Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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This is a story from a very distant future.
“Silpi? Did you finish drawing?!”
-Of course. Here, take a look.
There was a young child there.
A child who had to stay home alone late into the night because both parents were busy with work.
But the child wasn't lonely.
Because there was always a reliable friend by their side.
Whoosh.
In response to the child's words, an invisible breeze handed the child a sheet of paper.
On it was a drawing of a cat with a white body and blue eyes, and a snake with a black body and red eyes.
Two animals glaring at each other in completely opposing color schemes, as if ready to fight. The child scrunched up their cute eyes and shook the paper.
“Why do you always draw only cats and snakes, Silpi? Last time, you drew cats and snakes eating apples too!”
-Hehe. Were you curious about that, my contractor?
“Of course! Now I want to see other drawings too! Draw a whale or a puppy! A bird too!”
At the child's whining, the breeze let out a joyful laugh and gently stroked the child's hair.
-My young contractor. But didn't you leave the theme of the drawings entirely up to me?
But this was all something the child had wanted.
The child, still too young to venture outside freely, simply wanted to see the fun memories that Silpi, the wind that roamed the world freely unlike them, had witnessed.
But every single drawing Silpi made featured only cats and snakes.
And the colors never changed, making them feel boring now.
“How are cats and snakes fun! Maybe cats, but snakes are gross!”
-Oh dear. That guy would be awfully sad if he heard.
At Silpi's words, the child's eyes widened in an instant.
The idea that someone might be sad because of their words.
It was a huge shock to the still young and pure-hearted child.
“Eh? N-no, they can't be sad! Take back what I just said! You forget it too, Silpi!”
-I'll try.
Thus, the fun playtime with the child came to an end before they knew it.
Ding-dong. Click.
“Arin! Dad's home~.”
“Shh! What if the kid's sleeping?!”
The child's parents had returned home.
Of course, the child hadn't slept at all until now.
There hadn't been any time to get sleepy while playing excitedly with Silpi.
“Oh! It's Mom and Dad!”
-Go on ahead.
“Okay! Let's play again tomorrow, Silpi!”
As the child ran toward their parents, Silpi began cleaning up the traces of their play behind them.
Putting toys back in place. Tidying scattered papers. Straightening up the messed-up objects.
The room gradually returned to its state before playtime, as if time were being rewound.
Amid it all, Silpi looked at the drawing she had made and thought.
-Why do I always draw the same picture... I wonder.
The reason was simple.
They were the ones who had given her the greatest joy in her life, enough to keep drawing the same picture over and over.
-Hehe. Wonder what those guys are up to now.
‘Ah, this won’t do.’
I lay sprawled on the cave floor, limply tilting my head.
Poke. Poke.
“Nyaa? Meow.”
“Shaa.”
‘Don’t touch me.’
I’m not in the mood to play right now.
It had been 30 minutes since I’d swallowed my pride and asked the guy to teach me.
I’d realized I couldn’t learn Lion's Roar.
The reason? Well, it was a problem I hadn’t even imagined.
I figured it’d be because I had no talent for Lion's Roar or lacked some condition. But nope.
“Nya! Meow! Nyaa!”
“Shaa, shaa.”
‘No. Is that really it?’
What the hell is [Inhale. Whoosh. Boom!] supposed to mean?!
…Yeah. The biggest problem in learning Lion's Roar.
It was that I couldn’t understand the teacher’s explanation.
I could barely grasp the intent behind words I didn’t fully understand, and now learn Lion's Roar from that? Impossible from the start.
I’d barely picked up on Inhale. Whoosh. Boom!.
No matter how overflowing my talent, those three words alone weren’t enough to master Lion's Roar.
‘I’ll ask when I become a spirit beast.’
Both me and the guy.
Just staying like this, our chances of becoming spirit beasts were practically 100%.
So I’d learn Lion's Roar then.
Pushing aside study time for now, I comforted myself like that.
Whoosh.
“Shaa.”
‘Lately, it feels like there’s an unusual amount of wind.’
And from deep inside the cave, no less.
Outside, warm sunlight streamed in, with only a gentle breeze rustling nearby flowers. But the wind blowing from deep inside carried a chill, like air from an AC unit.
‘Ugh, it’s chilly.’
I shifted away from the cave entrance a bit, settling in a spot where sunlight poured in well.
“Nyaa.”
“Shaa.”
‘Ah, come out a bit. Your big bro’s warming up here.’
I grumbled needlessly at the guy who approached again, casting a shadow over me and getting in the way.
-Maybe that kid wants to play with you?
“Hiss!”
Smack.
“Shaa?!"
‘Why’d you hit me out of nowhere?!’
Is it because I didn’t play properly?
But the guy’s reaction didn’t feel like that.
Rather…
Tremble tremble.
‘You’re shaking?’
What the heck made you so scared?
I didn’t know how to react to this first-time response.
Looking toward the deep cave while trembling, yet puffing up its presence as if ready to fight—it just looked pitiful to me.
Swish swish swish.
‘What the hell’s back there to make it act like that all of a sudden?’
-Did it hear my voice? No, it shouldn’t with this snake around. Is that cute tiger special? Or…
Whooo.
-Does this snake know too but pretend not to?
“Shaa.”
‘Ugh, cold.’
The sudden cold wind made my body shudder involuntarily.
Maybe because I’m a snake, I like cool breezes but hate cold ones.
-Hmm. Guess not. That tiger girl must be special after all.
“Hiss! Grrr!”
-Ahh. Don’t be so scared? I don’t plan to bully your friend. So…
Whoooong.
-Don’t glare like that. I might tense up and attack without thinking.
“Meo, nyaa.”
-Mm! So smart. I like it.
With the inexplicable cold continuously wrapping around my body, I realized this wasn’t a natural phenomenon—someone had created it artificially.
And seeing the chunkster’s reaction, probably…
“Shaa!”
‘There’s something over there.’
-Huh. Why’s this one not reacting suddenly? Just mimicking its friend? But those eyes are full of certainty.
Following its lead, I joined in the intimidation, sensing a change in the wind different from before.
‘A being that wields wind this freely.’
Well, honestly, I had a guess.
The incarnation of nature at its peak in this ancient era.
‘Spirit.’
A wind spirit’s here.
No clue when it arrived.
Whether it was here before I came or showed up recently, no way to know.
‘Spirits in this era are that strong, huh.’
History Restoration Maniac said so.
In ancient times, spirits could unleash their powers without any restrictions.
That’s why even lower spirits rivaled modern upper spirits.
‘A wind spirit. What rank? Lower? Mid? Upper?’
I didn’t even consider top-tier or the next level, spirit kings.
No reason for a spirit king to be here, and top-tiers guarded them, so same deal.
‘Should I bail?’
Even lower spirits here wielded upper-spirit level power.
No matter how strong or talented me and the guy are, did we have the force to fight an upper spirit? I’d shake my head no.
-Hm? The fighting spirit vanished from its eyes suddenly. Planning to leave? Unbelievable wisdom for mere beasts!
‘Yeah. Sucks, but time to retreat…’
-But thanks to this, my curiosity’s even stronger. Now as intriguing as that tiger girl? Can’t let you go now.
Swish swish swish.
Decision made, it acted fast.
I immediately turned to call the guy.
We’d spent time together, so I wanted to ask if he’d leave with me.
“Shaaa. Shaa.”
‘Hey. Wanna leave here with me…’
-No way! Forced invitation!!
Whooooong!
“Shaa, shaa?!”
‘What, what is this?!’
“Meooow!”
The sudden wind lifted me and the guy, carrying us not outside the cave—but deeper in.
“Shaaa!”
‘This feels super dangerous! Is this okay?!’
The guy and I still couldn’t withstand the mana deep in the cave.
Getting dragged in like this suddenly…!
“Shaaaa!”
‘Hey, chunkster! Stay sharp! Mess up and we’re dead!’
“Myaa!”
Did it get my intent?
The guy, who’d been flailing in the sudden wind guidance, stopped at my words and curled up tight.
It understood my meaning—an instinctual posture to endure the upcoming mana shock even a little better.
‘What’s going on!’
And I was no different.
The moment I curled into a ball and sank my fangs into my body to brace against the mana shock with pain,
Thud.
Overwhelmed by the crushing wave of mana enveloping my entire body, I blacked out without lasting even a second.