Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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A heat so intense it felt like it could melt everything dominated the Gallery.
I quietly closed my eyes, ignoring the endless stream of comments and friend requests popping up before me.
'There are just too many to respond to one by one.'
Was I really this popular?
To be honest, exaggerating just a bit, it felt like every single person in the Gallery was trying to talk to me.
The constant notifications were making my eyes hurt.
But I had no choice but to endure it.
This was all because I'd gone radio silent without any warning and then suddenly reappeared.
"Meow."
-El looks kinda off today, doesn't he? He wasn't like this before?
'These guys.'
I shot a quick glare at Cheong and Silpi before turning back to the Gallery to check the real-time changes.
The atmosphere had improved somewhat compared to when I'd just decided to go dark, but traces of that damn Zero-Pull Dark Swordsman still lingered here and there.
'Still, it's not the worst, so that's a relief.'
That level was something I could just ignore without issue.
'But that History Restoration Maniac guy... how the hell did he gather all that info?'
I'd read the post he'd made about the goddess.
Dare I say, having faced her directly in a one-on-one interview during the Gallery maintenance check, the post's credibility was 100%.
'So that weird feeling at the end wasn't Raine, but Kishe?'
The crazy goddess who'd talked about swapping eyes when I said I wanted hers.
The sudden shift in atmosphere made sense if Kishe had suddenly taken control instead of Raine.
-El! Check this out!
Not showing any signs of calming down, the flood of notifications kept coming, so I pushed them aside for a moment and turned to Silpi.
She was shaking some weird glass bottle she'd gotten who-knows-where with a gust of wind as she spoke.
-It's a nutrient supplement I found in that bush over there!
-Yeah. And it's a top-grade one at that. It's so amazing, I can't believe someone could process herbs like this.
I wanted to ask where she'd picked up something like that.
The glass bottle looked expensive at a glance, filled with a blue liquid.
I stared at the so-called nutrient supplement, particularly the part where she'd said she got it.
'Was something like that really there?'
How much had we wandered around this area, including this spot?
I'd never seen anything like it before.
Which meant someone had recently come here and left it behind...
'Who the hell?'
The problem was I had no idea who.
-Nope. None?
Got it.
At least when it came to this field, Silpi was more reliable than anyone, so I took her word without much suspicion.
-Obviously for Ceres. It's a plant nutrient supplement to begin with.
I hadn't realized it was a plant nutrient.
I'd thought it was something for us to consume.
-Here, take it.
Though she'd gotten much better lately, Silpi still hesitated to venture outside the cave, so the task naturally fell to me.
Like Silpi, I gently manipulated the wind to carefully carry the bottle without breaking it and quickly exited the cave.
-Whoa, look at him go without even looking back!
"Myong!"
-Huh? Ah, no. It's not my fault El left.
"Kyaaang!"
Some minor squabble seemed to be breaking out between Cheong and Silpi behind me.
But once I delivered the nutrient to Ceres and returned, they'd make up as usual.
Whew, the comments and friend requests still showed no signs of stopping.
Is this the responsibility of being popular?
It's heavy, so heavy.
Ssssh... Halt.
On the way to Ceres, I suddenly sensed mysterious presences.
Not just one or two. Clear hostility directed at me, so I released my mana strongly without hesitation.
They thought they'd hidden well, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to fool my senses.
What to do with enemies who won't show themselves even after I call them out?
Kwajijik.
Careful not to damage the nutrient supplement, I used the power of wood to grow nearby branches and such, launching them at the hidden foes.
-Kugh! Everyone, dodge!
The thick branches stabbing with clear malice forced the hidden ones to reveal themselves.
Greenish exteriors overall. Part of nature itself. Among them, the ones clearly attuned to wind were wind spirits, just like my friend Silpi.
-Shut up! You damned minion of the devil!
-If it weren't for you, that mad devil wouldn't have come to our side.
-You look utterly ominous at a glance!
Minion of the devil?
It probably wasn't about my black scales and red eyes.
Had something happened involving me that I didn't know about?
-Our king fell into critical condition because of the devil you summoned.
-The Yeouiju and heart of an imoogi would surely aid in his recovery.
-Pay for what you've caused with your life, imoogi!
With that, the three wind spirits entered combat stance.
Their visible skill level was lower spirit, like Silpi.
Good that they weren't mid-tier, but they had numbers: three to my one.
I was clearly at a disadvantage.
Even lower spirits were cheat-level existences in this era.
One I could handle, but three while keeping the supplement safe would be tough even for me.
-Shut up!
-I'll strip your scales right now!
-The king's judgment was too merciful. We should have exterminated that monster sooner!
I just wanted to hear why they were after me.
But their eyes were already bloodshot; they could attack any second. With a sigh, I summoned wind just like them.
-Ha! You dare use wind against us!
-That arrogance will be your doom.
-Kill him!
The moment I wielded wind, the three spirits charged as if they'd been waiting.
I countered them with lightning and fire, even drawing on water to avoid damaging the forest.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
"Ugh, it's hot!"
A woman with blue hair and green eyes fanned herself under sunlight that wasn't particularly intense, complaining about the heat.
Already irritated, the weather only worsened her mood.
Suppressing her anger, she traversed the tree-filled forest, tilting her head.
"Is this the right way?"
Her tracking skills via energy signatures were still lacking.
But don't worry.
She possessed innate 'luck' that transcended skill.
"Alright. This way this time!"
She'd bolted out of the house without a clue.
Yet her natural luck supported her reckless actions, bringing her ever closer to her goal.
Fwooo.
"Hm? That's spirits."
Sensing the unnatural shift in wind around her, her expression eased as she praised the unknown spirits.
The sudden breeze had cooled the heat a bit.
"But why are wind spirits here?"
Even if she lived deep in the ocean and rarely ventured out, she knew what she needed to.
This place was an official ceasefire zone.
Spirits faced major restrictions using power here without special cause.
But the wind she'd just felt... it didn't seem restricted at all.
"Did something happen?"
Whatever it was, it sounded fun.
"Ah, no. I have a goal right now."
She wanted to peek, but she had to find that guy no matter what.
It'd be a shame to miss him just to watch a fight.
"Alright. I'll hold back."
But she really wanted to see.
A spirit fight, no less.
Kugugugu.
"...Huh! That feeling!"
But luck didn't betray her this time either.
Amid the spirits' wind, a massive mana surge.
And faintly mixed in, a familiar yet unfamiliar scent made her lips curl up.
"See? I'm always lucky!"
Who would've thought the one fighting spirits was her target!
Her steps lightened as she dashed toward the goal.
The closer she got, the wider her smile grew, her emotions surging.
"Wait! You thief who stole my Yeouiju!"
And when she arrived...
"Uh, what."
There was a monster that had beaten the spirits to a pulp.