Chapter 160: Fire Rat
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 160: Fire Rat
Baek Rang had once yielded her body to the black lizard.
It was when the bicorns had swarmed them.
To save the youngest of her pack, and for the sake of the pack itself, she had offered herself as a sacrifice.
There was no way that lizard’s touch could have felt good.
She was simply a tragic heroine.
That’s what Baek Rang had thought, but what was this?
It was better than she’d expected.
No, it went far beyond just ‘okay.’
That lizard’s large hands and tail were something she had never experienced before.
She expected them to be rough and crude, but they were gentle and smooth.
Faced with a sensation she’d never felt in her life, Baek Rang’s tail couldn’t help but swish back and forth.
The shame of showing her belly vanished, replaced by a budding desire for him to touch her just a little more.
But she only had such thoughts while he was touching her. In her day-to-day life, Baek Rang denied those feelings.
No matter how she felt, he was a lizard.
A wolf and a lizard were different species.
There was no way she could feel this way about a lizard with not a single strand of fur.
Besides, wasn’t that lizard’s relationship with women incredibly complicated?
And he would be leaving the pack soon enough anyway.
Despite all that, her pack adored the lizard.
Baek Rang believed the reason lay in his bizarre hand techniques.
That lizard would be leaving soon, one way or another.
It didn’t matter much to her, but it was obvious the wolves of her pack would be saddened.
If she could just learn that hand technique, she could quickly fill the void he left behind.
And she could correct her pack’s misguided ideas.
By nature, a wolf should be attracted to one with a lush coat of fur.
A furless wolf would be weeded out by nature.
Wagging her tail at the sight of those scales was a bad habit.
That was why Baek Rang had made a request of the lizard.
To touch her body once more.
Last time, because of the bicorns, she hadn’t been able to feel it properly.
How he stroked her, and with what intensity.
If she could understand that, she was confident she could replicate it.
So Baek Rang had thought.
“Awoong…”
Baek Rang was in shock.
She was looking at herself, naturally rolling onto her back and wagging her tail.
First, it was her head.
He touched her head with just the right amount of pressure, then gently pressed around her ears.
As his hand moved down, it felt good how he stroked her along the grain of her fur.
Only then did Baek Rang realize this lizard was no pushover.
She hadn’t noticed last time in the heat of the moment, but his movements were so natural and gentle, as if he had done this hundreds of times.
But by the time she realized it, it was already too late.
The lizard’s large hand stroked every nook and cranny of Baek Rang’s fur, as if scratching an itch.
“Awoong…”
The white-furred spirit beast was behaving in a way she shouldn’t.
Wagging her tail so lightly… wasn’t it just like she was flirting?
“Keh, keeng!”
She was the leader of the pack.
She was doing this dangerous thing for the good of her pack.
But looking at her now, didn't it seem like she was enjoying a secret rendezvous, seizing the opportunity as soon as the pack went out?
Even as she thought this, she couldn’t push the lizard’s hand away.
“Awoong…”
He scratched places a wolf’s body could never reach and continued to stroke her soft skin.
Baek Rang let her tongue hang out and entrusted her body to the black lizard’s touch.
“Pant, pant…”
This wasn’t an act to satisfy her own desires.
It was merely an action to figure out the lizard’s technique.
Of course, it might look a bit strange, but there was no one watching.
If she finished before the pack returned, there would be no problem.
If she learned his technique this way, she could maintain her dignity as the leader while increasing the pack’s bond.
That’s what Baek Rang thought.
“Awoo?”
That is, until she made eye contact with Chillang-i.
“…Chi, Chillang-i?”
The youngest wolf dropped the piece of ice she was holding in her mouth.
She had seen her leader on her back, enjoying herself.
And at the hands of a creature of another species, no less.
“Yu, Yukrang-i!”
It wasn’t just Chillang-i who had seen.
From Ilang to Chillang-i.
All the wolves were watching her.
“…It’s not.”
Baek Rang denied it.
“It’s not like that!”
But in the pack’s mind, Baek Rang was already remembered as the wanton leader who pretended otherwise, sent them outside, and then had a happy time with the lizard.
“Awooo!”
Ilang nodded.
It meant that after suffering alone for so long, it was time for her to meet a good male and find happiness.
“I said it’s not like that!”
Baek Rang tried to explain for a long time, but her words were not easily accepted.
Only after the black lizard helped out with a few “Gek-geks” did the pack of wolves seem to understand, wagging their tails.
But deep in their hearts, the fact that their leader had found a male was firmly embedded.
“Hehehe… one husband…”
“And what are you!”
A piece of ice flew toward a suspicious beast letting out a gloomy laugh in the distance.
*
I spent time with the wolves, having shrunk myself using Miniaturization.
“Gek-gek.”
I was receiving such luxurious treatment that I felt like I could live here forever.
To be honest, the surrounding environment wasn’t that great.
Just a short walk away, the place was teeming with beasts that would drool and charge at you recklessly.
Of course, if you saw them as prey, it was very satisfying, but I’m a lizard who knows civilization.
Compared to cozy and safe places like the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the Snake Queen’s temple, this place was many times more dangerous.
But there were perks that more than made up for it.
“Awoong…”
These furry creatures surrounding me.
Looking at their fur puts my mind at ease.
…I mean, not in a weird way. It’s like looking at a puppy.
Sometimes, sniffing that savory, nutty scent felt like it healed my soul.
These perks alone were great, but there was an even better one.
“Wh-what are you looking at?”
Whitey.
She now spent most of her time with me in her human form.
Considering how she’d flipped onto her back in a state of ecstasy after I petted her a bit, she must have thought something terrible would happen if she maintained her wolf form.
She must have felt like she was turning into a puppy, not a wolf.
So, to prevent that, she took on her human form.
She was a cunning one.
How did she know I was weak to this form?
“Don’t think I’ve fallen for you just because you petted me a few times.”
“Gek.”
“As I keep saying, we don’t fall for furless creatures. Got it?”
She poked me with her finger as my head rested on her lap.
I spent a good while admiring the mysterious Chill Pouch that blocked half my view of the ceiling.
“…Still, there’s no harm in knowing, so I’ll have to let you do it once before you leave.”
“Gek?”
“D-don’t ask for details!”
Baek Rang growled.
In technical terms, you’d call this the denial phase.
It would be easier if she just admitted it like the other wolves, but I guess she’s acting this way because she’s the leader.
Seeing her like this makes me feel competitive.
Before I leave this place, I’ll turn Whitey into a perfect puppy.
*
“…Be careful.”
Baek Rang spoke coyly.
All preparations were complete, and it was finally time to face the guardian of the volcano.
“Awooo!”
The wolves also jumped around, cheering me on.
If I could, I would have gone with Baek Rang, but it wasn’t possible.
She said that as a spirit beast who wields cold energy, her activities were restricted in a volcano filled with fire energy.
Her cold energy is effective against the beasts and spirit beasts of the volcano. But conversely, the volcano’s fire energy was just as fatal to her.
Fighting a beast that wields fire energy was something she could handle, but the problem was that the region itself was a volcano. She said it would be difficult just to stand there.
It was a bit disappointing that I couldn’t get Baek Rang’s help, but I had to take down the guardian by myself anyway.
The reason I’m hunting the guardian is to evolve.
To be precise, it’s to pass the Dragon Gate’s trial, but part of that trial was replaced with hunting a guardian.
In other words, if I defeat the guardian with Baek Rang, the effect would be halved.
I might not be able to achieve the level of evolution I want.
…Of course, this is just a guess, but you never know.
“Gek-gek!”
After saying goodbye to them, I headed out.
The path to the volcano was familiar.
I had been there with Baek Rang several times.
We had hunted not only the Magnosaurus but various other enemies as well.
Since they were creatures that wielded fire energy, they served as good practice before facing the guardian.
I arrived at the entrance of the volcano.
It was a typical volcanic landscape, with fires burning here and there.
At the entrance, there were no beasts strong enough to threaten me.
It wasn’t common for a creature like the Magnosaurus to come down this far.
And even if one did, I could catch it without much difficulty.
Rumble!
KRA-BOOOOM!
Was the volcano about to erupt?
I felt a violent tremor.
KRA-BOOOOOOOOM!
Startled by the vibration, a horde of beasts began to descend the volcano all at once.
Fortunately, the volcano didn’t erupt, but I had a bad feeling about it.
It would be very troublesome if that thing blew while I was fighting the guardian.
Taking the elixir Whitey made would give me fire resistance, but that didn’t mean I could swim in magma.
“Kraaaak!”
“Kieeeek!”
There were beasts that held their ground, unfazed by the volcano’s tremors.
They all spotted me and charged.
But they were no match for me.
Even without taking the elixir, my basic resistance was enough to block their attacks.
Slaaash!
The battle ended anticlimactically.
Something wasn’t right.
Even if they had lost their minds, there’s no way they wouldn’t know the difference in our strength.
The way they charged at me as if terrified was a bit suspicious.
It was bothering me, but not enough to stop me, so I kept walking.
The higher I climbed, the stronger the volcano’s fire energy became.
If I went all the way to the top, my body might catch fire just from moving around.
I would have been in quite a bind without Baek Rang’s elixir.
I could start to see the mountainside.
That area was planned to be my base camp.
I would swallow the elixir there and prepare to take down the Fire Rat.
After that, I just had to climb to the summit and have a go at it.
Normally, the Magnosaurus should be there, but it was now in my stomach.
That meant I could rest comfortably on the mountainside.
Another creature might have taken its place, but it wouldn’t be a big problem.
Most of them had gone down below because of the volcano’s movements.
Rumble!
KRA-BOOOOM!
The volcano trembled once more.
Hearing it up close, it didn’t sound like the volcano was about to erupt.
Could someone else be challenging the volcano?
Judging by the sound coming from the summit, it seemed to be the guardian…
It looks like it’s a stronger foe than I thought.
I was a bit careless because it was a rat, but I should pull myself together.
With that thought, I reached the mountainside.
“Kikakakak!”
Someone was there before me.
I was about to deal with it quickly and rest, but something felt off.
It was larger than a Magnosaurus.
Its fire energy was clearly on another level.
And its face resembled a rat.
【Fire Rat LV90】
The Fire Rat, the guardian of the volcano.
…Why is it on the mountainside?
Then what in the world is that sound coming from the summit?