EP.53
“Heeya. As I’ve mentioned before, your body structure is different from that of humans. Therefore, merely imitating me won’t lead you to great success.”
Baek Yeon-Young spent a whole day moving my hands and legs around herself.
It seemed less about teaching me something specific and more about enjoying the flailing motion.
“Heeya. You must feel the flow of your energy. What good is learning the Dragon’s Techniques if you can’t even approach your enemies? If you build up your energy and reach a higher level, the distance will no longer matter.”
Another day spent teaching Breath Control.
“Heeya. Your scales are truly beautiful. How about giving up just one for the sake of your original self?”
A whole day spent extracting my scales and venom.
…Isn’t this just fulfilling her own desires?
“Heeya. It’s a bit awkward to say this, but I hope you realize your identity. You are free to have your own preferences, but those spiders aren’t even the right size.”
Another day spent discussing love?
When exactly will we leave?
At this rate, the spider will die!
However, Nephila Jurassica seemed to be just fine.
Baek Yeon-Young was distributing some kind of elixir that seemed to invigorate the bodies. Thanks to that, the spider also seemed to be doing well.
Still, I couldn’t keep feeding her this forever, so we would have to leave soon.
Since I might not be able to see her for a while, I should take a good look now while I can.
“Kieeeng…”
Yes. Let’s go quickly so I can transform into Arachne soon.
Another day passed.
Today was finally the day to learn Martial Arts.
The technique I chose was a singular one.
The High Dragon Techniques depicted on that mural.
Even the name itself was a Martial Art meant for me.
“The Techniques,”
Baek Yeon-Young examined the image on the mural briefly and nodded.
“High Dragon Techniques are a mix of swift, heavy, and elusive martial arts.”
Swift, heavy, elusive!
I’ve only heard the terms but didn’t fully understand what they meant.
I gathered that swift means fast, heavy means slow but strong, and elusive means confusing.
That’s about all I understood.
“The basics of power and flow must be established, so I won’t bother explaining that.”
Huh? Isn’t that the most important part?
Please don’t overestimate me.
“There are three representative forms. The first is a technique where you pull your foot back while continuously striking. The second is a blow that empowers the strike with a forceful feeling. The third is a technique that strikes at an unpredictable trajectory…”
….
“Gegek!”
I was only listening and now I couldn’t breathe.
Please pause and let me catch my breath.
I’m struggling here.
“Do you understand?”
Not really.
“Gek? Gek.”
I had forgotten, but my master wasn’t particularly good at explaining things.
I struggled to understand when learning about the Dragon’s Techniques as well.
Is it my lack of understanding?
No, it doesn’t seem to be that.
It must be Baek Yeon-Young’s odd explanations.
At least that’s what I believe.
“Ugh! How can you not understand again?”
“Gekgegek!”
Try explaining it more clearly!
Baek Yeon-Young rested her chin on her hand and started pondering.
“Am I going to have to show you again…”
As she glanced at me, my heart raced.
Please don’t tell me she’s going to use it on me!
“Geенек!”
I quickly dashed towards Tang So-young, but she ignored me while pretending to treat the spider.
“Gegegek!”
Eventually, I was caught by Baek Yeon-Young and brought back to the original spot.
So that’s how the recruited lizard-shaped training dummy was created.
Baek Yeon-Young stared at the dummy.
“I’ll show you quickly.”
“Gegegek!”
Just don’t kill me.
Baek Yeon-Young’s foot sliced through the air.
The tip of her foot grazed my cheek, continuously thrusting as if skipping the retraction process.
An overwhelmingly incredible speed, yet I could tell she was controlling her strength.
“This is swift.”
The moment her words ended, Baek Yeon-Young struck strongly as if she were pushing against the air.
Boom!
The movement was slow, but the power behind it was certainly not insignificant.
“This is heavy.”
Baek Yeon-Young swung her leg upward.
Then, her motion suddenly altered direction.
Swoosh!
“This is elusive.”
It was a kick aimed at the lower region while feigning a strike to the upper part.
…Isn’t that a Brazilian kick?
“How does it feel?”
What do you mean, how does it feel?
I got a good look at it but…
How should I put this, it’s not quite what I imagined?
I felt a bit disappointed.
It was a movement that couldn’t be executed with a lizard’s body.
No matter what, how could I pull off a Brazilian kick?
“The High Dragon Techniques are a martial art created by the Heavenly Demon Cult’s Kaepajosa.”
Kaepajosa?
If it’s the one from the Heavenly Demon Cult, of course…
“Right. It’s the martial art left to us by the Heavenly Demon.”
The Heavenly Demon!
I could hear my heart beating faster.
“However, the High Dragon Techniques are a martial art that cannot be performed by a human body. What I just showed you was an improvised adaptation.”
Wait a moment.
A martial art that cannot be performed by a human body?
Does that mean the Heavenly Demon is that powerful?
Or does it mean the Heavenly Demon doesn’t take on a human form?
“Now, I’ll show you the original form.”
The original form?
But you just said it can’t be performed by a human body.
Baek Yeon-Young gazed at the cave walls.
The moment I thought her foot had moved slightly,
Boom!
The delayed sound of her movement echoed.
There were more than ten holes punched into the wall.
I hadn’t even seen her move her foot once; it was a terrifying speed.
“This is the essence of swiftness. This is the Flying Dragon Flash.”
Flying Dragon Flash.
What a cool name.
Far better than just slamming down Greed Basilisk.
“And this is heaviness.”
Boom!
A profound energy crushed everything around.
It felt similar to when I activated the Reverse-Breakthrough technique.
Boom.
Baek Yeon-Young took just one step.
Yet, the ground was trembling.
She applied even more force in that state.
Boom!
The resonance was enough to shake the entirety of the cave, fitting to describe an upheaval of heaven and earth.
“This is the River Dragon Shock.”
Quack!
“And finally, this is the elusive technique.”
Baek Yeon-Young moved her foot at an astonishingly slow speed.
She was allowing me just enough to keep up with her movement.
Her foot moved.
Not just one but dozens, hundreds of feet.
It created an afterimage, appearing as if she was utilizing clones.
Swoosh!
With a single kick she unleashed, it was both one and simultaneously hundreds.
“This is the Swimming Dragon Illusion.”
My mouth fell agape.
The martial art she showcased was more beautiful and powerful than anything I had ever witnessed.
“Normally, I shouldn’t be showing you this. There aren’t any images of this move on the mural. Only remnants left by Kaepajosa.”
Remnants?
The only thing that could be called remnants around here were the sword marks engraved at the peak of the rock.
The patterns inscribed in an impossible location.
The one who inscribed that was none other than the Heavenly Demon.
Did the mural in the Silver Dragon Cave also record the techniques created by the Heavenly Demon?
I felt something ignite within my chest.
Having two murals means there could be even more.
Does that mean there are more martial arts founded by the Heavenly Demon?
Truly the Heavenly Demon’s Arts!
“While I cannot call it the Heavenly Demon’s Arts, it is a martial art that can be utilized in any situation.”
So it’s not the Heavenly Demon’s Arts.
Well, I suppose I need to learn techniques like mental arts for that.
Yet, the fact that it’s a martial art left by the Heavenly Demon provides a strong motivation for my training.
Of course, I’m currently just an oversized lizard who can’t even use the High Dragon Techniques, but one day I will learn all the martial arts depicted on that mural.
Training.
It’s all about training again.
“I can’t stress this enough, but your body and mine are different. You need to create your movements. This martial art may fit your body even better than mine.”
“Gekgek!”
Right.
Let’s take it one step at a time.
Let’s practice in the empty air.
Until I create my own movements.
“Ah, a good opponent has appeared.”
Huh?
Baek Yeon-Young’s puppet vanished in an instant.
She reappeared from afar.
In her hand was something familiar.
【Utahraptor lv27】
【Status】
「Fear」「Hunger」
Um… Hello?
Have you been trapped here since then?
Is Baek Yeon-Young scary?
Oh dear, how pitiful.
I’ll make sure you can leave soon.
…Just need to practice the High Dragon Techniques.
*
As time passed, it had been a week since I came to this cave.
Though it wasn’t perfect, I had finally managed to use the High Dragon Techniques.
Now, my training was complete.
Finishing my training meant it was time to say goodbye.
“Great Hero. Thank you so much for everything.”
Tang So-young held my hand tightly.
I felt a bit anxious about her going to the Heavenly Demon Cult’s stronghold without me, but she had gotten somewhat closer to Baek Yeon-Young over the past week.
Though she still occasionally stuttered, as long as she didn’t act rudely to anyone stronger than her, she had a high chance of being looked after.
Keep your wits about you.
And take good care of our spiders.
Especially Arachne.
You know that, right?
“Gekgek.”
As I conveyed my parting advice, the spiders scurried over.
“Kieek.”
“Kieeek.”
“Kieeeng!”
Sorry, I’m not really sure what you’re saying.
But still, take care of yourselves.
Let’s meet again as beautiful Arachne.
Especially you, Nephila Jurassica.
Even if you can’t become an Arachne, there shouldn’t be any side effects on your body.
I finished greeting my sister Tang.
There was no need to prolong it.
After all, we would be meeting again in a few months.
I just had to wander around Shiman Mountain, lonely and forlorn, while I waited.
…Just kidding, I could lounge around and Baek Yeon-Young would come find me.
“Heeya.”
My master called my name.
“What would you do if a human were to speak to you?”
What do you mean, what would I do?
I’d just gekgek.
“It’s obvious, but a sane person wouldn’t talk to a lizard they see for the first time.”
I know that, but you shouldn’t be saying such things.
“…Huh!”
Why do you look so shocked, So-young?
“From now on, don’t easily trust anyone you meet. They may be stronger and more wicked than you.”
Baek Yeon-Young expressed her concern.
Come to think of it, she mentioned there were a few humans who had also entered this place like Tang So-young.
“Gek.”
I made a brave sound, meaning not to worry.
“Right. Always be cautious.”
“Geggek!”
It was time to leave.
I hadn’t decided where to go yet.
Now that I was alone, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to challenge the upper swamp area.
Studying the sword marks on the mural in the Silver Dragon Cave wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
“If you have no specific destination, how about heading east?”
East?
That’s a place I hadn’t even considered.
“There should be tropical rainforests there. …It’s unrelated to the princess, but I feel like there might be fortuitous encounters hidden there.”
…There must be something there!
Perhaps something like Eternal Essence.
Right.
If you’re spoon-feeding me this information, I can’t just pass it up.
“Gegegegek!”
I gave a hearty cry and bowed once towards Baek Yeon-Young.
Of course, my bow was just a slight nod, but Baek Yeon-Young seemed quite pleased.
“Why the politeness… It’s not a bad thing. Yes, take care of yourself. Don’t worry too much about my daughter. I will take responsibility for looking after her.”
That’s reassuring.
Now, everything was settled.
This was but a brief farewell as I began a new journey.
The tropical rainforest.
So, the jungle.
Just wait for me.
The fortuitous encounter hunter is coming.
“Gegegegek!”
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