I land next to the Basilisk.

Partner looks around, finds Nightmare lying on her back, and roars ‘Gra~a’.
The warm light from〖High Rest〗gathers around Nightmare.
Nightmare then wobbly gets back up again.
Looks like she’ll be fine.

The Basilisk, pressed deep unto the ground after its fall, suffers from convulsion while dripping poison from its mouth.
Its red eyes twitch as it stares at me.

Now, time for you to undo Treant’s petrification.
No need to bother with me. I can just cut off my stone leg and let it regenerate later.

Then, I felt something wriggle in my mouth. Oh, it must be Alo.
Let’s just keep you safe in my mouth until this all blows over…… you know, just in case.

“I’m…… at, my limit……”

Alo speaks in a weak tone.
I-I see…… oh well, I guess it’s fine. Not like the Basilisk can do much in the sorry state it’s in now anyway.

I lower my head down from the opposite side of where the Basilisk is and open my mouth, with Partner keeping an eye out of the Basilisk.
Alo comes crawling out of my mouth, covered in my saliva. Her face lightens up, as if relieved.

Alo smells like dragon. That made me frown.

“Ryujin-sama?!”

I quickly turn to the Basilisk.
Alright, you chicken scum, let’s have you bring Treant back to normal!
He’s not even edible for you! And, you already have loads of preserved food in your stock!

The Basilisk must’ve already accepted its fate since it’s now just staring at the sky after it stared at me.

“A~a~aa~a~a~a~a~aa~aa~a!”

From its deformed face and broken jaw, it opens its mouth and makes an ear-wrenching scream.
Merely hearing it is giving me the chills. The Basilisk imbued magic in its voice.
So this is what〖Ominous Voice〗does, huh?

Don’t tell me it still has more tricks up its sleeve…… but, there’s no change in its status or anything.

The Basilisk laughs at my dumbfounded expression.
Despite the disfigured face, it had a gentle look on its face.
Looking from afar, Treant’s body had regained color.
When Treant noticed me looking at him, he slightly moved his branches and turned to us.
It’s as if he just realized he’s back to normal.

B-Basilisk…… you……!
C-Could this be the start of a blooming friendship after a bloody battle?!
Something like a warrior’s spirit that accepts their defeat, realizes their death is close and ends up doing a favor for the enemy that defeated them, like how it fixed up Treant.
H-How do I respond to this? Sure, he was a dangerous guy who I seriously thought about killing mid-fight, but after that last stunt it pulled, I am now conflicted.

So, like, should I add him to the team? Or……
But, the image of us all adventuring together is kinda…… wait, what am I saying, I shouldn’t judge others by their appearance, but still, there has to be line drawn……

【“Hey! It’s about to do somethin’!”】

Before I knew it, the Basilisk’s warped face had an evil and twisted smile.
Its magic power is rapidly rising.
I quickly decapitate the Basilisk with my claw. Blood squirts out the neck and the head rolls down the ground.

T-That made me jump…… It’s like my claws just moved on their own in reflex.
I’m glad I killed it before something bad happened……

“Ava~a~a~a~a~a! Va~ava~ava~a! Va~a, va~aaa~a~a~a~a~a!”

The Basilisk’s decapitated head makes one last death cry.
Then, as if running out of strength, it’s facial muscles loosen and the life in its eyes fade away.
That last cry is gonna make me deaf, I swear.

【Obtained 3168 Experience Points.】
【〖The Walking Egg: Lv—〗skill gives you additional 3168 Experience Points.】
【The Lv of〖Ouroboros〗went up from Lv 96→97.】

I-I’m happy for the level up, but…… it must be that last death cry it made, but my ears are still ringing.
Aw man, I’m getting dizzy.

“Gra~a~a! A~a~a~a~a!”

Partner roars like a crazy dragon.
Oh no, d-did we somehow get a bad status condition?
I must…… stay calm.
Just breathe and calm down.

“Gra~a~a~a~a!”

Partner starts going insane and bares her fangs at me, but I respond by headbutting her jaw.

“Gru~a!”

Partner wobbles after getting headbutted, so I catch her with my neck before she collapses and let her rest on top of me.

【“So…… So dizzy”】

Me too, buddy…… me too.
I also got the receiving end of that headbutt too, so we’re even…… but I’m still a little woozy.

It looks like we got a triple service of〖Illusion〗,〖Confusion〗, and〖Berserk〗.
That last scream the Basilisk made must’ve been its〖Shrill Cry〗skill. And before it died, its〖Death Throes〗skill activated upon death…… that’s sick.

I can’t believe it even turned Treant back to normal.
Speaking of which, there’s Treant now, heading towards us.
I’m still glad that you’re safe now, Trea-…… oh no, he’s got it too……

Treant charges in my general direction, with branches shaking in a frenzy.
I thought I saw something glow in Treant’s mouth, but then, a ball of fire is suddenly shot at me.
He used〖Fire Sphere〗.

It’s official, Treant has gone bananas……!

“〖Gale〗!”

Alo chants in response.
Her raging tornado blows away Treant’s fireball and several of his leaves.
Then, Alo jumps off of me, enlarges her soil-like hand and smashes it on Treant’s head.
Treant collapses on the spot.

A-Alo……!
That’s right. I forgot she has〖Unchangeable Status〗.
No abnormal status condition affects her.
Being an undead has their own convenient perks, it would seem.

Stupid Basilisk.
If you thought you could make Treant kill me, you’ve got another thing coming.
Had you have 50 Treants come after me, then that would certainly be a challenge.

“Ksst! Ksst!”

Now it’s Nightmare who’s coming after us.
That headstrong way of attack does not suit Nightmare at all. She’s obviously confused because of the Basilisk.
Although, instead of me…… she’s coming after Partner.

Finally, I’ve been looking for an excuse to hit that mischievous Nightmare with my own claws and now is that time.
Should I go with a light bonk on the head to restore her sanity? Emphasis on ‘light’. Definitely not going to go all out and accidentally crush her or anything.

…… Wait a minute, there are other monsters coming here after Nightmare.
A large bipedal cow, a triple-headed turtle monster…… aw heck, these are all the prey that the Basilisk petrified.
There’s even an Adam mixed among the crowd.
What the heck! I didn’t even see an Adam statue on the way here!
Petrifying a Rank A is dirty, you crazy chicken!
Wait, isn’t there something off with all of them?

After being freed from petrification, it appears that all of them have been caught by the Basilisk’s last death cry and are in utter hysteria.
I tilt my head in confusion as to how the〖Ominous Voice〗skill would have an “undo petrification” effect, but then I realized it.
What triggers the “undo petrification” effect is when other monsters hear the Basilisk’s screech, which then causes every other nearby statues, that it petrified, to be freed and get attacked by a large group of crazy monsters.
What an absurd combo.

Partner calmly picks up the approaching Nightmare with her mouth and gives me a nod.
I nod back and pick up Alo with my mouth, lift up Treant with my claws, and take off to the skies.
Partner looks down, unhappy.

【“Birb meat…… Fruits……”】

NO! We are leaving it behind, and I don’t even have the luxury to pick up our jar……!

As I thought of that, Nightmare peeks out of Partner’s mouth, spits a string of web on the Basilisk’s body and the jar, pulling them up.
The Basilisk’s body and the jar hang right below us, connected with the web like an anchor.

Nightmare’s still as witty as ever……
Looks like she isn’t confused anymore after being gobbled up whole and bathed in Partner’s drool.
She treats me so rough, but when it comes to Partner, she’s willing to go inside her mouth and even get soothed by her saliva.
Could it be… that Nightmare is a perve-……?

Nightmare, still peeking out of Partner’s mouth, stares at me.
I face forward.

Anyway, we’ll need to find a place to regroup after we shake off all these monsters.
Alo should definitely be at max level after this.
If we don’t proceed carefully, the jar would open up and everything we collected inside would fall, and even the Basilisk’s body would be in tatters…… no, the latter doesn’t matter.