Chapter 38: Creeping Fear
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: Creeping Fear
The only thing illuminating the dark branches was the faint moonlight.
I felt dazed. How did I get here? And why?
I couldn't remember a thing.
All I could see around me were countless corpses.
As I stood there, silently observing the gruesome scene…
Something pulled my body with immense force.
It felt like a huge hand grabbing my shoulder.
No, it wasn't just my shoulder.
Eight hands gripped my body.
I couldn't do anything.
A sense of powerlessness washed over me.
Drip.
A cold liquid fell onto my back.
Goosebumps erupted all over my body.
The creature's hand gently grasped my tail.
I have to run.
I have to get away, no matter what.
Yes, now, while its hand is on my tail, is my only chance.
If I just sever my tail and escape…
…My tail won't come off.
I was slowly dragged toward the creature.
I looked back.
What I saw was…
“Kkieng!”
Tus and Pus were waving their legs in front of my face, greeting me.
It was a dream.
Am I feeling run-down lately? I think I had a nightmare.
I don't remember the details, but it felt horrible.
If I could sweat, I'd probably have shed a bucketful.
Just in case, I wiggled my tail slightly.
No matter how I looked at it, there was nothing wrong.
Come to think of it, this tail has helped me out a lot.
Whipping it around has been quite useful, and it's a great help for balancing when I stand on two legs.
Besides, I've lost count of how many times severing it has saved my life.
I stroked my long tail.
I really have cut this thing off many times.
Nephila Jurassica probably has a few of them.
…Nephila Jurassica.
I wonder how she's doing.
Seeing my tail and Tus and Pus suddenly made me think of her.
Now that I have some breathing room, should I go pay her a visit?
Hanging out with Tus and Pus has raised my tolerance for spiders quite a bit.
In a way, Nephila Jurassica is a charming spider in her own right.
If Tus and Pus are gentle and cute, Nephila is… what should I call it? The strong, assertive type.
Her legs are long and slender, and her face is a little scary.
The 'older sister' type, I guess.
She looks like a tiger spider, a tough older sister with blonde hair and red eyes. And her clothes, a flashy leopard print…
Phew.
What am I even thinking?
At this rate, my Heart Demon will visit again.
No, maybe I've already been consumed by it.
To think I'm seriously contemplating a spider's appearance.
Forget it, just forget it.
I'll see Nephila if fate wills it.
If I meet her now, I feel like I'll just end up with another weird title.
I shook my head from side to side.
Get out of my head!
“Kkieeng?”
Tus and Pus tilted their heads.
No, I wasn't thinking about anything.
Still, I'm glad you two are male.
“Kkeeeng…”
…You are male, right?
I turned away from Pus, who was subtly pressing her rear against me, and Tus, who was lightly biting my tail, and shifted my gaze to where Tang Soyeong was.
For some reason, she was tightly bound in spiderwebs.
I glanced at Pus, who was wiggling her legs as if proud of her work.
“Kkeeng!”
Well, there must have been a reason.
She must have done something weird again during the night.
Was she trying to extract my venom?
I was planning to give her some this morning anyway. Why does she always choose the hard way?
I'm sure she'll figure out the spiderwebs somehow.
The three of you can sort it out yourselves.
…But why isn't she reacting?
She should be wailing things like, "Hieek, heueek, please let me gooo!"
She's not dead, is she?
I peeked over and saw her small chest rising and falling.
She's breathing.
It doesn't look like she's sleeping… well, she'll wake up on her own.
Tang Soyeong.
She's a strange woman.
I picked her up because she mentioned the Tang Clan, but honestly, I've had moments of regret.
She's loud, and when she's around, Tus and Pus get violent.
It's bad for the kids' emotional development.
But it hasn't been a total loss.
For one, Tang Soyeong thinks of me as something more than a lizard.
She talks to me constantly and tries to infer my answers from my actions.
It's not perfect, but we can communicate to some extent.
I don't know if she's mistaken me for a Gomodo or something, but the fact that she can communicate without fear is a huge advantage.
The reaction of those men who ran away screaming is probably the normal one.
In fact, some might even draw a sword and attack me.
In that respect, the fact that Tang Soyeeong is a little strange in the head could be considered a plus.
The best part about her talking to me is that I can get information.
And information is what I need most right now.
I've already secured the basic necessities for survival.
As long as I don't go to the upper part of the swamp, my life isn't in danger.
Now that I was living comfortably, I naturally became curious about what kind of place this was.
A martial arts world overflowing with dinosaurs.
But it's not just me; other beasts use something similar to martial arts.
Without information, I could get hit with a Buddha's Palm from a passing Pachycephalosaurus and be knocked out cold.
In that regard, Tang Soyeong has certainly been a help.
First, the information that the leader of the Demonic Cult is wandering around here.
If I hadn't heard that and had cheerfully waved at the first human I saw, I could have ended up as a grilled lizard skewer.
The leader of the Demonic Cult.
Just thinking about it makes my legs tremble.
If I ever run into them, I'm running away immediately.
I was also able to confirm the existence of a Dilophosaurus that claims to be Hero Dal.
Dinosaurs exist? I know that.
The first creature I saw after coming here was an Oviraptor.
But the fact that there's a human who tames that dinosaur is a slightly different story.
I doubt a dinosaur is smart enough to follow orders—after all, the one Tang Soyeong was managing escaped—but the important thing is that humans and dinosaurs are working together.
Doesn't that mean someone might mistake me for a dinosaur and try to capture me?
…Wait, could this be why Baek Yeon-yeong taught me martial arts?
To raise me and then take me with her.
I'm sorry, but I'm not a lizard that can be leashed by anyone, so I'll have to politely decline.
Of course, if Baek Yeon-yeong actually put a leash on me and dragged me away, there's not much I could do, but I'd at least show my defiance by gek-gekking.
Enough with the stray thoughts.
The sun is up, everyone in the nest is fine, so I can go hunt with peace of mind.
With one more mouth to feed, I'll have to catch something big today.
Something was strange.
It occurred to me that someone was watching me.
I haven't done anything to earn a grudge, so could it be an assassin?
But they were only watching me, not getting any closer than necessary.
My Crisis Detection wasn't reacting, so it didn't seem dangerous…
It's a little unnerving.
Since it's not an immediate threat, I should just ignore it.
It could just be a second Tus and Pus, terrified at the sight of me.
【Crocodile Monitor LV13】
HP: 422/422
MP: 111/111
【Titles】
「Beloved by the Spider」
「Master of the Silver Dragon Cave」
「Master of the Swamp (Lower)」
I reached level 11 when I defeated the Caiman, and I've gained two more levels over the past week. Hunting only the creatures in the swamp has slowed down my leveling speed.
It's a bit of a shame, but it's better than taking risks.
Time to look for prey.
Preferably something strong.
I'd like to catch one of those flying piranhas, but they're too fast, so I'll pass.
Should I try to hunt the leader of the toads or turtles?
If it's a true spirit beast, my level would shoot up instantly.
I was wandering through the swamp when I heard it.
“Kkigik… Kkik.”
A bizarre cry echoed through the air.
It was faint, but it was a cry I could never forget.
Deinonychus.
It was that creature.
【Deinonychus】
A small carnivorous dinosaur, 3 meters in length and weighing 60-100kg.
It is a highly intelligent hunter that forms packs to hunt large dinosaurs.
The second claw on its hind leg is extremely sharp, and it prefers a hunting method that involves piercing its prey's abdomen to induce excessive bleeding.
Concealing my presence, I moved very slowly.
Normally, I wouldn't have engaged it.
Deinonychus are pack hunters.
The risk was too great.
I might be able to handle one, but if there were two or more, I wouldn't stand a chance.
But this time was different.
No matter where I looked, I could only see one.
Whether it came to drink water alone or not, there was no trace of its companions.
A golden opportunity.
If not now, I might never get to taste Deinonychus meat in my life.
Slither.
I quietly submerged myself in the water.
I swam silently, like a crocodile.
Slither.
As I drew closer, the Deinonychus also came nearer.
The most ideal situation.
The creature stood on the bank, looking around.
For some reason, its face looked a bit tired.
It must be thirsty.
How thirsty must it be to abandon its pack and come drink alone?
It staggered, moving a little closer.
Plop.
Its snout touched the surface of the water.
Gulp.
Yes.
Right now!
KRAKOOOOM!
With a massive splash, I launched myself onto the bank.
I was aiming for the Deinonychus's neck.
“Kkiiieeeek!”
It let out a terrified shriek at the sudden attack, but it was too late.
Its neck was already between my teeth.
CRUNCH!
I had to end this in one go.
The Caiman's signature move.
The Death Roll.
KRAGAGAGAGAK!
CRACK!
【Deinonychus LV7】
【Status】
「Deadly Poison」「Near Death」
CR-CR-CRACK!
It didn't take long for the Deinonychus to be separated into 'Deino' and 'nychus'.
[You have leveled up.]
Even a Deinonychus is helpless against a surprise attack.
Wait, I saw something strange on the status window just now.
Right.
It definitely said 'Deadly Poison'.
Did it eat a toad or something?
So that's why it was sluggish. It was poisoned.
Well, don't be too disappointed. The outcome wouldn't have changed even without the poison.
I should grab it and go before its companions show up.
I finally get to eat Deinonychus meat.
…….
There it is again.
The feeling that someone is watching me.
Staring at the back of my head.
What is this energy that makes my body tingle?
It doesn't feel like killing intent.
I don't know who it is, but I should at least see their face.
Leaving the Deinonychus carcass for a moment, I stood up on two legs.
CHWAAAAJAK!
Cutting through the water, I dashed toward the source of the gaze.
I saw a dense thicket of grass.
For a split second, I also saw a pair of red eyes.
Right.
So you're the one who was watching me.
SHWACK!
The moment my claws sliced through the thicket…
The creature's presence vanished.
Not a single trace was left behind.
As if it had never been there in the first place.