Chapter 194: Wolves and Spiders
“Some… hehe… many wives… hehe….”
Leaving behind the Igaksu creatures making their strange cries, I approached the nest.
Having them as allies was reassuring, but at times, those massive two-horned creatures felt terrifying.
It wasn’t hostility directed at me, but there was a peculiar gaze I couldn’t quite identify.
Though not dangerous, paradoxically, they seemed endlessly perilous.
“Gek-gek.”
Since I had promised them rewards in the form of capturing a Unihorn, things should remain fine for the time being.
“Truly impressive. It seems on par with the structures of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. How did they even build this?”
Indeed.
It seemed they had surpassed human-level construction abilities.
Honestly, I had thought they might be able to handle the construction well enough.
After all, each Igaksu possessed strength greater than heavy machinery.
I had trusted them to handle the foundational work properly and planned to finish it together after my return.
But it turned out to be a pleasant miscalculation.
Not only the foundation but the entire structure had been completed from start to finish.
Of course, due to their physical characteristics, delicate work would have been challenging for them.
But that didn’t matter.
In places where large spiritual beasts like the Red Dragon or I lived, delicate touches weren’t necessary.
Only a small consideration was needed for a handful like the Red Dragon or White Wolf, who could transform into human form.
The materials were likely plants grown through my abilities, combined with gold or other precious metals brought by the Red Dragon.
The vines were tough, and the wood was solid.
Moreover, the plants I created were fire-resistant enough to withstand the flames of the Red Dragon.
Though, if the Red Dragon seriously tried to burn them, they would inevitably catch fire, but there was no way it would torch its own nest.
At most, it might breathe fire while sleep-talking, but that would be manageable.
“Kioon!”
“Kieek!”
Tus and Pus.
Even Nephila raised its head, scanning various parts of the nest.
Its face seemed to contemplate where to weave its web.
That was understandable, considering it hadn’t been free to spin webs as it pleased within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Its body must have been itching to act.
…Should I help it produce some webs?
“Hioon…”
As if reading my thoughts, Pus quietly crawled over to me.
Pus subtly presented its spinneret to me.
Fine, why not? I was in the mood.
Slap!
“Keeng!”
Pus’s short arms trembled slightly.
“Keeek…”
Tus clattered its teeth as if jealous.
Crunch.
Suddenly, Nephila tightly gripped my arm.
…Was it asking for the same?
“This… doing something like this in broad daylight…!”
Tang So-yeong cried out, covering her eyes.
What was she even talking about?
I was just slapping its rear to help it produce webs.
“B-beast! Well, you are a beast, but still…”
Swoosh!
“Kyah!”
Nephila offered a light scolding to Tang So-yeong.
Just as I was about to gently slap its rear—
“Aw?”
I spotted a familiar gray-furred bundle heading my way.
A cute puppy crawled over, wagging its tail and keeping a low posture.
It was Chillang.
“Awwoong!”
Scales were nice, but fur had its charm too.
That fluffy body… I wanted to embrace it immediately….
“Kioon!”
“Kieeng!”
Right.
You two are fluffy as well.
I lightly petted Chillang, who had come up to me.
“Hmm.”
Even Nephila seemed to take a liking to Chillang, cautiously extending a finger toward it.
“Pant, pant…”
Chillang stuck out its tongue and panted happily, enjoying Nephila’s touch.
Spiders and snakes typically didn’t get along well, but wolves seemed to be a different story.
Of course, it might be because Chillang was the youngest and most naïve of the wolves, but still, this was a good start.
If things started off poorly, I’d have to force a feast to improve relations.
And then, I’d likely fall asleep again, and the next day, I’d strangely feel drained.
Their skin would become elastic, while I’d grow thinner.
Just imagining it was terrifying.
“Gasp, what’s this? Such an adorable creature?”
Even Tang So-yeong found Chillang adorable.
Though it had a cute demeanor, its size wasn’t exactly small.
The species itself is a Dire Wolf, and it’s larger than a typical adult wolf, so I thought it might scare people.
“But it’s huge, so it’s super cute.”
You even use expressions like that?
It seems Chillang’s cuteness is undeniable.
If just looking at Chillang elicits this reaction, what would they think if they saw all seven wolves rolling around like cotton candy?
“Come… here!”
Tang So-yeong reached out with suspiciously wiggling hands, trying to touch Chillang.
“Awng?”
Chillang peeked its head out as if wondering what was happening.
I could understand the urge to touch that fluffy fur.
I know how hard it is to resist.
“Hehe… Look at it staying still. So smooth and sleek… huh?”
But Tang So-yeong’s hand never touched Chillang’s fur.
Instead, her hand only ended up touching my tail, which had slipped in between.
“Ugh, what’s this? Why did you suddenly stick your tail in? Wait, is this a tail?”
What else would it be if not a tail?
Tang So-yeong, her face slightly flushed, shook her head vigorously.
“A-a tail, of course. I thought…”
What on earth were you imagining?
It seems you have more layers than I thought.
“Ahem, you’ve got a surprisingly cute side, Go Dae-hyeop.”
Huh?
Tang So-yeong lifted her gaze, meeting my eyes.
There was a mischievous glint in her green eyes.
What now?
“You’re jealous because I seem to like that dog, aren’t you? Hehe, fine. I’ll give you all the attention too…!”
Slap!
“Kyaa!”
Tang So-yeong yelped, leaping while clutching her rear.
It seems like there’s been a big misunderstanding.
“Huff, huff…”
Chillang is my special little cutie, and I’m the only one who gets to pet her.
“T-this isn’t fair! I’m going to pet her too!”
The scene devolved into chaos.
Pus slyly kept pressing its spinnerets against me.
Tus climbed onto my tail, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.
Nephila stood beside me, helping me pet Chillang.
Meanwhile, Tang So-yeong had her head buried in the ground, only her face peeking out.
“I’m sorry! I won’t fool around anymore!”
Good.
You’ve learned your lesson, haven’t you?
“When we’re alone, with unmarried venom…”
Not yet, it seems.
“Kyah! I-it’s just a joke!”
We were spending time like this when—
“What are you doing?”
A familiar voice called out.
It was Baekrang, in its wolf form, gazing at me quietly.
“Gek-gek.”
Nothing much, just maintaining some discipline.
“Kieeek!”
“Keeeek!”
Tus and Pus quickly climbed onto my horns.
It didn’t seem to view them negatively like snakes, but it also didn’t seem to adore them as Chillang did.
It was probably just being cautious.
Baekrang, after all, was a powerful spiritual beast.
“You’ve only brought in females, huh.”
Baekrang looked at me with a somewhat disapproving expression.
“Gek-gek…”
There’s a reason for everything.
“One spiritual beast and two landlords? Just what kind of life were you living in the past for your followers to be this few?”
There are more.
There’s Shikshik too, a very strong snake.
“…Fine. Since you arrived here before me, I’ll treat you with respect.”
That’s just like Baekrang.
I wanted to kiss it on the stomach right away.
“Wait a second, left Dharma protector and right Dharma protector?”
“Kieeeng!”
“Kioon!”
Tus and Pus wiggled their short arms.
It seemed their positions of authority were being recognized.
“No matter what, isn’t that rank a bit too high…? Never mind. I’m sure you have your reasons.”
Baekrang seemed dissatisfied but accepted it anyway.
I had anticipated Baekrang would respond like this.
Even the Red Dragon hadn’t shown any dissatisfaction about being on the same rank as Baekrang.
In fact, it had become kinder and seemed to treat me with its own version of respect.
It seemed to be trying its best to understand, having received the benefits of the Gecko Faith.
“The shrine maiden is… well, still a spiritual beast. Her power is lacking for now, but even so…”
It seemed Nephila had passed Baekrang’s evaluation.
Spiritual beasts capable of taking human form are rare.
I don’t know the details, but—
“A white puppy…!”
Tang So-yeong’s eyes sparkled.
Even though only its head was peeking out, she seemed excited about the appearance of a new spiritual beast.
When will she ever come to her senses?
“Huh? Is that an emergency ration?”
“Eek!”
Tang So-yeong panicked.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t eat me!”
It was clearly just a joke.
“I-I don’t even have much meat on me, so I wouldn’t taste good…!”
She’s really hit rock bottom.
I was curious how much lower she could go, but she’s still one of my followers.
I took a step forward, positioning myself between Baekrang and Tang So-yeong.
“Go Dae-hyeop…!”
She probably thought I was protecting her.
“You’re awfully scared.”
“Gek-gek-gek.”
Exactly.
Would I let my follower get eaten?
“She’s a physician, right?”
It seemed Baekrang knew Tang So-yeong was a healer.
“T-that means if I weren’t a physician, you’d… eek!”
With a thud, Tang So-yeong collapsed, her head drooping.
…Did she faint?
“Gek.”
I stretched out my tail and pulled her out of the pit.
Why is she so timid?
Well, her circumstances make it understandable.
“…You’ve really picked up something strange.”
“Gek.”
I agree.
“Gek.”
But that bit about eating humans—it was just a joke, right?
“Of course, it’s a joke. Most spiritual beasts avoid humans. Unlike animals, humans often harbor grudges, so killing them only brings trouble for us.”
Is it like the tale of Changgui?
There’s a story where a human killed by a tiger becomes a vengeful spirit called a Changgui that clings to the tiger.
It seemed a similar principle applied when spiritual beasts killed humans.
“Though it doesn’t cause immediate issues, beasts addicted to eating humans are a different story. It never ends well for them. They’re either hunted down by humans or lose their sanity and turn into monsters.”
That’s a relief.
“…You seem oddly fond of humans, but just in case, I’m telling you—don’t kill them.”
“Gek.”
“That doesn’t mean you should run away from humans who come after you. If someone crosses the line, you’ll have no choice but to kill them.”
It didn’t seem like Baekrang was particularly fond of humans.
More like, they avoided humans because it was bothersome, not because they were afraid.
“There are ways to deal with vengeful spirits, though. Some beasts eat them, while others use bizarre methods to keep them from attaching. …Some even drop their victims off cliffs, convincing themselves that the cliff killed them, not the beast.”
So it’s all about mindset, huh.
I didn’t plan to kill humans, but it was good to know.
Living in this world with naive optimism isn’t possible.
If someone touched my followers, even if they were human, I’d have to kill them.
More than being human, I am the divine beast of the Gecko Faith.
“There’s an old hag with nine tails who’s excellent at handling vengeful spirits. I’ll tell you about her later.”
An old hag with nine tails?
A Gumiho?
“Gek-gek-gek!”
Why tell me later?
This is urgent!
Crack.
Nephila suddenly grabbed the back of my neck tightly.
“Geeeng…”
Wait, it’s not like that.
I’m just curious because you mentioned a Gumiho.
It’s not because I’m curious about their human form; I just want to connect with a strong spiritual beast….
“Silence.”
“Gek…”
Huh?
I looked back at Nephila.
Did she just talk?
“Gek!”
Nephila shyly turned her head away.
So.
You’ve already started speaking, even if just a little.
As expected of the shrine maiden of the Gecko Faith.
…But what about me?
“Geeeeeeng.”
“All grown-up in size, but still a child. Just a kid.”
Baekrang continued, looking at me with a disappointed expression.
“Gek-gek.”
Tell me where the Gumiho resides.
“At this rate, we’ll be talking in circles until the sun sets. I’ll just get straight to the point. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Since you put it that way, I’ll wait.
But why the urgency?
If it was truly critical, they wouldn’t have bothered with pleasantries.
Given the small talk, maybe it’s not that serious?
“The Guardian of the Snowy Mountain has fallen.”
What?
No, my Ice/Flying beast!