Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Licked It Clean with Your Tongue
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"This... it's a sword?"
The clean cross-section protruding from the severed dinosaur's neck.
I was staring blankly at that gruesome sight, muttering to myself.
That's when it happened.
Thud—
The decapitated head suddenly started to move.
"Huh?"
Startled, I reflexively reached for my sword.
But I quickly pulled my hand back.
The head, which I'd thought was about to attack me, was just spinning around in circles.
"What... the hell? Rigor mortis?"
It was a bizarre movement that defied explanation.
To figure out why, I immediately turned on the broadcast.
💬 Comments — Viewer It's here! My dopa... Ack lol why's the head spinning by itself lmao — Viewer Did the head and body have a fight or something? — Viewer But isn't that an Ugly Crow? The viewers on the other side of the screen were clearly just as baffled.
They were all confused, wondering if what I was seeing was real.
That's when a familiar nickname popped up.
⭐ Top Comment — Knowledgeable Person Stab its crown with your sword. Following that advice, I stabbed the spinning dinosaur's crown.
"Kieeeek!"
A creepy screech rang out, and something like a parasite wriggled out before dying.
⭐ Top Comment — Knowledgeable Person It's Gu Poison. Looks like someone's been experimenting with controlling dinosaurs from there. Someone tried to control dinosaurs?
I was stunned by the absurd idea.
That's when new info flooded the chat.
— Snow Girl Young master, you cut that clean in one stroke. — Heavenly Demon Beautiful to the point of awe. — Twin Sword Murim Elf Begone Heh, you can see the muscle contraction right before death, like it flinched. Apparently, the Ugly Crow hadn't even ambushed—it got its head lopped off in a straight-up frontal clash.
— Heavenly Demon At minimum, on par with me... perhaps even... That comment startled me.
And for good reason—the Heavenly Demon's realm was transcendent peak.
One of the absolute elites you could count on one hand in the martial world.
Yet something on her level? Or more?
— Viewer What? The mood's getting serious. — Viewer Shihanbu, if it's dangerous, let's head back. — Heavenly Demon Indeed. Vice Cult Leader, leave that place immediately. — Snow Girl Young master, you haven't forgotten our promise, have you? — Twin Sword Murim Elf Begone I agree. Better get out of there. All the chats were expressing worry for me.
Every single one was sound advice.
But not for me.
Without mandrake, I was doomed to die anyway.
Letting out a sigh, I stealthily grabbed the tail of the fox that was trying to slink away and dragged it in front of me.
"... You don't seriously think we'll run into her in this huge place."
But that hopeful line of thinking was shattered soon enough.
— Viewer Snake corpse bisected by a sword. Along the path guided by the fox.
— Viewer Look at that tree. Sword marks from picking fruit. — Viewer Iron filings on the ground. Looks like sword maintenance happened here. Traces of an unknown sword ghost were appearing everywhere.
My anxiety spiked with each discovery.
That's when the Eight-Tail Fox leading the way froze.
"M-Master..."
The fox called out to me in a trembling voice, pointing straight ahead.
I couldn't believe my eyes at the sight.
"A human?"
On Dinosaur Island,
in this poison-shrouded land, a woman sat cross-legged.
And floating in front of her was a sword.
— Viewer F-Flying... sword — Heavenly Demon Run away right now! — Snow Girl Young master, run away quick! The chat exploded over the otherworldly technique.
But I couldn't run.
The ground she sat on.
There, amid the poison mist, were leaves that hadn't wilted.
Mandrake.
"Why of all places..."
I gritted my teeth as the situation dragged me deeper into hell.
"Why aren't you bringing it quickly? What are you dawdling for?"
A voice like jade beads rolling through the forest echoed.
My heart sank as I looked ahead.
The cross-legged woman was staring at me.
But something was off.
She wasn't showing any hostility toward me.
And above all, her outstretched hand.
It was asking for something from me.
'Someone was supposed to come.'
More precisely, it seemed a subordinate—whose face she didn't even know—was supposed to bring something.
"Quit dawdling. Bring it here."
Urged by her, I stepped forward for now.
As I did, I desperately observed her.
To figure out what she wanted.
But all I could tell was that she was pretty.
And that some strange magic tool was activating under her feet.
'Will I get busted as not one of her allies like this?'
That's when it happened.
Gurgle—
A stomach growl rang out.
Startled, I looked up to see her face flushed red.
In that instant, I pulled out the bundle from the Knowledgeable Person and placed it in her hand.
"Tch! Didn't I say I hate jerky?"
Grumbling, she started chewing the dried meat.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Nom— Nom—
Watching her relentlessly chew and swallow the jerky, I thought to myself.
Was she starving that bad? She's chowing down on that tough stuff like it's nothing.
"Mm."
She let out a sigh of regret.
Looking to see why, she was eyeing the now-empty pouch wistfully.
She'd already polished it off.
Her gaze shifted to the back this time.
Where the fox and ox were.
"I'm still hungry. Go roast those up."
The fox and ox paled at her words.
As their pleading eyes turned to me, I racked my brain for a way out.
"There's a risk they've been poisoned. I'll check later and prepare them."
"Mm. I see."
She nodded as if convinced.
Then she flipped the pouch over and licked up the crumbs.
'They say appetite fades a lot once your martial arts reach a high realm. Just how long has this woman been starving?'
Lost in that thought.
"What are you doing?"
The woman in front of me stared at me intently.
Had I made some mistake?
"Hurry and drain their blood outside the poison mist, then prepare dinner."
Thankfully, it was a false alarm.
And a golden opportunity, too.
She'd just handed us a chance to escape.
'But is it okay to run like this?'
I glanced around.
No footprints anywhere.
Meaning she'd been sitting there for at least a month straight.
Which meant a high chance she'd still be here if I came back later.
If not now, while she was mistaken, there might be no other shot.
Steeling myself, I bowed my head and said,
"Um... could I dig up some mandrake?"
"Mandrake? Why?"
'Uh... I need it for medicine.'
But with those wary eyes, no way she'd hand it over just like that.
I couldn't give up, though.
So I desperately pieced together everything I'd learned so far.
"They said it's needed for Gu Poison. That's all I know."
"Gu Poison? Mm. Must be the Third Elder's experiments. Progress on dinosaur control research?"
New info spilling from the woman in front of me.
My face grew paler by the second.
The more you knew, the more dangerous it got—that was common sense.
"How many do you need?"
"I heard five."
"Five, huh. Mm. Fine. Take them."
Permission granted—I nearly cheered.
Barely holding it in, I recalled the warnings.
It screams when you pull it up.
I drew qi from my dantian to block my ears.
The moment I protected my ears and yanked up the mandrake.
[... Uuuugh.] No scream.
Instead, the withered mandrake glared at the woman beside it, groaning.
The human-like root was trembling.
As if begging to live.
Seeing that, I looked at the woman next to it.
"By any chance, the ground has a b..."
"The poison."
"Ah... yes..."
"It's the poison."
She emphasized it again.
As I turned to pull another mandrake, ignoring her.
Something happened.
"Third Elder. Supplies... Huh? Who's that?"
The real supply runner had arrived.
In that instant, I glanced sideways.
The woman was glaring at me with eyes full of killing intent.
"... Who are you?"
"Uh... well... I..."
I trailed off, stuffing the mandrake into my pouch.
Buying time like that, I shouted while looking behind her.
"Now! Get her!"
The Third Elder whirled around in shock.
Leaving her back exposed, I bolted.
"Hah! You dared to deceive me? How sly."
The Third Elder's hollow laugh when she realized nothing was behind her.
But I couldn't laugh.
Whoosh—
The sword flying in front of me blocked my escape.
"... Could you let me go?"
The Third Elder smiled sweetly at my plea.
"You've learned too much for that."
Outraged, I yelled,
"I didn't even ask, and you blabbed it all on your own!"
"Hehe. Don't cry, come here. Just tell me where you're from, and as thanks for the jerky..."
"Thank me by sparing my life!"
"Mm. Truth be told, I'm not that grateful. I don't like jerky much."
She doesn't like it?
"... Even though you licked up the crumbs with your tongue."
"W-When did I lick it with my tongue?!"
"Wow, gaslighting me just 'cause there's no proof."
"Argh! Shut up!"
She lashed out in anger, extending her hand.
The sword, swimming through the air like a fish, flew to her hand.
"Speak. Who sent you?"
"You won't believe me if I say I just came for mandrake, right?"
"Hehe. Collecting on Dinosaur Island. Would you believe that?"
"... Then don't ask."
Muttering, I drew my sword.
"Oh? Gonna let your sword do the talking? Manly, I like it."
The Third Elder chuckled as if amused.
But I couldn't smile.
Even without stance, she felt like an immovable boulder.
The vast gap made my teeth grind on their own.
That's when it popped up.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Heavenly Demon has requested a 1:1 chat.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Snow Girl has requested a 1:1...] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Twin Sword Murim Elf Begone has...] 1:1 chat requests popping up simultaneously.
I accepted all three right away.
Three chat windows appeared.
Each one had the same video uploaded.
Videos of Heavenly Demon, Snow Girl, and Twin Sword Murim Elf Begone demonstrating techniques and passing on martial arts.