Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Even Snakes Get Hungry Sometimes
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Uw aaa.
A super ultra mega gigantic snake buddy, big enough to befriend a train, gobbled up my inheritance...!
And it even burped like it was delicious...!
Pastel, who only topped her research class with zero combat skills, freaked out with a uwa uwa.
Uw aaa.
"A snake."
The demon stated calmly.
The white snake turned its head. Its red eyes spotted Pastel. The vertical pupils filled completely with the pink-toned girl.
The snake's head tilted quizzically.
Gasp.
Chills raced across Pastel's entire body. Her body froze like a mouse stared down by a snake.
Squeak...
I'm just a passing-by mouse.
I don't have anything tasty on me.
Just look at me as decoration, pretty please.
"Back away very slowly. It hasn't recognized you as prey yet, so any fast movements will just provoke it unnecessarily."
The extremely calm voice eased the tension from her stiffened body.
As expected of the demon.
Having him around is pure peace of mind.
Pastel kept her eyes fixed on the white snake and carefully retreated. She moved only her feet in tiny steps, arms pinned still, widening the distance bit by bit.
Suddenly, the white snake that had been watching her raised its head high. Its massive body touched the cavern ceiling. The snake bared its fangs and hissed fiercely.
Uwa?
Pastel froze again like a mouse.
Squeak...
I-Is it coming? Is it coming for me?
A train-sized snake charging at me?
"It's fine for now. Just a threat display. Since it doesn't see you as prey, this is actually a good situation. Keep retreating slowly without provoking it, and you'll escape safely."
Ooh.
Reassuring.
Pastel, slightly relieved, backed away a little more and exited the cavern into the ruined trap room.
She wiped her forehead needlessly.
Phew.
I thought I was done for.
I turned into total mouse-Pastel there~.
Haha.
Pastel laughed to herself before slumping dramatically.
Eeeeng.
She leaned her head against the wall.
Totally busted.
Snake buddy ate my inheritance.
If it wanted the empty treasure chest that bad, I would've given it to you as a friend, but nooo, you greedy-guts had to swallow the whole thing yourself, nom nom smack smack.
Pastel picked up her magic sword. She eyed the size difference between the train-sized white snake and her blade.
To a snake, isn't this just a toothpick?
Charge in and poke poke! Stab stab!
Snake buddy goes aww, so cute~.
Would a mouse stab me? Nah, time to eat it!
Waaah~! Chomp-!
Mouse-Pastel goes eek and donezo.
Totally plausible scenario.
Pastel clutched her head.
Uwaaa.
Life is too hard for Pastel...!
The demon spoke calmly.
"Finesse and power mean nothing against sheer overwhelming size. You'll encounter beings with insurmountable natural gaps like this sometimes. The upside is you instantly know to run the moment you see them. Survival itself isn't that hard."
A congenital gap, even acknowledged by the demon.
"No need to fight. Humans aren't very nutritious or tasty, so most creatures don't bother hunting us unless desperate. We just do our thing and slip away quietly—it's manageable."
Does the demon have some brilliant solution for this?
"Digesting the Demon King's inheritance will be extremely tough for it. It'll probably pass right through undigested. With the Fate Compass, we can come back later, read the direction, find the droppings, and recover it. Not hard at all."
Very practical advice.
Whoaaa.
No need to fight that snake!
As expected of the demon!
Pastel believed in him!
Yay.
The demon pondered briefly.
"Of course, there's risk. Licking the treasure chest and still swallowing it means it's confident in its digestion. Strong acids might damage the inheritance. Even if not, it could still affect it negatively."
Pastel froze.
Permanently devaluing the inheritance?
"But we can't weigh some unknown inheritance against your life. Best to retreat today and recover it later."
A nagging unease settled in.
Pastel hesitated, then shook her head.
"Young Craft?"
She peeked at the snake beyond the wall and whispered softly.
"No, that's not it. It's not about some unknown inheritance versus my life."
She exhaled as if shaking off her fear.
Her voice turned cold.
"What's on the scales is honor and life."
What she had to do: avenge her sacrificed retainers.
What she had to protect: her preserved family head's life.
"I decide which weighs more."
Pastel stared resolutely at her magic sword.
This was a journey of vengeance. She could retreat if the situation soured. She could withdraw if victory seemed impossible. But turning back just for safety's sake? No.
The demon fell silent for a moment.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Understood. It'll be a tough path."
His steady voice softened Pastel's expression. A reflexive reaction.
"Yeah, help me out."
Hehe.
"Let's give it our best. First, gauge the snake's exact size. Examine the traces left in this room carefully."
She followed the advice. She sized up the white snake and surveyed the battlefield.
"Its massive bulk is a huge threat in itself. We need to neutralize that advantage. Ideally, create an environment where we only face parts of it at a time."
They devised a plan, reviewed it, and began the fight.
Pastel tossed a stone to draw its attention and stared down the white snake.
"Hey, snake buddy."
The white snake raised its head, brushing the ceiling. Its vertical pupils glared. Its mouth gaped ferociously. The hiss echoed through the cavern.
Uwa.
She startled instinctively, then shook her head. Her gut screamed to run.
As if shoving back her subconscious, she muttered consciously.
"Nice how well I can see inside the ruins without a lantern."
She shook out her stiff legs and assumed a throwing stance.
In an instant, she kicked off the ground. Her arm whipped forward with a whoosh. The stone arced high and smashed into the white snake's head. It burst on impact amid a roar of pain.
Killing intent prickled sharply.
Pastel spun and bolted toward the trap room. Her hurried footsteps pounded in sequence. The giant snake slithered after her, scraping the ground with its body. The floor tore up noisily, closing in fast.
If it catches me, I'm dead, dead.
The room entrance loomed close.
"Dodge."
Pastel kicked sideways off the ground. Her legs shoved roughly against the earth, forcibly changing her direction and launching her body aside.
The massive body slammed down where she'd been. Fangs shattered the ground. Debris flew, grazing the girl.
"Run."
Pastel sprinted at full speed. She burst from the cavern, past the trap and quiz rooms, toward the ruin entrance.
Chasing fangs stabbed down repeatedly. The pink figure zigzagged, kicking off the ground. The maw grazed her clothes. A boom echoed as shards sprayed.
A sharp fragment sliced her cheek. Blood droplets scattered.
Pale-faced, Pastel hurled herself toward the ruin exit. The ruins' glow faded as she entered the dark sewer.
She whirled, facing the entrance, panting as she aimed her sword.
Fighting here would prevent the giant body from coiling or tail-whipping. And she'd provoked it enough that it wouldn't just give up and turn back.
The white snake halted at the narrow entrance and roared. Then it rammed its head forward. A thunderous crash shook the opening, showering stone dust.
The snake rubbed its head, peering into the sewer. Red vertical pupils glared at the girl.
Pink hair whipped. The blade flashed. Its arc pierced the pupil. Blood sprayed.
Pastel grimaced, soaked in gore. Just stabbing the soft eye had felt overly springy. She could feel how tough the outer hide must be.
Before it dragged her in blade-first, she yanked it free. The eyeball tore out. A screech echoed. The white snake reared back.
Pastel shook blood from her blade. Droplets flew.
She eyed the ruin entrance.
"You'll run now, right?"
"High chance."
Nature had no hospitals. Most animals avoided fights that could cause major injury, even if they could win.
From here, it was a prolonged chase and hunt. Humanity's specialty.
But the size gap remained. A wrong encounter during pursuit meant death. All she could do was pray blinding one eye paid off.
Suddenly, a shock rocked the entrance. The white snake bashed its head roughly into the narrow gap. Stone shards flew; cracks spiderwebbed the wall.
Eh?
The white snake reared again. Pastel instinctively leaped aside.
Right after, its head smashed into the entrance. The narrow opening crumbled. The white giant forced into the sewer.
The girl's vision filled with white snake.
The white snake writhed into position and glared at the girl. Its gaping maw reached the sewer ceiling. It hissed.
Pastel exhaled and aimed her sword.
Face a snake filling the straight passage head-on?
Uwa.
This was death's doorstep.
Escape urge x100.
Then the white snake lunged. Red maw filled her sight. Fangs targeted the girl.
The girl took half a step back. The jaws snapped shut right in front. A harsh gust shook her pink hair.
The blade flashed. The arc soared. The remaining snake eye pierced. Blood erupted.
The white snake screeched. The girl retreated hastily.
The snake coiled, then charged. The sewer churned. She dodged; the bulk grazed past. Impact boomed.
Pastel flew into the wall. Ngh! She crashed to the ground and tumbled. Throbbing pain flooded her body.
Coughing brought up blood-mixed spit.
Adrenaline surged hard. Her mind hazed slightly; pain faded.
Hormone buddy, you're late!
Pastel exhaled long. She steadied her rattled mind from the crash and rose.
The blinded white snake flicked its tongue. It sampled the blood-scent air for a while, then roared in victory.
Uwa.
H-Hey, it's not over yet.
She faced the white snake with wobbling legs, forcing her trembling sword to aim. The blade shook.
The white snake paused. Its head turned; the ruined eye fixed on her. Its tongue flicked, compensating for lost sight.
Mutual wariness stretched time.
Pastel tapped her sword.
Demon, demon.
Answer key please.
This guy's too strong.
Pastel can't do it.
Hehe.
Pastel giggled with her slightly unhinged mind. Blood trickled from her mouth.
A small cough sprayed droplets.
"Yeah, haa. No."
The demon sighed in frustration.
Then opened calmly.
"In battle, always check the terrain. Variables intervene constantly—that's common. Sometimes, how you handle them decides victory or defeat."
Ehh?
What's that mean all of a sudden?
Pastel tilted her head.
Noise came from behind.
Countless commotions and squeals.
Huh?
The girl and snake froze simultaneously.
The racket intensified. Something surged like a tidal wave.
Pastel glanced back, eyes widening round.
Beast eyes filled the darkness beyond. Hundreds of knee-high giant rats swarmed.
Even louder than last time, way more numbers. They'd kept joining up, swelling the horde.
Uwa?
Pastel panicked, glancing front and back.
Giant snake ahead, giant rats behind.
Pastel surrounded...!
The giant rat pack arrived in seconds. Lead rats lunged. Front teeth aimed at Pastel.
Uwaaa.
I'm dead!
Super emergency improv...!
Pastel leaped at the wall. Mid-air, she swung her magic sword. The blade embedded high in the wall, slicing into a crack and locking firm.
She spun her body around the hilt. Twirling airborne, she landed on it.
Pastel hurriedly looked below. Giant rats surged underfoot, then passed by. Some glanced up, licked their chops, but gave up.
Phew, saved.
She peeked at the white snake. The stunned serpent got mobbed fearlessly by rats. Beasts blanketed the white scales. Teeth tore savagely.
Oiiing.
Did I just win this?
Pastel suddenly brimmed with confidence.
"You got it! My squeaky pals! Charge~!"
I knew you guys were friends!
The white snake roared. It thrashed, crushing a few rats instantly.
Eep.
Weaklings.
Fresh rats leaped on. They climbed to the head, reached the eyes. Rats burrowed into the ruined socket and gnawed inside.
Euee?
More rats dove in.
The white snake screeched.
A shocking spectacle unfolded.
"Cover the kid's eyes. Not for young viewers."
Uwa uwa.
Good-girl Pastel covered her eyes with her hands.
19+ from here, huh!
She squeezed them shut too.
Total good girl.
But then hormone buddy whispered, hehe, not curious? Pastel pondered briefly.
She peeked through her fingers.
Whoa whoa.
Whoaaa!
They do THAT with it?!
Cultural shock.
Much later, the white snake died.
From its gnawed-open body emerged the undigested treasure chest.
Pastel cheered atop the hilt.
"We won!"
Such a brutal fight.
But in the end, victory for popular Pastel with all her friends!
This is the fate of the beloved?!
Yay.