Chapter 191: Snake and Spider
Tang So-yeong's eyes sparkled brightly.
It was almost the same expression she had when she tried to take my scales.
Well, considering how rare the Snake Queen is as a spiritual being, I can understand her reaction.
Tang So-yeong seems to really like spiritual creatures.
A half-human, half-beast Lamia-like form would naturally attract her attention.
“She’s even bigger than Go Dae-hyeop!”
…Her interest seems to be going in a slightly different direction.
Still, it appears she’s referring to size rather than what I’m thinking.
The Snake Queen’s sheer size is enormous.
Of course, her weight might not be significantly different from mine.
But being a snake, her length is incredible.
A 7-meter snake doesn’t even weigh 100 kilograms.
As the length increases, the weight grows exponentially—Titanoboa, for example, was about 15 meters long and weighed roughly 1 ton.
I estimate my weight to be around 3 tons.
So then, what could the length of the Snake Queen be?
There’s a reason she’s called the ruler of the jungle.
…But she’s in a human form now.
It can’t be about her size.
“Gek.”
Where on earth are you looking?
I gently tugged on Tang So-yeong’s dumpling-shaped hair buns.
“Kyah!”
That pouch belongs to me.
“It’s fine. Watching you is quite entertaining.”
What nonsense is that?
When have I ever made such a lewd expression?
“Humans are truly fascinating. The same species, yet so full of individuality.”
The same species?
She must be referring to my master and Tang So-yeong, but that’s a massive insult.
Tang whatever and my master are not the same kind of humans.
“What’s with that face?”
Look at her pettiness.
There’s no way they’re the same species.
“Eek…”
Nephila clung tightly to my neck.
She seemed upset.
When I turned slightly to look, I saw her glaring at the Snake Queen’s chest.
“Kieeek…”
“Kioook…”
Tus and Pus were the same.
Faced with a sudden appearance of a being with profound internal energy, they couldn’t help but be on edge.
They probably weren’t doing it on purpose, but they must have often seen me lose my composure around massive beings like her.
Nephila, to put it nicely, is definitely not on the larger side.
Tus and Pus are still spiders, but their appearances are... well...
It’s not bad, but it does make me feel a little deflated.
Then why is Tang So-yeong so cheerful?
Isn’t she the smallest among them?
…Now I get it.
Nephila is jealous of something larger than herself.
But Tang So-yeong doesn’t even think about it.
She’s utterly clueless, like she’s converging towards zero.
“…Suddenly, I feel strange.”
So-yeong stared at me absentmindedly.
“Gekgekgek.”
“By the way, there’s someone I’ve been wanting to see.”
“Gek?”
Someone she’s been wanting to see?
Does the Snake Queen recognize someone here?
“You seem to have gained some level of spiritual dignity.”
The Snake Queen’s gaze was fixed on Nephila.
“If it weren’t for you, my companion might have perished. I am grateful.”
“…Eek!”
Nephila’s face twisted in anger.
It seems she didn’t like the Snake Queen referring to me as her companion.
She hugged my neck tightly.
It was like a child refusing to let go of something they cherished.
“Kieeng…”
“Kiooo…”
Tus and Pus were no different.
They poked their heads out from where they had been buried in my fur and clung to my scales with their short legs.
“Bbakbbakbbak.”
Shikshik let out a delighted laugh, seemingly amused by the spiders’ reactions.
Why has she become so arrogant?
Sigh, the spiders’ reaction is more intense than I expected.
Is it really because of her chest?
Even if I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t help but understand the feelings the spiders have toward me.
The "Eyes of the Wild" told me as much, and so did the title “Beloved by Spiders.”
They must feel more than just affection for me.
Suddenly, a massive rival appeared.
It seems they’re thinking that way.
“Don’t be so tense. I’m not particularly fond of spiders, but I wouldn’t go as far as to harm the followers of my companion.”
It seems the Snake Queen isn’t fond of spiders either.
“Bbak!”
Shikshik had been wary of the spiders from the start as well.
…Wait, come to think of it, there was a theory that basilisks and spiders don’t get along.
In some movies, giant spiders flee at the sight of a basilisk’s corpse.
A species’ instinct.
And their relationship with me.
These two factors seem to be acting together.
“Gek!”
If they were just passing acquaintances, it wouldn’t matter, but all of them are followers of the Gecko Faith.
The Snake Queen isn’t a follower yet, but I plan to discreetly bring her in when she retires.
The spiders are far weaker compared to Baekrang or the Red Dragon.
Of course, I’ll take care of them, but status alone doesn’t solve everything.
But if they have a connection with the Snake Queen?
Any problems could be resolved quickly.
Even if their species don’t get along, I can’t just leave it alone.
Identifying the problem means there’s a chance to find a solution.
I untied the pouch hanging from my tail.
“Hooh.”
The Snake Queen looked at the items in the pouch with interest.
She smiled faintly upon seeing the carefully stolen rice cakes.
If the spiders weren’t here, she might have shown an adorable smile.
“There’s quite a lot. Wait, what’s this?”
Ah.
She noticed it.
“It’s alcohol.”
Even if there’s some awkwardness, alcohol can sometimes change things.
There’s nothing that brings people closer as quickly as alcohol.
“Gekgek.”
“Huh? Where did you get this? Wow, do you know how expensive this is?”
Tang So-yeong seemed thrilled, recognizing the value of the alcohol.
Is it expensive?
I just took it while stealing the rice cakes.
“Golden Brew…! Even in the Tang family, we only ever got to see this!”
Golden Brew!
The name alone sounds expensive.
Anyway, I brought this precious liquor in an entire jar.
“Excellent. Since you brought the alcohol, it’s my turn to prepare the food.”
As expected of the Snake Queen.
“Gekgekgek.”
You guys can look forward to it.
The Queen’s cooking skills are no joke.
“One, two, three, four, five, six… We’re going to have a proper feast.”
Alright.
Let’s eat until we’re stuffed, the six of us.
…Wait a minute.
Tus, Pus, Nephila, Tang, Shikshik, the Snake Queen.
And me.
That’s seven people.
I must have miscounted.
“Gekgek.”
“Bbakbbakbbak…”
“Kieek…”
Shikshik and the spiders made soft sounds.
Why does it feel like you’re already getting along?
What does it matter?
I brought it out so you could bond anyway.
It’s good for me.
“…Huh.”
Even Nephila smiled at me.
Alright.
You must be looking forward to this too.
“A cold breeze is coming in. Let me close the door now.”
Click.
A thick stone door closed.
Good.
Let’s get ready to eat.
“Gekgek!”
Oh, look at everyone drooling.
You must be really hungry.
…You’re drooling because you’re hungry, right?
Winter was still far away, but snowflakes danced down from the sky.
A breathtakingly beautiful scene unfolded.
Dozens of weapons, crafted in the image of snow crystals, rained down from the sky, followed by an ice storm.
“Get into position! We’re almost there!”
Bald-headed masters were battling against the Ice Bird.
“Kikikigigak!”
The Ice Bird darted around erratically, continuously releasing cold energy.
But.
Bang!
A creature shot out like lightning.
By the time the Ice Bird heard the sound, it was already too late.
Crash!
The hard head of Cheoldu-ryong pierced through the Ice Bird.
“Screeeeech!”
The guardian of the Dragon Gate and the master of the snowy mountain.
The Ice Bird fell just like that.
“Phew…”
One of the bald monks wiped the sweat from his smooth head.
They had defeated a powerful spiritual creature.
It would have been difficult if they were alone.
However, thanks to their secret weapon, they had achieved victory with minimal sacrifice.
“To have captured a spiritual creature of this level already. A good start.”
It was a promising beginning.
At this rate, each of them might be able to secure an internal core.
The monk thought so.
That is, until he met the eyes of Cheoldu-ryong standing atop the Ice Bird’s corpse.
“…Cheoldu-ryong, what are you thinking right now?”
Cheoldu-ryong’s eyes turned blue.
An unusual aura began to emanate.
Rumble…
Overwhelming energy crushed them.
“Gah! W-what is this!”
Before they could react, Cheoldu-ryong raised his hands.
One hand pointed to the sky.
The other pointed to the ground.
There was no one in Shaolin unfamiliar with that stance.
Heaven and Earth, I Alone Am Supreme.
It was the cry proclaimed by Buddha upon his birth.
But Cheoldu-ryong was an exception.
He had never learned such principles.
It was deliberately excluded from his teachings.
Cheoldu-ryong was merely a pawn in their hands, and they didn’t know what would happen if he gained unnecessary knowledge.
And yet, here he was, assuming that very stance.
What could that mean?
Had he gained enlightenment at this late hour?
If he had achieved such enlightenment without prior knowledge, it might be correct to view Cheoldu-ryong as a Buddha.
But the chances of that were extremely slim.
No, it was safe to say they were nonexistent.
Then what did the current situation mean?
“…All other Arhats, listen!”
The answer was simple.
“Subdue Cheoldu-ryong!”
Cheoldu-ryong had intentionally hidden his strength.
Living as their pawn, he had been planning to strike at the critical moment.
Crack.
Without hesitation, Cheoldu-ryong seized the Ice Bird’s internal core.
Cheoldu-ryong had once been an ordinary dragon.
Until the abbot of Shaolin killed his parents.
Not satisfied with that, they took him and used him as a pawn.
They taught him martial arts and made him do what Shaolin could not officially do.
The body of the ordinary dragon was constantly stained with blood.
Even when he tried to sleep, he could hear his parents’ screams.
Every day was hell.
But he couldn’t resist them.
Compared to the abbot of Shaolin, he was far too weak.
That’s why he had hidden his strength, waiting for the right moment.
“Attack from the sides!”
More than ten martial artists charged at once.
No matter how strong Cheoldu-ryong was, such a coordinated attack posed a serious threat.
Creak.
Cheoldu-ryong’s blue eyes fixed on the leader of the group.
Slice!
The halted blizzard began to rage again.
Crash!
Dozens, no, hundreds of ice fragments rained from the sky.
“You, you dare… against our Shaolin…!”
No one could continue their attacks under the merciless storm of frost.
They were too busy avoiding the falling chunks of ice.
“Have you… truly betrayed us!”
A martial artist shouted in desperation.
Cheoldu-ryong gazed at the man and suddenly laughed.
“How amusing.”
Cheoldu-ryong spoke for the first time.
“You… since when could you speak…?”
The Shaolin monk was dumbfounded.
Even the fact that he could speak had been hidden, making it impossible to gauge the full extent of his hidden power.
“Heaven and Earth, I Alone Am Supreme. So, is this fantastic principle something only you knew?”
Cheoldu-ryong didn’t answer the monk’s words.
It was as if the words of an insect weren’t worth listening to.
“Even now, it’s not too late…!”
Thwack!
A massive chunk of ice crushed the monk’s head.
“Brother!”
“You bastard!”
Enraged by the sight of their brother’s head being crushed, another monk charged at him.
“…To think you’d get this angry over something so trivial.”
Cheoldu-ryong chuckled lowly.
Rumble.
His energy condensed into a single point.
A fierce cold enveloped his head.
Cheoldu-ryong leaped into the air as if flying and slammed his head straight into the ground.
Boom!
“Arghhh!”
The immense physical force was enough to obliterate the nearby martial artists, but that wasn’t all.
Rumble.
“Avalanche!”
The snowy mountain responded to his emotions and buried the Shaolin monks.
It was the cold and frost of the snowy mountain.
And it was the grief of Cheoldu-ryong.