Chapter 203: A Leader's Responsibility
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: A Leader's Responsibility
I must be wary of fox spirit beasts.
Even for a Heavenly Fox, that enchantment was a power beyond common sense.
A spirit beast of my caliber nearly lost his composure for a moment.
The Virgin Boy Skill is a good martial art, but it has a fatal flaw: the more my internal energy grows, the more susceptible I become to such temptations.
It must be the same for me, a pure spirit beast.
The longer I maintain this nobility, the more vulnerable I become to such temptations. It's a fatal weakness.
If that weren't the case, there's no way I would have felt that strange sense of anticipation.
Wanting to wag my tail a little, wanting to be held in her arms.
Even letting out an undignified 'Gerororong' sound.
These were thoughts I would never have had in my right mind.
Still, it's a relief she showed no hostility towards me.
Rather, it became an opportunity to realize how dangerous this form of attack is and to come up with a countermeasure.
…But how do I prepare for it?
Maybe I should carry Tus and Pus hidden in my fur.
They could bite me whenever I space out.
That sounds pretty decent.
They're getting bigger as time passes, but for now, they're still small enough to hide in my fur.
Wuuuuung.
…And then there was this thing.
The fox marble.
The exact reason is still unclear, but it seems to like me.
“Surely… just now?”
Iron Head Dragon said, looking puzzled.
He shook his head from side to side.
“Was I dreaming…?”
He muttered to himself, then looked at me.
“Great Hero Gomodo. Did you perhaps…?”
He must be asking what happened, or if he was just dreaming.
It should be fine not to say anything.
He wouldn't believe the story about the Heavenly Fox anyway, and communicating with my 'Gekgek' sounds isn't easy.
If it were a short story, I might have just told him, but the longer it gets, the higher the chance of it being distorted.
“Gekgek.”
Wuuuuung.
But contrary to my thoughts, the fox marble flew up into the air.
“Gasp! It wasn't a dream after all!”
Iron Head Dragon hurriedly took a defensive stance.
Whoosh!
The fox marble also spun around and around, as if it didn't like Iron Head Dragon.
“Great Hero! Get back!”
Wuuuuung!
The bead and the bead-like head were about to collide.
The bead shot out before I had a chance to stop it.
And in response, Iron Head Dragon charged forward, head first.
KWAAAAANG!
A tremendous roar echoed.
“GEEEEEEK!”
…from my dragon scales, caught between the two.
“G-Great Hero!”
*
The bead and Iron Head Dragon were both amicably buried in the ground.
Iron Head Dragon had only his head sticking out, and the bead was half-exposed.
Just burying them wasn't enough, so I bound them with plants.
“I-I'm sorry, Great Hero! I was just….”
Wuuuung….
The two of them pleaded their innocence.
“Gekgek….”
My bones still feel like they're rattling.
As expected, Iron Head Dragon's headbutt was not something you should take head-on.
His power was diminished compared to when he fought me, but to think it still had this much force.
Of course, Iron Head Dragon didn't produce this much power on his own.
From the opposite side came that fox marble, flying like an arrow.
Its attack met Iron Head Dragon's, creating a strange harmony.
Thanks to that, the impact was powerful enough to make me scream.
“Kuh… The plants are…! G-Great Hero! Please, at least stop this!”
Wuung! Wuuuung!
Hm?
What's wrong with my plants?
Still, seeing a grown man like that feels a bit strange.
…You are male, right?
If you're a female too, my position will become a little awkward.
“Hah… hah… Thank you, Great Hero….”
Wuuuung….
Both Iron Head Dragon and the fox marble were panting.
…Though I'm not sure if 'panting' is the right word for a bead.
Fortunately, the fox marble seems to have calmed down somewhat.
If they had fought again, I was planning to personally show them what the inside of Gomodo's mouth looks like.
I gave them a brief explanation with 'Gekgek' sounds.
“…A Heavenly Fox. I thought they were beings of imagination, but to think they actually exist. Being by your side, Great Hero, seems to be broadening the horizons of this unworthy Bak.”
I explained that a being called a Heavenly Fox had appeared briefly and entrusted this fox marble to me.
“Moreover, seeing as the rampaging vengeful spirits vanished without a trace, the Heavenly Fox must have taken care of them. They are said to be sacred spirit beasts connected to the heavens, and it seems those rumors were not exaggerated.”
Wuuuuung.
“But to think a fox marble could move so actively on its own…. I think I understand why it's angry. After all, this humble monk essentially ate it.”
A fox marble is not a common artifact.
It's an artifact wielded by a fox that has trained for over 100 years, and for someone else to obtain it, the original owner must die.
Iron Head Dragon received the fox marble from Namgung Yeon, and he said the bead was definitely not moving at that time.
He thought of it as a type of elixir and simply swallowed it.
“A fox marble not wielded by a fox is not supposed to move. Since its master was dead, that would be the natural state of things. And yet, for this bead to be moving like this means….”
The fox marble trembled lightly, as if in response to his words.
“…Its master is not dead.”
But that's a contradiction.
Because the premise is that its master must die for the fox marble to fall into someone else's hands.
“I cannot know for sure, but there must be a story behind it. The reason it tries to follow your words, Great Hero, must be because it sensed the power you hold.”
The power I hold?
“…The warm power that awakened my mind from the encroachment of the Earthly Star of Slaughter, a power reminiscent of the sun. Since the fox marble was inside this humble monk, it must have felt the same energy as I did.”
There was one thing I needed to address.
The power he said was reminiscent of the sun.
I don't have much of a connection to the sun.
If I had used fire energy, he might have made such a mistake, but I didn't use fire energy back then.
I only used my ability to control plants.
“The power to break evil sorcery, the power to make plants grow and enrich the land. Great Hero, you are the sun itself.”
Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.
Among them, I thought my power was the power of Wood, which controls plants.
Does it make sense for the power of Wood to manifest just because I took over the Dragon Gate of a volcano, which deals with fire?
Could it be that the source of my power was not Wood, but Yang?
No, that's too much of a leap.
Making plants grow and controlling them is undeniably the authority of Wood.
But the fact that a question has arisen remains.
…To understand my abilities more clearly, I will have to take over more Dragon Gates.
Among them, Chodo, one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.
The child of a dragon who controls plants.
If I can seize his Dragon Gate, I should be able to discover the source of my power.
“I believe this bead was drawn to that power of yours, Great Hero.”
Wuung.
The fox marble bobbed as if to say he was right.
I don't know the source of my power, but does this mean it likes my power?
The fox marble entrusted to me by the Heavenly Fox.
I'll have to unravel the story tied to this thing someday.
It's an artifact with self-awareness, and its performance is excellent enough to cause me some damage.
Besides, the power wielded by foxes belongs to Yin among Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.
I was at a loss as to where I could obtain Yin and Yang, let alone the Five Elements, so this was a complete windfall.
Wuung.
The fox marble trembled lightly.
It rubbed itself against my cheek.
“…Its movements are like a child trying to be cute for its parents.”
Iron Head Dragon said in a calm voice.
Just as he said, the fox marble's actions were somehow reminiscent of a young child.
Trying to attack Iron Head Dragon just because it didn't like him, or humming sulkily when I scolded it.
And then acting cute towards me as soon as I pulled it out of the ground.
The fox marble and Iron Head Dragon.
The two seem strangely similar.
One lost its parents, the other lost its master.
They would have resented the world and eventually been fated to die.
Both Iron Head Dragon and the fox marble.
But they met me.
Their fates have changed.
Gaegaek.
The Gaegaek Cult was made for beings like them.
Just like Tus and Pus, and just like Tang Soyeong.
“Gaegaek.”
The fox marble trembled greatly.
Iron Head Dragon's eyes widened.
“Great Hero…!”
Iron Head Dragon said in a trembling voice.
“I apologize, but I don't quite understand what you mean….”
The fox marble also bobbed slightly, as if agreeing with him.
….
“Gekgek!”
How embarrassing for a lizard.
“G-Great Hero! P-Please, not the plants!”
Wuuuung! Wuung!
*
I stayed on the Snow Mountain a little longer.
It was called a snow mountain, but it wasn't covered in that much snow.
Using my ability, I made plants grow and created a suitable ecosystem.
Unlike before, it became an environment where various creatures could gather.
I entrusted the management of the Snow Mountain to Iron Head Dragon.
Since I only have one body, it was impossible for me to go back and forth between the Snow Mountain and the Volcano to manage things.
I haven't even properly managed the one volcano yet, so it's better to focus on my original place.
Iron Head Dragon is a trustworthy subordinate.
He may have gotten a little weaker, but that headbutt was still strong enough to harm me.
Besides, he'll get stronger as he gets used to the power of the Dragon Gate.
His body itself is an Adamantine Body, so unless the master of another Dragon Gate appears, there's no way he'll be defeated.
“Great Hero. Are you leaving now?”
Iron Head Dragon said with a dignified look.
Wuuuuung.
The fox marble trembled lightly inside my fur.
Iron Head Dragon will carry out his duties on the Snow Mountain.
The fox marble will stay with me and, one day, will reveal its truth.
Iron Head Dragon, showing his respects.
He was the image of the ideal follower I had hoped for.
“Gekgek.”
The Earthly Star of Slaughter, Bakgigae.
It would be a lie to say I'm not worried about his fate of slaughter.
But I believe he can overcome it.
Because that is Gaegaek.
“Because Gaegaek is Gaegaek, and Gaegaek is the way, I pray for your continued health and well-being.”
…Could you not use such difficult words?
*
I returned to the Volcano.
“I heard that the Abbot of Shaolin had fallen, but the truth is….”
After naturally trying to touch Baek Rang's belly and getting my hand bitten, I chatted with Tang Soyeong while petting Chillang-i.
“To think the Arhat was actually Iron Head Dragon, and that he was born with the fate of the Earthly Star of Slaughter. I never heard anything like that, even in the Tang Clan.”
It seemed Shaolin had kept a tight lid on the information.
If you were to pick the shadiest places in the Orthodox Factions, it would be the Beggars' Sect and the Tang Clan, yet even the Tang Clan hadn't figured it out.
Of course, someone like the Patriarch of the Tang Clan might have known, but Tang Soyeong, who clearly has her own standing, didn't.
There's no way other martial artists would know the truth; they must really think Shaolin has fallen.
“That's a relief. I don't know the exact situation, but nothing good comes from making enemies with humans. Even if we win, we'll suffer damage, and killing humans is a headache because of the vengeful spirits. At least, as long as it's not that old hag….”
Baek Rang sniffed the air.
Her distinctively shiny black wolf nose twitched, then she buried it in my chest.
“Miss Baek Rang? What are you doing?”
“No, it's just that I smell something familiar.”
…A dog's nose is a dog's nose, I guess.
“This fluffy scent. I've smelled it somewhere before.”
A fluffy scent?
“…Hey.”
Press.
Baek Rang pressed down on me lightly with her front paw.
“Geeek….”
“Did you meet that old hag?”
“Gekgek!”
How did she know?
Well, the thing is….
Wait, why should I be trembling?
I'm Go-Hui, the Divine Beast of Gaegaek.
These guys are my followers.
“Gekgek.”
That's right. I was grinning foolishly when I saw the Heavenly Fox.
So what are you going to do about it?
“…Get him.”
Huh?
The moment Baek Rang's words fell, Tus and Pus moved swiftly.
It was the same for all the wolf pups.
“Gegegek?”
Hey, guys. Aren't I the leader here?
“We need to start with an inspection.”
Baek Rang said in a cold voice.
What kind of inspection?
Right. You're checking if I'm really Gomodo, right?
“Let's just check your lower body….”
“GEEEEEEK!”
Only then did I understand why Tus and Pus were obeying Baek Rang.
Kuaaak!
Iron Head Dragon! Daoist! Do-jeong!
I'm Go-Hui, the Divine Beast of the Gaegaek Cult!
I'm already starting to miss Iron Head Dragon's respectful demeanor.
No matter how I think about it, the structure of the Gaegaek Cult is strange.
I tried to block them with my hands, but these beasts were determined to strip off my dragon scales.
Especially around my lower half!
“GEEEEK!”
Strangely, I couldn't muster any strength in my body.
Am I going to become dried Gomodo jerky like this?
I was trembling in fear, unable to even resist.
“…Stop.”
A celestial maiden with golden hair and red eyes appeared.
“Gegegek!”
It was Nephila.
It seems they managed to coax the Left and Right Guardians, but they couldn't persuade the Priestess.
Nephila currently holds the position of Priestess.
The Priestess was the highest position after me.
…But they ignore my words and listen to the Priestess.
“…Tch.”
Baek Rang clicked her tongue, looking disappointed.
In any case, I was saved thanks to Nephila.
“Geeeeng… Geeeeek….”
I hugged Nephila tightly and sobbed.
Nephila is the only one for me.
Nephila just smiled faintly and patted me.
How could such a merciful being exist?
She must not be a priestess, but a celestial maiden descended from the heavens.
Though her meager chest is a bit of a flaw.
I was thinking that as I buried my face in her chest and wailed.
Nephila's hand stopped.
Why'd you suddenly stop?
“…Gek?
When I looked up, Nephila's eyebrow was raised.
She looked somewhat angry.
Chwaaaak!
In an instant, a huge amount of spider silk shot out and bound my body.
“…Continue.”
Wait a minute.
Nephila.
You're joking, right?
“Geeek!”
The followers of Gaegaek rushed in all at once.
“Th-This…! I must record… record this!”
Tang Soyeong was merely observing my body as my dragon scales were being stripped off.
The fox marble, too, was unusually quiet, as if anticipating something.
“GEEEEEEEEEEEEEK