Chapter 151: Sleeping with the Snake Mother and Daughter
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: Sleeping with the Snake Mother and Daughter
I nearly lost my mind at the shocking sight, but only for a moment. Then, a wave of self-loathing washed over me for thinking it actually looked… kind of good.
“Shhhk…”
No, wait. On second thought, is it really something to feel so bad about?
My Swish-Swish isn't some snake that would lose out in a cuteness contest.
In the first place, snakes are inherently cute creatures.
Their mouths are round, and their eyes are bright and sparkling.
And among all snakes, Swish-Swish is an especially cute one.
And the clothes, too.
Don't people put clothes on other animals all the time?
There's no reason you can't put them on a snake.
Although, I admit this might be a little over the top.
Staring at Swish-Swish's long body, I felt like I was about to fall into some kind of abyss.
I quickly shifted my gaze to the Snake Queen.
“Ufufut. It seems you certainly like this outfit.”
“Gek…”
“The texture is a bit difficult to get used to, but this black and white garment is truly lovely.”
The Snake Queen, seemingly pleased with the maid outfit, ran a hand over the fabric.
The problem was, the fabric had a hole around the chest, revealing nothing but her magnificent internal energy.
Staring at that for too long also seemed dangerous.
Time to look away.
“Shhhk…”
This won't work either!
“Huhu, where are you putting your eyes?”
“Gek…”
Oh, no.
What have I unleashed upon this world?
“Let's head inside the temple for now.”
“Ppyak!”
“I'm not one to wear clothes often, so to be honest, this is a little embarrassing.”
If you're embarrassed, you can just take it off.
No, wait, isn't your original attire even more embarrassing?
…If you can even call that attire.
I guess snakes have their own set of values.
“Gek gek.”
Led by her hand and Swish-Swish's tail, I entered the temple.
“Ufufut…”
“Shhhk shhhk shhhk…”
The sound of the mother and daughter laughing was somewhat frightening, but I told myself it was nothing to worry about.
*
The Snake Queen and Swish-Swish prepared a mouth-watering feast for me.
The food I had at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was delicious, of course, but the portions were too small.
In contrast, the meal prepared by the Snake Queen and Swish-Swish was on a whole different scale. Instead of a large native chicken, an entire, massive Terror Bird was roasted whole.
“Gek gek gek!”
Of course, it was a little lacking in seasoning, but what did that matter?
The important thing was that there was a lot to eat.
“The Dragon Gate is a place that bestows trials for one to become a dragon.”
The Snake Queen explained about the Dragon Gate as she placed a piece of meat in my mouth.
“Even beasts that are not spirit beasts possess the desire to become a dragon. Therefore, even those unaware of the Dragon Gate's existence are drawn to its power and gather nearby.”
It seems the spirit beasts and other animals of the 100,000 Great Mountains see becoming a dragon as a kind of ultimate goal.
If a martial artist's goal is the Transformation Realm or the Profound Realm, then for them, the equivalent is becoming a dragon.
“Some have lost their reason in their quest for that power, becoming monsters that slaughter other beasts.”
“Gek…”
A beast killing another beast isn't that big of a deal.
After all, I've hunted my fair share of animals for food.
However, spirit beasts and animals above a certain level possess an inner core.
This means the monsters lingering near the Dragon Gate have been continuously absorbing those cores.
“Because of those monsters, the trials have become meaningless.”
You ascend the Dragon Gate to become a dragon.
But monsters blinded by its power are blocking the way, so no one has been able to reach it.
“The strange thing is, even those monsters who gained such immense power never underwent the trials.”
That is strange.
They were surely drawn by the power of the Dragon Gate, so why didn't they attempt the trials?
“As time passed, those monsters came to be called Guardians.”
Guardians.
I'm starting to get a sense of what I have to do.
“They reside on the slopes of each peak, blocking anyone who tries to take on the Dragon Gate's trials. To be precise, you could say the trials of the Dragon Gate have been replaced by them.”
“Gek.”
“That's right. It means that by defeating a Guardian, you can walk the path of the dragon. In fact, there was one spirit beast who defeated a Guardian and evolved into a red dragon.”
A red dragon!
Just the sound of it made my heart pound.
“Well, seeing as it turned into a dragon with wings, it probably wasn't a dragon in the truest sense. But it is true that defeating a Guardian allows you to advance to the next stage.”
So it evolved into a Western dragon, a ‘Dragon,’ not an Eastern one.
And it seems that here, ‘Dragons’ are considered a step below ‘dragons.’
“Of course, if it had taken the dragon's trials in that state, it might have become a true dragon. But it didn't.”
The dragon's trials must be incredibly difficult.
To not even attempt them after becoming a Dragon…
“I do not know the reason why. You must first defeat a Guardian to even approach the trials. And just by defeating a Guardian, you might be able to achieve the form you desire.”
The Snake Queen was right.
Just by taking down one of those Guardians, I should be able to aim for my next evolution.
“As you are now… you could become a being that surpasses even me.”
The Snake Queen said, stroking my tail.
A being that surpasses the Snake Queen.
I'm already looking forward to it.
“It also makes sense why the Mirror of Possibilities shattered.”
Come to think of it, I did break that mirror a while back.
“Gek gek…”
I cautiously watched her reaction.
“Ufufut… To have caught you at the lowest point…”
The Snake Queen muttered something incomprehensible.
She continued to place food in my mouth.
“Anyway, spend the day here and prepare to head for the Dragon Gate tomorrow.”
“Gek.”
The timing is a bit awkward, so spending a night at the temple isn't a bad idea.
And I should spend some time with the Snake Queen and Swish-Swish, since it's been a while.
“I cannot accompany you all the way to the Dragon Gate, but when you reach the entrance, there will be someone who recognizes my token. Hear the rest of the explanation from them and then choose which peak to ascend.”
I glanced at the Snake Queen's token.
It looked quite different from how it did at first. Would they even recognize this?
“Ppyak!”
As if not to be outdone, Swish-Swish also kept feeding me.
“He's an unpleasant fellow, but he lives near the Dragon Gate, so he should know a lot.”
I wonder who this 'unpleasant fellow' the Snake Queen is talking about is.
From the way she talks, it sounds like another spirit beast…
Considering they didn't participate in the last war, maybe they're not on friendly terms.
“It's getting late. Let's hurry and eat before the food gets cold.”
“Gekek!”
For now, I'll focus on the food in front of me.
It was after I had frantically devoured the meat.
“You must have filled your stomach. I have prepared something else you might like.”
“Gek?”
Just as I was wondering where the Snake Queen had disappeared to, she returned carrying another tray.
There was no large cut of meat on it this time.
Instead, there were a few fish.
“Ufufut. They may not be very large, but their effects should be quite potent.”
Could it be a fish like Hwari?
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be.
It looks like an ordinary fish…
Wait, is this an eel?
“Ppyak!”
After diligently deboning it, Swish-Swish placed the eel in my mouth.
“That's right, eat up.”
Where did they even get eel?
“My dear. Do you happen to eat vegetables?”
Vegetables?
I prefer meat, but I'll welcome some vegetables in small amounts.
I gave a slight nod.
“Excellent!”
The Snake Queen clapped her hands.
“Here, vegetables and fruits that go well with meat.”
She offered me the vegetables and fruits.
They look somehow familiar.
“Say 'ah'.”
Waaang.
Chomp.
“How is it? It's good, isn't it?”
Isn't this chives?
It certainly does go well with meat.
“Here, here, eat this too.”
“Shhhk shhhk!”
Next, Swish-Swish and the Snake Queen took turns feeding me the fruit next to it.
Judging by the sweet and sour taste, it seemed to be bokbunja [Korean black raspberry].
“You eat so well. Here, have a drink of this wine too.”
Wine!
Now this, I can't resist.
A pleasant buzz started to set in, and I could taste the refreshing fruitiness. It seemed to be made with the bokbunja I just ate.
For a long while after, I continued to eat the food offered by Swish-Swish and the Snake Queen.
“Guek…”
My mind feels hazy.
To think they could get me this drunk when I have a body immune to all poisons.
Thud.
I lay down in a corner of the temple.
Sleepiness washed over me.
I feel like my body is turning to stone, but it must be because of the alcohol.
“Huhu… He won't be waking up for a while now.”
Huh?
Something approached me.
Smooth.
Soft.
Smooth.
Plush.
What in the world is this sensation?
It feels like I'm being held in the Snake Queen's embrace.
…But why do I feel it twice?
It's as if there are two Snake Queens.
“We don't have much time, so let's make this quick…”
“…I-I'll go first…!”
I hear a voice I've never heard before.
It's similar to the Snake Queen's, but slightly higher-pitched.
If Swish-Swish could talk, she would probably sound like that.
…Though she's still a long way from humanization.
“You're right. You won't be able to maintain that form for long…”
Wondering what on earth they were doing, I slightly opened my eyes.
Kwadedeuk!
Two snakes coiled around my body.
“Ge-ek… Ge-ek!”
Let go.
Let go of me, you snakes!
*
Gasp!
I think I had a dream for the first time in a while.
A dream about being eaten by two snakes.
I can't believe I dozed off like that.
Is my training still lacking?
It was the moment I tried to stretch.
“Mmm… You're awake already?”
“Ppyak…”
The Snake Queen rubbed her eyes.
“Shhhk…”
Swish-Swish wrapped her tail around my body.
“…Gek?”
The snake mother and daughter's scales were exceptionally glossy today.
The Snake Queen's tail was wrapped around my torso, and Swish-Swish's was wrapped around my foreleg.
What did you two do?
I touched my cheek with my hand.
Strangely, even though I hadn't miniaturized, my cheeks felt sunken.
“Gegegek?”
“Ufufut. What are you so worried about?”
I knew it instantly.
It seems they put an inner core in my mouth while I was asleep, just like last time.
…But if that were the case, shouldn't my body feel better?
I feel strangely stiff.
And they're glowing with vitality.
“Gegegegek!”
So you finally did it.
You did it!
To me, an innocent, pure lizard, you just… you just…
“Geeeeeeek…”
No, I don't know for sure yet.
The look in the mother and daughter's eyes is a bit suspicious, but they aren't the type to get me drunk and do something shameless.
I let out a “gek” that demanded an explanation.
“Ufufut. Do not worry. No matter the circumstances, would I take one who is asleep?”
“Gek!”
Right?
I just misunderstood, right?
You just wrapped your tails around me and slept together, that's all, right?
Phew, for a second there.
I almost lost my title as a pure lizard.
“We only held your tail while we slept, so don't worry too much.”
Is it just me, or does that sound exactly like 'we only held hands while we slept'?
Well, I'm sure there are people who genuinely just hold hands and sleep, so I shouldn't be suspicious.
“The princess took one, and I took one. Even then, there was still one left over.”
Huh?
I glanced at my tail.
No matter how I look at it, I only have one tail.
“Ufufut.”
“Ppyak ppyak.”
…What exactly were you two holding while you slept?