Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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"Divine beasts. Among the remaining ones, was there any that bore offspring?"
-Hmm. It was a tiger, so maybe it's that guy's bloodline. You know the one.
"Ah! Could it be the battle-mad tiger, Gwangho!"
The Dragon King and the Water Spirit King both thought of the same creature at once.
A divine beast infamous for its massive bulk and savage ferocity.
A tiger that lived for battle, died for battle, and was utterly obsessed with it.
A creature that suited its moniker of Mad Tiger to perfection.
"Didn't I clash with that Gwangho fellow just recently?"
-Heavens. Is that true? So, how did he stack up to the rumors?
Rumors painted Gwangho as possessing overwhelming might capable of taking down multiple divine beasts single-handedly.
And the Dragon King standing before them now was a being who truly possessed the power to slay several divine beasts.
Did Gwangho truly match the hype, or was it all exaggerated gossip?
Gulp.
As he poured and downed another drink, the Dragon King dredged up old memories.
Yeah, that crazy tiger was strong enough that...
"Can you see this scar on my forehead?"
The Dragon King said as much and lifted his hair.
There, plainly visible on his forehead, was a small scar. The Water Spirit King shot him a dubious look, as if questioning whether it could really be from a fight.
"That was Gwangho's handiwork."
-Looks like the rumors got blown out of proportion after all.
"Hey now. It's a wound from over thirty years ago, and it's still here. You call that nothing?"
Pause.
-Thirty years?
-Is that for real?
The Wind Spirit King, who had been listening quietly, was shocked too.
No way—that deep a wound from back then, and the scar's still that nasty after thirty years?
-You're not joking, are you?
"Of course not. In all my years, that was the strongest bastard I've ever faced."
But could a monster like that really have kids?
That lunatic brawler?
The Dragon King was honestly skeptical.
-Breeding is a natural urge for any living being, isn't it?
"Hmm. Even so, I just can't picture it."
-If it was thirty years ago, maybe he had a change of heart recently and finally bred. You've got a kid yourself, so it feels off to say Gwangho wouldn't.
"What's that supposed to mean? What's wrong with me?"
But still...
The Water Spirit King's words didn't strike him as wrong.
Yeah, maybe the guy suddenly wanted a kid.
Or it could've been a one-night fling.
And there was every chance this tiger offspring of a divine beast wasn't carrying Gwangho's blood anyway.
"Transcending racial wisdom, though? What's that about?"
-I'm curious too. What exactly does that mean?
-Just what it sounds like. Honestly, that's what intrigues me more.
-Over even inheriting divine beast blood?
"That's intriguing too."
What could warrant such high praise?
The Wind Spirit King met their gazes and spoke of the extraordinary snake he'd witnessed—El Grace—opening his mouth.
-That snake showed astonishing intellect that even surprised me. Not just the intelligence needed for conversation, but in battle and daily life too. Its body may be frail, but its mind has already reached the level of a spiritual being.
And though he didn't voice it, the Wind Spirit King quietly swallowed a groan at the danger the serpent posed.
A venom so lethal he'd sealed it away himself.
The Wind Spirit King had secretly examined the poison and been utterly appalled.
A toxin that devoured surrounding mana to grow stronger in real time?
Did something like that even belong in this world?
"So, why'd you come to see us?"
-Ah, right.
At the Dragon King's words, the Wind Spirit King snapped back to the purpose of his deep-sea visit.
Yes, the reason he'd ventured into these abyssal depths was none other than...
-To receive a Yeouiju.
"What?"
-It seems that snake wants to become an Imoogi.
Indeed. The Wind Spirit King had come here to help El become an Imoogi.
Why help this stranger with no ties to him?
There were two reasons.
One was for the highly promising Silpi.
If he helped her friend in exchange for a few demands, she'd surely agree.
And if those demands involved sending her out into the world to learn diverse applications of her powers under his tutelage?
It would drastically shorten the time before she could claim his position.
-Heh heh heh.
-Hm? Do you know why he's laughing?
"Must be cooking up something good."
The second reason was his personal interest in El.
Master of a venom so dangerous he'd sealed it personally. A sage with wisdom transcending his race. Growth speed that cast doubt on his bloodline.
He couldn't let talent rivaling Silpi's slip away.
Thus, the Wind Spirit King schemed to aid him and win his favor.
"Is that why you came?"
-He's a close friend of my child.
Still, he had no intention of revealing everything, so to the Dragon King's question, the Wind Spirit King simply claimed it was mere kindness toward a friend of his cherished ward.
Hearing this, the Dragon King's eyes gleamed.
"Hmm... Yeouiju. A Yeouiju..."
-What's there to mull over? You didn't have any candidates for Imoogi anyway.
"Hey. It's not something I can just hand over willy-nilly."
Of course, it didn't matter.
Yeouiju? He could make as many as needed.
Creating one was trivial for him.
But handing it over too easily chafed somehow.
The Dragon King slid a sidelong glance, pondering what he might gain from this.
-I can see it on your face—you're just reluctant to give it away!
His thoughts were instantly seen through by the Water Spirit King, of course.
-I'm not asking for it for free.
"Ho ho. And?"
-Take this.
Whoosh.
The Dragon King caught something borne on the wind, racking his brains just like when he'd first received the Formless Flower.
Wonder what this is.
-Heavens, you're giving that away?
Unlike the Dragon King, the Water Spirit King—who knew exactly what it was—gasped in shock.
That cheapskate workaholic Spirit King handing over that?
So his earlier claim about it just being for a friend's kid was a smokescreen for his real motives!
"Do you know what this is?"
-It's a ring called the Jewel of the Typhoon. It lets the wearer conjure an artificial typhoon centered on themselves, scaled to their mana reserves. The efficiency, size, and power vary by the spirit who crafted it.
To a dragon, it was useless.
After all, dragons naturally summoned typhoons, hurled lightning, and commanded the weather as divine beasts.
A ring to make typhoons for a dragon?
No help at all.
Yes, it was a ring of little use to the Dragon King himself.
-Dragon King. Regrettably, your daughter isn't a dragon. This ring would make a fine shield to protect her, no?
"Ahem."
But for non-dragons, nothing was safer.
Especially for his daughter, born of the Dragon King yet not innately a dragon.
-Infused with my wind as a Spirit King, it'll block most attacks admirably. Wide range too, so even if she's far away, you can find her in no time.
"You've given me a fine gift."
A tool to safeguard his daughter.
The Dragon King pocketed the ring and extended his hand.
In it was a cup filled with liquor. Having sealed the deal, the Wind Spirit King gladly accepted the cup and joined the drinking as a new booze buddy.
Whiiirrr.
-Hm?
Silpi was zipping across the cavern ceiling as usual in her daily routine.
Then a sudden gust approached her, bearing a message—and with it, something gently riding the wind toward her hand.
-Eek, eeeek!
Silpi shrieked once at the item's nature, then again at its sender.
"Mya?"
"Shaa."
'What's got her so worked up?'
As I approached, wondering if something had happened to the suddenly screaming Silpi, she had landed on the floor and slowly opened her mouth with trembling eyes.
-Th-the Spirit King sent a gift...
Spirit King?
Why would the Spirit King suddenly send Silpi a gift?
I eyed Silpi dubiously, and she cautiously presented a bead about Cheong's head size with utmost care.
"Shaaah?"
'What's got you shaking like that?'
It looked like just an impeccably clear orb.
But contrary to my thoughts, Silpi quivered at the lips, as if it were earth-shattering.
-Th-this is a Yeouiju!
Yeouiju?
Yeouiju—as in, the one Imoogi need?
......?
'Hold on...'
Yeouiju? That's a Yeouiju??
If I wasn't hearing wrong, Silpi just called this orb a Yeouiju?
The Spirit King sending Silpi a gift was shocking enough, but a Yeouiju of all things?
-Th-the Spirit King's message is here too...
Yes, if I knew why the Wind Spirit King sent Silpi a Yeouiju, this bewilderment might clear up.
Focusing on the wind she summoned, a stranger's voice rode it through the cave.
-Picked it up on the way.