LIGHTNOVELSTORY EP.66
No, can a divine artifact really break that easily?
“…I can’t believe it.”
I can’t believe it either.
That wasn’t my intention at all.
I don’t want to become a statue.
I made the most pitiful lizard face I could muster.
The Snake Queen’s vertical pupils were fixated on me.
She wore a dry expression similar to Baek Yeon-young.
It was a look that was completely inscrutable.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
Is she angry?
She must be angry, right?
After all, I broke a divine artifact.
“Come closer.”
Alright.
It’s better to face the music head-on.
Even though I broke a divine artifact, she probably wouldn’t turn me into a statue.
Having already been broken, she’d likely just demand compensation in some form.
She might say something like, “Pay it back with that body!”
Though, of course, that would mean she intends to strip me of every single scale.
“Gek….”
I crawled over while making a cautious “gek” noise.
I felt a twinge of resentment towards Shik Shik, who was still asleep.
The Snake Queen gently held my mouth open.
“Gek-kek?”
Wait, isn’t this something only Baek Yeon-young would do?
I thought we resembled each other, but our actions are similar too.
The Snake Queen slowly inspected inside my mouth.
It seemed she was examining my uvula and salivary glands.
“What a precious thing you’ve brought to me.”
With that, her grip on my mouth loosened.
“Snake with legs, are you perhaps hungry?”
What is with that unexpected question?
From the atmosphere, it seemed like she was going to rip my mouth wide open.
…I did eat meat, but I am a bit peckish.
“Gek-gak.”
I let out a weakly affirmative “gek” sound.
“I knew it. I’ll be back soon, so just wait a moment.”
With those words, the Snake Queen slithered towards the entrance.
Why does this remind me of a death row inmate’s last meal?
That custom of giving a final hearty meal before execution.
The moment I fill my stomach with meat, could it be that…?
Now’s my chance.
When the Snake Queen leaves, I’ll sneak away.
“Don’t run away, stay here.”
“Gek.”
Yes.
…It’s not like I could escape.
Even if I tried to run, I’d be caught if I couldn’t escape the jungle.
As I bit my claws and waited a bit longer, an enormous noise echoed from outside.
Kukwaaaang!
Hmm, what could that noise be?
It sounds like the world is splitting apart.
I trembled at a sound that seemed closely related to the Snake Queen stepping outside.
Is she very angry?
Yeah. I should at least try to fix the mirror.
While I was desperately trying to piece the broken mirror back together, the Snake Queen reentered the temple.
Dragging in an unidentifiable large chunk of meat.
“Filling your growling stomach comes first.”
It clearly looked delicious, and I couldn’t help but drool.
“Gek-gak….”
Is that for me?
I glanced at the glass shard in my hand while gauging her reaction.
“It was just an old thing anyway. Now that I’ve confirmed what my daughter looks like, that’s good enough. Don’t worry about it.”
“Gek-gegek!”
The Snake Queen is the best.
What can I say? There’s a warm feeling to it.
She’s definitely a reptile, but I felt the warmth of a mammal.
There was warmth even in the moderately cooked meat.
“Sure. Eat quickly.”
Wow.
Gulp.
It was more delicious than any meat I had ever tasted.
Given the situation, I thought I wouldn’t be able to savor it, but it was overwhelmingly tasty, enough to disregard everything else.
The texture of this magnificent meat seemed as if it had been roasted by the Queen’s destructive rays.
“Yeah, is it delicious?”
I nodded vigorously.
With this kind of taste and quantity, I might be able to level up if I finish it all.
Tsk, it’s too precious to eat alone.
I was just about to wake Shik Shik up to share it.
“Don’t wake him up.”
“Gek.”
I should listen to Mother.
“Now that you have suddenly gained strength, it’s natural to feel sleepy. Consider it a kind of elixir.”
Is that so?
Well, Aunt did have some tail soup, so that might be true.
He must be full as well, so it’s better to let him sleep.
Since he didn’t wake up even with the tremendous noise, he must have needed a lot of rest.
With that, I swallowed another piece of meat in front of me.
The Snake Queen watched me intently.
“Though she is my daughter, she is quite amiable without any sharp edges.”
Suddenly, Shik Shik started praising me.
“Look at her. Isn’t she adorable?”
I agree.
For a snake, her face looks like that of a puppy, and her body is quite plump.
I’m not complimenting her just because of the reflection from the mirror of absolute possibilities.
“It may be early, but if she grows up, she could make a good partner.”
Right. A good partner.
…Mother?
There seems to be a misunderstanding here.
“What is that expression? Does my daughter not appeal to you?”
The Snake Queen’s eyes narrowed.
“Gek-gegek!”
I shook my head vigorously, making an urgent “gek” sound.
That’s not what I meant.
The Snake Queen’s expression became fierce.
“Could it be that my daughter was not your first woman?”
No.
I don’t have another woman.
“Are you thinking of another woman?”
[The first spirit, 【Artercopus lv9】 is eavesdropping.]
[The second spirit, 【Antracomartus lv8】 is looking forward to it.]
[??, 【Nephila Jurassica lv30】 is sneering.]
Who are you?
Get in there, whoosh.
“Gek-gegegek!”
Right. It might be better to think of another woman.
Even the thought of having a crush on someone isn’t a big deal.
Well, reflecting on the Kuum Baekgol Framework that my teacher, Baek Yeon-young, taught me is also thinking of another woman.
Wouldn’t that keep things in a good relationship?
I’d give her my tail, and I’d help with the Snake Queen’s requests.
We’d remain on friendly terms.
“…Dare you toy with my daughter?”
What?
No, how did it come to this conclusion?
Even if we’ve shared a bed and I’ve given her my tail, we’re still not really a couple.
“You took my daughter and yet harbor thoughts of another woman in your heart?”
“Gek-gegegege-gak!”
I protested vigorously.
“Just what kind of woman….”
The Snake Queen trailed off.
Fearing a destructive ray might be launched, I cautiously lifted my gaze to her face.
What’s going on?
The Snake Queen’s face slightly reddened.
“Could it be….”
She curled her tail slightly, shyly avoiding my gaze.
[The Snake Queen is deeply troubled.]
“That’s me….”
This is unbelievable.
*
The jungle is home to a variety of creatures.
From the small dinosaurs you can find anywhere on Shiman Mountain to the massive sauropods that overwhelm you with their size.
Several spirit creatures naturally lived within the jungle. It was a place where even basilisk and man-faced birds could roam unnoticed, so there were hidden beings that could be termed intruders.
“So, spirits really do exist!”
Jang Bong was passionately exclaiming.
He hadn’t lost his life to the Dilophosaurus attack.
He survived because he screamed at the blood wraith and fled faster than anyone else.
However, even if he had survived, given his abilities, it would have been normal for him to die soon enough. Especially in this jungle teeming with creatures stronger than those in a swamp.
Nevertheless, he was still alive because he had fortuitously encountered someone else.
The promising swordsman from Jongnam, Baek Woon.
“Man-nyeonhwari, Geumwa, and Geumgu? If true, that definitely piques my interest… but I need to be able to believe such words.”
“It’s true! I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”
“It must have been a similar beast. However, it is a definite fact that spirit creatures exist in Shiman Mountain. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit the swamp when I have the time.”
“I tell you, it was really Man-nyeonhwari. And as I mentioned earlier, there are also dragons, so preparations must be thorough.”
Dragons, huh.
Baek Woon smiled wryly.
“Even if they’re just called dragons, weren’t they said to be smaller than these birds?”
“W-Well, indeed. They’re about that size…”
Beneath Baek Woon lay the headless corpse of a Terror Bird.
For Baek Woon, who aspired to rise above the first-rate, the Terror Bird wasn’t a formidable opponent at all.
It wasn’t just the Terror Bird, either.
Beasts like Deinonychus, which he initially mistook for a dragon, couldn’t stand against Baek Woon either.
Though he was surprised by the appearance of beasts he had never seen before, he was excited at the prospect of obtaining Low Qi. However, no matter how many Terror Birds or Deinonychus he killed, he never succeeded in obtaining any Low Qi.
What he urgently needed was the Low Qi of a spirit creature.
How wonderful it would be if spirit creatures gathered in the swamp, as Jang Bong said.
While his words stirred Baek Woon’s curiosity, that was all they did.
It seemed like too far-fetched a tale.
There was no way such spirit creatures would gather in one place.
Moreover, the existence of a dragon would only make it less likely.
“I’ve cut down creatures that resemble dragons multiple times since coming here. They’re not dragons; they’re merely giant lizards. No matter the case, that one couldn’t possibly be a dragon.”
“No. I definitely sensed an unusual level of energy.”
“Energy, you say?”
Baek Woon snorted and laughed.
What could a mere third-rate like Jang Bong know about sensing the energy of spirit creatures?
In general, spirit creatures conceal their power. There’s only one way for a third-rate loser like him to actually feel their power.
That would be if they possessed an overwhelming amount of energy that leaked through the concealment.
But that couldn’t possibly be the case.
If it were, how could Jang Bong have survived?
“Well, I should think about this once I escape from here.”
“That is indeed a problem. There are plenty of poisonous insects around, and the tall plants obscure visibility ahead…”
While being trapped in the jungle was an issue, Jang Bong felt reassured.
He knew Baek Woon, who had been taught by Jongnam, would not abandon him.
Since Baek Woon could be called first-rate unlike himself, if he stuck close to him, he wouldn’t die at the hands of the gigantic lizards.
Jang Bong collected the corpse of the Terror Bird that Baek Woon had defeated.
Though they hadn’t formally agreed, since Baek Woon had taken down the enemy, he thought it only right for him to provide at least some food.
As he was cutting the meat from the Terror Bird and preparing to light a fire, a sudden loud cry rang out.
“Cock-a-doodle-doooo!”
“…Isn’t that the cry of a bird?”
“To be precise, it’s closer to that of a chicken.”
Could it be a companion of the grotesque bird he was cutting?
Jang Bong thought this but quickly discarded the idea as it’s pointless to worry.
After all, with Baek Woon around, that grotesque bird wouldn’t pose any problem.
“Jang Bong. Kill your presence and follow me.”
It was an abrupt command, but Jang Bong didn’t question it.
He understood that it was more important to follow his request.
“Ah, wait. Why the sudden demand? I’m almost ready here.”
“That cry. It definitely sounds like a creature close to a spirit.”
“Of course, it’s a different cry from these grotesque birds…”
“If you don’t want to, stay here. I’ll go ahead first.”
Baek Woon swiftly moved towards the source of the sound.
“I… I’ll go with you!”
Though Jang Bong was reluctant, he had no choice but to follow him.
Remaining alone in this jungle would mean death.