Chapter 56: Sign Here! Dinosaurs Have Feath—
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: Sign Here! Dinosaurs Have Feath—
This couldn't be happening.
Why was a Human-faced Bird suddenly showing up?
This was a martial arts world. A place where dinosaurs peacefully practiced martial arts.
…Then again, maybe dinosaurs roaming around a wuxia world was the weirder part.
I guess a Human-faced Bird could make an appearance.
I straightened my posture and observed the creature.
It hovered in mid-air without so much as a flap of its wings.
Its gaze was fixed on the parrot circling the sky.
“I am the king of biiirds! Kaaak!”
The king of birds.
Right.
The creature was massive enough to deserve that title.
Let’s check.
[Target cannot be appraised.]
A sharp pain shot through my eyes.
So, I couldn't appraise this one either.
It meant that, like the Hydra that evolved from the Titanoboa, this creature was beyond the scope of ordinary life.
In Tang Soyeong’s words, it was probably something like a Divine Beast.
In a way, I could also be called a Divine Beast, but I was still lacking.
“Uwooooooooh!”
The Human-faced Bird let out a great roar.
It turned its head and looked directly at me.
It was the face I knew.
A human face that could almost be considered comical at first glance.
A bizarre appearance with black, feather-like ornaments running from its head down to its neck.
“Uwooooh!”
A crushing pressure bore down on my body.
Its chilling gaze was locked onto me.
Crrrack.
Its grotesque mouth opened at an unnatural angle.
“Do… you….”
The Human-faced Bird began to speak.
I suppose it was only natural, given its human face.
“...think?”
But its speech wasn't fluent.
It was more like a bizarre sound, as if it were forcing itself to imitate human words.
Its voice was grating, like nails scraping against metal.
“Uwooooooooh!”
It roared once more.
Just from the sound, I could tell it was on a completely different level.
If it showed any hostility, I probably wouldn't make it out of here alive.
The one silver lining was that it was trying to talk instead of attacking immediately.
“You who possess… Dragon Scales….”
Dragon Scales.
It seemed to be interested in the scales covering my body.
If I played along and plucked out a few scales for it, I might be able to get away.
…Though I wasn't sure how I should answer.
“Is a dragon… a bird… or a snake…?”
Its next words were not what I expected.
Is a dragon a bird or a snake?
What on earth did that mean?
What was its intention in asking me such a thing?
As I struggled to find an answer, a certain image flowed into my mind.
“Is the Dragon of Terror… a snake… or a bird….”
The Dragon of Terror.
I saw a massive dinosaur.
The dinosaur gradually shrank, and at some point, it transformed into a different creature.
This was what it was asking me.
“Is the Dragon of Terror an ugly snake, or a beautiful bird?”
Are dinosaurs reptiles, or are they avians?
The image flowing into my mind grew clearer.
I felt like my body was slipping from my control.
A feeling that I would think and speak against my will.
Right.
I had started to feel dazed from the moment I looked into its eyes.
I had to give the correct answer to the Human-faced Bird’s question.
A new line of thought was being overwritten in my mind.
When had I felt like this before?
Ah.
When I saw the Spinosaurus’s mental image.
It was the same feeling.
“Is a dragon… a snake? Or… a bird?”
It’s looking down on me.
Was it seriously suggesting that dinosaurs are birds?
That a Tyrannosaurus is just a feathered chicken?
[「%! ■■■ 」 is activated.]
C-c-crack!
The ominous thoughts enveloping me shattered.
“Kaaaaak! The lizard has defied the king of birds! It has provoked the king of birds!”
Provoked?
“Grrrr….”
You’re the one who started it.
“You… overstep your bounds….”
The Human-faced Bird glared at me, clearly displeased.
Flap.
Its massive wing moved once.
Whoooosh!
A tremendously powerful gust of wind blew toward me.
Kagagak!
Just a single flap of its wing nearly sent me flying.
I dug my claws into the ground and barely managed to hold on.
As I thought, this thing was incredibly strong.
To it, I was probably nothing more than a single meal.
“Seokcheong with the Dragon Scales… I will ask one last time… Is the dragon a snake, or a bird?”
Confronting the Human-faced Bird was not a good choice.
Running away would be impossible, too.
How could I possibly escape from a monstrous bird of that size?
My only chance of survival was to obey its words.
If I admitted that dinosaurs were birds, not reptiles, I would live.
Right.
If I said that the Tyrannosaurus was actually a cowardly, feathered scavenger, I could prolong my life.
But.
But still.
What meaning would there be in surviving so shamefully?
Grrrind.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV1」.]
[Temporarily acquiring 「Uprooting Heavens and Overpowering the World」.]
Sometimes, there are beliefs more important than life itself.
How dare it belittle dinosaurs by calling them birds?
“Krrrrrrrrrr….”
The word ‘saurus’ itself means lizard.
There was no way dinosaurs weren't reptiles.
The truth didn't matter.
This was the path I believed in.
This was my conviction.
“So you were a minion… of the ugly… Snake Queen….”
The Human-faced Bird spouted more nonsense.
I prepared to counter its attack.
Its mouth opened at a bizarre angle.
Kigigigik.
And a profound internal energy gathered at a single point.
Don't tell me that's…
KWAGAGAGAGAGAK!
A destruction beam, capable of piercing through any substance, shot out.
If that hit me, I was dead.
I used every trick I had.
Dash, Tail Sever, Little Dragon's Sky-Ascending Steps, Gecko Wall-Walking Art.
I combined them all in an attempt to dodge the attack.
KABOOOOOOOM!
Its destruction beam tore through the ground, mercilessly obliterating the massive trees.
I somehow managed to avoid a direct hit.
But.
[Warning! HP is low.]
Just grazing it sent a shock of agony through me, as if my entire body was shattering.
The good thing was that my limbs were still intact.
It was painful, but I could still move properly.
I had to stay calm.
It wasn't over yet.
I had one last move left.
If I could land a fatal blow, I might be able to escape.
“Impressive… Dragon Scales….”
Swaaaaa...
The Human-faced Bird flew slowly toward me.
It probably couldn't use a technique of that magnitude in quick succession.
That meant it had to get close to kill me.
Just a little.
Just a little closer.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV1」.]
[Temporarily acquiring 「Nine Yin White Bone Claw」.]
It was then.
“Kieeeeeeeeeek!”
An enormous pterosaur flew toward the Human-faced Bird.
【Pteranodon LV23】
【Status】
「Vengeful」「Enraged」
【Pteranodon】
Weighing only 50kg, it is a relatively light but massive pterosaur with a wingspan of 6.25-6.5m and a body length of 2.6m.
The hook-like claws at the tips of its wings help it cling to cliffs and trees.
It prefers to hunt like a seabird, diving vertically from the sky.
It was a Pteranodon.
“Grr… Inferior sub-dragons… You tiresome things….”
Three Pteranodons launched an attack on the Human-faced Bird.
Were they caught in its destruction beam?
No, something was different.
Pteranodons didn't enjoy this kind of combat.
Normally, after seeing that destruction beam, they should have hidden or fled far away.
But they didn't.
“Disgraces….”
It was as if they had known it all along.
I could feel an emotion that went beyond mere anger.
The battle between the three Pteranodons and the Human-faced Bird began.
It was an aerial battle I couldn't interfere in even if I wanted to.
I didn't know the circumstances, but this was my chance.
A chance for a strategic retreat.
I dispersed the internal energy gathered in my hand and immediately turned around.
I was about to make a final gamble with the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, but an unexpected stroke of luck came my way.
Seizing your luck is also a skill.
Thank you, Pteranodons.
Next time I see a pterosaur, I'll spare it just this once.
Dragging my exhausted body, I barely managed to escape. No, I succeeded in a strategic retreat.
[HP is low.]
【Gomodo LV9】
HP: 45/990
MP: 130/410
【Titles】
「Beloved by the Spider」
「Master of the Silver Dragon Cave」
「Master of the Swamp (Lower)」
My limbs were still attached, but my body was in no better shape than a corpse.
My MP was recovering on its own over time.
But my HP hadn't budged.
I should probably be thankful it wasn't dropping.
The two Terror Birds I had caught flashed before my eyes.
If I had brought them with me, my HP would have recovered.
The first thing I needed to do was get my body back to normal.
There were three ways to recover HP.
First, by using my title.
If I submerged myself in water, my HP would recover, albeit slowly.
But there was no water around here.
So, pass.
The second method was to level up and molt.
To level up, I needed to hunt a strong enemy, but in my current state, I was more likely to become leveling material myself.
The last method was to eat something.
It was less effective than leveling up, but filling my stomach could still restore some HP.
If I ran into any of the bugs I had ignored earlier, I would have eaten them on the spot.
But strangely, there were no living creatures in this area.
Did they all flee from the aftermath of the destruction beam?
I had to get something in my mouth, no matter what.
….
Well, it seems fate hasn't completely abandoned me.
There was a snake nearby.
It looked quite large, but a snake was still just a snake.
【Ball Python LV14】
A Ball Python.
I liked the look of it.
Its body was plump, which meant there was a lot to eat.
I concealed my presence and slowly approached it.
It hadn't noticed me yet.
One more step.
Another step.
And now!
I quickly pushed off with my hind legs and charged toward it.
“Shreereereek!”
At that moment, I made eye contact with the Ball Python.
There was still some distance between us.
A sharp counterattack was sure to come.
Like the young Titanoboa, it might use its springy tail to perform the Snake Fist.
Could I withstand it in my current state?
No, what's done is done.
I had to endure it and finish it in one blow.
I was about to put power into my front paw and swing when it happened.
“Hieeeek!”
The snake flipped over right where it was.
…Huh?
I managed to stop my attack and observe its behavior.
What was it doing?
Was it using some technique I didn't know?
The plump snake was now lolling its tongue out.
…Don't tell me it's playing dead.
【Ball Python LV14】
【Status】
「Playing Dead」「Startled」
I mean, I can see it with my wild eyes, but…
Even without them, I think I could tell it was acting, you know?
“Hi… hieeek….”
And what's the point of playing dead if you're still making noise?