Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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He was a massive man nearly 2 meters tall.
Savage muscles covered his entire body as if they were weapons themselves, overlaid with countless scars.
Without warning, he had entered our lair and uttered those words as if he'd been calmly waiting for us. Tiger ears protruded from his head, and a tail swayed from his rear.
'Spirit beast.'
No doubt about it.
He had to be a spirit beast who had taken human form through transformation.
I had no idea why a spirit beast was here or why he was waiting for us.
But at a glance, he didn't look friendly, so we all put some distance between us and prepared for a possible fight.
"Not a bad judgment."
But we didn't know.
How immense the power of the man before us truly was.
Or that the moment we entered the cave, we had already stepped into his domain of influence.
"Bad choice of opponent, though."
His beast-like, vertically slit pupils gleamed as they turned toward us.
The instant our reflections appeared in those deep brass-colored eyes...
Thud.
An invisible pressure bore down from above, crushing us all.
-Kyaaak?!
"Haaak!"
[Urk!]
This is... right, gravity.
A monster who manipulates gravity with just a glance.
I forcibly lifted my head, which was slowly bowing under the force.
This level of gravity.
Painful enough, but bearable.
[Who... are you.]
I raised my lowered head to meet his gaze and asked.
How he knew our identities and was waiting for us.
And why he was now exerting gravity on us.
"...So you're the source of that aura."
But instead of answering, the man fixed his gaze on me and walked over leisurely.
His relaxed steps contrasted with the intensifying gravity.
The force doubled in an instant, and the ground beneath me began to crack and sink bit by bit.
But I didn't let out a groan of pain.
Instead, a pleased smile formed.
Only I was fully reflected in those brass eyes now, increasing the gravity on me, but that meant the pressure on Cheong and Silpi had lessened—I could confirm it.
[Kuhaha...!]
"Why are you laughing."
[It's just so weak, I can't help it! Feels like a light blanket's been tossed over me!]
Crack. Craaack.
As if waiting for my taunt, the gravity intensified further.
Now, a third of my body was buried in the ground.
But I laughed. I didn't forget to wear an expression asking if that was all.
'Come on, focus on me more.'
Direct all your attention to me.
Ignore everyone else completely.
That moment would be our chance to counterattack.
Rumble rumble.
And when nearly half my body was sunk into the earth...
'Now. Cheong, Silpi!'
Cheong and Silpi, now free from the gravity's grip, attacked the man.
Razor-sharp wind blades and Cheong's full-force swipe from her small but terrifyingly strong paws struck him dead-on.
Kagagak. Clang.
-N-No way!
"Myaang?!"
But their all-out attacks sadly failed to wound the man.
What the hell kind of body is that?
The man turned his head toward Cheong and Silpi who had attacked him, and in that instant, the gravity crushing me weakened.
-Ugh!
"Kyaaang!"
But now it bore down harder on Silpi and Cheong instead.
'Does he control the gravity of anything in his line of sight?'
What a cheat ability.
But its weakness is clear.
'Huuup.'
If he controls gravity only within his sight, then I just need to attack from outside it.
Just like how Silpi and Cheong attacked while I drew the gravity.
And now, while they're enduring it, I—who's regained some freedom—strike!
Roarrrrr.
Among my powers, the ones with the most destructive force are fire and lightning.
I gathered the fire energy and held it in my mouth.
'Hot, so hot!'
It felt like I'd stuffed a freshly boiled, steaming potato into my mouth.
I wanted to huff and puff to cool it or douse it with water.
But that would weaken the fire's power and reduce the chance of injuring this sturdy man.
"Suuuuu."
"Hm?"
Flames leaked from between my jaws.
I'd reached my limit holding it.
The flames, compressed to my maximum capacity, were raging to burst free.
I signaled Silpi and Cheong with my eyes; they flattened themselves to the ground instead of resisting like before.
[Imoogi-style breath, you bastard!]
Imoogi Breath (Max Compression)
Full-powered fire wave / Cave temperature rising / Aimed at upper body
The moment their forms dropped low...
I wrenched my jaws wide and spewed the flames.
A ferocious wave of fire erupted from my mouth.
It engulfed the man's upper body precisely, heating the cave to a sweltering degree.
-Yes!
"Myaang!"
Cheong and Silpi admired the flames pouring over them and high-fived each other.
A clear gesture toward victory.
Yeah, up to here, it's fine.
But Silpi, caught up in the excitement, went one step further and uttered a forbidden word she shouldn't have.
-This has to have 'taken him down!'
'You idiot Silpi!'
Why set up a flag right there!
Now even a downed enemy will revive!
Kwak.
[Gek!]
-El!
"Myaang!"
And sure enough.
A rough hand burst from the flames and seized my throat.
What kind of grip strength is this? Just one hand choked off my breath, preventing any more flames.
The imbalance extinguished the fire naturally, revealing the man amid the dying blaze...
-Unscathed?
The man held my throat in his unchanged form.
Just a bit of soot, no burns that could be called wounds.
"You wield fire, huh."
Kwak.
[Urk.]
"Small one. Embarrassingly tiny compared to normal imoogi. Same with your looks. First black imoogi I've seen. Is that why you have such an aura? A variant?"
The man examined me closely as he asked.
"You. How old are you."
Age?
No clue why he's asking that.
But pinned in a life-or-death grip, I couldn't lie or stall.
I had no choice but to answer his question truthfully.
[Less than a year. You child abuser...!]
"A year?"
Of course, my words carried thorns and flew sharply.
But the man ignored that, his eyes oddly sparkling at "a year."
"An imoogi in just a year, with this much growth."
Thud.
"I like it."
And I saw it.
The man's smile, clearly brimming with expectation.
"Get stronger. Strong enough to scar my body."
[Crazy...]
With that, the man turned to leave the cave.
Watching him, I wondered—could that be why he came?
To fight me?
From his words, when I became an imoogi, I emitted a certain aura that piqued his interest, so he came to fight.
Impressed by my strength despite being less than a year old.
Instead of continuing, he released me to see my future growth and fight again later... now that his curiosity's sated, he draws a fight ticket and leaves... wait, Cheong?
"Haaak!"
Chomp.
While I dazedly pondered his reason for coming, Cheong bit the man's leg.
Of course, her teeth couldn't pierce his sturdy leg muscles.
"This one..."
The man eyed the brazenly biting Cheong, then shook his leg irritably.
Bonk.
-Cheong!
"No interest in the weak."
-You!
Kwang!
-Kyaaak!
"Impressive wind control, but that's it. Lacks sharpness and precision."
The man casually swatted Silpi away hard with his tail.
I wanted to jump in and attack too, but after enduring gravity without full recovery and pushing an assault, moving further was impossible.
[Everyone, stop.]
Big bro's wrapping it up and leaving on his own—why keep clinging?
We fight now, it's 100% our loss!
Just let him go!
"Grrrrr."
Especially Cheong.
She could give up now, but her persistent clinging made me uneasy.
What if it annoys him and changes his mind?
Thud.
"Hm?"
Then it happened.
The man's steps halted along with Cheong's fierce glare.
My mind went blank.
Are we fighting again?!
"Hm."
But contrary to my fears, he just glanced at Cheong briefly.
Without further action, he exited the cave.
[Puhah!]
Thank goodness.
Another fight and we might've had casualties.
I glared at Cheong for provoking him unnecessarily, then climbed onto her back.
"Myaaang!"
[This is your fault.]
-Ueee. I wanna lie down too.
"Haaak!"
Hearing Cheong's pained cry from the added weight as Silpi piled on top of me, I gazed at the cave entrance where the man had left.
[Hm?]
What's that.
A spot where the ground was oddly sunken midway.
I stretched my neck to check, and there was a single human footprint imprinted.
From when he was leaving?
"Haaaak!"
-Uwaaa. So tiring.
[Ten seconds from now.]
"Myaang! Myaaaang!!"
Whatever.
I'll rest first, think later.