Chapter 67 Mother-in-law, you can’t do this.
No, is it really okay for a divine artifact to break this easily?
“…I can’t believe it.”
I couldn’t believe it either.
It wasn’t my intention.
I don’t want to turn into a statue.
I made the saddest lizard face possible.
The vertical pupils of the Snake Queen stared at me intently.
A dry, expressionless face similar to Baek Yeonyeong’s.
I had no idea what she was thinking.
Gulp.
I swallowed.
Is she going to get angry?
She’s going to get angry, right?
Because I broke the divine artifact.
“Come closer.”
Yeah.
It’s better to get it over with quickly.
Even though I broke the divine artifact, she won’t turn me into a statue.
It’s already broken, so she’ll probably just make me repay it somehow.
She might even say something like, “Repay me with your body!”
Of course, that would mean she’d strip every single one of my scales.
“Gekgek….”
I let out a wary ‘gekgek’ sound as I crawled forward cautiously.
I couldn’t help but feel a little resentful toward Shikshik, who was still asleep.
The Snake Queen lightly grabbed my snout and pried it open.
“Geeeeek?”
No way, isn’t this something Baek Yeonyeong would do?
I thought their faces looked alike, but their actions are similar too.
The Snake Queen slowly inspected the inside of my mouth.
It seemed like she was examining structures like my uvula and salivary glands.
“You’ve brought something truly precious.”
Tap.
The hand holding my snout released its grip.
“Legged snake, are you by any chance hungry?”
What was that random question?
From the look of things, it seemed like she was about to tear my snout wide open.
…I did eat some meat, but I am feeling a bit peckish.
“Gekegek.”
I made a weak affirmative ‘gekgek’ sound.
“I figured as much. I’ll be back shortly, so wait here.”
Leaving those words behind, the Snake Queen slithered smoothly toward the passage at the entrance.
Why did that conversation about a condemned person’s last meal come to mind?
A kind of custom where they feed you a hearty meal before you die.
If I fill my stomach with meat, could I also…?
Now’s my chance.
I’ll sneak away while the Snake Queen is out of the room.
“Don’t run away. Stay here.”
“Gek.”
Yes, ma’am.
…There’s no way I could run away.
Even if I did try to escape, I’d be caught immediately if I didn’t make it out of the jungle.
As I nervously bit my claws and waited a bit, an incredible roar began to echo from outside.
Kuquaaaang!
Hmm, what was that sound?
It sounded like the world was being torn apart.
I shivered at the noise, which seemed closely related to the Snake Queen having gone outside.
She must be really angry.
Right. Let’s at least try to fix the mirror.
While I was working hard to piece together the broken mirror, the Snake Queen returned to the temple.
She was dragging a large chunk of mysterious meat behind her.
“Filling your hungry belly comes first.”
Just by looking at the meat, I started drooling.
“Gekek….”
Is that for me?
I looked at the glass shard in my hand and gauged her reaction.
“It was an old relic anyway. Confirming my daughter’s appearance is enough. Don’t worry about it.”
“Gegegek!”
The Snake Queen is the best.
How should I put it, I felt a warm sense of kindness?
Even though she’s clearly a reptile, she exuded the warmth of a mammal.
I also felt warmth from the perfectly cooked meat.
“Go ahead. Eat up.”
Wang.
Chomp.
It was the most delicious meat I had ever tasted.
Given the situation, I thought the taste wouldn’t register, but it was overwhelmingly delicious enough to ignore all that.
The texture of this exquisitely cooked meat, as if roasted by the Queen’s destructive beam, was exactly to my liking.
“So, is it tasty?”
I nodded vigorously.
With this level of taste and quantity, I might even level up if I finish it all.
Sip, it’s a shame to eat it all by myself.
Just as I was about to wake Shikshik so we could eat together.
“Don’t wake her.”
“Gek.”
Alright, I’ll listen to Mother-in-law.
“She suddenly gained a lot of strength, so it’s only natural that she’s sleepy. It’s like she took some sort of elixir.”
Is that so?
Well, considering Aunt ate something like tail soup, it makes sense.
Since she’s full, it’s better to let her sleep.
She didn’t wake up even with all that noise, so she must have really needed the rest.
I swallowed another bite of the meat in front of me.
The Snake Queen watched me closely as I ate.
“Even though she’s my daughter, she’s a child without any rough edges.”
Suddenly, Shikshik was being praised.
“Look at her sleeping figure. Isn’t she truly adorable?”
I agreed.
Despite being a snake, she had a face that looked like a puppy, with a plump body to match.
And it wasn’t just because I saw her potential in the Mirror of Absolute Possibility.
“Though it’s still early, she’ll make a good mate when she grows up.”
Yes, a good mate.
…Mother-in-law?
I think there’s some sort of misunderstanding.
“What is that expression supposed to mean? Are you saying you don’t like my daughter?”
The Snake Queen’s eyes narrowed.
“Gegegek!”
I let out a strongly denying ‘gekgek’ sound and shook my head.
That’s not what I meant.
The Snake Queen’s face grew stern.
“Could it be that my daughter isn’t your first woman?”
No.
It’s not that I have another woman.
“Or are you thinking about another woman?”
[First Apostle, 【Arthrocofus lv9】 is all ears.]
[Second Apostle, 【Anthracomartus lv8】 is listening expectantly.]
[???, 【Nephila Jurassica lv30】 scoffs.]
What are you guys?
Go away, shoo.
“Gegegegek!”
Right. I’d rather it be that I’m thinking of another woman.
It’s not like I have feelings for anyone, I’m just thinking about them.
Well, contemplating the Nine Yin White Bone Claws that Master Baek Yeonyeong taught me also counts as thinking about another woman.
At this rate, won’t we stay on good terms?
I mean, I gave her my tail and agreed to the Snake Queen’s request.
We’d remain on friendly terms.
“…How dare you, play with my daughter?”
Excuse me?
No, how did it come to this conclusion?
We may have shared a bed and I gave her my tail, but we’re not in any sort of relationship yet.
“You took my daughter, yet you’re harboring thoughts of another woman?”
“Gegegegegegegek!”
I vehemently denied it with ‘gekgek’ sounds.
“Just who, who is this woman…?”
The Snake Queen trailed off.
Afraid that a destructive beam might shoot out, I cautiously lifted my head to look at her face.
What is going on?
The Snake Queen’s face was slightly flushed.
“No way….”
She shyly curled her tail, avoiding my gaze as if she was embarrassed.
[The Snake Queen falls into deep contemplation.]
“Are you saying… it’s me?”
I’m losing my mind here.
*
The jungle was home to a variety of creatures.
Starting with small dinosaurs that could be seen anywhere in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains to the overwhelmingly large sauropods that dominated with their size.
Some spiritual beasts also lived naturally within the jungle. Since it was a place where even creatures like Basilisks and man-faced birds roamed unnoticed, there were also beings who could be called intruders hiding in the jungle.
“So, spiritual beasts really do exist!”
Jang Bong was passionately arguing.
He hadn’t lost his life even after being attacked by a Dilophosaurus.
He survived because, after shouting at the Blood Lion, he ran away faster than anyone else.
But even though he had survived, with his skills, it was only a matter of time before he would have died. Especially in this jungle, teeming with creatures far stronger than those in the swamp.
Yet, he was still alive because he had happened to meet someone else.
It was Baekwoon, a promising swordsman from Jongnam.
“Myriad-Year Fire Carp, Golden Frog, and Golden Tortoise, you say. It does sound intriguing… But how can I believe that?”
“It’s true! I saw it with my own eyes.”
“It must have been a similar creature. But it’s certainly true that spiritual beasts exist in these Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. If time permits, it might not be a bad idea to visit the swamp.”
“I’m telling you, it was definitely a Myriad-Year Fire Carp. …Oh, and as I mentioned before, there’s also a dragon there, so we’ll need to be fully prepared.”
A dragon, huh.
Baekwoon gave a self-mocking smile.
“Even if it is a dragon, didn’t they say it’s smaller than these birds?”
“Y-Yes, of course. It’s about this size… But….”
Under Baekwoon lay the corpse of a terror bird with its neck severed.
For Baekwoon, who had surpassed the first-class realm and was now aiming for the peak, the terror bird was not a particularly strong opponent.
And it wasn’t just the terror birds.
Even creatures like Deinonychus, which at first had been mistaken for dragons, were no match for Baekwoon.
Though he had been startled by the appearance of beasts he had never seen before, Baekwoon had been excited by the prospect of obtaining a core. However, no matter how
many terror birds and Deinonychuses he killed, they didn’t yield a core.
What he needed most urgently was the core of a spiritual beast.
How great would it be if, as Jang Bong claimed, there really were spiritual beasts gathering in the swamp?
His words piqued Baekwoon’s interest, but that was all.
It was too far-fetched a story.
There was no way such spiritual beasts would be gathered in one place.
Moreover, if there was a dragon, even less so.
“I’ve cut down several creatures that looked similar to dragons here. But they weren’t dragons. Just large Stone Apes. There’s no way that thing is a dragon.”
“No, I definitely sensed an unusual internal energy.”
“Internal energy, my foot.”
Baekwoon chuckled.
How could a third-rate fighter like Jang Bong detect the internal energy of a spiritual beast?
True spiritual beasts know how to conceal their internal energy. There was only one way for a third-rate warrior to sense their energy.
When the internal energy was so overwhelming that it leaked out even when concealed.
But that was impossible.
If that were the case, how could Jang Bong have survived?
“Well, we’ll think about it after we escape from this place.”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it? There are so many venomous insects around, and the plants are so tall you can’t see ahead….”
Being trapped in the jungle was a problem, but Jang Bong felt reassured.
He knew that Baekwoon, who had received training from Jongnam, would not abandon him.
And unlike him, Baekwoon was strong enough to be called a first-class warrior, so as long as he stuck close to him, he wouldn’t die to the giant lizards.
Jang Bong began cutting up the terror bird that Baekwoon had felled.
They hadn’t agreed on it, but since Baekwoon had defeated the enemy, he figured it was his responsibility to at least prepare the food.
Just as he was cutting the meat and about to start a fire.
“Kokikooooo!”
A sudden, bizarre cry rang out.
“…Isn’t that a bird’s cry?”
“To be precise, it sounds more like a chicken.”
Could it be a companion of the bird he was cutting up?
Jang Bong wondered, but quickly realized it was a pointless worry.
As long as Baekwoon was around, these birds were no problem at all.
“Jang Bong. Hide your presence and follow me.”
It was an abrupt command, but Jang Bong didn’t argue.
What puzzled him more was the request itself.
“W-What? Why all of a sudden? We’re almost ready here.”
“That cry. It must belong to a creature close to a spiritual beast.”
“Well, it is a different sound from these birds….”
“Stay here if you want. I’m going ahead.”
Baekwoon quickly started moving toward the source of the sound.
“I… Iek….”
Jang Bong was reluctant but had no choice but to follow.
Being left alone in this jungle would mean certain death.
“Lord Baekwoon! Wait for me!”