《So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?》 Chapter 1: A Matter of Length My life consisted of killing time every day. The news constantly reported that ''unemployed youth'' were a social problem. It felt like they were criticizing me, so I rarely watched TV. But it''s not like I was doing anything productive either. Mostly, I''d lie in bed, scrolling through humor posts onmunity sites and chuckling. Looking as unsightly and messy as dried ramen broth stuck to the floor, I was reading humor posts that day too. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Title: Distributing 240 among height+weight+d*ck length.txt] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There seemed to be many useless humans like me. That post with hardly any content had over 100ments. People were eagerly expressing their opinions that no one cared about. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ (Anonymous1) Average height 174, weight 50, d*ck 16 would work lol (Anonymous2) 177 50 13 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ These were utterly ordinary decisions. In fact, it was probably because everyone had thought hard about it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ (Anonymous5) Height 185, weight 40, d*ck 15 ?(Anonymous1) Can you live normally at 185cm and 40kg? lol ?(Anonymous5) That''s my current specs (Anonymous7) 160cm, 45kg, and a king-sized 35cm ?(Anonymous1) Bullshit lololol ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Of course, there were manyments just throwing out random numbers. Suddenly, I got a bit serious. If it were me, how would I distribute it? It seemed difficult to be satisfied no matter how you distributed 240. Just as I was about to hit the back button out of futility, the most upvotedment caught my eye. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ (Anonymous32) 190cm 70kg -20cm ?(Anonymous31) What''s with the minus, damn lol ?(Anonymous48) I like strong women. ?(Anonymous50) What kind of woman is 190cm and 70kg lol ?(Anonymous72) She could be an athlete. 190cm and 70kg is perfect. ?(Anonymous54) Genius ?(Anonymous12) Lololololol ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow, that''s smart. I couldn''t help but admire it. If you boldly give up one thing, you can gain in other areas. Of course, what you had to give up was quite important, but... I found that post interesting. As time passed, it scattered beyond memory. Little did I know that post woulde back to me muchter. == It was all because of this floating before my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Distribute your stats.] ¡ùWarning: Once set, stats cannot be modified. Distribute carefully. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What should I call this semi-transparent window? Status window? Status? Message? This game-like thing was clearly reality. If it''s true that I died after being hit by a falling sign on my rare outing, this must be the afterlife. "I hope I''m not in aa right now..." It was a frightening thought. But I heard people rushing to my fallen body shouting, "Aah, isn''t that his brain?", so I must surely be dead. Extremely tense, I read the text below. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Distributable stats: 60 Distributable categories: [Mental Strength] [Health] [Luck] [Potential] [Background] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "What the..." I''d read many web novels about entering a game world after dying. Web novels were also part of my time-killing repertoire. But I''m not good at games, and these stat categories seemed too strange to be a game. Aren''t strength, agility, intelligence, magic power, etc., moremon? I wondered what potential and background were about. For now, 1 must be the lowest stat and 20 the best. Fortunately, there was an exnation. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡ù The average stat for a standard human is 10. Your next life will be determined by the distributed stats. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ So Mental Strength 10 means the mental strength of an average person. The same goes for Luck, Health, and the rest. "Then how should I distribute this..." As I muttered this, I noticed I was a bit excited. It''s a second chance, isn''t it? Although I died meaninglessly, even that wasn''t very sad. Rather, my heart was pounding. First, I had to analyze what the unusual categories meant. Mental Strength, Health, and Luck were intuitive. All three are important categories. Since the average for a person is 10, my stats in my past life were probably around 4, 5, and 7 respectively. My mentality was rotten, my body was in poor health, and I was rather unlucky. "Even if I divide it into fifths, 12 each isn''t bad." It''s much better than distributing height, weight, and that length with the ambiguous number 240. If I just divide everything by 12, I can live a life slightly better than average! I was about to distribute 12 points evenly without hesitation. "..." But my fingers didn''t move that way. Compared to my sewer-like past life, even an average life would be a blessing. But this time, it seems I wanted to live a special life. "...Potential, Background." Let''s think about those first. The term ''Potential'' is ambiguous. Is it like talent? Potential for studying, potential for sports? At least it was certainly something my past self didn''t have. I tried music, studied, and even tried art. But I had no talent whatsoever, so I didn''t do anything properly. Of course, it was also because Icked perseverance and gave up quickly. On the other hand, Background was somewhat understandable. Isn''t this about the silver spoon thing? Whose child you''re born as and where you''re born. If the ce I''m reborn isn''t the Earth I know, it might determine whether I''m born as amoner''s child or a noble''s. ''Wait, if everything else is fine, can''t I ovee this?'' I suddenly had an epiphany. Like thatment that boldly distributed d*ck length into negative and gained in other areas. ''Mental Strength, Luck, Health, Potential. If I secure all of these, I can give up a bit on Background...'' Unlike my pathetic life, my parents were wealthy. Although they were divorced, I livedfortably without want. That''s why I could live as a NEET. Even if I''m born with a slightly worse spoon, if I secure other stats, can''t I live a fulfilling life? After much deliberation, I made up my mind as I saw the status window ominously flickering. And so, the distributed stats were... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Mental Strength] 20* [Health] 10 [Luck] 9 [Potential] 20* [Background] 1* ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "Oh..." As I made this bold choice, the text of the categories filled to 20 became bold. What was a bit unsettling was that the Background set to 1 also started shing. As expected, a voice was heard. ¡¸Bold choice, you''ve set Mental Strength to 20. You will possess an indomitable spirit. Your mind won''t crumble even when facing the most abhorrent demon or the greatest god.¡¹ What an atmospheric voice. The exnation was more than satisfactory. Mental Strength was the category I considered most important. Because my mentality was garbage. I always gave up easily, got hurt alone, and was busy ming others and the environment. I won''t live like that anymore. ¡¸You''ve been born with average health. You won''t suffer from incurable diseases, but you won''t be exceptionally healthy either.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve been born with average luck. You won''t experience life-changing great fortune, nor will you suffer ridiculous misfortune.¡¹ I was satisfied with average Health and Luck. The most important things are Mental Strength and the Potential that can be developed through effort. ¡¸Bold choice, you''ve set Potential to 20. Your soul will possess limitless possibilities. If you don''t give up, if great misfortune doesn''t befall you, someday you will bloom brilliantly.¡¹ Very good. This life will be different. This time, I won''t live helplessly like before. My heart was pounding, and the voice for the ''Background'' category I was most nervous about rang out. ¡¸Extreme choice, you''ve set Background to 1. You will be born in the worst environment. You''ll have to take responsibility for the consequences. How your end will be, starting from the lowest point. It''s still unknown.¡¹ An extreme choice, huh. Well, this much I had anticipated. I probably can''t even dream of being born into an ordinary family, and I might even start as an orphan without parents. Since my Health isn''t low, I hope I won''t be born with any physical disabilities... but I''ll be able to ovee it. That anticipation. That resolve. How light they were, I would soon find out. == Sija Forest. The Sija tree was a species that grew abundantly in this border region. As it was a species that thrived in fertile soil and warm, humid climates, this forest was incredibly lush. The densely grown leaves blocked almost all sunlight, making it dark even in broad daylight. The ground was damp, and with little wind, moss grew everywhere. There were people walking through this forest. Although the Sija Forest was extremely dangerous, filled with magical beasts, their steps were unwavering. Even the natives of this area are careful of their steps due to venomous snakes and insects. But what is there to fear when wearing nking full te mail? Moreover, the man wearing that armor was a figure so great that even the local lord would fear him. The native farmer apanying him gulped. ''Steel Gunter... They say he''s not the best of the Eight Heroes, but he''s terrifying.'' A dangerous magical beast had recently migrated to the Sija Forest. When the beast killed several of the lord''s soldiers, the lord requested help from the capital. That''s why one of the Eight Heroes, Gunter, hade. "Is it there?" Gunter asked in a heavy voice. The ce he pointed to was a cave in a crevice of the forest cliff. The farmer quickly answered. "Yes, that''s the breathing hole. That thing has settled there." "You can wait here." Gunter was famous for his tumultuous life story. Unlike other heroes, he came from the lowestmoner background. But he possessed a mental strength like steel, and a talent that shone even brighter. Starting as a mercenary, he became one of the kingdom''s Eight Heroes with just a halberd, making him appear mysterious to the local peasants. How long did they wait? Gunter, who had been sitting on a tree, suddenly stood up. "It''sing." Even though no one else had sensed anything. As expected, an ominous sound echoed from the breathing hole. Shh, shh. The farmer''s spine tingled. Something huge was slithering out from inside. "Close your eyes. Unless you want to turn to stone." At Gunter''s warning, everyone tightly shut their eyes. Only a few brave souls took out hand mirrors to watch Gunter''s heroic act. The farmer was one of them. He watched through his grimy hand mirror to see what would crawl out of the breathing hole. That way, he could avoid the creature''s gaze. "Hick." He inadvertently gasped. What appeared was a terrifying monster. That thing was no mere snake. Although it had "serpent" in its name, how could a magical beast have a woman''s face? A snake''s body as thick as arge tree, and a human face. Each strand of hair was actually a tiny baby snake. The green snakes attached to its head writhed, baring their venomous fangs. "Shirilit-" And that long purple tongue flickering from the Medusa Serpent''s lips. Its bewitchingly glowing eyes turned towards Gunter. Those without resistance would freeze on the spot if they met its gaze. But Gunter charged forward without flinching. He raised his halberd and charged straight ahead, almost recklessly. The farmer, noticing that Gunter had his eyes closed, almost screamed. "Saaak!" The Medusa Serpent''s mouth opened wide, lunging towards Gunter. Even with armor, if caught in that huge mouth, he would be crushed whole. The movement Gunter showed after that was difficult for the farmer''s eyes to follow. There was a sh, and he leaped high. And as he swung that huge halberd¨C Crack- Thud! The Medusa Serpent''s head was severed. The headless body thrashed about in all directions. But Gunter paid no attention and shook the blood off his halberd. "Tell the lord that the beast has been subjugated." "Y-Yes, sir!" The farmer''s legs trembled. One strike. Gunter had taken down that monster with just one strike. What he had seen today would be a lifelong boast. "Ugh, aack!" Someone screamed. A disgusting scene unfolded there. The Medusa Serpent''s hair, those thousands of tiny snakes, fell from the severed head. Those small snakes didn''t dare go towards Gunter and hurriedly fled towards the breathing hole where their mother had settled. "What should we do about those?" The farmer couldn''t help but ask. Gunter looked at the farmer with cold eyes. "Are you saying I should kill such baby snakes too?" "I-I''m sorry!" The startled farmer quickly knelt and bowed his head. "...Is that cave a dead end?" "Yes, it is." "Then have the local troops exterminate them. Set fire or something." Gunter said this and turned around without hesitation. The farmers left behind could only stare nkly at the breathing hole. Thousands of snakes swarmed into the cave like a mass of insects. "We should keep watch here." "Let''s light a fire... Anyone have some white alum?" Although those baby snakes weren''t that dangerous, the farmers sighed. One of them pointed at the crawling mass of snakes. "Look, there''s a white one mixed in." "Must be a white-haired one. Haha." == Yes, and one of those thousands of tiny snakes was me. And a particrly small and weak one at that, the lone white individual. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little White Snake lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Medusa Serpents raise their offspring by attaching them to their heads. Born from an egg, I had clung to my mother''s body to survive. But some monster-like guy had cut off my mother''s head. ''Fuck, I didn''t know Background included species!'' I was prepared to be born as a beggar. I was even prepared to grow up being beaten by a mean orphanage director. But a snake. And not just any snake, but the offspring of a monster snake? What the hell is this? Just then, my mother''s decapitated body thrashed, crushing my siblings. I almost died. I barely managed to slip past my siblings who had been turned into bloody pulp. ¡¸You have acquired Quick Crawling lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Due to your innate potential, your proficiency increases rapidly.¡¹ Oh, to hell with potential. I crawled desperately. Chapter 2: The Hell of Domestic Violence Right after distributing the stats. My vision was filled with white light. A long time passed where I couldn''t see or hear anything. Then, I heard a voice. ¡¸Your Mental Strength is 20. You gain the unique trait ''Indomitable'' as a bonus.¡¹ ¡¸Your Potential is 20. You gain the unique trait ''Perseverance'' as a bonus.¡¹ I inwardly rejoiced. It sounds extraordinary, doesn''t it? I had a feeling since I was told to distribute stats, but it seems I''ve been reincarnated into a world with status windows. I didn''t know what effects the traits ''Indomitable'' and ''Perseverance'' would have. But given they''re called unique traits, they must be exceptional. What would happen now? As I''ve seen in web novels, would I be born as a baby? I might grow up being called a genius from a young age, with my reason and memories intact. How long did I spend pondering and imagining? At some point, my body started to form. Perhaps in my mother''s womb. A warm feeling. Time passed, and finally, the moment of birth arrived. With pain, light entered my still immature eyes. I was thrown into the world. I was born. Just as I had prepared, I was about to cry out "Waah!" with all my might. "Saak!" That''s the only sound that came out of my mouth. Slowly, I could see ahead. The first thing I saw wasn''t my mother''s warm smile. No, it was clearly a woman''s face, but not human. There wouldn''t be a person with such a huge body or smooth scales. Around me were thousands of eggs. Babies were being born from the eggs in real-time. Little snakes slither out of the eggs along with mucus. My body trembled. Could it be that ''background'' didn''t simply mean social status or spoon color? Did it include species too? 10 meant an average person, they said. So, is 1 a snake and 20 a dragon? ... Is that how it is? In the dark cave were countless babies and that monster-like mother. I looked up at my mother. Is that monster our mom? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Medusa Serpent lv89] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ As I stared intently, such a name appeared above the snake''s head. The mother quietly watched her babies hatch. It was the moment when most of the individuals had broken out of their eggs. A purple tongue flickered from the mother''s lips. Shriririt- The noise of wind passing through a narrow ce echoed. And as soon as I heard that sound, my whole body stiffened. They say your knees weaken when you stand before a beast, and that''s exactly how it felt. Although, having be a snake, I didn''t have parts like knees... Sure enough. All my siblings, who had been crawling like insects, also stopped at once. Some were trembling with fear and soiling themselves. And I too, terrified to the point of mental copse... ¡¸You''ve been exposed to the Serpent''s Fear. You''re protected by the trait ''Indomitable''.¡¹ I didn''t soil myself. I was scared enough to wet myself, my body was shaking, but somehow it wasn''t to the point of truly going mad. I, an ordinary citizen, had been reincarnated as a snake, bing the son or daughter of such a human-faced monster. Isn''t this a terrifying situation enough to really drive one mad? Yet somehow, I seemed to remain calm. ''Is this the power of 20 Mental Strength?'' There was no other way to exin it. It was indeed a good choice. ... No, allocating only about 5 to background would have been the really good choice. Chut chut! Then the mother made a strange sound. I kept calling her mother, which didn''t feel right, and I absolutely refused to call her mom, so I decided to call her Medusa Mom. At that moment, my siblings started crawling towards Medusa Mom all at once. It was hard to believe they had been trembling with fear just moments ago. The baby snakes crawled up that huge body and settled on Medusa Mom''s scalp. Somehow, my body became firmly fixed to the scalp. I hesitated, then followed. I had a feeling that staying still here wouldn''t be good. And my choice was right. Medusa Mom''s scalp was carved with grooves so densely it was creepy. When I inserted my tail there, my body was firmly fixed. In other words, thousands of siblings became the wig for our bald mother. Hair that ripples as if alive, no, actually alive. Hair that sways morously, no less than a shampoomercial. Mother, seeming satisfied, raised her head and looked over the children who were still stiffly frozen. Children paralyzed by fear, unable to obey orders. Mother raised the rod of love for them. In other words, she swung her tail. Pububububuk! As the massive tail passed, all that remained was blood and flesh. Hundreds of siblings turned into bloody pulp in an instant. Medusa Mom seems to be extremely strict about child education. All my fate, born under such a mother, must be thanks to my background of 1. ... I couldn''t tell if I was crazy now or in a normal state. I swayed like that, attached to my mother''s head. I think it wasn''t even a week since I was born like that. Who would have thought that the armored man called Gunter would chop off Medusa Mom''s head? My monster-like mother died. As I worried when distributing stats, I became an orphan who lost parents early. This too must be thanks to my background of 1. == Wow. I really crawled my tail off. My body was covered in Medusa Mom''s blood. I was so out of it, I don''t know how I escaped. I entered the cave and turned my head to look back. That monster-like knight had disappeared, but vige folk were still guarding the entrance. "Light several fires. There might be some trying to escape!" "I''ll go report to the castle." The vigers, who were trembling just moments ago, now seemed a bit excited. They were the first people I had met since being born here. For some reason, I could understand thenguage they were speaking. I''d like to go over there and at least talk to them. I''m actually not a snake, but a person... Please help me a little. My body is like this. That''s what I''d like to say. Of course, the only sounds I can make are ''Saak!'' or ''Shiritshirit'', so it''s impossible. "We need to wipe them all out." "We have to kill them all now while they''re still immature. They could be dangerous if they grow up." And it was clear that these vigers were trying to kill me and my siblings. As far as I know, there''s no way out of the cave... This is big trouble. Right, anyway, it seems I can''t escape alone right now. I need to assess my situation a bit more objectively. I closed my eyes while hiding my body behind a rock. When I squeeze my eyes shut and concentrate, I can see something interesting. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little White Snake lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That''s right! I wasn''t a Medusa Serpent lv1. I''m a different species from my mother. It seemed likely. Looking at my siblings, none of them had human faces. I didn''t have the ability to shoot eye beams and turn prey to stone either. If I had to guess, maybe I could evolve someday if this thing called level goes up. Or since snakes are creatures that shed their skin, maybe something will change that way. It wasn''t just my species I could see. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance] [Skills] [Venomous Fang lv1], [Quick Crawling lv1 (new!)] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ These are the resources I have. The trait Indomitable is rted to Mental Strength. I couldn''t quite grasp what Perseverance was about. The skills I could actually use were things like crawling and Venomous Fang. Although it wasn''t in my skills, maybe because I was born in a cave. I could see clearly inside the dark cave. If I couldn''t, I would have died long ago. Seeing Venomous Fang, it seems I am indeed a venomous snake. But honestly, I''m not sure how much I can use it, or how strong the venom is. It doesn''t seem to be of much help for survival yet. The skill I gained this time was crawling. I acquired it when I crawled with all my might earlier. The name was unimpressive, but it seemed important. Shouting ''crawling!'' in my mind didn''t activate the skill. ''Is this how to use it...'' So I crawled with all my might. Slurp, my body moves. ... It seems a bit faster, maybe. To be honest, it didn''t get incredibly fast. When Medusa Mom rested in the cave, she let her children loose. I tried crawling around diligently then, but I never gained such a skill. Then why did I gain the skill this time? Isn''t it because I crawled fast with all my might? That was the only thing I could think of. So I tried crawling once more with all my heart and soul. Slurp, slurp. Slurp, slurp, slurp. Being a cold-blooded animal, I couldn''t sweat, but I crawled like my life depended on it. Then there was a change. ¡¸Due to your great Potential, your skill proficiency increases rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Quick Crawling lv1 has be Quick Crawling lv2.¡¹ Quick Crawling leveled up to lv2. I could feel that it got a bit faster. Still, it''s much slower than a person running. Even so, if I train hard like this and raise it to lv10, maybe I can survive somehow. Nope, not possible~ That wasn''t possible. I was exhausted after crawling with all my might. If you''re a week old, isn''t it amazing to even babble, let alone walk? Hurray for Potential 20. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Status] Hungry, Exhausted ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Damn, I''m hungry. Medusa Mom would regurgitate her prey and feed it to her babies. It was half-digested and utterly disgusting, but I diligently ate that mush-like meat every day with my strong mental fortitude. It was a growth period where my body grew day by day. But now I''ve starved for a full day, so I have no energy at all. Crawling hard made me even hungrier. First, I need to go deep into the cave where my siblings are. If I move together with thousands of snakes, somehow the chances of survival should increase. In my previous life, I was an only child. Now I have many reliable siblings. Such naive expectations of mine were soon shattered. In the dark inner part of the cave, my siblings were tangled with each other. They weren''t hugging intensely to ovee a difficult situation. Surprisingly, they were biting each other. As soon as Medusa Mom disappeared, they were acting on instinct. These pathetic ones! Snakes usually swallow and digest their prey in one bite. But the teeth of me and my siblings were dense and sharp like those of a shark. They seemed to have evolved to be able to tear apart prey. They were tearing each other''s flesh with those teeth. Change of n. It seemed better to wait until those guys satisfied their hunger. Just as I was about to turn and hide in a crevice. "Shiririt." A snake bigger than me blocked my way and flicked its tongue. Uh, bro, could you move aside? I flicked my tongue too, but he didn''t seem to have any intention of moving. I concentrated on my eyeballs to observe my ferocious brother. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little Green Snake lv3] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Come to think of it, I''m the only one with a white body, so I must stand out. My brother''s level was two higher than mine. When did he secretly eat insects or bats without mom knowing? No, looking at the blood around his mouth, it seems he just ate another sibling. Looking at the traits and skills of this domestic violence perpetrator. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] [Ferocity] [Skills] [Venomous Fang lv2], [Quick Crawling lv2], [Bite and Tear lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ He has better skills than me. Could my brother also have Potential 20? Instead of answering, my brother lunged at me with a ''Saak!''. Chapter 3: The Repeated Venomous Fang Attacks of the Elder Brother I''m hungry. Ridiculously, in that life-or-death moment, I felt an intense hunger. I am not human. Probably not an ordinary animal either, but a magical creature. Whether a magical creature or a human, you die if you don''t eat. The only difference between humans and magical creatures is probably the degree of hunger they feel. It was an intense hunger. An instinct that makes you risk your life to hunt. Looking at the snake in front of me, I felt such hunger. I want to fight and bite it. If I peel off those scales, there will be sweet blood and flesh inside. If I eat and digest that, I will be stronger. My other siblings are probably fighting because of such impulses too. But I had reason. Also, I had enough willpower to ovee such instincts. There''s nothing good about fighting that elder brother now. I slithered past the elder brother who lunged at me with a "Saaak!" Quick Crawling lv2! Indeed excellent. But the problem was that the elder brother I was dealing with also had Quick Crawling lv2. Fortunately, I seeded in dodging, but the elder brother chased after me with a terrifying momentum. He''s faster than me. Even if I hide in the cracks of rocks, the elder brother, being a snake too, will crawl after me. Then should I fight and win? For now, I crawled up onto the rock in front of me. Then, the scene visible beyond it. For a moment, I was dumbfounded seeing that, but soon a sharp pain brought me back to my senses. The elder brother had bitten my bottom. I''ve never had my bottom bitten by anyone before. I writhed in pain and surprise. My bottom became burning hot. Not just because of the wound, but it seemed poison had been injected. Of course, the elder brother would have Venomous Fang too. As I struggled, I bit the elder brother''s side in return. Something flows out from the venom nds in both of my cheeks. Poison attack! ¡¸The proficiency of Venomous Fang lv1 rises sharply. Venomous Fang lv1 has be Venomous Fang lv2.¡¹ The effect was excellent. The elder brother seemed to feel pain simr to mine. The sensation in my bottom was slowly bing dull. Since I bit the elder brother''s side, it should be a bit more advantageous. Now I should be able to win soon. Thud! I was wrong. I was sent flying by the elder brother bouncing his body and rolled over. In a brawl, the difference in weight is this important. The poison we both had wasn''t anything special, so both the elder brother and I could move roughly. But I didn''t run away from the spot. I just watched as the elder brother approached with his head held high. Flutter, flutter. As soon as I heard that sound, I looked up at the sky once, and quickly hid in a nearby crevice between rocks. A situation simr to before urred. The elder brother had bitten my tail. Once again, I felt a burning pain. However, thanks to the venom nds'' venom not being infinite, it was bearable. And instead of me, someone punished the elder brother. It was a bat hanging from the ceiling. The cave''s resident, who originally didn''t dare to act up for fear of Mother Medusa, had bitten the elder brother''s body. That was the scene I saw beyond the rock. Bats were fluttering and snatching up snakes that were alone. And a bat that was attracted by my white body approached and caught the elder brother instead of me hiding in the rock crevice. Then, I felt an intense pain. The elder brother was firmly biting my tail to avoid being dragged away by the bat. I sank my teeth into the rock crevice to avoid being dragged along. And. Pop. Damn. My tail broke off. Fortunately, my vital organs were safe, but about a finger''s length of my tail was torn off. Looking up, I could see the elder brother and the bat fighting in the air. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Sawtooth Bat lv4] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ True to its name, the bat had razor-sharp ws. Indeed, my elder brother was Ferocious. They fell entangled with each other. The bat was wriggling, its wings seemingly broken, and the elder brother was about to breathe hisst, reduced to a rag. And I realized what I had to do at this moment. Blood was continuously flowing from my severed tail, and I felt a terrible hunger in my stomach. I needed to replenish my nutrients. One advantage of being born a snake was that I didn''t have to chew thoroughly. Opening my mouth wide, I swallowed the bat first. It was just about the size of a baby''s fist. I left only the ws behind, as they might tear my stomach due to their sharpness. Then I tried to eat the elder brother too, but he was too big. Sorry, brother, the other siblings will take care of the aftermath for me. Ah, my head is really dizzy. I seemed to have lost too much blood. I dragged my heavily loaded body and hid in a rock crevice. I cover my body by scattering as much soil as possible. Whatever themotion, I needed to recover my body first. ¡¸You have defeated Little Green Snake lv3 and Sawtooth Bat lv4.¡¹ Oh, it counts as me defeating them? ¡¸Level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Level has increased.¡¹ Hehe, rapid leveling. I closed my eyes for a moment. Soon, an unbearable drowsiness came over me. == Huh! I fell asleep. How many opportunities have I lost because of sleep. I actually overslept on the day of the college entrance exam and had to retake it. Of course, I was beaten badly by my father, and that ranks about 5th among the ten actions I regret most in my life. Have I made the same mistake now that I''m living a new life? If someone asks if I just sprawled out and slept while the vigers were talking about eradicating the snake swarm, I have something to say. It was a sleep I absolutely couldn''t resist. Probably because my body had taken a certain amount of damage and I had swallowed a whole bat. Now I feel refreshed. My dizzy mind has cleared and my body feels lighter. Although my stomach is full, there''s no problem moving. Before leaving the rock crevice, I first checked the important things. I definitely heard a voice saying my level had increased. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little White Snake lv3] [Skills] [Venomous Fang lv2], [Quick Crawling lv3], [Biting lv1], [Poison Resistance lv1], [Bleeding Resistance lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow! The empty skill window has grown misceneously. Predation, Biting, Poison Resistance, Bleeding Resistance. Skills that didn''t exist until now have appeared all at once. Moreover, what''s noticeable is that the levels of the skills have increased quite a bit. I think Poison Resistance and Bleeding Resistance were probably acquired while I was sleeping. Because I didn''t hear the voice announcing their acquisition. It''s not the strong who survive, but the survivors who are strong. I was the smallest here, but I will survive until the end. I have no intention of giving up at all. Strengthening my resolve, I came out of the rock crevice. Ah, I want to give up. There are so many people outside that cave. There were also soldiers holding torches. They looked ready to enter the cave at any moment. Calming myself, I slowly approached the cave entrance. The point where I''m superior to my other siblings, and even to the dead Mother Medusa, is that I can understand humannguage. I could eavesdrop on the conversation between the soldiers. "Wouldn''t they all die if we just set fire and smoke them out?" One soldier asked reluctantly. The guard captain, wearing armor, pointed at the torch irritably. The torch flickered to one side in the wind. "How can that work when the wind is blowing from inside to outside right now? And even if you try to kill them with smoke, snakes stick to the ground so it won''t work." "Yes..." "Don''t be scared. It''s just the mother that''s scary, the babies are not even magical creatures, they''re no different from ordinary snakes. Just wear your leggings well. Wear the gambeson." The guard captain reassured his subordinates. He and the soldiers were wearing a quilted armor called gambeson. It''s like a coat made with sturdy linen cloth, and at that level, venomous fangs won''t prate. Then, no matter how many of us siblings there are, we''ll be quickly eradicated. "We''ll enter as soon as dawn breaks." As I was about to go back inside the cave, I suddenly became curious. Could I analyze human abilities too? I tried to analyze the guard captain by focusing my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Guard Captain lv23] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Is Guard Captain a species? It wasn''t even funny. I confirmed only that and gave up on finding out more. All I could know was the name and level. It was exactly the same as when I tried to see mother''s stats. It seems I can''t properly analyze opponents who are much stronger than me. I stopped wasting time and went inside. The inside of the cave was a mess. The siblings who had filled their stomachs had now stopped the fratricide. The bats, realizing that we snakes were not so easy, were only coveting the corpse pieces. The siblings, obviously reduced to less than a thousand. "Let''s all escape together before those guys enter! Some lucky ones will surely survive. Let''s meet again alive someday!" It would be nice if I could make such a speech, but I can''t. I passed by the siblings who were looking at me and went deeper into the cave. The cave mother chose as her dwelling was neither too big nor too deep. But there was a fairlyrge cavity in the innermost part. It was where mother slept. It could be called the main room. Haa,ing back here, memories of my deceased mother... don''te to mind. There''s only the disgusting smell of filth scattered everywhere. It''s the trace of Mother Medusa. But in my opinion, these were the key to surviving here. I''m not sure if it will go ording to n... Ah, there it is. What I found were statues of animals. Of course, mother didn''t have a hobby of collecting artworks, these were her lunchboxes that she petrified and stored. Mother Medusa had a bad habit of storing food near her bed and eating it while lying down. Petrification was an amazing ability. Even a jaguar with formidable mrs, or a wild boar with an extremely long nose, would freeze and harden just by looking at mother''s eyes. It didn''t rot and was maintained, and if you just undid the petrification, it would return to being fresh live food, so mother disyed various magical beasts like this. I focused my eyes to check their names. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Horn Jaguar lv33 (Petrified)] [Geiger Hog lv29 (Petrified)] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Among these, these two looked the strongest. Even without looking at their levels or names, it was certainly so. Because I had seen mother hunt them. If these guys are released, even the guard captain or soldiers outside will have a hard time handling them. It would be good to escape in the confusion when that happens. I had seen and remembered how to undo the petrification of these magical beasts. Like this, was it? I climbed on top of the heads of the two magical beasts and squeezed out as much venom as possible. It seemed I could spew plenty of venom with my Venomous Fang about twice. I can''t pierce the rock with my teeth, so smearing it is all I can do. But this should be enough. Mother just licked the statue once with her venom-coated tongue. Yet, the color quickly returned and the petrification was undone. Ah, I guess I really was a child of Mother Medusa. As I sprayed the venom, the petrification of the magical beasts seemed to be slowly undoing, just as it did for mother. Theirplexion was slowly returning. The magical beasts, once they regain consciousness, will immediately try to escape the cave. I just need to aim for that moment of confusion to get out...! "Let''s go in!" At that moment, a shout came from the direction of the cave entrance. Has dawn already broken? The entrance was very noisy. The petrification? It''s not undone yet! The color of the two magical beasts was slowly returning, but they weren''t even twitching yet. I looked towards the entrance to see what was happening. The soldiers were entering. They''re standing in two lines, holding torches. "Check the rock crevices carefully! One stab with a spear is enough!" As expected, the guard captain was the dangerous one. I had thought about hiding in rock crevices and then escaping, but I''m d I gave up on that idea. The soldiers meticulously stabbed and killed the siblings hiding in the crevices. "Let the ones that escape go! We''re on standby outside anyway!" One or two managed to break through the encirclement and escape, but they seemed to have prepared for that too. How can soldiers from such a rural area be so thorough? Most of the siblings acted instinctively. That is, they started fleeing deeper into the cave to avoid the soldiers. The soldiers entered the inner part slowly, without rushing. Mother''s bedroom was certainly not small. But when nearly a thousand snakes upied the floor, it looked so cramped there was no room to step. Even the soldiers who arrived here didn''t dare to enter further. "What should we do?" "It''s a bit... to go in there..." The soldiers had uncertain expressions. I felt relieved. They didn''t seem to have noticed the existence of the petrified magical beasts hidden here in the corner yet. It was an opportunity for me, who needed time until the magical beasts were released. "Hmm." However, the guard captain was indeed tenacious. He looked at the direction the torch me was flickering. "As I thought, there was an air hole. The wind direction has changed with dawn." "Then..." "Take out the oil bottles!" The soldiers gleefully took out brown ss bottles that were tied to their waists. My siblings didn''t understand the situation, but I immediately grasped it. "Retreat as soon as you light the fire. Throw!" Dozens of brown bottles flew through the air at once. They fell with a loud tter, spilling foul-smelling oil everywhere. The snakes were terrified by the smell, but what they should truly fear was not the smell. "Light it!" Several soldiers threw their torches. The mes started to ze up. The house is on fire. Chapter 4: FLY HIGH! It''s a fiery hell. Could the hell they say you go to after death be this horrific? That guard captain was truly a terrible person. Reading the wind direction for fire tactics, does he think he''s Zhuge Liang or something? The southeast wind didn''t blow, but there really seemed to be air holes inside the cave. The mes didn''t just flicker on the ground; they rose into the sky, creating a hot wind. The soldiers began to slowly retreat, covering their faces. "Retreat to the cave entrance and guard it!" The guard captainmanded his subordinates with those words. His determination not to let even a single one escape was admirable. My siblings whose bodies caught fire shriveled up and died instantly. Like hagfish on a hot te. So am I unscathed, being away from the mes? No, that wasn''t the case. ¡¸Your Heat Resistance skill is rapidly increasing. You''ve gained Heat Resistance lv1.¡¹ Just from the heat alone, my scales began to singe white. Survival instinct warned me to flee from these mes. My scales trembled, urging me to hide in damp crevices. ¡¸You''ve gained Survival Instinct lv1.¡¹ This wasn''t a joke; it was real. But I didn''t follow the warning of my survival instinct. With the fire spreading along the oil, hiding in rock crevices would only turn me into a well-roasted snake. Instead, I red at the retreating guard captain. I''ve remembered your face. I won''t forget this grudge. That was the extent of myposure. At this rate, I''m really going to die. The reason I had waited until now was that the petrification of the monsters needed to wear off to some extent. Theirplexion was slowly returning. They still couldn''t move, but they were twitching slightly. Now my teeth should be able to sink into their flesh. What I was about to do was clearly insane. But if I didn''t do something crazy, there was no way to escape this fiery hell. I crawled directly into the wide-open maw of the Horn Jaguar. The Horn Jaguar isrger than a bull. It had roared in fear at the sight of its mother, and had frozen in that state. In other words, its throat, characteristic of carnivores, was wide open. Entering between the sharp teeth, there was its tongue, and hanging at the back was its uv. Chomp~ I bit the uv. The petrification had worn off enough for my teeth to sink in deeply. Like this, unless the uv is torn off, I should be able to hide inside the Horn Jaguar''s mouth. Now go, Horn Jaguar! Finally, the petrification wore off. And naturally, what the monster with its uv bitten started was gagging. "Keck! Kegegeck! Queeeck!" Even I would gag to death if something was dangling from my uv. But I''m small enough to be called a thread snake. If I were an ordinary animal, I would either be crushed by the contracting throat muscles or be ejected with a "keck!" However, with its vast throat that gulps down unchewed meat, it couldn''t vomit me out. I stubbornly clung to its throat. Think of it as a non-sedated endoscopy, Jaguar. Stop! Stop gagging! "Guweeeck!" Aack! It vomited out its stomach contents. The Horn Jaguar''s vomit washed over my skin, which was already sore from the fire. It smelled and stung. If it hadsted a bit longer, I might have gained Pain Resistance. Anyway, I kept hanging on. Only then did the Horn Jaguar notice that it was in the middle of a sea of fire. Whether monster or human, the fear of fire was the same. The Geiger Hog, which had been petrified alongside it, started running with a loud cry. "Gweeeeck!" "Krheong!" The two monsters ran wildly. Instinctively avoiding the fire, towards the direction where the retreating soldiers were. They were incredibly fast. It was an amazing ride, like being on a speeding chariot. The two monsters paid no attention to the snakes writhing under their feet. They ran, trampling the thread snakes with a thud. As the Horn Jaguar ran with its mouth wide open in agony, I could see the whole scene. As expected, my siblings had fighting spirit. They instinctively bit the legs of the passing Geiger Hog and Jaguar. The two monsters continued running without being able to shake off my siblings. About dozens of them clung to the monsters'' bodies and escaped together. However, the riding conditions between my siblings and me were as different as first ss and economy. Many of them were scorched by the mes and had their teeth broken and flew off due to the running momentum. Goodbye, everyone. Finally, the Horn Jaguar escaped to the cave entrance. And the soldiers waiting there were shocked. "Aaaaah!" "W-What is that!" They probably expected to catch snakes crawling out of here in a hurry. Even their armor, including gambesons, was just enough to catch snakes. Some even had shovels and hoes instead of spears to catch snakes crawling on the ground. So how surprised must they have been when suddenly two house-sized monsters popped out? "Monsters!" The soldiers seem to be a bit faint-hearted. The guard captain smacked the back of the head of the soldier who shouted that. "You idiot. Look closely. Those are just monsters." "Ah, snakes... I see." I''m not sure if there''s much difference between monsters and beasts, but I noticed from the soldiers'' reactions. The Horn Jaguar was on fire all over and had dozens of snakes clinging to it. No wonder they were shocked by that sight. If I could, I''d like to peek out and say "peekaboo" from inside its mouth. Of course, if I did that, I''d be bitten by the angry Horn Jaguar. Come to think of it, getting out of the Horn Jaguar''s mouth is going to be a problem. I can''t exactly say, ''Thanks for everything!'' and leave politely. Anyway. "Maintain formation!" Here, I can only hope for the Horn Jaguar''s struggle. "Raise spears!" And my nemesis, the guard captain, fulfilled his duty to the end. At hismand, the soldiers quickly raised their spears. Several soldiers with spears can take down even a fierce beast. The same goes for monsters. "Gweeeeck!" The brave Geiger Hog charged first into the midst of the soldiers. A boarrger than the giant wild boars said to live near the military demarcation line was skewered by spears. Thud! Two unlucky soldiers were sent flying as if hit by a car, but five spears were stuck in the Geiger Hog''s body. Even a sturdy monster can''t help it. It couldn''t go any further and nted its head in the ground. "Don''t let your guard down! Another one''sing!" With the guard captain''smand, the Horn Jaguar started running. All I could do was hold onto its uv tightly. I''m getting a bit nervous. The soldiers'' encirclement was tighter than I thought. "Krheong!" Hearing a beast''s roar from inside its throat was an amazing experience. My inner ear attached to my skull vibrated, making my whole body tingle. And then, my body floated. Zero gravity. The Horn Jaguar had jumped high. I could see the soldiers below with their mouths wide open. The Horn Jaguar''s leg strength exceeded their imagination. For a moment, I think I made eye contact with the guard captain. Boom! It was a leap that could easily clear a building, but thending was light. The Horn Jaguar started running as if its tail was on fire. Towards the forest in the east. Towards the primeval forest, so densely wooded that humans dare not follow. ...So how do I get out of here now? I pondered this while smelling the Horn Jaguar''s damp and hot breath. == Many animals live in the Sija Forest. Among them were monsters imbued with magical energy, as well as ordinary beasts. Although many extraordinary things happen in this ce, today was particrly unique. Even forest animals like monkeys and rabbits couldn''t resist watching out of curiosity. "Kuweng Kueeeng!" Horn Jaguar. A dangerous monster not found in the Sija Forest, only seen when entering the great forest. There was no threat in this Sija Forest that could harm a Horn Jaguar. Such a Horn Jaguar was now in aplete frenzy. "Kuweck! Keck!" It jumped high enough to easily clear any ordinary tree, and also rolled on the ground. Thud! Then it rammed its head into a tree. Startled birds flew up, and monkeys screeched and ran away. "Krheong!" It roared fiercely and swung its front paws. The tree cracked and fell over. The Horn Jaguar was already covered in blood. It clearly hadn''t been attacked by anyone, but had broken its ws and injured its face in its own frenzy. Where it was now was the border between the Sija Forest and the great forest. There''s no actual border in the forest, so it could be described as a ce where dangerous monsters increase and Sija trees be rare. It was also in front of a basin surrounded by cliffs. At some point. The Horn Jaguar choked as if its breath was suddenly cut off. "Keck, Keeng!" It coughed roughly, and then suddenly couldn''t even do that anymore. Had something inside it finally choked its windpipe? As expected of a beast that roamed the forest, the Horn Jaguar didn''t stop fighting even on the brink of death. It suddenly started running madly and threw itself off the cliff. The crazy jaguar had a fit and finally put on a suicide show. The watching forest animals quietly peered at where the Horn Jaguar had jumped. The cliff was sufficiently high. The Horn Jaguar would suffer no more. == Aaaaargh! I screamed internally. Burning to death vs Being eaten by a Horn Jaguar. If I had to choose the worse option, it would now be thetter. Die! Die! I shouted that in my heart. Of course, it must be the same for that beast. It was good that we broke through the mes and soldiers. But it was really impossible to get out of this Horn Jaguar''s mouth quietly. All I could do was desperately hold onto its uv. If I let go of the uv, only one of two fates awaited me. Either being chewed up bit by bit, or being swallowed whole without even being chewed. ¡¸Pain Resistance lv2 has be Pain Resistance lv3.¡¹ ¡¸Breath Holding lv2 has be Breath Holding lv3.¡¹ ¡¸Biting lv2 has be Biting lv3¡¹ Because I endured with all my might, the skill proficiency increased insanely fast. It''s a battle of who gets exhausted first. Putting 20 stat points into mental strength was really an excellent choice. I endured with sheer willpower and toughness. The life of a snake I chose... well, not really, but anyway. However, there was a limit to enduring against its struggles as it shook its head and gagged. Finally, at the moment when my consciousness became hazy and my jaw lost strength. It took a big breath, and I, small enough to be called a thread snake, was sucked into its windpipe. "Keeng!" The moment the advantagepletely shifted to me. It could no longer harm me. And I had infiltrated its most vulnerable part. Inside its lungs. I''m the guy who always asked the ajumma for extra lungs when eating blood sausage. I used Biting frantically. Hot blood began to pool around me. Uwaaa! ¡¸The proficiency of Biting is rising steeply.¡¹ Eventually, a hole was punctured in the lung. That''s when it happened. My body floated up. Oh, this. A familiar sensation. The thrilling feeling like a shark is about to bite your butt. It was that feeling you get when riding the Gyro Drop at Lotte World. The sensation of falling. This crazy jaguar had thrown itself from somewhere. Is this the spirit of Nongae, embracing the enemy and throwing herself off a cliff? It must have been a high ce, as the fall was quite long. Long enough that even a sturdy monster couldn''t avoid death. But I''m light enough to not even make up one serving of pork belly, and this is a soft inside. Boom! Nevertheless, the impact was strong enough to see stars, but. I survived. Of course, the jaguar doesn''t seem to have survived. ¡¸You''ve leveled up.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve leveled up.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve leveled up.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve leveled up.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve leveled up.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve leveled up.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve leveled up.¡¹ It was thanks to the feast of level-ups. What is this, a Chu-Gong novel? Chapter 5: The Sweet Taste of Leveling Up Ah, how sweet it is. This is the taste of leveling up. I, who was at level 3, suddenly leveled up seven times. As I feltst time when my level went up by two at once, there''s a strange sense of pleasure when leveling up. It''s simr to the feeling of immersing your body in a hot bath. But now my level suddenly rose by seven. If I had topare it, it''s like finding a hot spring after being left naked in the dead of winter. It''s like drinking a cold beer when your body starts to warm up after soaking in a hot spring when you were on the brink of freezing to death. Thinking about it makes me want to drink a cold beer. I wonder if there will ever be a day when I can drink beer. I was about to feel depressed... but I didn''t. I''m a person who knows how to be grateful. I wasn''t before, but I am now. Luckily, I survived. It''s something to be thankful for, just to have been given a second life. In fact, the impact of the fall was greater than I thought. I must have broken several bones. The good thing is that my body is healing at a noticeable rate. Is it thanks to leveling up? Come to think of it, after my level went up by twost time, I felt like my body had grown a bit. It''s the same now. The interior of Horn Jaguar''s lung is wide enough for me to practice Quick Crawling. That''s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. ¡¸Due to rapid leveling up, physical transformation is dyed.¡¹ Oh. Indeed, my body''s growth has stopped. It seems that the speed of leveling up was too fast for my body to keep up. Does this mean that my physical body grows as I level up? I hope so. Right now, I''m just a bit long, but too small. It won''t be easy to survive in the wild being this small. First, I tried to wriggle my body. It moves well. I must have hundreds of ribs, and at least dozens of them must have been broken, but the pain is gone. And my ragged jaw has reattached. Actually, being sucked into the airway wasn''t part of my n. Unfortunately, my overworked jaw came off at that moment. Setting my luck to average seems to have been a good decision. That being said, it doesn''t seem like I misallocated my stats. ...Well, if I hadn''t been born as a snake in the first ce, I wouldn''t have faced this danger. Growl. The beggar in my stomach is wailing. I felt full after swallowing the bat whole, but now I feel like I''m dying of hunger. It seems I moved too vigorously. If only I had exercised this much in my previous life. Well, there''s no problem. I''m inside a jaguar''s body now. That means the ceiling, walls, floor - nothing is inedible. I swallowed my saliva as if I had entered Hansel and Gretel''s gingerbread house. Let''s eat! Biting! The taste of flesh is excellent. It''s a bit tough, but it has a savory taste. Maybe it''s because I was hanging onto the uv with all my might. My Biting skill proficiency has increased significantly. Even though I''m not an ordinary snake, snakes typically eat by swallowing live animals whole and digesting them. However, my tooth structure was more pointed, like dinosaur teeth, rather than that of a normal snake. With the help of skills, it''s manageable to tear and eat meat. Come to think of it, skills are really amazing. If I could learn a skill like ''Flight'', wouldn''t I be able to fly around? Of course, I couldn''t imagine it. Even if I tried to fly with all my might, it didn''t seem like I could gain the Flight skill. I continued to fill my stomach while imagining such things. The Horn Jaguar seemed to be quite strong. The flesh was incredibly tough. But I didn''t stop, continuing to chew and swallow. It was a difficult and time-consuming task, but it was never boring. Rather, it''s delicious. When I was young, I used to be so picky about side dishes that I got spanked every day. I wonder what my parents would think if they saw me now. Wouldn''t they be happy and say, "Well done, our son"? They might prefer this to me being holed up in my room living as a NEET. Hmm, it wasn''t my imagination that I found it really delicious. Considering that even the chunks of meat that Medusa Serpent vomited were edible, my taste might have changed after bing a snake. Being a good eater is also a talent. With this level of talent, I could even do mukbang. I devoured the meat in a trance. Last time, I was full after eating one bat, but now I''ve eaten more than three times that amount and it''s still going down. Then my tooth broke. Crunch! Ack! I bit into something hard. About three teeth came out at once, is this okay? No, I''m not even two weeks old yet, so these must be baby teeth, right? I hope they''re not permanent teeth that won''t grow back once they fall out. I don''t think there are dental imnts in this world. ...What''s this? What I bit wasn''t a bone. Before I knew it, I had burrowed into the area near Horn Jaguar''s heart. There was something like a shining stone there. Is it a kidney stone? No, I''m in the heart now, so it can''t be a kidney stone. Even I lose my appetite at the thought of biting into a stone. Extraordinarily, an acorn-sized stone emitting light. I can feel something like a warm heat. Unless it''s a radioactive stone that glows on its own, this must be something fantastical too. Since it''s inside a magical beast, it might be what''s called a magic stone. Moreover, I felt a different kind of appetite than when I ate meat. If I eat this, I can be stronger. I had a clear conviction. If so, hoping it''s not a kidney stone. Nom. Instead of biting, I swallowed it in one gulp. Fortunately, a voice confirmed that my choice was correct. ¡¸You have consumed a 3rd grade magic stone.¡¹ It says it''s a third-grade magic stone. Is that good? For meat or college entrance exams, 1st grade is good, but for psionic energy, 12th grade is the highest. Well, I don''t know how great of a magical beast Horn Jaguar is, so I can''t tell. Let''s check the status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little White Snake Lv10(-)] [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance] [Skills] [Venomous Fang Lv3], [Quick Crawling Lv3], [Breath Holding Lv4], [Devouring Lv1], [Biting Lv4], [Poison Resistance Lv2], [Bleeding Resistance Lv2], [Pain Resistance Lv4], [Heat Resistance Lv2], [Survival Instinct Lv3] [Status] [Growing], [Magical Power Saturation], [Drowsiness] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ooh, the status window that used to be quite in has be quite rich. There''s even a new Devouring skill that I hadn''t seen before. My level has finally reached Lv10, but there''s a (-) mark next to it. Well, this seems to be rted to the dyed physical transformation mentioned earlier. But if we think positively, it might be like Lieutenant Colonel (Provisional) or Captain (Provisional). Still, the status window clearly showed the struggles I''ve been through. Look at how much the levels of Breath Holding, Pain Resistance, and Biting have increased. You can tell how painful the journey has been. What I like is Survival Instinct Lv3. I knew nothing about this world. To survive, I''ll need information, but maybe I can somehow navigate through it with this instinct or whatever. Of course, I don''t know if I should really follow the survival instinct. Most animals have an instinct to fear high ces, but sometimes they might need to climb high trees to survive. [Status], this is something I haven''t seen before. Is the status window updating in real-time? I was growing and feeling sleepy. I''m not sure what Magical Power Saturation means. It might be because I ate the magic stone. Anyway, as soon as I ate the magic stone, mysteriously, the hunger that had been tormenting me subsided. Ah, I''m getting drowsy. My adaptability is amazing, and the inside of this Horn Jaguar''s body wasn''t too bad. The blood and bodily fluids were a bit sticky and smelly, but there were advantages. The point is that everything in all directions is food. And while I''m in this stomach, there''s no threat that can bother me. It might be good to rest a bit here. As before, I felt that if I slept and woke up, my body would feel refreshed. Maybe I''ll catch a little shut-eye. So I was about to surrender myself to sleep once again... but I didn''t. I feel a bit uneasy. I opened my eyes that I had closed. Is this the right choice? This warm and dark ce gave me an instinctive sense of security. But that might be my misconception. What''s the environment like outside? What if the ce where Horn Jaguar fell is actually dangerous? Scavengers tend to gather around dead animal carcasses. It wouldn''t be a problem if only insects were attracted, but it would be a big deal if a magical beast as dangerous as Horn Jaguar appeared. If something swallows Horn Jaguar''s carcass whole, I''d be an eating pleasure like the hazelnut in Ferrero Rocher, or the pickled radish in kimbap. This anxiety might also be the effect of Survival Instinct Lv3. Let''s get out first. After wriggling around, I finally found a way out. I stuck out my tongue and slipped out through the dead Horn Jaguar''s mouth. ''Wow, this ispletely mashed up.'' The cliff from which Horn Jaguar fell was very high. Looking around, this ce is a basin-like depression. And Horn Jaguar was exposed on t ground. I''m a bit confused about whether this is a dangerous situation or not. It was a bit of a shame to leave that big chunk of meat behind, so I decided to look around first. I slithered into the nearby bushes. Thump- Oh? I felt a vibration from my belly that was pressed against the ground. Snakes have ways of perceiving the world other than sight. Especially, the ability to detect vibrations seemed far superior to humans. Thump- thump- I could clearly feel something moving underground. I quickly climbed onto a solid rock. Nevertheless, the vibrations grew stronger. Something was getting closer. I stopped moving and remained silent. Ah, it passed right under me. Whatever passed under the rock headed straight for where Horn Jaguar''s carcass was. And the ground bulged up. Four leg-like things with shells appeared. Crack. It hugged Horn Jaguar''s carcass and disappeared into the ground. Rumble- And it vanished with its harvest. ...Thank you, Survival Instinct. I couldn''t even see what kind of magical beast it was. But it certainly looked bigger and more powerful than Horn Jaguar. To think that such a creature crawls underground, I''ve fallen into a terrible neighborhood. I didn''t move from the rock for a long time. Only when I was sure that it hadpletely left did I leave my spot. I need to find a ce to sleep. Now, I have no desire to sleep on bare ground even if I die. Just before sunset, I found a crevice in the rocks where I could hide my body. After entering it, I camouged myself by sprinkling dirt on my body. That thing, surely it can''t swallow a whole rock, right? I might have nightmares tonight. I closed my eyes, feeling a bit tense. == I didn''t have a nightmare. Because my mental strength is top-notch. Rather, you could say I had a good dream, because as soon as I fell asleep, I saw a status message. [You can evolve after reaching Level 10.] [Do you want to evolve?] Of course I do! Chapter 6: Save Me, Holmes Evolution. It''s a heart-pounding word. Whether I could evolve or not was very important to me. It determined whether I''d have to live as this tiny white snake forever. Of course, I didn''t want to be an ugly human-faced giant snake like Medusa Mother. If possible, I''d like to evolve into something human-like. Or at least arge and beautiful snake. Yeah, so what could I evolve into? There must be some choices, right? There absolutely must be. But I couldn''t immediately check the options. What''s this? It doesn''t show what I can evolve into. Instead, there was something like additional information. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [¡ùYou must meet conditions to evolve.] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I see, so certain conditions are needed. Pikachu needed a Thunder Stone to evolve into Raichu. Maybe I need something like that too. Indeed, that was the case. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Consume a Grade 1 magic stone. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh. It means I need to consume a Grade 1 magic stone to evolve. If what I ate was indeed a magic stone, I could now judge. The grade of magic stones seems to be more precious the higher the number. If not, Grade 1 would be the highest grade of magic stone, but surely a mere grass snake like me wouldn''t need such a stone to evolve. Horn Jaguar''s magic stone was Grade 3. Even that beast was one I could never defeat in a fair fight. A bit of a shame. Then the magic stone I ate must have been precious too. I only needed a Grade 1 magic stone, but did I eat a Grade 3 one? When I was in elementary school, I once put beef in my ramen at home, and my mother kicked me in the stomach, asking if I had thrown precious Hanwoo beef into ramen. This is just like that time, hmm. But that ramen was deliciously tasty, and now I can evolve. That''s all that matters. Shall I start evolving? I''ll know how I''ll evolve once I do it. But I hesitated again. I remembered the fate that Horn Jaguar''s corpse met earlier. If I had chosen to take a nap inside it, I would have been dragged underground with it. And met an inevitable death. Yeah, it''s better to try evolving in a safer hideout. Moreover, thinking about it made my body feel prickly. Is this the manifestation of survival instinct? No, it''s really itchy. Ah, damn! I cursed as soon as I opened my eyes. Something was attached to my body. The animal, about the size of a chestnut bur, had gray fur and a hairless red tail. It was definitely a rat. Is this crazy rat rubbing against a snake without fear? I was shocked when I tried to check its brazen face. I thought it was a rat, but what is this thing? Its eyes were bulging out, looking like insect eyes. Its snout protruded like a long protuberance. And the tip of that snout was stuck in my body. Slurp, slurp, it was sucking my blood. I involuntarily checked its name. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Mosquito Rat lv3] [Traits] [Vampire] [Skills] [Blood Sucking lv2], [Poison Sting lv3] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Aaargh! How can such a hellish creature exist? It was a monster thatbined a mosquito and a rat, of all things. And it had its poison sting stuck in my side. Murderous intent surged. Taste my Venomous Fang. I bit it in an instant. I swallowed it down my throat without even chewing. That''s how I reimed the blood it had stolen. Come to think of it, I swallowed it right away, so I didn''t even give it a proper taste of my Venomous Fang. Anyway, this level of monster is something I can deal with. I''m utterly satisfied. Even thete Medusa Mother would probably be proud of me. There was one more nearby. It slipped away when I red at it. It''s a truly annoying creature. I did well not to evolve right away. Let''s first find a hideout where I don''t have to worry about such blood-sucking rats. The Mosquito Rat became my snack, but the wound it left behind was itchy. It did have Poison Sting lv3, but it''s less painful than when my brother bit mest time. I should be fine since I have Poison Resistance. A little blood flowed, but I endured it and came out of the rock crevice. Dawn was breaking. Now my home-finding project begins. Surely I can find a ce to rest my body in this vast basin. I crawled off in search of a ce to shelter from the cold wind and hide my body. == Long ago, schrs used to sing about a life of contentment. Did those schrs say they could be happy sleeping under the moonlight, using clouds as nkets? I read many such sijo poems in textbooks. I don''t think I''ll ever be able to reach their level of enlightenment. ...No,e to think of it, all those who wrote those sijo poems were high-ranking officials. As expected, all that talk about being happy even living in a one-room thatched house was deception. So I wanted to find a good house too. I wandered around diligently for my dream of owning a home. Buzz buzz- I thought I''d found a suitable rock crevice, but bees flew out from inside. If I had chosen an unsuitable rock crevice, it would have been fine. It''s all my greed. The ce where I hid from the bees was a hole in the middle of some bushes. And what I encountered inside were eight red eyeballs. Don''t spiders live underground too? Today I learned for the first time that snakes can also move backwards. Humming "F¨¹r Elise" in my mind, I slowly retreated. The ce where I was stung by the bee is swollen and stinging. Why are there so many monsters with poison? My Poison Resistance level increased by one. Without it, I would have already died from swelling up. ...This is a big problem. A ''safe and good'' hideout was very difficult to find. All the decent ces already had owners. It''s just like how pretty and handsome people always have lovers. In fact, the best of the best would be a cave, but those were being used as homes by the strongest monsters. The terror I felt when a giant Owl Bear jumped out of a cave. The mostmon and easy to find were rock crevices. But rock crevices weren''t safe. Aish, damn, there''s one here too! I opened my mouth and made a hissing sound. Then a Mosquito Rat that was lurking at a distance ran away. Those bastards were my biggest problem. Rats are already terrible creatures, and mosquitoes are the worst insects, but this breedbines their awfulness. When I tried to sleep in a slightly exposed ce, those things woulde and suck my blood. They have something like cotton fluff on their feet, so I couldn''t detect them in advance. And the poison secreted from that snout. That poison anesthetized my skin and prevented blood clotting. There was a day when I was bitten three times, and I almost died from excessive bleeding. My goal was to find a ce without those things. And after three full days, I found an amazing ce. This is pretty good. No, it''s the best ce I''ve found so far. It seems like an area where lightning struck sometime in the past. There were a few dead trees gathered together. They were bare without leaves, and I could see hollow knotholes. Dead trees often have such empty spaces inside. It''s moderately humid and warm, and safe from threats that can''t climb trees. In other words, it''s safe from Suckquito Rats. The Suckquito Suck can''t climb trees. Goodbye, Sucksuckito Suck! Whew, let''s calm down. There are things I''ve learned from my experiences so far. First, I needed to check if this ce was really a good hideout. I examined the surroundings of the dead trees. Are there any nests of dangerous bird monsters? Is there anything like a ho''s nest? Are there w marks of tree-climbing monsters? After checking all items on the checklist. This ce is indeed top-tier. It''s almost at the level of a luxury vi in Hannam-dong. I carefully approached thergest dead tree. No matter how good a ce is, it''s useless if there''s a dangerous predecessor living there. I hope either no one lives there or it''s someone I can beat. There was arge hole in the middle of the dead tree. I poked my head inside. Wow! No one''s here. There was afortable and spacious area inside the dead tree. This seems better than the studio apartment I used to live in. The problem is that instead of no one, there''s a dead Mosquito Rat. If that Mosquito Rat couldn''t fly, someone must have brought it here. Creak, creak. And a strange sound came from above the tree. Ah, I didn''t expect the owner to be home when I came to see the house. The homeowner was arge centipede. While my body is slightly thicker than a Cheonha Jangsa sausage, that centipede''s body was easily as thick as a baby''s arm. I reflexively focused my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Redtis King Centipede lv6] [Traits] [Gentleness], [Artisan] [Skills] [Venomous Fang lv8], [Stealth lv3], [Quick Crawling lv2], [Carapace lv4], [Tearing lv5] [Status] [Full], [Newlywed] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I can see it! The fact that I could see the status window meant that the opponent was at a level I could handle. Although it looks terrifying, is it actually weaker than it appears? It has traits like Gentleness, so maybe. What''s Artisan about, while it has scary skills like Tearing? Wait, Gentleness...? It was a trait I had never seen in a monster before. It approached me very slowly. And stopped at a suitable distance, wiggling its antennae. It seemed to be trying to explore me. Hello. I slowly waved my tail as if greeting. Then the centipede started to wiggle its antennae in sync with my tail''s movement. I stopped waving my tail. The centipede also stopped wiggling its antennae. Hmm, it''s not gentle for nothing, it seems. At least it didn''t try to eat me like other monsters. Then are we friends now? When I stayed still, the king centipede seemed to lose interest. It slowly enters its home, the inside of the dead tree. I considered biting its side to strike first. Since it doesn''t have Poison Resistance, it might be worth a try. That house looks so good. Maybe I have a hidden trait like Cowardice. But I gave up on that. The ''Newlywed'' written in its status. I realized what it meant. Another, slightlyrger centipede popped out from the top of the tree. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Redtis King Centipede lv7] [Traits] [Gentleness] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ You two have a good rtionship. Come to think of it, centipedes usually move in male-female pairs. I got down from the tree where they live. Suddenly something urred to me. ...Ah, so that''s why. There were no Mosquito Rats to be seen in this area, which had been somon before. Isn''t it thanks to this centipede couple? I pondered for a moment. Should I look for another ce, or should I stay around here? It wasn''t an easy choice. Rumble- An ominous thunder sound rushed my decision. Looking at the sky, dark clouds were gloomy. This is bad. I can''t get wet. Cold-blooded animals can freeze to death if they''re not careful. It seems like leaving isn''t an option. There were many good dead trees here besides the centipede couple''s home. I found a decent hole in one of them. There was a knothole just small enough for me to barely enter. Inside, there was space to coil up and lie down, and the entrance was small enough that the centipede couple couldn''t enter. This should be fine. Still, it didn''t feel right to stay next door without any greeting. Instead of rice cakes, I went out nearby and caught a Mosquito Rat. I left it under the tree where the centipede couple lives. Please consider this as a housewarming gift. Coming up to my new home and looking down, I saw the centipede husband busily moving the Mosquito Rat. I feel warm inside for no reason. Isn''t this the affection between neighbors? It absolutely wasn''t because I hoped the centipede couple wouldn''t get hungry. Rumble! Thunder and lightning struck, and rain started pouring. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. Thanks to the sound of rain, I fell asleep quickly. Then. It''s time to evolve! == The moment I''ve been waiting for. I proudly answered yes to the question of whether I would evolve. What can I evolve into? It would be nice if there were options to choose from. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ From [Little White Snake lv10] You can evolve into: 1.[Little Green Snake] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ...What the hell is this? There were no choices at all. Moreover, the content of what I could evolve into was the problem. Since I was a ''Little'' White Snake, I thought I might evolve into just a ''White Snake''. Increasing size is important. Isn''t weight ss the basics of fighting? I''m too small right now. I should be big enough to swallow animalsrger than a Mosquito Rat in one bite. But what''s this ''Little Green Snake''? That''s the species name of my siblings. So, in fact, was I a less evolved breed than them? This is a lie. It''s all a lie! I firmly believed that being white alone was special and good. It was a moment when my expectations for evolution were greatly dampened. A voice gave me hope. ¡¸You have achieved a special condition for evolution. A new evolution tree is unlocked.¡¹ Yes! Special condition! What did I do? I must have aplished something. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡ùSpecial condition: Consumed a Grade 3 or higher magic stone ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ah, Mr. Jaguar, I now realize your great favor. One of the conditions for evolution was consuming a magic stone. I only needed to eat a Grade 1 magic stone, but I had devoured a Grade 3 one! And a new option appeared. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ From [Little White Snake lv10] You can evolve into: 1.[Little Green Snake] 2.[White Horn Snake] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow! I got horns. Since Horn Jaguar was a jaguar with horns, Horn Snake must be a snake with horns. ...What would a snake do with horns? But, Little Green Snake wasn''t an option to begin with. Then there''s no need to hesitate. ¡¸You have selected White Horn Snake.¡¹ ¡¸Evolution will now begin.¡¹ Special evolution! Chapter 7: Billy is a Horn Squirm. My body changes. Squirm squirm. I grow bigger and my forehead tingles. Squirm squirm squirm squirm. My body moved like that. It felt as if something was moving alive inside my body. The scaly skin bulged out and retracted repeatedly. Ah, it hurts. It feels like my body will burst. I am a lowly creature. I can no longer walk, watch TV, or use aputer. I can''t be hit by my father or scolded by my mother. Above all, I couldn''t drink cool beer. I''ve be a mere snake, wriggling in a rotten tree. I want to eat ramen, which I rarely ate out of disgust before. I don''t want to eat rats, rotten meat, and catch insects. The scales on my back bulged out. Finally, the skin that couldn''t withstand the pressure from inside began to tear. Rip. What emerged from the split flesh was a white hand. Another blood-covered hand popped out, and it crawled out from inside, tearing open the belly. It''s clearly a human hand. Ten fingers wiggled. Am I human now? Have I returned to a human body? Cock-a-doodle-doo¨C I heard the rm I had set. Yeah, was it all just a dream until now? ... It''s a shame. Cock-a-doodle-doo¨C The rm sound I set is quite refreshing. It''s a vivid sound, as if a real rooster is crowing. ... Huh? == Cock-a-doodle-doo! I opened my eyes. It was inside a dark knothole. No, a real rooster is crowing somewhere. Pale dawn light is pouring in. If a rooster crows like that, won''t it be caught and eaten by other monsters? It''s a lively one. I should find it and eat it sometime. I had a nightmare. The me in the dream was so weak, unimaginable with my current mental strength of 20. I miss mom~ I want to watch TV~ I want to eat ramen, boo-hoo. Gah!!! What''s wrong with eating rats and fighting insects? How pathetic, the me in the dream. Those who can yearn for freedom are real humans. At least I''m freer now as a snake than in my previous life. And snakes and insects are more edible than you might think. ... But why is it so cramped? The knothole where I was sleeping was narrow, but it was manageable. But not now. The space was extremely tight. It seems my body grewrger during evolution. I felt it clearly when I tried to get out of the knothole. I can''t get out of this. The hole was just big enough for me to barely fit in. And now that my body has grown, it''s certainly impossible to pass through. The circumference of my body now seems to have grown at least as big as a pink sausage. If I''m not careful, this knothole might be my grave. I couldn''t let that happen, so I tried to widen the narrow knothole. By gnawing at the edges of the hole. Crunch, crunch! Oh! My jaw strength seems to have increased too. Originally, I would have had to gnaw slowly, but now it''s crunching easily. Let''s not widen the entrance too much. The centipede couple might try to move in. Even though we''re neighbors, we''re not that close yet. Aftering out of the knothole, I descended along the bumpy tree grain. My body became heavier, but my strength improved so much that it wasn''t difficult. By the way, watching a lot of animal-rted YouTube videos in my previous life is really helpful now. Originally, it''s very difficult for a legless snake to climb trees. But if you make a loop like this with your tail, you can climb up and down trees. Inded on the ground with a thud. I feel majestic. So, let''s check what has changed after evolving. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Horn Snake lv1] [Trait] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hahaha! No more pathetic modifiers like ''Little'' are attached. I''m not small. Honestly, I''m not big, but I can''t say I''m that small either. I expected my level to return to 1. Wasn''t Mother Medusa level 89? Then how strong was mom? She went through all these evolution processes to be a Medusa Serpent and then raised her level to 89. Looking at that, it doesn''t seem like level 10 is always the evolution point. I wonder if Mother Medusa would have evolved into something else if she reached level 100 or higher. Anyway, I didn''t want to be an ugly monster like mom. I looked at the ''Horn'' added to my trait. What''s with the trait being a horn? Indomitable and Perseverance were the benefits I got from setting my mental strength and potential stats to 20. It must be something as great as those, but I don''t know the detailed usage yet... I wonder if the horn is as important as those. It seems like I have a horn on my head. I can''t see it properly without a mirror. I stroked my head with my tail once. And I was amazed. Wow, this is a veryrge and magnificent horn. ... That''s irony. The horn on my head was more like a protrusion that was embarrassing to even call a horn. There are actually snakes called horned vipers. They''re sand snakes that live in the desert, and their horns are no different from decorations. My horn was like that too. It doesn''t seem like I can carry out my grand n with this. I wanted to be a crazy state power-level horned snake that could pierce enemies by utilizing it along with Quick Crawling. For now, since I evolved by meeting special conditions, there must be something different Let''s look at the skills more ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Billy''s Horn lv1] (new!), [Venomous Fang lv3], [Quick Crawling lv3], [Breath Holding lv4], [Devouring lv3], [Biting lv4], [Poison Resistance lv3], [Bleeding Resistance lv2], [Pain Resistance lv4], [Heat Resistance lv2], [Survival Instinct lv3] [Status] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There it is! A new skill had appeared. The other skills hadn''t really increased in level much and had little change, but a skill with a name I couldn''t understand at all had appeared. What could ''Billy''s Horn'' be? Who on earth is Billy! ... I almost lost my mind out of disappointment. It would have been nice if it was a skill like Horn Missile. You can''t activate skills by shouting their names like in games. You have to concentrate and do the action, like with Quick Crawling, but how should I activate Billy''s Horn? That''s when it happened. I sensed a presence and turned my head. There was the wife of the king centipede couple. My senses have definitely be more sensitive after evolving. Hello. The newlywed wife seemed to be preparing breakfast, holding something like a frog with her legs. She''s waving her antennae warily, as if somewhat surprised. Ah, my body has grown a bit. And I''ve got a horn too. Even if centipedes don''t have good eyesight, she must be uncertain. I wagged my tail and bowed my head in greeting, just like when we first met. Then the kind-hearted newlywed also waved her antennae, mimicking me. She dropped the frog she was holding with a thud. And she''s slowly backing away. It seems she wants to give it to me. At that moment, I was incredibly touched. Is this a return gift for the housewarming rice cake? In my previous studio apartment, I didn''t greet my neighbor even once in two years. Centipedes are better than humans! I couldn''t ignore her goodwill, so I gratefully ate the frog. It smelled of centipede, but the thought alone is heartwarming. I swallowed the moist frog in one gulp. ¡¸Your Poison Resistance skill proficiency has increased slightly.¡¹ My stomach started to ache a little, so it must have been a poisonous frog. But I had no intention of doubting the newlywed''s goodwill. You can tell just by looking at her now. Isn''t she dripping yellow saliva from her mouth? Frogs were precious food. Giving and taking is the way of neighborly affection. I should share my preyter too. Looking at the centipede newlywed, I suddenly became curious. Which one of us is stronger, me or the centipede? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Redtis King Centipede lv7] [Trait] [Gentleness] [Skills] [Venomous Fang lv9], [Stealth lv3], [Quick Crawling lv2], [Carapace lv3], [Tearing lv5] [Status] [Hungry], [Newlywed] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Female king centipedes arerger. The same was true for monsters. Not just in size, but she seemed stronger than her husband. However, she doesn''t seem to have much resistance... I definitely have more types of skills. The reason I can think of is probably thanks to my potential. Still, the Redtis King Centipede has skills that I don''t have. Stealth, Carapace, Tearing. All three seem to have good utility. Especially Carapace, I''m quite envious of it. Centipedes have hard exoskeletons. With that, they wouldn''t have to worry about having their blood sucked by creatures like Mosquito Rats. At that moment, I wished I had a skill like Carapace. For some reason, my horn feels hot and tingly. Ugh. ¡¸Do you want to borrow ''Carapace''?¡¹ Huh? Yes! And as my horn heated up, strength drained from my body. ¡¸You have borrowed Carapace lv3. You temporarily gain Carapace lv1.¡¹ Billy''s Horn. It seems to be a skill that can literally borrow skills. It wasn''t for nothing that the Horn trait appeared alongside Indomitable and Perseverance. It''s that amazing. In an instant, my scales hardened. It felt like I was wearing scale armor. When I tapped my body with my tail, it made a nking sound. They said Carapace, and it definitely feels different. It''s be hard. I''ve be hard! It''s a good thing I can''t speak. If I had shouted that in front of the neighbor''s newlywed, I would have been dragged away by the police immediately. Having gained a new skill, I danced with joy. The centipede watched me nkly. Oops, was that a bit rude? A skill that can borrow others'' skills. Its utility will be limitless. But surely it can''t be used freely without restrictions. Trial and error is needed to understand the limitations and possibilities of the skill. Growl. And there''s nothing better than hunting to figure that out. Goodbye. I left to go hunting. == You shouldn''tpare the natural environment here with Earth. It''s not easy to encounter wild animals in Korean mountains. At most, you might asionally see a roon dog, wild boar, or water deer, right? But it''s different here. Especially this basin was no different from an ecological zoo. There was a variety of animals from small and weak ones torge and strong monsters. I was worried if a weak and small snake like me could survive without starving to death, but that was fortunately not the case. Insects like crickets are crispy and good, and Mosquito Rats lurk around without any fear. I could survive, but the problem was leveling up. No matter how many crickets and Mosquito Rats I ate, my level didn''t increase. In other words, it meant I had to hunt monsters that were somewhat on my level. This is where the difficulty level suddenly rises. First, I need to choose an opponent that I can handle. No matter how much I train my Quick Crawling, I''m slower than a sprinting Mosquito Rat. Once I start a fight, I must finish it. After wandering around diligently, I finally encountered a worthy opponent to risk my life for. It was also a horned monster. Sharp protruding front teeth. Soft fur. Two adorably long ears. That dangerous animal gnawing on grass. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Horn Rabbit lv3] [Trait] [Cowardice] [Skills] [Leap lv5], [Digging lv3] [Status] [On Guard] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was a rabbit. Despite having horns, this guy doesn''t have the Horn trait or skills like Billy''s Horn that I have. It''s easy to mistake it for an insignificant rookie, but you can tell how amazing it is just by looking at its trait and status. It''s incredibly fast. If I get even a little close, it will quickly run away and hide in the ground. That''s why I''ve been hiding in the bushes for over an hour already. Waiting for it to get somewhat closer. Munch munch. And the moment it turns its back to me and starts eating grass. The chance hase. ¡¸You have borrowed Leap lv5.¡¹ ¡¸You have temporarily gained Leap lv1.¡¹ It''smon sense that snakes can jump! As I leaped up, the rabbit startled and jumped up. But it was already toote. I bit its butt. The shocked rabbit dropped ck bean-like droppings and ran away. Someone watching might think I missed it, but. "Squeak." The rabbit that was digging the ground copsed with a thud. I may not look like it, but I''m a venomous snake. The hunt was sessful. ¡¸Billy''s Horn lv1 has be Billy''s Horn lv2.¡¹ Yes! Chapter 8: Ugh! Its a flying snake! Gulp, gulp, gulp. There''s a way to eat food deliciously. It''s putting arge amount in your mouth at once. Think of a lettuce wrap that fills your mouth. After chewing and swallowing a wrap so big it''s slightly difficult to chew, and then gulping down c while your throat is slightly blocked, you can''t feel more fulfilled. Even now as a snake, it''s the same. I could tear meat with my teeth, but it''s better to swallow it in one bite. It might be an instinct because I''m a snake. Moreover, in this wilderness, it''s safer to swallow prey in one bite and move rather than leisurely tearing at meat. After swallowing the rabbit in one bite, I rested in the bushes. It wasn''t just for digestion. Ah, I''m dizzy. I''ve certainly gotten the hang of it after using Billy''s Horn a few times. I didn''t really feel it with other skills, but this skill definitely consumes something. At first, it felt like all my energy was draining. Borrowing skills from other magical beasts, it''s a skill with infinite potential, but you have to pay the price. I''m not sure if it consumes mental energy or the magical power I might have. To replenish whatever it is, all I could do was eat other magical beasts and rest. But while the level of Billy''s Horn has increased, my level still hasn''t risen. Could it be that even that dangerous rabbit wasn''t a worthy opponent for me? It seems too harsh, considering how terrifying its front teeth were. Well, I guess it''s time to aim for something stronger than a rabbit. I crawled slowly. While hunting, I gained an important skill. ¡¸Stealth proficiency has increased.¡¹ This was a skill that the centipede couple also had. A skill that a cool snake like me must master. It was essential for quietly approaching prey. The sound of me moving through the bushes definitely became quieter. After advancing like that for a while, I suddenly stopped. There was a sunny spot ahead. Sunlight was pouring down from the blue sky unobstructed by leaves. It seems like it would feel good to bask in. I wasn''t the only one who thought so; there was already a guest. It was a lizard about the same size as me. I focused my eyes to analyze it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Long-tail Gecko lv7] [Traits] [Scales] [Skills] [Biting lv7], [Wall Climbing lv2], [Tail Whip lv10] [Status] [Temperature Control] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Tail Whip! It''s a level 10 skill. It was a skill rarely seen in weak creatures. True to its name, it had a long tail. And at the end of that tail was something spiky like a mace. It seemed to fight by swinging that. Indeed, it seemed to be one of the stronger creatures I''ve encountered. Worth fighting. It was adjusting its body temperature while basking in the sunlight. With its eyes tightly closed, it looks veryfortable. ...Hmm, that Tail Whip is tempting I have a tail too. It would be pretty good if I could fight by swinging my tail around. The skill I''m currently borrowing is ''Leap'' from the rabbit. Should I borrow that Tail Whip? From what I''ve figured out, it''s advantageous to borrow higher level skills. From a level 3 skill, you can get a level 1 skill, and if you borrow a level 6 skill, you can get a level 2 skill. And that Tail Whip is a delicious-looking level 10. After pondering for a moment, I made up my mind. Let''s not borrow it unnecessarily. I''m low on magical power. It probably won''t fully recover just by resting a bit. It might not be insufficient, but it''s better to calcte conservatively since there''s no urate way to check. And for an ambush, Leap is more convenient than Tail Whip. I''ll just hide like this, coil my body, then suddenly spring out, bite its side once, and run away. I coiled my whole body. Then I stretched out and leaped into the air. Whoosh! Truly a flying snake. The Long-tail Gecko basking in the sunlight didn''t even notice my leap. And just as I was about to bite it. Something fell from the sky. That''s the only way I can describe it. Bang! A thunderous sound like a gunshot rang out. And where the Long-tail Gecko had been, nothing remained. Inded in vain. Looking around, the lizard was nowhere to be seen. Only bloodstains remained where it had been. And a momentter. The Long-tail Gecko fell from the sky. Thud! It must have fallen from a high ce, its head was bent. The Long-tail Gecko was a mess. I think it would taste delicious. I heard the sound of a bird. When I looked up, there was a bird sitting on arge tree in front of me. It''s one I hadn''t seen just before. An animal is most vulnerable when it''s hunting another creature. Knowing this, I thoroughly scanned the surroundings before leaping. Where did that birde from? The bird wasrge enough to grab and fly off with the Long-tail Gecko. Its eyes were fierce, and its feathers were bright red. Itsrge, yellow beak was sharply curved at the tip, indicating it was a carnivorous bird of prey. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Galloper Hawk lv9] [Traits] [Bird of Prey] [Skills] [Flight lv7], [eleration lv5], [Pecking lv4], [Talons lv3], [Silence lv2] [Status] [Curious] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ You''re my real opponent. It''smon knowledge that birds of prey are natural predators of snakes. It seems this one is dangerous. A flying bird and a ground-crawling snake don''t match up well. It stole my prey, but I''ll let it go just this once. I slowly backed away. It would have been good if it had just let it go. But the arrogant creature seemed to show curiosity towards me. It spreads its wings wide and slowly rises. This is dangerous. My survival instinct warns me, and I quickly crawl towards the bushes. Then a powerful pain struck my back Bang! I figured out how that gunshot-like sound was made. Its flying speed is extraordinary. It suddenly elerates and strikes its prey with its talons. My vision spun. Is it going to drop me from a high ce like the poor lizard? No, that wasn''t the case. I was thrown off by the impact, but Inded on the ground again. When I turned my head, the Galloper Hawk was sitting quietly on the tree with its wings folded. Blood was streaming from my back where its talons had struck and passed. What''s this, surely it could have dealt a fatal blow, why did it retreat? Did it realize the terror of my venomous fangs? It took off again. I won''t fall for it this time. I used the Leap I borrowed from the rabbit. Damn, I can''t dodge. Bang! This time, a terrible pain swept across my belly. It was an attack so fast that it would be difficult to dodge even in perfect condition, but with a whole rabbit in my stomach, my body is even heavier. If I had known this... No, it''s toote for regrets. In the first ce, I didn''t notice the existence of that bird despite carefully scanning the surroundings. I thought I was going to die this time for sure, but it perched on a branch again. What should I do? If I could bite it just once, I could poison it and win. But there was no such opportunity while crawling on the ground. Thwack! It struck me and passed by once more. No major wound, but at this rate, I''ll die. Why does that bastard keep repeating this? I soon realized the reason. Because it startedughing, pping its wings. "Kak-ka-kak, kak-kak!" ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Galloper Hawk lv9] ... [Status] [Enjoyment] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That son of a bitch! It was ying with me. Intense anger welled up. So you''re looking down on me, huh? Let''s see if you can still cackle like that in my stomach. Wasn''t it said that beasts are most off guard when hunting their prey? No, they''re most off guard when ying with their toys. This guy waspletely underestimating me. This was precisely the opportunity. With the borrowed Leap lv1, I can''t jump that high. But I have an ace up my sleeve. The Flight lv7 that it possesses, I''ll borrow that. Am I a genius? I''m trembling at the flexibility of my own idea. ¡¸This skill cannot be borrowed due to species characteristics.¡¹ Nope~ Not possible~ I could borrow Leap because snakes can also jump. I could also borrow Carapace because I have scales. But not Flight. How can I, without wings or even limbs, possibly fly? ...Damn, I had hoped, but it seems there are limits to skills too. But I''m not stupid. If I can''t borrow the Flight skill, I''ll borrow eleration lv5. That bird''s incredibly fast flying speed seems to be the effect of eleration. If Ibine it with my Quick Crawling, I should be able to hide under the tree shade. I might not be able to get revenge, but as long as I survive... That''s when it happened. ¡¸Due to the trait ''Perseverance'', you are not restricted in development.¡¹ What? ¡¸Borrowing Flight lv7. Temporarily acquired Flight lv2.¡¹ What''s going on? Potential 20, I believed in you! Perseverance, obtained by setting the Potential stat to 20. Unlike ''Indomitable'' which I had roughly figured out, I didn''t know the effect of ''Perseverance'', but now I could understand its true value. If we''re talking about potential, it''s the possibility to develop. I could learn even what I originally couldn''t learn. ¡¸Using Flight lv2.¡¹ In other words, I''ve really be a flying snake. My body lifted off. And it started flying at quite a fast speed. The ground quickly receded. This is terrifyingly scary. The direction I headed was towards the Galloper Hawk perched on the tree. The bird that wasughing "kak-kak" seemed shocked at the situation unfolding now. It pped its wings btedly, but even in that moment, I was advancing towards it. I was flying, but I have no wings. I couldn''t control direction or speed. I was just flying in the direction I initially went. It pped its wings in panic, but I stretched out my coiled body. Chomp! I bit it! I could clearly feel my venomous fangs digging into its wing joint. With the sensation of my venom nds squeezing tightly, it pped frantically. I coiled my body around its torso. It''s useless to try to escape. I squeezed it with all my strength. Even if it''s a bird, with its wings bound, there''s no way it could fly. I fell to the ground with it. Boom! Stars shed before my eyes. I almost lost strength in my body from hitting my head on the ground, but I forcibly held onto my consciousness. The strength of its pping gradually weakened. It cackled, and finally perished. ¡¸Level has increased.¡¹ Sessful hunt. Hehe, it hurts like hell. This time, I didn''t let my guard down and scanned the surroundings. Fortunately, no other magical beasts trying to butt in were visible. I sighed. The feeling of flying in the sky was really... terrible. It''s called flight, but it was no different from being swept away by the wind. I couldn''t control the direction at all. If I hadn''t managed to cling to it, I might have crashed to death flying alone and falling. It seems snakes are more suited to crawling on the ground than flying around after all. I don''t know. Maybe someday when I get used to it, I might be able to use it. Since I can only borrow one skill at a time with Billy''s Horn, it seems like it will take a long time for that to be possible. I looked at the two dinners in front of me. Either one would make for a hearty meal. The sun seems to be setting soon, shall we head back? == I swallowed the Long-tail Gecko in one bite. It felt like I wouldn''t need to eat for a few days. Then what about the Galloper Hawk? I carried it all the way to my den in my mouth. It would be nice if I had something like a bag. It''s fortunate that the bird is light. It wasn''t to store it like a lunchbox. It was to share the food with the kind-hearted centipede couple. I did rip open its belly to check for a magic stone, but they would be happy enough. I brought it with such warm intentions, but... I was shocked by the horrific scene. The centipede couple was together under the sunset light. They weren''t leisurely enjoying the sunset. They were embracing each other. Completely entangled and squirming, it was clear what they were doing. This is X-rated! Shamelessly outdoors! I thought they were good neighbors, but this is too much. The Galloper Hawk fell with a thud because I opened my mouth wide in shock. Startled by that sound, the centipede couple jumped apart. Yeah, it''s natural to be embarrassed. That''s how it should be. But it seems it was all my misunderstanding. They weren''t making love. They were holding something. An egg? No, it doesn''t seem like an egg. It was a round, pitch-ck, shiny lump. The husband carefully cradled the round object in his arms. Something suddenly urred to me. In martial arts novels, spiritual beasts like centipedes usually nurture something. Inner Dan? Is it an Inner Dan? Is it one of those things that increase the protagonist''s realm when eaten? I focused my eyes to use Insight. [Inner Dan: In Production] It really is an Inner Dan. Chapter 9: Unwelcome Dawn Visitor Saliva dripped from my mouth. How rude. But how could I help salivating? Like a gentleman, I wiped the drool from my mouth with my tail. Among the web novels I read, there were many martial arts stories. The protagonists who consumed Inner Dan would usually undergo a metamorphosis based on its effects. If I ate that, could I be stronger too? Even if I couldn''t be human, perhaps I might evolve into a Great White Super Snake. As I salivated, the centipede groom warily twitched his antennae. Could he be thinking I might try to steal the Inner Dan? That''s a hurtful misunderstanding. There''s no way I would rob a good neighbor. I proposed a fair trade. While nudging the delicious-looking Galloper Hawk, I pointed to the Inner Dan with my tail. A one-for-one exchange. I''ll give you chicken, so won''t you give me that Inner Dan? I had originally intended it as a gift, but since the situation changed, I tried to improvise. Tap tap tap! But the centipede couple shed their teeth. It seemed like they were angry, saying it was nonsense. Well, even I think the value doesn''t quite match. I backed away, leaving the Galloper Hawk carcass. Just eat it. I was joking. Then, the centipede bride carefully picked up the Galloper Hawk carcass. That''s when it happened. Cock-a-doodle-doo! The sound of a rooster crowing was heard again. Are the chickens here ill-mannered? They crow at dawn, at night, without a care. It doesn''t seem too far away, I should visit sometime and taste real chicken. I greeted the centipede couple. Have a good night~ And please refrain from public disys of affection. The centipede couple slightly bowed their heads, following my lead. It really seemed like they understood my greeting. I entered the knothole. I had definitely widened the entrance this morning, but in just half a day, it had be a bit difficult to enter. It would be nice if I could find arger home... Despite such regrets, I was exhausted and quickly fell asleep. == ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ... Among the five great demonic regions of the continent, the Great Forest has its unique characteristics. It''s the abundance of its vegetation. Setting aside the barren ''desert'', the lushness of the Great Forest overwhelms the ''mountain range'' and ''grasnds''. The area of the Great Forest is third after the desert and the ''frozennd''. In other words, it''s the thirdrgest among the five great demonic regions. However, if we calcte the number of magical beasts living there, it''s a reasonable estimate that it would exceed ten times thebined number of magical beasts in the desert and frozennd. This is possible due to the warm and humid climate that creates dense foliage, but it''s noteworthy that thetitude of the Great Forest isn''t that low. In fact, the Greyrim territory at the easternmost part of the kingdom bordering the Great Forest has a cool climate even in midsummer. However, as you go east through the Sija Forest adjacent to the territory and towards the Great Forest, the temperature rises rapidly. Various schrs have devoted themselves to research to uncover the cause, but a clear reason hasn''t been found yet. The most usible hypothesis is that it''s due to the ancient magic of fairies. The fairy race, now heading towards extinction, is said to have settled in the far east since ancient times. The ruins asionally found in the Great Forest contain traces of antiquity, and this hypothesis suggests thatrge-scale magical measures were taken to create a favorable climate for fairies to live in at that time. But even the fairies remaining now don''t possess ancient records, so the inside story is unknown. In the Great Forest section of this book, we aim to exin various magical beasts of the Great Forest, those already discovered, and those yet to be discovered. ... ¡¸From the preface of "The Wise Parvian''s Mysterious and Fascinating Magical Beast Encyclopedia: Great Forest Edition"¡¹ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ == Zain, the squire of the hero Gunter, wore a perplexed expression. It was because of the girl standing in front of him. She was Rania Greyrim, the only daughter of the local lord. Gunter had left for the capital again right after defeating the Medusa Serpent. Instead, he left Zain and a few of his attendants here in the Greyrim territory. It had been leisurely days, but Zain often found himself in awkward situations. It was because of that mischievous boy-like youngdy. They said she had been sickly as a child and had ovee several life-threatening situations. Perhaps that was why. Instead of things that youngdies her age would typically like, Rania had a great interest in heroes and magical beasts. "What brings you here, mydy?" Of course, ady is still ady. As a knight, Zain had no choice but to be courteous. Rania gave a quick curtsy and said, "I have something to ask you, Sir Zain." Yes, I thought you might. Zain ended up letting out a sigh. "Is it about that book again? The Wise One''s Magical Beast Encyclopedia." "Yes! I have more questions about the Medusa Serpent. And about the Horn Jaguar." "A finedy shouldn''t be interested in such monstrosities as magical beasts." "But I want to be a heroter!" Rania said boldly. Then, looking at the man sitting next to Zain, she added, "Or maybe a hunter." "Hahaha!" The man puffing on a pipe burst into heartyughter. He was a hunter residing here in Greyrim. While most magical beast hunters are practically ronin, some are the real deal. This man was the real deal, so even Zain respected him. "Why would the youngdy be a hunter? Miss Rania should be a hero." "Really? You think so?" "Leave such dirty work to rascals like Oliver here." Saying so, Oliver puffed out tobo smoke. "So, what did you want to ask?" Zain wanted to send this immature youngdy away quickly. "You said you lost some of the Medusa Serpent''s offspring. What if they grow up to be Medusa Serpents ande back?" "... Haha, there''s no need to worry too much about that. Medusa Serpents give birth to thousands of offspring at once. If even half of those babies grew up to be Medusa Serpents, the kingdom would have been destroyed by now." "Then..." "Among magical beasts, there are some species with particrly long evolution processes. Unlike dragons that are strong from birth, snakes are hardly different from insects when they''re born. The Medusa Serpent is not only a mutant among them but also a higher species." Zain had apanied Gunter. His knowledge of magical beasts was not inferior to that of magical beast hunters. "Out of a thousand babies, maybe one or two might evolve to the level of a serpent." "Ah." At this point, Oliver interjected. "Sir Knight, that''s the standard for the mountain range. The Great Forest is different." "... Is that so?" Despite being corrected, Zain didn''t seem particrly displeased. "The magical beasts in the Great Forest evolve in their own ways. You know that even the offspring of a Medusa Serpent don''t all evolve into Medusa Serpents, right youngdy?" Rania nodded. So did Zain. "The Great Forest has the greatest biodiversity of magical beasts, as rich as its vegetation. Also, because there''s plenty of prey, many strong ones are born. Out of a thousand, more than five might evolve into serpents." "That''s really terrifying." "Some might even evolve in extraordinary directions. Beyond the serpent level." "Like a Leviathan?" Rania''s eyes sparkled. Leviathan was a legendary magical beast mentioned in the book she was holding. A magical beast so huge and powerful that if it raised its body submerged in the sea, the sea level of the entire world would drastically lower. Oliver chuckled. "Yes, perhaps like a Leviathan. But the snake of the apocalypse probably doesn''t exist." "But... it''s written in the book." "Not everything written in books is true. Ah, right. Come to think of it, the captain of the guard said that. There was a lone white individual among the baby snakes." "Really?" The captain of the guard had let a few baby snakes escape and received disciplinary action. But the lord knows well that he is capable. The lord will probably lift the punishment soon. And ording to the captain''s statement, there was a lone white one among the baby snakes. "He said it looked small and weak, but such ones are actually dangerous." "Why?" "It''s likely to be a mutant. And mutants always produce unexpected results." "If it''s small and weak, wouldn''t it have died there?" "If it survived. And if it evolves, it will be different again. The problem with magical beasts is that they can be stronger. The weaker they start, the more they can evolve, and that means they can be more dangerous." The hunter, who had been grinning until now, became quite serious. He took a drag on his cigarette and asked, "By the way, youngdy, you seem to have a great interest in the Medusa Serpent." "Snake-type is my favorite magical beast." "Wow, you have excellent taste." Zain, who was listening, inwardly felt dizzy. Is this really a conversation to have with a noble youngdy? "Ah, right, I have a question. Is this also a snake-type magical beast?" Rania opened the book and showed a specific page. There was a description and illustration of a magical beast. "It''s a Cockatrice." "Yes, I was confused about whether this is also a snake type." "It can''t be called a snake type. If we have to categorize it, it''s more of a chimera type. It''s very rare. They say if you encounter this one, it''s one of two oues." "What are they?" "Either you get killed and eaten, or you be filthy rich overnight." "Filthy rich..." Just as Oliver was about to exin, a maid came running breathlessly towards Rania. "Youngdy!" "Your tea ceremony lesson is today, how could you run away?" "I, I forgot about it." "Then you should hurry and go." "If you could give me just a little more time..." "No way!" Rania left with a sulky face. Watching her go, Oliver burst into heartyughter. With Rania gone, the ce became quiet again. And in that silence, Zain thought. ''So what about bing filthy rich!'' The interesting story was cut off in the middle. But the young knight''s pride wouldn''t allow him to ask again. Zain could only suffer alone inwardly. == Cock-a-doodle-doo! I hid my head between my coils. A snake''s ears, unlike other animals, are located in the skull. Maybe that''s why. The sound of that crazy rooster crowing was too loud. Why does it keep crowing? It''s not even crowing from far away. It''s as if it''s crowing from nearby. Cock-a-doodle-doo! It really got closer. Suddenly, sleep fled and all my scales trembled. I jerked my head up. Survival instinct was warning me. There''s something out there. Something dangerous, so bury your head and y dead. Or run away! Survival instinct warns of danger in such an unkind way. I could go out and assess the threat, or I could hide here in the knothole pretending to know nothing. It''s impossible to know which is truly the way to survive. Bang! The sound of something striking a tree was heard. It wasn''t the dead tree I was in, but it sounded like a tree had been broken and fallen. I chose not to hide. Carefully, I slipped out of the knothole. It''s dawn, not even light yet. It was dark, but thanks to night vision, I could see well ahead. And right nearby was the centipede bride. Hello, do you know what''s happening? I wanted to ask cheerfully like that, but I hesitated. The bride was solidly stiff. Not in a figurative sense, but literally, she had been petrified into stone. An ominous feeling welled up. I only knew of one monster that could turn an entire magical beast into stone like this. Mom? No, could it be Dad? Has Dad, whose face I''ve never seen,e back to meet his child? "Squeak!" A roar. The centipede groom was fighting with a magical beast. The appearance of that magical beast was truly terrifying. A chicken''s head, a reptilian body, and a snake''s tail. A form like a terrible hybrid. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cockatrice lv12] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The night''s assant had such a name. Chapter 10: Special Chicken Skewer What on earth was that creature? The head was very familiar. It was that of a rooster. The bright redb fluttered, and the eyes were those of a chicken, with unreadable emotions. The body was a bit strange. The feathers were patchy, revealing rough gray skin underneath. It reminded me of a reptile, or more precisely, a dinosaur. Since chickens are said to be descendants of dinosaurs, perhaps this body was fitting. And when it came to the tail, it was just absurd. It was clearly a snake''s tail. The long appendage wriggled as if it were a separate creature. It looked like abination of several different animals. I wish it was just chicken-sized, but it was muchrger than a human. Its bulk was no less than that of a Horn Jaguar. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cockatrice lv12] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The biggest problem was its status window. Its level was 12. Not all high-level magical beasts were strong, but this one was certainly powerful. That''s because, apart from its name, I couldn''t decipher anything else in its status window. This was typical of strong magical beasts like the Horn Jaguar. When encountering such a magical beast, the best course of action is to run away. But the centipede husband didn''t flee. Instead, he charged at the Cockatrice, which was evenrger than himself. He rushed forward swiftly on what looked like hundreds of legs. He climbed up the Cockatrice''s body and sank his Venomous Fang into its flesh. His fighting spirit was impressive. There was only one reason he could show such courage. Because his wife was behind him. Because the bride had turned to stone. I immediately did what I could. Regrettably, I had to bite someone else''s wife. It was an emergency, after all. My teeth didn''t prate, but venom flowed out in abundance. It''s working. It''s having an effect! I tried it believing in my previous experience, and the effect was fully manifested. Starting from where the venom touched, the centipede wife''s color slowly began to return. Whether it''s a Cockatrice or a Medusa Serpent, the principle behind petrification attacks might be simr. Crack. I turned my head at the dangerous sound. I couldn''t help but be shocked. The centipede husband''s body had been split in two. The Cockatrice had torn the centipede apart with its talons. Despite this, the centipede husband was still alive. He chased after the Cockatrice as if trying to stop it, but the Cockatrice''s charge was incredibly fast. The direction it was heading was towards this side, where the petrified centipede wife was. Even though the centipede husband''s Venomous Fang wasn''t weak, the Cockatrice didn''t slow down at all. It clearly had poison resistance. I would die just from being stepped on by those legs. Our eyes met. Right, in times like these, you should do the opposite of what your survival instinct tells you. I ran towards it. My speed was quite fast thanks to my Quick Crawling skill leveling up. The Cockatrice let out a screech, "Kieeek!" Its vigorous roar, no less powerful than a Horn Jaguar''s, shook the ground. What is this, a crow? Are you Recon? Just as its sharp talons were about to stomp on me, I tensed my entire body and sprang up. I was still borrowing the Leap skill. ¡¸The proficiency of Leap rises sharply. Leap lv1 has be Leap lv2.¡¹ ¡¸You havepletely acquired the skill ''Leap''.¡¹ So even borrowed skills can evolve. Moreover, it''s now bepletely my skill. But this was no time to be pleased with just this much. The beast made another Recon-like move. It tried to peck at me while I was in mid-air with itsrge beak. I danced in the air once more to avoid it. At that moment, my eyes met the Cockatrice''s golden eyes. Ah! A tingling sensation ran through my entire body from the sense of crisis. The Medusa Serpent could turn its opponents to stone just by making eye contact. The Cockatrice had also petrified the centipede wife. I squeezed my eyes shut. Closing your eyes in the middle of a fight is crazy, but I had no choice. Then came a stinging pain. I opened my eyes again. I saw the beast''s tail that had just grazed my body. At the end of that tail was a single sharp spine. That cowardly creature... snakes don''t have such tail stings. I fell to the ground with a thud. My body started to stiffen. The Cockatrice''s petrification wasn''t done through eye contact. Only our mother was capable of such an advanced technique. And the charging Cockatrice collided directly with the centipede wife. Kwaaang! No traffic ident could be more horrific than this. The centipede wife, whose petrification hadn''t fully worn off, was literally shattered into pieces. That warm-hearted gesture of offering a caught frog as a return gift for the moving-in rice cakes. We''ll never see her pretty smile again. Stone fragments rolled across the ground. The Cockatrice, having brutally killed a centipede''s wife, paid no attention to it and began pecking at the stone fragments with its beak. It looked as if it was searching for something. And the husband who had lost his wife. "Kweeeeeek!" He let out an anguished cry. Who said insects don''t have emotions? At least this husband clearly loved his wife. He clung to the Cockatrice with half of his body torn apart. I want to stop him. Endure it! If you charge in now, you''ll die for nothing. But from the start, the Cockatrice didn''t seem to have any intention of sparing the husband. What two couldn''t defeat, one certainly can''t. The Cockatrice easily subdued the centipede husband. Pinning down his body with its heavy foot, there was nothing the centipede could do. The Cockatrice''s beak came crashing down like a falling object. This chicken-head seems to have some intelligence. At least, it was clear that it could think beyond just "kill and eat." Instead of pecking the centipede husband to death, it cut off all of his legs. It also removed the most dangerous Venomous Fang. It grasped thepletely incapacitated centipede with its snake-like tail. And me along with it. Damn it, why are you taking me too? Did it not even notice that I was attached? I was very smallpared to the Cockatrice''s build. As it wrapped its tail around the centipede husband, I was dragged along. If you ask why I didn''t escape, it''s because I was already petrified. ¡¸You have gained Petrification Resistance lv1.¡¹ That was quick. As the rightful and proper heir of Medusa Serpent''s bloodline, I thought I might be immune to petrification. That wasn''t the case. I turned to stone as soon as the Cockatrice stung me. However, it didn''t reach my head. The petrification stopped at my neck. Maybe it''s because of the venom nds in my head. Even now, the area around my nape where the petrification was trying to spread feels itchy. ¡¸The proficiency of Petrification Resistance is rising sharply.¡¹ It seems the petrification will wear off on its own with time. Regardless, I''m in a predicament of being dragged along now. The Cockatrice started running, carrying the centipede like a trophy. Its running speed was impressive. It ran lightly like an ostrich. Yet, its head and tail didn''t sway much. The ride quality is quite good. I looked at the limp centipede husband. Poor friend. He was in tatters. Yellow bodily fluids dripped from his severed body and legs. Foam bubbled from his mouth. The two eyes that had been glowing red were slowly losing their light. No matter how tenacious the life of a magical beast, an unavoidable death was approaching. What a tragedy this is in the wee hours of the morning. I felt pity for the centipede husband facing death. I might not be in a position to feel that way. I might be eaten and killed at any moment too. But the look in the centipede''s eyes, unable to avenge his dead wife, was heart-wrenching. Even small creatures seem to have feelings. Ah, dawn is breaking. The sky started to brighten faintly. The Cockatrice kept running. The petrification on my body had almostpletely worn off. I thought I could just drop off here and escape. That''s when it happened. The centipede husband looked at me and wiggled his antennae. Then he spewed foam from his mouth and. Something popped out from inside his mouth. ...Could it be that? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Inner Dan: Redtis King Centipede] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s the Inner Dan that the centipede couple was making while doing embarrassing thingsst time. Could it be that the Cockatrice came all this way to hunt because of that Inner Dan? I couldn''t understand the inside story. But why did he spit out that Inner Dan now? Is he possibly trying to give it to me? The centipede husband wiggled his antennae. ''That''s right, I''m giving it to you.'' I imagined such an answer. The truth was unknowable. But the centipede husband''s body was gradually stiffening. His antennae drooped, and his eyes lost their light. The strength in his jaw also seemed to give out. Plop. He ended up dropping the Inner Dan. I instinctively caught it in my mouth. It would be a waste to throw it away, wouldn''t it? Hmm, it tastes like centipede bodily fluids. Salty tears flowed from my eyes too. No, not tears, this is also centipede fluid that got on me. ¡¸You have consumed an Inner Dan.¡¹ I''m not sure what effect it will have, but. Certainly, I received it. A hot sensation boiled up in my stomach. == The sun peeked its head over the cliff. The darkness of dawnpletely lifted, and morning began. The Cockatrice arrived at its den. It roared as its instincts dictated. "Cock-a-doodle-doooo!" It was a victory crow. It had hunted down the centipede couple it had been chasing. Though victorious, it hadn''t found what it was looking for. It must be feeling a mix of satisfaction and disappointment. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cockatrice lv12] [Traits] [Treasure Maniac], [Sharpness] [Skills] [Petrification lv4], [Leap lv6], [eleration lv5], [Tail Whip lv7], [Heat Detection lv3], [Magic Detection lv2], [Tracking lv5], [Poison Resistance lv9] [Status] [Satisfied], [Disappointed] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Its dwelling was a cave. The fact that it made its home in a cave was evidence that it was quite a strong magical beast. But the Cockatrice''sir was even more special. The entrance was ordinary, but as soon as you entered, there were t floors and walls. It was an artificially created space. However, it seemed to have been abandoned for a very long time. It was broken in many ces. As we went down the passage, an area with tiled floors appeared. The Cockatrice''s eyes glowed bluish. It had a skill to detect magic. Although it had crossed this area countless times, it checked once again the location of the tiles that glowed bright red. It hopped across the passage, avoiding those. Who would belittle it as a ''chicken-head''? The Cockatrice was a magical beast with high intelligence. It even had a hobby of collecting precious things, things that sparkled and shone. It stopped in front of a massive stone door. It had no intention of going beyond that, nor did it know how. Even up to here was the best hideout that no intruder would dare to enter. "Cock-ke-gek-gek." The Cockatrice ''hummed.'' Here were sparkling stones, armor and weapons picked up from somewhere, and even gold items. It was nothing short of a treasure vault for the greedy creature. It would dismember and eat the captured centipede here. If lucky, there might be an Inner Dan inside its body. Knowing that centipedes make Inner Dans, it had been tracking this centipede couple for a long time. Thud. The Cockatrice put down the centipede''s corpse and began to peck at it fiercely to dismember it. That''s when it happened. Something whitish quickly darted out and passed between the Cockatrice''s legs. Of course. That whitish thing is none other than yours truly. The worst white snake in history. I didn''t seem to look threatening at all in the Cockatrice''s eyes. It tilted its head as if wondering why I was here. But I moved forward without hesitation. As I digested the Inner Dan, a change urred in me. ¡¸Your rank has increased from consuming the Inner Dan.¡¹ ¡¸You can now see further and in more detail.¡¹ I thought the result was rather nd. But that was a miscalction. The legacy of the centipede couple had given me a very big gift. I could see it. The Cockatrice''s skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cockatrice lv12] ... [Skills] ...[Magic Detection lv2], [Tracking lv5], [Poison Resistance lv9] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ And there was something else I could see. What this space was. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Dungeon: Fairy Magician Pelerian''s Temporary Residence] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What the! So there were things like dungeons in this world too? Being able to see the Cockatrice''s skills meant I could borrow them. Seeing how strangely the creature hopped in the tiled area, I borrowed its Magic Detection. Even to me, it seemed like a crazy decision. Thanks to that, I confirmed that the Cockatrice was only stepping on tiles that didn''t glow red. And now, the massive stone door in front of me. The handle of the stone door was definitely glowing red. I started running straight towards it. The Cockatrice panicked and chased after me. It was certainly fast, but not enough to catch me. I have Leap. I jumped up and bit onto the handle of the stone door. Click. I heard the sound of something activating. And the Cockatrice, which had chased me right up to the stone door. I could see it. The suspicious holes in the ceiling that anyone would notice. Spears began to rain down from the ceiling. Thud thud thud! The Cockatrice, trying to flee btedly, was pierced by multiple spears in session. Feathers fluttered everywhere, and its thrashing tail whipped the ground and walls. But that was only for a moment. It went limp, skewered by several spears. What a dramatic chicken skewer. If a shop sold something like this, they''d be shut down immediately. ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ I let go of the handle I was biting and dropped down. Then I looked back at the already shattered centipede groom. I''ve avenged you! Chapter 11: From today on, I am a fairy Nom, nom, nom. Munch munch munch. Ah, it tastes bad. Even though I''ve be a kind snake that eats anything, it doesn''t mean I don''t have taste buds. And the Cockatrice was really on the unptable side. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cockatrice Corpse] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Of course it''s a corpse. When I rxed my eyes, the floating window disappeared. It''s the power of the centipede''s inner dan. I can now see things that were invisible before. As expected, spiritual beasts are different. I ate the Cockatrice diligently. As I''ve always thought, my body has be inefficient. Ifpared to a car, it''s no different from gas-guzzlers like Ferrari or Lamborghini. When I move around vigorously or use skills, I get hungry in no time. Come to think of it, I used to suffer from acid reflux every day. Maybe it''s better than having indigestion. The Cockatrice''s muscles were as tough as steel wire. Ouch, one of my teeth broke. It brokest time too, but fortunately, new teeth grow every time they fall out. Just like a shark. They say shark teeth keep growing when they break. Let''s eat without worry! ¡¸You''ve been poisoned. Poison Resistance skill proficiency increases.¡¹ Oh well. Howe even the meat of this creature contains poison? It''s not like it''s a pufferfish or something. My stomach started to ache a little. But there was no need to worry. I wasn''t bitten or stabbed by its ws. ¡¸Poison Resistance lv3 has be Poison Resistance lv4.¡¹ My poison resistance increased. As the strongest venomous snake, I can withstand poison that''s permeated into the flesh. As I diligently filled my stomach, I was finally able to burrow into the area around the creature''s heart. I carefully moved my jaw. After repeatedly chewing, my mouth became as red as a child who had eaten tomato pasta. And finally, I found it. Crunch. There was something like a stone. It was exactly the same as when I found the magic stone in the Horn Jaguar''s heart. Back then, I hesitated to eat it, unsure if it was a kidney stone or something, but now I was overjoyed. I came out holding the magic stone in my mouth. After wiping the blood from my face with my tail, I focused my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cockatrice Magic Stone: Grade 2] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was indeed a magic stone! The only slightly disappointing thing was its grade. The one I got back then was a Grade 3 magic stone. And now it''s Grade 2. It seems the Cockatrice was probably weaker than the Horn Jaguar. Even now, I think it was extremely lucky that I managed to fight and win against that creature from inside its body. Well then, I''ll eat it gratefully. Having a magic stone for dessert after a meal is truly luxurious. I swallowed the magic stone. Somehow, it felt sweet like candy. ¡¸You''ve consumed a Grade 2 magic stone.¡¹ When I ate the Horn Jaguar''s Grade 3 magic stone. Surprisingly, nothing much happened. I thought it would be the same this time, but... ¡¸Your body is imbued with a slight magical nature.¡¹ ¡¸Your rank increases slightly.¡¹ ¡¸Your body bes more robust and your magical power bes abundant.¡¹ Oh, what''s this! An unfamiliar sensation spread throughout my body. It was different from the pleasant warmth felt when leveling up. Like drinking strong alcohol, or eating a peppermint candy, a burning sensation spread from my stomach. The magical nature that has taken root in my body. And the magical power that has be abundant. I certainly feel like the amount of power I use when using skills like Billy''s Horn has increased. I have grown. Hunting the Cockatrice has brought me that much reward. Then it''s time to check my status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Horn Snake lv5] [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn] [Skills] [Billy''s Horn lv2]: Magic Detection lv1 [Venomous Fang lv4], [Breath Holding lv4], [Devouring lv3], [Biting lv4], [Poison Resistance lv4], [Bleeding Resistance lv2], [Pain Resistance lv4], [Heat Resistance lv2], [Survival Instinct lv4], [Leap lv2], [Stealth lv2] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I certainly have a lot of skills. Even more than the Cockatrice, which was clearly much stronger than me. This also seemed to be an effect of having 20 potential. Come to think of it, how amazing was my brother (Little Green Snake lv3, died from falling) who had more impressive skills than me? If he had survived, he might have be a great snake surpassing our mother someday. However, it''s not the strong who survive, but those who survive be strong. I read more of the status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡ùEvolution avable: [Quick Crawling lv10] [Status] [Magical Power Saturation], [Satisfaction] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Something has changed! What''s this about evolution being possible! Quick Crawling has somehow reached lv10. This is the first skill to reach level 10. My heart was pounding. Just as I became a majestic horned snake, will Quick Crawling also undergo a dramatic transformation? There was no reason to hesitate. Quick Crawling was the skill I utilized the most. Evolve! The majestic Digimon evolution BGM yed in my mind. ¡¸Consuming magical nature to evolve the skill.¡¹ It wasn''t free, apparently. Ugh, I''m losing strength. I felt dizzy, like when I used Billy''s Horn multiple times. My stomach was full, but I felt empty inside. I had a feeling that if I hadn''t eaten the Cockatrice''s magic stone, I wouldn''t have been able to evolve the skill. ¡¸Quick Crawling evolves into a higher-level skill.¡¹ Yes, may the new skill be more valuable than my magical nature. ¡¸Quick Crawling lv10 has be eleration lv1.¡¹ Huh. Ah, what? I pondered for a moment. The result was a bit ambiguous. eleration was a skill that the Galloper Hawk had. But Quick Crawling was already quite fast, so how good is eleration? After thinking for a while, I decided to test it out. I crouched down. Putting strength into my whole body, I jumped up. I used Leap, which I had fully learned from Billy''s Horn. And then, eleration. ¡¸Using eleration lv1.¡¹ Whoosh, my face felt cool. I cut through the wind. Like Billy''s Horn, it was a type of skill that used magical power. I shot out like an arrow andnded gracefully. Now I was certain of my judgment. This is amazing! eleration was definitely a superior skill to Quick Crawling. My often-used Stealth-Leapbo hunting method could be rendered useless if the opponent noticed me. Even if I leaped, if the opponent simply dodged, that would be the end of it. But a leapbined with eleration was so fast that it would be difficult to avoid even if seen. And it seems this could be utilized in countless ways, not just with Leap. I imagined receiving an attack from the Cockatrice. If it tried to peck at me with itsrge beak. Whoosh, like this, Ha! Like that! I could dodge sideways. Huff huff. The fact that evasive maneuvers became possible was already an amazing skill. It would be great if other skills could evolve like this too. I wanted to test it more, but now I reallycked magical power. After catching my breath, I looked at the shattered remains of the centipede husband. It''s all thanks to the new groom. Without the centipede''s inner dan, it would have been difficult to hunt the Cockatrice. I used my tail to gather the pieces of the centipede husband. Then I sprinkled soil over them. This much should make a decent grave, right? Hmm, it''s too in without any decorations. Instead of a memorial tablet, I looked around. And I ced a random golden crown that was rolling around on top of the grave. ...What''s this! Only then did I notice the misceneous items scattered around. This crazy magical beast. There was a trait called ''Treasure Maniac'' in the Cockatrice''s characteristics. I wondered what that meant, but there were misceneous items that it had collected scattered all around this area. Rotten branches, seashells from who knows where. If that was all, it would be understandable, but there were also gold coins and jewels. There were even armor and weapons. Although they were all rusted, some warrior from long ago must havee wearing them and died here. I''m rich now! But it''s too early to be happy because they''re all useless things. What am I supposed to do with gold coins? It''s not like I can throw Mesos like in MapXe Story. If there was a bag, I could at least keep the valuable things, and maybe they''d be useful someday. There might even be vending machines in this world that ept coins. I put aside these useless thoughts and looked around. The centipede''s inner dan allowed me to see things that were previously invisible. There was something that had been bothering me the most since I came in here. That stone door. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Dungeon: Fairy Magician Pelerian''s Temporary Residence] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Yes, this ce was a dungeon. Where there are magical beasts, there will be adventures and dungeons. Moreover, a fairy magician. Are there elves in this world too? Judging by the traps stered all over this ce, it must be one of two things. Either something precious is hidden, or that magician has a cruel personality. Or maybe both? Turning back now without knowing anything would be unmanly. Barging in demanding the dungeon''s treasure would be overly macho. Since I''m somewhere in between, I first carefully examined the stone door and its surroundings. ¡¸Using Magic Detection lv1.¡¹ It''s fortunate that I borrowed this skill from the now-dead Cockatrice. Areas that shouldn''t be touched appeared red. Actually, it''s not warning of danger, but rather showing parts where magical power is gathered. In other words, they could be traps or mechanisms to open the door. ...Come to think of it, it was a bit dangerous earlier. I thought the suspicious hole in the ceiling was a trap, but if it had been a doorbell, I might have been eaten with a ding-dong sound. Even after carefully scanning the surroundings, nothing was visible. I deactivated the skill as my magical power was running low. Can''t I open this? Just as I thought that. There was writing on the upper part of the intricately decorated stone door. I was surprised when I could understand human speech, but it seems I can read writing too. [Fairies who can read this, knock on the door seven times.] I''m not a fairy, I''m a snake. Come to think of it, they said the magician was a fairy. ...Could it be that this is fairy script? I could read and understand it, but I didn''t know if it was human writing or fairy writing. Since I don''t know, I might as well try. Knock. Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. Then it should open. Grrrrr. It must have been an automatic door. The door opened. The stone door was thicker than a human fist. Even if you brought a gun and fired at it, it would probably be difficult to break the stone door. Why is it so heavily fortified for a temporary residence? What kind of treasure are you hiding! I cautiously entered. Ugh, the smell of dust. I don''t know how long it had been abandoned. From what I could see, it must have been at least hundreds of years. During that time, there must have been an earthquake or something, as the statues in the hallway were broken. I crawled over the head of one of the statues. Seeing it up close, the statue had long ears, so fairies must indeed be elves. As the saying goes, elves don''t age and are all beautiful men and women. My heart is pounding. I crawled, covering my entire body in dust. I carefully observed the surroundings using Magic Detection. I thought there might be traps, but throughout the corridor, no traps were visible. It''s so dark that without a night vision skill like mine, it would be impossible to pass through. After passing through the corridor, arge room appeared. In the center of the room was a crystal ball. It looks expensive at a nce. And the moment I approached it, light began to emanate from the crystal ball. Oh, magical power is gathering. The light emitting from the crystal ball took the shape of a person, no, a fairy. "Wee, stranger." The voice isn''t that good. That''s because it was an old man who seemed quite aged. I thought all elves were young, but this old man lookedpletely weathered. He didn''t look handsome at all, rather he seemed full of mischief. If his ears weren''t pointed, I wouldn''t have known he was an elf. "This is theboratory of I, the great magician Pelerian. You must have had a hard time getting here." But his tone is gentle. You shouldn''t judge people by their appearance. "If you opened the door and entered, you must be one of our excellent and pure kin." The moment those words ended, the fairy''s image suddenly spoke in a differentnguage. "If you''re not one of the other dirty inferior races but a pureblood fairy, you should know the ancient fairynguage. Bow your head immediately, now!" What''s with this old man? It seems I can understand variousnguages. There was no need to bow my head. I was already stuck to the ground anyway. And then from somewhere, a spear flew by, piercing the air above my head. Whoosh- Bang! This old man seems to really like those traps. Especially the ones that shoot spears. The fairy old manpletely removed his gentle smile and said. "Glory to the World Tree. Wee, fellow kin." Racist elf, this one. Chapter 12: Interception confirmed This isn''t visible to me, right? I wagged my tail, tilted my head, and even danced a little. "There might be some trash trespassing without permission. Grave robbers, adventurers, hunters, and the like." Pelerian''s illusion spoke as if conversing. It seems it can''t actually see me. Probably some recording made long ago or something. By the way, they said he looked entric from the start, and his personality matched. "Sorry if I startled you. Security was important, so it couldn''t be helped." He was incredibly brazen for someone who had just fired a spear. Come to think of it, why did he only prepare such analog traps when he''s supposed to be a magician? Is he a spear enthusiast or something? "I''ve created dungeons like this throughout the continent, including the Great Forest. This is dungeon number 008." The construction costs must have been quite high. He''s a rich racist. "Because of that, I''ve exhausted all the wealth I''ve gathered. Completely cleaned out. I''m a pauper, a pauper, ahaha." Hahaha, how amusing. This elf named Pelerian was in many wayspletely different from my image of elves. He''s just a grumpy old man with long ears, isn''t he? Why did he create such a secretboratory, and what is this space for? "This Arkan Basin in the Great Forest was formed long ago when a meteorite collided. I started an experiment here that required the power of time. It needed at least three hundred years." The secret of the basin has been revealed a little. No wonder the terrain seemed unique. It was surrounded by cliffs on all sides. Pelerian said he needed 300 years of time. "If you''re seeing my illusion, it means three hundred years have passed. If you tried to enter before that, you would have burned to death, kin or not. Kekeke." ...It seems 300 years have passed. I almost got burned to death. But, the state of this ce seems terrible no matter how you look at it. I looked around the crystal ball. It would have beenpletely dark without night vision. Would a magician capable of showing such an illusion decorate a dungeon so darkly? Moreover, there were signs of destruction and copse everywhere. I wondered if it had been looted before, but it was too haphazard for that. It really seems like there was an earthquake. "Fellow elf. I have a request." Pelerian suddenly spoke seriously. "The elders were divided on my nned experiment. Many foolish ones opposed it. It was about the future of our race. They ultimately couldn''t ept that only the path of extinction remained for fairies." A gloomy anger could be felt. "If we can''t uncover the secret of evolution, it''s over. You know too, don''t you? That ''people'' cannot evolve. The same goes for us fairies, and for dwarves and humans." Oh, I suppose that''s true. That''s what I know asmon sense. There''s no such thing as Great Humans, right? "It doesn''t matter for short-lived races. But for long-lived races like us elves, the more time passes, the more we stagnate. You can see this from the fact that human magicians stronger than me have appeared." Pelerian''s expression looked very hurt as he said this. Old man, even I, reincarnated as a snake, am living diligently, so don''t worry too much about such things. "The only answer is to evolve. We fairies have no choice but to be reborn as High Elves. So! I started research to uncover the evolution of magical beasts. I wanted to reveal the conditions for evolution and elucidate its principles. ...Finally, I saw results." Pelerian raised his hand and pointed towards the back. There was a continuing corridor. "I created a magical beast." What? "I synthesized a chimera using the blue blood of the high-level magical beast dragon, the Grey Tarant of this Great Forest, and the blood mole from underground. And I gained results while studying its evolution process." I thought he was just a racist, but he''s also a mad scientist. Is he like a national alchemist creating chimeras for achievements? Father Pelerian... "However, there was a problem." Pelerian smiled bitterly. "To achieve the final evolution condition, three hundred years of time was needed. So I put the chimera I created into hibernation. To evolve it after three hundred years. That''s what I want to ask of you." Pelerian clenched his fist and said, "Go inside and wake the chimera from hibernation. That''s all you need to do." Nope, I don''t want to~ "Yes, you might not want to. But there''s no need to worry too much." Oh my! He heard what I said. "When it wakes from hibernation, it will evolve immediately. The evolution process will be automatically recorded and transmitted to the World Tree. After the evolution isplete, you just need to pull a lever to incinerate the chimera. It''s a simple task." Why should I do such a thing? "Brave deeds are rewarded. If youplete everything, a massive reward will follow." Pelerian, shouting thunderously, now pointed to the right. "That vault will open after the chimera is incinerated. There are various magical items and artifacts I possess, so it will be sufficient reward." Ah, I see. "Then, for the eternal victory of fairies." Pelerian''s illusion disappeared. He keeps talking about fairies until the end, but from a snake''s perspective, I can''t rte at all. I''m curious about the reward, but I have no intention of following that old man''s orders. A chimera, just thinking about it is terrifying! And more than anything else .... The vault, it''s open. It seems there really was an earthquake. The sturdy iron door was twisted, creating a gap. It was a gap so narrow that a person could never enter even if they died trying, but it didn''t matter to me, a snake. Come on, if you''re a magician, make something like a magic vault. Just putting an iron door like this, thank you very much. I slithered through the gap. And inside, there really was a reward. Wow! A glittering full te mail! A gorgeous sword fit for a fairy! Gold and silver treasures! He was a better old man than I thought. The problem is that none of this is useful to me. This is too wasteful. Especially this short sword. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Elven Broadsword] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s really beautifully made. And it looks very, very sharp. It''s also small, so maybe I could hold it with my tail. I tried grasping the handle with my tail and I really could lift it. I don''t know what material it''s made of, but it''s light. Should I be the first ever sword snake - ''snake'' as in the reptile? I swung the sword around. Then the sword suddenly fell and almost cut off my tail. Cancel that, it''s better not to wield swords. How very disappointing. As I was about to leave the vault in disappointment, something caught my eye. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Si Ring (Sealed)] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What''s that? Unlike the other glittering weapons and armor, the ring looked ordinary. It was on a shelf and had some wear, so it might have actually been used by Pelerian. It has a cross-shaped decoration. It seems to be made of gold, but unknown metals form intricate decorations. The most intriguing point is the "sealed" indication. A sealed magic ring, somehow it makes my heart race. I tried putting the ring on my tail. Rather, the ring was too small to fit on my tail. Swoosh, it expanded in size. Wow! Size adjustment magic. The ring grewrge enough to fit three fingers and fit perfectly in the middle of my tail. It came off when I tried to forcibly remove it, but it didn''t fall off just by shaking. This is pretty. But the ring was not just a simple ornament. The moment I put on the ring, I could understand its function. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Si Ring (Sealed)] Subspace storage magic. Other functions are sealed. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I was fascinated by the word magic. A snake that can use magic, imagine that. Come to think of it, it''s natural. I read it in Harry Potter too. It''smon sense that snakes can use magic, right? And when it says subspace storage magic, the meaning was intuitive. It was something that would allow even a snake like me, who can''t wear a backpack, to carry items. Is this how it works? I sent mana to the ring like when using a skill. Whoosh, the gold coins were sucked into the ring. Good, just obtaining this ring made it worthing here. There seemed to be a limit to how much could be stored in the subspace. I took a few gold coins and the broadsword. I hadn''tpletely given up on the dream of being a sword snake. Feeling reassured, I slipped out of the vault. Now I just need to go back the way I came. .... Well, Pelerian, you terrifying old man. I went quite a distance and reached the stone door, but it was tightly closed. There was no way to open it from the inside. With no choice, I returned to the cavern with the crystal ball. There was only one way forward, the room where that chimera was said to be hibernating. Well, it doesn''t matter as long as I don''t wake it up, right? I carefully passed by the crystal ball and moved into the corridor. This corridor doesn''t look very long. There was an open door beyond the corridor. It looked like the room where the chimera was supposed to be. And on both sides of the corridor were crumbling statues. There must have been an earthquake. One statue was missing its right arm and another had no legs. Moreover, they were covered in something like vines. Poor things. Thinking that, I entered the corridor. "Magical beast intrusion detected." What? Is there a speaker installed somewhere? Why are you only now noticing that I''ve entered? Is this the security zone where the chimera is? Or maybe they were wary of the chimeraing out through this corridor. Yeah, but what are you going to do after detecting a magical beast intrusion? What can you do? "Activating interception golem." You can do something. Interception golem, that sounds terrifying just hearing it! Where is it! Crack, crack. It was the sound of vines breaking. The crumbling statues were the true identity of the interception golems. They look incredibly terrifying. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Guard A] [Traits] [Guardian], [Golem] [Skills] [Smash lv10], [Sturdiness lv10], [Shockwave lv10], [Magic Resistance lv6], [sh Resistance lv10], [Heat Resistance lv10], [Threat Detection lv3], [Self-Repair lv2], [Destruction Beam lv6], [Intermediate Elemental Magic: Fire lv10], [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv10] [Status] [Half-Destroyed], [Malfunctioning] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Crazy, it''s so strong! And what''s with the destruction beam? The golem looked strong enough to y with a cockatrice alone. The golem next to it, called Pelerian''s Guard B, was simrly strong. Except its elemental magic was earth-based. With a crackling sound, the vines covering them were finally torn off. A crimson light exploded from their single eyes. They seem full of the will to intercept me. However, at that moment, the golem without legs flopped forward. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Guard A] [Traits] [Guardian], [Golem] [Skills] [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv10], [Heat Resistance lv10] ¡ùUnusable due to ''Half-Destroyed'' [Smash lv10], [Sturdiness lv10], [Shockwave lv10], [Magic Resistance lv6], [sh Resistance lv10], [Threat Detection lv3], [Self-Repair lv2], [Destruction Beam lv6], [Intermediate Elemental Magic: Fire lv10] [Status] [Half-Destroyed], [Malfunctioning], [Fallen Over] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Haha. The mighty interception golem instantly became a pathetic golem with only one skill left. And mes spewed from the mouth of the pitiful golem as it raised its head. Whoosh-- Ah, my scales nearly burned off. I barely survived by quickly dodging. Oh, the floor is undting. I used Leap to jump high, and... Boom! The stone bs on the floor pped together, striking the space where I had been. Looking to the side, it was the armless golem friend. This is dangerous. I''ll retreat for now. The moment I retreated outside the corridor''s boundary... "Interception confirmed." With a keening sound, the golems'' eyes became gentle. They returned to where they had originally been stuck. But the interception hasn''t happened yet. After pondering for a moment, I cautiously poked my head in. "Magical beast intrusion detected. Activating interception golem." The golem stood up again. I pulled back from the corridor. "Interception confirmed." I poked my head in. "Magical beast intrusion detected..." "Interception confirmed." This is fun. After making the golem stand up and sit down about ten times. I realized something important. So I immediately tried it out. Hey, Guard B. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Guard B] [Skills] ...[Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv10] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I''ll borrow this for a bit~ ¡¸Using Billy''s Horn lv2 to borrow Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv10.¡¹ ¡¸Sess. Temporarily gained Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv1.¡¹ If I do this right, I might be able to learn real magic here. Chapter 13: Lets unleash our true intentions Skill: ''Billy''s Horn''. This is my most versatile skill. It''s an extraordinary skill that can even enable flight for a snake that can only bite, let alone anything else. Of course, if any other snake were to acquire this skill, its use would be limited. That''s because there were restrictions on the skills that could be borrowed with Billy''s Horn. Only skills that a snake can use can be borrowed. Things like quick crawling or hardening scales, for example. However, I had an unfair advantage, namely the ''Perseverance'' trait I gained thanks to having 20 Potential stat. ¡¸Due to the ''Perseverance'' trait, you are not constrained in your development.¡¹ The opportunity to be the worst magician - snake - in history has arrived. I could probably learn any skill. To be honest, there was a different skill I wanted to take from the interception golem. Why borrow basic magic when there''s such a tempting skill avable? ¡¸Billy''s Horn lv2 borrows Destruction Beam lv6.¡¹ It''s the Destruction Beam, of all things. It was a technique I''ve been coveting since ying Pok¨¦mon games. To think that I would be using the Destruction Beam that only Gyarados could use. My heart races at the thought of turning other magical beasts to dust. Ah, but then there might not be anything left to eat. But it was an unnecessary worry. ¡¸Billy''s Horn lv2cks proficiency to borrow Destruction Beam lv6.¡¹ Ugh. The reason I was held back was that the level of the borrowed skill was too low. It''s only at lv2, so it can''t be helped. The criteria for skills that can and cannot be borrowed didn''t seem to be simply due to the level of the target skill. ¡¸Billy''s Horn lv2 borrows Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv10.¡¹ ¡¸Sess. Temporarily gained Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv1.¡¹ At least I could learn basic elemental magic. However, there''s a point to note here as well. I borrowed a level 10 skill, but what I can actually use is only at lv1 level. Recalling that even when borrowing a level 6 Leap, it came in as Leap lv2, I wonder if the level of skill for basic magic is quite high. Well, it''s ridiculous topare magic to a skill for jumping. So what can I do with that earth magic? Hap! I could make the ground a bit softer. Because the golems had been stomping around so much, the stone floor was cracked and bare earth was exposed. That earth has softened. A snake like me could crawl over it without any problem, but if a golem steps on it. It slips and falls. Kuung! Even though it fallsically, that sound is no joke. The one that fell was the earth golem with legs. I decided to call the one using fire magic the fire golem, and the one using earth magic the earth golem. This moment when the earth golem fell was my chance. I crawled up onto the earth golem''s head. Using eleration, that speed was quite fast. The fallen earth golem swung its remaining hand as if swatting a fly, but. Tung! It only hit its own head. I finally reached the crown of the earth golem''s head. There was a glowing magic stone attached here. This must surely be its weak point. I opened my mouth wide and sank my venomous fangs into it. Crack! It doesn''t pierce! I almost broke my teeth. And in that brief moment of hesitation, the fire golem did what it always does. mes spewed from its mouth. Whoosh! Hot wind sweeps through the corridor. It didn''t seem to care whether itspanion was engulfed in mes or not. In fact, the earth golem didn''t mind being hit by the mes. I''m not sure if it''s thanks to Heat Resistance lv10 or because it''s a golem and not a living creature. Then what about me with my Heat Resistance lv2? Ow ow ow ow. I had no choice but to flee, convulsing like an eel on a hot te. Retreat, retreat. The fortunate thing is that once I get out of the corridor''s boundary, the golems return to their original positions. "Interception confirmed." I finally let out a sigh of relief after seeing the golems return. My back feels hot and stinging. Judging by the rough, raised scales, it seems I''ve been burned. Well, can''t be helped. Still, I came back alive quite steadily this time. I almost died on the fourth attempt. Yes, this is the fifth time I''ve tangled with the golems. I wonder if about a day has passed. I''m not hungry yet because I ate a lot of cockatrice meat before. My throat is a bit dry, but there''s a solution for that too. Perhaps due to the earthquake, parts of the ceiling were torn apart. Among them was a stctite dripping water. I can drink the falling water beneath it. Ah, refreshing. The burn on my back slowly healed. I guess I really am a magical beast after all. I couldn''t defeat the golems this time either. But I did learn something. First, give up on biting off the magic stone on the head. I thought it might be a weak point, but it was protected by something like crystal. I couldn''t break it with my Biting skill. Still, using earth magic to make them slip is excellent. The golems had no learning ability. A strategy that worked once could be used again. ''An effective attack.'' That''s what I need. More than 90% of my attack power actuallyes from the Venomous Fang skill. One bite and even fairly strong magical beasts get poisoned. The remaining 10% is Biting. But I couldn''t use either of them on the golems. Biting a rock would only break my teeth. And I can''t strangle them to death either. It''s a frustrating situation. ...But for some reason, it was enjoyable. This was a situation pursuing something beyond mere survival. ''Practicing how to fight against golems stronger than me'', that sort of thing. Plus, I could gain interesting abilities like magic. If I use earth magic a bit more, I think I might be able to fully acquire it. Then I could use strategies other than just making them slip. I want to challenge the golems again right now. But I have to wait until my magical power is recharged. There was something I could do here besides sleeping and resting. I entered the vault room. Besides rare treasures, there was a bookshelf with books here. There weren''t many books, but there were a lot of interesting ones. What should I read this time? Ah, this one. [Named Magical Beasts of the Great Forest] I''m not sure if this script is in fairynguage or some othernguage. But one thing is certain, I can read it. I could understand not only people''s speech but even Pelerian''s fairynguage, so it seems I''ve gained a reincarnation perk. I bit the book to pull it out. Being a book from at least several hundred years ago, the moldy smell was no joke. Still, the books inside the vault were in better condition. The ones on the shelves outside were so decayed they were unreadable. I brought the book to read in front of the crystal ball that was still faintly glowing. Although I used to only read web novels every day, reading itself was my hobby when I was young. It feels like that hobby has been revived. I flipped the pages with my tail and read the parts that interested me. Named magical beasts, I wonder what kind of creatures they are. Are they on the level of Mama Medusa? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Shuemura] Land turtle-type magical beast. Estimated age, over 1200 years. Based on observations 7 years ago, its size isparable to a small castle. Spends most of the year sleeping, but there''s a record of it moving 10km in one night. Has a rtively gentle temperament. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Haha, there should be a limit to lying. If a 1200-year-old is still alive now, wouldn''t it be at least 1500 years old? ...Hmm, if this is true, it seems there are many incredible monsters in the world. Was my mom actually just an insignificant mob? There were many other interesting contents as well. However, about half of it seemed to be collected legends. Even the book had many descriptions saying the existence was uncertain. ...Ah. I dozed off while reading the book. It reminds me of my exam preparation days. When I opened my eyes, I felt my magical power had been replenished again. Alright, then let''s go hunt golems again. Now, it''s hunting time. == Whack! Ugh. I was hit by the golem''s arm and sent flying. That''s still fortunate. If I had been crushed, I would have be fish jerky right there. Or rather, snake jerky, haha. I rolled over once more with the momentum of being flung. Survival Instinct advised me to do so. Whoosh! mes swept through where I had been. I thought I had neutralized the fire golem just before, but I was wrong. This was the seventh challenge. I tried to knock the golem backwards and break the magic stone, but it''s so sturdy. "Interception confirmed." I retreated past the corridor''s boundary again. I gulped down the water dripping from the stctite. Tired of drinking drop by drop, I brought a helmet from the vault room to use as a water bowl. I''m starting to get hungry. I need to escape quickly. Then I''ll have to knock those guys down. == Ah! Failed to just pass by! I tried to ignore the golems and just walk past. And I realized that was impossible. The earth golem blocked my path in front. And the fire golem summoned a fireball and threw it. Fortunately, I avoided it with Leap, otherwise I would have been roasted. To think closebat would have been better. It''s not that I ran away because I couldn''t beat them, I was just testing if this was possible. Of course, that''s right. "Interception confirmed." I barely made it back to the crystal ball room. I have to challenge them again. == Ah, this time I really almost died. My tail was almost cut off. The earth golem stepped on my tail, so it was certainly destined to be ttened. There was only one reason I didn''t lose my tail. I believed in you, magic ring! The ring was really damn sturdy. The ring on my tail didn''t even bend despite being stepped on by the golem. Thanks to that, it ended with just my tail throbbing. I went to the water bowl I made with earth magic and gulped down water. I stopped using the helmet as a water bowl. Hmm, should I make the water bowl a bit deeper? It was the moment I used earth magic. ¡¸Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv1 has be Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv2.¡¹ ¡¸You have fully acquired the skill ''Basic Elemental Magic: Earth''.¡¹ Ah. It finally happened. I''ve been waiting for this moment. After waiting for my magical power to recharge, I slowly got up. Well then, shall we now give it our all for real? Until now, it wasn''t real. No joke, for real. If you don''t believe me, I''ll show you. I slowly advanced into the corridor. How many attempts is this? I stopped counting after it exceeded twenty. Now I really feel like I''m going to die of hunger. "Detected intrusion of a magical beast. Activating interception golems." Not tired of it, the golems that were turned to both sides stood up. Ah, I''m tired of this now. I moved forward. Boldly, as if not caring about the golems. Then the earth golem on the right steps forward first. I pause here for a moment. Wham! The ground in front of me folds and strikes the space right in front of me. Ignoring that shockwave, I turn slightly to the right and hide. It''s the fire golem''s turn. Whoosh! mes sweep the ground. It''s hot, but bearable if I hide behind the rock face created with earth magic. ¡¸Heat Resistance proficiency has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Heat Resistance lv7 has be Heat Resistance lv8.¡¹ Oh brother, now I can withstand heat well too. The golems weren''t going to let me stay still. The earth golem with intact legs tries to kick me. Here I used the earth magic I''ve be familiar with. I soften the earth under its stepping foot. The earth golem falls backwards. This is where my physical abilities were needed. Using eleration, I quickly climbed over its body. It swung one arm like swatting a fly, but I wasn''t one to be caught so easily. Arriving on the shoulder of the golem trying to get up, I swung my tail. Ring oh ring, give this golem friend a gift. And the water bowl, no, the helmet stored in subspace dropped from thin air. A helmet that perfectly covers the golem''s head. The helmet fell upside down,pletely covering its eyes. At that moment, the earth golem''s movements stopped. I confirmed this in the twentieth challenge. I leapt up without dy. mes were shot towards the earth golem''s head. The fire golem has no sense of camaraderie, after all. And after it shoots out mes, there''s a brief opening. It was much easier to climb onto the head of the fire golem without legs. I swing the ring on my tail once more. It was a tattered robe from inside the vault room. That moldy clothes wrapped around the fire golem''s head. It''s much easier to put a robe on its head than a helmet. But if I had carelessly put the robe on the earth golem''s head first, there was a high chance it would have been burned by the fire golem. A strategy sessful after much hardship. And my hypothesis was exactly right. "Interception confirmed." The two golemspletely stopped. With helmets and robes draped over their heads. Yes! There are no CCTVs here. Well, there might be some magical devices, but it seems the two golems'' vision acted as CCTV. And when I covered both their eyes, it was treated as if I had disappeared from the corridor. Now, shall we deal with the neutralized golems? Oops. Gotta grab what I need ¡¸Billy''s Horn lv2 borrows Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv10.¡¹ ¡¸Sess. Temporarily gained Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv1.¡¹ I''ve fully acquired earth magic, so now I''ll be a fire-breathing snake. ¡¸Billy''s Horn proficiency has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Billy''s Horn lv2 has be Billy''s Horn lv3.¡¹ Oh, a bonus too! Chapter 14: Clues for Special Evolution Foolish golems. They be docile when their eyes are covered, just like chickens. How strong would these golems have been if they were in their prime? Their status windows showed ''Damaged'' and ''Broken''. One had no legs, and another had only one arm. Moreover, most of their skills were deactivated. A single golem could probably take down several monsters like a Cockatrice. Of course, now they''re just lying here, non-functional. Grumble- I''m extremely hungry. For days, I''ve only eaten cave insects and small lizards. Moreover, I wasn''t just resting but constantly fighting with golems, so my stomach was clinging to my back. But even I can''t digest stone chunks like golems. Yet, there was a reason I couldn''t leave. That magic stone. Just looking at the magic stone attached to the golem''s head made my mouth water. It''s because I now know the taste of magic stones. However, the problem was how to eat that magic stone. Their magic stones exist between the crown and the back of the head. It seems exposed, but it''s covered with something like crystal, so my teeth can''t prate it. I don''t have a hammer, nor hands to swing one. So how can I break that crystal and devour the magic stone? There was a way. First, I carefully touch the helmet ced on the earth golem''s head. If the helmetes offpletely by ident, the golem might reactivate. I had put the helmet on its head upside down. In other words, if you lift the face guard that usually covers the face, the back of the head is exposed. The delicious magic stone sparkled. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv1¡¹ I opened my mouth and shot out mes. This feels quite good. I feel like a dragon rather than a snake. Actually, I didn''t need to breathe fire from my mouth, but isn''t the feeling important? The mes I breathed weren''t as powerful as the golem''s. If I had topare, it''s like a broken lighter suddenly lighting up. Don''t underestimate it though. There are quite a few smokers in the world who have burned their eyebrows and bangs with this level of me. I breathed fire until my face felt hot. But, of course, the crystal protecting the magic stone didn''t melt. These golems have very high heat resistance. Then why did I go through all this trouble? It''s all thanks to YouTube. All sorts of videos appear in the shorts I watch lying in bed. Among them were many videos of science experiments. Although I always slept during science ss, I kept watching because it was so interesting. Of course, the target audience of the videos seemed to be elementary school students... but what can I do if it''s interesting? And now I''m using what I saw then, even as a snake. I took out the water bottle I had stored in my subspace. It''s called a water bottle, but it''s a crude sphere made with earth magic. Water drops falling from stctites. I collected them in this rough water bottle. I smashed the bottle of cold water on the heated back of the golem''s head. Hiss! White steam rose violently. And then I heard the sound I was waiting for. Crack- Crack. It cracked! It''s the same principle as when a heated cup breaks when ced in ice water. I thought it might not work, but it really did. Thank you, x Pop Lab! x Minute Science! I carefully removed the crystal fragments with my tail. The still warm magic stone was exposed to the air. Oh my goodness. I thought it would be hard, but it''s as soft as cream. The smell is, well... moldy. Let''s consider that as part of the vor. I buried my head and ate the soft magic stone without leaving anything. This feels simr to scraping the shell of soy sauce marinated crab. The taste of rich magical power was overwhelming. Where''s some rice? ¡¸You consume refined magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸You are imbued with magical nature.¡¹ ¡¸Your body bes stronger and your magical power bes more abundant.¡¹ Fortunately, this seems to be a magic stone too. Refined magic stone, I didn''t know such a thing existed. And then came an unexpected harvest. ¡¸You have defeated Pelerian''s Guard B.¡¹ ¡¸Level up!¡¹ ¡¸Level up!¡¹ ¡¸Level up!¡¹ Hey!! The golem wasn''t a monster. So I thought I wouldn''t level up, but that wasn''t the case. I even gained three levels at once. That means the golem was that strong. I went through all this trouble to eat the magic stone, so I think I should take care of the fire golem''s magic stone too. I repeated the same action. That means I cracked Guard A''s back of the head and devoured the magic stone. ¡¸You have defeated Pelerian''s Guard A.¡¹ ¡¸Level up!¡¹ ¡¸Level up!¡¹ This time, I gained two levels. Wait, haven''t I leveled up enough by now? I checked my status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Horn Snake lv10] [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn] [Skills] [Billy''s Horn lv3]: Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv1 [Night Vision lv7], [Venomous Fang lv4], [Breath Holding lv4], [Stealth lv4], [Devouring lv3], [Biting lv5], [Poison Resistance lv4], [Bleeding Resistance lv3], [Pain Resistance lv5], [Heat Resistance lv8], [Survival Instinct lv5], [Leap lv5], [Magic Detection lv2], [eleration lv3], [Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv2] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I have be a magician. Setting aside the more abundant skill items, I focused on the ''Status'' below. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Status] [Evolution Avable], [Malnutrition] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Level 10 was the max level! This time too, when I reached level 10, evolution became possible. My heart is racing~ The malnutrition next to it is a bit concerning though. Still, I don''t think I can evolve right here. Whether it''s evolution or anything else, you need to fill your stomach first. What if I try to evolve while malnourished and die of hunger? Also, there''s something else bothering me. What can I evolve into this time? The first time evolution was possible, the options were disappointing. Either be a ''Little Green Snake'' just like my older siblings. Or maybe a ''White Snake'' that probably just grew in size. Whichever way I evolved, the result would have been simr. Thanks to achieving the special condition, I was able to evolve into a White Horn Snake. Because of that, I was able to obtain the fatal skill of Billy''s Horn. Eating the Horn Jaguar''s magic stone came back as a butterfly effect. ''The answer is special evolution.'' I was convinced. This time too, if possible, I want to achieve special conditions and undergo a special evolution. However, I don''t know what the special conditions are, and I don''t even know if special evolution is possible every time. Let''s go inside for now. That was the conclusion I came to. There was nothing I could do sitting here. The corridor continued to stretch inward. From the outside, it looked like arge hill, but it seems the entire underground was a dungeon. A dark space appears. Suddenly, Pelerian popped out. "This is my researchb." Fortunately, it was an illusion. It seems to assume there''s one fairy here, the eye level is definitely high. Mister, I''m down here. "It''s thetest model powered by magic stones. I made it borrowing the technology of the magic tower. Even the elders didn''t like it, but... the power source is over there." There were several things that looked like machines. However, it doesn''t look like aboratory from SF movies. Strangely rugged and antique, they definitely look like machines that would run on magic power rather than electricity. I pulled the power lever carved in the shape of an eagle. Click, Whir- And the crystals attached to the wall started to emit light. The room brightened up. Various mechanical devices that had to endure hundreds of years without light and even an earthquake were revealed to the world. Most of them are broken. I couldn''t even guess what they were used for. "How is it? Overwhelmed, right? Of course. It''s the culmination of my magical technology... I researched evolution here." Pelerian boasted despite being an illusion. "But don''t worry, fellow creature. Your task is simple. The magical spirit I created will take care of theplicated stuff. p your hands twice." What a troublesome request. Isn''t thisplete snake discrimination? What should someone like me without hands do? Can''t be helped. I hit the floor twice with my tail. p p- A sound simr to apuse was made. Then, the crystal on the ceiling flickered and a voice flowed out. "Please give your instructions." Oh, you startled me. It was the voice that said ''Monster intrusion detected.'' I got goosebumps for a moment. Pelerian said with a pleased smile. "My chimera, Fafnir, is in hibernation here. One of Fafnir''s special evolution conditions is to endure 300 years. I analyzed that with the machine on the right." My eyes widened. Can it find out the conditions for special evolution? And it seems there''s also a special condition that requires 300 years to pass. What if that applies to me too? "It''s trapped in the tank ahead." I looked in the direction Pelerian was pointing. And I was at a loss for words. "Wake it from hibernation and evolve it. Then record and transmit the process." ''Excuse me, but.'' The direction Pelerian''s illusion was pointing. There was indeed something like a tank there. ''...There''s nothing there though.'' However, it''spletely shattered. The crystal te is in pieces, perhaps due to the earthquake. And there''s nothing inside either. I might understand if there was even a corpse, but it''spletely empty. "Don''t be afraid. Leave everything to me." If there was such a monster in there, even I wouldn''t have woken it from hibernation. But Pelerian uttered strange words. He directly ordered the magical spirit. "Spirit, seal off the corridor." "Yes, activating interception golems." I already destroyed those interception golems though. Pelerian''s expression was as sinister as could be. "I''m sorry, fellow creature. One of the evolution conditions requires consuming fairy blood, you see. Release from hibernation." "Releasing from hibernation." This racist elf, surely... "Your sacrifice will be for the advancement of our entire fairy race." "Releasing Fafnir. Transmitting experiment content." "Well then, farewell." Pelerian''s illusion vanished. And thepletely destroyed tank flickered with light. "Unable to release from hibernation." The voice simply said so calmly. Of course, because the tank and everything else is shattered. And the Fafnir or paprika or whatever was inside seems to have already escaped. The wall behind the tank was destroyed. I couldn''t help but admire the fairy magician named Pelerian. The elves of this world can''t be trusted. That fairy supremacist old man was willing to sacrifice even his own kind for his research. His cunning and sinister n was thwarted by the monster called time. If it weren''t for the earthquake, his goal might have really been achieved. But, you''re saying there''s a way to know the evolution conditions? I approached the machine on the right and looked around. This seems broken too, but does it work? There were things to pull and things to push. The moment I pulled a bright red handle. Click. Something like a cover opened. And there was a cross-shaped groove where something could be inserted. ...This is exactly the same shape as the si on the ring. I carefully brought the si ring on my tail close to it. There was a tingling sensation, and then. "Master Pelerian, please give your orders." A voice rang out. It''s unfair that it mistakes me for a racist psychopath old fairy. What should I make it do? Chapter 15: Expose to flames for dozens of hours or more "Pelerian, please give your orders." Hmm, yes, yes, I am Pelerian. I tried asking various questions to the magic spirit supposedly created by Pelerian. "Shh shh." (What are my evolution conditions?) "Shh, shh. Shh." (Why aren''t you answering?) But no matter how hard I tried to speak, the so-called spirit wouldn''t even respond. Is this spirit also a racist? "Saaaah!" I shouted once, but it still ignored me. What nonsense. Feeling angry, I hit the back of its head. Of course, I mean I just hit the machine in front of me. nk. Startled. Something shot out of the machine. It was a small metal needle. "Please extract blood from the magical beast." Oh, really? With that suspicious needle? I hesitated for a moment. Won''t this give me tetanus? But it didn''t seem rusty. Ah, I won''t die from this, right? I carefully brought my tail closer. Poke. The tip of the metal needle was very sharp and easily pierced through my scales. And I felt my blood being sucked out with a slurping sound. "Beginning analysis." "Please ce the magical beast on the crystal te. It is rmended to kill or anesthetize for urate scanning." This spirit has nopassion. Since I couldn''t die, I climbed onto the crystal te andy spread out, no, straight. Whoosh- The lights suddenly turned on. I could feel magic flowing through the crystal te. "Beginning scan." "Analyzing as a snake-type magical beast, ssified as a Horn species." Ah, this feels just like that. Like being on an X-ray machine. I had an experience like that before. In middle school, the kids always made me the goalkeeper. Of course, I had no interest in ser. For some unknown reason, I always ended up as the goalkeeper. Isn''t goalkeeper an important position? Why did they make me do it? Since I had no interest in ser and no athletic ability, I just zoned out during PE ss. Then I got hit in the chest by a super powerful shot from a big guy in the next ss. The sky spun and I couldn''t breathe. When I came to my senses, I was lying down looking at the sky. The usually mean PE teacher was shocked and took me to the hospital. To be honest, I felt fine by the time we got to the hospital, but I just pretended to be in pain. Even then, there was a fuss about getting chest X-rays and whatnot. It''s a beautiful memory. "Analysisplete. Printing results." I got off the crystal te. I couldn''t help but be amazed by this magical technology. This ce was supposedly built 300 years ago, but that machine looks like it was made with modern technology. It''s even printing paper like a printer right now. "Would you like to record and transmit the analysis results?" Huh? Transmit where? Come to think of it, Pelerian said something about experimenting on his self-made chimera and transmitting the results or something. Absolutely not. Who are you sending my information to, you fool? I don''t want that! "Preparing for automatic transmission." Aack! Then the rod on top of the machine started glowing blue. Not being able to speak is a problem. I quickly leaped up and bit the rod. Crunch, and the rod broke. "Transmission impossible." Phew, good. That''s a relief. My precious personal information almost got leaked. And in the meantime, the results had finished printing. I read the fluttering pieces of paper that had fallen. My evolution conditions were really written there. What is this? There''s not just one. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Snake-type magical beast, Horn species.] Unable to determine exact species. Possibility exists that this individual is not a snake-type magical beast. Other possible species estimates are as follows: [Bird-type magical beast], [Rodent-type magical beast], [Turtle-type magical beast], [Lizard-type magical beast], [Rabbit-type magical beast], [Jaguar-type magical beast], [Centipede-type magical beast], [Spider-type magical beast], [Bat-type magical beast], [Human], [Fairy].... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What is this? What on earth is this? If something with smooth scales and beautiful Venomous Fang like me isn''t a snake, then what is it? And honestly, aren''t Turtle-type magical beast and Centipede-type magical beast too far off? I couldn''t understand why the results came out like this. ...Could it be because of potential? A potential of 20 gave me the Perseverance trait. It also said something about not being restricted in growth potential. Maybe that''s why these results came out. The text written below added credibility to my inference. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The individual''s evolution possibilities have been analyzed to be abnormally diverse. Analyzed special evolution conditions assuming it''s a snake-type magical beast. 1. Create main habitat in swamps. 2. Create main habitat in freshwater 3. Create main habitat in the ocean 4. Create main habitat in the desert 5. Create main habitat in caves ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s incredibly diverse. The special evolution conditions weren''t just one. I didn''t know what kind of magical beast I would evolve into if I achieved those conditions, but it seemed there was a way to change the habitat first. I think I get it roughly. If I live in the sea, I''ll be a sea snake, and if I live in the desert, I''ll be a desert snake, right? But that alone would be a bit boring. There were countless conditions below that as well. There were also some that stood out. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ... 1. Create main habitat in a volcano 2. Consumerge amounts of deadly poison 3. Fly for dozens of hours or more 4. Expose to mes for dozens of hours or more 5. Hibernate in a frozen state for over 10 years ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Are you telling me to die? Right, if I live in a volcano, I''ll be a volcano snake, and if I eat a lot of deadly poison, I''ll be a venomous snake of deadly poison. There''s even one telling me to fly around. Flying Snake was an official evolution tree! But trying to achieve those evolution conditions would likely result in death. The evolution conditions became more significant as I went down. Somehow, the ones written below seem more like unique mutations. You know, like how there are evolution trees that are harder to achieve and stronger among Eevee''s various evolutions. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ... 1. Consume a magic stone of 10th grade or higher. 2. Consume dragon blood. 3. Make a contract with a demon. 4. Consume celestial blood. 5. Receive divine blessing. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow. My heart is racing. Could I be a Dragon-Snake, Demon-Snake, or God-Snake? There were several that involved consuming the blood of seemingly amazing creatures. Wait,e to think of it, the chimera that Pelerian supposedly created. Didn''t they say something about mixing the blood of certain magical beasts to create that chimera? Hmm, if that chimera is still alive, I should at least take a look. It''s going to be in this basin anyway, right? I don''t want to get involved because it sounds terrifyingly strong, but still. I think I''m pretty much done with my business in this dungeon. Just in case, I ate up my analysis results paper. Personal information is important, after all. Alright, magic spirit. Now self-destruct. "...." Of course, the spirit didn''t answer. That thing will probably keep waiting for orders until it loses power here. It''s a pitiful thing. After looking around the room for a moment, I found an exit. It didn''t seem like a properly made exit. There was dirt and rock debris scattered around, as if something had dug through the wall like a mole. It must have been the work of the chimera that was trapped in the tank. Hmm, it doesn''t seem like it escaped that long ago. Somehow, I got that feeling. When did the earthquake that devastated this dungeon happen in the first ce? As someone who''s only about three weeks old, I couldn''t know. I''m still a baby snake after all. The tunnel was big enough for two or three people to walk side by sidefortably. That meant the chimera must be about this size too. And in the middle of the tunnel, I found traces of it. Actually, I jumped in surprise. I thought it was waiting to eat me. What I mistook for the chimera at first was its shed skin. Wow, this is a special find. It seemed to be the kind of magical beast that molts. In other words, it has a hard exoskeleton. It was as big as a house, exaggerating a bit. Its height was about 3m, and including the legs spread out to the sides, its width must be about 6m. It looks like a crab, but also like a spider. Did they say they mixed in a tarant from the great forest? However, its legs weren''t thin like a spider''s, but had thick front legs that looked good for digging. These legs, they seem familiar... ...Ah! I had a sudden realization. Surprisingly, I had met the chimera before. It''s the one that appeared from underground and swallowed the Horn Jaguar''s corpse in one bite. I was slow to notice because all I saw were several legs that had sprung up from the ground. This means the chimera was really alive and moving around. The fairy magician''s dream was only half realized. To think I had already formed a connection with it. If we meet again, I''ll get revenge for the stolen meat. With that resolution, I crawled out of the tunnel. It was apletely different location from where I was first kidnapped by the Cockatrice and taken in. It just looks like a naturally formed tunnel because of the thick undergrowth. Farewell, dungeon. I couldn''t leave coolly. It wasn''t because I was sad about leaving the dungeon where I had spent a few days. It was because I saw it. Above the hill I had crawled out from, right above where the tank room must have been, something was sticking up. It was something like an antenna. Blue light was shooting up into the sky from there. It was a pitch-dark night with no moon. The blue line cutting through the sky was clearly visible. That line would probably be visible even from tens of kilometers away. Is it transmitting something? Surely not my analysis results? No, that wasn''t it. There was a moment when Pelerian said something about deactivating the chimera''s hibernation. "Deactivating hibernation. Transmitting experiment contents." I heard something like that. It''s probably sending the experiment contents somewhere so that Pelerian, who is alive somewhere, can receive them. After thinking for a moment, I came to a conclusion. ''...Is that my business?'' It''s not my job. The magical beasts must have been surprised by such a pir of light shooting up in the middle of the night. Maybe even the territory residents living nearby were surprised. Ah, what if they send an investigation team? I should be careful then. My nemesis, the guard captain, mighte. But this basin is not just ordinarily big, so it should be fine if I hide. It might even be an opportunity. I haven''t forgotten my grudge from back then. If we meet again, I won''t let you off easy, guard captain. Until then, I need to evolve and train my newly acquired skills. Growl. I''m so hungry. Right now, even a Mosquito Rat would be wee. I need to eat and get stronger quickly. I excitedly crawled into the forest. At that time, I greatly underestimated the impact of the rising light. Even those I couldn''t imagine detected it. Deep in the great forest. The long-lived race living in seclusion.... == Originally, fairies do not age. They live in forests, befriending nature. Their skin is smooth like porcin, and their long ears exude dignity. Even elders close to a thousand years old don''t have a single wrinkle on their faces. Fairies leaping with their long legs are like deer. Therefore, it was very difficult to guess a fairy''s age just by appearance. The fairy running deep in the great forest was no exception. She leaps over gnarled tree roots with her slender, long legs. Her silver bob cut, trimmed to a moderate length, flutters in the wind. Her features were indescribably beautiful, but a scar that caught the eye was on her face. A long sword wound covering her left eye. A beautiful one-eyed elf warrior. She had been summoned by the elder. The reason was that they had detected traces of Pelerian. Pelerian. The name of that cursed magician. Just recalling it made the fairy grit her teeth. Chapter 16: Rumbling Fart Iris Selena. It was the name of a fairy. The surname Selena belonged to a prestigious family among the fairies. Even though the entire fairy race is currently heading towards extinction, many would recognize the name Iris Selena. In human terms, she would be considered nobility, but Iris''s lifestyle was far from luxurious. She was an ascetic of the great forest. She lived alone, away from the World Tree, which was like a hometown for all fairies. Every day, she practiced sword techniques and honed her archery skills. If it weren''t for the news about finding traces of Pelerian, she wouldn''t havee back this far. Iris kept running. Ever since hearing Pelerian''s name, her lost left eye had been throbbing constantly. But more painful than the eye was the hole in her heart. She had a younger sister. Sacrificed to the magician. A sister who was still too young. Iris, who was running fiercely towards the World Tree, came to an abrupt stop. The deeper you go into the great forest, the closer you get to the World Tree, the trees be enormouslyrge. The trees where she was now were all over 100m tall. In the dark shadow of life, she sensed killing intent. Iris swung her sword. Ting ting ting! Sparks flew continuously in the air in front of her. Something was flying towards her, and she deflected it by swinging her sword. The whole process was so fast that only the sparks were visible. Iris recognized the identity of the attackers. It was a flock of parrots. Instead of feathers, they had sharp thorn-like protrusions, indicating they were dangerous magical beasts. They were Spine Bone Parrots. Extremely dangerous creatures that move in flocks. A brightly colored one pped its wings and lunged at her. Surprisingly, several spines shot out. Iris, far from avoiding them, rather rushed towards them. There were five Spine Bone Parrots in total. Even high-level magical beasts avoid this many. The parrots cackled and lunged at Iris. The spine feathers they scattered were threatening as they were coated with paralyzing poison. However. The Elven Broadsword, forged with fairy techniques, drew a trajectory of light. Spines flew, sparks continuously scattered. Finally, it sliced through the Spine Bone Parrot. Iris seemed to have just passed through the flock of Spine Bone Parrots. But the result was dramatic. Thud thud thud! The parrots fell in dozens of pieces before blood could even spurt. Yet not even the sound of cutting was heard. The two parrots that survived in the back flew away in shock. Normally, she would have chased and annihted them, but Iris just shook the blood off her de. Hundred shes. It was one of the many unique skills Iris possessed. It was a supreme sword technique that shattered the opponent in an instant. "Magical beasts near the World Tree..." Right in front of this is the fairy city. Originally, magical beasts wouldn''t dare to be active here. This was evidence of decline. Even magical beasts at the level of Spine Bone Parrots no longer feared fairies. "..." Iris clicked her tongue and ran. There was a city in the central part of the great forest where the World Tree was visible. Although it wasn''t a ce she visited often, Iris knew where she needed to go. It was the Elder''s residence. It was a clean, temple-like house made of white stone. As she entered, the Elder was there. The Elder, nearly a thousand years old, wasn''t wrinkled like a human elderly, but looked strangely faded, like a nt. "You''vee, Iris." "Have you found Pelerian?" The question burst out immediately. The Elder gave a bitter smile. It was an expected question. "No, this time we''ve only picked up signals from the dungeons he created here and there." In front of the Elder was something like a crystal ball. It was Pelerian''s invention. An item left behind by that vile magician before he was exiled. It was now being used to find traces of Pelerian. "...There''s a chance he might be there, isn''t there?" "Yes, there''s a chance." There had already been several simr experiences. Pelerian had created his dungeons all over the continent. It seemed he was conducting all sorts of suspicious research there. The researched data seemed to be transmitted to himself hiding somewhere, and every time that happened, the crystal ball here also received a signal. "Will you go investigate?" "I will." And every time a signal was picked up, Iris volunteered to visit the area. Unfortunately, she had never met Pelerian himself. "Alright, I''ll grant you the qualification of an investigator." The Elder handed Iris a brooch. It was a brooch of a World Tree leaf crafted in gold. "Iris Selena, you are now a special envoy of Elvenwood, and an officially appointed Golden Leaf investigator. Don''t forget the dignity of fairies, and I believe you already know most of what you need to." "Yes." As this wasn''t the first time, the Elder skipped the trivial ceremonies. Iris familiarly pinned the brooch to her chest. "When do you n to leave?" "Now." Having said that, Iris leapt out the door. Although the Elder''s residence was built in the middle of a tall tree, the Elder wasn''t worried about Iris. The Elder sighed and muttered. "That kid, always in such a hurry." If only she could let go of the hatred piled up in her heart. Because deathes as an end, human hatredsts at most for decades. But the hatred of an elf tends tost for hundreds of years. Hatred that has fermented for hundreds of years eventually bes something beyond hatred. The Elder was lost in thought for a moment. ''Why now?'' The location of the newly discovered dungeon was none other than the outskirts of the great forest. It had been over 20 years since Pelerian''s dungeon wasst discovered. Before that, all the dungeons inside the great forest had been ferreted out and incinerated. Yet there was still a dungeon remaining. ''Did he hide it because he considered it particrly important?'' Such a suspicion arose. But it''s meaningless to worry about it. None other than Iris Selena has stepped up. If it''s her, she''ll cleanly incinerate whatever Pelerian has left behind. == At the point when an elf departed wearing a golden brooch. The night before. A dinner was prepared at the Greyrim lord''s castle. The lord''s face was flushed red, indicating he had drunk quite a bit. He stood up with a pleased expression. And clinked his ss with a silver spoon. As people''s attention gathered, the lord spoke happily. "To Knight Zain." The lord raised his ss. Then all those participating in the dinner raised their sses filled with grape wine. Even Rania, the lord''s daughter, raised her orange juice. "And to Hero Steel Gunter." Everyone drank their grape wine. People engaged in pleasant conversation. The Greyrim territory hadn''t developed much because it was so close to the great forest. But for a territory bordering one of the continent''s five great magical realms, it was a good ce to live. The ''Mountain Range'' is rampaged by wyvern flocks, and the ''ins'' have orc tribes crawling out for plunder. However, magical beasts rarelye out of the ''Forest''. There were many powerful named magical beasts living there, but it didn''t matter as long as you didn''t go deep into the forest. As a lord, he only needed to investigate when asional problems arose. "We received great help this time. To think you''d defeat the Medusa Serpent so easily." That''s what happened when the Medusa Serpent appeared recently. Other territories bordering magical realms are governed by margrave lords who operate their own armies. But the Greyrim territory wasn''t like that, which is why Hero Steel Gunter came as support from the capital. "We didn''t do much. It was all thanks to Sir Steel Gunter." Knight Zain showed modesty. It was indeed the truth. He drank a ss of alcohol and his face turned red. "Haha, such modesty." The lord patted Zain''s shoulder. He seemed to like this young and naive knight. "When is Sir Steel Gunter returning?" "Ah, that... I don''t know exactly." Zain was embarrassed by the lord''s question. Steel Gunter had left his attendants, including Zain, and departed. He only said he had something to take care of briefly. Steel Gunter often acted like that. "He''ll probably return soon." "Yes, I hope he stays longer this time." The lord seemed quite drunk. When people drink alcohol, they tend to say things they don''t usually say. "What do you think about the Greyrim territory?" "I think it''s a good ce. It''s safer than I expected." "Yes, it''s a good ce... But you know." The lord paused for a moment. "The kingdom underestimates the great forest too much." "..." "There''s an old saying that''s been passed down in our family for a long time. Do you know what it is?" "What is it?" "Fear the forest." "Ah." "The great forest is deep. The number of magical beasts alone is more than in any magical realm. There must be many that we know the names of, and many that we don''t." "That''s right." "Our ancestor warned. The beast of the apocalypse will someday be born in the great forest." The lord seemed to be exining a terrifying old tale. Zain listened with the most serious expression he could muster. It wasn''t the first time he had heard such stories. Those who live near magical realms all fear magical beasts. The ''beast of the apocalypse'' that will someday devour all magical beasts and destroy the world is a story spread not just in Greyrim but throughout the continent. "... You don''t believe it. Your expression says so." "No, that''s not true! The great forest is the magical realm that even Sir Steel Gunter is most wary of." "Hahaha. It''s fine, I''ve ruined the mood on a good day with such talk, rather..." The flustered Zain waited for the lord''s words, but for some reason, the lord didn''t continue. Had his mood been ruined? It was at the moment when Zain raised his head to apologize once again. "... That." The lord wasn''t looking at Zain. He was staring nkly out the window. Beyond the balcony was the territory. And beyond that, the great forest stretched out. "What, what is that..." Someone let out a gasp. From the great forest, a blue light was rising. That thin line was clearly visible against the background of the night sky. "... An anomaly has been observed." The lord''splexion turned pale white. As if the effects of alcohol hadpletely disappeared, he muttered seriously. "It is our duty to investigate any anomalies observed in the magical realm." Everyone rushed to the window to look at where the light was rising. "It seems to be beyond the Sija Forest. Damn, where''s Oliver?" Oliver was Greyrim''s best hunter and great forest expert, trusted even by the lord. The butler informed him with a troubled expression that he wasn''t in the territory. "For now, call the captain of the guard and... Hmm." Zain raised his hand. "I''ll participate in the investigation team." "Will you? That''s very helpful." As Steel Gunter''s escort knight, it was also Zain''s duty to investigate the magical realm. The lord muttered as he watched the gradually fading light. "It''s ominous, very ominous..." Since you say so, it''s even more ominous. Zain thought so but didn''t show it. == And the basin. The day after escaping from Pelerian''s dungeon. I started hunting in earnest. An alligator covered in rotten-smelling aquatic nts was crawling out of the swamp. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Swamp Alligator Lv16] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That one is strong. Probably about the same level as the Cockatrice. It''s an opponent that a small and cute snake like me can''t possibly face head-on. That''s why it''s underestimating me and crawling out of the swamp. Its sharp, split pupils characteristic of reptiles were ring at me. Sorry, but I''m a reptile too, so I''m not scared. As I stood still, it started to approach stealthily. It looks slow as it waddles, but only fools underestimate magical beasts. As expected. It opened its mouth wide and elerated. It was faster than my Leap skill. But now I can use magic. And Magic Snake is invincible. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth Lv3¡¹ Earth magic that has already leveled up. Even so, it only raises an earthen wall on bare ground, but when used well, it''s effective. An earthen wall rose from beneath the charging alligator''s jaw. Newton''sw of inertia applied here as well. The alligator was incredibly fast, and such a fast-running creature received an uppercut from the earthen wall. Bweok! The alligator flipped once in the air like a stunt car performing a trick and overturned. Its pale white belly was exposed. I stabbed that soft belly skin with my Venomous Fang Lv8, not a fart. As I injected poison, it thrashed about madly. Rumble rumble! Peekaboo. I kept interfering with its attempts to flip over using earth magic. Before long, it died with a snap. Huhu, it''s easy. Too easy. That''s right. I''ve be strong. Uhahaha. Chapter 17: Chimera Fafnir After finishing a fulfilling day''s work~ Stretching out both legs feels like being in the living room back home. Humming the melody that''s ying in my head¡ªthough in reality, I was just hissing¡ªI worked. The task was simple. Dissecting the Swamp Alligator I had caught. Its body is muchrger than mine. Swallowing it whole is out of the question. Normally, I would have pierced its soft belly and eaten it from the inside out. However, today I decided to reward myself for working hard. It''s been a few days since I escaped from Pelerian''s dungeon. Except for sleeping, I''ve been focusing on leveling up my skills. Finally, following "Basic Elemental Magic: Earth," I''ve made "Basic Elemental Magic: Fire" my skill as well. There might be water and wind magic too; I hope I can get them someday. And being able to handle fire means I can cook food. That''s right. Extravagantly, I intended to grill the alligator. You might call me a glutton, but I can''t help it. I''ve been thinking about this ever since I could use fire magic, and I''ve been holding back until now. Shouldn''t I be praised at this point? If there were someone watching me, I''d like them to give me apliment. I even took special care not to let smoke rise, just in case. I dug a pit, gathered dry branches, and set them on fire. Then I wrapped the cut alligator tail in mud and put it in the fire pit. I''ve seen this cooking method on YouTube before. It was in a video made by a foreign YouTuber about survival skills in the wild. At that time, it wasn''t alligator meat but chicken, but didn''t they say alligator has a texture very simr to chicken? It should be fine, right? Saliva dripped from my mouth. Yeah, now I should rest a bit until the meat is cooked. It might be good to take a short nap too. My status window has be more abundant over the past few days. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Horn Snake lv10+] [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn] .... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Since reaching level 10, I haven''t been able to level up anymore. I was prepared for this. It''s the max level, so there''s nothing I can do until I evolve. It was a bit disappointing after hunting so hard, but I epted it. However, as I continued hunting, a strange message appeared. ¡¸Unabsorbed magical energy is being stored.¡¹ After that message, a + mark appeared after the level like that. Well, it must be a good thing. What''s important is not this, but the skill window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ... [Skills] [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv3], [Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv3], [Venomous Fang lv10], [Devouring lv7], [Biting lv8], [Stealth lv6] [Poison Resistance lv5], [Bleeding Resistance lv3], [Pain Resistance lv6], [Heat Resistance lv8], [Petrification Resistance lv1], [Breath Holding lv4], [Survival Instinct lv5], [Leap lv5], [Magic Detection lv2], [eleration lv3] .... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hahaha, not only has the number of skills increased, but their levels have also risen significantly. What I''m currently borrowing with Billy''s Horn is the ''Cutting'' skill. I learned it from a dog-sized mantis with sickle-like ws. Originally, I didn''t have ws or anything like that, but thanks to Perseverance, I was able to learn it. When I swish my tail, I could cut soft things. It''s a skill I absolutely had to acquire. I used this to cut the alligator''s tail too. The reason why I need to keep hunting even though I can''t level up. It''s not just to increase the proficiency of skills, but there''s another reason too. It''s here! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡ùEvolution possible: [Venomous Fang lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Quick Crawling, which was an ambiguous skill, evolved into the super-premium skill ''eleration'' after reaching lv10. Then what will happen to Venomous Fang? Venomous Fang is the alpha and omega of my attack power. Surprisingly, the attack power of Basic Elemental Magic: Fire wasn''t that high. The fire I can spit out now by consuming a tremendous amount of magical power is probably equivalent to the output of about five lighters. If the opponent quickly dodges, it''s even difficult to inflict burns. That''s why the evolution of Venomous Fang was the task I prioritized the most. And now was the moment to taste that fruit. Wait, let''s taste the alligator meat first. Mmm, delicious. The meat juice is very moist. Now, shall we evolve? ¡¸Consuming magical energy to evolve the skill.¡¹ The magical energy that has been umted instead of leveling up until now. This was the moment for it to shine. ¡¸Venomous Fang lv10 is evolving into a higher-level skill.¡¹ Yeah, let''s go! ¡¸Venomous Fang lv10 has be Deadly Poison lv1!¡¹ Alright! Deadly Poison, what a romantic skill name. But the romance didn''t end there. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ You can choose the type of Deadly Poison. [Neurotoxin] [Hemotoxin] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Just looking at the options makes my heart race. Is it because I don''t have many opportunities to choose things ording to my will in life? Unlike eleration, the evolution direction of Venomous Fang had two options. ''Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin'', and ''Deadly Poison: Hemotoxin''. I roughly know the difference between neurotoxin and hemotoxin. Not all venomous snakes have the same venom. In the case of sea snakes or cobras, they usually have neurotoxins. True to its name, if you''re bitten by a venomous snake with neurotoxin, your nerve cells be paralyzed. If the toxicity spreads to the central nervous system, the diaphragm bes paralyzed, making breathing impossible. Literally, your breath is taken away. It''s undeniably a terrifying poison. Hemotoxin is equally horrifying. If you''re bitten by a venomous snake with hemotoxin, that part is just screwed, to put it bluntly. I saw this on YouTube too.... ...Yeah, about 30% of my knowledgees from YouTube. Anyway, there was an experimental video where they mixed a drop of hemotoxin from a viper into human blood. Even though they mixed just one drop into plenty of blood, the thin blood turned into jelly. Imagine such a reaction happening in a bite wound. First, as soon as you''re bitten, you feel a burning pain. This is because the hemotoxin destroys and dissoflves the cell membranes. Then the skin starts to turn purple and begin to necrotize. Of course, as the poison spreads through the blood vessels, it can kill the opponent. The pain of it would surpass that of neurotoxin. Hemotoxin is shy and painful, while neurotoxin is fatal and rtively quiet. Then my choice is.... ¡¸You have chosen Neurotoxin.¡¹ ¡¸Venomous Fang lv10 has be Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv1.¡¹. I don''t have a sadistic tendency to enjoy the pain of others. Of course, hemotoxin would have its own advantages too. But I think neurotoxin would be more advantageous for me right now. It would be best if I could possess both hemotoxin and neurotoxin like some venomous snakes do. Maybe it will happen that way? Who knows. Alright, I''ve evolved Venomous Fang too. Let''s aplish today''s to-do list. I''ve developed a daily routine these days. It''s observing a certain magical beast. I don''t have any voyeuristic tendencies at all, but I couldn''t help it. Because that magical beast is not just ordinarily interesting. It''s a chimera created by a fairy archmage, no less. I''ve already encountered it once before. It was when I fell into this basin along with the Horn Jaguar. At that time, I ran away without even checking its name, but after learning about it, I wanted to meet it again. But when I actually tried to find it, it wasn''t easy. How can I find a creature that crawls underground in this vast basin? I pondered for a while, but the clue was unexpectedly close. The ce where I first discovered it. In other words, I just had to search the outskirts of the basin. I found the ce where the Horn Jaguar had fallen. It was a ce that brought back memories, but there were no traces left to remind me of that incident. Just a cliff, and bare ground where no trees or grass grew. Wow, the cliff is really high. Moreover, the angle is close to vertical, so it seems impossible to climb up. Even if I borrowed flight, I think my magical power would run out first. Come to think of it, do I have to live in this basin for the rest of my life now? ...Ah well, I''ll figure something out. Okay, let''s get ready. == I hid in arge tree. Previously, I was perched on a rock, but somehow that felt uneasy too, so I climbed up here. And in the ce where the Horn Jaguar had been. There was arge wild boar lying dead instead. It''s my work. Of course, I didn''t drop it from the cliff, but hunted it. It was easy, you know? I quietly approached with Stealth and bit its butt, and it jumped up and down in anger. I lured it here to the front of the cliff. It snorted on its own, then died without being able to breathe. Aren''t you underestimating venomous snakes too much? While just being a wild boar, not even a magical beast. Someone might think it''s cruel, but. I did one thing to the dead wild boar''s carcass. I bit its carotid artery before the body cooled down. It was possible thanks to my improved Biting. Blood gushed from the neck of the dead wild boar. The blood formed a puddle, and that blood slowly seeped into the soil. These are exactly the same conditions as when the Horn Jaguar was here. There''s no guarantee that it wille just because I made the conditions the same, but it worked yesterday. And today was the same. Thud thud thud- It wasing. Did it smell the blood that seeped into the ground? What is it, a shark? Thud thud thud thud thud- What''s certain is that it''s approaching fast enough to shake the ground. Well, it must be hungry. Looking at its size, that wild boar would be just a mouthful for it. Come. Come and eat the wild boar. This is the feast I''ve prepared for you. Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud- Ah, it passed near the tree. The tree shook so heavily that I almost got thrown off. And finally, it burst out from underground. Kwaaang! It was so strong that it broke through the ground as it came out. The first things to appear were eight legs. Maybe because it was mixed with some tarant-something magical beast, it looks a bit like a spider. The legs covered in carapace had several sharp spines. It hugs the wild boar''s carcass with those. It''s truly a thrilling way of embracing. I could see things I hadn''t seen before. The way it moves is like an inverted spider. However, while spiders have heads with mouths, its maw was in the middle of its body. Like a starfish, it swallows the wild boar in one gulp with the huge mouth attached to its body. It crawled back underground. Good. I wasn''t angry even though it ''one-bite-chowed'' the wild boar I had worked hard to catch and went back into the ground. That''s because I had done something to the wild boar''s body. With the mindset of spiking frozen food withxatives to punish a dormitory food thief, I had injected a lot of neurotoxin into the wild boar''s body. My venom nds were so empty that my head hurt, so that thing should suffer quite a bit even if it''s tough. Indeed, it didn''t disappear right away. Instead, it twitched while exposing itself above ground. Did the poison work? It seemed to be intoxicated. And then, it started to spew something from its mouth. "Kuweeeek! Kuwek" It would have been good if it was hemoptysis, but it wasn''t. It spat out bones from its mouth like a fountain. "Urgh." And after a thunderous burp, it disappeared into the ground. It was as if it was saying ''Thanks for the meal~''. It doesn''t seem to have been poisoned after all. It''s a bit disappointing, but not unexpected. Even if it''s neurotoxin, it''s not omnipotent. It''s a poison that works through the blood, so in many cases, it''s useless when ingested through the digestive system. Hmm, it''s a shame that my secret weapon No. 1 didn''t work, but it can''t be helped. The reason why I became interested in it was clear. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Chimera Fafnir lv20+++] [Traits] [Chimera], [Underground Monster], [Dragon''s Lineage], [Molting] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That ''Dragon''s Lineage'' trait. It seems to be one of the conditions for my special evolution. By the way, this thing''s status window is quite terrifying. I couldn''t help but admire it. Chapter 18: Get Rid of That Green! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Chimera Fafnir lv20+++] [Traits] [Chimera], [Underground Monster], [Dragon''s Lineage], [Molting] [Skills] ...[Frenzy lv20], [Carapace lv10], [Burrowing lv9], [Heat Resistance lv6], [Self-Healing lv3], [Magic Detection lv4], [Sense of Smell lv7], [Cutting lv10], [Doppelganger lv3]... ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The Chimera had several notable traits and skills. ''Dragon''s Lineage'' was probably because dragon''s blood was used in creating it. Even though it wasn''t a real dragon but mixed with lesser dragon''s blood, it still had the Dragon''s Lineage trait. If so, it might satisfy one of my special evolution conditions: ''Consume dragon blood.'' The next trait that caught my eye was none other than ''Molting.'' I felt a huge shock there. ''Why don''t I molt?'' Come to think of it, snakes are reptiles. And of course, they''re a species that molts. So why haven''t I molted even once yet? After pondering for a moment, I could reach a reasonable conclusion. I was still a baby. Because of the evolution that made me bigger, I had forgotten, but I was barely over a month old. I might molt after some time passes. Still, the Chimera proudly had ''Molting'' written in its traits. It was simr to how ''Horn'' was written in my traits. That''s because it also had a unique skill rted to molting. And among the skills, ''Frenzy lv20''. What is this? It''s actually ''Frenzy''. That''s the ''frenzy'' in going berserk. It was a skill with a level as high as 20. It seems that skill levels don''t always end at 10. There were many other interesting points, but it would take quite a while to go through them all. I returned to my dwelling. After living in the swamp for a few days, I came back to the ce with the old tree today. There were two cross-shaped tombstones made of branches stuck in the clearing. I made them. For the kind-hearted newlywed couple who once made their honeymoon home here. Plop. A bird sitting on the tree defecated on it. That bird bastard. It seems I''m destined to keep having bad rtionships with birds. I''ll definitely take revenge for the bird poop. With that resolve, I entered the knothole of the old tree. I need to sleep anyway.... It''s not like I have wings, so catching birds is still a high-difficulty task. Sleep is essential. Especially for me, sleep was like a new window of opportunity. Not in terms of rest, but literally a status window of opportunity. As I fell asleep, a status message appeared before my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [You have reached level 10 and can evolve.] [Do you want to evolve?] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I still vividly remember the thrill I felt when I first saw this message. Back then, I remember saying "Yes, of course, you fool! Keukeuk." to the status message asking if I wanted to evolve. But now I''ve be more cautious. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [¡ùYou must meet the conditions for evolution.] Get some sleep. Consume a 2nd-grade magic stone Reach Level 10. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There were three conditions for evolution. I had already met those conditions long ago. I met the evolution conditions as soon as I reached level 10, but the conditions were harsher than I thought. Without the cheat-level skill ''Billy''s Horn'' and the sacrifice of the centipede couple, I wouldn''t have been able to catch the Cockatrice. No, even with those two, I wouldn''t have been able to catch the Cockatrice with a head-on approach. If it weren''t for the spear trap. How could a snake like me fight and win against that dinosaur-like monster? The magic stone that Cockatrice had was a 2nd-grade one. Originally, even if I had reached level 10, meeting the evolution conditions would have been far-fetched. Hmm, I wonder what the evolution conditions for the Chimera are. Considering the + marks next to its level, it seems like it hasn''t been able to evolve for quite a while. Probably, monsters that can evolve as easily as me are rare. Well, that''s the fact, and I''ve met all the conditions. Last time I evolved, I couldn''t see the evolution options at this point. Here, I benefited once again from the centipede couple. Having eaten their Inner Dan, I could see it. The evolution options! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ From [White Horn Snake lv10], you can evolve into: 1.[Green Horn Snake] 2.[Poison White Snake] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Not only that, but this time I could also see information about the evolution options. But is this really because of the Inner Dan? Even if I ate the Inner Dan, it''s a bit strange that it changed this much. Anyway, it can''t hurt to be grateful. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Green Horn Snake] The adult form of the Green Snake. The body growsrger and bes more robust. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Please get rid of that green! I like white, okay? This is definitely excluded. In that sense, ''Poison White Snake'' is out too. As the modifier ''Poison'' suggests, choosing this would enhance toxicity, it says. It would be useful, but to give up the horn for that? If I lose my horn, I''m no different from just a venomous snake. The horn is my identity and pride! Besides, I''ve already shown foresight by strengthening my Venomous Fang into Deadly Poison. In fact, the really tempting options were below that. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [¡ùYou have unlocked new evolution trees by meeting special evolution conditions.] 1.[Swamp White Horn Snake] 2.[Trap Horn Snake] 3.[Double Horn Snake] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hurrah for special evolution! In Pelerian''s dungeon, I learned about several special evolution conditions. The third option, the swamp something, was obtained after meeting the special evolution condition of living in a swamp. It has the vague ability to be very strong in swamps, so this is a pass. Interestingly, the special conditions I read weren''t all of them. The fourth and fifth were like that. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Trap Horn Snake] A snake that has conquered a dungeon alone has learned the charm of traps. Someday, you might be able to create and rule your own dungeon. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The tone of the attached description is different from the start. For some reason, it seems kind. ''Pelerian''s Temporary Residence'' was clearly a dungeon. Conquering it seems to be the evolution condition. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Double Horn Snake] You get two horns. The power contained in the new horn wille from the heart. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Two horns, you say~ ''Billy''s Horn'' was the best skill I had. If I could get another skill simr to that, nothing would be better. Maybe the special condition was met because I used Billy''s Horn well. Both the fourth and fifth options were attractive. My dilemma stemmed from there. ''I think I could just evolve now?'' That was the conclusion I came to. Do I really need to meet the evolution condition of consuming dragon blood and whatnot? But I didn''t know if I could evolve into something better than the Double Horn Snake. With my current level of strength, it seems difficult to catch the Chimera. Rather, I could evolve first, get stronger, and then catch the Chimera. That seems more stable. Hmm. After pondering for a moment, I decided. Alright. Let''s observe for a few more days. I''ll look for an opportunity to hunt the Chimera, and if I don''t see any chance at all, I can evolve then, can''t I? I was a snake who was the embodiment of rationality. I made up my mind firmly. Now. So what result did this decision yield? To cut to the chase, my decision to postpone was correct. There''s such a thing as ''timing'' in this world. The parallel universes branch into countless numbers due to my choices. To progress down a certain path, you must make the right choice at that branching point. It''s not for nothing that wealthy couples spend hundreds a month to send their kids to English kindergartens. When the brain is still soft, that''s when you need to cram in English to get a multilingual child who greets you with "Hello Daddy, hang in there today too." Of course, I''m not good at English. I think my TOEIC score was simr to my shoe size when I took it reluctantly. Anyway, my evolution was simr. The more you evolve, the harder it bes to meet the conditions. There was an evolution tree that needed to be stepped on while still weak. == Yawn. I''m sleepy. The deadline I set while postponing evolution was three days. Observe the Chimera for 3 days, and if I don''t see a way to deal with it, evolve first. That''s what I decided. It''s now the third day since then. The conclusion I came to was disappointing. I don''t see a way. It seems I can''t catch the Chimera alone. Maybe if I had apanion. Me, perched on a tree. Down below, there was the corpse of a monster bleeding out. Wild boar is the best bait, but I couldn''t get one this time. Today''s prey was a deer. When you say deer, you might think of Bambi with sparkling eyes, but this creature is not such a cute animal. It''s a carnivorous deer with a forked tongue and sharp teeth. Anyway, it''s now dead, spewing blood from the hole in its neck. Drrrrr- Ah, the Chimera ising from afar. It seems to have noticed that food is prepared here every day. It''s no different from me running a free meal service. I wonder how surprised it will be when there''s no food from tomorrow. I''m not even nervous anymore, so I hissed augh while imagining that. It was probably by chance that I looked up at the sky. No, maybe there was a glint of light reflected off armor. Yes, there were people on top of the cliff. About six of them. They seemed to be discussing how to get down, looking down the cliff. Although the distance was quite far, I could recognize them at once. That''s because my nemesis was mixed in among them. ''Guard captain!'' How many of my brothers and sisters were turned into grilled eel because of that guy! I had vowed to take revenge someday, but I didn''t expect to reunite so soon. Of all the vast cliffs, the fact that they appeared from this direction must be heaven''s help. No,e to think of it, if you run straight from Medusa''s cave, this direction is natural. My head started spinning. This might be a variable. A variable might havee to me, who was about to give up on hunting the Chimera. == "Can we go down this way?" Zain asked so. The guard captain stroked his mustache and answered. "Yes, this is certainly the ce where the pir of light was said to have risen." "...This is the third time you''ve said that." "Ahem." The guard captain cleared his throat. He was certainly a capable soldier, but it took more than ten days to find this Arkan Basin. "It wasn''t easy for me either to judge the direction based on vague statements." "Well, yeah." It couldn''t be helped. The pir of light that was clearly visible in the night sky disappeared in less than a minute. It was already impressive that they found this ce after receiving orders to investigate that area. "Can you climb down the cliff using ropes?" "We''ve been trained for it. Of course." Knight Zain, the guard captain, and four elite soldiers experienced in the great forest. Though few in number, the investigation team was certainly elite. While the soldiers were lowering ropes down the cliff, the guard captain looked down. For some reason, there was a dead monster. And.... "Hmm?" The guard captain furrowed his brows. Zain saw this and approached. "There''s a bizarrely shaped deer dead down there. There might be monsters nearby." "No... that''s not it." I think I saw something white wriggling in the tree. The guard captain swallowed those words. It seemed to have been his imagination after all. Chapter 19: The Best Dancer in Greyrim! "No." The guard captain muttered. Zain frowned. He clearly thought, what an insipid person. "That monster corpse." "Yes, it looks like a Split-tongue Deer." "That''s right. The tongue is forked." The guard captain was a person who had grown up in the Greyrim domain, and Zain was a knight attendant of the hero Steel Gunter. Both had deep knowledge of monsters. They could immediately recognize it even looking down from this high cliff. "It seems the neck was bitten, but strangely, the corpse is clean otherwise." "Why would it hunt and not eat it?" "There are some that aggressively attack even if their territory is just invaded. Not necessarily hunting for food." "Hmm, is it very dangerous?" Zain''s tone was a bit awkward as he asked. He seemed to be cautious not to appear afraid as a knight. The guard captain noticed this. "Well, we shouldn''t have to worry. I''ll go down first. Sir Knight, you cane downst." "... No, I''ll go down first." Zain said. The young knight''s pride was hurt by the guard captain''s consideration. Although knights were quasi-nobles, Zain wasn''t a knight who had received a domain, but just one of the attendant knights. And the guard captain was the deputymander of Greyrim who had the lord''s trust. There was some tension as the hierarchy between the two was ambiguous. "Then I''d be grateful. In that case, I''ll guard the rear." "Yes." "It might be dangerous, so it''s better to go down in pairs. Hanson, you go down with the knight." A thick-armed soldier echoed the order. Zain and the soldier began to descend the cliff, holding onto the rope. It was a steep slope, almost vertical. They had to carefully ce their feet as they went down. The rock under their feet crumbled and fell with a tter. Zain was inwardly chilled but tried not to show it. His descent speed was faster than the soldier''s. This much cliff descent was nothing, recalling the training he''d received so far. Suddenly, Zain slowed his descent. Rumble- A vibration sound was heard from somewhere. At first, he thought it was his imagination. The soldier descending with him didn''t seem to notice. Rumble rumble- It wasn''t. The vibration became clearer. Zain instinctively looked down at the ground where he felt the vibration. The monster corpse that he thought someone had killed and left as a disy. Something was approaching it. "Stop!" Of course, he wasn''t shouting at whatever was approaching. Hanson, the soldier descending with him, had a nk expression as if to say, why are you suddenly acting crazy. The urge to punch that face rose, but Zain held back. Instead, he raised a finger to point at the ground. The soldier''s eyes widened like saucers. The ground around the deer carcass bulged up. Bang! Several legs shot up from the ground. What appeared was a ''monster''. It swallowed the deer monster whole and left. The whole process took barely a minute. During that time, Zain and the others didn''t say a word. Among those frozen still, the first to move was the brave knight. "Let''s go down." "Down there?" "Or do you want to keep hanging here?" Zain red with fierce eyes. The thick-armed soldier just had an expression that said ''Couldn''t we go up instead?'' When he looked up at the cliff, the guard captain also gave a hand signal to go down. Zain and Hanson stepped onto the ground where only bloodstains remained. And the soldiers who had remained above followed down to the ground. The guard captain approached Zain, who was examining the traces on the ground. "Can you identify it?" Zain shook his head. "What do you think, Guard Captain? I''ve never seen this monster before." "Of course, I don''t know all the monsters in the great forest... Yes, this is my first time seeing this monster too." "Same here." "It''s concerning that we can''t identify it at all." "That''s what bothers me the most too." The soldiers just exchanged nces at their conversation. If they don''t know, they don''t know, what''s there to be concerned about? It seemed like they were having a conversation only they understood. "I remember it had eight legs." "I confirmed that too." "Could it be a spider?" "I''ve been to the sea before. Judging by the carapace, it might be closer to a crab. Like the Red Mud Crab." "I''ve lived next to the great forest all my life, so I''m not sure. This is in the forest after all." "... I see. It seems more likely to be a spider than a crab." "There''s a monster called the Grey Tarant." "Does that one burrow?" "No, it doesn''t. There are separate mole-type monsters. Like the Spine Mole or Blood Mole." They list monsters that might be rted to that monster from earlier. Their eyes meet. "... It might be a chimera." "I think so too." Zain''s eyes widened. Not many people recognized chimeras. Zain had broadened his knowledge from following Steel Gunter. He had seen those terrible chimera monsters a few times. But wasn''t the guard captain too calm, even for someone with long experience? "Do you know about chimeras?" "To some extent, yes." "Chimera-type monsters like the Cockatrice arepletely different from real chimeras." The guard captain nced at Zain. "Yes, I know. They''re artificially created monsters and the product of a great sin deserving divine punishment." He really seemed to know. "We should track this chimera." "... What? That''s not the mission we were given." Zain was dumbfounded. Chasing chimeras was a knight''s duty, not a guard captain''s. Moreover, hadn''t they been asked by the lord to investigate the identity of the pir of light right now? The priorities were different. "It seems right to do this first." "Finding where the light arose should be the priority, right?" "Catching the chimera is important too." Zain finally lost his temper. There were points that bothered him from the start. "Guard Captain. Are you taking me for a fool?" "..." "You''re hiding something. Speak." The atmosphere turned chilly. The soldiers gulped. == Gulp. I swallowed. It would be nice if there was popcorn. Indeed, there''s nothing as fun as watching a fight. I hid in a tree, watching them who suddenly appeared. They probably didn''t realize that a mere snake was stuck to a branch, watching them. "I''m not particrly hiding anything." The guard captain, my archenemy. The enemy of my family and home. He was confronting the knight with a stern expression. "It''s strange that you know about chimeras properly, and is that pir of light rted to the chimera?" "Yes, it is." Well done, Guard Captain. Don''t be intimidated by that young pup. He''s clearly my archenemy, but for some reason, I find myself cheering for the guard captain. Is it because I like that dignified mustache? Hmm. "There''s nothing to hide, so I''ll tell you. Chimeras have been found in the great forest from time to time." "From time to time?" "I''d say about once every few decades." "Is there a living ck magician?" "No. It''s ruins. A dungeon. Because Pelerian''s dungeons are scattered throughout the great forest." Pelerian. The knight muttered that name a few times and then eximed in shock. "Do you mean the Heaven Defier! The dungeon of that crazy fairy magician who defied heaven!" Wow. My whole body got goosebumps, no, my scales stood on end. Heaven Defier, he says. Isn''t that crazy? That racist old fairy has an incredible nickname. A magician who defies the heavens. It makes my tail curl. It seems he''s still famous, even though it was over 300 years ago when he created that dungeon. I wonder if he''s still alive? He did look really old, even for a fairy. "I heard the Heaven Defier was already dead..." "It''s a dungeon he made long ago. Light would often burst out from that dungeon. And there are asional records of chimeras being discovered." "The lord didn''t tell me about this." "It''s not something that would be good if the story spread." "... Indeed, that''s true. If rumors spread that the Heaven Defier''s legacy remains." "I''d be grateful if you could keep this information confidential, Sir Zain." The knight nodded. It seems that dungeon must have been something extraordinary. To me, he just looked like a senile old man, though. They agreed to track the chimera. They decided to observe the opponent first and determine if it was at a level they could handle. "Do you happen to have an Insight scroll?" "Yes, I always carry one." "That''s fortunate. We should find it first." An Insight scroll, huh. What does it give insight into? More than anything, I was curious how they would track the chimera. The process of the guard captain and knight identifying the chimera''s nature was admirable. From Grey Tarant to Blood Mole, they roughly figured out the chimera''s identity from just one sighting. There was a lot to learn watching them. "Dig the ground." The soldiers immediately took out their field shovels and started digging. Aren''t they afraid of the chimeraing? Meanwhile, the guard captain had his ear to the ground. The soldiers dug deeper and deeper. Actually, I had already tried this. I used earth magic to flip over where the chimera appeared, but there was no trace. Indeed, digging the ground yielded nothing. The soldiers also had nk expressions. "Dig deeper." The guard captain ordered them to dig deeper with a stern expression. And a littleter, one soldier was suddenly sucked into the ground. "Aack!" "W-what! Are you okay?" "Y-yeah, I''m fine. Ugh, the smell." The soldier who fell into the ground seemed to be alright. The guard captain lit a torch and went in. "As expected, there was a tunnel far below." "Did you predict this?" "Yes, such a huge creature couldn''t move while digging the ground in real-time. It blocked its retreat with soil when crawling up to the surface, but inside there was a pre-dug passage." So that''s how it was! The guard captain seemed very knowledgeable about monster ecology. "Hmm, there''s something like a spider web spread out. It seems to sense vibrations with this." And probably can smell blood too. The chimera only came when blood was spilled. I wanted to give that advice. The guard captain climbed out of the tunnel with the help of the soldiers. He brushed off the spider webs on his body and said, "Subjugating it will be simpler than expected." What did you say, you bastard... I''m pissed. How dare he speak so lightly. He seems to be underestimating the chimera too much. "We should be able to handle it ourselves." "Shall we make a n?" I listened as closely as possible to eavesdrop on their n. And I couldn''t help but admire it. These bastards are vicious. The scariness of humans... Humans were more wicked than snakes. I quickly snatched a beetle crawling on the tree branch. Crunch crunch. I''ll eat this instead of popcorn while I watch. Even if you catch the chimera, the leftovers are mine. == The humans gave me a truly great spectacle. They made thorough preparations to hunt the chimera. After finishing those preparations, the thick-armed soldier Hanson remained in ce. And the other soldiers moved far away and suddenly started singing. "Rest one beat, rest two beats, rest three more beats and one two three!" Well, those weren''t the exact lyrics, but it was that kind of song. Because Hanson started dancing. He stomped the ground and jumped up and down to hisrades'' pping. "Yeah, as expected of Greyrim''s best dancer!" The guard captain is truly a terrifying guy. Because his expression didn''t change at all while saying such things. Knight Zain was standing next to the guard captain holding a scroll. When the chimera appears, they would lure it into a trap, and in that time, tear the scroll to assess its strength. It was to decide whether to subjugate it or run away. The soldier named Hanson danced so hard he was out of breath. And there was clearly a reward for his efforts. Rumble rumble- The vibration sound started to be heard. Hanson flinched and stopped dancing. "Keep dancing!" That crazy guard captain. Hanson''s dance moves slowed down. It was like forcibly making ''the quietest kid in ss'' dance on stage at a school event. Hahaha. A painful memory came to mind. I almost raised my mental attack resistance. Rumble rumble rumble- The vibrations intensified. The guard captain also stopped his cruel act. "Pull him up!" And Hanson''s body floated up. It wasn''t because he was a flying human. They had tied a rope around his waist and hung it over a rock outcropping on the cliff, and the other soldiers all pulled on the rope at once. Anyway, Hanson secured sufficient distance from the ground. And the ground bulged up where he had been dancing. Bang! Eight legs bit at the empty air. Rip- Zain tore the scroll. ''Insight,'' was it? Unlike that in name. Something I couldn''t have imagined happened. Chapter 20: Who is the Sinner? A ''scroll'' is a document containing magic. It''s in the form of a roll, so just tearing it can cast magic. Even a seven-year-old child who has never seen magic in their life can throw a fireball if they have a scroll. The method of creating this mysterious magical tool was very secretive. In fact, since the magic tower monopolizes its management, the price of scrolls is quite expensive. Even Zain, a hero''s squire, can''t afford to have many. However, the appearance of a Chimera is sufficient justification to use a scroll. Zain tore that papyrus paper with his trained arm strength. Rip- The effect was excellent. A burst of pure white light emerged from where the paper was torn, and that light flew towards the Chimera. An amazing thing happened. The light enveloping the Chimera soon disappeared, but this time the Chimera itself started to glow. Perhaps between yellow and orange? The color differs for each part of the body. The sharp and hard legs are orange, and the body is yellow. The brilliantly glowing Chimera seemed surprised and floundered. That glowing light was the magic tower''s detection spell. An intuitive and even beautiful magic developed by a genius magician. "Overall yellow light!" "Level 4... We should be able to handle this!" There was a bright tone in the voices of Zain and the Guard Captain. And for good reason, the color of the glowing monster was an indicator to gauge the strength of the opponent. Harmless creatures are white. Then blue, green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and finally ck. One squire, a Guard Captain, and four elite soldiers. There''s even a trap prepared for the Chimera''s appearance. They judged they could sufficiently deal with it. "Fire!" The Guard Captain shouted so. Then the soldiers released their drawn bowstrings. Four arrows cut through the air and flew towards Fafnir. Ping ping ping ping! But the arrows bounced off the monster''s carapace. Greyrim''s bows are allposite bows made using monster horns. The draw weight is extraordinary, piercing even ordinary wooden shields, but they only left marks while sparking off. An carapace of remarkable strength. The Guard Captain, with a serious expression, shot hisposite bow himself. Thud! "Queeeeek!" The Chimera roared. The arrow from theposite bow precisely pierced between the Chimera''s joints. It was a disy of archery skill that could be called masterful without exaggeration. The problem is that the Chimera has eight legs. And that the creature started to rampage in anger. The Guard Captain retreated with a leap and called out Zain''s name. "Sir Zain!" The strongest in personalbat is, of course, the knight. Zain was clearly an officially appointed knight. Moreover, he had personally learned the pole axe from Steel Gunter. He drew out a pole axe, smaller than Gunter''s massive one, but still sufficiently long. "Haap!" An honest battle cry. And Zain''s pole axe began to shine. The light gathering on the de of the pole axe was clearly a distinct aura. The spear was swung at the Chimera. Crack! The pole axe pierced through the Chimera''s carapace and stuck. Zain was surprised by the strong repulsive force felt in his grip. "This thing is incredibly hard!" "Inflict as much damage as you can! It would be good to cut off its legs!" Zain did so. The Chimera seemed surprised by the pain it was experiencing for the first time in its life. But it wasn''t frightened. It was just angry at the unfamiliar monkey that was breaking its carapace. Its legs were certainly different from a spider''s. A spider''s legs weren''t meant for swinging to strike opponents. ng ng ng! Zain barely blocked it. Indeed, the Chimera is a terrifyingly formidable monster. If Steel Gunter were here, he might have subjugated it easily, but it''s a challenging opponent for Zain alone. It didn''t matter. He wasn''t alone. "Fall back!" Zain ran backwards as soon as the signal dropped. The Chimera was momentarily startled, then tried to chase. And the soldiers threw oil sks. Since humans befriended fire, it has been the most effective means of frightening beasts. "Light it up!" The Guard Captain used fire tactics once again. A torch flew through the air. == Wow, have you seen that madman, like the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang. That insufferable nemesis of mine even used fire tactics against a Chimera. It should rightfully be called the Battle of the Red Cliff, no, the Battle of the Cliff. The Chimera that was glowing brightly yellow is now engulfed in mes. "Queeeeek!" Hidden in a tree, I watched the fight while crunching on crickets. The scroll torn by the knight activated an amazing magic I couldn''t have imagined. It seemed to be something that could intuitively gauge the opponent''sbat power through colors. Can''t they see status windows? I''m not sure. I also had limitations on what I could see before eating the centipede''s inner dan. Still, this detection magic seems quite effective. I have to gauge the opponent''sbat power by looking at the status window. If it''s not visible at all, it''s an incredibly strong opponent, so immediate evacuation. If the level is high and the skills are unusual, it''s likely to be strong, so evacuate or investigate. It''s not intuitive. In fact, there''s a chance that something that seemed weak turns out to be incredibly strong when you fight it. It might be more convenient to be able to judge by color like that. "Maintain distance! Shoot more arrows!" The Guard Captainmanded. The knight is better at fighting, but the Guard Captain seems more capable in other aspects. Seeing the subtle tension between the two, somehow I felt more favorable towards the Guard Captain. That young knight seems somewhat arrogant. Standing up to the adult Guard Captain so bluntly. It seems the spirit of the Easternnd of courtesy remains in my heart. "This thing is persistent! Huff." The Chimera rampaged madly even while on fire. Confusion spread across the humans'' faces. But to me, it was a natural urrence. Well, it has high heat resistance. "This thing seems to have high heat resistance!" "It''s a mix of spider and mole, isn''t it! There''s no reason it should be fine even when on fire..." Their panicked cries were heard. Hmm, it seems they indeed can''t see the opponent''s status window. It looks like my reincarnator trait isn''t just a trantion function. After all, the Chimera''s status window visible to me was like this: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Chimera Fafnir lv20+++] [Traits] [Chimera], [Underground Monster], [Dragon''s Lineage], [Molting] [Skills] [Molting: Emergency lv2] [Carapace lv10], [Burrowing lv9], [Heat Resistance lv6], [Self-Healing lv3], [Magic Detection lv4], [Sense of Smell lv7], [Frenzy lv20], [Cutting lv10], [Doppelganger lv3], [Two Hearts lv1] ¡ùEvolution possible [Carapace lv10], [Frenzy lv20], [Cutting lv10] [Status] [Molting Possible], [Burn], [Frenzy] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s certainly no ordinary creature. What''s notable is that despite reaching the level cap of 20, the status doesn''t show ''Evolution Possible''. It seems Fafnir hasn''t met the evolution conditions. If Pelerian knew this fact, he would be sad. Instead, the status ''Frenzy'' has appeared. The skill ''Frenzy'' at level 20 was also radiating its presence brilliantly. It was at that moment that the Chimera''s movements became faster. Its burning legs were swung fiercely. It''s a fantastic attack, like swinging fire. ng! The knight raised his pole axe to save a soldier who was about to die. But as a consequence, he was pushed back, almost bouncing away. "What strength...!" They seemed to think it would instantly burn and shrivel up if they just set it on fire. Well, no matter how high its heat resistance is, it can''t be fine with its body on fire. The Frenzy skill probably can''t be used indefinitely, so it should die soon. Or... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Molting: Emergency lv2] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That skill stands out. There''s Molting in the traits, and there''s also a skill rted to Molting. If this is a skill at a simr level to my ''Billy''s Horn'', then the oue probably... "Die-!" The knight seemed to be trying to end the fight. He gathers all the magic power he has to increase his aura. The aura of the pole axe suddenly growsrger and strikes the Chimera''s body. Crack! The carapace shatters and the pole axe is buried in the body. Sparks fly and blood gushes out. The blood sizzles in the fire, releasing acrid smoke. A definite effective hit. Joy spread across the faces of Zain and the soldiers. However, it was too early to rejoice. Molting: Emergency was executed incredibly quickly. I saw the creature''s status changing rapidly before my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Status] [Frenzy], [Burn], [Emergency Molting], [Recovery], [Skill Evolution] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Huh? Molting is originally a time-consuming process. Preparation is needed before molting, and it takes time to execute. During that time, it bes extremely vulnerable, of course. But Fafnir''s molting was different. It was as if it had used a doppelganger technique. The burning shell remained in ce. The creature escaped from its carapace, wrapped in mucus. "No." Those were thest words of the soldier named Hanson. The Chimera''s legs suddenly elongated. Unlike when they were covered in hard carapace, the legs now were flexible like tentacles. Thud! It brushed past the knight and pierced through the chest of the soldier behind him. The Chimera leaped up. There were wounds on its body, but the mes that had been tormenting it the most were gone. Fafnir, having broken into the midst of the soldiers, swung its legs in all directions. Like a berserker. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Chimera Fafnir lv20] [Skills] ...[Berserker lv1], [sh lv1], [Iron Armor lv1(Inactive)] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Frenzy evolved into Berserker, Cutting into sh, and Carapace into Iron Armor. It had achieved skill evolution through the process of molting. Indeed, Emergency Molting was as overpowered a skill as Billy''s Horn. The knight and the Guard Captain still didn''t know how much stronger the Chimera had be. Because the effect of the detection scroll had ended. "Uwaaa!" The knight swung his pole axe like a madman. That momentum was extraordinary. But the Chimera was cunning. It started by taking out the rtively weaker soldiers. Perhaps because it had just molted, the pole axe actually left wounds on its body more easily. sh- However, sh, the Chimera''s new skill, cut the bodies of the soldiers in half. Just as the crazed knight was about to charge at the Chimera, disregarding his life. The Guard Captain pushed him away. "Run..." I saw the whole process. The Guard Captain pushed the knight''s body away to save his life. Stab! As a consequence, the Chimera''s leg pierced through the Guard Captain''s chest and protruded out. Blood spurted from his mouth like a fountain. "Cough!" "Ah, no." The knight failed to seize the opportunity the Guard Captain had provided. He was hit in the chest by the Chimera''s tentacle. Bang! Thanks to the full te mail he was wearing, instead of being cut, he was thrown back. He rolled on the ground a few times and theny motionless. Is he dead? No, I don''t care. ''Guard Captain...!'' I was deeply moved by the Guard Captain''s actions. He seemed to have no blood or tears. He sacrificed his own life to save the knight. The wounded Chimera quickly devoured the corpses of a few fallen soldiers and started digging the ground. Dig dig dig! Its speed was incredibly fast. It seems the fight wasn''t easy for it either, as it''s fleeing in a hurry. Only the smell of blood and silence remained in the scene. I''m the only one with eyes still open. I quietly broke the silence. "Hiss." I came down from the tree. Huh. They fought quite well. Their struggle was praiseworthy enough to apud. The problem was that the opponent happened to be at max level and had been conserving its strength. If it weren''t for Emergency Molting and Skill Evolution, they would have won. Well, thanks to that, I''ve gotten a clue on how to catch the Chimera. Hiss hiss. I flick my tongue cowardly. Where I stopped was in front of the Guard Captain. Yes. The Guard Captain was an excellent man. Although I have a snake''s heart, he showed a cool enough appearance to make my cold blood boil. But his sacrifice will not be known. That bravery of saving arade and being pierced instead. It wouldn''t be enough even if he received a medal of honor. But I saw it. I, this one, will remember that sacrifice. RIP Guard Captain. May you be at peace in that ce you''re going. Somehow my chest felt hot. The Guard Captain with his chest pierced was dead with his eyes open. Hmm, should I close his eyes for him? As I was pondering that, I slightly raised my tail. That''s when it happened. The Guard Captain''s eyeballs suddenly rolled and looked at me. "Uh, ugh, sn, snake. Cough!" Oh man of tenacity. The Guard Captain must have moved instinctively. He tried to swing the dagger in his hand to cut me. And I also moved instinctively. I''m not one to be cut by the weak sword swing of a dying soldier. Tap! Whoosh, I avoided the body and instead bit his wrist. ...Huh? "Cough, hack." The Guard Captain''s eyes rolled back, showing only the whites. Uh, uh. Uh oh oh! No, it wasn''t me! ¡¸You have killed Guard Captain lv24.¡¹ ¡¸You have achieved the ''Guard Captain Killer'' achievement.¡¹ Aaaaah! Chapter 21: Goddess Argh, shit! Captain of the guards! Don''t die! Yes, once we were enemies. The image of my roasted brothers and sisters is vivid before my eyes. I should rightfully hate this human called the captain of the guards. Is that really so? To be honest, I don''t have any affection for my siblings at all. I was moved by the captain''s sacrifice just now. But honestly, it was too much. He swung his sword as soon as he saw me. Thanks to this snake''s excellent reflexes. I dodged immediately and bit his arm as I passed by. Isn''t it too quick a death, no matter how you look at it? Did I really kill him? Ah,e to think of it, it was like that then too. When my brother (Little Green Snake lv3) who was fighting me met the same fate as the Sawtooth Bat. It wasn''t me who directly ended his life, but it was recorded as if I had killed him. Isn''t this the same? It was the Chimera that killed the captain of the guards. Not me. He probably would have died even if I had stayed still... There''s no way I could have killed such a splendid mustachioed captain of the guards. ¡¸You have achieved the achievement ''Killing the Captain of the Guards''.¡¹ ...But that message was heard too clearly. I didn''t know there were achievements in addition to traits, skills, and status. It''s like they''re confirming that I killed the captain of the guards. What? You''re saying I did the confirmation shot? Um... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Achievement] [Killing the Captain of the Guards] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Is it okay to leave a record like this? Isn''t this a vition of human rights? What if someone sees it? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Killing the Captain of the Guards] You have killed the captain of the guards of a territory. When fighting against the guards, you won''t easily get tired and will feel energized. You will likely develop a strange hostility towards the guards. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s not like human guards would like me anyway. It doesn''t seem to be immediately useful, but it doesn''t seem bad either. Let''s be grateful. This is the legacy of the captain of the guards. That''s what I decided to think. No, actually, that wasn''t the only legacy of the captain of the guards. Excuse me for a moment. I searched the captain''s pockets. It''s true that I was trying to loot his possessions. No matter what, I can''t just leave them here. The captain would be happier if I took them and put them to good use rather than letting them be torn apart and discarded by beasts. I''m sure that''s right. Wow! This guy is really crazy about fire engineering. The captain of the guards had several more oil bottles in his pocket. They all seem to have their uses, so I''ll take them. What''s this? This isn''t oil! In a bottle sealed with a cork stopper, a red liquid was sloshing around. I barely managed to open it with my tail. Pop- Along with the refreshing sound, a sweet fragrance spreads. I stuck out my tongue to taste it, and it felt warm in my body. The scratches on my body really healed smoothly. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Holy Water] Water blessed by a priestess of the Goddess Church. It heals wounds and boosts magical power. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This is a potion, isn''t it? It''s both a health potion and a mana potion, how precious. This really is a fantasy world. And does it mean a goddess exists? I was originally an atheist. I searched the pockets of the other soldiers too. It was a bit troublesome because there were guys whose waists were cut in half, separating their lower and upper bodies. Ugh, intestines. I was careful not to get the brown liquid on me. ...Oh. Come to think of it, this is the first time I''ve properly seen people dead like this. A person has been cut in half, and I''m not afraid, but rather concerned about not getting filth on me. Shouldn''t it be the other way around? ''Ugh! A human corpse...'' ''The shock of killing a person, urgh.'' Maybe I should be like that. It seems strange to be as calm as I am now. But isn''t this good? It seems much better than whining. It feels like I''ve be a dignified snake. Long live Mental Strength 20, indeed. The loot I collected was varied. First, the most precious potion bottle. There''s quite a lot of dried food too. I''ll keep all of that. And I gathered all the arrows and des too. If you ask how I, without hands, will use them, there are ways to utilize everything. I swept them all into the ring''s subspace. Since the Chimera took about one and a half soldiers with it, there are four and a half left, including the captain of the guards. I decided to hold a modest funeral for them. Not just out of sentiment, but I hope the Chimera doesn''te back to eat the rest. I need it to get hungry so I can lure it out and hunt it. It wasn''t easy to gather the corpses with my small body. Fortunately, or unfortunately, because the Chimera had torn them into pieces, I could drag them one by one. I couldn''t move the knight wearing armor because it was too heavy. I gathered the rest near the captain of the guards, whose limbs were intact. I opened one oil bottle and sprinkled the oil around. Basic Elemental Magic, Fire. Whoosh! The dead are cremated, emitting ck smoke. It might not be the proper cremation method, but this should be enough. Namu Amitabha Buddha. Although they died in vain in this life, may they be born in a good ce and be happy in the next life. Being reborn as a snake like me might not be as bad as you think. What was left was Zain, who the captain of the guards had saved. Although it seems he''s already dead, making that sacrifice meaningless. I was startled as I was sprinkling oil on him. It looks like he might be alive. He was clearly breathing, albeit slowly. Seeing a streak of blood at the corner of his mouth, it seems he has internal bleeding. It''s understandable, given how his armor''s breastte was dented. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Knight Zain lv16] [Traits] [Knight], [Rookie] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow, this guy''s trait is ''Rookie''. I wonder if he knows his trait is ''Rookie''? If so, it must be really embarrassing. Unlike the captain of the guards, his real name, Zain, is written, perhaps because I heard his name. As befitting a knight, there were a few skills I hadn''t seen before. The noticeable ones were ''Aura lv2'' and ''Intermediate Swordsmanship lv5'' The name ''Aura'' makes my manly heart flutter. Isn''t it about using sword energy and such? If I could apply Aura to my Venomous Fang, I''d be unstoppable. I tried to borrow Aura with Billy''s Horn. ¡¸Failed to borrow Aura lv2.¡¹ I tried several times but only used up mana and failed. It seems the proficiency of Billy''s Horn is insufficient. It''s disappointing, but can''t be helped. And anyway, I already had a skill borrowed for Fafnir. I almost identally burned him alive. Hmm... To be honest, I hesitated for a moment. Isn''t this an opportunity to quickly dispatch the knight? Just a little bite would do it. The neurotoxin would cleanly kill the injured knight. But. I made a slightly different choice. Didn''t the captain of the guards, a man I acknowledged, die trying to save this knight? Although I''m not sure if dying to save this rookie was worth it, I decided to respect the captain''s will. Well, I also felt sorry for identally finishing off the captain, and the fact that I''m currently at max level and wouldn''t gain experience from killing the knight also influenced my decision. It''s a bit disappointing, but... Oh. There was something shiny around his neck. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Blessed Ne] It brings a bit of luck. Perhaps that luck might even save your life. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hmm, is this why the knight is still alive? It probably isn''t, but. I think it''s fair to take this as payment for his life. I decided to proudly collect the loot as the victor. Why is this so hard? I couldn''t unfasten the ne with my tail, so it wasn''t easy to collect it. And then I was startled. The knight had his eyes half-open. I was so surprised that I almost stabbed my Venomous Fang into his neck. The knight remained still, not knowing he had just nearly died. He didn''t seem to have regained consciousness. He looked unconscious. That surprised me. Thud. The ne came off. I''ll take good care of it. That''s when it happened. Chu. The knight kissed my ring. "...Uh. Eh. ...ess." You crazy bastard. Before I knew it, I had struck the knight''s nose with my tail. He grinned even as he bled from his nose. Ah, Captain of the Guards. You gave your life for this madman. Once again paying my respects to the captain, I left the ce. Next time I meet the Chimera, I''ll hunt it down and evolve. == Zain''s armor was custom-made in the kingdom''s capital. It''s a full te mail that Gunter personallymissioned from a workshop on the day he made him his squire. Not all knights can wear such armor. A properly made full te mail requires several bags of gold coins. Therefore, it was a grace from his lord. The grace of his lord saved Zain''s life. If it had been a normal chain mail, it would have been torn apart by the Chimera''s sh. The te armor was merely dented. Zain was thrown back and lost consciousness. It was painful enough to die. Painful enough to think of death. The knight, whose training was not yetplete, dreamed in his sunken consciousness. The dream was clearly a nightmare. It was the dream he often had since bing a knight. A dream of dying. One day, participating in an unwinnable battle. Or dying while fighting an insurmountable monster. In the end, he always fell down with blood flowing from his mouth. So it was in the dream. All strength left his body as if there was a hole in his stomach. Blood kept flowing from his mouth. He couldn''t distinguish whether this was a dream or reality. It felt like he was really dying. Zain, trembling, brought his blood-stained hand to the nape of his neck. There was a ne there. Zain was a believer in the Goddess of Hearth and Fire. The priest had told him that when he died, he would return to the embrace of the Goddess. Would Zain be like that too? He forcibly swallowed the tears that were about toe out. Saa-ak. A chilling wind sound is heard from somewhere. Has the angel of deathe to take him? Sa-ak! And something gently brushed his face. That''s when Zain opened his eyes with a hazy mind. ''Goddess?'' mes were rising all around. The dead were burning. In the temple of the Goddess of Hearth and Fire, such fires were always burning. This acrid smell was the scent of the temple. Am I dead? Zain thought so. His body that wouldn''t move. "God...dess." In his foggy consciousness, Zain called for the goddess. And something cold and thin stroked Zain''s forehead. It was a finger wearing a ring. Zain realized it was the hand of the goddess. "O Goddess..." It was as if a spark had been rekindled in his cooling heart of faith. Zain willingly kissed the goddess''s ring. Saa-ak! The wind blew. Something pped Zain''s face. His consciousness sank again. After a while, Zain opened his eyes. "Huff. Ugh!" Unlike in the dream, his body was unbearably heavy. There was a lot of blood on the corner of his mouth. His chest ached. Seeing the dented armor, it''s fortunate he didn''t die. "...Ah, Captain of the Guards!" Only then did Zain recall the memory from before he lost consciousness. However, Zain''splexion turned pale white as he looked around. "Everyone... Ugh!" Everyone was dead. Moreover, the corpses were gathered in one ce and had been burned to ashes. "Who on earth did this?" He vaguely remembered dreaming about the goddess appearing. But what was the real reason for the others being cremated? Zain had no clues to deduce this. He clenched his fist tightly. It was a defeat. An undeniable mission failure. Now all he could do was return to the Greyrim territory. Plus the stigma of being the only survivor. His heart was heavy. == "So, when you opened your eyes, there was fire around?" "...Yes, that''s right." Zain answered the lord''s question with a haggard face. "The Captain of the Guards and all the soldiers were dead." "Yes, I confirmed it before I lost consciousness." "Couldn''t they have been not dead?" "Their necks were cut, waists were severed, and chests were pierced." "Hmm, is that Chimera so strong? Didn''t you know even with the Analysis Scroll?" "At first, it wasn''t that strong. Suddenly it molted, and its speed became incredibly fast." The lord sighed deeply, seeming perplexed. "This is troublesome, very troublesome." "Shamefully, I have returned alone. If you give me a chance, I will surely catch and kill that Chimera." Zain knelt on one knee. His appearance was utterly solemn. "Rise, Zain." The one who ordered Zain wasn''t the lord. It was therge man standing next to the lord. The true owner of the Axe Spear. One of the Eight Heroes. The alias, Steel. Gunter Frihansen had returned here. "Interesting. Both the story of the Chimera and the story of the goddess." Having just returned to Greyrim, Gunter seemed to be nning to leave again. "You will depart with me to that ce. Do you need time to rest?" "I''m fine!" "Then prepare." "Yes!" Zain answered vigorously as well. Chapter 22: The Man from the Martial Arts World The hero surveyed the Arkan Basin. The Golden Leaf investigator also headed towards the Arkan Basin. After being appointed, the Golden Leaf investigator has authorityparable to an elder. Moreover, she was also a special envoy of Elvenwood, so she would be treated as an honored guest in any kingdom on the continent. If she were human. She probably wouldn''t havee to such a dangerous ce alone. She would have received cooperation from the nearby Greyrim territory, and in that process, she might have been apanied by the hero Gunter. But Iris Selena was a fairy. Among fairies, she was an ascetic of the great forest living alone like an isted ind. That''s why she came to the Arkan Basin alone. If the ce Zain and the Guard Captain visited was the western border of the Arkan Basin, Iris, who departed from deep within the great forest, arrived at the eastern border. The sunset was approaching. The sun in the great forest with its high temperature is much redder than the sun in the west. It was as if the sun was burning the sky and clouds. The shadows of everything on the ground were lengthening in real-time. An elf''s eyesight is no less than an eagle''s. Her eyes scanned the entire basin. That doesn''t mean she could immediately find Pelerian''s dungeon. But Iris had experience. The light observed even from the World Tree. And the signal detected through the crystal ball. The approximate coordinates and direction derived from that were in her head. She also had knowledge of where that old magician liked to build dungeons. Iris jumped off the cliff without hesitation. A stark contrast to the Guard Captain and Zain who carefully rappelled down. Thud. It was a height sufficient for a fatal fall, but only a lightnding sound was heard. Iris did a slight leg stretch and immediately started running. Her movements were as light as a deer''s. She searched the Arkan Basin. Even with Iris''s knowledge and experience, the basin was vast. She searched the suspected areas one by one, starting from the closest. The process was meticulous to the point of being mechanical. Finally, she found Pelerian''s dungeon. For the first time, her eyes showed signs of life. Pelerian''s dungeons are so numerous that it''s difficult to determine their exact count. He numbered his dungeons. The number of the dungeon believed to be built most recently among the discovered ones is 623. There were traps installed on the floor tiles of the passage leading to the dungeon. Iris lightly breached those traps. "... An early dungeon." She thought so upon seeing the shallow traps installed in the dungeon. A stone door appeared. "Cockatrice?" There was apletely decayed corpse of a Cockatrice. The monster had made Pelerian''s dungeon its dwelling. But was that monster also hunted by someone? There were traces of being eaten all over the rotten body. Iris was disappointed. It seems Pelerian is not in the dungeon. If he had been here, he wouldn''t have let such a monster settle in, and if Pelerian had disposed of the monster, not even ashes would remain. Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock- Seven knocks. And the stone door opened. Iris examined the interior of the dungeon. And she discovered an important fact. "Someone has been here..." There were clear traces that someone had stayed. Iris approached the front of the half-twisted safe door, as if an earthquake had urred. ''It is an early dungeon... but this safe is on a different level.'' It''s a strange dungeon. The design style and crude traps were typical of Pelerian''s early dungeons. But this magic safe was something found in Pelerian''ster dungeons. Considering that the time gap between early dungeons andter dungeons is hundreds of years, it''s strange. A hypothesis can be formed. The dungeon was built hundreds of years ago, but it seems Pelerian stayed here within thest hundred years or so. A hundred years might be an incredibly long time for humans, but not for elves. "A narrow miss... I should havee a little earlier." Iris muttered so. It would be an absurd statement to a snake-like species that considers living 15 years as longevity. Iris began to dismantle the safe. The door was twisted, creating a gap, but it wasn''t a space a person could pass through. The width was barely enough to fit a fist. All clues about Pelerian had to be gathered. There might be valuable items. Dismantling that safe was an extremely difficult task. Iris seeded in breaking the exposed hinge after spending a full two hours. Crash! The broken door fell over. Iris entered the interior of the safe. Only then did she notice that nothing remained of the safe''s contents. "..." Just a few books were lying around. Clear dust marks only showed the traces of a thief. ''How on earth...'' Iris began to search the dungeon. She discovered many things. First, there was an interception golem that had shut down while wearing a helmet and cloak. "..." For a moment, she wondered if it was a dream. She couldn''t imagine why it had been disposed of in such a manner. And a shattered aquarium. Here, she noticed that Pelerian had created a chimera. She even found the chimera''s molted skin. The experiment must have failed, as the chimera had escaped on its own. "I''ll have to eliminate it." ''Eliminate the chimera and recover the specimen.'' Iris set her future course of action as such. As she was about to leave the dungeon with a regretful heart, her feet stopped. A portrait hanging on the wall stopped Iris. True to his narcissistic nature, that old monster Pelerian had hung his own portrait. A wrinkled face unlike an elf. A confident smile. Because time had passed, thick dust had umted on that portrait as well. However, someone who had stayed here had scribbled on that portrait. Probably writing made by wiping away the dust on the painting with a finger. But that writing was something Iris couldn''t recognize with her knowledge. ''What is this writing? No, is it a drawing?'' To describe what was written: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ????? ??? ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What kind of script is this supposed to be? "... Runic letters?" Iris was rtivelycking in magical knowledge. Being Pelerian''s dungeon, it might be some kind of magical marking. Anyway, for some reason, it''s an endearing mark. Iris''s eyes met with Pelerian in the painting. It made her feel dirty. She slightly unsheathed her broadsword. Papapapapak! Though she only swung once, consecutive sounds of tearing were heard. Soon, Pelerian''s shattered portrait fell with a tter. Iris turned around with a cold expression. The fairy investigator will hunt the chimera. == Wheeee. Today, the wind is a bit noisy. It feels like a man''s ambition is growing vigorously. Suddenly, I remembered the knight who kissed my ring and felt a bit dirty. That crazy bastard, to a clear and obvious man like me. A leaf flew and stuck to my face. I brushed it off and looked at the sky again. The weather is clear and bright. The fact that I can see a clear sky means this is a good ce to hunt the chimera. That beast always appeared in open spaces like this, even though it crawls underground anyway. The reason I met it near a cliffst time was also because of this. At first, I didn''t know why, but now I can guess the reason. It digs tunnels. And therge trees of the great forest usually spread their roots deep underground. Of course, it would dig tunnels avoiding those roots. It was evidence that I hadpletely grasped its habits. That chimera is not very intelligent. If I set traps, it shows up every time. Or is it so confident that it thinks it can ovee them anyway? I will finish it off today. Actually, I tried licking the blood it shedst time and sucking on the flesh of its severed leg, but the evolution tree didn''t update. I guess the condition is only met if I gulp it down properly. Even if I catch the chimera, surely the condition won''t fail to be met, right? For now, I''ll have to try my best. Of course, I prepared bait to lure it out. The ground was soaked with monster blood, and on top of it, I had prepared a mud model in the shape of a wild boar. Yes, it wasn''t a real monster but a mud model. It was a wild boar model I made with basic elemental magic that had just reached level 4. That thing underground will swallow the wild boar model without knowing anything. And it will be surprised by the taste of mud. But I didn''t go through all this trouble just to surprise it with taste. It took me a full day to make that. Thud thud- Yes,e. I have ''prepared''. Thud thud thud thud thud- It burst out, breaking the ground. Ah, doesn''t it ever get tired? It always tries to swallow in one bite without even chewing. This time, that gluttony worked in my favor. It swallowed the mud doll with a crunch. This is the chimera that remained fine even after swallowing a wild boar injected with lots of neurotoxin. But this time was different. "Queeeeek!" The chimera let out a scream of pain. Blood spurted out of its mouth like a fountain. How did I do it, you ask? Well, because I had packed the mud doll full of swords, arrows, and spears. I made it like a chestnut bur with the des I recovered from the soldiers and covered it with mud. Of course, I also applied plenty of neurotoxin. "Queek!" It kept vomiting blood from its mouth and started to go berserk. Still, there''s no sign of it dying instantly. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Status] [Enraged], [Berserker], [Poisoned], [Killing Intent], [Post-Molting], [Vulnerable] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That thing evolved its ''Carapace'' skill into ''Iron Armor'' skill a few days ago. But after molting, that hard carapace bes soft, which is a weakness. Two full days have passed since thest incident. Its carapace still doesn''t seem to have hardened. "Saaaack!" I shouted a battle cry and charged forward. It still hasn''te to its senses. Now was the opportunity. It''s time to test the skill I honed by dedicating another full day. I approach quickly using eleration. And in my tail was none other than a short sword. The Elven Broadsword. That peculiarly light sword. Now I can even run while holding it. Given my body structure, it''s naturally impossible to swing it properly. But I could get help from skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skill] [Billy''s Horn lv4: sh lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s a skill I borrowed from the chimerast time. A higher-level skill than Cutting. And after several experiments, I found out. When holding a proper de, the effect of the sh skill is doubled. I seeded in crawling between its legs. ¡¸Activating sh lv1.¡¹ The force swinging the sword was probably weaker than a child''s. However, the sword imbued with the power of the skill fulfilled its purpose. Swish- The sword precisely cuts through the joint of the leg. Psshhhh- Blood spurted out like a fountain from the cut joint. I pass by avoiding it. Once more, Taichi sword technique! Thwack! This time I couldn''t cut the joint precisely. But nevertheless, one leg was cut off from the middle. It was also shocked and tried to catch me. It frantically moved its remaining legs as if doing a tap dance. It might look funny from the side, but not to me who was directly involved. Bang, bang, if I get stepped on even once by those legs stomping the ground, I''d die right away. But a swordsman''s senses be more acute in dangerous situations. My mind finally entered the stage of mental focus. Ugh! I really almost died. Just one more, just one more time. ¡¸Activating sh lv1.¡¹ This skill consumes quite a lot of mana. But my sword finally cut off another leg. It tilted diagonally. Swish- Kuuung! With three out of eight legs cut off, it had no choice but to copse. "Queeek!" Seems its fighting spirit is still alive. Come at me. I, a novice swordsman from the martial arts world, will face you. Ting! Ah. The broadsword flew away after being hit by its leg. It''s because the gripping strength of my tail is weak. Well, my specialty isn''t swords anyway. Actually, I never imagined I could cut off three legs. Now the real cooking begins. Chapter 23: Second Evolution Waaaah! This wasn''t childish whining. It was the sound effect of bravely biting into the Chimera''s body. I felt my venom nds tighten. I had injected the neurotoxin stored in my venom nds to its limit. Now they''repletely empty. "Quaack!" The Chimera spewed blood everywhere. Despite this, it still moves quickly. It''s really tough. Well, just looking at its size, it seems bigger than an elephant. If we measured its weight, it would easily exceed tons. Moreover, I recently became certain of something. Between a rabbit with Poison Resistance lv3 and Mother Medusa with Poison Resistance lv2, who would be more resistant to poison? The answer is what intuitivelyes to mind. Of course, Mother Medusa would be stronger. She wouldn''t even flinch at most deadly poisons. Skills are certainly meaningful, but they''re not ''everything''. There''s an effect of physical size. It''s natural that a Zealot''s sh lv1 is stronger than a mantis''s sh lv10. And what should I call it, the constitution, or the rank of the magical beast is also important. For example, even though I''m a lowly poisonous snake, I''ve been resistant to poison since I was young. In that respect, that Chimera can''t be underestimated either. Didn''t they say it has dragon lineage? Pelerian wouldn''t have mixed in dragon blood just for show. There must be some kind of effect. Pababak! The creature''s intact leg dances a deadly dance trying to stamp me to death. A human body would be easily sliced like butcher''s meat by that leg. But I am small. Still only as thick as a baby''s arm. No matter how it swings those huge legs, they won''t reach me. Ack! My tail got slightly pinched. I''m bleeding. I was already concentrating, but now I focused even more. Using eleration, I dodge the legs and enter inside the creature''s body. Like this... Kuung! As expected. Its legs got tangled and it fell. It might have been different originally, but I''ve already cut off three of its legs. Good, now that it''s fallen, I just need to set it on fire. Oh! Things didn''t go exactly as I thought. It had evolved its Frenzy lv20 into Berserker lv1. What is a Berserker? It''s someone who doesn''t stop fighting even when hit by arrows, even while spilling their guts from a torn belly. The creature did something crazy as it kept falling. It stood up using its two sturdy front legs as legs. In other words. ''It stood up...! This bastard stood up!'' I eximed in admiration, forgetting I was in the middle of a fight, at the sight that was too absurd. Anyway, it wasn''t that threatening. That''s because all it could do in a standing position was il its remaining legs. It reminds me of a flying squirrel character running towards you saying ''Hug me!'' "Gweeeek!" It spewed out vomit mixed with blood. Ugh, it looked kind of dangerous so I quickly dodged. Sure enough, right after vomiting, it threw its body at me. That wide-open mouth gaped to swallow me. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv4.¡¹ I used the magic I had used on the golem. I made the ground it was standing on slippery. In that posture, it would be even easier to fall. Instead of pouncing on me, it fell face-first into its own vomit. St! Ew, gross. "Queek, queek!" Now it can''t even walk properly. It approached me, crawling. Its fighting spirit is really amazing. Alright, I''ll finish you off now. I can''t stick my venomous fangs into it anymore. If I keep my distance, this guy that I''ve cornered might escape again. Then I have no choice but to end it here and now. I was already next to the Elven Broadsword that had bounced away. This light sword is actually morefortable to bite with my mouth than to hold with my tail. Until now, I held it with my tail to swing it so I could use my venomous fangs, but now it doesn''t matter. Chomp. I bit and held it. Ah, this cool and heavy sensation. It''s time to return to being a swordsman. I disyed the Taoist sword technique of Hyeonmunjeongjonghyeon. That means I ran hard while holding the sword in my mouth. This isn''t nonsense. I''ve seen a swordsman using a sword like this in a manga. Hup! I used all my magic power to unleash a sh. It also swung its leg to kill me. Swish! That leg barely grazed my body as it passed by. Instead, I passed between its legs. Of course, I sliced its body while rotating. Snake style, Chimera Cutting. ¡¸Using sh lv1.¡¹ sh- It went in deep. Something like red intestines burst out from the creature''s split body. I''ve been waiting for this moment. I boldly used Leap. I entered into its body through the gaping red wound. I''m familiar with this trick, having done it once before. The Horn Jaguar fell victim to it too. Back then, I was a tiny thread snake, but it was still very effective. Let''s see if you can withstand this, Chimera. I burrowed into the creature''s body like a loach in water. And I bit and tore at everything around me. My size and biting power were iparable to before. The creature shrieked and thrashed about. Of course, it wasn''t safe for me either. It''s very difficult to breathe inside a body. Fortunately, I have the Breath Holding skill, so that''s lucky. I just need to kill it before I suffocate. Or find its lungs first. For that, I vigorously churned through the creature''s insides. Ptooey, it''s bitter. Is this the galldder? My stomach has really gotten stronger. Then suddenly, I felt myself sinking downwards. The creature hadn''t jumped off a cliff like the Horn Jaguar. It was instinctively trying to escape into a burrow. I need to finish this quickly. And finally, I found it. The creature''s heart, pulsating hotly. Crunch. Even a Berserker can''t fight with a burst heart. Chimera, no matter how much of a monster you are, you can''t do that. The creature''s movements stopped. Kuung. Soon after, I felt arge amount of ''experience points'' being absorbed. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it demonic energy. ¡¸Absorbing arge amount of demonic energy.¡¹ ¡¸Level is at the limit¡¹ ¡¸Unabsorbed demonic energy is stored.¡¹ Ah, what a waste. Normally, I would have leveled up explosively like when I killed the Horn Jaguar. The Chimera was certainly a much stronger creature than the Horn Jaguar. Of course, I can evolve skills with the umted demonic energy, but it''s still a bit disappointing. ¡¸The umted demonic energy is approaching a critical point.¡¹ What''s this about a critical point? I checked my status window again. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Horn Snake lv10+++] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The + marks next to lv have be three. Hmm. Let''s collect the magic stone first. As always, the Chimera also had a magic stone inside its heart. The Chimera''s level was 20. The Horn Jaguar''s level was over 30, so just looking at the levels, the Horn Jaguar seemed stronger. But it seems that wasn''t the case. The Chimera''s magic stone wasrge and beautiful. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Fafnir''s Magic Stone: 4th Grade] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I''ll eat well. No! I was shocked after eating Fafnir''s magic stone. That''s because the taste is different! The Cockatrice''s magic stone had an excellent warm yet tart vor. But Fafnir''s magic stone was much sweeter. Maybe it''s because of the dragon lineage mixed in, but I could taste a distinct sweetness like dalgona. I mean it''s delicious. Excellent. ¡¸Demonic energy imbues the body.¡¹ ¡¸Rank increases slightly.¡¹ ¡¸The umted demonic energy is approaching a critical point.¡¹ Once again, I heard that the demonic energy was approaching a critical point. What is this critical point, and what happens when it''s reached? I''m curious, but there''s no way to find out. I didn''t want to dy evolution any longer. I can''t wait anymore! I crawled out of the Chimera''s body and looked around. This is inside a dark burrow. There''s a foul smell and Fafnir''s corpse is nearby, but few ces would be safer than here. In other words, it was the optimal ce for evolution. Alright, shall we do it? To evolve, I need to sleep. I settled down next to the Chimera''s corpse. In my previous life, it took a long time to fall asleep. Maybe it was because I got into the habit of using my smartphone while lying down. When I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, various thoughts came to mind. Anxious thoughts, feelings that it was a waste to sleep. So I suffered from insomnia, but now it''s different. I could fall asleep quickly when I closed my eyes. Maybe insomnia is also a matter of willpower. I''m surprisingly satisfied with living as a snake now. Drowsiness soon washed over me. When I open my eyes again, I''ll have evolved anew. Goodbye, world. I sank into a sleep like darkness... Not. Wait. My eyes snapped open. Because I remembered something. Fafnir''s status window. I can''t check it again now that it''s dead, but I remember something. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Two Hearts lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There was such a skill. I thought, "What, is it Park Ji-sung or something?", but what kind of skill was it? Is it a skill that allows you to run tirelessly no matter how hard you run on the field? Or maybe... I used Magic Detection. My field of vision changed. It seems that magic power is imbued in the Chimera''s blood. Everywhere was slightly tinged with red, but there was a particrly bright cluster of light gathered in one part of its body. Probably where the magic stone is. I burrowed into its body. And it really existed. Another heart. The Two Hearts skill was literal. But if it has two hearts, shouldn''t it not die even if one bursts? No, thinking about it, it probably doesn''t work like in manga. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Fafnir''s Magic Stone: 4th Grade] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There was also a magic stone in this heart. So there are two magic stones. I swallowed this one too with a crunch. Again, a sweet taste spread in my mouth, and a voice sweeter than that taste was heard. ¡¸The umted demonic energy has reached a critical point.¡¹ ¡¸The demonic energy imbued in the body promotes evolution.¡¹ ¡¸Please evolve.¡¹ Oh, I''m going to evolve. I wonder if something has changed. While defeating Fafnir, I also swallowed its blood until my stomach was full. I''m curious if the evolution tree has changed. I quickly tried to fall asleep. My heart was pounding so much that it was somewhat difficult to fall asleep... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [You have reached level 10 and can evolve.] [Do you want to evolve?] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Haha, I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the ground. Suddenly, a status window appeared before my eyes. And there was content that wasn''t there before. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Evolution is promoted due to umtion of demonic energy.] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It says promotion. And the evolution options thate to mind. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ From [White Horn Snake lv10] to 1.[Green Horn Snake](+) 2.[Poison White Snake](+) 3.[Swamp White Horn Snake](+) 4.[Trap Horn Snake](+) 5.[Double Horn Snake](+) 6.[White Horn Python](+) ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A ''+'' mark appeared on all evolution options. That seems to be the promotion of evolution. I''m not sure exactly what will happen, but. And the added 6th option. I couldn''t help but tremble. That''s because finally, an option that wasn''t ''Snake'' appeared. It says Python. If tranted, it would be something like ''silk snake''. It''s a snake with a simr appearance to that boa constrictor in The Little Prince. The biggest characteristics of a Python are its pattern and size. As the name ''silk'' suggests, it has beautiful patterns and depending on the species, it can growrge enough to even eat humans. In some cases, it can grow almost to the level of an anaconda. Just as Mother Medusa''s designation was Serpent, this clearly seems to be the next stage after Snake. As expected of dragon lineage! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Horn Python] A rare white individual of Python. It has beautiful patterns due to magic power. The white color of its body is disadvantageous for survival, but due to that color, its patterns have acquired unique magical properties. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Even the description is beautifully content. Green, be gone! Has the era finallye for white to be recognized? I pretended to contemte for just a very short moment out of courtesy. Yeah, is there anything else to choose? ¡¸You have selected White Horn Python.¡¹ ¡¸Starting evolution.¡¹ Special evolution! And here, the meaning of ''promotion'' was finally revealed. ¡¸Evolution is promoted by umted demonic energy.¡¹ ¡¸Based on the conditions achieved by the subject, the process of evolution elerates.¡¹ Oh. Is my effort finally being properly evaluated? Is that so. ¡¸You utilized horns the most.¡¹ That''s right, horns. ¡¸Evolving into ''White Double Horn Python''.¡¹ Ooh. My head feels itchy and another horn grows. My body growsrger, and beautiful apricot-colored patterns appear on my white, smooth scales. And so, I evolved. Chapter 24: Long-eared Psychos Ah, what a beautiful morning. The sunlight wasn''t particrly warm, and there were no birds chirping melodiously. Nevertheless, it was undoubtedly a beautiful morning. After all, isn''t it up to me to decide whether a morning is beautiful or not? Even if I''m in hell. Even if I''m rolling around in the mud soaked with Chimera Fafnir''s blood inside a burrow, it''s a beautiful morning as long as I''m happy. I truly believed that. Still, it''s a shame there''s no sunlight. Just imagining how beautifully my two horns and scale patterns would shine under the sunlight makes me feel good. That''s right. I sessfullypleted my evolution. Although the size of my horns was still adorably small, having one on each side in a bnced manner seemed a bit cool. My life has definitely changed since my horns sprouted. Who am I? The owner of "Billy''s Horn". And at the same time, the owner of "Leaping Horn". ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Leaping Horn Lv1] Concentrate your mind and leap with all your might. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Yes, Leaping Horn. This is even more nonsensical than Billy''s Horn. ... Hmm. I could see more things after evolving. There was an exnation for Leaping Horn, but I couldn''t understand what it was supposed to leap over. Well, I''ll probably figure it out as I use it. And now I''m no longer a snake, but a python. Of course, I''m still a snake, but if someone were to call me, I''d prefer to be called a python instead of a snake. Like how a person living in New York would say "I live in New York~" instead of "I live in the USA~". And the defining characteristic of a python was none other than its patterns. Even with night vision, I couldn''t see very clearly before, but now beautiful apricot-colored patterns appeared on my white body. That it wasn''t just for decoration was evident from my status window alone. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python Lv1] [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn], [Pattern] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Yes, Pattern became a trait. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pattern] You possess a pattern imbued with magic. It''s not easily damaged and repels magic and curses below a certain level. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ So this is like a defense buff. Plus, it repels magic. The question is what "below a certain level" means exactly, but it''s certainly a grateful trait. Nice. Now that I''ve also taken down a chimera. Should I live like a king in this basin? I think this might be the entrance to the great forest. At least I haven''t seen any monsters stronger than the chimera. Iughed with a hiss. But was there really a god in this world? One who punishes the arrogant... My pattern trembled. Or maybe it was my scales that trembled. My friend Survival Instinct was telling me. To run away. But where to? The burrow has two directions. Forward and backward. I chose either one. There really wasn''t much of a gap between my Survival Instinct''s warning and my response. That''s because I moved swiftly using my eleration skill. But it was already toote. The burrow started to copse. That''s what I thought at first. To be precise, it wasn''t copsing. The ground was rising up. The burrow seemed to have been dug quite deep underground. But the copsing soil from the ceiling blocked the passages on both sides, and the ground where the chimera and I were quickly rose. It''s clearly an abnormal situation. It''s as if the soil is moving on its own. Is this magic? I tried using Magic Detection. Ah, I couldn''t help but tremble. Torrents of magical power were swirling all around. Like Van Gogh''s Starry Night. Streams of glowing magical power flow through the soil. If this is magic, it must be some kind of high-level elemental magic. Ah, light ising in from the ceiling. We''ve already been lifted to the surface. Damn, I quickly hid under the chimera for now. Whoosh! In an instant, we reached the surface. And from the shadow of the chimera''s corpse. I witnessed the one who caused all this. ''It''s a long-ear!'' There was an unmistakable fairy standing there. Unlike Pelerian, a young and beautiful elf with long ears. She looked like she had just stepped out of my preconceptions. == "Thank you." Iris expressed her gratitude. At her feet was a mole sniffing with its front paws raised. Its semi-transparent appearance made it clear that it was neither an ordinary animal nor even a magical beast. "You can go back now, y." It was an elemental spirit. One of the four elements. A spirit governing the element of earth or soil. Although Iris hadn''t mastered magic, befitting her noble elven lineage, she knew how tomand spirits. But the spirit wasn''t Iris''s possession. Despite being told it could leave, y continued to sniff around and fidget. Iris turned her attention away from the spirit. She had discovered Pelerian''s cursed product. However, it was dead. Dead in a burrow, at that. She had sensed it through the spirit even before she saw it. ''It''s in a terrible state.'' That was her first impression upon seeing the chimera''s corpse. Iris was an elf who had been through hell. As an excellent warrior and hunter, she had foughtrge magical beasts more than once or twice. But the state of the chimera was enough to send chills down even Iris''s spine. Legs brutally severed. Wounds all over its body, ck blood emitting a foul odor, possibly poisoned. Dead in the very state it had been crawling in, spilling its entrails and blood. Who. Who could have fought this chimera like this? And how did it end up dead in a burrow? There were no clues. For now, she should collect its blood and retrieve any magic stones it might be carrying. Just as Iris had made this decision and drawn her sword. Tap tap. y, the small mole-like spirit, tapped Iris''s foot. "What is it?" The spirit pointed at the chimera''s corpse. No, to be precise... "Oh? ... I see." Then, could you help me for a moment? Iris conveyed such a thought to the spirit. The spirit obeyed its summoner''s will. Whoosh! The ground rose up. Despite having lost several of its legs, the heavy chimera bounced up and spun around. And of course, the white snake that had been hiding underneath was revealed. "Hmm." It had horns on its head. A horn-type magical beast. ''A white individual. An albino, huh.'' Albino magical beasts tend to stand out. Most of them don''t grow much before being eaten. For one to have grown to adulthood like this, and with double horns at that. It was quite an admirable feat. Iris looked down at the snake. She couldn''t have imagined in the slightest. That this small snake could have killed the chimera. The snake moved quickly, seemingly trying to escape. She reflexively tried to step on the snake''s neck. Whoosh- And the snake dodged Iris''s foot. Not only did it dodge, but it counterattacked with surprising speed, leaping up. Those fangs looked extremely sharp. It must surely possess a deadly venom. Iris tried to step back. At that moment, the soil rose up and bound her feet. It wasn''t the spirit''s doing. ''Could it be, this snake!'' A venomous snake''s attack while her feet were bound. If Iris had been a young fairy, she might have fallen for it. However, there was no way a Golden Leaf Investigator could be stopped by such basic earth magic. She shook off the soil and retreated. The snake bit the air and fell. Iris let out a small exmation. "So you''ve learned magic." It''s not umon for magical beasts to naturally acquire magic. But for such a small creature? A mere snake? "You''d be dangerous if allowed to grow." Nip it in the bud. It''s worth killing preemptively. Iris made that judgment. Her decisiveness was something even the elven elders acknowledged. She swung her broadsword at the snake that had leaped again. The head wasn''t cleanly cut off with a thud. ng! Instead, sparks flew. == Crazy long-ear. I almost died. Suddenly trying to step on me to death, and now swinging a sword! My tiny heart is pounding. My neck is split open with a wound. Blood is trickling out. But it wasn''t cut off. Huff, huff, I''m alive. Something like adrenaline seems to be gushing out all over my body. My whole body feels tingly and like it''s floating. That sword. It''s an Elven Broadsword. I know because I''ve used one before. It''s incredibly light and ridiculously sharp. But it couldn''t cut my neck and only produced sparks. That was thanks to me figuring out how to use Leaping Horn in an instant. The moment the sword came flying. I instinctively knew that I couldn''t dodge that sword strike. Then I would have to block it. I didn''t have skills like Iron Armor or Carapace. So all I had was Pattern. How could I utilize the Pattern trait? This series of thoughts urred in less than a second. I desperately wished. ¡¸Using Leaping Horn Lv1 to surpass the limits of the ''Pattern'' trait.¡¹ ¡¸The ''Pattern'' trait temporarily bes ''Magic Circle: Defense''.¡¹ That''s right. Leaping Horn was a skill that surpassed limits. Thanks to that, it ended with just my neck''s skin being split. Thinking about it now, it was a close call. If I hadn''t found another magic stone from the chimera. If I hadn''t gotten a new horn because of that, my neck would have been cut clean off just now. Surprisingly, I survived. It seems I wasn''t the only one shocked. The fairy was standing with her mouth open and eyes wide. Hey, I was even more surprised. "..." The crazy murderous fairy didn''t give up. A brilliant light enveloped the Elven Broadsword. It''s clearly an aura. Moreover, it''s a much brighter and clearer aura than what that young knight Zain used. If I get hit by that, I''ll die instantly. I tried to run away quickly. Thud! But damn it. The ground rose up and my body floated. I could see that mole spirit covering its mouth andughing beside her. I added it to my mental hit list. Right below that crazy psychopath elf woman. Ah, my life shes before my eyes. Well, there wasn''t much to it. Getting bitten by a Mosquito Rat. Sharing neighborly affection with the friendly centipede couple. The day I first evolved. Those scenes sh by. I had no means to block that glowing sword. Leaping Horn had taken most of my magical power. Farewell, world. Potential of 20 or whatever is of no use now. Mental Strength 20 is... Well, I guess not giving up until the end is what befits Mental Strength 20, right? A memory suddenly shed. When my tail was stepped on by a golem. At that time, I thought my tail would surely be crushed, but it was fine. It was thanks to the ring. I instinctively curled my tail. Honestly, no matter how sturdy the ring is, I don''t think it can block that sword. In that very short moment. The elf''s eyes widened as she saw my ring. And the aura collided with the ring. Boom! Is this the kind of thunderous sound you''d hear if lightning struck right in front of you? A shockwave erupted. It was something that couldn''t have been produced by a simple collision of metal and metal. Wait. My consciousness cked out for a moment. When I opened my eyes, there were clouds beside me. Damn, it was the sky. I had been flung away at an incredible speed. I could see the bewildered elf and the chimera''s corpse far away. Whoosh! The air hit my body furiously. I could see the entire Arkan Basin below. In the clear sky, it felt like my tail might touch the sun. Ah, my tail, and the ring are all safe. What on earth is this thing made of? However, gravity was a stubborn fellow that didn''t know how to give up its own. I fell, tracing a parab. This looks like I''m going to die for sure. I survived a sword strike imbued with aura, but to die from falling? That''s not even funny. But it seems my luck hadn''t run out yet. The ground was rapidly approaching. I fell, breaking several tree branches. And then the water surface. Ssh! I fell into a pond, creating a spray of water. My whole body feels piercingly cold. It felt like my entire body was about to burst with pain. It seemed like several bones were broken, even though I had just evolved not long ago. But I couldn''t lose consciousness here. Being a cold-blooded animal, my body would stiffen up in an instant. I shook my body frantically. Towards the shore, towards the ground. ¡¸Due to the Perseverance trait, you are not restricted in skill acquisition¡¹ ¡¸You have acquired Swimming Lv1.¡¹ Oh, thanks~ But I''ve already gotten out of the water. Gasp, gasp, I really almost died. My whole body is cold. Far away, I can see the elf standing next to the chimera. I quickly hid my body behind a rock. I made a resolution at this moment today. Long-eared races, elves, fairies. I won''t trust any of them because they''re all crazy bastards. Ah, my anger is burning. "What a crazy bitch." Completely insane. "Swinging a sword as soon as she sees someone, what a terribly nasty temper." I don''t know who you are, but could you stop saying the right things behind my back? I quickly turned my head. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Si Ring: Seal Released] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh? I wasn''t surprised that the ring''s seal was released. It was because there was a semi-transparent old fairy, as if a person had been shrunk to barely a span in length, in front of it. It was a familiar face. And since I only know two fairies in the world. It wasn''t the crazy woman standing far away. Pelerian? Could it really be him in person? Chapter 25: Ill return it soon "Hmm, the seal on the ring has been broken. Did someone invade the dungeon?" It looks like Pelerian has been reduced to an SD character. The size is barely as big as a human palm, with arge head and big eyes. It should naturally look cute, but it doesn''t. That''s because Pelerian is as ugly as seen in the hologram. He''s also aged terribly. It''s not quite bald, but there''s a clear M-shape on his forehead. His face is also full of mischief. Shouldn''t something like that be called a gremlin rather than a fairy? Only his eyes were a bit clear, making him look like a clear-eyed lunatic. A clear-eyed madman. "That crazy Iris took my Fafnir, that cute child...." Pelerian was grumbling, seemingly angry. More importantly, cute child? That Chimera? His aesthetic sense must have gone full circle. Well, it''s not strange. There are various tastes in the world. Pelerian continued to mutter to himself. He seemed to be ignoring my existence. "Why is this snake wearing my ring? Tsk tsk." ''That''s a bit harsh. You racist old man.'' I didn''t actually say that to Pelerian. I just mumbled it in my head. Since bing a snake, I had no way to speak humannguage. However, Pelerian''s expression changed surprisingly dramatically. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. "Ack! The snake speaks!" I was also startled and let out an internal scream. You can hear me? "I-Is it an illusion? Yes, it must be an illusion." What''s this? Now he can''t hear me again. What was different from just before? I tried to put a bit more force into my inner monologue, as if speaking. ''I said, can you hear me?!'' "Ugh! The snake really speaks!" Pelerian was surprised once again. For someone who''s a mad magician conducting Chimera experiments, he seems to have a surprisingly weak constitution. "What are you, a real snake? No matter how I look at you, you''re just a lowly creature." ''That''s rude to say to a person.'' "Person? You''re saying you''re a person?" ''No, I''m not a person, I am a snake, but....'' "A snake that ims to be a person... This is driving me crazy. Has the world changed?" Pelerian also looked bewildered. "Why are you wearing my ring?" ''Well, it just happened that way. I picked it up.'' It''s a strange feeling to have a conversation with an illusion. It seems Pelerian felt the same way. "This is ridiculous. A mere magical beast wearing my si ring.... Even speaking as if it were human." ''What about you? Are you really Pelerian?'' "If I''m not Pelerian, who else would I be? Although I''m only a part of that soul, I am indeed the Heaven Defier magician." His speech suddenly bes long and solemn when asked about his identity. What does he mean by ''part of that soul''? ''So can you use magic and stuff?'' "Hmm, ...a low-level question." ''Why is asking a magician if they can use magic a low-level question?'' "Oh, over there!" Pelerian suddenly pointed his finger in one direction. It was an obvious attempt to divert attention, but I decided to go along with it. I looked in that direction. And all the scales on my body trembled. A chill ran through me. It''s a shock that can''t even bepared to when I saw the Guard Captain again. Why is that guy here? The monster who beheaded my mother in one stroke. The hero Gunter. He''s walking over with his knights. == Iris couldn''t believe the scene she had just witnessed. She naturally thought she could cut the snake with a single stroke. But the strong repulsive force felt from the sword. Iris barely failed to cut even a piece of flesh. Well, up to that point, it could happen. There were plenty of magical beasts with tough skin after all. But what about after that? She clearly surrounded her short sword with aura. And used the skill, ''Hundred shes''. Like the Spine Bone Parrots, it should have been cut into dozens of pieces. But the snake blocked it by raising its tail. More precisely, with the ring on its tail. Her aura could cut even steel armor. The snake was blown high into the sky as shockwaves exploded. Looking at the broadsword, the de was chipped. This happened just because of a ring. Why was the snake wearing a ring in the first ce? Above all, the pattern on that ring.... "...Pelerian." She couldn''t be certain at a nce. That the crest symbolizing Pelerian was engraved on that ring. But given that Pelerian''s Chimera was here. ''Could that snake also be a magical beast created by Pelerian?'' If so, it must be an incredible masterpiece, even more so than the Chimera. She needed to pursue the snake that had flown away. First, she had to recover the Chimera''s corpse using spatial magic. Iris, who was about to bend down, straightened her body. And turned around. "...." They weren''t even trying to hide their presence. The nking sound of heavy te armor was loud. This ce is an open field with the sky visible. And a group emerged from the bushes to the west. They were knights in heavy armor. None of them had an ordinary presence. All had a roaring lion carved on the shoulder part of their armor. Those with discernment would recognize them as the Iron Lion Knights. Iris had discernment. She also recognized that the short-haired man leading the Iron Lion Knights was one of the Eight Heroes. They approached with a nking sound and lined up in a row. All the knights stopped, with only Gunter moving. He approached Iris alone. He stopped and opened his mouth. "Gunter Frihansen. Captain of the Iron Lion Knights." "...Iris Selena, Golden Leaf Investigator." Iris answered as well. She didn''t put away her sword. Gunter didn''t seem to mind. "So you were the fairy''s envoy. I''ve heard of the Selena family. Pleased to meet you." "It''s not such a pleasant situation. Being surrounded by knights and all." "We haven''t surrounded you. We''re just maintaining discipline given that we''re in arge forest." "So, do you have business with me?" Iris''s transparent eyes stared at Gunter. Gunter slightly nodded towards the Chimera''s corpse. "Did you kill it?" "...No, it was already dead." "Then that''s good. Since you didn''t hunt it." "What do you mean?" "We need to recover the Chimera''s corpse. I ask for your concession." Iris frowned. "What an absurd request. Do you know whose creation this Chimera is?" "Heaven Defier. It must be that magician''s legacy." "...So you know. Then you must also know that it''s rightfully the fairies'' duty to handle this." Iris raised her sword. At this, the Iron Lion Knights behind her all drew their weapons at once. ng ng ng ng-! The grand chorus of metallic sounds was magnificent. Gunter raised his hand to stop them. The disciplined knights put away their weapons again. Iris hadn''t raised her sword to fight. She brushed her bangs with the wrist of her sword-holding hand. A long scar extending from one eye to her forehead was revealed. "This is a wound inflicted by Pelerian." "...." "I am the direct agent of revenge. An official investigator appointed by the Elder Council. If you are a person of the kingdom, respect the will of Elvenwood." Of course, the kingdom was on friendly terms with the fairies. Iris was using this to pressure Gunter. She thought he would back down after this exnation. "I''m sorry. But we need that Chimera corpse." However, things didn''t go as smoothly as she thought. A Chimera corpse created by Pelerian. What meaning could such a thing have for humans? "Can you handle it?" A final warning. Gunter smiled at the question. "I''ve always handled everything." He raised his axe spear. At this point, there was no choice but to fight. Gunter gestured to the Iron Lion Knights not to interfere. Iris red at Gunter. The eye with the scar was cloudy and grayish-white. That eye shone strangely. In this iprehensible situation, she tried to see through Gunter. Why would a supposedly righteous knight rob from a fairy? "...You." She made a judgment. "You''re an evil person." Contrary to public opinion, Gunter was a monster with a cold heart. "Oh? Do you have some kind of seeing-through technique?" "...." "The eye of judgment? Scales? Well, it doesn''t matter." The Iron Lion Knights'' expressions didn''t change at all at the beautiful fairy''s assessment. "The assessment of someone about to die doesn''t matter anyway." The axe spear flew through the air, tearing it. Iris also swung her sword in response. == "What''s with those human knights? They''re putting on quite a show." While I was trembling at Gunter''s imposing presence, Pelerian made such an assessment. "I especially dislike the breed called knights. They try hard to act cool, but most of them are actually cowards." ''....'' "In the end, when it''s their time to die, they stop putting on airs and beg, ''Please spare me, Magician.'' I''ve seen dozens of such guys already." Is it because he''s hundreds of years old that he talks so much? They say people be talkative as they age. Pelerian was rambling on about things I didn''t even ask about. Ah, really. The enemy of my mother has just appeared. I was trying to feel solemn, but he''s ruining the mood. I peeked at the confrontation between the newly arrived Gunter and the fairy while hiding behind a rock. It''s not that I''m being leisurely. My physical condition was terrible. Blood was still trickling from my neck, and my magical power was also depleted. Recovery was urgent. I took out a potion that I had stored in the ring''s subspace. I carefully removed the cork stopper with my teeth and drank it. I should be able to drink it in about three portions. "My goodness. You can even use subspace? What an incredible mutant.... Even drinking potions." Pelerian''s gaze at me was filled with interest. It''s unsettling how his eyes seemed to change from looking at a worm to looking at a precious experimental subject. Wait a minute. In web novels, isn''t this usually when you get some kind of spirit? Like a pet? ''So is Pelerian my pet?'' "What did you say? Pet? Me, yours?" Pelerian was incredulous and angry. Did I mutter too loudly? It''s a bit difficult to distinguish between thinking and speaking internally. Haa, I feel a bit more alive after drinking the potion. The effect was excellent. The wounds slowly healed, and the depleted magical power filled up. Good. I survived once again. Turning tail and running away right now would make me an amateur. And watching the meeting between Gunter and the elf would make me a pro, right? "Oh, why are those guys doing that?" Pelerian was already watching beyond the rock. I also slightly poked my head out to look. And I was surprised. The two were facing each other with weapons drawn. Why are they suddenly trying to fight? The elf was holding a sword, and Gunter had drawn his axe spear. That axe spear. I had directly witnessed the moment when that axe spear sliced through Medusa Mom''s neck. It couldn''t have been easier. The axe spear cut through Medusa Mom''s flesh and spine as if slicing tofu. Even though it was just a weapon that could be wielded by a person. "This is not good...." The psychopath magician Pelerian didn''t seem to like this situation. Is it because they''re both fairies? From my perspective, I''d prefer if both sides were annihted. If I''m lucky, maybe I could deliver the final blow this time too... Ahem. I can''t resist an achievement like hero ying. But mutual destruction seems unlikely. Because the elf was clearly at a disadvantage. "How dare a human." Oh, isn''t that the knight? Among them was the knight Zain whom I had saved. He looks pale, did he return here so quickly after being defeated? Suddenly, I became curious. What would Gunter''s status window look like? The distance is a bit far, but it might be worth trying. I focused my mind and strained my eyes. Then. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hero Gunter lv???] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ugh, it''s barely visible. It''s barely visible. It seems like my ability to see through has improved after this evolution, but it''s still hard to see. Even the level is a question mark. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] [Hero], [Knight], [Iron Blood], [???]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Only some of the traits are visible. "What are you doing, lowly creature?" Ignore Pelerian and concentrate. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Vrian Axe Spear Technique lv50], [Vanguard Command lv10], [???]... [Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv10]...[???], [Crescent Moon sh lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Urgh. Huh! The status window scattered the moment my concentration wavered. But, my heart had already started racing. What the. Weren''t skills supposed to be things like Cutting, Breath Holding, and such? What are these Heavenly Thunder Spirit and Crescent Moon sh? Maybe. If I use Leaping Horn. If Ibine that with Billy''s Horn. Couldn''t I ''borrow'' Hero Gunter''s higher skills? It''s not stealing, just borrowing for a moment. Chapter 26: Pelerian of the Lamp Zain was dazed. "Hey, what''s with that expression?" "Huh?" "This kid ispletely out of it." The senior knight who said that pped Zain''s back. His words were rough, but his expression wasn''t hostile. In the Iron Lion Knights, Zain was considered one of the youngest members. Traditionally, the position of Gunter''s attendant knight was given to young apprentice knights who had just joined the order. Zain was no exception. Still an inexperienced youngster, but with an overflowing spirit. It was natural for the seniors to dote on him. "What''s wrong? You really don''t look good. Your face is pale. Are you okay?" Zain had been injured by the Chimera. His senior knight thought that might be the reason. "Sir Kyle." Zain''s voice was somber. "May I ask you one thing?" "No, you may not." The senior knight''s voice was yful, but his eyes were cold. "Don''t ask." "..." "Are you an Iron Lion Knight?" "That''s an obvious question, sir." "Right, then don''t forget the precepts." Valor, obedience, perseverance. The three precepts of the Iron Lion. Zain couldn''t ask his question. ''Why has the entire Iron Lion Knights, who should be in the capital, gathered in Greyrim?'' That was what he really wanted to know. As they were about to depart for the Arkan Basin, Zain realized that Gunter had brought the entire order. This never happened unless there was a war. But surely they weren''t going on a Sija Forest expedition hunt with the Iron Lion Knights. What was his order''s captain thinking? Somehow, he had an ominous feeling. That''s how he joined the expedition. No monsters could stop the Iron Lion Knights'' advance at the entrance of the great forest. Finally, they reached the ce where the Chimera and the fairy were. The once-terrifying Chimera was now dead in a miserable state. The fairy standing in front of it. From the moment Gunter began to confront the fairy, Zain''s uneasiness grew stronger. A knight''s duty ends with the defeat of the Chimera. Was there any need to secure its corpse? Moreover, if the opponent was a Golden Leaf Investigator of the fairies, it wasn''t someone they could carelessly antagonize. Gunter chose to confront the elf anyway. But why? "You''re a viin." That''s how the elf judged Gunter. Those who called Gunter a viin were probably only soldiers from enemy countries. But Gunter didn''t seem displeased; rather, he smiled. That''s how the duel began. Yes, it was fitting to call it a duel. The aura on the short sword shed with the aura on the axe spear. ng! A sound that could burst eardrums erupted. The shockwave was visible. Centered on Gunter and the fairy, all the grassy t at once. The wind pressure was fierce. The Iron Lion Knights knew how strong Gunter was. That''s why they were shocked by the elf''s prowess. Iris was holding her ground. Unable to fully withstand the force behind the axe spear, she was doing her best to deflect it. In the meantime, sheunched a sharp attack. The broadsword grazed the shaft of the axe spear and aimed for Gunter''s neck. Instead of dodging, Gunter responded by raising his left shoulder. The sword struck the lion carving on his shoulder. ng ng ng! It was a single collision, but a series of thunderous sounds rang out. Sparks flew fiercely from the armor. The lion carving waspletely damaged. His shoulder would surely be sore, but Gunter smiled. "Can you dodge this too?" And he held his axe spear horizontally. It looked like a stance with a big opening. Perhaps due to the fairy''s sensitivity, Iris couldn''t recklessly charge in. Gunter''s axe spear shed horizontally. It didn''t seem as fast as before. But that was just an illusion to the eye. The same move that had decapitated the Medusa Serpent was unleashed. The perfect curved trajectory drawn by the axe spear. And space beyond the trajectory began to split. Crescent Moon sh. Steel Gunter''s unique skill. The sound followed afterward. Crash! The broadsword refined by elven techniques shattered into pieces. Iris didn''t die. Instead, a streak of red blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. "Oh? You withstood it." But Iris had lost her weapon and suffered internal injuries. As she spread her hands wide, the earth surged up and entangled Gunter''s entire body. It was the harmony of spirits that Iris controlled. Gunter shook that off too. As he stomped the ground, a rumbling sound rose along with a cloud of dust. Gunter, who charged through that dust, swung his axe spear once again. Iris was barely able to dodge. She drew a single dagger, but there was no way such a thing could match the axe spear. She waspletely on the defensive. Her life seemed as precarious as a leaf in a storm. == Ah, damn it. The dust is blocking my view. I tried my best to see Gunter''s status window properly. To use Billy''s Horn, I needed to see the opponent''s status window. But those two were fighting while moving incredibly fast. Gunter is tremendously strong. The fairy was strong too. Even the Medusa Serpent died in one hit, but she was still holding out, which was impressive. I thought about borrowing the fairy''s skill instead, but... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Fairy lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I couldn''t even see the fairy''s status window. Gunter seemed stronger, but I don''t know why. Then borrowing Gunter''s skill would be the best option. If there''s a synergy between Leaping Horn and Billy''s Horn, it might be possible. I focused once again... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hero Gunter lv???] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "No way!" Damn it. Pelerian kept making noise beside me, making it hard to concentrate. "How dare you, human, to a Golden Leaf Investigator!" True to his fairy supremacist nature, Pelerian couldn''t stand Gunter attacking the fairy. It seemed like the fairy might die at any moment, but so what? "Snake! Save that fairy." ''What?'' "Go and save the fairy from that human!" Pelerian''s expression was as if he was making a perfectly reasonable request. I was so dumbfounded, I felt my nose clogging up. ''How am I supposed to do that?'' Me? Go in there and stop them? Before asking why, the problem was how. Pelerian seemed to know that too. "Well, if you... intervene. You know, if you persuade them well, even these foolish humans might understand their sins." ''You''re crazy.'' "What did you say!" Has he gone senile? The audacity. I decided to ignore Pelerian. He was throwing a fit, but I pretended not to hear. Then, he changed his strategy. "I, Heaven Defier the magician, swear on all my magical power and soul. If you save that fairy, I''ll grant you a wish." ''...'' He seems to have changed his approach frommanding to persuading. "A magician''s oath can never be broken. And the wishes that I, Heaven Defier, can grant are limitless. This is an opportunity that will nevere again for a lowly creature like you!" ''I can''t hear you.'' Heaven Defier magician or whatever, oath or wish or whatever, I can''t do anything in the first ce. But I don''t understand why he''s suddenly acting like this. Come to think of it, he''s a madman who was willing to sacrifice an elf for his own experiment. But now he wants to save that elf? Do they know each other? "Not one wish, but two. This is my final offer." Whatever the case, it has nothing to do with me. Give it up, old man. "Three! I''ll grant you three! This is really my limit!" Having 20 Mental Power helps in situations like this too. No matter how much noise is made next to me, if I tense up and focus, I can maintain my concentration. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hero Gunter lv???] [Traits] [Hero]... [Skills] [Vrian Axe Spear Technique lv50], [Vanguard Command lv10], [???]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Focus. Focus. I''ve decided which skill to borrow. I couldn''t confirm what kind of skills they were because the names were unusual, but they all seem amazing. They must be far more extraordinary than any other skills I have. I use Leaping Horn first. One of my horns heats up. ¡¸Using Leaping Horn lv1 to surpass the limit of the skill ''Billy''s Horn lv4''.¡¹ ¡¸''Billy''s Horn lv4'' temporarily bes ''Billy''s Horn lv10''.¡¹ Billy''s Horn''s level became 10. Now, Billy''s Horn. Heat flows into my other horn as well. Hup! ¡¸Using ''Billy''s Horn lv10'' to borrow the skill ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv10''.¡¹ ¡¸Failed to borrow Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv10.¡¹ Failure. My magical power drained instantly. Just from using two skills. I feel like I can only use it one more time. I concentrated even harder. My head got hot. Finally, a nosebleed started dripping. I licked the dripping blood with my tongue. Gunter was cornering the fairy. Wounds started appearing on the fairy''s body too. If she takes a direct hit, she''ll probably die. And Gunter''s axe spear suddenly emitted light. He was clearly trying to finish her off. I, too, was trying to finish it. My magical power drained rapidly. ¡¸Sess.¡¹ Ah, it worked! ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0''.¡¹ Huh, level 0? Maybe because the skill''s rank is too high. I wasn''t given the luxury to figure that out. Gunter didn''t finish off the elf. Instead, he turned to look in my direction. I only realized afterward that he had drawn and thrown one of the short spears at his waist. Whoosh! The short spear passed over my head, tearing through the air. It was at a height where a standing person''s torso would be. Boom! Then, the Iron Lion Knights who were watching rushed all at once towards my direction. Damn, did he notice that I borrowed his skill? No other monsters had ever done that before. My action of borrowing Gunter''s skill led to an unexpected result. The elf, who had been driven into a corner by Gunter, got a chance. She took something out of her pocket and tore it with a rip. Then she disappeared from that spot like a ghost. Was it some kind of teleport scroll? "Oh! Sess! We saved her!" Pelerian shouted in joy. Oh, so that''s how it turned out. "Snake! What method did you use?" I didn''t want to answer, but since he seems to think I saved her, I might as well y along. And it does seem like I actually did save her. ''You''re really going to grant my wish, right?'' "Hmm...!" ''First, save me from here. Safely!'' Knights in heavy te armor are rushing towards me at a speed like galloping horses. A small snake like me would be trampled to death in an instant. Honestly, I didn''t have much expectation for Pelerian''s wish either. "Alright. I''ve received your first wish, so." Pelerian muttered some difficult words. Magical power condensed around his semi-transparent body. He looks dependable, like a genie from amp. "Is east okay?" ''Anywhere!'' "It''s an ''Emergency Escape''!" Whoosh! And I wasunched into the air. Like a fighter jet''s cockpit ejecting, I soar into the sky, tearing through the air. It''s much scarier than when I borrowed flight. The knights who rushed to where I was looked like a swarm of ants. I had resolved never to fly again, but! == "Hmm." Gunter let out a low groan. The elf had escaped. She must have had a magical item capable of teleportation. It would be something not even the magic tower has; as expected, fairies have many hidden things. "Captain, will it be alright?" Knight Kyle, who had remained by his side, asked. They had attacked a Golden Leaf Investigator but failed to kill her and let her escape. He meant to ask if there wouldn''t be repercussions. "They''re already a declining race. No need to worry." But Gunter cut him off firmly. If he says so, then that''s that. Kyle also closed his mouth. "And we''ve secured the Chimera." Who would have thought that Pelerian''s legacy would remain near this Greyrim? Gunter, who had returned with the Iron Lion Knights, heard about the Chimera from Zain. It seems the Greyrim territory had searched for traces of Pelerian several times. They had even hidden it from the royal pce; could there be anything more fortunate than this? The Chimera''s corpse will serve as a ''justification'' for what Gunter has to do next. ''...A viin, huh.'' That''s how the fairy had judged Gunter. ''Yes, I suppose that could be true.'' If a viin is someone who doesn''t care about means to achieve their goals, Gunter might already be a viin. And. ''That sensation just now...'' Something was watching Gunter. And it did ''something''. Magic, sorcery, curse, whatever it was... He had thrown the short spear without realizing it. The knights who had rushed in that direction returned with awkward expressions. Along with the answer that they couldn''t find any traces. "It''s done. We''re returning to Greyrim with the Chimera." "Yes, sir!" Gunter turned around. There''s much to be done. He had no time to worry about trivial matters. Chapter 27: A Lesson Rania dozed off next to the lord''s wife. She hadn''t slept well the night before. The hero Steel Gunter had returned to Greyrim. And he brought the entire Iron Lion Knights with him. Rania was thrilled. She liked the hero Gunter''s knights just as much as she liked him. The object of her admiration hade to Greyrim. It was natural for a young girl to stay up all night with excitement. Wasn''t the Iron Lion Knights'' visit a good thing? But since that day, her father and mother seemed somehow anxious. When she asked why, they didn''t answer. As soon as the morning sun rose, news came from the soldiers. They said Gunter and the Iron Lion Knights had arrived. Despite the early morning, preparations were made at the lord''s castle to wee them. "Lord Gunter is entering!" And the door opened. Gunter in armor and simrly fully armed knights walked in. Someone let out a shrill scream. The knights were dragging in the carcass of a Chimera. Perhaps because of the heat, the Chimera was dposing. Its legs were cut off, and dried ck blood was caked all over its body. The foul smell of blood filled the room. "Th-that''s the Chimera." Even the lord seemed frightened. It was his first time seeing a hunted Chimera in person. "That''s right." "You''ve been through a lot. As expected, the Iron Lion Knights are brave." "And righteous. We discovered the ruins of Heaven Defier. You knew about its existence and left it alone, Viscount." "... What do you mean?" Gunter was a hero, and the lord was a nobleman. Though Gunter''s actual authority might be higher, they had a mutually respectful rtionship. But now, there was no respect in Gunter''s tone. "We''ve already secured witnesses and testimonies." "Testimonies? What testimonies?" The lord was flustered. A chilling tension filled the room. Rania, still young, didn''t notice it. It could have been because she was sleepy, or because there was a familiar face among the knights. The Iron Lion Knights stood in full armor, emanating a stern presence. Among them was a knight Rania knew. The young knight Zain, who had always kindly answered her bothersome questions. He was at the far right end. As Rania stared intently at Zain, he looked back at her. Unlike usual, hisplexion was deathly pale. Rania smiled and waved her hand. The usual Zain would have at least given a slight nod in greeting. "..." But not this time. Zain looked as if he might cry. And he slightly averted his eyes. Just as Rania was about to take a step forward, The lord''s wife quickly embraced her. The grip was so urgent and strong that even Rania was startled. Only then did she realize the situation was turning serious. ng ng ng! The Greyrim knights drew their swords. But Gunter and the Iron Lion Knights didn''t draw their weapons. Rather, it was the domain knights who had drawn their swords that looked extremely tense. The lord, with a reddened face, shouted angrily. "What insolent words are these! To say I have failed in my responsibilities and vited nationalw!" The lord''s startled cry echoed loudly. Instead of answering, Gunter took something out and threw it on the floor. Clunk. It was an identity token made of gold. The royal family''s crest - a three-headed eagle biting a snake. "I, Gunter Frihansen, have been appointed as an inspector by royal decree. Upon inspecting the Greyrim domain, I have confirmed negligence in monitoring magic beasts andxity in military discipline. Embezzlement and misuse of frontier defense funds have also been uncovered. Therefore, I summon you, Viscount Greyrim, to the capital." "... This can''t be. Even if it''s the royal family!" The lord, who was incredulous at first, now realized the situation. It had been strange from the start when the hero Gunter personally came to subjugate the Medusa Serpent. Had they nned from the beginning to bring down the lord in coboration with the royal family? Why? For this small domain... "If you have any grievances, you can address them during the sincere investigation." "The House of Nobles won''t stand for this." "Is that your concern? The Viscount will enjoy the rightful privileges of a nobleman, so don''t worry. Take him away." The Iron Lion Knights approached the lord. The domain knights hesitated whether to stop them, but the lord raised his hand to stop them. "Gunter!" That spirit was manly. Gunter silently listened. "If you touch even a hair on my family''s heads, I won''t let it slide." "Hmm." Gunter nodded. It was nothing more than the cry of a defeated man anyway. Knowing this, the lord was dragged away powerlessly. "Until the Viscount returns after the investigation, the acting lord will be me, the inspector recognized by royal decree, and the lord''s wife simultaneously." Gunter so dered. A man who started as amoner and rose to the position of a hero. It was the moment when he and his knights began to upy the Greyrim domain. == Ah, how refreshing! It feels like the cool wind is washing away the stagnant feelings in my heart. Actually, it''s beyond refreshing; it''s starting to get a bit chilly. That''s because I''ve been flying for too long. It would be quite ridiculous if I were to freeze to death in this hot jungle. I''ve greeted the clouds twice just today. I had decided not to fly anymore, but I guess it''s better than being hunted by those knights. I was really scared. Those guys were definitely not on the level of ordinary humans. They came charging at me with that heavy te armor, nking along at a speed like motorcycles. The ground was rumbling so much, I thought I was in a Mad Max movie. It was thanks to Pelerian that I escaped from there. You know what that old man is doing now? He''s gone inside the ring. Says he''s afraid of heights. What a funny guy. "You owe your life to me, you vermin." Oh my, did I think my inner monologue too clearly? He kindly replied. ''If you call me vermin one more time, I won''t let it slide.'' "... Hmph, just a snake." Just a moment ago, he was thanking me for saving the fairy, but now his attitude haspletely changed. I guess you really can''t trust those long-eared ones. ''So where are we going?'' "East." ''And the destination?'' "Well, heading roughly east, we should arrive at the Pmu Rainforest region." ''Sounds like you don''t really know either...'' "... The ''Emergency Escape'' skill is just like that." He shouted ''Emergency Escape,'' so I guess that''s the skill. Shouldn''t a magician know how to use something like teleport? This seems more like an advanced version of the flight skill. "In my current state, there''s almost no magic I can use. Be satisfied with this, snake." He says that as if predicting my doubts. At least he''s not calling me vermin anymore. I was satisfied. Until we started descending, that is. ''Wh-whoa!'' "Are we falling? Are we falling?" ''We''re falling!'' "Can''t be helped, I''m out of magical power." Damn, flying really doesn''t suit me. The falling speed elerated. Fortunately, it wasn''t a free fall like when I bounced off that fairy woman. As we approached the ground, I could feel the humid and hot air intensely. The climate was clearly more tropicalpared to the Arkan Basin. The trees had grown muchrger. Vines were tangled between the trees like spider webs. Crunch- Those vines helped reduce the impact of the fall. I rolled on the ground a few times as Inded. Even the ground is soft. When I raised my head, I saw moss spread like a nket on the floor. The sound of trickling water, chirping birds. The sound of leaves shing against each other like waves. ''I''m alive!'' Yes, I''ve survived once again. Now I really don''t n on flying anymore. Did he say this was the Pmu Rainforest? Pelerian popped out of the ring. He opened his mouth with a surprised expression. "We really survived!" I really don''t like that old man''s attitude. Sigh, there''s really no peaceful day. I thought I''d finally be the ruler of the basin after catching the Chimera, but now I''ve ended up deeper in the forest. I wonder if there are many dangerous magic beasts here too? There must be many creatures stronger than the Chimera. Even beforeing further east, there were things like Horn Jaguars. Maybe I''ll even meet my dad here, whom I''ve never seen before. While catching my breath, I checked my status window. It''s been a while. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python lv1] [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn], [Pattern] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I checked this farst time. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Billy''s Horn lv4]: Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0, [Leaping Horn lv1] [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv3], [Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv4], [Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv1], [Devouring lv7], [Biting lv9], [Stealth lv6] [Poison Resistance lv5], [Bleeding Resistance lv3], [Pain Resistance lv7], [Heat Resistance lv8], [Cold Resistance lv1], [Petrification Resistance lv1] [Survival Instinct lv6], [Leap lv6], [Magic Detection lv3], [eleration lv4], [Swimming lv1], [Breath Holding lv5], [sh lv1], [Status] [Exhausted] [Achievements] [Guard Captain Killed] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A skill called Cold Resistance has appeared. It was that cold. As you can see from my status, I waspletely exhausted. But I can''t help but smile. Because with Billy''s Horn, I stole... no, borrowed the hero''s skill. It''s called ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit''. The name alone is extraordinary. It''s a bit concerning that the level is 0, but... I looked at what kind of skill Heavenly Thunder Spirit was. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0] Embrace the lightning of the sky in your heart. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Well~ thanks for the detailed exnation. Isn''t this kind of exnation meaningless? It seems I''ll have to use the skill to understand its proper effect. But I''m too exhausted right now. I should try it after recovering my strength. I don''t know what effect it will have, so I should find a safe ce first. This jungle is full of all sorts of sounds. The sounds of life. Finding a safe ce should be the top priority. Before that, there''s something I need to do. It was a conversation with Pelerian. "Snake." ''Yes.'' Pelerian''s eyes met mine. I shouldn''t lose in this battle of wills. Originally, I wasn''t good at making eye contact with people, but that changed after I became a snake. Well, no. It''s still a bit difficult. I forced myself to maintain eye contact. Oh? Pelerian averted his gaze first. Does that fairy also find it difficult to look people in the eye? I almost felt a sense of kinship. "Your eyeballs look creepy." ''...'' It hurts a bit when someone who called me cute when I was a Chimera says that. "What exactly are you?" ''Me? I''m a snake.'' "A snake that speaks and uses magic like that?" ''Is there aw that says magic beasts can''t speak? And I''m not really speaking, I''m just thinking and you''re hearing it.'' "It wouldn''t be surprising for a high-ranking magic beast. But you''re just a vermin... no, a snake that hasn''t fully evolved yet." He answers like that to what was just a casual remark. Do really evolved magic beasts actually speak? I''ve never seen my mom speak. It seemed the bar for ''high-ranking magic beast'' was higher than I thought. I didn''t give Pelerian a detailed exnation of my past. There was no reason to tell him about my previous life. "Exin." Since he asked so earnestly, I just told him the story from when I was born. Being born as a Medusa Serpent''s offspring, escaping to the Arkan Basin, and what happened there. I exined that I had intelligence from birth. And about staying in Pelerian''s dungeon. Of course, I didn''t mention drawing a bald head on his portrait. After hearing the whole story, Pelerian was greatly surprised. "A mutant...!" ''Well, I guess you could call it that.'' Can a mutant be as smart as a snake like me? It seems this magician doesn''t have much scientific knowledge. "You evolved twice in such a short time!" ''Yes, I did.'' "Unbelievable potential. This is the first specimen I''ve seen like this! And beautiful too." Somehow, I feel a bit proud. Careful not to show it, I asked. ''So what about you? Are you really Pelerian? Why are you inside the ring?'' It was a question asking if he was really the entric magician who made that dungeon. "Yes and no. I tore off a part of my soul." ''What? Why?'' "Listen. And I made that torn soul reside in my possessions. The si ring you were wearing is that object." Does he think he''s some ''He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named''? Tearing his soul and putting it in objects. Come to think of it, he''s just like a dark magician. I wonder why he did such a thing. ''Did you want to live forever or something?'' "What nonsense. Why would a fairy worry about lifespan?" Even while saying that, he didn''t give a proper reason. "To think the first magic beast I met would be a mutant like you. How fortunate." I red at Pelerian and said. ''Don''t forget your promise. Two wishes left.'' "Ah yes, the wishes. Of course, an oath must always be kept." ''Can it be anything?'' "Anything." I pondered what I could ask this entric magician. But then, Pelerian smiled a strange smile. That smile was familiar. It was exactly the same smile he had when he guided me to the tank where the Chimera was hibernating. Utterly sinister. "However, it doesn''t make sense for the great magician of Heaven Defier to serve a magic beast." Pelerian''s eyes shed brightly. Magical power condensed at an incredible speed. "Obey, magic beast!" And that magical power swept over my body. "From now on, I am your master. Follow my voice." Pelerian burst into maniacalughter. "To tame an intelligent mutant with thest bit of magical power I have left. The heavens are on my side!" A typical mad magician. To his utterly cowardly mental magic, I became dazed and about to follow his words... not. Yes, I was perfectly fine. ''I thought you might do something like this.'' "Huh, what? What are you doing?" Hmm. I had wondered how my mental strength of 20 would work if I were to be hit by some kind of mental attack. ¡¸The trait ''Indomitable'' has nullified ''Taming lv10''.¡¹ As expected, my mental strength didn''t betray me. "Stay still! Hey! I said stay still!" I removed the ring from my tail. Now, how should I teach this guy a lesson? Chapter 28: Real Magic Python "Shut up." I made a terrifying expression. I flickered my purple tongue and revealed my Venomous Fang. Hissss. Come to think of it, this hissing is more like what a cat does than a snake. Most monsters would cower when I threatened them like this. "I-Impossible." It seemed to have an effect on Pelerian as well. He had a dumbfounded expression. "It might fail, or the effect might be short-lived. But for it to not work at all..." No, he wasn''t actually intimidated by me. I scolded him sternly. ''You should apologize first, Pelerian.'' "What went wrong? What kind of mutant are you!" He''s not listening. I breathed fire on the ring. Whoosh! I was curious if he might scream "Ah, hot!" but... "No, you''re even using magic! I can''t believe it!" That wasn''t the case. Rather, he seems about to fall over backwards with joy at the fact that I can use magic. In his eyes, I seem to look incredibly rare. I tried tapping the ring and even submerging it in a puddle of water. None of it had any effect. Meanwhile, Pelerian continued to marvel at my uniqueness. There''s no choice. I''ll have to try the method I thought of. ''I''ll state my second wish. From now on, answer my questions honestly.'' "Hmm, alright. ...I understand." Pelerian nodded reluctantly. The end? He''ll grant the wish even in this situation? He did say from the beginning that a magician''s oath cannot be broken, but only a fool would believe that at face value. I''m not such a foolish snake. I tried asking first. ''Is there a way for me to harm you?'' "You could... annihte my soul dwelling in the ring." ''How can I cause you pain?'' "Tch, you could infuse mana into the ring to cause me pain. It''s difficult for me to teach you how. It requires precise mana control." Is that so? I''ll know if it''s a lie or not when I try it. I ced my tail on the ring. And just like when I used magic, I tried infusing mana. Scream in pain, Pelerian. "Ughhik!" However, Pelerian made a strange sound and twisted his body. He doesn''t seem to be in pain. It was clearly a ticklish reaction. I guess he still has sensation despite not having a body. But even tickling can turn into pain if it persists. He gradually made sounds as if he was dying. "Stop, aagh!" As I adjusted the speed and amount of mana infusion, Pelerian finally screamed. "Stop it! Damn, you''re a quick learner." If that was an act of being in pain, he should have been an actor instead of a magician. So it seems he was telling the truth. ''What do you fear the most?'' "..." Pelerian hesitated. ''Answer.'' "Death, being cast away into darkness. And more than anything else..." The old man who had been somewhat flippant until now was different. He had a dry face, like a withered old tree that had lived for too long. "Remaining and rotting away without aplishing anything before death eventuallyes." A chill crept into that dry voice. It doesn''t seem like a lie. Well then, good. I picked up the ring with my tail. ''Then I have just the right method.'' "What are you... doing?" I caught a frog hopping in front of a puddle. I managed to slip the ring onto the frog''s body. I wrapped my tail around the limp frog and lifted it. I moved forward, pushing through the undergrowth and trees. Pelerian kept asking anxiously what I was doing. I ignored him. As I progressed through the forest, I spotted a wild boar. It was digging in the ground and eating something. It seems to be just a regr boar, not a monster. When it noticed my appearance, it started squealing, perhaps frightened. "Answer me! I''m asking what you''re doing!" ''You should have just quietly granted the wish as promised. Wouldn''t it have been better to travel with me than being trapped and neglected in the ring?'' "..." Right, you have nothing to say. Because it''s true. Farewell! ''Be boar dung!'' "Wait!" I threw the frog with the ring into the mouth of the squealing boar. Surprised by the food entering its mouth, it instinctively gulped it down. Then it just stared nkly. Seeing that I showed no signs of attacking and retreated, it went back to sniffing the ground. What a stupid beast. And Pelerian was swallowed by that stupid beast. He will eventuallye out as dung and be abandoned like that. He will meet the fate he fears the most. What are the chances that someone who understands Elvish will appear in the middle of this rainforest and save him? Pelerian clearly said he used the Taming skill on me "with thest handful of mana." I watched to see if he might try to escape, but there was no sign of that. It seems he can''t even send out that illusion-like thing from inside the stomach. Or maybe he''s not even capable of that anymore. Be good in your next life, Pelerian. Don''t be born as an evil race like a fairy. Be born as a good animal like a snake. Goodbye. == The Magician Pelerian, Heaven Defier. He didn''t have such a grand title from the beginning. There was a different modifier that followed Pelerian since his childhood. ''Hideous'' Pelerian. Ah, hideous Pelerian. Despite being born into the beautiful fairy race, Pelerian''s appearance was hideous. He didn''t have smooth skin as if blessed by heaven, a face without a single wrinkle, or long, slender limbs. He had the appearance of an old human from a young age. He was short, had short legs, and a strangely curved back. In other words, he was a freak of nature. Heaven had made Pelerian hideous. Pelerian''s parents were excellent fairies without any ws. However, his hideous appearance wasn''t important. Instead of having a poor appearance, Pelerian possessed magical talent and a brilliant mind surpassing any other fairy. What was truly hideous was something else. "Damn it, damn it all!" It was his heart, and his soul. Pelerian himself knew it better than anyone. The ugliness he harbored deep inside. Envy, anger, resentment, hatred, distortion. If the inside is ugly, one should at least cover it with the outside. But what to do when even the outside is ugly? Pelerian immersed himself in his race. It was somewhat natural that he became obsessed with the evolution of monsters. He stained his hands with blood in the process. He has no regrets. It was a necessary sacrifice for the evolution of the entire race. But now, inside the boar''s stomach. He wasn''t proud. For trying to deceive the snake? For the guilt of not granting the wish and instead trying to tame it? No. That''s not it. He couldn''t answer the snake''s questions. Because he had no memory. He answered yes when asked if he was Pelerian, but he wasn''t confident. He remembers the fact that he tore his soul and sealed it in the ring. But he couldn''t remember how it happened or why it happened. ording to hisst memory, he had clearly approached the secret of evolution. He had obtained a clue to evolve the entire race into High-Elves. He was on the verge of achieving his long-cherished desire, so why was his soul torn? The one residing in the ring was clearly the ''insurance'' of the main body. Like a lich hiding its phctery, it was insurance left by the main body to avoid death. What happened to the main body? He knew nothing. He didn''t even have mana anymore. He wasn''t in a state where mana gushed out like before, just a body bound to the ring. There was no way to escape. He would be dung like this. No one would discover him, and he would be buried in the ground to meet eternal silence. Suffering endlessly until his self copses after an eternity of time passes. Suddenly, he became afraid. In the pitch-ck darkness, Pelerian trembled mentally. The great magician was truly meeting the worst death. "I should have just granted the wish...!" A bted regret. "Is anyone there! I, Pelerian, am trapped here!" But Pelerian just shook in the gastric juices. He couldn''t feel pain, but he could see, hear, and smell. There was a terrible smell inside the boar''s stomach. It would be even more terrible when it moves to therge intestine. Three hours in the stomach. "Please..." And four hours in the small intestine. "Ugh... huh... huh..." Pelerian, who didn''t lose his spirit even when captured and tortured by the knights, finally burst into tears. Sorrow is scarier than pain. Pelerian was now sorrowful to death. And just before he was about to bepletely buried in dung after moving to therge intestine. "Kueeek!" A scream was heard. It was the scream of the boar, the owner of this dung. And then, as if the world was turning upside down, it rolled around. Pelerian was shaken up and down inside the boar''s intestines. He was disoriented. Then, light shone down. Someone had clearly cut open the boar''s belly. And that someone was. ''Hey.'' It was the snake. It seemed to think it looked scary, but it didn''t. That''s just how pythons are. Unlike vipers or cobras, they look dull with ck, round eyes. Looking at me with such an expression. It was the first time in my life that a snake''s face looked wee. The snake didn''t take Pelerian out and just stared at him straight. Pelerian realized what words he needed to say. There was no hesitation. It came out right away. "I''m sorry!" ''Hmm.'' "I apologize. I''ll apologize, I''m sorry for trying to deceive you. I''ll grant your wish too. I don''t know if there''s anything I can do since I don''t have mana right now! But if there''s anything I can do...!" The snake made the great magician Heaven Defier apologize. Considering that Pelerian hadn''t apologized to anyone since he was young, it was an amazing achievement. But the snake itself probably didn''t know that. ''I wasn''t going to save you, I was thinking of asking some questions and then feeding you to another animal.'' "Don''t do that, I''ll really be good. I''ll be good, so..." To think he would lower himself this much. Once he lowered his pride once, the next time wasn''t difficult. ''Really? Hmm, then promise me one thing as your third wish.'' "What is it, anything!" ''Don''t try to harm me in any way. Don''t even indirectly guide things in a way that could cause me harm.'' "I swear. I, Pelerian, the Heaven Defier magician, swear on my soul." ''And from now on, follow my words. Do what I tell you to do quietly.'' "That seems like more than one wish..." ''You don''t like it?'' "Fine, I swear!" Pelerian made an oath that he could never break. The snake smiled. It clearly looked like it was smiling. ''Hmm, alright if you say so. Oh, and can you teach me some magic? Right now I can only do basic earth and fire elemental magic.'' How shameless, asking for more after using up all the wishes. "You have the great Heaven Defier magician in front of you. It''s an extremely easy task." But such words naturally came out of Pelerian''s mouth. Then suddenly a thought urred to him. Ah, I swore never to take on a disciple again. Is this also considered a disciple? ''Thanks, but don''t expect me to treat you as a master. It''s not like that.'' "That''s fine." That''s rather a relief. Pelerian felt relieved. == My talent is outstanding. I''m not bragging. This world, that great power that reincarnated me, has acknowledged it. My potential is 20, no less. There will be no problem in learning magic at all. Pelerian became much more docile after almost bing dung once. It was quite a struggle to clean that ring thoroughly. In fact, I threatened to turn him into a lump of dung right away if he tried any more tricks, but I didn''t really want to do that if I could avoid it. After all, isn''t it a ring that I have to wear? I think it still smells a bit now. As long as Pelerian doesn''t betray me, this ring was as essential to me as anything. I needed a backpack until I learned spatial magic. There are also precious potions left. "Billy''s Horn... I''ve never heard of such a skill." ''Don''t all horned monsters have it?'' "Are you joking? Even among Horn-type monsters, most just use it to stab enemies. It''s nonsense that they could steal such a strong human skill to that extent." ''It''s not stealing, it''s borrowing.'' I corrected Pelerian''s words. "And this Leaping Horn or whatever is just as nonsensical. That level is no different from a unique skill of a high-rank monster." I straightened my back. I couldn''t hide my smug feelings. Whether he knew it or not, Pelerian exined. "You borrowed the magic of a golem, I see. So you''ve mastered two basic elemental magics. Now the secret is revealed." ''That''s right.'' "But learning magic through such a shortcut doesn''t mean you''ve truly entered the path of magic." As he taught magic, Pelerian became increasingly arrogant. "I, the ancestor of magic!" His eyes seemed to sh brightly. "I''ll teach you the remaining two elements. Water and wind magic." The path of a true Magic Snake has begun. I learned the two magics. Chapter 29: Kiruruk, Kek, Chwiet Questa Calling the Great Forest a single forest is like saying humans, elves, and dwarves are all people. It''s not wrong, but it''s not urate, and it''s a meaningless statement. The Great Forest''s area surpasses that of a typical country, so it contains numerous hidden realms within. Caves of unfathomable depth. Lakesrge enough to swallow mountains. And mountain peaks where thunderstorms rage daily. The Pmu Rainforest is one of these hidden realms within the Great Forest. True to its name as a rainforest, it rains for more than half the year in this area. It''s extremely humid, making it unsuitable for human habitation. Even elves avoid approaching it, reportedly tired of the oppressive climate. The Medeira River crosses the Pmu Rainforest, and mangrove forests have developed along its banks. The Pmu Rainforest, with its particrly high biodiversity even within the Great Forest, which is already a treasure trove of life, is not suitable for intelligent beings to live in. Nevertheless, there are stories of a civilization existing there. The goblins that were once eradicated by the kingdom. Now that the goblins, once considered a nuisance in the mountains, have almost disappeared, there have been asional sightings of numerous goblins settling in the Pmu basin. Some even im they''ve formed a civilization. However, this author is convinced that such ims are delusions of paranoid individuals. Some schrs asionally argue that goblins should be ssified as "people." But can that primitive race be considered on par with us humans or fairies? Academically, it would be correct to ssify goblins, who eat insects and even evolve, as intelligent monsters. They may have formed a few colonies in the Pmu basin, but that cannot be called a civilization. To list the characteristics that distinguish these "monster" goblins from people... ¡¸Excerpt from "The Wise Parvian''s Mysterious and Fascinating Monster Encyclopedia: Great Forest Edition, Pmu Rainforest"¡¹ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Venom Pangolin lv16] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A pangolin refers to a mammal covered inrge, hard scales all over its body. And the monster ''Venom Pangolin'' can be described as a very dangerous version of that animal. Originally the animal with the hardest carapace among mammals, this one''s glossy scales are particrly tough. They''re strong enough to easily deflect arrows, making them imprable to animal teeth. Moreover, as the modifier ''Venom'' suggests, its saliva is a potent poison. Excellent defensive capabilities and equally impressive offensive power. Though smaller than a human, it acts as a predator even here in the Pmu Rainforest. The Venom Pangolin had just seeded in hunting. A monkey was under its ws. The Venom Pangolin tore at the monkey''s arm with its sharp teeth. Crunch, crunch. Its powerful jaws even chewed through bones. The brutal sound echoed through the forest. At that moment, a ssh of water fell on the head of the pangolin as it was feeding. Ssh! The pangolin startled and convulsed. What was this sudden shower from a clear sky? Naturally, the pangolin looked up. Due to its body structure, it had to stand up abruptly to look up. Chirp, chirp. There was nothing there. Only the sound of insects could be heard. Just as the pangolin''s raised scales were settling down and it was about to resume its meal, something cold and smooth wrapped around its body. Yes, that smooth thing is me. I had stealthily approached and instantly coiled around the standing pangolin''s body. Now my body is as thick as an adult''s forearm, and probably over 2m long. I was able to coil around the pangolin''s body. Wrapping around its legs from the inside, passing by its sides, and burrowing into its armpits. In an instant, I coiled up to its neck. I used eleration here too, so it happened in the blink of an eye. And then, the constriction. ¡¸Using Constriction lv2.¡¹ This isn''t just mimicking constriction, but a proper skill. I just acquired it. In fact, a snake''sbat method isn''t just about venomous fangs. The reason I hadn''t used the constriction method until now was because I was too small and weak. Now that I''ve evolved into a robust python, I can constrict monsters like this pangolin. No, I can do more than just constrict. Crackle- A gruesome sound rang out as the pangolin''s scales twisted. I wonder if I''m much stronger now than in my previous life, even though I probably weighed much more then. My venomous fangs couldn''t pierce the pangolin''s scales. And constriction was the best option rather than wielding a sword and performing dangerous sword dances. I constricted its neck. The Venom Pangolin had sharp ws, but its legs were short and its joints weren''t well-developed. It struggled to scratch my body, but only managed to inflict a few minor scratches. It''s tougher than I thought. I put more strength into my body. Actually, this was my second attempt at hunting a pangolin. The first time, I approached clumsily and almost got killed when it bit me. It''s fortunate that I have high poison resistance. Kuung! I almost lost my grip. It had body-mmed into a tree. If I let go, it''s over. I exerted superhuman concentration. I used earth magic to grab the legs of the creature as it tried to ram into the tree again. It fell t on its face. Ugh. That impact hurt just the same. I constricted even more as it struggled to get up again. Crackle! The pangolin''s hard scales dug into my much tougher skin. Wounds opened and blood started to flow. But I can''t stop now. "Guik, gwek." The pangolin, its throat constricted, couldn''t even roar. That was its death rattle. Crack! A satisfying sound came from the pangolin''s neck bones. My victory! ¡¸You have killed the Venom Pangolin.¡¹ ¡¸Level up!¡¹ Ah, that voice always sounds good, no matter when I hear it. I hadn''t heard this sound for a long time before evolving into a python. And afterpleting the evolution, I couldn''t gain experience from weak monsters as much as I had be stronger. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python lv3] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My level has already reached 3. This was the result of a week spent with Pelerian. Well, in fact, Pelerian didn''t help at all with leveling up. That''s because, whether he was a reversal magician or whatever, he couldn''t use a single spell. When I asked how he had used emergency escape and brainwashing magic, he said it was thest of his magical power. All he could do was float around like a fairy in a ring, chattering away. While I was struggling to catch the Venom Pangolin, what was Pelerian doing? He just sat on a nearby rock and watched my hunt from the front row. He''s invisible to monsters, you see. I sternly scolded the leisurely Pelerian. ''Teacher, isn''t this enough to pass?'' "Pass? Paass?" Teacher Pelerian snorted. "Can that be considered an application of magic?" ''No, I used elemental water magic to divert the enemy''s attention and ambushed it in the meantime. Isn''t this an application of magic?'' It really was. Thebination of magic and physical attacks flowed like water. I could im to be a magic swordsman if I just had a sword. But it seems it''s not enough in Pelerian''s eyes. "You can still only make a trickle of water fall with water magic? It would have been better to throw a stone to attract attention. It''s painfully slow." ''...What are you saying? My magical talent should be excellent.'' Pelerian''s words irritated me. "Talent? Puhah." Heughed freely. "Let me dere this. Your magical talent is terrible!" ''...'' He must be lying. As expected of a fairy supremacist traitor who was trying to backstab me. ...Come to think of it, didn''t he swear to answer all my questions honestly? It must be one of two things. Either he broke his oath, or my talent really is poor. Since thetter is impossible, I pondered what kind of animal dung I should turn Pelerian into this time. "Anyway, you''ve now learned all the basic magic of the four elements. We can move on to the next step." ''Next?'' It was a moment when Pelerian''s lifespan was slightly extended. He''s already in a soul state, so he''s as good as a dead fairy anyway. "You said you wanted to use a sword, right?" ''That''s right.'' "From what I sawst time when you wrapped your tail around it and held it in your mouth to dance with the sword, it was quite terrible. It wasn''t swordsmanship, it just looked like a mad snake." That mad snake killed your chimera, though. "To use a sword, you need hands." ''Is it magic that makes arms grow?'' "That would be quite a hideous sight. That''s not bad either, but this is magic called ''Invisible Hands''." The name was extremely intuitive. "At first, you might only be able to lift small fruits, but as your level increases, you might be able to hold and wield a sword." Snakes don''t have arms or legs. In that regard, having hands would be an enormous help. Finally, I''m learning proper magic. "Now, there''s a separate reason why we learned the four elemental magics in advance. It''s because the four elements are the basicponents that make up this world." Pelerian exined in detail how to implement invisible hands. "Do you remember the definition of magic?" ''Reproduction of phenomena.'' "Yes, that''s why the simpler and less intuitive it is, the more basic the magic is. The reason we developed magic to create invisible hands rather than telekinesis is because of that. It''s easier to imagine invisible hands than to move objects with an invisible force." It was a problem that he couldn''t demonstrate directly, but Pelerian''s teaching ability was better than expected. He seems to have taught a few times before. Has he raised disciples? I was able to try the Invisible Hand magic in various ways. Honestly, I didn''t seem to have an enormous talent for magic. I kept failing. It seemed that having a potential of 20 wasn''t directly linked to the talent for learning things. ''Enough. I''ll stop here.'' "Giving up already?" ''I''m out of magical power.'' "Hmm, your magical capacity itself is certainly small. It''s probably because you evolved twice in too short a period." That''s how Pelerian assessed it. That old man was extremely impressed by the fact that I evolved twice in just over a month. But the problem was my magic container. Although I could use basic elemental magic several times, it wasn''t enough to userger skills. Billy''s Horn or Leaping Horn would deplete my magic after just one or two uses. The ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit'' skill was especially problematic. That skill I borrowed from Gunter consumed an enormous amount of magic even though it was marked as level 0. I fainted right away without even being able to use the skill. It''s obvious what would happen if this urred during an actual battle with a monster. "There are four ways to increase magic capacity." Pelerian repeated the exnation he had already given. "Evolving." "Hunting numerous monsters to imbue yourself with magical nature." "Eating things like magic stones, inner dan, or elixirs." "And, wearing magical tools that increase magical power." The first and second methods take time, no matter what. The process of evolving into a python was also very difficult. In the end, there were the third and fourth methods, and right beside me was a treasure goblin-like existence. "If we can just find dungeon 123... we could increase your magic." Pelerian''s dungeon 123 That''s the destination I''m aiming for here in the Pmu Rainforest. Pelerian''s dungeon is hidden somewhere here in the Pmu Rainforest. Moreover, it wasn''t an abomination facility like a chimera factory. "Since it was a ce where I researched magic stones, there should be several high-grade magic stones left. I treated them so they wouldn''t naturally dpose." Ever since I ate the inner dan, my eyes go crazy whenever I see something good for my body. "I''ll give them to you, but keep your promise. You need to transmit my research data to my main body." ''If you don''t harm me.'' "I swore, didn''t I? You''re taking a magician''s oath lightly. I exined the principle to you." Pelerian got annoyed. They say people get more irritable as they age. Indeed, it would be difficult for Pelerian to harm me or set a trap. Unless he''s thinking ofmitting suicide with me, he probably can''t break his oath. ''No, so why can''t you find the way?'' "Hmm... This way should be right." ''That''s the third time you''ve said that.'' The problem was that Pelerian couldn''t find the way at all. He made excuses that he wasn''t used to finding his way because he originally flew around and used teleportation. "Just need to find the river, the Medeira River." We still hadn''t found that damn river. For now, we headed north. It would be nice if we could find the river this time. But what we encountered this time wasn''t the river either. The next day, when the pangolin had been digested and I was starting to feel hungry again. I encountered a goblin being eaten alive by a pelican. == Pelerian and the snake were watching secretly. ''Wow, that''s intense.'' Pelerian nced at the snake who was making frivolous exmations. It was indeed an astonishing sight. A giant pelican trying to swallow a goblin. ''Doesn''t it choke?'' Isn''t the snake itself the typical monster that swallows its prey alive? This guy often acted as if he didn''t know he was a snake. "Stupid fool." ''You mean that goblin?'' Although he had snapped at the snake that it had no talent for magic, that wasn''t actually true. The snake''s magical talent was terrifying. Not in its speed of acquisition, but in that its aptitude seemed to have no limits. Magicians who can handle all four elements are actually very rare. There are usually differences in learning speed, but this snake learned them all at the same pace. How is that possible? Nevertheless, the reason he snapped that it had no magical talent was simple. He didn''t like seeing it get cocky. He didn''t break his oath. He had promised to answer honestly to the questions it asked. Exceptions were made for things he said first. He was worried that he might run out of tricks and look foolish to that snake. At that moment, the goblin screamed something. "Kiruruk, kek, chwiet questa. Tingit kit!" It was a parade of affricates and plosives. Looking to the side, the snake had a puzzled expression. Right, of course it wouldn''t understand. Goblinnguages differ by region and have unique pronunciations, so almost no one understands them. But Pelerian, who had mastered all kinds of monsters, knew the meaning. "Shall I interpret for you?" ''Huh?'' "It''s saying, ''Oh god of the river, please save me. My mother is waiting!''" The snake''s expression became strange. Pelerian felt smug. Be amazed, snake. But the snake said something impertinent. ''What are you talking about? That''s not what it means.'' "What did you say?" ''It''s saying, "I have to return to the river! Let me go! Sister, help me!" That''s what it''s saying.'' How dare it act as if it understands goblin speech. Ridiculous. Pelerian frowned deeply. Chapter 30: Nanaluk, the Cat-like Beauty Warrior "What nonsense!" Why is this old man like this? I simply conveyed the goblin''s words urately, and he gets upset. My rtionship with Pelerian was peculiar. He had once betrayed me, and I had re-established our rtionship by extracting another oath from him. Although I learn magic from him and receive his help, we''re not in a master-disciple rtionship. I usually speak casually to him, but having grown up in the country of Eastern etiquette, I asionally use formal speech, especially when learning magic from him or when I notice his wrinkles. Of course, respect is something that should be mutual. When he acts so rudely, polite words don''te out of my mouth either. "Pretending to understand goblinnguage! It''s obvious." ''What nonsense.'' The surprising fact is that Pelerian doesn''t seem to care much whether I use formal or casual speech. I thought he was an old man obsessed with authority, but why is this? Considering he initially called me a "lowly creature," it didn''t seem like he respected me. After conversing with him for a few days, I discovered the reason. It was truly surprising. Unexpectedly, he didn''t look down on monsters. No, he seemed to prefer monsters over humans and dwarves. If I were to represent Pelerian''s level of respect for each race with inequality signs, it would look like this: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Elves > Monsters >>>>> Poop! LOL > Humans and other misceneous ''people'' races ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ If I were a human instead of a monster, Pelerian would have treated me even more poorly. The shock when I realized this. ''It''s not strange that I understand Elvish, but it''s strange that I understand Goblin?'' "Well, Elvish is understandable. There are blessings that allow one toprehendnguages. But that doesn''t work for Goblin." I could clearly understand what the goblin was saying. Pelerian had his reasons for stating this so firmly. "Goblins don''t have a unified nation and haven''t formedrge-scale civilizations. They live scattered about, and theirnguages are all different. Like dialects." ''I understand what you''re saying. But you roughly understood it too, old man.'' "That''s because I''ve acquired the unified root through long-term research. Even I wouldn''t be able to understand goblinnguages from ces other than this great forest." Meanwhile, the goblin struggling inside the pelican''s beak continued to shout. "Save me!" Yes, from my perspective, I could understand well regardless of what Pelerian said. "So it''s impossible to perfectly understand goblinnguage..." ''What can I do? I can understand it.'' "..." Pelerian closed his mouth. Well, what can you do if I can hear it? "But if what you say is true, can we just let that goblin die?" ''Ah.'' The goblin shouted that it needed to return to the river. That means it knows where the river is, right? The pelican had alreadypletely swallowed the goblin. ''Ack!'' Is it already dead? I sprang out from the bushes. Surprised by my appearance, the pelican pped its wings. It seemed to try to fly away, but perhaps due to its heavy body, it stumbled and fell. As expected of birds. They''re ferocious and greedy. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Mischievous Pelican lv7] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Seeing a goblin fall prey to such a weak monster, it seems goblins aren''t much either. I bit the pelican''s neck. It had no poison resistance, so it couldn''t even withstand for a moment. It died with a squawk, not even giving me any experience points. Fortunately, the goblin was still alive. As I opened the pelican''s beak, a murky green hand suddenly popped out. The goblin crawled out,pletely exhausted. "Huff!" Then it was startled upon seeing me. Somehow, it seems small. I thought it was natural because it''s a goblin, but it looks young, like a goblin boy. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Goblin Boy lv11] [Traits] [Goblin], [Curiosity] [Skills] [Stealth lv3], [Stone Throwing lv4], [Running lv6], [Pathfinding lv2] [Status] [Exhausted], [Injured], [Frightened] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s weak! Wow, it''s really pathetic. The only useful skill for fighting seems to be Stone Throwing. Is Running a lower-tier skill of eleration? It looks simr to Quick Crawling that I once had. I''m surprised it can be this weak even at level 11. I envy that one Pathfinding skill. It would be good to learn it with Billy''s Horn, but I''m already borrowing the Heavenly Thunder Spirit skill. I''ll have to seal Billy''s Horn until I acquire that skill. "Please save me! Please spare my life!" What a cowardly goblin. The goblin boy knelt before me and begged. Well, the pelican looks much tastier than the goblin, so I have no intention of eating it. It probably won''t give me any experience points either. Forget it, just guide me to where the river is! "Just don''t eat me!" But I had no means to convey my words. I gave Pelerian a meaningful look. ''Old man, you say it.'' "...I can''t." ''What? You said you could speak Goblin.'' "It''s not anguage problem. This fellow probably can''t see or hear me." ''But I can see you?'' "If there was magical power, it would be possible to convey my voice. But right now, only you can see my appearance." Shocking. He''s really more useless than I thought. Did he notice my thoughts? A faint sense of defeat crossed Pelerian''s face. I patted the goblin''s shoulder with my tail, as if trying to reassure it. The goblin boy trembled and shook in response. "Hee, heeek!" I won''t eat you, so go. I wagged my tail. It means go. "Can, can I really go?" Now we''remunicating a bit better. The boy slowly backed away. I kept wagging my tail without getting too close. And suddenly remembering the past, I slightly lowered my head. Just like the centipede couple did. The goblin looked puzzled but then mimicked my posture. Yes, exchange begins with greetings. The goblin boy smiled faintly. He was about to carefully move beyond the bushes when he suddenly turned back to look at me. "...Ulluullullu?" And then he disappeared. What was that? What does Ulluullullu mean? Even I, who had mastered thenguage, couldn''t understand the meaning of this word. ''Did he just curse at me?'' "He most certainly did." Hmm, Pelerian seemed upset. It wasn''t just out ofpassion that I let the goblin go. "Your mind is working. Now we just need to follow that goblin." He said he needed to return to the river. So if we track that goblin, we should be able to reach the river. ''I''ll just have a bite before we go.'' I wonder what pelican meat tastes like. I hurriedly had my meal. The goblin boy was small but his feet were quick. Secretly following him was quite aborious task. == Goblins are monsters. Monsters evolve. When a young goblin that hasn''t yet be an adult grows to a certain extent and meets the level requirements, it grows into an adult goblin. And as that goblin grows and finds its aptitude, it bes a warrior, shaman, hunter, or gatherer. A small number of goblins evolve once more. That''s what a hobgoblin is. It can be considered a higher species of goblin. They grow taller, their skin turns red, and their strength increases. They possess excellentbat abilities and lead groups of goblins. There is a hobgoblin named Nanaluk. She is the best warrior of the Lunga tribe settled in the old river basin. When she ties her hair tightly and runs through the forest, she''s as nimble as a fairy. Nanaluk''s cat-like golden eyes were fixed on arge rubber tree. More precisely, on the lizard skin attached to the trunk of that rubber tree. It was fixed to the tree with a sharp arrowhead. A smile spread across her lips, revealing prettily pointed fangs. The well-dried lizard skin serves as paper. Indeed, there were lines of text written on it. This skin was a letter. A letter left behind by Nanaluk''s lover. "Chandal..." Nanaluk, who carefully murmured her lover''s name, read the letter. However, despite reading a love letter, Nanaluk''s expression gradually darkened. ''...Nana, I''m sorry. But I couldn''t stop our father. I carefully said one word and got beaten terribly! The war between tribes will be unavoidable. To be honest, I wish you would run away. I''ll try to talk to my father. Maybe we can save you and your siblings. Your father, being the chieftain, probably can''t be helped. I love you, Nana. Write your reply below this. If you tell me the ce and date, I''ll bring warriors to escort you and your siblings. Chandal, who loves you more than anyone in the world.'' The letter was short because space had to be left for a reply. That empty space felt hollow. Instead of writing a reply. Rip. Nanaluk tore the lizard skin. She tore it into pieces and scattered them. Her heart seemed to be tearing as well. Chandal''s father, Croc, was the chieftain of a neighboring tribe. They used to get along well. There had even been talks of marriage between Chandal and Nanaluk for a long time. But everything changed after Croc, who was a hobgoblin, seeded in evolving once more. Croc''s tribe began to invade and absorb other surrounding goblin tribes. Now that they had be stronger than even the Lunga, the oldest andrgest tribe. They were now baring their fangs at the Lunga tribe as well. She had hoped that Chandal would persuade his father... Run away? She could never do that. For the sake of her siblings, for her father. Nanaluk was a warrior of the Lunga. Just as herplexion darkened with a sorrowful heart. "Sister, sister!" Her younger sibling appeared. Color returned to Nanaluk''s face. "Why are you sote! I was worried!" "I, Ulluullullu saved me!" Children''s exnations tend to skip over important details. "Ulluullullu?" "Yes, I was almost eaten by a pelican, but Ulluullullu saved me!" Ulluullullu is a legendary snake. After hearing the gist of the story, she smacked her younger sibling''s back. "Ouch!" "What Ulluullullu, you almost died!" "No... it''s true." "To begin with, a white snake and Ulluullullu are different colors." "That''s true, but it definitely saved me... We could evenmunicate." "It probably let you go because there was a pelican nearby." The young goblin tried to argue, but Nanaluk wouldn''t listen anymore. "We''rete. At this rate, the boat will leave." "Ah, right." "Get on my back!" Nanaluk swiftly picked up her sibling. And she started running like the wind. == The wind is refreshing. The fact that I lost track of the young goblin while following him. It''s an embarrassing matter, but neither Pelerian nor I med each other for it. Fortunately, from the moment we lost the goblin''s trail, there was a scent. It was the smell of water. We ran following that scent. And finally, I was able to encounter the Medeira River that Pelerian had emphasized so many times. "Sha-ah!" It meant ''Wow-''. The fishy smell was unpleasant, but the river was truly magnificent. Well, honestly, it wasn''t as big as the Han River, more simr in size to the lower reaches of Cheonggyecheon. The water was between ck and brown. Rather than being dirty, it seemed mixed with muddy water. ''Where do we go now? Are we almost there?'' "Hmm." Pelerian had said that once we found the Medeira River, we''d be at his dungeon. That''s why we''ve been desperately searching for the river until now. So where is the dungeon? "Hmm." Pelerian was just looking at distant mountains. There''s a noticeable rocky mountain beyond that river. A rocky mountain that gleams orange in the sunlight, like a burning sweet potato. "It should be behind that." ''Really?'' "We just need to cross the river." ''That should work then.'' Yes, let''s cross the river. Well, since we can''t ride a boat or fly, if we follow the river, we shoulde across a bridge. ...For a moment, I thought with themon sense of a South Korean citizen. There was no way a bridge would be installed on this deep, tropical rainforest river. ''How do we cross?'' "..." ''You said we could find it right away once we reached the river.'' "Did I say it was this side? I thought it was that side..." Pelerian cleared his throat. "Can''t you just swim across?" ''I can''t swim...'' Swimming is something I dislike even more than flying. Even though it''s a tropical rainforest, wouldn''t the river water be cold and dangerous? "A snake that can''t swim!" That could be the case. And it''s not just because I dislike swimming that I''m hesitating. Look at those alligators floating there. I''m not confident in underwaterbat yet. "Then... hmm." Pelerian also closed his mouth tightly. We''re doomed. The only expression that came to mind was that we''re doomed. If we go upstream, will the river narrow enough for me to jump across? How long would we have to go upstream with such an uncertain hope? "There, look there!" I turned my head dully at Pelerian''s excited voice. The riverbank was quite open to view. Thanks to that, we could see. Goblins trying tounch a boat on the river. Chapter 31: Its better to have a dignified first epithet There''s no need to rush to find a dungeon. Instead, I''ll grow steadily here. Perhaps I should level up and achieve the evolution conditions to evolve into something like a Big White Double-horn Python. No, that won''t do! First of all, I''ve be a body that can''t be satisfied with just evolving with a single "Big" modifier. I want to undergo special evolutions in the future, like growing more horns or having my pattern be holographic. And there was an even more important reason. "I can''t waste time here." Pelerian told me. That I''d bepletely marked by the elves. The psycho elf woman who tried to step on me and even shed at me with a sword was none other than a "Golden Leaf Investigator." When I asked what that was, It''s a role where a recognized fairy hunter is given full authority for investigation. So it''s like a one-person or small-scale wide-area investigation team, a special investigation headquarters, something like that. And the one currently appointed as the Golden Leaf Investigator trying to kill me is a fairy named Iris Selena. She''s said to have a terribly vicious personality and never lets go once she bites, like a mad dog. I asked if Pelerian knew her, but he hesitated to answer. When I pressed him, saying he promised to be honest, he said it was a personal matter, so I let it go. That elf will chase me. What did I do wrong? I just killed a few chimeras and wore Pelerian''s ring. I wondered how she could find me in such a vast forest. When I said that, Pelerian stated withoutughing: She will find me. She''ll find me, torture me, and experiment to see what kind of monster I am in detail. Isn''t that too Pelerian-like thinking? But considering the inhumanity of the fairies I''ve met so far, it was enough to be afraid. For that, I needed to change and be stronger. Either evolve and change so much that she couldn''t recognize me. Or be strong enough that even fairies couldn''t capture me. Preferably thetter. "Kissit, quiik. Chering Nanaluk!" "Nanalukmi chwiit kissit- teng." This is roughly how Goblinnguage sounds. It''s quite a spittynguage. I hid behind a rock and eavesdropped on what the goblins were saying. They seem to be waiting for a goblin named Nanaluk. They had a ferry boat by the riverbank that could easily carry ten people. It was a primitive boat that they would push into the water, board, and row. And it was also the tool I needed to cross the river. ''They wouldn''t let me ride if I asked, would they?'' "Go ask them." Pelerian seems to be joking too. "I''m not joking." They would attack immediately if a snake appeared. What''s the next best option? I asked my advisor for a strategy. "Let''s kill them all." A strategy of annihtion. It''s a shame we can''t use fire tactics. If the boat burns, it''s all over. However, the annihtion strategy also has a problem. ''But then who will row? I don''t have hands.'' "Leave one alive. Have that one row." Genius. Instead of answering right away, I observed the goblins. Six goblins. They had diverse appearances. There was a goblin who looked like a grandmother, and there were those who looked like young warriors. One of them stands out. It was a goblin with uniquely red skin. It was quite tall and muscr. Looks like a warrior. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hob Goblin lv10] [Traits] [Goblin], [Warrior], [Cautiousness] [Skills] [Spearmanship lv7], [Archery lv3], [Shield Technique lv3], [Running lv10], [Shouting lv10] [Status] [Anxious] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hmm. Spearmanship, archery, and even shield technique. It certainly seems like abatant. If we fight, I''d probably win. But. ''Let''s try persuasion instead of the annihtion strategy. I think it would be better to hitch a ride.'' The problem is that the others are also carrying swords and bows. I''ve fought one-on-one several times, but I''ve never experienced fighting multiple opponents, so it''s burdensome. I don''t know if this goblin named Nanaluk is strong or weak, and they might join in the meantime. "Yes, that would be better." Surprisingly, Pelerian also affirmed my choice. Then there''s a problem. How should I approach them so they don''t get startled and attack? It''s troublesome for a terrifying-looking snake like me. This world is looks-ist too. "..." I came up with a method. == "S-Snake!" One goblin shouted in surprise. Immediately, everyone except the grandmother goblin stood up. Some drew weapons and aimed their bows. As expected, just the appearance of a snake draws a lot of aggro. But I had already made my move. "Wait..." Indeed, the goblins hesitated. "It''s holding a flower in its mouth." I was holding a flower in my mouth. Not only that, I had also ced a flower between my horns. The goblins were shocked by this striking visual. The fact that they didn''t immediately shoot their arrows showed it. "Is there a snake that carries flowers?" "It''s suspicious." The reaction wasn''t as favorable as I had thought. "This is embarrassing to death." I''m fine with it, but Pelerian is making a fuss instead. As I got closer to them, they hesitated and raised their swords again. Yeah, I haven''t broken down their mental walls yet. But I learned things from meeting the centipede couple. Thud. I wasn''t just holding a flower in my mouth. I had just caught a squirrel that was climbing a tree. I put it down along with the flower. "It''s a squirrel..." "It seems to be giving it to us." Yeah, there was a goblin with a bit of a brain. I bowed my head in greeting. The moment the other party returns the greeting, that''s when the ''exchange'' begins. A few goblins awkwardly tried to bow their heads. That''s when one of them spoke up. "What are you doing! It''s a monster!" It was the red-skinned Hob Goblin. You goblins are monsters too. "Pick up your bows! Why are you trying to greet it!" I don''t like this one. Because of that Hob Goblin, the atmosphere became chilly again. Some were drawing their bowstrings. "Hehe, it''s not going well." Can''t be helped. Should I sweep them all away? I could ughter them all. "Jadiram!" At that moment, another Hob Goblin appeared, sliding down the mountain ridge. It was a female goblin with her hair tied tightly. She was carrying a familiar boy goblin on her back. "What''s going on." "Nanaluk, a snake appeared." "A snake? Oh my." She noticed the flower stuck on my head. "It brought a flower." "Are you going to be like that too? Snakes are dangerous." "No..." Then my eyes met with the boy goblin''s. "It''s Ulluullullu! Sis, it''s that snake. The snake that saved me!" Ah, so good deeds are rewarded after all? The boy I saved from Pelican''s clutches has now saved the lives of others. Of course, I''m talking about the goblins in front of me, not myself. "It saved Retch?" "Oh my, it seems to be true. How interesting." The goblin sister called Nanaluk approached me. "Is there something you want?" Yeah, you asked well. I raised my tail, tapped the boat repeatedly, and then pointed to the other side of the river. They should understand this. "It wants to ride the boat with us to cross the river?" "Absolutely not! What if that snake goes berserk on the boat?" "Isn''t it fine?" An argument broke out among the goblins. They''re saying nonsense like being enchanted by the snake. Nanaluk and the boy goblin were favorable towards me, but the other goblins seemed quite scared. I was worried if the conversation would go well, but then... "Cough, cough, cough!" It wasn''t Goblinnguage, but coughing. The one coughing as if about to die was the old grandmother goblin. Terrifyingly, the grandmother goblin''s entire body was covered in tattoos. "Jadiram, Nana-luk." "Yes, grandmother." The two Hob Goblins who were arguing became quiet. "Since ancient times, snakes have been mystical animals. Don''t you understand even after seeing it understand our words? Cough!" Well said, grandmother. "Let it ride. The boat isn''t that small..." That grandmother was just a goblin, and the other two were Hob Goblins. It seems that being a Hob Goblin doesn''t necessarily mean higher status. The goblin who was yelling at me shut his mouth. "That''s great. Everyone get on board. Let''s cross!" Nanaluk said in a bright voice. I quickly climbed onto the boat. I immediately took the best seat. At the front, between the kind grandmother and the goblin called Nanaluk. "Heave-ho!" As they pushed the boat from the riverbank, it started to sway with a ssh. Water is sshing around. The grandmother goblin looked at me, put her hands together, and bowed her head. I bowed my head back. Thank you. The river wasn''t very wide, but the current was faster than I thought. The young Hob Goblin rowed hard. "Goblins are despised monsters, but they''re not as unintelligent as you might think." ''It seems so.'' "Of course, their level of civilization varies greatly between tribes, but this one seems quite advanced. They respect their elders, and the rtionships seem quite equal." I thought goblins were just mobs that hid and shot poison darts. I reflect once again on my shallow prejudice. "Hey." It was the Hob Goblin sister called Nanaluk. Her cat-like golden eyes were distinctive. Come to think of it, my prejudice about appearance was also broken. Themon goblins looked simr to my prejudice. Small build, pointed ears, green skin, not exactly handsome features. But the Hob Goblins were quite good-looking even by human aesthetic standards. Except for their slightly reddish skin and slightlyrger eyes, that is. "What''s your name?" My name? Well. I can''t say the three-syble name I used in Korea. Let me think of a cool name. Jegal Yuryong, Namgung Cheonma, something like that. Ah, I am White Double-horn Python Hwangbo Baeksa. "Don''t answer!" Suddenly, Pelerian intervened. You startled me. "You don''t have a name yet, snake. A name is imbued with important power. Don''t make one up carelessly." ''How am I supposed to speak anyway?'' "..." Come to think of it, Pelerian can be quite foolish too. Aside from not having a name, I can''t speak. I just flickered my tongue. Nanaluk didn''t seem to expect an answer anyway. "Look at this." She dipped her hand in the river water. And when she pulled it out, surprisingly, there was a fish biting her finger. Nanalukughed "Ahaha" and threw the fish to me. I caught it in my mouth and swallowed it in one gulp. "You did well to get on the boat. If you had tried to swim across, you would have been reduced to bones in an instant." That''s right. It was a brutal river. The fish had sharp teeth, so Nanaluk''s finger was bleeding. But she just sucked her finger once and grinned. I almost fell for her. She''s a goblin, and I''m a snake! It didn''t take long to cross the river. On the opposite bank, tall bushes were growing. The bushes, grown to about chest height, swaying in the wind looked like a summer field of silver grass. "We''re here!" The boy goblin stood up excitedly. This caused the boat to sway. An adult goblin pulled the boy down and scolded him. "Stay still until the boat stops, you brat." Just as he was about to jump off the boat first... Oh. Something shot out from the silver grass field. Thwack! An arrow pierced deeply into the eye of the goblin who had just scolded the boy. He stiffened and fell. Ssh! Water sshed. And I felt a stinging sensation on my back. Thwack! "Oh, an arrow." Even without Pelerian''smentary, I could tell. An arrow had pierced my body. It hurts! A lot! "Arrows. It''s an ambush!" Nanaluk shouted loudly while pushing down the boy''s head. Except for the grandmother and the boy, all the goblins jumped off the boat. Ah, why did the arrow hit me of all people! I was sticking close to the bottom of the boat, so I should have had the lowest chance of being hit. I thought my luck had been goodtely, but misfortune has struck again. "Get them, those crazy bastards ambushed us!" "Jadiram! Don''t go in alone! They''re trying to lure us into the bushes!" The arrow didn''t pierce very deep. My skin has be much tougher as I evolved. But the wound in my heart fueled my anger. "Go." I too jumped off the boat. The bushes sway back and forth. The arrows were shot from inside there. Arrows flew out sporadically, but it doesn''t seem like they''re trying to hit. "Enter in a line together!" Nanaluk was an excellentmander. Goblins are small in stature, it wouldn''t be easy to find and kill those hiding in the bushes. Of course, this was an exception for me. ''Old man, can you see from above?'' "Me? Hmm, I can see." Pelerian could float within a 2m radius around the ring. In other words, it meant he could see the movement of the bushes from a higher ce than me. ''Then please tell me the direction.'' "No problem. Go straight ahead." I enter the bushes. Unlike the goblins, the bushes didn''t sway when I burrowed through. "More, a little to the right. There are ten in total." It''smon sense to be careful of snakes when passing through bushes, isn''t it? Moreover, if it''s an extremely angry venomous snake... "Two are gathered together." As I pushed through the bushes, there were two goblins holding bows. It was you guys. Leap. eleration. And, on the goblin''s bare chest... Biting. Crunch! As Inded on the ground, blood spurted from the fallen goblin''s chest. And the remaining one who witnessed this screamed. "Aaaah! It''s a heart-eating snake!" ''Heart-eating snake''. Who knew that would be my first epithet? Chapter 32: Pelerians Thinking "Cry, you weak goblins. Your terror has arrived. It''s the heart-eating snake!" The goblin who shouted this fell on his behind with a thud. It seems like goblins have a passive fear of snakes. No,e to think of it, it''s natural to be scared when a snake suddenly appears and eats arade''s heart. I was going to take care of them cleanly if they just stayed still. "You evil snake. Incarnation of the devil. Begone!" The goblin spat and pulled out his ne. "Begone, ugly creature!" This hurts my feelings a little. The heart-eating snake had no choice but to live up to its name. Of course, there was no reason to be afraid of such a ne. When I didn''t retreat, the goblin swung his rusty sword. Oops. The sword struck the ground where I had been just moments ago. But it was a terrible sword strike. Compared to the elf''s sharp swordsmanship, it was unbearably slow. Instead, I climbed up the goblin''s rusty sword, up his wrist. You should have worn armor. Crunch! ¡¸The proficiency of ''Biting'' has increased.¡¹ ¡¸''Biting lv9'' has be ''Biting lv10''.¡¹ That''s right. Now Biting has also reached lv10. The goblin attackers gave a decent amount of experience points. But none of them had any magic stones. "He-heart-eating, snake...!" Did you call me? Those were thest words of the goblin with a hole punched in his chest. The Pelerian navigation watched me with satisfaction and smiled. He turned his head slightly and said, "Another one ising." Even the goblins who ambushed us seem to haveradeship. Toe running after hearing such a terrible scream. A goblin with a sword burst out of the underbrush. He looked alternately at hisrade''s corpse and me, then shouted, "Snake... Heart-eating!" Is that all these guys can say? He charged at me with his sword. A simr situation to before unfolded. "Ugh, gak!" The goblin with a hole in his chest fell, spewing blood. "Two more areing." Dealing with two at once isn''t easy. I prepared earth magic. Let''s knock one down and deal with the other one first. Soon, two goblins jumped out simultaneously. But this time, there wasn''t an immediate scuffle. "Really, there really was a heart-eating... snake." "Ru-run away!" They lost their will to fight as soon as they saw the corpses of their threerades. The goblins immediately fled into the underbrush. I was about to chase after them but stopped. It wasn''t becausepassion welled up. ¡¸You''ve gained the title ''Heart-eating Snake''.¡¹ Title? It surely wasn''t the ringing sound in the ears. Could it be a nickname like ''Steel'' Gunter or ''Heaven Defier'' Pelerian? "What are you doing? Go after them and hold a blood festival." When Pelerian looked puzzled, I told him the content of the voice. "You got a title!" Heughed heartily. "In all my days, this is the first time I''ve seen a monster not even two months old gain a title. What kind of title is it, Heart-eating Snake!" What kind of title could it be? I was curious too. As I focused my mind, my status window appeared. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python lv3] [Title]Heart-eating Snake ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh, a title has been attached below my name. I''ve gained the brutal nickname of Heart-eating Snake. What''s the principle behind suddenly gaining a title? "A title is a name other than one''s real name. And a namees into existence because there are those who call you by it." Roughly speaking, it means I got this title because the goblins called me ''Heart-eating Snake''. I couldn''t help but wonder here. ''So if people call me Whitey or Snakey, does that be my title?'' Whitey. If such a title gets attached, my dignity would be greatly damaged. It''s terrible just imagining it. Pelerian denied it. "A title doesn''t appear just because a few people call you that. At least hundreds of people need to call you by that name for it to be a title." ''Then what just happened?'' "Probably, the concept of ''Heart-eating Snake'' is universal to those goblins. Like an oral tradition or an old tale." Ah, so in terms of folk tales, my title is like ''The Tiger Who Won''t Eat You If You Give It a Rice Cake''. "I don''t know what that is. Also, you need to show actions befitting that title." Come to think of it, this wasn''t the only time I ate hearts. Didn''t I defeat the Horn Jaguar and Chimera by eating their hearts too? Then what about Steel or Heaven Defier? "I was the great magician who defied thews of heaven." ''Ah, I see.'' "Titles have power imbued in them. The more powerful the title, the more people call you by that title, the stronger the power bes." That''s why Pelerian said names have power and so on. I looked at my new name more closely. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Heart-eating Snake] A snake of terror passed down in the Croc tribe of Pmu Rainforest. Its infamy hasn''t spread widely yet. Your fangs be sharper. You can gain more magic power by devouring the hearts of your prey. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Pelerian''s words were true. Moreover, there were additional effects. The description says my teeth be sharper and I can gain more experience points. Both were effects I needed. I''m d to have gained such an unexpected benefit. "Another one ising." I prepared to fight again. These guys are more persistent than I thought. "No, it''s not." I could tell what wasn''ting. What burst out of the underbrush was Nanaluk. She alternately looked at the fallen goblins and me, then eximed in surprise, "Whitey!" Whitey? Is she calling this Heart-eating Snake that? "Did you take care of all of them?" I nodded. Then Nanaluk rejoiced and marveled. "That''s amazing. To clean up the warriors so neatly." Well, this much is a simple task. Nanaluk''s sword was also thickly stained with blood. She didn''t have a single wound. It seems she took care of quite a few on her own. Ah, checking Nanaluk''s status window. This hobgoblin was quite strong. Of course, she couldn''t bepared to the elf or Gunter, but at least she was far above the level of goblins I had imagined. "An arrow is stuck in you. We need to treat this." She said worriedly, looking at my wound. The arrow shaft had broken off at some point, leaving only the arrowhead embedded. "Stay still for a moment." It''s fine, I''ll just drink the remaining potion and it''ll heal. But she pulled out the arrowhead. Blood spurts out with a st. She took out a bamboo tube from her bosom and thickly applied the green ointment it contained. Amazingly, the bleeding stopped. "This is a temporary measure. I''ll take you to the vige for treatment." Hmm, that doesn''t sound bad. It''ll save some potion too. "To think I''d get to infiltrate a goblin vige. Such an amazing experience..." Looking at Pelerian, he seems pleased too. Nanaluk suddenly picked me up. And she draped me around her shoulders like a scarf. This position isfortable. "Let''s go." One poor goblin who died from an arrow to the head. Except for him, there were no casualties. I arrived at their tribe along with the goblins. == The idea that goblins live in caves or. That they live like primitives in huts was a prejudice. Of course, there might be goblin tribes that actually live like that, but not the Lunga tribe of this Pmu Rainforest. It''s been about three hundred years since they migrated to this rainforest. The Lunga tribe''s vige had proper wooden buildings. Because it rains so much, the houses were elevated 50cm from the ground. Goblin children ran between the houses supported by wooden pirs. And they watched the returning warriors with curious eyes. "It''s a white snake." "Looks like Nanaluk brought it." "It seems to be alive!" "Wow." The children excitedly circled around. They don''t daree close to me. They seem to be afraid of snakes. Among the returning goblins was a boy of their age. "Retch, what''s that snake?" The boy whose life I saved somehow looked proud. "It might be Ulluullullu." "Ulluullullu?" "Yeah, it saved me. And it took care of the Croc goblins. By eating their hearts." "Gasp. Their hearts..." "They called it the heart-eating snake." "Wow..." That''s right, little one. Spread my fame even further. By the way, what on earth does Ulluullullu mean? The name sounds too ridiculous. Looking at what Pelerian was doing, he was busy floating around and observing the surroundings. "Wow, this goblin tribe has developed tremendously." ''Weren''t they here before?'' "When I saw them before, they were a primitive tribe living in caves. I considered wiping them out, but I''m d I left them alone." He seemed very interested in the goblin vige. At times like this, he shows a schrly side. The problem is that it''s more of a mad scientist side. "I''ll treat you." Nanaluk said so. I wondered if there might even be a hospital, but that wasn''t the case. The ce she took me was where the shamans gathered. There were shamans wearing shy ornaments and covered in tattoos. They greeted us. "Great Shaman." I wondered who the Great Shaman was. Surprising fact. It was the olddy who had told them to put me on the boat. She seems to be a high-ranking person. The shamans put a crown on the old goblindy and hung a bone ne on her. In an instant, she became a dangerous-looking olddy. "This snake..." When the shamans asked about me, the olddy answered. "I think I''ve encountered a miraculous snake." "A miraculous snake..." "Bring the healing ointment and bandages. I must treat it." The shamans'' attitude changedpletely. They carefully moved me as if serving a master. Why suddenly like this? The shamans disinfected my wound and wrapped it with bandages. There were mysterious murals on the walls of the shamans'' shrine. And among them, something caught my eye. It was a picture of a ck snake with wings. Lightning was striking around the ck snake, and below it, a red snakey dead. What a cool brother. Nanaluk whispered to me. "That''s Ulluullullu." Ah, so that''s who it is. But to mistake me for a ck snake when white and ck are so different. Honestly, I admit ck looks cool, but I prefer white. ck snakes look too evil. "By the way, what''s this ring?" Nanaluk asked, pointing at my ring. I couldn''t answer her, so I just slowly waved my tail. "To be honest, it''s not great. It''s tacky. The way it looks." I think so too. Pelerian asked, "What did she say? She seemed to ask about my ring." ''She says the ring looks incredibly stylish.'' "Hoho, even goblins have aesthetic sense. It''s a si I designed myself." Making your own si. As expected of a fairy with excessive self-awareness. Nanaluk didn''t leave my side, as if she had nothing else to do. Then, something caught my eye. I had a bright idea and told Pelerian about it, and he liked it too. I tapped Nanaluk''s back of the hand with my tail. And pointed to an object. "Paint? You want me to bring that?" As expected, it''s nice when someone understands immediately. There were many tools for sorcery in this shrine. Among them were primitive forms of paint. When I requested something simr to ink, the shamans brought a wooden board and paint with interest. I dipped my tail in ck paint. "Now, it''s an elephant-shaped rock. Draw it like this." The idea I came up with was this: To ask for directions by drawing the rock near my destination. If I just followed Pelerian''s words to find the dungeon, who knows how long it would take. However, the act of asking for directions caused a bigger ripple than I had anticipated. "Oh, it''s drawing a picture!" "It''s truly miraculous, Great Shaman." "Could it be... Oh!" All the shamans gathered around me. For some reason, my tail is trembling slightly from nervousness. It''s as if they''re watching a prodigy solve a math problem. I managed to draw the elephant-shaped rock splendidly. And fortunately, Nanaluk recognized it. "This is the elephant rock!" Yes! The dungeon is said to be hidden right below the elephant rock. As it''s where the magic stones are stored, Pelerian says he designed it with very strong security. Of course, it''s built sturdy enough not to copse even in an earthquake. "Fortunately, it seems to be safe." ''Couldn''t the fairies have found it first and emptied it?'' "That''s impossible." When I asked why he was so confident, "I made it so that if anyone tries to force their way in, the entire rock would copse." ''...'' "Kekeke, arrogant intruders would be buried alive along with the magic stones." Before, I had happily entered dungeons without knowing anything. It''s chilling. I tapped the elephant rock. "You want to go here?" I nodded vigorously to Nanaluk''s question. But her expression wasn''t bright. "The Croc tribe has upied this ce for a year now." What? Wasn''t that the tribe of goblins I had dealt with? "It was originally our tribe''snd. The Croc chieftain invaded and made it his base. They seem to be digging under the rock... but the security is tight, so it''s hard to get close." Shock! Could the goblins have found the dungeon? It doesn''t seem like they''ve entered it yet, though. However, Pelerian''s anger was tremendous. "Those rat bastards!" The old fairy general, about a hand span tall, was furious. "Go, snake! Go and eat all their hearts-!" No, it''s easy for you to say. But I was just as angry. ''How dare they aim for my magic stones!'' "I''ll kill them all and turn them into taxidermy! Chapter 33: Ulluullullu! Ulluullullu! Ulluullullu! There are races in the world born to be miners. Dwarves are like that, and so are gnomes, though their numbers have drastically decreased. And although not widely known, goblins are also born miners. While theyck physical strength, their small stature is advantageous for digging into the ground. Above all, they possess the virtue of diligence. Diligence, in other words, means being good at obedience. Goblins can''t unite. That''smon knowledge. They live scattered in tribal societies and fail to form proper kingdoms. However, historically, there have been two instances of goblin kings. If asked whiches first between a kingdom and a king, the answer would naturally be the kingdom. A king cannot exist without subjects to rule over. But this is not the case with goblin-like ein races. Historically, there have been two individuals who evolved into ''monarchs'' from goblins. The goblin monarchs united numerous goblins scattered across the continent. Each time this happened, the continent was engulfed in mes. In modern times, the perception of goblins as insignificant is widespread. But probabilistically, a goblin monarch could be born at any time. Recognizing this ever-present danger and preparing for it, the kingdom... ¡¸From ''Analysis of Ein: The Goblin Edition'' - Author Unknown¡¹ == ng- ng- ng It''s been almost a year since the noisy sounds beganing from beneath Elephant Rock every day. This started happening after the Croc tribe began upying Elephant Rock. Elephant Rock was, as its name suggests, a massive rocky peak. The rock, of course, extended its roots deep into the ground. The noise was the sound of breaking the underground rock. ng- ng! With the goblins'' crude iron tools, mining was excruciatingly slow. But by now, they had dug quite deep. "Dig straight, you bastards!" A hobgoblin with a protruding belly, seemingly well-fed, swung a whip. One of the goblins hit by the whip copsed. It was a goblin from another tribe, enved by the Croc tribe after their invasion. "Hey old man, stop exaggerating." "Sorry, sorry. Ack!" The hobgoblin kicked the old goblin as he tried to get up. "Oh? Not getting up?" "Ack, ugh." He repeatedly kicks and whips the goblin when he tries to get up. The elderly goblin could only pick up his pickaxe again after his face was badly bruised. Other goblins pretended not to see and kept digging. The easiest way to control goblins was through fear. There was another reason why they didn''t think of resisting at all. Digging under Elephant Rock like this wasn''t the job of the lowest ss. There were others more pitiful than them. "Oh." One of the goblins swinging a pickaxe was startled. Then he quickly raised his hand and shouted. "Something else has been found!" "What!" A Croc tribe goblin holding a whip quickly ran over. He closely examined the part recently excavated by the pickaxe. It''s a trace of a structure. Something artificial was hidden among the natural rock formations. "It''s been a month...!" Since starting the excavation on the chief''s orders, they had discovered a total of four artificial structures. The frequency of discoveries has been increasing since the first one. This likely means their excavation is gradually approaching its destination. Of course, only the chief seems to know what''s hidden down there. "Bring the prisoners!" At those words, the faces of the goblins digging lit up. They would be able to rest for a while. Three goblins were dragged in by the hobgoblins. Each of them had signs of being beaten on their faces. They were the ones who had attempted to attack Lunga tribe warriors by the river but failed and fled. They trembled as they held the pickaxes. The hobgoblin pointed to one of them. "You first, go dig!" "Redeka, please spare me!" These weren''t ves but originally warriors of the Croc tribe. They even had personal rtionships with the supervising hobgoblin. But the hobgoblin pped the face of the goblin clinging to him. "You bastard, if you didn''t want to be a prisoner, you should have just died fighting." "Sob." "Heart-eating Snake? It''s because you said such nonsense to the chief that you got beaten and ended up like this." The defeated be prisoners, worse off than ves. The goblin had no choice but to take the pickaxe and approach the exposed structure. He carefully digs into the dirt. If the pickaxe stops, terrible beatings will begin. "If you do well, you might live. If the chief is pleased, that is." With such hope, they reluctantly pick up the pickaxe. Everyone else stepped back. Only one prisoner goblin remained, carefully starting the excavation. About 30 minutes passed. "Huh?" It was an exmation as if he had discovered something. And then, a strange sound was heard. Ting. That was the moment mes burst out from inside. "Aah, aaaaaah!" The goblin holding the pickaxe was engulfed in mes. He screamed horribly and then copsed with a thud. Silence fell. The hobgoblin broke the silence. "Next." "Sob, ugh..." "Next!" This was their method of oveing traps. A crude method of exhausting all traps by sacrificing prisoners and ves. It took a lot of time and blood was shed, but it was certainly an effective method. The one who ordered all of this was none other than the chief. The Hobgoblin King, Croc. A burly warrior, a head taller than even normal hobgoblins, was watching the entire scene. Croc wore armor made of woven iron pieces. Originally, goblin tribes share power between the chief and the great shaman. But not Croc. He killed the great shaman with his own hands and ascended to the position of great shaman himself. He killed the chiefs of other tribes and made nes from their skulls. His appearance was terrifyingly fierce. But there was a young hobgoblin who fearlessly raised his voice next to him. "Father!" However, there was still fear in that voice. Croc, who was once just a gruff father, had now be a tyrannical emperor. "Please, I beg you. Just spare Nanaluk and her siblings." "..." "I''ll do anything you want, father!" Croc acted as if he couldn''t hear his son''s plea. Then suddenly, he turned to look at his son. "Chandal." Chandal, Nanaluk''s lover, felt his breath catch for a moment. It seemed as if mes were flickering in his father''s eyes. He suddenly grabbed Chandal''s face. Crunch! "Kuuub." "You anger me." Chandal struggled, but his father''s grip was like a rock. Croc increased his strength and lifted Chandalpletely off the ground. "If you had asked me to spare only Nanaluk, I might have agreed. It''s a man''s instinct to protect his woman. But... to ask me to spare her siblings too?" "Kuup, kuk." "My son!" Croc raged as if he was about to breathe fire. "Making such a weak request!" "Kuk." "Kill Nanaluk''s siblings with your own hands." Chandal''s eyes widened. "If you kill those young goblins with your own hands, I''ll spare your woman." "..." "If not, both you and your woman will die." Chief Croc never speaks empty words. He threw his son aside. Chandal realized the fate that awaited him. Blood and saliva mixed and dripped from his burst lips. Croc paid no attention to whether his son wailed or not. The only thing he cared about was what was being excavated right now. It must be in there. The power that will make Croc the true king of goblins... The monarch of all goblins on the continent...! == Huhu. There''s one thing I miss about bing a snake. It''s that I can''t sing. Well, it''s not like I had a hobby of singing, but even when I''m in a good mood, I can''t hum a tune. All I can do is flick my tongue with a hiss. In that sense, I hope I''ll grow rattles on my tail in the next evolution. There''s a thing called a rattlesnake, right? Having an instrument attached to my tail wouldn''t be bad. The reason I''m in a good mood is nothing special. It''s because I got to eat something delicious. Crunch. I put a bright red fruit hanging from a tree into my mouth and chewed. As the juice spread, a sweet taste filled my mouth. Fruit is delicious, whether as a human or as a snake. Nanaluk also followed me and ate the fruit. Then she spat it out with a ''ptui''. "This has poison in it, so it''ll make your stomach hurt if you eat it. Are you okay?" Hmm, I was feeling a bit warm inside, so that must be why. But my poison resistance was already high enough. This level of fruit was nothing. "Snakes are really amazing. I wish I was born as a snake too." Nanaluk was a knowledgeable goblin. I was walking with her in the forest near the vige. It''s something like a date. "Focus. There''s Blue Star Grass over there too." Pelerian urged. I tapped Nanaluk''s shoulder with my tail and pointed, and Nanaluk picked the herb. "This one, right?" I nodded. These were the herbs Pelerian had pointed out. Many of them were already piled up in the basket. After hearing that Elephant Rock had been upied by goblins called the Croc tribe, Pelerian became urgent. "There''s no way mere goblins could break through my dungeon''s defenses. I''ve set up severalyers of defensive mechanisms and even prepared guardians." He says that, but his haste is evident. No matter how thorough the defenses, the power of time is formidable. Those goblins might really break through the strict security. And above all, it just feels bad. "How dare they try to touch my things..." Right. That''s why I''m very angry too. The things there are Pelerian''s, and at the same time, they''re mine, aren''t they? "There, pick that lily of the valley too." I tapped Nanaluk''s shoulder and she picked the lily of the valley. "This should be enough." The gathering was finished. I tapped Nanaluk''s shoulder to signal that we should go back. Of course, I just shook my head and twirled my tail. Nanaluk understood it strangely well. I never thought there would be a goblin whomunicates so well. "You''re a really strange snake. Sometimes you seem more like a goblin than a magical beast. You even understand ournguage." I''ll take that as apliment, Nanaluk. We returned to the vige together. Naturally, I was the center of attention in this goblin vige. A snake that understandsnguage, I''d be curious too if I were them. Moreover, this snake was up to some unusual things. "Wait a moment." Saying that, Nanaluk brought arge pot. It was the iron pot I had requested this morning by pointing with my tail. "Have her fill it with water." I did so. Thanks to the excellent assistant Nanaluk, things were progressing smoothly. If you ask what I''m up to. Well, it''s potion making. "All sorts of nts grow in the great forest. There are few ingredients that can''t be obtained." I knew Pelerian was a magician, but he was really a know-it-all at an incredible level. He even knew the method of making potions. In a situation where potions were almost depleted. We needed more potions to break through the goblins'' security and reach Pelerian''s dungeon. "First, put in the crushed Bloody Frog. You need to skim off the foam." How do I express skimming off the foam? I tried my best to mimic the action of skimming foam. Nanaluk understood perfectly. "You want me to skim off the foam like this?" Hmm. ''I''d rather travel with Nanaluk instead of Pelerian.'' "You rascal!" Pelerian heard it. "Do you know how valuable this potion recipe is? I once sold a single potion recipe and got a whole castle in return." ''Hmm, is that so.'' "That''s right!" Then I should memorize it too. Maybe someday I can sell it and get my own castle. After boiling a full pot of potion until it became sticky, less than half remained. Thinking we might be making food, many goblins gathered around. Some shamans were mixed in among them. "What exactly are you making?" Even Nanaluk didn''t know what I was making. You''ll all know soon enough. Nanaluk prepared ten water bottles made of bamboo. When we filled them with the potion, it was just the right amount. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Adriana-style Red Potion] Shows remarkable effect in wound healing. Its recipe is highly secretive and hard to obtain, making it a rare item ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh, it was true. This seems like a really good potion. Except for theck of mana recovery effect, it looked better than the potion that novice knight Zain had. "I''ve been fooled all my life." I subtly pushed three out of ten bottles towards Nanaluk. It was herbor cost. "Oh my, what a waste." ''We have to give this much for using herbor. She did everything.'' Nanaluk was grateful too. "But I''m not sure what this is. Is it something to eat?" Nanaluk opened the cork of the bamboo container and tried to drink it. You''re fearless, not even knowing what a potion is. I stopped her. It would be faster to show its performance. So I approached one of the goblins who was watching. Follow me. "M-me?" It was a goblin with a wound on his hand. "Alright." Why is this goblin speaking formally to me? Anyway, I wrapped my tail around the potion bottle Nanaluk had opened and poured it on the goblin''s wound. Sizzle "Oh my gawd!" The goblin was startled when steam burst from his hand. Soon he was shocked to see that the wound on his hand had healed. "Th-this is truly Ulluullullu!" He suddenly shouted like that. The watching goblins started murmuring. What''s this, why are we talking about Ulluullullu again? And a shaman goblin who was watching rushed over breathlessly. She looked at me and the pot alternately with an excited face. "Is this really the water of life?" It''s a potion. It seems goblins don''t have the concept of potions. rmingly, the shaman took a knife and cut her palm. Then she smeared the remaining potion from the pot on it. Steam rose, and the wound healed. The effect of Pelerian''s special potion is quite good. "Ah... They say the sacred snake understands our words and bestows the water of life..." The shaman muttered that name with a pale face. "Ulluullullu..." A few watching goblins chant Ulluullullu with their hands sped. "Oh my? This is..." Pelerian''s expression turned strangely cunning. I found it amusing too and waved my tail. "Ulluullullu! Ulluullullu!" A few goblins followed and waved their hands. This is fun. Chapter 34: If Its Not There, Nothing Can Be Done The goblins of the Lunga tribe were divided into two groups. A minority of fools who thought I was the incarnation of the legendary snake ''Ulluullullu''. And the majority who thought that was nonsense. The ratio was about 2 to 8. Actually, even 20% is a higher ratio than expected. This is because the Ulluullullu described in paintings was a flying ck snake. The only simrity with me was that it was a snake. "Ulluullullu!" "Ah, Ulluullullu." The goblins who thought I was Ulluullullu would shout that name and sp their hands in prayer whenever they saw me. It feels like I''ve be a street-side Buddha statue. I investigated why this misunderstanding urred. The old shaman goblin woman I first met clearly said that ''snakes are mystical creatures''. The goblins of this Lunga tribe actually didn''t treat snakes carelessly. It might be natural. Thinking of snakes as evil creatures is just a prejudice of some ignorant people. In some ces, snakes were even worshipped as gods of abundance. In fact, on Jeju Ind in Korea, they used to worship a snake god called ''Chilseong (Seven Stars)''. This ce was simr. The shamans pray to various goblin gods. Among them, there is a powerful snake god called Ulluullullu. A powerful snake god who defeats the evil god ''Red Headless Snake''. I asked why they thought I was that snake god. Of course, when I say ''I asked'', it wasn''t an easy process at all. I pretended to be interested in the shamans'' scriptures, so one shaman read them to me all day long. That''s how I got a rough idea. First, the mystical snake god Ulluullullu understands goblinnguage. It''s natural that ordinary monsters or animals can''t understand speech. But Ulluullullu, who understands goblinnguage, is kind and gentle. A grateful being who stays with the Lunga goblins and defeats their enemies. Yeah, that fits me. I can''t deny it, it''s just me. I''m kind, I''m gentle, I''ve even eaten the hearts of several enemy tribe goblins. Second, Ulluullullu spits out the water of life. The water of life heals the injured and those who drink it live long and healthy lives. What''s this water of life? There were goblins who shouted Ulluullullu when I made potions. This must be why. To goblins who don''t know what potions are, it must have looked like the water of life. But I didn''t spit it out, I made it by boiling with Nanaluk''s help. It''s too disgusting to drink water spit out by a snake. The im about living long and healthy is also funny. Pelerian''s potions don''t have that effect. They just heal wounds. "Well, there''s something I didn''t exin to the buyer when I sold the potion recipe." ''What is it?'' "Long-term use can cause disease." ''...?'' When I asked what disease, he said: "Ahem, it''s azoospermia." That''s terrifying. So does that mean women can drink it without worry? Pelerian, who sold it while hiding this fact, is also impressive. "They probably won''t even know they have the disease. I only discovered it by chance while researching chimeras." It was a im of fraud by willful negligence. More than that, did you even research chimera sperm? He really lived up to the name of mad scientist. "A breedable chimera was my dream." Ah. So that''s why you researched it. A breedable chimera, now that I think about it, it''s certainly amazing. It''s almost like creating a new species. It seems we''ve gone off on a tangent. Anyway, I''m not Ulluullullu. I''m not particrly happy about being mistaken for such a mythical snake. "Why not? It''s a good opportunity. Hehe...." Seeing Pelerian''s lecherous smile makes me even more ufortable. And for good reason. ording to the legend, Ulluullullu eventually dies. He defeats the headless red snake, but in doing so, bes exhausted and wounded. In the end, he leaps into the mes and ascends to heaven. In other words, he dies. ''What if those goblins throw me into the fire alive?'' There''s nothing scarier than fanatics. I actually met fanatics in my previous life. I had a friend who approached me first, despite my extremely limited social circle. I wondered why they were so kind. They were so kind that they even worried about my ancestors. Apparently, my ancestors were clinging to me with grudges, causing things to go wrong. When they told me that a 5 million won exorcism would make things better, I told my father and got beaten severely. When I apologized to my friend, they suddenly turned serious and dragged me to a prayer house in the mountains. I escaped barefoot but got in trouble because I didn''t have taxi fare. ''Anyway, I don''t like it.'' "It would be good to make those foolish goblins your followers and use them as meat shields." I ignored Pelerian. At least Nanaluk and the normal goblins didn''t mistake me for Ulluullullu. "Um, Snake God." When I ignored the goblins who called me Ulluullullu, the goblin who approached me used the title ''Snake God''. Okay, let''s allow this much. "My child is sick." The goblin mother thrust her child at me. The child''s condition didn''t look good at all. It seemed to be ill. "Please... sob." No, what am I supposed to do? Go find a doctor or shaman. But my heart was too soft to ignore a crying mother. "It''s clearly dehydration. Probably got diarrhea from drinking dirty water and couldn''t eat properly." However, I had PelGPT by my side. His remote medical diagnosis was excellent. "If you boil some clean water with meat and drink it, it should get better." Did you hear that, ma''am? "Sob sob." But I had no means to convey that message. I couldn''t share potions either. Oh well, whatever. I swung my tail with the ring on it. My spatial backpack contains various things. I couldn''t fit much because the space was limited, but there were emergency rations in there. A chunk of alligator tail meat popped out. "This, this is...." Both the baby and its mother were equally skinny. Even though goblins get along well, there are still those who starve. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv1.¡¹ I didn''t shoot a water cannon at the pitiful goblin. A stream of water starts to trickle from thin air. The goblins opened their mouths in surprise. "When Ulluullullu howled, rain fell from the clear sky...." "It''s Ulluullullu!" I didn''t expect there to be another shaman among the onlookers. Sigh! I didn''t howl, and this wasn''t rain falling. The goblin mother looked back and forth between me and the water stream, then took out a leather water bottle and filled it. "Holy water... Thank you." It''s just water. But it''s probably a hundred times better than drinking muddy water. It should be clean. "Ulluullullu spits out the water of life to heal the sick...." "Ulluullullu! Ulluullullu!" That crazy shaman. I wonder if I''d get experience points if I ate him? It might not be bad to try that experiment. I fled from the gathered crowd. But once a preconception takes hold, it''s scary. After that, there were several more events where I was mistaken for Ulluullullu. Snakes have something called the Jacobson''s organ. It''s another olfactory organ in the mouth that can smell chemical substances on the tongue. That''s why snakes keep flicking their tongues. I, born as a monster, also had a Jacobson''s organ. And that Jacobson''s organ gave me a special ability. The ability to sense rain before it falls. It was a time when I waszily basking in the sunlight to raise my body temperature. The goblins were also hanging outundry because the weather was nice. But I smelled rain. Since snakes are cold-blooded animals and get in a bad state when rained on, I hurriedly took shelter under a roof. Rumble- Right after that, a thunderstorm poured down. "They say Ulluullullumands lightning and rain...." "Ulluullullu!" It was ridiculous. Why would a snake thatmands storms hide under a roof to avoid rain? Pelerian chuckled with glee. He seemed to enjoy being revered. It''s me being revered, not actually him. There was another incident. Before going to find a dungeon, I went hunting to level up. I managed to catch a big bear. It was an Owl Bear that looked just like an owl. It was too heavy to move alone, so I called the goblins to help move it. One of the goblins wailed when he saw the Owl Bear. "Aaargh, aaah!" I was startled. It turned out that the Owl Bear had eaten that goblin''s father. "It''s that one, that''s the one!" "Ulluullullu!" "Thank you. Thank you so much!" Is it really that same Owl Bear? I can barely distinguish goblin faces, I don''t know why they''re so certain. I was a bit tired. I seriously asked Pelerian why they were acting like this. "That''s just how the goblin race is." It was a racist statement, but I listened quietly. "Goblins are a race that instinctively seeks someone to believe in and rely on. They''re as obedient as they are diligent, born to be the ruled ss." ''That''s a bit harsh.'' "I''m not insulting them, that''s just how it is. The world is always two-sided. Goblins are a faithful and loyal race, even better than humans in that regard. They just need someone to believe in and follow. Poor things...." That''s what he says. Anyway, I have no intention of reigning as their snake god. The day to leave was approaching. "Good idea. It would be best to enve those goblins, but if you don''t want to do that, we should get to my dungeon as soon as possible." My level had already exceeded 5. I still couldn''t use Heavenly Thunder Spirit, but I had potions prepared. It was time to set out. What if the goblins really raid the dungeon? I returned to my home. Yes, I had a home here where I stayed. It was none other than Nanaluk''s house. I climbed up the pir and slipped in through the window. Nanaluk''s siblings weed me. "Whitey!" "You''re back." Maybe Whitey is better than Ulluullullu? These kids didn''t bother me by calling me Snake God. Is your sister not back yet? "Sister is being scolded by father. She''ll be back soon." I was surprised by the answer that seemed to prate my thoughts. Nanaluk''s father was the chieftain of this ce. If you really think about it, she was probably of princess-like status. I couldn''t imagine it because she fought so well with a sword. But it seems she doesn''t get along well with the chieftain. It was when the day was growing dim. Nanaluk returned. "Retch, Riandal, Kadiram, I''m home." Nanaluk had three younger brothers. Retch and Riandal were still kids. Kadiram was a warrior who had evolved into a hobgoblin. She greeted me too. Oh. Nanaluk''s face was slightly swollen. Had she been crying somewhere? Her insensitive siblings didn''t seem to notice. Nanaluk didn''t show any different signs from usual either. This house wasplete with just Nanaluk and her siblings. We all shared dinner together. It was a stew of unidentifiable monster meat. After filling our stomachs, it was time to sleep. In one room, something like straw was spread out thickly, and nkets were ced on top for everyone to sleep together. Nanaluk''s younger brothers fell asleep instantly. Moonlight poured in through the window. This is thest day of my stay here. Pelerian also went into the ring to rest. Actually, he spent more time in the ring than awake. I enjoyed the rare moment of quiet. Honestly, I was almost tempted. It didn''t seem bad to just stay here. The goblins treat me well, and it''sfortable. But that wouldn''t do. You never know when the fairy trackers mighte. Then the goblins here might be in danger too. I needed to be stronger. I looked at Nanaluk. She was sound asleep. I''m grateful to you too. Take care. I''ll leave as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. I hope I have a good dream tonight. But I didn''t have a good dream. My goodness, I met that crazy elf woman in my dream. The elf woman took out a short sword and chopped me up like grilled eel. ''It was a dream! Phew....'' When I opened my eyes. My body was fine. Only my heart keeps pounding. That''s when I realized the cause of the nightmare. Survival Instinct, my friend, was warning me of danger. There was a hobgoblin standing in the room. An assassin with his face covered by a mask, holding a knife. Trying to stab Nanaluk to death. I moved reflexively. ¡¸Using Stealth lv6.¡¹ ¡¸Using eleration lv5.¡¹ Approaching quietly and quickly. I bit his ankle hard. "Huh!" The assassin goblin looked at me with a startled gasp. Hello. Do you happen to have poison resistance? Chapter 35: Reject Only Twice Deadly Poison: Is Neurotoxin lv3 a joke? Unless a Hobgoblin has at least level 10 Poison Resistance, it can''t escape death. It''s even slow to copse. No, it''s not copsing. The Hobgoblin didn''t fall. Instead, it swung its knife at me. Whoosh! The de didn''t cut me. Pretty fast, much better than the goblins I met by the river. Just by watching how it swung the knife, adjusting the distance to avoid making noise when hitting the floor, I could tell. I responded by casting water magic. "Blub blub!" Nanaluk, who had been snoring, woke up. She grabbed the axe she had ced by her bedside, startled. Nanaluk was a veteran warrior who kept her axe under her pillow. Her axe swing was incredibly swift. Swish! But the axe passed over the assassin''s head instead of striking its neck. It wasn''t a mistake Nanaluk made in her sleepy state. The assassin, stiff as a board, fell like a log. The neurotoxin had finally spread properly. Thud! "Kuh, kheuk, kuh!" It chokes, unable to breathe properly. Reveal your identity, assassin goblin. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hobgoblin lv21] [Traits] [Assassin], [Hobgoblin] [Skills] [Stealth lv10], [Swordsmanship lv8], [Assassination lv7], [Poison Resistance lv8] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ So Poison Resistance really existed. It''s stronger than I thought! I was surprised by the goblin assassin''s strength. Still, my neurotoxin seems to be quite strong. It caused poisoning even with lv8 Poison Resistance. And the truly joyous thing happened next. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Gasp! It hasn''t even been a full day since myst level up. In other words, the experience points given by the assassin goblin were quite impressive. Much more efficient than my own hard hunting. "Assassin, did Croc send you?" Nanaluk muttered, turning pale. Right, it wasn''t time to be rejoicing. Pelerian! Wake up! Pelerian also popped out of the ring. He seemed to be sleeping too. Judging by his drowsy face as he raised his finger. "There, again." Something flew in from outside the window. Nanaluk swung her knife. She disyed quite impressive skill. Ting! She deflected whatever was flying in with her knife. "Poison needle!" She picked up the fallen poison needle from the floor. It seemed to have been shot from a blowgun. And the Hobgoblin assassin who appeared to have shot the poison needle was crawling in through the window. Nanaluk threw the poison needle back. Thwack! I thought she was a martial arts master. The poison needle Nanaluk threw hit the assassin''s shoulder. But instead of falling, the assassin charged in with a sickle-like weapon. What''s the point of shooting poison needles if the poison is this weak? Dangerous, Nanaluk! I, who had been hiding in the darkness, leaped. The assassins weren''t wearing anything like armor. Moreover, for some unknown confidence, they were exposing their chests. Then it''s time for the Heart-eating Snake. Crunch! "Aaaagh!" I thought real assassins don''t scream when stabbed. Your training iscking. The assassin fell, spewing blood. And he uttered hisst words while looking at me. "Really... Heart-eating..." That''s right, I am that Heart-eating Snake. For some reason, the title Ulluullullu didn''t appear. I preferred Heart-eating Snake anyway. ''When you devour the heart of your prey, you can gain more magical power.'' That was the special benefit of my title. Perhaps because of that, I could feel a noticeablyrger amount of magical power being absorbed. I was confident that if I caught just one more, I''d level up again. It was a moment of excitement from the rare rapid leveling. "Thank you, I''m alive thanks to you!" Nanaluk hugged me and expressed her gratitude. I felt a bit sorry for stealing her killing blow, bute to think of it, I did save her. Let''s be proud. "Why did the assassine... Oh!" Nanaluk stood up abruptly. "The chieftain, father is in danger!" As far as I know, Nanaluk is the best warrior of the Lunga tribe. She''s particrly strong among Hobgoblins, and there are many warriors who follow her. Among the warriors, there are even those who say Nanaluk should be made the new chieftain. But would assassins really try to assassinate just Nanaluk for that reason? If assassins havee this far, they must have gone to the chieftain''s house as well. "Let''s go!" I was thinking of going anyway. Can''t resist leveling up. I naturally climbed onto Nanaluk''s shoulder. Her running was much faster than my Quick Crawling. "Assassins! Warriors, gather!" Nanaluk shouted as she ran. There seems to be a basic guard system in ce. Someone rang a bell loudly. The chieftain''s house was in the center of the vige. As expected, fighting sounds could be heard from afar. There were several dead goblins lying around. I could taste the blood lingering in the air on my tongue. All the dead were goblins from the Lunga tribe. Among them were those who had made a fuss calling me Ulluullullu. I jumped off Nanaluk''s shoulder. One assassin was fighting with Lunga tribe warriors who were rushing to support the chieftain. The chieftain''s house was on fire. "I''m counting on you!" Nanaluk guessed my intention just from me jumping off. As expected, wemunicate well. I''ll eat you. A Hobgoblin assassin rushed at Nanaluk, but. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv4.¡¹ An earth pir rose from the ground and grabbed the assassin''s legs. The assassin broke free from the restraint with a somersault. And at the same time, he scattered something from his bosom. Three crudely made daggers were shot at once. I lightly dodged... No. sh! Ouch. The daggers were faster than I thought. A long cut formed as my skin was torn. ¡¸You have been poisoned.¡¹ ¡¸Poison Resistance skill level has increased.¡¹ It hurts! The wound felt hot as if it was on fire. I can''t hesitate here. Let''s trust my Poison Resistance. Ibined Leap and eleration. The level of these two skills had risen quite a bit. I shot out like an arrow. I haven''t seen a goblin that could properly react to this. "Hup!" So there was such a goblin here! The Hobgoblin assassin had excellent reflexes. The knife he stretched out seemed like it would cut my body in two. I barely twisted my body in mid-air to avoid the de. Why is this one so strong! "Tsk tsk, you underestimated the Hobgoblin." It was good until I dealt with the assassin in Nanaluk''s house. But I easily caught them only because I ambushed them. "You forgot the snake''s hunting method, that''s why." Pelerian nagging. But his words weren''t wrong. I think I was too arrogant. I''m still just a two-month-old baby. Did I take the world too lightly just because I learned some magic? No wonder the assassins gave arge amount of experience. To face them head-on, I had to risk my life too. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv1.¡¹ The trickling water poured onto the assassin''s face. And when a mask gets wet with water, you can''t breathe. "Blub blub." Unable to breathe, the assassin panicked. When he quickly took off his mask to put it back on. I had already bitten his ankle and passed by. "Kuk!" This Hobgoblin seems to have Poison Resistance too. But I''ve now remembered the snake''s hunting method. I retreated and hid right away. I''ll eat your heart next time. Eventually, the assassin copsed. Still, the results were quite juicy. Hmm, let''s not forget today''s lesson. Thanks to my struggle, the situation quickly calmed down. The Hobgoblin warriors of the Lunga tribe also came running and caught one more assassin. The warriors rushed into the burning chieftain''s house. Soon, Nanaluk came out supporting the chieftain. It seemed they had also defeated the assassins who had infiltrated inside. It''s a bit disappointing that they didn''t capture any alive. The chieftain''s wife was no less than three in number. All three ran out looking terrified. Nanaluk was covered in blood from head to toe. It doesn''t seem to be her blood, probably the assassin''s. No, she''s injured too. Blood is dripping from her forearm. "An excellent Hobgoblin. She might even evolve further." Pelerian admired. I agreed with his opinion. You did well, Nanaluk. You saved your father. Now there will be a touching scene of father and daughter embracing and feeling relieved. That''s what I thought was true. But the chieftain didn''t care about his injured daughter at all. He''s just busy taking care of his concubines. As far as I know, Nanaluk''s mother, who was the legal wife, had passed away. That''s why the children seemed to live separately. The chieftain approached Nanaluk after a long while. I thought he would say, thank you my daughter, but. "This is all because of you!" p! That was the sound of the chieftain hitting Nanaluk''s cheek. I couldn''t understand the current situation. But other goblins seemed to. They watched the conflict between father and daughter with strange expressions. "Isn''t this because you offended Chieftain Croc! If only you had bowed down earlier..." The chieftain was sobbing. He was that scared of the assassinsing. "Chieftain Croc must be terribly misunderstanding. Assassins.... We must send a peace envoy right now. Shaman!" "Chieftain, please calm down." "Calm down what! Are you trying to listen to that Nanaluk''s words!" "Chieftain!" Loud voices were exchanged. I can roughly guess what kind of feeling it is. It was certain that the father-daughter rtionship wasn''t very good. "I like him." ''That chieftain?'' "Such cowards are very easy to handle." I like him too. To the point where I want to bite him hard. Nanaluk slowly walked out. She wasn''t making a crying face. She looked at me and smiled, reaching out her hand. I climbed up her arm and settled on her shoulder. It was a noisy night. Nanaluk didn''t cry until she returned to her room. == The strength of tear nds differs from person to person. Some people rarely cry, but when they do, they cry as if a dam has broken. Once the lock on the tear nds breaks, you can''t help but cry until all its contents are spilled out. Nanaluk was like that. Leaving her siblings behind, she locked herself in a small room and cried. She poured out unorganized emotions and words along with her tears. Through that, I could learn several facts. How cowardly her father was, and how much she missed her dead mother. How ''screwed'' the situation of the Lunga tribe was, and the fact that this Croc person would eventually attack Lunga and kill everyone. Until she said she was afraid of that. The reason I had a front-row seat to her wailing was solely because I was a snake. Nanaluk was pressing her eyelids against my body. Feels cool, right? "I wonder if this will make my eyes less swollen." I hope so. "...You''re not Ulluullullu, are you?" I didn''t expect her to ask that too. I shook my head. Of course not. "I wish you were that snake. Then you could have defeated Croc too, right?" Maybe I could have. But I''m not Ulluullullu. I''m just a weak snake that barely managed to face one assassin Hobgoblin. I don''t know. Maybe someday when I evolve, I''ll be as strong as that Ulluullullu. Then I might be able to help this poor Hobgoblin girl who was kind to me. But not now. "Don''t leave." Nanaluk seemed to know that I was leaving in the morning and said. I was surprised. How did she know? "You made and packed the Water of Life. And today you quietly endured the younger ones'' pranks. Usually, people who are about to leave suddenly be kind." Hmm, smart girl. But it can''t be helped. Rather, it might be more dangerous if I stay here. I don''t know when the fairy trackers wille. And will those psychopathic-looking fairies leave the goblins I''m friendly with alone? "Hmm, can''t deny that." It''s a fact that Pelerian acknowledged. When I shook my head saying no, Nanaluk became sad. Then she spoke as if she had made up her mind. "You might say no, but you might actually be Ulluullullu." ''I told you I''m not.'' "Even if you''re not now, you might evolve into Ulluullullu." ''...Oh, is that so?'' Ulluullullu might be in my evolution tree. Who can be sure? "Wait a moment." She suddenly started moving busily. She pulled out a chair, climbed on it, and carefully removed a wooden board from the ceiling. She took something out from there, rummaging around. It was a small box that was very well sealed. "This is something my mother left for me..." What is it, what? The very old-looking box was meticulously sealed with melted honeb. Nanaluk opened it without hesitation. As soon as the box was opened, a clear fragrance spread. "You try eating it. You might evolve then." Um... This is. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Inner Dan: Crimson Tarant King] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ah, um. "My mother''s father formed a suicide squad and hunted this monster. They say you can evolve if you eat it." No, you can''t evolve just by eating an Inner Dan. And why give such a precious thing to me? No matter how much I like good things for my body, it''s embarrassing. However, there was one person, or more precisely, a fairy whose eyes had gone wild. "Eat it-!" Pelerian shouted strongly. But still... I slowly shook my head. "No, try eating it." "Eat it!" Why are both of you like this? Chapter 36: I Will Return and Lead You "Crimson Tarant King," they say. Not Red, but Crimson. Just like Dark is cooler than ck, and Ultra Marine is cooler than Blue. Crimson is cooler than Red. And in my experience, monsters with cooler modifiers tend to be stronger. The title "King" is like that too. It''s the king. The Spider King. It must be an incredibly strong monster. I want to be something like a Python King someday. "The goblins caught the Crimson Tarant King..." Pelerian seemed to know about this monster. I asked him about it. It definitely wasn''t because I was interested in the Inner Dan. "I wanted to fuse the Crimson Tarant when I created Fafnir. But that specimen was so rare that I had to settle for a Grey Tarant." ''What about the King?'' "Among the Crimson Tarants, those that survive and grow for a long time evolve into Kings." Anyway, it''s said to be a strong monster. Even if the goblins were numerous, they must have suffered many casualties. Nanaluk''s grandfather caught it at the risk of his life and left it for his descendants. So, I can''t just gobble it up. Take it back. I pushed the box containing the Inner Dan back again. "I''ve never seen a case where a Crimson Tarant made an Inner Dan. I wonder how incredible its effects would be!" ''...'' That wicked old man keeps trying to nt temptation in my heart. I can''t hear it. I don''t have ears, so I can''t block it either. But Nanaluk pushed the box towards me once more. "I can''t eat it. You eat it." You''re in an emotional state right now. You might regret it tomorrow. But Nanaluk had her reasons too. "I can''t eat this. I kept the existence of the Inner Dan a secret from my father." There was a backstory. It seems Nanaluk''s mother didn''t like her husband very much. The chieftain, who vaguely knew about the existence of the Inner Dan, tried his best to take it away. But his ex-wife desperately hid the Inner Dan and passed it on to her daughter. Nanaluk had been keeping it a secret all this time. "This Inner Dan has poison mixed in it. I think it got mixed in when it was harvested. My poison resistance isn''t very high, so I''d definitely get poisoned if I ate it. And it would surely show after eating..." You mean it would show because you''d get stronger? Why is that a problem? "My father wouldn''t forgive me. He already hates me." Nanaluk. You foolish, soft-hearted Nanaluk. What does it matter if that pathetic father of yours hates you or not? From my perspective, you''d be better off as the chieftain. "There''s no one else to eat it anyway. And it''s so old, the effects might not even remain." I see. "Even if you don''t be Ullullullu, I won''t resent you." If you say so, it would be right for me to eat it. To be honest, my mouth was watering. I tried not to show it and ate the Inner Dan as solemnly as possible. Wow, it tastes bitter. It was true that there was poison in it. ¡¸You have been poisoned.¡¹ ¡¸Your Poison Resistance skill proficiency is rising rapidly.¡¹ Ugh, I feel dizzy. My insides are bubbling, I need to be careful not to make a mistake. "You, your body is getting hot." Nanaluk worried about me. It''s okay. I have high poison resistance. ¡¸Poison Resistance lv6 has be Poison Resistance lv7.¡¹ The skill level even went up. Thanks to that, my stomach felt a bit better. And the effects of the Inner Dan spread through my body. The heat I feel in my body. This wasn''t because of the poison from the beginning. My body is hot. It felt like I had swallowed a fireball. It''spletely different from when I ate the kind centipede couple''s Inner Dan. It hurts and it''s painful. I writhed in silent screams. But the pain didn''t subside. "Oh no...!" Nanaluk made a fuss. Why, what is it? "Your skin is peeling off." Oh no. It''s true. My skin was stuck to Nanaluk''s palm. White skin with clear apricot-colored patterns. ¡¸Your body is growing rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Molting has begun.¡¹ Ah, so it was molting. That''s a relief. I stared straight at the panicking Nanaluk. Only then did she calm down. ¡¸Your scales be tougher.¡¹ ¡¸Trait, Scales has been created.¡¹ ¡¸Your pattern bes clearer.¡¹ ¡¸Magical properties imbue your pattern.¡¹ The effects of the Inner Dan were amazing. It was like aprehensive gift set. I felt like my body had clearly grownrger. Molting is usually quite a struggle, but it ended surprisingly quickly. Of course, it hurt like hell. If I had sweat nds, I would have been drenched in cold sweat. It couldn''t be helped. My body grew so much. I had clearly changed. First, my body became thicker and longer. I used to be about 2m long, but now I''m definitely longer than that. My body has also thickened, so I can no longer be called a small snake. More than anything else, the clear change was in my scales and pattern. The light apricot-colored pattern became more vivid. The scales became thicker and glossy. It said a trait called Scales was created, right? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python lv5] [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn], [Pattern], [Scales] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was true. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Scales] You have tough scales. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It seems to be a trait that increases overall defense. I wonder if it will have a synergy effect with Pattern. Like Pattern for magic defense, Scales for physical defense. As expected, the effects of the Inner Dan are excellent. Spiders, like centipedes, are regrs in martial arts novels as spiritual beasts. If the centipede couple''s Inner Dan brightened my eyes, the tarant''s Inner Dan was aprehensive gift set in itself. But, it was a bit early to rejoice. ¡¸You have consumed an Inner Dan imbued with the resentful spirit of the Crimson Tarant.¡¹ Oh no. It''s not even something I hunted myself. ¡¸The Crimson Tarant was brutally killed by goblins.¡¹ ¡¸You will gain an inexplicable hostility from spider-type monsters.¡¹ Just like with the chimera, it seems I''m forming bad rtionships with spiders. But an unexpected benefit also came. ¡¸Your friendliness with centipede-type monsters increases.¡¹ ¡¸The probability of centipede-type monsters showing you favor increases.¡¹ Are spiders and centipedes not on good terms or something? That''s even better. I like centipedes. Just in case, I checked my title once more. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Title] Heart-eating Snake ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My title was still just Heart-eating Snake. Even though so many goblins call me Ullullullu, it didn''t be a new title. Is it because I can''t spit lightning? I''m still a White Double Horn Python. I''m not Ullullullu or anything like that. I didn''t grow wings, and far from being a ck snake, I''m a white snake. Sorry, Nanaluk. She was staring at me nkly. Her face seemed a bit sad. "Ahaha, as expected, you weren''t..." I told you I wasn''t. "Let''s sleep now, sorry for making you go through this because of me." Nanaluk blew out the candle. Then she roughly hugged her nket andy down. She seems to be trying to sleep. It looks like dawn will break soon. I coiled up next to her andy down too. It seems I won''t be able to fall asleep easily tonight. == Oh, how refreshing. Honestly, I slept very well. I must have been tired, I fell asleep right away. I feel like a new person, no, a new snake. It must be thanks to my first moltingst night. It could also be because I ate that nutritious Inner Dan. I was alone. That means I left the Lunga vige. The farewell was more nd than I expected. It''s because I sneaked out at dawn, avoiding the people who call me Ullullullu. Nanaluk must not have slept. When I tried to sneak out, she immediately got up and saw me off. I chewed and swallowed the jerky she gave me as a gift. It''s delicious. I looked back. The vige of the Lunga tribe, where I had stayed for a while, could be seen down below. I don''t know if I''ll see them again, but stay healthy, everyone. In the end, a snake''s life is about struggling through alone. Pelerian was sleeping too. When he''s awake, he chatters all day long, but he can''t always be awake. He says it''s because ofck of magical power. It seems he can absorb some magical power from the air, just like humans can breathe. However, he said that''s barely enough to maintain his form and keep his consciousness awake, let alone use magic. I checked, and it wasn''t a lie. My goal is beyond that mountain peak shining in the morning sun. I was alone, but the forest was not quiet. All sorts of bird sounds and insect noises. The sound of rustling undergrowth was everywhere. There was no sound at all from me as I crawled over the damp moss. Small animals fled at the sight of me. Squirrels ran away, crickets jumped far away. Dozens of butterflies that were clinging to a strong-smelling flower all flew up at once. This makes me feel that I''m definitely no longer that little snake from before. The forest''s predator is passing through. I crawled along majestically for a while. Kuung! Oh my! Reflexively, I crawled under a tree root. I thought it might be too undignified, but it was the right decision. An elephant appeared. Not an ordinary elephant, but a monster elephant. There was something like a mace attached to the end of its long trunk. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Morningstar Elephant lv9] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh, how scary. Its level is only 9, but I can''t see its detailed status window. It''s definitely stronger than me. I might be able to see it intermittently if I concentrate my mind like I did with Gunter, but why bother? Let''s just hide under this tree root for a moment. Crunch. Ku-oooo- The Morningstar Elephant passed by in front of me. It seemed to have someint as it swung its trunk. Bang, and an innocent tree broke. The deep forest is scary. Looking at the retreating elephant, I could see that it had a wound on its backside and was bleeding. Is it running away after a fight? To drive away an elephant like that, you''d have to be very strong or haverge numbers. I carefully advanced again. I hope to reach the rocky peak by the end of today. Then I should be able to reach Elephant Rock tomorrow. However, my advance was not very smooth. Thud thud thud thud- Not long after, I heard footsteps again. This time it wasn''t just one. There were no crevices in rocks or tree roots nearby to hide in. It''s all because I''ve grown too big. I rolled in the muddy water pooled in the ck soil. My body was covered as if I had applied camouge cream. White is beautiful, but it has the disadvantage of being conspicuous, so it can''t be helped. I crouched under the shadow of a tree, and the owners of the footsteps appeared. It was a flock of ostriches. Ostriches with horns on their heads noisily passed through the forest. There seem to be about five of them. They''re probably not easy opponents either. I was startled. What was stuck in the backside of thest passing ostrich was clearly an arrow. An arrow? Are there hunters from the Lunga tribe around? But somehow I had an ominous feeling. I crawled in the direction the ostriches hade from. Even my ears could hear clear noise. It sounds like several goblins gathered together. The Pmu Rainforest is densely wooded. In a slightly sunken lond, you can''t see what''s there unless you observe from a high ce. Goblins were in such a secretive location. "Hahaha, idiot." "Shut up, you bastard!" They are rough goblin warriors. They had set up a camp here. There was a crude tent, and on the tent was a pattern simr to a knife drawn with red dye. That pattern. My brilliant brain immediately recalled. The goblin from the Croc tribe who called me the Heart-eating Snake. It was the ne he held up when he shouted, "Retreat, ugly form!" I had that very ne in my subspace right now. In other words, these are warriors of the Croc tribe! Why are they gathered here? There seem to be over a hundred of them. Particrly, there seemed to be about thirty well-armed hobgoblin warriors. Seeing that they''re even wearing leather armor, it seems I won''t be able to eat their hearts. "Captain Ayutar! We''ve finished roasting all the ostriches!" "Good!" Arge hobgoblin came out of the tent. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hobgoblin Captain Ayutar lv30] [Title]Skull Crusher ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ So that''s the captain. He looks strong. Moreover, he has an ominous title like Skull Crusher. It''s the first time I''ve seen a goblin with a title. I wonder if he''s stronger than Nanaluk. I''m not sure how strong the Croc tribe is, but if they''re just a bit better than Lunga, it seems they''ve gathered their elites. These guys are nning to ambush the Lunga tribe. Right now, the Lunga tribe can''t even imagine that enemies areing to attack them. ''Uh... what should I do.'' I shook the ring. Wake up, old man. Soon, Pelerian popped out of the ring. He''s a quick thinker. Even without me exining what I had deduced, he immediately grasped the situation. "The heavens are helping us, helping me!" And he immediately rejoiced. "The Lunga tribe will be bait. Since they''ve pulled out their elites, the Croc bastards'' main camp must be empty. Let''s attack!" Wow! As expected of the teacher. To be honest, I had already thought of that too. But then the Lunga tribe will bepletely destroyed, right? "From what I''ve seen, that''s certainly what will happen. But what does it matter? Let those goblins kill each other." If you think like Pelerian, that would be right. But I can''t think as positively as Pelerian. That''s because, well, I''m not Pelerian. "Why, don''t you like it?" ''Bute to think of it, the chieftain isn''t there. The chieftain is said to be the strongest in the Croc tribe.'' "That''s right." ''Then the chieftain must be at Elephant Rock, right? Seeing how they''re sticking right to it, it seems they know something is there. They''re probably looking for the entrance to the dungeon.'' "That''s a reasonable deduction." ''What I''m saying is, even if the security has loosened a bit, wouldn''t it be difficult for you alone to sneak all the way to the dungeon entrance? It''s not like you have an invisibility spell or anything.'' ''That''s also correct.'' ''Rather than that, wouldn''t it make more sense to use the foolish Lunga tribe goblins to cause amotion, and use that opportunity to find the entrance? Hmm.'' If I were wearing sses, I would probably push them up at this point. But despite my cold analysis, Pelerian just grinned mischievously. "Your words aren''t wrong, but it seems like you''ve already made a decision and are just trying to fit the situation to it." That''s true. Well, I''ve already made up my mind. "But how do you n to convince them that these guys are going to attack? No matter how much a normal snake gestures, they won''t listen." ''The normal snake is already dead.'' "Oh?" We should use what we can use. "From now on, I''m Ullullullu." Even if it stems from a misunderstanding. == "Sis, did Whitey leave?" Retch asked. The boy continued to believe the snake was Ullullullu, but at some point, he started calling it Whitey like his sister did. Nanaluk gave a bitter smile. "Yes, he left." "Did he really ascend to the sky?" Those who seriously believed the snake was Ullullullu thought this when the snake disappeared. But Nanaluk knew that the kind snake had left for Elephant Rock. "Well, I''m not sure." But that''s all she said to her brother. Just then, the door burst open. "Nanaluk!" "What is it, Jadiram?" Jadiram''s face was flushed red. "Ullullullu, Ullullullu has returned!" "What did you say?" Jadiram had never called that snake Ullullullu before. The situation seemed unusual. Nanaluk quickly went out and followed Jadiram. People were already gathered in crowds. Nanaluk pushed through the crowd. And she was shocked. The snake had returned. But this snake''s entire body was stained ck. Strong winds were blowing in all directions. The ground was shaking as if an earthquake had urred. Water spray was scattering in the dry sky. Above all, the snake was breathing fire from its mouth. "Ah..." The old grand shaman at the front was shedding tears. "Ullullullu has returned!" She shouted the snake''s name. Chapter 37: Flash Wouldn''t this be enough to call myself a proper magician? ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv2.¡¹ ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv3.¡¹ ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv4.¡¹ ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv2.¡¹ I use all four types of magic I can cast. Fire spews from my mouth, water sshes in the air, and the ground trembles and vibrates. Each phenomenon wasn''t particrly impressive on its own. But using all four types of magic simultaneously created quite a spectacle. Of course, I couldn''t keep this up for long. Done! ¡¸Magic power has been depleted.¡¹ My magic reservoir wasn''t thatrge to begin with. Spewing out four types of magic at maximum output quickly depleted my magic power. When magic is depleted, it makes you terribly sleepy. Not to mention how tired your body feels. Moreover, I had run back at full speed as soon as I saw the Croc tribe warriors, so I felt like I could copse at any moment. But I forcibly kept my body upright. It might be okay for Whitey, but as Ullullullu, I couldn''t just copse like this. The effort was worth it. Silence fell over the crowd. Even the goblins who had been chanting "Ullullullu" closed their mouths. They all had their heads bowed. Those who believed me to be the legendary snake were praying with their hands sped. Only one person had their head raised. Nanaluk. She was looking at me with a bright smile. I''m d Nanaluk came. It would have been difficult to exin the current situation to the other goblins. "Ullullullu, you''re back." Nanaluk, who hadn''t called me that before, said so. There was a hint of yfulness in her voice. But right now, I''m very serious. Snakes don''t have vocal cords. So I had no choice but to exin the current situation using magic, my tail, and a few objects. Over the hill, quite far from here, there are more than a hundred Croc tribe warriors. When night falls, they''ll attack this ce. Everyone needs to prepare! Exining such content without speaking was an incredibly difficult task. First, I took out a Croc tribe ne I had obtained as spoils before from my spatial storage. Then I wrote the goblin numeral for 100 on the ground, pointed at the hill, and mimicked a goblin thrusting a spear with my tail while. Coming this way, then that way, ururu ulullulu. The cries of a hundred goblins fill the valley, and the army of Skull Crusher floods in like a tidal wave. Huff, huff. It''s as exhausting as performing a solo pansori of "The Battle of Red Cliffs." As I looked around, the other goblins were staring nkly. I thought it might be too much to convey such a lofty message to these foolish ones, but... Nanaluk eximed in shock. "The Croc tribe''s goblin warriors areing!" "What?" "Is, is it true?" They say one friend who understands you is enough. I was newly grateful for Nanaluk, who got it right away. No, it''s almost strange how well she understood. Anyway, from now on, I just had to nod. Sighs and gasps of shock erupted here and there. "Lord Ullullullu, is this true?" The old woman with tattoos all over her face, the Grand Shaman, thrust her face close. Mm-hmm, yes, yes. It''s surprising but true. I nodded once more to confirm. It seems using Ullullullu''s authority was the right move after all. "No new title has been created." I had wondered if a new title might appear, but it didn''t. Considering that I''m already called Ullullullu by many goblins, perhaps I need to show actions befitting that name. "The more impressive the title, the harder it is to obtain." That''s what Pelerian said. Well, that makes sense. Nanaluk''s expression turned cold and stern. "Jadiram, ride an ostrich and go check right away. Take a g with you." As expected of a goblin who strictly separates public and private matters. A hobgoblin named Jadiram began to ride away on an ostrich. "All warriors, arm yourselves. Thirty hobgoblins means they must be Croc tribe elites." Following her orders, the goblins dispersed to prepare their weapons. "Was the Croc chieftain there too? He wears a skull ne and is about two heads taller than me." I shook my head. Their leader was a goblin called Skull Crusher Ayutar. "That''s somewhat fortunate." Nanaluk sighed in relief. Is that Croc chieftain that strong? I''d like to see him once. The goblins didn''t seem to doubt my im. I wasn''t sure if it was because they believed me to be Ullullullu, or if they were just an inherently gullible species. The Lunga tribe began preparing for battle. Amidst the busy preparations, a goblin with a protruding belly appeared and shouted loudly. "What do you all think you''re doing!" It was none other than the chieftain. "That thing being Ullullullu, it''s just a snake covered in ck mud!" Gasp, I guess gics are gics. Like Nanaluk before, the chieftain didn''t seem to believe I was Ullullullu. "What are you saying, Chieftain!" The old Grand Shaman woman shouted sternly. The chieftain pretended not to hear. "There''s no way Croc Chieftain would suddenly send warriors. The negotiations were going well!" "Father, Croc is a brutal man!" "You, you dare disrespect me, the chieftain!" I''ve felt this since yesterday, but Nanaluk''s father makes me want to be a bad snake. He keeps making me want to bite his ankle. "Stop, listen to the chieftain, not the warrior chief!" I guess even a rotten chieftain is still a chieftain. The warriors who were arming themselves hesitated, unsure what to do. Nanaluk ordered the warriors again. "Arm yourselves! Prepare the ostriches." "Are you defying me? Everyone stop!" The confrontation between Nanaluk and the chieftain became clear. Nanaluk bit her lip. Her clenched fists were turning white. Yeah, hit the chieftain with that. Or I''ll take care of him for you. "Hey!" At that moment, a young goblin raised his hand. Everyone turned to look in the direction he was pointing. On top of that hill, Jadiram, who had left earlier, was riding back on an ostrich. Though he looked like a tiny dot, it was clear he was holding a g. A red g. It was the signal that he had found enemies. Gasps of shock erupted here and there. And everyone turned to look at Nanaluk and the chieftain. I thought the chieftain might havee to his senses by now, but... "They might not havee for invasion... it could be an embassy." Tsk tsk. There are those who can''t objectively ept a worsening situation. Those who avoid reality until they''re pushed to the edge of a cliff, just before falling. I used to be a simr person once, so I understood the feeling, but... "Are you going to leave him be?" ''No.'' I decided I would bite the chieftain. As I was quietly crawling over, Nanaluk passed by my side. She swung her fist. Whack! The chieftain was hit on the jaw and tumbled down. "Kuh, re, rebellion..." Nanaluk didn''t let the chieftain say more. She twisted the chieftain''s arm behind his back. She took out a string from her waist and tied both of the chieftain''s hands. The chieftain struggled, but Nanaluk even gagged his mouth. Everyone was at a loss about what to do with this sudden rebellion. "...The chieftain is not in his right mind." But Nanaluk coldly ordered. "Take him to his residence. Warriors, prepare for battle. We''ll advance together." The hobgoblin warriors were the first to react. They dragged away the writhing chieftain. Next, the Grand Shaman old woman stepped forward. "Warrior Chief Nanaluk." She stopped the warriors from dragging the chieftain away. Then she took the jade ne the chieftain was wearing and put it around Nanaluk''s neck. "You won in a duel witnessed by the Grand Shaman." A duel, she says. What a fiery old woman. "From now on, you are the chieftain of Lunga." Nanaluk grinned. The warriors following her smiled broadly too. The girl who used to secretly wipe away tears after being hit by her father was no longer there. Only a warrior leading a tribe remained. Warriors gathered ording to Nanaluk''smand. Excluding the minimal guard personnel, about eighty warriors had assembled. Among them, twenty were hobgoblins. There were thirty Red Crow ostriches tamed to be ridden like horses. It was certainly a smaller numberpared to the Croc tribe''s elites. "We''ll go out and repel them." That was Nanaluk''s decision. They couldn''t let the enemies approach the vige. There were no walls here, and battle in a vige with many nonbatants was out of the question. At hermand, the Lunga warriors began to sortie. "Ullullullu." Nanaluk held out her hand. I climbed onto her shoulder. ck mud got on her clothes. "Ugh, mud." Deal with it, new chieftain. "You''ve definitely gotten heavier." She expressed her gratitude to me. "Thank you foring back. For letting us know." I needed you guys anyway. Nanaluk was a bold person. She wasn''t thinking of simply defending against the attack. Her n was to crush the enemy elites and use that momentum to advance all the way to the now-empty Croc tribe. Meanwhile, I would find the entrance to the dungeon and enter. "Sortie!" Nanaluk shouted. == The day had grown dark. The night in a great forest is iparable to a city night. While the sky is filled with starlight, a veil of darkness covers the ground. Because of the tall trees, even walking with torches wasn''t visible from afar. Moreover, to advance towards the Lunga tribe, they had to cross the hill in front of them. In other words, the Croc tribe warriors were currently in a low-lying area. Their raid was progressing quietly. "Boss, the boys are getting pretty excited." A one-eyed goblin warrior approached Ayutar''s side. "Let us plunder." Ayutar turned to look at his subordinate. A cruel smile hung on his lips. "Sure." There was no reason to forbid it. This much force is enough to crush the Lunga tribe. "Plunder and destroy to your heart''s content." "Thank you, hahaha!" Muffledughter spread. Unlike the Lunga tribe that operated an ostrich unit, Croc used wolves as mounts. Wolves were harder to tame due to their ferocity, but they were stronger than ostriches. The wolf riders quietly walked while soothing their wolves. In the midst of this, A clearing with fewer trees appeared. They needed to pass through there and cross the hill to see the Lunga tribe''s vige. That''s when it happened. Ayutar suddenly stopped the warriors. "What''s the matter?" Ayutar didn''t reply and quietly stared at the hill. "...Send the wolf riders as scouts." They hadn''t sent any scouts until now, so why suddenly? But questioning Ayutar''s instructions was forbidden. His subordinate sent two wolf riders. The wolf riders advanced beyond the hill for reconnaissance. And, after a while, they came back down. They had departed without torches. Their descending figures were hard to see. "Why are they staggering like that?" Something seemed off. They should be skilled riders, but their posture on the wolves looked unstable. They were also dropping something with a pitter-patter sound. They approached until they reached the light of the torches. Soon, it became clear what had happened. "My, my throat...!" One rider had returned with his throat cut. He finally fell with a thud. The wolf, excited by the smell of blood, began to maul the dead rider. The other one still had his throat attached. Ayutar approached that rider in anger. "What the hell, you idiot!" He was about to berate him for returning with a cut throat. "Keck, keeck." But the rider couldn''t answer properly. His face had turned purple, and he was only making dying gasps. "Ambush, keck, keeck!" Fearlessly, he clung to Ayutar as if copsing. He must have been poisoned. Ayutar, who noticed this from experience, pushed his subordinate away. The subordinate fell to the ground with a thud and never moved again. Both wolf riders were hobgoblins. Elite warriors had died in an instant. Ayutar growled lowly. "Put out all the torches." As all the torches were extinguished, the warriors were enveloped in darkness. Whistle! As Ayutar whistled, the Croc warriors slowly began to advance. They entered the clearing. On both sides, the forest opened its pitch-ck maw. They moved forward, paying attention to both sides. Such orders were passed from the front to the back. Ayutar, walking at the lead, suddenly stopped. On top of the hill, several hobgoblins riding ostriches appeared. "...It seems you''ve managed to notice our approach." "Lunga Chieftain, Nanaluk." A young hobgoblin woman stepped forward and introduced herself. "I am Skull Crusher Ayutar. Nanaluk? Aren''t you the warrior woman?" "I''m the chieftain now." "I guess that idiot who was the original chieftain finally kicked the bucket." Nanaluk didn''t provide a detailed exnation. "So, even though you knew we wereing, there are only this few of you?" Are they trying to face a hundred warriors with just a few hobgoblins? The Croc goblinsughed at this ridiculous audacity. "As if that would be the case." And then, carts began to appear from beyond the hill. Five carts were packed full of rocks, with sharp spears tied to them. "It must have been harding up." "You- crazy-!" Ayutar immediately noticed Nanaluk''s n. The goblins who had pushed the carts up let go of their hands. The speed wasn''t that fast. No, it just didn''t look fast. The carts, loaded with heavy weight, gradually elerated as they came down the slope. Rumble rumble rumble- More than the spears stuck in them, the sheer weight itself was the problem. If hit, one would be crushed instantly. Ayutar gritted his teeth. If they could just avoid those, there wouldn''t be a problem. "Spread out to both sides-!" His voice echoed loudly across the dark hill. His subordinates immediately followed the order. Or rather, they tried to. The forests on both sides. Who could have known that arrows would fly out of that darkness? Ping ping ping- Goblins who had secretly nked them following Nanaluk''s orders. In the darkness without torches, their arrows easily pierced through the Croc warriors. "Forward, avoid the carts and go forward!" Ayutar changed his strategy. They would break through, centering on the agile hobgoblins. And the Lunga warriors also came running down, following behind the carts. == It''s war! I, Snake Zhuge Kongming, and the virtuous general Nanaluk Xuan De have joined forces! While Nanaluk came up with the idea for the arrow units on both sides, the cart strategy was my n. With a crushing sound, the Croc goblins were turned into bloody pancakes. It was an excellent strategy that made good use of the terrain. It was nerve-wracking when the two wolf riders appeared as scouts, but we handled it well. So where am I now? By Nanaluk''s side. More precisely, on the wing of the ostrich she''s riding. Now, Snake Zhuge Kongming is dead. A pair of Venomous Fangs hidden in the darkness. There''s only one snake among the goblins, an incarnated dragon. Nanaluk swings her axe at Skull Crusher. ng! The club and axe collide, sending sparks flying. Ayutar''s pupils dte. In that momentary sh, he saw me springing out. The Heart-eating Snake has returned. Chapter 38: There Are No Bad XX in the World Thebination of Leap, eleration, and Biting is swift. It''s a coboration of skills, or should I say, abination? Anyway, thatbination flows as quickly as using a single skill. An average goblin would have its heart eaten in the blink of an eye. But Skull Crusher Ayutar was no average goblin. Moreover, unlike the others, he was wearing armor covering his upper body. I had no choice but to aim for the exposed parts of his body. Hands, or neck. I aimed for the neck. My appearance was revealed for just a moment as sparks flew. When intense light disappears, deeper darkness follows. And darkness was my stage. I approached his nape without making a sound. I''ll sink my Venomous Fang into that smelly neck. "Uwooooh!" That''s when it happened. Ayutar let out a roar and changed the trajectory of his club. At the same time, he struck me with his forearm. I was flung into the air with a whoosh. Oh no, he noticed. He realized that I would aim for his nape. Even if you can''t see, you can block if you know where the attack wille from. It''s frustrating being small. I flew through the air for quite a while. Where Inded was on a goblin''s shoulder. "Uwaaaaah!" Something cold and slippery clung to him in the darkness. Croc''s goblin screamed as if he''d seen a ghost. Not surprising. "Begone, ghost!" He really thought a ghost was strangling his neck. With my night vision, I could see the goblin''s actions. He kept turning and swinging his sword in all directions. It''s okay! It''s! O! Kay! I calmed the goblin down. By biting his back and strangling his neck. "Kuueok!" With his dying breath. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ As expected, the experience points from goblins have a good cost-performance ratio. I dropped to the ground with a thud. The battlefield was in utter chaos. Goblins would probably see better in the dark than humans. Nevertheless, the night was dark. Croc''s goblins, who had been carrying torches until just now, probably hadn''t adjusted to the darkness yet. They could only rely on starlight to see ahead. Peep peep- But arrows were being shot from the forests on both sides. Lunga''s goblin archers couldn''t see either, but if you keep shooting, you''re bound to hit something. Dozens of goblins had already died from arrow wounds or being run over by carts. "Shield bearers, gather! Wolf riders, enter the forest!" Even in this chaos, there were some attempting tomand. There weren''t that many arrows to begin with. Goblin metallurgy wasn''t very advanced. So it would be hand-to-handbat. A flock of ostriches burst out of the forest. Lunga''s goblins riding ostriches crossed the night field. Red Crow Ostriches are nocturnal. They ran well even in darkness. And not just any ostrich, but ''Red Crow Ostrich''. The already threatening ostrich ws were like des. "Kwaaaak!" Heart-slicing ostrich! The sacrificed goblin screamed, spewing blood. I wondered why they were called Red Crow when their ws were white, but they''re red with blood. "Kheung!" This time, a wolf pounced on such an ostrich. The wolf''s rider was hanging limp, dead with an arrow in his head. Even so, the wolf that had tasted blood didn''t stop biting. It''s a melee. No matter how effective Snake Galgong-myeong''s strategy was, blood was bound to be spilled. Goblins from the Lunga tribe and Croc tribe fought, all mixed up. But. "This is nothing but your stage." A dark night without a single torch. Undergrowth reaching up to the shins. Screams and shouts to cover the sound of moving through the bushes. This environment is the best for a snake to run wild. Seureuruk- I just bit an ankle as I passed by. ¡¸The proficiency of Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin has increased.¡¹ It''s true that white snakes are cooler than ck ones. But ck snakes are less noticeable. That''s practical. I have to admit that. ¡¸Stealth lv6 has be Stealth lv7.¡¹ Wherever I passed, one goblin fell. Thud, thud, and thud. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ The proficiency of deadly poison, which was hard to increase, keeps rising. ¡¸Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv4 has be Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv5.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ From the point when the number of goblins I took down exceeded ten, Croc''s goblins started to notice my presence. Death was crawling by their side. "Be careful, there''s a snake!" "Damn it, aaaargh!" Some mistook the wind rustling the bushes for me. They iled about swinging their swords, but I was already gone from their side. ng, bang! In front of two hobgoblins fighting fiercely, paying no attention to their surroundings. Nanaluk and Ayutar. The two strongest were still fighting, sparks flying. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv5.¡¹ I bound Ayutar''s feet, making him stagger. Nanaluk''s sword strikes Ayutar''s shoulder hard. Jjeong! The crude armor prevented the de from digging in. But his shoulder must hurt as if it''s about to break. And I leaped once more. Biting his exposed left hand and. I squeezed out all the venom remaining in my venom nds. "Kwaaaak!" The neurotoxin will spread throughout his body in an instant. Victory is mine. Ayutar''s eyes met mine. The Skull Crusher hadn''t earned that title for nothing. Ayutar had spirit. "Uoooooh!" He threw away his club and drew the short sword at his waist. "Po, poison snake!" And with that short sword, he cut off his left arm that I had bitten. Ssweok! "Huk, huk! I''m alive!" This goblin. How much does he fear snakes? Blood spurted from his severed left arm. And passing through that fountain of blood came a sharp axe de. It was Nanaluk. Seogek! She must have aimed for the neck. But Ayutar blocked it with his right hand in that split second. Thuk. What fell off wasn''t his head, but his right hand. Having lost both hands, defeat was certain. But even in this situation, Ayutar didn''t give up. Using hisrger build, he embraced Nanaluk tightly. And bit her nape. "Aak!" Even Nanaluk, the warrior of reversal, couldn''t help but be surprised. Why is this crazy goblin so tenacious? The prejudice that goblins are just mobs was now shattered and torn beyond recognition. Nanaluk is also trying to push him away and escape by twisting her head. Dangerous! I crawled up Ayutar''s leg. I can''t separate him with my strength. Then I have no choice but to end his life myself. After crawling up his leg, I entered through a gap in his nking armor. Ugh, the smell of sweat. But I have a strong stomach. I bit his belly furiously. "Aaaaargh!" He let out a thunderous scream. You should consider yourself lucky. If I were still my previous small size, I would have gone in through your navel ande out through your mouth. He finally couldn''t endure anymore and started to run away. Wobble, I can feel his body tilting. With a thud, the direction of gravity changed. The Skull Crusher no longer moved. A thrilling chain of level-ups that I hadn''t experienced in a while began. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ A whole three level-ups. My level exceeded 10. A thrilling pleasure spread throughout my body. Does saying it like this make me sound a bit perverse? Let''s just say it''s a pleasant refreshing feeling. Let me rest like this for a moment. I''ll be covered by the armor. I need to recover my strength for a bit. This situation feels asfortable as when I was inside the Chimera and Horn Jaguar. But I didn''t stay long. Ew, the smell. Honestly, it''s a better environment than the Chimera''s belly, but somehow it was unpleasant. I turned my head to try to get out, but it wasn''t easy because of all the blood. I had no choice but to decide on a frontal breakthrough. Ayutar''s armor was a crude thing made by weaving pieces of iron together. If I slowly widened the gap between the fibers, I could make a hole and get out. That''s what I did. As I forcefully pushed my head out to emerge, light weed me. The battle must be over since they''ve lit torches. Of course, it would be our victory. Puhwak! I finally broke through the chest part of Ayutar''s armor. The goblins weed me with bright smiles... not. Of course, only Nanaluk was smiling, but not the other goblins of Croc. Those captured as prisoners and forced to kneel were shocked. "It ate Ayutar''s heart!" "The heart-eating snake, it''s real!" Ah, so that''s how it looked. This time, I wasn''t really trying to eat the heart. I guess it might look that way when a snake with a bright red mouth emerges from the chest of the leader. ¡¸The title ''Heart-eating Snake'' spreads more widely.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of the title has increased.¡¹ What! I still haven''t gotten the title Ullullullu, but the rank of the Heart-eating Snake title has increased. I could immediately understand what that meant. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Heart-eating Snake] The terror of the Croc tribe in the great forest. A snake that grows by eating hearts, it ate the heart of Ayutar, the warrior chief of Croc. It is said to have a special technique for eating hearts. Gains more magical power by devouring the hearts of enemies. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh, the description has definitely changed. It''s be a bit more morous, and my activities are clearly recorded. The point about having a ''special technique for eating hearts'' is a bit concerning, since I don''t actually have one. So, what kind of feat would I need to achieve the title of Ullullullu? Do I really need to spew lightning while killing that headless red snake or whatever it was? That''s not easy. "How did it go?" Nanaluk had her warriors summarize the situation. The bite wound on her nape had disappeared. Thanks to the potion. "We''ve captured fifteen prisoners." "What about the dead and wounded?" "Six are dead. Five have lost arms or legs." About ten out of 80 or so goblins were incapacitated. But 70 goblins were still intact. This could be called a great victory. "Thanks to me." It was thanks to Pelerian''s potions. More than half of the nearly twenty bottles of potions I had collected were invested in the goblins. The effect of the potions was so excellent that unless it was an injury like losing a limb, they were healed enough to fight. "Are we going to negotiate with these prisoners, Chief?" Jadiram asked Nanaluk. Tsk tsk, how can you have such an easygoing mindset? "No." Nanaluk and my n wasn''t like that. "We''re attacking Croc as we are." Croc, who sent all his warriors to their deaths. We''ll crush him and reim my dungeon. "More precisely, it''s my dungeon." Anyway. == "Chief! Chief!" A subordinate of Croc came running, panting heavily. "Come out and see!" "What is it?" Croc red fiercely. He had been at the excavation site continuously for several days. Because there was finally a big breakthrough. They found the main entrance. Judging by the enormous number of traps installed, it was certain. Because of that, all the prisoners had already been used up. Now, they were using the old and sick goblins from the tribe as prisoners. The mood in the tribe wasn''t good, but it didn''t matter. They couldn''t defy Croc anyway. In any case, why was he being called out at such an important moment? "Ayutar and all the warriors are dead!" "What?" How could that be? Even after giving them so many wolf riders! Moreover, Ayutar was the second strongest hobgoblin after Croc. When Croc went outside, there was a hobgoblin with a severed arm sitting there. He was a warrior who had left with Ayutar. "I''m, I''m sorry, Chief." "...Did other tribes form an alliance?" Otherwise, there''s no way they could have lost to the soft Lunga. "That wasn''t the case... we were ambushed." A grinding sound echoed. It was the sound of Croc gritting his teeth. "What about Lunga''s losses? Did you kill them all?" If so, it wouldn''t matter. The tribe''s strongest warrior wasn''t Ayutar, but Croc himself. "We took down about twenty out of a hundred..." "What nonsense!" Just as he was about to kick the warrior who had returned alive. Deng deng deng deng- A bell rang. A goblin on watch duty in the hastily built watchtower was ringing the bell. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The echoing cry. There wasn''t even a palisade for defense here at Elephant Rock. "About sixty warriors... no, seventy! Numerous ostrich riders!" "Hueoook!" Ayutar''s surviving subordinate had a seizure. Was fear already ingrained in him? Croc''s subordinate urgently shouted. "Chief! I''ll gather the warriors." "Go and stop them." "What about you, Chief..." Croc said with a stern expression. "I''ll be at the excavation site." The subordinate was shocked. Was the chief, Croc, saying he wouldn''t participate in the fight? "Then...!" "Call the tamer Melchi!" "Ah." "Hold them off, I don''t care if you all die!" After saying that, Croc went inside without hesitation. The fate of the tribe? There was something more important below. The mysterious man who came to him one day. The man who made him evolve into a Hobgoblin King, and also showed him the way to evolve beyond that. He said that the legacy of some reversal magician or whatever was hidden here at Elephant Rock. == I traveled with Nanaluk for half a day straight. And finally, we arrived at Elephant Rock. "There it is, that''s the ce! These rat bastards, really!" Below Elephant Rock, the excavation site remained as it was. Seeing that the rock hasn''t copsed yet, it seems it hasn''t been looted. Pelerian urged to go in quickly. That was my intention anyway. "Thank you." Nanaluk winked at me. From now on, I''ll act separately from the goblins. When the melee breaks out, I''ll immediately find the dungeon and enter. Being on an ostrich, my stamina is at its peak. The remnants of the Croc tribe rang bells and prepared for defense. Warriors came running out in a hurry. It was right before the fight broke out. The Croc goblins smiled brightly and rejoiced. "Tamer Melchi hase-!" The goblin named Melchi or whatever appeared. He was a skinny goblin shaman, wearing something like a ck cloth instead of armor. "Kill them all, Melchi!" The reason Croc''s warriors were rejoicing at the appearance of this scrawny goblin was clear. "Damn... this could be dangerous." Even Nanaluk was tense. The title ''Tamer'' wasn''t given for nothing. He controlled one magical beast. And it was a veryrge and giant... "Centipede." A giant centipede. A centipede with bright red poisonous ws blocked Lunga''s warriors. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede lv31] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ No, it''s a giant centipede. "Everyone, prepare to scatter. Kuk." Everyone looked scared. I couldn''t understand the current situation. Why is everyone so tense? Isn''t itmon sense that centipedes are kind? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede lv31] [Traits] [Gentleness]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ See? Chapter 39: Setting the Path The Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede. A higher species of the Red Teeth King Centipede. Although it has the modifier "red teeth", strictly speaking, they are not "venomous fangs" but "venomous ws". If you get stabbed by the red venomous ws that look like teeth, you''ll feel extreme pain. The venom of ordinary centipedes is just painful and not deadly poisonous, but this dangerous monster is different. If you get injected with a lot of that acidic venom, your body will melt into a puddle. The tamer Melchi once saw the giant centipede melt and eat an entire elephant. "Hahaha!" Melchiughed loudly. "Those cowards." The warriors of the Lunga tribe turned pale when they faced the giant centipede. It''s understandable. Originally, taming monsters is an extremely difficult task. Even raising wolves or ostriches isn''t easy, and about once a month, a goblin would die from being bitten by a wolf. Attempting to tame a more dangerous monster is tantamount to suicide. And Melchi survived such a suicide attempt. He managed to tame one of the most dangerous monsters in this Pmu rainforest, the giant centipede. A year ago, when he returned to the Croc tribe with a docile giant centipede, everyone was shocked. That day was the best day of his goblin life. Melchi, who was too skinny to be a warrior. Melchi, who was ugly and unpopr. But when he became able to control the giant centipede like his own limbs, he became an executive of the Croc tribe. He also gained the title of ''Tamer''. How could Melchi tame that giant centipede? The centipede only listened to Melchi''s words. It was a fact that was realized only after several goblins became centipede food. Everyone wanted to know Melchi''s taming method. If that taming method was easy and universal, Melchi''s value would disappear again. Knowing this, Melchi desperately kept his mouth shut. He didn''t answer even when he was beaten by Croc. Even now, a yearter, Melchi was still the only tamer of the giant centipede. ''I don''t know how long this willst, but.'' The coat he hadn''t taken off even when sleeping since a year ago. He had always been careful not to let the oversized coat, which didn''t suit his skinny build,e off. Melchi shouted in a shrill voice. "Centipede!" The giant centipede reacted to his voice. "Kill all those Lunga goblins!" The giant centipede didn''t immediately follow the order and remained still. Melchi clicked his tongue. The centipede, unlike its appearance, is not a very aggressive monster. "Right now!" When he shouted again with authority, the giant centipede finally started to move. Body length 9m, weight 500kg. The hard carapace only gets scratched even when struck with an iron axe. 42 pairs of legs. 84 in total. Each pointed leg is like a dagger. In other words, it''s a form with 84 weapons attached. Even without using its venomous fangs, its physical attacks alone are deadly. The Lunga goblins scattered in an instant. "Spread out! Spread out far! Don''t bunch up!" Nanaluk shouted hermands loudly. If they bunch up and get run over, it''s over. Hobgoblin warrior or not, they''ll be crushed. "Aaaaah!" "Waaah!" Even the brave warriors jumped up in shock. The centipede''s charge raised a massive cloud of dust. Perhaps due to continuously breaking rocks and digging the ground. The dust was so thick it was hard to breathe. Visibility was poor. Nanaluk''s sister, Kadiram, came into her view. And over Kadiram, the ck shadow of the centipede loomed. "Kadiram!" Nanaluk pushed Kadiram away and jumped out. The giant head of the centipede approached swiftly. Along with those bright red venomous ws. nk! The venomous ws bit the air right in front of Nanaluk''s face. Nanaluk barely saved her life by throwing her head back. She swung the axe in her hand. Kang! When she struck the centipede''s carapace, sparks flew. Nanaluk looked at her axe with a dumbfounded expression. The de was gone. On the other hand, the centipede''s carapace was intact. This meant that even Nanaluk would need to strike precisely at the joints to inflict damage on the centipede. But how could one do that against a living, moving centipede? "Fight defensively." Nanaluk received such a request. The one who made the request was none other than the snake. It should be trustworthy. "Hm?" In this life-or-death situation, Nanaluk tilted her head. How did she understand the snake''s request? Only Nanaluk seemed to understand her snake friend''s words well. Buttely, it seemed to have gotten more intense. She could understand its meaning just by a few tail movements. It was the same this time. Don''t fight too hard against the centipede, retreat and fight defensively. In the meantime, I''ll try to do something. Nanaluk could immediately understand such a request. How? Somehow, it felt like her mind was tingling. [Hobgoblin Nanaluk lv30] Nanaluk, the best warrior of the Lunga tribe. It had been a year since her level stopped increasing. Something had started to sprout in her body and mind, which had reached the limit of what could be achieved as a Hobgoblin at a young age. But she herself wasn''t properly aware of such changes. Besides, this wasn''t a situation where she could pay attention to such trivial things. The centipede lunged at her again. Kwang! Nanaluk jumped high. Where shended was none other than on top of the centipede''s back. Nanaluk started running on top of it. As the centipede''s body undted, she inevitably bounced into the air. Other goblins caught the airborne Nanaluk. Nanaluk grinned as she brushed up her hair. So far, the Lunga tribe had no casualties. Because the giant centipede was rampaging, the warriors of the Croc tribe couldn''t do anything either. All they could do was cheer for the centipede from afar. But, one Hobgoblin named Nanaluk was single-handedly drawing the centipede''s attention. "What is she doing..." "Ah, so frustrating!" Even the centipede seemed tock motivation. Frustrated gazes were directed at Melchi. "Do something!" "Why is the centipede so weak!" Melchi was furious. How dare they raise their voices at him, an executive, at Melchi the Tamer. He thought, ''If I were Ayutar, would they have dared to squawk like this?'' A damp sense of inferiority and anger welled up. "Centipede! Fight properly, or else...!" Just as Melchi was about to threaten the giant centipede. Whoosh! Suddenly, a whirlwind blew. Why, when there wasn''t even a breeze before? In an environment where white dust mixed with stone particles was piled up thickly. When the hazy wind blew, it was impossible to open one''s eyes. Melchi quickly raised his arm to cover his eyes. "Aack!" "Ugh!" Such screams rang out around him. Making such a fuss just because some sand got in their eyes. They act tough but are so useless, damn it. Thinking this, Melchi tried to open his eyes somehow. When he opened his reddened eyes, he saw all the surrounding goblins fallen. They were grabbing their own necks with both hands and coughing. And. Sting. When he looked down at his feet feeling a pain, there was a snake raising its head. It had bitten his ankle. Could it be a venomous snake. Something came to Melchi''s mind. ''Heart-eating Snake.'' When that name first came up, he dismissed it as the nonsense of a loser, but not anymore. Even Ayutar, who was so strong, was said to have been killed by the Heart-eating Snake. ''I have to run away...'' He tried to run away. But his body stiffened. Thud! Melchi fell, hitting the back of his head on the ground. And the snake crawled onto Melchi''s body. ''Ah.'' Is this how I die, having my heart eaten? The snake opened its mouth wide. With that sight as hisst, Melchi died from poisoning. == ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ What, that surprised me. Why so weak. My deadly poison is a very efficient skill. Against weak ones, it could show a prowess like L¨¹ Bu. Of course, it would be useless if I couldn''t bite, and if they really had strong poison resistance, they might even shrug off my poison. This one looked like an executive, so I thought he would endure well, but I didn''t expect him to die before I could even eat his heart. But it didn''t matter. I wasn''t nning to eat this skinny goblin anyway. I opened my mouth and bit. His coat, that is. Unlike therge coat, a skinny body was revealed. And, sure enough, they were there. Small centipedes. Hello, little ones. Somehow, it was strange that the giant centipede with the trait of gentleness was fighting us. Moreover, it was clearly showing signs of not wanting to fight. The goblins didn''t notice, but I, being a monster myself, immediately knew. That it was following orders against its will. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede lv31] [Traits] [Gentleness], [Mother]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Surprisingly, it wasn''t a Hobgoblin but a regr goblin who controlled the giant centipede. I was curious about what kind of ability he had, so I focused my eyes. That''s when I saw the baby centipede peeking out from the skinny ankle. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [King Centipede Larva lv2] [Traits] [Baby], [Cuteness] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was the status window of the baby centipede that popped up, not the goblin''s. At that moment, the puzzle was solved. I punished this outrageous goblin kidnapper. Come here, cute little ones. Oh, you''re tied up. There were three centipedes in total. They were tied with strings around their necks, connected to the goblin''s body. I chewed the strings with my teeth to cut them. Oh, how obedient. Perhaps because they were stillrvae, they were small, with semi-transparent carapaces and a yellowish color. The baby centipedes, just about the length of a human forearm, were truly smart. They moved from the goblin''s body to mine. Let''s go back. To your mother. Kwang! The giant centipede, not knowing that I had rescued her babies. She was causing amotion with a thunderous roar. Wait. How do I stop that? It''s really a shame that I can''t shout at times like this. But it was truly fortunate. The baby centipedes started calling for their mother. "Kke-kke-kke-kke." "Kkeee, kke-kke-kke." "Kke-kke-" My, how cutely they cry. The giant centipede stopped abruptly. Eyes so smallpared to her massive body. She looked at me intently. Yes, now''s the time. I bowed my head, kukbeok. Silence fell. The giant centipede bowed back to me, kukbeok. Phew. I felt relieved. The babies attached to my body detached. They crawled to their mother, who was standing still, and clung tightly to her belly. The giant centipede gently wrapped her babies with one pair of legs. Her attitude now was that she would definitely protect them. Ah, it''s so touching that I feel like crying. It reminded me of thete Mother Medusa too. Though our Mother Medusa would turn disobedient children into blood pancakes. I wonder where Father is. I''d like to see him someday. ¡¸You have achieved the achievement ''Friend of Centipedes''.¡¹ Oh my! Following the Guard Captain''s assassination (unfortunate ident), I''ve achieved my second achievement. I immediately checked it out. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Friend of Centipedes] You have formed a friendly rtionship with centipedes, terrifying and cruel monsters. Centipede-type monsters will have goodwill towards you. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Terrifying and cruel, they say. That must be a groundless misunderstanding. Anyway, I want to get along well with centipedes in the future too. As I thought, centipedes are indeed gentle creatures. She no longer treated us as enemies. She just roared at the sky, holding her babies in her arms. "Kkeeeeeek!" Cry, giant centipede. After roaring refreshingly, the giant centipede immediately started running. Towards the dead Melchi and the warriors of the Croc tribe. Screams erupted. St! Melchi''s corpse became an unrecognizable meat paste. The same fate befell the Croc warriors who dared to charge instead of running away. The giant centipede, when serious, was terrifyingly strong. She kills by piercing with her venomous ws and crushing with her massive body. And that meant that the Croc tribe''s defensive formation was shattered. "Hui... Ullullullu!" Nanaluk came running. I naturally climbed onto her shoulder. "Let''s go catch Croc! Everyone, follow the centipede!" The situation became much easier now that Sister Centipede had scattered the enemies. The Lunga warriors easily dispatched the fleeing Croc goblins. Soon, we reached the excavation site. Under the Elephant Rock. There was a wide-open hole and traces of artificial structures. It''s a narrow passage that barely allows one or two people to pass through. We found the hole Croc had entered among dozens of holes. Nanaluk picked a few elite Hobgoblins to apany her and ordered the rest to stay. "Guard this entrance. If we don''te out after a while or if something happens, retreat from the rock!" Meanwhile, I raised my head to look at the structure. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Secret Dungeon] Dungeon 123, storing magic stones. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ We''ve finally arrived. "The rat has already gone in. Hurry and chase after him!" Pelerian said so. In my mind, I muttered the line I had heard so many times in Dungeon 8. ''Monster intrusion detected.'' Activating interception snake. == A field of corpses was spread out. All due to the traps set in the dungeon. ''How many traps did you install?'' "The more traps, the better." Many traps good. I agree. But there were really many dead goblins. At first, most of them were old people. They were clearly used as meat shields. Arrows, spears, fire, falls, the causes of death were diverse. Next were goblins with their faces covered in dust powder. Judging by the pickaxes scattered around, they must have been the workers excavating the dungeon. Lastly, there were bulky Hobgoblins. They must have been the warriors who protected Croc. Croc had sacrificed even those who protected him. We could meet that terrible tyrant not long after. A suspicious cavity spread out, and there was an iron door ahead. It was clearly the real final entrance to the dungeon. Because it was a door with the same decoration. "That, that bastard...!" Croc was stuck to that door. Nanaluk gritted her teeth and shouted. "Croc!" Croc''s face was covered in blood. I stopped Nanaluk as she tried to rush towards Croc. Nanaluk was bewildered, and Croc licked his lips as if disappointed. "Hehehehe, you idiots." Heughs to himself as if half-mad. "You came all this way because you want to die. What a shame." I used magic detection. The ceiling, walls, floor. Everything appeared red. "If you had taken just one more step, you would have died." I could clearly tell. The security of this dungeon was overwhelmingly higher than the ones I had broken through before. "If you want to catch me,e and try! Hahahahaha!" How did that guy get over there? There must be a safe path to bypass the traps. But Nanaluk and the goblins didn''t dare to cross the cavity. Corpses turned into bloody pancakes were stuck to the walls and ceiling in the middle of the cavity. "U- hahaha!" I really want to stop hearing thatughter. "Kuk..." Nanaluk was frustrated. Don''t worry. I''ll show you how to break through directly. ''Pelvigation, guide the way.'' "Cheeky bastard." The old monster who designed this dungeon himself is by my side. Pelerian silently started guiding the way. Chapter 40: (Tense background music ON) Just like the heroes who have gained fame across the continent, Or like the viins notorious throughout the world, The mage Pelerian, known as "Heaven Defier," had more than just one title. One of his many famous titles was "Dungeon Master." It''smon knowledge that mages like to create dungeons. But Pelerian took it to an extreme. The number of dungeons he created easily surpasses 100. Some even estimate it to be over 500. It''s an unbelievable number even for an elf, a long-lived race. Even if he built two per year, it would take 250 years. Considering that many of Pelerian''s dungeons are ssified asrge-scale or above, it seems physically impossible. However, it''s a well-known fact that his dungeons are spread across the entire continent, and many are yet to be discovered. How could the old monster of Heaven Defier build dungeons at such a rapid pace? First, one of his secrets must be his overwhelming elemental magic ability. In terms of elemental magic, Pelerian is considered to have the most formidable talent in history. Recalling the anecdote of him destroying a mountain in just three days, he must havepleted the most time-consuming groundwork in an instant. If he received help from earth spirits, that time would have been even further reduced. The second spection is that he must have had close rtionships with dwarves and gnomes. No matter how vicious a great mage he was, dungeons can''t be created with just earth-moving techniques. The internal structures of the dungeon,plex traps, various mechanical devices and more. That clearly requires a certain level of manpower. Some might question whether a fairy could cooperate with dwarves and gnomes. But considering that Pelerian himself was already an outsider in fairy society, it''s entirely possible. There are also several records of him visiting dwarf mines and shadow fairy nests, despite being a fairy himself. However, Pelerian was fascinated by trap technology. The traps in the dungeons were surely designed by him personally. ¡¸On the Ominous Star of Heaven Defier, published by the Magic Tower¡¹ == Click, click. ''Damn it, curse it!'' Croc, the Hobgoblin King. He kept fiddling with his bracelet. It has a unique design with a magic stone the size of a bean embedded in it. Right next to the magic stone is something like atch that goes in when pressed. Croc kept pressing it repeatedly. Click, click, click. The magic stone flickered and blinked. It was sending a signal to the one who had given him this bracelet. He thought he would never use the bracelet, but now the enemies were right at his doorstep. The bracelet was a transmitter. One day, a fairy came to him. Not an ordinary fairy, but a shadow fairy. His name was Deshnan, if he remembered correctly. His skin was ashen, and a dark, gloomy aura emanated from him. He helped Croc evolve into a Hobgoblin King. And he revealed a secret. That there was a mage''s dungeon under the Elephant Rock here. If he used the legacy there, Croc could evolve even further beyond a Hobgoblin King. Evolution is the instinct of magical beasts. Moreover, Croc, who had already seeded in evolving once, developed ambition. The desire to be the lord of all goblins. The fairy told him to use the bracelet to call him when he reached the entrance of the dungeon. He said that the inside of the dungeon was like a magical realm, so Croc would need him. Croc promised to do so, but of course, he had no intention of calling. Croc wanted to have it all to himself. ''Why aren''t youing...!'' But now, Croc was frantically manipting the bracelet. That snake. That crazy snake was breaking through the traps. "Hiss!" As the snake flicked its tongue, the goblins of the Lunga tribe following behind stopped. Those crazy goblins were following the snake without fear. Surprisingly, the snake was disarming the traps. It tapped the floor a few times with its tail, and then there was a sound of something sinking in. Thud thud thud! Arrows fell limply from holes in the ceiling. The snake raised its head high and crawled forward majestically. Crazy snake, crazy snake. A snake that disarms traps. Could this be the heart-eating snake that those stupid subordinates mentioned? Under the snake''smand, the Lunga tribe goblins approached halfway across the cavern. Croc had sacrificed all his subordinates to cross this cavern. Even then, he barely managed to pass through by sheer luck, but they hadn''t suffered a single injury. And then the snake suddenly came to a halt. It started to touch something attached to the wall. The tiles on the wall fell off with a thud. Something like a handle emerged from there. The snake grabbed it with its tail and pulled. nk- An ominous sound was heard. Well, to be precise, it only sounded ominous to Croc. And then a voice flowed out. "Interception system deactivated." "Wee." Croc didn''t exactly look aghast. The voice was in fairynguage, so Croc couldn''t understand it. But somehow, it didn''t seem to be a good thing. The snake turned to look at the Lunga tribe goblins. And it seemed to be exining something with its tail and body movements. "The traps have been disabled!" Nanaluk immediately understood. Croc couldn''t even guess how she understood the snake''s words. She didn''t hesitate to rush at Croc. The traps really weren''t working. She charged with two axes in her hands. "Alright! You impudent thing!" Croc also drew his weapon. His weapon was a massive cleaver. Nanaluk leaped high with her axes. "Die!" "Come at me! Let''s see who''s the better male-!" "It should be male and female, you ignorant fool!" Nanaluk spread her body wide and then curled up to bring down her axes. In response, Croc swung his cleaver upwards. ng! Surprisingly, it was Nanaluk who was flung back. The difference in weight ss, and the difference in muscle quality. There was a gap between them equivalent to one more evolution. Croc noticed that he had the upper hand. He wasn''t an inexperienced warrior who would let go of an advantage once gained. He immediately rushed at Nanaluk, who was trying to get up while rolling on the ground. The cleaver fell to bisect Nanaluk. At that moment, hobgoblins clung to Croc. Jadiram thrust his spear, and Nanaluk''s younger brother, Kadiram, swung his axe. ng ng ng! But despite theirbined attack, they couldn''t harm Croc. He was wearing proper scale armor. It wasn''t stylish, looking like a one-piece dress, but it provided sufficient defense. Whump! Croc kicked Kadiram in the stomach. The force was so tremendous that Kadiram flew back and rolled away. "Kadiram!" Nanaluk sprang up as if bouncing. Then she swung her axes at an incredible speed. ng- ng! ng! "Th-This is insane!" Even Croc was shocked. Nanaluk was elerating more and more. To think a mere hobgoblin would show physical abilities on par with Croc! He opened his eyes wide. Croc had noticed it too. "You, you''re evolving-!" "What nonsense are you talking about!" Nanaluk swung her axes angrily. But to Croc''s eyes, it was undeniable. The new chieftain of the Lunga tribe was going through the process of evolution. To the next stage after hobgoblin, to the same level as Croc. Realizing this fact, Croc felt a crisis like never before. "How-!" "Shut up!" The axes and cleaver shed almost evenly. But unfortunately for Croc, Nanaluk wasn''t alone. Jadiram, who was still unharmed, charged in with his spear. The wounds on Croc''s body started to increase. At this rate, he would lose. It was at this point that Croc foresaw his own death. "Na-Na-Nanaluk-!" A trembling voice. Who would have thought that the voice of this pathetic son could be so wee? "Chandal!" There was Chandal, who was once engaged to Nanaluk. He was holding a knife to Kadiram''s throat from behind. "Stop! I said stop!" Nanaluk and Croc had no choice but to back off. "Chandal, what are you doing!" Nanaluk was furious. But Chandal threatened to stab Kadiram''s throat right away, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Put down the axes! Or your brother dies!" How did Chandal get in when the entrance to the dungeon was surely guarded? The reason was actually surprisingly simple. Chandal had entered the dungeon with Croc, but then gave up, saying he was too scared to go on. Left alone, he had pretended to be dead when Nanaluk and the Lunga warriors entered. And now he had managed to attack from behind. "Sis, ignore this bastard! Just kill that Croc quickly!" "Shut up!" Chandal''s dagger dug slightly into Kadiram''s neck. Nanaluk didn''t know what to do. Croc rejoiced. What stupid lovebirds. They would have been perfect for each other if they had married. Chandal had his own thoughts. "Put down the axes, Nanaluk! And father!" His demands were: "If you surrender, I''ll spare Nanaluk and her siblings too!" Croc had ordered his son to kill Nanaluk''s brother. He said he would spare him if he did. Chandal was shouting for that order to be canceled. How could there be such a foolish son? "Of course, my boy, that''s what I should do!" Such words came out of Croc''s mouth. Of course, he nned to kill them all once this was over. But that''s when it happened. Once again, a voice came from somewhere in the ceiling. "Interception system reactivated." "Manual operation of interception mechanism is now possible." No one knew what that meant. After all, no one could understand fairynguage. But there was one snake that could understand fairynguage. A snake that was apart from this ridiculous hostage situation, adjusting the mechanical device in the torn wall. "Hey, you fool! Not there, lower." ''Here?'' "Yeah, pull that. Pull the one next to it and everyone dies." The snake and the fairy''s spirit. No one could hear their conversation anyway. No one could have imagined that the snake fiddling with the mechanical device here and there would lead to such a result. Thunk. The sound was light. However, the traps set here were far more powerful than the ones where the cockatrice had settled. Pelerian''s love for spears remained unchanged. From a hole in one side of the wall, an iron spear rotated and shot out. Crunch! The iron spear pierced through Croc''s scale armor. It tore through his skin, shattered his ribs, and ripped through his internal organs. Even then, it had enough force left to pierce through the armor on the other side. Due to the armor and ribs entangled with the spear, Croc flew with the spear. Crash! And he was embedded into the side wall just like that. The snake thought. ''A goblin skewer with a striking visual.'' The goblins were shocked at that visual. Even Chandal, who had been holding the hostage. Kadiram didn''t miss this opportunity and ducked. "Sis!" Nanaluk threw her axe at her ex-boyfriend''s fully exposed chest. == Thwack! Nice shot. A hostage-taker deserves proper punishment. It''s clear that Nanaluk is a lethal woman. That fool Chandal experienced the most heartbreaking breakup in the world. "Gwaak!" Chandal copsed with a thud. Is he not dead? Judging by how he''s screaming and iling, it seems the axe hit his shoulder, not his heart. I don''t know if Nanaluk intended that or not. Kadiram quickly got up, jumped on Chandal''s stomach, and started punching him repeatedly. "You bastard! I looked up to you as a brother!" I''m not sure if Chandal will live or die, but he certainly won''t be livingfortably from now on. Hmm, this has been wrapped up nicely. "That was close." Pelerian grumbled. "If we had been a littlete and that Croc fellow had forcibly opened the door, everything would have undoubtedly copsed." It''s not like it''s a viin''s secret base, but this dungeon had a self-destruct mechanism prepared. If the door inside was forcibly opened, there was a device that would cause the Elephant Rock and the entire dungeon to copse. When I asked why such an extreme method was used, he said he couldn''t let precious magic stones fall into the hands of grave robbers. That was undoubtedly a fair point. "Really now. To think they''d treat me like some pathfinding magic spirit." Pelerianined. Let''s tolerate it for now. After all, I n to devour all those precious magic stones. And thanks to that, we easily caught this goblin named Croc. Croc was still alive even in his state of being skewered by the spear. "Y-You, krup." Blood was flowing from his mouth. His bloodshot eyes looked terrifying. "To a mere snake, my... kek, grand..." "Ssaak!" "Kek." When I gave a short reply, he drooped his head limply. Did I finish him off? ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ I did finish him off. And the level-up feast didn''t end there. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Crazy. Ah, it''s another moment where That Persones to mind. I trembled with joy. Considering that Croc was about as strong as Nanaluk, I wonder if it''s okay to give this much experience. Well, if it weren''t for Pelerian''s trap, I wouldn''t have caught him so easily. Maybe because he was a Hobgoblin King, the experience was far beyond my expectations. I guess higher-ranked magical beasts are different. ¡¸Your level has reached its limit.¡¹ ¡¸Some conditions for evolution have been met.¡¹ ''White Double Horn Serpent lv20''. Descended. The timing is just right. I still need to fulfill more conditions for evolution, but it seems I can fill the rest in the dungeon. So now, the moment of farewell hase. I will enter the dungeon alone. I returned to Nanaluk. "Ah..." Nanaluk sat down with a thud. Startled, I approached her. Other goblins also ran over. "What''s wrong, sis!" "I''m okay, just... feeling dizzy... and a bit sleepy." I thought she might be injured, but that wasn''t it. Nanaluk spoke with trembling hands. "I..." She seemed to instinctively sense her body''s condition. "I think I''ll be able to evolve soon." "Evolve...?" Ah, could it be. Pelerian suddenly shouted. "Aaargh!" ''You startled me, what is it!'' "I see, so that was the evolution condition for the Hobgoblin King!" Hobgoblin King. A higher evolved species of goblin. Croc, who just died, was that Hobgoblin King. "It was a species that could only have one individual from the beginning. The previous Hobgoblin King just died, so that one''s evolution conditions were met! Finally, the secret is solved. I''m a genius!" ''Ah, yes.'' "There were records. Perhaps this goblin could go even one step further." Pelerian mumbled excitedly to himself, though I didn''t understand what he meant. From what I heard, it seemed Nanaluk was likely to evolve into a Hobgoblin King. And perhaps she might even be the Goblin Emperor who would unify all goblin tribes across the continent. ''You''re exaggerating a bit.'' "It seemed to have potential from the start." Potential? To say such a thing to me with a potential of 20. I approached Nanaluk to congratte her on her hard work. ''Good job, Nanaluk.'' I didn''t expect an answer. "Yeah... no, you worked hard too." ''No, you worked harder... huh?'' Nanaluk''s and my eyes met. "Huh?" ''Can you hear me?'' "I think I can understand." Beyond telepathy, now she understands my words. It''s utterly shocking. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hobgoblin Nanaluk lv30 (evolving)] [Traits] [Warrior], [Chieftain], [Communication (new)] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow! I thought evolution only happened during sleep. Nanaluk gained the Communication trait. "The Goblin Emperor will be followed by all goblins on the continent. For that,munication is necessary." Imunicate well without such a trait. "Says the snake that can''t even speak..." ''...And Croc didn''t seem to understand my words.'' "It probably wasn''t properly evolved." Nanaluk and I could clearlymunicate. We were both surprised by the fact that we could understand each other''s conversation. "Thank you... I won''t forget your help." Nanaluk''s eyes welled up with tears. "I swear. You''ll be an eternal friend to us goblins." ''How embarrassing... Thank you.'' ¡¸Achievement "Friend of Goblins" has been unlocked.¡¹ Well, I didn''t do it for the achievement. I''ll have to check this outter. I want to enter the dungeon quickly. "Shall I go with you?" ''No, it''s okay.'' I n to enter the dungeon alone. ''Nanaluk, about speaking. If I enter the dungeon and light bursts out from the top of the Elephant Rock...'' I exined the important facts. If I don''te out after the blue light erupts from the dungeon, retreat as far as possible. Return to the Lunga tribe, and if possible, go even further away. You never know when the Elf investigators mighte. "Come by. We''ll be up there." ''Okay.'' Nanaluk held out her hand. I extended my tail to grasp her hand. She grinned, and I smiled too. Though I''m not sure if it looks like I''m smiling. Well then, shall we enter the dungeon? Come on, yer entrance. Chapter 41: Selling scales one by one will make you rich quickly "Wee, Pelerian." A voice spoke. Boom. The sound of the iron door I had just passed through closing echoed. No one will be able to pass through the iron door now. Unlike before when it opened with just a few knocks, this door had a moreplex locking mechanism installed. "You went through the trouble of setting up an identity verification device for no reason." ''That''s right.'' Originally, Pelerian designed it so that one had to spill their own blood on the iron door to enter. At the same time, one had to authenticate their voice and emit their unique magic power wave for the door to open. It was excessively thorough. I almost couldn''t get in despiteing all the way here. Fortunately, Pelerian himself had designed that security system. He had created a backdoor, so I was able to open the door one way or another. ''It''s not like it''s some kind of public certificate system.'' "What''s that?" ''There is such a thing.'' The lights turned on. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud. It was simr to the sound of halogenmps turning on when entering an abandoned warehouse in a Hollywood movie. A neatly organized corridor came into view. I tensed up without realizing it. What if a golem suddenly wakes up again? Seeing how well-preserved the dungeon is, it doesn''t seem like the security golems will be half-destroyed like before. Thinking about it now, those golems were incredibly strong. Even if it were the current me, I probably couldn''t win against them. "Haha, don''t worry. There are no traps or security devices inside here." Pelerian chuckled gleefully seeing me scared. What a mischievous old man. ''What''s different about this ce?'' "Dungeon 123 is not designed assuming the entry of outsiders. It''s made solely with the assumption that I would enter. Therefore, while the external security is strong, the inside is made to befortable." I see. This time, as soon as we entered the dungeon, a voice saying "Wee, Pelerian" was heard. The previous dungeon''s exact name was ''Laboratory''. And this ce is ''Magic Stone Storage''. Suddenly, I became curious. ''But, it''s not like you only have one or two dungeons, couldn''t you send someone else in?'' "Ah..." ''You could ask a friend to bring some magic stones for you.'' With security this tight, isn''t that impossible? If you have toe in person every time, it would be terribly inconvenient. Pelerian was silent. Just when I was about to forget I had asked a question, he opened his mouth. "...I don''t have friends." ''How did you know!'' I was startled. "Huh?" ''Ah... You said you don''t have friends.'' "That''s right." For a moment, I thought he meant I didn''t have friends. It was embarrassing, but I tried to ask again as if nothing happened. ''Then what about trustworthy colleagues?'' "..." Pelerian was silent again. After a while, he answers. "None." ''Trustworthy subordinates?'' More silence. "...I don''t think I have any." If I were truly an evil snake, I would have asked like this. No, you''re an elf, so you must have lived for a very long time, how can that be? You must have family at least. Don''t you have family you can ask such favors? Siblings or at least parents! Like that. But I''m not that ruthless of a snake. Pelerian had sworn to me. He would answer honestly to my questions and follow my words. But that doesn''t mean I''m treating Pelerian as an unpaid ve. If it''s not absolutely necessary to know, I don''t force questions. If I had really asked questions like earlier, Pelerian would have felt ashamed. When taking someone in, you must embrace them with your heart. Truly loyal subordinates can never be obtained by force. Of course, Pelerian himself probably doesn''t think I consider him a subordinate. "What are you looking at?" You can tell by that. ''What do you mean what am I looking at? We should quickly go to the magic stone storage.'' "We are going!" Pelerian continued the conversation while bickering with me. When the topic of evolution came up, his voice brightened as if he had never been grumpy. "Forget about that result sheet now." He was talking about the special evolution conditions I had looked up in the Chimera''s dungeon earlier. "In my view, it''s fair to say that your evolution tree has no limits." ''Gasp.'' To see through my potential of 20. As expected of Pelerian. I asked about something I was curious about. ''Then could I suddenly evolve into a different monster?'' "A different monster?" ''Yes, like a centipede.'' I suddenly asked that because a centipede came to mind. "It''s both impossible and possible." I didn''t like such vague answers. Fortunately, Pelerian added a specific exnation. "If you grow legs in the next evolution, then a carapace in the next, and then venomous ws in the next, you could evolve into a centipede-type monster. But why would you?" I had no intention of doing so either. "Whether by chance or not, you are evolving very efficiently. I exined that there''s a limit to the number of times each monster can evolve, right?" ''Yes, teacher.'' "For some reason, you''ve repeated evolutions in a short period, but it seems you can still evolve much more. It''s amazing that even lowly creatures like snakes, centipedes, and spiders can evolve several times." We agreed not to call them lowly creatures. But since it sounded like apliment, I listened quietly. ''What do you mean by evolving efficiently?'' "Efficient evolution doesn''t necessarily mean evolving into a strong monster. In some ways, it might even be the opposite." ''Then?'' "It means you can evolve in a direction with greater potential. For example, let''s assume you evolved in a different tree instead of this one." Professor Pelerian began his lecture. "While the Little Green Snake''s evolution tree is diverse, the mostmon direction is to increase its size." From Little Green Snake, to Green Snake, and then to Giant Green Snake. "That''s often the end for them." ''Only that far!'' "If they''re lucky, some might go as far as Green Snake King." A Giant Green Snake is a massive snake reaching 10m in length. But to end there after evolving only three times. Considering that I evolved into a White Double Horn Python after just three evolutions, isn''t that too disappointing? "Then you should evolve into a higher species before bing a Giant Green Snake. There could be paths like bing a python, like you did." ''What about Mother Medusa?'' "You mean the Medusa Serpent. That too followed a special evolution process." ''Serpent''. That was a higher snake monster species than snakes or pythons. "A monster that became a serpent and gained petrification ability probably evolved into a Medusa Serpent. But that''s also a disappointing direction. The Medusa Serpent can probably only evolve once more." Oh ho. The assumption that Mother Medusa could evolve further was true. "You should aim to evolve into a serpent too. Serpents go through special evolution processes that other named snake monsters also go through." I don''t want to be a Medusa Serpent. It''s too ugly. There was something that bothered me in Pelerian''s words. ''Named snake monsters?'' "Some are recorded in documents, and some individuals are presumed to be alive. I''ll exin about thatter. For now, your current evolution is important." The special evolution condition I should achieve first. Pelerian spoke lightly. "There''s an efficient and sure method. It''s a secret only I know..." ''What is it!'' A more nd answer than expected came back. "Eating a lot of high-grade magic stones." ''Ah.'' "Normally, it would be an evolution condition impossible to achieve at your level. Where would a monster get that many magic stones?" It truly was so. Not all monsters contain magic stones. Monsters with high-grade magic stones would all be incredibly strong. But this ce is Pelerian''s magic stone storage. It''s no different from an all-you-can-eat buffet. "It''s impossible to raise the level of evolution through magical saturation like before. But this is even better. You''ll be able to evolve into a species that can handlerge amounts of magical power!" My heart swells. ''Finally, I can be a real swordsman!'' My heart races at the thought of being able to learn the Invisible Hand magic. I will definitely be a grand master of snake swordsmanship. "...Magic is the ultimate discipline." Pelerian clicked his tongue but pointed with his finger. "Pull that lever." I did so. Click. Then, the wall opens. Whoosh, white steam billows out. A cold sensation enters. And something like a disy case pops out. "That is my magic stone collection. Look at it, and apud." ''Wow!'' I eximed in admiration. I thought it would be a dusty warehouse since it''s called a storage, but what''s this? Covered with crystal tes, it looked just like a jewelry box. In the sense that I can eat them, it also looked like a high-end choctier''s chocte disy case. Dozens of magic stones were densely arranged. The smallest ones were 1st grade magic stones the size of beans. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [1st Grade Magic Stone], [1st Grade Magic Stone], [1st Grade Magic Stone], [1st Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [2nd Grade Magic Stone], [3rd Grade Magic Stone], [3rd Grade Magic Stone], [3rd Grade Magic Stone], [3rd Grade Magic Stone], [3rd Grade Magic Stone], [4th Grade Magic Stone], [4th Grade Magic Stone], [4th Grade Magic Stone]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Next to them were 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade stones, with 4th grade magic stones being as big as acorns. Pelerian burst intoughter. "Eat gratefully, snake, you can eat as much as you can! You''ll probably reach magical saturation at some point and won''t be able to eat anymore, but..." Even the Chimera''s magic stone was only a 4th grade magic stone. When I ate two, my magical power waspletely filled. Pelerian made an even more generous decision. "You can take as many of the leftovers as you can fit in your subspace." Ah, he shouldn''t have said that. "...Why aren''t you saying anything? Are you at a loss for words because you''re too grateful, snake?" Pelerian''s tone was exceedingly kind. But the problem is that when he acts like this, I can''t help but be suspicious even if I don''t want to be. Although the time we''ve spent together hasn''t been long, it was more than enough to grasp Pelerian''s personality. ''There''s more, right?'' "Hm?" ''The magic stones, this isn''t all of them, is it?'' The best magic stones I''ve eaten were the two 4th grade magic stones that the Chimera had. The Chimera was a formidable enemy from my perspective. Even now, it wouldn''t be easy to fight. But what about Pelerian? Is it really just 4th grade magic stones that he''s hidden in such a massive dungeon? That couldn''t be. I expressed my dissatisfaction in an old-fashioned manner. ''Show me more before you try to fool me.'' "..." ''Staying silent won''t work. Be honest and reveal everything.'' We were just talking about trust and whatnot earlier. But I still need to look out for myself. Pelerian agonized for a while before nodding. "Pull the lever on the right again." I did so. Whoosh- And just like before, another disy case popped out. Only then could I finally smile. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [5th Grade Magic Stone], [5th Grade Magic Stone], [5th Grade Magic Stone], [6th Grade Magic Stone], [6th Grade Magic Stone], [7th Grade Magic Stone], ...[9th Grade Magic Stone] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The quantity is small, but the quality is high. There was even one 9th grade magic stone. Just how many grades of magic stones are there? ''There''s really nothing else hidden, right?'' "Do you think magic stones just pop out whenever you catch a monster, damn it-! I sold the higher grades for money. Happy now?" ''Why are you getting angry?'' Pelerian huffed. I consoled him. ''If I don''t take them, the fairies wille and steal them anyway.'' "Who knows... If Ipletely copse the rock, they might not find it." ''Tsk tsk.'' Pelerian eventually acknowledged my words. "Just eat as much as you can. If there''s any left, you''ll have to return itter." He''s talking about if he ever regains his body. "Start eating from the lower grade stones. Otherwise, your body might really explode and die. This is not a lie." I nodded. That was the truth. ''Then I''ll eat.'' I started with the 1st grade magic stones. I wonder what monster these were extracted from. Even magic stones of the same grade tasted different from each other. It seems to depend on who the original owner was. "You eat well." I devoured all 10 of the 1st grade magic stones. ¡¸Absorbing arge amount of magical energy.¡¹ ¡¸Level is at the limit.¡¹ ¡¸Unabsorbed magical energy is being stored.¡¹ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python Lv20+] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A + appeared next to the level. Next are the 2nd grade magic stones. I easily ate all 10 of the 2nd grade magic stones too. "Aren''t you getting full yet? Is your skin itchy or anything?" ''Nope.'' I''m fine. From the 3rd grade magic stones, the quality is different. Even just one magic stone from the Horn Jaguar would have been a luxurious meal for my past self. ¡¸Absorbing arge amount of magical energy.¡¹ ¡¸Unabsorbed magical energy is being stored.¡¹ The + became two. "This is strange, strange..." Despite Pelerian''s worries, I could eat more. There wasn''t much strain on my body either. Does my potential extend to the talent of a food fighter? I ate all the 3rd grade magic stones. I was starting to feel a bit full. The 4th grade magic stones were indeed challenging. I was almost done eating all of them when I got a reaction. It felt like my body was about to burst. It didn''t seem to be a problem of my stomach being full. "Crazy, you really eat well." Pelerian started to admire me, beyond just feeling regretful. "Don''t push yourself too hard..." ''Wait.'' I still have one more trick up my sleeve. There were a few skills that had reached level 10. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python Lv20+++] [Skills] ... ¡ùEvolution possible: [Biting Lv10], [Leap Lv10] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Yes, let''s evolve. But, there was something written beyond my expectations. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡ùDue to the special benefit of the title ''Heart-eating Snake'', you can fuse evolve skills. ''It is said that there is a special technique for eating hearts'' ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My heart raced when I saw this text. Alright. ¡¸Consuming magical energy to fuse evolve skills.¡¹ ¡¸Biting Lv10 and Leap Lv10 are fusing.¡¹ Thump thump. ¡¸Obtained the skill ''Leap of Heart-eating Lv1''.¡¹ I became a snake that could physically steal people''s hearts. But does this mean I can''t use the Leap and Biting skills separately anymore? I''ll have to check. "Urgh." The magical energy drained instantly. I started eating again. "How much more are you going to eat!" Pelerian was in a frenzy of excitement. After eating all the 4th grade magic stones, I finally started on the 5th grade ones. Surprisingly, I waspletely full after eating just two 5th grade magic stones. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [White Double Horn Python Lv20++++] ... [Status] [Evolution Possible] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡¸You have achieved the special conditions for evolution.¡¹ This seems to be my limit. "You ate five times more than I thought..." Pelerian, who looked like he had been burned white, muttered. Well then, shall we start the evolution right away? I was feeling drowsy from overeating anyway. "There should be an evolution option rted to magical saturation. Look carefully!" I was nning to do that even without Pelerian''s nagging. I settled down and closed my eyes. As always. I fell into a deep sleep in an instant. == ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ From [White Double Horn Python Lv20] to [Long Double Horn Python] [Poison Double Horn Python] [Hot Pink Double Horn Python] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wait, what''s with the hot pink? Could it be because I ate the inner core of the Crimson Tarant King? White and red mixed... This is definitely a pass. I don''t want to lose my dignity. I read on. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Green Double Horn Python] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ No, I said I''m not doing green. When will the green option disappear? Isn''t there anything rted to magic stones? And, thest option. When I saw it, I felt my scales stand on end. I instinctively felt it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Double Horn Python] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Crystal. Quartz, or crystalline. I can imagine it. My appearance with skin shining like crystal. Crystal snakes, crystal lizards, and such were very rare monsters in games too. Crystal is strictly white as well. Isn''t this a gift from heaven for me who didn''t want to give up on white? The magic stones I devoured also looked like crystals in a way. The other options were not good at all. They either changed color or had nothing to do with magical power. Maybe it''s an evolution that strengthens the scales? Since the pattern had its own effect, the scales must have something different too. Yes, there''s no reason to hesitate. ¡¸You have selected Crystal Double Horn Python.¡¹ ¡¸Starting evolution.¡¹ I began to evolve. == And, outside. It had been a day since the new chief Nanaluk and the sacred snake Ullullullu killed Croc. Nanaluk was evolving in the hut that used to be Croc''s dwelling, and Ullullullu still hadn''te out from underground. All the warriors of the Lunga tribe, who had newly upied this ce, had bright expressions. The new king of the goblins. Unlike Croc, Nanaluk, who was excellent in character as well, would lead the goblins of the great forest on a new path. The hobgoblins who participated in the battle, including Jadiram, were in a good mood. There were no more threatening enemies now, but Jadiram and Kadiram volunteered to stand guard. "Is the chief okay?" "Yes, he copsed but they say he''ll wake up soon. Hehe." The two were having a pleasant conversation. That''s when someone approached. "Hey. Hobgoblins." Kadiram and Jadiram were startled. They hadn''t noticed the approach, but someone had appeared right in front of them. His attire didn''t suit this hot jungle. A long coat. And a hat. A tall, slender man. His appearance was beautiful, but his skin was ashen. Above all, those long ears. It was none other than a shadow elf. "Where is Croc?" He asked gloomily. It was clearly goblinnguage, though clumsy. Jadiram and Kadiram raised their weapons and shouted. "Who are you!" "...Hmm." The shadow elf clicked his tongue. "That stupid fool. Seems he''s dead after all." "We said identify yourself!" Kadiram shouted threateningly. But the shadow elf muttered something, ignoring them. Kadiram turned to look at Jadiram, unsure of what to do. "Keh-ack, keck." For a moment, he thought he had seen wrong. There was arge hole in Jadiram''s neck. Blood gushed out, and Jadiram copsed with a thud. "You." The shadow elf said, wiping the blood from his hand. "You will guide me to the dungeon." Chapter 42: The Headless Red Snake "Bring fresh cold water." The voice of the Grand Shaman revealed her age. "Bring more bamboo leaves." As she gave instructions, the other shamans bowed their heads respectfully and obeyed. For goblins, living past 50 years is considered a remarkable feat. The Grand Shaman''s face was covered in deep wrinkles left by time. The tattoos etched across her entire body and face were the symbol of the Grand Shaman. Even the ink of those tattoos had faded with the passage of time. However, there was strength in her voice, and her movements were precise. The Grand Shaman had stayed up all night assisting Nanaluk. Evolution is both a blessing and a curse bestowed upon monsters. Through evolution, monsters extend their lifespan and be stronger. But evolution is not granted to all, and the Grand Shaman, having alreadypleted her evolution, would soon face an inevitable death. Yet, she felt neither fear nor futility. Because before hery the future of the entire species. She slowly wiped Nanaluk''s arm with a towel soaked in cold water. The young chieftain was enduring the extremely painful process of evolution. The moisture on her skin evaporated instantly. The scorching fever remained unchanged. But there was clear improvement. Last night, the skin peeled off like a molting snake with each wipe of the towel. But now, how different it was. The skin was slightly reddish, like that of a human woman. It looked soft yet as tough as rubber. Under the sunlight, her skin sparkled as if gold dust had been sprinkled on it. Nanaluk had always been slim and tall, but she had grown even taller. She was now as tall as a typical elf. Her hair had grown so long in just one day that it could now be worn in long, flowing tresses. ''Other goblins will look like children standing next to her.'' But that was actually a good thing. Nanaluk would be the king of the species. And the king of the species should have an appearance thatmands respect from all who see them. "...Grand Shaman." Nanaluk opened her eyes. Her long eyshes fluttered. "You''ve regained consciousness." "How long have I... Ah!" Nanaluk tried to sit up but staggered andy back down. "Rest a bit more. You don''t seem to be in good condition yet." "No, if I''m not there now..." "Rest. I''ll take care of any trivial matters. And from now on, please drop the honorifics when addressing me." "What? How could I do that?" Even when Nanaluk was still in diapers, the Grand Shaman was a grandmother and the Grand Shaman. "Nanaluk, you are no longer just a chieftain." "Then..." "You are the Great Chieftain, or rather, the King." "King..." Nanaluk gave a bitter smile. She didn''t wave her hands in embarrassment or act flustered. "So that''s how it turned out." Hob Goblin King. She had evolved to the stage beyond Hob Goblin. And she knew the duties that came with being a superior species. "You''ll get used to it." "Where is... Ullullullu?" "He hasn''te out of the dungeon yet." Nanaluk nodded. The Grand Shaman stood up. "Soon, the children wille to attend to you. Please rest." She bowed politely and left. The Grand Shaman''s wrinkled face was hard to read. In her mind, the name of that snake was echoing. ''Ullullullu.'' That snake had saved Lunga. Croc had been a tyrannical king. He hadn''t been proper material for a king, but the holy snake had dealt with that fake king. Now all the goblins in Lunga believed in the snake god. And here''s an astonishing fact. A secret that no one would dare to guess. ''Where did that snakee from?'' The Grand Shaman herself didn''t actually believe that snake was a god. She never had. Even when the disappeared snake returned. Despite being the one who shed tears and acknowledged that snake as Ullullullu, she didn''t believe it. It was certainly an extraordinary monster. But it clearly wasn''t the Ullullullu from the oral traditions. Ullullullu was ck, massive enough to coil around mountains, and a true god who couldmand lightning. How could that small snake be Ullullullu? In the tribe, the strongest goblin bes the chieftain, and the wisest bes the Grand Shaman. The Grand Shaman was wise. That''s why she acknowledged that snake as Ullullullu and united the fearful tribesmen. It was an effective method. The Grand Shaman, lost in deep thought, turned her head. The tribesmen were in an uproar. It was loud enough for even her aging ears to hear. It wasing from where the warriors had gathered. As the Grand Shaman approached, she took a small breath. Kadiram, the king''s younger brother, had appeared with someone. Kadiram was also an excellent warrior, but his face was stiff with tension. He had brought a fairy with him. The Grand Shaman had the insight to recognize that this was no ordinary fairy, but an evil shadow fairy. The shadow fairy scratched his head. "This doesn''t seem to be the entrance to the dungeon." It''s where the warriors rest. He ced his hand on Kadiram''s shoulder. "...I could ask another goblin instead of you." "Ullullullu is in the dungeon. I can''t let you in." "What''s Ullullullu?" The warriors gathered around, holding their weapons. But the shadow fairy didn''t seem to feel any pressure at all. "You don''t know that? It''s the holy snake god." "Snake god? Sounds like your local superstition." "He really exists!" Kadiram, you''ve be a brave warrior. The Grand Shaman gritted her teeth and quietly gestured. Following her signal, the warriors aimed their weapons and bows. "I''m not interested, just take me to the dungeon..." "He''s an intruder! Don''t mind me, shoot!" Kadiram had brought the fairy to where the warriors were gathered, prepared to die. But despite his shout, the warriors couldn''t bring themselves to shoot. Worried about hitting Kadiram, they approached with weapons drawn. The shadow fairy sneered. "How brave. It''s a shame your courage is wasted." In that moment, bright red blood spurted from Kadiram''s chest. No, it wasn''t just blood. The blood moved like a living snake, piercing through Kadiram''s body. The Hob Goblin warriors charged with crazed eyes. "Yaaah!" "You bastard!" One warrior dragged away the fallen Kadiram, while the others swung their weapons at the shadow fairy. "You''re really making this troublesome." A unique crescent de emerged from the fairy''s coat sleeve. He parried the warriors'' des with that small sword. ng! ng! ng! Whether it was the weapon itself that was extraordinary, or if it had been magically enhanced, was unclear. But wherever the crescent de passed, the warriors'' weapons broke easily. The shadow fairy didn''t directly kill the warriors who lost their weapons. He merely raised both arms. The darkness in his sleeves was as ck as a monster''s throat. From that darkness, more than a dozen bright red snakes sprang forth. Headless red snakes made of blood. Unlike the friendly white snake, these red snakes mercilessly pierced through the warriors'' bodies. Thud! Thud! Thud! Some tried to fend them off with broken swords, but the snakes climbed over the des and burrowed into the warriors'' chests. "Arghhhh!" "Aack!" "Gaaah!" Agonized screams rang out in unison. Amidst this terrifying chorus, the Grand Shaman shouted. "Shoot arrows! Fall back and regroup!" The warriors did as told. Twang! Twang! Twang! Arrows flew from various angles. Even exceptional warriors, like Nanaluk, could at best deflect one or two. But the shadow fairy easily blocked ten arrows. The red snakes that sprang from his sleeves each blocked an arrow. "You''re being annoying. I''ll keep killing until you guide me to the dungeon." The shadow fairy was certainly capable of doing so. The goblin warriors who had fought and triumphed over the Croc tribe. They were being killed one by one. It was too great a waste of valuable lives. The Grand Shaman had to make a decision. Should she lead this murderous fairy to Ullullullu? She was about to do so. "What the hell is going on here-!" Nanaluk appeared, wielding an axe without even wearing armor. The Grand Shaman felt her legs weaken. It was the worst possible situation. Nanaluk would never forgive this fairy who had massacred her warriors. And indeed, that was the case. "Aaaaah!" The enraged Nanaluk roared. Every goblin present felt their hair stand on end and their hearts race. That was the roar of a king, the anger of a king. Nanaluk threw her axe. The spinning axe flew in a straight line rather than an arc. It tore through the air fiercely. Whoosh! The momentum of the axe ripping through the wind was terrifying. Nanaluk hadpleted her evolution properly. Even Croc couldn''tpare to the current Nanaluk. The shadow fairy tensed for the first time. All the blood snakes that sprang from his sleeves moved to block the axe. Crash! One snake was crushed. Then another, and another. When eleven out of twelve snakes had been crushed. The axe lost its momentum and stopped. ng- Ah. Even Nanaluk''s full-strength throw had been blocked. Moreover, the crushed blood snakes reformed and regained their shape. Despair settled in. "Interesting. A new king born right after Croc''s death?" He marveled, stroking his chin. "And a much more proper one at that. I''ve decided." The shadow fairy dered. "Very well. I''ll capture you and take you with me. I''ll raise you well." "Shadow fairy." Nanaluk smiled coldly, not intimidated in the least. It was a smile of rage. "Let''s see if you can still say that after your head is split open." Nanaluk charged with her axe. But the cold sweat flowing down her sideburns. Her body had not yet fully recovered. The Grand Shaman closed her eyes tightly, praying for Nanaluk''s safety. == Ahh, I slept well! I truly had a good night''s sleep. And I had a nice dream too. I dreamed of going to a buffet. Even in the dream, I was still a snake, but I could eat human-made dishes for a change. I was scooping up a teful of sweet and refreshing raw meat when it suddenly urred to me. Come to think of it, isn''t raw meat a dish I eat every day? I woke up just as that question crossed my mind. What a shame, I should have eaten pumpkin porridge and kimbap too. By the way, my favorite dishes at a buffet are raw meat, pumpkin porridge, kimbap, and rice cakes. While raw meat is understandable, I always got scolded for piling up the other three dishes, being told I shouldn''te to buffets. "You''re awake!" Pelerian''s voice brought me to my senses. "Hehehe, you''ve finally woken up. How do you feel?" How do I feel... Huh! This evolution didn''t make my body bigger. The number of my horns didn''t increase either. I looked at my body condition and felt relieved. ''Thank goodness! I''m still white!'' "Don''t talk nonsense about color. That''s not what''s important." ''Oh!'' The color of my body hadn''t changed. But its luster had definitely changed. Befitting the modifier ''Crystal'', my scales had undergone a major transformation. A snake''s scales are actually part of the skin tissue. They are formed when the epidermis, or outer skin, hardens. This is true for most reptiles. Snake scales are the same. Depending on the species, the shape and strength of the scales may differ slightly, but except for a few special species, scales aren''t that hard. People who have touched a snake would know. They''re generally smooth and surprisingly soft. ''They''ve be hard!'' My scales, that is. My current scales don''t feel like snake scales at all. Each one is hard and smooth, and shines like a jewel. Looking closely, they seem more translucent than white. When light hits them, they refract into various colors softly. They really look like crystal. "They look just like carp scales!" ''Not dragon scales?'' "They''re notparable to dragons." Pelerian is clearly a T. ''They look hard.'' I brushed my body with my tail. ''Oh wow, they''re softer than I thought?'' The texture seems to have improved even more. This time, I tried pping the ground. ng! What the? When I applied impact, it made a metallic sound. Does it be soft when touched gently and hard when impacted? It''s like a dream material. Modern materialpanies would drool if they saw my scales. I shudder with pride. Chrrr As I do, my scales vibrate and make that sound. Oh, it''s quite threatening. I may not have be a rattlesnake, but I can make a unique sound. I checked my status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Double Horn Python lv1] [Title] Heart-eating Snake [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn], [Pattern], [Scales] [Skills] [Billy''s Horn lv4]: Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0, [Leaping Horn lv1], [Leap of Heart-eating lv1]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hehe. The magic stone eating binge wasn''t in vain. My magic capacity has increased enormously. Compared to before, there''s at least three times as much magic swirling inside my body. I think I can now use Gunter''s skill, Heavenly Thunder Spirit. I had obtained what seemed to be a deadly skill but hadn''t been able to use it even once. And above all. I gained a new skill through evolution. It was rted to my scales. ''This is amazing.'' My heart pounds just looking at the name. I was about to try using the skill as a test. "Let''s start the transmission now." Pelerian said in a serious tone. In the previous dungeon, there was a device to transmit experimental results to Pelerian himself. There seems to be a simr device here. Pelerian really wanted to activate it. It seems that would allow him to know what happened to his main body. ''Yes, let''s do it.'' With a tense face, Pelerian exined how to operate the device. Apparently, when we send the signal, the elves will detect it too. The n is to run away immediately after. "Go!" "Starting transmission." And then a noise of something operating was heard. In the center of the mechanical device was a disc. And the tiny metal pieces attached to that disc moved in a mysterious pattern. "South... and east... Why not north..." Pelerian seemed to be able to decipher its meaning. His face became more and more serious. "Across the kingdom... mountain range." He mumbled something. Then fell silent for a while. "...I''m dead." Pelerian let out a sigh. ''What?'' "The signal is going to Delfram''s dungeon. I''m dead. Probably." ''I''m dead. Probably.'' That sounds like it could be the opening line of an existentialist novel. I was about to console Pelerian. Boom! If we hadn''t heard an explosion in the distance, that''s what I would have thought. We could also hear the screams of goblins. Pelerian and I were both shocked. ''The elves are already here!'' "How did they track us down so quickly?" We mistakenly thought that the Golden Leaf Investigator had found us. ''Let''s run away.'' "Gather everything!" I swept the magic stones into my dimensional storage. I put the most valuable ones in first, and swallowed the few I couldn''t fit. We hurriedly opened the door and escaped the dungeon. It seemed certain that our poor goblins were being sacrificed to the elves. We passed through the long corridor. Opened the iron door. Passed through the cavern where Croc''s corpsey. Climbed over the bodies of many goblins and crawled up the tunnel. Finally, we emerged into the sunlit outside. The smell of blood hit us suddenly. Pelerian and my worries were half right. There was a fairy. However, it was a single shadow fairy with ashen skin. He was gripping Nanaluk''s neck. The shadow fairy turned to look at me. "Oh, there really is a snake." Nanaluk was dead, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. At least, that''s how it appeared to my eyes. Ah. The color of rage is surely ck. Because my heart had been dyed ck. And my scales too were dyed with the color of my heart. Tsutsutsutsu- So this is how you use it. Even though it was the first time I used this skill, the method was easy. This is the new skill I gained through evolution. ¡¸Skill, ck Scales lv1 has been activated.¡¹ Wait a moment, I''m about to be a ck snake. Chapter 43: Lightning Deshnan, the shadow fairy. His title is ''Zookeeper'' A first-ss wanted criminal on the continent. However, it''s been a hundred years since the first-ss arrest warrant was issued for him. Despite the enormous bounty, he still hasn''t been caught and continues to repeat the actions that made him a wanted criminal in the dark parts of the great forest. Deshnan was an explorer of magical beasts. His ability to raise and tame dangerous magical beasts was recognized even by Heaven Defier Pelerian. After bing certain that Pelerian was dead, Deshnan went around searching for his dungeon. One day, he discovered a dungeon that was extremely difficult to excavate. The n to use goblins to excavate that dungeon was truly ingenious. Even though the n had gone slightly awry now, it wasn''t bad. He had captured a new Hobgoblin King alive. There was a wound on Deshnan''s cheek. He licked the blood that was trickling from that wound with his tongue. Who would have thought that a goblin that had just evolved would be able to wound him? It''s an absurd thing. Deshnanughed so hard that the wound on his chest throbbed. His current condition was terrible. The problem was that he had been bitten by the magical beast he was trying to raise. Given that the beast''s fangs were as big as an arm, there were five holes of that size in his body. His magic armor was also badly damaged and mostly under repair. Maybe about a quarter of his usual strength. But even so, Deshnan could still use his specialty, blood magic. The ''Twelve Blood Snakes'' that moved on their own as if alive could also be used for defense. Nanaluk, a goblin, had crushed all those snakes and wounded Deshnan''s cheek. "The more I look at it, the more I like this specimen." But even such a Nanaluk was now limp, her neck caught by Deshnan. One of the blood snakes was digging into Nanaluk''s abdomen. "Strong, beautiful, and even excellent mental strength." Deshnan decided to capture Nanaluk. And he would throw her into his ''zoo''. "Why aren''t you talking? Is that snake god really there?" He had heard there was a snake called Ullullullu in the dungeon. Was it just for such a trivial reason? Nanaluk refused to reveal the entrance to the dungeon until the end. It was an entrance that could be found immediately if this ce was searched anyway. To Deshnan''s eyes, it looked like useless struggling. He transmitted his will to the blood snake. The blood snake embedded in Nanaluk''s wound writhed. "Aaaargh!" "You, you speak instead. About that snake." The one pointed at was a young shaman. She looked around nervously, then stuttered: "Ullullullu is..." But even after hearing the exnation, Deshnan frowned, seemingly unsatisfied. "Is it a magical beast? A type of snake? Why do you call it a god?" "That, that one understands human speech, uses magic, and led us goblins." "I see it was that snake that killed Croc. And you goblins worship that snake magical beast as a god. Truly goblin-like behavior. Like magical beasts believing they''re human..." Deshnan was a shadow fairy who had lived for quite a long time. The knowledge he possessed was deep and broad. He retraced that knowledge based on the shaman''s exnation. "When did that magical beast appear to you? What''s its size? What does it look like?" The shaman exined, stuttering. Deshnan found it amusing how the goblins'' expressions became serious whenever the snake was mentioned. "I see, I see. It was nothing special." Soon, his interest waned. Deshnan knew in detail about snake-type magical beasts and goblins. Even the legends associated with them. "A derived mythology group with a separate prototype." Myths have prototypes. Just as there are various myths about the sun. Just as there are various myths about its sister, the moon. There are also various myths about snakes. Especially a snake god worshipped by goblins. "Goblins are scattered in various regions of the world, and there are also various cases where these goblins worship snakes as gods. The names and details are all different." He waved his fingers in the air like a professor giving a lecture to students. "From horned snakes, to talking snakes, snakes big enough to coil around mountains, feathered snakes, snakes that pose riddles. Snakes that die ande back to life. And among those, there''s a myth closest to the prototype. Ullullullu? There''s something simr." Probably, over time, the name of the snake god changed in the Lunga tribe that settled here. "It''s Ouroboros." The original name of the ancient snake god was clearly that. "Ur-Ouroboros of the end. Names often get modified. Urkios, Ulroboros, Ouroboros. But this is the first time I''ve heard such a ridiculous name as Ullullullu. Haha." Deshnan mocked the goblins. The pale goblins repeated the word Ouroboros. Somehow, it felt like a word with power. An ancient power. It felt like they were being crushed just by the weight of pronouncing that word. "And it''s not a ck snake. The original Ouroboros is a white snake." A very huge white snake, that is. At that moment, there was a chucklingugh. "You idiot." It was Nanaluk, blood trickling from the corners of her mouth. She red at Deshnan and said: "It was originally white." Deshnan frowned unpleasantly. The red snake that had burrowed into her stomach writhed. "Aaaargh!" "You have a foul mouth. You''ll be a bit more docile after you''re branded." Nanaluk finally fainted, unable to bear the pain. "If you don''t want to see this one die, guide me to the dungeon." Nanaluk had lost consciousness. The goblins couldn''t resist Deshnan''s demand. They guided Deshnan to one of several holes dug under the Elephant Rock. Apologizing in their hearts to the good white snake. To Ullullullu, or Ouroboros. Deshnan calmed his excitement before entering Pelerian''s dungeon. The security system would be no ordinary thing. It wouldn''t be easy to break through with just this one hobgoblin. He''d have to kill all the remaining goblins. Just as he made up his mind. Who would have thought a white snake would actually crawl out? It was indeed an extraordinary magical beast. Its size was that of an ordinary snake. But the horns on its head, and the beautifully shining scales. "Oh, there really is a snake." Deshnan eximed in admiration, but the snake didn''t run away and raised its head high. It was staring at Nanaluk. That''s when the snake''s scales turned ck. There are quite a few magical beasts that change color. Most are for camouge. Is it trying to run away? But Deshnan''s long-standing instincts warned him that it wasn''t so. This was a battle stance. A snake that changes the color of its scales to enter a battle stance. He had never heard of such a thing. Tang-! There was a gunshot sound. It was the sound of the snake shooting straight at Deshnan. Its speed was no less than that of an arrow. The sharp fangs in its open mouth were deadly. However, he should be able to block it with just one hand. But an inexplicable instinct brushed past Deshnan''s nape. He faithfully followed his instinct. He boldly threw Nanaluk aside. And he raised one hand to cast magic. Blood magic, a drop of blood for slowing should be enough. Even though it had almost no physical force of its own, it was enough to slow down the opponent. The blood drop flew and touched the snake''s body. That was Deshnan''s first mistake. The snake''s pattern glowed and the blood drop bounced off. ''Magic defense?'' The possibility of such a magical beast having that kind of means was low. Then he would respond physically. He threw the crescent de hidden inside his wrist. It should cleanly cut through a snake. That''s when it happened. The ground shook. The crescent de missed ridiculously. ''It even uses magic!'' Not anticipating that was his second mistake. He followed the exact order of Pelerian''s exmations when he saw the snake. Meanwhile, the snake had approached within arm''s reach. ''No choice.'' He recalled even the magical power he had been using for minimal defense. The twelve snakes that had been destroyed by Nanaluk were restored. The snake that was about to bite his heart was tightly bound by the bright red blood snakes. ''Capture it alive, don''t kill it!'' If it wasn''t Deshnan but another shadow fairy, they wouldn''t have done that. But Deshnan didn''t kill the snake due to his greed. That was his final mistake. The bound snake didn''t lose its spirit. It just stared straight at Deshnan. Magical power began to surge from the snake. Deshnan''s hair began to stand on end. Static electricity crackled from the hem of his clothes. It was a case he had experienced only once before. Right before a storm hit. The cat Deshnan was raising was sitting on the roof. The cat''s fur began to stand on end by itself and then... "No way..." Deshnan hurriedly tried to sever the snake''s neck. At that moment. Blue sparks crackled from the snake''s scales. And lightning struck from the clear sky. == When I came to my senses, I was already doing it. ¡¸You are using the skill Leaping Horn.¡¹ ¡¸Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0 temporarily bes Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ Leaping Horn itself is a skill that consumes a lot of magical power. Thanks to the magical power container that had tripled in size, I still had a lot of magical power left. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ All that magical power was consumed at once. ''Hold the lightning of the sky in your heart.'' That was the description of Heavenly Thunder Spirit. The lightning of the sky fell on me. Zzzzzap! It seems my inner ear has been damaged. I felt a hot heat. With a sh, I couldn''t see anything. The red tentacles that were gripping my body burned. The shadow fairy must have been electrocuted. I couldn''t see, but that was clear. I have to finish it. Did the lightning take away his sight too? "He''s in front. Finish him!" Pelerian advised. He seems to be able to see. Should I bite? No, I shouldn''t bite. I knew instinctively that that wouldn''t be enough to kill this shadow fairy. "A little more to the right, yes, about one step forward." Pelerian helped me zero in. I leapt up high. Not to bite. I summoned the sword from the subspace. Even though I couldn''t see, I easily grabbed the sword''s handle with my tail. It''s a technique I had practiced for a few days. Pelerian scolded me for being unnecessarily showy, but look. Isn''t it excellent? Lightning was still dwelling in my body. I felt that lightning spreading to the sword through my tail. "Yes, that''s his neck." I got it. Lightning Sword Technique. First Form. Neck Cutting. ¡¸Activating sh lv1.¡¹ The sword cut through something and passed. The sound rang clearly through the ringing in my ears. Thud, roll roll roll. Ah, that''s indeed the sound of a head falling. == It hurts, boo-hoo. If I could cry, I would be shedding tears right now. But snakes have a transparent membrane over their eyes, so I can''t cry. So I had to swallow the pain of my whole body burning. "Please endure a little longer." I heard the worried voice of the Grand Shaman grandmother. "Stop whining." Pelerian''s curt nagging is annoying. Ssh. A cool liquid soaked my entire body. It was a potion. The wounds on my body began to heal. The lightning of Heavenly Thunder Spirit even burned my own body. Although I didn''t get electrocuted, it seems I couldn''t avoid that heat. Ah, I can see! What about Nanaluk? Fortunately, Nanaluk was lying down, breathing heavily. It seems she didn''t die. Her body was also covered in potion. Wow! I really thought I was going to die. ''Did you see?'' "What?" The Lightning Sword Technique, no, the Heavenly Thunder Spirit. "I saw it. It was an incredible technique." Even Pelerian spoke honestly. No, Gunter, were you hiding such a skill? A skill that calls lightning. It was amazing. Thanks to that, smoke was still rising from the headless corpse of the shadow fairy. "It doesn''t seem like a skill to be used like that..." I think so too. What''s the point of suddenly getting struck by lightning in the middle of a fight? It''s probably not a skill meant to electrocute yourself and your allies all at once. Anyway, thanks to this skill, I took down the shadow fairy. In other words, I gained a kind of ultimate skill. If I suffer like this a few more times, I might be able to use Billy''s Horn again. But why isn''t my level increasing? Was he such a small fry? Pelerian sighed in relief the moment he saw the shadow fairy. His contemptuous look was clear. "The problem isn''t that he''s a shadow fairy, it''s fortunate that he''s not a Golden Leaf Investigator. Well, if he''s just bullying goblins in a ce like this, he must be a nobody." Pelerian spoke nonchntly. That''s a discriminatory tone towards shadow fairies. I guess he doesn''t treat them as fellow fairies. Still, I thought I''d gain at least one level. Wasn''t he incredibly strong? "Urgh." I jumped in surprise. For good reason, the severed head had let out a groan. "To think... that I... to such a... mere magical beast..." How can you speak with your head cut off? Even the great Pelerian was shocked and looked at the shadow fairy''s head. "Ah, ah, wait. I know this guy?" What did you say? "Isn''t this the Zookeeper, that crazy shadow fairy Deshnan! He sold his soul to a demon!" I thought you said he was a nobody. "Step back! Don''t get close." I obediently listened. The moment I stepped back from his head. "Kieeeek!" The head screamed, and its shadow grew pitch ck. Soon, his head melted into the shadow. ¡¸You have killed the shadow fairy Deshnan.¡¹ ¡¸If the fact that you killed Deshnan bes known, your fame will spread across the entire continent.¡¹ He wasn''t a small fry at all. ¡¸He was already a person whose soul was mortgaged to a demon.¡¹ ¡¸The recovery of demonic nature is reduced to one-tenth!¡¹ Oh no! My experience points. It was a chance for rapid leveling. But it was too early to be disappointed. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ...Five at once? Even though it''s one-tenth? If I had received it all, I might have been able to evolve right away. Ah, let''s not be too regretful. Looking at it roughly, it''s miraculous that I took him down in one shot. "Of course. You should know that you''ve used up all your luck for a lifetime." It''s a bit scary when you say it like that. I guess I should live carefully for a while. ''Is he stronger than you, old man?'' "Him? Haha." Pelerian justughed. "I just remember him because he''s such a strange guy. How could he possiblypare to me?" ''Ah, I see!'' Seeing his boastful attitude, it seems like this pattern will lead to a long talk. I pretended to be distracted and searched the body of the headless one. It''s only right to start looting after a sessful hunt. There are many interesting items here. Thud. That''s when it happened. A half-burned notebook fell. ''What''s this, a diary?'' It was a record with traces of being written directly. As I roughly flipped through the pages, I found it was in a readable script. There were all sorts of traces about magical beasts, but I suddenly read one phrase. ''What''s this?'' "What is it?" No way... It was written there like this: ¡¸...Today, one Medusa Serpent escaped. It was just about toy eggs. It was a particrly special specimen.¡¹ Chapter 44: What Kind of Snake is Dad? A diary written in fairynguage. ''It''s a beautiful and excellent specimen. The body is healthy and the scales are glossy. Of course, its ferocity is a characteristic of the Medusa Serpent. The spot-like pattern on the nape of its neck was exceptionally beautiful.'' Spot-like pattern. It was definitely there. What a pervert. Calling someone else''s mother beautiful... ''That child went south, passing through the Arkan Basin to the outskirts of the great forest. It''smon for pregnant monsters to move to the safe outskirts, but this time it''s too much. It went too far.'' I''m bing more and more certain that it''s my mother. From what I heard, it''s very rare for a monster like the Medusa Serpent to appear in that area. ''Perhaps it''s because of the discord with her husband. She was a sensitive individual.'' So there was a father too. Did she leave home because of a marital dispute? The most shocking thing is that the Medusa Mom had a tender heart. ''It''s been about a month, so if sheid eggs safely, the babies should have been born. Then I''ll bring them back...'' The record of my mother ends here. Part of the diary was burned, probably due to being struck by lightning. Ahem. Somehow my eyes are getting teary. Ah, must be sand in my eyes... Medusa Mom will never be able to return. She won''t be able to meet her husband either. I wonder how they fought that made a pregnant mom leave her husband and set out on a journey alone. "What a strange fellow. This shadow fairy." I agree. Deshnan, this shadow fairy, was definitely a weirdo. Looking at the diary, it seems he was breeding monsters. He''s setting up his own ''zoo'' inside the great forest. ''You said you knew him. And what''s a shadow fairy?'' Could it be like a dark elf? Judging by his ashen skin and obviously evil magic. "Shadow fairies are literally like the dark shadows of fairies. Just as fairies originate from the World Tree, shadow fairies originate from the roots of the World Tree." ''Roots?'' Pelerian gave a brief exnation about fairies and the World Tree. The World Tree is a huge tree deep in the great forest. The World Tree sprinkles positive (+) magic, and fairies are born receiving that magic from the World Tree. They say the World Tree is an incredibly powerful andrge tree. I''m not sure how a tree can be powerful, but I know it''s enormously big. If you go up high, you can see the hazy form of the tree from anywhere. But in fact, its roots are much longer and spread wider than its trunk and branches. "They spread throughout the entire great forest. And among the roots, there are some that asionally grow exposed above ground." Those are the roots of the great forest. "Those roots emit negative magic in contrast. Shadow fairies are fairies born receiving that negative magic. In other words..." Pelerian solemnly dered. "They are low-born. Creatures evil and twisted from birth." I was impressed. Pelerian wasn''t simply a racist. He was also a ssist. "Why are you looking at me like that? Can''t you see? He''s so deranged that he''s been enjoying his monster zoo alone for hundreds of years." That may be true. But isn''t that a bit riching from a fairy who creates chimeras? "It''s an insult topare me to someone who sold their soul to the devil. This guy is also a wanted criminal. Take that earring." The earring was lying where Deshnan''s head had disappeared. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Deshnan''s Earring] Proof that he sold his soul to the devil. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It didn''t look like an ordinary earring. Maybe it''s because of the description, but it seems to exude a gloomy aura. Why are you telling me to take this? "The bounty on this guy is enormous. This earring will serve as proof of the hunt. It was an earring he could never take off." ''Ah, you said he was a wanted criminal. How much is it?'' "3000 Radak gold coins." Wow! I don''t know what Radak gold coins are. But since they''re gold coins, 3000 must be an incredibly expensive amount. But will I be able to receive the bounty? Won''t I be hunted immediately if a snake enters the ce where bounties are collected? "Don''t worry. There''s a ce where you can collect the bounty too." Then there''s no problem. But why did this shadow fairy be a wanted criminal? He seems like a bit of a pervert and an unpleasant fairy, but there must be a separate reason. "He stole countless things for his own purposes and killed many people. And even then, no one could catch him, so the bounty kept increasing." Pelerian trembled with anger. "I too had my precious magic catalyst stolen. It was dragon scales that can''t be obtained anymore..." ''Dragon scales?'' Somehow my ears perked up. Why did Deshnan steal that? "He was obsessed with improving monster breeds. He believed he could create the ultimate monster by taking time to crossbreed and train monsters as he wanted. I don''t know what he did with the dragon scales, but..." If you eat dragon scales, can''t you gain the power of a dragon? "It wouldn''t be that simple... Anyway, even this Heaven Defier, the great magician, couldn''t catch him." ''Was he that strong?'' If I killed an opponent that even Pelerian couldn''t catch. That means I''m now on the same level as Pelerian, right? Surely that must be the case. "No way. He had an ancient magic tool. It was something like a cloak that could perfectly hide his body anywhere. Thanks to that item, he wasn''t caught and could handle dangerous monsters... It doesn''t seem to be here now." Hearing that, my eyes went wild and I searched Deshnan''s corpse. But unfortunately, there was nothing like a cloak. If only I had that, I could go anywhere. I could be an assassin prowling in the darkness. Wait, a thought suddenly urred to me. ''Now that he''s dead... those items must have lost their owner, right?'' "Huh?" Pelerian and I muttered simultaneously. ''Invisibility cloak!'' "Dragon scales!" Wouldn''t his hideout be nearby? "Search the diary more." At times like this, I was in sync with Pelerian, and I was already searching through the diary. I hoped there might be a clue, and there really was one. ''I moved to the Shadow Forest in the northeast and built a new house. It seems the ''festival'' will be held here soon. Judging by therge bright red root of the World Tree sprouting, it''s certain. It''s safe because it''s on a cliff, and seeing the sunset right above the World Tree makes my heart feel grand. There are two types of monster clusters. Insects and primates...'' My heart feels grand. There were several other clues besides that. "With these clues, we should be able to find it." Alright, I''m going to get my invisibility cloak right now...! "You''re awake!" That''s when it happened. The goblins let out a joyful exmation. Turning around, I saw Nanaluk slowly raising her body. She looked around in shock. Thest thing she would remember is being attacked by Deshnan. The surrounding goblins exined the current situation to her. Seeing them point at me, it seems they know I took care of it. Nanaluk ran to me. I puffed out my chest. Yes, it''s me, I took care of that shadow fairy. Nanaluk hugged me and spun around. "You saved me again!" After spinning round and round, she showered me with kisses. She seems extremely happy. Oh my, this is the first time I''ve been kissed by anyone since I was 5 years old. And the first kiss partner is a goblin. I''m too lucky. Nanaluk was a cat-like beauty from the beginning. She seems to have be even prettier after evolving. She lifted me up with a jerk. And then she started to toss me up in the air. I''m getting dizzy. A solo toss-up. Nanaluk, toss-ups are usually done by multiple people together. Looking around, I saw the goblins waving their hands and rejoicing too. Ah, I can see Centipede Mom in the distance too. She was still waiting without leaving. Someone shouted my name. "Ullullullu!" "Oh Ouroboros!" Wait, I think someone mispronounced Ullullullu. Looking closer, it was the Grand Shaman grandmother. As the grandmother started calling me Ouroboros. Other goblins also started chanting Ouroboros. Has she gone senile? Why is she calling me by the wrong name? To be honest, Ullullullu was a difficult name to pronounce. "Ouroboros! Ouroboros!" And then an unexpected event urred. Until now, no matter what, I couldn''t get a title. ¡¸You have obtained the title ''Ouroboros''.¡¹ Oh my? Ouroboros. It''s a cool title. I liked Heart-eating Snake too, but I couldn''t help but examine it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Ouroboros] Or Ullullullu. The snake that calls lightning, the snake that devours evil. Or such a snake god. Currently worshipped by a very small number of goblins. As this faith spreads widely, the owner of the title will gain appropriate dignity. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s cool. It''s so cool, they say it''s a snake god. It was definitely a different title from Heart-eating Snake. I''m not sure if there''s a clear benefit, but the mention of gaining dignity was stimting the ck dragon inside my heart. When I told Pelerian about this, he was surprised. "That is certainly a title for monsters, not humans... Now it''s a title that catastrophes transcending the dignity of monsters would have." Monsters among monsters with the highest dignity. It seems there are such monsters. "This is especially a growing title. As your fame spreads, the power of the title will be stronger." Ouroboros. Somehow, it was a name I liked. I felt good. == Pelerian''s dungeon was discovered once again. That news was delivered to Iris Selena, who still held the position of Golden Leaf Investigator. Of course, she came back to the World Tree. The Elder''s residence. Iris''s expression as she ascended there was nothing short of determined. One defeat. And one retreat. She couldn''t even find Pelerian, let alone recover the chimera specimen due to the hero Gunter. It''s a shameful thing. And it''s too mortifying. Even though she couldn''t use her full power, it''s still the same. Moreover, even if she had used her full power, she probably couldn''t have won against that human hero. After returning, Iris was filled with regret. She repeated her training, which she never skipped originally, to the point of being harsh. She honed both her body and mind sharply. Now Iris Selena''s spirit was no different from a sword. "Elder, I havee..." Iris''s expression suddenly soured. It''s surprising that a person''s expression can change so drastically. Especially for the calm Iris to show such a sudden emotional change was rare. But it was inevitable. Because there was a human woman lying sprawled on the sofa, munching on fairy snacks with a crunching sound. It was the human Iris hated the most. "Oh, the loser is here!" It was an intense greeting. The woman casually waved her fingers covered in butter. She had tied her me-like orange hair in two ponytails, and wore a tight jacket as her top. What covered her long legs was a pair of pitch-ck leather pants. And she had carelessly dropped a backpack as big as her body at her feet. "Elder, why is this woman here?" "I don''t know." The Elder evaded the question and sipped his tea. Something caught Iris''s sharp gaze. A fancy tea leaf container was ced on the table. It''s a luxurious item decorated with metal. It was human tea leaves, not elven. Iris realized the inside story. Finally, this woman has bribed the Elder with a bribe. "Langrey. Why have youe all the way here?" "Is there a problem with a hunter entering the great forest? And I told you to call me by my name, not my surname." Hunter. The human woman''s job was clearly a hunter who catches monsters. But Heilit Langrey was more famous as one of the Eight Heroes than as a hunter. In terms of fighting great monsters, she''s one of the top contenders among the Eight Heroes. An unbelievable power for someone still in their 20s. Iris wanted to ignore this rude and barbaric human. "Elder, about why you called me..." "I heard you got beaten by Gunter and ran away? Crying, they say." "..." But Iris wasn''t skilled enough topletely hide her emotions. The mask she forcibly put on cracked. "...I didn''t cry. Did the Elder say that?" "Who knows~" When she red at the Elder, he pretended to be busy. "I asked why you came to the great forest, Langrey!" "Is this the Elder''s house or yours? Well... okay, if you ask, I''ll tell you." Langrey twirled her hair with her buttery hands. "The magic tower asked me for information. They say a ''festival'' will be held in the great forest soon." "Hmm." Is it already that time? Iris frowned. Of course, the ''festival'' wasn''t an annual event held by elves. More precisely, it''s a natural phenomenon that happens once every few decades for monsters. The magic of the World Tree bes saturated and blooms flowers, and its roots bear fruit and tempt monsters. The gathered monsters devour each other, and in the process, they repeat evolution and named monsters are born. "They say the scale will be quiterge this time. So there might even be a monster wave." "Do you believe those foolish doomsayers?" Monster waves do not ur in the great forest. That''smon sense. But there were schrs who imed that someday the monsters of the great forest would pour into the ind. They said that the terrors and cmities that the continent''s civilization had long forgotten would sweep through the kingdom. Of course, such a thing had never happened during Iris''s lifetime. "Well, I don''t care either way. I''m just here to catch some monsters this time, and hunt that wanted criminal shadow fairy." "Deshnan?" "Yeah, I''ll take care of that bastard too and collect the bounty." "Are you short on money?" "If you''re jealous, why don''t you give me some pocket money, grandma." "...!" Iris clenched her fist and trembled. Although she''s in her youth by elven age, Langrey often teased her by calling her grandma like this. "Aren''t these pants pretty?" Langrey stood up and showed off her pants. The pitch-ck leather is extraordinary. "I caught a ck Shadowling and skinned it to make these." "That''s barbaric." "You should change your clothes too. Always so unfashionable. I''m thinking of making a jacket this time. If possible, hmm..." Heilit Langrey, who makes and wears her own clothes from the monsters she hunts. "With snake skin. I like snakes." "..." "I heard there was a snake wearing Pelerian''s ring. You couldn''t catch that either in the end." The Elder quietly got up and left the ce. I wonder how much this woman has heard. "But really, why did you fight with Gunter? I told you he was dangerous. You can''t beat him with your half-baked swordsmanship. You should use the magic you learned from Pelerian instead." "..." "Oh my, don''t tell me you still have your memories sealed? You''re really miserable." Iris could only tremble her fists without saying anything. She''s not good at verbal arguments. She''s the type who always thinks ''Oh, I should have said that'' after the fight is over. "Anyway, I''ll go ahead first... What, what''s this?" Langrey, who was grinning, stopped abruptly. She was greatly surprised. What had gathered in Iris''s eyes was... could it be... "Get lost." "Th-then I''ll be going." At Iris''s cold dismissal, Langrey quickly nodded. She left in an instant. As expected of one of the Eight Heroes, it was a swift exit. "Ahem, um..." The Elder cleared his throat and pretended to tidy up the table. "Elder." "Oh, did you call me?" "Pelerian''s dungeon... where is it?" "Right, I should tell you. I should tell you, of course." The Elder deliberately pretended not to notice the sparkle in Iris''s eyes. Chapter 45: Even Pelerian is Shocked A small but peaceful vige. A modest fief without splendor. These were the expressions that often described Greyrim. But that''s long been a thing of the past. Now, knights in ash-colored armor walk the streets of Greyrim. Even on rainy days, the knights don''t remove their armor. As the heavy knights walk, the paving stones of the roads crack and break. That''s not all. Gunter also had mercenaries in addition to the Iron Lion Knights. These mercenaries patrolled inside the outer walls instead of the existing fief soldiers. The lord has been sent to the capital under arrest. The most loyal vassals were imprisoned on various charges, and some even died resisting. Although ordinary fief residents shouldn''t be affected by such circumstances, the reality was different. A chilling wind blew from top to bottom. Children who used to run joyfully in the streets were no longer seen. Rumble. It was a day of heavy rain. A child in a robe was walking with small steps. The man apanying her stopped her from anxiously looking around. They arrived at a mill near the castle walls. On such a rainy day, even the mill usually takes a break. The child and the man entered the mill together. It was dim inside with only a few candles lit. Several people were already gathered inside. The man and the child took off their robes. The man was Oliver, Greyrim''s best hunter, and the child was Rania, the lord''s daughter. "Mother!" The lord''s wife was also inside the mill. Rania tightly hugged her mother. It had been a long time since the mother and daughter met. "Thank you for your hard work, Oliver." Oliver slightly bowed his head to show respect to the lord''s wife. Everyone gathered here was loyal to the lord. Although the Viscount of Greyrim wasn''t an outstanding person, he at least had good people around him. "Everyone, thank you foring." They had secretly gathered at the lord''s wife''s call. "It''s been a long time since Gunter sent the lord away. We''ve sent letters to the royal pce and the noble council, but there''s still no proper response." The lord''s wife looked haggard. "At this rate, something terrible might happen to the lord. That must not happen." The lord''s wife and the vassals had used various means to save the lord. But the royal pce kept giving the stubborn answer that it was a legitimate procedure, and the noble council only said they would try their best. This can''t go on. It absolutely can''t. Finally, the lord''s wife made a difficult decision. "We need to ask for the Marquis''s help." "Ah..." Someone let out a sigh. The Marquis, the Tiger Marquis Gerard. The lord''s wife''s father. One of the Eight Heroes. The reason for the vassal''s sigh was simple. The lord''s wife''s father was a fearsome man. Perhaps even more so than Gunter. It might be like calling out a tiger to catch a wolf. But what else could they do, when the original owner of the fief, the roon, might die? No one opposed. It was already expected. The castle''s butler quietly spoke. "I''ve arranged for a carriage." "Just sending a letter won''t make my father move. That''s the kind of person he is." Marquis Gerard must have heard the news through the noble council, but he had remained silent until now. He''s probably preparing justification or calcting gains and losses. "Either I or Rania will have to go in person." And the lord''s wife was under Gunter''s surveince. Evening here today was a risk. In the end, she had no choice but to send her young daughter. The lord''s wife handed a letter she had written herself to Rania. Rania put the letter in her bosom with a timid posture. "Oliver will help you." "I owe the lord a debt of gratitude." Oliver ced his hand on his chest. The lord''s wife also lightly expressed her gratitude. After that, the gathered people shared a rough n. In the near future, a carriage will leave Greyrim. With Rania and the letter she carries. "Then, good luck to all." With the lord''s wife''s deration, people dispersed one by one. Rania and Oliver were no exception. However, this time Rania went out alone first. She was disguised as a maid working in the lord''s castle. She walked with small steps, holding a basket of flour in her arms. Rania was walking without properly looking ahead. "Hey." Soldiers stopped her. Rania carefully raised her head. They weren''t the fief''s soldiers. They were the ones Gunter had brought. "What are you carrying?" "Fl-flour..." "In this heavy rain?" The soldier gruffly checked inside the basket. After confirming there was flour inside, he stared intently at Rania. "Why are you shaking so much? Are you hiding something?" "No, no..." "You''re quite pretty for a maid." Although she had deliberately covered herself in dust and dressed shabbily, the soldiers still showed interest with sly smiles. Rania, who had been confined inside the inner castle. It was fortunate that these newly arrivedmon soldiers couldn''t recognize Rania''s face. "Let''s do a body search. You look so suspicious, shaking like that." Rania trembled in fear. If the letter is discovered, it''s all over. Just as the soldier reached out towards Rania, it happened. Smack! Someone pped the back of the soldier''s head. "What the... Ah, sir!" It was Knight Zain who appeared. Rania quickly lowered her head. "You little bastards, of course the maid is scared when your ugly mugs look so threatening." "...Hehe." "Let her through." "Yes, sir!" The soldier let Rania pass. Rania used all her strength to resist the urge to run. Zain watched her departing figure with aplicated expression. Zain also disappeared to continue his patrol. And, a little distance away, behind a tree. Oliver was hiding in the rain. Click. He put the dagger he had drawn back into its holster. "Hmm..." He watched Zain patrolling alone in the rain. == Festival, Blooming Period, Fruit Week, Purple Banquet. All these expressions refer to a natural phenomenon in the Great Forest. Among the numerous scenic wonders of the world, this is a dramatic phenomenon that can only be seen in the Great Forest where the World Tree exists. It''s already a well-established fact that the World Tree is not an ordinary tree. The World Tree has qualities of both a nt and a carnivorous animal. They eat monsters for their own nourishment. The roots of the World Tree spread throughout the entire Great Forest. Among them, there are roots that asionally expose themselves above ground, and these roots, which are no different from a single giant tree, sometimes bear fruit. This happens when the magical power contained in the World Tree rises above a certain threshold. The roots bear very fragrant fruits. These fruits lure monsters. The fruits, full of the negative magical power possessed by the World Tree, enhance the monsters'' demonic nature. Thus, the monsters be stronger, and as many monsters gather, they fight each other and be even stronger. The monsters that die in this process rot and dpose, and are absorbed by the roots of the World Tree. This series of processes, using bait to absorb nutrients, is a chillingly excellent hunting method. This process urs in various areas of the Great Forest. However, there''s always one area where the term ''festival'' is used on a smaller scale. One root that bears particrly bright red fruits appears. It''s where the most dangerous named monsters gather. Thus, a demon realm of chaos and survival of the fittest is born. ¡¸From "The Mysterious and Fascinating Monster Encyclopedia of the Great Forest" by Sage Parvian¡¹ == I told Nanaluk how to make the potion. Pelerianined that we should at least charge money, but the goblins don''t have any. Nanaluk promised to pay back someday, even though I didn''t ask. She''s a kind-hearted child. However, I set one condition. Not to leak the recipe. Not only to other races but also to share it only with the shamans within the Lunga tribe. Nanaluk swore. She''s a trustworthy friend, so she''ll handle it well. Besides, the ingredients for this potion are hard to find outside the Great Forest anyway. The reason I shared the potion recipe wasn''t for anything else. It was because of the new name I gained, Ouroboros. The description of this title included this phrase: ''Currently, only a very small number of goblins worship it. As this faith spreads widely, the owner of the title will gain a fitting status.'' Nanaluk and the Lunga tribe didn''t n to stay in this Pmu Rainforest forever. "First, we''ll unite the goblin tribes of the Great Forest. Then we''ll go to the continent." I didn''t know Nanaluk was such an ambitious goblin. Her and the Lunga tribe''s ns were grand. And as the Lunga tribe expands its influence, my title will spread widely too. Maybe someday I''ll hear a message like ''Ding, your faith is spreading widely.'' With the potion, they won''t be pushed around by other goblin tribes. Nanaluk and the goblins packed a lot of food for me. The problem was that my subspace was full and there was no room to put it in. They put it in a big bundle, but there''s no way I, a snake, could drag that around. But it didn''t matter. Because I had newpanions. "Keeeeek!" The centipede mom, running at an surprisingly fast speed. And three centipedervae riding on top of her. Enjoying the cool breeze and their newfound freedom, the children roared with joy. "Kekeke!" "Keeeee~" "Ke!" "Saaaaak!" Thest one is me. I was sitting demurely on the centipede mom''s back. We tied the bundle to the centipede mom''s back like a backpack. When we were saying our final goodbyes before parting with the goblins, I gave Nanaluk some advice. ''Never trust the long-eared race! And if you go west, there''s a human city called Greyrim. Make sure to avoid it. There''s a monster-like guy there.'' I warned her about Gunter too. Nanaluk nodded and listened attentively. "Let''s meet again." ''Okay.'' Nanaluk said that and hugged me tightly. That''s when the centipede mom approached me as I was about to set off to find Deshnan''s dwelling. She lowered her body. I thought she was bowing, but that wasn''t it. She meant to ride on her back. I wonder if the centipede mom can read my thoughts too. "Keeeeet!" Judging by that sound, I guess not. Anyway, the ride on the centipede mom was fantastic. Because she has multiple pairs of legs, the up and down movement was minimized. Moreover, she was so strong that most monsters didn''t even dare to approach. We advanced deeper and deeper into the forest. Around noon, when the sun was high in the sky. The centipede mom stopped. It meant it was lunchtime. Ugh, I''m stiff. It was boring to just sit still. There was plenty of food left, but I decided to go hunting. After all, I should pay a riding fee to the centipede mom, right? Pelerian is sleeping. Enjoying the rare moment of silence, I entered the bushes. Even though it hasn''t been long since we parted with the goblins, I felt a bit lonely, but this is good too. I am a snake crawling in the darkness of the forest, silence is my friend. Growl. And there was a foolish beast making noise in the silence. I covered my scales with dirt. My new scales were very shy when they caught light, but in the dark, they were less noticeable than before. It would be better if I could turn them ck with the ck Scales skill, but that''s not easy. The new skill had a fatal condition - it only activates when I''m very angry. Crunch, crunch. I found the culprit making the noise. It was clearly a carnivore. Smaller than a leopard, butrger than a cat. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Checkered Wildcat lv21] [Trait] [Ferocity] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It doesn''t look easy to deal with. It''s chomping on a monkey that''s even bigger than itself. I jumped in without hesitation. I bit its nape and wrapped myself around its body. The wildcat was so strong that it leaped up even with me clinging to it. "Queeeeng!" So wildcats cry ''queeng''. I strangled its body. I didn''t use my venomous fangs, just in case the baby centipedes might eat it too. You have to be especially careful when strangling creatures with ws. Now I''m skilled enough that the poor wildcat couldn''t bite or scratch me. Crunch- Phew. It''s tougher than I thought. I sessfully took it down. And I waited for the sweet experience points, but... There was nothing. I only felt a very small amount of demonic energy. Could it be that my level has be so high that it''s not efficient anymore? It seems so. It''s a carnivore, and its level is 21. This situation is not easy. Maybe I should go deeper into the forest and hunt stronger ones. Anyway, it was a sess in terms of ''hunting''. I dragged the wildcat to where the centipede mom and the kids were. They drooled when I brought the wildcat. ''Wait a moment, kids.'' I didn''t intend to just throw the meat to them carelessly. I''ve started cooking now too. The method is very simple. First, drag the wildcat to an open area where you can see the sky. Take out a potion from the subspace and ce it nearby. Get on top of the wildcat, then concentrate. ¡¸Using skill Leaping Horn.¡¹ ¡¸''Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0'' temporarily bes ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1''.¡¹ The air bes quiet. The dead wildcat''s fur stands on end. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ And lightning struck me. Zzzzzap! This time I had already put my head into my body to cover my eyes. But the shocking pain is still there. ¡¸Heat Resistance skill proficiency rises rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Heat Resistance lv8 bes Heat Resistance lv9.¡¹ ¡¸Electric Resistance skill proficiency rises rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Electric Resistance lv3 bes Electric Resistance lv4.¡¹ Aaaargh! It hurts! My body feels hot and tingly. Surprisingly, using Heavenly Thunder Spirit doesn''t mean you don''t get electrocuted at all! I rolled towards the potion. I crushed the bamboo container with my mouth and gulped it down. It wasn''t enough, so I rolled on the spilled potion on the ground. Whew, I almost died. I''ve already repeated this several times. ¡¸Skill, Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0 has been fully learned.¡¹ It was worth it. Ugh. "You''re at it again. Haha." Pelerian popped out of the ring. I got up. It wasn''t just for learning the skill. The wildcat meat was steaming. It means it''s well cooked. Electric-grilled wildcat,plete. Here you go, kids. The three baby centipedes'' eyes sparkled. "Kekeke!" "Keeeee." "Ke!" Look how happy they are. So cute. You should p too, kids. I tapped the ground with my tail to signal. Then the baby centipedes cked their poison ws together. That was the centipedes'' way of pping. How clever. ''Now, let''s line up and eat.'' The centipede mom stayed still. It seemed as if she was watching her children and me fondly. I tore the meat myself and distributed it to the centipedes. The children ate well, gobbling it up. "They follow you well now." They used to seem a bit afraid of me before. Now they even cling to my back, and we''ve be very close. Yes, so it was just pure goodwill on my part. I never expected such a message to appear. ¡¸You have sessfully tamed Centipede Larva lv3.¡¹ ¡¸Skill ''Taming lv1'' has been acquired.¡¹ Huh? I was startled and looked at Pelerian. "What is it?" ''No, it says I seeded in taming.'' I blurted out without thinking. I shouldn''t have done that. "Huh?" Pelerian red at me with sleepy eyes. "So, you''re saying that was your purpose all along. Even I couldn''t have imagined that." ''No.'' "To think you were nning to use centipede ves." ''That''s not it.'' It''s so unfair. Chapter 46: The Burglar "Don''t lie, you cunning snake!" ''No!'' Pelerian sternly rebuked me. "You definitely nned to enve the centipedes and even control their mother!" ''I did not!'' "I''m not scolding you, I''m praising you. It''s a rational and excellent judgment. That''s what a true magician would do." ''Let''s stop this joke. It''s getting boring.'' "I''m not joking." Surely it must be a joke. I had no intention of enving the centipedes. But... I looked at the baby centipedes. ''This one is cute though.'' They''re clearly mother and children, but how can they look so different? The baby centipede''s skin was still yellowish and transparent. And it seems they''ve been eating welltely, their bodies are plump. They don''t have that many legs yet, so they''re not creepy. Above all, when I shake my head left and right like this. These little ones shake their heads left and right along with me. You little copycats. "To begin with, the Taming skill isn''t as all-powerful as you might think. Try it out if you''re curious." ''How do I test it?'' "Just try ordering them to do something." Right now, it shows that I''ve sessfully tamed only the eldest. I looked at all three of them and gave an order. ''Now, go over there.'' Oh ho. Then the nextmand. ''Now go over there, then.'' Wow. The result was surprising. ''No one is listening to me.'' The baby centipedes just stared at me nkly. Even the eldest, who was supposed to have been sessfully tamed, was just spacing out. "Yes, that''s how it is." There are two reasons. "Your level of Taming is low. And the intelligence of the targets is low too." Pelerian roughly exined the principle of the Taming skill. It doesn''t seem to be a skill that literally enves them. "So, I told you, right? That when I used Taming on you back then, it wasn''t such a big mistake?" ''Did you say that?'' "Yes!" I don''t remember that. But I''d rather believe a spider is kind than trust Pelerian''s character. ''Lastly, everyone greet together.'' The three centipedes bowed and greeted following me. ¡¸You have sessfully tamed Centipede Larva lv2.¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency of Taming rises sharply.¡¹ Huh. Level 2 was the second one. Just a greeting, and Taming is too easy, isn''t it? "I didn''t know that magical beasts could have the Taming skill in the first ce." Is it originally a skill that only human races can possess? Thinking about it, this might also be the harmony of Potential 20. This creates a problem. The youngest bes too pitiful, doesn''t it? Ah, I wonder what would happen if I tried using the skill myself. Hmm... ¡¸Using Taming lv2.¡¹ ¡¸You have sessfully tamed Centipede Larva lv1.¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency of Taming rises.¡¹ Wow~ It seeded. I looked back at the centipede mom. The Giant Centipede seemed to be watching me with a somewhat pleased expression. She doesn''t seem to be angry. Hmm... Yeah, I can''t not try it. It would be hard to have this kind of opportunity again. I focused my mind and looked at the Giant Centipede. ¡¸Using Taming lv2.¡¹ ¡¸Failed to tame Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede lv33.¡¹ Farewell, world. It was a short snake life, but I lived it intensely. I humbly epted theing death. How will the Giant Centipede punish me? Poison w decapitation, crushing by squeezing, body bursting by tail whipping. I was curious about what my cause of death would be, and I lowered my head for a moment. But the terrible pain didn''te. When I raised my head, the centipede mom was just staring at me nkly. Could it be that she doesn''t know I used the Taming skill? I thought so, but the centipede mom shook her head as if to say no. Or, it seemed like she was dering, ''You are not yet qualified.'' "Puha-ha! As if that would work!" Pelerian was extremely amused. "You''re far from it, far!! It''s no different from a cat trying to tame its owner." This old man must have held a grudge for failing to tame me. And cats actually do tame their owners sometimes. "Since I''ve seen quite an amusing sight, I''ll teach you a good tip." Pelerian murmured quietly. "Try giving them names." ''Names? To the babies?'' "Yes, give names to thervae. That mother doesn''t seem likely to name them." Naming is a privilege of intelligent species. Medusa Mom gave birth to thousands of children but didn''t name any of them. The baby centipedes looked at me nkly. The centipede mom also seemed to have no thoughts about it. Well, it''s just a name I''ll call them in my heart, so it doesn''t matter. I observed each centipede''s characteristics and gave them names. ''The eldest is especially polite, so Bowingie.'' ''You have big eyes, so Big Eyes.'' ''This one has a slightly bigger head, so Big Head.'' After naming them, I felt a bit sorry for Big Head. But there was no time for regret. ¡¸You named the Centipede Larva lv3 ''Bowingie''.¡¹ ¡¸You named the Centipede Larva lv2 ''Big Eyes''.¡¹ ¡¸You named the Centipede Larva lv1 ''Big Head''.¡¹ Huh, are the names I gave officially recognized? ¡¸Centipede Larva Big Head lv1 likes its name.¡¹ ¡¸Your bond with the tamed magical beast deepens.¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency of Taming rises.¡¹ Is this how the bond deepens? I''m d it likes its name. I checked the status windows of the others too. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Centipede Larva Bowingie lv3] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The name I gave really appeared in the status window. For some reason, this brings a strong emotion. So this is what a name is. It definitely feels different from a title. "Have you named them?" ''Yes.'' "Wow, this works?" ''What is it?'' "I didn''t really expect it to work. I wonder if it''s because you''re both magical beasts that the intimacy is different." It seems Pelerian didn''t know if it would seed either, despite his boasting. "Do you know the three elements needed to tame a magical beast?" He exined. "Affection, respect, and fear." It''s something I could roughly understand. If they''re close, they''ll follow. If they respect you as superior, they''ll follow. If they''re too afraid, they''ll follow too. ''Then these little ones must surely respect me.'' "Hoho." Pelerian dismissed my im. "Any method is fine. Try to get closer to those magical beasts you''ve named. The mother doesn''t seem to dislike it either." ''Why?'' "Something interesting might happen." Is that so? We''re getting deeper and deeper into the great forest. Checking various elements written in Deshnan''s journal, we''re definitely getting closer to our destination. ''No. There''s no time for that. I need to get stronger quickly. For that, I need to train.'' I answered coldly. "How admirable. Magic?" ''Swordsmanship.'' "..." What is my goal? To be a snake that no one else dares to touch. A snake that heroes, elves, and even magical beasts can''t challenge. In other words, to be a Snake Spirit. == It''s been three days since I set out on a journey with the centipede mother and daughter, or mother and children. I found the very cliff written in the journal far away. If I hadn''t ridden on the Giant Centipede, it would have taken at least ten days. It seems Deshnan had a separate means to move quickly. "Ookey, ookeekee!" Right now, a monkey was dancing on a tree above me. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Long-legged Monkey lv17] [Traits] [Long Legs], [Ferocity], [Pack] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That monkey I saw for the first time was fearless. It danced while looking at me and threw something. I avoid it lightly. St! What fell where I was was none other than poop. It had thrown poop at me. "Ookee!" It ps its hands and enjoys it. It''s doing this believing that a snake crawling on the ground has no means of long-range attack. It seems to hold a grudge against me for stopping it when it tried to kidnap Big Head a little while ago. Let''s focus. "Kekekeke!" I know you''re angry, but bear with it, Big Head. I''ll handle this. With the children watching now, I can''t make a mistake. My mind was sharpened like a de. The long-legged monkey was about to throw poop again. At that moment, a sword appeared right in front of its nose. The speed at which the sword appeared was very slow. Moreover, would a monkey that has lived its whole life in the jungle ever have seen an ''Elven Broadsword''? It seemed fascinated by the shining sword and even slowly reached out its hand. And then the floating sword was swung. ¡¸Using sh lv2.¡¹ sh, the higher-level skill of Cutting. The sword passed through the monkey''s neck all too easily. The jumping monkey fell limply. ¡¸The proficiency of Magic: Invisible Hand lv2 rises.¡¹ As a result, I trained both magic and swordsmanship. It means that now I can summon an invisible hand and swing a sword. To others, it would look like a sword is moving and fighting on its own. In other words, I''ve be a supreme swordsman using spirit sword technique. I actually gained a swordsmanship skill that I couldn''t get even if I died while swinging a sword with my tail. This is the proof of my effort. ¡¸The proficiency of Clumsy Swordsmanship lv1 rises.¡¹ I was just a bit unsatisfied that I gained an obviously lower-level skill instead of just Swordsmanship. "Kekeke-!" "Keee!" The centipedes rushed to the fallen monkey and beat it up. If I trante what the children are saying, it would be something like ''Die!'', ''You arrogant bastard!'' It seems I can understand their hearts as we''ve gotten closer. I was wondering why the Giant Centipede seemed to understand my thoughts, was it something like this? The baby centipedes feasted on monkey meat, and I finished thest of the food Nanaluk gave me. Finally, this beautiful journey ising to an end. "Kee." The centipede mom muttered quietly. Was it my imagination that her eyes looked somewhat lonely? "Which eye are you talking about, the fourth eyeball?" Pelerian ruined the atmosphere again. The Giant Centipede shook her head at my request to go to the cliff together. And she pulled her babies who were trying to follow me and held them. It meant let''s part ways here. I was sorry too, but it couldn''t be helped. Shouldn''t we go our separate ways now? It''s not easy raising kids, and there''s nothing good about traveling with me. I''ll be walking a path drenched in blood... If we''ve finished eating, it''s really time to say goodbye now. The baby centipedes didn''t seem to even know that I was leaving. When I stood still in front of them, they tried to climb on my back thinking I wanted to y again. It''s a problem that even this looks cute to me now. If I were still human, I would have started a breakdance festival as soon as a centipede clung to me. When I pushed the three siblings away with my tail, they looked dejected. ''It seems we''ve gotten much closer, but still nothing''s really changing?'' Pelerian gave me a challenge. The content was to win the loyalty of the three siblings I named. We definitely got closer in three days, but "Hmm... Maybe the problem is that you''ve only be too familiar." That can''t be. I made lightning strike and used spirit sword technique to catch a monkey for them, how can they not respect me? Right, kids? Even if words don''tmunicate, hearts can. We exchanged farewells. Lastly, I patted the heads of the three centipedes. Goodbye. Let''s meet again if we have the chance. Bowingie, Big Eyes, Big Head. I hope you''ll have grown into fine king centipedes by then. That''s when it happened. ¡¸Your bond with Centipede Larva Bowingie lv4 has deepened.¡¹ Oh? ¡¸Centipede Larva Bowingie grows influenced by you.¡¹ Something happened. But I don''t know how that influence will progress. So I bowed farewell for thest time and left. A cool back view is what makes a snake truly cool. When I looked back after a while, the Giant Centipede family was no longer visible. I kept moving forward. ''The color of the sky is strange.'' On days without rain, the sky of the great forest is blue and clear. But this ce is different. Somehow, it''s an ominous purple color. ''Is the Shadow Forest always like this?'' This ce is called the Shadow Forest. I heard the name has nothing to do with shadow fairies. "No, it''s a phenomenon that urs when the concentration of magical energy in the atmosphere rises before the Purple Banquet. The light scatters and takes on a purple hue." Somehow the smell of the air seems different too. A strangely rotten, foul smell... "That smell seems to being from that house." It was quite tough climbing up bypassing the cliff. But it was worth it, there really was a house up there. ''What is this.'' The house wasn''t visible from the bottom of the cliff. So I thought it was a very small house, but it wasn''t. Suddenly, as if it had fallen from the sky, there was a huge house. It''s not very tall, but it''s a crude building that looks like walls were just put up with wood. The area isrge like a big warehouse. Did that shadow fairy set up a ''zoo'' in there? It seems like it would be enough to raise magical beasts. "Hurry up and go in!" Pelerian urged me. I want to do that too. "But there might be traps, so look carefully before going in." What a contradictory request, like asking to make a spicy and mild jjamppong. I carefully examined the surroundings. I tried using magic detection and got Pelerian''s help to check for traps. "It doesn''t seem like there are any traps." The conclusion was reached. I carefully opened the door. Click. They didn''t seem to worry about thieves, as the door wasn''t locked. I carefully crawled inside. Tap, tap. There was something inside. A pitch-ck... ghost? Something amorphous was hiding in the darkness of the room and jumped out. It didn''t look like a living creature at all. "It''s a minion of the devil! Avoid it!" "Kikikiki!" It definitelyughed. I tried to swing my tail to strike it down, but. Swoosh- That ck form passed through my tail and pounced on my face. ''Huk.'' It entered my head. I was certain. A weirdughing sound thundered loudly inside my head. Is it some kind of ghost or something? Wham, before I could even get scared. ¡¸Kigik, kigigigi.¡¹ ¡¸Due to the ''Indomitable'' trait, you are immune to mental attacks.¡¹ Eh. The devil''s minion popped out of my nostril. It trembled, then stiffened and stopped moving. ¡¸You have defeated a Low-rank Devil''s Minion.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ What is this? Chapter 47: The Pressuring Interview Begins I stared at the Devil''s Minion with a dumbfounded expression. It said it was the Devil''s Minion, so was it sent by the devil? "To be lumped together with the same fairy is shameful. Selling your soul to the devil." Pelerian''s voice dripped with contempt. ''What''s a Devil''s Minion?'' "It''s exactly as it sounds. The devil must have sent a minion to this guy''s house. It''s close to a spirit body. It seems to be burrowing into the head of a low-intelligence magical beast to control its body..." It must have mistaken me for an ordinary magical beast. So it immediately burrowed into my head. Low-intelligence magical beast? But why into my head? ''Can it freely control people or fairies too, then?'' "There''s no way a low-level minion could do that. It probably thought you were just an ordinary snake." It''s an extremely unpleasant thing. I don''t think I would have been controlled even without my Indomitable trait. Die, you bastard! I tried to bite the dead Devil''s Minion. Unlike when it had easily passed through my tail earlier, now I could bite it. "What does it taste like?" ''It tastes like cheongpomuk (clear jelly).'' Pelerian made an expression that said, ''Another nonsensical remark I can''t understand.'' ¡¸You use Devouring lv7.¡¹ ¡¸You digest the Devil''s Minion.¡¹ Oh. Devouring was actually a skill whose significance was difficult to understand. I thought it was just a skill that allowed me to eat more, but suddenly it started to show its presence. Although it didn''t taste like much, Ipletely ate it up. ¡¸You have hunted and devoured the Devil''s Minion.¡¹ ¡¸The Devil''s Minions will be a little afraid of you.¡¹ So that''s how it is. The effect of Devouring seems to be producing an output by eating something up. It''s not that eating just anything produces something, but it only has an effect when eating such rare food. I might have to be a gourmet snake from now on. "Stop dawdling and let''s search quickly!" Pelerian urged. Dragon scales, and an invisibility cloak. Two treasures that were supposed to be in Deshnan''s house. ''Yes!'' It''s not that I wasn''t excited. I started to search the shadow fairy''s house. == "Why isn''t it here!" Pelerian jumped up and down in anger. I was the same. I made my body like a spring and jumped up and down. ''My invisibility cloak!'' I had heard that Deshnan definitely had a magical tool that couldpletely hide his body. It was even said that he could escape from Pelerian and even hero-ss strong ones. If I just had that, I would be perfect. Maybe I could even take down Gunter, who is Medusa Mom''s enemy. But that cloak was nowhere to be seen. The dragon scales were the same. I heard that dragon scales naturally emit mysterious magical power, but no matter how much I searched, they weren''t there. Deshnan''s house was in a mess. Drawers and disy cases were all open, and their contents were scattered all over the floor. There were various odds and ends, but none of the items I was looking for. If there was anything I gained. ''At least I don''t have to worry about food.'' The dried ''feed'' packed full in the sack. It was definitely feed. Probably for feeding magical beasts. It seemed to be ground and kneaded meat and grains of unknown origin, and somehow I could feel magical power. Although in small amounts, it seemed that even magic stones were ground and mixed in. Probably. "It must be to feed the magical beasts that will be in there." Deshnan''s house was huge. However, in fact, his living space wasn''t that big. It was only one-fifth of the total area of the house. The door leading to the rest of the space wasbeled ''Indoor Zoo''. The shadow fairy was raising magical beasts inside his own house. ''I wonder what this prosthetic arm is.'' Another item I found was a prosthetic arm. At first, I thought it was a toy. Two arm models were ced in the disy case. Looking closely, its craftsmanship was extraordinarily delicate. Each joint of the fingers could move freely. The metal material is also extraordinary. "It''s too big for a person to wear as a prosthetic arm." There were vicious-looking needles attached to the joint part of the prosthetic arm. If you stick this deep into your body, you should be able to use it as a prosthetic arm. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Giant Prosthetic Arm] You can use it as a new arm if you stick it into your body. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The exnation was roughly written, so I couldn''t tell who it was for. ''I guess I can''t use it. It''s too big.'' To be honest, I imagined it for a moment. A snake with arms. I could perform better swordsmanship than when using the ''Invisible Hands'' magic. But it seems difficult. The needle that connects the prosthetic arm to the body. If I stick that into my body, it willpletely prate my body. It was a matter of size. Maybe a centipede mom could wear it. Pelerian, who was examining the prosthetic arm with me, found something. It was a craftsman''s emblem engraved small. "A gnome''s emblem, it''s an item made by gnomes." It was said that the gnome race has excellent craftsmanship, as much as dwarves. "It''s an emblem I''ve never seen before." ''Oh wait, I think I''ve seen this emblem before.'' "You have?" ''Yes.'' I think it was just a moment ago. I searched through the odds and ends scattered in front of the entrance. And there it was. A letter. The letter had the same emblem engraved on the prosthetic arm. I tore open the seal of the letter with my tail and examined the contents. There wasn''t much significant content. It just said briefly: ''The repair of the magical tools you entrusted to usst time is being dyed. Especially the repair of the cloak is difficult and not easy. It seems that the repair will bepleted around the end of the festival period. I will leave it in front of your house at that time.'' Ah, so he had it sent for repair. There might be a gnome craftsman hiding somewhere around here. Anyway, my invisibility cloak really existed. I was truly relieved. ''Shall we find the gnome and plunder him!'' Of course, I thought Pelerian would nod and agree. "What nonsense are you talking about!" He scolded me. For a moment, I almost felt dejected. "Do you know how well gnomes hide? We should wait and catch him when he appears." ''Ah, I see.'' As expected, he was a fairy who looked one step ahead of me. For now, I should stay here and spend the time of this fruit week or festival or whatever. Just in case, I tried to read as many documents in the room as possible. At the point when my eyes were hurting and I was getting hungry, I found out the whereabouts of the dragon scales. It was a book with ''Breeding Journal'' written on the cover. ''I ground the dragon scales and sprinkled them on the feed, then fed it to the Medusa Serpent. Its mate ate it too, so if we''re lucky, there might be a significant variant in the next generation.'' Pelerian''s mouth fell open. ''...'' "..." Pelerian looked at me. I avoided his eyes. "M-m-mixed it in the feed and fed it..." ''...'' "That pre-precious magic catalyst..." ''It wasn''t me who did it. The shadow fairy...'' "That stupid fool! It will just be poop, what significant variant! Was he breeding magical beasts with such an irrational method! The height of ignorance!" Pelerian raged as if spitting fire from his mouth. Well, even I, who kept dozing off during high school science sses, know that much. Something acquired postnatally doesn''t get inherited. Feeding dragon scales won''t make the offspring''s scales as hard as dragon scales. Well, even if that''s scientifically true, it might be different magically. Maybe I was born as the only white snake due to a mutation caused by the dragon scales. "If that were the case, it would have been an upper-ss mutation, not a lower-ss one." ''...'' This time, I was the one who got hurt. Yeah, let''s think that dragon blood might be flowing somewhere in my blood. By the way, looking at Deshnan''s journal, it seems our father is somewhere around here too. Is he outside, or perhaps in the indoor zoo? That doesn''t seem likely. Father seems to be very huge. ''Let''s take a look inside now.'' I forcibly dragged Pelerian, who was still angry. While the front door wasn''t locked, the door connecting to the indoor zoo was a sturdy iron door. That''s probably why even the Devil''s Minion couldn''t get in. Knock knock. I unconsciously knocked, but there was no response. I unlocked the bolt locking the iron door. Creeeeak- The heavy iron door opened with a chilling sound. The air that had been stagnant inside rushed out. The first thing I felt was a stench that stung my nose. The nauseating smell of feces, the smell of water, and a clear stench, even the smell of blood. ''They said it was a zoo...'' How strong is the preconception given by the name. It''s not that I was thinking of something like a children''s grand park. But at least I thought of an environment that could be called a zoo. But it wasn''t. There''s just a path in the middle, and areas divided by iron bars on both sides. They tried to create different habitats for each area, but dead magical beasts could be seen here and there. They didn''t seem to have starved to death, but rather died from illness or ate each other. ''Why are the magical beasts...'' At first, I thought there were no magical beasts. But that wasn''t the case. As soon as I entered, the magical beasts quickly hid in the corners. They were crouching, trembling in fear. Those guys, they must be hungry after not eating for days. Do I look that scary? Well, I''m none other than a Crystal Double Horn Python. It''s natural for them to be scared by the appearance of an upper-ss snake magical beast that has evolved three times, with scales shining like crystal. "Isn''t it that they''re afraid of their original owner, not you?" Pelerian cut in from the side. Unfortunately, that statement was soon proven true. The magical beasts that cautiously raised their heads saw me and approached the iron bars. "Woof woof, wooof!" "Waaaaaah!" "Waaaaaaang." They barked as if angry and shook the iron bars. Were they so embarrassed that they had been scared? ''They seem hungry.'' Yeah, I understand that they''re sensitive because they haven''t eaten. A magical beast that looked like a hyena was frantically shaking an empty feed bag with its mouth. It''s crying out for food. Indeed, there was an abundance of feed prepared outside the iron bars. I thought about showing mercy to the starving magical beasts. St. I dodged something flying at me. The magical beast that threw something from inside the iron bars had a somewhat familiar appearance. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Long-legged Monkey lv18] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It threw something again. I dodged this time too, but. St! Something on the floor sshed and got on my body. It was poop. "Woof woof woof!" "Waaaaaaang!" Other magical beasts barked as if it was funny. That was the moment when thepassion in my heart instantly evaporated. Tstststs- How could this be. The ck Scales skill that wouldn''t activate no matter how hard I tried suddenly activated on its own. My scales turn ck. At the same time, I feel my body and mind entering abat state. As my scales turned ck, the magical beasts instantly lost their spirit. "Ooh-ki-it!" But the long-legged monkey that threw the poop shouted as if telling them not to be scared, and the other magical beasts started barking again. Alright, you''re first. Since you''re hungry, I dragged a sack of feed. ¡¸You use Magic: Invisible Hands lv2.¡¹ I grab a handful of feed. When I shook the feed in front of the iron bars, the long-legged monkey''s eyes rolled. "Ooh-ki-i-it! Ki-yak!" When it couldn''t reach even though it stretched its arms out of the iron bars, it started throwing a tantrum. It shook the iron bars and screamed. And I bit its wrist hard. "Kik, ki-ik." The long-legged monkey jumped up and down. It copsed. ¡¸You have killed Long-legged Monkey lv18.¡¹ ¡¸You absorb the magical energy.¡¹ Maybe because it had some level, I gained a decent amount of experience. Hmm, now you''ve be a good monkey. Then next. The atmosphere around became chilly. The space inside the iron bars was quite wide. There was a nest where they could sleep, and a puddle of water. I moved to the side holding the feed with my invisible hand. It was a magical beast that had been whining since a while ago. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Poison Horn Porcupine lv19] [Traits] [Cunning]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It approached cautiously. It seems to have seen the long-legged monkey die, so it''s not acting recklessly. But it won''t get food unless ites close. When I stayed still, it stayed still too. That''s when it happened. The porcupine seemed to bow its head and then. Pak! The thorn on its forehead shot at me. It was a surprise attack in the form of spraying poison needles. Tititing! But there were no thorns that could pierce my scales. Hmm, you''re a cunning friend. And you have an interesting skill. ¡¸You borrow Poison Needle Shot lv5 with Billy''s Horn lv4.¡¹ ¡¸You temporarily gain Poison Needle Shot lv2.¡¹ Something seems to be growing in my mouth. Ptui! The porcupine trying to run away in a hurry. Luckily, the poison needle that shot out of my mouth stuck in its butt. "Waaaaaaang!" That was itsst roar. ¡¸You have killed Poison Horn Porcupine lv19.¡¹ ¡¸You absorb the magical energy.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Easy and delicious. Finally,plete silence was surrounding us. The magical beasts that had been going crazy slowly backed away from the iron bars. But unable to resist their hunger, they were just looking at the feed, drooling. At that moment, I felt it. That I held the power of life and death over the magical beasts here. I can level up, and I can steal... no, borrow useful skills. It''s literally a buffet. I approached the hyena that had been barking at me earlier. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Fang Hyena lv31] [Traits] [Glutton], [Simple-minded] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This one looks a bit strong. As I was pondering how to cook it, at that moment. The hyena flopped down, exposing its belly. "Woof! Woof!" It was clearly a posture of submission to anyone who saw it. ''You have discerning eyes.'' I tossed a single piece of feed. Then the hyena leaped into the air and caught the feed to eat. Its tail wagged like a propeller. Drool was dripping from its mouth. When I held out the feed, it immediately thrust its head forward to eat. "Ssssak!" When I stopped it from eating. It sat in ce, looking around while drooling. ''This might be...'' I tested the idea that came to mind. ¡¸You use Taming lv2.¡¹ ¡¸You have sessfully tamed Fang Hyena lv31.¡¹ To seed so easily. You''re level 31, aren''t you? ¡¸The proficiency of Taming rises rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Taming lv2 has be Taming lv3.¡¹ This was an unexpected gain. Your name is now Spot. ¡¸You have named the Fang Hyena lv31 ''Spot''.¡¹ The name I gave was epted. ¡¸Fang Hyena Spot lv31 likes its name.¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency of Taming increases.¡¹ It follows people, no, snakes too easily. Was the hyena part of the canine family? It did look a bit like a dog. Anyway, I decided on my future course of action. The magical beasts here will now go through a ''selection process''. Chapter 48: Not Grateful At All (1) I''ve created an indoor zoo in the newly built house on the cliff. The Shadow Forest here tends to have lower species diversity, probably due to the many damp and dark shaded areas. Interestingly, there are many primate monsters living in the forest below Mansh Hills, and beyond that, insect monsters form clusters in the swamp. On the ins, various monsters such as hyena packs, wolves, and snakes inhabit the area. That snake keeps moving its dwelling, seemingly unable to find a ce it likes. I''m pondering a lot about the methodology of taming. Fear, intimacy, respect. The three elements to gain a monster''s obedience. Fear can be obtained through whipping, respect through establishing a clear hierarchy and providing food. But intimacy is impossible to fulfill. I assume it''s due to the fundamental difference between monsters and the chosen races. Unlike fairies, dwarves, and humans who receive God''s care, monsters are abandoned by God. Their ugliness may look beautiful to me, but the monsters seem to feel an unavoidable wall towards me, a shadow fairy. It''s certainly different from how my beloved cat Kalish deeply followed me. Is that why the Medusa Serpent also left its nest and ran away? I thought it was because of fighting with its husband, but maybe it was because of me. Ah, what should I do? This month, taming one hyena is all I''ve aplished. Even that doesn''t obey properly unless I use food or beat it. Far from rolling over and exposing its belly, it tries to bite my hand at every opportunity. I beheaded two hyenas that dared to bite my hand in front of their leader. I was trying to establish discipline, and it seemed to have an effect at first nce. But it was only for a moment. Now the ferocious monsters even refuse my petting. Sadness pierces my heart. ¡¸From Deshnan''s Breeding Journal¡¹ == I''ve got a new mount. Unlike Mother Centipede, the new mount had fluffy fur. Although the fur is stiff like a broom, the ridingfort isn''t bad. A size as big as a lion. And a strong, thick neck. On top of the neck, there''s enough fluffy mane for me to coil up and rest. ''Spot!'' "Kya-haeng!" The identity of the new mount was none other than my pet dog Spot (not a dog, Fang Hyena lv31, stronger than expected). Maybe because I fed it, Spot was surprisingly docile. After naming it and bing somewhat close, it seems to understand my intentions right away. I''m sorry to Nanaluk, but it understood my words as well as she did when we first met. This is quite fascinating. Mother Centipede also seemed to understand my words perfectly. I asked Pelerian, but even he couldn''t give a definite answer. I tapped Spot''s neck three times. This means start moving. Spot began to walk with me on its back. A true viin alwaysmands hyenas. Just look at that terrifying uncle lion from The Li_n King. I entered the indoor zoo majestically riding Spot. It''s been a week since I started staying here. During that time, I''ve begun to reign over the monsters in the indoor zoo. Those who bare their teeth at me get a shower of mes. Those who throw feces get their limbs broken. Those who pretend to obey but then pounce be my meal. Not all the monsters captured here are pushovers. The real tough ones are in the outdoor zoo (actually just outside), ording to the breeding journal. But that doesn''t mean the monsters Deshnan brought indoors are shabby. This was the heart of the great forest, and Deshnan was a powerful shadow fairy. There were monsters I could gain experience from, and ones I could borrow skills from. "Keeing, keeeing." "Uweeeeng." All the monsters at the entrance of the indoor zoo submitted to me. Their ways of showing submission were diverse. Some rolled over exposing their bellies, some lowered their heads to the ground. There were also those who curled up to show they weren''t dangerous. I scattered feed to them. The monsters ate the feed hurriedly and gave me looks of respect. And the more they did so, the more proudly Spot held up its head. Envy glinted in the eyes of some monsters. "You know how tomand underlings." Pelerian nodded and praised me. The Fang Hyena Spot, which submitted the fastest and was the most loyal, was given special treatment. Unlike other monsters, it was allowed to stay outside the iron bars. So Spot tried harder to show loyalty to me, and other monsters were more loyal to me to be like Spot. Of course, there were those that weren''t. The deeper I went, the fewer monsters took submissive postures. Right. The ones here aren''t ordinary beasts, but monsters. Ones that would tear my throat out at any opportunity, and perhaps salivate at the thought of taking the magic stone that might be in my heart. Still, now there were almost none that would pounce first. True to its name as a zoo, the iron bars were divided by section. Several monsters lived together, and asionally there were solitary rooms. The iron bars ahead were like that too. Trees were nted, and rocks were piled to make a cave. The terrain was covered in spider webs. Red eyeballs rise from the pitch-ck darkness inside the cave. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crimson Tarant lv32] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I sensed bad blood from the moment I saw that name. I ate the inner core of the Crimson Tarant King, but that doesn''t mean its lower species would have any grudge against me, right? "Kak-kak, kak, ka-kak." It shows hostility by glowing its eight eyes red whenever it sees me. But this time, unlike yesterday, it didn''t pounce first. I guess yesterday''s beating must have hurt. I got off Spot''s back. Spot refused to enter the iron bars. Of course, I had no intention of making it do so. Click. I unlocked the iron bars. I entered through the open door without hesitation. And I scattered feed in front of me. ''Come and eat.'' This is how I start taming the monsters here. It begins like this. It''s a deration that I will feed you, so obey me. It starts withing quietly and eating the food. The monsters who have seen others get food and submit beyond the iron bars knew the meaning of this feed. The Crimson Tarant was no exception. But it didn''te out. Yesterday, it tried to pounce on me after I left the feed, and got beaten up. Maybe that''s why it''s just quietly hiding in the cave this time. Has it finally decided to submit? Shwaaack! A poison sting flew. I tilted my head to dodge it. I had borrowed that skill from the porcupine I met on the first day. But I gave up on using that skill anymore. I was curious about where the poison sting that shot out of my mouth was generated from. It didn''t seem to be magic. Pelerian spected that it might rapidly consume the body''s calcium to fire it. I might end up with osteoporosis if I''m not careful. Instead, I''m in the process of acquiring another skill. The spider gave up oning out and kept firing poison stings. This is getting annoying. I moved a bit further forward. That''s when it happened. Spider webs stuck to my body. This is dangerous. Chapter 49: Not Grateful At All (2) As I struggled, the spider webs entangled me even more. The vibration reached the one hiding in the cave. Will it shoot a poison sting? At me, struggling while tied up. The Crimson Tarant was ferocious. I used a more intense method. Tududududu- It jumped out of the cave with a terrifying momentum. A tarant as big as a bull. Bright red venomous fangs. The deadly poison those fangs contain is not much inferior even to my neurotoxin. It leaped high. And I had been waiting for this moment. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv4.¡¹ I formed mes around my body. The spider web that was as tough as wire instantly burned. The mes spread on their own, starting to burn other nearby spider webs. Kwang! The Crimson Tarant pounced on where I had been just a moment ago. Dust flew and sparks scattered. I didn''t intend to kill it with just this level of mes. I jumped up and clung to its body. I quickly wrapped myself around its thin waist. "Kweek, kwek!" Despite its massive body, the Crimson Tarant has amazing agility. In other words, it can rampage around in all directions while I''m hanging on. Tang! Kwang! It crashes into the iron bars and rocks. It''s trying to shake me off. And given enough time, that attempt would certainly seed. I can''t kill this thing by strangling it with my constriction. It''s even hard to bite. The fur and hard carapace, and the dizziness from being shaken around make it difficult. I put as much strength into my body as possible. Anyway, I was nning to use the newly acquired skill. ¡¸Using Poison Scales lv2.¡¹ It''s a simple skill that secretes poison from the scales. I wouldn''t have been able to use it properly before. After all, snake scales, no matter how you look at it, can''t be used as a weapon. I would have just be a snake that''s unpleasant to touch. But now that I''ve evolved into a Crystal Double Horn Python. Now that I have crystal-like shining sharp scales, and can even make them stand on end. Kakakakak! The raised scales finally prated its body. It means the neurotoxin secreted from the poison nd was injected into the Crimson Tarant''s body. "Kwek." It gradually slowed down and finally its life was cut off. Its long legs curl up sharply. ¡¸You have killed Crimson Tarant lv32.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Phew. It''s been a while since I leveled up. I couldn''t level up as explosively as I thought I would here. It seems my level has increased quite a bit. Spot looked at me and raised its head to howl. "Awooooo!" Does it think it''s a wolf? You weren''t even in the canine family. But it''s not bad if I think of it as a fanfare celebrating victory. I stroked its head with my tail. Spot stuck out its tongue, panting, and wagged its tail. Let''s check the status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Double Horn Python lv10] [Title] Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Horn], [Pattern], [Scales] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My level has reached 10. If I hadn''t caught Deshnan, I probably wouldn''t have been able to level up this easily. I wonder what level I need to reach for the next evolution. Last time it was 20, so this time it might be up to 30. If so, it''s definitely difficult to gain experience in the indoor zoo. I might have to go outside and face stronger monsters. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Billy''s Horn lv4]: Poison Scales lv2, [Leaping Horn lv2] [Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0], [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv4], [Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv5], [Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv2], [Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv2], [Magic: Invisible Hand lv2], [Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv5], [Devouring lv7], [Leap of Heart-eating lv1], [Stealth lv7] [Poison Resistance lv7], [Bleeding Resistance lv3], [Pain Resistance lv8], [Heat Resistance lv10], [Cold Resistance lv1], [Petrification Resistance lv1], [Electric Resistance lv4] [Survival Instinct lv6], [Magic Detection lv3], [eleration lv5], [Swimming lv1], [Breath Holding lv5], [shing lv2], [ck Scales lv1], [Taming lv5], [Clumsy Swordsmanship lv1] [Status] [Smug] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The skill window has be quiteplex. It''s time to organize it. The interesting part was the achievement section. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Guard Captain Assassination], [Friend of Centipedes], [Friend of Goblins], [Monster Leader] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I achieved the Monster Leader achievement. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Monster Leader] You have tamed more than five monsters. Monsters will be more obedient to you. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hahaha. It''s been proven that the things I did in the indoor zoo weren''t in vain. "You said before that you wanted to be a Samuryu. I don''t know what that is, though." Pelerian said in a low voice. ''It''s Samuryeong, actually.'' "So what is a Samuryeong?" There''s no need to exin in detail about a wuxia novel I read in middle school. An absolute invincible being that neither heroes, armies, nor even monsters can do anything about. Or an intangible viper that even a kingdom can''t touch with all its might. In short, it meant I don''t want to be chased or threatened by anyone. "You know that''s the level all viins in the world aspire to, right? It''s almost impossible to achieve." Pelerian says he also dreamed of such a level. He says he only wished for and researched the evolution of his entire species, but the world wouldn''t leave him alone. "There are two ways to reach that level." ''What are they?'' "One is to obtain overwhelming power. Be the strongest magician who can even flip the sky. Or be a god of the sword who can split the sea with a de." Or be a giant snake that can wrap around mountains and cause tsunamis. "Or form thergest group. Whether it bes a kingdom or an empire." ''So, old man, you tried the first method, I guess.'' And probably failed. Pelerian nodded. "Actually, I think now that the answer might have been to pursue both." Forming a group. My taming of the monsters in the indoor zoo was actually half joking. But the Monster Leader achievement was clearly recorded in my status window. ''Well, let''s go in further for now.'' Having caught the Crimson Tarant, I had almost conquered the indoor zoo. Now only the innermost iron bars remained. I left Spot behind and approached that inner area. The lights were off here. You there,e out! "Sa-ak!" I shouted. There was certainly one monster hiding in there. But it wouldn''t show itself easily. Will it be hostile to me, or will it submit? Either way suits me. If you don''te out, I''lle in myself. Just as I was about to open the iron bars. Step. Something walked out of the darkness. It''s quite big. About the same size as the Crimson Tarant, perhaps? Step, step. But it looks much heavier. I raised my scales and prepared for battle. Somehow, it feels like a strong monster. And strong monsters don''t submit easily. What appeared was a gori. And a magnificent gori at that, with carapaces sprouting on both arms. Just as I was about to offer feed and force it to make a choice. "Sna... Snake." Ugh, I was so surprised I spilled all the feed. A shocking fact, unlike other monsters, it spoke. Itsrge eyes were shining with tears. "Send... me... home." Ah, this gori. I think it was written in Deshnan''s breeding journal. This is your home, gori. "Then, my family... will. Repay." What kind of repayment will the gori give? Is it going to give me bananas? "You have hands... If you have hands, you''re kin." How did it know about my invisible hands? The gori was a disastrous phnthropist. "I''ll give, love. ept... as our family." A shocking adoption proposal. Not needed. Chapter 50: White is Beautiful (1) It''s a well-known fact that I''m an orphan who lost my parents. But I''m not foolish enough to ept an adoption proposal from a gori. I''m not that desperate for affection. Of course, asionally I do wish I could meet the father I''ve never seen. After seeing the content about my father in Deshnan''s journal, I felt this even more strongly. "A very special species of Serpent, he says. If I get the chance, I''d love to see it too. And unlike the Medusa Serpent, it''s said to be docile, so it should be fine." Even Pelerian said as much. But if I were to be part of the gori''s family, what would our rtionship be? ''Are you male or female?'' I asked that. Of course, since it couldn''t speak, asking the gori this question was quite a challenge. After drawing all sorts of bizarre shapes and obscene pictures, the gori finally answered. The gori was female. So would she be my older sister? I was shocked, as I thought it was a male gori due to itsrge build. "Would you like... me to... be... your mother? If so... will you... set me free?" No way, you fool! Anyway, after much deliberation, I made a decision. "Thank you... truly thank you..." I released this talking gori from the cage. Up close, the gori looked quite emaciated. In the cage where it had been, there were dried-up corpses of various monsters. They must have been trapped together, but there were no signs of them being eaten. "I eat... fruit... I like fruit... and insects too..." Listening to it, the gori''s diet was more gentle than I thought. How could it have such bulging muscles eating only those things? I slightly tightened my grip around the gori''s nape. It wasn''t an expression of affection, but a threat. A cold threat that if what it said wasn''t true, I would kill it. "I keep... promises... I''ve seen a big, magnificent snake... The Wise One knows... where it is... The Wise One... knows everything." Reason number 1 for releasing the gori: The gori had seen our dad. And it was certain that its kind would know dad''s location. "Festival... I''ll teach you how to pick fruit too... if wee across any on the way..." And it said it would tell me about the ''festival'' that takes ce here. "I too am aware that there''s often a ''Fruit Week'' in the great forest. It''s a period when flowers bloom on the World Tree''s branches, and fruit grows on the exposed roots on the ground. And I know that during this time, monsters be stronger and Named monsters are born." Even Pel-muwiki didn''t know everything. "However, it''s difficult to urately understand how the monsters that gather at the roots behave. ess is restricted to areas where Fruit Week has begun." Deshnan''s knowledge seems to be more detailed about the monsters'' behavior patterns and specific ecology. But even after searching Deshnan''s room, there was only vague information about the festival. "For the fruit... monsters... unite. Us too... and the insects." It''s rare for monsters to form groups unless they''re of the same species. Even monsters of the same species often fight and kill each other. That''s the instinct of monsters born with the categorical imperative to ''be stronger''. But the monsters here in the Shadow Forest have formed groups. ording to Deshnan''s records, there are currently two groups. Primates with hands, probably primate-type monsters. And an army of insect-type monsters. Perhaps the King Centipede we parted ways with joined the insect-type monster army. ''Why do monsters form groups?'' With this question in mind, I tapped the gori''s forehead twice. This meant to spill everything it knew. The gori was more intelligent than I thought. ording to Pelerian, only a few of the higher-level monsters can speak. This gori wasn''t that high-level of a monster. Despite that, it could speak, albeit clumsily, probably because it''s an intelligent primate. If the secret to speaking was a skill, I could have borrowed it with Billy''s Horn. Surprisingly, thenguage the gori spoke was simr to humannguage. The intonation and vocabry were quite different, but even Pelerian standing nearby could understand it to some extent. Pelerian exined that the gori''snguage, that is, humannguage, is the monnguage''. Apparently, it''s anguage that has continued from ancient times. He said that even monsters who naturally awaken tonguage, and even dragons that can no longer be seen, use thisnguage. "If you eat the fruit, you be stronger... But when you eat the fruit, you stop. Someone has to... protect you..." Stop, he says. Does he mean the body freezes? Well, if that''s the case, I''d need a reliablepanion to protect me. I slightly turned my head to look at Spot following behind. When our eyes met, Spot wagged its tail back and forth. It seems risky to eat this ''fruit'' thing trusting only that Spot. But do I intend to be part of the gori''s family? Not really. I''d rather trust the King Centipede mom. Still, shouldn''t I at least find out what kind of bunch the gori''s group is? It seems I''ll be staying here for a while. Come to think of it, does that mean my father doesn''t belong to any group? "Originally... there was one more group... Now it''s gone. The leader... died." So that''s the inside story. Each group has a leader, huh. "Our boss is... a silver monkey... very strong..." If it''s the leader of the primates, could it be some Monkey King Sun Wukong? It might be a dangerous fellow. I was heading to the forest where they said they lived, along with the gori. They call it the Monkey Forest, but to get there, we have to pass through a hilly area. There was something there that caught my eye. ''Is that a tree or what?'' "It''s a root." Something smooth and huge like a baobab tree catches the eye. A massive pir-like structure was protruding from the middle of the hill. "It''s an exposed root of the World Tree." What kind of root is that big? The fine roots branching out in various directions looked just like tree branches. But the fact that there are no leaves confirms that it really is a root. Several of these roots were visible on the way to the forest beyond the hills. They say fruit grows there. Apparently, even though the full-fledged Fruit Week hasn''t started yet, a few unripe fruits have already grown and fallen. "There, there... Our forest." A dark forest was visible ahead. The forest dominated by primates. ''Spot!'' I stopped the gori and had Spot wait here. I''ll ride Spot back when we return. Spot''s sprint ability is amazing, to the extent that the primates would find it difficult to chase. Getting back here was the problem. To prepare for that, I had already borrowed a skill that could be used for escape from a monster in the zoo. ¡¸Using Magic: Invisible Hand lv3.¡¹ I drew my sword. This was the secret to receiving the ''adoption proposal''. Though invisible, I clearly have hands. ''If you try anything funny, I''ll kill you. You and your kind.'' I made a hissing sound while raising my scales. Monsters seemed to find this sound quite threatening. When I pointed my sword at it, the gori nodded as if it understood what I meant. We entered the forest. Indeed, several monkeys were observing us while swinging through the trees. They look so small and weak that it''s hard to tell if they''re monsters or just animals. Perhaps they''re sentries. They hurriedly retreated deeper into the forest, making ''ooh-ooh'' sounds. "They will... wee us..." Joy could be heard in the gori''s voice. I slightly tightened my body wrapped around its neck. Just try to make a move. Chapter 51: White is Beautiful (2) At that moment, someone appeared in front of us. Unlike the gori, it was a monkey walking on two legs. More precisely... ''It''s a chimpanzee!'' It was clearly that chimpanzee I knew. However, it''s certainly not an ordinary animal. This chimpanzee had long, grown-out fingernails. A form specialized for scratching. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Iron w Chimpanzee lv28] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "Ooh! Ooh!" The chimpanzee jumped up and down in ce to greet the gori. It seems wary of me and doesn''te too close. "The snake... saved me... Thank you. I want to meet... the Wise One." The chimpanzee didn''t seem very happy about the gori''s return. It spat on the ground. What a rude fellow. "Ooh ooh!" The chimpanzee shouted like that and went ahead, as if telling us to follow. The ce it led us to was already filled with all sorts of primates. Bonobos, goris, something like a spectacled monkey, and an orangutan with a plump belly. I''ve seen a sight like this somewhere before. It''s totally like of the Apes. No, it''s not just primates gathered here. There was also something like a bear walking on two legs, and I saw an Owl Bear too. It really seems like only monsters with hands are gathered here. I could immediately tell who the ''Wise One'' was. A plump old orangutan was holding a staff that looked like something a shaman would use. "Mrs. Gori..." Mrs. Gori, he says. The gori I was riding on shyly lowered its head. "First of all, wee... back alive." "Thank... you." The orangutan seems to be more intelligent than the gori. He definitely spoke better. Suddenly, the orangutan pointed his staff at me. "Snakes are evil... bad. Why, are you together?" "This snake, has hands. Good snake... saved me..." I waved my sword to show that I have hands. Seeing some monkeys retreat in fear, I''m not sure if this was a good choice. But the orangutan recognized it. "Invisible hands... Magic!" "That''s right... Good snake." The gori exined the situation earnestly with its clumsy voice. It speaks well of me. Even saying that I saved it and that I''m very strong. "Let''s make him... our new family..." A proposal to recruit me. Though I still have no intention of epting it. "Hmm..." The orangutan didn''t nod readily. Then suddenly, he speaks as if mocking. "Mrs. Gori was, caught by a fairy. Weak." "Fairies... are strong. It''s dead now. This snake killed it..." "Lies, and weak one. Not family." Family, you say. You said you''d give love. It was clearly a dysfunctional family. The gori, enraged, mmed its fist on the ground. Kwaaang! Despite having starved for quite a while, the earth rose up significantly. "I''m stro-ng! Kuheong!" As the gori roared in excitement, the chimpanzee that had guided us at first growled. It looks ready to fight. Well done, gori. "If you want... I''ll pro-ve it!" The gori red alternately at the chimpanzee and the orangutan. The situation is bing dangerous. The orangutan pointed at me and said. "Magic hands. Not even, real hands...!" That''s correct. As expected of a wise one, he''s smart. "Can''t ept you. And... weak gori too!" "Kuoooh!" "If you really want toe back, kill that snake...!" I felt it from my ill-fated encounter with the long-legged monkey, but maybe primates just don''t get along with me. The orangutan told the gori that he would ept her back into the group only if she killed me. That''s when it happened. "Attack first now." The Heaven Defier magician whispered through starlight. "My discip... no, mypa... no, my travelingpanion wouldn''t be intimidated by monkeys, right?" Pelerian corrected my title several times before finally settling on the ambiguous term ''travelingpanion''. ''Of course not.'' The travelingpanion of the evil magician is already prepared to be a bad snake. My sword is already jingling-jingling. I looked around. There was no one strong enough to hide their status window. Even their leader, the silver-haired monkey, wasn''t visible. Moreover, I even borrowed a special skill from a monster in the indoor zoo. This seems doable. First, I''ll make a hole in the gori''s neck and then take care of the orangutan... "That''s not possible." At that moment, the gori spoke firmly. "The snake... saved me. I''m a good gori... I don''t, betray." No, weren''t only centipedes and goblins supposed to be the good monsters in this world? I gently patted the gori''s head. The orangutan sneered. He shouted loudly as if dering a martial arts challenge. "Then, die-!" The first to react was the chimpanzee that had been ring at us. It leaped up and swung its ws that were no different from des. A cruel assassin aiming even for the gori. Shaaak! I''ve seen this in martial arts novels. Isn''t this the forbidden technique, the Nine Yin White Bone w? I responded with just the basic Three Cmities Sword Technique. Kagagak! The fairy-made de ended up cutting off the chimpanzee''s ws. It was worth sharpening it in advance. The chimpanzee stared at its hand in bewilderment. I didn''t miss that opening. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv1.¡¹ The leap-eleration-bitebo was already fast originally. But now it''s at the level of a light beam. "Kuoeok!" The chimpanzee fell with a scream. There was a hole punched through its chest. The monsters were shocked to see me biting into its bright red heart. "Kill-it!" The orangutan shouts once again. I gulp down what''s in my mouth and prepare to fight. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ This is a good start. Just as I was about to go on a rampage. First, I''ll use that borrowed skill and... "Ooh-ooh, Wise-One!" Arge bonobo came running breathlessly and shouted. "Bugs- The bugs are invad-ing...ack!" Thest part was a scream. A spider the size of a fist was clinging to its neck. And then, a loud vibrating sound was heard. Whaaang- It''s the kind of chilling sound you''d hear if a giant ho was flying around your ears. In fact, a few bees appeared. One bee, as big as a wild boar, caught a spectacled monkey that was trying to escape. And it starts gnawing on the monkey with its powerful jaws. Crunch crunch crunch. The severed head of the monkey fell to the ground with a thud. "Invasion- It''s an invasion!" The orangutan roared in anger. This isn''t the picture I had imagined. "Kke-kkekkekke!" A familiar cry rang out from somewhere. What appeared, crushing the monkeys underfoot, was a giant centipede. Our eyes met. "Kke?" I didn''t expect to reunite with Centipede Mom so quickly. "Kkekke." "Kke." "Kke!!" Even though only a few days had passed, Bowingie, Big Eyes, and Big Head, who had grown considerably, were riding on their mother''s back. I''m d to see you, kids. I cut the throat of a long-legged monkey that had lunged at me and wagged my tail. Excited to see me, Bowingie jumped down and hugged me. If it had a tail like a dog, it would have been wagging it furiously like a propeller. I patted Bowingie vigorously. ''It''s dangerous now, so go back to momm-ack!'' I was shocked. All three centipede siblings had grownrger. Beingrvae, they had evolved in that time. The second and third children riding on the King Centipede were: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little King Centipede Big Eyes lv1] [Little King Centipede Big Head lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ They had evolved like that. Into magnificent creatures with the reddish-brown color typical of centipedes. But the child hugging me. The eldest, who had started to be influenced by me due to our deep bond. Only Bowingie was different. It had be a snow-white, white centipede. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little White King Centipede Bowingie lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The lineage of White. The will of W, continued here. Chapter 52: The Snake Carrying Stars (1) I had the impression that monsters always yed solo. Most of the monsters I''d met so far were like that. But it seems that was also a prejudice. At least the monsters here moved together in groups. Findingmon ground, the primates with hands grouped together. And the creepy bug friends gathered together. Looking at the current situation, it seems the bug army attacked the friends with hands. Fortunately, the gori escaped in the chaos. This was war. And Mrs. Giant Centipede seemed to be an executive in the bug army. "Kekekekeke!" When she roared, the other bugs passed by without attacking me. Thanks to that, I could fully enjoy the touching reunion with Bowingie. ''You''ve evolved to white, a bright white! I wonder who you take after!'' Affection welled up in my heart. Although centipedes and snakes are different species, Bowingie and I now have the same color. Isn''t it natural for those of the same color to bond in spirit? ''You can be my son.'' "Huh, with that eye-catching color. It''s hopeless for surviving in the wild." Pelerian cursed. I tried to ignore it, but I did be a bit worried. White has many disadvantages in the great forest. It should be fine now with Centipede Mom next to us, but... "You''ve ruined your prospects because of one snake." ''Ah, eat this and grow big.'' I quickly took out a small magic stone from my subspace and fed it to Bowingie. Pelerian screamed. ''Go back now.'' I didn''t want to show favoritism in front of the other two siblings. Bowingie munched on the magic stone and returned to Centipede Mom''s back. Just then, sses monkeys jumped onto my body. They tried to scratch and bite me. ¡¸Using Poison Scales lv2.¡¹ But it was useless. My crystal-hard scales hurt the monkeys instead. And once the poison is injected, it''s over. They copsed one after another, and I jumped into the full-scale war. I swing my sword to cut down monkeys. I spew fire and shake the ground. I physically steal the heart of a proboscis monkey that pounces on me. And the sage orangutan who ordered to kill me. "Retreat, re-treat!" He shouted so. At a nce, that orangutan must be themander. He was holding a staff, wearing something that could be called clothing made of leather rags, and had a patchy bag-like pouch around his waist. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Elder Orangutan lv51] [Title] Sage ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh, this is almost the highest level among the monsters I''ve seen. He doesn''t look that strong, but he even has a title. In other words, he looks like a very delicious prey. I stealthily crawled towards the orangutan. The orangutan was just shouting, not even noticing my approach. "Woo-! I called the boss- Woo! Retreat first!" The boss. He meant he called that silver-furred monkey. Come to think of it, that one is also of the White tribe. He might indeed be strong. "Kegegege." It was then. When Mrs. Giant Centipede gave the retreat signal. I could immediately tell it was a retreat signal. Because the bugs started to withdraw like the ebb tide. This isn''t good. The orangutan also turns to flee. I won''t just let him go. ¡¸Using Leap of Heart-eating lv1.¡¹ I flew like a beam of light. But it seems he wasn''t just an orangutan who had only grown old. "Eek!" Sensing the killing intent from behind, he crouches and dodges. It wasn''t a position where I could aim for the heart from the start. Instead of his back, I could only bite into his smelly leather pouch. Rip! The leather pouch was torn. And its contents started to spill out. What kind of stuff is he carrying around? Various pretty stones, bananas, and tree fruits spilled out. "Ah, no!" The orangutan made an expression as if he had lost a country. There was a reason to be so flustered. Among the spilled odds and ends, I immediately recognized the most precious thing. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Unripe Root Fruit of the World Tree] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Two orange fruits the size of a fist. For a moment, a brief silence fell. The orangutan, I, and a small spider that had been beside us at some point looked at each other. I moved the fastest. I instantly put the two fruits into my subspace. To the orangutan''s eyes, it must have looked like the two fruits disappeared into thin air. "No-o!" ''Yes!'' I immediately turned and started to flee. Fleeing with the other bugs, I swiftly climbed onto the back of Mrs. Giant Centipede who was waiting for me. The three siblings, including Bowingie, weed me. "Uwaaa-!" The orangutan''s anguished scream echoed from behind. == Once upon a time, there was a pack of hyenas that freely roamed the fields. The Fang Hyena, who wasn''t afraid of evenrge monsters when together, had a leader. The hyena pack that happily yed in the fields must have been happy. But the happiness of (former) Fang Hyena leader (current) Spot was shattered one day. Because shadow fairies appeared and captured the entire pack. How terrible things happened in the cramped iron cage. Spot remembered every single thing. The hyenas of the pack who died miserably. When Spot alone survived and was waiting for the day to die, the white snake appeared. In conclusion, Spot liked the current life. The white snake feeds well and lets him run outside. Of course, it''s merciless to monsters who don''t obey, but that was a natural virtue that a leader should have. The snake''s order to wait in this field. Spot was quietly waiting. While sometimes picking up and eating plump bugs that came out when digging the ground with his long fangs. Thud thud thud- The ground shakes as something approaches. For a moment, Spot thought his new master, the snake, had returned. But it wasn''t. What wasing was a bug army. With a giant centipede at the lead, various bugs were pouring out of the forest. "Keeng keeng!" The frightened Spot whined. The white snake had entered the forest just before. He must have been eaten by those scary bugs. Spot was about to run away crying sadly. That''s when it happened. The white snake leaped up from the back of the centipede. The snakended precisely on Spot''s back. Before he could even be happy, the snake tapped its tail three times. It means run. Spot ran hard. The giant centipede ran alongside him. When the monkey forest was far away and the swamp area came into view, the snake stopped Spot. Then the centipede, who seemed to be the leader of the bugs, also stopped. The snake stood in front of the giant centipede, seeming to have a proud conversation. Spot realized at that moment. ''Ah, the master has finallye to control even these bugs.'' He clearly remembers that when the master reappeared, it was riding on the giant centipede. How powerful the bug army is here. And it''s clear that the giant centipede is an executive in the bug army. A deeper loyalty began to take root in Spot''s heart. == ¡¸Your bond with Fang Hyena Spot lv31 deepens.¡¹ ¡¸Spot bes more loyal to you.¡¹ Huh, what''s this? I was expressing deep gratitude to Mrs. Giant Centipede and wagging my tail when suddenly such messages appeared. I think I get it. Spot must have been moved by the fact that I''m close friends with the strong and excellent Mrs. Giant Centipede. I would feel the same if I were him. My evaluation of the giant centipede in my heart went up one more notch this time. I already knew she was strong, gentle, and an excellent mother of three siblings. But I didn''t know she had leadership as well. She seemed to y an executive role even in the bug army that opposes the primate monsters. However, the giant centipede didn''t make a recruitment offer to me. It can''t be helped, I guess, since I''m not a bug but a Crystal Double Horn Python. Chapter 53: The Snake Carrying Stars (2) "Keke, ke." I asked the giant centipede things I couldn''t ask earlier because the conversation with the monkeys ended too quickly. There was aplex drawing on the dirt ground in front of me. Since doodling has been my hobby since my human days, it should be quite easy to recognize. I drew a snake with a unique appearance. This is not me, but a snake described in Deshnan''s journal. The small snake drawn next to it is me. I alternately pointed at the small snake and the big snake. And then alternately pointed at the centipede triplets and Mrs. Giant Centipede. ''This snake is my father. Have you seen him by any chance?'' "As if she''d understand." And the giant centipede understood. "She understood this!" The centipede suddenly curled up her body. And somehow she seemed scared, nking her poison ws. She stared at me intently, then nodded. She looked towards the east where the sun rises. There was a rocky area that looked treacherous even at a nce. ''Is he there?'' The giant centipede nodded again. I felt excitement like sparks flying in my head. I''ve finally found my father''s whereabouts. My mother was an evil Medusa Serpent who turned disobedient children into blood pancakes, but my father is different. Yes, my father wasn''t a Medusa Serpent. When I realized this fact, which might be obvious, it was quite shocking. The reason they are called ''Medusa'' is because of the numerous thread snakes attached like hair. But if you think about it, all those thread snakes are directlyid children. They also have a female face. Naturally, only female Medusa Serpents exist. My biological father was a serpent, but not a Medusa Serpent. It was a much cooler name. The reason I want to meet my father was also because of that special species name. "It was an individual I had never seen before, a unique species." Pelerian exined so. A monster that has deviated from the normal monster evolution tree, a unique species. It means a species that has evolved and been reborn as apletely new species, not just a rare breed. "Don''t expect too much. Not all unique species are powerful and superior." Anyway, I want to at least take a look. I have a special skill called Billy''s Horn. ording to Deshnan''s records, my father, being a special monster, should have a special skill. If I''m lucky, I might be able to borrow it. I was about to say goodbye to the bug army and leave. "What''s that. It''s creepy." Bugs were crawling out from the swamp area. Is this some kind of wee party for the giant centipede and her group who finished fighting? I sensed something odd. ''They''re all spiders.'' The bugs were small in shape and size, but they were all spiders. Especially the big spider leading them. It had something like a human face attached to its belly. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Demon Face Tarant lv63] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ...That one looks dangerous. It seemed like I made eye contact with the face attached to its belly. "Kekekkek!" The giant centipede made a threatening sound and pushed me. It seemed to be telling me to leave quickly. "Saak!" I called Spot and quickly mounted him. And I set off towards the rocky area. "Woof!" Spot started running, barking refreshingly. We ran fast and got away from the bug army. At that moment, I nced back. The giant centipede and the face spider were facing each other, having a staredown. The atmosphere is ominous, as if they don''t get along. Oh, it''s looking at me again. The face attached to the body of the face spider seems to be looking at me. It''s an unpleasant face. It''s grinning with a grotesque smile, but its eyeballs are clearly directed at me. I''ve never had a good rtionship with spiders. I shook off that gaze and ran hard with Spot. It was when we were about to enter the rocky area that I noticed something strange. "There are many spiders around." Pelerian warned. The rocky area is not a suitable environment for spiders to live. Sharp rocks are protruding everywhere. Yet, spiders the size of fists were hovering around me. Although damp moss grows between the rocks, it''s not a ce where so many spiders can live. It''s been a long time since we''ve gone far enough not to see the centipede and the face spider. ''This isn''t a coincidence, is it?'' "How does it look to you?" ''They couldn''t have followed us from the swamp area.'' The spiders hovered around, watching from about ten steps away from me. While being wary of them, I searched for my father, but there were no snakes in the vast rocky area except me. A serpent of that size couldn''t go unnoticed. "Instead of looking for your father, we should find a hiding ce first." It got dark. When I tried to run away riding Spot, even Spot couldn''t gain proper speed in the rocky area. Moreover, the spiders blocked the route and slowly tightened their encirclement. At some point, spiders as big as wild dogs appeared. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Poison Long-legged Spider lv17] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ These are guys who wouldn''t dare to pounce on me one-on-one. But they started to slowly approach, sticking to the rocks. Eight eyeballs per spider. Hundreds of red eyes float in the darkness. All those eyes are looking at me. It''s like they''re driving prey for a hunt. They''re underestimating me. "Kyaeng!" That''s when Spot screamed. A fist-sized spider had jumped in to bite Spot. I quickly leaped and caught the spider in my mouth. When I crunched and chewed it up for revenge, Spot growled and watched the surroundings. "It''s dangerous." It''s quite dangerous. I had a suspicion that this might be the doing of the face spider I made eye contact with. Could it be that it noticed I took the orangutan''s fruit? There''s nothing I can figure out by racking my brains. Then I have no choice but to show my skills. Ullullullu. No, Ouroboros should havee himself if he wanted to do something to me. I drew my sword. And I started to create water sshes while spewing fire from my mouth. Of course, I also started shaking the ground through earth magic. The goblins of Lunga trembled at this sight. Rumble- The effect was excellent. The spiders approaching me started to retreat hesitantly. Rumble rumble- Was the basic elemental magic this powerful? It''s almost like an earthquake. At that moment, something blocked the moonlight and cast a shadow. A huge shadow covered me and grew rapidly, even covering the spiders. Only then. I realized there was someone behind me. Didn''t you run away because of me? I looked back. Ah. I wondered where you were hiding. Were you sleeping under the rocks from the beginning? The repetition of red light, green light that the spiders and I yed might have been on the body of a sleeping snake. That''s how huge that snake was. Thud, boom. The rocks covering the snake''s body fell, making a thunderous sound. He appeared. A thrill ran through me. His scales were the same white as mine. No, is it the color of starlight? The serpent with stars in its scales looked down at me with two eyes like the North Star. I carefully tried to address him. ''...Dad?'' Or father. Our eyes met. Chapter 54: The Snakes Lack of Filial Piety (1) They were either gathered like mere paper, or not just a small group of about a dozen individuals. When their numbers exceed hundreds, or when thousands or tens of thousands of monsters cluster like an insect army, a powerful leader is naturally needed for that group to function properly. Just as there''s a silver monkey in the primate group, there''s a swamp monster in the insect army. But an organization can''t function with just a leader. If a group has a certain scale, it needs an advisor to realistically carry out the leader''s will. The advisor of primate monsters is called the ''sage'', an old orangutan. The orangutan didn''t be an advisor because of its strength. It''s because of its high intelligence and excellentnguage skills. And the insect army also had an advisor. He was a spider. A Demon Face Tarant. A monster with a demon''s face floating on its plump belly. Themon point between the orangutan and the face spider is that they can speak. The face spider speaks with the mouth attached to its belly. And it can hear thoughts, understanding the thoughts of other monsters. The difference would bebat power. The strength of the Demon Face Tarant surpasses that of the Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede. Moreover, if you include the spiders it has subjugated and uses like limbs, it could truly be called the second-inmand of the insect army. Spiders and centipedes don''t get along well. Since the first persimmon ripened in the celestial orchard. It was an ill-fated rtionship that continued since the longest centipede and thergest spider started fighting, creating ake and mutually destroying each other. But the insects here managed to form a group. The spider and centipede formed an alliance under the dominion of the swamp monster. However, it couldn''t prevent the psychological warfare between the two insect monsters. nk, nk. The giant centipede shed its venomous ws, seemingly displeased. Not only centipedes were by her side. Beetles, various types of insects, crickets, bees, various kinds of monsters were behind the giant centipede. On the other hand, behind the face spider were only spiders, numerous types of spiders. The lips on the face protruding from the face spider''s belly moved grotesquely. "You shouldn''t have, let that snake, go alive." His voice had a strange resonance, as if hundreds of spiders were singing in chorus. "Small, but seemingly strong, monster. If eaten, it would have been, excellent nutrients." His voice, seeming to coo, was clearly criticizing the centipede. Thoughts were embedded in the face spider''s voice. While insects with lower intelligence might not understand what he''s saying, monsters with some sprouted intelligence would understand the meaning of this criticism. "We should, chase and, kill it!" "Kekeke..." A killing intent is felt in the giant centipede''s crying voice in response. She''s warning not to touch that snake. "The swamp, monster, won''t like it." The face spider also threatened the giant centipede. It wasn''t natural for the insects here to respect and follow the swamp monster out of affection. Only fear, fear of the overwhelmingly strong insect, was the centripetal force that gathered the insects. Indeed, when the spider mentioned the swamp monster, some insects became afraid. "Keuruk." The centipede raised its body. It meant it wouldn''t listen anymore. ''What kind of rtionship does it have with that snake?'' The face spider became curious. If he insisted more on eradication, he would have to fight the centipede. But in fact, there was no need for that. The small spider he had sent with the centipede to the monkeys had alreadye back and tipped him off. That the snake had taken two unripe fruits that the orangutan had. If he told this, it would be a justification to catch and kill the snake. Even the giant centipede wouldn''t be able to keep insisting. "I will, remember, this." But the face spider just gave the centipede a disadvantageous position and stopped. Why would he reveal the existence of the fruit? If he took it secretly, it would be the face spider''s. He had already sent his subordinates. Through the three eyeballs he was closing, the sight of the subordinates chasing the snake was shared. ''Rocky area.'' What a foolish snake. Of all ces, it went to the rocky area? ''That thing'' lives there. Of course, that thing just sleeps buried in the rocks all day long. It probably doesn''te out easily, so even the swamp monster and the silver monkey leave it alone. That''s what he naturally thought, but. ''...What.'' No way. How could that thing raise its body under the moonlight. ''Retreat-!'' From that far distance, the face spider ordered his minions to retreat. But it was already toote. Puh-buh-buhk! As the view went dark, three of the eight eyes burst open on their own. Yellow liquid flowed from the burst eyes. Baby spiders gathered around worriedly. The face spider caught these small ones with his small front legs and put them in his mouth. The startled small ones scattered. ''What on earth...'' The minions he had carefully raised died, even harming the face spider. It will take time to recover this loss. He burned with sticky anger. == ''I am the one born in the shadows who even earned the title of zookeeper. I have watched, tamed, and killed numerous monsters. But that serpent, that giant snake, was one of the most beautiful monsters I have ever seen. It''s not the strongest. Even here, the white monkey or the swamp insect would be more powerful than that child. But in terms of inherent beauty, it''s iparable to the serpent. Its scales sparkle like starlight, and its profound eyes seem like the North Star of the sky has been embedded in them. Even the ferocious Medusa Serpent would dance a courtship dance for her husband. It was worth it. Even monsters ofpletely different species followed that serpent. That child was a unique species. The progenitor who twisted its own evolutionary trajectory to be reborn as a new species. A snake chasing the North Star. Its name is..." ¡¸From Deshnan''s Breeding Journal¡¹ == ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pris Serpent lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That is my father. That name I saw in Deshnan''s breeding journal. Pris, the North Star. The guide for all ships navigating the ocean. That name was attached as a prefix to the serpent. It was impossible to imagine what kind of monster my father was just from the name. To be honest, I had the unfilial thought of ''What kind of pretentious name is that?'' But now that I see my father in person, I immediately understood the meaning of that name. Look at those eyes immersed in mncholy. Eyes as if three North Stars have risen in the sky. The figure of my father looking up at the sky serenely was like a young captain searching for the North Star. If you ask how I can feel such things from a snake, I''d like to tell you toe and see for yourself. Even if I focus my eyes, I can hardly get any detailed information. It was even more difficult than with Gunter. Chapter 55: The Snakes Lack of Filial Piety (2) I barely confirmed one title. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Title] Big and Cool Snake ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What an intuitive title. Only then did I realize how my mother and father came together. Medusa Mom was, to put it bluntly, probably a ''face-con''. "How can a snake be that handsome?" That''s right. Pris Serpent was more handsome than any monster I''ve seen. The reason Deshnan creepily said it was ''beautiful'' wasn''t just because he was a pervert, but because it was actually beautiful in appearance. Even excluding the eyes and scales that shine like starlight, its perfect sculptural beauty seemed to steal one''s soul. It''s also enormously big. It''s definitely huge evenpared to Medusa Mom, so I don''t know how they even met. Even the spiders were surprised by my father''s appearance. The ones that were slinking backward stopped in their tracks. As if their souls had been stolen. It was at that moment that my father''s tail moved. It was a light swipe, like a person swatting a fly. Kwaaang! I floated up andnded from the impact of the tail hitting the ground. Looking back, all the spiders had converted from 3D to 2D. It meant they had been ttened. A familiar thrill ran up my back. Tail pancaking wasn''t a unique skill of just Medusa Mom. The surviving spiders finally started to flee. My father didn''t chase after the spiders indecently. He just slightly opened his dignified mouth. Light starts to shine from inside his mouth. I don''t like doing this repeatedly, but once again a thrill runs through my whole body. It''s because I''ve noticed what he''s trying to do. No way, that''s something only allowed for dragons, not snakes. Kiiing! A beam of light spewed from my father''s mouth and burned the fleeing spiders. That''s definitely a breath attack. "It''s a destruction beam!" Pelerian eximed. No, a destruction beam is cool in its own way. Come to think of it, the golems in Pelerian''s dungeon also had the destruction beam skill. Could those golems shoot such beams too? "It probably wouldn''t have that much output. More importantly, it''s certain..." Pelerian''s tone was amused. "It has a magical charm. It''s probably a unique ability of that serpent." No matter how handsome my father is, there was no reason for spiders of a different species to freeze like ice. Pelerian seemed to see the reason as the Pris Serpent''s ability. "It''s probably a mental ability rted to fascination." Of course, it didn''t work on me who has the Indomitable trait. My father looked down at me as if seeing something strange. Is it strange that I''m not fascinated by his appearance? Or has he recognized that I''m his child? My father lowered his huge head and came close to me. He''s even more handsome up close. I thought my appearance was cool for a snake, but it''s trivialpared to my father. "Be careful. Though it would be useless if that guy decides to do something." Pelerian gave advice that was worse than not giving any. Even if I use my strongest technique, Heavenly Thunder Spirit, it would just tickle my father. That''s how overwhelming the power difference is. But for some reason, I wasn''t scared. That''s because I couldn''t feel any hostility from him. The emotion in my father''s deep blue eyes was clearly curiosity. He flicks his tongue, shururit. Being a snake, I can understand the meaning of that action. He''s smelling. Father, I have returned. I tried to look at my father''s status window all this time. As with Gunter, I focused my eyes and concentrated. But it was useless. As if he had firmly closed the door of his heart, I couldn''t even know my father''s level. "Shururit." I also flicked my tongue simr to my father. Somehow, I feel a sense of warmth. Is it because our blood is connected? Father, your son has returned here. ¡¸The bloodline responds.¡¹ It wasn''t a misconception. I ryed the message I just heard to Pelerian. "Bloodline response? Your mother, the Medusa Serpent, wasn''t originally a monster that properly raised its offspring... Is it because this one is a different breed?" It seems my father has recognized me. I sensed my future. Like Bowingie, Big Eyes, and Big Head, I too will now ride on my father''s back. Then there would be nothing to fear. As long as we don''t meet Gunter! But the happy future I dreamed of didn''te. ¡¸Pris Serpent feels fear.¡¹ ¡¸Bloodline response is terminated.¡¹ My father raised his head as if startled. And he started to fidget as if embarrassed. He turned his head as if looking for someone. Don''t tell me he thinks mom is around? Before I could deliver the sad news, my father suddenly turned his body and started to flee. Where are you going! I instinctively tried to chase after my father. But maybe because of the difference in weight ss? My father was incredibly fast. Not only that. Whoosh, and my father disappeared. He was nowhere to be seen. There''s no way he could hide that huge body, but it feels like he evaporated. After looking around, I asked Pelerian. ''Did he teleport?'' Don''t tell me father was also a Magic Serpent. A high-level magic snake... But Pelerian firmly denied it. ''Teleport was a high-level magic that could be used by only a handful of magicians even in my time. There''s no way a snake monster could use it.'' He might be able to use it! When I asked what happened then, even Pelerian couldn''t answer clearly. "If it was invisibility, we would have felt its presence... Try using magic detection." I did so. But there was nothing particrly visible. I pondered for a moment and decided to take it lightly. I''ll find him again sometime. If my father was trying to eat me, that would be different, but if he ran away because he was scared, there was nothing for us to be afraid of. Dreaming of a future where I ride on my father''s back someday, let''s go back for today. Looking back, Spot was so scared that he had his head stuck in a rock crevice. I pulled Spot''s tail. Spot jumped up, recognized me, and started licking my face. ''Let''s go back for now.'' Anyway, we have some harvest. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Unripe Root Fruit of the World Tree] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Two fruits. I wonder what these are that''s making the monsters go crazy. I should try eating one. Chapter 56: A Visitor on a Rainy Night (1) What''s the scent of the fruit like? It''s extraordinary. Could this be the fragrance of ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods? It makes my mouth water involuntarily. Even though I''m primarily a carnivore, to think it could emit such a tempting aroma. Fortunately, I kept it in my subspace storage. Now that I think about it, when I met the monkeys, there was also a sense that something smelled good. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Unripe Root Fruit of the World Tree] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ As it''s described as ''unripe'', it probably won''t have the full effects of a fully ripe fruit. Naturally, the fragrance would be less intense too. Even so, it''s truly magical. I must, I must eat it now. ¡¸Due to the trait ''Indomitable'', you are immune to mental attacks.¡¹ It was as if I''d been doused with cold water, my mind suddenly clear. Mental attack? It seems certain that this fruit''s fragrance has the power to attract monsters. "As expected of the World Tree." Pelerian eximed in admiration. "To think I''d be able to directly observe the festival before my very eyes." ''Isn''t the World Tree supposed to be some kind of sacred tree?'' I asked, bewildered. ''It seems a bit odd for a sacred tree to attract monsters with mental attacks like this.'' "What''s sacred is sacred, but that doesn''t mean sacred things are good. Evil gods are still gods, aren''t they? If everything sacred were good, there would be no evil in the world." Pelerian posed a theological question. Actually, that''s not my concern, but it suddenly made sense that the World Tree doesn''t need to be good. ''Well, fairies are said to be born from the World Tree too.'' "What." The fruit was right there in front of me. There was no reason to hesitate any longer. Crunch. I bit into it and swallowed it whole. Ah, it''s not just the aroma that''s good. How can this be called an unripe fruit? The appropriately stic flesh crunched like an apple. And then a sweet and tangy juice spread throughout my mouth. It''s truly a heavenly fruit. ¡¸Your body stiffens.¡¹ Didn''t they say you ''stop'' when you eat the fruit? It really was true. My body wouldn''t move. I should eat it in a safe ce next time. The effects of the fruit gradually became apparent. ¡¸The unripe root fruit of the World Tree burns away the impurities in your body.¡¹ It feels like my insides are boiling. It''s like the feeling of secretly taking a swig of the cheap whiskey from father''s cab. I felt a burning heat, and then. "Urgh." Something pitch ck came out through my mouth. "You filthy thing." Surprisingly, my insides felt refreshingly clear. ¡¸Inefficient body structures are being improved.¡¹ The real effects of the World Tree''s root fruit came after that. Inefficient structure. No living being can evolve to be perfectly efficient. Even though the average human lifespan exceeds 70 years, the natural lifespan of teeth is only 40 years. The airway and esophagus are unnecessarily connected, causing people to choke to death even while eating rice cakes. I, the ''Crystal Double Horn Python'', also have inefficient body structures. Despite being able to use poison scales, the venom nds are only inside the head. This limits the amount of venom that can be secreted. What about the teeth? Unlike other snakes, even though I can bite and tear, inevitably some teeth break. When teeth break, I have to wait until the next evolution for them to be restored. ¡¸Now broken teeth fall out and grow back.¡¹ And that ''inefficiency'' has been improved. My gums are tingling. In the case of sharks, whenever a tooth breaks, a new one grows from underneath. That''s how it''s be for me too. ¡¸As the fruit was unripe, the effect is diminished.¡¹ If this is the diminished effect, I was amazed. When I exined what I had just experienced to Pelerian, he was also amazed. "It''s a discovery, a great discovery! So that''s why monsters that survive the festival be so strong." ''Indeed!'' "The improvement of inefficient body structures. The grace of the World Tree is truly remarkable." The World Tree seems somewhat dubious, but it''s undeniably amazing. Right now, it''s just teeth growing back, but what if I ate a truly ripe fruit instead of an unripe one? And what if the efficient improvements were really powerful? For example, if small venom nds were to grow on each and every scale... Then I wouldn''t be able to hug or make friends. That''s a problem. "However, it''s certainly different from what I knew. Perhaps the effects of the World Tree''s fruit aren''t limited to this. Or maybe each fruit has different effects." If that''s the case, there could be fun in collecting fruits. I looked at the remaining fruit. There''s the option of simply swallowing it. But it seems there might be another use for it. ''We could use this to train monsters, couldn''t we?'' "Given how tempting the fragrance is... it might even be addictive." It''s a fruit with the ability of ''Charm'', no less. With just a few more of these fruits, I might be able topletely subjugate the monsters in the indoor zoo. But I also feel reluctant to share it. ''At times like this, there''s always a n.'' "A n? What n?" ¡¸Using sh lv2.¡¹ I cut the fruit in half with my tail. Eat one half, and use the remaining half to train the monsters. A truly snake-like cunning move. "That was just nonsense." I quickly gulped down the half of the fruit. == Training monsters with half an unripe fruit. To describe the result in one word. It was a ''great sess''. Pelerian''s exnation of the three elements of taming were ''affection, respect, and fear''. But I seeded in supplementing that outdated theory. It should be four elements, not three. Adding ''desire''. "Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff." A monster stuck out its tongue, panting roughly, and showed its submission by exposing its belly to me. That loyal creature wasn''t Spot. Spot had already eaten one-third of the half fruit, which is one-sixth of a whole fruit, and was gantly carrying me. Spot always had his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, drooling. But it seems the one-sixth of the fruit slightly increased his intelligence. Even now his tongue is out, but his eyes have be sharper. No, maybe he''s just putting on airs because his rank has risen. "Whine, whine." The one exposing its belly in front of me is the ''Smoke White Fox lv19''. I quite like its white fur color. It had been acting so haughty that it was about to be my meal, but now it''spletely changed its attitude. Chapter 57: A Visitor on a Rainy Night (2) All the monsters that had survived in the indoor zoo were now out of their cages. ''Fox.'' The piece of fruit, one-twelfth of the whole, held in my tail. I''m not sure what''s so great about it, but the fox seems absolutely crazy about it. ''Swear your loyalty first.'' I activated taming once again. Now I''m almost out of magical power. ¡¸Using Taming lv7.¡¹ ¡¸Sessfully tamed Frost White Fox lv19.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of the achievement ''Monster Leader'' has increased.¡¹ Oh! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Monster Leader] You have tamed more than 20 monsters. Your control over tamed monsters has strengthened. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That''s right. I seeded in taming all 20 or so monsters remaining in the indoor zoo. I''ve admirably rescued the poor monsters that were dying in cages. Of course, there''s no need to mention that there were originally about 50 of them. I threw the fruit piece to the white fox. The fox quickly ate the fruit and started doing somersaults in the air. Thick smoke that obscured vision began to pour out of its excited body. ''Ugh, you there.'' Where I pointed, an owl was tilting its head curiously. ''Clear away this smoke.'' The owl didn''t understand my words for a while, but when the smoke reached it, it finally started pping its wings. "It''s aplete mess, an utter mess." There was no exaggeration in Pelerian''s expression. I could see that too. As I felt when I first tamed the baby centipedes, taming doesn''t mean immediate control. Few of them understood my words literally. Spot was the only one who understood a little. ''I might need an advisor too.'' It seems there was a reason why the monkeys had a wise orangutan leading them. But among the twenty monsters, there were none that could speak or had intelligence. Ah, they''re making a mess, pooping everywhere. I put the monsters back in their cages. "Hiss!" It took quite some time and effort. I thought I was like Zhuge Liang, but it seems I''m more like Cao Cao, a hero of the chaotic times. I wonder if there''s a brilliant advisor like Xun Yu around somewhere. == "I''m sorry, so sorry..." The old orangutan bowed his head so low it almost touched the ground. The other primates gathered there did the same. None had the courage to raise their head and look at the leader''s face. The orangutan, the sage, only looked at the king''s feet as he walked. Step, step. Those footsteps weren''t too heavy. The leader sometimes looked like a gori, sometimes like a baboon. The fact that he walked upright just like a human. And the fact that his arms were so long they almost dragged on the ground was noticeable. The leader turned around. Showing his back meant he was allowing them to speak. The orangutan raised his head. The leader''s appearance was revealed. A chimpanzee covered in silver fur. That''s why the king''s name was ''Silverback Akims.'' The leader of this ce. "The insects, they took them. Two fruits..." Though he had seen the snake take them, the orangutan reported it this way. Knowing that the leader would be angry. "Grooar-!" It was a roar like thunder. It felt like their ears would burst, but no one dared to cover them. "Kill, the insects." The king spoke for the first time. It was a deration of all-out war. "Pull out that big one, from the swamp-." There was only one monster that could match Silverback Akims. The swamp monster, the leader of the insect army. But how could they pull that monster out of the swamp? It was an impossible order, but. "We will do so." The orangutan answered thus, fearing death. "And, the gori..." The gori who had been captured by the shadow fairy. She had returned with the snake, and that snake had stolen the fruits the orangutan was keeping. But fearing the leader''s anger if he heard this fact, the orangutan hid the fact that the gori had brought the snake. "She has returned. What, shall we do with her?" The trembling gori with fearful eyes. She had tried to run away when the insects attacked. But now she had been caught again. And Silverback Akims turned to look at the gori. A bright red face. And a protruding snout with sharp, pointed teeth. For a moment, she hoped that maybe the leader would ept her back. But it was not to be. The leader pounced on the gori. Thump! The gori felt an excruciating pain. The leader''s mouth, which had passed over her, held the gori''s right arm. Her left army on the floor. "Gwaaaa!" She had lost both arms in an instant. Blood spurted out, soaking the floor. "Weak ones, not needed." Silverback Akims ordered. "Exile." == A rainy night. Wooong. While sleeping, I heard a strange sound from somewhere. I thought it might be Pelerian snoring, but then I remembered he had gone into the ring. Then is it Spot? Woooong. No, it''s the sound of cryinging from outside. Who''s making that unlucky wailing! I jumped up. Knock, knock, knock. The knocking sound is clear too. Spot also gets up from his spot and growls. I think I smell blood too. I flung the door open, ready to repel the intruder. ''Aaargh!'' I''ve seen many things I shouldn''t have, but I was startled by the nighttime visitor. It was Mrs. Gori. You''re alive! But both her arms are gone. "Woooo, snaaake..." She was sobbing loudly. I realized how she had knocked. She had hit the door with her forehead. "Woooo, woooo! Can I...e in...?" A woman who has lost her way,ing to my house crying on a rainy day. It''s like a scene from a drama. Except that it''s a female gori. Come in for now. I let the gori into the room. She''s a good gori who kept her faith in me. I quickly took out a potion and sprayed it on her injured arms. Along with the thought that I might have found the owner of the prosthetic arms that Deshnan had. Chapter 58: Like Father, Like Son (1) Making potions without the help of goblins was a very cumbersome task. It was the same even now that I couldmand monsters. The absence of Nanaluk, who understood my words so well and acted with finesse, felt this empty. Right now, Nanaluk would be conquering the goblin tribe in the great forest. Valiantly, like Alexander the Great. But I still hadn''t heard that my title of Ouroboros had risen in rank. Well, it''s only natural since it hasn''t even been a month since we parted. Anyway, I used the fairly valuable potion generously on the gori. "Kuoooong, family, wooong! My arm... was torn off...!" The goridy seemed more shocked by the fact that she was driven out of her group than by the pain in her arm. Come to think of it, considering how she had said she would ept me as family and give me love, it''s understandable that she would feel betrayed. And I was feeling a bit guilty. Of course, it wasn''t my fault that the gori ended up like this, but because of that ferocious leader who was a crazy monkey. At that time, while fighting in the monkey forest, I lost track of the gori at some point. "Woooong." ''Stop crying.'' I made a gesture to close her mouth. I should be calm too. When acting cool, just imitate Steel Gunter. ''You can stay here. I''ll even attach your arm if you want.'' Actually, I needed the goridy anyway. This gori can speak. She seems much more intelligentpared to other monsters. I''m sorry to say this to Spot, but I need a smart subordinate. ¡¸Using Taming lv7.¡¹ If she bes my subordinate! The goridy looked at me with a start. "Are you... epting me... as family...?" It''s not family, but subordinate. I nodded for now. "Thank you..." ¡¸Sessfully tamed Strong Arm Gori lv40!¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency of Taming lv7 rises rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Taming lv7 has be Taming lv8.¡¹ The skill level has risen. It seems this monster wasn''t so easy to tame. "Should I... be your sister...?" ''No.'' Last time when she mentioned being a mother, I hit her with my tail, and now she''s talking about being a sister. "Ah, I see..." ''Yes, you are my subordinate. And an advisor.'' "Umm..." ''Hmm...'' I noticed a bitte. The gori answered as if she understood my words. ''Advisor.'' ¡¸You have named the Strong Arm Gori lv40 ''Advisor''.¡¹ ''Huh, I just called her that.'' "Is that... my name...?" ¡¸Strong Arm Gori Advisor lv40 likes her name.¡¹ ¡¸Your bond with the tamed monster deepens.¡¹ Well, if she likes it. ''Can you understand my thoughts?'' "More or... less..." Could it be the effect of taming? Come to think of it, Spot seems to understand my instructions better these days. It might be the effect of the skill. However, most monsters couldn''t even grasp my thoughts at all. It might be possible because the gori has high intelligence, or high aptitude. ''This is about 0.7 Nanaluk.'' Unfortunately, it wasn''t at the level of understanding like a ghost like Nanaluk. Anyway, I got an intelligent advisor without arms. ''You need arms, right?'' Now it was time to attach arms to the armless advisor. "Mmm...!" I brought a prosthetic arm that was lying around in the disy case. A huge prosthetic that an ordinary human could never use. It seems this junk has finally found its owner. ''It might hurt, but bear with it.'' "Huh, huk!" To attach the prosthetic, a 15cm long needle had to be inserted into the severed shoulder. I learned for the first time that day that a gori''s face could turn pale too. == It was a sudden event. When that message rang out. ¡¸An unripe fruit has grown on a nearby root.¡¹ Until now, all the messages I''ve heard were about myself or something right in front of my eyes. But to even inform me that fruit has grown on a World Tree root that sprouted somewhere around me. Judging by how all the monsters around me raised their heads at that moment, it seems other monsters felt it too. Saliva started flowing from the monsters'' mouths reflexively. It''s because they''ve already tasted the fruit. There''s an expression ''White Tiger on the left, Azure Dragon on the right''. If I were to revise it to fit my current situation, it would be something like ''Gori on the left, Hyena on the right''. The Strong Arm Gori Advisor lv40 has now truly be a monster worthy of the modifier "Strong Arm". ''Let''s go!'' When I shout like that, she immediately understands and roars. "Let''s-gooooo-!" "Awoooooo!" Spot howls as if not to be outdone. Twenty monsters under mymand ran down that hill. At the bottom of the hill, one root had sprouted, and three fruits had grown on that sprouted root. Looking at the orange color, they''re still unripe fruits. But that sweet scent spreads up to here on top of the hill. I jumped up onto the gori''s back. I was nning to check just how strong she had be. It seems the gori was a stronger monster than I thought. She soared up in one breath. That leaping power is so strong, it feels almost like flying. We descend for a while, as high as we went up. Along with that heavy weight, she strikes down the monsters crawling on the ground with her newly acquired arm. Kwaaang! What''s swarming on the ground is a swarm of insects. It seems they''re monsters belonging to the insect army. Even though we rushed as soon as the fruit appeared, the insects were already approaching the root. Could they be subordinates of King Centipede? But in this wilderness, we can''t survive by considering all that. Cat-sized locusts jump up over the rising dust. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ck Sawtooth Locust lv21] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Those creepy things, five, no, seven of them. I thought about stepping in, but it seems I can trust the gori for now. She was a warrior with more romance than I expected. That is, she knows how to shout technique names. "La-ri-at!" She spins around with both arms spread. Is that really ariat? But the rotation of that hunk of metal wasparable to a storm. Pububububuk! The locusts burst, spraying purple juice. Excellent. With both strength and intelligence high. Comparing to the Three Kingdoms, she might unexpectedly be a talent like Cao Ren. The number of insects gathered here was more than us, but their quality was much lower. My crew ''Beasts of the Zoo'' easily defeated the swarm of the insect army. Honestly, I felt a bit relieved. Because there weren''t any very strong enemies. My subordinates were already crowded around the root. But then, the gori leaped towards the root. A Seven-legged Lizard lv16 that was climbing the root without hesitation suddenly snatched one fruit. The Gori Advisor grabbed the lizard''s tail. "No... way!" Kwang! The advisor mmed down the lizard while holding its tail. Spot caught the fruit that popped out of its mouth. Spot, very admirably, brought that fruit to me instead of chewing and swallowing it. And the gori, to the lizard that dared to try to lick it first. "Punishment...!" Bang! She patted its head. The lizard retreated in a hurry with its head dented. Is that not dying? Anyway, the gori seemed to be an advisor with a clear system of rewards and punishments. This much was an excellent recruitment of talent. Chapter 59: Like Father, Like Son (2) Three fruits were ced in front of me. By the way, the Beasts of the Zoo crew is a dictatorship. The leader gets ownership of all the fruits. Of course, it was the same for the insect army and the primate family. The gori, ustomed to that system, had no questions about me monopolizing all the fruits. It''s a wee thing. I eat one fruit first. My body stiffened for a moment, but no one touches the fruits. ¡¸The unripe root fruit of the World Tree burns away the impurities in your body.¡¹ The purification effect was no longer particrly helpful to me. ¡¸Inefficient body structure is improved.¡¹ But this has a definite effect. ¡¸Your venom nds be stronger, allowing you to secrete more venom.¡¹ The venom nds in my head twitch. Hmm, the fruit I ate this time showed the same effect as the previous one. And I put one in my subspace. ''I''ll use this one.'' The gori nodded as if it was natural. What shocked her was what I did next. I held out the remaining fruit. And I cut it in half with my tail and threw it to the gori. ''You eat half, and distribute the rest to the others ording to their merits...'' "Kuoooooong!" The gori wailed before I could finish speaking. "Woooo! Thank-you-!" ''Is it that touching?'' It seems clear that the monkey group was just family in name, but closer tobor exploitation. "Really... thank... you!" ''Yeah, yeah.'' Spot looked disappointed, but this time the gori''s activity was clearly high. "Well, you''re making a big deal out of giving one out of three. After gobbling up two by yourself." ''I''m not going to eat one of them.'' I made that point clear to Pelerian. I entrusted the gori with themand of the other monsters. ''Wait here. Until I return.'' "Where''s... the boss... going?" ''I''m going to that rocky area.'' I raised my tail to point at the rocky area. "Big and cool snake there... Boss, die." ''It''s okay.'' "Why go?" ''I''m going to meet family.'' That''s how I answered. That one word seemed to touch something in the goridy''s heart. She pounded her chest. "Good... luck!" I didn''t expect her to say it so solemnly. The monsters saw me off. I headed towards the rocky area. Unlikest time, no spider trackers followed me this time. I took out a fruit from my subspace. Yeah,st time my father suddenly ran away when he saw me. Because I absolutely wanted to ride on my father''s back, I prepared a fruit this time. "This is exciting." Even Pelerian was excited. ''Pris Serpent'' was a rare monster that excited even a great magician. The fruit that emits a scent that bewitches monsters'' minds. Will it catch my father too? It was when I arrived at the rocky area. I looked around for a while, but my father was nowhere to be seen. Just as I was starting to think he might have left for good. Kugugugugung! My father appeared, raising his body from within the pile of rocks. Another dramatic entrance. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pris Serpent lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ As expected, nothing is visible except the name. "Saaaaak!" I called out to my father. That your son has returned here! With the delicious World Tree fruit! But my father didn''t look at me. He just looked around as if searching for someone again. Only after confirming that no one else was there did he look at me. The shocking thing happened next. ¡¸Where''s... your mother...?¡¹ Father spoke. No, is that speech? "It''s thought transmission! Amazing! As expected of a higher species!" It''s difficult for us snakes to speak properly due to our oral structure. It might be something like the inner sound transmission or six harmonies voice transmission that appears in martial arts novels. I couldn''t imitate that skill, so I had no choice but to exin using bodynguage. With the most solemn expression possible, I raised my tail and slid it across the front of my neck. ''She passed away.'' I didn''t expect father to shed tears. ¡¸Phew.¡¹ Huh, wait. Isn''t that a sigh of relief? Perhaps because he noticed me looking at him strangely. Suddenly, father started looking up at the night sky. The glittering in his eyes was clearly tears. Tuk, tuduk. Ice fragments fall to the ground. Amazingly, he''s shedding tears made of ice. It wasn''t the time to argue whether snakes can cry or not because we have membranes over our eyes. ¡¸You... my child?¡¹ Father looked down at me. Yes, that''s right. I held up the fruit. Father slowly lowered his head towards me. Father''s heading right up to my nose. Did he take interest in the fruit? A gap appeared. Actually, I had a n that I had hesitated about. Wondering if I should try using ''Taming'' which had risen to level 8. He might get angry. It probably won''t work anyway. So I just pondered it for a moment. ¡¸Pris Serpent used ''Taming lv10''.¡¹ ''...'' I didn''t expect him to make the first move. ¡¸Immune to mental attacks due to the trait ''Indomitable''.¡¹ Of course, it doesn''t work on me. ¡¸Sorry...¡¹ Clear embarrassment is felt. Oh well, whatever! ¡¸Using Taming lv8.¡¹ ¡¸Failed to tame ''Pris Serpent''.¡¹ I''m sorry. I bowed my head. Pelerian observed the situation and made ament. "Like father, like son." An awkward silence lingered. == After the snake left for the rocky area. All the monsters belonging to the Beasts of the Zoo waited endlessly for their master. A leader who leads monsters must be strong. And must be able to feed its members. The snake was an excellent leader in that regard. The monsters respected and loved the snake because it took good care of their food. The monsters feared the snake because, despite its small size, it had defeated every monster it had met so far. But now the situation was different. The snake went to meet the ''big and cool snake''. "Kyung, kyung." Spot barked at the gori. The gori gave a bitter smile. "Yes, it''s, no different, from, suicide..." To the monsters, it seemed the snake had gone to die. The ''big and cool snake''. Although weaker than the Silverback Akims and the swamp monster, it''s a monster that even those two strong ones don''t dare to confront carelessly. Larger than anyone, possessing a terrible destruction beam. The snake said it was going to meet family, but could it reallye back alive? No, even the gori didn''t think so. "Kyung!" "You say... we should go... rescue?" The gori shook her head at Spot'' suggestion. "The boss said... he''de back." The gori decided to wait. "I believe... in the promise... of family." Because the new family, the new leader, promised to return. Before they knew it, it had be a dark night. It was when everyone was sitting down, tired of waiting. Drrrr- The ground shook. Could it be an earthquake? Or has a new World Tree root sprouted? "Awoooooo!" Spot'' howl woke up the monsters. "Awooooooo!" It''s a howl of joy. Noticing this, the gori quickly ran to Spot'' side. And the gori too let out a roar of joy. "Kuwooooooo-!" A giant snake is approaching this way. If that was all, it would be something to fear. But surprisingly, a small snake was riding on top of the giant snake''s head. "Baaaaam-! Booooss!" The boss was returning riding the big and cool snake. Chapter 60: The Great Reversal of Level 1 Background (1) Father, how has the Pris Serpent lived? Was he also born as a small Little Green Snake? Or was he born white like me? It''s impossible to imagine hisrval stage from that massive and majestic form. Being a snake, he probably didn''t start out grand. There''s a high chance he started as a small, weak thread snake. After birth, he likelypeted with his siblings for food. Maybe he even killed a few uncles or aunts to survive. I''ve seen the ferocity of baby snakes myself. After surviving that, he would have left his parents'' side. ording to Pelerian, there aren''t many snakes with strong paternal or maternal instincts. It''s different from centipedes that carry their young. Even Medusa Mom didn''t do much beyond minimal nurturing. If Gunter hadn''te looking, and if we had grown too big to cling to our mother''s scalp, Mother would have sent us out into the wild and returned to being bald. Father would have grown. Most snakes end their lives no differently from ordinary wild animals. It''s no exaggeration to say that the Giant Green Snake is the final evolution that ordinary snake monsters experience. But at some point, Father must have taken a different path. White scales stand out in the great forest. For such a monster to survive, it must be strong. When that body became as massive as it is now, And when he could spew beams from his mouth to burn enemies, He probably became the strongest monster ruling over a forest. And then he met Mother. I tried to imagine what that romance was like. The romance of snakes. My parents'' romance. ''Hmm...'' Actually, I don''t know anything about romance. How did my parents from my previous life meet again? Ah, I remember. Father had aplex. He was missing the index and middle fingers of his left hand. To me, it didn''t seem like something to be so ashamed of, but Father was always embarrassed by this disability. He always wore fake fingers made of silicon, called ''prosthetics''. When he first met Mother and was building a good rtionship, Father said he was inwardly rotting away. Even by the third date, he still hadn''t told her about his fingers. He really liked the bold and pretty Mother. He was afraid of what expression she would make if she found out he was missing his index and middle fingers. So Father always walked only on Mother''s left side. Only holding hands with his right hand, hiding his left hand in his chest when sitting opposite her, keeping it in a fist. Somehow, he wasn''t found out. No, that''s just what he thought. Mother sensed the awkwardness in Father''s behavior. Even as she grew older, she was originally the type to be a strong woman. The moment she stood on Father''s left side, Father awkwardly moved to Mother''s left side again. When this was repeated, Mother boldly grabbed Father''s left hand. Busted. Instead of shouting "What''s this!", Motherughed. ''What? I thought you were actually married and hiding a wedding ring or something.'' ''Ah, hahaha...'' ''If you hide anything from me in the future, you''re dead.'' I''m not sure what lovable quality he found in that line. Father fell in love with Mother, and they eventually got married. Instead, Mother''s personality was extraordinary, so Father ended up living a tightly controlled life. The fiery love eventually led to fiery discord. Perhaps (current) Father had a simr romance. When Medusa Mom said she fell head over heels for a human hero, Father let out a long sigh. I''m not sure if that was a sigh of relief. Of course, he shed icy tears right after. Since they fought and broke up, there must be some backstory. Anyway, after exchanging one taming skill each with Father, we seem to havee to an understanding. Father came back with me riding on his back. That feeling was really amazing. The sensation of looking down on everything on the ground. It was apletely different dimension from flying. The massive Father supported me firmly. Since Father couldn''t enter the indoor zoo, he stayed outside the house on the cliff. And I discovered an amazing fact. Father disappeared somewhere every time he went to sleep. It wasn''t teleportation or invisibility. I would go to sleep ande out the next morning to find Father had returned. Spending time with Father was added to my daily routine. Of course, we weren''t having cheerful father-son chats. I was being taught snakebat techniques. ''Like this?'' I whipped my tail in the air. It was practice for ''tail whipping''. Considering that ordinary snakes don''t use a ''tail whipping'' technique, this must be a skill unique to monsters. ''Is this right?'' I looked up at Father. Father shook his head. It seemed that wasn''t quite it. He was the taciturn type and rarely spoke. Instead, he demonstrated. He raises hisrge tail. Then, as if riding a wave from his spine, he moves with a fluid motion and whips the air with his tail. As that wave continues to the tip of his tail, it elerates like a whip for an instant. Boom! It was no different from the sound of thunder. At the moment the tail tip bent at the impact point, there was clearly a sonic boom breaking the speed of sound. An incredible technique. It seems he didn''t be a Pris Serpent just because of his looks. I repeated the technique Father showed me several times. I seem to be gradually getting the hang of it. And finally, when I whipped my tail in the air, I heard the sound I wanted. Whack! As expected, the important thing is to give a wave to the body. I needed a technique to use my tail like a whip. Whack! Crack! I happily made cracking sounds. Father watched me intently. And these actions were not in vain. Because... ¡¸You have acquired the skill ''Tail Whip lv1''.¡¹ What I learned from Father actually formed into real skills. Not everything you learn automatically creates a skill. But seeing skills like tail whipping being created one after another, I wonder if this is because it''s an easy skill for snakes to learn. In other words, I''m being taught snake techniques by a snake who has been through thick and thin. This tail whipping is not a skill to be taken lightly. ¡¸Using Poison Scales lv2.¡¹ ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv1.¡¹ Whack! It''s like wielding a whip with sharp ss shards attached, and even coated with poison. I now have an excellent closebat attack method besides biting. The next thing to learn is... Of course, the destruction beam. Chapter 61: The Great Reversal of Level 1 Background (2) I asked Father to teach me the destruction beam. But Father yawned big as if sleepy andy down. At times like this, no matter how much I beg, he won''t get up. I wonder if he would get up if I used Heavenly Thunder Spirit. "He''s doing a decent job of being a father." Pelerian looked at Father lying down with a nk expression. He seemed to be lost in thought. Is he thinking about his child? As far as I know, he didn''t have any children. ''That''s unexpected.'' "What is?" I''ve been with Pelerian for quite a while. I''ve more or less figured out his tendencies. ''I thought you''d tell me to quickly dispatch Father.'' In the cruel great forest, the weak cannot survive. Now that Pris Serpent is in a vulnerable state, kill him to level up and evolve. I even expected such a suggestion. "That would be suicide." ''I think so too. He probably has extremely high poison resistance.'' "No, I mean if you really killed your father." Pelerian murmured quietly. "The festival is about to begin. Then you won''t be able to leave this area, and the named monsters of those monkeys and bugs will run wild. Even if you evolve once more, it would be difficult to face them." Even though I feel like I''ve gotten much stronger, Pelerian spoke with certainty. "However, your father might be able to stand against them." Hmm, maybe so. I haven''t really grasped how strong my father, the Pris Serpent, is yet. In fact, I don''t know how strong the leaders of those monkeys or the bug army are either. "The problem is..." ''Problem?'' "Your father doesn''t look very healthy." I hadn''t thought about that. Looking back, Father had his eyes closed. He does seem to get tired easily. When I gave him an unripe fruitst time, he seemed to perk up a bit. I was about to ask Pelerian why he thought that. Tsss tsss tsss- Suddenly, all my scales stood on end. It was the same for Father, who slowly raised his body. Looking back, all the other monsters that had been resting leisurely were also raising their heads and looking at the sky. "It''s starting, just as we were talking about it." The sky was already tinged with purple. And from one point in the sky, that color started to deepen. Like ink spreading, a vivid purple flows down along the sky. To the ground, in all directions. ¡¸The mana concentration in the air is intensifying.¡¹ "The area is bing a magic realm." Magic realm. It''s a fitting expression. The gori approached me. "Boss... it''s started..." This gori once acted as an executive among the monkeys. There were things she knew from hearing. "The sage told us... The sage lived for a very long time..." That orangutan had personally experienced several festivals. It''s quite impressive that he survived even after that. He must have vivid experiences that aren''t even recorded in Deshnan''s records. "Back then, only one group survived." Being on top of the cliff, we could see the surroundings widely. Something like a boundary line started to form in the distance. A dome-like magic realm that you can neither enter nor leave has formed. ¡¸The roots of the World Tree are sprouting in the magic realm.¡¹ Rumble rumble- And the ground started to shake as if there was an earthquake. It was at that moment that giant roots began to sprout in the central area of the forest visible in the distance. The sprouting roots were not just one or two. Those roots intertwine and tangle with each other, growing like a giant tree. And there were things moving between those root gaps. "The guardians, very strong. Shiny fruit, protect" Is that where the shiny fruit will form? The forming fruit wasn''t visible. But I realized that numerous monsters would fight for that fruit. ¡¸There are three groups existing in the magic realm.¡¹ The primates, the insects, and our zoo animals...! ¡¸Three crown fruits are forming.¡¹ And a root sprouted in a ce close to the cliff. Crack! The speed at which it sprouted exceeded the level of ordinary nts. The speed at which the fruit formed was the same. The red fruit has yellowish patterns spreading geometrically. ¡¸You can challenge the leader of the group.¡¹ I''m already the leader of the ''zoo animals'', aren''t I? ''Let''s go!'' I quickly climbed onto the gori''s shoulder. Even if it''s not far from the cliff, it would be troublesome if another monster gobbled it up. Sure enough. It seems there were monsters who had been waiting for this moment. "It''s the proboscis monkeys-!" The gori warned. Monkeys with long faces were running from the forest below. They moved quite fast, like some special forces. ''It''s okay, we''re faster.'' But the newly sprouted root was not far away at all. Moreover, Father also got up and ran with me. Oh. Father is faster than me and the gori. Plus, being tall, it will be much easier for him to grab the fruit from the high sprouted root. Before I even reached the root. Father plucked the fruit that had sprouted at the very top of the root. "Oh my!" ''Could it be... a rebellion?'' Of course, it''s true that the Pris Serpent is much stronger than me. And he''s also better looking and very huge. Also, his fame is so widespread that there''s no monster that doesn''t fear Father. Even the approaching monkeys flinched and slowed down. Still... The zoo animals are the group I created. I thought I was about to lose the leader position to Fatherpletely. But that wasn''t the case. Father held the stem of the fruit in his mouth and lowered his head. And he dropped the fruit in front of me. "Saak!" I let out a cry of joy. I''m filled with filial piety at the sight of him casually throwing down the fruit like a father bringing home chicken on his way back from work. It would be unfilial not to eat it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crown Root Fruit] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What an interesting name. I gobbled up the fruit with a crunch. ¡¸Using Devouring lv7.¡¹ Oh, Devouring activated automatically. ¡¸You be the ''leader'' of the group.¡¹ ¡¸You have gained the temporary title ''Leader''.¡¹ ... Is that it? No, it said I gained a temporary title. I should properly check the effects of the title. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Leader (Temporary)] Leads a group of monsters. Shares the mana absorbed by the group until the World Tree''s fruit falls. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It seems like a ordinary description at first nce. But the true value of thest sentence soon became clear. Whiiiine- Light gathered around Father''s mouth. After a beam of light was fired. The approaching group of proboscis monkeys instantly turned to ashes. ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Ah. Party hunting, proxy hunting, auto hunting. However you want to express it. This is definitely a dad bonus. Chapter 62: Or should I call for daddy? (1) Shared absorption of mana. Simply put, it''s like experience sharing within a party. By eating the ''Crown Root Fruit'', I gained a temporary title of ''Leader''. I was already the leader of the crew, but now it''s officially recognized. ''Gori Advisor.'' "Yes, boss..." ''Death sentence!'' Like Caesar sentencing a diator to death. I raised my tail and made a throat-slitting gesture. And the gori raised her prosthetic arm. Surprisingly, the moment she put on the prosthetic, she gained a new skill. ''Iron Fist lv5'' An iron fist flew towards the Giant Long-legged Monkey. "Goodbye... old family." Bang! The sound that rang out was unbelievable for a fist hitting flesh. The Long-legged Monkey''s bodypletely burst open. Tears glinted in the Gori Advisor''s eyes. But she was a professional monster. "Woooah!" Abandoned by her past family, she didn''t hesitate to deal with the monkey monsters. After killing one enemy, she leapt up as if flying. Then she fell among the monkeys and started rampaging. Right now, we were fighting against a horde of monkeys. This was the first battle after gaining the title of Leader. Not far from the cliff, roots sprouted and bore fruit. The monkeys also came looking for that fruit. ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ The message rang out. The mana absorbed by the gori was being shared with me. This was the effect of the temporary title I gained from eating the fruit. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Leader (Temporary)] ... Shares mana absorbed by the group. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Excited by the phrase ''absorbs mana'', I carefully checked how it worked. And what I found out was that about one-fifth of the mana my subordinates gain from killing monsters is absorbed by me. I''m not sure if it''s exactly that amount, but it seems to be around that much. This is what I discovered after several experiments. It''s not just the gori fighting here right now. Many monsters that were trapped in Deshnan''s house were unleashing their ferocity against the monkeys without restraint. The mana they absorb as they kill enemies. A portion of that was being shared with me. ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ Pay your taxes, my subordinates. At that moment, I saw an Owl Bear beating up my subordinates anding up. A Rapid Skunk resisted by spewing toxic gas, but it was knocked back by arge fist. As if to finish it off, the beast interlocked its hands and raised them. ¡¸Using Leap of Heart-eating lv2.¡¹ A bright red hole was punched in the Owl Bear''s chest. One-hit kill. If it''s a careless monster, it''s possible to take it down in one shot like this. ¡¸You have killed Owl Bear lv21.¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing mana.¡¹ There''s a point to consider here. Just as I receive shared mana from my subordinates. ¡¸Sharing mana with the group.¡¹ I also share the mana I absorb through hunting with my subordinates. The sharing ratio here is stronger than you might think. More than half of the mana is evenly distributed among the subordinates belonging to my group. It''s quite arge sharing ratio, considering that the amount of mana needed for leveling up has increased. In other words, it means we all grow evenly together. The more members in the group I lead, the more mana I can receive. However, the problem is that our zoo animal crew isn''t thatrge. In the case of the insect army, it seems to have thousands or tens of thousands of insects, and the monkeys have also formed a group of hundreds by recruiting monsters like Owl Bears. The amount of mana absorbed by their leaders must be enormous. However, since both leaders of the two groups are likely equivalent to named monsters, their levels probably don''t increase easily. Therger the group, the more advantageous for the leader. The stronger the leader, the more benefits the belonging monsters receive. It''s like a well-designed game. I can feel the will of the World Tree. The will to attract strong monsters and make them fight. Come to think of it, the World Tree itself might be like a monster. Anyway. Structurally, I should be the most disadvantaged among the three groups, but the reality is not so. That''s because the strongest in our zoo crew is not me, the leader. Our Pris Serpent, who looks a bit tired, is actually the strongest. ''Please do a tail whip!'' Father slightly raised his tail. And the monkeys climbing up therge protruding root of the World Tree. He struck them. Boom! The sound of thunder roared. The monsters directly hit by the tail were left as red marks, like crushed cherries. Thatrge root of the World Tree broke, and the monsters knocked away by the impact were dealt with by my other subordinates. ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ This is it. The daddy bonus is too thrilling. "If things go well, you might even evolve again during this purple banquet." I wonder if I could be a serpent in the next evolution? Or maybe my horns will increase, or I might evolve in a different direction. Either way, it''s very exciting. "Grab the fruit-!" The gori conveyed my will. There were five roots that appeared here. Each root had a few small fruits. They have simr effects to the unripe fruit I atest time. Improving the inefficient structure of the body. But the fruit I''m aiming for is different. "It''s on top of the rightmost root." There''s a fruit at the very top of the high root. It was a fruit that alone had an unusual blue color. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Root Fruit of Emergency Mobilization] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I won''t know exactly what effect it has until I eat it, but the name itself is unusual. Climbing the roots is more of a specialty for the monkeys than for us. The sses Monkeys, who aren''t very strong inbat, quickly climbed up the right root. It seems their goal is also to snatch that fruit. But the sses Monkeys didn''t get to steal the blue fruit. That''s because the fruit ''emergency mobilized'' itself. "It moved to the next root!" It disappeared with a blink and moved to the root on its left. In other words, it was a teleporting fruit. I have to get it. And I''ve been waiting for just this moment. Owl! "Saaak!" Surprisingly, there was a flying monster in the indoor zoo. I really hate flying, but I can''t use that as an excuse at a time like this. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Lion Owl lv12] [Trait] [Coward] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The cowardly owl that was useless except for its cool lion mane. An owl that quickly submitted because it was scared, and survived because of that. Finally, it''s time for it to shine. It grabbed me and took off into the sky. We rose up in an instant. ''If you drop me, you''re dead.'' "Kolorook, kolorororook!" Somehow, it sounds excited. Chapter 63: Or should I call for daddy? (2) As I suddenly took to the air, the monkeys didn''t stay still either. The strength of monsters is iparable to ordinary beasts. As they threw stones, the rocks whizzed past me with a swoosh. ''Go higher!'' When I raised my tail to point upwards, the owl seemed to understand and increased our altitude. In an instant, we rose higher than the tree roots. ''Now!'' The owl loosened its grip. I fell back into the grasp of gravity. A snake has no wings, so there''s no way to properly glide. I had to rely solely on the owl''s instinct. Fortunately, despite it being the first attempt, the owl roughly matched the trajectory. But, just a little. A little short. ''If I just fall from here, won''t I die?'' "That would be quite a spectacle." I couldn''t die from falling just because Pelerian found it unpleasant. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv3.¡¹ I summoned a gust of wind with maximum output. It pushed my body forward. Thecking inch was filled. Then what remains is my capability. I stretched my body fully in the air. The blue fruit didn''t move from its spot. It seems it can''t teleport consecutively after all. Pak. I bit the fruit. At the same time, I couldn''t avoid falling. Thud, thud! The small roots that had sprouted like tree branches acted as a buffer. Inded on the ground, rolling. The area was full of monkeys. They had gathered to get the blue fruit that had moved to this tree. I quickly put the fruit I had in my mouth into my subspace. Come on, bring it on. "Saaak!" "Ukkieek!" But there were no brave ones among the monkeys. They immediately turned and started to run away. As soon as they realized they couldn''t snatch the fruit, they retreated. Quick judgment. As expected, their leader must have ordered them to ''steal the fruit''. "Boss!" "Wang! Wang!" The gori and Spot ran over to guard me. How reliable. As the monkeys retreated, they also rxed their tension. Phew, it was a great battle. "My strategy has worked once again." Pelerian looked pleased. After eating the Crown fruit yesterday and bing the leader, Pelerian acted as if he had be a strategist. Seeing the fruits that bloom during the festival period show incredible effects, his eyes went wild. "Indeed, the power of the World Tree is omnipotent." ''The monkeys weren''t much.'' "These ones probably aren''t their main force." I nodded. The insect army was rtively far away, and the monkeys were close enough to be seen from the cliff. This morning, we saw silver monkeys and some strong-looking ones leaving the monkey forest towards the swamp area. As soon as we confirmed that, we headed towards the roots that had sprouted on the other side. ''Advisor.'' "Yes, boss..." ''Don''t you think that silver monkey will start targeting us soon?'' The king of the monkey group. It''s about time for him to get upset. "Maybe... If the kinges, we have to run away..." The gori''s expression was filled with fear. Despite having dad on our side, she''s this scared. I wonder how strong that guy is, I''d like to see for myself. "The bnce of power is important." Pelerian intervened. "That monkey''s match would be the insect monster in the swamp. We, no, you need to maintain the bnce of power appropriately because of that." Surprisingly, what Pelerian exined was simr to one of the most famous strategies in the world. "You shouldn''t act too wildly. Now is the best time when the two groups are fighting each other, so it''s good to let them tear each other apart and be consumed." It could also be expressed as a strategy of fishing in troubled waters. "Also, you shouldn''t appear too weak. If so, they might think to sweep us away in one go." Pelerian raised his finger as if dividing an invisible map into three parts. "Divide the hegemony among the three." He''s clearly talking about the Three Kingdoms strategy. How could this be, wasn''t I supposed to be the Zhuge Liang here? I admired Pelerian as he nodded his big head. ''Big-headed Kongming.'' "Stop talking nonsense and quickly find out the effect of the fruit!" I was thinking of doing that anyway. I went into Deshnan''s house and took out the fruit from my subspace. I wonder what this deep blue thing tastes like. Crunch. I chewed and swallowed it in one bite. ¡¸You have consumed the ''Root Fruit of Emergency Mobilization''.¡¹ Along with a sweet taste, its effect was revealed. ¡¸You have acquired the temporary skill ''Emergency Return lv20'' from the fruit.¡¹ A skill? Although the name seems ordinary at first nce, it''s a level 20 skill. I looked at the effect of the first level 20 skill I''ve obtained. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Emergency Return lv20 (Temporary)] Once a day, you can teleport to where your group is immediately upon using the skill. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh my! I exined the skill to Pelerian. "Level 20 Emergency Return! Unbelievable." ''Is this an existing skill?'' "Originally, it''s a type of magic. It''s spatial movement magic. Do you remember when I exined how high-level teleportation magic is?" Pelerian had said so. ording to Pelerian, magic that instantly moves long distances is very difficult. "Emergency Return is magic developed by magicians who fell into the magic realm for safe return. However, the preparation process usually takes a full day... To be able to return immediately." ''Indeed...'' "It''s no different from having an extra life." It truly was so. I can''t use it if I''m in danger with my group, but if I''m alone, I can withdraw anytime. As long as my neck isn''t cut off before I realize it, I could survive even if I encounter Gunter. An idea suddenly shed in my mind. I opened the door and went outside. ''Gori!'' The resting gori jumped up in surprise. "What..." ''Is the swamp area where your boss went far from here?'' From what I heard, if we ride Spot at full speed, we should arrive quickly. "Are you really going..." The gori trembled in fear after hearing my n. I told her to stay here and guard the ce. "Be careful... The old boss... and the insect." How strong those named monsters are. I wanted to see with my own eyes how delicious it would be if I ate them. Now might be the chance when they might sh. ''Spot!'' "Wang!" I climbed onto Spot''s back. As the great strategist Sun Tzu, who was superior to Zhuge Liang, said in The Art of War, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." To know the enemy, I ran with Spot. == ''You go back first.'' Spot kept licking my face as if it was candy. When I flicked its nose, Spot turned back and left. I had already stopped before entering the swamp area. Not only did I need to camouge and infiltrate from here. Boom- Bang! This thunderous sound shaking heaven and earth was clearly the noise of a battle. The monkey boss and the insect boss are fighting. I could instinctively sense that. Of course. ''There it is!'' Suddenly, a silver chimpanzee leapt up andnded on the treetop. Its jumping power is extraordinary. Thinking this was a good chance, I focused my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Silverback Chimpanzee Akims lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Its size seems simr to an average human. As for its opponent on the insect side... Grrrrr! What appeared, sshing the damp water, was a huge brown insect. It looked somewhat simr to a cricket or grasshopper. It was a monster with sharp teeth and sturdy carapace. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Insect King Grand Riokku lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A terribly shaped giant insect. Facing this monster, the silver chimpanzee wasn''t intimidated at all and swung its fist. Towards Riokku''s mouth. Kwaaaaang! The sound of thunder burst out. I seriously considered. Emergency Return, should I just use it now? Chapter 64: "I offer it." (1) I can''t turn back now that I''vee this far. That would lower my dignity as the leader of the crew. In this swamp, there are not only magical beasts but also ordinary animals and insects. However, it won''t be easy for me to disguise myself as one of them. It''s because of my scales that shine beautifully like crystal. I had no choice but to roll around in the mud. The mud will cover the shine of my scales. I wish I could use the ck Scales skill freely someday. That would make things much easier. After covering myself with sticky mud, it was time to roll in half-rotten leaves. As the leaves stuck to my body, I became almost invisible if I stayed still. My natural ghillie suit wasplete. I crawled carefully. Of course, I couldn''t rely on this alone. ¡¸Using Stealth lv7.¡¹ I erased my presence. Not even making a sound of brushing against grass. Hiding in the shadows without revealing my eyes. ¡¸Stealth skill proficiency increases.¡¹ I entered deeper into the swamp. Perhaps because I moved stealthily, insects crawled over my body. They weren''t magical beasts from the insect army. Those creatures were gathered deeper in the swamp, not loitering around here. The area I was crawling through was where the primates gathered. Kuung! The sound of the Insect King fighting with the monkey leader was loud. I became humble. I had reigned like a king among the magical beasts in the indoor zoo. I wasn''t even that scared when surrounded by monkeys in the forest. I feel pressure, just like when I first met the Cockatrice. I first observed the king of insects that crawled up from the swamp. It''s called Grand Riokku, the Insect King. As expected of the king of insects, it''s enormous. Its body length seems to be over 15m. If I had topare its size, it''s about as big as a decent vi. How much would it weigh? At least tens of tons, I guess. I knew about the species ''Riokku''. It''s a creature simr to a locust living in tropical climate regions. Like insects living in hot climates, they''re naturally quiterge. They have hard brown carapaces and sturdy legs that aren''t weak. They''re famous for their extraordinary leg strength, jaw power, and extremely ferocious nature. I heard they''ve won countless times in maniacpetitions where insects fight each other. But of course, you can''tpare the Earth''s insects, which are only as big as a human palm, to this magical beast. It was soaking wet, probably from supporting its weight by submerging in the swamp normally. The water spray it scattered while pping created a rainbow in the sky. The monster bit a silver chimpanzee with its sharp teeth. Kaang! But what it bit was just an afterimage. The monkey had already climbed onto Riokku''s back. And as if falling, it struck down on Riokku''s front leg joint with a water de. Kwajak! The silver chimpanzee was also extraordinary. How can it move like that, as if it were some martial arts master? In the end, one of Riokku''s front legs was torn off. It seems I might have worsepatibility with that chimpanzee than with Riokku. It''s so quick that it might be hard to sink my Venomous Fang into it. On the other hand, arge creature like Riokku might be more manageable. If I can somehow get past the hard carapace, I could burrow inside its body. Couldn''t I crawl in and eat the insect''s heart, like I did with the Chimera before? The structure of insect and mammal organs would be quite different, but well, there should be something like a heart. But that was just my delusion. At that moment, tentacle-like things sprouted from the cross-section of Riokku''s severed body. Shururururuk- Those tentacles stretched out and grabbed the severed leg. Each tentacle seemed like a living creature... I realized. ''Ugh.'' What I thought were tentacles were all parasites. The parasites, seemingly in a symbiotic rtionship with Riokku, reattached the severed leg. It would be impossible to enter the body of such a creature and eat its heart. Each parasite is about the same size as me. "Stop!" I quickly rxed my body, staying still. The monkeys walked past me, step by step. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Giant Mandrill lv59] [Traits] [Cruelty], [Loyalty] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ These arerge monkeys carrying weapons simr to spears. Their faces are colorful, as if wearing masks. They look quite strong, probably the royal guard of the silver monkey. The monkeys weren''t fighting the insects. They were quietly watching their leader''s battle. It was the same for the insects. They were just watching, like spectators of a duel between L¨¹ Bu and Zhang Fei. Although they growled and watched each other warily, it wasn''t the all-out war I had expected. I noticed the reason. ''That''s the fruit, right?'' The elites of the monkeys and insects were facing each other over a tree root. At the end of that tree root, a crimson fruit about the size of an egg was hanging. It''s quite far and the fruit is too small to discern its effects. At this moment, the monkeys are upying the area around the root. They''re surrounding the root, blocking the insects'' approach. However, they''re not attempting to pick the fruit. "Because the insects wouldn''t stay still if they did." So it seems they''re waiting for the oue of the leaders'' duel. But from what I can see, neither seems to be giving their all. "Is that so?" ''Yes.'' It takes one to know one. Both the monkey and the insect don''t seem to be fighting with all their might. It looks more like they''re observing each other''s abilities, like a reconnaissance battle. Then, let''s try borrowing...! The Billy''s Horn skill I''ve been holding onto for a long time is whining. I''ve even stolen a skill that calls lightning from a hero before. Of course, Heaven''s Thunder Spirit is still at level 0, so I can only use it along with Leaping Horn. I focused my eyes. First, the most tempting is that white monkey. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Silverback Chimpanzee Akims lv129] [Title] Silver King... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ugh, it''s starting to appear sporadically. But I feel my mental power being consumed in real-time. It seems as difficult as when I examined Gunter. Level 129 is terrifying. It''s the first three-digit level I''ve confirmed. As for skills... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ...[Monkey Beheading lv10]...[Silver Fur lv20]...[Hand de Strike lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I ended up with a nosebleed. It''s not easy to see through. Monkey Beheading and Silver Fur are skills I don''t really want to borrow. I don''t want to be a snake with fur. Even if I borrow Hand de Strike, I''m not sure if I can use it without hands. "Being able to know others'' skills and traits is impossible to begin with. Don''t push yourself, your mind will copse." Pelerian warned seriously. ording to him, seeing others'' information was originally only possible for truly extraordinary beings. Like dragons, or something like apostles of gods. Even if I have 20 mental power, I should stop for now. Chapter 65: "I offer it." (2) For now, let''s leave the monkey and take a look at that creepy insect. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Insect King Grand Riokku lv138] [Title] Insect King, Swamp Monster [Traits] [Ferocity], [Army], [Parasite]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ah, it''s a bit easier to see. It''s still hard to see, but it consumes less mental power than the monkey. The ability to peek at status windows doesn''t seem to bepletely proportional to strength. Perhaps, the higher the intelligence of the target, the harder it is to see through? Well, if that''s the case, it would mean Gunter''s intelligence is simr to the monkey''s. That doesn''t seem right. The important thing was whether there were any skills worth borrowing. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Bite and Tear lv20] ...[High Jump lv20], [Decay Fluid lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ugh, what''s with these skills. Is it because it''s an insect? There aren''t many cool skills. Moreover, even with high levels, some skills didn''t seem very advanced. High Jump is almost the same as my Quick Crawling skill, isn''t it? When I asked Pelerian, he replied. "Inefficient evolution includes skills as well. You''re looking at a specimen that evolved haphazardly, not properly." It looks too strong for that, though. It''s not that there were no great skills at all. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Symbiotic Parasite lv30]...[Symbiotic Parasite Injection lv10], [Symbiotic Recovery lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Aack! It seems to be in the direction of strengthening its power by breeding parasites inside its body. It looks quite useful. It seems possible to inject them into enemies and sacrifice parasites to recover its body. But I don''t like it. I''m definitely not going to learn that. Then I should turn my attention back to the monkey side... ''Wait a minute.'' I suddenly realized. Is skill the only thing I can take from here? My eyes caught sight of the bright red fruit in the distance. The monkeys standing in a circle, guarding the root with their backs. No matter how well I''m wearing my natural ghillie suit and using the Stealth skill, it would be impossible to sneak in there undetected. I''d be discovered and all hell would break loose before that. But it should be less strictly guarded than if the insects were protecting it. At least there shouldn''t be any monkeys that burrow through the earth. One of my subordinates had a useful skill. ''Pointy-nosed Tunnel Mole lv10'', who only knows how to dig tunnels to escape. And ''Tunneling lv3'' that I borrowed from it. Thanks to that, I gained confidence to escape even from the monkey forest. ¡¸Leaping Horn lv2 surpasses the limit of skill ''Tunneling lv3''.¡¹ ¡¸''Tunneling lv3'' temporarily bes ''Tunneling lv10''.¡¹ For a moment, I gained tunneling skills equal to Chimera Fafnir. Thank you, Tunnel Mole! Pababababak- == "Keke..." The Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede looked at its king. Insect King Grand Riokku. There was no bond or anything like that with him. But she had no choice. If she were alone it would be fine, but she had young children. She had no choice but to join the insect army. Both Riokku and Silverback Akims are tremendously powerful magical beasts. If she could evolve someday, maybe then she couldpete. She didn''t know. "Kekeke." Bowingie showed affection on her back. At least until these children be proper king centipedes, she couldn''t think about evolution. Originally, centipedes don''t have good eyesight. But she wasn''t just a ''magical beast'' centipede. She was born with sharp eyesight close to that of a bird of prey. Something suspicious entered her field of vision. ''Keke?'' The tree root temporarily upied by the monkeys. The ground right next to the root was bulging. Could it be that an insect had dug a tunnel through? That wasn''t the case. Because a familiar someone poked their face out. It was a small white snake. That friend looked up with just its eyes slightly exposed. The monkeys still didn''t know anything. And the crimson fruit hanging at the top started to shake. ''Kekeke! (Invisible Hand!)'' The white snake friend cast a strange magic. It was clearly trying to pick the fruit with it. As a member of the insect army, should she alert everyone to the current situation? No, she didn''t feel like doing that at all. The fruit fell with a plop. The small snake caught the fallen fruit in its mouth. And the small snake disappeared from that spot with a poof. As the giant centipede was dumbfounded, "It seems neither the swamp monster nor the silver monkey... intends to settle this, it appears." The centipede almost had a seizure in surprise. It was the spider, with whom she didn''t get along, who spoke. "The fruit will, it seems, be the monkeys'' possession." The face attached to its belly grins. It''s asking for the centipede''s opinion. The giant centipede answered coldly. "Keke." "...!" The face-spider''s expression hardened. Thinking, ''How rude. I wonder how long you can keep that up.'' At that moment, one of the babies on the giant centipede''s back tried to say something. "Ke..." "Keum!" When the giant centipede shouted, the baby was startled and lowered its head. That sight looked annoying to the face-spider. ''Keep acting so arrogant. I''ll sweep all of you away soon.'' The face-spider had a dark intention. In the near future, it would eliminate all insects except spiders. The insect army is too numerous. It''s disadvantageous for both the distribution of experience points and the division of fruits. It was at that moment when the face-spider nced at the fruit that had grown this time. "...Huh, it''s gone?" It disappeared. The fruit that the monkeys had been guarding until just now was gone. Did the monkeys end up taking the fruit? When did they...! "Catch it, the fruit, it''s been stolen-!" The face-spider''s eyes turned bright red. The fight between Riokku and Akims also stopped. "Take it, back..." Shouts erupted from the monkeys and insects. == I am a genius! I did it sessfully. ¡¸Using Emergency Return lv20.¡¹ I returned to the top of the cliff. With the bright red fruit in my mouth. My bewildered subordinates weed their leader''s return. I seeded in stealing the fruit. An unusually small and bright red fruit. Its name is... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Root Fruit of the Hegemon] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was a fruit that made me feel like I should offer something precious right away. Chapter 66: Silverback Akims lv129 (1) Hegemon''s Fruit, huh. While the name sounds a bit ominous, it looks the best among all the fruits I''ve seen so far, just by its name. Doesn''t it look better than even the ''Radiant Fruit'' that''s supposed to ripen on that huge root in the central area in a few days? I wonder what its effect will be. ''You will be a strong and cruel hegemon.'' That might be the effect. But looking at the description: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Root Fruit of the Hegemon] You can emit a hegemonic aura. The intensity of that aura is proportional to the strength of the monster that consumed it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Something feels off. What kind of thing is a hegemonic aura? Is it like fighting spirit? It''s probably not like that technique from a certain pirate manga. But it wouldn''t be wrong to abbreviate "hegemonic aura" as fighting spirit. ''It''s ambiguous...'' That was my impression. All the fruits I''ve eaten so far had practical effects. They made the body more efficient, allowed for experience sharing, and lent useful skills like Emergency Return. But a hegemonic aura? "If it''s a mental skill like ''Intimidation'', it might be better than you think." A mental skill, huh. Come to think of it, I didn''t have any mental-rted skills. But what bothered me most was: ''Aren''t I already emitting a sufficiently hegemonic aura?'' "?" I didn''t like the way Pelerian was looking at me. ''Look at this.'' The leader had infiltrated right up to the enemymanders and stolen the fruit, yet there were monsterszily lounging around. I approached them and barked harshly. "Saaaark!" They panicked. The owl pped its wings frantically, and the mole burrowed into the ground to hide. I gave Pelerian a look as if to say, "See?" "If startling others is a hegemonic aura, then a cockroach jumping out from under the bed would be the hegemon of hegemons." ''...Now that I think about it, you''re right.'' "Mental skills arepletely different from that. Look at your father''s side, you''ll understand." Dad seemed to have a charm-like mental skill too, right? He hid his status window so well that I couldn''t check properly. I immediately went to find my father. He was taking a nap. ''Uh...'' But his condition seemed a bit off. He looked somehow weak. Usually, he didn''t show his sleeping figure. When it was time to sleep, he would disappear somewhere, but now he''s just lying there weakly. I asked the gori about the current situation. "Big and Cool Snake... seems sick." So he wasn''t just sleeping after all. "Since before, no energy..." Other monsters didn''t approach my father closely. Why do they fearlesslye close to me, but not within a 10m radius of my father? "If anything, that snake probably has more of a hegemonic aura." It''s quite embarrassing as the leader of the pack. But somehow, I can''t help but worry. I slowly approached my father. Even so, he didn''t open his eyes. "Oh, he really doesn''t look good." Pelerian scratched his chin with interest. Is it okay to show such interest in someone else''s sick father? "Ahem, aren''t I knowledgeable about monster ecology? I''m trying to see what''s wrong." Pelerian made excuses. I didn''t expect him to be so awkward. "I''ve been storing up a bit of power too, so I should be able to do a basic examination." Then he says, as if doing me a favor. "Try putting the ring on your father''s body." ''Like... this?'' I gently, very gently, ced my tail on Dad''s body. He may be called Dad, but he''s still a bit scary and difficult to approach. Who knows when he might suddenly turn and eat me! Fathers have been scary beings to me since my previous life. "Wait a moment." Pelerian chanted a strange spell. Unlike me, he doesn''t seem to be able to use silent casting magic. How pitiful. Unaware of what I was thinking, Pelerian finished his chant. Then the ring felt like it was getting a bit warm. Pelerian was listening to my father''s body. "Oh..." Then he frowns. What is it? What''s wrong? "Mana depletion. No, how can this be?" Pelerian spoke like a doctor who had found a rare disease. "A monster of this level shouldn''t have such slow mana recovery." ''Exin it to me too.'' "The bnce of his body is off." Pelerian''s exnation wasn''t too difficult. Monsters have mana. My use of various skills and magic is possible by consuming mana. Mana is a real force, so if you use it all up, you get dizzy and very tired. But mana is naturally replenished over time. My father''s body wasn''t properly recovering. His mana recovery was ridiculously slow. "It seems he used a skill that consumes a lot of mana, like the Destruction Beam, recently... but it''s still strange. It should have recovered by now." ''Could he have caught some kind of disease?'' "That might be the case..." Pelerian put on a more focused expression. "No... it seems to be leaking. Most of the replenished mana is escaping somewhere." Where could that mana be leaking to? Could there be a crack in something like his dantian? ''So what should we do?'' "Well, there aren''t many options." If it''s a body problem, we need to find and fix it, or feed him things that can replenish mana. Like a mana potion. Was Pelerian''s examination too rough? Suddenly, my father woke up. He twisted his body convulsively, his eyes shing. ¡¸...Ah.¡¹ Then he looked at me, seeming confused. I was already in the process of digging into the ground to hide. Fortunately, he seemed to recognize me, so I came back out. I thought my heart was going to drop. He definitely looks tired. I pondered for a moment. I hadn''t eaten the Crimson Root Fruit yet. Partly because its effect was ambiguous, but also because I remembered the effects of the fruits I had eaten so far. ''Should I just give this to Dad?'' "That fruit?" All the fruits I had eaten so far were rich in nutrients. They weren''t as effective as potions, but regardless of their effects, they were rich in mana. Of course, there was an even bigger reason. "That would be more efficient." The description attached to the Hegemon''s Fruit. ''The intensity of the aura is proportional to the strength of the monster that consumed it.'' Even though I''ve be much stronger, the strongest force in our crew is still my father. He looks cool and huge, so he''d be advantageous in emitting a hegemonic aura. I pondered for a moment and showed him the fruit. I was curious if my father would be tempted. Ssssshk- He wrapped his tail around my body. What are you doing! ¡¸You eat it.¡¹ ''Excuse me?'' Here I am trying to show some filial piety. ''Me again?'' He just looks at me without answering. Reluctantly, I chomped down and swallowed the Hegemon''s Fruit. It''s quite sweet. Only after seeing that did my father release my body. He''s a man of few words. He patted my head lightly with his tail. Somehow, I didn''t feel like my pride was hurt. ¡¸You consume the ''Root Fruit of the Hegemon''.¡¹ ¡¸You temporarily acquire the skill, Hegemon lv2.¡¹ Woah! The level of Emergency Return was 20, wasn''t it? The level of this newly acquired skill is only 2. But I was even more excited. ''It seems like a higher-tier skill.'' "That''s right. You can tell just by the name." You can''tpare Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1 with Magic: Static Electricity lv10. Higher-tier skills felt different from the name alone. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hegemon lv2 (Temporary)] Emits a hegemonic aura. Targets feel intimidated regardless of their rank. Lower-rank monsters may feel overwhelming fear. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Is this the Conqueror''s Haki?! Pelerian, who received my exnation, nodded. "Hegemon is a higher-tier skill of Intimidation." ''Is it a skill you know?'' "Yes, it''s a skill that only some talented heroes of the era possessed. To think that a mere snake can now use it." When he puts it that way, I had no choice. I had to try it out in practice. There''s no point in testing it on monsters that are already under mymand. Chapter 67: Silverback Akims lv129 (2) I rode Spot down the cliff. Of course, there weren''t only monkeys and insects in this Shadow Forest area. That''s just theposition of our group, there should be many other monsters around. Of course, there probably won''t be any that can stand up to the silver monkeys and the insect king. I set out to find such creatures. It wasn''t difficult to find them. A herd of deer was grazing on grass. I tapped Spot''s head once, and he slowly stopped in front of them. These aren''t ordinary deer. They''re monsters that asionally eat meat too. You can tell by their sharp teeth. The buck that seemed to be the leader raised its head and eyed me warily. "Grrrr..." That''s a tough growl for a deer. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Thornwood Antler Deer lv19] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Right, so you''re the boss, huh. It growls at me,ing forward as if to protect the others. Its antlers were vicious. Unlike normal deer, its antlers were as sharp as if thorny branches had been stuck on them. The thorns are red with blood. Bits of rotten flesh and torn skin hang from them. "Grung!" It scrapes its hoof on the ground as if it were a warhorse. That spirit is admirable. I like you. I decided to test my newly acquired skill. ¡¸You use ''Hegemon lv2''.¡¹ I didn''t expect to see visible results. Since it''s a mental skill, I thought it would only affect the target. Whoosh! Who would have thought that a gust of wind would sweep through, making all the grass lie t. The surroundings darkened and the temperature suddenly dropped by a few degrees. If I had hair, it would be wildly fluttering right now. Like a demon king descending upon the mortal world...! Of course, I don''t have hair, so only Spot''s mane fluttered. And the deer that took the full brunt of my intangible aura. Plop plop. The timid ones dropped pearl-like droppings. I nced at the ones standing behind. They lowered their heads or fell to their knees with a thud. Wow, this consumes a lot of mana. However, the leader buck stood firm. "That deer has some courage." I red at it and maintained the Hegemon skill. ''Ah.'' I realized. The leader was standing upright, but it had fainted. Its eyes were zed over. ''This is amazing.'' The effect of the Hegemon skill was beyond what I expected. I shouldn''t underestimate mental skills. I leaped in front of the buck and struck its neck with my tail. Only then did the deere to its senses and whimper. ''You, and you, and you.'' I picked three that lookedbat-capable, including the leader buck. ''Join our crew.'' Isn''t twenty monsters too few for now? Once their will was broken, monsters were easy to tame. ¡¸You use Taming lv8.¡¹ ¡¸You have sessfully tamed ''Thornwood Antler Deer lv19''.¡¹ ¡¸You have sessfully tamed ''Thornwood Antler Deer lv16''.¡¹ ¡¸You have sessfully tamed ''Thornwood Antler Deer lv17''.¡¹ Well. I didn''t expect it to be this easy. If I had this earlier, it would have been easier in the indoor zoo too. ¡¸The proficiency of Taming increases.¡¹ ¡¸Taming lv8 has be Taming lv9.¡¹ Let''s aim for about 50 for now. == The cliff is ruled by a small snake and a big snake. Such a rumor must have spread among the surrounding monsters. It seems likely. The monsters that used to loiter around this cliff have all disappeared. Either absorbed into the zoo animals. Or they''ve fled far away, fearing the snakes. I looked at the upgraded achievement. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Monster Leader] You have tamed over 50 monsters. Your dominance over monsters increases. You exude a leader-like aura. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I have over fifty subordinates now. It''s because I''ve been street casting and asionally hunting to increase the numbers. It''s still the smallest group among the three, but I pride myself on having gathered only the elites. The phrase ''You exude a leader-like aura'' in the achievement. It''s hard for me to sense it myself, but it seems I''ve gained some outward dignity. In the past, there were quite a few who would underestimate my small size and charge at me, but not anymore. Even without using the Hegemon skill, I''m getting attacked less often. Now, that huge root that''s grown in the center. The time to aim for the radiant fruit that will ripen there is approaching. Father''s condition has improved for now. It''s because we hunted the surrounding monsters and harvested magic stones. I gave those to my father. The effect of ''eating magic stones'' is surprisingly limited. Magic stones are full of magical energy, so they''re essential for evolution, and eating them slowly replenishes mana. But eating them doesn''t immediately raise your level or make you stronger proportional to how much you eat. Using those precious magic stones like mana potions is a very inefficient action. "Magic stones need to be digested too. You had rtively good digestion efficiency, but it''s not easy to digest them properly. Especially with high-grade magic stones, the physical burden of absorbing them into mana is greater." ''Are you just saying that because you don''t want to lose your magic stones?'' "...While that''s not entirely untrue, it is the truth. That snake seems weak in stamina too." The vow to tell the truth must still be in effect. Judging by how he''s speaking. Pelerian exined about this: "The true value of magic stones is demonstrated in magic or alchemy. Especially when an individual uses grand magic, high-grade magic stones are needed as catalysts. It''s the same when making potions." ''Basic magic doesn''t need such things though.'' "Didn''t I say grand magic?" ''I heard magic stones sell for a lot. Then magicians must be money-guzzling demons.'' "Traditionally, that''s been the case." It seems Pelerian bankrupted the fairy society before he was exiled from it. ''Still, let''s use some of those high-grade magic stones.'' "..." ''You said we could grind them to make potions. If not, just eat them whole.'' "Fine. Alright, I''ll make them if that''s what you want." ''Thank you~'' And so, with Pelerian''s help, I made mana potions. They were much harder to make than health potions, so we only managed to make two bottles. This will only be enough to fill a bit of Father''s mana. Still, if we use a few more days, we should be able to make two or three more bottles. A moment of respite. My monsters and I were spending such time. But as always. Disaster strikes without warning. It was something that could rightly be called a disaster. It happened when the Lion Owl with a mane like a lion was pping its wings and flying around. Why was this usually nocturnal creature doing this? Was the sky purple, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night? Or perhaps it was amendable thought to scout the surroundings on my own. I was lying next to my father, watching the owl flying around. Boom! The owl disintegrated, leaving only feathers behind. Its body nearly vanished, and only the feathers exploded and fluttered down. I realized immediately after that it was due to a stone thrown like a bullet. ''Oh, ol!'' I stood up abruptly in shock and anger. My father, who spent more than half the day lying down, did the same. Someone appeared. The gori, who was usually always brave, started trembling. "M-m-m-master...!" The gori made a futile attempt to hide behind me. I couldn''t tell if she was calling me, or if she was referring to the silver monkey walking alone towards us. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Silverback Akims lv129] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The enemy leader appeared alone. As soon as he appeared, he killed my subordinate. Tsu-tsu-tsu- My scales turned ck on their own. My father blocked my path. When my father raised his body, his enormous presence was extraordinary. But the silver chimpanzee didn''t look scared at all. "Big, cool... snake. So, you''ve formed a new group after all?" He was smiling. Isn''t he afraid? "You seem to have mistaken the leader for your father." Ah, is that so? Hmm, hmm. I probably don''t need to assert that I''m the leader here. I hid behind my father''s back and peeked at the chimpanzee. ¡¸Silver monkey...¡¹ My father''s thought wave rumbled. ¡¸Did youe here to die?¡¹ Well done! Coming alone, isn''t he a crazy monkey? But the chimpanzee justughed and said, "I came to kill you and your subordinates." Seeing him so confident made me a bit uneasy. Surely not... "You. Halfwit." The chimpanzee pointed at my father and said, "Magic-deficient sick snake!" Did he already know about my father''s problem? Is that why he thought he could take us all out alone and came here? Silverback Akims dered, "I can kill all of you alone!" Chapter 68: Gold Digger (1) Arrogant monkey. My scales bristled involuntarily, making a rustling sound. It wasn''t on purpose, but out of anger. What an insolent creature. He thinks he can wipe us all out alone? Me and Dad? Does he really believe he can do that? It''s not just Father here right now. The Crystal Python who killed a Chimera as a baby and burned a crazed Shadow Elf to a crisp is hiding its Venomous Fang here. If I can properly exploit an opening, even that monkey won''t be able to avoid getting a hole punched in its heart. Should I dig a tunnel to approach from under its legs? It might be a bit messy, but the groin area must be a weak point. If I use Leap of Heart-eating there, could even that monkey withstand it? It would be better if I create a water ssh to obstruct its vision. I wonder if its fur catches fire easily. As I was trying to stealthily approach while looking for an opening, something grabbed me. It was Father''s tail. ¡¸Acting recklessly...¡¹ His gaze was still fixed on the monkey, but for some reason, it felt like he was talking to me. When the ck Scales skill activates, he seems to be a bit more emotional. Tss tss tss... The color of the ckened scales returned to normal. It''s not that his anger subsided, but it''s strange. "Has this guy gone blind and deaf after his eyes rolled back? Hey!" Pelerian suddenly got angry at me. ''Why?'' Apparently, Pelerian had been talking to me continuously. I was so focused on figuring out how to take down that monkey that I didn''t hear him. "That monkey, in my view, is a very cunning one." A good student should read between the lines of the teacher''s words. Since Pelerian is indeed acting as my teacher, I pondered his words. ''...It seems so.'' Does the Silverback Chimpanzee Akims really think he can wipe out Father and us alone? I''m not sure. But it doesn''t seem like he''s just bluffing. I know from watching him fight Grand Riokku. Plus, Father''s condition isn''t good either. Then, is fighting Father not a burden to him at all? This is certainly not the case. If it were easy, he would have taken out Father long ago and leveled up. Conversely, if it were difficult, there would be no reason toe alone. ''It''s suspicious that he came alone.'' Yes, there''s no reason for him toe alone. His subordinates are definitely more numerous than us, and among them, there must be monsters considered elite. Yet, there must be a reason why he gave up all those advantages. "It''s certain. That guy is..." ''He''s testing the waters.'' He''s testing the waters with us. If he had ambushed us, it might be different, but appearing like that, putting on airs and hesitating is suspicious. ''We need to show him we''re not to be trifled with.'' If we give him a taste of our de, he''ll realize he made the wrong choice. It''s a good opportunity. I couldn''t do itst time because the timing wasn''t right, but now I should borrow a skill. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Silverback Chimpanzee Akims lv129] ... [Skills] ...[Monkey Beheading lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s still hard to see through clearly. Maybe it''s a bit better thanst time since we''re closer. Time is of the essence now. I exerted snake-like concentration. And finally found a skill worth borrowing. ¡¸Leaping Horn lv2 surpasses the limit of skill ''Billy''s Horn lv4''.¡¹ ¡¸''Billy''s Horn lv4'' temporarily bes ''Billy''s Horn lv10''.¡¹ Learning from the experience with Steel Gunter, I first strengthen Billy''s Horn itself. ¡¸Billy''s Horn lv10 borrows ''Thunder Roar lv10''.¡¹ The result... ¡¸Sess.¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Thunder Roar lv1''.¡¹ The monkey who was about to pounce stopped abruptly. "Snake...! What did you do!" Like Steel Gunter, it seems that strong ones notice something strange when I borrow skills. But he seems to think Father did something, not me. Father just red silently at the monkey''s question. His eyes shed like the North Star. The atmosphere is no joke. Actually, he probably just didn''t understand what was said. This is why appearances are important, I guess. I quickly climbed onto Father''s back. I had a n. "It doesn''t matter... I''ll kill you anyway." We need to show that arrogant monkey who''s still putting on airs that our strength is beyond his imagination. I told Father. ''Dad, use the Destruction Beam!'' I''m not sure if he''ll follow my words well. Just in case, I said it once more. ''At maximum output!'' ¡¸Arrogant monkey.¡¹ Father granted his child''s request. Light gathered in his mouth. Peeeeeng! The beam was fired. And the arrogant chimpanzee didn''t dodge. As expected, he seems to be trying to gauge Father''s strength. But it won''t be a good choice. This is a maximum output Destruction Beam that didn''t spare any magical power. The monkey''s expression twisted at that output which exceeded his imagination. I half expected him to turn to ashes. But the guy seemed to have something he believed in. Kwakwakwa-! He stretched out both arms to block the beam. The beam hit his palms and deflected into the sky. Kwakwakwakwakwa- He couldn''t ignore even that physical force. The monkey nted his feet firmly on the ground, but he was gradually pushed back, creating furrows. "Ugh-aaaaah!" He manages to endure somehow while shouting. What a terrifying guy indeed. Father followed my words exactly. He used up all the magic power he had recovered in that short moment. As the Destruction Beam stopped, Silverback Akims'' figure was revealed. The guy was alive. However, both his arms were charred ck, and blood was dripping from his palms. Should I say it''s amazing that he blocked the Destruction Beam with that? Or should I say Father is amazing for injuring such a monster in an instant? "Ugh, huh. Huh." A smile appeared on his face. If fighting is an exchange of moves, Father used several moves at once. And the monkey probably thinks he blocked it with one move. To shatter his confidence, I stood on top of Father''s head. My eyes met the chimpanzee''s. The guy looked puzzled at my appearance. And first, a roar. ¡¸Using ''Thunder Roar lv1''.¡¹ Simultaneously, the Hegemon''s aura. ¡¸Using ''Hegemon lv2''.¡¹ A gale swept through and the air turned chilly. A thunderous cry burst from my mouth. "Saaaark!" At the same time, the monkey''s fur all over his body puffed up. He''s clearly scared. I can tell from his twisted expression. ¡¸This is my son.¡¹ Father made a timelyment. Monkey, the enemy you have to face is not just one. Chapter 69: Gold Digger (2) ''Father, use Tail Whip.'' And Father did so. The moment his tail drew a wave, I also charged. ¡¸Using Leap of Heart-eating lv2.¡¹ My speed seemed surprising even to the chimpanzee. He took a stance to confront me. Then he saw Father''s tail flying towards him. "Kugh!" He couldn''t ignore that. He must have decided to strike down the huge tail first, swinging his fist. Jjeoeoeoeng! A shockwave erupted. The chimpanzee endured once again. In that interval, I approached. I didn''t indulge in the desire to eat his heart or stab him with my Venomous Fang. It didn''t seem possible. I summoned a sword in mid-air and swung it. This body even has a Swordsmanship skill. I added a sh skill to that. Heavenly Thunder Sword Technique, Second Form. Heart Splitting. As expected, the guy was incredible. He quickly extended his raw, red hand. Kwak! He caught my sword with his palm. The de only managed to dig into his palm. It must be incredibly painful, what a tough guy. "Kekek." Let''s see how long you can keepughing. The Heavenly Thunder Sword Technique is originallypleted by containing lightning. ¡¸Leaping Horn lv2 surpasses the limit of ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0''.¡¹ ¡¸''Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0'' temporarily bes ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1''.¡¹ ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ And lightning struck. Again, on me. Jjeojeojeojeng! The lightning flowing through my body spreads to the sword. And it''s driven into the monkey''s palm. The lightning traveled along the sticky blood and blood vessels, electrocuting his body. "Kaaaark!" This persistent guy. He won''t let go of the sword. Or maybe he can''t let go. The Elven Broadsword that the guy is gripping tightly. My beloved sword finally couldn''t withstand that force. Kwachang! The sword shattered into pieces. The scattered fragments cut me as well. "You sna..." At least his body seems tougher than Deshnan''s. The monkey red at us while emitting white steam from his body. And then. "Keeek!" Whoosh, he disappeared. "As expected, that guy must have eaten it too." The Root Fruit of Emergency Mobilization. I had guessed that monkey might have eaten it too. I judged based on the fact that he came alone to scout without bringing his group. ''I knew it.'' My whole body was aching. I quickly took out a potion and soaked my body. That guy won''t have potions, so he''ll probably suffer quite a bit. It would have been good if we could have killed him outright this time. I gave Father a mana potion as well. "Now that the sword is broken, I guess I won''t hear any more of that swordsman talk." Pelerian spoke as if relieved, but I felt a bit depressed instead. ''My sword...'' That monkey shattered my sword. I had used it well for quite a while, but it''s sad. It''s not easy to find a sword that light and sharp. "Kekeke, forget it! Magic suits you better. What can you do without hands?" But despite Pelerian''s joy... ¡¸Achieved the achievement ''Sword Wielded Until Broken''.¡¹ Huh. Huh? "What? What''s wrong?" ''No, a new achievement...'' Let''s check it out. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Sword Wielded Until Broken] You fought valiantly until your sword broke. The efficiency of sword skill proficiency increases. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It wasn''t that great of an achievement, but. The heavens were speaking. Telling me not to abandon the path of the sword. "Oh, for crying out loud." == Hero. Taxidermist, Heilit Langrey. She finally entered the Shadow Forest area. Even in this dangerous magic realm, Heilit could walk leisurely. Weak monsters wouldn''t be a threat to her, and she had ways to hide from those that could be threatening. She walked along the boundary of the magic realm with her long, ck-shining legs in leather pants. "Seems like I really can''t get inside." Fruit season, Purple Banquet, Festival. It started after Heilit entered the Shadow Forest. Something like a round dome was enveloping a radius of tens of kilometers. A semi-transparent wall was blocking both exit and entry. Tung tung! When she took out her dagger and tapped it with the pommel, the sticity was extraordinary. She thought that even if she fired some grand magic, it probably wouldn''t break. "Kids, what''s so delicious in there that you''re all peering in?" She was looking from inside the dome to the outside. Beyond the transparent wall, monsters were lurking. Creatures drooling and ring at Heilit. Some were gnawing at the wall, some were banging their heads against it. "You''re the lucky ones that the wall is there." That was probably true. There were quite formidable monsters outside. However, to Heilit''s eyes, they were merely prey. She had walked about 3km along the boundary by now. After her walk, she was convinced. "It really seems like it''s going to happen." A monster wave. Throughout her walk, she saw monsters gathering. When monsters gather in one ce like this in such numbers, a monster wave urs. She didn''t know exactly what process takes ce, not being a mage from a magic tower, but when a certain number of monsters gather, they move like a giant colony. To the outside. Like a wave, they surge towards the center of the continent where humans live, away from the magic realm. However, this isn''t a threat to Heilit Langrey who is actually here. She now started heading towards the center of the Shadow Forest. To find prey. To find materials to make a new jacket. And to kill the Shadow Elf Deshnan, cut off his ears, and collect the bounty. Her steps were light. Thanks to her exceptional skills, Heilit could move quietly. Though not at the level of magic, she could deceive ordinary monsters. If she maintained a bit of distance, she could approach and observe, assuming they didn''t attack. Finally, her first marked prey was a silver monkey. ''Oh my, not bad.'' It was a shimmering silver chimpanzee. It looks quite strong. But what Heilit intended to do wasn''t fighting, but hunting. If she could exploit an opening and set a trap, it would be quite huntable. ''I didn''t n on making fur clothes.'' But it would be a shame to just discard that silver fur. For now, she jotted it down in her mental notebook. The next thing she found was a giant insect, Riokku. ''This one''s out.'' She had no intention of hunting Riokku. Not because it looked strong, but because it was useless. What good would it do to catch a giant insect living half-submerged in a swamp? It was too far from Heilit Langrey''s taste. Above all, it couldn''t be made into clothes. Unless it was used as construction material. So, pass. In the meantime, she found traces of Deshnan. There was a house on top of a cliff. She climbed the cliff straight up. Climbing rocks wasn''t a difficult task for her. Who would have thought she''d encounter a giant snake there. "...Ah." She let out such a sound without realizing. She almost got caught. Heilit''s heart was beating wildly. ''Wh-what is that.'' Compared to any monster she had seen, this was the most beautiful and enormous snake. It felt as if her heart had been stolen. In a sense, this could be called her first love. And her fondness for monsters usually flowed in one direction. ''And it''s big, with that size I wouldn''t have to worry about clothes for a lifetime.'' Starlight leather jacket. Starlight wallet. Starlight pants. Starlight coat. Her mind was filled with desire. While her cheekbones were shooting up to the sky, even the silver chimpanzee appeared. ''What a windfall!'' She might be able to add silver fur to a starlight leather coat right here. She watched the fight with excitement. That''s when she noticed the small snake behind the big and cool snake. ''What''s that...?'' Heilit''s expression changed moment by moment. The big snake calming down the small snake jumping around angrily. The small snake climbing onto the big snake''s back, then the big snake shooting a beam. The monkey deflecting it. The small snake recklessly jumping out. Swinging a sword that appeared from somewhere. sh. Lightning struck. The small snake defeated the chimpanzee. The small snake looking proud with a cocky posture. ''Ah...'' The afterimage of the lightning and the small snake still lingered in Heilit''s eyes as she watched secretly. 5 minutes after discovering her first love. Heilit Langrey. Encounters her second love. Chapter 70: Upper Snake (1) Greyrim Territory. Perhaps even the sky knew the situation Greyrim was in. There were hardly any clear days, and the sky was gloomy every day. That day was particrly cloudy. It would have been better if the rain had poured down heavily. Instead, it drizzled so lightly it was hard to tell if it was mist or raindrops. As a result, the soldiers'' hair was damp. "Prepare to march!" Themander shouted. The squad leaders formed ranks with their assigned soldiers. All the soldiers looked grim-faced. Only those who had crossed the line of death at least once were gathered here. Moreover, they were those with experience fighting monsters. One thousand soldiers and one hundred knights. This was theposition of the expedition departing this time. The proportion of knights to soldiers is quite high. This indicates that this expedition force was made up of elites. Zain was not part of the expedition. He was watching the soldiers line up from atop the castle walls that stood like a great forest. Rainwater dripped down his wet bangs and rolled down his cheeks. Zain''splexion had turned pale. It wasn''t because he couldn''t join the expedition. It was because he had discovered something suspicious. ''This is strange. Definitely strange.'' Why suddenly go on an expedition to the great forest? The monsters there would fight and kill each other if left alone. To clear out the monsters around the territory for safety? The monsters on the outskirts of the great forest aren''t that dangerous. The monsters deep in the great forest don''te out. Wasn''t thatmon sense? But his lord, Steel Gunter, seemed to be preparing as if for war. ''It''s the mages from the magic tower.'' Three elderly men wearing robes instead of armor were by Steel Gunter''s side. Though the symbol of the magic tower wasn''t drawn on their robes and they weren''t using magic, it was certain they were mages from the magic tower. Considering those cranky old men were incredibly proud and terribly greedy for money, Steel Gunter couldn''t have invited them at his own expense. Moreover, one mage from the magic tower was equivalent to dozens of siege weapons. ''Was this requested by the royal family?'' That was all the spection Zain could make. That wasn''t the only suspicious thing. This Greyrim territory itself had changed. An enormous amount of oil and gunpowder had been stockpiled. Moreover, all the young people had left under the pretext of developing uncultivatednd. What kind of development was that supposed to be? Because of this, only the elderly with little time left to live or the sick remained in the vige. Or the lord''s family still trapped in the castle... It was then that someone approached Zain. "My lord, you look cold. Come warm yourself by the fire..." "...I''m fine." The one urging Zain to warm himself was also an old man. Originally, he would have passed the time in a warm room. But after all his children left to develop uncultivatednd, he came out like this to warm himself by the fire and roast potatoes. "Don''t be like that, the potatoes are done. Come and eat." "..." Though he had no appetite, Zain sat down by the fire anyway. The old man poked at the firewood with a stick and said: "It feels like the day of death is approaching..." "What are you saying?" "That''s how it feels. It''s time to die. It''s not just me. All the old folks left here think the same." Even the ignorant old people left in the territory could sense the ominous situation. For some reason, Zain became irritable. "If it''s so ominous, why don''t you leave? If you have a bad feeling, you old folks can band together and run away." "Hehe..." Even when the knight got angry, the old man wasn''t scared at all. Zain had a feeling he wouldn''t be afraid even if a sword was drawn. "This stubborn life, it''s truly a sorry thing for the children that I''ve clung to it this far without dying. But I''m very grateful that the children were sent away. My son and grandson both left. Yes, it''s truly something to be grateful for. To you lords..." Zain felt a surge of emotion. The term "lords" likely included Steel Gunter, the Iron Lion Knights, and Zain himself. How could he lump them all together as "lords"? Zain was just an attendant knight who couldn''t even join the expedition. "Zain!" A knight appeared and pped Zain on the back. "Kid, why do you look so gloomy? You should be happy you get to stay behind and have it easy instead of going on the expedition." The knight grinning was also a senior Iron Lion Knight. A few veteran knights from the order had remained here. But that made it even more ominous. "Get up and at least wave. The expedition will be departing soon." Bwooooo- Right on cue, the horn signaling departure sounded. "Open the gate!" The castle gate opened. Zain was led by his senior to stand at attention. Silently, for a long time. Steel Gunter rode at the head on horseback. He turned back to look up at the castle walls. As always, Steel Gunter''s gaze was ice cold. When Steel Gunter turned his gaze, the knights and mages beside him also turned to look back. They would have seen Zain and the knights saluting from atop the castle walls. "Why are you doing that, Commander?" One knight asked Steel Gunter. "It''s nothing." "Hehe, that Zain fellow looks gloomy." Only those who had been through battlefields with Steel Gunter could speak to him so casually. "He''s seemed to have a lot on his mindtely." "Indeed." "...Is it alright not to take him on the expedition?" There was a hint of cruelty in the casually thrown question. "Leave him be. If he hadn''t be a knight, he would have originally inherited family matters and livedfortably." "If you say so." "Ahem!" Thest interjection came from one of the mages from the magic tower. The mage with two missing front teeth grinned and said: "Please prepare two chickens and some gunpowder. I think we need to draw a magic circle here in advance." "Do as you wish." Steel Gunter was nonchnt, while the knight beside him frowned. "Hah, I get the feeling this expedition is going to be tough from the start." "Good." Steel Gunter smiled slightly. "Be prepared. It will certainly be the worst expedition." == Thwack! I coldly pped away my father''s attempt to pat my head. ''Don''t touch me.'' It wasn''t a case ofte puberty. It was because I had fought with my father. Swoosh. ''I said don''t touch me!'' This time, my father''s tail whacked me hard. As a result, I spun three times in the air beforending. "Hiss!" When I got angry, my father also stuck out his tongue and made an angry face. Really, if you want to make up, you should follow through to the end. I was considering using my Hegemon skill in frustration when my father turned his head away first. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The reason I''m upset with my father is because he struck me down with his tail. At least ten of my ribs seem to be broken. If I didn''t have a potion, I might have died. "Hiss!" Thinking about it makes me angry again. It''s fortunate that I''m used to being beaten by my father from my previous life. Otherwise, this would be grounds for reporting domestic violence! "At least he apologized." ...That''s true. My father in this life at least apologized after hitting me. "And well, it doesn''t seem like it was on purpose. You''re being narrow-minded..." It''s possible that my father suddenly striking me with his tail wasn''t intentional. It happened early this morning. When I opened my eyes and came out: My father was lying down with his eyes closed. He seemed to be sleeping, but unusually he was still there in front of me instead of disappearing. Maybe he had dozed off. I was simply curious. About my father''s level, traits, skills, and so on. I focused my eyes to peek at my father''s status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pris Serpent lv100] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My father''s level was exactly 100. Maybe because he was asleep, it seemed like I could see a bit more. Just as I was focusing to try to see his traits and skills: My father''s eyes suddenly snapped open. And I was mmed into the ground. I realized afterwards that my father had struck me with his tail. Well, that''s how it happened. We''ve be a bit distant, but: We can''t stay like this forever. Chapter 71: Upper Snake (2) I turned to look at my father. He looked down at me with eyes that were hard to read. I nodded. My father also nodded back. Alright, this should do. ''Advisor.'' "Yes, boss..." ''March!'' Mrs. Gori acts as my trumpeter. With her full, resonant voice. "March!" She shouts thunderously. And the beasts of the zoo begin to move. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Monster Leader] You have tamed over 100 monsters. Your dominance over monsters is strengthened. A natural majesty flows from you. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The number in my group finally exceeded 100. Though our forces still fall short of the insect army or primate group, much has changed. Now even those two factions can''t dare to ignore us. The attacks from the monkeys and insects have stopped. We''ve managed to survive safely until today. The division of power into three has taken hold. And finally, the day hase for the radiant fruit to form on the root that sprouted in the central area. All groups are gathering around the massive central root. The monkey group and insect groups can be seen. ''There are so many it''s sickening.'' I was surprised and amazed. It was because of the overwhelming numbers of the insect army. Were there really that many insect monsters hiding in the swamp area? There must be at least tens of thousands. Ah, I can see the giant centipede over there too. From the looks of it, the chimpanzee seems a bit stronger than Grand Riokku. On the other hand, the insect army likely has the advantage in overall force due to sheer numbers. Thorny bushes had grown around the massive root in the center. Though they seem to be blocking ess, they''re a barrier that would quickly be smashed if the monsters tried to cross. The monkeys and insects surrounded the area. They growl at each other as if preparing to sh. Those two groups are bound to collide. How alluring must the scent of that radiant fruit be? Grand Riokku and the silver monkey were ring at each other. As if wanting to settle their unfinished battle from before. ''Stop.'' "Halt!" We didn''t get between them. We stopped our group a bit further back. The ones who had been terrified showed signs of relief. Adequate strength. A group that isn''t feared, but can''t be ignored either. That''s us. Once again, I''ll stubbornly aim for the fisherman''s profit. ¡¸The radiant fruit will form soon.¡¹ Once more, a message rang out. I had fed my father plenty of mana potions too. My usually taciturn father opened his mouth. ¡¸We must obtain the fruit, no matter what.¡¹ I wonder why the one who seemedpletely uninterested and was sleeping under a rock suddenly changed his mind. It doesn''t matter. I intend to get that fruit no matter what too. ''Mole.'' The tunneling mole who had the honor of riding on the gori''s shoulder with me. ''Go.'' He followed my order and dug into the ground. He''s a genius when ites to digging. I pondered how to snatch the fruit ahead of the other two groups. They were bound to sh eventually. To get the fisherman''s profit, I''d need to take out at least one of the two that would survive the fight. Pelerian and I put our heads together to think. Out of hundreds of possibilities, what method could lead to our victory? And we came up with one strategy. ''Do you think it will work?'' "It depends on how you execute it." That''s true. There was a background toing up with this strategy. ''It seems which group one belongs to isn''t a matter of taming.'' I was mistaken at first. I thought you had to sessfully tame to be incorporated into a group. But at some point I realized. Bowingie, Big Head, and Big Eyes, who I clearly tamed, were not part of my group. I never received shared experience from them. It''s not like the kids haven''t hunted because they''re still young. On the other hand, my father, who I failed to tame, is part of my group. Thanks to the experience shared from my father, I''ve already surpassed level 20 by far. Then we can make an inference. What about the insect army? Did that mindless Grand Riokku tame all the other insects? Were that human-faced spider and giant centipede tamed by Grand Riokku? It didn''t seem likely. That spider even seemed to look at Grand Riokku with contempt, calling him a monster. Being part of one group is likely a matter of ''being under that monster''s control''. One is incorporated into the group by following the leader''s orders andmand. Just as my father follows mymand. In that case, I... "Boss." The gori called out to me. Looking where she was pointing, I saw the mole poking his head out. He had returned. ''Did you find it? Can we go?'' The mole nodded. Just to be sure, I do a cross-check. A purple parrot was fluttering in the sky above. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [One-eyed Purple Parrot lv12] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s a new scouting monster I recruited after the owl died. Its purple feathers make it less noticeable when flying. It squawked in response. "It''s there! It''s there!" If that''s the case, it might be worth taking a gamble. I earnestly instructed the gori and my father. To guard this position. To conserve their strength. I can easily return with emergency return. ¡¸Be careful.¡¹ I received my father''s send-off. I crawled into the tunnel following the mole. It''s narrow but spacious enough to crawl through. After going for quite a while, the mole suddenly stopped. He pointed upwards, then slipped into a space to the side. ''You go back.'' The mole quickly nodded and started to run away. Now I have to proceed on my own. I went up, to the surface. And what was waiting for me there was: A countless number of insects. Kigik, tadak, tak. Tik, kik. Jijik, babak. Chik. Dagak, dogagak, gak, kigik, tadak, tak. Tik, kik. Jijik, babak. Chik. Dagak, dogagak, gak, kigik, tadak, tak. Tik, kik. Jijik, babak. Chik. Dagak, dogagak, gak, kigik, tadak, tak. Tik, kik. Jijik, babak. Chik. Dagak, dogagak, gak This was right in the middle of the insect army''s right wing formation. The insect monsters all turned to look at me at once. Would they see an alien reptile like me as food? I didn''t leap in to grapple with the insects. That''s because: "Kee!" The startled giant centipede mother was there. The centipede quickly bit the surrounding insects. The insects here did seem to be under the centipede mother''s control. That''s fortunate. I stood up straight in front of her. ''Ms. Giant Centipede.'' I used to address her respectfully as Lady Giant Centipede. But now I''m also a leadermanding a group. I needed to maintain dignity. The giant centipede also wiggled her venomous ws with a surprised look. ''I''vee to make a proposal.'' Bowingie, Big Head, and Big Eyes greet me happily. I deliberately ignored them. Right, I can''t fight you guys. And I definitely can''t let you die. "Keke..." I slightly extended my tail to the visibly tense centipede mother. ''Come into my group.'' That was my n - to recruit the Giant Centipede and her group. ¡¸Using Taming lv9.¡¹ This time, I will speak firmly. ''I''ll make you happy.'' Ah, is this not right? Oh, whatever! ''Come to me.'' The centipede''s heart wavers as she shakes her antennae. For some reason, the three siblings pped their venomous ws, cheering for the centipede. And her answer was... Chapter 72: Chaos (1) It might sound disappointing to some. Especially to the three siblings who would be thrilled at the thought of getting a new father. But I''m not asking the centipede mom out on a date. I have absolutely no intention of bing her new husband. Isn''t that obvious? I''m a snake, and she''s a centipede. We''re different species from the start. It''s true that the centipede mom has a gentle personality, a kind heart, and at times, she''s an attractive older woman with a strong will. She''s also very powerful. But honestly, her appearance... is not my type. I prefer the slender type with long, delicate limbs and smooth skin. Well, the centipede mom''s limbs are rtively delicate for her size. And while it''s not skin, her carapace is smooth. ...At the very least, there should be no poisonous ws or antennae. That''s non-negotiable. This is a recruitment proposal. A proposal for the enemy general, the giant centipede, to join the zoo animals with her subordinates. If this proposal seeds, the situation will change. It will be thepletion of a true tripartite division of the world. Our Shu kingdom, no, our group will have power equivalent to the other groups. "Still no answer?" Unfortunately, whether the taming was sessful or not wasn''t immediately clear. The centipede mom was still frozen, just twitching her antennae. She seems to be considering it. For some reason, I feel like I''m on pins and needles. Why isn''t she answering? The centipede mom looks around warily. Pelerian warned, "Spider!" Damn it. I clearly checked that there were no spiders around. I wondered where it came from, but surprisingly, it was crawling out of the tunnel I hade from. Countless pitch-ck spiders, each the size of a chestnut, are crawling out. The centipede mom growled. "Keeht!" ¡¸You have failed to tame ''Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede lv60''.¡¹ Oh no! I''m filled with anger at the spiders who ruined my speech. I didn''t consider the possibility of the persuasion failing! It must have been my groundless confidence. Still, things didn''t be awkward between the centipede mom and me. She stepped forward as if to protect me. She doesn''t seem to be afraid of those small spiders. Rustle. Those spiders started to gather in one ce. As if by magic, the cluster of spiders became one giant spider. Demon Face Tarant. The ominous spider I had seen from afar. It seems to be the rival of the giant centipede. The giant centipede menacingly flicks her antennae. The sudden appearance of this spider here means... "You''ve, nned, an interesting, scheme, Snake." The lips attached to its abdomen wriggle. Oh no, did it hear everything? "As expected, of, a group, leader." Even though it stutters, its tone is gentlemanly. But doesn''t this spider realize that its polite attitude makes it seem even more viinous? Right, now that the n has been exposed, we kill this spider here. If we can''t kill it, we run away immediately. I slightly crouched my body. It seems the centipede mom has the same idea of finishing off the spider here. The insects under the giant centipede''s control slowly started to gather. The same was true for the other side. The tunnel must have already connected to another ce, as spiders were crawling out of that hole like crazy. A powder keg situation. While I was preparing for the Leap of Heart-eating, wondering where its heart might be located, "You''re, misunderstanding. I have, no intention, of doing anything, to you." The face attached to the spider''s abdomen made aical expression. "It''s an, excellent, idea. We weren''t, on, such bad terms, anyway, were we?" "Keke." The centipede mom nodded. I stepped forward slightly. ''What, so you''re just going to turn a blind eye?'' "That''s, right." Surprisingly, I couldmunicate quite well with this guy. 0.9 Nanaluk. But for unlikeability, 1.2 Silver Chimpanzee. "You know this guy is incredibly suspicious, right?" How could I not? I was just curious about its intentions. So I asked directly. ''Why? You''re going to turn a blind eye to yourrade''s betrayal because you''re not on good terms?'' "Comrade?" The spider''s eyes widened. I see, so the centipede is not arade. "Betrayal?" And betrayal as well. "Both, are incorrect. We are, a colony. I don''t, need, that centipede and her insects." Well, that makes sense. From its perspective, the centipede mom must be a thorn in its side, sharing the experience points that Riokku would share. Moreover, the bad rtionship between spiders and centipedes seems to bemon sense in this world. "So, it would be good, if they left, of their own ord." ''But that Riokku wouldn''t think so, right?'' "You mean, the swamp monster." As expected, there was not a hint of respect or affection when mentioning its own leader. It''s easy to read its expressions because it has a face. In fact, mentioning Riokku was meant to test it. I wonder how intelligent Riokku is. Does it at least try to protect its subordinates, or at least have some sense of possession? "You''re, right. It would, be angry." That''s not good. If it didn''t care, we could have easily taken the centipede mom. "So, I propose, a deal. To you, Snake." The spider raised its front legs cunningly. "I''ll, turn a blind eye. Take, the centipede. But in return..." ''In return?'' "Not now. Soon, a fight, will start. Between the swamp monster, and the silver monkey. Take her, after that. I''ll, turn a blind eye." That was the spider''s proposal. It would turn a blind eye to the centipede mom''s recruitment if we waited. Until Riokku and the monkey fight. At first nce, it seemed like a proposal with no downsides. I raised my tail to indicate that I would consider it for a moment. Then I quietly discussed with Pelerian near the centipede mom. "There''s nothing to lose by listening." ''Disappointing.'' "What?" ''You don''t know the basics of negotiation.'' Pelerian made an indignant expression. "Exin." ''You can''t negotiate if you''re so soft.'' This is something I learned through direct experience in my previous life. When negotiating, you shouldn''t show weakness. ''Spider.'' The humanoid spider looked at me. ''That''s not enough.'' "What, do you mean?" ''A deal isn''t just about receiving. Isn''t this extortion? Suddenly showing up and telling us to do as you say.'' "What''s, extortion?" ''You don''t care whether Riokku gets angry or not anyway. So if it''s a deal, there should be an exchange.'' The spider''s expression became puzzled. As expected, although it speaks like a gentleman, its intelligence doesn''t seem very high. I can tell by how confused it looks when I speakplexly. ''Let me make a proposal. After you quietly retreat with the centipedes, attack the monkeys first.'' "And then? When the monkeys die?" ''Then you''re on your own.'' "That''s... reasonable." ''You need to give something in return too. Whether it''s material or... personally, I...'' I said lightly, as if just throwing it out there. ''Do you happen to have any inner cores to give?'' "...How did you know?" ''Know what?'' "That I... make inner cores..." The spider showed wariness. How did I know... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Demon Face Tarant lv65] [Traits] [Mimic], [Artisan] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The Artisan trait. It was something that the dearly missed centipede couple had. Moreover, isn''t it a rule in martial arts novels that human-faced spiders originally have inner cores? The spider flicked its front legs as if pondering. "Alright, please, wait, a moment." As the humanoid spider turned its body, small spiders covered its body. It looks like it''s hiding something. When the small spiders retreated again, it brought out something that looked like a pitch-ck bead. "Hooh!" The magical energy is extraordinary, it really is an inner core. Having already eaten two, I knew immediately. ''I''ll take it.'' "Keep, your promise." I looked back at the centipede mom once more. ''Then, I''ll see you in a little while.'' "Keke." It must be my imagination that the centipede mom looks shy. The tunnel I came through will be crawling with spiders. And it''s impossible to return bynd. I looked at the spider onest time. It seemed to expect me to enter the tunnel. ''I''m warning you. Don''t get any funny ideas.'' ¡¸Using Emergency Return lv20.¡¹ I returned to my group. Chapter 73: Chaos (2) The sky tinged with purple. The air feeling heavy due to the abnormally abundant magical energy. Numerous monsters swarming on the ground. The roaring of those creatures, the smell of blood from them devouring each other. Above all, the killing intent piercing the sky. A big fight hadn''t started yet because the leaders were still holding back. But it was only a matter of time. Even Riokku, the leader of the insect army, was drooling. It wanted to devour the monsters right away. The insect monster suffering from endless hunger thanks to the parasites filling its stomach. The humanoid spider knew that Riokku usually submerged itself in the swamp, endlessly swallowing the green swamp and defecating in the same ce to satisfy its hunger. Truly a miserable and ugly creature. The only reason that thing became the leader was because it was thergest and most powerful. The spider had a desire. The desire to possess the radiant fruit. And it didn''t seem so impossible. In fact, the giant centipede was more of a threat than Riokku. The humanoid spider had already nned to annihte the giant centipede and its family at this ce. The appearance of the small snake was unexpected, but... It rushed over and even lost an inner core. But well, it was an eptable loss. It would be worth it if it could sweep away the centipede and that animal group. The spider smiled cunningly. How hard it was to hold back that smile. Those guys probably didn''t realize their fate that was soon toe. Bang! That''s when it happened. Fire caught on the thorny bushes surrounding the giant roots of the world tree. The thorny bushes disappeared in an instant, leaving only ashes. Now it begins. There was an even more certain sign. "Ah, the sweet scent." A hot and itchy hunger in the stomach. Sticky saliva flowing automatically from the mouth. The heavenly scent is spreading from above those roots. The radiant fruit must have ripened. "Kwiiiiiiiiii!" Insect King Riokku roared. "Kuoooo!" And even Silverback Akims. The monsters started to move. As the monkeys and insects shed, sticky fluid sttered and the monkeys'' limbs flew into the air. And the humanoid spider barely exercised self-restraint. Spiders as big as wild dogs were forming a circle around it. It prepared the most powerful skill it possessed. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Curse: Eight-Legged Dismemberment] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Breaking one leg is equivalent to casting one spell. It''s originally a curse used by breaking all of its own legs. The humanoid spider substituted it by sacrificing its subordinates one by one. It crushed the head of the one at the front with its front legs. Crunch. "First..." It was at that moment, as it was about to execute the curse. p p. The sound of wings pping was heard. Not the sound of an insect, but a bird flying. Why in a ce like this? When it looked up, a purple-feathered parrot was flying around. "Spider, spider! Sparkle." It even talks. Then it flew up high into the sky. The spider felt ominous. Far away. A big and cool snake, visible even from afar, was looking directly at the spider. How? Since when? And why is its mouth open? Sparkle. Light gathered in the big snake''s mouth. The humanoid spider realized toote that it was a beam that could turn even a decent monster into ashes. And that it was condensed and fired at high power without the slightest hesitation. "Ah... snake." That was the humanoid spider''sst words. The destruction beam incinerated the humanoid spider and all the surrounding spiders. == ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ¡¸You are receiving shared mana.¡¹ ... Wow. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ My level increased by two! It was a profit beyond my expectations. No, how did this happen? I was supposed to receive only 1/5 of the share, was a level 63 spider that strong? Or were its best subordinates quietly gathered in one ce? That''s because I only briefly targeted a narrow area to conserve Father''s magic power as much as possible. It was possible thanks to the new parrot sentinel. "How did you know that guy would betray us?" ''It''s a spider, you know.'' "Is that an answer..." It wasn''t groundless spider hate. The moment I received the inner core, I was convinced that I should strike this spider first. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cursed Inner Core: Demon Face Tarant] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s a cursed inner core, you see. It had ced a curse on it in the meantime. It''s no different from sprinkling capsaicin on the food agreed to be given as payment without saying anything. It was definitely someone who had to be struck first. I suddenly took out the inner core again. Oh! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Inner Core: Demon Face Tarant] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The description has changed. Maybe the curse was lifted because the one who ced the curse died? That''s good news. I should give this to Fatherter. After putting away the inner core, I mounted Mrs. Gori. ''Now we join forces with the giant centipede.'' "Let''s go!" My n was to join forces with the centipede mom while Riokku and the silver chimpanzee were fighting. "Wait." Pelerian''s voice was urgent. I turned my head to look at the central root he was pointing at. The monkeys and insects were fighting brutally. It was as I expected. "Not there, up above!" Oh. There were golems called guardians at intervals along the root. A silver monkey was brawling there. In other words, Silverback Akims was climbing up the root. Then where''s Riokku? Woong woong! I thought a helicopter had appeared somewhere. It was the sound of Riokku pping its wings. It took flight. It was a miracle that it could even lift that heavy body for a moment. Kuwoong! And itnded, almost crashing, in the closest area with the most monsters. "It really is a monster without even a shred of intelligence." Not all higher species are smart. But I didn''t expect it to be this bad. As if driven mad by hunger, it tried to devour all the monsters on the ground. Monkeys, insects, spiders, centipedes... Oh. Chapter 74: You Are Forever Responsible for What You Have Tamed (1) Riokku gathered everything in front of him with his curved forelegs like rakes. If he stretched out his legs fully, they would be just shy of 10 meters long. Wildly swinging his forelegs covered in sharp protrusions, he caught or dragged in monkeys and monsters alike. Once something got close to his ceaselessly chewing teeth, which seemed to operate independently, it was over. Like a shredder in a waste disposal nt, Riokku continuously bit, crushed, swallowed, and advanced. A carpet of blood wasid where he passed. Normally, Riokku''s eyes are pitch ck. However, this Insect King was different. Something worm-like was swimming in his cloudy eyes. It meant the symbiotic parasites had finally conquered even those tiny eyes. Riokku should have known what a leader''s role was, but now only instinct remained. A terrible hunger was controlling him. To the point where he cast aside the silver monkey he had beenpeting with in strength and craved the nearest food. He soared up and then made anding close to a crash. He headed towards where the most monsters were gathered. It may have been inevitable that this was the right nk of the formation where spiders, insects, and monkeys were gathered. But it was by chance that the Giant Centipede was there. And it was a terrible coincidence that she and her children were caught up in that dreadful chaos. "Keeeeee!" It was an utterly mournful roar. Her cry echoed so loudly that it reached where I was. The Giant Centipede stood out clearly amidst the swirling monsters. The triplets always clinging to her back. No, not three, but only two. The white one must be Bowingie. One is the second... no, the third? I couldn''t tell. "Keeeeee! Keee!" The Giant Centipede couldn''t even think of fleeing and was frantically searching around. It was clear that one of her children had been swept away and disappeared. Meanwhile, Riokku was continuously approaching, devouring monsters. "Hey, snap out of it." It felt like I had cold water poured all over my body. The roots of the World Tree. I looked alternately at Riokku, the Giant Centipede, and my father. My group is here. The monsters I''ve tamed, and my sick father. Why did that phrase suddenlye to mind? ''You are forever responsible for what you have tamed.'' It''s a line I read in the story of The Little Prince, written by a pilot. There was a time when I used to recite it over and over. I wanted to tell it to my parents, but in the end, I couldn''t. I realized that I couldn''t abandon the Giant Centipede and her little baby centipedes. And I couldn''t throw this group I had tamed in front of Riokku. My judgment was quick, and action followed immediately. ''Father.'' As always, he looked down at me silently. ''Please guard this ce. And if I look really in danger, just shoot one beam and...'' And to the gori. ''Don''te too close, but don''t stay too far away. Stay together.'' "Boss...!" The gori called out to me, but I had already set off towards the centipedes. ¡¸Using eleration lv6.¡¹ Even without legs, at full speed. I crawled forward as if running. Fleeing monsters blocked my path. I couldn''t waste time being trampled under the feet of galloping monkeys. ¡¸Using Hegemon lv2.¡¹ I unleashed my aura without reserve. The skill worked even on monsters intoxicated with fear and killing intent. Or perhaps the monsters that had beenmanding them were no longer able to fulfill that role. The monsters parted, creating a path. I advanced without hesitation. I bit the hearts of those that didn''t avoid me. I passed between the legs of giant monkeys. I ignored the insects clinging to me and moved forward. "Keeeeee!" The mother centipede was now in aplete frenzy. The one that disappeared was Big Eyes. He was the one who ate the best... The best... Kwang. I flew up with the impact. It was a gori charging on all fours. It seemed to be a different species from Mrs. Gori, with unusually long canines. It looked bewildered when I stood up again unscathed. ¡¸Using Leap of Heart-eating lv2.¡¹ I couldn''t bite its heart, but I sank my Venomous Fang into it. Ignoring the iling creature, I continued forward. A grasshopper the size of a wild dog pounced on me. I breathed fire from my mouth. It clung to my body while on fire. Thanks to that, I got burned, but it was bearable. Insects covered my body, and other monsters trampled over them. Ah. Big Eyes must have suffered like this somewhere nearby. Maybe he''s already dead. ¡¸Using Thunder Roar lv1.¡¹ Zzzzzap! The monsters clinging to my body burned ck. I regained my freedom. My eyes met with the Giant Centipede. She was frozen in surprise, looking at me. ''Quickly, find your child.'' I hope she understands. I turned my head again. It wasn''t just the centipede who was startled by the fallen lightning and looked at me. Riokku, who had somehow gotten closer, saw me too. Did the lightning momentarily restore his clouded reason? Is that why he saw me as an opponent? In fact, he might have just recognized me as a shy, glittering prey. Anyway, he stopped chewing and swallowing monsters. Yes,e this way. I moved in a direction away from the Giant Centipede. Riokku''s head followed me. Good. I used more skills to attract his attention. ¡¸Using Thunder Roar lv1.¡¹ "Saaaaaak!" That roar might have sounded like some signal to him. "Kwiiiiieek!" Because he started charging straight towards me. I need to lure that thing away. Preferably towards where the monkeys are. But I made a mistake. "Crawl faster, you''ll be caught!" Firstly, Riokku was faster than I thought. When I saw him from afar, I couldn''t tell he was fast because of his huge body. But seeing him approach up close, he''s much faster than me. ¡¸Using eleration lv6.¡¹ I can''t use eleration indefinitely either. I''m already feeling a shortage of magical power. Even though my mana increased tremendously after bing a Crystal Double Horn Python, it''s still this bad. The second problem was that when Riokku turned this way, the monsters in front also started fleeing towards me. It wasn''t hard to find monsters heavier and faster than a snake among them. Those fleeing for their lives pushed and trampled me. There''s no choice. Riokku''s direction changed from the centipede, so even if I have to abandon Thunder Roar, I should escape for now. Surprisingly, there were almost no flying insects nearby. Well, if there were, they would have fled long ago. I barely found something simr to a cicada. ¡¸Borrowing ''Flight lv8'' with Billy''s Horn lv4.¡¹ ¡¸Sess.¡¹ Got it. ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Flight lv3''.¡¹ ¡¸Using Flight lv3.¡¹ My body floated up. Rather than flight, levitation might be a more appropriate expression. I can''t change direction or control my speed. But when I can''t dig a tunnel or use Emergency Return, this is the only way... That''s when it happened. Pababak. One insect clung to my body. No, two, three. My body gets heavier. I knew this would happen. There''s a reason I didn''t use flight before. Finally, a long-legged monkey grabbed me. The Flight lv3 I had borrowed couldn''t withstand that weight. "Kiiieek! Wiiiii!" The noise of monkeys and insects is deafening. I was covered by them again. I tried to escape by biting frantically. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ I vaguely heard such a sound. But there''s no time to be happy. I used Thunder Roar, drawing on my depleting mana. ¡¸Using Thunder Roar lv1.¡¹ Zzzzzap! Thanks to Thunder Roar leveling up to 1, I could use it a few times like this. I crawled out from among the ckened monster corpses. And Riokku had gotten closer. His foreleg reached out to grab me. ¡¸Using Leap of Heart-eating lv2¡¹ I used the leap solely for escape. Whoosh! His ws grazed right behind me. That''s when I heard the centipede''s scream-like cry. "Keeeeee!" Big Eyes was hanging limply in her forelegs. Is that a cry of joy, or a sad wail? I couldn''t tell. Kuung, kung! Riokku caught up right behind me. If I could just hit him with Thunder Roar once more... ¡¸Not enough magical power.¡¹ Ah...! I can''t even use eleration anymore. Where''s father? Why hasn''t he used the destruction beam? "Dodge, move more!" No, it''s not possible. There''s nowhere to dodge. I''m going to die. For sure. I''ll be eaten by that insect. It''s all my fault that I ended up in this situation. How pathetic, what kind of confidence did I have? I jumped in to save the centipede and now I''m about to die. I lived my whole life as a loser, and after a few months of being born as a snake, did I think I could y the hero? ''No. I''m going to die like this...'' Mental Strength 20 or whatever is of no use. Chapter 75: You Are Forever Responsible for What You Have Tamed (2) I''m suddenly terrified and regret it terribly. That''s when. I heard the mother centipede''s cry. "Keke, keee..." I noticed that there was relief mixed in it. I looked to the right. Big Eyes is alive. Twitching, wriggling, clinging to his mother. ''Ah...'' I stopped abruptly. "What are you doing! Why aren''t you running away?" ''...Even if I want to run away, I have no magical power left.'' I have only one option left. I turned to look at the approaching Riokku. Yes, I''ll jump into his mouth and eat his heart. I''ll have to fight the parasites inside, but. His saw-like teeth are chattering. I''ll jump in time with that rhythm. Yeah, fuck it, what else can I do but die. I wonder if I''ll be born as an earthworm in my next life. He came right up to me. I couldn''t use Leap or eleration, but. I jumped up. Tak! And everything went ck before my eyes. I wasn''t dead. Something had swallowed me whole. Not Riokku, but something else. I could see the soft gums, wet tongue, and tightly closed white teeth. Somehow, it feels familiar and warm. Kuung! Whatever had me in its mouth collided bodily with Riokku. It shook violently inside the mouth, to the point where I couldn''t tell up from down. I was careful not to slide down my father''s throat. Yes, it''s father. He hade and put me in his mouth. I asked him to just shoot a destruction beam when it was dangerous. Did he not have any magical power left, or did he insist oning himself... ''Dad!'' I simply couldn''t me him. But. ''Put me down!'' How can he fight with his mouth closed? Setting aside not being able to shoot that destructive beam. If he can''t bite or sink in his venomous fangs, a snake only has constriction left. There was no way he could strangle a bug stronger than him to death from the start. So, he needs to put me down. Or just swallow me whole. ''I said spit me out!'' The answer to that was a physical impact. Kwang! For a moment, my body floated up. Riokku''s cry can be heard from outside. And the clear smell of blood. A gush of blood surged from my father''s throat. Damn it...! After that, more impacts. Blood. Riokku''s roars. Father didn''t even scream, and never opened his mouth. He just writhed and headed somewhere. In the midst of that. I heard my father''s voice for the first time. It wasn''t advice to me, nor a warning to Riokku. ¡¸...Honey.¡¹ That was it. ''Ha.'' I couldn''t help butugh bitterly. Even though there was nothing tough about in this situation. I asked Pelerian. ''Can you go outside and let me know what the situation is like?'' "...Alright, I''ll take a look." Pelerian did so. == "Oh my." A part of the soul of the old magician Pelerian let out a sigh. Although he had seen countless cruel things, the sight before his eyes was truly horrific. The state of the beautifully shining snake was miserable. The scales that held starlight were torn and ragged, with the skin peeled off along the back. From the tail to about one-third of the body was half-cut and dangling. Blood was streaming from one eye. Despite all this, with its mouth tightly shut, it crawled slowly. Behind it was Riokku. His condition was not ordinary either. Only two of his six legs remained. His antennae were broken, and parasites as big as snakes were dropping from his crushed belly and rear. But it seemed that killing intent, or hunger, still remained. He was slowly continuing to chase the snake. "Indeed, that father was not ordinary either." Pelerian muttered bitterly. Wobble. The Pris Serpent finally copsed. == Kuung. With the impact, my vision brightens. Father''s mouth opened. I crawled out, staggering. My body was dyed bright red. It was all father''s blood that he had vomited. I checked his condition. His eyes were unfocused. He wasn''t dead. He was still breathing, sae-ek sae-ek. But it looked like he could breathe hisst at any moment. ''I really don''t understand...'' I feel like I''m about to cry. Snakes can''t cry, but it feels like tears are about to fall any moment. I used almost all the potions Nanaluk gave me. I poured them all down father''s throat, leaving just one bottle. I left it just in case, after looking at father''s status window. ''Why did you hide it so much?'' Father didn''t answer. His focus seemed to return, like he was looking at me. ''Now stop and rest a bit. I''ll give you a potion too...'' I''m not sure if father listened to me. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pris Serpent lv100] [Traits] [Observer of the North Star], [Coward], [Devoted Husband], [Avoidant] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I think his health or magical power must have run out. That''s how severe his injuries were, and how terrible the fight was. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin Hemotoxin lv10], [Hell Constriction lv20], [Destruction Beam lv20]... [Gigantification lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Among his skill list, what caught my eye. ''Gigantification lv10.'' Father''s huge body started to shrink. The Gigantification he had been using continuously was released. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Status] [Fear], [Relief], [Injured], [Dying], [Blood Loss], [Crippled], [Gigantified]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ He kept getting smaller. Finally smaller than Riokku, then smaller than a gori, and even smaller than Spot. At first, I wondered how father met mother when he was so big, but it was actually the opposite. The shrinking finally stopped. Father''s real size was just a bit bigger than me. ''You weren''t that small after all.'' Before father''s breath could stop, I took out the potion and poured it into his mouth and on his wounds. It seems to be improving slightly. Still frustratingly slow though. I want to look after Father, but I can''t. "Squeeeeeak!" Damn persistent bug. Riokku was dragging its body closer with its two remaining legs. ''Wait here for a bit.'' This time, I''ll fight. So, it would have been better if we were both honest a little earlier, right? ¡¸Leaping Horn lv3 surpasses the limit of skill ''Billy''s Horn lv4''.¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Billy''s Horn lv10''.¡¹ I''ve restored my magical power by swallowing a lot of precious magic stones. With that, I borrow a means to fight Riokku. ¡¸Using Billy''s Horn lv10 to borrow ''Gigantification lv10''.¡¹ ¡¸Sess.¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Gigantification lv0''.¡¹ ¡¸Leaping Horn lv3 surpasses the limit of skill ''Gigantification lv0''.¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Gigantification lv1''.¡¹ All the magical power I worked hard to restore is consumed in an instant. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv1.¡¹ My field of vision rises. My body growsrger. ¡¸Bing gigantic.¡¹ Finally. Even if just for a moment. As big as Father. Chapter 76: Tears (1) It is the instinct of magical beasts to be stronger. This is probably the most prioritized instinct after survival. That''s what distinguishes beasts from magical beasts. Stronger, harder, faster. And bigger. To achieve this, magical beasts constantly repeat their evolution. The Silverback Chimpanzee Akims must have given up on size during the evolution process. Something big can''t climb trees, nor can it speak easily. Even its throat and vocal cords would be huge, losing the advantage of vocalization. Also, a gigantic body consumes a lot of food as much as it is strong. The resources of the forest are limited. Instead, he must have wished to be fast and strong. Riokku is different. Was it because it was a ''bug'' that was naturally small? Was it because it was a species where weight ss was clearly strength? Or was it because it ate anything well, and also grew up in a swamp with abundant vegetation? It must have evolved with an obsession with ''size'' above all else. Its terrible hunger must also be to maintain that body size. Then what about father? How did father evolve into such a gigantic magical beast? I''ve thought about it before. Probably to survive, most likely. There''s little a small snake can do in arge forest. He must have grown his body to hunt prey bigger than himself. Or it might have been for ''courtship''. Unlike me, father must have had the instinct to be attracted to simr snakes. Maybe mother, being a Medusa Serpent, was older. It''smon forrge and powerful males to be popr, so father might have evolved to be big after falling for mother... I''ve let my imagination run wild like that. ''Gigantification.'' Why couldn''t I imagine that? There were several clues. Even excluding that chronk of magical power. Father who often suddenly disappeared. It wasn''t teleportation, but the fact that he disappeared without a trace from his spot might have actually been the deactivation of the gigantification skill. It was like that when we first met too. He was sleeping between rocks. How could he have done that? It''s impossible to squeeze that huge body between rocks. If he was originally small, and thus went to sleep between rocks and then used gigantification, it''s possible. Was that why he was so startled when I tried to peek at his status window? ''Why did you do such a thing?'' He could have just used gigantification only when fighting. But I couldn''t me father who had copsed after saving me. It wasn''t a rational decision for him to maintain gigantification even as it ate away at his body. Well, he must have had his personal reasons. My body''s growth has stopped. Now I look down even on Riokku. I''m smaller than father, but I''ve grown enormously. I feel nauseous fromck of magical power. Above all, my body is terribly heavy. ''Is this father''s weight!'' I realize it now. Always carrying such a heavy burden and sense of responsibility... "That''s not the weight of a father, it''s your body weight. It''s natural since your strength is running out." Pelerian broke the mood. The ring he''s inhabiting has now grown as big as a h hoop due to the size adjustment magic, but Pelerian''s size remained the same. "Your bulk has increased, but your essence remains the same." ''I can''t hear you because the person speaking is too tiny.'' "What." Yeah, I understand father in some ways now. Now that I''ve be gigantic, I''m no longer afraid of Riokku. There''s also a desire to save father, but somehow it seems doable. I charged at it. Grrrr- The corpses of magical beasts that would have been in the way are crushed under my weight. It was burdensome, as if moving in water, but I ran, drawing out all the strength in my body. "Kwiiiiiek!" Riokku roared back in confrontation. You filthy bug! Somehow, since I''ve gigantified, it felt like I should shout that. ''Look at me-!'' With a thunderous roar, I leaped. Secret technique. Gigantification leap. ¡¸You use Heart-eating Leap lv2.¡¹ ''Uaaah!'' "It flew!" I flew. About 10cm above the ground. If I were my original size, I would have flown like an arrow, but this was the limit now. I didn''t reach Riokku. Instead, Inded with a thunderous sound right in front of its nose. Kwaang! Dust billowed up. The result wasn''t bad. Due to the terribly increased mass, the inertia was also enormous. I collided with it along with the dust. Kuung! And the hell of a brawl began. I wrapped around its body. Avoiding between its two remaining legs, I wrapped around and squeezed that fat belly. And I sank my venomous fangs into its head. Uaak! Something weird and wriggling entered my mouth. My spine chilled, and I immediately spat it out and disinfected my mouth with mes. I give up on biting it to death. Instead, I put strength into my body. Wadrdrdrdeuk! At least it''s muscle strength strong enough to move this body. Riokku spread its wings and iled its two remaining legs, but it was useless. It too had been greatly injured while fighting father. "Kwiiiiiek!" Hearing it up close, it''s an even more X-like cry. Die! Udeuk, ppajik- Cracks started to form in its carapace. There were vicious protrusions on its body, but my scales had thickened just as much. They were also strengthened by the ck Scales skill. It feels like gigantification will wear off soon. How much magical power did father have to be able to maintain gigantification for so long? ''Uaaah!'' Ppajik! Its thin neck snapped, and its head fell off with a thud. Nevertheless, the body moved on its own, but that was only a matter of time. Like squeezing a ckened, overripe banana tightly. Kwajajak! It was crushed, bursting its contents spectacrly. I got it. Even if it was tired and injured, it was clearly a named magical beast. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ... A feast of level-ups unfolded. ''Huh, huk.'' I was tired, but I couldn''t stay still. "Hey, roll!" ''Uaaah!'' I followed Pelerian''s advice. From the body of the dead Riokku, parasites as thick as human forearms were crawling out, wriggling. I quickly rolled to prevent them from attaching to my body. Peoperpeoperpeok- Let''s not listen to the sound, I might throw up. Fortunately, maybe they can''t survive when exposed to air. The parasites soon stiffened and died. I quickly stood up. There''s something I need to take care of now that my body has be gigantic. It''s dirty and unpleasant, but. ¡¸You use sh lv3.¡¹ I somehow sliced its body with my tail. It was somewhat manageable as it was half-crushed. Heart, there should be a heart. Sure enough. As befitting a named magical beast, it had a magic stone. I should disinfect it just in case. ¡¸You use Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv3.¡¹ Hwararreureuk! I enveloped the magic stone with mes. The disgusting residues burned, emitting ck smoke. I hurriedly put it into my subspace. Let''s quickly go back to check father''s condition. ¡¸Gigantification is deactivated.¡¹ And finally, gigantification ended. When the body became gigantic, it took some time, but the deactivation of the skill was instantaneous. In an instant, my body returned to its original size. Ow, it''s light. If it''s light, I can run harder. ¡¸You use eleration lv6.¡¹ Squeezing out what little magical power I had left, I returned to where father was. Chapter 77: Tears (2) Ah, there''s the gori. She''s truly an incredibly smart advisor. She led the magical beasts around and preemptively upied the ce where father was. The gori waved at me. "Cap-tain-!" And she shouted. "Come- quick!" An ominous feeling welled up. I''m already going fast. More, faster, quicker. ¡¸eleration lv6 bes eleration lv7.¡¹ ¡¸ck Scales lv1 bes ck Scales lv2.¡¹ Even the sound of skills leveling up didn''t reach my ears. And finally, I arrived at the ce where my subordinates were gathered. What I hear beyond is. "Heuk, huk." The sound of crying. Which bastard is crying so annoyingly! I frantically pushed through the gap between my subordinates. Father, still copsed. He''s still alive. That''s really fortunate. It seemed like he might have regained consciousness. And the one sitting next to him, crying, is... ''...Who''s that?'' "Are you asking me? How would I know." It was a human woman I''ve never seen before. A red-haired woman wearing leather pants was shedding tears. "Ueuheuheu!" No, it''s not just sniffling, she''s wailing. It''s creepy. It was so bewildering that my ck Scales skill was deactivated. That''s because, this human woman was saying while crying. "Dad... Hueu, dad..." It sent chills down my spine. Unless this human woman is really father''s illegitimate child. Or my real sister who broke the taboo of magical beasts by bing human, the situation was clear. ''She''s a crazy woman...'' There was no way a normal person would call an injured snake ''dad''. But I couldn''t understand how she suddenly appeared in the middle of this great forest. The gori approached me and whispered carefully. "That woman, she suddenly appeared and... knocked out our guys." Looking closely, there were several magical beasts lying copsed near the woman and father. The exnation was that they were hit while trying to harm the human woman. "They''re all alive... And that human gave a potion... to the cool snake." That woman did? Hearing that story, my evaluation of the woman rose a little. I boldly stepped forward. The woman shouted as if she had known me all along. "Little- snake! Huhueuu." I''m not a little snake. Just a snake. Now I even have the gigantification skill. My evaluation went down again. "It was, so moving. Uhuheuk." But fortunately, the misunderstanding was soon cleared up. Fortunately, the ''dad'' she was calling out to seemed to be her human dad. "Your dad was so cool too. As much as my dead dad. Huhuheuk. I kept watching..." Humans... Are they creatures that can empathize even with snakes, not their own kind? More than that, since when were you watching? ''Did you know?'' "No, not at all." ''It''s creepy.'' She had been watching me and father all along, but we didn''t know at all. I don''t know why she stalked us, but maybe she was overwhelmed by watching the struggle of me and father. "Phuhuhuheuk. Uook." She even gags as if crying is too much for her. It''s creepy, so I wish she''d stop crying. "I too, should have... should have done like you... Uhuhuheuk." ''...'' "Then dad, wouldn''t have died..." She seems to have her own story. She''s mumbling incoherently about what seems to be her old story, but honestly, I wasn''t interested. I ignored her and approached father. ''Are you okay? A bit?'' ¡¸I''m fine.¡¹ "The, snake spoke!" The woman was startled while crying. Is this her first time seeing a talking snake? Fortunately, she stopped crying. ''Then why are you still lying down?'' ¡¸It''s tiring.¡¹ It''s fortunate that his life was saved, but. It seems his body hasn''tpletely healed yet. "With injuries of that degree, he wouldn''t bepletely fine just from drinking a potion." ''Should I give you a magic stone? Or an inner core...'' "Inner core! Feed him an inner core." Right. He said magic stones require strength to digest too. I was a bit worried about poison, but I took out the inner core of the human-faced spider and gave it to him. Father resisted for a moment but eventually chewed and swallowed it. His expression seems to have improved a little. "Kkeeee!" I quickly turned my head at the cry from behind. The Giant Centipede, she was approaching. In her arms was Big Eyes. "Kkee, kke." She put down Big Eyes, who couldn''t move, in front of me. But I don''t have any potions. I looked at the human woman. I won''t call you a crazy woman anymore, so please... "You want a potion? Sniff, okay..." I''m not sure if she''se to her senses a bit, but the woman took out a potion and sprinkled it on Big Eyes'' body. "I''ve lived long enough to give potions to magical beasts." "Kkekkekkee..." Big Eyes cried weakly. You did well, you did well too. Father, Big Eyes, and Giant Centipede too. And I survived too. It was truly a terrible battle. Only, there was a bad taste in my mouth. It seems things in the world don''t always go ording to n. That gigantic root. That silver monkey had already climbed halfway up. It will end up taking the radiant fruit. That''s when father spoke heavily. ¡¸If monkey eats, surely, revenge...¡¹ We had chased away Akims with a joint attack not long ago. He''s a nasty fellow. It was a reasonable guess that he would hold a grudge. ¡¸That fruit, must get it.¡¹ Father pulled my body closer with his tail. ¡¸Must.¡¹ Today was the day when the usually taciturn father spoke the most. I couldn''t readily agree to those words. What am I supposed to do? Even if I break through the primates still remaining in front of that root, can I catch up to Silverback Akims? And even if I somehow catch up, I didn''t have confidence in winning. Even if I chew and swallow a magic stone now, it would take quite some time to digest into magical power. "Excuse me." The one who interrupted while I was pondering was the human woman. "My name is Heilit Langrey." I see. I didn''t ask, though. "My job is hunting magical beasts and my hobby is making and wearing clothes from magical beast leather." I jumped in surprise. Isn''t she a terrifying human? Is she suddenly trying to threaten us? "That''s why I was monitoring you to hunt, but I changed my mind." She was definitely a dangerous human. I''m not sure how strong she is, but she seems quite skilled. "Instead, I decided to catch that monkey..." She lowered her head slightly, looking very embarrassed, and scratched the ground with her toes. "If you want, I can take you to where that monkey is. For a small price." "I can really take you there. I''m fast too." ''...'' She bounces up and down on the spot as if trying to show off her running skills. Actually, I was quite surprised. Because her jumping speed was no less than my Heart-eating Leap. "Don''t you want to...?" It''s not that I don''t want to, honestly, there''s a part I''m worried about. I brought the goridy who was hiding behind and had her interpret to ask: "What''s the... price?" "Oh, it''s really nothing!" Heilit Langrey''s face brightened. On the other hand, I nervously swallowed my saliva. Chapter 78: Beam (1) Heilit Langrey said with a bright smile: "Just peel off a little skin. I think it would be good for arm sleeves." I trembled, afraid that might happen. What a terrifying human. Though she didn''t look particrly strong, she was clearly formidable. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Heilit Langrey lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That''s because I couldn''t see her status window. This woman had already saved my father and Big Eyes, and now she was offering to take me to Silverback Akims and capture that monkey. From my position, it was difficult to refuse. What if she really asks for my skin? It''s too much for arm sleeves, maybe we couldpromise on enough for one ankle sock. Yes, let''s do that. Everything for the greater good. I stoically waited for her request. "Just pull out a few scales. Two, three, no... five?" ''...'' "...Four?" I conveyed my intention through Mrs. Gori. "I''ll... give... ten." Heilit Langrey''s expression brightened. "With that many, I could even make a ne." I quickly had her take the scales before she could change her mind. It stung a bit and even bled, but it was a small price to pay. "I hadn''t really thought about making essories, but I see this is a way to do it." She seemed very pleased with my scales. Well, since I evolved into a Crystal Python, my scales might be no different from jewels in some ways. She must have realized from this that she could obtain byproducts without killing magical beasts. For my part, I can only hope this experience will reform that poacher. No matter how cruel she may have been to magical beasts before. She has been of great help to me. Even now. It was a simr position to when I clung to Nanaluk''s shoulder, but the ride was incredible. Whoosh- It''s a sprint beyond that of a track athlete. The amazing thing is that this isn''t on a track, but in a forest strewn with magical beast corpses. Yet there''s not even a slight shake, just the sound of wind. Does she have excellent suspension? "Just wait a bit! We''ll be there soon. It''s strange, ending up riding a magical beast on my shoulder. The world is full of surprises." She seemed to have a more easy-going personality than I thought,pared to when she was wailing like a madwoman earlier. "Ah, I feel foolish for crying earlier. Forget about it. I suppose there''s no chance of rumors spreading since you''re a magical beast anyway." Despite thinking that, she keeps muttering as if trying to converse with me. "What breed are you? Something simr to a crystal lizard?" ''I''m a Crystal Double Horn Python.'' I yed along loosely. "Your father looked really cool too. Seeing as you can talk, you must be a high-intelligence upper species. Why can''t you speak?" ''Just because my level is still low.'' "After a few evolutions, you''ll probably be able to talk too. If we happen to meet againter, make sure to tell me you''re that little snake from before. It would be best to say it in advance." ''I''ll keep that in mind.'' When you evolve, your appearance changes. What happens if I don''t say anything in advance? Besides, just evolving doesn''t mean you can speak. I resolved to avoid encountering this woman again if at all possible. I might as well check my status while replenishing my stamina. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Double Horn Python lv30+] [Title]Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My level has reached its limit. That means I can evolve now. I should evolve right after finishing this. How will I evolve next? Will I finally be able to be a Serpent this time? Honestly, it still seems unlikely. The only Serpents I''ve seen are my father and mother. Of course, my father, a Pris Serpent, and even my mother, a Medusa Serpent, seem stronger than I am now. I really want to be a Serpent by the evolution after next. While thinking about this, Heilit arrived near the root. As we got closer, there were clearly many monkeys remaining. Now that Riokku is dead, the human-faced spider is dead, and the centipede mom has left, the insect army has copsed. It seems the monkeys have imed victory over the remaining insects. They were gathered around the root as if guarding it. The monkeys cast wary nces at Heilit and me. It seems only Silverback Chimpanzee Akims has climbed up the root. Maybe he went up alone in case his subordinates might covet the fruit. What a greedy one. Heilit stopped abruptly at a distance. ''Don''t we need to break through?'' I asked, but of course, there was no answer. Instead, she put down her backpack. "There''s no need to deal with those dregs. We need to go up quickly." She seems to have understood what I said. What she took out of her bag was a long, curved rod. But that rod keepsing out endlessly. Pelerian recognized it. "It''s a subspace backpack." ''Oh.'' It must be some kind of magical tool. ''Why carry around an inconvenient backpack? Doesn''t she have something like a subspace ring?'' "Foolish snake. Do you think essories enchanted with subspace magic aremon items!" Pelerian said in a tone that was hard to tell if he was boasting or scolding. Come to think of it, we should also take that gnome''s invisibility cloak. No, now is not the time to worry about such things. "It''s a great bow." What I thought was a rod turned out to be none other than a bow. A veryrge great bow at that. Its shiny ck appearance makes me think it might be made from a magical beast''s horn. She nted the bow in the ground and pressed down with force. Crack! She strung the bow and plucked the string to test it. She also took out arrows from her backpack. At a nce, they looked like thin spears, iron arrows. She raised the longbow and aimed upwards. Creak, creak. She drew the bowstring with a fierce sound. She must have extraordinary strength. Twang! The arrow flew with a whoosh. It doesn''t seem to have hit Akims, but Heilit grinned. "Let''s go up with this." With a bow? How? Her method was even more daring than I had imagined. Chapter 79: Beam (2) "Woooah!" Silverback Akims roared loudly. His white teeth were sharp. With those teeth, he bit into the neck of his enemy, the guardian. Rip, riiip! The sound of the neck being torn echoed savagely. Hot blood didn''t gush out. The guardians protecting the Radiant Fruit were Trents, after all. They were magical beasts with bodies made of wood. Being made of wood didn''t mean they were dull or gentle creatures. They each had their own unique appearance and were very aggressive. Even now, that''s the case. Despite having its neck torn, that body was still moving. It pounded Silverback Akims'' body with its arms that were more like thorns. Thud, thwack! Akims coughed up blood. Climbing the root alone is not an easy task. He used all his strength to rip off the Trent''s arm. Crack! And then he trampled it. Boom, boom. He tore apart and dug into the stem. "Huff, hah!" A stream of blood flowed from his mouth. He wiped it off with his arm. Akims was exhausted. He was also injured. But a smile clearly appeared on his face. "I, I did it." His archenemy Riokku, driven mad by the hunger before his eyes, didn''t even think of climbing the tree. He had glimpsed the snakes he was worried about dying while fighting. He had dealt with all the guardians blocking the way up the root. "Radiant, fruit." The fruit can be seen up there. The Radiant Fruit resembles an apple. A golden apple shining with a golden light. The fragrance emanating from that fruit was enough to make his head dizzy. Soon, the fruit will be in his hands. When he bites into the sweet flesh, Akims will be able to be even stronger. To a higher realm. Even though his body can no longer evolve. He knew instinctively that he would be able to break through that wall and evolve once more. That the World Tree had given him this opportunity. Akims slowly. Not because he was at ease, but because he was struggling, he walked slowly. His fur suddenly puffed up. Turning his head was an instinctive movement. Whoosh! An iron arrow passed through where Akims'' head had been. Akims'' earlobe was torn. Grabbing his bleeding ear, Akims quickly turned around. An arrow is a weapon. Then who? Were there fairies or humans here? Or that gnome who was always hiding? He couldn''t tell, but the crisis wasn''t over. The arrow clearly flew high into the sky, but he felt a killing intent from behind. He twisted his body to dodge, but. Thud! The iron arrow pierced his right wing joint. The arrow had returned as if it were alive. He tried to pull out the arrow, but it wasn''t easy. There were barbs on the arrow shaft. It was an arrow imbued with its maker''s malice. If forcibly pulled out, severe bleeding would follow. And another arrow was shot. Akims moved his body warily, but the arrow passed by him. Thunk! The arrow deeply embedded itself in a point of the upward-stretching root. A wire made of twisted iron was attached to the arrow shaft. Akims can''t be med for not immediately realizing the purpose of that wire. It was already extraordinary for a magical beast like him to know what an arrow was. Not long after, a human climbed up the wire. It was an almost flying-like fast movement. Akims'' gaze was drawn more to the magical beast sitting on the human''s shoulder than to the human itself. "Bam!" And that snake flew at Akims. == Chimpanzee, you thought you had won, didn''t you? That''s not the case! My condition wasn''t great either. But the chimpanzee''s condition was much worse. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv2.¡¹ What I aimed for was his right shoulder joint. Where the arrow was embedded. The chimpanzee tried to block with his hand, but he staggered, seemingly in pain. Thanks to that, I seeded in biting his shoulder. Chomp. The neurotoxin remaining in my venom nd was injected in one go. "Kheung!" A roar as if he thinks he''s a tiger. My deadly poison, which can instantly bring down evenrge magical beasts, didn''t make him copse. Instead, he grabbed my body tightly with his uninjured left arm. He raises his hand as if to m me to the ground. I had anticipated this far. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ The biggest advantage of Heavenly Thunder Spirit is that it''s an instant-cast skill. The disadvantage is that I also take damage. However, even that monster-like chimpanzee should have less heat resistance and electric resistance than me. Crackle! The chimpanzee''s eyes rolled back, turningpletely white. Now I just need to escape from his grasp. But there was something I had overlooked: when electrocuted, muscles contract. The chimpanzee''s grip, which had been holding me tightly, grew even fiercer. The pain was so intense I wanted to scream. "Urgh." Moreover, Akims finally regained his senses. Just as he was about to smash me like the Hulk. sh! Akims'' wrist was cut off while still gripping me. It was thanks to Heilit''s intervention, wielding a long sword. "Waaaaaah!" Blood spurted like a fountain from Akims'' wrist. He''s quite spirited. Even in that state, he tries to rush at Heilit and kick her. His fur became as sharp as thorns, and when his foot shed with the sword, it made a nging sound as if metal hit metal. "Die quietly!" But Heilit didn''t budge an inch. She wielded the curved sword as easily as if it were her own limb. I was about to assist her when I turned my head. The wire we had climbed up on. Monkeys were following it up. "Ooki, kee!" "Keeeek!" They hade to help their leader. I couldn''t leave them be. I climbed along the root to approach the iron arrow where the wire was attached. ¡¸Using sh lv3.¡¹ I couldn''t cut the iron arrow, but. Crack! I could pull out the arrow that was already bearing weight. "Ookieeek!" The monkeys who had almost climbed up to this height all fell at once. Of course, they tangled with each other and crashed to the ground. ¡¸Absorbing magical energy.¡¹ ¡¸Sharing magical energy.¡¹ My level didn''t increase further, but I received quite a bit of magical energy. Perhaps causing the mass fall of the primates helped Heilit a bit. "Kuaaaaah!" In the meantime, Akims finally lost both his hands. That was the moment he pushed Heilit with his body. Heilit, in contrast to her bravery until now, was flung back and rolled along the root. Akims, who seemed to have gained the upper hand for a moment, immediately dashed off. No, he''s running away. He leaped down from that root. "No, noooo!" Heilit screamed. She had been aiming for the silver monkey''s hide, abandoning the snake. But her prey had escaped right before her eyes. I quickly approached and looked down. ''He''s alive!'' He has an incredibly tough body. Moreover, he used the pile of other monkey corpses as a cushion when he jumped down. He was limping away, perhaps having sprained his leg. ''Shoot an arrow, you fool!'' I urged Heilit, pointing at the arrows with my tail. She quickly took out her bow and tried to string it, but her face turned pale as she muttered. "Ah, my arm is broken..." Heilit''s wrist was swollen. Did she get injured when she collided with Akims earlier? Humans are such fragile creatures. I thought Heilit might be a hero like Gunter, but I guess not to that extent. "It seems we shouldn''t let him escape here." Akims was quite fast despite limping. We absolutely cannot let him get away. That cunning monkey will keep bothering me like a pimple on my backside until the end. The long-range skill I have is... None. My magic doesn''t reach that far. "I''ll have to go down." Heilit started climbing down the root. But there were still monkeys remaining below. Whatever orders Akims had given, instead of fleeing, they stayed put to block Heilit. I kept ring at Akims. "What are you doing? Just gaping with your mouth open." ''Be quiet. I''m trying to concentrate.'' That''s right. There was a skill I hadn''t fully learned from my father. Come to think of it, it''s a skill I should be able to acquire. Since my father had it too. "No, don''t tell me you''re attempting that!" Pelerian was surprised and about to say something but closed his mouth. It was consideration to let me concentrate. So I did. Gather magic in my mouth and release it as if spewing it out, he said. Scraping together the remaining magic. As if gathering it at a point in front of my mouth. Yes, like when forming an invisible hand. More. More, strongly. "Ooh..." Pelerian let out an exmation. A light started gathering in my mouth. ¡¸Due to the trait ''Perseverance'', you are not restricted in skill acquisition.¡¹ Is it working? Is it really happening? Let''s concentrate until the end. Yes, as if spewing out magic... "Ugh." At the moment I felt like vomiting for real. A beam shot out from my mouth. Piiing-! The beam struck Akims'' thigh. Although it didn''t prate his tough flesh, it left a wound as if he''d been hit by a full-power electric shock. Akims screamed and copsed with a thud. Heilit, who had been chasing him, gave me a thumbs up. "You did it!" Yes, yes, surprisingly, it''s true. I had, in my genius, managed to acquire it on my own. A skill that could be considered essential for a great monster. ''Destruction Beam''. ¡¸You have acquired Beam lv1.¡¹ ..¡­Just Beam! Finally, Heilit Langrey approached Akims and beheaded him in one swift motion. Anyway. The Radiant Fruit is now ours. Chapter 80: Bear the Weight of the Crown (1) ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Radiant Fruit] A radiant fruit containing the essence of the World Tree. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s something I often think about. These descriptions are often quite useless. What does it mean to contain the essence of the World Tree? How nice would it be if we could immediately know its effects? Then again, expecting that might be asking for too much. Being able to know even this much information is a privilege not everyone can enjoy. The smell is incredible. My mouth is watering. I want to chew and swallow it right away, but I hold back and put it in my subspace for now. ''You must obtain the fruit.'' That''s what Father said. Given how many times the usually taciturn man emphasized it, it must be a very important fruit. It might even be a healing medicine that can cure Father''s body. ... Come to think of it, is Father alright now? His chronic mana deficiency seemed to be because he was constantly maintaining gigantification. There might have been a practical reason why he had to maintain gigantification. Maybe he had a disease where he couldn''t survive without being gigantified... I imagined various scenarios. In any case, this filial snake returned to Father with the fruit. In the meantime, Father had be gigantic again. I got angry. I asked why he did that when his wounds weren''t fully healed yet. I demanded to know why he kept using gigantification when he was low on mana. When I jumped up and down in anger, Father dealt with it in his typical way. He ignored me, pretending not to hear. ''Then why do you keep using gigantification! At least give me a reason!'' Normally, I wouldn''t have gotten an answer. But surprisingly, Father responded. ¡¸... Later.¡¹ Does that mean he''ll tell meter? After eating the fruit? Or tomorrow? After ten nights have passed? I couldn''t tell, but I took out the fruit anyway. ''Here, I brought it as you said. Eat it.'' But Father shook his head again. ¡¸You eat it.¡¹ ''What? You insisted I bring it, and now that I have...'' As always, Father refused to eat the fruit. I thought all monsters had an instinct to be stronger, so why does he keep doing this? I was a bit confused if this was Father''s indirect way of showing affection, like saying "You eat the chicken leg." ¡¸I''ve already eaten it.¡¹ For a moment, I misunderstood it as "Dad doesn''t like legs very much." But he meant it literally. ¡¸Last time.¡¹ ''Yes... huh?'' Father is saying he has eaten a radiant fruit before. He said he got the fruit at a purple banquet held somewhere else in the great forest before. ¡¸... And, I evolved.¡¹ I wonder what kind of snake he was before. Was he something like a Pris Python? Or maybe just a White Serpent? Because Father wasn''t stronger than chimpanzees or Riokku, I couldn''t imagine he had such an impressive history. Then, were the monsters that flocked to this ''festival'' particrly strong? ¡¸So eating the fruit again would be useless.¡¹ It seems the fruit''s effect only works once. ¡¸So, you eat it.¡¹ Father emphasized once again. If you say so, I guess I have no choice. Let me eat it. "A fruit that affects evolution, how exciting. Another secret of evolution is being unveiled." I agreed with Pelerian''s sentiment. Father evolved into a unique species. Being a unique species doesn''t necessarily mean superiority. But being rare often means having outstanding abilities. Many named monsters are unique species, and many of those called cmities are unique species too, they say. ''Will I be a unique species if I eat this too?'' "The possibility isn''t low...! But I can''t be certain." Pelerian tends to get overly excited about evolution. And I''m the same. I want to evolve right away. I should eat the fruit and immediately find a safe ce. "Boss..." That''s when it happened. The gori approached. Huk, is she going to demand a share of the fruit? Despite my narrow-minded suspicion, she smiled gently. Why are you smiling so sweetly? I looked around at my subordinates. Despite all of them being gathered, there weren''t more than 60. Even though we fought trying to take advantage as much as possible, nearly half of the monsters died in battle. Somehow, it made me feel bitter. ''You are forever responsible for what you have tamed,'' right? Remembering those words, I went out alone to save the centipede family. Father probably saved me with a simr thought. But even so, not all the monsters I tamed could be safe. Maybe even reciting that phrase is just self-satisfaction and deception. "Thank... you." ''What?'' But the gori said something unexpected. "We, fought. But not much, help." ''Well...'' That''s true. Today''s battle was entirely fought by me and Father. Although I was rational and cool-headed, I didn''t say those words out loud. Still, without you all, even dividing the world into three wouldn''t have been possible. "Snake and, papa snake, fought hard. But we, survived." ''Yes...'' "And level, went up. Got much, stronger." The gori pounded her chest with both arms. Well, the experience points from the monsters that Father and I killed all went to the group. "Without boss... all dead." After saying that, the gori raised her hand and brought it to her eyebrow area. "Salute..." That was the salute posture I taught her when I was bored. You remembered it well. Of course, the other monsters were just standing nkly. Only Spot was waving his front paw, trying to imitate the gori. But still... it made my heart ache somehow. ''That''s a left-hand salute, you should use your right hand.'' "Ah, aah..." Come to think of it, I think I''ve underestimated the monsters too much. Even though I tamed them, they weren''t children. Each of them are warriors who constantly fight to be stronger, to evolve. I took out the fruit from my subspace. ''Thank you for everything so far, and...'' As the leader of the crew, I spoke as if making a toast. ''Let''s do well from now on too, guys!'' "Waaah...!" Receiving apuse from Mrs. Gori, I put the radiant fruit in my mouth. Crunch! It was the texture I expected from its appearance. As I chewed the crispy flesh, the juice spread in my mouth. I gulped down that sweet fruit. My insides feel warm, as if the medicinal effects are kicking in. I wonder what the effects of the radiant fruit are. I should try to evolve after checking the effects by returning to the cliff. ¡¸Evolution is being prepared.¡¹ What! Until now, the rule was that you had to sleep in a safe ce to evolve. Why is it suddenly starting to evolve here? ¡¸Protecting the evolving monster.¡¹ What''s going on? Creak- Suddenly, roots of the World Tree started sprouting from the ground. They''re particrly white and thin roots. Like ivy, the fine roots are wrapping around me. I was startled and tried to escape, but then my eyes met Father''s. He who had rushed to me when I was about to be caught by Riokku, now looked just calm. He nods as if to say it''s okay. Is this a process Father has experienced too? I stopped trying to escape from the fine roots. Fortunately, the fine roots weren''t binding me, but gently wrapping around me. ''Let''s talk about what we couldn''tter!'' I said that to Father. I have many questions. I want to ask about gigantification, and how he became a Pris Serpent. I want to ask how he met Mother, and why he ran away like that back then. His level was 100, so I wonder if he''s about to evolve too. If so, I want to help. I should also tell him about Gunter. If Father truly loved Mother, Gunter might be someone we need to take revenge on someday. Father didn''t answer. My vision was gradually obscured by the tree roots. In the end, like a silkworm wrapped in a cocoon, I was enveloped by the white roots of the World Tree. ¡¸The mana concentration in the air is increasing.¡¹ Then, a strange message was heard. ¡¸Roots that couldn''t bear fruit are rotting.¡¹ ¡¸A putrid smell is emanating from the rotten roots.¡¹ What does that mean? But trapped in the white space, I couldn''t know anything. "Oh!" Pelerian also retreated into the ring with a short scream. A transparent and sticky liquid started to fill the space I was in. Chapter 81: Bear the Weight of the Crown (2) Heilit Langrey looked up at the sky. The sky that had been purple due to the high mana concentration in the atmosphere. The festival should end now that the radiant fruit has fallen. The barrier that had been protecting this ce like a dome disappeared. But the mana concentration in the atmosphere seems to have be even denser. The sky now was red like blood. ''Are the monsters that were waiting going to rush in?'' She saw the monsters that had been drooling outside the barrier. Among them, there might be beings as strong as Silverback Akims or Insect King Riokku. She didn''t get to make the ''clothes'' she wanted. But she had an interesting experienceing here. The struggle of the small snake and its father touched Heilit Langrey''s heart. Now the small snake looked as if it was trapped in a cocoon. The white roots of the World Tree are protecting it. Heilit drew her sword at the speed of light. And she struck the edge of the roots forming the cocoon. ng! The sword vibrated crazily. But not even a scratch was left on the white roots. "That''s a relief." The Pris Serpent slightly lowered its tail. It realized that Heilit had no hostility. Now that she knew the small snake would be safe, the only thing she needed to care about was the big snake. She didn''t care what happened to the gori and the rest of the monsters. "Mr. Snake." Although not that old, Heilit had rich life experiences. She had a feeling. It seemed like he had the atmosphere of someone, no, a snake about to leave. "Are you leaving... right away?" Somehow, formal speech came out. Surprisingly, the Pris Serpent nodded. A taciturn monster that can speak through thought transmission. Like its appearance, the voice felt through thought transmission was also cool. "Looks like you want to evolve more." Evolution is the instinct of all monsters. Even monsters who no longer see a path to evolution endlessly desire it. Isn''t it the most intense instinct after ''not wanting to die''? Seeing how he struggled even to maintain gigantification, he probably isn''t satisfied with his current state. The snake nodded once more. "Do you know... how to evolve again?" In the case of higher species, there are instances where they realize their path in advance. She didn''t expect an answer, but. ¡¸Must reach the stars.¡¹ "Ah." Heilit admired that harmony. Pris. An evolution condition worthy of that name. And it''s romantic too. Although it seems impossible to achieve. "Say goodbye to the kid before you go. Children be twisted when their fathers disappear without a word." Saying that, Heilit turned around swiftly. She runs away with fairy-like movements. She needs to escape before the monsters rush in. The Pris Serpent didn''t answer and remained silent. A slight hesitation can be felt. And he carefully raised his tail to stroke the white cocoon. Contemting what to say to his son. ¡¸... Thank you.¡¹ He couldn''t even say goodbye to his wife. ¡¸Someday, let''s, meet again.¡¹ Saying that, the Pris Serpent turned his gigantic body. Towards the deeper parts of the great forest. Quietly, slowly. Seeking solitude again. And the gori and other monsters remained there nkly. A sweet scent from somewhere made them dizzy. == ''Where are you going!'' Even inside the cocoon, I could hear the conversation outside. I hit the wall trying to escape from the cocoon. ''Dad!'' But the inside of the cocoon was filled with transparent and sticky liquid. Even if I swing my tail, no strength enters it. ''Damn!'' It''s frustratingly suffocating. When the liquid entered my nostrils and lungs, I thought I was going to die drowning like this. But strangely, I could breathe. To be precise, I should say I didn''t suffocate. This isn''t LCL fluid or anything. ''Dad!'' But in the end, it seems Father has left. Saying he''s going to look for stars. As expected of a snake, he must have no knowledge of astronomy. Stars are so far away that you can''t reach them, and if you touch them, you''ll burn to death. Even with level 100 heat resistance. Thud. The cocoon showed no sign of breaking. ''... Alright.'' There''s a saying, "All meetings must end in partings." There must always be a farewell in meetings. And "those who part shall meet again", if we''re both safe, we might meet again someday. I consoled my aching heart by writing characters in my mind. While doing so, the space in front of me started to glow little by little. I thought light wasing in from outside, but that wasn''t it. My body was emitting light. ¡¸You can evolve.¡¹ A voice was heard. When evolving, I always had a dream of floating in darkness, but now it''s the opposite. I wonder what kind of choices will appear this time. My heart was pounding. But there were no choices this time. ¡¸Considering your actions and potential.¡¹ I only hear the voice. Is it because I ate the radiant fruit? ¡¸You are a python.¡¹ That''s right, I am a python. ¡¸You are a horn-type monster.¡¹ There are horns on my head. I''ve ovee numerous dangers with those horns. ¡¸You possess crystal scales.¡¹ I ate an enormous amount of magic stones and gained the modifier ''crystal''. ording to Pelerian, the value of those magic stones could buy an entire territory. In that case, one of my scales might be no different from a real jewel. ¡¸You were a leader.¡¹ I was also the leader of the zoo animals, that legendary crew. The one who finally won at the festival. ¡¸You are receiving worship from some goblins.¡¹ I''m also Ouroboros. Come to think of it, I wonder if Nanaluk united the goblins of the great forest. It seems my actions are determining this evolution. And my potential as well. ¡¸Judging potential.¡¹ ¡¸Due to the trait ''Perseverance'', you are not restricted in evolution.¡¹ I''m curious how I''ll evolve. Maybe I''ll also... ¡¸Gaining unique series ''Crown''.¡¹ ''Unique''! series. ¡¸Gained trait ''Crown''.¡¹ ¡¸Trait ''Horn'' is integrated into ''Crown''.¡¹ ¡¸Trait ''Pattern'' is integrated into ''Crown''.¡¹ ¡¸Trait ''Scales'' is integrated into ''Crown''.¡¹ The continuing voice made my head tingle. The two horns that had grown and simr horns grew out. They clumped together, aligned, and changed shape. Like... a snake wearing a crown. ¡¸Gained skill ''Crown''.¡¹ ¡¸''Billy''s Horn lv4'' is integrated into ''Crown''.¡¹ ¡¸''Leaping Horn lv2'' is integrated into ''Crown''.¡¹ ¡¸''Taming lv10'' is integrated into ''Crown''.¡¹ Crown is an all-purpose skill. And finally, I learned the name I would evolve into. ¡¸Evolving into ''Crystal Crown Python''.¡¹ The evolution began. Chapter 82: Snake-Shaped Doll (1) Thump thump. ''Ah!'' I opened my eyes. I thought I was going to experience evolution in a conscious state this time, but that wasn''t the case. Thest message I received was that I would evolve into a Crystal Crown Python, or CCP for short, before I lost consciousness. I felt like something had changed. Without a mirror, I couldn''t see directly, but the two horns on my head had changed shape. When I felt them with my tail, they seemed to have be crown-shaped. I didn''t feel like my body had grownrger. If anything, I might have be slightly smaller. I''ve lost interest in getting bigger now. After all, I''m nning to acquire the Gigantification skill. For some reason, Pelerian couldn''te out of the ring. I''m not sure if it''s because of this cocoon or the mucus. Let''s take a closer look at the results of the evolution. I concentrated my mind. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Crown Python lv1] [Title] Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Crown] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s disappointing that I couldn''t be a Serpent. But I was delighted that various traits were integrated into the ''Crown'' trait. It was definitely called a ''unique series'', right? In other words, I might be the first monster to have the Crown trait. If I were to trace my roots, I would be a snake series, and a horn series monster. Monsters with ''horn'' in their name and horns attached are horn series monsters. They weremonly seen in this great forest. Then I could be called the founder of the crown series monsters. At least this thing on my head isn''t just for decoration. I''m sure I heard a message about several skills being integrated. Oh. My skills have changed. A lot! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ?Crown [Steal lv4]: Gigantification lv0, [Ovee lv2], [Dominate lv1] ?Magic [Basic Element]: Fire lv4, Earth lv5, Water lv2, Wind lv3 [Invisible Hand lv3]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The horns disappeared and changed into a crown. It was in the form of three skills existing under the big skill called Crown. Billy''s Horn... seems to have changed to Steal. Then should I call it the Crown of Stealing? I don''t know why it''s called such a brutal name when it''s not stealing but borrowing. It''s unfair. Then the Leaping Horn became the Crown of Oveing... why did Dominate appear? Ah, did Taming change into the Dominate skill? Recently, I had so many skills that it was burdensome to read the status window, but it definitely became easier to see. I also liked how the magic skills were organized. Looking further, I found that other skills were neatly organized as well. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?Techniques [Beam lv1], [Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1], [Heart-eating Leap lv2], [Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv5], [Poison Scales lv1], [Clumsy Swordsmanship lv1], [Tail Whip lv1], [sh lv3], [eleration lv6], [Devouring lv7], [Magic Detection lv3] ?Survival [Resistance]: Poison lv7, Bleeding lv3, Pain lv8, Heat lv10, Cold lv1, Petrification lv1, Electric lv1 [Survival Instinct lv6], [ck Scales lv2], [Swimming lv1], [Breath Holding lv5], [Stealth lv8]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Now it''s readable. I wonder why the status window changed. Is this also thanks to the evolution? Well, this evolution was aided by the World Tree, after all. It''s possible if you think of it not as just evolution, but as something like mega-evolution. Or maybe my subconscious organized the cluttered status window. It seemed that only I could ''clearly'' see through my own or others'' status like this. I should ask Pelerian againter. That''s when it happened. ¡¸The faith of the goblins has spread.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of the title ''Ouroboros'' rises slightly.¡¹ Did Nanaluk achieve something! I immediately checked. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Ouroboros] ... Currently worshipped by the goblins of the great forest. As this faith spreads widely, the owner of the title will gain an appropriate rank. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I used my extraordinary memory to figure out what had changed. Originally, it said that ''an extremely small number of goblins'' worshipped. That changed to the expression ''goblins of the great forest''. Nanaluk has finally unified the great forest. ''Aren''t you too fast, Nanaluk?'' It was a speed that made me stick out my tongue. While I was barely discussing the division of the realm into three parts in the Shadow Forest region, she had already taken control of most of the goblins in the great forest. How did she do it? It''s physically difficult. Of course, I cheered her on, but I even doubted if it was really possible. Is this... am I getting jealous! I took a moment for self-reflection. Yeah, even if Chief Nanaluk had been here instead of me, it wouldn''t have been easy to do as well as I did. I have my cherished subordinates and Centipede Mom too. I should have confidence. Thump thump thump- And then something knocked on the cocoon from the outside. Was it because of this sound that I woke up? Cap...tain. What I heard from outside the cocoon sounded like a gori''s voice. You have to...e out! It wasn''t clear due to the muffled sound, but it was definitely an urgent tone. What happened? There shouldn''t be any monsters around that could target us. I became anxious. Now that the evolution isplete, it''s time to emerge from the cocoon. ¡¸Using sh lv3.¡¹ When I swung my tail this way and that, a scratch appeared on the cocoon. It seems the durability of the cocoon has weakened as the evolution finished. A little mucus is leaking out through that spot. ¡¸Using sh lv3.¡¹ It would have been easier if I had the Elven Broadsword. Should I try using Gigantification in this state? That''s when it happened. I heard someone''s voice. Fulfill your role... Gori? What are you suddenly saying? No, it doesn''t seem to be the gori. Her voice is much hoarser and warmer. While I was confused, the gori''s iron prosthetic hand dug into the gap of the cocoon. She tore open the cocoon as if ripping it. Crack! You''re in such a hurry. I climbed up to her shoulder, familiar with her prosthetic hand. "Cough, hack!" The mucus in my stomach spurted out of my nostrils and mouth. I spat out all that mucus with violent coughing. Now I feel like I can live. Only then could I look around at the surrounding situation. And the judgment I made was... ''Is this a dream?'' Chapter 83: Snake-Shaped Doll (2) If this is a dream, it''s definitely a nightmare. "What dream are you talking about!" Pelerian finally popped out of the ring. If it''s not a dream, it''s a problem. Because this ce was undoubtedly hell. ''What is this?'' I thought the purple sky would have turned clear blue. That''s what the gori heard from the sage, that''s what Pelerian''s exnation was, and that''s what Deshnan''s records said too. That after the festival ends, we would return to normal days. But it wasn''t like that. A crimson sky greeted me. The magical energy in the air was so thick that my mouth felt dry. ''Where is this?'' "On, the big... root." It seems the gori moved me here with the cocoon. Thanks to that, I could see the surroundings at a nce. ''Why are there so many monsters?'' Numerous monsters were circling around the root. There were more monsters filling the in than when the insect army and monkey army fought. Their number seemed to easily exceed ten thousand. There were various monsters from huge ones to small ones. "Yesterday, suddenly... they came." ''After I started evolving?'' "All at once to here..." I btedly noticed that only the gori among my subordinates was visible. It was ominous to no end. ''Where are the rest!'' "I, made them... escape." I was afraid they might have been eaten by those monsters or were circling down there. I let out a sigh of relief. ''You really did well.'' Recruiting the gori was the best choice. But the situation was by no means good. "It''s a Monster Wave." Pelerian said with a pale face. "This is undoubtedly a Monster Wave." ''Is that when those monsters gather and make a mass charge towards the inner part of the continent?'' "Yes." ''I thought Monster Waves don''t ur in the great forest.'' "It''s been like that until now. It was like that even when I was alive." Pelerian''s expression looks perplexed as well. "But is there anything eternal in this world..." That must be it. Maybe one day, crazy monsters gathered together, made an oath of brotherhood, and decided to go on a pic outside the great forest. And that day is today. "If it''s a Monster Wave, there should be a leader, right?" In a Monster Wave, there''s a leader monster that roars at the front. Monsters fall into madness and follow that leader towards the center of the continent. Where could that crazy monster be? Is it that huge elephant circling down there? Or is it the one that looks like a giant slug? Themander of madness who would cause numerous casualties was nowhere to be seen. "Uh, uhh Cap...tain!" At that moment, the gori looked at me and panicked. What is it? Why are you acting like that? Pelerian also shouted in surprise. "You, you''re floating!" My body was floating up. And the monsters that were circling stopped all at once. ¡¸A leader is being selected.¡¹ Those guys are looking at me with dull eyes. Don''t tell me. ...it''s me? Am I supposed to lead these monsters out? I don''t want to do that. Zap. At that moment, a dull impact rang in my head. My insides suddenly feel hot. It feels like my stomach is on fire. For some reason, madness and anger seem to be invading my mind. Lava is boiling inside. Ugh. Urgh. "Bleargh!" I vomited the remaining mucus in my stomach. Hmm, my stomach feels better and my head is clearer. ¡¸You are immune to mental attacks due to the ''Indomitable'' trait.¡¹ No way. Did someone just try tounch a mental attack on me? To lead the Monster Wave along with the monsters? I exined what just happened to Pelerian. "What, if that''s the case..." There seems to be only one thing capable of doing this. The one that helped my evolution and bore a radiant fruit for me to eat. The one that emitted a fragrance to lure the monsters is only one. "The World Tree is instigating a Monster Wave!" The World Tree was a suspicious tree to no end. Is it because I didn''t be the leader? An anomaly urred. The root shook, and then thorn-like roots sprouted from the ground. Bang bang bang bang! Some of the monsters filling the ground were skewered by the roots like kebabs. They withered and twisted instantly as if their blood had been sucked by vampires. Creak. And something started to form at the exact position where the radiant fruit had been. A bright red fruit is growing rapidly in real-time. ''Uh, I think we need to run away.'' Where to? There''s nowhere to go. The crowd of monsters was packed densely below. The bright red fruit finally grew to the size of a bull. Pop- The fruit''s skin burst and red liquid dripped down. Something crawled out from inside. It was a monster. "Is it a Treant?" A Treant is a monster like a walking tree. Its body was covered with something like tree bark. But it looked exactly like a snake. Just like it was modeled after me or my father. "...Grrrr." A wooden snake covered in bright red juice that looks like blood. I quickly focused my eyes to look. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Root''s Chimera lv100] [Traits] [Madness], [Ferocity], [Leader], [Low Intelligence], [Baby], [Crown].... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s a crazy baby tree snake! Its level is 100, and I can feel overwhelming strength. I don''t think I can win even if I fight. It slowly approached me and the gori. It''s a tree, but could it be carnivorous? Its teeth are sharp. Drool is dripping from what looks like its mouth. "Uh, aah..." The gori hid behind me, trembling. I''m scared too. I''m scared! But, since it''s a baby. And since it''s of low intelligence, maybe we can do something. Oh well, here goes nothing. ¡¸Using Crown of Domination lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Failed to dominate ''Root''s Chimera lv100''.¡¹ Farewell, world. What good is a crown. ¡¸Partially seeded in taming ''Root''s Chimera lv100''.¡¹ What did you say? Then did it work! Crown is the best! At that moment, it suddenly bit my head. I almost activated Heavenly Thunder Spirit. I exercised insane self-control and endured. "Is, is he dead..." The gori screamed, but. The chimera didn''t chew me. Instead, it bit me very lightly and then licked me with its tongue. ''?'' Does it think I''m its mother or something? On its head was a crown simr in shape to mine. I don''t think it has exactly the same skills though. Maybe it''s a chimera created in the image of me, the victor of the festival. ''Crown'' was clearly written in its traits too. Unlike me, it''s very ugly, but... Crack- A tree root like an arm sprouted from its nape and wrapped around me. It held me immobile as if a child holding a doll. You need to not have arms and legs to be a real snake! It jumped off the root while holding me like that. Boom! The monsters lying on the ground burst like tomatoes. Nevertheless, not a single one tried to run away. It seems all the monsters here are in a state of madness. The wooden snake, which looked the maddest of all, raised its body. And it roared in a way not at all like a snake. "Grr-woooooo-!" The other monsters howled in unison in response. The chimera started to move. And the monsters surrounding it followed like a living colony. "So this is the starting point of the Monster Wave." I was watching that. While being held like a doll by that leader. I barely managed to lift my head and look at the gori on the tree. She raised her right hand with a very regretful expression. It was a salute posture. ''...We''re fucked.'' It seemed certain that was the case. == And. Further away from the Shadow Forest. Near the border of the Pmu Rainforest where the goblins had now disappeared. Gunter was standing still. Beside him was a magician from the magic tower. The magician was acting a bit like a madman. He made a cylinder with his right hand and brought his eyeball close to it as if there was a treasure inside. It had been 15 minutes since he started this inexplicable behavior. Finally, the magician smiled brightly. "I can see it, I can see!" He informed Gunter in a voice that whistled due to his missing front teeth. "The Monster Wave has started! It''sing this way!" The magician had been observing the situation in a distant region through his familiar. Gunter replied without changing his expression. "Thank you." He ordered his knights. "It has begun. Everyone, prepare!" Chapter 84: The Appearance of the Twin-Head Snake (1) A few days after Gunter and his knights and soldiers left for the expedition. The Iron Lion Knights remaining in Greyrimpletely sealed off the territory. Although it was a great forest with one of thergest ins on the continent, excluding the ''prairie'', the western border had very treacherous rocky areas and mountain ranges. That treacherous area narrowed like a funnel, and above ity fertile farnd - that was Greyrim. In other words, if a horde of monsters were to pour out en masse, they would inevitably have to pass through the Greyrim territory. There was no other reason why a domain was built in such a dangerous ce. It was nned as a fortress city from the very beginning when it was first pioneered. Like the first tower that must fall if a monster wave starts from the great forest. Therefore, the Greyrim domain ''was'' a strategically very important ce. That''s how it started, but monster waves never actually urred. There were only walls, and Greyrim gradually remained an ordinary domain. Where slightly poor and somewhat pure people lived. But not now. This ce, which had be like a ghost town with only a few elderly people, knights, and soldiers left. It was always eerie, but today was a bit different. Before dawn broke, a carriage opened the castle gate and went out. The problem was that Rania Greyrim, the lord''s daughter, was in that carriage. The one guarding the dawn castle gate was not Gunter''s knight or soldier. It was a domain resident who originally lived in Greyrim, and moreover, a decrepit old man. After his family left the domain, he volunteered to serve as a domain soldier. The old man who sometimes roasted potatoes and shared them with the knights quietly opened the castle gate and let Rania out. Knight Zain was grabbing the old man by the cor. "I assume you''re prepared to die." Zain drew his sword. He looked as if he would execute him on the spot, but there was no trace of fear in the old man''s eyes. "What glory would there be in prolonging this old life for a few more days..." "Let''s see if you can still say that while the sword is going in." Zain pointed the sword at the old man''s neck. As the de slightly prated the skin, droplets of blood flowed out. The old man was about to say something but then firmly closed his mouth. The experienced old man saw that Zain''s eyes were trembling. Zain''s lips moved ever so slightly. ''Quickly kneel down and beg.'' It was advice conveyed through lip movements. Behind Zain were his senior knights. If Zain hadn''t stepped forward, they would have beheaded the old man who abandoned his duty without hesitation. The old man did not beg for forgiveness, and Zain also couldn''t bring himself to swing his sword and remained still. "Zain, put it down for a moment. Hey, old man." A senior knight intervened nonchntly. "The carriage went northwest, right?" "..." "I''m just asking to confirm. We''ve already secured all the statements." Then the knight whispered with another fellow knight. "Then is it the Akinzurou Gorge?" "Yeah, seems like she''s going to Viscount Gerard." "Well, this is quite troublesome..." Zain looked at his seniors. The seniors seemed a bit surprised but weren''t angry or flustered. "...Unlucky fellows. I wonder if the captain anticipated this too." Though the meaning was unclear, that''s what they muttered. Zain chimed in at the right moment. "I''ll throw this old man in jail and interrogate him further." "Huh? Yeah, do that." The old man''s death would be postponed for the time being. I''m not sure if it was a meaningful action. "We should pursue, right?" ''Is he asking me?'' Zain thought for a moment. "...Should we form a pursuit team? To Akinzurou Gorge." "Yeah, we should. We can''t just leave it be." "Will you go too, senior?" "No, you go. We need to guard this ce." In Zain''s judgment, Rania''s escape was a big deal. Especially considering that she headed southwest, and that area was territory controlled by Viscount Gerard, Rania''s maternal family. But for some reason, the seniors were calm. They even seemed indifferent, as if they already knew. "Take a few soldiers with you. You should be able to catch up to a carriage quickly. They won''t be able to drive fast in the gorge anyway." However, the order given was clear. "If capturing her is not feasible, you may kill her." The senior patted Zain''s shoulder. "If it seems dangerous, save yourself at least. Run away quickly. You''ll understand what I mean when you get there." "...Yes, I understand." Zain saluted. While trying hard to hide his uneasy feelings. == Whoosh! A huge me spread in the middle of the great forest. Fortunately, it hadn''t rained for the past few days. Thanks to oil and the mage''s help, the fire was appropriately controlled. It was as if the heavens were helping the kingdom. "It''s burning well." The soldiers watched the mes with axes in hand. They thought they would use swords or bows, but the most used tool was the axe. The purpose was to control the fire by cutting and piling up trees. As a result, instead of spreading in all directions, the mes drew a straight line. A wall of mes waspleted. The shortest me wall exceeded 1km. "The mage is amazing... How can mes be this good." "Shh." One soldier made a gesture of covering his mouth with his finger. There was an old man standing so close to the mes that his beard was almost singed. He was a pyromancer named Ishen. A master of pyromancy even among the magic towers. He controlled the mes, created wind, and made thergest fire in history. Moreover, the mes did not spread sideways but only stretched out like a wall. "Fall back! If you''re done, fall back, unless you want to die!" The decurions pulled the soldiers back. They should follow that order. No matter how brave the soldiers here are, once they''re swept up in the monster wave, it''s over. All they could do was pray that the wall of mes would change the direction of the wave. All of this was beingmanded by one person. The hero, Gunter Frihansen. Two mages standing next to him at the center. And knights were defending areas without mes. "Master Alcandura, do you observe anything?" The toothless mage was still looking through a cylinder he made with his hands. "They''reing, they''reing. Hehe, to think I''d get the chance to control a monster wave right before my eyes in my lifetime." "The distance?" "About 2km. Extremely fast. The formation has be narrow and long. Ishen did well." Gunter''s first goal was to shape the monster wave. It must not be a round shape that spreads out in all directions. If so, no matter what barrier is made, they will push and break through each other. This is because the madness spread by the monster wave attracts even nearby monsters, gradually increasing its size. Therefore, to control its direction, it must be made into a long, narrow formation. Like a snake crawling. "Master Dezaka. Is the great magic being prepared?" "I may not know much about politics, but," The handsome old mage asked Gunter. "I know we can''t leave the monster wave alone. It might ruin the country if it goes straight to the capital." It was the magic tower that detected signs of the monster wave. The king who heard the report was naturally shocked and. He gave a secret order to the hero Gunter, who was on the royal faction because of hismoner origins, not the noble faction. An order that must never be revealed to the outside world. Even the soldiers thought it was an operation to subjugate monsters. But the mages from the magic tower who were deeply involved in this n couldn''t help but know the inside story. "If we twist the wave and send it to the empire, won''t a war break out? The domains on that path will be destroyed too." Gunter showed no change in expression. "You don''t need to worry about the aftermath." "How cold. Kekeke." In any case, it''s impossible to stop a monster wave with this level of troops. Especially since the scale of this wave is expected to be enormous. "I''ll tell you some good news." Master Alcandura said. "The leader doesn''t seem that strong. Compared to the scale of the wave, it looks unbelievably ordinary. I''m not sure if it''s a snake or a treant." "Then..." "It seems we have one more option. Hihi." The mageughed. "Shall we try to kill the leader here?" Of course, the wave that has already started won''t stop, but it will definitely weaken. It was worth trying. Rumble rumble- The ground shook. ording to n, the monster wave should pass in front of Gunter and the mages. "I can see the monsters, captain!" "I know without you telling me. Shoot the signal." The knight next to Gunter shot an arrow into the sky. Wheeeeee! A sharp sound rang out from the hole pierced in the arrowhead. Moreover, it must have been magically treated, as a bright red trajectory was drawn in the early evening sky. And that signal sound rang out in session. Wheee- Whee- Like lighting beacon fires, red lines were shot into the sky sequentially. "Dezaka! Let''s begin!" Alcandura ran to his fellow mage. Although their behavior was extremely clumsy, the magic they were about to cast now was not funny at all. "Ishen came here too!" The pyromancer also ran over. Chapter 85: The Appearance of the Twin-Head Snake (2) They had already cleared the area of grass and packed the ground. On top of that, they had drawn a huge magic circle with white pebbles. In the center of the magic circle was a severed white cow''s head, with a magic stone ced on its forehead. It was a 10th-grade magic stone. Although the mages could naturally use silent casting magic, chanting was necessary for great magic. "I, Alcandura, de magica." "I am Ishen, de magica." "Dezaka de magica!" The ground''s vibrations became more intense, and the rushing monsters came closer into view. Nevertheless, the mages maintained theirposure. As they continued to mutter in runenguage. Whoosh! The white cow''s head spontaneously burst into mes. Even the magic stone that doesn''t burn in fire started to burn. Powerful mana gushed out from there. It was amplified by the magic circle. The amplified mana was transferred to the mages and then released again, increasing in size as if resonating. It was magic that maximized its power by sacrificing stability against external intervention. Pyromancer Ishen put the finishing touch on that great magic. "Draco- mme. Ignite!" A dragon made of mes rose from the magic circle. The heat was so intense that it looked like a lump of light. "Go!" The great magic of the me dragon. It was shot towards the iing monsters. Gunter swallowed his saliva and opened his eyes wide. The dragon, and the monsters beyond it. A giant snake made of wood, and on the snake''s neck... a small white snake. == ''For now, let''s stay quiet. Depending on the situation, let''s try to escape from this wooden chimera.'' That was my original n. But in the end, I couldn''t even attempt it. This fake snake that growls ''Grwooo'' instead of ''Hiss'' had no intention of letting me go. Not only that, but the wooden branches that had grabbed me were gradually getting closer to its body. That''s how I became one with it. Not in any other sense, but literally. Half of my body was buried in its wooden body. Is this what it meant that ''Taming'' was partially sessful! I tried to escape several more times after that. I really tried my best to run away through the gap between monsters. Just when I thought I seeded! The wooden branches would suddenly pop out and pull me back in. After that, only my head was left sticking out. Just like a twin-headed snake. The problem was that one head was abnormally small, and that was me. The chimera seemed angry and took it out on the surrounding monsters. Other monsters were eaten without much resistance, and the chimera grew even bigger. It was a terrifying chimera. "It''s the worst chimera. Poorly made." But it didn''t seem to please the eyes of Pelerian, who was a self-proimed chimera expert. Although he was very excited about the fact that the World Tree had created a chimera, the state of the chimera was not proper. It looked like a snake, perhaps modeled after me, but that was only in appearance. Important organs of the body, including the anus, didn''t seem to be properly formed. "A hastily made chimera without even an asshole... The World Tree..." ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Status] [Madness], [Hunger], [Terminal] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Moreover, there was a status clearly written as ''Terminal''. ''Just think of it as taking a taxi.'' "I don''t know what that means. But we need to head towards the central continent someday anyway." Pelerian seemed to be a bit happy about the current situation. He wanted me to find his other dungeons. Especially, he really wanted to visit one dungeon where his corpse might remain. Since it''s not in the great forest, he wanted to ride this monster wave all the way to the continent. Not bad. Although it''s a more sudden flow than expected. I wonder if Nanaluk is safe. Is she still in the great forest? If so, I hope she wasn''t swept up in this monster wave. "There''s fire again." The monsters changed their course once more. Fires were breaking out here and there. It was extremely suspicious. Wheeeeee- That''s when a signal was shot into the sky. Something ominous was spewing light from up ahead. I thought it was another fire, but. ''Oh, oh oh!'' A dragon made of mes was flying towards us. It was heading precisely towards me, no, the chimera snake. ''I''ll burn to death!'' The chimera snake might not die, but I certainly will. As I was about to attempt an escape once more. "It''s Draco mme, great magic." Pelerian said calmly. Is he trying to show off his knowledge in this situation? "Why did they refine it like that? Idiots. Hey snake, drench yourself with water." ''Water?'' "Yes, water magic!" Shouting Teacher Pelerian. I decided to trust him, the Heaven Defier mage, just this once. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv2.¡¹ My mana had increased quite a bit since evolving. I could spray enough water to soak not just myself but the entire chimera snake. "Grwooo!" The chimera snake roared as if pleased. Does it like water because it''s made of wood? ''Can, can this block that magic?'' "Are you crazy? Of course not." ''Then what!'' "Create a fireball up there. At a distance that''s neither too far nor too close. Yes, about the height of that tree''s fruit." There was no time to argue. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv4.¡¹ I created a me about the size of a human head in mid-air. Meanwhile, the me dragon drew closer. The chimera snake kept running, seemingly unaware of fear. Like a living real dragon, the me dragon opened its mouth wide. And instead of pouncing on me to turn the snake into a roast. Whoosh- It quickly twisted its head and swallowed the fireball I had created in mid-air. Then it fell right in the middle of the monsters following us. Kwaaaaang! A hot wind blew from behind. It felt like the back of my head got a bit cooked. Considering that my Heat Resistance level is already 10 and it wasn''t a direct hit, it''s spine-chilling. The water that had drenched my body evaporated in an instant. "You may express your gratitude." I showered Pelerian with praise as he stood there looking smug. Despite dozens of monsters being roasted, the advance didn''t stop. Instead, I noticed some old men who seemed to have used magic. The three old men didn''t look particrly impressive. Even now, they''re squabbling with each other. "Ishen, you ipetent fool!! Can''t you hit even one target?" "Damn it, why don''t you try it then!" They seem to be arguing about missing with their magic. I thought they might be formidable given their use of powerful magic, but they might just be second-rate magicians. And the moment I saw the knight standing next to them. Rustle- My scales stood on end. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv2.¡¹ In an instant, their color turned pitch ck, of course. ''It''s Gunter!'' Gunter. The human hero who killed Mother Medusa. And who threw a spear at me. He was waiting for us. It seems he was the one who brought the magicians too. I thought of Father. The heartless father who just left like that. But looking at the rampaging monsters, I think it''s fortunate that he left. If he were here. He wouldn''t have stayed still facing his wife''s enemy. Gunter staring at me nkly. In that moment. I noticed an opportunity hade. Die right there, Gunter. Destruction Beam, fire. ¡¸Using ''Beam'' lv1.¡¹ A beam shot from my mouth. Ting! Surprisingly, Gunter blocked it with his arm. The beam hit the armor covering his arm and dissipated pathetically. Gunter drew out his infamous axe spear. ''I''m screwed!'' As regret surged through me. "Guooo!" Perhaps sensing the hostility directed this way. The chimera snake didn''t stay still. A tendril shot from its body and struck Gunter. Well done! Chapter 86: Im not an old man, I was born almost at the same time as you (1) A chimera presumably created by the World Tree. Perhaps that''s why. It was certainly extraordinary. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Root Chimera lv100+++] [Traits] [Madness], [Ferocity], [Leader], [Low Intelligence], [Baby], [Crown].... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Its level didn''t increase from 100. Perhaps it was fixed at 100 since birth. But it was still a ''baby'', growing rapidly day by day. Originally about the size of a bull, it grewrger than Riokku after devouring a few monsters. It was smaller than its gigantified father, but still deserved to be called enormous. Is it because it''s a chimera created to imitate me? Or is it because of its ''low intelligence'' and ''baby'' traits? Its status window was easily visible. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Biting lv20], [Roar lv10], [Body m lv10], [Branch Growth lv20], [Quick Crawling]... [Status] [Madness], [Terminal].... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ At a nce, it possessed high-level skills that didn''t seem particrly advanced. So, honestly, I couldn''t gauge how strong it really was. It certainly seemed incredibly powerful, but to what extent? Among the gathered monsters, there were some that seemed no less powerful than Akims or Riokku. But they didn''t confront the chimera, instead just following along. Keeping a bit of distance, they''re probably following behind. This chimera is likely about as strong as them. And in my opinion, being about as strong isn''t enough to defeat Gunter. I know from seeing Medusa Mom cross the river of death in one hit. It was actually me who angrily shot a beam at Gunter, but it''s still a bit scary. Crunch! Steel Gunter swung his axe spear, cutting through the branches shot by the chimera snake in one go. The chimera snake was brave. It lunged at Gunter while shooting out branches. ''Be, be careful!'' It tried to swallow Gunter in one bite. Boom! But Gunter leapt high to avoid it. If the chimera had been a normal snake, it would have been an effective dodge. However, the chimera''s body was made of wood. Once again, branches extended from its body, rushing towards Gunter. Swish- This time, even Gunter couldn''t cut all the branches. Several branches tried to pierce through Gunter''s armor. Bang bang bang bang! The force was so tremendous that Gunter was flung back. Even while flying, he managed to steady himself in mid-air andnded, leaving deep furrows in the ground. Clear dents were visible on his seemingly sturdy te armor. Oh, this might be doable. ''Go, Chimera Snake!'' My rtionship with the chimera snake was peculiar. I clearly failed to dominate it. It doesn''t listen to mymands. We can''tmunicate either. However, if other monsters growl at me, it doesn''t leave them be. It also didn''t allow my escape. Anyway. It charged at Gunter. The knights beside Gunter tried to join in, but. "Don''te!" Gunter stopped them. It fearlessly charged towards us. Then it leapt in and swung itsrge arm wielding the axe spear. I recognized that stance. How could I forget? That single strike that severed Medusa Mom''s neck in one blow. If I refer to Gunter''s status window that I once glimpsed. ''Crescent Moon sh''. It might be that skill. ''Chimera Snake, run away!'' "My, you''re really going back and forth!" The chimera snake didn''t run away. Or rather, it was a situation where it couldn''t escape from the start. At this rate, both the chimera snake''s and my necks were in danger of being cut simultaneously. But, in an instant. Hundreds of branches extended from the chimera snake''s nape, covering the front. Crack-crack-crack-crack! Gunter''s axe spear cut through all those branches. And it stuck deeply into the chimera snake''s face. But Gunter''s eyes widened, clearly not expecting his skill to react like this. If it had been an ordinary monster, it would have died instantly. But the chimera snake, with its body made of wood, was different. It didn''t die and pounced on Gunter. Boom! Dust clouds rose. Gunter swung his retrieved axe spear, cutting down the rushing branches. And I. ¡¸Using Beam lv1.¡¹ Timely shot a beam to harass Gunter. And soon, I discovered an amazing fact. Every time I shot a beam, the chimera snake attacked that direction. Pew, Boom! Pew, Boom! After realizing this, I adjusted the direction of the beam timely. In other words, I guided the direction away from Gunter and back towards the monster horde. Because it seemed impossible to win no matter how I looked at it. Boom! At some point, the chimera snake forgot it was fighting Gunter and chased after the beam. Does it think it''s a cat? It feels like ying with a cat using aser pointer. Gunter stood still with his axe spear drawn, not pouncing. Just as he''s not alone, neither are we. Perhaps because the leader chimera snake was distracted, the monster horde rushed at Gunter. Do they see that monstrous human as tasty prey? Just as Gunter was about to be overwhelmed by all sorts of monsters. His hair rose slightly. ''Th-that...!'' I couldn''t mistake it. It''s the Heavenly Thunder Spirit. And not the level 1 Heavenly Thunder Spirit I borrowed, but the real thing. Lightning struck from the sky. Crack-crack-crack-crack! It was lightning that could stop even a monster wave for a moment. The output waspletely different from mine. Given the nature of the skill where lightning strikes oneself, with that level of output, he could die too. It must be even harder to endure as a human, not a monster. But Gunter was fine. He was holding up that long axe spear with one hand. The lightning struck that axe spear. And instead of electrocuting Gunter through the gauntlet, it seemed to swirl blue only inside that axe spear. "As expected, that''s how you use this technique." ''Ah, equipment advantage.'' Is it thanks to the gauntlet? If so, I might need to wear something like insting gloves on my tail to properly use the Heavenly Thunder Spirit. Although it''s only level 1. And aura rose from Gunter''s axe spear. An aura glowing blue like lightning. When he swung it towards the monsters pouncing on him. Crack-crack-crack-crack! That blue lightning mixed with the aura and burned the monsters. How many did he kill in one blow? At least twenty, no, thirty monsters seemed to have been ughtered in one strike. "Fall back, maintain formation." Gunter calmly managed his subordinates. Hmm. As expected. ¡¸Using Beam lv1.¡¹ Pew- I lured the chimera with the beam. We mix back into the running monsters. ''Run away!'' ncing back, there was no sign of Gunter and the knights chasing. Rather, old men who looked like mages were making a fuss. "Draw it, draw it quickly!" "What an extraordinary monster! A snake chimera with two heads." Is one of the two heads referring to me? They were taking out papers and drawing the appearance of me and the chimera. "I''ve finished drawing! Look at this skill." "Wow. This is worth presenting to the academic world. We''ve caught a good one." "But is there a case where one head of a twin-headed monster is this small? Could it be some kind of tumor?" A tumor, they say. And at that moment, my eyes met Gunter''s. He was clearly looking at me. ''...Next time we meet, I won''t let you off, Gunter.'' "Why don''t you say that to my face?" ''Because I''m a snake and can''t speak.'' The day we meet next will be the day of Gunter''s funeral. Chapter 87: Im not an old man, I was born almost at the same time as you (2) "Are you alright, Commander!" "I''m fine." Gunter waved his hand at his subordinates'' concern. The knights marveled at his unscathed appearance. "It didn''t look that strong, but it''s been a while since I''ve seen a monster withstand the Crescent Moon sh." "If we had dealt with it here, the wave''s momentum would have weakened considerably. What a shame." "Surely we''ll have another chance, won''t we?" "...Yes, and to seize that chance, we need to move. Everyone, fall back." The knights hurriedly prepared. There was still much to do toplete the unprecedented operation of adjusting the monster wave''s path. As the knights quickly began preparations. Gunter, about to move, felt a sharp pain. He swallowed the blood rising in his throat. It seems he suffered some internal injuries. The monster was stronger than expected. Moreover, that small snake. The second head, shining pitch ck, clearly showed hostility towards Gunter. He had never seen such a monster before. It was an unsolvable mystery. "Master Alcandura, Master Ishen, Master Dezaka." "Your tongue''s gonna twist." "I leave the processing to you." "Don''t worry." They sprinkled incense that monsters avoid approaching. Various magical traps wereid here and there. Finally, the mage Alcandura pounded stake-like objects into the ground. "Hmm, this should do." "Let''s hurry, Alcandura." "Wait, you know I can''t ride a horse alone." Alcandura groaned as he climbed onto the horse with Dezaka''s help. They too quickly began to follow Gunter and the knights. Was it because of facing the monsters? Despite being well-trained war horses, their breathing was rough. "Calm down, calm down." Just as Dezaka was trying to calm the horse. Another explosion sounded from behind. Boom! "Whoa, horse, horse! Hold the reins!" "Damn, that startled me." Dezaka grumbled. "What''s that? Did we set the trap wrong?" "What do you take me for? Of course I set it properly." "But it''s already activated?" "Don''t worry. I made it to recharge automatically." "Then that''s fine." A monster that unfortunately strayed from the path must have been burned to death. That roar and the monsters'' corpses will gradually act as a barrier. == What happened to those left in the Shadow Forest? That is. When the white snake entered the white cocoon for evolution. When the barrier protecting the forest disappeared, and the World Tree''s roots rotted, emitting a sweet scent. When monsters salivating outside rushed in. What happened to the group led by the white snake? Thanks to the wise gori, they were able to escape. Despite the scent that made monsters lose their reason, they were fine. It probably wasn''t because their intelligence was high enough to resist. It was more likely because the snake that tamed them was still alive. Fortunately, they escaped into the forest. The white snake''s father had already left, and Heilit Langrey had also departed after achieving her goal. A gnome who had been watching this process in hiding also left. The death of Deshnan, who had enved him, was also confirmed. However, there were monsters who suffered great misfortune. The Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede. One monster on the verge of evolution. And the babies she carries. She had not been tamed by the white snake until now. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to, but rather that she couldn''t. She had to be cautious to protect her children. Now that everything was over, it seemed good to live with the white snake from now on. The white snake didn''t dislike her either, and she quite liked the white snake. Especially the children who had lost their father followed the white snake well. Although their species were different, they might be family. That''s what she thought. ¡¸The mana concentration in the air is increasing.¡¹ ¡¸Roots that couldn''t bear fruit are rotting.¡¹ ¡¸A foul odor emanates from the rotten roots.¡¹ Was it because she wasn''t tamed by anyone? When she came to her senses. The giant centipede was already spinning around among the monsters. Led by instinct, intoxicated by the scent, she had lost consciousness. "Keke." "Keeee!" What allowed her to regain consciousness was her children. Big Eyes and Big Head had awakened her by gently chewing on her antennae. And the mother realized. She only had two children. Bowingie, who had turned white alone and was always a worry, was missing. "Keek!" The startled giant centipede frantically searched for Bowingie. She couldn''t see her. Even after searching everywhere in a hurry, she wasn''t there. And the horde of monsters began to move. Like a single colony, towards the outside of the great forest. "Keke, keee?" "Ke!" When she asked Big Head about Bowingie''s whereabouts, he told her by barking and pointing his venomous w in that direction. The giant centipede ran in that direction. Now desperate, the mother was no longer affected by the scent that enthralled monsters. World Tree, please protect her daughter. May Bowingie not be dead. Ah, how surprised would the white snake be if he knew about this situation. He would surely be very angry. Saying, you lost a child again after losing Big Eyes once before. In this urgent situation, such thoughts crossed the giant centipede''s mind. Tears rolled down, worried about Bowingie. She searched frantically for Bowingie, but ultimately couldn''t find her. Fortunately. Or perhaps her prayers were answered. Bowingie wasn''t dead. At least not yet. Bowingie had fallen among the monsters heading in one direction, running along without knowing what was happening. "Kuwooo." "Grrrr-!" Various monsters were mixed together. There were lion-like creatures, elephant-like ones. There were even huge monsters that looked like giraffes. Their hooves fell close to Bowingie. Boom! "Keeet!" Bowingie was terrified of this situation. She had just fallen from her mother''s embrace and immediately lost her. Looking around, Bowingie spotted the white snake far away. For some reason, the white snake was with arge tree snake. All the monsters followed the white snake. The only thing Bowingie could do was follow the white snake. "Keee!" She called out to the white snake at the top of her lungs, but the distance was too far. It seems both her mother and the white snake have forgotten about Bowingie''s existence. That must be it. Bowingie kept running, tears streaming down. She couldn''t stop running. If she did, she would immediately be trampled to death or eaten by the following monsters. Feeling like she might die of exhaustion, she tried to slip to the side several times. But at some point, mes suddenly rose in front of her and more monsters crowded in. There was no corner for Bowingie to escape to. She couldn''t catch up to the white snake either. The white snake mister, who had been getting farther and farther away, was now out of sight. "Kee...." Just as the young white centipede was about to give up everything. Crack-crack-crack-crack! Lightning struck ahead! How could she not recognize that lightning? It was the same lightning the white snake mister used when grilling meat. Bowingie used herst remaining strength. Her legs felt like they would break, but she didn''t stop. When Bowingie finally arrived at the ce where lightning had struck, she barely managed to break away from the horde of monsters. "...Kee?" But the white snake wasn''t there either. Only traces of a fierce battle and a few scales that seemed to belong to the white snake were scattered on the ground. And... a gnome''s corpse crackling as it burned. The gnome was adorned with many fancy tools and equipment. There was a gaping hole in its stomach, blood oozing out. Its expression was distorted with shock, as if it never imagined it would die here. Even in this desperate situation, there was a reason why this gnome particrly caught the eye. Only half of its body remained. Strangely, the lower body and right arm were missing. It wasn''t cut off. There was no blood or internal organs. Only a clean cross-section remained, as if frozen meat had been sliced. Carefully rummaging through the gnome''s body, Bowingie realized the reason. It was a cloak. Though invisible, there was clearly something like a cloak covering the gnome''s right arm and lower body. She grabbed it with her venomous ws and tore it off. "Kee!" This was undoubtedly a magical tool. It must be simr to the ring that Snake Mister was wearing. The parts of Bowingie''s body covered by the cloak became transparent. Bowingie managed to put on the cloak with great effort. Then her figurepletely disappeared. "KeKeKeKe." With this, she no longer needed to fear the monsters. She might even be able to find her mother or the white snake soon. She could hunt alone too. Besides Deshnan''s cloak, there were several other magical tools left on the gnome''s body, but Bowingie couldn''t pay attention to them. Soon, the fire spread and caught onto the gnome''s body. The invisible Bowingie entered the forest. It''s still a story for the distant future, but. The beginning of the legend known as the White Silence. Or the Assassin''s Void. Was thus made of a small harmony of misfortune and luck. Chapter 88: Im so envious of being called a Hegemon (1) "Hiya!" Zain urged his running horse. The warhorse increased its speed, breathing heavily. Behind him, two well-trained soldiers were following. They were cavalry with excellent horseback riding skills. They were chasing the carriage ahead. The carriage that had departed at dawn had finally reached near the Akinzurou Gorge. "It seems to be heading for the treacherous path above the gorge!" However, the carriage didn''t go down into the gorge. Of course, if it had headed down into the gorge, it would have been quickly caught by Zain and his soldiers. "They''re mad. Do they want to die?" But the treacherous path along the edge of the gorge was equally dangerous. Zain frowned. ''Oliver, that guy.'' It was clearly that hunter''s idea. It''s impossible to shake off pursuit with just a carriage. You can tell by how we''ve almost caught up to them despite their much earlier start. Oliver seems to want to settle this. That''s when it happened. Zain doubted his eyes. Someone stuck their head out of the carriage window. He couldn''t fail to recognize her. The girl who had an unnecessary curiosity about monsters. The vivacious little girl who wanted to be a hero or hunter, unbefitting a noble youngdy. Rania was sticking her head out, looking at the pursuing Zain. Their eyes met. Zain gritted his teeth. At that moment, the cavalryman riding beside him aimed a crossbow. Zain barely managed to hit the cavalryman''s shoulder. Ting! The bolt that flew past grazed right by Rania''s face. Someone pulled Rania back into the carriage. Zain was furious. "What the hell are you doing, you bastard!" "Ah, no..." The cavalryman looked rather flustered. "The knights said to kill if it''s not convenient..." "..." Zain was about to snap at him, asking if the situation wasn''t convenient enough, but he held back. "I''ll decide whether to kill or capture." Zain red at the carriage. "Stop the carriage before the road narrows. I''ll take the left, you take the right." They elerated their horses once more. White foam dripped from the horses'' mouths. Riding this intensely is dangerous for both horse and rider. But now was the time to take risks. Finally, Zain and the cavalrymen caught up with the carriage. "Whoa!" The coachman hurriedly swerved the carriage to the right. One soldier trying to avoid it ended up falling off his horse. But the other soldier managed to leap onto the driver''s seat. While he wrestled with the coachman, Zain also jumped onto the carriage. As he barely hung on and tried to open the carriage door, someone inside kicked the door open instead. Zain almost rolled off the moving carriage. He survived by grabbing onto the door. Then, a sword suddenly thrust out through the gap in the carriage window. He turned his head to avoid it. But he couldn''t avoid his cheek being shed. "Kuk...!" Zain is also a trained knight. He climbed onto the top of the carriage with remarkably quick movements. The one who had thrust out the sword also climbed onto the carriage top with lightning speed. As expected, it was Oliver. "Sir Knight, have youe to find your grave? If you fall into the Akinzurou Gorge, wild dogs will tear you apart and your corpse won''t even be found." "Hand over Lady Rania, hunter." Oliver and Zain had looked after Rania together before. But now they were pointing swords at each other. Zain''s eyes shed. Even if a hunter is an expert at hunting monsters, he surely can''t match a knight. But Oliver looked confident. "I won''t tell you to get lost. You wouldn''t listen anyway." Oliver smiled. Zain somehow felt he couldn''t underestimate the hunter before him. That''s why he imbued his sword with aura from the start. In the end, it was the right choice. The moment Oliver took his hand out of his pocket. Five daggers were thrown explosively. Titing! He deflected three with his sword. Two were blocked by his armor. The force behind the daggers was heavy. Oliver, who had scattered the daggers, drew a slightlyrger short sword from his waist. Kakagagang! The long sword and short sword tangled in midair. But Oliver didn''t give way at all. His short sword was imbued with a brilliant light. That was clearly aura as well. Zain''s eyes widened. "Why is someone of your skill... working as a hunter in the frontier?" It was just one exchange, but he could tell Oliver''s skill. "Skilled? Sir Knight, you''re overestimating me. Or maybe you''re overestimating yourself." "You..." Zain''s face reddened. Just as he was about to say something, Oliver stretched his foot forward. It was a surprise attack. A de suddenly sprung out from the tip of his shoe, and Zain was in danger of having his throat pierced. Clunk! At that moment, the carriage shook violently. It''s unknown if it hit a rock or not. Thanks to that, Zain saved his life. He swung his sword again. ng! Chang! de shed against de. Even on this shaking carriage top, Zain and Oliver continued their fight. Clunk- Kuung! But the carriage shook so violently that they could no longer fight. Zain was shocked. The soldier who had been wrestling with the coachman had rolled off far behind. "Damn it!" But it was Oliver who cursed. He left Zain and quickly went back inside the carriage. "Miss, cling to me!" Zain turned his head to look at the driver''s seat. The coachman was limp and motionless. He was dead with his eyes open. A sword was stuck in his side, with bright red blood flowing out. The horses, unaware that their coachman was dead, were running wild. And this ce was a treacherous path on a cliff overlooking the gorge. The horse misstepped and. In a moment, it slid off the cliff. Clunk! The carriage floated up for a moment. And then, impact. The carriage was dragged down as it was. All Zain could do was grab onto the carriage''s ornament and hang on. The carriage, two horses, and three people fell. Down into that Akinzurou Gorge. Chapter 89: Im so envious of being called a Hegemon (2) Nom nom. Ah, delicious. Though they were eggs of an unknown mountain bird, they were incredibly savory. The monster wave showed no signs of stopping. We only took short rests. Because of this, our advancing speed was tremendous. If it were my normal speed, it would have taken a long time to traverse the great forest, but not now. The basin visible to the east seemed to be the Arkan Basin. We hade this far in just two days. The chimera of the root I''m clinging to is no ordinary monster. It looks like a snake, but its body is made of wood. Even its face, where Gunter''s axe spear had been firmly lodged, was now covered with new branches and looked fine. It doesn''t eat much and doesn''t defecate. The only problem was me. ''At this rate, I''ll die of starvation or thirst.'' I had to find a way to stop the chimera and hunt. And finally, I seeded. The method was simple. Just like training a cat with aser pointer, I made the chimera spin in circles in ce. After doing that for a while, it seemed dizzy and stopped for a moment. Only after realizing this could I finally eat. Today''s meal was five bird eggs lying in a nest. I picked them up with my invisible hand, poked a hole, and slurped them up. After quickly finishing the meal, the chimera snake finally got up again. It never rests for long except when sleeping. I wonder what''s out there beyond this great forest that makes it so eager. A gentle breeze brushed past my face. ''How leisurely.'' Now, even the bizarre monsters roaring in front and behind me. And the asional soldiers and fires have be something I''m used to. With a full stomach and good weather, it felt like we were all out on a pic together. ''Living like this might not be so bad.'' They say crying when times are tough is third-rate, butughing is first-rate. I decided to ept the current situation like a first-rate person. "Think of it as a journey." ''Then this is definitely first-ss seating.'' Even the most surprising things start to feel ordinary if you''re around them long enough. Bored, I decided to make use of this rare leisure time. "If you''re that bored, practice some magic." It was thanks to Pelerian''s suggestion. He said to use this opportunity to learn magic from him. Normally I would have been indifferent, but I readily agreed. It was because of the human magicians I had seen recently. The fire dragon they created was really cool. When I said I wanted to use such magic too, Pelerian scoffed. "To be captivated by such trivial magic... tsk tsk. If you properly inherit my teachings, you could easily be a great mage." "Trivial magic? Those old men looked incredibly impressive." The three magicians looked different, but they all seemed like great mages. "They were wearing the attire of the magic tower, but it''s nothing special." ''I read in a book in the dungeon that all the masters of the magic tower are amazing...'' "They''re just ordinary people born in an era without me." I can''t deny that Pelerian''s arrogant tone made me more excited. "Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Try using the invisible hand." ''Okay.'' ¡¸Using Magic: Invisible Hand lv7.¡¹ I''ve been practicing diligentlytely, so the level of the invisible hand magic has increased quite a bit. "Hey, try touching that guy over there." There was a hairless boar running hard straight ahead. "With maximum output." I concentrated. In the pitch-ck darkness. A hand appears in the center of my mind. I swung that hand to strike. p! "Squeak!" The hairless boar turned its head to look back when its butt was hit. It snorted angrily, but behind it were only me and the chimera snake. The boar was startled and ran forward to escape. "That''s about the extent of the invisible hand''s power." ''Doesn''t it change if I train more?'' Actually, this much power is already an increase due to leveling up. Originally, it wouldn''t have made such a crisp sound. "When you reach the pinnacle, you might be able to use two hands. But the physical force won''t increase dramatically. That''s how telekinesis-type magic usually works." ''Two hands... then with two swords in both hands plus the tail, three-sword style is possible...'' "Seven Sword Magic!" Startled. Pelerian suddenly shouted. Why is he doing that? "There exists a magic that handles seven swords. Isn''t that interesting?" ''Yes, yes... It''s interesting.'' "It''s in the same category as the invisible hand, telekinesis and maniption magic. Those who face this magic must defend against seven swords moving and attacking as if alive." The more I listened, the more appealing it sounded. It''s an incredibly high level, isn''t it? It''s truly a technique that has reached the realm of harmony, surpassing skill to reach art and touching upon the way. "Do you want to learn it?" ''Yes.'' "I want to be a telekinesis master who can face an army with a whistle!" ''Yes!'' "Then seriously learn magic. First, let''s start with lightening magic." For the time being, I should be an enthusiastic student. Otherwise, Pelerian''s personality might be even more entric. "The proper use of lightening magic is the foundation of telekinesis. Even when holding a sword, if you don''t first make that sword lighter, the mana consumption will be extremely inefficient..." Pelerian was an excellent lecturer. I spent the leisurely journey learning his magic. As time passed like that. I finallypletely left the great forest and arrived at the Sija Forest. This is the very forest where I was born. I thought about visiting that cave for a moment, but before I knew it, we had passed through the Sija Forest as well. Soon, the domain of humans came into view. I think its name was ''Greyrim''. The walls protecting the domain had already copsed. There were no signs of people. It seems the monsters that passed through earlier had already swept through. Soon, the chimera snake and I will pass through there too. That''s when something caught my eye. ''Isn''t that a goblin?'' Among the monsters running beside me, there was one noticeably walking on two legs. It was a small goblin. It seems to have lost its sanity like the other monsters. Seeing it drooling, I''m sure of it. "It does look like one." ''Is it one of the goblins we met in the Lunga tribe?'' "Do you think I would remember the face of every goblin?" That couldn''t be. I tried to awaken the small goblin''s mind. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv8.¡¹ p! I pped the goblin''s cheek with the invisible hand, which had leveled up in the meantime. "Kiyak!" The goblin was startled. When it tried to run again, I used water magic to pour water on its head. Only then did the gobline to its senses. "Huh, huff! Wh-what!" It speaks the samenguage as the Lunga tribe. I wonder if it didn''t even realize it was running mixed in with the monsters. When it looked at me, it wasn''t a familiar face. But strangely, it seems to recognize me. "Ou, Oulouolos!" It''s Ouroboros. But the modifier that followed was incredibly strange. "E-evil snake of Lunga!" What did you say? The goblin tried to run away in a hurry. But it''s impossible to break through and escape from these numerous monsters. If it were easy to escape from here, I would have escaped first. ¡¸Using Beam lv1.¡¹ The chimera snake excellently jumped following the beam. Kwang! Landing while turning the monsters in front of the goblin into a meat pancake. I skillfully drove the chimera snake to a stop. ''Hey, which goblin tribe are you from? Do you know me?'' Of course, the goblin couldn''t understand my words. I miss Nanaluk today. ''I wonder if Nanaluk is doing well!'' "Waaagh!" The goblin tried to run away again. "Catch it!" I did so. I grabbed the goblin''s tied hair with my invisible hand. Anyone would have trouble using strength when their hair is grabbed. The goblin was no exception. "Ow ow, it hurts!" Not wanting its hair to be pulled out, it came closer on its own. It wasn''t easy, but I finally managed to get the goblin onto my front, that is, onto the back of the chimera snake. The goblin was trembling with fear. A satisfying sight to see. ''Spill everything you know.'' The gobliny t and mumbled various things. It introduces itself as a goblin from a tribe conquered by Lunga, apparently the child of the now-dead former chief. From what I hear, it seems I''m considered something like Lunga''s guardian deity. And then a statement came out that I couldn''t ignore. "He-Hegemon Nanaluk has already left the great forest. Our tribe all went together..." ''Hegemon!'' My mouth fell open. When did you get such a cool title, Nanaluk? I''m envious. So envious. ''So, you''re saying Nanaluk left ahead now?'' Since the goblin can''t understand my words, it will take quite some time to get all the answers I expect. That''s when it happened. Kwaaaang! With a thunderous sound, the domain ahead exploded. Even though it was quite far away, the heat wave rushed all the way here. The hot wind was mixed with the smell of oil. If I hadn''t stopped the Chimera, wouldn''t I have been caught in that explosion? As I was inwardly calming my startled heart, "Aaaagh, please spare me!" The Hobgoblin I had captured ttened itself on the ground, trembling. That wasn''t me. Chapter 90: Smile! (1) A carriage crashed in the Akinzurou Gorge. Thud against a rock. Another thud against the rock below. Zain, hanging onto the carriage roof, also went thud. And so, Zain''s consciousness faded to ck. How much time had passed? When Zain opened his eyes again, he braced for terrible pain. But he felt no pain at all. Perhaps he was already dead. It wouldn''t be surprising, having fallen from a cliff. Yet he felt neither regret nor sorrow. Hadn''t he died while doing something shameful? He had been in pursuit of the rightful owner''s daughter after usurping the territory. If he hadn''t sworn an oath of allegiance when joining the Iron Lion Knights, he would have given up and left long ago. ''A pungent smell...'' The smell wafting from a burning altar. It smelled like a temple. Looking around, this was a temple of fire and hearth. Zain unconsciously touched his ne. He used tock faith, but now it was different. It had been since that day he barely escaped with his life in the Arkam Basin. He met the goddess in a dream and survived. It was like a miracle. Since then, he never missed his nightly prayers. ''I guess I didn''t fall into hell.'' Though that''s what such a pathetic fellow deserved. What had be of Lady Rania? She might be dead. Even if she wasn''t, she''d be badly hurt, and eventually caught by the soldiers from Greyrim. Guilt gnawed at Zain''s chest. Zain fell to his knees and bowed. "Urgh..." And before the prostrate man, a white foot slowly descended from the air. Zain was startled but dared not raise his head. Whether this was the afterlife or a dream, he seemed to know who had appeared before him. "Goddess...?" The goddess lightly ced her hand on Zain''s shoulder. ¡¸Raise your head.¡¹ Carefully, Zain lifted his head. "Ah..." He couldn''t see the goddess''s face. The halo like mes around her was too dazzling. Why had the goddess appeared before Zain? ¡¸Fulfill your role, knight.¡¹ What do you mean? My duty? But as with oracles, the goddess didn''t offer further exnation. ¡¸Fulfill your role.¡¹ How can you give such an order? It was too much like an order from the Goddess of the Hearth. Too much so. Was this an oracle? That couldn''t be. Zain wasn''t a priest, and there hadn''t been news of anyone receiving an oracle from the Hearth Temple in decades. Zain raised his head higher, trying to see the goddess''s face. And he screamed. "Aagh!" ¡¸First precept of the Iron Lions. Obey.¡¹ Because the goddess''s face had changed to Gunter''s. And then once more, this time changing to his father''s face. ¡¸Pathetic wretch, trembling like that.¡¹ At that moment, he realized. That this was a dream. Zain''s face contorted. == "God... dess..." As Zain mumbled the goddess''s name, someone flinched. "That''s creepy, Sir Zain." "...Huh!" Zain''s eyes flew open in shock, and he tried to get up but copsed. The pain throughout his body was extreme. His shoulder, left arm, and ribs seemed broken. "La-Lady Rania." "..." The one tending to Zain was none other than Rania. The very target he had been pursuing with his soldiers. Looking at his left arm, it was bandaged and even had a splint. "I used thest remaining potion... but you''ll need proper treatment." "Thank... you..." Had that young girl treated him? "Oliver did it." "..." Why would Oliver treat me? He wasn''t visible now. Zain realized where he was. Inside the half-destroyed carriage. The carriage''s cabin maintained its shape, likely due to an iron frame inside. Though the wheels, seats, and interior fittings were smashed, it was miraculous. Zain startled as he looked at Rania. Blood was trickling from the girl''s forehead. "You''re bleeding. Are you alright?" "...Ah, I''m fine. Just a small scratch, I think." Rania simply wiped the blood away with her hand. She seemed ratherposed. Had she always been this brave? The childish youngdy he remembered... It was Gunter and the Iron Lion Knights who had stolen her innocence. And of course, it was Zain''s fault too. "Why... did you save me?" "..." "You should have left me to die." Zain asked out of genuine curiosity. The hunter Oliver he knew was ruthlessly cold. He wouldn''t have suddenly bepassionate and saved a knight who had been pursuing them. Then it must have been Rania in front of him who asked to save Zain. But why? Rania smiled bitterly. "That rainy day. You recognized me but let me in, didn''t you? When the soldiers were harassing me." "Ah..." That had certainly happened. He had driven away the soldiers at the checkpoint and let in the trembling Rania. He had long pondered whether that was the right choice. "Sir Zain." "Yes." "The territory, the territory is burning." Tears fell from Rania''s eyes. What does she mean? Zain''s eyes widened. Through the carriage window, he could see smoke billowing up. It was in the direction of Greyrim territory. And smoke was also rising from the direction of the main road leading to the capital and the ins. Zain recalled the oil and explosives stockpiled in the territory. Surely, his seniors hadn''t... "Now I have nowhere to go. What happened to Mother? She told me to go to Grandfather..." Zain had no words for the tearful Rania. His lips trembled. Bang! Just then, there was an impact sound from outside. And Oliver''s voice, as if torn. "Knight! If you''re conscious, grab a sword ande out!" His voice was extremely urgent. "Monsters have appeared!" "Mo-monsters...!" It seems monsters living in the Akinzurou Gorge had appeared. Zain looked around urgently, but he had no sword. Had he lost it in the fall? At that moment, Rania handed him a dagger she had been carrying. "Sir Zain, please help me..." Zain couldn''t answer for a moment. Wasn''t he the very person who had taken away Rania''s family and home? He didn''t deserve to receive such a tearful plea. Perhaps mistaking his hesitation for refusal, Rania pleaded once more in a trembling voice. "Please..." "Zain! If you''re a knight, fulfill your duty! Come out now!" Oliver urged again at the same time. Zain carefully took Rania''s dagger. And he brought the de to his face, as if handling a ceremonial longsword. "Yes, Lady Rania." Rania stared nkly at Zain. "Knight Zain Krotz swears to protect you with his life." Zain swore as a knight. And he immediately stood up. Crack! An ominous breaking sound came from his body. Pain like several awls stabbing between his ribs. His left arm in the splint wouldn''t move at all. But Zain didn''t show the pain. He steps out of the half-destroyed carriage, holding a dagger with unnecessarily ornate decorations. His body was in agony, but his mind wasn''t. It was a sensation he had forgotten for the past few years. Though he had broken his oath of obedience, Zain finally felt like a true knight. He walked out, dragging his creaking body. Staggering while holding just one dagger. "Finally, you''re out!" Oliver was facing off against monsters in front of him. Oliver''s condition was no better than Zain''s. The fingers holding his sword were bent in a grotesque shape. Blood was also streaming from his head. Zain stepped forward and stood beside Oliver. "Where did these monsterse from?" "Have you fought goblins before?" Oliver grinned. The monsters gathered as if to attack the carriage were none other than goblins. Zain nodded. "Surely they didn''te through Greyrim territory." He thought of the mes rising from the direction of the territory. But Oliver shook his head. "They climbed up the gorge. Probably from the great forest." "...A tribal migration?" "Who knows." Right, that''s not important now. The goblins held crude weapons, but there were many of them. "Kirruk." "Chit keek! Kingit!" Iprehensiblenguage. Chapter 91: Smile! (2) Brimming with hostility. All the goblins lying dead now must be Oliver''s handiwork. Even injured, he was someone who could easily dispatch ordinary goblins. "Don''t underestimate them." Oliver warned. Soon, the reason became clear. Among the small goblins, severalrge ones came running with thunderous steps. "Hob goblins!" With red skin, they were certainly hob goblins. But something was odd. They were bigger and more muscr than known hob goblins. When he blocked the club swung by one, he was certain. Kwang! That strength was extraordinary. Zain felt an impact that seemed like it would break his arm. It was impossible to block with just a dagger. Zain rammed his shoulder into the goblin''s chest and clung to its arm. It was a joint lock he had learned through knight training. Crack! "Kweeeeek!" The hob goblin, no, surely a goblin that had evolved one step beyond hob goblins, screamed. But the joint was already perfectly locked. If he hung on with his full weight like this, the shoulder would dislocate. "Kuuk, chweeee!" But the hob goblin possessed monstrous strength. With strength like an orc warrior, it lifted Zain right up. If it mmed him to the ground like this, Zain would be in danger. Fortunately, Oliver intervened. sh! The hob goblin''s forearm was cleanly cut, and Zain was freed. Zain hurriedly picked up the dagger again. But the watching goblins rushed in. Though small in size, their numbers made them threatening. A life-threatening situation. Someone shouted. "You filthy bastards-!" It was a human voice. Turning his head with joy at the thought of reinforcements arriving, Someone was running through the goblins. At first, he thought it was a human. The skin was slightly red, and clearly taller than the goblins. It was the form of a beautiful woman with a face like a cat. But she was not human, but a hob goblin. She was the empress of these creatures, the hegemon who had unified the goblins of the great forest and was trying to advance to the continent. Nanaluk charged like a tiger and kicked Oliver. Thud! Oliver flew back like a ball. He managed tond, but immediately vomited blood. In that moment, Zain rushed at Nanaluk. The dagger rushed towards her neck. But Nanaluk raised her hand to block it. Stab! The dagger pierced her palm, but she paid no attention and instead grabbed Zain''s hand holding the dagger. Zain felt a chill down his spine at the sight. "Are, are you human or goblin!" "Can''t you tell by looking! I''m the Goblin King!" King? Nanaluk''s fist smashed into Zain''s head. Swoosh! He barely dodged by throwing his head back. Zain had also trained in closebat. There was no reason to lose in a fight to a mere bipedal monster. Whoosh- Whoom- But each of Nanaluk''s punches was lethal. If he failed to dodge even one, he would die. Zain was clearly at a disadvantage. "You crazy goblin!" Oliver joined in. Even so, Nanaluk was stronger. If only Zain and Oliver had been in normal condition... "You humans aren''t bad." Nanaluk stomped the ground hard and pushed Zain and Oliver back. They barely maintained bnce as they retreated. At that moment, an old goblin approached Nanaluk''s side and whispered something. She clicked her tongue and red at Zain. "Seems you''re protecting one young human woman." "You-! The youngdy..." "Shut up, before I kill you all." Nanaluk''s voice, angry at her subordinates being hurt, had an infrasonic quality. Zain''s knees weakened, but he tried his best not to show it. But an unexpected situation unfolded. Nanaluk received two longswords from her subordinates and threw them. "Take them." Was she suggesting they settle this with swords? But that wasn''t Nanaluk''s reason for giving them weapons. "You two fight with swords too. If you don''t want to die here." Zain didn''t understand what Nanaluk meant. He just carefully picked up the longsword. From that moment, Nanaluk paid them no attention. She tied her hair tightly and drew her own axe. "We came this way to avoid the wave, but to think they''d flood in here." She shouted. "To the wall, stick as close as you can to the right wall! Hob goblins take the front!" The goblins huddled against the right wall of the gorge. The strongest hob goblins took the lead, as if to protect their kin. Zain and Oliver also retreated to the front of the carriage. The carriage had fortunately crashed in front of the right wall of the gorge. "Kwiiiiik!" A goblin cried out. "It''sing!" Nanaluk shouted. And the ground began to shake. Rumble... What came rushing in, shaking the earth''s axis, were monsters. An endless procession of monsters. Oliver, knowledgeable about monsters due to being a hunter, realized what was happening. "Mo-monster wave." A monster wave was surging in from the great forest. He urged Rania, who was hiding inside the destroyed carriage. "Miss, close your eyes and stay hidden in the carriage." "What is it, what''s happening?" "Quickly! You must note out no matter what. No matter what happens." He blocked the door with debris from the broken carriage. Hoping this poor defense would help somehow. Thud thud thud thud thud thud! And the monsters approached. Bears, insects, birds, giraffes, elephants, dogs, leopards, jaguars... Monsters that don''t normally travel together were crazily clustered. Most of the frenzied monsters just brushed past the goblins. But some set their sights on this group. And that alone was terrifyingly dangerous. "Uwaaaaah!" Zain stabbed a wild boar''s face repeatedly with his dagger. But the crazed boar pushed Zain''s body back even as knives pierced its body. Oliver ran over and stabbed his sword into the boar''s spine. Thud, thud! A giraffe-like monster nearly crushed Oliver with its foot. He barely dodged by rolling his body. It was no different from hell. Goblins were dying one by one too. Oliver''s back hit the carriage with a thud. It was embarrassing, but he felt like hiding inside the carriage with Rania even now. A monster caught Oliver''s eye. It was a noticeably huge monster. Probably a chimera in the form of a snake. It had a wooden body, with something like a crown on its head. "Grooooar-!" When it roared, all the other monsters roared together. That was undoubtedly the leader. Faced with imminent death, Oliver''s body trembled. It was such a bizarrely grotesque monster. Something white like a mushroom is protruding from its nape. No, not a mushroom... Is that also a snake? That''s when it happened. "Ah, aah!" Nanaluk, the hobgoblin who had been fighting like mad, shouted loudly. "Whitey!" Whitey? Who? Her voice was clearly filled with joy and delight. == ''Nanaluk?!'' There was no way I could mistake her calling for me. Nanaluk and the goblins were being attacked by the monsters. ¡¸Using Beam lv1.¡¹ I shot a beam in front of them. And then our chimera snake leaped up. Itnded, crushing the other monsters that were attacking the goblins. Kwaaang! The monsters'' blood sttered everywhere. The goblins who were seeing me for the first time were so surprised they hugged each other. Some were begging for their lives, hands and feet iling. ''Why is the atmosphere like this!'' "That''s right, everyone smile! You should smile!" Nanaluk shouted that to the goblins. I smiled brightly too. Chapter 92: Offer tribute (1) That monster. Bang, crash! For a snake, it was covered in tree bark. For a tree, it moved too vividly. When it swung its tail, a badger monster that got hit spun around and flew away. "Grooooar!" The roar didn''t sound like a snake at all. If I had topare it, it was like the sound of wind blowing out of a huge cave. Should I say volume? Or lung capacity? Anyway, it was so impressive that a gust of wind blew. It even reached Rania Greyrim, who was watching from behind the bars of the carriage window. As it was wind from a creature''s mouth, it naturally carried its breath. And that smell was... ''Fragrant.'' Rania suddenly thought. The wind blowing from the forest. The fresh wind smell of a great forest. Of course, there was a slight bloody scent mixed in at the end. Something strange entered Rania''s eyes. On the neck of that huge tree snake, another head was sprouting. A small white snake wearing a crown. Rania wasn''t the only one captivated by the white snake. Oliver and Knight Zain also stared at the white snake with surprised eyes. The white snake fired beams at the ground continuously. It was said to be a beam, but its power was no different from shooting arrows. It was iprehensible why it was shooting at the empty ground. Then, an amazing thing happened. The giant tree snake started spinning around following those beams. Its speed gradually elerated. Whiiiiiirl "Grooooar!" The tree snake''s spinning speed increased so much that it looked like a whirlpool. For a moment, even the monsters couldn''t approach. The monster wave clearly slowed down. After a while, Oliver shouted frivolously. "It, it stopped!" So it did. When the beam suddenly cut off, the tree snake tilted its head in confusion. And as if its head was spinning, it nted its face on the ground with a thud. Perhaps because the leader had stopped. Some particrly strong-looking monsters started to settle down and rest. The monsters around them alsoy down on their bellies one by one. In other words, the monster wave had stopped locally. Everyone present knew. That this feat was aplished by that small snake sprouting like a mushroom. When the Chimera snakey down, the small snake stood up straight. Its appearance was quite majestic. And Nanaluk the Hobgoblin jumped onto the tree snake without hesitation. "To see you again like this!" They seemed to be close friends. They hugged each other in a frenzy. Could a goblin be on good terms with a snake monster? That Hobgoblin was equally mysterious. It was the first time seeing such a tall and strong goblin. Moreover... "Saak, saaak." "Oh, you want some leftover potions? Of course. How many should I give you? Ten bottles?" "Shishit shiiit." "Hahaha, really? Puhahaha. You''re always so funny." "Shishishit." "Stop it, stop, hahaha!" Zain thought. ''Isn''t he just pretending to understand when he actually doesn''t?'' What kind of joke did he hear tough like that? No,e to think of it, it was strange. ''How can hemunicate with that goblin!'' Realizing this fact, Zain''s spine tingled. Perhaps because it didn''t like Nanaluk climbing on its body. The Chimera slightly raised its head and growled. At that moment, the small snake shouted. "Saaaak!" "Guuu..." The Chimera dropped its head again with a thud. It was clearly in a superior position to the Chimera. ''That small snake might actually be the main body!'' It wasn''t unreasonable for Zain to think so. == Whew, that startled me. The Chimera snake almost ate Nanaluk. I did shout at it, but I didn''t expect it to lie down again so obediently. The Crown of Domination clearly didn''t work. Maybe it''s starting to listen to me a bit after spending so much time together. Nanaluk, not realizing she nearly died, stroked my back vigorously. I stood up even more proudly. I felt really good. ''Sess! It''s a sess!'' "What is?" ''Nothing! It''s nothing!'' I mean, I seeded inpletely stopping the snake. I''ve seeded in stopping it momentarily a few times before. But this is the first time I''ve made it rest like this. Even a monster wave needed resting time. Although the Chimera, perhaps because it was made of wood, didn''t rest well, it asionallyy down and slept for about three or four hours. Looking at its closed eyes now (unlike a snake, it had eyelids), it was clearly trying to sleep. This is certainly a great achievement. "You''re really praising yourself." Pelerian mocked, but that must be because of his twisted personality. After all... ¡¸You have achieved the achievement ''Stopper of the Monster Wave''.¡¹ What did you say? I quickly checked. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Stopper of the Monster Wave] You have temporarily stopped the monster wave. Your roar gains more authority. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ...Is this even counted as an achievement? No, it''s true that I stopped the monster wave, even if briefly. Then I should be even prouder. Moreover, I gained a practical benefit. We gained three or four hours of leisure. I can catch up with Nanaluk for a while. ''Hey, Hegemon.'' "What, Ouroboros?" Nanaluk grinned. It feels like we should bump fists, but it''s a shame we can''t. ''How did you subjugate the great forest in such a short time?'' Even though the Lunga tribe was powerful, their numbers were limited. Only Nanaluk could handle multiple Hobgoblins alone. "I have a secret." Nanaluk shouted, and Hobgoblin warriors came running. "Look. Familiar faces, right?" ''Ah, that''s your brother!'' Among the Hobgoblins was Nanaluk''s brother who nearly died at the hands of Deshnan. But somehow, he had grown much bigger. Moreover, he was muscr, unlike a goblin. I focused my eyes to examine them. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hobgoblin Warrior Kadiram lv4] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh, the name had changed. That''s right. The Hobgoblins had evolved once again. How did this happen? "After a few battles with me, they all evolved." That was Nanaluk''s exnation. As she, who had evolved into a Hobgoblin King, led the warriors in battle herself, a few of them evolved into Hobgoblin Warriors. As expected of a ''king''. If her father was a unique species, Nanaluk was a monster belonging to a ''special species''. I felt a bit intimidated in front of her. ''You''re more amazing than me...'' Of course, I fought hard too, but... "What are you talking about?" But Nanalukughed as if it was absurd. "Aren''t you leading this monster wave?" ''...What?'' That can''t be. The onemanding these monsters sweeping across the world is none other than this Chimera. ''I''ve been kidnapped.'' "Huh?" What do you mean, ''huh''? "I thought you were controlling it, of course." ''Why did you think that?'' "Well, this tree snake listens to you. And above all... you''re wearing a crown." Is she talking about this luscious crown? Nanaluk said so as if it was obvious. I realized an important fact. Could it be that Gunter and those mages think of me as the mastermind of the monster wave? "You might be the continent''s public enemy." As this was said by Pelerian, who had already been designated as a martial arts public enemy, it seemed more credible. I trembled in fear. Chapter 93: Offer tribute (2) "Why are you so worried?" ''If a is spread to catch me...'' "What nonsense. If that was going to happen, you shouldn''t have be the snake bride of the goblins in the first ce." That was Pelerian''s exnation. "In fact, weren''t you the one who made that goblin girl evolve into a Hobgoblin King?" ''Did I do that!'' "If those goblins cross over to the continent and expand their forces, you''ll soon be famous." Nanaluk, looking at me with an innocent expression. Yeah, it was you. It was you from the beginning. The foreshadowing I hadid out. "Anyway, as long as you''re a monster, there will inevitably be those who try to hunt you. Don''t be a coward for no reason." ''Yes...'' "Look at me. Although I was treated as the world''s public enemy, after a certain point, no one even dared to challenge me. Being strong is what matters. Strong enough that no one dares to challenge you. Didn''t you speak confidently earlier?" ''...Ah.'' "Be a samu-nyeong!" Right, Pelerian is correct. I''m ashamed of myself for getting scared for a moment. Let''s get rid of this petty-bourgeois thinking! At that moment, Nanaluk had her subordinates bring potions. Twenty bottles of potion in bamboo containers. "Thanks to your potions, we saved dozens of lives. If you need more, I''ll give you all that''s left." It would be difficult to make more potions once we leave the great forest. Since there are many goblins, she can''t use potions like water either. Twenty bottles is plenty to be grateful for. I opened one bottle of potion with the Invisible Hand magic. Then I made Nanaluk hold out her hand and poured a little potion on it. "This would heal just by applying saliva." She''s incredibly tough, even with a piercing wound on her hand. "Po-potion!" Someone shouted. Looking back, there were two humans standing. It seems there''s also a girl hiding in the carriage. ''Oh.'' "What''s wrong?" ''No, it''s just that the face seems familiar...'' That young guy wearing armor. I feel like I''ve seen him somewhere... While I was trying to remember, suddenly the door of the half-destroyed carriage flung open. What jumped out was a little girl with blood flowing from her head. "Sn-Snake Lord!" She slid in front of me like a ser yer doing a celebration, kneeling down. "Please save us!" And with a fluid movement, she bowed her head and prostrated. Hmm, a human with excellent etiquette. "Please share the potion. Oliver and Sir Zain are badly injured." Oh. An unexpected request. For such a young girl to bow to a snake, not asking to save herself, but to save two grown men. ''Hmm...'' To be honest, it tugged at my heartstrings a bit. It was also pitiful. "What nonsense, human!" But Nanaluk shouted. "How shameless. Boys, clean them up right now... Huh, why?" I, startled, bit and pulled on Nanaluk''s clothes. As expected of a hegemon, she''s merciless. ''Wait, don''t kill them yet.'' "You want to finish them off yourself? Ah, that makes sense. To absorb their mana." ''No, that''s not it...'' Pelerian clicked his tongue. But he didn''t seem to want the humans killed either. "No, I don''t mind if they''re killed?" I ignored him. Nanaluk is looking at me with round eyes. I feel like I should say something monster-like. I told Nanaluk to convey my words. Nanaluk willingly acted as an interpreter. ''I have something to ask.'' "I, Ouroboros, king of monsters, will ask." ''...'' The interpretation is very dramatic. ''Um... First, what''s your name, little one?'' "Before begging for your life, state your name!" Nanaluk''s interpretation seemed to havepletely captured Pelerian''s heart. "Excellent! As expected of bing a king. She knows what dignity is." This elf always liked formalities and had a tendency to show off. The girl answered calmly. "I, I am Rania Greyrim, daughter of Viscount Greyrim..." Ah. She seems to be the youngdy of that territory that I and the monsters had justpletely crushed. There were so many corpses. "That evil Gunter... captured my father and locked my mother in a tower... So we were on our way to my maternal grandfather''s house." As expected, Gunter is undoubtedly an agent of evil. I''m sure I saw a copsed tower in the territory... The girl who introduced herself as Rania was shedding tears. ''Don''t cry. It makes me feel bad.'' "It''s unpleasant. Stop making crying noises." ''...'' Alright, let''s just act like a monster now. ''I can share one bottle of potion, but do you have anything to offer in return?'' These are the first humans I''m conversing with. That noble girl seems to know nothing, but the knight or the older man might know something. Information or... that armor looks tempting too. Oh! The knight''s armor. It''s the same design as what Gunter and hisckeys wear. Now I remember. Isn''t he that crazy pervert knight who kissed my tail? The guard captain lost his life saving that knight. To survive again, he really has a tough life thread. ''I have things to ask too. Oh, and do you have any spare swords?'' "If you want to beg for your lives, offer tribute. Whether it''s valuable knowledge or quality weapons." ''Wow. Amazing, Nanaluk.'' I started to enjoy this a bit too. Previously, I thought the human-faced spider was 0.9 Nanaluk, but I was wrong. Nanaluk is an irreceable, perfect interpreter. If she didn''t have dreams of establishing a goblin kingdom, I would want to travel with her continuously. I asked because the Elven Broadsword was broken. Honestly, the goblins'' swords were terribly crude. But the humans gathered with serious expressions and whispered among themselves. "Miss, are you really okay with this?" "It''s fine. Whether it''s a family heirloom or whatever, we need to survive." Then the knight brought a dagger and carefully held it up. "This is a treasure of the Greyrim territory..." Oh. It''s a beautiful dagger. A dagger with a gentle curve like a falchion. The de gleaming with a white light caught my heart. "Its name is Dawn''s Ashura. It''s a dagger made of white silver, but..." Ashura. Even the name was incredibly beautiful. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Dawn''s Ashura] A dagger made of white silver. Its w is that it''s too light, but it''s enchanted to never lose its edge. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I lifted the dagger with the Invisible Hand magic. It''s light! Maybe because it''s a dagger, but it was definitely lighter than the Elven Broadsword. Ah, this cool sensation. It''s been a while since I held a sword. I performed a sword dance right there. The sword cutting through the air draws beautiful curves. ¡¸The proficiency of Clumsy Swordsmanship lv2 increases.¡¹ It doesn''t look clumsy at all. The knight was staring at me nkly. With a puzzled expression. I asked why he was staring like that. Nanaluk tranted. "Your gaze is disrespectful." "Ah, I''m sorry." "Is something strange?" "It''s just that the movements are those of swordsmanship, not dagger techniques..." Are dagger techniques and swordsmanship different? I peeked at the knight''s status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Knight Zain lv27] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ He was indeed an unremarkable fellow. However, there were some notable skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ...[Iron Lion Official Sword Technique lv12], [Dagger Technique lv2] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh! Just in case, I also checked the man behind. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hunter Oliver lv36] [Skills] ...[Ferang School Dagger Technique lv20] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Drool dripped from my mouth. I think I''ve found it. Valuable knowledge to receive aspensation. Chapter 94: Radical Holy Knights (1) Zain gripped the longsword. It wasn''t the ceremonial longsword of the Iron Lion Knights, but a crude goblin-made de. The bnce was off, but a longsword was still a longsword. From the moment he grasped the sword, Zain became a knight. Although he never did so after three months of joining the knights, he shouted while swinging the sword. "Swing as heavy as a mountain, Iron Lion Ceremonial Greatsword, First Form!" Whoosh! He swings the sword downward like chopping firewood with an axe. "Shift your weight forward and put your weight into it!" That''s what the instructor clearly said. Shifting your weight onto your front foot while putting your weight into the sword is the basic principle of the greatsword. The Iron Lion Ceremonial Sword Technique was a swordsmanship that thoroughly emphasized practicality. "Combo Form, Four, Lion Thrust!" And he takes another step forward. At the same time, he thrusts the sword forward like a spear after bringing it down. Because it''s a posture with the arm fully extended, the sword''s reach exceeds the opponent''s expected range. It''s abo move to pierce the throat of an opponent who has stepped back. p p p p- Those watching Zain apuded. Rania also pped enthusiastically, while Oliver looked reluctant. The problem was that goblins were also included in that audience. Zain''s face turned bright red. It wasn''t that he had a strange fetish for getting excited when receiving attention. It was just that the current situation was too strange to ept. ''Is this a dream?'' Demonstrating swordsmanship while surrounded by monsters and goblins. Moreover, receiving apuse from monsters. All of this was requested by one monster. The small white snake... attached to the neck of that huge chimera snake. It looks insignificant no matter how you look at it. Although its scales were like crystal and the crown on its head was extraordinary, you could tell just by its expression. It was gaping its mouth open with sparkling eyes. Why on earth would a snake want to learn swordsmanship? "This is the Greatsword First Form and itsbo..." "I am most satisfied." The one who interpreted the snake''s words was the king of the goblins. It''s doubtful whether it was a proper interpretation in the first ce. That small white snake probably wouldn''t use such an archaic and dignified way of speaking. "Would you like to... try it yourself?" Zain asked so. At first, he didn''t know how the snake would swing a sword. But surprisingly, the snake could use magic. It held the stolen dagger Ashura as if it were a longsword. In other words, the sword floated in mid-air. "Uh, so, now put your weight on your front foot..." Zain stopped mid-sentence. The snake has no front feet. Moreover, its main body is stuck in that tree trunk over there. "...Swing the sword downward." Whoosh! The sword descends weakly. "Take another step forward and shoot it out like a spear..." The dagger shot forward. Then it went high into the sky, whoosh. The invisible hand made a full circle in the sky and returned to its original position. ''...'' This was clearly not swordsmanship. p p p p- But the goblins apuded, and Rania, who had been dozing off, startled and followed with apuse. The snake was dancing with joy. Zain had no idea why it was so proud. ''It''s forbidden to teach the ceremonial sword technique to others without permission...'' Obviously, one must not pass on the Iron Lion Knights'' ceremonial sword technique to others without permission. However, there was no rule against teaching it to a snake. Zain tookfort in that. Moreover, Zain wasn''t the only one in this awkward situation. Oliver, the hunter with a suspicious past. He too was asked to teach dagger techniques to the snake. Oliver showed extreme dislike, but endured for Rania''s sake. "I will... teach you the Ferang School Dagger Technique." He''s a hunter who makes a living by catching and killing monsters. Who would have thought he''d end up teaching dagger techniques to his prey? Did it notice that his dagger technique was special? How on earth? The goblin in charge of interpretation specifically asked to be taught the Ferang School Dagger Technique. Oliver couldn''t even guess the inside story. The Ferang School Dagger Technique. Ferang is the name of a great thief who made a name for himself in the empire. ''Treated Ferang'', still idolized by rogues. Surprisingly, Oliver was someone who inherited his dagger technique. Of course, it was a secret. Although it had already been revealed to Zain and Rania that Oliver had acquired it. "It''s a very difficult dagger technique... it''s natural that you can''t follow it." It starts with drawing the dagger from the holster at the waist. "Stab, stab, stab, Eagle Killer...!" It was the first time shouting technique names while performing dagger techniques. Oliver threw the dagger as soon as he drew it. The dagger spun in mid-air. Then Oliver''s body sank down and a ghost-like kick unfolded. He urately kicked the handle of the dagger. Swish- Thud! The flying dagger vibrated as it stuck into the ground. Although it''s a move with low practicality, it was very cool, befitting the Ferang School Dagger Technique. The snake''s reaction to seeing this was intense. "Saaaaak!" "I am most satisfied!" Even without Nanaluk''s interpretation, it was clear that the snake was satisfied. "Let''s try it." How could a snake without feet perform the Eagle Killer? However, the snake managed to do it. Whirrrr! The dagger Ashura spun in mid-air. The problem was that despite the slow rotation, it didn''t stop. ''...Crazy.'' The invisible hand holding the sword hilt. The magic that was only implemented up to the wrist was clearly spinning the sword in mid-air. But admiration burst out from around. "Ooooh!" "Waaaaaah!" The goblins pped and shouted. Was it because the sight of the sword endlessly rotating seemed magical? (It actually is magic.) Thud! Instead of kicking it, the dagger just stuck into the ground. Although the force wasn''t impressive at all. Lunga''s goblins chanted the snake''s name first. "Ouroboros! Ouroboros!" "Ouroboros! Kaak Chingit!" The spreading heat felt like the appearance of fanatics. Despite that, the white snake, the object of their faith, was just dancing ridiculously. For some reason, Oliver felt anger rising in his chest. It feels like he might develop a stress-induced illness at this rate. "Phew..." He barely manages to calm his mind while heaving a sigh. Zain and Oliver''s eyes met. Until just a moment ago, they were trying to kill each other, but at this moment, they felt a shared empathy of being in the same boat. However, there was something thatforted them. ''They definitely won''t be able to learn it properly.'' Excellent swordsmanship bes a higher-level skill in itself. But monsters almost never sessfully learn swordsmanship. At most, only bipedal monsters with proper hands and feet rarely learn something resembling swordsmanship. In other words, it''s impossible for a magic-using snake like that to learn swordsmanship. Not extremely difficult, but literally ''impossible''. There will be no leakage of the Ferang School Dagger Technique or the Iron Lion Ceremonial Sword Technique. ''Let''s just let them imitate it.'' That was themon thought of Zain and Oliver. Chapter 95: Radical Holy Knights (2) ¡¸Due to the trait ''Perseverance'', you are not restricted in skill acquisition.¡¹ ¡¸You have acquired ''Ferang School Dagger Technique lv1''.¡¹ ''Ah, so this is the level...'' In three hours, I seeded in acquiring the Ferang School Dagger Technique. Of course, the Iron Lion Ceremonial Sword Technique as well. The clumsy swordsmanship skill I originally had disappeared. It seems the Iron Lion Ceremonial Sword Technique is considered its superior skill. Finally, I learned proper swordsmanship and even acquired dagger techniques. I would have been grateful just to get ''Swordsmanship'', but it even has a name. Even Pelerian couldn''t say these skills were shabby. "Damn it, I should have killed those humans beforehand. If it had been crappy swordsmanship, you wouldn''t have messed around with swords..." ''Don''t worry too much.'' "What nonsense are you spouting again!" ''I''ll study magic hard too.'' "Tch." If you like it, just show that you like it. As expected, he''s an old man with a really blunt personality. But I''ve decided to be a magic swordsman. Pelerian doesn''t need to worry too much. "Groooo..." At that moment, the chimera snake let out another cry. It was an expression of wanting to get up. It''s whining to leave already after sleeping for only three hours. Even if I scold it now, it won''t work anymore. Certainly, the chimera snake was a monster obsessed with just advancing to the continent. ''Nanaluk!'' I called Nanaluk. Regrettably, it was already time to say our farewells. ''Can you climb the gorge?'' "Well, we have no choice. At this rate, we''ll be swept up in the monster wave too." I''d like to go with Nanaluk, but I couldn''t hold her back out of my own greed. She has hundreds of dependents, doesn''t she? From what I heard, it seems she''s now on a continental expedition with the warriors who can fight. The remaining nonbat personnel are gathered in the great forest, strengthening the foundation of the kingdom and producing potions and weapons. Someday, a red storm of goblins might sweep over the continent. "Let''s meet again!" There was a regretful light in Nanaluk''s eyes too. ''Nanaluk, hold out your fist.'' "...Like this?" Nanaluk held out her fist. It would have been nice if her tail was free, but it wasn''t. I bumped my head against Nanaluk''s fist. ''This is our way of greeting.'' "That''s cool..." The temperature of friendship is so hot that global warming might ur. "You''re talking nonsense." Pelerianpletely ignored it. Nanaluk jumped down from the chimera snake''s back. "Well then, let''s depart!" The goblins stood up. They politely greeted me without being told to do so. Some even knelt down and prayed to me. It seems my status as Ouroboros has risen a lot. Although Nanaluk had tried to wipe out the humanspletely, her attitude had softened considerably. "I hope you humans survive too." Especially the expression of the girl named Rania brightened. Nanaluk''s appearance was now as clean as any decent human or elf, so she must look cool in her eyes. "Thank you. For the potions too..." "They weren''t even mine." Nanaluk slightly raised her fist. It seems she quickly learned the fist bump. She immediately hit Rania''s forehead. Thump. "Aaak." Rania clutched her forehead and stepped back. Zain and Oliver were flustered, but it seems Nanaluk just intended to greet her. She offered her own forehead too. "You hit too." "O-okay..." Rania timidly tapped Nanaluk''s forehead. "Groooo!" Finally, the chimera snake raised its body. Seeing this, other monsters also stopped resting. Now even my control won''t work. ''Farewell, humans!'' I decided to spare the humans. ''Hide in the carriage or something. I''ll let you live!'' Nanaluk interpreted my words in a dignified manner. Then Oliver carried Rania on his back and entered the wreckage of the carriage. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv5.¡¹ I had already pushed the carriage between the rocks earlier. I even sprinkled dirt on top of it, so it shouldn''t be easily noticeable. Well, if the monsters find it, there''s nothing we can do, but I''ve done all I can. "Then, farewell!" Nanaluk shouted, and the wave started moving again. Soon, a wave led by the chimera snake will cover the continent. Chimera snake roared and started to depart. No, it should have departed. I didn''t expect it to suddenly do such a thing. "Groooooo!" Dozens of tree branches shot out from the back of the roaring chimera. The goblins screamed and ran away. However, what the chimera aimed for wasn''t the goblins. The carriage that I had carefully hidden. The tree branches wrapped around that carriage where the three humans were hiding. And just like when it kidnapped me, it lifted the entire carriage onto its back. "Guooooo!" It looks satisfied, as if it has obtained a new toy. You crazy baby tree snake! Satisfied, the chimera started running again. The broken carriage was tightly bound by tree branches, so the door couldn''t even open. Through the gaps in the bars on the window, I made eye contact with Rania. ''I didn''t order this!'' But now Nanaluk wasn''t by my side. There was no way to convey that meaning. One chimera, one white snake, one elf ghost. And three humans. Countless monsters. All running together through the gorge. == Gerard Martein. Commonly known as the Tiger Viscount. One of the Eight Heroes. Perhaps because the name of the knight order led by Steel Gunter is the Iron Lion Knights. Gunter Frihansen and Gerard Martein were portrayed to the public as rivals. But mentioning that in front of Viscount Gerard would incur his wrath. Viscount Gerard did not see Gunter as his rival. Gunter was amoner-born man without roots, and thus acted as the royal family''s hunting dog. He even filled his knight order with mercenaries who used to beg somewhere. On the other hand, Viscount Gerard was from the prestigious Martein family. How about the Holy Light Knight Order he led? As the name ''Holy Knight'' suggests, it''s a traditional knight order recognized by the Church of Light. When he heard the ominous news that hordes of monsters were rushing towards his territory. The viscount didn''t hesitate to don his armor. He summoned the soldiers and called out all the holy knights. At this rate, the territory would be destroyed by the monster wave. No one dared to guess the viscount''s feelings. ''Greyrim has already fallen.'' It was certain. How could such a tragedy ur so soon after Steel Gunter escorted the viscount''s son-inw, the lord of Greyrim, to the capital? ''The cold-hearted viscount who didn''t even listen to his daughter''s plea for help...'' He received several letters from his daughter, but Viscount Gerard didn''t intervene directly. As a figure who was practically second-inmand in the House of Nobles, he was reluctant to openly oppose the royal family. The news that came back in return was this monster wave. The viscountess, Viscount Gerard''s daughter, must be dead. Along with the viscount''s granddaughter. After finishing the preparations, the ce the viscount headed straight for was none other than the church. The highest-ranking bishop in Martein was preparing a divine oracle. The viscount walked into that chapel. He had an imposing physique that was hard to believe for someone in his 60s. Wearing golden armor on top of that, he made the central aisle of the chapel look narrow. The bishop stood in front of a huge sun-shaped relief, and Viscount Martein stopped at the bottom of those steps. "Kneel." Viscount Martein knelt on one knee and made the sign of the cross. The bishop rang a small bell beside him with a ''ding''. "Hear this. A divine revtion hase for Gerard Martein,mander of the Light Holy Knight Order, humble servant of God." Ding- "Raise your head." The Viscount raised his head. For dramatic effect, the bishop was surrounded by a halo created by holy magic. Ding- "The Knight Order shall sh with numerous monsters." An obvious fact. The monsters were already visible beyond the horizon. Ding- "And they shall defeat their leader, the evil serpent." The revtion was given. Viscount Martein stood up without hesitation. "Excellent!" His voice thundered throughout the chapel. It startled the bishop so much that he covered his ears. "The revtion has been given, we shall be victorious." "We shall be victorious!" The assembled Holy Knights raised their swords and chanted in unison. Viscount Gerard didn''t suppress his volume as he shouted. "Let''s go!" His mana-infused voice finally shattered the stained ss windows of the chapel. Crash! Under the shower of multicolored ss shards, The Viscount and his Holy Knights marched out. Chapter 96: Phase 2 (1) The Church of Light was known for receiving divine revtions most frequently among various religious orders. Priests with holy power above the bishop level would consume their sacred energy to receive these revtions. God is omnipotent and omniscient, so revtions cannot fail or be incorrect. Of course, that''s the "principle." However, it was rumored that the uracy of the Church of Light''s revtions was lowerpared to other orders. Stories of incorrect revtions were often circted. But Gerard Martein didn''t believe such rumors. To receive a revtion, one must make a substantial donation to the church. A significant portion of the Church of Light''s annual iees from revtion offerings. As the captain of the Holy Knights and a viscount belonging to the order, Martein couldn''t be unaware of this. If a revtion was wrong, it was likely not a real revtion in the first ce. A corrupt bishop probably gave a false revtion for money. But the revtion given to Gerard this time was real. He would defeat the evil serpent and be victorious. When he saw the horde of monsters rushing over the horizon, The soldiers forming the battle line trembled with fear. Even the holy knights following the viscount were tense. But Gerard felt tion. ''So that''s the evil serpent.'' The leader of the monster wave. That monster was undoubtedly a snake. The revtion wasing true. "Kuku." Viscount Gerardughed. The monster wave was enormous, and even with 3,000 soldiers and knights gathered here, victory was hard to predict. His domain might soon be devastated, yet how could heugh? The viscount paid no attention to the gazes focused on him. This wasn''t the first time he had received a revtion. In his now fading childhood memories. He had received a revtion at the age of twenty as well. The content of that revtion was utterly ominous. Viscount Gerard had never told anyone about that revtion. Not a soul. And today, he felt he could shake off that ill-fated revtion. "Load the catapults." The viscount gave his first order. They had brought dozens of catapults used for siege warfare. Since Martein''s territory bordered the empire, even possessing these catapults made the empire ufortable. Today, they would prove their worth. Soldiers loaded rocks onto the catapults. "Prepare to fire arrows." Viscount Martein, who was also a margrave. His elite soldiers were gathered here. Theposite bows made from buffalo horns procured from the ''mountain range'' were feared even by the imperial army. "The Holy Knight Order will break through the center with the charging tactic." Viscount Gerard rode his horse in front of the soldiers. Raising his famous golden spear high, he shouted: "Martein-!" His voice, filled with magical power, resounded across the ins. "Are there any cowards here who don''t want to die-?" "No, sir-!" The soldiers answered resoundingly. "Are there any greenhorns who haven''t experienced a monster wave-?" "No, sir!" Martein''s elite soldiers had experienced monster waves before. This was because localized monster waves urred periodically at the edge of the ''mountain range'' bordering their territory. "Your domain, your families will be trampled, are there any cowards who want to run away-?" "No, sir!" "I-!" Whoosh. An aura containing mes burst from the tip of Martein''s spear. The soldiers stared at it as if mesmerized. Unlike those ckers in the center, Viscount Martein was the true hero who always stood at the vanguard. "I will strike down the leader-!" "Martein!" "You just need to clean up the remaining dregs. Can you do that!" "Martein!" Meanwhile, the monster army approached. Even among the soldiers shouting enthusiastically, anxiety was visible. As they got closer, it became clear. These weren''t just numerous. They looked huge and powerful. True monsters that hadn''t left the great forest for hundreds of years were mixed in. Rumble rumble- The ground shook. Frightened soldiers unknowingly tried to release their arrows. Themanders shouted to stop them. The viscount raised his spear and shouted. "Catapults-!" The g bearers raised their gs high. "Fire-!" The gs all went down at once. Boom boom boom! The catapultsunched rocks into the sky. == An ufortable journey continued. When parting with Nanaluk, this stupid chimera had taken the carriage where the humans were hiding. Was it perhaps jealous of the humans conversing with me? From the moment I was first kidnapped, I thought this friend might have quite a possessive nature. The chimera wrapped the carriage with hundreds of branches and ced it on its back. It''s not a snail, for goodness sake. Of course, the chimera''s body kept growingrger, so it looked less like a snail and more like an adult wearing an elementary school backpack. "Oh dear..." The problem was that the distance between the carriage and me wasn''t far. I kept making eye contact with the humans through the gaps in the branches. It was awkward, as if they were demanding an exnation for this situation. It wasn''t like I had ordered this. It was the third day since they were trapped in the carriage. Being weak humans, they often vomited from motion sickness. Fortunately, there was water, so they wouldn''t die of thirst, but they must be incredibly hungry. I handed some food to the knight Zain. "Saaak." "I-I can''t eat this." I saw that he hadn''t eaten a single meal, yet he refused. Is this a knight''s pride? I pushed the food towards the refusing Zain once more. "This, isn''t this an insect...!" Good grief. There was a limit to what prey I could catch with my invisible hand while riding on the back of a running chimera. I had caught a pillbug, which was somewhat edible. "Saaak!" "...I can''t eat it." The knight was ashamed of himself. It''s understandable. The pillbug was food I had eaten after falling into the basin. If you just remove the legs, the body is quite plump, and if you close your eyes while eating, it might taste like half-rotten shrimp. Such a weakling. Since he was being so picky, I had no choice. ¡¸Using Magic: Invisible Hand lv10.¡¹ The body of a huge giraffe running beside me. I peeled off a rodent that was sucking blood from it. "Sasak, saak." Then eat this, human. It''s a Mosquito Rat. "Thank... you." Unable to refuse even rat meat, the knight epted the Mosquito Rat. Rania, who was nearby, made a crying face and clutched her hungry stomach. You eat this. I handed her a few bird eggs I had stored in my subspace. "Thank you!" "Ah, aah..." Zain looked at Rania, who was slurping down the bird eggs, with aplicated expression. Yes, now that they''ve eaten, they should have some energy. In fact, they needed to forcibly gather their strength now. "Oh, they''re flying." Indeed. The catapults were fired. Hundreds of rocks the size of human heads painted the sky. Everyone, hold on tight! "Saaaaaak!" The humans trapped in the carriage screamed. The rocks struck the ground, converting their potential energy into kic energy. Boom boom boom boom! Monsters hit directly were instantly crushed. Blood, flesh, and rock fragments sprayed everywhere. A rock fell on the head of the giraffe next to me. The giraffe with its neck broken rolled on the ground, iling. The momentum of the rock didn''t die even then, rolling and crushing the bones of several more monsters. I prayed inwardly. In the face of the falling rocks, there was nothing I could do, so I hoped the chimera snake wouldn''t act stupidly and die. My prayer was answered. Branches erupted from the nape of the chimera snake''s neck like a lion''s mane. And they wrapped around me and the carriage behind me. It was like setting up double and triple barriers. Thud! One of the flying rocks finally hit those wooden branches and bounced off. We were fine. Chapter 97: Phase 2 (2) Although the deflected rock crushed the monsters following behind. "Oh, now it''s arrows." Look at Pelerian being so nonchnt, as if he won''t die again. He was right. The sky visible through the gaps in the branches turned ck. Clearly, thousands of arrows had been fired. Papapapapak! They began to pierce the charging monsters. But well, in fact, there was no need to worry about arrows. Hadn''t the chimera snake''s branches withstood even the catapults? Pak! That thought vanished as an arrow stuck right in front of my nose. It had managed to slip through the gaps in the branches. Stupid tree snake. Can''t even block that. And another arrow nearly hit me. ¡¸Using eleration lv7.¡¹ I responded instinctively. Chomp! When I came to my senses, I had seeded in catching the flying arrow with my mouth. "How did you do that!" ''...I wonder?'' I had unknowingly reached the realm of catching des with bare hands. At this rate, I might really be able to respond to flying des. The arrow rain stopped. And the human soldiers'' battle cry erupted. The time for catapults and arrows had ended. Now the meleebat would begin. When we arrived at the ins, the human army was waiting for us. I knew it woulde to this someday, but I really feel like I''ve be a Demon King. A Demon King leading an army of monsters! "Grooooar!" The chimera snake also roared. Well, in fact, this chimera is the Demon King, and I''m more like the shadowy figure behind it. And the three in the carriage didn''t need to be involved in this fight. "Saak!" I roared at Rania and the humans. ''I''ll spare your lives, pay the priceter.'' And I swung my dagger. ¡¸Using Iron Lion School Sword Technique lv1¡¹ ¡¸Using sh lv4.¡¹ I cut the wooden branches tying the carriage one by one. When I tried this before, this chimera guy just wrapped the carriage tighter with its branches. But now it wouldn''t have the leisure to pay attention. Thud, thudud As only a few branches remained, the carriage began to tilt and fall. The humans screamed. Just as the carriage was about to touch the ground. I swung my sword at thest remaining branch. ¡¸Using sh lv4.¡¹ Kuung! The carriage wrapped in branchesnded safely on the ground. Light monsters stepped over it as they passed, while heavier ones avoided it to the side. The humans were afraid, but they didn''t need to worry too much. The wooden branches tightly wrapping the carriage were very sturdy. And above all, it would be better than being attached to the back of the boss monster where the attacks would be concentrated. The chimera snake moved forward, leaving the fallen carriage behind. Then it was my turn to escape. ''Farewell, chimera.'' Ahead, mounted knights were charging towards us. Especially the huge holy knight in golden armor looked terrifyingly fierce. "Look- at me-!" That knight''s enormous spear pointed towards the chimera snake. I waited for the moment just before impact. I saw it, the thread of opportunity. ''Escape!'' I swung my sword, making sword marks around where I was embedded. ¡¸Using sh lv4.¡¹ And I poured magical power into it, using skills in session. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv2.¡¹ ¡¸Using eleration lv7.¡¹ ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv3.¡¹ ¡¸Using Stealth lv8.¡¹ Swoosh. My body was pulled out! In this critical moment, I seeded in escaping from the chimera''s body. Now I just needed to dive into the crowd of monsters and escape. It was a perfect escape. The chimera snake couldn''t afford to turn its attention to me in front of the charging knights. ...That''s how it should have been. "L-look at that guy." As soon as the chimera snake noticed my escape, it turned its body. And looked at me with yearning eyes. "Muaaaa!" It cried sorrowfully and stretched its branches towards me. It was as if it was calling out "Mama-". ''Aak!'' Was it because of that? I could have shaken off the branches wrapping around me, but I didn''t. Because it turned its head, the chimera snake''s nape was fully exposed to the knights. "Die-!" The huge holy knight thrust his golden spear into the chimera''s body. Kwaaang! An even louder boom than when hit by the catapults rang out. The holy knight''s reckless cavalry charge was indeed terrifying. The war horse of the knight at the front had its neck broken and died, and that huge chimera snake was pushed back. "Groar-!" For the first time, the chimera let out a pained scream. ck smoke rose from the wound where the spear was stuck. ''You stupid fool.'' I felt enraged. ''I''m not even your parent, why are you so attached?'' This guy is just a temporary chimera created by the World Tree in my image. I ended up sticking back onto the chimera''s nape. ''And how could you just get hit by the spear like an idiot!'' I could see the holy knights thrusting their spears into the chimera snake''s body right in front of me. I made eye contact with one of them. The holy knight made a dumbfounded expression and quickly drew a small crossbow to shoot at me. ¡¸Using eleration lv7.¡¹ Pak! Once again. I seeded in catching the arrow with my mouth. To hell with it. Now it''s a matter of survival for me too. Zap! ¡¸Using Beam lv2.¡¹ "Argh!" The beam hit the holy knight''s exposed face. It wasn''t instant death, but the holy knight fell off his horse. Crack! The startled horse unfortunately stepped on the knight''s face. ¡¸You have killed Holy Knight lv23¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ''Oh.'' And perhaps the chimera regained its spirit after seeing the beam after a long time. Branches sprouted like thorns from the chimera snake''s body. Pyupyupyupyu! Unlike other branches, these were shining ck. Having seen the chimera''s status window, I could guess what it was trying to do. ''Thorn Rolling lv10'', that skill for sure. Unlike a snake, the chimera rolled on the ground. More than five holy knights were instantly crushed underneath. Crack, crunch- Not even screams remained. I raised my head again after ducking in surprise. ''I almost got crushed to death too!'' "Groooar!" Several holy knights were dangling from the thorns that had sprouted on the chimera''s body, pierced and shattered. This has now be an undeniable boss monster visual. And the enemy leader looking at us in shock. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Holy Knight Order Commander lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ An old knight who looked incredibly strong at a nce roared in anger. "You- bastard-!" My ears nearly burst. Dazzling aura streamed from the spear he was holding. Don''te! ¡¸Using Beam lv2.¡¹ Amazingly, the knight deflected that light-like beam. A feat only Gunter had shown before. "Groar!" The chimera snake charged forward undaunted. Hero versus Chimera. That sh unfolded more anticlimactically than I had thought. Just as the knight''s spear was about to plunge into the chimera snake''s body. Rip. The middle of the chimera snake''s body split wide open. This was a feat possible only because its body was made of tree branches, not a real snake. The spear zing with aura pierced through empty air. One of the pitch-ck thorn branches forming the chimera''s skeleton shot out from below its neck. Probably the only higher-level skill this chimera possessed. [World Tree''s Thorn lv1] Thud! That thorn urately prated the gap between the helmet and breastte. "Kuk!" Blood gushed out of the knight''s mouth. Even the spear in his hand fell to the ground. His body sagged, dangling while impaled on the thorn. ''Huh, huuh!'' No way. One-hit kill? Despite being said to have low intelligence, the chimera snake''s evasion and attackbination just now was too perfect. Having pierced the neck, it must be instant death. It was at that moment. That Pelerian uttered one cruel word. "Did you finish it off!" ''Crazy.'' "... Why, what." And. Indeed, the Heaven Defier magician was a great mage who went against thews of nature. Twitch. The knight who had gone limp starts to move. Pelerian''s resurrection spell had seeded. Chapter 98: Martein, The Greatest Dancer! (1) "You will die once, bitten by a snake." That was the prophecy given to Gerard Martein at the age of twenty. From a young age, he had been strong-willed and extraordinary. When he heard the prophecy foretelling his death, Gerard''s thought was: ''Has this bishop finally gone mad?'' The Martein family was thergest patron of the Church of Light. They poured enormous donations into the diocese every year. Because of this, the Martein family could often receive prophecies. Twenty-year-old Martein came to the bishop to inquire about his future. ''Is he trying to squeeze more donations out of us?'' It wasn''t unreasonable for Gerard Martein to think this way. The bishop he had asked for the prophecy was known more for his greed for money than his faith. "Could you please repeat that once more?" So he asked. Even though interrupting during a prophecy was taboo. Gerard looked at the bishop''s face, expecting a more detailed exnation. Then he was startled. The bishop''s eyes had no ck pupils, only whites. His hair fluttered on its own, and something like a halo burst out from behind his head. It''smon for bishops to adorn themselves with holy magic, but. This was different somehow. Gerard instinctively felt it. The bishop''s mouth opened again. "You-you will die-die once, bi-bitten by a sna-snake." "Oh shit, you scared me!" The voice echoed as ifing from a cave. The startled Gerard hurriedly asked. "I''ll die? Then what should I do?" If you''re going to give such an ominous prophecy, you should at least tell me how to ovee it. But the bishop just copsed with a nosebleed. It was undoubtedly a real prophecy. A real prophecy. Even the great Martein couldn''t help but be afraid. Saying he would die bitten by a snake someday. The first thing Gerard did was to hide the prophecy. It was easy since even the bishop didn''t remember saying such a thing. The next thing he did was to find a way to ovee the prophecy. Is there no way to avoid the prophecy of death? Gerard investigated in various ways. And the conclusion he reached was desperate. If the prophecy was true, Gerard would surely die. Then should he just wait, thinking the prophecy might be wrong? Gerard acted like a true Martein. Instead of sitting still and epting the death that woulde someday, he decided to fight to the end and find a way. He would die ''once''. He obsessed over that word ''once''. If there''s a ''once'', is there a ''twice''? It might be. What is death in the first ce? Is it death when the heart stops? Or when all the mana in the body is lost? By using that ambiguous concept, he might be able to ovee the prophecy. So from the age of twenty, he started to ''prepare''. When the thorn that shot out from the snake''s body pierced his neck. Gerard Martein thought. ''This could count as being bitten to death, right?'' That was hisst thought. With the carotid artery torn and the spinal cord damaged, it was undoubtedly a fatal wound. His consciousness faded to ck, and his heart certainly stopped. It was then that the long-standing arrangement began to work. There was a strange tattoo on Gerard Martein''s bare body. It was like a pagan barbarian''s spell, and its effect was actually simr. Boom! The tattoo on his chest lit up, and his body convulsed. His stopped heart was forced to beat again. Gerard''s muscles, which had been taut to the point of bursting, began to shrink. That energy was immediately used to heal the wound. The viscount''s magnificent physique, which had filled the huge golden armor tightly, grew smaller. Even his skin shriveled. His lost hearing returned first. "Saaak!" It was the snake''s cry, as if surprised. What an frivolous cry for its appearance, he thought. As his flesh regenerated, the thorn stuck in his neck was pushed out. He, who had been dangling, fell to the ground. Thud! Hended, maintaining his bnce. "Damn prophecy." Is a prophecy just a prophecy? Gerard gave a bitterugh. The armor he wore was made of mithril gold by dwarves, a te armor that had even received consecration. Yet the thorn had slipped precisely between the gap of the helmet and breastte. Should this be called an incredible coincidence, or fate? ''The armor is loose.'' It''s natural for it to rattle since the muscles that had filled the armor had shriveled. However, that didn''t mean the viscount''s vigor had disappeared as well. Perhaps because the risk of death that had always troubled him was resolved. Rather, his mind was refreshingly clear. "Good!" He pped his hands vigorously. The holy knights who witnessed their lord''s resurrection cheered with tears. "Let''s have a proper fight." He said so to the snake before him. ¡¸Using Explosive Fighting Technique lv5.¡¹ ¡¸Using Blessing of Light lv10.¡¹ ¡¸Using Martein Combat Technique lv20.¡¹ He used his skills all at once. Superhuman strength surged from his body. His armor rattling, he struck the snake''s body with his fist. Crash! Wood chips like sawdust flew everywhere. It was enough to make that huge chimera snake''s body lift slightly. Meanwhile, wooden branches shooting out from the creature''s body tried to pierce through the viscount. Bang bang bang! But this time it didn''t work. They couldn''t even scratch his solid te armor. Crash! He swung his fist again, destroying the snake''s body. Every time the spiked knuckle part of his gauntlet struck, sawdust flew. Hundreds of thin branches rushed at the viscount. Unable to pierce and kill the viscount, the chimera snake seemed to have decided to entangle his body. Against this, the viscount tore at the branches tangled on his armor and swung his fists. "We, we''ll help!" The mounted holy knights joined in. They too were proper knights. Auras were imbued in their swords and spears. Crunch, crack! Those weapons cut branches and stuck into tree trunks. But now the matchup was unfavorable. Humans have two arms, and there were hundreds of wooden branches stronger than each of those arms. Those branches tripped the horses'' legs. The knights had no choice but to dismount. No one died just from that, but there was an unfortunate knight whose ankle got tangled. "Uh oh!" The chimera lifted the knight and swung him like a hammer. The viscount, who was about to strike with his spear, lowered it in shock. Crash! The viscount and the knight tumbled together. The viscount quickly pushed the knight away and got up. Rumble! The snake trampled over that spot. A deep furrow was carved into the ground. The viscount gritted his teeth and ordered his subordinates. "Don''t interfere and fall back! Kill the other monsters!" It''s not just the leader that''s dangerous here. In fact, the horde of monsters rushing in like a pack of dogs was the most dangerous. "Yes!" The knights mounted their horses again and spread out to fight the surrounding monsters. It was a good thing from the chimera snake''s perspective. Hundreds of branches wrapped around the viscount and his surroundings. Eventually, the viscount''s figure could no longer be seen. In the forest of thorns, the viscount rampaged like a tiger. A brawl began. == What a waste. It''s such a waste. That old knight had certainly died. But he came back to life. Even for monsters, not just humans, it would be difficult to survive after having their neck pierced. He''s apletely crazy old man. ''Is it some kind of resurrection skill?'' It might be. Although his body had withered, perhaps due to the side effects. Still, he was terrifyingly strong. He might even be stronger than Gunter. His name was Viscount Martein, was it? From what I heard, he seemed like a hero. He also seemed to possess tremendous skills. ''What a waste!'' ¡¸Unable to use ''Crown of Plunder lv4''.¡¹ ¡¸Currently borrowing ''Gigantification lv0''.¡¹ The Gigantification lv0 I borrowed from father was still intact. I won''t be able to use the Crown of Plunder until I make Gigantificationpletely my own. The problem is that I haven''t had a chance to train Gigantification. I don''t know if it''s because the level is low, but my Gigantification feels imperfect. It feels like my strength and body''s durability don''t increase as much as my size does. If I use Gigantification here where enemies are swarming from all directions, I might end up like a porcupine riddled with arrows. Then I might evolve into a porcupine serpent. Chapter 99: Martein, The Greatest Dancer! (2) Crash! "Kuweeeee!" The chimera snake let out a painful scream. Actually, whether I can borrow skills or not isn''t important in this situation. ''Die! Martein!'' ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv4.¡¹ I shot a fireball at his face. "Damn it, again!" I was doing everything I could in my own way. Martein shattered the fireball with a headbutt. It''s amazing that his face didn''t burn even after that. But from the start, shooting the fireball was meant to obscure his vision. ¡¸Using Beam lv2.¡¹ The light of death. A beam that would take the hero''s life shot from my mouth. Ping- "Ouch, damn it!" No! The beam that had even prated the tough muscles of the Silverback Akims. My best shot only left a wound like a popped pimple on his cheek. He wasn''t just relying on his armor to fight. "It''s a basic aura maniption technique." In the midst of the fierce battle, Pelerian started exining. "That human hero is wearing excellent armor, so he''s probably just protecting his exposed face with aura." It''s like watching amentator character in a fighting manga. And this ising from the one who messed everything up with his resurrection magic. The angry old knight thrust his spear at me. Originally, it was a distance the spear shouldn''t have reached. Whoosh! The aura at the spear''s tip was fired at me. It was clearly a sword ki, no, a spear ki. It was a moment of extreme crisis, but the chimera snake didn''t stand idle. It withdrew its branches to protect me. Crack! Dozens of branches that had even blocked catapults were shattered in an instant. However, the old knight was rather pleased. "That ck snake is your weakness!" The ck snake probably refers to me using ck Scales. The cunning of humans was tremendous. He stopped attacking the chimera snake''s body and started thrusting his spear at me. Crack, crack- The more he did so, more branches spread out to block me. The knightpletely disregarded defense and went on an all-out offensive. It was because the chimera snake was flustered trying to protect me. "Hahaha!" While pretending to attack me, he chipped away at the chimera snake''s body. And while pretending to attack the chimera snake, he aimed at me as he continued fighting. I resisted by using magic and swinging my sword, but the tide of battle gradually turned against us. "Grwoooar!" The chimera snake roared in pain. The regeneration of its body made of wood slowly became sluggish. That knight''s aura, burning like fire, might have a badpatibility. ''Hey, you idiot! Just put me down and fight!'' But as always until now. The chimera snake was too stupid to understand my words. This fool. ''What are you doing to a baby, you too!'' I also berated the viscount. Maybe the chimera snake looked too much like an old person. "For a monster old enough to grow sorge, you must have been stuck in the great forest all your life. Did youe looking for a ce to die? Hahaha!" The spear elerated even more. How such monstrous strengthes from that shriveled body. "Die." And the spear tip glowed red-hot. Like Gunter''s Crescent Moon sh, this seems to be the knight''s special skill. ''... No.'' The spear tip mercilessly dug into the chimera snake''s body. ng-! It sounded like hitting a tin drum. The chimera snake''s body swelled up and then burst. In an instant. Hundreds of branches spread out in all directions as if exploding. It didn''t seem to be the chimera snake''s will. Those countless branches draped around like a curtain, making it feel like we were back in the great forest for a moment. Something bright red was visible inside the chimera snake''s burst open body. The chimera''s heart, a magic stone, or... a seed? "Muaa..." The chimera snake cried weakly. The knight grinned and reached out towards that red something. As for me. As for me, I wasn''t just sitting still. Crack. I finally broke the branches that were binding me. ¡¸Using eleration lv7.¡¹ ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv3.¡¹ I can''t pierce the armor. Attacking the face doesn''t work either. Then, I''ll just slip into the gaps of the armor. Focused on ending the chimera snake''s life, he couldn''t fend off my elerated form in time. I seeded in slipping into the gap at his nape. What a tenacious bastard. He didn''t stop trying to tear out the chimera snake''s heart until the very end. Crunch! A strange sound was heard. The inside of the armor was loose enough for me to enter sufficiently. As I struggled, the knight let out a strange scream. "Ugh, eehick!" He must be very ticklish! There was a terrible smell of sweat inside the armor. Let''s endure it for a moment. I tore apart the linen clothes he was wearing underneath with my teeth. ''I''ll enter through your navel, human!'' Wak, I bit, but. His skin was tough like raw rubber. It''s to the point where my teeth hurt instead. Is a human body trained to this extent? I gave up on entering his body. Shook- Then I''ll inject deadly poison. "Arghhhh!" His ticklish sounds changed to screams of pain. Bang, crash! He pounded his own armor frantically as if trying to grab me. But of course, he couldn''t tear his own armor to get me out. He tried to take off his helmetpletely and reach into the armor, but that didn''t work either. This kind of te armor can only be put on and taken off with the help of a squire. The knight thrashed in agony. He tried to crush me by moving his body this way and that, but I kept moving like a loach. ¡¸Using Poison Scales lv1.¡¹ I make wounds on his skin. And I apply deadly poison on top of it. Endure it with evil and stubbornness, human. This isn''t revenge for the chimera snake. It''s just thew of the wild, kill or be killed. I danced the dance of death, shedding tears made of ice shards. == The holy knights could see neither the viscount nor the leader snake. It was because of the hundreds of branches that the chimera had spewed out. From afar, it looked as if a forest had sprung up in the middle of the battlefield. But the brilliant light bursting from within. "Oh!" The holy knights knew it was theirmander''s secret technique. ''Light Pierce''. The ultimate technique of Martein,parable to Gunter''s Crescent Moon sh. That fatal thrust must have taken the life of the wooden snake. The branches that had been moving as if alive suddenly stiffened, then withered away at an astonishing rate. The interior that had been hidden was revealed. The giant snake had fallen, and their knightmander had survived proudly. "Woohoo! Commander!" "Oh Light God!" The holy knights shed tears of joy. Killing the leader wouldn''t make the monster wave disappear, but it was a sufficiently meaningful achievement. They were about to rush to the viscount, but. The holy knights froze in their tracks. "C-Commander?" And for good reason. Viscount Gerard Martein was dancing. Tap, tap! He was stepping lightly as if performing a traditional northern dance. His arms moved fluidly, at times raised triumphantly above his head, at others swinging in rhythmbined with circr arm rotations and hip shaking. It was like the dance of a man bitten by a radioactive spider. Even if the viscount was known to start dancing whenever he drank, who would have thought he''d do this on the battlefield. Is he that happy about winning? "Y-you guys. Heek!" Seeing the holy knights, the viscount suddenly started pounding his chest vigorously. It was simr to gori-like behavior. The holy knights were greatly confused. "Sh-should we go and dance with him?" "What nonsense...!" Their confusion didn''tst long. "Aaagh!" Because the viscount let out a painful scream. The dancing viscount finally copsed. The knights quickly rushed to his side. "Keck, keck." "C-Commander! What''s wrong!" His face was purple. It seemed he hadn''t been able to breathe properly for quite some time. Symptoms of neurotoxin poisoning. "Sn-snake..." "Snake, you say! You''ve already dealt with it, Viscount!" It seems he was affected by the chimera snake''s poison. But there are no visible holes in his armor. "No, hic. That''s not, this color... hic." Finally, the viscount''s eyes rolled back. "Priest, let''s take him to the priest!" The holy knights carried their lord. == "I''ve done it!" Perhaps because the spell was slightly off. This time, even Pelerian''s resurrection magic didn''t work. An enormous amount of magical energy, unbelievable for a single human to possess, poured out of the viscount''s body. It was aplete death. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ... A storm-like thrill swept over. And finally. ¡¸You have achieved the ''Hero yer'' achievement.¡¹ The great hero Gerard Martein. Here, dies twice. Chapter 100: Please Allow Me to Be a Righteous Thief Again Today (1) The sweet symphony of leveling up. A warm sensation spreading throughout my body. Normally, I would have danced with joy. ''Sob, sob.'' But right now, my heart is heavy. Poor chimera snake. It was still a baby, but it had its heart torn out by an old knight and died. Even though it was a fierce creature that indiscriminately killed humans and monsters alike. Even though it looked like a boss monster, with knights impaled on the spines that grew from its body. Even though it led tens of thousands of monsters out of the great forest, likely to cause the death of countless humans on the continent. Even though it kidnapped me, whom it had just met, and dragged me all the way here! ... Now that I think about it, it''s hard to defend. But still. It was just a baby, wasn''t it? It wasn''t its will to be born to lead the monster wave. It might be more appropriate to me the World Tree. Above all, I seem to have grown attached to it. ''It''s thanks to you, chimera snake.'' My ability to take down the knight was only possible because the circumstances aligned perfectly. The chimera snake killed him once. The knight revived once, turning into a skinny body. That''s why his armor became loose, allowing me to slip inside. People tend to freak out even if a single bug gets into their clothes. So when a whole Crystal Crown Python got in, even a hero couldn''t endure it. The dead knight went limp. The linen clothes he wore underneath were dyed bright red with his blood and mine. ''Sob, sob, it stinks.'' The mixture of sweat and blood creates an unbearably unpleasant environment. Chimera snake, baby. I miss the times when I clung to your back. "Stop being so sentimental. What baby? It was just a disgusting chimera, honestly." ''You''re not even human.'' "Of course not, I''m an elf, not a mere human. How many levels did you gain?" ''Ten.'' "Kya." He just says "kya" like that. But facts are facts. What''s gained is gained. Moreover, I also achieved the ''Hero yer'' achievement. Since the opponent was clearly a hero, I think even ten level-ups might be a bit insufficient. It seems it will take quite some time until the next evolution. Yeah, let''s not think too negatively. I avenged you, chimera snake. Be happy wherever you are now. Not all humans on the continent would have suffered just because a monster wave urred. After the chimera snake killed thousands or hundreds, it might have ended up being caught by an entric magician like Pelerian and subjected to live experiments. The chimera snake was already on borrowed time. Looking at it that way, this might be a happy ending. "That''s right!" Let''sugh,ugh. But the situation wasn''t one where I could justugh carelessly. nk! Before I could even get out of the armor, the holy knights rushed in. "I don''t think there''s a pulse!" "I''ll take him to the rear." "Then, about themand..." "The Holy Light Knights do not retreat." "...We''ll stay and fight to the end!" Solemn words are exchanged from all directions. Someone lifted the corpse, armor and all. It must be incredibly heavy. "I''ll carry him on my back and run." "We''ll cover you." It must be a holy knight with superhuman strength. The armor shakes violently. I peeked out just a tiny bit through a gap in the armor. ''Eeek!'' I was startled and quickly pulled my head back in. The holy knights are surrounding me. They were running while carrying the Viscount''s corpse. Cutting through and breaking through the monsters. ''What should I do...'' I ended up trapped inside the armor, being taken to the humans'' stronghold. Should I escape right now? If the knight swings his sword, my head might get cut off, so it''s not an easy situation. Should I use Gigantification as soon as I jump out? No, that would stand out too much. Without the chimera snake''s protection, even the monsters might be my enemies. Moreover, if my existence is discovered now, it will be revealed to the world that I killed a hero. ''Ah, Heavenly Thunder Spirit!'' If I call down lightning, it would electrocute the knight carrying me as well. I excitedly tried to cast Heavenly Thunder Spirit, but... ¡¸Insufficient mana.¡¹ Oh no. I seem to have used too much mana since trying to escape from the chimera snake. Especially maintaining the ck Scales skill for a long time took a toll. Then the method is... ''Old man!'' "What?" ''Do humans have mana stones too?'' I thought maybe I could eat the hero''s mana stone. Pelerian answered with admiration. "They don''t." Unfortunately, that was the case. Come to think of it, there were mana stones in my ring too. Eating them doesn''t immediately restore mana either. The holy knights'' loyalty must have been truly remarkable. They finally broke through the monsters and arrived at the human camp. "Is the Viscount alright?!" "Does he look alright? Quickly, call the Archbishop!" There''s chaos all around. Countless humans have gathered. "Don''t even breathe." ''Gasp.'' And that meant if my presence was discovered here, I''d be turned into grilled eel on the spot. "Unfasten the armor!" "I-It''s noting off easily." "You stupid bastard!" I hear curses and angry shouts. Where, where should I hide? ¡¸Using Stealth lv8.¡¹ I hold my breath. Moving very slowly. First, I moved my body towards the lower part. Click. It was the right choice. They must have unfastened the lock on the waist part, as light came in. After removing the upper body armor, they drag out the dead knightmander. I quickly hid in the empty boot part. ''Ugh!'' The foot odor is terrible. "Ah, Viscount!" It was a scream filled with despair. "P-Please use healing magic!" The holy knight who carried the Viscount all the way here begged. "H-How did he be so covered in blood..." "He was bitten by a snake. He seemed to be poisoned." "How, when he was wearing te armor?" "Ah..." My heart is pounding. I bit and tore at various parts of the Viscount''s body. What if they discover the small wounds from snake bites? They might realize that a snake had sneaked into the armor. "I don''t know how formidable that chimera snake was, but how could it prate Mithril gold armor... Ah!" Did they notice?! "Was it an ethereal attack? To think it was such a high-level monster..." Aoh. I almost jumped out of the boot, thinking I''d been discovered. It seems I wasn''t the only one annoyed by someone''s muttering. The holy knight exploded in anger. "Is that important right now?! Use healing magic!" "It seems he''s already passed away..." The Viscount had already crossed the irreversible river. I personally sent him across. ¡¸Stealth lv8 proficiency has greatly increased.¡¹ ¡¸Stealth lv8 has be Stealth lv9.¡¹ My Stealth skill leveled up from how tense I was and how much I held my breath. A bright light shed from outside. It seems they''re using healing magic. "Bring clean water and cloth! Why isn''t the Archbishop here yet?!" The humans were desperately trying to save the Viscount. By the way, if they remove his clothes, my teeth marks will be revealed. I can''t get out, but I can''t keep hiding either. I''m in a dilemma. nk! Someone touched the armor I was hiding in. My heart nearly dropped. "Um..." The one who touched the armor had a young and naive voice. Perhaps a knight''s squire? "Excuse me..." No one answered him. It''s natural, given how urgent the situation is. But the owner of the voice persistently called out to someone. "Excuse me..." "What! What is it!" Someone presumed to be a holy knight finally responded. "I''m sorry, but... about this armor..." "What about the armor!" "Should I tidy it up? Like usual." Gasp. I was shocked. From his tone of asking and the question itself, there''s an undeniable strong smell of ipetence. "You bastard!" The person presumed to be a holy knight screamed as if about to explode. "You fucking idiot! Is tidying up the armor important right now?!" "Uh, s-sorry... Should I wash it or just leave it... There''s blood on it..." He seemed to be a soldier who usually managed the Viscount''s valuable armor. "I''m really going to kill this bastard! Let go! I''m going to kill him!" "S-Sorry." Someone held back the enraged holy knight. "Calm down! Hey, you there, quickly take the armor away!" "Y-Yes, sir! Understood!" Chapter 101: Please Allow Me to Be a Righteous Thief Again Today (2) Judging by the salute, he must be a soldier. Even just from his voice, you can tell he''s an attention-seeking soldier. Given that he''s doing odd jobs in the rear instead of fighting monsters in the current situation, he probably usually serves the Viscount. Themander is dead, and the monster wave is right in front of them. In this urgent situation, holding onto a holy knight and asking whether to tidy up or put away the armor might be hard for an ordinary person to understand. But I was different. I too had been in the military, and I''ve done a few part-time jobs. I''ve been directly called ipetent, and heard it much more behind my back. ''This guy...'' I wiped my nose with my tail. The soldier loaded the armor onto a cart with a grunt. "It''s heavier than usual today." Kya. Even his muttering to himself is perfect. He doesn''t even know I''m inside the armor, what an endearing guy. "You''re lucky too. Thanks to some idiot." ''You''re being too harsh. He''s trying his best.'' Seeing him reminds me of my past life. There''s no need to exin my glorious military days. Even after being discharged, my timid personality and slowness didn''t improve. My parents were very displeased with this. They urged me to at least get a part-time job, so I applied to several ces. I don''t know why, but the problem was that I failed every interview at every ce I applied. After this kept happening, my mother created a part-time position for me at a bar run by an acquaintance. I remember the owner who weed me saying, ''So you''re the one?'' He had a kind face, and thinking back now, he was really a nice person. On the first day, I broke three beer mugs and spilled the army stew that was supposed to go to table 3 on the floor. The owner just smiled awkwardly, but the other part-timer wasn''t so forgiving. He was four years younger than me, with tattoos on his arms and good looks. ''Ah bro, why are you like this? It''s so fucking annoying.'' When he said that, I could only say, ''S-Sorry...'' It was so hard every day. I felt my self-esteem dropping day by day. There weren''t many customers either, so I felt even more self-conscious as the owner kept sighing heavily. Then one day. It was raining heavily, probably due to the monsoon season, and there were particrly few customers that day. ''Kids, let''s close up early today.'' As I was trying to hide my joy, the owner took out soju sses and said we should have a drink together. I didn''t really like alcohol, but I felt pressured and epted the ss. The owner downed his drinks one after another. The younger part-timer livened up the atmosphere. I got a bit excited as the alcohol kicked in, and the owner smiled and praised me as he watched. ''It''s hard work, isn''t it? But you''ve improved a lot. You too.'' I was so happy. That''s why I drank more, which was probably the problem. ''There really were no customers today.'' When the owner said that. ''Yeah, I wish it was always this quiet. Hehe.'' At that moment. It became so quiet that you could only hear the falling rain. I had never seen such a cold look in the owner''s eyes before. What broke the silence was theughter of my coworker, four years my junior. ''This is really fucking hrious. Bro, why are you such a loser?'' Those words stayed in my head for a long time. That part-time job was myst. As I fell silent, Pelerian broke the silence. "Why are you making such a wistful expression?" ''It''s nothing. Hehe.'' It was a nostalgic memory. I want to eat army stew. The attention-seeking soldier put me and the armor down somewhere. And then left. It''s dark, so it must be indoors. I cautiously poked my head out. "Phew!" I''m alive! This was inside an empty barracks. It seems to be the ce used by the hero I killed. Large weapons and detailed maps were hanging on the walls. My attention was immediately drawn to those maps. ''A map...'' A quite detailed map. It hit me again that this wasn''t Earth. Kingdoms and empires were drawn, and there was an areabeled "Great Forest". "It''s a tactical map! Not something easily obtainable." Properly made maps have always been strategic assets managed by the state. Something stood out on the map. A massive mountain range was drawn across the continent and kingdoms. ''That must be the Gray Mountains.'' It was one of the five or seven great magical realms of the continent. One that was always included among them was the ''Mountain Range''. "We''ve alreadye this far. We''re closer to the Gray Mountains than the Great Forest now." Pelerian excitedly approached the map. "Here, and here." He points to the entrance of the mountain range and deep inside it. "My dungeons are here." And the identity of the dungeon rtively close by is. "This is my armory." Armory, in other words, a weapon storage. ''You collected weapons too?!'' "Yes, we should head there first." To hide a tree, you should hide it in a forest. For a monster like me to hide, a magical realm would be the best. I wanted to get a longsword anyway, so this works out well. I''ll have to askter about what kind of weapons are in the dungeon. "Grab the map first!" My presence will soon be discovered. I followed Pelerian''s words and grabbed the map. While I''m at it, I might as well take everything I can. There wasn''t much space left in my subspace, so I took the most valuable-looking things first. And then something caught my eye. ''Oh, oh!'' The Viscount''s armor. More precisely, the gauntlet part. The glove that tore out the chimera snake''s heart was still clutching something. Thin tree branches were covering the gauntlet, and inside was something bright red. Could this be the chimera snake''s mana stone? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Seed of the Root] The origin used in creating the chimera. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It wasn''t. Seeing the word ''seed'' made me want to burst into tears. Maybe if I nt this seed somewhere, a mini chimera snake will sprout. That would be nice. If that happens, I''ll make sure to take good care of it. In its next life, I''ll make sure it doesn''t grow up to be a stupid, ferocious, poorly made chimera without even an anus. I''ll raise it well from a young age. "Truly a precious specimen! Make sure to take it! You can throw away the gold if you need space in the subspace!" I won''t leave its education to that wicked magician. It might grow up to be an evil monster resembling a spider, like Chimera Fafnir. To leave this behind, that soldier is quite something. Equal to me, or perhaps even more so. I tried to retrieve the chimera snake''s seed. ''Why won''t this open?'' But it wasn''t easy. The gauntlet was gripping the seed tightly, and something like tree roots covered it, making it impossible to open. After struggling for a while, I found a solution. I''m no longer a frustrated low-rank. If I can''t open the gauntlet, why not take the whole gauntlet? Click! As I undid the fastening, the gauntlet fell off. I put the gauntlet into my spatial storage. My spatial storage was already full, so I had no choice but to discard the gold I found in Pelerian''s dungeon. "Yes, well done. Now go quickly!" ''I''m taking it with me!'' Now there really was no time to spare. It''s chaotic outside. Where should I go? Ah, that way! I dug a tunnel towards the wall of the barracks, burrowing downwards. Voices could be heard from the door. "Are you sure there was nothing inside the armor?" "Y-yes, I believe so." Poor soldier. The moment I escaped outside. "Y-you madman!" I heard the screams of the Holy Knights behind me. Let''s run away quickly! Chapter 102: Snake of Domination (1) Gerard Martein. Tiger Viscount, Warrior. Although no hero had died in nearly a decade, Viscount Martein perished due to a sudden, unprecedented monster wave. Thus began an era of turbulence. Martein, who had terrified the empire with a single sun spear, met an end befitting his name. He slew the leader of the monster wave but fell in the process. That monster had led the wave with its cries. With the leader dead, the cohesion of the monster wave weakened. The flow of a fluid bes faster and stronger when concentrated in one ce. The monster wave, having lost its focal point, spread out like a river gradually widening. Battles raged for days. As a result, Martein''s domain was devastated. Countless people were killed by monsters, and beasts that once preyed on each other in primeval forests now developed a taste for humans. Farnds and houses burned. Nevertheless, the Viscount''s struggle was meaningful. Martein''s warriors managed to defend the lord''s castle and the most important cities in the territory. The monster wave continued to flow unabated. The monsters eventually crossed the border and reached the empire. Now it fell to the empire to deal with the countless monsters. The survivors in Martein''s domain began to pick up the pieces. This included investigating the Eindol ins, where they first shed with the monsters. They had to collect the corpse of the Twin Head Chimera that took the Viscount''s life and recover the bodies of the soldiers. When the soldiers arrived at their destination, they found a carriage in the center. A carriage entangled in tree trunks. After dispatching some dog-like monsters lurking nearby, they used axes to peel away the tree trunks covering the carriage. Inside were people. Upon discovering their identities, the soldiers immediately took them to the lord''s castle. Lady Mary Martein, the Viscount''s wife, greeted them. "Oliver, the hunter of Greyrim." Oliver introduced himself, kneeling on one knee. As Zain beside him was about to introduce himself... "Next to him is Sir Zarein, the knight of Greyrim." "...It''s Zain." Instead of introducing himself as Zain of the Iron Lion Knights, he went along with Oliver''s introduction. Zain immediately understood that this was Oliver''s consideration. "I''m Rania Greyrim." Rania introduced herself, extremely nervous. Her current appearance was so disheveled that it was hard to believe she was a nobledy. Her face and clothes were dirty from not being able to wash, and her cheeks were gaunt fromck of sleep. "May I ask... what circumstances brought you there?" It was the castle''s steward who asked this, not the Viscountess. The sharp-featured Viscountess simply stood still with an unreadable expression. Although monsters had swept through Martein, the lord''s castle was still magnificent. Much more so than Greyrim. Rania''s body trembled. "We were fleeing to Martein... But that giant chimera snake kidnapped us..." Stuttering, Rania exined their situation so far. However, shepletely omitted any mention of the white snake, as previously agreed with Oliver and Zain. "How terrible..." "You''ve been through a great ordeal." Martein''s retainers murmured. Rania felt dizzy. Her grandfather was dead, they said. That indomitable hero. Originally, Rania had headed to Martein to seek his help. In the meantime, Greyrim had fallen, and even Martein''s domain had been devastated. What would be of Rania''s fate now? Her grandmother, whom she was meeting for the first time, looked terrifying. She might be driven out like this. If so, she would have to return to the burned Greyrim. Steel Gunter might still be there. The next to speak was the Viscountess. "Rania." The Viscountess slowly descended the stairs. Given the current situation, she wasn''t wearing extravagant clothes, but the nobility''s dignity was evident in her graceful steps. She was also very tall. Rania somehow wanted to run away. Her ragged appearance seemed out of ce here. That''s when it happened. The Viscountess suddenly embraced Rania. "I''m so d you''re alive. Sob." She copsed in front of Rania, as if crumbling. Rania, with a bewildered expression, was enveloped in the Viscountess''s embrace. "Grandmother..." "You, you..." The Viscountess revealed a surprising fact. "You''re the only surviving direct descendant of the Viscount." "Ah." Oliver and Zain''s expressions froze in surprise. The Viscount had children. There should have been a son to inherit the title, and grandchildren too. "They''re all dead." The spirit of Martein, always at the forefront. That ultimately killed Martein. What this meant was... "You''re now the Viscount''s sessor." Her grandmother, whom she was meeting for the first time, was embracing her and crying. Rania couldn''t immediatelyprehend the current situation. However, she had a feeling... That she would now live as Rania ''Martein'', not Rania Greyrim. == The Gray Mountains. One of the continent''s five great magic realms. However, one shouldn''t think of the Gray Mountains as just a cluster of a few mountains. Although its area is smallerpared to the great forests or ''deserts'', its length is immense. It''s not for nothing that the Gray Mountains are called the backbone of the continent. The Orte Great Trunk, stretching across kingdoms to the continent, is the spine of the mountain range. And naturally, a spine has ribs. From the towering Orte Great Trunk, smaller mountain ranges spread out like ribs. Between the mountain ranges, there are people living and cities as well. Even though monsters asionally surge down, the mountains'' abundant resources inevitably attracted humans and dwarves. The city of Calea, famous as a mining city, is also located there. At the entrance of the road leading to Calea City, there''s an intermediate trading post. It''s a ce where goods and merchant groups gather. Today, too, there were wagon merchants heading to Calea City. The trading post''s wholesaler quoted the price of goods to a wagon merchant. "There''s a 50 silver deposit per oak barrel. You''ll get it back when you return it." "Don''t I know that? It used to be 30 silver, why has it suddenly gone up to 50?" "We''ve lost many oak barrels to bandits, you see." The wholesaler said nonchntly while picking his ear. "How can you suddenly say this?" "Take it or leave it. It''s not like there aren''t other wagon merchants who''ll buy ale." Beer is a popr item in Calea City that sells out as soon as it''s brought in. As the wholesaler said, there were plenty of wagon merchants looking to buy ale. The merchant sighed, looking troubled. "Oh, well." Wagon merchants are those who do itinerant business with a single freight wagon. Except for owning a horse and wagon, they''re no different from peddlers. The merchant who just received notice of the price increase from the wholesaler doesn''t look particrly wealthy either. With a gentle-looking face and a stubbly chin from not shaving properly. His tired, sunken eyes don''t seem to have the qualities of a great merchant at all. "Roil. Decide quickly. If you buy the ale now, I''ll throw in an extra box of jerky." When the wholesaler spoke as if doing him a favor, the merchant called Roil nodded reluctantly. "Alright, good thinking. Pay for it over there. I''ll have my boys load it onto your wagon." "Thanks, thank you." "And make sure to move with the other wagons. You know there are a lot of bandits these days, right? You should be especially careful since you travel with your son." "I should..." Roil trudged away. Behind him, the wholesaler, who had been smiling and expressing concern just moments ago, suddenly hardened his expression. "Miserable bastard. Always trying to haggle even though he''s going to buy anyway." If you take ale to Calea City and sell it, you have toe back next time to collect the oak barrels you sold. If you entrust that to someone else, you''ll be heavily charged in fees, and if you lose the oak barrels, the loss is severe. Knowing this, wholesalers could be tough on wagon merchants. A porter from the trading post chimed in with a snicker. "Roil''s a widower who takes his son along on business trips, isn''t he? I heard he needs a lot of money. Wants to send his son to the academy." "Academy, my foot. The ignorant fool." "Right? Haha." "Stop beingzy and load this onto that guy''s wagon." The wholesaler said, kicking a wooden box at his feet. It was jerky with a short shelf life remaining. The very item he had offered to give to Roil as if doing him a favor. The porter lifted the box with a grunt. "Oh, it''s a bit heavier than usual today? Did you put in a bit more?" "Stop talking nonsense and go." The porter left carrying the jerky box with an embarrassed smile. Contrary to the wholesaler''s misunderstanding, he wasn''t talking nonsense. He should have been praised for his sharp senses. The jerky box loaded onto merchant Roil''s wagon was exactly one snake heavier. Chapter 103: Snake of Domination (2) ¡¸Stealth lv9 has be Stealth lv10.¡¹ Assassin Crystal Crown Python. Sessfully infiltrated the freight wagon. I munched on some jerky next to me. The salty and chewy taste makes my mouth water. After eating raw monsters for so long, tasting seasoning makes me feel like my eyes are going to roll back. ''This is travel, this is happiness.'' It wasn''t a pleasant journey from the start. It was really dangerous when I escaped from the human army. I managed to escape by sneaking into a passing cart. Then I seeded inpletely getting away by clinging to the bottom of a carriage transporting sick people. Luckily, I came across a merchant group heading north. While a mercenary on night watch was urinating in the bushes, I could squeeze myself into the luggage carried by a donkey. That''s how I arrived at this trading post. I infiltrated another merchant''s wagon heading to my destination. Oak barrels filled with beer were stacked neatly in the cargo hold. "It''s all loaded. I put the jerky inside too." "Thank you." Perhaps due to the weight, there was quite a bit of space left in the cargo hold. This means I have plenty of room to stay in from now on. It''s no different from a love hotel. ''Da-da-da-da-'' Humming a familiar tune, I inspected my amodation. There''s enough space to stretch out fully and roll around. Not just jerky, but food for the merchant and household goods were in one corner too. It''s no less than a five-star hotel for a short stay. I''ll leave the jerky cost and amodation fee when I leave! "If everyone''s ready, shall we depart!" "Let''s go." After a briefmotion, the wagon started moving. I took out a map from my subspace. Dark red dots were drawn in various ces on the map. These marked the locations of Pelerian''s dungeons. The true identity of the red paint is... Sniff sniff. Hmm, the cherry scent is still faint. Actually, these are dots made with cherry juice I stolest time. And I found a city called ''Calea'' on the map. It''s this wagon''s destination. There was also a red dot on the border of that city. "This isn''t right..." Pelerian sighed. ''Why? Isn''t this correct?'' "That''s the problem. When I created the dungeon, there was no such city!" He grumbled. I''m a bit worried too. ''I wonder if the dungeon has already been raided.'' "It wouldn''t have been easily raided... It''s a dungeon I made with the help of dwarves." When the Heaven Defier magician built a dungeon here, Calea Mountain was dwarven territory. "The dwarves shouldn''t have disappeared, so it doesn''t make sense that humans built a city there." But what can we do about reality? ''It would be disappointing if there''s nothing when we get there.'' "Don''t worry... That won''t be the case." Pelerian''s voicecked confidence. Let''s hope the dungeon is intact! It''s only natural that this ''Hero yer'' Ouroboros needs an excellent sword. That Holy Knight who killed the chimera snake. The one I killed turned out to be a great celebrity. One of the top nobles in the kingdom, and also themander of the Holy Knight Order, a master of light techniques. It was Tiger Viscount Gerard Martein. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hero yer] You have in a person known as a hero, an outstanding figure in the mortal world. Your demonic rank rises. Your prestige increases. Karma umtes. When facing heroes, you be even more resilient and your magical power surges. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I''ve achieved an ''achievement'', haven''t I? The mention of karma umting is a bit concerning, but isn''t living all about umting karma anyway? Among the many expressions describing Gerard Martein, the one that resonated with me the most was ''Steel Gunter''s rival''. That means only one thing. ''I''ve be stronger.'' Since I''ve killed his rival. ''I''m equal to or greater than Steel Gunter.'' That''s the pride I can take. "Nonsense! Hurry up and practice magic." ''Yes.'' Pelerian clicked his tongue as if disgusted. Although I''m enjoying this luxurious stay, I haven''t just been ying around. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Crown Python lv12] [Title] Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My level has risen to 12. Since I achieved myst evolution at level 30, I have a feeling that the next evolution might require level 40 or 50. It seems I evolve more frequently than other monsters. I hope I be a Serpent this time for sure. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ? Crown [Steal lv4]: Gigantification lv0, [Ovee lv2], [Dominate lv2] ? Magic [Basic Element]: Fire lv6, Earth lv6, Water lv4, Wind lv4 [Invisible Hand lv11], [Lightweight lv3] ? Techniques ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I mainly practiced magic. The levels of elemental magic have generally increased, Invisible Hand has surpassed level 10, and Lightweight has be level 3. The Lightweight magic turned out to be quite useful. ¡¸Using Magic: Lightweight lv3.¡¹ The oak barrels were smaller than barrels, but each seemed to hold over 100 liters. That''s over 100kg in capacity. But with the Lightweight magic, I could move them with some effort. I pushed the oak barrels to build a wall. It''s to hide me inside from view. An effort to quietly focus on magic training. ''I should set up a guard too.'' Here, I had to use a new means I had acquired. ''This guy will do.'' As ismon in old freight wagons, it wasn''t unusual to have crickets crawling around in the cargo hold. Instead of eating the cricket as a snack, I decided to use it differently. ¡¸Using Domination Crown lv1.¡¹ ''Billy''s Horn'' became ''Steal Crown''. ''Leaping Horn'' became ''Ovee Crown''. ''Taming'' became ''Domination Crown''. When I used the Domination Crown on the chimera snake, it failed. However, I seeded in partially taming it, so at that time, I didn''t know what the Domination Crown skill was. Now I know. The Domination Crown was a skill with very, very high potential. ¡¸Sessfully dominated the cricket.¡¹ ¡¸Sessfully tamed the cricket.¡¹ ''Domination'' It was literally a skill that could control the target like a puppet. ''You, let me know by chirping if anyone approaches the cargo hold.'' The cricket moved ording to my will. It was apletely different sensation frommanding a tamed monster. ¡¸Current domination power has reached its limit.¡¹ For now, it''s just controlling one insect. But what if the level of the Domination Crown increases? And if I use the Ovee Crown along with it? Maybe I could even dominate people. Like those guys like Steel Gunter! With pleasant thoughts, I began my magic training. Chapter 104: The Shield is Unnecessary (1) The capital of the kingdom. Solion Impel. Although it can''t bepared to the Empire, the national power of the Solion Kingdom is not weak. Even excluding the strength of their heroes, Solion is a kingdom that the Empire needs to keep in check. The capital was a metropolis befitting that national power. Srium, the pce fortress in the center of Solion Impel,monly known as the Sun Pce. Although thousands of people entered and exited the pce every day, it was still full of mysteries, having been built with the help of magic towers. Young officials who had recently entered the pce often got lost. After wandering for a while, they would asionally arrive in front of a building. Unlike other borately decorated buildings, this was an ordinary building made of red bricks. But looking at that building, one would realize that it''s strangely unnatural. Even people without particrly good observation skills could quickly tell. It''s a building with an abnormally small number of windows. For a four-story building, there were no windows except for the top floor. Moreover, most buildings in the pce fortress had four doors - north, south, east, and west. At the very least, they had two. But this building had only one entrance, the main gate guarded by guards. What kind of ce could this be? Just as the lost official starts to feel curious, someone appears. "Please step back. This is a restricted area." Before they can react, they''re forcibly driven away. Only after asking their seniors do the young officials learn the name of that ce. Swallow House. Commonly known as the ''Swallow''s Nest''. It was the building where the Royal Intelligence Agency, the kingdom''s top intelligence agency, was located. This fact didn''t satisfy the curiosity of the young officials. Rather, it was the opposite. What on earth was happening inside? The reason for theck of windows was said to be because inhumane acts like torture and executions were taking ce inside. There were rumors circting in every department about officials who went missing after snooping around the Swallow''s Nest out of curiosity. Among the numerous spections and urban legends, some were correct, and some werepletely baseless. It''s true that there were no windows up to the third floor for security reasons. It wasn''t just to hide torture and executions, but also to avoid magical eavesdropping and wiretapping. Then why were there windows on the top floor, the 4th floor? The reason for this was actually disappointingly simple. There were no windows when it was first built. But a few yearster, they had to create windows for venttion inside the building. This was because the exhausted officials of the Royal Intelligence Agency puffed on hundreds of cigarettes during every meeting. There was even a report stating that if this continued, there would be a mass urrence of deaths due to lung diseases during work, and the increase inpensation payments would burden the royal finances. Today too, smoke was rising from the 4th-floor windows. As the Royal Intelligence Agency''s threat assessment security meeting had been going on for 48 hours, the officials were steeped in fatigue. At that moment, someone hurriedly opened the door and came in. "Director, we''ve received intelligence from an agent in the Empire. cough!" The person called Director was a surprisingly young woman. However, she was taller than most men, and she was wearing an eye patch, suggesting she was missing one eye. "What does it say?" "The Empire''s 4th Infantry Division has been annihted. cough It seems they managed to stop the monster wave, albeit with sacrifices." "Just that much? What a shame." Taking a drag on her cigarette, she blew smoke towards the sky and asked again. "Did they say anything to us? Any statement of position?" The kingdom had guided the monster wave towards the Empire. Although it was kept strictly secret, the people here, led by the Intelligence Director, knew about it. "It seems they''re preparing something, but nothing hase through official channels yet." "Unofficially?" "They express their deep condolences for the death of Marquis Martein and the damage to his territory." "Pfft." The Director chuckled. It''s indeed a big deal that the Empire would express condolences for the death of Marquis Martein, who was a hero. But to convey such words immediately when they''ve suffered significant damage themselves... "His Imperial Majesty has personally ordered to assist in the recovery of Marquis Martein''s territory in every way possible, they say." "They''d throw a fit if we refuse, right?" "I suppose so." The intelligence agency immediately guessed the Empire''s intentions. They probably want to investigate why a monster wave suddenly urred in the great forest. And how that monster wave ended up heading towards the Empire. "Let them do as they please. They''ll just see the devastation of the Marquis''s territory and leave." But even the Empire can''t do much openly. It''s clear that the kingdom suffered greater damage. Although they avoided the copse of the capital, how could they exin that the monsters changed their route towards the Empire while trying to stop the monster wave? They won''t be able to find any justification to pick a fight. "Understood." The Royal Intelligence Agency, working in the shadows while aiming for the light. They had once again saved the kingdom from destruction. "More importantly. Haven''t you found that guy yet?" "That guy... you mean?" "Aish, you should understand immediately when I hint at it. That ck snake!" The Director stubbed out her half-smoked cigarette. "It might be the birth of a new cmity." Marquis Martein had a double-edged n with the chimera of the monster wave. That''s all that''s known publicly, but the fact that the chimera had one small extra head... Moreover, the information that the direct cause of the Marquis''s death was due to a ck snake excited the Director. "I can feel it in my gut. I''m sure." "The budget we''ve blown based on your hunches isn''t just a small amount." "You were so cute when you first came here. Anyway, you''re saying there have been no sighting reports?" "Yes, we haven''t received any sighting reports. We probably won''t find it, right? It''s just one small snake." "I suppose so. Hmm... It probably won''t stay in our country." "The monster wave attracts magical beasts after all." The Director muttered, "Those Empire bastards are going to have a hard time too." "If you''re really concerned, should we put it on the list of dangerous magical beasts and put a bounty on it?" Dangerous magical beasts. Such magical beasts actually existed. It''s a list distributed to hunters and observers of each magical realm. The Director pondered for a while and then said, "No, don''t do that. Why should we do the Empire any favors?" It was a moment when the fate of one ck snake (actually a white snake) slightly changed. "Instead, let''s put it on the management list." "Understood. Then what should we name it?" Many magical beasts ended up with terrible names due to her sense. What would this snake magical beast be called? "Since it''s ck, ck..." "How about ''ck One''?" "Yeah, ck..." A ck snake wearing a crown. Its name was finally decided. "...ck Snake King." Chapter 105: The Shield is Unnecessary (2) ¡¸Using Magic: Lightweight lv3.¡¹ ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv11.¡¹ I used the lightweight magic on the knight''s gauntlet. That gauntlet was veryrge and extremely heavy. Even with the highly leveled invisible hand magic, I could only swing it around. But using the lightweight magic, I could move it quite freely. I put the gauntlet on the invisible hand. It was no longer an invisible hand, but a living, moving gauntlet. I''m not sure if it has any meaning, but I liked it because it looked damn cool. That wasn''t the only thing I liked. I could get on top of the solid gauntlet. I wrap my tail around the gauntlet once to secure my body. And carefully, very carefully, I climbed on. Focus. This is an opportunity that might note again, focus. Ah. My body waspletely lifted. The terrifying white snake Ouroboros riding on a living gauntlet isplete. I wonder if this could rece the ''Flight'' skill that just doesn''t suit me at all. If I grasp a sword with the gauntlet, it would be thepletion of the sword-gauntlet flying technique. I definitely seeded in floating in the air. "Impossible!" Pelerian was shocked. When I said I would attempt this, Pelerian just sneered and told me to give it a try. His attitude suggested it was absolutely impossible, which made me stubborn. I seeded after dozens of failures. Now I just need to move the gauntlet. But the moment I twitched, the mana forming the invisible hand dispersed. Thud! I fell along with the gauntlet. I hope they didn''t hear that outside? Fortunately, it was quiet outside. "Puhahaha!" Pelerian burst intoughter as if he had never been tense. "Didn''t I tell you it wouldn''t work? It''s the same as not being able to use lightweight magic on living beings. If this were possible, telekics would have been flying around long ago." There were scientific, no, magical reasons why flight couldn''t be achieved with invisible hand magic. ording to Pelerian''s exnation: "Your attempt is no different from trying to jump into the air and then stepping on your own feet to jump again." ''It''s the Lightfoot technique of stepping on your own feet, I see.'' "Or it''s like the idea of uprooting arge tree, throwing it, and then riding on it to fly away." ''I think I''ve seen that in Dragon Ball.'' It''s so disappointing. "That''s enough of this useless endeavor. Now it''s time to learn something proper." ''Yes, sir.'' I quietly listened to Pelerian''s instruction. This was the way our agreement worked. I try something I want to learn once, and then I listen to what Pelerian wants to teach next. "Today, we''ll learn about mands, magic circles, and talisman magic." Pelerian is stubborn in both appearance and personality. Somehow, I had the impression that he would pursue ''orthodox magic'' and ignore other disciplines, but at least when it came to magic, he was different. He was knowledgeable about various types of magic and had no hesitation in learning and applying them. "You say you''ve greatly increased your mana quantity through various strokes of luck, but even so, it can still be said to be at a pathetic level." ''Well, that''s because I was born not too long ago.'' "That''s true." What can I do? Come to think of it, I''m probably about the same age as the centipede triplets. I wonder if they''re doing well. The centipede mom must be taking good care of them, right? "If youpare yourself to your father, you''ll understand." ''Father was good at using gigantification and destruction beam, after all.'' The difference is bound to be big because the amount of mana one possesses increases as time passes. "Besides evolving to increase your mana, you need to build up your mana in parallel, like knights and magicians do through training." ''Don''t tell me, absorbing the world''s mana through breathing?'' "How did you know?" ''Just a guess.'' "Yes, I''m not sure if a snake can do it, but it''s worth trying." My heart pounded at the thought of learning internal energy cultivation. ''Then the aura is really spewed out with mana, right? The attributes seemed to be different too. Gunter spewed out lightning, and that knight from before spewed out mes,'' "Don''t be interested in unnecessary things." Pelerian became wary. I nodded for now. "Anyway, while learning mana breeding, it would be good to learn magic that can achieve excellent efficiency even with little mana. That''s using mands, talismans, and magic circles." Pelerian''s exnation was as follows. If you draw a magic circle to use magic, you can consume much less mana. The problem is that it takes a long time to prepare, but the logic is that it doesn''t matter if you draw it in advance. "You''ll need writing tools, for now..." That''s when it happened. Just as Pelerian''s full-fledged lecture was about to begin. Chirp, chirp. The sound of a cricket was heard. It was the one I had dominated and was using as a guard. ¡¸The dominated cricket has died.¡¹ ¡¸Domination power has been recovered.¡¹ The sentry cricket died. An intruder! Could an assassin havee? I cautiously headed towards the entrance of the luggagepartment. ''...Sigh.'' What was there was just a single dog. "Huff huff, woof!" ''Shh, be quiet, you rascal!'' It''s the dog raised by Roil, the owner of the cargo wagon. Its name is Jackie. It ate my cricket again. ''I can''t just do something to it...'' I had already tried to dominate the dog too. But I only seeded in taming it, not dominating it. Since it ate my first cricket, it keepsing here as if this ce is some kind of snack cricket distribution center. ''Get out of here right now!'' "Woof!" Jackie licked my face. I''ll let it slide because it''s cute. That''s when it happened. "What''s wrong, Jackie?" As I heard a human voice, I quickly hid. == "What''s this, there''s nothing here. Come on, boy." Jackie was poking around in the luggagepartment again. He was whining and lifting his front paws, trying to climb up. Roil forcibly pulled Jackie away. "I told you, no jerky." It was obvious that it was because of the jerky he got as a bonus when buying ale. The dog couldn''t control himself because of that smell. The merchants had just stopped their wagons to let the mules rest. "Amain, did you feed Jackie?" Roil looked for his son. The one who answered wasn''t his son, but a fellow merchant. "I just saw him being fed." "Oh? He must have been studying." Roil grinned as he looked at his son. His young son, only twelve years old. It''s no easy task to apany his father on a trading journey, but Amain neverined. Sometimes it pained Roil''s heart to see his son grow up so fast. But at the same time, his son was Roil''s pride. "Are you doing that mana training thing?" "Yes, I need to work hard if I want to enter the academy next year." Surprisingly, Roil''s son had a talent for magic. A wandering magician had informed Amain that he had talent. Roil paid the magician a hefty sum to obtain the mana training method. He even purchased a grimoire containing basic magic training methods. Now Amain was sitting quietly with his eyes closed, meditating. He couldn''t be more proud. He''s thinking of sending Amain to a decent academy next year, even if it means spending all the money he has. In fact, Roil''s thinking was incredibly naive. To those who knew a little, it might seem like the judgment of an ignorant person. How could he trust a wandering magician and try to raise his son as a magician? Although magic has be quitemon now, it still requires tremendous talent to be a magician. Not to mention the astronomical amount of money needed. However, Amain really did have talent. He grasped the mana training method with just one lesson. The single grimoire he had was worn out from his intense study. Even the breathing exercise he was doing now was the correct method. He absorbs a little bit of the surrounding mana with each breath. It was an impressive level of concentration for such a young age. Amain could sense the flow of mana around him. "Hoo..." The cheeks of the boy quietly exhaling were slightly flushed. His heart was pounding a bit due to nervousness. It wasn''t an illusion. His father''s luggage wagon. Once again, a flow of mana was urring in that cargopartment. ''Is it real?'' The grimoire Amain was holding in his arms. ¡¸Mysterious Magic Studies Introduction by the Sage Liberta¡¹ contained various contents. Among them were descriptions of mysterious creatures. Magical beasts riding on clouds, whales carrying mermaids in their bellies. And even snakes using magic. The author, Liberta, particrly described snakes as friends of magicians. One of the most magic-friendly creatures, they say. It''s said that you can even converse with snake monsters that have evolved after living for a long time. Amain flipped through the book. There, the snakenguage called ''snake speech'' was exined. When he first read this, it seemed ridiculous. But now was the chance to check it out. There was a snake riding in the luggagepartment. He clearly saw Jackie licking the snake''s face. Instead of biting the snake to death, that smart and loyal hunting dog was wagging its tail. It was an extraordinary snake. Although he matured early, Amain was still a young boy. ''Would I get scolded if I tell father?'' The boy''s curiosity was ignited. "I''ll make some stew." "I''ll go gather some firewood." Now was the opportunity while the adults were busy. Amain quietly headed towards the carriage''s luggagepartment. Taking Jackie along because he was scared. As it got dark, the inside of the luggagepartment was pitch ck and couldn''t be seen. Amain cleared his throat and imitated the snake speech he read in the book. "Saaath, saak. Shirit." Snake, are you there? There was no answer. And once again. "Saaath, saak, shirit." The silence continued. Just as Amain was about to be disappointed, thinking it was useless. Slither, slither. A white snake appeared from the darkness. It''s not as big as he thought. It doesn''t look scary either. However, its scales shone like crystal and it wore a crown on its head. "Shirilit." The snake responded to Amain''s call. == ''What is this kid saying now?'' I carefully came out after hearing some hissing noise from outside. There was a little boy tightly hugging a book and waiting. "Can you understand me?" The kid spoke to me as if he had been waiting. "Shith, sarararak." Hmm, this seems to be. "A crazy little human." That''s what it looks like. Chapter 106: No Slither-X (1) The boy in front of me looks about the same age as that little girl named Rania. As befits the son of a poor merchant, his clothes are shabby. Still, his hair has a cream color with some curls, making him look quite pretty. When he grows up, he''ll probably be quite popr. The boy made a snake sound again. "Saak, saak." His mind still doesn''t seem quite right. Poor kid. He''s lost his chance to be popr. "Sat, sat." "Saak!" When I joined in with a simr sound, his face turned bright red and he started rustling about. He''s snorting air through his nose, seeming very excited. Maybe I should stop teasing him. But what should I do now? I''ve been discovered in my hiding ce. If the little one tells the merchants, I''ll surely be kicked out. The carriage journey has been quite enjoyable and rxing so far. It seems like it will still take a few more days to reach Calea City, my destination. "Hmm, are you nning tomit murder?" Pelerian said something terrifying. ''That wouldn''t be right, would it? The merchants wouldn''t stand for it, right?'' "That''s correct." Even if I ate this human child, it would still end my carriage journey all the same. You''re lucky, little one. By the way, how did he know I was hiding? Judging by his immediate hissing, it seems like he noticed me beforehand. At times like these, I''m reminded of the Invisibility Cloak I never obtained. If I had that item, it would have been so convenient. It''s probably still in the hands of that Gnome in the Great Forest? What a waste. "Wait." At that moment, Pelerian spoke seriously. "That human child''s book. That, that one. Bring it here." Book? The book the child was holding had this written on it: ¡¸Introduction to the Mysterious Magic Studies of Sage Liberta¡¹ It seems to be some kind of magic primer. I wiggled my tail towards the child and the book. Hey, bring that book over here. "Shishisit!" More snake sounds. Hurry up and bring it before you get scolded. I feel like I''ve be a school bully extorting an elementary school student. I used the Invisible Hand magic to quietly take the boy''s book. "Wow, magic...!" But instead of being surprised, the boy''s eyes sparkled with joy. Ignoring his burdensome gaze, I opened the book. There was a fairly fancy pen with ink inserted in it. The open page read: ''A simple guide to practical snakenguage conversation. 1)How to greet a snake you''re meeting for the first time.'' Oops. This is an embarrassing situation. I thought he was just a weird kid, but he was following instructions from the book. ''Is there really anguage that snakes use?'' It''s revolutionary that there''s a snakenguage I didn''t know about. "How could there be? It''s all nonsense." Pelerian, who isn''t even a snake, asserted decisively. "Liberta, Liberta, where have I heard that name before..." Pelerian asked me to open the prologue section and started reading intently. Meanwhile, I grabbed the pen with my Invisible Hand magic. ''I suppose writing in themonnguage will do.'' Then I wrote in the corner of the book. ''You, do you know who Liberta is?'' I inadvertently used the speech pattern I learned from Nanaluk. "Ah! Ah... Sasak..." The kid started hissing again. However, it seems his conversation level isn''t very high. It was a bit amusing to see him struggling to answer my question. I was about to enjoy it more but decided against it. ''Snakenguage is nonsense. There''s no way for humans to learn snake speech.'' "Is... is that so?" ''Speak, do you know who Liberta is?'' "I heard he was... a great... archmage. Active about a hundred years ago." Pelerian mumbled, "Archmage? Hmm..." while pondering. I waited for the boy to exin further. "He was proficient in all elemental magic... and always wore a mask made of gold, so he was called the Sage of the Golden Mask." Quite a romantic magician, it seems. That''s when it happened. "Ah, that con artist!" Pelerian finally seemed to remember and hit hisrge head. ''Do you know him? A con artist?'' "Yes. He was a young brat who went around swindling humans while boasting that he was an archmage." ''Oh ho.'' "Golden mask, indeed. Now I know why he wore such a thing." It seems Pelerian had some connection with the author of this magic book. Although I wasn''t particrly curious, I asked out of courtesy. Pelerian answered excitedly. "He tried to con me too. He was so arrogant that I flipped his high nose upside down and reattached it." ''....'' "After that, I heard he would cough terribly whenever it rained. Hahaha." Indeed, Pelerian was a wicked magician worthy of being considered a continental menace. ''So this kid is learning magic from a book full of nonsense written by a con artist?'' "He might be able to write a magic primer, but... looking at the snakenguage conversation chapter, it seems he never fully corrected his bad habits." It was unfortunate for the human child. But it''s better to know the truth now, isn''t it? ''Young human, Liberta was a terrible half-wit magician. Not worth learning from.'' I was worried the little one might be shocked and start crying. But that was my mistake. "Gasp, did you perhaps meet Liberta?" His eyes began to shine even more. After pondering for a moment, I answered. ''Indeed. He was a terrible fellow. He was so arrogant and haughty that I flipped his nose upside down, and it seems he went around wearing a golden mask after that.'' Hehe, this is fun. The kid was incredibly impressed. "Wow..." ''The ugliness inside him couldn''t be hidden even with gold.'' "Then, how old are you exactly?" I was about to answer that I was 4 months old, but quickly changed my mind. ''About... four hundred years old, I think.'' "Huk!" Pelerian chided me, saying, "Why not say four thousand years old? You think too small." Just as kids on Earth like scary dinosaurs, do the kids in this world like monsters? "So you''re an incredibly old snake... Are you a Serpent then?" ''...You could say something simr.'' "What should I call you?" ''Call me Ouroboros. You can also call me Ouro.'' "Lord Ouro..." I was pondering how to end this prank I had already started when the boy earnestly said, "Can... can you teach me magic?" Hmm. Kids will be kids, I suppose. Asking a snake you''ve just met to teach you magic, his courage is admirable. "This Liberta fellow is consistently garbage. The magic book is terrible." It''s a pity to learn magic from something like that. ''What should we do about this?'' "Huh?" ''He''s asking to be taught magic.'' "Well, do as you please." ''Hmm... Ah!'' While I felt mischievous, an idea suddenly urred to me. ''Do you seek my teachings?'' "Yes...!" ''If you offer appropriate tributes and maintain a proper attitude, I shall impart knowledge to you.'' "When you say tributes..." Perhaps I could establish a mutually beneficial rtionship with this child. ''Bring writing tools, paper, and food.'' I might be able to live even morefortably than now. "For food... should I catch mice or frogs?" ''You fool!'' "Then... what?" ''Bring roasted potatoes and sausages.'' I''ve been really craving the food that humans eat. I''m tired of just eating jerky. "Understood!" The boy nodded solemnly. ''You haven''t introduced yourself yet.'' "Oh, I''m sorry. My name is Amain." ''Alright, Amain.'' I need to make a promise. ''It would be best if no one found out that I am here.'' "Yes!" I didn''t forget to properly intimidate him either. ''If not, I''ll have no choice but to eat you, your father, and all these humans.'' "Ah..." ''It''s been a while since I''ve filled my hungry stomach with human flesh...'' I stuck out my tongue with a hiss and retreated back into the darkness of the luggagepartment. The kid''s face turned pale with fear. Pelerian asked in a low voice. "Are you having fun?" ''Yes, hehe.'' It was really fun. Chapter 107: No Slither-X (2) In truth, I won''t be able to properly pass on magic to the little kid. How could I, who am still learning magic from Pelerian, properly teach anyone else? I wanted to stay in the carriage longer, and I thought it would be nice to get necessary items or food by using Amain. That was the extent of my idea. I was nning to leave the carriage anytime if I was discovered by other humans. However, persuading the little kid turned out to be an excellent choice. Amain was a smart kid despite his young age. "Dad, I''m going to go into the luggagepartment to train for a bit." "You''re going in again?" "Yeah, it''s quiet and dark there, so I can concentrate better." Amain said this in a natural voice and then hopped into the luggagepartment. The merchant named Roil didn''t seem to suspect his son at all. The luggagepartment was sturdy, covered with oiled cloth, making it a good ce to practice magic as long as you didn''t shout. It''s been two days since Amain starteding in and out of the luggagepartment, and my presence still hasn''t been discovered. ''Have youe?'' "Yes, master." The boy was not only smart but also well-mannered. I used the ink pen I received from him tomunicate through writing. ''What did I ask for?'' This morning, I had requested something from Amain. I asked him to bring a pot filled with ck soil, but there was no way to find a pot on this mountain road. I didn''t expect much, but Amain fulfilled my request admirably. "There was a suitable stew bowl, so I filled it with soil and brought it." He politely handed over a wooden rice bowl. This is good enough for a pot. I think I can nt the chimera snake seeds here. He''s quite capable. ''Excellent. Have you mastered mana breeding well?'' "Yes." ''Show me.'' Amain sat down, closed his eyes, and started breathing. The breathing method he had been practicing originally was crude. This is the breathing method taught by Pelerian. ''You''re doing well.'' It wouldn''t be easy to concentrate on a bumpy carriage. But even as I watched from beside him, I could tell that Amain was breathing excellently. I don''t seem to have a dantian unlike humans or elves. It wasn''t easy to umte magical power through breathing methods. I felt a bit depressed, but seeing this kid learn well made me feel a bit better. "Oh, he has talent. He has talent." Pelerian mumbled while looking at Amain. "If I had taught this guy, it would have been much easier..." ''Then why don''t you just go around with him instead of me?'' I said that out of anger, but Pelerian seemed to be seriously considering it. After a while, he finally shook his head and answered. "It won''t do. Humans are too inferior a race. At best, they live for sixty years and die. They can''t even evolve." ''....'' Pelerian just admitted that snakes are better than humans. Amain excellentlypleted his mana breeding. ''Well done. The knowledge I''ll impart to you today is about elemental magic circles.'' "Elemental magic circles!" I just learned it from Pelerian this morning, but it''s really nice not having to act when writing. ''I''ll teach you how to infuse magical power into the fire magic circle.'' When you teach newly acquired knowledge to others, you can internalize that knowledge once again. It was the same with magic circles. With Pelerian''s help, I drew a small magic circle on paper. ''After properly infusing magical power here.'' And I attached it to my dagger, Ashura. After raising the dagger. ''If you do this.'' When I injected a bit of magical power. Whoosh! The dagger caught fire as if it had been coated with oil. A light of envy settled in Amain''s eyes. ''Thispletes the fire aura.'' "This bastard." Although I used a bit of trickery. I have finally be a first-ss magic swordsman. == It had been just under a week since three cargo wagons departed from the middle trading post towards Calea City. Finally, tomorrow they would reach Calea City. After camping outdoors for nearly three days, the merchants looked quite disheveled. "Ugh, we''ll be able to enter the city tomorrow, right?" "I''m heading straight to an inn to wash up." The dark night had fallen. The merchants gathered around a single campfire, chatting quietly. Since it was theirst night, they shared some rum to warm their bodies. With warm stew and rum, even a cold night would be bearable. However, one of them drank his stew from a cup instead of a bowl. "Damn it, where did my bowl go?" "Jackson, you were on dish duty, you should know if anyone does." "It was definitely there until then..." The merchant named Jackson had a bright red nose. He lived with alcohol, which was why. It wasn''t a good habit, but he wouldn''t listen when others tried to stop him. Amain, lying next to Roil, curled up as if sleepy. "Mmm, Dad..." "Looks like you''re cold. Here, have this nket too." Roil covered Amain with his own nket. The sight was quite heartwarming. Jackson mumbled absentmindedly. "The kid''s really smart. And cute too." "Haha." Though Roil and Jackson weren''t particrly close, they knew each other to some extent. "Your son wanted to be a merchant too, right?" "Ah, yeah..." "Why don''t you bring him along sometime? Would your wife mind?" Jackson hesitated before answering. "Well... I guess so." The atmosphere became a bit awkward due to Jackson''s ambiguous attitude. Only the chirping of insects could be heard. Jackson broke the silence. "Can I take the first watch tonight? I''m really tired." "Oh sure. Then I''ll take the second. Wake me upter." They took turns keeping watch. There had been talk of bandits recently, and hungry monsters might appear. After all, this area was close to the magic realm mountains. Except for Jackson, the others got into their sleeping bags one by one. When their breathing became regr and everyone was asleep, Jackson muttered while drinking a ss of rum. "...This sucks." Roil, with his kind face, was sprawled out sleeping. And his son, cuddled up in his arms, also asleep. It was a pleasant sight, but to Jackson, it only looked disgusting. With a flushed, drunken face, Jackson thought, ''Is Roil mocking me too?'' Bring my son along? It''s been a long time since I''ve seen that brat''s face. One day, I came home early for once, And saw an unknown man lying in bed with my wife. I lost it and beat up the man and my wife. The man ran away, and as I was about to p my wife, she bit my wrist. I was drunk and so angry that I beat her with the intention to kill. Then I felt a sting on my back. I turned around and saw My young son had stabbed me in the back with a kitchen knife. His hand holding the knife was shaking, but he was ring at me with bloodshot eyes. Fortunately, the knife only pierced the skin a little. My wife, with a bloody nose, hugged our son and cried out, Begging me to leave. To get out. I was dumbfounded, but I left as if fleeing. I drank and told this story to my fellow merchants, and soon the rumor spread. Did Roil not hear about this? Or did he pretend not to know and ask on purpose to mock me? ''That bastard. He thinks he''s so great.'' As I drank, anger welled up inside me. I felt like smashing that brat''s face, and Roil''s face too. I didn''t actually do it, though. But perhaps sensing the hostility Jackson was emitting, Amain, who had been sleeping, slightly opened his eyes. At that moment, when Jackson''s eyes met the boy''s, Thwack! Along with a searing pain, something pierced Jackson''s cheek. He realized a momentter that it was an arrow that had flown from somewhere. "Ugh, gaaaargh!" Jackson let out a muffled scream and jumped up. More arrows were fired from the darkness. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Three arrows pierced Jackson''s body. It was instant death. Jackson fell onto the campfire with a thud. Thump! Sparks flew up noisily. Everyone who had been sleeping woke up from themotion. From the darkness, rough-looking men emerged holding crossbows and maces. "I didn''t kill him in one shot, so it''s my win." "No, he would''ve died anyway even if we left him." "Are you kidding? He would''ve died of old age muchter. Hahaha!" These men were joking andughing about killing someone. A dog started barking. "B-Bandits!" Amain screamed. Chapter 108: Forest Bandits (1) "Bandits?" "They must be talking about us." "Hehe, how our status has fallen." The men who were clearly bandits chuckled. Meanwhile, the merchant next to the dead Jackson crawled backwards. Was he trying to escape? He might think he wouldn''t be seen. "That''s right, we''re bandits! Hand over your money and your lives!" A bearded man kicked the merchant. "Aaagh, spare me. I''ll, I''ll give you everything!" The merchant immediately begged for his life. It was the right choice. As soon as he was hit, he took out his money pouch from his bosom andy t on the ground. The bearded man picked up the money pouch. "Eh, it''s just pocket change." "I''ll give you all the goods in the carriage too!" "Is there any beer among them?" "There''s no beer..." "Then I don''t need it!" The bearded man swung his sword without hesitation. With a thud, the merchant''s head flew off. Roil covered Amain''s mouth as he was about to scream. These were men ustomed to killing. They didn''t hesitate at all to take a life. Roil was just as scared, but he couldn''t just tremble when his son was beside him. He stepped back one step at a time with Amain. But they wouldn''t be allowed to escape. "Hey, mister with the kid." "..." "What do we look like to you? Do we look like bandits?" Roil''s back touched the cargo wagon. How could he get Amain to escape, at least? "You, you look like heroes." "Heroes? Hahaha!" The men burst intoughter as if they had heard an amusing joke. Roil forced a smile. "My, my wagon is full of ale. I was going to sell it in Calea City. Since this is an opportunity, I''d like to give it all to you heroes." "Oh, the beer supplied to Calea City is always delicious." "That''s right. It''s top-quality ale worth 1 gold per barrel... I''ll give you all the money I have too. And the cargo wagon and donkey!" Please, just spare our lives. However, one of the chuckling men turned serious and sneered. "Why are you making such a big deal out of something obvious? It''s upsetting that you''re talking as if we''re bad guys." "I''m sorry. I misspoke. Of course, it''s all yours, sirs." Roil acted subserviently, as if he would give them his liver if asked. Because his trembling son was in his arms. "I''ll give you everything. Even my life..." He wasn''t stupid, just a bit slow-witted. He knew they were toying with him. "So please spare my son. I don''t mind dying." "Huh, this is touching." Roil hugged Amain tightly, shaking. And whispered softly in his ear. ''Amain, run straight into the bushes. Right away. Don''t look back. After I count to three in my mind.'' His son flinched. "You seem to think we''re the worst kind of viins. We don''t kill people for fun." "Yes..." "But what if you spread rumors about seeing us? Oh, from the way you mentioned bandits, has word already spread?" He would charge at the bandits after counting to three. He hoped to buy even a little time, even if he''d be torn apart. "I absolutely won''t tell anyone. Absolutely..." Two, One. Just as Roil was about to push Amain aside and charge at the bandit: "M-Master." Amain called out in a frail voice. Roil froze. Amain, who had clearly been told to run away, ced his hand on the wagon''s cargo hold and spoke again. "Master, please help us..." Of course, there was no answer. "What''s with these bastards?" The bandit tilted his head and drew his sword. "Is someone inside? Or have you gone crazy with fear?" "Hey, that kid pissed himself." "Oh, he really did! Hahaha!" The banditughed once and then frowned. "Are you mocking adults?" He swung his sword at Amain without hesitation. Roil jumped in to take the blow instead. Thud! Blood spurted. Roil was startled by the blood that sttered on his face. It didn''t hurt at all. The bandit was frozen in the posture of swinging his sword. "Urk." A strange sound and blood flowed from his mouth. There was a dagger stuck in the middle of his chest. Only after the bandit copsed with a thud did the others grasp the situation. "W-what!" And in that confusion, a clear sound rang out. Shhhh- shhh. It was the sound of a snake. Roil felt a chill on the back of his neck. Something crawled out of the darkness of the cargo hold and onto his shoulder. Shhhh. It was a snake. A not-sorge snake covered in crystal scales, wearing a crown. "A monster?" The moment one bandit muttered absentmindedly. The dagger stuck in the dead man''s chest pulled itself out. And another bandit''s throat was slit by the dagger. "Aaaagh!" Shhh- Every time the snake made a whistling sound, one bandit died. In an instant, three more bandits died. "Crossbow, shoot the crossbow!" Someone shouted. Although there was no one skilled enough to urately hit a single snake, they aimed their crossbows at Roil anyway. Ping ping ping! "Aagh!" One bolt hit Roil''s thigh. One of the bolts flew straight towards the white snake''s head. Crack! An unbelievable thing happened. The snake caught the iing bolt in its mouth and crushed it. The fighting spirit of the bandits who witnessed this scene droppedpletely. The snake climbed over Roil''s shoulder and fell to the floor with a thud. Then it crawled towards the bandits. Amain quickly checked his father''s wound, and the book he always hugged opened by itself. A pen floated in the air and scribbled something in the empty space of the book. Amain tried to regain hisposure. And in a trembling voice, he read the written words. "O-Ouroboros asks." It was clear that he was speaking on behalf of the snake. "Are these all the worms gathered here?" No one answered politely. "Boss!" The bandits only shouted that. At the moment the dagger Dawn''s Ashura was thrust into that bandit''s mouth, someone came riding on a horse. A strange outfit with iron shackles on his wrists. "Gasp...!" Roil recognized him immediately. A fugitive he had seen on wanted posters. Was it Stray Dog Yatus? He had escaped from prison with his fellow inmates and disappeared, but could he have hidden in one of the magic realms, the mountains? "W-what snake!" Yatus had drawn a sword. Aura was imbued in that sword. He rode his horse towards the snake. The snake also didn''t take him lightly and held up the dagger in the air. And then. Tick. The dagger was enveloped in brilliant mes. Both the prisoners and Roil were shocked. "A-Aura-!" Who could have imagined that this was a technique a monster could use? Chapter 109: Forest Bandits (2) It''s thrilling. ''It''s Aura!'' "I heard you, you idiot!" I was just sleeping when I came out because of themotion outside. But my goodness, who would have thought bandits would show up? I never imagined there would be forest bandits in this world too. Traditionally, novice martial artists in the pugilistic world make their debut by hunting forest bandits, right? These guys didn''t just take a toll and leave, they killed the merchants as soon as they appeared. Viins of the world. The dagger filled with the sword energy of the me Flower Sword Technique flies towards the guy''s neck. ''It''s Aura, isn''t it?'' "I said I heard you!" A pseudo-sword energy created by attaching paper with magic circles drawn on it to the dagger. It seems that even to the other bandits, it looked like Aura. I don''t know who he is, but that guy seems to be the leader of this ce. His sword and my dagger collided. The result was a bit disappointing. ng! The dagger flew away spinning. The fire magic imitating Aura dispersed, and even the invisible hand was dispelled by the impact. "What is this!" Even the bandit leader looked dumbfounded. He almost fell off his horse from swinging his sword too strongly. "Puhah!" Pelerianughed when my dagger flew away. Yeah, it''s just an imitation of Aura on the surface, so it can''t be helped. I expected this. "So you''re just a snake that uses strange tricks!" He came charging on his horse as if to trample mepletely. However, the dagger and Aura were just a diversion. I could cast two invisible hands. The pen that was scribbling in Amain''s book was already flying around in the darkness. Swoosh- The leader''s eyes, blurred by the mes, probably couldn''t see it. The sharp pen tip pierced his nape. "Keak!" The leader fell off his horse just like that. This is how a snake fights, bandits. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv3.¡¹ I stole the heart of a bandit lingering nearby. And I bite the ankle of the bandit approaching as if to save his leader. No one will be able to survive here. Today is a day for killing bandits. All the chaff is dead, but the leader with the pen stuck in his neck suddenly got up. The horse he rode had run away in fright earlier. He ran wildly into the darkness. He can''t even scream because his neck is pierced. ''Hey, give me back my pen!'' This pen thief! He''s very fast at running. He''s already gone that far. Well, I''ve dealt with the other bandits too. My existence has been revealed to my disciple and his father, so whatever. It''s the middle of the night and there''s no one around, when else could I practice that skill? ¡¸Ovee Crown lv2 surpasses the limit of skill ''Gigantification lv0''.¡¹ ¡¸''Gigantification lv0'' temporarily bes ''Gigantification lv1''.¡¹ This is rather a good opportunity. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv1.¡¹ A massive amount of magical power drains out. This time, let''s try to control the size. Last time, I became as big as my father and couldn''t even control my own body properly. "Uh, uhhh!" Roil''s scream was heard from behind. My body grew vigorously. Scales reflecting the moonlight sparkle transparently. My field of vision heightened. The guy running away in the distance turns back and screams. "Hueeeek!" I have Night Vision lv8. The surroundings were clearly visible as it wasn''t as densely wooded as the great forest. It doesn''t seem like anyone is hiding. Then. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv3.¡¹ The leap became as heavy as my gigantic body. I didn''t even need to bite, I just crushed the leader. Boom! ¡¸You have killed the fugitive Yatus lv30.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Yap. I immediately deactivated the gigantification. ¡¸The proficiency of Gigantification lv0 increases.¡¹ I should be able to fully acquire it when it reaches level 1. I was shocked. The leader was in such a miserable state that his original form was unrecognizable. ''My pen!'' Fortunately, the pen was safe. I retrieved the pen and returned to where Roil and Amain were. "Master!" "Hueeerk!" Unlike the boy who weed me, his father screamed while trembling violently. He seemed quite brave earlier, but it was only for a moment. Rather, Amain politely expressed his gratitude. "Thank you for saving us." It was an adult-like action, but his wet pants weren''t so mature. "Uh, uu. Uh. Thank... you." Roil looked back and forth between his son and me before expressing his gratitude. It''s not a big deal. I''ve been indebted to you in your carriage all this time. Considering the jerky I''ve eaten, it''s okay to help a bit more. As I approached Roil, the fear in his eyes intensified. I pulled out the bolt stuck in Roil''s thigh. "Aagh!" Then I took out a potion from my subspace and poured it on the wound. Sizzle. Roil''s wound began to heal gradually. "Wow... a potion." "Th-thank you for the precious potion." I smiled brightly. "Eek." Roil flinched for some reason, seemingly afraid. Well, I think this is enough to pay for the lodging. "Saak." I called my disciple, Amain. Amain took out a notebook and pen as if he was used to it. I wrote on it. ''I''ll be in your care a bit longer.'' "In our care...? Ah, yes, of course. We owe you our lives." Roil nodded, speaking incoherently. Good. Now it''s legal lodging! == And the next day. The carriage finally arrived safely in Calea City. Although Calea City was located on a mountainside, it was quite arge city. Thanks to the resources from the mines, it even had proper city walls. In front of those walls, soldiers were inspecting those trying to enter. Roil and his cargo wagon were no exception. "Go inside the cargo hold and search it directly." The man standing at the city gate giving weighty orders was none other than the Guard Captain of Calea. The line had grown long due to the thorough inspection today, but no one dared toin. The soldiers followed the Guard Captain''s orders and entered the cargo hold. There were oak barrels filled with ale. And... "One box of jerky and five oak barrels, sir!" "Check the oak barrels too." "Check them?" "See what''s inside them!" "Ah, yes sir!" The soldiers pushed the oak barrels and even opened the lids to see what was inside. "No problems, sir." "Is that so?" The Guard Captain''s stern expression softened. He approached Roil and Amain on the driver''s seat. "I''m sorry for being so strict. There are rumors that highway robbers have been activetely. They say those guys are trying to enter the city." "Haha, it''s no problem." Roil smiled good-naturedly. Unlike before, he was wearing a thick overcoat. And I was inside that overcoat. I was wrapped around Roil''s waist like a belt, holding my breath. "That overcoat." Suddenly, the Guard Captain pointed at the overcoat. I quickly hid my head after secretly peeking outside. "The, the overcoat?" "It''s a nice overcoat. Looks warm." "Yes, I get cold easily. Haha." "I see. You may enter." "Thank you." The soldiers let the carriage through. That was close. I heard the Guard Captain muttering behind us. "I thought I smelled blood..." Why are the Guard Captains in this world sopetent? From my position of having the achievement ''Guard Captain Killer'', it''s best to avoid them quickly. I patted Roil''s shoulder to praise him for doing well. While we''re in this town, I n to be indebted to Roil and Amain. Since it''s certain that Pelerian''s dungeon is attached to the city, a monster can''t roam around alone. "Alright, let''s hurry to the dungeon!" Pelerian seemed impatient and hurried. I was also eager to find it quickly. Still, gathering information through Roil and Amain was the priority. There might be rumors about strange caves or something. Or maybe it had already been looted and all the items were gone. However, it soon became clear that my imagination was far from sufficient. When Roil asked the innkeeper, "Isn''t there a big tree to the west of Calea City?" The innkeeper replied like this: "Ah, you mean where Fairy Magician Pelerian''s Temporary Residence is?" "...Pardon?" The innkeeper said while wiping a beer mug: "You''re an outsider with a child and you don''t know that? Is this your first time in Calea?" "Not the first, it''s my second time." "It''s quite a well-known ce. The city''s top tourist attraction. Famous as a good ce to take kids." Pelerian. The owner of that dungeon was foaming at the mouth. Chapter 110: Secret Room (1) "Kyaaaaaaah!" Pelerian literally foamed at the mouth. "Tourist attraction? A ce to visit with children?" It was unclear exactly what had happened. But it was certain that the dungeon of Pelerian, once called the ''Heaven Defying Archmage'', was being treated as a tourist attraction. If this were the modern world, it might have been mentioned in blog posts with Google search keywords like ''ces to visit in Calea City. Rmended restaurants in Calea City.'' Probably withments like, "Our child really enjoyed it. A must-visit course for families with children!" "How can my honor be so thoroughly torn apart and vited!" Thinking he was overreacting, I gave him a piece of my mind. ''Well, it seems you were raided long ago. It probably became a tourist attraction because you were so famous, old man.'' "How can a dungeon be a tourist attraction!" ''Why not? Don''t you have war memorials or something like that here?'' "... What are you talking about." ''You were quite infamous, weren''t you? People are usually drawn to viins. If there''s a dungeon created by that viin, even I would want to visit.'' "Is that so..." I feel like I''m getting used to dealing with a loud, hot-tempered old man. Pelerian was still fuming red and blue, but at least he stopped shouting. "We must go see. We must go and see." ''Of course we should go.'' I''m also very curious about what state the dungeon is in. It''s being called a local famous tourist attraction, after all. But first, let''s get a room and unpack. "Give me your best room. Two beds and clean." "Oh, good. Go to the second floor. There''s a vacant room at the end of the corridor." "We haven''t eaten, so it would be nice to have a meal too." The innkeeper brightened up. "Our inn is the best in Calea for food. We have roasted chicken as the main dish and cherry pie with cream for dessert. Shall I bring a beer too?" "It''s midday, so skip the beer. Do you have juice?" "We have fresh squeezed orange juice, and coffee too." "One juice and one coffee. No... two juices and one coffee." Roil modified the order after I tapped him. "Payment in advance." The inn we found and the room we got were quite expensive. Considering the money Roil barely makes from one trade trip, it was a ce we could hardly afford to stay at. But Roil paid the amount without hesitation. As soon as we entered the room, Roil immediately took off his coat. I fell to the floor with a thud as soon as he took off his coat. And with surprising speed, I imed one of the beds. ''Wow! A bed!'' A mattress filled abundantly with clean straw. And a nket stuffed with duck down. Ah, to think that I, who once thought a rotten tree hole was like a hotel, would now enjoy such luxury. I was so happy that I jumped up and down on the bed. The sticity of the mattress makes jumping fun. "Wow, it''s a bed!" Seeing me, Amain also climbed onto the bed next to mine and started jumping up and down. The dog Jackie also barks excitedly. It''s so much fun. "Hueeeeh..." Roil copsed with a thud, as if he had been extremely tense. His hands are trembling. What a timid human. "My heart is pounding." At this rate, he won''t live long if he gets so nervous over such small things. I approached Roil. Fortunately, he was no longer afraid of my approach. I took out the notebook and pen Amain had given me and wrote: ''Don''t be afraid.'' "Ah, yes. I''m fine now." Roil was an honest merchant. He was grateful that I had saved his and his son''s lives. He will help me until we investigate Pelerian''s dungeon. I made him swear to keep my existence a secret. Still, I was a bit worried, so I lied and said I had ced a curse that would make both Amain and Roil vomit blood and die if they didn''t keep the secret. Judging by how pale Roil''s face turned at that moment, it didn''t seem like he would betray me. Of course, being a merciful snake, I intended to pay him for his services. I took out a piece of gold from my subspace. Thud. What fell in front of Roil was a crafted pure gold bar. ''Sell this and exchange it for silver coins. You can use it to buy what we need and keep the rest for yourself.'' It was one of the gold pieces I had taken from Pelerian''s dungeon. I hear it would fetch a higher price if sold properly in a big city, but it can''t be helped. Roil carefully picked up the pure gold. Then he burst into tears. "To give me such a precious thing... Not only did you save my life..." Roil hugged the gold and cried loudly. Amain, who had been jumping happily on the bed, also cried and hugged his father. "Even half a year of trading couldn''t earn this much money..." Heck, was it that expensive? It would be too much to ask for half of it back now, wouldn''t it? "Thank you, master. Hiing." With even Amain whining and crying now, it would be too cruel for even me to do that. I just smiled benevolently. "You''re acting so generous with my things." ''Isn''t what''s yours mine and what''s mine yours, old man?'' Roil bowed and left the room. While Amain and I remained in the room, the innkeeper brought the food. The roasted chicken leg was steaming hot with a sweet brown sauce poured over it. The cherry pie with plenty of cream was especially amazing. ''Delicious!'' It''s as if they used only the flesh of cherries preserved in honey. And even ck coffee to go with it. It was a happy meal after a long time. After the meal, I ced a food bowl, no, a flowerpot on the windowsill. I nted the chimera snake''s seeds in it. I also gave it some water. It''s a ce with good sunlight, so I hope it sprouts. Roil returned a whileter. He had even diligently gathered more information about Pelerian''s dungeon. "It''s open until 6 PM. Free admission for locals. 1 silver for adults and 5 copper for children under 13!" I wonder how much it would be for a snake. It might be expensive, so I''ll have to sneak in. In any case, shall we go? Chapter 111: Secret Room (2) [The Heaven Defying Magician Pelerian] ¡¸Pelerian Uglypuss began his ugly life in an elf vige in the great forest. While it''s natural for fairies to be born beautiful, he had an appearance that could never be called attractive. Pelerian, who would be called ugly even among humans, is said to have had the appearance of an old man from a young age. It might be natural that he started to be twisted, unable to adapt to fairy society. But such prejudice is a facy that reverses cause and effect. It''s not that his appearance became twisted and then his personality became twisted. Isn''t it that he was born with a twisted personality and even his appearance became twisted? This is certain when you consider the fact that originally all fairies are born beautiful with the blessing of the moon god, and live long lives receiving the magic power of the world tree. The Heaven Defying Pelerian is an ugly fairy abandoned even by the gods...¡¹ "Kuaaaak!" Pelerian writhed in anger. What we were reading was the content of the information board in front of Pelerian''s dungeon. The dungeon had really be a tourist attraction. The dungeon entrance, which should have been hidden, was wide open, and there was even a ticket booth in front of it. "Which bastard wrote this nonsense!" ''Calm down.'' At this rate, I''m worried Pelerian might burst into tears. Even to me, it seemed like extreme nder was written there. It''spletely malicious. ''By the way, was it Uglypuss? How can someone''s surname be Ugly...'' "No! How could that be possible. My surname is... Damn it!" Pelerian tried to say his surname but then mped his mouth shut. To even change the name, what an extreme distortion. ''Just bear with it a little, maybe we''ll find something if we read more?'' There was a separate reason for reading such an information board. ''There might be things written that you don''t remember.'' The Pelerian beside me is, strictly speaking, part of Pelerian''s soul. As his main body is presumed dead, Pelerian has no memories after being separated from his main body. "That''s right..." He must be curious about how he met his end as well. ¡¸The evil deeds Pelerianmitted during his lifetime are too numerous to listpletely. The most famous would be the Pejite Ind massacre. On that day, 700 kingdom citizens and 30 fairies were killed by him...¡¹ I quietly looked at Pelerian. "What! You think I don''t know I''m a viin?" Pelerian smiled cruelly. "It''s true that I killed them. Me." ''Who said anything?'' I continued reading about Pelerian''s life. Come to think of it, wasn''t Pelerian a fairy supremacist? I wonder how the 30 fairies ended up dead. Did they fight on the human side against Pelerian to atone for the sins of their fellow fairies? ¡¸However, the gods did not forgive that fairy''s atrocities. After days of fighting, the Empire and Kingdom mobilized heroes and soldiers to chase the wounded Pelerian. It was a blessing for the kingdom that the efforts of Kaira, the top archmage at the time, yed a big role in ending the Heaven Defier''s life. Pelerian was killed and beheaded. The devil''s end had finallye.¡¹ Ah. So that''s how Pelerian died. "Kairas..." It seemed to be someone Pelerian knew. Judging by how pale his face became. "So it was you who killed me in the end." Oh dear, how unfortunate. If I hadn''t been hiding in Roil''s coat, I would have patted Pelerian''s back. Come to think of it, Pelerian had asionally talked about human mages who were more skilled than him. It was with a feeling of reluctant eptance of something he couldn''tprehend, but... Could this mage Kairas be that human mage? "Oh, this is different from the history I learned." The smart Amain said so. What do you mean? Is there perhaps a theory that Pelerian didn''t die? "In the book I saw, it said Pelerian was tied to a stake and burned alive." "I heard the emperor personally tore him apart and fed him to crows." Roil said so too. Pelerian''s face, which had brightened up with hope, darkened again. ''Ugh! Let''s go in!'' It''s uncertain. Come to think of it, even the elves are tracking Pelerian''s whereabouts. We''ll have to find out properlyter. I urged Roil to enter the dungeon. Torches were lit throughout the dungeon that should have been dark originally. I wondered if tourists would actuallye to this Calea City, but there were surprisingly quite a few people. Especially many parents holding their children''s hands. The kids pointed at various parts of the dungeon with joy. "These are the weapons Pelerian collected. This is why this dungeon is presumed to have been Pelerian''s armory." There was even a tour guide. Weapon racks were ced throughout the dungeon, with various types of weapons hanging on them. ss disy cases set up around them protected the weapons. "The fact that the des haven''t rusted despite the passage of time is due to the preservation magic Pelerian cast. Considering that the duration of preservation magic is a criterion for gauging a mage''s level, we can see that his magical skills were exceptionally outstanding." Indeed, the weapons still gleamed, maintaining their lethality. ''But why did you collect all these weapons?'' I asked about something I was curious about. Pelerian is a mage, not a knight. But the weapons here are enough to arm at least hundreds of people. Pelerian hesitated before answering. "I was going to create guardians." ''Guardians?'' Guardians are those who protect mages. In other words, they are bodyguards for mages who are weak in closebat defense. ''Didn''t you say before that you lived like a lone wolf?'' But wasn''t Pelerian famous for having no friends? Although he said he had friendships with gnomes and dwarves, it doesn''t seem like they would have fought together for Pelerian, who was a continental criminal. "I was going to make them into golems." ''...'' That mentality of making friends directly because you have no friends. It feels a bit pitiful. The tour guide continued his exnation. "As you can see, some of the weapons are exceptionally well-made. There''s spection that they''re dwarf-made, but the dwarves here strongly deny that they made these weapons." "Those gutless guys. They did make them." Near this Calea City, there was a mine where dwarves lived. It seems the beer Roil brought was also sold to them. We looked around the dungeon for a long time. Although they say they''re dwarf-made, they''re just old and ordinary items. The Elven Broadsword I used before looks much better. This is a bit disappointing. With so many people here, it''s not like we can take anything either. While I was disappointed, Pelerian wasn''t. "Thank goodness, thank goodness a thousand times!" ''What''s so fortunate?'' "It hasn''t all been stolen!" Pelerian smiled brightly. "The most important room of treasures is still hidden." The room of treasures. Pelerian exined that particrly precious weapons and armor were hidden there. "I hid some of the weapons to be equipped by the four golems, ''Four Beasts Guard'', who would guard me closely, in the treasure room. It''s right over there." There was nothing in the direction Pelerian pointed. Just a smooth wall. As the saying goes, it''s darkest under themppost. Humans found Pelerian''s dungeon, but they couldn''t find another room hidden inside it. "I hid it with a mechanical device. Do you see that carving in the right corner?" There was an borate carving on the wall opposite the smooth wall. If something was hidden, it seemed more likely to be beyond that wall. "ce your tails on that eagle''s head and infuse it with magic power. ording to the pattern I''ll tell you." To think it''s actually hidden in the smooth wall. I want to go in right away. ''But there are too many people.'' With so many people around, we might have to wait until after closing time. "There''s no need for that." Pelerian taught me a method. As I listened, it sounded quite usible. Besides, it probably wouldn''t be easy to sneak in after closing time anyway. I decided to execute that n. "Also, Pelerian''s dungeon is maintained by various magical and mechanical devices. To prepare for any potential fires, there are..." I seized the moment when people''s attention was focused on the tour guide. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv6.¡¹ I set fire to the ceiling. As if a torch suddenly red up. Beeeeeep- An rm immediately sounded. Shhhh-! Water started pouring from the ceiling. "Oh no, everyone out, get out!" The tour guide evacuated people. The children found this situation purely amusing andughed out loud. Roil and Amain also mixed in with them and went out. However, Roil left his coat on a bench as if he had forgotten it. It''s the coat I''m hiding in. Swish- Eventually, only Pelerian and I were left in the dungeon. I approached the carving on the wall that Pelerian pointed to. I stretched out my tail long and caressed the eagle. "Infuse it with magic power." As Pelerian said, I infused it with magic power. Grrrrrr- The smooth wall opened. It''s the ''Room of Treasures''. Chapter 112: Both Good for the Body and Tasty (1) "Kyaaaaaah!" Pelerian has been foaming at the mouth frequently. Just a moment ago, I was the one telling him not to overreact. "Saaaaaak!" But this time, I couldn''t help but foam at the mouth as well. The room of treasures. The secret room where Pelerian had gathered weapons for his guardian. It was clear that humans hadn''t discovered this ce. There were no torches hanging on the walls like in other areas. The weapon racks weren''t covered with ss disy cases. There was no rearrangement of theyout for easier viewing. Above all, it seemed no one had entered the room for a very long time. Dust had umted thickly in various ces. So much so that long tracks were left in my wake as I entered. "The preservation magic has been dispelled. It must have copsed when the security magic was broken." There are cases where people be calmer when they reach a certain level of anger. Just like Pelerian right now. ''Then the weapons here have already been taken?'' That was the reason Pelerian and I both foamed at the mouth simultaneously. There was nothing in the treasure room. It waspletely empty. Only dust-covered racks greeted us. "Yes, it doesn''t seem humans stole them. To forcibly open this ce, you''d need at least the blueprints. Otherwise, I made it so it would copse." Pelerian was certain of this. Half of the weapons left outside were already gone. Those were probably taken by humans. But they surely couldn''t have discovered the treasure room, so where did its contents go? ''You said dwarves built this dungeon, right?'' "Yes." Pelerian gritted his teeth. "Bluebeard, Lord of the Anvil. me Hammer. That dwarf who was hired by me for an enormous amount of wealth." Anger that seemed about to spew fire from his mouth erupted. "He betrayed me and stole my possessions-!" Right now, Pelerian''s body is tiny with a big head, looking like an SD character. I''m not sure if it''s okay for him to use the derogatory term "dwarf" for dwarves, but... "Snake!" ''Yes.'' "It''s time to collect the blood price. It''s time to punish those traitorous dwarves by plucking their beards and beheading them. Rightfully! And we must recover the lost items." Pelerian called for bloody revenge. "It seems their mine where they lived is still nearby. Let''s raid it. We''ll go and bring justice to Bluebeard! I, Pelerian, along with you, Ouroboros!" ''Uh... Is this Bluebeard the Dwarf King?'' "You fool. Dwarves don''t have kings!" ''Well, you called him the Lord of the Anvil.'' "That''s just his title! He''s just like the leader of the dwarves living in the mine. Like a chieftain!" ''A king-like figure...'' "We''re raiding right now! We''ll stage a massacre. We''ll dye the mine red with dwarf blood!" It was loud enough to hurt my ears. I cleared my throat. "Ahem, ahem." "What!" ''Let''s calm down for a moment.'' It''s not a situation where one can calm down just by being told to, but... Pelerian wasn''t an old man who had only aged physically. He forcibly suppressed his anger. ''Won''t it be difficult for me to raid the mine alone and meet that blue-bearded dwarf?'' "... Are you not confident? I didn''t think that of you." A basic attempt to provoke me. ''Honestly, we''re not even sure if those dwarves really took the weapons, and if they did take them, we don''t know if they still have them.'' "Urgh." Dwarves are excellent at crafting weapons, not necessarily at wielding them. Of course, the bravery of dwarf warriors is famous, but why on earth did they take Pelerian''s weapons? "You''re not motivated, are you?" Pelerian red at me. No, it''s not a matter of motivation, but rather let''s be more calm... As I was about to make that excuse, Pelerian spoke very calmly. "It''s certain that the dwarves took them. Very certain." ''Really?'' "The weapons Imissioned Bluebeard to make were a pair of sword and shield, and one spear. And all those weapons were forged with Celestium mixed in." What''s Celestium? Seeing my indifference, Pelerian exined its nature. "It''s a metal you couldn''t obtain even if you mined for a lifetime. The metal those short cksmiths covet the most. Because they''re weapons made of star iron." ''Star iron, star iron... Oh?'' Suddenly, all the scales on my body stood on end. ''You mean meteorite iron?'' "Yes, Celestium is a metal extracted and refined from meteorites." ''Then the sword you made is... a meteorite iron sword?'' How could one who walks the path of the sword refuse a meteorite iron sword? It''s the same even if I''m not just a swordsman, but a magic swordsman. "That''s right. It would have been a legendary sword with a magnificent name if it hade out into the world." A sword of legendparable to Ganjiang and Moye was here. And now, we''ve learned that dwarf cksmiths have stolen it. As my body trembled, Pelerian smiled triumphantly. "You said it yourself, what''s mine is yours, and what''s yours is mine." Pelerian, who found a gap in my heart. It was as if a devil was whispering. ''That''s... right.'' "Didn''t you say you wanted a proper longsword? Right? Well, you need a legendary sword to wield a sword. You''ve heard the saying that a master doesn''t choose his tools, haven''t you?" ''I have heard it.'' "That''s aplete lie. It''s nonsense from have-nots who are envious of those who possess good tools because they can''t afford even one good tool themselves. The best knight I know had the strongest legendary sword, and I, Heaven Defier the Magician, also had a staff made from phoenix feathers and mermaid pearls." That''s true. Each of his words was piercing my heart. Just as I''vee to know Pelerian well. It seems Pelerian hase to know me well too. He continues with sweet words, as if a snake were tempting me. Even though I''m the actual snake... "It''s a sword you deserve to have. Of course, I wanted to give it to you, that''s why I came here looking for it." ''Really?'' "Yes! You don''t think I was looking for a sword to wield myself, do you? As the ''Hero yer,'' you''re qualified to wield a Celestium sword." A meteorite iron sword. I wonder what it looks like. I''d like to see it once. So, should we go and confront that blue-bearded dwarf? I''m not sure how many dwarves there are, but I''m not an easy monster to deal with anymore. If I use gigantification and intimidate them from the front, wouldn''t they return the stolen meteorite iron sword? Even if we don''t stage a massacre, it''s a situation that needs to be sternly addressed. As I was spreading my imaginative wings, Pelerian dropped a bombshell. "That insolent dwarf has probably already melted down the meteorite iron sword and other weapons." "Saak!" "It''s clear from the fact that they specifically stole my items. Whether they melted them into ingots or made other things." My world just crumbled. ''Then what do we do!'' "We go, we go and confront them! Tell them to hand over the Celestium and have them forge a proper new sword with it!" It was tempting. Pelerian yed his final card. "There''s no need to be afraid. I don''t know what courage they had to steal my things, but... they probably thought I was dead. A contract with a magician isn''t something that can be easily broken." Well, Pelerian isn''t the type to sit back and take it. "We just need to confront them. If you bring me in front of that Bluebeard''s face, I''ll pluck all his beard and make him pay double the penalty fee. He won''t dare harm you." I''m not sure what exactly Pelerian can do, but His confidence was incredibly reassuring. ''... Alright.'' Shall we go? To the underground city of the dwarves, to reim my meteorite iron sword. Chapter 113: Both Good for the Body and Tasty (2) But how do we get there? First, we enter the dwarf mine, confront Bluebeard, the lord of the mine, and argue our case. We collect the penalty fee for arbitrarily breaking the contract with Pelerian, and have them craft a meteorite iron sword perfectly tailored for me. It''s easy to say, but the method is the problem. We needed to figure out how to enter the dwarf mine in the first ce. I asked Roil about the things I was curious about. "You mean the Red Anvil Mine." Roil answered while drying his wet hair. After leaving the treasure room, I went back inside his coat, and Roil, saying he had left his coat behind, picked me up as is and came out. Even though his body and clothes were wet, it could be said to be perfect teamwork. "They say these dwarves had settled in this mountain even before Calea City was built. Originally, they were famous for producing high-quality weapons and armor, but..." But? "It''s been decades since they closed the mine and went into seclusion." Pelerian''s eyebrow twitched. "Those bastards, they must have hidden away in fear of me." That doesn''t seem likely. I asked what the reason was. Roil made a troubled expression. "We don''t really know either. Dwarves are so unpredictable in their behavior... and the culture differs from mine to mine. Ah, the name of the lord does seem to be Bluebeard." If the mine is closed, is there no way to enter at all? That shouldn''t be the case. Dwarves need to eat and live too, right? "The dwarves do practice animal husbandry inside the mine, but they still engage in small-scale trade. That''s why beer is sold at high prices in Calea City." How do they practice animal husbandry inside a mine? I was curious, but that wasn''t the important thing. "Yes, on a set date every week, a small group of dwarveses out with beer. In exchange, they sell refined metal ingots or tools that aren''t particrly impressive. Even a hoe made by dwarves sells for a high price. It''s my dream to one day establish trade with the dwarves! I''ll also create a proper merchant group. The Riddle Merchant Group of Roil and Amain!" Roil expressed his happiness, talking about a dream I hadn''t even asked about. You want to be a merchant? You want to be rich? "Me too. I''m going to help Dad be a great merchant." The clever Amain said so from the side. I patted Amain''s back. From what I heard, it seemed it would be difficult for me to infiltrate the dwarves'' mine alone. Apparently, they usually keep it tightly sealed with sturdy iron doors. The only opportunity would be when they bring in the beer. Then... hmm. A method forms in my mind. As a snake with Stealth lv10, I should surely be able to find a gap to enter. ''Human.'' I wrote in the notebook with an antique-style handwriting. By now, I''ve be quite ustomed to writing with an invisible hand. ''Greed kills humans, but at the same time, it''s a virtue that makes humans prosper more than other races.'' Amain''s eyes sparkled at this usible statement. It''s probably a bit early for him to be in the chuunibyou phase. ''I find your greed quite pleasing, Roil.'' "Th-Thank you?" ''I will enter the mine of the short folk and collect the debt Bluebeard owes me. Until then, you have a task to perform...'' Roil, an ambitious but poor merchant. From what I''ve observed, he seems to have a good nature and surprisingly good skills. I swiftly raised my tail. Thanks to the appropriate use of the spatial ring, quite a magnificent scene was created. Clink, nk. Gold pieces fall from my tail en masse. Several times, no, dozens of times more treasure than the pure gold bar I had given to Roil piles up on the floor of the room. It was part of the wealth I had collected from Pelerian''s dungeon. "Th-This! Could it be for me...!" ''You could call it an investment. I''m not just giving it to you.'' "Of course, of course!" Gold reflected in Roil''s eyes. Undisguised greed is visible. But rather because of that, he seemed sincere. ''There''s something you need to do with this.'' I received advice from Pelerian. "If you go to the capital, you can exchange it for its proper value. Scrape the surface of those ancient gold coins with a knife so they can''t tell when they''re from. The value will decrease, but it''s safer for someone in a suspicious position." Pelerian has lived as a viin for a very long time. Unlike other fairies, he was seasoned in worldly affairs. "Tell him to rent a warehouse in the capital. You need a base to circte money. It''s right not to use cheappanies with low deposits to save money. When we collect the penalty fee from Bluebeard this time, we''ll need a ce to store it too. It''s much better to receive physical goods from dwarves than gems, so we''ll need a warehouse." Pelerian and I already had a n. "It would be good to keep in touch with your goblin friends too." Let''s talk about thatter. I instructed Roil on everything else. His mouth gaped open like a basin. Chicken-dropping-like tears flowed from his eyes. "I, Roil Riddle, will devote my life to not betraying your trust." It was a more intense reaction than when I gave him just one pure gold bar. However, if he had just expressed his gratitude, it would have met my expectations. "Please wait a moment!" Roil took my pen and suddenly started scribbling something on paper. What he created after a while was none other than a contract. "We can''t promise such arge investment verbally. Please read it carefully. It''s a contract." The contract had detailed contents written on it. How much I''m investing in Roil and his merchant group, what the profit ratio is, and when the repayment period is. "This is the n for using the funds." Details about how to use the money for what poured out without hesitation. It seems he had nned how to use the money if he ever got it for a long time. "Hmm, he looked clumsy, but he''s not just a pushover." Even Pelerian, who is stingy with praise, evaluated him like that. Roil shrewdly included a confidentiality use about my existence. I gave an answer to him, who was looking at me with anxious eyes. ''A contract, how very human-like.'' "Then..." ''Excellent.'' Although I had only written a part-time job contract before. I signed it stylishly. It''s not a proper letter, just a scrawl like a snake crawling. That seems to suit it better somehow. "Thank you. I won''t disappoint you!" Roil hugged Amain and spun around after receiving the contract. Amain also looked happy. ''And, find out when the dwarvese out of the mine.'' Roil said he understood and ran out immediately. I should start preparing too. I looked at the flowerpot ced on the windowsill. No matter how I looked, there was no sign of a sprout. It''s a bit worrying. I wonder what will grow when it sprouts. Will it even sprout? I''m curious. And a whileter, Roil returned. "I found out." Roil spoke urgently. "It''s this evening!" ''What!'' We need to hurry. I put the chimera snake''s flowerpot back into the spatial storage. == "Since you insist on seeing it for yourself, I guess we have no choice..." The pot-bellied man wore a troubled expression. Realizing the meaning behind that look, Roil clung to him with a friendly demeanor. "Don''t be like that. I just really want to meet the dwarves." A few silver coins were handed to the pot-bellied man. "Oh my, that wasn''t my intention..." Now, Roil could easily part with this much money. The pot-bellied man discreetly pocketed the silver coins. "It''s no use trying to talk to the dwarves. They won''t say a word to us." "Yes, I just want to see their faces when we deliver the beer." "It seems like you''re hoping to establish some trade connections by getting familiar with them. You''re not the first to try, you know? I''m just saying, don''t get your hopes up too high." "Yes, yes, I understand." The beer Roil brought was of fairly high quality. It was good enough to sell to the dwarves. And today was the day those oak barrels would be delivered to them. By judiciously using silver coins, Roil managed to directly observe the delivery process. "They''reing out." Creeak The entrance to the mine opened, and the dwarves emerged. The dwarves were carrying boxes filled with metal ingots. True to their reputation as a strong race, they moved those heavy boxes with ease. Thud! They set down the boxes and nced at the oak barrels. Their lips, hidden beneath bushy beards, twitched. "Beer?" "Yes, twenty barrels." The dwarves were incredibly taciturn. They simply nodded and began rolling the oak barrels away. Meanwhile, the pot-bellied man inspected the metal ingots the dwarves had brought out. Then he grinned from ear to ear. The value far exceeded what they were getting in exchange for the beer. Roil, who had begged to observe, was unexpectedly quiet. He only checked if the dwarves were properly moving the beer barrels. But in reality, cold sweat was running down Roil''s back. ''Is that going to be alright?'' The n devised by Lord Snake was nothing short of extreme. He intended to hide inside a beer barrel and enter the dwarven mine along with the delivery. ''I hope he doesn''t drown in the beer.'' Even with low-alcohol beer, it didn''t seem like a safe n at all. But for Roil, all he could do was pray for the snake''s safety. One barrel of snake-liquor was mixed in and entered the mine. Chapter 114: Successful Secret Infiltration (1) Beer is broadly divided into two types: ''Lager'' and ''Ale''. To distinguish them in detail,ger uses bottom-fermenting yeast that settles at the bottom of the beer barrel, while ale uses top-fermenting yeast that floats to the surface, and so on. However, there''s an even simpler way to distinguish them: If the beer is clear, savory, and refreshing, it''s ager. If it has a rich aroma, is cloudy, and has a heavy mouthfeel, it''s an ale. The oak barrel that Roil brought, the one I had infiltrated, contained ale. True to ale''s characteristics, the aroma is incredible. ''Ah...'' A floral-like aroma filled my nostrils. ''I think I might get a little drunk...'' I was originally weak with alcohol. It seems my constitution hasn''t changed even after bing a snake. Fortunately, the beer''s alcohol content is low. If it had been wine, I might have gotten drunk just from the smell. "Endure it quietly." Pelerian was unusually proactive. Although I had cleaned myself thoroughly, I pay my respects to the barrel of ale that has be undrinkable. It was unavoidable for infiltrating the mine. It was noisy outside, perhaps the dwarves hade out. Alright, let''s just endure here until we infiltrate. It should be fine as long as I don''t drink it. There was space to breathe inside the oak barrel, and they even made a small air hole, so it should be okay. That''s when it happened. The oak barrel I was in suddenly tilted. Glug glug glug My head was submerged in beer. I quickly regained my bnce, but I had already swallowed a lot of beer. "Hic." At that moment, I learned for the first time that snakes can hup. ''Oh... oh... this is nice.'' My stomach is full from all the beer I drank. Somehow, I feel good and a bit tipsy. I''m drunk. I''m getting drunk! ''Hmm, I''m a bit drunk...'' "Hey, how much did you drink to get drunk already!" I haven''t had alcohol since bing a snake. But from my past life experience, I knew well what happens to me when I drink. "Damn, this is tough." "Just roll it until we load it onto the cart." The dwarf rolled the oak barrel. I, inside it, rolled along. The world spins round and round. I shouldn''t get drunk. ''When I get drunk...'' I be useless...! == [On the essential and mysterious characteristics of the dwarf race hidden behind ''stubborn artisan''.] To us humans, dwarves are known as ''stubborn artisans'' or ''delicate cksmiths''. But thinking of dwarves as just a cksmith race is too simplistic. First of all, dwarves are divided into surface dwarves and underground dwarves. Surface dwarves are more masters of architecture than cksmiths, and most of the great architectural works, including the Sun Pce, are the handiwork of surface dwarves. Thanks to their cheerful nature, they get along well even with the noble forest fairies. Underground dwarves, on the other hand, are different. They mainly live in mines, and how many people have entered their cities that keep digging deeper into the ground? Those who have only met surface dwarves are surprised when they see underground dwarves. While their small stature and solid muscles are the same, their skin is pale white. And with their deeply sunken eye sockets and extremely bushy beards, they can even look frightening. They are like termites that finally gnaw at the roots of mountains after digging into the ground for a long time. These are the ones who spend their entire lives pioneering mines and making the underground asplex as a dungeon. These underground dwarves are the real cksmiths. Although they rarelye to the surface, the weapons and armor they make often spread their fame across the entire continent. But I can say with certainty that dwarves are not originally designed to live underground. Their lifespan in the harsh underground, where they obsess over the fullness of their beards and such, is significantly shorter than that of surface dwarves. Most of them die before reaching 200 years old. Severe lung diseases, being crushed by copsing mines, being bitten by monsters that emerge from underground - their causes of death are diverse. But among these, there''s one symptom that particrly fascinates researchers. It''s a mental illness called fire enchantment, or fire enchantment syndrome. Even the dwarf with the strongest willpower cannot escape death once fire enchantment begins. Dwarves enchanted by fire eventually be like a moth... == Contrary to human misconception, Underground dwarves don''t always live gloomily. Especially with good quality beer, dwarves can be happier than anyone else in the world. "Cheers!" Wooden beer mugs collided in the air as if they would break. White beer foam sttered everywhere. The dwarves of the Red Anvil Mine gulped down pints of ale. None of the five dwarves sitting around the table put down their beer mugs. They downed the beer in one shot as if they had made a promise. "Hah!" "Burrrp!" They belched out what sounded like a dragon''s breath. Raucousughter erupted. The Red Anvil Mine is not just a simple mine. As time passed, its scale became enormous, and now it could be called a city. The top level housed the dwarves'' residences and various amenities. The dwarves who had been mining ore all day on the lower levelse up to the top level to relieve their fatigue with a mug of beer. They pour beer into their stomachs even before wiping off the ck soot on their faces. Thanks to their uniquely great drinking capacity, the amount of beer dwarves consume in a day is enormous. "I thought I was going to die of hunger." "Shall we ask them to roast a whole pig?" "Add some ham too!" How can dwarves live in this deep mine? It''s surprising considering that the trade volume between this Red Anvil Mine and humans isn''t thatrge. The dwarves of Red Anvil were somewhat self-sufficient. Thick hamnded on their tes. Along with fermented sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The dwarf stabbed the ham with a fork and put it in his mouth without even cutting it. The ham they were chewing on was made from ''pig'', and that ''pig'' was actually a different breed from the pigs on the surface. To be precise, it was a monster. Mysteriously, they were raising Steel Hogs that feed on iron ore inside the mine. The same goes for potatoes and cabbage. These were unique nt varieties that grow underground and were the staple food of the dwarves here. Pig, potato, white cabbage. These were all the dwarves had in their diet, with nothing green in sight. But the dwarves didn''t mind. With beer, even terrible food bes delicious. They drank three mugs in an instant. That should have been enough to fill their stomachs, but today the dwarves seemed particrly excited. "Clink the mugs and ho-!" They don''t stop toasting. "Swing the hammer and ho! Dig the ground and mine the ore, ho!" They sang with their faces red from heavy drinking. "Until we die enchanted by the red fire deep in the mine, ho!" The old dwarf running the pub clicked his tongue as he watched the young miners. "Boss! More beer here!" "No, just give us the whole oak barrel!" That seemed easier. The old man didn''t bother saying the meaningless words ''drink moderately'' that they wouldn''t listen to anyway. The owner brought out a newly arrived oak barrel. As it got closer, the smell of alcohol became more intense. The dwarves'' eyes were already unfocused. "Just don''t vomit..." "We won''t~! We won''t." "Tsk tsk." The owner just left the oak barrel next to them and left. Originally, they should have opened the lid to drink, but the dwarf used a more crude method. He took out a hammer and swung it like lightning. Bang! A hole was punched in the top of the oak barrel. Even so, not much wood debris fell. Chapter 115: Successful Secret Infiltration (2) A dwarf who threw the removed oak barrel lid on the floor licked his lips and picked up his beer mug. Just as he was about to scoop up the ale, Whoosh! Something jumped out from inside the oak barrel. It was a snake, soaked in beer. A snake with scales as beautiful as crystal climbed onto the table where the food was ced. Even the heavily drunk dwarves all froze. No one immediately understood the current situation. The snake, which had been in the oak barrel until just now, was spinning its head on the table, perhaps drunk. One of the dwarves shouted. "It''s, it''s snake liquor!" That one wordpletely changed the atmosphere that had been stiff. "Snake liquor!?" "I''ve never had it before." "You crazy bastards, puhahaha!" The heavily drunk dwarves rushed to the oak barrel. They called the ale that had contained the snake ''snake liquor'' and started scooping it up recklessly. For drunk men, being called a ''crazy bastard'' is the highest praise. They all did that crazy thing without exception. They gulped down the beer that had just contained a snake. "You eat too!" Someone gave a chunk of ham to the snake. When the snake obediently ate it, the dwarves'' excitement reached its peak. "Want to drink beer too!" "Ssaak!" The snake stuck its nose into the beer mug ced in front of it and drank the beer. "Hahaha!" "It drinks well!" They started singing again, which had briefly stopped due to the snake''s appearance. "Drink snake liquor, ho! Do crazy things, ho!" "Ssaak!" "Even if we die abandoned in the depths of the mine! Ho!" "Ssaak!" The snake cried along with the ''ho!'' chant. Is this a dream or reality? Are they seeing hallucinations because they''re too drunk? The dwarvesughed and scooped up beer. The heat of the drinking party rose. Eventually, even the heavy drinker dwarves becamepletely drunk. "I, I can''t feel my fingertips." "My, my lips keep trembling." Symptoms they had never experienced before no matter how much they drank started to appear. Their limbs felt numb, and their lips spasmed, among other things. These were symptoms that might ur when mildly poisoned by neurotoxins. "Hahaha! Is it because it''s snake liquor!" "Puhahaha!" But even that was treated like part of the drinking party''s entertainment. They repeatedly cked out and regained consciousness. "Rest for one beat! Rest for two beats! Rest for three more beats and one, two, three!" At some point, they were singing like that. The dwarves stood around the table, pping and cheering for the snake. Food and tes had all fallen to the floor, and the snake was dancing on the table. "It dances well!" Whether it should be called dancing or writhing, I''m not sure. The watching dwarves put their arms around each other''s shoulders and joined in the snake''s dance moves. Today, this drinking party was the only group in the pub. The owner who had thrown them the whole oak barrel had gone to his room to rest. Themotion became too severe, and finally, the owner came out with a broom to chase them away. And he finally showed a normal reaction. "S-Snake!" There was a snake dancing on the table in his pub. Moreover, it was undoubtedly an unusual-looking monster. "Get away, shoo!" "What are you doing to our friend!" "You crazy bastard!" When the owner pushed away the dwarf clinging to him, the drunk young man rolled on the floor. The snake, though swaying its head, didn''t run away. The owner swung his broom at the snake. Thwack, the snake should have been flung away, but... ng! Instead, the broom was flung away. The snake had swung its tail to knock away the broom. The owner, flustered, swung the broom again. ng- Ting! Thwack! He swung three times, but all three were deflected by the tail. "Sss-sss-sss-sss." Was it his victim mentality that made him feel like the snake was snickering? "Puhahaha!" "That''s cool, cool." The drunk dwarves shook their empty beer mugs and admired. The snake, as if responding to that, proudly stretched its body. "Hey, you bastards! Get out, all of you!" The owner roared. He too was once a renowned dwarf warrior. There''s no way a pub owner who deals with drunks every day would be weak. He went into the kitchen to find a knife to kill the snake. Chiring- At that moment, someone entered the pub. Neither the drunk customers nor the owner who had just gone to the kitchen to get a knife saw it. "You damn bastards, still not gone!" The owner, carrying a knife, came out panting and charged. His swinging looked quite threatening, as if he couldn''t see anything due to anger. "Oh!" The newly arrived customer eximed in surprise. But the knife didn''t stop. == ''Oh, no! Mouth parry!'' I bit the iing de with my mouth. I clenched my teeth, and with a crunch! the de should have broken... but it didn''t. Ouch! My teeth hurt! Ugh! I let go of the knife from my mouth and retched. I barely managed to hold back from vomiting. "Waaah." "Ugh. Puhah!" The dwarf drinking buddies I just made hereughed. I almost threw up on the table. It reminds me of my first drinking party after bing an adult. Strangely, the alcohol went down well at that time. ''It''s amazing, I''m not drunk at all!'' I said as I kept drinking soju and beer mixed together... "You never cease to amaze me." But I can''t remember any more than that. My head was spinning. "I thought you were going to start fighting with the dwarves... I didn''t expect you to drink together." Yeah, yeah, it''s good to get along with everyone. I should clean up the table a bit too. It seems we made quite a mess, I''ll use Basic Elemental Magic: Water... No wateres out. "Aaah!" The other dwarves are fine, but. That old dwarf seems to dislike me. He swung his knife at me once again. I''m sorry, I''ll leave right away. Just let me clean up the table. "What are you doing now!" At that moment, a hooded dwarf tackled the owner. He forcibly took away the knife and shouted. "Isn''t this too much for a speechless beast!" "You, you are..." The old man was flustered. Then he said, as if wronged. "These crazy bastards brought a snake into my pub!" "It wasn''t us... It jumped out of the oak barrel. This little friend." "Oak barrel? Nonsense!" The hooded man stopped them as they were about to bicker. "I''ll take it away." Then he approaches me. Who are you, and I''m not a speechless beast. My newly made drinking buddies tried to stop him. The power of frie-ndship! "What are you...!" My friend who was trying to stop the hooded man was startled. After seeing the hooded man''s face. He suddenly spat on the floor. "Ugh, ruined the taste of alcohol." Then he leaves the hooded man alone. These traitors. Is this all our rtionship amounts to? The hooded man grabbed me. I tried to avoid it, but I was so dizzy that I just copsed. "It must havee in from outside. Poor thing." "Saak." I''m not pitiful, I came in on purpose. He held me in his arms. Then he left the tavern. No one stopped us. "Let''s go to my house for now." The dwarf gently stroked me. This kidnapper... We entered an unpopted area where other dwarves couldn''t be seen. He took off his hood. The dwarf''s face was revealed in my blurry vision. "Sa, saak!" I was shocked. When you think of dwarves, they all have bushy beards. Even female dwarves. But the dwarf in front of me was different. Looking gentle, he had no hair on his face except for a bit of eyebrows. His head and beard were smooth. "A hairless dwarf..." Pelerian muttered in bewilderment. And that dwarf said with a bitter smile, "You''re bald like me too." What did you say! The dwarf was feeling a misced sense of camaraderie with me. "We''re in simr situations." I felt wronged. I''m not bald, I''m sleek. Chapter 116: I Became a Snake with a Hangover (1) There are quite a few instances in the world where baldness is made fun of. Weren''t there such memes in my previous life too? Things like "Grow, hair, grow" or "baldness beam" and such. Personally, I don''t really like those memes. It''s certainly not because my father was bald. Of course, since I was reborn as a snake, I didn''t have to worry about losing hair. Now I even had luxurious horns, no, a crown on my head. "Hehe, somehow I couldn''t just leave it alone." But this dwarf was feeling a sense of kinship with me. This bald guy! Rustle rustle- I raised all the scales on my body. "You''re not... smooth... after all." The dwarf was taken aback. "Did I upset you? If so, I''m sorry..." No, why are you apologizing again? When you react like that, it makes me feel a bit sorry. "My name is Dunkel. You seem to be from the outside, let''s go to my house for now." His face is round, so maybe that''s why he''s Dunkel. He seems like a dwarf with a mellow, gentle personality. Oh well, whatever. I lowered my raised scales and rxed my body. Maybe because I drank too much, my head is spinning. I need to get some sleep. == Argh. There must be a small snake inside my head. A ''brain-eating snake'' is wriggling in my head. If not, my head couldn''t hurt this much. The name of that snake is surely ''Hangover,'' the snake of headaches. I writhed. This was on a bed. Dunkel, that dwarf, hadid me down on the bed. "You''re awake." Dunkel was sitting in a chair. Wearing cute pajamas. "It''s the first time I''ve seen a monster that drinks alcohol. Drink this at least. It''s honey water." Dunkel kindly offered me honey water in a cast iron cup. I carefully drank the honey water, wrapping my tail around the cup handle. Dunkel watched in admiration. "You''re really smart, unlike a monster." What''s the big deal about this much, I''ll gratefully drink the honey water. Dunkel, true to being a dwarf, was short and stout. It''s not just fat, but there must be solid muscles under theyer of fat. Traditionally, dwarves should have lush beards covering their faces, and hair bristling on their forearms. But Dunkel''s face and even arms were smooth. "He must have been born that way." ''Is that so?'' "Yes, or he''s sick." There''s something called alopecia. It means having no or little hair all over the body, including eyebrows. Dunkel had eyebrows but almost no other hair. ''Ugh, I feel a bit better after drinking the honey water.'' It felt like the sweet honey water was spreading through my sour stomach. The scent of the honey water was peculiar. Not just honey, but there was also a scent simr to herbs. "I added some galflower juice. It''s good for hangovers." Dunkel said. Pelerian added an exnation. "Dwarves are as expert in hangover cures as they are fond of alcohol. It''s natural since they''re such heavy drinkers." But Dunkel said something unexpected. "I''m not good at drinking, so it''s been a while since I made this." He says he doesn''t drink well. I thought, ''I see,'' but Pelerian seemed to find it very strange. "No beard and can''t drink well... I can imagine what this dwarf''s life has been like." ''What has it been like?'' "He must have been treated as deficient somewhere." That''s a merciless evaluation. He seems like a kind-hearted dwarf, is this really something that deserves such a harsh judgment? What''s so important about a beard? "Even female dwarves grow beards. And beards are honor and strength. The more lush and good quality the beard, the more respect one gets in that race." Could it be. What kind of terrible beard fetishists are they? Come to think of it, the name of the dwarf king we''re supposed to meet is also Bluebeard. Is the beard that important? "How would someone without even hair, let alone a beard, be treated? Think about it. If there was an individual born without scales among your siblings in the snake den. Could that one survive?" Thinking about it, it might feel a bit creepy. But well, I was born alone as a lower species, Little White Snake... "Not being able to drink is the same. For those born with entric and dogmatic personalities, the only way to socialize is through drinking sessions. If they can''t even do that, it''s natural to be ostracized. What a pitifully pathetic birth..." The words evaluating Dunkel are nothing short of harsh criticism. I looked at Pelerian, thinking he was speaking offensively again. I thought he might be looking at Dunkel with contempt, befitting his elf supremacist attitude, but no. Pelerian had a distant look in his eyes, as if gazing far away. "Whose sin is it, this curse received at birth..." He might have seen himself in Dunkel. A dwarf without a beard. And a fairy born with the appearance of a withered old man. I threw a joke at him. ''Oh, empathy, fellow sufferer.'' "Yes." I thought he would lose his temper, but Pelerian rather grinned. "Snake, you were born with the inferior white color, so you should know how it feels." ''...'' Could it be, when my brother tried to kill me as soon as he saw me before. Was it because I was white? I was hit hard by Pelerian. ''White is not inferior.'' Pelerian just smiled mischievously. Dunkel approached. Not knowing what we were talking about him, he gestured for us to follow. "Come this way, I''ll show you around." The dwarf''s house was built by digging into the earth and rocks underground. Although it''s narrow, it''s quite cozy, but it doesn''t seem like there''s much to see? While I was thinking that, Dunkel took amp and left the room. I followed Dunkel. "It''s my own secret space... You can stay here for a while." A dwarf''s secret space. Is it a workshop or workspace where he makes something? Thinking that, I followed Dunkel. Dunkel''s house seemed to be located on the outskirts of a vast mine, as there was no sign of other dwarves. A narrow staircase appeared. Because of the hangover, it was hard to climb the stairs, so I just climbed onto Dunkel''s shoulder. Dunkel seemed a bit surprised, but soon his face became rather moved. As we climbed the stairs, the interior became brighter. It was bright enough not to need amp. "Here it is." And for good reason. There was a space where sunlight shone in this underground. "It''s my secret garden." An underground garden. It really existed. Various grasses and trees were growing in the cavity. Without sunlight, these green leaves couldn''t be so lush. But the sunlight from the sky hade into this underground. "There''s a vertical cave." Looking up, there was a hole pierced in the ceiling. It seemed to lead to the outside. Raindrops were also falling. "I grow edible fruits here... and the honey was also harvested from here." Bees were buzzing around. It''s quite amazing. Even with sunlight, it''s not an easy task to maintain a garden like this. This friend Dunkel seems to have a personality closer to an elf than a dwarf. He picked a raspberry and put it in his mouth. And he picked another one and threw it to me. Chapter 117: I Became a Snake with a Hangover (2) When I chewed it, the sour juice spread and made me wide awake. I should express my appreciation. I took out paper and a pen from my subspace. "You can stay here for a while. I''ll find a way for you to get out... Oh." Dunkel froze. And for good reason. Suddenly a piece of paper floated up, and the pen started moving on its own, writing. ''It''s a beautiful garden, dwarf.'' Dunkel looked back and forth between the writing on the paper and me. "Did you write this?" ''Indeed.'' And soon Dunkel''s face turned red. "Damn, this is embarrassing." He seemed to remember muttering various things to me, saying we''re both bald. Well, he probably didn''t think I would understand properly. Maybe it felt like talking to himself. He looks like he doesn''t have any friends. ''There''s nothing to be embarrassed about, dwarf. I am grateful for the kindness you have shown.'' "...But." Dunkel frowned those innocent eyes. "Why are you speaking in such a cringeworthy manner?" ''...'' This time I was embarrassed. Pelerian giggled mockingly. Surely Amain would have admired it if I spoke like this... Even when Nanaluk interpreted like this, it seemed to work well. ''Anyway, thanks.'' I just changed to a morefortable way of speaking. It''s definitely morefortable this way. "Well, it''s not a big deal. But, I guess you''re some kind of high-level monster. You can write and use magic." ''You could say that.'' Unlike humans who make a fuss at the sight of monsters, Dunkel was friendly towards me as well. ''Do you know a dwarf called Bluebeard?'' "...Of course I know. He''s the master of our forge." ''I came to meet that dwarf.'' "Why him?" ''There''s a contract from the past. I need to talk to him about it.'' Fortunately, it seemed that the dwarf called Bluebeard hadn''t died of old age. But Dunkel''s reaction wasn''t very positive. "He''s in the deep level, but it''ll be hard to meet him." Is it because he can''t bring an unidentified monster to the king? But somehow, it didn''t seem like that was the case. ''Why?'' "Well..." That''s when it happened. There was a fluttering sound from the ceiling. "Oh no! Snake, hide!" Hide what? Dunkel, who said that, actually picked up a shovel. "These bastards, not again!" The fluttering sound wasing from the vertical cave above. Bats came pouring down from there. Flutterflutter! Oh, familiar creatures. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Sawtooth Bat lv18] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Bats with ws like saw des. The enemies of my older siblings! Dunkel swung his shovel vigorously. But there was no way he could catch the agile bats with such sluggish movements. The shovel only cut through empty air. Bats could enter caves, why was he overreacting like that? But there was a reason for Dunkel''s behavior. Flutterflutter! Unlike the Sawtooth Bats that were only as big as mice, Cat-sized bats came rushing in. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [King Sawtooth Thief Bat lv12] These ones look bigger and stronger. Thanks to that, Dunkel could hit them with his shovel, but the problem was that there wasn''t just one. The bats rummaged through the bushes and dug into the ground with their de-like ws. "No! Do you know how hard I worked to grow these!" One bat finally managed to pull out something buried in the ground. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was a root nt that looked like ginseng. Mysteriously, the root glowed blue. "That''s a mana herb, did this dwarf actually manage to grow mana herbs underground!" I didn''t know what it was, but it was clearly valuable. I decided to repay the cost of the honey water. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv3.¡¹ No matter how swift the bats were, they couldn''t be faster than me. A bat with a hole punched through its chest fell. As it dropped the mana herb, other bats lunged at me. "Uh... uh...!" Dunkel was flustered. He tried to help me, thinking I was in danger, but stopped. And for good reason. Flutterflutter! They were no threat to me at all. ¡¸You have killed King Sawtooth Thief Bat lv12.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Sawtooth Bat lv14.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Sawtooth Bat lv13.¡¹ As their friends died in an instant, the bats realized they were scared and started to flee. Dunkel swung his shovel at the fleeing bats, but not a single one was hit. This weak dwarf, really. ¡¸Using Beam lv2.¡¹ The beam spewed from my mouth pierced through the flying bats'' bodies. It''s not a destruction beam, but it can easily catch bats. They fell like insects, twitching. In an instant, the bats were cleanly dealt with. "Wow, wow!" Dunkel apuded in admiration. "Thank you, really! Ever since the mana herbs sprouted, bats like that starteding. It was a headache." Dunkel came closer to offer a handshake, then flinched as he realized I didn''t have hands. I grabbed his hand hovering in the air with my tail and shook it. "Not a fairy, but a dwarf grew mana herbs! And even made them bloom!" ''Is it very difficult?'' "Difficult indeed. Even among fairies, you''d need to be at least a gardener to grow that Bletiful. Get a bit closer and look." I approached the so-called mana herb. Looking closely, I could clearly feel the mana. ''Ah, it''s the thing used to make mana potions!'' It''s a nt I''ve seen in the Great Forest. But to think it could be grown in this distant mountain range. There was a nature-loving dwarf in front of me. And next to him was an elf whose hobby was building dungeons and creating golems... ''Ah!'' Something struck me like lightning. "Thank you so much, how can I repay this debt?" As it happens, I have something to ask of you. ''Can you take a look at this?'' "Hmm?" I took out the stew bowl where I had nted the seed of the chimera snake from my subspace. Still, there was no sign of it sprouting. ''This is a seed I got from deep in the Great Forest...'' Where should I start and where should I end the story? Oh well, never mind. I told him quite a lot. That a chimera was created from the roots of the World Tree, and this was the seed that the chimera had in its body instead of a magic stone. That I nted it recently, but there''s no sign of it sprouting. "W-World Tree... Did you perhapse from the Great Forest?" Dunkel''s expression became ecstatic at the mention of the World Tree. ''Yes, that''s right.'' "My wish before I die is to visit the Great Forest. To go to the Great Forest and see the World Tree in person...!" He''s really not dwarf-like at all. ''Alright, I get it, so please look at it quickly.'' Remembering the chimera snake crying "Muaaa" as it looked at me made me feel depressed. Dunkel carefully removed the soil. And found the seed of the chimera snake. "Oh, this was close. The seed almost rotted." The seed looked a bit dark, probably because it was wet. There was no sign of it trying to sprout at all. ''What should we do, is it going to die?'' "Die... probably not." Dunkel, who had looked somewhat frail before, now looks as dignified and cool as Professor X. He actually brought a small knife simr to a surgical scalpel. "Maybe it''s because it was harvested before the seed was fully ripe. The outer shell should be cracking, but it''s too tough to open." Then he carefully split the brown outer shell. I asked urgently. ''Can you save our baby?'' "Of course." Dunkel answered confidently. As he cut away the outer shell, a green embryo was revealed. "I''ll take responsibility and make it sprout." That''s right. From today on, the true friend of nature is not an elf, but a dwarf. Chapter 118: New Seedling (1) "I''ve lived to see all sorts of things." Pelerian, who was already dead, marveled. Honestly, I felt the same way. There''s a perception that dwarves love nature. From a fairy''s perspective, dwarves are seen as awful nature destroyers. Dwarves clear forests and burn trees to fuel their furnaces. It''s alsomon for them to damage the earth''s veins while mining. That''s why nature-loving fairies are said to dislike dwarves. This is what humans have spected about the poor rtionship between fairies and dwarves, but it''s only partially correct. Humans seem to think that fairies have beautiful hearts because of their appearance. But fairies weren''t thatmitted to nature conservation. They just live in the forest, eat meat, and cut down trees to build houses. However, it''s true that dwarves don''t care much about nature conservation. In that sense, Dunkel, who decorated indoor gardens and was knowledgeable about botany, was a dwarf heretic. Thanks to meeting this heretic, the Chimera Snake''s seed didn''t rot. If this isn''t a heaven-sent connection, what is? I stared at Pelerian. "...What!" My gaze must not have been pleasant. Pelerian hadn''t even guessed why the Chimera Snake''s seed couldn''t sprout. "I know more than I don''t know. You could say I''m well-versed in countless fields of the world." ''Then why didn''t you know?'' "Isn''t it too much to expect a grand magician to have the knowledge of a mere gardener?" I snorted at him. Pelerian, who was pretending to be confident, seemed quite hurt in his pride. Dunkel was wearing a very cool monocle and examining the Chimera Snake''s seed under a light. He was carefully dismantling the outer shell and applying a germination-promoting elixir with a brush. It''s totally cool. And he brought a very pretty y pot instead of a stew bowl. The y pot with heart patterns was filled with high-quality ck soil. He nted the Chimera Snake''s seed there and finally wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It''s done." ''Shouldn''t it be ced in the sunlight?'' "It doesn''t seem to be a photostic seed. Rather, it should be kept in the shade." It would be right to listen to the expert. ''I''ll repay you by repairing your garden.'' "Oh...!" If there can be a gardener dwarf, there can also be a fairy well-versed in dungeons and their architecture. Pelerian was such a fairy. "The venttion isn''t good. To prevent bats, you could block the vertical cave with wire, but I have a simpler solution in mind." The vertical cave was open to the ground above, but strictly speaking, it wasn''tpletely vertical. It was slightly nted. Because of this, when it rained, the water didn''t fall straight from the sky but dripped along the cave wall. ''I can solve your problem with a very simple method.'' Dunkel''s concern was the mold growing here and there due to moisture and venttion issues. "There was such a method?" A dwarf well-versed in architecture would have known this already. The garden was Dunkel''s secret ce, and it seemed he had no friends to advise him. I used my invisible hand to nt a pole nearby. It was right below the vertical cave. After setting up a few poles crosswise, I could ce a round cauldron on top. I put a few pieces of firewood in the cauldron. Dunkel had an expression of wondering what I was trying to do. I pped the ground with my tail. It wasn''t a necessary action, just for dramatic effect. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv6.¡¹ The firewood caught fire. Whoosh! A makeshift bonfire wasplete. It wasn''t for lighting. There was another reason... Dunkel''s eyebrows fluttered in the cool breeze. Where did this breezee from in a ce that was always filled with stagnant, damp air? "Ah...!" Dunkel, being a dwarf, could understand immediately. "You''ve created a venttion system using fire." ''You don''t need to keep it burning all the time, just asionally to control the humidity.'' "How clever! And simple!" Dunkel was very pleased when I spoke as if it was my own knowledge, though Pelerian had taught me. Then he said confidently, "Alright, shall we make it sprout now?" ''Right now?'' I was surprised by Dunkel''s words. Doesn''t it take time for a seed to sprout? "This is definitely a magic herb. You said it came from the roots of the World Tree, right?" ''That''s right?'' "It will need magic to germinate. It would be good if we had a magic stone, a high-grade one would be best, but for now, even with the 1st grade magic stone I have..." ''Would it be good if we had a high-grade magic stone?'' "The quality of a magic herb is determined by how pure the magic it absorbs is." Hearing that, I looked at Pelerian. Pelerian tried to say something with a pale face. But realizing it wouldn''t work, he closed his eyes tightly. Alright, then I have permission! ''I have a magic stone!'' I took out a magic stone from my subspace. It was a 9th grade magic stone. It was the highest grade magic stone I had. Dunkel''s eyes widened. "What, what grade is this magic stone?" ''9th grade.'' "How did you get such a high-grade magic stone...!" I wiped my nose with my tail. I just happened to get it somehow. There were only a few magic stones left from what I got from Pelerian''s dungeon. It seemed like it wouldst a lifetime, but I guess I gave quite a bit to my father. Well, it''s better than dying without using it all. Pelerian breathed roughly. It was the breathing method I taught him to manage stress. "I think it would be better if you do it yourself." Dunkel said with a serious expression. By that method, he meant to ce the magic stone together with the Chimera Snake''s seed and directly infuse more magic. "You''re the owner. You should do it yourself." ''Okay.'' Somehow my heart was pounding. I slightly buried the Chimera Snake''s seed and ced the ruby-like 9th grade magic stone on top of it. Then I lightly ced my tail on top. What should I do with the magic stone, just infuse magic? "Think of yourself as a channel. Don''t just blow in magic recklessly, think of it as slightly opening a door." Pelerian, who had calmed down unexpectedly quickly, gave advice. I thought he would be very reluctant to part with the magic stone. "Strictly speaking, isn''t that also a seed of the World Tree? A 9th grade magic stone,pared to its value, is no different from a stone rolling on the street." Is the Chimera Snake that amazing? I did as Pelerian advised. It wasn''t difficult. Soon, the magic stone started to melt. "Ooh!" The melted magic stone was nothing but the essence of magic. Light burst forth from there. And the Chimera Snake''s seed started to greedily absorb that enormous magic. The amount of magic contained in a 9th grade magic stone is tremendous. Even this body would probably have difficulty digesting it if eaten. But that massive amount of magic was absorbed into the seed in an instant. Plop- And germination began. The inner shell of the seed split, and a sprout emerged. Chapter 119: New Seedling (2) The cotyledons budded, and pop, the leaves burst open. Even in between, magic continued to be absorbed. Finally, after all the magic from the stone was absorbed, it started to drain my magic as well. "Get a grip! Unless you want to die of dehydration." ''You, you witch!'' Even the magic in my body is being absorbed into the Chimera Snake''s seed. I held on tight with my tail. The growth of the sprout, which had been greedily craving magic like a hungry child suckling, slowed down. And at some point, it stopped absorbing. Only then could I detach my tail. "Huh." "Wow." Pelerian and Dunkel eximed in admiration at the same time. And for good reason, the newly sprouted seedling. It was moving slowly as if dancing. The two cotyledons were unbearably cute. I slowly raised my tail to stroke the cotyledons. Then. "It''s following!" "Sark!" Rather, the cotyledons moved towards my tail on their own. It was the same even when I changed the position of my tail. "It seems to know you''re its owner." Dunkel said so. Somehow, my heart felt warm. Chimera Snake... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Chimera Seedling lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Should I call it New Seedling now instead of Chimera Snake? New Seedling... "It seems to follow you after receiving your magic and being born." It seemed to be as Pelerian said. Or maybe the Chimera Snake''s heart remains. After savoring the lingering emotion for a moment. I continued the unfinished conversation with Dunkel. "Right, you said you wanted to meet the Mine Lord." It was about meeting Bluebeard. "For now, the Mine Lord is in the deep level." The deep level referred to the deepest part of this mine. It could be called the forefront of excavation where they''re digging deeper into the ground. He''s said to be like a king, but is he working directly? ''Can you take me there?'' I asked Dunkel. He seemed quite flustered. "Umm, um. Uh..." Then he shook his head and said. "I have work I''m doing right now. It''s a two-person job. I''m not sure if I can leave alone. I think I should ask first." ''Then let''s go ask together. Say you''re taking a short vacation.'' "Uh..." Dunkel looked troubled. "Isn''t that a roundabout way of refusing?" Gasp, was that what it was! I didn''t notice at all. Dunkel reluctantly nodded. "Yes, it probably won''t work, but let''s go ask." == Most of the dwarves in the Red Anvil Mine are miners, followed by cksmiths. But Dunkel was neither a miner nor a cksmith. Someone has to produce food. And that was a terribly boring and dirty job in the eyes of dwarves. Growing potatoes and cabbages that can grow underground. And raising Steel Hogs that eat iron ore. Dunkel and his colleague were raising one hundred Steel Hogs. The farm where no grass grows was very spacious, andrge red pigs were crawling around. On one side, there was a mountain of iron ore, their food. When fed this, the Steel Hogs produce smelly dung. They collect that dung, ferment it intopost, and use it to grow potatoes and cabbages. It''s a very arduous job. Especially, the Steel Hogs are the problem. Even though they''re said to be docile, they''re still clearly magical beasts. Sometimes they fight among themselves and bare their tusks at their owners. It''s not an easy job for just two dwarves to handle. That''s why Dunkel couldn''t easily tell his colleague that he wanted to leave his post. ng- ng! Dunkel''s colleague was an old man. But dwarf elders are not frail like human elders. Though his beard was white and his head was bald, the muscles on his exposed upper body were robust. "It might be a bit difficult? After all, we''re busy these days and the pigs aren''t behaving..." When Dunkel and I arrived, he was repairing the fence in front of the farm. He was banging the fence with arge hammer, and it was incredibly tough. Moreover, that dwarf was missing one arm. From the left elbow down, instead of flesh, there was a metal hook prosthetic. "Then let''s quickly load up the pig food..." "Go!" The old man said. He looked at Dunkel with piercing eyes. "I said go." "...Pardon?" "How long are you going to live shoveling pig shit, Dunkel." The old man''s eyes were deeply set, showing only pitch-ck pupils. He''s an impressive craftsman. "I feel like I''ve seen him somewhere before." Pelerian muttered. Since that dwarf looks old too, he might have met Pelerian before. "No, I''m quite satisfied with my current job..." "That snake wants to meet Blue Beard, right?" "...Yes." "Good timing. It''s about time Blue Beard came to his senses. Or die quickly and pass on the session." I heard he was like a king. There was no sense of respect for Blue Beard at all. When I asked Pelerian if all dwarves were like this, he just shrugged. "So, go. And if possible, don''te back here." "..." Dunkel seemed to have never imagined the old man would say such things. He bowed his head for a moment, then nodded. "I''ll feed the pigs before I go." "..." With an attitude that suggested he didn''t care either way, the dwarf elder continued hammering the fence without answering. His attitude is cold. Are they not on good terms? When I asked while perched on Dunkel''s shoulder, Dunkel gave a bitter smile. "He''s the one who raised me since I was young. I''m an orphan." It wasn''t that they weren''t on good terms. Yet he speaks so bluntly. "He wanted me to be a miner. Saying that''s what a dwarf should be." ''I see.'' "Well, it might be good to go down to the lower levels this time." Dunkel, trying to sound cheerful, loaded iron ore into a cart. This was the feed given to those magical beasts called Steel Hogs. Steel Hogs, interesting animals. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Steel Hog lv9] [Traits] [Pig], [Delicious], [Coward] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Many of them have ''Coward'' written in their traits. But for cowards, they weren''t docile at all. "Squeeeeeal!" "Queeek!" Pigs as big as buffaloes roared and snorted. As if they might charge at us at any moment. Dunkel, looking scared, quickly dumped the iron ore from the cart. Then the Steel Hogs rushed over and began to devour the iron ore greedily. "Phew, this is the problem." There was a reason Dunkel hesitated to leave. "The Steel Hogs are violent. You could easily get hurt. It won''t be easy for grandfather to handle these guys alone..." That seems to be his worry. How kind-hearted. I was the one who pushed Dunkel to leave. If so, it would be right to give some help before leaving. Thud. I got down from Dunkel''s shoulder. ''Step back for a moment.'' Dunkel was surprised to see the writing appearing automatically in the notebook. "What are you doing, it''s dangerous...!" But I ignored Dunkel''s protests and approached the Steel Hogs. The ones who were mindlessly devouring the iron ore raised their heads and became wary at my appearance. "Grrrr..." I guess they don''t only eat iron ore. Judging by the drool. "Snake!" "Saaaaak!" Quiet! I was once the one who led the beasts of the zoo in the great forest. The temporary Hegemon-like skill I had obtained was gone. But that didn''t matter. The achievements I had made remained. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Monster Leader] You have tamed over 100 magical beasts. Your dominance over magical beasts is strengthened. A natural dignity flows from you. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ How could these domesticated pigs raised on feed. Dare to bare their teeth at me. Step, step. The Steel Hogs retreated a little each time I approached. Dunkel''s mouth fell open in surprise. Chapter 120: The Pickaxe Possessed by a Snake (1) "Squeak, squeak!" These were the Steel Hogs that were acting arrogantly just moments ago. But their cowardly trait wasn''t just for show. The Steel Hogs sensed the aura flowing from me and slowly backed away. I remember someone saying that the ham we ate at the tavern was from these Steel Hogs. It was incredibly delicious. Thinking about it made a drop of saliva fall from my mouth. "Squeak!" The Steel Hog at the very front fell backwards. After taming over 100 monsters, the rank of my ''Monster Leader'' achievement had greatly increased. Even so, their reaction was more dramatic than I expected. Some were even wetting themselves out of fear. Come to think of it, the monsters from the Monster Wave even drooled at the sight of me. There really is a difference between these creatures and wild monsters. Anyway, I need to intimidate them enough to break their spirit. This much isn''t quite enough. That''s when it happened. A small Steel Hog turned around and fled in a panic. Instead of hiding, it ran to arge Steel Hog watching from behind. It then rubbed its head against therger one, trying to curry favor. Therge Steel Hog slowly approached. It had quiterge protruding tusks. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Steel Hog King lv14] [Traits] [Leader], [Tyrant], [Coward] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "It''s the leader of the pack." Dunkel warned in a low voice. I could tell just by looking at its status window. It stomped its feet, not showing any fear towards me. It looked like it was about to charge at any moment. But I could see right through it. Especially that ''Coward'' trait prominently disyed. This is even better. I used the Crown of Oveing. I used more than half of my recovered mana all at once. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv1.¡¹ My body grew rapidly. Not just Dunkel, but even the dwarf elder who was pretending to be uninterested while repairing the fence dropped his hammer. Above all, the sight of the Steel Hogs was quite a spectacle. My shadow, which grew along with my body, loomed over them. "Hiss!" When I roared once, the wild boars froze stiff like a herd of goats. Even the Steel Hog leader, who was full of spirit just moments ago, was the same. The one that was dropping dung seemedpletely overwhelmed by me. There''s no need to even exert my power. ¡¸Using Crown of Domination lv1.¡¹ The goal was to tame them. ¡¸Partially seeded in dominating Steel Hog King lv14.¡¹ ¡¸Sessfully tamed Steel Hog King lv14.¡¹ Perhaps because it had mentally submitted. I was able to dominate it, at least partially. That meant I could move the leader as I wished. Following my will, it knelt down. The other Steel Hogs followed their leader and knelt simrly. Even after I released the gigantification, it didn''t stop. I approached the Steel Hog leader and stroked its forehead. ''Let''s get along, okay?'' "Squeak..." Just eat your food quietly and behave. Don''t act up against the dwarf elder. That''s what I ordered. This was the difference between ''taming'' and ''domination''. Just because I tame a monster doesn''t mean I can control it at will. It''s practically impossible with monsters that don''t understandnguage. But thanks to partially seeding in domination, I was able to convey orders to the Steel Hog leader. ''There''s nothing to worry about now.'' I conveyed this to Dunkel. He still seemed unable to believe the current situation. From afar, the dwarf elder put down his hammer and approached. He came up to me and carefully said, "Snake..." His tone had changed from when he initially paid no attention to me. "Will you meet Blue Beard and kill him?" Well... I''m not sure yet. I was about to shake my head when Pelerian intervened. "It mighte to that if he''s brazen about viting the contract." So I might kill him then. Not knowing how to answer, I just shrugged my shoulders. I mean, I just moved my head since I don''t have shoulders. "I see... Wait a moment, Dunkel." Then the old man hurriedly ran to fetch something. It was a belt with various tools attached and a pickaxe. The pickaxe, in particr, looked interesting. It was designed so that the head could be changed into a shovel, truly an impressive craftsmanship befitting dwarven make. "Take this with you." "But... this is your property, grandfather." "Yes, but you''ll need to work as a miner to go down there, won''t you?" I wonder if my actions had changed the old man''s mind. I couldn''t understand the reason. "When you meet Blue Beard..." An indescribable emotion filled the old man''s dark eyes. "Give him one chance. He''s a pitiful man too." I didn''t bother to answer. The old man didn''t seem to expect an answer either. He turned to look at Dunkel and said, "Go!" His voice boomed. A beardless dwarf, born in the mines and living tending to pigs. Kind-hearted Dunkel who loves gardening. The day has finallye for him to head towards the depths of fire and steel. == While dwarven mines are scattered across the entire continent, They are particrly numerous in the ''mountain ranges''. The Red Anvil Mine is no exception. The ''Red'' modifier often implies blood, but it has a slightly different meaning for dwarves. It usually refers to iron ore. The modifier likelyes from the red, rusted iron ore. In other words, a lot of iron is mined from the Red Anvil Mine. However, like most mines located in mountain ranges, several other ores exist as well. Perhaps it''s the nature of the magical realm, but the deeper you dig into the mountain, the more mysterious ores you find. Among them, a particrly unique ore is called ''bone crystal''. I heard that bone crystal was discovered a few months ago in one of the branch tunnels extending westward from the underground mine. Bone crystal is white like ivory and extremely hard. True to its name, it''s a metal formed by bones of living creaturespressed tightly by time and magical power. The term ''metal'' wasn''t entirely incorrect. It didn''t burn even when heated with strong fire and could be forged by hammering. It''s truly amazing to think about how this bone crystal came to be. It must have been the bones of an enormouslyrge creature. The original size of a bone crystal the size of a fist must have been at least ten timesrger. The expression that mountain ranges are the spine of the continent might be literal. The dwarves mining in the tunnels were warriors as well as miners. There are monsters on the surface of the mountain ranges, but there are also monsters here underground. Chapter 121: The Pickaxe Possessed by a Snake (2) Mole rats living underground, bats, and bug monsters with degenerated eyesight constantly threatened the lives of the dwarves. The surviving miners had killed numerous monsters over time. With pickaxes, and sometimes shovels. The dwarves resting in front of the bone crystal tunnel were also veteran warriors. They belong to a n of young dwarves called the Tral gang. "Ugh, I want to go up quickly and have a mug of beer." The dwarves said, wiping the dust off their faces with their arms. Once you go down to the lower level, it takes a week before you cane back up. "You bastards, it''s only been a few days since we came down and you''re already whining." The most senior dwarf among them chided. His name was Manjin, one of the most skilled miners along with Tral. The young dwarves looked embarrassed. "Senior Manjin is really amazing. Our hands are shaking like this." If you spend all day breaking rocks with a pickaxe, your arms naturally get strained. In fact, most of the dwarves'' hands were trembling even when they were still. Only the senior dwarf Manjin seemed fine. "That''s because I drank snake liquor recently." He said confidently. "Snake liquor...!" "Ah, that snake that came out of the oak barrel." Although they had heard the snake liquor story several times already, the juniors'' eyes lit up again. Talk of alcohol always piqued their interest. Especially when it''s snake liquor with mysterious effects. "Yes, at first it felt like the sensation in my hands and feet was dulling." It seems some snake venom had been mixed into the beer. Manjin had shown some signs of poisoning, but after a day, the situation actually improved. "Look." Manjin rolled up his sleeve to show off his muscles. Whether it was the effect of the snake liquor or not, his impressive muscles bulged. "I used to suffer from wrist tendonitis, but it''s all gone now. I feel so strong and energetic." "I''m really envious..." "Actually, the taste was the best part. I''ve never had such delicious ale in my life." The story of the snake liquor drunk by the Tral gang has now spread like a legend. Many dwarves hoped to meet that snake again. The dwarves who finished their break returned to the za. Usually, they would stay in the dormitory for miners. They would roughly wash their bodies with underground water and take their rest for the day. But today, the za seemed a bit more bustling than usual. A young dwarf following Manjin recognized someone. "Isn''t that Dunkel?" People''s gazes turned in that direction. Though he was wearing a hood, his beardless face stood out. He had a pickaxe and shovel on his back. The dwarves frowned deeply. "Why the hell did Dunkele down here?" One young dwarf muttered. Although Dunkel was much older than him, there was no respect in his tone. "Don''t tell me he came down to be a miner?" "Looks like it, seeing how he''s carrying a pickaxe." "Crazy bastard. He should have just lived his life tending to pigs. What was he thinking?" The one who said this spat, as if displeased. Manjin didn''t rebuke him. The young dwarves particrly disliked Dunkel. It''s actually quite funny considering that none of them had ever even spoken to Dunkel, but it wasn''t iprehensible. A dwarf with no beard, no hair, and who doesn''t do mining work. How would a dwarf who prefers vegetables to meat appear to these immature youngsters? They would consider him weak and pathetic. Moreover, the fact that the old elders pitied Dunkel and protected him actually had the opposite effect. "You bastard! You think I''ll let you in just because you want to go down? A guy who''s never even swung a pickaxe once." The supervisor here was also one of the dwarves who disliked Dunkel. The reason onlookers had gathered was obvious. They were there to watch Dunkel be humiliated. "How dare you wear a hood... Ack!" At that moment, the supervisor jerked his hand back in surprise. A snake had poked its head out of Dunkel''s clothes. "W-what kind of snake is that!" "Ah, it''s my friend." "You crazy bastard!" Laughter erupted from nearby. "Hey, Senior Manjin. That snake..." "..." "Could it be the snake you mentioned?" Manjin nodded with a surprised expression. The snake they had drunk with was right there. == "I knew you were weird, but this..." The dwarf supervisor red at Dunkel and me. Coward, I wasn''t even going to bite you, but you got scared on your own. I came down to the lower level with Dunkel. To meet that Blue Beard, we first needed to go down to the deepest core level. I want to meet Blue Beard! Saying that doesn''t seem to get us a direct meeting. I guess it can''t be helped since he''s like a king. The problem is that we can''t go straight to the core level. Apparently, only those who are Blue Beard''s direct subordinates or ''Meisters'', master craftsmen recognized by the dwarves, can approach him. The old man working with Dunkel wrote us a letter of introduction. It''s simr to a letter addressed to a Meister who can approach Blue Beard. Looking at that, it seems that old man is of quite a high status. I don''t know why he''s tending to pigs on the top level though. "I don''t like you, Dunkel." The supervisor gave Dunkel, who came with a pickaxe, a hostile look. "A guy who''s been running away from mining work all his life nowes with a pickaxe. And you want to go straight to the core level? Do you think mining work is that easy?" "I don''t think that." Dunkel seemed intimidated but didn''t act subservient. Well done, Dunkel. "You''re not capable. You won''t even be able to dig properly." The supervisor scoffed at Dunkel''s request to go down as a miner. "I''ll work hard." "Hard work isn''t enough. You shouldn''t be a burden to others." "I can do well." "Then show me." "...Pardon?" "Try digging this wall." The supervisor pointed to his side with his thick thumb. It was an earthen wall with exposed yellowish-brown sandstone. "Can''t even use a pickaxe?" "No, I''ll try." Breaking the wall with a pickaxe. Digging and carrying soil with a shovel. That was the basics of tunnel excavation. Dunkel grabbed the pickaxe with a nervous face. While using a pickaxe might not seem like a big deal, there were many eyes watching. The miners had their arms crossed, eager to see how Dunkel would perform. Just as Dunkel grabbed the pickaxe,ughter erupted. "Look at that posture." "A guy who only shoveled dung, what''s he thinking, hahaha." The supervisor sneered, seemingly having anticipated this reaction. "Go ahead!" Dunkel gritted his teeth. He swung the pickaxe. Thud! It wasn''t impressive, but it wasn''t terribly bad pickaxe work either. Thud, thud. But the spectatorsughed or sighed, mocking him. From the start, unless Dunkel showed exceptional skill, it was inevitable that he would be ridiculed. Just as the supervisor was about to find some fault, arge rock came loose from where Dunkel had swung his pickaxe, and a pile of dirt fell. Rumble- The supervisor lowered the hand he had raised. Dunkel silently continued his pickaxe work. Thud, rumble. Rocks and soil fell in heaps wherever he swung his pickaxe. He hadn''t even used the shovel yet, but a tunnel was forming. The speed was incredibly fast. "What..." Truly skilled dwarf miners can see through rock and soil at a nce. If you strike the weakest point with a pickaxe, even a solid wall crumbles quickly. Dunkel''s pickaxe work was exactly like that. He was digging into the earthen wall in an instant. A performance that would normally require at least five miners. Dunkel stopped his pickaxe work. "...Am I a genius?" I pped Dunkel''s cheek with my tail. "Hiss!" Get a grip and keep digging! The spectators'' mouths haven''t dropped open enough yet. Dunkel resumed his pickaxe work. I also resumed my magic. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv6.¡¹ ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv11.¡¹ Earth magic crumbled the wall. The invisible hand rummaged through the rocks. It looked exactly as if Dunkel''s pickaxe had been possessed by a god. The dwarf miners'' mouths gradually opened wider at this spectacr performance. Chapter 122: The Warmhearted Gift of the Chimera Seedling (1) Dwarf artisans. Among them, those whose abilities are exceptional and have received the title of ''Meister''. It''s not just cksmiths or builders who be Meisters. There are those who have spent their entire lives dedicated to mining in caves and be Meisters as miners. They say that when mining skills reach their peak, one can see the grain of the rock. If you tap that grain just right, even a massive boulder can be easily split. In some ways, it''s simr to what sword masters say. Like those who im they can hide behind a single de or behead a person by swinging a tree branch. There were no dwarf miners of such caliber present at this moment. But Dunkel''s pickaxe work looked just like that of those Meisters. Tuk, purburbuk. Despite the power behind the pickaxe not being particrly impressive, the speed at which he was breaking through the wall was extraordinary. "Huff, huff." Dunkel exhaled roughly. Around him was a heap of dirt and rock fragments. The expressions of the dwarves who had been watching with mockery changed. Most of them were beyond ''unexpected'' and were downright shocked. The same was true for the supervisor who had been looking at Dunkel with disdain. "... Give it to me." "Pardon?" "I said give me that pickaxe!" He snatched the pickaxe from Dunkel, who was catching his breath. Does he think there''s some secret to the pickaxe? "Did you make this pickaxe?" "No..." "Then who did?" "Grandpa Helmut." So that one-armed old dwarf''s name is Helmut. Quite tough. "I should have known!" But the supervisor''s reaction was intense. It seems that old man used to be quite the skilled dwarf back in the day. "Trying to get by on equipment, huh? The audacity." This stupid dwarf. It''s not the equipment, it''s me. He gripped the pickaxe and started swinging it at the wall. Puk! Puk! His form was certainly better than Dunkel''s. But I wasn''t just sitting idly by. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv6.¡¹ Instead, I made the earth stick firmly to the wall. Puk, puk "W-what''s going on with this!" No matter how much he swung, it only left small scratches, clearly different from before. ¡¸The proficiency of Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv6 has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv6 has be Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv7.¡¹ Oh, magic training. Thanks to various ways of application, the magic proficiency increased. Indeed, the path of magic is deep and wide. As the supervisor''s futile swings continued, the surrounding dwarves burst intoughter. They''re a race that knows humor. Eventually, the supervisor threw down the pickaxe with a red face. What a rude fellow. As Dunkel picked up the pickaxe, the supervisor came over and jabbed Dunkel''s chest with his finger. "I don''t know what trick you pulled, but I don''t trust you!" I thought all dwarves were generous. His pettiness is on par with fairies. "I''ve been watching for a long time...!" Talking right in his face, spit flying everywhere. His breath stinks so bad, he must have a stomach problem. "Someone like you..." p! Gasp! Before I knew it, I had struck the supervisor''s cheek with my tail. The supervisor looked at me and Dunkel alternately with a dazed expression. Dunkel carefully tried to push me back into the hood. Just as the supervisor''s face contorted with anger. "What''s all thismotion about!" An old, gruff voice rang out. It was an elderly dwarf dressed the same as the supervisor. The fuller the beard, the older the dwarf, and this old man''s beard was white with age. "Senior, you''re here. This Dunkel brought a snake and caused trouble..." "The one causing trouble is you!" "Y-yes?" The supervisor seemed flustered and rolled his eyes. There was a red tail mark on his face, making him look ridiculous. "From what I saw, he was doing just fine. Why are you nitpicking?" "..." "Tsk tsk, you brat." The old dwarf was holding a letter of introduction. It was the letter written by Dunkel''s fellow dwarf, Helmut. "In my opinion..." "Are you disregarding Helmut''s and my judgment?" "...No, sir." The previously haughty supervisor hung his head low. Dwarves seem to be a race that respects their elders well. "Do as you like." "Understood." The old dwarf said that and stood still. The supervisor spoke reluctantly. "Still, he can''t go into the mine alone. We need to assign him to a team." Dunkel''s expression, which had brightened, quickly darkened again. "Any of you willing to take Dunkel?" The supervisor addressed the gathered dwarves. Among the many dwarves, not a single one raised their hand. "Before I shove him in just anywhere, raise your hands quickly. There must be some teams with openings." Miners work in teams for excavation. Naturally, to be a miner, Dunkel also needs to be incorporated into a team with other miners. But no one volunteered to take Dunkel. Some avoided eye contact as if they disliked the idea, and others quietly left their spots. ''How did he live to be so disliked by everyone?'' I gave him such a look. But seeing his expression, I felt my heart soften instead. His expression was so miserable that it was admirable he wasn''t shedding tears. Ugh, my head...! It reminds me of my middle school days. That time when no one wanted me when deciding room assignments for the school trip, and I was left alone until the very end... I couldn''t let Dunkel continue his mental attack on me any longer. I quickly looked around. Not that I could find a familiar face... or could I? My eyes met exactly with one dwarf. A muscr dwarf with his brown beard neatly braided into two strands. How could I forget? "Saak!" I leaped with joy, shouting like that. The dwarves blocking the way in front went "Uwah!" in surprise and made way. And I reached the front of my ''friend''. ''Hey! Long time no see!'' "Uh..." The name of the friend in front of me was Manjin. He was the dwarf I had shared drinks and friendship with that day. ''Why are you looking so dumbfounded?'' But for some reason, Manjin looked flustered. Surely he couldn''t have forgotten me. Did he drink so much that night that his memory was wiped? "Looks like he doesn''t remember you, hehe." ''That can''t be. We definitely agreed to be friends then.'' If I sing the song we sang together, he''ll remember. Clinking sses and ho! "Shishishishit saak!" As I danced along with the song we sang then, the dwarves started whispering. "Brother Manjin, is that really that snake?" "You two look close! Haha." Manjin smacked the back of the heads of theughing dwarves. "Sh-shut up, you bastards!" Why is he acting like that? Is he the type to get shy when receiving attention? "Aren''t you the embarrassing one?" That can''t be. Don''t tell me I was the only one who thought we were friends. I''m shocked. It felt like tears made of ice shards were about to fall. As I stared nkly at Manjin, he squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh, n-nice to see you." He finally extended his fist slightly. Yeah, we are friends, right? I bumped my tail against his fist. "Well, that works out, Manjin! You take Dunkel!" The supervisor quickly said so. For some reason, Manjin heaved a deep sigh. Dunkel approached. And he greeted awkwardly. "Manjin." "Dunkel." An awkward atmosphere flowed. I stood between them and tapped both their ankles. ''You two don''t seem to get along well, but don''t worry.'' They''ll be close soon enough. Chapter 123: The Warmhearted Gift of the Chimera Seedling (2) The dwarves walked through the mine tunnel. The leader of ''Manjin''s team'' was naturally Manjin, and including the young dwarves he led, there were four in total. Now with Dunkel added and a snake included, they were six. Five dwarves and one snake walked through the tunnel to mine Bonemind Stone. After walking for a while, Manjin let out a sigh. "Haah... Dunkel." Dunkel, who was walking behind Manjin, raised his head. "I know you like hoods, but if you don''t want your head cracked, wear this." "Ah, thank you." Dunkel received the spare safety helmet from Manjin with an awkward expression. As he took off his hood, a shiny bald head was revealed. The other dwarves snickered at the sight. Dunkel''s appearance was that striking among dwarves. Dunkel''s face turned red. "Have you ever been in a Bonemind Stone tunnel before?" "No." "Ever encountered Blood Moles?" "Twice." Blood Moles are monsters that asionally appear in mine tunnels. True to their name, they burrow through the ground and extremely dislike light. A single one isn''t very dangerous, but they be a threat when they swarm. identally disturbing a Blood Mole nest during mining was a nightmare for all miners. "They especially like Bonemind Stone. If Blood Moles appear, use your oilmp to shine light on them." All miners carried oilmps on their belts. Dunkel nervously fiddled with hismp. The young dwarves chuckled at the sight. They whispered quietly from behind. ''What''s the rtionship between Brother Manjin and Dunkel?'' ''Seems like they knew each other before.'' It did seem that way. Manjin was an admirable man they deeply respected. His brown beard braided into two strands was cool, and though he could be a bit showy, his open personality was respectable. But he seemed to know that ''inadequate'' Dunkel. Was there a reason why people usually avoided talking to Dunkel? Right now, Dunkel had an eager expression. But once the mining starts in earnest, he''ll surely make a pitiful face when faced with the unexpectedly hard work. ''I wonder when that expression will crumble.'' ''I bet three hours.'' ''Then I''ll say two hours.'' All the young men thought so. Manjin, who had stopped in ce, examined the wall and even tasted the soil with his tongue. "Let''s dig in this direction, the vein seems to extend downwards." And so began the most arduous task of tunnel excavation. Everyone thought Dunkel would drop out soon. Being good at swinging a pickaxe and having stamina werepletely different matters. But an unexpected result came about. ''He''s holding up better than expected?'' Dunkel didn''t show any signs of struggling even once. Even while sweating profusely, he continued shoveling. After a while, Manjin dered a break. "Let''s rest for a bit, eat, and then continue." Only then did Dunkel put down his shovel. His grip was slightly torn and bleeding. Seeing that, he clearly wasn''t used to mining work. Dunkel tightly wrapped his hand with a bandage. The expressions of the young dwarves who watched this changed a bit. ''He''s not aszy as we''ve heard.'' There was a rumor that Dunkel didn''t do mining work because he waszy. However, the Dunkel they actually met didn''t seemzy, at least. But soon, the young dwarves frowned again. "Ugh." "What are you eating?" Dunkel was rubbing some unknown nt leaves and something in a wooden bowl. "Ah, sd..." "Sd?" "Do you want some?" "No thanks." What sd, he says. Does he think he''s an elf? Dunkel smiled awkwardly and munched on that green strange food. In contrast, Dunkel''spanion was different. The snake stuck right next to Manjin. "Right, you need to eat too." When Dunkel offered to share his sd, it ran away with a look of disgust. "Will ham do?" "Saak!" The snake gulped down the ham Manjin gave in one bite. It seemed to swallow without chewing, impressively fast. Feeding animals gives a strange pleasure. The other dwarves also came over and offered ham one after another. The snake didn''t refuse and kept eating. Though much smaller in size, it seemed to have eaten almost as much as one dwarf. Despite using more food than expected, the dwarves were happy. "Hahaha." "This little guy is cute, isn''t it?" They had been wary at first since it was a monster, even if it was Manjin''s friend, but not anymore. The dwarves thought: Since the Bonemind Stone tunnel is dangerous, we should protect this little snake. == They may have shaggy beards, but they''re more innocent and kind than I expected. I got to eat ham too, so I should protect them. That''s what I thought. Before the break ended, I took out the Chimera Seedling''s pot from my subspace. The dwarves showed interest. "Is that a flowerpot?" "It''s a sprout. How did it sprout underground?" Isn''t our Chimera Seedling cute? I originally nned to leave it in Dunkel''s underground garden, but ended up bringing it along since we came underground together. Just in case bats came in and broke the pot. Oh no, the soil is already dry. The Chimera Seedling had quite the appetite. It quickly absorbed water when given, and even absorbed magic stones rapidly. For something that ate so well, it wasn''t growing very fast and still only had two cotyledons. ''Why is it dancing so much today?'' The Chimera Seedling swayed slightly as if dancing, or rather, it is alive. Anyway, it usually danced a little. When I bring my tail close, it brings its cotyledons near as if asking for a hug, but today it was dancing even when left alone. "Hmm... left or right..." Manjin, who had finished eating, was contemting the direction. He was looking for a vein likely to contain a lot of Bonemind Stone. Finding a vein was half dependent on luck, even for skilled miners. They would dig into a suspicious-looking wall, and if no vein appeared, they''d go further in and try again. "Oh my. What''s this now?" "The sprout is dancing." The young dwarves showed interest in the Chimera Seedling''s dance. I smiled and was about to put it away when. "Is there something over there?" One of the dwarves muttered. What does he mean? I looked at the Chimera Seedling. ''Oh.'' The Chimera Seedling was pointing at one side of the wall. When I brought it closer to the wall, it became even clearer. As if something was hidden beyond the wall, it was shaking its cotyledons vigorously. "Could there be a Bonemind Stone vein over there?" "Is it trying to tell us something? Haha." The dwarves said,ughing. Maybe, could it really be? These dwarves don''t know, but the Chimera Seedling is an amazing creature that came from the World Tree. I raised my tail to point at the pickaxe and the wall. "What? You want us to dig?" "What''s going on?" Even Manjin approached. "It says to dig the wall?" Manjin made a strange expression after hearing the young dwarves. "Go ahead, give it a try." "Well, alright." It couldn''t hurt to try. Who knows what might happen? As the soil falls away, a high-purity mana crystal vein might be revealed. The dwarf swung his pickaxe with secret anticipation. Thunk. The feeling at the tip was strange. "Huh?" And blood spurted out from where the pickaxe had struck. "Kieeeeeek!" A mole monster spurting blood from its hole jumped out. "B-blood mole!" Screams erupted. Chapter 124: Dig! (1) Blood mole. A monster that resembles a mole, as its name suggests. The "blood" prefix is likely due to one of two reasons: Either because its slippery body is as red as blood. Or because these creatures, with their almost atrophied eyesight, are incredibly adept at detecting the scent of blood and swarming towards it. Encountering a blood mole in a narrow tunnel is extremely troublesome. That''s why, during mining operations, if you get injured, you must quickly treat the wound with bandages or simr. You don''t want blood moles to be attracted to the scent of your blood. "R-run away." "Got it!" The wounded blood mole thrashed about in all directions. Pickaxes struck the ground uselessly. ''Too slow.'' I stepped in. Chomp! As I bit down hard on the blood mole, it wriggled for a moment before falling still. A small monster without poison resistance had no chance against neurotoxin. "Whew, that scared me." "Well done, snake!" The dwarves praised me. But the real praise should go to the seedling chimera. "Did it sense the blood mole nearby?" "That''s amazing." The startled dwarves soon calmed down. A single blood mole wasn''t something to be afraid of; it was when multiple attacked at once that was the problem. The seedling chimera continued to wave its cotyledons towards the blood mole. Ah, now I understand. I took out the dagger Ashura and dissected the blood mole. Just as I thought, there was a mana stone. It was only a small, bean-sized 1st-grade mana stone, but it was definitely a mana stone. That''s quite lucky. As soon as I ced the mana stone on the chimera''s leaf. Whoosh. The mana stone melted and disappeared. The seedling chimera danced happily. I hadn''t noticed, but its senses were quite impressive. It must be thanks to the skills this little one possessed. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Seedling Chimera lv2] [Traits] [Seedling], [Baby], [World Tree] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh! Its level increased. Could it be that it leveled up from eating the mana stone? In my case, no matter how many mana stones I ate, my level didn''t increase. Well, I was worried about how a seedling would hunt and gain experience, but it seems it can absorb mana by eating mana stones. Perhaps one of its traits has such an effect. The trait "World Tree." That one looks particrly impressive. The seedling chimera also had skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Sixth Sense lv1], [Perception Expansion lv2], [Absorption Growth lv1], [Leaf Waving lv4] [Status] [Happy] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What an impressive skill window. Why do I feel like I''m about to cry, remembering my own childhood? The only skills I had when I first started were "Venomous Fang" and "Quick Crawling". "Perception Expansion," "Sixth Sense," "Absorption Growth." They''re all amazing. If we''re talking about pedigree, the chimera is probably at least in thete teens. And its potential was clearly high as well. Yes, as long as you grow up happily, I don''t mind anything. I gently stroked the chimera''s head. "This is actually good news." I heard Manjin say. Good news? That we encountered a monster? "The presence of blood moles means there''s a bone steel vein nearby." Now that I heard it, it made sense. Apparently, these blood mole monsters are very fond of bone steel. In our current search for a new vein, encountering a blood mole was actually fortunate. "Hey, friend." Manjin smiled at me and asked. "Can you keep that seedling with you?" Of course, no problem. The seedling chimera preferred being by my side rather than in the subspace. We headed deeper into the tunnel. At some point. The chimera started acting strangely again. I alerted Dunkel about it. "Wait." Dunkel stopped the dwarves. The chimera had started waving its leaves towards one of the walls. Could it be another blood mole? The dwarves gulped. With a hand signal to keep quiet, Manjin took his position. Manjin and one dwarf held pickaxes, while the others shone their lights. "Hup!" And Manjin alone started swinging his pickaxe at the wall. The other dwarf waited, on guard in case a blood mole jumped out. However, this time there was no thud sound, nor did any blood spray out. ng! With a clear metallic sound, the dirt covering the wall crumbled away. And a snow-white metallic vein was revealed. "Oh, it''s a bone steel vein!" Manjin let out a cheer. Then he took out a small chisel and tapped the bone steel. After closely examining the broken piece. "The purity is amazing!" I thought another blood mole might jump out, but instead we found a bone steel vein. The seedling chimera really knew how to keep us on our toes. "Let''s mine some ore here and take it back. Everyone will be pleased." Manjin said. It had been about 4 hours since we entered the tunnel. Originally, they had nned to spend several days searching for a bone steel vein before starting full-scale mining. The dwarves started pickaxing enthusiastically with bright expressions. ng- ng- Each time the pickaxes sparked, pieces of bone steel fell. Today they would only mine as much as they could carry, and from next time they would use carts to transport it to where they hadid rails. ''Chimera, why did you find this?'' The chimera probably detected the blood mole because of its mana stone. But why did it react to bone steel, which is just an ore? "Because it''s not just ore," Pelerian said. ''Is bone steel really the bones of monsters?'' "It''s highly likely. Originally, it would have been the bones of enormous creatures. Creatures thatrge were undoubtedly monsters." Apparently, the mineral known as bone steel was originally the bones of living creatures. So it''s probably something like a fossil. If it''s from a past that even the long-lived elves call ''ancient''... ''Isn''t it dinosaur bones?'' "Dinosaur? What''s that?" There''s no other answer, is there! ''You know, like dragons. With huge heads, like Tyrannosaurus.'' "I''ve never heard of such a monster. It can''t be dragons. Something as precious as dragon bones wouldn''t be lying around like this." To think he doesn''t even know about dinosaurs. Silly Pelerian. I brought a piece of bone steel close to the chimera. The chimera extended its cotyledon and received the bone steel piece. It was amusing and cute to see it use its leaves like hands. And then. Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu- The bone steel, which had been faintly glowing white, lost its color. In the end, it turned a dull gray. Tak. The bone steel fell to the ground and crumbled into pieces. ''The leaves seem to be getting glossier!'' The chimera''s cotyledons, which had been extremely tender, turned a bit greener. "Ooh! Did it absorb mana from the ore?" ''Come to think of it, bones are rich in phosphorus, right?'' "Phosphorus?" ''You know, they sometimes use bone meal as fertilizer.'' "You know all sorts of things." Pelerian was surprised that I knew something he didn''t. Chapter 125: Dig! (2) Anyway, the chimera keeps showing us amazing things. The limits of its potential seem unfathomable. Originally, my character was the one with high potential, but I felt good about this nheless. Unlike the warm atmosphere on our side. Suddenly, a loud voice erupted from among the dwarves mining the bone steel. "Stop talking nonsense!" It was Manjin shouting at Dunkel. They didn''t seem to be on good terms, but why did he suddenly lose his temper at Dunkel when they had been coolly indifferent before? "It''s not nonsense." "Not nonsense? It is nonsense. What do you mean the dwarf society can''t go on like this?" They suddenly started speaking informally to each other. Were they always on such terms? Despite Manjin''s agitated expression, Dunkel calmly refuted. "It can''t go on like this. We''vepletely stopped trading and keep digging the ground. Even now, the mine lord is setting aside other matters and in the deep levels..." "Keep digging the ground, you say? Keep digging the ground?" "Why are you nitpicking on one phrase?" "Are you looking down on miners'' work?" "You know that''s not what I meant." Dunkel and Manjin argued. The young dwarves watched their fight with bewilderment. Dunkel spoke calmly. "In the mines, miners'' work is the most important. We are a race that refines ore and makes things with it. But no matter how much we make, what''s the use if it''s not used? We need to start trading again and introduce dwarf goods to the world." "That''s for the elders to decide." "Those elders are doing nothing in the deep levels." "Sigh... Ah, Brother Dunkel!" The dwarves flinched at the word ''brother''. Even I couldn''t help but be surprised. Smooth-faced Dunkel and bushy-bearded Manjin. I naturally thought Manjin was much older, but was it the opposite? "Do you know why you''ve been ostracized since you were young? Do you know why no one likes you?" "..." From my perspective, it seems like Manjin is overreacting. There must be aplex and subtle history between these two. "You think it''s because you don''t have hair, because you don''t have a beard? No. It''s because you keep talking nonsense without knowing your ce. Because you keep making pretty-sounding but infuriatingments while not actually doing the work of even one person. That''s why everyone around you dislikes you." "Manjin." "If you didn''t like that, you should have just kept holding the pickaxe. What''s all this about learning trade skills, studying medicine, studying management. And now you''re just cleaning up pig dung!" Manjin seemed to get angrier as he spoke. But seeing him say such things, it seems they weren''t always on such bad terms. Despite being insulted, Dunkel didn''t get angry. He just smiled bitterly, looking a bit troubled. "...Someone has to do it." "..." "Raising pigs, even cleaning up their dung. Someone has to do it for the mine to keep running." Dunkel is right. That''s why it''s meaningless to discriminate between jobs. In the midst of the chilly atmosphere. A sudden event urred. Swish. The seedling chimera curled its leaves. It looked as if it was hiding from something. ''What''s wrong, chimera?'' Had it detected a threat? The "Survival Instinct" I possessed didn''t particrly warn me of anything. But that doesn''t mean we can rx. Even if it''s not a threat to my life, it might be a threat to others. And indeed, it was. Babababam! It''s a simr situation to earlier. The wall bulged out, and then a monster''s bright red head popped out. It was another blood mole. On its slippery head were button-like eyes that had almost atrophied, and saliva dripped from between its sharp teeth that had no lips. "Huaaap!" One dwarf quickly swung his pickaxe. The pickaxe struck the creature''s face with a thud, and blood sprayed. "That''s do- Urk!" But it was too early to feel relieved. This time, it wasn''t just one. Blood moles kept popping out from the ceiling and walls one after another. One blood mole that had just emerged from the wall clung to the body of a dwarf holding a pickaxe. "Aaaaargh!" The blood mole tried to burrow into the dwarf''s stomach using its sharp teeth and ws. That bastard, that was my tactic. "Raise thenterns!" Manjinmanded the dwarves in the sudden crisis. Blood moles dislike bright light. They usually retreat when oilnterns are thrust at them. At first, it seemed to be effective. But there was something the dwarves didn''t know. That monsters can learn too. "Tidik, kididik." That strange cry came from a blood mole with unusually dark skin. When that sound echoed, the retreating blood moles instead charged at thenterns. ng. They bit into the oilmps without hesitation. The oilmps were designed to extinguish immediately if the ss broke, to prevent fires. That design actually made the situation worse. The creatures charged at thenterns without fear, and in an instant, all thenterns went out. Pitch-ck darkness descended on the tunnel. Darkness where you couldn''t see an inch in front of you. And numerous blood moles. ''Oh no.'' The worst situation that miners fear had arrived. == In the darkness. "Huddle together! Turn on the emergency lights. Matches, anything!" Manjin shouted. He shouldn''t show any signs of fear. As the leader, he needs to remain calm, doesn''t he? "Aaaaargh." "Kyaaaah!" But it was impossible to control the situation. Even Manjin wanted to start swinging his pickaxe right away. St, a hot liquid sshed on his face. At the same time, he smelled the scent of iron. It was blood. Probably from the young men following him. "No, no..." Towards Manjin''s panicked neck. A blood mole leaped from the darkness. And then. Peeeng-! A beam of light pierced through the darkness and the blood mole. For a moment, he thought it was an illusion, but. Peeeng- Another beam of light shot out from the darkness. This time, there was no mistaking it. It was a snake. The snake was putting on a light show in the darkness. And then. Whoosh, whoosh! mes bloomed in mid-air, illuminating the surroundings. It must have been magic cast by the snake. More than ten blood moles had appeared in this tunnel. They jumped into the fireballs just as they had broken thenterns, but this time their bodies only caught fire. "Pi-pick..." Manjin struggled to steady his voice. "Pickaxes up! Kill them all!" He swung his pickaxe with all his might. Chapter 126: A Flash (1) In truth, there''s no official "warrior" profession in dwarven society. Why would a race that mines, forges weapons, and builds need warriors? Especially now, when it''s not an era of constant warfare like in the old days. Yet paradoxically, miners, builders, and artisans were all warriors at the same time. Dwarves may be short, but their strength easily surpasses twice that of humans. Their short, stout bodies are filled with steel-like muscles. They''re incredibly tough, and dwarves are inherently bold and brave by nature. Whether hammering heated iron or crushing enemy skulls with a warhammer, it''s simr work. Likewise, all miners can be warriors. That is, as long as there''s a light shining brightly. A few Blood Moles are no match for dwarf miners. But now, the snake illuminated the darkness that had been pitch ck. Manjin swung his pickaxe with a shout. "Uwaaargh!" The pickaxe urately pierced a Blood Mole''s head. As he shook it off, the Blood Mole''s body spun through the air. As it flew towards the snake, the snake swallowed the Blood Mole in one bite. He had felt it since feeding it ham, but this creature ate heartily, making feeding it worthwhile. The dwarves fought fiercely against the Blood Moles. Blood Moles popped out from everywhere. No, it wasn''t just from the four directions - they even fell from the ceiling and floor. The narrow tunnel floor was gradually piling up with Blood Mole corpses. The smell of blood was overwhelming. Among the dwarves, Manjin killed the most Blood Moles. And the snake killed even more than Manjin. It spewed beams from its mouth and shot like an arrow when it leaped. Blood Moles died instantly, their bodies twitching, when it bit them lightly as it passed by. When they first met the snake that popped out of the barrel, it was just for fun. When they met again, they thought it was just a cute, silly creature. But that wasn''t the case. The snake was incredibly strong, and without it, all the dwarves here would have died. A momentter. The seemingly endless Blood Mole attack stopped. But Manjin couldn''t rx and rest easy. "Aaaaargh!" "Don''t, don''t thrash about! You''re bleeding!" The dwarves weren''t unscathed either. Wounds on arms and legs were fine. But one of them eventually copsed, clutching his abdomen. "Th-The youngest!" Manjin screamed and ran over. The one who had fallen was the youngest. Blood was pouring from his abdomen. One dwarf was desperately trying to staunch the wound, pressing down on it in confusion. Despite this, blood kept gushing out. "Fi-First, take off his clothes." Miners getting injured wasmon. They had tools for first aid and basic knowledge to treat injuries. But when they removed the youngest''s upper clothing, Manjin''s face turned pale. "His intestines..." A Blood Mole had bitten into his abdomen. His intestines were protruding from the gaping wound. It wasn''t an injury that could be treated with simple first aid. And from experience, Manjin knew. When internal organs spill out, people die. "Huh, huk. Br-Brother..." "..." "Save, save me please." The youngest gripped Manjin''s forearm tightly. His hand was pale, probably from losing so much blood. Manjin couldn''t answer right away. Everyone was just looking at Manjin. As if asking him to do something, anything. Stupid kids, what can I do? But Manjin was the team leader. He had to do something. He couldn''t tell the dying youngest to just give up because he was done for. "..." But his mind had already gone nk. That''s probably why, when someone gently pushed him, Manjin fell on his backside so easily. "Move aside." The one who took Manjin''s ce was Dunkel. "Give me water and a potion." "Huh? Ah, right." Manjin hurriedly took out water and a potion. Right, potions were very precious, but Manjin carried them around. Just as Manjin was about to pour the potion on the youngest''s wound. "Manjin!" Dunkel shouted, ring at Manjin. Manjin froze, and Dunkel snatched the potion he was holding. "If you just pour it on the wound, it could get infected." "Oh..." "Pour the water here. Not on the wound, but here." Manjin dazedly did as Dunkel instructed. As he poured water from the canteen, Dunkel first washed his own hands. No one could understand the meaning of this action, but no one dared to say anything. Then Dunkel took the canteen. He carefully washed off the dirt on the protruding intestines. "Urgh, huaaaargh!" "Hold his arms and legs so he can''t move." No dwarf immediately followed Dunkel''s words. So Dunkel shouted, as if enraged. "What are you doing, you bastards! Hurry up and hold him!" Manjin was the first to react. As Manjin grabbed the youngest''s legs, other dwarves held his arms. The youngest struggled. He even cursed in pain and fear. But Dunkel, as if he couldn''t hear it, slowly pushed the intestines back in. "The intestines aren''t damaged. There''s just a hole in the abdomen, and the intestines were pushed out due to internal pressure." "Then, can the youngest survive?" "We''ll have to do what we can." Dunkel, thezy and worthless one. When he was insulted like that, Manjin had inwardly agreed, even if he didn''t join in. But how does Dunkel look now? He''s more reliable than anyone else here. Dunkel took something out from his pocket. Wrapped in clean white cloth were what seemed to be his emergency treatment tools. Among them was silk thread as thin as a hair, and a needle. "I''m going to temporarily stitch the wound, so hold him tight." Dunkel began to sew the grotesquely open abdominal wound. His hand trembled. Dunkel was nervous too. Dunkel put down the needle for a moment, then pped his own cheek hard with the back of his hand. p! "Whew." Then he picked up the needle again. It might have been aughable sight, but no oneughed. He eventually managed to suture the youngest''s wound. Watching this, Manjin recalled the past. When he was young. Whenever he got hurt while ying, it was always Brother Dunkel who treated his wounds. An indescribable shame swept through Manjin''s heart. "Give him the potion orally." "Orally?" "It means make him drink it." "Ah, I see." Manjin fed the potion to the youngest. The youngest couldn''t even swallow the potion properly. It seemed like he spilled more than half. The snake approached. Surprisingly, it was holding a potion bottle with its tail, from who knows where. "This... This is a better potion than what we have." Dunkel said after smelling the potion. The snake nodded, and Dunkel finally poured a little potion on the sutured wound. The wound visibly healed at a rapid pace. But the youngest, who had lost consciousness at some point, didn''t open his eyes. "He''s lost too much blood. He might be in shock." "We should carry him out quickly!" "...That could be more dangerous. The treatment isn''tplete. We need to move him carefully on a stretcher." Dunkel said. "You, go call for help! Hurry!" At Manjin''s order, one dwarf quickly ran off. To Dunkel, who was wiping cold sweat, Manjin carefully said. "Brother." "Yes, Manjin." "The situation might not be good." "...What do you mean?" Manjin gritted his teeth. At least when it came to mining work, especially about Blood Moles, Manjin knew better. Chapter 127: A Flash (2) The number of dead Blood Moles on the ground now exceeded twenty. It was clearly an unusual urrence. The fact that so many Blood Moles had swarmed like this meant... "There might be... a nest nearby." "A nest?" "Yes, where Blood Moles and their Queen live together." Blood Moles like bone crystals. They haven''t figured out the reason yet. Perhaps some kind of power contained in the bone crystals attracts these monsters. asionally, Blood Moles build their nests whererge amounts of bone crystals are gathered. Usually, Blood Moles avoid dwarves appropriately, but if you approach their nest, they attack recklessly. "Then..." "I''m not certain. They might have just happened to be gathered nearby by chance." If there really is a Blood Mole nest nearby. They will attack again. "Then we should move the youngest even at the risk of danger." "It''s not over just because I stitched the wound. Even if the intestines didn''t rupture, there might be internal bleeding. It''s too risky to move him without a cart." Indeed, a trickle of blood was flowing from the corner of the youngest''s mouth. Manjin was in agony. If there''s a nest nearby, it would be right to drag the youngest out even at the risk of danger. But what if that''s not the case? Moving the youngest without a proper stretcher might cost him his life unnecessarily. If the one who ran off brings back a proper doctor with a stretcher, they might be able to save him. It''s a dilemma. In this situation, making decisions and taking responsibility is the team leader''s role. But with the youngest''s life at stake, Manjin couldn''t decide easily. Tap tap. It was then that the snake tapped his heel. "Uh..." Before he could ask why, a notebook appeared in mid-air. And a pen moved by itself, writing: ''I''ll go check if there''s a nest.'' "What?" Manjin didn''t know the snake couldmunicate by writing. The words that came out of the surprised Manjin''s mouth were: "Why...?" ''Because we''re friends.'' The snake raised its tail. Somehow, he could tell it meant a thumbs-up. The snake sprang up. And it slipped into the hole where the Blood Moles had appeared. It was a small hole that dwarves would struggle to put their forearms into, but the snake seemed to have no trouble. Its white tail fluttered, and then the snake disappeared into the ck hole. "W-Wait!" The dazed Manjin startled and tried to grab the snake. But the snake that had vanished into the darkness didn''t return. Dunkel looked at Manjin in surprise. "What, what''s wrong?" "No, there''s something I need to tell you." "What is it?" "The Blood Moles'' nests are dangerous. Not because of the monsters, but..." Manjin swallowed hard. "Because they''re filled with dangerous toxic gas." == I''ll help because we''re friends. And, although I didn''t tell Manjin and Dunkel this, Because the chimera snake wants it. I first put the chimera snake into the subspace. I forced it in despite its reluctance to enter. It could be dangerous, couldn''t it? "That nest you mentioned, it definitely exists." Pelerian was certain about the existence of the nest. "Aren''t I more of an expert when ites to monsters?" Indeed, that''s true. I kept crawling along the tunnel. This wasn''t my first or second time crawling through tunnels. Crawling through an already-made tunnel was easy. I focused on the sound of my heartbeat. Hmm, it''s calm. My survival instinct gave no warning. Even though I could clearly sense the presence of swarming monsters ahead. Well then, shall we go punish those who put a hole in our youngest''s stomach? The end of the tunnel approached. Beyond it, a faint light could be seen. You bastards! "Saaark!" I burst out of the tunnel with a mighty roar. Bone crystals were exposed all around. It was practically a cavern made of bone crystals. The faint light was emitted by those bone crystals. Perhaps the phosphorus in the bone crystals had created something like will-o''-the-wisps. Beneath that light, numerous Blood Moles were gathered. Tens, no, hundreds of Blood Moles. They were looking at me, the intruder, with their bright red eyes. And in the center was a giant Blood Mole. Its belly was swollen, and its elongated snout had eight eyes, like a spider. It also had eight legs. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Blood Mole Queen lv40] [Traits] [Queen], [Eggying] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ah, I came to the wrong ce. Goodbye. Just as I was about to leave. "Queeeeek!" I could understand without needing a trantion. It probably meant ''Catch that thing!'' I can smell its breath from here. It stinks like a fart. Something''s off. "Quiiiiik." "Keeek!" Hundreds of Blood Moles rushed at me. It''s a bit much to use Gigantification in this cramped space. ¡¸Using Poison Scales lv2.¡¹ Well, let''s have a close-quarters battle. I jumped into the midst of the Blood Moles. My sharp crystal scales inflicted wounds on their smooth skin. The neurotoxin on those wounds alone made them stagger. And when they bit me. ng! Their teeth couldn''t pierce my scales. Being small monsters of a low level, no matter how many there were, they couldn''t wound my body. I''m Ouroboros among the Blood Moles. I rampaged like a fish in water. Ah, this feeling. I hadn''t had a proper fight since the Shadow Forest. It was a moment that stimted my battle instinct after a long time. But there are too many, even if there are many. If I try to bite and kill them one by one, my teeth will break first. "Use magic, use magic." Pelerian advised. As a rule, magic is efficient in one-against-many battles. ''Alright.'' Fire magic would be especially effective in a ce like this. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv6.¡¹ I intended to shoot a fireball. From the me I created in the air. Tick. There was such a sound, and then. In an instant, the entire space caught fire. Like a gas explosion. No, it was a gas explosion. Boom boom boom boom boom! Light, explosive sound, and shockwaves swept through everywhere. I was swept up by the impact and flew through the air. The Blood Moles, they must have died en masse. ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole lv18.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole lv12.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole lv21.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole lv9.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole lv18.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole lv5.¡¹ ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole lv10.¡¹ ... ¡¸You have killed Blood Mole Queen lv40.¡¹ And even that Queen. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ My level went up too. ¡¸Heat Resistance proficiency has rapidly increased.¡¹ ¡¸You have gained Shock Resistance lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Pain Resistance proficiency has rapidly increased.¡¹ But, me. Am I not about to die like this? Chapter 128: Im a Sparrow (1) Cough! I coughed. Cough, hack! Something dark, either ash or dirt, spewed from my mouth and nostrils. After coughing for a while, clear mucus finally dripped out. I thought I was going to die. ''How long was I unconscious?'' "About three days." I was startled, "Saaaah!" Pelerianughed. "Just kidding. It was about three minutes." Oh, you scared me. Making unfunny jokes and all that. But I didn''t feel bad about it. I did survive, after all. I quickly checked if my body was okay. And I was horrified. Aack. My body...! My beautiful crystal scales were tattered like rags. Blood was oozing out, of course. "Calm down, it''s just your skin peeling off." Ah, I see. I was thinking it was about time to shed my skin anyway. The explosion''s impact blew away the partially separated molts. ''Still, it hurts a lot.'' But there were indeed injuries. It was a big enough explosion that I was lucky to end up like this. I guess raising my heat resistance a lot until now was effective. I heard a message saying the skill''s proficiency increased... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ... ? Survival [Resistance]: Poison lv7, Bleeding lv4, Pain lv8, Heat lv12, Cold lv1, Petrification lv1, Electric lv1, Impact lv2 [Survival Instinct lv7], [ck Scales lv3], [Swimming lv1], [Breath Holding lv10], [Stealth lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow. Bleeding resistance level increased by 1, heat resistance also increased by 1, and impact resistance lv2 was newly created. The levels of survival instinct and ck scales skills, which rarely increased, also went up by one each. Come to think of it, survival instinct didn''t give me a warning this time either. Is this skillpletely useless? "But you''re still alive, aren''t you?" Pelerian defended the survival instinct. His tone was incredibly kind. I know why this old man is suddenly acting like this. ''Ah, you want me to use magic, right?'' "Yes! Thanks to that, we easily caught them all at once!" But I didn''t expect to almost be grilled snake myself. I had no idea that the stench in this cave was the smell of mmable gas. Well, I think I''ve seen in a scienceic before that gas explosions often ur in mines. "Ahem..." ''Sigh.'' Anyway, the mole rats that were threatening this ce were now roasted to death. The bone crystals were fine, of course, being originally metal. The savory smell made me hungry, but. I first took out the seedling chimera snake. ''So, did you want toe here because of these?'' The chimera snake danced shakily as soon as it came out. I thought it was reacting to the mole rats gathered here, but that didn''t seem to be the case. I took out the mana stone of the mole rat queen, but there was no reaction. Last time it was so greedy for mana stones, why now? Instead, I gobbled up the mana stone myself. ¡¸You consume a 4th-grade mana stone.¡¹ By the way, the mana stone the mole rat queen had was a 4th-grade one. After chewing and swallowing the mana stone, something interesting happened. New buds started to sprout from the seedling chimera snake''s body. A light green tentacle-like thing grew visibly. That''s technically called a tendril. The thin stem that grows as ivy climbs. It extends that to me. ''You want me to hold your hand? Okay.'' I didn''t have hands, but I offered my tail instead. Then the seedling chimera snake''s small tendril grabbed my tail. ¡¸Seedling Chimera lv3 uses ''Empathy lv1''.¡¹ Oh! The tip of my tail felt ticklish. I was a bit tense, but I let the chimera snake do what it wanted. Empathy, that''s a skill it didn''t have before. I focused my eyes and examined the chimera snake. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Seedling Chimera lv3] [Skills] [Sixth Sense lv1], [Perception Expansion lv2], [Absorption Growth lv1], [Leaf Shaking lv4], [Tendril lv1], [Empathy lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Its level had gone up by one again, and skills like tendril and empathy had appeared. And I heard a message that I originally couldn''t hear. ¡¸Using Perception Expansion lv2.¡¹ ¡¸Detecting surrounding magical energy and ore veins.¡¹ This message wasn''t meant for me. It must have been a message the chimera snake should have heard. From what I''ve seen, other people don''t hear kind messages like I do. Maybe it''s because I empathized with the chimera snake. I couldn''t be sure. Anyway, I shared the chimera snake''s senses. I was curious about what kind of skill perception expansion was. It''s as if my senses have be incredibly keen. I could feel all the magical energy and unique mana contained in the surrounding bone crystals. ¡¸Using Tendril lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Using Absorption Growth lv1.¡¹ And the chimera snake brought its tendril to the bone crystal. It started absorbing the magical energy contained in that bone crystal. ¡¸The proficiency of Absorption Growth is rising rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Absorption Growth lv1 has be Absorption Growth lv2.¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency of Absorption Growth is rising rapidly.¡¹ ¡¸Absorption Growth lv2 has be Absorption Growth lv3.¡¹ Aaaagh. The magical energy from the bone crystal rushed in like a flood. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ The seedling chimera snake''s level went up again. The level of absorption growth also increases along with it. The speed of absorbing magical energy became even faster. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ The bone crystal veins that were beautifully shining all around. All those bone crystals lost their light and turned gray in an instant. Chimera! What if you eat everything! ¡¸You are receiving shared magical energy through Empathy lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Seedling Chimera lv7 uses Healing lv1.¡¹ Quite a lot of magical energy was transferred through the seedling chimera snake''s tendril. Moreover, my body''s wounds were healed in a different way from potions. Could it be that you ate up the bone crystals'' magical energy to help me? If so, I guess I should understand. ¡¸Seedling Chimera lv7 has gained the trait ''Bone''.¡¹ I don''t know what it is, but it got a cool trait on its own. But, it seems like a trait a nt shouldn''t have... The chimera snake''s body had grown a lot. Now it had more than five leaves. I gently stroked its leaves. I put the chimera snake back into the subspace. I looked around. ''This is a big problem.'' All these bone crystals have be unusable. I''ll have to keep it a secret that the chimera snake ate them all. After rummaging around for a while, I finally found the tunnel I came through. The initial part hadpletely copsed, but when I dug in a bit, I found the original tunnel still intact. It''s amazing that it didn''tpletely copse. The mole rats were masters of tunnel digging. I crawled through the tunnel diligently. Soon I came to where Dunkel and Manjin were. "Huh, huuuuh!" I''m back! But the dwarves flipped over in surprise as soon as I appeared. Some even tried to swing their pickaxes at me. "W-what kind of state is that!" Dunkel shouted at me like that. What''s wrong with my appearance? But it seemed he wasn''t trying to point out my looks. "Are you okay? Your injuries are serious, potion, we need a potion..." Ah, I see. My body was burnt all over and had blood clots stuck to it, so I must have looked seriously injured. I raised my tail to stop the fussing Dunkel. Manjin carefully asked. "Was there... a nest?" I nodded. "Then, don''t tell me you got hurt like that... fighting?" I nodded again. The dwarves gaped in astonishment. "We thought there was an earthquake. It was that chaotic. What kind of fight did you have?" I took out paper and a pen. I was about to write in detail about my amazing feats, but suddenly remembered that the chimera snake had made all the bone crystals unusable. After thinking for a moment, I wrote. ''Nothing happened.'' "Huh!" Did I gloss over it too much? ''The nest is gone now. I took care of everything.'' I carefully looked at Manjin''s face. "Huh, well. Huh!" His eyes trembled as if moved. "...Thank you." Why are you thanking me so much? I took the chimera snake out of the subspace. ''Chimera, can you heal this injured young dwarf too?'' The chimera snake nodded its leaves. Chapter 129: Im a Sparrow (2) Solion Impel. The capital of the kingdom. As befitting a capital, wealth from all over the kingdom flows into Solion Impel. There are high-end restaurants where a single meal costs as much as a month''s living expenses for an average family of four. There are designer clothing brands that only make custom dresses and suits for nobles. There are also jewelry stores that buy and sell artifacts and gems of considerable value. There was such a building on Purewell Boulevard, which could be called the luxury street of the capital. It''s a three-story building with its exterior decorated with ck ebony wood. The gold-ted sign reads "Daniel & Farrell". A guard in a stylish suit stands watch at the door with a sword at his waist. The level of various magical devices installed for security must also be extraordinary. On the third floor of this building was an expert appraiser from Daniel & Farrell. The appraiser, wearing a purple velvet vest, examined a crown with a magnifying ss. "Hmm..." This man has appraised rare gems and ornaments all his life. It was rare for an exmation toe from his mouth. "This crown belongs to the barbarian tribes of the north. How could it remain in such perfect condition?" And now he examines a small silver knife. "This is a silver knife that a daughter of an influential family in the Empire would use. See the dragon pattern drawn on it? It''s an essory that only ady of very high status could wear. Its value goes without saying, of course." There was a hint of excitement in his tone. The merchant who brought these items just smiled softly and remained silent. "It''s a pity about the gold coins though. Unfortunately, all the patterns are damaged..." Among the items the merchant brought were also gold coins made in an old style. "If these were Seirun gold coins, we could have put them up for auction and gotten four times the gold value." The only w was that the patterns on the gold coins were scraped off as if by a knife. "By any chance, how did you acquire these items..." The appraiser asked cautiously. Actually, such questions are usually taboo. But the jeweler''s desire boiled over and he asked anyway. "Haha." Roil, the merchant who brought the items, just smiled gently. The appraiser immediately apologized. "I''m sorry for my rudeness. Would you like to go down to the reception room? I''ll finish the appraisal and prepare your payment." "Thank you." "How would you prefer to receive the payment? You can take it in gold coins, but it might be quite heavy..." "Half in royal bank notes, half in imperial bonds, please." "An excellent choice. Then, let me escort you." A servant waiting behind led Roil and Amain away. And the appraiser began to examine the items Roil had brought again. A smile spread across his face. The merchant called Roil is not a regr customer who has maintained a long rtionship with Daniel & Farrell. Of course, his membership level is not high, so there will be a hugemission fee. The appraiser will also earn quite a bit of ie. ''No, should I raise his membership level and cut themission fee a little?'' He even had thoughts he rarely had. But he was a trading partner worth it. Despite hearing the name for the first time, somehow there was an air of merchant experience about him. The items he brought were also amazing. It would be nice to maintain a good rtionship going forward. The appraiser was thinking this. Suddenly, someone approached and picked up one of the gold coins. "This looks like a Seirun gold coin." "What...!" Who dares to touch an item the senior appraiser is examining? The appraiser looked up angrily and froze. It was a familiar face. "It seems to have had a preservation spell on it, but the pattern is damaged. Looks like it might be looted goods, doesn''t it?" He was an unremarkable-looking man. He looked tired with shadows under his eyes, and wore sses, which was his distinguishing feature. But the appraiser stiffened. He knew that the man before him belonged to the ''Sparrow''s Nest'', the intelligence agency that could catch even a flying bird. "Looted goods? It could have been legitimately excavated from a dungeon or somewhere simr." "Why deliberately damage the pattern then?" "It''s not unusual for them to be distributed that way..." "Who sold it? Can I meet them?" "That''s not possible." The appraiser tly refused. Daniel & Farrell also buys artifacts and such, so the intelligence agency sometimeses looking like this. But how could he carelessly disclose customer information? "It seems they haven''t been gone long." "I told you I can''t say." "Have they left? Contact information... No. Reception room?" "..." The appraiser just kept his mouth shut. But then the intelligence agent suddenly grinned. "So they''re still in the reception room." No, damn it, how did he figure it out? The appraiser was flustered. This is why dealing with intelligence agents was always difficult. It was as if they could see right through people''s minds just by looking at their facial expressions. The agent immediately turned around. "Wait! Please don''t..." "Oh." This time he turned back without smiling. "So it is the reception room." Was he just guessing from the start? The appraiser wanted to punch that expressionless face. Of course, he only imagined it. "...I didn''t tell you." "Of course not." The intelligence agent walked down the stairs, leaving behind the appraiser with a miserable expression. The reception room was on the second floor. It''s a beautifully decorated room befitting the caliber of customers who visit this ce. An oriental imported carpet covers the floor, and gorgeous tapestries hang on the walls. Luxurious sofas and tables are scattered under the chandelier. On this afternoon, there were only two guests in the reception room. Amain and Roil were having a quiet conversation with refreshments in front of them. The agent approached them. Thanks to his trained cold reading skills, he catches numerous pieces of information even in the midst of this. A young man, wearing expensive clothes. But his beard isn''t properly groomed. A face ustomed to smiling. He looks like a merchant, but his skin is tanned. Does he go on trading expeditions himself? He doesn''t seem like someone who woulde across such artifacts. And a child. Not very simr to his father. White skin and cream-colored blonde hair make him look like a child of a noble family. The clothes he''s wearing arepletely new. He''s dropped cookie crumbs, so he hasn''t received etiquette education. Huh. Oh. The agent''s steps came to an abrupt halt. The child is ying with his hands. He might have learned magic. A bright blue mana sphere moves between the child''s fingers as if alive. It''s an surprisingly precise mana control. To have such skill at that age. Is it innate? Of course it must be innate. The man apanying such a raw talent. And selling high-value artifacts. Somehow, their clothing and behavior seem unfamiliar with the ways of the world. The intelligence agent''s previous deductions crumbled like dominoes. And finally, everything fell into ce. They were certain where these people in front of them hade from. "Excuse me..." As the intelligence agent appeared and stood still, Roil asked, seemingly flustered. "Who are you?" The agent clicked their heels together and answered. "I''m a swallow who happened to stop by a swallow''s nest." "What?" Roil''s expression twisted strangely. The agent calmly continued speaking. "You''re from the magic tower, aren''t you? I''m sorry for disturbing your rest." "Ah...?" Chapter 130: The Consequence of Pretty Scales (1) The Intelligence Bureau is essentially a collection of elite bureaucrats. Young people who be royal officials with excellent grades, or outstanding graduates from military academies, receive a careful proposal if they have sufficient patriotism and no disqualifying factors. After that, they gain the qualification to enter the Intelligence Bureau through several tests and interviews. Nevertheless, there aren''t many subordinates trusted by the Director of Intelligence. To the Director, they all seem like young upstarts full of hot air. It might be considered excessive criticism, but no one dared to point this out to the Director of Intelligence, who was one of the Eight Heroes of the Kingdom. Ashton was one of the few subordinates who had earned the trust of such a Director. He had even contributed to naming the ck Snake King. Ashton''s strength lies in his deductive ability based on astounding observational skills. However, because his mind works so quickly, he sometimes reaches absurd conclusions on his own. In fact, his superior, the Director of Intelligence, quite enjoys Ashton''s mistakes. Regardless of the sess or failure of the work, he says it''s hrious to watch. The Director would have probably burst intoughter if he had seen Ashton mistaking Roil and Amain for people from the Magic Tower. "Haha, what a mistake. How embarrassing." Fortunately, that misunderstanding could be cleared up quickly. Ashtonughed with an awkward expression. "Why did you think so? Haha." Roil alsoughed and offered refreshments. "The clothes you''re wearing, they''re tailored suits from Tailorbillo on Purewell Boulevard, right?" "... How did you know?" "It might sound silly to say now, but I have a good eye for detail. And Tailorbillo is apany contracted with the Magic Tower. Mages whoe to the capital wear new clothes tailored at Tailorbillo." Ashton had his reasons for his deduction. His inference that they were mages from the Magic Tower wasn''t baseless. "Above all, your son''s magical talent seems exceptionally outstanding. I thought you must be from the Magic Tower." A broad smile appeared on Roil''s face. No parent would dislike praise for their child, especially if the praise came from an Intelligence Bureau agent. There were things Ashton didn''t mention. Amain''s behavior seemed decidedlymon no matter how you looked at it. He didn''t mention that it wasmon for the Magic Tower to practically kidnap young and talented individuals and exploit them. ''This has actually be more interesting.'' Ashton smiled slightly. Then he threw out a statement that shattered the warm atmosphere that had prevailed until now. "How did you acquire those gold coins and artifacts?" "Pardon?" "There were ancient artifacts mixed in. And by kingdomw, the distribution of ancient artifacts must be managed through proper procedures. It''s under our Intelligence Bureau''s jurisdiction." Ashton said, still with a smile on his face. "How did you obtain these items?" "That''s..." "I have..." Ashton interrupted Roil. "I have a special ability." Suddenly turning serious, he tapped his sses and said, "The ability to see through lies and truth. It might sound impressive, but it''s actually a simple method. People who lie show various signs. They might fidget unnecessarily. Avert their gaze, fiddle with their fingers, or break into a cold sweat. They might even emit a certain odor. In my experience, no one can hide all these signs. Of course, there are signs I haven''t mentioned. So, I''ll ask once again." Polite, but clearly an Intelligence Bureau agent. "How did you obtain these items?" Though disguised as a wealthy merchant, Roil was essentially just a wagon merchant. How frightening must it be for someone like him to meet an Intelligence Bureau agent? Amain also sensed the atmosphere and tensed up. He tightly gripped his father''s arm. "Do I... have an obligation to tell you?" "You do. For your and your son''s sake, absolutely." In the chilly atmosphere. Finally, Roil sighed and said, "Alright. I''ll be honest. These treasures weren''t originally mine." "Then?" "I was originally a wagon merchant. I was on my way to Calea City to sell beer." Amain turned to Roil in surprise. Ashton didn''t miss that. "On the way, I encountered..." Roil said, seemingly troubled. "Dead bandits." "...Bandits?" "Yes. I had heard rumors about bandits appearing near Calea Mountains..." Was there a story about bandits appearing near Calea? There was. Pass for now. "They had these treasures. It seemed they had killed each other fighting..." "Bandits had such treasures..." Is that possible? Well, it''s not impossible, but it''s not usible. Fail. "The one hugging the treasure was a peculiar person. He had a long scar across his head, was as big as a mountain, and had iron shackles on his wrists..." "What was this person''s skin color?" Ashton furrowed his brows. There was a person he was thinking of, hoping it wasn''t the case. And Roil answered. "I think... it was dark brown." The escaped convict Yatus. Wild Dog Yatus. I heard he escaped from prison with fellow inmates, could he have been there? It was quite possible. If Roil was fabricating this story, he wouldn''t have included such provocative details. Then could it be true? Can''t be sure, so pending. "Hmm..." Then, the overall assessment of Roil is. Still, pending. "I see. We''ll have to verify this." Ashton smiled again. I should investigate if Yatus really appeared in Calea City. An escaped convict like Yatus might indeed have such artifacts. He was originally an adventurer, after all. "Ah, yes, of course." Roilughed nervously. A seemingly naive expression. From the beginning, Ashton never had the ability to see through lies. Ashton stood up from his seat. "So, am I... alright then?" Roil asked worriedly. "Well, obtaining items from a dead criminal, isn''t that a blessing from God?" "Ah..." "Have a pleasant journey in the capital. Here''s my business card." Despite his earlier threatening tone, Ashton bowed lightly. As he was about to leave, he turned his head as if he had just remembered something. "Ah, your son''s magical talent is real. Do you n to enroll him in the Academy or the Magic Tower?" "The Academy seems better. As for where to go..." "Well, there''s only one top academy in the kingdom. I graduated from there too." Ashton said, looking at Amain. "School Emerald. I rmend that ce." With those final words, Ashton left. Only after he hadpletely gone did Roil sink back into the sofa. "Whew." I thought I was going to die from nervousness. Thinking that. Amain tightly held his father''s hand, as if he had gone through a lot. "... I wonder how he''s doing." The snake that went into the mine. He must be struggling too. The dwarves wouldn''t quietly ept a snake monster that suddenly appeared. "Shall we go, Amain?" "Yes." Even so, a contract is a contract. They will return to Calea to meet the snake again. Chapter 131: The Consequence of Pretty Scales (2) The chimera snake''s healing worked differently from potions. The way potions work is to maximize the self-healing power of the subject. The difference between high-grade and low-grade potions is just the difference in efficiency, but the fundamental principle is the same. That''s why there are cases where pouring potions doesn''t heal. The youngest dwarf with damaged internal organs was especially such a case. After consuming a certain amount of potion, its efficiency drops rapidly. But the healing of the seedling chimera snake used the life force that the chimera snake possessed. Thanks to that, the youngest survived. The dwarf who had run outside brought a stretcher and others, and the youngest was safely carried out. The rest of the personnel walked out with tired expressions. Fighting with monsters was much more exhausting than mining work. Everyone''s body was soaked in blood. That''s why. I noticedte that Dunkel was injured. "Saak!" Hey, you! Blood was dripping from Dunkel''s side. How could I not notice that even if his clothes were soaked in blood. I thought he might have been trying to act cool, but that wasn''t it. "Uwaaa!" Seeing him scream such a frivolous scream as soon as he realized he was injured. Fortunately, the wound wasn''t deep. The dwarves'' potions had already been used up on the youngest. I decided to share some of the potion I had, reluctantly. It seemed a blood mole had bitten Dunkel''s side. Luckily, the wound healed quickly after sprinkling a little potion. "I, I was so focused I didn''t even know I was bleeding." Tsk tsk, this dimwit. I nced around, wondering if the other dwarves wouldugh at him again. But no one wasughing. Rather, when they made eye contact with Dunkel, they lowered their heads or hadplex expressions. Why did their attitude suddenly change? "Umm..." The young dwarf who had been cursing Dunkel until this morning approached. "I''ll support you." "Huh? Ah, no." Despite Dunkel waving his hand, the dwarf insisted on supporting him. Dunkel looked embarrassed, and the supporting dwarf looked even more embarrassed. What are these guys doing? As I was watching that, Manjin approached me. Then he suddenly took out ham and held it out. "You worked hard." Well, I quickly took and ate it. "Let''s have another drink when we get back." ''Sounds good!'' I''m looking forward to it. Fortunately, it didn''t take long to get out of the tunnel. The speed was slow, but it took a little less than an hour. Many dwarves were waiting in the square we arrived at after exiting the tunnel. "Oh! They''re out." "Manjin-!" Perhaps because he had gone out to ask for help. The story that a swarm of blood moles had sprung out of Manjin''s team''s tunnel seemed to have spread widely. "You worked hard." "It''s a miracle that everyone came back alive!" "We should go up and have a drink!" Congrattions came from everywhere along with boisterousughter. Manjin was a person with deep trust among the miners. Most of them sincerely weed his return. Dunkel stood still with an awkward smile. No one weed him. I watched the dwarves from atop Dunkel''s shoulder. Pat pat. I patted Dunkel''s shoulder. Don''t be too intimidated. "Is that Dunkel?" Then, Dunkel''s name was heard from somewhere. Looking back, a slick-looking dwarf was talking while clinging to Manjin''s group. "Seems like they disturbed an innocent blood mole nest. Who did it?" "What do you mean disturbed? They suddenly attacked us." "Really? I thought. Maybe that bastard Dunkel did something stupid." He snickered while cursing Dunkel. "Anyway, you must have had a hard time with that bald bastard suddenly tagging along with you guys. The youngest came out injured, but that bastard looks fine..." "Hey, you bastard!" One of Manjin''s team dwarves grabbed his cor. "Wh-what!" "If you curse or disrespect Brother Dunkel in front of me again, I won''t let it slide." "Why suddenly... Let go!" Oh my. Those guys. They''re better men than I thought. I heard a sniffling sound from somewhere, and when I turned around, Dunkel was swallowing his snot. He must be moved. I was a bit moved too. "What''s with you suddenly, you bastard!" The dwarf whose cor was grabbed suddenly swung his fist. With a thud, Manjin''s team dwarf fell down. "He hit him! He hit him!" "You bastard!" Then Manjin swung his fist and suddenly a fight broke out. "It''s a fight!" "Hahaha!" The fight escted in an instant. These barbaric dwarves. "Saak!" You go too, Dunkel. If you just stand here, you''re not a dwarf. "I, I don''t like fighting..." This pathetic guy. Opportunely, someone was pushed and fell on Dunkel. "Aack!" Then I''ll take revenge for you. I jumped into the midst of the dwarves. == That was quite interesting. I''m talking about the fight. After that day, fortunately, the youngest sessfullypleted treatment. Dunkel had to work hard again because there weren''t many proper doctors among the dwarves. Perhaps because of that, Manjin and his team members no longer treated Dunkel carelessly. The team members called Dunkel "big brother," and Manjin also called Dunkel "brother" again. However, this didn''t mean Dunkel''s position improved immediately. Expecting that would be underestimating the world too much. It''s not easy for someone who was once ostracized by a group to regain their position. I know this well from experience. Still, Dunkel didn''t just sit idle. It had been a month since he first came down to the lower level. Dunkel had be ustomed to mining work, and dwarves other than Manjin''s team also started receiving help from him. Gradually, the number of dwarves who no longer insulted Dunkel increased. And finally, an opportunity to go down to the deep level arose. The deep level is the lowest level of the mine. Not just anyone could enter, and you needed the Meister''s permission to approach Bluebeard. "I don''t think I can be with you when you meet the Mine Lord." ''Well, I''ll manage on my own.'' Dunkel handed the introduction letter he received from Helmut to the gatekeeper of the deep level. It was an introduction letter to be given to the Meister guarding the door of the deep level. Without that letter, he wouldn''t have been able to enter in the first ce. "Meister Jeremiah is a kind person. No need to be too nervous." I came down from Dunkel''s shoulder. Dunkel held out his fist, and I also extended my tail to bump it. ''Thanks for bringing me. Take care of yourself too.'' "Yes, fighting!" After saying goodbye to Dunkel, he left. Then the dwarf guarding the door of the deep level muttered as if curious. "A snake that writes letters. How interesting." ''It''s not that big of a deal.'' "Would you like to have a drink with meter?" Ouroboros ale was currently all the rage in the Red Anvil Mine. The dwarves specifically wanted to drink ale that I had swum in once. I nodded. The dwarf was very pleased. He soon brought me to a room that looked like a waiting room. "You can wait here. The Meister will be here soon." ''Is this Meister Jeremiah the master craftsman who makes swords well?'' Perhaps that dwarf might make my ck iron sword. However, the dwarf who guided me had a strange expression. "Jeremiah isn''t here right now." What? "Instead, there''s another Meister. They''ll be here soon." The dwarf who guided me seemed to be in a hurry for some reason. He left the room with a meaningful parting words. "Above all, be careful." What does that mean? But before I could understand the meaning of those words, the signs began. Thump, thump, thump It wasn''t a sound from elsewhere. It''s the sound of my heart pounding. Tsss tsss tsss- My scales stood on end involuntarily. It''s been a while, but it''s an unforgettable sensation. It''s the effect of the skill ''Survival Instinct lv7'' that I possess. Even when I fell into the mole rat''s nest. Even when I tried to light the gas that was full. This skill that didn''t activate then. Why is it suddenly activating now? Bang bang bang. This time it wasn''t the sound of my heart. Footsteps. It was the sound of a dwarf with a heavy weight running. Before I could find a ce to hide, the door burst open. "A snake-!" A voice as loud as if it had swallowed a train''s chimney. What appeared was a dwarf who looked like a warrior among warriors. Long hair flowing as if there was wind even though there wasn''t. The beard was like wire, reminiscent of the Hegemon King Wu. The height was small like a dwarf, but the solid muscles looked like they might burst. "Y-You!" The dwarf seemed startled to see me. "Oh no..." Pelerian let out a sigh. He seemed to recognize this dwarf. "Run away, that woman is the strongest and worst dwarf warrior in the Red Anvil Mine." ''Wait, what?'' I couldn''t even imagine because of the beard. It was a woman? No, that''s not the important thing. "I''ve never seen such a beautiful snake!" She leaped like a tiger and pounced on me. I was caught before I knew it. Should I bite her hand hard? Her forearms looked so hard that my teeth might break instead. "Perfect scales. I can make a new ne!" "Rozena..." Pelerian, who always looked down on dwarves. He said the dwarf''s identity with a sinking voice. "Meister of essories. The strongest dwarf underground." Crystal snake, save me! Chapter 132: Ah, You Mean Your Celestium Sword? (1) Rozena, the strongest dwarf in the underground. Had she lived on the surface, that epithet would have been "the strongest dwarf above ground." All dwarves in the Red Anvil Mine agreed on this. Although she was old enough to be called an elder without raising eyebrows, she was simply referred to as "Lady Rozena." And for good reason. Her bulging muscles were more robust than those of young dwarves, and both her beard and hair were fiery red without a trace of gray. Apart from her muscles, Rozena''s trademark was her blood-red hair. Rozena loved her red hair and beard immensely. Sometimes she braided it, and usually kept it well-maintained with oil. When someone asked why she cherished her red hair so much, Rozena replied that she liked how blood wouldn''t show on it. As a master craftsman who had risen to the rank of Meister in jewelry making, she even created special beard ornaments adorned with glittering jewels. Emeralds, rubies, and the like dangled from her borate essories. She wore these ornaments even when fighting with an axe, but removed them only when in her workshop. When hammering. When crafting. Only when she needed to pour all her concentration into her work did she forego the essories. ng, ng- The hammer Rozena held wasn''t particrlyrge. Even so, it seemed unbelievable that such a hammer would be used for the delicate work of ne crafting. Sparks flew wildly on the anvil. With each strike of the hammer on the red-hot metal, it miraculously took shape. Normally, this process would require small chisels and files after the metal had cooled. But that only applies to those who haven''t yet reached the level of a master. With each of Rozena''s hammer blows, the pure gold ornament took shape. It was nothing short of mystical. When she plunged the heated pure gold ornament into water, it hissed and bubbled. The finished product was a sun-shaped pendant. Rozena held up various jewels to the pendant - rubies and sapphires the size of fingernails. No matter which gem she used, it looked splendid and beautiful. But Rozena''s expression wasn''t bright. "Tsk." She clicked her tongue boisterously. She picked up the still-warm piece of pure gold and squeezed it tightly. Then. Creak, crunch. Even though pure gold is soft, it''s still a metal that needs to be forged with a hammer. But it bent and condensed far too easily. The veins in Rozena''s forearm bulged visibly. When she opened her hand, the pure gold sun ornament was rolled into a ball. "I don''t like it." She handled the hard metal as if kneading dough. When she put it in water, it hissed and steam billowed out. Meister Rozena had been feeling uneasytely. She wasn''t making progress on her thousandth collection piece, the Sun''s Ne. "It''s not ruby, not sapphire, not emerald. Not even diamond!" She couldn''t decide how to set the jewels for the sun ornament. What gem would be best to express the clear, bright light of the sun? Even a diamond wasn''t enough to convey the sun''s warmth. But using a red gem like a ruby seemed too vulgar and simplistic. She needed a gem that was warm, transparent, and full of vitality. ''Perhaps it''s been too long since I''ve seen sunlight.'' The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. It had been a long time since the mine lord had locked the gates of the Red Anvil Mine. Before that, Rozena too had lived under the sun''s light. The experiences from those days still remained in Rozena''s heart, serving as inspiration. Especially the adventure she had with that entric elf mage... And the surface wine she drank with Blue Beard. "..." Rozena finally put down her hammer. The memories of the past had be a delusion holding her back. The current Blue Beard was no longer the shining young man of the past. Just as Rozena had aged, so had Blue Beard, and dark mes now flickered in his once-clear eyes. This life would repeat until a new mine lord was born. Blue Beard had wanted Rozena to join him in the depths, but she had refused. That''s why she had been focusing solely on her work in this workshop at the entrance to the depths. Today was another ordinary day. At least until she received the introduction letter meant for Jeremiah, who had already gone to the depths. The letter from Helmut contained iprehensible content. ''A snake...?'' She would have to see it with her own eyes to understand. So she went out. And there really was a snake there. A snake with scales that were the perfect material. As if sunlight had been crystallized. "Perfectly beautiful!" She grabbed its body and shouted, so it was natural for the snake to be startled. == It''s strong. What are those hands made of?! My scales are as sharp as des, but they don''t even scratch the dwarf''s calloused hands. How is this possible? "It''s a basic application of mana." Apparently, dwarves use mana too. Even though they''re not knights. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Dwarf Meister Rozena lv???] [Title] Strongest Dwarf Underground [Traits] [Artisan], [Warrior]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wait, why can''t I see her level? Are you a hero too?! Monsters and ''people'' are indeed different. A monster''s strength can be intuitively measured. Higher-grade monsters,rger monsters are stronger. But humans, elves, dwarves - their strength can''t be measured by appearance alone. "You''re overestimating human heroes." Pelerian calmly said, as if he wasn''t the one fighting. "That dwarf woman has achievements that wouldn''t lose to heroes. She once took down ten wyverns with just a hammer." That''s practically Thor! Every time I attacked, the dwarf named Rozena blocked with her hands. "Hahaha! How cute!" Isn''t she afraid of venomous snakes? Annoyed, I tried to bite her once, but I kept biting thin air. She wasn''t actually attacking me though. Even when I moved frantically, trying to shed my scales, it was the same. Well, if she''s going to be like this, I have no choice but to draw my sword. At that moment, Rozena''s hand moved at an incredible speed. "Oh!" She caught my scales fluttering in the air with her index and middle fingers. "Pretty, very pretty." Pabababak! She moved her hand like lightning and caught four more scales. "Five, this should be enough." I was startled. I lost my will to fight. Yeah, is there really a need to fight? How nice it would be to get along. "Before you go down to the depths, want toe with me for a bit? I''m going to make a ne with your scales." A human I met before, Langrey, also coveted my scales. I guess crystal scales are pretty. Even a dwarf artisan wants them. ''Alright.'' I nodded and followed Rozena. She really just wanted my scales. "I''ll start by making a simple pendant." It''s my first time watching a dwarf artisan''s work process. Her workshop was right next to the door leading to the depths. She drew out incredibly thin gold threads to make a chain. "Her skill is impressive, as always." Even Pelerian acknowledged Rozena''s craftsmanship. It was instantaneous. A bracelet waspleted. It was a bracelet made with gold thread, with my scales arranged in a flower shape. "Oh, ooh, oh..." She marveled at the craftsmanship of the bracelet she had made. But didn''t she say she was going to make a pendant? Why did she suddenly change to a bracelet? "It''s a decent ne. With this material, I canplete my collection." Then she put the bracelet around my neck. So it was a ne after all! "Saak!" I was surprised and touched. Chapter 133: Ah, You Mean Your Celestium Sword? (2) The ne fit perfectly, as if it had been made for me from the start. She may look scary and act barbaric, but she''s a good dwarf. "You''re going to meet Blue Beard, right?" ''That''s right.'' I took out a notebook and pen and wrote down my answer. Like other dwarves, Rozena was surprised by this. "You''re truly a marvelous snake. May I ask why you want to meet him?" I turned to look at Pelerian. He knows both Rozena and Blue Beard. Pelerian shook his head glumly. It seems it''s better not to tell. "The rtionship between those two was...plicated." ''What does that mean?'' As I kept my mouth shut, Rozena shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it doesn''t matter. Kill him or whatever." She''s a cool woman. "But, you might have troublemunicating." ''Why?'' "Blue Beard is... possessed by fire." Possessed by fire, what does that mean? Pelerian muttered, ''Fire possession?'' ''What''s fire possession?'' "Why do you think underground dwarves dig?" ''...Good question.'' Humans mine to extract and sell ore. In other words, to make money. But the dwarves here don''t seem particrly interested in making money. It feels more like they''re obsessed with the act of digging itself. "It''s instinct. Just like elves want to live in forests. And humans seek power. Dwarves dig to find the best materials and mes." I understand much better now that she puts it that way. But if they''re looking for mes, why do they dig? "If you dig deep enough into a mountain. mese out." There are mes underground? Surely dwarves can''t dig all the way to where magma is, no matter how deep they go. No, that might be a modern person''s prejudice. "It''s not in every mountain. But it might be in Mount Calea. The heart of the mountain..." "The heart of the mountain!" The one who eximed in amazement was none other than Pelerian. What''s the heart of the mountain? "It''s one of the purest mes in the world. It can melt all metals, refine everything, and thus create the best metals." ''Is it better than Celestium?'' "Celestium?" Yes, my Celestium that Blue Beard stole! "It''s a different type, but simr. Even more so in that you can refine muchrger quantities." It certainly sounds impressive. "But, such mes tend to bewitch dwarves. That''s what fire possession is." Rozena''s expression was a bit bitter. Have the dwarves here already found this heart of the mountain? "Who knows. I''m not interested." Rozena was a much kinder dwarf than my first impression suggested. I plucked a few of my scales and gave them to her. She patted my head, then led me to the door to the depths. "It''s going to be very hot down there." "Saak!" Don''t worry. My heat resistance is level 12, after all. "Be careful." And when she opened the iron door leading to the depths. Whoosh- I became a little afraid of the hot wind that blew out from there. I hope this doesn''t make all my scales fall off. "Have a safe trip. Uhahaha!" I didn''t want to show weakness in front of Rozena, who wasughing boisterously. Here goes! I leaped into the depths. == Is this global warming? If it''s not global warming, I can''t understand this situation. Ah, there is one possibility. The dwarves'' mining ability is so incredible that they''ve finally broken through the crust and reached the mantle. Otherwise, this heat doesn''t make sense. No, it''s not even heat anymore. It should be called scorching. It feels like at least 50 degrees Celsius, definitely not a space where living things can survive. ¡¸Your Heat Resistance skill proficiency has increased.¡¹ Just by standing still, my heat resistance increased. If I stay a bit longer, I might even level up. The depths were the bottom floor of the mine. And it wasrger than I had imagined. However, there wasn''t much in terms of proper living spaces, or infrastructure, so to speak. There was a spiral downward slope along the walls, and wells here and there, probably drawing from underground water sources. Surprisingly, the well water was cool, which seemed to be how the dwarves could survive here. "What''s this, a snake?" "Whoa, isn''t that Lady Rozena''s ne?" The dwarves looked at me curiously but didn''t block my way. Surprisingly, they immediately recognized the ne I was wearing as Rozena''s. Just wearing her ne seemed to keep the dwarves from approaching me easily. I wonder how infamous she is. But to be honest, the dwarves here looked a bit scary to me too. That''s because they all had their faces tightly wrapped in white cloth, like mummies. They''re probably trying to protect themselves from the intense heat. Still, since this was my first time here, I had to ask for directions. ''Excuse me, where can I find Blue Beard?'' "A snake writing...!" I''ve already experienced this reaction dozens of times. I was about to respond nonchntly when I jumped in shock. When the dwarf unwrapped the bandages covering his face, the area around his mouth was bright red. Even the inside of his mouth was covered in blood as he grinned. "Cough, cough!" I backed away from him as he coughed. What if it''s some kind of epidemic? "Go to the innermost part. He''ll be out soon." ''Thank you, I''ll be going then.'' I quickly passed by him and went down. I''d heard that a disease was spreading among the dwarves of the Red Anvil Mine these days. Apparently, the dwarves staying in the depths were more likely to be sick. This was my first time seeing it in person. I could quickly figure out where the ''innermost part'' was. The very bottom of the depths. There was another massive iron door there. Nearby dwarves were periodically throwing water on the iron door. Hisssss! The water would evaporate, releasing an enormous amount of steam. Just how hot is it down there? As I stood waiting right in front of it, the dwarves nced at me. But no one tried to stop me or drag me away. Feeling bored while waiting, I asked Pelerian. ''Is Blue Beard very strong?'' "He was weaker than Rozena, but of course he''s strong. He''s the Dwarf Mine Lord, after all." That''s probably why. The dwarves trust their leader. Come to think of it, even I don''t think a single snake could take on the dwarf king and all his close aides. So why am I standing here with such confidence? ''I just need to do exactly as you said, right, old man?'' "Don''t worry." It''s because Pelerian made such a bold im. "He broke his contract with the mage. The moment you speak the words of the promise, he will be your ve." The contract between Pelerian and the dwarf king was that fearsome. One who breaks the promise bes the ve of the other. Well, I don''t need a dwarf ve, so I was nning to reim the Celestium and have him make a sword for me. ''Can I really just show it to him in writing?'' "I told you, it will work!" Since I can''t speak, I double-checked just in case. Bang! At that moment, there was a knock from the iron door leading to the innermost part. Someone was knocking from the other side. Someone shouted. "Open the door-!" The iron door to the innermost part was attached to the floor, so it could be opened with chains and pulleys. As strong dwarves pulled on the chains, the iron door slowly opened. Grrrung. Stairs were revealed. And the dwarves inside. I wonder which one of them is Blue Beard. They all had their faces and bodies wrapped in white cloth, so I couldn''t tell right away. "He''s probably the one holding an object made of Celestium!" Cloud iron. Cloud iron is said to be ck. My gaze stopped on one dwarf. It was the one holding an object made of pitch-ck metal. "That, that one!" That was Blue Beard. And all the scales on my body stood on end. It was because of uncontroble anger. Chapter 134: The Spell of Destruction (1) Blue Beard and his close associates came up from the deepest part. They were the elites of the Red Anvil, including four Meisters and five strong cksmiths. They unwrapped the white cloth covering their bodies. Although it was sweltering even here in the deepyers, it felt cooling out of the deepest part. The cloth was soaked through. They had created cooling water by adding cooling stone powder to cool underground water to maintain the temperature. The method was to soak the white cloth in it and wrap it around their bodies. It couldn''t have been good for their health, but without it, they couldn''t work in the deepest part. The dwarves who entered the deepest part were the elites of the Red Anvil. Warriors among warriors, whose heat resistance had risen as much as possible due to long exposure to hot heat, apanied Blue Beard. Even though they worked with such precautions, their faces and skin were reddened. Blue Beard. True to his name, the lord''s beard was a striking blue color. Once, Rozena had liked it, saying his beard was the color of the sea. It''s amusing to think that none of them had ever seen the sea directly. But was it because of the passage of time? Or because of prolonged exposure to such intense heat? Now his beard was no longer the same blue as before. Scorched and twisted, only a faint dark blue tinge remained. "Whew..." Blue Beard, taking a deep breath, finally noticed themotion. "What''s going on?" "A snake... was looking for you, my lord." A young dwarf exined. Snake? Blue Beard muttered, walking out, and indeed there was a snake. Surprisingly, the snake could speak themonnguage. Itmunicated by moving a pen over a notebook floating in the air. Even Blue Beard, who had seen many wonders, had never seen such a feat. And the snake''s words were even more surprising. "Pelerian, you say?" A name he hadn''t heard in a very long time. Yes, he had made a contract with that fairy magician. Even then, Pelerian was infamous, but at the time, he couldn''t refuse the price the magician offered. "A breach of contract..." Only the old dwarves knew the full details of that contract. The young ones seemed not to understand what the snake was talking about. The notebook in the air turned by itself, and a phrase was written. ''Where is my celestium sword?'' "Ah, you mean the Celestium sword." The room of treasures. When humans discovered Pelerian''s dungeon. Blue Beard and the dwarves came forward and helped dismantle that dungeon. Instead, they secretly pilfered the most precious things hidden in the treasure room during the process. It was unavoidable. Celestium. That metal with incredibly high heat resistance was needed to mine the ''heart of the mountain''. "This..." The item made from it was now hanging at Blue Beard''s waist. "Is this what you''re looking for?" A chain and a bucket. Dirty objects covered in sticky ck stains. This was the current state of the once beautiful Celestium sword. The snake''s scales turned pitch ck. "Hiss, hiss..." The snake roared in anger. "Hissssss!" == Hissssss! May that crazy dwarf who turned the sword into a bucket be cursed. I wondered what a dwarf''s heart would taste like. Thest strand of reason in me barely held me back. Right, I just need to get it back. I''ll demand it from that dwarf again. To melt down that wretched bucket and chain and return it as a magnificent sword. I made my demand as calmly and rationally as possible. ''Give me back my celestium sword right now! You thieves!'' The dwarves were flustered. But Blue Beard neither seemed surprised nor tried to avoid the situation. "Could it be that Heaven Defier is still alive?" ''That''s none of your business. I am the rightful proxy of Pelerian!'' I confidently pressed on as Pelerian had instructed. ''You contract breaker. You dare to vite the contract and steal things? Weren''t you afraid of the consequences?'' "...It seems to be true." Yes, it is true. "I apologize. I''m sorry. I know a single apology can''t make up for it, but I can''t return the celestium." ''Fine, then pay the price for breaking the contract.'' A death sentence for Blue Beard was pronounced. I was about to say the keyword for contract vition. One word that could instantly plunge Blue Beard into a state worse than death. "Not right now, that is. Once the work is done, I can return it immediately. I''ll personally make the best sword with good materials." ''...?'' "You must be curious why I deliberately retrieved the celestium and broke the contract." No, I''m not curious at all? Well then, die. "When you learn the reason, even Heaven Defier will understand. It''s the real heart of the mountain!" "Wait." Pelerian stopped me. Oh, why? "Once you say the keyword, it can''t be undone. Besides, I am curious. Whether that dwarf really found the heart of the mountain. Let''s listen for a bit." Unusually, Pelerian spoke as if trying to soothe me. The magician''s curiosity. There''s no doubt it had been stimted. "Do you want to see? What we''re doing with this celestium." Blue Beard made the offer in a dry tone. I pondered for a moment. And made a decision. ''You''d better not try any tricks.'' "You''ll understand too when you see it. The reason why I took the celestium even while viting the contract." Blue Beard bought some time. But he doesn''t look particrly happy about it. He just shouts with an extremely tired face. "We''re going back to the deepest part! Get ready." "My lord, it''s dangerous. How long has it been since we came out..." "Prepare the cooling water and cloth." Other subordinates tried to dissuade him, but Blue Beard wouldn''t listen. Finally, the dwarves who would enter the deepest part again with Blue Beard gathered. "Bring Jeremiah." Jeremiah was the Meister I was supposed to meet instead of Rozena originally. Was he in this deepyer? And seeing the dwarf that appeared, I was startled. ''He''s like aplete corpse.'' All the dwarves I had met so far looked sturdy. Even Helmut, the old man who was tending pigs with Dunkel, looked old but sufficiently robust. But this old man called a Meister was not. He was skinny, and his hair and beard were sparse. When he coughed, blood came out of his mouth. Anyone could see he was in a state of living on borrowed time. As I stepped back slightly, another dwarf approached me. "Stay still." What? Then he started wrapping me with a white cloth soaked in water. I tried to avoid it in disgust, but it was so cool that I stayed still. "It''ll be very hot in the deepest part, so you''ll need this." I see. He said it was cloth soaked in cooling water. I had entered abat stance, but it deted me a bit. "Open the door-!" Blue Beard shouted. The dwarves pulled the chains of the pulley to open the iron door to the deepest part. Soon, a tremendous heat wave swept in. Woah. ¡¸Your heat resistance is rapidly increasing.¡¹ ¡¸Heat resistance lv12 has be heat resistance lv13.¡¹ In the end, my heat resistance level went up by one more. It would have been much harder without the cloth soaked in cooling water. If it''s this hot for me, will that old man Jeremiah be okay? But he went down the stairs to the deepest part, even while being supported. "The heart of the mountain. Does it really exist?" ''What exactly is that?'' "It''s like a legend of the dwarves." Kuung. The iron door closed. Along with Blue Beard, I had entered the deepest part of Mount Calea. ''The situation is a bit interesting.'' "What do you mean?" ''No, it just seems coincidental.'' I am the ''Heart-eating Snake'' after all. Chapter 135: The Spell of Destruction (2) [On the underground dwarves searching for the heart of the mountain.] Do you know the animal called a beaver? Surprisingly, these mere animals spend their lives building dams. They interweave branches to make dams in rivers, not because anyone told them to, but out of instinct. There''s probably no long-winded reason why these animals build dams. The underground dwarves digging the earth is simr. They want to mine precious minerals and refine them to make even greater things. I judge that the driving force behind dwarves digging deeper into the earth is not much different from that of beavers. In that sense, the ''heart of the mountain'' is simr to the beaver''s ''perfect dam'' Dwarves dig deep into the earth, saying they will find something called the heart of the mountain. Often, they encounter massiveva zones in those deep underground areas. Dwarves believe there is a perfect and pure me in thoseva zones. What they sometimes call the essence of me, the ''fire essence''. The legend says that with it, all metals in the world can be melted and refined, and when it''s solidified and cooled, it bes the best metal. But whether it really exists is debatable. If there really is a ''heart of the mountain'', why can''t we see things made from it? In fact, the heart of the mountain might just be a legend of fire-obsessed dwarves. Once bewitched by fire, dwarves dig deeper and deeper into theva zone. In the end, they burn and sicken in the intense heat, agitate theva vein, and the entire mine is engulfed in mes, that would be the miserable end of a fire-bewitched mine... == "It''s not justva." Blue Beard said. His voice was cracked from the hot and dry air. "I''m not an idiot, I can distinguish betweenva and the heart of the mountain." When I asked as Pelerian told me to, that''s what he replied. "The purest fire is in thevake down there. If we dig deeper, we''ll surely unearth the heart of the mountain." What do you intend to do after finding this heart of the mountain? When I asked that, Blue Beard gave me a look as if he couldn''t understand myck ofprehension. "We can do anything. We''ll take it to the surface. A kingdom of dwarves will be born." Come to think of it, dwarves are also a race without a kingdom. At least elves have strongholds like the Great Forest and the World Tree, but dwarves are scattered all over the world. "We''ll move the heart of the mountain to the surface and create a massive furnace. Dwarves from all over the continent will gather. To see the primordial forge." It seems it''s not just digging because they like it. Blue Beard had ambitions too. ''The primordial forge?'' "I mean the legendary forge where all metals in the world can be melted and refined with the fire essence." I thought he''d be burning with madness since they said he was fire-bewitched, but Blue Beard was calmer than expected. Of course, the ambition to establish a kingdom was by no means modest. To think there was another king-disease patient here, when we already have Nanaluk who wants to establish a goblin kingdom. "I don''t intend to be king. I''ll just excavate the heart of the mountain and step down. That''s my calling." If that''s true, then he''s not a king-disease patient. Though his mind might change when the timees. Eventually, I reached the center of the deepest part. There was a circr cliff like a huge well, and avake could be seen far below. "The heart of the mountain is in there." It''s incredibly hot. ¡¸Your heat resistance proficiency is rapidly increasing.¡¹ Even the cloth soaked in cooling water is getting hot. Just being nearby feels life-threatening. "This is why we need celestium. Most metals would melt the moment they go down there." Blue Beard said he made chains and buckets with celestium, and used the rest to make hammers and such. "I''ll show you how to extract some of the fire essence. You need to see the potential that the heart of the mountain holds." After having his subordinates hold the iron chains, Blue Beard threw the bucket down there. The bucket fell onto thevake. Of course, instead of sinking, it floated. How does he intend to scoop up the heart of the mountain? But, thatvake just looks like ordinaryva. Just as I thought that, Blue Beard seemed to sense my inner thoughts and said. "Look closely. That''s justva. The heart of the mountain is inside it." The atmosphere I sense from his voice is somewhat ominous. I became a bit wary, worried he might suddenly push me off. "You have to watch carefully, it''ll be very brief." "Saaak." Alright, just don''te close. Pelerian also stood beside me and carefully looked down. "What on earth is supposed to be there?" Seeing nothing, I turned back to Blue Beard. He was embracing the old dwarf called Jeremiah. What is he doing? "You''ve worked hard, Jeremiah." "This old and sick body. It''s a joy to be used like this. Cough." Blue Beard didn''t mind even as blood from Jeremiah''s mouth stained him. "Let me help you." "If you would..." Jeremiah walked step by step and stood in front of the cliff. And then an unbelievable thing happened. Blue Beard pushed that sick dwarf without hesitation. The fall wasn''t long. Without even a ssh, the dwarf''s body was swallowed by the bright redva. Hiss! Smoke rose from that spot. ''W-what are you doing!'' I screamed in surprise. But the dwarves didn''t. They approached the edge of the cliff and looked down, as if waiting for the appearance of something rare. Whoosh! An orange me shot up from the surface of thevake. It was clearly something different fromva. It was as if a hellish monster was flicking its tongue. That light bursting forth reflected in the dwarves'' eyes. No one spoke. They just stared at the dance of that me with dazed expressions. Blue Beard finally broke the silence. "Isn''t it... beautiful?" His voice was choked with tears. "Look at that me. It''s the purest me in the world..." Beautiful...? Not at all. Not beautiful at all. To my eyes, it just looked like a me. "He''s mad, fire-bewitched indeed." Pelerian clicked his tongue. Blue Beard, who had seemed sane until now, now looked truly insane. I finally understood what fire-bewitchment meant. "But, it is indeed a beautiful me ¡¤¡­¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤." But Pelerian''s voice sounded a bit strange too. He was staring at the continuing dance of mes with a nk expression. What''s so beautiful about it? No matter how closely I looked, I couldn''t feel any such sentiment. It was then. That I heard a message I''d heard a few times before. ¡¸Due to the trait ''Indomitable'', you are immune to mental attacks.¡¹ Ah. I see. Now I understand. ''That''s a bewitching fire.'' It''s not that they''re bewitched because they''re dwarves. Whatever is below thatvake was a me with real danger. "Saaak!" "Huh, you startled me, w-what is it!" The negotiation is over. To think they plotted to bewitch even me. Give me back my celestium sword right now. Blue Beard clicked his tongue. "To not understand that beauty even after seeing it directly. You''re just a lowly creature." Lowly creature. That''s the word I hate the most. "Catch that snake and throw it down!" Blue Beard revealed his true colors. I didn''t hesitate and tried to write the keyword with my notebook and pen. Hiss! But the pen''s ink bubbled and caked. The notebook turned yellow and finally caught fire. "Got you!" In the meantime, one of the dwarves pounced on me. It doesn''t matter if the pen and paper disappear. I can use another pen and paper. "Ugh!" I tied up the ankle of the charging dwarf and made him fall t. On top of the fallen dwarf''s buttocks, I pulled out the dagger Ashura and swung it. Chik, chiiik- chik! "Aagh!" The dwarf screamed in searing pain. Letters were engraved on his bottom. Blue Beard read those letters too. What a fool, it wouldn''t have worked if he had kept his eyes closed. "Ugh!" Blue Beard''s body froze stiff. A punitive runic word, demanding the price for breach of contract. I shouted it once more in my mind. ''Barus!'' Chapter 136: Ex-Girlfriend, Ex-Boyfriend (1) "Barus!" At that, Pelerian corrected me. "It''s not Barus, it''s Baras. Why say it differently when you wrote it correctly?" ''Just felt like it, that''s all.'' Though the pronunciation was Baras, I just wanted to try shouting Barus. Rune words themselves possess magical power. Bluebeard was bound by the contract he made with Pelerian. Heaven Defier Magician Pelerian had made it so that he could collect the penalty with just one rune word. It was a terrifying contract that could turn the Dwarf Mine Lord into a ve just by speaking the rune word ''Baras''. ''But why did Bluebeard agree to such a terrifying contract?'' "People are always different going into the bathroom thaning out, aren''t they?" ''What a crude analogy.'' "That''s how the world works. People''s attitudes are different when borrowing money versus paying it back. That foolish dwarf truly believed he would never vite the contract." Pelerian wasn''t just old in appearance - he had plenty of real-world experience. Having seen all sorts of unsavory things, he certainly had a cynical side. "But situations change, and when he needed the Celestium, he probably just vited the contract thinking I was dead." ''Hooh.'' "And above all..." Pelerian said shamelessly. "He probably didn''t know one rune word could reduce him to this state. I carefully hid the relevant uses in the contract." ''Gasp.'' How very Pelerian-like. Whatever the case, his cunning arrangements were now of great help to me. Bluebeard had frozen like a wax figure. ''Raise your hands, Bluebeard!'' At mymand, he raised both hands with stiff, mechanical movements. It felt simr to when I ''dominated'' monsters. ''Wow, how does this work?'' "It''s simr to having one''s soul mortgaged in a contract." ''...Isn''t that demonic?'' "How did you know? That''s exactly the method demons often use." Complete Lucifer. Pelerian was someone who believed tools and methods required no value judgments. I ordered Bluebeard to pull up the chains and bucket. Bluebeard pulled up the Celestium bucket without a word. Hiss- Droplets of sweat instantly evaporated as they fell on the chains. It really was as hot as hell here. It wouldn''t be strange if demons lived somewhere around. "Uh... are you alright?" "Mine Lord." The dwarves were bewildered by Bluebeard''s sudden docility. But Bluebeard just kept pulling the chains silently. Getting cocky now. I now held the power of life and death over their king! I proudly held my head high before them. The mummy-like dwarves could only watch helplessly. ''There''s no chance the domination will break, right?'' "Didn''t I tell you? It''s no different from having his soul mortgaged. The magic won''t break until Bluebeard dies." In that case, I should recover the remaining Celestium besides the bucket and chains, and have weapons made with it. I also need to firmly tell them to stop barbaric acts like human sacrifices. However, something caught my sharp observation. Bluebeard''s arms were trembling slightly as he pulled the chains. Was it because the chains he was holding were hot? But by the time he had almost pulled up the bucketpletely, even his lips started trembling. Bluebeard''s lips quivered as he uttered a word. "...Ah." "Yes?" "...Ca-catch." This is ominous. "Catch... the, snake." The dwarves'' gazes turned to me. I quickly ordered Bluebeard. ''Shut up! And hand over the bucket to me!'' Themand worked. Inside the bucket was a mysterious orange me. It wasn''t likeva. It was clearly the same me that had been dancing on thatvake. Bad fire that entrances dwarves and attacks their minds. The bucket had a rattling lid attached. I quickly closed the lid and locked it. The Celestium''s heat resistance must be impressive - though hot, it was bearable. But Bluebeard wouldn''t let go of the chain he was holding. ''Let go!'' "Must... catch...!" He shouted while bleeding from his mouth. Only then did the dwarves rush at me. The situation was obvious. Contrary to Pelerian''s confident ims... Bluebeard was gradually breaking free from the magic''s control. "Th-this can''t be!" ''What, wasn''t this supposed to be unbreakable magic?!'' Could this dwarf perhaps have Mental Power of around 19? "This isn''t a contract that can be broken by mere Mental Power. It''s literally a contract bound to the soul!" No matter how much Pelerian protested, the current situation was clearly reality. I bit down hard on Bluebeard''s hand. Then I injected an appropriate amount of neurotoxin. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Dwarf Mine Lord Bluebeard Lv159] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ He''s definitely stronger than me, that''s for sure. He probably won''t die. Well, I don''t care if he does. Only then did Bluebeard let go of the chains. I put the bucket and chains into my subspace as they were. Little snake, this is dangerous so don''t touch it! "Uwaaaaah!" And finally, Bluebeard broke free from the contract''s magic. He lunged at me. I dodged by diving past his side. A dwarf who had tried to catch me from behind got tangled up with Bluebeard. Ah! I almost fell into thevake. Behind me was thevake. And in front were dwarves trying to block my escape. Bluebeard grabbed his bitten wrist and roared. "Catch-!" "Aaaargh!" And I shouted back. ''Protect me, Bluebeard!'' It seems some control still remained. Instead of rushing at me, Bluebeard struck down his subordinate. The hit dwarf tumbled to the ground. I didn''t miss that opening and broke through the encirclement. ¡¸Using eleration Lv7¡¹ It''s not something to be proud of, but... Running away has been my specialty since way back. The problem was how hot this ce was. ''I feel like I could even enjoy swimming right now.'' Even swimming, which I hate the most, would feel pleasant right now. The dwarves shouted and chased after me. Bluebeard too seemed to havepletely broken free from my control. I was about to grumble at Pelerian again but held back. He himself seemed most shocked by what happened. "Was the contract iplete from the start? No, if that were the case, the rune word wouldn''t have worked at all. Then was there a structural w in my contract design... Rather than that, it''s more likely the dwarf had some countermeasure. But how?" He kept muttering to himself, seemingly having taken a big hit to his pride. But how Bluebeard broke free from Pelerian''s magic wasn''t important. What mattered most now was escaping from those fire-entranced dwarves. Chapter 137: Ex-Girlfriend, Ex-Boyfriend (2) I climbed the stairs frantically. The door connecting the deepest level to the deep level was closed. I crashed into the door, almost throwing myself at it. Bang, bang bang! If I knock like this, they''re supposed to open the door from outside. Sure enough, the door creaked open. I shot through that door gap. "Uwaaaah!" The dwarves pulling the pulley chains to open the door were startled. They probably didn''t expect me to suddenly burst through. When they lost grip of the chains, the partially opened door mmed shut again. An idea urred to me. Wouldn''t it be good to make it so they can''t open the door at all? I took out the dagger Ashura and struck the chains connected to the pulley. ng! The chain showed no signs of breaking. Damn, these dwarves are unnecessarily good at making things. Instead, I hung from the pulley fixed above. Contracting all my muscles while pulling on the pulley... Crack. The pulley broke. "Wh-what are you doing!" I ignored the dwarves'' shouts. Bang! A loud noise came from the door below. Bluebeard and the dwarves had arrived at the door. You can''t open it, so just get steamed like dwarves down there. But it was too early to feel relieved. Creeak, creeeak! Dwarves are an incredibly strong race after all. Bluebeard and his subordinates were managing to open the door in an overhead press position. I turned without looking back. Escaping the deep level. Up, and up again. "Catch that snake!" They had finally crawled up from the deepest level. This time even other nearby dwarves joined the chase. A dwarfing down took an awkward stance with arms spread to block me. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap Lv3¡¹ A bright red hole would have been punctured in the poor dwarf''s chest... but wasn''t. I just grazed past his neck. The dwarf copsed, clutching his nape as if chilled to the bone. Past him, the door to the deep level came into view. The door connecting the deep level to the level above operates by gravity. That is, you have to turn something like a cart wheel to open it, and the moment you cut that string, the iron door ms shut. "Close the door!" The dwarf guarding the open door was dozing off. And Bluebeard shouted again. "Close it, you idiot!" An axe flew whirling over me and crashed into the wall with a bang before falling. That startled the dozing dwarf awake. "Clo-sing!" He hurriedly turned the cart wheel. The door began to close with a groaning sound. I made my body move faster. And another axe flew from behind. ng! The chain supporting the door broke in one hit. The heavy iron door surrendered to gravity and descended. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap Lv3¡¹ I threw my body through the narrowing door gap in a roll. Crash! My tail almost got cut off. But this was clearly my victory. With the chain for lifting the door broken, I''d bought more time. Behind me, the iron door kept banging. Bluebeard''s angry shouts could also be heard. "What''s going on!" The one who appeared shouting thunderously was Rozena. Ah, I don''t think I can beat her... I had three choices. Defeat Rozena and escape. Or slip past her and escape. Well, the first two don''t seem possible. There was a third option though. ''Bluebeard has gone mad!'' Tell her what I saw. ''He pushed an old dwarf named Jeremiah into a fire pit. He''spletely insane. Says he''s going to dig out the mountain''s heart to build a dwarf kingdom...'' "Wh-what?" I honestly exposed Bluebeard''s atrocities. Well, notpletely honestly - I exaggerated a bit. "This is bad!" Suddenly Pelerian shouted. "That woman used to date Bluebeard!" ''What?'' Gasp, could it be. ''Are they still dating?'' "Well... who knows?" If they broke up then it''spletely fine. Maybe they still have lingering feelings for each other? Looking at Rozena''s expression told me everything. Her face waspletely scrunched up. "That bastard Genzero..." Ah, looks like they definitely broke up. And not on good terms either. Seems Bluebeard''s name was Genzero. "I kept waiting thinking he''de to his senses someday but in the end..." ''You believe me?'' "Yes." Rozena rolled up her sleeves revealing robust muscles. Then she gripped a small hammer that didn''t match her bulk. I was worried she''d strike me with it, but she just handed it over. "Snake, you said you came with Dunkel?" ''Yes.'' "Take this." Rozena''s hammer was slightly worn but excellent. Looking closely, its intricate decorations were extraordinarily beautiful. A splendid item befitting a Meister''s status. "Meet up with Dunkel and find Helmut. Tell him I sent you." Helmut - I thought he didn''t seem like an ordinary old man. "Tell him we need to install a new mine lord since that bastard Genzero has finally lost it." Rozena patted my head. I nodded and put the hammer in my subspace. "Now, go!" I was already wanting to run away quickly. I fled, leaving Rozena behind. All I could do was hope she''d give Bluebeard a good beating. == Rozena watched the departing snake. While the snake might have felt like a sudden disaster to Bluebeard Genzero, to Rozena, well... Rather, wasn''t it a lucky snake that appeared in the declining mine? She checked her tools. She had many threatening tools besides the hammer she gave the snake. There were knives, andrge hammers that could be used as warhammers. But she couldn''t use weapons. Yes, this should be enough. Rozena picked up a pillow she used when sleepy. Bang- Crash! There was a loud noise from the door connected to the deep level. Bluebeard had finally opened that door. He and his close associates crawled through the slightly opened door gap. "Ha." Watching this, Rozena let out a hollowugh. "You used to have a decent face at least..." Bluebeard''s appearance was terrible. Face flushed bright red. White cloth sticking to his body, soaked with sweat. Curled and twisted beard and hair. "Genzero." "...Rozena?" Bluebeard must have been somewhat surprised to see Rozena waiting with a pillow on her shoulder. "Seen a snake?" "Haven''t seen it, you bastard. What are you doing down there?" "Huu..." Former lovers meeting after a long time. Bluebeard sighed looking at such a Rozena. "Rozena, you." "Yeah?" "You know you''ve been an exhausting type since the old days until now?" "You..." A vein popped on Rozena''s forehead. "You bastard!" Chapter 138: Fire Attribute Plant (1) "What nonsense are you spouting? After pulling such a stunt. Seems like you''ve got mes instead of brains in your head. Should I make a hole to let out some pressure?" Rozena twirled the wooden pillow in her hand. For any dwarf who knew her strength, this was not a statement that could be taken as a joke. "Step aside, Rozena. This is an order from the Mine Lord." Blue Beard Genzero spoke coldly. "Do you think you''re the king?" "But I am the master of this mine." The Mine Lord of the dwarves is not a king. Due to their racial characteristics, dwarves do not absolutely obey or pledge loyalty to the Mine Lord. It''s different from humans. However, residents of the mine have an obligation to follow the orders given by the Mine Lord. Rozena knew this well. "I''m sorry, but this is my workshop. And a Meister has the right to drive out intruders in their own workshop." She spoke while tapping the wooden pillow. "Are you saying you''re working right now?" "Yes, I was in the middle ofpleting my final collection." On her workbench, there was indeed an unfinished ne. The thousandth collection, the Sun''s Ne. "You will neverplete that collection." Blue Beard didn''t back down either. For a moment, their gazes shed in mid-air. Rozena looked into Blue Beard''s eyes. Deep-set, pitch-ck eyes. She couldn''t see those clear eyes from before. It had been a very long time since she had directly faced Blue Beard. It must have been over 5 years already. But in that time, Blue Beard had changed so much. So the snake was telling the truth, she thought. He''s truly entranced by the fire. Unavoidably, a sticky and damp emotion swept through Rozena''s heart. It was an illusion, a delusion. Weren''t they once in love? Although they had grown old and changed so much... "Draw your weapons. Meister Rozena has refused the Mine Lord''s order." At that moment, Blue Beard ordered his subordinates. They were dwarves who followed him as the Mine Lord''s closest aides, but for a moment, they looked at their lord in confusion. "Can''t you hear? Draw your weapons and subdue Meister Rozena." Maces, war hammers, battle axes. Unlike other dwarves, Blue Beard''s close aides carried such weapons. "If it''s not convenient, you may kill her." Blue Beard''s order fell. "Ha." Rozenaughed. And her face contorted like a ferocious demon. Drawing weapons. Among dwarves of the same mine, this was unimaginable. The dwarves who had drawn their war hammers and axes approached Rozena stealthily. The look in their eyes was also unusual. Rozena realized that Blue Beard wasn''t the only dwarf entranced by the mes. "Hup!" An axe came flying. It was a strike with sufficient killing intent. If that''s the case, there''s no choice. Rozena moved like lightning as well. She struck the dwarf''s crown with the wooden pillow in her hand. Crack! The wooden pillow shattered, and the dwarf who had been swinging the axe fell face-first, spewing a nosebleed. In an instant, the other dwarves who were about to charge hesitated. Rozena''s fighting spirit was that terrifying. "Genzero." Rozena was smiling, but a single tear rolled down from her eye. "This is thest tear I''ll shed for you." "..." Blue Beard silently drew his axe. "Attack all at once. Don''t let your guard down!" And the battle began. Rozena was indeed the strongest dwarf in the Red Anvil Mine. Although it had been a long time since she had been on the battlefield, her martial prowess remained. Despite being barehanded after her wooden pillow broke, she subdued two dwarves in an instant. But she didn''t use lethal force. The other dwarves, however, charged at Rozena with the intent to kill. Especially Blue Beard, who was strong enough to be a match for Rozena. Gradually, wounds increased on her body. The mace that struck her leg was critical. Crack! With a spine-chilling noise, Rozena''s body staggered. That was the deciding factor in the battle. The sturdy hands of the dwarves pounced on Rozena. She was restrained in an instant. "Phew..." Blue Beard exhaled. He ordered one of his subordinates. "Gamin, bring the essence of the me." "Yes!" And Blue Beard stood silently next to Rozena. He remained motionless even as Rozena hurled harsh curses at him. The dwarf who had gone back to the depths returned. For a moment, Rozena felt the air in the room heat up intensely. An orange me flickered, casting shadows. "Rozena, you said I was talking nonsense. Youughed at the idea of finding the heart of the mountain." "Idiot." "See for yourself. The essence of the me I''ve found." Blue Beard pressed his knee against Rozena''s back and forcibly lifted her head. In front of her face was a torch. A beautiful, abnormally orange me that writhed like a living creature. "Look." Blue Beard''s voice hissed like a snake''s whisper. Rozena''s pupils dted. Truly, it was a me that exuded a demonic aura. As if it could melt anything, like a devil licking its lips... Crunch. Rozena bit the inside of her cheek. The taste of blood and pain snapped her back to her senses. "Ptui!" She spat out flesh and blood, and tightly shut her eyes. "Tsk." Blue Beard roughly released her head. As her face hit the ground, Rozena thought. She should have taken up arms. She should have faced them armed. ''Pure me, the heart of the mountain?'' It wasn''t that. Instinctively, she noticed the malevolence of that me. Where was the fate of the Red Anvil Mine heading... Blue Beard had dug up something evil from the earth. == "I suspect it might be rted to demons." That was Pelerian''s analysis. "There''s something called a fire demon. It''s a type of demon." ''Aren''t demons originally horned monsters with ck or red skin?'' "Not necessarily. Demons are countless in variety and have no fixed form. There are also amorphous demons that are closer to natural phenomena." It seemed that demons actually existed in this world. I had met someone who imed to be a demon''s minion before. When I entered Deshnan''s house, it suddenly entered my mind and came out with my mucus. "If one''s soul has already been taken by a demon, the magic of a contract that held the soul as coteral might not work." That was the basis of Pelerian''s judgment. Originally, we could have controlled Blue Beard as a puppet for viting the contract. But Blue Beard had broken free from the influence of the magic too easily. ''So what does that demon want to do by entrancing the dwarves?'' "Once involved with demons, there''s only destruction." Pelerian spoke in a serious tone. It seems demons are bad guys in this world too. Actually, I had thought about the possibility that demons might unexpectedly be good. Why not? Among the monsters feared by humans, there are some good ones. Like Mrs. Gori, a kind-hearted monster, couldn''t there be nice demons too? "That''s quite a foolish thought." Pelerian stated firmly. "Demonse in various types, but they all crave blood and souls alike. In the end, their goal is probably to enthrall the other dwarves and burn all the dwarves in this mine to death." I remembered the scene of Blue Beard pushing that old and sick dwarf into thevake. If that''s the case, it''s a big problem. ''Then who''s going to make my Celestium sword?'' I still haven''t recovered about half of the Celestium. Moreover, only dwarves can refine Celestium, and only master-level Meisters at that. If I miss this chance, who knows when I''ll be able to get a Celestium sword. "That''s true." Blue Beard, no, that curly beard was very displeasing. I immediately went to find Dunkel, as Rozena had advised. Chapter 139: Fire Attribute Plant (2) Dunkel was surprised to see me return so quickly after saying goodbye. He had grown quite close to Manjin. Thanks to that, he was staying with the Tral n, to which Manjin belonged. The Tral n was led by a big-nosed dwarf named Tral, so it was like, well, a gang of sorts. "What...?" I told Dunkel and Manjin everything that had happened to me. The Tral gang also gathered around. They had shared drinks and friendship with me before. I had no doubt that if they heard what I''d been through, they would all be outraged together. "Lord Blue Beard..." "No way, he pushed Master Jeremiah into the fire pit!" They were incredibly shocked. Well, it was unbelievable even to me. Alright, now that I''ve told you everything, go and overthrow him quickly. Raise the red wind of revolution in the Red Anvil Mine! However, unexpectedly, the mes of revolution didn''t ignite immediately. "I can''t believe it. This isn''t a joke..." Most of the dwarves frowned. Especially Tral, the boss of the n, had the worst reaction. "Master Jeremiah taught me how to handle a pickaxe. There''s no way he would jump into a fire pit of his own ord. It''s nonsense." ''No, that''s not it. I''m telling you Blue Beard pushed him when he fell!'' "Lord Blue Beard is the Mine Lord! Why would he do such a thing!" Tral bellowed. "The joke has gone too far. You, if you weren''t a snake but a dwarf, I wouldn''t have let you off so easily." Tral punched the wall with a dissatisfied look. I was deeply hurt. It felt like being the boy who cried wolf. And hey, do you want to fight me? If Tral throws a punch at me, I could just dodge it and bite his nape right away. Or I could physically steal his heart. Of course, I won''t do such things because we''re friends. I have a few items that could make them believe my words. I was about to show them the hammer I received from Rozena, but Tral had already left with his minions. That jerk! Making a snake feel embarrassed. "This is..." Dunkel was also at a loss. Fortunately, Dunkel and Manjin''s group remained here. ''Do you guys believe me?'' Dunkel nodded gravely. And Manjin stepped in to defend Tral. "Don''t hate Brother Tral too much. Lord Blue Beard and Master Jeremiah raised Tral." ''Really?'' "Brother Tral doesn''t have parents. Instead, those two who didn''t have children raised him like a son." Hearing that, it seems there was such a rtionship. If so, it''s an even more tragic situation. "There was talk that Brother Tral might be the next Mine Lord. We haven''t met Lord Blue Beard and Master Jeremiah since they went into the depths, but... That''s why Brother Tral has been very troubledtely." Probably since those two became entranced by the demon''s fire. ''Tral and the others will soon find out too. Blue Beard will havee after me.'' I hope Rozena stopped him well. "This is truly the worst situation. I didn''t know fire entrancement could be this terrifying." I told Dunkel about Pelerian''s conjecture as he muttered. "A demon..." "What?" Dunkel''s face turned pale, while Manjin''s attitude was that it was too ridiculous a story. Yeah, you''ll understand when you see it directly. In my subspace, I had that me that had entranced the dwarves. It wasn''t a problem for me since I''m immune to mental attacks, but... well, I could just show it briefly and close the lid again. I took out the Celestium bucket and chains I had put in my subspace. ''Alright, everyone, squint your eyes.'' "Squint our eyes? Like this?" ''Yeah, because I brought that strange me. Just peek a little. Otherwise, you might get entranced by the fire too.'' Although they looked dubious, both Manjin and Dunkel squinted. And I was about to open the lid of the bucket. ''Huh.'' "Oh?" Both I and Pelerian hesitated. There was a green tendril attached to the bucket. ''Chimera Seedling, what are you doing...?'' The Chimera Seedling I had put in a flowerpot came out together. It innocently wiggled its leaves. But, that tendril was going into the gap of the bucket. This is ominous, extremely ominous. ''Chimera Seedling, hand.'' Wiggle wiggle. ''Give me your hand!'' The Chimera Seedling extended one tendril slightly, and I grasped that tendril with my tail. ¡¸Seedling Chimera lv8 uses ''Empathy lv1''.¡¹ Wait a minute. You were level 7, weren''t you? Why did your level go up while you were in the subspace? As I started to empathize with the Seedling Chimera, messages rang out continuously. ¡¸Absorbing the fire demon''s me.¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing the fire demon''s me.¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing the fire demon''s me.¡¹ ... Hey, you! I quickly opened the lid of the bucket. Then, I saw the fire demon''s me reduced to the size of a candle me. The yellowed tendril seemed to be absorbing the me. ''No! No! You shouldn''t eat such things!'' When the lid opened, Manjin and Dunkel''s mouths gaped open. Their pupils were dting, it was definitely the me that entranced dwarves. But there was no need to worry. ¡¸Absorbing the fire demon''s me.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Because the Chimera Seedling had cleanly eaten up that dirty me. Why on earth is a nt eating fire? No, how did it eat it? As expected of a chimera. Even though they say babies are cute when they eat well, this is... ¡¸You have gained the trait ''Fire''.¡¹ ¡¸You have gained Heat Resistance lv20.¡¹ This talented nt. It instantly gained level 20 Heat Resistance, which I had barely raised to level 12. It seems to be because it gained the ''Fire'' trait. But how on earth did a nt gain a ''Fire'' attribute? The ''Bone'' trait was the same. "Oh, as expected of the World Tree!" Pelerian pped and eximed in admiration. "What is this..." "It was really a strange fire." Dunkel and Manjin still looked dazed. I pped their cheeks, telling them toe to their senses. That''s when it happened. Tral and his gang, who had left huffing and puffing, returned. ''Of all times, at this moment!'' If only they hade back a little earlier. I could have shown them that demon''s fire. But there was no need to regret that. Tral''s face was as white as a sheet of paper. "The, the Lord." What did they see outside? "The Lord, he burned a sick patient alive." Madness was already unfolding outside. Chapter 140: Because I was the reading champion in elementary school (1) Despite using luminous stones and torches to create the brightest environment possible, the underground remained dark, inevitably dimmer than the outside world. And darkness is the perfect stage for a stealthy assassin like me. I quietly crawled through the shadows. ¡¸Using Stealth lv10.¡¹ Concealing myself with stealth at its peak, I slowly crept forward. The dwarves followed quietly behind me. "Oops!" Dunkel tripped over a rock and fell. That stupid fool! Manjin and Tral crouched down in surprise. Fortunately, we weren''t discovered. As slow as the dwarves'' movements were, there weren''t many with keen senses either. The words Tral spit out when he returned with a pale face were shocking. Blue Beard had apparently burned a dying patient alive. Somehow, I felt that fire wasn''t ordinary. I came out to confirm it. Indeed, that barbaric act was taking ce. Crackle, pop I couldn''t tell if they were really burned alive or not. However, dwarves who were once alive and moving were now being cremated. A vivid orange me zed. It was clearly the magical fire of Hwama that the Chimera Snake had devoured. I had taken the bucket and chains, so could they have had some fire stored in advance? If patients were burned alive, there should have been resistance even if it was by order of the mine lord. But no one was denouncing Blue Beard. The dwarves gathered in front of the fire that was burning people and stared at it as if entranced. ''It''s definitely a devil''s fire.'' "It''s bewitching the dwarves. Even my mind was made dizzy by this me... I don''t like it." Pelerian frowned. He wasn''t bewitched by the fire like the other dwarves. However, he said that when he first saw the fire, he found it strangely beautiful. Now, he curses it as ugly every time he sees it. "The mind of a mage who has reached enlightenment is like steel, very strong." That''s self-praise. Suddenly, I became curious about something. ''Come to think of it, dwarves like Blue Beard seem quite strong too. Aren''t they being bewitched too easily?'' "That''s because the dwarf race itself is particrly susceptible to fire." If it were Pok¨¦mon, it would be like grass-type Pok¨¦mon being weak against fire-type. It could be a difference inpatibility. "More than that, I''ve felt this before, but you''repletely fine." ''My mental strength is quite robust.'' I tapped my head with my tail. I never imagined I could say such things directly in my previous life. I nced at the dwarves. I thought they must have been shocked too, but... They were staring at the mes with nk expressions. "Evil!" No! I jumped up and pped their cheeks one by one. They held their faces and lowered their heads. ''Snap out of it!'' Good heavens. We almost got bewitched just from seeing it from quite far away. "Huff, it''s really dangerous fire." Dunkel took a deep breath. Seeing this, I could understand why the dwarves were so easily bewitched. Fortunately, it seems that if you see it from afar or for a short time, you quicklye back to your senses. "If youpletely lose your soul like that Blue Beard guy, then it''s toote." The dwarves surrounding the mes now. They mightpletely sell their souls if time passes. The orange mes that had swallowed the dying dwarves grewrger andrger. Just looking at that, it''s clearly not an ordinary fire. It''s as if it''s growing by devouring the flesh and souls of the dwarves. Even after there was nothing left to burn, the mes continued to flicker without dying down. Blue Beard, who was standing by the fire, gave some instructions to his subordinates. Then, several dwarves moved the mes to a brazier. Ah, that looks like Celestium too. Was there more Celestium besides the hammer? They took part of the mes back towards the direction of the deep level. As I observed this series of events, a thought suddenly urred to me. ''It seems they''ve been hiding that me from other dwarves until now. But now they''re moving quite openly?'' That''s right. Even Rozena didn''t know that Blue Beard, who was her lover, was doing suspicious things. But now Blue Beard has brought up that devil''s fire, and moreover, he''s burning patients alive. In the process, he''s made numerous dwarves bewitched by the fire as a bonus. "This is a typical demonic method. It can be said to be the third stage of how they copse amunity." Pelerian spoke as if it wasn''t strange at all. The way a demon destroys a group. A demon that has been sleeping for a long time is weak in power. So, like digging a trap and waiting, it waits for someone to discover it. Encountering the first prey hidden behind coincidence. That''s the first stage. Probably Blue Beard himself or one of the dwarves digging the ground would be that first encounter. "The second stage is quietly growing that influence." They blocked ess to the deep level and secretly threw dwarves into the fire pit to feed the fire. Meanwhile, the dwarves working in the deep level would have slowly be bewitched. They probably won''te to their senses with just a few tail ps. "The third is the stage ofing to the forefront." And when they lost the Celestium bucket because of me, Blue Beard came out boldly. He''s trying to bewitch even other dwarves by bringing out the mes. Maybe the will of the fire is embedded in that action. The continuing will of fire...! ''What''s the fourth stage?'' "What else? Total annihtion. In the end, everyone goes into the demon''s stomach and gets massacred." I see. So that''s how the Red Anvil Mine will perish. "What should we do?" "What else? We need to pour water and extinguish that fire." Tral grumbled at Dunkel''s worry. He was angry at Blue Beard''s actions now, as much as he had respected him before. I told them that even if we extinguished that me, there was actually avake in the deep level. "Still, if we just put out that fire, quite a few of ourrades wille to their senses, right?" That seemed to be correct. In fact, Tral was a quite capable dwarf, treated as a big brother among the young dwarves. Although it seemed like a spontaneous idea, the n he added was quite usible. "We''ll form a special attack team with fast-footed guys like me, then pour water to extinguish the fire. After that, we''ll help other dwarvese to their senses, and then ambush and surprise attack the mine lord." Ambush and surprise attacks are always right. If everything goes ording to n, that is. ''Can you do it?'' "Don''t worry, if we squint our eyes and try not to look at the fire as much as possible, we should be able to manage." Tral rolled up his sleeves and showed off his muscles. This has nothing to do with muscles, Tral. ''Alright.'' But I decided to trust him this time. Tral nodded with a determined expression. I quietly stroked the Chimera Snake. The Chimera Snake preferred to be out rather than in subspace. So I ended up carrying around a flowerpot as if I were L¨¦on''s Mathilda. The Chimera Snake shook its leaves. It must be hungry. But you shouldn''t carelessly eat such dirty fire. It''s true that the Chimera Snake ate the devil''s fire, but because of that, several of its vine hands were burnt ck. Come to think of it, the Seedling Chimera''s level has already reached 9. I wonder if it can evolve too? Will it evolve at level 10? Given its higher potential than expected, it might need to reach level 20 to evolve. It would be a bit troublesome if it grows bigger than me. For now, let''s look forward to Tral''s performance. We hid and observed Blue Beard for several days. Chapter 141: Because I was the reading champion in elementary school (2) It was two dayster when Tral formed a special attack team and carried out the operation. Dunkel was excluded because he was slow-footed. Manjin and I stayed behind to watch Tral''s actions. And Tral showed an amazing performance. "Uooh..." At first, I thought he was joking. Tral approached the fire carefully with squinted eyes, and when he arrived in front of the fire, he stood still for a while in a daze. "Uoh, uooh..." Then he dropped the water bucket with a thud and crouched down in front of the fire. The special attack team ughs) following him was the same. "That, that idiot!" I agreed with Pelerian''sment. ''The n to approach with squinted eyes and extinguish the fire is abolished.'' I solemnly dered the failure of the n. It seemed that dwarves simply couldn''t resist being bewitched by that me. Even so, to change into such dazed zombies. I wonder if the ability to resist mental attacks differs ording to intelligence. Dunkel let out a sigh. "We can no longer solve the problem with just the dwarves of our mine." Only a few, including Dunkel and Manjin, remained sane from Tral''s group. The rest had all been bewitched by the fire in the meantime. "Before, they only burned critically ill patients, but today they burned people who could move well enough!" Manjin was getting anxious. The atrocities of Blue Beard and his group were getting worse. le mpyr An unknown strange disease had been spreading among the dwarves of the Red Anvil Mine for a long time. It was a disease where the skin turned pale, the eyes sunk in, and blood flowed from the mouth. Blue Beard isted those patients, saying they were spreading an infectious disease, and started throwing the most critical ones into the fire pit. Usually, the dwarves would have risen up in this situation. But instead of starting a revolution, the dwarves were just crouching in front of the orange mes. It''s not like they''re having a campfire or anything. "If we go into the mountain range, there''s the Gray Hammer Vige. We should go there and ask for help." That was Dunkel''s assertion. He was saying that we can no longer handle this on our own. Rozena said to go to old man Helmut for help. Even I don''t think he could do much even if we did. "Let''s quietly slip out." Manjin said that. Manjin''s group of four, Dunkel, and me. The six of us started climbing up the levels quietly. It was very difficult to get to the entrance without being discovered, but ironically, it was easier to escape now because the dwarves were just sitting in front of the fire. However, when we arrived at the mine''s door. We realized that the situation was already hopeless. "It''spletely copsed..." The entrance had copsed. "Did they blow it up with explosives?" "Why on earth..." "They didn''t think about the consequences at all." Blue Beard had sealed off the mine''s entrance with explosives used for sting rocks. We might be able to break through the entrance if we took time, but there were also guards watching the copsed entrance ahead. ''Let''s listen to Grandma Rozena''s words for now!'' I patted Dunkel''s dejected shoulder. "Yeah, let''s go to Grandpa Helmut." I wonder if Blue Beard had already gone to the pig farm. Fortunately, he hadn''t. However, a problem we hadn''t even thought about had urred here. It felt ominous from the moment I saw the Steel Hogs gathered in one ce. They were poking at something with their snouts. And there, an old dwarf had copsed. "G-Grandpa!" Dunkel screamed and ran over. I quickly ran over too. Fortunately, the Steel Hogs hadn''t harmed the old man. The one snorting was the Steel Hog King that I had subdued. When the old man who fed them copsed, these guys were protecting him. Helmut was lying with a pale face, blood flowing from his mouth. Fortunately, he was still breathing. "Oh no..." However, it was hardly a situation to be happy about. "Don''t tell me, he was hiding that he was sick?" Helmut had exactly the same symptoms. It was the typical appearance of someone infected with the strange dwarven disease that''s been going aroundtely. If Blue Beard hade here first, Helmut would have probably ended up as firewood too. "This is troublesome, sigh." "What should we do..." "We don''t even know what kind of disease it is... Do you know, Brother Dunkel?" Dunkel shook his head heavily at Manjin''s question. Even though he had more medical knowledgepared to other dwarves, he wasn''t a proper doctor. Not knowing what the disease is, there''s no way to know how to treat it. Dunkel shed tears. It was understandable, as the grandfather who raised him had copsed. Seeing that makes my nose tingle. My parents in my previous life were scary, but my grandparents were good to me. I can fully understand Dunkel''s feelings. ''Um, all-knowing great magician Yeokcheon.'' "..." ''Do you perhaps know what kind of disease this is?'' "Hmm, I don''t know..." Pelerian shook his head as if his pride was greatly hurt. How disappointing. ''Since we don''t know the cure, wouldn''t it get better if we at least feed him a potion?'' "Potions can''t cure diseases." ''Sigh.'' "Don''t sigh. ...Ah!" Pelerian suddenly spoke as if he had just thought of something. "It would be good to get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious food, and rest well." ''Sigh...'' I thought he had some great idea since he was so confident. ''...Hmm.'' Suddenly, a part of my brain starts to tingle. It feels like I''ve caught onto some clue. Among the information I gained from swimming in the vast sea of the inte and YouTube. Something useful now... Plus, I was the reading champion in elementary school. It means I''ve read numerous books. At that moment, Dunkelmented. "How on earth did he get infected? He never goes out of here and there''s no one he could have met..." Ah! Getting infected with an infectious disease in an environment where infection is impossible. In other words, doesn''t that mean it''s actually not an infectious disease? Plus, what Pelerian said earlier. ''You need to eat nutritious food in a bnced way.'' "That''s obvious." ''But the dwarves don''t do that, right?'' Originally, the dwarves of the Red Anvil Mine also traded. They brought in food from outside, and ate fruits and other things too, they say. But even that gradually decreased, and for the past few years, they''ve been living on just potatoes, ham, and cabbage grown underground. Well, cabbage contains vitamins, but I wonder if it''s different when grown underground. I can''t be sure. Blood flowing from the mouth, pale face, sunken eyes... these symptoms remind me of one disease. ''Dunkel.'' A terrifying disease that once drove sailors who ate only preserved food for a long time to death. However, a disease that quickly recovered with just a few oranges. ''I''m not an expert, but I''m just saying this because I have a hunch.'' "Yeah?" ''Could it be... scurvy?'' By the way. It is said that the animal symbolizing the god of medicine was a ''snake''. Chapter 142: The Lemon and Explosives (1) Sometimes in life, you encounter situations like this. You start talking, thinking it might be the case, and as you continue, your own opinion starts to sound more usible. That''s exactly what was happening now. ''I think it''s scurvy!'' The symptoms matched perfectly. Although I wasn''t a doctor, I knew about scurvy. It had such an interesting history that it even had an entry on Na*wiki. "What''s scurvy?" Manjin muttered. In fact, I hadn''t been consciously aware of ittely, but I was clearly conversing in this ce''s monnguage'', not Korean. That means I wasn''t sure if scurvy was known here yet. "Scurvy...? What a strange pronunciation." It seems they don''t know about it. ''Ah, you don''t know about scurvy!'' Well then, let me start by exining the symptoms of scurvy. ''Actually, scurvy is a vitamin C deficiency. Humans can''t synthesize vitamin C in their bodies, so they need to consume it regrly. If there''s a prolonged nutritional imbnce, vitamin deficiency urs, starting with symptoms of lethargy and fatigue!'' "...?" ''Then appetite decreases, gums start bleeding, the face bes pale, eyes sunken, and in severe cases, internal bleeding can ur, which can even lead to death! It wasmon among sailors who lived on ships for long periods!'' Despite my enthusiastic exnation, the dwarves looked at me with expressions that said, ''What on earth are you talking about?'' Well, they probably don''t even know what vitamins are. Fortunately, there was one person who understood me. "Are you talking about the sailor''s disease?" It was Pelerian. ''You know about it?'' "It''s a disease that frequently urred among human sailors. A strange illness that gets better once they leave the ship and reach a port." ''Yes, that''s right, it seems to be that.'' It looks like scurvy exists in this world too. "You know the cure for that? A mere m-... No, a monster!" One warning point for Pelerian. ''It''s simpler than you might think. Eating fresh fruit containing vitamin... well, that stuff, solves it.'' "It can''t be that simple..." The moment of modern medicine''s triumph in another world had arrived. I exined scurvy and its treatment to the dwarves. They still looked half-convinced. But what else could they do but believe? ''Do you have any fruit?'' Originally, finding fresh fruit inside a sealed mine would be impossible. But here, there was one unusual dwarf who had a hobby of gardening. "I''ve been growing lemons. They''ve borne fruit, but..." ''Great! Bring them.'' Dunkel nodded and ran off hurriedly. Meanwhile, the other dwarves tended to Helmut. Fortunately, Helmut regained consciousness. It seems he hadn''t been on the brink of death, but had copsed due to umted fatigue from working alone. "Please lie down for a while." "Ugh... To think such a terrible thing happened." We exined the Blue Beard incident to Helmut. He tried to get up buty back down at Manjin''s insistence. As we waited for Dunkel, Pelerian suddenly asked a question. "But isn''t the sailor''s disease something that only affects humans?" ''Pardon?'' "I''ve never heard of dwarves getting the sailor''s disease. Even though there have been dwarven sailors." ''Uh...'' Scurvy urs because humans can''t synthesize vitamin C on their own. The dwarves'' body structure might actually be different. If so, the scurvy hypothesis itself might have been wrong from the start. As my confidence started to waver, Dunkel came running back. He was carrying a basket full of bright yellow lemons. Well, let''s try feeding him the lemon. "Lemon... I''m not eating that stuff." Helmut, true to his stubborn dwarf nature, refused to eat the raw lemon. But this wasn''t the time to indulge in such trivial objections. "Grab his arms." "Y-You rascal!" Under Dunkel''s lead, Helmut was forced to eat the lemon. "Urghh!" Helmut screamed, scrunching up his face. Manjin, who had never eaten a lemon before, was startled by this reaction. "What kind of taste is it to..." "Want to try one yourself?" "No, I''m good!" If these symptoms really are scurvy, it would be good for Manjin to eat a vitamin C-rich lemon too. Manjin promised he''d eat one after seeing if Helmut got better. We had to wait and see. Although we didn''t have much time. The verdict came after just one day of waiting. "My body... feels incredibly light." The symptoms that had been guing Helmut had improved. The bleeding from his gums had stopped, and his lethargy had disappeared. The ''epidemic'' that had been circting in the dwarf mine had indeed been scurvy. I was about to rejoice that my guess had been correct. But I quickly read the atmosphere and stopped myself. "This is... unbelievable." Dunkel was trembling, his fists clenched tight. "All those people died? When they could have lived if they''d just eaten lemons..." The fact that it was a disease that could have been easily cured made it all the more tragic. Dwarves probably had a constitution that didn''t easily sumb to scurvy. But the prolonged blockade had led to an extreme nutritional imbnce. Moreover, Blue Beard had recently started burning the critically ill. "Blue Beard..." The expression of the usually gentle Dunkel turned frightening. "Do you know what you''ve been doing...?" His anger was palpable. Still, Dunkel, talking to yourself like that doesn''t look very cool from the side. I know that well. "I think there might be a better way to use the lemons." Manjin muttered, touching a lemon. Oh, I think so too. Manjin and I spoke simultaneously. "It could wake people up!" ''We could make lemonade!'' I quickly crumpled up the note I had written as Dunkel tried to read it. "Since it''s so sour, maybe it could snap people out of their fire-induced trance." ''Hmm, I wonder if it would be that easy.'' Although I had some doubts, we couldn''t do much about Blue Beard with just us anyway. "If we can rescue Brother Tral, it would be a great help. Trust me." Manjin said with a serious face. I didn''t think so. But since Manjin was willing to take action himself, it seemed good to give him a few lemons. Dunkel handed a few lemons to Manjin. Manjin didn''t hesitate to pack the lemons and leave. "There are many people to feed, but this is a problem." ''What is?'' "The lemons. This is all we have." Find joy at m-vl_e Saying that, Dunkel collected the seeds that Helmut had eaten and spit out. Even with an indoor garden, it would take time to rent and grow lemons. We didn''t have the luxury of waiting for that now. That''s when it happened. The chimera snake started showing interest in the seeds. To the eyes of the seedling chimera, did the lemon seeds look like babies? ''Just in case, I''m telling you not to eat them, chimera.'' I said that because it tends to eat just about anything. Fortunately, the chimera didn''t eat the seeds. Chapter 143: The Lemon and Explosives (2) Instead, it touched them here and there with its thin tendrils, then nted them in the ground. Dunkel sighed and left them alone after trying to dig the seeds back up. "Anyway, it''ll take months for sprouts to grow and bear fruit... Huh!" Something gooey moved from the chimera''s tendrils into the seeds. In the underground where no sunlight reaches, lemon sprouts suddenly shot up. What kind of miraculous thing is this? I checked the chimera''s status window again, wondering if I had missed something. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Seedling Chimera lv9] [Traits] [Seedling], [Baby], [World Tree], [Bone], [Fire] [Skills] [Instinct lv1], [Perception Expansion lv2], [Absorption Growth lv6], [Leaf Shaking lv4], [Tendrils lv1], [Empathy lv1], [Cultivation lv2] [Status] [Hungry] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There''s a skill called ''Cultivation lv2''. I''ve seen it before. None other than Dunkel, uncharacteristic for a dwarf, possessed this skill. However, despite having that skill, Dunkel only grew and managed nts in the traditional way. He couldn''t perform magical feats like the chimera. Is this the difference in talent? As expected, a monster born with a World Tree silver spoon is different. I was almost jealous. ''Dunkel, the chimera says it''s hungry.'' "Huh? O-Okay, should I give it water?" ''Not that.'' A thought urred to me, so I made a request to Dunkel. ''Give it some ham.'' It''s a proud chimera after all, isn''t it? With a doubtful expression, Dunkel cut a piece of ham and ced it on the chimera''s pot. Slurp. The ham was sucked into the soil. Then, the chimera''s wilted leaves perked up and became sturdy again. A carnivorous nt (possessing the traits ''Bone'' and ''Fire''). After absorbing the nutrients, the chimera started promoting the lemon''s growth again. The lemon that was just a seed moments ago had now grownrger than the chimera. It seems it can vigorously grow other nts while still being a baby itself. As the chimera''s cultivation skill level will keep rising, we should be able to get lemons sooner than expected. While Dunkel, and even Helmut, were watching the chimera''s feat with their mouths agape. Manjin returned earlier than expected. "I seeded!" Surprisingly, he managed to bring back Tral and his fivepanions all at once. "Did the lemon really work?" "Yes. They regained their senses right after eating a piece." Tral scratched his head with an embarrassed expression. "I thought I''d be fine if I squinted, but that me was just too beautiful. Looking at it just made my mind go nk..." Tral said this and suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Manjin immediately stuffed half a lemon, peel and all, into Tral''s mouth. "Urgh, I''m okay. I''m really okay now." It seems they''ll need periodic lemon intake for a while. Still, it''s been proven that dwarves who haven''t been entranced by the fire for long can quickly regain their senses. It''s a silver lining in this misfortune. Dunkel muttered with a bright expression. "T-Then if we mass-produce lemons and slowly gather people..." "No." It was Helmut who stopped Dunkel''s soft approach. "Trying to use a broken sword by gluing it back together is the way of fools. Blue Beard is done. He no longer deserves any more chances." At first, Helmut had told me to give Blue Beard a chance. But now, Blue Beard has crossed the line far too much. "Whether he was entranced by the devil''s fire or not, a mine lord shouldn''t act like this. We need to overthrow Blue Beard and either extinguish or bury that so-called devil''s fire." "We want to do that too, but..." Tral scratched his head. "That fire is in the deepest part of the mine. It''s not something we can extinguish by just pouring a bit of water on it." I nodded. "And above all, weck the manpower. There are only nine of us... and we might lose our minds if we get too close to that fire." Wait. It''s eleven. You should include me and the seedling chimera. And I''m Ouroboros. However, I didn''t need to refute Tral''s argument. Helmut''s eyes gleamed. "Do you know what kind of Meister I am?" Somehow, I thought it might be the case. It seems Helmut was indeed a Meister. "Uh..." But Tral couldn''t answer immediately. He seems not to know. He looked at Dunkel, who might know the answer. Dunkel answered on his behalf. "Aren''t you the Meister of Sword and Explosives?" "That''s right." Helmut took a deep drag of his cigarette with his prosthetic hand. His ck eyes glinted. "At one point, I made half of the explosives used in the Red Anvil Mine." Explosives are used in mines. It''s highly inefficient to dig through rocky areas with just pickaxes. Instead, they ce explosives at various points based on precise calctions and detonate them in a sting operation. "Before I retired, I personally sted open numerous tunnels." So he was that kind of expert. "Follow me." Saying that, Helmut led us to his storage room. When he opened the door to the storage, a strange smell wafted out. ''There''s a kind of stench.'' "Don''t use fire magic likest time." I had no intention of doing so. Inside the storage, something was covered with a ck cloth. When that cloth was removed. The contents, wrapped in paper to prevent moisture, were revealed. Tral spoke with a trembling voice. "I-Is this all... explosives!" The storage contained enough explosives to blow this entire area to smithereens. Even Dunkel, who didn''t know about this, was shocked and confronted Helmut. "With this amount, were you nning some kind of terrorism?" "Why would I? It''s stockpiled and decorated supplies. Blue Beard knows about this ce too, so he''lle looking for it soon." It means Blue Beard is also aware of the existence of these explosives. If so, he mighte at any moment. "So, use it properly before that bastard steals it. We can copse thatvake and bury it, can''t we?" With this much explosives, it''s doable. That kind of atmosphere settled in. If we fail, it''s rebellion; if we seed, it''s revolution! But opinions varied on how to use the explosives. "Why don''t we just bury them and detonate them when hees..." "You think controlling the detonator is that easy?" "How about attaching them to pirs to bury everything at once?" "Why would we destroy the entire mine? And what about the other people? Are we going to kill them all?" And, something was tickling somewhere in my mind. It felt like a brilliant strategy was about to pop out. ''Yes, that''s it.'' At this moment. It was the moment of reincarnation for the snake Zhuge Liang of the great forest. ''I have a strategy.'' All the dwarves looked at me. Instead of using a notebook, I started writing directly on the storage room wall. As the briefing continued, the half-doubting dwarves started to express admiration. After the briefing, Helmut cautiously asked. "Will that really work?" ''Is the venttion system working well?'' "Venttion is the most important thing in a mine. Otherwise, we''d all suffocate to death." ''Then, it''s enough. This is a strategy that has been proven several times in history.'' "Alright..." Helmut nodded. "My explosives will be used ording to the snake''s n." Then he added an unnecessaryment. "To think the fate of the mine depends on a n made by a snake..." You''ll be thanking meter. Honestly, it''s an exciting n. That''s why Manjin and Tral have such excited expressions. There will be no regrets. ''Ah, one more thing.'' I added an additional request. I asked Helmut to craft some items. "I can make them in a day. Well, they would be good to have." ''Then, please do.'' == Once a decision is made, one must act quickly. All preparations werepleted in just one day. And Helmut made the item I requested overnight. "Here, try it on your eyes." It was none other than sunsses made of ck crystal. Though crude in shape, it undeniably looked like sunsses. "Wow, that''s cool!" "For some reason, my heart is racing." Despite seeing it for the first time in their lives, the dwarves immediately understood the appeal of sunsses. I''m not sure how good of a precaution this will be, but it should be better than exposing bare eyes to fire. "I made yours too." Helmut handed over a very small pair of sunsses. I put them on my eyes. It was a shame that I had to wrap them tightly with cloth to keep them in ce, but I was satisfied nheless. ''Operation name: Red Wave.'' I liked it very much. The chimera snake raised its vine-like hand to me. It seemed as if it wanted sunsses too. ''You can''t have them. You don''t have eyes.'' I''ll make you some when you grow eyes. "But you know..." At that moment, Pelerian pointed out. "You don''t really need to wear that weird thing, do you?" I neatly ignored his unnecessaryment. Chapter 144: The Snake Descends (1) The Tral n had already fallen. I established a new Sunsses n instead. Truth be told, I didn''t think sunsses couldpletely protect the dwarves from fire. But at least it would be better than squinting. "Still, don''t look at fire with naked eyes. If anyone freezes up, p each other''s cheeks immediately." They reviewed the action guidelines once more. The dwarves divided into two groups. Dunkel, Manjin, and Tral. These three. And the rest of the dwarves with Helmut. The two groups would each have different tasks. Though their tasks differed, they had one goal. To subdue Blue Beard who was entranced by fire, and to extinguish that evil me causing it all. Helmut shouted. "Handle the explosives carefully. Think of it as instant death if you drop them!" The young dwarves following Tral turned pale. They each had backpacks heavily loaded with explosives. "Will it really explode immediately if we drop it?" "Just think that it will, you idiot!" "Yes, sir!" Despite missing one arm, Helmut was quite terrifying. With such an excellent veteran soldier leading that side, there shouldn''t be any problems. Rather, this side was more worrying. "C-can I really handle the role of leader?" Dunkel asked thus. After serious consideration between Helmut and me, we decided Dunkel would take the leader role. Being a leader wasn''t anything special. Standing at the front,manding in response to rapidly changing situations, and handling dialogue when situations arise. No,e to think of it, it''s not a light role at all. Helmut walked up to stand before Dunkel. He took out something like a dirty sock from his chest. And put it on Dunkel''s head. "It''s the hat Blue Beard wore when he was young." Ah, so it wasn''t a sock. But why did that old man Helmut have it? "It suits you much better." "...Yes." Dunkel made an expression like he didn''t understand. I who was listening had a simr impression. "Don''t worry." Finally, it seemed Helmut was trying to encourage Dunkel. "What could be worse than all of us dying if you fail?" Right, that''s true. I patted Dunkel''s shoulder. "You can do it!" ''Let''s go!'' Tap tap tap, now, enter the yers. == Even in a mine that could never be called pleasant. The dwarves were always full of energy. Whether during hardbor, or drinking after finishing work. The dwarves would always sing. But such singing hadn''t been heard for days. Neither the kang-kang sound of pickaxes swinging, nor the tung-tung sound of hammers striking rang out. There''s a saying that only dead dwarves stop working. In that sense, the Red Anvil Mine might already be filled with death. Orange mes were scattered throughout the lower level. Dwarves sat nkly gathered around them. Three young dwarves wearing sunsses appeared there. Though mes that tempted dwarves were nearby, they never once gave them attention. Step, step, they didn''t stop. They maintained their focus by pinching their thighs and sometimes chewing lemons. Finally, the group stopped in front of the door leading to the deep level. "Halt." It was originally a door Rozena guarded, but now one of the dwarves known as Blue Beard''s Five Fingers stood there. It was the warrior Happy whose nose tip was cut off long ago fighting orcs. "Dunkel, you punk, where have you been!" He yelled at Dunkel. "...Uncle, it''s been a while." "What do you mean it''s been a while." Dunkel carefully asked. "Uncle... have you also been entranced by the fire?" "What do you mean entranced?" The warrior opened his eyes wide as if he''d heard something absurd. "I''mpletely sane." "I heard you burned the patients." "That, look, I didn''t want to do that either. But what can you do when there''s an epidemic? You have to iste and disinfect as quickly as possible." "You shouldn''t say that. And that wasn''t an epidemic. We found a cure too." "I don''t know anything about that. Why do you keep-talking-to-me-like-that you bas-tard!" The warrior suddenly burst with anger. Dunkel and Manjin were startled. Dunkel stopped Tral who unconsciously reached for his axe. The warrior before them was clearly not in his right mind. "That''s why I came to meet him directly." "What?" "Blue Beard, the Mine Lord." Though his loyalty seemed to remain. The warrior''s excitement subsided. "The Lord? No way, he hates you." "That''s right, but I still need to meet him. I have something to say." Dunkel looked at the warrior with a serious face. The warrior scratched his head as if pondering for a moment. "Not happening." He drew his axe. "You need to see the me too. I heard you just ran away, but you should see the me first. It''s really amazing." Why draw an axe while saying that? However, the situation flowing this way was within expected parameters. Fortunately, Dunkel could speak before it was toote. "I found it!" He pulled out a bucket and chain from his backpack with surprising speed. It was the Celestium bucket the snake had stolen. "This is..." "Isn''t this what the snake stole? I found it. I''m going to give this to Blue Beard directly." "Wow, that snake was incredibly quick, how did you catch it?" "I ran hard." "Still, if I just delivered it..." "I caught the snake too!" The warrior Happy''s eyes grew round. When he carefully touched the closed bucket. Bang bang bang! Something alive thrashed inside. "Wow this is quite impressive..." "I want to deliver it personally." "I suppose that''s fair with this." Good, the persuasion worked. "Alright follow me. Hey! You, guard here in my ce." The warrior assigned another dwarf to guard duty and opened the door to the deep level. Hot air burst out. It was the first time all three had entered the deep level. Unexpectedly, the most cowardly Dunkel was the boldest while even Tral, the bravest, was tense. "What are you waiting for, hurry up!" When the warrior called out, the three quickly followed. "Phew, was it always this hot?" Dunkel wiped away flowing sweat. The deep level was surprisingly hot. Even for heat-resistant dwarves, it was hard to breathe. "It''s much hotter than before. The fire keeps growing." "The fire?" "Yes, the heart of the mountain." It''s not the heart of the mountain. It''s an evil demon''s wicked fire. Dunkel held back from saying what he wanted to. Those in the deep level wore wet cloths soaked in cooling water covering their faces and bodies, making for grotesque appearances. These must be the ones who rarely came up, having the most unbnced nutrition. They must have had the most cases of scurvy, sailor''s disease. Chapter 145: The Snake Descends (2) But now there were hardly any dwarves visible in the deep level. Could they have already burned to death? It was impossible to know. "Dunkel." Manjin whispered carefully. He pointed his finger down there. The floor door leading to the deepest level was already open. And Blue Beard was in front of the stairs leading down there. Fortunately, there were no orange mes that addled minds here. Perhaps it was natural since only those already entranced by fire were in the deep level. Blue Beard''s and Dunkel''s eyes met. Despite the considerable distance, Blue Beard''s frown was visible. Dunkel felt unnecessarily intimidated. Bang bang! The sound of writhing came from the bucket. Right, need to stay focused. Dunkel deliberately steadied his heart. And finally they reached Blue Beard. "Happy. What''s going on?" Blue Beard asked the warrior about the situation with a frown. The warrior approached Blue Beard and exined everything that had happened so far. Blue Beard''s eyes grew wide. He realized what Dunkel was holding was the lost Celestium bucket. "You brought that, you?" "Yes." Blue Beard approached Dunkel and held out his hand. Dunkel hesitated briefly before handing over the bucket. Bang bang! The sound of the snake thrashing came from the bucket once more. "I don''t know what made you change your mind, but well done." Blue Beard praised Dunkel. Since it was the first praise he''d heard from Blue Beard, Dunkel felt an inexplicable smile form. And the moment Blue Beard opened the bucket''s lid. Whoosh! A bat flew out from inside the bucket. "Huh?" Happy, the warrior who had guided Dunkel''s group, was dumbfounded. The bat frantically flew away and disappeared from sight. Blue Beard silently red at Dunkel for a moment. Soon, he noticed there was a paper stuck to the bottom of the bucket. Wondering what it was, he looked closely, then quickly threw the bucket aside. Whoosh! Instantly fire burst from inside the bucket. "...Dunkel, are you ying games with me?" If it was a prank, it was a malicious one. If it was an ambush, it was a sloppy one. But Dunkel didn''t panic. From the start, it wasn''t a scheme meant to even burn Blue Beard''s beard. "Has your mind cleared up?" "Not funny." Dunkel smiled bitterly. It was the first time he''d yed a prank on Blue Beard. Despite always imagining ways to get back at Blue Beard. "It''s not as enjoyable as I thought." And, after a brief pause. "...Father." A chilling silence descended on the scene. Shock, astonishment. Faces that wondered if this was some kind of joke. Manjin and Tral looked at Dunkel with eyes about to pop out. == Whoosh. Oh my! The talisman I was carrying with my tail caught fire. That means the magic of another talisman connected to this one has activated. It was a linked-talisman drawn with Pelerian''s help. The talisman linked to mine was attached inside the Celestium bucket. Since it would burn as soon as the lid was opened, at least the bucket must have reached Blue Beard''s hands. Yes, I made a bold investment. I nned the strategy anticipating the loss of the Celestium bucket. If the strategy seeds, I''ll be the guardian dragon of the Red Anvil Mine. Then I''ll receive regr tributes from the dwarves. It''s already a fact that I''ve negotiated with Helmut and Dunkel. "Saaaaaah!" I roared. The dwarves who were sitting and resting hurriedly stood up. Timing was crucial. Actually, we moved faster than Dunkel''s group. Dunkel departed a dayter than us. And for a full day, we dug into the tunnel connecting directly above the deep level. There are several nightmare scenarios for dwarf miners. One of them is encountering a pack of naked mole rats while having lost illumination. I''ve already ovee that situation before. And while rarer than that, if it happens it bes a disaster beyond imagination. Contacting underground water veins. Groundwater ismon enough that encountering it isn''t rare. If the ground is wet when digging, you just need to avoid it. However, very asionally, when misfortune piles upon misfortune, you encounter ake formed underground. If you disturb that ce where water has collected, the water pressure causes it to burst forth. You could drown underground if you''re not careful. To prevent that, skilled miners find and avoid traces of undergroundkes in advance. This time was the opposite. We spent a full day digging into ces estimated to have undergroundkes. It was dangerous behavior. And Helmut, an explosives expert, nted explosives throughout based on careful calctions. "Fall back. To high ground, retreat to high ground!" Hemanded the dwarves. "Move quickly you bastards! Don''t step on the fuses!" The dwarves ran in great excitement. None of them were friendly with water. Everyone retreated to high ground. "Whew, hah." Even the experienced Helmut looked a bit tense. "Never thought I''d do something this thrilling before I died." No, he wasn''t tense, he was excited. Helmut adjusted my sunsses so they wouldn''t fall off easily. "Are you really going to be alright? It''ll be very dangerous." ''I''m fine. Well, this much is nothing.'' I stuck with Helmut instead of Dunkel. The Chimera Snake''s ability was excellent for finding water veins. Since it didn''t want to separate from me, we had to stay together like this. I put the Chimera Snake back into subspace. What''s about to happen will be quite extreme. "Well then, I wish you luck. Prepare for detonation!" Helmut approached the detonator. "Three, two, one, fire!" When he pressed the detonator. The fuses burned at an amazing speed. Fizzzzzzz- And, an enormous explosion urred. BOOM! The explosives sted through the undergroundke''s wall. And water began pouring out due to tremendous pressure. "Wait for the debris to pass!" My ears were ringing so Helmut''s voice was hard to hear. An incredible torrent of water was pouring down below. Now that the rock fragments have passed and only pure water is pouring. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv3¡¹ Using ck Scales that I can now use freely. I jumped into the water. ¡¸Using Swimming lv1¡¹ Swimming that I really hate. And a terrifyingly scary water slide at that. I flowed down with the water. Following the hole blown open below, to the deep level. == "I never had a child like you." "Because you abandoned me." "...Did Helmut tell you?" "Yes." Dunkel answered with a pale face. A baby born without hair. Moreover, an illegitimate child. Blue Beard refused to acknowledge Dunkel as his child. Thus, Dunkel lived his whole life as an orphan. "Did youe looking for me hoping for an apology?" "No." Dunkel spoke calmly. "I''m going to defeat you and save the mine." "Ha..." Just as Blue Beard was about to mock him. BOOM! An explosion echoed from the high ceiling. Rock fragments rained down everywhere. As a result of the explosion, a hole formed in the ceiling. Right above them. "What!" Rumble rumble rumble- And then a roaring sound like something rushing in echoed. When the startled Blue Beard looked at Dunkel and his group, they were already turning and running up to higher ground. "Pur..." He couldn''t even finish saying "pursue." Water streamed down from the ceiling. Among the fierce water currents like a waterfall, there was a snake. It was indeed that same small white snake from before. The snake was falling precisely toward Blue Beard. That alone wouldn''t have been so frightening. The problem was that suddenly the snake grew enormouslyrge. Deep in the lowest part of the mine. The snake descends. Chapter 146: The Important Thing is an Unbreakable Spirit (1) Rozena, subdued by Blue Beard, was imprisoned. She was confined in a prison meant for criminals. As it was a space designed to hold only a few people temporarily, Rozena was currently the only one inside. Although she had a room meant for six people all to herself, the space was far fromfortable. Rozena is the strongest warrior of the Red Anvil Mine. With her long-umted magical power and steel-like muscles. It''s only natural that mere iron bars couldn''t contain her. So the dwarves used special restraints. They bound her left and right hands behind her back. The restraints were made of specially refined white steel, which wouldn''t break even if she applied force. In this ufortable position, Rozena had gone without food or drink for days. To eat the meals provided by the guards, she would have to lower her head like a dog. She refused to do so. Flies buzzed around the rotting food. Rozena was quietly lowering her head as if asleep. Boom! The sound of an explosion reached where Rozena was imprisoned. "Wh-what''s happening!" "Water from the ceiling...!" She could hear the dwarf guards panicking. They too were entranced by the fire. Even now, they seemed to be spinning around helplessly, as if their souls had left them. Rozena stood up and looked out the window. Indeed, water was pouring down from the ceiling. And mixed in with it, a white snake fell. Suddenly, the snake''s body grew enormous. Crash! A grand fall. "Hahaha!" Rozena burst intoughter without realizing it. She had thought there was no hope left. Looking at that orange me, she felt like she might lose her mind too. But now, water was pouring into this deep level. Rozena''s eyes sparkled. With her hands tied behind her back, she plucked out one of her hairs. Then, using her index finger and thumb, she began to twist the hair. It was as precise as if she were using a spinning wheel to draw out thread. Rozena''s hair was already tough to begin with. When she twisted it tightly, it became stiff like wire. Using only her thumb and middle finger, she pushed the hair into the keyhole of the restraints. Yes, it was an attempt to release the restraints using only her dexterity. It seemed an impossible attempt, but Rozena is none other than a master of ornaments. This means she has the most delicate handiwork in the Red Anvil Mine. Click! Like a lie, the restraints fell off. The guards saw it too. "Ugh! Stay still!" "Don''te any closer!" But was there any reason to listen? Rozena discarded the white steel restraints, instead grabbing them like a hook. Then she hung them on the iron bars. Screech! She bent the iron bars like taffy and slipped out. The guards couldn''t run away, nor did they think to resist. "Hehe." Rozenamanded the trembling dwarves. "Do you have a hammer or an axe here?" "Y-yes." "Bring it." "Uh..." Rozena took a deep breath and shouted. "Stand at attention!" That it momentarily brought the fire-entranced dwarves back to their senses. It''s not so strange. == It felt like riding a water slide. Flowing along with the torrential underground water, that is. And then a moment of dizzying fall. Old man Helmut''s calctions were urate, and right below were the doors to the deepest part and the dwarves. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv1.¡¹ I had to control my magical power well. If I grow toorge like in the Shadow Forest, I won''t be able to handle my own body. Therger I grow, the lower my durability seems to be. I increased my body length to about 9m. And with that, I fell right on top of Blue Beard''s subordinates. Crash! I don''t know what will happen to the crushed dwarves! They bounced off like bowling pins. It was a perfect strike. What I hadn''t calcted was the impact of the fall. I hope my scream sounded like a roar. "Aaaargh!" It hurts! It hurts so much. But I couldn''t just stay still. I moved vigorously, pushing away the dwarves. "Close, close the door!" Even in this situation, Blue Beard gave the right order. Water was still pouring down from the gaping ceiling with terrifying force. Due to gravity, the water was immediately flowing down the stairs leading to the deepest part. Following Blue Beard''s order, the dwarves were trying to close the door to the deepest part. I couldn''t let that happen. ¡¸Using Beam lv2.¡¹ "Aagh!" The dwarf who was trying to pull the chain on the pulley screamed and let go. The dwarf who lost his bnce fell down, and was pathetically washed down the stairs. This is one of the reasons why I used Gigantification. The pouring water had reached the thighs of the short dwarves. With the fast current, there was no way they could walk properly. I too would have been swept away if I were my original size, but now that I''ve grown, I was actually freer than others. The dwarves had managed to fix the pulley I had once broken, but. Crack! This time, just throwing my body was enough to break the pulley. With the water flowing, it''s impossible to close the door leading to the deepest part now. ''Dunkel! Manjin!'' They too came running as if they had been waiting. Let''s go! Dunkel and Manjin climbed onto my body. Before jumping down, I had put everything I was wearing into my subspace. The only thing for them to hold onto was the crown on my head. I leaped onto the stairs going down with a roar. "Y-you bastard!" But Blue Beard also jumped onto me. He clung to my body, brutally tearing at it. Agh! A few scales were flipped over. Originally, bare hands could never damage the scales, but it seems the durability has weakened due to using Gigantification. Blood came from where the scales were torn. Water pours down along the stairs. I slid down with the water. "Die!" Blue Beard, clinging to me, pulled out an axe. He raised his arm high, about to bring down the axe. I thrashed about with my tail. The part where Blue Beard was clinging rose up and hit the ceiling. Blue Beard, who hit his crown, dropped the axe. "Argh!" Even so, he stubbornly clung to my body and held on. He even tried to crawl bit by bit towards my head. "B-Brother Dunkel!" Manjin cried out in panic, and Dunkel calmly threw the things he was carrying at Blue Beard. A hand hammer spun and struck Blue Beard''s face as it passed. Blue Beard persevered even as his nose bled. This guy wouldn''te to his senses no matter how many lemons we feed him. Seeing this, Manjin and Dunkel threw all sorts of odds and ends they had. But Blue Beard didn''t budge and crawled little by little towards my head. It''s amazing, considering we''re sliding down the stairs at a speed no different from a water slide. In the end, Dunkel and Manjin even threw their shoes. "Ugh!" Luckily, Manjin''s work shoe struck Blue Beard''s fingernails. Losing his grip with one hand, Blue Beard couldn''t hold on any longer. He fell to the ground with a thud. Dunkel and Manjin smiled brightly. But it''s too early to rejoice. "Aaaargh!" I warned that there was a rock ahead. Of course, they didn''t understand what I meant until I crashed into the rock. Crash! Thankfully, the disaster of my head cracking open didn''t happen. Chapter 147: The Important Thing is an Unbreakable Spirit (2) However, my body flipped over in the air like a car in a traffic ident. Dunkel and Manjin also lost their grip and flew off. Due to the momentum of being swept down, I kept rolling on the ground. Because of the fast-flowing water, it wasn''t easy to stop. Surprisingly, the cold underground water was now hot. It must be because the geothermal heat here is extraordinary. Thevake is right in front of us. Hiss! Steam was gushing out with tremendous force from up ahead. ''Hup!'' I whipped my tail against the ground. That wasn''t enough, so I dug my teeth into the ground. Grrrrk! I managed to stop just before falling into thevake. Dunkel and Manjin? I can''t see them. They must have survived on their own! I only met an unwee dwarf. "Uwaaaaah!" Blue Beard, his head cracked and bleeding. He roared in anger. Moment by moment, water is pouring into thevake. It''s so hot that the orange mes flicker all the way here, even with the enormous amount of water pouring in. But no matter how strong the fire is, it''s bound to be extinguished if you pour arge amount of water on it. There''s aw of type matchups proven in Pok¨¦mon, after all. ''Come at me, Blue Beard!'' Despite the fire being extinguished, Blue Beard didn''te back to his senses. No, he might already be too deeply insane. "Y-you...! A mere snake! A lowly creature!" Raging as if spitting fire from his mouth... No, actual mes were spewing from Blue Beard''s mouth. His eyes, which had been as dark as buttonholes, now zed as if on fire. "The fire demon is feeling threatened andshing out." Even without Pelerian''s exnation, it seemed so. Fire spewed from all the holes in Blue Beard''s face. It soon spread to his beard and hair. Now he should be called Red Beard rather than Blue Beard. "Die!" You die! I charged at Blue Beard as he rushed towards me. Fire Fist Blue Beard threw a zing punch. With this huge body, I couldn''t dodge. But if I cancel Gigantification, it''s a simple matter. Whoosh! Blue Beard''s fist sliced through the air. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv3.¡¹ As my body bes lighter, my speed also increases. I flew like an arrow, literally. To eat Blue Beard''s heart. Chomp! But instead, my teeth nearly broke. The cowardly Blue Beard was wearing a dwarf-made chain mail under his clothes. Blue Beard tried to grab my body with his burning hands. I don''t want hand marks left on my body, so I quickly burrowed into his side. In this closebat, I have a secret weapon. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ "You foolish thing." ''Oh no!'' We''re underground here! As I was about to berate myself for my stupid judgment, it happened. Bzzzzt! It was a pitiful sound effectpared to the usual ''Zzzap!'', but. Blue lightning engulfed both me and Blue Beard simultaneously. And I, with my higher electric resistance, recovered first. Crunch! I seeded in biting his ankle. Blue Beard screamed. Yes, It seems I''m stronger than Blue Beard after all. == Hiss! An enormous amount of steam rises. The water pouring into thevake vaporizes immediately, creating billowing clouds of steam. The humidity bes abnormally high, filling the air with steam well over 100 degrees Celsius. Dunkel immediately realized the danger of this situation. If a massive amount of steam fills the mine, everyone will die. It''s only natural, as their lungs would be cooked the moment they breathe in. They had predicted that pouring water into thevake would produce a massive amount of steam. But originally, it shouldn''t have been something to worry about. Venttion systems are always important in mines. Especially in dwarf mines, which dig much deeper than human mines, there are impressive venttion facilities prepared. If these were properly maintained and managed, this steam should immediately escape through venttion shafts connected to the surface. But there''s no sign of that happening. Instead, the entire space is starting to fill with steam. "At this rate, everyone will die." Knowing this, Dunkel made a decision. Manjin sensed something ominous from him. "Brother, what are you thinking?" "You help the snake." "Brother Dunkel!" Manjin screamed at the top of his lungs. Dunkel had jumped into the hot steam. His skin immediately turned bright red. It was extremely painful. But he couldn''t even breathe. Dunkel climbed the stairs installed on the wall, holding his breath. That''s where the venttion shafts and their facilities are. As expected, they''re rusty in ces due tock of proper maintenance. This could never have happened if the dwarves weren''t entranced by the fire. ''Valve, it''s the valve!'' Fortunately, there was arge valve that could forcibly open the venttion shaft. He was already out of breath, but he had no choice but to run. When he reached out to turn the valve, Dunkel almost screamed. The valve was extremely hot. But Dunkel gritted his teeth and grabbed the valve again. He had to turn the valve even if his palms were skinned. Despite using so much strength that veins bulged on his forearms, the valve wouldn''t turn. Creak, creak. If he had known this would happen, he would have exercised more diligently. Whether it was because of regret or because of the thick steam, tears welled up in his eyes. At that moment, a thick hand was ced on the valve. When he turned his head, Rozena had appeared. She grinned, then applied force to her hand on the valve. Screech! The valve that had been so stiff began to turn. And the giant venttion fan started working. Whoosh! The steam that had filled the air was sucked up towards the sky. Finally, the environment became breathable. Rozena patted Dunkel''s back. His burned back stung sharply. "Well done." Her voice waspletely hoarse. It seemed she had inhaled some steam. "Y-yes, thank, thank you." Why are tears streaming down his face? Dunkel was quite displeased with his own small heart. And finally, he had theposure to look down. The snake? Thevake where the demon was said to be hiding? And what happened to father, no, Blue Beard? Thevake that had been constantly flickering with orange mes finally had its fire extinguished. Steam was still rising, but he could see water pooling. However, there was still one fire that hadn''t been extinguished. Rozena muttered. "Genzero..." Blue Beard''s body was on fire. The snake was a little distance away from him. The burning Blue Beard staggered, staggered, towards thevake. And as if it were a lie. He plunged into theke. == ¡¸You have extinguished the demon''s fire.¡¹ ¡¸You have defeated Paimon''s fire demon.¡¹ I''ve done it. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ... For sure! ¡¸You have acquired the achievement ''Demon yer''.¡¹ Chapter 148: This is an opportunity, to leave a deep impression on the snake (1) Like a river flowing steadily, the world never stops. While tragedy strikes the eastern end of the continent, a princess is born at the southern end. Likewise, while the Red Anvil Mine was suffering from the birth of me demons, the Martein territory was pushing for reconstruction amidst the chaos. The death of the Viscount Tiger cast arge shadow over the viscounty. Gerard Martein became a hero through force, but his heroism wasn''tpleted by force alone. As an influential member of the House of Nobles, his political standing was also strong. If it weren''t for the unprecedented disaster of the monster wave from the Great Forest, If there hadn''t been the royal family''s underground n to prevent the capital from falling, That hero wouldn''t have died. Although Gerard Viscount''s death was significant, Martein still had history and power remaining. Make Martein great again! However, since all of Martein''s direct bloodline had died except for Rania in Greyrim territory, "It was truly unfortunate. Their banner of never retreating from battle was the seed of misfortune." It was inevitable that a power struggle would begin between the Viscountess Fa and Gerard Martein''s siblings, the coteral line. Rania Greyrim with her ill-fated destiny. The girl who has now be Rania Martein. Her expression was not bright. "Sigh..." It was none other than Oliver who sighed while watching Rania. Although he had taken refuge in Greyrim territory, he never expected the situation to unfold like this. He had nned to quietly disappear after safely bringing Rania to Martein territory. But seeing her circumstances, he simply couldn''t do that. She was a girl who had lost her mother, lost her maternal grandfather, and lost the hometown she had lived in all her life. Fortunately, her father the Viscount was released, but he would have to devote the rest of his life to restore the fallen territory. The position of Martein Viscount was currently vacant, and the Viscountess was ruling the territory as the acting Viscount. She imed that since Rania was the direct bloodline of the Martein Viscount, she was rightfully the legitimate heir. Those who opposed this were Gerard Martein''s siblings. Those who originally couldn''t dare to covet the viscount position as coteral lines had flocked to the lord''s castle under the pretext of restoring the viscounty. They were growling at the Viscountess, backed by powerful and older vassals. "Poor youngdy." It was Zain who muttered this. Although he was using the name Zarein here. "Zarein, you''re even more pitiful." "Why me?" "You could have be a formal knight of a renowned knightly order, but now you''re just ying bodyguard to an immature youngdy here. You probably won''t be able to use your real name for the rest of your life. If they find out you''re alive, an execution order might be issued." Oliver and Zain... In a way, they had be closer. They stayed by Rania''s side, volunteering as her bodyguards. It was because of Rania''s earnest request, as Oliver and Zain were the only people she knew left. Zain, or rather Zarein, didn''t get angry. Instead, he spoke with a calm expression. "Well, I think it might have turned out for the better." "What?" "It''s true that I wanted to be a knight since I was young. But... that ce wasn''t where I could be the knight I had in mind." The three precepts of the Iron Lion Knights. Valor, Obedience, Perseverance. Having vited the precept of obedience, Zain was now no different from an emunicated knight. Nevertheless, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his mind. "You''re lucky." Oliver clicked his tongue. Waiting in the garden, he nced at Rania through the window. Right now, she was receiving a lecture from a professor invited from the capital. Originally, it would have been a one-on-one lecture, but due to the strong insistence of her uncles and aunts, their children were also present. Rania was in a situation where she was subtly being disrespected by those young ones. "It should get better when you enter the academy. I''ll stay here until then." Oliver said so. Rania had been decided to enter the School Emerald, the Royal Academy. "That''s enough for me to have done my part." "Do you have something to do when you leave?" "..." Oliver didn''t answer. Zarein also looked at Rania with concern. Rania was pinching her thigh to stay awake. "There''s an interesting fact." The one invited for the lecture was Professor Million, an authority on religious history. It was quite difficult for religious history as a subject to be interesting. Although she wasn''t curious at all, Rania tried hard to put on an interested expression. "Do you know which history is longer between your family''s history and the history of the Holy Light Knights?" The Holy Light Knights are a knightly order belonging to the Martein territory. Naturally, it seemed usible that the history of the Martein family would be longer, but he wouldn''t have asked such an obvious question. ''It must be the Holy Light Knights.'' While Rania was thinking this, her cousin Hermit, sitting next to her, raised his hand high. "Me!" "Oh ho, Hermit, go ahead and speak." "It''s the Holy Light Knights!" "Oh oh. That''s correct!" Rania was indifferent. But Hermit, for some reason, turned to look at Rania with a smug expression. She wanted to rebuke him with a ''So what?'', but she held back. "Then, can you tell us the reason?" "The, the reason?" Hermit couldn''t answer. Professor Million smiled understandingly. "The origin of the Holy Light Knights was originally demon hunters. At one time, the Holy Light Order was the most active order fighting against demons, and the history of the Martein family began when the captain of that time was knighted." This was an ancient history that even the Martein family members didn''t know well. Only then did Rania be a little interested. "At that time, the first Martein, who led the demon hunters, defeated a gue demon that had annihted a vige. He was knighted for that merit, but he died in battle a few dayster." If he defeated a demon, then why? "It''s evaluated that he forgot the age-old golden rule of demon hunting. That even a demon killed by fire, its ashes must be burned again..." Rania once had a great interest in monsters and hunting. She was also interested in demons. "That gue demon was a subordinate of Asmodeus. That demon noble took revenge for the death of his subordinate." "How?" The one who asked the question was Rania. "All the corpses that had died from the gue demon''s disease rose again. Whether we should call it necromancy or zombies... As you are all nobles of Martein, you might someday have to face demons." Whoever bes the Viscount will simultaneously be themander of the Holy Light Knights. The expressions of those listening to the lecture changed in various ways. Professor Million looked around at the children with interest, then spoke directly to Rania. "So keep this in mind. When you defeat a demon that has a master, you must be even more careful afterwards." As an expert in religious history was also an expert in demonology. "Because a demon noble might be enraged." The professor''s voice resonated ominously. Chapter 149: This is an opportunity, to leave a deep impression on the snake (2) Everyone. A moment of silence for the deceased Blue Beard. However, he wasn''t really a person worthy of a moment of silence! Only after the situation was somewhat settled did we find out. When I sprinkled a potion on Dunkel, whose palms were all scraped, Rozena suddenly came over and apologized. "I''m sorry, Dunkel." "...Pardon?" Surprisingly, Dunkel was Blue Beard''s son. So he was sort of a prince-like figure. However, the fact that he carried Blue Beard''s blood was a hidden fact, and there was a reason why Rozena suddenly apologized. "About how I used to view you negatively." "Ah... Well, it''s not like you did anything to me specifically." "Still, children are more sensitive than adults think. You knew I didn''t like you, right?" "...Everyone''s like that anyway. So." "Your mother wasn''t a dwarf from the Red Anvil Mine. She was an outside dwarf." "..." It seems Dunkel knew that much. "When Blue Beard returned from his travels outside, he brought you with him. Said you were his child. That''s why I broke up with Genzero." It''s a shocking story. Blue Beard was really something else in many ways. "And then he abandoned you. Even I should have pitied you. But it seems I hated you too." "Haha..." Dunkel gave a bitter smile. That smiling face seemed to make Rozena''s heart even sadder. Rozena hugged Dunkel tightly. "I don''t have a son. But I''d like to think of you as my son." Dunkel stood still, not knowing what to do. That looks nice. As I was patting Dunkel''s calf, Rozena suddenly hugged me too. "Youe here too. Do you want to be my child too?" "Shh." Ugh, no thank you. I''ll pass on having a dwarf mom (who has a beard and is very strong). The n to kill the me demon by pouring water on it was sessful. Blue Beard jumped into that boiling water pit while on fire and died. I heard the message of defeating Blue Beard too, so it''s certain. However, whether it was because he jumped in himself or not, I didn''t receive as much demonic energy as expected. Or maybe his soul was already sold to a demon or something. Anyway, I just got a new achievement. None other than ''Demon yer''. From Guard Captain yer, to Hero yer, and now Demon yer. The achievements are getting more and more morous. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Demon yer] You have in a demon for the first time. You gain resistance to mental attacks when facing demons. You are not easily corrupted by demonic energy. You gain favor with celestial beings. You draw the attention of demons. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ But unfortunately, those benefits were disappointing to me. I''m already immune to mental attacks anyway. And thest part is a bit concerning... "Hmm, Paimon, Paimon..." Pelerian kept muttering. He seemed to have his pride quite hurt after his magic on Blue Beard was broken. My trust in Pelerian might have crumbled a bit too. "Snake." So Pelerian seemed to want to restore his dignity. ''Why?'' "You need to take risks to get greater rewards." ''Suddenly saying such things.'' It seemed like we just needed to forge the Cloudiron Sword, but Pelerian said something ominous. "If that me demon was really a subordinate of Paimon, there will be aftershocks. Paimon is a demon noble who particrly often intervenes in the mortal world." ''Then... Wait!'' I went close to thevake (which used to be one). The water that had clearly stopped boiling was gradually cooling down, but suddenly it started bubbling again. "Saaaaaah!" I warned the resting dwarves. But things progressed faster than expected. ¡¸The Western King Paimon is watching the Demon yer.¡¹ Oh, me? I felt like something was watching me. And a creepy chill... ¡¸You are immune to mental attacks due to the trait ''Perseverance''.¡¹ It came and went. Instead, the water that had pooled below suddenly vaporized. And something made of mes rose up. "Uh, uhhh!" It was like a monster made of mes in the shape of a lizard. The terrible part was that its head looked like Blue Beard''s face. There''s also a long horn on its forehead. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Paimon''s Fire Lizard lv140] [Traits] [Madness], [Time Limit] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This is the second time-limit trait after the Chimera Snake. It climbed the cliff at an astonishing speed. The dwarves who came to their senses screamed. Fortunately, they weren''t entranced by the fire again, but even without that, it''s a terrifying monster. "What the hell is this madness again-!" Rozena shouted and threw her warhammer. It had enough power to crack its skull. Thud! The warhammer stuck deeply into the lizard''s temple area. But its skull didn''t crack and spill brain matter. It doesn''t seem to have taken any damage at all. Rather, the hammer stuck in its head slowly melted and only the handle fell off. It was emitting tremendous heat. I ran to Dunkel. Even though I didn''t say anything, Dunkel knew what he had to do. He spun and threw the bucket made of Celestium. Thunk! It wrapped around the fire lizard''s horn once and got caught. I and the dwarves quickly grabbed onto the chain. As expected, the Celestium chain with excellent heat resistance didn''t melt. "Argh!" But the problem was that the fire lizard''s strength was stronger than expected. The dwarves holding the chain were dragged along with the lizard. In the end, most of them let go. "Chase after it, all of us together!" Led by Rozena, we all chase after the lizard. And I, of course, was holding onto the chain tightly by myself. These weak dwarves. How should I catch that fire lizard? As I was considering various methods, Pelerian said, "Leave it be. Leave it for now! Let it go outside first." ''Is that okay?'' "Anyway, messing with it now will only increase the damage here. If that thing starts rampaging in this enclosed space, it''s over!" That made sense too. "Just leave it for now, trust me!" Pelerian said firmly. The fire lizard, indeed, started climbing up the mine hurriedly as if trying to go to the surface. But that process wasn''t peaceful at all. Dwarves screaming and running away. The fire lizard spat mes here and there as it passed. The fire was so strong that the mine''s buildings and facilities melted instantly. ''What about that?'' "For a greater cause, some sacrifices must be made." Well, that''s true. And finally, it reached the copsed entrance of the mine. The fire lizard opened its mouth and- Kwaaaaa- A pir of fire from its mouth sted open the mine entrance. Sunlight pouring in brightly. The moment the fire lizard leaped outside. I felt d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This is simr to when I was kidnapped by the Chimera Snake. "Now!" And one such experience is enough. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv1.¡¹ As big and heavy as possible. As gigantic as father. Bigger than that mere fire lizard. I grabbed onto the sted mine entrance tightly and held on. The iron chain tightened and pulled on its horn. ng! The fire lizard''s head was jerked back and it fell to the ground with a thud. "Demons'' subordinates should originally be faced under the sun." The lizard resembling Blue Beard roared at me. Chapter 150: Special Evolution Preparation Complete (1) Roil and Amain returned to Calea from the capital. As per the snake''s request, they converted all the gold and treasures he had given them into cash. With that, they established a base in the capital and also purchased a warehouse here in Calea City. Roil had been just an ordinary carriage merchant. However, once he had wings to spread his ambitions, Roil showed extraordinary abilities. His way of handling business was concise and swift. He wasn''t just carelessly throwing money around. By turning an idle plot in the center of Calea City into a warehouse and creating jobs by calling in idle hands, he won the favor of the Calea City mayor. The pot-bellied man who had been in charge of trade with the dwarves became penniless after the Red Anvil Mine closed its doors, so Roil persuaded the Calea City mayor to take over that position himself. He heard that the dwarves no longer epted beer or sold ingots, but well. Wasn''t that what happened after the snake went in? He thought the snake would soon solve the problem. Roil had made a ratherrge donation to be the person responsible for dwarf trade, so it was a bold investment. Or it might have been a foolish choice. At that time, Roil was looking at the copsed mine entrance with Amain on his shoulders. It was the very ce where beer was once handed over to the dwarves. The pot-bellied man who had looked down on Roil had now be a mere servant. And behind them, he was secretly ring at Roil and his son with eyes that seemed to want to kill them. "When will Mastere out?" "Well... It seems to be taking longer than expected." "I want to see him soon." They say that the words of a mage are imbued with mysterious power. If so, would there be a faint power in the words of Amain, who was at least an aspiring magician? Boom! Suddenly, the mountainside was shattered, and mes erupted. What leaped out of the gaping hole was truly a bizarre creature. A lizard with a body made of mes. However, its head was like that of a dwarf. It tried to run straight out. Towards Calea City, where people were crowded. But with chains caught on its horns, its head was suddenly jerked back, and it fell again. What was holding the chains became visible. A white snake, a giant white snake. It was the form that had defeated those intruders on that night. "Wow!" Amain let out an exmation. "Aaaaagh!" The pot-bellied man who had been ring from behind screamed. This was halfway up the mountain. The fire lizard would be visible from Calea City, but only the three here would have seen the white snake''s appearance. The pot-bellied man tried to flee in a panic at the appearance of the monsters. Roil, for a moment, didn''t know what to do and looked back and forth between the snake and the pot-bellied man. "Dad, that...!" Amain pointed. There, the fire lizard was spitting out fireballs. Into the sky. Those fireballs flew all the way to where Roil and Amain were. Roil hugged Amain and threw himself down, almost rolling. Fortunately, they avoided the fireballs, but the fleeing pot-bellied man couldn''t. Bang! One fireball crushed him. It was instant death without even leaving a scream. "Oh shit." "Dad, let''s go that way." "What?" Though he was his own son, he was truly fearless. Amain was actually suggesting they approach where the snake was. "We have to help!" "We''ll only get in the way!" Roil ignored him and piggybacked Amain. He was thinking of escaping on horseback, but Amain, seemingly angry, muttered something. "...ria Aquamancy!" It wasn''t grumbling, but casting a magic spell. It was quite impressive to use magic while being carried. A stream of water poured onto the fire lizard''s head. Hiss! While water is said to extinguish fire, the size and firepower were overwhelming. It was no different from spitting on a bonfire. But the fire lizard had eyes, and Amain''s water stream fell exactly on its eyelids. "Gaaaah!" The fire lizard roared in pain. The eyes of the snake and Amain met. The snake raised its tail. For some reason, Amain felt like he knew that was a thumbs-up. Once again, water poured onto the fire lizard''s head. This time it was the snake''s magic. Hiss! Although it wasn''t muchpared to Amain''s, it still seemed to have the effect of stinging the eyes. "As expected of Master!" "Amain, we should just run away...!" Crack! And this time, lightning struck. What happens when lightning strikes fire? In nature, it might actually grow, but not this time. The fire lizard''s mes sharply diminished. It was clearly an evil monster at a nce. Amain, sensitive to magical power, could feel that the fire lizard was a product of that dark magical realm. "Really, as expected of Master!" Another admiration for the snake. Amain had read magic books before. The power of lightning has a special property. Thunder and lightning have the power of purification, or so they say. He seemed to remember reading that the legendary sage of the empire, Heo something, chanted a spell called "Thunder Vibration Transformation" while hunting demons, or maybe not. The snake not only called down lightning but also wielded a sword to hack away at the fire lizard. There was certainly an impact, but somehow it didn''t feel good. At some point, the snake could no longer call lightning again. Amain shouted into his father''s ear. "We have to help Master. Dad, we can''t just run away!" "How can we possibly...!" "We bought mana potions, didn''t we?" The snake had ordered Roil to buy mana potions. Price was not an issue, just get the highest quality possible. Due to mana potions being inherently expensive, they couldn''t bring back arge quantity even from the capital. If the snake needed mana potions, wouldn''t it mean he anticipated a situation where he''d need to replenish his mana? This seemed to be exactly that situation. Roil immediately understood what Amain meant. The highest virtue required of a merchant is judgment. If one can properly understand risks, they can be a decent merchant. Given that his son was with him now, quickly running away would also be a reasonable choice. And then, calcting the return that woulde from taking on the risk and investing. Moreover, if one doesn''t forget benevolence and righteousness, that''s the makings of a great merchant. Roil hadn''t be a great merchant yet, but he made the choice of one. "You run away right now. Go straight down!" "But..." "Now!" He sternly sent Amain away. Amain, being intelligent, followed that instruction. Instead, Roil mounted the horse he had bought expensively in the capital. "I must be crazy..." It was the right choice to have forcibly bought a good horse. The horse ran forward even in this terrifying situation. Roil quickly grabbed the bag ced on the side table. Inside were the mana potions. As the snake and fire lizard fought, fireballs scattered everywhere. Bang! A fireball fell right in front of Roil and the horse. The horse was startled, reared up on its hind legs, and neighed. Roil fell off the horse at that spot. The frightened horse began to flee, leaving its owner behind. "How much gold did I pay for you!" He was on the verge of burning to death. "Aaaah, Master! Here are the mana potions!" It was toote to follow the horse, so he had to at least give the mana potions to the snake. The snake turned to look at Roil. Roil, with all his might. Threw the bag containing the mana potions into the sky with all the strength his shoulders could muster. "Damn, I should have exercised more!" But sadly, his strength fell short. Just as those precious mana potions were about to crash to the ground. Something transparent caught the bag in mid-air. It was clearly the snake''s magic. "Saaac!" The snake roared and swallowed the bag in one gulp. As soon as Roil saw that, he turned his back and ran away. Crack! Lightning shed behind him. Chapter 151: Special Evolution Preparation Complete (2) As a cultured snake. Drinking something without even opening the lid and chewing the whole bottle is unimaginable. But this is an emergency situation among emergency situations, isn''t it? I didn''t know what the bag in my mouth was, but after chewing and swallowing it, a cool sensation spread down my throat. Of course, I could also feel the sharp texture of pointed ss shards. Let''s trust my digestive abilities for once. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Heavenly Thunder Spirit''s proficiency has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1 has be Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2.¡¹ Finally, this skill''s level has increased too. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2.¡¹ Crack! Lightning with even greater power struck the fire lizard. The vigers on the opposite side of that peak might think Calea Mountain was actually a volcano. With fireballs shooting into the sky and lightning striking continuously. ''Oh!'' Interestingly, the lightning had the effect of stripping away the fire lizard''s mes. I learned this thanks to Pelerian''s advice. "That, that''s it!" Pelerian pointed at something. I could see it too. Inside the lizard''s body, where the mes had subsided. There was a clearly visible purple lump. "It''s a demon''s magic stone!" Is it like a demon''s fruit?! "That thing was created by a high-ranking demon''s temper tantrum anyway. After burning everything around it, it will burn itself away too. That magic stone must be its energy source." Pelerian argued that we should catch it before that happens. "A demon''s magic stone is one of the best magic catalysts. It might be the key to your evolution!" I think there was something about demons in the special evolution conditions. Thinking about it, this was clearly an opportunity. You''ve done well, old man Pel. "Snake!" "We''re here!" And just then, the dwarves came rushing out. Their bodies were soaked. They were also carrying things like buckets. It was clearly the cooling water used to enter the depths. "Leave it to me!" Rozena and the dwarves grabbed the chain I had been holding until now. This time, they wrapped it around a rock pir once to secure it firmly so it wouldn''t be dragged away. "I''ll kill anyone who lets go!" Rozena shouted frighteningly. Shouldn''t she be the new mine lord? No matter how you look at it, that seems right. While I was briefly distracted, the fire lizard counterattacked. Chomp! It bit my body hard. It was incredibly hot and painful. Moreover, its face looked exactly like Blue Beard''s, which made me feel disgusted. ¡¸Gigantification is deactivated.¡¹ I escaped from that danger through flexible thinking. For a moment, I worried about the ss shards in my stomach, but. Fortunately, the ss shards remained intact and my stomach didn''t burst. It bit the empty air. Meanwhile, I fell with a thud. I opened the subspace. Dawn''s dagger Ashura. I clenched it tightly in my mouth. ''Oh no, Chimera!'' The chimera came out attached to the dagger. It didn''t want to go back into the subspace. Rather, it wrapped its vine-like hands around me and clung tightly. I tried to unwind quickly, but it wouldn''t let go. ''Why are you suddenly acting like this!'' "What are you worried about! It''s a chimera of the World Tree with even higher heat resistance than you!" Pelerian was right. Oh well! Before its body, which had subsided, recovered again. I leaped up. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv4.¡¹ The invisible hand is inevitably broken due to the intense heat. Feeling my scales shriveling. I approached its magic stone. Snake-style. ¡¸Using Ferang School Dagger Technique lv1.¡¹ Demon Slicing. sh! I could clearly feel the sensation of the magic stone splitting. And at the same time, extreme heat burst out. Ashura''s de melted. No. This is beyond my heat resistance... ¡¸Seedling Chimera has used Empathy lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Sharing Heat Resistance lv20.¡¹ At that moment, the burden of the heat suddenly eased. Nevertheless, it was unavoidable that my body caught fire. "Saaac!" As I screamed and rolled on the ground, someone poured cooling water over me. "A-are you okay?" A bald head with a round face. Gentle eyes. It was Dunkel. It hurts. I''m not okay. "You look really hurt." Seeing that expression, I''m afraid to check my body. Dunkel poured a health potion over my body. Fortunately, the pain quickly subsided and my body started to heal. That fire lizard bastard... Ah, I got it. ¡¸You have defeated Paimon''s Fire Lizard lv140.¡¹ The lizard''s bodypletely copsed. The red mes that had been zing shattered and flew into the air. It was a sight beautiful enough to behold. ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ... My level increased consecutively. As a result, my level became 31. It was a faster level-up than expected, but evolution wasn''t possible yet. I guess it really needs to be level 40 or 50. That''s when it happened. ¡¸Evolution is possible.¡¹ When I heard such a message. I thought it was meant for me, but it wasn''t. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Seedling Chimera lv10] ... [Status] [Evolution Possible] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh finally! The chimera has also reached the moment of evolution. When the chimera evolves anew, I should give it a proper name. We can''t keep calling it Seedling Chimera forever. "Quickly, take the demon''s magic stone." Pelerian urged. Where the fire lizard had disappeared, there was a purple magic stone. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Demon''s Magic Stone: Paimon] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I don''t think I can analyze this as being a certain grade of magic stone. The chimera wiggled its vine-like hands, showing interest. It''s too early for you. When I said that, it seemed to shrink its vine-like hands as if trying to yield. That was quite admirable. It felt like seeing a child giving up a chicken leg to their father. Feeling my eyes getting moist, I tried to swallow the magic stone. "Psaaac!" And I quickly opened my mouth due to the tooth-burning pain. "What are you doing?" ''Ah, it''s too hot!'' There''s no way I can eat this. At this temperature, it would burn my throat and bodypletely. Is my heat resistance level 11 not enough? ''Should we pour water on it?'' "You can''t do that! Even now, power is leaking out every moment." Purple magical power was steadily flowing out of the magic stone. I guess it''s one of those things that taste better when eaten warm. ''Hmm...'' I looked at the chimera. It was still wiggling its vine-like hands. The chimera has fire properties, and its heat resistance is higher than mine. I closed my eyes tightly and carefully asked Pelerian. ''How about giving this to the chimera?'' "What?" I was just asking for an opinion. ''It seems like it''s about to evolve too, wouldn''t there be special evolution conditions or something?'' "That''s a great idea." ''...Really?'' "It''s much better than you eating it!" For some reason, I felt a little disappointed by Pelerian''s response. I squeezed my eyes shut and gently tapped the chimera snake. ''Here, you eat it.'' The chimera snake wiggled its sprout. I had hoped it would refuse once out of courtesy. But the chimera snake instantly extended its vine hands. As expected, the purple light emitting from the magic stone flowed into the chimera snake''s vines. My, how well it eats. Seeing it eat so well actually makes me feel quite pleased. And the result came immediately. ¡¸Special evolution conditions have been met.¡¹ Now it''s time for the chimera snake''s evolution. Chapter 152: Mega Evolution (1) "Don''t dawdle, you bastards!" the Guard Captain berated his soldiers. The soldiers guarding Calea City are neitherzy nor weak. This is only natural, as the city borders the "mountain range," a magic realm. Having experience in regrly fending off magical beasts, all of Calea City''s elite soldiers are tough. They could easily take on two or three ind guards by themselves. "But... what can we do if we go there?" However, the soldiers'' faces now showed only fear and tension. "It just looks like a volcano erupted..." "I''ve never heard that Calea Mountain was a volcano." "How can we even confirm that...?" The Guard Captain struck the helmet of the grumbling soldier. "I saw it, I tell you. It was a lizard. A fire lizard!" "Ouch... Are you sure you haven''t been drinking?" "You think I''d get drunk on just two beers! And don''t you see even the mayor hase out?" There was a reason the Guard Captain was being so strict. The mayor of Calea City had personallye out. The mayor said he clearly saw a fire lizard. "The dwarves must havee out of the mine, so you followed them, right?" "Yes, that''s right. Now shut up and march in step." The Calea soldiers marched up the mountain in neat rows and columns. The mayor followed behind them on horseback. They finally reached the spot where the fire had erupted. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there was no sign of a fire lizard. If it had really existed, there should at least be a corpse left behind. However, embers were still crackling and smoking in the surrounding area. And there were many dwarves, who were usually very difficult to meet. The dwarves looked terrible. Many were injured, and all of them were soaking wet. The muscr, sturdy dwarves were sprawled out sitting anywhere they could. They looked like victorious heroes, making even the Guard Captain gulp. "Um... We came because there was a disturbance." "Disturbance? It''s all over now." "Could you tell us what happened...?" Dwarves are not known for being friendly. They looked at each other but didn''t give any particr answer. As the silence continued, the Guard Captain asked again. "Is there anyone in charge here?" "In charge? Hmm, who''s our leader?" The dwarves started debating among themselves about who their leader was. Since no one was giving a proper answer, the Guard Captain was at a loss. The brave mayor of Calea approached and urged them. "I am the mayor of Calea City. Is there no one in charge?" Then, the leader of the dwarves really dide forward. "It seems I''m the only one who can act as the leader here right now." It was a dwarf with a luxurious beard. The mayor of Calea acted like he knew him. "Ah, are you the Mine Lord Blue Beard?" The dwarf called Blue Beard, Rozena, frowned deeply. She stomped up to the mayor''s face. And she thrust her beard at the frightened mayor. "Hey, does my beard look blue to you?" "Ah, no..." "If it looks blue, there must be something wrong with your eyes. I''m just called Rozena." "Y-yes, Lady Rozena. I am the mayor of Calea. Then, perhaps the Mine Lord is..." "Blue Beard is dead. Burned to death." "Pardon? How did that happen?" Rozena pondered for a moment, then asked in return. "If fire erupts from deep below the mountain, would that be a volcanic eruption?" "Uh... I suppose so? Was Calea Mountain a volcano?" "I don''t know either. Didn''t you just tell me it was a volcano?" "I see." "Then we could say Blue Beard died because of a volcanic eruption." "My condolences." "No need for that. He deserved it." It sounded like a conversation between fools. Rozena sighed deeply and unfolded her arms. "Since I''ve be the temporary Mine Lord, I''ll apologize as the representative." "Pardon?" "Due to the fire we couldn''t control, your property was damaged and lives were lost. As the representative of the Red Anvil Mine, I apologize and will work towardspensating for the damages." Rozena bowed deeply. The dwarves who had been slouching around also stood up, ncing around, and followed suit by bowing. "Uh... When you say property damage, you mean the loading dock that burned down..." But the mayor was rather flustered by the dwarves'' apology. He called the Guard Captain and asked what they meant by loss of life. "It seems that Batten died?" "Batten? Who''s that?" "You know, that bald guy with the big belly. He was in charge of the loading dock." "Ah, that guy!" Then heughed heartily and said, "Don''t worry about him. He was going to be put on trial anyway for secretly skimming fees." "But still, a person died..." "Is that really an issue in a disaster situation? Don''t worry about it, don''t worry." The mayor of Calea didn''t seem to have the slightest regret about the death of the big-bellied man. It was enough to make even Rozena feel awkward. "We''ll repair the loading dock too, so you don''t need to worry about that..." The mayor''s voice was as soft as if he were about to offer his liver. "How about reopening your doors on this asion? We in Calea City have been hoping for trade with the Red Anvil Mine to resume." "I was thinking of doing that anyway. Stagnant water tends to rot. We wanted to make and sell new items too..." "Really?" The mayor looked like he might faint from joy. Rozena nodded. "However, due to this volcanic eruption, a lot of equipment inside the mine was burned... It might take quite some time to recover." "Time? How long?" "We''re short on budget, you see. It might take at least ten years..." "We''ll help. It''s only right to share in our neighbor''s suffering." "Really? Uahahahaha!" Rozenaughed joyfully and patted the mayor''s back hard. The mayor seemed to be in a lot of pain, but he forced a smile and tried not to show it. "Oh, right!" Rozena looked around as if she had remembered something. Then she dragged Roil, who had been standing awkwardly in the distance. "We received help from a very excellent human. A friend called Roin." "It''s Roil." "Right, Roil!" The mayor''s eyes widened. "This friend helped put out the volcano''s fire. He came riding a horse, you see. Without him, who knows how many more would have died. When we resume trade, it would be good if this friend could help..." "Oh my. Roil..." The mayor already knew Roil. He grabbed Roil''s hand, his eyes glistening with tears. "You were Calea''s lucky charm all along!" Roil smiled awkwardly. That unaffected appearance likely won further favor with the mayor of Calea. "Then talk more with this friend." Rozena left the two of them and quietly stepped back. She sighed deeply as she stretched her stiff body. Though still a powerful warrior, Rozena was already quite old. To be the Mine Lord at this age, even if temporary. She was too old for such a thing. She just wanted to go back to her workshop and create her 1,001st collection. Chapter 153: Mega Evolution (2) In the near future, she would have to hand over the position of Mine Lord. Then to whom...? "Lady Rozena." "Ah, Dunkel." As they entered deeper into the mine, Dunkel greeted her. Dunkel''s hands were stained bright red with blood. He had been tending to the injured dwarves until now. "...You''ve worked hard." There was a snake on Dunkel''s shoulder. The snake was proudly holding its body upright. Rozena spoke to the snake. "Is this how it''s supposed to be done?" ''You did perfectly.'' A pen and paper moved in mid-air, writing the words. Mentioning Roil was at the snake''s request. Thanks to that, Roil would now be able to handle the trade rights of the Red Anvil Mine. He would be able to amass enormous wealth in the long term, of course. Also... the snake had a cunning trick up its sleeve. ''Weapons suitable for goblin hands. This should be interesting.'' Rozena grinned. So this snake had a friendly rtionship with goblins too. It should be very entertaining to watch from now on. What a shame, she thought. Grinning, Rozena shouted loudly. "Everyone!" All the dwarves looked at Rozena. "You''ve all worked hard. For the time being, I''ll be taking over as the Mine Lord of the Red Anvil Mine in ce of Blue Beard. If anyone has any objections, raise your hand now." Of course, no one raised their hand. Instead, cheers erupted. Rozena wasn''t one to put off tasks. Perhaps that''s why she immediately made a bombshell statement. "And I''m considering Dunkel, Blue Beard''s son and my adoptive son, as the next heir to the position of Mine Lord." Shock! Unprecedented! All the dwarves'' jaws dropped. Especially Dunkel, who was most shocked to suddenly be assigned such an important position. "If anyone has any objections, raise your hand." Of course, there should be tremendous bacsh. This was too radical a move, even considering how strong and respected Rozena was. The senior dwarves would never ept Dunkel. "This is absurd!" Indeed, a voice of opposition burst out. It was none other than Dunkel himself. "Everyone else is fine with it, so why are you the only one making a fuss?" "What? Everyone else is fine with it?" Dunkel looked around. There weren''t cheers like before, but no one had raised their hand. Why? Those who had despised Dunkel so much. "I''m not handing it over right away. When you be a proper dwarf, that''s when I''ll appoint you." Rozena firmly grasped Dunkel''s hand. The wounds on his palm, skinned from turning the heated valve, stung. "You''ve worked hard." Rozena smiled. == A centipede''s apuse for the touching conclusion of Dwarf Dunkel''s story. ng ng ng. But unlike fairy tales, real-world affairs don''t neatly divide into introduction, development, turn, and conclusion. Dunkel will have to face many trials before ascending to the position of Mine Lord. Not all dwarves were genuinely impressed by Dunkel. It''s true that he saved the Red Anvil Mine by selflessly rushing into the mes. But many hadn''t actually witnessed his heroics. I hope Dunkel bes the Mine Lord. He''s my friend, and isn''t it good when your friend bes an important person? But I had something more important than that right now. ''Prepare a warm shelter!'' "It shouldn''t be too hot. Since it''s from the great forest, high humidity would be good. I''ll boil some water." We were preparing for Chimera Snake''s evolution. Everyone was moving hurriedly and noisily. "Is it you guys evolving or the snake?" Pelerian scolded us, but we couldn''t just sit still. We carefully lifted Chimera Snake from its pot and transnted it to the underground garden. We even sprayed it with the nutrient solution used when leaves wilt. Chimera Snake had been still with its leaves curled up since yesterday. It was worrying to see it no longer dancing. ''I''ll help.'' "Hmm." That''s right, Chimera Snake isn''t evolving alone. I n to directly assist Chimera Snake''s evolution, armed with my experiences of multiple evolutions. Normally, this would be impossible. But it was possible between me and Chimera Snake. ''Chimera Snake, give me your hand, hand.'' Silence. ''Good, hand.'' Fortunately, one of Chimera Snake''s curled vine hands slowly unfurled. It grasped my tail. ¡¸Using Empathy lv2.¡¹ It''s thanks to Chimera Snake''s special skill. Nothing extraordinary happened right away. ''I''m going to take a nap. Watch over me well.'' "Don''t worry." Dunkel nodded responsibly. Often, sleep was necessary for evolution. If we fall asleep while maintaining empathy, maybe we can intervene in the evolution? After Chimera Snake evolves, I should name it, make the Cloud Iron Sword, and head out. Being so organized is totally J-snake. One good thing about bing a snake is that my nerves have thickened. It must be because my mental power is now 20. I can fall asleep anytime, anywhere if I want. That''s one thing I''m very satisfied with. And so... I fell into a deep sleep. I came to my senses. As if in a dream, the familiar ck space appeared. ''Sess!'' It was a sess. Because Chimera Snake was there too. A single sprout had sprouted on the ground. Seeing me, it happily fluttered its leaves. ¡¸Evolution is possible.¡¹ A message rang out. ¡¸Special evolution conditions have been met.¡¹ And in front of Chimera Snake and me, letters floated up. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ From [Seedling Chimera lv10] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh... I can see. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ 1.[Little Treant] 2.[Vine Chimera] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow! As expected, Chimera Snake, born with a silver spoon from the World Tree, is different from its first evolution. My first evolution options were merely things like Little Green Snake, But Chimera Snake''s evolution options are multiple right from the start. A ''Treant'' is literally a walking tree species. Since it''s a Little Treant, I guess it bes a small tree. That''s too Groot-like, which doesn''t appeal to me. The second is Vine Chimera. Chimera Snake used its vine hands really well. It used them to hold my hand, and although it couldn''t use them like real hands yet, maybe it could if it went this route. Then maybe I could teach Chimera Snake swordsmanship too? A fairly appealing option. Everything below this seems to be special evolution routes. I think they might reflect the ''fire'' and ''bone'' traits that Chimera Snake acquired. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ 3.[Skeleton Chimera] 4.[me Moss Chimera] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Both admittedly look powerful. But honestly, the moment it bes a Skeleton Chimera, it''s no longer a nt. I don''t dislike bones, but it would lose its cute charm. me Moss Chimera... why moss of all things? I wonder if it could wriggle around like a slime. Somehow, I feel like if it evolves into a me Moss Chimera, it won''t be able to stick with me anymore. Because it''d be too hot! This is too difficult to decide. At times like this, I wish Pelerian, the expert on magical beasts and chimeras, was here. He''s never around when you really need him. But as always, it was important to look at thest option. Chimera Snake had eaten a magic stone imbued with the power of Paimon, a high-ranking demon. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ 5.[Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The structure of the name is different. It sounds like an alias for something that already existed. Judging by the name ''vine grass'', it''s definitely in the nt category. It would be nice if it could use vines. But the modifier ''Demon Hunter''s'' is a bit puzzling. Does it mean it gets stronger when fighting demon-like creatures? I''m not sure if we''ll ever fight demons... and I can''t imagine what it would look like. But... Let''s recall Pelerian''s advice. First, he said, "There will be options that remain in the chimera lineage and those that don''t. It might be good to branch out to something else. The chimera lineage certainly has its limits." If so, that leaves only Little Treant and Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass. However, I heard that "treants are rather unremarkable as a species." Come to think of it, Pelerian was helpful! In that case, I think we can narrow down the choice to one. ''Chimera snake, I think number 5 would be good. What do you think?'' I like it too. Nod nod. That''s clearly what it''s saying. Then let''s go with number 5! ¡¸''Seedling Chimera'' evolves into ''Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass''.¡¹ Chapter 154: The Problem of the Beard (1) I wanted to see the process of evolution with my own eyes. It must be quite an interesting sight. Would it evolve like Pokemon or like Digimon? Realistically thinking, it would probably be closer to Pokemon than Digimon. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh...!? The status of the seedling chimera snake...! Congrattions! The seedling chimera snake has evolved into the Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It might feel something like that. In conclusion, I didn''t see it directly. When I opened my eyes, the chimera snake had already evolved. "Saak!" Dunkel, did you see it? Dunkel looked impressed. "It was amazing...!" ''Did you see the evolution process?'' "Yes, I think it''s the first time I''ve seen it in my life. It was really incredible..." Is this how it feels when you can''t attend your child''s kindergarten graduation? "It was amazing, it was an incredible sight." Even Pelerian saw it. As a pervert who loves chimeras and monsters, Pelerian was enjoying the afterglow with his eyes closed and pping. Damn, I''m jealous. But it was clear that the chimera snake liked me the most. ''It didn''t change as much as I expected?'' Due to the terrifying name of Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass, I was a bit worried it might change into something creepy, but it didn''t. ''It''s just a nt as it was!'' Tick tick! The chimera snake nted in the ground had definitely grown. However, it still looked like a nt, like ivy not attached to a wall. The shape of the leaves had changed a little. It now had five leaf fingers, looking like maple leaves. But the surprising thing happened right after. The chimera snake came out of the ground! "It, it stood up!" Dunkel! If you''re going to say that, you should use a subject! The chimera snake stood up from its ce. Could it possibly walk on two legs now! It might soon say "I am chimera snake." Fortunately, that wasn''t the case. The chimera snake staggered and fell forward. It moved in a quadrupedal form using four leaves. It had a tail too, making it look a bit like a squirrel, but it was much slower, reminiscent of a turtle. Or maybe a chameleon. The chimera snake crawled over and climbed onto my tail. Oh, so that''s how you use those vine hands. It stuck to my tail like ivy. When I swayed my tail, it swayed back and forth on top of it. Now it seems I don''t need to carry it around nted in a pot. Let''s check its status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Lv1] [Traits] [Baby], [World Tree], [Hellfire] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Yes, yes, the chimera snake is still a baby. The diverse traits have been simplified. I''m d the important World Tree trait is still there. The noticeable one was Hellfire. When I told Pelerian about it. "Hellfire... It''s a trait that can''t ur naturally in nature." Wow! A unique trait. "I thought I had heard that name somewhere..." ''You mean ''Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass''?'' Compared to XXX''s Chimera or Little Trent, it was certainly a more exotic individual name. "I''ve read about it in an old book. It''s a nt-type monster that lives in the demon realm, harmless to other species but deadly poisonous to demons. There aren''t many detailed records left, but..." No wonder it''s a special evolution. Then it could be called an ancient species or something like that. It might have gained new skills too. I looked further into the chimera snake''s status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Sixth Sense Lv1], [Perception Expansion Lv2], [Absorption Growth Lv6], [Leaf Shaking Lv4], [Vine Hands Lv1], [Empathy Lv2], [Cultivation Lv10], [Fire Immunity Lv.max], [Hellfire Lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Huh, huh, huh, huh! I was shocked. Fire Immunity. I didn''t know there was such a skill. Maybe this is what Heat Resistance bes when it evolves to its final form. If so, it must be an incredibly amazing skill. To think it would gain such an amazing skill with just one evolution. And it wasn''t just Fire Immunity. There was also a skill called Hellfire. This one also smells strongly of an upper-tier skill. To gain two such amazing skills with its first evolution. ''You''re amazing, chimera snake.'' I felt proud. I should check what the Hellfire skill doester. "Didn''t you say you were going to give it a name?" ''Yes.'' Now that it''s neither a snake nor just a chimera, we can''t keep calling it chimera snake. I was nning to give it a new name. "You''re not going to name it Big Eyes or Big Head again, are you?" ''No, I''m going to give it a cool name.'' That''s not to say that names like Big Eyes and Bowingie are bad. Of course not. But for the chimera snake, hmm... Dunkel also thought hard about it. "How about something like Green?" ''Not really.'' "Vinesy?" ''Oh, that name is not bad?'' But Pelerian strongly objected to Vinesy. It''s just cute though. "Consider its characteristics more when naming it. How about Kabbdeteridsephirotia?" ''Ugh, that''s terrible.'' But it''s true that we should consider its characteristics. It''s a nt... it moves, and it breathes fire. Oh, this ispletely... "How about Ashwarithal?" "Oh! That''s cool!" No, let''s pass on that name as it might cause issues. "How about shortening Yggdrasil, another name for the World Tree, to Isil?" ''Oh!'' That''s good. Dunkel, you''re quite good at this? When I asked the chimera snake, it liked it too. Your name is now Isil, Isil. Even without wearing the Crown of Domination. Even without using Taming. The chimera snake epted the name I gave it. ¡¸You have named the Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Lv1 ''Isil''.¡¹ No, did Dunkel name it? Anyway. ¡¸The Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil Lv1 likes its name.¡¹ Then that''s good. "Phew, that worked out well." Dunkel wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You''ve finished your task now, so I just need to do well." ''Thank you for helping, even though you''re busy.'' Actually, Dunkel had a separate task. Shortly after, Rozena would gather all the dwarves in the mine in one ce. There, she would announce that she would temporarily take on the role of mine lord, and introduce Dunkel as her sessor. "There will surely be many who dislike me, sigh..." Although Dunkel said this, he didn''t run away. He was a man with ambitions to change the mine and the dwarves, so he had always dreamed of bing the mine lord. "Should I wear a hat?" Dunkel asked this seriously. He had been ostracized for a long time just because he was born without a beard and hair. ''That might work, but while your head can be covered, you can''t do anything about the beard.'' "...You''re colder than I expected." Of course, I''m a snake. Dunkel seemed worried about his appearance. Then, a surprising thing happened. Isil was very smart. It seemed to understand well that Dunkel had helped in its evolution. Isil approached Dunkel and shook its leaves this way and that. When Dunkel knelt on one knee and brought his face close, it slowly grabbed soil with its leaves and smeared it on Dunkel''s face. "Oof, what''s this all of a sudden?" Dunkel tried to pull his face away. But the chimera snake shook its leaves as if to say it needed to continue. Dunkel sighed and brought his face close again. And then, an amazing thing happened. "Saaaaak!" "Huuuuh!" Both I and Dunkel were shocked. "Is, is this okay?" "Sak, sasasak." "No, but still..." "Saak!" Dunkel was convinced by my persuasion. "Okay, let''s go like this for now." A deep resolve could be felt in his voice. Chapter 155 : The Problem of the Beard (2) Rozena has an outgoing personality. "...And so I nominate Dunkel as my sessor." When she said this, the other dwarves started murmuring. Dunkel''s image in the Red Anvil Mine had changed dramatically over the past few days. But still, there were opposing opinions. "He''s still young and inexperienced." "That''s something I can teach. The masters will nurture his qualities as a mine lord." "Surely there are other talented individuals who could be mine lord?" "Who are you talking about? Raise your hand if you want to challenge for the mine lord position." No one raised their hand. Not because they were afraid of Rozena, but because there were actually very few dwarves who wanted to be mine lord. Why would they take on that troublesome position that only increases their workload enormously, and sometimes requires them to move across continents and handle diplomacy? Unlike humans, dwarves don''t have much desire for power. Dunkel stood there with his hood pulled down low. Some viewed his withdrawn appearance even more negatively. Finally, the criticism Dunkel had worried about came out. "Doesn''t he look a bit off! He has no beard and no hair." There was a reason for this. "The mine lord is our mine''s representative, and he''ll eventually attend the Twelve Anvil Council. Won''t they look down on and treat Dunkel carelessly because he has no beard or hair!" That was a painful point. But then Rozena suddenly started giggling. "Don''t worry, Dunkel has grown a beard." "...Pardon?" "Come out Dunkel, show them!" Dunkel was just clutching his hood. So Rozena pped Dunkel''s back, and the snake hit his calf with its tail. Dunkel finally took off his hood hesitantly and showed his face. And a brief silence due to shock. Soon,ughter burst out from everyone. "Wahahahaha!" "He really has grown a beard!" A beard had grown on Dunkel''s face. It was with the help of the chimera snake, no, Isil. "Is this okay now?" "Uahahahaha!" The mud smeared on his face. From it, thin green grass that might be moss or sprouts had grown abundantly. It was certainly a lush beard. "Dunkel, don''t be shy, everyone likes it." It was as Rozena said. All the dwarves seemed to be enjoying it. Dunkel with a beard made of nts. And then someone shouted: "Green Beard, it''s a Green Beard!" Green Beard Dunkel. It was the moment Dunkel''s new title was born. Cheers erupted from the dwarves. Dunkel awkwardly held out his fist to the snake. The snake bumped the fist. Isil also held out its leaf. "Thanks, guys." ''I''m grateful too, Dunkel.'' Green Beard. It was a parting gift from the snake and the vine grass to Dunkel before leaving. == Goodbye is not forever, right? Leaving the hell we went through together as memories now. We have to part ways to find our own paths. That melody keeps ying in my head. Still, I didn''t shed moist tears when leaving the mine. Of course, Dunkel shed a few tears. What a weakling, it''s not like we''re parting forever. How can someone who might be the mine lord be so weak-hearted? On the day of the sessor nomination. I had a big drinking party with the dwarves. Frighteningly, we finished dozens of barrels of new beer from Calea City in just one night. I''m now heading deep into the magic realm mountains, so in a way, it could be called a farewell party. I ate so much ham and drank so much beer that I still have a headache from the hangover. "Chew on this." The one who handed me a strange herb saying that was Helmut. I headed towards the mountain range with old Helmut. There was a separate reason for this unexpectedpanionship. The top swordsmith of the Red Anvil Mine was none other than Helmut. If we''re making a sword with star iron, of course it should be made by the master of swords, right? Then it would have been fine to make the sword at the Red Anvil Mine and bring it out, but that became difficult. Proper facilities are needed to handle star iron properly. But that fire lizard caused havoc and destroyed most of the facilities. The facilities for melting and refining star iron were also destroyed because of that. "Gray Hammer Vige will appear soon." So the choice was to visit the neighboring dwarf vige. Rozena wrote a letter, and Helmut, who apanied me, is a craftsman respected by dwarves in other viges as well. If we ask to borrow their facilities and tools, they won''t refuse. "If you''re tired, climb on the bag. I can carry something your size." ''I''m fine.'' "My eyes are blurry, I can''t see well. I told you to write bigger letters." ''I said I''m fine!!!'' That''s how the awkward journey with Helmut began. Although he was a gruff dwarf craftsman, Helmut was still a kinder person than Pelerian. "Sigh..." Unlike me, who was expecting a lot from the star iron sword, Pelerian seemed to haveplicated feelings. After making the star iron sword in Gray Hammer Vige, we''ll go deeper. There''s one of Pelerian''s dungeons in an area called Delfram inside the mountain range. When Pelerian tracked his location in the great forestst time, that signal headed towards the dungeon in Delfram. Maybe Pelerian''s skeleton is waiting there. A journey to confirm his own corpse. That''s quite heartbreaking... "It''s Gray Hammer Vige." ''Wow! We''ve finally arrived!'' I quickly climbed onto Helmut''s shoulder. Since it''s the first time meeting these dwarves, they might be wary of me. Still, I should maintain the attitude of a kind snake. But that resolve became meaningless. "Why is there no one here..." There was no one in Gray Hammer Vige. It''s eerily quiet. ''Did they move away?'' "It seems so... but they left in a hurry." Things that would have been taken if they had moved properly were still there. Especially the tools in the smithy. If Helmut had been human, he might have been greatly shocked by the deste appearance of the vige. He might have tried to figure out what happened to this vige first. "Well, we can look into what happenedter." But Helmut, being an excellent craftsman, entered the empty smithy. And he started preparing for work, taking out the celestium bucket and hammers. "Shall we try making one right away?" "Saak!" I was also happy that the star iron sword production was finally starting. But things were about to go a bit wrong. "Oh no..." To heat the forge fire as much as needed, very high-quality charcoal was necessary. "The charcoal has be damp." Helmut scratched his head and looked at the charcoal regretfully. "This won''t produce enough heat. I''ll have to find a kiln and make charcoal first." Just as things were about to getplicated. I tapped Helmut''s ankle. "What? You want me to move aside?" I approached the furnace. And I showed him what I wrote in my notebook. ''Wouldn''t this much fire be enough? Take a look.'' And I asked the chimera snake, no, Isil. Isil stood in front of the furnace. I quickly retreated along with Helmut. We need to move back quite far. "Such a fuss..." Helmut''s face, which was smirking. Froze the moment the chimera snake breathed fire. Whoooosh! Purple mes shot into the furnace. And the resulting heat wave. Feeling a heat that could peel the skin off his face, Helmut shuddered. "Yes, that''s enough... more than enough." ''Then let''s start right away!'' Whether the charcoal was damp or not was irrelevant in the face of hellfire. Chapter 156 : Dawn and Dusk (1) Continental Adventurer Alliance. Abbreviated as CAA. Previously known as the Continental Multinational Adventurer Alliance. That would be abbreviated as CMAA. Of course, not many fools call the Adventurer Alliance CAA or CMAA. The Adventurer Alliance is a transnational organization, not limited to one country. Naturally, adventurers themselves did not create this enormous informationwork and organization that spans continents. Adventurers are even more individualistic than hunters. Previously, adventurers only existed in scattered guilds, but now they have organized collectively. They formed a continental-scale alliance because of the tacit approval and support of the Empire. Various requests became known as quests, ranked and their rewards and reception strictly managed. ordingly, adventurers were also given ranks, and adventurer badges that serve as identification were created. Considering that until now, an adventurer was essentially synonymous with "unemployed dreamer" or "thug seeking instant wealth," it''s a remarkable change. Now, being an adventurer has be a respectable profession. The kingdom also had such an Adventurer Alliance. The Continental Adventurer Alliance, Solion Impel Branch. Befitting the kingdom''s prosperity, it had several S-rank adventurers and one off-the-charts adventurer. One of the kingdom''s Eight Heroes was this off-the-charts adventurer affiliated with the Adventurer Alliance. One of the missions posted at the Solion Impel branch was being carried out here in the "mountain range." Seven adventurers were walking through the mountains. Two were A-rank adventurers, while the other five were all B-rank. Even without an S-rank included, it was a high-levelposition. This meant that the mission entrusted to them was not of an ordinary level. At least an A-rank quest or higher. "Clear wind, bright sky, treacherous mountain peaks." One of the A-rank adventurers muttered. "It''s funny that such a beautiful mountain range is called a magic realm. I suppose that''s how it looks from a human perspective..." He was a young man with clear eyes. The expressions of the other adventurers listening were peculiar, as he spoke sofortably during an already difficult mountain trek. "Pandan, the mountain range is a hellish ce." "Is that so? It looks beautiful to me." A young man with a slightly long chin and sunken cheeks sneered. "Pandan, you said you''re from the eastern part of the Empire? I guess you haven''t experienced the mountain range until reaching A-rank?" As the Adventurer Alliance is spread across the entire continent, the adventurer named Pandan was from the Empire. "I suppose so. Jerico, you''ve been to the mountain range several times?" "It''s the closest magic realm to Solion Impel." "I''ve only been to ins and deserts. Both are terrible ces. This looks better inparison." "When you meet the wyverns and termites, that thought will quickly disappear." The man called Jerico was the leader of this quest. He thought he alone would be sufficient, but the Alliance insisted on attaching another A-rank adventurer named Pandan. Jerico was a man who had truly been through thick and thin to reach A-rank. On the other hand, Pandan was not only still young but seemed quite naive. That didn''t sit well with him. "Oh, smoke." Pandan pointed down below. Jerico unfolded a map, nodded, and said, "We''ve arrived at Gray Hammer Vige." Like most magic realms, there isn''t a clear-cut point where you can say this is or isn''t part of the magic realm. There are areas where living and residing is possible, although magical beasts frequently appear. Gray Hammer Vige was located at that borderline. Adventurers or hunters trying to go deeper into the mountain range resupplied there. "The dwarves of Gray Hammer are greedy. They might try to rip off visitors, so be careful, everyone." Jerico said heavily. The others all nodded seriously, but not Pandan. He just quietly muttered, "I''ll be able to drink dwarf beer..." Jerico clicked his tongue softly and continued walking. But as they got closer to the vige, something seemed off. "Why is there no one..." He quickly silenced an adventurer who muttered this. Jerico slowly ced his hand on the weapon at his waist. There was no one in Gray Hammer Vige. It was usually a vige full of lively noise, but this was an unexpected situation. And any adventurer worth their salt would be wary of unexpected situations. Only Pandan followed Jerico with an unimpressed expression. Bang- Bang- In the dead-silent vige, only the sound of metal being hammered could be heard. It wouldn''t be strange to hear the noise of a forge in a dwarf vige, but it was strange that there were no other sounds at all. "I smell fire." The silence was broken by Pandan''s muttering. Jerico frowned and red at Pandan. Pandan eximed in admiration, seemingly oblivious to social cues. "Doesn''t the air feel warm?" "What nonsense are you talking about?" "Look, there''s a hot wind blowing." A hot wind, he says. Surprisingly, Pandan''s words were true. The noise wasing from the forge. As they approached, the air gradually got hotter. It''s natural for the area around a forge to be hot. But for that heat to spread throughout the entire vige, how hot must the forge be? "The door is open." At the forge, a dwarf was working with the door wide open. They could immediately see why. An enormous heat wave was gushing out of the open door of the forge. It was a murderous heat wave. So much so that if the door were closed while working, the forge itself would be a massive oven. "Ugh!" The B-rank adventurers covered their faces from the hot wind. However, Pandan and Jerico stared wide-eyed at the work being done in the forge. ng- ng! The dwarf craftsman was hammering a red-hot piece of iron. He was an extremely old dwarf. His forearms and hair were soaked with his own sweat. Surprisingly, the dwarf had only one arm. Yet, the force with which he struck the iron with his hammer was extraordinary. With each hammer blow, sparks flew wildly. But he repeated this process rhythmically without even blinking. "...It''s a Meister." Pandan whispered very softly. "A Meister is making a sword." His attitude was cautious, not to avoid being caught, but as if afraid of causing any disturbance. Jerico immediately understood this as well. As a sword user, the opportunity to see a Meister crafting a de was extremely rare. Proper swordsmiths are rare even among dwarves, and there''s almost no way for humans to witness the process. The dwarf Meister Helmut repeated the folding process, bending the heated iron and hammering it again. When the iron cooled, he put it back into the furnace to heat it again. "Ah." They discovered the source of this insane heat wave. Purple mes were flickering inside the main furnace. When he put the cooling piece of iron into it, the mes surged violently. It felt as if a demon was flicking its purple tongue. And a terribly strong heat gushed out. "...Beautiful." That''s what Pandan said. Jerico''s back was already soaked with sweat. It wasn''t just because of the heat. It was because he was witnessing something that had reached its pinnacle with his own eyes. Like a grand sorcerer performing grand magic alone. Or like the brilliant aura de emitted by a master of swordsmanship. The sight of this old dwarf making a sword was just as shocking. The dwarf didn''t spare a single nce at the adventurers watching him. Chapter 157: Dawn and Dusk (2) He was simply devoted to making a perfect sword. And sharpening the de of that sword. Pandan and Jerico watched the process, forgetting the passage of time. Even as the other adventurers, bored by the repetitive work, had already settled down to rest, they continued to watch. And finally, the dwarf finished his work. "Phew..." What waspleted was a longsword. It seemed simr to a dagger that had already been made, as if they were siblings. The de gleamed ck, clearly not an ordinary metal. p p p p p. The one who apuded was none other than Pandan. "That was beautiful. It was an incredibly beautiful sight!" Helmut walked out, wiping his sweat with a towel. His skin was red and burnt, and his hands and feet were trembling from the long work. His voice waspletely hoarse from inhaling the hot air right in front of him. "Humans? cough" Pandan tried to speak in a friendly manner. "Might I ask the name of the great Meister?" "If you had disturbed my work even a little, I would have killed you all." Dwarf craftsmen are known to be entric, but to start with a threat as the first words? It would be natural to feel offended, but Pandan didn''t frown at all. "How could wemit such rudeness!" "You speak well." "If it''s not too presumptuous, I''d like to ask... that pair of dagger and longsword. Are they already imed?" They were clearly items of tremendous value. Even though adventurers have a lot of money, it doesn''t seem like they could easily afford them. But he couldn''t help but ask. "They already have an owner." "Ah...!" Pandan opened his mouth as if disappointed. "I''d like to speak with the owner if possible, are they nearby...?" "Let me ask you something too." Helmut sat down on a box. "Can you get along well with magical beasts?" "Pardon?" It was Jerico who asked back in bewilderment. "Humans are especially afraid of magical beasts. If you couldmunicate, could you get along well with them?" "Ah..." "Especially with something like a snake." Jerico couldn''t answer, but Pandan promptly replied. "Of course! If we couldmunicate, what would be the problem? Personally, I''ve wanted to befriend magical beasts!" "That''s good, then talk to it." "Oh, what?" "You said you wanted to talk to the owner of those swords." Just as Jerico, who was listening, thought this dwarf might have gone senile, it happened. Thud. He felt a cold sensation on the nape of his neck. Something heavy wrapped around Jerico''s neck and shoulders. When? From where? Just as he was about to instinctively react, befitting an A-rank adventurer. Rustle. Along with the sound of scales moving, he felt a chill on his neck. A snake was about to bite Jerico''s neck. If he moved even a finger, he would be bitten to death. The result of being bitten on the neck by a venomous viper is obvious. The fact that it stopped for a moment was enough to glimpse Jerico''s judgment. A piece of paper fluttered in the air. A pen moved by itself and wrote: ''If you covet my sword, you die.'' Scribble scribble, it wrote such words. ''And if you draw your sword, you also die.'' Pandan stopped as he was about to draw his sword. Then heughed, "Ha ha ha!" as if amazed. "Incredible!" == An A-rank adventurer, how cool. I asked if magical beasts have such ranks too. But unfortunately, they don''t. It would be nice if I had a rank too. S-rank magical beast, Ouroboros the Snake of the Apocalypse. Something like that. I''d be in the magical beast encyclopedia too, right? Humans were afraid of me, but they were amazed to see memunicating through writing. And especially that guy Pandan''s nerve was impressive. I heard he''s not from the kingdom, but from the Empire. "I want to buy the sword." He made such an offer when told it was my sword. His reaction was better than the human next to him who was shocked that a snake had ordered a sword. ''How much?'' When I asked that. "500 Imperial gold coins for Dawn, 1,000 Imperial gold coins for Dusk. How about it?" How about it? I wrote ''Hmm...'' for now. Dawn and Dusk refer to the cloud iron dagger and cloud iron longsword respectively. Helmut made a dagger and a longsword with cloud iron. They are brother swords, with the dagger symbolizing the faint dawn, and the longsword symbolizing the intense light of dusk. Seeing how he even includes storytelling in the name of his works, Helmut was certainly a Meister. ''Too cheap.'' "Ugh... Then how about 2,000 coins for both?" ''Hmm...'' Look at how quickly the price goes up. I was going to y with him a bit more, but I stopped. ''Not selling.'' I have a lot of money to begin with. Even if I had more money, I wouldn''t have much use for it. How could I sell these cloud iron swords for money, considering how they were made? Although I feel sorry for Rania, I lost the Dawn Dagger Ashura, so I''ll cherish these two new swords. However, the amount Pandan offered seemed enormous. Because the other humans were shocked. "D-Did he have that much money?" "Isn''t he just throwing it around recklessly?" I could hear their whispering. "That might be the case in the world of poor adventurers. Tsk tsk, trying to get a set of Celestium Swords made by a dwarf Meister for just 2,000 gold coins?" ''Right?'' "Kill that shameless human, snake!" Should I! But I decided to hold off on that decision for now. Because I liked the way Pandan looked at me. His eyes were filled with endless envy and admiration. I had never met anyone who looked at me like that before. Of course, Rozena and that strange woman called Langrey showed interest in my scales. But their eyes were far from envious. But Pandan was looking at me with very hot eyes of envy. How could that not be enjoyable? "But Mr. Snake, you don''t have hands, so you can''t use a sword..." However, no matter what, I couldn''t tolerate those words. ''I''m good at using swords though?'' "Come on, you''re joking..." Shall I show you? As I said this, I picked up the sword with an invisible hand. I picked up the Dawn dagger and spun it in the air. "Huh...?" ''Did you think it was a joke?'' Pandan also seemed to feelpetitive. He leaped up, did a somersault in the air, andnded. "Let me use an expression from where I lived." Then he stood in front of the floating dagger and drew his own dagger. "Shall we have a match?" Instead of answering ''Alright'', I tapped the ground with my tail. My dagger cut through the air. Pandan''s dagger also struck sharply. Hehe. But my dagger technique is no ordinary one. ¡¸Using Ferang School Dagger Technique lv1.¡¹ A terrifying unpredictability that suddenly drops down and then aims for the chin. The moment my dagger dropped. Pandan also dropped his dagger. As if reflected in a mirror, the daggers shing in the air followed exactly the same path. ng! Due to the difference in quality, only Pandan''s de was chipped. But that''s not the important thing. The point is that our dagger techniques matched exactly. Pandan asked in a trembling voice... "...Perhaps, are we from the same school?" Could it be that I unknowingly have a martial arts lineage...? Chapter 158: Inheritor of the Ferang School Dagger Technique (1) ''Fellow disciple? What''s that?'' I yed dumb. My dagger technique was passed down to me by a hunter named Oliver. It wasn''t just to respect Oliver''s privacy. If Oliver and this adventurer named Pandan were from the same school. Maybe Pandan could be my superior. I might have to call a stranger I just met my senior or uncle disciple. Uneptable. "No, where on earth did you learn that dagger technique..." I tilted my head innocently like a naive snake. Pandan looked at me and chuckled. "To be honest, I never imagined a snake could really use a sword." However, just ying dumb wouldn''t make Pandan drop his suspicions. "There shouldn''t be anyone entric enough to teach dagger techniques to monsters..." He pondered for a moment, then opened his eyes wide and whispered: "By any chance, was it an old man with white hair and six fingers?" Where in the world would you find such a person? I thought for a moment and then tilted my head again. ''It might have been, or might not have been...'' "Ah..." If I say this, even though I said "it might not have been," people often assume on their own. Pandan was the same. "Could it be that the legendary founder Ferang is still alive...!" I didn''t give any answer at all. Ferang, it seemed to be the person who created the ''Ferang School Dagger Technique''. "Would you like to spar more?" ''Sure.'' If it weren''t for my excellent memory, I would have started to forget the dagger technique by now. If I hadn''t learned it as a skill, I would havepletely forgotten it. I demonstrated the dagger technique I learned from Oliver. Throwing the dagger into the air. Then grabbing it in reverse grip and aiming for the opponent''s shoulder. "Third form, second type, low hawk hunt!" He eximed in a whisper so others couldn''t hear. "It''s all good, but striking straight down is surprisingly inefficient." "Really?" "Like this, going down in an arc is strangely faster." I didn''t know whether Oliver or Pandan was stronger. But unlike Oliver, who taught me with an indifferent attitude, Pandan was enthusiastic. And an amazing thing happened. ¡¸The proficiency of ''Ferang School Dagger Technique'' increases rapidly.¡¹ The proficiency of the Ferang School Dagger Technique increased. This effect urred every time Pandan corrected my dagger technique. ¡¸Ferang School Dagger Technique lv1 has be Ferang School Dagger Technique lv2.¡¹ Finally, even the level went up. In fact, this meant that my dagger technique had many shorings. Can''t be helped, I rarely had the chance to use sword techniques in real situations. But ironically. I was an excellent swordmaster. "There''s no way to counter it." It''s not for nothing that sword qi technique is the symbol of absolute masters. Imagine fighting against a swordsman using sword qi technique. Think about how you would parry the opponent''s sword. Then you have to somehow find an opening to stab or cut the opponent. Only then can you gain the upper hand. But since there''s no hand attached to the sword, there''s no way to attack. It was the same for me. Although my sword technique might becking, Pandan had no way to cut me from far away from the sword. How about my sword technique! "It''s not sword technique, it''s magic." Pelerian unfairly criticized, but I didn''t care. ¡¸The proficiency of Ferang School Dagger Technique increases.¡¹ Regardless of that nder, the skill proved that I was a swordsman. "Haha, I think this is enough." Pandan put his sword away, sweating. From talking with him. Fortunately, the Empire wasn''t exactly like the martial arts world. There were no sects, and it wasn''t a wuxia novel-like world. "Do you have a title?" ''I have a few.'' "If it''s alright, I''d like to give you one, Mr. Snake." But it seems there are such romantic customs and culture. "How about ''Snake Sword''?" ''Snake Sword!'' It''s a naming method using the Empire''s unique ideographic characters. Snake Sword didn''t immediately be my title. But I really liked it. "Hehe, then do you still want to sell swords..." ''No.'' Of course, I tly refused. I''ve had enough fun now. The adventurers set up camp outside carelessly, so I returned to where Helmut was. Helmut was sitting and resting after washing up. "Phew..." He looked up at the sky with a pipe in his mouth. I followed and raised my head to see a beautiful moon hanging. It was a muchrger and more beautiful moon than Earth''s. "...It''s one of the best-made sword sets I''ve created. Please take good care of it." ''I will.'' Helmut had finished his work, so he would return to the Red Anvil Mine. He''s very old, so I might not see him again. "You''re going into the mountain range?" ''Yes.'' "It''s a very dangerous ce. Even if you''re quite strong, it would be dangerous to go alone." It can''t be much different from the great forest, can it? Seeing that I wasn''t intimidated at all, Helmut chuckled. "Well, it''s funny to warn a monster about the magic realm." That''s right. "It might not be bad to go along with those humans." ''That might be good too.'' The human adventurers seemed to have a mission inside the mountain range as well. Helmut justy down on the t stone floor. He put his hard prosthetic arm under his head, and soon began to snore surprisingly quickly. I alsoy down to sleep. Pelerian was sitting on Helmut''s hammer. He spoke to me as I was about to sleep. "To get to Delfram, you have to pass through the de Pir Zone." What kind of ce is the de Pir Zone? If you analyze the name, you can understand right away. Stone pirs mean stone columns. In other words, it was a zone full of stone pirs as sharp as des. "Go with those humans." The same story as Helmut. I never imagined Pelerian would suggest forming a party. It was very unexpected, as he didn''t want others to discover his dungeon. ''Is it difficult to break through alone?'' "That''s right. It would be good to use those humans as bait." Pelerian expounded on the dangers of the de Pir Zone. "Do you know how dangerous wyverns are? There are no more annoying flying monsters than them. And there''s not just one or two." Generally, I''ve never gotten along well with eight-legged things or winged creatures since ancient times. "They dive down at a fierce speed, then bite and lift high up to drop. When the prey is shattered to pieces, they open their long mouths to chew and swallow." Terrifying creatures. I dislike flying even more than swimming. ''Well, if I go with humans, they''ll target them first.'' "That''s right!" It was a typical Pelerian-like trick. But I was a bit puzzled. ''Wouldn''t it be better to go in alone? It seems like I won''t be detected if I move quietly. Isil is also a very quiet creature.'' I''m rtively small, so I shouldn''t have difficulty hiding. But there was an answer prepared for that as well. "The bottom of the de Pir Zone is also dangerous. There are many tunnel-digging termites." Termites? They don''t sound like very dangerous monsters. Plus, I like the idea of white monsters. "You''ll understand when you experience it. Anyway, if you go alone, the termites will consider you prey and you''ll have a hard time. They''re almostpletely unintelligent, so they won''t be afraid." One of my advantages is that I listen well to others. Chapter 159: Inheritor of the Ferang School Dagger Technique (2) It does seem better to go with humans. But how to lure them? I''ve gotten somewhat close to Pandan, but the human called Jericho and the other adventurers seemed to avoid me. First, I wonder how I can make a deal with Pandan... It was then. Knock knock. Someone knocked on the door. Is it Pandan? Maybe he''ll ask to have a drink since it''s boring. I opened the door with some expectation. But instead of Pandan, the adventurer called Jericho was standing there. "Ah, um..." He seemed flustered when I opened the door. I thought he might havee looking for Helmut, but that wasn''t it either. "I heard from Pandan that you''re heading inside the mountain range..." ''That''s right.'' "Would you like to go with us? The de Pir Zone is very dangerous." What''s this about? I was thinking about how tofortably go along with humans, but the human side proposed traveling together first. == The snake didn''t answer Jericho''s proposal easily. That sharp gaze, and the purple tongue moving, shhhh. Moreover, it''s a monster that can speak. Jericho felt his hands and feet trembling for some reason. But in the end, that night, the snake epted the proposal. A temporary alliance with the snake was formed. I''m still not sure if that was the right choice. "I shouldn''t talk carelessly about quests that haven''t beenpleted yet, but..." The snake was suspicious. Cleverly, it tried to confirm why the adventurers came to the Gray Mountains first. "Actually, a few adventurers have already entered the Gray Mountains. They sent a letter requesting support, and we were on our way to help them." That was actually true. "We''re just a support team, so we don''t know what quest they received originally. But we can guess roughly." Jericho spoke quietly. "After passing through the de Pir Zone, there are several ancient ruins. It seems they''re trying to find usable artifacts there." It''s a ce where various artifacts are still being discovered. "Ancient artifacts are very expensive items, and there are rumors that they''re meant to be gifts for the Emperor''s birthday. We don''t know for sure either." The snake showed a little interest. Jericho''s coherent exnation might have moved the monster''s heart a bit. When Jericho returned, the apanying adventurers quickly asked. "Did it agree toe along?" "Yes." "Haha, that''s great!" They were happy. It probably wasn''t because the adventurers were entrics who could befriend monsters like Pandan. "If we capture it and take it to the capital, how much money could we get?" "Won''t the Magic Tower want to buy it?" They smelled an enormous amount of money from the snake. "Then those swords will be ours too." "But what''s that grass thing stuck to its back?" "I don''t know, it doesn''t seem like much. We can just rip it off." At that moment, Jericho frowned and warned. "Hey, you bastards." He red at the adventurers. "Think about the order of things. You know the quest is more important than that snake." "Well, that''s true." "Let''s capture the snake too if we get the chance while traveling together." ''They seem to be looking for ancient artifacts.'' That''s what he told the snake, but it was actually a lie. They were looking for something that, while not as precious as ancient artifacts, could be sold for even more. And if possible, capturing that snake would be worth it too. "Keep that safe." The adventurers had ''that'' with them. The thing wrapped in oilpaper and tucked into the side of their backpacks. It''s an item borrowed from the Empire''s Adventurer Union. While on the subject, Jericho checked his own item. When he unwrapped the oilpaper, what came out was something like a long metal cylinder. With a stock that could be shouldered and a trigger attached. It was called an ''Electric Net Gun''. An item that showed innovative performance in capturing and subduing monsters. Strangely, the snake knew about human artifacts and could even use swords, but it probably couldn''t even imagine what this was. The gun is a recently developed item in the Empire, not something a mere monster would know about. The gun felt very reassuring. "Don''t shoot carelessly even in dangerous situations." "Yes." The adventurers grinned. == ''Wow, there are guns here too.'' When I eximed like that, Pelerian looked at me. "Guns? What''s that?" ''That long thing they''re carrying. You know, the tool that fires bullets using gunpowder.'' "Are you talking about cannons? Cannons are veryrge and inefficient things." ''Guns are those cannons made small, old man.'' Judging by Pelerian''s expression, guns don''t seem to bemon items. Come to think of it, it might not be something that uses gunpowder. I can faintly feel the aura of magic power too. And it seems to be a gun. One of the adventurers checked arge bullet, and there was something like a inside. Interesting item. I should be cautious. If they try to fire at me, it''s instant death for them. "From here on is the de Pir Zone." Pandan said with a grin. That smirking face makes him look malicious too. At this rate, Jericho and the adventurers behind him might seem more friendly. After saying goodbye to Helmut, the adventurers and I arrived at the de Pir Zone. "Wyverns wille from the sky, and from here on we need to be careful of termites." Pandan said so. Strangely, the ground of the de Pir Zone was very white. Curious about why, I scratched the ground with my tail. ''Why is the ground white?'' "It''s because guano has umted for a long time." ''Gua...'' Guano is bat or bird droppings that have hardened and turned into rock. So you''re saying this whole area is wyvern poop? Suddenly, I didn''t want to crawl on the ground anymore. I quickly jumped onto the shoulder of one of the adventurers. "Hiiiek!" The adventurer made a strange sound. There was a burst ofughter, and Pandan took out a strange object. There was a chicken in a round birdcage. "We''ll use this to find the location of the termites." They keep worrying about termites, but what''s so scary about mere ants? Pandan threw the birdcage forward. Flutter flutter! The chicken pped its wings and crowed "cock-a-doodle-doo" in the cage. And then an anomaly urred. On the white ground where there was nothing, holes opened up as if lids were being lifted, and something popped out. "Quaaaack!" Termites? Are ants supposed to be as big as wild boars? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hell Helmet Termite lv32] [Traits] [Ambush], [Swarm], [Pursuit] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Large termites popped out of the ground. Hmm, I should probably not get off the humans'' shoulders if I can help it. Chapter 160: Killer of the Dwarf Architect (1) Poor chicken. When that chicken was a yellow chick. Did it ever know it would be used as bait to lure out termite monsters? "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" It must be a very brave rooster indeed. As it fluttered and defecated, its body hit the cage, making a loud noise. But the termites didn''t care. They rushed in as if to eat the cage whole. However, we can''t use up a chicken every time we travel. For reuse, the cage was attached to a chain. Pandan quickly pulled the chain. ng! The termite''s strong jaws bit the air instead of the cage. As the adventurers quickly retrieved the cage, the termites turned to look at us. And then a series of strange events urred. The adventurers all spread their arms wide, puffed up their bodies, and shouted. "Wooaaaah!" "Graaaaargh!" "Kyaaaah!" If I didn''t know any better, I''d have thought they were crazy. But seeing their appearance reminded me of something. It was exactly like the way to deal with encountering a bear while hiking, which I saw on YouTube. Puff up your body and threaten that if they charge recklessly, there will be no mercy. I didn''t want to just stand still, so I raised my body and roared loudly. "Saaaaaak!" Surprisingly, it worked. The termites hesitated and gave up on attacking. Then they dug back into the ground. The exact name of these termites is ''Hell Helmet Termite'' I don''t know why the modifier ''hell'' was attached, but the reason for ''helmet'' was clear. They had a t white carapace attached to the top of their heads. It looked like a helmet, or from another perspective, like the graduation cap college students wear, and I could immediately understand why. ''Camouge carapace!'' After hiding their bodies in the tunnel, they put their heads in, and it waspletely unnoticeable. The t carapace on their headspletely hid the hole. No wonder they can''t be seen. They could be described as monsters specialized in digging traps and ambushing. "Now that we''ve confirmed they''re over there, we can turn back and go." Pandan said so. ''Can we just pass by?'' "They''ve realized we''re threatening, so they won''t attack first. But if we pass right over them, they might reflexively pounce." The adventurers clearly had know-how for breaking through this zone. "It''s good you decided to move with us, right?" I see. It would certainly befortable to travel like this. If I were alone, I would have been very flustered by termites suddenly popping out of the ground. ''Ah, I need to level up.'' The problem was that I had such thoughts. It''s good to go easily, but it feels like it would be difficult to level up. Of course, I didn''t bother to tell the adventurers about such a greedy concern. "Throw it over there too!" After passing the first stretch, they kept throwing the birdcage at suspicious-looking ces. When the termites sensed movement and came up. "Kyaaaaaah!" "Kuooooong!" "Kroaaargh!" "Saaaaaak!" Everyone shouted together to threaten them. It seemed like there was a Kraddmesser mixed in the middle, but let''s ignore that. Interestingly, Isil, hanging on my back, also shook its leaves together. If it had a mouth, it might have shouted "Sssssssak!" More anticlimactically than expected, we broke through the pir zone without a single fight. "It''s easier than I thought?" "Still, stay alert, okay?" "Yeah, yeah, idents always happen when you let your guard down." Even while saying that, I could feel the adventurers'' tension easing. But the magic realm is an extremely dangerous ce. This mountain range is also a magic realm, so if we assume it''s like the Great Forest, we should never be at ease. There are no perfect countermeasures or strategies in the magic realm. There are always exceptions in real situations. And when you encounter exceptions, unexpected situations ur. "Cross carefully." Jericho said so, and the adventurers started walking steadily. Moving too quietly isn''t good either. It''s better to make a little noise to warn the termites that we''re passing over. Termites that have realized our group is numerous and threatening will stay hidden quietly. But there seemed to be one among them that was a bit braver. Or maybe it was sleeping and didn''t know what was happening around it. Or it might have been too hungry to ovee its hunger. What''s certain is. It popped out from an unexpected ce. It was sudden. Of course, I could react, but unfortunately, the adventurer passing by its side couldn''t. Crunch! His ankle was bitten in an instant. The termite didn''t let go of the prey it had bitten. Without even a chance to resist, it dragged the adventurer in. "Aaaaargh!" The adventurer screamed and struggled not to be dragged away. He dug his nails into the ground, but they just left marks as he was dragged. In an instant, his nails broke and peeled off. The other adventurers reacted, albeit btedly. Jericho, holding a hammer, struck the termite. Thud! But true to its insect-type monster nature, the termite had a hard exoskeleton. It was dented, but not enough to inflict a fatal wound. The termite that had bitten the prey was desperately trying to return to its hole. And then I moved. Shhhk- The dark iron dagger forged by Helmut was very hard, and surprisingly sharp. Dawn pierced exactly between the termite''s eyes. The brain is destroyed, even insect-type monsters usually die. ¡¸You have killed Hell Helmet Termite lv39.¡¹ Magic power is absorbed. However, the damage already done didn''t disappear. "Aaah, let go, save me!" The termite didn''t release its jaw strength even in death. The adventurer whose leg was bitten kept screaming, not realizing the termite was already dead. "Shut up, you bastard!" Jericho covered the adventurer''s mouth to calm him down. Another adventurer took out an axe and quickly cut off the termite''s head. Then he took out a knife and practically disassembled the termite''s jaw. "Huk... kheuk..." There was an ugly wound on the adventurer''s ankle. The white thing visible inside where the termite had bitten was clearly bone. Jericho poured a potion on the wound. It bubbled and the flesh healed a little, but the wound still remained. "Damn it. Of all ces, it had to bite the ankle." There must be some kind of poison on the termite''s jaws. Even after using a whole bottle of potion, the wound didn''t heal, so they tied a bandage. The bandage quickly soaked with blood. "Can you walk?" "N-no..." "You there, support him." The designated adventurer made an unwilling face but offered his shoulder. Jericho seemed to want to send the injured adventurer back. The injured one noticed this and forced himself to walk. "This doesn''t feel good..." With an injured person, the speed became much slower. Moreover, one person had to support the injured, so there was more loss ofbat power. I saw those things and felt. ''Hmm, these guys are less impressive than I thought.'' Jericho and Pandan were somewhat okay, but the other adventurers looked too clumsy. They said they were B-rank, but is that level really that low? If these guys were dropped in the middle of the Great Forest, they probably wouldn''tst a few days before all dying. Chapter 161: Killer of the Dwarf Architect (2) They wouldn''t survive the Shadow Forest, let alone the Pmu Rainforest. "Your standards have risen a lot." Hmm. Well, most of the humans I''ve met were either heroes or mages. Thinking about that, it''s no wonder their skills didn''t impress me. ''Drip, drip, drip. Look at the blood.'' Drops of blood fell from the bandage of the injured adventurer''s leg. "Let''s check the wound again when we get to a safe ce. There should be a healer among the adventurers who went ahead." "O-okay." That''s not the problem, walking around bleeding like this will stimte the appetite of other monsters. The humans might not know, but as a monster, I could clearly smell the blood. The nearby termites must be getting hungry too. "Saak!" I called Pandan. And warned him. The smell of blood was overwhelming. My warning soon became reality. "What are those...!" At some point, termites started following our group. They were clearly termites. But the difference was in the shape of their helmets. Unlike the other ants that seemed to wear t boards, these had something like sharp horns attached. Looking closely: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Hell Horn Termite lv43] [Traits] [Pursuit], [Cooperation] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ They''re a slightly different breed. They seem to be stronger ones. "Scavengers." Jericho gritted his teeth. "Why are they appearing already?" From what I hear, these are creatures that don''t usually appear at the entrance of the de Pir Zone. The flustered adventurers whispered among themselves. "We were already going around to avoid those guys..." ''Don''t be flustered by mere things like this. Foolish humans.'' I couldn''t just watch and said a word. They said monster waves never ur in the Great Forest either, but didn''t they end up happening? ''The magic realm is a magic realm because humans cannot understand it.'' "Why did you suddenly change your way of speaking..." It was then. "Queeeeek!" Once again, termites burst out of the ground and ambushed. The adventurers gritted their teeth and responded. Fortunately, this time no one was bitten and dragged away like before. The adventurers drew their weapons and fought against the termites. "Don''t lose formation! Hey! Don''t rush out, you bastard!" Their fighting skills seem far superior to ordinary soldiers. But they don''t seem used to coordinating with each other. In fact, I was the one who benefited the most when a fight broke out. ¡¸Using Ferang School Dagger Technique lv2.¡¹ Pak! The skill level of the invisible hand had risen quite a bit, and I could send the sword quite far. I stood in the middle of the adventurers and moved my sword. I shot the dagger between Jericho''s legs to pierce the forehead of a termite. Jericho staggered, probably feeling a chill between his thighs. ¡¸You have killed Hell Helmet Termite lv29.¡¹ The smell of blood might have drawn them in. The pursuers following us didn''t miss this opportunity and pounced. Swoosh, I swung the sword. ¡¸You have killed Hell Horn Termite lv46.¡¹ Magic power, experience pointse in. Not a single drop of body fluid sshed on me. The adventurers shouted desperately, and the termites made strange clicking sounds. And I just swung my sword in the center, like the conductor of this concerto. ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ Hmm. Following Pelerian and Helmut''s advice seemed to be the right choice. ''Good job!'' Rather than biting and tearing at the termite''s heart from the front, it was much more efficient to leave the front line to the sturdy adventurers and fight from behind. Above all, my magic power was rising rapidly. Is this the utility of swordsmanship? Old man Pelerian, didn''t I say learning swordsmanship would be useful? "You fool! The flower of the battlefield that spews long-range firepower from behind the front line is not a swordsman, but a mage!" Is that so. Anyway, isn''t it swordsmanship if you fight with a sword? I swung my sword wildly. Just when I thought I might be able to level up one more time, the fight stopped. "Huff, hah." "Damn it, this ispletely different from the information we had. Why are there so many?" They didn''t seem to have expected attacks to be this frequent. ''Was it always this dangerous?'' "It was dangerous. But there do seem to be unusually many termites." It''s been quite a while since Pelerianst visited this ce. It would be unreasonable topare it to now. "Wait!" At that moment, Jericho raised his hand to stop the group. There were a few footprints left on the ground. The ground here isn''t that moist. The footprints remained because there were mud puddles and water pools. "Are these from the adventurers who went ahead?" "No..." The shape of the footprints was unusually thick. "They look like dwarf footprints." Hooh. The dwarves of Gray Hammer Vige had disappeared as if they had evacuated. They had entered the magic realm as a group. Why on earth? For now, we followed the traces and moved forward. Soon, the adventurers'' faces brightened at the terrain that appeared. "Ah, a safe ce!" It was a terrain where the pirs were closely gathered to cover the ceiling, and the ground was made of moist ck soil. This was indeed a safe zone in the de Pir Zone. Termites didn''te near the wet soil. The dwarves who passed through earlier seemed to have rested here too. There were traces of campfires and camping scattered around. "Wait." When the wind blew, I smelled blood. "There are traces of a fight." It seems the dwarves fought here. So I thought maybe it wasn''t actually a safe zone and monsters were hiding... But that wasn''t the case. The dwarves didn''t fight monsters. They seemed to have fought among themselves, or perhaps with humans. There was a pile of bodies that had been burned, with human and dwarf bones mixed together. "There... isn''t that one alive?" One adventurer said quietly. Over in that corner, a dwarf was sitting leaning against the wall. He was pressing his neck tightly with his right hand. The cloth on his hand was reddish-brown due to dried blood. "Go closer and check." Jericho ordered. The designated adventurer approached carefully, making an unwilling face. "Hey, are you alive?" "..." "Excuse me." The dwarf suddenly opened his eyes wide and swung his left hand. Thwack! "Argh!" The adventurer who was hit in the cheek by the hammer flew back. The dwarf didn''t seem to be in his right mind. He shouted with bloodshot eyes. "You, humans, you filthy humans!" I heard that surface dwarves were a friendly and hearty race. He looked absolutely ghastly. "What are you doing!" "You, do you know what you''ve done! Humans!" The dwarf didn''t seem to be in his right mind. "Because of you all, everyone''s going to die!" He shouted in a voice like scraping metal. The excited adventurers drew their weapons, trying to kill the dwarf. That''s when I stepped forward like a hero. "Saak!" (Everyone stop!) I don''t know what''s going on, but calm down. I stopped right in front of the dwarf and looked into his eyes. ''Dwarf friend. I am snake.'' I have experience befriending dwarves at the Red Anvil Mine. Because of that, I might have been overconfident. "S-snake monster!" He suddenly threw his hammer at me and tried to throw other objects around. ''Calm down!'' Fortunately, this isn''t my first experience like this. This time, I didn''t reflexively bite like I did with the guard captain before. One mistake is enough. "Saaaaaak!" I roared intimidatingly to try to calm him down. But seeing that, the dwarf tried to get up as if to run away. Then the wound on his neck burst open again. Pshhh! Blood gushed out from his neck. Thud. The dwarf copsed. ¡¸You have killed Dwarf Architect lv60.¡¹ Uh, umm... This honestly isn''t really my fault. Chapter 162: First-Class Marksman (1) The dwarf had a hasty temperament. Isn''t it too discriminatory to think that all snakes are evil monsters? I might have even healed it. It died because it moved hastily in surprise, causing its wound to burst open. I gained quite a lot of experience points. The poor dwarf will now live and breathe eternally with me as mana. ''Let''s burn it.'' I asked the adventurers to do so. They nodded reluctantly. Leaving the corpse here would only attract hungry monsters with its rotting smell. It wasn''t for nothing that the dwarves had left traces of burning other corpses. Whoosh- The adventurers quickly performed the cremation without me needing to help. The unnamed dwarf burned to ashes, leaving only bone fragments. Jerico muttered, looking at the smoke rising to the sky. "Someone will see it." Although the view in the de Pir Zone is narrow, the ck smoke rising to the sky is certainly noticeable. Everyone in this vicinity will see the smoke. "I''m not sure what consequences this will bring." The dwarves might see it, or the other adventurers who entered earlier might see it. If it''s thetter, it might help us meet them. If it''s the former... well. The dead dwarf showed inexplicable hostility towards humans. "Did the ones who went ahead do something to the dwarves?" "Why would the guys who took the quest fight with the dwarves?" "There''s no reason to fight." Could it be that humans have greatly wronged the dwarves? Is that why the dwarves all entered the mountain range to track down the humans, and they met and fought? It seemed to make sense, but I couldn''t imagine why that would happen. Then someone spoke up. "Let''s withdraw." It was one of the B-rank adventurers. "This situation wasn''t mentioned in the quest. It seems like the entire dwarf vige has mobilized. How can a few adventurers stand against that?" "Hey, if we bail out now, the penalty is double the advance payment we received. I''ll be finished if I have to pay that penalty." Another adventurer burst out angrily. "In a situation like this, withdrawal is possible. We might not even have to pay the penalty." "That''s just your opinion. The union won''t be that lenient. If this quest was that easy, would the advance payment have been so generous?" Just how much was the quest reward? I''m participating too, shouldn''t I get a share? I should seriously talk to Jerico or Pandan about this. The adventurers don''t seem as brave as I thought. They argued back and forth about whether they should withdraw or not. If you all leave, I''ll have to break through alone. That won''t do. As I was thinking this, Isil pped its leaves above me. It seemed to be saying that it was here too. Interestingly, the humans seem to consider me and Isil as one entity. Since Isil has been attached to my body all day, they probably think I''m some strange snake with ivy attached to me. Then Jerico spoke with a heavy voice. "We''re not withdrawing. We should at least find out what happened to the adventurers who went ahead." As expected of the implicit leader of the adventurers. When he made that decision, a few showed dissatisfied expressions, but they didn''t openly oppose. "If we just return, it won''t end with just a penalty. And the possibility of a wyvern appearing was already mentioned." There was a strange weight in Jerico''s words. Pandan and Jerico seem to know something more. The other adventurers also seemed to notice something, as their faces turned ashen. "Damn, we stepped in it." "This is why we shouldn''t touch blue quest papers." It seems the quest they received was special. "Still, it would be good if one person, including the injured Hanson, goes back." As soon as those words were spoken, the adventurers'' expressions changed. But Hanson himself didn''t look too happy. "You''re... you''re abandoning me, aren''t you?" "What nonsense! That''s why we''re sending someone with you!" "But still, just the two of us going back..." "Think rationally. Is it safer to continue with an injured leg? Or is it better to turn back from here, even if we give up thepletion fee?" "..." Being together doesn''t necessarily mean it''s safer. If necessary, the adventurers would surely use Hanson, with his injured leg, as bait. Knowing this, even the one with the injured leg eventually nodded. Returning with just two people was equally dangerous, but there was a volunteer. "I have no intention of dying in a ce like this..." There''s always someone who has to make things worse by talking like that. The atmosphere became quite rotten. ''Well, let''s go, let''s go.'' Isil and I had no choice but to be the mood makers. I climbed onto Jerico''s shoulder and patted his back, and Jerico nodded. "Let''s move out." We had rested as much as we needed to. The adventurers started moving carefully. "I''d like to reach that white peak before the sun sets..." Jerico muttered. ''Hmm, the smell of tension.'' Snakes have a good sense of smell. I have a good sense of smell too. Thanks to that, I learned something. The cold sweat that tense people release has the smell of tension. It wasn''t a particrly pleasant smell. Right now, the adventurers were afraid of the night''s approach. Well, for guys without night vision, how scary must the darkness be? A suspicious passage appeared. Jerico repeated what he had been doing so far. He threw a cage with a chicken in it into the passage. Thud, flutter flutter! With a loud noise, termites that had been hiding popped out of the ground. But their number was a bit much. We were five humans, one snake, and one ivy nt. There were more than ten termites. Even though we shouted from this side, those guys seemed to be able to count our numbers too. "Squeeeeek!" The termites chose to fight. The adventurers grimaced, but I rather liked it. The battle began. Pandan struck a termite''s face with the buckler in his left hand. Thud! Then I fired a sunset beam, cleanly beheading the termite. ¡¸You have killed a Hell Helmet Termite lv34.¡¹ Now, it''s hunting time... ''Oh.'' An unexpected event urred. The termites all stopped fighting at once. They looked up at the sky. It was a clear sky. There was nothing particrly visible except for clouds. Click, click, clickety-click. But the termites all made strange noises by shing their jaws together. "Uh oh!" Jerico''s face turned pale. The termites started hurriedly crawling back into the burrow they had emerged from. It didn''t seem like they were running away because they were scared of us. "It''s a wyvern!" A ck dot-like thing was visible between the clouds. Are we finally meeting a wyvern? Unlike me, the adventurers were in a panic. Pandan, who had been following Jerico''s instructions without much fuss until now, suddenly shouted. "Catch the termites! We need to catch two more!" He drew his longsword and chased after the fleeing termites. Then he swiftly cut off the head of one termite. His movements were faster than I expected. Was that guy hiding his skills? He reached out his hand to me. I crawled up his arm and hung onto his shoulder. I was wondering why we needed to catch termites when a wyvern had appeared, but I soon understood the reason. Chapter 163: First-Class Marksman (2) Pandan bravely jumped into the burrow where the termites had been hiding. He immediately covered the top with a termite''s head like a lid. He was borrowing the termites'' camouge method. This seemed to be the procedure for dealing with wyvern appearances. Clever. "Huff, huff." Pandan breathed roughly. He too was tense, like the other adventurers. Fortunately, all the adventurers were able to hide. However, there was a small gap in the termite carapace covering the hole. Light wasing in through that gap. Pandan''s expression seemed to be hoping, ''Please don''t let us be discovered.'' Seeing them go to such lengths made me even more curious about what kind of creatures these wyverns were. I looked outside through the gap. I couldn''t hear the sound of a wyvern approaching. Maybe it didn''t see us from the beginning? I had such doubts, and it seemed Pandan felt the same way. However, none of the adventurers crawled out of the burrow. As the silence continued and I was starting to feel a bit sleepy... Boom! It was a truly sudden appearance. A sturdy foot, closer to that of a reptile than a bird, came into view. The jet-ck, shining ws were as sharp as an eagle''s talons. ''Wow, it fliespletely silently.'' "Many wyverns have the ability to fly silently. There must be fiercepetition for prey." ''Gosh!'' I was a bit startled when Pelerian suddenly spoke beside me. The wyvern didn''t seem to have noticed us. Well, let''s first see how strong this guy is. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Grey Horn Wyvern lv97] [Traits] [Cunning], [Silent], [Mated] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Fortunately, the status window wasn''tpletely invisible or anything like that. There must be more than just one or two wyverns in the mountain range, and if one of this level showed up already, it would have been a bit intimidating. The name somehow feels simr to when I was ''White Horn Snake''. But its strength seems to be on a different level. The skill window is also impressive. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Silent Flight lv10], [Rip and Tear lv17], [Wing Beat lv9], [Sweep lv4], [Roar lv10], [Devastation lv5], [Plummet lv10], [eleration lv5], [sh Resistance lv10], [Heat Resistance lv5], [Poison Resistance lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It''s not just skills useful for attacks. This guy is also quite well-equipped with resistance-type skills. The adventurers weren''t afraid for nothing. Above all, there''s the issue of weight ss, which isn''t written in the status window. Boom, thud. The guy who made no noise when flying seems quite heavy. The ground thuds with each of its steps. Fortunately, it doesn''t seem to have very good eyesight. It''s not giving up and leaving. Clickety-click, click, click. It''s making strange noises as it moves around. It sounds somewhat like a frog croaking, and also a bit like an insect''s sound. Clickety-click, click. Each time that sound is made, Pandan flinches. It was then. The creature dropped something with a thud. It was the upper half of a human body. It''s the adventurer who had left earlier with an injured leg. Even in death, his face was distorted with terror. "Hnggh." Pandan took a small breath. He seems quite scared. ''Calm down, don''t worry too much, Pandan.'' As I patted Pandan''s head, Isil also extended its leaves and tapped Pandan''s head. The wyvern that had dropped the human''s upper body began to eat. It was an unusually cruel sight. The other adventurers must be very scared too. Meanwhile, what was I doing? ''Its poison resistance seems a bit high, but it''s weak to electric attacks...'' I was assessing it. ''If I sh the wing membrane sharply... No, is it strong on the ground too?'' I wasparing the wyvern''s strength to my own. This guy looks strong, but it doesn''t seem like an opponent I can''t defeat in a fight. Even with the type disadvantage between birds and snakes, it''s not insurmountable. I, Ouroboros. Didn''t I recently hunt that fire smander that crawled up from hell? I was about to quietly ambush it, but a momentter I changed my mind. Hmm, not now. Rather than now... perhaps... At that moment, the wyvern that had finished its meal took flight. Listening closely, you can hear a faint sound of wingbeats. That too gradually faded away and disappeared. We waited for a long time. But Pandan still didn''t seem to want toe out. The other adventurers were the same. ''Let''s go out now.'' I said that to Pandan, but he didn''t nod easily. So I just slipped out through the gap. "Eek, ep!" Pandan tried to grab my tail but failed. Outside, the sunset was already fading. It seemed like night would fall soon. The wyvern was nowhere to be seen. There were only traces of its meal, bloodstains, and a generous heap of dung the wyvern had left behind. "Saaaaaah!" I let out a loud roar. Only then did the cowardly adventurers crawl out of the burrow, trembling. Seeing that the wyvern hadpletely left, they let out sighs of relief. "Damn, I really almost shit myself from fear." "I peed myself..." I can''t believe there are such cowards. It was too absurd, but they seemed to have their own excuses. "So this is the wyvern fear." Is there such a thing as wyvern fear, not dragon fear? The strange sounds the wyvern made must have sounded quite terrifying to humans. "Night will fall soon. Let''s go over there and set up camp for the night." Jerico, his face also pale, said so. Fortunately, not far away, there was a terrain where the ground was ck and stone pirs blocked the sky. The adventurers staggered towards that direction. == "Senior Jerico." One adventurer whispered in Jerico''s ear. "Let''s go back. This is madness." "..." Jerico didn''t answer. "This isn''t the time for wyverns to appear. I''ve never heard of Grey Horn Wyverns appearing at the entrance of the de Pir Zone." They had already discussed that retreat wasn''t an option earlier. But this time, even Jerico listened silently. "It seems something has already happened in the mountain range. The information we originally had is practically useless now..." "Hmm." "If you''re worried about returning empty-handed, how about we catch that snake and take it back?" Jerico''s eyebrow twitched. "If we take that back, wouldn''t the client be satisfied? It looks quite unusual, and at a nce, it seems to be a unique species of monster..." Indeed, wasn''t the adventurer party they were supposed to support also moving to find ''something precious''? "It''s a fairly strong monster. Although it''s small and acts childishly like a kitten." Instead of answering, the adventurer tapped the electric gun he was carrying on his back. With this, they could easily capture a snake like that. Jerico''s heart wavered. Just as he was about to make a decision... "Uh, what, what are you doing!" One adventurer was shouting in panic. Making such a loud noise and thrashing about, Jerico frowned deeply and turned around. "Hurk!" "Put it down, put it down! It''s dangerous!" The snake was holding the gun. Of course, it wasn''t holding it with hands. It seemed to be using magic to hold it, just like when it uses a sword. "Calm down! What''s going on!" To panic like that, what an idiot. Jerico gritted his teeth. There was no way a snake could handle a gun anyway. It even had a safety catch, didn''t it? It seemed to have just touched it out of curiosity, but to panic like this... That''s when it happened. The snake naturally loaded the ammunition. Click! And even released the safety catch, aiming at Jerico. Jerico''s vision went dark. == Magazine inserted! Bolt forward! Selector to single shot! There''s no selector, but. This should work, more or less. I''ve shot a gun before, after all. And there was no time for mumbling exnations. The prepared marksman opens fire. Bang! Maybe because it wasn''t gunpowder-based, the sound wasn''t as loud as expected. The projectile cut through the air. It passed over Jerico''s crown. And hit the wyvern that was clinging to and hiding on the stone pir. Whoosh! The that unfolded in the air enveloped the wyvern. Crackle crackle crackle! Electric sparks flew violently. The wyvern let out a roar of pain. Chapter 164: Wyverns Lair (1) ''Wow!'' It''s my first time seeing a wyvern up close. And the performance of this gun was beyond what I had imagined. The surprisingly spread out wide. Itpletely entangled one wing of that huge wyvern. If that was all, it wouldn''t be much, but I could clearly see. Something like a magic stone was embedded in the center of the gun. Andplex runic inscriptions were written on the magic stone. "It reads ''Manus Impulse''. That''s an application of the inscription magic I taught you." I know! And blue sparks flew from the that enveloped the wyvern''s wing. It was clearly lightning magic to electrocute the target. Of course, it couldn''tpare to the Heavenly Thunder Spirit, but it was sufficiently effective. "Kuooooooo!" The wyvern fell with a resounding scream. Thanks to the blue sparks, the humans could see its figure clearly too. It was truly a sight that chilled one to the bone. It was the one I saw earlier. It had been quietly clinging to this stone pir, waiting for the humans. "It, it was lying in ambush...!" This means the wyvern''s intelligence is not low at all. It had realized this was a ce where humans might rest and had hidden in advance. The adventurers'' faces turned pale. But surely we can''t deal with such arge wyvern with just one shot from the gun. I scribbled some words on paper and shoved it in front of Jerico''s nose. ''Don''t worry about me, shoot more guns.'' Jerico nodded, though still flustered. If that''s the case, now it''s my turn. "Guoo, guok!" The electrocuted wyvern got to its feet. The''s material didn''t look weak, but as it forcibly spread its wings, the tore with a ripping sound. It beat its wings. It was clearly trying to take flight. ''How can something so big fly?'' Its body slowly started to rise. I can''t let it engage in an aerial battle. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv3.¡¹ I jumped up, aiming to tear out its heart from its exposed chest. However, the wyvern was indeed not an easy opponent. Its long snout moved swiftly. I almost got bitten. I barely avoided its body. Instead of the heart, I bit near its shoulder de. Crunch! Instead of the feeling of sinking in smoothly, I barely managed to sink my teeth in. Even injecting venom wasn''t easy. Its skin and muscles were unusually tough. By the way, seeing it up close, I could tell for sure. I thought wyverns would look like dragons, but at least that head wasn''t. The overall silhouette of the body was like an imaginary dragon, but from the neck to the head, it looked just like a snake. In other words, it looked like a strange snake cousin with wings and legs. "Guweeeerk!" Well, if it''s a snake, it should hiss ''Saaah!''. Saying ''Guweerk'', you fail as a snake. The characteristic of snakes is that their muscles are very flexible. The wyvern was the same. It twisted its neck muscles roundly, trying to bite me who was clinging to its shoulder de. ng! When its teeth bit where I had been, there was a sound like thunder. I barely avoided it and climbed over its shoulder onto its back. Along its spine, there were sharp protrusions. Then the creature bent its neck backwards as if doing limbo. I wasn''t bitten, but I was knocked off by that head. Inded, rolling once on the ground. Flick flick. ''Isil, are you okay!'' Isil was stuck tight to my body. Fortunately, it seems its leaves and stems weren''t crushed just from rolling on the ground. Isil was tougher than it looked. The adventurers did their part too. "Fire!" They raised their guns and fired at the wyvern all at once. Pop pop pop! Threes enveloped the wyvern at once. Crackle crackle! As sparks flew, the wyvern writhed in pain. Its electric resistance clearly wasn''t high, but it showed no signs of falling or dying. This is why monsters are dangerous. "Gueeeeee!" But I still had many moves left to use. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv13.¡¹ A longsword cut through the darkness, flying. Towards its neck. Thud! Considering how sharp and pointed Sunset is, it''s surprising that only a third of the de sank in. It was a very tough creature. It was even more difficult to put strength into cutting its neck. For now, this is enough. I rushed at it as is. It swung its head down as if to crush me. ¡¸Using eleration lv7.¡¹ Dodged! Thud! Because it forcefully nted its face on the ground, soil flew up behind it. Meanwhile, I seeded in getting under its crotch. If being electrocuted by the gun doesn''t faze it. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2.¡¹ Then we just need to summon a more powerful lightning, right? However, the terrible drawback of Heavenly Thunder Spirit is that lightning strikes oneself. After I started carrying Isil on my body, I had been pondering how to ovee this. Lightning falls from the sky above. So if I get under the enemy and stick a lightning rod in it from above, wouldn''t that work? Fortunately, this scientific experiment was a great sess. Crackle! A much more magnificent sound than mere ''zap'' rang out. The adventurers screamed, covering their eyes. Instead of falling on me, the lightning struck the longsword I had stabbed into the wyvern''s neck. The powerful electric shock paralyzed its body stiff. Blood dripped down. When I came out, it was standing frozen on two legs. Something like smoke or steam was rising from its body. All the adventurers except Pandan and Jerico were covering their eyes with both hands. What pathetic guys! Anyway, I had splendidly taken down the wyvern. However... I was wondering why the mana wasn''t being absorbed, when. Twitch. It started to move. It was still alive. It moved using its wings like legs, as if trying to escape. Its speed was faster than I thought. Thinking I couldn''t let it get away, I leaped up. I bit down on the handle of the sword still stuck in its neck... Sizzle! Ack! My mouth was badly burned. The sword had been heated by the lightning. I had no choice but to let go of the sword and was about to fall again when. Isil stepped up. Whoosh! Isil, who had been attached to my body, suddenly extended its vines. The long extended vine tendrils tightly wrapped around the sword handle. Since it has fire immunity, this level of heat doesn''t seem to bother it. ''Well done!'' Inded and tried to hold firm to the ground, but. ''Oh no,'' The weight difference was too great. Even though I gripped the sword tightly, I could only be dragged along. I was wondering if I should use Gigantification when. "Uwaah!" "Hurry and help! Grab it!" The adventurers came running. They grabbed my body with both hands and started pulling. It''s not like we''re ying tug-of-war. ''It hurts!'' But the effect was excellent. We stabbed the sword deeper into the wyvern''s neck and pulled hard. Rip- Crack! The sharp Oricalcum sword finally split the wyvern''s skin and neck bones. Ssh! Blood gushed out as the wyvern''s huge body tilted. A shock that sent dust flying. Finally. ¡¸You have killed ''Grey Horn Wyvern lv97''.¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing mana.¡¹ Maybe because Isil and I are close. I could clearly feel that the mana gained from hunting was being shared with Isil too. It doesn''t seem to be shared with the adventurers though. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Despite sharing the mana with Isil, the amount was extraordinary. I leveled up twice in an instant. Chapter 165: Wyverns Lair (2) Indeed, taking down one big creature like a wyvern is a hundred times better than killing lots of small termites. ''Still, it wasn''t easy.'' "Wyverns are never easy monsters. Especially if they attack in groups, they''re very dangerous." Pelerian said so. Indeed, if I had been alone or if there had been even one more wyvern, it would have been dangerous. ''Old man, why on earth did you build a dungeon in a ce like this?'' Pelerian''s dungeon was even further beyond passing through the de Pir Zone. "Isn''t it because it''s damn hard to get in? So not just anyone cane." ''I guess... But how did you get in, old man?'' Delfram''s dungeon wouldn''t need to worry about intruders. Wyverns guard the air, and termites guard the ground. So how did Pelerian find his way to the dungeon? "What else? Just use invisibility magic and fly there." Invisibility and flight magic. Those were advanced magics that even I haven''t mastered yet. I thought to myself that the path of the magic swordsman was indeed the right one for me. I should study magic diligently too. Pelerian would have been so happy if he had heard this conversation. But there was no chance to tell him. "Guooooo-" "Kuooook!" Because wyvern roars echoed in the darkened night sky. "Th-there''s more!" The adventurers were shocked. We had taken down one Grey Horn Wyvern, but it wasn''t the only one. ''I thought there might be one or two more.'' There was a reason I didn''t ambush it at first. The ''Mated'' trait written in its characteristics. If so, there might be another wyvern nearby, right? But that was my mistake. "Guo!" "That seems to be the wife." One as big as the one we just caught. "Kurererere." "Kugegegegek!" And three others that were a bit smaller but still threatening. Not a couple, but a family? No less than four more wyverns joined in. This would be dangerous even if I used Gigantification. There was only one answer. ''Run away-!'' "Run away!" We had no choice but to run for our lives. I climbed onto the shoulders of the adventurer who seemed to have the fastest legs. It was Pandan''s shoulder. "Emperor''s grace-!" Pandan made an imperial expression. His trademarkposure was nowhere to be seen anymore. "Net guns!" As Jerico shouted, the adventurers hurriedly loaded their guns. There were a total of four guns. All four had been fired once just before. The gun''s structure was far from modern. It was a muzzle-loader where you put the projectile in through the muzzle. Of course, since it''s not a gunpowder weapon, I don''t know the exact principle, but. It meant the adventurers were struggling to put projectiles into the muzzles while running frantically. Jerico loaded his gun the fastest. Whoosh! One of the younglings was hit by a. It fell, but surely it wasn''t killed. Bang- Whoosh! The other two also fired their guns. But this time, both of them missed everyone. The wyverns evaded thes with evasive maneuvers. The mate of the dead wyvern descended fiercely. The adventurer who was loading thest gun got scared and. "Ah!" Stupidly dropped the projectile. The wyvern seized that opportunity. Thud! As the wyvern plunged down and rose up again, the adventurer who had been there disappeared. "Uwaaagh!" The scream faded away. The wyvern that had risen high into the sky dropped the adventurer it had been carrying. A long fall. And the scream stopped. Not caring about the adventurer who had be a piece of meat, the wyvern flew back this way. Just in case, I shot a beam at it. It didn''t even flinch. ''Even the beam is useless.'' Well, it was skin that even swords couldn''t easily prate. It was difficult to inflict damage with just a ''beam'', not a destruction beam. I was fine, but the adventurers were terrified. "Shit, shit!" Even Jerico cursed. That''s when it happened. A ray of hope rose in the night sky. The color of hope seems to be red. The red line shining in the sky over there was clearly a re. I don''t know who fired it, but at least it should be safer than the wyverns. "That way! Run!" The adventurers ran like mad. The wyverns finally caught one whogged behind. The younglings tore apart and mangled the poor adventurer in mid-air. The organs he had cherished all his life fell with blood, plop plop. "This way, over here!" Waiting at the ce where the re was fired was a hooded person. Jerico and Pandan''s expressions brightened. It was an adventurer. The adventurers they were supposed to support ended up helping Pandan and Jerico instead. He was gesturing in front of a hole that was gaping in the ground. A gesture toe in. If that''s a termite mound, it should be just big enough for one person to barely enter. But the adventurers had no time to hesitate. They jumped into the tunnel one by one. Starting with the one who was waiting. Jerico. And finally me and Pandan. "Kweee!" The wyvern that arrivedte tried frantically to stick its head into the hole. ¡¸Using Beam lv3.¡¹ Even if I can''t inflict a fatal wound, I can at least make it very painful. The wyvern that failed to catch us roared in anger. "Kweeeeeeek!" The inside of the tunnel reverberated. "Huk, huuuk..." Jerico and Pandan breathed roughly. In an instant, so many of theirpanions had died, leaving only the two of them. "Jerico!" The man who had guided us said, taking off his hood. "...Jakob!" Jerico was surprised to recognize him. "So you were the support that wasing!" But Jakob didn''t look happy at all. "Surely you two aren''t all there is?" "No, the rest are all dead." "All dead? Where''s the mage, the mage who can use invisibility! The mage we asked for support!" Apparently, they had made such a request. But as far as I knew, there was no mage in our group. "There was no mage to begin with." "What nonsense are you talking about!" The adventurer named Jakob yelled. Now that I look at him, his condition wasn''t normal either. His whole body was soaked in grime, and judging by his bloodshot eyes and trembling hands, I could tell. "Why did only you twoe!" "You know high-level mage resources are limited." "Damn it, we''re all dead now!" Jakob finally started to cry. The atmosphere became gloomy. It was Pandan who broke the silence. "...Where is this?" He asked the very question I was curious about. Yes, where exactly is this ce? I thought it might be a termite mound, but it wasn''t. The floor was paved with stone, and a long corridor stretched into the darkness. "...It''s an underground ruin we discovered. We came in to escape from the wyverns." "A ce like this... But why are the wyverns rampaging like this?" "Because we half-seeded in our mission..." What does that mean? "Fortunately we found this ce and could hide... but I don''t know what this ruin is for either." "At least it''s safe from the wyverns, right?" "Yeah, for now. Follow me. The rest of our group is further inside." However, it seemed their bad luck wasn''t limited to just this. I asked Pelerian to confirm something. ''What is this ce for?'' "Even I haven''t seen this ce before. But roughly reading it..." Ancient ruins usually have something written on them. And both Pelerian and I could read the inscriptions on the wall. ''Wyvern''s Altar?'' That was the name of the ruin where the adventurers had hidden to escape from the wyverns. Chapter 166: The Queen Appears (1) Calling the numerous ancient ruins spread across the continent simply ''ancient ruins'', And lumping together those who built and lived in them as just ''ancients'', Is no different from grouping humans, dwarves, elves, and even orcs or goblins under the term ''people''. It''s not entirely wrong, but it''s not an urate expression either. Ancient ruins differpletely in style depending on the era and region. The gap between the Bellepoque era and the Oboe era is muchrger than the gap between modern times and the Bellepoque era. Ancient ruins built in the Oboe era would have already been treated as ancient ruins even in the Bellepoque era. In this chapter, we will particrly describe the Oboe civilization, which is an especially old civilization. The Oboe civilization was in the northeastern part of the continent. It''s a civilization that developed centered around what is now ''the mountain range''. The climate at that time must have been very different from now. The current temperate and fertile central ins were full of dangerous monsters, and rather, the treacherous mountain range would have been the cradle of civilization at that time. Even then, wyverns existed in the mountain range. However, unlike now, records state that they had fur and spoke humannguage. Since the Oboe people at that time had more hair andrger builds than current humans, we can assume that these characteristics strengthened their rtionship with the wyverns. There are records of exploring Oboe civilization ruins already in the Bellepoque era. Although it''s hard to find even traces of the Oboe civilization now, it seems there were some preserved things at that time. The Bellepoque people described the Oboe civilization as: ''There was a wyvern who married a human.'' ''There was a human who married a wyvern.'' ''In ancient times, it wasmon because humans and monsters were the same.'' There were such surprising records. However, a schr with discernment doesn''t readily believe old records. Humans and wyverns cannot mate. This would be true even thousands of years ago. There is an insurmountable species gap between wyverns and humans. However, it''s highly likely that wyverns and Oboe people did live closely together. It would be a rtionship involving faith,monly observed in the rtionship between monsters and ancient people. They offer food to the wyverns. And the wyverns protect the Oboe people from other fearsome monsters. We estimate that such a rtionship continued... ¡¸From "Ancient Ruin Exploration" by Sage Parvian¡¹ == "We were chased by wyverns. Those creatures are crazy." The adventurer named Jakob said so. "How fortunate we were to find this ce." They say they were chased by wyverns. Apparently, their original group of ten was reduced to five by the ferocious wyverns. In the midst of that, they discovered this underground ruin. "If you go straight this way, there''s arge space. That''s the central part of the ruin. I don''t know what it''s for, but it seems there are several passages branching out from the central area." They don''t know what it''s for? As suspicious as the term ''Wyvern''s Altar'', this ruin seems quite dubious. I asked Pelerian. ''Don''t you know anything?'' "I heard the Oboe people lived around here, and that they worshipped wyverns like gods." If those ancient people built this ruin, what was their purpose? If it''s an altar, it seems like it might be a religious facility. "Did youplete the quest?" Jerico carefully asked Jakob. "Almostpleted it, we found it." ording to Jerico, the adventurers had set out to find an artifact from the ancient ruins. To be honest, I didn''t fully believe that. "Then why were you still here? If there was a passage, you could have escaped!" Jerico pointed out. There was even a hint of anger in his voice. It''s understandable, he nearly died several timesing all the way here for nothing. Jakob also shouted, getting worked up. "Shit, I wanted to go back too!" "Then why!" "You''ll see when you go there. Damn it, I told you we needed a mage! Someone who knows ancientnguages and can use invisibility magic." Setting aside invisibility, there''s a snake here who knows ancientnguages and a mage. But I didn''t bother to tell them that I could understand ancientnguages. It was because these people seemed suspicious. Instead, I examined the murals. There were murals on the walls of the passage. It wasn''t easy to make out what they depicted, but there seemed to be images of leading war prisoners somewhere. People with bound hands are being led somewhere. And in the end, they are offered on the altar and eaten by wyverns. The humans who brought prisoners and offered them to the wyverns are raising their hands high, praising the wyverns. ''Just looking at this, you can tell it''s suspicious!'' I wasn''t the only one who noticed it. "The content of these murals is not ordinary." Pandan muttered so. "Well, even if it''s unsettling, what can we do..." Of course, the adventurers who entered this ce didn''te for fun. They had no choice for survival. And soon, we could understand why they couldn''t leave the ruin. Continue reading on m|v-l''e-NovelBin After walking for over an hour, we reached the end of the passage. It was a round cavity. There wereplex patterns drawn on the floor, and several people were sitting inside them. "Oh, you''re here!" However, what was unusual was that there was a cage-like prison in the center of the cavity. The bars were so close together that you could barely pass a hand through them. There was a person trapped inside. "Quick, save me!" Jerico frowned. "That''s..." "Our captain." "What? Then that person is Umberto!" All the adventurers looked surprised. I need someone to exin. I quickly tapped Pandan. Fortunately, Pandan quickly grasped what I wanted. "Umberto Yuman is an S-rank adventurer." ''S-rank!'' They say there are only five S-rank adventurers in the kingdom. Of course, if you ask whether a higher rank adventurer is always stronger, that''s not necessarily the case. "Umberto is different. Unlike typical adventurers, he once defeated several knights alone with just a rapier." Is defeating several knights such a big deal? Hmm, well, knights are scary, but I''ve taken down a Holy Knight Order Commander, after all. "He''s also a user of the Aura de." ''He was your senior swordsman, I see.'' I immediately understood Umberto''s strength. But for someone so great, his current state doesn''t look good. Why is he trapped? "Damn it, isn''t it funny to see me like this? I messed with the ruin wrongly. So hurry up and get me out." That''s what he says. That''s why you shouldn''t mess with ancient ruins carelessly. Having broken through Pelerian''s dungeon several times, I was well aware of the terror of trap mechanisms. "Ugh, the smell." Pandan held his nose. The foul smell wasing from none other than the S-rank senior. It couldn''t be helped. He seems to have been trapped in the iron cage for days, and there''s no way there would be a toilet in there. In one corner, there was a pile of what was clearly his excrement. Umberto''s face turned bright red. "Before I throw poop, hurry up and get me out! Where''s the mage!" Ugh, if he throws poop, I''ll have to zap it with a beam right away. Someone had to tell this poor adventurer the unfortunate truth. "Um... Captain." The adventurer named Jakob exined. The Adventurers'' Union didn''t send a mage. Instead, they sent several adventurers with guns. "Sh-shit, how did it end up like this." "They don''t listen to us anyway, you know that." "I, Umberto, requested it. An S-rank, of which there are only five in our country, requested it!" It doesn''t look so cool when he says it himself like that. "Why did only such trashe!" "Calling us trash is a bit harsh." "Shit!" Umberto really threw something. Chapter 167: The Queen Appears (2) I retreated with all my might. St! Something brown fell with a st where Pandan had been standing just moments ago. There''s no need to exin what it was. I was furious. Even the chimera snake shook its leaves vigorously. ''Should I kill him, Master?'' It seemed to be asking that. That adventurer Umberto just made it onto my kill list. But I don''t have the confidence to kill him by biting because it''s too dirty. Jakob tried to calm Umberto down, sweating profusely. "Captain, that''s how it turned out. For now, let''s settle down..." From what I hear, it seems they messed with something in this ruin. As a result, Umberto got trapped in the iron cage that rose from the center. The bars were made of something that couldn''t be cut and there was no way to open it. Umberto''s Aura de could somewhat scratch it, but a rapier is not suitable for cutting bars. Umberto''s mana ran out much faster. If the person trapped in the cage wasn''t Umberto. If he wasn''t an S-rank adventurer and their captain, they probably would have given up and left long ago. "Shit, how long do we have to keep this up..." Jakob muttered. He was tired too. In fact, whether Umberto was the captain or not wasn''t important. If possible, they would have fled from this hell-like magical realm long ago. They had alreadypleted the quest, hadn''t they? They had already secured the item they were looking for. "Captain, I promise you." Jakob stepped forward, not afraid of being hit by excrement. "Hand that over to us." "What?" Umberto was about to throw excrement again. Jakob spoke once more, calmly. "If we don''t return with that, everyone will be in trouble. The Adventurers'' Union probably didn''t know you were in this situation. That''s why they didn''t send a mage." "You bastard, so you''re saying you''ll leave me behind?" "We at least need to show them the item for them to send a mage! I''ll threaten them that we won''t hand over the item unless they dispatch someone to rescue you." "Jakob, you son of a bitch!" Umberto screamed. The situation was like this. They had already found the item they were looking for in this magical realm, and Umberto was holding it. That''s why the adventurers couldn''t bear to leave Umberto behind and depart. And Umberto, with his life on the line, wouldn''t easily hand over that item. ''But he doesn''t seem to be holding anything special.'' To my eyes, Umberto didn''t seem to be carrying anything significant. Just his sword and a small pouch on his waist? Whatever could fit in that pouch would be at most some precious metals. While Jakob tried to persuade Umberto, and Umberto raged like a madman. Meanwhile, I decided to examine this cavity. "No matter how I look at it, it''s a suspicious ruin. Why would there be an iron cage? It must be to trap something." It was just as Pelerian pointed out. My sharp reason was warning me that this cavity was no ordinary space. ''The fact that the iron cage is in the center means it''s meant to be viewed.'' "Oh ho, quite perceptive." In the world I used to live in, there was something called a zoo. It''s a ce where animals are kept in cages, and people gather around to view them. The iron cage in the center reminded me exactly of such a zoo. I wonder if there are zoos in this world too? There might be. There might even be monster zoos with magical beasts. Even if not made by a madman like Deshnan. "Go to that wall." Following Pelerian''s words, I went to the wall of the cavity. There were mysterious patterns drawn on the wall. There were wave-like patterns that seemed to have formed naturally rather than being artificially drawn, though I''m not sure how they were made. "This wasn''t deliberately engraved." ''Then?'' "It''s a trace left behind." Hmm. For wave patterns to form on the wall... Ah! It seems something quite dynamic happened here. "Ah, whatever. Everyone gather!" There was a shout from behind. It seems the agreement between Umberto and the adventurers didn''t work out. "Let''s catch this bastard and take the item!" That was Jakob''s idea. The idea was for the adventurers to cooperate, subdue Umberto, and seize the item. Continue your journey on m|v-l''e-NovelBin "Oh yeah? Let''s see you try!" Though he looked like a beggar, he was still an S-rank hunter after all. As he swiftly drew his rapier and thrust it through the bars, Jakob grabbed his hand and screamed. Jakob, who suddenly had a hole in the back of his hand, shouted. "Arrows, bring the crossbow!" "Uwaaa!" The adventurers who had been staying here probably wanted to withdraw long ago. In front of the smelly iron cage, their brawl began. Meanwhile, I approached Pandan. ''Pandan.'' "Yes, Mr. Snake." Among the barbaric adventurers, I rather liked Pandan. He''s also a fellow student who learned the Ferang School Dagger Technique. So I decided to give Pandan a chance to save his life. ''What''s the item you''re looking for? Tell me honestly.'' "Hmm..." Pandan thought for a moment and then said. "This is a secret, but..." ''Yes?'' "It''s a wyvern egg." He told me more straightforwardly than I expected. Good. Then I''ll spare you. ''Since you told me honestly, I''ll give you some advice. You should run away from here right n...'' I was about to tell him to run away. But I guess my writing speed was too slow. Click! In an instant. All the passages connected to the cavity closed. Iron bars dropped down at each passage. "No more!" At the same time, Umberto shouted. There were already several arrows stuck in his body. Is he going to surrender now? "If you touch even a fingertip of mine, it''s all over!" He widely opened his pouch and took something out. An object muchrger than the size of the pouch popped out. It must have been a space pouch. What he took out of the pouch was arge, ck egg that looked like a ck pearl. "I''ll smash it right away, got it!" "Captain! Calm down!" "Calm down my ass!" The adventurers really did steal a wyvern egg. "Oh my. This is bad." Pelerian let out a dryugh. Stealing a wyvern egg, their courage is admirable. "The situation will differ depending on which wyvern''s egg they stole." Pelerian chuckled. "Wyverns never forgive egg thieves. They''ll chase you to the ends of the earth." So that''s why the wyverns were so noisy. There were quite a few wyverns moving around, but is there only one egg? "It could be the group of the mother wyvern whose egg was stolen... or it could be family." Grrrrrung- "Wh-what''s this!" Even Umberto, who had been raging, seemed to notice the situation now. The entire cavity was rising upward. The wave patterns on the wall were traces left from the cavity moving up and down. "Ah, ah, the, the ceiling!" So that''s how the ceiling opens. The adventurers panicked and became confused. "What is this!" What else could it be? This is the Wyvern''s Altar. I guess the altar activated because enough sacrificial prey had gathered. The dark dawn just before daybreak. White clouds floating in the sky. Tall stone pirs seeming to pierce that sky. And wyverns resting on those pirs. They howled at the sudden appearance of humans. "Guok, guooo." "Guoooooo!" It sounded like they were alerting someone. We found the thieves. We found the thieves! As if saying that. And soon, a ck and enormous wyvern slowly descended from within the clouds. "Ah, we''re dead, we''re all dead." Jakob fell to his knees with a thud. From that reaction, I could tell. "That''s the one. The owner of the egg." Whose egg the adventurers had stolen. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Oblivion Wyvern Queen Celeta lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What appeared was the Wyvern Queen. A named, very powerful monster. Chapter 168: An Unexpected Journey (1) If there were a "Dungeon Construction Lovers'' Association" in the world, Abbreviated as DLA, Pelerian would surely have been an outstanding member. Or he might have even been a founding member. Those who create dungeons have a spirit they acquire through experience and inherit from masters. Sayings like "There''s no new dungeon under the sun" or "Imitation is the mother of dungeon creation." During the tens of thousands of years when civilizations rose and fell repeatedly. How many dungeons would have been created on this continent? Inter generations, those beautiful dungeons were lumped together under the term ''ruins''. Naturally, Pelerian had knowledge about ruins too. He had studied construction techniques and mechanism instation by personally exploring numerous ruins. Therefore, he knew about this dungeon called the ''Wyvern''s Altar'' that we encountered this time. He had a body simr to a semi-transparent spiritual body. He couldn''t move fast, but he could fly around swiftly. Regardless of anymotion nearby, he was busy examining the ruins. The reliefs on the walls were covered in dust, making them difficult to make out. Pelerian tried to blow on them, then frowned as he realized he couldn''t even blow air in his current form. Unable to do otherwise, he examined the broken reliefs, piecing them together. Based on his excellent deductive abilities, he figured out the operating mechanism and purpose of this altar. "It''s an altar of seven. Seven, yes, the number 7 has magical significance. It would have been the same in the Oboe civilization." He was showing his schrly side after a long time. "When seven prisoners are ced on the altar, it activates. The most important sacrifice is ced in the central cage..." Aha! So that''s why that one human was trapped. When the adventurers first entered the ruins, there were barely five of them. So perhaps the altar''s mechanisms didn''t activate. When Pandan and Jerico entered, making it seven, this chaos began. The mystery is solved! The altar floor rises, the exits are sealed, and the ceiling opens. Then the wyverns waiting for prey fly in and hold a bloody feast. "That''s how it is!" ''Old man, that''s not what''s important right now.'' I chided the excited Pelerian. Yes, how this altar operates or not wasn''t important. Dozens of wyverns on the stone pirs were looking this way. "What do you mean? At least we can tell that this ruin hasn''t been used for a long time, probably thousands of years." ''So what?'' "So even those wyverns probably don''t know what this situation is, that''s why they''re hesitating." Hmm, looking closely, it does seem that way. It''s a situation simr to a food bowl full of humans suddenly appearing as the ground opens up. Facing an unfamiliar situation, they seem suspicious and aren''t immediately flying in. But the adventurers were already extremely excited. "Ahhh! We''re ruined. We''re ruined!" "We''re all going to die!" Regardless of whether they were A-rank or S-rank, they were all terrified. It''s understandable. It was that frightening of a situation. The adventurers frantically searched for a way to escape. The exits hadpletely disappeared. With no ce to hide, to escape they would have to climb up the walls. They tried that, but it was impossible to climb the slippery stone walls with bare hands. I could probably do it if I used Gigantification, but wouldn''t that make me stand out to the wyverns? Everyone fell into panic. The wyverns, who had been quietly watching, started showing curiosity little by little. I thought the wyverns would immediately punish these egg thieves. But that wasn''t the case. They didn''t even seem to know if there was an egg here in the first ce. The huge wyvern presumed to be the egg''s owner descended below the clouds and sat on a stone pir. Then it stared intently at us as if examining us. "Wyverns'' eyesight and intelligence aren''t that great, you see." Still, a wyvern''s maternal instinct is never dim. "A wyvern whose egg has been stolen never gives up. It seems these adventurers have forgotten how terrifying wyverns are. Or perhaps they thought the reward was worth the risk." What on earth did they intend to use a wyvern egg for? "They must intend to tame it. Perhaps they want to create a Wyvern Knight Order or something." ''Ah!'' I understood immediately. A Wyvern Knight Order, isn''t that the height of romance? Wyvern riders flying through the sky, charging with long spears. It would be worth spending a fortune to obtain a wyvern egg. However, honestly, the risk seemed too great. After all, that huge wyvern clearly possessed extraordinary strength. It''s been a while since I''ve encountered a monster whose status window is so difficult to see through. As I''ve grown stronger, I could see a bit more when I focused harder, but still. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Oblivion Wyvern Queen Celeta lv151] [Title] ck Queen [Traits] [Queen], [Ruler of Southern Delfram], [Avenger] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This can''t be. Level 151? Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin Of course, strength can''t be judged by level alone. In fact, the Fire Smander of Paimon that I defeated recently had a level of about 140, not much different from this Wyvern Queen. However, the actual difference in strength is probably not just about 10 levels. ''She''s definitely stronger than Giant Riokku or that white monkey.'' I had a feeling. Looking at her skills, I could tell. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ...[Eye of the Storm lv20], [Ultra-high Speed Flight lv10], [Destruction Beam lv10], [Wyvern Fear lv20]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ First of all, I couldn''t see through all of them, and the skills she possessed were extraordinary. ''It''s a Destruction Beam!'' I wanted a proper Destruction Beam too, not just a regr beam. Ah, if only I could quickly make Gigantification my own, I could borrow it. Bang! That''s when it happened. The iron cage that had been confining Umberto sank back into the floor. He was in a position to be the wyverns''st meal, but if this were thousands of years ago, it would probably have been the timing for the wyverns to have dessert after finishing their meal. Until just now, Umberto and the adventurers had been fighting each other. But now that he was free from the cage, they stopped fighting instead. Umberto, unbing of an S-rank adventurer, slumped down. "Ah, we need to return the egg." Jerico suddenly muttered. "If we return the egg, they might let us live." Jerico, you fool. Do you really think the wyvern will thank you and let you live if you return the egg? However, perhaps sensing a glimmer of possibility in that idea, The adventurers clung to those words like a drowning person grasping at straws. "The egg, give us the egg." "No way, you bastard." "Give us the egg, you son of a bitch!" Jakob and the adventurers approached Umberto. Umberto held the egg in one hand and swung his rapier with the other. "Stay away!" Someone fired a crossbow. Chapter 169 : An Unexpected Journey (2) Umberto, with a bolt stuck in his side, screamed and bent over. At the same time, the adventurers rushed in. "Uwaaah!" "Ya, yaa!" Umberto showed the fighting spirit befitting an S-rank adventurer. As if trying not to let the egg be taken away until the end, he raised his hand high. Because of that, the egg fell from his hand. "No!" Someone screamed. A hand reached out to catch the egg, but. Due to the blood on the hand, the egg slipped instead. I quickly ran to the path where the egg was flying. We can''t let the poor egg break. I was cautious about grabbing it with my Invisible Hand, so I jumped up myself. I''ll cushion it with my body in mid-air... Slip! Gosh, why is it so slippery. The egg was covered with a slick, oily substance. Well, I guess it was my mistake to think it would feel simr to a clean, washed chicken egg. However, fortunately. The unfortunate event of the egg falling to the ground and shattering into pieces didn''t ur. ''Isil!'' Isil stepped up. Just like earlier when it extended its vines to grasp the sword handle. It stretched out its vines long and grasped the wyvern egg in mid-air. The wyvern egg was not just ordinarily big. It was quite impressive, several timesrger than an ostrich egg. It seemed stronger than I thought. ''Well done, very well do...'' But the praise might have been too early. Or maybe Isil misunderstood that this was a ball game. Whoosh- Because it threw the wyvern egg back to where it hade from. "Ah, no!" ''You fool-!'' This isn''t a ball game! The wyvern egg flew through the air, spinning. It seemed Jakob tried to catch it. With a hand pierced by a rapier, he tried to catch the heavy wyvern egg. "Ouch!" It''s not surprising that he dropped it with a scream. Crack! Perhaps due to its heavy weight, the egg broke immediately. A hole was punctured, and white and yolk poured out from inside. If only we had a frying pan, we could have made a fried egg right away. "Aaaaah!" Jakob screamed. It was like a signal re that set the wyverns in motion. They finally descended. One wyvern pounced on Jakob, who was screaming while holding his head. Thud! It pinned Jakob down with its ws. Then it started tearing at him with its snake-like head. "Uwaaah!" The other adventurers screamed. Wyverns came down one by one. Jerico resisted with his sword. He seeded in leaving a long wound on the face of one wyvern. "Huk, heuk." Jerico breathed roughly. But at that moment, arge wyvern crushed him from the head down. Thud! Jerico was instantly squashed. The wyverns fought over Jerico''s terribly mangled body, trying to eat it. It was a chaotic mess. In this hellish scene, being an S-rank adventurer or an A-rank adventurer seemed to make no difference. In fact, I was in danger too. ''Should I use Gigantification, should I use it!'' "Are you thinking of deliberately drawing attention?" First, is there anywhere to hide? If I hide under a dead human''s corpse... no, the wyverns seem intent on eating humans without leaving anything. Should I secretly cling to a wyvern''s foot and escape? It would be dangerous if I identally get caught by the ws, but that might be the only way. "Mr. Snake." At that moment, Pandan, who was terrified, approached me and said. "I''m going to use a special potion! It''s a scent that repels monsters... if you''re okay with it, hide near me!" There''s such a thing! As expected, Pandan seemed to be the most quick-witted among the adventurers. He suddenly put his hand into his waistband. And from some unknown ce, he took out something like a brown ampule. Without hesitation, he broke the mouth of the ampule and poured it over himself. I tried to cling to Pandan. "Saaah!" But that terrible smell that stung my nose. It was a smell that stimted a deep, instinctive disgust in me. I couldn''t get close at all. I felt like I was going to vomit. Pandan, emitting that disgusting smell, jumped into a pool of blood. And he disyed amazing acting skills, pretending to be dead. Ah, I definitely can''t go there. That''s when it happened. The huge wyvern that had been clinging to that stone pir, Queen Celeta, started to move. It''s an opponent I could never defeat even in a one-on-one fight. What should I do, what should I do, what can I do? While I was pondering like that. "...The egg." Pelerian came up with an idea. "For now, hide inside the egg!" In this hellish scene, there seemed to be nowhere to hide. Even if the darkest ce is under themp, telling me to hide inside the egg. Wouldn''t I be discovered immediately? But trying something was better than doing nothing. Although it was a bit cramped, the wyvern egg was more than enough for me to fit inside. As if it had been a fresh egg, once the white and yolk flowed out, the inside waspletely empty. It''s a bit sticky, but I can endure this much. However, there was a problem. I hid in the egg without difficulty, but wasn''t there a hole gaping open? No matter how bad a wyvern''s eyesight is, they couldn''t fail to notice the hole. ''How can I use Invisible Hand to...'' Although the egg broke because of Isil. It was because the egg broke that I could hide. ''...Ah, Isil!'' And it helped once again. It attached its vines to the broken eggshell and seamlessly patched it. It used the adhesive roots on its vines. The broken part became perfectly smooth. Oh. Is it done now? Is it really resolved this simply! From inside, I couldn''t tell what was happening outside. ''Old man!'' But Pelerian could pass through the eggshell. ''Please go out and check!'' Pelerian went outside the egg with a dryugh. But he didn''t return immediately. Instead, I heard a sorrowful cry from outside. "Kugegegegegek!" It was after that when Pelerian returned. He had a very strange expression. ''What happened?'' "What do you mean what happened..." Pelerian told me as if it were an obvious result. "All the humans are dead. And the wyvern is rejoicing at recovering its egg." That''s a relief! Then if I find an opportunityter to break the egg and escape again... While I was thinking that. My body floated up. "Now they''ll return to the nest." To the nest? ...Oh no! Flick flick. Unaware of myplicated feelings, Isil pped its leaves. Chapter 170 : Warm and Savory (1) The humans were all dead. The mother who recovered her egg was rejoicing. That''s how Pelerian, who watched the situation from outside the egg, exined it to the snake. However, that exnation wasn''t quite urate. Not all the humans had died. Six out of seven adventurers died, and those six corpses were torn into hundreds of pieces. Even those remains were mostly gone as the wyverns had eaten them. But there was someone still alive. A body with its face nted in a pool of blood in one corner. More precisely, there was Pandan, who was pretending to be dead. He slowly raised his head. Since wyverns can fly quietly, they might be watching from afar. But fortunately, it seemed they had really all left. "Haa." Pandan slowly got up. There was a lot of wyvern droppings around. The wyverns that had approached to eat Pandan recoiled in shock at the terrible smell. Though wyverns eat even rotten meat, they couldn''t stand the smell Pandan was emitting. It was a smell that triggered something in their instincts. A terrible smell that made it seem like you''d catch a disease if you got close. The irritated wyverns left after defecating heavily nearby. Though it was dirty, hadn''t he saved his life? He''d need a drink when he got back. "Ugh, the smell." Pandan frowned at the smelling from his body. To him it was just a bit disgusting, but he hadn''t known it would be enough to drive away wyverns. ''Honestly, I didn''t expect it to be this effective.'' He had been skeptical when he first received this item. Blocking monster approaches. It might sound simple at first, but what mattered was its practical effectiveness. To think it could drive away enraged wyverns. ''It wasn''t a lie when they said it was ten times more expensive than its weight in gold.'' That''s what he was told when receiving the ampule. He had scoffed then, but it seems it wasn''t an exaggeration. Pandan raised his finger to brush back his hair. He scratched his exposed forehead and peeled off a sticky patch. It revealed a tattoo that was usually hidden. A pattern of two interlocking rings. The mark of the Empire''s notorious thieves'' guild, ''Two Rings''. "I thought I was going to suffocate." Pandan wasn''t his real name. If that silly name had been his real name, wouldn''t he have resented his parents? Pandan''s real name was ''Pandang''. Quick-handed Pandang. An A-rank adventurer of the Continental Adventurers'' Union, and simultaneously a fixer for the Two Rings thieves'' guild. As an adventurer, he had already failed the quest. With his party annihted, it couldn''t be helped. But his mission as a Two Rings fixer wasn''t over yet. ''Gathering practical information about wyvern domestication...'' He received this ampule while taking on such a mission. There weren''t many forces that would assign such a mission while providing an item of this value. ''Is the Imperial family really trying to create a Wyvern Knight Order?'' It''s not something a mere thieves'' guild fixer should know, or could do anything about even if he knew. He would just continue doing what he could while remaining here. ''It might be better to make friends with the snake instead. Like having snake units in the Ranger Corps.'' Wouldn''t it be excellent to load and fire snakes instead of arrows? Pandang chuckled at that thought. "Mr. Snake. I wonder if you''ll survive." The snake surprisingly showed the wit to hide inside the egg. Even Pandang had admired that much. It was certainly a smart choice. But the wyvern took that egg back to its nest. When it discovers that what''s hiding in the egg isn''t its child but a snake, the wyvern will tear the snake to pieces. ''That wyvern was terrifyingly frightening.'' The maternal instinct of a mother who almost lost her egg was that frightening. The wyvern fear''s cry had shaken Pandang''s mind. ''When I get out...'' And even made his pants wet. ''I''ll need to wash my clothes.'' Pandang wobbled along, pondering how to escape. == ¡¸From an interview with Mr. Lovanton who survived returning from a wyvern nest¡¹ Solion Morning Reporter (hereafter ''R''): ...So originally you were an authority on monster ecology. To the point where even the Magic Tower sought your counsel. Dr. Lovanton Aiode (hereafter ''L''): Yes. Though I''m forcibly humbled now, back then I feared nothing in the world. When I gave special lectures at Emerald Academy, even the Dean invited me to be a full professor. R: Yet you still entered the magical realm yourself to research monsters. I can''t help but respect such a choice. L: It''s what I regret most now. R: Haha... The senior who was observing my interview at the time shot an intense look at this point. I thought myugh might have been awkward, but what he was ring at was Dr. Lovanton. The doctor had been shaking his leg throughout. It wasn''t just ordinary shaking. It was such violent leg shaking that you might think he was deliberately trying to draw attention. R: Are you perhaps a bit nervous? L: No. Why do you ask? R: Your leg... It was delicate to point out leg shaking to an elderly, injured doctor. As I hesitated like that, Lovanton suddenly pulled up his pants. For a moment, I thought he was crazy. L: Sorry. My leg is like this. Though I''m a bearded man and Dr. Lovanton is a bearded man, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. I confess that I let out a cute scream at that moment. There was a truly horrible scar on his thigh. How should I describe it? Like flesh torn to shreds with a heated needle. Then knitted together with that skin. R: That, that looks painful. L: Painful, it was terribly painful. Even now when I think of that time... R: Was it the work of Saturnian Wyvern Queen Chugota who captured you? L: That one? Puhahaha! I could soon understand why Dr. Lovantonughed. L: This is the wound that one made. Horrifyingly, he took off his pantspletely. He was left in just his underwear, but his left leg held another secret. Below the knee was a prosthetic leg. L: It thought of me as some sort of teaching material for its children. It swallowed my left leg whole while showing them how to bite like this. The right thigh bears the marks of the children imitating that. I''ve interviewed many who have experienced atrocities, but Lovanton''s past certainly had something that made one''s insides churn. L: Wyverns normally tear their prey to pieces when eating. But afterying eggs, they often take prey alive. R: To teach their children...? L: That''s right. R: Monsters have that level of intelligence. L: Foolish words. Even ordinary birds do that much. Monsters actually have much higher intelligence. That Chugota was a true queen leading hundreds of wyverns. R: Yes, that''s right. L: It broke both my arms so I couldn''t harm its children. Lovanton raised both arms. His left arm trembled by itself, and there was a scar that looked like bone had once protruded. R: Yes, I understand. L: And that''s not all! Chapter 171: Warm and Savory (2) As a skilled interviewer, I noticed this elderly interviewee was getting too excited. But I missed the timing to stop him. Excited, he suddenly stripped off his top. Since he had already taken off his pants, he had inevitably be a strange man in just underwear. L: Look at these scars! R: Doctor, please put on your clothes first. L: That Chugota impaled me on a treetop and taught its children hunting methods. There was a prating wound scar near Lovanton''s corbone. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin But honestly, that scar was less difficult to look at than his gray chest hair and wrinkled naked body. R: Please calm down, if you do this, the article... L: Wyverns are terrible creatures. Cruel and evil monsters! Contact the Empire immediately and mobilize all the knight orders! He was in a far worse state than a war veteran with PTSD. I had to stop the interview before the doctor stripped off his underwear too. L: Ah, ah, wyvern air raid warning! Air raid warning! R: Haa. L: Total mobilization of forces! Wyverns were truly terrible creatures indeed. == ''I''m screwed.'' And properly screwed at that. Surviving by hiding in the egg was good. But who knew I''d be dragged to the nest right away. Pelerian told me about the outside environment. "They built the nest in quite a scenic spot." A scenic spot means it''s in a high location. Sharp vertical stone pirs like giant swords stuck in the ground. Wyvern Queen Celeta''s nest was at the highest point among them. "There are three more eggs beside it. It won''t be easy, but if you catch the right opportunity, you might be able to escape." Though I don''t have flying ability. With help from Isil''s vines, I might somehow be able to get down the stone pir. I nned to escape as soon as the mother left. But surprisingly, there was no such opportunity. "The mother seems determined. She''s guarding her egg even while starving." Would our Mother Medusa have cared for her eggs this devotedly? Remembering how she would tail-whip her disobedient child, I can''t imagine it. "Monsters thaty many offspring at once and those thaty few naturally have different attitudes. Also, wyverns onlyy eggs once in their lifetime." In the harsh wild, four eggs is certainly not many. Celeta, who had once had an egg stolen, wasn''t taking any chances. How many days had passed? It was at the point where I had to drink potions instead of water because I was so hungry and thirsty. "Oh, the other eggs are hatching." I could hear the sounds too. Crack, crack, the sound of eggs breaking. "Peeee!" "Pichiii!" Noisy sounds that baby birds, no, baby wyverns would make. Interestingly, as if by agreement, three eggs hatched in session. Good, now surely she''ll have to go find food for the babies. "That doesn''t seem likely..." But Pelerian was quite negative. For me trapped inside the egg, Pelerian was the only channel for getting information about the outside. "Oh dear, this is." Then Pelerian uttered ominous words. "She seems anxious because the egg you''re in isn''t hatching." No, the original egg was basically just like a raw egg anyway. Why did the other babies hatch already? "Originally eggs need to be in the mother''s warmth to develop. Left in cold subspace storage, there''s no way the egg would have matured properly." Umberto had kept the egg in a space expansion pouch. What a stupid fellow...! But that wasn''t what mattered. "Kugugak!" With a worried cry, the mother wyvern tapped on the egg from outside. ''Don''t tell me she''s going to break the egg herself.'' Isn''t that too crude a method! But I couldn''t rationally persuade the wyvern. Crack, crackle- Finally, she started breaking the egg herself. It''s a critical situation. Should Iunch a surprise attack? Using Isil''s hellfire and my Heavenly Thunder Spirit, I might be able tond one good hit. "You''ll die if you do that." ''Yes!'' I decided to follow Pelerian''s advice. The eggpletely broke and I made eye contact with the mother. I desperately acted like a newborn wyvern. Staggering as if unable to hold my neck properly. Making sounds like a baby wyvern with my mouth. "Pishiii-" Is that a bit different? "Peeeeee!" "Chiiii!" Fortunately, the other babies cried on cue. Indeed, seen up close, a wyvern''s head definitely resembled a snake''s. The mother was the same, and the other babies were too. ''This might work.'' I gave the performance of my life. I almost lost myposure when I heard Pelerian snicker, but. "Kugugugu..." A strange sound came from the mother wyvern''s mouth. I could sense anger. Damn, it''s not working after all! Come to think of it, I don''t have wings and I''m even white. I probably don''t look like a wyvern. "Kugagagagagagak!" The mother wyvern roared thunderously. She even shot a destruction beam into the sky. It was terrifying power that punched a hole through the clouds. ''Farewell, world.'' No matter how much I racked my brains, there was no solution. I wasn''t confident I could win. Nor was I confident I could escape. The stone pir was impossibly high. Moreover, there were many nests of other wyverns who seemed to be Celeta''s subordinates all around. ''Still, it wasn''t a bad life.'' "Wait, she doesn''t seem angry at you." ''What?'' The wyvern showed no signs of crushing to death the snake that imitated her child. Instead, she checked if I had wings by turning me over, then checked again if I had feet. And when she realized I had neither, "Kuooooo!" Tears started forming in the wyvern''s eyes. "Oh, it''s that." ''No way...'' "She''s sad because an unfortunate child was born." The youngest child born white, without wings or legs. An ugly duckling wyvern. "Kueeeeeeerk!" Perhaps she was angry at the humans who stole the egg. As I tried to slowly back away, disgusted by this ridiculous situation, Celeta embraced me and her other children together. It was unmistakably a hug. "Congrattions. You''ve got a wyvern mother." The new mother''s embrace was very warm and smelled of rotten meat. Well, I guess I''ll stay like this for now... "Peeeek!" "Chupee!" The siblings all raised their heads at once, crying with open mouths. I stayed still in surprise, but I could feel the wyvern mom''s gaze. I quickly opened my mouth copying their behavior. That''s when it happened. Pushing aside the other siblings, the wyvern mom stuffed something into my mouth. That warm and thick substance was actually something that came out of the wyvern mom''s mouth. It was special nutritional porridge for the babies. ''Urk!'' "Don''t throw up, eat it!" Gulp. I swallowed without thinking. ¡¸You have consumed Oblivion Wyvern Queen Celeta''s nutritional porridge.¡¹ ¡¸Your body and magical essence are growing.¡¹ Urgh. Chapter 172: Saah, Im a Baby Wyvern (1) A wyvern egg seems to be several times the size of an ostrich egg. After bing a Crystal Crown Python, thanks to my body bing slightly smaller, I could barely squeeze into the egg. A wyvern''s neck and head really look like a snake''s. However, from below the neck, it''s simr to an imaginary dragon. Though where there should be front legs, there were wings instead, which was a rational body structure when you recall that birds'' wings evolved from front legs. The legs were sturdy enough to stand on two feet. The tail end had hard protrusions that could be swung like a mace and help bnce during flight. The babies looked simr. Though I as a snake had a longer body length, my head size was clearly smaller. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little ck Wyvern lv1] [Trait] [Baby] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That''s what their status windows showed. Simr to my own baby status. It felt a bit different from the centipede triplets who were ''King Centipede Larvae''. ''Come to think of it, these ones are triplets too.'' It reminds me of the baby centipedes. Ah, the wyverns weren''t originally triplets but quadruplets. They became triplets because of humans'' foolishness. Not knowing this, they were peeping and opening their mouths. It was exactly like baby birds begging for food. The Wyvern Queen, who had been cruel to humans, showed warm maternal instinct. She regurgitated stored food to feed her babies. The babies eagerly ate that warm and thick nutritional porridge. It''s a heartwarming sight just to watch. ''Urk!'' I barely held back the urge to vomit. After one round, it was my turn again. Then the other babies thrust their heads forward again to steal food. "Peeee!" "Peek!" Though it was due to the babies'' gluttony, I was very grateful. So this is what sibling love feels like. It''s my first time experiencing it in life. However, the siblings'' consideration in trying to eat the terrible nutritional porridge instead of me was scattered. "Kugak!" The wyvern mom angrily pped the babies with her tail. "Kugagak, kugak!" You''re trying to steal your poor youngest sibling''s food! Have you lost your minds! She seemed to be scolding them like that. The other babies deted and immediately closed their mouths. Spineless babies. In the end, I had no choice but to consume the nutritional porridge again. "Kolorororok!" Urgh. It''s really a strange taste. Through all the weird foods like hunchback bugs, blood moles, and mosquito rats. Even with my training from countless strange foods, it wasn''t easy to swallow. But as they say, what''s bitter in the mouth is good for the body. The problem was that the nutritional porridge was incredibly rich in nutrients. ¡¸You have consumed Oblivion Wyvern Queen Celeta''s nutritional porridge.¡¹ ¡¸Your body and magical essence are growing.¡¹ I''ve never eaten anything like this in my life. No wonder the babies rush in asking for nutritional porridge. Their bodies visibly grew with each swallow of porridge. However, maybe because I''m not really a baby, my body didn''t grow bigger, but instead my scales became more lustrous. Even that seemed to worry the wyvern mom. She forcefully fed me more nutritional porridge. "Kolorororok!" ¡¸You have consumed Oblivion Wyvern Queen Celeta''s nutritional porridge.¡¹ ¡¸Your body and magical essence are growing.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ I even leveled up in the end. I''m worried I might even evolve at this rate. I''m concerned I might evolve into a Wyvern Python. ''But can you really evolve just by eating?'' "How else would those babies hunt and grow here? Puhuh." I don''t like Pelerian''sughter. Still, this wyvern nutritional porridge must be truly amazing. To think you can get stronger just by eating. If rich people knew about this, wouldn''t they try to eat it even at a steep price? Then perhaps getting free nutritional porridge here is a precious stroke of luck. Yes, it must be that... Flick flick. At that time, Isil, who was attached to my body, flicked its leaves as if dissatisfied. It seemed to want a share too. ''Ah, I really wish I could share.'' The wyvern mom stroked my head and the babies'' heads with her tail, looking pleased. == [Monster Information Snippet] There is something called the imprinting effect seen in avian and flying-type monsters. It means that newborn babies recognize the first thing they meet as their mother. Because of this, there have been historical attempts to tame flying-type monsters. The idea was that if you could just secure the egg intact, theoretically it would be very easy to domesticate them. Before discussing the practical barriers, there''s something not well known about the imprinting effect. It''s about the reverse-imprinting effect. Just as babies consider the first thing they see as their mother, mother monsters can also mistake the first thing that hatches from an egg as their own baby. Because of this, there are also monsters thaty their eggs in other monsters'' nests and leave, like cuckoos practicing brood parasitism. Believe it or not. ording to legend. A fearless snake monsterid its egg in a dragon''s nest and left. And that dragon raised the snake thinking it was a baby dragon. == There were no mirrors here. Though only three days had passed, somehow I felt like I''d gained weight. It must be my imagination. It''s only been three days after all. "What imagination? I told you you''ve gotten fat." ''Please say I''ve gained a good figure?'' It couldn''t be helped. The nutritional porridge was literally rich in nutrients. And surprisingly, I had gotten used to the taste of the nutritional porridge. It''s more edible than I thought. Since my past life''s mother and father didn''t cook, I don''t know about mother''s cooking taste, but. This might be the true meaning of mother''s cooking taste. To be honest, it''s much better than the food Mother Medusa gave. Maybe because there''s no poison mixed in. My body has be plump. The good thing about being a snake is that, strangely, fat doesn''t umte on the face. My jawline stayed the same while just my figure improved. That was just me though, not the other triplets. "Pipipipi" "Keeeeet!" "Chuiii!" They each had different crying sounds. Maybe we could name them Pipi, Kei, and Chui. The triplets had grown a head taller than three days ago. Their wings, which had looked as small and meaningless as T-Rex front legs, had grown quite a bit. Of course, the wings are still pathetically small for flying. In fact, they don''t even have proper skills yet. Among them, the biggest and most spirited one is Pipi. It seems she''s the eldest sister among the three, and apparently female wyverns are bigger and stronger than males. "Pipi..." Pipi growled and bared her teeth at me. With only one tooth grown in, it wasn''t very threatening. Surprisingly, among the four of us including me, I was the one who ate the most nutritional porridge. I feel a bit sorry about taking the babies'' food, but what can I do? Being seen as the deficient youngest child without wings or legs, I''m force-fed the porridge. Chapter 173: Saah, Im a Baby Wyvern (2) The triplets seemed quite upset about that. Pipi would pounce on me whenever she got the chance. "Peek!" She jumps up suddenly and opens her mouth to bite me. However. I''m not one to fall for an ambush from a mere Little ck Wyvern lv3. After dodging slightly, I swung my tail. p! Pipi, who got hit on the cheek, let out a piercing scream. "Peeeeek! Peek!" Someone might think I had bitten her. Her overreaction is almost Shiba dog level. That''s when Kei, who had been rtively well-behaved, pounced. "Chiit!" He wasn''t aiming for me. He lunged at Isil who was clinging to my back. But Isil had alsopleted one evolution and. Was born with a much greater silver spoon than wyverns, being from the World Tree lineage. Snap. Isil extended its vines and grabbed Kei''s neck. His wings and legs were bound by vines and. Crack. Like some kind of jiu-jitsu, it applied a joint lock. "Chieeeek!" Another exaggerated scream rang out. It wasn''t because I enjoyed fighting with the kids. You have to establish the hierarchy regrly like this. For reference, our hierarchy is me, Isil, then the triplets. The wyvern mom who had been watching quietly cried out as if saying that''s enough. "Kuoooo!" Ah, it would have been nice if our Mother Medusa had been this warm-hearted too. She took care of her babies and me with utmost devotion. ''I should leave soon.'' But I can''t stay here forever. Where there are meetings there must be partings. Wasn''t Iing to this mountain range to find Pelerian''s dungeon in Delfram? "It''s fine. It doesn''t seem like we''ve lost much time." Looking from atop the high de pir. This nest was further north than where I was captured. In other words, it means we''ve actually gotten closer to Delfram. "Just a bit further north and we''ll reach Delfram." We just need an opportunity. First, we just need the wyvern mom to leave her post. "Kukuku." A monster of that size can''t live without eating. Besides, she must need to eat something to produce nutritional porridge, right? I expected there woulde a time for hunting. And that moment actually came. Lick. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin The wyvern mom licked us all and then pped her wings to take off. ''Thank you for everything.'' Even with my cold snake heart. When a wyvern treats you this well, it feels strange. Even more so watching Celeta fly away with a whoosh. "What are you doing, we need to move quickly!" Right, I can''t keep living as a wyvern baby forever. I said goodbye to the wyvern triplets. ''Goodbye, kids.'' The three naturally couldn''t understand my words and just stared nkly. But when I left the nest and tried to go down. "Peeeee!" "Keeee!" They came running desperately to catch me, as if saying ''Dangerous!'' It was unexpected - I thought they''d be happy when I left. Of course, I wasn''t going to just jump down. With help from Isil who was attached to my body, I slowly climbed down the stone pir. Anyway. The baby wyverns seemed very worried about me leaving the nest. "Peeee! Pee!" Geez. They keep making noise. This is quite a big problem. The wyvern mom''s subordinate wyverns live around here. What if they hear this noise ande flying? "That''s why I said we should deal with the babies before leaving!" ''You trash fairy.'' "No, if we just knocked them out..." I need to escape quickly. Sure enough. By the time I reached ground level, other wyverns had started spreading their wings while looking around. All because the triplets were peeping too much. ''There''s nowhere to hide!'' It''s not easy to dig into the ground and hide either. The ground, hardened with white guano, could only be dug by termites. As I tried to hide in some shade. "Kugagaga." "Guguk!" The adult wyverns that had taken flight made strange cries. I thought they were naturally trying to find me, but it doesn''t seem so. They were crying toward the cloudy sky. ''...What''s that.'' As I stared at the sky, Soon wyverns I''d never seen before appeared through the clouds. They were all white-colored wyverns. "Wyverns of a different color. Another group is attacking? This is lucky for you." Since all the wyverns here are ck, it must be another group attacking. The adult wyverns responded to the surprise attack. "Kugagagak!" The ck ones and white ones tangled inbat in the air. It was a spectacr sight watching these huge flying monsters fight. In this chaos, the disappearance of one white snake wouldn''t even be noticed. They seem to have attacked precisely when they knew this side''s leader, the wyvern mom, was gone. I was a bit worried about the triplets, but. ''They''ll be fine, right?'' I tried to think that as I was about to leave. That''s when I saw a dark shadow moving inside the clouds. What''s that. Is that a wyvern too? Judging by the shadow''s size, it must be enormously huge. Just as I had that thought. A beam shot out from inside the clouds. It extended precisely toward the nest where I had been just moments ago. Boom! Rock fragments explode with a thunderous sound. This is a ''Destruction Beam''. A huge wyvern that can use Destruction Beam, like the wyvern mom or our dad, is hiding in those clouds. And. "Peeeeeek!" The babies screamed as they fell. ''Damn it!'' "Shit!" Me out of disbelief, Pelerian probably out of frustration. We cursed at the same time. Even in the midst of this, I moved. Avoiding the rock fragments falling where I had been. And using Heart-eating Leap, I jump onto a rock outcropping in the middle of the stone pir. Then leap, and leap again. When I reached the middle, I spotted Pipi falling. I grabbed her using Invisible Hand. ''Oof!'' It wasn''t enough to stop the fall of her now quiterge body. After wrapping her with my tail, I barely caught her by firmly biting into the stone pir. "Keee!" Next to that, the second child Kei was falling. ''Isil!'' Isil handled that one. Meaning it firmly grabbed him with its vines. Crunch! Naturally, I had to bear that weight. My teeth nearly broke. I probably can''t save the youngest too. But I don''t hear the youngest Chui crying. Surely not already... "Chuiiii!" When I heard that sound and barely turned my gaze. ''Baby!'' The youngest was gliding while pping its wings desperately. It was basically falling, but the speed wasn''t fast so it seemed it would be okay. "Kid, the sky!" However, a white wyvern was descending from that sky. Precisely to snatch up the youngest Chui. Snap. Chapter 174: One Against Three (1) The mountain range is treacherous terrain. While there''s no magical realm that isn''t treacherous, it was treacherous in a somewhat different sense from other magical realms. It wasn''t treacherous because it was an extreme environment where vegetation itself could barely survive, like a desert or cier. It was because of its physical form. Sharp rocky mountains were scattered about, and knife-like stone pirs jutted out everywhere. The highest peaks even had eternal snow that never melts. Even for powerful monsters, it''s nearly impossible to freely roam the mountain range. Since the terrain is challenging even for monsters. It''s natural that flying-type monsters who are rtively free from these constraints would dominate. Not as rare as dragons. Wyverns - monsters much tougher than birds. As time passed, wyverns essentially became the rulers of the mountain range. Over a thousand wyverns live in this vast magical realm. Naturally, such numerous monsters don''t move in an organized way. They''re divided into dozens or hundreds of groups. Female wyverns growrger than males. Moreover, males tend to leave the group when they grow up, while females have a tendency to protect their group. That''s why the leader of a wyvern group is called a ''Queen''. Considering howbat ability varies greatly between individual wyverns, the same applies to Queens. Some are no different from ordinary wyverns. Some have evolved to grow long horns like dragons and breathe fire. If you searched the vast magical realm, you might even find a wyvern with two heads. Wyverns that be Queens live much longer than ordinary wyverns. Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin As long as they don''t die in battles with other groups, they grow stronger through repeated evolution. The Saturnian Wyvern Queen Chugota was such a being. She was an ancient wyvern who had survived for over hundreds of years. Afterpleting dozens of evolutions, she lost her shining scales and gained damp white skin. She possessed several secret strengths that couldn''t be noticed from appearance. By the time she got the name ''Chugota''. She had already be the ruler of the eastern mountain range. Most wyverns with white scales came under hermand. Wyverns instinctively form groups ording to their body colors. Over 80% of wyverns were achromatic. White groups and ck groups were the most numerous. At some point, no, probably from three months ago. She set out to conquer the magical realm of the mountain range. It''s unknown how such ''conquering desire'', fitting for human tyrants, nested in a monster''s small brain. Was it the influence of evolution? Or perhaps one day she was struck by lightning while flying, nting evil thoughts in that small brain? It was natural that her eyes eventually turned to the southern part of the magical realm, and to Celeta, the ruler of that south. Chugota''s loyal White Sword Wyvern was gliding through the sky. Compared to other wyverns, it had a longer snout with sharp sides, looking exactly like a de. "Kuguk." Just before, Chugota had fired a light judgment from the sky. It was an attack aimed at Celeta''s nest while she was away. Like a deration of war. The White Sword Wyvern''s mission was to bite to death any surviving babies. Two were nowhere to be seen, but one was gliding while pping desperately. Amazing growth speed for something that seems to have just hatched from an egg. However, escaping from an adult wyvern is impossible. The Sword Wyvern tucked its wings and dropped. Fierce speed. Just before hitting the ground, it spread its wings wide, changing its flight trajectory with tremendous air resistance. "Chuiiit!" The startled baby screamed. It would soon be torn to pieces. As drool dripped from its mouth. Something strange caught the Sword Wyvern''s sight. A white snake was dangling from a stone pir. It was firmly biting the stone pir to hold on, while supporting one baby with its tail and another with vines protruding from its back. Distracted by that strange sight, it noticed. Suddenly a long de appeared in mid-air. A weapon used by humans or dwarves. It was shot at the flying Sword Wyvern. The wyvern snorted and swung its snout. No matter how sharp the de might be, it couldn''t be tougher than its snout. Snap! But that sharp sword instantly split the wyvern''s lower jaw and passed through. Blood sttered. == People who have raised Shiba dogs would know. Their overreaction is especially terrifying evenpared to other dogs. They scream as if stabbed by a knife when barely touched. "Chuiiik!" The youngest, Chui, was like that. Chui rolled on the ground and made a huge fuss alone. Actually, it was the invading wyvern whose lower jaw was cut and bleeding. And I was the one rolling around fighting with it! "Chuchiiii!" "Kugagagagagak!" The adult wyvern''s shout was even louder. The triplets who cry cutely now will probably cry like that when they grow up. Though that''s regrettable, surviving is better than dying here. With that thought, I tried to repel the invading wyvern. Until I blew off its lower jaw, I thought the advantage had shifted to me. But the wyvern was indeed no ordinary monster. Even while spraying blood, it tried to pounce on Chui, so I had no choice but to bite its body. Its scale-covered skin was incredibly tough. Even when I barely managed to sink my teeth in and inject poison, it wouldn''t fall easily. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv6.¡¹ Whoosh-! Even breathing fire had no effect. Its scales weren''t damaged by ordinary firepower. "It''s not that wyvern scales are extraordinary, but that your me is pathetic. How are you still stuck at basic elemental magic level..." Pelerian''s criticism stung especially today. Indeed, my magic development was much slowerpared to swordsmanship. Like fire magic, beams were ineffective too. The only attack powerful enough to end its life instantly was stabbing vital points with the Celestium sword. But that method had drawbacks too. Biting with teeth or grabbing with tail was somewhat okay, but. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv13.¡¹ Invisible Hand''s durability and strength weren''t that great. Like now, when the wyvern crushed the sword under its foot. It''s impossible to retrieve that sword. Its maw struck where I had been. Bang! Fortunately, it only swallowed dirt from the ground instead of me. Pipi and Kei, who hadnded with me, bravely pounced on the Sword Wyvern. "Piaak!" "Chiit!" With no skills, all they could do was bite and scratch with ws. Chapter 175: One Against Three (2) Their joint attack wasn''t helpful at all. But it''s true that it bought some time. I was thinking of retrieving the longsword that the wyvern was stepping on. I was nning to grab and pull it directly with my teeth, but what''s this? Isil extended its vines and grabbed the sword handle. "Saah!" I tried hard to pull my body to draw out the sword. But it was useless. The weight difference was too great. Just as I was about to take out Dawn, the dagger, to stab its foot. ¡¸Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv2 uses Resonance lv2.¡¹ ¡¸Using Hellfire lv1.¡¹ Ah, no! Hellfire is so hot that even I get burned if used at close range. As a very high-level skill, it has a double-edged nature. Fortunately, the me didn''t ignite on Isil''s body that was attached to me. The vine it extended. More precisely, purple mes erupted from the part gripping the sword handle. "Kugeeeeeek!" The wyvern that had been crushing the sword let out a bone-chilling scream. Its foot instantly caught fire. When I breathed mes, it barely scorched a few scales. Moreover, that fire didn''t just stop at burning. Its foot, charred ck like charcoal, cracked off. Finally, the sword was freed. Whoosh! Intense heat sted from the sword. What was holding it was just a few slender vine tendrils. This was possible thanks to Isil''s amazing evolution trait ''Fire Immunity''. "Hoh." As Pelerian marveled. I too was momentarily captivated. The Celestium longsword lifted by the vine grass. Both the vine and Celestium are among the few materials that can withstand hellfire. But what being with flesh could remain intact before hellfire? This burning sword is an attack method more powerful than Heavenly Thunder Spirit. The deadliest fang that can burn and kill anything in the world. "This is... beyond Aura de." Pelerian vouched for that. It''s true power, on a different level from before when we imitated aura using talismans. Perhaps thanks to the Resonance skill. I lightly conveyed my intention to Isil. To swing it. And Isil did so. Swish-! A unique cutting sound rang out. Because the de tore through scales, crushed flesh, and instantly evaporated the blood and moisture inside. The wyvern''s neck was cut. Because that cross-section instantly burned pitch ck. Not a drop of blood flowed. ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ Wyvern hunting indeed! Taking down just one clearly raises levels rapidly. Though it was a problem that each one was such a formidable opponent... Whoosh- The sword''s hellfire instantly went out. Naturally, the mana or other consumption must have been enormous. Even more than Heavenly Thunder Spirit. ''Isil!'' Just looking at Isil''s condition, I could guess that. Flutter flutter. The leaves that had been healthy and firm were now wrinkled and drooping. Fortunately, it doesn''t seem injured, just very hungry. If I hadn''t secretly shared the nutritional porridge I ate, it would have suffered more! When the scary and huge Sword Wyvern became a roast. The trembling triplets rushed to me. "Peeee!" "Keeee!" "Chui!" Finally understand how amazing your youngest brother is? Unlike the centipede triplets era, these ones were honestly a bit burdensome. Because all three were bigger than me. Whether they knew this or not, they rubbed their heads against me like they would their mother. Each time, I staggered back. I was about to get angry after rolling on the ground once, but. ¡¸You have tamed Little ck Wyvern lv4.¡¹ ¡¸You have tamed Little ck Wyvern lv5.¡¹ ¡¸You have tamed Little ck Wyvern lv3.¡¹ I ended up taming them. Still, I won''t give them names! As I tried to step back, the youngest flopped down. ''Chui!'' The moment I grabbed Chui to help them up. ¡¸Named Little ck Wyvern lv3 ''Chui''.¡¹ Ah. ¡¸''Little ck Wyvern lv3 Chui'' doesn''t like their name.¡¹ Shock and horror. Doesn''t like it? What''s wrong with Chui! All the ones I''ve named until now liked their names... "Isn''t that just your thinking?" That would be a truly shocking twist. However, whether Chui liked that name or not, the remaining two seemed unhappy about being the only ones without names. Because they kept pestering, I had no choice but to name the others too. Pipi and Kei also didn''t like their names. Then why did they ask to be named? Well, their mom has the cool name Celeta... "Kuooooo!" The sudden majestic roar was unmistakably the wyvern mom''s cry. There was no need to look up and search. Bang! Because shended roughly in front of us. There were wounds on her body. Had wyverns ambushed her too while she was out? ''I wonder if she saw me use the Super Hellfire Sword?'' If she saw, she might have realized I''m not her child. Unknown, but. She spread her wings wide and embraced us tightly. Then without giving time to respond, she put us on her feet and took off. The babies grabbed their mother''s feet in surprise. It must not be easy for wingless wyverns. I briefly considered jumping off and running away, but. ''Ah well, Isil, please tie the kids so they don''t fall.'' I gave up because I was worried they might fall. Isil extended its vines to secure the triplets well. The wyvern mom was huge, almost as big as Mother Medusa. There was plenty of space on her feet for us to hang on. However, when I looked up at the sky, I shouted in surprise. "Saaah!" I don''t know if the wyvern mom understood my warning. Part of that cloud glowed and. Ping- A destruction beam was fired from there. The wyvern mom sharply changed her flight trajectory. A descent close to falling. And the beam pierced through where she had been moments ago. The beam''s output was enormous. Three stone pirs behind instantly copsed. Even the beam that destroyed the nest earlier had actually been suppressing its power. Though Destruction Beam is a powerful skill, I wondered how it could have such high output. And, beyond the scattered clouds. When I saw the enemy''s form, that question was resolved. A shocking visual. "...Whether it''s a deformed monster, or a product of evolution." ''Three heads!'' A huge wyvern with three heads was in the clouds. When I reflexively focused my eyes to look. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Saturnian Wyvern Queen Chu lv???] [Saturnian Wyvern Queen Go lv???] [Saturnian Wyvern Queen Ta lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This can''t be. Is this three or one? Chapter 176: The Path of the Snake (1) Our side''s wyvern leader is Celeta. And the other side''s wyvern leader is Chugota. Is it three against one? However, it''s confusing. Chugota clearly had one body. But she had three necks and heads. So is it one or three? Looking at the status window, it seems like three. But it also seems like one. "Not just Twin-headed but a Triple-headed monster." ''Is it rare?'' "Rare indeed, very rare." Well, that makes sense. I don''t even remember seeing a two-headed monster. But a monster with three heads. It seems this world still has many secrets. "For a Triple-headed monster to ur naturally. It''s like a miracle." ''It looks even more incredible than a chimera.'' Traditionally, two-headed monsters are special. Wasn''t the Twin-head Ogre traditionally considered a genius of magic? I had heard stories like that of the great archmages Cho and Gal. A Triple-headed monster might have the qualities to be not just an archmage but a god of magic. Pelerian, who was carefully observing the enemy, offered a hypothesis. "It seems it was originally a single-headed monster. But its head split during evolution." Looking at its appearance, I could understand what he meant. All three heads had nostrils and mouths. Meaning, they could breathe and consume food. Probably each had a rtively small brain too. But not eyes. Two of the three had two eyes each, but the remaining one had no eyes. "It split. The original head split into three pieces. Originally it probably had four eyes, left and right." Can a wyvern do that, it''s not a banana. Chugota''s snout and head were triangr shaped. When put together, they might fit perfectly. In conclusion, it meant it was terribly ugly. Those heads rubbed against each other as if trying to strengthen their brotherly bonds. Then they each opened their mouths to gather destruction beams. Three level 20 destruction beams. Keeeng- When gathered and fired simultaneously, something was shot that overwhelmed ordinary destruction beams. Celeta, who was flying with us, showed incredible evasive maneuvering. While flying fast, she spread her wings wide forward. Tremendous air resistance urred. The wing membrane bulged as if about to tear, causing Celeta''s body to spin once in mid-air. Without the vine safety belt, the baby triplets would surely have fallen. Truly reckless driving. But thanks to that, we could avoid the triple destruction beam. Boom! When the beam swept across the ground, several stone pirs instantly shattered. My heart sank. Seeing that, Pelerian eximed. "Magnificent...!" ''What do you mean magnificent.'' Really though. Oops, I did my ''thought'' and thought in reverse. "Evolution is such an amazing thing. I wondered why it evolved so inefficiently, but this wyvern split its own head into three and ultimately gained power rivaling a dragon''s breath." It is amazing. I don''t know for sure, but this might be what a real dragon''s breath is like. Probably even the Crown of Stealing couldn''t steal that power. "How about you split your head into three too?" ''Like U-ro-ros?'' "Yes." Absolutely not. I''ll consider it when you be Pel-le-rian first. The destruction beam that nearly killed her and her children, and Chugota who used it. The wyvern mom growled while ring at Chugota. ''Is she going to fight?'' I thought that, but no. Celeta let out a long cry and changed her flight direction. The ck-scaled wyverns took flight following her. Celeta chose to retreat with her entire group. "As expected of a leader monster." The tide had already turned. Celeta chose to flee rather than everyone dying here. ''Isn''t that bad? We need to go to Delfram.'' I thought we had luckily gotten closer to our destination but now we''re getting farther away. But Pelerian quickly looked at the sky and sun, then sat on my tail and said. "It''s fine. We seem to be heading toward Delfram actually." The driven-out group was heading toward where Pelerian''s dungeon was. Well, that''s good then. But why are the wyverns heading specifically toward the fairy magician''s dungeon? == There''s a saying. Even if the Earth warms up and civilization copses, that''s actually civilization perishing, not Earth perishing. The saying that life is a tragedy when seen up close but aedy when seen from afar might follow a simr track. The monster wave that urred in the great forest caused tremendous damage to humans. Many people died. Several territories were devastated, and it ultimately annihted a continental infantry division after crossing the kingdom''s border. However, stepping away from the human perspective and looking at it from the continent''s perspective. It might actually be nothing special. That is, if the great forest is like the continent''s philtrum. The monster wave is like a big pimple suddenly appearing on the continent''s philtrum and popping. There might be a little blood, but that''s all. It wasn''t something that endangered the continent, or even the great forest. The same was true for the fairies living there. As they traditionally had, the fairies lived gathered near the World Tree. No matter how ferocious the monsters became, that monster wave couldn''t possibly sweep through even the World Tree. Therefore, despite the monster wave urring, the fairies didn''t suffer much damage. At the time, Heilit Langrey, who had been near the starting point of the monster wave, naturally took refuge with the fairies. She returned with a nk expression. And now it had been over three months since she started spending time leisurely eating fairy snacks. Heilit, whose running form was like a deer''s, had always been simr to a fairy. But now she had be plump in face, wrists, and ankles like a pastry shop daughter. "Rembers!" With cookie crumbs on her lips, she muttered while holding a triangr piece of bread. "They said one bite would be filling..." No one present paid attention to Heilit. "They said one bite would be filling. I''ve already eaten four, why am I not full?" Iris nced at Heilit. "Your stomach seems plenty full already though?" "How dare you." Heilit lowered her voice while waving the bread. This was the Elder''s residence. No matter what she said, Iris and the Elder paid no attention. From Heilit''s perspective, that was rather frustrating. "...Why don''t you kick me out?" Even as a hero, Heilit Langrey was strictly human. Even if she somehow formed ties with elves, an outsider was an outsider. It would have been natural to be kicked out when she barged in saying she''d just stay and eat for a bit. Langrey had said she''d stay just briefly and ended up sticking around. Iris and the Elder were baffled. "You said not to kick you out because you''d stay just briefly." "Is there a problem with letting you stay?" The Elder pointed out. "No, I lied. I said I''d stay briefly but..." "If it was a lie, does that mean you n to stay longer, not briefly?" The more they talked, the more frustrated Langrey felt. "I mean, ''briefly'' passed a long time ago." "Langrey, don''t raise your voice." Iris criticized Heilit Langrey''s tone. "What do you mean raise my voice!" Heilit jumped up from the sofa. "It''s been three months already, why don''t you say anything?" Then Iris and the Elder looked at each other in confusion. "...It''s only been three months." "Why do you have so manyints? If you don''t like it, get out." That was the problem. The time perception between fairies and Langrey was that different. "This is the problem." Heilit Langrey even felt anger. "Thatid-back attitude is the fairies'' problem." "Look who''s talking, lying around eating snacks." Iris and Heilit''s bickering was daily routine. Chapter 177: The Path of the Snake (2) When Heilit made an unpleasant expression, she got a double chin. Iris didn''t miss that. "Unable to manage your own body, yourbat power must have dropped terribly." It wasn''t wrong, since Heilit''s specialty had been nimble movements. "Sorry but." However, Heilit coldly retorted. "I''m human, so just running from here to the kingdom will make my six-pack abs pop out again." Though it seems easy to say considering how far it is from the World Tree to the kingdom, it was quite possible for her. "The problem isn''t me but you and the fairies. You don''t gain weight even eating the same snacks as me." Heilit pinched Iris''s nape with her finger. There was nothing but smooth skin. "And even if you run the same distance as me, your body won''t wear down." Actually, Heilit wasn''t trying to argue about gaining weight or not. What does that matter? "If you have something to say, say it straight. Don''t beat around the bush." Iris was expressionless even in this situation. "Your race''s homeostasis is the problem." Heilit sat on the tea table in front of the Elder. Then she put her face next to the Elder''s face and looked at Iris. "Don''t you see this?" "Your face is bigger." "Hey, damn it." She took out a round locket pendant from her chest. When she opened the locket lid, there was a finely drawn portrait inside. None other than the Elder holding a young girl. "It''s the Elder and me. Somehow I''vee to look older than this person." "What can we do about our long lifespan?" The Elder pointed that out but Heilit firmly shook her head. "They say dwarves don''t even live half as long as elves but at least they age. But elves? You don''t change. Your appearance doesn''t change, your mind doesn''t change. It''s not for nothing they say your race is closer to nts than animals." It didn''t seem like an unreasonableint. "Humans are like fire. They prosper by burning their surroundings. By burning trees and cultivatingnd. By developing territory and domesticating monsters. But elves?" "So we''re water, is that it? Are you bringing out racial elemental theory now?" "I don''t know about that. And I don''t care that because of that nature fairies declined and will eventually go extinct!" Langrey banged the tea table. "I think I understand why you''re still being yed by Pelerian." Iris''s expression froze like ice. "...What do you mean?" "That magician Pelerian is clearly the least fairy-like fairy. He was truly a fiery magician." That wasn''t wrong. Pelerian was someone who had stronger pride in being a fairy than anyone, but actually had the least fairy-like temperament of any fairy. Putting it nicely he was progressive, putting it badly he was vulgar and wicked. "That''s why trying to analyze someone like that in your old-fashioned fairy way won''t work." "..." Heilit Langrey, who had been staying here, had been observing Iris and the Elder. After watching them search for traces of Pelerian, train, and drink tea, she was convinced. She understood why they hadn''t been able to find Pelerian''s whereabouts until now. "Did you even intend to find him in the first ce?" "Why ask something so obvious? Did it look like we were just ying around?" She knows Iris swore revenge. However,paring what they were doing, it was no different from searching every bed in a hotel alone to find bedbugs. "How long were you nning to search?" "What?" "How long were you nning to investigate Pelerian''s whereabouts?" How much effort and time would it take doing it that way? "...At least within the next fifty years." "This is why fairies are the problem." If someone like Iris was a hotel manager, that hotel would eventually go bankrupt. "To catch bedbugs, you need to narrow down where the bedbugs might be first." "What are you talking about suddenly? What bedbugs?" "Either find ces where guests who might have brought bedbugs stayed. Or close the hotel and drill the housekeepers to do aplete inspection at once. Will you catch all the bedbugs if the manager runs around alone trying to catch them?" It was familiar for Heilit Langrey to spout iprehensible words following her stream of consciousness. Fortunately, the seemingly meaningless talk ended there. "You have to consider Pelerian''s personality. That old man is one of a kind." "One of a kind...?" "Yeah, you know. The type who has desire for attention but while wanting to show off to people doesn''t actually want to directly reveal it. The type who enjoys people recognizing them on their own and whispering ''gasp, isn''t that the famous Heaven Defier?''" It was a scathing evaluation. But I hadn''t thought about it that way before. "You don''t know that? Don''t you know Pelerian used to wear a crystal mask?" "He did." "Why do you think he wore a mask?" When she couldn''t answer immediately, it was none other than the Elder who cut in. "Wasn''t it to hide his identity?" "Holy Light protect us." Heilit Langrey smacked her forehead. The elves exceeded her expectations. "Who wears a crystal mask to hide their identity! If that was the case, he would have just worn a hood or headdress." "Wearing a mask..." "He probably wanted to create stories like ''The mysterious crystal mask magician appears!'' You know why he suddenly stopped wearing the crystal mask? I heard this directly. Get this, apparently Archmage Caspian mocked him. Said the crystal mask didn''t suit him because he was ugly, so take it off." "So he stopped wearing it after that?" "Yes. A Magic Tower magician told me? If you''re going to do a concept,mit to it until the end, why quit halfway like that." For innocent elves, it was impossible to understand Pelerian''s way of thinking. Why he wanted to be revered by others so much, and while wanting that, why he wanted such an atmosphere to form naturally rather than forcibly drawing out reverence. "Anyway, that map shows all the dungeons he''s made so far, right?" There was a map of the continent on the wall. Surprisingly, the administrative districts marked on this map seemed to have beenst updated hundreds of years ago. Even that was very elf-like. "You all wouldn''t know since you''re always cooped up in the great forest, but even in the capital there''s this thing called opera?" "What about opera." "There are stories that Pelerian watched opera several times. They say the opera he watched the most was The Blue Night of Kabbh." Suddenly Heilit started drawing lines on the map with red chalk. "I''ve seen The Blue Night of Kabbh too so I know. They use the symbol of the Tree of Life in stage art several times. I''m not a magician or shaman so I don''t know the exact shape but... is this right?" "No way..." When she connected the dungeons with lines, a unique pattern started to form. Honestly, it''s not easy to find regrity in the shape. You''d only know if you had knowledge of Kabbh and tried drawing lines ording to that shape. Originally it would have been difficult to find such a clue naturally. "Right? He''s gen- I mean, this is really right. He wanted someone to recognize it. But he made it very subtle so no one would notice easily." The Elder jumped up. If this symbolized the arrangement of the Tree of Life, they could draw corresponding flows and paths. "If we follow the path of the Snake of Wisdom, the Path of the Snake." The snake''s head exists in the north. "There might be a dungeon if we search broadly around here." If the dungeon arrangement follows the Path of the Snake, that would be so. And if what symbolizes the snake''s head is thest ced dungeon. "This must be a meaningful dungeon. Especially important." "Thank you, Heilit Langrey." Iris, who had always been snippy, expressed gratitude politely. Then she put on her weapon. The Elder asked. "Are you leaving?" "Yes." "When?" "Now." And once again, just as Iris was about to leap down under the tree. "Ah geez, you''re doing it again." Langrey grabbed Iris''s hood. Iris dangled, caught by her hood. "Going to take three months again?" "Then...?" "Come with me. If we run for just a few days, we can get there quickly using the warp gate." "...Thank you." "Don''t mention it." Chapter 178: Those Who Fall Have No Wings (1) There''s a saying that the mountain range is like the continent''s spine. To easily understand this saying, imagine finding a dinosaur fossil underground. Think of the continent as one dinosaur lying dead with a slightly curved back. First, where the dinosaur''s flesh and meat were has melted away, leaving only traces. That''s thend and the boundary between continent and sea. The head faces right, roughly east. Then that huge skull could be said to be the great forest in the eastern continent. The kingdom epasses the area from that head to the neck meat. The body''s delicious rib meat area is the Empire. As meat from ribs is traditionally delicious, the Empire''s continental territory was particrly fertile. Isn''t that why long ago a man seeded in dering himself emperor and took the Empire''s name? While the Empire is indeed the strongest nation, that doesn''t mean the Empire owns the continent. Up in the snowfields are the northern barbarians. In the desert near the tail are terrifying sultans, assassins, and necromancers. There are countless inds in the southern seas. Even the Empire''s schrs of all things don''t know what civilizations might exist in that archipgo. Having gone around once, let''s return to the skull and neck bones. The spine extending from the skull. That''s the start of the mountain range. Though its width can''tpare to the great forest, its length overwhelms it. The kingdom''s north all belongs to the ''mountain range'', and part of that mountain range extends even into the Empire. In other words, the eastern mountain range and western mountain range can be calledpletely different regions. Where Delfram is located was in the eastern mountain range. "It was once sacred ground of the Oboe civilization." That was Pelerian''s exnation. The Oboe civilization was said to be an ancient civilization from very long ago. Apparently the humans then got along well with wyverns. "There are many of their ruins. Where I built my dungeon was there." ''How did you build in such a treacherous ce?'' "Naturally, I used dwarves." ''...Gray Hammer Vige?'' "Yes." Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin The dwarves of Gray Hammer Vige had disappeared. I hope it wasn''t rted to Pelerian? If it was, I don''t want to know. ''What kind of dungeon is this? Each dungeon had its own concept, right?'' "Tsk, concept indeed." Pelerian seemed displeased with my expression. But it was true. The first dungeon I went to was aboratory for raising chimeras. The second was a magic stone storage. The third was an armory. Except for the first one, there were many things to take. Would there be such things in this dungeon too? "There might be... something." For some reason hecks confidence. Generally, when Pelerian shows this kind of reaction, it falls into two cases. Either he doesn''t know well himself, or he''s hiding something fishy. Or maybe both. ''But, you said when you were about to die you''de here to die, right? How does that work?'' "What do you mean?" ''No, when you die you just die. If you die suddenly, you can''te here. Do you mean you''de here in advance when you knew you were going to die?'' "Both apply. I prepared so I could teleport here when I die." ''Isn''t teleport not something you can use freely?'' "It''s possible with sacrifices and limitations." Vows and restrictions? Seems like I''ve heard this somewhere. Still, deciding your death ce in advance, there''s something romantic about it. When I said that, Pelerian made an uncharacteristically wistful expression. "On a blue night, the snake that bit and killed Princess Kabbh ultimately died with its head pierced. Do you know the sentiment of that tragedy..." ''Wow that really... seems like it.'' He seems to be talking about some y but his eyes are too moist so I lost the desire to ask more. That''s when it happened. The wyvern mom brought lots of dry silvergrass in her mouth. She spread plenty of fluffy silvergrass on the ground. It was necessary work for making a new nest. Unlike birds, wyverns don''t have feathers, so young wyvern babies need this. "Pipipipi" "Keeee!" "Chuik!" As soon as their mother appeared, the babies went close and rubbed their heads against her. Though it looks cute, it''s basically a threat demanding nutritional porridge. I also quietly approached that side. Absolutely, absolutely not because I wanted nutritional porridge. When I crouch nearby, the wyvern mom runs over with a worried expression and force-feeds me nutritional porridge. Then I have to eat nutritional porridge until I''m about to burst. The wyvern mom worried about me more and more. Probably because my body wasn''t growing any bigger. By now the wyvern baby triplets had grown three times bigger than me. They were even showing signs of daring to rebel against this youngest brother. ''I''m already fully grown.'' It''s frustrating not being able to tell her that. But fortunately, should I say. The wyvern mom didn''t share nutritional porridge. Rather, she sternly pushed away the approaching babies. I wondered what was happening, when suddenly she cried "kuguk" toward the sky. Then one ck Wyvern from the group flew over as if it had been waiting. It was one of the wyvern mom''s subordinates who had migrated to this Delfram area together a few days ago. "Kuguk!" It threw something it had been holding in its mouth into the nest. Then immediately flew away. ''What''s that.'' "It caught a terrible monster." The wyvern had thrown a still living monster. The familiar appearance was clearly a Mosquito Rat. However, it wasn''t an ordinary Mosquito Rat. Five times bigger, withpound eyes that glowed strangely. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Giant Mosquito Rat lv32] [Traits] [Blood-sucking], [Stench] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Since a Mosquito Rat was already baby fist-sized, even at five times bigger it was about pocket rat size. But its terribleness far exceeded five times that of a regr Mosquito Rat. Without exaggeration, it seems a hundred times more terrible. Compound eyes resembling those of dung flies. A long snout for blood-sucking hangs down like a leech. It looks around as if unsatisfied with the current situation while gathering its front legs that resemble rat legs. Just as it was about to escape. "Tadak, tak." The wyvern mom shed her mouth and emitted wyvern fear. It didn''t affect the wyvern babies, and naturally didn''t work on me with mental attack immunity. But the Giant Mosquito Rat, or GiMoRat for short, froze like ice. Chapter 179: Those Who Fall Have No Wings (2) The wyvern mom thrust her snout forward and made motions of shing with her ws. That''s when I realized what she was trying to do. "Seems she''s trying to teach hunting methods." Really, what a proper mom. It was a bit burdensome how she kept trying to mother me even though she''s not my real mom. "Kugagak!" The wyvern mom stopped the fear and pushed the Mosquito Rat toward the triplets. How did the triplets react? "Chueeeek!" "Keeee!" Chui and Kei rolled backward by themselves. Though the Mosquito Rat was just sniffing with its snout, they screamed as if they''d been bitten. Sigh, how will they survive in this harsh magical realm being such cowards? It reminded me of the centipede triplets who were much smaller but fearlessly brave. However, had I been disappointed in the wyvern triplets too early? There was a brave one among them. The most spirited eldest, Pipi, was standing proudly. Pipi stopped in front of the Giant Mosquito Rat. And a staring contest began between the two. Though Pipi was bigger, no emotion could be read in the Giant Mosquito Rat''s eyes. Pipi broke the long silence. She opened her mouth wide and roared. "Peeeeee!" I thought it would be like a war cry announcing the start of battle. But the fierce battle I expected didn''t ur. "Peeeeee!" "Squeak squeak." "Peeeeeee!" "Squeak, squeak." Pipi just kept her mouth wide open, and the Mosquito Rat just squeaked as if confused. "Ah, that''s it." ''What do you understand?'' "She thinks food will go into her mouth if she just keeps it open." ''Ah...!'' How can there be such a bird-brained idea from something that''s not even a bird? Should I think it''s because she''s a baby... "Kueo..." The one who sighed deeply enough to sink the ground was none other than the wyvern mom. She looked worried about how her children would survive in this harsh world. The wyvern mom turned to look at me. Was she hoping I would do something? "Are you just going to stay still?" ''Yes.'' I was nning to stay quietly without drawing attention and then leave. But then I saw a shocking sight. An amazing thing happened. Tears welled up in the wyvern mom''s eyes. ''Why, why is she like that...'' Thinking about it, I could understand. They say even a porcupine thinks its babies are soft. Even a fearsome wyvern queen cherishes her children. But just recently, she lost her original nest due to another group''s attack. In a situation where she doesn''t know when she might die, she would want her babies to be proper monsters. But me, who she considers her youngest child, am small and wingless... ''Oh whatever.'' I should at least lighten her heart. Ah, should I show a bit of my ''true sincerity''. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv4.¡¹ Tang! Getting rebound by striking the ground with my tail. Using that to precisely control direction, bite through the enemy as I pass. That''s the principle of Heart-eating Leap. A bright red chunk of meat was suddenly in my mouth and. "Jieek!" The Giant Mosquito Rat copsed with a scream. "Pipipipi!" "Chuiii!" The triplets cried as if in chorus seeing that. They tried to imitate me by tearing at and eating the fallen Giant Mosquito Rat. Gulp. I swallowed the meat in my mouth. I wonder if this somewhat repays the value of the nutritional porridge. When I looked back at the wyvern mom, she was spreading her wings wide and howling toward the sky. "Kurararararak!" Then she came toward me while swaying as if dancing. She stroked me all over with her soft wing membrane. It was unmistakably the wyvern mom''s way of praising. "Saah!" Flick flick! Isil seems a bit happy too. I felt better too. "Are you that happy getting praised by a wyvern." I seem to be weak to praise. Maybe living like this wouldn''t be so bad... Perhaps because the food hunting education was somewhat sessful. The wyvern mom in good spirits started a bold challenge. "Kakkak, kugakkak!" She speaks as if giving a speech. pping her wings while making kakkak sounds, somehow I feel like I can understand what the wyvern mom is saying. I can''t bring you food forever. Someday you''ll have to hunt for yourselves. And the time given might not be long. A kind yet still young mother''s voice would be appropriate for dubbing. Chugota would suit a scary witch''s voice. But the problem was that the wyvern mom didn''t stop there and pointed under the nest with her tail. "Kuak." (Jump) She clearly wants us to jump. This is difficult even for me. The wyvern triplets were scared too. "Pi, piii..." "Kuaaak!" Her attitude was that she would push us if we didn''t jump. Then bravely, the hesitating Pipi leaped from the nest. "Saaah!" When I looked down in surprise, Pipi was falling while spinning in mid-air. It''s dizzying - she might st like a ripe persimmon when she hits the ground. "Piek!" Fortunately, Pipi sessfully managed to p her wings while roaring bravely. Her falling speed rapidly decreased, and she even glided on the wind. The wyvern mom suddenly pushed Kei, who was nkly watching. "Keeeee!" Such a fierce education method suddenly! After Kei would be Chui. And next would surely be me. I tried to find a way to escape before my turn came. I didn''t expect the most timid Chui to jump down by herself. "Chuu!" Whether she wanted to save the second child Kei. Or whether she envied the eldest Pipi who was already flying quite well. Chui was already falling down there. Which means, the wyvern mom pushing me was faster than expected. Bang! No, but she knows I don''t have wings! Don''t tell me she doesn''t care if her wingless child dies. I fell feeling betrayed. If I keep my wits about me, I might survive falling from a cliff. ''Isil!'' Help me Isilmon. I thought Isil would extend its vines long and grab the cliff. But it seems to have misunderstood something watching the wyvern triplets. p p. It''s enthusiastically pping those leaves thinking they''re wings. Naturally, leaves only as big as baby palms couldn''t fly. I fell fiercely. Chapter 180: Cemetery Golem (1) Pretending to be a baby wyvern. Pushed for flight training and falling to death. Grand prize winner in the category of World''s Most Foolishly Dead Snake! As fierce wind struck my face. As the dizzying sensation of falling spread through my body with a tingle. That''s what I thought. ''Isil, at least you survive.'' If it falls while attached to my body, Isil might get badly hurt too. Light-bodied Isil would be fine if it separated. Flick flick. But who knew it would understand words so quickly. Were you that smart? Whoosh! Like a fighter jet''s cockpit being emergency ejected. Isil whooshed off my body. ''Isil...!'' What is this feeling of betrayal? This traitor chimera nt. Still. Live happily. Even without me, well. Since it''s too barren here. Go a bit further south. Stay with the triplets for now, until you grow a bit more. Would these words reach Isil? It seemed they could. Because ''Resonance lv2'' was still working. Isil''s vine hands only work when touching my body... Ah! ''Isil!'' It hadn''t run away alone. It had ''jumped up'' while keeping its vine hands on my body. The reason for that was. "Peeee!" Pipi, who had already be quite ustomed to flying, came flying this way. I could feel her determined will to save her youngest brother. But no matter what, this was flight learned just today. It would be difficult to catch me falling rapidly. Here, Isil''s bold decision helped. Its long extended vine wrapped around Pipi''s neck like a leash. Strong tension was applied to my falling body. "Sak!" For a moment I thought my spine would all break. Fortunately, Isil''s vines had sticity. I bounced up high. This time there was a ce tond. The ce Inded with a thud was on Pipi''s back. "Peeee!" She roared as if proud. Amazingly, she started flying while carrying me. "Kekeke." "Chuik!" Kei and Chui also followed alongside. The wyvern triplets, one snake, and one vine grass flying. "To be this skilled on their first flight. I guess wyverns really are princes of the sky." So they were princes of the sky. In fact, the three performed something like formation flying, albeit clumsily. I was someone who really disliked flying. Thanks to Potential 20 I could learn flying skills but there was a reason I didn''t. Because I had no wings from birth so I couldn''t control direction even if I flew, and I was instinctively scared of heights. However, now... ''...This is fun!'' I was enjoying flying through the sky. Pipi''s back wasn''t very wide but it was enough for me to ride on. Originally it would have been scary with nothing to hold onto without hands and feet, but now Isil was attached tightly to me. Isil''s vine wrapped around Pipi''s neck felt like reins. It feels like I''ve be a wyvern rider. Actually, that was correct. ''Let''s go up!'' Whether she noticed the slight pull on the reins. Or whether my will got through because I had tamed her. Pipi whooshed upward. I could see the wyvern mom watching with a pleased expression from that nest above. Though she probably hadn''t predicted this would happen. Seeing her happy makes me feel good too. The baby wyverns started getting properly ustomed to flight. The eldest sister Pipi was brave so her style was aggressive, and the second child Kei was the fastest among them. ''Let''s switch rides, Isil!'' The moment Isil extended one vine long toward Kei, I leaped up. It was a bit dangerous but a cool stunt. This time I rode on Kei and tried high-speed flight. ''If we add magic...'' ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv7.¡¹ I shot a fireball. You know what? If you fire a 100km/h BB gun straight ahead from a car going 100km/h. The BB gun''s speed bes 200km/h! Is that right? Anyway, it must be something like that. The fireball that normally flew slowly shot much faster. Bang! The fireball hitting and exploding on a stone pir. A sufficiently powerful strike. ''Next to Chui!'' "Chuiiik!" I jumped from Kei andnded on the youngest''s back. The youngest who had seeded in flight alone when we all fell from the nest before. Indeed, Chui''s flight was the most technical among the three. Diving steeply then spinning once in mid-air was nothing short of acrobatic flight. Usually such a crybaby, but fearless in the sky. The best flyer among the three. My mood elevated further. ''Aplete legend appears.'' Should I say I discovered the true taste of flight? We flew for quite a while. And Pelerian and I realized something important. "That''s Delfram." At this rate, it seemed we could reach Delfram''s dungeon. ''That stone tower?'' "My dungeon! That stone tower!" In the distance I could see an area without stone pirs. However, in the middle was one noticeably ck stone tower. Like a ck obelisk. ''It looks different from the other dungeons from the start.'' "I named it ''Gravestone''." Pelerian wanted to go there when he died. ''What kind of dungeon is it exactly?'' I only asked because I still hadn''t heard a detailed exnation. Pelerian gave an unexpected answer. "...I don''t really know." ''What?'' "I don''t have memories of what''s inside." Pelerian seems quite displeased about that too. This old magician''s soul beside me now isn''t hisplete whole. It''s just a part of his soul hidden in a ring after being torn. Therefore, while he has memories, there are often missing ones. He must feel his own existence being threatened. ''We''ll find out when we get there!'' "Y-yes, that''s right!" We''ll know what''s inside when we enter, right? It''s no different from before. ''Let''s go!'' When Imanded "Saah!", my wyvern army (three babies) started flying toward the ck tower. Though they''re still young and small, being able to fly is really convenient. The distance that would take a long time crawling started closing instantly. At this rate it seemed we could reach Pelerian''s dungeon in no time. "Don''t get too close, stop in front..." Before we could stop after hearing Pelerian''s words, a mighty roar shook heaven and earth. "Kuooooo!" Pitch ck darkness covered us. Though it was clearly midday, it suddenly felt like night had fallen. The identity of the ck curtain was the wyvern mom''s wings. She wrapped us in her huge wings andnded. It was a roughernding than expected. Enough to roll on the ground with a crash. Wondering why she suddenly did that, I looked at the wyvern mom. "Kugagaga!" She was extremely angry. Even though wyvern fear doesn''t work on me, I could feel that anger tingling. "Pipiek!" Even brave Pipi trembled in fear, and the other two siblings had already flopped over and were making a fuss. Though the wyvern mom would usually end it at this. Chapter 181: Cemetery Golem (2) This time she seemed determined to give a proper scolding. She swung her tail fiercely. p! p! She struck her children''s bottoms. In other words, she was spanking them. The babies wailed at the stinging pain. Though I''ve never raised children, I could understand her intention. "A parenting method that imprints fear." She''s teaching them not to go near that stone tower. Approaching the territory of a weird magician leads to big trouble. Very very scary things will happen. Like that. The reason for deliberately getting overly angry and even spanking them must be that. The problem was that arrow was aimed at me too. A critical situation of getting hit by a tail bigger than my body. I acted on instinct. "Saa..." I slightly opened my mouth and made a face like I knew nothing. The tail flying toward me stopped hesitating in mid-air. The wyvern mom stared intently at me. Can''t stop the acting. Maintain the most innocent expression possible. Finally, when a drop of drool fell from my mouth. The wyvern mom quietly lowered her tail. Then, she wiped her eyes with her tail. Surprisingly, the wyvern mom''s eyes had be wet at some point. Why is she suddenly crying? Even with my brilliant brain, I couldn''t grasp any clues. "She must be heartbroken about having to leave her deficient child alone in this harsh world." Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin ''That can''t be!'' "With such a dumb expression, how could a parent not worry?" It wasn''t a dumb expression but an innocent expression. ''But how do you know wyvern moms so well? Were you a wyvern in a past life? Or a mom?'' "Nonsense." In the end the wyvern mom even licked my head. Why do mothers lick their children? "To clean them. Mostly. Or just instinctively because they cherish them." I''m very clean, and I''m not even her real child. Since I, the ringleader, didn''t get spanked but rather received care, the triplets seemed upset about that. "Pikekekeke!" "Chuaak!" They protested violently but what can you do? If you''re jealous, you take off your wings and legs too. We had already gotten quite far from the group where the nests were gathered. It seemed impossible to reach that stone tower today. Pelerian was disappointed but it couldn''t be helped. "Kugagak!" Since the babies hadn''t finished growing yet, it seemed hard for them to take off alone from the ground. In the end, the wyvern mom carried us all on her back at once. Since the babies'' bodies had grown bigger in the meantime, she couldn''t have everyone hang from her feet anymore. Whoosh, whoosh-! Her wingbeats were heavy. The wyvern mom took flight carrying all of us. The babies without handsy t pressed against their mother''s back. Their appearance looked quite unstable so I tied them together with vines. "Kuguk." The peaceful flight suddenly became rough at that moment. Boom... A thunderous sound rang out ahead. "Pipipi." "Kee..." The babies trembled in fear. How could they forget this sound? The sound of stone pirs copsing. The sound of nests being destroyed by destruction beams. The sound of invasion. "Keeeek!" Since we were hanging on the back, we couldn''t see ahead well. But we could tell the wyvern mom was casting a destruction beam. She threw her head back and shot a beam from her mouth. Boom! The beam cut through the clouds. What was she trying to hit? Another wyvern? Or... When I stuck my head out, I could soon tell. The wyvern mom had shot at another beaming from that direction. The beams collided in mid-air. Boom boom boom boom! The result was one beam vanishing, and the other beam deflecting. The beam that disappeared from being weaker was the wyvern mom''s. The opponent was none other than Triple-headed Wyvern Chugota. Her beam passed by our side. A hot st of wind swept by, nearly making the triplets fall. "Another attack?" Chugota had already attacked once and taken the wyvern mom''s nest. When animal groups attack other groups, it''s often due to territory disputes. In other words, there was no reason to attack right after taking territory. "Saaah!" But what can we do about a situation that''s already happened? Chugota had led her group all the way here to Delfram. The wyvern mom beat her wings fiercely to increase speed. But the current situation was the worst. Of all times, while carrying all her babies on her back. Given the wyvern mom''s size it shouldn''t be too much, but it would be disadvantageous for gaining speed. Especially now when she has to fight ''that'' Chugota. "Gruuuu" "Wooooo" "Duuuu!" The cries from Chugota''s three heads were bizarre like sounds from hell. She seems about twice the size of the wyvern mom. Despite that, her speed is actually a bit faster. ''At this rate the kids will all die.'' What the wyvern mom fears must be the babies on her back. ''Kids. Run away.'' I looked at the babies. Our eyes met. With mom busy now, I was the one tomand the kids. ''Three, two, one...'' I untied Isil''s vines. Though the triplets had scared faces. ''Dive!'' "Saak!" Fortunately they followed my direction. Or maybe they just slipped. With over 100 kilos of weight removed, there should be a big difference. Thanks to that the wyvern mom could elerate a bit more. Swoosh! Chugota''s ''Chu'' head barely missed biting by an inch as it passed. The wyvern mom barely avoided it. She looked down worriedly at her babies, but they were working hard to descend. It would be good if they could hide in some shade between stone pirs. However, now wasn''t the time to worry about them. Peeeng! Chugota prepared another triple destruction beam. I had witnessed that power once before. I wrapped Isil''s vine around the wyvern mom''s neck like reins. Since it worked with the kids, maybe... I pulled hard on the reins. Whether my intention got through, or whether the wyvern mom had the same thought, she suddenly ascended sharply. The triple destruction beam was fired in a straight line. The beam powerful enough to burn the air and create sma. Passed by us toward that stone tower behind. "Ah, no!" Pelerian screamed. If that destruction beam destroys the dungeon... Boom! But surprisingly, the beam couldn''t even reach the tower. An invisible wall. Something like a barrier or shield blocked that powerful beam. "Yes!" ''After being so scared.'' "Uhahaha!" Pelerian seemed proud of the dungeon''s defense system. "I remembered." ''What!'' "Over there, get closer to the stone tower! There''s a reason wyverns fear Delfram." There was no time to ask more, so I pulled the vine sharply to signal. ''Mom! That way!'' "Sak, sasasaak!" Shouting like that. The wyvern mom clearly feared Pelerian''s dungeon too. However, the dungeon was in the opposite direction from where the babies were escaping. She made her decision and chose a direction. Leading Chugota toward the dungeon. "That, that''s it!" I could see it too. The huge obelisk. From holes in its walls, golem figures in human form were crawling out. Though they looked small from far away, they were enormously huge. One looks this way. I feel hostility. The will of a stone guard showing it won''t permit approach. "The awakening of my obelisk!" Chapter 182: Triple Combination (1) The Obelisk''s Giant (Golem)! And Chugota with three heads. Though not blue-eyed or a dragon, if giving Chugota a title, it would be something like ''Ultimate Green-eyed White Wyvern''. The confrontation between the golem and Chugota was, well, a tremendous big event. The disappointing thing is that I''m not watching from a safe ce, but stuck in between with the wyvern mom. ''But it''s just a golem after all!'' I pointed out the important point. Though it has the cool name of Obelisk''s Giant, it''s just a golem. Moreover, it looks much smaller than Chugota. Meanwhile, both these wyverns are monsters worthy of the modifier "boss monster". Celeta was also a named monster. She would surely be stronger than Silverback Chimpanzee Akims. Yet Chugota overwhelmed Celeta''s strength. Could a mere golem stop Chugota? "This fool...! How amazing my golem is." But Pelerian said so as if it was absurd to doubt. He''s not someone who doesn''t know the danger level of named monsters, so is that golem really that strong? ''The guard golems I saw before weren''t much...'' "Those golems were all broken." Pelerian''s golems that taught me magic. Those golems guarding the dungeon were in a state of losing most functions from being half-destroyed, but originally they must have been quite strong. ''Come to think of it, they did have destruction beams.'' And they were amazing golems that could even use advanced elemental magic. ''Still, they were too stupid.'' Just having great strength doesn''t necessarily mean being strong. Though a buffalo has much better strength and size than a lion, an experienced lion can overwhelm a herd of buffalo alone. A stupid golem that stops when its eyes are covered. Now, I think I could win against such a strong but foolish golem even if it was intact. "It''s true golems are stupid." I thought he would snap at me saying ''You fool!'', but Pelerian was surprisingly calm. "But overwhelming output can ovee even such things." I could soon understand what the word ''output'' meant. The golem that jumped to the ground pulled out a spear from it. Since a spear emerged from bare stone ground, there''s no other way to describe it than "pulled out". I, who know magic, immediately understood. "Advanced elemental magic, specifically ''Earth Spear''." As long as it stands on the ground, it could receive such spears infinitely. I could immediately tell the spear''s strength was extraordinary too. Because the hole created in the ground was much bigger than the thickness of the spear pulled out. The golem extends its arm back like a skilled javelin thrower. ''Oh.'' It''s definitely distinguished from the golems I met in the dungeon before. Like living creature muscles, its stone-carved body interlocked and stretched. "Dodge." ''Of course I''ll dodge!'' Fortunately, what the golem was aiming at was Chugota who shot the beam. When I pulled the vine, the wyvern mom turned her body. And the golem threw the spear. ''Threw'' is actually my spection. I didn''t see the process of the golem throwing the spear. The stance just before throwing the spear, and the stance after throwing it. The process in between seemed cut off. If there was a movie film, it''s like cutting out the middle process and connecting the before and after. A dizzying air-ripping sound. That alone confirmed the golem had thrown the spear. Keeeeng- Such a sound followed btedly. Not swoosh or thud but keeng. It meant the thrown spear instantly exceeded the speed of sound. The shock wave''s gust spread btedly. I had no choice but to stick tight to the wyvern mom''s back to avoid falling. "Huhu, uhahahahaha-!" Pelerian burst into wildughter. ''What was that? How did it do that?'' I too have experience rolling through this harsh world. Among those I''ve faced and encountered were also great strong ones. The named monsters of the great forest were like that, and heroes like Gunter were like that. Very tough and outstanding physical abilities sometimes perform magical feats. But this is too much. ''No matter how strong, is that possible?'' A thrown spear I can''t even see with my eyes. It doesn''t seem to be just a matter of strength. "Stacking eleration magic. I put in the essence of my golem studies." Somehow it seems incredibly amazing. Then what result did that terrifying yet beautiful thrown spear achieve? The spear finally pierced through Chugota. "Guuuu-!" A thunderous cry that''s unclear whether it''s a scream or roar. It''s a thrown spear that would pierce through powerful skull and thick skin. ''Ah...'' But the spear had only made a hole in the wing. ''...Huh?'' And Chugota didn''t even fall. Because that three-headed wyvern''s wings were enormously huge, and were already full of scars and holes like medals. "Gueee!" The golem''s merciless attack literally just passed through the wing like a bullet and destroyed some innocent stone pirs. ''Come on, what''s this!'' "Damn it. As expected, precise control..." Moreover, the golem that just showed incredible speed now started moving sluggishly. ''Why did it slow down again?'' "It needs time to recover." Pelerian, another crisis of lost trust. But he was confident like an entric doctor who always says ''If you give me more time and budget...'' "Don''t worry. This is just defense level 1, at level 3, no, even at level 2 we could catch those three heads." So how do we get to defense level 2? It seems that level ofmotion needs to happen. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin The conditions were met by the wyvern mom and Chugota bing entangled in battle. "Kueeee!" "Guuuu!" Heaven and earth seemed to shake with roars spewing from four mouths. The two wyvern queens finally shed after stopping their beam exchanges. Boom! They bite, scratch and strike each other. Due to their massive bodies, just swinging their necks gives powerful hits to each other. Go- no, Chu staggered after being hit by Celeta''s head. But simultaneously Ta bit and tore at Celeta''s shoulder de. Boom- Bang! When they hit stone pirs, rather the terrain crumbles. Chapter 183: Triple Combination (2) I looked for a way to help the wyvern mom. ''Hellfire is dangerous for all of us, and Heavenly Thunder Spirit is the same.'' Hanging on the wyvern mom''s back, sky and earth switch three times every 10 seconds. Since I feel like throwing up just holding on, precise strikes were naturally difficult. Should I just jump at Chugota? That might make it a bit easier to deal with. While pondering that, Pelerian shouted. "Level 2!" When I turned my head, indeed something had changed. Two more golems crawled out of the obelisk. "All threeing out is defense level 2." Will those two throw spears too? "Kueee!" The wyvern mom let out a painful scream. One of Chugota''s heads had torn at her chest. Blood gushed out and she started falling. "Saah!" I took revenge. The dagger Dawn flew swiftly and stuck in Go''s eye socket. A bone-chilling scream. However, it looked not at us falling but at the newly appeared golems. It seemed to judge the golems as the biggest threat. Chugota responded without fear. Well, she wouldn''t have be queen of the magical realm if she feared golems just for getting a hole in her wing membrane. They gathered their heads in one spot to cast triple destruction beam. At maximum output without hesitation. Whoosh-! A line of light that burns the air was drawn. At a point in space, the destruction beam was blocked by an invisible shield like before. But this time Chugota seems determined too. The beam continued spewing without stopping. Meanwhile, the wyvern mom and I crashed to the ground. Boom! A violent impact. The wyvern mom fell belly first so I wouldn''t get crushed. Still, stars shed before my eyes. Can''t see anything because of the rising dust. Still, the ground is better than the dizzy air. As I steadied myself while staggering, something was visible through that dust. First, all the golems had gathered and were stretching their hands toward the air. It looked like they were putting strength into the shield. What stood out was beyond that. On the opposite side from where the golems were gathered, something was moving. It seemed strange for crawling on the ground to be another wyvern, and walked on two legs unlike termites. They were people. No, dwarves? Not the Gray Hammer ones? They seemed to be trying to enter the stone tower while the golems were distracted. The field of view of those who stick to the ground is limited. I lost track of their traces in a moment. ''Hey old man.'' I tried to tell Pelerian what I just saw but he was distracted looking only at the sky. "Indeed, an outstanding monster. To think its mana quantity is this deep." Amazingly, Chugota was still spewing destruction beam. How is that possible? Even with just ''beam'', I quickly deplete all mana if I spew it for long. To still maintain spewing destruction beam that consumes much more mana, with three heads at once. Chugota''s mana was as amazing as her appearance. "The shield..." ''...is melting!'' Though an invisible wall had been blocking the destruction beam. Seems that wasn''t infinite either. The air where the beam hit started melting red hot. Crack- With the sound of breaking ss, all the golems holding up their arms fell over. Chugota clearly won the test of strength. "Guguk, guk." That was unmistakably mockery. Chugota who knocked down the golems lowered her head to look down. She clearly meant to finish off the wyvern mom and me. The moment our eyes met. "Guguugu-" "Kieeeeek!" "Kyaaak!" All three of her heads roared as if enraged. Why suddenly get so angry? ''Hey you were going on about Obelisk''s Giant or whatever but they were just unremarkable golems!'' "Not mere golems, they are Giants..." To think he''d still be so proud even in this situation. That''s when the fallen golems slowly stood up. "The shield broke. That''s the condition for moving to defense level 3." ''What happens at level 3?'' "The golemsbine forces to actively repel intruders." ''That''s not much different from before!'' "I said bine forces'' and ''actively''." The standing golems ran over. But their speed wasn''t fast. Plus what are they going to do after running over. Chugota suddenly turned all that hostility toward us. She foams at the mouth and lets out strange screams. This is a mad wyvern. "J-just wait a moment!" The mad wyvern is falling straight toward us. No choice. If I run away alone here, the wyvern mom will bepletely crushed. ''Isil!'' I steeled myself to have a showdown with that monster using the Super Hellfire Sword. "Theybine!" ''What did you say!'' Though it was an urgent situation, I had to turn toward the golems at Pelerian''s voice. It wasn''t a lie. The three golems running over merged into one. Then transformed into another huge golem and. shing those red eyes, ''elerated''. Dudududuk! Boom! The booming sound and the sound of bones breaking were heard almost simultaneously. The running golem had already passed by me and the wyvern mom. And Chugota who was diving toward us. "I told you, didn''t I? That they would easily block it." This time I could tolerate Pelerian''s swagger. One of her heads waspletely broken off. Now she''s not Chugota but Chugo. Or maybe Go... Anyway, serves her right! +++ *Note: I wanted to take a moment to be transparent with you about my current situation. Recently, my health hasn''t been at its best, and the fatigue has been particrly challenging. While I remainmitted to sharing stories with you, I recognize that my current state may affect the quality of my writing. Please know that I would never want to deliver anything less than my absolute best to you. You deserve nothing short of excellence. However, rather than keeping you waiting indefinitely, I''ve decided to continue writing through this difficult period, even though the work may not meet the standards I typically set for myself. I deeply appreciate your understanding and continued support during this time. Your patience means the world to me, and I promise to return to full form as soon as my health permits. *I still release 2 chapters/day. Chapter 184: Three, Or Five (1) The golem was close. I reflexively focused my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Obelisk''s Giant - Triple Combination] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ah, Triple Combination! Three golemsbining into one triplebined Giant. And one wyvern who split her head into three, Wyvern Chugota. Were they born destined to fight each other from birth? Looking more at the golem''s status window, I could clearly tell. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] [Guardian], [Golem], [Combination] [Skills] [Stack lv5], [Trinity lv1], [Super eleration lv2], [Strong Strike lv10], [Sturdiness lv10], [Shock Wave lv10], [Magic Resistance lv10], [sh Resistance lv20], [Heat Resistance lv20], [Poison Immunity lv-], [Acid Resistance lv5], [Threat Detection lv5], [Self-Repair lv10]... [Status] [Alert Stance] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There''s not just one or two amazing-looking skills. You could say it''s an upgraded version of Pelerian''s Guards A and B that I met before. Including the toughness of its material not shown in skills, it would really be strong. There are several skills I''d like to borrow but now''s not the time. I haven''tpletely mastered Gigantification yet, and I might identally draw aggro. "Grrrr-." Amazingly, Ta of Chugota was still alive. With her neck horribly twisted, she let out cries along with pink saliva. She directed that hostility toward the golem. "Golems don''t die, nor are they unstable. As long as they''re not broken by external force, if maintained periodically. They could even live forever." Pelerian admired the masterpiece his living self had created. Even that great Heaven Defier magician couldn''t mass produce this golem. Dungeons prepared with golems of this level could be counted on one hand. "But there is something where golems are worse than even unstable chimeras, do you know what it is?" ''What is it?'' Though it doesn''t seem like the time for a lecture, I''m curious. "It''s that golems cannot grow. Though the creator can add functions, they cannot develop on their own." That makes sense. Since golems don''t have levels, it''s natural they can''t level up. "Super eleration, Trinity, and Stack. All amazing skills. Abilities and techniques worthy of heroes." That golem''s invisible movements werebinations of such skills. "As you know, skillbinations often produce multiplication-like effects rather than addition. Thatbo was implemented assuming such things." Trinity. The inevitable power loss that urs when three entitiesbine forces. Heat loss of energy. Unavoidable increase in entropy. Chugota suffered losses in mana conversion, and serious losses inputational ability, perception, and memory capacity by having three heads. Meanwhile, the three golems couldbine their powers without any loss thanks to the Trinity skill. Super eleration is literally an upgraded version of eleration skills. It elerates at an amazing speed. If only it can handle the aftermath. Lastly, Stack. Using skills repeatedly and consecutively. Flesh masses with muscles, blood vessels, and nerves cannot use stacked Super eleration. But it was possible for golems assembled from inorganic materials. The golem used that meticulously calctedbo once more. Its eyes glowed red, revealing heat sinks as it circted cont throughout its body to prepare for eleration. The golem''s form blurred, then disappeared as if blinking. Soon, dozens of impact sounds rang out simultaneously. Bang bang bang bang! Chugota did a crazy breakdance in mid-air. Pelerian''s golem performed dozens of strikes in the blink of an eye. All three heads spat blood like ketchup simultaneously. At that rate, her insides must be mush. Truly overwhelming performance. Pelerian''s golem really had that level ofbat power. For a golem he made to have such power. It was enough to change my view of Pelerian. But Pelerian didn''t look very satisfied. "I said golems can''t grow. So it remains at the ability level from when I added functions. If it had developed even a little as time passed..." ''If it had?'' "That wyvern would have exploded into hundreds of pieces now." Unlike golems, chimeras and monsters can develop. They can level up, and their skills can be stronger. If they just survive, evolution is possible too. Meanwhile golems cannot improve beyond the point they were made. Rather, they''ll just break down if not regrly maintained and inspected. Creak- Such a sound came from the golem''s joints. I can understand what Pelerian''s dissatisfaction means. ''Well still, it''s plenty strong.'' "That''s true." But still, the Obelisk''s Giant was strong. "Guuueee!" Chugota roars trying to take flight. Once again the golem''s form blurred and impact sounds rang out. Meanwhile, I hadn''t just been watching. I poured potions into the wyvern mom''s mouth. She''s too big to get up right away with just one or two bottles. I''d already used up all the potions. However, thanks to that the wyvern mom painfully got to her feet. We need to escape quickly. Before the golem turns its hostility toward us. And we need to gather the wyvern triplets too. "Kuuuu." The wyvern mom slowly spread her wings. Fortunately, flight seemed possible. That''s when it happened. Bang! When I turned my head, the golem was in a scissor kick pose in mid-air. Chugota''s massive body bounced far away. I don''t know if she''s alive or dead. Whoosh, whoosh- The wyvern mom hurriedly took off carrying me. The golem''s head moved toward us. It seemed to judge us as a threat now that Chugota was eliminated. "It''s fine! If we move away from the dungeon it won''t chase us." It was as the creator Pelerian exined. The golem, whose top priority was protecting the dungeon, didn''t bother chasing us as we fled. "Kuooo-!" Despite saving her life, the wyvern mom wasn''t happy. Her cry was rather filled with grief. Her group was already disintegrating. The White Wyverns that Chugota brought were tearing apart the ck Wyverns. ''Ugh...'' White monsters should all work together. But now my allies are the ck ones and enemies are the white ones. I hoped the white ones wouldn''t harm the smallest ck ones. The ground here was white because of wyvern guano. So the ck wyvern baby triplets would stand out easily. "Kugak!" The one who found them first wasn''t me but their mother. Celeta lowered her altitude while crying out like a scream. Down below, three baby wyverns were hiding in the shadow of a stone pir. Chapter 185: Three, Or Five (2) They trembled huddled together, unable to run out even seeing their mother. Fortunately, all three seem okay. The wyvern momnded almost crashing into the ground. And spread her injured wings to embrace her babies. Only then did the triplets peep and cling to their mother''s bosom. Get them on and escape. That must have been all the wyvern mom was thinking. However, their appearance was too noticeable when viewed from the sky. Something thick dripped from above. St. It was bloody vomit mixed with saliva. Thick blood sttered along with meat chunks that had been in the stomach for who knows how long. I slowly raised my head. Up there, Chugota was clinging to a white stone pir. Her once white body was covered in ck bruises, and blood kept dripping from her mouth and nostrils. Her whole body was already soaked in blood she had spat and bled. Three heads extended from her body hanging upside down. One had its neck horrifically twisted, but was still ring this way. "Gugugugu-" "Kuuuu." "Guk, kuuk," A somehow twisted cry that seemed to hate the entire world. I could finally be certain. ''That wyvern is mad.'' She was clearly a truly mad wyvern. Even if a monster, strictly speaking a beast, should quickly flee after getting so injured and barely saving its life. "Kwek, kweeek!" Why is she charging this way again? Flying while crashing into stone pirs was clearly madness. The triplets clung to their mother while making a fuss. The wyvern mom pped her wings hard trying to take off with her babies. ''Hoo.'' Chaos. Still, it''s still bearablepared to the chaos experienced so far. Especially, better than that time. When monsters fought chaotically in front of the World Tree''s roots. Better than when the centipede mom cried out searching for her lost babies. ''...'' I hope the same thing doesn''t happen again. At the point the wyvern mom finally took off carrying us. That''s why I jumped off. Need to divert Chugota''s attention. And need to reassure the wyvern mom so she can retreat with her real children. By showing that I''m strong. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv1.¡¹ Using Gigantification. ¡¸You havepletely mastered ''Gigantification''.¡¹ ¡¸Gigantification lv1 has be Gigantification lv2.¡¹ Good timing. Experience with Gigantification umtes. I also definitely learned that just getting bigger isn''t everything. There''s a size I can handle. Enough to jump high. Maintaining sharpness for teeth to dig into enemy''s skin. And also. Big enough that mad wyvern won''t dare ignore me. I became gigantic. Chugota saw me. "Kieeeeek!" The mad queen howls. She changed direction and collided with me. == ¡¸From the aftermath of Mr. Lovanton''s interview about surviving the wyvern nest¡¹ ...And so the interview could be safely concluded. It was amotion caused by triggering the doctor''s trauma. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin Though it wasn''t something to justugh off, my respect for the pitiful schr hadn''t faded. Whatever the case, above all he was someone who survived staying in Chugota''s nest for over a month. It was natural for him to have several mental scars that wouldn''t heal. I handed Dr. Lovanton hot chocte and honey bread. He took the chocte without hesitation, wrapped in a nket. And rather made a generous offer. L: Ask if you have any questions. You can include it in the interview or not. R: Ah... L: It''s an apology for showing unseemly behavior. Actually, I did have something to ask. About the specific journey of escaping from Chugota''s nest. Uniquely, Dr. Lovanton had given several different ounts about that journey. What was the truth? That was stimting my curiosity. L: I knew you''d be curious about that. Lovanton took out a bottle of liquor from his chest and mixed it into the hot chocte. L: Whether what I say is truth or lies is up to you to decide. R: I''ll listen. L: Chugota''s strength and ferocity had caught the Empire''s attention. R: Ah... the Empire? Because the Empire was involved, this story is only being told now in aftermath form. L: Do you know that the Emperor at the time dreamed of a Wyvern Knight Order? Said he wanted to create a Wyvern Knight Order to protect his daughter the Imperial Princess. R: I heard the Water Emperor did. L: So they targeted the offspring of the most excellent wyvern in the mountain range. Chugota had four babies. They probably nned to kidnap all four. Though I don''t know if they originally intended to steal eggs. R: Then perhaps... L: Whether they sent rangers or used magic, I don''t know. But they seeded. They kidnapped all four babies in one night. I woke up to Chugota''s howling. R: Did you see the kidnappers? L: Probably. I saw humans scattering in four directions below. R: They didn''t save you though. L: No, they showed a bit of mercy. They sprayed me with potions while I slept. How else could I have made it back alive? Whether true or not, it was an exnation that fit. Such help would be needed to survive having one leg cut off and shoulder pierced through. L: Chugota flew off to retrieve her babies. R: Then... L: She was amazing too. She finally brought back her babies. Flew back carrying pale white babies. Dr. Lovanton tiredly rubbed his face. L: But none came back alive. R: Ah... L: More precisely, the first one she brought back was still breathing. But it died while she was retrieving the second baby''s corpse. Chugota cried so grievously it could split ears. She must have loved her children? When she brought back the third baby''s corpse after three more days, her appearance had changed. R: What do you mean her appearance changed? L: Evolution, what else could it be? However... she changed hideously. Her head split and she grew two more eyeballs. Whether it happened to find her babies, I don''t know... She left to find the fourth baby. I asked if she found the fourth baby too. L: Don''t know. It was an unexpected answer. L: I think more than ten days passed after she brought the third one but she didn''t return. By then my wounds had healed so I escaped from the nest. Haven''t seen her since. Dr. Lovanton''s hand holding the chocte cup trembled. Heughed nervously, kuk kuk. L: Who knows, maybe she wentpletely mad and is still searching for the fourth baby. That would be quite a sight. Dr. Lovanton didn''t open his mouth after that. That was the end of the interview. == Chomp! Gigantified, I bit Chugota''s shoulder. Shook shook, I definitely injected deadly poison. Though I waited for the fierce battle to follow. Lick, lick. Chu and Go started licking my head while bleeding. ''What the.'' I couldn''t understand what situation this was. Chapter 186: Password has been entered incorrectly (1) My ''Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin'' is not something to be dismissed just because they have some poison resistance. Though the pain might be a bit less than blood poison. The pain would spread through the shoulder de with a tingling sensation. There''s no way they wouldn''t notice being bitten. After all, I''m dangling from that shoulder de right now. Chugota''s two heads licked my crown and scalp. While a wyvern''s head resembles a snake''s, the tongue structure is a bit different. Rather than a snake''s tongue, it might be more simr to a cat''s tongue. Wyvern Mom used to lick me just like this. So, Chugota is licking me like a mother grooming her young. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin Why is this three-headed wyvern treating me like this! "Does it see you as its child?" ''Why suddenly? Is it crazy?'' I understand Wyvern Mom seeing me as her child. I did hatch from her egg. She might have mistaken me for an oddly shaped offspring. But Chugota has no reason to think of me as its child. Do I look exactly like its children? "To be honest, being white makes you look more like these ones than that Oblivion Wyvern." Of course, Chugota and I shared themonality of having white bodies. But mistaking me as its child based on that alone is insane. "Guuu..." ...Well, Chugota was indeed a crazy wyvern. So if you''re asking whether Chugota''s embrace felt as warm as a mother''s... ''I need to pee.'' I was so scared I wanted to wet myself. For good reason, as Chugota''s condition was far from normal. Every time she licked my body, it became stained red with blood instead. Chugota found this strange and kept licking. "Guu..." Broken teeth and saliva dropped from Chu''s mouth. "Glurglurk!" Go suddenly spewed blood and vomit from its mouth. Perhaps it was the effect of the neurotoxin I had injected. Ta, one of Chugota''s heads, had no eyes. While it seemed to have a brain, strangely it was still alive even though its neck waspletely broken. Ta brought its dangling head close to me in reverse and sniffed. "Kui, shii..." It seemed to be smelling me. It gives me the creeps. My body trembled. The fighting spirit I had solemnly resolved to maintain earlier had fled. The terror peaked when Chugota started making strange sounds. "Shi..." "Hi, hi..." "Te..." It was definitely different from the growling sounds it had been making until now. With a ghostly appearance, it made sounds like a ghost would make. "Shii, hii..." "Te..." It seemed to speak almost simultaneously. Or maybe those three sybles formed a single word. "Shi... hii... te." Is itnguage? Is it speech? As someone who gainednguage ability as a reincarnation perk, I should be able to understand it. But I couldn''t make any sense of it. At that moment, Pelerian shouted. "It sounds like Oboe!" ''Obo-what?'' "Oboenguage, you know, that ancientnguage." Ancientnguage? Now that I hear it''s an ancientnguage, somehow I feel like I understand it. "Shihi...te." If you connect the sybles that all three of Chugota''s heads speak simultaneously. I could try to trante it literally. "Shi...hite..." My...child... Kyaaaaaak! Understanding the meaning made it even more terrifying. Perhaps sensing my fear. My real mother, no, not the real one. Anyway, Wyvern Mom returned. "Kugagagagak!" She pounced on Chugota and wildly shed with her ws. "Kuooo!" "Kaark!" Chugota fiercely resisted. Thanks to Wyvern Mom''s surprise jet kick, I was able to escape from Chugota. Tak. As soon as Inded on the ground, I looked back. Only then could I grasp the situation. Wyvern Mom, who had flown off carrying the three siblings, had returned to save me. But wait, I had even used gigantification to buy time for her to escape with the children. Wouldn''t this make my efforts to buy time meaningless? "To it, you must look like the smallest and weakest baby, what can you do?" Right, things in this world don''t always work ording to logic. Rationally speaking, saving the three siblings would have been the right choice, but it can''t be helped. "Pipipi-" "Kke!" The Pikchu triplets are also crying out in support of their mother. The problem was that Chugota remained strong even in such an injured state. It easily shook off Wyvern Mom who was desperately clinging to it. "It seems to have some self-healing ability. Such vitality to not die even with a broken head." Indeed, its body seemed to have improved rather than when it was initially hurt by the golem. Chugota''s gaze remained fixed on me throughout all this. "Shi" "hi..." "te...!" My child! Chugota came charging with heavy steps. Crawling on its wings like front legs, it looked just like an alien. "Saang!" I fled while screaming an unseemly scream. Wyvern Mom tried to shoot beams at Chugota and bite its tail, but it was useless. She couldn''t stop Chugota as it crawled like a spider, wadadada. Right, it''s better if Chugota focuses on me. That way, the triplets on Wyvern Mom''s back would be a bit safer. I had no choice but to head back toward Pelerian''s dungeon. There stood the golem maintaining its three-part fusion. It red at us while maintaining a certain distance. Looking sturdy like a gatekeeper. Only the golem can stop Chugota. Come on, get this scary wyvern away from me. I was approaching with such thoughts when. "Wait." Pelerian warned me like that. Suddenly, Isil, who had been quietly staying with me, spewed hellfire in front of me. And I. Thump. A feeling like my heart would drop. This is unmistakably the activation of a survival response. All I could do was bounce my body away. And use the skill I could activate fastest. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.¡¹ Isil, you''ll have to endure a little shock. I think grass-type Pok¨¦mon were weak to electricity. I''m a bit worried. Zzzzzap! The lightning strike was blinding. But fortunately, neither Isil nor I were directly hit by the lightning. Chapter 187: Password has been entered incorrectly (2) The golem that had been far away had somehow grabbed my tail at some point. The lightning struck the golem, stopping its movements. "It judged you as a threat!" That must be it. No matter how fast you are, you can''t be faster than lightning! Though Heavenly Thunder Spirit couldn''tpletely disable the golem, I seeded in paralyzing it. ''It was trying to grab and swing me.'' My caught tail feels sore. Its face area was slightly melted. It had managed to grab me through Isil''s hellfire. Since my caught tail wouldn''te loose, I canceled gigantification. As my body size decreased, I could slip free. With the golem temporarily paralyzed now. Could I take down that tough one during this time? "This actually worked out well." Pelerian had a n. "Left knee, behind the left knee!" Though I wasn''t sure what was wrong with the left knee, I immediately jumped to the back of the golem''s left knee. When I bit it. "That square thing above, open the lid!" There really was something like a square metal lid behind the knee. "There''s a control panel there. If you enter the password, you should be able to reset its state." This powerful golem was clearly something Pelerian had made himself. He had created a backdoor for easy control in case of emergency. I took Dawn out of dimensional storage and stuck it into the control panel''s lid. Then using the principle of leverage, I popped the lid off. Ting! The square metal lid fell helplessly and. Inside wasplex machinery. Though there was nothing like an LCD screen, what had numbers written on it was clearly a password input device. Of course, they weren''t Arabic numerals! "Into administrator mode!" ''What''s the password!'' "It''s connected to the dungeon itself, so...!" Pelerian wracked his brain to remember. -0918, right, zero nine one eight! ''Ah!'' About to press the buttons, I realized something. ''Is this maybe a date? Whose birthday is it?'' "Hey you bastard, press it quickly!" I hurriedly entered the password. == Pelerian''s dungeon. The tombstone. All three golems rushing out was a stroke of fortune for those waiting in front of it. Meeting those golem guards in the narrow interior would have meant unavoidable death. While they were contemting a detour, who would have thought wyverns would draw out the golems. Zhanil Fezhe, that ranger from the Empire, didn''t miss the opportunity. He led the surviving ten Gray Hammer dwarves and one humanpanion straight into the dungeon interior. The Gray Hammer dwarves had built this dungeon long ago. Surprisingly, Zhanil Fezhe discovered this when he approached the dungeon alone. It was written on the foundation stone inside the dungeon that the Gray Hammer n had built it. Though he couldn''t get closer due to the golems, after confirming this, Zhanil Fezhe immediately turned back. Then he visited the Gray Hammer n and threatened them. Saying he would charge them with the crime of cooperating with the Heaven Defier magician. Of course, the dwarves wouldn''t easily yield to such threats. But Zhanil Fezhe was a genuine imperial agent carrying out royal orders. Moreover, he was skilled at both negotiation and intimidation. When he sweet-talked them while demandingpensation for cooperation, the dwarves followed. Though a fight broke out when some dwarves lost their temper. Zhanil Fezhe''s ownbat ability exceeded their expectations. While some of Zhanil''s subordinates died, all the brave dwarves died then. Only cowards remained among the dwarves. Zhanil led them in quickly breaching the dungeon. Since they knew about the dungeon''s mechanisms, the breakthrough was quite fast considering the level of defense. "If I hade in alone, I would''ve died long ago." Zhanil muttered thus. The exhausted dwarves red at him. "This is as far as we can easily break through." Zhanil Fezhe was a man who seemed too old to be middle-aged, but too robust to be elderly. "Just open that door for me." "..." The dwarves wore dissatisfied expressions but had no choice but to tackle the gateway again. That gateway would be better described as a ''wall'' rather than a ''door''. It hadplex patterns and numbers drawn on it, clearly having magic and mechanisms installed. "Built quite romantically, didn''t they." Zhanil was appreciating the wall''s structure as if it wasn''t his concern. Beside him sat an elderly person wearing a hood. "Password... hmm." The gateway seemed to be the type of device that opens when you enter a password. The dwarves were working to break through this door. Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Click. One of the dwarves must have touched something wrong. Beeeep- With a warning sound, the entire gateway emitted red light. Though the light soon stopped, the dwarves cursed. "Fourth failure already! Even we don''t know what trap might trigger!" "Hmm..." Zhanil sighed as if troubled. "Well, do you have any ideas?" His question was directed at the elderly person sitting beside him. The elder didn''t answer immediately, but replied after a pause. "I think I might know." "If the doctor doesn''t know, who would? Aren''t you an expert in semiotics and archaeology?" "Just because I know semiotics and archaeology doesn''t mean I can break into dungeons. Though it might help a little." The ''doctor'' stood up. Zhanil Fezhe was delighted. Standing up meant he must have thought of something. "I believed in you, Doctor Robanton." "Hmph." The name of the elder who removed his hood was Robanton. The unfortunate man who was once kidnapped by wyverns. He had returned here. He approached the door and began touching the carvings. "Hey, careful." "Shh." Zhanil stopped the dwarves who tried to prevent him. Robert Banton Doctor paid no attention and pressed the numbers carved on the door. And... A warning sound rang out. Beeeeeep-! "Ah, 8 maybe? Could be 7." The dwarves scattered in panic. They had gotten the password wrong five times. == Following Pelerian''s advice, I manipted the control panel behind the golem''s knee. Carefully pressing the number buttons to avoid mistakes. 0, 9, 1, 8 Four digits that might be someone''s birthday. However, there was no ''ding'' sound and the golem didn''t stop. Beep beep beep beep beep. Just before pressing the final 8. The control panel shed orange. And then the voice of the magic spirit I''d heard before in Pelerian''s dungeon rang out. "Password has been entered incorrectly 5 or more times consecutively." "Please unlock directly from the control room." What? Chapter 188: The Worst Magician in History (1) Entering the password incorrectly 5 or more times consecutively. What is this, an iPhone? ''I''ve only pressed it once. Did you forget the password?'' "Absolutely not. I couldn''t have been confused." Though it seemed to take some time to recall it. "Besides, that message came before we even finished entering it properly." Come to think of it, that was true. Before pressing the 8 in 0918, the warning sound and orange warning light had appeared. ''You said it''s linked with the dungeon interior, right?'' "Yes, and in that case, surely..." Pelerian sighed as if dumbfounded. "Did rats sneak in during themotion?" The dungeon I visitedst time had already beenpletely cleaned out. The important core items were stolen, and even that ce had be an experiential exhibition hall beloved by children. Surely this dungeon hidden deep in the magic realm... ''It hasn''t been raided yet, right? They probably got stuck at the password?'' When I tried tofort him like that, Pelerian nodded. "Right, they must be in there right now!" ''I saw something earlier...'' I told him about seeing what looked like dwarves heading toward the dungeon. Pelerian exploded with anger. "Why are you only telling me such important information now!" ''There wasn''t a chance to tell you.'' "...That''s true." A three-headed wyvern, a triplebined golem. Read new adventures at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin Pelerian had a front-row seat watching me struggle between them. He would understand there was no time to talk. ''What do we do? How do we unlock this?'' "We have to control it directly from the control room. By inputting my voice and magic wavelength..." The dungeon control room wouldn''t be outside. He''s saying we need to go inside the dungeon that this golem is guarding. That''s nonsense. Opening this control panel was to survive against the golem in the first ce. ''Maybe we should run away ande backter.'' "We can''t do that." Though Pelerian was little more than a spirit now. I noticed hisplexion had turned pale. "The defense level has risen to 4. The dungeon''s internal security system must have started operating." Is that so. From far away, the stone tower looked unchanged, but who knows what was happening inside. "It wouldn''t matter if the rats inside get cleaned up, but if they hold out, we''re in big trouble." ''What happens...?'' "It moves to defense level 5. The name of that sequence is..." Somehow I felt I knew without hearing it. It happened at the magic stone storage too. That dungeon storing countless precious magic stones. If someone tried to forcibly break into the dungeon, it was designed to explode. Given Pelerian''s mindset that created such a thing, this dungeon probably had a simr mechanism. "Incineration. Everything inside will be burned to ashes by intense mes so nothing can be identified." ''There must be something important in there.'' "Probably..." Though Pelerian didn''t know what was inside. Then we need to hurry in and disable that defense system. The dungeon might burn down right before our eyes if we''re not careful. Kigik- The Heavenly Thunder Spirit''s electric shock only stopped the golem for a very brief moment. I thought about using Heavenly Thunder Spirit consecutively to buy more time, but stopped. I would be fine, but I wasn''t sure about Isil. Moreover, I couldn''t use up all my magic power just to gain a few seconds. Teong- The golem''s armor opened, revealing heat sinks inside. Hot air was released from there. The sound of cont rushing through its body could be heard: gurgle, gurgle. "This one is preparing for super eleration." The earlier dodge was actually closer to luck. I couldn''t expect the same this time. But beside me were people, no, wyverns who could help me. Wyvern Mom spewed a destruction beam at maximum output. Kwakwakwakwa-! The golem''s durability was definitely impressive. It protected its face by raising its hands like shielding from bright sunlight, blocking the destruction beam as if it were just a stream of water. Though it was pushed back and heated up, that was about it. But it was sufficiently effective. Heat discharge is important for super eleration. That''s why it exposed its heat sinks and circted cont. The destruction beam could reheat those heat sinks and prevent the golem''s eleration. "Saak!" So there was such an ingenious method. I should breathe fire too. Usually, Pelerian nagged that my magic was terrible. But actually, that wasn''t entirely true. I had a means to amplify the power of basic elemental magic. Leaping Horn. No, now it''s... ¡¸Using Crown of Ovee lv1.¡¹ With this more advanced skill, I increase the power of elemental magic. ¡¸Temporarily ''Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv7'' bes Intermediate Elemental Magic: Fire lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Fire lv1.¡¹ Fire spewed from my mouth. Though not as hot and fierce as Isil''s hellfire, it was much bigger mes than usual. Isil, please recover your magic power quickly. Whooosh- The mes poured onto the golem''s exposed heat sinks. Good, like this it should overheat and break... Teong! But the golemunched a rocket punch at me. Just because it can''t use super eleration when hot doesn''t mean it can''t move. While I was being knocked back through the air with a "Kwaaak". Wyvern Mom, who had been using destruction beam until just now, flew to save me. But Chugota, who had been recovering strength, was faster. "Shihite!" She bit me. Not painfully, but carefully like a tiger carrying its cub. Though visually it probably looked more like a stork trying to eat a worm. ''No-!'' Chugota seemed focused only on taking me away. Unable to fly properly yet, she crawled across the ground relentlessly. "Saaak!" Even if I shouted to stop, it was useless. Well, there''s no way words would get through. "Try speaking in Oboe!" ''What?'' "You can understand it, can''t you!" Oboenguage. Come to think of it, it was certainly surprising. ''Shihite'' in Oboenguage meant ''my child''. I don''t know how old of a monster Chugota is, but she doesn''t seem very intelligent. If she were intelligent enough to naturally learnnguage, she would use themon tongue like Silverback Akims or the Human-faced Spider, why use Oboenguage? "She might have learned it from Oboe people in the past. Anguage created so humans couldmunicate with monsters!" I see. Then... but I''m a snake so I can''t speak. Chapter 189: The Worst Magician in History (2) The most I can do is "Saak!" or "Shirit" or "Kiyaak, Haak!" "How would a wyvern be any different? It was made so monsters could speak too, so it''s fine." ''Tell me any word to stop her!'' Even with mynguage talent, I couldn''t freely recall words I''d never heard before. I tried copying the words Pelerian taught me. "Shik Ki-" It meant stop. Chugota didn''t stop. "Kiik, Kik!" It meant angry. I told her I was angry, but a mother trying to escape danger with her child wouldn''t stop. "Ssut, Seke! Hiichi-" I try saying words randomly. Suddenly, Chugota stopped. She reacted to thest word. "Hiichi-!" That word made Chugota stop. Chugota suddenly stopped in ce and looked around. Her eyes looked ready to shoot mes, and an infrasonic growl flowed from her mouth. ''Thief.'' That was the meaning of the Oboe word ''hiichi''. Chugota was now looking for the thief. ¡¸Using Beam lv1.¡¹ I hit the golem with a beam. Not trying to deal damage. Though I don''t know why she reacts to the word ''thief'', I pointed out the golem as the thief. Amazingly, Chugota responded. With insane rage. "Queee- Ta-!" All three heads shouted simultaneously. ''Give it back!'' Her massive body leaped and pounced on the golem. The obelisk''s war machine tipped with a wobble. This must be a threatening situation for it too. It urgently discharged cont as if trying to use super eleration. Chwiiiik! Steam rises with terrifying intensity. Once it finishes discharging heat, it will immediately use super eleration. Your next read is at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Whether she noticed and judged this. Or acted on instinct, I''m not sure. But Chugota responded properly. Destruction beam at point-nk range. The three heads spewed beams without fear of the effects reaching themselves. Kwakwakwa-! The carefully cooled heat sinks must have heated up again. Not only that. Chugota viciously bit and shook the sturdy golem. During this time, I was able to escape. Now was my chance while neither the golem nor Chugota were looking at me. "Kuwak!" Though Wyvern Mom looked at me. "Saaak!" I shouted. ''Hurry and escape with the children!'' Though not my real mother, thank you for caring for me like one. But our connection has reached its end. If I go with Celeta, Chugota will chase after me again. I ran toward the dungeon. The golem and Chugota were too entangled in fighting to notice. There was an entrance in the stone tower I approached. More like windows than an entrance, several holes of unknown destination were opened. I didn''t need to worry alone. "Up there, go through that hole on the upper right!" With a leap. I slipped through the hole Pelerian indicated. == "Huu, huk." Zhanil Fezhe breathed heavily. Theposure that had been on his face was gone at some point. Yes, to be precise, it was probably the moment when the dwarves finally forced open the door. The moment the trap activated. At first, he thought it was hardened sand pouring down. He quickly realized they were freeze-dried monsters, bedbugs the size of millet. The bedbugs that awoke from sleep clung to the dwarves'' bodies. The dwarves screamed in a manner unbefitting them. The millet-sized bedbugs'' bellies swelled up like red grapes in an instant. With hundreds and thousands of them attached, death was unavoidable. All the dwarves died instantly. It was pure luck that Zhanil Fezhe and Doctor Robanton survived. Rangers who survived long all had quick judgment and decision-making. Zhanil Fezhe immediately smashed a special ampoule recently developed in the Empire against his forehead. A liquid that smelled simr to fishy odor soaked his body. Forgetting his dignity, he practically embraced Doctor Robanton as they dodged. They say it gives off a stench that''s unbearable for monsters. The ampoule really worked. Though the floor was covered in bedbugs, a clean circle formed around the two. The bedbugs wouldn''t approach beyond a certain distance. "Slowly... take one step at a time." Robanton nodded while trembling. When they took a step forward, the bedbugs scattered away. Thankfully. The bedbugs that had filled their bellies stayed still too. When they had to step on them, blood burst out with a st. "We need to go inside. The effect won''tst forever." "What about getting out?" "It''s fine, I have one more ampoule." They tried to enter through the opened door. But at that moment. Someone appeared out of thin air. "Intruders." An elf. However, an elf with un-elflike features. The appearance of an old man. His nose was hooked like a witch''s. Un-elflike dirty gray beard had grown. Among the features that could never be called harmonious, the most striking were his eyes. Pitch ck eyeballs. Like the eyes of a rat crawling in darkness. But his appearance couldn''t be called unsightly. Rather, it was terrifying. A robe made of premium silk fit for an emperor. Runes embroidered with gold thread. And luxurious essories, rings that appeared to be magical tools. He was unmistakable. Despite over a hundred years passing since his active period... "He, Heaven Defier." Zhanil Fezhe muttered that sphemous title. At the time, he was the continent''s strongest viin whom even the Empire''s emperor feared. "Rats finally open the locked door and enter." "You were alive!" The experienced ranger felt fear. Heaven Defier was truly such a being. One who could bring ruin with a single word, a single phrase. "Though this isn''t the storehouse you were expecting... Go back. You won''t get even a grain of rice." A warning. A warning to go back. Unlike Zhanil Fezhe from the Empire, Doctor Robanton might not have properly known the fear of Heaven Defier. Or perhaps he found something strange about that warning. He irreverently reached for Heaven Defier''s clothes. Zhanil Fezhe was prepared not to be surprised even if the doctor turned to ashes in an instant. But the doctor''s hand just went through. "...It''s an illusion." "...Ah!" The suddenly appeared Heaven Defier was actually an illusion. Zhanil felt a bit embarrassed. Had he been too quick to fear Heaven Defier''s appearance? "L-let''s go in." Hiding his confusion, he walked forward. Passing through the illusion. As they were about to just pass by. "There are no riches or treasures here." Pelerian''s illusion kept speaking into the air. "Only numbers, regret, and obsession remain... So turn back." But they couldn''t turn back aftering this far. Zhanil Fezhe and Doctor Robanton kept going, deeper and deeper inside. Chapter 190: The Worst White Snake Ever Appears (1) After Zhanil Fezhe and Dr. Robanton entered through the open door. Some time passed. Then, one snake, one vine grass, and a soul fragment appeared in that ce. The white snake vomited as soon as it appeared. == "Kweeeeck!" A smell that really makes you want to throw up. I wasn''t the only one suffering. Isil crumpled up like someone who had bitten into a lemon. Looking at Isil''s reaction, it was clear that nts could smell too. ''It''s Pandan''s smell!'' This was Pandan''s scent. When the wyverns invaded the dungeon, Pandan covered himself with an ampoule that had a terrible smell. That smell was unmistakable. Would fermented skate and soybean paste stuffed in fish guts and left at room temperature for a week smell like this? "Kweeck-!" "Stop being so dramatic with the overreacting!" Pelerian shouted angrily. Surprisingly, to Pelerian, this smell seemed to be just slightly fishy. A stench that only affects monsters. Though the smell is unbearably strong, it doesn''t seem to actually be poisonous. That''s rather surprising. "They must have passed through here." Insects are crawling all over that floor. Though it''s a disgustingly creepy sight, it''s no problem for me who has been through everything. "I had frozen ancient blood-sucking bedbugs. Hmm..." Pelerian frowned. "What''s this, there''s a device showing magical illusions." ''Don''t you remember?'' "I don''t remember installing that." There were several holes in Pelerian''s memory, and this seemed to be one of them. ''There are dead dwarves.'' Dwarf corpses were scattered everywhere. They were dried up like mummies, and seeing the bedbugs swollen like red grapes made the cause of death clear. "They should have died more painfully... Those untrustworthy short ones." I heard Pelerian was closer to dwarves and gnomes than his own kind. Yet those dwarves had already tried to sell off Pelerian''s dungeon twice. "Go that way." That''s what Pelerian said. His tone suggested he couldn''t see the bedbugs that had massacred the dwarves. ''Ugh, the smell...'' But I wasn''t particrly afraid of the bedbugs either. I boldly entered right into their midst. First, I unleashed without restraint the dignity gained from my experience leading hundreds of monsters as their leader. The more sensitive bedbugs slowly moved away. "Saak!" Of course, there were some who fearlessly charged even after I shouted. They attached themselves to my body to suck my blood. ''Not even ticklish.'' But none of them could damage my crystal scales. Crunch- Rather, many of them were crushed crispy under me. Since the iing magical energy was negligibly weak, I was able to quickly reach the door as Pelerian directed. "See that hole up there?" ''Yes.'' "Go in through there." ''Not through the open door?'' "The venttion duct would be better actually. We need to catch up to those who went in first." If that''s the case. I stabbed a dagger in and twisted to tear off the wire mesh blocking the vent. Then I leaped up. When I hung somewhat precariously, Isil extended vines to help me enter the vent. "Just keep crawling straight ahead." When building the dungeon, there was no need to worry about intruders entering through the venttion ducts. Unlike what you see in movies like Mission Impossible, the vents were very narrow. Only barely wide enough for a snake like me to pass through. Pelerian ran ahead first to find the way. "This way." He seemed to know the general structure of the dungeon. ''You don''t remember properly?'' "Right, there are spaces in the dungeon I can''t remember." ''So?'' "We''re heading to a ce I can''t remember. The reason my main body erased those memories must be hidden there." How clever. Though I was a bit surprised. Not because Pelerian''s trick was particrly ingenious. It was because of his use of the term ''main body''. It seems like the first time he''s referred to himself that way, and somehow the resonance of the word is strange. Unlike ''I'', doesn''t ''main body'' sound like a separate entity? I followed Pelerian''s directions and crawled through the winding venttion duct. Fortunately, there weren''t any traps prepared inside the vent. Instead, I got a bit bored because the path wasplex and narrow. So I asked Pelerian. ''What do you think is hidden in this dungeon?'' Pelerian didn''t answer immediately. Rather than not wanting to answer, it seemed like he wanted to organize his thoughts one more time. "It must be about arrangements after death." Pelerian''s title is ''Heaven Defier''. It means to go against heaven, but in truth he went against the entire world. He went against his race''s will, and against thews and morals of nations and civilization. Thus he was called a viin, but Pelerian seemed to have his own grievances. "I don''t care what they call me. Whether dog or cow, enemy of the empire or whatever, I don''t care. I had a noble purpose..." In any case, Pelerian wasn''t the type of viin who was a conquest maniac or pleasure killer. If categorizing him, it would be most appropriate to see him as a mad scientist. One who had gone mad enough to burn the entire world for what he believed was a noble purpose. "Make fairies great again. My purpose was to evolve that declining race into High-Elves." When Pelerian talked about such purposes, his voice tone changed dramatically like in a y. It shows how sincere he was. However. Perhaps because I''ve spent quite a long time with him. For some reason, I felt a strange artificial quality in that tone. As if reying recorded words. As if trying to gather his tired heart by repeating those words. "Even if I died, I hoped that purpose would be achieved. Then I must have left something behind to aplish it." It was a rational and reasonable deduction. What Pelerian had been doing was actually research on an enormous scale. Human races do not evolve. This is true for humans, fairies, and dwarves alike. Pelerian''s research was aimed at oveing such naturalws to evolve fairies. The dungeons scattered across the continent could strictly be called research bases. ''Could it be aboratory?'' "Laboratory..." ''You said you couldn''tplete the research to evolve all fairies into High-Elves, right?'' "That''s what I remember. I only found clues, nothing more. I neverpleted the research. How could I research after I died?" A witty idea shed in my mind. ''You made golems, right?'' "Golems?" ''Yes, not fighting golems but researcher golems. So they could continue researching fairy evolution even after you died. Maybe golems have been continuously experimenting and exploring down there all this time.'' "Huh, that is... truly..." I let my imagination run wild. Even I thought it sounded usible. Pelerian also stopped abruptly with a surprised expression. "Truly foolish thinking!" ''...'' "Do you think research is easy? It''s a problem I, a genius, couldn''t solve despite dedicating my entire life. Talking about researcher golems..." What a disappointing old man. Chapter 191: The Worst White Snake Ever Appears (2) He speaks so detestably even when I want to be affectionate. ''Then what is it? Honestly, I don''t care.'' "I understand the idea. But I am like the incarnation of rationality. If I couldn''t give 100 to this world, I would have tried to give at least apleted 10." That was Pelerian''s assumption. "I must have done some research. After death, I would have transmitted those results to the fairy elder council and World Tree." ''But you''re not on good terms with the fairies. Wouldn''t they just discard it?'' "They would have read it. Regardless of how much they hated me and my faults, they would have utilized those results. Otherwise the entire fairy race is destined for extinction." That''s what Pelerian seemed to believe. ''But that sounds like thinking from someone who hasn''t died yet.'' Those words came out before I knew it. "What do you mean by that?" ''Instead of thinking about what you want to achieve even after death, shouldn''t you consider what you''ll regret when dying?'' "..." The evolution of all fairies and whatnot. Yes, that''s important too. Hadn''t Pelerian dedicated his entire long life to it? In that process, he punished everything that blocked him, to the point of being called the worst viin. But I, who had already died once, knew. There are things you regret when deathes. Things you should have done but couldn''t. Things you shouldn''t have said so harshly. Or words you just couldn''t convey. I shouldn''t have lived like that. I should have lived differently. Wouldn''t such regrets flood in? ''Isn''t there anything you regret so much that you feel you can''t die like this?'' I''m not sure if my thoughts reached Pelerian. "There is." ''What is it?'' "...That day." Pelerian spoke quietly then red at me. Then he swung his fist at me. "Hey!" Swoosh- The fist naturally passed through my face. "Stop asking such nosy questions!" I once received a pledge from Pelerian. If I keep demanding answers, Pelerian must respond. But that would be too cruel. ''Maybe you liked someone but couldn''t confess, so you left a video letter before dying or something.'' "If it was something like that, I''d want to burn this ce down with my own hands." A usible thought urred to me. ''Could it be you were trying to be a lich?'' "What?" ''You know, that thing where a wizard who doesn''t want to die bes a skull and gains eternal life.'' "Undead sorcerer, you think I tried to be that?" ''Even for the sake of continuing unfinished research...'' I was about to continue but closed my mouth. Because Pelerian''s expression was growing increasingly stern. Any moment now... "You fool!" ''Ow.'' "Are you trying to insult me? How could I, a fairy, do such a thing!" Pelerian acted as if he had been greatly insulted. Come to think of it, he''s someone with tremendous pride in being a fairy. Perhaps the proudest among all fairies. "Me, a pureblood fairy, bing undead!" A mage whose obsession with his race borders on delusion. ''Yes yes, my mistake.'' "Kak." I ignored his continued grumbling after that. We''ll see what''s hidden when we get there. == Zhanil Fezhe is a ranger who has been through everything. He received purple-sealed requests more than ten times. None of them failed. The purple seal means it''s the imperial seal. The fact that Zhanil had carried out imperial requests shows how seasoned he was. In any case, it meant he was skilled in dungeon exploration too. What about Dr. Robanton who apanied him? The doctor was an expert on the magic realm of these mountains and its civilization. He was well-versed in ancient history including the Oboe civilization, and knowledgeable about various symbols and myths. Such knowledge is very helpful in conquering dungeons. But even considering all that, one couldn''t deny that luck was on their side. Just the two of them made it this far safely. "Whew..." Steam came from Zhanil''s mouth. The air was cold like winter. It was a space maintained by magic. "...Aboratory." Robanton muttered. "What?" "Laboratory. Heaven Defier''sboratory." Zhanil had opportunities to enter mages'' research rooms and workshops before. But aboratory? However, that expression was fitting for this ce. "Terrible, absolutely terrible." They had expected mountains of treasures and magical items. But even without those, Pelerian''s dungeon was worth entering. A dungeon that the empire''s enemy had hidden away so thoroughly. The imperial family would surely be pleased. However, the contents inside the dungeon were honestly utterly disgusting. It was a physiological revulsion. Tuk. Dr. Robanton fearlessly touched the crystal te. "Be careful with that. What if it wakes up?" "So it''s true that Heaven Defier was addicted to chimeras." Beyond the crystal te was something that could be called ''culture fluid''. And in the dim light, a mass of flesh could be seen. It had three eyeballs, and things that could be either arms or tentacles were randomly attached. It''s literally just a mass of flesh that couldn''t even be called a chimera. Zhanil and Robanton walked slowly. "They''re progressively developing." Robanton muttered. As a schr, he could immediately tell. These were experimental subjects stored in order. Early chimeras, andte chimeras. The one in the fifth tank had some sense of bnce. Of course, it had a strange appearance with fur on its head and back, and reverse joints on its front legs. Tok tok. When Robanton tapped the tank, Zhanil was startled. "What are you doing!" "Don''t worry. As if it would wake up." "They are dead, right?" "Well..." Robanton felt an ominous feeling. The chimeras bing increasinglyplete. The strange thing was that they were progressing toward forms capable of bipedal walking. Making bipedal chimeras? Why? When making chimeras, it''s better to have four or more legs. That was reallymon sense. "Wait." Robanton discovered something. It was scribbles on the wall. Such things happen sometimes. When you''ve left your notebook behind and quickly jot down sudden thoughts. "Can you read it?" "Huu, let me dust it off first." As a schr, Robanton knew fairynguage. So he could read what Pelerian might have written. The doctor''s pupils trembled. He gasped, "Huk." Seeing Robanton''s face turn instantly pale, Zhanil was confused. "What''s wrong..." ng! That''s when it happened. A metal te fell noisily from the ceiling. Zhanil instinctively drew his dagger. Looking up, the cover of what appeared to be a venttion duct had opened and fallen. And a white snake dropped from there. "What... is this." Somehow it looked like a stupid snake. It looked even more foolish covered in dust from the vent. "Aaaaagh!" But Robanton screamed when he saw that snake. Why would he react like that when it didn''t look scary at all. Stay tuned for updates on m-v l|-NovelBin The doctor, who even drew his crossbow, seemed to realize that what appeared was just a snake and panted. "Damn it! Looking exactly like that bastard Chugota''s offspring." Then he fired the crossbow at the snake without hesitation. It wasn''t something to me him for. Ping- The problem was that the bolt didn''t pierce the snake. The snake caught the flying bolt in its mouth. Is that even possible? At this unbelievable scene, even Zhanil couldn''t make a quick judgment for a moment. When the snake squinted its eyes. A ck dagger appeared from somewhere. That dagger sliced through Dr. Robanton''s hand holding the crossbow as it passed. sh! Droplets of blood and severed fingers flew through the air. "Huaaaaaagh!" The doctor''s scream followed a momentter. Chapter 192: Countdown (1) Courtesy and morality had hit rock bottom in this world. Otherwise, one wouldn''t hurl insults about someone''s appearance upon first meeting them. Even so, I might have been able to overlook that with my broad snake''s heart. But wasn''t it too much to fire a crossbow without hesitation? If I hadn''t been a supreme swordsman capable of catching a hundred arrows, I would have died here with my head pierced. The opponent was undoubtedly a psychopath. So it was only natural that I swung a dagger to punish him. Also, just cutting off the fingers holding the crossbow was my Buddha-like mercy that even Buddha himself would apud. But perhaps those knothole-like eyes couldn''t recognize such greatpassion. "Aaaargh, you snake bastard, aagh!" The old man clutching his hand spewed curses wildly. He mentioned Chugota earlier, and honestly,paring me to that wyvern is an insult to me too. I decided I should take two more fingers. "Step back, Doctor!" Therge man beside him kicked at me. Though I have reflexes quick enough to twist my head and catch arrows in my mouth, in truth only my head and neck can move that swiftly. The man''s kick was quite fast and not easy to dodge. If I had to take a hit, I should take something in return. The moment his foot touched my body, I bit his shin. Crunch! My teeth didn''t sink in easily. This bastard was wearing greaves. I bounced off and regained my bnce in mid-air beforending. "What the...!" Though I couldn''t inject poison through the greaves, I seeded in breaking them. When the man shook his leg, broken wooden pieces fell from his trouser leg. "You peanut-sized thing!" I''m wronged ¡ª I was the one who got insulted and attacked first. When the man pulled his hand from his clothes, there were handleless de daggers between his fingers. They could be called leaf des. Whoosh! When the man swung his hand through the air, five daggers were fired. Retreating here would be amateur. Calmly dodging without fear would be first-ss. Since I''m supreme, I move forward instead. ng! Ack! I almost got hit by the daggers. Strangely, the daggers drew weird trajectories as they curved through the air. The des grazed my scales as they passed. If my scales weren''t so hard, I probably would have been wounded. But I''d already dodged two. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv4¡¹ I elerate sharply to dodge the remaining three at once. Intending to steal his heart, I bit at his chest. Enjoy exclusive adventures from m-v l''-NovelBin Ugh- But this time too, my teeth felt different. He clearly wore thin chain mail under his clothes. Moreover, it wasn''t ordinary steel. Even though my teeth caught it, it was unscathed. ''Good, now I''ll climb up to his nape...'' That''s what I tried to do. I was going to bite hard at his exposed nape. But reflexively, I started retching. "Sauk!" I made that sound when I tried to roar but ended up retching instead. I had smelled something fishy. It wasing from that human... "Ah, right!" The man smiled brightly with joy. "How''s the taste of the ampoule, you bastard!" "Sauuk!" "Damn it, getting scared by such a small snake. Take my punch!" Crazy. The human threw a punch at me. I spun once in the air and bounced away. The smell was truly horrible enough to make my head spin. Though I took the punch, getting far away actually made me feel better. Finally, I threw up. Whew, I feel a bit better now. "This is really annoying." The human who had been jumping around yelling "Take my punch!" just moments ago tried to act serious again. Then he suddenly ripped his cloak forward. Wondering what he was doing, I saw him spread the cloak into something like a. "Since this small thing seems to have special abilities... I''ll capture it." Quite often, humans I''ve met showed simr reactions. I must look like a very rare and precious monster to poachers. Like a red Gyarados that''s a different color from the others. But I had no intention of letting myself be caught in a. I was also tired of hearingments about being small. "Huup!" The human threw the. I lightly swung Dawn that I had drawn at the iing. sh! The split in two and rolled pathetically on the floor. The sword continued flying and stuck into the shoulder of the shocked opponent. "Kuk!" Indeed, the chain mail he wore was clearly not ordinary material. Dawn, forged by a dwarf meister, only sank in about an inch. The human gritted his teeth. "How could I, Zhanil Fezhe, suffer such humiliation...!" At that moment, smoke burst from the human''s body. He set off a smoke bomb like some ninja. When the smoke cleared, only Dawny fallen there. The guy had fled in a hurry without any apparent shame. "Saak!" I was about to chase after him yelling "Come here!" If Pelerian hadn''t screamed. "Kyaaaaaaah!" Since I''ve known him. This was the first time I''d seen Pelerian scream so undignifiedly. Even before, when I fed his ring to a beast, he didn''t act like this. Could there be something more terrifying than being buried forever as excrement? Looking at Pelerian''s face, it seemed so. "No, no, nooo!" ''What, what''s wrong?'' "This is a dream, this can''t be!" ''First try to calm down.'' I quickly tried to calm him, worried that Pelerian might burst into tears. "Calm, y-yes, I need to calm down." ''Take a deep breath.'' "G-go that way. Slowly." That way meant the opposite direction from where the humans had fled. Why would someone who would normally yell "Snake, tear those rat bastards to pieces!"? Though I didn''t understand, I moved in the direction he wanted. I had already glimpsed it when entering this room, but strange tanks were installed on the walls. Very bizarre creatures were floating in the tanks. Whether they were alive or dead was unclear. "They''re all in hibernation." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 193: Countdown (2) There was no strength in Pelerian''s muttering voice. We''d returned to the entrance of the circr corridor. In the first tank was a mass of flesh with an unbearable appearance. Random arm and leg-like things protruded from the round mass of meat. ''This is a chimera too?'' "Yes, it''s a chimera." ''It''s terriblepared to the chimeras you made before.'' Chimera Fafnir. The first of Pelerian''s chimeras that I fought and defeated. No, it seemed terrifyingly strong at the time, but thinking about it now, it was weak. Still, at least it had a proper appearance. By proper, I don''t mean good-looking, but that its body functioned properly. In contrast, the chimeras here didn''t have normal appearances. ''I guess you didn''t have the technique yet back then?'' "What nonsense..." Pelerian gave an unexpected answer. "The chimera creation technique would have been far more advanced when this dungeon was made." ''...Then why?'' "Let''s look at the next one." We went to the next tank. The metal te there read: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.02]: One Leg ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The second chimera, nicknamed One Leg. It has one leg, so One Leg, right? For reference, the first chimera''s nickname was Meat Lump. It was clear that Pelerian''s naming sense wasn''t that good either. But why "Test Flesh"? "Next." I went to the next one. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.03]: Three Eyes ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A creature with three legs and three eyes embedded. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.04]: Blood Scales ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A creepy chimera with scales sprouting here and there on its skin. The statement that chimera production technique was more advanced than Fafnir''s time. I seemed to understand what that meant. The chimeras here were developing by converging certain characteristics as experiments progressed. Even I, an outsider, could tell. First was ''smooth skin.'' The chimeras'' skin, which had been furry and bumpy, became increasingly smooth as the numbers went up. Second was ''proper limbs.'' Limbs refer to pairs of arms and legs. In other words, evolving to have both arms and legs. This must have been quite difficult. There were chimeras with three or four legs, or tentacle-like things instead of arms. A chimera that appeared to have proper limbs didn''t appear until number eight. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.08]: Dancer ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I could immediately understand what that nickname meant. Its legs were beautifully and smoothly extended. Though white like a ster statue, its legs and arms seemed aesthetically wless. Real dancers'' toes would be more rough and grounded in reality. Would it be too harsh to say this naming seems fitting for Pelerian, who probably only researched in his room? The smoothly extended arms were also elegantly draped like a ballerina''s. However, I quickly noticed its unnaturalness. ''The hands...'' The arms seemed a bit long, and where hands should have been were feet instead. In other words, it had four legs jutting from its body, but no arms whatsoever. Not only that, but the face was just as bizarre, with features that seemed fundamentally wrong. It had no eyes or nose, only a mouth. "Next." Pelerian said in a tired voice. Tank number 9. What was inside looked simr to a person. ''This is...'' Yes. More precisely, it resembled a fairy. Long, slender limbs. Above all, long ears. Thest remaining tank contained a chimera with fairy characteristics. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.09]: Undecided ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A chimera without a given name. The reason for not naming it ''Fairy'' or ''Elf'' was clear. "How hideous." Just because it has limbs. Just because it has long ears, does that make it a fairy? Of course not. Even without looking closely, there was no way to mistake that chimera for a fairy. Its skin was damp and pale like a frog that only grows in caves, and its murky eyes protruded sideways like a fish''s. A chimera imitating a fairy. What was the purpose of creating this? The purpose could be guessed from the scribbles next to the te. It read: ¡¸Too ugly and inadequate to transfer into.¡¹ Pelerian trembled. His main body. The Mage of Heaven Defiance had nned to transfer to another body before dying. Even making chimeras resembling fairies himself. "This, this can''t be... possible." Pelerian spoke like a wounded animal whimpering. What hollow shell would remain if you stripped away his pride and dignity, leaving only the raw essence beneath? He would have desperately clung to the belief that although only a withered, shabby body remained - worn and frail as autumn leaves - at least his own spirit still burned noble and bright within. I felt guilty, sick with shame, like I had stolen into someone''s room at midnight and read their most private diary by candlelight, eyes devouring secrets never meant for me. Or as if I had pressed my ear against the confessional''s wooden wall, overhearing whispered sins and regrets that should have dissolved into sacred silence. Afraid of death''s cold embrace yet unable to fade peacefully as a fairy should, caught between two worlds but belonging to neither. The once-mighty Mage of Heaven Defiance, who in his desperation tried to escape mortality by transferring his essence into the hideous porcin doll he had crafted with trembling hands - his final masterpiece and prison. "..." I was witnessing the moment Pelerian''s dignity crumbled. What broke that terrible silence was an rm. Beeeep- A siren sound like some DEFCON had been activated. Red lights also shed everywhere. And then, the voice of the magic spirit I had heard in Pelerian''s previous dungeon rang out. "As defense level 4 has not been cleared, entering incineration and demolition procedures." "Incineration procedure will begin in 30 seconds." ''What!'' 30 seconds? Even though I have high heat resistance, would I be fine if incineration starts? No, probably not. Uh, uhh... In 30 seconds I can''t escape, and there''s nowhere to hide either. "G-good!" But Pelerian suddenly shouted that. I listened hoping he had some solution. "Let''s all burn to death together! Perfect!" ''N-no way!'' "Burn everything cleanly!" I don''t want to die yet. "25." But it seems the countdown has already started. "24, 23, 22..." Chapter 194: Lets Give It a Try (1) The voice also reached Zhanil Fezhe and Dr. Robanton who were stopping their bleeding. "Incineration procedure will begin in 30 seconds." That voice that rang after the loud rm. "In-incineration?" "It means burning. This horrible ce!" Dr. Robanton shouted angrily. Zhanil made a dumbfounded expression. No, even if he was a doctor and Zhanil just a ranger. Was he treating him like an idiot who couldn''t understand words? Zhanil got angry too. "I know that, you bastard!" When he burst out in anger, Dr. Robanton stiffened in surprise. His face was pale. Understandable, having three fingers cut off by a flying snake. Finally, Zhanil sighed and suppressed his anger. "Haa, sorry for yelling. For now, we shouldn''t be fighting among ourselves..." "Right. We need to find a way to survive somehow." He worried Dr. Robanton might burst into tears. Fortunately, such a terrible thing didn''t happen. "Either we find a ce the mes won''t reach... or find a way to cancel the incineration." That was the rational judgment. But it seemed time wasn''t exactly plentiful. "25, 24, 23..." The countdown could be heard in real-time. "Damn it, th-that way...!" They could tell this was the dungeon''s center. Those hideous tanks and experimental spaces wouldn''t likely be in the dungeon''s outskirts. The ranger''s sense of direction suggested the same. "We might be able to do something there." There was a room withplex machinery. Robanton read the engraved text above it. "C-control room...!" Dr. Robanton had heard much about Pelerian''s dungeons. Wasn''t he the mage who left behind the most dungeons in the world? His period of activity wasn''t that long ago either. Even just a few decades ago, new Pelerian dungeons were asionally discovered. But he never knew a dungeon like this existed. He couldn''t understand how it was made. The dwarves said Pelerian himself constructed half the dungeon. It was true that his elemental magic reached the heavens. But the system controlling the dungeon using magic spirits was the real deal. "Magic spirit, respond!" Robanton shouted that in front of the control device. Zhanil Fezhe looked at him with a dumbfounded face. "You called?" But really, an answer came from the air. Dr. Robanton shouted with a hopeful face. "Stop, stop the incineration procedure immediately!" When abroad, even meeting someone from your hometown is wee. Inside a dungeon about to be filled with mes, meeting someone you couldmunicate with made his legs tremble. However, Robanton and Zhanil''s faces soon had to twist. "Cannot verify identity." "Cannot stop procedure." Of course. They wouldn''t have made it so just anyone could operate it. Then they must quietly stay trapped and die. "Try something!" "U-uwaaaaah!" "12, 11, 10..." The control room was full of strange machinery. Even Robanton, a schr, couldn''t guess how to use them. Fairy technology perhaps, or rather Pelerian''s unique technology. They tried operating various levers and buttons. They tried to figure out how to use them for a very brief moment but. "8, 7, 6..." There wasn''t time for that. All they could do was bang, pull, and press randomly like children ying with toys. "Ah, aah...!" Zhanil let out a gasp. Because something like a long pipe emerged from the ceiling. It was clearly machinery for ''incineration''. Meaning even this control room would burn. "5, 4, 3..." Zhanil joined in pressing buttons until they broke. Bang! "What are you doing!" "Wait, something seems to be working...!" After a beeping sound effect. The magic spirit uttered: "ying calming music." "Damn it!" This time Robanton pulled a red lever. Indeed, there was a hissing sound along with the sound ofpressed air being released. Could the incineration procedure have stopped? "...1. Initiating incineration." "...Draining and manipting culture fluid." The magic spirit''s voices ovepped so thetter part wasn''t clear, but they heard incineration was starting. Zhanil and Robanton screamed and hugged each other. But was it heaven''s help? Or did their random machine operation have an effect? A miracle urred. "Test subjects not retrieved. Temporarily suspending incineration procedure." The exposed nozzles in the ceiling didn''t retract but didn''t spew hot mes either. "Wh-what..." "Seems we touched something good?" What did it mean test subjects weren''t retrieved? Test subjects must refer to those strange creatures floating in the wall tanks, but none of the tanks were empty. "...Let''s get out first." Now Robanton seemed braver instead. Zhanil nodded with an impressed expression. "You''re brave, Doctor." "Being dragged to Chugota''s nest was scarier. This is nothing." Though his screams earlier weren''t exactly small for someone saying that. But Zhanil quietly followed Robanton. Well, regardless of what anyone says, the doctor is an impressive person. Hadn''t he ovee his terrible trauma and returned to the mountains? The doctor''s noble will impressed even Zhanil. "We can''t die in a ce like this." The doctor muttered thus. And when they exited the control room... "Oh." The corridor outside the control room had a circr structure. The control room was inside, and tanks were on the outer walls. Ssh. But the floor was wet. A sticky, fishy-smelling liquid had pooled up to their ankles. The source of the liquid was obvious. Culture fluid was leaking from the tanks. "Did pulling the lever cause this?" Could the monsters in the tanks have woken up? If only Zhanil had such worries. Dr. Robanton approached close to a tank. "Could it have been a lever to drain the culture fluid and kill these things, or..." Or what? Such curiosity arose. Bang! Suddenly with a loud noise, the light inside the tank went out. The magical lighting had been working, why suddenly. The corridor was already dark, and when even the tank lights went out, nothing could be seen inside. "Well." Dr. Robanton tapped the tank with his finger. "A bit..." Feeling uneasy, Zhanil said a word. "Step away..." Crack-! Suddenly the tank cracked, a jagged line spreading across the ss like a frozen bolt of lightning. The sound was sharp and distinct in the quiet room. Looking to see if it happened just from tapping with a finger, that wasn''t it. Something had pierced through the tank''s ss. Chapter 195: Lets Give It a Try (2) It was stuck in Dr. Robanton''s stomach. "Kuhek, kuk." Blood spurted from Dr. Robanton''s mouth. Crack, crash-! As the tank burst, the remaining culture fluid poured out. Zhanil barely avoided falling. Quickly regaining bnce and looking up. What had been trapped in the tank was now outside. A protruding belly. A head with only a mouth, no eyes or nose. Arms long like tentacles. Dr. Robanton with his pierced stomach dangled from one hand. Zhanil alternately looked at the doctor and the namete beside him. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.05]: Big Belly ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The sound of breaking ss rang from all around. The chimeras sleeping in the tanks had been released. ''What have you done, Robanton.'' The doctor didn''t die peacefully. "Kueeek!" With his stomach pierced, he spewed blood and vomit from his mouth. "D-doctoooor!" "Saaaaak!" There was one more thing that screamed along with Zhanil. That small snake had appeared beside them somehow. == Pelerian''s proposal to burn to death cleanly together was ultimately not epted. Because the incineration procedure stopped. Pelerian''s face, which had briefly be peaceful, twisted again like a demon. "The rat bastards opened the tanks... K-kill them all-!" I''m d Pelerian regained his energy. I ran to the control room. Good heavens, the control room entrance was hidden beside tank number 5. Pelerian was so distracted by the chimeras he didn''t even mention that. The humans from earlier were there. And a chimera had already pierced through one of their stomachs. "Saaaak!" When I roared, the chimera holding one human like a skewer got scared and tried to run. Not just him. Other chimeras also ran down the corridor making various strange noises. "Don''t let them, don''t let them escape!" For Pelerian, it must feel like watching his secret diary pages flutter away. I turned my head to the fleeing one and. ''Isil-!'' I asked Isil. ''me spray!'' I nned to catch all the fleeing chimeras at once. Isil extended vines in front of me. Purple mes shot from the ends of his vines. Whoosh! A methrower in a narrow space is terrifyingly powerful. It actually was. As hellfire spread, things in the darkness beyond were revealed. Some had already escaped. But it seems the slow-footed ones couldn''t escape in time. The first to be swallowed by mes was nearby No.5 Big Belly. ¡¸You have killed Test Flesh No.5 Big Belly lv50.¡¹ After that was the legless meat lump. ¡¸You have killed Test Flesh No.1 Meat Lump lv30.¡¹ One Leg with only one leg wasn''t swallowed by mes. He was using his peg leg at incredibly fast speed. A sight truly befitting the title of single-legged swift foot. Instead, Three Eyes with three legs burned easily. ¡¸You have killed Test Flesh No.3 Three Eyes lv50.¡¹ Getting three at once was a lot if you consider it a lot. But it was also insufficient since the remaining seven had already escaped. "We must catch the rest no matter what!" Pelerian shouted thus. Those chimeras were Pelerian''s shame. Chimeras so shameful they damaged even his soul, whose very existence was uneptable. If this were a game, a new quest window would have popped up now. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Pelerian''s Chimera Hunt (A)] Kill all escaped chimeras before they leave the dungeon. These horrible products of shame cannot be revealed to the world. Remaining chimeras: 7/10 Reward: ??? ept? Y/N ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Something like that. Actually, it''s not exactly a wee request. To have a chase with creepy chimeras in this darkness inside the dungeon. Considering my rtionship with Pelerian, I should help but. "What are you doing, why are you frozen!" I was enduring the rising excitement. That''s because... ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ ... My level kept rising as explosive magical energy flooded in. Find more chapters on m_v l|e-NovelBin The chimeras weren''t particrly strong. Their levels weren''t high either so I hadn''t expected this much magical energy. I instantly passed level 40. Assuming another evolution at level 50, no, level 60 seems possible too. The chimeras were massive chunks of experience. "Hey!" ''Alright.'' I epted the quest. ''Fine, let''s give it a try.'' "Th-thank you!" Even Pelerian who had been yelling seemed moved by my choice. I turned my head to look for the human from earlier. Gone. Only one corpse pierced by Big Belly remained, and the other human had already fled. Fast, isn''t he. "We need to close the doors so they can''t escape outside the dungeon. Quick, get into the control room!" If the chimeras escape outside the dungeon, pursuit would be impossible. I quickly entered the control room. The machinery inside was endlesslyplex. "Damn, it would be easy if we could use voicemands. They messed everything up... open that quartz cover there." I did so. Then I sawplexly connected wires and pins inside. "Pull out all the yellow and red pins." He''s like an engineering student, this fairy old man. Since I couldn''t even assembleputers in my previous life, I just did as Pelerian instructed. Bang-! Something came down from the ceiling. Ah, I know what that is. "Insert the ring." I did so. When I pushed in the ring on my tail. "Identity verified." "Wee, Lord Pelerian." The magic spirit weed me. Unfortunately, I couldn''t answer. "Switching to manual control!" Following Pelerian''s instructions to operate more. "Closing dungeon entrances." Along with that sound, a heavy impact echoed from far away. The doors are closed. "Next, go close to that crystal te and turn the pin to the right." Amazingly, from this control room we could see the situation inside the dungeon. We could detect life signals and track the locations of intruders and chimeras! When I turned the pin, something like a map appeared on the crystal te. "First, let''s find the nearest chimera..." The two small white dots in the center are me and Isil. And. "Huh?" Right behind us. There was one more life signal. "Behind!" "Saaaak!" I leaped up and spun around. Chapter 196: Chimera Hunt (1) The more docile and small a monster is, the easier it is to survive. The more ferocious andrge a monster is, the harder it is to survive. Aggressive monsters don''t avoid approaching fights. If they lose a fight, they die. Even if they win, injuries slow their movements. Because of that, if they meet another opponent, they''re defeated and be prey. Large size and great strength aren''t advantageous for survival either. Maintaining such a body requires lots of nutrients and magical energy. They feel hunger more often and must fight more. Rather, small things that hide well survive more easily. Considering the saying that the longer a monster survives the stronger it bes, would cockroach monsters living under rocks be the strongest? Of course not. The more aggressive monsters have more opportunities to absorb magical energy. Thus they evolve more and be stronger. Wyverns are typicalrge carnivorous monsters. If not for the special environment of the mountains, even an ordinary wyvern could be the ruler of an area. But this is the magic realm bestowed by heaven. Naturally strong and ferocious wyverns gather here by the hundreds and thousands. The wyverns who be leaders here are all the real deal. Celeta was like that too. Celeta, ruler of southern Delfram. She earned the title "ck Queen." For such a title, she wasn''t very old. Of course, being a monster, she wasn''t human and wouldn''t be counting her exact age. However, making an estimate. Her generation can be guessed from how she barely knows the Oboenguage. Long ago, when humans and wyverns were close and lived togethermunicating. Back then there was a separatenguage for humans and wyverns to converse. Though that human civilization perished, wise mothers passed thatnguage down toter generations. Although as time passed few wyverns remained who knew thatnguage, older wyverns often could speak the Oboenguage. That Chugota was like that. Chugota was already a ruler of an area when Celeta was born. She was certainly a wise and strong wyvern. Though it might not be the appropriate expression. Young Celeta might have respected Chugota. Even after bing strong enough, Celeta never thought of invading Chugota''s territory. When Chugota still had just one head, when she flew with that white body, Celeta would quietly perch on stone pirs. Of course, that was in the past. After Chugotaid her first egg, and disappeared unable to protect her offspring. When Chugota returned with three heads, she was insane. Chugota was no longer the wise queen of the eastern mountains. Celeta also had her first offspring. Among them was acking youngest born small and without wings. And now the insane Chugota was mistaking that youngest for her own offspring. "Kugagagagak!" Celeta had no intention of tolerating this. Chugota crawled across the ground at fierce speed. Celeta glided down from above as if falling. Light shed from both their mouths, and destruction beams were fired. Instead of hitting each other, the beams struck the golem between them. Celeta''s destruction beam hit the golem''s face. And Chugota''s destruction beam hit the golem''s lower body. Bang-! Due to the impact contained in the beams, the golem spun in mid-air. Now to charge in. Celetaunched a physical attack with such determination. Whoosh- Dirt exploded upward. It should have been an attack sufficient to damage even a golem. At the moment of impact, the golem''s body separated into three pieces. Celeta only crushed one of them. Something like an arm extended from the golem part she gripped with her ws and stabbed her leg. Moreover, the two separated golem pieces rushed to attack Celeta again. What saved her in this crisis was none other than Chugota. "Guuu!" "Keeek," "Guruk, gururuk!" With strange tripleyered cries, Chugota simply clung on. Clinging on would be the appropriate description. Not caring about wounds to her own body, she spread her wings wide and crashed into them like embracing them. Even trusting in self-healing ability, it was clearly insane behavior. Her wing membranes were torn and holes opened in her skin from the golem''s strong force. But thanks to Chugota''s reckless attack, Celeta gained space. The two golems that were about to pounce on her were now attacking Chugota. Good thing she had hidden her offspring nearby. Otherwise something terrible would have happened. With Chugota handling two. And Celeta handling one. A change urred. The golems'' eyes that had been focused on fighting suddenly shed bright. Their heads all turned simultaneously toward the stone tower. Could something have happened inside the stone tower? The golems all started withdrawing at once. The golem that had been clinging to Celeta and wounding her was the same. The golem threw Celeta aside and ran back to the stone tower. Terrible creatures. The wounded Celeta took rough breaths. Finally freed, Celeta quickly flew up. "Peeeek!" Her eldest daughter was squeaking from behind that stone pir. She hade out to cheer despite being told to hide. She''ll need a spanking when they return. For a moment, what Celeta felt was liberation. Freedom and relief from getting that terrible golem off her body. However... "Gururururu-!" Not Chugota apparently. The old and insane white queen stubbornly clung to the fleeing golems. Even unable to fly with broken wings again, she fiercely clung on blocking the golems'' advance. Only then did Celetae to her senses. The youngest. The youngest had gone into the stone tower. "Kuak!" Since Chugota was holding two, she needed to catch at least the remaining one. She fired a destruction beam, but the golem rolled once and stood back up. She had used up her magic now. So, Celeta simply bit the golem. And rolled on the ground. Gugugugung-! An impact that felt like it might break her neck hit her. Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin The golem was extremely hard, made of who knows what. Though Celeta''s bite force could easily crush rock, she couldn''t break the golem. Finally the golem escaped from Celeta''s jaws. It was the same for the two golems Chugota had caught. They quickly merged back into one and spread their heat sinks like wings. And prepared for super eleration. "Kuaak!" The two wyvern queens'' dy tactics weren''t in vain. The holes throughout the stone tower suddenly closed. The golem''s super eleration activated right after. Bang! In the blink of an eye the golem had already reached the middle of the stone tower. But even that sturdy golem couldn''t forcibly enter the sealed tower. Whiiiiir- Moreover, the golem suddenly went limp like a puppet with cut strings. Chapter 197: Chimera Hunt (2) Then it stiffened lifelessly like a dead cicada. "Gugugu..." Finally Chugota stopped convulsing and thudded her heads to the ground. When Celeta approached, Chugota''s condition was far beyond serious. Deep wounds exposing bone, not two but three or more. Her breath wheezed in and out, and bloody foam dripped from her mouth with each breath. Terrible obsession. And that obsession stemmed from the heart wanting to protect offspring. Even though that offspring wasn''t hers but Celeta''s. Though she had only felt hostility toward Chugota. In this moment, Celeta felt an old emotion again. It was respect. Respect for the old queen. Respect for a mother who had already raised and lost offspring. Respect...! == Looking back. "Saak!" There was nothing! Could there be something that can turn invisible like a ghost? I looked around suspiciously but couldn''t find anything no matter how I searched. Bang! Instead, a thunderous sound like a meteorite impact rang from far away. The whole tower seemed to shake. "Looks like the golem is trying to return to the dungeon. Trying to force open the door I guess." ''That''s not good.'' "No it''s not. Force stop it!" It would be terrible if things inside escaped when the door opened. I forced the golem to stop as Pelerian instructed. "Damn it, if we were just a bit faster." Maybe we could have controlled the golem like a subordinate if things had aligned perfectly. But since the golem was trying to tear open the dungeon door, we had no choice but to force stop it. In the end I''ll have to catch the chimeras myself. And all the magical energy will be mine too. "Look, there''s clearly a life signal nearby." On the map floating on the crystal te, a white dot was blinking near us. But it was maddening - looking around I couldn''t see any chimera. I looked around one more time just in case. No matter how I looked, there was nothing. Except for the corpse of that crazy old man who suddenly shot a crossbow at me. The poor old man died with his stomach pierced by a chimera. Perhaps he shot his crossbow right when he saw the chimera while yelling "Chimera bastard!" Unlike me who was merciful, the chimera would have immediately punished him harshly. The corpse was pale. His chest was rising and falling very slowly. ...Huh? Why was a dead person breathing? Suddenly my scales stood on end as I sensed danger. I sharply pulled back my head that had been brought close. The dead old man''s chest swelled up. Pop! A strange creature the size of a human forearm jumped out. ''Aagh! It''s a chestburster!'' Was the arm of the chimera that pierced the old man''s stomach actually a reproductive organ? I should avoid biting it next time we meet. Separate from my shock, I responded reflexively. That is, I grabbed Dawn with my invisible hand and swung. I cleanly cut the leech-like monster. Blood sttered. Fortunately it wasn''t acidic blood, but it smelled awful. The monster still wriggled after being cut. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh No.5 Big Belly''s Parasite lv1][Traits] [Parasitic], [Reinfection], [Division] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ugh. What would have happened if I had been bitten by that thing? Though I had poison resistance, for some reason that alone didn''t feel reassuring against this opponent. Moreover, this one probably wouldn''t give much magical energy either. Clearing out the chimeras might not be as easy as I thought. I should make good use of fire magic when I meet Big Belly. "Why the hell did I make such a disgusting chimera!" Pelerian burst out in anger. But since the target was himself, it was nothing but an empty echo. ''Let''s burn it.'' I was about to breathe fire. But then suddenly Isil dropped in front of me. Since Isil rarely does this, I stopped the magic I was about to use. Then Isil started extending vines slowly. ''No no, stop!'' I tried to stop him in surprise, but Isil extended vines even when I tried to block. Right. If a dangerous situation arises, I can just breathe fire to wash it away. Isil is immune to mes after all. Still curious about his intentions, I ced my tail on Isil''s body. Fortunately Isil understood my intention perfectly. ¡¸Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv2 is using Empathy lv2.¡¹ When he brought the vine tips to the still wriggling leech. ¡¸Absorbing essence due to trait ''Chimera''.¡¹ ¡¸Gaining magical energy.¡¹ ¡¸Essence is umting.¡¹ Isil, you had it all nned out. He was absorbing something. Indeed, the leech soon shriveled up and dried. I ryed to Pelerian that Isil was absorbing essence. Pelerian gave a derisiveugh. "Well well." ''What''s essence?'' "You know chimeras are made by synthesizing traits from various monsters right? Essence is what enables the manifestation of monster traits." Are chimeras like primitive Zerg? "But for apleted monster to absorb essence from other chimeras." Isil, very talented. Born with World Tree silver spoon. Absorbs essence from other chimeras. Evolves on his own. Anyway, this was undoubtedly a good thing. ording to Pelerian, Isil might be able to utilize the pre-absorbed essences when he evolves next time. So chimeras don''t just give lots of experience, they give essence too. With renewed motivation I returned to the crystal te. We just confirmed this crystal te''s map was urate. ''The nearest chimera is...'' Looking around the map, the chimeras were each moving differently. Some were moving around the dungeon at tremendous speed, while others were rtively slow. Fortunately they didn''t appear to be forming groups. "There it is." There was one nearby. I could guess why it hadn''t gone far. ''Hey, it can''t climb the stairs?'' "That''s the one from tank number four." ''Aha!'' Right, then I could understand why it was stuck unable to climb the stairs. ''Should be easy to catch.'' "Don''t underestimate it." ''Yes yes.'' Pelerian warned. If it was his usual self, he would have bragged saying "How dare you be careless with a chimera I made." But honestly it was hard to feel tense even if I tried. Actually, from its name to its appearance, No.4 looked pathetic. "Saak!" Let''s go check it out! We headed toward the location marked on the map. Chapter 198: The Greatest Roller (1) Let''s first organize the list of chimeras here. Reviewing Pelerian''s dungeon chimeras. From No.1 to No.9, there were nine chimeras total. The nine tanks were numbered in order. ''Test Flesh No.1: Meat Lump'' was the first created chimera. We don''t need to think too deeply about Meat Lump. Because it''s already burned to death. Having no legs, it couldn''t escape Isil''s hellfire attack. I wanted to taste it but it becamepletely charred so I couldn''t. The second chimera was. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.02]: One Leg ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That one had only one leg. It looked like a yokai or goblin I''d seen somewhere. Rather than having a proper body with a leg attached, it looked like a rugby ball with a single leg. Eyes circled around its body so it seemed able to see in all directions. Despite having only one leg, it was quite fast. It disappeared instantly, hopping away on its peg leg. Third was Three Eyes. One with three eyes and three legs. The reason for three legs might be due to disappointment with the second chimera having only one leg. Perhaps Pelerian tried adding another leg but added too many. Anyway, it was swallowed by mes and became my experience points. Let''s skip the fourth chimera for now and analyze from the fifth. ''Test Flesh No.5 Big Belly.'' True to its name, it had a protruding belly and thin limbs. Its skin was pale. A yellow tank top would have suited it. Instead of hands, its arms had tentacle-like things, which were clearly reproductive organs. Baby tentacles were growing from the body of the human who died with his stomach pierced by it. Good thing it burned to death. I hope there aren''t any more terrible ones than that. Right, and going back to No.4. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh, No.04]: Blood Scales ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Pelerian (main body) had nicknamed it Blood Scales. I can guess why he named it that. It had scales on its body. But those scales had none of the beauty like mine. Rather than growing densely, they looked forcibly pushed through the skin. Some were like ingrown hairs that couldn''t emerge from the skin. Because of that they remained bloody, hence Blood Scales. But if it were me, I would have named it differently. If giving it a more urate nickname, probably... ''Rotten Kimbap.'' That''s what I would have named it. Its body was a long cylinder shape. The part that should be called its ''head'' had hair and tentacle-like things sticking out, exactly like kimbap scraps. The legs below were also short and weak like kimbap scraps. With red scales on its skin covered by pale flesh, it looked just like moldy kimbap. Could there be a more appropriate name than Rotten Kimbap? Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin If kimbap existed in this world, Pelerian would have named it that too. Chimera No.4''s body structure made it impossible to walk or run properly. So when I saw one unable to pass the stair area, I thought of it. Sure enough. My guess proved correct. "Shh." ''Shh.'' Tick tick. We were hiding a bit away watching over there. Blood Scales, or Rotten Kimbap, was there. "Not just unable to climb stairs, it can''t even walk." Pelerian muttered. As could be inferred from its appearance, Blood Scales couldn''t walk properly. Instead, it rolled around. Its rolling skills were quite decent. It might even be faster than my crawling speed. But the problem was climbing stairs. It couldn''t go up just by rolling. Here, Blood Scales - no, Blood Scales showed an amazing performance. It bounced up like a jumping fish. That''s how it climbed stairs. Up to here was excellent. But the problem came next. Since it didn''t support itself with limbs to climb up, it was hard to maintain bnce. Even after getting up the steep stairs, due to momentum it kept rolling and tumbled down. Thud! Must be quite painful. Seeing its body trembling, it seemed so. It stayed like that for a while before repeating the same attempt. To climb all the stairs, it would need to seed in such jumps at least ten times in a row. ''What a pathetic chimera.'' It clearly wasn''t very intelligent. "Pathetic... ngh." Pelerian tried to object but, seeming to realize objecting would be stranger, he grimaced. I focused my eyes while continuing to watch. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh No.4 Blood Scales lv70] [Traits] [Hard Worker], [Single-minded] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Given that it doesn''t give up and keeps trying, the Hard Worker trait doesn''t seem strange. Level 70 isn''t low either. Considering only levels, it''s actually higher than me. Since I couldn''t tell anything from its presence, I needed to check its skills. Looking at its appearance, it probably doesn''t have any powerful skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Rolling lv20], [Bouncing lv10], [Poison Scales lv10], [Impact Resistance lv10], [sh Resistance lv10], [Heat Resistance lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh! The most notable was Rolling lv20. Reaching level 20 in any skill was not easy. Whether higher or lower tier skills, it was the same. Actually, I don''t have any skills I''ve honed to that degree yet. ''Rolling'' doesn''t seem like an impressive skill. But level 20 rolling with full dedication...? "It just rolls around." But it might roll around extremely well. ''We shouldn''t underestimate it.'' I remembered. Given the structure of where the tanks were, Blood Scales would have been closest to me after Big Belly. But when Isil breathed hellfire, it had already left its position. Was there time for that? In just a brief moment Blood Scales had escaped its position. It couldn''t have run with those weak legs, so it must have rolled away, which means its rolling speed must be extraordinary. ''Shall I borrow it?'' At some point I started wanting to only borrow high-level skills with Billy''s Horn. Things like Heavenly Thunder Spirit or Gigantification were typical examples. But there was a drawback - it takes much time and effort to fully master higher skills. Because of that, even though there were many skills I wanted, I could only long for them. ''Rolling...!'' Now that I''ve fully mastered Gigantification, I wanted to borrow Rolling with Crown of Steal, which evolved from Billy''s Horn. Chapter 199: The Greatest Roller (2) But it seems Crown of Steal had effects beyond my expectations. ¡¸This skill can be stolen.¡¹ For a moment I pondered what that meant. Crown of Steal is a skill evolved from Billy''s Horn. ''Borrowing'' and ''stealing'' are clearly different... I wondered why such an ominous modifier was attached, but... I could steal the opponent''s Rolling. ¡¸Stealing ''Rolling lv20''.¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Rolling lv10''.¡¹ Up to here was the same as the original "Billy''s Horn" mechanism. No, considering I borrowed it at level 10 immediately even though it''s a lower skill, has the efficiency improved? Anyway, the true utility of ''Crown of Steal'' happened next. ¡¸Temporarily target''s ''Rolling lv20'' bes ''Rolling lv13''.¡¹ Ohh! This is literally stealing. Though temporary, it was a skill that inflicted a powerful debuff on the opponent. I didn''t know it was such a good skill. However, it seems using Crown of Steal secretly was impossible. "Turuk." Making a strange cry. It turned its head toward me. That''s when I could tell it was a ''head''. Several ck eyes were embedded among the tentacles and hair that stuck out messily like kimbap filling. "Tururururuk!" It was clear that it was enraged. Because it started rolling toward me right away. But that rolling was different from what I expected. It wasn''t limited to rolling sideways. It could also roll forward like a wheel by curling its body into a hoop. And its speed was beyond my imagination. A racing car wasing. If I hadn''t ''rolled'' sideways, it would have been hard to dodge. Blood Scales crashed into the wall behind me. Bang! I trembled feeling my own speed just now. ''That was incredibly fast!'' It was speedparable to Heart-eating Leap. Well, rotation can be surprisingly useful for long creatures like me. "Dodge!" Blood Scales came flying using ''Bouncing''. But I have Heart-eating Leap, a higher skill. Dodging was easy. However, even that seemed to be expected. This is an indoor space with walls all around. With thebination of Rolling and Bouncing, it bounced off in unpredictable trajectories every time it hit a wall. It must feel like throwing a rugby ball hard inside a room. That mass moves like crazy. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump-! Getting crushed would mean at least death bypression. Moreover, it also has the Poison Scales skill. Seems to be its own efficientbat style, poisoning opponents with each collision. Even I who had been quickly dodging eventually got grazed by it. Hiss- Of course, I have Crystal Scales + ck Scales. Can''tpare with its half-formed scales. Rather, it was the one that got wounded. Explore more at mvl Whoosh! It stopped in a corner. Seems it ns to crush me all at once. Curling up like a caterpir must be to gather momentum. I stared at it without dodging. From umted experience, I could tell. When it would spring up. ...Right now. Whoosh! The moment it rushed at me. I didn''t move right away. I just jumped up after waiting until right before impact. So it couldn''t turn its body. So it would impale itself on the longsword I had hidden behind me. The Celestium longsword was sufficiently sharp. And Blood Scales'' flying speed was sufficient too. Thunk! It was pierced from its snout. Dawn''s de was buried so deep it couldn''t be seen. Flop, flop flop! After flopping its body a few times. That was itsst moment. Though it was an easy hunt if you could call it easy. The magical energy left by the chimera exceeded my expectations. ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased!¡¹ Two level ups at once. Considering that the amount of magical energy needed for leveling up increases as levels get higher, this is an extremely generous reward. I feel an thrilling excitement. Let me check my current situation. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Crown Python lv45] [Titles] Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Crown] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ CCP, level 45 achieved. Assuming evolution is possible at level 50, the peak is really right ahead now. Will I be able to evolve into a Serpent now? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ? Crown [Steal lv4]: Rolling lv10, [Ovee lv2], [Dominate lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This time I learned the potential of ''Crown of Steal''. I thought borrowing good skills was best, but I should learn minor skills too. First, shouldn''t I be able to make Rolling my own easily? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ? Magic [Basic Elements]: Fire lv8, Earth lv7, Water lv5, Wind lv6 [Invisible Hand lv14], [Lightweight lv5] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ As a mage I haven''t been neglecting training... Recently my elemental magic skills have improved quite a bit, and Invisible Hand and Lightweight naturally grew from practicing swordsmanship so much. ? Techniques [Gigantification lv2], [Iron Lion Style Swordsmanship lv2], [Ferang School Dagger Technique lv4], [Beam lv3], [Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2], [Heart-eating Leap lv4], [Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv5], [Poison Scales lv2], [Tail Whip lv3], [sh lv5], [Devouring lv7], [Magic Detection lv3], [eleration lv7] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ? Survival [Resistance]: Poison lv7, Bleeding lv3, Pain lv8, Heat lv12, Cold lv1, Petrification lv1, Electric lv1, Impact lv2 [Survival Instinct lv7], [ck Scales lv3], [Swimming lv1], [Breath Holding lv10], [Stealth lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There were quite a few other skills too but. Compared to having many types of skills, I haven''t raised their individual levels much. Something to reflect on. Maybe I''ve been running forward too earnestly. I might need time to train steadily and be stronger. "As I said before. If you just properly honed magic, the world would be yours." Though Pelerian said that, that''s really by elven standards. It would probably take about 100 years to properly hone it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Achievements] [Guard Captain yer], [Friend of Centipedes], [Friend of Goblins], [Monster Leader], [Monster Wave Stopper], [Demon yer]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My brilliant achievements have grown a lot too. Now if I just evolve into a Serpent I couldn''t ask for more. Tick tick. While I was still, Isil tapped me with his leaves. Isil had shriveled up yellow. He must have strained himself using hellfire. Plus he must be hungry too. ''Alright! Let''s go back and eat!'' The menu is...drumroll... Chimera kimbap. I dragged the dead chimera back to the control room. Chapter 200: Want to Be Friends (1) The dungeon wasrge. Looking carefully, there were surprisingly emergency rations everywhere. However, most of those ''emergency rations'' were for supplying nutrition to chimeras. It was powder that thickened when mixed with water, and tasted terribly bad. So I just packed some in the ring''s subspace. It would serve as emergency rations someday. There was also a very small amount of Pelerian''s food. Even with preservation magic, perhaps due to time passing. There wasn''t much that was still edible. However, I packed some honey, spices, and tea leaves that were there. The furniture that Pelerian would have used was made of wood. I gathered several chairs and broke them myself. I lit them on fire. This makes a campfireplete. The important thing was finding a metal te to grill meat on. There wasn''t anything suitable. So I just ripped off the crystal te from the control room. Thinking it could be used as a grill te. Actually, since I''m a monster, I could just swallow it raw, but. Isn''t this about the mood too? Moreover, these chimeras are so ugly it really kills the appetite. It should taste better grilled well-done. First remove the tough skin, then cut the body. Slice. After cleaning the innards, it looked simr to cut fish. At this point you could call it a bone-in steak. Sprinkle on salt and spices I had. The spices were dried herbs, which ording to Pelerian were more expensive than their weight in gold. The scent was simr to rosemary. I put the meat on the heated grill te. Sizzle! An amazing sound came from the meat''s fat melting. It would have been better with butter. Grilling meat like this reminds me of the past. The time when I escaped from Medusa Mom''s nest and fell into the Arkam Basin. ''Well, this is huge progresspared to then.'' When was the first time I grilled meat after being born as a snake? I think it was after escaping Pelerian''s first dungeon. I went through all sorts of trouble, digging into the ground and putting charcoal and heated stones underneath to cover it, so the rising smoke wouldn''t be noticed. How delicious it was even just grilled without salt. Though I don''t remember what meat it was, it melted in my mouth. In that sense, this is nothing short of luxury now. At least it''s a seasoned steak. Even if the ingredient is chimera. From what I saw on YouTube before, lettingrge cuts of meat rest helps them cook evenly inside. After grilling it golden brown on both sides, I set the meat aside. While waiting I practice rolling. That was the n, but. "Wait." Pelerian was about to order something again. "Turn thatmand pin then click right twice, down three times." Without voice recognition, operating the magic spirit wasn''t easy. Carefully operating the control room machinery like entering aplex password... The magic spirit responds. "No recorded journals found." Then Pelerian bursts out in anger. "Argh!" ''What did you do?'' "I checked if my main body left any journals. Not even leaving journals..." Pelerian too was doing his own contemtion and reflection. That in life he tried to transfer into a chimera body out of fear of death. For Pelerian who was like the incarnation of pride and self-respect, it must have been a huge shock. But giving up there would be amateur. A first-rate person would try to clearly understand the truth. Pelerian was indeed a first-rate viin. "Unless there are more chimeras, but there were no empty tanks. In my opinion this was clearly an iplete experiment." ''Well, certainly thest chimera was...'' It wasn''t wrong. Though Pelerian''s hopes might be mixed in. "And I overlooked something more important." ''What''s more important?'' "So in the end, did I die? Why isn''t there a corpse?" From what Pelerian remembers. He nned to return to this dungeon when facing death. If fatally wounded, forced teleport to the dungeon. If reaching end of lifespan, terminal illness, or lethal poison, the n was toe to the dungeon himself. If Pelerian died in either case. Shouldn''t his corpse at least be here? ''In those ruins before, it said you were killed by humans.'' "That was an unreliable record." ''Maybe you died before managing to teleport here?'' "Hmm..." Pelerian let out a deep hum. No hypothesis seemedpletely impossible. That''s why it was more confusing. But there was something that needed to be clearly established. "At the mana stone storage in Pmu Rainforest, when I transmitted the signal." In that dungeon Pelerian noticed the transmission function was directed toward Delfram. "The collected information definitely went to Delfram." The dungeon''s information was set to go where Pelerian''s main body was. Since it clearly reached here, Pelerian thought his main body had died. ''But there''s no corpse here.'' Nothing like Pelerian''s dead body could be seen. ''Where exactly did the signal go? Did you walk around with a chip in your head?'' "I had a receiver I carried around." ''Shouldn''t that be somewhere here first?'' But no receiver could be seen either. "There might be hidden spaces." Hidden spaces not even on the map viewable from the control room? Maybe there are. Since memories of this dungeon seem to have been erased from the Pelerian before me. ''Ah!'' "What! Did you think of something?" ''No, just worried the meat might get cold.'' Pelerian''s face twisted. But we need to eat to live, right? The chimera steak moved to the iron te. It looked well cooked on the outside. When I cut into the steak with a dagger. The cross-section was beautifully pink. "Saak!" (Let''s eat!) No need to cut it up like humans. Or swallow without tasting like ordinary snakes. Chomp. Because Crystal Crown Python is good at biting and tearing too. The perfectly medium rare cooked chimera steak could be bitten into smoothly. Very juicy. Mmm. Discover more content at mvl No matter how I dress it up, I can''t say it''s delicious. Terribly bad beef >>>>> Chimera rotten kimbap > Grilled mosquito rat >>> Gray cockroach That''s about the ranking. Of course, being an excellent snake who doesn''tin about food, I quietly ate up the steak. Good medicine tastes bitter, they say. Maybe it''s good for health? Tick tick. Isil seemed quite envious of that. Chapter 201: Want to Be Friends (2) He was in a temporary pot now. Usually he stays attached to my body, but when resting like this he always went into a pot to rest. He seemed to treat the pot like his room. He used the pot for eating too. ''Alright I''ll share with you too.'' I tore the steak into small pieces and put them on Isil''s pot. A gardener or farmer would smack my back for this snake behavior. But this worked well for Isil. The meat pieces on the pot slowly sank into the soil. Seems he can easily absorb it if torn small and cooked. This carnivorous nt! Having meals like this. And contemting with Pelerian, we seemed to notice a bitte. "Saak!" I was startled looking at the minimap, no, crystal te. Because two life signals were repeatedlying together and separating. What are they doing? The two most likely hypotheses: First possibility. Two chimeras are ying the Pepero game sharing one stick. Second possibility. They''re fighting. Though they could y the Pepero game, it''s impossible since Pepero doesn''t exist in this world. Then they must be fighting. I can''t let one take the experience points that should be mine. ''Let''s go, Isil!'' We''re in perfect sync now. Isil shot out of his pot and clung to me. ''After a nice meal, time for some after-dinner exercise.'' The dungeon''s internal structure was obvious now. They were in a jar-shaped room. After diligently passing through corridors to approach. Fighting sounds could be heard thumping from ahead. I didn''t immediately jump out yelling ''You guys!'' First I should see who they are, right? In case it''s like that Dancer chimera, I should first see how strong it is... "Kwiruk, kwiruruk." "Mutututu!" The chimeras here really have unique cries. No ballerina here. Instead, what''s here is. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh No.2 One Leg lv40] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The one-legged friend. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh No.7 Duhan lv50] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ And... the headless friend. Duhan refers to a very famous undead monster. Roughly speaking, it''s portrayed as an undead monster second only to Death Knights in games like D rk M ge that were popr long ago. A headless warrior, or knight. A monster that fights while running with its head tucked under its arm. Undoubtedly an appearance that stimtes human fear. Then does this chimera also carry its head tucked under its arm? It''s a bit different. It''s true there''s no head above the neck. Instead, a head sprouted from its side. Other than that its limbs were quite normal. "Mutututu!" The face looks human-like but seeing it cry like that suggests it has no brain. One Leg facing it was already covered in blood. Seems Duhan had been beating it with bare hands. ''Hmm.'' Watching them fight, I made my judgment. They''re manageable opponents. One Leg is a bit fast, and Duhan just seems tough. Since Isil had recovered some I thought about using hellfire... ''Wait, their skin seems different.'' The chimeras including One Leg originally had smooth, damp skin. But now it looked dried and quite tough. "They must have built up resistances. That''s something I always considered important when making chimeras." I focused my eyes to check their status window. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ...[sh Resistance lv10], [Heat Resistance lv15], [Electric Resistance lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Unbelievable. Their resistanceposition is quite solid. Did they gain resistance as their skin dried? Hmm, though hellfire would probably still work, I changed my mind. We can''t keep relying only on Isil''s hellfire. "Saaak!" I stepped out with a thunderous roar. Unleashing dignity without restraint. Expressing the will ''Stop fighting each other, you''re both my prey so get along.'' The fighting chimeras stopped for a moment. Looking at me with surprised expressions. I was prepared for them to jointly attack me. But could they... "Kwiruk, kwiruruk." "Mutututu!" Completely ignore me and keep fighting. I guess my appearance wasn''t very threatening. Then, I''ll have to show them. Should I hunt both at once? ¡¸Using Gigantification lv2¡¹ Growingrge enough to take both at once. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv3¡¹ Strengthening my scales so their ws can''t damage them. Only then did they stop fighting. And looked at me warily. "Shiririt-" Now you''re scared? Toote you guys. == And. Trapped in this dungeon. And the only surviving human Zhanil Fezhe. The snake wondered where Zhanil Fezhe had gone while looking at the crystal te map. Looking at a white dot moving especially actively on the map, it guessed that might be that human. Surprisingly, that was true. Zhanil was really scurrying around. He had no choice. Though Zhanil Fezhe was truly a highly experienced ranger, he wasn''t a hero who could ovee crises with individual might. The chimeras trapped in tanks hade alive and jumped out. Every single one was terrifying. When Big Belly killed the doctor, Zhanil felt tremendous fear for a moment. There were eight others that were stronger than or simr to it. But when the snake, the nt attached to the snake, spewed terrible mes, he almost wet himself. To think he threw a trying to capture such a being. It was fortunate he didn''t die. He ran for his life. But who would have thought all the dungeon doors would close? "Hoo, hoo." It would have been better not to receive such a mission from the start. No, it was a mission where refusal wasn''t allowed. Because it had the purple seal stamped on the order. Zhanil''s top secret mission was to actually use drugs received from the imperial family. How to use them was also determined. Among the received drugs, the first was rtively well-developed "Monster Repellent." It had the effect of repelling monsters by emitting a disgusting smell. It showed clearly effective results even here in the magic realm. The important second one was "Monster Excitant." Literally a drug that excites them. Not the kind used for breeding animals, but one that makes them more ferocious and cruel. Its effectiveness would vary depending on how much was used and how long the exposurested. Zhanil Fezhe used it on the wyverns of the mountains. The instructions were to use it on Chugota, a monster whose madness was fading with age. Zhanil applied certain amounts of the drug to prey that wyverns like, making Chugota eat it. After a month, Chugota and her group of wyverns invaded other wyvern groups. After another month, the madness of war began sweeping across the entire mountain range. It was tremendously effective. Perhaps the empire dreams of weaponizing monster groups? As just a tool, Zhanil couldn''t know. ''This mission too can only bepleted if I return alive.'' Zhanil diligently hid. And still survived. And the "Saak!" sound heard just now. It was the snake''s voice. Following that sound and secretly watching. "Kwikyuk..." "Mutu, mututu..." The ckened snake defeated two chimeras alone before Zhanil''s eyes. Truly merciless. A ck death god. Zhanil swallowed hard. His sharp intuition told him: ''I need to get close to that snake.'' That''s the only way he could escape this dungeon alive. Chapter 202: The Dungeons Ballerina (1) ''I need to befriend that snake to escape this ce.'' How many people in the world coulde up with such an idea? Moreover, it''s not even an ordinary snake, but a monster with a crown on its head and crystal scales. A terrifying creature that cuts up chimeras and grills them as steaks. However, Zhanil Fezhe was convinced. Not just anyone can think of cooperating with monsters. That alone shows how his mindset differs from ordinary people. Those who truly understand monsters. Those who have seen named monsters with intelligence and ability tomunicate might judge like Zhanil. ''That one is a named monster... or if not, certainly an intelligent one.'' He couldn''t think that until their first meeting. The snake only roared "Saak!" and didn''t speak. But watching its behavior, he could tell. It clearly had reason and intelligence. Just look at what it''s doing now. Why didn''t he notice at first that it was wearing a ring? It was clearly a ring with subspace magic. When it shook its tail wearing the ring, daggers appeared from thin air. He''d seen many bags and pouches with subspace magic, but a ring? How could such high-level magic be on something so small? How could a snake be wearing something precious enough to be in the Emperor''s treasury? The sword, first that sword was an issue. What the snake was doing with the sword was clearly ''dissection''. First it searches here and there checking for mana stones. Though monsters do this too, it looks more like a hunter than a monster. Finally finding an acorn-sized mana stone, it starts dancing. Yes, dancing. A monster dancing with joy. Indeed not ordinary. Moreover, instead of immediately eating the mana stone, it opens subspace storage. Quickly gathering edible meat too, the snake starts heading back. Zhanil held his breath while hiding. The effect of the ampoule he sprayed to survive the wyverns onlysts a few hours, so the smell should be gone by now. Even holding his breath to hide his presence, the snake passed by quietly. Zhanil slowly followed the snake. Having memorized this dungeon''s structure, he could maintain an appropriate distance. The serpent imed the control room, its coils draped across dead monitors. Zhanil had approached the control room at great risk before. He saw what the snake was doing there. ''It was clearly operating those control devices.'' Complex machinery that even the schr Dr. Robanton couldn''t handle. A mere snake operated those devices. It even seemed to use the map to check the locations of other chimeras and Zhanil. After learning that, he couldn''t approach the control room anymore. A dangerous and intelligent monster. Zhanil too could be killed instantly if he wasn''t careful. ''The Emperor who collects white monsters would drool seeing this.'' Those who should know are aware that the current Emperor collects white monsters. Such a precious monster would literally sell for "a fortune." Zhanil shook his head to clear away such thoughts. This isn''t the time to think about such things. Getting out alive is most important, and for that he needs to cooperate with that snake. ''No matter how intelligent it is, there''s a sure way to befriend monsters.'' Zhanil knew that. He melted into the darkness with a determined expression. == "Saaak!" Rolling! ¡¸Using Rolling lv10¡¹ Spin- I spun in mid-air. Rolling not on the ground but in the air. Not jumping while spinning. Must spin after jumping. Try jumping and spinning right now and you''ll know. How extremely difficult that is. It''s all because of conservation of angr momentum. Of course I saw this on YouTube too - if you try to turn your upper body left in the air, your lower body will turn right. You can definitely feel it when testing on a spinning chair. "You know quite a lot." ''But cats can do it, right?'' "What?" ''You know how cats alwaysnd on their feet when dropped from above?'' "That''s dangerous if dropped from high up." ''Ah.'' Right, that is dangerous. Pelerian was sensibly taken aback. Anyway, there clearly are ways to turn your body in mid-air. Either control moment of inertia like cats or figure skaters. Or use a Rolling skill like me. Whirrrl! I spun fiercely in mid-air. I could definitely feel the change. The Rolling level I stole remained at level 10 from start to now. But the number of mid-air spins was gradually increasing. Now I can spin neen times in one jump. I could feel the Rolling proficiency increasing in real-time. Initially I could only do five spins. ''Hup!'' Whirrrrl! As I spin sideways, Isil spins along too. Of course Isil couldn''t jump, just flopped and spun on the ground. Until his strength ran out. Until Isil lost interest and returned to his pot. I didn''t stop. This wasn''t just out of boredom. First, I saw potential in the ''Rolling'' skill. ''Heart-eating Leap'' which is now one of my main skills. Its original form was just ordinary skills like Biting and Leaping. Rolling could be such an element too. And second, I needed to make Rolling my own quickly... ¡¸Completely mastered Rolling lv10¡¹ Like this! This had to happen so I could use Crown of Steal again. But something was strange. Instead of bing level 11, it wouldn''t go past level 10. Checking my status window just in case. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ... ¡ùEvolution possible [Rolling lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Rolling showed as evolution possible. Leaping and Biting could evolve too when reaching level 10. However, they needed to reach the level limit and have magical energy saturated... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Crown Python lv49] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The main snake now was right before that. After catching Duhan and One Leg yesterday, I approached max level. The level for evolution is clearly 50. I could feel magical energy reaching saturation. Three chimeras remain. Numbers 7, 8, and 9. All three being powerful chimeras, they should provide enough experience for evolution. I might reach level 50 in a single leap just by catching one of them, given how absurdly powerful they seemed to be. Chapter 203: The Dungeons Ballerina (2) Catching the other two should be enough to evolve skills too. I was making such ns when. I sensed a presence. Survival Instinct didn''t activate though. I reflexively turned on the map function of the crystal te. But that might not have been necessary. Because the other party had no intention of hiding their presence. "Knock knock." They knocked. But that knock made me pause. Anyone would be startled seeing someone knocking with both mouth and hands simultaneously. "I am Zhanil Fezhe." The appearing human was the one who had fled like a rat. We clearly weren''t on good terms. The human who introduced himself wore a smile across his face. "Be at ease. I came for friendship..." Did he think I could understand words? In contrast to the smile on his face, his whole body was covered in blood. Seemed he came after a fierce battle. The dissonance between his appearance and expression was unpleasantly strange. Should I say he''s like a madman? The madman stopped in ce instead of approaching immediately and stared at me. I wondered if he was challenging me to a staring contest. The human closed and opened their eyes with careful slowness. Blink, blink. For a moment I was dumbfounded not understanding why. Then a thought shed through my mind. Cat kiss. When meeting a new cat, to be friends, making eye contact and slowly blinking like that. Why do that to me? Frozen in surprise, I stayed still even as he slowly approached. He seemed to take that as a good sign, nodding slightly to himself. With growing awareness, I realized he was dragging something across the ground behind him. He had taken off his dark cloak and carefully wrapped something in its folds, creating a mysterious bundle that he pulled along. "Great snake. As a token of friendship, I bring tribute." He slowly ced the bundle before me and stepped back. It looks heavy. An ominous feeling brushed past my scales. No way, no way... "Won''t you ept this food and receive me as your friend?" I cut off his carefully enunciated words. Raising the dagger Dawn. sh, I cut the bundle. Thud. Inside was meat. Meat that was once a chimera. "Haha, since you seemed to hunt chimeras... I nearly died catching it." And also my precious experience points chunk. "Please enjoy it, and about the way out of here..." "Saaak!" You experience point thief-! Though killing this human would probably be much less beneficial than catching chimeras. I was so angry I felt like crying. I quickly operated the crystal te. Looking for life signals. None. Can''t see any. Except for this area, only two show up. What was in the bundle was No.6 chimera ''Pigman''. The pig-like chimera that this stupid human killed and dragged here. "Saaak!" "Uh, uh why are you like this. Did you not like the gift?" The human was flustered. I swear I was about to shoot a beam at his stupid face. Or slice off his neck with sword technique. "I don''t know what''s wrong but sorry, I''m sorry!" "Saak!" "I''ll give you anything, should I catch another chimera?" Don''t need it, just die! "Wait." Pelerian stopped my rage. Is he advocating mercy? "Kill that human a bitter, look at this." ''What is it!'' The blinking white dots on the map are life signals. One of them was approaching this control room. ''Uh...'' But that unnatural speed was strange, defying what seemed possible. It was almost enough to make one think the map itself was broken, unable to properly track such uncanny movement. Leaping past the third floor stairs at once, instantly crossing the fourth floor za. And the following full sprint like an arrow being shot. Toward here, the control room. Bang. At first such sounds were heard from far away. Bang, bang. Before realizing what the sound was, it clearly got closer. Bang, bang, bang, bang. Getting closer I could tell. It was the sound of striking the ground. The sound of stretching knees after stepping with four feet. Then sticking to walls and jumping again, then more walls, sometimes the ceiling. Chimera No.8, Dancer. If this running toward us is dance, what would you call that dance? Jumping spider dance? That''s the kind of name it needs. The chimera with four legs pounced at me. ng! Instinctively my sword shot out first, steel singing before thought could follow. Maybe I can call myself a proud swordsman now too, that warmth in my chest saying yes. But it wasn''t thunk- or slice- but ng! A sound that couldn''te from cutting flesh. Because Dancer blocked my sword with its shin. The skin was cut but the bone wasn''t. How could a body be so hard? For a moment our eyes seemed to meet. Interesting. It has no eyes. That bright red mouth spread in what looks like a smile somehow seems to be looking at me. The human charged at such a creature. Kagak! "I''ll help!" The human was quite good too. He had already drawn daggers in both hands and swung wildly. The chimera doesn''t seem very hard except for its shins. Seeing des sink in. It backed away with a whoosh then bent its knees. And. Bang-! With a sound like a gunshot it bounced up. Dancer instantly hung from the ceiling. ''This one is strong...'' Probably the strongest among the chimeras encountered so far. There''s an overwhelming gap evenpared to No.7 Duhan. Bang! It bounced its body again. I didn''t respond. Or rather couldn''t. The human took the hit instead of me. "Kuek!" The human got hit in the stomach and rolled back several times. But seems he protected his life. A chimera with incredible movement. ''Seems to have a special skill.'' I focused my eyes to examine it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh No.8 Dancer lv90] [Traits] [Swift], [Spider] [Skills] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ah, that skill. I almost unconsciously drooled. Not neglecting Rolling practice was a good choice. Thanks to that I can use Crown of Steal now. Bang! The moment it rushed at me and. ¡¸Stealing stic Burst lv3¡¹ I stole its skill happened simultaneously. Chapter 204: The Type with Developed Sense of Smell (1) Truly, powerful things tend to have more than four-character names. Destruction Beam. Immortal Sword. Kaido. Luffy. Shi Heaven. And... stic Burst. I seeded in stealing that skill. Just from seeing that seemingly powerful chimera possessing it at only level 3, I could tell it was a high-tier skill. stic, and Burst. Just looking at the words gives me a feeling! ¡¸Target''s ''stic Burst lv3'' temporarily bes ''stic Burst lv2''¡¹ Also, the stic Burst I stole was level 1. I used the skill without hesitation. So what happened? If I were to describe in detail what happened in the blink of an eye, it could fill several A4 pages. To summarize it briefly. To cut to the conclusion. I seeded in avoiding the Dancer''s attack. At the same time, I half-failed in stealing stic Burst. The initial bounce was good. The rebound when jumping felt much stronger than usual. But there was a reason it had the word ''Burst'' in its name. I couldn''t control that sticity and eleration. Like what happened with Poison Scales before, I started bouncing everywhere. Like a rugby ball, only much faster than back then. Tu-ta-ta-ta-ta! Only after colliding with walls about seven times could Ind on the floor. "Ugh-" I felt nauseous. When I looked up, the Dancer was clinging to a corner of the ceiling. It seemed surprised that I moved simrly to itself. This creature without eyes... Its eyes and ears were still invisible. Only its gaping bright red mouth was noticeable. Looking closely, I could see it had nostrils. But more than that grotesque face, I was curious about how it maintained such good bnce. I couldn''t control myself at all, yet how could it, being much heavier than me... ''Ah, the legs!'' Then realization struck. It uses its legs, positioned where arms should be, to walk on all fours. The knees act as suspension to reduce impact, and it has four of them. No wonder it could maintain bnce so easily. Plus, it seemed to have suction cups on its feet. Or maybe it hangs on with ws. Meanwhile, the number of legs I have is... 0! ''This skill is unusable.'' I tried to steal another skill. ¡¸Cannot steal yet¡¹ But it seemed the Crown of Steal couldn''t be used consecutively. Well, if it could, one could just trap a creature with good skills and periodically harvest them like shearing sheep. Then for now, setting aside stic Burst. I''ll fight with my other abilities. I also have fast techniques. Ping! A longsword shot fiercely at the Dancer hanging from the ceiling. The chimera must be seeing Flying Sword Technique for the first time today. Instead of kicking with its shin as hard as a sword, it acted more intelligently. That is, it dodged the sword first. Tang! It jumped up and moved to another spot. But that was also part of my n. Separate from Sunset shot in a straight line, and at an even faster speed. Dawn flew in an arc. The lighter dagger curved through the air to strike. It only realized when it wasnding. Just as Dawn was about to pierce its neck. Your adventure continues at mvl Ting! Sparks flew as Dawn was deflected. It had raised one of its four legs to block the iing de. As expected, it wasn''t an opponent to be underestimated. Now as if it was its turn, it sprung forward at me. I also made a leap. Responded head-on. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv4¡¹ However, I didn''t dare try to eat its heart like before. Getting hit by its shins would be no different than being struck by an iron pipe. It''smon knowledge that it''s hard to dodge in mid-air. The practice to be a rolling master was actually in preparation for situations like this. ¡¸Using Rolling lv10¡¹ I didn''t roll just to look cool. While rotating, I could climb up its shin as it swung at me. I tried to sink my fangs in. But before my fangs could even pierce the skin, my body was suddenly thrown off. It had shaken me off. I bounced away while spinning in the air. How fast it was. It moved about cautiously with three-dimensional maneuvers. I opened my mouth while turning my head to follow it. ¡¸Using Beam lv3¡¹ ¡¸Using Beam lv3¡¹ ¡¸Using Beam lv3¡¹ With pi-pi-ping sounds, I fired beams consecutively. The Dancer managed to dodge the first two shots. But no matter how fast it moved, it couldn''t be faster than me turning my head. Ping-! Finally, one beam hit it. A bright red hole appeared in its belly. But it wasn''t a fatal wound. Perhaps like taking a very strong punch. Maybe because of that hit. It fell while jumping around. Though it quickly got up and moved again, it was clearly flustered. ''Ah, because the skill level was lowered...'' Thanks to the Crown of Steal, its ''stic Burst'' level was temporarily reduced. That seems to be why its movements became duller. Sensing something wrong with its body, it began to retreat slowly. "If not now, we won''t be able to catch it." I agree with Pelerian. It''s too fast. It was tougher than expected too. It doesn''t seem very intelligent yet, but it might be smarter over time. If we let it go now, it won''t be easy to catch. Unless after I evolve... But in this dungeon, the only way to gain experience is from chimeras... "There''s that human too. The lunchbox, wasn''t it?" ''That wouldn''t even register!'' I''ll catch it here. With that resolution, I charged at it. Among my attack methods, what has the highest burst damage? Obviously... ''Isil!'' Isil''s all-burning fire. By the way, I had tried to ''borrow'' Isil''s hellfire before but failed. Only Isil could use hellfire for now. The purple mes that burn everything. Whoosh- Shot toward the creature charging at me. I thought the mes would engulf it. The magic stone and flesh would burn, but it couldn''t be helped. Just as the purple tongue from hell was about to lick the four-legged chimera. Bang! Surprisingly, the Dancer stopped advancing. It had spread its legs to cling to the walls. And just before part of its body could touch the fire, it made a reverse charge in the opposite direction. In other words, it ran away. It escaped faster than the hellfire could shoot out. Maybe it got some burns on its skin. I couldn''t tell. It disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. ''Haa.'' A deep sigh escaped. I used every means I had, but still couldn''t catch it. I miss mom. Chapter 205: The Type with Developed Sense of Smell (2) Though not my real mother, why am I thinking of the wyvern mom and the three siblings? She fought to protect me. Surely she''s not still waiting? It''s been days since the dungeon door closed, so she probably went back by now. I hope she gets along well with that crazy wyvern without fighting anymore. "Phew..." That''s when the human sighed. I don''t know why he''s sighing, but. "That was incredibly fast." "Saak!" Hey human. I called out to him. I don''t think I can catch the Dancer alone. But maybe I could catch it with the help of cat hands, no, human hands. ''You said you''d help me, right?'' I took out a notebook and wrote. "Gasp!" The human was startled. == Chugota carried one golem high into the sky in her mouth. It was a dizzying flight. Even though it was just one of the three divided golems, it was tremendously heavy. Natural, since it was made of stone. Carrying that heavy thing in her mouth, Chugota flew higher and higher. Her eyes gave no hint of what she was thinking. Though once called the ''Wise Queen'', Chugota showed none of that previous intelligence now. Chugota flew up until she was just a dot from the ground. It was a waste of stamina, but she repeated this behavior every time her body recovered. Flying high up. Dropping the golem she was carrying. Gravity reimed its possession that was momentarily almost stolen by the wyvern. The golem fell as lightly as bird droppings. But the impact was magnificent. Kwaaaaang! A thunderous sound erupted and dirt exploded upward like dust. "Pipi pipi" "Kekeke" "Chui-i!" The children beside Celeta cried out and ran around in circles. They weren''t scared or frightened anymore. This had been repeating for days now. Though they really cried in fear at first, it had essentially be a game now. The children would spin around once, then look at the golem when the dust settled. Despite falling from such a height, the golem wasn''tpletely destroyed. It was terrifyingly sturdy. Nevertheless, the umted impact from falling had now createdrge cracks. Explore more adventures at mvl The children chirped in wonder at the mysterious blue light visible through the cracked exterior. "Kugak..." Celeta gave a half-hearted warning. The golem hadn''t moved for days, appearing dead. The wyverns'' victory seemed certain. That was Celeta''s judgment. However, the crazy Chugota wouldn''t be satisfied until shepletely destroyed all three golems. She had been repeating this for days without fully destroying even one, so how much longer would this continue? "Kugak..." Celeta didn''t leave this ce. If not for Chugota, she might have left with the three surviving children. But since Chugota wouldn''t leave the stone tower, neither could Celeta. What if the youngest escaped from the stone tower alive. What if Chugota swallowed it whole. Kuung. Chugotanded roughly. She didn''t even check the golem''s condition, just sat quietly. Her stamina must have been depleted. You could tell from how she stood with her eyes closed. At some point, Chugota and Celeta stopped fighting. This strange coexistence had continued for days. Keeping their distance from each other... Celeta, also tired, had her eyes closed for a moment. Children naturally have more energy than adults, so the young ones weren''t asleep. Usually, the three siblings didn''t stray far from Celeta. They would only y around that area, but today for some reason... "Pii." Led by the bravest firstborn. They began sneaking up to Chugota. "Keeek." "Chui..." The second and third followed with scared expressions. Getting closer and closer to the sleeping Chugota. When even brave Pipi couldn''t go any further. As they lingered there, one of Chugota''s three heads opened its eyes. It was ''Go''. Go''s head twisted down like a pretzel. It stopped in front of the three siblings and met Pipi''s eyes. Go''s mouth opened wide and. "Guwooooooo-!" A roar with foul breath burst forth. "Piaaaaak!" The children screamed and ran away. Celeta, who had dozed off, flew up in shock. It seemed another death match might break out. However, after chasing away the children, Go closed its eyes and started dozing again. "Kugak..." Celetanded again with an awkward expression. She red at the children. Sensing they were in trouble, the three siblings hurriedly hid. == A notebook fluttered in the air. A pen moved to write letters. ''Can you do that?'' I knew it was no ordinary snake, and that it was highly intelligent. But to think it couldmunicate by writing like this. Zhanil felt like he''d been hit in the head with a hammer. ''Why aren''t you answering?'' "Ah, yes, I under...stand." And so the snake and Zhanil conversed. They discussed how to hunt the chimera called ''Dancer''. That four-legged chimera was incredibly fast. It seemed almost impossible to hunt it. But the snake really wanted to catch that chimera. Honestly, it didn''t seem possible even working together. ''Just stay calm...'' Hearing the snake''s n, it seemed quite usible. Actually, he was curious how a snake monster came up with such an idea in the first ce. "Damn, I''m not sure about this." Regardless of the n''s chances of sess, it was true that Zhanil would be in danger. It couldn''t be helped. The hunting method involved using Zhanil as bait. Tak tak. The Dancer rarely made sounds. Tak, tak, tang-! It only made approaching sounds. The same sounds he heard yesterday. Tang! Its figure was visible beyond that corridor. The fact that it approached this far meant it must have gained confidence in winning. In other words, it probably thought it could handle Zhanil and the snake alone. "Waaah!" Zhanil roared but the Dancer just quietly charged forward. At this point, he had to trust the snake. He didn''t know how it knew, but Zhanil had one ampule left that emitted a scent monsters avoided. He broke it by hitting it against his crown. And as the snake had predicted, suddenly wind blew. The wind elemental magic carried the ampule''s scent. Toward the charging Dancer. "Jure." The Dancer froze, stiffened, and made a strange sound. "Jurerererereek!" Then it grabbed its stomach and started retching. "Jureeeek! Juek!" What the snake named Operation ''Hold Your Breath Dungeon Dive''. It was clearly working. Chapter 206: The Failed Creation (1) Do snakes have ears? Of course not. A snake''s charm lies in its smooth, round head. Having something like ears on that elegantly curved head wouldn''t look very nice. But strictly speaking, we can''t say they ''don''t have ears'' either. Being born as a snake, I knew this for certain. Though there are no ear holes, I could still hear surrounding sounds. There must be an inner ear attached to the skull under the skin. That''s why I could hear sounds. And I don''t think my hearing has gotten worsepared to when I was human. I don''t think that''s normal - it might be because I''m not an ordinary snake but a monster. Why am I thinking about such things? Because the ''Dancer'' also had no ear holes. No eyes or ears, just a bright red maw. Still, it seemed able to hear sounds. Judging by how it reacted to movements. But it definitely couldn''t see. That''s for certain. So how could it move so fast? Just by sound? Or like how snakes detect heat through pit organs, could it be something simr? I''m quite sharp-minded. Probably definitely am. Through keen deduction, I reached an answer. It has suddenly charged at us from far away before. That was when I met the human. Since it couldn''t possibly detect our body heat from that far, it must have heard our conversation or smelled us. At that time, the human was soaked in blood, carrying chopped chimera meat. Perhaps it tracked us by the smell of blood. With this suspicion in mind, when I examined it, I confirmed it definitely had nostrils. Not only that. The inside of its gaping red mouth was grotesque, and like me, it kept flicking out a long tongue. Snakes flick their tongues to gather scent molecules from the air. If it''s the same for this creature? The Dancer must have a highly developed sense of smell. It was the same during battle. Even when I stayed still without making sound, it faced my direction. When I told this hypothesis to Pelerian. "...Unbelievable." He red at me so seriously that I wondered if I''d said something strange. "It''s a very usible hypothesis." It was the opposite. Pelerian was impressed with me. We immediately used the chimera meat and blood we had to set a trap, and lured in the Dancer. It must have been hungry, as it appeared right away. Zhanil broke the ampule at the perfect moment. Crack. I used magic. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv6¡¹ It wasn''t anything special wind. Not even wind with des mixed in for attacking. Just sufficiently strong wind. That carried the ampule''s scent and enveloped the Dancer. "Jurerererereek!" It vomited with a unique cry. My prediction was correct. It was a monster with particrly sensitive smell. When monsters are most vulnerable. Experience new stories on mvl Is exactly when they''re vomiting. Puk! Inded an effective hit for the first time. Sunset pierced deeply into its side. "Jukeek!" Blood burst from its mouth along with vomit. Got it! "Don''t mistake a chimera''s vitality for that of an ordinary monster!" Pelerian was right. Though it couldn''t stop retching, it tried to flee with the sword still stuck in it. Must stop it. ¡¸Surpassing Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv7''s limit with Crown of Ovee lv2¡¹ ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Earth lv1¡¹ Earth magic elevated to intermediate level can create stone walls instead of dirt walls. Stone materials suddenly rose from the ground, blocking the Dancer''s escape route. Kwang! If the Dancer had been in its normal state, it could have easily broken through such a thin rock wall. But it couldn''t get its bearings due to the terrible smell, and thanks to that, the rock wall didn''t break. It tried to get up, floundering on the ground. No matter how terrible the stench, one adapts over time. We need to finish it somehow before that happens. Having blocked its escape route, this was the perfect situation to use hellfire. But Zhanil hesitated. "Huaap!" He scattered throwing knives. His reason was understandable. He was trying to prevent the rising Dancer from approaching. If he turned his back to flee and got his spine crushed, he''d die. Pa-ba-bak! But that attack wasn''t bad at all. The daggers started embedding themselves in the Dancer''s body as it couldn''t get its bearings. Those daggers were coated with poison, so they should be effective. But that onlysted a moment. Teong! The Dancer charged at Zhanil with a movement close to a body m. Zhanil was thrown back like he''d been hit by a wild boar. Behind me, that is. And, the wind was still blowing from back to front. The scent molecules evaporating from the ampule Zhanil broke were carried along. "Sauk!" I identally inhaled. By the way, snakes also have a good sense of smell. "Saueeeek!" "Jurerererereek!" The Dancer and I started retching together. What a truly horrible smell. Could it be like socks unwashed for a week stuffed with fermented tofu and fish sauce, then aged for three days in a warm electric nket? But I had one ally without a nose by my side. Twitch... Isil. Somehow, even Isil the nt seemed troubled by the smell, but. At least it could still breathe fire. Hellfire spewed forth. Whoosh! The corridor wasn''t wide, and the wall was blocked. With nowhere to escape, no matter how agile the Dancer was, it had to be engulfed in hellfire. When wrapped in extremely hot mes, one gets burned instantly and the body shrivels. Once the muscles are cooked like that, it''s over. But the Dancer had quite high heat resistance and. It also had the stic Burst skill. It must have been just desperation. It kicked the ground with all its might and crashed into the blocked wall. Teong! The magically created stone wall broke. However, the hellfire still managed to consume two of the Dancer''s legs. With two legs burning, the Dancer tried to escape while writhing. ¡¸Using Beam lv3¡¹ I hit its buttocks with a beam as it tried to stand. I was actually aiming for its shin, but anyway, it fell with a thud. "Sauuuk!" "Leave it to me!" Zhanil came running. Chapter 207: The Failed Creation (2) I retched again at the smell getting closer with him. Fortunately, Zhanil passed by me and ran towards the Dancer. I worried for a moment that he might try to steal the finishing blow, but thankfully no such deplorable thing happened. Instead, he threw many paralysis poison-coated daggers, then threw a. The Dancer, struggling until the end, was finally subdued like that. "Heave-ho!" Zhanil grabbed the and slowly pulled the Dancer in. Well, I had emphasized it so much. That finishing it off was my job. "Persistent one..." Zhanil approached this way with a grin. Don''te closer, you smell too much. I stopped Zhanil in front. ''Good work.'' "Hehe. It was nothing." He patted his back as if it was sore. Meanwhile, I carefully tried to remove Sunset stuck in the Dancer''s body using Invisible Hand. "By the way, I always suffer like this whenever Ie to the mountains... Shouldn''t have messed with the wyverns again." At Zhanil''s words, I froze. ''Messed with the wyverns?'' I wrote to ask in the notebook. Zhanil''s expression became strange. An expression of uncertainty whether he should answer or not. Just tell me casually, since I''m a snake, not a person. "Come to think of it, snake, you were also fighting with wyverns." Fighting with wyverns? Well, to the humans watching from afar, it must have looked that way. Surely they couldn''t have guessed that I was mistaken for a child by two Wyvern Queens. "I was carrying out a mission from the Empire." Zhanil didn''t exin in detail. But there were two important points. "I helped adventurers steal Celeta''s egg, but I''m not sure if those bastards escaped properly. Pathetic fellows..." First, Zhanil was involved in stealing Wyvern Mom''s egg. And second... "It wasn''t like this in my time. Back then, I seeded in stealing a Wyvern Queen named Chugota''s child." Zhanil had a proud expression. "Three otherpanions died, but I managed to transport it all the way to the Imperial Capital." It was truly surprising. Honestly, I didn''t feel like shouting ''So it was you!''... ''It was because of you?'' It was surprising. Right in front of me was the human who had greatly influenced those two powerful named monsters, Celeta and Chugota. Yet those two wyverns would have no idea about this fact. But it seems I wasn''t the only one surprised. The Dancer, lying limp as if dead, must have heard the story too. It was so surprised that it suddenly stood up and pped its legs. Who could have known bright red cartge would shoot out from its hip joint? Puk! That sharp bone spike pierced through Zhanil''s chest. Was today Talk Like a Pirate Day? "Erk..." Zhanil Fezhe suddenly went "Arrr...!" That was hisst words. It had to be hisst words since his heart was burst. "Jurerererek!" Stay tuned for updates on mvl More bright red cartge legs sprouted between the Dancer''s broken or burned legs. This brought the total number of legs to eight. Just like a spider. So that''s why it had the ''Spider'' trait. With its newly grown legs, it started running wildly. "Catch it!" I was nning to anyway. I should have predicted it was my nemesis when I saw its traits. "Jurererek!" "Sauuk!" We ran together while holding back our nausea. Just running was impressive enough, considering it already had sword wounds and several poisoned daggers stuck in it. It kept running while dripping blood profusely. It crashed down the stairs and reached the horizontal corridor. Pelerian gritted his teeth. "Over there...!" Someone was standing at the other end of that corridor. It looked like a person, but wasn''t human. What stood there was definitely a chimera. The most elf-like Chimera No. 9, wasn''t its name ''Unnamed''? It stood there looking this way with an unreadable expression. Whether the Dancer knew this or not, it kept running. ''Could it be teaming up because they''re both chimeras?'' I did imagine that for a moment. But it seemed that wasn''t the case. I don''t know how it did it. It was a movement my eyes couldn''t catch. The Dancer, though injured, was still plenty fast and strong. Chimera No. 9 caught it in an instant. It gripped the Dancer''s neck and looked this way. And what happened next was unexpected. "...Failed creation." Chimera No. 9 spoke. Though awkward, it was definitely proper words. Moreover, in the fairynguage. Hearing that, Pelerian became enraged. "You bastaaaaard!" And I too became enraged. Because it applied force with its hand. Crack! The Dancer''s body went limp. "That thing!" ''Trying to steal the finishing blow!'' Unnamed. I won''t forgive you. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv3¡¹ ¡¸Using eleration lv7¡¹ ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv4¡¹ I shot forth like a streak of ck lightning. It wasn''t for revenge over stolen magic power. I wasn''t fond of closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. ¡¸Using sh lv5¡¹ What I cut was the Dancer''s broken neck. sh! Ipletely severed it, and its dying body fell to the ground. In other words, I''m the one who dealt the finishing blow. ¡¸You have killed ''Test Flesh No.8 Dancer lv90''¡¹ Magic power rushed in. As expected of something so strong. The Dancer gave noticeably more experience than previous chimeras. ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ Thanks to that, my level also increased, so my mood was special. ¡¸Evolution is now possible¡¹ I want to quickly confirm my new possibilities. Of course, for that. I''ll need to deal with this monster in front of me first. "Failed, creation." Who are you calling that, you monster that looks like fish and elf mixed together with y! When it squeezed its hand, the Dancer''s head burst with a pop. The scattered blood chunks were like pomegranate seeds. I quickly retreated to create distance. First, I should size up my opponent, shouldn''t I? ''...Huk!'' I was shocked. It was so strong that its level wasn''t even visible. And it had a different name than ''Unnamed''. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh No.9 Failed Creation lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Failed Creation. Pelerian must have kept calling him that. "Failed..." The chimera, unfairly born resembling an elf, showed hatred toward me. "Pele...rian-!" From its approach toward me. Until it kicked my body. That process wasn''t visible at all. Teong! This one was certainly the world''s strongest failed creation. Chapter 208: Incineration (1) My level increased. No, that''s not all. The Dancer held enough magic power that even after hitting max level, it reached saturation. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crystal Crown Python lv50+] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ When levels increase, you get stronger. In other words, it means I''m stronger than I was yesterday. But the problem is, the opponent is even stronger. The Dancer was very strong, but the ''Failed Creation'' was beyond that. Even as I was being thrown back, focusing my eyes was probably habit. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Test Flesh No.9 Failed Creation lv1?0] [Traits] [Imitation], [Copycat]... [Emotion Burst]... [Magic], [Chimera] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ They really packed in a lot of traits. Does this reflect Pelerian''s will who created it? If so, he was truly greedy. The difference in our weight sses must be dozens of times. Swoooosh-! Being kicked by such a being, most of the energy applied to my body converted to kic energy. I was thrown back at about the same speed as the kick. The impact that was momentarily dyed woulde when I hit the wall. I might explode into t snake jerky. That can''t happen. ¡¸Using stic Burst lv1¡¹ It''s time to focus on ''stic'' rather than ''Burst''. Though I couldn''t control the movement, instead of exploding, my body started bouncing. Ta-ta-ta-ta-tang! Truly lightning-fast bouncing. I clenched my mouth shut to avoid throwing up. After bouncing about eight times. Surprisingly, the Failed Creation came charging like a tiger to kick me again. I twisted my body with all my might in mid-air. Instead of me, its foot destroyed the wall. Kwang! Your next chapter awaits on mvl Dungeon walls are extremely hard. Yet that wall crumbled like tofu. Seeing that, I realized something. ''It could have escaped the dungeon too!'' No matter how sturdy the dungeon materials are, with that much strength, it could have broken down the closed door. The reason it stayed obedient until now is obvious. "...It probably thought the cage was the whole world." The suddenly thrown chimera must have thought this dungeon was the entire world. So it wandered the dungeon without thinking of escape. ''It would have eventually escaped when hungry.'' But how long would that havested? That monster would have eventually left, unable to ovee hunger. And for the first time, it would have shown itself under the bright sunlight. Hmm, thinking about it, it''s pit- "Failed-! Creation!" Puk! I got hit while feeling pity. It was incredibly fast. Though it didn''t have sharp ws or de-like shins. It kicked and struck me with primitive methods like a child fighting. "Shame! Embarrassment! Failure! Faiiiry!" Are you an ogre? It spouts random words it must have heard from Pelerian. It was quite bizarre. The problem is that this bizarre creature is tremendously strong and fast. I''m not slow, but it''s much faster than me. Kwang! Thankfully I borrowed stic Burst. Without it, I would have died from my body bursting long ago. The stic Burst skill had an effect simr to ''Strike Immunity''. I would get hurt if cut by des, but didn''t take much damage from punches or kicks. Tu-tu-tu-tu-tung! Though there was the drawback of feeling like my brain would be crushed as my body bounced dozens of times. ''Why did you make it so ridiculously strong?'' "Ungh..." Yes, it would be nice if the body I switch to is strong and sturdy. ''Take responsibility!'' "I will take responsibility. I''ll lose." Though I don''t know how he''ll take responsibility. As I got up after being thrown back, it came charging at me with a roar. "Sel-ena!" What are you saying! "Aaargh! Damn it!" "Saaak!" ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv5¡¹ I jumped up. Not to face it, but whoosh, upward! And the Failed Creation passed where I had been. Kwaaang! It broke through the wall and went straight through. I gained a very brief moment. ¡¸Using Stealth lv10¡¹ It''s not running away but a tactical retreat. Actually, I was once known as the assassin in darkness of the great forest. It couldn''t find me. "To the control room, go to the control room." I was nning to anyway. After shing, I understood clearly. Just as I barely handled the Dancer, I couldn''t beat this Failed Creation head-on. ''What do you think this chimera was made from?'' Chimeras arebinations of multiple monsters. You could call itprehensive art of creating new species by gathering essences that manifest monster traits. "...Fairy." ''Huk!'' I knew he was a terrible old man but. He finally went as far as forced human experimentation mixing his own race with monsters? "Of course I used my blood!" Pelerian growled in defense. ''No wonder it''s ugly.'' "And... well. Dragon and... World Tree? At least those seem certain." Good grief. The concept is elementary school level character creation. Descendant of chaos and light with dragon blood flowing through them, left eye sees through lies and right eye sees the future, a fallen angel. Isn''t it a chimera with that level of overpowered settings? ''Would have been perfect without the fairy blood.'' "Even so it''s a failure. Just look at that appearance." That''s true. Booming sounds echoed from behind. It seems to be searching everywhere unable to find me. Though I barely reached the control room, I''m scared it might follow soon. Need to finish this quickly. I asked Pelerian. ''We''re using that method, right?'' "Yes." Our hearts were in sync without needing words. If we can''t face it head-on, we just need to hunt it another way. And thinking about the days spent here. There was a means we could fully utilize in this situation. "Should have burned it all from the start." I manipted the control room''s machinery as Pelerian directed. Repeatedly pulling pins and turning things. No matter how much I try, I still don''t understand how this works. "Restarting incineration procedure." "Test flesh not recovered. Incineration impossible." The magic spirit repeated what it said before. The chimeras were released because Zhanil and his humanpanion messed with the machinery. Because of that, the ongoing incineration procedure was halted. And now. Pelerian was trying to restart the incineration procedure. It''s not a suicide attempt. I had a n too. ''Isil, can you help?'' Because Isil was by my side. Chapter 209: Incineration (2) There was no reason or need to steal Isil''s me immunity with Crown of Steal. ''Sharing...!'' Isil can share skills with me. Its ''me Immunity''. With just that, I could survive during the incineration procedure. Then the question is how to restart the halted incineration procedure. Dr. Pelerian had methods. "Damage detected in test flesh tan-" "Failed to recover test fle-" "Closing life support system for test fle-" The Pelerian by my side, just a part of his soul, had lost some memories but. He is still clearly the creator of this massive system and dungeon. Just manipting as he instructed, the magic spirit''s voice flowed continuously. If the incineration procedure stopped due to ''iplete experiment'', we just need toplete it. "Transmitting experiment data." Something done repeatedly in other dungeons too. Transmitting experiment data. To where Pelerian is. Then where would the data transmitted from this ''tombstone'' in the mountains go? Explore stories on §Þ?? The crystal panel''s lights flickeredplexly. Pelerian seemed to understand its meaning. "Ah, below." ''What?'' "Below here, dungeon, underground...? Was there underground?" Though I''ve seen the crystal panel map dozens of times, there was no underground. "Must have been hidden. The signal is heading down now. Either my corpse is buried underground or there''s an underground space, one of the two." Then... At that moment, the magic spirit announced. "Resuming incineration and explosion procedures." "Incineration willmence shortly." "10..." Huh, wasn''t it 30 seconds before? The pounding sounds are getting closer too. The Failed Creation has finally tracked me. The sound is so scary! Well for now... "Get in the vent! Let''s go down!" That would be best. Just as I was about to slither into the vent. Kwang! The Failed Creation finally appeared. Its fairy-like long ears twitched as they moved toward me. The way it moves its ears so well is definitely beast-like. Our eyes met briefly. I immediately stuffed myself into the vent. No matter how fast and agile it was, it couldn''t squeeze into the narrow vent. I crawled in like a loach. "9... 8..." The countdown continued. Pelerian directed me with Right! Left! Left! I wondered if he knew something. ng! The vent suddenly widened. And started dropping at an almost vertical angle. ''This doesn''t seem like a vent!'' There was a reason for that judgment. Not just dust, but lots of dirty soot-like stuff was stuck everywhere. The passage also widened so much, toorge just for venttion. Looking at how it opens downward like a slide, it seems more like a passage for disposing of things. "ording to my memory, the very bottom of the dungeon is where waste is incinerated and disposed of." ''Then there''s a secret room below?'' "Well..." Then this must be a passage for throwing away trash. "7... 6..." A thunderous voice echoed from above. Looking up, the Failed Creation was also sliding down. It followed all the way here. We just met but why go this far? Is it because of Pelerian''s ring I''m wearing? "Shameful, monsteeer...!" ''Happiness is a burning heretic side kick!'' No matter how fast it was, it couldn''t fall faster. Whether wooden ball or iron ball, falling speed is almost the same. The distance between us didn''t narrow until the passage ended and we fell. Inded with a thud. Kwaang! The much heavier chimera crashed down much more loudly. Ash dust rose tremendously. "4...3..." Time kept flowing meanwhile. I quickly got up and took position. I couldn''t share Isil''s skill forever either. ¡¸Used Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil Sync lv2¡¹ ¡¸Sharing me Immunity lv-¡¹ Oh. I can feel magic power draining at an incredible rate. Must be the same for Isil. ''Isil, we need to hold tight.'' If it''s fire that burns this entire dungeon, tremendous heat waves will blow through too. The incineration will proceed without exception to this waste disposal facility. "2...1..." When the ash settled, the Failed Creation was visible. Its grotesque body was covered in pitch-ck ash, looking like a demon risen from hell. It looks painful. That thought urred to me. Maybe it really is. It is a chimera after all. For some reason, though it wants to kill me, I felt sympathy. ''Why did you make something like this?'' "Yeah, really makes me want to kill the bastard who made it." Seems Pelerian hase to hate Pelerian too. "Failure-, Snake-, Fairy-, Selena-!" ''I''ll punish Pelerian for you.'' Farewell. "Beginning incineration." Then a chiii- sound was heard. It was the sound of something being sprayed from nozzles protruding from some ceiling. Tick- That was the sound of ignition. The mes spread at a speedparable to a gas explosion. In the blink of an eye, this vast space was filled with mes. A destructive shockwave spread from the rapid pressure increase. Peoong! I had already coiled my body into a poop shape. With ck Scales skill activated too. After spinning several times in the air, I managed something like anding. Everything around was bright red. It felt like descending from the peak of a dwarf mine to below avake. Unknown liquid kept spraying from the ceiling nozzles. It became a rain of mes falling down. mes rage. Fire floods. Hell on earth was realized. But those terrible mes couldn''t harm me. This is the effect of me immunity...! Twitch twitch. Rather, Isil swayed its leaves as if feeling good. What a hardboiled vine grass. I also felt not bad except for having trouble breathing. Then the enemy? Test Flesh No.9 Failed Creation was wrapped in mes. It''s burning whoosh. But it''s not dead yet. Though suffering from the fire on its body, it stood enduring. It moved its mouth to say something. The sound couldn''t be heard due to the raging heat wave but. I could read its lips. ''Failed creation.'' Is that all you can say? Yes, I''ll free you from the pain of being born. The burning chimera approached me. I also approached to meet it. The space here was plenty wide. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv2¡¹ Enough for me to freely increase my size. I''ll end it in one shot. ¡¸Using eleration lv7¡¹ ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv4¡¹ Since my mouth becamerger than the chimera. I bit it whole. Crunch! The burning one couldn''t resist. Therefore, it was one strike. ¡¸You have killed Test Flesh No.9 Failed Creation lv120¡¹ Chapter 210: The Hideout and the Diary (1) Deep blue sky. Sharp mountain peaks. The ridge, which sharply divides sky and earth as if carved by a knife, is covered with eternal snow. Kuuuu- A wyvern''s cry echoed thunderously through the sky. Two women were walking through that treacherous magic realm. Their apparent ages seemed simr. However, they didn''t look likepanions at all. One was a fairy, and one was human. The fairy had silver hair and wore traditional white clothing. The human had long me-like red hair and wore ck leather pants and jacket. They didn''t match at all, and indeed, they rarely spoke during their time together. But they did have something inmon. Despite the difficult terrain, their movements were light. Whether climbing terrible slopes. Or descending dizzying descents. They never stopped once. They bounced lightly like mountain goats. "...There are fewer monsters than I expected." It was Heilit Langrey who spoke. "It''s iparably barrenpared to the Great Forest." Iris answered thus. The Great Forest had the highest vegetation density of all magic realms, no, the entire continent. nts and trees grew thickly everywhere. Any tree you grabbed had insects crawling on it, snakes lived there, and leopards would jump out of bushes to catch mice. "I wouldn''t call it barren." Heilitughed, "Ha!" "Is that so?" "If the mountains are barren, how would you describe deserts or snowfields?" Indeed, quite many creatures live in the mountains. Even excluding monsters. "But it''s quiet as death." "That''s what''s strange. Somehow..." Heilit pondered. The surroundings were oddly quiet. Until yesterday, they had encountered quite a few monsters like termites and such, but today there were none. It was strange considering Heilit and Iris were heading toward the magic realm''s center at an amazing speed. "Around here..." That''s when. The reason Iris suddenly stopped. Heilit didn''t do anything foolish like asking "What is it?" Because Iris''s pointed ears twitched like a cat''s. Something was nearby. Having realized this, Heilit should show something too. She reached into her trademarkrge backpack. The inside of the backpack with spatial magic was almost like having an entire warehouse. What emerged from the backpack was a. The weights attached to the''s edges had runic engravings. Read exclusive content at §Þ?? Heilit threw the as soon as she pulled it out. The spread due to centrifugal force as she threw it with a spin. The weights glowed blue, and the pounced on something as if alive. It was an ordinary rock. But when the wrapped around that rock, it crumpled. "Ah, aah!" It wasn''t a rock, but someone wearing a cloak. The grayish cloak with strange texture had acted as camouge. It wasn''t magic, just a trick using dirty cloth and sand. "Help, please spare me!" The moved on its own, wrapping around the prey''s body. Though not particrly powerful, it was quite shocking for the one caught. "What, it''s just a human?" Heilit sighed as if disappointed. "Please, release the. I''m really not suspicious." The rock-disguised person calling himself ''not suspicious''. Nothing could look more suspicious than that. But Heilit retrieved the. "I thought it was some interesting monster disguised as a rock. How disappointing." "Sorry for not being one... My name is Pandan..." Pandan, or Pandan. That adventurer was who had been hiding. "Why were you hiding like that?" "I thought you two weren''t human either." "Huh? Why?" "Ah..." Seeing them run down the treacherous mountains without rest, he thought they might be the legendary mountain goblins said to hide in the mountains. He didn''t have the courage to say that. "Fa... thought you were goblins." "One is human and one is fairy. Not me, just that grandmother." Iris, referred to as grandmother, didn''t even furrow her brow. Pandan only then noticed Iris''s pointed ears. Meeting a rare fairy, and so far from the Great Forest in these mountains. "Why are you hiding here?" Pandan, who had been making a foolish expression, startled. Just as he was about to make excuses. Pandan''s eyes met Heilit''s. "I''m an adventurer. I came here for a mission..." Eyes strangely impossible to read. "...Mypanions all died. Ah, and I''m an Imperial citizen." Not sure why he added thatst part. Only then did Heilit grin. "I could tell from your ent." "Yes." He had just used an ent that showed no trace of being Imperial. Pandan had such doubts, but didn''t press the issue. "If your mission failed and everyone died, why are you lingering alone in a ce like this instead of leaving?" "Ah..." Need to choose words carefully here. This woman has unpleasantly prating eyes, so without showing it. "There are two Wyvern Queens gathered nearby..." That''s when. Kwaang! An explosion sound was heard from the northwest. Looking back, a pir of fire rose in the sky. And two massive ck and white wyverns. Flew around that pir of fire, not knowing what to do. "That, that''s it." Iris and Langrey looked at each other. Pelerian''s dungeon they were looking for. Could it be there? "Let''s go!" As Langrey and Iris were about to run. Just as Pandan tried to slip away. "Youe too!" "What?" For some reason, Pandan didn''t dare try to escape. "Ah, understood." The three ran together. Toward the stone tower spewing fire. == ¡¸You have killed Test Flesh No.9 Failed Creation lv120¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing magic power¡¹ ¡¸Magic power is already saturated¡¹ It was an enormous amount of magic power. Chimera No. 9 hadpletely turned to charcoal. The A-rank quest, ''Eliminate Pelerian''s Chimeras'' was splendidlypleted. The ugly past Pelerian left in the world. Those chimeras, evidence of that past, were all eliminated and became my experience points. Since the incineration procedure started and the entire dungeon interior was engulfed in mes, even the evidence must have cleanly burned away. But somehow, I had a bad taste in my mouth. ''Ptui ptui!'' Ah, must be because part of the charred chimera was in my mouth. After spitting out what was in my mouth, it wasn''t bitter anymore. Crumble. The body of Chimera No. 9 crumbled likepletely burned coal briquettes. It didn''t even contain a magic stone. No, maybe the magic stone burned up in the hot mes. When using Gigantification skill, strength and weight increase but there are side effects. The body''s durability weakens proportionally, and speed also decreases. I reduced my body size again. My magic power was running low anyway. Chapter 211: The Hideout and the Diary (2) The dungeon interior still had mes raging everywhere. If I lose the me immunity shared from Isil, I''ll be a nicely roasted snake. Fortunately, the rain of fire soon stopped. "Halting... incineration... procedure." Perhaps due to the extreme heat. Even the magic spirit''s voice was distorted. ''Now, need to find if there''s a passage somewhere around here.'' "Right, better find it quickly." Pelerian said so. I looked at him dully, thinking he was rushing me to find it quickly, but Pelerian shook his head. "No, I mean literally better find it quickly. Isn''t it hot?" ''Huh?'' I realized what he meant. Though the fire was out, the interior was still hot. The stones had heated up, making it like the inside of a furnace. The moment I lose me immunity, I''ll start cooking immediately. Though my heat resistance isn''t low so I could endure somewhat, it would only be briefly. But the situation went from bad to worse. "Moving to... explosion... procedure." After cleanly incinerating the interior, itpletely copses the dungeon. As expected, Pelerian was a thorough and meticulous fairy. Need to quickly find the underground space. "Try magic detection. If space was secretly made underground, it must have been built using magic." Using magic detection, there were things visible. But blue and red lines were mixed everywhere, making it hard to discern. ''There''s a square thing with blue lines drawn in a grid!'' "Seems there''s a panel underneath." Ash was piled thickly on the floor. I hastily used wind magic, and immediately regretted it. "Kelsaak!" The scattered ash made me sneeze and my eyes stung. "Making quite a fuss!" Quickly sprayed water. Chiiik! The ash settled but the water instantly evaporated into steam. A dangerous situation where I could barely see ahead. But, when the ash was washed away from the floor, something was revealed. Fairynguage. I read it stumblingly. ''My... coffin?'' The dungeon''s name is ''Tombstone''. Naturally, there should be a coffin buried under a tombstone. "That''s the door!" There was a square iron block on the floor. Looking at the ring that could be pulled, it seems to be a door, but ash was packed tightly in the door gap making it impossible to open. I wedged the dagger Dawn into the door handle. Then bit firmly on Dawn''s handle and started pulling. Kigik, kigigik... Just as it seemed it might open. At that moment my magic power ran out. Actually, I was fine, but Isil copsed first. ¡¸Sync lv2 interrupted¡¹ ¡¸Sharing of me Immunity lv- interrupted¡¹ The heat made all my scales shrivel. Feels like someone suddenly pushed me into boiling hot springs. I held my breath. I''ll surely die if this drags on too long. I pulled the door handle with all my might. Isil also extended vines to help. Honestly, it didn''t help at all. But it''s cute so it''s fine. Kiiii- Finally the door opened. "Explo...sion." Kwaang! This time there was no friendly countdown. The moment I heard the explosion sound, I jumped through the opened floor door. Didn''t forget to close the door. Seems there was originally adder going down but I just fell. Got caught somewhere, slid down with a tter, andnded. Kugugugugung- Tremendous vibrations and explosion sounds echoed from above. That tall stone tower must be copsing. The ground shook so much I felt like throwing up. Honestly, I worried this underground space might copse too. But fortunately that didn''t happen. Seems this underground space was made to withstand the dungeon''s copse. The copse finally stopped after a while. If the stone tower copsedpletely, how do we get out of here? Such worry came briefly, but that''s a matter forter. First need to look around inside. I slowly entered further in. Creak. Started at the sensation felt from the floor. Wood. Seems the floor was made of wood. This is a rare method in Pelerian''s dungeon. ''Can''t see well ahead.'' Though I have night vision, I just came from where mes were shing. Some lighting would be nice. So I rummaged through spatial storage and took out a candle. Who gave it to me, was it Amain, or Dunkel? ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv8¡¹ Lit it with a small me. With no magic power, this was the limit. If this ce is safe, I want to evolve quickly. Then magic power would be more abundant too. This time I''m definitely evolving into a serpent. Just imagining it made my chest feel grand. "Haah." Who''s sighing so deeply! Stay connected through §Þ?? Of course it was Pelerian. "He copied exactly how my house looked." He was evaluating the interior of this ce. ''House?'' "Yes, my house in the Great Forest." Pelerian must have lived in the Great Forest in the past too. Though he was driven out and could never set foot in his homnd again. This space seemed made while reminiscing about his house that was there. In other words, it was a very personal space. The signal transmitted from the dungeon''s control room extended to this underground. Then could Pelerian have been hiding and living here... "Saak!" I almost dropped the candle in surprise. Ahead, there was a chair. And it seemed someone had their arm resting on the chair. ''It''s a corpse!'' It was a corpse with only bones remaining. It''s Pelerian. Must be Pelerian! "Heo, heoheoeok!" "Saaak!" Pelerian must have been surprised too, as he froze in a strange pose. Meeting bones in darkness was honestly scary. Didn''t have the courage to approach. "What are you... ! Quickly go closer." ''Ugh...'' Had no choice but to go closer due to Pelerian''s urging. And getting closer, I could tell. ''Only the arm. Only the arm remains?'' From here, only arm bones were visible. Going closer, rather than a corpse, there was just one arm bone ced on the chair. And in its grip was a dirty crystal ball. "It''s a receiver!" So that was the receiver for experimental information. Then this arm''s owner was anyway... "My bracelet and jewelry. It''s, it''s my arm indeed." It was Pelerian''s own arm. But why was only the arm here without other parts? I checked the desk. Several odds and ends were ced there where dust had piled thickly. A golden key of unique shape. And, a diary bound in ck leather. I carefully opened the diary first. Complex fairynguage was written. Pelerian and I slowly read it and. "Heo." Yes. We couldn''t help but be surprised. Chapter 212: Its evolution time!!!!!!! (1) The paper was low quality. But the writing on it had quite an elegant hand. ¡¸This letter first started in Solion Impel...¡¹ Pelerian burned the paper as soon as he saw that phrase. He''d heard about the spread of these cursed chain letters but never thought one would reach him. "Damn it, these bastards with nothing better to do." An irritated Pelerian swept back his hair. He had few ces he could call a ''sanctuary''. Ironically, considering he''d built hundreds of dungeons for himself across the continent. The dungeons were all research facilities or important instations for achieving greater purposes. They could be Pelerian''s ''outposts'' but not ''sanctuaries''. The Tombstone dungeon built in the magic realm ''Mountains''. The space secretly built underneath it was, therefore, a very precious ce. Because it was where Pelerian truly built for his end. He visited here often, and the mostmon activity in this sanctuary was reading umted letters. If asked whether the Heaven Defying Magician had friends to exchange letters with, naturally the answer would be no. However, from a certain perspective, he had many. "Who''s this one addressed to... Jenkins?" The back of the letter was addressed to Mr. Jenkins. That''s a name he used in Solion Impel. Somewhere in Solion Impel, there must be a small house where a magician named Jenkins stays. Letters arriving in that mailbox eventually get delivered to Pelerian. He had such fake identities throughout major cities across the continent. ''Genie'' used in that desert, ''Hegemony'' of the East, and also ''Arthur'', ''Riddle'', ''Pendragon''... To be honest, Fairy Magician Pelerian wasn''t popr. That was a clear fact. But he had made some friends under some names he used while hiding his identity. Very asionally, letters woulde from them. They would pile up quite a bit when collected. Today there weren''t many. Well, with so many identities, these were connections from decades or centuries ago. Among his few friends, all the short-lived races must be dead by now. "Have I lived too long?" Pelerian startled at his own muttered words. Living too long? Fairies don''t say such things. When there are much older fairies still living fine... Perhaps Pelerian had been out in the world too long. That''s why he might have be unfairy-like. "...Fairy, yes, what use is being a fairy." He closed his eyes briefly. Whoosh. Letters scattered about all burned away at once. It was elemental magic that had reached divinity. He''d thought reading umted letters before death would be quite a romantic end. But he felt it wasn''t so in reality. His left arm was now ckened from fingertips to wrist. The price of failing to contact ''Chaos'' as a magician. What Heaven Defying. Even this final struggle ended like this. Because of that, he was dying from chaos poison spreading from his left arm... It was just going a bit earlier anyway. Death wasn''t frightening. Only this terrible emptiness was a problem. "Spirit." "Yes, Lord Pelerian." The magic spirit''s voice came from the receiver ced on the desk. "When I die soon, burn and destroy everything. Leave nothing." "Should we stop the experiments?" "Yes. Stop it all." The thought of switching bodies. He really had considered it. But seeing thepleted chimera that imitated a fairy, Pelerian felt great shock. It was neither fairy nor monster. Just a grotesque chimera. Why did he have such thoughts even briefly? Probably due to the shock of his believed world crumbling. ''Make fairies great again...'' Stagnating, dying fairies. He wanted to save the race going extinct like a stagnant pond slowly drying up. By finding a way to evolve into High-Elves. But the moment he learned it was all meaningless. The moment the motivation that had driven him until now disappeared. Pelerian copsed. A journaly written before him. ¡¸The End lives and breathes in the Imperial underground garden.¡¹ A ck shadow loomed over the entire continent. ¡¸I now realize civilization''s time is short. If it cannot be stopped, all living sentient beings will die in the near future. Fairies too...¡¹ If he hadn''t infiltrated the Imperial Pce himself. If he hadn''t seen the End monster growing in that basement, he wouldn''t have believed it. All civilization on the continent will perish? He would have dismissed it as conspiracy theorists'' nonsense. Continue reading at §Þ?? Anyway. All those headache-inducing matters end now too. Pelerian felt death approaching. His body temperature was rapidly cooling. ng. He dropped the wine ss held in his right hand. The hard liquor he rarely drank spilled on the floor. He remembers the ending of a tragedy he liked. ''Raise your cup. Death awaits sharpening its de at the door.'' Which y was that from? The light slowly fades. Darkness creeps in. To use those Eastern monks'' expression. Pelerian was now moving from this shore to the other shore. Just as he was about to fall into that eternal sea of fog. Beep- beep- beep- The receiver ced on the desk blinked while making sounds. Only very few could contact the receiver. Pelerian''s eyes widened. This contact was from Pelerian''s arch-nemesis. Caspian. That human archmage had sent a message to Pelerian. The code appearing on the receiver shed at a speed no ordinary person could read. Pelerian''s expression changed moment by moment seeing it. "...Hehe, says he''lle." Pelerian''s reaction to Caspian''s message was. "Invading my domain to save my life? How dare he...!" Mockery and anger. But either way, opposite reactions to resignation to death. That must have changed Pelerian''s mind. He couldn''t sit here waiting for salvation from an enemy. Even if Pelerian died before then, he couldn''t let his nemesis see him die pathetically alone. Pelerian''s pride wouldn''t allow it. He rose from his chair. His vision swam as he staggered. The chaos poison spreading from his left hand. Pelerian ced his right hand on his left forearm. The forearm froze pure white, then broke off cleanly as if cut by a de. He sacrificed his left arm for a brief dy. The severed left arm fell onto the chair. The left hand still gripped the receiver. Thanks to a precise magicbination, not a single drop of blood fell. Pelerian red at the desktop with a pale face. If it''s Caspian, he would surely find and enter this hideout. That terrible youngster always exceeded Pelerian''s imagination. Then he would find the severed arm and receiver here. There was already something worth delivering to Caspian. Pelerian took out a gold-carved key from his breast pocket and ced it on the desk. About to leave without hesitation, he turned back. And taking out a pen, scribbled something in the journal. Thinking Caspian would read those words when he returns someday. After writing, Pelerian left the dungeon without hesitation. Even he didn''t know what to do next. It was uncertain how long he could extend his dying life. However, if he survived, he would return. Though his resolution may have been firm. Pelerian never returned. == Written in fairynguage in the journal. ¡¸Caspian, you shall take neither my favor, nor my debt, nor my corpse!¡¹ Written in one decisive stroke. Chapter 213: Its evolution time!!!!!!! (2) How could one sentence contain such a stubborn personality. I know that Caspian the human magician was Pelerian''s rival (actually an even more amazing magician than Pelerian). They were never close enough to call each otherrades. Though they must have been hostile, somehow it was written that he tried toe save the dying Pelerian. Why? "We were not such rtions. Never!" ording to Pelerian''s iplete memories, it''s nonsense. ''That''s just your opinion, maybe this Caspian person was actually nice? Like an honorable enemy who would save you?'' "Puhah! Nonsense. That bastard was a psycho without blood or tears and full of ws." The fact that heughs rather than rages suggests it''s true. Anyway looking at what''s here now. ''Seems this Caspian person never came here. Or couldn''te.'' "I see..." Pelerian''s journal, the golden key, various items remained as they were. No traces of intrusion either. What was all this about. Does this mean we should consider Pelerian still alive? The journal says death was unavoidable but I''m not sure. ''By the way, there''s a lot of shocking content.'' "Indeed there is." It was a journal recording the world''s secrets. The most surprising was. ''That the continent will soon perish...'' "That I gave up on fairy evolution..." My and Pelerian''s surprising points differed, but. The reason Pelerian abandoned his lifelong wish was because he discovered the continent would perish, so the tracks aligned. ''Imperial Pce means that empire right? What''s in their underground garden?'' The journal said ''The End'' lives and breathes there. Is End some kind of alias for a monster? "End refers to monsters that can destroy the continent." ''Is it simr to those called Cmities?'' "There are indeed monsters called Cmities." Among named monsters, particrly amazing ones are called things like Several Cmities or Cmity of Somewhere. They say some monsters can actually destroy small kingdoms alone but. If only it were believable. If there were that many such monsters, wouldn''t the continent have perished long ago? The power intion is severe. No different from how even Krillin could supposedly destroy Earth by power level standardster in DragonX. "But End is different. End monsters will someday destroy the continent. Such prophecies have been passed down in various ways since ancient times. Every sect has received such divine messages." ''No matter how strong a single monster is, how could it destroy the continent? Just going from one end to the other would take ages.'' It wasn''t mockery but pure curiosity. "Though I don''t know what form the End monster will take, End monsters are said to have no limit to growth. They keep getting stronger by endlessly devouring others. Eventually even other monsters be subordinate to End and be its limbs. If that''s true, it wouldn''t be impossible." No limit to growth. That''s totally like me. ''They''re raising such a monster in the Imperial underground garden? Why did they do that?'' "I wouldn''t know. I can hardly believe it in the first ce..." It was an absurd thing even Pelerian himself found hard to believe. But Pelerian''s main body, or Pel-body for short, seemed sincere. Then when exactly is the world supposed to end? Pelerian''s lifelong pursuit, ''fairy evolution''. If he gave up on that, the remaining time must not have been long. I searched the journal thoroughly. And found the part with the remaining time written! ¡¸Perhaps, the time given to us... roughly 20 years.¡¹ 20 years. Not a time that could be called short. By fairy standards, 20 years might be unavoidable. Fortunately quite a while left. ''Wait.'' Suddenly realized. ''Hasn''t 20 years already passed?'' "Uh... you''re right." Surprised, I looked at the journal and the sentence continued on the next page. ¡¸...or attest within 120 years. Oh, inevitable death. Liquor already drunk.¡¹ Sigh. These fairies. Have we already be mid-apocalypse? Not sure. If I ever get a chance to visit the Imperial Pce. I''d like to meet that friend called End in the underground garden. Maybe they''re actually a nice friend with no intention of destroying the world. Though I probably won''t ever meet them. "Take that key." The gold-carved key. Looking closely, it was hard to even call it a key. Because it was bent all wobbly, looking like a unique piece of craftwork. "It''s a Royal Bank key. For a special vault that can never be forged." ''You were going to hand this over to that human magician right? What''s inside?'' "I don''t remember. We''ll know when we open it." Pelerian said proudly. What would bank clerks say if I went to the bank, presented the key, and asked them to open the vault? They''d probably go ''Aak! A snake!'' or ''Please take a number first''. I''ll think about itter. To be honest. I had something that interested me more than the world''s destruction right now. ''Let''s evolve first then think about it.'' "Well, sure, do that." After a long time. It''s evolution time. == ¡ùEvolution precautions. -Evolve in a safe ce. -Evolve with gratitude. -Choose evolution carefully. No problems with evolution if you mind these three things. This underground dungeon of Pelerian''s had no issues regarding safety. Because it was built very sturdily, and covered by the copsed stone tower above. I tried to sleep to see my evolution choices and have an exciting evolution. Because evolution options would appear in sleep. I''ll pick something good and evolve right away. Though I told Pelerian this and went to sleep. "...Sasak!" I had to wake up startled. "Why, what is it." ''Uh, the evolution method is different from usual?'' The options appearing is the same. But this evolution wouldn''t end with just a good night''s sleep. ''It says it takes about 30 days.'' "Hooh, metamorphosis huh." ''That''s not it?'' "No, I mean metamorphosis like when insects or beasts change form." ''Ah!'' In other words, like caterpirs bing butterflies and mosquitorvae bing mosquitoes. Like bing a pupa, it takes a whole month to evolve? "The situation actually worked out well." ''That''s true.'' It wouldn''t be easy to spend 30 days evolving out in the dangerous world. Being trapped underground actually became a good situation. "I''ll organize my thoughts a bit, you go ahead and evolve." ''Shall I?'' Pelerian then slipped into the ring. Isil in the flowerpot twitched. ''Want to go inside the ring too?'' With it taking 30 days, Isil would get hungry too. Stay in the safe spatial storage. After putting Isil and misceneous items in spatial storage, I tried evolving again. Soon, drowsiness washed over me. == ¡¸Special evolution conditions achieved¡¹ ¡¸Evolution avable¡¹ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [From Crystal Crown Python lv50+++] 1.[Little Python Head Wyvern] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh my god. A chance to change species has arrived. Literally could be a small snake-headed wyvern. Maybe because two Wyvern Queens mistook me for their child? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ 2.[Crystal Double Crown Python] 3.[Big Head Serpent] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh! It''s Serpent! Finally can evolve into a serpent. But Big Head means bing a big head? Don''t want a big head... Maybe losing the crown if I be Big Head Serpent. That would be a big problem. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ 4.[Little Prince Serpent] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Meeting the ''Little'' modifier after a while. Does that mean bing small again? But that modifier somehow feels familiar. Little Prince, hmm... feels like I''ve heard it somewhere before. Chapter 214: The Wyvern Funeral (1) The process of choosing what to evolve into was quite rational. First, I don''t want to be a wyvern. Growing wings wouldn''t be bad. However, suddenly changing species here would be no different from reducing my infinite possibilities. The grand journey that started from ''Little White Snake'' might end here. If I stop being a snake. Would dad no longer be dad, and would Wyvern Mom be my real mom? Anyway, I still wanted to maintain my identity as a snake. ''Crystal Double Crown Python.'' Evolution from ''CCP'' to ''CDCP''. Though it looked like an orthodox evolution tree, do I really need two crowns? There''s a saying about too much of a good thing. Rather than a kingly evolution, it might be a branch into a variant. Thinking about future evolution trees, I had concerns. In mythology and such, there are always snakes with multiple heads. Things like Hydra, Typhon, Orochi, Nine-Headed Dragon. Personally, I don''t want to evolve like that. Having multiple heads is scary. From that perspective, two choices remain. First, No. 3 Big Head Serpent. No. 4 Little Prince Serpent. Since I wanted to quickly evolve into a serpent. Finally reaching the serpent stage this time. Big Head Serpent means a serpent with a big head, but I don''t know why this evolution option appeared. What rtionship is there between my actions and big heads? Is it because I got along too well with dwarves, who are typically big-headed? The Pelerian''s soul form apanying me does have a head and body of simr size. Little Prince Serpent has the ''Little'' modifier. My image of a serpent is one with substantial bulk. But little? Does it mean small by serpent standards or actually objectively smaller? I became slightly smaller when evolving into Crystal Crown Python. Getting a bit smaller from here might not be bad. I can grow bigger with Gigantification anyway. ''...Hmm.'' Actually, the deliberation wasn''t very long. Prince = prince, right? Though I don''t want to be a prince, a smart snake could notice. Prince and ''Crown''. They seem rted. In other words, it might be the orthodox route of my [Crown] trait tree. I made my decision. ¡¸Evolving into ''Little Prince Serpent''¡¹ It begins! Normally I would feel my body changing here. Scales bing tougher. The crown on my head growing and such. But this time those changes didn''t progress rapidly. Below the options was text I''d never seen before: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡ùEvolution from current state to ''Serpent'' takes approximately 30 days. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Since I had no intention of choosing anything but serpent anyway, I was prepared for this. ¡¸Preparing evolution¡¹ ¡¸Forming crystal cocoon¡¹ Ooh, oh! I can feel something covering my body. Surely I won''t have to endure just rolling my eyes for 30 days. The timing is perfect. Being able to safely evolve in this underground shelter that rivals a nuclear bunker. Though clearly asleep, drowsiness washed over me. A dream within a dream. I slowly sank into slumber. When I open my eyes, I''ll be a magnificent serpent. That''s what I expected. == "Huu, hu." Pandan exhaled roughly. He was an excellent adventurer and skilled rogue. But keeping up with the fairy and Heilit''s running was extremely difficult. If they hadn''t been considerate, he would have fallen behind. It would have been nice if he had. He didn''t want to get involved with these dangerous-looking two. But the two insisted on dragging Pandan along. Running toward where mes rose. Right where those dangerous wyverns were. Finally Heilit released Pandan''s wrist. Pandan fell to his knees and dry heaved. "Uuk, huu, heok, huk." "You said there was a stone tower!" Pandan raised his tired face at Heilit''s words. And was startled. "Uh...?" "Why isn''t it here." "I-it was definitely here!" There was a stone tower, but now there wasn''t. There was definitely a ck stone tower. He had confirmed it before returning, buting back to the spot, there was nothing. "Ah, i-it must have copsed!" The air was thick with dirt dust. That massive stone tower must have copsedpletely. Indeed, thunderous sounds had echoed several times on their way here. Stone fragments were neatly piled up. But why did a perfectly standing tower suddenly copse? Pandan had no way to guess. He didn''t know that tower was legacy left by the infamous Heaven Defying Magician. Iris and Heilit whispered. "What should we do?" "What else." The ce presumed to be Pelerian''s dungeon had copsed. Only one option remained. "We have to clear the rocks and search." Heilit''s face turned ashen at that answer. "Clear these rocks with just us two... no, three?" When Heilit eximed in surprise, Pandan looked around. Three? Why say three? "We must." "Rather than that, if we hire workers and slowly demolish..." "..." "Right, we can''t do that." "Should I call my kin?" "Just getting fairies here would take ages." Heilit sighed. Though she usually bickered with Iris, she had been willing to help. Isn''t that why she brought her here? ''But this is too much...'' But searching through copsed tower ruins to find Pelerian''s whereabouts? Even hiring workers, it would be a major project taking at least several months. If handling it secretly, it would take years. That means being tied here that whole time. She''s not a long-lived race like fairies, it''s nonsense. ''Honestly we''re not even that close.'' Heilit decided. ''Yes, sorry but I should say we need to go back.'' From here on is fairy business. Just as Heilit was about to say this. A white mass plopped down in front of her as she turned. "Aak shit! You scared me!" A white mass the size of a human torso. It contained undigested termite monster shells and legs mixed in. Looking up at the sky revealed the identity of what fell. "Bird droppings, no, wyvern droppings..." Two massive wyverns pped about in the sky above. He knew of their existence from what Pandan told him. But something seemed odd. The two weren''t fighting. They just flew around in circles. "Kugagagagagak!" The ck Wyvern Queen. That monster roared at them. A wary look as if saying ''Don''t dare think of approaching.'' ''That one''s warning us.'' Hunter Heilit Langrey instinctively considered hunting methods. Definitely a named monster. If asked whether it could be hunted, it wouldn''t be impossible. Even if it''s a monster you can''t win against in battle, skilled hunters can still hunt it. Chapter 215: The Wyvern Funeral (2) But now wasn''t a suitable situation for hunting. "Looks like we can''t even approach unless we take those ones down." "Hmm..." Iris was troubled too. "Let''s try hunting them. There are three of us..." "What? Are you crazy? I''m out." Even the fairy naturally counted him as fighting force, making Pandan want to jump up and down in frustration. However, he wasn''t forcibly drafted into wyvern hunting. One head of the ck wyvern. And three heads of the white wyvern. "Kuaaaa!" "Guwooo." "Duuuu." "Kerererere!" All four heads suddenly started singing together. Such long, loud crying wasn''t just roaring to show strength. They were calling. Their kin, their subordinates. "Uh..." ''Wyvern Queen'' wasn''t just about being big. When the queens wailed, wyverns respecting their authority came from far away. Not just one or two. "What a crowd..." White and ck wyverns gathered like a swarm of bees. These queens never called other wyverns even when fighting each other. There was a separate reason they called their kin together like this. "Kuwak!" "Guwoong!" Orders fell and. All those numerous wyverns began descending to the ground at once. What was about to happen? Even a long-lived fairy. Even a mighty hero had no choice but to withdraw silently at this moment. == Wobbly wobbly. Wobbly wobbly wobbly. Long ago when young. I saw something called the ''Dead Sea'' in a scienceic book. The wordbines ''dead'' and ''sea'', called that because no living things can survive there. Because the water is too salty, they say. Because of that, your body floats instead of sinking they say. Since I couldn''t swim, I was very curious about that. I wanted to visit someday but died without being able to. But the sensation felt here now reminds me of that Dead Sea. Cozy, damp, sticky. It feels like my body is floating. How small will I be as Little Prince Serpent? Even dad who I thought was enormously huge was actually small. Thinking of it that way, it''s not bad. I can use Gigantification anyway. Father was definitely a ''big and cool snake''. I want to be a big and cool snake too. Like that End monster. Got to eat lots and lots, and get much much stronger. Be the continent''s greatest snake. Ah. Seems my dream is set. I want to be the''s greatest snake. A snake as tremendously strong, as long as rivers and as huge as mountains. Be the universe''s greatest snake! Thud- My mind was hazy. I woke from the long sleep a momentter. Kuung- ''Huk!'' I can see ahead. But it''s not clear, looking cloudy. How to describe it, like wearing sses that don''t fit? Just as I tried to rub my eyes with my tail. I realized my body wouldn''t move. ''Uh oh, why won''t it move.'' My body won''t move at all. I got scared thinking I might bepletely paralyzed but. "You''re awake." Pelerian popped out. ''Why won''t my body move? Did the evolution not work properly?'' "Evolution you say?" And an unexpected answer came back. "It''s only been 7 days since evolution started." ''What?'' From my perspective it felt like blinking once. But why did I wake up after 7 days instead of a month? "You meltedpletely like soup in that crystal." ''What do you mean?'' "Exactly what I said, your body melted into goo then started growing again. It hasn''t even fully hardened yet." Kyaak. To think I went through such a horrible process. Come to think of it, I heard pupae''s insides also turn into something like thick protein drink in the initial state. I''m a snake not a bug but it''s simr huh. I focused and observed myself. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little Prince Serpent lv.0 (Evolving)] [Traits] -- [Skills] -- [Status] [Evolution] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ooh. My name changed. But maybe because I''m still evolving, I couldn''t see detailed changes. Can''t even see what I look like so it''s a bit frustrating. Plus if it''s still only day 7, that means I have to stay like this for over 3 more weeks. ''It''s going to be super boring.'' "Hmm... I don''t think so." ''...Why?'' Pelerian didn''t need to answer. Kuung! A rumbling sound came with vibrations. Come to think of it, I think I heard such sounds in my dream too. This is deep underground but. Is someone doing construction outside? Kwaang! But that sound is unusually loud. Suddenly realized. My whole body seems covered in thick crystal, if it sounds this loud how thunderous must it be actually? The answer came right away. Kwaaaang! As rocks fell from the ceiling, a wyvern''s head poked down. From that impact I toppled over sideways. Dazzling light came in. Sunlight from ground level. Then could it be, all the tower ruins were cleared? I was startled enough to jump but couldn''t because my body was hardened. It was Wyvern Mom''s head that appeared. She looks very tired. Covered in dirt dust, with scratches from rocks all over her snout and head. "Ku, ku..." Seeing me covered in crystal, she can''t continue speaking. Joy, shock, fear, sorrow. That whirlpool ofplex emotions. "Kugaaaak!" Burst out as an anguished roar. Does she think I''m dead, hardened stiff? Looking at her tears, seems so. Bang- Kwang! And once more the ceiling broke and. This time three heads appeared. I nearly wet myself because they were Chugota''s three heads. That monster also let out an anguished roar seeing me. "Guuoo!" "Kererere!" "Dururu!" The two Wyvern Queens thrash their heads while crying. After a while. After emotions settled somewhat. Wyvern Mom Celeta carefully picked me up in her mouth. "Kuoo." Chugota didn''t interfere. Their rtionship must have improved somewhat. And finally when we came up to the ground. ''Uwaaa!'' "Uh oh, uh oh!" I let out a mental scream. In the middle of what had be a in in Delfram. Hundreds of wyverns were gathered on the ground covered in ck tower ruins. All looked tired and covered in dirt dust, presumably from digging earth and clearing rocks. All those wyverns were looking at me. Wyvern Mom set me down on the ground. "Hey hey! Why are they here!" Though Pelerian told me to turn my head and look, I couldn''t because I was hardened. "That''s Iris, the Golden Leaf Investigator, and the red-haired human who plucked your scales before!" ''What!'' Only my eyeballs could roll around. I can barely see them. The humans were watching from far away. Looking at the tent behind them, seems they''ve been camping out here waiting. Did theye looking for Pelerian''s dungeon? They probably wouldn''t recognize me? That''s when Wyvern Mom lifted her head to the sky and began making a different cry than usual. "Kuuuu..." A long, drawn-out cry in a low tone. Then other wyverns also lifted their heads and began crying together. "Uuuu..." Chugota joined in and. The three siblings below also joined. Eventually hundreds of wyverns cried together. "Uuuuuuuu-" All of Delfram seemed to shake with crying. Tears rolled down the three siblings'' eyes. "This is..." Both Pelerian and I. Realized what situation was unfolding. "It''s your funeral." ''Huk...'' The white runt borncking wings and legs. All the wyverns of Delfram worked together trying to save him but. Here, found as a stiff corpse. For the mothers who lost their child. A moment of silence. Whether by coincidence or necessity. At that moment I awakened a new ability. ¡¸Synchronizing with numerous wyverns simultaneously¡¹ ¡¸Acquired Crown of Connection lv1¡¹ Chapter 216: Magic Serpent (1) A surprising fact. Even beasts hold funerals. Not all beasts mourn their dead together, but it''s behavior often seen in rtively intelligent animals that live in groups. Elephants are a prime example, as are goris and others. The same goes for monsters like wyverns. When young offspring die, or when a great queen dies, wyverns gather to mourn together. Of course, the scale varies greatly. Having countless wyverns gather in one ce to mourn the death of offspring. In other words, it''s a very rare sight. "Uuuuuu-!" Their low crying voices resonate like a chorus. You could call it a primitive form of funeral song. It''s nearly impossible for non-monsters to witness such a scene. Even for fairies who live with nature, or hunters who treat magic realms like home, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Heilit Langrey. The human woman with a twisted affection for monsters felt a thrill. Her whole body vibrated. Literally, she shook from the ultra-low frequencies resonating from the wyverns. The cries of the two queens in particr were overwhelming. Those beautiful and dangerous, tremendously huge monsters shed tears. And during that. The fairy Iris broke the silence and spoke. "That worked out well." Heilit whipped her head around at that dry, even parched response. Unlike the moved Heilit, Iris showed no emotion. "Now it''ll be easier to investigate the dungeon." "What did you say, you crazy?" "?" Witnessing such a majestic scene firsthand. And all you can say is ''Good that the wyverns cleared the tower ruins''? A human could never do that. Ah right, she''s not human but fairy. Maybe that''s why. The funeral wasn''t long. The hundreds of wyverns who spent 7 days carrying broken rocks and digging earth. After crying out for the dead offspring, they took flight one by one. Even that was spectacr. Soon only two queens remained on the ground. Then the offspring became visible. If the wyverns hadn''t held a funeral while wailing, they might not have recognized it as a wyvern offspring. It was an offspring''s corpse covered in something like hard crystal. Whether struck by magic or dried up after death. One queen had three offspring, apparently their siblings. And the rogue Pandan who had been quietly standing behind. Seeing that crystal-covered monster reminded him of something. ''Could that be... Mr. Snake?'' It looked clearly different from that snake. Though that snake''s scales shone like crystal, this one was covered in thick crystalyers giving apletely different impression. There was no sign of life at all. It justy face down motionless. The semi-transparent crystal interior was grotesque with bright red blood and nasty things stuck inside. ''Since he hid in a wyvern egg and got carried away...'' It was a thought Pandan could have only because he witnessed the process. ''Poor Mr. Snake, don''t know what happened but ended up dead.'' He couldn''t judge that the snake inside was alive. It was that lifeless, and the more you looked, the more grotesque its appearance. Like unset bloody pudding inside crystal formations. Pandan nced to the side. Should he tell them? That this was probably not a wyvern offspring but the snake monster he met. ''Why should I?'' But there was no reason to do so. Pandan turned his head pretending not to know. The normal Heilit might have noticed Pandan was hiding something. But now she was distracted. ''It looks just like a snake... is it a deformed type? A stuffed wyvern offspring covered in crystal... Might have been hit by a special petrification trap. No, that must be it.'' She who hunts monsters and makes her own clothes had a ''collection obsession''. Sometimes she gets uncontroble urges. Now was such a time. Seeing that grotesque crystal wyvern offspring made her heart race. First time since then. When she saw the huge Pris Serpent, and its offspring, the small snake. Heilit Langrey ended up asking the baby snake for its scales. ''I want it.'' But how? There are two powerful Wyvern Queens. Difficult opponents even for Heilit Langrey, the kingdom''s greatest hunter. Moreover, the ck Wyvern Queen started flying off with the hardened offspring in her mouth. The white three-headed wyvern followed. ''There must be a way.'' But Langrey is a hunter who doesn''t know surrender. She opened her mouth to dere. "This seems to be it for us. Do what you need from here." The journey with Iris ends here too. The fairy wasn''t surprised at the sudden farewell. "Thank you." "Then goodbye." That''s when Pandan cut in flustered. "Uh, then I..." "Uh, do what you want?" "..." It was hard to tell if Pandan''s expression was happy or frustrated. So the three scattered. For their own purposes. Of course, among them Pandan. ''Sigh, guess I''ll just go home now.'' Decided to just return home. == ''But why don''t they know I''m alive?'' It''s natural for me to have such doubts. To watch my own funeral while alive, what kind of omniscient... anyway not that either. But Pelerian said something unexpected. "Did I not tell you what you look like right now?" ''...What do I look like?'' "Like tomato soup in a snake-shaped crystal bottle." ''?'' "Chunky, rotten tomato soup." A horrible state even hard to imagine. It''s a bit creepy. No wonder my status window doesn''t show properly and I can roll my eyeballs over 360 degrees. ''Good thing I put Isil and odds and ends in the ring.'' Otherwise I might have left them all behind. Fortunately I had packed everything including Pelerian''s diary. Wyvern Mom Celeta carried me in her mouth and left Delfram. But she didn''t go very far. With the original nest copsed, she needed to make a new one. The chosen new spot was right near Delfram. Since it was avoided by wyverns due to the dungeon-guarding golem, there were no existing nests. The golem had disappeared at some point. As the leader made a new nest, other ck wyverns gathered nearby. Celeta made arge new nest atop the highest stone pir. It was wide enough to stay together until the wyvern triplets grew somewhat. And I was in a corner of it. Like a statue had been ced. Or perhaps a tombstone itself. Thud. ''Again!'' An eagle with its head torn off dropped in front of me. The one who brought the eagle was none other than Pipi. "Kuak!" Already various mountain animals from frogsy scattered in front of me. Some even wiggled with worms due to rotting. Good thing I can''t smell right now. ''Pipi! I told you to stop bringing them!'' "Kugak!" ''Aoh!'' It was like offerings for their dead older brother. "Still, isn''t it nice they care?" ''This one really seems to know I''m alive though.'' "Then maybe they''re giving you food." It was a mystery. At least Wyvern Mom clearly thought I was dead. Until yesterday, I confirmed she would hug her children and cry a bit before sleeping. ''Feels like I''ll be able to use skills soon.'' It''s the third day staying at this nest as a crystal tombstone. Day 10 since evolution started. Gauging the evolution process, could say a third has passed. Pelerian says outwardly it looks like there are more chunks in the tomato soup. ''Crown of Connection, what kind of skill is this?'' It was a skill gained while evolving into Little Prince Serpent. The Crown series had three: ''Domination'', ''Steal'', and ''Ovee''. Now Crown of Connection was added, but I can''t test what effect it has since I still can''t use skills properly. "Since it came from synchronizing with multiple wyverns, maybe it''s about leading monster armies?" ''That oveps a bit with Crown of Domination though.'' Probably not that. Actually, I''m just waiting to escape from here. If they discover I''m alive it would be rather bad. I absolutely don''t want to be trapped in a wyvern nest forever. ''I could escape using those kids right?'' Hoped to escape by using Crown of Domination to ride the triplets. "Then train harder during this opportunity." So said Pelerian. How to train while covered in crystal like this? Surprisingly, it was possible. "You won''t get another situation where you can train magic this quickly and efficiently." Especially for magic, with tremendous efficiency. The secret was simple. My magic power is only about 1/100th of normal now. Chapter 217: Magic Serpent (2) The magic power usually concentrated solidly in one ce (probably the dantian?) is scattered throughout my body like soup. When using magic, you need to structure the concentrated magic power like pulling thread. But now I could control the scattered magic power throughout my body very finely. If magic power is electricity, and magic is using that electricity to make light and move machines. Originally you need to gather overflowing magic power to make safe and sturdy virtual power lines. But now there was no need for that. I could freely manipte the scattered weak magic power. The crystal covering my body acted as a medium for magic power. That''s all the exnation I could give as a liberal arts major. Actually it was all just what Pelerian told me. "It''s the same reason crystals are put on staves. Originally crystal is a medium that processes and amplifies magic power without loss." A dignified magician should rightfully hold a magnificent magic staff. And my current state is. "In that sense, you could say you''re now a snake-shaped crystal staff." Magic snakestaff. Ah, brother is the magic staff itself. When I drew up magic power, it really started gathering in the crystals throughout my body. And handling that very delicately... "Try using wind magic, which was most pathetic." Following Pelerian''s exceedingly kind lecture, I knead the magic power. The weak magic power flowing through the crystal slowly released into the air. Feels like I''ve be a magic power humidifier. And that magic power clumped together in an invisible form. I''d tried several times until now but hadn''t seeded once. "For reference, I seeded on my fifth try." Was this the fifth attempt? No, let''s say it was the fourth. I seeded through determination. Created a butterfly shape with wind. If I had a mouth I would have cried out "Saak!" in joy. "Focus!" Not time to let go of tension. The magic clearly seeded. "This is the beginning of intermediate magic!" ''But there was no message saying "Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Wind lv1".'' Because this was literally a trick method. I slowly sent the created magic toward where the triplets were. Since it was crafted with such small magic power, even the magic-sensitive Wyvern Mom didn''t notice it. And the moment the wind butterfly touched the back of Pipi''s head. Pung! Pipi startled at the sound like a balloon popping. Considering this is 1/100th of the original power, it''s an excellent achievement. "Kekeke!" "Chupuhaha!" Kei and Chui burst intoughter. Pipi didn''t hold back and pounced on the siblings. I was jumping with joy at the magic''s sess. Of course, I couldn''t actually jump. ''I seeded on my fourth try, so aren''t I a genius?'' "Wasn''t it the fifth?" Pelerian didn''t seem sure either. Seems I can train wind and water magic without raising wyverns'' suspicion. Looking at the clouds it''ll rain soon, so I should train water magic then. Though it might not seem like much, it was definitely a helpful training method. Because. ¡¸Seeded in implementing higher level magic¡¹ ¡¸Proficiency in ''Basic Elemental Magic: Wind'' rises rapidly¡¹ ¡¸''Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv8'' bes ''Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv9''¡¹ The proficiency of wind magic, which was lowest along with water, rose this much in just two days. This opportunity will raise all four elemental magics above intermediate. ''Yes master.'' "Don''t call me that. Ahem." Though he said that, Pelerian didn''t seem entirely displeased. Let''s be an excellent magic swordsman like this. Master of both literary and martial arts, magic and swordbined. That''s when. "Guooo." "Dururu-" "Kererek!" With familiar cries, a massive wyvernnded. ''Ah this one came again...'' X-ed, gota came. It was Chugota. Celeta who had riseny back down as if used to it. Chugota no longer threw tantrums or raged violently. Did she do some mind training while digging earth at the tower? She just came here once a day to stare at me nkly then leave. "Guo." It would be a bit sad thinking shees daily to see her dead child''s tombstone. But for me who''s actually alive, I was truly scared. Because the look in her eyes watching me was quite strange. Though Wyvern Mom seemed to treat Chugota like a neighbor now, I found Chugota burdensome. ''Need to escape from here quickly...'' The urge to escape surges at times like this. For now let''s train more magic and wait for evolution. Given a few days I''ll be stronger. == A passionate and talented student and excellent professor. With the two meeting, study progress was swift as a de. Just three more days passed. I seeded in raising all four elemental magics except water to intermediate level. There were no problems except almost identally setting the nest on fire. And on a rainy night. The moment I seeded in implementing intermediate water magic. ¡¸''Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv10'' bes ''Intermediate Elemental Magic: Water lv1''¡¹ I shed my basic elemental magicianbel. No time to celebrate the joy. Who knew three white heads would pop out of the darkness. It was Chugota. Chugota appeared taking advantage of the heavy rain. The one who usually made strange cries made no sound that day. ''Aaaah!'' "Huoook!" I let out an internal scream. Don''t know if any wyverns were awake, but no one was wary due to Chugota''s frequent visitstely. Wyvern Mom was quietly sleeping hugging her children. And so the bold theft was carried out. Chugota carefully grabbed me with her ws. And took flight. Even the sound of wings was buried in the rain. ''This crazy wyvern!'' The crazy wyvern''s obsession with me still hadn''t ended. At this rate I might have to stay with Chugota forever. After stealing me, wouldn''t she hide deeper in the magic realm? Can''t be assured it won''t be much different from now. Given how crazy Chugota is, she might swallow me whole when I finish evolving to ensure I''m never taken away. Or attack me after realizing I''m not her child. What to do. Old man Pel, what do I do! "Figure something out!" But Pelerian could only cheer me on. Right, use magic. But what can I do with magic at 1/100th power? Or since she''s holding me gently afraid I''ll break, tickle her side with wind magic to make her drop me... Meanwhile Chugota tried to gain altitude. Trying to hide in the rain clouds. This is really driving me crazy. ''Uwaah!'' I used what magic I could. Pak! That''s when an arrow struck Chugota''s shin. It wasn''t me who cast arrow summoning magic. The arrow that barely pierced the skin had something like a talisman tied to it. The runes on that talisman shed and. Peoong! An explosion urred. And my body sank down. Chugota had dropped me. "Kugagagak!" ck wyverns woke at the explosion sound. Chugota also let out an angry roar but it was toote. I fell through the downpour. No, wouldn''t I shatter and die falling from this height? Should have just evolved into a wyvern and learned to fly! All sorts of thoughts shed by and. ng. But I didn''t shatter. "Caught you!" Someone caught me. Who would have thought this human''s face would be so wee. "It''s so beautiful up close!" It was Heilit Langrey, the red-haired hunter. ''Wait. Look up!'' I didn''t need to warn her. Perhaps due to trained hunter''s instincts, she looked up. An enraged Celeta was flying at Chugota, and. Chugota was ring down with burning eyes at Heilit who stole me. And all three heads opened their mouths at once. Kiing! White light gathered. Ah, right, she had Destruction Beam. Seems she didn''t think about me getting caught in it. In that moment when I thought of death once again. Was it an eye trick seeing a semi-transparent wind butterfly through the raindrops? Peoong! Compressed wind burst and Chugota''s body shook in midair. Huh. Was that... my magic? Chapter 218: The Royal Descent (1) Chugota''s massive body swayed violently in the air. Because of that, the destruction beam meant for us¡ªor more precisely, for Heilit Langrey¡ªmissed its target. What incredible power. BOOM! The thunderous sound rang out clearly even through the storm. The stone pir that was hit by the stray destruction beam crumbled with a crash. The power was spine-chilling. Indeed, a crazy but tremendously strong wyvern. ''How did they do that!'' And I was the one who cast such a powerful wind magic that could grab and shake such a formidable monster. I checked my mana output just in case, but it hadn''t returned to its original level. Magic manifested with roughly 1/100th of my mana. If that''s the case, the power of my intermediate magic might be enough to tear apart a named monster in one go... "That''s impossible. With mere intermediate elemental magic." ''Then what was that just now?'' "...hmm." Even Pelerian couldn''t give a clear answer. Hidden power bursting out in dire situations is a ssic development. There might be terrifying potential hidden within me. But I wasn''t given time to investigate further. Chugota regained her bnce and prepared another destruction beam. "Kugagak!" The Wyvern Mother pounced on her. She must have thought Chugota had stolen me. In reality, I was down here. "Hide!" Langrey immediately stuffed me into her backpack. It wasn''t a particrlyrge backpack, but I was sucked in all too easily. Inside was a zero-gravity space. Filled with all sorts of odds and ends... I could guess what kind of space this was. ''To think I''d end up in a spatial storage!'' At this point, all I could do was hope Langrey would escape safely. == While a storm raged somewhere in the mountain range. There were regions where the sun was warm and gentle breezes blew. The kingdom''s capital, Solion Impel, far away, was one such ce. Spring sunlight shone down on the Emerald School, the kingdom''s most prestigious institution. The fragrance of magnolias drifted into the reception room through a slightly opened window. Ah, that elegant fragrance of magnolia. Professor Zetarob, a young man who usually enjoyed literature, had been in a good moodtely because of it. It would have been even more poetic if he could recite a verse. But he couldn''t indulge in such whimsy in front of guests. Zetarob adjusted his sses and quietly lifted his gaze. A father and son sat on the sofa across from him. There were countless boys and girls who wanted to enter Emerald School. Naturally, this year''s enrollment quota was already full and set. But not everything can go ording to n, can it? Emerald School keeps quite a generous quota for extra admissions outside the regr enrollment. The boy in front was an applicant, and the man beside him was his father. The interesting thing was that the applicant boy didn''t appear nervous at all. He sat with his hands neatly folded, face calm andposed. In contrast, his father seemed anxious, constantly fiddling with his fingernails. He would start shaking his leg, then catch himself and stop with a start. Zetarob spoke with a gentle smile. "As I mentioned before, there''s no need to be so nervous about the interview. We''re not scoring you right now, I just wanted to offer you some tea as a member of the admissions office." "...Ah, r-right." The student''s single father, Roil Riddle,ughed awkwardly. He looked very naive. That was inevitable. Roil Riddle was indeed a country bumpkin. Zetarob, who had lived his entire life among the wealthy in Solion Impel, could tell just from his ent and manner of speech. "Yes, your son seems very intelligent." "Haha, hahaha! Thank you. Hey, you should say thank you too." To beam so widely at a singlepliment about his child. This happens asionally. Someone who suddenly bes wealthy tries to get their child into Emerald School. However, most special admissions require massive donations, and even after paying such money, many end up failing the entrance exam. Zetarob smiled faintly as he looked at the open file. ''But how did he get such an evaluation?'' Roil, head of the emerging ''Riddle'' merchant group. That name had gradually spread through Solion Impel''smercial circles. A person who was once an ordinary wagon merchant suddenly secured capital and expanded his business. Until then, no one paid attention to the Riddle merchant group. Then one day. The closed Red Anvil Mine in the Calea Mountains reopened. The dwarven mines, especially the Red Anvil Mine, generated tremendous added value. It was enough to cause a massive shock to Solion Impel''smercial world. Quick-thinking and bold merchants all rushed to Calea City. Just regrly importing forks from the dwarves would bring in significant ie. But what the merchants heard there was surprising. Zetarob read the article attached to the file. ¡¸..."Oh, we''ve already signed a contract. With the Riddle merchant group. Huh? I don''t know the details. Anyway, that''s how it is, so why are you being so annoying!" All the dwarves said the same thing. This was testified by all the merchants who had rushed there at top speed, changing horses multiple times.¡¹ It wasn''t a lie. Somehow, Roil Riddle had already secured exclusive rights from the dwarves. It was an exclusive contract stating that the entire mine''s production would be supplied through the Riddle merchant group. How he managed to secure such a contract so quickly remained a mystery. Dwarves were certainly not phnthropists, nor were they fools who only knew about metal. If one merchant group exclusively handled everything produced from the mine, the kingdom''s top 3 merchant groups would be the top 4. That''s how big this business was. But Roil Riddle took different action. ¡¸However, ''Riddle merchant group''s'' head Roil made a different decision. He shared the rights to handle Red Anvil Mine''s products with the merchant alliance. And at a very reasonablemission rate at that. This was a rare show of mercy and fairness in today''s world where ''anti-monopolyws'' have be nominal.¡¹ He boldly distributed his exclusively obtained rights to other merchant groups. In reality, themission was often less than 2% of sales, and considering the tremendous added value of dwarven products, it was truly a ''merciful'' decision. Or perhaps he realized it was a business he couldn''t handle and got scared. ''It''s probably neither.'' Looking at Roil''s naive and simple face, one might suspect either. But in Zetarob''s opinion, it was neither. Rather, there must have been careful and bold calctions. The first ones Roil shared supply rights with were the merchant alliance and two of the continent''s top 3 merchant groups. He shared the prime goods, including weapons, at a lowermission rate. Those with less influence were charged highermissions and given rights to sell cheaper items. Thanks to this, Roil Riddle''s merchant group gained ''power''. As long as the biggest forces wanted to maintain this contract system, Roil''s power would not crumble. Of course, by lending precious things to others, he obtained a very powerfulwork. That''s exactly what a rising merchant group needs most. It''s far more valuable than having massive funds. Being epted and acknowledged by the existing power holders... ''Ah, I got lost in thought for too long.'' Roil was already looking this way with an anxious expression. Zetarob looked at thest part of the file. ¡¸...Thus, we conclude this month''s featured personality in the Sun of Impel. We pray for Mr. Riddle and his merchant group''s prosperity. --Baumet Writers¡¹ For Baumet Writers, a notorious gossip magazine''s reporter, to write such a favorable article. They even included an illustration of the Riddle merchant group''s emblem with a snake. Chapter 219: The Royal Descent (2) Although unclear how much they were paid, this alone showed Roil Riddle''spetence. "Amain is..." And another interesting fact. "Undoubtedly a magic prodigy." "Ah...!" Thatposed and kind-looking boy who didn''t take after his father. Was indeed a magic prodigy rare even for Emerald School. "Thank you! Thank you!" "This is just my opinion, it doesn''t affect admission decisions. Don''t worry too much about it, hahaha." "Of course." Roil Riddle rejoiced, almost to the point of tears. Zetarob smiled and thought. ''Well, his eptance is certain.'' Amain Riddle. Confirmed admission to first year in the intermediateprehensive course. ''Who was next?'' Who was the student after Amain Riddle. After sending off the father and son, Zetarob searched through the files again. == Emerald School teaches various subjects. Future talents who will lead the kingdom must be well-versed in academics, arts, politics, and other fields. But Emerald School basically seeks talents who excel in both literary and martial arts. They also provide practical education in magic, swordsmanship, hunting, monster studies, archery, and more. There are various special admissions to select students outside the regr quota, including those with special martial abilities. However, few apply as martial arts specialists because Emerald School''s standards are so high. Ordinary talent cannot guarantee eptance. But this time the situation was a bit different. The admission decision was made even before the interview. ''The Martein family''s daughter.'' That Martein family. The family where the Tiger Viscount had ruled. Although the Viscount died in the monster wave and much of his territory was devastated. The Martein Viscount family was still powerful. And rather, because of such tragedy, Rania Martein''s admission became a foregone conclusion. The protagonist of tragedy. A nobledy who lost her mother in Greyrim''s territory and her grandfather in the Martein territory where she had evacuated to. Then suddenly became a likely heir to the Martein family. The admissions office couldn''t refuse. The donations they had received from Martein so far were enormous. ''Still, it would be nice if she showed something.'' Like Amain Riddle this morning. Rania stood there with a slightly nervous expression. She wore simple sleeveless clothes that a vige boy might wear. Though still short and not fully grown, her forearms and fists were covered in scars. Scars that all Martein warriors carried. Two knights apanied her. "Youngdy, don''t be nervous. Just do as you usually do." "If you pass, you can stay here in Solion Impel." Oliver and Jarain, were they? They seemed quite close. From what I heard, Rania Martein''s chances of inheriting the viscount title weren''t very high. "I''m ready." "Oh, show us then." Until then, Zetarob hadn''t expected much. When Rania clenched her fists and let out a battle cry. "Haap!" A gust of wind blew. Rania''s skin turned slightly red. That appearance of emitting fighting spirit while her hair fluttered was clearly... "B-Burst Combat Technique!" The Martein Viscount''s signature skill. ''Burst Combat Technique''. Rania Martein had actually mastered that skill. This alone was enough to tell. ''Another type of genius.'' She should have been epted even if she wasn''t from Martein. Now he understood why she applied as a martial arts specialist. He met two epted students and two geniuses in one day. Zetarob smiled brightly, then his expression hardened again. Looking at the time, it seemed he had one more interview to conduct. Moreover, for this interview, instead of the intervieweeing to him, Zetarob had to go find the applicant himself. Though he didn''t like the situation, there was no choice. ''What time was the carriage to the pce?'' Zetarob pondered this while praising Rania with a smile. == Crackle, crackle. The sound of the campfire was atmospheric. I was nestled in sleeping Langrey''s arms. "Hmnya." She talks a lot in her sleep. Still, fortunately she didn''t use me as a pillow. Sigh. Escaping from Wyvern Queens in a storm-swept magical realm must have been quite an adventure. I''m really d I was in the spatial storage instead of seeing it directly. The spatial storage was morefortable than expected. I was relieved thinking Isil must be doing well too. Hang in there just 15 more days, Isil. 15 days have passed since I started evolving. By the time Heilit took me out of her spatial storage backpack, we had already left the wyverns'' territory. She''s certainly a human with remarkable skills. I don''t think I could have escaped. ''I hope Wyvern Mom and Chugota didn''t fight too much.'' They probably had an intense battle. But it probably didn''t go to the death. After all, I''m just a dead child, and Wyvern Mom has triplets to protect. Luckily, we managed to sessfully escape to this ce. Moreover, Heilit was taking me to Solion Impel. I had wanted to visit there anyway, what luck to have such an opportunity. I''m not sure how to open the royal bank''s vault. Heilit, this human, might help me if I asked. ''I can''t believe she didn''t recognize me.'' It was shocking. I thought she recognized and saved me. But that wasn''t it. She treats me as a ''crystal-covered wingless wyvern cub taxidermy.'' Why do I feel betrayed? I shook off these idle thoughts. Let''s think about thister, For now, let''s focus on evolution. Recently, the awaited message rang out. ¡¸Evolution process has reached halfway.¡¹ ¡¸Trait ''Crown'' evolves into ''Royal''.¡¹ I am now royalty. To be precise, a prince. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little Prince Serpent lv1] [Title] Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake [Traits] [Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Royal] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My body changed a little. ording to Pelerian, I still don''t look alive, but the contents within the crystal have solidified more thickly. That terrible woman Heilit shook me violently before. Yet I still don''t look alive apparently. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ? Crown [Steal lv4]: stic Burst lv1, [Ovee lv2], [Dominate lv1], [Connect lv1] ? Magic [Intermediate Element]: Fire lv1, Earth lv1, Water lv1, Wind lv2 [Invisible Hand lv15], [Lightweight lv5] ? Techniques -- ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I became able to use magic. However, Ick mana to use crown skills, so I still don''t dare use the Crown of Connection. If possible, I''d like to escape from Heilit too... "Who''s there!" My heart nearly dropped. Heilit jumped up. With me tucked under her side, one hand went to her waist. Then, from behind nearby trees, humans revealed themselves. Their numbers exceeded ten. "Hehehe..." They all had rough appearances. I thought they might be bandits, but. "You bastards!" Heilit was very pleased to see them. "Did youe to wee me!" "Hahaha, we came out after hearing the Guild Leader wasing." The rough-looking men were all hunters. Moreover, they seemed to be Heilit Langrey''s subordinates. "We''ll be in the city in just one day, why bother." "It''s been a while. What''s that?" "Oh, this?" Heilit held me up high. "I brought back a treasure!" "Woaaaah!" The hunters gathered around. They all praised my appearance. "Wow, what material is this? It''s crystal, but doesn''t seem like ordinary crystal?" "It''s a deformed wyvern cub that died in Heaven Defier''s dungeon. Seems it got caught in a crystal petrification trap." "Ah, that rare trap that turns things into crystal statues!" "It''s hard to see clearly because it''s opaque, but if you look carefully, the inside is really creepy, isn''t it?" "Exactly. Isn''t it amazing?" "Yes! It''s incredible!" Their praise is excessive. The admiration goes on endlessly. To be honest, it doesn''t feel bad. Am I the weird one? ''Ahem, hem.'' Don''t handle royalty so casually. And several hourster. I made my grand entrance into Solion Impel. Chapter 220: The Serpent Thief (1) Heilit Langrey is a very famous hero. She''s one of the eight heroes known to be the most renowned and powerful in the kingdom. While most others are distinguished individuals like knights, magicians, or academy directors, Heilit Langrey is a hunter. Hunters are those who hunt monsters. Naturally, it''s one of the 3D jobs - dirty, dangerous, and difficult. Because of this, hunters weren''t treated with much respect as a profession. The hunters'' guild where such hunters gather was viewed simrly to the adventurers'' guild and rogues'' guild. In other words, it was considered a den of thugs. The hunters'' guild by the river in Solion Impel''s 9th district. ''ck Den'',monly known as the Dark Den, was no exception. The first floor of ck Den operates as a tavern like any other guild. Even those cleaning their nails with daggers there are all hunters. All the skilled hunters in Solion belong to ck Den, so even those passed out drunk face-down on tables are veterans. And the usually gloomy ck Den was now filled with energy. Because their Guild Leader had returned. "Langrey-! Langrey-!" "Uhahaha!" She waspletely drunk, standing on top of a table. Whenever she brought back something precious, they always held parties like this. "Do you know how much I got!" "Langrey! Langrey!" "Here! Look!" She held up a leather pouch high. A jingling sound rang out. Just by looking at the bulging pouch, you could tell it wasn''t a small amount. "Ten gold coins for whoever guesses right!" This sparked a storm of cheers. "100 s!" "Shit, it has to be more than that! 300 for me!" Other equally drunk explorers shouted out amounts. Caught up in the excitement, they kept raising the amount until it reached enough to buy all of Solion Impel''s 9th district, but. "Right, it''s 500 s. I got 500 gold coins!" "Woaaah!" The shop rang with cheers. 500 s. A fortune that amoner might never touch in their lifetime. In truth, this was an amount that top-tier hunters like Langrey could receive forpleting difficult requests, but. "That''s insane!" "Is our guild going to be rich now!" There were no fools here who would point that out. They shouldn''t dampen the Guild Leader''s soaring spirits. The hunters shouted praise-like words. "I''ll be loyal for life!" "Aah! Please spit on me!" "Woaaah!" As the atmosphere reached its peak. Langrey''s drinking habit that appears when she''s in a good mood activated. "Damn it, you guys. I love you all!" She reached into the pouch and started throwing gold coins. Though the force and speed of the flying coins were almost like throwing daggers. The hunters here weren''t ordinary in their movements either. They jumped up and down catching the gold coins. Where did she earn this money from? "Hahaha, I really am a genius." It was thanks to the special monster corpse Heilit brought. ''A wingless and legless wyvern queen''s offspring that died in a crystal transformation petrification trap in Pelerian''s dungeon, stolen from a wyvern nest.'' She sold it for a high price after its rarity was recognized. This wasn''t unusual. Langrey would find something she liked, bring it back, and show it off everywhere. After enjoying it thoroughly, she would either put it in her collection storage or sell it outright. The crystal wyvern specimen she obtained this time went into the sale category. "Man, to think that creepy thing sold for 500 s." The hunters who collected Heilit''s scattered gold coins chuckled. "Well, there are nobles who collect weird things." "Wonder if they''ll use it as a specimen. Having something like that disyed in a room would give you bad dreams. Hahaha." Since it was covered in crystal, it should naturally be beautiful. But if you look carefully through the translucent crystal, there were crushed blood and flesh-like pieces floating inside. It seems the insides were preserved in a mashed state when it was caught in the crystal transformation petrification trap. That''s all the hunters thought. == Evolution Day 16. ''You traitor.'' I will definitely get revenge. After all that praise. To think she''d sell me off after just one day! I feel so foolish for getting happy over a little praise. "You finally realized?" ''Don''t add fuel to the fire.'' "Besides, they weren''t exactly calling you pretty from the start." I felt good when the bearded explorers praised me. But soon after, I realized their "praise" was a bit ambiguous. ''Amazing!'', ''Ooh, terrifying!'', ''This''ll sell for a lot!'', ''Ugh, creepy.'' Especially thatst one definitely didn''t seem like praise. "It took you a whole day to notice that. Impressive." ''Thanks for thepliment. But I''m so frustrated.'' "That wasn''t apliment... nevermind." Well, that much was fine. After all, I''m in a position where I''ll finish evolving in just fifteen more days. But to think she''d cleanly sell me off the very next day. Langrey wrapped me in purple velvet cloth and ced me in a luxurious leather case. Then she took out her Guild Leader seal and made something like a certificate on the spot. She took me to what seemed to be some kind of ''dealer''. She added all sorts of ridiculous storytelling. The dealer wore a monocle on his right eye and took out something like a magnifying ss to observe me. "It seems to be writhing as if alive?" "Because it was hit by crystal transformation magic. You could say it''s half alive." "It''s certainly a precious item. I''ll buy it." Langrey was overjoyed. And left with an enormous sum of money. Evil one. If we meet again, we''re enemies. I was ced in some box and moved somewhere. After Langrey left, I heard the dealer talking with someone. "Isn''t 500 s too expensive for something so creepy and crude...?" What bastard is this! I felt angry at this ridiculous evaluation. I waited for the dealer to say something quickly. "True, it looks hideous. I can even sense ominous magical power. But well, there''s demand for these things too. There are quite a few entrics with strange tastes." "Still, 300 s would have been enough..." "300 s would be sufficient." But the humans depreciated me in pairs. I lost some confidence. "But that woman is a hero, isn''t she. It''s not bad to maintain connections by showing a little ''consideration'' like this. And also..." "Yes." "I know the richest and most powerful among the entrics with strange tastes. I can sell it directly to them." "As expected, you had a n." Kyaak, I was destined to be sold to an entric with strange tastes. And truly, not even a day had passed before I was moved again. I must have been sold again. While I was wondering where I''d been moved to this time. Creak. The leather case opened and light came in. A man who appeared to be a servant picked me up while wearing gloves. He looked at me carefully and muttered. "Really, I can''t understand the masters'' tastes. Paying 700 s for something so ugly..." You should consider yourself lucky. If I could use my skills right now, I would have shot a beam at you immediately. By the way, the price went up from 500 to 700 s. This isn''t bad. Chapter 221: The Serpent Thief (2) The servant ced me on a decorative stand in the corridor. The ce I arrived at seemed to be someone''s mansion. The owner here must be extremely wealthy. The corridor was extraordinarily luxurious. "You''ve been sold to a great noble''s house. Congrattions." ''Thank you.'' Moreover, dozens of decorative stands were lined up along the corridor. Precious items were disyed on each one. There were paintings, small statues, and mysterious pottery. I had be one of such decorative items. Hmm. The owner of this house seems to have quite good taste and discernment. Though I don''t know what kind of person they are, I''ll be rudely imposing until I finish evolving. Thus I came to stay in the luxurious corridor. Servants and various guests passed by multiple times. By listening to their conversations, I learned who the owner of this ce was. Court Count Jimier Berollinger. This was the home of one of the most powerful and greatest nobles in this country. == Evolution Day 20. I''ve been in this corridor for 4 days. There was some progress as evolution proceeded further. Apart from that, life as a statue was an interesting experience. I thought it would just be boring, but I heard many things. A mother and daughter passing through the corridor conversed: "Court Count Jimier is a fearsome person. He''s not called the old fox for nothing. There could be ears anywhere. Always be careful with your words." Stay updated via M V L "Then shouldn''t we be quiet here too?" "It''s fine. I''m using sound blocking magic." Servants also chatted in the corridor. "I heard the Third Prince is entering Emerald School. That sickly troublemaker." "The master must be very concerned." "Let''s be careful for a while. But at least Sir Obern, who our master sponsors, is entering as a professor..." I naturally came to hear all sorts of stories. "What''s this ugly snake?" And this is a first. Some fat kid approached me. He was so short that his eyes were level with mine, and his face was full of mischief. "Young master, that''s an item the great master purchased recently." "Why did grandfather buy something like this?" Seemed to be the Court Count''s grandson. ''Something like this'', he says. "I think it was a wyvern cub that died trapped in crystal..." "Hey stupid. Are you an idiot?" That''s harshnguage to use with a servant who looks three times his age. "Anyone can see this is a snake!" Well, he''s right though. The first person to recognize I''m a snake turns out to be this bratty kid. "No, it''s a wyvern, a deformed one born without wings and legs." "Ugh, it looks gross up close." "Hahaha, I agree it''s a terribly ugly monstrosity." Rude humans. The younger and uglier one tried to touch me. "I should break it." This bastard must be crazy. Though it probably wouldn''t break easily, I just couldn''t stand it anymore. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv17.¡¹ Right. I could now use magic. Not just use it - I''ve practiced whenever I was bored, so Invisible Hand is now level 17. In other words, I could silently and invisibly smack this brat''s head. SMACK! "Ow!" The kid grabbed the back of his head and turned around. He seemed utterly unable to understand the current situation. "D-did you hit me?" "Eh? Uh." Who would think an invisible magic hand had hit the kid? Both the servant and kid were bewildered. "You hit me!" "Th-that''s impossible, you misunderstand!" Hehe, this is fun. Since this morning, I could also use ''Crown'' - this point. Let''s try using my newly acquired skill. ¡¸Using ''Crown of Connection lv1''.¡¹ I wonder what effect it has. From the name, it''s probably not an attack skill. Same with other crown skills. ¡¸Must make contact with target.¡¹ However, I couldn''t use the Crown of Connection. Seems I need physical contact. Impossible right now since I can''t move. Well then. I''ll just use something else. ¡¸Using Crown of Domination lv1.¡¹ Right. What I''m attempting is using the Crown of Domination on a person. Will it work? Of course, it won''t work if the target''s mental strength is strong or they''re smart. That''s why I chose that nasty kid as the target. ¡¸Partially seeded in dominating Human Child lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Failed to tame Human Child lv1.¡¹ Partially seeded in domination. This is the first time I''ve seeded in domination but failed at taming. So what can I do? I could control the kid freely for a while by consuming domination power. "Ow, ouch! Aagh!" The kid suddenly started hitting his head with his fists. "Y-young master, what''s wrong?" "Aaagh!" Servants gathered at the suddenmotion. The kid was hitting his own face, and the man attending him didn''t know what to do. Thanks to the domination power running out, the kid''s self-harm show stopped, but he ran away crying loudly. "What in the..." The man followed after the kid, dumbfounded. I discovered that the Crown of Domination works on humans too. It could be very useful if my abilities get stronger. I should train harder. However, messing with the kid had a big impact on me too. "An unpleasant and ominous item. Move it to the warehouse." An elderly man who looked like the butler came and dered this. Shocking warehouse sentence! At the butler''s gesture, arge man picked me up. He carried me deep into the mansion. That path was very long. ''This is a huge mansion.'' I could tell how rich the Court Count was. After a while, the butler and servant arrived at a warehouse deep in the mansion. "Open the door." There were soldiers standing guard in front of the warehouse. From their looks, they seemed to be skilled soldiers. ''Come to think of it, they would keep really precious things in the warehouse, right?'' "Hehe..." A house this wealthy would keep their truly valuable items in the warehouse, not the corridor. To think I''d get to enter a rich person''s warehouse. Life brings all sorts of experiences. nk- The magically equipped iron door opened by itself. Inside, all sorts of rare items were disyed on shelves. There are many fascinating things. The servant and butler left me among those fascinating items and departed. Good. I can stay here and finish evolving. Getting out of the warehouse might be a problem though... That''s when. "Oh my. Hehehe!" Pelerian burst intoughter with admiration. ''What is it?'' "This Court Count fellow. He must be either incredibly wealthy, or thoroughly corrupt." Unlike me, Pelerian could move around and examined items throughout the warehouse. ''What do you mean?'' "Seems he''s quite an impressive level of collector." I thought the Court Count was just an old man who liked strange oddities. Pelerian pointed to one of dozens of disy cases. "Selling just this one disy case could be traded for a castle." Oh, my goodness. "For reference, you can''t buy any item here with your 500 s price tag." Sorry to interrupt, but my price went up to 700 s, not 500. More importantly, artifacts? Has the timee to return? As the Snake Thief. Chapter 222: Press C to Hide (1) Court Count Jimier Berollinger. ''Court Count'' means a count who serves in the royal court. It''s a position that can wield immense power, sometimes acting as the king''s proxy. Thus, although Berollinger''s title was count, he enjoyed influenceparable to any duke or marquis. Moreover, Jimier Berollinger was an exceptional individual. The title "old fox" was given by political figures who feared him. Though his appearance was unremarkable with his short stature and goat-like beard. Everyone knew that the kingdom''s major and minor affairs were decided in his private chamber when he retired from court. Jimier was truly living power. Now this Court Count was reading documents while drinking tea. The sses perched on his nose looked precariously close to sliding off. He casually spoke. "The gift, did they receive our gift over there?" The Court Count''s manner of speech was lighter than expected. Those meeting him for the first time were often surprised, but the one beside him now was his butler who had served him all his life. The butler answered routinely. "We sent a newly crafted golden document cab, but Director Bnyar rejected it." Director Bnyar was the director of Emerald School. He was also a powerful mage and schr who held one of the eight hero positions. He had rejected the Court Count''s gift. "Paint it with white dye and send it again. He''ll ept it then." "...Will that work?" Even the loyal butler couldn''t easily nod. Cover gold with white paint and he''ll ept it? Could it be that simple? "Schrs generally don''t like receiving things in golden boxes because of their pride. Bnyar''s the same. Paint it roughly with white paint and he''ll ept it." "I''ll do that." "Hehe, isn''t it just like him? Full of greed inside but maintaining a modest exterior." "Haha, indeed." "Kid... don''t force yourself tough when it''s not funny. You know I don''t like that." The butlerughed awkwardly. The Court Count wasn''t someone who could be called pleasant no matter how you packaged it. Especially now when... "Ah, and those I checked here. Kill them all." "...Yes, understood." When watching him decide who lives and dies with just a fountain pen in this corner room. He couldn''t be more ruthless. "Support that fellow in the academy more. I''ll put in Obern as insurance. He''sing soon, right?" "I''ll take care of it." "Has the Third Prince''s admission been processed?" "Yes, it will be processed soon." When royal matters came up, the Court Count smiled slightly. That smile looked particrly dangerous. "Someday~ when the red sun rises..." The Court Count hummed lyrics, seemingly in a good mood. The butler organized the documents he received from him. Just then, there was amotion outside. The sound of someone running. And sounds of others trying to stop them. There weren''t many people who could run like that in this mansion. "Hoho." The Court Count was already smiling contentedly when the office door burst open. "Grandfather!" It was an ugly child who appeared. They say even a hedgehog finds its own young precious, and the Court Count pulled his running grandson into a tight embrace. "Hmm? Your face is really messed up." "Yeah, that bastard." "I don''t understand why he hit you. Hoho." The grandson''s face was slightly red and swollen. Themotion that urred today was reported up to the Court Count. But they couldn''t quite figure out what happened. Apparently, the servant apanying his grandson hit the back of his head, and the grandson suddenly started hitting his own face in self-harm. "Grandfather, what did you do to that bastard? Did you punish him?" The Court Count understood the situation in his own way. If the servant really hit his grandson''s head, the reason for the grandson''s self-harm must have been to get that servant punished. Continue reading on M V L By provoking this grandfather''s anger. A very clever lie. He didn''t want to pursue it and scold his grandson. "Yes, I punished him." "How? Did you kill him?" "Just cut off his wrists and sent him away." "Aw, that''s boring." That''s how the matter was settled. "Throw away that nasty snake statue too!" "Snake statue?" Wondering what he meant, he looked at the butler, who exined. "It''s one of the items we recently acquired. Not a snake but a wyvern specimen, brought by the hunter Heilit Langrey... it''s currently stored in the warehouse." Jimier Berollinger receives several bribes every day. And those items are stored briefly before going out again under Jimier Berollinger''s name. Sometimes as another bribe, as a return gift, as a bestowment. The butler whispered so the grandson couldn''t hear. "It''s on the outgoing list... it will be sent out this week." "I see." Well then it''s not important. Jimier Berollinger said magnanimously. "Alright, grandfather will smash it and throw it away for you." "Wow, grandfather is the best!" It won''t be thrown away but sold somewhere. Seeing his grandson happy made him feel pleased. == Evolution Day 21. I had to think about what to steal. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cyclops'' Eye Piercer] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That rapier is no ordinary weapon. Cyclops'' Eye Piercer. Just the name suggests amazing prating power. Must be a masterpiece with historical heritage. If this world were a game, it would definitely be at least a unique item. And it would probably have options like Ignore Pration Resistance +5, Physical Attack +10, Magic Attack +5... and so on. But I already have two swords so it''s out of priority. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Messenger''s Winged Shoes] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ And there was a single boot with golden wings drawn on it. Pelerian says it''s an item that increases running speed. I can''t use it since I have no feet. But something urred to me. Couldn''t Isil wear it? A vine grass wearing shoes - that character concept could beat even Puss in Boots. "I have no idea if that would be cute." Pelerian tly denied it. Even if he was a great archmage, he''s just clueless about these things, I sigh. "Set priorities. Especially precious items will trigger rm magic if anyone touches them." ''Is that on me too?'' "No, it''s not on you." ''Ah.'' There''s also the size issue. Pelerian''s si ring has spatial magic installed. But its storage space isn''t veryrge. We can''t take many items orrge ones. Among various items, there was one that particrly caught my eye. It seemed to have been preserved in the warehouse for a very long time. Something that could be used as a flowerpot. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Alteard''s Ceremonial Cdon] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ''That pottery is an artifact too, right?'' "Yes, though we''d need to check exactly what magic it contains." Just the fact that its name appears when I focus my eyes shows it''s no ordinary item. Plus, there was something inside it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Alteard''s Ceremonial Cdon] --Golden Soil ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Golden soil. I don''t know what it is, but it seems good for nts. Of course, I''m not nning to eat it but give it to Isil. I wonder if they''ll understand my intentions. I should grab the items and run as soon as I finish evolving. Leave a bill for those who called me creepy and disyed me as a decoration in the corridor. nk. Just then, the door opened. Servants walked in steadily and started loading items onto a trolley. ''Hey, what are you doing!'' Fortunately, they didn''t load the items I had my eye on. Suddenly one of them picked me up. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 223: Press C to Hide (2) Don''t tell me they''re taking me out from here. I haven''t collected anything yet! "Ah, not that one yet." "Really?" "Yeah, checking the list, it goes out tomorrow. Leave it for now." Fortunately, the servant put me back down. Then they left with their loaded items. ''Tomorrow!'' They were saying I''d be moved out of this warehouse tomorrow. That ruins my n to be the Thief Prince Serpent after finishing evolution. ''What should I do!'' "What else? We can''t leave that behind!" Just as I had my heart set on the ''Alteard''s Ceremonial Cdon''. Pelerian also had something he absolutely needed to take. It was a nk parchment scroll. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Malphas'' Parchment] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Unlike other items, it was practically buried in dust, neglected. For good reason. It was just a yellowed parchment, and not even much of it. It was ssified as an artifact only because it emitted ominous magical power. "They failed to recognize its value. That''s how it often is with collectors who only have money." Pelerian said that old parchment was the most precious among all items here. "It contains the power of the crow demon Malphas. That demon''s nickname is ''The President of Tricksters''." ''And?'' "This is the parchment that cunning demon uses when making contracts. Contract terms written on this parchment can never be broken. Because they''re imbued with binding force." Gasp, then for example, if you write ''if you lie, the continent will be destroyed'' and deliberately lie, what would happen? When I asked that, Pelerian made a face like he''d vomit at how childish the idea was. Guess that''s not possible. ''Anyway, what should we do?'' "Now, listen." Hearing it, Pelerian''s n was quite usible. "Hehe. When it gets dark, that''s our chance." We waited for time to pass. == What I like about this world as a thief is that there''s no CCTV. When I asked if there was simr magic, it seems there isn''t, at least not here. Apparently that would require an extremely skilled mage constantly monitoring. That means there''s a lot we can do. Pelerian and I first examined the warehouse interior. This was a ''warehouse'', not a ''vault''. Thus, venttion was essential. Naturally, there were windows for it. However, even an agile thief couldn''t escape through those windows. They were small windows that would be hard to pass through unless you were extremely thin, and they were located right below the roof. You could climb up with adder, but that would be impossible with the guards. And there would probably be magical rms too. So while this warehouse was designed to be very difficult for thieves to break into... ''I''m already inside.'' I was already sessfully infiltrated. The window outside was getting dark - it was already pitch ck midnight. A good timing for a thief to steal things. I focused power in my tail section. I can feel Pelerian''s ring. I tried the spatial magic. It used to be very easy, but maybe because evolution wasn''t fullyplete yet, I barely seeded. ''Isil!'' And Isil popped out from inside. Usually very slow, but quick whening out of spatial storage. Isil immediately cuddled up to me. ''You missed me a lot too.'' Smack smack. But Isil kept hitting me with leaves. Must have been upset about being alone for so long. But it couldn''t be helped. I only recently became able to handle the ring''s spatial magic. After letting Isil throw a tantrum for a while, I asked them for something. Isil understood my words perfectly. ''Can you do it?'' Then Isil, while still attached to my body, slowly started extending vines. Sadly it seems only two strands can extend long, but we''ll have to be satisfied with that. Priority was the parchment and cdon. I carefully ced Isil''s vines on them. The warehouse was quiet. But it wouldn''t be soon. ''Now!'' And Isil pulled in the items they grabbed. Whirrrr- Like a measuring tape being wound up, they came sliding in. And simultaneously I gathered targeted items with invisible hands. Beeeeeeeep- An ear-splitting rm rang out. ''Isil, go back in for a moment!'' I put the gathered items and Isil into spatial storage. Beeeeeeeep- nk! nk! Iron bars suddenly shot out around the disy cases. A red light also shed on. Armed guards woulde running soon. But that''s not all. "A golem is activating!" There was even a golem hidden inside the warehouse. Seems to be a golem for catching thieves. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Berollinger Family Warehouse Guard] [Traits] [Guard], [Golem] [Skills] [Emergency rm lv10], [sh Resistance lv10], [Grab and Tear lv10], [Stone Fist lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The level of that golem... "Pathetic." ''What a crappy golem.'' I could handle it easily just with my current magic. ¡¸Using Intermediate Element Magic: Water lv2.¡¹ Create a water ball and ce it over the golem''s head. It won''t suffocate to death but its sensory devices were disrupted. It stopped advancing, temporarily paused. "There below the sr plexus." ¡¸Using Intermediate Element Magic: Wind lv2.¡¹ A wind butterfly flutters approaching. The butterfly enters the gap below the sr plexus and. BOOM! It exploded and tore off the chest armor. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv17.¡¹ And I grabbed and threw the rapier I''d collected earlier, ''Cyclops'' Eye Piercer''. The sharp de tip pierced the golem''s core. Crack! That was the end. The golempletely stopped functioning. ¡¸You have defeated Berollinger Family Warehouse Guard.¡¹ What a pushover. Well. A golem of this level. Hey, I already took down two stronger golems when I was White Horn Snake. Soon after, there wasmotion outside. The guards were opening the warehouse door to enter. It had been just a blink since the rm went off and I defeated the golem - quite a quick response. BANG! The door opened and. "Who dares!" The moment guards rushed in. I executed what I had prepared. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv17.¡¹ I just broke the window with an invisible hand. CRASH! The guards all lifted their heads to look up. "D-damn, outside. They escaped through the window!" ''The thief climbed the wall and escaped by breaking the window.'' That''s how the situation would appear to their eyes. The guards rushed out in a group. Well I. Just stayed still. There was no need to escape. The snake-shaped crystal statue. Fortunately wasn''t stolen by the thief, and quietly remained in a corner of the second level of the third shelf. It was the perfect crime. Chapter 224: The Handsome Man in a Mask (1) The guard captain asked, suppressing his anger. "The intruder, still hasn''t been found?" "No..." "Damn it, four hours have passed and you can''t find one thief! Does that make any sense?" His anger finally exploded. The one being scolded didn''t know what to do. "Find them! Find them by any means!" "But there aren''t even footprints..." "Damn footprints. Before I stamp footprints on your face, go bring hunting dogs from outside." "Y-yes, I''ll do that." It was certain the thief escaped through the window. The guards who should have been watching outside had rushed in when they heard the rm. Because of that, they had no way of knowing where the thief escaped and hid. Not a single trace remained - it was enough to make a ghost weep. "High chance it''s a mage capable of invisibility and levitation." "There were traces of magic use inside... we''ve given all artifact detection items to the search team." "...Something feels off no matter how I think about it." In reality, the guard captain doing the scolding was in a more difficult position than the one being scolded. "Strengthen security around the Court Count''s quarters. Summon the knights." "Then..." "Maybe this was their n from the start - cause amotion to move the guard forces, then try to infiltrate somewhere important." "Surely not an assassination attempt..." ''Assassination attempt.'' When his subordinate uttered those words, the guard captain red at him murderously. Even the current situation with the warehouse being robbed was more than enough for the guard captain to handle. He didn''t want to even imagine something more terrible. "Puhehe, that''s enough." The Court Count, sitting in his rosewood chair, said this. "If they were after my head, several would have infiltrated at once. Would a single person y hide and seek for 4 hours? Am I, Jimier Berollinger, such an easy target? Kid... how do you function with such a slow brain?" "M-my apologies." "It''s been over 2 hours since dawn. They clearly escaped, so stop this nonsense and call off the kids. Guests will being soon, are you trying to spread rumors about my embarrassment around the neighborhood?" "I will follow your orders." The guard captain retreated with a pale face. And so, where did the master thief who robbed the Court Count''s warehouse disappear to? None other than right next to the Court Count! "My, for someone who stole so much to be this calm, he must be quite something. Must be very wealthy indeed." Pelerian floated, arms crossed, observing Count Jimier. In reality, the Court Count showed no signs of anger. Though his true feelings might be different... What the Court Count held was a list checking the warehouse inventory. ording to Pelerian''s check, my name was ''Crystal Wyvern Deformed Specimen.'' Bastards with no eye for quality. And next to it was marked ''outgoing.'' Thus I ended up beside Count Jimier along with other items marked for outgoing. The fate of outgoing items soon became clear. After the mansion quieted down again, "guests" started arriving. "I pay my respects, Court Count. I am Lieutenant Jared Lakers." "Oh, so you''re Jared. I''ve heard many boasts about you from the Viscount. You graduated from the military academy recently?" "Yes, I was fortunately appointed to the Capital Guard and came to pay my respects." He handed over a small wooden box. I could guess what was inside. Must be a bribe! "You shouldn''t have." "Father always said to convey his gratitude..." "I know the Viscount''s heart well." Sound ofughter - hoho, haha. The Court Count was maintaining the traditional noble custom. Receiving greetings, receiving gifts. That seemingly insignificant wooden box surely contained precious metals and jewels. "Ah, seeing you reminds me of something. I''ve been saving it thinking it would suit you well..." Then without looking, he feels around and picks one of the items. A brilliant... next to me. "Oh, it''s a hairpin. Give it as a gift when you meet a youngdy you like." "Ah... thank you!" Is it against etiquette to just take bribes and keep quiet? The Court Count seemed to select items to be given away as bestowments from things he received. What does it matter what the item is? The young officer gratefully tucked the hairpin into his chest and left. But when he left, the Court Count didn''t even try to open the wooden box and just tossed it behind him. ng- Gold coins spilled out from inside the wooden box. A servant quickly came and gathered them. ''He doesn''t seem interested in money, so why does he do this?'' "It''s not that he''s not interested in money, but that he''s not interested in small amounts. For people of his level, bribe trading is just pocket money. It''s probably like daily business to maintain his power." Pelerian''s tone was not friendly. Come to think of it, though Pelerian was old-fashioned, he was treated simrly to a continental hero. It makes sense he wouldn''t be friendly toward those in power. ''I wonder who they''re nning to give me to?'' "Anywhere would be better than here." While progressing with evolution, I had many thoughts. This is my first time in such a big city, isn''t it? Since I came all the way to the capital, I nned to aplish everything I could. First was finding Pelerian''s vault. He said it was a special vault in the royal bank. I want to see what''s inside. While I''m at it, I could take a few nice things if there are any. But the problem is that even if I take the key, they probably won''t open it for me. I needed to find a human coborator. Actually, I originally thought of asking Heilit Langrey. But since that bad person sold me off, I need to find a new coborator. It would be nice to meet Roil or Amain, but first I need to know where those two are. In that sense, this ce wasn''t very good. Too many soldiers, and that Court Count Jimier doesn''t look easy to deal with either. Someone living alone would be good. Someone clumsy and foolish would be perfect to use. "There are several ways to control humans." ''Oh?'' "Eitherpletely win their heart and make them a loyal subordinate. Hire them by offeringpensation. Or grab their lifeline, threaten them and enve their soul. Among these, the best is..." ording to Pelerian''s human resource management method. "Third. Making them ves." Just as I thought. When I asked why. "Winning hearts sounds easy. But hearts sway like reeds when the target acts differently from their thoughts. So that''s out. If you hire them withpensation, they''ll surely betray you when someone offering more appears. Therefore, enving them is best." ''That''s why you only have golems and magic spirits as proper subordinates.'' Ah, I see! I identally reversed thought and ''thought''. Pelerian is grumbling and getting angry. Someone else entered. "Master, Professor Obern has arrived." "Oh. Tell him toe in." Unlike before, there was joy in the Court Count''s voice. One of thoseing in might be my subordinate (or retainer). I watched the door with the heart of a king looking for retainer candidates. And when I saw ''Professor Obern'' who entered. I''ll be honest. I was a bit overwhelmed. Step. I thought ''professor'' meant a middle-aged man with a pot belly, but no. What appeared through the door was a tall young gentleman. His long golden hair was neatly tied back, and he wore an extremely expensive-looking coat. With long eyshes and fair, clean skin, he looked more like a famous capital model than a schr. However, the atmosphere he gave off wasn''t light. Chapter 225: The Handsome Man in a Mask (2) Some people exude dignity just by walking. Obern was like that. Meanwhile, his sharp hazel eyes and straight nose bridge, firmly closed lips andrge hands coexisted with masculinity. "It''s been a while, Professor." "Have you been well, Court Count?" He ces his hand on his chest and bows slightly in greeting. That too was exquisite. Perfect etiquette, yet respectful without appearing servile. He doesn''t force a smile by raising the corners of his mouth. Completely different from the people before who grinned as if they would offer even their liver. ''This guy''s quite handsome, isn''t he?'' "Hmm, he is indeed." Even Pelerian acknowledged it, so that says it all. First bonus points as a retainer candidate. A handsome one would be better anyway. Come to think of it, Roil looks too much like an uncle. Well, that''s natural since he is one. "How long has it been since you came to the capital?" "I arrived yesterday." "So you came right away, thank you, hohoho-!" The Court Count seemed to like Professor Obern very much. I was curious about the rtionship between the professor and Court Count when a familiar word came up. "I heard you have an interview scheduled at Emerald School?" "As expected of the Court Count. You see through everything even from here." I was a bit impressed. This professor had the talent to make obvious ttery not sound like ttery at all. Maybe it''s because he speaks in such a serious tone and looks so proper. "Hehehe, well this much is nothing. But more importantly, will you be alright?" "What do you mean?" "Working here after ying in the Empire''s big waters. I heard your research achievements are recognized even in Imperial academia. No matter how prestigious Emerald School is, it''s still a school in a small country." For a Court Count to call his own country small - this old man must be a cosmopolitan and globalist. "I returned with the mindset of taking a brief rest." "Rest? Hoho, hahahaha!" To call a professorship at the kingdom''s most prestigious school ''rest'' - incredibly arrogant. But that seemed to please the Court Count even more. Handsome guys can get away with anything. "That fellow seems to be a mage. Mature enough not to reveal his true level." ''Oh, really?'' "Yes. And if he''s a full member of the Imperial academia, he must be quite capable. He''ll have a solid foundation and might even have connections to the Imperial family." He sounds better and better. He''s an appealing talent for me, who wants to enter the Empire and Imperial pce someday. "I have high expectations for you." "You tter me." "The Third Prince will be enrolling this time. I hope you''ll manage him well from the side. Need to watch out for what flies might try to approach him." "Yes." "Well, if you''re by the prince''s side, there''s nothing to worry about. Hahaha!" And the Court Count added as if in afterthought. "I did pass along your story, but even I can''t handle Director Bnyar freely. You understand what I mean? Since I fed him something, he won''t fail you at the interview just to be stubborn, but..." "That was unnecessary. With my own ability, a professorship would..." "Haha, hahaha! Yes, that''s right. But well, there are procedures, right? Just show a little of your ability. Then bing a professor is certainly assured." Obern bowed slightly. He doesn''t appear humble. "If by chance you don''t be a professor, though that won''t happen, it would be very troublesome." "I will live up to your expectations." After that, useless small talk continued. And when I thought they would skip it this time, there was still the gift exchange ceremony. However, what the professor handed to the Court Count wasn''t money but golden essories for shirt cuffs and ties. "A tie pin and cufflinks I brought from the Empire." Seemed like too light a bribe, but. The Court Count''s expression brightened. "Oh, this is Elmes isn''t it!" "You recognize it." Must be a brand name. Seems famous. "Yes, and this is a design I''ve never seen before... I do receive their collection catalogs." "Huhu, it''s a custom-made piece." "I heard they were a workshop with high standards, but they do custom orders! As expected of you." So that''s how you should give gifts - with sense. Learned something. "I have something I want to give you too, where..." He felt around beside him and grabbed me. Then let out a sigh. "Ah..." What? Why. "This is..." Just as the Court Count was about to put me back down. Professor Obern said something cool. "Oh, what a magnificent piece." "You like it? Take it if you do." The Court Count handed me over with a beaming smile. Though his attitude was a bit suspicious... well, not bad. Obern received me and bowed slightly. "Ah, perhaps this item..." "About that." Looking at the Court Count''s face, he had clearly forgotten about me. His vague words were: "A snake with wings, cursed by crystal... I think that''s what it was." Seems it changed from ''wingless wyvern cub specimen that died in a crystal transformation petrification trap.'' Obern smiled for the first time. "...How demonic. I like it." This guy, even his smile is handsome. I left the mansion in Obern''s hands. == Obern Grimoire. Became a full member of the Imperial academia in his early thirties. Known for his beautiful appearance and excellent magical ability. After building a brilliant career in the Empire, he returned to the kingdom. To be a professor at Emerald School. Could I make someone this impressive my subordinate...? Such thoughts urred to me. I already had experience making subordinates. People like Roil, Amain, Dunkel, or Zain. But this time, unlike before, my confidence faltered. Obern seemed like a big shot. Actually, thinking about it, the heroes I''ve met - notably Gunter, Viscount Martein, Heilit Langrey - might be more impressive. However, in terms of presence, Obern exceeded them. I''m not sure about reality, but he seemed stronger than that weird woman Heilit and as cold as Gunter. ''Hmm, he''s definitely intimidating.'' Obern was staying in a hotel room in Solion Impel. It was a luxurious and clean room reflecting his taste. He ced me on the desk. Adjusting the angle, positioning me like an objet d''art. Then he stared at me intently. "...Beautiful." This guy making a snake blush. "But inside is red and ugly." Well, you should always listen to people''s words until the end. "Just like me..." ''What''s he talking about?'' Obern stroked me like that then. Suddenly he copsed into his seat. "Damn it, Court Count...!" Then suddenly he pounds the ground, bursting with anger. That startled me. "After acting so high and mighty but couldn''t even get me epted!" Ah, is this about the professorship? Obern grabbed his head and became very anxious. "Aah, what should I do. If my true ability is discovered by chance... I''ll really end up in the underground prison." Oh. The earlier dignity waspletely gone from Obern who was biting his thumbnail. "That bastard Court Count is collecting Elmes essories... thought my heart would stop. Hope the fakes aren''t discovered. Sigh, I came back trusting only in that bastard." Gasp, what kind of person is this? Don''t tell me even that sensible gift was fake. Both Pelerian and I were shocked. "Wh-what an amazing fellow." ''How is this possible?'' He seemed so impressive, but was it all just bluffing and acting? If so, he''s skilled enough to be an actor instead. Though he should be sent to prison rather than a stage. "Isn''t this actually better?" ''What?'' "Just the right level to use as a ve..." Oh,e to think of it, that''s not wrong. Looking at that conman crouching alone in front of me, pulling at his hair. A brilliant idea urred to me. Chapter 226: The Demonic Crystal Snake (1) Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Also, it is said that even a lion, king of beasts, gives its all when hunting a single rabbit. Though I was a snake rather than a lion, it was no different. Obern Grimoire. Even after learning that this handsome and cold-looking blonde man was actually clumsy unlike his appearance, it remained the same. I observed him patiently. The more I thought about it, the situation seemed better. Honestly, how could I freely handle a perfect young genius professor (cold, magical genius)? When I shared my honest thoughts with Pelerian. "Though I hate to say this about myself. Am I not exactly the image that foolish human wishes to fabricate...?" Pelerian asked in such a serious tone that I was taken aback. "Even my fake identity in my youth was an excellent member of the Imperial Academy, and I obtained mage qualification within 5 years of learning magic. Wouldn''t I be the very model he''s trying to imitate?" ''Ah...'' "Yet I don''t understand how you treat me so carelessly without a trace of fear while being ufortable with such things." I had nothing to say. Actually, I had too much to say but couldn''t - that was the problem. If I spoke honestly, Pelerian might get hurt, and if there''s a problem, it''s that this snake''s heart is too warm and soft. ''Anyway, this is rather fortunate.'' From my observations of Obern Grimoire. He was a person with remarkable acting skills. He could have been hugely sessful if he''d gone into acting instead of magic, why did he needlessly walk the path of magic? Whether entering a magic tower or stepping into academia like Obern, mages are essentially schrs and researchers. Though how they live differs by disposition - Obern must have been the ambitious type. It must have been unavoidable. He was the child of a fallen noble family. The eldest son died getting beaten by thugs after falling into gambling. His sister luckily married well but cut contact with her family after their house fell. Though it had been long since the family fell and lost their territory, their spending habits couldn''t easily decrease. Obern''s mother copsed with tuberculosis, and his father lived drowning in alcohol. Naturally, the couple''s hopes focused on their brilliant youngest, Obern. At that time, young Obern''s eyes sparkled with intelligence. Wherever he went, he was called a genius. Perhaps he learned how to package himself from then. Maybe he had fragments of genius at that time. ''First, he talks to himself a lot!'' Obern often muttered to himself when alone. Mostly regretful words like "Ah, I shouldn''t have done that then." I felt close to him since we were simr. "I shouldn''t have gone to study abroad then..." Obern left for the Empire to study before he even grew a beard. It seems his genius began to fade around that time. After that, he built a stone tower of pretense and deception. He took stones from below to stack above, usurped others'' achievements to make them his own. It was a fake myth built with natural looks, eloquence, and presence. Running like that, he reached a point of no return before he knew it. If even one thing is discovered, his life''s entire stone tower would copse. He would at least go to prison, and might get his head cut off by powers who feel they were deceived. Obern Grimoire, who became afraid of this, returned home almost like he was fleeing. The Emerald School professorship was his hope. Even if Obern''s academic level was a bit low, it would be enough to teach young students. At least, he seemed to think so. But how could a life built on lies go smoothly? Though Obern appeared perfect on the outside, he was rotting inside. That young conman was eroded by anxiety. He has nightmares every day and drinks alcohol every night to suppress his anxiety. I watched him for a long time, looking for an opening. As a terrifying snake. I would bite that pitiful conman''s heart and inject poison. After staying in darkness like that for several days. On the night of Evolution Day 29, one day beforepletion. ''Be my ve!'' I caught my chance. == Obern held a ss whiskey tumbler in his hand. The amber liquid inside. Somehow it looked like premium whiskey, but it was actually cheap rum you could buy for a few coins. Cheap liquor that was aged with oak chips to extract only color and scent, sharp like being stabbed when drunk. Obern drank it. Music andughter from downstairs faintly brushed his ears. ''Yes, if I just get the professorship...'' But he had no confidence. What if that Director Bnyar observes? That superhuman would see through Obern''s mask in an instant. Then it''s over. He would fall instantly. As anxiety surged, his hands trembled. He unconsciously dropped the ss he was holding. Crash- The ss should have broken. The cheap whiskey should have soaked the carpet. But it didn''t. The ss was frozen just before hitting the floor. Suspended, tilted. Was he hallucinating from drinking too much? For a moment, Obern thought so. But then the ss floated up and returned to the table. From here, his spine couldn''t help but chill. The pen on the table floated up and started writing by itself on the notepad. ¡¸Poor, oh poor Grimoire.¡¹ His mind snapped to rity. If not hallucination, clearly someone was sending Obern a written message. ¡¸No matter how far you run. You will be disgraced and everything will be exposed. Death chases you. Run to the end, Grimoire.¡¹ His breathing grew rough. Obern inhaled very slowly. It was an instinctive act to hide his disturbed breathing. Is someone writing with magic? Are they watching, perhaps eavesdropping. Obern opened his mouth. "What an insolent one. How dare such a worthless thing threaten me?" His voice didn''t tremble at all. It matched the tone of the arrogant genius Obern, cold enough to frost over. When he spoke like this, no one failed to feel tense. But, unexpectedly. The windows shook and wind howled all around. Papapapak! It sounded just likeughter. As if the whole room was mocking Obern''s act. ¡¸Hahaha, you''re like a frightened bird, Grimoire. But your acting can only fool humans. I prophesy. Until the day you die soon, you will try to deceive others and miserably get your head cut off.¡¹ Usually Obern could have calmly continued his act. He was someone who maintained his mask serenely even before the Court Count and Imperial court. But not now. Someone knew Obern''s secret. There shouldn''t be anyone capable of that here in the kingdom, not the Empire. Could it be not human? Then could it be a demon? Has a demon appeared who sees through and mocks his deception and lies? Obern barely suppressed his trembling and asked. "...Who are you." ¡¸That which crawls in darkness. That which is white and ck. Controller of magic. That which defies heaven.¡¹ Ah. He forcefully gripped his trembling hands. Someone might be using magic to toy with Obern. Chapter 227: The Demonic Crystal Snake (1) Rationally thinking, that would make sense. The pen moved by itself. Could it be an ''animate object'' spell? Is someone holding and moving the pen with ''invisible hand'' magic? No, surely not suchmon and simple magic. Or telekic control from afar... then there might be magical devices watching and listening inside this room. Maybe familiars hidden in insects or rats. Obern''s head spun. There was only one certain countermeasure he could take right now. Block magic. Yes, he had artifacts for that at least. As much as hecked confidence in his own ability, Obern was obsessed with artifacts. He twisted a cubic cube taken from his chest, and it split into four pieces. Obern scattered those pieces to the four corners of the room. tter- A barrier blocking magical interference. Though the effect won''tst long, it should prevent observation magic, familiar control, or animate object spells from prating from outside. But. Scratch scratch- The pen moved as if mocking such Obern. ¡¸Then, see you in hell. Obern Grimoire.¡¹ "Wh-who are you! Are you a demon!" The pen lost power and dropped. No answer came. Obern was terrified. In the room were only him and the crystal snake specimen he received recently. After downing the remaining cheap rum in one go, Obern pulled the nket over himself and trembled. Trembling like that, he drowsily fell asleep. When he woke up staggering with a splitting hangover headache, yesterday''s memo remained on the desk. ¡¸Then see you in hell. Obern Grimoire.¡¹ Demonic bad handwriting. It wasn''t a dream. Obern felt the urge to run away. But where to? He had nowhere to run, neither in the Empire nor kingdom. His interview is tomorrow. Today he had things to prepare for that. He needs to buy magic reagents. Obern hurriedly groomed himself. He became neat quickly but couldn''t hide the shadows under his eyes. Though that rather suited him, creating a decadent atmosphere. He hastily packed his luggage and left the hotel room. Then went down to the lobby and said he would check out. "Um, if there were any problems during your stay..." "...Kuk." He could only re at the lobby staff asking that. He walked aimlessly carrying his suitcase of luggage. With limited funds, he had no choice but an inn. This time he was careful not to let anyone follow. Hiding in crowds, he went to the riverside. Where he stopped was an inn operating a tavern on the first floor. As soon as he entered through the door, he demanded. "Single room, corner room. If the next room is empty too, I''ll pay for both." "Uh..." The inn''s serving girl gaped. Finding such a noble-like handsome man visiting a ce like this, it was natural to be surprised. "Are there no rooms?" "No, there are!" He entered the room, roughly threw in his luggage and came out. This time he searched the windows and ceiling to set up magical defenses in advance. No one should be able to eavesdrop or use remote magic from outside. He staggered out of the inn. Now to go somewhere selling magic reagents... first things to buy for tomorrow... Thud. Someone bumped into Obern. A man as tall as Obern. Brown hair, confident smile, slightly drooping eyes. "Obern?" "..." "Hey, isn''t this Obern Grimoire!" In front of a shop selling magic reagents. What were the chances of meeting a ssmate from studying in the Empire? "Hey, you bastard... so it was true." "...Corbant?" "Corbant? Haha." Moreover, what were the chances that ssmate would be one of the few who knew Obern''s pretense and secrets? "You should call me Lord Corbant. Forgot after not seeing me for so long?" "..." "I was shocked when I heard you became a full academy member. Haha, how''d you do it? Bribes?" Instead of answering that. Obern asked about what bothered him. "...''So it was true'', what do you mean by that?" "That tone of voice..." Corbant said. "You, you applied for the Emerald School professorship right? I applied too." "..." "What great timing. So good to see you." That phrase came to mind. ¡¸See you in hell, Obern Grimoire.¡¹ Truly, Obern felt like he had fallen into hell overnight. "Let''s have a drink and catch up! Hehe." Corbant put his arm around Obern''s shoulders. Obern staggered, swaying as he was practically dragged along. == Evolution Day 30. Time until evolutionpletion, about 10 minutes. Before, looking through the translucent crystal, something like a bright red mass would writhe. Not anymore. ording to Pelerian''s description, though blood remained, the flesh wasplete. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little Prince Serpent lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Whilepleting evolution, I evolved several skills by consuming mana. I became stronger. Now, I just need to break out of the crystal. ''Quite a demonic snake.'' "Indeed indeed." ''How was my acting?'' "Can writing count as acting?" What''s wrong with that. Even verbal sparring counts as martial arts. Why, isn''t there a saying that imagination is the best graphics engine? Thanks to my heartfelt performancest night, Obern Grimoire lookedpletely terrified. Malphas'' parchment that I brought. I nned to use it to make a contract with Obern Grimoire. ''Now that I''ve shaken him up, negotiating should be easier.'' I used what I learned about him over several days to shake Obern. Since he seems afraid of me, he won''t look down on me despite my small size. "This isn''t enough. To truly make someone a ve, you mustpletely break their mind and reason." ''Come to think of it, making him a ve might be a bit...'' "Weak words!" ''Ah, by the way, why isn''t heing back?'' Though I said it to change the subject, I was genuinely concerned. It was already midnight outside and raining. Rumble- A rough night with even thunder. Is he staying out overnight? Making a snake worry. CRASH! The door burst open with thunder at that moment. That startled me. Of course it was Obern who returned. Having no umbre, he waspletely soaked. He walked into the room making sshing sounds. He closed the door with a thud and copsed to his knees. "Are you still watching me now. Demon..." What''s with him, is it acting time again? He knelt down, clutching his head and bending over. And started sobbing. "As you said, have I fallen into hell?" Looking closely, something was off. Pelerian informed me. "Blood, there''s blood on his hands." ''Gasp!'' Obern returned with blood on his hands. He doesn''t seem injured, so is it someone else''s blood? "I killed him, yes, I killed Corbant." He muttered while crying. Who is Corbant... "I had no choice but to kill him!" CRASH! Thunder roared. Pelerian chuckled. "Though I don''t know what happened." His voice was quite sinister. "Now is the time. The moment hase when he must sell his soul to a demon!" 5 until evolutionplete... 4, 3, 2, 1. I picked up the pen with invisible hand. Crack. Simultaneously, cracks appeared in the crystal covering my body. The demonic serpent descends. Chapter 228: Slave Contract (1) Was it the alcohol? Or was it fate? Or like a cornered rat biting a cat. Perhaps Obern had no choice but to bite Corbant who knew his ugly secrets. Maybe because drunk Corbant pped his face. Perhaps shame and anger suddenly surged up. Or cold reason might have intervened. There probably wasn''t anyone else who knew Corbant met Obern here. They went straight to the bar after meeting, so he wouldn''t have had time to tell others ''guess who I met today?'' After leaving the bar, they staggered while walking. Rain poured from the darkened sky. A downpour heavy enough to wash away everything, even blood. On that night of thunder and lightning. No one was by the riverside where Solion Impel''s sewage mixed and surged. And originally, several corpses are dumped in that river every day. No one would notice one more Corbant. No, to be honest, there were no such logical thoughts. Obern''s mind just went nk. When Corbant who pped his faceughed haha. He had already cast magic. A simple but effective elemental magic. ''Ice Spike''. Thunk! When it pierced Corbant''s stomach, he wore an expression of disbelief. Was it cold, or hot? Traditionally, there''s no better magic than ice spike for secretly killing someone you hate. That had been proven. He tried to grab Obern but. His hand was knocked away with a p. Corbant fell into the sewer with a ssh. The pitch-ck water swallowed him instantly. Death swallowed Obern''s ugly secret along with Corbant. Obern felt happy and relieved. But only after entering the room did he realize he was crying. "As you said, have I fallen into hell?" The demon''s prophecy came true. Now he understood. If someone was watching him, they must have seen his fate too. Only demons would vite and toy with a person''s soul like this. "I had no choice but to kill..." Excuses, just pitiful excuses. But what reason was there to excuse murder to a demon, not a god? Plop plop. ck ink dropped in front of crying Obern. Looking up, that pen was dancing again. What did this demon want ande to him for? The pen moved and wrote on his left hand. ¡¸Do you want to escape the pit of lies and deceit?¡¹ The demon offered salvation on the left hand. ¡¸If you want, I''ll give you everything. I''ll give you the professorship you want. And profound magical knowledge you''ve never encountered before, enormous wealth, real power that no one can doubt...!¡¹ Real power, huh. His head moved on its own. Nod. The pen rose and wrote on his right hand. ¡¸Lift your head and look at my form.¡¹ Crack, thud. Crystal shards dropped before his eyes. With trembling heart, Obern lifted his head. ''It'' was there. Had it been watching everything from the start? A white snake emerged from breaking crystal. He could immediately tell it wasn''t an ordinary snake. What snake in the world wears a crystal crown and has such sparkling scales? It looked down at Obern with eyes burning like mes. At that moment Obern thought. ''Smaller than expected...'' Perhaps about forearm length. It looked not yet fully grown. If it was a demon''s polymorph, why transform so small? But nothing is more foolish than judging someone''s power by their size. "...What''s the price?" With trembling voice, Obern asked the important thing. "What you want, is it my soul?" Hearing those words, the snake startedughing kak kak. == What would I do with some dark uncle''s soul? Not like I''m going to boil noodles with it, I don''t need such things. Is he too handsome and developed an excessive self-consciousness? "Your acting was quite good this time." ''What do you mean. Must be because I evolved and look more dignified.'' "That''s... nevermind." Though I haven''t seen a mirror yet, I could roughly tell how my appearance changed. My scales sparkled more ssically. Though I definitely seem smaller in size, I''ll have to examine that in detailter. I moved the pen again. ¡¸Why would I need your soul?¡¹ "...Huh?" When asked that, Obern made a dumbfounded face. ''Because you''re a demon...?'' ¡¸I help you and you help me, that''s all.¡¹ I exined strictly. "Hey! That''s not how you make someone a ve." ''Just leave it!'' It would be better to write it clearly and specify it in a contract. How to use this human called Obern. I thought about it for days and finally devised the most realistic and excellent method. ¡¸Make a contract with me.¡¹ "Contract..." ¡¸Read and sign.¡¹ The item obtained from the Court Count''s warehouse. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Malphas'' Parchment] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ With this parchment used for demon contracts, I will make this human my ve! "Sigh." Pelerian sighed. He worried until the end, wondering ''if this is really right...'' Obern slowly started reading the contract. ¡¸The White Serpent (hereafter ''Party A'') and human Obern Grimoire (hereafter ''Party B'') hereby conclude the following employment contract...¡¹ For the first time, I wrote a contract as ''Party A''. How deeply moving this is. Obern lifted his head with a fearful expression. How''s that, this demonic contract? No matter how harsh and cruel the conditions, you''ll have no choice but to sign. == Obern read the contract thoroughly. Unlike his delicate appearance, he had lived a harsh life. To earn money quickly without revealing his identity, he didn''t shy away from dirty work. He had much experience being employed by others. And now this employment contract... ¡¸Article 1. ''Party A'' employs ''Party B'' and provides ''assistance'' to maintain ''Party B''s social status and dignity as a ''mage''. The scope of ''assistance'' includes ''provision of magical knowledge'', ''physical help'', etc. ''Party A'' shall provide best assistance until ''Party B'' is appointed as professor at Emerald School.¡¹ Wasn''t Party A said to be a snake? Yet the content of Article 1 was that the snake would help Obern. Had he seen such a contract before? Moreover, those uses were written very sophisticatedly and objectively. Certainly not a street employment contract. ''As expected of a demon, I must not let my guard down.'' There might be tricks hidden to steal his soul after deceiving him with sweet words. Obern thought so. ¡¸... ''Party B'' is employed by ''Party A'' and provides ''services''. Performance of ''services'' may involve dangers, regarding which ''Party B'' shall not raise any objection to ''Party A''. ''Party A'' and ''Party B'' shall fulfill their duties to protect each other''s social status, life, and safety.¡¹ ''What...!'' Obern shuddered for a moment. Chapter 229: Slave Contract (2) A demon''s contract cannot write lies. But Article 6, fulfilling duties to protect each other''s social status, life, and safety. Wasn''t this too progressive and merciful for a demon to propose? ¡¸Article 2. ... ''Party B'' has the duty to perform ''Party A''s instructions. If ''Party B'' fails to diligently perform ''Party A''s instructions, penalties shall be imposed ording to the following liability uses. --For speaking rudely, one punch --For speaking rudely twice, one finger --For disobeying orders, one stab ...¡¹ Of course there were harsh contents, but this much was natural. At this point, doubt inevitably rose in a corner of Obern''s mind. ''Maybe hell is actually a better ce to live than earth.'' Obern pondered very briefly. However, the use written at the end resolved his hesitation. ¡¸Special Provision) If ''Party B'' fails in the ''Emerald School professor appointment'' process. The above employment contract shall be void.¡¹ Actually, right now Obern was desperate enough to sell his soul to get that position. Being employed by a crystal snake? Rather, wouldn''t it be beneficial if he could receive help from a powerful demon? Scratch scratch. Obern wrote his name and finished signing beside it. "Should I stamp it with blood too?" ''Uh...'' Before the snake could answer, Obern pricked his thumb to draw blood. And stamped his thumbprint in blood above the signature. The snake just signed with the pen. The parchment started glowing. Flutter flutter! It was amazing. The parchment was enveloped in mes. Purple mes. However, the paper showed no signs of burning, and when the fire went out, the written text had turned bright red. ''Hahaha!'' The snake moved the pen energetically to write. ''By contract, you are now my subordinate.'' "...?" Why emphasize something so obvious when they wrote an employment contract? Obern didn''t understand but kept quiet. The snake extended its tail. The gesture looked just like offering a handshake. Obern slowly reached out and grasped that small tail. And, something mysterious happened. The snake''s crown shed brightly. Kiiing- A sensation like static electricity sparked in his hand. Magic power flowed through the tail and fingertips. As if connected with the snake. And he heard the snake''s ''voice'' in his ear. "Ah, ah, can you hear me?" It was definitely the snake speaking. Though its mouth didn''t move, it was certain. "Obern, I''m a snake." "Ah... yes." "Don''t speak out loud like an idiot, try speaking in your mind. Concentrate like you''re monologuing." ''Like... this?'' "Yes yes, that''s it. Quite talented." Is that so, does he have talent for this? Obern carefully asked. ''Are you a demon?'' "No, I''m the Little Prince Serpent. Don''tpare me with mere demons. Anyway, let''s do well together from now on. I have high expectations for you." The snake climbed up Obern''s arm to his shoulder. Being only forearm-sized, such a small snake could probably be hidden in a hat when coiled. "I have lots of things for you to do, but first tomorrow is that interview day right?" ''Yes, that''s correct.'' "Pel... I mean I''ll help you, so go crush that interview and then let''s go to the bank together for a bit." ''The bank?'' "Yeah, there''s a rental vault there." What could be there for him to mention it so casually like sending on an errand? It felt like being enchanted. And though he couldn''t show it. Every time the snake spoke, an impression arose. ''...More foolish-sounding voice than expected.'' But he was already in the position of riding a running snake. == Emerald School, they said. Who knew there would be an academy of this scale in the middle of the capital. Enter through the wide open gates and a beautifully decorated garden appears. Several buildings are scattered about, with just the 5-story main building in the center being mansion-sized. Just like a university campus. And a prestigious university in America or Europe at that. I thought such things while getting off the carriage. I didn''t slither down smoothly, but was hanging on Obern''s wrist. "This way, Professor Obern." Though he wasn''t appointed yet, Obern was called professor. This bastard Obern, his posturing is no joke. Even his walking style perfectly embodies a cold young genius professor. No trace of yesterday''s kneeling and sobbing visible. He wasn''t intimidated at all until entering the interview room. ''Aren''t you nervous?'' ''Extremely.'' Though he seems to be trembling inside. His ability to not show it is almost actor-level. ''Crown of Connection lv1''. Thanks to this newly acquired skill, I could freely converse with contacted targets. A much more convenient and secretive method than writing messages. Of course, the Crown of Connection''s effects weren''t just that. "Oh, Professor Grimoire!" "First time seeing you in person." When entering the room, the Emerald School professors waiting for him stood up. Obern ced his hand lightly on his chest and bowed. The interviewing professors threw words like well-wishes. "We have very high expectations." "We heard you showed great achievements in the Empire." But my very keen senses could tell. Unfriendly gazes were also pouring down. An attitude of wanting to directly see and verify how amazing this rumored young genius is. "Please show us your created magic." In front of where the interviewers sat was an open training ground. Three self-repairing dummies stood far away, and showing created magic was the first task. "Huhu. I look forward to it." "Could it be that magic you devised at the Wave Theory and Fire Festival?" The professors asked. "No." Originally it was. Obern says he initially nned to showcase fire magic. Using magic reagents to make it look more shy, ying tricks... "It''s magic I haven''t revealed yet." "Oh? Surely you didn''t hastily create it? Hahaha!" Obern very elegantly brushed back his hair. "Well, I did create it just yesterday." "...Hoho." The face of the professor who had slightly mocked him twisted. "What is the name of the magic?" "I didn''t bother naming it." "...Your confidence is remarkable." Obern turned toward the dummies. His attitude was that he would show them first. But he didn''t chant any spells. No hand signs, no staff raised. He just lightly lifted his long white fingers to point at the dummy. "Pierce." His low voice resonated and. ''Now!'' I injected magic power. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Sharing skill ''Beam lv3''.¡¹ Then a beam fired from Obern''s fingertips. Pzing! The dummy''s forehead was pierced. That wasn''t magic. At least, the interviewing professors couldn''t recall even simr magic. "What is this!" "No, we couldn''t even see the magic power construction process!" Of course not since it wasn''t magic! Obern didn''t look satisfied, nor nervous. He just calmly dropped one line. "Did you think you could grasp my created magic at a nce?" No one could get angry even at that arrogant statement. Hmm, seems I hired quite a good actor. Chapter 230: Respect and Applaud More (1) Crown of Connection! A new crown skill obtained after bing the Little Prince Serpent. It was like requiring one evolution just to acquire a single skill. Then, is the Crown of Connection that remarkable a skill? Like the crowns of ''Domination'', ''Steal'', and ''Ovee''. Shamefully, I wasn''t properly utilizing my crown skills. I''m using the Crown of Steal very well in various ways. How many skills have I gained with it? But ''Domination'' and ''Ovee'' were different. With Domination, I can''t handle things that are smart and strong. Unless my power bes extremely strong, there are limits to domination power. The Crown of Ovee... Honestly, its utility doesn''t seem bad but I''m not good at using it. First, consuming a lot of mana is the biggest problem. I''m the style to use versatile skills like Invisible Hand at the right time and ce. Simply put, I could be called a high-intelligence character. Meanwhile, the Crown of Ovee seems useful when unleashing strong firepower at once. Especially when fighting humans rather than tough and durable monsters. Then what kind of skill is this newly acquired ''Crown of Connection''? To put it simply, it could be called an upgraded version of Isil''s ''Empathy''. Like Empathy, it has the condition of requiring physical contact with the target. I couldmunicate mentally with contacted targets. Much faster and more convenient than having to write to converse. And, I could share skills. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv1 to share ''Beam lv3''.¡¹ However, there''s a condition that requires the target''s consent. Can''t use it on enemies, but it''s a utility skill that can be used on my subordinates or allies. Beam is originally a skill humans cannot use. The essence of the beam technique is ''magnificent and amazing monsters shooting beams from their mouths''. ¡¸Sess.¡¹ Nevertheless, Obern became able to use beam. Seeing Pelerian''s shock, it seems like an amazing feat. Maybe it''s because of the ''Perseverance'' trait I got with 20 potential. It wouldn''t have looked cool shooting the beam from his mouth. But Obern coolly emitted the beam from his fingertips. Kiiing! Though its power wasn''t supreme, it transcended mages''mon sense. Light gathers and is fired. No traces of any of the four elemental magics visible. The professors who stepped into magic all fretted. "How did you do that!" Interviewers are in the position to analyze and test the subject. Yet they instead sought teachings from the interview subject. Obern opened his mouth softly. "I merely dposed light magic and condensed wave energy at the particle level." What''s he talking about? Seems like he''s making stuff up but how can he be so confident? The interviewers'' expressions were perplexed. "Then... how do you emit it in a straight line? The magic power should run wild?" "Can''t you just modify the calction form in real-time?" "No, that... how..." Obern tapped his temple area. Saying he did it through mental calction. I thought it was too much bluffing, but Obern was truly a professional at bluffing. No one shouted ''Nonsense!'' They just closed their mouths in admiration. ''They''re buying it so easily.'' "Indeed. If I were the interviewer, I would have crushed him." The matter seemed to be ending more easily than expected. Who knew a formidable opponent would appear here. p, p, p, p. Someone appeared. A person who looked young, no, childlike. No beard and only about chest-heightpared to Obern. Wearing a robe that slightly dragged on the floor, clearly not human. "A gnome." Pelerian said. My first time seeing this race. I heard gnomes are a race skilled with their hands and specializing in magic. The interviewers all stood from their seats. "Director Bnyar!" "We didn''t know you''de without saying anything." Though looking like a boy, being a gnome he might be quite old. And he''s clearly respected. Just look at the interviewers'' reactions. Bnyar something-us, one of the 8 heroes. And Obern''s reaction... ''Aaaack, I''m doomed!'' He was screaming mentally. Yet outwardly there was no sign of it. He just ced his hand on his chest and bowed slightly. Looking at that, he seemed like someone who never showed weakness except when drinking alone. ''Calm down Obern.'' ''I never thought Director Bnyar woulde to the interview himself... He''ll see through everything!'' Pelerian clicked his tongue. "This superficially polished trash, not even knowing whose advice he''s receiving right now." Obern didn''t know about Pelerian''s existence. Because I was delivering his advice as if it were my own. I briefly broke the connection so Obern couldn''t hear and asked. ''Do you know that gnome?'' "He wasn''t even known by name when I was active. Compared to my level, he must be pathetic." ''If you don''t know each other, couldn''t he actually be an amazing mage...?'' "Gnomes are a long-lived race. If he''s only be known now despite being at least 100 years old, he can''t be that impressive." It was Pelerian-style logic but I didn''t say anything. The director walked steadily and stood before us. "Interesting." "Pleased to meet you. I am Obern Grimoire." "Nice to meet you." The small director offered a handshake. Obern politely epted. Then the director asked. "Did you do it like this?" He lifted his hand smoothly. Twirled his index finger. A storm of magic power swept through. A white light mass gathered at his fingertip. When he pointed it at the dummy, a beam shot out. BOOM! The dummy''s head exploded. This gnome, daring to imitate my beam when he''s not even a monster. The professors apuded, saying it was amazing. But the director who actually performed this impressive feat didn''t look very pleased. "No, there''s unnecessary waste of magic power. It explodes instead of prating. Above all... it''s not clean." He looked up at Obern and smiled like a boy. "How did you do it?" When asked such a question, Obern didn''t randomly string together difficult words like before. As a conman, he responded more professionally. "Huhu." He just smiled faintly. "Aw no fun. It''s a secret, right?" But that worked. Director Bnyar didn''t cling desperately like the interviewers. The atmosphere became warm. And taking advantage of that moment, I focused my eyes to observe Director Bnyar. Let''s see what kind of person this fourth hero I''ve met is. But, it was truly surprising. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [????? Bnyar ???lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This was the first time I''d seen a status window so unclear. Not even other heroes including Gunter were like this, and neither were named monsters. Chapter 231: Respect and Applaud More (2) Could it mean the gnome before me is the strongest among all the people I''ve met so far? When I asked Pelerian about this, he shook his head. "Your ability to see through others at a nce is certainly an amazing talent. But there definitely exist magic and artifacts rted to detection. That sinister gnome must be wary and thoroughly hiding himself." That''s right. But I have no intention of giving up. He''s clearly the best magician I''ve actually met, so wouldn''t there be skills to see and borrow? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] ...[Magic Maniac], [Mask]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Indeed, when I concentrated, some things became visible. Beyond traits. Skills too... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ...[Gravity Magic lv20], [Psychokic Wave lv20]... [Supreme Elemental Magic: 4 Elements]...[Intermediate Elemental Magic: Ether lv5]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Intermediate Elemental Magic... Ether? Isn''t elemental magic about utilizing the 4 elements? There were several high-level skills worth borrowing. I could feel myself drooling. ''Whew, must hold back.'' But using Crown of Steal here would surely be discovered. Previously, when I stole Thunder Spirit from Gunter too. From that far distance, he sensed something strange and threw his spear. "It''s an impressive created magic, but it''s difficult to score something iprehensible." But the director suddenly said that. "I''d like to test something else." Is he sulking because we didn''t exin how it was done? Seems likely. Mages are that sort of bunch after all. Obern frowned. "In that case, what would you like me to show?" "Sharp eyes are very important for a mage." The gnome director also tapped beside his eye with his finger. "This time, try to copy what I do. As much as you can follow." See that? Clearly he''s upset because he couldn''t copy my beam properly. The gnome drew his finger down vertically. Whoosh. A line of me was drawn. However, that me wasn''t hot at all. Also, without any firewood to burn, it just flickered while fixed in midair. Then the director flicked his finger, and the upper part of the me split into several branches. Exmations already burst forth. "The hint is..." The director snapped his fingers with a click. Water vapor started condensing in the air. "I only used very basic magic." Instead of falling, the condensed water droplets started forming in midair. What the gnome mage was expressing was clear. The professors couldn''t help but admire. "It''s a tree, you expressed a tree!" "Such a beautifulbination of magic..." Abination utilizing multiple magics simultaneously. This was truly mages'' y - showing off their skills through how to connect suchbinations. "Try copying it." The director had now thrown a test at Obern. Whether he could grasp his magicbination. And Obern, wearing a rxed expression... ''...I have no idea.'' Was half panicked. Though Obern is made up of bluffs, he''s not actually stupid. As a mage he was naturally intelligent and had high achievements for his age. However, it''s difficult to instantly grasp a test deliberately set by one of the 8 heroes. So he made the most rational choice. ''Please help!'' He asked me for help. ''A wise decision, Obern.'' After saying that majestically, I nced to the side. Help me, Pelerian! Though grumbling, Pelerian started exining. "He lit elemental fire magic at low temperature." ''He lit elemental fire magic at low temperature.'' "You lit elemental fire magic at low temperature." Pelerian''s words are repeated by me, and my words are repeated by Obern. A three-stagemunication that no one in this ce notices. "Though it''s an illusion of meless fire, he shaped the tree through wind and earth magic." Obern recited those words smoothly while demonstrating. Yes, do well! He copied simrly. Whoosh- Indeed, a line of me was drawn in the air. "Using dust floating in the air as a medium to gather moisture. That forms the leaves." Click. Obern snapped his fingers. Actually apletely unnecessary motion, but definitely looked cool. Moisture condensed to serve as leaves. "Ohh..." "Simr!" It would have appeared as if Obern instantly grasped the director''sbination. But actually, looking closely, inadequacies could be felt. First the size was much smaller, and the wind magic control was amateur. Without the original, one might not have thought it was a tree. "The four elements forming one tree... this must be Yggdrasil." Obern naturally delivered Pelerian''s words as dialogue. "You''ve depicted Yggdrasil." "Eh?" The director''s eyes widened. "How did you know?" "The four elements forming one tree... I grasped it from that point." "Professor Obern, you''re not just good at magic. To think your knowledge was this deep." He acknowledged that Obern''s guess was correct. Admiration burst forth from all around. "However, tell him the fifth element is missing." "However, one thing iscking. Ether..." The director''s expression turned serious for a moment. "...How did you know?" "..." Obern didn''t answer, just smiled faintly. The director finally gave a wry smile and took out a white wand the length of a forearm from his chest. When he waved it. Patztztz... Five-colored sparks started flickering from the tree''s leaves. That must be that ether or whatever elemental magic. "Now flowers have bloomed on Yggdrasil." "You''re the real thing. I don''t know how long it''s been since I''ve admired someone like this." And the director offered another handshake to Obern. "You praise me too much." The watching interviewers also stood up and started apuding. In this moment there was no jealousy or envy. As those who stepped into magic, they could only purely admire. To Director Bnyar who showed beautiful magic. And to the young genius professor who grasped it at a nce. Apuse and acim. ''I''m envious...'' The pouring apuse and admiring cheers. Respect dwelled in the eyes of those looking this way. Yet I was just coiled inside Obern''s sleeve. At that moment something I didn''t expect happened. ¡¸Acim pours onto the connected target.¡¹ ¡¸Receiving respect and awe together.¡¹ Am I sharing the respect thanks to the Crown of Connection? So what does that do? ¡¸Due to ''Royal'' trait, obtaining ''Noble Dignity''.¡¹ ...Noble Dignity? Chapter 232: VVIP (1) Director Bnyar definitely looks young. Like a gnome, he''s not only short in stature, but his features also resemble those of a boy. But in reality, his age must be at least over 100. However, it''s not because of his age that he receives respect from the distinguished professors. It was all due to the director''s own ability. When naming the greatest mages in the current kingdom, there are clearly two. Director Bnyar himself, and the master of the Magic Tower. Surprisingly, the academy''s director is evaluated on the same level as the Magic Tower''s master. The shybination Bnyar showed today was, in fact, merely child''s ypared to his true ability. That''s why the director was respected. And the words from his mouth were also respected. "Who else is an applicant? Are there more remaining?" "One more was supposed toe today. But... though time has passed, they haven''t arrived." The academic affairs director checked his pocket watch. The time for the applicant to arrive had long passed. "Who is it?" "Someone called Corbant Axel. A talented person who worked at the Empire''s Asher Institute..." "I don''t know them." Then the director tapped his head as if remembering something. "I remember Obern also worked briefly at the Asher Institute. They might know each other." At some point, he started calling him "Young Obern." From the goodwill felt in his words, one could guess the director''s thoughts. Sure enough. The director opened his mouth. "I liked Obern the most, what do you all think?" "I think so too." The dean agreed. Other professors were the same. "...He did score the highest." "Though his attitude seems somewhat arrogant, young people should have such spirit..." Actually, there were some who found him somewhat burdensome. Especially those who valued status looked down on Obern''s fallen house. Bnyar grinned. "Huhu, I know what you''re all worried about. Which of you hasn''t been called a genius?" The director seemed to see through the professors'' true feelings. "But from what I just saw, Professor Obern isn''t just sparkling with natural talent." "Did you see something we didn''t, Director?" Someone asked that, and the director nodded. "He felt like an aged archmage. That''s how he felt to me." To think such an evaluation woulde out. "That insight couldn''te from a young human. It''s simply impossible. Perhaps at least in terms of seeing magic... or knowledge, he might have parts superior to me." "How could you say such things!" "I''m saying that''s what I thought. Of course, it would be difficult to actually be so. Doesn''t it mean Obern is that unique a kind of genius?" The director doesn''t speak kindly without reason. Sighs and exmations burst forth simultaneously among the professors. Watching this, Director Bnyar thought to himself. ''For all that, his actual use of magic itself was unrefined and crude...'' If one side is remarkable, there must be parts inferior to that. In any case, the director''s evaluation of Obern was extraordinary. The professors here once again raised their evaluation of Obern Grimoire. Apuding, admiring... == ¡¸Schrs feel reverence for the connected target.¡¹ ¡¸Due to ''Royal'' trait, obtaining ''Majesty''.¡¹ Eek, startled! While heading up to the hotel room, I heard that sound again. The same message I heard earlier before the Emerald School interviewers. ''Hurry up and go up.'' ''Yes, understood.'' Obern climbed the stairs with long strides. Thanks to me being a wealthy snake, Obern could stay at a good hotel again. Need to check when we get to the room. ''Hey, just now when you were being praised by people.'' "Yes..." ''Didn''t you feel anything suddenly? Like your chest bing majestic. Something like that.'' "Well, my heart did beat a bit faster, but isn''t that normal?" "...I guess so." Come to think of it, my chest usually did feel majestic when someone praised me. ''But not that. I mean really feeling power overflow in your body.'' "I don''t think I felt anything like that." I did. That ''Majesty'' seemed to writhe within my body. Ah right, not everyone hears kind status messages like I do. "Don''t waste time, that fellow surely knows nothing." ''Really? Then what is it?'' I also told Pelerian about the Majesty. He said he didn''t recall immediately but would think about it. "It''s simr to an emperor''s trait." Seems he remembered something. "Sometimes there are those born with emperor traits. Among both humans and monsters. Some are born as true royalty and some are not." ''Ooh.'' "But regardless, such ones came to lead groups. Bing kings, bing generals, or even forming gangs of thugs. In monsters'' cases, leading their own kind..." I''ve seen several boss monsters, but never seen the emperor trait. Must be quite a rare trait. "However, observing the results showed something special..." ''What is it?'' "How many were loyal, or how passionate the support was, even affected individual fighting power." To summarize Pelerian''s words, an emperor who received cheers from many people became that much stronger. "You must be a simr case. Since that Majesty originated from the ''Royal'' trait." That was certainly true. ''But those professors didn''t send acim to me.'' "Since you''re connected to that human, seems the acim came to you too." Is that so. Then the situation must have aligned exquisitely. I gained the ''Royal'' trait when evolving into ''Little Prince Serpent''. But I also became smaller, so who would show respect and reverence to a small snake? Breaking through walls of prejudice and preconception is difficult. But I chose Obern as my subordinate. Humans mistook the superficially polished Obern for a genius and sent acim. That turned into benefit for me. ''d I chose this one.'' Look at those eyes seemingly melting with excellence. Though he''s clearly just spacing out. Then, something urred to me. ''Then what about Ouroboros?'' "You mean the goblins." ''Though I hate to say it myself, they worship me.'' Surely the goblins haven''t forgotten me. "You now and you then are so different. Or they might really be starting to forget you." ''...Hmm.'' I should meet Nanalukter. Chapter 233: VVIP (2) Right now there are other things to care about. ''I need to find out exactly what it means to gain Majesty.'' "Do that." Just as I can feel the magic power umted in my body when I concentrate. I could feel the Majesty making my chest majestic. It took about 3 hours, I think. Until figuring out the definite use of Majesty. Since it originated from the ''Royal'' trait, I thought it might be rted to crown skills. ¡¸Can temporarily strengthen ''Crown of Connection lv1''.¡¹ That was the answer. I could use the Majesty I gained to strengthen crown skills. ''Like temporarily raising skill levels to use like with Crown of Ovee?'' I thought so at first but it was a bit different. It seemed I could use Majesty to produce special effects different from the crown skills'' basic effects. Like how using Gear Second turns Gomu Gomu Pistol into Gomu Gomu Jet Pistol. However, the Majesty I gained was still at a weak level. Not enough to use on Domination, Ovee, or Steal crowns, only enough for the Crown of Connection. ''Should I try using it here...?'' Before me was an extraordinary pottery containing magic power. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Alteard''s Ceremonial Cdon] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ For reference, Isil is nted in it now. It''s an item I specially brought to make into Isil''s home. But when I concentrated and looked at that flowerpot. ¡¸Can use ''Crown of Connection lv1'' by consuming Majesty.¡¹ ''Connection'' became possible with inanimate objects, specifically artifacts containing magic power. What would happen if used on an artifact? ''...No, let''s hold back for now.'' Though I wanted to try using it, I decided to hold back. It''s like Isil''s cushion, what would I do connecting with that right now? There will be opportunities to try it soon. Also not sure how much more Majesty I can obtain... I looked at Obern. I need to maneuver him better. Since he''s so good at acting, he''ll be helpful going forward. That''s when. Knock knock. A knocking sound came from outside. I quickly hid behind while Obern opened the door. It was a hotel employee. "What is it?" "A letter has arrived for Mr. Grimoire." The letter had Emerald School''s seal on it. Just had the interview today but could it be? Obern closed the door and hastily opened the letter. I quickly went to look too. ¡¸To Mr. Obern Grimoire. We deeply thank you for visiting our Emerald School...¡¹ To summarize simply. He passed. It said to start work from next week, that kind of content. ''That''s great!'' Obern copsed to his knees. "Uhuhuhu!" Then started shedding tears of emotion. Yes, you must feel relieved. But this is just the beginning, how can you cry already. And now you can''t break the contract. You''re my subordinate forever, that''s what I mean. Just y today and when you wake up tomorrow morning we''re going straight to the bank. Got it? Obern nodded while crying. == Solion Royal Bank. Though called the Royal Bank, it certainly wasn''t acting as the king''s private vault. Maybe it was like that in ancient times but it couldn''t be in modern times. An advanced nation needs a trustworthy financial system. Who would trust a bank if the king freely withdrew money from it? Though it''s very obvious, many didn''t understand this. In that sense, it was truly a wise choice when a previous king made the bank independent several generations ago. Though such an idea didn''te from the previous king himself. It was after that mighty Empire had already established such a system. However, just thinking to copy the Imperial Bank could be called being a wise king. Because the Royal Bank maintained such independence, the bankers had pride. They treat nobles just like any other customer. Polite but not servile, they handle customers meticulously and strictly. Their only criteria for judging customers are deposit amount and asset size. The other party''s position or status doesn''t matter. However, since customers don''t walk around with their wealth written on their foreheads, having an eye for people is important. ''Hmm, not an amateur.'' New banker Mikael thought this looking at the customer sitting in the waiting area. VIPs would go straight to the VIP counter, so probably a regr customer or first visit... ''Smells like money.'' He was an extremely handsome person. A man with slightly tied long blonde hair, looking stylish with crossed legs and interlocked fingers. Something like dignity could be felt. He might soon be a VIP. It would be good to bring him tea and make a good impression. That''s when he thought this. Mikael thought he must be seeing wrong. ''Huh...?'' Is it a toy? No why would a grown man have such a toy? Though pretty, that''s clearly alive. That''s what he thought seeing the crystal snake moving up the man''s wrist. ''No way, a live animal in the bank!'' Even VIPs are prohibited from bringing pets into the bank. ording to the old and strict rules, that was so. Mikael quickly ran to his senior clerk. When she exined the situation, the muscr senior jumped up from his seat. "Where?" "Over there!" Mikael followed the senior trailing behind as they approached that man. If the senior warns him ''kindly'', even a noble would be intimidated. "Customer." "Ah, finally here." But, that customer took out a golden key from his coat''s inner pocket. A strange flimsy key that didn''t look like it could serve its purpose. The moment he saw that. The senior''s waist bent 90 degrees. "You''re a vault user. I deeply apologize for keeping you waiting." "It''s fine. But I don''t want to wait any longer." "We''ll prepare right away. Please wait just a moment." Mikael gaped stupidly. For that scary senior to be so courteous. When she asked the passing senior ''don''t we need to chase out the animal?'' "Kid, you can chase out VIPs but not VVIPs." He just growled that. == Somehow the bankers became friendly as soon as we showed the key. ''Must be quite expensive to rent a vault? Looking at how friendly they became.'' When I asked Obern that. ''I didn''t even know underground rental vaults existed.'' Seems their existence isn''t even known to ordinary people. Just how rich was Pelerian? The path to the underground vault had very thorough security. First, there are no stairs going down. Only one elevator operating with magical machinery exists, and in emergencies cutting the elevator cables blocks the path to the vault. Of course it doesn''t matter to us since we''re not here to steal but to retrieve contents from our owned vault. The guiding banker seemed a bit excited. "An anonymous vault, this is my first time." Apparently they don''t rent vaults anonymously in principle. We walked thump thump down the underground corridor. Several iron doors were attached to the walls. Each of thosepartments is a vault. And we arrived at the innermost part of the corridor. Particrly massive iron doors existed there. Unlike other vaults, the ce we arrived had no name attached, just the number 006. "This is it. May I open the vault door?" Obern nodded, and the banker gently inserted the golden key into the keyhole. Click, clickclick- With a peculiar sound, the lock mechanism started releasing. ''Wonder what''s inside.'' I''m curious. 8,000 galleons? Or Minsk? I couldn''t guess at all but. "It''s opening." Creeeeak- Finally, the vault door opened. Chapter 234: Owner of the Unique Staff (1) When the vault opened, stale air rushed out. It smells like an old library, but with a more mineral-like coldness. The inside was very dark. "Please wait a moment." The employee guiding us lifted amp from his waist. It wasn''t operated by fire but by magic. Makes sense, if a fire identally broke out inside it would be disastrous. When he turned the button, the light came on. Kiing. The small light is quite bright. The spreading light revealed the contents inside the vault. "We do provide basic delivery service... but since there aren''t many items in the vault, let''s take a look." Indeed. Unlike the vault''s massive size, there were only two things inside. A metal cube and. In an ebony case... "A staff!" The contents in the case became visible. Too long to be a wand but too short to be a staff. A walking stick that would be appropriately called a ''cane''. ''Oh! A magic staff!'' A proper mage naturally needs an excellent magic staff. In that sense, maybe I should have made a staff before swords. ''Do you remember what kind of staff this is?'' "I don''t. Damn it, how much of my memory was erased?" Only after going to Delfram''s dungeon did Pelerian realize more of his memories were deleted than expected. It was the same this time. He had no remaining memories of that staff or the cube beside it. I focused my eyes to examine the staff. The identity of the staff through the crystal... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Sovereign''s Arachne] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It has an ominous name. Isn''t Arachne a spider? A ck rod gleaming like ebony, with silver filigree decorations on the handle in the shape of a spider. Though I dislike spiders, it looks quite impressive. No, it must be an undoubtedly impressive staff. Otherwise there''d be no reason to hide it away in such a vault. "If this is what I meant to give to Caspian..." There are things one can know for certain even without memories. "It surely isn''t just an excellent item." Even without being told, I can tell because. The lock part of the case is sealed with something like a bright red talisman. Ominous, so ominous. "It doesn''t look light, shall we move it to the destination for you?" "It''s fine." We can''t let someone else''s hands touch that. Obern picked up the staff and case as if carrying a baguette. And the mysterious cube beside it too. "Oh." But the banker suddenly became flustered. "That item wasn''t on the list." "You mean this cube?" "Yes..." What''s this? An item not on the list being mixed in, it''s extremely suspicious. "Does that mean I can''t take it?" "No, everything in this vault belongs to whoever brought the key. That is our bank''s rule." "Then it doesn''t matter." Obern put the cube in his jacket pocket. We''ll have to examine that back at the hotel. "I''ll be going." "Yes, then I''ll close the door again. The vault''s usage period has over 100 years remaining, so please feel free to visit." The banker closed the vault door again. "This way..." While passing by the underground vaults. Now that I had peace of mind, I looked at the names written on the vaults. There were various names. Then I found a familiar name and called Pelerian. ''Old man!'' "Hmm, there''s Caspian''s vault too..." Wonder what''s inside there. Could there be vaults belonging to Gunter or other people I know too? That might be the case, but I couldn''t find any more familiar names. We returned to the hotel with the staff. Alright, finally obtained a unique staff! == Emerald School, 7 days before semester start. New student dormitory move-in had already begun. All first-years were required to live in dormitories. Though Emerald School''s educational style isn''t strict, there are basic principles. The principle that ''All academy students are equal except royalty.'' Within the same year, social status and age are not considered. A simple but actually very difficult principle to maintain. However, that rule definitely exists and must be upheld. That''s what Amain had heard. But he couldn''t help feeling somewhat nervous. The dormitory was two per room. He didn''t know yet who he would live with. If it was some noble house''s arrogant young master, it might be burdensome. Worrying about such things, he opened the door and entered. "Hmm..." There was no one in the room yet. ''Hi, my name is Amain Riddle, let''s get along well...'' he had prepared such a self-introduction, but it fell a bit t. After pondering briefly, Amain chose the left bed. He unpacked his bag and slowly organized the closet. "The room is really nice." Amain and Roil, the two who had wandered the world in one carriage, became rich in just a few months. Though they now had a fairly decent house, Emerald School''s dormitory was even better than Amain''s house. The bed was fluffy with goose feathers stuffed in, and the closet was clearly luxury quality. The rug on the floor was so soft he wanted to rub his face on it. After finishing unpacking, Amain sat on the bed. Who would his roommate be? It would be nice if they were kind - could he make friends here? Having wandered all his life, Amain naturally had no friends his age. Therefore, after being epted to Emerald School, both expectations and worries came. Even now his heart beats a little faster. ''I''ll be able to learn a lot of magic too.'' He had entered magic with just one book. But he properly learned magic only after meeting his master. Though he was a monster and a snake, he was truly a controller of magic. What he learned from his master actually worked in Emerald School''s entrance exam. How many times he was called a ''genius''. He wanted to boast to everyone about who taught him magic. But his father strictly forbade telling anyone... ''Where could master be?'' He said they would meet again before long. For Amain, it was a heart of endless waiting. While dangling his feet on the bed like that, he suddenly stood up. "I should go for a walk." Better go explore the dormitory before it getspletely dark. Amain put on his student robe and left the room. The first-year dormitory was very beautifully decorated. Though the buildings and garden had an old-fashioned charm, they were never old or dirty. Perhaps true dignity reallyes from tradition. Unknown spring flowers bloomed in the flower beds. Birds chirped while sitting at the fountain drinking water. As sunset approached, the sunlight beautifully shattered on the birds'' wing feathers. To think he would live in a ce with such a pretty garden. Amain felt pure joy. Having his mind wandering like that, bumping into someone was inevitable. "Ow." "Ouch." A boy slightly bigger than Amain. With dark hair above his lip, maybe about 2 years older. Amain quickly apologized first. "Ah, sorry!" The other boy instantly looked Amain up and down, then also apologized. "I''m sorry!" "No, I was distracted too." He thought he might pick a fight but instead apologized formally. Chapter 235: Owner of the Unique Staff (2) Must be a nice friend. Amain felt somewhat relieved. "But why are you speaking formally? They said first-years shouldn''t use formal speech with each other..." "Even so... may I ask which house you''re from?" Which house? Ah, is that it. Amain touched his cream-colored blonde hair. With this blonde hair and his looks. Amain was often mistaken for a noble''s child. Though he didn''t know what exactly made him look noble. "Ah I''m not a noble..." "Hmmm?" There was no need for detailed exnation. The Riddle house consisted of just Amain and Roil. But who knew the other''s expression would crumple as soon as he said that. Thud! He even roughly pushed Amain. He almost fell over. "What are you doing!" When Amain red, the boy instead gave a mockingugh. "How dare a lowborn..." "Bex, what''s going on." At the smallmotion, other boys gathered around the one called Bex. Bex pointed at Amain and said. "This bastard is pretending to be noble. Almost fooled me." "What?" Pretending to be noble, when did he ever do that? "I never pretended to be noble." "You bastard, don''t lie!" How could his attitude change so much after being so kind earlier. Indeed, the world isn''t easy. "And I learned that at Emerald School, everyone is equal except royalty." "Only those without roots like you would say that." Bex and his group red. Though uncertain, they must all be nobles. Being big and cracking their knuckles, they might use violence. Amain briefly recalled Roil''s face. ''Dad said not to fight.'' But conversely, master had said ''If anyone acts up, punish them right away!'' As Amain slightly pulled back his left hand. When Bex tried to grab Amain''s cor. "How cowardly." A girl blocked in front of Bex with a clear voice. "Three people oppressing one person." Amain quietly thought ''It wasn''t quite oppression yet''. "Who are you..." "Hey, Bex!" As Bex was about to get annoyed, the boy behind suddenly stopped him. And when the boy whispered something, Bex''s face turned white. "I apologize for not recognizing the Martein daughter. I''m sorry." He apologized while deeply bowing his waist. At that attitude, the girl instead frowned. "Don''t you know we''re equal here regardless of house or background?" "Sorry..." Bex and his group retreated in confusion and haste. The girl before him must be quite high status. Amain thought so. "I''m Rania Martein. Don''t be too scared, those kinds only act tough when in groups." The girl introduced herself saying that. Amain clearly corrected Rania''s words. "I wasn''t scared." "What?" The magic was already constructed. Amain raised his hand and snapped. An invisible wind flew and smacked Bex''s bottom. Bex rolled on the ground once then looked back. Then got up with a confused expression and ran away again. "Hahaha." Rania burst outughing. Not expecting such heartyughter, Amain also quietly smiled along. "You''re interesting. Let''s be good friends from now on. What''s your name?" "Amain Riddle." "I see, I''m actually Rania Greyrim. Though I became Rania Martein." "...I see." Though not really understanding what that meant, Amain nodded. The girl and boy formed a connection. That they were already connected through one snake, neither knew at that time. == Alright, giving up on figuring out what the cube is! Can''t tell no matter how I look at it. Decided to move straight to the main dish, the staff. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Sovereign''s Arachne] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Directly tranting the name would mean king''s spider. The spider is the staff, so does that mean this staff''s original owner was a king? The word sovereign reminds me of my ''Royal'' trait, I like it. Isn''t a prince the future sovereign anyway? ''Quickly tear off the seal.'' "Yes." Obern was interested too. He seems to have quite an eye for fashion. It looks like a staff design that would perfectly suit a young arrogant genius professor. As Obern carefully peeled off the seal on the lock. Fssss- The red seal paper burned away on its own. And the case lid opened with a thunk by itself. "Ooh!" I can feel it. Tremendous magical power was pouring out from the staff. Definitely no ordinary item. "A staff worthy of an archmage. Who on earth made this... not fairy craftsmanship. Perhaps made by gnomes." Even Pelerian is impressed. ''Is it better than what you used to use?'' "Hmm, could say it''s simr level." Then it must be a very precious item. "Shall I try holding it?" ''Go ahead.'' Obern hesitated briefly, then slowly reached for the staff. And the moment he firmly grasped it. "Kuaaaagh!" Gasp. Obern''s face turned bright red, and his eyes lost their whites leaving only ck pupils. "Kurk, kruruk." His canine teeth seem to have gotten a bit pointier too. Clearly seeming to be going berserk, I quickly started pping Obern''s cheeks with invisible hands. Smack! p! "Uuuh, kuaaagh!" But he shows no signs ofing back to his senses. Instead of pping his cheeks, I struck Obern''s wrist with my tail. Thunk. Only after the staff fell to the ground did Obern regain his senses. "Huk, heuk." ''What was that, what happened?'' "My mind went nk, then rage surged up. Like... wanting to burn this whole world." Ah, so that''s it. "So that''s what it was... as expected." ''Complete bad taste.'' This staff was a ''cursed weapon'' type artifact. The kind that gives the user powerful strength but attacks their mind. Stories are famous of grasping a cursed sword anding to your senses only to find you killed your loving family and vigers with your own hands. Sovereign''s Arachne is certainly a powerful staff. But it seems it was a white elephant to Pelerian since it had a curse that attacks the mind. Seeing how he gave it to Caspian who he disliked, it must have been difficult to remove the curse... ''Isn''t it perfect for me?'' "Well... it is." Pelerian agreed reluctantly. Actually, cursed weapon type artifacts have great synergy with me. Aren''t I immune to mental attacks due to the Indomitable trait bonus? I came down from Obern''s wrist and went directly in front of the staff. And boldly touched my tail to the staff. Zap! Sure enough, powerful magic power rushed in through my tail. It surged up to my head but... ¡¸Immune to mental attacks due to ''Indomitable'' trait.¡¹ That repertoire just repeated. Not even fresh anymore. Just as I was about to explore the effects of my newly acquired staff. ¡¸Can use Crown of Connection lv1.¡¹ Ooh. A new route has opened. Chapter 236: A Snake with a Staff (1) Just like I can do that with monsters and people. It would be nice if I could see the status window of objects by focusing my eyes. I didn''t immediately think of using the Crown of Connection. Of course not. It''s not like I have unlimited dignity to spend. First, I wanted to know more about what effects the staff had. Well, mental attacks wouldn''t work on me anyway. ''Why do magicians use staffs?'' "You ask quickly." While it looks cool, they surely don''t use staffs just for show. Then the staff must certainly have functions. "There are three major functions of wands. The first is amplification." Amplification means that when I input 10 units of mana, it produces 12, 15, or more magical effects. Naturally, higher quality staffs amplify mana more. "However, the more mana is amplified, the rougher the flow bes, making it harder to properly construct magic. A good staff should excel in ''assistance'' above all else." ''Assistance?'' "Yes, the ability to help construct magic forms and make mana refinement easier. Generally, this tends to be more efficient with longer staffs." Then couldn''t we just make a 10m one? I briefly thought about that. By the way, the mana amplification effect is influenced by how well rare materials arebined, he says. "That''s all." ''What about the third?'' What''s with mentioning three things but only exining two? "You don''t really need to know, but... it''s called transmutation." While amplification and assistance were self-exnatory from the words alone, transmutation didn''t click. "You know that mana has properties, right?" ''Yes, well, like elemental attacks and such.'' "Right, among those, some like the four elements are easy to convert, while others like ether, chaos, light, and darkness are not. Transmutation makes that easier." ''Oh, isn''t that an extremely important function then?'' But there was a reason he skipped exining it. "First of all, there are hardly any staffs with that kind of ability. Even if you find one... staffs with transmutation ability all have terrible performance in other aspects." ''Really? That''s too bad.'' "Yes, so don''t worry about it. For now, hold it and try using elemental magic." I should do that. I had Obern open the window. I''ll try using it gently, just in case. Water, earth, and fire could make a mess inside here, so I''ll avoid those. Let''s try wind magic. Through the open window, Wind Fist...! ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Wind lv2¡¹ Yes, honestly speaking, wind magic had the lowest power among basic elemental magic. While it was very effective at stirring up sand and leaves to irritate opponents'' eyes, that was about it. Only after reaching intermediate level did it finally gain directbat power. But it''s true that using Invisible Hand to throw daggers is more effective than using wind des. So I had underestimated wind elemental magic. Whoosh- I can feel the mana flowing out through my tail. Pelerian''s exnation was to infuse mana into the staff while treating it as an extension of my hand, or rather, tail. The mana flowed through the smooth ebony rod, which seemed to becquered. At the spider-shaped silver ornament part, that mana swelled enormously. He said a decent staff would amplify mana by about 1.5 times. But this is at least 2 times. No... 3 times? "What amplification efficiency..." Before I could do anything, the magic waspleted. The ''wind fist'' magic Pelerian taught me. It was a technique thatpressed air to strike opponents. However, thepleted magic was toorge to be called a ''fist''. Yeah, wind siege hammer would be more appropriate. In conclusion, while the magic was supposed to pass through the open window into the air. CRASH! It ended up destroying the window frame and part of the wall. ''Wow...'' "Heh, hehehe." Pelerianughed as if dumbfounded. "Snake, wee to finally entering elementalbat magic." To think I could achieve such directbat power with wind rather than fire. The power of proper equipment is amazing indeed. But the problem is that the staff is bigger than me. I could probably grab and swing it with my tail when gigantified, but anyway, it wasn''t a tool suitable for a snake to use. It would be nice if someone made a small staff specialized for snakes. Outside was noisy. Staff members came running, asking if everything was alright and what happened. They were shocked seeing the broken window, but. "Sorry about that, magic went out of control. I''llpensate for it." Obern said that while chasing away the staff members. Actually, forgetpensation, it wouldn''t be strange if we got kicked out. As expected, when Obern sets the mood and speaks, it seems to work somehow. Just trying magic once was enough to know the staff''s performance was extraordinary. "The ''assistance'' function is above average. The amplification power is kingdom treasure level. It''s exactly what you needed." ''Good, then can I try it?'' Time to try connecting with the staff. I told thepletely nervous Obern to hold the staff. Since the Crown of Connection was easier to use when there was definite contact, I coiled up the staff and draped my body over the spider-shaped silver ornament. Concentrating... ¡¸Consuming dignity to temporarily strengthen the crown.¡¹ ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Connecting with ''Sovereign''s Arachne''.¡¹ It might fail. Then I would just waste dignity and that''s it. I had such worries, but fortunately it didn''t fail. ¡¸Sess.¡¹ Ah. This sensation was iparable to when I held the staff with my tail just earlier. It really felt like the staff and I had be one. The flow of mana continued gushing without blockage. Earlier the mana amplification seemed to be about 3 times, but in this state, it feels like magic could be two or even three times more powerful. Then it might really be possible to make not just a wind siege hammer but a wind tank. ''Wow this is amazing.'' ''Is that so.'' ''Uh... Obern? You can hear my voice?'' Obern, who was holding the staff, could hear my voice too. The Crown of Connection I had cast on him hadn''t been broken. Chapter 237: A Snake with a Staff (2) While holding the staff, he could talk with me and share skills. ''Ah, is it because the staff and I are connected?'' It might be possible because using the Crown of Connection on inanimate objects is like a special usage? with dignity. So what''s good about being connected to the staff? It''s not that I can have conversations with it. However, I could see right through it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Sovereign''s Arachne] A staff that was offered to the King of the Eastern Army. Made of hellish ebony wood coated with jet-ck fluid, with a grotesque silver spider ornament attached. Bael received the sacrifice, and fragments of that power remain in the staff. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Text appears like seeing someone''s status window. That''s not all, but also the power dwelling in the staff. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] [Amplification+++], [Assistance+], [Transmutation: Hell] [Skills] ... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ No way, this is... When I told Pelerian what I could see, he was shocked. "Hell transmutation, to think such power was hidden... The King of the Eastern Army refers to the demon Bael. Indeed, so that''s why it had such a level of curse." The staff had excellent specs but had a fatal curse ced on it so normal people couldn''t use it. Somehow I keep getting involved with demons. However, it seems the staff also has inherent skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Hell Magic]: Hellfire lv1, Corruption lv1 [Status] [Curse: Madness] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It had the Hellfire skill that Isil had. ''Hell magic''. This seems to be rted to the mana transmutation trait. Does it allow using hell magic that normally couldn''t be used? Since I can share skills with the Crown of Connection, I might be able to use hell magic too. But the situation was beyond what I expected. ¡¸You can absorb the abilities of connected artifacts.¡¹ Absorb? Not just borrowing temporarily? I might be able to use hellfire like Isil. I focused my mind with a sensation simr to using the Crown of Steal. Then. Tsss-! The staff started resisting. It emitted such dark mana that even Obern turned pale and stepped back. "This is transmuted mana." It seems I can steal the staff''s skills, but it probably won''t be possible in just a day or two. However, it''s a bit troublesome if it emits such intense mana like this. While I was thinking about how to handle it, Isil, who was nted in the flowerpot, approached me. More precisely, she climbed up the staff and wrapped her vines around me. ''Ooh!'' Isil started absorbing the mana the staff was emitting. She''s Isil who could easily use hellfire originally. The staff''s mana seems like a snack to her. "Ho, you look much more splendid than before." ''Really?'' Pelerian praised like that. It was already a splendid staff originally. But now with the crystal snake ornament on its head and World Tree vines wrapped around it. Now it''s undoubtedly a legendary item, not just unique level. "Yes, the one holding it looks quite dashing." ''...'' He means it''s not me that looks cool. ...Hmm, wait. At that moment, a brilliant idea shed through my mind. ''Obern, I''ve got a good idea.'' == "I didn''t know course registration would be this hard!" Rania said while holding her forehead. Amain, who was next to her, smiled slightly. Unlike her cold first impression, Rania had a personality befitting her age. Sheughed easily at trivial things, sometimes was overly conscious of others'' gazes, and sometimes didn''t care about others'' views at all. That kind of personality. A bit different from Amain who had some old soul aspects. "Still, we could make them almost the same." "Well, first years have lots ofmon subjects." The chancellor of Emerald School is a mage, and many professors are magicians. Of course, Emerald School doesn''t only train magicians. It''s inevitable since many schrs are magicians. There are various liberal arts, academics, and even physical training that all students must take. ''Exploration of the Four Elements'' that Amain and Rania will take is also amon course. Even those not walking the path of a magician should learn elemental magic. Fire, water, earth, wind. The four elements that make up the world. Elemental magic will properly deal with mana transmutation as well, so it helps those walking the path of martial arts rather than magic arts. Therefore, Rania was determined to study the course diligently. Rania and Amain entered the lecture hall. It was a sloped lecture hall with steps, looking like an opera theater. Since the front row is burdensome and the back row somewhat disappointing. Rania and Amain took seats around the middle. They became seatmates taking sses together. Perhaps they could call each other friends now. "Hey, Rania." Then, a girl with twin tails and sses sat next to Rania. She was holding a notebook and pen. "Nemi." Nemi Raiters, Rania''s roommate. She was an outgoing girl who already had many friends due to her active personality. Even though it was school rules, the fact that she spoke informally to Rania, daughter of a viscount, shows her personality. "Can I sit next to you?" "Of course." Nemi cheerfully exchanged greetings with Amain too. "You''re Amain Riddle, right? Know me?" "Um..." "How disappointing. My father wrote such great articles about your father." "Ah, Reporter Baumet." Nemi Raiters was the daughter of famous gossip reporter Baumet Raiters. Her father''s reputation was actually 90% notoriety, but Nemi didn''t seem to mind at all. Rather, she respected her father and dreamed of bing a reporter. Her thick notebook was full of various information and gossip. "Did anything happen in the boys'' dormitory?" "What do you mean?" "About the royal family member entering this time." "Ah..." "You really don''t know anything. The third prince is entering as a freshman with us!" There''s a saying that ''All students at Emerald School are equal except royalty.'' That means royalty is not equal but more noble. Will the third prince adapt well to school? Amain rather had such thoughts. "But actually I''m more excited about now than the prince." "About the ss?" "Yeah, Obern Grimoire came as a professor." That was the name of the professor teaching Exploration of the Four Elements. But is that professor so great? It was the first time both Rania and Amain heard the name. "Ah, this is crazy." But Nemi Raiters treated Amain and Rania like strange people. "You haven''t read my dad''s articles. He''s a genius professor making his name in the Empire." "Ah... really?" "Amain, aren''t you an aspiring magician? How can you not know such a genius magician?" Do I have to know? Amain thought so but couldn''t say it, overwhelmed by Nemi''s force. Hearing her, her father Baumet Raiters wrote several articles about Professor Obern. As Nemi enthusiastically spread such stories to freshmen and built up expectations about the professor. She seems to already have qualities of a reporter. "And how amazing he is... well, you''ll see." Nemi sat down with a grin. Soon after, the chime bell announcing the start of ss rang. Students sat in their seats waiting for ss to begin. The professor hadn''t arrived yet, but all students stared at the door. Strangely, no one was chattering. Instead of chatting, everyone just watched the door the professor would enter through. It was an incredibly strange atmosphere. "Something..." "Shh!" Nemi stopped Rania who was trying to say something. And thump, thump, footsteps were heard. The door opened and the professor entered. Obern Grimoire. The young genius mage with golden hair. Dignified and beautiful appearance. Even the staff he holds is elegant and artistic. "Ah, he''s really so handsome." Nemi muttered like that. Rania had to agree. Rania nced at Amain. But Amain was pale and his mouth slightly open. She thought it strange for a boy to be so amazed, but. "M-Mas..." Amain''s lips trembled. His gaze was fixed not on Obern but on that staff. Because a small snake wearing a crystal crown was attached to the staff. "...Master?" Could they be reuniting like this? Chapter 238: Core Nut (1) Why is Master here? Crystal-like scales, and a small crown sprouting from the head. Could there be more than one such snake in the world? "Nemi Raiters." "Yes." It was natural for Amain to think of Snake teacher. But the ce where that teacher was seemed strange. Coiled around an unfamiliar professor''s staff like a crystal ornament. "Max Meira." "Here!" Staying still like dead. No, rather than being alive, is it a crystal crafted piece? It seems so. Why on earth is Master hanging on someone else''s staff like a decoration? "Amain Riddle." Yes, that must be it. Putting animal decorations on staffs isn''t anything special. Some people carve dragons, eagles, or even beetles to attach. That professor must prefer snakes. Not bad taste. "Amain Riddle." That''s when Rania poked Amain''s side. "Ah, yes!" "I will only call attendance once. Understood?" "Yes, sir..." Studentsughed while looking at Amain. Amain blushed slightly from embarrassment. "Why were you so spaced out?" Rania whispered. "Are you going to be a fan of that professor like Nemi?" "No, what..." "He''s a magic genius. You said you want to be a mage too." "Just... that snake, no, the staff is unique." "Snake?" Rania also looked at Professor Obern''s staff. "What... huh." She too was startled. "Ah... pretty, pretty staff..." There was clearly something strange about Rania''s reaction. But the flustered Amain failed to notice it. Both simultaneously closed their mouths awkwardly. Professor Obern Grimoire didn''t seem to have a very friendly personality. Instead of lightening the mood with small talk, he went straight into the lesson. Slightly raising the snake-adorned staff. "Fire." A fireball was created. "Water." And next to it, a water sphere. "Earth, and Wind." An earth sphere, apressed air sphere. The four spheres symbolizing the elements simply existed in the air without dispersing or moving. Even Amain''s gaze, which had been fixed on the snake, was stolen by Obern''s magic at that moment. ''...Amazing.'' Excellence reveals itself in the simplest things. Igniting fire and stirring wind is easy. But creating such stable elemental spheres and keeping them stationary in the air is not an easy feat. Obern started speaking while maintaining all four spells. "Understanding the four elements that make up the world." And those spheres began gathering in one ce. Water, fire, earth, and wind. They swirled withoutpletely mixing. "Is no different from knowing the entire world." Professor Obern''s voice wasn''t loud, but it dominated this wide lecture hall alone. "The course drop deadline is in a week. If you think you can''t keep up, make your decision by then." An arrogant statement saying leave if you can''t keep up. It might seem too haughty for a newly appointed professor. But rather, admiration gleamed in the students'' eyes. ss time was 1 hour and 40 minutes. Unlike other professors, Obern didn''t take a break in the middle. Nevertheless, students'' concentration didn''t drop significantly. Not only was his voice good, but he also spoke well. Except for the start of the lecture, he didn''t show any extraordinary magic, but his lecturing ability was sufficient. After 1 hour and 40 minutes, the professor ended ss precisely. "We''ll stop here. Then." Even ending the lecture so coldly had such charisma. Nemi and several other female students, along with a few male students, admired with sparkling eyes. Amain stood from his seat. "Just a moment." Saying that to Rania, he ran down the lecture hall stairs. And caught up to the departing Obern. "Pro, Professor." Up close, Obern''s height was really tall. "What is it?" There was definitely pressure in his gaze looking down from above. The intimidated Amain realized he hadn''t prepared what to say. Suddenly asking to see the staff would probably deserve a caning. "I, I, ah, wanted to ask a question." He said while holding out his notebook. "What are you curious about?" "In the wind magicpression part, this form..." It was content beyond what was taught in today''s first ss. Amain hastily scribbled down a form he came up with on the spot. "I''m not sure if there''s a proper value here." He handed the notebook to Obern. Obern slightly furrowed his brow and took the notebook. Actually, what he just scribbled was a difficult problem he saw in a book recently. It''s practically no different from trying to trick the professor, but he''d probably just get scolded a bit. Boldly, that''s what Amain had thought. Taking that chance, he nced repeatedly at Obern''s staff. ''Master...?'' Up close, it definitely resembled Master. But also, subtly different. The crystal shone more beautifully, and above all, the size was too small. The original Master was big enough to strangle someone to death, but now it looks like it would make a pretty essory if worn around the neck. ''Or not. Am I mistaken?'' And also. If it were Master, there would be no reason to stay still like this. The Master he knew would have said ''Good to see you, Amain!'' and acknowledged him. Want to look closer. As Amain thought that. "Amain Riddle." "Ah, yes!" Startled, he looked up as Obern returned the notebook. "Next time you have questions, request a formal consultation at the professor''s office." "Yes... sir." And Obern left. No, even so, how can he just leave without giving an answer? Looking at the notebook in disbelief. "...!" The answer was written on the scribbled form in the notebook. It even perfectly matched the answer he saw in the book. Could he have solved such a difficult problem instantly in his head? Amain could only stare nkly at the departing Obern. == ''Amain...'' I felt a bit frustrated, and a bit sorrowful. ''How can you not recognize me?'' Who knew Amain would be in Obern''s first ss. Seeing the attendance list, I thought it might be someone with the same name. But seeing from afar, that cream-colored hair was definitely Amain. That kid, sleeping soundly in the wagon''s cargo hold. It feels like just yesterday he was reading books by firelight. From the beginning, I taught him magic with books that were half nonsense. Of course, I basically just passed on what Pelerian taught me, but that doesn''t make Amain Pelerian''s disciple. A disciple of the Murim Public Enemy tends to be a Murim Public Enemy. I couldn''t let Amain walk such a terrible path. As a kind snake, I took Amain as my disciple. But! Why can''t he recognize me clearly! If Amain had just said ''Master?'' once, I would have surprised him with ''Surprise!'' But even aftering close, Amain just rolled his eyes around. Chapter 239: Core Nut (2) Seems he couldn''t be sure if I was really his master. "There probably isn''t a snake as petty as you in the world." ''But...!'' Even if Pelerian criticizes me, I had something to say. ''It''s a bit awkward to acknowledge first when your heavenly master is caught pretending to be a staff...'' "What heavenly master, heh heh." That was actually true. It was my idea to enter as Obern''s staff. That way, I could absorb the staff''s hell magic while also receiving dignity through Obern. ''Next time I should acknowledge him first...'' I n to tell him when there''s a chance to meet Amain privately in a quiet ce. Kid, it''s so good to see you after so long. And more than anything else. If you ask whether it was worth getting my subordinate Obern epted as a professor at Emerald School... ¡¸The connected target''s fame spreads.¡¹ ¡¸Two followers have been gained.¡¹ ¡¸Gaining ''Dignity'' due to trait ''Royalty''.¡¹ The effects were actually quite substantial. No, I really can''t understand. How can he get followers just from one ss? Before I received followers as Ouroboros, I had to end a war and defeat enemy generals. "He speaks better than expected." ''Well, that''s more important for teaching.'' Obern''s magical talent was just at a ''gifted'' level. Butbined with his looks, speaking skills, and Pelerian''s knowledge, he was creating truly genius-level synergy. Just now too. The problem Amain brought was solved mentally by Pelerian who gave the answer at a nce. It was a very favorable situation for me. But something slightly strange happened. It was when we entered the professor research building where Obern''s personal office was. Suddenly the Director of Admissions rushed to Obern. "Professor Grimoire." "Ah, Director." "You''ll have a lot of work. Can you handle it...?" "What do you mean..." Even when asked back, the old Admissions Director justughed and left. Other professors also approached Obern. "A handsome young fellow like you is perfect for the role." "They would dislike old folks like us. We probably wouldn''tmunicate well." "Don''t worry too much. Whatever the case, they''re students once admitted here. You are a professor of our Emerald School." They each threw such words and left. The sudden encouragement was funny but. It seemed there was also a sense of relief like ''d it''s not me.'' "Still, it''s an honor. To be in charge of His Highness the Prince." We could soon understand what it was about. This year, the third prince of the Solion Kingdom was entering Emerald School as a freshman. And to help the enrolled prince adapt to school life, one professor would be exclusively assigned to assist with studies, counseling, and management. That honorable position went to the new professor Obern Grimoire. Probably due to the principle of dumping work on the new guy. "So a real prince appears." Let''s see what a real royal looks like. == Actually, teaching a prince should be an honor even for professors. Even if the third prince is far from the line of session. The title of ''Prince''s Teacher'' is something anyone would covet. They''re giving that to the new professor Obern Grimoire? Even though he was hired with high praise from the chancellor, to a young man from a fallen noble family with no experience or backing? The world doesn''t work so easily. Fruit that everyone avoids usually has ws. Either too sour, or too bitter. Third Prince Phili Aden something something Solion must be such a bitter fruit. Obern and I came to meet this third prince. It was for a consultation before entering sses. ''Hmm, he doesn''t look very princely.'' That''s what I thought looking at Prince Phili whatever. The name Phili also felt somewhat carelessly given, and his appearance was just ordinary. Brown hair, freckles below his eyes. If there were any distinctive features, it would be his sullen gaze and the dark circles under his eyes. ''Actually, Amain looks more like a prince.'' "Being royalty doesn''t make them special. This one looks particrly like a withered cabbage." ''Hey, that''s too harsh. He just looks ordinary.'' But the royal status seemed to be quite burdensome for humans. Obern''s attitude was very tense. "Your Highness, I''ve arranged your curriculum like this for now. I''ve included all the sses I teach to first years. Are there any other sses you''d like to take?" Of course, he didn''t act servile. That was Obern''s own way of handling things. Being respectful but dignified. That was rather the way to avoid being looked down upon. "Nothing particrly, anything is fine." Look people in the eye when talking! The prince wouldn''t meet eyes at all. He just looked around the room while shaking his leg. Obern didn''t point that out. If it were me, I would have scolded him not to shake his leg as it drives away fortune. From the ordinary-looking Prince Phili''s mouth. Not so ordinary words popped out. "...Boring as hell." "..." Obern didn''t reply. Or rather, couldn''t. "Heard you''re a genius professor so thought there might be something interesting here. But this ce looks even more boring than father''s office." "A professor''s work isn''t that exciting." "Obern was it? Who even are you?" Prince Phili only looked like amoner. His way of speaking was indeed that of a delinquent prince. "Grimoire? Never heard of it. Are you really a genius magician?" "..." Gasp, could there be some royal insight? The recognition was surprising, but his continued impudence was bing hard to tolerate. "That ugly staff is kinda interesting though." ''...Me?'' "Give that to me. Let me look at it." The prince thrust out his hand. Demanding the staff be handed over. Professional authority has hit rock bottom. Obern, you should scold such a student, right? "Alright." But Obern tried to hand me over. ''You crazy bastard why are you giving me away.'' ''Ah, sorry. I''m weak against authority...'' Obern froze in the position of holding out the staff. "What are you doing? Not giving it?" "..." I made Obern say: "Your Highness, would you look over there for a moment?" The moment the prince turned his head. I used magic. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv16¡¹ The invisible hand struck the prince''s temple, and Prince Phili copsed like a puppet with cut strings. A knockout punch learned from Langrey! "Huk, huuuk!" Obern was shocked. ''It''s okay, calm down. I just knocked him out.'' Honestly, I didn''t expect it to seed so cleanly either. ''If, if we get caught...!'' ''I have potions. We can end this cleanly.'' It''s not like the prince actually died, so no problem. He may be Prince to you all but to me he''s just an ill-mannered kid. And I didn''t use force just thinking of punishing him. ''Let''s see what royalty possesses.'' Wonder if there''s anything worth taking in the prince''s status window. I focused my eyes and examined Prince Phili. Chapter 240: Golden Child Therapist (1) Phili. Cute Phili. Until he was young, the king called him that and adored him. Of course, that''s now in the past... Phili had to frown at the intense headache he felt. What kind of pain is this? It feels like his skull was rattled after getting hit in the temple with a fist. "Ugh..." He opened his eyes with a groan. An unfamiliar ceiling. What is this, where am I, why am I here? Prince Phili was lying on a sofa. A fragrant nket was covering his body, who could have done this? The sunset had begun, and the room was filled with orange light. It seems the consultation started not long after lunch, but has so much time passed already? ''Consultation...!'' Right, the prince was in the middle of consulting with Professor Obern who was assigned to be in charge of him. But why is he lying down like this, he couldn''t remember at all. "Have you awoken?" Said Obern who was sitting in a chair by the window. He had a book in his hand. Seems he was reading. "You were sleeping so soundly I didn''t wake you." "...You say I fell asleep?" For having taken a good nap, my head is throbbing too much? But since he says I fell asleep, I must have. But when exactly did I fall asleep? Thest memory clearly... "Ah, the staff!" I had asked for the staff. How on earth. Obern still had his hand resting on that staff. When the prince red at it, the professor smirked. "Do you want to sleep again?" "What do you mean?" "My staff is not something just anyone can handle. Those without qualification will lose consciousness and fall into sleep when they grab it." "I... grabbed the staff?" "Indeed. It took about two hours until you woke up." It was hard to believe. "Lies! You''re trying to trick me. How can there be such a staff?" "Then, would you like to test it again?" Obern slightly held out the staff. The snake ornament on the staff. Meeting eyes with something so realistic it looked like a real snake with crystal scales. "Eek!" Phili felt fear and stepped back one step. He didn''t know why. His head throbbed with pain. "Enough, put it away." "Then since it''ste, shall we end today''s consultation here?" Obern gestured toward the door. A clear dismissal. How could his attitude be so unhesitating? Phili felt dumbfounded. "Fine, I''m leaving." So as he was striding out of the professor''s office. "Your Highness." Obern called. Turning around, that young professor dered with an extremely cold and emotionless face. "I will show proper respect to royalty in private settings, but by royal decree, Your Highness is just a student at Emerald School. I will treat you as a professor treats a student." "..." "I''m informing you in advance of possible discourtesy." Ha. Someone not even a high noble daring to warn a prince of discourtesy. While Prince Phili felt somewhat frustrated and dumbfounded. "Hmph." He could only say that and leave the research office. == After the prince left the room. 3, 2, 1. Thud. Obern dropped the book he was holding. "Haa, haa, haa I to royalty..." He breathed frantically. Seeing he might really pass out, I quickly taught him the Lamaze breathing method. ''Follow me, hee, hee, hoo. Hee, hee, hoo.'' "Hee, hee, hoo." Thankfully due to the scientific breathing method, Obern could quickly regain peace. Nevertheless, his hands were still trembling. "I thought I would be executed." ''Why go as far as execution.'' "If he had been seriously injured..." ''And you were reading the book upside down.'' "Ah!" Such a worrier. Obern has excellent acting skills and a mask. Deceiving a naive prince is as easy as eating cold rice. While the prince was asleep. I examined his status window. How it was... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Prince Phili lv20] [Traits] [Royalty], [Delinquent] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ipetent prince. However, objectively having level 20 is not a low number considering. Being royalty, perhaps they made him hunt and absorb mana? They must have used some shortcuts. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Shouting lv4], [Solion Royal Family Swordsmanship lv1], [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv2]... [Status] [Mild Concussion], [Unconscious] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Looking at his utterly ipetent skills, you can tell. As a prince, he must have been in an environment where learning anything was very easy, yet even things he must have tried to learn like Solion Royal Family Swordsmanship and magic were at very low levels. It was a level embarrassing to evenpare with Amain. Well, Amain is my standard for evaluating kids. ''Still, nothing worth taking...'' I wanted to properly use the Crown of Steal, but didn''t see anything appealing. The Solion Royal Family Swordsmanship was somewhat intriguing, but why bother when I have the Iron Lion Style Swordsmanship? However, among his few skills, there was exactly one that seemed to have potential for use. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Mimicry lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was Prince Phili''s highest level skill. However, I didn''t steal it. Because I already had someone by my side who possessed a superior version of the mimicry skill. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Obern Grimoire lv43] [Traits] [Beautiful], [Gifted], [All Show] [Skills] [Advanced Elemental Magic: Fire lv9]...[Acting lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The man Obern Grimoire who has Acting lv10 no less. Currently what I''ve obtained with the Crown of Steal is ''stic Burst lv1''. And I still haven''tpletely made stic Burst my own skill. Because I couldn''t raise proficiency without ces to use it. After briefly contemting, I made a bold choice. Abandoning stic Burst and taking Acting instead. ¡¸Borrowing ''Acting lv10'' with Crown of Steal lv4.¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily gained ''Acting lv3''.¡¹ Rather thanpletely stealing it, just borrowing it. Why I borrowed this? ¡¸Using Acting lv3.¡¹ Because I could use this skill the whole time I''m pretending to be a staff. ''How is it, more staff-like?'' ''Yes, more natural.'' With the Crown of Steal, quickly cycling is important. Who knows when I''ll get a chance to taste the principal''s delicious skills. Need to get various skills in advance. Now I could be an even more perfect snake staff. Chapter 241: Golden Child Therapist (2) The ways to utilize Acting will also be endless. Leaving that as future enjoyment... "Haa." Obern slumped onto the sofa and held his head. "Will the prince behave somewhat?" Seems he''s burdened by being put in charge of that simpleton. Well, looking at him earlier, he couldn''t have been more disrespectful and troublesome. So to the question of whether the prince would behave. ''No way. He seemed like aplete delinquent brat.'' "It''s going to be tough from now on." Obern who must act as a charismatic genius professor. The appearance of a delinquent prince who doesn''t respect that authority was a very bad thing. ''What are you worried about?'' But in my view, there wasn''t much to worry about. ''I''m here. And there are ways to handle guys like that. I can quickly make them behave and listen well.'' "...Is that so?" When I spoke confidently, Obern''s expression rxed a bit. ''Yeah, no matter how well they bite and how fierce they are, I can make them behave in just one day.'' "Well they bite...? Isn''t it too problematic if they bite?" ''I meant monster children, not human children. I''ve tamed over 100.'' "Taming a prince... haa." Obern despaired. It''s true though. He probably doesn''t believe me because he hasn''t directly seen my skills at quietly taming numerous precious monster children in the Shadow Forest. ''I''m serious.'' Don''t worry. == "I''m a bit nervous. Cal, you''ve actually met the Third Prince before, right?" "Saw him at parties." The handsome boy called Cal said proudly. "You must know each other? Perhaps close?" "Just exchanged greetings a few times, not enough to call us close friends." Though he spoke humbly, unavoidable pride could be felt. Cal Leiman, direct bloodline of a count family, had connections with the prince, and even excluding that, he had particrly high standing among the new students. "Of course, the prince did send me a gift on my birthday before." "Wow..." The rumor that the Third Prince was entering as a freshman had already spread widely. And just yesterday, several people reported sightings of the Third Prince. That he visited Professor Obern''s office. "The Third Prince''s personality... is quite something they say." "And Professor Obern is really scary too." Two weeks had already passed since the semester began. Students who had taken Obern''s sses were divided into two groups. Eitherpletely captivated by the young genius professor''s charisma, or feeling displeasure at being overwhelmed. Whether former ortter, both found the current situation intriguing. Like who would win if the notoriously bad-tempered prince and professor shed. "Will he evene on time?" The boys and girls were noisy trying to predict the prince''s appearance. Then at some point, everyone suddenly went quiet. Thump. The lecture hall door opened and someone appeared. It was Prince Phili. Brown hair and slightly sunken eyes. Freckles. His clothes had pure gold buttons symbolizing royalty. Originally, everyone should stand and show proper respect to royalty. But here at Emerald School, those protocols are exceptionally not applied. Decades ago, it was established by royal decree to simplify or omit protocols so as not to interfere with studies. The prince trudged up and sat roughly in any seat. And he sneered at those ncing at him. "If you''re going to greet, do it properly, if not, avert your gaze." Then several children quickly approached to greet the prince. "Your Highness, I hope you are well." "It''s an honor to study together." The prince just found the pouring greetings annoying. Not everyone went to greet him. In Rania and Amain''s case, they just quietly stayed in the back. However, there were some who particrly acted familiar, one of whom was the boy called Cal. "Haha, it''s been a while, Your Highness." He greeted after neatly adjusting his clothes. "Thank you for the previous gift. To think we''d take the same ss like this, it reminds me of when we yed by theke with Your Highness..." "Who are you?" "Pardon?" Cal''s smile froze for a moment. "Who are you acting familiar with, bastard." "Cal, Leiman... Previously at parties together..." "You think you''re the only one who acted familiar with me?" Cal''s face turned bright red. He never imagined being humiliated like this in front of everyone. Perhaps that''s why words like excuses popped out. "I, I thought we were friends..." "Friends? You and I are friends? Hahah!" The atmosphere turned cold. That''s when. No one expected Bex to step forward here. And to say such things... "Unlike that fellow, I don''t dare even hope to be Your Highness''s friend!" Other students thought Bex had gone crazy at that moment. He usually acted so subservient to Cal but suddenly doing this. "And who are you?" "My name is Bex Gnz. I wish to be Your Highness''s loyal servant." He kneels on one knee and shows respect to royalty. Cal''s friends looked at Bex with dumbfounded eyes. Rania and Amain watching from the back were the same. "That guy''spletely crazy..." Bex, who once picked a fight with Amain, was actually not a noble. He was a boy soaked in dreams of social advancement, but who knew he''d act like this as soon as he met the prince. Prince Phili also burst outughing. "These guys are really funny." "Hehe..." "But I don''t particrly need servants, though having friends would be nice." "Ah, I could be a friend..." "Of course I can''t make someone like you a friend. Want to be my loyal follower?" "O-Of course! If you''ll let me." The prince gave orders with an intrigued face. "Then, p that ill-mannered fellow who falsely imed to be my friend." "...Pardon?" The prince''s finger pointed at the pale Cal. No matter how much Bex wanted to gain the prince''s favor, how could he p the count''s son? "T-That''s a bit..." "What? Did you lie to me? I said p him." "Uh..." "You. Do you find the words of royalty amusing?" "Of course not!" The atmosphere turned icy. Cal stood stock still. Bex was at a loss what to do. "p him. p his cheek." At that coldmand, Bex tightly closed his eyes. It should be fine if I hit softly. p! Bex really pped the young count''s cheek. "Puhahahahaha!" Only the prince''sughter rang through the quiet ssroom. To Bex''s ears trembling with fear, unbelievable words were heard. "Cal Leiman. You may punish that barbaric fellow who pped a noble''s cheek. As much as you want." Cal clenched his fist. Bex swallowed and trembled with a pale face. The Leiman count family is also famous for martial arts. Even Cal could probably crush a bear''s skull with that one fist. "Hit him. Cal Leiman." "..." "Do you have no guts?" However, Cal did not swing his fist. Whether due to noble pride or something else is unknown. Rania furrowed her brow. She was about to say ''Isn''t this too harsh?'' to Amain, but. ''Where did he go!'' Amain wasn''t in his seat beside her. Surprisingly, Amain was standing between the prince and Cal. "Your Highness, perhaps we should stop here." Could it be, was he this type of person? Even Rania, who was rtively close to Amain, didn''t know he would step forward like this. But he stood blocking the prince with an upright and dignified posture. "Themotion is too much for ss time." "What lowborn are you? Who dares to stop what I''m doing?" At the prince''s majestic words, Amain slightly turned his gaze sideways. "Master, no, Professor has arrived." Everyone turned toward the lecture hall door. He was there. Professor Obern Grimoire. Holding his crystal snake staff that he always carries. "My ss has begun, what is thismotion?" In that icy voice. Clear anger dwelled. Chapter 242: That Rude One from Back Then? (1) Charisma, or perhaps it should be called presence. People instinctively gauge others'' presence. There are several criteria for measuring how heavy that presence is. Howrge someone''s physique is and how beautifully they''re made are important. Or things like having an amazing bass voice, or wearing clothes from a very expensive boutique can also have an influence. The position they hold is of course important too. Obern Grimoire that students see. He exuded charisma in all those aspects. Even students from prestigious families, and even the arrogant prince could feel it. You could tell by how silence fell instantly at his appearance. But Obern Grimoire''s charisma wasn''t just about external aspects. His actions and words have no hesitation. He seems to fear neither nobles nor royalty. What could he trust to be able to do that? Perhaps, his magic. Because if he wishes, he can manifest miracles from that crystal snake staff he''s holding. That must be where such confidencees from. The students unconsciously thought so. "Exin what''s going on." Obern said. But no one stepped forward readily. If they incurred the prince''s anger, or even the anger of Cal from the count family would be burdensome. When no answer came, Obern pointed his staff at one person. "You. You speak." The one pointed at was Rania. She made a troubled expression before giving a bitter smile. "The prince made students fight each other." The prince and Cal''s expressions became strange. It was too direct an answer. That was something only a Martein could say. Rania was legitimate heir to one of the few viscounty families in the kingdom. She told all the facts without omission. Including how the prince had acted tyrannically. "...I see." When she finished speaking, all students looked at Obern with intrigued eyes. Would he scold the prince''s wrongdoing? Or just let it slide? Obern was silent for a very brief moment. And slightly closing his eyes, then opening them again he said. "Pathetic, barbaric, and tyrannical." Could the atmosphere get any colder? "Not at all the magnanimity a prince should show." The professor directly criticized the prince. Prince Phili''s face twisted harshly. "Emerald School epts royal students ording to the former king''s will - to broaden their perspective by studying alongside nobles andmoners, and to remember that even royalty are human under god." Such origins clearly existed. "This cannot be overlooked, I shall use the rod." Obern pointed his snake staff at three people. "Prince Phili Aden Solion, Bex Gnz, Cal Leiman. Come down." Within Emerald School, professors could corporally punish even royalty. Though it''s written in fact, such cases rarely actually ur. Because it''s a burdensome thing to do even for professors. "Bex Gnz, for acting like a sycophant and clouding the prince''s judgment, three strikes." "Yes..." "Cal Leiman. As a noble, you had a duty to correct the prince''s barbaric words and actions and give loyal counsel. For abandoning that, three strikes." "I''ll ept it." The two quietly nodded. "Phili Aden Solion, as a prince who should show generosity, you instead acted tyrannically and disrupted the academic atmosphere. For this, three strikes." "...Think I''ll be scared?" The prince rather showed a defiant smile. Corporal punishment happens asionally at Emerald School. However, to not severely damage dignity, they follow procedure of striking the back of thighs with a rod. The prince knew there could be punishment. Though he didn''t expect to receive it on the first day. "Reflect on your regret, if you move we start over from the beginning." It started with Bex. In a rather unexpected turn, Obern decided to employ his serpentine-adorned staff, transforming the ornate walking stick into a makeshift rod for the task at hand. His resourcefulness was evident, as the staff appeared to serve an impressive array of functions beyond its ceremonial appearance, adapting to whatever need arose. Whack- Whack- Whack- Bex made an "ugh" groan, but. The three strikes ended like that. Next was Cal Leiman. Whack- Whack- Whack- This time there wasn''t even a groan. Rather, he only thanked Obern saying "Thank you for the guidance." "Next." And it was the prince''s turn. Prince Phili was frustrated. It seemed the professor was trying to establish dominance, and knowing that made it more frustrating. Obern probably wouldn''t have the courage to hit hard, but still, getting hit on the thighs. He wouldn''t show even a slight change in expression. The prince who made up his mind stood facing the wall. Soon, Obern swung the staff. It didn''t seem like a very fast speed. But the moment the staff touched his thigh. Whack! Intense pain. Like being struck with a whip. "Kyaaah!" The prince ended up screaming. == When hearing from Rania that the prince was acting tyrannically. Obern''s decision in his heart was ''just ignore it''. I stopped that. If you just let such a rude person go, of course professional authority would crumble. Professional authority crumbling means Obern''s authority crumbling too. Then getting dignity steadily from students'' respect would be impossible. Uneptable. ''Punish him!'' ''B-but... Snake-nim. He''s a prince...'' ''So am I!'' I didn''t know I''d blurt out such words myself, but facts are facts. Eventually Obern stepped forward with grim determination etched on his weathered face, his voice resonating through the chamber as he dered the punishment that could no longer be dyed. Bex and Cal stood rigidly as the sharp strikesnded across their thighs, each impact making them flinch but neither crying out. When it was done, they withdrew silently into the shadows, their heads bowed but their dignity intact. I swear, I thought that much was fine. ''Yes, well done.'' It was when the prince''s turn came. How could I know this bastard Obern would loosen his wrist at the moment of striking. Honestly wasn''t the prince the worst among the three? At this rate it would just tap and pass. That precious prince would surely sneer thinking ''I knew it would be like that.'' Unable to watch that, I who was hanging on the staff gave my tail a snap. ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv3.¡¹ I can now catch even flying arrows. Chapter 243: That Rude One from Back Then? (2) My snap probably wasn''t even visible. Whack! But the impact sound was definite. "Kyaaah!" He who was so confident just earlier could make such a scream. The prince''s scream rang loudly. Everyone''s expectation of a moderate strike was betrayed. The prince turned around in surprise. All students looked at me and Obern. And something I didn''t expect happened. ¡¸You have publicly punished royalty.¡¹ ¡¸Many people are impressed by the connected target''s righteous conduct.¡¹ ¡¸Gaining considerable dignity.¡¹ Gasp. So that''s it. Being impressed by a teacher''s unflinching resolve as they delivered just punishment to a delinquent prince, who had clearly never faced such consequences before. The instructor showed no special treatment despite the royal bloodline, treating the transgression as they would with any other student. The prince was frozen in his surprised posture. Seems he remembered well the words ''if you move we start over from the beginning.'' And the second strike. Whack! This time I gave a bit gentler snap. Still must have hurt though. The prince squirmed with a "kieek!" And at that moment, I met eyes with Amain up there. He had a surprised expression. Could he have noticed my snap? "He moved!" Who knew he''d suddenly shout that. Amain saw that I moved. But suddenly the prince shouted. "Th-that bastard! I really only moved a tiny bit." He broke down in tears, bitterly acknowledging his actions through choked sobs as the weight of the unfair usations bore down upon him. The raw emotion in his confession spoke volumes about the injustice he felt. Obern had no choice but to start over from the beginning. The prince received a total of five strikes. Obern cast healing magic on all three to destroy evidence. And the lecture hall''s order was properly reestablished. Obern''s charisma shot through the roof. Also, Amain became a crazy person who blocked the prince and managed to add 3 more strikes to his punishment. And I gained dignity. So all went well. p p p. == As soon as we entered the professor research building, someone approached fuming. It was the Academic Affairs Director. "Professor Obern Grimoire, are you crazy?" Word spreads fast, how does he already know? "Punishing His Highness the Prince. And on the first day!" Though Obern was extremely nervous inside, he went forth boldly as I instructed. "I didn''t act against school rules. And proper procedures were followed." "School rules my foot. Why is this young person so rigid? Even His Majesty the King is concerned about Prince Phili''s enrollment. Haven''t you heard the Third Prince is His Majesty''s sore spot?" Obern stared firmly at the Academic Affairs Director. ''Um what should I answer here?'' "I don''t know either." I don''t direct every detail of Obern''s acting. Should say I''m the type that respects actor autonomy. And Obern had the qualities of a great actor. "What does that have to do with me?" "W-what?" Kya. Actually, there was a reason the usually timid Obern could be so bold. Because Principal Bnyar appeared behind them. "Now, you two don''t fight." For some unknown reason. Principal Bnyar greatly favored Obern. "Would Professor Obern persecute the prince out of personal feelings?" "Nng..." "And well, there were no injuries. Actually, I heard something from His Majesty..." Principal Bnyar was actually drinking buddies with the king. "Never indulge the Third Prince''s tantrums. If he doesn''t listen, punish him until he cries. That brat needs his behavior thoroughly corrected." "Huh..." "Not my words, just saying that''s what His Majesty said. Haha." If that''s true then this was actually the right action. The Academic Affairs Director couldn''t stay angry anymore. "...Principal, you''re too lenient with Professor Grimoire." "Haha, does it seem that way?" The Academic Affairs Director withdrew while ring unnecessarily. The principal approached us. That gnome is honestly a bit burdensome. Feeling like he might discover my identity any moment, I tried harder to pretend to be a staff. ¡¸Using Acting lv3.¡¹ The skill borrowed from Obern helps at times like this. "Obern-kun." "Yes, Principal." "You have the Court Count''s backing, right?" "..." Gasp, to think the principal knew even that. In situations like this, silence is the answer. "Do you want to be Chiron?" What''s Chiron? Pelerian who was listening exined. "It''s mythology. A teacher who recognized and taught amon shepherd''s talent, and eventually made that shepherd king..." In other words, the principal is asking. Are you and the Court Count perhaps backing the Third Prince''s session rights? ''Is it true Obern?'' ''How would I know such things? I don''t know!'' But this was news to Obern too. "It won''t be an easy path." "I know nothing about it." "Haha ying coy." "Well, I''m busy preparing for the next ss, so..." We naturally distanced ourselves from the principal. His strange smile watching us is creepy. Sorry, but that unpromising prince doesn''t seem to have what it takes to be king. == And Amain. After the day''s sses ended, Amain''s steps returning to the dormitory were light. The day''s dramatic urrences fundamentally shifted the student body''s perception of Amain, creating a stark divide among their ranks. One faction recoiled from what they saw as his reckless behavior, deeply troubled by how he had seemingly earned the prince''s unmistakable ire through hismoner''s foolishness. The political implications of antagonizing such powerful nobility weighed heavily on their minds. The other half, however, found themselves drawn to his unwaveringposure in the face of royal authority. His dignified bearing, despite his humble origins, sparked their admiration and challenged their preconceptions about ss and courage. But what made Amain''s mood good had nothing to do with that. ''It really seems like Master!'' He didn''t know how Master ended up pretending to be the professor''s staff. But that snake that was frozen like a decoration definitely moved. ''Could they havee to meet me?'' Maybe that''s possible. His mood was only good until he opened his room''s door. But, someone was sitting on the opposite bed. No way. The roommate who hadn''t moved in until now. "...What are you?" It was the Third Prince who got beaten up in front of everyone today. Chapter 244: The Three Musketeers (1) Why was the third prince here? Despite the semester starting, no one had moved in as Amain''s roommate. He had wondered if someone would move inte due to circumstances, or if he would end up having the room to himself. He had considered various possibilities. But who would have thought that spot would belong to the third prince? As royalty, he could have easily gotten a private room, or at least shared with a noble like Cal. Why specifically Amain''s room? Variousplicated thoughts shed through his mind. However, Prince Phili was equally surprised. Due to his father''s strict orders, the prince was not to receive special treatment. This included having to use a double room in the dormitory like amoner. He was a bit nervous, but that was all. After all, ordinary people would surely recognize and serve the prince. However, thatmoner Amain across from him was different. Not only had he blocked the prince''s way saying "That''s enough," he was also the insolent fellow who shouted "That bastard moved!" while the prince was getting hit on the thigh by the professor. This was an enclosed room with no one watching. Thatmoner might bare his vicious fangs. Prince Phili, who was more anxious and sensitive than others, thought so. That''s why he flinched when Amain suddenly moved. But unexpectedly, what came out of Amain''s mouth was: "I apologize for earlier, Your Highness." "...Apologize?" "About saying you moved." Getting hit three more times because of that, and now suddenly apologizing? "It was a misunderstanding. I wasn''t tattling that Your Highness moved." "Then...?" At first, he thought Amain was just talking nonsense. Or maybe he was trying to mock the prince. But Amain''s expression was too serious to think that. "Well... you might find this hard to believe." "Speak." "The staff, the snake on the staff seemed to move. To bepletely honest, that''s what happened." "What? Ha, haha..." At first, he let out augh of disbelief. "Hahaha, you''re quite amusing." "Haha..." But gradually he found himselfughing harder. Amainughed along. The atmosphere softened. Perhaps such quick mood changes are a privilege of young boys. "Why aren''t you using a private room, Your Highness? Why are you here?" To Amain''s question, the prince, now in better spirits, answered honestly. "It was my royal father''s order. He told me to live normally and make friends." "Friends...?" "I told you before. That I wanted to make friends." Indeed he had. When Bex asked to be his subordinate, he had said he wanted to make friends. Though when Cal volunteered to be his friend, he had harshly rejected him. "They say childhood is thest chance to make truly close friends. He told me to make friends I could speak casually with. ...Would you try speaking casually with me?" "Me?" It was clearly a whimsical suggestion. "Alright." But when Amain agreed so readily. "Nice to meet you. Since we''re roommates. My name is Amain Riddle, and my dream is to be a great magician." "Uh..." Prince Phili felt strange. It was awkward, but not entirely unpleasant. "...A great magician?" "Yeah, and you... is it really okay to speak casually?" "Sure, why not. It would be weird to speak casually while still calling me ''Your Highness.''" "Right. What''s your dream?" "Dream?" Well... He thought for a moment. A prince''s dream might be to be a great king, but Prince Phili was far from the line of session. There was the first prince, and the second prince who was already enrolled at the Emerald School. "...I''m not sure." "Yeah? Well, you can find one while staying here." He makes it sound so easy. Though he thought that, Prince Phili found himself smiling for some reason. "By the way, do you follow that professor too? Like the others?" "Professor Obern? No." He suddenly thought to ask, and Amain clearly denied it. "I don''t particrly respect the professor. Though I do think he''s impressive." "What''s so impressive about him? The royal court is full of magicians of that level. If you want to be a great magician, don''t be so easily impressed." "Is that so..." Actually, what Amain respected was the snake the professor was holding. But they weren''t close enough yet to say that. The two chatted pleasantly. They were two people with absolutely nothing inmon in their life trajectories. But perhaps that was why. The prince waspletely fascinated by Amain''s stories of riding merchant carriages on und routes. Amain was the same. His eyes sparkled with childlike wonder at tales of the legendary Crystal Library sequestered deep within the pce walls. The stories spoke of endless shelves that seemed to glow from within, their crystalline surfaces catching and reflecting light like countless stars brought down to earth. Prince Phili, noticing the way Amain''s face lit up at every mention of the magical ce, made a solemn promise one starlit evening. With a gentle smile and a conspiratorial whisper, he vowed to personally escort Amain through the shimmering doors of the Crystal Library someday, to share the ancient wisdom and ethereal beauty thaty waiting within its hallowed halls. While they were chatting like this. Tak. They heard the sound of a pebble hitting the window. The prince startled, and Amain got up and went to the window. "Ah." Amain opened the window and waved hello outside. The prince curiously came beside Amain. "Ah, the poor daughter of Martein." "You know about Rania?" "Of course I would know. She''s the one who became Gerard Marquis''s sessor." The prince looked back and forth between Amain and Rania below. "Don''t tell me... this?" The prince seriously held up his pinky finger. "What''s with the pinky? Rania is a friend." "Coming to knock on the dormitory window... no, never mind." The prince felt embarrassed for bringing it up when faced with that innocent expression. "Seems like she''s calling us, let''s go." "Me too?" Amain nodded. Well, why not then. Following behind Amain. Rania was waiting in the garden. "Ugh." She grimaced upon seeing Prince Phili appear together. Chapter 245: The Three Musketeers (2) Even so, to show such clear dislike right away. Maybe I shouldn''t havee. Phili thought for a moment. "Rania, this is Phili. Yes, he''s the prince. Turns out he''s my roommate." "Phili?" "We agreed to speak casually. Phili, you greet her too. This is Rania." The prince reflexively held out his hand to greet Rania. "...I''m Phili Aden. You can speak casually too." "Ah... okay." Though awkward, Rania agreed to speak casually without hesitation, just like Amain. No wonder these two got along. The prince waved awkwardly. It was truly awkward, but. That was the beginning of their friendship. == "Haah." Obern sighed. ''Don''t worry about it.'' He''s too worried about disciplining that arrogant prince. ''No, the Court Mage asked me to stay close to the prince...'' For some unknown reason, that corrupt old Court Mage apparently made such a request to Obern. A patron''s request is essentially no different from an order. ''You have to establish dominance with guys like that from the start.'' My position was firm. If I had topare that prince to a magical beast, he''d be like a long-tailed monkey with shy fur and bottom. So fierce he bares his teeth even at those who feed him. With those types, you need to establish dominance from the start to get along well. Obern, who knew his own way around rtionships, nodded right away. ''That''s true.'' ''Right, so focus now.'' Obern took the lotus position again. A meditation posture. Right now, I was teaching Obern magic. "Your system of learning magic so far has been crude. Your mana circuits are too narrow for high-output magic." ''You see, your way of learning magic has been quite crude. Your mana circuits are too narrow to use powerful magic freely.'' More precisely, it was Pelerian teaching, but. As someone who had walked the path of magic, Obern quickly noticed how sharp and helpful my advice was. ''Your talent isn''t bad.'' ''Really...?'' ''Yes, while I can''t call you a genius, I can''t call you slow either. With proper training, you might even be a tower magician.'' Since Pelerian saw it that way, it must be true. He didn''t view Obern''s talent negatively. ''It would have been better if you hadn''t gotten distracted. You touched too many misceneous things trying to inte your abilities.'' ''...'' That was the problem. Obern frequently used magic reagents and such as catalysts to cast spells. It was topensate for his insufficient magical power. But that had hindered his growth. If he corrected these bad habits from now on, he could be a proper magician. ''Why are you doing this for me?'' There was a tremor in Obern''s mental question. I answered. ''I''ll be leaving in the near future. You can''t continue being a professor like this, can you?'' ''...!'' Suddenly Obern''s expression contorted. I wondered if I had said something wrong, but he didn''t seem upset. ''To do this much for me...'' He was clearly moved. Is this really such a big deal? ''No need to overreact. It''s written in the contract.'' ''Thank, thank you.'' His eyes even got teary. This is a bit burdensome. "It is a big deal, what magician would teach so easily?" ''I see.'' I guess so. ¡¸A magician is sincerely moved by your benevolence.¡¹ ¡¸Due to the ''Royal'' trait, ''Majesty'' increases.¡¹ Obern wasn''t faking his emotion. To gain Majesty like this, it wasn''t my intention. ''Then keep meditating.'' ''Yes...!'' I came down from Obern''s shoulder and headed back to the staff. After using Majesty once to use the Crown of Connection on the staff, I could use the Crown of Connection on the staff afterward without consuming Majesty. When I focused after getting on the staff. Tsutsusu- The staff started emitting hell''s magical power again in waves. Magical power transformed by hell is like poison to ordinary creatures. But we have Isil here. He ate up the pitch-ck magical power like a snack. What I''m trying to absorb from the staff is hell magic. If I absorb this, I''ll be able to perform the ''hell transformation'' of magical power too. Then I''ll be able to use magic like ''hellfire'' and ''corruption'', which ording to Pelerian is an incredible feat. He says it should be impossible to learn even for an exceptional snake like me. But he must have forgotten that I''m an amazing snake with 20 potential. There''s nothing in this world I can''t learn. ''Absorbed about 20%.'' The staff was quite persistent. However, when I used ''Majesty'' to strengthen the Crown of Connection skill, the absorption speed increased. If I gain more Majesty through Obern, I should be able to make the skillpletely mine in a few months. And then... I turned my gaze to look at the cube. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Emperor''s Cube] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Surprisingly, the cube''s name had the modifier ''Emperor''s'' attached to it. Emperor, isn''t that cool? But knowing that didn''t change anything. The cube''s identity was nothing but a mystery, its purpose and contents unknown. I thought about just breaking it, but it seemed too hard to break easily. However, I had a means to discover its identity. ''After I absorb the staff, I''ll have to open that.'' I should be able to use the Crown of Connection with Majesty. I wanted to try it right now, but that was impossible. One at a time. Like the Crown of Steal, connecting with artifacts using the Crown of Connection can only be done once. For now, absorbing the staff''s magic should take priority. Well, it''s not urgent anyway. While I was snake-like nning for the future. Suddenly something caught my sharp senses. "Watch out!" I quickly warned Obern. Obern, who had been meditating, hurriedly grabbed his staff and stood up. And something came flying through the window. Changgrang- Pak! It was a rock with a letter tied to it. When Obern and I quickly looked out the window. Someone wearing a mask was watching us from below. Then, as if warning us, they made a gesture of cutting their throat with their finger, before turning to run away. Is this person crazy? ¡¸Using Beam lv4.¡¹ Piing-! The beam hit the fleeing person''s hamstring. They screamed "Aack!" and fell face-first. Chapter 246: Master (1) What came through the broken window was a rock with a letter tied to it. If it hadn''t been that, if it had been something like a crossbow bolt. Or if it had been a bomb or magic. What I shot might not have been a power-adjusted beam, but rather a dagger. The power-adjusted beam for subduing is simr to a powerful flick. It must feel like having a hole in the thigh. That''s why they screamed and fell like that. ''What kind of person is this.'' I need to go down and catch them. But first, I checked what they had thrown. The letter tied to the rock was bright red paper from who knows where. Written in rough handwriting: ¡¸The Third Prince is tyrannical and brutal. This must be an obvious ploy to restore your image by acting as that cruel prince''s teacher. You power-hungry dog! Who paid you off!¡¹ What is this about? Acting as the Third Prince''s teacher? No one would throw such a letter just because I teach the Third Prince in ss. The rumor that I struck that arrogant prince''s thigh seems to have spread widely. Could that be why such talk is circting? ''Even the Chancellor Bnyar did this, why is everyone jumping to conclusions?'' "What conclusions?" Pelerian nced at Obern. "Doesn''t he look like someone with a n?" ''Ugh...'' Bnyar had also asked if I was trying to be a ''Chiron,'' meaning were the Court Mage and I trying to back the Third Prince. Obern was indeed a power-hungry dog, but he hadn''t wielded the cane with such grand ns. ''Let''s go Obern!'' "Yes!" Now we understand each other perfectly. I coiled around Obern''s staff, and Obern went out carrying it. Outside was already in chaos. Someone must have heard the scream or seen the beam I shot. Professors and guards were standing near the intruder. The security at Emerald School should be quite strict, how did they get in? When we removed the mask, the face revealed was younger than expected. No, they didn''t even seem to be an adult. "Hey you brat, if you''re a student you should act like one! What kind of behavior is this!" There was a professor shouting at them. Could it be that the rock-thrower was an Emerald School student? They looked this way and turned away in embarrassment. They had been so confident when making that throat-cutting gesture. "Do you know them?" Obern approached and asked. The one shouting at the youth who looked somewhere between a young adult and a boy was none other than the Head of Academic Affairs. "Ah, Professor Obern, did you subdue this fellow?" "Yes. They threw this." He brought the evidence - the rock and red letter. The Head of Academic Affairs read the red letter and turned pale. "This... huh." Apparently, the rock-throwing terrorist was a third-year student. I''ve never even taught a third-year ss, what grudge could have driven them to throw such a letter? "Ah, this has be quite troublesome. These youngsters are so hot-blooded during puberty..." Isn''t this something that can be handled by convening a disciplinarymittee and issuing punishment? When Obern asked the Head of Academic Affairs, he whispered quietly: "You know the Second Prince is studying in the third year. There are quite a few students who follow him, and this seems to be one of them." "Ha." Obern let out augh of disbelief. I almost snickered too. "Technically we should convene a disciplinarymittee... but if we make this bigger, the situation will beplicated. Let me take responsibility and discipline this kid, could you leave it to me?" The Head of Academic Affairs said. I told Obern to nod. "Formally apologize to Professor Obern, and bring your parents too." "What? Please don''t tell my father...!" Seeing them worry about getting scolded by their parents, they really are just a kid. "Seems like a power struggle between princes. Common enough." ''So did that Second Prince order this?'' "He might have, or this one might have acted alone without being ordered." The Second and Third Prince seemed to have different mothers. The Second Prince was already enrolled at Emerald School as a third-year, and his followers apparently didn''t like that the Third Prince was following to enroll. The assessment that he was ''tyrannical and brutal'' - the Prince Phili I saw did fit that description. I also think he''s not suitable to inherit the throne. ''Come to think of it, a strong human kingdom wouldn''t be good for me.'' "That''s right, you monster." Nanaluk wanted to establish a goblin kingdom. Then it might be better if human power was weakened, so maybe the Third Prince bing king wouldn''t be bad. "By the way, professor." The Head of Academic Affairs whispered to Obern. He was on tiptoes due to the height difference. "Is it true that the Court Mage is backing the Third Prince?" Usually looking down on Obern, now his voice was sweet. Obern answered appropriately to that question. "How would I know that person''s intentions?" "Ha, haha... right." The Head of Academic Affairs forced a smile and pretended to be friendly. "I heard you volunteered to be the Third Prince''s dedicated professor, I thought something was unusual from then." "...I see." Obern volunteered? That never happened, could the Court Mage have had a hand in this? The Head of Academic Affairs lingered a bit more before leaving. On the way back to the quarters, I asked Obern. ''Is that old Court Mage really that impressive?'' ''He''s a powerful figure. Except for the two elderly dukes, he probably has the strongest influence.'' He seemed wealthy. So such a person is backing Prince Phili. By attaching Obern to him. Hmm. Hmmm... ''Teacher of the king.'' Even teacher of a prince doesn''t sound bad, but. Teacher of the king sounds even better. While I was thinking that ''The Court Mage also promised a reward.'' ''A reward?'' ''Yes, he said he would properly reward me if I guide the Third Prince well. He didn''t specify what, but he''s known for being generous so I can expect something good.'' The artifacts I saw in his storage shed through my mind. Chapter 247: Master (2) There were many tempting items I couldn''t take then. Should I tell him to request those? ''Well, Prince Phili will probably hate me now.'' ''What, just for disciplining him once.'' I felt a bit motivated. If I could turn that prince into a good disciple like Amain, someday ''that'' might be possible. ''Old man, remember the kingdom''s emblem?'' "You mean the three-headed eagle holding a snake?" ''Yes, that ugly emblem.'' The kingdom''s symbolic animal was an eagle with three heads. It holding one snake was the national emblem symbolizing the kingdom. It''s an extremely brutal image with absolutely no aesthetic sense. I should ask to change that. ''To a crystal snake wearing a crown...!'' Then the kingdom''s knights would have to wear emblems with my image. Even Gunter. It was nothing if not a terrifying n. But Pelerian''s reaction to hearing my ambitious n was lukewarm. "Is that all you want to do after bing a minister of state... you always exceed my imagination." ''Hehe, isn''t it a great idea?'' "...Right, let''s say it is." Come to think of it, Nanaluk will make a goblin kingdom too. I should ask to put me in that emblem as well. "Will that princeply so easily? After such harsh treatment, he might avoid you." Well, that point makes sense too. No matter how much Obern cares, what a teacher can do for a student is limited. Friendships would be very important in academy life, but with his personality, he won''t be able to make a single friend. ''Obern, let''s have another meeting with that prince tomorrow.'' ''Yes... understood.'' So we returned to our quarters. The next day, when I entered the ssroom hanging on the staff. I couldn''t help but be surprised. The prince wasn''t sitting alone. Two people were sitting beside him, ying around casually without being too intimidated by him. He had somehow made friends. Moreover, those friends were people I knew. Amain and Rania. ''Amain, you lucky kid!'' I did well raising at least one disciple. == There''s an old saying that the king, teacher, and parent are one. It means the grace of the king, teacher, and parent are equal. Though the process was more like ''it just happened''. I took Amain as my disciple. That means I took on responsibilities and duties as a teacher to Amain. Just like ''being forever responsible for what you have tamed''. Or like a father protecting his child, I must protect and teach Amain. Although I can''t always be by his side since I''m such a busy snake. But now that fate has brought us together again, shouldn''t I pass on the magical knowledge he desires as his teacher? We haven''t even properly greeted each other yet. After the lecture, I had Obern approach the three musketeers - Amain''s group. "Eek!" Prince Phili had a fit. Perhaps the pain of those five strikes to his thigh came back to him. Amain and Rania were equally wary of Obern''s appearance. "Let''s have a brief meeting." Then the prince had an outburst. "I will never have a meeting with you again!" Come on, is there really any need to be this terrified? I felt a bit hurt, but right now I wasn''t looking for the prince. "Prince Phili, I''m not speaking to you." "...What?" "Such an overinted sense of self-importance." Obern sneered without smiling. The prince''s face turned red. Instead, the name that came from Obern''s mouth was: "Amain Riddle." "Ah, yes!" Amain answered smartly. "Let''s have a brief meeting." Saying that, Obern slightly raised the staff I was coiled around. Amain, who had been puzzled, broke into a bright smile. "Alright!" He followed us right away. Prince Phili and Rania were bewildered and followed hesitantly behind. What did they think Obern would do to Amain? When we arrived at the professor''s office. "It''s fine that you followed, but meetings are one-on-one. Wait outside." The prince and Rania were left standing in the corridor. Only Amain entered Obern''s office. "Professor...?" "Phew." Obern sighed and waved his staff. After using sound-blocking magic to prevent those outside from eavesdropping, Obern flopped down into a chair and leaned back. "Oh my. How tiring." Seeing the charismatic genius professor make such an uncle-like sound, Amain was slightly taken aback. Obern was acting this way because I had told him beforehand. That we would reveal some secrets to Amain. I came down from the staff. Amain''s mouth fell open. "Master!" "Saak!" Amain ran to me. I jumped up to him too. The reunion of master and disciple was apanied by a warm embrace. "It really is you, Master, why did you be so small?" "Sasak, saak, sak!" ¡¸Using Gigantification lv2.¡¹ I used gigantification to make my body bigger. "Ah, you could adjust your size." No, I evolved. I quickly took out a pen. ''Have you been well, Amain? You''ve grown a lot.'' "I have grown! I made friends too." ''You mean those two? Well done. How''s Roil?'' "Father is now..." Amain and I chatted pleasantly. Amain also asked me what he was curious about. "Why are you... on Professor Obern''s staff?" ''Ah, about Obern?'' When his story came up, Obern also took on a tense attitude. He seemed prepared for his secret to be revealed. ''He''s my partner. We agreed to help each other while I''m here.'' "Wow... Master''s partner. He must be an amazing person." I used the term partner instead of ve. It was meant to save Obern''s face, but Obern showed great surprise. He seemed somewhat touched as well. ''Have you learned a lot of magic?'' "I worked hard! Actually, I wanted to ask you. Could you take a look at my magic skills?" Amain is my most recent disciple. Of course I should look. Then suddenly an idea urred to me. It''s annoying to keep writing tomunicate. And I had gained a new ability. ''Hold out your hand, Amain.'' "Like this...?" After canceling gigantification, I climbed onto Amain''s hand. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv1.¡¹ Though Amain slightly grimaced at the strange sensation. ¡¸Sess.¡¹ He epted without rejection and the connection seeded. ''Can you hear my voice?'' "Huh, M-Master?" He seemed quite moved to hear my voice directly. Just as I was about to examine Amain''s magic, looking past his overwhelmed expression. ¡¸Connection target ''Amain Riddle lv14''s rtionship has been established as ''Disciple''.¡¹ ¡¸Crown of Connection lv1''s effect is strengthened.¡¹ Oh? Chapter 248: Talented Snake (1) I wondered what it meant for the rtionship to be established. This hadn''t happened when I used it on Obern. I had never received a message saying ''Connection target Obern Grimoire''s rtionship has been established as ''ve''.'' It''s not like Amain just now became my disciple. Then I could form a hypothesis. Amain and I already had a deep rtionship - that of master and disciple. While my rtionship with Obern might not be that deep yet. Since it''s strictly an employment rtionship established by contract. Hmm, that''s a bit disappointing. Anyway, perhaps Amain''s rtionship manifested as an advantage. It says the Crown of Connection was strengthened. I should check what''s different. ''Amain, what skill of mine did you want to learn the most?'' "Ah, of course..." The answer was Beam and Gigantification. Since using Gigantification carelessly in here could destroy the ceiling, I lent Amain Beam. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv1.¡¹ ¡¸Sharing skill ''Beam lv3'' for one day¡¹ Ah, definitely different. The modifier "for one day" was added. Meaning even if I cancel the Crown of Connection, Amain can use Beam for one day. Though the mana I consumed was enormous. This seems quite useful. Maybe... I could let Isil use Gigantification. My head was spinning with possibilities, but I focused on Amain in front of me first. "M-Master..." ''Try using it. On me.'' Amain trusted me and shot the beam. Piing! I took out the dagger Dawn and deflected the beam. A finger-sized hole was made in the ceiling. "Wow...!" ''It''s a one-day gift. When you meet someone you don''t like, put a hole in their behind.'' I examined Amain''s status window. With the Crown of Connection, I could easily see the other person without needing to concentrate. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Amain Riddle lv14] [Traits] [Genius], [Precocious] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Amain''s level was 14. Lower than the prince''s 20, but actually highpared to other students. Level only increases by killing others or hunting magical beasts. In this world, mana essence serves as experience points. Then does power intuitively increase as levels rise? Well, it''s not quite like that either. This isn''t a game world, it doesn''t work like strength stats increasing with each level. Though for magical beasts, leveling up is important because they evolve, but. Amain is human. For humans to be stronger, they must hone their own skills. And the degree of those skills is embodied in Skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv9], [Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv8], [Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv9], [Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv10], [Invisible Hand lv10]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That Amain was my disciple was evident just from looking at the magic he had learned. Basic elemental magic as foundation, with Invisible Hand magic as introduction to psychokic magic. It''s exactly the same path I took to learn magic. Though Pelerian helped, that''s why Amain is my disciple! And my impression looking at his achievements was... ''Amain.'' "Yes." ''You''ve practiced magic diligently!'' Amain smiled brightly. Indeed. Compared to when Ist saw him, his elemental magic proficiency had increased significantly. Meaning he had continued practicing magic diligently since then. "As I felt when I saw him before. He definitely has exceptional talent." Even the discerning Pelerian acknowledged Amain''s ability. But what''s important is that Amain is an incredible hard worker. These results would have been impossible without practicing magic diligently. Meaning Amain is a ''hardworking genius''. ''But actually using magic and just raising skill levels arepletely different dimensions. Try using the elemental magic.'' I said that to Amain and had Obern move behind him too. Amain stood in the middle of the room and cast magic. Like when I used empathy with Isil. I could feel Amain using magic. ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv9.¡¹ ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Water lv8.¡¹ ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv9.¡¹ ¡¸Using Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv10.¡¹ If his control was even slightly rough. If he couldn''t adjust the output, the room would be in chaos. But Amain controlled it delicately. Wind carried earth, water bound it to prevent scattering. That mixture swirled through flickering mes. It was a truly stable way of handling magic. "He''ll enter the intermediate realm before long." That was Pelerian''s one-line review. A smile had even appeared on his face. My expression was probably simr. "...How long." The one who suddenly spoke was Obern, who had been watching Amain''s magic. His face was frozen stiff. Having spent quite a long time with him, this expression didn''t seem to be an act. "How long... have you been learning magic?" "Ah... about 4 years I think." When the flustered Amain said that, Obern''s expression brightened a bit. "I see." "But I only started elemental magic a year ago, and I only properly learned from Master for about four months." "W-What!" Obern''s expression contorted. Wondering why he was acting like that, I watched as Pelerian snorted. "That guy isparing his talent with that kid''s. Doing something useless." Ah, so that''s why he looks so depressed. Actually, Obern''s current magic level is far higher than mine. But it must have taken him much longer than a year to master basic elemental magic. Hmm, can''t just watch him get so discouraged. "Saak!" When I shouted, both Amain and Obern looked at me. I said to Amain. ''Though you worked hard, don''t get conceited. I learned all four elemental magics to intermediate level or higher in less than a year of learning magic.'' Though it hasn''t been a month since reaching intermediate, I wasn''t lying. I deliberately wrote it out so Obern could see too. "As expected of Master..." "Less than a year..." The wall between intermediate and basic is definitely thick. Both Amain and Obern were amazed. ''And I''m a magic swordsman. Amain, you saw me use Aura right?'' "Aura!" Obern couldn''t help but exim in shock. "Yes, I saw it!" Since Amain confirmed it so clearly, Obern had to believe it. ''So stop measuring each other''s talents like acorns, and just keep working hard quietly.'' Comparing yourself too much with others is like cutting your own flesh. As I was watching my disciple and ve fondly, Pelerian threw in ament. "You''d better work hard if you don''t want to be overtaken by your disciple." Actually, I feel that sense of crisis like Pelerian said. I need to either raise my intermediate elemental magic levels quickly or learn some more advanced magic. I watched Amain''s magic a bit more. Chapter 249: Talented Snake (2) After promising to do this asionally in the future, I asked something I was curious about. ''By the way, how did you be friends with that ill-mannered prince?'' "Oh, you mean Phili?" Amain told me the story of how he became friends with Prince Phili. Hearing it, fate truly was mysterious. ''Hooh, I see...'' So that''s how it is. It seems I can handle the prince through Amain. == Rania had her ear pressed against the professor''s office door. Prince Phili was carefully watching her from behind. "I can''t hear any-" "Shh!" The prince quickly shut his mouth. Rania frowned in concentration, but soon sighed and pulled her ear away. "Can''t hear anything. Seems they used magic to block sound." "It''s been an hour already!" Quite some time had passed since Amain went in for the one-on-one meeting. Yet there was still no sign of himing out. They could have just left, but they were too worried about Amain to do so. The prince said seriously. "That professor might be beating Amain up." "No way!" Though Rania responded that it was nonsense, the prince''s expression was very serious. "That guy is really bad. Maybe we need to save Amain..." To Rania, the prince clearly had mild paranoia and anxiety disorder. However, dismissing or ignoring such a person''s thoughts wouldn''t be good handling. Just as Rania was about to say something nice. Creeak- The door opened and Amain came out. Since there had been no sign at all until he came out, both Rania and the prince were startled. "Are, are you okay?" The prince asked. "Okay...? Of course I''m okay." Amain grinned broadly. Far from being beaten up, he looked like he had a very enjoyable time. "I got praised a lot. Haha." "You got praised? By that professor?" "Well... something like that." Amain stayed quiet without answering. Looking now, it seemed he had candy in his mouth. Did he even get candy? "What''s he plotting..." The prince had his suspicions. Since he refused meetings, maybe they''re trying to draw him in by sweet-talking Amain. ''Still, absolutely not having any meetings!'' While he was making that resolution. The door opened and Obern poked his head out. "Oh, you were waiting without leaving. Good. Let''s have your meeting too." "No!" When the prince refused like that. Obern frowned. "I''m not talking to you. Your self-consciousness is excessive... Rania Martein." "Eh, me...?" "Come in." Rania pointed at herself with a confused expression. But Obern didn''t exin anything, and she ended up following him into the room. Now only Amain and Prince Phili were left in the corridor. "Damn it... what is this!" Phili cried out. He couldn''t guess what was going on at all. He asked Amain what they talked about inside, but Amain kept his mouth firmly shut. Appeals to friendship didn''t work and royal authority was ignored. Finally they waited a long time until Rania came out. When they quickly asked her: "What did you talk about?" "Ah... secret." Even Rania answered like that. She also wasn''t the type to change her mind no matter what Prince Phili said. Shortly after, Obern came out and asked: "Prince Phili, will you have a meeting?" "..." This time even the prince couldn''t say no. "Damn it!" Though he grumbled like that, he went into Obern''s office. == Anyway. Kids be friends incredibly quickly. I never imagined Rania, Amain, and Prince Phili would end up sticking together. They''re not the Gryffindor trio or something. Even the gender ratio is the same. When did they be friends so quickly? It bes very difficult to make new friends when you be an adult. I know that very well. ...Come to think of it, I don''t think making friends was easy for me even when I was young. I wish I had friends like Amain or Rania... I revealed myself to Rania too. And I gave her a light apology. Because I had shattered the dagger Rania gave me before. Rania gave a bitter smile, albeit reluctantly. Saying it was fine. I promised to teach Rania and her friends well while I''m here. Andstly, Prince Phili. I didn''t reveal my identity to him who was wrapped in wariness. I probed a bit through Obern''s mouth. Then I learned something unexpected. "I... have to do well." That one line was the first time Prince Phili revealed his inner thoughts. "I have to do well, I promised mother. That I would do well at school." And this kid tried to cause trouble from day one? Obern didn''t say that. "What does doing well mean?" When alone, Obern used honorifics too. "Well..." "Is there aparison? Someone you need to do better than?" "..." Prince Phili red at Obern. But there probably aren''t many people in the world who could win a staring contest with Obern. The prince quickly lowered his eyes. To him, Obern. Instead, threw out quite a profound line. "If Your Highness has the determination, I will make it so." "...What do you mean." "I will make it so you hear that you are better than the Second Prince." "You''re not trying to y games with royalty... sphemy is punishable by death." Obern didn''t give any answer. I knew. That he was timid enough to not dare answer here. But to the prince, Obern must have looked very solemn. A heavy silence flowed for a moment. The meeting ended like that. From what I could tell, it seemed the Second and Third Princes were in opposition. What kind of person is the Second Prince? Is he a ruffian like the Third Prince? The chance to find out came sooner than expected. Two days after the meetings. It was when we went out for practice for a lecture called ''Dungeon and Ancient Text Analysis''. Leading ten students including Amain''s trio to the school''s back garden. But whether by coincidence or mistake, there were already other students there. "Oh? We submitted a usage request for this ss period." "We received approval as well." The instant dungeon usage requests had ovepped. Then, the other professor said with a smirk. "Since we''re third years, and the Second Prince is here, we''d appreciate if you could yield to us." Haha, how arrogant. Go ahead Obern. "I refuse." We have a prince too! Chapter 250 Heaven Defiers Ambition (1) The Emerald School is undisputedly the most prestigious academy in the Solion Kingdom. That''s not to say every student enrolled is a genius. However, they are all talented enough to be called prodigies at the very least. The lower their talent, the higher their social status tends to be. High social status in the kingdom doesn''t just mean being well-fed and wearing expensive clothes. It means eventually having the power to determine someone''s life with a mere gesture. Their parents are either powerful figures, mighty mages, renowned schrs, clergy members, or warriors. These exceptional children enroll at Emerald School. They study under distinguished professors. Even just one year brings significant learning and changes. By the third year, the atmosphere is different. The misfits and weaklings have long since been filtered out. Emerald School''s curriculum wasn''t just about sitting at a desk and studying. There was also practical "training," and those third-years ahead had all gone through it. First off, they''re older. Being in their growth period, they''ve grown at least a span taller. While first-years wore tense expressions, the third-years exuded confidence. Some watched with smiles, while others whispered and giggled amongst themselves. "See that tall guy? He''s the son of the tinum Knights'' Commander." Nemi Raiters whispered. The boy she pointed to with her pen stood a head taller than the others. With his broad chest muscles, he could pass for an adult just by his build. "And next to him, that girl with nted eyes. Yeah, the one with her hair slicked back. Her mother is the famous Thorn Witch." Not all first-years were tense. Nemi Raiters, for instance, was whispering with slight excitement. Rania, who was listening, wasn''t particrly nervous either. "How do you know all this?" "All this? This level of information gathering is natural for an aspiring journalist." While Nemi''s father, Baumet Raiters, was known as "a worthless journalist who''d sell his soul for gossip," he was apparently respected by his daughter at least. But there was someone more famous among those third-years than the knightmander''s son or the witch''s daughter. The Second Prince, Leon Adenes Solion. There was no need to ask Nemi who he was. Somehow, you could just tell. He wasn''t particrly tall. But his appearance stood out from the start. It was due to his intense, sun-like golden hair. It was different from Amain''s cream-colored blonde. A peculiar golden color with healthy orange undertones. The exact same hair color as the current king. His straight nose and longshed eyes made his thoughts difficult to read. His firmly set lips revealed a strong personality. He wore gold buttons symbolizing royalty and a red cape on his back. The red cape was quite eye-catching, but it suited him perfectly. "The prince. Prince Leon. The Golden Prince." He looked younger than expected for someone nicknamed the ''Golden Prince.'' Perhaps two years older than Prince Phili. But he appeared much more stable than the neurotic Phili. The other third-years almost seemed to be his guards. Continue reading on empire Nemi wrote down her first impression of the Second Prince in her notebook. ''Looks dignified, handsome. Seems to have already won over the third-years? Need to investigate.'' Then she nced at her first-year ssmates. She couldn''t help but smile. Theparison seemed almost too stark. They looked scared even though the third-years hadn''t said anything yet. Most students, including Bex, were like that. Only Rania, Cal, and Amain maintained theirposure. The Third Prince''s expression was particrly worth noting. Nemi reviewed her notes about the Third Prince. ''Bad temperament, very timid, rodent-like nervousness? Severe dark circles.'' While not particrly nutritious information, it was a memo that well represented the Third Prince''s personality. Some contents could get her arrested for l¨¨se-majest¨¦ if shown to others. Nemi added one more line. ''Extremely afraid of the Second Prince.'' It was already well-known that the Second and Third Princes had a poor rtionship. But there are various types of bad rtionships, and Phili''s expression told the story. He couldn''t even look at the Second Prince''s face. He would steal nces, but whenever the Second Prince turned this way, he quickly averted his gaze. Clearly showing fear. Seeing Phili like this, the Second Prince smirked mockingly. Nemi, catching this subtle dynamic, felt ted. ''This is interesting!'' Indeed, her dream of bing a journalist was right. Specifically, a journalist for a magazine covering celebrity gossip. "That''s quite unreasonable of you." "Aren''t you the one being unreasonable? There''s no reason we can''t use the instant dungeon for first-year lectures." "Still, it''s customary for higher years to have priority." "Never heard of such a custom." The professors'' voices grew louder. The instant dungeon was one of several mysteries housed within Emerald School. In the school''s backyard, there was a small cave leading underground. Around the cave was an intricate magic circle made of gold and tiles, reportedly at least 1,000 years old. The purpose of this magic circle was to transform the cave''s interior into a dungeon. It didn''t just create mazes or traps, but properly replicated actual dungeons from somewhere in this world. ording to analysis by mages including those from the Magic Tower, it was ancient magic that couldn''t even be replicated today. The interior changed every fortnight, and originally which dungeon it would be was pletely random.'' But now they could manipte the magic circle to adjust the dungeon''s difficulty. The suspicious cave that used to im dozens of casualties yearly now imed fewer than ten. Since then, it began to be used for education at Emerald School. "We have His Highness the Second Prince..." "You keep mentioning the prince." Professor Obern Grimoire spoke coldly. "We have a prince on our side too. And as a professor, I have a duty to teach my students what they need." It seemed like that Professor Obern wouldn''t back down. "I submitted the usage application before the semester even started. Use it next time for your ss. That should be fine, shouldn''t it?" But seeing that cold professor growling and confronting like this. Somehow, the first-year students felt reassured. Especially Prince Phili. The Second Prince''s position was much higher than the Third Prince''s. But Obern acted as if he didn''t care about such things at all. "Your Highness." Just then, Nemi Raiters approached Phili and whispered. "W-what is it?" "You know, that professor isn''t an easy opponent either." The young professor confronting Obern, you mean? Chapter 251 Heaven Defiers Ambition (2) Come to think of it, he seems as young as Obern. With thick sses and a flustered appearance, he doesn''t look particrly impressive. "Daemon Richmond, a genius professor recognized by the Magic Tower at a young age. He''s even more famous than Professor Obern." "...I didn''t ask." "Hehe." Then Professor Daemon removed his sses. His bookish impression instantly turned sharp. "You''re too arrogant for a neer." "Is being new really the issue here?" "You probably haven''t even used the instant dungeon before." He pulled out a forearm-length wand and waved it. The magic circle in front of the cave began to glow with magical power. Iprehensible ancient characters appeared. "You said you applied directly. Can you even read how the magic circle''s algorithm is set?" While the significance of removing his sses wasn''t clear, he suddenly exuded an aura no less intimidating than Obern''s. "You look young, and without proper knowledge of ancientnguages, you can''t handle the instant dungeon." Obern didn''t immediately respond. Instead, he drew out his staff. His crystal snake cane, which was practically his symbol. He pulled it out and extended it toward the magic circle. "Going to use trantion magic? That won''t..." "Year 400. These are the settings I requested." "What?" "The scale is 150 hectares, traps are implemented, and." He was clearly reading how the magic circle had been manipted. But how? "Both my requests and your requests have been mixed and reflected." "...Did you know about this beforehand?" "Does it look that way?" "..." The students weren''t exactly sure what Obern had said or why Professor Daemon was so surprised. But they could at least tell that Obern had done something extremely remarkable and extraordinary. "Our professor is amazing!" Nemi suddenly shouted. Cal, Bex, and others turned to look at Nemi with bewildered expressions. "Apuse..." Even Nemi hadn''t expected Prince Phili to suddenly say that. "C-p!" The apuse that started with Phili gradually grew louder. p p, p p p- Most students joined in bewilderment. Only Amain and Nemi pped enthusiastically. Professor Daemon and the third-years wore bewildered expressions. That professor approached none other than the Second Prince and asked. "Would that be eptable?" "The situation has be quite amusing, Professor." Unlike our side, the professor seemed to defer to the Second Prince. "How about doing it together?" "Together?" "Yes, since both Professor Daemon''s and that professor''s requests have been mixed into the instant dungeon." "Ah, a merciful and wise suggestion. Though whether they''ll ept it..." "I''ll ask them myself." The Second Prince strode toward Obern. "Professor." "..." Prince Leon, the Second Prince, was slightly taken aback when Obern didn''t respond at all. But without showing it, he spoke deliberately. "While the situation has be somewhat awkward, I learned from my royal father that mercy is a prince''s virtue." Continue your saga on empire "..." "Thus, I propose to you. How about using the instant dungeon together?" From the prince''s position, this was truly mercy and consideration. In fact, the third-year students following him even apuded from behind. Surely this stiff professor would bow his head in gratitude now. That''s what they thought, but. Obern''s head, which seemed about to bow in greeting, stopped abruptly. He nced briefly at his staff. After hesitating very briefly. "Haah." He let out a deep sigh. A sigh, did he just sigh? "This is even worse than Prince Phili." Leon wondered if he had misheard. Did he justpare him to the Third Prince? "Prince Leon Adenes Solion. You are a student, not a professor. How can a student decide how to teach?" Obern''s cold tone seemed to stab into Prince Leon''s sr plexus. "Stop this presumptuous behavior and go inside. Bring your professor." "..." An icy silence fell. The third-year students and Professor Daemon''s jaws dropped. "Puhahaha!" The one who burst outughing was Prince Phili in the back. The Second Prince''s face turned bright red. == Phili, you''re now my disciple too. When Phili shouted ''p!'', I was tremendously moved. Serve Amain well as your sworn brother, and regard your master as your father. ¡¸A royal family member publicly supports the connection target.¡¹ ¡¸You have gained considerable dignity.¡¹ I discovered something remarkable. While Phili wasn''t very princely, he was undeniably ''royalty.'' Just because he publicly supported me, I gained much more dignity than usual. ording to Pelerian''smentary on this situation, ''The loyalty of a vagrant and the loyalty of a knight have different values.'' In other words, regardless of how I felt about him, Phili''s support as royalty was that significant. That wasn''t the only benefit gained from being involved with royalty. That Second Prince brat was quite shy from his appearance. Unlike Phili who looked like a wilted cabbage. I didn''t particrly like handsome and bright-eyed fellows, and when he came to override the professor''s authority and show mercy, I couldn''t see him in a good light. When I rebuked him. ¡¸The connection target publicly pointed out a royal family member''s misconduct.¡¹ ¡¸Many admire this righteous behavior.¡¹ ¡¸You have gained considerable dignity.¡¹ Having umted this much dignity, it seemed I could now strengthen and use other crown skills too. Obern, maintaining a stern expression, broke into a cold sweat. ''Ah, my stomach hurts.'' ''Why!'' ''Because of stress...'' ''Cabbage juice will help.'' I should bring some cabbage juice next time. Eventually, we came to an agreement. To use the instant dungeon together, that is. Not bad, I''d like to see how well that Second Prince brat performs. "Snake." That''s when Pelerian called me. ''What is it?'' "I''ve had a genius idea." This might sound odd, but Pelerian was a real genius. Unlike fakes like Obern. ''What kind of idea urred to you?'' "We need to deal with this quickly before the instant dungeon ispleted. Go closer to the magic circle." Though uncertain, I quickly had Obern move. Obern pretended his stomach hurt again, but eventually obeyed. Following Pelerian''s instructions, he brought his staff to the magic circle. "The principle here seems to be roughly copying dungeons that exist in the world. While it can''t replicate the contents inside, it can copy the mechanisms and structure..." ''So...'' "Let''s manipte the magic circle. Make it copy one of my dungeons exactly." Is that even possible! But here''s what I''m curious about. ''What''s good about that?'' Even if mysterious magic creates a simr dungeon structure, it won''t perfectly replicate the contents. Is there any reason to do such a thing? "I have a dungeon with special traps." I''d heard that most traps were implemented in the instant dungeon, but. ''What kind of trap...'' "Monster summoning arrays." Monster summoning arrays? Listening to the exnation about something I hadn''t known existed. "It''s magic that summons dangerous monsters to repel intruders by designating coordinates in the great forest. If we adjust it well, we might be able to draw out hundreds of monsters or more." ''Uh...'' "We''ll cause chaos. With two princes here, we''ll take them hostage and lead the monsters to the royal pce. Once we secure the king''s person during the chaos, game over!" I was a bit shocked by the sudden proposal. I had forgotten for a moment. Pelerian was definitely a viin. "Did you enjoy ying house until now!" ''Yes...'' "Then let''s go, this kingdom! It will be wrapped in your grasp, no, your coils!" Honestly, I was a bit tempted. Chapter 252 One Hundred Lashes (1) There are born instigators in this world. When they start speaking, they naturally raise the audience''s energy. People whose every word naturally draws attention. Was Pelerian such a person? Actually, not quite. "Go, you shall be the kingdom''s end!" But Pelerian''s proposal certainly made my heart race. Take over the kingdom. Should I do such a thing? There are two princes right here. If we cause chaos right now and storm the pce, capturing the king. Couldn''t I be a true Snake King? ''Ah, I shouldn''t do that...'' "Do it!" ''I shouldn''t...'' "I said you can!" Just as I was unconsciously about to manipte magical power ording to Pelerian''s instructions. "Master, no, Professor!" Amain and his friends approached. Amain nced at me briefly before speaking to Obern. "We can do it. We can." While the prince behind looked quite uneasy, at least Amain and Rania''s expressions were determined. "No, I really want to try. You don''t need to step back." "Hmm." "I''ll work hard and definitely do better than those third-years." Such a precious kid. It snapped me back to my senses. Come to think of it, if I were to carry out this chaotic rebellion operation, wouldn''t it put Amain in a difficult position? Amain wants to study magic diligently at this academy, but if I summon monsters, many children would get hurt. I can''t ruin things for someone who just made their first friend after having none. "What an utterly weak-minded fellow." Pelerian jumped up and down in frustration. With that SD character-like appearance, his anger wasn''t scary at all. "We had at least a 5% chance of sess..." ''...Just that much?'' This traitor. Are you saying you tried to instigate me with just a 5% sess rate? "A 5% chance to take over a kingdom is a profitable venture. Did you think worldly affairs would be so easy!" ''Why are you getting angry when you''re in the wrong?'' "And even if we failed, it would be easy for you alone to escape, so it''s a favorable gamble with little burden and much to gain." He''s not entirely wrong again. But anyway, his proposal is rejected. Then, Pelerian said something strange. "Then what kind of dungeon is this... hmm." This ce called the instant dungeon could be ssified as a ''ruin.'' It was a mysterious ce that mimicked the appearance of other dungeons existing in the world by manipting the magic circle. "It''s hard to imagine... at this era, at this level." ''You don''t know either, old man?'' "What could I know about a magic circle I''m seeing for the first time? There must be tens of thousands of dungeons in the world." Are there that many dungeons? I don''t know what kind of continent this is. There weren''t any dungeons on the Earth I lived on. "But something feels a bit strange. Maybe it''s because two settings are mixed." ''What''s strange about it?'' "Hmm..." Pelerian just groaned without answering. Usually, he would ramble on without being asked. There must really be something even he doesn''t know. "Well then, shall we enter?" I had Obern say that. Let''s see. Time to enter this suspicious dungeon with these young children! == A dungeon opening its mouth underground. We entered there. Since third and first years were using it simultaneously,bining the students from both sses made for quite arge group of over twenty people. Dungeon sizes varied greatly, and if it had been a narrow dungeon, we couldn''t have used it together. But this dungeon was different. The passages were vast. Mysteriously, the entrance''s appearance and interior werepletely different. The walls inside were made of yellowish sandstone bricks. The floor was covered with bs of an even harder material. Strange style reliefs decorated the walls. It doesn''t seem to be a small-scale dungeon. The implementation is incredible. Obern tapped the wall with the tip of his staff. Then, something slithered down from between the ceiling bricks. Catching it in his hand, it was golden sand. "...A desert dungeon." Obern muttered. Then Professor Daemon stepped forward: "What an obvious and worthless observation. The students would have noticed immediately." That bastard, I hadn''t noticed. "Never mind that, can you deduce which desert dungeon this is?" At some point, Obern and Daemon had started criticizing each other. The male atmosphere was terrible. Obern responded coolly as usual. "Professor Daemon. If you want teaching, ask more politely." "...Haha, just joking." The two engaged in psychological warfare whenever possible. "That relief style is from the Al-Aram civilization. It''s obvious from the three-eyed eagle. Then which dynasty of Al-Aram civilization would this be?" If this Daemon fellow wasn''t lying, he must be quite intelligent. How does he know about relief styles from desert civilizations on the opposite side of the continent? "..." In contrast, Obern, who possessed more familiar knowledge levels, tried to coolly ignore it but. "You probably don''t know. Seems you have nothing but magic skills." This guy! Obern doesn''t even have good magic skills. At this point, he couldn''t ignore it anymore. Because that would mean Obern''s defeat. Obern knew this well, so while managing his expression, he internally shouted. ''Help me! Lord Snake!'' And I also shouted. ''Old man!'' Pelerian sighed and told me. After hearing that, Obern spoke leisurely. "What shallow insight. It''s not Al-Aram to begin with." "...Are you trying to be contrary because students won''t know?" "That''s not an eagle. It''s a ck hawk. And Al-Aram period eagle reliefs depicted wings spread on both sides. That one only shows one wing, because it''s from the Al-Ahrab civilization." "Just because you speak confidently doesn''t mean..." "Professor Daemon Richmond." Obern stopped abruptly. Due to his tall stature, Obern ended up looking down at Daemon. "You''re starting to annoy me." "..." "Let''s stop talking. A trap has appeared." Excellent finish. Obern raised his staff. Both to practice magic and to pretend Obern could freely use silent casting magic. I was the one using the magic. ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Water lv2.¡¹ A huge mass of water formed in mid-air. "Without even chanting..." "Couldn''t even feel the flow of mana..." The third-years who walked the path of magic were amazed. Daemon gritted his teeth. I hear messages about dignity increasing. This is why appearances are important. Iunched the water mass at the floor ahead. Ssh! The water bomb burst, and the water was instantly absorbed into the floor. What had appeared to be solid stone floor suddenly copsed. It was a trap made of sand. Below the sunken floor, sharp spears could be seen nted. A very simple but effective trap. If someone had crossed above without knowing, they would have fallen straight down and be skewered like kebab. Just like that Cockatrice from long ago! "The finish iscking." Professor Daemon finally stepped forward and chanted magic. Quite substantial magical power whirled from his short wand. Professor Daemon''s mana capacity seems unusual as well. "Ferum In- Ventum!" With an impressive incantation, transparent de-like things shot from his wand. Toward the spears nted below. Crackle! The wind des neutralized the spear trap. The sand that flowed down in the aftermath covered it. Honestly, it was quite good. Much better than Obern. "Woah!" This time, admiration burst from among the first-years. Since Amain was among those pping, I unconsciously red at him. Chapter 253 One Hundred Lashes (2) There was a reason he neutralized the trap this way. "There are three traps remaining." "Four." The two professors found and disabled only the lethal traps. The students would have to research, analyze, and ovee the rest themselves. While some dangerous ones remained among the traps, this was a world where that level of danger was eptable. "Who will go first? About three people would be good." When Obern asked this, there was a student who confidently raised their hand. "I''ll do it." It was Second Prince Leon. Just earlier, Obern had properly rebuked him. While he could have been upset, there wasn''t even a crack in that smile. "We''ll assist." "Me too." When the Second Prince stepped up, his followers naturally volunteered. When Obern frowned and asked if there were any more volunteers, no one raised their hand. Well, who would raise their hand after the prince and his confidants stepped up? And so Prince Leon, the Knight Commander''s son what''s-his-name, and the witch''s daughter stepped forward. All eyes focused on them. Unlike Phili, Prince Leon looked princely and handsome by anyone''s standards. His build was so grand that he would likely grow as tall as Obern or Gunterter. For reference, I was on the shorter side in my previous life. While I had noints, I was curious what it would be like to look down on people. That''s when it happened. Suddenly, the Knight Commander''s son handed an axe spear to the prince. Well, I can understand why he suddenly took up an axe spear. Among the traps, there were some ufortable to touch by hand. But why specifically an axe spear? I hate axe spears. Because of Gunter, who chopped off Mother Medusa''s head with an axe spear back then. ''Obern, why is he suddenly holding an axe spear?'' I asked without much thought, but. ''Because Prince Leon is Steel''s disciple.'' ''What?'' For a moment, I thought I''d misheard. ''Steel as in Gunter?'' ''Yes, that''s right.'' ''That bastard Gunter''s disciple!'' Could it be, could it really be? Well, Gunter did seem to be a famous knight... hmm, it''s entirely possible. ''Are you acquainted with Sir Gunter?'' ''Don''t honorifically call that guy "Sir" in front of me. He is my rival and nemesis.'' ''...I see that was your rtionship. As expected, you''re amazing.'' Pelerian gave a sarcasticment from the side. "He probably doesn''t even know you exist. I didn''t know such rival rtionships existed." Ipletely ignored him. Right, so he''s Gunter''s disciple. Let''s see how skilled he is. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Second Prince Leon lv41] [Title] [Golden Prince] [Traits] [Bright], [Cold-blooded] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Why is that level so high! He even had a title. Golden Prince, how cool. The Cold-blooded trait suited Gunter. Sure enough, looking at his skills, the connection with Gunter was clear. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Command lv2], [Vrian Axe Spear Technique lv13]...[Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Even Heavenly Thunder Spirit! I shouldn''t use Heavenly Thunder Spirit in front of him. Though my way of using Heavenly Thunder Spirit is different from Gunter''s, I should be careful. "Your Highness, I''ll use magic detection." As the witch''s daughter muttered something, her eyes soon turned blue. And when she pointed to a spot on the ceiling, the Knight Commander''s son stepped up. He drew a short spear and threw it at that spot on the ceiling. The spear flew fiercely. Crash! The short spear stuck in the ceiling. An admirable strike. The Knight Commander''s son had clearly trained his inner power. But until then, nothing had happened. The Second Prince took a step forward. ''Please trip and fall.'' I had a simple hope that Gunter''s disciple would be embarrassed. Who knew the Second Prince would shout. "Heavenly Thunder Spirit-!" Announcing technique names, he''s writing his own martial arts novel. I wondered why he was using Heavenly Thunder Spirit underground with the sky blocked, but. Blue lightning crackled from the axe spear... Crack! With a thunderous sound, electricity burst forth. It showed nock of powerpared to using it outside. "Snake, watch carefully and learn!" I was nning to do so even without Pelerian saying it. I was already using magic detection to thoroughly examine what he was doing. I couldn''t perfectly grasp it just by watching. But there was something certain. "So charge storage is possible! This means it can be used at range too, just like lightning magic." Charge storage. In other words, Heavenly Thunder Spirit could store and release electricity. This is worth researching. The electricity that extended from the prince''s axe spear seeped into the short spear stuck in the ceiling. And simultaneously destroyed all the mechanisms hidden in that ceiling. Whoosh- Dust and ash-like substances fell from between the ceiling bricks. The most troublesome trap was neutralized. Three traps remained but those were quickly dismantled too. Leon and his subordinates quickly passed through the trap-dense zone. "Ha!" And while shing a refreshing smile, he made a V-sign with his hand. "Wow! As expected of His Highness Leon!" "Amazing!" The third-years pped enthusiastically. Professor Daemon also grinned. "3 minutes 32 seconds. Not bad." Not bad? His smile is as wide as a wooden basin. Obern maintained his expressionless face as he walked. The next trap-dense zone appeared not long after. After removing the lethal elements, the number of remaining traps was also four. "Now it''s our turn." He turned his head to select volunteers from the first-years. Surprisingly, Prince Phili didn''t raise his hand immediately. After watching nervously for a while, he raised his hand as if he had no choice. And only after Rania jabbed him in the ribs. "I-I''ll do it." Compared to the Second Prince who was Gunter''s disciple, his spirit was toocking. Naturally, Amain and Rania also volunteered together. ''Obern! Call that Phili fellow over here.'' I had Obern call the prince over. "Come closer to hear." As I tried to whisper, Daemon interrupted. "Professor Obern, nning to give hints?" "Nothing like that. Just want to offer some encouragement." After ring once at Daemon, Obern brought his mouth to the prince''s ear. Phili gulped. ''Obern, deliver this exactly without changing a single syble.'' And Obern ryed my words. "Prince, if you can''t finish within 3 minutes 32 seconds, it''s one hundredshes." "...?" Phili wore an expression like he must have misheard. Obern also closed his eyes tightly as if moved. I hadn''t finished delivering my message yet. ''Say it! Say it to the end!'' He let out a trembling sigh and whispered again. "With real force, one hundred times." "..." Prince Phili rolled his eyes around and gulped. Chapter 254 Dance of the Fire Blade (1) One hundredshes? Get hit one hundred times? You''d die from that. Surely you''d die. When Phili heard Obern''s words, such thoughts were all that filled his mind. ''No, why one hundredshes in the first ce? Three minutes thirty-two seconds is brother''s record. Is falling short of that record grounds for one hundredshes?'' First, he pondered ''why'' and. ''It must be a lie. He''s just saying that, he won''t actually give one hundredshes.'' Then he entered the denial stage. ''Aaagh! No! Why! That madman will definitely do it for real!'' Finally, he reached the stage of venting anger at the world. Plus, just now was a bit strange. Usually, Professor Obern always spoke with a deep voice and put on airs. But just now, what was that? ''You''ll get one hundredshes, really one hundred!'' He''s not a child! But because of that, it seemed more real and was scarier. As Prince Phili was clutching his head in agony, someone ced a hand on his back. Startled, he turned to see it was Amain. "Let''s go get it over with." "..." "Why are you so nervous already?" "...You won''t get one hundredshes if you fail." "That''s true. Haha." Amain chuckled. Who could me Phili for almost shouting ''Youmoner...!'' "Begin." Obern dered. What to do, traps, there seems to be one there first. Even in that moment, seconds tick by one by one. Once it started, his mind became even more rushed. Something stuck to the panicking prince''s face. "Pfft." A spider web had stuck to his face. Damn, such bad luck. It''s sticky and won''te off properly. Why are there spiders in a newly created dungeon? "Phili, don''t worry." Did his face-rubbing look like crying? Rania and Amain approached Phili. "We''ll finish this right away." Then instead of being so rxed... Just then, Rania moved her hands as if brushing something away. Bang! A sound like a drum bursting rang out in the air. And Amain chanted something. "Columna, Lapidia." Rumble- Stone protrusions suitable as handholds emerged from the ceiling. That''s when Rania lightly jumped up. It was amazing leg strength. She jumped up to the ceiling and grabbed the protruding stone handhold. Then forward, moving her arms forward again and again. Though it might be an inappropriate expression for a marchioness''s daughter, she was as agile as a jungle monkey. "Amazing!" "Must be the Martein-style Explosive Movement technique!" Admiration burst from the crowd. Then something seemed to activate. Click- Whoosh! The sound of a trap activating. Someone screamed in horror. "Aqua Scutum." But when Amain called out clearly, a mass of water formed in the air and blocked the shooting arrows. The arrows pierced through the water, but their paths curved greatly. They missed Rania by far. "Hup!" Rania crossed the passage without touching the floor once. Then she stomped heavily on the floor ahead. Crash! The tiles shattered along with the mechanical devices inside. Amain grabbed the dazed Prince Phili''s wrist and pulled. "Let''s go." The passage floor was full of obviously suspicious holes. Originally, spears would have sprung out, or poison gas, arrows, etc. would have shot out, but. "Were they all deactivated...!" Nothing activated until Amain and Phili crossed. And when they reached where Rania was. "...One minute fifty-eight seconds." Obern announced the time. The cheers and shouts erupted a momentter. "Woahhh!" "Almost half the time!" All the first-years cheered generously. Even though the Second Prince''s position was much higher, the first-year students possessed enough innocence to feel a sense of belonging to the Third Prince. Even a few third-years pped before noticing the atmosphere and stopping. And Phili turned to look at Obern. Surprisingly, Obern. Raised his hand in a thumbs up. "Uhahh..." Phili''s legs gave out and he copsed. His heart was still pounding. "N-no hundredshes." He had survived once again. Amain extended his hand, and Phili smiled as he took it and stood up. But there was someone who viewed their sess unfavorably. "This is invalid!" It was Professor Daemon. At first it seemed like he was being unreasonable, but that didn''t seem to be the case. "Why are you finding fault?" "They didn''t properly dismantle the traps!" Daemon was angry. "They only temporarily disabled parts of them! By breaking the weight-sensing device." Professor Daemon picked up a stone from the side and threw it. Toward where Amain and Prince Phili had just walked across. Thunk. The stone fell to the floor, but nothing seemed wrong. ng! But at that moment, iron spears shot up from the ground and deflected the stone. It hit the ceiling and. Ping ping! More iron spears shot out from different holes. ng, crumble! The stone was hit by several iron spears and shattered to pieces. "See, it''s working again!" "So it wasn''tpletely dismantled." Prince Phili''s jaw dropped in disbelief. The traps weren''tpletely dismantled. Rania and Amainughed awkwardly. He almost got angry at them forughing now. "It was fine if we walked carefully. Running would have been dangerous." Amain said this quite boldly. Professors Obern and Daemon continued arguing. "If we do it this way, my students can pass through faster!" "Then let''s see it." "Your Highness Leon!" It seems the Second Prince''s pride was hurt too. When Professor Daemon called, he stepped forward without refusing, as if he''d been waiting. Then he copied Rania''s method simrly. The Second Prince instantly crossed over to where Phili''s group was. "There, forty-three seconds. Our Prince Leon''s overwhelming victory." Obern sneered at Daemon''s words. "Are you joking? It seems you can only teach students to imitate and copy." "Take that back!" Honestly, it wasn''t good to see grown adults fighting like this in front of children. As Phili sat sighing, someone approached and stood before him. When he looked up, Phili was startled. The Second Prince who had crossed the traps was standing there. He was looking down at Phili with a slight smile. "Ah, b-brother." They say you can''t spit on a smiling face. But apparently you can spit with a smile. "Who''s your brother, you trash." "..." Discover stories at empire He could rightfully get angry at suddenly being insulted. Chapter 255 Dance of the Fire Blade (2) Especially Phili with his bad temper. But Phili couldn''t make any retort. Far from getting angry, he trembled like a frightened dog. "I told you to stay out of my sight. Yet you had to enroll here and even have ovepping sses." "I-I didn''te intentionally, Father..." "Phili." Prince Leon spoke still with a smiling face. Taking advantage of the professors'' argument, quietly so other students couldn''t hear. "Drop out." "What?" "Submit a withdrawal form. Get out of here." "...His Majesty the King told me to attend Emerald School." Leon ced his hand on Phili''s shoulder. When he applied force to that grip, Phili felt pain as if his shoulder would break. "Agh!" "Shut up, don''t make a sound." "Kuh, kuugh!" "I don''t care about your circumstances, just drop out. Someone like you doesn''t deserve to learn anything. Drop out!" His shoulder was terribly painful, but he couldn''t even scream because of the order to shut up. Tears welled up in Phili''s eyes. Just as the gathered tears were about to stream down. Grip. Rania grabbed Prince Leon''s wrist. "What are you doing?" "There was something on Your Highness''s wrist." "What? Kugh!" He couldn''t say anything to such an absurd excuse. It felt like his wrist was caught in iron tongs. Just as Leon was about to scream. This time the Knight Commander''s son who stood by his side grabbed Rania''s wrist. "How dare youy hands on His Highness, you''ve got some nerve." "How dare youy hands on ady, you''ve got some nerve." Rania threw it right back at him. Though her wrist was grabbed by a muchrger hand, Rania''s expression didn''t change at all. Even the Knight Commander''s son was surprised by herposure. Just as this test of strength was about to begin. "Pfft." Phili wiped his face again. That damn spider web had touched his face again. Really, how did spiders get into the dungeon to make such webs... "W-what is this." But this spider web was unusually tough. It pulled his hair enough to hurt. That''s when Phili looked up at the ceiling. At that moment. He thought he was seeing hallucinations. Because there was something impossible on the ceiling. A sound that was neither scream nor sigh escaped Phili''s lips. "Ah, ahh..." The instant dungeon has traps but no monsters. It only mimics dungeons from somewhere, it can''t replicate the monsters living in those dungeons. So there shouldn''t be any monsters here originally. Insects might be present since they could enter from outside. But such huge spider monsters. And multiple spiders stuck in every hollow of the ceiling... How long had they been hiding? No, did they crawl out from inside? One spider dropped suddenly. Onto the Knight Commander''s son''s head. A spider as big as arge dog fell without making a sound. Discover hidden tales at empire But when it buried its venomous fangs into his nape. "Kyaaaah!" The scream rang out thunderously. He frantically tried to remove the spider stuck to his head. And when he stomped on it hard, pop went the spider''s belly. "Uh, uah, uwaah!" But his nape had already swollen grotesquely. He made wheezing sounds as if struggling to breathe. "S-spiders!" Phili screamed. As if it were a signal, dozens of spiders poured down from the ceiling. Above Phili''s head too... Ping! Just then, a beam pierced through a falling spider. Looking back. Obern was pointing his staff this way. The spiders crawled across the ceiling heading that way too. == I''m fortunate to have Pelerian. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known what this sudden situation was about. "It''s a summoning trap." ''Really?'' "There''s no other exnation." It seems a summoning trap existing somewhere here activated. It summoned monsters from designated coordinates. There was a reason why such a rare summoning trap happened to be here. "Desert necromancers use a lot of summoning magic. Among them, bug handlers are especiallymon. They likely had a hand in this dungeon." Spider handlers, they must be absolute viins. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Ruin Sand Babun lv22] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ They definitely looked a bit different from the creepy spiders I saw in the great forest. If I had to say, they looked more dried out? Individual ones don''t seem that strong but there are too many. Especially around those children, they were already swarming. Even if everyone else dies, I n to save Amain and his friends. ''Go Obern!'' ''H-how!'' But Obern couldn''t rush right in. Come to think of it, Obern is very tall. Meaning his body is heavy. With spiders swarming from the ceiling, he''s not capable of rushing in while ignoring the traps. Seeing some spiders get impaled by spears shows the traps are still active. Plus spiders areing this way too. Quite a lot of them. "Why, why are theying this way!" The first-year students hiding behind me screamed. Because unusually many spiders were swarming this way. ''Ah, that''s why!'' The side effect from eating the Crimson Tarant King''s inner core long ago. It said ''inexplicably draws hostility from spider-type monsters.'' That snowballed into this. Can''t be helped. Let''s try killing the spiders first. ''Die!'' ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Wind lv2.¡¹ I knock them down and kill them roughly. Some demonic energy gets absorbed. Some tried to wrap students in spider webs. Were they trying to kidnap them? I was worried about Amain and his group but. "I''ll save them! You protect the other students here!" That slick Professor Daemon stepped up. It seems certain that his magic skills are better than Obern''s. He cast some magic on himself and his movements became faster. He crossed over the traps by stepping on spider corpses and reached where Amain was. That''s fortunate. Now that the bothersome one is gone. Shall I show a bit of my true ability? ''Obern, chant an impressive magic spell. Something about piercing and such.'' What I like about Obern is his quick wit. When I order something, he doesn''t question ''Huh? What should I do?'' He''s quite different from my previous life. "Paporans hastam, mortem in silento... Imand in silence..." First-years and third-years all huddle around me. Obern chanting heavily in the center, honestly looked cool even to me. However, I''m the real protagonist. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv17.¡¹ I took out a longsword and a talisman from subspace. The Cloud Iron Sword, Sunset. The talisman attached to it created mes. That single sword wrapped in mes looked exactly like magic. "Cut and pierce." Along with Obern''s words. I danced with the de of mes. The desert spiders get shed and pierced wildly. Dozens of legs pile up. Hundreds of eyeballs burn creating noxious smoke. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ I heard sounds of dignity increasing. It was the moment Obern gained fame for creating the magic ''Dance of the Fire de.'' Chapter 256 Uwaah! Master! (1) ¡¸Killed Ruin Sand Babun lv22.¡¹ ¡¸Killed Ruin Little Sand Babun lv11.¡¹ The burning sword pierces and cuts through spiders. It''smon knowledge that fire attribute attacks are effective against insect-type monsters. As my elemental magic rose to intermediate level, the mes I could store in talismans also became more powerful. After cutting through a few legs, the other legs shrivel in the mes. ¡¸Killed Ruin Sand Babun lv12.¡¹ ¡¸Killed Ruin Sand Babun lv24.¡¹ ¡¸Killed Ruin Little Sand Babun lv11.¡¹ Being spider monsters that inhabit the desert, they seem drier. Which means, they''re more crispy. Hmm, I''m curious about the taste. But I should hold back from crunching on spiders here, or the students would scream. The students who were just screaming earlier. Whether first or third years, they were equally terrified. Except for a few, most had never properly faced monsters before. But now they were quiet. The students gathered around me, or more precisely around Obern, were even expressing admiration now. "Wow..." "Amazing." Low-intelligence insect-type monsters tend not to retreat once they start attacking. They jump ferociously and bare their venomous fangs as they charge, but none of them reached me or the students. They die as meaninglessly as moths flying into mes. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ After killing so many, my level increased despite the significant level difference. Nice! I''ve roughly cleared the spiders around here. It seems only the smaller, lighter ones crawled out this far. ''The summoning magic circle is amazing, bringing so many.'' "Usually they only summon a few powerful ones because of magic circle efficiency... hmm." Pelerian made an ominous sound. "There might be a queen specimen inside." That exins a lot. The small ones are the queen''s army. They probably received orders like ''catch prey thates outside'' or ''repel intruders.'' Then now, I just need to get Amain and the kids out. Hmm, I''m curious about this queen. Being a Queen, wouldn''t it have an inner core? But this wasn''t the time for such optimistic thoughts. Professor Daemon returned with the children. The Second Prince, the Knight Commander''s son with a swollen face, the witch''s daughter. And Rania... End. ...Huh, where are Amain and the Second Prince? Looking at Daemon''s face gives me a bad feeling. He wore a bewildered, helpless expression. "The, the spiders." Why are your lips twitching? Surely you''re not smiling. It was the expression of someone extremely flustered, with no other choice. "The spiders took His Highness the Third Prince." What about Amain? "Couldn''t be helped. Thatmoner followed to save His Highness." So you just came back leaving that alone? "His Highness the Second Prince was injured..." Obern silently red at Daemon. Maybe he felt guilty under Obern''s gaze, though he was probably just flustered himself. No, probably not that. "Let''s escape outside first, then call people to go in and save them!" "...Then, it might be toote." "We must evacuate first! I heard an eerie cry just now. His Highness the Second Prince has been poisoned!" The Second Prince was clutching his arm. It was swollen from a spider bite. But it''s not like he''s dying right this moment. Rania cried out. "We have to save Amain and Phili! The spiders wrapped them in webs and dragged them away!" Guilt washed over her features, etching deep lines of remorse across her brow and drawing her lips into a taut, troubled line. The emotion was raw and unmistakable - a stark contrast to Daemon, who responded with nothing more than an exaggerated roll of his eyes, his casual dismissal speaking volumes about their different approaches to the situation. Some people, when confronted with the heavy weight of crisis bearing down upon them, instinctively reach for their first desperatefort: the act of pointing fingers and establishing me, as if determining fault could somehow make the disaster easier to bear. This impulse takes precedence over actually addressing the problem at hand. Professor Daemon Richmond seemed to be such a person. "You''ll have to take responsibility for this situation." "...What are you saying?" "Weren''t you the one who forcibly brought in the first-years and His Highness the Third Prince! I''ll report this clearly to the Dean." His twisted lips trembled. "If something happens to His Highness, this will go up to His Majesty the King..." I couldn''t even hear what Daemon was saying. Without even intending to. Tss tss tss- My scales turned ck on their own. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv3.¡¹ Others must have seen me turn ck atop Obern''s staff. Yet Daemon didn''t even notice as he continued speaking, spittle flying. "With injured Prince Leon and Philberk too..." Ah, no one thinks about Amain. Except for Rania, that is. Poor Amain, how much will Roil resent me when he learns of this. "I clearly said several times not to go in..." I gained ''dignity'' through evolution. But even before that, from when I led hundreds of monsters. From when I led goblins to war. I developed something called ''presence.'' Stay tuned to empire An ethereal force radiates from deep within whenever powerful feelings surge through me, rippling outward like invisible waves into the surrounding space. This intangible energy manifests itself unbidden, flowing naturally from the core of my strongest emotions. The atmosphere thickened with an unsettling weight, pressing down with an otherworldly chill that seemed to seep into every corner. The air itself became dense and oppressive, carrying a bone-deep coldness that made even breathing feelbored. Sensitive students unconsciously started trembling. And Professor Daemon, who had been running his mouth, shut up. He rolled his eyes back and forth between me and Obern. I gave instructions to Obern. He was a bit flustered but read the atmosphere and quietly nodded. Then extended his staff. Professor Daemon stepped back startled but. I jumped from the staff and flew at him. I just couldn''t take it anymore. Take some hits from me. ¡¸Using eleration lv7.¡¹ ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv3.¡¹ I swung my tail without holding back at all. Whack! My crystal scale-covered tail struck Daemon''s cheek. Several teeth flew out with a tter. "Kyaaah!" I almost tried to physically take his heart, but held back. I wrapped around his neck and squeezed. "Kak, kaak!" This is revenge for Amain and Phili! In this situation where the snake that decorated Obern''s staff was strangling Professor Daemon. The students screamed. == A cocoon wrapped tightly in spider webs. The spiders carried it on their heads and scurried deeper into the dungeon. Their summoning here was idental. Chapter 257 Uwaah! Master! (2) The mysterious ruin''s magic circle perfectly replicated the original dungeon''s traps, and during the dungeon''s formation, that summoning array activated. The Queen and hundreds of her children were summoned at once. It had already been two weeks since then. The Queen and her offspring were starving. "Kieek." "Kaak." Several spiders eyed the prey hungrily. But other spiders escorting them bared their fangs threateningly. "Kieeeeek!" Meaning don''t touch it because it''s the Queen''s food. Thanks to this, the two wrapped in cocoons received a very brief stay of execution. "Uhueng." Crying sounds came from one cocoon. It was the cocoon containing Phili. "Kueng, phu." With spider webs covering his mouth, it was a strange crying sound. Plus knowing there were many spiders around, he couldn''t even cry freely. "We''re all going to die. Eaten by spiders. Hueng." If he were alone, he probably couldn''t even cry like this. Phili cried because there was at least one person to listen. "It''s okay." "How is this okay, hueng." The spiders paid no attention to whether Phili cried or not. Happy to have caught prey for their queen, they just walked rhythmically while shaking the cocoons. Amain''s voice reached Phili''s ears as he cried. "It''ll really be okay." Amain was also trapped in the cocoon next to him. But strangely, his voice was calm. He really seemed to think it would be okay. How could he be so calm? Had he gone crazy from fear? "Master wille save us." "Professor Obern...?" "Uh... um, well yeah." Professor Obern. He didn''t seem as horrible as when first meeting him. But in this situation, could he defeat all those spiders ande save them? Whether he had such ability, or would even do so, was uncertain. He could call for help, but their lives were hanging by a thread right now. "We''re going to die having our fluids sucked out. That''s how spiders eat other insects." He''d read that in a book. Tears welled up once again. That''s when it happened. How long had it been since their kidnapping? The spiders set the cocoons on the ground. "Kikik, kikikik." And dozens of spiders made strange sounds all at once. Like they were calling someone. Soon came the sound of the spiders that had brought them here rushing away. Far from being relieved, it was ominous. "No no no..." Phili started a prayer medley. From the Holy Light Church to the Goddess of the Hearth, to all the gods he knew. He even prayed to Obern, showing just how extreme his fear was. However, no god answered him. Through the translucent spider web cocoon, he could see a shadow falling in front. Thud. Something approached right in front of his nose. Something long. Probably a spider''s leg. If that was just one leg, it must be an enormous spider without doubt. His teeth chattered. He couldn''t even dare scream. Even at the moment that spider''s leg was about to pierce the cocoon. Rip. "Kyaaah!" No, he ended up screaming after all. Because it suddenly became bright before his eyes. He hadn''t instantly moved to heaven. What he thought was a spider''s leg was actually a not-sorge snake. A white snake with a slightly foolish face. Ah, that crystal snake decoration from Obern''s staff. No, was it actually not a decoration? Was it Obern''s familiar? Even in that brief moment,plex thoughts shed by. The snake suddenly patted Phili''s shoulder with its tail. Explore new worlds at empire ''Was that... encouragement?'' Maybe so. And soon Phili discovered how the snake had gotten him out. A dagger appeared in mid-air and cut through the neighboring cocoon without hesitation. Amain popped out from inside. "Huk!" Amain wore a dazed expression. Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. "Master!" Then he went and hugged the snake tightly. Even so, clinging to a snake while calling it Master. Though he didn''t show it, Amain must have been very scared too. "Phili, it''s okay now! Master is here!" "Th-that''s just a snake! Come to your senses!" Phili was scared that Amain had gone mad. Now that they were free, shouldn''t they quickly run away? "The spiders, the spiders are still..." But many spiders still remained around. Spiders clung to the walls all around. And pitch darkness lurked deeper inside. Phili looked into the darkness and screamed. "Ah, aaah!" That wasn''t darkness. It was a house-sized ck spider crouching there. Something like ss beads glinted in the darkness. One, two... three... eight. Eight eyes. The giant spider. App, approaching. It came closer, spreading legs like logs. Death approaches with nowhere to escape. But, the snake stepped forward in front of Amain and Phili. A small snake that barely reached Phili''s knee, let aloneparing to the spider. As if trying to block the spider. "Master will take care of it!" "I saide to your senses!" Amain seemedpletely crazy. He raised his fist toward the snake and shouted. "Master, use Gigantification!" For a moment, it seemed like Amain had awakenedmand magic. Because the snake immediately grew huge. That small snake became calf-sized, thenrger than a person. Finally, it grew asrge as that house-sized spider. Then it opened its mouth wide and. Ping-! Shot a beam that burst the spider''s eyes. "Kweeeek!" The spider let out a thunderous scream. And the snake too. "Saaaah!" With an equally fierce roar. Itunched upward with a boom. Bang! That leap was, truly, unbelievably fast for its size. Crunch! It seemed to bite through the spider as it passed, leaving a clean wound that gaped in the dim light. The creature''s movements didn''t even falter as the force tore through its form. A hole was punched through what had looked like the spider''s solid body, revealing the strange truth - its flesh held no substance, as if it were made of shadows given temporary weight. The void where matter should have been gaped like an usation against reality itself, edges perfectly circr and impossibly smooth. The spider''s fluids and innards poured out of that hole. Phili''s jaw dropped. == What''s this. No big deal at all. ¡¸Killed Ruin Sand Queen Babun lv78.¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Well then, shall we check if there''s an inner core? The remaining small fry cane if they dare. Ah... they''re running away. Oh well. Chapter 258 Nine Bows (1) A giant crystal snake. The intuitive terror of monsters lies in their size. Though a snake with powerful venom would be lethal regardless of size. Nevertheless, a big snake is scarier than a small one. Probably because of imagination. A big snake seems like it could swallow you whole if it wanted to. That''s why Prince Phili was afraid even though the snake was eliminating the spiders. "Uwaah! Master!" Amain''s behavior of raising his fist and jumping around was iprehensible. Moreover, the snake didn''t seem satisfied even after killing the spider. It raised the longsword (though it had no hands, the sword moved as if alive) and. Started shing the spider wildly. There seemed to be some pattern to the butchering. First, it cut off all the unnecessary legs. It started by cleanly removing the surprisingly small headpared to that huge body. Like cutting a coconut from a palm tree, it cleaved the head in half. Inside was nothing special except whitish brain matter. "Shriririt." As if unsatisfied, it stirred the contents. The spider''s innards and fluids poured out. "Urgh." Phili unconsciously gagged. Neither the snake nor Amain seemed to particrly care. It seemed Phili was the only one here with normal sensibilities. "Saaah!" And finally the snake let out something like a cry of joy. What the snake retrieved from the spider''s belly was something like a fist-sized orb. Had the spider been keeping it inside its body? Ah... it might be an inner core. And finally the snake reduced its size again. From beingrge enough to swallow Phili whole, it now shrank to the size of a child''s forearm. That dramatic size change somehow felt calming. "Phew." Plus the snake seemed in an extremely good mood. It came swaying rhythmically without any music, making one want to add background music. ''Probably... Professor Obern''s familiar. Or maybe a snake-shaped golem... or something.'' Probably not a golem. Especially with such lifelike movements. It might be a summon, but this was definitely that snake that had been attached to the staff. Could it be like a gargoyle that''s usually just a statue butes alive to repel intruders? Whatever the case, better try to appease this dangerous snake. Thinking this, Phili carefully took out some jerky from his pocket. "Here, here." And tossed the jerky in front of the snake. "Don''te too close, tss tss tss, th-that''s right, good." Snakes don''t normally eat things like jerky. To feed them, you need to give them at least a stunned mouse they can swallow whole. Actually, Phili had raised a snake in the pce during his childhood. It was a beautiful emerald python he named Silvanus, after the Roman god of forests. He kept it in a spacious terrarium in his private chambers, carefully maintaining the perfect temperature and humidity. Though some hated it calling it a bad taste, Phili had sincerely cared for and raised that snake. The pce staff would often find him reading books beside the terrarium, talking softly to Silvanus as if sharing secrets. He learned everything about python care, from proper feeding schedules to shedding cycles, and insisted on handling all the main care duties himself despite having servants who could have done it. The snake seemed to recognize him, growing calmer whenever Phili was near, though several courtiers would hurriedly exit the room whenever they spotted the reptilian resident. Unlike their appearance, and depending on the species. Some snakes are docile creatures. If treated with goodwill, they won''t harm you. "Though ugly, looking closely you''re kind of cute. Tss tss tss, don''te, stop there." But apparently not this snake. Suddenly it sprang up with a bang! And headbutted Phili in the sr plexus. "Ow! That hurts!" "Saaah!" It seemed to shout ''Impudent fool!'' The snake red at the copsed Phili before climbing onto Amain''s arm. "''Impudent fool,'' he says." "Wh-what?" "That''s what Master is saying." Was Amain making fun of him? But then, paper and pen appeared floating from somewhere. ¡¸I said exactly that.¡¹ ''O-Obern?'' ¡¸Not Obern, call me Lord Ouroboros.¡¹ Phili''s eyes trembled in confusion. Only after hearing the exnation did he understand that the snake was a separate entity from Obern. He also learned that this snake was Amain''s ''Master.'' "Master is a very ancient being, worthy of the title Sage." Though he didn''t look it, Phili thought. But Amain''s attitude was extremely serious. "Y-yes... Lord Ouroboros." The snake nodded repeatedly. How did Amain end up bing the snake''s disciple? ¡¸It was truly a mythical urrence.¡¹ When asked about it, the snake dismissed it with that expression. Well, amoner boy learning magic from a snake. Even to Prince Phili, it sounded like a fairy tale about ''The Great Mage''s Childhood.'' "Then Professor Obern..." Experience new stories on empire ¡¸Obern is, well... something like mypanion.¡¹ "Companion..." Well, someone like him could possibly bepanions with such an amazing being. Though even with intelligence, beingpanions with a monster... he''s certainly not an ordinary human. ¡¸Prince Phili.¡¹ "Ah, yes!" ¡¸I''ll give you a chance too. A chance to be my disciple.¡¹ "Ah..." Phili was bewildered. Be the snake''s disciple? When he nced at Amain, he was smiling brightly. Is this okay? As Phili hesitated. "What are you doing Phili, Master''s waiting." Amain spoke as if asking why he wasn''t saying thank you already. "Th-thank you?" ¡¸Perform the Nine Bows ceremony properly.¡¹ What''s that now? Amain whispered. It means to bow nine times, he said. While it wasn''t anything impossible... The flow of events felt extraordinary. Phili nodded as if swept along. Proper thoughts only came around the seventh bow. ''Is this really okay?'' Somehow he felt this would be a huge problem if Mother or Father found out. ¡¸With this you have be my disciple and Amain''s junior brother. You must get along without fighting. And keep the fact that you received my teachings absolutely secret from others.¡¹ Thankfully it''s to be kept secret. And then a horrific event urred. ¡¸Tomemorate epting a new disciple, I''ll give you both a gift.¡¹ The inner core extracted from the spider. The snake divided that inner core into three parts. ¡¸I''ve confirmed there''s no poison, so enjoy.¡¹ Phili unconsciously epted the piece of inner core the snake offered. Still warm. The heat hadn''t cooled yet. ¡¸Eat it.¡¹ Ah, shouldn''t have agreed to be a disciple. Phili swallowed hard while breaking into a cold sweat. == Professor Obern''s staff. The snake attached to that staff. When he pointed the staff at the spittle-spraying Professor Daemon. The crystal snake decoration came alive and beat up Professor Daemon. Chapter 259 Nine Bows (2) Though uncertain how it was possible, the snake literally ''beat'' him. Not only that. It even strangled his neck until Professor Daemon disgracefully passed out. Unable to chant, he couldn''t escape using magic either. The process ended more quickly than expected. "Return." When Professor Obern said that, the snake climbed back onto the staff and hardened. Only then did the watching students realize what had happened. Professor Obern had subdued Professor Daemon using a single familiar. It was incredible. Without even properly using magic, he subdued another professor with just a snake of uncertain nature, whether real creature or magical animal. "All of you. Take the injured and get out of the dungeon immediately." Obernmanded in an icy voice cold enough to drip icicles. "Go out and call for help." "Wh-what about you, Professor?" Among those rushing to escape, someone who could still think of others asked. "I will remain here to hold back the spiders and save the students." All alone? How? Everyone wondered, but Obern roared. "You''re in the way, get out now!" Well, students trying to help here would only be a hindrance. They all backed away at once. The traps on the way back were already disabled or ovee so that wasn''t a concern. And after all the students evacuated. Obern, left alone, extended his staff again. The snake dropped down and. "P-p-please... help." When he asked with a trembling voice, the snake nodded. The snake entered the dungeon without hesitation. To save the children. Obern remained to wait for the snake. That''s how events unfolded. Left alone, Obern bit his lips in anxiety. His heart trembled enough to draw blood. Heavens, a prince was taken by spiders. Moreover, Daemon''s words weren''t wrong. It was certainly true that he had insisted on entering. Obern''s family was insignificant, and the Court Count who could be considered his backing would never protect him if things got bigger. "Please please, God of Light, Goddess of the Hearth, Lord Snake..." All he could do was kneel and pray desperately for the snake''s safe return. And then he heard footsteps. The heavens were so heartless. Not from the front, but from behind. "His Highness was kidnapped!" "Spiders, why are spidersing from an instance dungeon!" He could feel professors hurriedly approaching. Obern quickly stood up from his kneeling position. Even while cornered. Obern was certainly a great actor recognized by the snake. "Professor Obern, what on earth happened!" When the arriving professors approached shouting thunderously. "Shh." Obern stopped them and put a finger to his lips. Meaning shut up and stay still, and even the professors stopped abruptly, pushed back by his force. A moment of silence followed and. Finally those who couldn''t hold back opened their mouths to ask about the situation. "Professor, we need to know the situation to..." "Shh!" "Now really." "Shut up!" The professor who was sworn at opened his eyes wide. But Obern''s expression was so serious. They had no choice but to shut up and wait quietly. Professor Obern just stood still holding out his staff. An unbearable silence continued. Actually, the one truly panicking was none other than Obern. He remained still, feeling like he would die, but not showing it. ''Oh gods, no, oh Lord Snake!'' Fortunately the snake returned! The snake was tactlessly surprised by the professors'' appearance but. Thankfully noticing Obern''s desperate gaze, it quietly climbed onto the staff. It immediately hardened, looking exactly like a staff decoration. And as if by magic, the prince and Amain appeared too. "Your Highness!" "Are you alright!" The prince and Amain were fine except for spider webs on their bodies. Find adventures at empire The professors practically wrapped the prince in bandages. And a few surviving spiders were lurking deeper inside. Obern, about to turn back with them, stopped abruptly. And ncing at his staff. "Everyone step back, I will incinerate the spiders." Incinerate. And Obern raised his staff. Muttering a very small incantation iprehensible even to the professors. "...Primatio Ignite." Purple mes arose. Whoosh- It was truly a fire that could burn even the air. Hellfire. Gehenna. Those mes bored into the cave and burned the spiders. Hot winds swept through. The professors realized that what the young professor had unleashed was hell magic. It was the moment Obern''s reputation rose once again. == Dean Bnyar. Visiting the pce, he received rather unpleasant news. It was news that could crack even his usually ever-smiling expression. ''Monsters appeared in the instance dungeon. And the Third Prince was kidnapped by those spiders.'' Thankfully, they were safely rescued. The conclusion being ''Professor Obernmanded a familiar to rescue the prince and used hell magic to incinerate the spiders.'' A smile instantly returned to the Dean''s face. "Hahah!" Not only that, he burst into loudughter. "So he was at that level... Impressive." Commanding a familiar powerful enough to defeat monsters and rescue a prince. And being able to use hell magic. Dean Bnyar, being close to the pinnacle of magic, immediately understood. Just how remarkable that level was. However, despite already having his attention, he had hidden abilities. "Hoho, how many amazing things he has hidden inside. Like an onion, this man." "Yes..." The professor who had rushed to report the situationughed awkwardly. "Well, if there are no problems, I''ll be going now. Please handle the aftermath." "Yes sir." Dean Bnyar turned around showing a liquor bottle. This is the pce. Bnyar, the king''s drinking buddy, hade to see the king with a bottle of gnomish whiskey. Though still daylight, drinking isn''t something that must be done at night. Walking unsteadily, Bnyar stood beforerge ornate doors. The familiar-faced guard saw Bnyar and turned to shout loudly. "Your Majesty, Count Bnyar is here!" "Let him in!" Already drunk perhaps, intoxication could be heard in his voice. The doors opened and. Bnyar entered shouting loudly. "Your Majesty, your friend has arrived!" "Ooh! Bnyar!" The pot-bellied, red-faced king weed him. Bnyar''s brightly smiling expression cracked for a moment. "Hohoho, it''s been a while, Dean." "...Ah, Court Count." An unwee guest. The Court Count had arrived first. Chapter 260 My People (1) The king is a middle-aged man with a protruding belly. The Court Count is a skinny old man. "Uhahahahaha." "Uhohohohoh." Thoughpletely different in appearance, the two figures seemed tomunicate well. Even without a banquet, just with some simple snacks and wine they could be this happy. But as far as Dean Bnyar knew, the king wasn''t such an amusing person. There was no reason for a king to cultivate conversational skills in the first ce. Nevertheless, this warm atmosphere was solely due to the Court Count. That snake-like man. Bnyar disliked that serpentine Court Count. But the Court Count wasn''t the only one harboring a snake inside. "Oh my, how long has it been, Court Count! I was just thinking I should pay you a visit." "Just exchanging letters with the Dean is already something to boast about for an ignorant person like me. Did you receive the gift I sentst time?" The golden cab - he was asking if that bribe was well received. To openly discuss favors in front of the king. Experience new tales on empire "Ah, that. It was such a splendid item. It was too nice for me to use, so I just put it on disy at the school." "Hohoho, that makes me even happier." Bnyar deflected it excellently. It was simr to the principles of Taiji that those Eastern sages supposedly practiced. "What''s that, what are you two talking about?" Only the king rolled his eyes between them. The Dean quickly changed the subject. "Your Majesty, look at this." "Ooh!" "Fifty-year-old single malt. It was difficult to obtain." "Ah, what a shame." Unusually, the king who loved alcohol merely smacked his lips at the whiskey. "Today the Court Count brought an exceptional wine..." "Hohoho, I prepared a Garney from the Santal region of the Empire." Therge magnum wine bottle the Court Count was holding. It was wine from a prestigious domain that even Empire nobles coveted. Certainly more precious than the gnomish whiskey Bnyar brought. But Bnyarughed as he sat down beside the king. "We can finish the wine and have another drink after, can''t we?" "Th-that''s true. Uhahaha." Bnyar continued the conversation with smooth wit. A round of drinks was passed. Even the king who could hold his liquor seemed tipsy as his face grew redder. Bnyar, being a gnome who was naturally good at drinking, remained fine but. The elderly human Court Count seemed suspiciously sober. Bnyar clicked his tongue. He had many things he wanted to sound out from the king today. Especially about the princes. But with the Court Count here, it was awkward to ask. ...He decided not to be tactful. "Your Majesty, why did you suddenly enroll Prince Phili?" "Huh?" While asking, he nced at the Court Count. It was probably the Court Count who encouraged this. But that old fox showed no reaction and just kept smiling. "Ah, that? That kid needs to get his act together soon. Can''t have him just lounging around the pce all day." A lie. The rtionship between king and prince is clearly different from that of normal father and son. All princes potentially carry the possibility of bing future kings. Unless foolish, a king must thin out children who could be king in advance. Session rights must either be firmly established, or maintain bnce through thorough political calctions. The current King Benjamin is no fool. He chose thetter. He''s maintaining his royal authority by having the First and Second Princes as candidates checking each other. But now he suddenly enrolled the Third Prince in Emerald School directly. The First Prince graduated from Emerald School, and the Second Prince is currently attending. If it was to create tension in the rxed royal atmosphere, the thrown stone was toorge. The Third Prince''s backing is no less than the First and Second Princes. "There are too many people who won''t like this." "That''s such a mood killer. Do I have to watch out for not just the Empire but this country''s nobles too?" The king grumbled. "The Empire''s sending another envoy soon. Just thinking about having to smile in front of them makes my face cramp up already." "Hahaha..." Oh dear, this might get a bit irritating. The Dean spoke more directly. "Then, should I ''diligently'' teach His Highness the Third Prince too? I''m someone who only knows how to teach and research." ''Diligently.'' It was a question asking if the Third Prince should be considered a candidate for royal session. The king didn''t answer immediately. As he was about to wait patiently for the answer, that detestable Court Count interrupted again. "Why does the Dean need to worry about individual students? You''re so busy with public and private matters." "We can''t treat His Highness the Prince like just any student." "With the spirit of Emerald School and all, hohoho." To mention school spirit in front of the Dean. The Court Count added meaningful words. "And it seems a good professor is already attached to the Third Prince." "A good professor?" The king showed interest. "Obern Grimoire, a prodigy renowned for his genius even in the Empire." "You''re saying we had such a talent!" "The Dean recognized his abilities and hired him as professor right away. He''s an acquaintance of mine, and I hear he''s serving as the prince''s dedicated professor." "That''s good, very good hohoho." The Court Count openly mentioned Professor Obern. Was he trying to unt his influence? An ordinary person would have thought so. But in that moment, the shrewd gnome found a hair-thin crack in the Court Count. ''Ah, perhaps.'' The Obern that the Dean knew was by no means a pushover. That much was certain just from the fact that he still hadn''t grasped all of him. If he hadn''t heard about what just happened at the school, the Dean might have also considered Obern just the Court Count''s pawn but... ''Obern Grimoire can''t be seen as just the Court Count''s hunting dog.'' He''s definitely not just a chess piece to use and discard. If he was, the Court Count wouldn''t have brought up Obern in front of the king like this. Because that''s the kind of person the Court Count is. But now the Dean had caught onto that. Chapter 261 My People (2) Bnyar grinned. "Yes, that''s why I personally assigned Professor Obern to His Highness. He recently reported ''directly'' to me, and the more I learn about him, the more remarkable he is. I hear even Prince Phili has opened his heartpletely to Professor Obern... I was thinking of treating that friend Obern - ah... pardon me, the professor to a nice drink." "Seems you get along quite well." "Indeed. Isn''t he also someone walking the path of magic with me? There''s something that connects fellow mages..." And when Bnyar nced at the Court Count. ''Hoho, as expected.'' For the first time, the Court Count showed agitation. His eyebrows trembled ever so slightly as if ufortable. Thus, an invisible battle was taking ce at the king''s drinking party. == ¡¸To Dad. Dad, it''s Nemi. It''s already been almost two months since the semester started. In my letter two weeks ago there was an amazing event that was really exciting... I saw your article well. "Shock! Spider Ate His Highness the Second Prince?!" was the title. I heard many people criticized you for clickbait. But I always support you, Dad. Those critics are all people who''ve never bought a magazine with their own money. They wouldn''t even look at magazines at the newsstand without titles like that. These past few weeks have been passing peacefully without incident. As a student, I''m living fulfillingly. I got my first B+ on Professor Obern''s assignment. Don''t think "What''s there to brag about with just a B+?" That professor is famous for harsh grading. The assignment was really difficult, and only Amain Riddle and I got B+. Amain is that friend I mentioned before. The son of the Riddle Trading Company''s head. But what''s special is that Amain seems far more extraordinary than his merchant father. He''s a magic genius recognized by Professor Obern. Might he be Magic Tower Master someday? I seriously think so. While I''m doing well as a student, I''m not doing well as an aspiring journalist. Both the prince and other students are so quiet. There hasn''t been anything interesting at all. But after this week, a huge big event is waiting! Emerald School Grand Festival! It''s supposedly going to be even bigger since it''s the 80th anniversary. They say His Majesty the King ising to observe, and the Empire''s envoy might attend too. Since several of the Eight Heroes will visit, you could call it an all-star event, right? Personally, I hope the Burnt Lilyes too. It''s been long since she''s secluded herself in the pce. I''m looking forward to the psychological warfare between the Second and Third Princes. And who will be the winner of this Grand Festival. Naturally many people predict His Highness the Second Prince, but I wonder... Am I the only one who has a feeling a first-year might win the Grand Festival this time? Then you''ll be able to write a good article too, Dad. ... With love and respect. From Nemi Raiters.¡¹ == ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little Prince Serpent lv5] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That''s me. You''re not the only prince, I''m a prince too! Professor Obern''s research room. Despite being a new professor, he was assigned quite a spacious research room. Thanks to that, there was plenty of space even with Amain, Rania, and Prince Phili inside. And before me, three people were in horse-riding stance. The horse-riding stance is roughly abination of ''forward at attention'' and ''invisible chair.'' Why were they doing this? Rania was passing on her physical training method to her friends. "Not doing it properly?" Obern said coldly. Actually, before these kids came, I had Obern do physical training too. Despite having been panting and sweating just earlier, he''s ying instructor looking quite fresh. "Physical strength is the foundation of everything. Even for practicing magic, physical training is fundamental." To speak so shamelessly. Well done Obern. While Rania''s face was perfectly normal, Amain and Phili were different. They looked like they were melting like candle wax. Not only does everyone have different physical strength, they also have different endurance. Phili''s endurance hit bottom first. "Argh, I can''t do more! Just kill me instead!" He copses t on the ground. Obern looked at me. Right, now it''s my turn. "Saaaah!" (Then I''ll kill you.) I roared fiercely. "Eek!" The copsed Phili reflexively got up. Good, excellent. There''s a learning effect. Readtest chapters on empire "Sasak!" Meaning do the horse stance again. After exhausting physical strengthpletely, it''s good to train mana next. This isn''t just me teaching arbitrarily. It''s the mana training method learned from Pelerian. Apparently it bes easier to enter true meditation only after exhausting physical strength to the limit. Phili groaned as he took the horse stance again. I climbed onto Phili''s shoulders. Though terrified at first, he seemed used to it now and showed little reaction. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv2.¡¹ The Crown of Connection leveled up too. And recently, my rtionship with Phili changed. Perhaps because we formally became master and disciple after the Nine Bows ceremony. ¡¸Target ''Prince Phili lv20''s rtionship is ''Disciple''.¡¹ ¡¸Crown of Connection lv2''s effect is strengthened.¡¹ The Crown of Connection acknowledged that rtionship too. ¡¸Sharing skill ''Magic Detection lv3'' for one day.¡¹ There was a separate reason for sharing Magic Detection. Magic Detection, which I thought was an ordinary skill, is actually a skill not just anyone can have. Originally, it''s possessed by monsters or races born with magic affinity. Human magic detection is apparently a type of magic. It''s different from my skill that uses the five senses to detect magic. When I lend it to the kids, interesting effects ur. ''Can you feel the magic you possess?'' ''Yes, I can feel it...'' They can vividly sense the magic contained in their bodies. It bes a good study method for magic training and handling mana in general. I taught them the sense of handling mana step by step. That''s when it happened. Knock knock. Someone knocked. But the knocking style was rough and uninhibited. "It''s me, the Court Count." And that unexpected person. Of course without waiting for an answer from inside, he flung the door open! "Coming in." Fortunately, I immediately bounced up and quickly climbed onto Obern''s hand. That rude human! "Your guest... oh." He looked back and forth between Obern and the prince in horse stance. And as if not believing his eyes, he rubbed them and. "Ho, hohoho!" He beamed at Obern. What''s with him. Chapter 262 Special Lecture by Guest Instructors (1) The Court Count raised a snake in his belly. That was how people evaluated him. Even among the servants. Actually, it was an extremely unsightly and ugly story, but when the Court Count heard this evaluation, they say he justughed heartily. Instead, his retainer got angry and acted up. Saying they should severely punish the servant who dared wag their tongue so loosely. But the Court Countughed and said. ''Since ancient times, snakes have been called wise animals. If I''m raising several such snakes in my belly, doesn''t that just mean my wisdom is that much greater?'' The retainer had no choice but to release the servant. But no one ever saw that servant again. Even that anecdote shows Court Count Jimier Berollinger''s nature. Jimier remembered. The appearance of Third Prince Phili. After an unspeakably terrible incident that left the royal pce in whispers, the once bright Third Prince became twisted. The transformation wasn''t sudden - it crept in like shadows lengthening at dusk, gradually darkening his once-warm amber eyes until they held only a cold, calcting gleam. Where he had once walked with an easy grace through the pce gardens, he now stalked the corridors like a predator, his footsteps eerily silent on the marble floors. He seemed to have had some cute aspects when young - servants who had been at the pce longest would sometimes reminisce, when they thought no one was listening, about how he used to chase butterflies in the royal gardens and leave bits of his desserts for the pce cats. They remembered a small boy with unruly dark hair who would hide behind pirs during formal ceremonies, trying to make his older brothersugh with silly faces. Those memories only made his current state more tragic, like looking at a withered flower and trying to imagine its former bloom. Perhaps because his personality and mind became twisted. After that, even his appearance became gloomy and didn''t please the Court Count. Like princes tend to be, he only knew his own worth and treated others poorly, dismissing servants with casual disdain and viewingmoners as little more than scenery in his gilded world. Whether due to good education or the stern guidance of their royal tutors, Prince Leon and the First Prince restrained such behavior once they matured, learning to temper their pride with wisdom and treat even the lowest-ranking staff with basic dignity. But the neglected Third Prince continued causing trouble, unable to fix his habits even into his teens. Though he seemed to know to fear this Court Count, trembling like a mouse before a snake when stared at intently. "Kuk." Remembering that made himugh involuntarily. However, even the Court Count couldn''t control the Third Prince. Phili wouldn''t listen to anyone except his father and mother. That defiance strangely contained firm will, as if there was some categorical imperative in his mind saying ''must not listen to others.'' So when entrusting the Third Prince to Obern Grimoire. He didn''t have high expectations. Since the Third Prince was weak to intimidating people, he thought he might behave somewhat better before Obern. Recently, when the Dean kept praising Obern Grimoire at the drinking party with the king, he came to check. He wanted to confirm whether he was truly worthy of such high evaluation from none other than the Dean. He came to check, and to make him realize his position through threats or persuasion. But who knew he''d see the prince doing horse stance here. "How did you do it?" "Do what?" Such cheek. The Court Count pointed to the prince with his eyes. Obern answered casually. "Having him do physical training. Since he''s quite weak physically." "Haha, hahaha!" The Court Count became genuinely pleased. "You''re someone who could make an elephant do a handstand. I apologize for underestimating you." "..." "Can we talk just between us for a moment?" "Very well." And Obern gestured to the prince and students. "Step outside." "Yes." The trio including the prince politely bowed and left. The Court Count''s mouth opened like a wooden basin at their courteous behavior. "Please sit." "Yes, originally I..." The Court Count said while plopping onto the sofa. "I came to present a bill." "A bill?" "Yes, weren''t the favors and sponsorship I bestowed upon you no small amount?" Favors and sponsorship mean the same thing, he thought as he stroked his beard. "When one receives something, they must naturally pay the price. I gave you much. In other words, that''s no different from saying I bought you." His attitude was somewhat different from how he''d treated Obern until now. But for those sponsored by Jimier Berollinger, such a moment of being used alwayses. "However." Jimier took out a nk check from his pocket. "It seems I miscalcted. I calcted your price wrong, you were worth more than I thought." He picked up the pen from in front of the sofa and held it out along with the nk check. "I want to buy you, write an appropriate price." "..." Obern''s expression was calm. But his hand moved like lightning to grab the pen. Just as Jimier smiled weingly. Obern''s pen-holding hand trembled. Though invisible to the Court Count''s view, a crystal snake was tightly wrapped around Obern''s forearm. After a moment of silence, Obern naturally put the pen back in the pen holder. "You cannot buy me with money." "...But it seemed I almost had you just now." "That''s impossible." The Court Count tilted his head. "Well, yes, there are plenty of things in this world that can''t be bought with checks." And he tore the nk check into several pieces and scattered them. Obern nkly watched the paper pieces flutter down. == ''Get a hold of yourself!'' I shouted mentally with force. ''Obern you bastard! I said get a hold of yourself!'' Connected through the Crown of Connection, I could tell. That Obern''s soul was currently half run away. ''I see stars twinkling...'' ''Those aren''t stars, they''re check pieces.'' ''Uhuhuhu.'' At this rate, even if Obern is a great actor, tears might start flowing. Chapter 263 Special Lecture by Guest Instructors (2) ''I''ll help you earn money.'' ''...What money does a snake have?'' ''After staying at hotels with my money, how dare you. Trust me because it''s true.'' I promised Obern. ''I promise you this. I''ll help you earn big money.'' ''Really?'' ''Yes, so quickly manage your expression and listen to what that old man has to say.'' Fortunately, Obern quickly pulled himself together. "I''m grateful for the Court Count''s favor. If you have something you want from me, I''ll help as is proper for one who received help." "Those who speak of friendship to me never had good endings. Hoho." The Court Count seemed quite taken with Obern. "It''s nothing much. You know the Srian is being held at this Grand Festival?" "Of course." The Grand Festival refers to Emerald School''s festival period. And Srian can be called apetition open to participation regardless of year. The academies of this world are actually institutions that train both schrship and martial prowess. Srian was a big event to select especially outstanding talents among students. "Make the Third Prince win thatpetition." "..." My and Obern''s impressions aligned for once. ''Is that possible?'' ''Is that possible, has this old man gone senile?'' Obern was the harsher one. "You''re thinking it''s impossible, right?" We were startled for a moment. "It''s not impossible. This Srian''s finals will be conducted in teams of three." It was inside information even Obern hadn''t heard yet. Not sure how the Court Count, an outsider, knew but. "And the first preliminary event will be ''treasure hunting.''" "Ah." "Good to remember. They''ll hide several gold coins in the forest and only pass those who find them." Remembered it. How does he know such information? "Make the prince ce at least third." "We''ll make him win." I had Obern dere that. "Hahaha! Your confidence is impressive." "However, there are things needed for that." "What things?" A merchant snake must be bold when the timees. Moreover, there was a golden goblin, no, a sponsor right in front of us. "Spirit medicines, elixirs, and various small artifacts." The prince surprisingly has abundant magic power from eating precious things since childhood. Rania too has eaten many good things since entering House Martein. But our Amain, and Obern, are quite malnourished. Though not gorging on magic stones like me, they need something simr. I ordered various materials that could increase magic power, and useful artifacts. Of course, I didn''t order these on my own, but got help from Pelerian. "Order it like that." ''Is it okay to order so much?'' Obern worried. Did I order something amazing? The Court Count''s reaction to my demands... "You... refused a nk check but do this?" He made a dumbfounded expression, then eventually smiled. "Right, saying your price is high. Fine, I''ll prepare them." Just how much did I demand? "But! I should take something too in case of failure." The Court Count seemed to want to avoid losses too. "If you don''t win, I''ll take your life." "..." Oh! Not a bad deal. Quick, nod Obern. I could feel Obern''s pulse pounding. But he was someone who knew how important ''presence'' was. "Of course." His tone showed not a hint of wavering. The Court Count smiled once more as if pleased. After he left. Obern copsed onto the sofa with trembling legs. "I''m dead." "Saak!" Don''t worry, just make him win! == I discussed the Grand Festival and Srian with the kids. All three naturally said they would participate. However, Phili was flustered when told to get first ce. "First ce might be..." "Prince, do you worry about defeat before even starting? Once you''ve decided to participate, aim for first ce. All three of you." "Do you think I can get first ce?" Phili''s attitude had be much more docile these past few months. Obern answered without any hesitation. "You must. I will make it so." "Ah..." Obern showed passionate fervor for the first time. Not sure what thoughts it inspired, but Phili looked moved. "So Amain, Rania." "Yes!" "While doing your best, you must help Phili win. If needed, even if you have to grab and pull downpetitors. Even if you fall, you must do this." Rania went "Eek" in surprise. But Amain nodded without any hesitation. "Understood." Rania had no choice but to nod along too. "And this is absolutely confidential, but the first test event is treasure hunting. The test task will be collecting gold coins hidden throughout the Tepery Forest." "...Is it okay to tell us that?" "Didn''t I say it''s absolutely confidential? Of course it''s secret." Obern exposed the test question to the three with a straight face. Though it was grounds for having his professor qualifications revoked. "His Highness the Second Prince probably already knows too." It''s right to assume they would have heard this level of information in advance too. Second Prince, we must beat that side. "Don''t worry too much." But I wasn''t worried. First, Rania''s physical abilities are amazing enough to rank among the academy students. Whether it''s the House Martein''s secret training method being incredible, or that tiny child having tremendous potential, I''m not sure. And Amain is surprisingly experienced. I''m not worried at all since he''s skilled at traversing forests and using magic. The problem was Phili, but I decided to help. "Lord Snake will apany and help you." Since Obern is supposed to be my partner, he called me Lord Snake. I rather liked it. I came down from the staff and approached Phili, then wrapped tightly around his wrist. If he lowered his sleeve like this, it wouldn''t show at all. ''Don''t worry! I''ll help you.'' ''Ah, yes...'' That Phili kid used honorifics properly with me. Like this, 80% of preparationsplete. "Also, various skills are needed for exploring forests. I''ve invited a daily instructor to teach that." Rania''s expression became strange. This wasn''t Emerald School. Taking advantage of the weekend, we came to a forest near the school with the three. And she had called ''someone'' here. "Knight Sir Zain and Hunter Oliver." The two waiting inside appeared. "Mydy, I came at your call." "This is the professor, hueeerk!" And they seemed to recognize me immediately as I jumped down. Their mouths gaped wide open as if so pleased. "Saak!" Zain, Oliver! Long time no see! Chapter 264 Dont Underestimate Snakes (1) One day, in another world where I fell and became a snake. Mother Medusa was killed, her head cut off by a knight, and my siblings died burning while fighting each other against humans. Born white alone, I drifted into the forest and lived there. Getting bitten by insects and eating insects in return, meeting the centipede couple, almost dying from a cockatrice bite. That''s how I survived, evolving little by little. How many friends could someone like me have had? My acquaintances were at best. The goblin tribe, Nanaluk, Mother Centipede, Mrs. Gori, the Shadow Forest monsters, Father, Pelerian, the dwarves and Roil... No,e to think of it, there are quite a lot. To think I''d have so many acquaintances. My snake rtionships now seem broader and deeper than my human rtionships in my previous life. Anyway, Zain and Oliver are also among the humans I know. Actually, the number of ''humans'' I know is rather small. They say even brushing sleeves is a connection by fate. Even meeting once is a significant connection, but to meet again in this distantnd. Zain and Oliver must surely be connected by the threads of fate too. "Saaah!" So I greeted them that way but. "Huerk!" "..." Zain, supposedly a knight, screamed and Oliver froze stiff. They''re this happy to see me, right? "W-w-why are you here?" At least the calm Oliver asked that. Was he so curious he had to add ''why'' three times? Seeing this, it seems Rania hadn''t told them about my existence. ''I''m teaching children here with Obern.'' Explore new worlds at empire "I see..." ''Rania is my excellent student.'' Oliver squeezed his eyes shut. "Th-th-that''s a very good thing." Looking at Zain, he was whispering in conversation with Rania. His expressions were varied. Looking at them together, these two men seemed to really care for Rania. I should greet Zain too. When I approached him, Zain jumped up. He jumped up because he was so happy to see me. I jumped up too in response. "L-long time no see." ''Yes, good to see you Zain. But why do they keep calling you Jarein?'' "Ah, that''s because at the Iron Lion Knights..." As Zain was answering as if entranced, suddenly Oliver ran over like lightning and hit Zain''s side. "Oof!" "Hahaha, Jarein, what nonsense are you talking about." Ah, so that''s it. I''m not so dense as to not notice. Zain, who was from the Iron Lion Knights, is hiding his identity. Since Knight Zain died there swept away by monsters, the one here is just a wandering knight feeling called Jarein. ''So that''s the concept.'' "Ah... yes." But to even throw punches. As far as I know, knights were essentially nobles, and hunters were wildfolk even if skilled. They must have be friends. I understand well since my middle school friends used to hit me like that too. They seemed a bit excited but fortunately calmed down soon. This wasn''t just a social call after all. Oliver cleared his throat and spoke. "You said you wanted to learn how to explore forests?" They finally noticed they hadn''t shown proper respect to the prince. "I greet Your Highness. I am Hunter Oliver." "Knight Jarein." The old Phili might have thrown a fit about them not immediately showing respect. "Ah, yes, pleased to meet you." But whether the golden child training method worked. Or whether he was intimidated by their dramatic reactions, Phili quietly epted their greetings. "Ahem, yes, and let me add one thing." Oliver spoke definitively as if trying to regain his charisma. "You have found the most qualified instructors." That confidence drew an "ooh" sound. "Though I''m not part of ck Den, I pride myself that my abilities as a hunter don''t fall behind ck Den''s hunters." ck Den refers to none other than Heilit Langrey''s hunters'' guild. Oliver was saying he was better than those top hunters. "Tepery Forest isn''t particrly rough or dangerous. However, being an old forest, there are more than enough ces to hide a few gold coins. While there are monsters too, it''s nothingpared to the magic realm. Everyone, feeling more confident?" Oliver grinned. The trio smiled along seeing his expression. Then suddenly Oliver shouted. "One, two, three!" Oliver''s smiling expression twisted sharply. "Just now, all three of you died." "Wh-what..." "Your Highness died from dozens of stings from bees living in rotting trees, Lady Rania starved to death after getting lost in the forest, and Amain there died from a wild boar goring his stomach!" The trio wore dumbfounded expressions. But Oliver''s presence was so intimidating, they froze unable to make any retort. Only after the atmosphere had sufficiently chilled did Oliver smile. "Don''t take the forest lightly. What I just said are things that can easily happen. Individualbat ability doesn''t necessarily corrte with surviving in forests. Without training, even knights who use aura often die in forests. Isn''t that right, Sir Jarein?" "Oliver speaks true." "Right? Since we don''t have much time, I''ll teach only the most important things in crash course." Wow. I couldn''t help but admire. As I felt when learning the Ferang School Dagger Technique before, this hunter Oliver''s teaching ability isn''t bad at all. Honestly, it seems better than Obern''s. Obern, you should learn from Oliver too. "There are three important things. First is not getting lost, second is finding paths, third is making paths." Oh, he speaks usibly. "If you get lost in the forest, you die. Especially in the magic realm, if you can''t find shelter to spend the night, your chances of dying increase by half. This is because when you can''t preserve your stamina, even your senses be dull. As long as you listen to my lecture, you won''t get lost. I promise." It''s the kind of confidence like saying you can get a perfect score on college entrance exams if you listen to his focused lectures. There was a reason for that confidence. He took out multiply folded paper from his backpack. "This is a map of Tepery Forest. Memorize it until you can draw the forest map without looking at it by test day." What was unfolded was none other than a map of the test location. When the revealed secret turned out more mundane than expected, the students made disappointed sounds. Especially Phili snorted. "You acted so high and mighty just over a map?" This kid still hasn''t fixed his bad habits. Just as I was about to smack his bottom, Oliver spoke seriously. "Whee- thud!" "Wh-what?" "Do you know what sound that is?" Oliver spoke without even smiling. "That''s the sound of Your Highness failing inst ce. Since you didn''t memorize the map and looking at you, you seem slow physically, you''ll fail from the first round." "Kuk." "For reference, His Highness the Second Prince will likely pass. There''s no way they wouldn''t have looked at the map too." "Are you d-done talking!" Iughed. And smacked Phili''s bottom so he couldn''t act up anymore. ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv3.¡¹ Whack! Phili fell forward with a scream. "Why, why only hit me?" "Saah!" Because the other kids are already studying the map diligently. Chapter 265 Dont Underestimate Snakes (2) Phili looked at the map while clutching his bottom. Oliver''s eyes held gratitude looking at me. Come on, this much is nothing. "To properly read a map, you need to learn map reading skills. But well, no need for that now, just memorize the whole map. Until you can draw it." There''s something noteworthy here. That is, the three''s heads worked better than expected. It''s actually quite difficult to perfectly memorize a map. However, they became able to roughly draw the map in less than an hour. Rania was worst, and Amain was best. Surprisingly, Phili was in the middle. Even that showed quite good memory. Until now, it seemed meaningless whether a hunter taught or a vige farmer taught. From here, Oliver''s true value showed. "Good work. From now on, I''ll teach you hunter''s techniques." First, how not to get lost. "If you know the terrain features in your head, and can know your position and direction, you won''t get lost." What Oliver showed was truly fascinating. "Look at this tree and rock. Can you tell north, south, east and west from these?" "How would you know that." When grumbling Phili gets shown a slight tail raise, he shuts up. "Just looking at this tells you half. See how there are notably more branches on one side up there? That''s from receiving sunlight well. That side is likely south." "..." "Looking at the rock, there''s moss growing on one side. Moss grows well in damp and dark ces. This side is likely north." "...Oh." "Jarein." When called, Jarein drew his sword as if he''d been waiting. And as aura gathered on that sword. sh! He cut down a not-too-thick tree in one strike. "The tree stump has annual rings." Everyone gathered like middle schoolers at scienceb. "This dense part is north, the sparse part is south." There were many ways to tell direction. "However, these aren''t exact. It''s good to verify using multiple methods together." His exnation had no gaps. "Using about 10 minutes of time lets you know more urately. See this shadow?" He marks the end of the cut tree trunk''s shadow. After waiting 10 minutes, the shadow moved. He draws a line connecting where the moved shadow''s end was first marked. "The start point is west, and the end point is east." Confucius said. If three people are walking on a road, one of them must be capable of being a teacher. Even as a monster born and raised in forests, there were things to learn from Oliver. Listening diligently to ss with the children. ¡¸Acquired Pathfinding lv1.¡¹ I even acquired such a skill. If I''d had this skill earlier, it would have been really reassuring in the great forest. Thank you, Teacher Oliver! For several days after that. Oliver diligently passed on his knowledge. == ''Phew, what a relief.'' About a week after being called by Rania to teach the children including the prince. That was the thought of Oliver, the battle-hardened hunter who inherited the dagger technique of the ''Great Thief Ferang.'' Who could have known he''d meet ''that snake'' here. It was surely divine fortune that they survived that terrible monster wave and saved Rania. But there was still something he couldn''t be certain of. Whether to be grateful to the snake that didn''t kill them. Or whether that snake, who seemed to lead the monster wave, was the root cause of everything. That''s why he froze stiff like a mouse when facing the snake. Though it was a bit confusing since it had be smaller than then, it was definitely that snake. Zain and Oliver entered House Martein with Rania. Just as Rania diligently trained in Martein-stylebat techniques, they too honed themselves. Zain could emit muchrger aura. Oliver too became strong enough to not lose against such a Zain. But this snake seemed far more terrifying than back then. Just look at how it handles that intimidating Emerald School professor like a servant... ''It seems not to have noticed.'' Moreover, actually, Oliver had something to hide from the snake. Fortunately, the snake seemed not to have noticed. Because during the week given to teach the children, it never brought up that story once. "Up to here, I''ve passed on everything I can pass on. The Grand Festival starts the day after tomorrow, so I hope you rest well until then." The three''s bodies were covered in dirt. The snake too was the same. Whatever kind of creature it was, the snake overflowed with will to learn. The snake too memorized the map perfectly. "Thank you for your hard work!" "Sasasak!" They finished greetings together. Enjoy more content from empire Finally I can leave now. As Oliver thought this feeling relieved. Suddenly, the snake climbed onto Rania''s shoulder familiarly. As if trying to secure itself, it lightly wrapped its tail around Rania''s neck. While Rania was indifferent, Oliver''s heart sank knowing the snake''s danger. Suddenly, the snake produced a dagger. "Oliver. I have something to ask." It was Rania who spoke. "Ah, I''m rying Snake Teacher''s words." "What? Uh, yes." The snake could now transmit its voice to those it touched. "Everyone else step back, I have something to talk about with Oliver." The snake said this through Rania''s mouth. Surprisingly, even the professor and prince withdrew without a word. It meant the snake''s authority was high here. "What is it you want to..." "I recently met someone, you see." While listening tensely to the snake''s words. "Pandan, you know him?" Ah. Oliver couldn''t hide his shocked expression. Why would that namee from the snake? "He was a fellow student, meaning... someone who learned the Ferang Dagger Technique together." Rania seemed unaware how dangerous the current situation was. Warning bells rang in Oliver''s head. "I heard the Ferang School Dagger Technique I learned was iplete? I said that couldn''t be true but." That''s right. Before, when the snake requested transmission of the dagger technique, Oliver only passed on the first half, excluding the final three forms. It was because he didn''t want to give secret dagger techniques to an unknown monster. Who knew that monster would notice. The dagger slowly rotated in mid-air. The snake grips Rania''s neck. Now, the snake was making threats. Questioning the crime of deceiving and insulting it. Shirilit, its tongue flicks out. "Well? Isn''t that an absurd story...?" Oliver squeezed his eyes shut. How foolish he was to think this was a rtively harmless monster. Rania is now precious to Oliver too. He had only one option left. == "I havemitted a mortal sin!" Suddenly Oliver fell to his knees before me. Both Rania and I were startled. What''s wrong, Teacher Oliver! "I will pass on all thetter forms of the Ferang Dagger Technique. Not only that, I''ll tell you all the secret techniques I possess! Please, don''t harm the youngdy!" "Saah!" Why would I harm Rania! ''Wait.'' But what did he say? Were there reallytter forms? Well anyway, this is good! Chapter 266 The Return of Snake Zhuge Kongming (1) Oliver suddenly knelt down and apologized. Then he taught me thetter part of the Ferang School Dagger Technique that he hadn''t managed to teach me all day. ¡¸The proficiency of Ferang School Dagger Technique has increased dramatically.¡¹ ¡¸Ferang School Dagger Technique lv7 has be Ferang School Dagger Technique lv8.¡¹ Well, it would have been nice if he had taught this from the beginning. The proficiency of the Ferang School Dagger Technique, which had hardly improved, ''dramatically'' increased. I managed to raise the dagger technique level from 4 to 8 in just two days. After finishing the lecture, Oliver smiled with a dazed expression. I wonder why this gentleman is acting like that at his age. Anyway, time passed, and the Great Unity Festival began. The festival name feels quite familiar. Though thenguage is different. "The 80th Great Unity Festival-" The Gnome Principal''s voice, amplified by sound magic, rang out clearly. "Is now- beginniiiiing!" Even without the magic amplifying his voice, it was excellent vocalization. It was like watching a certain caster''s opening line. As soon as his shout ended, brilliant fireworks exploded. Despite it being bright morning, the magical fireworks vividly decorated the sky. Pop pop bang! It was loud and spectacr. The sound of students'' tuition money going up in mes. The Great Unity Festival is exactly what it sounds like - a festival. However, this world is a world of barbarism. The main majors at the Academy are things like swordsmanship and magic, and no matter how nicely you package it, it''s teaching ways to fight. While the Great Unity Festival has various booths and nned events, there was a separate main event. "Simultaneously, I dere the beginning of the Srian-!" Srian is the name of a ''warrior'' selection tournament. The name ''Solion'' of the Solion Kingdom is an old expression referring to the sun. Srian was the name of the process of selecting ''Warriors of the Sun'' that took ce here in ancient times, even before the kingdom was established. Now it''s used as the name of an event to select ''the most outstanding student at the Academy.'' And the most outstanding student means the strongest student. How that strength is measured would be a matter of method. "The content of the Srian test has changed every year. This time it''s the big 80th anniversary match. We''ve prepared the most special andrgest scale test!" The Principal shouted. "The preliminaries held today, and the finals a weekter. Neither side will be a match you can afford to miss-!" I was with Obern in the professors'' seats. Below, about a hundred students wearing ordered robes stood. They were the students who applied for the Srian. "Out of 132 applicants, only 24 will survive and pass the preliminaries!" Of course, they won''t actually die if they fail the preliminaries. I looked at the students below. Naturally, my disciples were also mixed in among them. Amain waved slightly in this direction. Next to him stood Prince Phili with apletely tense expression, and Rania who didn''t look tense at all. "Then a big send-off for the departing students-!" And cheers erupted. Fireworks exploded once again, and the magic circle drawn below the students and professor seats began to glow blue. While they could have walked to the test site, Emerald School and Principal Bnyar chose a method to show off their power. A medium-range warp magic circle for over 100 people. Though it was costly and risky, the Principal''s grand magic seeded splendidly. Whoosh! It felt like being swept up in a wave of magical power. There was a momentary sensation of "woaaah," then everything brightened. "That Gnome fellow, his way of using magic is quite neat." Pelerian''s review was in. But for me, it was an amazing sensation. After that swooshing feeling passed, we had moved from Emerald School to the middle of a dense forest. ''I want to learn teleport magic too!'' "Don''t be silly, it would take you quite a while to learn. And this is warp magic." If Pelerian, who had praised my magic talent, said that much, it must be a very difficult magic. "Wahaha, surprised aren''t you?" Principal Bnyarughed heartily. "This is Teperi Forest. Your preliminaries will be held right here in this forest!" I looked at the kids. Come on kids, show surprised expressions! Fortunately, the trio demonstrated their maximum acting skills and made surprised faces. Still, unlike Obern, their acting feelscking. "I''ll exin the rules of the preliminaries. The name of the game is - Treasure Hunt!" As the Principal raised his finger, three gold coins floated in the air. And a prepared image spread out. Each gold coin had 1, 2, or 3 written on it. "These gold coins are hidden throughout Teperi Forest. As you can see, the numbers written on the coins are their respective scores." It was treasure hunting, but a somewhat unique version of treasure hunting. After totaling the scores of the found coins, the top 24 would pass. The goal of the game is to collect as many high-scoring coins as possible. Thinking about it carefully, it''s not so simple. First, it''s clear that higher-scoring coins would be in more difficult and dangerous ces. However, there are no other rules besides ''collect the coins.'' In other words, it''s possible to attack other students and steal their coins. ''This could turn into chaos!'' Though they didn''t explicitly say it, quick-witted students would have immediately noticed. Indeed, it''s a world without blood or tears. As students murmured among themselves, Obern casually went near them. And Amain perceptively approached Obern. Here I hop. I moved from Obern''s wrist to Amain''s wrist. And then to Phili''s wrist. For cruel rules, it''s natural to make an even crueler n. That n was for the master to participate directly. This is what you call proxy gaming and direct coaching operation! Of course, the goal was for all three to pass. I had already prepared the most terrifying n in history. However, what''s important is not the first test but the second - the finals. For the preliminaries, they just need to make it into the top 24. For a dramatic victory, it might be better not to stand out in this game. While I was thinking that, it happened. The Principal brought up the topic of the game''s rewards. "When the game ends, the gold coins you possess be yours!" "Woaaaah!" That much was already known information. Except for a few wealthy students who have more money than they know what to do with, gold coins are not a small amount. Those who understood the importance of pocket money cheered for the school''s generous decision. "And there will be a very special prize for first ce in the preliminaries." First ce prize? Haven''t heard about that. "A chance to enter the Mirror Room that exists in the royal pce!" A moment of silence fell. What is it, what''s this Mirror Room! Chapter 267 The Return of Snake Zhuge Kongming (2) Suspicious whispers spread among the students. While no one burst into cheers, the atmosphere suggested everyone knew what it was. ''Phili! What''s the Mirror Room?'' When asked that, Phili answered with a somewhat bitter expression. ''It''s a special space in the royal pce... There''s something called the Mirror of Essence there.'' ''Mirror of Essence?'' ''It''s a very special mirror that''s said to show one''s essence.'' I was surprised. No, even if you guys are simr to ''those magic school trio,'' having a mirror that shows desires could be problematic! If Amain looks in the mirror and sees himself happily smiling with his deceased mother and family, that wouldn''t be good... Fortunately, it seemed that wouldn''t happen. The Mirror of Essence was not some mirror that shows desires hidden in one''s heart. ''It shows the essence of its target.'' ''Have you used it?'' ''No, princes are absolutely forbidden from entering the Mirror Room.'' The meaning of that is. ''They say the Mirror of Essence shows your future self. Though it doesn''t only show the future, when young people look in the mirror, they typically see their grown-up selves.'' ''Then...'' ''In the past, when it wasn''t forbidden for princes to look in the Mirror of Essence, two princes saw it.'' What the princes saw there were visions of themselves wearing crowns. They say that had never happened before. Both princes who saw the mirror firmly believed they were destined to be king, and bloodshed swept through the royal family. ''So what happened?'' ''One prince became king, and the other died.'' ''Then wasn''t the Mirror of Essence wrong?'' ''Well, at the time, out of dozens of princes, only those two saw themselves as king, so who knows.'' They say that in most cases, the future shown in the Mirror of Essencees true. Something swelled up in my heart. It was burning curiosity. ''I want to see it...'' ''You, teacher? The mirror?'' ''Why shouldn''t I be able to see it! We just need to make one of you get first ce and sneak in!'' I''ve always loved personality tests and MBTI tests. Around when I died, MBTI was so popr that small talk would start with MBTI discussion. Of course, I never had small talk since I had no friends. For reference, my MBTI was obviously... "I want to see it..." The one who muttered that then was none other than Rania. It seems she wanted to see the Mirror of Essence too. Come to think of it, Rania, who had lost both her family name and reputation, might be curious about her essence. Hmm... Rania. Unlike Amain and Phili who became my disciples, I tended to be a bit negligent with her. Alright! Pat! I jumped onto Rania''s hand. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv2.¡¹ And I said to Rania. ''Rania!'' ''Ah, yes, yes!'' ''Let''s get first ce.'' Rania looked at me for a moment. Then firmly nodded her head. ''Yes!'' And the Principal shouted. "The time limit is until sunset. Then..." Sparks rose from Bnyar''s raised hand. Whoosh- Bang! "Begin!" Students began running into the forest. Well then, let''s go get the first strike~ == Teperi Forest is moderatelyrge. Howrge is moderatelyrge? About half the size of the great forest Arkam Basin. While crossing the forest takes just half a day, searching the entire forest would take far more than a day. Amain and Phili were walking through that forest. The rule was just to find and collect gold coins. Of course, forming teams was allowed. Extremely speaking, even dozens of people moving together would be fine. Though that would lower efficiency. Following the snake''s strategy, Amain and Phili decided to stay together. The forest was dim. Since monsters lived there too, Phili''s body shrank every time there was movement somewhere. He increasingly clung to Amain walking beside him. "Ah, Amain." "Let''s find the King Tree first." The ''King Tree'' was one of thendmarks marked on the map. They wouldn''t have just scattered gold coins randomly everywhere. Though they hadn''t found any gold coins yet, they decided to first look for the huge tree where coins were likely to be. "North, we need to find north..." "We already confirmed the direction earlier." Unlike the tense Phili, Amain was calm. About 30 minutes must have passed since the game started. Before the expected gold coins, something else appeared. Rustle! This time it was a definite presence. Even the rxed until now Amain stopped abruptly. And slowly raised his hand to prepare casting magic. "Oh, it''s not a monster." Muttering that, two people emerged from the undergrowth. The badges on their vests were blue. Third-year badges. "Your Highness the Prince, pleased to meet you." "Y-You!" Instead of monsters, people jumped out but. Sometimes people could be more dangerous than monsters. "Have you collected many gold coins?" "We haven''t collected any yet. So get lost!" Phili shouted. If they had been first-years at least, the shout invoking princely authority might have worked. "Haha, as participants in the Srian, we can''t just back down." "Your Highness needs to take a rest." The ''pouch'' was distributed for storing gold coins. Without it, collecting many coins would be useless. Phili growled like a cornered cat. "Did brother, did brother order this?" "Huhu." Could the Second Prince''s influence be at work? Phili looked very displeased with this situation. "I warn you onest time. Leave now." "Hand over the pouch. If not, we''ll take it by force." "So, you won''t heed the warning." At that moment, the third-years'' expressions became strange. Phili had smiled. "Don''t tell me you''re counting on that little magician beside you?" "I do trust Amain, but I have something even more reliable." "What do you..." The third-year couldn''t finish speaking. Someone jumped down from a tree somewhere. Moreover, extending their knee to strike one third-year''s temple with the falling momentum. Thwack! The hit third-year fainted without even screaming. "Aagh!" The third-year who wasn''t hit screamed. The girl who showed the clean knee kick. The first-year with the strongest physical abilities, the human weapon among the trio, Rania cleanly roundhouse kicked his jaw. Crack! Itnded perfectly. == ''This is a celebration!'' Rania''s kicks were excellent. So this was the level of House Martein''s martial arts. "Phew." She showed no signs of difficulty. Choosing Rania was indeed the right choice. "Guys! Let''s search them!" At her shout, Amain and Phili rushed over to search the third-years'' pouches. The coins that came out were just four 1-point coins. ''One each for you two, Rania gets two.'' I perfectly distributed the coins. And through Rania, gave instructions. "I''ll hide again, keep pretending to be weak like before!" "I wasn''t really pretending to be weak..." Rania hid her presence again and slipped into the tree shadows. Amain and Phili started walking aimlessly again like weaklings. ''Once the game starts, the third-years will definitely target Phili.'' That much was expected. Then my n was to hide with the strongest Rania and ambush them to steal their coins. This, evil and terrifying n. Yes. Snake Zhuge Kongming has returned to Teperi Forest. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 268 Dark Transformation (1) "Ah, Third Prince Your Highness. What are you doing alone in such a secluded ce?" "You, are you after my gold coins?" "You''re quite perceptive. That''s right." "How many have you collected?" "Is there any need for you to know?" Third-years mocking a prince. Phili finally couldn''t hold back hisughter and said. "Well, I can just check directly." "What? Uurgh!" The third-years fell into a pit. It was a trap that Amain had dug beforehand using earth magic. As they scrambled to climb out of the pit in panic, Amain started pouring earth on top of them. "Ugh, ugh!" Realizing they could drown even outside water, the third-years quickly threw their pouches. Rania caught them with a snap. I let out a cheer. "Ssaaah!" "Aah, s-snake!" The third-years made a fuss after hearing my voice. I quickly shut my mouth and searched through the pouches they threw. For the first time, we found coins marked with 2. As expected, leaving Amain alone seems to make more people underestimate him. Adding up the scores of the coins they had, the total was 7. After giving one coin each to Amain and Phili, Rania took coins worth 5 points. 5 points might sound small, but considering the value of the gold coins, it would be worth about 5 million won (about $3,500 in United States money). In Korean money, that is. The hunting continued. If you use the same strategy repeatedly, prey won''t get caught. We tried several variations. Amain and Phili started fighting wildly in the middle of the forest. "You filthymoner, hand over the coins!" "Tyrannical prince, taste amoner''s fist!" Andmoner punch! Amain hit Phili''s stomach. That must have been stronger than expected. Phili''s face showed betrayal as he coughed out his breath. And sure enough, third-years jumped out. "Attack!" Continue your adventure at empire The ones who appeared this time were a bit smarter. Instead of saying "huhuhu, hand over your coins, Prince," they attacked right away. However, Rania was much faster. She ran like a tiger and kicked the third-year''s back. "Kuugh!" We collect the coins from the third-year who spat out what was in his stomach. ''Next!'' Hide again and move Amain and Phili. We encountered another student again. "Got you!" This time since there was only one opponent, all three just pounced at once. "Ah, I''m not with the Second Prince, I''m a second-year!" "Hand over the coins!" In the cruel world ofpetition, the distinction between predator and prey is meaningless. The second-year we identally encountered had no choice but to surrender their coins. These activities continued from early morning. Before we knew it, the sun had passed its peak and started to descend. It was past noon. Since we were hungry, we caught and roasted wild birds. "Among the birds we caught, there might be professors'' familiars." "Then so be it." The kids chatted casually. asionally, there were birds that seemed to be watching us. Among them, there were probably professors'' familiars with high probability. They must be observing the students through them. For now, we ignored that and ate the roasted birds. Though I did the bird hunting, I learned how to clean and roast them from Oliver. Human cooking methods are indeed excellent. Even though I''m a snake, this properly roasted meat tastes better than swallowing something whole without cleaning the feathers. ''Let''s calcte the coins we''ve collected so far.'' More than half of the given time must have passed. During that time, we''ve collected an enormous amount of coins. But it would be unreasonable to expect the same hourly revenue going forward. First, many of the coins hidden here and there must have been recovered by now. Our reputation must have spread too, as the terrifying first-years who hunt third-years in reverse. We couldn''tpletely eliminate the third-years we hunted so far, so it couldn''t be helped. ''Still, because of that, now we can solidify our ranking.'' We effectively worked as a team of three. Though Rania, who had the highestbat power, contributed the most. First, we gathered all the coins in one ce. We didn''t just hunt, we also found coins hidden in various ces. On top ofrge rocks. At the top of particrly tall trees. Inside knotholes of dead, twisted trees that might have once been home to centipede couples. Coins were typically hidden in such ces. To think they''d use this much just for a festival game. How rich must Emerald School be? Five 2-point coins found in rtively difficult ces. Eight 1-point coins found easily. Total score 18 points That''s about what we found through treasure hunting activities. And through ''human hunting'' we obtained: Thirty-five 1-point coins. Twelve 2-point coins. Total score 59 points. So, total collected coins score 77. Lucky 77 points! We''re rich now! We divided the coins again. Amain and Phili got 15 points each, Rania got 47 points. Rania felt a bit sorry. "Is this really okay...?" "It''s fine. You said you wanted to see the Mirror of Essence, right?" The other two agreed to this distribution. Among the three, only Rania wanted to get first ce to see the mirror. Originally, Phili as a prince couldn''t see the mirror even if he got first ce, and Amain didn''t care much. "But there''s not a single 3-point coin?" "Yeah, just how difficult ces did they hide them in?" Hmm, that''s right. They must be in extremely difficult ces to find, should we explore such ces? Actually, human hunting had been much more efficient than finding 3-point coins so far. This much should secure a ranking position. We might even be able to aim for first ce. "Ah, ah, test, test." Just then, the Principal''s voice rang out from the sky. It sounds booming like he''s using amplification magic, but. Even so,ing from the sky? Phili pointed his finger up at the sky. "It''s a hot air balloon!" Something that looks like a bright red balloon floating in the sky. It was definitely a hot air balloon. To think they''d even use something like that. Like speaking through a megaphone, the voice boomed. "We''ve been watching your splendid activities. Some students have been using quite ingenious strategies." As expected, they were watching. Good thing I didn''te out to the front. From now on, we should watch the wild birds carefully. "We''re being praised, right?" "Seems like it." The kids giggled and chattered. "With less than half the time remaining, I''ll broadcast the interim results." Oh, to think they''d show such kindness. We waited for the Principal''s words with beating hearts. "There have been 31 withdrawals. My my, how unfortunate." Fewer than I expected. Those who hadn''t lost their pouches must have tried hard again. "And currently, 24th ce''s coin score is." This is the most important point. Since the preliminaries aren''t basically a rankingpetition but just need to be in the top 24. We canpare the level of others. "It''s 8, oh my, everyone needs to work harder. Looks like the higher ranks took all the lower ranks'' coins. Hahaha!" Exmations burst out. If 24th ce has secured only 8 points worth of coins, then Amain and Phili have secured almost twice that. Passing is almost certain. "We must be first ce too!" "Shh! Don''t you know thew of jinxing?" "What''s thew of jinxing...?" "Premature celebration leads to failure. I learned it from Zarein." Zarein taught Rania something good. "And the honorable first ce... Wow! Amazing, there''s a big gap with second ce!" ''Huhu, feels good.'' I made a mistake. I ended up jinxing it without realizing. I thought we were obviously first ce but. "Second Prince is in first ce with 55 points. No, 60, oh, 68, 72, an overwhelming first ce!" What is this, what just happened? 55 to 72. The score rose instantly. "Leadership is indeed an important value. Having many loyal subordinates leads to this. Amazing. Second ce has 47 points, but this gap will be difficult to close." I, no, Rania is in second ce. It''s obvious what happened here. And it seems they track coin scores through the pouches, not through the birds. Even without the Principal''s hint, the situation is clear. "Well then, work hard during the remaining time!" That Second Prince must have dominated almost all the third-years and some of the second-years. And received voluntary tributes of coins from thoseckeys. Chapter 269 Dark Transformation (2) It made sense why 24th ce only had 8 coins. "But even if a prince gets first ce, they can''t enter the Mirror Room, so why go this far?" Rania was bewildered. But Phili just gritted his teeth. "Brother has always been someone who wants first ce." "...How about we give all our coins to Rania? We can get moreter, I think." Amain suggested that but I stopped him. ''Don''t do that.'' Passing the preliminaries is more important than the Mirror Room. We don''t know how many more coins we can collect now, that would be disadvantageous. Rather, another method... what method should we use? That''s when. "Ah right." The Principal''s voice rang out once again. "Everyone, you must have been curious about not seeing the 3-point coins. The 3-point coins that have been hidden until now will reveal themselves." This Principal knows what he''s doing. In group games, it''s most fun to only give 10-point problems and then give a 100-point problem at the end. "The sweetest rewards are in the most dangerous ces." After saying that, the voice cut off. But the Principal had more showmanship than I expected. Wheee- Bang! A familiar sound was heard. The sound of fireworks. ''Rania!'' Rania was quick on the uptake. As soon as I called her, she started climbing up the tree nimbly like a squirrel. "Ah!" Fireworks exploded in the sky at one corner of the forest. "That must be where the 3-point coins are." Even Pelerian, who had said he wasn''t interested in these childish games, spoke up. ''That way, where the dead tree and flower garden are.'' "I think you''re right." Since I had memorized the map thoroughly, I knew what was over there. Ranianded on the ground with a thud. Talking about the fireworks, Amain and Phili seemed excited too. "Let''s run there right now, it''s not that far!" Rania nodded and just as everyone was about to run. "Shhhk!" I stopped them. No, we can''t do that. "Master...?" Putting all your eggs in one basket is something only those with three or four eggs do. We have a lot of coins. Rather, we need to think in reverse. ''Rania, give all your coins to them.'' "What?" ''That''s right.'' Though Rania was surprised, she did as told. Amain, as expected of the eldest, seemed to understand my n right away, while Phili had a dumbfounded expression. After confirming there were no wild birds around, I wrote to exin. ''Only Rania goes that way. You guys guard this side. Someone needs to protect the coins.'' "Then... rather, I should stay alone and one person should help Rania..." ''Phili and Amain stay together. That''s the right bnce.'' To be honest, Phili isn''t much help. But if we take Amain, Phili alone might lose the coins. Realizing this, he nodded. ''Rania, let''s go!'' We can''t waste time. The fireworks exploded not too far away. This was our chance. Rania started running swiftly. ''At maximum speed!'' The wind whistled past, and tree leaves hit Rania''s face. Despite getting scratches on her skin, Rania didn''t stop. They say she once lived as the reckless girl of House Greyrim. I don''t know how she became this fast and strong. She seems to move better than most knights I''ve seen. And finally, we reached where the fireworks had exploded. It was a flower garden. Maybe because the flowers absorbed all the nutrients from the soil, but all the dead trees among them were dried up and dead. And in the middle, thergest dead tree. A bright red pouch was hanging from its branches. "That''s it!" The one who shouted that wasn''t Rania. Another student jumped out from the opposite side. Wearing a second-year badge. Rania and the second-year''s eyes met. Without anyone signaling, they started running simultaneously. They must be an aspiring knight too. Their speed was fast. I noticed the danger. ''Rania, above!'' Fortunately, Rania saw ''it'' too. She quickly stopped and bounced back. Whizz-! But that attacker was persistent. Rania kicked away the thing that flew swiftly. Crack! A horrible noise rang out. "Eek!" Rania let out a strange scream. What burst and died at her toe tip was a ho as big as two fingers. "Kuaaaaaah!" The scream came from the student running from the opposite side. Looking at them, they seemed to have been stung by the ho. They were running away with a severely swollen face. ''B-bees!'' It was obvious without saying. Moreover, looking around, there wasn''t just one or two nests. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Red Bottom Ho lv14] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Dozens of hos are hovering in front of their nests, buzzing. They''re definitely guarding against approach. Well, I thought it was too conspicuous a ce for 3-point coins. The poison seems quite potent. One sting might be okay, but several could be dangerous. No matter how quick Rania''s movements are, it would be difficult to pass through the ho swarm without getting stung. ''Rania, can''t you use protective ki?'' ''W-what''s that?'' ''Never mind, forget it.'' She doesn''t seem to be at that level yet. As Rania was trying to retreat stealthily, students had gathered before we knew it. ''The Second Prince is over there!'' The Second Prince had brought nearly tenckeys. And he seems to have noticed the ho colony instantly. He immediately analyzed the situation and gave orders. "Advance quickly in deep formation. Those who can use magic, use fire magic from the sides as you go! Don''t get stung!" Then they started forming ranks efficiently. Not bad. ''W-what should we do?'' Rania and I were caught in a dilemma. We can''t retreat, but we can''t advance either. ''Kuk...'' Actually, I could step up. Those bees probably couldn''t pierce my hard crystal scales. I could just go get it. ''There are too many eyes.'' There are too many watching eyes for me to step up. I can''t just wipe them all out here either. ...No, should I do that? While I was pondering for a moment. Something shed in my mind. ''Rania, how well do you handle gross things?'' ''I don''t want to get stung!'' This is disappointing. Surely she didn''t think I would ask for such a thing. After hearing the exnation, Rania nodded as if she had no choice. ''T-then I''ll trust you and run!'' ''Yes!'' Rania started running. The hos in front all rushed at her. The Second Prince''s group watched with bewildered expressions. "Martein, what foolish thing..." "It''s practically suicide." Discover hidden content at empire They sneered while advancing slowly, and. Rania swatted away hos as she ran, but eventually several hos clung to her body. "Ah, it''s gross!" Though she screamed like that. She didn''t fall. Her face didn''t swell up either. That''s because I had found it. A way to ignore the hos through Rania without having to step up myself. ¡¸Sharing ck Scales lv3 through Crown of Connection lv2.¡¹ Rania didn''t have scales. Instead, her skin turned pitch ck. Though it consumed tremendous magical power. Well, that much distance is nothing. The ho stings couldn''t pierce Rania''s skin. But having hos clinging to her face was horrifying. "Uhuung!" Rania ran while crying. And seeing this, the third-years shouted in surprise. "W-what is this!" "M-Martein has gone dark!" Go forth, ck Lightning Rania. Chapter 270 Mirror of Essence (1) ck Scales. Dark scales. It''s a skill that originally only monsters with scales or lizardmen could use. Naturally, it should be impossible for humans to use. However, this snake has continental-level potential as a snake master, so there''s no skill it cannot use. It can even use flight skills, though it can''t control the direction. Perhaps my traits had an influence. Skills shared through the Crown of Connection could be applied even to skills that humans shouldn''t be able to use. In other words, Rania, who had no scales, could now use the ck Scales skill. Though it seemed to consume twice as much mana, Rania had abundant mana, probably from consuming many elixirs. I was curious about how ck Scales would manifest, and it turned out her skin turned ck. It wasn''t like her race had changed. Her skin became glossy as if she''d been dipped in tar and pulled out. In other words, she looked quite ridiculous. "What is this!" Rania seemed quite embarrassed. ''Don''t be shy, you look great.'' ''Not at all!'' ''Hehe, no, you look great.'' I tried to encourage her seriously, but it seems I haven''t developed acting skills like Obern yet. However, my mockery actually had an effect. ck Scales wasn''t originally a skill that could be activated easily at will. It was a special skill that required ''anger'' to activate. So I was curious if it would activate well, but it seems Rania was angry enough to use ck Scales. I wonder why she got angry. Pabapak! She was very fast. Though not as fast as a ho, she seemed at least as quick as a honeybee. Despite being immune to their stings, the hos stuck to her face and body, tormenting her. When she swung her fist like a whip, the hos would burst and die. The fluid seemed to feel vivid even on her hardened skin. "Stop her, stop Martein!" The one who shouted that was none other than the Second Prince. Compared to Rania who ran freely without minding the hos, their organized breakthrough was much slower. What can you do, what can any of you do? "Bind her feet!" There were those who could use magic. As Rania ran, her feet sank into the ground, and the earth rose up to her shins to grab her feet. "Augh!" Rania pulled her feet out with pure strength alone. But there wasn''t just one magician on their side, and an ice spike rushed toward Rania. These guys should know when to quit. ¡¸Using Beam lv4¡¹ I emitted a beam from close range. From their perspective, it would only look like Rania''s wrist shed. Ting! The ice spike''s trajectory twisted sharply and bounced away. Even so, the physical force must have been quite strong, as it embedded itself into a tree with a thud. Rania red sharply at the magician. "That bastard..." Don''t use such harsh words, Rania. But he really was a bad bastard. If she had been hit without ck Scales, it could have been life-threatening magic. "Keep suppressing her while advancing!" However, the Second Prince paid no mind and instead encouraged hisckeys. Even if Rania''s physical abilities were exceptional, they had numbers and magicians on their side. What could Rania do from a distance? It''s not like she could throw stones like a primate. ''Ah!'' And I felt like Zhuge Liang thinking of fire attacks at Red Cliff. It was like my eyes suddenly opened. ''Rania, I know how to deal with these guys.'' ''What?'' ''That thing, grab that and throw it!'' There''s no way she could understand just from me saying "that thing." Rania nced briefly at her wrist and looked where my head was pointing. Then she smiled brightly. "You''re all dead!" She quickly climbed up a tree (really like a mountain monkey) and grabbed what was there. It was a ho''s nest. She mercilessly demolished the ho''s nest and threw it where the Second Prince was. It was a perfectly appropriate gift for those who hadunched ice spikes. "Aaaaagh!" Chaos broke out as the ho''s nest fell in the middle of their formation and hos swarmed out. The students either tried to avoid the hos or iled their limbs trying to catch them. The formation crumbled. "Stay calm! It''s not that dangerous! Just don''t get stung multiple times! Maintain formation!" Leon shouted quite bravely, but it was useless. Maintaining formation is originally a soldier''s virtue. While thebat power of Emerald School students was naturally superior to regr soldiers, one couldn''t expect them to act like soldiers. Moreover, Rania managed to throw another ho''s nest. That one hit Second Prince Leon square on the head. "Ack!" With the formationpletely broken, they were now no different from a disorganized mob. Rania didn''t miss this opportunity and approached thergest old tree in the center. She climbed the tree like a mountain monkey and... Explore stories on empire Pop. Grabbed the red pouch containing gold coins. The jingling sound reached even me, wrapped around her wrist. Rania ran toward the opposite side where the third-years were. The students gnashed their teeth, but no one dared chase her through the flower garden full of hos. Weughed triumphantly. "Wahahahaha!" "Ssssss~" And soon after, we managed to regroup with Phili and Amain. Finally, we had time to look inside the pouch. "Let''s open it quickly." The pouch was quite heavy. The children opened the pouch with anticipation. A brilliantly shining golden light. The children were speechless. And I had no choice but to curse the Chancellor. ''Should''ve been a training camp instructor rather than a school chancellor.'' Inside the pouch were 100 three-point gold coins. Worth 300 points. == "Now, I will announce the results of the preliminary ''treasure hunt''!" Whates to mind with the name ''treasure hunt'' is a ''pic.'' It''s probably simr in this world too. You can probably tell from remembering the expressions of the tense students when they first heard the preliminary would be a treasure hunt. Really, isn''t that right? If the preliminarypetition theme had been something like ''death match'' or ''hell''s wheel of death,'' the students would probably have turned pale. But now, the state of the students gathered after thepetition was terrible. About 40 had already dropped out midway. One was in aa, though not dead. About 40 injured. Moreover, 20 of those were from ho stings. "24th ce, Bell Apoti, 10 points! 23rd ce is..." The Chancellor personally called out the names of those who passed. From lowest rank to highest. And finally, an important name came up. "4th ce, Leon Ardene Solian. 101 points, wow!" He had 72 points but somehow gathered up to 101 points. He probably ruthlessly extracted coins from hisckeys. Nevertheless, he was 4th ce. Chapter 271 Mirror of Essence (2) Prince Leon''s handsome face turned ashen. "Next are joint 2nd ce, Phili Aden Solian and Amain Riddle with 105 points! You two are good friends, ahahaha!" Amain held out his hand to Phili, and Phili pped hands with him while making a shy expression. A heartwarming sight. And finally... "The honorable 1st ce goes to Rania Martein! An overwhelming victory with 167 points!" My original n was to give Amain and Phili''s points to Rania to make her first ce. However, thanks to the Chancellor putting 300 points in one pouch, there was no need for that. My three disciples proudly received the grand prize, and two excellence awards. Of course, there were no special rewards except for first ce. But isn''t the feeling what''s important? "Everyone worked hard! The 24 who passed should rest well to prepare for the uing mainpetition... And first ce Rania, pleasee this way." Quick and decisive. The opportunity to visit the pce and enter the Room of Mirrors... Was given the very next day. == ''Oh, so this is the pce.'' The first impression of Solion Kingdom''s pce. It was ''white.'' Perhaps the material of the bricks used to build the castle walls was somewhat special. Maybe something like marble. It sparkled in the sunlight. "Miss Rania, is this your first time at the pce?" "Yes, it is." Rania answered the Chancellor''s question properly and dignifiedly. The Chancellor, who was shorter than Rania, looked at her with approval. "You know what? The professors ced bets on who would get first ce." "Is that so?" Was that really the case? "Want to guess who was the most popr pick?" "Um, the Second Prince, perhaps?" "Correct. Then guess who I picked." "Well..." "I chose Prince Phili. Just had a feeling about him." Fool. Rania is first. "But I didn''t expect Obern professor to pick Rania." As expected of Obern. He saw through my decision. "So Rania really won. Did Professor Obern secretly help you? Through magic or other means?" Suddenly hitting with a direct question. "...No." "Haha, don''t be nervous. The Second Prince probably received even more obvious assistance." Is it okay to say such things to students? The Chancellor said he would personally escort Rania and entered the pce interior with her. "Congrattions again. I hope you see something good in the Room of Mirrors. This is as far as I can go. The Lily Pce is restricted." It seems the guidance ended here. He stopped in front of a somewhat isted separate pce. Rania, who was about to bow and leave, suddenly stopped. "...Chancellor, have you ever seen the mirror?" The Chancellorughed. What''s so funny, it''s not funny at all. "No, I have no need to see the mirror." "...?" "Because I know my essence." What a confident gnome. Enjoy new chapters from empire Rania''s curiosity wasn''t fully satisfied. "Does the mirror really show a person''s essence? Some say it''s a mirror that shows the future." "Well. It probably doesn''t show different things to different people for no reason. However, calling it ''a mirror that shows the future'' is the expression of someone whopletely misunderstood its function." "Then what is it?" "Hmm, to exin it in simple terms that Miss Rania would understand..." "..." "You could say it shows highlights of influential world lines." Though I don''t understand what that means, the Chancellor didn''t seem to want to exin further. He waved lightly and quickly disappeared. Rania entered the ce called the Lily Pce. "You must not make loud noises in the Lily Pce. You must not run either." Someone who appeared to be a maid whispered these instructions to Rania. She was exining the precautions to be followed in this pce. "In the corridors, please walk with your head slightly bowed, looking down. If you happen to meet someone wearing white shoes, please don''t raise your head immediately. Even when you do raise your head, please try not to be surprised or show signs of surprise." What, is there some Neapolitan ghost story living in the Lily Pce? It seemed like excessive precautions, but the maid asked so politely and kindly that there was nothing to say about it. Rania nodded and followed those instructions. She walked with her head bowed, but I didn''t need to do the same. I looked around through the gap in her sleeve. Well, it wasn''t particrly special. Just that soft carpets covered the floor and it had an elegant feel to it. The ce the maid guided us to was a room at the end of the corridor. "This is the Room of Mirrors. When the sand in this hourss runs out, I will knock on the door, and then you maye out." "Thank you." "Then, I hope you see something beautiful." Both the pce and the maid. There''s somehow a mysterious atmosphere. Rania hesitated for a moment, then soon opened the door and entered. Creeak. The room was well-organized. Though they say even maids can''t enter here, who cleaned the interior? Inside was quite clean. "Ah." But Rania immediately had her attention captured. It was a massive mirror. As expected of a pce, the ceiling was high. Naturally, the wall area was alsorge. And one mirror filled almost the entire wall on one side. ''Hey, let me see too!'' Rania stood before the mirror as if enchanted. And I could see what Rania was seeing. ''Wow, that''s amazing.'' ''Is that... me?'' If we hadn''t been told it was a mirror, we might not have known. It looks like a moving painting, or even like a TV. The background was in the middle of a battlefield. Armored knightsy fallen here and there. In the distance, soldiers could be seen fighting in tangles. Arrows flew through the gloomy sky, and siege weapons shot burning rocks. You could almost hear the shouts and shing of metal. A female knight stood in the middle of that battlefield. She wore te mail over her entire body except her right arm, which was dyed pitch ck. As if the ck Scales skill was used only on the right arm. "That''s the ultimate form of the Martein Explosive Fighting Style..." Someday Rania would inherit all the martial legacy of the deceased Tiger Marquis. What she held in that right arm was a huge g. It was a battle standard sorge that it would take three or four soldiers together to raise it. The adult Rania was holding a g with torn and burnt marks. It wasn''t the kingdom''s g, nor the empire''s g. It was a g of a style I''d never seen before. "...Looks like I be a hero." Rania was startled by her own words. Yes, that''s right. That was undoubtedly the appearance of a hero. The girl from a frontier territory who once dreamed of bing a hero was truly born with the destiny to be one. Suddenly tears welled up in Rania''s eyes. "Oh, why am I like this." It''s not sad, she said. It''s definitely not sad, but somehow the tearse, Rania said so. "It''s amazing. Really." And Rania admired her appearance. Inwardly, quietly. Though I couldn''t say it, I thought to myself. ''I want to see too...'' My image wasn''t even reflected in the mirror. It seems Rania would need to step aside. "Tell her to move quickly." ''No matter what, to someone who''s moved to tears...'' Fortunately, Rania remembered me. ''Ah, Snake Teacher, you should look too.'' ''Th-thank you.'' However, I made a request to Rania. ''You need to stay over there with your eyes closed. You absolutely must not look.'' ''I understand.'' ''You''ve read many fairy tales, right? In ces like this, curiosity leading to a peek can cause big trouble.'' ''I really promise.'' Rania went to a corner and crouched down covering her eyes. What if my previous life is reflected in the mirror? After confirming Rania was at an angle where she couldn''t see the mirror, I stood before it. Whew, deep breath. My head that was looking at the floor. ''Hup!'' I raised it! ''Aaaah?!'' And I saw somethingpletely unexpected. Chapter 272 The End? (1) "Aaaaah?!" I was startled. And for good reason. The mirror that hadpletely filled the wall was gone, leaving only a white wall behind. Where did the mirror go! As I was panicking, something caught my eye. The white wall wasn''t smooth. There were bumps and ridges everywhere, and something transparent was gleaming. Actually, the mirror hadn''t disappeared - it was still there. It just reflected what looked like a white wall. "Sak!" This is amazing. What could this possibly be? Fortunately, Rania was keeping her promise to crouch with her eyes closed. I moved closer to the mirror to examine it carefully. The white wall surface reflected in the mirror. Its true identity was... ''Scales...?'' They were scales. If my current scales are the size of barley grains, those scales were easily the size of human heads. I hadn''t noticed they were scales at first because of their overwhelming size. A white wall covered in scales. And those scales were moving. The mirror shows the ''essence'' of what it reflects. When I heard that, I initially thought it might show my appearance before reincarnation. A thin young man who looked unconfident and somewhat withdrawn. But Principal Bnyar said something iprehensible about timeline highlights. From what he said, it seemed like it would show my snake form. Honestly, isn''t my new life as a snake closer to being a highlight than my ordinary, boring previous life? The moving wall of scales before me now. That might be my future self. An enormously grown... me. ''Just how big have I grown?'' Even using Gigantification at maximum mana wouldn''t achieve that size. Currently, when I maximize my body size, I can grow as big as father, but then my body bes too heavy to jump. But this was beyond any measurable size. That''s when it happened. When a clue appeared that could help me estimate my future size. I thought a fireball had suddenly appeared from somewhere. Looking closely, it was an eyeball. A gigantic eyeball, flickering orange like mes. Yeah, like that eye of Sau*on thing. It was exactly that kind of eye. This time, the eye almost filled the entire wall. An pupil asrge as the wall of this vast pce. I was moved by its incredible enormity. "Why, what are you looking at!" ''Can''t you see?'' "No, I can''t. Damn it." They say ghosts don''t reflect in mirrors. It seems Pelerian not only doesn''t reflect in the mirror but also can''t see what''s in it. I told Pelerian what I could see. "You''ll be that huge? I find it hard to believe you''ll be as enormous as that Shuemura." What was Shuemura again? I think I saw it in the monster guide before. Anyway, what can I say when that''s what I''m seeing? I looked at the burning eyeball before me. Read new chapters at empire Though it''s just my future self in the mirror, it''s truly terrifying. And then something unexpected happened. ¡¸Your mind wavers under the overwhelming pressure.¡¹ ¡¸Your body freezes as the Evil Eye fixes its gaze upon you.¡¹ ¡¸Tears flow and your whole body trembles.¡¹ What''s this?! Could it be that in the future, I''ll reach a level where I can kill just by looking at someone? It seems I''ll reach an absolute state where I can kill with a thought and destroy with intent. However, I didn''t tremble in fear. ¡¸Immune to mental attacks due to the trait ''Indomitable''.¡¹ I have Mental Power 20, you know. Even if an archdemon whispered curses in my ear, I''d only be a little scared. Still, my future self seems incredible. ¡¸The @&@& Snake watches with its Evil Eye.¡¹ ¡¸Immune to mental attacks due to the trait ''Indomitable''.¡¹ ¡¸The @&@& Snake res like mes.¡¹ ¡¸Immune to mental attacks due to the trait ''Indomitable''.¡¹ ... These messages keep appearing. Well, that''s quite a frightening appearance. With such fierce eyes, it seems like making friends would be difficult. I started to worry a bit about that unsociable appearance. ... ¡¸The @&@& Snake stares down oppressively.¡¹ ¡¸Immune to mental attacks due to the trait ''Indomitable''.¡¹ And then something urred to me. What''s before me is a mirror. But it''s not an ordinary mirror. Since my image beyond the mirror is clearly affecting me somehow. ''Ah...!'' An idea struck like lightning. If that side can affect this side... Couldn''t this side affect that side too? For example, peeking at the status window. And maybe borrowing skills that my future self has... ''Let''s try it!'' I stared intently at my future self. If I lose the staring contest, it''s over. Actually, I didn''t think the other side was really looking at me. It probably just appeared to be looking this way. Thinking that made it easier to engage in the staring contest. Taking a deep breath and focusing. Piercing through with my gaze. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [@&@& Snake lv?????] [Special2$] [Indomitable],[Perseverance]-0*# Throb. The status window that was about to form copses. Kyaak! I writhed in pain from the headache. Separate from the mental attack, there seems to be too much information. Hmph. I thought I heard a scoff. Must be my imagination. That''s when it happened. Crack. "Oh." "Ah!" Along with the sound of cracking, both Pelerian and Rania were startled. I lifted my head to check the mirror and... "Kishaaak!" Shockingly, there was a huge crack in the mirror. The image that had been reflected in the mirror disappeared and lost its luster, turning gray. "What do we do! What do we do!" "Sasasak!" Rania and I screamed simultaneously. And for good reason, as this mirror was an incredibly precious one. I heard it was one of the kingdom''s national treasures. "What did you do?!" ''I didn''t do anything!'' Well, that''s not entirely true - I just red a bit at myself in the mirror. That''s all I did, so why did the mirror break! "Saaaak!" I tried to shout that it wasn''t my fault. "I''m dead!" Rania also clutched her head. She tried to rub the crack with her saliva-moistened finger to somehow fix it, but of course, the crack that had already formed wouldn''t disappear. Chapter 273 The End? (2) Themotion must have been too loud. There was movement outside the door. "Is everything alright?" "Nothing''s wrong!" Rania answered in a scream-like voice. Anyone who heard that would think something happened, Rania. "...Okay, time will be up soon. Just letting you know." "..." After the presence disappeared, Rania whispered to me. "What should we do?" When she asks so seriously, as her teacher, I feel quite sorry but... I don''t know either. Help us, Peleremon! ''Should we do that now?'' "What do you mean?" ''Operation: Pce Takeover!'' Since we''re inside the pce anyway. Read exclusive content at empire We strike first before getting caught as national treasure destroyers! "Hmm, that might work." Plus, even Pelerian thinks it''s not a bad idea. Alright, let''s take over the kingdom... Knock knock knock. "Time''s up. Pleasee out." But time ran out before we could even make a n. "What do we do!" ''For now, let''s hold out!'' Rania blocked and held the door. What an obedient student. But that probably wasn''t the best choice. "You muste out. Oh, oh oh, open the door!" "Just a moment!" "Time is up. Open the door right now!" The maid tried to force the door open. Since we were preventing that, she was clearly looking at us suspiciously. ''Rania, let''s let the maid in and take care of her. We''ll destroy all evidence.'' ''What nonsense are you talking about!'' Such harsh words to your teacher, saying it''s nonsense. But the chance to implement my suggestion never came. Drrrr- Hearing that sound, I looked at the door. There was a small window at the top for looking inside. The maid surveyed the room. And of course, the broken mirror too. "Gasp." Druk, tak. Then with a short cry, she closed the window and left. Rania screamed. "Kyaaaak!" What else would be the reason for the maid''s departure? She''s clearly gone to call the guards. ''Let''s make ourst stand here.'' ''No! Please surrender!'' ''No! You do it!'' Since Rania is a duke''s daughter, she probably won''t be executed. Probably. But even if I hadn''t broken the mirror, I''d be executed right away if caught. I can''t surrender. "I shouldn''t havee, really, I''m ruined, really." ''You''re rapping now?'' I was losing it too. Anyway, I can''t just get caught and die like this. I need to use my wits somehow. "Take hostages. Somehow take hostages." ''Yes!'' And indeed. The sound of someone running could be heard. From what I can hear, hmm... two? Just two? The guards didn''t break down the door with a bang. Knock knock knock. Instead, someone knocked politely and spoke. "Please calm down. I''lle in alone." That voice was clear like a bird''s chirping, or like silver beads rolling on a tray. Plus, it had a tone that seemed both whispering and poetic. "It''s okay. Everything will be fine." "Ah, uhh..." Even Rania, who had unconsciously been using the Martein Fighting Style, lowered her guard. And the one who entered wearing a veil was a young woman. "Grab her!" "Saak!" Just as I was about to jump. Rania firmly grabbed my tail. Ping, I stretched straight in mid-air. The startled girl flinched, and her veil flipped slightly. "Kyaak." "Saak!" What a shock. I was startled too. And for good reason, as the face under the veil was severely distorted, perhaps from burns. She hurriedly fixed her veil. "I''m sorry." "Ah, no, Your Highness." Rania quickly dropped to one knee. Your Highness? So she''s a princess. "Damn it, we should have taken her hostage." Despite Pelerian''s words, I felt a bit sorry for this princess. Maybe I was too startled by her burned face. We''re the ones who should apologize, yet she''s the one saying sorry. I apologized too. "Sasasak..." "A-a snake?" Ah. I greeted too obviously. The princess looked back and forth between me and Rania. "Ah, hahaha. I''m sorry. This is my pet snake..." Was Rania a genius? That''s good quick thinking. I quickly climbed up Rania''s arm. And put on a nk expression like a really stupid pet snake. "It looks quite dazed and cute. Is it making that expression because it''s surprised?" "It always looks like this. Cute, right?" "So cute. What''s its name?" "Name...? Ur... Ur." "Ur, is it." Isn''t it normal for princesses to scream "kyaa" when they see snakes? "How cute. Ur." But she even carefully stroked my head. I tried my best to act like a normal snake. ''Stupid expression, as stupid a face as possible...'' "That''s just your normal face though." Even though she must have seen the broken mirror, the atmosphere wasn''t as bad as expected. "What an angelic child. My name is Lily." "Saak." "Oh my, it seems to understand what I''m saying." Rania quickly exined. "Ur is quite intelligent. Ah, let me introduce myself properly. I am Rania Martein." "I knew that. Though I didn''t expect to meet like this." The princess nced at the mirror. Rania panicked, not knowing what to do. "Um, this..." "Congrattions." "Pardon?" Through the semi-transparent veil, the princess could be seen smiling. "You met eyes with yourself in the mirror, and then it cracked, right?" "Ah..." From behind the princess, I signaled Rania to nod. "Yes, that''s right." "That happens quite often." "Really?" Was that how it was? Then it wasn''t my fault? What a relief. I let out a deep sigh. "Yes, and those people always be great heroes. Oh my, why is the snake suddenly dancing?" That''s right. You mean I''ll be a hero snake. "But then what should we do? The mirror is broken..." "It can be restored. Just need to sprinkle some water." Saying that, Lily took out something like a spray bottle. She brought adder as if familiar with the process and sprayed water. Amazingly, the crack slowly healed with a click. "See? It fixes well, right?" She has the confidence of someone who''s done this before. I became curious. "Has anyone else broken the mirror recently besides me?" When I had Rania ask this. "Ah, thest person to break the mirror was Sir Gunter." I was surprised. "Ssat!" "Oh my!" He did that too? As expected, Gunter... You truly are my rival. Chapter 274 Genius Infiltration (1) Lily Ardene Solian. A princess with a gentle heart who loves flowers. Named after the lily, her nickname had long been ''Lily Princess.'' However, after an unfortunate ident, She also gained the not-so-gentle nickname of ''Burned Lily.'' Those nasty people. After spraying water, the mirror began to restore, but it would take some time to bepletely clean. We, the troublemakers, actually gained special treatment. We got to stay here and chat for a while. I introduced myself as Rania''s pet. Suddenly Rania became the naughty child who brought her pet (a venomous snake) into the Mirror Room, but there was nothing we could do about that unfairness. "So kind. Like an angel." I enjoyed the midday drowsiness on Lily''sp. She gently stroked my body. "Strangely, your scales are like crystal. How pretty." ''Right, my scales are quite impressive.'' "You have a crown too. Are you a prince? Or a princess?" Of course, since I wasn''t using the Crown of Connection, she couldn''t hear my words. She seems quite familiar with snakes. "Sister, aren''t you afraid of snakes?" "There''s nothing to fear. I''ve kept them before." Being peers, had they already gotten close? Lily quickly dropped formal speech. "In the pce?" "Yes, well, not exactly me, but Phili kept one." "Ah, I see. Why didn''t he mention that?" When Rania muttered, Lily''s eyes grew round. Rania noticed that gaze and waved her hands. "Ah, I''m close with His Highness the Prince. Speaking informally is because of Emerald School''s rules... though royalty is an exception, but Prince Phili..." "No no, it''s fine. And I already knew. Phili said he made two friends." "...You seemed surprised." Lily gave a bitter smile. "I was surprised. I didn''t know he''d made real friends. I thought he was lying." "Ah, hahaha!" "Such a heartyugh." Indeed. Rania asked more of what I was curious about. "How did youe to manage the Mirror Room?" From what I heard, none other than Lily herself manages this mysterious national treasure of the pce. It didn''t seem like an easy task, so I wondered why she volunteered for such a troublesome job. "I have no right to session, and I like this mirror." That makes me wonder what she sees reflected in it. "Want to see? Once the crack is fixed." "Yes." The mirror seems close to being fully restored. I moved to Rania''s wrist. And made her ask that question. ''No, that''s...'' ''Why?'' ''It might be too sensitive a question.'' ''?'' Rania hesitated to ry my question. ''It''s not something we can''t ask.'' ''I don''t think we need to ask...'' Then Rania sighed deeply and asked. "By any chance." "Yes?" "I''m not sure if this is rude to ask..." "Oh, this?" Lily smiled as if understanding, and lifted her veil to show the burn scars on her face. "I got hurt when I was young, got scalding water poured on me." "Ah..." I see. That''s what I was curious about. Lily exined without any hesitation. Rania let out an internal sigh. ''That took ten years off my life.'' ''But how did a princess end up getting scalding water poured on her? Can''t they fix it?'' Lily exined without even being asked. "I wanted to fix it too, but they say it''s difficult. Using potions incorrectly at first made it worse. They''d have to reopen all the wounds, and after time passes, even healing magic can''t restore scars." Come to think of it, I''ve seen many people with scars. Even that Golden Leaf Investigator elf who was chasing me had arge scar on his eye. Just in case, I asked Pelerian. ''Is there no way to fix it?'' "Of course there is. In a world where even severed limbs can be reattached." Pelerian said with a snort. But while it''s possible, it must not be easy. Even Lily, a princess of a nation, couldn''t remove her scars. "Want to see how I look in the mirror?" "Ah... yes." She makes such an offer more casually than expected. "I''ve never shown anyone before." Whether that''s true or not, that''s what Lily said. To show us something so precious. We waited nervously for the mirror to be restored. Lily stood at the front. Shepletely removed her veil. Discover stories at empire Tsutsusu... An image began to form in the restored mirror. "Wow..." Rania let out a pure exmation. "It''s beautiful." "Saa..." It was magnificent. Absolutely magnificent. It truly was an angelic appearance. Because behind the grown-up Lily''s back wererge wings. And the scars on her face hadpletely disappeared. "I like seeing this form..." "It''s really amazing." "But humans can''t have wings, so I don''t know what it means." Humans cannot evolve. Therefore, they cannot grow wings. Or could they be artificial wings? Like magic? "I hope that futurees true." "The Mirror of Essence doesn''t show the future though." "But sometimes what you see in the mirror doese true." "That''s true." I had Rania extend her hand. And tapped Lily''s hand. "Oh my, it''s like it''s trying to tell me something." "Ah..." Rania didn''t ry my words. ''Someday, when there''s a way to remove scars, I''ll help you. We owe you for today.'' That''s what I said. "Why didn''t Phili tell us about his angelic sister?" Rania muttered. To that, Lily said. "Angelic? Not at all. Rather the opposite." "You shouldn''t say that..." "And Phili feels guilty towards me." "Guilty?" "Yes, he''s the one who spilled the hot water." The princess gave a bitter smile. == "Huaak!" Phili woke up screaming. Cold sweat was streaming down his whole body. "What, mmm, what''s wrong?" "..." The scream seems to have woken Amain too. Phili spoke with a trembling voice. "N-nothing. Just had a bad dream." "What... mmm." Amain quickly fell back asleep. Phili alsoy back down to try to sleep. But the dream he just had was too disturbing. His body was cold with sweat, and sleep wouldn''te at all. ''That memory...'' An old memory had surfaced. Lily Ardene. His sister from a different mother, whom Phili had greatly looked up to. Phili, who ruined his sister''s face by spilling a boiling teapot. And... ''It''s your fault, you bastard!'' His sister screaming and crying while wearing a veil. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 275 Genius Infiltration (2) Phili knelt and begged, but his sister pped his cheek and pulled his hair. The king coldly red at Phili and the queen cried while cursing him too. It was actually Leon, his older brother, who stopped his sister then. ''I wish you would die. I wish you''d die painfully and horribly burning.'' Phili cried as he heard those words of curse. Remembering that made his heart freeze. These recent happy days rather brought up his guilt. Because Phili carried a sin. A sin that could never be forgiven. He got up from his bed. Whenever he had such nightmares, Phili would lock himself in his room for days.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He nced at Amain. Find adventures at empire He''s sleeping so peacefully. And there''s also Rania and Teacher Snake who visited the Lily Pce yesterday. He can''t just stay locked up here. He carefully opened the window. The cold dawn air rushed in. Dawn was breaking in the eastern sky. Now it truly begins. The Srian. == The week-long Grand Festival. And the Srian finals that take ce during the Grand Festival. The Srian finals are held on thest day of the Grand Festival. It''s not just a festival between academy students. The Srian is a major event attended even by the king and royal family. The entire 3rd District of the capital where Emerald School is located was already in festival mode. Where many people gather, various traveling merchants also gather. Markets lined the main streets, and even in non-market areas, various stalls selling snacks and goods appeared. There were street musicians and performers collecting money in hats and cans. There were also gambling scammers and con artists. And, there were also clowns. A clown with white face paint performed mime acts in front of passing pedestrians. It was the type where they''d do attention-grabbing tricks and then hold out their hat for money, but few people actually gave money when the hat was extended. Nevertheless, the clown repeated such unprofitable acts. This time, they chose a tall man. He hadn''t noticed because of the hat, but up close, he was terrifyingly handsome. Blocking his path, the clown performed a mime as if there was an invisible wall. Passersby giggled as they walked past. After performing such mime acts and extending the hat... Smack! The man grabbed the clown''s hand. And a snake shot out from the man''s wrist and coiled around the clown''s wrist. "Heuk!" "Shut up." A spine-chillingmand. And with his other left hand, the man grabbed the cor of a nearby pedestrian. "W-what...!" "Return it if you don''t want to lose your wrist." "..." "Three, two, one..." "Yes!" The pedestrian took out a wallet and handed it over. The tall man, Obern, put that wallet in his chest. "You two have been stealing from quite a few people. Too greedy." "..." He had been watching from the beginning. How the clown and pedestrian duo were stealing wallets from passersby. "Please spare us, at home I have a sick mother and..." "I have four children. My wife ran away!" They hurriedly begged for forgiveness. But it was useless. "Shut up and listen." If Obern had been watching them from the start, there must be a reason he quietly let them steal the wallet. "Want to live?" "Yes!" "If you do as I say, I won''t report you to the guards." "Anything..." If habitual offenders like them got caught by the guards or peacekeepers, their wrists would be in danger. They were willing to do pretty much anything Obern ordered. "See that person over there?" Obern pointed at someone. An ordinary-looking man was drinking tea in front of a nearby stall. "Yes, we see him..." "Steal his wallet." "What?" The duo was bewildered. What kind of sudden order was this? "What, don''t want to?" "No! We just need to do that?" "That''s right." "We''ll do it!" They hurriedly backed away. Since they did this every day, something like that was easy. And after they left... ''Obern!'' The snake was holding a purse in its mouth. ''I got the pickpocketing skill!'' ''...Congrattions.'' The snake had stolen the clown''s purse in the meantime. For the poor Obern, such side ie was precious. He quickly tucked it away in his chest. Despite his expressionless face, Obern''s heart was pounding. ''Can we really infiltrate?'' Right now, the two were facing a very difficult task. ''We need to find out the Srian''s challenge, but to think it woulde to this...'' What the Court Count ordered Obern was to ''Make Third Prince Phili win the Srian.'' And he told him the content of the preliminaries. But even the Court Count couldn''t find out the content of the finals. ''How important is it to know the test questions in advance!'' The snake emphasized its importance. The Court Count felt the same way. They needed to find out what the finals would be like in advance. In exchange, the Court Count brought one piece of information. Only Principal Bnyar, who sets the tests, and his close associates know the test content. And recently, Principal Bnyar has been in close contact with something called the Fineman Guild. Though unknown why, more than half of the budget allocated for the Grand Festival went to the Fineman Guild. If the Principal hasn''tmitted embezzlement, he must be preparing something to be used in the finals. So the snake and Obern set out to investigate this. Here, they received help from Amain, or more precisely, Amain''s father Roil. Running the Riddle Guild, he informed them that there was a warehouse bought by the Fineman Guild right near the 3rd District. That red brick building ahead is the warehouse. And warriors disguised as ordinary citizens were guarding around it. ''Only three. That''s all I can see.'' The snake somehow had the insight to clearly find the three hidden warriors. And one of them just disappeared somewhere saying they were going to the bathroom. Of the remaining two, one was the person they just ordered the clown to steal from. Actually, trying to pickpocket a skilled warrior was practically suicide. And finally... "You bastard!" "Aaack!" The clown was immediately caught by the wrist and subdued. And the clown''s partner who had approached pretending to be a passerby ran away without looking back. "That bastard, catch that bastard!" "What!" And the one remaining warrior tackled the fleeing partner. ''Now!'' The snake shouted. Obern, who had made his body lightweight, quickly jumped over the wall. ''I think I''m a genius!'' The snake''s proud voice echoed in his head. Chapter 276 Mission Snakeimpossible (1) Obern''s athletic ability. Frustratingly, it''s not bad. While his stamina isn''t great, his long arms and legs move smoothly. He has big hands and a good build. When I once asked him, "Shouldn''t someone who looks like you avoid sports on principle?" he said he never did sports. Must be natural talent. In other words, he''s like an isekai T** C*****. On top of that, when he uses eleration and lightweight spells, he could put decent ninjas to shame. This is why battle mages,bat wizards are scary. A truly skilled mage can move as swiftly and powerfully as most knights. Of course, they still couldn''t beat a truly skilled knight. Even Obern could scale walls to infiltrate buildings. Plus, he had... ''Hey, there are two peopleing behind that wall.'' Me, with my monster-like senses, attached to him. ''I sense magic from that door, suspicious!'' I can detect doors imbued with magic through magic detection. You could call this theunch of Snake-igation, following Pel-igation. ''Get closer to the doorknob.'' Obern reached out his hand, and I, wrapped around his wrist, bit down on the doorknob with a chomp. "Hmm." The magic on the doorknob was quiteplex. But following Pelerian''s instructions on mana maniption... Click! The sound of the lock falling was heard. The sound was quite loud, startling even Obern. "What''s that?" Someone is approaching. Obern, hide! Obern quickly hid in the bushes andy down. Then someone appeared and checked the door. From the outside it looked fine, so nothing seemed amiss. "Must have been my imagination..." The guard muttered the clich¨¦ line. Fortunately, he shook his head and left. I urged Obern to get up as hey in the bushes looking at the sky. ''What are you doing, not getting up? Oh, why are you crying?'' ''No, the sunlight... it''s just bright.'' Obern had tears streaming down his face with leaves stuck to it. Well, lying on Obern''s stomach and looking at the sky was pretty nice. ''Come on, enough lounging around, let''s go!'' ''...Yes.'' There''s no time for crying. Obern opened the door where we had just disabled the magic lock. Creeak- We tried to open it without making noise, but there was a slight sound. Tensely peering inside, dark stairs led underground. Obern slightly covered his nose. ''There''s a foul smell, not a pleasant one.'' It was definitely not a good smell. There''s the smell of beasts and an unknown acrid scent. It''s terrible for me with my sense of smell being much keener than Obern''s. ''Hmm, there seems to be some familiar smell mixed in...'' I couldn''t identify exactly what it was. Obern carefully descended the stairs. Fortunately, there were no signs of people. Enjoy more content from empire And unfortunately, there weren''t any special traps. "What''s unfortunate about that?" ''Well, when someonees prepared for something serious but finds nothing...'' "You''re a snake." Right. Come to think of it, this is just a merchant guild''s secret warehouse, not a dungeon - there''s no reason for traps and mechanisms. Having guards and magic locks is more than enough. ''I never thought I''d be doing something like this...'' Obern muttered internally. What he''s doing now is simr to trying to steal college entrance exam papers for his ssmates. While morally questionable, it''s somewhat understandable from a bro code perspective. There were lights inside. Why would there be lights in what doesn''t seem like a frequently used warehouse? Usually warehouses are dark. Could someone be here? ''These are magic stonemps. They''re expensive and used in ces with high fire risk...'' ''Hmm.'' There was no need to stay mounted on Obern here anymore. I told Obern: ''Obern, wait here and rest a bit.'' "Really?!" ''...'' It hurts a little that he''s so happy about it. I leaped off of Obern. Following the acrid scent, that smell. Then I saw a bunch of cargo stacked in one corner. Boxes piled on wooden pallets. Peeking into those boxes revealed the source of the smell. "It''s gunpowder." ''It''s gunpowder.'' Tightly sealed with yellow paper, it was definitely gunpowder. It had that distinctive smell. And next to it were unmistakably fireworks. ''Are they nning fireworks or something?'' "That would be quite a show with this much gunpowder." There was an excessive amount of gunpowder, enough to make Pelerian sarcastic. "This might not be that gnome''s property." "Right." All I know is that this is the merchant guild''s warehouse. But what are they nning to do with gunpowder? They''re probably not holding a ''Who Can Withstand Fireworks Best''petition. Plus, gunpowder isn''t the only smell here. ''This way.'' There''s the smell of beasts.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The smell of monsters and blood. Could there be dead monster corpses? Some monster corpses do sell for high prices. But this is slightly different. This is the smell of living things. Arge door appeared. It had a lock. Hmm. Well, we already left traces of intrusion when we opened the first lock. In that case, might as well go all in. I took out the longsword Twilight and gripped it with my tail. I can definitely exert more force when swinging with my tail than with Invisible Hand. Then I used magic to open the lock. "Saak!" (Alohomora!) ¡¸Using eleration lv7¡¹ ¡¸Using sh lv5¡¹ The rightbination of skills is no different from magic. ng! With a tremendous noise, the lock broke. I pushed open the heavy door. The foul smell that had been present became even stronger. ''Oh.'' What filled the room were none other than ''iron cages''. And naturally, what was trapped in those cages... "Grrrr..." "Guooo." Were drooling monsters. The merchant guild had captured and imprisoned monsters here. ''Don''t tell me this is...'' Several possibilities immediately came to mind. ''Are they nning a diator match?!'' "It''s a bestiarium." What other reason would the merchant guild have for keeping live monsters? Unless they were nning some huge circus show, this must be the chancellor''s intent to stage fights between monsters and students. ''This is wild.'' I was freshly reminded that this world''s values are different from my previous life. Chapter 277 Mission Snakeimpossible (2) Even if they''re students, making them fight monsters... Though thinking about it, magic schools did typically hold suchpetitions. ''What''s a bestiarium anyway?'' "It refers to matches between monsters and humans. Usually something done in gambling dens or the empire. That gnome is quite bold." The bestiarium Pelerian mentions seems to indeed be a diatorial match. Making them fight monsters when even a prince is involved. I looked around at the monsters imprisoned here. The merchant guild''s animal welfare doesn''t seem very good. Blood and filth were caked onto the iron cages. Well, it would be difficult to clean and maintain while transferring those monsters between cages. But their conditions were terrible. ''They could at least feed them properly.'' Most had hollow bellies. It seemed they weren''t even being fed properly. Are they starving them to increase their aggression? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Galita Ghost Turtle lv23] [Trait] [Long Legs] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Unlike normal turtles I know, there was one with long legs that looked quick... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ck Long Neck Wolf lv30] [Trait] [Long Neck]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ And there was a wolf with a somewhat long neck. Why are there so many long things here? Themon point is they all have status effects like [Filthy] or [Starving]. Tsk tsk tsk. As I was looking around at them, I felt Pelerian''s gaze. He was staring at me with strange eyes without saying anything. ''What?'' When I asked grumpily like that, Pelerian spoke. "How does it feel?" ''Feel?'' "Your impressions. Seeing monsters imprisoned so miserably." ''Ah...'' Impressions? I gave him an honest answer. ''...They probably wouldn''t taste very good, that''s about it.'' "They probably wouldn''t taste good...? Well, it is rare for a monster to feel kinship with other monsters. But you... Hmm." ''If you have something to say, say it clearly.'' "No, never mind." Pelerian kept his mouth shut. What an absurd fairy. While I was confident in my ability to eventually make him talk by pestering him, I let it go. Indeed, as he said, I didn''t feel any particr sympathy for the monsters. I was only concerned about how Amain and the others would deal with these creatures. But as I was moving between the cages, something ridiculous happened. "Woof! Woof woof!" "Grrrr, quack!" These monsters were baring their teeth and barking at me. This is shocking. ''Hey guys, is that right?'' When you''ve lived as a monster for a while, you generally can sense other monsters'' levels. Unless they''re insect-type monsters with tiny brains. These guys are no match for me. They''re clearly monsters that even Rania could handle, but they seemed to view me as prey. Moreover, as I was passing in front of that turtle. "Pwak!" Acting like it thinks it''s a chameleon, it shot out its pink tongue. It''s fierce and fast. But I''ve be a snake that can catch even arrows in my mouth. I can easily deflect a tongue like this with my tail and... Spinning a dagger with a whoosh and stabbing it into the ground with a thud. "Gwaaaark!" That''s how to subdue it. The ghost turtle screamed. But with its tongue tip pinned to the ground, it couldn''t even cry properly. Kids. Calm down. As I released my aura. The noisy monsters all fell silent at once. "Sss." You just got a bit wild because you''re hungry, right? I pulled out the knife. The turtle quickly pulled its tongue back in and hurriedly retreated to a corner of its cage. Your adventure continues at empire The long-necked wolf and the boar-like ones also whimpered and backed away. I had a good idea. Why don''t I tame these guys in advance? I red at the terrified turtle. ¡¸Using Crown of Domination lv1 to dominate ''Galita Ghost Turtle lv23''¡¹ This should... ¡¸Failed¡¹ Huh? Is my domination power too weak? Then maybe taming... ¡¸Using Crown of Domination lv1 to tame ''Galita Ghost Turtle lv23''¡¹ But that didn''t work well either. ¡¸Failed¡¹ ¡¸This monster has an owner. More domination power is needed.¡¹ It has an owner? Did the humans actually tame these monsters? ''No... that doesn''t seem likely.'' That would be extremely... Extremely difficult. Unless the chancellor personally tamed each monster, no way. Then it would make more sense if there was a leader among them. Where is the boss monster? "Saak!" I called out asking who''s the boss here! But no monster stepped forward boldly. Looking around the cages, now none would even make eye contact with me. There couldn''t be a leader among these guys. Oh. Then, I noticed an iron door in the back. Strangely, it had no lock or handle. Just a keyhole in the sturdy iron door. ''Could the leader be inside there?'' It seems quite heavily fortified, but how to open it... While I was contemting how to open it... "Mr. Snake!" Obern called me in a very tense voice. "It''s about time." Ah, right. Our infiltration had proceeded quite methodically. It would be very troublesome if Obern''s intrusion was discovered. We need to leave before the guard shift changes. Though it''s disappointing, we found out what the test content is, so let''s stop here. I slithered out. While doing so, something caught my eye. ''What''s that!'' There was a key hanging on the wall. Could it be the key to that iron door inside? It seems too small for that though. I considered stealing it but had another thought. ''Let''s make a copy.'' ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Earth lv1¡¹ If someone stole the key, changing the lock would be the natural thing to do. I just need to quietly make a copy. I firmly packed earth to make an exact copy of the key. "Mr. Snake!" "Saak!" I quickly climbed onto Obern''s urgent wrist. I could clearly feel his thumping pulse. Such a scaredy-cat. "Just once, I''d like my life to go smoothly..." ''Idiot, don''t say things like that.'' "Huh?" ''When you say things like that, something always goes wrong.'' ''No way...'' Obern muttered but kept his mouth shut. Fortunately, we were able to quietly escape from the merchant guild''s secret warehouse. == "Inspector Jabern, here''s the corpse that came in today." "Ugh." Inspector Jabern of the Capital Security Force frowned. Solion Impel is a big city. Several unidentified corpsese in every day. Unfortunately, because the capital''s security is quite good... such corpses always need to be confirmed by an inspector-level officer. This is unfortunate for Jabern who just had a nice lunch. "Are you kidding? Why are you showing this to me?" "It''s procedure, isn''t it?" The mortician said with a sullen face. While better than a half-rotted dposed corpse, this was still too much. "What am I supposed to do with just bones!" The bodyid on the processing table was actually just a skeleton. One that had been soaked in water so long it was covered in mold. "At least it''s still wearing underwear." "That underwear is important." The corpse only had underwear remaining. Loosely attached to the pelvic bone. What could be important about that? "Seems noble." "What...?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "It''s silk material with initials embroidered." Inspector Jabern''s expression changed. "...Where did you find this?" "In the beggar vige under the bridge connected to the sewers." "Well now." Jabern gave a hollowugh. A noble''s corpse dumped in the river? This was a case worth taking on. Chapter 278 The Small Giants Elixir (1) Finding corpses in the river is amon urrence. Most of the time, the bodies belong to homeless people or sick beggars. So how does the Solion Impel Capital Security Force handle unidentified corpses? They just carelessly stamp the paperwork and cremate them. The body bes ashes, and the ashes return to the river. Corpses retrieved from the river return to the river. Of course, some cases might involve crimes. Like a drunk person falling to their death after a fight on the bridge. Or someone killing their hated upstairs neighbor and throwing them in the river. If the body is found intact, an investigation proceeds. If not, they just process it as an unidentified person and cremate it. Few people could criticize this practice. The Capital Security Force isn''t thatrge, and there are always murderously many cases. Even Inspector Jabern is handling dozens of cases simultaneously. Efficient use of administrative power is an important duty of the security force. "Not bad, we only had minor cases anyway." But there are always exceptions. Cases involving ''nobles'' always rise to top priority. Jabern preferred cases involving nobles over those involving wealthy merchants. Especially when the victim, the murder victim, was a noble. Some might consider this a bad habit, but well. A case where a noble dies is like a high-stakes gambling game. If you fail to solve it properly, you''ll be marked and suffer consequences, but if you solve it perfectly, a smooth career path is guaranteed. "This hasn''t been reported upstairs yet?" "No, since we don''t know who it is." "Lock it up. Let''s first figure out who it is." And in this case, there was no risk of losing, only the possibility of winning. Once you identify the victim and solve the case, you can visit the noble family ying detective. And if it seems unsolvable? Just cremate it and be done with it. Inspector Jabern''s lips twitched upward. But his assistant''s expression wasn''t very bright. "Can we really find anything? Even if it''s just a skeleton with underwear. It might not even be a noble." "From what I''ve seen, only nobles put their names on silk underwear." "And the name on the silk underwear is just initials..." Indeed, that was true. The only clue was the silk underwear, and the initials on it were just ''C.D''. Too few clues. A genius detective from mystery novels might immediately deduce ''Such underwear can only be made in one ce in the capital! It''s Victoria''s See-through''s limited edition men''s underwear!'' from the silk material. Inspector Jabern wasn''t such a genius. But he had the savvy of a veteran. "When you rough up all the beggars under the bridge, something alwayses up. And this noble probably wasn''t wearing just underwear when he died." He gave orders while chewing on his cigarette. "Bring in the crazy beggar who had this skeleton and all the beggars living around there." "Yes... sigh." The assistant sighed rather impudently. But there was a reason for his sigh. The beggars living under the bridge are Solion Impel''s headache. With their terrible hygiene, they always stank of rot. Soon the interrogation room was filled with that rotten smell. They had already thoroughly questioned the deranged old man who kept the skeleton in his tent. Now they started interrogating the middle-aged man who acted as the king of the beggars. He nervously rolled his eyes around. His anxiously sped hands were covered in fingernail dirt. When he met the assistant''s eyes, he gave an awkward "hehe"ugh. Revealing his three remaining yellow front teeth. The assistant frowned at the musty smell. But Jabern, smoking his cigarette, seemed not to notice such smells. He took his time smoking. Just when the waiting became unbearable. He suddenly mmed the desk hard. Bang! "Eek!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Why did you kill them?" He suddenly asked. The beggar king was flustered. "Pardon? Kill who?" "That person. The noble. Do you know who you killed?" "I didn''t kill anyone. What are you suddenly talking about?" The beggar was confused. He had been dragged here without any exnation. And suddenly murder? It''s understandable that he remembered rumors about the security force sometimes making beggars into culprits when they can''t find the real criminals. "The elder came. How angry must he be that his son passed away like that." "The... elder?" "What, want to know? Whose family''s son you killed?" "No, I''m telling you I didn''t kill anyone!" Actually, this kind of threatening approach wasn''t very meaningful. "He was alive when we pulled him out, but he already had a hole in his stomach..." "..." "Rather, he, I mean, that person killed one of our kids. We saved someone from drowning, and then..." Jabern, who had been wearing a scary expression, broke into a broad smile. He was alive at first? This feels like a clue ising. "Tell me everything in detail. From beginning to end. Don''t leave anything out." Then he looked back at his distant assistant and tapped his nose. As if to say, ''See? I told you I smelled something.'' "Sigh." The assistant sighed. Find exclusive stories on empire What smell? All he could smell was beggar stench. == Obern wore a serious expression. Amain sat before him. Teaching magic to this student. That was Snake''s order. These days he had fewer nightmares because he was too busy with many tasks. Kovent, that bastard. A sadist who had grabbed and tormented Obern''s weakness, always treating Obern like trash despite just having a good family background and mediocre skills. But no matter how much of a bastard he was, Obern had killed Kovent. He stabbed an ice pick in his stomach and dropped him in the river, so having nightmares was inevitable. Most nightmares were about Koventing back to life. He appears soaking wet with the ice pick still in his stomach. And deres he''ll destroy Obern''s life. He told Snake about this dream. Probably on a night when he was drinking alone. Though he immediately regretted it, Snake had replied: ''If that bastard shows up, I''ll cleanly take care of him.'' For some reason, those words were incredibly reassuring. Chapter 279 The Small Giants Elixir (2) He even felt genuinely loyal to Snake, so his mental state must have been unstable. ''Ah, I need to focus.'' He had briefly fallen into contemtion while teaching Amain. Now arge piece of papery before Amain. A nk sheet with nothing drawn on it. But it wasn''t ordinary paper. It was expensive material with high magical conductivity, made by finely grinding magic stones and adding the powder. "You must adjust the depth of meditation appropriately. Don''t sink too deep into yourself, but don''t be so shallow that your focus is disturbed by external stimuli." Amain remained still as if he couldn''t hear. But knowing he was listening, Obern continued his exnation. "What you must do is draw the tree of magic. All magicians nurture a tree in their soul. From the roots rises the trunk, which branches into forms like the four elements, darkness, light, gravity, telekinesis, and so on. Extract the tree drawn in your mind." This is an excellent method for measuring a magician''s potential. Of course, Obern didn''t create it; it was a measurement method developed by Archmage Caspian. Obern had drawn a moderately sized tree. While notcking, it didn''t show genius, so he had never tried it again in front of others. And then, magic spread from Amain''s hand like ink bleeding. Tsutsusu- It slowly rose up to form the shape of a tree trunk. The color was so deep it appeared ck. ''Extraordinarily pure magic...'' The paper was reacting to Amain''s magic. Amain''s magical quantity was ordinary, fitting for amoner who hadn''t received gifted education. But its purity was indeed remarkable. The tree trunk filled almost the entire paper. But even so, the growth didn''t stop. ''No... how...'' Even though it should start branching out soon. It grew to the edge of the paper. And then something shocking happened. Tsutsutsutsu... Beyond the magic-responsive paper, the tree''s form began carving itself into the floor. Rich branches, one, two, five, ten, seventeen. Seventeen branches. Like a world tree, massive and majestic. Obern visually witnessed Amain''s potential. "Unbelievable..." Obern''s usual mask cracked for a moment. The moment of discovering genius in another person that he himself didn''t possess. Obern''s heart had always burned with jealousy, but... ''...It''s okay.'' Somehow, he didn''t feel bad now. No, it was more than that. Something in his chest felt tingly. He felt rising emotions. How should he express this? Pride, anticipation, admiration. "Ah, Professor, the floor...!" Coming to his senses, Amain was shocked seeing what he had created. "I''m sorry! Why won''t this, why won''t it clean off!" "Hahaha." Seeing Amain frantically trying to clean the floor,ughter burst out without him realizing. Amain and the children nkly stared at Obern. Obern quickly managed his expression. "...Ahem, go get a scrubber from over there and clean it." "Ah, yes!" Watching Amain''s retreating back as he went to find a scrubber, he realized. ''Have I gotten caught up in ying teacher?'' He''s teaching children on Snake''s orders. He''s also taken a job as a professor. So perhaps he had be too immersed in the teacher-student rtionship. While thinking this, Snake was saying something. ''Wow, Amain is amazing as expected. Incredible, right Obern.'' ''Ah... yes.'' ''I want to try that too, you said Caspian made it?'' Snake kept chattering. Good grief, what a talkative monster. But why doesn''t it feel annoying anymore when it acts like this? Amain''s magical achievements improved by leaps and bounds every day. Rania was doing more than her share excellently. The problem was just Phili...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Obern looked at Phili. He was in a horse stance. His magical talent was ordinary. His physical condition was the worst. Above all else, his weak stamina was the problem. Could someone like that handle monsters? He needed to do better than Prince Leon in this situation. "Sigh..." A sigh escaped without him realizing. That''s when. ''Wow!'' Snake''s exmation was because. ''I absorbed it all!'' ''Absorbed? The staff?'' ''Yes, I made the staff''s hell magic my own!'' Snake had been constantly attached to this amazing staff. That''s why it kept clinging to the staff, and it seems it finally achieved that remarkable feat. ''Should I try it here?'' Enjoy more content from empire ''Please calm down everything will burn.'' Using hell fire magic in the professor''sb would cause a major fire. Snake danced with joy. ''Here, this staff ispletely yours now.'' ''Thank you...'' The vine grass that had been wrapped around the staff also climbed onto Snake''s body. The vine grass, having absorbed plenty of hell-transmuted magic, had grown quite plump. ''Now then, shall we try opening the cube?'' Snake said this and descended from the staff. After casually waving its tail wearing the ring, a cube dropped from thin air. cing the cube on its tail and concentrating for a while. Click. The cube disassembled itself and revealed its contents. "Saak!" Snake jumped in surprise seeing it. == What could be inside the cube? The staff that had been with it was quite an amazing item. So I was very tense, but. ''W-what is this!'' Unlike the staff, there was nothing to absorb from the cube. It just had a structure requiring solving a very nasty riddle to open it, but thanks to my Crown of Connection skill, I could skip that troublesome process. And the revealed contents were a small ampule containing liquid. ''Is it some kind of potion?'' Honestly, it was a bit disappointing. Isn''t there a difference between receiving equipment items versus consumable items as quest rewards? "Hurry and see what it is." ''Alright.'' Still, since you never know, I looked carefully with focused eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Small Giant''s Elixir] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That''s what it said. If it''s a giant then it''s a giant, what''s this ''small'' giant business? Fortunately, there was a small note that seemed to be instructions attached to the ampule. I read it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Drinking the elixir dramatically increases physical abilities such as ''strength'', ''agility'', ''endurance'' for one week. After a week, it gradually returns to normal. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh. This is a bit tricky too. I''m already a plenty powerful snake. Hmm, it might be better if I drink it when gigantified. But there was another phrase written below the note. It was written in fairynguage. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Imperial Bank Safe Deposit Box, 41048. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Another vault! ''What is this, are we doing an escape room?'' "W-what do you mean?" It feels just like an escape room game with clues keep popping up. Anyway, what''s important now is this elixir. ''Why would they put this kind of medicine in a vault?'' "I told you I don''t remember!" Pelerian seemed somehow embarrassed. Seeing that, it was suspicious that he actually did remember, but. ''This is perfect timing.'' Actually, looking at the description, there was someone who needed this elixir more than me. Right now, over there trembling while doing a horse stance, Phili. "Saak!" (Phili!) When I called, Phili in his horse stance turned his head. "M-me?" Yes, you. But you understood that surprisingly well. Chapter 280 Muscle Fit (1) "Mom, I mean Mother told me not to eat strange things!" That was Phili''sst words. No, of course he didn''t just die after drinking the elixir. Rather, he started groaning in pain after drinking it. Weid him on the sofa. "Am I dying?" Phili was crying as he said this. Amain and Rania looked at me in panic. Obern''s gaze seemed to me me. And I looked at Pelerian. "Don''t worry, he won''t die." ''...This was meant for Caspian, wasn''t it, old man?'' "...Probably so." The cube was found in Pelerian''s safe deposit box. And Pelerian had left a message for Caspian to open the box. Probably something he intended to give to Caspian along with the staff. I made a reasonable deduction. ''Did you mix in poison or something?'' Pelerian shouted at that.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "YOU FOOL! Who do you take me for! Would I, the heaven-defying grand magician, use poison just to harm one human magician?!" He jumped up and down in his small body, throwing a fit. ''Well... you did prepare a cursed staff too...'' "...Hmph. That, that''s because he couldn''t possibly miss the curse on the staff... It wasn''t hidden to harm him." ''And why do you always shout when things aren''t going your way?'' Quite ear-piercing too. Having spent a long time with Pelerian now, I knew this shouting was his repertoire whenever this happened. "Anyway, there''s no poison in it. The Small Giant''s Elixir is an extremely precious item. Caspian''s body was terribly weak, maybe that''s why I gave it to him." ''Weren''t you on bad terms?'' "...I don''t know why I gave such a precious thing to that guy either. The Small Giant''s Elixir strengthens physical abilities for a short period. It has almost no side effects. That''s why it''s precious. What''s happening now is probably the elixir taking effect on his body." That''s when Rania shouted. "Whoa!" What! I hurriedly approached Phili. And confirmed the ''elixir''s effect'' with my own eyes. ''Hey, old man. Didn''t you say there were no side effects?'' "When did I say there were none? I said almost none." ''But still, that''s...'' Is this not... a side effect? "W-what, why are you looking at me like that?" Phili sat up on the sofa. And the wooden armrest he grabbed broke. Crack. The startled Phili stared at his own hand. His arms and legs had grown slightly longer. But more importantly than length was the circumference. His formerly thin arms were now covered in bulging muscles. With protruding veins and all, he looked like a knight who had trained his body his whole life. "What is this!" Amain and Rania flinched back. It became clear. The Small Giant''s Elixir''s side effect was muscle growth. ''Well, it looks good, hahaha.'' There wasn''t particrly anything to worry about. While it was clearly a suspicious change, it would return to normal after a week anyway. While I was thinking positively like this. Right around noon, urgent news came for Phili. ''To congratte your participation in the Srian, Second Prince Leon and Third Prince Leon are to enter the pce by evening.'' It was a summons from the king. This was an emergency. == The Second Prince of the Solion Kingdom. Leon Adenes Solion. While training in preparation for the uing Srian, he received a summons from the king. He had just recently obtained information that this finals'' theme would be ''Bestiarium''. Fighting monsters is an extremely difficult task, and while he was in the middle of important preparation time, he gets invited to dinner. Being a royalmand, he couldn''t refuse. But Leon wasn''t too displeased with the current situation. No, rather he was happy. Leon wasn''t the only one called to dinner. All the princes and princesses would gather in one ce. He knew this because the king often held such dinner gatherings. And today he would be able to see his sister. Leon held a bouquet in his arms. It was a splendid bouquet hurriedly prepared by visiting the capital''s best florist. He nned to give this collection of various exotic flowers to his sister. And ask for her blessing for victory in the Srian. Recently, after losing first ce in the preliminaries, Leon''s nerves had been on edge. He would definitely take first ce in these finals. And he finally reached the front of the Lily Pce on foot. Specially, Princess Lily had been assigned her own separate pce. This was because she held the special position of Mirror Room Manager. Even Leon, a prince, couldn''t freely enter such a Lily Pce. "Tell her that her brother Leon hase to see her." Hemanded the servant thus. The servant bowed deeply and went inside. Leon, slightly nervous, dug at the ground with his toe while waiting. It took longer than expected. Just when he was starting to wonder if they were deliberately making him wait. The servant returned. "She says she does not wish to see you." "..." Leon''s expression froze coldly. The servant looked somewhat troubled, but wouldn''t let the prince in against orders. "Shall I at least deliver the flowers?" That question seemed to hurt Leon''s pride even more. "Never mind." In front of the servant, he began tearing apart the bouquet. The flowers that couldn''t be delivered were torn, petals scattering everywhere. Leon roughly threw the tattered bouquet nearby. Then he turned around, his cape fluttering. Though the servant was flustered, Leon left without paying any attention. While his expression was ice-cold, his chest was boiling. He knew his rtionship with his sister had soured. But wasn''t that in the past? When the younger brother reaches out first like this, shouldn''t she take his hand? My sister who no longer has any value as royalty. Just as his mouth was turning bitter and anger was welling up. Your journey continues on empire Whether it was coincidence that he ran into his half-brother Phili at that moment. Phili too was heading toward the Lily Pce with a bouquet. Seeing Leon, he hurriedly hid the bouquet behind his back in panic. That pathetic sight made Leon lose hisposure. "What business do you have here?" Unlike usual, he couldn''t hide his thorny emotions. "I-I came to see Sister Lily." "Ha! You really have no sense of propriety or shame." "..." Then Leon noticed something strange. The clothes Phili was wearing were extremely odd. Chapter 281 Muscle Fit (2) He was wearing baggy clothes that didn''t fit his body at all - they were so loose they looked like a stingray or like he was wearing an upside-down sack. "What beggar''s clothes did you pick up to wear." Leon was in a very bad mood, and didn''t hesitate to take it out on his brother. As he often did, he roughly grabbed Phili''s cor. "This... huh?" But the sensation was strange. Normally Phili should have shaken like a paper doll, but now it felt like grabbing a sack full of wheat. "...Anyway. I already visited the Lily Pce." "Br-brother did?" "Yes, I met sister. We talked about you too." "What did you..." Leon''s eyes glinted coldly. "She still detests you. She''s still dwelling on your wrongdoing. She said she finds you so disgusting she never wants to see your face again, but unfortunately has to attend the Srian this time. She said it makes her depressed..." Even though he was the one who got turned away at the door, Leon said this. "That''s..." Phili''splexion darkened. The bouquet in his hands dropped to the ground with a thud.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Even that bouquet was much cruderpared to Leon''s. "So don''t disturb sister''s mood and get lost." Leon said with satisfaction. And when he pushed Phili''s chest. Thud. It felt like pushing against iron. As Leon was confused, wondering if something was wrong with his hand''s sensation, Phili finally went "Ouch" and stumbled back. "...Unpleasant fellow." Leon left with a sour expression. And only then. "Phew." Phili let out a sigh of relief. Since his body suddenly became muscr, his existing clothes didn''t fit. He just had to endure for a week but got summoned today of all days. So Obern and Snake found him clothes called ''overfit'' that could hide the muscles. They said it was clothes that dwarves wear, which was utterly disgraceful. He was so nervous about Leon discovering the changes that he couldn''t properly listen to what was said. Of course, thinking back on it, the content was shocking. "So sister really..." Phili hadmitted a terrible sin. Originally he wouldn''t have dared think of visiting. Just as Leon''s malicious intentions were about to pile on misunderstandings... "No, but Teacher Snake..." Phili picked up the blue bouquet with a puzzled expression. Yesterday, Teacher Snake had chattered and told him: ''Ah so even though Lily suffered because of you. She doesn''t n to never see your face again forever? When you have time, bring flowers, these days she likes... Huh? Really? Would I lie to you about this? Don''t be silly...'' And then went "Oh no, Lily said to keep it secret." It was bewildering, but it was a moment when a bit of light seeped into his usually dark heart. ''Let''s just leave the flowers for now. With my body like this...'' Thanks to Snake''s loose lips, misunderstandings didn''t pile up. Leon''s words lost their effect. In the end, Phili just left the bouquet in front of the Lily Pce and ran away. == Lily was feeling unwell. Although she had turned Leon away at the door, there was no reason to feel triumphant or good about it. Just as she came out of the pce feeling stuffy. "Oh my." There was a bouquet ced there. And it was a bouquet made of blue lilies. "Blue lilies?" It was her favorite flower. Since it was a newly cultivated variety, few people would know that she liked blue lilies yet. ''Could Leon have...'' Could Leon have left it after being turned away? Looking at the bouquet made her feel even worse. She couldn''t help thinking maybe she should have at least received his greeting. Just as a misunderstanding about the bouquet''s owner was about to form. "Prince Phili left it here." "Oh, really?" The servant cleaning with a broom at the door told her this. The front of the door that had been cleaned spotlessly this morning was dirty again, and he was in the middle of sweeping up flower debris with his broom. The servant also added: "When Prince Leon was refused entry, he tore his bouquet to shreds and threw it away before leaving." "Oh my... I, I see." So that''s what happened. Snake might have told Phili about the blue lilies. She smelled the blue lily''s fragrance and smiled softly. Misunderstandings didn''t pile up. == "...And now, let the finals begiiiin!" As the chancellor shouted his usual lines with amplification magic The Srian staff allunched fireworks at once. Bang! Bang bang bang! Beautiful flowers of fire were embroidered in the sky. ''Ah, so that''s why they stacked up so many fireworks!'' I looked up at the sky in admiration. They must have ground up magic stones or something, because the fireworks were clearly visible even in broad daylight. "Oh, you came!" That''s when Amain turned around and greeted someone. "Yeah. Haha." It was Muscle Phili who returned. Despite being covered in muscles, his timid behavior hadn''t changed. I climbed onto Phili''s hand and asked. ''Oh, did you make up with your sister?'' ''No, how could I make up...'' From what I heard, he just threw down the bouquet and left. Ugh, how frustrating. "You fool, how can there be reconciliation when that princemitted such a sin? That princess girl has scars that will never fade." ''So should they ignore each other forever? He should at least say sorry.'' "If he can''t fix it, apologies with just words have no value." Your next chapter is on empire But this time I didn''t back down. ''She said she wants to improve her rtionship with Phili too. That''s different then.'' "Hmm." For some reason, Pelerian closed his mouth without further argument. "Announcing the tournament brackets!" Rania shouted. "The finals'' theme is Bestiarium! Students will fight monsters in the circr arena!" Like magic, it''s three people working together against monsters. That is, eight teamspete with scores being given, only two teams pass through to proceed to the finals. "The brackets were madepletely randomly. Now revealing! The first match will be...!" Is it really random? "Team 1: Phili Aden Solion, Rania Martein, and Amain Riddle!" Of course it had to be us. And the monster our three kids would face. "A Giant Mantis!" Phili''s face turned ashen. "Why does it have to be bugs again..." He''s quite fated with insectoid monsters, this prince. Chapter 282 An Unexpected Meeting (1) While making preparations for tomorrow''s match. Phili spoke up. "But I think the mantis might be more manageable than expected." What? Everyone turned to look at Phili. Seemingly flustered by the attention focused on him, he muttered. "Well, bugs have thin joints, right? Their skeleton too. Just, like this." Phili made a motion as if swinging a sword. "Wouldn''t it cut off with a snap? Or if I push hard with my body like this, it should crack and break." There is such a thing. Your next journey awaits at empire The realm of sword-tongue where you can rule the world with a three-inch tongue. It seems Prince Phili Aden Solion has reached such a realm. Even I couldn''t beat him in a debate about swords. I wrote swiftly on paper and eximed: ''Go!!'' "Go...?" ''You don''t know how terrifying mantises are.'' "Have you fought mantis monsters before?" ''You bet I have.'' I answered Rania''s question. ''Long ago, in the great forest, I fought a named monster called the Insect King.'' Obern made a face that said ''More boasting...'' But this was the unvarnished truth. ''The Insect King Riokku was an incredible monster. Would you believe me if I said it was about the size of this building?'' "No." ''But it''s true.'' It wasn''t a lie. ''At that time, there were three monster factions in the Shadow Forest. Like the Three Kingdoms.'' If Shu was obviously us. And Wei was the group of creatures with hands led by Silverback Akims. Thest Wu would be the Insect King and his bug legion. ''The Insect King led tens of thousands of bug monsters.'' The children still seemed unconvinced but slowly began getting drawn into the story. ''Among them were several executive-level monsters. The evil Face Spider, and General Centipede Mom.'' "Cen-centipede what?" ''There was a kind-hearteddy.'' And among those bugs, of course there were mantises too. Though I didn''t face them directly, they were opponents that gave my "Zoo Beasts" crew quite a hard time. ''There''s something a Sword Master once said. If a cat''s weight was dozens of times heavier. If it became the same weight as a human. It would take several knights to hunt it.'' "Which Sword Master?" ''Simrly, imagine a 100kg mantis.'' "No but which Sword Master... okay." ''When the body bes huge, the skeleton also bes solid to support that weight. Bugs have tremendous strength rtive to their body weight. Even as weight increases, that strength remains.'' In reality, a mantis not even weighing 100kg easily caught wild boars weighing several hundred kilos. ''I should show you. How terrifying gigantified monsters are.'' ¡¸Using Gigantification lv2¡¹ I grew my body. Just enough to weigh 100kg. That is, like an anaconda, standing about 6m in length looking down at the children. Phili shrank back. "Uh, uhhh..." I raised my intimidation. I had already acquired quite a lot of dignity through Obern. And from what I realized, when dignity increases, my intimidation seems to be stronger too. You could say it adds a bonus to my formless presence. Soon, even Rania and Amain''s expressions stiffened. And I. "Sasasasat!" Laughed heartily. ''How is it, scary?'' Only then did the kids seem to deeply understand my lecture. "Sir Snake''s words arepletely correct." Oliver, who had been watching, nodded. He even pped. "Bug-type monsters are very scary. The particrly threatening element is their exoskeleton." A mantis''s exoskeleton isn''t originally that hard. It would crumble if pressed with a hand. "If it was a beetle-type monster, only Miss Rania could break through that armor. But even mantises be very solid when they''re huge." He drew out a dagger and longsword simultaneously. "Swords, such flimsy weapons can''t do anything against the exoskeleton. So you''ll use different weapons." Originally, weapons like morning stars are best against bug-type monsters. It''s a blunt weapon with a spiked metal ball on a chain, using recoil and centrifugal force you can easily crush bugs. "Morning stars are the best, but they''re very difficult to master." Putting away his swords, what Oliver took out instead were hand axes and shields. "You''ll use these." He distributed hand axes and shields to Phili and Rania. He didn''t give anything to Amain. "What about me?" "Amain, you''ll use fire magic. Bugs are weak against fire. And Lady Rania and His Highness will take the front line to protect the magician." As expected of an experienced hunter, he knew how to hunt bugs. "Saak!" (Alright!) Now let''s start special training. The time given was just one day. Actually, it was barely enough time to get used to the axe and shield. However, something became clear during the special training... Because of just one person, much of what I and Oliver had earnestly taught became useless. ''Hey!'' Phili scratched the back of his head sheepishly. ''Why are you so strong?'' He broke two axe handles in less than an hour. What kind of variable this would create in facing the mantis was something to look forward to. == "Come on, registration closing soon! You can bet on wins/losses or guess the winner! The odds for guessing the winner are..." Despite princes participating in the Srian, gamblers walked around soliciting customers. No, rather, the fact that princes were participating made gambling even more prevalent. Obern quietly cultivated his patience. ''I want to bet.'' He wanted to bet. He wanted to bet all his meager fortune on Phili and his team''s victory. Though Obern appeared to be a wealthy noble on the outside, he was actually little better than a beggar. However, he couldn''t do that. It would be conduct unbing his position. An Emerald School professor betting on students'' matches.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ''Still, please win...'' Though he couldn''t bet, he desperately wished for his disciples'' victory more than anyone. Ny percent was because of the Court Count''s threats to make Phili win, but the remaining ten percent was the personal desire of Obern who had somehow be a teacher. "Entering-!" With the announcer''s shout, three participants entered. Phili, Amain, and Rania. When they entered the circr arena, the audience gave tremendous cheers. After all, the first match of the finals was beginning. Chapter 283 An Unexpected Meeting (2) Moreover, the king and Solion''s influential figures were present. Obern sat in the professors'' section watching below with sweaty palms. The children seemed very nervous too. ''They need to do well... right?'' ''Yes...'' As Snake said. Just as he was about to watch the match, that''s when. Someone approached. "Professor Obern?" Turning around irritably, it was a man wearing distinctive clothing. Imperial style. Even Obern was startled. "The ambassador is looking for you." "The ambassador...?" He knew an imperial ambassador had been dispatched from the gleaming capital, traveling with a retinue of servants and guards along the winding eastern road that would bring them to the kingdom''s borders within a fortnight. The imperial ambassador was officially equal in position to Solion''s king, a diplomatic courtesy established by ancient treaties that required the monarch to receive them as a peer rather than a subordinate, though both parties understood the true bnce of power between their realms was far from equal. Given such a position, someone of powerful status would havee. "Yes, the Outer Minister and First ss Administrator, appointed ambassador by His Imperial Majesty''s order, Marquis Magan Sareb." "Ah..." Outer Minister, First ss Administrator, Imperial Marquis - none of these titles were insignificant. Moreover, the Sareb family was naturally a powerful house that even Obern knew. "Please guide me." He had no choice but to follow. Marquis Magan Sareb was an even greater figure than the Court Count that Obern feared. The Imperial Ambassador had indeed taken his seat in the same row as the royal family. Those seated around him were all wearing imperial clothing too. And among them was a middle-aged man with a long beard and sharp eyes. "So you are Obern Grimoire." "Marquis Sareb. It''s an honor to meet you." Even Obern couldn''t maintain his usual acted arrogance. Why had he been called? The string of tension was pulled taut. "Don''t be nervous. Sit herefortably." "Yes, thank you." After seating Obern, Marquis Sareb gestured to his subordinate and received some documents. "Obern Grimoire. Born in District 4 of Solion Impel. Mother..." What the Imperial Marquis began reciting was Obern''s life story. "Peer rtionships were not good. Graduated second in ss from the Capital Magic Gifted Academy with genius evaluation. Second? Hmm... Then studied abroad in the Empire." Obern''s spine tingled. The things Marquis Sareb was saying were quite detailed information. Some included such intimate details that he couldn''t imagine how they were discovered. Like how he hated raw tomatoes, or when he ran away during ss. "For someone called a genius, you didn''t achieve particrly great results. Obern Grimoire." "..." His heart was pounding. Obern is someone with many things to hide. He pretended to be a genius when he wasn''t, and recently killed someone. Kovent. Could the Marquis have discovered even that? "The Empire''s intelligencework is very excellent. It''s easy to thoroughly investigate someone with just a person or two." His heart was pounding thump-thump. Snake always noticed such things immediately. ''Obern,posure.'' He managed his expression to show as little as possible. It was something he was used to. "You submitted a defection application to the Imperial Magic Research Institute. And the institute rejected you." "...!" "No substance. That was their evaluation of you." Could they have known from back then that Obern was a ''fake'' himself? Then from now on Obern''s future would... "Hahaha." But who would have expected the Marquis to burst outughing at that moment? "Why such a serious expression?" "...Pardon?" "This is embarrassing. To think the Imperial Magic Research Institute''s judgment was only at that level." He tapped the bottom of the documents. "You''ve achieved remarkable results in the short time sinceing here." "Remarkable results..." "Gnome Bnyar is a magical prodigy recognized even by His Imperial Majesty. Do you know how much he praised you at thest conference? Said you developed new systems for hell magic and telekinesis. I don''t know much about magic, but those IMRI fellows must have been quite shocked." Obern swallowed hard. Ah, Chancellor Bnyar, Sir Snake, thank you. His legs felt weak with relief. He cursed the Marquis before him inwardly. ''Damn bastard. Nothing better to do. Calling over someone minding their own business just to make them nervous.'' ''Hey hey, Obern should use nice words.'' He probably hadn''t called just to shower praise. "Defect to the Empire even now." "Pardon?" Today he kept responding in ways unfit for his character. "We are always generous to talent. How abouting back with me when I return?" "Ah..." "The treatment will be double what you receive here. An opportunity to be an imperial citizen. I don''t make such offers to just anyone." A truly arrogant tone as if bestowing charity. But Obern knew there was no exaggeration in the Marquis''s words. Double the treatment and entering under an imperial noble? And he personally came to persuade? This was a chance that wouldn''te again in life. The original him might have immediately prostrated himself pledging loyalty. He should do that but. His mouth wouldn''t open. "..." "What, is the treatment not satisfactory?" Rather than being displeased, the Marquis seemed genuinely puzzled. "I''m very grateful for such... a generous offer but..." Even he didn''t know why he was doing this but. "I have things I must do here." "Things you must do." Fortunately, Marquis Sareb didn''t get angry. "You mean teaching the prince?" "...As the semester isn''t over yet." "Haha, hahaha!" When the Marquisughed, the people beside himughed together. Obern felt his face flush hot. "Yes, that''s right. Your loyalty is admirable. But I''m not displeased. You may go."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Then, thank you again for your gracious words." Obern gave a greeting in imperial etiquette. To him as he was leaving, the Marquis said: "Situations might change. I''ll keep the opportunity open." "...Thank you." Somehow an odd tone. And. Bang! The match began. Cheers erupted from all around, and a giant mantis appeared. The mantis immediately charged, and Rania and Phili ran in with axes and shields. "Aaaahh!" And Phili, while running, screamed and changed direction to run away. "Sigh." Was this really the right choice. Obern''s mouth turned bitter. Chapter 284 Just Set It On Fire (1) If the three children had the same ability as that small snake. If they could identify the monster''s traits and skills just by focusing their eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Woodskin de Mantis lv32] [Traits] [Ferocity], [Small Brain] [Skills] [eleration lv8], [Biting lv10], [Leap lv10], [Grabbing lv7], [Frenzy lv3] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ They probably could have known such information. But no one had such transcendent eyes. However, there was information they could grasp just by looking. The hunters who captured this monster brought the mantis from the eastern foothills of that mountain range. Monsters change their traits and evolution patterns ording to their habitat. Bug monsters from the great forest and bug monsters from the mountains have different characteristics. It''s an inevitable difference due to different vegetation. The mountains are colder than the great forest and have fewer prey. Therefore, monsters tend to berger, and there are fewer easy low-level prey monsters. For hunting, the mantis evolved differently from those in the great forest. Woodskin. The exoskeleton evolved into a form simr to tree bark. Its hardness is even greater than most trees. "Quirerererere!" The strange cry filled the circr arena. Like most monster cries, the roar contained intimidation. Phili, who was about to charge at the mantis, screamed and started running away. An utterly pathetic action. But there was no need to worry. The legitimate sessor who inherited the Martein family''s secret techniques. Rania Martein was blocking the mantis. But then. "Uh..." Rania stood frozen still. The axe in her hands was trembling. Amain noticed this. He was in the middle of casting, chanting a spell, but the mantis was charging at the frozen Rania. Having no choice but to interrupt his spell, he shouted. "Rania! Move!" "...Ah!" Rania quickly raised her shield to block the mantis''s foreleg. Crack! But surprisingly, the foreleg pierced straight through Rania''s shield. Almost nothing can beat bug monsters in pure strength. When it withdrew its foreleg, the shield was ridiculously dragged along. Yet Rania still hadn''t regained her senses. Her eyes were filled with fear. Why was this happening? Rania had absorbed the Martein family''s teachings with remarkable talent. So, her current level surpasses that of ordinary knights. If she stayed calm, she could handle the mantis monster before her. "Snap out of it Rania!" But now her legs were stiff and her body trembled. She thought she''d be fine. But she ended up remembering. The monster wave that burned her territory and swept away the carriage she was riding in. Ironically, now she was being taught by Teacher Snake who had been at the head of that monster wave. What a strange life. Whack! She barely dodged the foreleg. The mantis''s foreleg stabbed into where she had just been. When defeat bes certain, the staff intervene and stop the match. Come to think of it, then there''s nothing more to be afraid of, right? Just as Rania''s heart was weakening like this. p! Someone pped her cheek. No, an invisible hand did. "Ah, Amain!" She turned around in disbelief. Amain shook his head as if it wasn''t him. Behind him, she could see the spectator seats. Professor Obern watching with a serious expression. And Teacher Snake sitting on his staff. That snake had pped her cheek. It snapped her back to her senses. "Quireeek!" Having finished its assessment, the mantis seemed to consider them easy prey. It charged recklessly with brute force. Fortunately Rania had regained her senses, but her struggle seemed to ignite someone else''s heart. "Yaaaah!" The prince who had run away in fear wasing back. Fear was still etched on Phili''s face, but something more important than that had turned his feet around. That thing was friendship. He couldn''t ignore seeing Rania, whom he secretly trusted, in danger. So he came running back, and while Rania was d... "Danger, Rania!" Phili was charging not at the mantis but at Rania. "W-wait-!" "Get away!" And Phili pushed Rania. If it was the original Phili, it might have just been normal help. However, current Phili was in ''super muscle'' state. As a certain master said, destructive power = muscle ¡Á speed. Boom! Rania flew far as if hit by a truck. "Aaaaah!" The sight of Rania flying while spinning looked like something from a cartoon. She crashed spectacrly. Thanks to the Martein family''s training methods being so excellent her head didn''t crack, but that was the end. Rania, unconscious. Fortunately or unfortunately, Phili hadn''t realized what he''d done. He was preupied with raising his shield to block the mantis''s foreleg. Bang! Crash! The shield didn''t shatter in one hit like before. But it was still a terrifyingly heavy attack. Phili shouted, slightly regretting his return: "He-help me Rania!" Phili shouted this without knowing what had happened to Rania. Amain, who was behind them, had seen this whole farce. He could have shouted ''Rania''s unconscious because of you, handle it yourself!'' but he didn''t. "Aman tu, ignatio..." He couldn''t interrupt his spell again. He chanted his fire magic topletion. While Teacher Snake could shoot magic pew-pew without incantations, Amain cast spells the orthodox way. The best he could do with basic fire magic. A fireball... "Ignite!" Though sudden, Phili understood what that incantation meant. "Aaaah!" Seeing him scream andunch himself, he clearly understood. The mantis''s foreleg cut through empty air. Through the gap where Phili dodged, the fireball flew. Whileunching himself, Phili watched the process. Hot wind whooshed past him. The fireball hit the mantis''s body directly. No, right before impact. The mantis ''cut'' the fireball at incredible speed. Naturally, cutting a magical fireball was followed by an explosion. Bang! The st pressure caused a ringing in his ears. Quickly looking up, he saw the mantis was engulfed in mes. Phili was about to smile with joy. "Quirererereek!" That persistent mantis didn''t fall even with its head on fire.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om This was truly the moment of ''frenzy''. Though it would certainly die soon, it ran while wildly swinging its forelegs. Toward the culprit who shot the fireball. Toward Amain. "No!" Phili jumped up. The frontline''s duty is to protect the backline magician. What on earth was Rania doing in such an urgent situation... Even he had to do something. "Amain!" Like he did to Rania earlier. Chapter 285 Just Set It On Fire (2) He didn''t run to Amain and send him flying with a push. There wasn''t enough time for that. Instead, he swung his axe at the mantis charging toward Amain. With all his might, he struck with the axe... Crack! The axe embedded. Simultaneously, the axe handle broke. Phili stared dumbfounded at the handle-only axe remaining in his hand. The mantis didn''t stop. The shield was in tatters and he''d lost his axe. What should he do now? Then, his conversation with Teacher Snake shed through his mind like lightning. ''If it bes a really desperate situation, just throw your body in.'' ''What? How can I do that against a monster...'' ''Your strength is incredible right now. Punch it, strangle it, whatever.'' ''Yes...'' Though he answered, he had neither the confidence nor intention to do so. Fighting hand-to-hand with a monster. But when the situation actually came, his body moved quite easily. Because he felt he had to, had to protect Amain. Phili swung his fist as Rania had taught him. Drawing an arc from bottom to top. Bang! A sound like a bomb exploding rang out. For a moment, the heavy mantis''s body lifted slightly. The impact from his fist made his whole body shake. Now with his right hand. Bang! Another explosion-like sound. Something like fluid burst from the mantis''s mouth. As these fatal attacksnded, the frenzied mantis instinctively targeted Phili. It was half luck that Phili ducked to dodge its foreleg. Whoosh! But such luck would be hard to maintain. Knowing this, Phili tackled the mantis while still ducked. Following Teacher Snake''s advice. ''Mantises have weak lower bodies. So just tackle them like this, shashasak!'' This really worked, he thought. Since the mantis rolled right over. ''Like you said the joints are weak, so either break the joints like this or rip off its head.'' Due to the fluid it spat out, as it rolled on the ground. The fire on the mantis''s body went out. But it was still scorching hot. When he grabbed the mantis''s head firmly, his palm felt like it was being stripped off from the heat. "Nnnngh!" As he applied full force, Phili''s face turned bright red. Crack, crackle. After these grotesque sounds briefly rang out. Riiiiip! Phili actually seeded in ripping off the mantis''s head. A hot sensation flowed through his entire body. It was the sensation of reaching a new level, of leveling up. He had absorbed the mantis''s mana by killing it. "I, I did it." As he muttered in disbelief... Soon cheers erupted. "Waaaaaah!" "Woooah!" It was the moment of victory. == It was an incredible match. Moreover, these cheers and shouts reverberating throughout the arena were mostly directed at Phili. "My, to think the Third Prince had such strength." Even Imperial Ambassador Marquis Magan Sareb marveled thus. Obern looked toward where he had just left.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The Marquis''s subordinate was frantically writing something. "They''re openly evaluating the princes." Someone cut in with an elderly voice. Obern turned around startled. Find exclusive stories on empire It was a familiar voice and a familiar person. The Court Count had suddenly appeared. "Court Count, I pay my respects." "It''s fine, just keep pping." "Why did youe down here alone..." "Why, I saw you having such an interesting conversation with the ambassador so I came to see." "..." Of course he knew. Obern''s conversation with the ambassador was too obvious. Though that might have been part of the ambassador''s n too. "Don''t think unnecessary thoughts. You have me, don''t you? After teaching Prince Phili so excellently. Hahaha..." The Court Count patted Obern''s back. "You''re my man. Right?" "Y-yes, that''s right." The Court Count smiled like a kindly old man. Then he dropped a sudden statement. "Today, many things will be decided, do you know that Solion''s national fate now hangs by a thread?" "Hangs by a thread..." "Yes, we who were originally a great power even the Empire feared are gradually declining. You can see it just by how that ambassador struts around. There are four problems facing the kingdom, care to try naming them?" What a headache. Obern barely hid his irritation and said: "Please enlighten me." "Since you ask so nicely, I shall tell you." The Court Count raised one finger. "The Empire gripping and shaking royal authority is the first problem. They take a prince hostage saying they''ll educate him and let him meet the Emperor. And it''s the Crown Prince at that. Truly nothing short of national disgrace." "Yes." "The second is our shrinking military power. We have many enemies to face like those northern barbarians and the Empire. But every time we try to increase military spending, the Empire intervenes to block it, and those so-called moderates rise up, this has been going on for years." "Indeed." "And the kingdom''s people have lost their fighting spirit. No one thinks about fighting and protecting anymore. They''ve even forgotten how to feel anger." Setting aside thest one, the first two were definitely problems guing the kingdom. But the fourth one sent chills down Obern''s spine. "And the king is dying." "..." "His Majesty the King has developed a condition where tumors are excessively proliferating in his internal organs. Every method of treatment has been attempted, but he has exactly 3 years left. Seems like both a long and short time." In three years the princes will still be young. The king''s health being itself a state secret. He had learned burdensome information. "Am I not the Court Count, a patriot like no other? So I pondered if there was a way to solve all of this at once. At least the first three seemed manageable. Aren''t you curious what that method is?" "...I shall listen carefully." Though honestly he didn''t want to hear it. Obern asked out of courtesy. "Impact. Impact." The Court Count raised his withered fist. "An impact that changes everything in one go." His eyes with little white showing glinted. At that moment Obern felt fear. The Court Count''s eyes were clearly those of someone who saw human lives as mere numbers. ''Ooh, now it''s the next match!'' Just then, such a cheerful voice rang in his head. It was Snake. Snake didn''t seem to care much about what the Court Count was saying. He was only interested in the next match. It was the Second Prince''s match. Obern also gave a slight bow to the Court Count before looking down at the arena. The Second Prince was in the arena with his teammates. Grrrng- And the door for the monster''s entrance began to open. ''Fighting a gori, these guys will have it tough too.'' Snake muttered thus. It seemed the Second Prince''s opponent would be a gori monster. And the moment that gori monster appeared. ''...Huh?'' Snake was shocked. == I wasn''t on great terms with primate monsters. I had fought a named monster called Silverback Akims, who led the primate monsters. But at the same time, one of my most trusted subordinates was a gori. A monster who couldmunicate and had a kind heart. I called her Mrs. Gori, but I remember her exact name was probably ''Strong Arm Gori''. The monster facing off against the prince down there has a different name. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Iron Arm Gori lv21] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ And she didn''t speak. "Kruuuung!" She roars like a mindless monster. But I recognized it. The sadness hidden in her eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] [Gentleness], [Loyalty] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The traits that remained unchanged. And above all. The iron prosthetic arm that I had given her was still there. ''Mrs. Gori!'' Why on earth are you here! Chapter 286 The Snake and the Beanstalk (1) Pelerian. An elf born with heaven''s curse. The fairy heretic. The heaven-defying grand magician. And, ''the closest observer of a certain snake''. Right now, Pelerian cannot be called Pelerian. Probably just a fragment of a soul.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Moreover, even his memories have been manipted. Then can the ''me'' in those memories and the current Pelerian be called the same person? Though he thought he hadn''t shown it much in front of Snake, this fact gave Pelerian an enormous shock. Having his existence denied and his sense of self shaken was a major event. To a magician, the self is everything. More than any other race, a magician''s sense of self must be solid and certain. It was also an essential talent required to be a grand magician. But now that sense of self was shaken, so this was a serious crisis. If he had a proper physical body, he might have been able to ovee this situation. Since the mind follows the body. But what about Pelerian who had no body? He experienced a crisis of extinction. That''s also why he had been quiet recently. It felt like he wouldn''t be able to maintain his existence if his sense of self was shaken any further. He barely held onto fragments of his self. To survive, he had to rebuild. Using his life''s driving force, his values until now, his memories. He had to establish a new self different from the existing one. ''Pelerian.'' ''An elf born with heaven''s curse.'' ''The fairy heretic.'' ''The heaven-defying grand magician.'' Those were all things of the past. They weren''t achievements made or names earned by the current Pelerian, who was just a part of a fragmented soul. However. ''The closest observer of a certain snake.'' That alone was a true identity obtained by the current Pelerian. Moreover, probably his only achievement. Though frustrating and hard to admit, it was actually so. It was Snake who picked up the ring containing him. And he had been with Snake continuously since regaining consciousness. Now when he didn''t know how much his memories had been manipted, the only certain and real thing was his memory as Snake''s observer. ''Yes, that''s it.'' At that moment Pelerian escaped the crisis of extinction. Probably. The previous Pelerian and current Pelerian could be said to be different. Though that doesn''t mean everything changed... Crackle. Pelerian felt the flow of mana. At least all the qualities, techniques, and arcane wisdom umted over centuries as a grand magician still resided pristinely in his consciousness, untouched by his transformation. The vast libraries of spells, ritualponents, and esoteric knowledge remained perfectly preserved within his mind, even if he couldn''t ess them. In his current incorporeal soul form, stripped of his physical vessel, he found himself frustratingly unable to channel magical energies or exert any kind of tangible force on the material world. His ethereal essence passed harmlessly through objects, leaving him as an observer rather than a participant in the physical realm. Crackle crackle. Well. Not anymore. Soon he might be able to use basic magic. If he uses a lot of power, he can exert physical force. Like this. Snake''s head...! Smack! ''Ah! You startled me.'' Snake red at Pelerian. ''Why did you hit me!'' "You fool. Your body color!" ''Oh no!'' The tips of Snake''s scales were starting to turn ck. Snake quickly regainedposure. The appearance of using ck Scales was already being used like another mask, another identity. Though it had been revealed once already, it wasn''t good to reveal it often. The reason for Snake''s anger was immediately apparent. "I never expected to see that gori here again." Pelerian also recognized Mrs. Gori. She was fighting the Second Prince''s party while roaring monstrously. "She''s acting as if she''s lost her intelligence..." ''Has Mrs. Gori be stupid?'' "While such evolution can happen, it''s very rare, probably not the case here." ''Then if she''s acting stupid, why?'' It''s natural to be shocked at meeting the gori here in the arena when they thought she was living well in the great forest. But as ''Snake''s observer'', Pelerian noticed something peculiar. As expected, it was like that. Snake doesn''t feel kinship with monsters. Also doesn''t have the universal sympathy for humans or people. Just those he knows. He only cares for things close to him. He pped and rejoiced when the mantis died being attacked by his disciples, but. Seeing the gori he had briefly taken in, his tail was fidgeting anxiously. An interesting fellow. Continue your saga on empire While there are many such people. Among monsters, there aren''t many like that. ''This won''t do. We have to save her.'' He roughly knew Snake would make such a decision. "Wait a moment, you fool. What are you nning to do?" ''Uh...'' And Pelerian developed an ambition. ''Snake''s observer''. Not stopping there. The desire to be ''Snake''s teacher''. "Don''t do that. Just do as I teach you." == A gori that jumped out with iron attached to its arm. Looks quite strong. "It''s a monster called Iron Arm Gori. A specimen caught from the great forest." The Court Count whispered to Obern. "When we discovered that one, we made a n." "We... you say?" "Who else? Me and His Majesty. And well, Bnyar was involved too." The Court Count, the King, and Chancellor Bnyar. What could these three aplish if they joined forces despite not getting along? No, it might be better to consider what they couldn''t do. "That monster, would you believe it, couldmunicate." That gori can talk? She seems to only roar and not speak though. "If they canmunicate, even monsters can be handled. Because deals be possible. We made a deal with it, betting its life and the lives of the monkeys it led." The Court Count was someone who would dominate even monsters if possible. And he actually did so. Then for what purpose... "We cannot send the Second Prince to the Empire." That''s when. The gori rushed like lightning and grabbed the Second Prince. The other two were knocked away after taking hits to their stomachs. Second Prince Leon struggled, but the gori''s iron arm gripped him firmly. "That Marquis Sareb came to take the Second Prince hostage, but we can''t send him. Do you understand what I mean?" "..." Right after the Court Count''s words ended. Chapter 287 The Snake and the Beanstalk (2) A chilling sound rang through the suddenly quiet arena. Crack! "Aaaaaaah!" It was the sound of Prince Leon''s arm breaking. Chills ran down Obern''s entire body. And the gori broke the prince''s left leg too. "The Second Prince officially suffered a major injury during the Srian and cannot go to the Empire. The First Prince is fighting barbarians in the north so he can''t go." The Court Count spoke as if humming. To think, they publicly broke the prince''s limbs for such a n. It''s hard to believe. And because it''s hard to believe due to being so extreme, no one would suspect it was a nned act. "Save His Highness the Prince!" Naturally the match was stopped. It must be true that the gori monster had intelligence and made a deal. Though she cleanly broke Leon''s arms and legs, she didn''t finish him off. She just threw the prince away naturally as if losing interest. Soldiers hurriedly loaded Leon onto a stretcher and carried him away. The Court Count spoke. "In contrast, Prince Phili showed such excellent performance, that Magan Sareb might take him instead of Leon." "..." "It''s all thanks to you. Because you taught him so diligently. Though it''s unfortunate, the king hates Phili. He made his most beloved daughter''s face unusable after all." Obern held onto his reeling mind. How much of this was the Court Count''s arrangement? And would his arrangements end here? ''Wow that''s a total viin.'' That''s when Snake marveled. Obern finally realized he wasn''t alone. Snake had heard the Court Count''s ns with him. "However, the impact is stillcking. This only solves one of our problems. What I want isn''t just this much." Such a greedy one. Snake muttered. ''Obern, I''m going to save Mrs. Ri.'' For a moment Obern didn''t understand what Snake said. ''She''s not a subordinate who should die in a ce like this. I must take responsibility and save her.'' ''Responsibility...?'' ''Keep that talkative old man upied. I''ll be back.'' Snake dropped from the staff. And slithered down somewhere and disappeared. Only then did Obern realize Snake intended to save that gori. Here where the Iron Lion Knights'' vicemander, Chancellor Bnyar, and the king''s guardian knights were present. What could one mere snake do! "Are you that shocked? Your face has turned pale." The Court Countughed with interest. "Ah, yes, I''m shocked." "Hmm, didn''t know you were the type for good reactions. Anyway, listen..." Though the Court Count kept talking. Honestly Obern couldn''t properly hear him. == Slither slither. Crawling along. Must always take responsibility for those you''ve tamed? Then I probably shouldn''t tame just anything from now on. But Mrs. Gori is clearly a subordinate who shared life and death with me. Though honestly I wouldn''t know if she wasn''t right in front of me. I couldn''t let her die before my eyes. Soldiers surrounded Mrs. Gori with spears. "If your identity is revealed it''s all over. Won''t be good for that Obern fellow or your disciples either." ''I know.'' Then I stand at a crossroads. Should I save Mrs. Gori, or stay quiet to protect the others from danger. ''This should work.'' "Don''t stick your head out." And for me, Snake Zhuge Kongming, there was a Feng Chu attached - Pelerian offered an excellent strategy. Slither slither. Crawling along. ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Earth lv2¡¹ Using earth magic to dig holes underground and move, that is. Footsteps can be heard from above. The footsteps of soldiers with spears. Mrs. Gori stood quietly as if epting death. What kind of threats did they make against you, Mrs. "This should be far enough." I stopped too. And I spoke to Isil riding on my body. "Sasak" (Isil, you''re all I have.) Isil was the only one who could help. Everyone knows about the snake-shaped statue hanging on Obern''s staff. But surprisingly many people don''t know that statue is covered in vine grass. People tend to not pay attention to nts. Moreover, they can''t distinguish between different vine grasses. Especially when the sizes are different... ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv2¡¹ Isil and I connected once again. Interestingly, our rtionship was truly special. Like how Amain and I have a teacher-student rtionship. ¡¸Target''s rtionship is ''child''¡¹ It says Isil is my child. Somehow, being long and wriggly, it really resembles me. My vine raised with love. ¡¸Sharing ''Gigantification lv2'' for three days¡¹ Isil, let''s go! And Isil began growing gigantic. Spreading leaves wildly. Breaking through the ground and rising up. Rumble rumble rumble- The goal is to be as huge as possible. Just enough to move slowly. ¡¸Using Lightweight lv5¡¹ I lightened Isil''s weight. And rise together hanging on Isil''s leaves. Cover the white body. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv4¡¹ Since I was already angry from earlier there was no problem. A giant vine grass rising from the ground. Like that nt from Jack and the Beanstalk.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Isil and I rose up and looked down at the ground. The soldiers holding spears looked up at us in bewilderment. And the spectators too. Their mouths hanging open, faces showing they hadn''t yet grasped what was happening. ''Isil. Circle around.'' Isil kept growing endlessly. And wrapped the long extended vines around to hide Mrs. Gori. After blocking the view so the inside couldn''t be seen from outside. I called out from atop Isil''s leaves. "Saak!" Mrs. Gori looked at me. ''Long time no see.'' She strangely understood my heart. That''s why she was my first advisor. "Ca-Captain...?" Even when we met again after time had passed, it was the same. Her face that had been pretending to be fierce softened. ''Yes, it''s me.'' I dropped down in front of Mrs. Gori. "Captaiiiiin!" ''Be quiet!'' "Uuuuu!" Tears burst from her eyes. ''Let''s escape from here.'' "H-how?" ''Well first...'' We need to cause amotion, don''t we? ''Let''s set things on fire.'' ¡¸Connection target ''Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv12'' uses Hellfire lv2¡¹ Isil began spewing hellfire in all directions. ¡¸Terror sprouting from the ground.¡¹ Read exclusive adventures at empire ¡¸Humans feel shock and fear toward the connection target.¡¹ ¡¸Acquiringrge amount of dignity.¡¹ Oho. So dignity can be obtained through fear too. Good to know. Chapter 288 Becoming Strong Without Realizing (1) Phili feared his father. It was natural, as he hadn''t received a warm look since childhood. Children instinctively crave parental love. Phili Aden Solion was still a child, and he hadn''t received enough love.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Because he knew it was due to his ''sin''. Discover hidden stories at empire Phili couldn''t hate his father. It takes considerable mental strength to ept and process such a situation. So in some ways, Phili matured quickly. He realized that not everyone - even those as close as family - would love him. While in other aspects, he hadn''t matured at all. Phili developed an unbnced personality. But now, even he smiled brightly. "Ho ho ho, well done, Phili!" His father was praising him. How long had it been? "You have something inmon with me after all. When I was young..." "Hehe..." His father seemed genuinely happy. Actually, even Phili thought his recent performance was amazing. Ripping off the mantis monster''s headpletely, wasn''t that crazy? Though he did borrow the power of an elixir... "Well done. Very well done. In front of the Imperial Ambassador... You''ve elevated my honor." He felt dazed from the praise. It felt like floating in the sky. Even more surprising was that the Second Prince''s match was currently happening in front. While his brother was fighting a gori, his father wasn''t even watching and was just praising Phili. "Ah, I didn''t expect things to turn out like this..." He kept gulping down alcohol while saying that. Something strange emanated from that sight. Phili unconsciously asked. "Father, perhaps is there something troubling you...?" "Troubling...?" "I, I spoke out of turn. I apologize." Phili quickly apologized. Why did such words suddenlye out? The king didn''t smile and drank with a serious expression. "Kyaaah!" "P-Prince Leon!" At that moment, screams rang out. Yet the king didn''t look at the arena. He seemed almost indifferent. And when Phili turned to look at the arena. "Aaaah!" The gori monster was crushing his brother''s limbs. Screams and chaos continued. The king didn''t look at the arena the entire time. The way he just kept drinking was clearly strange. Rumble- Then, the ground shook. "Kyaaah!" Another scream. The soldiers surrounded the gori to kill it, but huge vines shot up as if to stop them. It was clearly an unusual situation. "Y-Your Majesty." The king also knew there was a problem. While he didn''t even nce at the Second Prince''s struggles, he was greatly startled by the rising vines. Throwing down his wine cup and standing up abruptly. "Bnyar-!" He called for the Gnome Chancellor. The Chancellor hopped over. Making his body light as a feather, he bounced lithely from foot to foot, his movements quick and springy like a boxer warming up before a match. The two stood so close their foreheads nearly touched, trading urgent whispers that were meant for their ears alone, their warm breath mingling in the narrow space between them. Phili, who was right in front, caught snippets. ''Was it you?'' ''It wasn''t me.'' ''Then what is that?'' ''I don''t know either. Anyway, proceed as nned.'' ''I suppose we must.'' What were they trying to do? Phili stood gaping. And then, the giant vines spewed mes. Hot hellfire scattered everywhere. "Block it-!" The knights protecting the royalty blocked the king''s front. Phili got pushed away in the chaos. And those huge mes actually reached the audience seats. Chancellor Bnyar jumped up to prepare for any possible danger. "Hup! Ingens Scutum!" Soon a translucent barrier shield floated in the air. The mes couldn''t prate it and bounced upward. However, even a great archmage couldn''t instantly create a barrier shieldrge enough to cover all the audience seats. He only blocked where the king was, so people screamed at the heat wave they felt. "Aaah!" And that included a princess who had trauma from burns. Lily Ardene, she was sitting quite far from where the king was. Nevertheless, Phili clearly heard that scream. Phili ran to Lily without hesitation. And over there, the mes also reached where the Imperial Ambassador was. Like Bnyar, the Ambassador''s guards who could block the mes were naturally present. A mage wearing ornate Imperial-style clothing -plete with flowing silk robes embroidered with golden thread and ceremonial sashes wrapped around his waist - leaped gracefully into the air. His weathered fingers moved in an intricate pattern as he gathered the ambient magical energy around him, the air shimmering with power as he exhaled forcefully, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that rushed forward like an invisible battering ram. Water gushed out and exploded into steam when it collided with the mes. Shhhh! The heated steam covered the audience seats. Unfortunately, the steam reached where the princess was. Phili blocked the front without time to judge. But how could he protect his sister against iing steam, not even fireballs? Phili just acted ording to what popped into his head. "Huaaap!" He frantically windmilled both arms. Whoosh! And it worked. When he turned his head, he met eyes with a dazed Lily. "...H-hello." "Phili..." Grab. Phili unconsciously grabbed his sister''s wrist. "L-let''s... run away first." The siblings held hands for the first time in a long while. == ''Advisor! What exactly happened!'' Time was urgent, and Lady Ri''s words were slow. So I just roughly listened. It seems she made a deal to protect her subordinate monkeys. She says she got captured alone and did as told in exchange for saving the monkeys. What a kind gori. The monkeys should have been freed already, but I wondered why she kept following orders until the end. "On this neck... bomb ne..." Lady Ri had an explosive ne around her neck. "Need... key..." "Saaak!" Could this key be that key? I had copied a suspicious-looking key when I snuck into the underground storage before. When I inserted it and turned. Click. The restraint on her neck came off. I immediately threw it outside. Bang! It was close. Those guys outside must have quickly activated the bomb in the restraint. ''Let''s escape.'' "H-how do we escape?" As an advisor, the goridy was intelligent. Chapter 289 Becoming Strong Without Realizing (2) She knew we couldn''t easily get out of this situation. ''First, triplebination!'' For now, I had no choice but to trust Pelerian''s n. ''Creating one imaginary monster.'' That''s what Pelerian said. I climbed onto Lady Gori''s shoulder. ¡¸Using Majesty to enhance ''Crown of Connection lv2''¡¹ Originally could only connect with one target. But if I enhance the skill using Majesty. ¡¸Connected with Iron Arm Gori lv21¡¹ ¡¸Rtionship with connection target is ''subordinate''¡¹ And I was simultaneously connected with Isil. We were soon one. ¡¸Sharing Gigantification lv3¡¹ Lady Gori started growing. About five times her original height. ¡¸Using Lightweight lv6¡¹ Supporting to handle the terribly increased weight. Isil, who had also grown giant, wrapped around Lady Gori''s erged body. And thus what appeared to the world was. A giant green giant walking on two legs. "Aaaaah!" Screams echoed from the audience. I saw frightened humans through gaps in the vines. Hmm, not a bad feeling! ¡¸Connection target makes numerous people tremble in fear¡¹ I wonder what we look like. The appearance of this fake monster, the green giant, seems to have quite an impact. Good, let''s draw aggro like this and then copse after holding out a bit. There are many strong people here. Not just a few soldiers, but professors from the Emerald Schools too. There are the king''s guard knights, and above all, Chancellor Bnyar who is one of the heroes. They will defeat us without fear. Isil is a nt. And not just any nt, but a Demon Hunter''s Vine. Unlike ordinary vines, it actually had something that could be called a ''head''. The cotyledon that was in sprout form from the very beginning was that whole thing. Other parts could be cut or torn off without any problem. That is, ''leaving Isil''s erged body pretending to be dead and escaping.'' That was the best n Pelerian coulde up with. ''But...'' Something suddenly urred to me. ''What if Lady Gori or I get hit?'' "Well, ept it as fate." ''...'' True, no one can make ns that are 100% sessful. But no one was attacking us. Even the Chancellor seemed to be sticking close to the king instead of casting magic. ''Advisor, try roaring.'' "O-okay." Lady Gori with just her head showing roared loudly. "Kuhohoho!" At the same time, as if the roar was a detonator. Bang bang bang! Explosions urred throughout the audience seats. W-what! It wasn''t me but it looked like I did it. And some people in the audience started causing riots. "The Nord people never forget revenge!" Among them was a man shouting loudly as if using amplification magic. "Northern tribe. If they''re Nord. They''re a tribe that doesn''t get along with Solion." Northern tribe? When the man took off his coat, exotic fur clothing was revealed. "Your kingdom will pay for its sins today!" He said that while pulling out and unfurling a g from his clothes. Is that the Nord tribe''s g? But why suddenly... Don''t tell me! ''Are they terrorists!'' This is terrorism. It''s clear from the bombs going off everywhere and the knife fights breaking out. And the royalty. Made a very honorable choice in this desperate situation. "Protect His Majesty! Gather!" The king and royal family gathered around Chancellor Bnyar. The injured Leon, Phili and Princess Lily too. And the knights surrounded them protectively. Chancellor Bnyar even took out his staff and chanted. Massive magical power gathered. "Movere ad Ptium-!" My goodness! They disappeared. "Oh ho, group teleport huh. Must haveid down magic circles beforehand." Just the royalty slipped away. It was like they were waiting for this response. "The barbarians summoned monsters!" Someone shouted that. No, these northern tribe terrorists summoned us? Crash! The terrorists even opened the cages containing monsters. Filthy monsters that were starving in there jumped out in droves. Just as they were about to pounce on innocent audience members. ''Advisor! Those ones you tamed right?'' "Y-yes, that''s right." Find your next adventure on empire ''Tell them to stay put and behave!'' Lady Gori nodded and roared. "Kuhooo!" The charging monsters stopped and sat down obediently around us. That sight must have looked quite scary to the humans. ¡¸Humans tremble in fear¡¹ ¡¸Your majesty increases further¡¹ Majesty umted as much as it could. Just a bit more... "You fiend!" Then a knight in te armor jumped down from the audience seats. A warrior wielding an axe spear. I don''t like axe spears. Moreover, that lion decoration on the shoulder... "Iron Lion Knights'' Vice Commander, Berger Tangent, will y this monster!" He shed and charged. And I felt Isil emitting unpleasant mental waves. For a moment my vision tilted. At the green giant''s ankle area. A bundle of Isil''s vines was cut off by the axe spear''s aura. If it had been a bit higher it would have cut Lady Gori''s ankle too. Right, he''s Gunter''s subordinate and the knight order''s second-inmand. Boom! Cheers erupted when we fell. "Kill the barbarians! I''ll handle the monster!" The knight looked very confident. He charged again with his axe spear raised. We can''t count on luck this time. ''Swing your fist!'' I ordered. Gori Mom swung her heavy right arm at the knight. "Too slow!" Unlike Gunter, this one talks too much. Just as the vine-wrapped fist and aura-wrapped axe spear were about to collide. The oue of that collision was clear. I didn''t want Isil getting chopped up anymore. ''Isil! Unwind!'' Literally, the tightly wound vines suddenly unwound. And I had already moved to Gori Mom''s right fist. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv3¡¹ My eyes met the knight''s. What he probably saw was a pitch-ck tiny snake leaping at him. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv6¡¹ ¡¸Using eleration lv7¡¹ I was faster than that knight. Much faster than swinging an axe spear tangled with vines. Chomp. I bit past the knight''s neck. Mm, salty taste. And returned to my original position, sticking to the vines again. Though the knight finally broke free after chopping up the vines. "Kuh, kuugh." But I had injected plenty of ''Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv5'' into his neck.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om His face turned purple as he copsed. That was more disappointing than expected. I was a bit nervous since he was Gunter''s direct subordinate. Maybe he was actually really weak? ¡¸Killed Iron Lion Vice Commander Berger lv145¡¹ Nope, he was strong. ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ He was quite strong actually. And I took him down in one shot! Chapter 290 The Black Snake King (1) "So many deaths." The Court Count muttered. Obern actually couldn''t properly react to the Court Count''s words. All his attention was focused on the green giant that appeared in the circr arena. Weren''t those vines forming the green giant''s body the same as the ones he usually kept on his staff? A gori''s face protruded from its head, and it was scattering mes everywhere.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Your next journey awaits at empire Terrified screams erupted from all directions. "What a sight, what a sight indeed." But the Court Count didn''t show any sign of fear. He must have known about the Nord terrorists beforehand. "You know, don''t you? Thatmon people both fear and hate the nobles and wealthy." "...Yes." Obern,ing from a fallen noble family, knew this. "It''s quite natural formoners to curse nobles while drinking among themselves. The nobles know this too. But at the same time, they respect and revere the nobles." That was almost an instinctive human tendency. "But for such terrorism to ur at an academy event attended by royalty. What will public sentiment be like?" "The reaction will be severe, I think." "A fire will start. A fire will ignite in the hearts of people who had be like pigs and dogs, thinking only of survival with even their sparks extinguished. Even a king or noble cannot go against the will of the people. That''s a truth studied by numerous political schrs." It was a dangerous statement, but it was none other than the kingdom''s Court Count who said it. "...I wish more children would die." At those words, Obern unconsciously clenched his fist. That green giant probably wasn''t part of the Court Count''s n. But the Court Count wasn''t fazed by the sudden appearance of the giant monster. The first time he showed surprise was when the Iron Lion Knights'' Vice Commander stepped forward. "Knight Berger is quite strong, about the third strongest in the Iron Lion Knights." The Court Count must have thought the Vice Commander would defeat the green giant. Actually, Obern thought so too. "Kuuughk!" The Vice Commander, who seemed to be doing well, copsed with his face turned purple. "...He''s dead. Hoho." The Court Countughed, though what was funny wasn''t clear. Obern soon understood why he was watching this situation like he was at a zoo. One of the Nord terrorists spotted the Court Count and shot a crossbow at him. Ting! But the bolt deflected right in front of the Court Count. Someone had deflected it with a buckler barely the size of a palm. It must have been a guard. And one with extraordinary skills at that. "Court Count, we should withdraw now." "Hmm, just a moment." The Court Count stopped his guard and turned to Obern. "Obern." "...Yes." "Do you know why I''m telling you all this?" He had been wondering about that. Honestly, he didn''t want to hear it. A conspiracy nned by the king, Chancellor, and Court Count? Moreover, instigating Nord terrorism to kill their own citizens, such an absurd act? This was the kind of information that could endanger one''s life just by knowing it. "Because I''vepletely bought you." "..." "Well, even if you went around talking about this, who would believe you? I''m convinced I''ve made youpletely mine. How satisfying." What nonsense. He couldn''t say that out loud. "Let''s head out now. Follow me, having someone to talk to will keep it from being lonely." But Obern didn''t move. How could he leave from here? Amain, Rania, and his other students were here. Some were safe, but some children were still confronting monsters and Nord people. "You go first. I will save the children." "Leave them. Didn''t you hear me?" "I''m sorry, but..." "You don''t seem to understand the situation." The Court Count smiled. "I''ve captured your soul." Just as he wondered what creepy things the old man was suddenly saying. "Murderer Obern who killed Cobent. Did you push your friend into the river? Or did you kill him first then push him in?" "..." Even the great Obern couldn''t maintain hisposure there. His face twisted pale. How and when did he find that out? "I don''t know why you killed him, but does that matter? What matters is that you''re a murderer and one word from me can send you to hell." It felt like the ground beneath his feet had opened up. Obern fell into that hole. Into the bottomless abyss, down to hell below. To Niflheim, the coldest ice hell. "I could say you''ve be my ve." At that moment, his mind snapped clear. Not for any other reason. But because something was crawling up from his ankle. What naturally wrapped around his wrist was a snake. How, when? When he turned around, the green giant was gone and only a huge pile of vines remained in its ce. The gori was nowhere to be seen. ''Obern, what are you doing! We need to hurry and save the kids.'' The snakemanded in its usual slightly dopey voice. At that moment, he remembered. "Court Count..." "Yes?" "You cannot have my soul." Come to think of it, hadn''t Obern already sold his soul to this snake? "...Hoho, you''re fearless." ''What''s with that old man?'' The snake asked innocently. ''Should I take care of him?'' Though tempted for a moment. Obern simply turned his back. "If you go further, there''s no turning back." Obern knew that too. But he didn''t stop his steps. He heard the Court Count leaving with a snort. ''First we need to save Amain and the kids, beat up those terrorists. And above all, we need to hide Lady Gori. She''s hiding under those vines over there? We need to figure out how to sneak her away... Are you listening?'' "..." ''Obern, why are you crying, don''t cry.'' Obern wiped his tears and kept running. == "Nemi, take my hand!" "Kyaaah!" Though Emerald Academy students received various gifted education. Even if they had exceptional physical abilities including magic, they were still children. There was no child who wouldn''t be scared when people were dying and Nord people were running around with swords. Nemi Raiters was the same. She was dangling from the railing, perhaps having slipped while trying to escape. Chapter 291 The Black Snake King (2) Obern grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. "Uhuung!" She hugged Obern and cried. "Saak!" "H, what?" "Go, I said go." "Just now you said saak..." Obern pushed away Nemi Raiters. She looked back even while running away. "Um, Amain and Rania went down to save other children." "I know. Hurry and go!" Obern''s eyes were bloodshot. I knew it was from crying just before, but to Nemi''s eyes, he must have looked like an angry professor. ''Obern, this won''t do.'' I warned him so. The Nord terrorists had released the caged monsters. While there were eight teams nned for the Bestiary, there were over twenty monsters including the small ones that had been prepared. Add to that what seems like twenty Nord terrorists. The problem was that except for the one who came out first to condemn the kingdom and died, they were all disguised as civilians. What we needed to do in this chaos was clear. ''We need to cause more chaos, Obern.'' ''What nonsense!'' It''s not nonsense but snake-sense, and unlike dog-sense, snake-sense is worth listening to.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ''The chaos is this big because this is a crowded circr arena. First we need to get everyone out.'' ''But the entrance copsed.'' The terrorists probably used explosives to destroy the entrance first. But I was dumbfounded by such excuses from Obern. ''You''re all mages, aren''t you!'' Obern seemed to realize something then. While it would take forever if he tried to break through the entrance alone... "Department Head! The professors need to gather!" Other Emerald School professors were gathered here too. Though they were focused on saving students and dealing with the Nord people, Obern managed to find the Academic Affairs Department Head and gather the professors. "We need to open the entrance first with telekinesis and gravity magic to let people out." "But then the Nord bastards..." "Aren''t the children more important!" "Y-you''re right, you''re right." The Department Head''s eyes changed. By the way, what Obern was doing now wasn''t an act. The professors startedbining their power to break through the copsed entrance. And instead, Obern. ''Get up there high.'' Climbed up to the highest tform. Eyes focused on what he was trying to do. A few Nord people with vicious looks shot crossbows, but they only grazed the air and missed. "Huu, hu." ''Hold me up, Obern.'' Standing on the pointed te roof of the tform, Obern held his gnarled oak staff high above his head, his weathered hands gripping the ancient wood with fierce determination. His dark robes whipped around him in the bitter mountain wind. The view below spread out like a grim tapestry across the fortress courtyard. Flickering torchlight cast long shadows across the stone walls and packed earth. Nord peopley scattered and bleeding, their proud warrior braids stained crimson. Some clutched wounds while others remained motionless, their axes and swords fallen beside them on the cold ground. The metallic scent of blood mixed with wood smoke in the chill air. The Imperial Ambassador paused at the great iron-bound gates, his silk robes a ssh of rich purple amid the carnage. He watched the scene unfold with calcting eyes, a slight smile ying at the corners of his mouth as he turned to make his departure. His personal guard of gleaming-armored soldiers formed up around him, their boots crunching on the gravel as they escorted him away from the fortress. Rania and Amain protecting other children. And monsters running wild out of control as soon as Lady Gori hid. I felt the majesty built up in my body. Right, isn''t this what I saved it for? ¡¸Usingrge amounts of Majesty to enhance ''Crown of Ovee lv1''¡¹ ¡¸Usingrge amounts of Majesty to enhance ''Crown of Domination lv1''¡¹ Enhancing skills one by one is the secret recipe. ¡¸Using ''Crown of Ovee lv1'' to enhance ''Crown of Domination lv1''¡¹ ¡¸''Crown of Domination lv1'' temporarily changes to ''Crown of Domination lv5''¡¹ Multiplication of multiplication, and multiplication of that. It''s like squaring the enhancement coefficient. Originally I could only dominate one or two due tock of dominance power. But now. All monsters in my sight... ¡¸Completely dominating Crawler Giant Bat lv20¡¹ ¡¸Completely dominating Swamp Giant Fang Chameleon lv41¡¹ ¡¸Completely dominating Blue Horn Hog lv33¡¹ ¡¸Completely dominating Poison Thorn Long-armed Monkey lv27¡¹ ¡¸Completely dominating Lesser Evil Panda lv33¡¹ ... Among the monsters, some were biting innocent audience members. There was even a wild boar with its head buried in popcorn spilled by the audience due to hunger. But all those individuals. Nearly twenty monsters simultaneously froze. As if waiting formands, they. Looked up at me where Obern was. I signaled to Obern. ''Say something. Quickly.'' Obern hesitated very briefly before opening his mouth. "Bite them, those people." And Imanded the monsters so. The monsters urately pounced on the Nord terrorists. "Ugh, uughk!" "Dodge, retreat for now!" It was different from before. The monsters charged precisely at only the Nord people like well-trained soldiers. Each due to my guidance andmands. And that alone was enough. "Run away, run outside!" Children and audience members escaped through the cleared entrance. The terrorists tried to do the same but the monsters persistently clung to them. "That one, take out that mage first!" When someone shouted that, crossbow bolts started flying in earnest. But. Ting ting ting! Dozens of shield spells manifested around Obern. The professors below were protecting Obern. Good. Perfect. I gave new orders to the monsters. This time I had them flee outside following the audience. Among them was a gori missing both arms. Thedy''s arms were buried under Isil''s giant vines. Isil''s main body would be attached to Lady Gori''s body in shrunken form. Whoosh! Smoke and mes rose from within the vines. Those are the remains of vines left after removing Isil''s cotyledon before canceling gigantification. When the fire dies out, humans will only find Lady Gori''s prosthetic arms. ''Uwahaha!'' Perfect n. "I''m not sure if this will work." ''We just need to buy a little time, just a little!'' The professors were slowly subduing the Nord people. As I was watching that with satisfaction. ¡¸Achieved achievement ''Capital Terrorist''¡¹ No, wait. What nonsense. Why am I a terrorist! ¡¸Gained title ''ck Snake King''¡¹ What''s this now! Chapter 292 The Duel Letter (1) By instigating or bribing some Nord people. Terrorizing the Academy''s Srian attended by even the king. There were many things to gain from this operation. Sending the Third Prince to the Empire instead of the Second Prince was actually secondary. More important than that was starting a war. ''To the north, let''s bring down the iron hammer of revenge on the Nord people!'' The kingdom''s people would be enraged by this Nord terrorism. The spark ignited in their hearts would be the kingdom''s strength. They would expand military expenditure and raise troops. The operation had already seeded. There was no reason to be discovered. All the Nord people here would be killed anyway. A few bbermouths wouldn''t overturn the situation. Who could do anything about what the Chancellor, Court Count, and King had conspired together? However, every operation needs executors. While three were the nners, they needed people to directly carry out those vicious acts. And they needed very reliable and loyal ones at that. Naturally, none were more suitable than the Royal Intelligence Bureau. This was the n built up by the swallows of the Swallow''s Nest, bringing twigs in their beaks. And the practical manager of this operation was ''Ashton'', a man who had earned the trust of the Intelligence Bureau Director. Ashton was disguised as an audience member here. And he saw an amazing sight. Giant vines wrapping around a gori. Explore hidden tales at empire And the ''green giant'' whose body was made of vines. ''This is, from somewhere...'' He felt d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Though he should have never seen such a monster before, why did he feel d¨¦j¨¤ vu? And when it took down the Iron Lion Knights'' Vice Commander. "Huh, huuk!" Ashton was shocked in a way unbefitting an intelligence agent. It wasn''t just shock at the Vice Commander dying instantly. No, while that was shocking enough, there was something even more shocking. When the vines unwound and wrapped around the Vice Commander. By chance, from Ashton''s seated angle, he glimpsed inside. Sharp observation is a basic qualification for intelligence agents. Thanks to luck and training, Ashton clearly witnessed. A small, pitch-ck snake leaping at the Vice Commander from between the vines. He realized the source of his d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ''That''s definitely...'' Once, there was a major incident that shook the Intelligence Bureau. The monster wave that started from the great forest. It had torn through the kingdom and killed Hero Martein. The giant tree snake thatmanded everyone at the front of that monster wave. And on top of its head was a small ck snake that seemed to control everything. "The, the ck Snake King!" Could it be that the ck Snake King, thought to have disappeared to the Empire, remained in the kingdom? And of all ces, appearing here. Why! This was something that needed to be reported to the Director immediately. His head was spinning. He had to consider various possibilities. ''Did I see the vines wrong?'' That possibility certainly existed. Why would a monster that could be ssified as high-risk, with the potential to be a ''disaster'', suddenly appear here? Vines and snakes are simr enough in form to be mistaken. The ck Snake King probably had the ability to control other monsters. Such an extraordinary monster couldn''t bemon... "Kuhooo!" But as soon as the green giant roared. All other monsters stopped at once. ''This is definitely the ck Snake King''s ability.'' It must be the ck Snake King. Report, he needed to report this. Ashton''s head was filled with that thought. The professors gathered to break open an escape route. The Nord people were subdued more easily than expected, reducing casualties. Moreover, at some point the green giant copsed into just a pile of vines. Mystery, everything was a mystery. Although the n devised by the Intelligence Bureau and King had ultimately seeded, Ashton''s heart was uneasy. == [¡²Breaking News¡³ Great Bloodshed at the Academy! Kingdom Invaded!] The entire kingdom trembled with anger. This year''s Srian was a hot topic as two princes were participating. Since His Majesty the King decided to attend the Srian to watch the struggle of his wise princes, it was no different from a festival for the entire kingdom.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om But in the middle of this festival, cold oil was poured. No, not just that, they threw a spark on that cold oil, causing bright mes to soar high. Those wicked Nord peoplemitted acts of terrorism. It''s well known that northern cities are groaning under Nord raids. Yet they had the audacity to demandnd and resources whilemitting terrorism in Solion Impel, the kingdom''s heart. As a result of this heinous act, there are currently 23 deaths and 84 injuries. His Majesty stated he would "extract payment a hundredfold." It seems the Northern Army will be reorganized to seriously pressure the Nord people. Among those likely to be appointed as Northern Army Commander, first is Gunter Frihansen... ...(omitted) However, flowers bloom even in mes. A hero was born in this terrible terrorist situation. The protagonist is Professor Obern Grimoire, the genius produced by the kingdom whom this reporter has mentioned in several articles. Though some unreasonable people have attempted to nder him several times, it''s already well known that Chancellor Bnyar recognized his talent and appointed him as professor. This time, they say he showed outstanding performance in the Srian tragedy. ording to testimony from Ms. N, a highly reliable source within Emerald School, Chancellor Bnyar already considers Professor Obern as his rival or sessor. Currently, after the death of Marquis Martein, one seat among the 8 Heroes remains vacant. This reporter deres there is no better candidate for the new hero than Professor Obern Grimoire... ¡¸From Daily Impel, Reporter Baumet Raiters¡¹ == Obern, sitting in the waiting room, crumpled the gossip magazine. Despite having "Daily" in its name, it''s actually a weekly magazine published once a week, quite a baseless gossip rag. ''Highly reliable source Ms. N. Must be Nemi Raiters?'' This must be the only reporter who would call his own daughter an information source. Though Obern was truly grateful when he wrote articles calling him a genius before, now he feels like he could die hating him. Chapter 293 The Duel Letter (2) These days he can''t even sleep for fear the Court Count might send assassins. Saying he should be inducted into the 8 Heroes. While it''s true Obern once dreamed of that, it was when he was very young. Having gained some self-awareness, he no longer dreams such futile dreams. Now he doesn''t even have the snake with him. Obern leaned back in the waiting room chair, taking deep breaths. "Patient, pleasee in." Then a nurse called for Obern. Obern didn''t give his name. Well, many visitors to such ces prefer not to give their names. The only problem is the cost, it''s a ce frequently visited by nobles and officials who don''t worry about expenses. Opening the door revealed a space more like a reception room than an examination room. Wood-toned walls and floor. Antique furnishings and furniture. A very plush velvet sofa, and a doctor wearing a suit rather than a gown. "Patient... Yes, you say you''re experiencing severe anxiety?" The bespectacled doctor asked in a gentle voice. "Yes, that''s right." "How are you sleeping?" "...I can''t fall asleep at all." "I see. Once you do fall asleep, do you sleep deeply?" "I wake up every hour. And when I wake up, my whole body is drenched in cold sweat." "Hmm..." Yes. What Obern visited was a psychiatric clinic. In the capital Solion Impel, there were even clinics specializing in treating only mental illnesses and suffering. They say it''s especially frequented by officials overwhelmed by heavy workloads... "Why are you so anxious?" "...I feel like everything is about to copse. Everything I''ve built..." "Do you usually have a heavy workload?" "Yes." "There are various causes for anxiety bing excessive... heavy workload being a prime example." The doctor said a few routine things. But Obern couldn''t listen seriously to the doctor''s words. Because there was a clear cause for his anxiety. ''The Court Count is going to kill me.'' The Court Count will destroy Obern. There could be dozens of methods swirling through his mind as he sat in the dimly lit study, each possibility more intricate than thest. The weight of the decision pressed down on him like a physical burden. He could send assassins to do it cleanly, or use the fact that he killed Cobent to throw him in prison. "Never mind... just give me medicine." "Well, alright. First, juice extracted from herbs to help you sleep well, and for anxiety..." Just as the doctor was about to write a prescription half-heartedly. "Ah! Aah!" "W-what''s wrong?" "Aren''t you Professor Obern!" The half-hearted doctor suddenly jumped up. And hugged Obern tightly. Explore more at empire Obern shuddered, getting goosebumps for a moment. "I''m Eddie Lapis''s father!" "Eddie..." "The second-year student whose life you saved in the arena!" He couldn''t remember. But the doctor''s expression was so bright he had no choice but to nod. "To have the chance to serve a hero at my hospital... Oh my, perhaps a detailed examination..." "No, that''s fine. Just give me the medicine." "But that''s... Ah, right!" And he hurriedly pulled out paper and pen. "Um, perhaps an autograph..." "..." Obern''s chest tightened and his hands grew mmy as anxiety crept through his body. The familiar sensations of an impending panic attack made him want to flee the sterile medical office. But in the end he had no choice but to give an autograph. Because the doctor waived the expensive consultation fee. Being poor was truly pitiful, a constant reminder that even minor kindnesses came with strings attached. The indignity of trading on his fading fame just to ess basic healthcare made his stomach churn. "Haah..." He walked with heavy steps. Returning to Emerald School, he headed to the professor research wing. The stairs up to his research room felt especially high today. And in front of the research room. There was a sign posted on the door. ''Absolutely No Entry. -Obern Grimoire.'' Posted to prevent even cleaners from entering. But sure enough. Thump, thoom. There wasmotion inside. Obern frowned and opened the door. "Kuhoong!" And inside, an armless gori was spinning round and round. Where arms should be, a snake that had grown to the size of gori forearms was hanging.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Saak!" "Ah, got it boss!" And the gori swung the snake attached to its arm like its own fist. At a human-shaped scarecrow. Bang! The snake''s head collided with the scarecrow''s head. The scarecrow''s neck snapped but. "B-boss!" The snake also passed out, going limp. Obern was dumbfounded. ''What in the world is this nonsense.'' The snake, returned to its original size, regained consciousness after a moment. It naturally climbed onto Obern''s shoulder. "What were you doing?" ''We were experimenting with me being Lady Gori''s arms.'' "And?" ''Looks like we''ll need helmets to do it properly.'' The seriousness made it even more absurd. The snake had seeded in helping escape the gori that had broken the Second Prince''s limbs. And of all ces, hid that gori in Obern''s research room. Since they couldn''t smuggle her outside, it couldn''t be helped. The problem was that Obern had to take care of the gori''s mess. The gori mumbled sheepishly. "P-professor. We''re out of food..." Obern had to regrly bring in enormous amounts of food and bananas. Even more terrible was the bathroom issue. The gori''s size was enormous, so both intake and output amounts were tremendous. He had to unclog the toilet several times. Because of that, he had borrowed a plunger three times just this week. Unsavory rumors that Obern ate huge amounts of bananas and had huge bowel movements were about to spread in the academy. "Haah..." Just as Obern sighed and looked at his desk. He was startled. A red envelope was ced on the desk. "W-who came in?" ''No, someone slipped the letter through the door gap and put it on the desk.'' Obern sighed in relief, stroking his chest. "Who would..." ''It''s from the Chancellor.'' "The Chancellor?" ''Yeah, I didn''t open it politely so I don''t know the contents, but it''s probably a duel letter?'' For a moment Obern thought he had misheard. A duel letter? The Chancellor, sending him a duel letter? But the bright red envelope, the crossed swords drawn on the envelope''s surface. The Chancellor''s seal sealing the letter. It was unmistakably a duel letter. Obern hurriedly opened the letter. Chapter 294 Rising Again (1) ''ck Snake King? Puhaha!'' The snakeughed before even finishing the joke. Lady Gori picked up on the joke. "Sh-shield not snake king~ U, hohoho." "Sasasasak!" The snake and gori looked at each other and burst intoughter. Obern couldn''t understand the meaning. Setting aside how terribly unfunny the joke was, wasn''t it enough to tell it once or twice? The problem was that the snake and gori had already repeated this joke dozens of times. Moreover, theyughed like that every time they told the joke, which was just surprising and astounding. Did they not know what boredom was? So Obern asked the gori. Did she understand what the joke meant? "Don''t know..." When he then asked why sheughed. "Because bossughs... When bossughs, I also, like it. Uhoho." Even Obern couldn''t help but feel touched by that. What amazing loyalty. Surprisingly, Obern came to feel respect for the monster gori. After that, he would force augh whenever the snake made unfunny jokes. But now. Now even Obern couldn''t possiblyugh. Because of the duel letter before his eyes. Crackle. Unknown magical power flowed through the letter paper. The contents written were: ¡¸As one who walks the path of magic with you, I have been admiring your lofty realm. Thus, I carefully wish to engage in serious academic exchange...¡¹ Though decorated with proper etiquette and flowery words. It was indeed a duel letter. Of course, it wasn''t a duel like knights or fighters who risk their lives. It was the mages'' way, more elegant and less bloody than theirs. In short, an invitation topete in magic. However, regardless. The fact remained that Chancellor Bnyar, a real great archmage, had challenged Obern, a mere genius upstart, to a magic duel. Why on earth! ''He must have heard about your impressive performance.'' The snake, who had read the letter together,mented so. ''By the way, the Chancellor is really shameless, letting people die like that. Even if no students died, it''s too much.'' The snake spoke as if growling. Though usually indifferent to people dying, it deeply cared about the students it had taught. Anyway, Obern sympathized. Who would have thought that Chancellor who always acted like an ignorant boy with his constant giggling had plotted such a huge conspiracy. ''Let''s punish him, let''spletely crush him, Obern.'' ''No, how could I...'' ''If I help... No, that still wouldn''t work.'' Though there was that time when the snake''s help let him save face in front of the Chancellor. That great archmage didn''t seem to realize the snake on the staff had used tricks. But this time the situation was different. Though magic duels have various forms, they''re basically head-on confrontations. It would be hard to match up against Bnyar who had already reached the realm of great archmage. ''Then just refuse, man.'' ''Ah, that would work.'' How about that. The snake said something right. Just as Obern felt distressed that he hadn''t thought of what the snake had thought of. Knock knock knock. Someone knocked on the door. The gori hurriedly tried to hide, but there was no way that bulk could hide behind the sofa. Who could it be? "You read the letter! It''s me, the Chancellor. I''ming in." "You can''t!" "Eh?" "I''lle out." Obern barely managed to stop the Chancellor from opening the door first by going out himself. "Didn''t I write ''No Entry''?" "Well, I thought we were close enough that I could enter." Close? What kind of rtionship did we have? "Don''t worry. I didn''t enter before either. That''s why I just slipped the letter in." "Yes... About that duel letter." "You''re not going to refuse, are you?" He was nning to refuse. "Refusing is not allowed." "...Ick the skills." "What nonsense is that? I heard everything. Your performance in the circr arena."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Then the snake muttered, ''Wow,pletely shameless.'' Obern agreed. Hadn''t he abandoned the students and escaped with just the royalty? "You think I''m incredibly shameless, right?" Hit the nail on the head. Obern maintained his poker face. "I don''t know what the Court Count told Professor Grimoire, but surely you don''t believe everything that old fox said?" "..." Was the Court Count lying? Then which parts were lies? "I prioritized evacuating the royalty, but that was unavoidable due to my contract with the royal family. The same goes for the children. I made arrangements so they wouldn''t die. Actually, no one died, right?" "That''s hard to believe." "Youck faith, young Obern. Anyway, refusing is not allowed." Chancellor Bnyar almost whined. It wasn''t strange given his boyish appearance, but the snakemented ''ugh'' from the side. "Let''s do spear and shield style. And I''ll only use one hand. Spells under 1 minute for me, under 3 minutes for Professor Grimoire. If I win, nothing happens, if Professor Obern wins, I''ll grant a wish." You might think what use is a wish from a gnome, moreover an old gnome inside. But a wish from Great Archmage Bnyar was no ordinary matter. "Well, I''m not afraid of the Court Count either. You know what I mean?" "...I understand." Obern reflexively nodded at those words. "Great! Then let''s meet at Laurel Square at noon tomorrow!" "Haah..." The Chancellor disappeared with quick steps. ''Well, even if there''s no chance of winning, there''s nothing to lose.'' ''True.'' ''As long as we keep it quiet. We''ll just have to try our best...'' With the snake''s help, he might avoid major embarrassment. But Obern soon recalled an important fact. ''Wait... Did he say the location was the square?'' ''He did?'' ''If it''s the square, spectators will...'' Having spectators was not wee - especially the wide-eyed gawkers who seemed to materialize from thin air whenever conflict erupted, their eager faces hungry for entertainment at others'' expense. If they duel in the square, students and professors will gather in droves, pressing against each other like fish in a barrel, their whispers and spection spreading through the crowd like wildfire. The cobblestones would be a stage for their unwanted performance. Obern clutched his head as he realized, his fingers digging into his temples while cold sweat beaded on his forehead. The weight of impending disaster settled heavily on his shoulders, making his stomach churn. He was in danger of public humiliation - the kind that would echo through the halls for months toe, following him like a shadow and coloring every interaction with snickers and sideways nces. His reputation, carefully maintained over years, could shatter in moments. That''s when. ''Obern.'' The snake spoke seriously. Chapter 295 Rising Again (2) ''You know that great archmage ghost I said was attached to me?'' ''What?'' The snake had mentioned something like that before. Thinking it was nonsense, he had just ignored it. ''He says not to worry. He''ll help.'' ''Ah...'' ''Says he''ll crush that arrogant gnome mage''s pride.'' ''I-I see.'' Obern just nodded for now. == No matter how harsh and merciless this world is. And even though the Emerald School Academy was an institution that trained mages and knights. The terrorism at the circr arena left a deep wound. Especially the children who survived there were left with scars on their bodies and minds. It was natural that scheduled lectures were suspended. But at the same time, being young, the Emerald School students had resilience. They soon came to enjoy this unnned vacation. The same was true for Rania, Amain, and the returned Phili. They gathered in the dormitory''smon room that they could all use. Rania attempting knitting while practically lying down in an armchair.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Amain reading a book. And for some reason, Phili fidgeting restlessly. Yes. Phili''s mind was currently full of worries. ''How should I say it?'' He had something important to tell his friends, a secret that had been weighing heavily on his mind for weeks now. Every time he thought about sharing it, his hands would grow mmy and his heart would race. How to bring it up. He was very worried about how his friends would react. It might have been easier if he had this kind of experience a few times before. But this was Phili''s first time making friends in the first ce. With the Srian suspended, their passion burning for victory had cooled like a lie. Maybe that''s why Rania was enthusiastically knitting despite it not suiting her. ''Let me at least try saying something.'' Phili gathered his courage and opened his mouth. "Hey guys..." "Emergency! Emergencyyyy!" That''s when Nemi Raiters came running. With injuries on her hands still not healed, she appeared waving her bandaged arm enthusiastically. "What is it, not going to look at Daily Impel?" Rania said without even looking at Nemi. Until recently, Nemi had been running around everywhere telling people to read Daily Impel with her father''s article. "That''s not it. The emergency is..." "Ah! Right. How is it? I''m making this with a new knitting technique I learned." "What a nice sock!" "It''s not a sock, it''s a glove..." "Anyway that''s not what''s important." "It is important..." Rania muttered. But Nemi ignored her and shouted. "Professor Obern and Chancellor Bnyar are going to have a showdown!" "A showdown... you say?" "Yeah, a duel!" Even Amain who was reading a book jumped up showing interest. "A magic duel? When?" "Now, soon? At Laurel Square." "Let''s go!" "Everyone must be going to watch already." Rania put away her knitting and Phili stood up too. Though he couldn''t tell his friends what he wanted to... ''I need to tell them... that I''m going to the Empire.'' There would be another chance to tell them soon. The children hurried to Laurel Square. Laurel Square was subtly too small to be called a "square." It could be described as more of an open space with gstonesid on the ground. Its characteristic was theurel trees nted around it. Traditionally, magic duels were often held at Laurel Square. "Wow, everyone''s here." Somehow students were already swarming. They were all bored. "Let''s go to the front, pressing through!" Nemi shamelessly shouted that to make a path. Though students made way, it wasn''t really thanks to Nemi. It was because Prince Phili was in their group. Thanks to that, they were able to stand at the very front. ording to the arrangement of carvings on the gstones, Obern and the Chancellor stood facing each other. "They say it''ll be spear and shield style." "Spear and shield?" Phili asked. Nemi was knowledgeable about everything. "It''s the mostmonly used style of magic duel because it''s especially intense. They take turns with one person attacking and one person defending." "Isn''t that too dangerous...?" "Since they''re not trying to kill each other butpeting in magical realms, above all they have to cast very slowly. If throwing a fireball, it must be thrown very slowly." Amain cut in. "It''s harder to use magic slowly." "Right, so you lose if you seriously injure or kill your opponent." Of course, such a victory wouldn''t be honorable. "They decide who attacks first with a coin toss... Ah!" Obern chose heads, and the coin came up heads. Obern would attack first. He would make his best attack first, and the Chancellor would break through that magic head-on. "How do you think it will turn out?" Rania asked so. Of course the Chancellor''s chances of winning should be overwhelmingly high. But somehow it didn''t feel that way. No, did they want Obern to win? "Well." Then Nemi spoke up. She pushed up her sses and said. "Maybe... fifty-fifty?" "No way..." "My father agreed with my assessment too." Nemi subtly pointed at Obern. "Look at the professor''s expression." Obern was, as always, expressionless. An iron will showing not the slightest tremor. Who else could be so confident before a great archmage? "We might be witnessing the birth of a new hero." Nemi said with conviction. == Thump thump thump thump. That was the sound of Obern''s heart pounding. Since even I on his staff could hear it, it was clear how nervous Obern was. But at least his expression was proper, that''s Obern for you. "How pathetic." The one who condemned the rather admirable Obern with contempt was Pelerian. "To be scared without even knowing who is helping him." Obern doesn''t know Pelerian''s identity. He just thinks I''m helping to some extent. "Snake, tell that stupid fellow to create a fireball at maximum output." ''Yes, Obern!'' Obern startled to attention and began chanting. ''To hell with it, all or nothing!'' That''s what he shouted mentally. But in my opinion, there was no need to worry. "The movement of magical power is quite chaotic. Much to refine." From Pelerian''s fingertips now moving, magical power was clearly being emitted. Heaven Defier. He had begun to regain his magic. Chapter 296 The Outcome of the Match (1) ''I feel like I''m going to die.'' Obern muttered internally. He gathered all the magical power he possessed. "Ingens, Sphaera mmae..." Obern could create basic fireballs without incantation. But the reason he deliberately used his staff while chantingplex incantations was to create thergest fireball he could make. And so he did. The fireball grew. Originally, a fist-sized fireball is the most basic size. It gradually grew to the size of a human head. Then grew to the diameter of a wagon wheel. Finally, a fireballrger than Obern''s height waspleted. zing heat. Gasps of admiration erupted from the watching students. "Wow, what an enormous fireball." "Can we even call that a fireball anymore..." The massive fireball had an overwhelming presence. But the Chancellor who had to break through it just smiled. "What a waste of magical power? You won''t be able to do anything else after draining your magic like that." Those with knowledge of magic would find it puzzling. No matter how much you inte a fireball''s output, it''s still a fireball. While it might be good for quickly strikingmon soldiers on the battlefield, a fireball for a slow head-on confrontation now? In reality, the Chancellor could probably extinguish this huge fireball with just a finger flick. "Such an arrogant gnome." However, by our side. We have Great Archmage Pelerian. ''Old man! Since when could you use magic!'' "Not long ago." ''Why did you keep it secret? Are you ying around?'' "..." To me, it was extremely suspicious. Perhaps he was nning to use magic to escape from me when the time came? Pelerian, who had been hesitating, suddenly burst out in anger. "You fool! Isn''t it enough that I''m telling you now!" ''Well, that''s true but...'' That was what I was curious about. While everyone knows Pelerian is crafty, to reveal so readily that he regained his magic. And under the pretext of helping Obern at that. They say when usually crafty people suddenly be honest, it''s time for them to die. I was genuinely worried about Pelerian. ''Come to think of it, he''s already dead...'' "What nonsense! You hurry and chant Thunder Spirit." ''Thunder Spirit?'' "Yes, summon lightning I say. Even if I can handle magic, my own magical power is infinitely close to 0. I need to utilize your and this human''s magical power." Thunder Spirit isn''t magic. But in terms of using lightning power, it has effects simr to magic. However, there''s a problem. ''Won''t it be obvious it''s not magic? And the Chancellor might recognize...'' "Trust me." Pelerian saying that looked very reliable. "Call down lightning, at your maximum output." ''Alright. Hup!'' "Are you joking!" Before I could even use Thunder Spirit, Pelerian exploded in anger. "I said show me your best!" How scary. I got intimidated for a moment. However, if he says that much, showing my best would be the natural thing to do. ¡¸Using Majesty to enhance ''Crown of Connection lv1''¡¹ Maximizing the staff''s magic amplification effect. ¡¸Using Majesty to enhance ''Crown of Ovee lv2''¡¹ ¡¸Using Crown of Ovee lv2 to surpass Thunder Spirit lv3''s limit¡¹ ¡¸Thunder Spirit lv3 temporarily bes Thunder Spirit lv6¡¹ Magic. Pouring it all in. Feeling like I''ll turn to mush with just my skin remaining. Rumble- Thunder rolled in the clear sky. Even the students, and even the Chancellor looked up at the sky. Though there were no clouds, sparks crackled in the air. Some students'' hair stood on end. I reflexively gulped. Lightning that even my electric resistance couldn''t handle was about to strike. Please, Pelerian do well. And The moment lightning struck. Pelerian''s form seemed to be slightly blurry. Lightning''s speed far surpasses the speed of sound. Crackle-boom! No matter how good my reflexes are, I could only observe the lightning after it had already struck. And I saw it. Instead of striking me, the lightning wrapped around Obern''s fireball. Must be the work of Pelerian''s proudly extended finger. ''Tell the human to let go! Release the fireball!''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ''B-but they say it will explode... oh whatever!'' Obern squeezed his eyes shut and released control of the fireball. Sure enough, the fireball writhed as if about to explode. Screams came from among the children. But our Pelerian. "Watch, snake. I stepped forward to show you." He now had both hands spread. He was clearly controlling the fireball wrapped in electricity. Mysteriously, neither the Thunder Spirit''s lightning nor the fireball''s mes disappeared, but intertwined with each other. "This is a path you too must eventually take." And that intertwining grew faster and faster. As if they were fusing together. "Fusion of elemental magic. Forced synthesis." Ah, I think I''ve seen this in Na*uto. "Combining the properties of lightning and me." It''s the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken! "Lightning me!" And the lightning and mes intertwined to form the shape of a dragon. It opened its mouth wide and flew toward the Chancellor. Crackle-boom! Making a sound like tearing through the air as it moved. Chancellor Bnyar smiled while breaking into a cold sweat. "Are you nning to kill everyone here?" He took out his staff and formed barrier shields. Tremendous magical power surged. "Hmph, acting dramatic when it''s not even something you can''t block." The clearly more transparent Pelerian snorted. And the barrier shields kept increasing in number. Oneyer, twoyers, fouryers, eightyers, sixteenyers, thirty-twoyers... Eventually hundreds of shieldyers. Crash-bang! Were instantly shattered and torn apart. But the dragon made of lightning me was also torn apart as it got caught in those barriers. "Need to block the explosion too." Heaven Defier''s magic was especially famous for being vicious. When the dragon''s form scattered, the concentrated magical power tried to explode all at once. The shocked Bnyar stepped forward himself. He gathered magical power in both hands and staff to suppress the explosion. Crackle-sizzle- Sparks shed in his hair and smoke rose from his hands. Finally he barely managed to scatter all the mes and lightning. "Haa, haha..." The Chancellor was in quite a state. Chapter 297 The Outcome of the Match (2) His hair was sticking out in all directions and steam was rising from his whole body. "Better than expected. What wonderful magic." And instead of giving thanks, Obern coldly said. "It''s my victory." "What?" "You used both hands." "Ah..." Indeed he had. The Chancellor''s initial condition was that he would only use one hand for casting. But from the start when creating the barrier shields, he used both hands. Obern didn''t miss that and pointed it out. ''This cunning fellow...!'' If it were me, I would have said something like ''You were supposed to use one hand but used both. So that means I win, right? You admit it?'' And received contemptuous looks from people. But Obern who spoke briefly and proudly... "Waaaaaah!" "Insane!" Received tremendous cheers from the students. "Grimoire! Grimoire!" "Professor! Uwaaaaah!" Right now, Obern''s poprity among the students was truly soaring. Because there were many who remembered his performance in the circr arena. Even in my ears, notifications of rising majesty kept ringing. Wee news since I had used up a lot of majesty. "Haha, I admit it. It is my loss." Unexpectedly, the Chancellor easily admitted his defeat. While ending with suchughter might have been Obern''s wish, things didn''t flow that way. "Though it''s true I lost. Ending like this wouldn''t be proper courtesy to the audience." "...?" "This time I''ll take up the spear. Let''s see how well you can block!" Bnyar shouted spiritedly. What Obern miscalcted was that public sentiment toward him had risen far too high. To the extent that quite a few students genuinely believed Obern was on par with the Chancellor. "Waaah! Grimoiiiire! Grimoiiiire!" "Professor Obernnnn!" "Professor! Show us!" "Prove it!" Though not sure what they wanted proven. Obern''s back became drenched in sweat. He thought ''I should refuse'' but unfortunately, hecked the courage to back out here. "Huuu-!" While unsure how old the gnome Chancellor really is, he must be older than expected. Because his amount of magical power was tremendous. Bright red masses of magical power started forming behind his back. It was a basic magic that any mage would recognize. "Magic Missile!" Or magic bullets. By the way, though I didn''t learn it because Pelerian said it was useless, it''s apparently like a basic qualification for mages. Something battle mages definitely learn as basic magic. Was he trying to match up using the same method as Obern''s fireball? "What can he do with non-elemental magic..." Seems the Chancellor too was trying to do something amazing by applying basic magic. The red magical masses increased one, two, four, eight. Growing countless until nearly 100. "Pration power, rotation. A recent, not old realization." But those magical masses transformed into missile-like shapes. Finally they even started rotating like drills. Whirrr- The pressure they gave off was no ordinary matter. Even Pelerian who had consistently ignored the Chancellor admired it. "Magic missiles with form transformation! Quite skillful." Seems it''s more amazing magic than it appears. Though Obern''s expression was calm. ''Save me!'' He was begging me for his life. I naturally expected Pelerian''s performance but. "I can''t do anything more. If I do more I''ll disappear." ''Gasp.'' That can''t happen. ''Obern, just block what you can, take a few hits and end it.'' ''Damn it!'' And Obern hurriedly started using shield magic. But unlike the Chancellor who created hundreds ofyers of barrier shields, Obern''s shield magic wasn''t very impressive. The Chancellor started firing the magic missiles. Crash, crash! One magic missile destroys oneyer of Obern''s shield. A slowly approaching threat to life still numbering close to a hundred. Magic surges everywhere as shields break. And at that moment. I realized this might be a chance that wouldn''te again. ''A chance to steal skills...'' From Gunter''s case, I learned that I couldn''t carelessly steal skills from masters. But what about head-on? Wasn''t now the chance, with magic surging everywhere? I focused my eyes to observe the Chancellor. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [???Chancellor Bnyar ???lv???] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ His status window was still hard to see, being covered. But that didn''t matter. What I wanted was just to steal some usable skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] ...[Magic Maniac], [Mask]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Beyond traits. To skills. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ...[Gravity Magic lv20], [Telekic Wave lv20]... ...[Magic Defense lv20], [Barrier Magic lv10], [Fear lv20], [Concealment lv20]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Which one should I steal? I need to consider the possibility that I might not be able to steal it. One should only swallow what one can digest. However, something caught my eye. ''Wait, if I just have this one, wouldn''t the otherse with it?'' There was prey that seemed to have good cost-effectiveness. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Form Change Magic Missile: Rotation lv10, Adhesion lv10, Explosion lv10] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Perhaps... "Are you not going to do anything? I won''t stop until you show something!" The Chancellor showed no signs of stopping his magic. Obern''s face turned pale as he gave his all. Hmm, looks like I need to step in. I made a bold choice. ¡¸Using Majesty to enhance Crown of Steal lv4¡¹ Just in case, I poured in all remaining majesty to enhance Crown of Steal. And, subtly. As discreetly as possible. ¡¸Using Crown of Steal lv4¡¹ I slightly borrowed the Chancellor''s magic. Not stealing, just borrowing. ¡¸Temporarily gained Form Change Magic Missile: Rotation lv3¡¹ Was it a failure? No. ¡¸Temporarily gained Form Change Magic Missile: Adhesion lv3¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily gained Form Change Magic Missile: Explosion lv3¡¹ Sess! After gaining three skills, I immediately used one of them. ¡¸Using Form Change Magic Missile: Explosion lv3¡¹ Right in front of me.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om That is, three red magic missiles rose from Obern''s staff. Spherical magic missiles. They flew slowly, went between the Chancellor''s magic missiles and exploded. Bang bang bang-! Though not strong enough to block all the magic missiles, it was enough to disrupt their trajectories. In this situation where magic missiles would fly everywhere. When even the student spectators were about to be in danger, the Chancellor finally withdrew his magic. The magic missiles scattered and disappeared in the air. "What did you do?" He asked with a serious expression. To Obern who didn''t know how to answer, I told him. ''Say it like this.'' And Obern opened his mouth. "I merely tried to imitate your magic." After a moment of silence. The Chancellorughed in disbelief. "You really are a genius, Professor." It was undoubtedly acknowledgment and admiration. Obern''s victory was dered. "Waaaaaah!" The students cheered once again. Chapter 298 Is It My Fault? (1) Gnomes love tea. Their sensitive and sharp senses might not suit strong and bitter coffee. Naturally, Chancellor Bnyar''s office also had his tea collection. He brewed the tea himself. The fragrant aroma of tea leaves that onlye from a small southern city in the Empire filled the office. "Here, please drink." And he offered a teacup to Obern. Obern first smelled the tea''s aroma with an elegant posture. Then took a sip. "It''s fragrant." Admiration that burst out inevitably. Despite, or perhaps because of being tense, the tea''s fragrance was especially remarkable. ''I want to try it too!'' So envious. I couldn''t taste the tea because I was solidified like a crystal decoration on Obern''s staff. Should I ask Obern to request some tea leaves? "I''ll pack some tea leaves for you to take home." "Ah, thank you." Even Chancellor Bnyar, who usually seemed somewhat frivolous, looked serious now. After Obern''s victory in the duel, Bnyar invited him to his office. The Chancellor spoke lightly. "Congrattions on bing the new 8th Hero." "Cough, kack! Cough!" Obern choked and sprayed his tea. The Chancellor wiped the tea off his face whileughing heartily. "Your joke is too much." "Too much? I''m serious though?" "What do you..." "Do you think the 8 Heroes are chosen by vote? If people call someone a hero, they be a hero. So it''s actually like a poprity vote." Despite being sshed with tea, the Chancellor just kept smiling. "Even before, there was talk about you being the new 8th Hero from your previous achievements, and now you''ve even beaten me in a duel. Despite my appearance, I''m always mentioned when discussing the strongest among the 8 Heroes." One shouldn''t try to guess the Chancellor''s full power from what he showed in the duel. His real ability is iparable to that. I could tell just from glimpsing his status window. "Articles will probably be all over tomorrow. Nemi was among the spectators after all." "Did you see? Daily Impel..." "I''m an avid reader of Daily Impel." "Reading such a third-rate gossip magazine will damage your honor, Chancellor." Bnyar giggled. "No need to worry too much. Nothing really changes from bing a hero... moreover, Obern is now..." "Yes?" "Nothing." Clearly a tone suggesting he''s hiding something. ''How nice! I want to be a hero too.'' I''m jealous of Obern. Being one of the kingdom''s 8 Heroes. In wuxia terms, it''s like bing one of the Divine Twelve Guardians, one of the kingdom''s strongest. Of course, probably 90% of that fame is built on exaggeration. But still, I''m jealous! I want to be a hero too. There should be a fairy cutting in curtly here saying ''What hero could a monster be, stop this nonsense.'' But Pelerian who should do that was currently taking a deep sleep inside the ring. He seemed extremely tired from using power in the duel. The Chancellor brought up another surprising topic. "I actually suspected you were a fake." "Pfft!" "Ahaha..." Bnyar wiped tea off his face once again. "Sometimes you seemed talented, other times not so much." "Ah..." "You showed many unconventional magics. Genius that shed with ideas different from the very conception, ideas I couldn''t figure out how you came up with. But the magic you usually show is too crude." "..." "So. It''s like there''s a great archmage inside your head, and you yourself are just an ordinary mage doing what that great archmage in your head tells you to... Was that exnation tooplicated? Anyway, that was the impression. Don''t think too deeply about it, it''s nonsense." Not thinking deeply about it is. I barely held back my scales from standing on end from the goosebumps. Is this what makes a great archmage a great archmage, Chancellor Bnyar''s insight was extraordinary. It''s remarkable that he didn''t discover my existence. "But this time I was truly impressed. To instantly copy my magic missiles, and even apply them differently." "Ah..." Bnyar''s magic missiles weren''t simple basic magic. They were magic missiles with form transformation added, like rotating chakra to create a spiral sphere. And I showed the talent to instantly copy that. Of course, thanks to the Crown of Steal skill but... "Well, I feel bad for suspecting you... and I made a promise, so I should grant it." The Chancellor finally brought that up. "Granting a wish. Say anything you want." We had already reached an agreement about this with Obern. Obern slightly removed the mask he was wearing. He grabbed the Chancellor''s hands and said. "Please save me." No, isn''t that removing the mask too much? "The Court Count will try to kill me. Please stop that from happening." "Ah... That''s what you were worried about." However, the Chancellor wore a strange smile. "Don''t worry. Even if the sky falls, there''s a hole to survive through." "Then..." "Well, there''s only one option left, right?" The Chancellor seems to have quite a bag of tricks. Hearing his suggestion, Obern let out a strange moan that was neither exmation nor sigh. "...Will it be alright?" "Will it be alright, you ask?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The Chancellor''s solution wasn''t something Obern hadn''t thought of. However, the problem was that it wasn''t something that could be done just because you want to. "We can do it this way. I approve, and His Majesty the King will probably approve too." After hearing the Chancellor''s detailed exnation, we could only p our knees and tails in realization. == There are many secrets in the world. Among those secrets are ones that must never be revealed. Ones that don''t matter whether they''re revealed or not. And ones that cannot be revealed. The n devised jointly by the Court Count, King, and Great Archmage Bnyar. Which kind of secret was this conspiracy to change the kingdom''s fate? It could be said to be all three. The wicked conspiracy shouldn''t be revealed to the people. Whether revealed or not doesn''t matter as the kingdom has already started preparing for the northern conquest war. Also, it was too absurd a secret for anyone to believe even if someone talked about it. It was the handiwork of the Court Count, one of the n''s originators. Though his skill was ghostlike, even that cruel fox recently made one mistake. The fact that he thought he hadpletely captured one human, but that wasn''t the case. That target was Obern Grimoire. The Court Count wanted to make that talented young man his subordinate. Despite very effective threats, Obern didn''t break his resolve, that was the Court Count''s first mistake. Should we say his second mistake was not killing him on the spot because his advantage seemed too clear? In just a few days, Obern became one of the 8 Heroes. Chapter 299 Is It My Fault? (2) The Court Count knew whose scheme this was. "Bnyar, you cunning old child." It was clearly the work of Bnyar, a fellow 8 Hero and great archmage. Obern had be a big shot. However, still, still he should be manageable to deal with. The Court Count''s close aide urged to quickly remove future trouble. And the old foxmanded. "Kill him." Though he added. "It might be toote already. Tsk tsk." With orders given, they must be carried out. The Court Count''s power extends evenly up and down. His tentacles reach into that darkness, and among them were those who made assassination their profession. ''Kill Obern Grimoire.'' That was the mission assigned to the assassin. One with no connection to the Court Count except information about the target. But his skill was such that being called top ss wouldn''t be strange. After all, it was a job to kill a new hero. The assassin sessfully waited for his chance. On a day when Obern left Emerald School to go out. At a daytime caf¨¦. Obern drinking coffee at an outdoor terrace table. The assassin sat in the next seat like an ordinary citizen. Smoking, reading a newspaper. Disguising his purpose. However, his toe was clearly aimed at Obern''s exposed neck. From the specially made shoe''s toe. An invisible silver needle would be fired. Whoosh. And the assassin felt a cold sensation digging into his own neck. His body stiffened. The one who paralyzed him by pressing somewhere on his neck with a brush tip was wearing Empire clothing. "Shh." The assassin turned just his eyeballs to look at Obern. Was the target eliminated? No, he wasn''t. A woman also wearing Empire clothing brushed off the silver needle stuck in her sleeve. "My, good thing we were guarding him." "...What was that." "An assassin, what else?" The assassin''s mission failed. Obern looked at the assassin with a pale face. Though unsure how they did it, the guards hadpletely subdued him and tied him up. "I''ll interrogate him. Though nothing wille of it and knowing won''t change anything." "...Thank you." To think the Court Count would really send an assassin. Obern sighed in relief. If he had been even slightlyte in visiting the Imperial Ambassador, Obern might have lost his life now. ''It''s okay, I was watching.'' Even if the snake says so, it needs to be believable. Obern visited the Imperial Ambassador as the Chancellor advised. The Imperial Ambassador weed Obern and even assigned guards. As if knowing there would be assassination attempts from the Court Count. ''These ones really do look strong.'' However, he didn''t say he would be the Ambassador''s subordinate as initially proposed. ''Since Phili is going to the Empire.'' Prince Phili would be going to the Empire for "study abroad" instead of Second Prince Leon. And Obern. ''I will be Phili''s dedicated teacher...'' The format was that Obern would follow as Phili''s master. Surprisingly, that proposal was immediately epted. Obern''s journey to the Empire was decided in an instant. The Chancellor''s influence might have been involved here. ''A prince''s master.'' Though he already taught the prince at Emerald School, this is different.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Being a royal tutor is far more honorable. ''You might be the king''s teacher someday.'' ''Could that happen?'' As the snake said, that day mighte. Though it''s too vague a future for now. ''Let''s hurry back, the party will start.'' The snake said so. Phili and Obern would leave for the Empire. Though suddenly decided, it would be best to tell everyone as soon as possible. And the snake strongly insisted they should have a "farewell party." "I should return to the school now." We''ll escort you there too. The original Imperial Ambassador''s guards quietly withdrew. Feeling burdened, Obern rose from his seat. == "You traitor!" Rania said that while starting to beat up Phili. Actually it wasn''t real beating but more like affectionate roughhousing. "Ugh!" Of course from Phili''s perspective, it wasn''t such cute pain. It couldn''t be helped. "Only telling us 3 days before leaving..." Because he kept meaning to tell them about going to the Empire but ended up only saying it with 3 days left. Rania''s anger was understandable. From her perspective, it was also herst chance to hit the prince. "S-sorry..." "How could you, even if it couldn''t be helped." If I hadn''t nned the farewell party, he might have only told them the day before leaving. "My my." Surprisingly, the one smiling gently was Princess Lily. She participated in this modest farewell party being held in the Emerald School professor''s research room. "You get along so well... I''m jealous." Princess Lily who had a terribly awkward rtionship with Phili. But the terrorism at the circr arena actually helped improve the rtionship between the half-siblings. Though the old grievances probably haven''tpletely melted away yet. ''Well done, well done!'' I patted Lily''s shoulder. "Oh my, what is it saying?" "Ah... the snake, um, probably saying wee..." Rania said awkwardly. Since Lily still probably couldn''t guess my exact identity. By the way, Lady Gori had no choice but to hide among the luggage covered in white cloth. Rania called out to Amain. "Amain! Come hit Phili too!" But Amain didn''t answer. He just stood there nkly. He had a shocked expression, but was the news of leaving that shocking? That''s when. Tears suddenly fell from Amain''s eyes. Why is he suddenly crying. "Too... too..." I looked at Amain in surprise. Too...? "That''s too cruel, Master!" Then he threw down his drink ss and ran out. Tears sparkled as they fell. Amain mmed the door shut as he left. "My... He must have really respected Professor Obern." Lily said so. Since those leaving included Obern and me. ''Uh, uhh.'' Even though I''m not very perceptive, I was taken aback for a moment. "Why, why is he like this... This is troubling." Roil, who was invited along with Lily, was also flustered. He muttered to me quietly. "He followed the master more than I did. Seems he was shocked by the sudden news." ''This...'' I suddenly realized. ''Is, is it my fault!'' Chapter 300 A New Name (1) In middle school. At the start of the semester. I, naturally, had no friends. Not that I wascking anything, probably, when I say naturally. The thing is, to make friends you need to have conversations, and that was the problem. Everyone already seemed close, so how could I join in their conversations and be close too? When I went home and told my parents, they just said "Why can''t you make friends when everyone else can? You don''t take after me at all..." So I posted a question on Facebuuk. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Question: Hello, I''m a middle school student and I don''t know how to make friends.] Please teach me how to make friends. Will give knowledge points. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om And a dayter, answers came. I still remember the content. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Answer 1: Munching knowledge points Burp~ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Of course I hit the report button. Fortunately there were two answers. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Answer 2: Find friends with simr interests. Even if interests are slightly different, pretend to be interested and you''ll be close. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ At the time, it hit me like lightning. Why hadn''t I thought of that before? I thought of my seatmate. I never had a chance to get close because they were always watching some anime I didn''t understand... What a helpful teacher. I gave them 10 knowledge points. The very next day, I tried using what I learned from the teacher. "Oh that anime... isn''t it? Hidoribouchi..." Since I had no interest in anime, I just pretended to know from seeing the title. My seatmate who had always ignored me responded for the first time. "You''ve watched this anime?" "No I haven''t watched it but I''m interested..." "Oh, arade." That was the first time I met someone who actually used the word rade.'' "Originally it was a 4-panel manga, but when it became an anime it turned into a god-tier anime, you could say. The animation is amazing since it''s made by Cloverworks which used to be A-1... see the performance scene?" The characters were earnestly ying four-string guitars. "I like the bass character best. She''s cool, right? Her ying is amazing too?" Ah, not four-string guitar but bass. Actually I couldn''t hear any sound so I couldn''t tell if it was good or not. "Yeah, seems amazing." "They filmed actual performances and matched the hand movements exactly. That''s where the craftsmanship shows." "I, I think this character is my favorite too!" "What..." My friend''s eyes changed for a moment. "So you''re nakama?" "Nakama?" "It''s aboverade." He held out his fist, and I bumped it reflexively. Nakama would truly be closer than just friends. I would have been grateful just to have a friend, but thanks to the Facebuuk teacher I got a nakama. If I had known this would happen, I should have given 20 knowledge points... After that I had a happy school life. If it had ended with that content... I wouldn''t have recalled such a past in this situation. The problem started when that friend got a girlfriend. Thinking a friend''s girlfriend would be my friend too, I was happy at first. No, actually I stayed happy. Because what used to be two of us ying became three. That joy suddenly ended one day. "Hey! Are youpletely clueless?" "Why, why?" They were unusually quiet today so I wondered if they weren''t feeling well, When my friend''s girlfriend suddenly yelled at me. Even when I looked at my friend in confusion, he just stared into the distance. "Don''t you know he hates you?" "He... hates me?" "Yeah. Even I was giving obvious hints but how could you never notice?" "..." It was shocking. To the point where I want to praise my past self for not crying. "Go! Stop butting in when we''re hanging out!" Her words didn''t even register. I was just sad that my friend didn''t stop me from leaving. Calling me nakama... that jerk. That''s when I realized. ''I''m not good at noticing when people dislike me.'' When I asked the Facebuuk teacher again, they said that wasn''t so bad. Rather, it''s a talent for living happily. But who would have thought. That I wouldn''t be good at noticing when people like me either. No, more precisely, I knew Amain liked me but. I didn''t know he would be so sad about me leaving. == ''What should I do!'' Though I lost a nakama, I didn''t want to lose a disciple too. Though Roil said not to worry, I couldn''t help feeling anxious. After the party ended, I requested advice from the remaining Obern, Amain, and Rania. They each seriously offered their opinions. And the opinion I selected was... ''Phili, you spoke well. I should give Amain a gift.'' Phili advised giving a gift along with an apology. I chose that opinion because it was a method Phili had actually implemented. It gained more trust since he recovered his rtionship with Lily enough to invite her to the party. ''Then the question is, what gift to give.'' That was another problem. Obern said seriously. "How about a bag of gold coins?" Rania stared at Obern with a nk expression. Sensing something odd about that gaze, Obern tilted his head slightly and added. "Two bags?" "Saak!" I pped the floor with my tail. ''That''s a brilliant idea!'' Who in the world would dislike gold coins? I just received an enormous settlement from Roil too. In other words, I''ve be a rich snake. ''Let''s apologize while giving two bags of gold coins.'' Rania sighed while covering her face. Is it not enough? Too little? Roil said seriously. "It won''t be very effective since Amain''s allowance was just greatly increased." Oh no! As much as I became rich, Roil and Amain became rich too. Then the effect of gold coins would be reduced. "Then please give the gold coins to me." Obern suddenly muttered then. When everyone looked at him his face quickly turned red, but he didn''t take back his words. ''No.'' "..." How precious is money. We were stuck on the question of what gift to give Amain. Chapter 301 A New Name (2) The answer came not from Rania, Phili, Obern, or Roil. It was quite an unexpected person. "Ngh... gifts, ugh. Gifts should be something that will make that person happy." Like a department head suffering from a severe hangover after the previous night''s ill-advised office party, Pelerian appeared clutching his head, his usually pristine robes wrinkled and askew. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his normally precise movements were distinctly unsteady. Suddenly materializing in a sh of pale blue light and swaying slightly on his feet, he fixed them with a bleary-eyed stare before seriously announcing, with all the gravitas of someone sharing profound wisdom, something that was painfully obvious to everyone present. His voice carried the particr tone of someone who believes they''re being incredibly insightful while stating the absolute obvious. However, perhaps due to time spent with me, Pelerian had reached the level of being able to read my expression. "You seem to be thinking ''a lonely old man with no family or friends is pretending to be smart and knowledgeable.''" ''I wasn''t thinking that far...'' Though I had simr thoughts. "Think about it. What are you to that little human?" ''A respectable master as lofty as the sky.'' "...Well, anyway, do what you can do as a master." ''Teach more magic?'' "That would take too long." ''Then?'' Pelerian knows I don''t like riddles much. He coughed a few times then said. "Take him to the Magic Tower. Before leaving the kingdom, you should visit the Magic Tower at least once." ''The Magic Tower?'' The Magic Tower. Isn''t that a ce as exciting as the Academy? "Yes, go there and officially register that kid as your disciple." ''Register?'' I listened to Pelerian''s idea in more detail. And I had to agree. Amain would surely be happy. == He''s not a delinquent youth. Where else would the well-behaved and kind Amain run away to? Amain was found in his dormitory room. Squatting down, he looked deted. But when I told him Pelerian''s suggestion. "Really?!" He raised his head with shining eyes. Strike while the iron is hot, they say. I, Obern, and Amain left the Academy right away and headed to the Magic Tower. Only after getting off the carriage could we discuss the details. Obern exined the important points to Amain. At the Magic Tower, you can register as a mage. Since Amain''s skills were good enough to register as a mage he should go, and at that time you can also register who your master is. However, there was a problem. "As you know, we can''t register you as Lord Snake''s disciple. You understand what I mean?" A beginner mage like Amain couldn''t say "My master is a snake." "So, you''ll be registered as my disciple first. And I''ll list Lord Snake as my master. You and I will have the same lineage connected to Lord Snake." A surprisingly shocking and bold n. But it wasn''t impossible. Obern, already at a fairly high rank, could register his master''s name at the Magic Tower. The situation was different from beginner mage Amain. Amain''s master would be Obern, Obern''s master would be me. Therefore I would be Amain''s grand-master. That''s how the master-disciple rtionship would be established. "Will that be alright?" Obern speaking so seemed uncharacteristically concerned about Amain''s reaction.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om You can only register one mage as your master at the Magic Tower. He seemed worried Amain might not like having that be Obern. But Amain. "Of course!" Had no hesitation at all. Rather, he seemed happy. "Professor Obern is my master too." "..." Is Obern going to cry again? He''s secretly quite emotional. Fortunately he didn''t cry, but Obern couldn''t speak for a while. "Ahem, hem. We''re here." Indeed, we had already arrived at the Magic Tower. Though called a tower, I thought it would be cylindrical, but surprisingly it was a rectangr building. Though remarkable was that it was much taller than other buildings. Even for the outskirts of the capital, it boasted an overwhelming heightpared to nearby buildings. The window positions were so irregr it was hard to gauge the number of floors but. If pressed, it was about 20 stories tall. The width was also mansion-like so "building" was truly an appropriate expression. ''Mages could be called the ultimate architects in some ways.'' While dwarves would be counted as the most excellent race at architecture. If counting the most excellent profession at architecture, it''s definitely mages. You could tell just from Pelerian''s dungeons. [Magic Tower Solion Impel Branch.] The main gate had that written on it. "Hurry and go in. There''s much to do today." By the way, Pelerian had ordered separate things to do. No wonder he seemed so proactive. There''s no way he would have worried so much just for Amain. "Hello, could you please state your identity and purpose of visit?" The receptionist smiled and said so. "5th Rank Mage, Obern Grimoire. Here for 6th Rank promotion and master-disciple registration. This is 1st Rank Mage Amain Riddle." "Ah, could you fill out these forms first?" It feels like visiting a district office. This ce is more bureaucratic than expected. While Obern and Amain were busily filling out forms. "Mr. Grimoire doesn''t have a master registration? Are you registering your master now too?" Obern had no master registered at the Magic Tower. When Obern answered yes. "What would be your master''s name?" The receptionist asked while holding a pen. It was an important moment. Since my name would be registered at the Magic Tower... At first I was going to have them write Ouroboros but changed my mind. As creating a new identity. "Sna..." Snake Snake. Though I told him to say that. "Sna... ke." "Sna?" Obern had great difficulty saying it. "Sna, Snake Snake..." "...You''re joking right?" I can''t believe this. How could she say it''s a joke. That''s when Obern showed some unrequested quick thinking. "Snake Sna... ke." "Mr. Snake Snake?" Caspian, Pelerian. Great archmages'' names do end in ~ian but. "Yes. Snake Snake." "I understand." That was the moment my mage name was decided as Snake Snake. Chapter 302 Grand Magician Snake Snake and His Disciples (1) "Snake Snake, huh..." Pelerian scoffed at me. Though not to the point ofughing out loud with a cackle. ''Why? It''s simr to you, old man. Simr to that grand magician Caspian too.'' "Don''t say such disappointing things." In my view, they''repletely simr and just really cool, but he''s clearly criticizing for no reason. "Mr. Snake Snake, what a wonderful name." At that moment, the receptionist said so. Obern''s eyes widened. That guy, it''s not something to be that surprised about. "R-Really?" "Yes. It has the gravitas befitting a grand magician." She says so. As expected, my sense wasn''t wrong. "Magicians in magic towers are all somewhat twisted. That receptionist is also a tower magician, so it''s natural hermon sense is twisted." That''s what Pelerian said. Honestly, for a mad magician who''s the most twisted person himself to say such things. How shameless. But his words weren''tpletely baseless nder. "Originally, there are few magicians with ordinary ways of thinking. Now imagine putting those magicians in a tower where they only interact with each other. How twisted would they be among themselves? That''s why I hate tower magicians." ''Was that Caspian guy like that too?'' Caspian was the tower master during Pelerian''s active period. Though much younger than Pelerian, it was said his magical attainment surpassed Pelerian''s, and perhaps because of that, their rtionship clearly seemed poor. "That guy... didn''t seem like a tower magician." But an unexpected evaluation came out. "In some sense he was crazy, but definitely different from the crazy old folks here. Maybe because he was young... Never mind. Let''s not talk about this." Already the receptionist was guiding Obern and Amain. "For promotion, you need to pass a basic written exam and an interview with a high-ranking magician. Let''s start with the written test first." Obern was now a hot topic figure counted among the 8 Heroes. The magic tower seems quite exclusive. To make even someone like Obern take a written test. Perhaps external evaluations don''t matter to them. "Since there are two of you, just take the test in the same room. Please wait a moment. I''ll bring the test papers." It''s not like they''re taking a college entrance exam or something. I quietly moved onto Amain''s shoulder. And asked: ''Amain. Want help with the test? If I help, you can get perfect marks.'' With Pel-muwiki, the tower''s tests are not an issue. The rank that can be obtained through tests at the tower goes up to 7th rank. 1st rank is for novice magicians, and people who have learned even a little magic are automatically treated as 1st rank magicians. Amain, who hasn''t registered with the tower yet, is naturally a 1st rank magician. Amain''s goal is to be promoted to 2nd rank magician. "No! I''ll take the test with my own power!" Nobly, Amain said so. I patted Amain''s head with my tail. ''Right, you can do well.'' Amain has always studied magic diligently. He should be able to rise easily to at least 3rd rank with his own power. I returned to Obern again. What Obern seeks to obtain is 6th rank. In fact, from 6th rank, one officially gains the qualification to be called a ''mage.'' It seems mage is treated as something of an upgraded version of magician. Being called one of the 8 Heroes, it wouldn''t look right if he wasn''t a mage. ''How about you? Want help?'' "Hmm." Obern also spoke with determination. ''I''ll take the written test with my own power at least.'' ''Well done, Obern!'' Obern said that too. He seems to have grown quite a bit as well. Soon, the receptionist returned. "I brought the test papers...!" But the returning receptionist wasn''t alone. Two old men came in together. Both wearing something like pointed hats that at a nce exuded a strong grand magician vibe. One toothless magician, and in contrast, one handsome elderly man. "Ah, these are Master Alcandura and Master Dezaka." The title of Master is only given to those truly called grand magicians or grand mages. In terms of rank, 8th rank or higher. So these two old men here are extraordinary magicians even in this tower. ''They look familiar somehow...'' Something about their appearance gives me d¨¦j¨¤ vu. But I hadn''t met any tower mages before. ...No. Had I? I had! Back then, when I was riding on Chimera Snake''s back and was caught in the monster wave. When Gunter brought some magicians to block our path. Aren''t these the evil magicians who created andunched me dragons! ''Emergency!'' I''m in a state of hanging on the staff stuck like a sword at Gunter''s waist. Since I couldn''t hide, I acted as much like a crystal ornament as possible. Fortunately, those magicians didn''t seem interested in me. Well, I was in ck Snake King form using ck Scales back then. "We came to see, hehe." "Isn''t this the one that arrogant gnome Bnyar praised while spitting everywhere?" They came to see Obern. "But still only 5th rank?" "These days many young folks don''t have loyalty to the tower..." It seemed Tower Master Bnyar didn''t even register with the tower. "Well, the written test will be perfect of course." "Do we even need to check? I''d rather do the interview quickly." Their expectations were already sky-high. Beads of cold sweat formed on Obern''s neck. ''Um, Mr. Snake.'' He naturally nced over the test paper and said: ''Please help me a little.'' That''s more like it. I called forth Pel-muwiki. == The written test results were naturally... Destroyed! We absolutely destroyed the test. Of course, it''s not that Obern was destroyed by the test, but that we destroyed the test. The written test for 5th rank mage is naturally not multiple choice but essay format. And Pelerian, after briefly looking at the questions, started reciting answers like a possessed shaman. "Regarding phase changes in microscopic systems, when observing..." Obern was just busy writing down those answers. So in effect, the request for ''a little help'' was reflected as essentially ''please do it all for me.'' Pelerian didn''t give the answers in such a considerate way.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It was rather overwhelming for Obern who just had to write down the answers directly, so from the outside it must have looked like he was writing the answers in one smooth stroke. "Look at that one showing off. Hehe." "As if without even thinking, so smooth." Masters Alcandura and Dezakamented so. Chapter 303 Grand Magician Snake Snake and His Disciples (2) Though Obern''s questions were much harder, Amainpleted his answer sheet around the same time as Obern. "Let''s evaluate directly ourselves." "Ah." The receptionist was flustered. The Masters had snatched away the answer sheets. "We can grade them too. We''re Masters after all." "That''s true but... Yes, please do so." What would normally have taken some time, they seemed to want to grade on the spot. First, Amain''s. The test Amain took was just to be recognized as a 2nd rank magician. Since it wasn''t anything special, the Masters determined pass or fail just by reading through it once. "Paaaass!" "Excellent."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Though it seemed they evaluated rather carelessly, the receptionist''s expressionpletely changed. "Every time they look at answer sheets, they tell me to fail them because they''re terrible." "What do you mean every time, you''re exaggerating again." "Haven''t you done that every time I''ve seen you?" The toothless Master Alcandura briefly held out Amain''s answer sheet. "You read it too." And the receptionist also looked at Amain''s answers. This time it took rtively more time. But even the receptionist had to grudgingly acknowledge it. "Perfect. Wasn''t he said to be just a first year at Emerald School?" "Yes, that''s right." "Huh. I didn''t know the school''s level was this excellent." It''s not that the academy''s level is high, it''s that Amain''s level is high. I wanted to say that but held back. "You could take the 3rd rank test right now without issue. Please visit again in the near future." The receptionist''s tone changed slightly. Like a senior meeting a promising junior. And next was Obern''s turn. Alcandura and Dezaka put their heads together amicably and read the answer sheet. It was five pages densely written, a length that could be considered long or short. The Masters read with smiles all over their faces, as if expecting something. Their expressions gradually hardened. Rustle... rustle. Only the quiet sound of turning pages rang out. As if one reading wasn''t enough, they read it again from start to finish. And so the two Masters who read Obern''s answers had opposite reactions. First, the handsome old man Dezaka''s reaction: "...Beautiful." It was admiration. "Such beautiful organization. How is this possible? Isn''t this his first time seeing these problems? How can the process of deriving these solutions flow so beautifully like water?" His face was like that of a traveler who had witnessed a beautiful natural phenomenon. Like the moment of realizing that an ice waterfall encountered during a winter mountain hike. Looks like flowing clouds as it freezes while falling. A refreshing smile rose on his face. "What''s in that head? Does it contain the universe and all things!" And Pelerian next to me snorted. "Hmph, even tower folks have properly working eyes it seems." Pelerian''s proxy test-taking was very sessful. However, a problem soon emerged. It was too sessful, if anything. "You''re joking!" The toothless old man Alcandura burst out angrily. "You derived this organization just in your head? Dezaka you crazy old man. Aren''t you ashamed of being so fooled by a youngster?" "Hmm, why the fuss?" "This guy is ying with us. Even if Caspian came back to life, he couldn''t organize an unseen problem like this!" It seems we wrote too perfect an answer. Obern admirably showed not a hint of emotion. "Caspian could do it. Those guys don''t even properly know their tower master''s ability." That''s not what''s important, resolving the current situation was more important. At this rate, that old man might challenge Obern to a duel to test his skills. ''What should we do...!'' ''Calm down Obern, let''s handle this smoothly.'' I directed the acting like a director with a megaphone. Obern performed admirably like a great actor. "You seem to have misunderstood. I have seen this problem before." "Right? See! ...But where? It''s a difficult problem I created." "My master taught me." "Master?" The receptionist whispered. "So that person''s name is..." "S-Snake Snake." Obern swallowed hard. But the Masters: "Hmm, a name with magical presence." "Has the gravitas of a grand mage." They epted the name Snake Snake. "Whether that person had the same insight as me, or read my paper, either way it''s a delightful thing. Ho ho ho." All Masters are people obsessed with magic. Alcandura rather became satisfied with Obern''s answer. "That''s great, shall we have a talk about you and your master?" "But... Master Alcandura. The practical test..." "Hey kid, with written results this perfect what practical test? Let''s rece it with an interview." "Ah..." Anyway, to be promoted to 6th rank mage requires approval from at least one Master. The two mages practically dragged Obern and Amain away. "So what kind of person is your master? There are truly many reclusive geniuses in the world. The world outside the tower is so vast." "Ah... They''re from the Empire." "I thought so. Are they still alive?" They seemed to have many questions about Grand Mage Snake Snake. "They should be. But it''s hard for me to meet them too..." "Ho ho what refined taste. Let''s talk in more detail." We were dragged to their researchb. We were released after the sun had set. == On the street stained red by sunset. Obern, me, and Amain walked the street. Brooches were pinned to Amain and Obern''s chests. Obern''s brooch was made of silver, with the rune for 6 inscribed. And Amain''s was made of bronze with 2 inscribed. "...Thank you, Master." Amain muttered so. It was clearly meant for me. ''We''ll meet again.'' "Definitely." On the departing path, I was on Amain''s shoulder. And. Though I wouldn''t be able to wear it always, I wore a brooch like a ne on my neck. A brooch with the rune 7 carved in silver. The two Masters must have been in a very good mood. They acknowledged Obern''s master Snake Snake. And though not normally permitted, they awarded a 7th rank brooch as Obern''s master. Just wearing this would allow one to be treated as a 7th rank magician at any magic tower across the continent. Of course, it''s meaningless unless one actually appears and registers. "Well well, these days tower folks have no sense. Promoting to 7th rank a magician they''ve never even met." Pelerian sarcastically criticized. ''Don''t be jealous about not having a rank.'' "Who''s jealous!" It feels like shoulders I don''t even have are shrugging. Grand Mage Snake Snake. Someday that name will spread across the continent. Chapter 304 Crime Scene (1) There was a farewell ceremony. Even though the semester hadn''t ended yet, Obern had no choice but to quit his professorship. But who could say anything? The reason for his departure was to apany the prince to the Empire as his royal tutor. Whether this was the Court Count and king''s intention or not, I''m not sure. These days, the image of Prince Phili, who was known as the delinquent prince, had changed a lot. Everyone in the kingdom knew that his ''study abroad'' to the Empire was essentially the same as being taken hostage. Naturally, Phili had be the ''tragic prince.'' Just earlier, when we were walking on the main street after leaving Emerald Academy. No one would have expected so many people toe out and pay their respects to Phili. And there was one more person whose image had improved even more than Phili''s. ''You survived, Obern.'' ''...Indeed.'' It was Obern. The crime hemitted wasn''t exposed, and he didn''t end up in prison. He became a hero. Moreover, in his current situation as a rising star, he chose without hesitation to apany the prince, saying he would take care of him. Now that everyone knows the trip to the Empire is essentially being taken hostage. That was clearly a heroic action. ''The Court Count can''t do anything about it now. Uwahaha.'' It would be difficult for the Court Count to touch Obern anymore. Though it''s a bit disappointing that things are going ording to Tower Master Bnyar''s intentions. The Empire''s ambassador and his entourage were already waiting in front of the warp gate. And finally, there was one more modest farewell ceremony. Especially those close to us. Amain, Rania, Roil, and others were waiting in front of the warp gate. We shared our parting emotions. ''Take care, Amain.'' "Master..." Amain hugged me tightly. I also hugged him with my tail and patted his back. ''We''ll surely meet again. Until then, be a proper mage.'' "A mage? ...Yes, I understand." I meant for him to diligently practice magic, but Amain seemed to take it as meaning he should achieve 6th rank or higher. Though I don''t know when we''ll meet again, it will surely be a difficult path. After exchanging farewells with Rania too. Rania, Phili, and Amain all hugged together. It was pleasant to see that sight. "Mydy, please take care of yourself." There was one more person exchanging farewells with Rania. "Sir Jarein will assist you well, so follow his guidance... After I finish my business in the Empire, I''ll return too." It was none other than Oliver. Oliver revealed a shocking fact.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om He said that he was actually not a citizen of the kingdom but from the Empire. So he would take this opportunity to leave for the Empire with us, as Prince Phili''s servant. Only twopanions were allowed for Phili. His teacher Obern, and one servant to attend to him. But if they brought a servant from the pce, who knows who they might send. In a situation where the Court Count might try to nt his own person, Oliver''s volunteering was wee news. Rania smiled slightly and said: "Have a safe trip. Uncle." "...!" Oliver''s eyes widened slightly. Uncle, huh. It might sound like just a distant title to some. But to Oliver, it must have sounded like ''dad'' or ''uncle.'' "How did you grow up so fast..." That''s why Oliver, who usually looked cold-blooded, suddenly hugged Rania. Rania finally made a crying face and shed a few tears. What a beautiful farewell. Hmm hmm. Finally, we entered the building with the warp gate. From here on, it''s an area where only authorized people can enter. "Sniff, sniff sniff." Phili was crying softly. I climbed onto his shoulder and smacked his back. ''Hey! Pull yourself together!'' "Huhu..." ''You''re going to the Empire and you''re already showing such weakness? Are you going to act like this in front of the Empire''s ambassador too?!'' "..." ''Stop!'' Phili stopped crying too. This is why friends with low mental strength... Even I, with my mental strength of 20, remainedposed when my birth mother blew up and killed my siblings. Try surviving once in a Horn Jaguar''s stomach, then you''ll know what''s truly scary in the world. Of course, as a teacher, I understand well that Phili is timid. Still, we can''t appear weak in front of the Empire''s ambassador. "Oh, you''vee." Margrave Sareb. He was waiting for us. "Prince, pleased to meet you. I am Margrave Sareb." "Pleased to meet you, Margrave." Originally, even nobles should show proper respect to a prince. However, the Margrave spoke casually with semi-formal speech, and Phili greeted him politely. It couldn''t be helped. The Empire''s ambassador was diplomatically equal to Solion''s king after all. "I look forward to your guidance." Phili was slightly tense. How strict or arrogant would the Empire''s ambassador be? Even if he received outright insults, Phili was in no position to say anything against it. "Be at ease, everyone. We have a long journey ahead. I''ve prepared a carriage for you all, would you like to see it?" But fortunately, the ambassador acted casually. "Ah, yes!" "Originally it''s the size of a six-horse carriage that should be pulled by six horses." There really was a huge carriage in front of the warp gate. A carriage that couldfortably fit ten people. However, what was strange was that only two horses were pulling it. No matter how excellent the bloodline of the horses, they shouldn''t be able to move the carriage. "Come here and look at the axle of the wheels." There were three pairs of wheels, six in total. Looking closely, the shape of the wheels was extraordinary. "We made a power source using magic stones to move this huge carriage. Does Solion have carriages like this?" "...I''ve never seen one." "Of course not. How could such things be rolling around in the frontier? This is none other than Imperial capital technology." It seems the typical arrogance of Empire nobles can''t be helped. "I prepared this for you, Prince. Have afortable journey here." Margrave Sareb said while patting the carriage. The treatment is much more generous than expected. Is this Imperial Margrave actually a nice guy? Chapter 305 Crime Scene (2) Then the Margrave came to Obern and acted friendly. Obern couldn''t help but be a bit flustered when he put his arm around his shoulders. "I didn''t know you had such refined tastes too!" "Ah... you mean my tastes?" What taste is he talking about? "Yes, raising magical beasts! Moreover, I''ve never seen such a well-tamed magical beast." Margrave Sareb grinned. And the one who made a surprise appearance from the carriage was none other than Madam Gori. "To think you captured the one that broke the Second Prince''s arms and legs. How did you hide it? Uahahaha!" We couldn''t leave Madam Gori alone in Obern''sb. While wondering what to do, I chose the direct approach. I asked the Margrave Sareb for help. And Margrave Sareb dly epted. "Delightful, truly delightful. This is why I like mages. They''re so unconventional." There was a separate reason why Margrave Sareb epted the unreasonable request to ''bring along a magical beast.'' "Look here. Chit, chit!" At the sound of clicking his tongue, a small animal jumped out from the Margrave''s carriage in front. "A beautiful magical beast. It''s called a Two-Tailed Ferret." It was a magical beast ferret with bright red fur and two tails, and it seemed tamed as it smoothly climbed up to the Margrave''s shoulder using his hand. The Margrave took out almonds from the pouch at his waist and gave them to the magical beast. "Though getting bitten and shocked asionally can''t be helped, it can truly be called a noble hobby." In the kingdom, keeping magical beasts is taboo. There are actuallyws prohibiting their breeding. But the current Empire was different. "Since His Majesty the Emperor is deeply into it, raising magical beasts is the best way for Empire nobles to cultivate refinement." This was a trend that continued from the previous Emperor. The Aqua Emperor. It started when he raised wyverns, saying he would create a Wyvern Knight Order. The Aqua Emperor, who was originally interested in taming magical beasts, ordered the Empire''s outstanding schrs to research magical beast studies. When talent and money were poured in, development naturally followed. Methods to tame magical beasts were systematically developed. When the Emperor took up magical beast raising as a hobby, the great nobles followed suit. Soon, it became natural for anyone with some money and power to raise one or two magical beasts. "That snake, is it your familiar?" And the Margrave pointed at me. Unlike usual, I was on Obern''s shoulder instead of the staff. "Yes, it is." Obern answered so. Finally free from pretending to be a crystal ornament on a staff. Now that I don''t have to act anymore, I felt incredibly relieved. But then, the Margrave suddenly said something strange. "I''m envious, this is why I envy mages." "What do you mean?" "That beautiful white color. It''s a white magical beast, isn''t it?" "Ah..." What? Did he justpliment the white color? Obern seemed to understand roughly, but I was curious about what he meant and perked up my ears (which don''t exist). "White magical beasts belong to the Emperor. It''s forbidden for anyone except the imperial family to raise white magical beasts." Oh. The Emperor''s color, white. "Despite that, the price of white magical beasts is sky-high. The only ones officially allowed to keep them are magicians'' familiars." They say there are many local nobles who secretly keep white magical beasts. The methods of luxury sure are diverse. ''What a proper country. The Empire.'' To think there existed a world where white magical beasts are treated well. Of course, that doesn''t mean I want to be humans'' pet though. Pelerian suddenly cut in. "Wouldn''t it befortable living as the Emperor''s pet?" ''Hmm, is that so?'' "What do you mean... It was a joke. A joke." I was quite tempted. So it was a joke. "Well, shall we go inside to rest, and have a private talk, just the two of us?" When Obern tried to get on the carriage following Phili, the Margrave said so. I left Obern and just climbed into the carriage. The interior was very luxurious andfortable. "Wow, beds..." "Saak!" The inside was like a luxury trainpartment. The walls and floor were finished with high-quality wood. A soft, plush carpet was gentlyid on the floor. There were four beds in total, but even so, the space wasn''t cramped. Instead of the beds, I imed the basket prepared for me. Comfortable and nice. While I have some time, I should check what I''ve gained recently. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little Prince Serpent Lv14] [Titles] Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake, ck Snake King ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My level has risen quite a bit. When will the next evolution be? Maybe Isil or Madam Gori''s evolution will be faster. First, let''s see what the newly gained title, ck Snake King, is about. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ck Snake King] A small ck snake wearing a crown. A terrifying magical beast suspected of causing the dangerous monster wave. Currently drawing attention from both the Kingdom and Empire. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ck Snake King, they say. Heart-eating Snake also had the effect of increasing my speed. I wonder what the effect of this title is. ''We should be careful using ck Scales.'' "Indeed. We might reveal our identity if we''re not careful." It seems my appearance when using ck Scales was considered a separate magical beast and the fame spread. Still, it''s a cool nickname that I like. And from the trait ''Royalty,'' I gained, ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Royalty] Dignity: Not much. Not much remains after consuming too much dignity. Wonder when I can gather more. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Skills have also generally increased in level a bit. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] ? Crown [Steal Lv4]: Form Change Magic Missile: Rotation Lv3, Adhesion Lv3, Explosion Lv3, [Ovee Lv2], [Dominate Lv1], [Connect Lv3] ? Magic [Intermediate Element]: Fire Lv2, Earth Lv4, Water Lv5, Wind Lv2 [Invisible Hand Lv19], [Lightweight Lv5]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [Hell Magic]: Hellfire Lv2, Corruption Lv1 [Form Change Magic Missile]: Rotation Lv3, Adhesion Lv3, Explosion Lv3 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Actually, I was a bit curious about that ''Corruption'' magic among the Hell Magic. ording to Pelerian, it''s magic for mental attacks, specialized for dealing with holy knights. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ? Techniques [Gigantification Lv3], [Iron Lion Style Swordsmanship Lv7], [Ferang School Dagger Technique Lv10], [Beam Lv6], [Heavenly Thunder Spirit Lv3], [Heart-eating Leap Lv8], [Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin Lv6], [Poison Scales Lv3], [Tail Whip Lv5], [sh Lv7], [Magic Detection Lv4], [eleration Lv8], [Acting Lv5] ? Survival [Resistance]: Poison Lv10, Bleeding Lv3, Pain Lv10, Heat Lv14, Cold Lv1, Petrification Lv1, Electric Lv1, Impact Lv2 [Survival Instinct Lv7], [ck Scales Lv5], [Swimming Lv1], [Breath Holding Lv10], [Stealth Lv10], [Pathfinding Lv1] [Status] [At Ease] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The status window has gotten quite long. If this world were a novel, what was just half a page of status window would probably have grown to several pages. There''s also an ''Achievement'' section that organizes what I''ve aplished. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Achievements] [Guard Captain yer] [Friend of Centipedes] [Friend of Goblins] [Monster Leader] [Stopper of the Monster Wave] [Demon yer] [Capital Terrorist] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ About this newly acquired Capital Terrorist achievement: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Capital Terrorist] You caused terror in the kingdom''s capital. The ck organizations of the capital will be slightly more friendly. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Good grief. I don''t understand why I got this achievement when I actually stopped the terror. The journey to the Empire will be quite long. Since we can''t cross the border through warp gates. It''ll probably take several weeks. During that time, I can y with Phili and Madam Gori. I should also do some training after a long time. Since the Empire''s ambassador seems like a decent person, it would be nice if this bes a healing journey. I had such naive thoughts. Truly. Not knowing that fate is like a storm, and also... == Rumble- The thunder is loud. How many days has it been since we departed? Ten days? No, maybe a little less than that. And this time, once again lightning struck nearby. Crash! The surroundings lit up through the window. Then it was revealed. Empire''s Ambassador Margrave Sareb, lying copsed on the carriage floor rather than his bed. Obern approached the fallen Margrave Sareb with trembling body. And after carefully putting his hand near his nose, checking the pulse at his neck, and fussing about. "Uh, uhh. Uhhhhh!" He said in a shrill voice as if about to faint any moment. "He-he''s deeeead!" Crash! Like the thunder that rang out just then, it was shocking and terrible news. "No, did-did we kill him?" "Saaak!" It wasn''t my fault! Chapter 306 Rahan and Dana (1) Warp gates are a mystery of the continent. They say it''s currently very difficult to develop technology that allows multiple people to travel long distances stably and easily just by consuming some magic stones. As Pelerian said, teleportation-type magic seemed to be extremely difficult. Though Bnyar had used magic to teleport with the royal family to the pce as a group, that was only possible because he was a grand magician. It''s impossible to have such grand magicians stationed at every warp gate to cast warps. Moreover, we need to move much farther than going from the academy to the pce. So how do warp gates work then? The secret that makes it possible was ancient technology. They excavated ruins that functioned as long-distance transportation methods in the distant past and repaired them to be usable again. Repairing ruins requires very advanced technology, which even now only the Empire possesses. In other words, even the kingdom''s warp gates were repaired by the Empire. Originally, it should have been possible to cross national borders through warp gates, but now it''s impossible. Our journey also involves moving through the warp gate near the capital to the gate closest to the border. Then crossing the border by carriage and using the Empire''s warp gates. The control of ultra-long-distance movement through warp gates was to prevent their use in warfare. But thinking carefully, there''s a problem. Though the Empire denies it, wouldn''t they be able to cross borders through their warp gates? Since they have the technology, it might be possible. "Of course. There''s no way those guys would have discarded that technology." Pelerianmented so. That might be why the kingdom fears the Empire. Well, such diplomatic issues weren''t my business. I was enjoying a peaceful daily life after a long time. So, about 3 days after crossing the warp gate from the kingdom? I was helping with Madam Gori''s rehabilitation training. "Saak!" (Why can''t you do it!) "S-sorry." Madam Gori scratched her head sheepishly. Since she had no arms, she scratched with her feet. It was fortunate that being a gori meant she could use her feet like hands. ''No, well, magic is difficult after all.'' Phili and Obern felt sorry that the gori had lost both arms. After hearing about how she was threatened, and learning that R''s nature was gentle, they felt even more so. But for me, the fact that she was missing both arms didn''t feel that shocking. Didn''t I also lose both arms and legs? Moreover, there were plenty of ways to cope with not having arms. The first thing I thought of was naturally the ''Invisible Hand'' magic. That was magic I had learned when I was still a weak snake. Since it''s not a particrly high-level magic in itself, I thought R might be able to learn it since she was smart enough to speak. Though Pelerian snorted, I tried teaching her seriously. After all, I had quite a bit of experience teaching others. "It''s not working at all." However, R never managed toplete the magic even once. "You think it''s easy for magical beasts to use magic? Such magical beasts are extremely rare." Pelerian praised me. No, I decided to take it as praise. ''Then I guess I''ll have to be your arms again.'' If she wore a helmet on her head, I could probably act as R''s fist too. "How about getting prosthetic arms fitted again?" Phili suggested so. R nodded. "I would like... prosthetic arms too..." We had no choice but to leave those fearsome and precise iron prosthetics in the kingdom. To make prosthetics, we would need to go to the Empire''s capital. ''Can''t be helped. Let''s practice with feet until then.'' "Okay..." R picked up a wooden stick like a sword again. Surprisingly, she stood on one foot and held the sword with her remaining foot. ''Iron Lion Style Swordsmanship, First Form!'' "Yah!" Amazingly, R had always understood my words well. Even before there was the Crown of Connection.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om This time too, she swung the wooden stick following my demonstration movements. Whoosh! Surprisingly, not a bad form. Though R had no talent for magic, it seems she had talent for weapon techniques. "Wow!" Phili pped. The effects of the Small Giant''s Elixir had worn off long ago, so Phili had returned to his original physical state. However, it wasn''tpletely back to square one. Whether due to muscle memory or something else, he had be stronger and his stamina had improved. If Caspian had drunk the elixir as the living Pelerian had originally intended... Would his reportedly sickly body have improved somewhat? "Huff, huff." It''s very difficult to swing a sword with one foot while maintaining bnce on the other. R''s form also copsed before long. Though she was panting and struggling, she showed no sign of wanting to give up. Only after quite some time passed did I dere break time. Phili asked the tired R: "Why are you working so hard?" Why work hard, he asks. Just doing it is a professional attitude. But I suddenly became curious too. The answer that came from R''s mouth was beyond my imagination. "I want to... be the boss''s... guard warrior." ''Guard warrior?'' I could understand where her idea came from. "It''s cool..." True. Guard warriors are cool. I could understand that since I had seen it directly. The Empire''s ambassador had guard warriors befitting his position. Two people, a man and woman, excluding the servants and coachmen. They wore ck martial uniforms in the Empire''s style, which were exceptionally cool. The two looked almost like a married couple. Because they looked very simr and barely spoke. They would spring out whenever problems arose during the journey to protect the ambassador''s carriage. ''They are pretty cool.'' As I acknowledged this, I suddenly twitched my eyebrows (which don''t exist). Speak of the devil, as they say. Because the guard warriors were watching us. They were whispering something to each other. It seemed one of them couldn''t speak, so they also used signnguage. Chapter 307 Rahan and Dana (2) The mute one clearly pointed at us. Then made a gesture of putting a finger to their temple and spinning it. ''Are they calling us crazy right now!'' How frustrating when I was justplimenting how cool they were. Their pointing fingers stood out even more since they never took off their ck gloves. I don''t like them. I was about to tell Phili to say something to them. When one of the servants approached us. "Master Obern." Though Obern was far from being qualified to be called Master, the servant called him so. Obern, who had been resting, turned his head. "The Margrave is looking for you." "...What for?" The Margrave called for Obern every day. The reasons varied. "He says he wants to enjoy tea together." "...I understand." Having tea together was the mostmon reason. Usually Obern went alone, but he naturally held out his hand to me. Wondering what this was about, I climbed up. ''Pleasee with me.'' ''Why?'' ''That Margrave makes me a bit ufortable.'' Ufortable? This was the first time hearing such a thing. I was suddenly curious about what he meant but there was no time to ask. I entered the Margrave''s carriage with Obern. And I couldn''t help but be amazed. ''Wow, how is it so spacious.'' Our carriage is used by four people total. Obern, Oliver, R, and Phili. But this carriage was being used by Margrave Sareb alone. There was a king-size bed on one side. And fixed sofas and a tea table on the floor. The Margrave was already sitting on the sofa. He seemed to have a taste for tea ceremony, as he was brewing tea himself. Different from kingdom tea. Something like green tea. The tea set also had a more Empire-like splendor. The ambassador poured tea into Obern''s cup. "Thank you, Ambassador." "Don''t call me Ambassador so stiffly, just call me Margrave." Isn''t Margrave just as stiff as Ambassador? "...Yes Margrave, why did you call for me?" "Do we need a reason between us? I just called you to chat." Looking at it now, I could clearly see that the Margrave acted strangely friendly. He took a sip of tea and said: "You''ll probably have a chance to meet His Majesty the Emperor when we arrive at the capital." "Yes." "It''s not an easily granted opportunity. He''s someone who rarely shows himself to outsiders." I could feel Obern tensing slightly. The Empire''s Emperor could be called the highest person on the continent. Though they say the desert kingdom in the far west and the Nordians in the north don''t submit to the Emperor, there were none who could ignore even his authority. "I wanted to teach you the etiquette you should observe before His Majesty the Emperor today." "Ah, thank you." Where else could he learn that? Obern let out a sigh of relief. And the Margrave really did teach about Imperial etiquette. Like not raising your head until the Emperor permits it. Or that you must retreat walking backwards. It seemed much stricter than kingdom etiquette. After the etiquette lesson time, they chatted. "Do you know about the Imperial Zoo?" "Yes, though I haven''t visited." "My, what did you do during your studies in the capital?" Obern gave a bitter smile. I knew from hearing about it that during his study abroad period, he had so little money that he lived on dried bread every day. "That zoo is the capital''s greatest attraction. Because all the world''s rare animals and magical beasts are gathered there." As befitting the Empire with its developed magical beast breeding technology, that zoo has magical beasts as well as animals. "The section with white magical beasts and animals is especially amazing." What! There''s such a ce? I really want to visit. And then another shocking story came out. "The white giraffe and... no, I like that white wyvern the most." "A white wyvern?" "Yes, caught from the magical realm ''Mountain Range'' as a baby and raised." Something shed in my mind. Chugota. Could that pitiful and bizarre wyvern baby possibly be in that zoo? My head was filled with thoughts about the zoo. The Margrave smiled and said to Obern: "Let''s go together when we reach the capital." "Yes... it would be an honor." Sounds like a skilled date invitation. The brief tea ceremony ended like that. We left the Margrave''s carriage. And the sight waiting for me was. "Saak!" I couldn''t help but be enraged.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Phili was anxiously pacing back and forth. Mama Gori was lying on the ground. And those two guards who were talking about us earlier were harassing R. I ran over in anger. Ready to steal their minds right away. "Saak!" And I jumped up but. ng! The guard warriors'' reactions were extraordinarily quick. They instantly drew their weapons and aimed at me. If you touch even a hair on R, everyone here dies. Both of you. And that fat Margrave too, all of you. Just as I was about to turn my scales ck and call down lightning. "No!" R stopped me. My raised scales settled down. "They were... trying to help me..." What are you saying! R''s body was tightly wrapped with something like rope. But you say they were trying to help? Looking carefully though, those ropes were for fixing something in ce. What the ropes were fixing was wooden sticks. I couldn''t tell what it was right away because it looked crude. "They''re giving me temporary prosthetic arms." Temporary prosthetic arms? Well, even Captain Hook''s hook arm could be called a prosthetic if you think about it. Though several wooden sticks put together didn''t look like prosthetics. But aren''t you just warriors? How can you attach prosthetics? The male warrior stood still with a slightly embarrassed expression. He just waved his hands, seeming unable to speak. "I am Dana, and this friend is Rahan." Said the female warrior. "Rahan." After making some signnguage to the male warrior. The male warrior took off the long leather glove on his right hand. ''Oh.'' What was inside the glove was not soft skin, but a prosthetic hand made of metal. "Rahan also uses prosthetics." Is that so? Chapter 308 Gaun City (1) Rahan and Dana. Indeed, the Empire''s naming conventions are different from the kingdom''s. The two guard warriors felt different from the start. Strictly speaking, Margrave Sareb''s guards were far more than just those two. Because both the coachmen and servants wore swords at their waists. In an emergency, they wouldn''t hesitate to use weapons to protect the Margrave. In fact, even the servants attending to us now possessed proper martial power. The one who subdued the assassin who came for Obern was now acting as the coachman. However, in the true sense, there were only two ''guard warriors.'' Unlike the others, they didn''t do misceneous tasks, and they wore distinctly different ck martial uniforms. Their skills must be excellent too, I bet. Naturally, they wouldn''tpare to heroes, but they''re certainly stronger than ordinary knights. I got that feeling. ''What''s that?'' I wrote on paper to ask. Rahan, the man, opened his mouth slightly in amazement. Well, where else would you see a snake that can write? Rahan''s weapon looked strange. A chain was attached to the belt fixed at his waist, and there was a de at its end. But oddly, there was no visible handle to grip and swing it. "It''s a type of chain sickle." Since I couldn''t understand signnguage, Dana next to him exined instead. Though they couldn''t use the Crown of Connection, they seemed tomunicate well with each other. ''Chain sickle, so that''s a chain sickle.'' "Though not an ordinary chain sickle." ''Your real name isn''t Jenny by any chance?'' Rahan made a confused expression. Sorry. It just suddenly came to mind. "Sometimes we apply poison to the chain and de parts." ''You can use it because of the prosthetic!'' "That''s right. The applications of prosthetics are endless." The prosthetic Rahan was wearing looked really high quality. It seemed no less impressive than the gnome-made prosthetics R used to wear. In some ways, it might even be better. Hmm, I need to reflect on the days when I thought of prosthetics as just hand recements. Prosthetics have their own unique ways of being used. "I maintain and manage Rahan''s prosthetic." Dana took out tools and various things. And whether because it came up in conversation or not, she even detached Rahan''s prosthetic to show. After wiping the joint parts with a dry cloth, she applied fresh oil. She checked that even the fingers moved precisely before reattaching it to Rahan''s arm. The scene looked professional and somehow affectionate at the same time. Could it be... ''Are you two married?'' "Yes, we are." Rahan smiled slightly, and Dana said so. They''re a couple who clearly seem to have different personalities. Armless Rahan smiled a lot, while bob-cut Dana seemed cold. They might be quitepatible. By the way, I... ''I was really sharp just now.'' Haven''t my observation skills improved a lot? To figure out these two were married without any clues. "Anyone could tell..." ''Really?'' Phili gave me that sarcasticment. How dare he be sarcastic to his teacher. The two seemed a bit surprised by the fact that the prince spoke formally to me.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Oh well, whatever. This isn''t the kingdom anyway, so it doesn''t matter. ''So you can attach prosthetics for R?'' "For proper prosthetics, we''d need to go to the capital. Looking at it now, she still has a bit of forearm below the shoulder... If I take her to an artisan I know, we could fit appropriate prosthetics. Right now we can only do temporary prosthetics." When prosthetics came up, Dana''s speech got a bit faster. It seems she''s not just at the maintenance level but has some personal interest too. Indeed, Dana had brought spare prosthetic parts for Rahan. "There are various ways to operate prosthetics, but right now we can only crudely make one arm here." I could understand the reason. First, they used tough, thin rope to tightly wrap around R''s neck, shoulder joints, and armpit areas to firmly fix the prosthetic. The joint had just one that could bend at the elbow. And at the end, instead of fingers, there was a metal skewer. Dana wiped sweat from her forehead, looking satisfied. "It''splete." ''This isn''t a prosthetic, it''s a murder weapon.'' Can''t you only stab with a skewer? "No... You can use it like this too..." R stabbed a banana with the skewer at the end of the prosthetic and ate it. How bold to eat it without even peeling. "Rahan''s prosthetic has this function too." Rahan held out his hand and bent his wrist to show. Click! A de popped out from the wrist joint with a whoosh. What savage folks they are. "What should we call..." "Huh?" "That snake... person?" Dana asked Phili so. Seems she''s wondering how to address me. Phili thought for a moment before answering. "I think... you can call them Snake Teacher." "Teacher? Yes, understood." And then Dana said something unexpected. "Should I make something for Teacher too?" ''For me too?'' "Yes, even if prosthetics are difficult, I can make something simple." What is she trying to make for me? I''m incredibly excited. Of course, there was no reason to refuse. I said yes, please. And Dana really started making something with quick movements. Rahan went to the baggage carriage and brought something back. They looked like metal parts, but once assembled I could tell what it was. Four wheels in two pairs. A board like a skateboard or roller skates. But with handles to hold onto, it was clearly... ''A scooter.'' When was thest time I rode a scooter? It was way back in high school. When I stole my younger cousin''s scooter to ride. "Saak!" I expressed thanks to Dana and quickly got on. A scooter doesn''t move just by standing on it. Dana tried to push me, but it wasn''t actually necessary. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand Lv19.¡¹ I can''t lift or move myself with Invisible Hand. Actually flying while riding on objects is essentially impossible too. In Pelerian''s terms, the coordinate settings get tangled and the casting naturally stops. But pushing a wheeled object is possible. Swoosh! I started racing at incredible speed. Exmations of amazement burst out from behind. Chapter 309 Gaun City (2) It felt absolutely refreshing. ''Uh, uhh!'' The problem was I didn''t know how to stop. The scooter and I crashed right into a tree. Boom! Fortunately, the scooter didn''t break, and my head didn''t crack either, but. Rustle rustle rustle- Leaves showered down like rain. And beyond the falling leaves, I saw things crouching in the bushes. "Grrrr-" A pack of wolves was lurking. Of course. There''s no way we wouldn''t encounter magical beasts while crossing the uninhabited zone at the border. Were they hiding and waiting for the moment to attack? I didn''t even know they were there because it was so quiet. And among them was a huge wolf that appeared to be the leader. The moment our eyes met. "Grrrroar!" The huge wolf pounced on me with a roar like a tiger. == The coachman who had been observing the snake from the highest position quickly shouted. "Magical beasts! It''s a pack of wolves!" The servants immediately formed a formation. They surrounded the ambassador''s carriage holding weapons like spears. And the two strongest among the guard force, Rahan and Dana... "Rahan, guard the carriage." Rahan took the role of guarding the ambassador''s carriage. And Dana took the role of repelling the magical beasts. It was a naturally flowing role distribution. Though Dana was usually calm, now anxiety welled up. The wolf magical beasts living in this area were probably Dire Wolves. Muchrger and more ferocious than normal wolves. The snake is in danger. "Professor Obern, let''s go save Teacher Snake." "Ah..." But Obern didn''t seem particrly flustered. For a magician, it would be natural to cherish their familiar. "Yes, well, let''s go." He was following along at a leisurely pace without any intention of rushing. At that moment, the huge wolf pounced on the snake. Dana sighed. Thinking that cute snake must have been crushed, but. "Oh my, well." Obern made a casual remark.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The wolf had its head buried in the ground and was chomping on the snake, but this magician... Just as Dana was starting to feel upset, Shwoop. A bright red horn suddenly shot up from the wolf''s crown. A horn from a Dire Wolf, could it be a special species? Just as she thought that. "Kyaang!" "Kyaaang!" Screams burst out among the wolves. What was happening? A single dagger was flying around everywhere, stabbing and shing wolves. "Let''s just leave it." Obern said calmly. "Looks like they''ll finish alone." Who? As the distance closed, Dana noticed too. What protruded from between the leader wolf''s eyebrows wasn''t a horn but a sword. Appearing from who knows where. And the one controlling that sword was clearly the snake. Because after retrieving the sword from the fallen leader, the snake started crawling quickly. Yes. The snake was clearly using swordsmanship. Hunting the wolves with telekic magic. Half of the nearly ten hidden wolves died instantly. Three more of the half that were running away yelping also died. Only about two barely managed to escape. "...Amazing." Even Dana couldn''t help but be impressed. "I''ve never seen a magician handle their familiar so well." "Me? Ah, no, yes, thank you." Obern cleared his throat with a cough. Dana didn''t notice that strangeness. Because the snake that had finished off all the wolves approached Dana. ''Can you help me get out the magic stone?'' Dana found herself nodding without thinking. "Ah, just a moment." And she took out a handkerchief to wipe the snake''s head that was covered in blood. The snake seemed pleased and stayed still. == Eh, how boring. After the wolves appeared, no magical beasts dared to attack. Maybe the two wolves that escaped alive spread word of how fearsome I was. I seemed to have gotten somewhat closer with Dana and Rahan too. Though the two warriors didn''t seem like particrly sociable types, perhaps they feltfortable because I was a snake rather than a person. Our group had stopped the carriages to rest for a while. "Hmm, we''ve finally arrived." The ambassador came out of his carriage after a long time. Using that huge carriage alone, the ambassador had a very refreshed look. When I saw earlier, it seemed hot water flowed well in the ambassador''s carriage too. A city was visible below the mountain. "That small city is called Gaun City." A city named Gaun, huh. Of course, we hadn''t arrived at the capital yet, this was just a city we were stopping at to replenish supplies. Still, I thought we would soon go to the capital through the warp gate, but that wasn''t the case. "First we''ll meet the administrator. Did I mention that I''m both an Imperial ambassador and inspector?" Imperial cities were basically often ruled by administrators appointed by the Emperor. There were very few princes who possessed fiefs and their own cities. That''s why Margrave Sareb''s authority was so high. "They''ll probably treat us very well. Obern, you just enjoy yourself." "Yes..." We couldn''t tell what he meant to enjoy. But when we arrived at Gaun City''s government office, we could understand what that treatment meant. "Ah, Margrave Sareb. To see the noble countenance of the wise Margrave. It is such an honor. I am Boridan, who became Gaun''s administrator by His Majesty the Emperor''s augustmand." "Administrator Boridan! Good to see you, good to see you. This is Professor Obern, and this is Prince Phili." "It''s Boridan but... You must be tired from your journey. I will make sure to treat you well." "My good man, I''m an inspector. You know what that means?" "Yes, I will show you how clean and innocent I am." The administrator acted like he would give even his galldder to the Margrave who was an inspector. "I''m hungry." "I will make absolutely sure from start to finish!" At the Margrave''s words about being hungry, the administrator immediately prepared a banquet. Finally, I can eat warm rice and humans'' delicious food. I had such expectations. However, when the banquet started. Phili''s face and mine turned white. Well, my face was white to begin with. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 310 An Example (1) "We''ve roasted a whole piglet. Baby pig roast is a specialty of this eastern region." An administrator is basically a ''bureaucrat.'' Not a noble, but rather an appointed official from the imperial court. In the Empire''s case, they say an administrator can govern a city for a maximum of 5 years. Discover exclusive tales on empire After 5 years, they must go to another region or take on different duties. Obern exined to me that this was a method to strengthen imperial authority. Owning nd'' and ''people'' means having power. Within their territory, a fief noble bes essentially like a small king. You can see this in how even Solion''s king cannot freely handle cases involving the Court Count or great nobles. By recing feudal lords with administrators, the Emperor further solidified his power. ''That''s clever.'' I was impressed hearing that exnation. I feel like I saw something simr in history ss before. "However, there are side effects too." Pelerian said so. "Would an administrator who will leave after just a 5-year term have any sense of responsibility?" Noble lords don''t only have bad points. Since the territory is the noble''s property, lords always seek an appropriate ''bnce.'' How many fools would cut open the goose thatys golden eggs? They have the desire to make their territory prosperous and strengthen their own power. But administrators would have no such thing. "They would only think about amassing as much wealth as possible before leaving within their time." Isn''t it just like a typical corrupt official from the Roman Empire? Like a magistrate who uses high-level ''Buying Jobs magic'' and then squeezes the people''s blood to recover the cost. I don''t know if corruption is this rampant in the Empire too, but the side effects would be simr. "That''s why there are inspectors." There''s a reason they send high-ranking nobles or officials like Margrave Sareb as inspectors to the cities. But in reality, the Margrave was just drinking andughing "hohoho" with the administrator. "Please drink this, it''s our city''s specialty liquor made from lemons." "How refreshing." The Margrave''s face was slightly red as heughed heartily. That appearance seemed unbing of an inspector and pathetic, but when I said so, Pelerian had a different reaction. "He doesn''t seem like such a soft person." Well. After several rounds of drinks, the night grew deep. Phili was tired and started nodding off, while Obern seemed pleased to taste fine liquor after a long time and just kept sipping. I just kept eating the food on the table. And as the night deepened, a lecherous expression began appearing on the administrator''s face. "Should we call the children now? There''s a private room in the government office." "Children?" "Yes, Gaun City''s women are famous for their beauty and fair skin. Though since it''s not arge city, they might not meet Your Excellency''s standards." What! Well, I hadn''t thought there wouldn''t be this kind of entertainment in this world. The administrator''s eyeballs rolled around looking at the Margrave. He was clearly trying to read the situation. The Margrave eagerly epted the suggestion as if he''d been waiting for it. "Hohoho, good, drinking with just you won''t taste as good." Then he suddenly staggered over to where Obern and I were. "Obern! Youe too. They say Gaun''s girls are pretty!" "Ah..." The smell of alcohol wafted over strongly. Obern didn''t fall for itpletely. "I''ve had too much to drink. I''m sorry." "Agh, how can a young man have such weak stamina. This is why magicians... you should exercise more." "Haha, yes, I will." You should exercise yourself. With that mountain of a belly. The Margrave staggered back toward the administrator. The administrator quickly linked arms with him as if supporting him. "Haha, I''ll call the most beautiful girls." "Well, pretty is good but... get ones who are bold and... won''t be scared of blood... hehe, get some docile ones." "...Yes. Hehe." Though the administrator was a bit taken aback by the Margrave''s creepy tastes. He soon smiled like a sycophant. "Ah." Just then, the Margrave suddenly turned back. "Don''t leave first, wait here a little while." He''s telling us that. That guy. Ordering us around. I don''t like it. Well where would we go? It''s rather nice that the unlikeable Margrave and administrator are gone. I should take out Isil and give him some food too. Maybe because he overexerted himself when saving R, Isil''s size had be very small. The cotyledon part that could be called his main body was safe, but his length had shortened considerably. Thinking I should give him some nutrition, I brought him some soup, and Isil extended his vine roots to eat it. ''Oh my, eating well.'' Sodium would be poison for nts. But Isil isn''t an ordinary nt but a chimera, so it should be fine.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Ah,e to think of it, this would be Rahan and Dana''s first time seeing Isil. I should introduce them. I liked Rahan and Dana. I especially liked how they used signnguage since one couldn''t speak. When talking to each other, they could chat quietly without making any sound. Anyway, so when I tried to find Rahan and Dana. ''Huh, they''re gone?'' They were definitely on the opposite side of the table just a moment ago. They were quietly eating, where did they disappear to? ''Have you seen Rahan and Dana?'' I asked Phili so. "No, I haven''t. Why?" ''Just wondering, since I can''t see them.'' "They probably went to the bathroom or something." Even if they''re married, going to the bathroom together. Or maybe they went out to eat ice cream together. I''m jealous. By the way, Phili and Obern didn''t really like the Rahan and Dana couple. They said they felt creepy and gloomy somehow. Look who''s talking, when you''re the most suspicious one. "You''re not good at judging people." ''No, I am good.'' But well. Dana, Rahan. Just when I contradicted Pelerian like that, it makes me look bad. The two returned with screams. "Aaaaah!" "Kyaah!" It was the sound of servants screaming. It came from below the stairs leading up to the banquet hall. And a fishy metallic smell. Before Dana and Rahan appeared, I smelled blood first. And then Rahan and Dana appeared. "Aaaaaah!" This time it was none other than Phili who screamed. Phili raised both hands to cover his eyes. Chapter 311 An Example (2) I couldn''t cover my eyes since I have no hands. "Wh-what are you doing!" A servant, either brave or foolish, blocked the two. For good reason. The two had returned carrying objects totally unsuited for a banquet hall. What they were carrying, two in each hand, were none other than human heads. They appeared holding the hair of heads twisted in terror or pain, like shopping baskets. "Guards, call the guar- Ugh!" Dana kicked the shouting servant in the stomach. The servant rolled over and fainted with a thud. The two walked steadily forward without even ncing at us. Toward the private room the Margrave and administrator had entered earlier. A soldier who seemed to be the administrator''s subordinate was guarding it. "St-stay back." He drew his sword and pointed it at Rahan. The sword tip trembled. Rahan didn''t draw his chain sickle, didn''t swing his prosthetic arm, didn''t even shout. He just stared at the soldier with sunken eyes and dark circles. After silently staring for a while, surprisingly, the soldier lowered his sword first. And looking down, he quietly stepped back. ''Killing intent. Hmm.'' He clearly subdued the soldier by emanating killing intent. Since the soldier copsed on the floor right after Rahan and Dana entered. And soon, screams burst out from inside the private room too. "Kyaaah!" "Uheek!" The first to run out were women I hadn''t even known had entered. Their nearly naked appearance was extraordinarily indecent. "Saak!" (Cover your eyes!) I quickly whipped my tail over the minor Phili''s eyes. Phili went "Uwaah" and rolled on the floor clutching his eyes. But there was no need to worry about such things. Soon, the Margrave and administrator appeared again. When they went in, the administrator seemed to be supporting the Margrave, but this time it was the opposite. The Margrave was dragging the administrator by his arm. The administrator''s legs had given out and he could barely stand, but the Margrave''s strength seemed extraordinary. He was dragged along like a paper doll, fluttering weakly. "Hahaha, I asked you, didn''t I? To bring girls who wouldn''t scream at the sight of blood." "Uu, uhu." Your next read awaits at empire "I thought my ears would burst. What''s this, did you wet yourself?" "I-I''m sorry!" "Did you think hastily fabricating and hiding the ledgers would work? Even putting drugs in the drinks?" "J-just to help sleep better... hup." When the Margrave released the administrator''s wrist, he copsed face-first onto the floor. "Rahan, Dana." At the Margrave''s signal, Rahan threw one head. "This is the head of the ounting officer. He was busy falsifying the ledgers." "Uuu." Thunk! "Who''s this, the left minister. You say the left minister brought the women? Bringing some unknown prostitutes for entertainment? Are you making light of His Majesty''s inspector?" "No!" "Well, I was nning to be lenient, but it''s worse than I thought. There''s the family minister too, Rahan." Thunk! The dropped head rolled until it reached right in front of the administrator''s nose. The administrator looked like he might really faint. Inspectors are often treated as synonymous with ''grim reapers'' by local officials. And that wasn''t just a metaphor. "If you''d been reasonable, I would have been reasonable and left. Dana." "Yes, Margrave." "By the authority of inspector granted by imperial decree. Summary judgment." And Dana did so. Fortunately or not, the administrator probably didn''t feel any pain. sh-! Since his severed head didn''t twist in pain. "Record it well Rahan, Dana. We''ll need to submit a report after all." The Margrave spoke in apletely sober voice, as if he''d never been drunk. Looking at it now, he must have quite a high alcohol tolerance. "Now then, were you surprised?" The Margrave asked Obern so. "A little surprised." That''s a lie. Not a little, but tremendously surprised. His pulse was beating as violently as when he received the duel challenge from the Tower Master. "Let''s go have a drink, just us." "Uh..." Obern didn''t have the courage to refuse right now. He nodded, practically being dragged along. == You could say the Margrave made a rough debut. Through his arms and legs, Rahan and Dana that is. For Rahan, it wasn''t a particrly pleasant task. Even if the target is guilty, killing people is never enjoyable. Though he was used to getting blood on his hands, that sticky blood seeping into his fingertips. Rahan always felt gloomy on days like this. But it''s not that he didn''t understand the Margrave''s intentions. Regardless of how much he personally hated the Margrave, today''s bloodshed would actually reduce bloodshed in the future. ''Margrave Sareb, appointed as imperial inspector, killed Gaun City''s administrator.'' Because such rumors would spread widely. In other words, the Margrave set an example. He demonstrated that the Emperor''s power reaches throughout the Empire by beheading an administrator. Both visiting Gaun City and killing the administrator were nned from the start. So there was no problem. Just one regrettable thing. "Ah..." Phili avoiding his gaze. Like that, their newpanions grew wary of them. It was natural. Who would feel close to assassins who appear carrying human heads? Of course they would be intimidated and keep their distance. The talking snake would be the same. ...No, is that so? "Saak!" The snake suddenly hissing like that seemed to be from wariness. But reading the words the snake wrote, that wasn''t it. ''Stop acting cool.'' Acting cool? When did Rahan act cool? Rahan wrote to ask: ''What did I do that was acting cool?''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ''You made that lonely expression looking at Phili and me after acting a bit viinous.'' Well that''s true, but how did you know. ''Thinking "Ah, they fear me again, it must be my fate."'' ''...'' For some reason, Rahan''s face turned bright red. ''The real viin is right here. Want to see?'' ''Yes, please show me.'' The snake said so and brought a flower pot from somewhere. A small sprout was nted in it. Though it wasn''t an ordinary nt. The leaves waved around like a living animal. ''This is Isil.'' ''Isil...'' ''Yes, Isil destroyed about three cities. I''d rather not go into detail.'' Are you joking right now? It''s too serious to be a joke. Even more so since we''remunicating in writing... ''And hunted one demon too. Though he destroyed three cities, he saved one dwarf city, so he needs to save about two more cities before he can be called a great viin.'' ''I-I see.'' Though it makes no sense, is thisfort right now? Feeling grateful, I carefully tried to pat the snake''s head. "Saat!" ''Ack!'' Then the snake bit Rahan''s hand. It seems it didn''t inject poison, but it stung. ''How impudent.'' ''I''m sorry.'' If that wasfort, it was truly strangefort. Chapter 312 Reconstruction of Events (1) The Margrave''s "discipline enforcement" continued after Gaun City. He receivedvish entertainment whenever he entered a city. Sometimes there were no issues and he would leave after just a few drinks. Other times he would smoothly ept and pocket massive bribes. Cases like Gaun City where he chopped up the administrator and his subordinates were rare. However, bloodshed did asionally ur. So how did he distinguish between cities that would see blood and those that wouldn''t? Naturally, I had no way to determine this, and even the Margrave who only briefly visited cities couldn''t tell at a nce. He must have received information in advance. There would be administrators and cities that had crossed eptable lines. For those whose crimes were moderate, the Margrave would only give light rebukes. Administrators who had heard about Gaun City would turn pale and beg forgiveness just from that. He would punish administrators who had toed the line dangerously. The typical punishment waspletely draining their money. Whether that money went into the Margrave''s pocket or the Empire''s treasury, I didn''t know. Cities that had crossed the line too far would definitely see blood. After traveling together for about ten days and passing through several cities, I noticed something interesting. Before bloodshed, the Margrave would always call for Rahan and Dana. Then Rahan and Dana would maintain their weapons before entering the city. Today was like that too. Before entering Badangje City. Rahan and Dana were quietly sharpening their des. Dana was maintaining her daggers, and Rahan was cleaning the grease from his chain. I startled them. "Saat!" "Ah! You scared me!" Dana jumped in surprise. Rahan seemed even more startled, but amazingly didn''t make a sound even when surprised. ''Are you two going to slice someone up again?'' "Slice? What a brutal way to put it." Dana said with a sullen expression. ''Such good loyalty.'' "..." Rahan gave a bitter smile. Dana spoke without smiling. "We do it because it''s our job." They really do seem to follow the Margrave''s orders well. In my view, their skills are at an exceptional level. The more I watch, the more I think so. Perhaps only a great noble like the Margrave couldmand such talents. Rahan slightly raised his hand to point at his neck. Rahan and Dana had tattoos on their necks. At first I thought they were wearing chokers and had bizarre fashion sense, but they were magically imbued tattoos. Rahan made signnguage. He raised his fingers in front of his mouth, repeatedly pinching and releasing his thumb and index finger. ''If the Margrave just says the word.'' Then he gathered his fingers together, kissed them and spread them wide. ''Bang, we explode.'' I know, I know. Rahan had already told me. Though Dana scolded Rahan, what could she do about me bing friends with him? The Margrave had obtained their loyalty through a brutal method. It was the wearing of bomb nes. If the Margrave spoke the activation word, Rahan and Dana''s necks would explode and they would die. Wouldn''t he get quietly assassinated in his sleep for doing such a terrible thing? But Margrave Sareb had prepared for that too. ''Even if the Margrave dies, we die.'' Good heavens, even if the Margrave''s breath stops, their tattoos would explode. That was quite a thorough arrangement. ''Then what if the Margrave dies naturally? Or suddenly from a heart attack...'' Dana made an expression saying well, nothing we can do about that. Their remaining contract period was 7 years. The Margrave promised to release them after that. Hearing that story, something suddenly urred to me. ''But I just thought, maybe the Margrave won''t keep his promise. Maybe when the timees he''ll say he doesn''t want to release you and instead just slice you up...'' Read new adventures at empire Even I thought it was a very sharp deduction. I expected Rahan and Dana to make a fuss, but. ''You''re right.'' Rahan is really good at bitter smiles. We had such a conversation that day. Sure enough. Blood ended up being spilled in Badangje City. However, the situation took a nasty turn. == The crime of Badangje City''s administrator was embezzlement of taxes. His crime was evading taxes that should have gone to the imperial court. Actually, among the various crimes that administratorsmit, this is surprisinglymon. And tax evasion is judged by how much was evaded. In that sense, Administrator Jalo''s crime warranted death. The amount was enough to warrant executing three generations of his family. Even tax diversion needs to be moderate for it to be overlooked. Even Margrave Sareb was dumbfounded reading that report. "This, he must have stashed it somewhere, we need to recover it." Badangje City was quite wealthy thanks to its unique fur industry. But problems could be felt from the moment we entered the city. The people were starving and unfriendly. From what I heard, the tax rates were cruel. What was he nning to do with all that diverted money? Dana and Rahan found it suspicious and investigated further. And they discovered where that enormous sum went. "It seems he used it for his daughter''s medical treatment." "What? What kind of treatment needed that much money?" "It seems to be an incurable disease." Incurable diseases are widespread. And attempts to treat incurable diseases always end up burning through massive amounts of money. Though unfortunate, Rahan couldn''t help but recall.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The young daughter he had with Dana. That daughter he still vividly remembers, who died from a fever. ''How should we handle this?'' "What''s there to handle?" Rahan probably asked such a question because he was feeling depressed. "If we can''t recover the money, we''ll have to at least skin him to save face before His Majesty." Whatever Administrator Jalo''s circumstances, the Margrave''s thoughts didn''t change. Dana and Rahan silently obeyed. Administrator Jalo probably sensed his crisis from the start. He tried to subdue us instead by putting paralyzing powder in the drinks. However, neither the Margrave nor Rahan and Dana touched the drinks. The soldiers who dared try to capture the Emperor''s inspector became pieces of meat. The smell of blood and entrails thoroughly soaked the government office''s central corridor. Dana personally subdued the administrator. The Margrave raised one finger. It meant to break one finger. Crack. "Aaaaargh!" Administrator Jalo screamed. His face was sunken at the cheeks. His appearance wasn''t that of a corrupt official who had sucked a wealthy city dry to the bone. "Jalo, my friend. We had a rtionship, didn''t we? Why did ite to this?" "Please... please." "What do you mean please? How could you embezzle taxes that should go to the national treasury like that? You can''t have spent it all. Hand over what''s left." "There''s nothing. Nothing at all." "Stop lying." And another finger. Crack, and another scream. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 313 Reconstruction of Events (2) But Administrator Jalo, despite appearing weak, had quite a strong spirit. Dana and Rahan dragged him to his official residence. His family members were already bound there. "Where''s that sick daughter?" But good heavens, the daughter wasn''t there. When had she been hidden? "Already smuggled away? Are you really crazy?" The Margrave grabbed Jalo''s face. "Children can be born again. But you ruin your life trying to cure a sick daughter? I don''t understand." "...Do you have no children, Margrave?" "I do. That''s why I understand even less. Well..." The rest of Jalo''s family were all bound too. "Time to take responsibility for your wrong choices. You''ll be tortured then executed, and your family too..." "...Ptui!" Jalo spat at the Margrave but Dana blocked it with her hand. The Margraveughed. "Search and find the daughter. Once you find her, torture her in front of him. Then he might remember where the stashed money is." The Margrave ordered his servants so and beckoned to Dana and Rahan. The ''job'' was almost finished. Dana and Rahan followed the departing Margrave. And when Rahan took a step. The old floorboard let out a small cry. Creeeak- It was nothing special, nothing worth paying attention to. If not for Rahan''s enhanced hearing catching that small sound. "Eep-" gasp A surprised yelp, and the sound of holding breath. Rahan had no choice but to stop for a moment. Someone was hiding below. Probably a secret space. And surely, the administrator''s daughter who wasn''t present was hiding there. He grasped all this in a truly fleeting moment. The time Rahan spent considering was just as brief. He only stopped for a very short moment. Butplex thoughts rushed through his mind like a tsunami. ''Should I tear up the floor?'' ''Should I pretend I didn''t notice?'' ''They''ll find her eventually anyway.'' ''No, maybe she won''t be discovered.'' ''Money recovery is already impossible. Is there any need to further shorten this poor girl''s life?'' ''What weak thoughts. Get a grip.'' ''...But.'' A storm raged in his mind. Like a professional, Rahan''s hesitation probably wasn''t very long. "What are you doing?" But when he looked up, the Margrave was already looking back at him. "...Nothing." There wasn''t a hint of trembling or hesitation in Rahan''s voice. But the Margrave tilted his head. And looked down at his own wrist. The tattoo drawn there. It was linked to the magic of the tattoos on Rahan and Dana''s necks. "Doesn''t seem like nothing." "..." The Margrave approached with heavy steps. And slowly grabbed Rahan''s neck. Though it looked like he was strangling him, he didn''t apply force. "Your heart is beating too fast." You can fake expressions, but how to control heartbeat? The Margrave looked down. And when he stomped his foot. "Eep." A small scream rang out from under the floorboards. Foolish thing. That''s what Rahan thought about the girl hiding below. And then stars appeared before his eyes. Smack! The Margrave struck Rahan without hesitation. Then kicked the fallen Rahan repeatedly. "You haven''t learned. I pick up and raise a stray dog, and yet? Huh?" Violent beating. Dana stood still with a pale face, while the servants quickly tore up the floorboards. The beating was painful, but perhaps that would suffice as punishment. A girl was dragged out from under the torn floorboards. A skinny, sickly-looking child. The screaming, struggling girl and her father''s wailing. Even while being beaten, Rahan squeezed his eyes shut. == Humming. "Saat~" Sleeping in the carriage today? Since the atmosphere in Badangje City wouldn''t be ordinary, the carriage might actually be morefortable. I, Obern, and Phili were spending time leisurely. There seemed to be amotion inside the government office, but we weren''t sure what was happening. The Margrave returned after night had fallen deep. "Saak!" I was shocked. Rahan''s face was a mess. Someone had beaten him ck and blue and swollen. When he met my eyes, he smiled sadly. Acting like that really makes him look foolish. "Obern." Just then, the Margrave called Obern. "I''m tired, won''t you have a drink with me?" Moremanding than suggesting. Obern nodded with an unwilling expression. Since there would be no other ce, Obern entered the Margrave''s carriage. The Margrave''s carriage didn''t just have tea. The ss cab held what looked like expensive brandy and whiskey. The Margrave plopped down on the sofa and poured whiskey into a ss, downing it in one go. He sure drinks boldly. When Obern tried to sit across from him, the Margrave waved his hand and said: "Not there, sit here, it''s hard to talk loudly." "Ah... yes." When Obern sat next to him on the sofa, the Margrave poured whiskey for him too. And immediately proposed a toast. Clink. After lightly touching sses, the Margrave again downed all his whiskey. Almost drinking too much, it seemed. Obern also sipped the whiskey. It must really be good liquor. His expression was admiring. And then we noticed something.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Margrave, blood..." "Ah." The Margrave''s knuckles were scraped. The knuckle part of his fist - could it be that the Margrave was the one who beat Rahan? "When a dog you''re raising doesn''t listen, you have to beat it, what else can you do?" "..." "Huhu, are you scared?" He must be scared. Obern answered with silence. But no way. "No need to worry." Who knew the Margrave would gently ce his hand on Obern''s hand? You could see goosebumps rising on Obern''s forearm. "I like you. Really." The smell of alcohol came from the Margrave''s mouth as he said so. "Margrave, what is this?" When Obern tried to pull his hand away. Squeeze. The Margrave applied force. "Are you going to embarrass me?" Crazy. This bastard is crazy. Obern''s heart beat violently. Of course it was beating from fear. Even I was terrified. "Close your eyes." "I don''t want to." "Close them!" How cowardly is this Obern. He really closed his eyes. And the Margrave puckered his lips. That horrifying kiss didn''t happen. Just as I was about to flee. Because Obern desperately cried out in his mind. ''P-please save me!'' I couldn''t watch this tragedy any longer either. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit Lv2¡¹ If I controlled the output, it could be used indoors. Zzzzzap- Like someone hit with a stun gun. The Margrave convulsed and copsed. Bang! And hit his head on the table as he fell. "Huk, huk!" Obern jumped up. And started stomping on the Margrave. "You crazy bastard!" Obern, calm down! Only after doing that for a while did Oberne to his senses. "Whew, let''s quickly escape. We''ll return to the kingdom." ''Get a grip...'' Since I just lightly electrocuted him, the Margrave wouldn''t even know how he copsed. If we handled the aftermath well... That''s when it happened. "Squeak, squeak." A bright red ferret-like creature jumped out from the Margrave''s clothes. Ah, the Margrave''s pet magical beast - had it been there from the start? The ferret lingered in front of the Margrave''s face. Perhaps he was at least kind to his pet magical beast. It seemed worried about its master. Until it suddenly bit down hard on the Margrave''s neck. "S-sasak!" "Huk!" The magical beast sank its teeth into the Margrave''s neck and stayed still for a moment. As if waiting for poison to be injected. Then it slipped away through the venttion. "Uh...?" Obern checked the Margrave in confusion. The teeth marks on his neck were already turning purple. "Uhh?" The sound of rain could be heard outside. It had started raining at some point. Crash! With that thunder... Chapter 314 Ubababa (1) ''Is he really dead?'' In my view, the Margrave wasn''t that weak. Even aside from his grip strength when grabbing Obern''s wrist, his strength often showed through. Though he couldn''tpare to knights or proper magicians, he seemed to have his own capabilities. But to die suddenly. "He-he''s dead..." Obern put his hand on the Margrave''s neck and said so. Then looking at me, he corrected his words. "Did-did we kill him?" I killed him! Hey, I just gave him a light electric shock because you asked me to save you! ''It''s not my fault!'' I strongly denied it. Of course, people can die from electric shock too, but isn''t that possibility too low? ''It must be that crazy pet''s fault.'' The magical beast that the Margrave cherished bit his neck and ran away. It was so absurd we didn''t even think to catch it. If we''d caught that murderer, we could have cleared our innocence. "What do you mean ''our''? It''s not us." ''You crazy bastard!'' I pped Obern''s cheek. Then Obern started crying. "We''re ruined..." ''No, we''re in this together.'' "Killing an Imperial ambassador isn''t just any small matter. It could even cause a war. Just killing an inspector would warrant a special wanted order, but if we cause a war what do we do?" ''Come to think of it, I don''t think it''s us.'' Thinking about it, I''m a magical beast. It''s raining too, should I just escape into the forest? Let''s return to the warm,fortable jungle with Madam Gori. "Get a grip, you idiot!" Pelerian hit my head. Of course, his hand just passed through my head. "Check properly. From what I see, he''s not dead yet." Really? I quickly got down from Obern and approached the Margrave. I put my tail against his nape. There really is no pulse. "He''s alive, fool. There''s so much fat on that neck, press harder." Ah. When I pressed harder with my tail, I could really feel a faint pulse. "Saak!" "Is-is he alive?" Yes, he''s still alive. Thank goodness. I hadn''t realized how important this person''s life was. My heart felt like it dropped. "First feed him a potion." I hurriedly took out a potion from subspace. Since it''s quite a high-quality potion, even if it''s not an antidote, it should have some effect when fed. I had Obern slowly pour the potion into the Margrave''s throat. Woong, the Margrave woke... not. The Margrave''s face was still tinged purple. His breathing was so shallow I was scared it might stop any moment. "Why, why isn''t it working?" "Strange, seems to be a more potent poison than expected." I had Obern search the Margrave''s room. Sure enough, there were medicines and potions. Among them was something like a general antidote which we fed to the Margrave along with the potion. But still. The Margrave wouldn''t wake up. "That ferret magical beast that bit him and left. It doesn''t seem like an ordinary poisonous creature." Why did this crazy Margrave keep such a creature as a pet? And why did it bite and run away right after I knocked him out? "He probably thought he had tamed his magical beast. But in reality, he hadn''t." ''That''s not important, isn''t there any way to save him?'' "I''m a grand mage, not a doctor." He''s saying even he doesn''t know anymore. Doctor, we need to call a doctor. Where can we find one? How would we know where to find a doctor. Moreover, the Margrave just turned this Badangje City''s government office upside down. If we try to find a doctor here, our crime might be discovered instead. ''...Ah.'' I suddenly remembered. There was one person in our group who could help. ''Obern, let''s get Oliver!'' "Ah...!" Oliver is a skilled hunter. And a skilled hunter could be considered synonymous with ''decent herbalist,'' ''excellent magical beast schr,'' and ''field medic.'' We quietly left the carriage. Usually either Dana or Rahan would be near the carriage, but today neither was visible. Could it be because of getting beaten by the Margrave? More likely because the Margrave was nning to have an intimate date with Obern. The sleeping Oliver woke up. "Wh-what''s wrong?" Obviously this wasn''t something to discuss here. We practically dragged Oliver to the carriage. And after entering the carriage, Oliver. Looked once at the Margrave with his face swollen and purple. Looked once at me and Obern. Again at the Margrave, again at us. Suddenly he rushed for the carriage door handle. I didn''t miss and wrapped around his ankle. "Let, let go!" ''Oliver! Save him!'' "I didn''t see anything so just let me go!" As expected of a skilled hunter, his situational judgment is good too. "What did you do to the Imperial ambass... gasp" He quickly lowered his voice. That''s how serious the current situation was. ''He''s not dead yet. But he''s about to die. So please try to save him.'' "Ugh..." ''Think of Rania!'' Oliver looked at me with an incredulous expression. ''How sad would Rania be if Obern and I die.'' "Oh good heavens really..." Did those words move Oliver''s heart? "You, you''re really shameless." But Obern and I weren''t ones to back down from such criticism. Obern also grabbed Oliver''s pant leg and clung on. "Please help!" "Pro-Professor." At least Obern was seen as a ''great mage and Rania''s teacher'' by Oliver. ''Yes, and we''re alumni Oliver. Alumni should help each other.'' "Sir Snake, please keep quiet." I stopped writing. Oliver sighed and examined the Margrave. "Please exin in detail exactly what happened." Following Oliver''smand, I told him in great detail what happened in this carriage. How the Margrave grabbed Obern''s hand and made advances. And how when the Margrave puckered his lips to kiss him, Obern''s face twisted in anguish and he slightly puckered his lips too. At that point Oliver''s eyes went wide looking at Obern. I exined more. How Obern couldn''t stand it anymore and begged me for help so I gave him an electric shock. The Margrave falling and hitting his head on the table. Up to how the ferret magical beast that jumped out from his clothes bit the Margrave and ran away. "It could be because he hit his head. Not just because of the poisoning." ''What?'' "There might be bleeding in the brain inside his skull. It''s generally epted that potions don''t work well on the brain." I felt my scales standing on end. Then does that mean I really did kill him! Even if he''s not dead yet. "Hmm, but we can''t check that... for now the poisoning seems to be the biggest problem. What was the magical beast''s name?" ''Two-Tailed Ferret. The Margrave definitely introduced it as that.'' A red ferret with two tails. I hadn''t bothered checking its status window since I wasn''t interested. But Oliver said something surprising. "Hmm, that magical beast normally doesn''t have poison." ''...What?'' "As far as I know, it''s not a poisonous magical beast." Well, keeping such a venomous magical beast would be strange to begin with. But the Margrave is clearly poisoned. "It must have been a different magical beast, not a Two-Tailed Ferret. Though I don''t know what kind." Whether the Margrave knew or not, that must be it. "First let''s get him on the bed. I''ll go find an antidote."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Oliver left the carriage as stealthily as a cat. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 315 Ubababa (2) By the time Obern managed to heave the Margrave onto the bed while grunting, Oliver returned. He brought a wooden box. Inside were various herbs and liquids of unknown purpose. Oliver took the Margrave''s hand and pricked his thumb with a needle. He carefully collected the drops of blood. He ced them on a ss te then used a dropper to drip something from one of his ss vials onto the blood drops. The blood and liquid mixed and clumped into globules. Oliver clicked his tongue and repeated a simr action. After two more failures. Just as we were starting to worry the Margrave might stop breathing first. "Got it." A different reaction appeared than before. Instead of clumping into globules, the dark red blood changed to a healthy bright red. And what Oliver took out was clearly a ''syringe.'' Though it looked crude and the needle didn''t look very hygienic. Sizzle. After sterilizing the needle tip by heating it in candlelight, he drew up the liquid from the vial. Then boldly injected the liquid into the Margrave''s arm. Though it seemed questionable for someone who wasn''t a doctor to do this. "The swelling seems to be going down a bit." The Margrave''s face had been swollen purple like a zombie. That changed to look a bit more human. ''Is it done Oliver? Will he wake up now?'' "Not sure yet." Oliver must have been concentrating too, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. "Whether he regains consciousness is up to heaven now. We''ll need to watch him at least until tonight." ''Haah...'' It wasn''t over yet. What excuse to make when he wakes up was one problem, but him not waking up was the biggest problem. "I''ll go get some other supplies for a moment. Please watch the patient here. Massaging his limbs will help." I grabbed Oliver''s hand with my tail. And said withplete sincerity: ''Thank you Oliver.'' "...I just did what I could." Oliver smiled awkwardly. How cool. No wonder Rania follows him like an uncle. My evaluation of Oliver went up even more. I even thought about learning more hunter skills from him next time. While Oliver was out of the carriage, we sat beside the Margrave hoping he would wake up. But... ''...When is heing back?'' Oliver didn''t return. We expected him to appear soon but he didn''te even after waiting a long time. The anxious Obern said he would go get him and left the carriage. Obern ended up returning alone. And falling to his knees, he wailed. "Th-the hunter ran away!" ''Wh-what!'' "Waaah we''re doomed, we''re all going to die...!" Oliver had fled. Even he couldn''t be certain the Imperial ambassador would survive. That was quite a bold and quick decision though. To do what he could, but since he wasn''t sure of the oue, to flee without saying a word. My respect for Oliver went up a bit more. But this time you made the wrong choice Oliver. If the Imperial ambassador ends up dying, there''s always the option of testifying that you, who ran away, were the assassin... I harbored such evil thoughts. "Uhuuung." "Saak!" I pped the cheek of the sobbing Obern. We have to do what we can. Can''t give up already. Mental strength is what''s important. I had Obern massage the ambassador''s limbs. He said this would help spread the medicine''s effects and prevent blood clots. Since his body was so huge, even that took a lot of effort. We stayed up almost all night. And such mental strength was rewarded. "Ah, his color ising back a bit." The Margrave''splexion had improved a lot. Seems like we''ve passed the crisis. "But he still won''t wake up." The problem was that he showed no signs of waking. Even pping his cheeks with my tail had no effect. "Quite a nasty poison." Pelerian evaluated the condition despite not being a doctor. "He might never wake up and die." Still, wouldn''t this reduce it from Imperial ambassador murder to Imperial ambassador manughter? That''s when. Knock knock knock. Someone knocked on the carriage door. Obern was so startled he almost did a flip. "Margrave, breakfast is ready." Morning had finallye. The servants had brought breakfast. ''What do we do!'' ''Wh-what should we do!'' I didn''t know what to do either. Obern cleared his throat and said. "He''s still sl-sleeping..." "Mr. Obern...? Um, please let him know it''s clear soup with radish and beef." Obern cursed at the servant. Who cares if it has radish and beef. He stood up abruptly and knocked over a liquor bottle. Strong whiskey spilled all over the floor. "Then I''ll leave it here." And the impudent servant even tried to open the door. Obern quickly stuck his face in the opened doorway. "Ah!" "Haha, the Margrave drank too much... he simply won''t wake up." "I-I see." The Margrave lying on the bed behind him. The carriage reeking of alcohol. Obern, who rarely smiles, said so with an awkward smile. The servant smiled brightly too. "You had a good night then. Well." Then just left like that. Obern closed the door while smiling but soon made an expression like he''d lost his country. "...Most shameful moment of my life." After roughly putting away the beef and radish clear soup. We pondered how to wake the Margrave. And came to a conclusion. "Hmm, giving another electric shock seems right." ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit it is.'' Seems like forcefully shocking him awake is our only option.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Obern grabbed my tail and pleaded. "Please don''t kill him again!" ''I never killed him.'' This time I''ll control the output really well. Something between static electricity and lightning, I''ll inject neural energy into the baihui acupoint on his crown. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit Lv2¡¹ Blue sparks flickered at my tail tip. Just as I was about to zap the Margrave''s crown with it. Zap! The Margrave''s body convulsed slightly. At that moment. Amotion was heard from outside the carriage. "What do you mean! The Margrave has never once refused clear beef soup after drinking!" "He seems to have drunk too much..." "Have you ever seen the Margrave drunk?" It was Dana. Truly excellent guarding. To know the Margrave so well. Before we could do anything, the door burst open. The Margrave lying down. And me and Obern beside him. Our eyes met with Dana and Rahan''s. "Mmm..." The Margrave finally opened his eyes. And got up to look alternately between us and his guards. We were anxiously waiting for him to shout something like ''How dare you bastards!'' But what came from the Margrave''s mouth was something no one present could have imagined. Looking at Obern... "Ubaba?" "...?" Question marks appeared in everyone''s minds. "Babababa?" Something was wrong. Very wrong. Chapter 316 Lets Go to the Imperial Capital (1) "Ubaba, big brother?" Obern''s face froze. Did the Margrave just call him big brother? "Ababa." The Margrave''s voice was drawn out. It seemed to have gotten thinner too. His pronunciation had be clumsy and tended to slur at the ends. The "ababa" babbling especially sounded just like baby talk. It didn''t suit the old, thick-lipped Margrave at all. Margrave Sareb had clearly undergone a major mental change (whether voluntary or not). And unfortunately for Obern, the Margrave''s physical condition wasn''t good either visually. Arge bump had formed where he hit his head when falling, with dried blood. His face, soaked in alcohol, still had a purple tinge. Dana and Rahan recognized these symptoms at a nce. And as trained guards and ves, they took appropriate action. They immediately entered the carriage. Dana kicked Obern away from the Margrave. And Rahan instantly drew his chain sickle and threw it at the snake. Until just recently, they had been sharingughs together. The couple had found the snake cute, and liked Obern who showed surprisingly human aspects. However, in the current situation, such things didn''t matter at all. More professional than anyone. Rahan threw his chain sickle. Swoosh- Though it was too dangerous a weapon to use in a narrow carriage, situations differ depending on who uses it. Rahan was a master. It was fast enough and on a trajectory perfect for slicing the snake... ng! ...But failed to spill blood, only making a metallic sound. Instead of tearing the snake''s mouth, the sickle was caught in the snake''s jaws. Crunch- The snake''s bite force shouldn''t be that high. How did it catch it? The snake''s and Rahan''s eyes met. Those round eyes that once looked docile and even foolish. Now they were looking at Rahan as if burning. He was startled and tried to retrieve his chain sickle. But it wouldn''t work as he wanted. Creak, creeeak- Such sounds came from the tautly pulled chain. The snake had tied its tail to the fixed sofa leg to brace itself. It looked almost like a tug of war. Unlike Rahan who was sweating profusely while applying force, the snake seemed rxed. A pen and paper appeared and wrote in the air. ¡¸Fool.¡¹ Fool? Rahan really felt like a fool. "What are you doing Rahan!" Dana who had rushed at Obern seemed to have fulfilled her duty. She was holding his neck from behind. The sword in her right hand was threatening where Obern''s carotid artery would be. "Snake, drop the chain sickle quietly. Otherwise this magician will die, you know." As expected of Dana. Rahan felt renewed admiration for his lovely wife. To turn the tables and take a hostage instead. But the snake didn''t release the chain sickle. Rather. It closed the open carriage door. Bang, click- And even locked it. Bang, bang, click, click. It closed all the windows too, turning the carriage into a sealed room. ck. Only then did the snake release the chain sickle. But it didn''t seem to intend to surrender. "Snake, back off!" The snake ignored Dana and even climbed onto the Margrave''s shoulder. The Margrave who would normally have freaked out was just crouching and trembling like a child. "I said back off! I''ll really kill this magician!" And Dana''s de tip really dug into Obern''s neck skin. Just one more bit deeper and blood would fountain out, and he would die. "..." But surprisingly, Obern''s expression remained cold. As if his own death didn''t matter at all. Seeing that face of someone so mentally strong, Rahan suddenly felt a chill. And. The anomaly began suddenly, and too quickly to stop. It started with a red sphere appearing above Dana''s head. And in front of the Margrave''s nose, at Rahan''s sr plexus, below his crotch. Spheres of red magic appeared in the carriage. One, two, four, eight, sixteen. Continuing without stopping. Until it filled the carriage so full you couldn''t take a single step. The body hair stood on end from the magic filling the carriage. Magic missiles. So many magic missiles they were hard to count had taken over the carriage interior. Rahan instinctively calcted their strength and how much he could withstand. If he kicked open the carriage door and pounced to protect the Margrave... Kiiing-! At that moment, those magic missiles started spinning. Their power clearly increased drastically. All his calctions until now became useless in an instant. ¡¸Fools.¡¹ At that moment when even Dana froze. Words were written on paper. ¡¸If you wanted a hostage, you should have brought Phili first.¡¹ Phili, they should have taken the prince hostage. But that wasn''t a possible situation.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡¸Dana, if you don''t put down the sword, you die.¡¹ The snake''s death threat was bigger scale than expected. ¡¸You, and Rahan, and the Margrave, and all the servants here too...¡¹ They had just thought it was the magician Obern''s familiar. Rahan and Dana''s judgment waspletely wrong. The opposite. This snake was the mastermind behind everything. ¡¸And the traitor Oliver who ran away too.¡¹ Though they didn''t know what that meant. Dana gritted her teeth and gripped her sword tighter. The snake wasn''t just good at threats. Living up to its reputation as a wise, wicked, and cunning beast from ancient times. ¡¸If you put down the sword and cooperate with us, I''ll help you too.¡¹ It knew how to whisper sweet words too. ¡¸I''ll remove the curse the Margrave put on you.¡¹ The magic linked to the mark drawn on the Margrave''s wrist, the spell that had dragged the couple to hell. It was saying it would remove that. Dana showed clear signs of wavering. The hand holding the sword trembled slightly. It wasn''t something to decide alone. She turned her head to look at her husband, Rahan. Rahan very slowly nodded. That meant... ng. Dana dropped her sword to the floor. "Sasasat!" The snakeughed. In an instant, the magic missiles filling the carriage vanished into the air. ¡¸Then we''re friends again now.¡¹ What nerve. Rahan thought so for a moment. == Phew, that was close. I had liked Rahan and Dana. If I had ended up killing them all, how bad would my dreams have been? Good thing that didn''t happen. Chapter 317 Lets Go to the Imperial Capital (2) Especially servant A who shared delicious jerky with me every day. And I can''t forget the consideration of servant B who put flowers in my sleeping basket. Still, if a fight had broken out, I would have had to deal with everyone for our sake. With my mental strength of 20, I would have ovee the sadness and stolen everyone''s minds. ''We will cooperatepletely. If you promise to remove our curse.'' After hearing the situation, Rahan and Dana promised to cooperate with us fully. Actually, their loyalty to the Margrave wasn''t from voluntary devotion. They were just professionals acting as they were trained. ''In fact, we probably hate the Margrave more than anyone.'' And the shocking fact that they would die if the Margrave died was the problem. What a terrible curse isn''t it? They had no choice but to protect the Margrave. Because if he died, they would die, and their most beloved spouse would die too. Since Rahan told me that, I had no choice but to scold the person responsible. ''Hey! Magan!'' I asked the Margrave through the Crown of Connection. ''Why did you do such a bad thing!'' "Don''t know what you mean..." But the Margrave just sucked his finger while looking depressed. Not metaphorically, he really sucked his right thumb like a baby bottle. Plus his posture was curled up like a baby. "The Margrave has gone mad." Dana said quietly. Margrave Sareb''s mental state was clearly not normal at all. Whether due to brain hemorrhage from concussion (probably not), Getting his head zapped with electricity (certainly not that), Or fever from poisoning (definitely this). What was certain was that the Margrave''s intelligence had regressed to a child''s level. He could probably happily y all day if given just a stick shaped like a sword. "Serves him right, the bastard." She was more aggressive than Rahan. How aggressive? When she found out the Margrave had lost his mind, she pped him without hesitation. Smack! "Uiiiii..." The Margrave really had be a child it seems. He pouted and then started wailing loudly. And since watching someone hit a child wasn''t a pleasant sight, I stopped Dana. Fortunately Rahan stopped his wife too. ''Now first I''ll try removing your curse.'' That seemed the logical first step. I was worried they might kill the Margrave as soon as their curse was removed, but they firmly promised not to. ''Magan.'' "Mmm." After his intelligence regressed, the Margrave had trouble understanding others'' words. But he properly understood what I said using the Crown of Connection. Maybe because I canmunicate with magical beasts that can''t speak. ''See your wrist?'' "Yeah." ''This wrist is connected to the tattoos on their necks. You need to release them now, understand?'' "Don''t really know..." Dana raised her hand sharply. The Margrave let out an "eek" and shrank his neck. "Don''t know..." His vocabry seems simr to Madam Gori''s, but I understood. He really meant he didn''t understand. ''Try to remember and do it.'' "Okay." He''s quite obedient. I patted the Margrave''s head. The Margrave grinned and flexed his wrist. Though just flexing shouldn''t do anything, surprisingly magic started pouring out from the mark on his wrist. Rahan and Dana watched expectantly. "Guaaah!" They suddenly started convulsing. I quickly hit the back of the Margrave''s head. "Huk, heok, huk!" "Keu..." They groaned in pain. I could tell what happened. Instead of removing their curse, the Margrave had used magic to cause them pain. A truly terrible curse magic. As soon as Dana came to her senses, she started beating the Margrave. The Margrave cried making sounds like a squealing pig. "Augh!" The current Margrave clearly can''t handle the curse. Then trying to force him to remove it might end up blowing up Rahan and Dana''s necks instead. The couple despaired at this chilling realization. ''For now we need to get to the capital.'' The rtively calm Rahan said so. That''s right. ''While the Margrave is out of his mind, we need to remove our curse. And you all must have things to do too.'' Our goals are different. But we agreed on needing to go to the capital. The two guards needed to remove the Margrave''s curse, and we needed to escape the crime of turning the Imperial ambassador into an idiot. ''There must be a way.'' Rahan seemed reliable. ''First option is to find a way to return the Margrave to his senses.'' Rahan and Dana said so despite seeming to have a grudge against the Margrave. ''Or somehow manage the situation with him in this state.'' We could im the Margrave went mad from an ident. That''s a tempting option too. However, Phili and Obern''s faces instantly darkened. Actually, Phili and Obern had aplex rtionship with the Margrave who was both Imperial ambassador and external minister. The Margrave was supposed to be a powerful patron for Phili and Obern. Because that would benefit both sides. But if such a shield disappeared, Phili and Obern would be like kites with cut strings. ''Let''s try the first option for now.'' "Honey!" Dana was flustered. Having the Margrave regain his senses would be worst for the two of them. They had nned to remove their curse and escape. But Rahan had a reason for suggesting it. ''We need to find the vigers, Dana.'' "..." What? Don''t tell me they were legendary minority tribe warriors. And the Margrave imprisoned their vigers, and used threats to make the two strongest man and woman his guard warriors. Was there such a viinous secret? When I excitedly asked, though not exactly the same, something simr had happened.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The actual story seemed even more sticky, cruel and brutal. "We have a week until the audience with His Majesty the Emperor. If we skip all the cities we''re supposed to visit, we can secure about 3 days of spare time." Dana said so. "For now, let''s get to the capital as quickly as possible." ''Good!'' That''s what we did. Traveling day and night. We arrived at the Imperial Capital, thergest city on the continent. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 318 "Hmm......" (nods) (1) I analyzed Isil''s recent condition while walking. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv19(-)] [Traits] [Baby], [World Tree], [Hellfire] [Skills] [Intuition lv4], [Perception Expansion lv3], [Absorption Growth lv7], [Leaf Shaking lv4], [Vine Hands lv2], [Empathy lv3], [Cultivation lv10], [Fire Immunity lv.-], [Hellfire lv2] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ''Isil, daddy''s sorry!'' Isil was still a baby. Maybe it was natural since he wasn''t born that long ago. Compared to me, it was a modest status window, but he still had unique skills wrapped around him. However, there was a problem... The minus sign next to his level won''t disappear! I couldn''t help but feel infinite responsibility. ''Baby, you''ve been through a lot.'' Previously, I had made the vines asrge as possible to save Lady Ri. Since Isil''s ''main body'' was two small and tender cotyledons, cutting the rest of the vines wouldn''t affect Isil. But I''m not sure if ''no effect'' is the urate description. At least it seemed clear that he had used a lot of energy. Isil was just wriggling in his pre-evolution small form. Isil considered me as his parent. Ever since he was a ''chimera snake''. So, I had endless responsibility for Isil. ''Why, just why...'' Usually, Isil either sticks to me or stays nted in his pot. When he''s in the pot, I water him and stroke his cotyledons. We''re using the pottery I stole from the Count''s warehouse as a new pot, and for whatever reason, Isil really liked that pot. Maybe it was thanks to the pot that Isil was able to grow his body so enormouslyst time. That was really good then... But now there''s a problem. ''Why aren''t you eating!'' Isil''s ''food'' isn''t just water. Being a magical beast, he ate meat too. Originally, if I put small pieces of meat in the pot, they would disappear before I knew it. This time, I found dried-up pieces of meat in the pot. When I looked through it, there were quite a few pieces of meat left abandoned. I felt my insides burning with worry. I once saw my aunt having a hard time because my baby cousin wouldn''t eat baby food. Now I think I understand how my aunt felt back then. This time I tried giving him boiled meat, but Isil didn''t even pay attention to it. "It''s the first time I''ve seen someone worry about a nt not eating meat." Although Pelerian said with disbelief. ''But he used to eat well!'' How could I not worry when someone who used to eat well is now starving? Isil climbed onto my tail, ignoring the meat. I had no choice but to leave him be. That''s when it happened. When Isil started behaving differently than usual. After climbing onto my tail, he shook his cotyledons and pointed in one direction. That direction was none other than where the Margrave was. When Isil showed interest in him, the Margrave, whose mind had returned to that of a child, smiled brightly. "Ye-es, ehehe. Seedling..." He reaches out his hand. I handed Isil over to the Margrave as he wanted. Surprisingly, Isil started climbing up the Margrave''s hand. The Margrave pped excitedly. "Wow." "Aah..." We also pped at the heartwarming scene. Isil finally climbed onto the Margrave''s head and started shaking his cotyledons. It was like watching a family looking at a child showing off. Such a warm atmosphere lingered for a very brief moment. Until the Margrave screamed while grabbing his head. "Kyaaaaaah!" "Urgh!" When Obern rushed to the Margrave in surprise, Isil was extending his roots into the Margrave''s head. I quickly pulled Isil off. "Sc-scary." The Margrave quickly backed away, forgetting when he was pping happily just moments ago. Isil, why did you do that? ''Don''t tell me, you wanted to eat his brain?'' Flick flick. Isil just fluttered his leaves. I guess that''s why he wasn''t eating well. Actually, this might be good. It seems like the ''education'' for the Margrave could be more effective. I approached the crouching Margrave and ced my tail on his hand. After using the Crown of Connection, I said. ''Margrave, you saw that. Isil got a bit angry because you weren''t listening.'' "Sorryyy." This is the Margrave whose vocabry has be worse than Lady Ri''s. We had to give the Margrave minimal education. Obern stepped up and spoke to the Margrave. "Margrave, from now on, when given a signal, just say ''hmm...'' and nod, that''s all." "Hmm..."N?v(el)B\\jnn "Yes, that''s right. But don''t make that expression." The so-called ''Project to Look as Normal as Possible''. "Don''t nod your head so vigorously, just slightly like this, hmm..." "Ahem..." "Not ahem, hmm!" Obern, the acting expert, gives a crash course. This was immediately put to use when entering the Imperial Capital. == The city where the sun never sets. Thergest city on the continent. Where the Emperor resides. The Imperial Capital, Sian. Sian''s size is ten times the area of Solion. The poption is seven timesrger. The walls protecting the capital consist of the enormous outer wall and the inner wall within it. Just the area of the inner city where the Imperial Pce exists is asrge as eight districts of Solionbined, showing its majesty. Naturally, a procedure called inspection is required to enter the inner wall. None of the eight gates - East Gate, Southeast Gate, South Gate, etc. - have easy inspections. Especially around nine in the morning, which could be considered rush hour, there''s always a line. The West Gate that day was no exception. The gatemander in charge of the West Gate is Asada Jungin, a 4th-rank military official. He could be called an elite official who rose to the position of inner wall gatemander at a young age. Asada was looking down from the wall with arrogant eyes, while below, people were lined up waiting for their turn. They were spending time grumbling quietly enough that the gate guards couldn''t hear. Basically, the inspection would normally proceed in order, but. Things in this world don''t always go as they should. "Hey, hey." "Move aside, everyone move!" Amotion erupted from the back of the line, with townspeople hurriedly pressing themselves against vendor stalls and building walls. Children were pulled close by anxious mothers, and merchants hastily gathered their wares from the street. What appeared through the parting crowd were two magnificent carriages, their polished wooden frames gleaming with iid silver scrollwork that caught the afternoon sun. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, from the intricate carvings adorning the doors to the plush velvet curtains visible through spotless windows. Chapter 319 "Hmm......" (nods) (2) The carriages were impossibly grand, far toorge and heavy to be pulled by just two horses each. The normal physics of weight and burden seemed not to apply, as the matched pairs of white stallions drew their massive loads with unnatural ease, their steps light and precise. In other words, the carriages themselves were magically engineered, enchanted by skilled artificers to defy the naturalws of motion and mass. The subtle shimmer of arcane energy was visible to those who knew where to look, dancing along the wheels and chassis like heat waves on a summer road. Which could mean only one thing - the owners of these carriages were either members of the realm''s wealthiest merchant houses or high-ranking government officials. No one else could afford such a disy of both material luxury and magical might in a single conveyance. They always pass through the checkpoint first. This time was no different. The carriages didn''t even think about stopping in front of the people in line. People moved aside without even daring to curse. The carriages finally stopped in front of the checkpoint. The soldiers were squinting their eyes to see whose carriages they were. The coachman spoke first. "These are the carriages of Margrave Sareb, Imperial Ambassador, Inspector, and External Minister." "Ah." "He is currently returning with the prince of the Solion Kingdom. We shall pass." Surprisingly. The gate guards have a ''principle''. The principle is that they must at least check faces, except for the Emperor. However, like many principles in the world. Sometimes principles can be temporarily forgotten. The soldiers didn''t want to take responsibility or get on the bad side of important figures. So they reported the situation to theirmander on the wall. The gatemander neither ordered them to let the carriages pass nor to proceed with inspection. He literally came running down barefoot. Honestly, he would have had time to put on shoes, so being barefoot was a kind of performance. A performance showing how much the gatemander respects and admires Margrave Sareb. He stood in front of the carriage and shouted loudly. "I, Asada Jungin, greet the External Minister. Sa-lute!" With the gatemander saluting, the soldiers couldn''t just stand still. "Sa-lute!" "Sa, sa-lute!" The soldiers all saluted toward the closed carriage window. And it''s courtesy not to lower your hand until your superior acknowledges the salute. The window didn''t open, and the Margrave didn''t acknowledge the salute. An awkward silence lingered for a while. Citizens whispered watching them maintain their salute. Meanwhile, a smallmotion urred inside the carriage. "...What should we do?" "What do you mean? You practiced well." ''Will this really be okay?'' "Open it." The carriage window creaked open. The Margrave''s face appeared in the window. The snake tapped the Margrave''s hand. "Hmm..." The Margrave nodded slightly. The gatemander let out a sigh of relief. "You''ve finally returned. We''ve been waiting for your return, Margrave." "Hmm..." (nods) "It must have been a tiring journey." "Hmm..." (nods.) The strategy of saying "hmm" and nodding with a serious expression was surprisingly sessful. The gatemander didn''t notice anything strange. The snake and Obern pped quietly with bright faces. However, things didn''t go so smoothly. "Perhaps our soldiersmitted some rudeness..." "Hmm..." (nods) "Ah, yes? Eh? Really?" "Hmm..." (nods) An "uh oh" expression appeared on Obern''s face. However, they hadn''t taught the Margrave how to shake his head no. "Was it you!" "No, it, it wasn''t me!" "How dare you, do you know who this is!" The gatemander yelled at the soldiers. "I apologize, Margrave. Please execute me!" "Hmm..." (nods) The snake peeked outside to see all the soldiers pressing their heads to the ground. And the gatemander started making gestures of cutting his own neck with his sword. He probably didn''t actually want to die. Finally, Rahan stepped in. "The Margrave says he''s tired, so we would appreciate if you could let us through." "Ah, yes, please go right in!" The gatemander who had been holding his sword to his neck quickly bowed. The soldiers also got up and saluted once more. Only then did a sigh of relief sound inside the carriage. The snake patted the Margrave''s hand. ''You still did well, Margrave.'' "Hmm..." (nods) ''Stop nodding now.'' "Hmm..." (nods) The Margrave only stopped nodding when Isil was brought to him. == We went to a hotel called ''Suwooljang''. Although there was Margrave Sareb''s mansion in the inner city, it was too early to go there. We dismissed all the cumbersome servants andrge carriages. Treating the Margrave''s condition was the urgent priority. There were many grand hotels in the inner city suitable for an Imperial Ambassador to stay at. And among them were ces where you could use an entire private building with a yard. We took the room, charging it to the Margrave''s name. Although the hotel was extremely luxurious, we weren''t given time for a hotel vacation. ''Dana has returned.'' Because Dana brought back a ''doctor'' she knew. The doctor was a small old man carrying a huge bag. "What''s this, you folks had this much money?" He seemed surprised by the grandeur of the hotel we visited. "Why rece a prosthetic arm in such an expensive ce." The identity of the goatee-bearded old man was none other than Rahan''s ''prosthetic arm maker.'' However, he had more than one upation. "And where is the patient?" An unlicensed doctor in the underworld. That was the old man''s main upation. I asked Dana. ''Can that old man really cure the Margrave?'' ''Don''t worry. He''s someone whose skills are real.'' The old man''s bag contained prosthetic parts and various medical tools. "Old man. This is an advance payment for treatment." Dana handed over ten gold coins. The old man''s mouth opened like a basket. "Whoever it is, I''ll treat them perfectly." He made a bold promise. Suddenly the Margrave burst out of the bathroom. "Ubabababa!" "Oh, you need to wear clothes!" Until Obern chased after the naked running Margrave. "...Isn''t that Margrave Sareb?" "Yes." "Treat, that?" "Yes." "...Farewell."N?v(el)B\\jnn The old man tried to return the gold coins, but. "Let''s begin the treatment." Dana just coldly touched the sword at her waist. Chapter 320 Puppet Circus (1) From my perspective as a modern person. The culture of kingdoms and empires is certainly different. Perhaps it''s a given, since the scope of what the word "culture" epasses is so vast. But I''m not talking about such deep meanings, just what''s visible to the eye. First of all, the kingdom was like the typical fantasy world I had in mind. You know, like something that could appear in Lord of the X, that kind of medieval Western feeling. There are knights, kings, and nobles. Of course, I can''t say it''s exactly like medieval France or medieval Ennd. Like most fantasy settings, it feels like a mixture of various Western civilizations. The empire, on the other hand, was a bit different. You could call it an odd mishmash. Eastern and Western elements were mixed together. It might have been just like the Arajit Empire, but it''s slightly different. It''s like martial arts and fantasy mixed together. ''That''s martial arts.'' I thought so when I saw the old man that Dana and Rahan brought in taking out several golden needles. ''Rahan, does acupuncture exist in this world too?'' ''Ah, yes, Elder Duiman''s acupuncture is famous in the lower district.'' The old man''s name was Duiman. Apparently, he''s known as the entric of golden needles in the lower district. By the way, the lower district isn''t a ce name, but rather what you might call the underworld. It refers to the darkness that naturally exists in any developed city. "It seems there''s blood stasis in the brain." "Blood stasis, you say?" "Would you understand if I called it turbid energy? Hmm, there''s trauma to the head. Must have hit something?" For reference, we hadn''t mentioned that the Margrave had hit his head on the table when he fell. What amazing insight. This person must be a skilled physician indeed. "I thought it was just because of the poison. But there might also be cerebral hemorrhage from the trauma." I take that back. He''s a quack. The old man examined the Margrave from various angles. He brought a candle close to check his pupil movement. He checked his pulse and even gave the back of his head a sharp p. "There are two options: a long-term rehabilitation method, or a quick treatment method with some risks. Which would you prefer?" The answer to that question was decided from the start. "Let''s go with the quick one." After all, we need to enter the Imperial Pce to have an audience with the Emperor in two days. We need to fix the Margrave before then. "I thought you''d say that. You roughly know the risks?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Could he die?" "Of course, but that''s not all. You know, right? If his memories remain..." "We know." We were well aware of the risks. "First, let''s tie him to the chair." The Margrave sat in the chair. Or more urately, was made to sit. "Aaah, no, I don''t want to sit!" "Margrave, you need to stay still." Surprisingly, Obern handled the Margrave quite well. So well that he naturally picked me up and handed me to the Margrave like giving him a doll. The Margrave became docile once I was ced on hisp. This bastard Obern. "Tie his hands and feet to the chair, we can''t use anesthesia for this procedure." They firmly secured the Margrave''s limbs to the heavy oak chair, rough hemp rope biting into his fine silk robes. The guards worked methodically, checking each knot with practiced efficiency. Margrave Sareb whimpered ufortably, his carefully maintained dignity crumbling as the reality of his situation sank in. Beads of sweat formed on his high forehead, catching the torchlight. Though he quickly became quiet when I took Isil out of my spatial storage, the familiar metallic ring echoing off the stone walls as I drew the de. His eyes widened at the sight of the legendary sword, its edge gleaming with an inner light that seemed to hunger for truth. "Phew, I need to concentrate, so everyone shut up." The old man said this and took out his golden needles. It was the longest needle among those he had. It was as long as a hand span. He carefully examined the Margrave''s crown. That must smell like scalp... Then he cleaned the Margrave''s crown with an alcohol swab. "Hehe, that''s cool." The Margrave giggled. This isn''t a situation tough at, but I feel a bit sorry for him. I couldn''t help but feel some sympathy for the Margrave. "Now, I''m starting." The old man carefully brought the golden needle to the Margrave''s crown. People don''t have very sensitive sensation in their crown. Actually, it''s an area that doesn''t hurt much even when getting acupuncture. Stab. Of course. That only applies when the needle is inserted shallowly. Even though there should be skull bone there, the needle went in smoothly. "Urgggh" The Margrave''s eyes rolled back. But the old man''s hand movements didn''t stop. Very slowly, bit by bit, the needle was entering the Baihui acupoint on the crown. "Ubabababababa I have been appointed by His Majesty the Emperor as an Imperial ambassador and faithfully..." Yikes, the Margrave is malfunctioning! Nevertheless, the old man maintained the same speed in inserting the needle, his weathered hands steady as a mountain despite the chaos unfolding before him. Decades of experience had taught him that panic would only make things worse. Soul-entering needle, as if breathing a soul into the acupuncture. The ancient bronze implement glowed with a faint blue light as it pierced the skin, carrying with it centuries of healing wisdom passed down through generations of practitioners. "As the glorious firstborn of the Sareb family I will surely be a minister and serve His Majesty the Emperor and as hemanded the shame of the zoo..." Then thud. His head drooped. The old man''s hand stopped right at that moment. An eerie silence fell in an instant. Is he cured? We were all ready. As soon as the Margrave regained consciousness, we were prepared to start acting. ''You''re awake, Margrave!'', ''We were worried you might have had a stroke when you suddenly copsed!'' We were nning to pretend to be close with tearful concern. Chapter 321 Puppet Circus (2) After a moment of silence. The Margrave lifted his head. His face was twisted like a malevolent spirit. "You bastards!" He spat foam and saliva. "You dare humiliate me and toy with me? I''ll tear you all into thousands of pieces. Especially you! Obern-!" Obern''s face turned pale. It was certain. The Margrave remembered everything. Even how we handled them after he became foolish. And that his subordinates, Rahan and Dana... "Rahan, Dana, kill them all right now-" ...had betrayed him. Then we couldn''t just leave him be. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2¡¹ "...killgagagak!" The Margrave''s eyes that had regained consciousness rolled back again. Phew. That could have been dangerous. "Ahem, hrm." Though the Margrave had temporarily regained consciousness. The result was rather desperate. "Well, I''ve finished the treatment, so I''ll be going now." "Wait." Dana stopped the old man who was trying to slip away. "Can you return him to his previous state?" "Now why would you ask that after I worked so hard to cure him..." "Can you or can''t you?" "...I can." If the conscious Margrave would hate us, then the foolish Margrave would be better. "Then please return him to that state." Dana handed over another ten gold coins. The old man''s face twisted as he epted them. "So you''re making this old physician an aplice too, eh?" If Duiman were the type to run his mouth carelessly, he wouldn''t have survived as a physician in the lower district. Still, it''s better to have insurance. He carefully pulled out the golden needle that was stuck in the crown. A momentter, the Margrave woke up again. "Ubababa, hehe." That''s right, Margan. That kind of smile suits you better. "Since it''se to this, please take a look at Rahan''s prosthetic arm." "Dana, you''re amazingly shameless even after all these years of knowing you." Dana took Elder Duiman away. "Haah, damn it." Obern slumped into a chair. Unlike Dana and Rahan, he and Phili had hoped the Margrave would wake up in his right mind. And it would have been best if he didn''t remember the period when his mind had regressed. But the conscious Margrave was burning with hatred, so now we didn''t dare try to cure him. "In that case, we''ll just have to say his body is hurting because the Margrave''s pet bit him." That was our n B. Of course, it''s not a perfect n. "I''m not sure if that will be easily epted. And without the Margrave''s protection, probably the Prince''s and my position too... haah." Obern, don''t despair too much. Don''t worry too much either. There''s a saying in the world. Half of the worries people have are about things that will never happen. And the other half are about things that worrying won''t help with. And excluding those halves, only a tiny portion that remains are things that can be changed through worry. In other words, it''s enough to just do your best with whateveres your way. I like that saying. So what''s the best we can do right now? First, ''train'' the foolish Margrave a bit more... That''s when it happened. ''Oh my, Isil!'' Isil kept reaching out leaves toward the Margrave. Does it want to eat the Margrave''s brain that badly? No, Jiji, you can''t eat things like that. Hold back. When I stopped Isil, it clung to me instead. And then it used its skill first by itself. ¡¸Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv19 uses Empathy lv3¡¹ Oh. Isil had shared skills with me through Empathy before. I wondered what skill it was trying to share with me. ¡¸Due to Empathy lv3, Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv19 temporarily gains Corruption lv1¡¹ Oh, what''s it doing now? Hellfire and Corruption are hell-type magic that I possess. And inevitably, Isil cast the magic. Really, what a talented nt. ¡¸Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv19 uses Corruption lv1¡¹ The mental hell magic was cast on the foolish Margrave. == Duiman''s main profession wasn''t being a physician. Though he had coincidentally reached an amazing level in acupuncture, his motivation for studying the human body wasn''t to hone medical skills. ''Prosthetic maker''. That was Duiman''s main profession and dream. That''s why he had a decent rtionship with the couple Rahan and Dana. Adapting to prosthetics isn''t easy. And using prosthetics better than one''s original arm is even harder. In that regard, Rahan was the perfect client. Whether due to his mysterious lineage or just lucky natural talent, he perfectly handled Duiman''s prosthetics. Perfect handling meant using every function Duiman had packed into the prosthetic without missing any. Like flicking the wrist to make a de pop out. Or bending the elbow backward like a reverse joint to throw a chain sickle faster. However, people like Rahan were very rare. Moreover, due to his nature as a guard warrior, Rahan couldn''t use shy prosthetics. He normally just wore gloves, pretending to have a normal arm.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Last time, Duiman had rmended a prosthetic with w arms, but was tly rejected. Duiman had a dream. To create a massive prosthetic armed with dozens of functions. So after maintaining Rahan''s prosthetic. When a gori without both arms appeared. Duiman''s eyes couldn''t help but shake violently. "Th-that gori..." "Ah, it''s Professor Obern''s monster gori." Right, it must be a monster. For a moment, he had a vision of attaching huge prosthetics to that gori''s arms. Had he gone senile? A monster with low intelligence probably couldn''t use prosthetics that even humans struggled with. ...Still, I want to try attaching one. While thinking that. "Teacher..." The gori ''spoke''. "Can I get prosthetics too...?" ''Yes, my son.'' Duiman almost answered like that. He even thought about adopting this gori. "O-okay." Just as he barely managed to answer through his overwhelming emotions. CRASH! There was a sound of something breaking outside. Had the Margrave woken up? But he was tied to the chair. "Let''s check!" Dana shouted that, and they hurriedly went outside. And they saw. The Margrave was standing. The ropes that had tied him to the chair were broken and scattered on the floor. What had the snake been doing? Looking closer, the snake was wrapped around the Margrave''s neck. And the seedling was fluttering its leaves on the Margrave''s crown. The Margrave turned to look at them. That cold and arrogant gaze. Obern, Dana, Rahan. They all felt fear from those cold eyes. And then a roar burst from the Margrave''s mouth: "SAAACK!" An icy silence fell. Chapter 322 Advising the Emperor (1) Hell magic ''Corruption''. As with all magic. The more unfamiliar the concept, the more likely it is to be high-level magic. However, ''Hell Magic'' is quite distant from ordinary magic systems. When you spread out all the magic in the world, it draws a picture like a spider''s web. If there is a tree called elemental magic, branches like fire, water, earth, and wind split from it. But hell magic is different. This is because it exists separately from the great trees that spread out centered on magicians. Take hellfire, for example. It''s magic that spews terrible mes that burn everything. It sounds like it would be in the same system as ''Elemental Magic: Fire''. But in reality, it''spletely different. Even a magicyman would know. That terrible congration. The earth splits and hell appears. Because you can feel the terrible magical energy as if the fire demon there is flicking its tongue. ''Corruption'' also runs on a different track from ordinary mental magic. There are those who study mental magic in the world. Unfortunately for magicians. And fortunately for everyone else. Magic like plete brainwashing'' that might appear in novels doesn''t exist. In other words, ''permanent andplete mental domination of an individual'' cannot be achieved through magic. If it could, a magician who mastered mental magic would have be the emperor of the empire. Mental magic has more trivial effects than the terrifying impression its name gives. However, Corruption is different. So how does that magic work? We can see it in the anecdote of the past grand mage Ebatium, who dealt with hell magic by contracting with demons. Ebatium once encountered the Fire Altar Knights alone. Thirty devout holy knights. And one demon contractor facing them. Given that the knights'' holy magic was the antithesis of hell magic, Ebatium had no chance of winning. There, surrounded, Ebatium used ''Corruption''. ording to the testimony of a farmer who observed it from afar. The holy knights all ''went mad'' at once. Some dismounted and wept loudly, while others swung their swords at theirpanions. And Ebatium took out a dagger and stabbed all the holy knights to death. The next day, Ebatium also died.N?v(el)B\\jnn That anecdote was clearly a true story recorded in history. It was shocking even to magicians who knew about hell magic and ''Corruption''. "You can''t do something like that with Corruption magic alone. No matter how high the level of that magic might be. There must have been definite demon intervention." Pelerian added that even after exining the anecdote. "Among hell magic, Corruption is typically a magic that has bacsh on the caster." Corruption is magic that can break down a person''s mind. It''s possible to turn a devout priest into a madman who insults their god. "Ebatium probably amplified his magic by contracting with a demon. Even so, he died because he couldn''t ovee the bacsh. The demon would have snatched up that stupid mage''s soul." Such terrible magic. Isil used it. I could understand what the ''bacsh'' was. Pitch-ck magical energy was generated around Isil. However, Isil gobbled up that magical energy. Is it because they''re a rare magical beast called the Demon Hunter''s Vine? Being able to digest even the bacsh of hell magic, isn''t that too overpowered? This talented nt! Then what happened to the Margrave who was hit with Corruption lv1? When someone who''s already gone mad from having their head filled with turbid energy gets corrupted... The Margrave opened his mouth wide and drooled. His pupils were wide open. I was so scared that I rushed to the Margrave. ''Wake up! Wake up!'' Isil, attached to the Margrave''s head, happily shook their leaves. I tried to lift the Margrave. I hoped the Margrave would at least say ''ababa'' or something. But he wouldn''t listen at all. ''Of course he won''t listen...!'' No choice. Let''s use the Crown of Connection. Since he probably still won''t listen, I tried using the Crown of Connection enhanced by consuming Majesty. ¡¸The connection target''s consciousness has been tainted by magical energy.¡¹ ¡¸Magical energy is invading.¡¹ ¡¸Due to the trait ''Indomitable'', you are immune to mental attacks.¡¹ What is this! And to make matters worse, something strange happened. ¡¸Temporarily ''perfectly connected'' with the connection target.¡¹ At that moment, I feltpletely unified with the Margrave''s senses. I just desperately wanted him to get up. Crack! To think the Margrave would suddenly stand up, breaking the ropes on his hands and feet. ''Uh, uhh...'' I felt dizzy. Feeling like I might fall, I steadied my posture. Then the Margrave really moved his feet to keep bnce. Wait, what did I just do? Surprised, I touched my face. The Margrave raised his hand and touched his face. Only then did I understand the meaning of ''perfect connection''. I made the Margrave''s body move. I can control the Margrave! "Wh-what''s happening!" Dana and the others returned in surprise. "Saaak!" I said through the Margrave''s mouth. Meaning ''Can this be counted as humanization?'' == "I am Margrave Sareb. I am the empire''s ambassador and inspector-saat!" Such pompous words erupted from Margrave''s mouth, echoing through the chamber with an unmistakable hint of theatrical ir. His chest was puffed out like a proud peacock, and his hand gestured dramatically toward himself. It was precisely the kind of grandiose line the real Margrave would proim, down to the exact wording - but the tone waspletely different. Where the true Margrave''s voice carried natural authority and calcted restraint, this impersonation rang hollow, like an amateur actor overdoing their part. You could feel the snake''s silliness radiating from every syble and gesture. The way he swayed slightly as he spoke, the exaggerated emphasis on each word, the gleam of mischief in those borrowed eyes - it all betrayed the serpent''s true nature beneath the stolen face. Moreover, the ending was the real problem. That childish "saat!" tacked onto the end of such a formal title - no proper imperial official would ever dream of using such a frivolous suffix. It was like watching someone try to pass off costume jewelry as precious gems, not realizing how obvious the deception was to any careful observer. "Remove the exmation mark." "I am Margrave Sareb. I am the empire''s ambassador and inspector, verily." "What''s with ''verily''?" "I tried to make the tone more solemn-saat..." "Just do what you''re told." "S-sorry..." The Margrave, no, the snake apologized. The snake was moving the Margrave. Moreover, it seemed able to manipte his voice too. "Ah..." At that moment, the Margrave''s slightly unfocused eyes regained their rity. "Ubaba?" Though simrly foolish, his focus was definitely more scattered. A paper fluttered up. ¡¸Ah, battery died.¡¹ The snake showed the miracle of controlling the Margrave like its own body. But it seemed it couldn''t maintain it for long. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 323 Advising the Emperor (2) Aplicated process where the magic called Corruption killed the Margrave''s consciousness, and while that suspicious vine nt ate up the magical energy in the Margrave''s head, the snake could dominate the Margrave. However this situation was. It was nothing less than a golden opportunity. "We need topletely revise the n." Obern said so. If the snake could imitate the Margrave, there were more things they could do. Especially now when they needed to decide where Phili and Obern would stay. "Originally, Prince Phili would probably stay in the form of studying abroad at the Imperial School." "Yes..." Though essentially no different from a hostage, for now, Phili''s pretext foring to the empire was ''study abroad''. That meant he would probably stay in the form of transferring to the Imperial Academy. "An academy that won''t teach properly anyway..." Phili said glumly. There had been several princes captured by the empire until now. And they all spent humiliating daily lives without exception. Not only students but even professors looked down on the Solion royalty. Taking the prince hostage itself was close to ''disciplining'' the kingdom. "It would be better to have a ce where we two can stay together. We won''t be able to do that at the Imperial Academy." They wanted to use the Margrave this time to decide Phili''s residence. Ideally, it would be good to have a ce where Obern, the snake, and Phili could stay together. If he could ''study abroad'' somewhere other than the Imperial Academy... "Hmm..." Dana and Rahan. Somehow they ended up in the same boat with the minority warrior couple. Perhaps that''s why they could get such advice. Advice that only someone who knows the empire well could give. "You want somewhere safe but not entangled with others?" "That''s right." Dana exchanged nces with Rahan briefly before advising. "How about that ce?" Advice to go to ''that ce''. "Given the ce, I give this advice carefully. But it meets your conditions. Though its head is also one of the Seven Seats, they''re not cruel and stay away from power struggles..." "..." "I apologize if that sounded rude."@@novelbin@@ "No, not at all." Obern looked at Phili. Asking how the person himself felt about it. And Phili nodded too. "Totally great." That ce is much better than the Imperial Academy. ''I like it too.'' Since the snake was happy too. "Then, major strategy revision." There wasn''t enough time to practice controlling the Margrave and make ns until meeting the emperor. And two days passed in an instant. == The Imperial Pce. Buildings with magnificent roofs made of purple ss tiles stood in rows. Enjoy new stories from empire In the deepest part among those splendid buildings. A grand hall was situated there. "External Minister, Margrave Sareb enters." Among the empire''s official ranks, the Three Departments had the highest authority, and the Six Ministries were below them. The External Ministry was in charge of diplomatic affairs, and the Minister was second-inmand of that ministry. In other words, Margrave Sareb held a high position equivalent to the vice minister of foreign affairs. Moreover, he himself was also a great noble as a margrave. This meant he carried some weight even among the many civil and military officials gathered in the grand hall. "My, Margrave Sareb, what''s this?" "Are you injured?" He appeared in a wheelchair wearing a thick neck brace. Several officials came over and buzzed around. The Margrave had his eyes closed and his head drooped as if dozing. Therefore, it was none other than Dana, who was pushing the wheelchair, who answered. "The Margrave was severely injured and is in poor condition." "What happened?" "His pet magical beast bit him and ran away..." "Oh my." Some who heard this story were clearly trying to hold backughter. I saw it clearly. Ah, by the way, I was hiding inside the neck brace. That''s why he wore a neck brace even though his neck wasn''t broken. To keep the Margrave''s head from drooping too lifelessly. Also for me to hide in. Right now, neither Obern nor Oliver is by my side. Only Dana, which meant I had to do it with my own power. And that in front of the empire''s emperor... "It should go well if you don''t say anything stupid." Ah right. Pelerian was here too. Over a hundred officials gathered in this grand hall. There was one borate chair in the center, and the officials formed a circle around it. The ministers including the Margrave stood at the very front, while the rest crowded behind them. Though it couldn''t be helped that it was noisy with so many people gathered. At some point, silence settled in smoothly. I was quick-witted enough to realize soon. Soon, the emperor would appear. Sure enough. A eunuch wearing borate clothes called out. "His- Majesty- the Emperor- arrives-!" Someone struck a gong loudly. Deung- Deung- Deung- What would this continent''s ruler look like? I looked ahead through the small hole made in the neck brace. Everyone bowed their heads. The Margrave naturally looked fine since his head was already drooping. "Raise your heads." The emperor''s voice was youthful. I heard he was a young man, and he did seem young. I tried to peek at the emperor''s face, but the beads of the crown were too dense to see his face. While all the officials raised their heads to look at the emperor. "We will- begin- the royal court meeting-. Ministerse forward and report to His Majesty..." "Enough." The emperor sat on the throne and stopped the eunuch. "How long would it take to hear everyone? I will read them myself, so wait." "Yes- Your Majesty-." The emperor said so and really started reading the scrolls. Probably petitions and various contents about state affairs were written there. After reading for a while. The emperor paused. "Hooh." No way. To think my chance woulde so quickly. "Margrave Sareb." I quickly used the Crown of Connection. Corruption was already cast through Isil. ¡¸Temporarily ''perfectly connected'' with the connection target.¡¹ I made the Margrave''s body rise and prostrate before the emperor. Thud, the Margrave''s forehead hit the ground. "The prince of Solion..." His Majesty inquired. "...You would put him in a zoo to work. Is that your suggestion?" A voice tinged with interest. The surrounding officials inhaled sharply. Chapter 324 To the Zoo (1) Murmur murmur- "Huh." "The zoo..." "He''s suggesting sending the prince under Director Kadam?" Whispers. Despite being before the emperor, the civil and military officials whispered. The Margrave''s suggestion was that shocking. To put it bluntly, it was a suggestion to ''put the hostage prince to work at the zoo instead of the academy.'' Normally, people would have just wondered why the Margrave was acting this way. Traditionally, it was customary to enroll princes from kingdoms in the Imperial Academy. But sending him to the zoo? Of course, the ''zoo'' in the imperial capital Sian isn''t just an amusement park. The areas that ordinary citizens can freely ess are limited. Rare magical beasts exist there, and even named magical beasts are captured. In other words, the Imperial Zoo is the empire''s finest ''magical beast research institution''. Many talented individuals wanted to join this magical beast research institution. After all, magical beasts were a headache not just for the empire but for the entire continent. But is it a ce suitable for a prince to work? Certainly not. First of all, it''s dirty, dangerous, and difficult work. All work with magical beasts is like that. And the zoo''s chief director is also not an easy person to work with. Kadam Kazans. He himself is a powerful figure included in the empire''s Seven Seats. He would need to be at least that strong to handle the named magical beasts inside. All the civil and military officials knew that his personality was entric and frightening. Setting aside his obsession with magical beasts, his temperament itself was fiery. It wasn''t once or twice that he beat researchers so badly they had to be carried away. "What do the ministers think?" When the emperor solemnly inquired. Cautious opposition also emerged. "There is no precedent. I think there is no reason to assign the Solion prince to the zoo." Several nodded. It was a reasonable argument since ''custom'' and ''precedent'' were the most important considerations in diplomacy. "The External Minister?" When the emperor asked the External Ministry''s minister. "I think so as well." The External Minister lightly agreed. This was significant. Margrave Sareb was the External Vice Minister - that is, second-inmand of the diplomatic ministry. And the External Minister who expressed opposition was Margrave''s direct superior, meaning this wasn''t something agreed upon within the ministry. As the hall stirred again. "What nonsense, Minister! It''s a brilliant strategy that deserves apuse!" The Military Minister shouted loudly. "Does the External Ministry not know the disrespect Solion has shown us? They used the Nordians as an excuse to start a war! They expanded their military and made our agreements worthless!" "The Military Minister is right. Shouldn''t we send them a warning message when the empire has been toyed with?" These voices were even louder. In reality, the Solion Kingdom was rapidly expanding its military. Revenge against the North was the pretext, but their intention to break free from the empire''s influence was clear. "We can''t just stay quiet after being humiliated. It''s time for Solion to know its ce." "Are you suggesting we show our intent by throwing the prince in the zoo? It doesn''t befit a great nation''s dignity." "What''s wrong with the zoo? Are you insulting Lord Kadam Kazans now?" "In-insult? No! You know that''s not what I''m talking about!" "Then what do you mean? I''ll ask Lord Kadam his opinion about your statement." "Are you going to report me?" "Not reporting, just conveying the facts." No matter how high-ranking the ministers were. It seemed they couldn''t help bing childish when they got old. Moreover, that Lord Kadam''s influence was clearly significant. The ministers bickered back and forth about whether the Margrave''s opinion was right or wrong. The volume of voices from both sides was about equal. Although the Margrave was only a vice minister and not a minister, this bnce was possible because his influence as a great noble was extraordinarilyrge. But even thatmotion... "Silence." Was suppressed by the emperor''s quiet word. The prince''s treatment would be decided by the wordsing from the emperor''s mouth. However, the emperor didn''t speak about whether to approve or reject the matter. "Margrave Sareb." "Saak, k-kheum, yes Your Majesty." The Margrave answered after making a strange cough. "You don''t look well." The ministers whispered quietly about the Margrave''s condition. Sure enough, it was true. His pale face. His once ample frame had lost weight. Above all, his standing posture was extremely unstable. "Have you fallen ill?" "I was bitten by my pet ferret..." "Seems you were poisoned. Will you be able to carry out the order I gave you?" The emperor''s order to the Margrave? What could that be? Curiosity rose in the ministers'' eyes. Even the External Minister didn''t seem to have heard about this order. "I will carry out yourmand even if I must break my bones, kheum." "Oh? Come closer to me then." "How..." "Don''t make me say it twice." The emperor''s voice was cold. It couldn''t be disobeyed. The Margrave started moving his body shakily. His walking posture with stretched legs was awkward. He looked like a toddler who had just learned to walk. Read new chapters at empire Sympathetic sighs burst out. The emperor was at the center of the great hall. There were two circles between the emperor and the civil and military officials. There was etiquette to be followed when crossing the outer circle to get closer to the emperor. Shouting "Long live His Majesty the Emperor" and giving one bow. Everyone watched the Margrave. Wondering if the Margrave, who seemed to have trouble even walking properly, could bow properly. Step. And finally, the Margrave took a step. "Long live His Majesty the Emperor-saat!" It was a bit strange but eptable up to there.@@novelbin@@ The Margrave, who couldn''t possibly not know the etiquette, slowly bent his waist. And wobble. The Margrave was about to fall forward. At the moment people inhaled sharply. Instead of falling, the Margrave ratherunched his body forward. Roll, he rolled on the floor. ''A forward roll...!'' An unexpected forward roll. == There are grand mages who can perform all sorts of techniques with a single magic missile. And there are novice magicians who can only go "pew pew" and use Magic Missile! ''Acting'' was the same. There are people like Obern who can act perfectly even in moments of deadly fear. Chapter 325 To the Zoo (2) And there are snakes like me who try hard but aren''t very good. Obern tasted despair several times while teaching me acting. Nevertheless, he didn''t give up on teaching. ''What is acting? It''s about pushing forward.'' ''Saat...?'' ''If you lose that flow, that rhythm, it''s over right there.'' ''Sat.'' ''I''m only interested in how Mr. Snake pushes forward. Look, your pulse ispletely tangled.'' Obern said while pressing his finger on my back. Is that so, it''s tangled? ''Acting is momentum. Momentum.'' I took those words as golden rule. Just because I fell forward doesn''t mean I can stop acting. So I rolled once, and from that position gave a deep bow. It''s fine. This much was fine, right? "Ah, a forward roll!" If only someone hadn''t muttered that from behind. "Don''t worry." ''What?'' "Rolling once while giving a bow is a time-honored imperial traditional etiquette." No, even so, how can I be this lucky! ''Really?'' "As if. How stupid." Pelerianughed heartily. I was very upset, but I got up very naturally. "You seem to have some energy." The young emperor said, as if smiling but not. I walked slowly. While scanning ahead.@@novelbin@@ There, ahead, was another line. The second line, a golden rope. No one except the emperor''s guards and eunuchs could cross inside that line. An old man watching me walk with sharp eyes from beside the emperor. "That bastard is still alive." An old man who was there even when Pelerian was alive. He was someone who could wear a sword even in this ce. "Sword Saint Garnerius. That bastard is one of the empire''s Three Stars." The Three Stars doesn''t refer to Spany. Meaning three stars, like the kingdom''s Eight Heroes, it refers to three powerful individuals recognized in the empire. By the way, the empire''s famous powerful people aren''t just the Three Stars. Three Stars, Seven Seats, Twenty-Four Constetions. As the empire is big, there are many more strong ones. Comparing their strength with the Eight Heroes. The general theory is that people as strong as Chancellor Bnyar are at the Seven Seats level, while rtively weaker heroes are at the Twenty-Four Constetions level. ''He must have been a young man when grandfather was around.'' "He was old even then." ''Gasp!'' Then he must be over 100 years old. Did his lifespan increase from martial arts training? Though his race clearly looks human. I was very curious about his status window. "Don''t act rashly." But I decided to hold back firmly. Because I could feel wariness even in Pelerian''s voice. "If that bastard feels like it, it would be trivial for him to cut off everyone''s heads here in the blink of an eye." ''Yes.'' "Kill your presence. Don''t even breathe." ''Yes.'' "I''m hiding the movement of magical energy. So just don''t make any signs." I was touched. So Pelerian was using such a technique. Right, then the emperor... As I got closer, I could see the emperor''s face beyond the crown. A face even younger than I thought. But those eyes... ''Whew. I''m not scared. I''m not scared.'' Totally snake eyes. Honestly, I was a bit scared. Thump thump thump thump. I could feel my heart beating. It wasn''t the Margrave''s heartbeat but my own heart beating. I thought it might be because of that Sword Saint Garnerius, but it didn''t seem so. This is, um. ...Survival Instinct. Survival Instinct was telling me. Not to try anything reckless. How long has it been since this happened? This didn''t happen even in front of other heroes. But for the Survival Instinct skill to activate for the emperor who didn''t seem particrly strong individually. I stopped in front of the golden rope. And the emperor asked. "If I order the Sword Saint to cut off your head right here." A voice resonating softly. "Would you not regret your statement?" It would be strange to answer right away, right Professor Obern? I stayed silent for a moment before speaking through the Margrave''s mouth. "I would not regret it." I bow my head in respect. The emperor looked at me for a moment. "...That''s the truth." It is the truth. Why would I regret the Margrave''s head being cut off? And the emperor issued the imperial decree. "The Solion prince will be handed over to Kadam Kazans of the zoo. The External Vice Minister will be responsible for the prince''s safety." "We receive yourmand!" The ministers responded in unison. The operation was sessful. == Phili was anxious. Setting aside the snake who was always cheerful anyway, Obern was particrly problematic. This time, something irreparable had happened. They had turned an imperial ambassador into an idiot, after all. Obern woke up screaming "Hyaack!" every morning. He used to be such a cool professor. The more time passed, the more his clumsy side seemed to show. Even as Phili was steeped in anxiety. The snake finally returned with good news. ''We''re going to the zoo!'' Phili hugged the snake shouting "Saaak!" and spun around. Even the snake teacher who valued authority was excited. However, Phili also knew that it wasn''t such a good thing to hear. Sure enough. The kingdom''s personnel staying in the empire visited Phili the next day to pay their respects. "This is humiliation. How could the empire..." "The zoo? Not the Imperial Academy but the zoo!" They worried about Phili and acted as if entering the zoo research institution was a great humiliation. Phili, who didn''t agree, could only answer with a forced smile. "Haha, don''t think of it too negatively. What does it matter where I stay? Now when our homnd is at war." Though it wasn''t meant to package himself, people''s reactions were different. "Oh my, to think the prince would grow up soposed." "I will do my best to serve Your Highness." They seemed to think the prince was trying hard to beposed. Not a bad misunderstanding. "Be careful of that Kadam." "I hear he''s an extremely dangerous person..." He took that warning seriously. Being one of the empire''s Seven Seats, given his reputation, he didn''t seem likely to treat him well just because he was a prince. And Phili entered the zoo with the snake teacher wrapped around his wrist. The zoo director was waiting in the director''s office. His first impression was. ''...He''s cross-eyed.'' Kadam''s two bulging eyes were looking in different directions. He certainly had an entric impression. He was wearing a thick scarf even though the weather was warm. "So you''re the prince." Kadam spoke in a tone that was neither polite nor informal. That''s when. The snake teacher made a fuss. ''Snake. It''s a snake!'' ''Yes, you''re a snake.'' What he meant suddenly wasn''t clear. ''Not me, you idiot. That!'' Perhaps referring to Kadam. And Phili btedly noticed too. The ck scarf Kadam was wearing. It wasn''t a scarf, but a ck rattlesnake. Experience more content on empire Charrrr. The rattlesnake shakes its tail. With such a clearly dangerous rattlesnake around his neck, Kadam said. "Wee to the zoo." Chapter 326 Show Your Eyes (1) ''What is that.'' It was natural for Phili to think that. Unless you''re a clown, where in the world would you find a human walking around with a snake around their neck? Especially for someone of his age. ''What a strange person.''@@novelbin@@ "Indeed, indeed." Phili, with the snake wrapped around his wrist, was wary of the zoo director. "I am Phili Aden Solion." "...Kadam Kazans." A name and appearance that suggested someone who''d do coffee and cigarettes simultaneously. Even without the rattlesnake around his neck, Kadam was a person of extraordinary appearance. For good reason, first his build was impressive. He couldn''t be called fat like the Margrave. With broad shoulders and the ck coat draped over them. His appearance was like a ck wardrobe walking around. Lion-like unruly hair and sturdy leather gloves he never took off. Above all, his most striking feature was his eyes. Cross-eyed. Kadam''s eyes looked in different directions - what''smonly called strabismus. Though it''s just a condition where something''s wrong with the extraocr muscles that move the eyeballs, when facing someone like that, you can''t help but feel an inexplicable sense of difort. Not just for humans, but even for beasts, ''eye contact'' is an important means ofmunication. Both making eye contact and avoiding it are important. For monkeys, making eye contact is a signal for fighting, while cats build rtionships by making eye contact. But with strabismus, you can''t tell if the person is looking at you. Or if they''re looking at something else. Moreover, if the person with those eyes is a great authority or powerful figure, those facing them can''t help but feel an inexplicable anxiety. That''s how Phili felt. Kadam just red at Phili without saying anything. The problem was that it was confusing whether he was ring or observing the wallpaper pattern behind Phili. "As long as you work here, it doesn''t matter if you''re a prince or royal. I am loyal only to His Majesty the Emperor and take orders only from him." Even Kadam''s voice was hard to listen to, like scratching metal. "Therefore, I will address you informally and treat you like any other of my subordinates. Leave if you don''t like it." "That''s fine." "Hmm..." Phili showed a very disciplined appearance. Seeing that feels novel. It seems like just yesterday he was acting arrogant when we first met. Well, just looking at Kadam''s pot lid-like hands would discourage any attitude. "I heard I should assign you to the research institute and teach you monster studies as a researcher. But I can''t do that. This isn''t a school after all." Though assigning Phili to the zoo itself was seen as taking a shot at the kingdom. Still, formally it was studying abroad at the monster studies research institute within the zoo. However, Kadam rejected such a parachute appointment. "All researchers here are also zookeepers. How can someone who knows nothing about monsters and animals learn!" As if angry, Kadam mmed the desk with a bang. Phili flinched. Don''t be scared Phili, I''m by your side. "You will learn the work of a zookeeper first. Monster studieses after that. Leave if you don''t like it." "Th-that''s fine." "Hmm...!" Kadam thought for a moment before adding. "Don''t take zookeeper work lightly. You''re not mistakenly thinking a zookeeper''s job is just feeding animals and petting them, are you?" "No!" "You clean excrement, separate fighting ones, and sometimes get injured doing so. Leave if you don''t like it!" "That''s fine!" "Hmm...!" It seemed Kadam was hoping Phili would say ''I can''t do this'' and leave. Come to think of it, he seems clumsy at handling people. There aren''t many people with hearts strong enough to actually say they''ll leave when told ''leave if you don''t like it!'' Isn''t that right? It''s simr to when the scary instructor wearing a red hat at military training camp says, ''Were you dragged here?'' (Yes we were dragged), ''Leave if you can''t handle training!'' (You''ll have to enlist again even if you leave). Kadam clearly didn''t like the current situation. "Hey you handsome one." "Yes." Obern was also sitting quietly beside Phili. Still impable in appearance. As Phili''s teacher and guardian, Obern also wanted to be assigned to the zoo. "The same goes for you. I don''t care if you''re some great professor or mage. If you want to be at the zoo, you have to learn zookeeper work first. Leave if you don''t like it!" "No problem." "Hmm...!" Phili whispered in his heart. ''He seems to dislike us.'' ''Not us, but you guys.'' ''Gasp.'' I''ll probably like it, right? Since I''m hiding. Finally, Kadam gave up trying to do anything with words. "I''ll show you directly what a zookeeper''s work is like. Follow me." He stood up abruptly. When he stood up, he really looked like a wardrobe walking around. Phili and Obern followed him tensely. And we woulde to understand clearly that zookeeper work is not easy. == The zoo''s official name was. The strange ''Imperial Animal-Monster Research Institute and Amusement Park''. When it was first created, it was really just the emperor''s private garden with a small collection of animals and monsters. As its scale grew, it also came to function as a research institute. And as part of it was opened to the general public, it also functioned as an amusement park. Now it''s just called the ''zoo'' instead of thatplicated name. The zoo located in the outskirts of the imperial capital''s outer wall is veryrge. Of that, only about one-third of the area is open to the general public. The open amusement park has ordinary animals. Just the number of animal species is over 300 with about 2,000 animals. And there are docile and ordinary monsters that can be shown to the general public. That''s roughly 200 species with about 800 individuals. Due to monsters'' characteristics, there are fewer individuals per speciespared to ordinary animals. And the two-thirds of the zoo closed to the general public. This could be called the true value of the imperial zoo. Discover exclusive tales on empire Though it takes up two-thirds of the area, despite the public area having 2,800 animals, the private area only has about 1,500 monsters. But the number of species is over 600. The empire held over 600 species of monsters in its heart! Chapter 327 Show Your Eyes (2) Kadam Kazans, who was responsible for approximately 4,300 animals and monsters, put on zookeeper clothes himself. And shouted. "Don''t cover your nose!" Phili was startled. And quickly removed his hand covering his nose. "Are you nning to tie up both hands while cleaning the monster habitat!" "S-sorry!" All three people were wearing zookeeper uniforms. Brown jumpsuits that were one piece with boots that clung tightly to the shins. Along with jungle hats with not too wide brims and gloves. Shovels and buckets in everyone''s hands. If you hold a shovel and bucket with one hand and cover your nose with the remaining hand, both hands would be tied up. "Kup." But if you remove the hand covering your nose, an indescribable stenches rushing in. "Cleaning the enclosures is the first thing the day shift must do." The smell came from none other than the bucket Phili was holding. No wonder, since it was full of excrement. "We have many ces to go around. Quickly scoop with the shovel and move on to the next cage." I could understand Phili''s feelings. ''What am I doing here?'' Where did his determination from just earlier go, he was experiencing what''s called ''post-nut rity''. Kadam scooped the monsters'' excrement into buckets with his shovel without hesitation. Phili''s job was the same. ''Why did they poop so much!'' The current location was the habitat of ''herbivorous monsters'' that didn''t have too many individuals. Bulls as big as elephants were eating grass, and they seemed to drop cow dung whenever they got the chance. Piles of dung were everywhere. Phili''s expression twisted. It''s obvious he''s thinking ''But I''m a prince''. His old temper was about toe out. "What, are you annoyed?" Kadam noticed that like a ghost. He brought his face close. Even I felt ufortable being tied to Phili''s wrist, how ufortable must Phili feel facing him nose to nose. Phili''s lip corners trembled. It meant the annoyance gauge was rising higher than the fear gauge. Still, he was once the splendid Third Prince Delinquent. "Listen to this too, it''s heavy for me to carry." And Kadam put down his bucket with a thud. His bucket was full to the point of sloshing. Meaning when the bucket dropped, its contents sshed. Unfortunately it had rained overnight so the ground was wet. Cold liquid sshed on Phili''s clothes and cheek. Goosebumps rose and all his body hair stood on end. Finally, Phili exploded before noon. "Ah really...!" And Kadam showed a satisfied smile. He would clearly drive Phili out if he said he couldn''t do it. You don''t want that either, right Phili! I decided to give him a sharp shock therapy. Really, controlling the output, just very slightly. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2.¡¹ "It''s so dirty I ca-ca-ca-can''t!" "...?" Not ''I can''t do this'' but ''ca-ca-ca-can''t''? Even Kadam looked at the trembling Phili in confusion. "...Urgggh." "Ahem, um, are your teeth chattering. You can''t do it?" "No, I ca-can''t, can''t leave this alone!" Seems the shock therapy worked well. Phili wiped the filth from his face with a hahaugh and started cleaning again. I was greatly moved. Phili has grown! Though it needed a bit of shock therapy, that rude kid can now clean filth while smiling. Seeing Kadam''s expression turn bitter made me feel good. He turned his head as if looking for the next prey. "That handsome one..." Kadam''s next target he found while muttering was Obern. Read exclusive content at empire He clearly thought someone who was clean and well-dressed would be fussy. But that was clearly a misjudgment. "...Why are you looking at me?" "No..." Obern was scooping excrement into buckets without hesitation. Already on his second bucket. That''s a simr speed to Kadam. "Fi-fine." Obern was already trained by cleaning Madam R''s bathroom. I''m so proud of these guys. In the end, Kadam couldn''t achieve what he wanted even with Operation Poop Cleaning. It''s clearly visible that he''s thinking ''How do I drive these guys out''. Being so mean makes me want to mess with him more. Until the excrement cleaning was done, Kadam didn''t bother us anymore. He doesn''t seem to have given up on driving us out, his expression is deep in thought. And, with an "Ah!" exmation, he showed a vicious smile. It was a glimpse of his dark intentions. And after we all washed and cleaned up, he came to us and said. "To manage and research monsters, you must be able to not fear monsters." Speaking seriously suddenly feels somehow sinister. "Can you do that?" And, the ck rattlesnake that was still wrapped around like a scarf raised its head. == ck Sidewinder. A venomous ck snake monster. Though it''s trained, it''s still a sufficiently dangerous monster. "It''s trained but can you touch this snake with deadly venom?" Actually, the venom is always removed. "And going further, can you move it to your neck and shoulders like me?" Of course they''ll be terrified. How many people could put a snake, not just any snake but a snake monster, around their neck? Moreover, if it''s a prince raised in a greenhouse and a desk mage. However, their reactions were the opposite of Kadam''s expectations. "Yes... well." "No problem." And they pet the snake without hesitation. The ck Sidewinder just stayed still nkly. Do these guys have no fear? Kadam was truly bewildered. Moreover, they didn''t find it strange even when the snake climbed up their arms onto their shoulders. They even seemed used to handling snakes. They stroked its chin as if it was cute, and the ck Sidewinder, not caring about its master''s feelings, just flicked its tongue. Feeling a great sense of betrayal, Kadam clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk tsk." It was a snake that had been ''trained''. It could take a threatening pose ording to Kadam''s words. "Saat!" When the ck Sidewinder suddenly raised its head and took an attack pose, the prince did flinch in surprise. Kadam kept clicking his tongue to give signals. The ck Sidewinder that was taking a threatening pose. "There, good boy." As soon as the prince held out his hand, flop, it rolled over showing its belly. "Yes yes, you''re docile." ''Th-that bastard!'' Kadam was shocked. == What''s with this guy. Through Phili''s sleeve. I met eyes with the ck snake through that gap. ''Show your eyes.''@@novelbin@@ Then the ck snake just took a submissive pose, showing both its eyes and belly at the same time. Chapter 328 Prototype (1) Levels are something that''s both simple andplicated. Magical beasts evolve. Between a Mosquito Rat lv20 and a Grand Geiger Serpent lv1, which is stronger? Obviously thetter. The fact that level resets to 1 when evolving shows that you can''t judge someone''s strength by level alone. ''People''. That is, humans, elves, dwarves are even more difficult. They don''t evolve. Therefore, it seems their strength could be judged by level. But that''s not quite right either. Because there''s something called ''realbat experience''. In the case of princes and nobles, they often level up for free. They level up by hunting controlled monsters in controlled hunting grounds. Then if a level 30 ''Sickly Prince'' fights a level 20 ''Experienced Rogue'', who would win? Obviously thetter. You can tell just by looking at how weak Phili ispared to his level. Of course, though Phili''s level 40 is higher than that snake''s. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ck Sidewinder lv32] [Traits] [Rattle], [Docile] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Just looking at the name, it''s obvious that snake that hasn''t earned the ''Snake'' title would be much stronger. Of course, the opposite is also true. This snake is a Little Prince ''Serpent''. Though Serpent surely isn''t the end of snake-type monster evolution. Even if it''s Little, I''m stronger with my Serpent title. Moreover, for a quick-witted snake like me who''s been mingling with monsters for a long time, you develop intuition. So I can roughly tell. How strong they are, or how long they''ve been a monster. And the ck Sidewinder in front of me. ''Rookie...!'' Was a rookie. Perhaps it was born in this zoo. Its eyes were too gentle and looked nk, its scales were so smooth they looked like they had no defense. My scales evolved into hard crystal because of the hardships I''ve been through. It would be difficult to survive in this harsh world with such soft scales. That''s why. As soon as I told it to show its eyes, it rolled over showing its belly and acted cute. "Cute, so cute." I wouldn''t show my belly even if a stronger monster told me to show my eyes! By the way, its belly looks really soft. I want to touch it too, but I guess I can''t. "You fool!" Kadam cried out miserably. "How can you show your belly to others! And not even to me!" Then he quickly grabbed the rattlesnake and wrapped it around his neck. The rattlesnake stayed still nkly, unlike a proud snake should. Obern and Phili stared nkly at the zoo director. But Kadam didn''t seem like someone who would be embarrassed by such stares. He just huffed and puffed before exploding by himself. "No!" What he didn''t like was. "Assigning an exiled prince to my zoo. No! And making me take in some slick-looking magician too, I hate that even more!" He''s an honest person. In other words. "They''re trying to turn my zoo into a political arena. Damn those old geezers!" Kadam was one of the Seven Seats and a high-ranking official. But though I heard he was far from the core of power, it didn''t seem to be entirely involuntary. "No, no. Nooo!" He stamped his feet and burst with anger. It couldn''t be described as ''rolling around'', it should be evaluated as ''shaking the earth''. Even Obern and Phili, who absolutely had to enter this zoo, were bewildered. Kadam''s voice was like thunder. His foot stomping seemed like it would cause an earthquake. But what he''s essentially doing right now is ''Don''t wanna, don''t wanna, don''t wannaaa!'' In other words, it''s no different from throwing a tantrum. And a tantrum from one of the empire''s Seven Seats was like a natural disaster in itself. "Please calm down..." "What calm down!" Obern almost fell backward from Kadam''s roar. If not for his excellent acting skills, he would have reallynded on his behind. Kadam''s already frightening face twisted like a demon''s. That wasn''t all. White steam erupted from his body. Steam despite it being summer now. It looks hot just by looking. Even the rattlesnake wrapped around his neck was startled and came down. "Uwoooooh!" Kadam looked like he might breathe fire. What is that, is he human or a goblin. I focused my eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kadam Kazans lv???] [Traits] [Animal Love], [Mixed Blood], [Short Temper] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I expected his level wouldn''t be visible since he''s a powerful Seven Seats member... I''m starting to think I should be able to see the levels of lower Eight Heroes soon. Wait. Mixed Blood? When I told Pelerian what I saw. "Hooh, no way, no way...!" Pelerian eximed. If it makes him exim, there must be something amazing. Sure enough. "That''s a half-orc." ''Half-orc!'' My heart pounded. "Yes, wow, a half-orc rose to be one of the empire''s Seven Seats? The world has changed a lot." ''Half-orc means born between an orc and human marriage, right?'' "Yes, in most cases it''s a race thates from the union of an orc woman and human man." Ooh... Continue reading at empire I see. I didn''t imagine too much detail. "As with all mixed bloods, which parent''s influence they received more is important. Looks like this one inherited more human gic traits. That''s why even I couldn''t tell at first nce." ''I see.'' Orcs seem to be exactly the kind of race I imagined. Grey or greenish skin. Large fangs and huge build. Muscr body and short temper. "Uwoooooh!" A war cry erupted from the mouth of Kadam Kazans, the orc hybrid. It was worrying enough that a fight might break out. That''s when. "Master!" Both I and Obern turned our heads. But it didn''t seem to be our disciple. What appeared was an orange-haired freckled girl. No, not a girl but seems to be an adult. She''s wearing a zookeeper uniform and running with a heavy bucket. "Uwoooooh!" "Calm down!" Then she dumped the bucket''s contents right on Kadam. No! Is there a rule in this zoo to ssh excrement water on angry people? Thankfully, what was in the bucket wasn''t excrement.@@novelbin@@ It was full of ice water. Chiiiiik- And hot steam rose from Kadam''s body with a loud noise. Kadam drenched in ice water stopped roaring. "Getting angry again... How can you do this to new people." "..." Kadam is a scary boss from any angle. Chapter 329 Prototype (2) Even if he''s someone''s master, he must be a scary master. What kind of person is this ''disciple'' girl to be so bold? "Hello. I''m Daisy. I''m Director Kadam''s disciple and the senior zookeeper of Private Zone 2." "Hello. I''m Phili Aden." "I''m Obern Grimoire." Kadam stayed still ominously. Water drops dripped from his soaked hair and chin. "Really, you shouldn''t shout at guests like this!" "..." Then Daisy pped Kadam''s back with a smack. Oh.@@novelbin@@ Kadam must cherish his disciple like he cherishes monsters. For them to be so informal with each other. "Go wash up..." Daisy couldn''t finish her words. Because Kadam swung his pot lid-like palm. Whack! Daisy literally flew back, spun in the air, and crashed into the grass. "Ill-mannered brat. Snort." Kadam really snorted like an orc. It was a hit almost like a traffic ident. He left without even caring about his disciple who fell with her waist bent. "Today''s schedule ends here for now. ...We''ll talk about the rest tomorrow." Then he left swiftly. Anyway, somehow we got through the first day well. And, Phili carefully approached Daisy. "I-is she dead?" Phili, humans don''t die that easily. Unless they get their neck bitten by a venomous pet monster, they don''t die easily. Sure enough, Daisy who was bent over in the bushes jumped up. "Grateful, right?" "What?" "You''re the prince? That could have been really bad just now. When master really loses it, even ice water doesn''t work." Phili immediately understood what she meant. What a bright person. "Actually, I''ve been watching since earlier. There were widespread rumors about the prince and mageing to the zoo." "Ah..." "Please understand master''s rudeness. He''s someone who really hatesplicated politics." "I understandpletely. Thank you for your consideration." We learned very clearly this time that Kadam hates politics. Still, to activelye help us like this, what a helpful zookeeper. "And, Sir Mage..." "Yes." Daisy approached Obern who was standing quietly. "I look forward to... working with you." Completely different from when she greeted Phili. She twisted her body and couldn''t look at Obern''s face at all. ''Ah, I think I know why she helped.'' Obern smiled gently as if used to it. What a jerk. By the way, if the zoo director dislikes us, daily life ahead will be quite tough. Until then, that''s what I thought. == The Prosthetic Maker Duiman was not like other prosthetic makers. Where they saw limitations, he saw possibilities; where they followed specifications, he dreamed of breaking free. His workshop, cluttered with half-finished projects and scattered blueprints, told the story of a man obsessed with pushing boundaries. He had a dream that consumed his every waking moment. While others crafted prosthetics to match exact specifications, Duiman yearned to create something that contained everything - his expertise, his creativity, his very essence as an inventor. He wanted to break free from the constraints of conventional design, to build something unprecedented. Your next chapter is on empire The prosthetic he envisioned grewrger with each new function he added. It became a masterpiece of engineering, incorporating every innovation he''d ever conceived. But as it grew, so did the problems. The size made it impossible for any human to wield effectively. A prosthetic too massive for even the strongest person to handle might as well be a sculpture - beautiful but useless. Then one day, a revolutionary thought struck him: What if he wasn''t limited to human users? What if the recipient was something far stronger than any human? Like... a gori? And not just any gori, but a monster gori with strength beyond imagination? When fate finally brought him face to face with the gori monster he''d theorized about, Duiman''s joy knew no bounds. His excitement was so overwhelming that he immediately wanted to adopt it as his son. Though that n needed slight modification when he discovered the gori was female - a daughter would be just as wonderful, if not better! Duiman could barely contain himself as he rushed back to his workshop. His hands trembled with excitement as he began working on what would be his magnum opus. Days and nights blended together as he poured his heart and soul into the creation. He named it Armament No. 1 - a designation that hinted at the possibility of future innovations. This wasn''t just a prosthetic; it was a multi-purpose masterpiece that incorporated every function he''d ever dreamed of including. It had tools for every situation, adaptations for every environment, and capabilities that pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible. With trembling hands and tears of joy in his eyes, Duiman finally attached his creation to Madam R, as he hade to call her. As he watched his dream be reality, he knew this was just the beginning of an extraordinary partnership between a visionary maker and his unlikely muse. "Is this... how to use it." Madam R learned how to use the prosthetic instantly. "G-genius?" "Thanks, hehe. Used prosthetics... many times..." To Duiman, Madam R was nothing less than a gift from heaven. It was fine until then. "I''ll test it a bit..." After saying that and starting ''practical use''. Until Madam R instantly broke Armament No. 1. "Sorry..." "No, it shouldn''t break this easily." "Honestly, not great." "Not great?" "Previous prosthetic was, much, better made." Lies. That can''t be. Is this monster insulting me now? Duiman felt anger like fire spreading in his stomach. "Boss gave it... said gnome made it..." However, Madam R''s words weren''t lies. To think such a prosthetic could exist. It felt like Duiman''s worldview was being shattered. Duiman silently took back the prosthetic from Madam R. And threw it away. "Please wait a bit." "Okay." "I''ll make you the best prosthetic." He realized anew what the true essence of prosthetics was. And Duiman devoted himself to making a new prosthetic day and night. He poured his soul and lifespan into striving to make the best prosthetic. Finally, he made it. "This is. Armament No. 0." Prototype, first unit, Unit 0. Why is it No. 0 when it was made after No. 1? Because it''s thew of this world that the prototype is always the strongest. Chapter 330 Dont Wanna (1) ''Multi-function''. He never nned to give up on that from the start. Multi-functionality was his identity and value system as a prosthetic maker. But he couldn''t forget the essence of prosthetics either. ''Durability'' and ''convenience'' were that. That gori''s strength easily transcends humans. It needs a prosthetic that can break iron tes. It was a natural hope since Duiman wanted to make the ''strongest prosthetic''. But the more functions, the weaker the durability. What''s the use if three out of fifteen functions break every time you throw a punch. Inevitably, Duiman changed the design. Since he couldn''t give up multi-functionality, he kept the seven functions he thought were most important and beautiful. After No. 1 was scrapped, Armament No. 2 waspleted that way. Armament No. 2 was half-destroyed in the third durability test. Though better than No. 1, it still didn''t meet standards. Yes, durability and multi-functionality are inversely proportional. Then what''s the solution to this problem that all designers worry about? "Budget..." There was only one answer. "If there was more budget...!" The budget received for making Armament No. 2 was long gone. Even after Duiman, obsessed with prosthetics,pletely emptied his private funds, that too was already depleted. Should he use private loans? Duiman thoughtlessly spoke about this worry in front of Madam R. "R, I''ve run out of money." "Bo-boss, no. Professor has..." But Madam R offered a solution. "Has lots of money." "That handsome fellow? Well, he did look refined." Duiman, who had no way of knowing Obern''s financial status, quickly started writing a letter. Your gori has excellent talent, and it''s well worth investing in prosthetic production, and so on and so forth. But in fact, Duiman was already in despair at that time. He needed truly enormous money to obtain the materials he wanted. But who would spend that much money to make a prosthetic for a pet gori? An amount that could build a proper mansion even in the expensive imperial capital. A reply came the very next day. It must say ''We have no money for such things!'' Thinking that but still opening the letter nervously. There was nothing inside. "Huh?" Then, a paper fluttered down from the envelope. It was a note from the Imperial Bank. "Uh, uhh..." Duiman''s eyes bulged. At the same time, his jaw gradually dropped. "Uhhhhh!" The amount written on the note. Just how many zeros were there. "I can make it with this much!" "Told you he''s rich..." Duiman took the note to the Imperial Bank. He safely exchanged the note for gold coins. Wearing a baggy coat, he hid the gold coins in various ces. Because the ce he was going to get materials from was extremely dangerous. "If I don''t return by today, go back to your master." He said so to the gori he''d grown attached to without realizing. Madam R nodded and Duiman left. The underground of this imperial capital. Below the sewers. Despite the sun setting, Duiman didn''t return. The next day, it was the same even when morning came. However, Madam R didn''t return right away. She thought she should wait a little longer. And only the day after that did Duiman return.@@novelbin@@ "Huff, hah." His baggy coat was torn to shreds, and his lip was split from being hit by someone. But a bright smile was on his face. "I got the ck death iron!" Though she didn''t know what ck death iron was, since Duiman smiled brightly, Madam R smiled too. The sack Duiman brought was full of something like ck sand. Though it didn''t look worth exchanging for gold coins at all, Duiman said with conviction. Experience more tales on empire "The trouble I went through to get this, though rtions with the Turings are ruined, it was worth it..." From his muttering, it seemed he had friction with a thieves'' guild but got the ck death iron. And Duiman perfectly made a prosthetic with it. "This is Armament No. 0." "Woooah..." "It''s the best prosthetic I''ve made." Despite staying up for days and nights, Duiman was full of energy. He naturally made ns for the future. They would train repeatedly untilpletely mastering how to use the prosthetic. Even though Madam R was a monster with high intelligence, it wouldn''t be easy. It might take months until being able to freely use all the prosthetic''s functions. But there was something Duiman hadn''t calcted there. That was Madam R''s ''heart''. "Don''t wanna..." "What? What do you mean don''t want to? It''s finallyplete!" "Want to go back... to boss." Madam R started crying while wearing Armament No. 0. "I miss boss!" "W-wait." "Uwaaaah!" "Calm down!" Duiman had no choice but to write a letter while sweating. == Obern read the letter from Duiman. His skin had tanned quite a bit in the two months since entering the zoo. The full summer sunlight was that strong. But what was annoying was that it suited him and made him look more handsome. "Oh my..." His forearms with decent muscles. Obern swept back his sweat-soaked hair. "We had forgotten about the gori." I read Obern''s letter too. And I just. "Saaak!" Ended up crying. ''Madam R...'' Though Madam R patiently stayed with the prosthetic maker, in the end she couldn''t endure the loneliness. The letter said she wanted to leave Duiman''s ce ande to where I was. And amazingly, below that was Madam R''s own handwriting. MSSYU IWU "Saaak..." I couldn''t help but be moved. I miss you too Madam R. "What''s with the tears when youpletely forgot..." I ignored Pelerian''s point. "The problem is how to bring her here. We don''t have a dormitory to hide her in likest time." There is a dormitory. Obern, Phili, and I were sharing a room. The problem is there''s no bathroom in the room. We couldn''t let Madam R use the public bathroom. That would cause an uproar about a gori escaping and appearing in the dormitory. ''Do we need to hide her?'' I pointed out something important. The question was whether there was any reason to secretly bring Madam R. ''We might get permission if we exin well.'' "Ah...!" As expected of Obern who was used to hiding and acting. However, the ''direct approach'' had problems too. "Will Director Kadam allow it?" ''That''s true...'' Half-orc Director Kadam Kazans. Chapter 331 Dont Wanna (2) Anyway, he let us and Phili work at the zoo. Obern got in as a researcher at the monster research institute, and Phili could learn and practice monster studies. But that didn''t mean Kadam Kazans became friendly towards us. Kadam was someone who had both human narrow-mindedness and orc ferocity. He especially disliked Obern. The reason was ''he looks too slick and annoying''. Though I couldn''t disagree, it was an ufortable situation for us. ''Let''s ask!'' But that doesn''t mean we don''t have any allies. That wasn''t the case. We asked Senior Daisy. "A gori?" Surprisingly, Daisy really was half-orc Director Kadam''s disciple. They say she even learned Kadam''sbat techniques, but I don''t know how delicate Daisy became a disciple of Kadam who was like a wardrobe. However, it was clear that she was stronger than she looked. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Zoo Cleaning Staff Daisy lv98] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Her level was close to 100. How? The Iron Lion Knights'' vicemander I took care ofst time had a level in the 140s. The difference couldn''t be called enormous. Though I thought I took care of him too easily, was the Iron Lion Knightmander weak? Or is Daisy stronger than expected? From what I observed. The difference in strength between the Iron Lion Knightmander and Daisy was more than their level difference. Nevertheless, it''s clear that Daisy''s level is quite high. I learned that secret about a month after starting work at the zoo. Anyway, that''s not important right now. "Since a gori is big... um, I think she could stay here in the form of temporary protection at our zoo!" While saying that, Daisy slowly crept closer to Obern. She clearly had feelings for Obern from what I could see. "Of course, the director would need to approve..." "Whether Director Kadam would really..." Kadam still dislikes us. That narrow-minded orc. "I''ll help persuade him. I think you probably don''t need to worry too much." "This, how can I repay such kindness..." "Fufu, if you''re grateful, treat me to dinner sometime." Daisy''s face was bright red as she said that. "Good. Then perhaps tonight if you''re free?" "T-tonight?" Though flustered, Daisy nodded eagerly. She was clearly dreaming of a fancy date. "Okay!" "Let''s meet in the lobby after work." And we parted. When we met again, Daisy appeared with makeup so heavy it looked strange. By the way, where Obern took Daisy wasn''t a restaurant but the cafeteria. Daisy ate her grilled fish set meal earnestly with a bitter smile. == If there''s a fool who sees Kadam as just an animal lover. They would be aplete idiot who knows nothing. If the zoo''s monsters were left alone, uncontroble chaos would break out. Monsters constantly prosper. And they constantly grow by eating each other. Over 600 species of monsters numbering thousands. What would happen if you gathered them in one ce? In terms of monster density, this ce could be called a magic realm surpassing even the richest great forests. Monsters strong enough to be ''Named'' at any time are often born. Moreover, many Named monsters actually exist. The zoo researchers, experts in monster studies, once made an interesting calction. And theoretically. If one Named monster killed all other monsters in the zoo. A ''Cmity'' would be born immediately. How terrible would the consequences be if a Cmity was born in the middle of the imperial capital? In other words, just gathering monsters inherently contains potential danger. Therefore Kadam Kazans, who has the emperor''s trust, perfectly manages the zoo. That includes regr ''cleaning'' that he performs. Monsters that have be too strong. Those with particrly ferocious natures. Also those trying to lead groups in escape attempts. Such monsters are managed and ''hunted'' by the cleaning squad. Today Kadam Kazans personally took action. "Whew." Kadam''s leather gloves were soaked in blood. The remains of a carnivorous giraffe he personally tore apart were rolling on the ground. "Ah, those were my favorite gloves." He snorted heavily. After hunting monsters, their blood smell made his head dizzy. He felt especially bad when he had to dispose of ones he liked. The carnivorous giraffe monster was one he particrly adored. Just, its misfortune was probably not being ck or white. It was the zoo''s principle not to personally dispose of ck or white monsters. And those ck and white monsters. The ck and white monsters were exactly what was troubling Kadam''s mind right now. Their numbers had grown too much. Especially the leaders were getting stronger and bing hard to handle... "Is it time already." It was almost time for the appointment. Those guys who disturbed Kadam''s peace. Readtest stories on empire@@novelbin@@ The prince and Obern said something about temporarily protecting some gori monster at the zoo. Acting like this is their yground, they really are hateful guys. He was going to refuse right away, but that Daisy kept begging so he reluctantly agreed to just see what kind of monster it was. And until heading to the meeting ce. Kadam had zero expectations. But. "Th-there''s Director Kadam!" Seeing that monster with Obern, Kadam couldn''t help but freeze like ice. It was a gori. A huge gori with glossy ck fur. And on both arms were prosthetics made of pitch-ck metal. "Uwaah, Professor Obern, move..." When the gori spoke. It was like lightning struck Kadam''s head. A ck monster. Moreover, intelligence developed enough to speak humannguage. Beautiful ck prosthetics of unknown make. "...Perfect." Those words came out without realizing. Kadam might have fallen in love. It was the most appealing monster he''d met in recent times. Kadam immediately dered. "Need temporary protection? Good. Stay as long as you like!" Obern and Daisy rather looked at Kadam in bewilderment. Kadam slowly held out his hand to the gori. The gori, seemingly scared and wary, said. "Don''t want zoo, don''t wanna go in zoo!" Why on earth? The bewildered Kadam introduced himself. "Calm down. I''m the zoo director here. It''s a very nice zoo to live in." "Hate zoo director more!" The gori had a fit. Perhaps she had trauma about zoos. Kadam had no idea what to do and stamped his feet. Chapter 332 Getting the Job (1) Title ''Zookeeper''. I knew one more zookeeper. A shadow fairy called Deshnan who made his own zoo in the middle of a magic realm. He was a madman who sold his soul to a demon. Madam Gori was actually a monster who had been trapped in his ''zoo''. An entric who carried out terrible monster experiments. It was natural for Madam R to have prejudice, having been confined in dirty, cramped cages since childhood. "Zoo! Dirty and painful! Don''t wannaaa!" Still, I didn''t expect her to cry out this much. I quickly tried to exin to Madam R. That this is different from that zoo back then. That a real zoo is a ce full of dreams and hope, and that experimental facility where you stayed can''t really be called a zoo. Of course! There are monster experiments here too and they regrly hunt monsters to control their numbers but! Still! It''s definitely different from there, probably! But before I could exin, something strange happened. "Oh my, why are you crying!" Because Kadam Kazans, who had been nothing but cold to us, was stamping his feet not knowing what to do. "I''m the zookeeper here? But I''m not a bad person!" "Ahhh, blood smell!" "Oh, oops!" Madam Gori pushed Kadam. Though Kadam didn''t budge, he was flustered and called Daisy.@@novelbin@@ "Daisy! Bring water!" "Yes!" Daisy ran breathlessly and brought a cool ss of water. "Hey you fool! Not drinking water, washing water!" "Ah, yes!" They''re filming a si here. Daisy brought a bucket filled with water, and Kadam started washing his hands in it. But foolishly, he washed his hands without taking off his gloves. "My name is Kadam. There are many monsters like you in this zoo..." "Uwah the zoo is even bigger..." "If you want, I''ll put you in the indoor zoo." "Indoor zoo is too terribleee!" Madam R shed tears like chicken droppings. Kadam, uncharacteristically, took out a handkerchief and tried to wipe Madam R''s tears. However, Madam R rejected it while performing ariat. "Wait a moment." Pelerian stopped me from intervening through Obern. "When the other party is in trouble is precisely the opportunity to make them indebted." As expected of Professor Pel. He''s the best at being cunning and reliable. And indeed Kadam looked at us. "Come help here." Surprisingly, Obern was cunning enough on his own. "Our child seems very startled... I don''t know what to do either." "Ohe on!" When Kadam shouted, Madam Gori had another fit. Kadam said ''oops'' and spoke quietly again. "I would be very grateful if you could calm this child down." Before he stewed longer and an orc''s war cry burst out. And because crying Madam R looked pitiful, we approached her. Obern put his hand on Madam R''s shoulder. And I slightly extended my tail from his sleeve and ced it. ''Calm down.'' "Boss..." Behind us, Kadam marveled, ''She calls her master boss. What amazing loyalty and intelligence.'' ''This ce is different from Deshnan''s zoo.'' "Mmm..." ''And I''m by your side.'' Thatst line seemed to give Madam R great courage. She nodded with a determined expression. ''Deshnan that bad guy was a handsome fairy. Look at this. He''s an ugly half-orc. Apletely different person.'' "Ah." Though Madam R still looked at Kadam with wary eyes, she didn''t have fits like before. "Amazing. Calming her down in an instant!" Kadam marveled like that without knowing what conversation I had with Madam R. We soothed Madam R well. "Would it be alright to show R around this zoo?" Though we were in the position of asking for protection, Kadam nodded readily. "By all means!" == Kadam wasn''t just an ''animal lover''. But that doesn''t mean he wasn''t just an animal lover, it doesn''t mean he didn''t like animals and monsters. Rather, he liked them very much. You could tell that aspect just by how he often wrapped the ck rattlesnake around his neck like a scarf. It would take more than one book to tell the circumstances that led him to trust animals more than people. To summarize briefly, there was an issue of birth. Mixed blood. Very rare half-elves. And half-gnomes. Even they face how many hardships living. Being born with the blood of two races means not being epted by either race. Experience tales at empire At least half-breeds who look beautiful or normal have it better. But what about half-orcs? Orcs who mainly live in the north are treated as monsters in most countries. Actually, they might be closer to monsters than humans in that they can ''evolve''. Therefore, it''s nearly impossible for half-orcs to naturally blend into society. Though Kadam, who inherited much more human traits, seeded in blending into the empire, that doesn''t mean his life was smooth. There must have been unspeakable pain. There must have been countless contempt and disdain. There was a reason he devoted himself to the zoo rather than the military despite his innate strength. Kadam was living a rtively happy life. Not in theplicated human world, but here in the zoo, his own small world. But that happiness ended 3 years ago. Because the emperor gave him an order. "The Imperial Zoo is now an institutionpletely independent from the Six Ministries. Kadam, you will follow only my orders." That part was very good. Originally, various departments of the Six Ministries kept interfering with the zoo''s operations, each trying to exert their own authority and influence. Their constant meddling made proper management nearly impossible. In fact, the zoo was treated as a prime hunting ground where warriors could regrly raise their level under controlled conditions. The facility had be more of a training ground than a proper sanctuary for magical beasts. How good is it to be able to hunt monsters in a controlled environment, they''d say, treating the zoo like their personal training arena. The warriors would swagger through the grounds, picking fights with contained creatures as if it were their birthright. Leveling up was a blessing, and the zoo probably contributed significantly to the empire being the strongest on the continent. The steady stream of experienced warriors it produced had be one of the empire''s greatest assets. But that stopped. The emperor''s decree changed everything with those few simple words. The zoo''s regr cleaning and maintenance became entirely handled by Kadam and his handpicked subordinates. No more random warriors treating it like their personal yground. That meant one thing, something far more significant than mere administrative changes. Chapter 333 Getting the Job (2) It meant the zoo became a ''military institution'' - a specialized facility under direct imperial control. Something like the emperor''s personal guard, though even thatparison didn''t fully capture its importance. Even that elevated status brought its own set of challenges and headaches. Even Daisy, who was once a reckless girl running wild through the grounds, has been stronger than ordinary knights for a long time. Her transformation was just one example of how the zoo''s new status had changed those connected to it. But the emperor also threw in one task. "You are forbidden from directly hunting white monsters and ck monsters. Let white monsters and ck monsters breed, prosper, and fight among themselves." Even Kadam couldn''t endure there. "Your Majesty, if that happens we won''t be able to manage the monsters. If they escape even my control, I don''t know what disaster might ur." "Do not worry, Kadam Kazans. A cmity won''t be born as you worry." "But..." "Follow the order." Even Kadam couldn''t get angry at the emperor. "Observe the white monsters and ck monsters. Research and study white evolution and ck evolution." He instructed like that.@@novelbin@@ The emperor gave a 3-year deadline. Find a way to evolve ck to white or white to ck. Setting aside ''why'', ''how?'' Though the zoo was like an ivory tower of monster studies, even here evolution was wrapped in a veil of mystery. The deadline promised by the emperor approached. But Kadam Kazans had achieved nothing. The ck monsters and white monsters prospered to the point where no one but Kadam could handle them anymore. And not even a hair''s worth of evolution''s secrets were discovered. That''s when a savior arrived. ''A ck gori that can talk.'' Speaking monsters are rare. And monsters that can get along with humans are far rarer. The intersection of both? This gori might be Kadam''s savior now. "There''s a condition." Kadam said so in front of those watching him. "Of course I can provide temporary protection. Since you''re such a cute gori." "Cuute?" Yes. Cute. A face just like Kadam''s. Pitch ck fur and dignified muscles too. All of it was a monster to Kadam''s taste. "But if you can help with zoo work. I''ll hire you as staff rather than temporary protection." "A gori as staff?" Daisy was bewildered. But Kadam didn''t care. The zoo was an independent institution. Everything except the emperor''s words was up to Kadam. "Yes." "How much is the sry?" The one who suddenly raised their hand and asked was none other than Obern. But Kadam was in such a good mood now he could even smile at Obern. "I''ll give the same sry as Daisy. Plus incentives." "Master!" Daisy protested unfairly. Daisy''s sry was more than twice Obern''s current sry. "So what work would Madam R need to do?" Phili asked the most important thing. "Monster hunting." "Monster hunting...?" "You''ll join the cleaning squad." Kadam roughly exined about cleaning. The rule that ck and white monsters can''t be hunted by Kadam and human staff. And how because of that, their numbers have grown hard to control. "I can do it..." When Kadam finished speaking, Madam Gori shed her prosthetic fists together with a bang. Sparks flew with the loud noise. That sight was very satisfying. That''s when. ''Is this okay...'' It was slick Obern muttering. He met Kadam''s eyes and quietly raised his hand. "Could you hire my familiar as staff too?" "What...?" Kadam was bewildered. Come to think of it, he heard from Daisy that Obern''s familiar was a small cute white snake. ''Small and cute'' aren''t adjectives Kadam particrly likes. "Saa..." Soon a snake shyly crawled out from Obern''s sleeve. The snake stood proudly beside Madam R. With an attitude like it could pull its weight too. "Not a summon, but a tamed monster?" Mages'' familiars are quite diverse. "Yes." "Does it listen well? Seems like a specimen with nobat power." "...It''s very strong." The snake held its head up high. Kadam gave an honest evaluation. "Seems quite useless... What use is something mouse-sized." "Saaak!" Then the snake got angry at Kadam. Kadam''s eyes widened. "Well, being a familiar it seems to understand human speech. Even a worm has its talents." And not being scared of Kadam was talent enough. Your next chapter awaits on empire "Alright, let''s see and judge. If you''re good enough, I''ll hire you with the same sry." "Yaaay!" "Sasasa!" The snake held out its tail and Madam Gori gently grasped that tail. At least they seem to get along well. Kadam thought so. And they headed to Zoo Section 3. They put the gori and snake inside the enclosure, while Kadam andpany watched from outside. Daisy muttered. "Can Snakesnake do well..." "Snakesnake?" "It''s the name I gave." "What a pathetic name." Kadam evaluated so. The gori and snake didn''t look scared at all. As instructed, the gori rang the installed bell. Ding ding ding ding- The signal for feeding time. And hyenas as big as calves started appearingzily. "Already over ten." They''re Fang Hyenas. Dangerous monsters that are ferocious with strong bite force and move in groups. They barked at the gori and snake. "Woof, wooof!" "Grrrr!" They slowly approach while forming a formation. They clearly recognized prey. And the gori muttered. "Miss Spot too..." "Sasa." The snake nodded. The hyenas charged at them who were so rxed. The gori just swung her fist. But, steam burst from that prosthetic and elerated the fist. Bang! With a sound like a bomb, one hyena''s neck snapped and flew off. A broad smile spread on Kadam''s face. Ping-! And a sound like an arrow being shot. Looking to the side, the snake was sitting on top of a hyena. The hyena staggered, then copsed with a thud. There was a bright red hole pierced in its chest. When did it...? Kadam''s eyes sparkled. == ''Isn''t this apletely legal hunting ground!'' I sensed that from the moment I heard Kadam''s exnation. And it actually was true. The magical energy I absorbed after so long was thrilling. But what was most thrilling was. That I might get my first proper job. ''Mom, Dad, I got a job!'' Thinking of Medusa Mom who became a wandering spirit, and Dad who left to find the stars. I charged towards the approaching hyenas. Chapter 334 Black Rabbit (1) The hyenas that resembled Spot were fierce. Of course, their fangs never reached me. Kang! Though it tried to bite me, it only bit air. Instead, I bit its leg as I passed. There was no need to look back. The hyena that had been barking just before copsed staggering with a screech. There aren''t many monsters that can withstand my ''Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin''. How''s Madam R doing? Turning my head to look at her, she was surrounded by three hyenas. She watched her left and right, but the hyena behind her charged. "Grrrr!" Madam R raised her arm to block, her mechanical limb glinting under the harsh arena lights. Her eyes narrowed, calcting the precise moment of impact. A hyena''s bite force is originally the strongest among beasts of the same weight ss, a fact that has fascinated researchers for generations. Their jaw muscles are exceptionally developed, dense bands of fiber that give them their distinctive sloped profile. I saw it in aic book before, tucked away in the corner notes of a wildlife special edition - due to their habit of eating bones, their bite force approaches 400kg. They can crack open femurs like humans crack nutshells, pulverizing calcium and marrow alike. It''s an enormous force considering humans'' bite force is about 60kg, barely enough to crack a walnut. Most people don''t realize how weak human jaws are inparison to nature''s bone-crushers. And this isn''t even a normal hyena but a monster, so at least several times that. The mutation had warped its jaw structure further, the muscles bulging obscenely beneath its spotted hide, tendons thick as steel cables. Even Madam Gori''s strong forearm would be instantly shredded, the flesh and bone giving way like paper in a shredder. No amount of training could strengthen tissue enough to withstand that kind of crushing power. If it wasn''t a prosthetic, that is. The reinforced metal alloy gleamed, ready to meet those terrible jaws. Crack! There was the sound of the hyena''s teeth breaking. And Madam R grabbed the hyena''s nape with her left prosthetic. With her right hand she pounded its head repeatedly. No! Dudududududu! That was the prosthetic''s function. Like a pneumatic drill breaking stone ground at a construction site. The prosthetic fist vibrated rapidly and shattered the hyena''s hard skull. "Wh-what''s that!" Exmations burst out from behind. I marveled too. Madam R, your gear is amazing. This time the remaining two charged simultaneously. Madam R threw the corpse she was holding at one and kicked the other. Bang! Then charged at the retreating hyena. When she bent her right fist, a long de sprang out. Swoosh! The hyena''s neck was cut. The head rolling away. "Yip! Yiiip!" The one survivor tried to flee. As I was about to chase. "Leave it to me, boss." Madam R said reliably. Then she slightly raised her arm. Pewpewpewpew! A bowgun fired from her fist part. The hyena copsed with a thud. Are you Guts? "I feel myself getting stronger..." Stay tuned for updates on empire I could feel the flow of magical energy. ''A level up!'' It''s hard for me to level up just killing these small fry. But it seemed enough for Madam R. I focused my eyes to look at Madam R''s status. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Iron Arm Gori lv31] [Traits] [Gentle], [Loyal], [Prosthetic] [Skills] [Prosthetic lv9], [Tear Apart lv8], [Bite lv10], [Lariat lv8], [Roar lv3]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Madam R had undergone one evolution while we were apart. What evolution was that again, was it the fourth? Then when would the next evolution be? By my intuition, probably at lv40. Madam R''s evolution will likelye before mine. I hope I can give advice from the side. "Excellent!" Kadam opened our gate and came in. And hugged Madam R with all his might. He nced at me and held out his hand, so I grasped it with my tail. "You''re both hired." Sessfully got the job. == Monsters'' reproductive ability. Of course, it varies greatly by species. But overall, it''s clearly superior to normal animals. Because monsters don''t be weak just from giving birth. The born offspring often don''t need special care. Though there were cases like Centipede Mom who took extremely good care of her offspring, well. Bowingie''s offspring might have been stronger than the Little Green Snake siblings. Anyway, if left alone, the zoo''s monsters increase in number moment by moment. The ''cleaning squad'' exists to control that. The cleaning squad''s zookeepers presided over the monsters'' deaths. I and Madam R got jobs in the cleaning squad. Obern and Phili were also assigned to the cleaning squad. That was decided by my strong will. ''This is a chance. Obern, Phili, a chance for you to get stronger.'' Obern was much weaker than publicly known, and Phili was just a child by my standards. Being in the cleaning squad means you can hunt monsters. In other words, you can level up more easily. Though they say honing actualbat skills is important, leveling up is the basics of basics. Fortunately, we could all work in the same team. One person''s help was big in making that happen. Daisy. She came trotting over. Daisy looked at Obern, smiled softly and said. "Honey." "Daisy." Kyaaaah! Obern and Daisy had actually started workce dating. How did this even happen? Even though I watched from right beside them, I couldn''t understand how they ended up dating. Obern was someone who said he''d treat her to a meal and took Daisy to the cafeteria. Even I knew Daisy was hoping for a date. Shouldn''t they at least go outside the zoo, if not to a fancy restaurant? Have some drinks, get closer whileughing together, exchange looks and confirm each other''s feelings - isn''t that theoretically correct? But their dating process seemed to skip all that. After going to the cafeteria a few times. Daisy said she was full and suggested a walk. After walking a bit under the moonlight, they naturally held hands without anyone making the first move. I, tied to Obern''s wrist, clearly saw it.@@novelbin@@ Surprisingly, that very day. They kissed. ''What on earth happened? The old man saw too, right?'' "Ah I don''t care about that!" Though Pelerian prided himself on understanding heaven and earth''s principles, he clearly didn''t know what happened either. ''There''s no usibility at all. Like, the logical process of them falling in love is missing.'' "There''s one thing I know for sure." ''What?'' "Someone who nitpicks about usibility in falling in love has probably never been popr." ''...'' I was shocked. Chapter 335 Black Rabbit (2) It wasn''t about whether Pelerian''s words were right or wrong, but the fact that I heard such words from Pelerian was the problem. ''Tsk.'' "This brat." Daisy took me and Madam R to the monster research institute. Monsters walking in voluntarily without any restraints like us must be rare. The researchers looked at us with curious faces. "Boss..." ''Don''t be scared. We''re just trying it anyway.'' Madam R was wearing her distinctive attire - a patchwork ensemble crafted from rough brown cloth that had the sturdy, practical look of well-worn workwear. The fabric had the telltale weave pattern of standard keeper uniforms, though transformed into something uniquely her own. It was Madam R''s special keeper uniform, painstakingly constructed by carefully dismantling and reassembling pieces from five different keeper uniforms. The seams were expertly matched, creating a garment that moved naturally with her movements while providing the durability needed for her work. By the way, she always follows strict safety protocols by removing it when entering monster enclosures to avoid contamination, but wears it proudly whenever she''s working outside with the regr animals. The other keepers hade to see it as her trademark. Daisy made me a separate one using one cut sleeve from a keeper uniform. Madam R took off her uniform and got on the machine. "Beginning magical energy conductivity measurement for Iron Arm Gori." Madam R carefully grabbed the two sticks ced in front. "ce both heels at the edge of the crystal te and spread your arms so your armpits don''t touch." The empire''s advanced technology could measure monsters'' or people''s levels. Madam R flinched at the tingling magical power running through her fingertips. "Current level 34. Evolution possible level estimated at 40." The results came out. After beating up several monsters, Madam R''s level had be 34. Moreover, we could know when she could evolve. Though it''s quite expensive to operate once so we can''t measure often, it was a very nice technology. ''If we work hard, you can evolve before long!'' "Woohoo!" I and Madam R high-fived. Next was my turn. "Uh, both heels... ce your body at the edge of the crystal te." Since I had naturally increased my size a bit beforehand, I could get on the crystal te below. "The sticks under your armp... ah yes, bite them like that please." Snakes don''t have armpits. I bit one stick in my mouth. "Beginning magical energy conductivity measurement for Obern''s familiar." I didn''t reveal that I was a Little Prince Serpent. Since I''m a unique species, they couldn''t find out by looking in guidebooks anyway. They seemed to think I was something like a Little Crystal Snake. ''Oh.'' I can feel the tingling magical power flowing through my body. Soon, the results came out. "Obern''s familiar, level 21. Evolution possible level cannot be estimated yet." Ah, disappointing. It means there''s still far to go until the level threshold, probably need at least lv40 before being able to evolve. Isil or Madam R would definitely evolve first. "Mr. Obern." Your journey continues at empire Next was Obern''s turn. He also took position and measured his level. Of course I had already seen and could tell him, but my ability to read status windows was secret from others. "Level 63." Since humans can''t evolve, no evolution possible level showed up. Obern clenched his fist in a victory pose. Daisy said something about him being cute. Phili''s measured level was 51. All thanks to hunting monsters as part of the cleaning squad. They say there''s also a machine that can estimate evolution trees. I want to try using it secretly someday. "Well then, shall we go?" Today is ''ck Day.'' The day to clean the area where ck monsters live. ck monsters and white monsters are forbidden from being cleaned by humans. So today is a day for just Madam R and me to shine. ''Let''s go on a date just us too!'' "Woohoo!" We entered the ck monsters'' area. == The ck monsters'' numbers are overflowing. The monsters we were going to clean this time were none other than bat swarms. Since the zoo''s vast grounds had natural caves. We found an entrance pierced in the middle of a hill. It was around sunset. Fwooooosh- The sound of bats trying toe out echoed from inside the cave. ''Here theye!'' I signaled Madam R and stayed still. And soon, bats as big as eagles started rushing towards the entrance. ''Now!'' Madam R immediately jumped down from above the cave entrance. She held arge in both hands. "Screeeee!" "Screeech!" The bats fluttered and got tangled in the. I and Madam R beat up the tangled bat monsters earnestly. Using the bowgun. Biting them. Above all, using magic to roast them all at once. When dealing with ck monsters, there aren''t even human supervisors. So I could act rtively freely. ¡¸Your level has increased.¡¹ Oh, good news after a while. After taking care of dozens of bats, Madam R caught one and started dissecting it. It was one that was crisply roasted by the fireball. As we were about to toast with bat leg roast each. Click. Madam R quickly turned around and aimed her prosthetic. I also turned my head. Gulp, after swallowing the leg roast in one bite. "Saak." (Who''s there). I was on guard. What appeared was a ck rabbit. A rabbit with a horn on its forehead. Though a bitrge, still seems like an ordinary rabbit. But what is this. This pressure. That rabbit is undoubtedly strong. The moment I thought that, "...The Elder, is looking for you." Surprisingly, it spoke albeit clumsily. In other words, it''s a monster with intelligence high enough for conversation. Madam R asked warily. "Elder?" "Yes, safety is, don''t worry."@@novelbin@@ And the rabbit said something not funny. "ck ones have, loyalty." So, it seems they want to take us to their group. Why us? "Saaak!" I expressed my refusal. "Uh, why should we go." Madam R tranted. Tell the Elder toe himself if he wants to meet us, you rookie rabbit. That''s when. The rabbit said something I couldn''t imagine. "You weren''t called. Whitey." Then spits. "Whitey who can''t even, talk. Not needed." ''Wh-what...'' "Come with me, cool, gori." What did you say! Chapter 336 Proud Boss (1) "Uwaaah, wait..." Madam R was greatly bewildered. Being called a cool gori was truly a gratefulpliment, especially since most visitors to the monster realm tended to keep their distance from her impressive stature. The words made her chest swell with a warmth she rarely experienced. Moreover, the rabbit was also cute and cool, with those twitching whiskers and an unmistakable aura of confidence that seemed to sparkle around them. Their pristine white fur practically glowed in the dim light of the shop, and those alert eyes held a depth of wisdom that caught her attention. It was even more pleasing because she wasplimented by a cool monster. To receive recognition from someone who carried themselves with such natural grace ¨C it made the praise feel twice as meaningful. But the problem was that rabbit was hostile to boss snake. "Saak!" "Can only say ''saak'', stupid snake." "Sasat." "Tiny whitey." Whitey, really. Madam R strangely understood other monsters'' words well. Especially, she could understand the boss''s heart as clearly as if he was speaking directly. Even she and the snake couldn''t understand how this happened. ''Calling me small when you''re just a tiny rabbit!'' "I''m bigger than you." And it seemed the rabbit could understand the snake''s words to some extent too. Read new adventures at empire So a war of words could happen. "Anyway we don''t, need whitey snake." "Sss..." "I''ll only take, cool big gori." The snake looked at Madam R. Because of her loyalty to the boss, Madam R couldn''t stay quiet anymore. "Stop it, boss is, good snake." "That whitey snake is, your boss?" "Yes, good boss." "Can''t believe it, boss must be very cool." Well that''s true. Madam R''s boss had cool aspects. "That small snake, was the coolest monster, in your group?" Madam R who was about to answer yes thought carefully. She had a personality that couldn''t lie well. "That''s not true, there was another big cool snake..." "Saak!" The snake made a shocked expression. But certainly, there was a ''big cool snake'' called Pris Serpent. "Boss is, that big cool snake''s child." "Ah, I see." Contempt increased by one spoonful in the ck rabbit''s gaze at the snake. "Whitey snake, riding on parents'' coattails." "Kissaaak!" Madam R stopped the snake from charging. ''R! How could you do this to me.'' "Wh-what do you mean." ''You betrayed me!'' "But... it''s true." The snake looked like he would die from unfairness. ''Dad helped a lot... though I am a prince...'' Calling himself a prince was truly boss-like. "Let go of cool gori, bad snake." ''Apologize.'' And finally the snake and rabbit confronted each other. "Saaak!" The snake and rabbit charged at each other. I swear. Madam R only heard a sharp collision sound. Kaang! The rabbit and snake passed by each other. She couldn''t tell how that thunderous sound was made. What was certain was that the way the snake and rabbit looked at each other changed slightly. "You have some skill. Whitey." ''You too, -, um, ckie.'' Madam R was surprised too. Her boss had be much stronger than when he was in the great forest. Though he surely didn''t use his full power, the rabbit took that attack perfectly fine. The snake red at the rabbit with sharp eyes. ''But I wasn''t using my full power. I didn''t even use half my strength.'' "I didn''t use, even half, of half." ''I didn''t even use half of half of half.'' What a high-level war of words this was. Madam R marveled at the two animals'' way with words. That''s when the rabbit made a sharp point. "Why are you stopping her?" "Saak?" "I''m not forcing her, and it''s not like, she can''te back. Just want, to show her around." "..." "Everyone wants to meet, the cool ck gori that came in." The snake was flustered. "Being a boss, you can''t even allow that?"@@novelbin@@ "Sa..." "Not a good boss, then." Madam R felt the flow of momentum at that moment. The snake lost words. The rabbit had won the war of words. "Being a boss doesn''t mean, you can do whatever you want with subordinates." "..." "Respect your, subordinates." Snake, defeated! The snake drooped his tail and came to Madam R. ''You can go. That rabbit is right.'' "Boss..." ''Go look around. Juste back by tomorrow.'' Madam R was a bit confused. "Then what about boss?" ''I''m just...'' Whether it was really okay to follow the rabbit. Maybe the snake''s real heart wished for Madam R not to go. If the snake truly wished for her not to leave, Madam R wouldn''t go. ''I don''t care at ~all. I''ll just work alone, lonely. I like being lonely and alone.'' "Ah." Madam R nodded. "Okay then. See you tomorrow." ''Oh, okay...'' Since he said he didn''t care, nothing could be done. Madam R followed the rabbit. The snake stood frozen staring this way nkly. "Take care." Madam R waved her hand. == The rabbit held out its hand to Madam R. Though bigger than normal rabbits, it was only half Madam R''s height. "Your hand." "Ah..." Though embarrassing, Madam R held out her hand. She lightly grasped the rabbit''s cotton-like hand. The fur was soft, but the hand was stronger than expected. Like feline predators, ws were hidden between the pads. Those ws weren''t ordinary but glinted coldly like metal. Now she could understand how the metallic sound was made when colliding with the snake. Since Madam R was an outstanding gori who walked on two legs, holding hands with the rabbit looked like walking with a baby''s hand. However, it didn''t feel funny and somehow made her heart flutter. "Let me, guide you." The rabbit held Madam R''s hand and advanced deep into the zoo. To a ce resembling a magic realm where even zookeepers rarely enter. Madam R''s expression became distant. The sharp-witted rabbit noticed it right away. "What are you, thinking about?" "Reminds me of the great forest." "I''m also from the great forest." "Really?" "Yes, but I was caught so young. Don''t remember." I see. "What''s your name?" "Um, you can call me R." Though the snake called her Madam Gori, for some reason she wanted to drop the ''Madam'' title. Chapter 337 Proud Boss (2) "My name is Reinhertz. You can call me, Rein." It was an incredibly cool name. "Did your boss, give you, the name R?" "Yes." "Nice name." "Reinhertz too." At first, monsters of various colors were visible. But at some point, only ck monsters were visible.@@novelbin@@ They looked at Madam R with wary eyes but turned away seeing her holding the rabbit''s hand. "We ck ones formed, a group." "I see." "Named it ck Night. Elder named it." "Elder?" "The smartest monster." I see. Madam R recalled the group of handed ones she belonged to in the Shadow Forest. Would the Elder be like that orangutan from back then. Or maybe a terrifying monster like Silverback Akims. "Seems you have bad memories." "The group I was in. They took my arms there..." "...Groups can be cruel." ck rabbit Reinhertz muttered so. Stay connected via empire What a truly cool rabbit. "Our ck Night has a group, we''re opposing." "Really?" "The whiteys. White Fang." Just like the ck monsters, the white monsters had also formed a group. ''Did boss go to that group?'' Madam R thought of the snake. As they advanced, more and more strong monsters appeared. "War might break out. If you join us, would be reassuring." "Ah..." A troublesome story. Joining the group. Moreover, Madam R was actually employed by the zoo. Did they not know that? "Actually..." Though the snake might scold her for being naive fool. Madam R talked about the things she was instructed by the zoo director. "I knew." But the rabbit''s reaction was casual. "Your name, became famous, among us. ck Storm, that''s what they call you." "ck Storm..." Isn''t that a cool title. "The Elder you''ll meet is a ck bear. With a crescent mark on his chest. A scary old bear." The ce where the ck rabbit took Madam R had a t rock. "He rests watching the night sky. Curious about the great forest." "Really?" "When dawn breaks the executives and Elder wille. I''ll introduce you then." "Okay." "Can you tell me, your story?" Countless stars dotted the pitch ck night sky. It was a good night for telling old stories. Madam R slowly told her story. There probably isn''t a monster''s life without ups and downs. When she formed a group with handed ones. When captured by Zoo Director Deshnan, living only looking at death in a narrow cage. When saved by the snake. When she survived. When almost swept away by the monster wave. When captured by humans while leading subordinates. Instead of sacrificing herself and saving subordinates, being used as humans'' tool. And being saved by the snake once again. Madam R''s speaking skills weren''t very good. She spoke stuttering even while telling stories. Only managed to tell everything just before dawn broke. The rabbit just listened, only asionally making encouraging sounds. She worried if it was boring, but. "...Rein." "..." "Are you crying?" They were lying together watching the night sky. Tears like starlight rolled down the rabbit''s eyes. "I cried from sympathy, for the hardships you''ve been through." "...It''s okay now." "That snake truly is, your boss." Madam R grinned too. "Yes. Snake is my boss." If the boss were here he would have been very proud. That thought made Madam R feel a bit regretful. Now she should hear the rabbit''s story. She thought so, but. "Dawn broke." Dawn had broken. And monsters started appearing on their rock. Thump. What lightly jumped up was a ck jaguar. In the wild, jaguars and goris have a predator-prey rtionship. Though monster strength wasn''t bound by species, Madam R startled and was wary. Other strong-looking monsters appeared too. A boar with thousands of spikes on its back. Even a ck lizard walking on two legs. These must be ck Night''s executives. Though ordinary monsters didn''t bother Madam R who was with the rabbit. Would these executives do the same? When Madam R became wary, the rabbit held her hand again. And the ck monsters all bowed their heads. "Grrrr." "General..." "Kshishishi." A posture of submission. R looked at the rabbit with a surprised face. "I am, ck Night''s General Reinhertz." The rabbit had an awkward and embarrassed expression. "At least the group''s second-inmand." The rabbit had an even greater position than the gori thought. And finally the group''s Elder, the ck bear appeared. "So this is the gori you spoke of." His speech was more fluent. The bear that appeared was closer to ash-colored than ''ck''. Though not bulging with muscles due to age, he was huge like a bear should be. The fur on his chest was still ck, and there was a crescent moon pattern there. "Yes, Elder." The rabbit spoke calmly. "She''s an amazing gori. I would like to make her, ck Night''s new executive." The ck bear wrinkled his nose bridge. For a moment it seemed like he would growl, but looking closely he was smiling. "Even if you''re the General, you can''t make executives as you please. A test is needed." "I know." She hadn''t heard about this. But the rabbit probably hadn''t deceived Madam R. "R, can you be a general with me?" "Uh..." A sudden proposal. The first face that came to mind was the snake''s. Bing a general. If she bes a general alone, her boss would undoubtedly be jealous. He might sulk saying it''s unfair. Madam R knew that much. "What should I do..." So she hesitated without taking the rabbit''s hand. While the rabbit was looking at Madam R with pitiful eyes. "Actually I have a friend to introduce too." The bear said so. When the rabbit looked puzzled. The bear gestured below the rock. "ck Prince,e up." And a small ck snake wearing a crown climbed up following the bear elder''s hand. "Sasasak!" "His name is Ur. Though small, he''s tremendously strong." The bear looked at the rabbit and gori with a confident face. "Seems better than the gori you brought." "Sat, hmph!" The bear and snake looked this way triumphantly. The rabbit frowned. "That... no way..." "Shhh. Be quiet." Madam R somehow felt embarrassed and covered her face with both hands. Chapter 338 I Want to Go Home (1) White is excellent. A descendant of white. The continuing will of W...! As a white monster, I like my whiteness. And I''ve liked all the white monsters I''ve met so far. Of course, there were some conflicts with Chugota, but still. Although I had prejudices against ck monsters, even that changed as I lived. Not all ck monsters were bad guys. Just look at Wyvern Mom Celeta. I still often miss her and the three wyvern siblings. Besides, I''m not just a purely white monster anyway. Although I appear white, my scales are strictly transparent. Clear scales that can transparently ept all colors. A descendant of transparency. The continuing will of the Transparent Dragon...! Moreover, I''m actually a ck monster at the same time. When I use ck Scales, my scales turn ck. It activates automatically when I get extremely angry. That''s why I got the title ''ck Snake King''. Isn''t that a ck monster recognized by the system? When Madam R left with just the ck rabbit, I suddenly remembered that. I wandered around the ck monsters'' territory while using ck Scales. That''s when I met Bear Grandfather. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ck Moon Elder Bear Besaron lv129] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ He was an elder of the ck night with an incredibly sinister smile. Definitely a named monster.@@novelbin@@ I''m not entirely sure, but from my memory, he seemed clearly weaker than Silverback Akims or Insect King Riokku. However, it''s not like there''s abat power measuring device in the world, and you can''t easily judge a monster''s strength like that. "Will you join our ck Night?" When I received such an offer from him, I epted right away. Actually...! I can just run away after I''m done with what I need to do. I contracted with the zoo first, so legally that contract is more valid. And it would be the same for Madam R. Foolish ck rabbit. How scary can a double contract be. "To be an executive, you need to show your skills. Can you do that? Uhohoh!" I was confident in showing my skills. "You need to choose one of the generals and request a duel." The bear spoke the most fluently among all the monsters I had met. Nevertheless, he didn''t seem to get along well with humans. Kadam treasured me and Madam Gori very much. ''Of course!'' "Does that mean yes?" Unfortunately, he couldn''t understand my words like Madam R or the rabbit. The time hade. We boldly showed ourselves in front of Madam R and the rabbit. "Then, Ur will make his choice!" The bear pointed at me. There were several strong-looking monsters on thisrge rock. Jaguar, boar, lizard, giant rat, horned turtle, and so on... But I was aiming for only one. "Saak!" "Who did you point at?" Damn. It''s frustrating not being able to speak. I pointed at the rabbit with my tail. "Heuk!" "Kihihing!" The monsters were surprised. "No, you can''t challenge the Grand General directly!" ''What!'' I turned to the bear in surprise. Continue your adventure with empire What is this, I actually came here because I wanted to fight that rabbit. It seems the rabbit''s position is higher than I thought. Grand General sounds quite cool. The rabbit was holding Madam Gori''s hand. And with a haughty expression, he smirked. ''You''reughing...!'' I red at such a rabbit. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Death Rabbit Reinhertz lv99] [Title]Beheading Rabbit [Traits] [Coldness], [Cleanliness] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Death Rabbit. What a clean specimen name. If he was born as a normal rabbit, I wonder how many evolutions he went through to be like that. Moreover, he was also a named monster with the cool name Reinhertz. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Bunny Hop lv10], [ws lv20], [Beheading lv40]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ And those skills. Bunny Hop seems to be a higher-level skill of Leap. And the Beheading skill is at level 40. Although it''s not a higher-level skill, I''ve rarely seen a level 40 skill. It probably has an amazing ability. I wonder if his beheading is faster, or if I''m faster. But... "Ur, choose someone else." It seems that procedurally, I can''t directly challenge the Grand General rabbit. I have to choose one of the generals below him first. I was surprisingly weak to authority. I reluctantly looked around at the underlings below. Even though they were inferior to the rabbit, none of them were pushovers. None of them avoided my gaze. Among them, there was one whose gaze I couldn''t tell whether they were looking at me or not. ''You.'' I chose that one. ''Let''s have a match, beetle.'' "He chose the ck Mail Hercules Beetle. It will be a splendid duel." The monsters of the ck Night didn''t care for formalities. A duel doesn''t mean setting a separate schedule or preparing a venue. We would fight here and now on this rock. "There''s only one rule. Don''t kill each other." Though the rules were more lenient than expected. "Tadak, tak." The long-horned beetle made threatening sounds by clicking its jaws. Hmm, the ck Mail modifier seems to refer to that ck carapace. It looks at least as hard as te mail. ''You have wings, why didn''t you run away?'' I was curious about that, but soon I could see the reason. There were holes in both the outer and inner wings that were spread to make the body look threatening. I wonder if the zoo''s caretakers made it like that. Poor thing. Bute to think of it. I don''t match well with insect monsters that have hard exoskeletons. My teeth won''t prate. Then. ¡¸Using Magic Bullet: Rotation lv3¡¹ I only formed five magic bullets. "Mabeop, will our ck Night get a magician too!" The bear eximed like that. Are there other monsters besides me who can use magic? Surprisingly, the Hercules Beetle wasn''t intimidated at all. "Kadadadak!" It just charged forward with such a roar. Everyone has a n. Until they get hit in the face with magic bullets. Pupupupuk! Five magic bullets hit various parts of its body. Pelerian burst out with nagging. "What kind of control is that with magic bullets! You should hit the joints precisely!" Only two out of five missed. Chapter 339 I Want to Go Home (2) The other three hit their mark and made its body tilt, wobble. Kwagagagak! As that huge body rolled, the monsters watching from around scattered while clucking. And the beetle''s belly waspletely exposed. By the way, I didn''t draw my sword. A warrior should always hide three-tenths of their skill. I''ll fight with just magic and my original form''s power. ¡¸Using Intermediate Elemental Magic: Fire lv4¡¹ I shot a noticeablyrger fireballpared to when it was basic level. Peong! "Kidadadada!" Insects'' bellies are rtively vulnerable. But it seems this beetle also had fire resistance. Instead of dying instantly, it spat out something long from its mouth. Thinking it was a tongue, I quickly knocked it away with my tail. But it wasn''t a tongue. Something sticky like liquid was wrapped around my tail. "Ooh! Hell Spider Web!" The bear shouted annoyingly. Spider web? To think a beetle would have such a skill. Moreover, it pulled it swiftly like a chameleon using its tongue. I''m small, so my weight is light too. Wrapped in the sticky thread, I flew through the air. And at that moment. Our eyes met with the rabbit''s in mid-air. It was a look that seemed to say ''Ah, so that''s all you''ve got.'' I can''t be looked down upon. ¡¸Using Heaven Thunder Spirit lv4¡¹ I was sucked right into the beetle''s mouth. And before its strong jaws could chew me. Lightning struck. Jjeojeojeong! Lightning striking from clear skies. Since I didn''t give it time to react, the beetle lost consciousness right away. I quickly escaped from its mouth. The mucus is sticky. ''Ebi, jjida.'' I burned off the spider web stuck to my body with fire magic. As I stood on top of the beetle''s exposed belly that had flopped over, all the other ck monsters were staring at me nkly. Even the ck rabbit had his mouth wide open in great surprise. What a very satisfying sight. "Woooah! As expected of the boss!" Madam R cheered while raising her prosthetic arm. Something like fireworks shot out from her prosthetic arm. To think her prosthetic arm had such a cute function installed. I danced with joy on top of the unconscious beetle. "Ooh, Snake Ur-!"@@novelbin@@ The bear dered my victory. "Now you''re a new general!" I proudly got down from the beetle. Bute to think of it. What happens to this beetle now? Does it remain as a general, or does it get demoted to something like a regr soldier? While I was watching curiously to see what would happen, the bear approached the beetle. I thought he was going to wake it up, but. What followed was more violent than expected. He delivered a bear paw smashing to its head. Peok! His ws smashed the beetle''s head. The beetle''s legs that had been unconscious stretched straight and trembled. ''Y-you killed it!'' Wasn''t killing the opponent forbidden in duels? Why did he suddenly kill it? When the beetle died, mana flowed out. And the bear absorbed that mana with satisfaction. ''...Did he just steal thest hit?'' It was utterly baffling. That wasn''t all. The bear cut open the beetle''s belly with his sharp ws, found the mana stone, and took it out. Then he put it on the rock and crushed it with his ws. "Those who have made great contributions normally,e forward." And several monsters went in front of the elder, knelt down, bowed their heads, exposed their bellies, and anyway, took submissive postures. Then the elder distributed pieces of the mana stone as if giving alms. "The beetle''s sacrifice will be our strength..." And he approached me who was watching this incredulously. "I''ll give a big piece to Ur, the new general." Saying that, he gave me one piece that was actually tinypared to the original mana stone''s size. Since it would be a waste to throw away, I quickly ate it and said. ''Why are you acting generous with what I caught?'' "Ah..." The bear smiled awkwardly and said. That it was the custom and tradition. From what I roughly understood from hearing this, this group seemed to be formed that way. Tribute and distribution. A structure where the elder and generals monopolized mana stones and experience, and those generals regrly had duels to fill the elder''s belly. I slightly turned my head to look at the rabbit. Whether it was because of his dignity as Grand General, or because he didn''t like this method. Whichever it was, the rabbit stayed still without begging for mana stones. ''Hmm.'' I physically experienced what the expression ''leaves a bad taste'' means. This is just. Come to think of it, many monster groups are like this. No, still, the other groups in Shadow Forest weren''t this petty. The leaders back then had presence. Overwhelming strength. And absolute rule based on that strength. But that old bear and the rabbit who calls himself Grand General... When I looked at the rabbit, his expression had changed. Neither sneering nor looking embarrassed, just shocked. What is it, was my hunting of the beetle that impressive? ¡¸ck Scales lv5 is deactivated¡¹ Tsutsutsutsu- The mood was so ruined that I released ck Scales. "Heuk!" The bear was surprised at my white appearance. I said to the bear. ''I want to go home.'' "W-what?" And I approached Madam R. When I held out my tail, Madam R grabbed it. ''You can y more if you want. Just don''t stay out toote.'' "Alright, boss." ''Then I''m leaving!'' There was nothing more to see. I slipped out between the ck monsters. == "Grand General!" The bear was throwing a fit. "Reinhertz! Can''t you hear me?" "Ah, yes, Elder." The rabbit answered but. He still hadn''t fullye to his senses. Stay connected via empire "We have to catch it! Are you just going to let it go?" "...It''s just a white snake anyway, what does it matter." "No, it yed with us...!" Although the elder burst out in anger, the rabbit didn''t listen. His mind was filled with the scene he had just witnessed. What the snake had aplished... ''Lightning, it definitely called lightning.'' A monster that calls lightning. Although he couldn''t tell anyone, it was exactly the monster the rabbit had been searching for. Chapter 340 Dancing with the Snake (1) The ck snake suddenly turned white. And it slipped smoothly through the ck Night group. No one stopped it. Continue your saga on empire The elder ordered the Grand General rabbit to stop it, but Reinhertz ignored that order. The gray bear must have been greatly angered. "These guys..." "Kishaaaat!" What broke that atmosphere was a ck snake. Not the white snake that just left, but a rattlesnake that had belonged to the ck Night group from the beginning. It was a snake that essentially acted as a spy because Zoo Director Kadam had treated it with affection. When it suddenly started having seizures while screaming, the other monsters were also startled. "Krrrung, krung." "Kuwoooong!" Other monsters gathered around wondering what was happening. The rabbit, who had suddenlye to his senses, also approached. Gori Mom quickly knelt down and spoke to the snake. "Calm dowwn." "Sasak, kisaak!" "That... snake?" Gori Mom was especially good at understanding other monsters'' hearts. But even she had no way of knowing that this rattlesnake had once been ''subdued'' by the white snake in front of Kadam. Why did the rattlesnake suddenly be so frightened? "Kisaaaa-!" "The end... we''re all going to dieee?" With the snake''s seizure, an uneasy air settled down. What would happen? No one could know the future. == Going in the opposite direction from where the ck monsters gathered, white monsters gradually began to appear. It makes my heart feel warm. It''s human nature to prefer white over ck. It feels likeing home. And, there''s a monster here that I must meet. I formed a connection with a monster called Saturnu Wyvern Queen Chugota. Although it wasn''t exactly a smoothly formed connection, connections are precious regardless. Chugota Mom was simr to my third mother. She said she lost her baby to the Empire a very long time ago. She found three out of four but lost one, and that baby that was taken away then is said to be here in the zoo. It seems I''ve definitely entered the white monsters'' territory. Because some rather strong white monsters gathered around me. "What... is, it." Since a pouched rat that could speak appeared, I stated my business. Chugota''s child. So, in terms of my rtionship, probably... ''I came looking for my older brother.'' Wyvern brother. ''Or maybe older sister?'' Or sister. Are you here? == The white monsters of the zoo opposing the ck Night. ''White Teeth''. Where did the name White Teethe from? It originated from one white lion, who could be called the guardian of the zoo, a monster beloved by the previous emperor, the Water Emperor. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Shining Elder Lion Ambejeu lv110] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The old white lion''s mane shone mysteriously in white. Male lions are sleepy even when they''re not old. Ambejeu''s usual day consists of sprawling out and sleeping while basking in the sunlight. Today was the same. But the leisurely nap ended due to an untimelymotion. "Krung, what is it..." Something like a white sparrow fluttered around near the lion. "An intruder...?" Unlike the sinister bear, Ambejeu prided himself on being a virtuous monster. He raised his old body and moved his steps. Sure enough, white monsters were gathered and causing amotion. When Ambejeu appeared, the pouched rat came running hurriedly. "What''s going on... sniff." "White snake, appeared, ims, it''s, sibling." "Whose sibling?" "Wyvern, Sir Raota''s sibling." "Raota''s sibling?" Raota is the strongest warrior among the white monsters. It was assessed that among the white monsters, only Raota could face the ck rabbit. Even with cruel restraints on, that was true. And now they''re saying that Raota''s sibling hase? If it''s true, it''s a joyous asion first of all. Monster blood runs thick. If it''s Raota''s sibling, they should be white and strong too. However... "Krung, that''s, a snake isn''t it?" "Yes." "Raota is a wyvern though." "Yes." "That thing''s saying it''s a wyvern?" Ambejeu had lived long enough to earn the title Elder. But none of the wyverns he had seen looked like that. "It''s just a snake!" "Or maybe, a deformed, wyvern?" For a moment, he considered swallowing this peculiar pouched rat in one swift bite, his forked tongue flicking thoughtfully as he assessed his prey. The creature''s soft fur gleamed in the filtered sunlight of the forest floor. But a good ruler listens to their subordinates'' words, as ancient wisdom had taught him. Even the smallest voices could carry valuable counsel, and he had not survived this long by being rash. They''re both white after all, their scales and fur sharing that pristine shade that stood out so starkly against the dark earth of the forest floor. "The head, krrrr, does look simr." There were simrities in how the head looked, from the keen eyes to the alert posture that spoke of a creature well-versed in survival. Moreover, unlike its appearance, the snake didn''t seem weak at all. Every muscle coiled with hidden strength, every movement precise and purposeful, belying its seemingly delicate frame. Because the wild boar that tried to swallow the intruder in one bite was the one that got knocked down instead, its massive bulk thrown aside like a fallen leaf. That had been quite the spectacle, and a lesson well learned by all who witnessed it. "If not deformed then just a crazy, snake..." If so, there was only one way to check. "Call, Raota, khung!" The pouched rat hurriedly went somewhere. After a while. One huge monster appeared. Although its walking was wobbly, no one would dare find that appearance funny. Raota. Saturnu Wyvern. The Grand General of White Teeth. He appeared. Then the snake pushed past other monsters and came forward. "Saaaak!" It seemed to be saying, Brother, it''s me! And Wyvern Raota answered. "Kururururu!" Meaning, who are you?@@novelbin@@ == Raota roared and pounced. Since I had experience being attacked by a brother, my response wasn''tte. I avoided that body tackle with nimble movements. Perhaps surprised by my speed, brother turned to look at me. Then brother''s mouth opened and light burst forth. Pipipping! A beam. Haha, as expected of brother. ¡¸Using Beam lv6¡¹ I matched the beam with my own. Pipipping! I avoided brother''s beam but brother couldn''t avoid my beam. Chapter 341 Dancing with the Snake (2) Though he took several beam hits to the head, he didn''t even flinch. I see you haven''t gotten Destruction Beam yet either, brother. Explore more adventures at empire "Kuruk, kururuk!" He doesn''t seem happy about having a sibling at all. Because brother pounced at me once again. I guess we can''tmunicate like this. This time instead of avoiding, I also charged in. I just need to get on the body once. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv8¡¹ Shot like an arrow, I bit the back of brother''s wing. The back of the lower wing is a part that neither a wyvern''s ws nor mouth can reach. I didn''t inject poison. Instead. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv3¡¹ Since words don''t work, I have no choice but to convey through this. ''I might not remember, but do you remember mother?'' I recalled mental images and transmitted them. Sometimes showing is better than telling with words. Showed Chugota taking care of me. Celeta and her three wyvern children too. And even how humans stole and kidnapped Chugota''s egg. I wonder if my feelings got through. Raota stopped for a moment. Yes, Chugota would be so happy to see brother who has grown up so well. But it was a mistake to think he understood my words. Raota, who had been frozen for a moment, rejected themunication. ¡¸Crown of Connection has been forcibly disconnected¡¹ And he started rolling on the ground. Like a bird trying to shake off bugs. Ack! I almost got crushed to death under that huge body for a moment. If my body wasn''t tougher than it looked, it would have been dangerous. He doesn''t understand words at all. It was frustrating. "Kururuk!" "Saaaak!" It''s so frustrating I could burst. I could also get serious. However, seeing brother''s stupid face made my angry feelings subside. Because that appearance reminded me of Chugota''s face. For the sake of that pitiful monster, I couldn''t hurt this brother who had different parents and different blood. Fortunately, there was someone to mediate the fight. "Khuung!" It was a white lion with a magnificent mane. "Stop, stop fighting. Krrrung." He seemed to be the leader of the white monsters, like the ck bear. Because even the fierce Raota folded his wings and stayed still for now. "You, khung, you say you''re Raota''s sibling?" "Sassat." "Are you perhaps a deformed wyvern." I''m a snake though. Fortunately, the lion understood my words. "How can a snake be a wyvern''s, sibling?" ''Well about that.'' This seems like it would be difficult to convey. I ced my tail on the white lion''s foot and used Crown of Connection. And roughly exined. That there was a wyvern called Chugota. And the story of the stolen baby. "Krururung." The lion nodded with a surprised expression. "If you''re Raota''s sibling then you''re our brother, krung." The lion suddenly acted friendly with me. "I''ll make you an executive of our White Teeth." "Saak!"(Really!) Just in case, I checked something important. ''There''s nothing I need to offer right? The ck monsters made me do that.'' "Krung, kum, kum, uh... no." ''Then that''s great!'' That''s how I became an executive of White Teeth. "We are preparing for war with those ck Night guys, krung. I hope you''ll be of great help." ''Ah, yes.'' Though only then did I be a bit worried. Director Kadam told us to hunt ck monsters and white monsters, not to be executives. Both Madam R and I ended up bing executives on both sides. Aren''t we going to get scolded for this? Getting a bit worried, I quickly said. ''I''ll go home ande back first!'' "Home...?" Though the lion tried to grab me, I quickly slipped away. == After hiring the gori and snake as permanent employees at the monster hunting agency, Kadam found himself pacing in his officete into the evening, analyzing reports spread across his desk. And despite them handling their assignments with impressive skill and professionalism - the gori''s raw strength proving invaluable in closebat situations while the snake''s stealth abilities enabled perfect reconnaissance - Kadam had many pressing concerns weighing heavily on his mind. ''Just hunting bit by bit is far from enough.'' The number of white monsters and ck monsters was still high. And it wasn''t just about the numbers. The named monsters among them were the problem. Among the ck monsters, the rabbit and bear. Among the white monsters, the wyvern and lion. These guys are the problem. He thought that if a ''disaster'' were to be born in the zoo, it would definitely be one of these four monsters. ''How... can I make them kill each other off.'' The two forces clearly oppose each other. But the monsters sacrificed that way soon be mana that strengthens the monsters on the other side. The chaff dies off while the strong monsters get stronger and stronger. Even for Kadam who was strong, it would be difficult to handle if two of them attacked at once. Yes, unless he released his blood, that is.@@novelbin@@ That day too, Kadam was lost in thought. That''s when. The snake and gori who had been missing for two days returned. Daisy and Obern brought the two monsters, and. For some reason, the gori and snake were fidgeting and hiding behind the two people. That appearance somehow made him uneasy. "What, what''s going on!" Kadam, who became anxious along with them, shouted first. Then the gori, hiding behind Daisy who was much smaller than herself, fidgeted and said. "I became... a general of the ck monsterss." "W-what?" "Sasasak." "What''s that snake saying?" ''This one became an executive too,'' Obern tranted. "What, what nonsense..." The snake and gori exined the situation bit by bit. The forces called ck Night and White Teeth, them bing executives. And even the story that the two forces were preparing for war. After hearing the whole story, Kadam mmed the desk. Kwang! "You guys!" He shouted almost at war cry level. "Come here right now!" He said that but actually he was the one running over. Kadam hugged both the gori and snake at once. "You lucky little things." That day. A rumor spread among the employees. It was a rumor that the scary Director Kadam hugged the snake and gori and danced with them. Chapter 342 Thump (1) Kadam doesn''t drink alcohol. Looking like someone who would drink liquor by the jarful - with his broad shoulders, imposing height, and boomingugh - but not actually touching the stuff could be called Kadam''s unexpected charm. The contrast never failed to amuse those who got to know him well. However, the reason why Kadam stopped drinking was rather simple, almost amusingly so. It was because the perception that ''orcs love alcohol'' was universal in the world. Just as people imagine orcs wildly swinging battle axes or riding bulls when they think of them, their massive green hands wrapped around wooden handles or leather reins. They also imagine them drinking makgeolli by the bowlful with a liquor jar beside them, roaring withughter and challenging everyone around to drinking contests until dawn breaks. So when half-orc Kadam went to drinking gatherings, people would look at him with sparkling eyes, eagerly pushing drinks his way and nudging each other with knowing grins,pletely unaware that he would politely decline every single time. It was anticipation of how well this giant would drink like an orc. Because he felt that, Kadam didn''t drink. Of course, it''s not like he had never touched alcohol in his life. He tried drinking exactly once. And the violence that surged like instinct then... After that, Kadam never touched alcohol again. It''s not like he drinks tea instead like some proper gentleman. Or enjoys coffee either. So what did Kadam choose to drink instead... "Good work. Drink this. It''ll warm your stomach." It was bone soup thoroughly boiled with pork back meat and various bones. Just sprinkle a bit of salt and slurp it up, and there would be nothing else to want in the world. The snake and gori slurped up the bone soup ced in front of them. "The Director sharing bone soup..." Daisy looked on in surprise. The bone soup was exclusively the zoo director''s, and Kadam didn''t share it carelessly. That he showed such kindness meant he treasured these two animals that much. The snake and gori nkly stared at Kadam. "In the past, someone once asked me." Kadam spoke while crunching and swallowing the bones that came with the meat broth. "You''re the zoo director. But what is the reason for the zoo''s existence? they asked." What is the reason for the zoo''s existence attached to the Imperial Capital? "It''s no different from cing a bomb in the Imperial Capital''s embrace while using massive budget. Then what is the reason for the zoo''s existence, and why do you manage the zoo? What on earth is its significance for existing, they asked." In reality, the zoo did have aspects that were troublesome. Although it functioned as an amusement park and research facility, the required budget was enormous. And sincerge and small monster escape incidents urred asionally, the Empire had to bear those damages. "Of course it was some desk-bound bookworm wearing sses but they were quite brave. Want to guess how I answered?" The gori and snake raised their hand and tail like they were in a quiz show. Madam R answered first. "I don''t knoww..." "You don''t know?" "No, I mean that''s what I think you answeredd." "Hoho, you take me for a fool." Instead of getting angry, Kadamughed heartily. Daisy was surprised once again at this generous attitude. "Ssat, sasasak!" "Uh, what''s the snake saying?" Madam R tranted. "You hit themm." "Oho." Kadam revealed the answer. "You were both somewhat close to the correct answer." He spoke while crumpling a piece of tissue paper. "I grabbed those sses. Like this. And turned them to powder." It''s an imaginable scene. The sses would have literally turned to powder, and the schr who bravely stepped up would have turned pale. And they would have remembered. That the one before them was a half-orc. "I don''t know what the significance of the zoo''s existence is either. But I do know why I, as the zoo director, must manage and maintain the zoo. It''s because His Majesty the Emperormanded me to." Kadam snorted with a ''keung''. "There was an order and obedience following it. I swore that regardless of my bloodline, I would pledge loyalty to the Emperor who employed me. Therefore, I simply manage and maintain the zoo ording to that order. If someday the Emperor orders to close the zoo and kill all monsters and animals, I will do so." As he continued speaking, his emotions seemed to surge as the orc''s characteristic infrasound mixed into his voice. "Of course..." Then Kadam''s momentum sank down with a swoosh. "I don''t wish for such orders toe down. Since I like this ce too." He patted the gori and snake''s backs. "For the zoo to ''continue'', the white monsters and ck monsters need to be sorted out. However, His Majesty restricted my intervention. That''s why you two must aplish it." Kadam wanted to assassinate the named ones among the white and ck monsters, but he was ordered not to do so. "Make them fight by causing conflict between the two forces. And when the opportunityes, take out those named monsters. The lion, bear, wyvern, and rabbit. If you seed, I''ll do anything for you."@@novelbin@@ "Sak!" "Yes snake. Do you have a question?" "Sasasa?" Explore more at empire R tranted. "She''s asking if you''ll promote uss." "...Not just promotion, I''ll grant your wishes too." The snake and gori were overjoyed. "I''m counting on you two." Kadam felt rising anxiety the moment he said those words. Things had gone well so far but would they continue to? Could he trust this gori and snake with the task? "Uhohhoho." "Sassat~!" But it seemed toote already. They''ll handle it well on their own. Surely they won''t end up preventing the war instead. Kadam decided to think that way. == ''Let''s have war.'' "Krung, what?" The Shining Lion was surprised. Ah, did I speak too quickly? ''No I mean war will solve things. You said we''re going to have one anyway.'' "That''s true but... krung, I didn''t know you hated ck monsters that much." ''ck monsters are my sworn enemies.'' "I hate them too, khung." The old lion growled like he was yawning. Chapter 343 Thump (2) ''When and where are we doing it?'' I''ve never been promoted before. Of course, since I never had a proper job. So I really wanted to experience promotion. ''I want to take out those ck ones quickly!'' "Krurrung... well." ''Where are we doing it? Are we invading? Or should we lure them in? Despite how I look, I once led a goblin tribe to victory in war as a strategist.'' "I don''t understand what you''re saying. Why are you in such a hurry?" ''Hurry? I''m not.'' "Hmm, you''re acting like a snake with something to hide. Krung." ''Hup.'' I quickly fell silent. The lion looked at me with a strange expression. "Just kidding, kidding." "Sasasat!" "Khuhuhuhuung." I quicklyughed. Oh no, I must have rushed too much. Acting natural and smooth seems too difficult. I wonder if Madam R is doing well. The lion spoke after yawning wide enough to split his mouth. "The timing of the war is decided by your brother. Grrrung." ''Raota?'' "Yes, he is the Grand General." From what I hear, it seems Raota is White Teeth''s Grand General and the rabbit is ck Night''s Grand General. They say they''re rival monsters. Still, the lion seems a bit irresponsible for being the elder but leaving it to Raota. Well, it works out for me. I need to have a conversation with brother anyway. Leaving the nodding off lion behind, I headed to where brother was. Raota had made his nest at the highest point of the hill. Seeking high ces might be a wyvern''s instinct. And as a housewarming gift, I brought bundled branches. I dropped them with a thud in Raota''s nest. Raota who had been sleeping woke up with a start. "Kurururururuk!" Meaning get lost! But I couldn''t leave here. Without making eye contact, I slithered up into the nest. Raota spread his wings wide and threatened but. Soon sighed and folded his wings again. He realized after several scuffles. That I wasn''t a snake who would back down easily, nor one who could be dealt with easily. However, I too realized that Raota wasn''t an easy wyvern. When I try to bring my tail close to use Crown of Connection, that''s when he showed determination to fight to the death. In other words, he refusesmunication. When I first used Crown of Connection I definitely told him about the past... Well, for Raota who was kidnapped as a baby, stories about a mother he can''t remember must be confusing. Since there was nothing I could do right now. ''Brother, when are we having the war?'' "Kurururu." ''Wouldn''t it be better to do it quickly?'' "Kurut." Since I can''t use Crown of Connection, I''m not sure if he understands my hissing or not. However, I didn''te to find brother just to instigate war. Srrrk. I carefully brought my tail closer. I wasn''t trying to use Crown of Connection. What I was targeting was the mechanical device attached to brother''s back. "Kuruk!"@@novelbin@@ ''Stay still. I''m just curious about that mechanical device.'' Raota had a mechanical device attached to his back. It was a device firmly attached from his back to his wings. I wondered what it was for. Looking at its name made it clear. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Flight Restraint] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The Hercules Beetle I took down hadrge holes in its wings. It was made to prevent flying monsters from flying away. Of course Raota would need such measures too. But perhaps they couldn''t bring themselves to punch holes in the wings of the white wyvern beloved by the Emperor. So they attached restraints to prevent flight instead? ''I''ll help you so stay still for a bit.'' "Kuruk...? Kuruk..." Indeed, Raota seemed to understand my intention. If I can manipte the restraints. I might be able to use that to make brother my subordinate...! == R felt uneasy. "War...?" "Yes." "It''s not far off. The total offensive will probably start before the next full moon." The ck rabbit answered gently and gracefully. Perhaps she felt guilty about having to deceive him. "I didn''t know R would want war too." "...Really?" "White Teeth and us can never coexist." "Whyy?" Fortunate, should she say. Although Gori Madam was instructed to instigate war. It seemed there was no need for the snake and gori to work hard as Kadam worried. The war will happen anyway. And soon at that. The two walked together. Having grown close, taking walks like this had be their daily routine. Though their size difference wasrge, their walking speeds weren''t too different. Walking around the zoo, they encounter various monsters. "Ukik." "Ukii..." Today they met baby monkeys. They weren''t ck monsters, but cute ones with brown fur. They approach Madam R and the rabbit with curious eyes. Fearless baby monkeys. As Madam R dly tried to extend her hand. "How dare you." The rabbit stepped forward first. Discover exclusive tales on empire And emanated killing intent. "Kieek." "Ki...!" The baby monkeys froze and trembled, unable to even run away. "Things that are neither ck nor white, daring to block our path." The rabbit''s ws shed white. In a moment those monkeys might be pieces of meat. Madam R quickly stopped the ck rabbit. "Waitt." "Hmm?" When the rabbit withdrew his killing intent, the baby monkeys fled in terror. "Don''t do thatt." "Ah, I see... they''re younglings of the same lineage." The rabbit apologized as if sorry. "I apologize R." "No... it''s finee." Madam R gave a bitter smile. Though he was very gentle to her, he showed no mercy to monsters of different colors. But it didn''t seem like something Madam R couldment on, so she didn''t say anything particr. The two walked in a slightly awkward atmosphere. "Um, R." Then, the rabbit suddenly stopped. Whiiing... Thete summer breeze pleasantly brushed past their fur. The rabbit silently gazed into Madam R''s eyes. The gori somehow felt a bit tense. And when the rabbit opened his mouth. Madam R couldn''t help but freeze for a moment. "What do you think about... love between monsters of different species?" Chapter 344 The King Will Come (1) "What do you think about love between monsters of different species?" The rabbit said, tilting his head slightly as his long ears swayed with the motion. The rabbit was a monster that seemed to stand at the opposite extreme of the word ''pure white''. ck fur soft like velvet, so deep it seemed to absorb the very light around it. Each strand caught the dim illumination in a way that made him appear to shimmer. Two eyes that sparkled like obsidian, reflecting tiny pinpoints of light like stars in a midnight sky. They held both wisdom and mischief in their depths. And simrly ck and soft paw pads, with sharp ink-colored ws between them, each one precisely maintained and gleaming with a dangerous elegance. Small but definitely a beautiful monster, barely reaching past the ankle of most other creatures in the monster realm. Yet he carried himself with the dignity of one muchrger. But I swear, the tension in the air was palpable. Madam Gori never imagined the rabbit would say such things, especially not during their usually peaceful afternoon tea sessions in her carefully tended garden. Love between monsters of different species. What does that mean? The question hung heavy in the air like morning mist. As a maturedy gori, she answered very calmly, though her massive hands gripped her delicate teacup a fraction tighter than usual. "Oo- hohoho! Ukyak-!" "?" She identally forgot how to speak for a moment. Madam Gori cleared her throat demurely and spoke again. "What do you meann?" "Ah, exactly what I said. Can monsters of different species form rtionships... that kind of thing." Madam R was relieved that her face was ck. Even if she blushed, it wouldn''t show. Then was the rabbit saying this while blushing? That too was unknown.@@novelbin@@ "Welll... it wouldn''t be easy, would itt." That was all Madam R could answer. Her heart was pounding from the surprise. "Hmm, why is that." "Whatt." "Do you have a fever?" The rabbit raised his front paw to touch the gori''s forehead. But he couldn''t because he was too short. Madam R quickly tried to change the subject. "Ahh, I wonder how the boss is doingg." "Ah..." The rabbit froze for a moment. "Right, the snake, you have the snake..." Oh. What kind of reaction is this? "Since you''re close with the snake..." "Y-yess." "Actually, I wanted to, ask about, that snake." No way... Could the rabbit be misunderstanding the rtionship between the snake and Madam R? At the peak of her panic, she quickly denied it. "Nononoo, uho! The boss and my rtionship is businesss!" "Business?" "I mean it''s a king and subject rtionshipp!" Vocabry learned from the snake identally slipped out. Anyway, the snake and Madam R were definitely not in a romantic rtionship. "And the boss has a girlfriendd." "Oh, really?" "Yess." Madam R recalled her memories. "A centipede with red teeth and big sizee..." "A centipede! A snake and centipede!" But instead the rabbit started jumping up and down excitedly. "How did a snake and centipede get together?" "Ah..." Come to think of it, they might not be in a rtionship. She corrected that again. "I see... of course that would be the case." The rabbit deted visibly, his long ears drooping until they nearly brushed the forest floor. His usually pristine white fur seemed to lose some of its luster, matching his dampened spirits. To think the always gentle and cool rabbit would show such emotional changes. He who had maintained hisposure through countless forest disputes and seasonal challenges, now sat there looking almost fragile. The other woond creatures had grown ustomed to his steady presence and diplomatic nature, making this disy all the more striking. Could the rtionship between the snake and gori be that important to him? The thought nagged at the edges of understanding, like a persistent autumn leaf refusing to fall. Their unlikely friendship had always been a source of gossip among the forest dwellers, but perhaps there was more to it than mere curiosity. The rabbit hesitated for a moment then asked. "The other day, I saw the snake call lightning..." "Ah, yes, that''s rightt." "Is that, something easy to do?" "Welll..." Even though she had formed a new rtionship with the rabbit, she couldn''t easily discuss the boss''s techniques. ''A martial artist must hide three-tenths of their skill,'' the snake often said. Though she didn''t know what a martial artist was or what three-tenths meant, she roughly understood the meaning. "It''s very very difficult to usee." "...I see. Hmm." The rabbit closed his mouth. The talk about lightning was probably to change the subject. "I''ll go this way, goodbye." "Ah, byee. See you next time." Seeing the rabbit quietly withdraw confirmed it even more. Even after he left, Madam R''s unease didn''t fade. As she was making furrows in the ground with her toes for no reason, someone approached. "Sasak." It was a snake, but not the boss. It was a ck rattlesnake with scales like ebony. R remembered seeing her. When her boss appeared and disappeared before, she was the one who had seizures saying the end wasing and such. She thought she was a strange snake then and that impression hadn''t faded this time either. Indeed, the rattlesnake was crying. "Sasa... sasa?" Madam R had the amazing talent of understanding most monsters'' hearts quite well. So she understood the rattlesnake''s question: ''Does he... really have a wife?'' She seemed to have overheard the conversation between the rabbit and R. Madam R was flustered. "Umm... why?" Explore more at empire "Sasasasa!, saak..." Shock! The rattlesnake had been harboring feelings for the boss. However, it didn''t seem like she had properly heard all of the conversation between the rabbit and R. She quickly corrected the facts. "Noo, he doesn''t have a wifee..." That was definitely true. Though he did say ''Come to me'' to the older centipede, that couldn''t be counted as a confession. Looking back, they weren''t in a romantic rtionship either. "Saaaa..." (Ah, what a relief.) "Yeahh. But he does have children." "Saak?!" Bowingie, Big Head, Big Eyes. Chapter 345 The King Will Come (2) The babies that cling to Giant Centipede Mom''s body. The boss snake treated them like his own children. The rattlesnake shed tears. The rattle on her tail trembled pitifully. ''I don''t mind that.'' But the rattlesnake spoke firmly. ''If I can just be by his side...'' She earnestly asked to meet the white snake. Madam R couldn''t ignore her feelings. In the end, she had no choice but to nod and say okay. == "Sasasak." "Kuruk, kuruk!" Does he understand my words or not. Since Raota just keeps saying kuruk, I can''t tell. "Kururuk!" But I think I can definitely understand what that means. It can probably be tranted as ''I won''t let you off easy if you try anything funny!'' Okay okay I get it. I won''t use Crown of Connection so don''t worry. Nevertheless, brother watched me with wary eyes. He allowed me to approach after I said I would see if I could remove the mechanical device. Seeing that, it seems he understands my words to some degree. Yet when I talk about Chugota he pretends not to hear. Such an unfilial child. I climbed onto Raota''s back and examined the mechanical device closely. Seeing it automatically emit mana waves, there must be a mana stone as a power source inside. Hmm, ording to this knowledgeable snake''s judgment, this is... "That''s an altimeter." ''I see.'' Actually, I''m not that knowledgeable. Though I have knowledge as a modern person, I don''t have mechanical engineering knowledge. Moreover, I''mpletely ignorant about magical engineering that uses mana. However, there was a real expert beside me, that being Pelerian. ''Why is there an altimeter? Chugota isn''t an airne.'' "They might have attached it because they said they would make a wyvern knight unit. The case is very firmly attached." The mechanical device was covered in armor overall. It''s tooplex to be ''equipment'' made for wyvern knight use. "Hmm." Pelerian directed me to look here and there. "This is a lightning pattern. It''s linked to the altimeter." Finally, he seemed to figure something out. "Yes, this isn''t equipment made for knights to ride. Indeed it is a restraint." The purpose he discovered was. "It''s a restraint made to electrocute if it flies above a certain altitude." ''Ah!'' "And it probably electrocutes if you leave the zoo too." Now I noticed something. Originally Raota''s body was white so it wasn''t easy to see. But around the mechanical device on the wing membrane, there were particrly white marks. The scars that remained like lightning had spread were electrocution scars. I knew because I had been electrocuted many times and electrocuted others many times. ''We can''t just break it, right?'' "They would have made it so you can''t." They would have made it so electricity discharges if you try to forcibly remove or break it. I got an idea. Couldn''t I use this restraint as an excuse to bond more with Raota? Maybe I could even tame him. ''Old mann.'' "I don''t know well either." ''Can''t you remove it?'' "It''s not that we absolutely can''t, I think I can see how we might be able to pick it..." The Grand Mage''s eyes must see something. I quickly called Raota. ''Brother.'' "Kuruk." ''I''ll see if I can pick this, then let''s sit down and have a proper talk.'' "Kururuk." He definitely just nodded. Let''s try it! With that determination, I examined the restraint with Pelerian''s help. It took exactly 30 seconds until we got electrocuted. Pajijijik! "Sasasasasa!" "Kurururururuk!" Sparks crackled through our scales. Our eyes rolled back from the electrocution. I recovered quickly since I had high electric resistance at least. Thanks to that I could avoid the wyvern''s fury. "Kuooooo!" Beams were fired continuously. But I seeded in avoiding the beams by performing acrobatics in the air. I got electrocuted too though! "Ahem." Pelerian, the only one unharmed, just cleared his throat and disappeared into the ring. I had to bear the white wyvern''s anger all alone. Raota tried to fly up pping his wings, but copsed with a thud, perhaps still affected by the electrocution. And he made a cry different from usual. "Kurororororo-!" The meaning doesn''t matter. I won''t get caught by a wyvern that can''t even fly...! But soon I realized the meaning of that cry. Because some of the white monsters scattered around resting ran towards me. They''re surrounding me from all directions. Was the meaning of ''kurororo'' ''catch that bastard!''? Among them, a pouched rat that could speak stepped forward. "Insolent... snake. Small and weak yet..." Stay connected through empire Is this guy talking to me like that? "Dare to Lord Raota..." Is that how a pouched rat should talk to a serpent, a predator? When I focused my eyes in surprise, it was just a ''White w Pouched Rat lv31''. The white monsters around were the same. They were nothing special. I realized. That they''re looking down on me. No, even so there should be the pressure of a higher monster. Did I lose even that intimidation when I became smaller? It''s a bit sad. I should punish these guys to relieve this sadness. I thought that, but. The pouched rat said something unexpected. "Take off the crown, insolent snake!" "Sak?" What? This crown? The thing on my head is indeed a crown, but it''s not something I can put on and take off, it grew out. I red at them while banging my crown against the ground stones. Then the pouched rat and white monsters were taken aback. "W-wearing a crown when you''re not even a king. Insolent snake." ''I''m not a king but a prince.'' "...Insolent snake." Seems like it can only say ''insolent snake''. I''ll teach it a lesson. "You are not the king. The king, exists separately." ''You mean Raota?'' "Lord Raota too, is not, the king." Then who is it? The old lion? I don''t care! "It is determined, by prophecy." Prophecy? That''s a bit interesting. I decided to listen first. Why do the zoo''s white monsters have something like a prophecy passed down? "Someday the king wille." ''What kind of monster is the king?'' "The king of white ones, has a long body and." "Saak!"(That''s me!) "No!" The pouched rat continued exining. "Dozens, hundreds of legs, two antennae, and steel-like serrated teeth." Uh... Not me then. But something came to mind. ''That''s... a centipede!''@@novelbin@@ Chapter 346 Oh, Its Brother (1) Dozens, hundreds of legs. Two antennae. Steel-like serrated teeth. Something my past life greatly feared. And something that resembled a creature my reincarnated self loved. ''That''s... a centipede!'' It was clearly a description that brought centipedes to mind. "Sasasak!" "A centipede?" The pouched rat seemed to have never imagined that the monster they were describing was a centipede. When I asked if there were any white centipedes living here, the pouched rat answered with a stupid expression. "There''s no such thing... as a white centipede." Well, white centipedes probably aren''tmonly seen monsters. The only white centipede I''ve seen is Bowingie. I wonder how Bowingie is doing. She''s probably living well with Centipede Mom and her siblings. I really want to meet the three siblings again. ''Could it be... Bowingie is the prophesied king...?'' Such a thought urred. And soon. ''No way...'' I ended up snickering. Bowingie being the prophesied king. Though Bowingie is the only white centipede I know, there must be other white centipedes in this vast world. And since monsters have such diverse appearances, it''s not guaranteed to be a centipede. I buried the thought that briefly urred as a joke. ''...Hmm, no.'' This is too clich¨¦. Isn''t this the kind of thought process where naturally it should flow towards Bowingie actually being right? Bowingie must be the prophesied king. Maybe I should just think that way. ''No...'' While I was wavering in thought like that, only one thing was certain. I miss Bowingie! As I was thinking that and about to leave. "Where do you think, you''re running!" The pouched rat shouted angrily and grabbed me. ''Ah right.'' "Coward, snake! Hehe." ''I''m not running though?'' Running away, what misconception is this guy having? "Catch it, catch it and beat it up." When the pouched ratmanded, various riffraff rushed in. White rat. White dog, white anteater. Are these even monsters? "Keong!" I swung my tail at the white dog charging in front. There wasn''t even a need to use teeth. ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv5¡¹ Peok! The dog flew doing somersaults in the air. Monsters who still couldn''t assess the situation kept rushing in. Read new chapters at empire I knock away the rats and dogs with my tail. ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv5¡¹ ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv5¡¹ ¡¸Using Tail Whip lv5¡¹ Consecutive sounds like beating a drum ring out. I''m not exactly sure, but just my tail whip might have simr power to a boxer''s right hook. Or maybe not! Pupupuk! As the rushing monsters kept flying into the air, the pouched rat''s expression also hardened. It wasn''t just small ones that rushed in.@@novelbin@@ The anteater rushing in with its long sticky tongue out was quite threatening. Of course, it wasn''t actually threatening. I bit its tongue. Hmm moist texture. "Kwiiiik!" When it tried to pull back its tongue in panic, I held firm by nting my tail in the ground. "Kwiiiii!" Only when its tongue was about to tear did the anteater kneel. It was showing submission. Good anteater. Only then did I release its tongue. The stic tongue seemed to have stretched about 1.5 times its original length. It stayed still with its limp tongue hanging out in a dazed pose. As I was patting its head with my tail, the pouched rat caught my eye. Now that it seemed to have grasped the situation, it was trying to run away. ''Where do you think you''re running!'' "Uwa, a, ah!" No matter how fast the pouched rat is, it won''t be faster than my leap. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv8¡¹ I didn''t make a bright red hole in its chest. Instead I bit its back leg. Though it struggled to escape, once bitten it was useless. Although the pouched rat was several times bigger than me, the strength we could exert was different. I imitated Hulk from an old movie I saw. I mmed it left and right. Puk, puk, puk. ''I''m scared of brother, not you guys.'' Having led arge monster group in Shadow Forest, I know. When subduing monsters that bare their teeth, you must do it thoroughly. If not, monsters will keeping at you endlessly. Especially monsters with high enough intelligence to speak need caution. Either they''ve evolved a lot to gain intelligence and speech. Or they''re cunning ones who focused all their points on intelligence. And the pouched rat was clearly thetter. Regr monsters who are kind and speak well like Madam Gori are rare. So how long should I punish it? Instead of proper words, the pouched rat made sounds befitting a pouched rat. "Jjik, jjijiit!" Until it bes like this. The pouched raty t on its back with a nosebleed. I climbed on its belly and bared my fangs. "Saak!" "Sorry, I''m sorryy." You made a snake go through trouble when it would end up like this anyway. Should I take a mana stone aspensation? When I poked its chest with my tail, the pouched rat went into hysterics. At the same time, I pondered. Why was I looked down upon by such pathetic monsters? Even though I became smaller through evolution, truly pathetic monsters avoided me on their own. Gauging the opponent''s strength is a very important virtue in the wild. Monsters who couldn''t do that would all have been eaten. Did they forget their instincts from living in the zoo too long? That could be it, but it doesn''t seem like that''s the only reason. ''You said you were Raota''s subordinate.'' These guys have a leader. And monsters with leaders tend to forget fear. That was definitely true in the great forest too. But they didn''t rush in this recklessly... ''Ah, it''s because I don''t have a group.'' Even if we belong to the same ''White Teeth'', you can''t expect properradery from monsters. It wasn''t for nothing that the lion picked ''executives'' and ''generals''. Those executives all had their own subordinates. Because the monsters here belonged to the zoo, food was abundant, and thus an environment impossible in the magic realm was created. Instead of eating each other, forming groups, like a Warring States period! In such a ce, it''s natural that I would be looked down on going around alone. ''I need to make a group.'' Something I''ve done once before. Chapter 347 Oh, Its Brother (2) I was confident in making a group again. ''Zoo Animals Crew Season 2.'' Should I think about it after eating this insolent pouched rat first? And as I opened my mouth wide. "Ch, chung seong." ''What?'' "I pledge, loyalty." What he''s saying is. "I will pledge loyalty to you, Sir Snake." This pouched rat surprisingly dered it would change masters. "I, can, speak." ''Yeah, that''s impressive.'' So that''s how this pathetic pouched rat gave orders to other monsters. ''But you''re Raota''s subordinate.'' "Snake is, more, cool." Hmm, flexible thinking deserves bonus points. ''Say Raota is stupid.'' "Raota, stupid, idiot." Thoughcking in loyalty a bit, still a subordinate with its own merits. Seeing how it added idiot on its own shows it''s quick-witted too. Good, with Madam R not here, should I use it a bit? ''Alright I''ll spare you.'' "Thank, you. Loyalty! Pledge!" ''Now you carry me. Execute.'' "Execute!" It understands words well too. It stood up staggering. Due to getting hit, blood was trickling from its nose. When I took out a potion from subspace and applied some. "Heuk, huk." This time instead of nosebleed, tears trickled down. "Thank, you." ''Yeah. Raota can''t do this right?'' "Noo." I climbed on the now healthy pouched rat''s back. "Where shall, I take you." ''I''m going to make my group. Pick out the useful ones among those who rushed at me earlier. Ah the anteater was decent too.'' Usually subordinates are more influenced by the pouched rat as a close superior than the distant superior Raota.@@novelbin@@ It picked several monsters including the anteater. ''You are now incorporated into the Zoo Animals Crew.'' "You are now, part of, the Zoo Animals, Crew." The monsters looked at us with nk expressions. Seems like it''ll take some time to properly tame these guys. "New boss, is Sir Snake here." ''Forget brother.'' "Forget, Raota." And when a group is formed, you must pick executives. ''You, anteater is actionmander, pouched rat is vice advisor.'' ¡¸Using Crown of Domination lv1¡¹ ¡¸Sessfully tamed White w Pouched Rat lv31¡¹ ¡¸Sessfully tamed Strong Tongue Anteater lv28¡¹ Got new subordinates. "Um, but, why vice advisor, not advisor?" Then the pouched rat asked. Already showing promotion desire. ''There''s already a separate advisor.'' "Yes, yessir." ''Let''s go gather more subordinates.'' Then the pouched rat looked a bit troubled. "Fighting with other, generals..." Most monsters in White Teeth already follow their own leaders. It meant fights would break out if we forcibly took them. But as a snake of ideas, I had a n. ''Let''s gather the outcasts first.'' Whether White Teeth or ck Night, there were excluded ones. ''Gather the not-so-white ones first.'' ''Pure white'' monsters are surprisingly not thatmon. Ones with spots, or actually closer to light gray in color. Ones with horns or stripes of different colors. Unless they were considerably strong and excellent, such monsters were subtly ostracized from groups. That was the same for both the ck Night groups and here in White Teeth. "Yes, understood!" Zoo Animals Season 2,unch! == Find more chapters on empire The bell rang in the zoo. Ding- dong- deng- dong. Dong- deng- ding- deng. It means the day''s work is over. Phili quickly said goodbye to those around. "Good work!" "Thanks for your hard work." The zoo employees too were happy to go home. Even employees who used to be ufortable with Phili now smiled and said goodbye. Phili wiped his forehead with the towel around his neck. The sunset is falling. Returning to the employee dormitory after finishing a fulfilling day''s work. Just months ago, he couldn''t have imagined living like this. What''s months, even until departing for the Empire. How is life at the zoo? Honestly speaking, it was very good. Though the body wasn''tfortable, the mind was at peace. Perhaps because he became interested in monsters. Phili began to feel ''fulfillment'' in taking care of monsters and animals at the zoo. Hereplicated things like the throne and politics didn''t matter. As long as he didn''t think about his father who didn''t love him, and the politics that sold off Phili, the least loved, to the Empire instead of other princes. Phili was enjoying the pleasure ofbor while forgetting all troublesome things. However, that peace ended this morning. Returning to the dormitory, Phili saw a letter sitting alone on the desk. It was a letter to Rania. Two friends still studying at the academy. Phili''s only friends. How did a letter to that friend disturb Phili''s heart? ''Amain ispletely immersed in magic. There''s talk that he''s already taking the test to advance to the next rank. He''ll surely be a Grand Mage someday. I''m practicing martial arts. Recently I seeded in beating two knights at once.'' It contained his friends'' achievements. They are friends overflowing with talent. Honestly, geniuses iparable to Phili who was average level. It would be a lie to say he didn''t feel jealous. But Phili wasn''t petty enough to be depressed because of their rapid achievements. ''It seems war really has started. The atmosphere is ominous.'' The next content was the problem. ''First Prince was killed by the Nords. Did you hear?'' He hadn''t. He first heard through his friends'' letter. Hearing such sad news this way meant Phili''s political standing was low. No, not just low, he should say he had no standing at all. His chest went cold at the news of his brother''s death. Despite not being close and having different mothers. Even if he went to war, they wouldn''t send a prince somewhere dangerous. ''You probably know but the situation is suspicious.'' Did brother, the Second Prince, cause the First Prince''s death? The certain fact is that the royal session structure would greatly shake now. Probably the Second Prince... ''Maybe it''s right for you to stay in the Empire.'' Phili crumpled the letter. If he returns to the kingdom, Phili might be killed too. Then does Phili have to live here forever? Trembling in fear of assassins, begging for the Second Prince''s mercy... "If I became king..." Phili startled at his own muttering. A thought he wouldn''t have even dreamed of before. But how? Phili has shallow political standing, and no qualities as a prince. He doesn''t even know what those princely qualities are. Why does no one follow him? Unlike the Second Prince and First Prince who have power, Phili... That''s when. Teong! The door opened. "Sasasak, sasak~" The snake entering while humming. He naturally jumped onto Phili''s shoulder. ''Why such a gloomy expression, prince.'' "Ah..." The snake wearing a crown looked to be in a good mood. He patted Phili''s shoulder as if he knew everything. ''Tell brother everything.'' Chapter 348 The Calm Before the Storm (1) Phili rewrote the letter he had crumpled and thrown away. ''Why are you crumpling up your friend''s letter and making a fuss.'' "...I''m sorry." Since it was so true, Phili had nothing to say.@@novelbin@@ The snake diligently read through the letter. He could read text. Though he knew this already, it was still an amazing sight. From Phili''s perspective, the snake was an endlessly mysterious monster. He knew there were sometimes monsters with high intelligence. There were asionally monsters that could speak too. He''d heard there were also monsters that could use magic. But he''d never heard of a monster like the snake. It would be believable if someone said there was a human inside the snake. Though sometimes slow-witted, such powerful strength and high intelligence. Obern went around telling others that the snake was his familiar, but Phili knew that wasn''t true. Obern calls the snake ''Lord Snake''. Even that amazing young professor often treats the snake with difficulty. Rather than equals, it seems the snake''s position is higher. Even Phili, who wasn''t very perceptive, could tell that much. Such a mysterious monster couldn''t be found even searching the entire huge zoo. Only aftering here did Phili realize how amazing a monster the snake was. And that amazing snake was startled while reading the letter. "Saaak!" It was at the part about Phili''s brother, the First Prince''s death. Explore new worlds at empire The snake looked at Phili not knowing what to do. And patted his shoulder with his tail. ''I offer my condolences for the deceased...'' What is this incredibly awkward condolence. "It''s okay..." ''Really okay?'' "Actually even though he was my brother, we weren''t close. He yed with me a few times when I was very young but I don''t even remember it." The snake looked around gauging Phili''s expression. "Actually he felt like a stranger so I''m not that sad." ''Really?'' And only after Phili seemed really okay did he appear relieved. ''I know because I lost a brother too.'' "Really?" ''Yeah, it''s not a big deal really. Especially if it''s a brother who feels like a stranger, unless you''re close.'' "May I ask how he passed?" ''I took him out myself. When he was young.'' After thinking for a moment, Phili answered. "That''s a bit..." "Saak?!" No matter what, directly taking someone out seems a bit much. But Phili couldn''t understand a monster''s life. ''So seeing this made you feel uneasy, is that it.'' "Yes." ''Exactly why did you be uneasy?'' Looking at the exact cause of emotions is surprisingly important. Even Phili trying to exin felt it was difficult to clearly state the reason. Therefore the answer was somewhat rambling. "I don''t want brother Leon to be king." The situation had be increasingly likely to flow that way, like water inexorably finding its path downhill. The whispers in the pce corridors had grown louder with each passing day. The political structure of the kingdom had long been divided into First Prince and Second Prince factions, each side gathering nobles and merchants to their cause. But fate dealt a cruel hand when the First Prince''s hunting party was ambushed in the northern forests, leaving him dead and his supporters scrambling for new alliances. He thought there would probably be a crown prince appointment ceremony after the war with the neighboring Astrian Empire concludes. The traditional ceremony would take ce in the Grand Cathedral, where the High Priest would bestow the sacred crown of session upon Leon''s brow while nobles knelt in fealty. And if that happens, Phili''s position is finished, crushed between political necessity and fraternal ambition. The delicate bnce that had protected him would shatter like fine crystal dropped on marble floors. Given Leon''s personality, he wouldn''t leave Third Prince Phili who could threaten his royal authority alone. ''I think so too. If that ill-mannered guy bes king the kingdom will definitely copse. So you, want to be king yourself.'' Is that it? ...No, that was right. Leon not bing king was no different from saying Phili would be king. But, king. The weight of that word seemed to press down on Phili. "But I seem toocking to be king. That''s why I feel bad." As he spoke, it became clear. That was exactly why Phili''s mood had be gloomy. And the snake''s response was. ''Hmm, that''s true.'' He cleanly admitted it. The snake was starting to feel a bit resentful, but fortunately additional exnation followed. ''But your ill-mannered brother seems just ascking too, so in the end wouldn''t it be enough to just be a little better than your brother?'' "Could it be..." Though to Phili, Leon seemed much better than himself. "I don''t even know what I need to do to be excellent as a prince in the first ce." ''Having the qualities to be an excellent king would make an excellent prince.'' "Is that so?" ''I''m a prince too. So I know better than anyone.'' He was a prince? Well, the snake did have a proper crown on his head. Though not reliable, Phili felt like grabbing even a rotten rope. The prince asked the snake for advice. "What are those qualities? How can I acquire those qualities?" That question was about kingship. If kingship is considered an academic field, those qualified to discuss it are extremely rare. Phili asked the snake about such a difficult thing. ''I know well. The things I''ve experienced and seen myself are not just one or two...'' "Ah, you said you lived for a very long time. You must have seen and experienced many things." ''...T-that''s right.'' Though the snake''s answer was somewhat dyed, Phili didn''t notice anything strange. ''Hmm, I have a friend who''s a king.'' Yeah right, that''s a lie. Phili''s thought showed clearly on his face. ''It''s not a lie!'' "King of which country?" ''King of the goblin country. She''s a queen.'' "What?" But Phili''s eyes grew wide. Then the snake was more surprised. ''What, you know?'' "That goblin kingdom? No way..." ''You''ve heard of it?'' "Yes, the new headache for the kingdom and empire." Phili exined what he had heard. Chapter 350 : I Want to Be Employee of the Month (1) ''Assassination attempt, what do you mean!'' This isn''t some royal court. This is a zoo overflowing with dreams and hope. "Exactly, what it, sounds like." But hearing the pouched rat''s words, it seemed such a terrible thing had actually happened. In the quiet night before the typhoon, the rabbit quietly infiltrated. The ck rabbit with pitch-ck fur would have easily blended into darkness. He tried to take off Raota''s head while sleeping but failed. Raota is having a decisive battle with the rabbit while wounded. That was roughly the story. ''You know quite a lot!'' Pretty detailed for a night attack. "Just look over there..." Well, it was clear that a fight was happening, evidenced by the frantic shouts and sh of weapons echoing through the valley. The sounds of battle carried far in the still air. Beams of brilliant magic were decorating the pitch-ck night sky, their streaks of blue and crimson light cutting through the darkness like celestial ribbons. Each sh illuminated the ground below in brief, haunting pulses. The fight must have started not long ago, as the ground was barely trampled and the metallic scent of blood had only just begun to permeate the air. The initial confusion of the ambush still lingered. Even so, the white monsters were in chaos, their ranks breaking and reforming without any semnce of strategy. Their pale forms scattered in different directions like leaves in a whirlwind, each one acting on its own instincts. Well, you can''t expect goblin tribe level unity from them. Unlike those small green warriors who fought with surprising coordination, these creatures seemed tock even the most basic understanding of battlefield cooperation. Their superior numbers meant little without discipline. ''Everyone gather!'' "Gatherr!"@@novelbin@@ However, our Zoo Animals shouldn''t show such a sight. ''Follow carefully, I''ll go first and catch that rabbit.'' "Yess!" The pouched rat started gathering our crew members. I ran without looking back. If the assassination attempt failed, the fight won''tst long. This ce is practically the middle of enemy territory for the rabbit so he''ll surely try to escape. Rather than joining the fight, block the escape route. That was my strategy. My speed crawling on the ground is slower than those with legs. So I arrived just in time. Before the ck rabbit could escape, to his escape route. Piing! A stray beam flew and struck near me. Whew, almost got spotted. I hid my body in the darkness. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv5¡¹ Tsutsu- My scales turned ck. Since ck Scales reached level 5, using the ck Scales skill became easier regardless of emotional changes. ck color is definitely easier to hide in darkness. This is good too. I could see the rabbit and Raota fighting in the distance. The rabbit was incredibly fast. Though he didn''t seem to have enough destructive power to handle Raota, that speed was amazing. Though there was clearly nothing in the air, he jumped again in mid-air. Just like double jump in games. Wonder if that''s the effect of the Bunny Hop skill. A skill worth stealing... Brother Raota definitely has the advantage in destructive power. However, even having strong power is useless if you can''t hit your opponent. "Kururururooo-!" Brother roared as if annoyed. And the rabbit who approached close to Raota grazed brother''s neck as he went down. Pishuuu- Blood flows from the wound on his neck. Looking at it that way it seems like a big hit but well. Saturnu Wyvern''s scales are extremely powerful. Moreover, brother with his huge body has a physique that wouldn''t be anemic even losing several PET bottles worth of blood. As I expected, brother didn''t seem to take much damage. He pounced on the rabbit with a physical attack but. Kwang! Only dirt scattered, the rabbit seeded in retreating. "Kuheong!" "Kkurrrrr-!" And finally the white monsters were running to help Raota too. Though veryte, it would be sufficiently threatening to the rabbit who appeared alone. As expected the rabbit turned and started running away. That speed was so incredibly fast it seemed like almost no one could catch up. And even those who could catch up just ran to Raota while reading the situation. Well, who could catch the ck rabbit who was just fighting equally with a huge wyvern? Except for a snake like me. I popped out from a narrow path. "Hi." "Kyueng!" The startled rabbit jumped up brightly. Seems like he just made quite a cute sound. "You, you''re." ''Yes. Whitey waited to take you.'' To the afterlife that is. Having exchanged nces, there was no need to hesitate now. Without either of us taking initiative, we rushed at each other. I felt it while exchanging blowsst time. The seemingly insignificant rabbit before me was by no means an insignificant monster. I can catch flying arrows with my bite. And even at that speed, the rabbit responded perfectly. The moment I tried to bite his soft thigh. The rabbit pulled back his leg and swung his front paw. Kiing- Sharp ws spring forth. ws that seem to have hardness close to a cloud iron sword. I take the attack trusting in ck Scales'' defense. Kaduk! Nevertheless I got wounded. But unlike me, his ws had no poison. In exchange for taking damage, I seeded in getting my head between his armpits. And I wrap his body with my tail. Just as I was about to squeeze and bite. Somethingrge was stuffed in my mouth. It was a stone. Putting a stone in my mouth to block biting attacks, what a creative one. However, a snake''s weapons aren''t just biting. Constriction is also an excellent weapon. Especially if the opponent is a not-sorge rabbit. Grrk- Though I squeezed the rabbit''s body. He endured it. "Kkeuk." "Agagak!" At this rate Thunder Spirit... Just as I was about to use it! The rabbit spoke with gleaming eyes. "Call lightning, snake." "Gak?" Stay updated via empire "Lightning...!" What''s with this guy. I was going to use Thunder Spirit anyway but the rabbit''s expression is strange. An expression like he''s full of anticipation. So it makes me not want to use the Thunder Spirit I was about to use. Should I use magic or cloud iron sword. Though the principle is hiding three-tenths of skill, isn''t that originally saved to strike unexpectedly? Like everything in life, that moment of hesitation changed fate. Chapter 351 I Want to Be Employee of the Month (2) However, it wasn''t something done by the rabbit, nor by me. The warning bell of crisis rang. It felt like my heart dropped and all the scales on my body stood up. Manifestation of survival instinct. Moreover, the rabbit''s fur also puffed up at that moment. Seems he has the Survival Instinct skill too. We jumped out simultaneously. At full speed, in different directions. And a beam swept through where we had been. Not just a beam but ''Destruction Beam''. Kwakwakwakwakwa-! The difference between beam and destruction beam is definitely in the output. Beam strikes a point, destruction beam strikes a line. If there''s enough mana to use, it can leave deep red-hot furrows in the ground. Of course it creates tremendous heat waves and shockwaves. ''Ow...'' I came to my senses with my head buried in the ground. I quickly raised my head. My whole body feels hot and stinging. This much power even without taking a direct hit. Looking up, Raota was panting far away. Hmm. I feel annoyed. No matter what, that was dangerous just now. The output of that destruction beam was almost at Celeta''s level. No wonder he''s panting after shooting something like that. Turning my head to look around, the rabbit had already disappeared.@@novelbin@@ I was thinking of picking up a rabbit foot if one had fallen off to make a ne. Instead it seems he escaped more intact than me. Makes me even more angry. I knew he didn''t like me much but just now it seemed like he didn''t care if I died. A situation where even a snake with a very good personality can''t help but get angry...! Raota, now you''re my enemy. As I was making such a resolution. They''re quite fast. The white monsters ran to where I was. Among them was even the elder Shining Lion whatever. "Snake! Khung!" He came to me and started licking me roughly. What''s wrong with this old man! "Good work, good work. Krurr..." "Saaak!" "Looks angry. But why won''t this ashe off!" Ah right, I''m still using ck Scales. "Did you get burned, khung! Amazing you didn''t die even burning so ck." I slowly stopped ck Scales. As I returned to my white body, the other white monsters rejoiced. "Don''t hate Raota too much, krung." "Sasasak." "He and the rabbit are such enemies, he couldn''t miss the chance." Though I''m broad-minded, I can''t do that... The lion looked very happy. It doesn''t seem like it''s because I''m alive. "Finally war, war has started." These monsters didn''t seem to have proper strategy. They just waited for the day to fight. And now was exactly that moment. "Let''s go! The rabbit, must be, wounded." The old lion roared loudly. "Let''s go! Khuoong!" "Saaaak!" "Kiririririk!" "Gururururu." "Pipipipi." The monsters followed the lion with their unique cries. == Drizzle, rain started falling. The raindrops gradually growrger. Probably heavy rain will pour down soon after. ''Boss.'' I thought of Director Kadam. I caused war as he ordered. War criminal snake, war snake... Before being White Teeth''s crew, I''m the zoo''s intern employee. Me who excellently aplished the boss''s order. Maybe I could be a full-time employee. Or beyond that, maybe even be chosen as employee of the month...! However there was one problem. ''...What if only R gets hired full-time.'' Honestly I didn''t cause the war. Maybe R could be better than me. I stood in the front line with an enthusiastic heart. Out of nowhere, Raota tried to sneakily approach me. He seemed to want to act friendly. But it was already toote. I avoided him whenever he approached. Perhaps having strong pride, Raota suddenly roared ''Kururuk!'' and left. The pot calling the kettle ck. The sky looks ominous. Summer days are long, dawn has already broken. And after dawn breaks, ck monsters'' protective coloring bes useless. The lion aimed for that. Instead of saying ''charge''. "Khuooong!" A roar was enough. The white monsters rushed at the ck monsters. And I. ''Kids.'' "Yes, yessir!" My role is leading the Zoo Animals crew including the pouched rat. ''Don''t fight too hard, fight while taking care of yourselves. You understand what I mean?'' Strictly speaking, the war is between ''White Teeth'' and ''ck Night''. ''Zoo Animals'' is a historic crew starting from the great forest. There was no reason to earnestly participate in their conflict. ''Before being bound by white and ck, you are...'' The pouched rat, anteater and others looked at me with sparkling eyes. ''My subordinates.'' Hmm yes. ''I''ll bring the advisor so vice advisor take care of things in my ce until then.'' The pouched rat was happier than anyone at being told to fight from the rear line instead of fighting earnestly. "Understood! Boss!" ¡¸Dignity increases slightly¡¹ What did I do to get dignity. With a pleased heart I jumped in. Snakes move along the ground. And as you can see in stealth action games, crawling along the ground reduces the chance of being spotted by enemies. In this chaotic and rainy situation, few noticed even when I entered among the monsters. Actually noticing would be an even greater misfortune for the monsters. Pyuk. ¡¸Killed ck Neroli Wolf lv19¡¹ They would copse after one bite to the ankle. After entering where there were many ck ones. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv5¡¹ I hid my body using ck Scales. It took quite a while to find Madam Gori. Since everyone''s color was so simr. ''R!'' As expected my advisor recognized me right away. ''B-boss!'' She whispered happily but surprised. I quickly climbed up onto her hand. ''You gathered kids too?'' Amazing fact. Zoo Animals weren''t recruited only within White Teeth. As Zoo Animals'' advisor, Madam Gori also recruited new crew members from within ck Night. ''Yess, I gathered them!'' ''Well done. Then fight carefully and when noones sneak out and let''s meet again.'' ck Night. White Teeth. And Zoo Animals. Snake Cao Cao''s Three Kingdoms strategy is being implemented again here in the zoo. Madam R nodded firmly. I think I saw a bit of hesitation. But loyal R couldn''t be like that. I waved my tail goodbye again and left the ce. Returning to where vice advisor pouched rat is. But. Who would have thought in that short time. Something would happen to the crew members. Chapter 352 The Masterpiece, Ambejeu (1) Not all monsters were fighting. It would be natural for the leader to be the strongest in a monster group. Neither the bear nor lion was seen on the battlefield. Instead of being swept up in instinct and drunk on blood, were they calmly directing the battle situation? As they''re old and highly intelligent monsters, that might be the case. Still, it''s unexpected after roaring so vigorously. I returned to the white monsters'' camp to find my crew members. And where I found them, the lion was also there. The old white lion, Ambejeu. His mouth was stained bright red. "Ooh, you came, snake...!" I didn''t answer his wee. Just turned my head and looked around. The breath of wounded monsters had been cut off.@@novelbin@@ He and several strong followers weren''t participating in the fight but stayed in the rear. What were they doing, well. "We were sending the wounded ones, back to the World Tree, krung." They were cutting off the breath of monsters too wounded to fight more. And the mana they absorbed would fill their bellies. Truly, the magic realm and zoo are different. I felt that deeply. Real monsters don''t do such things. At least the groups I experienced in the great forest didn''t. Even Insect King Riokku with his low intelligence. Even the fierce Silverback Akims. Though they were harsh to their subordinates, they didn''t pathetically grow stronger by cutting off wounded monsters'' breath like this. What difference made them like this? But. Well none of that matters. However much these monsters, who would have been strong and beautiful in the wild, have fallen. However ugly that appearance is, it doesn''t matter. As long as they don''t mess with me and my group. "Come have some too, you must be tired. Krung." The blood on the lion''s mouth isn''t from ck monsters. Not enemy blood, but ally blood. And lying dead before him is. ''Anteater.'' It was the anteater who was beaten by me and eventually tamed. I froze like ice and stayed still. Then the lion said with an ''oops''. "These ones, krrrung, were losers who didn''t obey orders and held back." "..." "We rightfully punished them. Don''t, worry too much." The lionughing heartily while saying that. Looking around, quite a few of the dead monsters were Zoo Animals members. And right beside. The pouched rat too was dead with eyes rolled back white. It felt like something snapped. My venom nds tightened and venom seemed about to flow out on its own. "Your expression isn''t good. Krrrung." Did other monsters notice my mood too? ck Scales was about to activate on its own. I suppressed it. ''No, it''s fine.'' "Hoho,e here quickly and have some." The time spent with Obern helped. There was a special technique I learned from him. ¡¸Used Acting lv6¡¹ I used all my acting power to suppress my emotions. The lion dly offered me the spot beside him. I looked at the dead anteater. His long tongue was hanging limp, and his pupils had turned cloudy gray. The blood he spilled flows to the ground scattered by raindrops. Dudududu- Heavy rain was falling by now. Hmm. Perfect weather for killing. It''s about time to end the game. The lion buried his head and tore at meat. I left him be without stopping him. I was still not showing all of my skill. The heavy rain and thunder would hide my presence. Ururung- At that moment when thunder struck. I drew the cloud iron sword, Sunset, from subspace. Pingrrr, it rotated through the ck sky without making a sound. Tsutsutsu. Ah, in the end I couldn''t hold back and ck Scales activated. The lion turned to look at me in surprise. At that moment. The ink-colored sword dug into the back of the lion''s nape. Puk-. Farewell. == The Imperial Pce. Deep in those many pce buildings. There is a ce called the ''Room of Porcin''. A space only for the Emperor, decorated with treasures including the most precious porcin. However, to be exact it should be called a courtyard rather than a room. Since nts suited to the Emperor''s taste grew there, and sunlight gently shone down through a ss ceiling. The Emperor enjoyed reading or resting there. As all past Emperors had done so, the current Emperor was the same. He was sitting in a recliner under the ss ceiling. The Emperor sat there neither reading books nor doing anything else. However today the weather wasn''t good. Dudududu- Heavy rain beats on the ceiling. The Emperor was nkly watching the raindrops spread. He seemed to be killing time without thinking about anything else. The problem was that the Emperor wasn''t alone in this garden. Besides the Sword Saint who was always by his side as the Emperor''s sword, there was one schr with a bent back here. The name of the schr who came to the Room of Porcin by the Emperor''smand was ''Abratal Geduin''. A figure not from the Empire but from the far west. From where the Caliph who doesn''t acknowledge the Emperor''s rule governs... However, Abratal had devoted himself to the Empire for a long time. Having proved his ability and loyalty, he was finally invited even to the Room of Porcin. It was well known among those who knew that the Emperor asionally called schrs or mages to the Room of Porcin to talk. And those who visited the Room of Porcin sometimes rose to official positions, sometimes received great rewards, and sometimes were executed. No one knew what conversations took ce inside. Abratal Geduin also stood with his hands sped, extremely tense. After he greeted the Emperor, the Emperor hadn''t said a word. Because of that, Abratal too had no choice but to stand still until his legs went numb. No matter how sharply tense a situation, when that waiting continues it can''t help but be boring. Abratal started ncing around the Room of Porcin. ''Why call someone and then not say anything.'' To the point of getting irritated. ''Damn it, might as well look around.'' When would he get toe into the Room of Porcin again? Indeed befitting the most secret space in the Empire, there were treasures that made eyes go wide everywhere. Chapter 353 The Masterpiece, Ambejeu (2) Though porcin was mostmon it wasn''t only porcin. There were ancient artifacts, a beautiful sword, and things that seemed to be from the Eastern Continent where travel was now cut off. Among them was one item that particrly caught Abratal''s attention. It was a statue made of porcin. It was a statue of a white lion, decorated with various jewels and with beautiful brilliant colors. What was peculiar was that it didn''t seem very old. Unlike other artifacts that all contained traces of time. "It''s raining." "Heup, keup, y-yes! Yes!" He was startled breathless though he hadn''tmitted any crime. Abratal cursed himself inside whileposing himself. "The weather is ominous. A storm ising." "...Indeed." Does the sun of the Empire have eyes to see weather too? Abratal, who was also versed in meteorology, knew the Emperor''s words woulde true. "What do you think of the lion statue?" "Ah..." Seems he was caught looking at the statues. Though he was clearly only looking at the ceiling, how did he know? Abratal cleared his voice and answered. "A most beautiful and elegant quality..." "Stop." The Emperor turned to look at Abratal for the first time. Abratal startled. The Emperor''s eyes were like those of a snake. His whole body felt like it would freeze. "It must be one of two things. Either you''re lying to me, or your discernment is awful." "..." "You have one chance Abratal Geduin. Speak again." Abratal swallowed and spoke. He spoke honestly, thinking whatever. "...It''s not a very impressive statue." "Say more." "''If we attach expensive precious jewels to something beautiful it will be more beautiful.'' It seems like a statue made with such simple thinking. Though the creator is a great artisan, the creator''s skill isn''t shown at all and it seems made only by themissioner''s insistence." "In simple terms?" "Perhaps ''vulgar'' would be a fitting expression." "Hooh, hu, uhahaha!" The Emperorughed heartily. And said. "It''s a statue made by the previous Emperor, the Water Emperor." "Ah..." So I was the fool who would be executed after entering the Room of Porcin. Abratal tightly closed his eyes. It seemed the Sword Saint would cut off his head any moment. But he didn''t feel sharp pain. Opening his eyes slightly, the Emperor had already stood up. "That''s the kind of person the Water Emperor was. Weak, and deeply obsessed with monsters. Probably because he disliked humans. However an Emperor shouldn''t be so weak." Fortunately it wasn''t the wrong answer? But Abratal didn''t know how to react to the current Emperor criticizing the previous Emperor. "He was also foolish. Shutting himself up in his own zoo..." "Your Majesty." Though the Sword Saint requested restraint, the Emperor pretended not to hear. "Especially the matter of making a wyvern knight unit for his daughter was quite a sight." The Emperorughed. They said it was very rare for the Emperor tough. It''s hard to understand what''s funny about criticizing his own father. "However making the zoo was a good thing. At least he didn''tpletely forget what needed to be done." "Indeed..." "What do you think of Kadam Kazans?" By the Emperor''s order, Abratal had looked into Kadam. "...I think he''s a stubborn person. And loyal." "Kadam is foolish. What thoughts are in that orc-blooded head of his ispletely transparent." Merciless criticism. "But that''s why I like him." "..." "Some tasks need foolish people, and some tasks need wise people. The task I willmand you requires only a wise person." Abratal bowed deeply. "Do you know what the greatest legacy of the Water Emperor is?" "...What is it?" "It''s that before you." Is that gaudy and merely shy lion statue the Water Emperor''s greatest achievement? That would be the most scathing insult. But the Emperor shook his head. "Ambejeu. That''s the old lion''s name." The Water Emperor''s pet trapped in the zoo, why that? "Soon, there''s a high possibility a disaster will be born in the zoo." "D-disaster!" Non-standard monsters. Find your next read at empire Monsters difficult for humans to handle are called disasters. "Indeed. I''ve been adjusting for it to be so for a long time. By making white and ck ones fight... greedily filling their bellies to make a half-mad disaster. It will surely be a disaster." "Then..." "You are the one who must control it." Abratal was a schr who researched summoning and monsterology in the west. Of course, he realized what the Emperor was aiming for. Artificial birth of a disaster. Making a monster that can be controlled andmunicated with into a disaster... "Then..." "Prepare." The Emperor before him is a fearsome person. He''s creating a strategic weapon right next to the Empire''s heart. Abratal felt cold sweat making his back damp. This isn''t something he can refuse here. His head would fall immediately. "I dedicate my life." He bowed deeply. The Emperor gave a hint. "If a disaster is born in the zoo, it will surely be Ambejeu. Remember that." Andmanded him to withdraw. Abratal left the Room of Porcin walking backwards. The Emperor sat back in the recliner. "Huu. What do you think?" The Sword Saint who had stayed by his side long immediately understood the Emperor''s question. "He seems to think you want to use monsters as weapons for war." "Right?" The Emperor coldly sneered. "The base limits of imagination." Was he misunderstood as some violent thug dreaming of conquest wars? However the Emperor''s mind was too worn to be displeased by such things. "If the disaster tries to break free of control I will cut it down." "Do so." With the Sword Saint, even a half-mad disaster could be suppressed. Though the effort put in wouldn''t be for nothing. "Because there''s whates next." The map spread in the Emperor''s mind. He looked at the south in his mental map. A new Goblin King was born there.@@novelbin@@ That queen would be excellent material. If the zoo matter fails, the Emperor''s eyes were nned to turn to those goblins. "Ambejeu..." The Water Emperor''s masterpiece. The immortal monster. Though its mind isn''t elegant at all, that body alone should be sufficient to be a seed of disaster. == I burst the old lion''s heart. As a swordsman, I definitely sensed it. And gently pulling out the sword, I also pierced the necks of other monsters who still hadn''t noticed the situation. Attacking during a meal was against the rules but. Nothing was as effective as breaking rules. I took down three more monsters in an instant. ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ Refreshing level up! ...or not. Hmm, it''s a bitcking? For killing Ambejeu, a named monster that is. That''s when. "Ooh, krung, that hurts." The old lion whose heart burst growled. I startled and stabbed with the sword again. Puk, puuk! Definitely where the heart is. Not just that but the stomach too. Other organs must be torn too. "Hurts, it hurts. Krrung." Words keeping from his mouth. Then how about this? Using the Iron Lion Sword Style. I chopped off that neck deng. Now he must really be dead, but. The severed head spoke. "I said it hurts, stop it." I could only be filled with terror. Chapter 354 RUNNNN! (1) "Kyaaaaaah!" A severed head is talking! I was startled and frozen in terror. That''s when Pelerian spoke up. "Why are you making such a fuss when this isn''t the first time you''ve seen this! You''re being noisy." Pelerian seemed irritated by my mental screaming. But what does he mean it''s not the first time? That I''ve seen such a horrific sight before. "There was that stupid shadow elf who sold his soul to the demon." ''Ah!'' Deshnan, even that zookeeper who was far worse than Kadam, had spoken with a severed head. "Grrrr, betrayal..." Still, somehow, that lion looks much more creepy. No, how is it even alive with its head cut off? There was nothing about this in the status window. I focused my eyes once more. Indeed, since the lion wasn''t dead, its status window appeared. Its original name was definitely ''Shining Elder Lion Ambejeu lv110''. It was quite a powerful monster. But now... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Crawling Elder Lion Ambejeu lv100*] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Huh, what''s this? The name had changed. It was definitely "Shining" something before, but the modifier changed. That wasn''t all. Ambejeu''s mane was growing longer. The translucent white flowing mane was bing stiff and long like wire. The reason a living monster''s modifier changes. As far as I know, there''s only one reason. "Grrr, how long has it been since I evolved." Evolution. Did it just say evolution? I cut off its head, so why evolution... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Traits] [Leader], [Greed], [Death Evolution*] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ What is that? A trait that hadn''t been visible until now appeared. The letters flickered and blinked. Perhaps it''s a trait that normally isn''t activated and only activates under special conditions. For example, when dying. But ''Death Evolution''? Doesn''t that mean it evolves when it dies? That''spletely overpowered! "It might only be able to evolve through death." Pelerian marveled after hearing my words. "However, this is undoubtedly a monster with incredible research value. It''s miraculous. This is a trait I''ve never heard of before." It was a monster that would pique the interest of Pelerian, who had researched monsters and evolution. And I couldn''t help but be shocked. ''No way, no way...'' I hadn''t even imagined such a possibility. ''I wasn''t the most special monster in this zoo?'' I thought I was the most extraordinary monster, but...! Who knew that old, greedy lion was so amazing. Still, there must be no power without drawbacks or limitations. I looked more carefully at Ambejeu''s skills. Even though it was a named monster, it wasn''t easy, but I used all my strength to peer through. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Skills] [Predation lv20], [Gluttony lv20], [Nap lv20]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ There were veryzy-looking skills listed. Honestly, there were barely any skills worth stealing with the Crown of Steal. However, there was something I needed to look at again that I had passed over before. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Mana umtion lv20], [Revival lv0]* ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A skill called Mana umtion. And a seemingly temporarily activated skill, Revival lv0 ''Maybe it can only evolve through death,'' as Pelerian said. There''s something else I''m curious about. Hmm. With a whatever attitude, I just asked. ''When was yourst evolution?'' Surprisingly, the lion answered. "Grrrr, about 20 years ago?" "Sssak!" Amazing. I''ve figured out the lion''s secret. Death Evolution is evolution through death. And Revival is exactly what it sounds like -ing back to life. But if that''s the case, would it keep evolving if you keep killing it? That couldn''t be the case. I see, it kept umting mana through Predation, Gluttony, and Mana umtion. The evolution-capable level, or max level, was probably 110. Even in that state, it probably kept storing mana by eating monsters. That''s why even after evolving, its level didn''t return to 0 but is 100... No, wait, does that mean it''s at evolution-capable level again and will evolve once more if I kill it! I need to verify this terrifying fact quickly. I fired magic bullets at the lion''s head repeatedly. Bang bang bang bang bang! "Kuhung! Stop iit!" Despite the barrage that could shatter stone, the lion didn''t die. "Just wait a bit. I''ll pay the price of evolution." Oh, this won''t work. Is being invincible during revival a standard rule? If so, what I needed to do was clear. ¡¸Strengthening Crown of Steal lv4 with Crown of Ovee lv2¡¹ ¡¸Attempting to steal trait ''Death Evolution'' with Crown of Steal lv4¡¹ Let''s try it. ¡¸Failed¡¹ But it failed as expected. I didn''t give up and tried my next attempt. ¡¸Attempting to steal skill ''Revival lv0'' with Crown of Steal lv4¡¹@@novelbin@@ ¡¸Failed¡¹ Complete failure. I knew I couldn''t steal traits so that can''t be helped. But I wanted to borrow Revival lv0. How did this lion get such traits and skills? That''s when something surprising happened. The pouched rat that was dead suddenly got up. "Ssak!" "Khuheong!" Both the lion and I were startled. Weren''t you dead?! "It was ying dead." Ah, is that so? I remember hearing somewhere that pouched rats are good at ying dead. Read exclusive content at empire Well, if it had been killed by the lion, some part of its body should have been mangled, but there wasn''t a single wound. "B-boss." The pouched rat drifted like sliding and showed me its back. "Qui-quick, run away!" It lookedpletely terrified. "The lion, it''s going to be a monster, hurry." "Grrr, you little..." I quickly climbed onto the pouched rat''s back. And then something like a blood clot started spurting from the lion''s severed neck. "You''re ruining everything." That blood clot writhed and moved toward the severed head. It was an incredibly grotesque sight. ''RuNNN-!'' "Screech!" I rode the pouched rat and fled. == Madam R. The goddess with a prosthetic arm of the ck group (ording to the rabbit). She was at a moment where she had to make an important decision. Before R were the monsters belonging to the Zoo Animals Crew, gathered closely together. Those who couldn''t properly mix with the existing ''ck Night'' group. The weak ones. Or those who weren''t so ck. The gray ones. They were all watching R''s lips. "We''ll stay in the rear." When her boss was swept away by the monster wave in the great forest. It was Madam R who led the group that was about to scatter. Chapter 355 RUNNNN! (2) Though she held the position of ''Advisor'', she had the leadership to fully serve as the boss. "Kuwoong." "Woowoong-" "Kung, kung!" The monsters following R responded with disciplined postures. "We''re going to regroup with the boss." Above Advisor R stood the indomitable boss snake, a presence thatmanded respect throughout these dark halls. Its reputation preceded it like a shadow. The other monsters dwelling in these depths knew well of the boss - whispered tales of its power spread through every corner of their domain. Some imed to have witnessed its might firsthand, while others only knew it through hushed stories shared in darker corners. About the amazing snake that shifted between shadows and light, its scales flowing from deepest ck to brilliant white like the tide of night and day. Each transformation was said to bring with it a different aspect of its power, though few lived to tell of both forms. And that mighty serpent had given itsmand, its will as unbending as steel. The order rang with finality through the cavernous space. For R to protect the crew and withdraw from battle, to preserve their forces rather than waste them in needless conflict. Themand was clear, yet weighted with implications. It would be a lie to say that Madam R felt no hesitation, her inner turmoil hidden behind a mask of calm authority. Her centuries of service warred with her immediate instincts. There was one reason for the hesitation, one thought that gave her pause despite her unwavering loyalty to the boss snake''smands. It sat heavy in her mind like a stone in still water. ''Goodbye, rabbit.'' The gentle rabbit who had taken care of her when she was with the ck group. She regretted not being able to even say goodbye to him. However, R is not an ipetent advisor who can''t distinguish between public and private matters. R seeded in naturally pulling her group to the rear of the battlefield. It was just as they were carefully trying to withdraw. When suddenly, who would have thought they would appear. "Umm, mm." R tensed up as if frozen. What appeared was an ashen bear with faded fur. The leader of ck Night. The bear wasn''t alone. He was apanied by several of his generals. They too had focused on filling their bellies rather than contributing to the battle. The ck rabbit was practically the only general who fought properly. "Is this, your group." The bear looked over the zoo animals. They must look worthless in his eyes. He might think they''re just gathering rejects who couldn''t adapt. ''Dangerous.'' Had he noticed their desertion? If so, they would have to fight. Though she wasn''t confident of winning, if she used her prosthetic arm, somehow the time... R quietly released the functions of her prosthetic arm. Preparing to use that function that Master Duiman had told her not to use unless absolutely necessary. But what came from the bear''s mouth was something different. "I thought you would make a good grand general." ''ck Moon Phase Elder Bear Besaron'' wearing a nice monsterly smile. If you''re wondering what the bear is saying now. "I''ve never liked Reinhertz, that rabbit, from before." "..." "I saw you apanying the rabbit. Here''s my proposal." A greedy bear. The boss really hated this bear. Madam R hadn''t thought much of it before, but now that had changed. "Why don''t we share that rabbit?" While a war was happening. The one called leader was thinking about eating his own subordinate who was fighting the hardest. "If you, ambush him, I''ll rush in and end his breath." "..." "I''ll give the magic stone to you, gori. And you''ll be the new grand general. What do you think?" Madam R was truly shocked. Did he think she would ept such a proposal?@@novelbin@@ To betray herpanion and take the magic stone by cutting open the rabbit''s stomach. R thought for a moment and came to a conclusion. ''This is, serious...!'' She finally felt how the monsters in the zoo were somehow twisted. They were really expecting it. That Madam R would ept the proposal and help them eat the rabbit. Though she wanted to reject it outright. ''But.'' It was obvious what would happen if she refused here. The bear and others would try to eat the zoo animals and Madam Gori first. Then they would strike the unsuspecting rabbit from behind. Thump thump thump. Her heart beat violently. The boss had told her to return immediately. But could she let the rabbit die so meaninglessly like this? R had no idea what to do. She squeezed her eyes shut. ''If it were the boss, what would the boss have said?'' What would the white snake have said? Somehow, she could clearly predict what the boss would say. ''Do whatever you want! Go for it!'' That''s surely what he would say. Madam R''s eyes snapped open. "Alright, let''s do it." "That''s a good thought. Hohoho!" "Wait a moment, let me talk to my subordinates." And Madam R called the rattlesnake. The rattlesnake she had made deputy advisor here. ''Rattler.'' She whispered quietly. ''Take everyone to the boss.'' She gave that instruction and promised. ''I''ll definitely return.'' The rattlesnake nodded. == ording to the pouched rat, not all the subordinates had died. Sadly, several including the anteater had gone to the afterlife, but many had escaped. "Ssssak!" I gathered those ones. And finally seeded in escaping. When we went to the meeting ce agreed with Madam R, new members she had recruited were already waiting for us. Zoo Animals, assemble! Just as I was about to rejoice at finally beingplete. ''...What? Where''s R?'' Madam R was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a pitch-ck rattlesnake came up and said. "Sak! Ssssssat!" What are you saying! ''Stop that and show me your tail.'' Then the rattlesnake, somehow looking embarrassed, showed its tail. I grasped that tail. When I used the Crown of Connection, I could hear the whole story from the rattlesnake. ''...These, cowardly bastards!'' A zoo full of scheming and plotting. The clumsy ones cannot survive. Chapter 356 Secret (1) The rattlesnake blushed. If you''re wondering how a pitch-ck rattlesnake could blush, as a fellow snake, I could tell. ''Why are you blushing and making such a fuss!'' When I said that in confusion. Char-r-r-r... It just shook its rattle like that. Feeling somewhat awkward, I tried to let go of the grasped tail. But for some reason, it wouldn''t let go. I had no choice but to shake off the rattlesnake and release its tail. ''Hmm...'' This is a difficult situation. The bear trying to catch the rabbit is fine. Whether they try to strike from behind cowardly or not, it''s not my business. But the problem is that Madam Gori got involved in this. I ordered her to bring the subordinates and meet here. But Madam Gori only sent the subordinates through the rattlesnake and walked into danger herself. Probably to warn the rabbit she had grown fond of.@@novelbin@@ Strictly speaking, it''s disobeying orders. In the military, that''s worth time in the brig! So am I angry at Madam R... ''Indeed, it''s R.'' Not at all. Rather, I thought she had a good eye for people, no, monsters. ''Means she knows what righteousness is.'' Having read many martial arts novels in my previous life, I roughly know what righteousness is. Risking life and limb to protect what you believe is right is surely one form of righteousness. "Ssak, sssssak." The rattlesnake cried worriedly. Indeed, Madam Gori must have had high virtue among the monsters too. They were all worried about her. ''Let''s trust and wait.'' But that''s all we can do. Madam R,e back early without getting hurt. == Madam R walked quietly. Indeed, the bear wasn''t foolish. When an old monster that has awakened to intelligence spends a long time, they be as cunning as humans. The bear was like that too. Madam R had tried to slip away and inform the rabbit of the current situation first. That would have been the most efficient method. But the bear wouldn''t let that happen. "Come with us, gori." Either join in attacking the rabbit, or be eaten first. Those were the only two choices given. Having made up her mind, Madam R rather proposed first. "I''ll distract him first, then you ambush..." The bear listened carefully. "He won''t be suspicious of me..." "Indeed, reliable." The monsters were delighted. They really thought there was nothing strange about the gori betraying the rabbit. Madam R worked her brain hard. The snake had given her the position of advisor. An advisor''s role is to devise strategies. Though she wasn''t confident, she too made a strategy. The time given wasn''t plenty. Not long after, they found the rabbit taking a rest. The rabbit looked thoroughly exhausted. His fur was soaked in blood, and his usually fluffy body was covered in dirt and dust. "...R?" He made a happy expression seeing R, then became wary seeing the bear and monsters behind her. R quietly extended her hand to signal the bear and monsters. Then approached the rabbit. "R. Why did you suddenlye?" The rabbit showed no signs of being suspicious of R. He just stared nkly without even getting up from his spot. "Rein..." R spoke softly. So the bear and monsters behind couldn''t hear. "Can you trust me?" Madam Gori''s eyes were clear. The rabbit must have known that too. He nodded with a serious expression. "Even if you kill me." This romantic rabbit. Madam Gori suddenly felt like scolding the rabbit. She gritted her teeth and grabbed the rabbit firmly. Literally, the iron prosthetic arm tightly bound the rabbit''s body. "Got him-!" And the monsters waiting behind rushed in. The ashen bear came at the forefront. A named monster was indeed a named monster. The bear''s charge was no different from a tank''s assault. Now that Madam R had grabbed the rabbit, if that massive paw struck, the rabbit''s head would be crushed. But the rabbit didn''t try to resist or escape at all. That trust was touching for Madam R. Trust should be repaid. Click. One of the prosthetic arm''s function locks was released. The metal glove that had been limiting output fell to the ground, and the arm''s spring was drawn. Keeek, keekeek. To the bear and other monsters, it must have looked like Madam R was struggling to restrain the rabbit. The bear, unhesitatingly trying to crush the rabbit''s skull. At that moment. Madam R released the rabbit. In a continuous motion, she spun and swung her prosthetic arm. A liver blow aimed at the lower right of the bear''s chest where the liver is located. Pueok! But it wasn''t just a short hit-and-run strike. Using that powerful strength as a base, Madam R lifted the bear that weighed more than herself as if pushing upward. The bear''s feet momentarily left the ground. Eyes meeting with the enraged bear. Thebat function stage 1 of the armament superweapon that Duiman had talked about was released. The spring drawn to its limit. The spring with tremendous tension that would need a whole carriage to barely bend it snapped back. Teoeoeong! That huge bear flew. It was flung far away as if hit by a giant''s fist. The other monsters were shocked. Madam R didn''t miss that crucial opening. She grabbed the rabbit''s hand and ran. The small-bodied rabbit fluttered like a paper doll as he was dragged along. The spring wasn''t installed in just one hand. She ces her other hand on a boulder embedded in the ground and does a one-handed handstand. While holding the rabbit with her left hand that had justunched the bear. She activates the spring in her right hand. Teong! This time it was Madam Gori who flew up. She leaped over the rough terrain with the rabbit. Landing with a roll on the ground, she continued running without losing momentum. "Th-that''s amazing." The rabbit marveled too. Madam R ran feeling her heart pounding. "I didn''t know I''d seed like this either..." It seems the practice with Duiman on using the prosthetic arm paid off. Though she flung the bear away, she probably didn''t rupture his internal organs. Chapter 357 Secret (2) They only bought a moment of time. "The bear said he wanted to eat you." "That crazy old bear, moved faster than I expected." The rabbit ran together with Madam R.@@novelbin@@ Now that the ambush failed, they would openly target Madam R and the rabbit. No matter how strong the rabbit is, the bear is clearly the leader. Even a one-on-one victory couldn''t be guaranteed, let alone against multiple opponents... "The bear is strong..." R warned. She had be much stronger than before. But thinking about it, she still didn''t think she could beat the former boss, Silverback Akims. The bear might not be as strong as Silverback Akims, but he was still far stronger than Madam R. "I know." "..." "Thank you, R." R and the rabbit stopped in a ce with no presence. Silence continued for a while as they caught their breath. R was the first to speak. "The boss... is a good boss." "You mean the snake?" "Mm-hmm." "Well, certainly better than leaders like the lion or bear." The rabbit smiled wryly. Whether White or ck Night. The leaders leading those groups all just tried to fill their own bellies. Is that the instinct of monsters? You can''t expect intelligent behavior just because a monster has awakened to intelligence. Rather, they just be more cunning and cruel if anything. Cases like the rabbit and gori were rather rare. "Even besides that, yes. The boss has something more important than getting stronger." "...Is that so?" However, both the rabbit and gori still harbored the instinct of ''wanting to be stronger''. That was the fate and purpose of existence for monsters. Evolving, devouring, bing stronger. Finding something more important than that might be either a blessing or a curse. "Then, what''s, important?" "Living happily with subordinates and friends." "I see. So that''s why you respect your boss." The rabbit''s voice somehow contained envy. Madam R didn''t notice that subtle emotion. "That''s right, so..." R proposed. "Come with me to the boss." "...What?" "The boss will, definitely, ept you as a subordinate." Madam R spoke with conviction. "And isn''t afraid of the bear, or the lion." "..." The rabbit didn''tpletely believe Madam R''s words. It''s true that the snake is strong. But it didn''t seem like it could win against the bear and lion. "Thank you." However. From the beginning, the rabbit couldn''t ept R''s proposal. "I have things I need to do." More important than bing stronger. The rabbit had two such things. "Escape, and revenge." Two purposes that captured the rabbit''s soul. "R, I like you." "..." R''s face turned bright red. The rabbit smiled slightly and said. "Because I like you and am grateful, I''ll tell you a secret." The rabbit shared one of two secrets he hadn''t told anyone. R who had been blushing until just now. But this time she couldn''t help but turn pale. == I surveyed the battlefield (zoo) from high ground. Heavy rain was falling and my body felt chilly. How long had I been waiting for Madam R. Something came into my view. ''What''s that.'' I heard R had left to save the rabbit. But what''s that fighting over there. The one swinging ws and weaving through the monsters was clearly the rabbit. On the opposite side, brother Raota was also fighting while spewing beams. He must have leveled up quite a bit. No, that''s not what''s important. ''Where''s Madam R?'' Then where is R right now? I was wondering if I should raid ck Night to rescue R even now. Fortunately, R returned. "Ssaaak!" I ran to R and jumped into her arms. R naturally received me. And then I noticed. ''R!'' "Bossss..." ''Why are you crying?'' R had tears trickling down. With some snot too, it wasn''t exactly a pretty face. "The rabbit..." Did the rabbit say something mean to you? Just tell me! I''ll scold him. While I was thinking that, R said. "He has a girlfriend." ''What!'' No way, you didn''t go to save the rabbit because of friendship, but because you had those kinds of feelings? However, the truly shocking words came next. "It''s Raotaaa. They''re in that kind of rtionship." ''...?'' What did she just say? I couldn''t understand Madam R''s words. Raota is a wyvern and the rabbit is a rabbit. And the rabbit is male and Raota is my brother... No way. ''Brother wasn''t a brother but a sister!'' Experience tales with empire No wonder the roar sounded feminine. "You idiot! Is whether the wyvern is female or male important right now?" Pelerian burst out angrily. ''Then what is important!'' "The fact that a rabbit and wyvern are together is important. They''re subjects worth researching." What research value. Just then, the rabbit and Raota were running toward each other. The rabbit roared "Kyueeeee!" Raota roared "Keoreorereorek!" as she charged. To anyone watching, it looked like they were rushing in for a fight to the death. But Madam R''s words must have been true. Far from a duel to the death. Suddenly the rabbit leaped nimbly onto Raota''s back. And Raota twisted her head back to nuzzle faces with the rabbit. p! They took off. Plop, Madam R''s hot tears fell on top of my head. "The rabbit said it was all a lie that he was trying to assassinate Raota, they nned it together, to start a war." No way. Something shed in my mind. When I was tangled up fighting with the rabbit, Raota who fired destruction beams. Rather than trying to harm the rabbit, was she trying to separate me from him? To save the rabbit! ''But they can''t escape anyway with the restraints?'' Raota can fly. But they put restraints in the zoo to prevent her, no, him from escaping by flight. "Before, there was a time when lightning struck and the restraints malfunctioned, so..." Rumble- Thunder struck just then. "They were waiting for a stormy day." How long must they have waited patiently. They rose up in the pouring rain. Though they flew low to prevent the restraints from activating. They were clearly higher than anyone else here. On the white wyvern''s back, atop those restraints, the rabbit held something up. It was a piece of iron bars from somewhere. A perfect thing to act as a lightning rod. ''Really...'' My impression upon learning of the rabbit and wyvern''s n was simple. ''What a brutally cool n.'' Starting a war on a stormy day. Acting as a lightning rod himself to disable his lover''s restraints. The probability of everything going well and seeding must be very low. But perhaps even the heavens admired their n. Lightning really struck. Zzzzzap! Right onto the iron bar the rabbit was holding. Chapter 358 Growth by Absorption (1) The day when the rabbit first met the wyvern. Though it was a long time ago, several years now, the rabbit could vividly recall that day. Back then, the rabbit was thrown into the zoo after being captured while injured. He was still young then. Having lost his entire family and being injured on top of that, the rabbit was devastated. The rabbit, a monster who had lost all will to live, but was still powerful. He was easy prey for other monsters to target. Surviving was a grueling task. Dozens of monsters rushed in trying to catch one rabbit. Most of them were white monsters. At first, he thought there wouldn''t be any problems as they approached in a friendly manner, but they suddenly attacked and wounded the rabbit. However, the rabbit was strong. Even though one eyeball was burst and one ear was torn off. He alone killed more than half of the dozens of monsters. He felt instinctively that his level had risen and evolution was possible. But the rabbit''s limit also approached. At that moment when he couldn''t move a single step from losing too much blood. "Keoreorok!" Arge roar rang out. It was a cry like the sound of a bell. That was the moment when the white monsters who had been driven by evil fled. Amon urrence when an apex predator appears. And there it was. A huge white wyvern. The sunlight was so strong that he couldn''t see what kind of face the wyvern was making. Looking at the wyvern''s face shadowed by the backlight, the rabbit said. "...Kill me." Since he had no strength left to fight back. He thought this was how he would die as a mouthful of food. Even now, he still couldn''t understand why Raota acted that way then. She didn''t kill the rabbit. She just lowered her body,id down a spot, and rested. Even after a long while, she showed no signs of eating the rabbit. The rabbit didn''t even have the energy to run away. So he fell asleep there, and evolved. When he opened his eyes, the wyvern was holding the rabbit. What kind of act was this... Yes, that was how their rtionship started. Though he never thought it would flow this far. Rumble! Thunder strikes. Heavy rain falls. His usually fluffy fur was soaked by the downpour and heavy. Still, had there ever been a time when a storm was as wee as today. "Don''t worry, Raota." The rabbit said that while holding up the iron bar. "I''ll bear the burden of the lightning." He firmly inserted the end of the iron bar into a gap in the restraints. Even if lightning could strike like this and break the restraints, it was still dangerous. Because it happened before. Raota, who was struck by lightning while flying, crashed right down. If she had flown away right then, she might have seeded in escaping, but she wasted too much time trying to find the rabbit to leave together. This time will be different. The rabbit deliberately held the iron bar to the restraints. And inserted both feet into the gaps under the restraints. Then waited for lightning to strike. One, two, three, four... If lightning doesn''t strike, all their ns will turn to bubbles. Their desperate wishes must have reached the heavens. Because lightning did strike. sh- Even for a rabbit, he had never been struck by lightning at such close range before. It was truly a powerful shock. First was a sh so bright it felt like his eyes were burning. He couldn''t see anything at all. The ear-splitting noise and shockwave followed. Zzzzzap! Pain like his skin was being torn struck. But he couldn''t lose consciousness. Because he had to use the skills he had honed. First, ''Empathy''. The skill that allowed mental love with the wyvern who couldn''t speak. For an instant, the rabbit and wyvern''s minds connected. Next was ''Pain Sharing'', a skill born from the rabbit''s heart aching at seeing the wyvern suffering from the restraints. Sparks flew in his head from the intense pain. A pain overload. Raota''s volume was hundreds of times that of the rabbit. Naturally, the pain load on her body would be higher too. The rabbit''s nerves felt like they were burning as they epted it all. Crunch. His clenched teeth cracked and blood flowed from his mouth. Still, he couldn''t stop. He had to endure to prevent Raota from falling. Finally. The rabbit managed to endure without losing consciousness. Stay connected via empire Burned fur stuck to various parts of his body leaving burns. His body trembled, and the fur and skin of his front paws had melted and stuck to the iron bars. But, he endured. "...F-fly." The rabbit said once more. "Fly, Raota...!" "Keoreorereorok!" Flight that she hadn''t properly done even once since entering the zoo. Raota beat her wings powerfully. It was the moment when the white queen of the sky was about to be born. Until the rabbit discovered something strange through his blurry vision. "Huh." The green light indicating the restraints'' operation. It was still perfectly, faintly lit. == Kadam lowered the telescope. His eyes were wide and mouth slightly open like someone who had seen something unbelievable. "Amazing." Then he looked through the telescope again. It was a high-quality telescope diligently made by the empire''s opticians. A perfect item for observing monsters from far away. Though he had left the handling of the white and ck monsters to the gori and snake. That didn''t mean Kadam intended to just sit back. Of course he was observing the progress. And he saw something incredible. "To think they were this clever. No, are they stupid?" The rabbit was trying to induce lightning by inserting an iron bar into the restraints. Not only was such a strategy surprising, but even more amazing was their rtionship. To think the opposing ck and white monsters would cooperate. Moreover, seeing them nuzzle faces, their affection was clearly no ordinary thing. "Let me see too, sir!"@@novelbin@@ Someone shouted from behind Kadam. It was a schr with stern features, thoroughly soaked by rain and shivering. A schr with ck beard and hair and dark skin, only his eyes were hazel colored. It was Abratal Geduin who had been ordered by the emperor to stay with Kadam. "No." But Kadam snorted. Chapter 359 Growth by Absorption (2) Abratal, seemingly not afraid of Kadam, burst out angrily. "Lord Kadam, I came under His Majesty''s orders to observe the ck and white monsters! I need to see!" Though Kadam was terrified of the emperor, he wasn''t one to be easily swayed. "Then you should have prepared your own telescope, you fool." Whether due to the infrasound mixed in his growling voice, or because Kadam''s words were logical. Abratal shut his mouth. Kadam snorted and looked again. "Ah. It hit." Lightning struck the iron bar. The rabbit and wyvern managed to endure somehow. "Tsk." However, the great escape drama they hoped for wouldn''t happen. "I hope they don''t die from breaking their necks in the fall." The restraints had malfunctioned when struck by lightning before. And naturally, they had repaired and improved the restraints to prevent such incidents from recurring. It was the moment the wyvern rose above a certain altitude. Electricity would have been discharged through silver needles that had prated into Raota''s wing muscles from the restraints. What happened after was obvious. Despite enduring even lightning, the wyvern and rabbit fell. == ''Aaaaah! They''re falling this way!'' "Waaaaaah-!" Madam R and I screamed and ran away. For good reason, as the wyvern that had been flying up powerfully was now falling. And right towards us below! Everyone domhwangcha! Soon an enormous impact like a meteorite striking followed. Kuung-! Kwang! Dirt and rock fragments flew everywhere. Several innocent trees in the path were snapped stubbornly. If not for the heavy rain, there would have been an incredible amount of dust. ''This failed.'' It seemed to have seeded for sure. It was a strategy that heated up my heart. Enough topletely erase any bad thoughts I had about Raota and the rabbit. It was just heartbreaking that they failed and fell after all that. "Ra-rabbit..." Such feelings must be even stronger for Madam R. Seeing her worry about him even after being rejected by the rabbit makes me feel bad. "Bosssss..." ''Let''s go!'' We ran to the fallen Raota. I was worried the rabbit might have be a t rabbit patty. Fortunately, that didn''t happen. The rabbit was curled up and coughing blood. "Kek, kuhek." "Rabbit..." "R..." Did he recognize Madam R? But the rabbit immediately ran to Raota''s head. "Raota, Raota..." Continue your journey at empire Madam Gori made a sad expression for a moment, then quickly went to beside Raota''s head. "Calm down, she''s alive." "...Kuhuk!" The rabbit struck the ground with a thump as if frustrated. "Why, did it fail." The rabbit dripped tears and blood. Why did it fail? Hmm, though the n was cool, in my opinion it had too many holes. If the restraints malfunctioned from lightning before, wouldn''t they naturally have repaired or improved them? Still, I''m not tactless enough to point that out here. "Bosssss..." Madam R looked at me with pitiful eyes. Ah, she means help! I dly took out a potion. When I gave it to the rabbit, Madam R gestured for him to drink it. The rabbit stared at me nkly then drank the potion. And was amazed as his body healed. "Ah..." Then the rabbit''s immediate action was to kneel before me.@@novelbin@@ "MR. Snake, I beg you." That arrogant rabbit begged with extreme politeness. "Please, please give that water to Raota too..." He seemed to regret drinking the potion himself. I answered as if it was obvious. "Ssaaak!" Meaning I would have done so even without you asking. Look here, I don''t know if you''re Raota''s lover, but Raota and I are siblings. Though we have different parents and bloodlines. Raota''s body is huge. That means simrly massive amounts of potion are needed for healing. I diligently took out potions from my subspace. The rabbit and Madam R received them and fed them to the unconscious Raota. That''s when Isil, who had been resting in the subspace, came out attached to my tail. ''Isil, it''s dangerous now so stay inside.'' Isil''s answer was ''twitch twitch''. Now I could understand. It meant no. Though a parent''s role is to discipline when a child doesn''t listen, I couldn''t do anything with this precious one right now. Because saving Raota was the urgent priority. ''Oh well, it''s raining soe out and drink water.'' I left Isil who had climbed onto my body. Though we used all the remaining potions, we couldn''tpletely heal Raota. But at least she could regain consciousness and get up. The rabbit knelt and thanked me again. Raota looked back and forth between me and the rabbit with a confused expression. Meanwhile, I examined Raota''s restraints. What could those restraints be made of to be so sturdy? A machine that works perfectly even after being struck by lightning. Moreover, it looked quite precise. ''Really, can''t we dismantle this?'' Even Pelerian couldn''t properly figure out how it worked. I thought I''d get a simr answer this time too. But. "I think I know now." ''You mean you can remove it?'' "Hmm... seems like there''s something quite outrageous inside. Get closer and look." I went closer to the restraints as Pelerian said. Raota flinched but didn''t go crazy this time. I knocked on the restraints as Pelerian instructed. "There seems to be a spirit stone inside." ''A spirit stone?'' "Spirit stone!" ''Ah! So we can summon spirits with this?'' "Rather than that, it would be better to devour it. Especially for you." ording to Pelerian''s exnation, it seems to contain a lightning spirit stone holding the power of lightning. Eat the spirit stone? I thought spirits were friends of elves, but thinking about it, spirits probably didn''t like Pelerian much either. ''What do you mean especially for me?'' "You have that Heavenly Thunder Spirit thing, right? Once you contain lightning power in your body, you''ll be able to use it more freely." What! So I can stop doing that show of electrocuting myself every time I use Heavenly Thunder Spirit? I wanted to do things like Gunter, putting lightning power in sword qi and such. "Excuse me, what are you doing?" The rabbit asked anxiously. I answered without much thought. ''I was looking at how to break the restraints.'' "What?" The rabbit knelt again with a thump. It seemed like he might scrape his knees at this rate. "Please help us! Us, no, at least Raota." ''Ah...'' I was taken aback. It''s a problem since there''s no way to break it, this is why you should listen to monsters'' words till the end. But the rabbit seemed to understand my silence differently. "I''m sorry for my rudeness until now." And he bowed with his head hitting the ground. "My life is yours if you wish." Another thump. "Please, at least Raota... So she can be free." He looks ready to do a full ceremonial bow. The rabbit offered his neck. Really now. No matter how much I need experience points, I have no intention of killing a rabbit like this. ''No, actually...'' Just as I was about to exin awkwardly that I didn''t know how to break it. Isil kept fidgeting. Looking at what he was doing, he climbed onto the restraints and was putting down roots. The roots as thin as cotton fluff entered various parts of the restraints. ¡¸Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv19(-) uses ''Empathy lv3''¡¹ Huh. No way... ¡¸Temporarily sharing Growth by Absorption lv7¡¹ Hey, are you suggesting we eat the spirit stone together. Chapter 360 Night When Disaster Sprouts (1) Chugota''s voice echoed faintly in my mind. "Gruuuuu!"@@novelbin@@ "Dweodededede!" "Kweoreorereorero!" That affectionate cry. If tranted, it probably meant ''Take care, my youngest''. Though she was a crazy wyvern of course. And though she tried to kidnap me from Celeta''s arms and run away. There was something about her that couldn''t be hated. Even more so after learning about her pitiful past. The reason Chugota went mad was because her child was taken away before. Chugota''s child, who lived captured by humans all her life, is now praying for escape. ''Ah, conflict of heart.'' I am an intern employee at the zoo. Moreover, an excellent employee who might be selected as employee of the month at this rate. However... Where lies the weight of fate and priority? Obviously with Chugota. Then should I let her lost child live as a human''s toy in the zoo? Or should I let her fly freely and return to her mother''s embrace? There was only one answer. ''The game ends now.'' I turned to R and said. ''You be employee of the month, R.'' Continue your saga on empire I''m returning to being the prince of monsters. ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ It''s definitely not because a sweet opportunity to strengthen Heavenly Thunder Spirit came along. But there was a problem. This wasn''t something that could be quickly devoured here. ''Isil, will this take long?'' Isil''s thin roots had dug into the fine gaps of the restraints and reached the spirit stone. That''s how this was possible. But trying to absorb the spirit stone''s power through tiny Isil, the speed wasn''t great. It would take at least an hour. "We need to hurry." The rabbit urged. The zoo must have detected the restraints activating. And the other ck and white monsters are definitely not friendly towards us. ''Then there''s no choice.'' I naturally climbed onto Raota''s restraints. ''Let''s fly away first!'' And I can slip away in the middle. I need to tell the escaping Raota the direction to the wyvern nest in the mountains too. That''s when. The rabbit tried to quietly climb up too. I pointed out the obvious fact. ''No no, not you.'' "Ah...?" While there was reason to return Raota to Chugota''s arms. That wasn''t the case for the rabbit. Not because we didn''t get along, but from the position of a former zoo intern employee... "If only Raota can escape." The rabbit seemed to understand my words quickly. He knelt down again with a thump and bowed his head to me. "I am simply grateful. Please..." Raota cried sadly. "From here, save, just her..." What a fine man, rabbit. Really admirable except for dramatically splitting his words into three parts. I was somewhat moved too. But looking around, the atmosphere seemed strange somehow. All the other monsters were looking at me with odd expressions. Even Madam R had her mouth hanging open. Above all, the pouched rat. "Woo..." Jeered. "Woo, woowoo..." I''ll deal with youter. I quickly changed my stance. "Ssaak!" What are you saying! Be careful not to fall and get on! Grab my tail and climb up. Fortunately, the rabbit had tact. He quickly grabbed my tail and climbed up. I quickly looked for my advisor. ''R!'' "Boss..." R saluted with a stern expression. "Take care." ''I''lle back this time!'' For a moment I thought it was d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Like when I was swept away by the monster wave before, they thought I was leaving for good. ''Once we get past the imperial road, I''ll find a way to return somehow. Just hold on until then.'' They should be fine as long as they don''t get caught up in the fight between the lion and bear while I''m gone. Madam R nodded. And finally Raota took off. With each p, the altitude increased. Isil and I were continuously sucking up the lightning spirit from the spirit stone. ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ And finally we approached the altitude limit. If we went just a bit higher, Raota would receive a powerful electric shock and fall. An anxious cry. The rabbit reassured her. p. Finally we broke through the altitude limit. ...The restraints didn''t activate. ''Good.'' Then now it''s the great zoo escape. ''Let''s go!'' That''s when it happened. Perhaps because so much heavy rain was pouring. The metal restraints were very slippery from being wet. I slipped and slid down. "Sak!" Fortunately the rabbit quickly grabbed my tail. ''Thanks!'' I was looking for something to grab onto but there wasn''t anything suitable. That''s when. Isil stretched his body and wrapped around me tightly. Thus I was fixed to the side of the restraints, that is, Raota''s nk. ''Ufortable but stable.'' Well, I can just untie and get down after a while anyway. I decided to stay like this for a moment. == "Di-Director!" Kadam, who had finally allowed himself a brief respite to eat, turned his head wearily from his meal. The muscles in his neck were stiff from hours of tension and concentration. He was eating fish cake skewers, a humble but satisfying dish made by meticulously grinding fresh white fish with wheat flour until smooth, then shaping and boiling the mixture in a rich, aromatic broth until perfectly tender. The savory aroma wafted up, mixing with the steam that rose from each bite. On such an important day, when every second seemed to carry the weight of hours, there was nothing more appropriate than food that could be quickly consumed without ceremony or fuss. The skewers were practical sustenance for someone who couldn''t afford the luxury of a proper seated meal. The one who appeared before Kadam as he was chomping on fish cake skewers was none other than Daisy. "Raota''s restraints activated again!" "Wh-what!" Fish cake fragments sprayed all over Daisy. Daisy wiped her face of rainwater and answered. "A report came in!" "How could the one who just crashed!" Kadam had observed the ck and white monsters'' fight all day. And he had just observed the rabbit and Raota''s absurd n and its failure. Chapter 361 Night When Disaster Sprouts (2) When they rose above the altitude limit, the restraints worked perfectly, and even lightning was useless against the improved restraints. Since they crashed to the ground, he thought there was no need to worry anymore and had started his dyed meal. How in that time? Kadam hurriedly took out his telescope. To find Raota. However, the telescope wasn''t necessary. "Uh, uuh..." Abratal, who was eating fish cake skewers beside him, was looking up at the sky. Kadam and Daisy''s heads followed his gaze up. "Uuh..." "Huh?" They couldn''t help but make simr sounds. In the dark night sky. In the sky where heavy rain was falling. Something white was faintly flying. Rumble- Boom! Lightning struck just then, brightly illuminating that figure. The princess of the mountains who had been bound to the earth. A Saturn Wyvern was flying in the zoo''s sky. It passed over where Kadam and Daisy were in an instant. "Es..." Daisy shouted in a weak voice. "Escape!" The white wyvern that the emperor was interested in was finally breaking out of the zoo. Kadam opened his mouth with a trembling voice. "Sound the escape rm. We absolutely cannot let them escape." "But... with that altitude and speed, means to intercept..." "Just go!" Kadam''s roar resonated even in the rain. Daisy quickly turned and ran. And the half-orc''s sharp vision caught something. Kadam quickly took out his telescope. And brought the burning eyeballs to the lens to look up high. The restraints seem fine. The rabbit who fell together was also riding on the wyvern''s back. He didn''t know why they didn''t fall this time, or how they both managed to fly up again so perfectly. Perhaps the restraints'' improvement wasn''tplete. Even Kadam didn''t know the principles of the restraints made by the imperial court, so perhaps the lightning had managed to break it again. But that wasn''t what caught Kadam''s eye. The side part of the restraints. For some reason, a snake was hanging there. It was tied up tightly with something like tree vines and hanging limply. "Th-this..." Though mixed with orc blood, Kadam prides himself on not being foolish. His brain worked quickly. He had to piece together clues from this absurd sight. The snake hanging limply, bound like a prisoner. And the wyvern''s habit of storing prey. The rabbit who didn''t get along with the snake. "These bastards-!" Combining those three clues. The conclusion was clear. "How dare you kidnap my employee!" The wyvern and rabbit had hunted the snake together and were hanging it like an emergency lunch box. It must be a fearless challenge against Kadam who had taken care of them all this time. And Kadam''s bloodline does not tolerate fearless challenges. "Uwaaaaah-!" Finally Kadam''s battle instinct awakened. He took a great stance. Kuung! For an instant. A phenomenon urred where the raindrops breaking on the ground seemed to rise up. With intense vibration, Kadam''s body shot forward. Kung- Kuung-! The most magnificent way of pursuit in the world. Kadam began chasing the wyvern and rabbit himself. That was clearly more dangerous than the zoo''s entire escape alert. == War was war. The lion and bear. No matter how busy the strong ones were filling their bellies from behind, they couldn''t do so forever. Finally they too began to sh. The less strong ones went first, then the stronger ones followed. Finally even the lion and bear.@@novelbin@@ The two beasts shed. Kwang! That first collision was a sh that made one instantly forget all their pathetic behavior until now. They weren''t just beasts but monsters. The bear didn''t just know how to swing its front paws, and the lion didn''t just know how to bite and tear. Who would have known that beams would shoot out ording to the moonlight pattern drawn on the bear''s chest. And that the lion''s mane that seemed to just hang would suddenly lengthen and block those beams. The bear approached the lion while spewing beams. And the beams almostpletely burned away the lion''s mane. The bear''s swinging front paw was no different from being struck by an iron hammer. Kwang! Each strike was extremely powerful. The lion struggled and seeded in biting and tearing the bear''s shin to shreds. But that was thest. Puhseok! That sound came when the bear''s front paw struck the lion''s brow for the dozenth time. The skull had shattered. "Kuwooooooo!" The bear roared in victory. However, it was too early a judgment. While pink brain matter was gurgling out from his nose, the lion spoke. "It hurts. With my head broken, words, don''te out, well." Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire He was clearly dead but not dead. No matter how much the bear tried to crush that head. At some point it became meaningless like beating rubber. "Wait, just a moment." And before all the monsters, the lion revived. The grown lion mysteriously had gray mane and white body. It was a grotesque sight as the mane looked like an elderly human''s hair. Almost no monsters knew that the lion had such an ability to ''evolve through death.'' Even the bear who was his nemesis was overwhelmed by that grotesqueness since he didn''t know. However, the bear was not weak. "Seems you want to die again." ording to the rabbit and Raota''s judgment. The general opinion was that the battle would ultimately favor ck Night. The reason was that the bear was much stronger than the lion. The bear continued to struggle after that. He killed the stronger lion. But in exchange his neck was bitten. "Krung-" "Keuk." The bear didn''t have the ability to revive like the lion. With his carotid artery severed, he could only die. But the lion revived once again. Evolving once more... Thus a lion with ck mane and white body appeared. By that moment the lion had be a far stronger monster than the bear. However, the lion was not satisfied, and ughtered the survivors. He finished off those already dying, killed those of different colors, and bit the necks of even those of the same color who tried to tter him. Thus after devouring lots of mana, the lion muttered once more. "Not enough, a bit not enough." The lion raised his head. He met eyes with the gori. Among the monsters fearfully watching him from afar. "Krung..." The lion growled pleasantly. Chapter 362 Switch (1) Lightning spirit entering. Slurp slurp slurp slurp slurp~ ... ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ Bluish sparks flew from Isil''s leaves. It meant that even Isil, who ate well for his size, was slowly reaching his limit. Not just Isil. If someone touched my scales right now, they would probably experience a very very shocking static electricity. Spirit stones were truly precious delicacies. It feltpletely different from the magic stones that I really really like. Like tasting an even more precious delicacy. If magic stones were crunchy flying fish roe, spirit stones would be like creamy caviar. Though I''ve never eaten caviar... High-grade magic stones would probably be as precious as spirit stones. However, spirit stones are supposedly harder to find. "Though their value is simr because there''s not as much demand as magic stones, they''re more extraordinary in terms of being hard to find. To think they''d use such things just for restraints on monsters." ''Will it really work then?'' "If it doesn''t work, you''ll have to spit it out. How unfortunate would it be to eat all that for no effect." Though Pelerian spoke nastily. There''s no way a talented snake like me would gain nothing from eating spirit stones. ¡¸Absorbing lightning spirit from the spirit stone¡¹ ¡¸Greatly increased affinity for lightning spirit¡¹ ¡¸Electric Resistance lv5 has be Electric Resistance lv10¡¹ Oh, electric resistance increased. And by a huge amount at once. Thinking about the effort needed to gain the previous resistance, it brings tears to my eyes. I had shocked myself dozens, hundreds of times. But what I''m aiming for is the power to handle Heavenly Thunder Spirit properly. Will it be possible after absorbing all the lightning spirit from the spirit stone? It probably won''t take much longer to absorb it all. And that''s how long I''ll apany them. "Ssaak!" Hey couple! I called out. The rabbit and wyvern both turned to look at me. ''Do you have a proper n?'' To be honest. ''Holding up a rod to get struck by lightning to break the restraints and escape.'' That n could never be evaluated as ''smart and thorough''. "We''ll run away, to the great forest." ''I see!'' Rabbit, so you had a n all along. Still, I asked the most important thing. ''Do you know which direction the great forest is?'' It was a question thrown at both the rabbit and wyvern. And they both pointed in different directions at the same time. ''Neither of those is the great forest.'' Even if you thought the direction we''re going now was the great forest rabbit, why was Raota flying towards a direction that wasn''t the great forest? I sighed. ''Go to the mountains.'' "The mountains?" ''Yes, the great forest is too far and. Above all, Raota''s mother is in the mountains.'' The rabbit looked at me with a serious expression. ''A white wyvern with three heads. You can''t miss her.'' "Indeed, that''s true..." ''When you meet any wyvern in the mountains, say a small white snake...'' I suddenly realized. Would wyverns understand if I said it like that? I had no choice but to swallow my pride and use a different expression. ''Say the youngest who was born without wings and died sent you!'' "?" The rabbit finally nodded. Yes, for now that''s one worry less. We''ve already left the zoo, so even Kadam shouldn''t be able to chase us... ''...He can?!'' Even in the rainy night, it was unmistakable. That track being drawn in real time below us, like a tank chasing us. ''Ka-Kadam!'' The wyvern and rabbit looked down at Kadam too. They all seemed to have seen Kadam''s ''ability'' with their own eyes. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire Since he was what they feared most. "Keoreorok!" ''Is-is he faster than us right now?'' Of course, Raota was flying hard. But Kadam who had been following far behind was gradually closing the distance. It was truly a terrifying charge. If there were obstacles in the way, he jumped over them. If there were walls in the way, he crushed them with his body. Actions that didn''t consider any consequences or aftermath at all. Well, he seemed to havepletely lost it right now. "You- bastards!" His war cry clearly reached even this height. He didn''t seem to care about forcibly waking imperial citizens from their sleep with his angry roars. Moreover... "I''ll kill youuu!" He was making death threats. I could only scream internally. I was prepared to get scolded, no, actually I hadn''t really thought about it. ''Ka-Kadam ising to kill me!'' Who knew that zoo director could run so fast. The rabbit and wyvern were equally frightened. Though they urged the wyvern to fly faster, she still had aftereffects from the fall. Kadam finally almost caught up to us. His charge was really clearing away everything in his path. Among them were suspicious thugs loitering on the streets in the rainy night. Kadam sent them flying just by body checking them. Naturally guards came out as he was screaming about killing at the top of his lungs. He just grabbed and threw the guards who said ''Who goes there! Stop!''.@@novelbin@@ He''s clearly lost his mind. ''Still, he can''t do anything to us from down there.'' I thought that for a moment. Just a moment. And then. Whoosh- I saw a spear fly up almost to our height before falling. With this height from down there, and it wasn''t even an arrow but a spear... ''Go higher!'' I thought my heart would drop. ''Le-let''s go that way!'' I said we should head towards the city walls first. It''ste at night now. The time when the city gates would be firmly locked. Even Kadam couldn''t break through the city walls to chase us. Finally Kadam got ahead of us. And it seemed like he wasn''t nning to stop but trying to climb the city wall. This crazy bastard...! And then something caught my eye. The watchtower on the city wall. There was a ballista ced on top for defense. Of course not just anyone could use it, it needed several soldiers to operate. But, no way. No way... == The guards of the imperial road aren''t that undisciplined. If even the soldiers guarding the capital werex, it would be evidence the national power was already declining. And the empire was still the strongest nation on the continent. Anyway, though the guards on duty in the pouring rain at night might be tired, they still did their jobs. Their job was to spot any crazy person or monster trying to climb the city walls. They just had to spot them. Actually stopping them was more the role of the walls than their role. Theirmander, the gate keeper, never thought the soldiers would spot an intruder from inside rather than outside the walls. But it was impossible not to notice. "Uwaaaaah!" A huge man was charging. Not just running but ''charging''. "Going-up-now!" So noisy it''s like he''s shouting right in front of us though he''s far away. Chapter 363 Switch (2) By the way, going up? Here? How? All the soldiers thought that. And that huge man threw spears at the city wall. He probably wasn''t nning to stab the wall to death with spears. At least three spears got stuck in the wall. Bang, bang, bang! And soon. They saw with their own eyes what the huge man was nning. He jumped to a height that shouldn''t be possible for humans with just two legs. Then grabbed one of the spears stuck in the wall andunched himself up again. Another spear, and another spear. Finally grabbing the top of the wall with a snap. The huge man who had suddenly climbed up the city wall. They knew he was huge from below. But the ck leather coat wet from rain. Leather gloves, hat and all. To describe it, like a ck wardrobe maybe. Such a thing appeared on top of the wall so the soldiers'' slow reaction was inevitable. "Wh-who goes there-!" The soldiers raised their spears. Though they asked who it was, there were roughly two possibilities they imagined. Either the worst chimera made somewhere in the imperial research institute. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire Or the legendary monster said to live under the sewers. While the soldiers were each spreading their wings of imagination. Kadam answered. "I am Kadam Kazans, zoo director and the emperor''s direct research officer. Situation No. 3 has urred so I will immediately requisition your officers and request full support." The soldiers who had been expecting something like ''kuwooo'' or ''kuheoong'' just gaped nkly. Kadam even presented his jade identification tag. The soldiers hesitated, marveling at the jade tag but not knowing what to do. Kadam''s patiencested only a very brief moment. "Fuck bring me your gate keeper!" The closest soldiers covered their ears and crouched down, while those further away hurriedly went to find the gate keeper. Kadam went straight to the ballista without looking back. He roughly tore off the seal and loaded a huge iron bolt onto the string. Then he turned the pulley that draws the string. Originally two people had to turn it together, but Kadam was frighteningly fast even alone, though it seemed like the ballista might break. Kirikirikirikiri- click! With the string drawn back, next was aiming. He tilted the ballista that was hard to push even alone to maximum elevation. "Damn! It won''t go up any more than this!" Somehow the white wyvern came into the sight. For a very brief moment. Kadam hesitated. Whether due to the danger that even a small mistake could kill that one. Or... Ting- He fired. With a swoooosh sound, the iron bolt flew in an almost straight line. Though Raota frantically twisted her body to dodge, the bolt''s speed was far faster. Kwajijik! Blood spurted. It wasn''t a pueok or puuk sound. Amazingly, the bolt hit the restraints and forcibly tore them off from the impact. "Damn! It''spletely broken!" Kadam had aimed for the restraints from the start. If so, the restraints should detect the impact and shock the wyvern once more. But Raota was still flying. He really couldn''t let them go like this. Kadam loaded another iron bolt with a grim expression. And as he was pulling the pulley. Ssh! Something fell near Kadam. Kadam who unconsciously turned to look jumped in surprise. "Snaake!" The snake that had been tied up until just now hadnded on top of the city wall. Ah, it was tied to the restraints. Kadam realized what had happened. "I-I saved you!" The snake that must have fallen when he tore off the restraints quickly turned and approached at Kadam''s words. And tried to steal the iron bolt. "Hey, what are you doing!" "Ssaak!" "No, I need to shoot them!" "Ssak, sak!" The excited Kadam burst out in frustration. "Damn it!" He wrestled the iron bolt from the snake and struck it on the ground with a ng.@@novelbin@@ "I know! That I can''t catch and shoot them to death... it''s already toote." Kadam nkly raised his head to meet the heavy rain. He had already lost them. And the emperor had absolutely forbidden killing the white and ck monsters. Kadam couldn''t think of any way to catch the wyvern here without killing it. "Damn it... Let''s go back." He reluctantly held out his hand to the snake. The snake boldly climbed onto Kadam''s shoulder. And beat Kadam''s forearm repeatedly with its tail. "What? We should hurry?" Though Kadam was dumbfounded, he put on a deliberately serious expression. "Right, we should get back quickly." The situation at the zoo is still in turmoil. Amazingly, Kadam just jumped down from the city wall. Though the guards screamed "Uwaaah". Kung! Kadamnded on both feet and started charging again. It didn''t take long for him to disappear into the darkness of the rainy streets. "What! What''s all thismotion!" The gate keeper only appeared after that. The guards were at a loss for how to exin what had just happened. == "Heok, huk." Drip, blood flowed. A nosebleed. Madam R wiped the nosebleed. Since getting the prosthetic arm, she couldn''t wipe her nose with her forearm or hand anymore. Twisting her shoulder to wipe the blood was all she could do. "How grotesque." The lion said that. "That''s not, for you to say." R who desperately pulled up her fighting spirit said that. Speaking of grotesque, isn''t that undying lion with pitch ck mane spread in all directions more grotesque? "Can that even be called an arm?" But the lion''s point couldn''t bepletely ignored. Even Madam R thought so. Armament No. 0, Secret Stage 2. From here the prosthetic arm loses the form of an ''arm''. And she had just confirmed that Stage 2 couldn''t kill the lion. Then what remained was Stage 3. If she couldn''t kill him even using Stage 3, R would surely die. ''Boss.'' First the white snake came to mind. ''Rabbit.'' And she thought of the ck rabbit who left coldheartedly. ''I miss you.'' While thinking that, she expanded the prosthetic arm''s function to Stage 3. Click. A rectangr lens rose up on the inside of the forearm. A bright red circle was drawn in the center. ording to what Duiman taught her. ''Put the target in the center...'' Like this. ''Switch.'' Like this. Chapter 364 As Long As It Doesnt Kill (1) "Secret Stage 3 of Armament No. 0 is actually just using three functions that are difficult to use normally in stages." That''s what Duiman said. When talking about Armament No. 0, that old prosthetic maker''s eyes always sparkled. "The reason they''re difficult to use normally is because permanent strain is put on the prosthetic. There are functions likeunching des that can be replenished. But Secret Stage 3 is different. Because it reduces the lifespan of the parts themselves made of ck iron..." Madam R didn''t think herself particrly smart, but she was at least a diligent student. She listened carefully to Duiman''s words. "Of course Stage 1 can be used regrly. Since only the springs take tension." He took out a spring made of ck iron and set it on the ground. Then put several bricks on top. The spring didn''t bend. Only when Duiman himself got on and bounced did it bend slightly. "ck iron is strong. But it''s definitely also a metal with excellent sticity. Several such springs of different thicknesses will be installed in the prosthetic. Stage 1 is forciblypressing these springs that normally wouldn''t bend." That was the secret to exerting power that couldn''t normally be produced when throwing a punch. Even throwing that strong bear was a Stage 1 technique. "You need to be especially careful from Stage 2. You''ll probably have toe to me for repairs after using it." Duiman gave Stage 2 technique a separate name. Compared to casually naming Stage 1 technique something about springs, he was definitely a prosthetic maker who knew romance. "The technique''s name is Steel Flower." When the springs'' tension reaches the extreme point of bending, the prosthetic''s parts spread apart one by one. The parts that were normally tightly andpactly joined spread apart, bing like flower petals. And when impact is added to the parts bent to their limit? No, when something is struck with it? It rebounds with a tang and tears flesh and crushes bone. "But be careful using it since you could hurt yourself too." Madam R listened carefully to Duiman''s words. And as a result of using Stage 2, Steel Flower, in actualbat.@@novelbin@@ "That was terribly, painful." The lion''s body was in tatters. But flesh was squirming and filling in real-time. He hadn''t died and revived. Regeneration seemed to be an ability the lion gained with his new evolution. More powerful firepower was needed to kill him. Madam R''s arms were no longer even flower-petal shaped. With the parts that exploded and tore the lion''s skin in tatters, she looked like she was wearing rotted and withered flowers dangling on her arms. She recalled Duiman''s words. ''Stage 3 is thest resort. Since you won''t be able to use the prosthetic at all after using it once. Since it can''t be repaired either, you absolutely must not use it.'' Why make such a function while saying absolutely not to use it? Duiman''s eyes dangerously sparkled as he said that. ''Absolutely, absolutely must not use it. Okay?'' A contradictory heart that hoped the prosthetic wouldn''t break while also hoping that function would be used. ''...However, if you do use it, you must tell me what happened.'' R promised she would. If she could return alive that is. She never thought she''d use Stage 3 this quickly. "What else do you have left?" "..." She didn''t answer the lion''s question. She wasn''t confident in making him lower his guard with words, and didn''t want to needlessly raise his alertness either. Tick. A ss panel protruded from her forearm. A bright red circle drawn in its center. ''Put the target in the center...'' The activation method was simple. Just pull the switch with ''a feeling like bending your thumb''. The leisurely lion startled and stepped back. He seemed to be trying to dodge. Did he have some kind of threat detection skill? But it was already toote. Click. The switch was pulled. Then, two springs that had only been umting power until now are released at once. They strike two magic stones inside the prosthetic with an impact like a shell hitting. The magic stones shatter while shooting sparks. And simultaneously spewing massive mana and propulsion, the half-destroyed prosthetic separates from the shoulder and flies. The pair of prosthetics like a butterfly''s wingbeat. Thus the technique''s name is ''Blood Butterfly''. Like a butterfly drawn to the scent of blood. The chunks of ck iron shot at Ambejeu at an amazing speed. Kwajajajak! It struck Ambejeu with powerful physical force. Even that powerful lion could only roll on the ground wrapped in metal. "Heok, heok..." R exhaled heavily. She too had received many wounds. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire And two worst wounds were added. From the prosthetics that were practically torn off. Blood dripped, dripped from both arms. And. R, stillcking knowledge, said words she shouldn''t have. "Di-did I finish him..." Twitch, Ambejeu moved. Through the gaps between the prosthetics firmly wrapping his head, ck mane stuck out as if alive. Tuduk, tuk. Pieces of ck iron fell apart. Ambejeu''s head that still maintained its shape inside was revealed. Though one side of his face was crushed with an eyeball dangling, he was clearly alive. "Whew, hoo, this time, I really almost died." "..." "That was thest one, this evolution." The lion grinned. Even he probably couldn''t evolve and revive infinitely. Was this thest chance? "Too bad." Even his crushed face was gradually regenerating. Madam R charged in while igniting her fading fighting spirit. "Uwaaaah!" But what could R do without her prosthetics? Inevitably R was flung away. Teong! Her body hit a rock. Blood spurted from her mouth. Her back felt like it was shattered. Hududududu- The heavy rain fell endlessly. Ambejeu walked over leisurely. "Does it hurt?" "Y-you." "Don''t run away." Ambejeu bit R''s right leg. And shook his mane violently. Wudududuk- With jaw strength that could crush steel, her right leg being crushed was inevitable. "Uwaaaaaaah!" "You will surely be a delicacy." He crushes the other leg the same way. "Uwak, kuaaaah!" R screamed from pain like her head was burning. "Booosss!" "Hooh." She unconsciously called for the boss. Chapter 365 As Long As It Doesnt Kill (2) "Calling for the snake? Good, good." "Aak!" The lion ced his front paw on her crushed leg and slowly put his weight on it. "Go ahead and call." "Aaak! Booosss!" She could no longer think rationally from the terrible pain. Just screaming and calling for the boss. "Hmm, hmm." Ambejeu seemed to be enjoying this situation. As he kept pressing his front paw while listening to the gori''s cries. Does one get used to even pain eventually? Or did she not even have energy left to scream? Or had she lost consciousness from losing too much blood? R could no longer scream.@@novelbin@@ The lion smiled watching R who could only breathe ssaek ssaek. "Your, boss, is noting." "..." "Call more, cry more." Kuguk, kuguk, pressing on the crushed legs. "Bo-keuk, bo..." "Call." "Bo-booosss..." "Very good." The lion''s mouth opened abnormally wide. Just as he was about to tear off and swallow Madam R''s head in one bite. Pabak! A streak of dark light flew in and pierced his head. That sword''s name was Dawn. The snake shouted while charging like a beam of light. "Ssaaak!" == ''Got you, you son of a bitch!'' Bastard. Trash monster. I''ll kill you. I tried to behead him with Sunset. This time it only went halfway in because he was tough. Didn''t matter. I bombarded his entire body by releasing dozens of magic bullets simultaneously. And abination of skills. ¡¸Using ck Scales lv5¡¹ ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv8¡¹ ¡¸Using eleration lv7¡¹ ¡¸Using Poison Scales lv3¡¹ I became like a spear myself and rammed into his open mouth. I bit his oral soft tissue to inject deadly poison. ¡¸Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv4¡¹ I electrocuted him by calling strengthened lightning. I dug into his body while tearing his skin. He could only gag without saying anything. I don''t want to hear anything either. Just die. I''ll use a technique that can only be used on monstersrger than me. Though there''s risk to me too, this time I didn''t even care about that. Stuck in his throat, I used ''that''. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv4¡¹ A technique no different from testing whether my body or the opponent''s body is tougher. Wudeuk- wudeuk! The sound of his throat rupturing as my body grew. Terrible pressure constricted my body. However, I must have been tougher than the wounded monster. Wudududuk- pueok! I burst his head as I grew. Chunks of meat and streams of blood exploded everywhere. The heavy rain instantly scattered those blood streams. I killed him. I quickly went to Madam R. ''R, R...'' "Bo-boosss." She lost too much blood. R''s face was pale. "You came, you really came." Blood kept flowing from R''s nose and mouth. Damn it, no more potions. This damn lion that should be killed, in that brief moment while I was gone! "Thank you... d, to, to see you." What are you saying! Like you''re about to die. I''ll save you. Look, I killed that lion too. I really killed him this time. I tried to drag Madam R. But when I tried to drag her, she convulsed violently, perhaps from pain. Afraid of that, I froze hesitantly. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire "Stop... let''s just, stay, a bit." ''Okay, okay. Don''t close your eyes, stay conscious.'' "The rabbit..." ''He went well. Is this the time to worry about him!'' "That''s good... Armament No. 0 is, broken. Du-Duiman, will, be sad." R kept raising death gs. ''Who cares about prosthetics, we can make them again. I''ll have as many made as you want. Armament No. 0? I''ll have No. 1 and 2 made too!'' "I-idiot..." She smiled. "No. 0 is originally... the strongest, and best..." ''Was it like that?'' Tears poured out. What do I do if R dies? First I need to take her to the zoo headquarters for treatment... That''s when. A voice I never wanted to hear again rang out. "Keureuruk, keuruk. Snaake." When I turned to look, The lion''s head that had definitely been shattered was somehow pieced back together. Blood vessels bulged on his face, and his fur color was a mess of mixed white and ck. Except for the mane, it was hard to even recognize him as a lion anymore. "As expected, you were strong." "Uh, uuh." He had revived once again. R said trembling. "You definitely, said it was thest..." "Haha, ha." The lionughed. "That was a lie..." The devilish lion had kept one more evolution in reserve. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Devil (&@&* Lion lv1] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A monster whose name even I had trouble seeing through. Setting aside that horrific appearance. An indescribably evil presence could be felt. I felt both rage and fear at once. Not being able to beat the lion wasn''t what mattered. I need to take R for treatment right now, but if he blocks us... That''s when. Should I say fortunately? "You bastards." Kadam appeared. He walked step by step and stood between us and the lion. Then red straight at the lion. "Did you do this to my employee?" "...Director?" The seemingly surprised lion soon squirmed his entire body andughed. "Wanted to see you, again." "You little shit talking big." Kadam whipped off his coat. Revealing his muscr upper body covered by just a t-shirt. Amazingly, his bulk didn''t differ much whether wearing the coat or not. Kadam even took off his gloves that he never removed at any moment. What was revealed were huge green bumpy hands. "You have hands, like a monster." As the lion assessed. Those were clearly not human hands, but orc hands. Though Kadam was a half-orc, he had inherited pure orc hands. "Apologize and get on your knees." "Ku, kukukukuk." The lion sneered. "Director who can''t even, kill us." He knew Kadam''s secret. About the emperor forbidding the cleaning up of white and ck monsters. The lion had figured it out after long observation. "I''ll eat, you too." "Hmph." Kadam''s figure blurred as he snorted heavily. And an explosion urred in the rain. Kadam had swung his fist and struck the lion''s mouth. "Kwoeok!" The lion rolled like he''d been hit by a tank. And Kadam shouted. "Fuck as long as it doesn''t kill you it''s fine!" It was the war cry of an orc general itself. Chapter 366 Snake Highway (1) Kadam Kazans. Half-orc. Imperial Seven Seats. His title. Crushing Hands. Crushes anything they touch. His grip strength is not inferior to the jaw strength ofrge monsters. If he wants, he can climb city walls with bare hands. He can bend, twist, and even break spears made of solid iron. However, Kadam always covers those most terrifying hands with gloves. Because those hands that seemed to have inherited particrly strong orc bloodline were aplex for Kadam. Of course, no one openly mocked them as orc hands, but it was unavoidable. But in reality, Kadam''s hands couldn''t be called orc hands. Only the skin color was the same. Bigger and stronger than orc hands. No orc could perform such feats with just hand strength like Kadam.@@novelbin@@ For example. Grabbing the mouth of a monster approaching disaster level with both hands. "Uwaaaaah-!" Wadeudeuk! Ripping it apart. "Kueohung!" Ambejeu''s mouth with torn jaw joints dangling. But it wasn''t a fatal wound. Ambejeu was still alive, and his mane that should be involuntary organs surged as if alive. Kakakakak! Wounds appeared all over Kadam''s body. His t-shirt was torn and blood streamed. However, orcs tend to go berserk when seeing their own blood, and Kadam was no different. "I''ll beat you until just before death!" He firmly grabbed the mane flying at him with both hands. Though wounds formed on his palms, he didn''t even care. And he pulls Ambejeu, who had grown farrger than himself, with his whole body. "This is allowed!" Ambejeu''s body lifted into the sky. And on the other side, mmed into the ground. Kwaaang! An Imperial Seven Seat can handle ordinary named monsters alone. Though uncertain if he could overwhelm Ambejeu who approached disaster level by devouring countless monsters. "Directooor!" Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire Ambejeu could no longer be called a lion. How so? His erged body had stretched out overall. His tail had thickened to be simr to a lizard''s form. All the white fur had fallen out revealing only pale skin, and disgusting bright red blood vessels bulged out on that skin. The pitch ck mane extended from head to mid-body and was close to being a weapon itself. Not only his appearance had changed. In a way that should be impossible, Ambejeu twisted shuruluk and righted his flipped body. "Kuheoeong!" He pushed against Kadam with a lion-like roar. The weight difference was an issue that couldn''t be ovee even for a superhuman. Kadam was inevitably pushed back. "Kuk." Normally he would have somehow endured by firmly nting his feet in the ground. But the problem was the muddy ground softened by the storm. His feet slipped jureuruk, and finally Ambejeu crushed Kadam underneath. "I''ll eat you up!" Ambejeu wouldn''t have mysterious techniques orbat methods. He just crushed wildly with his newly gained horrific body. Moreover, he constantly tried to bite off Kadam''s head with his somehow regenerated mouth. But Kadam wasn''t one to submit easily either. "Uu, aaaah!" Amazingly, he attempted a barrage while pinned to the ground. He pummeled the sides, abdomen, and back with his fists. That force was no ordinary thing. Pupupupuk! Though his mind seemed dyed bright red with rage. Kadam with his vastbat experience instinctively calcted. Analysis of Ambejeu''s abilities and weaknesses. First, the clearly visible abilities. First was transformation. His body moves flexibly and freely as if made of rubber. Moreover, he controls his mane to constrict and cut. Second was regeneration. The ability to regenerate his body at a visible speed. A newly gained ability. Then, there''s a high possibility he really can''t evolve through death anymore. If he dies now, that would be the end. The two abilities were the kind that be harder to deal with when possessed together. Especially with the mane, it seems to grow back instantly even if pulled out or cut. Had he faced such a monster before... Many times. Kadam was someone who had been through battlefields after all. Then what should he do? The strategy hadn''t changed. Just beat him until near death. Regeneration is neither infinite nor omnipotent. It operates by consuming something, whether mana, monster energy, or willpower. Then just beat him until he can no longer regenerate his body. Kadam did so. Puk- pueok- puk! He ignored injuries to a certain extent and kept beating. Tearing off limbs, cutting the tail, and ripping out mane. It was a smooth dismantling operation. Fast yet steady enough for Ambejeu to feel the threat of death. But, was he really a monster approaching disaster level? An anomaly soon urred. It was when Kadam tried to dodge Ambejeu''s tail rushing at him. Swaying- For a moment his vision blurred and his body tilted. Because of that, he had no choice but to get hit by the tail and tumble kudangtang. He quickly got back up. ''Did I lose too much blood?'' Kadam has no regeneration ability. Damage from blood loss steadily umtes. But the amount of blood lost shouldn''t be that much yet. Kadam met Ambejeu''s eyes. Ambejeu was smiling. Then something urred to him at almost instinctual speed. "...Poison!" "Kuhuhoo. Took you long enough." Ambejeu''s third ability, poison. He missed it because lion and poison don''t easily connect. But Kadam didn''t panic. His poison resistance is close to the highest level. Rather, it was a chance to make Ambejeu lower his guard. If he pretends to stagger like this, somehow break his neck... That''s when. "Director, Directooor!" "This crazy." Even Kadam cursed in surprise. What is that thundering idiot doing following here. "Stop right now!" Abratal Geduin, who had been dispatched one day by imperial order and constantly bothered Kadam. "You crazy human, get lost!" "Hooh." Ambejeu stepped back slightly. Perhaps thinking the situation would turn favorable for him. "I won''t kill him, just beat him until near death." "That must not happen!" "You really..." Kadam considered if he could just hit Abratal Geduin once. Then he could make him unable to speak for life. "You must not touch Ambejeu." "His Majesty the Emperor did not give me such orders!" Don''t clean up the ck and white monsters and let them fight among themselves. That was the order. Chapter 367 Snake Highway (2) Of course, Kadam''s intervention might not be right. Because he couldn''t know what intention the emperor had in giving such orders. But specting alone about what the emperor''s intentions might be is itself disloyalty. That was Kadam''s loyalty, and thus he was displeased with Abratal telling him what to do. "His Majesty the Emperor told me this. Listen!" "..." He couldn''t shut Abratal''s mouth. Abratal whispered in his ear. The emperor''s intentions hinted to the schr. The emperor is waiting for disaster to be born by having the ck and white monsters ughter each other. And the one expected to be disaster is the old lion Ambejeu. "Therefore you must not harm Ambejeu here." "...I said I won''t kill him." "Making him near death would be the same. Since it goes against His Majesty''s will." Survival of the fittest. Jar of poison. That was what the emperor was experimenting with in the zoo. If Kadam makes Ambejeu near death, and some random monster takes all the fruits, the emperor''s experiment would be ruined. "..." Kadam''s face twisted harshly. Honestly, it felt like learning something he didn''t want to know. And having learned it. Kadam couldn''t go against the emperor''s will. "Let me just say this clearly. That lioncks ss." "..." Even without knowing the emperor''s intentions, at least Kadam didn''t rationally agree. "Disaster must be pure, I know from meeting them." Though growling, it wasn''t nonsense from ill feelings. "That''s just a monster. Just a strong monster. It''s impossible for it to be a proper disaster." Though disaster is certainly not a good thing. Kadam who had faced countless monsters spoke with conviction. Even Abratal''s expression wasn''tpletely denying. "...Who are you, a meremoner, to judge His Majesty''s will." "..." However, he couldn''t refute that loyal argument. Kadam dropped his head thump. Not just because of the poison spreading through his body. That''s when something caught Kadam''s eye. A small white snake had approached his feet. The white snake tapped Kadam''s injured foot with its tail then pointed in one direction. Kadam looked that way. The dying gori. His temporary employeey fallen. "...Fine. I''ll do as you say. Abratal." Kadam decided. "Yes, well thought." "Follow me." He walked step by step and picked up the gori. Already half dead. To the point where it''s uncertain if she can be saved even if taken for treatment now. "I will stay here..." "Did His Majesty allow you to intervene?" "...That''s not..." "If you don''t n to be human food by staying here, follow me!" Abratal trembled at that infrasound. He had no choice but to nod. Dududududu- The heavy rain still falls. Ambejeu didn''t think to attack the departing Kadam. And Kadam didn''t look back either. Only, he knew one snake was facing Ambejeu behind him. ''Snake.'' Though it might be presumptuous. Kadam dared to judge the emperor''s thoughts. ''...Whatever you do, it won''t go against His Majesty''s will.'' That might have been Kadam''s first act of disloyalty. He ran to save the gori. == The spectators disappeared. I left R to Kadam. With my body missing arms and legs, I couldn''t safely move R, so it was an inevitable choice. And. I decided to kill that pathetic lion myself. "Snake, you''re not enough." Ambejeu was confident. Even if he took heavy damage from Kadam, he was confident he could handle me alone. "Small but I''ll eat you as a snack." Still not a disaster, he said. I can see that. Just looks like a disgusting bug. Far uglier than Riokku who had parasites throughout his body. I didn''t dislike fighting using my small body. Just before I had dug into his body to attack after all. But this time I won''t do that. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv4¡¹ I grow huge. Huge enough. Enough to look down on you. As I grew rapidly. "...You''re big." Now our eyes meet. "But you look soft." The more I grow my body with gigantification, my body also weakens. Bes slower and softer. It will be impossible topete with body durability like before. Ambejeu seemed to notice that. Indeed a cunning monster. "Ssaaaaaak!" I acted ording to his expectations. Like losing reason to rage, roaring violently. Charging with mouth open. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv8¡¹ ¡¸Using eleration lv8¡¹ Though I went at maximum speed, it probably wasn''t enough that the lion couldn''t dodge. But he didn''t dodge. Rather he charged in as if crawling into my mouth. Kwajak! I swallowed him in one bite. "Huhu." Hisughter could be heard from inside my mouth. "Shall I eat from inside." Yes, role reversal is it. When would a big one like you experience this. He rampaged inside my mouth. Like a blender running wild in my soft mouth. Blood gushed walchak walchak, and I wanted to open my mouth and spit him out right away. But I didn''t do that. There was information gained from watching Kadam''s battle.@@novelbin@@ His abilities are regeneration, and transformation. Both troublesome abilities to deal with. Plus he''s fast, so I have no way to catch him head-on. But what if I''m not alone? What if I pour attacks that his regeneration and transformation can''t handle, in a ce he can''t escape from? For example. Like setting fire inside my mouth. "...nt?" Seems Isil inside my mouth greeted the lion. And the one who had been ''empathizing'' with me from before used a skill. ¡¸Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv24 uses Hellfire lv3¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily sharing me Immunity lv-¡¹ Yes. I became a snake charcoal kiln. Hwareureureuk. Hellfire spouts from my nostrils. The blood filling my oral and nasal cavities vaporized and spewed acrid smoke. "Kuaaaaaaaaak!" The lion thrashes inside my mouth. It was no different from swimming in a st furnace. Burning hot, he made hisst struggle. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire He uses all his strength trying to tear flesh and dig into my throat. Pain like my head would flip over was felt. But I endure. If holes don''t form in my mouth, I win. Though I rolled on the ground from hellish pain, I never opened my mouth. Pasak! Finally, my cheek was pierced and what might be the lion''s front or back leg stuck out. Though purple mes burst out wildly... Stop. Movement ceased. Nevertheless I didn''t open my mouth. Had to wait for that. Until I heard it. ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ¡¸Your level has increased¡¹ ... Yes. This. Chapter 368 Bringing Back to Life (1) I once had a really bad case of mouth ulcers. That is, when I was human, not a snake. I had one of my few proud specialties. That was being good at eating spicy food. I could devour fairly spicy things while sweating profusely and dripping snot. Fire chicken stir-fried noodles, or bizarrely spicy rice cakes? Those were just everyday things. But after reaching an age where I couldn''t get praised just for eating spicy things anymore. I became indifferent even to the spicy food I used to like. Actually, I didn''t like spicy food, I liked the praise that came when I ate spicy food well. So I wasn''t particrly seeking out spicy things anymore. Then one day, of all days when I had severe mouth ulcers, I got a craving for spicy rice cakes. Since I had less patience than a mouse dropping, I couldn''t resist. The moment I stuffed the spicy rice cakes into my mouth waguwagu. I realized what the expression ''mouth on fire'' meant. And now. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire As a result of my mouth actually being on fire. ''It''spletely different!'' Much more painful than pouring spicy sauce on mouth ulcers! Of course I had me immunity, but immunity works moreplexly than expected. It''s not that an invincible barrier forms thatpletely ignores whether there''s fire or not. More precisely, fire ''bes unable to damage me''. Ironically, I inevitably experience damage light enough not to be judged as damage. Like the pain felt when having mouth ulcers and taking a mouthful of rice cake broth with added capsaicin. Whatever governs skills and the three realms doesn''t seem to judge that as ''damage'' from hellfire. My mouth was incredibly hot, and painful too. Because the lion went berserk inside my mouth. Several holes were actually punctured. Blood and saliva are dripping jureuruk from there. I desperately need potions. Living in the zoo consumed too many potions. They finally ran out so I couldn''t use them when I really really needed them. But I couldn''t let Raota die either, so indeed things don''t always go as you want. Well. To think I alone, no not alone but I took down such a strong lion. I''ve gotten much stronger too. Plus it was a smart battle too. By bing a snake charcoal kiln myself to kill the undying lion. Shame no one saw it. Honestly, I wished someone had watched and marveled. "That was quite clever for you." How nice it would have been if just one person had been there. "But there were manycking points. Did you think your mouth and cheeks were too tough? If he had calmly dug into your throat you might have died instead? Hmm..." Not the outcast fairy old man who talks too much. Like Madam R. "Well anyway, good job for now." ''Thanks for now.'' I answered with ''for now'', the minimum modifier of thanks. I remained frozen as I was after killing the lion. ''Ugh, want to spit it out.'' "Don''t spit it out, that''s precious." ''What was the lion'' is in my mouth. I didn''t want to swallow it because my mouth hurt but I have no choice. Since I feel like I''ll faint any moment, I need to eat something. Gulp. And the lion lived up to his seemingly expensive worth. Whether from absorbed power of time, or from diligently maintaining his body while eating many other monsters. There was a magic stone inside. ¡¸Consumed grade 10 magic stone¡¹ Wow... I wouldn''t have known before. How amazing a grade 10 magic stone is. But now I knew. The highest grade magic stone in Pelerian''s magic stone storage was grade 9, and there was only one. "Is there a magic stone?" ''Yes, there is.'' "You''re lucky. What grade?" ''Grade 10.'' "You''re too lucky." Pelerian clicked his tongue. Hmm, is it that good? "Magic stone grade and monster rank don''t perfectly corrte. But grade 10 means he really was close to disaster level." Seems I really was lucky indeed. ¡¸Absorbing massive amount of monster energy¡¹ ¡¸Exceeded absorbable limit¡¹ Nooo! Even I who eat everything well couldn''t devour it all? But I had a vine grass who would help me. ''Isil, quickly absorb without missing any!'' Empathy is still connected. I could feel Isil absorbing the monster energy I spilled with Growth by Absorption skill. ¡¸Skills generally increased in level¡¹ ¡¸Skills generally increased in level¡¹ ¡¸Skills generally increased in level¡¹ This is new too. Eating magic stones doesn''t make levels increase. I had used them for things like skill evolution before, but to think it would raise skill levels wholesale. This went really really well. Almost want to do a joy dance. But I don''t even have energy for that. Now I really need to return to the zoo headquarters. First release gigantification and... No, can''t lie down yet. Huh, why is the grounding to me? Getting closer, stop. Kwang! My head hit the ground with a thud. Blood gushed walchak from my mouth and wounds. Ow, is this all my blood? The ground is soaked with bright red blood. One curious point. Do red blood cells also get bigger when using gigantification? If so, maybe I could see donut-shaped red blood cells if I look carefully. "Hey! Get yourself together!" Donuts, sounds delicious. Definitely more delicious than lion monster. "Damn it, if you copse here now you''ll die." Why do you keep cursing scarily. I''m a bit scared of cursing. Because I heard too much when young... Ah, one bad thing about bing a snake is not being able to close my eyes. The slightly weakened raindrops beat against my eyes. Nevertheless consciousness gradually faded. "I think I can protect you! Get up!" Ah... Cold. Dark. == Wasn''t a storming? The rain stopped before dawn even broke. Until the rain gradually subsided and finally stopped. The big white snake stood still on the hill. Though the mes and smoke from its mouth and nose had stopped, it still wasn''t in good shape. Because it kept dripping blood. Many monsters who still survived were watching that snake. The old lion, Ambejeu had frightened everyone in the zoo. Moreover, he even fought without backing down against the fearsome Director Kadam, so everyone was on edge wondering if a disaster was truly being born. But the white snake killed such an Ambejeu. And ate him. It was an unbelievable story. Unless seen directly that is. Countless monsters were quietly hiding around this hill. Not daring to reveal themselves, watching the snake standing tall.@@novelbin@@ The pouched rat was also included among those quietly watching that snake. ''The boss did, something amazing.'' The pouched rat was the deputy advisor of Zoo Animals. He was rtively satisfied with his position. Well, the previous boss Raota hadn''t cared what the pouched rat did. So he was diligently doing as the snake ordered. ''To kill, Ambejeu...'' Chapter 369 Bringing Back to Life (2) The snake killed the lion who killed the bear. That means, among the ck and white monsters, the white snake became the strongest monster. Though it was something to be proud of. The pouched rat was clever as befitting a deputy advisor. ''Not good, not good...'' The current situation was extremely dangerous. Though victorious, too severe injuries were received. Though standing tall now, to the pouched rat''s view it wouldn''t be strange to copse any moment. ''If the boss copses surely...'' The countless monsters lurking around here. Would they really not eye the copsed snake? The pouched rat even knew that not just ck and white monsters were here. ''Those strong monsters will act.'' Named monsters exist besides ck and white monsters. Ones who normally wouldn''t dare intrude on ck and white territory. But there were those who came looking for things to eat, taking advantage of the war and bad weather. Those strong monsters watched everything from one step away. ''Ah...!'' And finally the boss copsed. Kwaang! Should have copsed more quietly. Then could have bought time by confusing whether resting or fainted. This was clearly unconsciousness. The pouched rat squeezed his eyes shut and shouted. "Ga-gather!" And started running udadada up the hill. It was to protect the boss together with the Zoo Animals! Fortunately he didn''t climb up alone. The snake''s surviving subordinates crawl kkomulkkomul up the hill. However, the pouched rat rather hit his forehead. To be honest, those who came up to protect the snake were all like trash. Only those who were outcast from the group for being small or weak remained. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire "...Must protect, the boss." But must protect the snake even with these ones. Finally, the monsters watching the situation revealed themselves. Among them were ck and white ones, but also those that weren''t. Among the monsters that appeared, there were also extraordinary ones mixed in. That scorpion Apio captured from the west. And killing horse Euphrates of the ins. Jaguar Bengar of the great forest. That''s when the pouched rat sensed the end. Tuk. The three named monsters slowly lowered their heads. They bowed their heads in reverence. The pouched rat could hardly believe this situation. "...Wh-what." With the named monsters acting like that, mere rabble couldn''t dare to attack the snake. Even though the fainted boss''s body had shrunk again, the named monsters didn''t leave. Until finally zoo caretakers appeared and took the snake away. They only quietly watched from afar. It was mysterious and mysterious. == This must be a dream. I must be dreaming right now. How I knew was because Gunter appeared. I often have nightmares where he appears. This time Gunter was down below. I seemed to be using gigantification. Tears streamed down. I wondered why I was crying, but soon knew the reason. ''Nanaluk.'' There was one goblin corpse in front of Gunter. It was definitely Nanaluk. No, not just Nanaluk. Countless goblin corpses were piled around. I met Gunter''s eyes. It was you. It was you. And Gunter''s axe spear moved swik. Denggeong. My vision tilted. My neck was cut off in an instant. What kind of crazy dream is this. == "Ssaaak!" (It''s morning!) I jumped up. Then Phili and Obern jumped up too. What, I feel like I just had a dream. "Are you okay?" ''I''m... fine!'' All the wounds created on my whole body, especially face and inside mouth, had disappeared. Seems they brought me when I fainted and treated me. Where I was lying was a bed. More precisely, my exclusive bed made byying cushions in a lunchbox basket and covering with a wrapping cloth. ''I lived...'' I survived once again. This time was a crisis where I really thought I might die. Because obviously dangerous looking monsters were watching me near that hill. I kept strength in my tail and barely endured because I thought I''d be eaten if I copsed. ''Old man, did you save me?'' "Hmm. A mysterious thing happened." Just as I was about to hear from Pelerian what happened. Something important urred to me. ''Madam R!'' I jumped onto Obern''s wrist and asked. Obern''s expression darkened. For a moment my heart felt like it dropped. No way, no way... "She''s alive." "Ssak!" Why are you scaring a snake like that! Obern carefully exined. ''Mr. Snake has been unconscious for 3 days now. However... The gori still hasn''t regained consciousness.'' Aa, is it? ''The veterinarians don''t know why she won''t wake up even though we treated everything with potions.'' ''...Let''s go see.'' I was very worried. Obern nodded and left the room. While going to find Madam R, I briefly checked my status. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Little Prince Serpent lv44] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My level increased a lot. Roughly calcting, seems I gained about 14-15 levels from killing the lion. ...Hmm. Is that a lot? It''s definitely power leveling if you call it power leveling. But seems a bitcking considering I killed a lion who got stronger through multiple evolutions. Since I thought I might reach evolution level in one go. Rather than feeling disappointed, something urred to me. I quickly looked at Isil''s status window. He was wiggling while stuck right to me. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Demon Hunter''s Vine Grass Isil lv29] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Indeed, Isil also leveled up greatly. Not as much as me but quite a lot.@@novelbin@@ The conclusion that can be drawn here is. ''We shared it!'' It means we shared the experience points, that is, monster energy. That''s interesting. Though st hits'' clearly exist, I don''t know by what criteria monster energy is shared. I wasn''t at all disappointed that Isil shared the monster energy. A thought began to appear in my mind... "As you can see... The gori." Madam R was lying in bed where Obern guided me. I quickly climbed onto Madam R''s body. She was really in tatters. R had already lost both arms, but now her legs were also disabled. Can''t be helped since the lion crushed them. And I. ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv3¡¹ ¡¸Temporarily connecting with Iron Arm Gori lv50¡¹ Level 50. Yes, Madam R''s current state is. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Iron Arm Gori lv50++] ... [Status] [Brain Death], [Evolution Possible] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Half dead state. But evolution is possible. And I could definitely bring her back to life. ¡¸Can intervene in evolution¡¹ The opportunity hase. Chapter 370 White Storm Gorilla (1) ''Obern. When will the veterinariane?'' Obern was someone who survived on intuition alone. "They won''te for a while. Since they just visited." ''Can you guard the door?'' "Understood." Fortunate that there''s no CCTV in this world. What I''m about to do isn''t something good to show anyone. "This is the second time after that chimera nt, you intervening in other monsters'' evolution." Pelerian said that. He exined what happened while I was unconscious after eating Ambejeu. "Whatever their sensibility is, seems they were quite moved too." ''That...'' The story of other named monsters bowing their heads and showing reverence to me. ''That''s super cool!'' I was disappointed no one saw my performance. Now I was disappointed I couldn''t see that sight with my own eyes. "What''s cool about that." ''Kya.'' Named monsters bowing their heads to me. Recalling the shock I felt when first seeing named monsters, it was endlessly emotional. ''Have I, grown?'' That small snake had grown this much. Though still small. "But you''re not even named yet." ''I''m Ouroboros though.'' Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire "Isn''t that just a nickname." Hmm, says Pelerian. Right, me who chomps waguwagu on named monsters isn''t officially ''named''. This is problematic. The situation gnaws at me like an itch I can''t scratch. Why don''t I evolve into a named monster? No, I don''t even know the criteria for named monsters in the first ce. The mysteries of this world''s mechanics continue to elude me, despite my growing strength and experience. Doesn''t seem like just having a name makes you a named monster. After all, plenty of creatures have names given by others, yet they don''t gain that coveted status. Maybe I need more recognition from the world or status window. Perhaps it''s about reputation, or some hidden threshold of power that needs to be crossed. The path to bing a named monster remains shrouded in uncertainty. Can''t know. Obern started cleaning the room interior and keeping watch. Then it''s time to revive Madam R with the heart of a snake teacher. ¡¸Can intervene in evolution¡¹ I coiled up andy on Madam R''s chest. I''m confident in falling asleep quickly. Three. Two. One. ... Minus one. Minus two... Ah! My vision went dark. And there was... "Boss?" Madam R was there. Oh my goodness. Madam R in the mental world had all her arms and legs. Because of that we could share an emotional hug. "Thought I was dying..." "I''m d. So d." "I can talk here. Boss." After a brief reunion. I told her the current situation. "You''re brain dead." "What''s brain death..." Good that she doesn''t know. "Means it''s perfect condition for evolution." "Evolution...!" In my opinion, she probably couldn''t evolve alone because she was brain dead. And seems she regained consciousness because I used Crown of Connection. Then perhaps the soul really isn''t in the brain. ¡¸Evolution is possible¡¹ A message rang out. Simr situation to the chimera snake. ¡¸Achieved special evolution conditions¡¹ Letters appeared before us. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ From [Iron Arm Gori lv50]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Evolution choices appear. "Amazing." "What is?" "Letters appearing." "Wasn''t it originally like this?" "No, I just got a feeling of how I could evolve. Like choosing what I wanted from those feelings." I see, indeed. I read down the evolution choices. The very first was... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ck Arm Gori] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I immediately red at Madam R. To think the first choice is bing a ck monster. This betrayal feeling washing over me. She quietly avoided my gaze. "ck is, cool too..." "...That''s true." Well, thinking about it, Madam R was originally ck. And ck Arm is a cool name, and thinking ''Are you no longer loyal to me?'' over something like this would be paranoid delusion itself. ...Keep getting long-winded so I read the next. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ck Rabbit Gori] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "Ssaaak!" Are you crazy! Madam R knew shame and covered her face with both hands. This crazy gori. Did she want to be a rabbit gori? Obviously knew who the viin was who made R feel this way. That ck rabbit, shouldn''t have let him live.@@novelbin@@ "You surely don''t want to choose one of these two?" "Absolutely! Not!" Yes, then let''s move on for now. The important ones were from here. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Giant Prototype Gori] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oh. Two impressive-looking modifiers attached. Considering modifiers are the alpha and omega of evolution, this has both the alpha of ''Giant'' and omega of ''Prototype''. First ''Giant''. For some reason doesn''t it feel big, powerful, and somewhat mechanical? If choosing this evolution, Madam R''s size might get bigger. Having bigger size is good from abat power perspective. Though it would be inconvenient to travel together, imagining myself riding on huge Madam R''s shoulder wasn''t bad. Next ''Prototype'' is... But isn''t this not good? I thought but. "Prototype is, good..." Madam R said with full conviction. "If you''re that confident..." Giant Prototype Gori rose as a strong candidate. But had to read thest choice too. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Can evolve into [White Storm Gori*] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Says White Storm Gori. ''Hmm.'' First two modifiers. ''White'' is a modifier I graduated from long ago. But evolving this way would make Madam R the same color as me. This can give bonus points for loyalty. Second is ''Storm''. It''s a storm modifier, and looks strong but... Somehow gives a slightly outdated impression. Like it would have beenmonly used as a hero name in the early 2000s. Madam R and I exchanged nces and thought for a moment. The thinking time wasn''t very long. Because the answer was clear from the start. "Indeed..." "4. White Storm Gori." "Yes!" Among the four choices, only White Storm Gori came with special options. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ 4). [White Storm Gori*] ¡ªCan directly intervene in evolution. ¡ªCan grant skills. The true special evolution was White Storm Gori. We made our decision. ¡¸''Iron Arm Gori'' evolves into ''White Storm Gori''¡¹ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It begins! Let''s go let''s go! Felt like Di*imon evolution background music was autoying in my head. Before, when Isil evolved, my role ended here. There was a sh then I woke up and Isil had evolved. Chapter 371 White Storm Gorilla (2) But this time? Indeed different. "Uh, uuh..." Madam R''s body started being enveloped in light. Her ck fur and skin gradually dyed white. ¡¸Can grant skills¡¹ There was talk of being able to grant skills. Madam R is my greatest loyal subordinate. I trusted her, and naturally had thought about what to give beforehand. ¡¸Granting skill ''Crown of Steal''¡¹ ¡¸Failed¡¹ Ah, too bad. Crown of Steal unexpectedly wasn''t an omnipotent skill. The reason I could use crown skills well was only because I had high potential and the ''Perseverance'' trait. But even so it would be an excellent skill for strengthening Madam R, shame. I tried granting other crown skills just in case but it was impossible. Seems I can''t gift unique skills born from my traits like ''Crown''.@@novelbin@@ This is where the moment of deliberation begins. But I had already considered the case of not being able to grant crown skills. ''Indeed nothing but that.'' A skill I got so long ago but still use effectively. Moreover, I had one skill that matches perfectly with the ''Storm'' modifier. A skill stolen from my hateful rival. ¡¸Granting skill ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit''¡¹ ¡¸Sess¡¹ Lightning and storms are deeply connected right? And my choice wasn''t wrong. ¡¸White Storm Gori has highpatibility with skill ''Heavenly Thunder Spirit''¡¹ Oh! ¡¸''White Storm Gori'' evolves abilities befitting the skill¡¹ ¡¸Gains Electric Resistance lv5¡¹ ¡¸Gains sub-skill ''Storm Fist lv1''¡¹ This is broken. I only have Heavenly Thunder Spirit, don''t even have skills like Lightning Cobra Dance! "Boss." R called out. "I''m evolving!" Just when I thought my job was done. One more thing remained. ¡¸Can give a name¡¹ What? ...To Madam R? The answer to the question was so obvious, I muttered without much thought. ''Of course... Lh.'' ¡¸''White Storm Gori Lh lv1'' is born¡¹ And everything went dark before my eyes. == Zzzzzap! "Uwaaaah!" First was thunder, second was Obern''s scream. Two noises snapped me awake. I saw R''spletely changed appearance. "Ssaaak!" "Boosss!" Her size hadn''t increased. But her fur and skin color had definitely changed. White Storm. Fur resembling clouds exactly covered her whole body. Looks extremely strong. Her crushed legs hadpletely returned, and her arms that were originally cut off had regrown to mid-forearm. Need to tell Duiman to make prosthetics again. I jumped onto R. "That wasn''t just a dream." "Sssssak." Of course not. But there was something meaningful at the end. Being able to give a name. I''ve already named several monsters. But having it mentioned as if extremely important, perhaps... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Storm White Gori Lh lv1] [Traits] [Gentleness], [Loyalty], [Prosthetic Arms], [Storm] [Skills] [Prosthetic Arms lv9], [Rip Apart lv8], [Bite lv10], [Lariat lv8], [Roar lv3], [Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1], [Storm Fist lv1], [Electric Resistance lv3]... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The name Lh attached right next to the monster name. That actually doesn''t seem much different from Isil. Somehow... Can''t know but maybe... ''Did you be a named monster?'' That can''t be. When I, the boss, am not officially a named monster. "Like Silverback, Akims?" ''Yes, like Akims.'' And what is named in the first ce? Not everyone with a name attached to their status window is named. Seems like I''m the only one who can see through status windows like me, then how do you distinguish whether named or not? Is there a hunter association somewhere selecting new named monsters of the month or something? But R''s answer was shocking. "Seems I became like that..." She said while showing her muscles. Shocking. "Wh-what''s happening!" And people rushed in due to themotion from evolution. They could only be shocked at the sight of R newly born with resurrection. == The fact that R resurrected and evolved into a beautiful higher monster should be joyous and surprising news even to the zoo director. However, Kadam didn''t hear that news until a day passed. What happened was, he hadpletely secluded himself in his office. After ordering no one to enter, he kept shutting himself in his office. Since there was no brave soul who would ignore Kadam''s orders. They just startled asionally at screams leaking from the office. "Uwaaaaah!" Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire That was Kadam''s screaming. Kadam pulling his hair, regretting, and despairing. "Damn it! How am I supposed to write the report!" The ck and white monster group disappeared. Though many things happened at the zoo, this was the first time a group of this scale evaporated in just one night. Since it was a group the emperor was interested in, Kadam had to write and submit a report. But with what face could he write a report. Two named monsters escaped from the zoo. Though fortunately there was no damage, it wouldn''t be strange if the angered emperor cut off Kadam''s head. "Where did that bastard Geduin go..." Those who witnessed everything were Kadam and one other, Abratal Geduin. Before writing the report, Kadam half-threatened and earnestly asked Abratal. Not to report everything before him, to coordinate reports together. Abratal nodded with a trustworthy expression, and disappeared that very evening. Did he run away in the night after witnessing the terrible situation? Finally when Kadam was about to pull out all his hair. Bang bang. Someone knocked on the door violently. Though he said no one shoulde. "Which bastard!" Kadam shouted in anger. Daisy answered from beyond the door. "Found Abratal! He''s appeared at the main gate. But..." Kwang! Daisy tumbled as he practically destroyed the door opening it. Kadam didn''t even care and ran. "This bastard-!" Abratal, brave one. "I''ll catch and kill you!" He charged through the zoo like when chasing Raota. Going to the main gate where Abratal appeared, he really saw him in the distance. The setting sun cast long shadows across the entrance, framing Abratal''s silhouette against the iron gates. But his expression was strangely dignified. There was a reason for all of it. Kadam running towards Abratal slid and knelt. Abratal wasn''t alone. The person apanying him behind was clearly... "Your Majesty! How could youe to this humble ce without notice..." It was the emperor. Chapter 372 Death Sentence! (1) His Majesty the Emperor has arrived! And with a loud gong... Everyone around should have knelt and bowed, with festive music announcing the Emperor''s arrival... But that didn''t happen. The Emperor was wearing casual clothes. Like a young master from a wealthy family out for a stroll. Moreover, the one dressed like a guard beside him was clearly the Sword Saint. Even Kadam, who had tried to tear Abratal apart, had no choice but to kneel and pay his respects. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire "Your Majesty-! How could youe to this humble ce without notice!" Kadam quickly knelt and paid proper respects to the Emperor. The Emperor didn''t even nce at Kadam. "Kadam, are you the owner of this zoo?" What kind of sudden question was this? Kadam quickly shook his head in denial. "I am merely an administrator. The zoo and the entire empire belong to Your Majesty." "Then how should I view an administratormenting on the owner''s visit?" "I, I am terribly sorry. Please execute me!" The Emperor let out a small sigh. "Be silent. I appreciate such personality of yours, but it''s irritating right now." "..." "I came quietly because I dislikemotion. I will be lenient, so simplify all formalities. I will not forgive anyone who makes a fuss." "..." "..." "..." "You may speak now." "As youmand." Kadam jumped up and red around. He signaled the staff to keep their mouths shut. Then he called one person and gave various instructions. "The zoo will close early today. Get all the visitors out and gather the staff. You heard what was just said? If you make a fuss and upset His Majesty, you die by my hand." "Yes!" The subordinate staff scattered. Kadam volunteered himself as the Emperor''s escort. "Would you like to tour the zoo after so long?" "No, that will do." "Or..." "I came to see something with my own eyes." As expected, Kadam closed his eyes tightly. The moment of judgment hade. "I heard there were three who killed Ambejeu." "By three, you mean..." "I heard it was two monsters and one zookeeper." Kadam couldn''t help but re at Abratal Geduin. It was a gaze that could kill, but Abratal quietly hid behind the Sword Saint. The Sword Saint simply kept his eyes lowered as if unconcerned. "Y-Your Majesty. I did not kill Ambejeu..." "I heard it became close to a cmity after several evolutions. Is that false?" "...That is not untrue." "Then was there a monster stronger than Ambejeu?" "There was not."@@novelbin@@ "Did you not attack Ambejeu?" "I did attack." "Are you insulting me with lies?" "I wouldn''t dare!" With that, Kadam quickly nted his head on the ground. The Emperor ordered him to rise. "Bring them." "Yes!" == A magnificent White Storm Gori. And on her shoulder, the great leader. The Little Prince Serpent (evolution expected soon). That''s me. After evolving and reviving Lady Lh. Only then did my mental tension finally release. The staff who had rushed over when Lh evolved suddenly heard some news and disappeared busily. Thanks to that, I could enjoy a brief moment of leisure. "Boss, what are we going to do now?" ''Hmm, good question.'' Can we continue working as zoo staff? I need to level up more. This is what''s frustrating about entering human territory. Experience points are limited because you can''t hunt just anyone. Strong humans would give tons of experience points, but well. If I hunt a few of those guys, an army would mobilize instantly. I could probably handle several human soldiers, but would it end there? I''m not confident enough yet to live as a continental viin. ''I have a feeling we won''t be able to continue as zoo staff.'' Despite being monsters, Lh and I got jobs at the zoo because of the ck and white monsters. Since the Emperor forbade cleaning them up, they borrowed our hands as monsters. From what I''ve overheard, it seems this went against the Emperor''s wishes from the start. That''s for Kadam to resolve... hmm. Then I''ll be unemployed again. Now that Lh has be a named monster, it wouldn''t look good if I can''t continue evolving. Shouldn''t I at least get rid of the "Little" tag? ''What legal ways are there to earn mana...'' What can be done within this empire... ''Maybe be a bounty hunter. Or get hired as an assassin...'' That wouldn''t be bad, I was thinking. "Snake, Lh!" The door burst open and Daisy came in. I who had been lying down suddenly sat up. "The director is looking for you, let''s go." "Ssaak!" Surely we''re not getting fired already? That would be much faster timing than I expected. Fortunately, it didn''t seem to be that. "An important guest has arrived." ''I see.'' But why are they bringing us? Something seems off about Daisy''s demeanor. She walks stiffly like a wooden puppet, clearly tense. "...His Majesty the Emperor has arrived." I don''t know why exactly. The moment I heard that, I jumped up and tried to run away. But surprisingly, Daisy seeded in grabbing my tail. "If you run away... We can''t. Probably... We''ll all die." "Ssaaak!" No way...! But I wasn''t seriously trying to escape either. I couldn''t just run away alone when Obern and Phili were here too. Still, I couldn''t help feeling worried. ''Lh, is it because we killed Ambejeu?'' ''S-Surely not, Boss.'' ''What if they hold us responsible?'' I had roughly overheard Kadam and Geduin''s conversation. Abratal Geduin tried to speak quietly but it seemed like something about the Emperor using Ambejeu somehow. And I delivered the final blow. ''Oh no... Is my strength about to be known to this world...'' I couldn''t help thinking that. Honestly, it makes my heart flutter a bit too. The weight in one''s pocket will eventually show itself. And there really was the Emperor where Daisy took us. "Are these the monsters?" The Emperor I had seen at the pce before was here too. Having encountered him once before, I somehow felt ufortable in this situation. The Emperor had a way of seeming to see right through people. Plus those snake-like eyes are unpleasant. Though I''m a snake too... "Kadam. Report the details of what happened that day." This is bad. Chapter 373 Death Sentence! (2) Since Kadam is terrified of the Emperor, he won''t lie or hide anything. Even if he himself did something wrong. "Yes, Your Majesty." Indeed, Kadam began exining in detail what they had observed. He naturally knew less than us who experienced it directly. "That... The ck rabbit rode the white wyvern Raota and escaped the city boundaries shortly after midnight." That part seemed to be the biggest failure from Kadam and the zoo''s perspective. Above all, an animal they were raising escaped. The Emperor''s experiment probably went wrong from there. "I see. It''s not important." "Ah..." But surprisingly, the Emperor didn''t seem to care much about Raota. "It was that foolish previous emperor who was obsessed with that wyvern, not me." When he called the former emperor foolish, Kadam and others lowered their heads pretending not to hear. Kadam''s story moved on to the next part. Lady Lh''s struggle. "A gori with prosthetic arms... What was the name of the prosthetic maker?" "Duiman, Your Majesty." "Never heard of him. Must be some country craftsman. But quite skilled for one. Make note of this." The Sword Saint nodded. Kadam continued exining in detail. Hearing about Lady Lh''s battle from someone else''s mouth made my heart burn. You fought so hard, Lh... It was an epic of magnificent proportions. The Emperor listened, asionally asking questions and nodding. The story reached the part where Kadam intervened after Lh fell. Kadam stammered as he spoke about how he beat up Ambejeu. Ah, my turn ising up soon. The tale of how a noble white snake defeated an evil and vicious aspiring cmity of a lion. The story of how I stood tall and straight while receiving reverent bows from other monsters. What if the Emperor pays too much attention to me? I don''t like getting attention. This is a bit troublesome. And finally the story reached its climax. "And Abratal Geduin stopped me and conveyed Your Majesty''s will. Just then, a trained snake from the zoo arrived." Yes, and that snake said. Master Kadam, leave this to me from here. That''s what happened. I waited with a fluttering heart for Kadam''s words to continue. "Yes, I moved the injured gori to headquarters and the snake finished off the lion." "I see." ...What. That''s it? No. "The corpse was eaten by the monsters so nothing remains." "That''s how monster battles are, I suppose." ''The snake finished off the lion,'' he says. It''s not wrong but isn''t too much being left out? The Emperor who should be thundering ''Exin in more detail, you trash zookeeper!'' just said ''I see'' and moved on. Is this all there is to the ruler of an empire?@@novelbin@@ "I had hoped Ambejeu would be born as a cmity, but hearing this, that vicious thing fell short of bing one." "Your words are most wise." "However, while it was a sufficiently dangerous monster, it is meritorious that you followed orders and had monsters finish it rather than doing it yourself. Losing two monsters is a fault." "Yes..." "Kadam, reflect for two months and focus on zoo duties." It was a merciful judgment. At this punishment far lighter than expected, Kadam looked about to shed tears. "Your grace is boundless." "What grace? However, to have defeated that lion, it must truly be an extraordinary monster." The Emperor finally approached us. Has he finally recognized my greatness? I raised my head high waiting for praise, but. "What a noble and beautiful monster." "Hehehe..." The Emperor approached Lh, not me! "To show such struggle despite having no arms. Even a lowly beast deserves reward for this." "Thank you!" "It even speaks. How amusing." I trembled with rising feelings of betrayal. Because Lh was shyly twisting her body. This traitor! "Did you say this monster has a different owner?" That''s when. The stupid Emperor turned his attention elsewhere. "Yes, someone named Obern Grimoire." "Hmm, that name sounds familiar." The Sword Saint came closer and whispered. "Ah, the magician who served the prince of Solion?" Obern, who had been mixed in with the crowd, quickly came forward and knelt on one knee. "You are this gori''s owner?" "Yes, Your Majesty." Kadam whispered once more. "And that small snake is the familiar?" "Yes." "Having both an extraordinary monster and an excellent familiar cannot be mere luck." Extraordinary and excellent - which is better? "I would like to hear more of your story." The Emperor''s eyes sparkled. == It happened in an instant. Obern was practically kidnapped and taken away by the Emperor and Sword Saint. The Emperor seemed impressed by Lh (and surely me too). He wanted to hear the detailed story. And apparently this invitation was quite an amazing event. Because Abratal Geduin, who had run off to report to the Emperor like a snitch, made a huge fuss. "This breaks the record!" "What... record?" We had been ordered to wait for a while. "The time it took for a foreigner to enter the Porcin Room!" "Is the Porcin Room that... impressive?" Even Obern, who was trying to act cool as usual, nodded. The Emperor had summoned Obern to the Porcin Room. And apparently the Porcin Room isn''t somewhere just anyone can enter. It''s where those with great knowledge or usefulness to the Emperor are summoned. "It took me 10 years. 10 years after dedicating myself to the empire and building up fame and achievements. Only then was I called to the Porcin Room, and even that was said to be fast!" "I see." Though Obern answered calmly, the corners of his mouth kept rising. Well, Obern was originally quite ambitious. I''m too detached from such things to understand. "But..." "Want to ask what happens inside and what questions he asks, right?" "Can''t deny that." "Hehe..." Abratal said he was so jealous, then added: "Experience it yourself. Haha." Then he dashed off. Despite his magnificent beard, he''s quite a frivolous person. Only then could Obern show his nervousness. ''Whew, what should I do?'' ''What?'' ''He seems interested in Mr. Snake and the gori, but I haven''t really done anything.'' That''s absolutely correct. We did everything while Obern just had his lovey-dovey romance with Daisy. ''You''ll have to figure it out.'' ''Aw, why are you being like this?'' Obern clung on disgustingly. I yed hard to get for a moment before nodding. ''Don''t worry, just appearing somewhat extraordinary should be enough.'' There''s no need to worry too much. Don''t we have the Pel-mu-wiki? ''Master, it''ll be fine, right?'' "So boring, so very boring." As long as Pelerian and I are around, no one will notice that Obern is all show and no substance. And finally the eunuch came. "Lord Obern Grimoire~" "Yes." "His Majesty summons you~" The eunuch guided him to the door, and just as Obern was about to enter. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire "Ah, familiars are also not allowed inside the Porcin Room..." "..." Obern froze. Cold sweat beaded on his nape in that instant. "B-But a familiar is inseparable from a magician..." "It is His Majesty''smand~" The eunuch''s eyes narrowed coldly. Coming so suddenly. The greatest crisis of Obern''s life. ''G-Good luck!'' That''s all I could say. Obern went in with eyes like livestock being led to ughter. == Hmm. He must be doing well somehow, right? "He''s always been good at appearing capable. He might have managed." ''Right?'' While waiting for Obern, I had such a conversation with Pelerian. Even without us, Obern isn''t a fool. Plus his acting skills are good enough that I consider him my teacher. Worst case he might be scorned by the Emperor, but that''s not so bad. As we waited like that, Obern returned surprisingly quickly. His dignified and arrogant expression unchanged. ''Obern, you seeded!'' ''...'' Despite me clinging to his neck, Obern gave no response. Only after leaving his seat did he break his silence. ''The Emperor called me an empty piece of trash.'' ''Gasp...'' That''s too harsh. But apparently the Emperor had quite a fiery personality. A single tear suddenly rolled down from Obern''s eye. ''He said I''ll be executed if I don''t prove my worth within three days.'' ''?'' Obern, what exactly did you do in there? Chapter 374 Whats the Point of Living (1) Though he couldn''t hold back a single tear that flowed. Obern''s acting ability to maintain a dignified expression is truly admirable. How could such an impressive man receive such an evaluation from the Emperor? ''An empty piece of trash,'' he said. Considering that Obern was in the Porcin Room for less than 15 minutes, the Emperor''s insight must be quite extraordinary. Obern was assigned a room in the imperial guest quarters. It was a dormitory for low-ranking officials, or temporary lodging for those needed for imperial business. Entering that room. Meaninglessly locking the door with loud clicks. "Sob." Only then did he fall to his knees and begin to cry. "I''m ruined..." It''s been quite a while since I''ve seen Obern like this. Reminds me of the old academy days, how nostalgic. "Execute me, death sentence... Even though I''m a guest of the kingdom... That dog..." Even in this situation, he seems too scared to curse the Emperor out loud. But being connected to him, I could hear the curses he was directing at the Emperor in his mind. ''Wow, really?'' And I learned something surprising. ''Yes, the Emperor must have an ability to see through whether people''s words are true or false!'' It seems there''s a specific skill like that. After summoning Obern, the Emperor asked several questions. Making usible answers was Obern''s specialty. But there''s a limit to making non-existent content seem real. At some point, the Emperor adjusted his posture. And asked: ''You said you''re a magician, is it true that your magical abilities are excellent enough to be acknowledged by Bnyar?'' ''I still have much to learn.'' He gave such a modest answer, but. ''You must have been overratedpared to your actual skills.'' ''...'' Such an answer came suddenly. Wait, that seems like too big a jump. The Emperor continued: ''And regarding your monsters growing stronger through evolution, did you contribute to that?'' ''A little...'' ''That''s a lie.'' The Emperor approached Obern one step at a time, he says. And even the Sword Saint was fiddling with his sword handle. Up to this point, Obern says he maintained hisposure. The next question was the problem. ''Do you have any abilities that could contribute to this empire, to me?'' ''...If you give me time, I will aplish anything.'' ''That''s a lie.'' The Emperor''s gaze changed, he says. From then on, he looked at Obern with contempt. ''You''re not particrly skilled at handling monsters, nor are you a talented magician, and your decent looks are all you have?'' ''...I apologize.'' ''An empty piece of trash.'' No, that''s too harsh! Of course, none of the criticism was wrong. ''You''ve wasted my time and even insulted me.'' ''Your Majesty, how could I ever harbor such thoughts of insult!'' Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire ''I don''t want to hear it.'' Even to my ears, this judgment seems too quick to be just based on good eyes. ''I''ll give you three days'' grace. Prove your loyalty and ability. Bring proof that you can be of use to me. If not, you won''t keep your life.'' And then came the order to leave. Pelerian''s reaction after hearing this story was: "I heard those eyes were extraordinary. So this era''s Emperor inherited that ability too." ''That ability?'' Pelerian seemed to know something. "The Emperor can use his power to see through others'' lies. That''s how it was passed down." ''Is it like a skill...'' "There was a theory that it was just a rumor to glorify the Emperor, but perhaps not." But thinking about it, I''ve already deceived the Emperor before. When I manipted the Marquis to deceive him, that was clearly in the past... "You didn''t tell any lies then either." ''Ah.'' What did I say back then? Did the Emperor ask if I could bet my life? Since I didn''t care whether the Marquis bet his life or not, I just said ''Yes!'' It certainly wasn''t a lie. "He probably doesn''t use that ability constantly. He likely uses his own insight to test people at important moments." In any case. The Emperor was Obern''s natural enemy when I wasn''t attached to him. ''What should we do, Mr. Snake!'' We need to bring something that will interest the Emperor within three days.@@novelbin@@ Obern can''t be a real genius in that time. Then what story could entice the Emperor? ''Hmm.'' ''Hmm...?'' ''Well...'' I don''t know either. How would I know! Obern muttered in despair. ''To die like this.'', ''I wanted to marry Daisy...'', ''No,e to think of it, if I sell out Mr. Snake...'' I quickly struck Obern''s sr plexus. Obern bent over with a "Urgh," dry heaving. ''Wait, let''s get some fresh air first.'' ''F-Fresh air?'' Obern seemed out of his mind. ''At times like this, you need to rx your mind and refresh yourself.'' ''Is, is that so?'' ''Yeah, will good ideas suddenlye while staying cooped up in the room?'' That had been my philosophy since my previous life. When facing an important exam. Or the night before a job interview, I would say ''I need to refresh'' and go to PC rooms and such. Of course, the effectiveness was... well... ''I understand...!'' ''Great!'' It wasn''t particrly great. "That sounds exactly like whatzy people would say." Regardless of what Pelerian said, at least Obern understood my suggestion. He left the guest quarters with me. ''But where are we going?'' He asks quickly. ''Let''s go downtown first. Ideas will naturallye while relieving stress!'' I said with confidence. Obern''s expression brightened for the first time. == No brilliant ideas came to mind. Obern sat on a bench in despair. In one hand, he held arge cotton candy that didn''t suit him at all. And I was inside that cotton candy. ''You really don''t eat this, right?'' ''...'' The experience of being buried in cotton candy was truly precious. ''Alright, we''ve done everything we can downtown, now let''s go there.'' ''There being...'' ''The Imperial Bank.'' The Imperial Bank. Thergest bank on the continent. Pelerian had a rental vault there too. How I knew this was because of the cube in the Royal Bank''s vault. Opening that cube revealed one bottle of ''Small Giant''s Elixir'' and a piece of paper. The contents written on the paper were simply: ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Imperial Bank Rental Vault, 41048. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Just that simple content and vault number. This probably contains something else Pelerian wants to pass to Caspian. Whether Pelerian has bad taste, or is just too shy to show kindness straightforwardly with his twisted personality. He keeps giving riddles like this as if making an escape room game. "You brat, what disrespectful thoughts are you having now." Pelerian reads my mind too easily now. I should be careful. "There must be reasons why I set up these things... no, these matters." Even Pelerian himself doesn''t seem to know why he did this. Chapter 375 Whats the Point of Living (2) We went to the Imperial Bank with Obern. The Imperial Bank had scenery befitting the intimidation its name carried. Twelve massive wooden pirs built hundreds of years ago. A roof covered in ancient blue-green tiles. Among the many visitors, not a single one looked poor. Obern confidently climbed the stairs. And naturally took a number ticket while standing in line at the reception. "Oh this frustrating fellow." Pelerian grumbled. "I set up a centuries-old rental vault with a five-digit number, and he''s taking a number ticket to wait." ''Well, he couldn''t have known.'' Pelerianpletely fails to understandmon people''s sensibilities like us. When I told this to Obern, he sheepishly crumpled the number ticket and put it in his pocket. "Go straight to the VIP room." ''Is, is that okay?'' The only VIP experience I''ve had was a membership at the Cyberia PC room near my house. Obern confidently looked for the VIP room. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire Whether because his appearance suited the VIP room well, or thanks to the professional mindset of service workers. The reception was friendly. "What brings you here today?" "I''vee to retrieve items from a rental vault." "Ah, your name is..." "Obern Grimoire." "Please wait a moment." The Imperial Bank''s rental vaults are famous for their high fees matching their high credibility. Naturally, only VIP-level people use them. "Um... I apologize but there are no vaults registered under the name Grimoire. Perhaps you''re here on behalf of someone?" "That''s right." "The vault owner''s name would be..." We shouldn''t answer with Pelerian Ugly Something. Pelerian thought for a moment, then: "Pendragon. Say Pendragon Aradin." ''Wow that''s a handsome name.'' "..." ''It really doesn''t suit you at all.'' Pelerian had fake identities for different cities and countries. Jenkins in the kingdom and Pendragon here, huh. These names sound more suited for a handsome blonde male magician than the wrinkled Pelerian. "Ah, Mr. Pendragon Aradin." And then, the expected procedure followed. "I''ll need the vault password, a copy of the owner''s identification token, and the vault ess authorization form." "..." Of course we had none of those. We might be able to forge them given time. Obern paused for a moment before speaking. "Can''t we just open it..." "...Pardon?" Crisis situation. As I turned to look at Pelerian wondering how to ovee this awkward situation: "Act like a difficult customer." ''What?'' "Tell them to call their superior!" And Obern executed it splendidly. "This isn''t working." "...Pardon?" "Call your superior." "Ah... yes." The superior came, and that superior also looked troubled, while Obern continued being difficult. He repeated this act three times. I was getting anxious just watching. But Pelerian remainedpletelyposed as if there was no problem. This must be the true face of Heaven Defier that frightened the world. And when a middle-aged man in a ck suit entered. He red at his subordinate as soon as he heard the vault number. "Excuse me. How long have you worked in the VIP lounge?" "4 years... sir." "I see. Seems it''s time for you to return to the counter." "What?" "Everyone out." He instantly cleared everyone out. Only we remained in the VIP room. "My apologies for not recognizing Mr. Pendragon''s representative." "...Hmm." When you don''t know what''s going on, just going ''Hmm'' like that is best. "Vault 41048''s rental period had actually ended, and its contents were awaiting disposal..." The banker spoke in an extremely polite and businesslike tone. Then after examining some documents. He seemed startled. It''s clear. "Ah, there are some documents I need to retrieve... Would you mind waiting a moment?" The banker''s expression was perfect. He seemed extremely polite and problem-free. However, something felt off. I don''t have eyes that can see through lies like the Emperor but... ''Hey Obern?'' ''Yes.'' ''Doesn''t this banker seem a bit strange?'' ''Indeed.'' As expected, the master actor Obern had an eye for these things. ''He''s hiding something.'' Amateur acting doesn''t work on a con artist. The banker didn''t return even after waiting a long time. Just as we were about to go look for him, he came back. "Sorry for the wait. I''ll guide you now." "...The documents?" "Pardon?" "Didn''t you say you were going to get documents?" The banker was a bit flustered at Obern''s words. "Ah, I checked the vault contract. The contract conditions don''t require any additional documents. It was my mistake." "...I see." Something is definitely suspicious. The banker guided us underground. Like the Royal Bank of Solion, there was an underground space here too. The difference would be in the level of security and scale. "The security is impressive." "...Yes. Haha." In Solion, the banker would have boasted ''Our security is the best, haha.'' Here, he just gave a modest smile. Finally we arrived at a vault with the number 41048. The banker used a key to open the vault door himself. "As the representative of Mr. Pendragon, are you aware of the vault''s contents?" That''s when the banker asked.@@novelbin@@ Though he asked casually, his ears were perked waiting for our answer. "That''s an unnecessary question." But Obern just responded like that. "Ah... Then. I''ll wait here." The banker stood by the vault door. We entered the opened vault. The identity of what Pelerian had left for the archmage called Caspian was... ''A drawer cab?'' In the middle of the empty vault was an intricate drawer cab. ''Why did you gift a drawer cab? Is it a housewarming gift or something?'' "...Just have him open it quickly, you fool." Obern walked steadily to the cab. And yanked open the first drawer. Clunk- Surprisingly, what was inside was... ''Nothing.'' "...Open the next drawer." Even Pelerian doesn''t remember what he left. Clunk! In the next drawer was right there! Nothing. Clunk! Clunk clunk! And the third and fourth drawers were alsopletely empty. ''Ah, I get it!'' I figured out Pelerian''s terrifying n. ''Instead of empty food boxes, it''s empty drawers!'' "What..." He clearly meant to assassinate Caspian by making him feel utterly defeated. I could imagine Caspian taking his own life saying ''If Heaven Defier says I''m useless, what''s the point of living!'' However, that apparently wasn''t the intention. The trembling Pelerian was clearly filled with anger. "It''s been robbed." Looking closely at the third drawer, there were some fragments that looked like gold pieces remaining. Pelerian seemed certain. "My vault, my belongings have been stolen!" The Imperial Bank''s rental vault. My belongings were stolen! Chapter 376 Great Fortune (1) Obern straightened up. After staring at the empty cab for a long moment, his eyes tracing the barren shelves where his possessions should have been, he walked steadily out of the vault. His footsteps echoed against the marble floor, each step deliberate and measured. And stood right in front of the banker, who had been hovering nervously near the vault entrance. Usually it''s not noticeable in everyday situations, but Obern is quite tall, his frame built like an oak tree that had weathered countless storms. Even though the banker wasn''t short by any means, the difference in eye level was clearly felt, forcing him to tilt his chin upward to meet Obern''s gaze. That sharp nose bridge and deep eyes, set in a face weathered by years of calcted decisions, seemed to pierce right through the banker''s professional facade. Even a banker who had been through thick and thin, dealing with countless difficult clients over the years, couldn''t help but feel intimidated by the sheer presence before him. Obern didn''t grab his cor or yell at him - that would have been too obvious, too expected. He just raised his hand, slow and deliberate, and neatly adjusted the banker''s slightly crooked cor with careful precision, as if straightening a painting on a wall. The banker froze in surprise. "The items I came to retrieve..." "..." "Why are they missing?" After a moment of silence. The banker hastily waved his hands. "Wh-What do you mean? Our Imperial Bank''s rental vaults boast the highest security..." Now he emphasizes his bank''s security, words tumbling out faster and faster as Obern continues to stare down at him silently. To summarize his long-winded exnation, which meandered through details of enchanted locks and unbreakable seals, the items were exactly as they were when first stored. His voice grew quieter as he reached this conclusion, perhaps realizing how it sounded. Which would mean it was an empty cab from the start. The implication hung heavy in the air between them, making the banker''s earlier confidence seem almostughable. "Look!" The banker showed the documents he was holding. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Type: Antique Item: Cab ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "Seeing that the contents aren''t listed... surely it was empty from the start." It had been decades since Pelerian rented the vault here. The banker before us might not even have been born then... "Are you joking? Then what''s this?" Obern pointed to the bottom of the document. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Estimated Value: 500+ Gold ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ 500 Imperial Gold equals roughly 5000+ Silver . In a world where a low-ranking official''s annual sry doesn''t reach 100 Silver , how could an empty cab be worth 500 Gold ? "Uh..." While we thought that, the banker made a strange expression. "For an antique cab from the old kingdom, I believe it could be worth that much." "..." Is that so? Both Obern and I aremoners, so we don''t have that kind of financial sense. "But!" Obern said that and paused for a moment. He was clearly asking me for help. Pelerian spoke with certainty. "No, the contents have definitely been stolen." "No, the contents have definitely been stolen." The banker asked with a troubled expression. "Then what were the original contents..." "..." How would we know that! Obern just red at the banker with a terrifying expression. I was a bit confused too. ''Master, don''t you not know what was in it either? How are you so sure?'' "I''m not just being contrary." Obern returned to the cab and stood quietly. After hearing Pelerian''s words, he let out a small sigh of relief. "Any magician would recognize this cab." "Pardon?" "It''s an item that can store more than its size would suggest. A very practical drawer and if it was truly empty from the start..." Obern gently stroked the cab''s handle. And when he infused mana ording to a specific pattern. Click. The handle turned. And when we opened the cab again. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire "Gasp!" The empty cab was now full of gold, silver, and treasures. Obern swallowed hard and spoke in a dignified voice. "Th-They stole the original contents but didn''t know its storage capacity is double what it appears." It was a cab with built-in spatial magic. Items stored when no mana is infused. And space avable when opened with mana infused - it was a cab that could hold twice its apparent volume. "Still, this might be its original state..." The banker wouldn''t back down. He meant the cab might have been empty before mana infusion from the start. "No." But Obern firmly denied it. Then he opened the originally empty cab and reached deep inside. He ripped off a thin paper that was attached to the top of the cab. "Do you see this?" What he held was a talisman with red writing on yellow paper. "It''s preservation magic. A talisman attached to prevent damage to the contents." "..." "Why would there be a preservation talisman on an empty cab?" "Ah, uh..." It was excellent refutation. Except for Obern''s hands and feet trembling after witnessing the treasure. The banker seemed to have made up his mind. To brazenly deny everything. "No matter what you say, what isn''t true isn''t true. Our Imperial Bank..." This is getting nowhere. Then there''s only one answer. ¡¸Using Invisible Hand lv19.¡¹ Closed the open vault door. Bang! "If the vault''s security is so impressive..." "Ah..." "Then there shouldn''t be a problem if screams echo from here." To repeat, Obern is tall and quite intimidating when serious. "Break a few fingernails and teeth, and he''ll talk about what''s hidden." ''Good good!'' I grabbed the banker''s arms with two invisible hands. My magic had improved enough that I could restrain a desk worker like him. "Wh-What are you doing!" The banker started screaming when restrained by something invisible. "Aren''t you afraid of the consequences? If you oppress an innocent citizen like this, prison..." "Consequences?" Obern snorted. I slithered out of his sleeve and climbed onto the banker''s shoulder. "S-Snake!" ''Are you afraid of snakes?'' His good reaction makes me want to y along. I lightly licked the banker''s cheek. Hmm, tastes like lies. "Waaagh!" "Do you know who I am?" Obern said without even wetting his lips.@@novelbin@@ "W-Who are you..." "I am the prince''s advisor from Solion, a magician invited to the Porcin Room, and Lord Pendragon''s representative." Amazing shamelessness. Chapter 377 Great Fortune (2) "I''m currently staying at the pce, so you can mention that when reporting to the guards." "...!" Neither the Imperial Bank nor the guards could arrest Obern from the pce. "You made a strange expression when looking at those documents earlier." "Did you think I wouldn''t notice?" "I don''t... know what you mean..." "..." I looked back at Obern. Obern nodded slightly. "Saaak!" I shouted and bit the banker''s neck. "Aaaaargh!" To the screaming banker, Obern spoke coldly. "That''s a venomous viper." "I-I''ve been bitten!" "You have about 3 minutes left." Even the most loyal employee knows the value of their own life. "Save me! The vice president, it''s the vice president!" Readtest stories on My Virtual Library Empire "What?" For reference, I just bit him without injecting venom. If I had really injected venom, he''d be dead in 10 seconds, not 3 minutes. "The vault ess records show the vice president''s entry! That''s all I know!" A vice president is an executive position second only to the bank president. Why would such an executive enter Pelerian''s vault? "I don''t even know which of the seven vice presidents went in." "A vice president stole my belongings?" "Because it was a vault scheduled for disposal... Though it''smon to dispose of items after disposal, it''s rare to visit a vault before disposal. I thought they just went to check what was inside!" As expected of an elite, the banker didn''t ramble even in this situation. We could soon understand the situation. "They''re creating a slush fund by disposing of items from expired rental vaults." Many who use rental vaults are suspicious people, preferring to store their valuables away from prying eyes and official records. The type who might disappear without ever returning to im their possessions. Pelerian was actually one of them - a fact that now carried new weight in light of recent events. His disappearance had been convenient, perhaps too convenient. And if items aren''t retrieved when a rental vault expires, the contents are disposed of by the bank - a standard policy that looked far less innocent now. A perfect cover for systematic theft. Instead of disposing them as regtions required, the executive-level vice presidents sell them to create secret funds. A neat operation, taking advantage of those who would never return to im their belongings. With seven vice presidents, there wouldn''t be much left after splitting it. The profits from selling unimed treasures, divided seven ways, would hardly make any of them wealthy. A tempting but ultimately modest scheme. It seems one of those vice presidents got greedy. The math wasn''t adding up anymore - someone had decided their share wasn''t enough. Someone disposed of the vault''s contents before the scheduled disposal. Leaving the cab but taking everything inside. "They have no fear." Obern said through gritted teeth. He seemed genuinely angry. Even though it wasn''t his money. "Th-The antidote..." When told there was no venom injected in the first ce, the banker copsed. He muttered something dejectedly but we didn''t pay attention. ''At least gather the remaining items, Obern.'' ''Of course!'' Obern quickly gathered the gold and treasures from the cab. This is quite a substantial amount. Pelerian must have been wealthy, the value of the umted money was extraordinary. We poured it all into my spatial storage. ''Mr. Snake!'' ''What is it, Obern?'' ''If I offer these to His Majesty, wouldn''t he spare my life?'' Well, I don''t think so. No matter how much money is here, it wouldn''t interest the Emperor. Obern seemed to know this too, nodding bitterly. And when we opened thest drawer. ''What''s this.'' Instead of treasures, there was something neatly wrapped. Looking closely, it was incense for burning. The kind that smolders and releases smoke when lit. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Incense of Great Fortune] ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Incense of Great Fortune? Who''s Great Fortune? Since Pelerian didn''t seem to know either, I just put it in spatial storage for now. Obern grabbed the copsed banker''s cor and forced him up. "Your bank has been up to interesting things. His Majesty the Emperor would be pleased to know." "...sob sob" Obern, a man about to die by the Emperor''s hand yet still able to use the Emperor''s name. "What''s your name?" "Deputy Manager Gumn Agan." "Deputy Manager Gumn. I''ll visit again soon. It would be good to have any helpful information by then." The banker started trembling. From his perspective, Obern must look like a dangerous person who could overturn the Imperial Bank. We left the vault. We need to find the stolen items. I won''t let anyone who stole from me get away with it. == Of course. It was impossible to line up all the bank''s vice presidents and beat them with a stick. That''s something we couldn''t even attempt without the Emperor''s orders. Even the now-foolish Marquis would find it difficult with all his power. Obern and we just scared one deputy manager and left. "That vice president has probably already disposed of what was inside."@@novelbin@@ ''Would there be something like a ck market?'' "Of course. The darker the shadow, the more prosperous the city." We need to find the vice president who stole it. Or at least figure out where they might have sold the items. Of course, just the treasures we gathered were worth a fortune. ''We''re rich again.'' The amount we salvaged must be over 1,000 Gold . Obern was happy for a moment, then. ''But... I still..." He despaired at the fact that his problem remained unsolved. No, I have a good feeling about this. While Pelerian was still fuming at the bankers, I somehow felt fine. There''s a smell, you could say? It''s like blood, a familiar smell. Wait. It''s really familiar! I looked around. And found the owner of the familiar smell. ''Obern! O-Obern!'' I called Obern in surprise. And pointed in one direction with my tail. Someone wasing down the steps from the Imperial Bank. Though they quickly pulled up their hood, I could recognize them before that. ''That''s Oliver!'' Oliver, the traitor who ran away after asking us to wait a moment when we made the Marquis foolish. That betrayer. ''Let''s follow!'' Finally caught him! Chapter 378 Suddenly, What That Story Means (1) Oliver is a skilled hunter. I''m not sure how strong he is. But that''s only because this snake''s standards are too high - objectively speaking, he would definitely be considered among the ''strong''. He could probably handle several ordinary knights by himself. Looking at that, he clearly wasn''t an ordinary hunter. He definitely had the feel of a veteran who''d been through thick and thin. Plus, they said he was from the empire, and he certainly moved around naturally. ''Don''t get too close, be careful.'' I warned Obern. It would be troublesome if he noticed we were tracking him by getting too close.@@novelbin@@ But there was no problem following at a good distance. While it might be different on a quiet forest path, this is the most prosperous city on the continent. Countless peoplee and go on the streets. Following from far away, Oliver didn''t seem to think anyone would be tracking him. ''What a shady alley.'' Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire However, he went quite far from the Imperial Bank. A dark alley that could be called a slum. What appeared there was a building with a tavern on the first floor and an inn on the second and third floors. Oliver slipped inside. We looked up at the sign. ''Lakeside House.'' It means a house by theke. For reference, there''s noke anywhere nearby. Despite the rather romantic name, it wasn''t a well-maintained building. Obern waited a moment, then carefully pushed open the dirty door. Creeak. Oliver wasn''t on the first floor. But creaking sounds could be heard from the stairs going up. Oliver seemed to be staying at this inn. For a moment, Obern lost his way. ''Let''s sit at that bar table.'' We couldn''t know which room Oliver was staying in. Obern perfectly understood my intention. "Lodging? Or food?" The hairy innkeeper who also served as bartender. "A ss of water." "..." The innkeeper handed over a ss of water with a nk expression. Then held out his hand. "We''re prepaid here. Two coins." "Two coins for a ss of water..." "Don''t you know today''s prices?" "Won''t you take one coin?" "What? You..." The innkeeper who was about to burst out in anger suddenly froze. Because what Obern handed over wasn''t a coin but one Silver. The innkeeper''s eyes rolled around. "That man who went up the stairs just now." "..." "He''s a friend you see. Which room is he staying in?" The innkeeper paused for a moment before speaking. "I don''t know what kind of vagrant you are, but. With just small change..." If one Silver wasn''t enough, can''t be helped. I took out a pile of silver from my spatial storage and ced it on the innkeeper''s still outstretched hand. The innkeeper was surprised by the amount of Silver, and surprised again seeing me wrapped around Obern''s wrist. "...Just in case, but. You''re not nning to see blood here, are you?" Is he asking if we''re going to kill Oliver? "I promise. We won''t do that." We''re nning revenge, not murder! And there are plenty of ways without seeing blood. "Room 304. The innermost room..." The innkeeper pocketed the money and went back to wiping sses. Obern stood up without even touching the water. The creaking stairs seemed unavoidable in this old building. No matter how quietly Obern walked, the floorboards let out small screams. When we reached the third floor, Room 304 was visible at the end of that corridor. Did Oliver deliberately choose the innermost room? ''Wait.'' I stopped Obern as he headed for the door. Then jumped down myself. ''As expected... he set up security.'' A thin thread that would be invisible unless looked at closely was strung at ankle height. Following where the thread led, there was a tin can tied to it. It seemed to be a primitive rm to make noise as a warning. Ding- Just then, something like a chime sound came from somewhere. What could that be when we hadn''t touched anything? After waiting a moment and confirming nothing happened, I climbed back up Obern''s hand. ''Watch your feet as you go.'' Obern carefully jumped over the thread. Arriving at the door. ''We''ll force it open and break through.'' Obern nodded. We don''t know magic for unlocking. But we did know magic for breaking doorknobs, so just as he was about to create a magic bullet. sh! A sword suddenly thrust through the door. It stopped precisely in front of Obern''s chest. "..." Obern gulped. If he had tried to break down the door with his body or grabbed the doorknob, his chest would have been pierced. I turned my head at the noise from behind. People came rushing up the stairs. The innkeeper and the idlers who had been drinking beer on the first floor came up holding clubs and swords. "Hey." The innkeeper smiled with a slightly tense expression. "Thanks for the money but." "...What is this?" "We run a business of trust. We can''t do business by selling customer information." Seems even back alley inns have rules they must follow. Such passionate men. But that''s that and we must do what we must do. ''Obern.'' ''Yes.'' ''You handle them.'' Obern didn''t show any unsightly behavior like crying ''Help me!'' ''Understood.'' He just nodded and said that. I jumped off Obern. At the same time, the innkeeper and customers rushed at Obern. They didn''t instantly beat Obern to a pulp... Tsss... Red magic spheres floating in the air. No one could charge in pretending not to see those. "M-Magician..." Someone shouted. Obern was a magician even before meeting me. And now, his skills had improved dramatically after much trainingpared to before. He had nothing to fear from street thugs or innkeepers. Dozens of magic bullets began moving all at once. Babababam! With the cheerful impact sounds as background music, I red at the door. Firing one magic bullet to break the doorknob. Then pushing the door open with a bang. Ping- As soon as the door opened, a crossbow bolt flew. I caught it with a snap and crushed it. Through the open door, my eyes met Oliver''s as he held the crossbow. His face turned deathly pale. And as he tried to recklessly throw himself out the open window. I couldn''t let that happen. Chapter 379 Suddenly, What That Story Means (2) Sunset Sword flew faster than Oliver. Thwack! And blocked the middle of the window. I jumped at Oliver''s retreating back. Wrapping my tail around his neck at the same time. ¡¸Using Heaven Thunder Spirit lv4.¡¹ And when I used the newly renewed Heaven Thunder Spirit. The electricity burst out from my body instead of the sky. Crackle-zap! "Guuuark!" Oliver copsed with a thud, stiff as a wooden doll. "Saaak!" Long time no see, traitor! "P-Please spare me." ''Stop them first.'' "Everyone, lower your weapons. We''ll all die at this rate!" Oliver shouted to the innkeeper. Looking back, most were already twitching on the ground, defeated by Obern. "Damn it Oliver! What the hell is going on!" "They''re acquaintances, everyone surrender!" "You bastard, we''ll deal with youter!" Even while saying that, the innkeeper prostrated himself. Soon, everyone lost their will to fight and put down their weapons. Oliver scratched his head awkwardly. "So it ends like this after all." A humble attitude epting his fate. I like it, Oliver. == ''One!'' Whack! "Guuk!" ''Two!'' Thwack! "Argh!" This is something to be proud of but. Even though I''ve be smaller, my strength hasn''t weakened. Meaning just my tail whip has as much power as a decent human warrior. Even so, Oliver''s reactions had a satisfying quality. ''Three!'' Whack! "Guaaaah!" Him rolling away like that must surely be showmanship. Knowing that, I still gotpletely absorbed and enjoyed it. ''Whew, so why did you betray us and run away?'' Oliver got up groaning and looked bewildered at the floating text. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire "You ask that quickly. Well..." Oliver held his swollen cheek and said. "It''s because misfortune follows when I''m with Mr. Snake." ''Misfortune...?'' "Yes, I ran away this time thinking I would definitely die." I was taken aback by his unexpectedly honest answer when I would have been unforgiving if he had made up usible lies. But I felt terribly wronged. ''What are you saying? I''m a snake that brings good fortune.'' "You made the Imperial Ambassador into a fool?" ''Everything worked out in the end. Obern got a girlfriend and most importantly...'' I turned to look at Obern and was startled. He had an ''I''ve realized it'' expression. "So that''s why I''m in mortal danger..." Ah,e to think of it, Obern is in danger of death too. Oliver seemed quick-witted. "See? Even now you''ve surely gotten caught up in something terrible?" It''s not terrible to me but it''s clearly a terrible situation for Obern. I couldn''t think of any way to argue against that. ''So you ran away and holed up alone in this dirty inn because of that? Rania wouldn''t forgive this if she heard.'' "...Lady Rania. Ahem." Oliver also seemed a bit embarrassed when Rania was mentioned. "I was doing something important in my own way." ''Yeah yeah, sure.'' A sigh escaped. Then, something suddenly urred to me. ''Why did you go to the Imperial Bank?'' "Ah... Because of business..." When I red at him, Oliver said with a guilty expression. "It seemed the Imperial Bank had connections with people from the ck market. I was investigating." ''...What?'' I was greatly surprised. How did Oliver know about that? ''Seems you know something.'' I exined what had just happened to him. That it seems one of the vice presidents robbed my rental vault. That it seems to have been leaked through the ck market. Oliver was definitely not an ordinary hunter. "I''ve heard about banks creating slush funds by diverting items to the ck market... but they just happened to touch Mr. Snake''s belongings." ''Can we get them back?'' "Though I don''t know the scale and can''t be certain, I can guess where they might have gone." ''Where did they go?'' "If we raid the Tourings or Mudhouse guilds, something would probably turn up..." As expected. Dropping names of rogue guilds like that, Oliver was extremely suspicious. But that suspicious person was being helpful right now. "Um, Mr. S-Snake!" Just then Obern interrupted. What! "Could I get help too?" ''Ah.'' Sorry for keep forgetting, but Obern was in a truly desperate crisis. However, it didn''t seem like something Oliver could help with... No matter how capable he was, it would be difficult to present an answer that would satisfy the Emperor. Still, we exined the situation hoping for something. "Execution for the crime of disrespect if you don''t satisfy the Emperor within three days...?" Then Oliver looked at me. With a ''See what I mean'' look that was extremely unpleasant. "Haah, that''s how it turned out. I was wondering if you might have any ideas..." "Ah..." Obern also looked like he''d lost hope. It was natural since this wasn''t a problem with an easy solution. But Oliver came up with an unexpected answer. "There is one possibility..." "What?" "This is, hmm, definitely certain. In my view, there''s about a 90% chance of getting the Emperor''s interest." "90%!" A 90% chance of getting the Emperor''s interest? Oliver didn''t seem like someone to boast idly. "Actually, I have some very important information. Rather, I wanted it to reach the Emperor..." Oliver spoke of that ''information''. Obern and I listened with serious attitudes. And judged: ''...It''s possible.'' "Definitely." They say there''s always a way out even if the sky falls. A lifeline had just dropped for Obern. == The three days given to Obern passed like an arrow. And finally he set another record rted to the Porcin Room. He was entering the Porcin Room again after just three days. However, this time his life was at stake. If he didn''t bring a story to interest the Emperor, he was fated to lose his head. "Your Majesty." Obern paid his respects to the Emperor. The Emperor made a strange expression. "Well, at least your appearance is upright." He had seen through Obern''s essence. And thus sneered. "You look like a dragon, but inside you''re just a snake. Are you prepared to show your worth this time?" "Yes, Your Majesty." Even facing death, Obern wouldn''t show a servile attitude. That alone earned high praise from the Emperor. "I''ll ask once more." "Please inquire." "What can you do for me, for the empire?" It was the same question from three days ago. Back then he couldn''t give a proper answer. But this time he had information obtained from Oliver. He needed to use that information well to capture the Emperor''s interest. Obern silently held something out.@@novelbin@@ One old earring. "What is this? Surely not a bribe." "How could it be? This is the empire''s joy." "That''s enough wordy." Taking a slight breath, he spoke. "This is an earring taken after eliminating Deshnan the Shadow Fairy, a first-ss wanted criminal of the empire." The first gamble. Would the Emperor know about Deshnan the Shadow Fairy? "You? You caught that Shadow Fairy who was such a headache for the previous emperor?" The Emperor showed surprise for the first time. Obern''s heart beat violently. "I''ve been devoted to catching the empire''s traitors." "..." "And, I was already pursuing another special ss wanted criminal." The Emperor was silent for a moment before speaking. "Tell me more details." It was a moment of life extension. Chapter 380 Bounty Hunting Snake (1) There was a story that could capture the Emperor''s interest. That''s what Oliver told us. ''Tell us in detail, Oliver.'' Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire Oliver spoke seriously. "Do you know about continental wanted orders?" We answered. ''Of course not.'' "Of course I do." ''Ah!'' Seems I was the only one who didn''t know. But listening to the details, it wasn''tpletely unfamiliar to me either.@@novelbin@@ "The empire issues wanted orders for criminals based on their crimes and level of danger. Not just within the empire, but across the entire continent. Except for the Western Regions, there''s probably nowhere the wanted orders don''t reach." Right. I had actually met a criminal with a first-ss continental wanted order. Deshnan the Zookeeper (evil version). I even faced him and killed him. "There are five sses of wanted orders." From what I heard, ss 5 is for petty criminals. The ''continental'' modifier only applies from ss 1, and below that are just minor criminals. However, from ss 3 up they''re quite dangerous. The bounties are substantial, and when catching them they don''t care if they''re dead or alive. Many are wanted "Dead or Alive." Murderers are basically ss 3 or higher. "But why bring this up suddenly?" Obern asked the important point. "I''m currently working as a bounty hunter." Gasp! I wondered what Oliver was doing alone in the imperial capital. So he was doing such a romantic job... "...And?" "There''s a rumor spreading secretly. That an incredible big shot wanted criminal has appeared in the capital." Listening to this, Obern covered his face and wiped it dry. His eyes were slightly bloodshot. "So, you''re saying we should tell the Emperor about this?" His voice came out slightly trembling. It''s admirable he didn''t burst into tears about how we could capture the Emperor''s interest with mere information about a wanted criminal. "Yes, that''s right." "How could that work!" Would the Emperor be satisfied with information about a wanted criminal? Even I didn''t think so. But Oliver''s attitude was deadly serious. I too waited to hear what Oliver would say. "What if the one who appeared again in the capital is Oban VanKloss, the special ss wanted criminal?" "...!" Obern''s eyes grew wide. Who is Oban VanKloss! "Indeed..." Obern pondered for a moment. Oliver grinned. They''re having a conversation only they understand. "But is that even true?" "The credibility is quite high." "If he appeared again, the imperial army wouldn''t stay quiet." "It hasn''t been revealed yet. Only in Nahagu and the sewers ording to intelligence." Obern still looked like he didn''t believe Oliver. Looking at this, that criminal must be a real big shot among big shots. "It''s hard to believe, but it''s true. I even know that the Heaven Medicine Party controlling the drug dealers in Nahagu is connected to Oban VanKloss." Oliver ced his hand on his chest. "I swear. That this isn''t a lie. I bet my life... no, I bet Lady Rania''s honor." Oliver speaking like this somehow seemed desperate. "Do you perhaps have a connection to Oban VanKloss?" "He''s one of my revenge targets. Originally I couldn''t even dream of it but..." I stopped the conversation there. ''If you keep leaving me out and talking just between yourselves, I won''t let it slide.'' Oliver and Obern made sheepish expressions. Oliver cleared his throat a few times and exined. "Oban VanKloss is a special ss wanted criminal of the continent." Indeed, there was special ss above ss 1 through 5. "He''s also one of the Nine Evils of the continent." Even I had to jump in surprise at this. ''So it really exists! Something like Nine Evils.'' Three Stars, Seven Seats, Twenty-Four Beasts. The empire''s strongest. And if there were those, naturally there would be a list of viins too. That seemed to be the Nine Evils. The continent''s nine viins. ''What did he do to get a special ss wanted order?'' Special ss criminals are watched even by the imperial pce. They are terrorists who carried outrge-scale attacks or traitors who rebelled against imperial authority. Oban VanKloss was both. "Hemitted terrorism at the parade grounds during a review ceremony. Over a hundred soldiers died, and over a hundred civilians died too." Oliver''s voice cracked as he said this. "My wife died then too." ''...'' So he was married. I gently patted Oliver''s shoulder. "That was 8 years ago. The imperial army tried to capture Oban VanKloss but he seeded in escaping. It''s the army''s shame." Such a criminal could truly capture the Emperor''s interest. ''So that''s why you wanted revenge too, Oliver?'' "To be honest... I couldn''t even dream of it originally." Oliver gave a bitter smile. "I have a kill list, but I never thought I could catch a big shot like Oban VanKloss myself. It''s shameful but..." Besides his wife''s matter, Oliver seemed to have his own circumstances. "If I can eliminate him even by borrowing the Emperor''s hand. That would be enough." That''s what Oliver said. This seemed like it could capture the Emperor''s interest. However, how to present this information to the Emperor. That was Obern''s job to figure out. == If Obern had brazenly shouted to Emperor that he would deliver the head of the traitor Oban VanKloss, striding into the marble-columned throne room without proper introduction or ceremony, the Emperor would most certainly have snorted in contempt at such impudence and ordered his guards to cut off Obern''s head right there on the polished stone floor. To prevent such a fatal oue, they meticulously prepared their evidence first - Deshnan''s distinctive golden earring, its surface etched with the notorious criminal''s personal sigil, still stained with dried blood from hisst escape. Fortunately, the Emperor knew the significance of Deshnan all too well. The infamous thief and assassin''s reputation had spread through every corner of the empire, his crimes bing dark legends whispered in taverns and noble courts alike. Their n worked perfectly because Deshnan wasn''t just any wanted criminal - he was the very same mastermind who had repeatedly slipped through the previous emperor''s grasp, embarrassing the royal family time and time again. The old emperor had spent countless sleepless nights plotting Deshnan''s capture, emptying the royal coffers with ever-increasing bounties, only to be outmaneuvered at every turn. Chapter 382 Choose (1) ''Leave of Absence.'' That''s what was written in neat, ck ink on the crisp white envelope Obern had carefully prepared that morning. Obern entered the zookeeper''s office, footsteps echoing on the worn linoleum floor, and ced the envelope squarely on Kadam''s cluttered oak desk. Kadam, who was methodically checking feeding schedule documents while wearing wire-rimmed reading sses, looked up from his work with deliberate slowness. Kadam''s severely crossed eyes, a condition he''d had since birth, were still something Obern couldn''t get used to, even after three years of working together. Obern was already nervous, fingers fidgeting with the hem of a uniform shirt, mouth going dry. But all the mental preparations made during the sleepless night before provedpletely futile in this moment. When the thunderous voice burst out, Obern almost fell backward. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire "How can you ask for leave when we''re so busy-!" There was no need to be too scared. Because he had an answer prepared in advance. It was a weapon that could calm even the enraged Kadam. "His Majesty the Emperor has urgently assigned me a task." "Oh, is that so?" Kadam smiled broadly as if he had never been angry. "W-well, if that''s the case, it can''t be helped." He even chuckled. Then he reluctantly epted and filed away the leave request. Obern, taking long-term leave after only working at the zoo for a few months! ''Will I still get paid during leave?'' ''Well, probably not.'' ''Don''t worry too much. Once we finish this job well, I''ll give you plenty of incentives.'' Obern was overjoyed. By the way, I am indeed a wealthy snake. However, just because I became wealthy doesn''t mean Obern did too. The contract we signed didn''t mention anything about sry increases. Money matters are important. But I did promise to give him a definite incentive if we find Pelerian''s lost treasure this time. ''I''m going to meet Lh now. You''re going to see Daisy?'' ''That''s right.'' Obern seemed to have quite a serious rtionship with Daisy. ''Won''t Daisy dislike it?''@@novelbin@@ He can''t exin the details to her. After all, he can''t go around telling people that he''s going to chase after a criminal with a top-level warrant. So for now, he can only tell the surface-level story. ''Hmm...'' We will use new identities while traveling with Oliver. More precisely, it''s not exactly leave but a temporary job change. ''...if I suddenly tell her I''m bing a bounty hunter.'' That''s right - a bounty hunter. Such a girlfriend-pleasing upation. But Obernughed. "Hahaha!" And said not to worry. ''I''ve got Daisy wrapped around my finger.'' He''s incredibly confident. This is why handsome guys are... I parted ways with Obern for a moment. And headed to where Lh was. Lh was in rehabilitation training. Evolution heals most injuries. While it could sometimes regenerate severed limbs, this didn''t apply to Lh whose prosthetic arm had be a trait. Her severed arm remained as it was, but her crushed leg had healed. So, Lh''s ''rehabilitation'' meant adapting to her new prosthetic. She was doing a handstand with one arm. A mature White Storm Gori. Weight, approximately 350kg. Supporting it with just one arm wearing a prosthetic. She must have been holding that position for quite a while. She noticed my arrival. "Oh! Boss!" The prosthetic on her left arm wasn''tplete yet. Pushing off the ground with her right arm, she amazingly maintained bnce in mid-air andnded. ''Are you okay? The new prosthetic, I mean.'' "I love it. Duiman did a great job." Duiman was staying at this zoo. When he heard that Armament No. 0 was destroyed, he made an expression that was hard to tell if he was crying or rejoicing. ''What''s the new prosthetic called?'' Since Armament No. 0 was destroyed, it seemed natural that a new prosthetic would be called Armament No. 1. But neither Duiman nor Lh liked that, so the prosthetic was given a new name. "Invincible No. 0!" ''I-I see.'' Since she likes it, there''s no need for me toment. I exined the situation to Lh. Basically, it meant we''d be staying in the lower district and working as bounty hunters. First employment followed by first job change - things are moving quite fast. "Going to the lower district? Where?" Duiman cut in while wiping oil from his hands with a towel. ''First, Nahagu?'' "That''s my territory." What territory? But Duiman just grinned. "nning to enter the sewers too?" ''Yeah. We have to.'' The sewers are an interesting ce that exists only in the imperial capital. In my previous life on Earth, France had something called the catbs. Underground tunnels built so long ago that their construction predated the city''s history. Reaching down to the fifth underground level, covering a vast area of the city. The ''sewers'' here were simr. Due to their size andplexity, it was practically like having another small city existing beneath the imperial capital. Naturally, it became a slum where those who couldn''t live under the sunlight gathered. Throughout history, the underground was regrly cleaned out, but this current sewer system had been maintained for 300 years. There were rumors that the empire intentionally left that underground city alone. The reasoning was that if shadows were inevitable, it was easier to gather and manage them in one ce. "There''s a must-visitndmark in the sewers." Like a proper illegal doctor who originally lived in the lower district, Duiman talked about it as if it were a tourist attraction. "You must visit the underground auction house." ''Underground auction house?'' "That''s where I got the ck iron." ck iron refers to the metal used to make Armament No. 0. And Duiman''sment sparked an idea in my mind. "The world''s most precious things all gather there." Underground auction house. A ce where precious items can be quietly disposed of. If that bank director fellow stole Pelerian''s items, wouldn''t he have disposed of them through there? "And I have a friend living in those sewers? His name''s Janga. He''s a decent old man, so if you mention my name, he might help you out." He gave that potentially helpful information too. ''Thanks!'' "Ah, y-yeah!" Chapter 383 Choose (2) I hurriedly said goodbye and left. It seemed Obern had also finished saying goodbye to Daisy. ''Hey Obern, did the talk go well?'' ''Yes, of course. Daisy understood.'' ''Then listen to this. I just heard something... Gasp!'' I was startled. Hidden by Obern''s high nose bridge, I waste to notice, but there was a clear handprint on his cheek. ''A-are you okay?'' ''The conversation went well. I''ve got Daisy wrapped around my finger.'' He seemed unaware of the handprint on his face. I couldn''t ask anymore. == When I told Oliver about the auction house. "That''s definitely a ce we need to check. If those items exist, there''s an 80% chance they went through there." As expected, Oliver had it all figured out. "However, it''s not a ce we can carelessly investigate. The auction house is the hardest ce to crack in the sewers. All factions cooperate to maintain it." There were various factions in the sewers. Rogue guilds, loan sharks, drug dealers, gangs, even bounty hunters. While they fight over interests, they cooperate to maintain the auction house. It''s called an auction house, but it''s really a ck market and their source of ie. "So it''s lower priority. We''ll enter the auction house after gathering as much information as possible." After saying that, Oliver took us somewhere. Nahagu, thergest lower district. "We could enter the sewers right away, but we won''t." ''Why?'' "Because we need an identity to participate in auctions and enter the main areas of the sewers." By identity, does he mean an identification tag? I don''t have one, but Obern already has that. "No. More precisely, we need ''affiliation''." It meant belonging to either a rogue guild or a gang or something simr. But Obern joining a gang was out of the question. "Bing a registered bounty hunter will do." Bounty hunting seems to be a more legitimate profession than expected. "Actually, they don''t just hunt bounties, they also work as problem solvers. Or we could be adventurers, but that''s more for working outside the imperial road than in the sewers." Come to think of it, I had met adventurers before. They also had ranks like B-ss and A-ss. This world is full of professional diversity. I was curious where to register. "Any tavern in the lower district will do." Oliver took us to a tavern. "Under the tavern''s sign. Thatntern is important." It wasn''t thekeside house we went to before, but a different ce. Under the sign reading ''Rock Restaurant'' hung a bluentern. "ces with bluenterns are called blue-light houses, those with rednterns are red-light houses." ''What''s the difference?'' "Wanted criminals can''t enter blue-light houses." Then could it be? "Red-light houses allow wanted criminals to enter." That''s surprising. So wanted criminals can openly enter taverns and it''s okay? "Fighting is strictly forbidden in inns. That''s the rule of the lower district." Slums have their own rules. It seems taverns and inns withnterns can post requests and handle bounty rewards. While warrants are issued by the country, taverns act as proxies for this business. "Above ground, most are blue-light houses, but in the sewers, most will be red-light houses." Creeeeak! When we opened the door, despite it being morning, the smell of alcohol hit us.@@novelbin@@ The tables were half full, with most customers drinking beer without much food. Oliver led us past these tables to the counter. "Doesn''t look like you''re here for drinks..." Like at thekeside house, the owner of such taverns is usually a burly middle-aged man. "Bounty hunters?" "You''ve got good eyes." "Doesn''t look like you brought this one in though." The innkeeper frowned slightly as he looked at Obern. No matter how you looked at it, Obern didn''t fit in the lower district. Can''t help it when he''s built to shine so brightly. "Registering as a new bounty hunter." "That pretty boy?" I burst outughing with a "Pff!" Pretty boy, really. "You''ve got a snake with you. Pets aren''t allowed..." "He''s a magician. It''s his familiar." Pet, really. I slightly raised my head from Obern''s wrist and red at the innkeeper. "A magician... Well, I can register you, but..." "Skip the temporary and go straight to formal registration." "Hey, who do you think you are?" As the innkeeper was about to get annoyed, Oliver opened his coatpel. A small, shining badge was pinned to the chest of his inner clothing. N-no way... "A-ss Bounty Hunter, Oliver. I''m personally rmending him." So Oliver was an A-ss hunter! And it seemed A-ss hunters had something like rmendation rights. "Ah, understood." A-ss certainly carried weight. Oh, by the way, English isn''tmonly used in this world. It''s just that those squiggly characters can be tranted to something like A, B, C, D. So A-ss Oliver is just below S-ss bounty hunters in rank. "Here''s your D-ss badge. You can start working right away." What the innkeeper handed over was a pathetically wooden badge. Compared to Oliver''s shining badge, it looked far too shabby. How frustrating... We sat down at a table. Oliver spoke proudly. "As you can see, bing a bounty hunter is very easy. However, at D-ss, you''re treated no differently than ordinary people." Oliver spoke with a serious expression. "First goal is to reach B-ss and enter the area where the rogue guild and information brokers are. That''s the first barrier." Right. Get to B-ss. "Let''s move as quickly as possible. I''ll get the wanted posters and request forms." While Oliver got up. I climbed onto Obern''s shoulder. And said firmly. ''Obern, our goal isn''t B-ss.'' ''What...?'' ''We''re going for A-ss.'' By the way, I had been far from A-ss my whole life. ''Let''s get ourselves a gold badge too!'' This time, I was determined to reach A-ss. ''Hmm... certainly.'' Obern understood my feelings. Meanwhile, Oliver brought back a booklet from the innkeeper. It was a collection of copied request forms and wanted posters. "Let''s start by picking something easy and manageable. Do you have any preferences?" I told Oliver clearly. We weren''t just thinking about earning bounties. While building up achievements. ''The vicious ones. And...'' I wanted to gain magic power too. ''Pick ones where it doesn''t matter if we bring them in dead.'' Choose Dead or Alive. Chapter 384 Super Special Grade (1) The lower district of Nahagu is thergest among all the lower districts of the imperial road. The guard patrol is merely a formality. Whether it''s the intention of those in high ces or simple indifference, the lower district is left neglected. The same goes for wanted notices. It''s strange that even petty criminals have warrants out for them, and stranger still that these wanted criminals walk the streets in broad daylight. The authorities deliberately avoid putting direct effort into investigation and arrest activities. That''s why the profession of bounty hunter could exist. By funding citizens'' vignte activities, they outsourcedw enforcement and spared the lives of valuable guard members. However, one can''t expect bounty hunters to have the same level of professional consciousness as guards. The existence of red-light taverns itself was peculiar. It''s essentially the same as hanging a sign saying "Criminals and Wanted Persons Wee." Such taverns existed not only inside the sewers but also in the dark alleys of Nahagu. Even though the sun was barely setting. Creeak- The man who came out of the red-light tavern was flushed with drink. His name was Yaigan Yuzel. A man with a 4th-ss warrant for highway robbery. He grabbed the tavern wall and suddenly started vomiting. After spewing out reddish-yellow bitter liquid, he wiped his mouth with a groan. "Ah, I''m drunk." He was a manpletely devoid of dignity or culture. Though he''d emptied his stomach, it seems he hadn''t expelled his drunkenness. His steps were still staggering. He trudged along in the direction of the setting sun as if chasing the twilight. Yaigan wound through the alleys. In a narrow alley, he happened to encounter someone. A man was standing in the middle of the alley. "...Move." Though he could have passed by pressing himself against the wall, Yaigan said this instead. But the man, Obern, spoke without concern. "Yaigan Yuzel, is that right?" "...Who are you?" "So it is you." The man blocking the alley wasparing Yaigan''s face with some paper. Seeing that, the situation was obvious. "This bastard... a hunter?" He was clearly a bounty hunter. Though drunk, or perhaps because he was drunk, Yaigan wasn''t intimidated. Click! His speed in pulling out and opening a pocket knife was impressive. "Turn around and get lost if you don''t want holes in your guts." But Obern had grown too confident to be intimidated by a mere pocket knife. Instead, he conjured a magic bullet. "Get on your knees and lie down." Only then did Yaigan Yuzel snap to his senses. A magician. No matter how tough a robber he was, he wanted to avoid a one-on-one with a magician. Especially since he was alone right now... "Hey punk, we were wondering where you went after drinking so much." "This idiot always tries to go home alone when he''s drunk." That''s when it happened.@@novelbin@@ His brothers who had been drinking with him caught up to Yaigan. "What''s this..." "Ah shit!" The brothers could hold their liquor much better than Yaigan. In other words, they were still clear-headed. One pulled out a throwing dagger, and another drew a long epee from his waist. "The Yuzel brothers are all together." Highway robber brothers assembled! These three had even hunted a magician before. Though it''s unclear if that magician was a proper one. "Hey punk! Are you scared?" The magician, Obern, suddenly shot a magic bullet high into the sky. Bang! A small spark burst. What it meant was clear. "Damn, he''s calling for backup. Run!" The eldest Yuzel brother said this. A normal person would have expected all three to run in the opposite direction from Obern. But the Yuzel brothers were more experienced in the gutters than expected. The moment the eldest shouted to run, the second brother threw his throwing dagger at Obern. Simultaneously, the eldest thrust his epee. Their strategy was to kill the distracted magician and escape. It didn''t work at all. ng! The throwing dagger bounced off without even prating the shield. The same went for the epee. With their low physical power and drunk, imprecise swordsmanship, they couldn''t match Obern. As soon as their surprise attack failed, the difference in level became clear. "Damn it! Let''s all rush him!" The eldest shouted this time. Ridiculously, he meant the opposite. The three tried to run in the opposite direction from Obern. If only a small snake hadn''t appeared in that direction. They tried to ignore it and pass by. The alley was wide enough that one small snake couldn''t block it. Who could have imagined that small snake would growrge enough to fill the entire alley? "Aaaaargh!" The youngest screamed, and the second brother stopped in surprise. And that was the end. The snake swallowed both in one bite. "Nooo!" Though it seems they didn''t go down its throat. Psssssst! Steam burst from the snake''s nose with a popping sound. "Ptui!" The snake spat out the second and third brothers. "B-boys!" The eldest, Yason Yuzel, screamed. Though he was a cruel and bold robber, the current situation felt like a dream. Then a powerful impact struck the back of his head. Bam! Yason copsed. Behind him stood Obern holding a hammer. "Whew, whew." The snake, now small again, climbed onto his shoulder. ''That was some magical hammering.'' "Thank you." ''We caught them splendidly!'' "We should tie them up quickly." Obern first tied the unconscious second and third brothers'' wrists and ankles behind their backs. Then as he was tying up the eldest... "C-crazy..." Yason seemed to have quite a sturdy head. To his ears, it must have looked like Obern was talking to empty air. "Got caught by some crazy bastard..." Even while groaning, his words were still thorny. "Do you know who you''ve messed with?" "..." "We Yuzel brothers just joined the Mud House. They won''t let you get away with this." It was a sticky threat. However, neither Obern nor the snake paid any attention. The snake approached the head of the bound Yason Yuzel. "W-what are you doing! Get this ugly snake away!" "Yason Yuzel, alone a 3rd-ss wanted criminal. Same charge of highway robbery, with additional charges of killing a merchant and raping his daughter. He has the highest bounty." "H-hehe, yeah damn it! If you know, then get the snake away quickly." Yason was dripping with cold sweat. "This one can be brought in dead or alive." "Damn it, are you talking to the snake right now!" Finally, the moment Yason burst out in anger. The snake ced its tail on Yason''s face. And like a lie, a voice echoed in his head. ''That''s right, farewell.'' Farewell to where? His neck stung. The snake had bitten his neck. ''Ow, salty.'' Those were thest words Yason heard. In less than 10 seconds. The snake''s venom had definitely sent Yason''s soul somewhere. == ¡¸You have killed Highway Robber Yason Yuzel lv49.¡¹ Magic power seeps in. Hmm. Not particrly rich or abundant in taste. Close to a small fry, far from enough to level up. It might be better if we catch several of these. But there aren''t many wanted criminals with Dead or Alive notices in the lower district. If we go down to the sewers, both the quantity and quality of prey should increase. "Wow, that was quite some work." Oliver, who had been upying the opposite alley, came running. Since fighting is prohibited in or in front of red-light taverns, we had set a trap and waited in an alley some distance away. Chapter 385 Super Special Grade (2) The strategy was for me to join them in the alley they were heading towards and finish them off. And as always until now, it worked perfectly. "You''ve cleared out the petty criminals in Nahagu''s lower district in no time." We''ve quite enjoyed this work for several weeks. Obern was a magician capable of protecting himself, and with proper setup, he could look quite weak. Then I step in and sh! "But hadn''t these guys heard the rumors?" The problem was that our reputation had gradually spread. More precisely, my reputation hadn''t spread, but the reputation of Obern as a dangerous magician bounty hunter had. Though disappointing, that couldn''t be helped. "I''ll load them onto the cart." We loaded them onto the prepared cart. One had departed for the afterlife, and the remaining two would rot in prison for a very long time. Be good when you get out, kids~ We returned to our regr tavern, the Lakeside House. As we pushed the cart through the back door. "Damn!" The innkeeper cursed. "Just when I thought it was slowing down, here theye again!" The innkeeper escorts wanted criminals to the guards and takes amission fee. Though he smiled happily at first,ter he became glum. He said he couldn''t run his business properly because he had to escort wanted criminals to the guards, and he didn''t even have a proper holding cell in the inn. "This will probably be thest time." But when Oliver said this, the innkeeper''s eyes went wide. "Really? Now that you mention it, I feel kind of sad." "It''s time to y in deeper waters." "Geez, why do you have to crawl into dangerous ces when you could livefortably here." Though his words were rough, the innkeeper had quite an affectionate personality. "Haha." "Stop that meaninglessughing." But we couldn''t tell him the detailed circumstances. "Come in for now. I''ll give you each a beer." The innkeeper called his employee to move the wanted criminals. We sat at the counter. Finally, time for settlement. "This time you should be able to rise to B-ss." The innkeeper said this while checking the wanted posters. Those who give points to bounty hunters are people like innkeepers who escort wanted criminals. You could call them the official association. And finally, the time hade. Oliver''s goal was for Obern to enter the sewers with B-ss or higher rank. "Oh, the points are perfect. You''ve just made B-ss." From B-ss, you receive a silver badge. "Congrattions." Just as the innkeeper pulled out the shining silver badge. ''Obern!'' ''Yes!'' I''m not satisfied with B-ss. Of course, I have ambitions to be an A-ss, and after entering the sewers, eventually an S-ss bounty hunter. And we had a secret weapon left. "Please include this in the point calction." "...What''s this?" What Obern handed over was an old earring. It was proof of hunting Deshnan. "Could it be..." "Yes, proof of capturing the 1st-ss wanted criminal Deshnan." "No way!" Not all 1st-ss wanted criminals are the same. Among them are some considered nearly impossible to hunt. Therefore, just bringing items like their earrings or possessions is enough to acknowledge a sessful hunt. The innkeeper pulled out an old booklet from the cab. After dusting off the book, he flips through the pages. It should be there. Since he''s been a 1st-ss wanted criminal for a very long time. "Earring... earring... Here it is!" It was written ''Zookeeper Deshnan, bring the earring after cutting off his ear'', and there was even an illustration of the earring. "Please count these points too." "Wait... We need to verify if this is genuine. I can only give the bounty after that. I don''t have that much money anyway." After all, he was prey worth 500 silver coins. I couldn''t hide my feeling of pride. I had hunted Deshnan when I was just a little snake. Is this enough of an answer now? Hurry and promote us to A-ss. "The points?" "Ah, I can calcte the points right away." I had actually calcted in advance. We could be A-ss hunters with just 5 more points. And the innkeeper finished his calction. "With 95 points... wow, just 5 more points and you can promote straight to A-ss!" "...What?" Even Obern was surprised. He too wanted to promote to A-ss. But instead of having 5 points extra, we were short. "Hmm? Look, I didn''t make a mistake in the calction." Obern and I quickly examined the calction. And we realized the problem. "The eldest of those Yuzel brothers from earlier. There was a 10-point bonus for capturing him alive." "Why..." "There are bereaved family members who wanted to take revenge on him personally." That''s where our calction went wrong! How disappointing. "Ahem." Oliver cleared his throat. "B-ss is sufficient." Well, we were running out of criminals we could catch anyway. Still feeling slightly disappointed, I gave one instruction to Obern. "Can I see that booklet?" "This?" The dust-covered book the innkeeper pulled from the cab. It was a book collecting wanted notices for 1st-ss and above criminals. "I''m curious about the contents." "Take a look, though there won''t be anyone you can catch." A booklet collecting wanted notices from 1st-ss to special ss. Of course, I wanted to check the special ss first. I should have checked this earlier too. First, I should look for that guy the Emperor wants to find. I could find it quickly. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Oban VanKloss] (Special ss) [Charges] Treason, 1st-ss murder, 1st-ss terrorism... [Danger Level] ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡î [Bounty] 1,000 gold coins [Points] 495 points [Notes] Extremely dangerous, master of summoning, numerous followers... ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Wow, amazing. Danger level of 9 stars and bounty of 1,000 gold coins. But the points are a bit stingy. Seems like we couldn''t rise straight to S-ss even catching just this one. Need to catch more small fry to rise up. Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire It''s a structure that encourages steady work rather than one big score. Looking through, I found another familiar name. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Cherin Ferang] (Special ss) [Charges] 1st-ss murder, multiple 1st-ss thefts... [Danger Level] ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡î¡î [Bounty] 700 gold coins [Points] 380 points ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ No way! To think the grand master of the Ferang School dagger technique is listed here. I''m deeply moved. The danger level and bounty are a bit lower. But the notes were worth looking at. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Notes] Skilled at escape. All who learned Ferang School dagger technique are wanted. Depending on their danger level and skill, bounties start from 100 silver coins, points from 50 and up... What? I nced at Oliver. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Oliver avoided my gaze. Good, from now on Oliver is lunch. "You''re looking at unnecessary things. Stop looking." Pelerian suddenly cut in.@@novelbin@@ I looked up something that suddenly came to mind. Gasp! It''s really there! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Heaven Defier Pelerian] (Super Special ss) [Charges] Special ss terrorism, special ss murder, wicked experimental activities... [Danger Level] ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï+¡ï¡ï¡ï [Bounty] 5,000 gold coins, 100 gold coins for information [Points] 1,000 points, 100 points for information [Notes] Must report to the imperial family if discovered. Never approach alone. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "Huhuhaha!" To think a super special ss lunch existed around me... Just as I was about to read more of the book because it was too interesting. "Ah!" The innkeeper suddenly started searching through the wanted notices. "As it happens, there''s one easy small fry that just came in that could raise your points." It was wee news. Chapter 386 Wish Granted (1) ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Bajen Bahadi] (5th ss) [Charges] 3rd-ss theft. [Danger Level] ¡ï [Bounty] 50 copper coins [Points] 5 points [Notes] Water addict ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The wanted notice the innkeeper handed over waspletely different from the 1st ss and above notices I''d just seen in the booklet. The paper quality was different, and the content was utterly shabby. 50 copper coins is barely enough for one night''s lodging, so he was truly a small fry. But it''s exactly 5 points. We could be A-ss hunters just by catching this small fry? Can''t pass that up. "Here''s theposite sketch." "...Isn''t this too crude?" "Be thankful there''s even a sketch. We often don''t even know what petty criminals look like." "Give me another copy." "Here." The sketch was at a level I feel I could draw better myself. However, the mole next to the pug nose was a clear distinguishing feature. "He seems to be living in the shantytown on that hill. The bounty is small since we can guess his residence." "Water addicts are troublesome though." Oliver said this. The ''water addict'' written in the notes refers to people addicted to ''water'', literally. This water doesn''t refer to clear spring water from mountainsides. Water is a drug made by refining sewage from specific waterways in the sewers. In other words, it''s a drug that causes addiction and hallucinations. It''s ironic to call a drug made from sewage ''water'', but its cheap price means there are many addicts. The biggest water manufacturers in the sewers are the ''Heaven Medicine Party'' - those suspected to be connected to Oban VanKloss. "Being a water addict should make him easy to catch. Take it or leave it." We took the wanted notice. And then came to this shantytown to inquire about wanted criminals. The first to get results seemed to be me. A little girl with a runny nose right in front of me. She nodded when she saw theposite sketch. ''You know him?'' Neither Oliver nor Obern were with me. The girl nodded again looking at the paper. ''I came to catch him, where does he live?'' Since I wasn''t wearing the Crown of Connection, I didn''t think she''d understand me. But surprisingly, the little girl was very brave. She suddenly grabbed me from the ground. "Let''s go together." ''Ack, got snot on me.'' She looked about five or six years old. Where are her parents, letting her wander alone in such a dangerous ce! The girl hugged me like a doll and started running. The shantytown was veryplex. The little girl went inside through what wasn''t even a proper alley, but more like a dog hole. "Your name is Whitey." Whitey, really. Call me the great Ouroboros or ck Snake King. But actually, I don''t really dislike the name Whitey. Nanaluk used to call me that too. The little girl seemed to indeed be a resident of the shantytown. Where she took me was a small building among other shanties.@@novelbin@@ She slipped through a dirty door riddled with holes at the bottom. I dangled from the little girl''s hand. I thought about breaking free and scolding her, but worried her grip might tear my scales, so I held back. The inside was even dirtier than the exterior. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire The uncleaned house was strewn withundry and odds and ends. Flies buzzed around unwashed dishes left on the dining table. The girl carried me to a desk with a frame on it. A portrait of a young woman sat covered in dust. She held me up and said: "Mom, snake." Since she wasn''t calling me mom, I guess she was showing off her newly found snake to her mother''s portrait. "Whitey." There didn''t seem to be anyone else in the house. Oh dear, have I wasted time? ¡¸Using Crown of Connection lv3.¡¹ ''Hey little one.'' "Ah!" The little girl was startled by heavy footsteps in the hallway and threw me down with trembling hands, curling up like a frightened hedgehog. Her golden pigtails quivered with each shaky breath. I had no choice but to roll on the dusty floor, collecting grey lint and forgotten crumbs along my worn fabric surface. The ancient wooden floorboards creaked ominously above me. After raising her head and looking around with wide, tear-rimmed brown eyes, the kid picked me up again with desperate fingers and went stomping into a room. Her mary jane shoes made hollow thuds against the floor, echoing in the empty corridor. She seemed to be hiding from someone. The room, too small even to use as storage, had one bunk bed. The little girl crawled into the bottom bunk and pulled the nket over herself. Then she curled up, hugging me tight. ''Can''t breathe.'' "Gasp, it talked!" She seemed to finally realize I could talk. "Whitey talked." ''Yes yes, Whitey is talking.'' "How can you talk?" ''You''re talking too.'' Though the baby is cute, I have work to do. Seems like I struck out, so I should head back. ''Thatposite sketch I showed earlier. You don''t know who it is?'' "I know." Don''t lie, you rascal. Though the little girl''s face was covered in grime, her eyes were bright. "He''lle soon..." And just as she said that. There were sounds of people outside. The door burst open as people came in. Not one, but several. "Bahadi you bastard!" A man shouted and there was a crashing noise. The little girl squeezed me tight. A mix of musty dust and child''s scent wafted. ''Let me go.'' "No..." This was quite troublesome. "You punk, you think the Mud House is easy?" "Sorry, I''m sorry!" Hmm, let''s listen to what''s going on. There were sounds of thumping and hitting. Mud House was one of the empire''s two major rogue guilds. Given their size, they must have many members, so why are they beating up a drug addict? "We''re already on bad terms with Two Rings, and you punk addict..." For reference, Two Rings is another rogue guild opposing Mud House. "You took the tribute money and spent it on water?" "Ugh, aaargh!" So that''s it. Chapter 387 Wish Granted (2) Seems the water addict spent the tribute money on water. Then he deserves the beating. "There''s going to be war, war. Get it?" To think I''d get unexpected information in a ce like this. Seems war will break out soon between Two Rings and Mud House. Wonder what''ll happen when the two rogue guilds fight. Should tell Oliver about this. "Sell your daughter if you have to get the money. Or you''ll die, understand?" "Yes, yes!" The Mud House guild members left after saying nasty things. Even then, the little girl wouldn''t let me go. "Sniff, ugh. Damn bastards..." My prey was sobbing alone outside. After a moment of silence, I asked the little girl. ''...Little one, where''s your mother?'' "Mom''s gone..." I thought so. I don''t have one either. This feels a bit awkward. Seems she lives alone with her father, but would it be okay for me to take her father away? A snake might be fine without parents, but humans are so weak. But, seems there was more family. Footsteps were heard from outside. "Big sis..." The little girl''s voice held both joy and fear. I could soon see why. "Where have you been until now!" The water addict who had been begging for mercy from the Mud House guild members started yelling. "I-I was out working." "The daily wage." "It was taken for unpaid debt..." Then there was a pping sound. "You, you look down on me too?" Though the sister''s voice sounded quite young. It was a scene of merciless domestic violence. So there was a sister. Then it should be okay. Also... "Mom..." The little one was praying to her absent mother. "Please make daddy disappear..." She prays while shedding tears. I wiped the little girl''s tears with my tail. ''That wish.'' And asked. ''Shall I grant it?'' The little girl stared at me nkly. Then nodded. ''Wish received.'' I slipped out of the little girl''s grip. I was about to draw my sword but changed my mind. ¡¸Using Gigantification lv4.¡¹ I grew my body just enough to get through the door. Then opened the door and revealed myself. ''Hello.'' "Close the doo-aaaaah!" The water addict who had been grabbing the hair of a girl about ten years old fell over in surprise. I slithered slowly. Looking at the sister, she was somewhat hurt. Her cheek was cut and lip split. "Ah, ugh..." I took out a potion and gave it to the girl who was trembling in fear looking at me. She couldn''t even drink it, just shaking nkly. The water addict didn''t seem to grasp the situation. "Hey, did I take too much water? Hallucination." Sorry, but this isn''t a hallucination. You''re going to get beaten ten times as much.@@novelbin@@ "Whack!" (One!) When my tail strike hit his stomach, his body flew up. Bang! He hit the ceiling and came down. Then he vomited his stomach contents with a retch. "Smack!" (Two!) This time I struck his cheekbone. He bounced off like a figure skater doing a double axel. Last! Three! I struck the fallen addict''s bottom. Crack! A strange sound came from his hip bone. "Wow!" And someone pped. It was the little girl who hade out of the room. "Big sis, it''s Whitey!" "Ah, Soma..." The sister pulled the little girl into a corner to hide, thoroughly frightened. Excellent judgment. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire She seemed mature for her age. "Sis, Whitey, granted my wish." "Be quiet!" "It''s true. I made a wish." I used invisible hand magic to tie up the unconscious water addict. Then stood before the children. I took out a gold coin and wrote on the floor. ''Wish granted.'' The little one kept pping. "That''s right!" "W-wish..." Since the sister was too scared, I made my body small again. Wonder if this helped? "You really granted the wish..." The sister said this. Seems she had been harboring a simr wish to her sister''s. That''s when it happened. Something I hadn''t expected: ¡¸Gained a considerable amount of Majesty.¡¹ Suddenly gaining Majesty here? Honestly, I didn''t do anything that great... The eyes of the two girls looking at me were sparkling. Perhaps granting their ''wish'' had an effect? Come to think of it, I''ve granted someone''s wish a few times before. Didn''t I just help Raota fly after hearing ck Rabbit''s wish? But why did I suddenly gain Majesty this time? And why a ''considerable'' amount, I''m not sure. Was there a difference? Certainly, there seems to be a difference between how these little ones look at me and how ck Rabbit looks at me. Kind of simr to the pure gaze of goblins looking at me. Probably umted quite a bit of Majesty by now... Sure enough. ¡¸The amount of acquired Majesty has reached a critical point.¡¹ ¡¸Gained skill ''Frenzy''.¡¹ Frenzy? Surely not the kind where you go crazy. I tried using the new skill on the spot. ¡¸Using Frenzy lv1.¡¹ Then my body started glowing and sparkling. "Wow! It''s sparkling!" "It''s glowing...!" The girls pped in unison. This feels nice. I patted both girls'' heads. ''I''ll take your father away. Live well together.'' Though it will probably be a harsh world. Maybe having even such a father would be better... No matter how great a snake I am, I can''t take responsibility for everything. But I can give them some money at least. Clink- I took out a handful of silver coins from subspace and dropped them on the floor. ''Well then, farewell!'' I dragged the water addict out. The children said goodbye from behind. Somehow, instead of waving, the sister held her hands together as if in prayer. == Ready to enter the sewers! Nahagu has over ten passages to enter the sewers. But there was only one officially recognized entrance. Guards stood in front of it. Of course, they weren''t part of the guard corps, but the Sewer Self-Governance Association (a real organization) keeping watch. They check identities, at least nominally. "Name." "Oliver." Of course, it''s not done by showing identification tags. "Bounty hunter?" "A-ss." When he showed his badge, Oliver passed through easily. Most people entering the sewers use fake names, they say. Then is Oliver a fake name too? "Next, also a bounty hunter?" It was our turn. Obern proudly opened his coat to show the gold badge. We had seeded in promoting after catching the water addict. "A-ss." "...Yes, A-ss sir." "Mm." "Name?" "..." Of course, Obern also used a fake name. For reference, I gave it to him myself. "...Snakebern." "Mr. Snakebern. Go ahead." Snakebern and Oliver, entering the sewers. Chapter 388 Come Out and Talk (1) The sewers were different from what I had imagined. While they were damp and dark as expected, most notably, there wasn''t dirty sewage flowing. It felt more like a dungeon than sewers. Torches hung abundantly on the walls, and the space had an overall greenish tint, perhaps due to moss. The clear difference from a dungeon was that many people passed through. The bustling atmosphere felt even more lively than the lower district above ground. ''Why isn''t water flowing in the sewers, Oliver?'' ''There''s a separate ce where sewage flows. You''ll see it when we go further in. There''s even ake.'' Surely they''re not just calling a puddle ake? That''s what I thought, but it really was ake with fish living in it. ''There are even fishermen who make a living fishing there.'' ''Is it safe to eat those?'' ''Sometimes they catch fish with three eyes or extra limbs, but they''re edible. Thekeside taverns fry them up.'' ''Must be quite the delicacy.'' Oliver exined the geography of the sewer interior. The sewers seemed veryplex and widely spread out. Naturally, there weren''t as many open spaces as above ground, but the area of intertwined maze-like passages reached about one-third of the imperial road. There were even ces in the sewers that could be called ''cities''. Thergest city essible from Nahagu was ''Hanagu.'' Apparently named after Nahagu. Anyway, Hanagu was quite arge city. "Wow..."@@novelbin@@ Even Obern, who rarely lost hisposure (outwardly), was impressed. Hanagu came into full view below the long descending path. The ancients seem to have discovered a huge basin underground while designing the sewers. And people with various reasons for not being able to live above ground must have built this city below. "This is the city of rats and snakes, Hanagu." Oliver said this. ''City of rats and snakes''? If we get rid of all the rats, it''ll just be the ''city of snakes''. You could really see ake down there. Though it didn''t look very clean, fishing boats floated on it and taverns lined the shore. Now that we''d reached our destination, it was time to get to work. Obern and I looked at each other and nodded. We spoke simultaneously. "Let''s find the Emperor''s traitor." ''Let''s find my lost treasure.'' Then we looked at each other again. Seems our priorities were a bit different. "No, first I need to save my life..." ''Well, there''s no time limit, and my treasure might not have been sold yet, so we should search the underground auction house first...'' I thought my side was more logical, but. Obern looked at me like I was some great viin. Ungrateful fellow. I started arguing with Obern while bickering. Oliver stopped us. After hearing our circumstances, Oliver spoke calmly. "Both matters are important, and both can be aplished at once." I felt strange looking at Oliver. ''We have three goals though.'' "Ah... yes, that''s right." I didn''t think Oliver was volunteering to help us. He too was helping us to achieve his own goal. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire To put that goal simply, ''revenge''. Though it seems he''s trying to use me for that, I''m willing to go along with it to some extent. He''s still arade after all. Though also a traitor. "There''s somewhere we need to visit first to achieve all three goals." ''Where''s that?'' "Information brokers." Oliver said this. Information brokers! Well, there must be more proper ways to gather information than eavesdropping on tavern conversations. "There are several types of information brokers. Some operate on a membership system with strict security, while others can be visited by anyone with money." ''And we?'' "Obviously thetter." ''Thetter is worse than the former, right?'' Oliver shook his head. "Actually, it''s the opposite. Information is like flowing water - the more peoplee and go, the more information umtes. However... it is a dangerous ce." Come to think of it, even in martial arts novels, organizations with high information power like Beggar''s Sect or Haomin Sect hadrge numbers. "They''re people who buy and sell anything for money. It''s an information guild created by those of humble origins banding together." Somehow this exnation felt familiar. "Butchers who sell meat, those who tend pigs and horses, courtesans who sellughter and their bodies, innkeepers who sell alcohol and beds. They united to..." ''What!'' This definitely looks like... ''Isn''t this Haomin Sect!'' Has Haomin Sect been established here in the empire''s underground? "I don''t know what Haomin Sect is, but it''s called the Under Circle." What a strange name, Under Circle. In my heart, it was definitely Haomin Sect. And indeed. "The branch we''ll visit is a salon." ''By salon, you mean a pleasure house?'' "...Yes, a ce with courtesans." Mm, that''s how an information guild should be. == [Burnt Rose Salon] If it''s a rose salon, it''s a rose salon. But what''s with ''burnt'' rose? The ssically styled sign showed a half-burned rose. Oliver stared nkly at that sign. Naturally, people passing by stared at us standing in front of the salon''s door in broad daylight. They snickered at us. Especially the courtesans smoking outside the salon, who giggled while stealing nces at us. "If Daisy finds out, I''m dead..." ''I''ve got my girlfriend wrapped around my finger'' Obern muttered this. Due to his exceptionally handsome appearance, the courtesans showed great interest in Obern. He was embarrassed as they blew him kisses whenever their eyes met. Among them was quite a bold courtesan. "Sir, why don''t youe in?" She was a courtesan wearing heavy makeup and a seductive dress. "Are you shy? I''m on break now, shall I go in with you?" "..." "My, look how shy he is. Why won''t you look at me?" The courtesan teased while bringing her face close to Obern''s. I got annoyed and revealed myself. "Ssaak!" Move! However, the courtesan''s reaction was unexpected when I thought she''d scream "Kyaaah!" "Oh my, you keep a snake too?" "..." "How cute. It''s the prettiest snake I''ve ever seen." The courtesan stroked my head with her finger. Hmm... Must be good people gathered here. And it seems this wasn''t just this courtesan''s unique taste. "A snake?" The courtesans who had been watching from behind all rushed over to pet me and make a fuss. It seemed they weren''t making amotion because of Obern but because of me. My shoulders (non-existent) swelled with pride. Oliver didn''t have the hobby of drawing attention by loitering in front of the salon. He hadn''t been standing still for no reason. Soon a man came out. "Do you have an appointment?" "No appointment, but..." He took out something like a business card. "I''d like to see Madame Rouge." "...Please wait a moment." The man went into the salon and came back after a while. "I''ll escort you to the upper floor." The courtesans who had been clinging to Obern all scattered. And they turned their gazes away as if we were invisible. It was almost disappointing. The inside of the salon felt very luxurious and decadent. A faint musk scent wafted from somewhere. Our footsteps made no sound on the plush velvet carpet. The interior was maze-like in itsplexity, with the stairs the man led us to at the very back. Creak. The stairs made the characteristic noise of old wood. After climbing for a while. A space with a different atmosphere from the salon appeared. Oliver spoke to me mentally. ''The salon''s owner is a very dangerous woman who loves money. They say she''ll sell anything if paid enough. This is my first time meeting her too...'' ''Don''t worry, we have plenty of money.'' Never thought I''d say such words, but it was true. Chapter 389 Come Out and Talk (2) ''We can''t use force in the salon. If we make enemies of the information guild, we won''t be able to do anything.'' Anxiety was felt from Oliver''s mind. ''Even if you say that... when force is needed, it must be used.'' Such things aren''t under my control, Oliver. Oliver went mentally silent. A masked woman sat in the middle of arge room. The atmosphere felt more like visiting a fortune teller than an information broker. Ding- diding- ding. Beside her, a woman in a dress yed what looked like a golden instrument. Feels like I should shout "Raise the redntern!" any moment now. When we sat before the masked woman, she spoke. "What have youe to buy?" "Information." "About what?" "About Oban VanKloss." Tring! Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire The courtesan ying the instrument made a mistake. The masked woman red at the courtesan and jerked her chin. The courtesan hurriedly gathered her instrument and left the room. "This is talk that needs privacy." From there, I could be certain. So Oban VanKloss really is in the imperial capital. That''s why they reacted that way. By the way, dismissing the courtesan was quite an interesting performance. I told Oliver. ''Oliver, one person above the ceiling, one under the floor, one hidden behind that folding screen behind the woman.'' With presence detection and magic detection abilities, this much is simple. Talk that needs privacy, yet she has three people hidden nearby. Oliver asked without revealing he knew this fact. "Is Oban VanKloss in Hanagu?" "The price is 100 gold coins." "..." Oliver sighed. ''That''s a refusal.'' ''Why?'' ''Too expensive. This means refusal.'' Asking 100 gold coins for one piece of information means refusal, he says.@@novelbin@@ But... ''I have lots of money though.'' ''...Do you have 100 gold coins?'' ''Ah wait a moment.'' When I asked Pelerian if I could use it, he snorted and answered. Saying didn''t we just get 500 coins worth. "That''s just pocket change. Use it." ''Yes! Thank you!'' I told Oliver to hold out his hand. I opened subspace in Oliver''s sleeve. Clink clink clink- Various gold items poured out of his sleeve. This should be enough for one-fifth of 500 coins worth. "Urk!" The masked woman didn''t make such an undignified sound. Obern was watching the piling gold items with desperate eyes. By the way, it was still pouring out. 100 gold coins is quite a lot. Ding. Finally stopped after thest gold coin fell. Honestly, it was more than I expected. ''Mm, kind of a waste...'' "Seems you didn''t even know how much 100 gold coins was." ''Not a waste at all!'' The masked woman seemed surprised too as she stayed still. After silence lingered for a while, she spoke first. "You must be an esteemed guest. I will tell you." Her voice trembled slightly. Guess she didn''t expect we could pay. This is whymoners... "Oban VanKloss is not in Hanagu. However, he was sighted within the sewers in the past month." Oliver clenched his fist. It was extremely brief for 100 gold coins worth of information. But it was clearly important information. Because Obern''s survival chances had increased once again. "Is Oban VanKloss the ruler of the Heaven Medicine Party?" "I''ll answer that question without charge." The masked woman spoke decisively. "He is not the ruler of the Heaven Medicine Party, but they are clearly in cooperation. That''s all I can say." Next question. "The imperial bank''s vice president seems to have disposed of some items through the underground auction house." "Oh, is that so? What kind of items?" "We haven''t fully identified what items they were. However, they were worth at least 300 gold coins, and possibly antiques or precious metals." "That''s quite a vague request." Her mouth visible below the mask showed an awkward smile. "Would you like aption of items suspected to have entered the auction house through the imperial bank in recent months and their whereabouts?" "Yes." "The price is 10 gold coins." Oh. The price dropped significantly. ''This one''s much cheaper, Oliver.'' ''This is still expensive. She''s really trying to milk us dry.'' ''What...!'' ''Getting only one service after taking 100 coins...'' That''s a bit shocking. "What, now you regret the 100 coins?" Pelerianughed beside me. "This is why poor people... Such small capacity." ''I don''t regret it at all though?'' It''s not about small capacity, just thinking rationally. Wonder if we could haggle even now? "I''ll investigate right away andpile it into a booklet. Please have some tea while waiting." "Yes." Since there was quite a lot of information this time, it couldn''t be exined verbally. The masked woman brewed tea herself. When the tea leaves in the teapot had steeped sufficiently, she took out three crystal cups and poured tea. Obern and Oliver picked up cups and drank the tea. Naturally, she didn''t give me tea. I was hidden in Oliver''s sleeve to begin with. "Today''s information was expensive, but I''ll charge less in the future. Please visit often." "Ah, yes..." How shameless. They chatted for a while. It was really just chat. She didn''t ask anything like why we were seeking this information or where we came from. So. At first, there seemed nothing strange about what the woman said. "How is the tea?" "Yes, it''s excellent." "I often serve tea here. But watching people, there''s something interesting." Despite her covered face, covering her mouth whileughing was quite coquettish. "What''s that?" "When I let them choose their own teacups, and I drink first, they drink without any suspicion." "...?" "Your sense has dulled considerably, Noksu." Noksu? Oliver flinched. Was his real name Noksu? Then how did this woman know Oliver''s name? She removed her mask. The right side of her face was twisted with burn scars. "I am the Burnt Rose." "Rae...?" "Oh my, you remember my name." What? They knew each other? And still couldn''t get a friend discount. ng! Oliver, or rather Noksu, dropped his teacup. Looking at Obern, his face had already turned pale as he clutched his throat. "Don''t worry, it''s not lethal poison. Though you''ll die before you break." Finally, Oliver copsed too. No! ''Wait, I have something to ask!'' I quickly jumped out of Oliver''s sleeve onto his chest. ''Oliver!'' "Ugh, urgh." ''Can we get the 100 coins back now?'' Oliver rolled his eyes to look at me. He definitely nodded. "...A snake?" Then the unmasked woman looked at me in surprise. "Ssak." Hello. Let''s have a chat now. First, let''s alle out and talk. ¡¸Using Beam lv6.¡¹ ¡¸Using Beam lv6.¡¹ ¡¸Using Beam lv6.¡¹ Pipiping! Holes opened in the ceiling, folding screen, and floor. "Aah!" "Ah!" "Ugh!" A trio of screams rang out. Chapter 390 The Boss (1) The beam that pierced the wall wouldn''t have killed them instantly. It wasn''t aimed at vital points after all. "Come out!" When the masked woman shouted, those in hiding all jumped out at once. Breaking through the ceiling, smashing through the floor, and tearing through the folding screen. They still didn''t seem to grasp the situation. They looked around in confusion after seeing me, as if checking for other enemies. Even the masked woman who had just witnessed my prowess did the same. Can''t be helped. I took out paper from subspace. Flutter, flutter. The paper drifted in the air. Grabbing it. I picked up a pen and wrote. ¡¸You are people who know no loyalty.¡¹ They flinched in surprise. "The snake... speaks." ¡¸Take out the antidote and apologize, then I''ll spare you.¡¹ I showed my hand before negotiations. Their response to that was disbelief. Disbelief that I held their lives in my hands. "What a strange monster. Kill it!" "Yes!" The one who jumped out from the floor lunged at me. He held a narrow short sword good for concealment. Probably thinking to slice me up like kimbap. But. Just one person attacking instead of all three - they underestimated me too. Swoosh. The sound of flesh being cut was heard only once. The one who tried to attack me fell forward. His head separated from his body. ¡¸Killed Ambusher lv52.¡¹ The body rolling on the floor and that head. A moment of silence passed. I could feel the magic power being absorbed.@@novelbin@@ I took out a handful of silver coins from subspace. ¡¸Would ten coins be enough for a life?¡¹ Clink, the silver coins fell to the floor. "What are you doing! Kill it!" The masked woman still seemed unable toe to her senses. One ambusher took out a whistle and blew it. Pheeeee-! Needlessly increasing the casualties. Fine by me. This time two rushed at me at once. But I have two invisible hands too. Dawn in one hand, Twilight in the other. They were flustered facing swords dancing in midair. Fighting different opponents with both hands isn''t easy even for me. But they were in an even more difficult situation. Someone holding a sword has many ces to strike. But there''s no way to handle just a sword flying around without a person. I bit the ankle of one struggling with the floating sword. ¡¸Using Heart-eating Leap lv8.¡¹ Bang! The other one copsed clutching his chest. Blood spurted between his fingers - instant death. And the one whose ankle I bit. "Kuhek, kuk!" His face turned purple and he died without even a proper scream. Two more gone in an instant. The only enemy left here was the masked woman. Either she had no intention to fight or no ability to fight, as she just stood still. Clink, clink. I paid the price for two more lives. ¡¸Twenty silver coins.¡¹ Only one left. ¡¸How much is your life worth?¡¹ Gold items poured out of subspace. The masked woman stood frozen, unable to speak. Just as she was about to part her trembling lips. People burst in with a mor. The man who had guided us entered first. "Madame Rouge!" "No!" But several people including courtesans had already entered. "Get out!" "B-but." "Now!" Those trying to enter hurriedly went back down. Seems she''s notpletely unable to assess the situation. I retrieved some of the gold items I had dropped. No need to pay for their lives now. Then. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire ¡¸I''ll ask onest time.¡¹ I won''t give any more chances. ¡¸How much is your life worth?¡¹ The masked woman finally answered. "I''ll return the hundred gold coins." I shook my head. "I''ll bring the antidote too. I only used snake venom with a dream-inducing effect." I see, no wonder she was familiar with snakes. But that''s not enough either. I shook my head. "I''ll return all the money you gave." ¡¸Your life seems quite cheap.¡¹ The woman trembled. "...I''ll give you all the money I have." She moved aside the cushion she had been sitting on. A safe was hidden there. I stared in disbelief as she pressed her lips tight and opened the safe. Inside were neatly stacked gold bars. Looks like over 300 gold coins worth at least. I readily epted and pocketed them. The woman''s hands trembled as she handed over the gold bars. ¡¸What are you waiting for, hurry up.¡¹ "...Yes." Looking now, the woman was crying. She muttered while tears dropped. "I saved for 8 years..." This much gold in 8 years means she earned quite well. I mercilessly epted and pocketed the gold bars. This is snake-style value investing. There are three principles of investing. First, never lose. Second, don''t forget the first principle. Third, the one who wins in the end takes it all. == Nok...su... Noksu... "Noksu!" The young man named after a tree snapped awake. "Why can''t you focus? Are you too happy?" "Huh? Ah..." He looked at his hands. Holding a dagger. His hands, repeatedly torn and healed, were now sufficiently tough and strong. Enough to perform the Ferang School dagger technique. "You''ve gained peerless dagger skills and be Cherin Ferang''s sessor. You''re the vice guild master of the Poison Path Guild. Our Noksu is set for life now, right?" "..." "And you''re about to be a father too." His wife''s face, smiling as she said this, was dotted with freckles like wildflowers. Those freckles were why he married her, Noksu suddenly recalled. "Thank you." "All of a sudden?" Suddenly feeling incredibly nostalgic, Noksu embraced his wife. His wife hugged him back tightly. "I''m nning to grow the Poison Path Guild into the third major rogue guild." "Is that possible?" "Have to do it. We need to achieve at least that much to live above ground." Wildflowers don''t bloom in the sewers. Flowers need sunlight to bloom. He wanted his soon-to-be-born daughter, or son, to live above ground. For that, Noksu was willing to go all the way. But he shouldn''t have. "What are you doing, mister?" Someone spoke with contempt. Noksu turned his head in surprise. "Someone who abandoned everything and ran away right after his wife died, now shamelessly returns talking about revenge?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!