Chapter 34 Strange Forces and Deities
The size of that monster wasn’t that big.
It was bigger than a wolf but smaller than a tiger.
Yet, it felt larger than any beast they had ever seen.
A profound inner energy resided within it.
Even those who were only third-rate could feel that immense inner energy.
Inner energy must be refined down to the size of a small grain of rice.
However, this beast exuded a raw, unrefined energy.
It was evidence that endless inner energy existed within its body.
Blood Lion and Jang Bong couldn’t move.
That dripping saliva.
It was a signal that they were seen as mere prey.
Its tongue flicked.
It was similar to the gaze of the Cult Leader they had seen before.
A wild movement, as if assessing the opponent’s strength.
Once the assessment was complete, it was clear that the judgment of that monster would begin.
Blood Lion’s heart pounded.
They had come to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains in pursuit of wealth and glory.
They couldn’t die in vain like this.
They had to survive somehow.
But no matter how much they thought about it, there was no normal way to escape from this desperate situation.
They moved instinctively.
His foot slowly stretched out.
It wasn’t something he did of his own will.
It was an instinctive discovery of the only way to survive here.
Thunk!
“Aaaah!”
Blood Lion’s foot forcefully pushed Tang So-yeong.
The delicate woman fell as she was.
The turquoise monster lowered its head and made eye contact with the fallen Tang So-yeong.
“Blood Lion, how could you… as a chivalrous warrior…?”
It was when Jang Bong scolded him.
“Shut up and run away now!”
At Blood Lion’s shout, everyone came to their senses.
Even Jang Bong, who had been pretending to be kind, and the other motionless warriors.
The most important thing was to survive in this demonic realm.
And now was the only moment when the escape route was open.
Tang So-yeong had already fallen.
It was impossible to save her.
Even if Blood Lion hadn’t pushed her, she would have died as she was the closest.
Her death was already certain.
In such a situation, the best thing to do was to run away.
Those who had a conscience might pay their respects to her.
“Primeval Lord of Heaven, Primeval Lord of Heaven.”
“Nonsense! You’re not even a Taoist!”
Jang Bong and the warriors came to their senses and immediately turned around to run away.
They ran with all their might.
There would still be some time before that monster devoured Tang So-yeong.
They had to widen the distance as much as possible during that time.
They thought so.
How far did they run? They turned around to catch their breath, thinking they had distanced themselves enough.
“Damn it…”
It was coming.
Something big.
A turquoise dragon was running towards them at high speed.
Yes, it was running.
On two legs.
Moreover, it was fast.
Blood Lion screamed at the sight he had never seen before.
“What in the world is this monstrous sight?!”
There was no time to rest.
If they didn’t want to get caught by that crazy monster, they had to run immediately.
They were confident in running away, even though they were third-rate.
Because they had been running their whole lives.
“If it runs like that on two legs, it can’t be a normal dragon!”
“I know that! How could it be a normal dragon!”
“Huff… huff… So what I’m saying is, if we escape into the water, we might survive!”
They would soon be caught if they ran on land.
If they ran into the swamp, they might escape from that monster.
With its sharp claws and body shape, it was presumed to be a species that lived in trees.
In other words, it might not be good at swimming.
Even if it could swim, it would be difficult to follow in shallow water.
“I trust you!”
The warriors all headed towards the swamp.
It was a place that a human’s legs could easily cross, but it would be difficult for that short-legged creature.
That monster would get stuck and couldn’t come because of the trees.
They thought so.
“Huff…”
“Look at that! It’s hesitating at the water’s edge!”
“Hah… hah… did we beat it?”
“Blood Lion! Shut your mouth!”
At the moment Jang Bong scolded Blood Lion.
The beast, which had been standing on the water as if contemplating, stepped onto the surface.
It literally stepped on the water.
“Cack-cack-cack!”
The beast naturally walked on the water’s surface.
The turquoise dragon, looking straight at them, walked slowly.
“Jang Bong! Look at that!”
“I have eyes too! Walking on water… such a supernatural phenomenon…”
“It’s not walking on water, it’s stepping on the surface!”
“What are you saying! Just pray to the Primeval Lord of Heaven!”
Encountering a spiritual beast that used a formation technique and even reached the realm of what could be called an art of moving swiftly, it was truly a situation fitting of the term ‘strange forces and deities.’
Jang Bong and the warriors quickly changed direction.
There was no way to avoid the monster’s pursuit at the water’s edge.
“It must have been webbed feet, not claws.”
“What nonsense! Didn’t you see those sharp blades?”
“Listen! Judging by its movements, it’s definitely a creature that lives in the water. How could such a creature climb trees?”
Blood Lion doubted Jang Bong’s words.
Maybe he had gone mad with fear.
But there was no other way.
They were slower than it on flat ground and at the water’s edge.
They had to find another method.
So they climbed the trees.
Even though they were third-rate, they were still warriors.
Climbing trees was simple.
They didn’t stop there; they moved quickly from branch to branch to another tree.
“This should be enough. Even if it follows our scent, it will lose us soon.”
“Jang Bong, you were right. Climbing the trees, that foolish beast can’t find us.”
“We were lucky. Now we just have to wait quietly for it to leave.”
“Whew… it’s been three years since I entered the martial world. I’ve never felt such a crisis before. When this is over, I’ll return to Anhui and propose to her…”
Blood Lion stopped speaking.
Jang Bong was staring at him as if he had seen a ghost.
“You, you…!”
Thwack!
The turquoise spiritual beast was naturally climbing the tree.
No, climbing wasn’t the right word.
It was climbing as if walking on the ground.
It was using the Gecko Wall-Climbing Technique.
“Aaaah! Blood Lion! How could you!”
“What did I do wrong! Lower your voice! You’ll get us caught!”
“We’re already caught!”
Jang Bong and the warriors jumped from the tree simultaneously.
What on earth was that beast?
A creature that could use the Gecko Wall-Climbing Technique and step on the water.
They had never heard of such a being.
Was it really a dragon?
No, a dragon wouldn’t run on two legs.
It would fly if it could.
Then what was its true identity?
Jang Bong pondered this while running.
Still, this would be the end.
They had more numbers on their side, so if one got caught, the others would survive.
“Jang Bong!”
“Damn it! What now! Talking wastes strength!”
“Look at that thing!”
“If you plan to push me like you did the maiden, forget it. If you do, we’ll both die.”
“That’s not it! Look at its mouth!”
Mouth?
What was he talking about?
Jang Bong glanced at the pursuing beast.
In its large mouth was the sword Jang Bong had dropped earlier.
“This is too much!”
Damn it, now it was even using a sword.
Did it plan to slaughter them with that sword?
Jang Bong abandoned the idea of using one person as bait.
Look at it chasing them like a demon with a sword.
It wouldn’t stop even if it caught one of them.
“Argh!”
So they kept running.
Until the turquoise monster no longer chased them.
*
Hey, human.
Take your sword!
It looks expensive…
Sigh.
They’re already that far.
It must be dangerous.
I was worried but had no choice.
They’re excellent at escaping, so they’ll find their way out.
If I chase them further, I’ll go deeper into the forest.
But why do they keep running away?
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer.
I only greeted them with a harmless expression, yet they fled in terror.
I didn’t understand why.
Did they see something scary?
…Could it be that I look that scary?
No way. That can’t be.
I was a lizard acknowledged by Baek Yeonyeong.
Baek Yeonyeong’s face was so beautiful that she could be called the most beautiful in the world.
A lizard acknowledged by the most beautiful woman in the world should be almost as good… No, at least not ugly.
I glanced at my reflection in the water.
Due to evolution, my body had grown a bit larger, scales like armor had appeared, my teeth had become sharper, my claws had grown longer, my tail had lengthened, and poison came out of my mouth, but I still looked almost the same as before.
I had unfounded confidence that if Baek Yeonyeong saw me now, she would still poke and tease me as before.
No, that woman probably wouldn’t even blink an eye if I turned into a dragon.
I had grown much larger than before, but humans were originally bigger than me.
Of course, if I stood on two legs, I might look bigger.
But why did they suddenly appear?
For a place where people lived, they were making too much of a fuss.
Had they never seen a
lizard like me?
I didn’t know.
They must have taken a wrong turn.
Anyway, we wouldn’t meet again, so why worry about it?
As long as they didn’t head to the upper part of the swamp, they wouldn’t be in any danger.
It was late, so I should return to my nest.
…Oh.
That woman who fell earlier.
Is she still there?
It seemed like she hurt her leg.
I should check on her.
…
Just in case, I practiced my expression.
Let’s smile.
In the water, there was only a handsome lizard with a charming smile.
This should be enough.
Sigh. Why do these martial artists run away from something like this?
No perseverance, no perseverance.
Back in my day, I entered the Silver Dragon Cave and caught bugs to train.