Chapter 291: The Carriage
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 291: The Carriage
I discarded Qi Deviation and picked up Buddha's Palm.
It was a book I'd never seen before, yet I could read its contents fluently.
This, too, must be a blessing from the status window.
Of course, it wasn't like a game where reading a single book would instantly register Buddha's Palm on my status window.
Still, I could understand the required stances and how the movements connected.
Naturally, just knowing the movements didn't mean I could use Buddha's Palm right away.
It was easy to read, but many parts were abstruse.
Even so, having more cards like this in my hand couldn't hurt, so I delved into it with a happy heart.
Who knew? Perhaps I'd master Buddha's Palm in an extreme situation.
Having attained the enlightenment of "I Alone Am The Honored One," my body couldn't be said to have no connection to Buddhism.
The problem, of course, was that I had also learned demonic arts like the Nine Yin White Bone Claw and the Black Killing Demonic Palm, but with the Buddha's mercy, he'd surely turn a blind eye to such trivial matters.
With the book of Buddha's Palm tucked away, I walked slowly with the Red Dragon on my back.
"Heh, to think I'd live to ride on the Divine Beast's back."
"Gekgek."
My current size was large enough to carry twenty Soyeongs without a problem.
So carrying one Red Dragon was nothing.
Of course, a Divine Beast carrying a believer was a bit strange, but that was just how the Gaegaek Cult operated.
And besides, the Red Dragon could give me a ride later.
"What? Are you asking me to give you a ride later?"
The Red Dragon's eyes took on a peculiar glint.
"So that's your preference, my dear Divine Beast."
What's that supposed to mean?
"You said you wanted to ride on top of me."
Well… riding on a giant, winged dragon is every man's dream.
A fire-breathing red dragon, no less!
I absolutely couldn't resist.
Wasn't the Red Dragon also satisfied riding on a giant, black-scaled lizard?
It was the same kind of thing.
"Hmm… Alright, I'll prepare for it. So you can get on top of me after this is all over."
"Gek!"
I'm finally going to ride a dragon.
My dream was coming true.
"I wanted to be the one on top, but I guess this isn't so bad either."
Of course, the expression on her face was a little strange, but it was probably nothing to worry about.
The Snake Queen sometimes made that face too, right before wrapping her tail around my body.
Biting her lower lip with a somewhat suggestive look…
"Ge-ek."
Something's not right, is it?
"Gegegek."
I quickly changed the subject.
I had a feeling that if I didn't, I'd end up as a crispy, dried, grilled lizard.
The easiest way to change the topic was to talk about our objective.
The Red Dragon and I now shared a common goal.
The subjugation of the Ice Dragon and the Thunder Bird.
Of course, bringing them up first felt a bit awkward, but it was about our mission, so it had to be done.
"You're no fun. And don't worry. To be honest, if I were my old self, I would have gone alone without even meeting you, but that's not who I am now, is it?"
The Thunder Bird and the Ice Dragon were the Red Dragon's sworn enemies.
Considering her fiery personality, it wouldn't have been strange if this entire area were turned to ash.
But that was the old Red Dragon. The current Red Dragon was different.
Her fiery personality had changed for the better, leaving only the warmth of her flames.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten my grudge, but I know that rushing in alone won't solve anything. I was wondering when to bring it up, but it's probably best to share what I know now while we have the time."
Information.
That was what was most important.
All my battles started with gathering information on the enemy.
I could guess what they were like from their names, but it was much better to hear it from the Red Dragon, who had met them herself.
"First, the Thunder Bird. It's a monstrous bird, and as its name suggests, it has the power to control thunder, lightning, and wind."
The Thunder Bird. It was a fairly famous spirit beast.
A spirit god that commands thunder, lightning, and wind.
It was a spirit beast of the Native Americans, a monstrous bird also known as the Thunder God Bird.
"…And that's the one who killed my parents."
The Red Dragon's expression darkened.
Her personality may have changed, but recalling her parents' death, she couldn't help but feel down.
"I was so busy escaping back then that I don't know the details, but I know it's strong."
The Red Dragon's parents would also be considered a type of dragon, yet the Thunder Bird had killed them.
There was no room to doubt its strength.
At the very least, it was a spirit beast at the Transformation Realm.
I had to assume it was a powerhouse that might even be stronger than that.
I did defeat two Profound Realm masters at once, but that was the Heart Demon's doing, not mine.
"The other one is the Ice Dragon. I ran into it while fleeing after losing my parents. Unlike me, it uses cold energy. It has four legs and two wings. It's a bit bigger than I am now, but its overall structure is similar to mine."
An Ice Dragon.
I thought "dragon" meant a long, serpentine Eastern dragon, but it seemed to be a Western dragon, similar to the Red Dragon.
This information was valuable.
The way to counter it depended on its skeletal structure.
"It's a monster that uses a cold energy so intense it could freeze my heart—it's beyond common sense. Of course, it's nothing compared to the warmth of my Divine Beast."
"Gek?"
Sorry, but I have almost no power to wield fire energy.
I did eat a Hwari once, but I couldn't control its power well enough to use it in direct combat.
"Hmm, you still don't know, do you, Divine Beast? I guarantee you, that thing's cold energy won't even be able to touch a single one of your scales."
I appreciated her thinking so highly of me, but I thought it was more fitting for the Red Dragon to face the Ice Dragon.
"There might be other spirit beasts, but for now, we only need to worry about these two. I can take care of the rest in one shot."
I could trust the Red Dragon's firepower.
The only problem was that I might get caught in the crossfire.
"…Honestly, I don't know the full extent of their strength, but I don't think we'll lose."
One might think it was the typical arrogance of a Western dragon, but the Red Dragon was a powerhouse who had earned the right to be so.
"But there's something that's bothering me."
I listened closely to her words.
It was the intuition of a mid-tier dragon.
"The Thunder Bird and the Ice Dragon. The fact that both of them appeared at once is what's bothering me."
That was indeed strange.
Why them, of all creatures?
The spirit beasts sent as the vanguard to establish a base were the two who had a bitter history with the Red Dragon.
"There's definitely something going on. Of all the many spirit beasts, why these two? Did they know each other? If so… was my parents' murder also planned?"
It all connected as if it were staged.
The Thunder Bird, who murdered her parents. The Ice Dragon, who caused her to be separated from her sibling. And now, those two had reappeared.
"It can't be. I was just a young dragon back then. There would have been nothing to gain from killing me."
Something didn't add up.
If they needed a dragon's inner core, her parents' would have been enough.
But not only that, they also chased after her and her fleeing sibling?
Two high-tier spirit beasts, at that?
Unless their goal was to kill young dragons, something like that would rarely happen.
And as the Red Dragon said, there was nothing to be gained from killing a young dragon.
"I have to find out why. And now, I have the power to do so."
The Red Dragon looked at me.
"Gekgek."
I, too, was curious about their intentions.
Why on earth they did such a thing.
And hearing her story, I felt an unidentifiable sense of displeasure.
It wasn't anxiety; I was just plain annoyed.
After walking a little further, both the Red Dragon and I began flicking our tongues.
It might seem like a bizarre act, but reptiles like the Red Dragon and me use our tongues to smell.
"…The smell is starting to get stronger."
"Gek."
"Wait, over there…"
The Red Dragon stretched out her hand and pointed to a corner of the forest.
There lay shattered pieces of wood and cloth.
"…A carriage?"
It wasn't hard to tell that its original form had been a carriage.
"Ugh, to think I'd see something like this here."
The Red Dragon frowned.
Then she turned her head, and when our eyes met, she had a very awkward expression.
"Gek?"
What's wrong with a carriage?
"What's wrong with it? Ah, right. Our Divine Beast is still a baby."
I'm not a baby, but I decided not to argue for now.
"Um… this is a little difficult to explain."
The Red Dragon continued hesitantly.
"You know that dragons from the Western Regions and dragons from the Central Plains look different, right?"
I didn't know why they were both called 'dragons' here, but yes, I knew.
"The ones that look like me are from the Western Regions, and the ones that look like snakes are from the Central Plains."
Those with wings like the Red Dragon are called Western dragons, and those with long, stretched-out bodies like the Snake Queen are called Eastern dragons.
The Snake Queen wasn't a full dragon yet, but she was at the level of a lower-rank dragonkin.
"For dragons in the Western Regions, a carriage like that… has a certain, you know, meaning."
A particular meaning?
"Geeeek?"
She was making this so complicated.
"Don't look at me like that. I don't know how to explain it either."
For some reason, her face turned slightly red.
What on earth could it be?
Having no choice, I examined the carriage.
"Ugh."
Should I say it looked… used?
"I'd only heard stories, but to think a guy like this actually exists…"
The carriage was in terrible shape.
It felt like it had been handled very roughly.
"…Still, I think we've found a way to lure out the Ice Dragon."
But how?
Well, whatever works, works, I guess.
Since she was also a dragon, she might have gotten some inspiration from seeing this.
Though I still didn't really know what this "particular use" for a carriage was.
"Divine Beast, listen carefully. I have a plan to catch the Ice Dragon."
The Red Dragon brought a finger to her lips.
It seemed to be a signal to be quiet.
Why was she so embarrassed?
Her face was still red.
"I hate to do this, but… we're going to prepare a carriage."
Why was she saying that in such a serious voice?
"And a carriage with a very large… rear end."
Was it right to use the term "rear end" for a carriage?
"Then… even the Ice Dragon won't be able to resist. He'll be caught for sure."
So what on earth is it about the carriage?
"Huhu, I can't wait to see the look on his face. The look when he finds out that the shapely carriage was actually a trap."
Why did she think a dragon would be caught so easily?
……
Actually, something did come to mind, but I refused to let the thought surface in order to protect my fantasy about dragons.