Chapter 173: An Indisputable Heart
“Gegeck….”
My voice had clearly returned, so why was this happening all of a sudden?
“Our Divine Beast, I’m sure we heard your voice earlier, but why are you like this now?”
Exactly.
“Should we provoke you again to see if it’ll come back?”
“Gegeck!”
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
The Red Dragon laughed playfully.
In the past, even when she joked, it didn’t sound like a joke, but now I could tell she was fooling around.
Was it because she was considering joining the Gecko Faith? Her eyes even seemed kind.
If I brought the Red Dragon into the Gecko Faith, it would be an enormous gain.
When the Snake Princess Shikshik joined, the Gecko Faith evolved into the Gecko Religion.
The Red Dragon’s rank was even higher than Shikshik’s or the Snake Queen’s.
If someone like her joined, the Gecko Faith and the Gecko Religion might undergo yet another transformation.
Though I didn’t actively utilize the faith, I had received substantial help from it.
Particularly during the fight with the Beihj Bird, it provided immense assistance.
Not just then; even when I was amplifying my strength, the faith often lent its support.
It would only be beneficial for the faith’s rank to rise.
And it would mean I could put a leash on this dangerous spiritual being.
...Though considering how Tus and Pus behaved, it didn’t seem absolute, but at least those connected to me wouldn’t be harmed.
Moreover, in emergencies, I could even fight alongside the Red Dragon.
I imagined the Red Dragon flying through the sky, spewing flames at multiple enemies.
She possessed power equivalent to a strategic weapon.
While a one-on-one might be uncertain, against multiple foes, the Red Dragon was far superior to me.
Recruiting the Red Dragon?
It would be the best choice.
But it wasn’t something I needed to do immediately.
The option of recruiting her remained unchanged.
It just meant I’d delay the process for a bit.
I didn’t know how she perceived being invited via the status window, but the Red Dragon already referred to me as a Divine Beast.
She seemed entirely determined to join the Gecko Faith, even if I told her not to.
In that case, it would be better to handle some things first before proceeding.
After all, I needed to consider my relationship with White Wolf as well.
Currently, the Red Dragon and White Wolf could be described as mortal enemies.
This red lizard seemed indifferent, but White Wolf would definitely have a lot to say.
No matter how well I explained things, the two would inevitably clash.
Moreover, the Red Dragon’s strength was far greater, meaning White Wolf would end up whining with his tail tucked.
Watching a dog get beaten wasn’t something I’d enjoy.
But if White Wolf were to join the Gecko Faith first?
It would give him an edge.
I’d bring the Red Dragon into the Gecko Faith but first extend the invitation to White Wolf.
That seemed like the best option I had right now.
After glaring briefly at the Red Dragon, I moved my feet.
“You’re worried about that dog? Don’t worry, he shouldn’t be too injured.”
“Gek?”
“No matter what, would our Divine Beast strike to kill a spiritual being he knows?”
As I walked, I looked directly at the Red Dragon’s face.
By your standards, you might have shown mercy, but the other party wouldn’t think the same.
“You were probably just trying to fix his manners… though I didn’t expect you to handle that chain with bare hands.”
“Gek!”
I lightly swatted the Red Dragon’s rear with my tail.
You tied me up with something that dangerous? The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
Still, I decided to let it go magnanimously.
Past matters could be buried as long as I was compensated appropriately.
“…Divine Beast, your expression looks a little scary.”
I’d push her to her limits until she became a true dragon.
Leaning on each other for support, the Red Dragon and I walked toward White Wolf.
It was a slightly ridiculous sight.
Just moments ago, we were fighting like we’d kill each other, and now we were leaning against each other as we walked.
“…At least you broke your left arm. If it were your right, it would’ve been more troublesome for a while.”
“Geck…”
It must be nice to have a strong body.
Meanwhile, I felt like my entire body was shattered.
As we walked, the Red Dragon spoke in a slightly surprised voice.
“Divine Beast. Do you see that?”
“Gek?”
She pointed to a spot near where White Wolf had collapsed.
I felt an unusual energy emanating from that direction.
“Gegeck!”
Without any signal, we both rushed toward the object.
“…A horn of an Igaksu?”
The object was a jade-colored horn belonging to an Igaksu.
“There’s not just one but so many?”
What on earth?
The corners of the Red Dragon’s mouth curled up.
“With this, you don’t have to worry about that dog.”
Could this also be considered a spiritual elixir?
If so, that was reassuring.
It was as if we suddenly stumbled upon a pile of spiritual elixirs.
...But why were so many horns here in the first place?
“All the wives!”
“Rumble, rumble!”
“Scales, scales!”
From a distance, the roars of Igaksus echoed.
“Are they spiritual beings you know?”
The Red Dragon stared at me with half-closed eyes.
Avoiding her gaze, I answered succinctly.
“Gek.”
I don’t know them.
But who are they?
How did they get here without either the Red Dragon or me noticing?
And why did they leave so many horns behind?
"Gegeck!"
I don’t know the reason, but since they’re giving it to me, I’ll gratefully accept.
"All the wives!"
Since it’s a counterpart to the Unicorn, I briefly worried about whether the effects of the horn might be the exact opposite.
Fortunately, the horn of the Igaksu also had healing powers.
The injuries of both the Red Dragon and me were healed using the Igaksu horn.
Broken bones mended, and melted scales regrew.
The same was true for White Wolf.
Her bruises and burns were all cleanly healed.
However, her consciousness didn’t return immediately.
Still, it wasn’t a mental breakdown; she had only fainted briefly, so there was no need to worry too much.
I simply needed to stay by her side and wait for her to wake up.
Since I couldn’t leave her lying on the ground, I carried White Wolf to one side of the cave where she had shared her rendezvous earlier.
"You did that sort of thing here, didn’t you?"
The Red Dragon sniffed around, wagging her nose as if catching a scent.
I didn’t know what she was trying to smell, but whatever she thought it was, it didn’t exist.
I also moved the Red Dragon somewhere else.
When White Wolf woke up and saw the Red Dragon, her reaction would be obvious.
She’d immediately attack.
Considering what the Red Dragon had done, it was deserved, but if White Wolf pushed herself too hard, she’d be in danger.
After giving the Red Dragon’s rear a quick swat with my tail, I chased her off.
She went deep into the volcano to warm herself in the lava.
Although the volcanic heat had mostly disappeared because of my power, the remaining warmth would be enough for her in her current state.
Her heart wasn’t as cold as it used to be.
Now, only White Wolf and I remained in the cave.
Waiting for her to wake up was a bit boring.
I slowly thawed some frozen meat and played with White Wolf’s body.
"Geck, geck, geck."
I gently touched her soft, furry ears.
Though she was a spiritual being who controlled cold, her body temperature wasn’t particularly low.
The soft texture felt addictive.
Since her ears were something I could touch anytime, I moved on quickly.
In a defenseless state, it was better to go for things I couldn’t normally touch.
Her fluffy, swaying tail.
She usually threw ice shards at me whenever I tried to touch it, but the situation was different now.
Grab.
"Gegeck!"
I had the urge to bury my face in it.
If she had been in her wolf form, I would’ve started with her belly, but unfortunately, she was in human form.
I could only touch her ears and tail.
...Of course, I could touch her belly even in this state, but my last shred of decency protested.
Still, opportunities like this were rare, so I decided to indulge a bit more.
I carefully moved my hand.
I gently tugged at her soft, marshmallow-like cheeks.
"Geeng..."
I thought human flesh wouldn’t feel as satisfying, but it was surprisingly addictive.
Using both hands, I grabbed White Wolf’s cheeks and stretched them out.
"How far can this stretch?"
Her fur, her pleasant body temperature, her soft cheeks—everything was perfect.
White Wolf was an all-rounder with no flaws.
I should enjoy touching her while I still could.
Stretch.
"...Is this fun for you?"
"Geck, geck."
There was something oddly addictive about it that made me want to keep touching her.
"...Geck?"
White Wolf’s golden eyes stared directly at me.
"Gegeck."
Are you awake?
"Why are you touching me while I’m sleeping?"
I quickly removed my hands from her cheeks and hid behind her back.
She let out a small laugh, seemingly incredulous.
Then again, it wasn’t like my frame could actually be hidden by her human-sized body.
"So, things worked out fine, I guess?"
"Geck, geck."
"That’s a relief."
"Geeng."
A brief silence fell before White Wolf suddenly spoke rapidly.
"Just because you saved me, don’t think I’m going to offer you anything weird. We saved each other, and I have no intention of giving anything to a scaly creature like you!"
I wasn’t even thinking about that.
"I only saved you because I had no choice. If you died, Chillang would have whined all day."
"Geck, geck."
She rattled off excuses I hadn’t asked for, then quickly changed the subject when she realized she might lose the argument if she kept talking.
"...Judging by the fact that my body’s fine, a lot of time must’ve passed."
White Wolf murmured to herself and stretched.
"Yawn. By the way, are you okay? That red lizard seemed absurdly strong."
Judging by how she was talking, she seemed fine.
A quick glance confirmed that she didn’t have a single scar left, so she must’ve been fully healed.
"Hey, why aren’t you answering?"
She snapped, turning her head toward me.
"Don’t just hide behind me. Come out."
White Wolf’s pupils dilated.
She seemed startled and a bit shocked, her lips parting slightly.
"You’re hurt..."
She tried to say something but trailed off.
"...Let me see."
Her words came out haltingly, accompanied by ragged breaths as she stared blankly at me.
White Wolf’s tail began wagging furiously.
Her face flushed bright red, and sweat dripped from her forehead.
She swallowed hard and fidgeted with her fingers, not knowing what to do.
White Wolf was suddenly acting strangely.
Could something be wrong?
Even though she didn’t say anything, I could still hear it.
The sound of her racing heartbeat.
Her tail wagged faster in time with it.
Was there really something wrong with her body?
For a spiritual being who controlled cold to sweat like this, it couldn’t be a normal side effect.
I moved closer to check her condition.
"Turn your face away."
She let out a harsh breath, as if struggling with her breathing.
"I said, turn your face away!"
White Wolf barked and whipped her head to the side.
Even as she said that, her tail wagged energetically.
Something was definitely wrong.
Although she occasionally acted strangely, I’d never seen her behave like this before.
She told me to leave, but she kept inching toward me.
She didn’t look at my face, yet her tail swayed softly.
After a while, she finally spoke.
"...If this happens..."
She suddenly whipped her head around to look me straight in the face.
Her face was as red as a carrot.
Tears shimmered in her golden eyes.
"I can’t deny it anymore..."
She leapt into my arms, hugging me tightly.