Chapter 223: Chodo
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 223: Chodo
I thought it would be a short walk, like getting to the Snow Mountain, but it looked like this was going to take longer than expected.
The straight-line distance wasn't that long, but the 100,000 Great Mountains were so complex that I had no choice but to follow the winding paths.
Of course, even though it was complex, the things blocking the way were just trees and rocks, so I could have just pushed through if I wanted to.
But that wasn't a very good idea.
I might needlessly smash a spirit beast's cozy nest and cause friction.
If it were prey, that would be fine, but if it was a big shot on the level of the Snake Queen, things could get complicated.
I could probably win if I had to, but there was no good reason to pick a fight.
It'd be one thing if they were mindless beasts, but intelligent and dignified spirit beasts were potential allies.
They might even fight on my side, like the Snake Queen and the King of Birds did.
If the Murim Alliance were to attack, they wouldn't just be coming for me; they'd probably try to hunt the nearby spirit beasts while they were at it.
That would naturally make us temporary allies.
That's why I chose to follow the path, even if it took a little longer.
So far, so good.
But there was one problem that wasn't so understandable.
“Hmm… right, from here, we go right… no, was it left?”
The problem was that this fox marble didn't know the exact way.
“The sun is up there, so… hmm… or maybe not?”
To be precise, it was the fellow named Gongbok living inside the fox marble.
“My mistake. We should have gone the other way from here…”
“Gekgek.”
Seriously? You were so excited explaining it earlier, and now you're already confused?
“Ahem, I haven't traveled this way very often, so my memory is a bit…”
Didn't you say she adores her older brother?
Shouldn't you be visiting her often, then?
Besides, you're both masters of a Dragon Gate.
Even Baek Rang knows the locations of the Snow Mountain and the Volcano. How can the master of the rock mountain forget the location of another?
“I've spent a lot of time cooped up in my own territory…”
Then again, I guess that's a relief in a way.
If this guy hadn't been holed up at home, he probably would have taken over the relatively weak Snow Mountain and Volcano.
I guess I was able to take the Volcano so easily because he was lazy.
Come to think of it, what about Chodo?
Is Chodo the same type as Gongbok?
“That child likes to ‘close,’ so she rarely left her territory.”
Likes to ‘close’?
What's that supposed to mean?
It sounded like some kind of metaphor, or maybe some strange term only a fellow Son of the Dragon would understand.
Should I just assume she's a shut-in?
Night was falling.
Having night vision meant the dark wasn't a big problem, but the fact that the spirit beast I was meeting was Chodo was a problem.
Since she wields the energy of Wood, she probably has a plant-like appearance.
Most plants like the sun.
And according to Gongbok, it was proper etiquette to meet her during the day.
If he'd given me proper directions, we would've arrived long ago.
“Gekgek.”
Vmmm.
“Keuk!”
I don't know how it worked, but I could occasionally hear the sound of the fox marble beating the crap out of Gongbok.
“This… this strange artifact… Ugh…”
You should be glad the bead is hitting you for me.
Since the fox marble was handling the discipline, I didn't need to say anything more.
It was getting late, so I found a suitable spot and prepared to get some sleep.
My body seems to be more nocturnal. Even back when I was a gecko, I couldn't fall asleep when I tried to sleep at night.
But after some hard training, I managed to correct my body to be active during the day and sleep at night.
With my night vision and black scales, being active at night would be advantageous in many ways, but I couldn't seem to shake my old human sleeping patterns.
My followers also seemed to prefer being awake during the day, so it was better for me to be active then, too.
But a problem arose.
It was the same kind of problem I had at the acacia tree: I couldn't fall asleep.
Not being able to sleep wasn't the big issue; the reason for it was.
It was cold.
It was the time of year when autumn was passing and winter was approaching, but it wasn't that cold yet.
Besides, I had been perfectly fine on the Snow Mountain.
But how should I put it… this was a different kind of cold.
A feeling of loneliness.
A feeling that something that should be there was missing.
The truth is, since being born as a lizard, I've almost never slept alone.
Tus and Pus would climb on top of me, and even though she's not fleshy, Tang Soyeong is warm, so I've slept next to her too.
When I was with the Snake Queen, I slept completely coiled up in her body.
And at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, for the sake of my Master's sleep, I had no choice but to sleep while purring, "Gerororong."
Even when I lived with the wolves, or when I was captured by the Red Dragon, I always slept with someone.
To be more precise, in most situations, I slept while enjoying a large internal energy pouch.
When I had no choice but to be with just Nephila and Soyeong, I would miniaturize myself.
They couldn't get bigger, so I had to get smaller.
Of course, it wasn't as satisfying, but it was better than nothing.
The point is, until now, there has always been someone beside me when I slept.
And now that there isn't, how could I possibly sleep well?
“Geeeng…”
The Divine Beast of the Gaegaek.
These weren't thoughts a middle-rank Dragon-kin spirit beast should be having, but I couldn't help it.
I've lived my whole life (one year) like this, so the sense of loss was immense.
It might not be that strange.
I may look like a slightly scary lizard, but I'm actually younger than Swish-Swish or Tus and Pus.
Of course, a lizard can be considered an adult after one or two years, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still young.
Because I'm not just a lizard, I'm a spirit beast lizard.
The Snake Queen also told me I'm not an adult yet.
If I'd known it would be like this, I would have brought someone with me.
Everyone has things to do… Maybe I should have brought Soyeong, who's usually just lazing around.
Tsk, would she even be of any use?
It might just make the sense of loss even greater.
“Geeeeeeeng…”
Unless I fed her a Plumpness Pill, the current Soyeong is a bit… you know.
Wait a minute.
Right, the Plumpness Pill.
“Gekgek.”
Since I can't sleep anyway, I might as well ask about this.
“A Plumpness Pill? Where did you hear about such a thing?”
I have my ways.
Judging by his reaction, the rumors must be true.
That there's an incredible treasure in the nest of a Son of the Dragon.
And that among those treasures is the treasure of treasures, a Plumpness Pill.
I may have defeated Gongbok and become the rightful ruler of the rock mountain, but that Plumpness Pill should be mine.
“There was one.”
“Gek?”
Why the past tense?
I gently grabbed the fox marble with my cute lizard hands.
“Even if you do that, to me inside the artifact… Keuk! W-what is this!”
Gongbok let out a pained cry.
I didn't realize it when we fought, but his personality seemed a lot more lighthearted than I thought.
Back then, he felt like he was carrying a heavy burden, but now he seemed… relieved.
“Kuaaaack!”
Though maybe he was a little too relieved.
“There was a Plumpness Pill! But…”
Does that mean it's gone now?
Then that means he used it.
But why?
You're a male.
No wonder his pectoral muscles were…
“Chodo came to me and said it was her lifelong wish, asking her older brother for it…”
Thankfully, he didn't eat it himself.
Wait, why did Chodo take it?
What would a spirit beast even use a Plumpness Pill for?
Vmmm.
The bead—or to be precise, Gongbok—stared intently at me.
“What would you even use a Plumpness Pill for…”
VMMMM!
I'm different.
“Kuaak!”
I squeezed the fox marble a few times, punishing him for daring to give my Plumpness Pill to someone else.
He should be reflecting on his actions now.
“Why is that yours… Ahem, it's nothing.”
Still, he said he never saw Chodo actually consume the pill, so there's a chance it might still be in her nest.
But if he hasn't even seen that, are they really that close?
Maybe she just pretended to be close to him to get the Plumpness Pill?
“Hmm, by the way, you really do seem to be a descendant of Gomodo.”
Gongbok was changing the subject.
Normally I wouldn't let it slide, but since he brought up the previous Gomodo, I'll let it go.
The more information like that, the better.
It might even affect my evolution path.
“My father was the same, but he was one who enjoyed the company of women…”
Enjoyed the company of women?
He seemed to be misunderstanding something.
I'm not into that sort of thing.
“Gerororong.”
I just like to bury my face in a big, warm pouch.
After all, I'm a cold-blooded animal.
“Gomodo supposedly said the same thing.”
“Gek?”
“To borrow my mother's words… he was a rake who was afraid to actually go all the way, but still coveted the chests of women.”
Jeez.
When I heard he had slain thousands of spirit beasts, I thought, ‘Wow, Gomodo is amazing,’ but hearing this shattered the image a bit.
How can a spirit beast act like that?
“Gekgekgek.”
I can't understand it.
“…Wait, could the reason you're looking for Chodo also be?”
VMMMM.
What's with you?
You're the one who told me to find her.
“My little sister, the apple of my eye!”
“Gegegegek!”
Are all Dragon-kin like this?
Sigh, I'd better not end up like them.
*
Chodo.
The youngest of the Nine Sons of the Dragon, the spirit beast Gongbok praised so endlessly.
I can't count how many times I got lost because of that directionally challenged idiot.
Finally, I could see her.
The owner of a beauty so great she'd be the apple of one's eye.
And the owner of the Plumpness Pill.
The one who would teach me how to wield the power of Wood.
With a pounding heart, I entered her territory.
And at last, I met the being presumed to be Chodo.
Her overall color could be defined as green.
It wasn't that other colors weren't mixed in, but as befitting a wielder of Wood's power, the color of plants was the most dominant.
Her appearance was reminiscent of a frog or a turtle.
Her nose had a slightly mammalian feel to it, but I suppose that was to be expected from a child of a dragon.
Gongbok also had a snake-like appearance, but with the peculiar addition of arms.
Chodo had three distinct features.
The first was that she carried an unidentifiable plant on her back.
The second was that, for some reason, lightning was striking all around her.
And the last feature was the real spectacle.
Wow, that figure.
She had something beyond anything I could have imagined.
It was beyond compare.
“Grrrk?”
I mean, her size.
“Gegegegek!”
What is that thing?
You said she was the apple of your eye!
She looks bigger than two Gongboks combined