Chapter 17: The Mural
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17: The Mural
Where am I now?
After being chased relentlessly by that giant millipede, I had no idea where I’d ended up.
I had run for my life, and it seemed the creature had lost interest and turned back.
But I couldn’t go back.
I was a lost little lizard.
Cold, hungry, and in the dark.
A shiver ran through my body.
I’d never had to regulate my body temperature before. At most, I’d make a blanket out of leaves to cover myself.
That had always been enough to get by, but things were different now.
Perhaps it was because of my injuries, but I could tell my movements had become noticeably sluggish.
Even when I rested, my HP didn’t recover. Instead, it continued to drop.
“Geeeck…”
I let out the cry of a sick lizard as I wandered around.
If I could just get something in my stomach, I might be able to recover…
Thud.
My foot bumped into something.
Hoping it was prey, I looked closer, but it wasn’t a living creature.
It was a small sphere, brown or maybe black.
It was about the size of an inner core.
Wait, another inner core?
I lifted my head, then lowered it again.
Inner cores were valuable, but to me, right now, it was worthless.
It was less useful than a single small cricket that could fill my belly.
What good was an inner core?
I didn’t even have the strength to digest it.
Still, would it be better to put something in my stomach?
Hoping against hope, I focused my eyes.
I needed to identify exactly what was in front of me.
But… nothing appeared in my Eye of the Wild.
It’s not an inner core?
If it were, my Eye of the Wild would have detected it. It could recognize even a fragment of an inner core, so there was no way it would miss a complete sphere.
Then what on earth was this?
Was it edible?
Could it be another animal’s egg?
No, I would have recognized it if it were.
Hsss.
I flicked my tongue out, tasting the air.
It was a strange scent.
One I had never smelled since coming here.
It was savory, a smell that made my mouth water.
Yes, this was the scent of grains.
A fragrance I had forgotten.
And wasn’t this sweet aroma, wafting subtly from between the grains, the same as that of honey?
Grains and honey.
A rational lizard would first question why such a thing was here.
But a hungry lizard had no time for that.
Chomp.
Gulp.
The crunchy texture was incredibly satisfying.
It was a texture that couldn’t even be compared to the spider’s special bug cocoons.
The taste of grains and honey filled my mouth.
To put it in a word, it was like eating a dango made from roasted grain powder.
I didn’t need to know what it was.
It was delicious. Incredibly so.
So delicious that I forgot I was a carnivorous lizard.
I quickly finished the dango and flicked my tongue out, wanting more.
And what do you know, the same smell I had just tasted was coming from all around me.
There wasn't just one of these mysterious dango.
I frantically scurried across the ground, picking up and eating them.
Chomp.
Gulp.
Chomp.
Crunch.
I was happy.
Some had the exquisite savory taste of grains, while others were so sweet with honey it felt almost excessive.
The calories in these dango were immense; I felt like I was gaining weight in real-time.
Moreover, my Gourmet level rose significantly.
If this wasn't a delicacy, what was?
Chomp.
I should eat while I can.
After devouring dango for a good while, I patted my plump belly.
My mind finally felt a bit clearer.
You really need some sugar for your brain to work.
I stretched my stiff back and stood on two feet.
It was time to return to being a bipedal lizard, not a four-legged beast.
Maybe it’s because I ate something sweet, but my vision seems brighter.
Wait, I think it’s just actually brighter around me.
Wondering what was going on, I looked up and saw green crystals embedded in the wall.
Amazingly, the crystals were emitting their own light.
It felt very artificial. The placement of those green, jade-like crystals was highly suspicious.
Several were arranged at regular intervals, as if someone had installed them on purpose.
What is this place?
I widened my field of vision.
My gaze shifted to where the green light shone.
There was a large rock.
It looked quite different from the other rocks I’d seen in the cave so far.
It had a slight purplish tint. Just by looking at it, I could tell its hardness and strength were on a different level from ordinary rock.
And on its surface, traces of someone were carved.
Did a bear-like beast claw at it randomly?
No, it was too beautiful for that.
Countless straight and curved lines flowed together like water.
Like a series of movements.
It didn’t take long to realize what it was.
Because next to those marks, I found a few easily recognizable drawings.
A person was drawn there.
Yes. This was a mural.
Not just any mural, but one depicting a person performing martial arts.
I had found a trace of humanity.
*
“Left Guardian. You’re a bit late.”
No one in their right mind would speak to a Guardian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in such a manner.
The title of Guardian referred to a martial artist directly under the Cult Leader, beings known as the swords of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Not even the elders or seniors of the cult had the authority to command a Guardian.
Mutual respect was the principle, and depending on the situation, a Guardian could even punish them.
However, the Left Guardian, Woo Jin-woon, had no choice but to bow his head to the woman before him.
“I had some matters to resolve, so I was delayed. Priestess, what brings you here?”
Because she was the Priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Baek Seol-hwa.
The Left Guardian was extremely tense. He knew why she had sought him out.
“I’ll be direct, Left Guardian. Do you know where the Cult Leader has gone?”
Woo Jin-woon was in a bind.
Even if the person before him was the cult’s Priestess, he couldn’t carelessly reveal the Cult Leader’s location.
However, no follower of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would question this situation.
For the same blood as the Cult Leader flowed through the Priestess’s veins.
“You seem to know.”
“Well…”
The Left Guardian swallowed hard.
He felt the illusion that the Cult Leader was standing right before him.
Their faces were so similar they were almost indistinguishable.
The only differences were that the Priestess’s figure seemed a bit more sluggish, the beauty mark under her eye was on the opposite side, and her hair was a slightly lighter shade.
She even dyed her hair a brighter color on a regular basis so that other followers wouldn't get confused.
“Left Guardian. Have I ever done anything to disappoint you?”
Woo Jin-woon felt like he was going crazy.
He suddenly resented the Great Guardian and the Right Guardian for not being here.
If he fulfilled his duty as Left Guardian and kept his mouth shut, there was no telling what this crazy Priestess might do.
But if he told the truth, he would have to endure a lecture from the strict Great Guardian, not to mention incurring the Cult Leader’s wrath.
After weighing his options for a long time, Woo Jin-woon lowered his gaze.
“She has gone to the Silver Dragon Cave…”
“What? Did you say the Silver Dragon Cave?”
The Silver Dragon Cave.
One of the veiled facilities of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it was an artificial underground cave created solely for training. It was located in the middle of the 100,000 Great Mountains, and the Cult Leader had issued an order forbidding entry for the time being.
“Ha, that’s absurd. Why did she go there?”
“She said she had a dream…”
“A dream?”
Baek Seol-hwa was dumbfounded.
She was the Priestess of the cult.
Even if it was the Cult Leader, matters concerning dreams were her domain.
Moreover, to secretly enter a place she herself had sealed off? It was hardly a story that would set a good example for the followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“Seriously, what is she doing, ignoring the Priestess? Does she think she can have prophetic dreams or something? Left Guardian, why didn’t you stop her?”
Woo Jin-woon felt it was unfair. Why was the anger meant for the Cult Leader being directed at him?
There was only one thing the Left Guardian could do.
“I only heard about it from the Right Guardian…”
Since he wasn’t here, Woo Jin-woon thought a little slander wouldn’t hurt.
It was also revenge on the Right Guardian for leaving him with the most difficult task and running away.
Hoo.
With a sigh, Baek Seol-hwa crossed her legs.
It was an act a Priestess shouldn’t perform, but only the Left Guardian and the Priestess were present.
As long as the Left Guardian kept his mouth shut, there would be no problem.
And the Left Guardian was neither the type of person nor in a situation to gossip about this.
“So, what dream did she have?”
Woo Jin-woon hesitated for a moment before answering.
“She said she saw a dragon.”
“A dragon?”
“Yes. She dreamt of a massive green dragon swallowing the earth.”
Baek Seol-hwa shook her head.
“So you’re saying she packed a bunch of Grain-Free Pills and went to the Silver Dragon Cave because of that dream?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, my head…”
Seol-hwa pressed her temples gently.
With the Cult Leader gone, it meant she would have to act as the deputy for a while.
She could handle being the deputy.
Since she had the same face as the Cult Leader, she considered it a natural duty of the Priestess.
But why hadn’t she been told?
Did the Cult Leader intend to finish her business secretly without being caught?
It was a good thing she found out; if an outside guest were to arrive while she was unaware, it would cause chaos.
“I’m sure I told her to always let me know when she goes somewhere…”
Baek Seol-hwa let out a long sigh.
“Left Guardian. You.”
The Left Guardian was nowhere to be seen.
He had long since slipped out of the building using Shadow Step.
“Grrr…”
The target of her anger had vanished.
Truthfully, it was hard to say it was the Left Guardian’s fault, but Baek Seol-hwa, who had become the Priestess at a young age, couldn’t help but want to blame someone.
Calm down, calm down.
What fault does the Left Guardian have?
It’s not the first or second time the Cult Leader has done this.
“Hooo.”
Baek Seol-hwa let out another long sigh.
She had to prepare to disguise herself as the Cult Leader, just in case.
As she rummaged through a drawer, a small, beautifully patterned container inlaid with mother-of-pearl caught her eye.
Forgetting her anger, the Priestess smiled faintly.
It was a container filled with dango made with the incredibly rare honey of the Okbong.
Just remembering the taste made her face break into a silly grin.
Should I just have one?
Seol-hwa began to struggle with the thought.
It would surely be delicious.
No, it would be unbelievably delicious.
But it was expensive.
Funds were already getting tight, and a person of her stature, the Priestess of the main cult, couldn’t afford to be extravagant.
However, it felt like nothing but the honey of the Okbong could quell her current anger.
The source of this anger was the Cult Leader.
In that case, couldn’t she just charge the expense to the Cult Leader?
Seol-hwa nodded.
Logically, she wasn’t wrong.
Problem solved.
All that remained was the just reward to cool her anger.
With a reverent heart, she opened the lid of the container.
After checking the contents, Seol-hwa let out a scream.
The dango that should have filled the container were all gone, without a single one left.
“You… You…”
There was only one person in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult who would do such a thing.
“Baek Yeon-yeong!!!”
Seol-hwa shrieked the name of the Cult Leader, who was already inside the Silver Dragon Cave.
Of course, there was no way she could hear her.
“You just wait until you get back.”
The Priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult vowed revenge on her older sister who had stolen her precious snack.
Of course, that precious snack hadn’t been eaten by the Cult Leader, but had been gobbled up by a small, cute lizard. Seol-hwa, however, had no way of knowing that.