Chapter 33: Strange Powers and Deities
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: Strange Powers and Deities
The beast wasn't particularly large.
Bigger than a wolf, but smaller than a tiger.
Yet, it felt larger than any beast they had ever seen.
The profound internal energy within it.
An immense internal energy that even they, mere Third-Rate martial artists, could sense.
Internal energy was something that had to be refined until it was as fine as a grain of rice.
But this beast radiated a raw, unrefined power.
It was proof of an endless well of internal energy within its body.
Bloody Lion and Jang Bong were frozen in place.
The drool dripping from its maw.
A clear sign that it saw them as nothing more than prey.
Its tongue flickered out.
It was just like the gaze of the Demonic Cult Leader they had once seen.
A primal movement, as if sizing up its opponent's strength.
Once its assessment was complete, the beast's judgment would surely begin.
Bloody Lion's heart pounded in his chest.
He had come to the 100,000 Great Mountains in pursuit of wealth and glory.
He couldn't die here so meaninglessly.
He had to survive, no matter what.
But no matter how he racked his brain, there was no conventional way to escape this deathtrap.
He moved on instinct.
His foot slowly extended.
It wasn't a conscious act of will.
His instincts had found the one and only way to survive.
Thwack!
“Kyaaaah!”
Bloody Lion's foot shoved Tang Soyeong hard.
The slender girl fell to the ground.
The teal monster lowered its head, its eyes meeting Tang Soyeong's.
“S-Sir Bloody Lion. How could you, a man of chivalry…”
Jang Bong began to rebuke him.
“Cut the crap and run!”
Bloody Lion's roar snapped everyone to their senses.
Jang Bong, who had been pretending to be a good man, and the other martial artists who had been frozen in fear.
The most important thing was to survive this demonic realm.
And this was the only chance, the only path to survival that had opened.
Tang Soyeong was already down. Saving her was impossible.
Even if Bloody Lion hadn't pushed her, she was the closest and would have died anyway.
Her death was already a certainty.
In such a situation, the best move was to flee.
Those who possessed a conscience offered her a silent prayer as they ran.
“Primordial Heavenly Venerable, Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”
“Bullshit. You're not even a Taoist priest!”
Jang Bong and the other martial artists came to their senses, immediately turned, and fled.
Fwoosh!
They ran with all their might.
They would have some time while the beast was eating Tang Soyeong.
They had to put as much distance as possible between them in that time.
Or so they thought.
After running for some time, they judged they had created enough distance and glanced back to catch their breath.
“What the hell…”
It's coming.
The big one.
The teal dragon was charging toward them at high speed.
Yes, charging.
On two legs.
And it was fast.
Bloody Lion screamed at the sight, something he had never seen in his life.
“What in the world is this bizarre spectacle!”
There was no time to rest.
They had to start running again immediately if they didn't want to be caught by that insane monster.
They might only be Third-Rate, but they were confident in their ability to run. They had been running their whole lives, after all.
“S-seeing it run like that on two legs, it can't be an ordinary dragon!”
“I know that! How could that possibly be an ordinary dragon!”
“Hah… Hah… What I mean is, we might be able to live if we escape into the water!”
They would be caught soon enough if they kept running on land.
If they ran into the swamp, they might be able to escape the monster.
From its sharp claws and body shape, they guessed the dragon was a tree-dwelling species.
In other words, Jang Bong thought it probably couldn't swim well.
Even if it could, it would have a hard time following them in the shallow water.
“We're counting on you!”
All the martial artists headed for the wet swamp.
It was a place a human could cross easily, but it would be difficult for those short legs.
The monster's feet would get stuck in the mud, and it would be hindered by the trees.
Or so they thought.
“Hah…”
“Look! It's hesitating at the water's edge!”
“Haa… Haa… Did we lose it?”
“Sir Bloody Lioooon! Shut that mouth of yours!”
The moment Jang Bong shouted at Bloody Lion…
The beast, which had been standing by the water as if contemplating something, stepped right onto the surface.
It literally stepped on the water.
“Gegegegek!”
The beast's feet were treading on the water's surface as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The teal dragon looked straight at them and began to walk slowly forward.
“J-Jang Bong! L-look at that!”
“I have eyes, don't I! W-Water-Treading Lightness Skill… This is… this is like something out of strange powers and deities…”
“That's not Water-Treading Lightness Skill, it looks more like Water-Treading Skill.”
“Who are you to correct me! Just pray to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable!”
To encounter a spirit beast that not only used formations but had also reached a level that could only be called a lightness skill… Just as Jang Bong had said, the term 'strange powers and deities' was truly fitting for this situation.
Jang Bong and the martial artists hastily changed direction.
There was no way to escape the beast's pursuit by the water.
“I-I must have been mistaken. Those weren't claws, they must have been webbed feet.”
“What are you talking about! Didn't you see those sharp, gleaming blades?”
“Listen! Judging by its movements, it must be an aquatic creature. How could something like that possibly climb a tree!”
Bloody Lion was skeptical of Jang Bong's words.
He wondered if fear had addled his brain.
But they had no other choice.
They were slower than it on flat ground and by the water.
They had to find another way.
So, they climbed up the trees.
Even as Third-Rate, a martial artist was still a martial artist. Climbing a tree was a simple task.
They didn't stop there, quickly moving from branch to branch to other trees.
“Alright. This should be enough. Even if it tries to find us by scent, it'll lose the trail quickly.”
“Jang Bong, you were right. Now that we're up in the trees, that stupid creature can't find us.”
“We were lucky. Now we just have to stay quiet and wait for it to leave.”
“Hoo… It's been three years since I entered the Murim. This is the first time I've ever faced such a crisis. When this is over, I'll go back to Anhui and propose to her…”
Bloody Lion stopped mid-sentence.
Because Jang Bong was staring at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
“Th-th…!”
Fwip-fwip-fwip!
The teal spirit beast was climbing the tree with ease.
No, 'climbing' wasn't the right word. It was ascending as comfortably as if it were walking on flat ground.
It was the Gecko Wall-Walking Art.
“Hyaaaah! Sir Bloody Lion! Are you serious?”
“W-what did I do wrong! Keep your voice down! It'll spot us!”
“It's already spotted us!”
Jang Bong and the martial artists leaped from the tree at the same time.
What in the world was the identity of this beast?
Water-Treading Lightness Skill and Gecko Wall-Walking Art.
He had never heard of or seen a creature capable of such things.
Was it truly a dragon?
No, a dragon wouldn't run around on two legs. It would fly.
Then what in the world was that thing?
Jang Bong pondered this even as he fled.
Still, this should be the end of it.
There were more of them, so if one person was caught, the rest could survive.
“J-Jang Bong!”
“Aish! What is it now! I don't even have the energy to talk!”
“L-look at that thing!”
“If you're thinking of pushing me like that young lady, forget it. Sir Bloody Lion would die with you.”
“That's not it! In… in its mouth!”
Mouth?
What was he talking about?
Jang Bong turned his head and glanced at the pursuing beast.
Clamped in its large maw was the sword Jang Bong had dropped earlier.
“This is just too much!”
My god, is it going to use swordsmanship now?
Does it plan to slaughter them with that sword?
Jang Bong abandoned his plan to use one person as bait.
Look at it, chasing them like a demon with a sword.
It was the kind of being that would never stop, even after catching one of them.
“Kraaaaaah!”
And so they ran for a long, long time.
Until the teal monster was no longer chasing them.
Hey, human.
Take your sword!
This thing looks expensive…
Aigoo.
They're already that far. It's going to be dangerous out there.
I was worried, but there was nothing I could do.
Their running skills are exceptional, so they'll probably get out on their own.
If I chase them any further, I'll end up going deeper into the swamp.
But why did they keep running?
Even racking my brilliant brain, I couldn't find an answer.
I just greeted them cheerfully with a harmless expression, but they fled as if terrified.
I couldn't understand why.
Did they see something scary?
…Could it be that I look that frightening?
No. That can't be it.
After all, I'm a lizard acknowledged by Baek Yeon-yeong.
Baek Yeon-yeong's face was beautiful enough to be called the most beautiful in the world.
A lizard acknowledged by the world's greatest beauty must be on par with… no, but at least I can't be that ugly.
I glanced at my reflection in the water.
My body had gotten a little bigger from evolving, I'd grown armor-like scales, my teeth had gotten a bit sharper, my claws had grown long, my tail had lengthened, and poison now came from my mouth, but otherwise, I looked almost the same as before.
I have this baseless confidence that even if Baek Yeon-yeong saw me now, she'd still poke and play with me just like before.
No, that woman probably wouldn't even bat an eye if I became a dragon.
I've gotten quite a bit bigger than before, but humans were bigger than me to begin with.
Of course, I might look taller if I stand on two legs.
But why did they show up so suddenly?
They were making too much of a fuss for this to be a place where people normally lived.
Is this the first time they've seen a lizard like me?
I don't know. They must have taken a wrong turn.
We'll probably never meet again anyway, so why bother thinking about it.
As long as they don't go to the upper parts of the swamp, they won't be in any danger of dying.
It's getting late, so I should head back to my nest.
…Oh, right.
That woman who fell earlier.
I wonder if she's still there?
It looked like she hurt her leg.
I should go check, just in case.
…….
I should practice my expression a bit, just in case.
Let's try a smile.
Reflected in the water was a single, handsome lizard with a wonderful smile.
This should be enough.
Sigh. I don't know why martial artists these days run away from something like this.
They have no grit, no grit at all.
Back in my day, I trained by going into the Silver Dragon Cave and eating nothing but bugs.