The Ferocious Snake
Quite some time had passed since I'd been staying on the 69th floor, the lowest level of the Lava Zone, thanks to Arde's hospitality.
As always, in the midst of sparring with the Red Wyvern, he suddenly spoke up.
[You've grown a lot.]
His tone was as flat and unremarkable as ever.
The dry voice echoing in my head made my eyes narrow involuntarily.
I'd just rolled across the ground to dodge one of his attacks.
[...Is that sarcasm?]
The Red Wyvern shook his head casually at my curt response.
[Compared to the beginning, you've improved tremendously. Look here.]
The Red Wyvern pointed to his chest with the tip of his wing.
There was a fairly deep gash there.
A wound from my Tail Strike.
[That one was close. If I'd been a moment slower, I might have fallen instead of you.]
With that, the Red Wyvern gestured to the other wounds on his body as well.
Just looking at the fresh injuries all over him, he was hurt far worse than I was.
And that made sense—I'd already healed all my wounds with Regeneration.
Seeing that, I couldn't help but feel a bit proud.
To inflict that much damage on the Red Wyvern.
As he'd said, I'd definitely grown.
The problem was that even in his current state, my odds of winning against him were still only around 30 or 40 percent.
Still, that was a huge leap from before, when my win rate had hovered near zero.
In just a few weeks, I'd reached the point where I could beat an S-rank monster like the Red Wyvern once out of every ten spars, and draw two or three times. It was incredibly satisfying progress.
And it wasn't just my status window stats that had grown—I was learning more fundamental ways to fight.
During one of our spars, the Red Wyvern had mentioned something about the other monsters avoiding me.
Not all monsters shunned me, actually.
S-rank monsters like the Red Wyvern didn't avoid me much at all.
We weren't exactly close, but we didn't outright ignore each other either.
At first, I'd thought it was just live and let live, but our conversations revealed the reason.
The other monsters avoided me for a simple reason.
I scared them.
I had a vague idea why.
How could they not fear the one who killed their comrades?
Since I'd half-expected it, it wasn't too bitter...
No, that wasn't it.
The other monsters feared me not because I'd killed their comrades.
Even under Arde's command, living in packs and helping each other like allies, monsters' basic instincts remained unchanged.
So neither the Red Wyvern nor the others really cared that much about their fallen comrades.
What made them avoid me was my existence itself.
From what the Red Wyvern had heard, many called me the "ferocious snake" and trembled at the name.
Other S-rank monsters could protect themselves, so they had no reason to flee, but those without the power to defend even themselves naturally steered clear.
When I first learned this, I felt relieved yet a bit dazed.
Even A-rank monsters like me avoiding me? Really?
Apparently, it stemmed from the massive drake I'd crushed before meeting the Red Wyvern.
A key player under Arde, taken down so pathetically—it was bound to inspire fear.
And with me constantly clashing against the Red Wyvern under the guise of spars, that fear only grew.
Thinking about it, it was self-inflicted karma.
Now that I knew the cause, fixing it seemed easy.
If they feared me, I'd approach them kindly first.
Once I dispelled that terror, making a hundred monster friends would be a breeze.
I could do it.
I couldn't.
As I'd said before, with all the years I'd lived, I had no clue how to approach others warmly first.
Still, I mustered my courage, plastered on a gentle smile, and tried...
[Hiiik—!!!]
[Ferocious snake—! Ferocious snaaaake—!!!]
[Spare me! Please spare me! I don't want to die yet!!!]
They rejected me fiercely.
Even after psyching myself up, being shut down before I could start left me dejected for a while.
I skipped spars and holed up in my lair. The Red Wyvern spoke quietly to me then.
[It's easier to give up.]
He probably meant it as comfort, but it didn't help at all.
Unlike his boss, the guy had zero eloquence.
I'd even forced a smile that didn't come naturally...
The facial muscles had cramped just trying.
[...Was that a smile? It looked like a threat to eat us right then to anyone watching.]
Truly, no silver tongue like his boss.
And while the Red Wyvern was away on patrol, Arde—who'd heard the news—said:
[Holhol— It's easier to give up, isn't it?]
Now I saw: the Red Wyvern had picked up his boss's lack of tact.
The monsters around here just didn't get snakes.
Anyway, after learning why they avoided me, I'd tried approaching first, but when it didn't work, I gave up.
I admitted this was beyond my control alone.
What could I do when I already looked so menacing?
Better to spar with the Red Wyvern one more time.
That was the real gain.
I consoled myself that way.
But a corner of my heart felt terribly lonely.
I had so few friends.
Today, I missed the 17th floor lizardmen more than ever.
Ah, Wise Scale.
Ah, my paradise.
That place truly was heaven.
Days here passed meaningfully enough.
Sure, things didn't always go my way, and there were frustrations, but now I understood what Arde had meant.
What remained in a life of endless struggle?
Monsters needed combat, but it wasn't everything.
I felt that truth not in my head, but in my body.
Time had flown since my first meeting with Arde.
Roughly five or six months, by my estimate.
Half a year was nearly up.
My stats had grown tremendously from sparring with the Red Wyvern.
Lately, changes were almost nonexistent, but compared to the start, the growth was staggering.
Especially not just internal stats, but external combat skills.
My win rate against the Red Wyvern had climbed past 30 percent to 40.
A bit more, and I might break the cursed 50 percent barrier.
Of course, in a real deathmatch, I'd be at a disadvantage since it wasn't a spar, but I wouldn't go down helplessly like before.
Lately, the zone's entrance had been noisy.
Messenger wyverns from each floor zipped to and from Arde's lair, and layer bosses like the Red Wyvern bustled about.
A fairly large hunter expedition had arrived.
First I'd heard of hunters since meeting Arde.
Naturally, I was curious.
How would Arde react to them?
His usual mild self might respond moderately, but his occasional cold side suggested he'd never stand idly by.
Whatever he chose, as an outsider, I'd quietly observe.
Arde's response to the hunters was surprising yet predictable.
In short, he forbade excessive retaliation.
Some monsters grumbled, but as if it weren't their first rodeo, the Red Wyvern and others mostly accepted it.
The dissenters folded before Arde's authority as zone lord.
I heard his reasoning.
Surprisingly, Arde feared the hunters.
Not their individual skill, but their potential.
Defeating one group didn't end it.
Outside the labyrinth, far more hunters awaited.
Crush this expedition, and second and third waves would follow.
Arde knew this well.
And he knew his subordinates would suffer most in the process.
That was his greatest fear: his monsters getting hurt.
Given his forces' level, they could handle follow-ups with minimal losses—no need for Arde himself.
They'd win, even with some casualties.
But then what? And after that?
How long could Arde and his monsters hold against endless reinforcements?
Even if Arde fought personally?
From my perspective, knowing hunters' strength even a little, the future was clear without much thought.
Korean hunters might struggle, but look abroad—no need to go far.
Japan next door had solid hunters, and China had the famed SS-rank Wang Feng.
Realistically, foreign hunters would take time to arrive, but it was only a matter of time.
Arde's side would lose in the end.
The hunter-monster war was a tilted playing field.
I agreed with Arde's explanation.
His foresight, considering not just today but tomorrow, was impressive.
Even more so without knowing the outside world in detail.
His wisdom rivaled humans'.
Hardly monstrous at all.
As I murmured in quiet admiration, Arde chuckled softly.
[Holhol—]
Smiling warmly as always, he suddenly asked:
[So, little snake. When do you plan to leave?]
His calm voice halted my body.
I reflexively looked up at Arde.
His clear eyes gazed down as usual.
[...What’s that out of nowhere?]
[You were planning to leave, weren’t you?]
His counter-question left me speechless.
He'd seen through me without a hint.
His insight was astonishing.
[...How did you know?]
[I figured it was about time. You’ve gained all you can here. Nothing more to get, so leaving is the natural next step.]
[...I planned to say goodbye.]
[Holhol— Of course. Slipping away without a word would be heartless.]
His usual conscience stung unexpectedly.
I averted my gaze, pretending not to notice.
[You’ve seemed impatient lately. Hit a wall, haven’t you?]
I couldn’t respond to his matter-of-fact tone.
He was right.
I’d grown immensely here, but not anymore.
With growth stalled for a while, impatience crept in.
Would I stagnate forever?
Growth wasn’t just stats, but without visible change, anxiety mounted.
I’d tried hiding it, burying it deep...
[...That obvious?]
[After my years, I see everything.]
Arde laughed pleasantly. I clamped my mouth shut.
He watched me kindly, as always.
[Come back anytime.]
His warm voice made me lift my head.
His pure eyes, like molten lava, shone clearly at me.
[...I’ll return someday, for sure.]
[Take your time. No need to rush. Keep going steadily, and you’ll reach the end someday.]
[...Won’t I fall behind?]
[A little lag isn’t bad. You’ll see what others miss.]
Unlike his subordinate, Arde always knew what to say.
The wisdom of age?
As I stayed silent, Arde continued.
[I won’t force my views on you, little snake.]
[......]
[Just do what you want. No need to hesitate or worry over my words.]
To my continued silence, Arde gave his final words.
[Just know this: not everything is struggle.]
His voice, a touch lower, resonated in my mind. I nodded slowly.