Chapter 46: Do Lizards Dream of Human-Faced Spiders?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Do Lizards Dream of Human-Faced Spiders?
Day three since the founding of the Gaegaek Faith.
Gomodo hath spoken, let there be food.
I had left the swamp alone for a while to find some food.
Not too far, just enough to be able to reach the water in an emergency.
Even though my body has changed, I still find it more comfortable living near the water.
The reason I came out of the swamp like this, however, is simple.
I'm after stronger prey.
Like the ones currently gathered in a pack before me.
“Kkigigigik!”
【Deinonychus LV4】
【Deinonychus LV6】
【Deinonychus LV5】
【Deinonychus LV9】
The pack of Deinonychus spotted me and quickly scattered.
Tadadat!
“Kkigik!”
The one that looked like the leader tilted its head, glaring at me.
【Deinonychus LV9】
【Status】
「Wary」「Hungry」
It must be trying to gauge my strength.
Wondering if it can hunt me.
And even if it could, whether its pack would suffer any losses.
These things would even pick a fight with a Baryonyx, so they were sure to come at me too.
“Kkigigigik!”
At the leader's cry, one of the Deinonychus charged from the side.
I knew it was a feint.
I was already aware of their tactics.
Their goal was to wear me down with a wheel battle.
I couldn't let that happen.
[Using 「Poison Generation LV1」.]
I generated a large amount of poison in mid-air.
The Deinonychus, which had only pretended to attack before trying to retreat, was completely doused by the suddenly appearing poison and let out a pained shriek.
“Kkieeeek!”
Just being coated in it wasn't lethal enough to kill it.
However, the point of this poison was to drench its body.
And to obscure its vision.
Therefore, its true purpose was to stop the creature's movements.
What awaited the enemy that had mistimed its retreat was a merciless Dragon's Claw.
Jjeo-eo-eok!
I crushed it on the spot.
It was, quite literally, a one-hit kill.
Now they'll run.
Did I kill it too overwhelmingly? I should have held back a little.
“Kkigigigigik!”
Oh?
Look at these guys.
When they fought the Baryonyx, they fled the moment one of them died. Do they think I'm an easier opponent?
“Kkigik!”
Another Deinonychus lunged at me from a different direction.
[Using 「Poison Generation LV1」.]
Chwaak!
The Deinonychus dodged the generated poison.
Did it figure out a countermeasure after seeing it just once?
Pretty smart for a dinosaur.
But too bad its opponent is Gomodo.
[Using 「Poison Collection LV1」.]
Chwaaaaak!
The poison on the dead dinosaur's body and the poison scattered on the ground suddenly shot upwards.
The target was the Deinonychus's belly.
Chwajajajak!
It surged up as if it were a spear made of poison, ready to pierce the creature's hide.
But how sharp and hard could collected poison really get?
Naturally, it wasn't enough to pierce its belly hide.
However, this attack was also poison, and the doused Deinonychus reacted the same way as the first one.
“Kkieeeeeek!”
Kwaaaang!
[Your level has increased.]
I took care of two Deinonychus in an instant.
The leader glared at me.
You should have planned your strategy better.
If all four of you had attacked at once, it might have been a little difficult.
“Kkigik! Kkik!”
The leader retreated with its one remaining companion.
Carrying three or more would be a pain, so I decided not to give chase.
I should leave those two alive so the prey population can grow.
Although, now that they know I'm here, I doubt they'll come anywhere near this area again.
I dragged the Deinonychus back to our nest.
Waiting for me at the nest were my four followers.
…But is it normal for the followers to just chat while the divine beast brings back food?
Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?
“Hero Go, you've worked hard.”
“Kieeeek!”
Tang Soyeong was massaging Nephila Jurassica's legs.
Dududuk!
A satisfying cracking sound.
I wasn't sure if chiropractic therapy was effective on a spider, but I figured she knew what she was doing.
I looked at Nephila Jurassica.
I wondered if she was feeling any better.
I had been incredibly worried.
【Nephila Jurassica LV30】
【Status】
「Injured」「Unrequited Love」「Appetite」「Weary」「Single-minded Devotion」
The word "Injured" was still listed in her information.
First things first, she needed to eat.
I couldn't feed her poisoned meat, so I had to remove the poison first.
[Using 「Poison Collection LV1」.]
The poison in the Deinonychus's body was compressed into a small sphere.
The poison had broken down the meat's muscle fibers, tenderizing it perfectly, and now I didn't have to worry about any side effects. A skill that's useful not just in combat, but in daily life as well.
Gomodo is amazing.
“H-Hero Go!”
Seeing the collected poison, Tang Soyeong quickly pulled a container from her robes.
Where did she get that?
It looks pretty expensive.
“I-If you're just going to throw it away, please put it in here...!”
I had no reason or desire to refuse, so I poured the poison into the container she held out.
“Huhe…. I'm rich now….”
Huh?
Weren't you collecting it for research?
You're from one of the Five Great Families, you know.
You're not planning to sell it somewhere, are you?
Tang Soyeong's intentions were highly suspicious, but it was none of my business.
It would be nice if she earned a lot of money and bought me some elixirs, though.
Now that the poison was out, it was time to butcher the meat.
To be honest, my wild spiders would eat it just fine if I tossed it to them as is, but since Tang Soyeong was here, I had to prepare it properly.
Of course, she doesn't eat much, so I only need to prepare a little, but that's even more difficult.
It's easiest to just slice it into big chunks with my claws.
“Hero Go. Let me do it!”
“Gekgek.”
I shook my head.
For one, I was faster, and for another, I was also searching for a potential inner core.
Of course, Tang Soyeong's human hands would be more precise.
But you never know.
She might see the inner core, get greedy, and run away in the middle of the night with it and all the spiders.
And for good measure, she might take the peacefully sleeping Gomodo's tail with her.
Of course, she hadn't coveted the Dilophosaurus's inner core and she worships me, so the chances of that happening were extremely low.
But faith can be twisted, can't it?
Like with the slightly strange Tus and Pus.
It's always good to prepare for any possibility.
Honestly, if it was just an inner core from a Deinonychus, I could give it away without a second thought.
Even if it had one, it would be low-grade at best, maybe mid-to-low-grade if I was being generous.
Not a level that would satisfy me.
But right now, I was in a position where I couldn't even spare an inner core of that level.
The reason was Nephila Jurassica.
To help her recover after she sacrificed herself for me.
…It wasn't for such a romantic reason, but for a purely personal desire.
Nephila Jurassica's level was 30.
From my experience, level 30 is high enough for most species to evolve. In fact, for a spider, Nephila Jurassica's max level could be considered quite high.
Nephila Jurassica, who has reached her maximum level.
If I feed her a good inner core, couldn't she evolve again?
I recalled what Nephila Jurassica looked like.
It was a tense situation, but how could I forget that appearance?
The golden hair like a tiger's stripes on her torso, and those bright red eyes.
No matter how I think about it, it's a shame.
It's not like I fell in love at first sight with her human form and wanted to live happily ever after with her.
That wasn't my intention at all.
Nephila Jurassica still has a terrifying face that startles me every time I see it.
Besides, seeing the frightening statuses that pop up makes me feel like I've reverted to a helpless gecko.
I think if her upper body becomes human, that will lessen a bit.
It'll be easier on the eyes, too.
Her intelligence will increase, so she'll be able to control things like her appetite.
It's definitely not because I like her human form.
Really.
“Gekgek.”
Chwaaaaak.
I searched inside the Deinonychus, but it was another bust.
A little disappointing.
I wonder if the leader had an inner core.
I had no choice but to be satisfied with just enjoying the meat feast.
There was a lot of meat, but that wasn't a problem at all.
I have the Predation skill, so I can eat almost indefinitely, and my level even rises after consuming a certain amount.
Plus, Gomodo's body is large enough to easily fit a whole Deinonychus in my stomach even without that skill.
An inner core.
I need to find an inner core.
Where should I get one?
Is it time to catch that flying carp?
Should I go to the upper parts of the swamp and hunt stronger creatures?
Just as I was seriously contemplating Nephila Jurassica's humanization…
“H-Hero Go!”
Tang Soyeong's sharp voice rang out.
“The Spider Lady...!”
Nephila Jurassica had collapsed.
*
“Kieeng….”
Fortunately, the spider recovered quickly.
Of course, "recovered" didn't mean the word "Injured" had disappeared from her status.
Tang Soyeong spoke with a serious expression.
“…This isn't good. She recovered quickly this time, but she might start collapsing like this more often in the future.”
That was truly bad news.
I have no choice but to find more inner cores.
“Just in case you're thinking it, this isn't a problem that can be solved by consuming inner cores. She's already consumed half of the Dilophosaurus's inner core; eating more would be like poison.”
Then what am I supposed to do?
“Gek….”
“There is one way….”
“Gek!”
“We take the Spider Lady to the Tang Clan.”
“Gek?”
The Tang Clan refers to their clan village in Sichuan. Naturally, it's a place where people with the surname Tang gather.
“With the ingredients and facilities there, we can treat her. …My leg is healed now, so I have to return to the Tang Clan anyway. If we go with the Spider Lady, we can solve the problem. However, I don't know if the Spider Lady would want that.”
According to Tang Soyeong, Nephila Jurassica was also one of the spiders that lived in Sichuan.
That meant she had almost become an ingredient for Gu-poison.
“…Spider Lady. Will you be okay with that?”
She would obviously hate the idea.
“Kiek.”
Contrary to my thoughts, Nephila Jurassica nodded.
It meant she was okay with going to Sichuan with Tang Soyeong.
“Gekgek!”
I raised a finger and tried my best to convey my meaning to Tang Soyeong.
I pointed at Nephila, Tus, and Pus, then at the spot where the Dilophosaurus died, and finally at Tang Soyeong.
I stuck out my long tongue and played dead.
What I meant was, if you go to Sichuan now, won't you be punished for losing the Dilophosaurus, and won't Nephila, who went with you, be turned into Gu-poison?
And Tus and Pus, too.
“Our Tang Clan reveres Gomodo more than you think, Hero Go. It's literally a legendary spirit beast. If you bring them your poison and scales, they'll welcome you with open arms.”
Really?
Then maybe I should entrust myself to the Tang Clan.
I could live peacefully around Sichuan.
“Of course, there is a faction that denies Gomodo's existence, so there's a slight risk of assassination...”
Cancel that, cancel.
I can deal with other things, but I'll have to pass on being assassinated by the Tang Clan.
Anyway, that means I just have to escort Nephila and Tang Soyeong to Sichuan.
There doesn't seem to be any reason for me to stay in the 100,000 Great Mountains either.
I can just live in the mountains near Sichuan.
My body's gotten bigger, so it's time for a change of scenery.
I swung my tail and slapped my own back.
“Gegegek.”
I'll give you a ride.
“Ah. The Spider Lady and I can go by ourselves....”
Tang Soyeong said, naturally climbing onto my back.
Seeing how she usually acts, it was obvious she'd start bawling the moment she left the swamp, let alone reached Sichuan.
Besides, aren't the 100,000 Great Mountains incredibly far from the Central Plains?
For anyone else it might be different, but at Tang Soyeong's pace, it could take years.
It was a bit of a hassle, but I couldn't send them alone.
Nephila got hurt because of me. I have to take responsibility.
Tus and Pus also climbed onto my back.
“Kiek!”
Nephila Jurassica waved her hand.
“That gesture….”
You can interpret things like that now?
“It seems to mean there's a place she wants to stop by before we leave.”
A place to stop by?
“Well, we can't leave right away anyway. We need to prepare medicine for the Spider Lady to take on the way, and make other preparations just in case.”
Then get down.
I can give you a ride when we're traveling far, but if I carry you on my back all the time, you'll get spoiled.
I gently nudged the two creatures and one person off my back with my tail.
“Kyaak!”
Nephila, having quickly regained her energy, tugged on my finger.
“Kiek!”
She said there was a place she had to go. Does she want to go now?
Alright.
Let's make a stop, like a little family outing.
…Come to think of it, this spider.
Didn't she give me a ton of inner cores?
Did she steal those from the Tang Clan?
Needing to make an urgent stop before leaving = There's something to pick up.
I get it now.
She has a secret treasure stash!
I'm not greedy, but let's at least go have a look.
“Gekgekgekgek!”
“…Hero Go. Excuse me, but you're drooling.”