Chapter 81 “Mom! Stop messing with my mate!”
Shikshik, biting the queen.
Seeing her round face turn into a triangle, I knew she was really angry.
Shikshik had become very strong. She could even bite off my dragon scales with her teeth.
However, there still wasn’t a single scratch on the Snake Queen’s fingers.
Even so, Shikshik kept attacking relentlessly.
She truly was the Snake Queen’s successor.
“Beep!”
Was it a coincidence that I remembered when she bit Baek Yeonyeong’s finger?
…Let’s check the situation properly first.
It seemed like the Snake Queen had tampered with my religion and faith.
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【Gecko Religion】
A religion at the level of a king lizard.
A religion followed by those who worship the Komodo dragon, using Gecko Faith as their doctrine. Its members are very diverse and have devout faith.
Related Faiths: 【Gecko Faith】 【Snake Queen Faith】
Members
First Believer: 【Arthrocofus lv20】
Second Believer: 【Anthracomartus lv19】
Third Believer: 【Tang So-yeong】
Fourth Believer: 【Ball Python lv18】
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Wait a minute.
The spiders’ levels had increased significantly?
They were definitely lower than Shikshik’s level before.
They were living quite well.
That’s a relief.
Anyway, something strange was added to my religion.
A section called “Related Faiths” had appeared, and Snake Queen Faith was proudly listed there.
__________________________
【Snake Queen Faith】
A faith at the level of an Allosaurus.
A faith followed by those who worship the Snake Queen, a powerful entity rivaling the King of Birds. This faith is followed not only by the same species as the Queen but also by others.
The 【Komodo-Lania】 is recognized as the Snake Queen’s mate. The Snake Queen’s followers worship 【Komodo-Lania】.
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Snake Queen Faith.
It would be safe to say that all the snakes in this jungle believed in this faith.
The black dragons around the temple would also be related to this faith.
I ended up becoming the mate of such a faith.
Yes, I had truly become a married man now.
The moment the spiders found out, I would be bound by webs.
I already felt like I could hear their hissing sounds.
It was chilling, but it wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
Becoming the Queen’s mate was just a matter of paperwork.
It had no impact on me, and it was only a matter within that faith.
There was a similar story in the Dangun myth.
The story of Hwanung meeting Ungnyeo.
It was a myth that symbolized the alliance between the tribe that worshipped the sky and the tribe that worshipped bears.
This would be similar to that.
It was using the term “mate” to signify the alliance between the Snake Queen and the Gecko.
It could be seen as a purely business relationship.
The Snake Queen didn’t choose me as her mate out of affection but to give me some benefits through such a decision.
Additionally, there might be the intention to use my tail for nourishment.
For those who didn’t believe in Gecko Faith, my tail was just a delicious piece of meat.
If Gecko Faith and Snake Queen Faith were related?
It would mean that the efficacy of my tail could now be applied to the Snake Queen as well.
In other words, it could be seen as a deal established for mutual benefits.
I shamelessly received the benefits sent by my mother-in-law. No, my wife.
“Beep!”
Ball Python’s triangular face turned towards me.
Shikshik, who bit me.
Why had her target suddenly changed to me?
Crunch!
“Gegegegek!”
Shikshik began to scratch me vigorously.
Shikshik.
This was a matter of paperwork.
I wasn’t cheating or anything like that.
“Eek!”
…No, why was I making excuses?
Come to think of it, it wasn’t really cheating!
“Ohoho.”
The Snake Queen covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
No, don’t just laugh. Please stop her.
Her round face had turned sharp.
She seemed like she might evolve into a Skullshik in the future.
“Princess. Don’t be too disappointed. He’s not my mate, but the Snake Queen’s mate.”
“…Beep?”
Shikshik tilted her head.
“If you succeed me and become the Queen, you will naturally become his mate.”
“Shiririk!”
Shikshik’s face became round again.
She seemed to have finally understood the deep meaning of the Snake Queen.
…Was it really a deep meaning?
No, why were they deciding such things among themselves while I was just standing here?
“Eek…”
Shikshik loosened her grip with her mouth.
“There will certainly be other trials, but if you become the Queen, you will officially become his mate.”
“Eek…”
Shikshik wagged her tail and wrapped it around my leg.
She was such a simple snake.
Was she really that simple?
“Princess. I believe you now have a clear motivation. If you don’t want to lose him to your mother, you must strive even harder.”
“Beep!”
“If I think the Princess’s growth has stalled, I don’t know what I might do.”
“Eek!”
What do you mean by that?
“I could show you what it means to be a true mate.”
“Beep!”
You are trying to motivate her, right?
The Snake Queen wrapped her tail gently around my other leg.
“I wish we could perform the sacred ritual until the moon changes shape and returns to its original form.”
A sacred ritual?
Was it related to faith?
“Since we’re different species, it would be difficult to do it for such a long time. I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with about fifteen days.”
What kind of ritual took so long?
“Princess. How many younger siblings would you like…”
“Beep!”
Bang!
Shikshik’s destructive ray blocked the Snake Queen’s nonsense.
Thank you, Shikshik.
“…It was just a joke. A joke.”
No, your face isn’t convincing at all.
“I can’t enjoy it alone while leaving my daughter out.”
Ssss…
The Snake Queen’s tail gently pulled my body.
Even though her body had grown enormous, I couldn’t resist.
It wasn’t a matter of strength.
There must have been an intangible force in that smooth snake’s body that I couldn’t resist.
“So, my mate.”
Sss…
The Snake Queen coiled around my body.
And Shikshik coiled around me to block her.
I could feel the cold body temperature unique to reptiles.
“Make sure to find Honhwi and receive his teachings.”
Right, Honhwi.
The reason for this conversation was entirely due to my miniaturization.
“He owes me a debt. So, if he sees you as my mate, he’ll try to repay it.”
As expected, the Snake Queen had insight.
I had never doubted her.
“Of course, he’s an unpredictable being that even I can’t understand, so don’t judge him by common sense. Even if you meet him, you might not be able to learn the secret of miniaturization.”
There was no need to learn directly.
With my Dragon’s Reverse Scale.
Since the effect of the Dragon’s Reverse Scale was to replicate skills.
If I was lucky, I could copy it just by seeing it.
“There are a few places suspected to be his residence…. He’s a wanderer, so you’ll have to work hard to find him.”
Work hard, my foot.
With my size, using footwork and climbing trees would make it easy to find anyone.
“Oh, and take this.”
The Snake Queen handed me something.
It was a piece of jewelry with a combination of a fancy gem and a shell.
“If you have this, even a small creature will know you’re my mate.”
As expected of the Snake Queen.
She was so generous.
It was like an official pass.
【Gift of the Snake Queen’s Love】
…The name was weird, though?
*
“We were lucky.”
“…Indeed.”
Baekwoon and Jang Bong were talking about the strange lizard they had seen earlier.
It was a small creature, not even one meter long, with terrifying strength capable of taking down a giant monster in one strike.
If it had intended to, it wouldn’t have been easy for Baekwoon and Jang Bong to survive.
But surprisingly, that small lizard had helped Baekwoon and Jang Bong find their way out of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
All it did was roughly guide them and subdue a few attacking dinosaurs, but that alone was a tremendous help.
Baekwoon and Jang Bong had to rethink the idea of spiritual creatures.
If the Komodo was the trigger, the Two-Headed Lizard was the confirmation.
At the same time, they felt ashamed.
They had been greedy for power and tried to kill such spiritual creatures.
Baekwoon felt ridiculous about himself.
He felt pathetic for having such thoughts and embarrassed that he didn’t have the power to kill the spiritual creatures anyway.
“Being helped twice by a speechless beast. No, a spiritual creature.”
“Indeed.”
“…They are better than people.”
Jang Bong felt a sting at those words but didn’t show it.
It reminded him of the Blood Lion incident.
He, too, planned to reflect on this incident and live quietly in his hometown.
“How do you think of the existence of the Komodo?”
“Of course, it’s the sacred beast I worship.”
Baekwoon clicked his tongue.
That wasn’t what he meant.
“What I mean is, how will you treat it after returning?”
“What do you mean? Of course, I’ll spread the great deeds of the Komodo far and wide…”
“Don’t do that.”
“What are you saying?”
Baekwoon let out a small sigh.
“The Central Plains is crazy about spiritual creatures right now. What do you think will happen if we
tell them about the spiritual creature we met?”
Jang Bong finally realized what he meant.
“A second expedition will be sent here…”
“Yes. If we have received grace, at least we shouldn’t cause harm.”
“I understand. I almost made a mistake.”
“Well, if you really want to praise its deeds, add a bit of embellishment.”
“Embellishment. That’s a good idea.”
They continued to walk while having such conversations.
Finally, the entrance to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains began to come into view.
Once they crossed that boundary, they could return to the Central Plains.
“Phew…. Anyway, it’s a relief that we can get out somehow.”
“Indeed. Seeing that the small spiritual creature has disappeared, it means there are no monsters around to threaten us.”
At that moment.
Rustle.
A sound came from the bushes.
Baekwoon reflexively put his hand on the sword at his waist, and at the same time, a figure jumped out of the bushes.
“Baekwoon!”
“…Brother Namgoong?”
It was Namgoong Yeon.
But even though Baekwoon recognized him, he didn’t stop his sword.
Shing.
His sword aimed at Namgoong Yeon’s neck.
“What are you doing, Baekwoon?”
“Brother Namgoong. If I recall correctly, the Left Guardian of the Demonic Cult was chasing you.”
No one else but the Left Guardian had been chasing him.
There was no way Namgoong Yeon, whom Baekwoon knew, could have escaped his pursuit.
Guided by Namgoong Yeon, they encountered the core forces of the Demonic Cult, including the Cult Leader.
Namgoong Yeon, who survived that situation.
Baekwoon couldn’t dismiss it as a coincidence.
“How did you escape?”
“Come on, are you saying I should have been caught?”
“Just answer.”
“…Fine. You won’t believe it, but I met a spiritual creature.”
“A spiritual creature?”
“Yes. A spiritual creature friendly to humans.”
Baekwoon slightly moved his sword away from Namgoong Yeon’s neck.
He had a personal liking for Namgoong Yeon.
Even disregarding his skill as an information broker, Namgoong Yeon’s value was outstanding.
“Do you believe me?”
“If you had other motives, you would have ambushed me instead of calling my name.”
“Click click. As expected of Baekwoon. I’ll buy you a drink of Sohongju later.”
“No need. Let’s focus on getting out of here first, shall we?”
Baekwoon, Namgoong Yeon, and Jang Bong started walking together.
They talked about what had happened to each other.
“By the way, judging by your reaction earlier, it seems you guys also encountered a spiritual creature?”
“A spiritual creature?”
“A spiritual creature friendly to humans. Did you guys also meet one?”
“Komodo…”
“What spiritual creature? Baekwoon and I just fought some dinosaurs.”
Jang Bong quickly interrupted their conversation.
Baekwoon frowned.
What was this situation?
He was supposed to tell Namgoong Yeon about the spiritual creature.
……
Baekwoon felt a sense of incongruity.
Why was he about to tell Namgoong Yeon about this?
“That doesn’t seem right. Baekwoon. Tell me quickly. Did you meet a spiritual creature friendly to humans? One that walks like a human and does things only humans can do?”
Look at that expression.
“Like a human in the shell of a spiritual creature.”
He was waiting for his words, just like a demon waiting for desired information.
“Tsk. What nonsense. If I had seen a spiritual creature, would I have stayed still? We just fought some giant birds.”
Namgoong Yeon repeatedly asked for information, but the answer didn’t change.
“Hmm. I see. Understood.”
Their conversation ended there.
“Oh, by the way, I have an amazing inn…”
Namgoong Yeon started talking about a different topic as if nothing had happened.
Acting like a completely different person from before.
Baekwoon hoped that the sense of incongruity he felt was just a figment of his imagination.
He didn’t want to have to cut down Namgoong Yeon with his sword.
Nothing strange happened despite the passage of time.
Except for the fact that the number of birds flying around them had increased.