004. Fly High! Inferno Hell
Fly high! This was pure hellfire. Is the hell they say you go to after death this horrifying?
That Guard Captain was a real monster. Reading the wind direction for a fire attack? Who does he think he is, Zhuge Liang? The southeast wind wasn't blowing, but there must've been some kind of vent hole inside the cave. The flames didn't just flicker from the ground—they whipped up a blast of hot air and shot straight into the sky.
The soldiers started covering their faces and backing away slowly.
"Fall back to the cave entrance and hold the line!"
The Guard Captain barked the order, rallying his men. His determination to not let a single one escape was impressive.
My siblings with flames licking their bodies shriveled up and died in seconds. Like eels tossed on a hot griddle.
So was I, safe from the fire, unscathed? Nope.
Heat Resistance proficiency rises sharply. Acquired Heat Resistance Lv1.
Just the heat alone was scorching my scales white. My survival instincts screamed at me to flee this blaze. Hide in a damp rock crevice, quick! My scales shivered with the warning.
Acquired Survival Instinct Lv1.
No joke—it was real. But I ignored my survival instincts' warning. Hiding in a rock crevice while the fire spread along the oil? I'd just end up a perfectly roasted snake skewer.
Instead, I glared at the retreating Guard Captain. I remember your face. This grudge won't be forgotten.
That was all the leisure I had. I was really gonna die here. I'd been waiting this whole time for the petrified monsters' stone effects to wear off enough. Their color was slowly returning. They weren't moving yet, but they were twitching bit by bit.
Now my fangs would sink into flesh. What I was about to do was pure madness. But if I didn't do something crazy, there was no escaping this inferno.
I crawled straight into the gaping maw of the magic jaguar.
The magic jaguar was bigger than a bull. It had roared in terror at my mother, then frozen solid in that pose. Meaning its cavernous, carnivore throat was wide open.
I slipped between the razor-sharp teeth. Its tongue lolled out, uvula dangling inside. Nom~ I bit the uvula.
The petrification had worn off enough for my fangs to sink deep. As long as the uvula didn't tear free, I could hide safe in the magic jaguar's mouth.
Go on, magic jaguar! Fly!
Finally, the petrification shattered. And as expected, the monster with its uvula chomped started retching.
"Gack! Urk-urk!Hurk!"
If it were me, I'd puke my guts out too with something dangling from my uvula. But I'm just a little white snake—small enough to call a "real snake."
If I were a normal animal, I'd either get crushed by the throat muscles or hurk! spat out. But this beast's massive gullet, built for gulping down unchewed meat, couldn't hack me up.
I clung stubbornly to its throat. Think of me as a non-surgical endoscopy, kitty.
Stop! Stop retching!
"Gururk!"
Aaagh! It finally vomited up its stomach contents. The acrid bile swept over my charred skin. It stank and burned. A bit more, and I might've leveled up my pain tolerance.
Anyway, I kept hanging on. Only then did the magic jaguar realize it was in a sea of fire. Monster or man, everyone fears flames.
The gaiger hog petrified beside it bellowed thunderously and bolted.
"Queeeek!"
"Kroooong!"
The two monsters charged wildly. Instinct driving them from the fire—straight toward the soldiers fleeing outside.
They were insanely fast. Riding them felt like being strapped to a galloping chariot—top-tier thrill ride.
The monsters ignored the wriggling snakes underfoot, stomping them flat as they ran. The magic jaguar ran with its mouth agape in agony, so I saw everything.
My siblings had real fight in them. They instinctively bit the gaiger hog and jaguar's legs as they passed.
The monsters couldn't shake them off and kept running. Dozens clung to their bodies and escaped together.
But the difference between my siblings and me? First class versus economy.
Most got scorched by flames or flung off when fangs snapped from the momentum. Farewell, everyone.
Finally, the magic jaguar burst out of the cave. The waiting soldiers freaked.
"Gahhh!"
"W-what the hell is that?!"
They'd probably planned to snag any crawling snakes. Their gear—gambesons and such—was just snake-catching level. Some even held shovels and hoes for ground crawlers instead of spears.
Then two house-sized monsters exploded out. No wonder they panicked.
"Monsters!"
The soldiers seemed a bit soft. The Guard Captain smacked the back of one yeller's head.
"You idiot. Look closely. That's just a monster."
"Oh, snakes... aha."
Monster or monster, big difference? But from the soldiers' reaction, I got it. The magic jaguar was wreathed in flames, dozens of snakes clinging on. Terrifying sight, naturally.
I wanted to pop out from its mouth like peekaboo! But that'd just get me chomped by the pissed-off jaguar.
Speaking of, exiting this mouth would be tricky. Can't exactly say "Thanks for the ride!" on the way out.
Anyway.
"Hold formationnnn!"
All I could do was pray for the magic jaguar's success here.
"Spears up!"
And my arch-nemesis the Guard Captain fulfilled his duty to the end. At his command, the soldiers raised their spears.
A bunch of spearmen could take down most beasts. Even monsters.
"Queeeek!"
Brave gaiger hog charged the soldiers first. Bigger than a massive wild boar from near Korea's DMZ, it got skewered.
Pffft-shunk!
Two unlucky soldiers flew like they'd been hit by a car, but five spears pierced the gaiger hog. Even tough monsters can't shrug that off. It slammed its head into the dirt, stopped cold.
"Don't let your guard down! Another one's coming!"
With the Guard Captain's shout, the magic jaguar charged. All I could do was clamp my jaws on its uvula. Kinda nerve-wracking.
The soldiers' encirclement was tighter than expected.
"Kroooong!"
Hearing a beast's roar from inside its throat? Mind-blowing. The inner ear fused to my skull vibrated, electrifying my whole body.
Then—my body floated. Zero-G.
The magic jaguar had leaped high. Below, soldiers gaped up at it. Its leg power exceeded their wildest dreams. For a split second, my eyes met the Guard Captain's.
Thud!
It could've cleared a building. The landing was light, though. Flames licking its tail, the magic jaguar bolted east—into the deep, ancient forest no human dared chase.
...So how do I get out now?
I pondered, sniffing the jaguar's hot, humid mouth breath.
* * *
The Siza Forest teemed with beasts. Some infused with demonic essence—monsters—others ordinary animals. Bizarre events happened often here, but today was exceptionally weird.
Even monkeys and rabbits couldn't curb their curiosity, watching the spectacle.
"Kwoong! Kweh-eeng!"
A magic jaguar. Not native to Siza Forest—you had to venture deep into the Great Forest for those killers.
Nothing in Siza could threaten it. Yet this one was in full freakout mode.
"Kwek! Gack!"
It leaped high enough to clear trees, rolled on the ground. Thud! Smashed headfirst into a trunk. Startled birds fled; monkeys shrieked and scattered.
"Kroooong!"
It roared savagely, swiping with forepaws. Trees snapped and toppled.
The jaguar was covered in blood. Not attacked—just self-inflicted from its rampage: broken claws, gashed face.
This spot was the border between Siza and Great Forest. No hard line, just where dangerous monsters ramped up and siza trees thinned.
And before a basin ringed by cliffs, dipping inward.
Suddenly. The jaguar gagged like its airway was blocked.
"Gack, kehng!"
Rough coughs, then silence. Something inside had finally choked it off.
True to its apex predator rep, even dying, it fought. It bolted wildly, hurled itself off the cliff.
The mad jaguar seized, then leaped to its death in a grand finale.
Onlooker beasts stealthily peeked over the edge.
The drop was plenty high. No more suffering for the jaguar.
* * *
Kyaaaaagh!
I screamed internally. Burn to death vs. get eaten by magic jaguar? Now I hated the latter more.
Die! Die! I yelled in my mind. It probably felt the same.
Great escaping the fire and soldiers. But slipping quietly from this mouth? Impossible.
All I could do was desperately chomp the uvula. Let go, and my fate was one of two: chewed to bits or gulped raw.
Pain Resistance Lv2 → Pain Resistance Lv3
Breath Holding Lv2 → Breath Holding Lv3
Biting Lv2 → Biting Lv3
Pouring every ounce of strength into enduring jacked my skill proficiencies sky-high. A battle of who tires first.
Dumping 20 stats into Mental Strength? Best choice ever.
I endured through sheer grit. This snake life I'd chosen... well, not exactly, but anyway.
But shaking head and endless gagging wore me down. Finally, my mind blurred, jaws slackened.
It inhaled deep—and tiny me got sucked straight into its windpipe.
"Kehng!"
Victory was mine completely now. No more harm from it. I'd infiltrated its weakest spot: the lungs.
I was the guy who always asked aunties for extra lung in blood sausage. Unleashed Biting frenzy.
Hot blood pooled around me. Raaaaah!
Biting proficiency rises sharply.
A hole ripped clean through the lung. Then—my body floated up.
Wait, this feeling. Dizzy vertigo like a shark chomping your ass. Lotte World's Gyro Drop.
Freefall.
This lunatic jaguar had jumped off somewhere. Enemy in arms, diving off a cliff like Chunhyang's Nolgae spirit?
The drop was long. Fatal for even tough monsters. But I'm lighter than a serving of pork belly, cushioned in its soft gut.
BOOM!
The impact was meteor-shower fierce regardless. But I survived.
The jaguar? Probably not.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.
A level-up feast. What is this, some Kim-whatever novel?