its mouth open and bit down on the blade.
Meanwhile, Caroline used her other hand to wound it, creating five deep gashes that cut to the bone.
Even gravely wounded, the cockatrice thrashed with all its might, snapping Caroline’s blade.
Both retreated, observing each other.
Caroline knew time was on her side. The cockatrice, blackened by alchemical flames and severely injured, was weakening rapidly.
Still, she remained vigilant.
............
Charlotte slowly pushed open the door to the room. The space was completely dark, with no lights on, yet someone was inside.
“Charlotte, is that your name?” asked the person hidden in the shadows.
“I already introduced myself before, Miss Kelly.” Charlotte drew her giant sword and held it horizontally in front of her.
A light flared, illuminating Kelly’s face in the darkness. She sat in a chair, beside a human head. It was said to be just a specimen, obtained legally. Shelves around the room were filled with unfamiliar herbs, peculiar medical instruments, and various bottles and jars Charlotte didn’t recognize.
Kelly saw the giant sword in Charlotte’s hands but didn’t seem surprised. Even so, she asked:“What would happen if I screamed for help?”
“No one would save a witch.” Charlotte bit her finger, and before Kelly could react, grabbed her hand and smeared the blood onto it. Kelly recoiled as if scalded by boiling water, immediately standing up and knocking over the chair.
“So I was right,” Charlotte muttered, observing the blood’s reaction. “You’re a witch.”
The seemingly friendly person next to her was actually the villain. This kind of plot… was really cliché.
Kelly began to laugh. “How did you figure it out?” she asked.
“It’s simple. Who else could detect a pregnancy before the person themselves, other than a witch or a doctor? And here, you’re the only doctor, aren’t you, Miss Kelly?”
For a moment, Kelly’s relaxed expression stiffened. Then, she looked at Charlotte with pity, the kind of pity one reserves for someone naive. “Little girl, don’t you know it takes at least four weeks of pregnancy for it to show?”
Instinctively, Charlotte turned to look behind her. That was where Caroline was supposed to be, explaining everything. But Caroline wasn’t there. “Ah, is that so?” she murmured, blinking.
Kelly sighed and cursed: “Even fools can get lucky.” Then, in a more conciliatory tone, she suggested:“How about this: you pretend you didn’t discover my identity, go find more clues, and when you have solid evidence, come back to confront me. I promise I won’t run away.”
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Cockatrice
image [https://i.imgur.com/UU2hCR4.jpeg]
image [https://i.imgur.com/YLlywTn.jpeg]