<h4>Chapter 26: The Basilisk</h4>


    Knowing they were up against a basilisk, Ss went back to his skill menus and chose aura sight and sneak attack. Aura sight would allow him to see the beast''s aura with his eyes closed.


    Sneak attack doubled his attack damage if his opponent wasn''t looking directly at him. Since it was a snake and had to move it''s head a lot to see him, this could help him end the fight quicker.


    Ss rummaged through his inventory, his mind racing to find a solution to the petrification threat. As Lyra suggested they all put on blindfolds, an idea struck him. He pulled out his aviator sunsses, the reflective lenses glinting in the dim light.


    "We could use these," Ss said, holding up the sunsses. "The reflective surface should prevent petrification."


    Jace furrowed his brow. "But how are we all going to use one pair of sunsses?"


    A smirk tugged at the corner of Ss''s mouth. "Remember, you can duplicate things."


    Understanding dawned on Jace''s face. He took the sunsses from Ss and focused his mana, creating four identical pairs. Each member of the group took a pair, sliding them onto their faces.


    Lyra, ever the resourceful one, tore strips of cloth from her cloak. "We should tie these around the back of our heads, so the sses don''t fall off during the fight."


    They all nodded in agreement, securing the arms of the sses with the cloth. The makeshift straps ensured the protective eyewear would stay in ce, no matter how intense the battle became.


    Ss adjusted his sunsses, the world taking on a slightly darker tint.


    "Alright," he said. "Let''s do this."


    "Wait," Lyra said. "Before we go in, remember that if we do get petrified, the secretions in the basilisk''s stomach have de-petrifying properties."


    "I didn''t remember that," Jace said.


    "Me neither," Rowan said.


    "Me too," Nadia said.


    "I did...no, I didn''t," Ss said.


    With that, they entered the room through the propped-open door. Ss''s world took on a ck-and-white quality as he activated his aura sight.


    The cavernous room opened up before them, with each of hispanions surrounded by a distinct hue. But it was the sinister, pulsating red aura emanating from behind therge boulders at the back of the room that caught his attention.


    "The basilisk," Ss called out, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "It''s hiding behind those boulders!"


    His friends sprang into action, their movements fluid and purposeful. Jace, his brow furrowed in concentration, summoned a small army of duplicates, each one an exact replica of himself. The copies fanned out, taking up strategic positions around the room, ready to strike at a moment''s notice.


    Rowan, his eyes closed in focus, raised his hands, and a dozen impish creatures materialized in the air above them. The imps flitted about, their leathery wings beating frantically as they awaited their master''smand.


    Nadia, her face set in determination, extended her hand, and a brilliant orb of light burst forth, illuminating every corner of the cavernous expanse. The shadows retreated, and the basilisk''s hiding spot wasid bare.


    Lyra, her expression one of intense concentration, knelt down and ced her hands on the stone floor. A shimmering portal opened beneath her fingertips, its edges pulsating with energy. She looked up, and Ss followed her gaze to see a second portal materializing on the ceiling directly above the first.


    The stage was set. With his enhanced vision and thebined powers of hispanions, they stood ready to face the basilisk head-on.


    Ss watched the basilisk emerge from behind the boulders, its scales glistening in the light of Nadia''s orb. The creature''s eyes, hidden behind translucent membranes, darted from one member of the group to another, seeking to make the deadly eye contact that would turn them to stone.


    But the sunsses worked, the reflective lenses deflecting the basilisk''s petrifying gaze. Ss breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the makeshift protection.


    The relief was short-lived, however, as Rowan''s imps, unprotected by the sunsses, met the basilisk''s stare head-on. In an instant, their small bodies hardened, their leathery wings freezing mid-p. The petrified imps plummeted to the ground, shattering into countless shards of stone.


    Jace and his duplicates sprang into action, their hands blurring as they hurled a barrage of knives at the basilisk. The des, each one an exact replica of thest, whistled through the air, their polished surfaces glinting in the light.


    But the basilisk''s scales, as hard as tempered steel, deflected the knives with ease. The des ttered harmlessly to the stone floor, their effectiveness rendered null by the creature''s natural armor.


    Nadia, her brow furrowed in concentration, nocked arrow after arrow, letting them fly with unerring precision. The arrows found their mark, embedding themselves deep into the basilisk''s side. But the beast, its size dwarfing the projectiles, seemed unfazed by the attack.


    Lyra was able to get the portal underneath the basilisk, causing it to fall through the portal on the ground and the connected portal on the ceiling. The basilisk''s massive body mmed into the ground with a resounding thud, but it appeared to not take any damage from the fall.


    Rowan charged towards the creature, his sword poised to strike. But the basilisk, its reflexes lightning-fast, snapped its jaws around the young warrior''s body, lifting him off the ground like a rag doll.


    Ss''s heart leaped into his throat as he saw Rowan struggling to hold the basilisk''s jaws open, his muscles straining with the effort. But the creature''s strength was too great, and with a sickening gulp, it swallowed Rowan whole.


    Nadia, her eyes zing with fury, charged forward, her wed gauntlet outstretched. The basilisk''s head snapped towards her, its maw opening wide. In a sh, Nadia disappeared down the beast''s gullet, her scream of rage cut short.


    Jace, consumed by anger and desperation, leaped towards the basilisk, his knives shing as he shed at the creature''s face. The basilisk hissed, its forked tongue darting out, and in one swift motion, it engulfed Jace and his duplicates.


    As thest of Jace vanished into the beast''s maw, his duplication magic dissipated, leaving Ss as the only one still wearing the protective sunsses.


    Ss turned to Lyra, only to see her standing motionless, her face frozen in an expression of horror. The basilisk''s gaze had found her, and in an instant, she had turned to stone.


    Ss stood alone. The basilisk, its belly distended from its recent meal, turned its attention to Ss, its eyes glinting with malevolent hunger.


    With his sunsses firmly in ce, Ss knew he was the only one left who could face the beast. Ss felt a surge of primal energy coursing through his veins as he activated his berserker rage.


    With a guttural roar, he charged towards the basilisk, his eyes locked on the beast''s gaping maw. The snake, its eyes glinting with hunger, opened its mouth wide, ready to swallow Ss whole, just as it had done to his friends.


    But at thest possible moment, Ss called upon his pounce skill. His body, imbued with supernatural agility,unched him 15 feet to the right, effectively dodging the basilisk''s deadly jaws. Hended gracefully on the side of the massive serpent.


    Without hesitation, Ss threw his war hammer to the ground, the weapon ttering against the stone floor. He flexed his fingers, and the razor-sharp ws of his gauntlets unsheathed. In one fluid motion, he raked the ws along the basilisk''s scaly hide, leaving deep, angry gashes in their wake.


    The basilisk, enraged by the sudden pain, whipped its head around to face Ss once more. Its eyes narrowed, and it lunged forward, determined to capture its prey within its powerful jaws.


    But Ss, his reflexes heightened by the berserker rage, activated his pounce skill once again, this time dodging to the left. The basilisk''s teeth snapped shut on empty air, mere inches from Ss''s face.


    Seizing the opportunity, Sstched onto the beast''s side, plunging the ws of his left gauntlet deep into its flesh. The basilisk thrashed and hissed, trying to dislodge its unwanted passenger, but Ss held fast.


    With his right gauntlet, he began to slice into the creature''s side, his ws tearing through scales and muscle with savage efficiency.


    [Sneak attack sessful!]


    [Sneak attack sessful!]


    [Sneak attack sessful!]


    Ss concentrated, dismissing the notifications to the icon in the upper right of his vision. With each relentless strike, Ss felt the basilisk''s flesh yielding beneath his ws.


    And then, with a sickening tear, he broke through the beast''s stomach wall. In a grotesque cascade, his friends came tumbling out, their bodies covered in the basilisk''s digestive fluids.


    Ss watched as the basilisk convulsed, its massive body thrashing in its final moments. With onest shuddering breath, the beast fell still, its eyes zing over in death. Ss retracted his ws, panting heavily from the exertion of the battle.


    [You defeated a boss enemy! +1000 Exp]


    This caused Ss to level up to level 8 with a current exp of (600/1280).


    He turned to his friends, who were slowly regaining their bearings, their bodies slick with the basilisk''s stomach fluids.


    "Jace, Rowan, Nadia," Ss called out, his voice hoarse. "Gather some of the basilisk''s stomach secretions in your hands. We need to pour it onto Lyra."


    The three of them nodded. They scooped the viscous liquid into their cupped hands, careful not to let a single drop spill. Together, they made their way to Lyra''s stone form, her face frozen in an expression of horror.


    Ss watched as they poured the secretions over Lyra''s body, their hands working to spread the fluid evenly across her petrified surface. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, and Ss felt a knot of fear tightening in his chest.


    But then, slowly at first, the stone began to crack and crumble. kes of gray fell away, revealing the soft, pink flesh beneath. Lyra''s fingers twitched, then her arms, as the petrification reversed its hold on her body.


    With a sudden gasp, Lyra''s chest heaved, her lungs filling with air. Her eyes flew open, wide and disoriented, as she took in her surroundings. She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers as if to reassure herself that they were indeed flesh and blood once more.


    "What...what happened?" Lyra asked, her voice shaky.


    Ss stepped forward, relief flooding through him at the sight of his friend restored. "The basilisk got you," he exined gently. "But we managed to defeat it, and the stomach secretions brought you back. Just like you said they would."


    Lyra''s gaze swept over her friends, taking in their disheveled and fluid-covered appearances. A look of understanding dawned on her face, followed by a flicker of gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for saving me."