Chapter 86: Someone to Count On
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: Someone to Count On
A roar that could split the heavens and the earth resounded.
The King of Birds, revealing his true form.
And facing him was the largest of the Little Dragons, Honhwi.
Honhwi was originally an ordinary dinosaur.
A Compy, to be precise—a creature one could call the smallest of dinosaurs.
That was his true identity.
Aside from his unusual appearance, a mix of white and black, he was no different from any other Compy.
He was a very ordinary, small dinosaur.
It was the same even now. He looked like nothing more than an ordinary dinosaur.
Of course, he had grown so large that he was even bigger than the Snake Queen in her true form.
But that was it.
He couldn't fly, nor did he have horns.
He was neither an Eastern dragon nor a Western one.
And yet, he was called a Little Dragon.
“Grrrrrr…”
The power of the black-and-white Little Dragon erupted fiercely.
Ruuuumble!
The roar was reminiscent of an Eastern dragon, said to control the weather.
But this wasn't some mystical ability the Little Dragon possessed.
He had simply swung a hand imbued with internal energy.
Craaaaaack!
Each time the Little Dragon swung his hand, massive trees fell helplessly.
“Indeed… You haven’t grown frail at all.”
The King of Birds flew through the air, dodging all of Honhwi’s attacks.
The terrifying power of his leaps—combining his overwhelming size with the profound principles of the Little Dragon's Sky-Ascending Steps—was a burden even for the sky-faring King of Birds.
Looking at the current situation, one might think the battle was turning in Honhwi’s favor.
But the two combatants knew who truly held the advantage.
The King of Birds had not once launched an attack at Honhwi.
The only attacks he had used were the occasional destruction rays fired to break the surrounding supports.
“You know full well how this fight will end.”
Kaboom!
The King of Birds flew through the sky, breathing fire from his mouth.
This attack, too, was merely meant to keep Honhwi in check.
If the King of Birds used his full power, he could probably defeat Honhwi.
But he didn't want that.
Was it out of affection for his master?
That wasn't the reason.
In fact, he wished for his master’s death.
What he didn't want was to use all of his strength.
His forces had already taken a hit with the death of Gogadurisu and the appearance of the Snake Queen.
The cunning Snake Queen would not leave a weakened King of Birds alone.
For the King of Birds, the best move was to drag out the fight and achieve his goal.
His objective was to capture that strange lizard.
If Honhwi attempted a reckless retreat to save the creature, he could seize that opportunity to inflict a fatal wound.
His strategy was to keep stalling, making Honhwi anxious.
If this stalemate continued, the King of Birds would have the overwhelming advantage.
That old lizard would grow more and more impatient as time passed and would eventually make a mistake.
It didn't matter even if he couldn't kill Honhwi.
“Your victory condition is to defeat me and return to your territory.”
The King of Birds looked at Honhwi with his pale face.
“On the other hand, I win just by holding you here.”
He deliberately stated his objective.
Telling the enemy your plan was a truly foolish act.
But the King of Birds had calculated even this.
There was no way that old lizard hadn't already figured out his goal.
On the contrary, by speaking the truth, he could shake his opponent's psyche, even if just a little.
He spoke with that thought in mind.
To cloud his judgment.
To make him turn and retreat to his territory that very instant.
Thud.
Flash!
The Little Dragon’s fierce assault continued.
Ruuuumble!
The King of Birds dodged his attacks with a relaxed demeanor.
The attacks were strong and even fast, but hitting the King of Birds, who flew in the sky, was no easy task.
“Surely, you’re not counting on your disciples, are you?”
Currently, all of Honhwi’s disciples were nobodies.
There might be a few slightly stronger ones among them, but by the King of Birds' standards, they were all the same.
After all, Honhwi only ever took small creatures as his disciples.
The small will subdue the intruder. That old master is indulging in a foolish delusion.
The King of Birds gave a vile smile.
If he shattered that delusion, his master’s will would shatter with it.
“I sent an especially strong one. A being stronger than Gogadurisu. You know the power of that monster.”
That monster.
It might have seemed like a careless remark, but Honhwi knew exactly what he was referring to.
He faltered for a brief moment.
My words got to him.
The King of Birds cheered inwardly.
The moment his concentration wavered even slightly, the tide of battle was bound to shift overwhelmingly.
Fwoosh!
An immense light burst forth.
Brainwashing, one of the Human-faced Bird's abilities.
It was nearly impossible to brainwash someone with profound internal energy like Honhwi.
However, it was possible to amplify their inner emotions.
The Human-faced Bird amplified the anxiety Honhwi was feeling.
The Little Dragon’s body flinched.
KABOOOM!
The Human-faced Bird’s mouth opened grotesquely, and a beam of incredible power shot out.
There was another reason he hadn't attacked directly until now.
What if, after attacking the surroundings, he suddenly changed the rhythm and aimed for the main body?
The probability of landing a hit was bound to increase.
Krrrrrrsh!
The Human-faced Bird’s destruction ray tore through the surface of the ground.
His goal was to stall, but when a sure-fire move like this presented itself, he had to take it.
“…Did I get him?”
There was no way he could have dodged it.
The King of Birds had a reason for his confidence.
For a fleeting moment, Honhwi had shown an expression.
It was similar to the one he’d worn when the Snake Queen, the King of Birds, and the Little Dragon had parted ways.
For Honhwi to dodge that last attack in such a state…
It was impossible.
The King of Birds was certain of his victory.
Now that he had dealt a fatal blow to his old master, all he had to do was leisurely wait for the lizard to be cooked.
That's what he thought.
Ruuuumble!
Until he heard a sound like thunder.
Swoooosh!
A Little Dragon's Sky-Ascending Strike, filled with terrifying power, grazed the Human-faced Bird’s forehead.
The King of Birds doubted his own eyes.
He should have been hit squarely by his attack.
The Little Dragon, who cherished small things.
And an out-of-spec monster that could easily slaughter them all.
He had definitely amplified Honhwi’s anxiety.
So, how on earth did he dodge my attack?
Heh.
The Little Dragon smiled.
Then, he imitated the cry of a certain being he was thinking of.
“Gegegegek!”
The old master stared intently at his former disciple.
The Human-faced Bird was momentarily flustered upon seeing his master’s eyes.
Not a trace of anxiety could be found in them.
It was as if he had someone to count on.
Swoosh.
Suddenly, rain began to pour from the sky.
Rain. It's been a while.
It was raining when I first met the caiman.
Getting soaked like this is making me feel sentimental for some reason.
My size back then was similar to what it is now.
The caiman seemed so huge at the time.
Like an insurmountable wall.
If it weren't for Jareugi, I would have been eaten long ago.
…Right, Jareugi.
I’d forgotten about this one.
No, saying I’d forgotten would be an exaggeration.
The unidentified skill, Tail Sever, had a way of making its presence known just when I was about to forget it.
Still, I decided not to question it anymore.
It had saved my life more than once or twice.
If I just leave it be, it'll probably be helpful again someday.
If I get tied up tight in a spiderweb later, you have to help me then, okay?
I was lost in such silly thoughts when it happened.
Ruuuumble!
From the distance, a sound like thunder rolled in.
Crash!
The thunder continued.
That massive thing I could faintly see must be lightning.
If that hits me, I'm a goner.
Even in my Gomodo-Lania body, I couldn't be sure I'd survive.
It's a relief that it's a natural phenomenon. Imagine if someone could wield that intentionally.
The thought alone is terrifying.
I played around with the gecko families that had settled next to me, fiddling with their hands.
…No, I was training.
Hoping that I might be able to undo my miniaturization.
Tsk, but when is that old geezer Compy coming back?
At his speed, he should have lapped the jungle by now.
Who knows. He'll be back when he's back.
I was admiring the shapely legs of a gecko lizard when it happened.
Ssshhh.
A tingling sensation ran through my body.
It was a feeling I’d experienced countless times.
Killing intent.
Someone filled with killing intent was heading this way.
“Gegegek!”
I shouted urgently.
It was a warning to the lizards loitering around me.
They tilted their heads, wondering why I was suddenly shouting, but a few of the more perceptive ones began to echo my cry.
“Kekeket!”
“Gerreuk!”
“Geget!”
The lizards moved in perfect unison.
It seemed the old Compy had trained them.
Coelophysis and Compy’s other disciples evacuated the lizards.
There were a few disciples who were originally dinosaurs.
If they could undo their miniaturization, they would be a fighting force far stronger than the lizards.
But look at that killing intent, palpable even from a distance.
The gap was something their strength could never overcome.
With the old Compy gone, the word ‘pathetic’ was a fitting description for the fighting force here.
The strongest disciple was only Coelophysis.
The lizards, too, were stronger than ordinary lizards, but they wouldn't be much help in a situation like this.
“Gegegek!”
The geckos grabbed my arm with their adorable hands.
They wanted me to escape with them.
“Gek.”
I shook my head.
As everyone else fled, I walked in the opposite direction.
The so-called Little Dragon Faith was a flimsy belief system that relied entirely on the old Compy.
Look at them. The moment Compy is gone, they all run away.
Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem.
That old geezer would have always been here.
Was it because my body was small? The closer I got to the source of the killing intent, the harder it became to breathe.
If I were still a Green Gecko, I would have grabbed another gecko’s hand and fled without a second thought.
An enemy, attacking as if they had been waiting for the old man to disappear.
And the reason he was gone… was because of me.
It was an ironic situation.
That old geezer must have left feeling secure because I was here, thinking I could replace him to some extent.
And knowing that I would never turn my back and run.
…What a cunning old geezer.
This fight wasn't part of the plan, but I have no choice.
You clueless intruder.
Show yourself.
“Gegegek!”
“Groooaaar!”
【Megatherium LV40】
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【Megatherium】
A species of ground sloth with a maximum length of 6m, a shoulder height of up to 2m, and a weight of up to 4.6t.
It has a physique comparable to an African elephant, and its scientific name means "giant beast."
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…That’s a lot bigger than I thought.