EP.36
Ah, so this is the warmth everyone speaks of.
I was quietly savoring this warmth that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Huff… Hah…”
Tang So-young exhaled heated breaths and moved her hands about restlessly.
The cold air.
The hot breath.
It was only natural for steam to rise.
Tang So-young was drenched in sweat.
The fact that it was all for me and no one else made it all the more meaningful.
“Hah…”
It’s almost over now.
In the end, Tang So-young pushed through to the end and wiped her face.
“Foo… My arms.”
She rubbed her arms that had been moving constantly.
It was only natural that they would hurt after all that motion.
“I’ve… never started a fire before in my life.”
The campfire flickered pleasantly.
The soot on she face indicated how hard she had worked at starting the fire.
She had used spider silk and twigs to ignite it.
It was definitely easier with a human around.
I had attempted to start a fire a few times myself. Beyond raising body temperature, the effects of fire in the wilderness were immense. If I could handle fire, even high-level foes would think twice before approaching.
But it was something impossible for a lizard’s hands.
Any little effort would break the twigs, and the moment my claws touched, the spider silk would snap.
Laying there watching the campfire, my mood lifted for no particular reason.
Should I say I felt languid?
“Meow…”
The spiders had climbed onto my back, mimicking my position.
Grrr.
A small thunder rumbled.
Startled, I shot upright.
Was it an enemy attack?
“Um, uh…”
What was that? I definitely heard a huge sound.
Why was there nothing?
Only Tang So-young’s face was turning bright red.
Grrr.
Now I realized.
That thunderous sound was not an enemy attack, but instead the noise coming from Tang So-young’s stomach.
At such a sensitive age, let’s ignore it.
If I pointed it out, she’d probably cry again.
“Th-there’s a strange sound…”
Grrr!
Tang So-young made a face that looked almost like she was about to cry.
Covering the spiders’ eyes, I closed mine as well.
We are being considerate of you.
I’m sure it was conveyed well enough.
“Maybe you could cover your ears instead…?”
Ah, would that be better?
Her face was as red as a ripe tomato.
But, it’s natural for a person to experience that.
“Gek gek.”
I wasn’t bothered by it.
“Um, it’s because I didn’t eat anything today….”
I understand.
When you’re hungry, such sounds can emerge.
“Gek gek!”
“Is that… laughter? Ha! It’s because I worked hard to make this fire!”
The meaning behind my “gek gek” was one of consolation, but it seemed my words were beyond the understanding of a lizard.
“Ugh… I’m sorry, but I’ll eat first. I’ll go grab some wall grain cakes… Ah?”
The “ah” came because I couldn’t find the wall grain cakes I was sure I had brought with me, clearly having dropped them somewhere, and feeling both hungry and embarrassed left me puzzled about what to do.
“W-wait, wall grain cakes! My wall grain cakes! I’m sure I packed them!”
I should have been more careful.
If this goes on, I won’t be able to sleep.
I’d have to keep listening to that thunder.
Well, since we have fire, let’s give the little ones a midnight snack and try something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
With my long tail, I retrieved some dried meat that was hanging on a twig.
It was turtle and toad meat.
Eating it raw isn’t bad, but with fire available, there’s no reason not to grill it.
I worried that suggesting raw meat to Tang So-young might be too much for her.
“Grr…”
I’m giving you the meat, so look after it and grill it yourself.
Just fix it onto the twig and hold it over the flames.
Tang So-young stared blankly at the meat I handed her.
Her eyes widened a bit, and her mouth gaped open.
“M-Master Komodo…?”
Tang So-young repeatedly called out a name that wasn’t mine, as if unable to believe it.
“T-T-That, that Golden Wa? And Golden Toad?”
Huh?
Golden Wa and Golden Toad?
It seemed there was some misunderstanding.
There was no way such rare creatures could be here.
Perhaps she mistook them for something uniquely shaped; however, these creatures could not be classified as spirit creatures.
Since they didn’t even show signs of having undergone the transformation.
And the status screen would immediately inform me after consuming elixirs, just like when I consumed the Qing Cheng Stone Oil.
“Oh, no. They don’t have a golden hue yet, so… B-but they just look too… Ugh!”
Tang So-young attempted to consume the meat I had handed her raw.
Of course, she was thwarted by the jet kick from Tus Pus.
Thud!
“Ouch… No wonder those little spiders could handle their energy….”
Tang So-young still couldn’t shake her doubts.
Although that meat might not be of elixir quality, it certainly looked good for the body.
After all, Tus Pus had grown rapidly after eating that meat.
It must be rich in nutrients.
However, no matter how I thought about it, they couldn’t be Golden Toad and Golden Wa.
I wasn’t foolish enough not to recognize something that precious.
Those spirit creatures that supposedly appeared once in ten thousand years couldn’t possibly be here.
“…Is it really okay for me to eat this?”
Didn’t she just try to eat it raw before?
“Gek gek.”
I lightly nodded.
I was relieved that we could communicate to this extent.
“Indeed, Master…”
I gave her dried persimmons; wouldn’t I let her have the meat?
Those pieces of meat were ones I could catch in an instant.
Perhaps for the leader, it might be harder, but the smaller ones were easily caught.
…Wait, does that mean the bigger ones could be spirit creatures like Golden Toad or Golden Wa?
Nah, surely not.
But I need to confirm at least once.
They were too swift to catch, but someday I would.
Tang So-young neatly threaded the cleaned meat onto a twig and placed it over the campfire.
The sizzling sound of the cooking meat was truly pleasant to hear.
Drupp.
I really had dropped some drool clumsily.
“I’ll grill it quickly!”
Who’s going to eat it?
Take your time.
Just because she hurried doesn’t mean it will cook faster.
After Tang So-young’s efforts, the meat turned a golden brown.
Now it was time to divide it.
First, let’s give some to Tus and Pus.
Since they were still small and had already eaten a lot for their late-night snack, just a piece each would suffice.
“Clang!”
Tang So-young seemed particularly interested in the toad meat, so I decided to give her a whole piece.
“I never imagined I would eat Golden Wa…”
Not Golden Wa, I repeat.
That’s Beelzebub Toad.
The devil toad, that is.
I devoured the leftovers.
A plumply roasted turtle.
I took a whiff before immediately putting it in my mouth.
Chew.
Yes, this is the flavor.
To be honest, my palate has leaned towards that of a lizard, so I couldn’t claim it was especially delicious compared to raw meat. However, the comfort provided by the warmth of grilled meat was nothing to scoff at.
It felt like my insides were warming up.
The texture was tender and flaky, having been cooked for a long time.
Although it was a shame it wasn’t freshly hunted meat, it was still sufficiently gourmet-worthy.
Tang So-young was also enjoying her roasted toad.
After grilling it thoroughly to rid it of toxins, she munched on it along with the crispy skin.
“Hehe… Golden Wa… Golden Wa…”
It was a little scary hearing her mumble about not leaving any behind, but it was good that she wasn’t leaving anything.
“I can’t let this fate pass me by…”
No, it’s not fate.
Look over there. They are scurrying around too.
Believing whatever she wants, I suppose.
And thus, our happy late-night snack time concluded.
Tus and Pus lay down, patting their plump bellies.
It’s not good to lie down right after eating, but I can’t hold a spider to the same standard.
“Master Komodo.”
Tang So-young approached me, subtly glancing at Tus and Pus.
“I can’t express how grateful I am to be able to eat such precious food.”
For once, she wasn’t stuttering.
It made her seem like a well-mannered person from a respectable family.
“Actually, I’m someone who manages spirit creatures like Master Komodo… Eek! I, I don’t mean to imply that I handle creatures as impressive as you… far from it, actually…”
I was the fool for having any expectations.
“Glurrr…”
So, what do you want to say?
“If it’s not too presumptuous, could I touch Master’s body…?”
“Gek?”
I tilted my head.
What do you mean?
“It’s a bit forward of me, but the energy in Master’s body feels so unfamiliar to me… Uhm, I mean, it seems to clash? One of the things I often dealt with involves resolving such situations…”
I see.
In simpler terms, she was saying she’s like an animal trainer.
“Glrrr.”
“Eek! I-I’m sorry! If that upset you, I apologize…”
No, it didn’t really bother me.
I was somewhat curious about what was inside me.
There’s also what Baek Yeon-young told me.
I was wondering if the elixirs I consumed have been adequately digested.
I wrapped my tail around Tang So-young’s waist.
“Kyaaa!”
As I pulled gently, she came along without resistance.
“U-Uh… Does this mean I have your permission?”
“Gek.”
I nodded.
“Then… Please remain still…”
Tang So-young straightened her posture and placed both hands on my back.
“Don’t move.”
Understood.
A warm energy radiated from her hands.
“…I can see a lot. First off, there’s not just one or two spirit creature cores within you, but they’re all quite special. Especially that fierce energy from a beast. And this warm energy… hmm? This is a type I’ve never seen before.”
Am I doing all right here?
The fierce energy is likely from the Cayman, and the warm energy… could it be from the Nephila?
“Inside… I suspected it but, indeed, there is Qing Cheng Stone Oil. …Eh? Cordyceps? Has it always been this large?”
So, Cordyceps is also considered an elixir?
I thought it was just a mushroom.
It didn’t seem like it did anything for me.
“It’s strange. There’s a lot of energy inside, but they’re not merging together. It would be more accurate to say they’re circulating around instead of being absorbed by the lower Dantian. At this rate, your body might burst… No, it seems it should have burst already.”
What?
Why are you telling me that now?!
“If the absorbed energy exceeds a certain limit, the body will reject it… How have the elixirs managed to coexist in this state… Ah!”
Tang So-young exclaimed as if she had discovered something.
“Jade Bee Honey! Yes, it was there. Truly, Master Komodo. You’ve suppressed the energies of the elixirs with Jade Bee Honey. A common person like me wouldn’t even dare to imagine such a thing.”
Tang So-young spoke with awe.
What is this Jade Bee Honey?
I’ve never had such a thing.
So, it means I’m alright for now?
I don’t need to worry about my body bursting, right?
“There’s still something left… I see more. It doesn’t seem related to the lower Dantian, but since I can see it, I’ll take a quick peek. It’s solid and resilient. Should I say it’s Master’s mission? Or perhaps the reason for living in this world? I’m a bit curious.”
Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?
“Ugh… What is this!”
Tang So-young took a deep breath.
What on earth did she see?
“A lizard with long claws is wearing a strange outfit and sitting by the water… A person? Why is there a person appearing here… Kyaaa! W-What in the world is this bizarre…”
What are you doing looking at that?
“A giant lizard with a crest on its back is holding a broom… wearing a flowing outfit in a perfect harmony of black and white. Mas-master…? Acting all coy with a human… Kyaaa!”
This is a misunderstanding.
It’s all a misunderstanding.
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