Chapter 153: The Wolf Pack
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: The Wolf Pack
The direwolves here were much larger than ordinary wolves.
Not quite the size of a tiger, but at least as big as a jaguar.
The stronger ones were even bigger.
A pack of such wolves hunting together would be quite threatening.
Though they'd be no match for me, of course.
But that wasn't all.
There was a white wolf leading them.
It was twice the size of the other direwolves.
Just a little smaller than me when I wasn't using miniaturization.
Moreover, its species wasn't a typical direwolf; it had the unique name of Baek Rang.
【Baek Rang】
A spirit beast with white fur. Legends say it prevents fires and theft, so some people hold this species in high regard. It can also wield the power of cold, allowing it to hunt prey efficiently.
The fact that it could wield the power of cold told me it was no ordinary creature.
Like the Basilisk's petrification, Gaechalgoatal's brainwashing, the Bifang's flames, or the Argentavis's storms, this one had its own unique weapon.
Its level was also a high 75.
Of course, a high level doesn't automatically mean it's strong.
However, for a spirit beast that had nearly reached the final stage of its evolution, strength was usually proportional to its level.
It was strong. And since it led a pack, it would be a much trickier opponent than a Jian Bird or a Rakshasa Bird.
But that was only if I made an enemy of it.
Right now, I was a guest.
“Awoooo!”
As Baek Rang howled once more, the wolves that had surrounded me all backed away.
Thud.
Baek Rang leaped down from the rock.
Then, she slowly approached me.
“Hmm, I wondered what was going on when I sensed the Snake Queen's token.”
So now it's just normal for animals to speak human language.
“Gekgek.”
Actually, it might not be human language.
Just as I can understand Baek Yeon-yeong or Tang Soyeong, this wolf might be speaking her own species' language, and I just happen to understand it.
I could find out the truth if I had a three-way conversation with a human like I did with the Snake Queen, but that wasn't important right now.
“A snake with legs. Judging by your size and internal energy, you're qualified enough... You came to find me because of the Dragon Gate, didn't you?”
The important thing was that she knew my intentions.
And from the sound of her voice, she was a female wolf.
…Was that not important?
I nodded.
“I heard the Snake Queen defeated Gaechalgoatal. It was thanks to you, wasn't it?”
Actually, it was mostly thanks to my master, but I wouldn't deny Baek Rang's words.
“Gekgek.”
The white wolf sniffed the air.
“What have you been up to with a lizard that's not even of age?”
Hmph.
Baek Rang lowered her head and chuckled softly.
Her tail wagged slowly, showing she wasn't displeased.
“Follow me for now. We're outside the Dragon Gate, but sometimes beasts from inside can wander out, so it's not good to stay here for long.”
I wanted to ask if she shouldn't have been howling then, but I swallowed the question.
There was no way I could communicate with a mammal, not a reptile, with my gekking sounds.
“Gekgek.”
And so, I followed Baek Rang and the wolves.
The wolves sniffed at me, their noses twitching.
Were they curious because they'd never seen a lizard this big before?
Perhaps because their leader had acknowledged me, they no longer wore the hostile expressions from before.
If I had met them as a human, I would have been terrified, but to me now, they just felt like slightly large dogs.
Following them, we arrived at a moderately sized cave.
It seemed to be where they lived.
Baek Rang settled in the center, and the other wolves curled up around her.
“This is the first time I've brought an outsider here, so you should be grateful.”
“Gekgek.”
“You came to me because you want to know about the Dragon Gate, right?”
Baek Rang asked the same question again.
I nodded.
“Hmm... Well, as I said before, you're qualified enough. You might actually be able to defeat the guardian.”
Baek Rang looked me up and down.
I'll take that as a compliment.
“I can tell you about the Dragon Gate. But first, I need you to do me a favor.”
“Gek?”
A favor?
The wolves and the Snake Queen weren't exactly allies.
They were more like acquaintances.
This meant I had no obligation to do a favor for one of Parsil's acquaintances.
It would be stranger for her to give me information for nothing in return.
Now that a high-class talent like me had shown up, she probably wanted to put me to work.
“Gekgek.”
I gave a slight nod.
“Good. I like how straightforward you are.”
Baek Rang wagged her tail, seemingly satisfied.
“Countless beasts live near the Dragon Gate. This area is our territory, but there's a group that keeps encroaching on it.”
A territorial dispute.
An inevitable act for wild animals.
Especially for pack animals like wolves.
I could guess what her favor was.
There was a troublesome group she wanted me to get rid of.
A request of that nature.
“If they were mindless beasts, we would have just torn them apart. No matter how strong they are, they can't do much against a pack.”
True, if seven wolves led by Baek Rang attacked, most beasts would go down without even a scream.
“But these ones are different. They haven't lost their minds in their greed for the Dragon Gate. They move as a group and are actually quite cunning.”
An opponent where each individual is strong, and they use their heads to coordinate attacks.
I could see why Baek Rang was outsourcing this job to me.
In a many-on-many fight, her pack would inevitably suffer casualties.
“They seem to get along with other beasts, but the moment they see us, they go crazy and try to attack. It's incredibly annoying.”
And they only attack Baek Rang's pack?
It was obvious they'd be in big trouble someday if they didn't deal with this quickly.
They could be ambushed from behind while hunting other prey.
“So my request is this: I want you to take care of the Bicorns, the two-horned horses.”
Huh?
Bicorns?
“Just killing them might be easier, but if you can persuade them, that wouldn't be bad either.”
Does she mean Bicorns?
No, I won't be fooled.
They're probably just creatures that look similar to those unicorns that preach monogamy.
“I'm not after their byproducts or anything; this is about territory. So just driving them out is fine.”
So, she wants me to drive the Bicorns out of her territory?
It wasn't an easy request.
Unlike unicorns, which revere the pure, there are legends that Bicorns despise them.
That meant they were the sworn enemies of Gomodo-Lania, the symbol of purity.
But what could I do?
I had no choice but to accept the request.
It would be nice if they listened to reason, but that was highly unlikely.
They'd probably go berserk and charge at me on sight, so I had to be prepared for a fight.
“Once you take care of those Bicorns, I'll take you straight to the Dragon Gate.”
“Gekgek.”
I made a gek of affirmation.
“Hmph... Your personality isn't half bad.”
Pleased, Baek Rang curled her body into a ball.
It seemed she no longer felt the need to be wary of me.
“Get some sleep for now. This place is strange in many ways, and it's dangerous to wander around at night.”
Was she telling me to sleep until daybreak?
I could move around at night without any problems, but I decided to follow her advice.
This place was full of things I didn't know.
“...Come to think of it, you're a lizard.”
Baek Rang spoke as if the thought had just occurred to her.
Her golden eyes stared at me intently.
“Can't you regulate your own body temperature?”
“Gek?”
That was an old story, actually.
I couldn't control it freely yet, but in a pinch, I could raise my temperature using the power of fire energy.
But it was probably best not to reveal that fact.
It's always advantageous to keep a card up your sleeve.
“Can't be helped... Girls.”
“Awooo...”
The curled-up wolves gathered around me.
Then they each found a spot and curled up into balls, just like Baek Rang.
“Honestly, this is the problem with you snake-like creatures.”
The body heat of mammals.
Plus the unique fur of wolves.
I felt my body warming up nicely.
It felt pretty good as my temperature rose.
On top of that, I kind of felt like I was at a dog cafe.
The fur really is warm.
I had a sudden urge to pet these wolves all over.
Of course, if I did that, my hand would probably get chewed to bits.
I'd better restrain myself for now.
“Gekgek.”
Sniff, sniff.
Baek Rang and the wolves kept sniffing me.
That tickles, you guys.
The wolves were sniffing me a little excessively.
Well, that's dogs for you.
“...The scent of a male.”
Baek Rang stared at me.
Her expression looked somewhat dubious.
“For the record, we don't accept males in our pack.”
“Gek?”
Does that mean all these wolves are female?
“I know. It's ridiculous to worry about this when we're different species.”
What is she worried about?
Still, she seems to have some common sense.
Since she knows we're different species.
My snake, spider, and bird companions all pounced on me without a care for our different species.
“But seeing that token, I can't help but be wary.”
What does she mean by that?
“A snake and a lizard getting together, I can overlook that, fine. But what's with the spider?”
What do you mean, what's with her?
I'm the one beloved by the spider.
“And the feathers. Why are there feathers? Judging by the size, it looks like it's from a Jian Bird... Is that size even right?”
Baek Rang was pointing out something no one else had mentioned before.
Her reaction seems pretty normal...
Is that a problem?
“Gekgek.”
“Ugh... Next you'll be telling me you're getting married to a human.”
Baek Rang tapped my tail with her forepaw as if she was exasperated.
“Anyway, behave yourself.”
“Gek.”
“And don't you dare touch my girls.”
I have some sense, why would I mess with the wolves?
Of course, I do feel the urge to pet them like big dogs, but that's as far as it goes.
“And that face of yours might have worked on other species, but we're different. We don't feel a thing looking at scales, you know?”
I've finally met a species with some sanity.
Yes, that's right.
There's no way a mammal would feel that way about a reptile.
“No idiot here is going to fall for a lizard, so you'd better give up.”
I wasn't even thinking about it.
It seems Baek Rang manages her pack well, so I probably don't need to worry.
She'll handle it just fine.
Just as she said, what kind of wolf would fall for a lizard?