Thank you to everyone who gave me comments and coupons! Here we are at Chapter 147!
48. Magical Beast and the Gatekeeper of Hell – Magical Beast and the Gatekeeper of Hell #2
“Let’s sleep here for the night. There’s no safe spot as we go down, so it’s wise to rest when you can.”
Usir showed me something that looked like a desk clock.
“It’s midnight right now. You can rest in that room until the morning sun rises. It has a bed for you two. I’ll be more comfortable sleeping alone in this storage area. It’s a fair distribution of space.”
Hearing the word “morning sun” in this pitch-black underground world—where not even a flicker of light can enter without glowing stones or torches—felt somewhat absurd.
—Wow, he’s thorough about time.
As I half-remarked, half-joked, Usir entered a room that looked like a storage area piled with goods and leaned against the wall.
“Just because you’re alone, it doesn’t mean you can waste time. A regular routine is essential to keep your mind and body intact.”
—Indeed.
I recalled my days living alone. Without any proper work, and surviving for about a year, my days and nights had flip-flopped, leading to a plethora of troubles when meal times were all over the place.
Living freely without needing to watch anyone’s face made it even more crucial to manage one’s health meticulously.
In that aspect, Usir could be called the master of survival after spending over a decade here alone. With his back resting against a wooden box, he looked somewhat like an ascetic monk.
Of course, from the waist down, he was a monster with wriggling tentacle legs.
—Right, then I’ll see you in the morning.
Yawning widely, I entered the modest bedroom set up in our hideout. Physically, I felt perfectly fine, but I certainly needed a mental break.
The things I’d witnessed and experienced down here had been so horrible that, if I were still human, I probably would have fainted several times over.
—Why are you lying there?
I frowned at Azidahaka, who was lounging on the single pull-out bed. The little guy had changed into something like a black robe and was comfortably lying with Yingyi next to him.
“I can’t sleep on the cold ground. I just can’t get to sleep on hard surfaces.”
Azidahaka explained in a prim voice.
I glared at him with my sleepy eyes.
During our journey through the desert for nearly fifteen days, it seemed Azidahaka hadn’t been able to sleep one wink at night because of discomfort.
“Now that there’s an appealing bed, I intend to catch up on some sleep. You’re a wild beast, so it’s fine if you sleep on the floor.”
—Of course, but can I at least have Yingyi, who’s lying by your head?
I snatched Yingyi from beside Azidahaka.
—Gyuing!
Yingyi was surprisingly fluffy, so cuddling him would make even the floor feel like a luxurious bed.
—Gyuing! Yingyi’s asking for something!
Yingyi seemed to convey something, and while I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, it felt like he was urging me to flatten his plush body.
—Flatten you?
—Ying.
I followed Yingyi’s suggestion and stretched out his soft, marshmallow-like body, patting it until it spread out as thin as possible.
Suddenly, his fluid form expanded to the size of a cushion, then a carpet! I curled up on top of him.
The cool sensation and the soft touch against my belly made me feel like I was lying on a cloud.
‘With this level of comfort, I don’t really need a bed.’
Content, I closed my eyes.
How long had I been asleep? I was jolted awake by continuous rustling sounds and groans of agony.
“Urrgh. Urrgh.”
Azidahaka, lying on the bed, was moaning painfully.
Rustle. Crackle.
He was constantly tossing and turning, seemingly unable to find a comfortable position, which made it hard for me to sleep peacefully.
“What’s wrong, are you okay? Are you injured?”
I sat up and looked at Azidahaka on the bed. Under the gentle glow of the luminous stone, he was shivering uncontrollably. His large blindfold obscured his face, but from his partially open mouth, hot breaths escaped as if he had a fever.
‘Is he catching a cold?’
He had rolled around in sewer water multiple times, so even his robust body might be suffering now. Or perhaps he was hurting because of Nialli’s corruption that pervaded the tower.
Even I, who usually lacked compassion, couldn’t help but feel a little empathy for him. I placed my front paw on his neck and checked his temperature.
‘Cold. No fever, it seems.’
Given my lack of medical knowledge, and considering Azidahaka was an extraordinary mythical creature, there might be ailments I knew nothing about.
‘What could it be? Did he eat something bad?’
That was about all I could deduce. This guy had devoured forty or so salted desert crab shells, so it wouldn’t be strange if he had a stomachache.
“Hey, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
I shook him to rouse him back to reality.
“I-I ate too many crab shells… ugh.”
—Ah, I knew it! You have a stomachache, tsk. Is there any digestive aid or stomach medicine lying around here?
They mentioned that the boxes scattered throughout this emergency hideout contained first-aid supplies and bandages. Surely, we could find at least a couple of remedies for stomachaches.
—Hang on.
As I was about to rummage for medicine, Azidahaka suddenly grabbed my tail and stopped me.
—What?
“It’s not my stomach. It’s my tail. It’s trying to shed its skin, and that’s what’s making me feel so itchy!”
—Your tail…?
“Yes, the skin on my tail is shedding, and it really tickles!”
—What? I thought you were hurting!
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, realizing there was no real need for concern now.
‘Now that I think about it, the desert crabs were supposed to help speed up the growth of new scales on his tail.’
As I nodded at this suddenly fitting puzzle piece, Azidahaka turned around on the pull-out bed and slipped his black robe down to his waist, shaking his tail in my direction.
“I’m s-sorry, but could you help me with the scale shedding? I can’t do it on my own…”
—Geez, you’re such a hassle! You should’ve eaten crabs in moderation! You munched them down like there was no tomorrow.
“W-Well, it was about time for me to shed anyway.”
Feeling a bit shy, Azidahaka buried his face in the bed. I squinted at his swaying tail.
—So what do I need to do? Just peel off the scales on your tail?
I had plenty of experience peeling scales from fish and reptiles in the Ancient Nest. All it took was to use my sharp claws and scrape away. However, this was the process of helping a living mythical creature shed its skin. I had no idea how to handle it.
“You’ll see some dull scales. Just take those off. Ugh….”
If Azidahaka was feeling embarrassed, he buried his face deeper into the bed and trembled.
I had no idea what shedding felt like, but I could roughly guess it must be extremely ticklish.
‘How ticklish could it be for a grown creature to show off its backside like this?’
With Azidahaka’s black robe lifted to his waist, the long dragon tail sprouting from his tailbone and his firm, shapely backside were all on display.
That white, round shape even tempted me to give it a smack.
Smack.*
“W-What are you doing right now?!”
—No, it’s just that it looks too perfect. It’s impressive! So, you want me to tidy up the scales on your tail, right?
“Yes, please! I’d really want to do it myself, but it’s such a sensitive process that I simply can’t…”
—Alright, I get it.
I grabbed the end of his tail. Surprisingly, it felt soft for something I never expected to feel.
“Yahh!”
Simply grabbing the tail made Azidahaka scream as if he were about to d*e. Gosh, with how sensitive it is, I understood why he couldn’t manage it alone.
—So, the dull scales, huh?
I leaned in closely to inspect the shiny, slick scales that were growing on his tail.
“Ugh… the breeze is tickling me. Be a little careful…”
—Man, you’re being super picky. With how sensitive you are, how do you manage normally?
“I’m not this sensitive outside of shedding season. And I’ve always had friends to take care of my tail’s scales since ages ago… aggh!”
Suddenly remembering that Azidahaka had maids assigned to pamper his tail and skin while he was locked up in the prison made me chuckle.
The scales that were shed and fell would be treated as precious materials for ornaments or weapons, right?
‘So all these scales on the tail must be rare materials too!’
I recalled that the scale of the Fire Dragon I’d harvested also came from Azidahaka somewhere on his body.
Now that I thought about it, the scales on this soft tail seemed precious and captivating, almost like a gold mine.
—So this is the dull scale?
I raised my claws and gently poked at the scales that had grown on his tail.
The tail bore thin scales with a reddish hue, among which some dull black scales sparkle like burnt bulbs.
“That’s it! Agh!”
When I lightly touched the black scale with my claw, Azidahaka twisted his body, unable to contain himself.
“The dull scales lose their crimson color. We need to get them off quickly, or it will disrupt my body’s balance!”
—Got it. This is different from my quills just shedding on their own.
After evolving into Edge Hog, my spines grew randomly, falling out and regrowing with no system. I thought all beasts lived like that in this world until I learned that this one had a tedious process of shedding.
Scratch scratch.
As I meticulously scraped the dull scales off his tail, they fell to the ground, landing with a soft chime like glass.
“Ahhh….”
Azidahaka clutched the bedding, twisting his legs or curling his toes, emitting seemingly extreme reactions.
—Do I have to do them all? There are at least dozens of them!
“Y-Yes! All of them. Like you just did! Ah! Iiiiing.”
As he spoke, I managed to peel off yet another scale, causing him to let out a sound that was a mix between a scream and sheer joy.
The reaction sparked something within me in a strange, fun way, and I scraped out the rest of the black scales on his tail using my claws.
“Haah….”
—But can you not make that sound? People outside might get the wrong idea.
“I-I can’t help it….”
The dull scales tumbled to the ground again. Where the black scales had been, pink scales emerged like fresh buds.
‘These will eventually turn crimson like the other scales, right?’
The ecology of mythical creatures is always fascinating. My interest in animals and documentaries about remote areas stemmed from those wonderful curiosities.
—Lizards lose their tails, right? Can you sever yours too?
I imagined the soft tail I held in my grip suddenly getting sliced off.
If the tail simply fell off from the area between his waist and backside, then one could reasonably consider Azidahaka a human with horns.
“Of course I can! But inside it contains the sustenance and magical energy I’ve gathered over years. Without that, my strength would dwindle significantly.”
—Speaking of which, when he was captured by humans, Adam mentioned that his tail was cut off.
Azidahaka had said he was captivated by a golden horse and caught outside the desert without a chance to resist, leading to his tail being severed and bound in chains.
As a result, he ended up in slavery for over a decade, living with his pride crushed.
—It’s like you’re laying all your weaknesses bare.
“But it’s not just a bad thing. My tail will play an important role in dealing with the heavenly bull, the great power king. So I need to properly care for my scales.”
[Author’s Note] If you enjoyed reading this, please hit the recommendation button at the top of the mobile screen! A quick click can give a writer a happy day!
