"ROAR!"
The Cursed Basilisk, its head smashed into the ground by the angel's hammer, let out a furious bellow.
With a rapid twist of its lower body, it swung its long, rough green tail—
Sou!
The air whipped violently, a sharp crack ringing out as the tail lashed toward the newly summoned giant angel with incredible force.
In response—
The giant angel calmly raised its left arm across its chest.
A pale-gold shield, adorned with the mark of the sun, gleamed on the extended forearm.
Boom!
The lizard's tail struck the shield with a deafening impact—
But—
The angel did not even budge.
Instead—
The silver warhammer in its right hand swung again.
RUMBLE!
With a resounding crash, the hammer slammed down, smashing the Cursed Basilisk's head back into the ground.
Two consecutive heavy blows.
The creature, which had been raging moments ago, now showed a flicker of clarity in its emerald-green eyes.
"Roar... roar..."
The Cursed Basilisk let out a series of guttural growls.
It twisted its body, its eight legs rapidly pulling back as it retreated.
Its head, shaped like a fish's fin, bore a sharp protrusion—
Now, however—
That spike-like protrusion had been shattered, blood seeping from the wound.
Its gaze lifted—
And it locked eyes with Sakeer.
But Sakeer's expression remained unreadable. He didn't even glance at the creature. Because his full attention was on the Giant Angel.
His eyes flickered as he took in the giant angel's form.
It shared similar features with the Archangel Flames, yet there were distinct differences.
Unlike the Archangel Flames, who wielded only flame swords, this angel held both a hammer and a shield.
A golden cloth, radiating a soft yellow glow, hung from its shoulders and waist.
But the most striking detail—
The wings on its back had become two pairs.
However—
The upper pair was so small that they seemed purely ornamental.
[Principality Observation - Level 22]
Sakeer grimaced slightly.
After mastering [Cursed Knight] and reaching Level 22, he had finally met the conditions for summoning a Fourth-Tier Angel.
But—
If possible, he preferred not to expend his magic power so recklessly.
"Neither attack dealt effective damage. The defense is solid, but the offensive power is lacking."
His gaze darkened as he finally observed the Cursed Basilisk, still riled up.
The Principality Observation's Angel two hammer strikes had failed to deal any meaningful damage.
However!
The fact that it could be held back by even a low-tier Principality Observation proved something—
This Cursed Basilisk, though transformed from a humanoid monster, wasn't as powerful as Leinas had estimated.
If the difficulty level were truly 83, it should correspond to Level 27 or 28.
That was already approaching the realm of heroes.
By now—
Leinas had snapped out of her stunned daze.
She looked at Sakeer, clad in his white priest robes, standing alongside his watchful angel.
A bitter smile crept onto her pale face.
"I actually thought I'd be the one protecting you at first…"
She laughed weakly, the self-mockery evident in her tone.
"ROAR!!"
The Cursed Basilisk, now at a safe distance, suddenly paused—
And then—
Its emerald eyes began to glow with a deep, earthy brown light.
Sakeer's expression sharpened.
"Back up!"
The Principality Observation Angel instantly descended, positioning itself in front of Sakeer and Leinas.
Swish!
A ray of petrification magic shot forth from the lizard's eyes—
And struck the Principality Observation Angel's body.
However—
Nothing happened.
Sakeer smirked.
"Angels aren't flesh and blood. Your petrification magic is useless."
The Cursed Basilisk froze for a moment—
Then, without hesitation, it turned around and ran.
Its massive frame moved shockingly fast, disappearing toward the distant jungle.
"Damn…"
Sakeer's eyes narrowed.
Can't let this thing escape.
It wasn't just a random monster—
It was likely a subhuman race native to this region.
It might even know the truth behind the cursed power lurking here.
He exhaled sharply.
Then—
His gaze shifted to Leinas, who was in terrible shape.
Her entire body was soaked in blood, her breathing unsteady.
Given her Orichalcum-level strength, she shouldn't have been so badly wounded.
But the curse in this land had clearly taken a toll on her.
Sakeer reached into his sleeve.
A third-tier magic scroll appeared between his fingertips.
He clenched it tightly.
FWOOSH!
An Archangel Flame emerged.
Sakeer's voice was firm.
"You're in no condition to continue. The Archangel Flame will take you out of the swamp."
Leinas hesitated—
Then—
A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
She lowered her head, her golden hair, stained red with blood, partially obscuring her face.
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper—
"…I'm sorry."
Sakeer glanced at her, then chuckled lightly.
"I'm not just doing this for you."
His eyes flickered with subtle amusement.
"I'm also… quite interested in what's going on here."
Leinas's eyes widened slightly—
Then, without another word, she allowed herself to be carried away by the Archangel Flame.
With that settled—
Sakeer turned.
He bent his knees slightly—
Then leapt, landing on the Principality Observation Angel's shoulder.
FWOOOSH!
The angel's wings spread wide—
And in the next instant—
They soared after the escaping lizard, vanishing into the shadows of the distant jungle.
The Archangel Flame carried Leinas away, flying swiftly in the direction of the swamp.
Meanwhile—
Sakeer and the Principality Observation Angel soared over the low bushes, swiftly approaching the edge of the deep forest.
Towering branches and dense foliage swayed in the wind—
But for the large-bodied Principality Observation, this terrain was far from accommodating.
Sakeer exhaled slowly.
"Finally, I can move freely."
A faint sense of familiarity stirred in his heart as he gazed into the vast jungle ahead.
Now that he was alone, he no longer had to hold back his abilities.
With a flick of his wrist—
A bone-crafted magic item appeared in his palm.
This was the "Forest Crossing" talisman, a prized artifact he had obtained from the Hobgoblin.
His eyes gleamed.
"Track."
Activating the "Guerrilla" skill, Sakeer scanned the dense undergrowth.
Immediately—
A faint glowing trail appeared before his eyes, marking the exact path where a large creature had recently passed.
A smirk touched his lips.
"Keep up."
Gripping the bone talisman, he guided the Principality Observation forward.
Under the influence of the "Forest Crossing" magic—
The thick jungle vegetation instinctively parted wherever the Principality Observation moved, revealing a clear passage through the forest.
The Cursed Basilisk, being a creature that thrived in dark, cramped crypts, was naturally adept at maneuvering through tight spaces.
However—
In an open forest terrain, its advantage was far less pronounced.
Within ten minutes, Sakeer had already caught up to the fleeing creature.
At the same moment—
The Cursed Basilisk sensed its pursuer closing in.
Its emerald-green eyes flared with anger.
It whirled around, baring its fangs, and let out a deep, guttural roar—
"ROAR! HUMAN… HUMAN…"
The beast's voice was low and rough, its speech fragmented, as though struggling to articulate words.
Then—
It let out another feral snarl.
"LEAVE… LEAVE!"
Sakeer remained calm.
Perched on the Principality Observation's shoulder, he met the creature's gaze without a hint of fear.
His voice was steady.
"I can leave."
He paused—
Then, his expression darkened slightly.
"But first—there's something I need to know."
His eyes locked onto the beast's own, sharp and unwavering.
"Tell me about the curse."
The moment the word "curse" was spoken—
The faint clarity in the Cursed Basilisk's gaze was instantly replaced by fury.
It roared violently, its rage evident in the tremor of its powerful body.
BOOM!
The forest trembled as the Cursed Basilisk charged forward, snapping branches and scattering leaves in its wake.
Sakeer's gaze flickered.
"Holy Strike!"
The Principality Observation reacted instantly.
Its silver warhammer pulsed with a radiant white glow—
And then—
Slammed down mercilessly!
Unlike the first three tiers of summoned angels, Fourth-Tier angels were far more advanced.
Not only were they physically stronger, but they also possessed active skills and magic.
The moment Sakeer had summoned the Principality Observation, its innate abilities had become clear to him.
It had three primary skills:
"Holy Strike" – A powerful attack imbued with holy energy.
"Holy Guardian" – A defensive ability to shield allies.
"Divine Field: Defensive Boost" – A skill that increased allies' defenses within its field of vision.
However—
The third skill could only be activated when the Principality Observation remained stationary.
Once it moved, the buff effect would immediately dispel itself.
RUMBLE!
The warhammer connected, smashing into the Cursed Basilisk's skull.
The force sent the beast reeling—
But—
This time, the lizard was prepared.
Though its head jerked sideways, two of its eight powerful limbs immediately latched onto the angel's arm.
Its claws dug in tightly, preventing the angel from launching another follow-up attack.
And then—
The massive, ten-meter-long body lunged forward, using its sheer weight to pin the Principality Observation down.
The Cursed Basilisk's green eyes glowed ominously as they locked onto Sakeer.
Its massive jaws snapped open, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs dripping with foul saliva.
It lunged—
Aiming to devour him whole.
Sakeer remained calm.
His dark eyes flashed with a chilling gleam.
"You picked the wrong opponent."
In an instant—
A dark aura erupted around him.
"Dark Wave!"
The skill of the [Cursed Knight] activated—
And black energy surged outward in a violent ripple, expanding from Sakeer's position.
The Cursed Basilisk—
Immediately froze.
Its body stiffened, its movements abruptly halted mid-attack.