Chapter 122: After My Daughter, Even My Granddaughter
My precious scales and the Golden Phoenix’s feathers were set to become the Snake Queen’s weapons.
The items I received from Argentarvis were now sorted out, and all that was left was the core obtained from capturing the Beihj Bird.
One was for Shikshik, and the other was mine.
Since this was a type of core I had never seen before, it would likely be more effective than any core I had consumed in the past.
However, like the Cockatrice’s core, it wasn’t something I could swallow right away.
I would need the Snake Queen’s help to refine the core.
Of course, my body was a bit different from others, so I could probably swallow it without much difficulty.
Besides, I had gained some leeway after opening my middle dantian this time.
But there was no need to rush in consuming the Beihj Bird’s core.
As long as I consumed it after refining it with her help, before going after the King of Birds, it would be fine.
The Snake Queen slowly examined the two cores.
Flash!
Her eyes sparkled.
It seemed the Snake Queen had used the power of her Magic Eyes.
I couldn’t understand the exact principle, but she likely used her petrification ability.
Maybe she could turn the impure energy into stone.
…I wasn’t entirely sure if that was even possible.
Shikshik clung to my shoulder, her mouth wide open.
It looked like she really wanted to eat that core.
But refining a core wasn’t something that happened instantly.
It took some time with the Cockatrice core, and this one was even higher grade.
Unfortunately for Shikshik, she would have to wait.
Nom, nom.
Nom, nom?
Shikshik was chewing on something.
“Gehgek!”
Gulp.
I quickly grabbed Shikshik by her tail and lifted her up.
“Piiik?”
Shikshik dangled from my grasp, looking up at me with a puzzled expression.
“Gehgegek!”
This was no time to fool around!
How could she just swallow that?
Spit it out.
I gently shook Shikshik’s tail.
“Piiiek!”
Wait, why didn’t the Snake Queen stop her?
“Gekgek!”
What if Shikshik’s body exploded from swallowing that core?
I was about to stick my fingers into her mouth to make her spit it out.
“There’s no need. The refining is already complete.”
“Gek?”
Swoosh.
Shikshik softly landed on the ground.
“Piiik…”
Shikshik looked disappointed.
From her point of view, she must’ve felt like she was being scolded for eating a gift I’d handed over.
“Gekgek…”
I mean, who could have guessed it would be refined so quickly?
Shikshik curled her body into a ball.
I was about to poke her to offer a half-hearted apology, but I stopped myself.
It was clear why she had curled up into that position right after consuming the core.
Meditation.
A snake with no legs couldn’t sit cross-legged, after all.
So, she was curling up into a ball to meditate.
…I wonder if the Snake Queen curls up like that too?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Gekgek.”
It’s nothing.
“Like you, the princess won’t gain power immediately just because she consumed the elixir. She’s merely storing it in her body for now. The meditation she’s doing is to prevent her energy from going out of control.”
Shikshik’s species was still a Ball Python.
While pythons weren’t small snakes, compared to the fierce beasts we’d seen so far, she seemed a bit lacking.
I had also consumed many elixirs but couldn’t fully utilize their power.
It wasn’t until I became a Komodo and evolved into a Komodo-Lania that I naturally began to control the energy from the elixirs.
The same was true for Shikshik.
While the effects wouldn’t be immediate, the core she consumed would accelerate her growth explosively once she evolved.
Would she become like the Snake Queen?
Work hard and evolve quickly.
By the way, the refining process was incredibly fast.
Does that mean mine is already done too?
Grrr.
In that case, I can’t just sit around.
Chomp.
“Yours isn’t ready yet.”
The Snake Queen’s hand entered my mouth instead of the Beihj Bird’s core.
Not yet?
“The princess can easily refine the core because her body structure is similar to mine. However, your body is different from mine, so refining your core will take longer.”
Well, if it could’ve been done right away, she would’ve given it to me already.
It’s a bit disappointing, but since the core isn’t going anywhere, I can wait.
Nom, nom.
…
Out of habit, I started chewing on whatever was in my mouth.
Which turned out to be the Snake Queen’s fingers.
The Snake Queen stared at me intently.
“Gehk…”
It’s a misunderstanding.
“Who taught you such a bad habit?”
The Snake Queen’s expression was one of disbelief.
Feeling embarrassed, I quickly spit out her hand.
“If you’re going to bite, at least do it properly. Fingers? Really?”
“Gekgek.”
“Hmph, seems like it’ll take time to teach you proper habits.”
…What’s that supposed to mean?
The Snake Queen said something that sounded like I shouldn’t pursue further, so I quickly stepped back.
“My mate.”
But I couldn’t escape the Snake Queen.
Swoosh.
Her tail wrapped around my leg, pulling me back.
What now?
Sure, I bit her fingers, but that was an accident.
“If you’re going to bite, you should bite the neck, not the fingers.”
The Snake Queen said something completely unexpected.
It seemed she misunderstood something.
The finger-biting habit came from Baek Yeonyeong.
The Snake Queen was probably talking about something like hunting.
“Gekgek.”
“The princess is meditating right now.”
“Gek…?”
“And you were the first to bite me.”
She was talking about hunting, wasn’t she?
“So I can take that as permission to start?”
No.
You shouldn’t do that.
I closed my eyes tightly.
“…I’d love to break that bad habit of yours, but unfortunately, now isn’t the right time.”
“Gek!”
Thankfully, the Snake Queen knew how to separate work from play.
I didn’t know what she intended, but now wasn’t the time for that sort of behavior.
It would be better to save as much time as possible, no matter what.
“If we start, I won’t be able to move for over a month.”
Huh?
What could she have been planning to mention something like “dalpo”?
That’s nearly a month.
“After capturing the Gaetsalgoadal, we should set the date.”
This was strange.
I saw an image of a dried-out lizard floating in the air.
It probably had nothing to do with me, but for some reason, I felt uneasy.
…It really has nothing to do with me, right?
“Don’t worry about the core. I’ll refine it in time.”
I still kept seeing the dried-out Komodo-Lania in my mind.
“To build the stamina needed to last for a month, I’ll need to gather some materials….”
Increasing my stamina, huh?
That sounds nice.
I don’t know exactly what it entails, but if it’s something that’ll let me last a whole month, there’s no reason to refuse.
The spirit of the dried-out Komodo-Lania was shaking its head vigorously, but I ignored it.
What’s the worst that could happen?
She’s going to do something good for my body, after all.
—
Right now, I was entrusted with a very important mission.
I was taking Shikshik out for a walk.
“Shrik…”
Shikshik was coiled on top of my head.
It seemed she wasn’t too fond of my smooth, shiny head being exposed in public.
She could have told me sooner.
Still, judging by the way she wagged her tail, she seemed to be in a good mood.
She must’ve been excited at the idea of going out alone with me.
But, Shikshik, we’re not going out to have fun.
“Shikshik.”
Soon, the full-scale war with the King of Birds would begin.
The Snake Queen had her tasks, and I had mine.
Her tasks involved refining the Golden Phoenix’s feathers, refining the core I would consume, and gathering the remaining forces.
Just looking at it briefly, none of it seemed easy.
In contrast, my task was relatively simple.
My only mission was to evacuate Shikshik to a safe location.
That safe place was in Old Man Kompi’s territory.
For some reason, the Snake Queen couldn’t enter the Soaring Dragon’s domain.
I, however, could move around freely and was already on good terms with Old Man Kompi, making me the perfect candidate for this mission.
I was also carrying a stone tablet with an inscription I couldn’t read.
It was probably something about the alliance.
If we were entrusting Shikshik to Old Man Kompi, maybe Soaring Dragon wouldn’t join the battle after all.
But if the Gaetsalgoadal targeted Shikshik, it would be a problem for both me and the Snake Queen.
Neither of us could attack if Shikshik was held hostage.
So, protecting Shikshik with someone as powerful as Soaring Dragon wasn’t a bad choice.
Of course, Shikshik had no idea.
After consuming the core, she was clearly imagining herself joining the battle, hanging onto my shoulder.
Though Shikshik’s combat ability wasn’t something to underestimate, I couldn’t bring her onto the battlefield.
“Piiak!”
Boom!
Perhaps full of energy from consuming the core, Shikshik was firing beams of light into the sky.
I was a bit worried about her picking a fight with another beast, but Shikshik, who was naturally docile, never targeted anything living.
Sometimes, a few innocent trees ended up with holes in them, though.
“Piiak!”
Boom!
She was having a great time.
If I had to name two things Shikshik liked, they would be going out and me.
Going out with me.
Her two favorite things.
I could understand why she was so excited.
“Piiak!”
Boom!
Still, it was time to tone it down.
So far, everything was fine, but someone might get hurt.
“Gekgek.”
“Pii.”
Shikshik nodded as if she understood.
“Piiik!”
Zoom!
Then, she fired one last small beam.
Judging by the size, she seemed to think that was the last one.
It was like she was releasing the last bit of her excess energy.
That seemed like a good wrap-up.
Shikshik had released her pent-up energy, and it didn’t seem like she caused any real harm around us.
“…Ilbu…”
I thought I heard someone sobbing faintly in the distance, but it was probably just my imagination.
With Shikshik, I headed towards Soaring Dragon’s territory.
“Gekgek!”
As soon as we arrived at the entrance, I let out a “Gekgek” sound.
“Gekgek!”
“Gekgegek!”
Geckos came running toward me.
They shook their chubby tails as they greeted me.
“Gek.”
How’ve you been?
“Gegegek!”
“Gekgegek!”
One of the Geckos stretched its short legs and flaunted them proudly.
Some of them clung to my claws, rubbing their tails against me.
Their welcome was a bit excessive.
“Shhhhhak!”
Shikshik glared at the Geckos with her triangular face.
Even though they were gentle and harmless, I could understand why Shikshik reacted that way, since it was her first time meeting them.
“Gegegek!”
“Shhhhak!”
The Geckos also took a defensive stance.
However, they only kept their distance and didn’t engage further.
The Geckos clung to my legs, while Shikshik moved around my neck in response.
“Gekgek.”
I spoke to the Geckos.
That’s enough with the welcome. Can you call Old Man Kompi for me?
That was the gist of my message.
“Kegek!”
I heard a familiar cry.
Old Man Kompi was running toward me from afar, barefoot.
Wow, even though he’s happy to see me, he didn’t have to come rushing like that.
“Gekgek.”
Good to see you, old man.
I’ve brought your granddaughter along.
“Gek.”
Shikshik, say hello.
“Piiak!”
Old Man Kompi’s eyes widened in surprise.
Was this his first time seeing his granddaughter?
“Kroooaaar…”
He let out a dragon-like roar, clearly delighted.
…Huh?
Why is Old Man Kompi’s face turning into a triangle?
“Kroooaar!”
Old Man Kompi, unable to contain his rage.
Wait, why are you angry?
What did I do wrong?