Chapter 197: Lion’s Roar
“So, what are you going to do?”
Baekrang asked in a worried tone.
The bald man was being treated by Tang So-yeong.
I thought stepping on him lightly wouldn’t cause much injury, but my definition of "lightly" seems to have been a bit harsher than I realized.
Considering I had pressed down with the most dangerous part of my body, it was understandable.
“Gegek.”
First, I agreed to the bald man’s request.
I needed to face Cheoldu-ryong eventually anyway.
Killing all humans.
That wasn’t something achievable through individual strength.
However, it was clear the creature harbored hatred toward humans and wouldn’t stop slaughtering until someone ended its life.
With the power of the Dragon Gate in its grasp, the devastation wouldn’t be small.
If a strong figure like my master saw it, they could subdue it, but who knows how many lives would be lost in the meantime.
The monk’s request was simple.
To accompany him.
And if he failed to stop Cheoldu-ryong, to defeat the creature in his stead.
Since I needed to deal with Cheoldu-ryong anyway, it wasn’t a bad proposal for me.
At least I’d get a sense of how the creature fought.
Unlike other beasts, my combat style always involved a strategic approach.
Rather than using my full power from the start, I would observe the opponent’s moves and gradually increase my strength.
While there were times when I could crush an enemy instantly with overwhelming power, that was only possible in overwhelmingly favorable situations.
Living in the wild meant constantly being on guard for potential threats.
This situation gave me the chance to observe the creature’s battle techniques.
That meant I could gauge its strength and gain an advantage in combat.
Cheoldu-ryong would undoubtedly be incredibly strong.
Even a spiritual beast that claimed the Dragon Gate’s power would at least be as formidable as the Fire Rat.
And Cheoldu-ryong, who had defeated the Ice Bird, would be far stronger.
But it didn’t end there.
Tangga’s spiritual beast, Dilopo, naturally used Mancheonhwau.
What would the Shaolin’s spiritual beast, Cheoldu-ryong, showcase in comparison?
It would undoubtedly display martial arts far more spectacular than Dilopo’s.
I needed to be prepared for that.
Moreover, since it had absorbed the power of the Snowy Mountain, its ability to wield cold energy had to be considered.
“I can handle cold energy to some extent.”
Baekrang, being a spiritual beast skilled in controlling cold energy, would make things easier if she joined me.
But Baekrang needed to stay here.
If Red Dragon were here, I could confidently take either of them, but she was currently elsewhere.
This meant I needed a spiritual beast to guard my domain.
I had to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.
While the Igaksu were strong allies, having an intelligent spiritual beast like Baekrang hold the fort would give me peace of mind when I left.
She could take on my role while I was away.
“Gegek.”
“You’re going alone?”
I decided to go to the Snowy Mountain alone.
That was the best course of action I could take.
Papabat!
I dashed toward the Snowy Mountain.
The monk clung tightly to my fur to avoid falling off.
“Cheoldu-ryong and I have known each other since childhood.”
Since there was no telling when the creature might go on a rampage, the monk shared stories of the past on the way.
“To be precise, Cheoldu-ryong entered Shaolin when it was still young. It may be hard to understand how a spiritual beast came to Shaolin.”
The monk spoke as if it were obvious that I’d know what Shaolin was.
Of course, I had a general idea, but most spiritual beasts wouldn’t even know where Shaolin was.
What was so special about Komodo for him to speak like this?
“To be honest, the abbot did kill Cheoldu-ryong’s parents.”
The monk spoke in a calm tone.
Shaolin is a leading orthodox sect, often referred to as the North Star of Mount Tai.
And their abbot killed a spiritual beast?
Not just any monk, but the abbot himself. That would surely indicate Shaolin’s corruption.
“And he did it in front of Cheoldu-ryong.”
Could this be why my master despised Shaolin?
Killing someone’s parents right in front of them.
Even animals wouldn’t stoop that low.
“…Of course, there were unavoidable circumstances. The abbot erased Cheoldu-ryong’s memories and brought it to Shaolin.”
Erased its memories and brought it to Shaolin.
To use it as a pawn?
If that were true, Shaolin must be a completely rotten institution.
But upon further thought, there didn’t seem to be much reason for that.
Why go through the trouble of bringing in a baby dinosaur?
Sure, now it’s grown and immensely powerful, but Cheoldu-ryong wasn’t originally a spiritual beast.
A headbutting dinosaur.
That’s all it was, nothing more, nothing less.
“It learned everything Shaolin had to offer… shamefully, it even progressed faster than I did.”
Cheoldu-ryong learned all of Shaolin’s teachings.
It became almost certain that he was using Shaolin's martial arts.
Even excluding trivial details, there was still valuable information to be gained.
“That’s why it’s dangerous. If he uses both Shaolin’s martial arts and the mysterious power he acquired here… the damage will be unimaginable.”
The power of the Snowy Mountain and Shaolin's martial arts.
It was something I needed to be wary of.
“Grrr…”
This was enough.
Papabat!
I accelerated.
“Ugh… But, Komodo, are you really going to confront him before I do?”
I wasn’t particularly fond of this monk.
My plan was to observe Cheoldu-ryong and the monk’s fight and strategize accordingly.
However, after thinking further, I realized that wouldn’t be possible.
Cheoldu-ryong’s hatred would likely be greater than I imagined.
Would he willingly engage in conversation upon seeing the monk who barely survived him?
No, there was no chance.
He’d strike before words could be spoken.
It would be meaningless.
I decided to assess the situation first.
If he still retained his reason, I’d let the monk attempt a conversation.
If not, I’d have to defeat him immediately.
“Grrrr…”
I lowered my body slightly and let the monk down.
“…Understood. Be careful.”
I could immediately sense a powerful presence ahead.
Hooong.
A frosty breeze quietly blew past.
Step.
I walked slowly toward him.
“Hooh.”
I heard Cheoldu-ryong’s voice.
“So, there’s a guest.”
He had taken on a form closer to a human than a dinosaur.
But unlike other spiritual beasts, he retained all his defining features.
A thick head.
Sharp claws.
And his massive original size.
【Cheoldu-ryong lv132】
【Cheoldu-ryong】
A sub-dragon with an iron head.
Having claimed the power of the Dragon Gate, it has grown immensely strong but wields unstable power.
As its evil dragon’s blood manifests, it grows exponentially stronger the more it engages in slaughter.
Cheoldu-ryong.
The status window revealed more information than I expected.
The more slaughter it committed, the stronger it became exponentially.
It was fortunate that it remained in the Snowy Mountain. If it had gone elsewhere, it might have grown beyond my ability to stop it.
“I’ve heard rumors, Komodo. Though I didn’t hear about fur and horns.”
Contrary to my expectations, he spoke fluently.
Calm and composed.
I thought he had gone berserk due to the power of the Dragon Gate, but that wasn’t the case.
“Perhaps… you, like me, have claimed the Dragon Gate.”
Would it have been fine to send the monk ahead?
“O master of the Dragon Gate. I have a proposal for you.”
A proposal?
Was he suggesting we stake the Dragon Gate in a duel to the death?
“Join me.”
His response was different from what I had expected.
“You can do it.”
Cheoldu-ryong smiled lightly, lifting the corners of his mouth.
It was a smile strikingly similar to a human’s.
It was as if he bore no hostility toward me.
He acted as though he was speaking sincerely.
Even his tone changed.
He spoke casually, like a friend, instead of maintaining formality.
“Let’s kill all those damned humans and create a world for spiritual beasts.”
But his words were twisted.
“You’ve seen humans too.”
Kugooong.
The frosty wind grew slightly stronger.
“They are evil. They manipulate spiritual beasts to their whims and commit atrocities without hesitation.”
His voice was filled with madness.
“Where does suffering come from?”
He addressed me as if delivering a sermon.
“To grow old and die is a result of being born.”
Step.
“Why were we born? Because we existed.”
Step.
“What is existence? It arises from attachment. And that attachment? It stems from a thirst for something.”
Step.
“Where does thirst come from? It is….”
Cheoldu-ryong's words continued.
Ignorance, formations, consciousness, name and form, six senses, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging, and death.
The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.
It was one of the core doctrines of Buddhism.
“Suffering begets more suffering.”
That was the concept of dependent origination.
To deeply reflect on the nature of suffering, understand it, and thus escape from pain.
However, what he was claiming was different.
“To escape from this suffering, what must be done?”
Kugooong.
The Snowy Mountain roared.
“The annihilation of all humans.”
His eyes glinted with madness.
“We must remove the cause of suffering. Only then will suffering vanish from this world.”
He wanted to kill all humans.
That was his sole purpose.
“Komodo, will you accept my proposal?”
Cheoldu-ryong extended his hand toward me.
I did not take it.
“Grrr…”
“…For a spiritual beast of your level to act this way.”
Cheoldu-ryong’s expression shifted.
“Ah, so that’s how it is.”
Paaaaang!
In an instant, Cheoldu-ryong shot forward.
I knew exactly where he was heading.
He had spotted the monk hiding nearby.
Kwaaaaang!
Without hesitation, Cheoldu-ryong unleashed an attack meant to kill in one strike.
Kuguguguk.
But the attack didn’t land on the monk.
Because I blocked his head with my forepaw.
“…You’ve been corrupted by filthy humans.”
Cheoldu-ryong sighed as he looked at me.
Kwaaang!
I swung my arm, forcing him to retreat.
“Monk. Why have you returned?”
From a distance, Cheoldu-ryong spoke again.
It seemed he realized he couldn’t kill the monk with me standing by his side.
“They’re all dead. Even the arrogant monks who tormented me as a child.”
Whoooo.
A cold wind blew.
“Even the senior brother who pretended to protect me, masking his hypocrisy. They’re all dead. Barely clinging to life, why have you returned?”
Cheoldu-ryong spoke as if he couldn’t comprehend the monk’s actions.
“Cheoldu-ryong.”
The monk fixed his gaze on him.
“No, Bak Gigae.”
“…Do not call me by that name.”
“You know nothing.”
Step.
The monk took a step forward.
“Do you know how the abbot took you in…!”
“I don’t know?”
Cheoldu-ryong spoke as if exasperated.
“Your parents were no ordinary sub-dragons.”
“Ha. You’re going to wag your deceitful tongue again, aren’t you?”
“The abbot… he did it to save you!”
Puh-huh.
Cheoldu-ryong let out a bizarre laugh.
“Kehh, kahaha! This is hilarious. The abbot of Shaolin broke his precepts for my sake?”
It was illogical.
To claim that killing his parents was for his benefit.
“You fool. Don’t you understand yet? Your parents were…!”
The monk couldn’t finish his sentence.
Words he wanted to say but couldn’t.
The monk seemed to have words he wanted to say, but he trailed off as if unable to bring himself to speak.
“Enough. I don’t want to remember those memories again.”
Cheoldu-ryong spoke with clear disdain.
“Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that he did those heinous things to save me.”
Even if it were true that they acted for Cheoldu-ryong’s sake, it didn’t change anything.
“If that noble person did so, why would they send me to this place?”
Sending Cheoldu-ryong to this dire situation was undeniable.
“Wasn’t it to use me as a pawn, for another spiritual beast’s core, or to provoke conflict with the Demonic Sect?”
Securing a core was Shaolin’s purpose.
Additionally, it was for the sake of gaining justification.
There was no way Cheoldu-ryong didn’t know the information I was aware of.
“It was to treat you.”
“Treat me? Hah! Treat me. What treatment are you referring to? Making me kill others and stain my body with blood for all those years? Hah, hahah!”
Cheoldu-ryong laughed maniacally.
“Hmph, hah-hah!”
He laughed so much that tears streamed from his eyes.
“Judging by your silence, it seems you’ve run out of things to say.”
Surely, there was something the monk wanted to say.
But still, he held back.
Why wasn’t he speaking?
This could be his only opportunity.
Surely, this wasn’t the reason he sought my help.
The frosty wind grew fiercer.
“I’ll rip out that vile tongue of yours and make you pay for daring to mention my parents.”
There was no option left.
“You think you can manipulate Komodo to oppose me… do you truly think that’s possible?”
The only option was to fight Cheoldu-ryong.
“…Komodo.”
The monk looked at me.
“Use every move at your disposal to oppose me! No matter how great Komodo may be, you cannot block my grand aspiration!”
He then stepped forward.
“…What?”
The monk calling my name wasn’t a request for me to defeat Cheoldu-ryong on his behalf.
“Thank you.”
As he had said earlier.
To let the two of them settle this while I watched from afar.
That was the monk’s final request.
“…Senior brother, are you joking with me?”
The smile vanished from Cheoldu-ryong’s face.
There was no way the monk could defeat the current Cheoldu-ryong.
Even so, he moved forward.
“They’re all dead. Do you think you alone can defeat me?”
A profound energy surged from the monk’s body.
A power far beyond that of Baekwoon.
He had at least reached the pinnacle stage of martial arts.
But it was nowhere near enough to match Cheoldu-ryong.
“I don’t think I can win.”
The monk admitted he couldn’t defeat Cheoldu-ryong.
“So, you’ve finally lost your mind.”
Lost his mind.
That description was fitting.
If he had asked me to save him, I might have fought in his place.
But he hadn’t done so.
“But I can hold you back.”
“Ha, hahah! This is ridiculous…”
Cheoldu-ryong laughed as if it were absurd.
“Bak Gigae, prepare yourself.”
“If you truly wish to die… I’ll gladly grant your wish!”
Cheoldu-ryong got into a stance.
“Ssshhhhh…”
The monk took a deep breath.
I immediately raised my hands to cover my ears.
I knew exactly what was coming.
Kwoooooooaaaaaah!
An ear-shattering roar shook the Snowy Mountain.
One of Shaolin’s seventy-two techniques.
It was the Lion’s Roar.
The monk seemed to have something to say, but his words trailed off as if he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
“Enough. I don’t want to recall those memories ever again.”
Cheoldu-ryong spoke as if utterly disgusted.
“Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that he committed those heinous acts to save me.”
Even if he truly did it for Cheoldu-ryong, nothing would change.
“If he was so noble, why did he send me to this place?”
The fact that Cheoldu-ryong was sent to this peril remained unchanged.
“Wasn’t it to use me as a pawn—for another spiritual beast’s core or to provoke conflict with the Demonic Sect?”
Shaolin’s purpose was to obtain a core.
Additionally, it was to gain a justification.
There was no way Cheoldu-ryong didn’t know the information I did.
“It was to heal you.”
“Heal me? Hah! Heal me? What healing are you talking about? Forcing me to kill others and stain my body with blood for all those years? Hah, hahah!”
Cheoldu-ryong laughed hysterically.
“Hmph, hah-hah!”
He laughed so hard that tears streamed from his eyes.
“It seems you have nothing left to say, seeing how silent you’ve become.”
There must have been something the monk wanted to say.
Yet, he held back his words.
Why wouldn’t he speak?
This might be his only opportunity.
Surely, he didn’t seek my help just to say such trivial things.
The frosty wind grew stronger.
“I will rip out your filthy tongue and make you pay for daring to speak of my parents.”
There were no other options left.
“So, you think you can manipulate Komodo into opposing me… do you truly think that’s possible?”
The only remaining course of action was to fight Cheoldu-ryong.
“…Komodo.”
The monk looked at me.
“Use every means at your disposal to oppose me! No matter how great Komodo may be, you cannot stop my grand aspiration!”
Then he stepped forward.
“…What?”
The monk calling my name wasn’t to ask me to defeat Cheoldu-ryong on his behalf.
“Thank you.”
As he had said before.
To let the two of them settle this while I observed from afar.
That was the monk’s final request.
“…Senior Brother, are you joking with me?”
The smile disappeared from Cheoldu-ryong’s face.
There was no way the monk could defeat the current Cheoldu-ryong.
Even so, he stepped forward.
“They’re all dead, yet you think you alone can defeat me?”
A profound energy radiated from the monk’s body.
A power far above Baekwoon’s.
He had at least reached the pinnacle stage of martial arts.
But it was nowhere near enough to match Cheoldu-ryong.
“I don’t think I can win.”
The monk admitted he couldn’t defeat Cheoldu-ryong.
“So, you’ve finally lost your mind.”
Lost his mind.
That description was apt.
If he had asked me to save him, I might have fought in his place.
But he hadn’t done so.
“But I can hold you back.”
“Hah, hahah! This is truly… amusing.”
Cheoldu-ryong laughed mockingly.
“Bak Gigae, prepare yourself.”
“If death is truly your wish… I’ll gladly grant it!”
Cheoldu-ryong assumed a stance.
“Ssssshhhhh…”
The monk took a deep breath.
I immediately raised my hands to cover my ears.
I knew exactly what was coming.
Kwoooooooaaaaaah!
An enormous roar shook the Snowy Mountain.
One of Shaolin’s seventy-two techniques.
It was the Lion’s Roar.