Chapter 186: Responsibility
I gnawed on my fingers, considering biting somewhere else, but I figured it would just ruin my appetite, so I stayed put.
Tang So-yeong, who had been huffing angrily, noticed my stillness, wriggled her fingers again, and then subtly began touching my scales.
“Kiyoong!”
“Kiek!”
The spiders kept her in check, but it seemed she had treated them well enough for them not to make a fuss about it.
“Hehe… scales….”
…An Igaksu?
“Oh, I’m not touching them out of personal greed; I’m trying to see the differences compared to before.”
It might be better if she wiped the drool from her mouth before talking.
“I’ve been watching you since you were about this big, Go Dae-hyeop. It’s nostalgic. …Although you’re smaller now than you were back then.”
Tang So-yeong seemed to be reminiscing about the first time we met.
At that time, I was a Crocodile King Lizard.
Of course, I had a size incomparable to a regular Crocodile King Lizard.
“Your size has temporarily shrunk. Looking at your appearance now, the horns are what stand out the most.”
Tang So-yeong lightly touched my horn with her small hand.
“Beasts with horns often belong to special species. Not only are they strong, but they usually have unique powers of their own.”
If it’s a beast with horns, the Unicorn and Igaksu would be the most representative examples.
Even the Red Dragon had horns.
Not everything Tang So-yeong said was entirely accurate, but her words carried a degree of credibility.
“The Tang family also has some horned beasts. The one I remember most is a green dragon that freely manipulates spatial elements.”
A dinosaur that freely manipulates spatial elements!
It seems like it would let out some amusing cry.
“He was called Gerato (掲螺討) Dae-hyeop. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the one managing him, so I only saw him a few times.”
Gerato?
“It means a beast that raises and strikes a horn shaped like a conch. That’s the meaning behind the name.”
…Based on my past experiences, it must be referring to a Ceratosaurus.
But it doesn’t seem like the ordinary Ceratosaurus I know.
Just as Dilophosaurus uses venom and Magnosaurus uses fire, this one likely uses telekinesis.
A dinosaur with horns.
I should remember this.
I might have to face it later.
Tang So-yeong’s hand, which had been fiddling with my horns, slid down to my neck.
“Fur… Hehe….”
…You are Tang So-yeong, right?
Not an Igaksu pretending to be her?
I briefly entertained such thoughts but seeing her modest chest reassured me she was indeed Tang So-yeong.
“I know a few horned beasts similar to Go Dae-hyeop. But a beast with both horns and fur is something I’m seeing for the first time today.”
Tang So-yeong gently stroked my fluffy fur.
“…I’ve never heard of a Komodo transforming into a form like this. Hehe, if I document this, I could publish a book under my name.”
She glanced at me nervously.
It seemed she wanted to record my appearance and traits.
To do so, she’d have to bother me more, hence the nervousness.
She’d likely want to observe my full body and all its features to document it properly.
And if it’s recorded in a book, someone in the distant future might read it and exploit my weaknesses.
Of course, by then, I would’ve evolved into another creature altogether.
“Gek-geek.”
It’s a bit bothersome, but I can indulge Tang So-yeong to this extent.
“Really? Thank you!”
Honestly, I might seem harsh to her at times, but I’ve grown fond of her.
One reason I want to bring Tang So-yeong into my domain is that I care about her.
Tang So-yeong is from the Tang family.
It would be best for her to return to the place she originally lived rather than staying here.
However, her refusal to return and decision to stay here had another reason behind it.
The Tang family, one of the Five Great Families, is clearly part of the orthodox sect.
And Master’s Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is an enemy of such sects.
So, what about Tang So-yeong?
She is a second-class warrior sent by the Tang family to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, the domain of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
This sentence defines her situation.
It’s suspicious from the start.
Even if the goal isn’t an all-out war with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains is undeniably their territory.
Even with good fortune, clashes with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would be inevitable.
From what I’ve seen, the combat strength of those who accompanied Tang So-yeong was pitiful.
Except for Baekwoon, all of them were weaker than Tang So-yeong.
Even though they brought along a powerful beast like Dilophosaurus, it was hard to believe the Tang family’s decision to send her here was reasonable.
The Dilophosaurus I saw wasn’t even fully grown.
If the goal was to gauge Dilophosaurus’ combat capabilities, there were other ways to do so.
Why go through with something like this?
Tang So-yeong, though lacking combat power, had skills far more valuable than many higher-level warriors.
She could almost perfectly interpret the emotions of non-human creatures like lizards and communicate seamlessly with other beasts or spiritual creatures. Her medical skills were also outstanding.
Even objectively, it’s clear that such talent is incredibly rare.
Yet the Tang family sent such a precious individual to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains with nothing but an underdeveloped spiritual beast.
If they intended to punish her for some wrongdoing, they could’ve done so discreetly within the Tang family.
There was no need to send her here unnecessarily.
Could it be that there’s a faction within the Tang family that sees Tang So-yeong as a thorn in their side?
Handling her in Sichuan would leave evidence, so they sent her to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, ensuring her demise.
There’s no chance for someone from the orthodox sect to return alive from here.
Tang So-yeong cannot return to the Tang family.
Even if she does, she’d face further threats.
The faction trying to eliminate her could use this incident as an excuse to ensure her demise.
They could falsely accuse her of colluding with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Tang So-yeong must be aware of this, which is why she doesn’t talk about returning to the Tang family.
As a follower of the Gecko Faith, I should take responsibility for her.
Unlike other humans, Tang So-yeong seems capable of coexisting with spiritual creatures.
Besides, our side could definitely use a doctor.
We can’t keep boiling Igaksu horns forever.
“…Well then, I’ll intrude for a moment.”
Huh? What’s she doing now?
“This is a bit bothersome.”
“Everyone, now’s the time!”
Tang So-yeong wore a triumphant expression.
She had scored a hit.
Her face said it all.
Swoosh!
At the same time, white threads shot out.
Not at me, but at Tang So-yeong.
“Eek? Why is this coming at me?”
You really never lose your boldness.
“Miss! This wasn’t the deal! We were supposed to share that soft belly…!”
“Hmph.”
Nephila and Pus giggled.
Ah, so this was the plan all along.
“G-Go Dae-hyeop? That was just a joke…!”
Clang!
I fell asleep nestled among the four sisters from the Tang family.
I couldn’t imagine sleeping alone anymore.
…But I’m a reptile, so I need to regulate my body temperature.
However, my sleeping situation had a serious flaw.
Nephila and Tang So-yeong.
Sleeping between them was incredibly uncomfortable.
It felt like lying on a stone bed.
To be fair, it wasn’t that hard or flat, but the difference was too stark.
No scales, no fur, no pouches.
“Geeeeng….”
Feeling dejected, I closed my eyes.
Am I going to get sick from this?
Then it happened.
Suddenly, something soft enveloped my entire body.
I could faintly smell the scent of flowers.
The texture was irresistibly fluffy.
Is the sky blessing me with a gift?
Living as a pure-hearted lizard has its rewards.
I instinctively moved my body toward the softness with my eyes closed.
I threw myself into the fluffy warmth.
This familiar sensation.
It’s like switching from a stone bed to a waterbed.
Now this is what I need to sleep.
Just as I was burrowing deeper to find the perfect position—
“You cheeky thing.”
The voice was familiar.
I slightly opened my eyes to see Baek Yeonyeong’s blue eyes staring at me.
“Gek?”
I snapped back to full consciousness.
Why had I burrowed here so naturally?
I didn’t even notice someone entering.
It must be because it’s Master.
If it were anyone else, I would’ve sensed them immediately.
“Is it proper for my disciple to act like a beast?”
Baek Yeonyeong said with a cold expression.
…There’s no way Master would call me a beast.
Of course, I am a beast, so I don’t really mind.
But it was unusual for her to use such words.
Is she upset about something?
Her expression was so stoic that I couldn’t tell.
“Do you still not understand what you did wrong? Even audacity has its limits.”
Audacity?
Disgracing one’s master counts as audacity.
…It seems I really messed up this time.
There’s no way Baek Yeonyeong would act like this for no reason.
“Geeeeeng….”
I let out the sound of an innocent lizard, unsure of what I’d done wrong.
“You boldly declared you’d visit my quarters, didn’t you?”
…What?
“And you said it in front of the cult followers. How do you think that affects my dignity?”
Wait a minute.
What is she talking about?
I’ve never said anything like that.
“Gek?”
Besides, I can’t even have a normal conversation with regular humans.
“Thanks to you, I became a laughingstock. And since you sent the corpse where remnants of Taese’s essence were hidden, it couldn’t just be dismissed as a rumor.”
…Is this because of that terror bird?
No, I think they understood me, but I didn’t say anything like that.
These creatures are repaying kindness with betrayal.
“They’re saying I should punish the one who humiliated me as a warning to others.”
“Gegek….”
“The cult followers did nothing wrong. They merely relayed the story of an ungrateful beast.”
Baek Yeonyeong grabbed the scruff of my neck and lifted me up.
“Geeeek….”
My body went limp without resistance.
“I don’t intend to punish you.”
“Gekgek!”
As expected of Master!
“But you must take responsibility for what you’ve done to me.”
“Gek?”
Responsibility?
This conversation seems to be heading in a strange direction.
“Beast who disgraces your master.”
Despite her words, her touch on my head was gentle and affectionate.
“Did you want to enter my quarters so badly?”
No, I never said that.
“It’s a teacher’s duty to guide a foolish disciple.”
The nameless followers must have framed me.
“Thus, you’ll spend tonight with me.”
On second thought, maybe I did say something like that.
“Gekgekgek!”
From a stone bed to a waterbed!