Chapter 58 Adultery (Not)
【Ball Python lv14】
【Status】
「Playing Dead」「Tense」
__________________________
【Ball Python】
A type of python that grows up to 180cm in length, with a thick body.
When scared, it curls its body into a ball to protect itself.
It is non-venomous and its teeth are not very sharp.
__________________________
When people talked about pythons, they usually meant really large snakes.
Some larger species could be compared to anacondas, or even bigger.
However, this snake seemed unworthy of the python name.
It was chubby but short.
Although its level was somewhat high, making it over 2m long, considering that snakes only invest in length, this wasn’t particularly long.
Small, non-venomous, and with weak teeth.
What was the point of this snake’s existence?
…Was it because it looked cute?
It’s embarrassing to say, but it really did look cute.
Even if my eyes had gone strange from turning into a lizard or hanging out with spiders, I would still think it was cute as a human.
Well, as far as snakes go.
The snakes I’d seen so far were terrifying ones like the Titanoboa, but this one was different.
Its snout looked like a puppy’s? Its round shape seemed very gentle.
Moreover, its eyes. If you looked closely, you could see the vertical pupils typical of reptiles, but they were somewhat faint. In other words, the eyes were round and gentle-looking.
“Geh geh gehk.”
As if it had read my thoughts, its tail began to move slightly.
It wagged like a puppy meeting its owner.
Yes.
The reason you survived must be because you’re cute.
You look cute, so you probably taste good too.
Unlike other snakes, you don’t seem to have many small bones.
And your chubby body has plenty of meat.
Just thinking about it made my mouth water.
“Hieek!”
The snake jumped up, seeing the drool dripping from my mouth.
Can snakes jump?
Its tail muscles must be impressive.
Judging by how it bent like a spring and jumped.
It must be a gourmet delight.
“Shhirik…”
Realizing that its act of playing dead had been discovered, it started to change its posture.
That was…
An unbelievable pose.
It curled up its body to form a ball.
It seemed determined to block all attacks from enemies.
Did it really think it could block anything like that?
【Ball Python lv14】
【Status】
「Relieved」
Why was it relieved?
Did it think I wouldn’t eat it if it curled up like that?
All I could think of was how to fit it into my mouth in one bite.
It was level 14, too.
It had survived here for quite some time, so how did it manage?
This jungle looked tougher than the lower swamp areas at a glance.
From the terror birds that greeted me to the man-faced birds firing destructive rays from their mouths.
This wasn’t an easy place where a snake could survive with such methods.
Did it really survive because it was cute?
I still had to do what needed to be done.
If I didn’t eat it, I would be in danger.
I opened my mouth wide.
Waaang.
“Hieeeek…”
The snake’s posture collapsed.
The ball python trembled as it curled its body.
No matter how pitiful you look, it doesn’t change anything.
…
Why did seeing it remind me of Tus and Pus?
Forget it.
Eating it wouldn’t even register in my stomach.
Rather than eating this low-nutrition snake meat, it would be better to find another prey.
As I turned my head to look elsewhere.
“Hiek…”
The ball python peeked out its head.
It tilted its head, watching me closely.
Realizing I had no intention of harming it, it slowly crawled towards me.
…Wasn’t it being too unguarded?
The ball python slithered towards me, opening its mouth slightly.
I watched it, curious about what it was doing.
Was it trying to eat me?
Those small teeth couldn’t possibly pierce my scales.
Waaang.
The ball python opened its mouth as wide as it could and bit my foreleg.
So, even after giving it a chance, it wanted to end up in my stomach after all.
As I opened my mouth to do the same.
[HP has been slightly restored.]
Huh?
*
Applying saliva to a wound makes it heal.
There’s a saying like that.
It actually has some sterilizing effect and can help heal wounds, but the chances of it getting worse aren’t low, so it’s not a recommended treatment.
But what was this snake?
The status window confirmed it was a healer snake.
Of course, the effect wasn’t great.
It only restored about 10 HP.
But the pain was definitely gone.
…Was this anesthesia?
Did this cunning snake plan to eat me after making sure I didn’t feel pain?
I thought about it, but checking its information again proved otherwise.
【Ball Python lv14】
【Status】
「Trusting」「Hungry」
Hungry.
It seemed that way.
Despite its chubby body, it looked somewhat weak.
It appeared not to have eaten for quite some time.
Trusting.
That was the problem.
“Hiek…”
The ball python coiled around my leg.
For some reason, it wanted to stay with me.
Why was it trusting me?
It must know I was about to eat it.
I racked my brains, trying to think.
The ball python was level 14.
I raised Tus and Pus, but they couldn’t surpass level 10.
Moreover, considering that each species has different criteria for leveling up, it must have been harder for this snake to level up compared to Tus and Pus.
If Tus and Pus were gecko lizards, this snake would be a green basilisk or a king lizard.
Even so, it had reached level 14.
In this tough jungle, no less.
There was one thing I could guess.
This snake must have been raised under someone’s protection.
Considering its still fragile state, it must have been quite recent.
Then, by chance, it got separated from its protector.
It was like being treated like a princess and then suddenly thrown into the wild.
In such a situation, it met me.
That explained the current situation.
It saw that I didn’t eat it and left, so it clung to me out of hope.
Since a snake’s protector would likely be another snake, it might have felt a sense of kinship with me, a similar-looking lizard.
…Even so, I did try to eat you.
“Hiek…”
Even now, it was scared, but it didn’t let go of my body.
No matter how cold the blood of reptiles was, how could I eat a snake in this state?
If this was its strategy, it would be a terrifying creature, but it didn’t seem that way.
Then what to do.
I could spare its life, but taking it with me was another story.
It hadn’t been long since I took care of Tus and Pus, and now I was thinking of taking another one.
They at least became disciples, but this snake…
Wait.
Yes, disciples.
I had the Gecko Faith.
__________________________
【Gecko Faith】
A faith on the level of the Gecko Lizard.
A belief held by those who worship the legendary spiritual creature, the Geomodo.
Though it’s early to be called a religion, it has high potential for development.
The members’ faith is very strong.
Members:
First Disciple: 【Arthrocofus lv9】
Second Disciple: 【Anthracomartus lv8】
Third Disciple: 【Tang So-yeong】
__________________________
The name might be a bit strange, but Gecko Faith was quite a good faith.
It currently had two effects.
One was a slight increase in the abilities of the believers of Gecko Faith.
The other was that when a believer of Gecko Faith gained experience, a portion of it also came to me.
In other words, automatic hunting.
The more disciples there were, the more experience points I received.
Moreover, I suspected this snake was likely a high-class snake.
If I raised it to worship me and then took it to its presumed parents later?
It would grow well, eating the food provided by its parents, and then offer its experience points to me.
That would be an experience point duplication bug.
If this snake had friends, I could bring them under my wing too.
Snake.
You’ve hit the jackpot.
“Gegegek!”
“Hiek!”
Was it trying to mimic my cry?
We might get along better than I thought.
But there was something urgent.
First, I needed to find food.
This snake must be starving too, so it probably didn’t have any food, but it might know where suitable prey was.
I used my tail and hands to ask the snake a question.
I roughly patted my stomach and opened my mouth wide, conveying that I was hungry.
“Shhirik!”
The snake nodded its head repeatedly.
Right.
It must know this jungle better than me, so I could trust it.
The snake coiled its body around my neck and held its head up to indicate the direction.
…It seemed a bit suffocating, but it must be a coincidence, right?
Alright, snake.
Let’s get along well.
If you join Gecko Faith now, you can rise to the fourth rank, so keep that in mind.
As I walked in the direction indicated by the snake.
[The level of 「Crisis Detection lv9」 has increased.]
Huh? Why did this skill level up suddenly?
The skill level only increased when it was repeatedly used to increase proficiency. That meant Crisis Detection had been constantly activated…
I wasn’t sure. All my senses were denying it.
The real crisis was when I met the man-faced bird earlier.
Did the proficiency gained then get applied now?
[You have acquired 「Killing Intent Detection lv1」.]
Killing Intent Detection?
Is it given when Crisis Detection reaches level 10?
Thanks, but something felt off.
As soon as I received Killing Intent Detection, I felt a chill.
I had the feeling that a swirl of emotions was directed at me from far away.
[First disciple, 【Arthrocofus lv9】 is displeased.]
[Second disciple, 【Anthracomartus lv9】 is tense.]
[Third disciple, 【Tang So-yeong】 is watching carefully.]
It suddenly showed me the status of my disciples.
Tang So-yeong must be careful because she entered the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Why were Tus and Pus like that?
I hoped it was nothing serious.
This was strange.
With the timing, it seemed like someone over there was sending killing intent.
[??, 【Nephila Jurassica lv30】 is extremely angry at the appearance of a rival.]
What is this?
You’re not even a disciple. What’s with the question mark?
What does “appearance of a rival” mean?
Are you referring to this snake?
And how do you even know about this!
I lowered my head at the unknown killing intent from the four sisters of the Tang family.
[??, 【Nephila Jurassica lv30】 is extremely enraged by your shameless behavior.]
“Geeeek…”
It’s not like that.
I can explain everything.
…Wait, why do I have to explain?
Maybe it’s because I’m low on HP, my thinking is getting strange.
“Gegegek!”
I needed to fill my stomach quickly.