Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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-El. You're going again today?
[I'll be right back.]
Sssss.
Silpi puffed out her cheeks as she watched the black imoogi slither off into the distance.
Today again.
Yesterday, he'd left home just like this.
He'd probably do the same tomorrow.
-He said doing things out of the ordinary would lead to big trouble.
The reason El was acting like this was probably that unusual tree he'd seen before.
Silpi recalled the day he'd half-forcibly dragged her along.
A massive tree that had cheerfully rustled its leaves upon seeing her.
The life force within it had been so potent that even she, who hated leaving home, had spent a full thirty minutes there feeling nothing but joy.
-Everything's fine and dandy. It's a tree that grew absorbing that energy after becoming an imoogi, so it's only natural he'd be interested.
But there were limits.
Going to see that tree every single day.
It wasn't like he was tending to a child. The thought that their playtime was being cut short because of a mere tree inevitably bred resentment.
-And he's even increased his training time lately.
"Myaong!"
-Right? You think so too, Cheong.
Their time together had dwindled.
Cheong, harboring even greater dissatisfaction than Silpi on that front, pawed at the ground needlessly.
Thud. Thud.
Though her actions were light, they left impacts far from trivial. Her eyes gleaming, Cheong addressed Silpi.
"Myamyaong. Myaong."
-Hmm. Yeah, right? The time he's spending away is getting longer each day compared to when we first noticed.
Cheong's question was laced with worry: if things continued like this, wouldn't El end up living here with the tree, merely visiting them occasionally?
And Silpi responded with an answer that, from Cheong's perspective, was like a bolt from the blue—one that couldn't be dismissed as impossible.
"Myaomyaoong! Nyaaong!"
-You're going now?
"Myaong!"
-I-I'll stay here.
Going to see El all of a sudden?
Silpi refused, loath as ever to leave the cave, but Cheong wasn't one to go alone.
Snap.
-Just let me stay home!
"Myaaaang~."
If no, then make it so.
Cheong grabbed Silpi's leg with her tail and dragged her along toward El's location, putting her strength into it.
The more days passed, the more it felt like the number of creatures coming here was steadily increasing.
At first, they'd come once every two or three days, but now they showed up more than once a day.
[Hoo...]
Repeat visitors from before were rare.
Yet the influx didn't diminish.
What was with all these animals around here anyway.
Thud.
[I hope this is the last for today.]
The leader of this wolf pack had half its face obliterated by a perfect tail strike, meeting its end. Its underlings had tucked tail and fled the moment their leader fell.
I glanced at the wolf leader I'd just felled, then turned away.
Scavengers like hyenas or other carnivores prowling nearby would handle the corpse; no need for me to bother.
Sssss.
Arriving at my destination, I suddenly doubted my eyes.
[Hm?]
What was this? Why were Cheong and Silpi visible over there?
I tilted my head at the sight of Cheong, who seemed inexplicably angry, and Silpi trying to restrain her.
'I didn't head home.'
So why were those two here?
"Myaong! Myamyaong! Haak!"
-Whoa! Cheong, hold back! If you hit him, El might get mad!
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Silpi flailed her legs furiously toward the tree, but suspended in midair, her attacks sliced through empty space.
It might look like mere floundering, but the sound of parting wind was utterly vicious.
[Cheong and Silpi? What are you doing here?]
-El! Hurry and stop Cheong!
[You need to explain what's going on.]
And so I joined Silpi in restraining Cheong.
Humm.
We finally calmed her down and gathered in the shade cast by the great tree to talk.
The first to speak among us snakes was me.
[So, why'd you come here?]
In response, Cheong lightly nudged Silpi's body.
This is your turn to answer, she meant.
Indeed, Silpi was better at explaining than Cheong, so it made sense.
As my gaze fully shifted from Cheong to her, Silpi cleared her throat and explained why they'd come.
[What...]
The reason was remarkably simple.
I was coming here too often and staying too long.
Coming every day was bad enough, but the time spent here kept growing, so they worried that if this continued, I'd end up living here and merely visiting them briefly—hence their visit.
[No way that'd happen.]
-B-But it's true your time here has increased.
[That's because more of these pests keep showing up.]
What was I supposed to do as they came more frequently day by day?
I'd just dealt with a weird wolf pack on the way here.
Groups like that rhino herd before realized the gap and retreated, which was convenient, but those that charged anyway had to be killed outright, costing time.
[...So don't misunderstand.]
I'd never explained this to Cheong and Silpi before.
Once I detailed why I stayed so long here and why that time kept extending, Silpi and Cheong exchanged glances, then sheepishly scratched their heads or averted their eyes from me.
-W-What? That's how it was?
"...Myaa."
[I should've explained earlier too, so I'm sorry.]
Still, this cleared up the misunderstanding, and now Cheong and Silpi were here together—not a bad outcome.
Humm.
The great tree, having listened in on our conversation, rustled its leaves and sent us a tiny spark of will infused with mana.
[Happy... huh.]
It seemed simply being together like this, chatting, brought it joy.
What a pure soul!
I gently stroked the tree's surface with my tail.
-Um... by the way.
[Yeah?]
-So, what's this kid's name?
Our misunderstanding had been fully resolved in that conversation.
Perhaps because of that, the topic now shifted to the very reason we were here: the great tree.
[A name, huh.]
Honestly, I'd never thought of one.
I'd just called it "tree" or "great tree" simply.
-You don't mean...?!
Somehow reading my mind, she approached Cheong and whispered at a volume I couldn't hear.
-...
"Myaong? Myaaaong?!"
-...
"Haak!"
-Then we'll do that?
"Myaong!"
I had no clue what they were saying.
But seeing them position themselves to surround me front and back, it was clear this was nothing positive or friendly toward me.
-Alright! Time to execute the plan!
"Myaong!"
[Plan? What's that...?]
Fwoooosh.
Before I could ask, Silpi opened her mouth, modulating her voice to echo through the space like she was using a megaphone.
-The target has committed the heinous crime of neglecting a young tree without even giving it a name! Agent Cheong, arrest this vile imoogi at once!
"Myaong! Myamyamyaoong!"
Who was neglecting and vile here?
-Caution! The target attacks from range using wind and earth! Agent Cheong, close the distance and engage!
"Haak!"
Only then did I realize what this was about.
Right—it was my turn to play with Cheong today.
'So today's scenario is this.'
A new rule Silpi had started adding lately: fancy preamble to our sparring because she got bored of repeating the same fights.
-Repeating for emphasis! The target uses wind and earth for ranged attacks!
'Got it.'
Why was Silpi repeating it while looking at me?
Simple: I had to fight exactly as described.
If asked why impose such self-handicaps against Cheong, it was because even with them, the fight remained viable.
Before, maybe not, but now as an imoogi, I'd gained dominance over various attributes, instantly securing total superiority in spars with Cheong. They always ended with my victory.
Even Cheong's impressive growth couldn't bridge that.
To narrow it a bit, Silpi proposed handicaps via these scenarios, limiting my power. I practiced diverse tactics under new constraints daily, while Cheong faced a weakened me to stay balanced—a win-win, so I went along.
'Ranged attacks with wind and earth, huh.'
For this round, I could only use wind and earth attributes, fighting at range rather than close quarters.
-Now then~! Our tree sapling, victim of the wicked imoogi, give a hearty cheer to Agent Cheong who's come to help!
Humm?!
By the way, Silpi had approached the tree just before our fight and roped it into the scenario.
[You don't have to play along.]
-Hehe! If Agent Cheong wins here, El gets punished by naming you! Don't you want a name from Daddy?!
[Hold on. Who're you calling daddy...?]
...Flash.
Right before the fight proper.
Amid a mysterious light, tremendous vital energy infused Cheong's body.