Chapter 217: Tang Soyeong's Temptation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 217: Tang Soyeong's Temptation
Gongbok was captured.
Vwooom.
I mean, he was really captured.
By my Fox Marble.
“What is this…”
It looked as if Gongbok had been sealed inside some kind of monster-capturing orb.
“Hah…”
Gongbok was at a loss for words.
“Why does my voice sound like this…”
His voice had certainly grown frail.
Even so, I could tell the voice belonged to Gongbok.
What in the world was happening?
Was there any reason for his voice to change like that?
Could it be that this was the Fox Marble’s original voice?
It was a series of events my common sense couldn't begin to fathom.
But it didn't seem like a bad thing.
Of course, it was a shame I couldn't take Gongbok's parts, including his inner core.
I may have sent him off with honor, but I believed in making use of what was left.
Besides eating his inner core, I could have used those hard scales to craft various items.
The Snake Queen, with her vast knowledge in this area, would have been a great help.
But it wasn't as if I had lost everything completely.
I don't know how it worked, but it seemed the Fox Marble had swiftly absorbed all of Gongbok's parts.
I don't know how to get them out, but if I hold onto it, I'm sure I'll figure it out someday.
Besides, Gongbok's body had been turning transparent, so there probably wasn't much I could have salvaged anyway.
In that sense, it might have been a good thing that the Fox Marble absorbed his corpse.
Moreover, I could feel Gongbok's power emanating from the bead.
Since this is an artifact I'll be using continuously, it wouldn't be a bad thing for it to wield the power of Metal.
Truthfully, I was a bit reluctant to keep Wood, the source of my power, in the same place as Metal, which is incompatible with it.
I'll have to handle both simultaneously someday, but for now, stabilizing the power of Wood is the priority.
“Ugh…”
The fact that Gongbok's consciousness was still intact was another plus.
Namgung Yeon.
No, I could probably dig for more information about Al-Yu.
“To think I would end up in this state when I thought I had died with honor. How utterly vexing…”
If I coaxed him gently, he might spit out other information.
Especially stories about the True Dragon and the Nine Sons of the Dragon—I could never hear enough about them.
And since he seems to have handled the Dragon Gate for several hundred years, I might even be able to learn how to wield its power.
Vwoooom!
“Gah! What are you doing! You’re the one who summoned me!”
It seemed like something chaotic was happening inside.
I couldn't see the interior, but I had a feeling something was pulling on Gongbok's scales.
I wanted to know more about them, but that wasn't what was important right now.
There were more pressing matters.
I had to tend to my followers.
When I last checked, all of them were still alive.
They were injured, but thanks to the cold energy from Baek Rang and Iron Head Dragon, they hadn't suffered any further harm. They were trapped in ice they couldn't break on their own.
Of course, it was only a temporary measure; if the enemy had shattered the ice with a barrage of attacks, it would have been meaningless. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
The battlefield had been, quite literally, turned to scorched earth.
With his power of steel, Gongbok had attacked indiscriminately, hitting friend and foe alike.
My followers endured the attacks with the power of cold and wood, but most of the enemies were annihilated.
Thanks to that, the battle had reached a lull, and the followers I had encased in ice were safe.
Even so, there was one person who had continued to fight.
“Baby!”
It was the Red Dragon.
In her human form, she beamed at me.
There was blood on her face, but I could tell it wasn't hers.
The Red Dragon had defeated Ak Bulhwi.
…I had my doubts, but to think she actually defeated him.
She seemed much stronger than before.
The aura she exuded was anything but ordinary.
Where I had once felt only an intense fire energy, I could now sense a complex, multifaceted power.
Yes, plum blossoms.
I could see the image of plum blossoms in her.
She must have attained enlightenment while fighting Ak Bulhwi.
I grew a lot through this battle, but it seemed the Red Dragon had kept pace, chasing right behind me.
She was clearly weaker than I was when I cut down Gongbok, but since I can't use that power freely, it's safe to say we're on equal footing under normal circumstances.
“…Um, that is.”
After calling out to me so cheerfully, the Red Dragon suddenly averted her gaze.
She must think of herself as a traitor.
If she hadn't revealed the information, this battle would never have happened.
We may have won, but it was truly a series of miracles.
If even one thing had been missing, it would have been an undeniable catastrophe.
My followers would have died and been injured.
And I would have just watched and wailed.
Knowing this, the Red Dragon lowered her head.
“…I’m sorry.”
She said something her usual self would never say.
I know she had her reasons for the betrayal.
Having swallowed the Gu-poison, she had no choice but to obey.
If I hadn't seen the future, this incident would have ended in tragedy.
But I saw the future, and I severed that thread of fate.
So I won't do something as foolish as blaming her.
She did, after all, face Ak Bulhwi.
And in the final moment, it was the Red Dragon who broke through Gongbok's defenses.
If her plum blossoms hadn't incinerated Gongbok's thorns, I would have collapsed before my sword ever reached him.
No matter how you look at it, the Red Dragon is my precious follower and the number one contributor to our victory in this war.
Swish!
My tail, which had already grown back, wrapped around her waist.
But if I were to forgive her unconditionally, her pride wouldn't allow it.
So, it would be right to give her a suitable punishment.
As Gaegaek's Divine Beast.
To Gaegaek's follower.
“Gegegek!”
Smack!
I gave her bottom a light slap.
It was my way of telling her to get to work, as there was much to be done.
The Red Dragon's pupils widened, then she looked at me and broke into a huge grin.
“…Seriously, how do you know my heart so well?”
There's no time to stand around.
If you don't get the followers out of the ice, you can forget about sleeping tonight.
“Hmph, I get it. You’re saying you won’t let me sleep tonight, right?”
Right.
So…
“…Gek?”
FWOOSH!
The Red Dragon's fire energy flared violently.
It was a flame that would awaken the followers trapped in the eternal ice.
“I’m feeling a little strange right now, you know? How should I put it… I can’t hold back anymore?”
She was saying something terrifying.
“Still… I’ll try my best to endure. Our Divine Beast needs to be fully healed before we can do anything, right?”
The Red Dragon's golden eyes were tinged with red.
Unlike before, they were a slightly lighter, almost pinkish color.
…Come to think of it, didn't Tang Soyeong say that poison had some minor side effects?
The Red Dragon struck a peculiar pose.
She puckered her lips slightly.
And licked them with her tongue.
“Gegegek!”
I immediately shot away.
I could hear the Red Dragon's chuckles from a distance.
Right.
That's the Red Dragon I know.
It seems she was playing her own little prank.
…It was a prank, right?
The next place I headed was to Tang Soyeong.
Unlike my other followers, she was human, so even with countermeasures in place, it was right to treat her first.
And she was a physician.
I could see Tang Soyeong, protected by Nephila and the spiders.
Her small frame was limp.
“Keeeehng!”
“Kiooong!”
The spiders, who had been clinging to Tang Soyeong and sobbing, were now hopping up and down.
It seemed they wanted to wiggle their butts to celebrate my victory but couldn't because Soyeong was hurt.
Nephila, too, was gazing down at Tang Soyeong with a sad expression.
Tang Soyeong.
In a way, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she created the Gaegaek Cult.
After all, she was the one who interpreted my ‘gegek’ cries as ‘Gaegaek’.
…If it weren't for her, my martial arts, including the Gaegaek Divine Art, would never have been created.
I might treat her a little meanly, but it comes from a place of affection.
“Kiooong…”
“Keehng…”
The spiders usually pulled her hair for fun, but now they wore sad faces and whimpered.
…
But wait, she looks perfectly fine to me.
I can see that thin chest of hers rising and falling.
I moved closer to Tang Soyeong.
She was holding her breath, pretending to be unconscious.
I brought my face close to hers.
I could see her lips twitching.
Thwack!
“Hgyak!”
A pat on her rear made her jump up in surprise.
“H-Hero Go?”
Honestly.
Playing sick in a situation like this.
“Kiong!”
“Keeeehng!”
The spiders shrieked as if to say, "I knew it," but at the same time, they waved their hands gleefully, confirming she was okay.
Good.
If Gaegaek's physician is fine, we can treat the injured followers much faster.
I feel a little bad putting her to work right away, but it can't be helped.
“Ehehe…”
Tang Soyeong giggled as she looked at me.
Wondering what was wrong with her, I took a closer look and noticed something was indeed strange.
Her face was oddly flushed, and she seemed to be drooling.
“I used the wrong poison… Nnngh…”
It was unlikely, but she seemed to be making a slightly seductive expression.
By Tang Soyeong's standards, that is.
Tang Soyeong stared at me intently.
She licked her lips with her tongue.
And puckered them slightly.
It was the same action as the Red Dragon's, but there seemed to be a world of difference.
“Hero Go…”
She called my name in a trembling voice.
Then she slightly lowered her clothes, revealing her shoulder.
Has this girl finally lost her mind?
“Aaahng…”
Aaahng?
“Uuung…”
Uuung?
“Hero Gooo…”
Her mind has definitely snapped.
“Kioooong?”
“Kieeeek?”
Normally, the spiders would have rushed in to perform the Gomodo Secret Technique: Random Pummeling, but now even they seemed dumbfounded.
They didn't even think of hitting her, just tilting their heads in confusion.
They probably couldn't comprehend her actions.
To be honest, I couldn't either, but if I had to guess, it seemed like she was trying to seduce me.
“Uuuung…”
Sigh.
To think my one and only physician has ended up like this.
But it's okay.
I've learned a skill I can use in times like these.
1. Lift Tang Soyeong.
“Heeheehee…”
Tang Soyeong smiled as if everything was going according to plan.
2. Raise my tail.
“Hero Go’s tail is, no matter how I look at it… Huh? The tail?”
She reached out to gently touch my raised tail, then her eyes widened.
“H-Hero Go?”
She must have realized something was wrong.
But it was too late.
“I-I’m fine! That was just…!”
BONK!
“Hgyagyak!”
Tang Soyeong gently rubbed her head where she'd been hit, as if it hurt.
“W-W-Wait! I’m all better now!”
But it wasn't over yet.
“Kiooong…”
“Kieeek…”
As if on cue, the three spider sisters approached her.
“Kyaaaaaak!”
Gaegaek's physician, Tang Soyeong.
Treatment complete via Gomodo Secret Technique: Random Pummeling