Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: Ep. 189
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I'd barely avoided a fatal wound, but in my current state, even standing properly was a struggle. There was no way I could take down a White Galleron.
Just as there was a massive gap between Blue Gallerons and Green Gallerons, the White Galleron ranked even higher—a far superior being.
The Galleron claw sword wielded by the Temple Guardians and the Galleron claw trait that Sihyun Yujin had used both originated from White Gallerons.
And that wasn't all.
The trait "Monster's Tentacles," which hadn't existed in the game. The ability to fire psychic breath through those tentacles was a unique characteristic of White Gallerons.
Unlike me, it could unleash that psychic breath without end. My destructive power in near-adult form might be greater, but it had no limits on how much it could spam.
'If we fight, it's certain defeat.'
I turned my body and headed toward Adhai.
[Run away]
With its wings broken, Adhai's flight speed had plummeted. I grabbed it, clutched it tightly to my chest, and bolted like mad.
"Big one" "Kin" "Appeared" "Me" "Pursuing"
[What?]
No sooner had the words ended than two Green Gallerons appeared in front of me. Unlike the puny Adhai, these beasts were nearly ten meters long, blocking my path.
I tried to veer sideways, but I felt a massive surge of energy building up behind me. Moments later, a purple heat ray scorched the ground right in front of me.
"Ham Ort" "Speaks" "Stop"
Glancing back, I saw the White Galleron leisurely following me. Its tentacles, deeply stained purple, were slowly fading back to a pale red.
The White Galleron had precisely burned only the dirt at my feet with its psychic breath. It was a warning.
'What the hell is this?'
Adhai might be unusual, but Gallerons were inherently vicious creatures. They rarely forgave intruders in their territory. Their nests weren't classified as one of the highest-difficulty hunting grounds for nothing.
In fact, the Green Gallerons were tensing their muscles, ready to attack at any moment.
The only reason they held back was one thing.
The unnaturally calm White Galleron.
'It wants something.'
I quickly scanned the White Galleron. Its horns were relatively short, and its tail was thick—it was female.
Gallerons exhibited sexual dimorphism. Males were slightly stronger than females, but that was irrelevant here.
Its body length was more than twice that of a Green Galleron, as befitted a White. Its wings were folded now, but spread out, they would be impressive.
Up to here, it matched the typical features of a White Galleron, but there were two differences.
I hadn't noticed at first glance, but now I saw black-stained scales scattered across its body. Maybe traces of dried blood from another creature.
'More importantly, it's way too emaciated for a Galleron.'
The Green Gallerons eyeing us warily were the same, and so was the White Galleron in front of me. Their ribs were visible along their sides.
Of course, their hunger didn't mean I could win. I was severely weakened myself.
'Let's talk first.'
[What do you want?]
As my Monster's Tentacles quivered, sending out vibrations, the White Galleron tilted its head.
"Strange" "Kin" "Speech" "Possible?"
[Yes]
"Strange kin" "I" "Introduce" "Ham Ort"
The White Galleron that called itself Ham Ort kept sending thought waves.
"Ham Ort" "Needs"
[What do you need?]
Instead of answering, it raised a foreleg and pointed at Adhai in my arms.
"Meteor's Daughter" "Special" "Kin" "Rescue" "Needed"
[Adhai?]
"Ham Ort's pack" "Weak" "Great Ode Grad's pack" "Strong" "Meteor's Daughter" "Absolutely" "Needed"
Galleron speech patterns made it hard to grasp perfectly, but summing it up:
Ham Ort's pack of Gallerons was competing with another pack.
And they were at a disadvantage.
That made sense. The leader of a Galleron pack was always a Black Galleron. The only exception was rare raid events where a Red Galleron appeared as the boss.
'A White Galleron is mid-to-lower tier among apex predators.'
Far stronger than Ice Horrors, but weaker than Black Gallerons. With that level of power, they couldn't protect their kin from other monsters targeting the dragon's nest.
'That makes it even weirder.'
A pack led by a White Galleron was bound to be weaker than one led by a Black. Would having Adhai really change that?
'Does Adhai have something special?'
Having watched it closely, the only standout trait was its sharp mind. The fact that it had grown from Blue to Green while separated from me was unusual too, but without knowing Galleron growth cycles, I couldn't say if that was special.
'...What to do.'
Refusing would likely lead to it trying to take Adhai by force. Gallerons were like that by nature. It was practically unheard of for them to negotiate "civilly" like this.
But handing Adhai over just like that felt wrong.
I couldn't understand why these weak-despising Gallerons suddenly needed Adhai—a runt cast out for its disability.
'Especially if they plan to use it in a pack war. That'd be even more dangerous.'
Adhai had been a precious companion so far. Without knowing exactly what they intended, I couldn't just give it up.
Right then, as if reading my thoughts, it sent a thought wave at the perfect timing.
"Ham Ort" "Speaks" "Meteor's Daughter" "Precious" "Life" "Protects"
[You say you'll protect it?]
"Yes" "My child" "I" "Child" "Protects"
'What?'
One piece of info in its thought wave was impossible to ignore. I looked down at Adhai clutched to my chest.
[Is what it said true?]
Adhai hesitated, then nodded.
"Kin" "Parent" "Correct"
"Great Ode Grad" "Pack leader" "Meteor's Daughter" "Exiled" "I" "Couldn't stop"
Ham Ort said curtly. There seemed to be deeper circumstances, but it offered no explanation.
It probably thought this was enough to make me hand over Adhai, but I couldn't.
Because Adhai's reaction wasn't that of a child reuniting with its mother.
Its body trembling intermittently wasn't just from the cold.
Something must have happened when it was exiled.
[Once a child is discarded, what's stopping it from happening twice?]
"Ham Ort" "Swears" "Meteor's Daughter" "Life" "Protects"
[What if it says no?]
"I" "Strange kin" "Saved" "Had reason" "You" "Meteor's Daughter" "Protector" "Ham Ort" "Thanks" "But"
It lowered its long neck, bringing its head right up to my muzzle, leaving only the thickness of a sheet of paper between us.
"Ham Ort" "Fight" "Doesn't avoid" "Wants" "Seizes"
Its amethyst eyes, gleaming beautifully, flashed threateningly. The Green Gallerons behind us growled noisily too.
From its reaction, handing over Adhai seemed the only way to survive.
In the old days, I would've done it without hesitation. I'd have even used Adhai as a bargaining chip to build friendly ties with the Gallerons.
'But.'
Some inexplicable, bizarre emotion wouldn't allow it. My head was filled only with the thought of not wanting to send it away like this.
It made no sense. Emotions couldn't possibly override survival instincts, yet here I was.
'...I'm crazy.'
Whether it was a side effect of Hunter's Tableau or my brain shutting down from energy depletion.
The reason was unknown, but one thing was clear: I was insane.
I was about to divert my scant remaining energy toward God's Flogger.
Just before negotiations broke down and we charged, Adhai suddenly wriggled free from my grasp. It barely stood before Ham Ort on its broken foreleg.
"I" "Big one" "Contract complete" "I" "Mother" "Kin" "Return"
[Adhai?]
Adhai trembled but held a proud posture.
Ham Ort gazed down at it briefly, then gave a small nod.
"Meteor's Daughter" "Judgment" "Wise"
It scooped Adhai up with a foreleg—not gripping harshly, but delicately, like handling a treasure. With Adhai on its back, it unfurled its wings.
Pure white light filled the tangled forest branches. Ham Ort, wings shining like the sun, took Adhai and vanished. The Green Gallerons followed through the path it had cleared.
Snowflakes fell one by one in the spot they'd left.
'......'
Adhai never looked back at me until the end.
But just before Ham Ort departed.
A faint thought wave, like a falling snowflake, tickled my tentacles.
'Goodbye?'
The last words it left were a farewell.
The contract to take it to the Galleron nest was complete, so it was returning to its kin.
'...I thought it was smart, but it's acting like an idiot.'
If it thought I'd just go, "Oh, okay?" it was dead wrong.
It had chosen to go with the Gallerons because it believed it was best. Otherwise, not just me, but the others hiding in the forest wouldn't have survived.
I trudged back the way I'd come, dragging the remaining Green Galleron corpses and Screamer remains to our temporary lair.
"Big baby! Big trouble!"
"What happened? Adhai suddenly ran out, and the Green Gallerons... Huh?"
Back at the nest, No. 26 and Sky Mother greeted me. PS-111 was in hibernation, its energy depleted.
[Eat this first]
"Big baby, where's the little one?"
"...No way?"
[Adhai just went off somewhere for a bit]
"Somewhere far?"
[Its family came]
"......"
"So it won't travel with us anymore?"
I shook my head firmly.
[No. Absolutely not]
If Adhai chose to go, there was nothing more I could do. Especially since its own mother had come personally—not some other Galleron.
But I remembered.
What it had said about wanting to keep traveling with us even after the contract ended.
How the Gallerons treated Adhai didn't matter. If it wanted to be with us, that's what I'd make happen.
'Recovery comes first for that.'
I sliced open the Green Galleron's belly with my combat arm and tore out the half-cooled innards, tossing them to Sky Mother.
[With your beak broken, that must be hard to eat. This should be better]
"...Yeah."
Sky Mother glanced at me, then silently began tearing into the guts. No. 26, watching cautiously, gingerly pulled off a Galleron wing.
'...At least talking to it gave me valuable info.'
The leader of a Galleron pack holds immense authority. Usually the oldest takes the role, but not always.
If a young but powerful Galleron emerges, it can challenge for leadership. Pack leaders can change anytime.
'When the challenger wins.'
And Ham Ort called me a "strange kin."
If they saw me as something akin to a Galleron, the answer was clear.
Become their leader.
'This time, I'll prepare thoroughly.'
Getting beaten so helplessly once was enough. Once fully prepared, I'd go rescue Adhai.
I chewed on the Galleron's foreleg, steeling my resolve.