Sure, here’s the translation in a comedic style:
—
Thank you to everyone who offered comments and coupons! Chapter 152
49. Magical Beast and the Heart of the Abyss – Magical Beast and the Heart of the Abyss #3
“Hey, wake up. C’mon, wake up!”
I tried slapping the cheeks of Azidahaka and Usir with my front paw to rouse them from their slumber.
“Ugh…”
The first to regain consciousness was Azidahaka, who slowly lifted her body.
“Ugh, blegh.”
She promptly erupted a black liquid all over the floor, as if she were an overzealous fountain! After a good heaving session, she gasped for breath and turned toward me.
“What the… I was just basking in a room full of gold and jewels…”
Carefully lifting her hands, shackled in chains, she checked the blindfold obscuring her eyes.
“So it was all a dream. I can’t believe it… Looks like I fell victim to Nialli’s nightmare!”
— So this monster is a nightmare, huh?
With a hint of disappointment, I grimaced at the strange, writhing object on the floor. When I stomped on it, it crumbled into a fine powder and scattered into the air.
“What about Usir? Is he awake too? And where’s that squishy Cloudring?”
— Usir is still out cold by your side. I managed to peel the nightmare off his face, but he’s still in dreamland. Not sure where Yingyi went, though.
“Wildlings have strong mental resilience, so they probably haven’t fallen victim to the nightmare. They must be hiding somewhere.”
— Yeah, probably.
That fluffy Cloudring, Yingyi, sometimes vanished and reappeared like a magician. I remembered when he was hiding in the lair of that Gold Grade beast, Dompery Scorpion, and nodded.
— He can look after himself, so no worries there. More pressing is this guy. He shows no signs of getting up.
“The more pleasant the dream, the harder it is to wake up or break free. We might wander this eternal dream and become part of this lair.”
— I see.
With a nonchalant response, I turned my gaze and noticed the absurdly creepy mucous membranes sticking to the walls and ceiling. The fact that squirming eyeballs were staring at me definitely didn’t help my mood. Beneath that grotesque mass of membranes, there might be victims sacrificed to this nightmare.
“Maybe we’ll never wake up. So many creatures pursue immediate pleasure over uncomfortable truths. How did you wake up so quickly? Without someone’s help, escaping the temptation of dreams is tough…”
— Well, I had a horrid nightmare. Can’t remember the details now, though.
That’s how dreams are. Once you regain consciousness and reflect on them, they float away like volatile alcohol.
Yet, I could vaguely recall seeing familiar faces somewhere in that dream.
— So I can’t just leave you like this. What should I do?
I looked at Usir, who was sprawled on the floor, groaning. Having survived alone in this hell for over a decade, I couldn’t even imagine how blissful the visions dancing in his head were.
If I had lived such a life, I might have chosen to carry on in that deceptive dream rather than face this stinking reality.
Just as I thought, ‘Is this how he ends?’ Usir began to stir, placing a hand on his head and slowly rising.
He trembled as he gazed at his bandaged hand and the black robe.
Then, rolling up his sleeves, he sighed upon seeing his decaying arm and body.
【It was all a dream. A wonderfully happy sight. Everything I ever wished for was right before my eyes. An uncorrupt body, my wife, and my proud son…】
Usir reached out as if trying to grasp something invisible.
— Thought you were never waking up. Impressive mental fortitude, huh?
【Such ecstatic moments. I realized it was a dream the instant it happened.】
And with that, Usir fell silent.
*
As we got closer to the divine realm of Azidahaka, the gruesome mucous and tumors slowly began to thin out.
The bizarre smell that could twist your nose was fading, making it comfortable enough to breathe through my mouth again.
【This place seems to be less tainted and corrupted.】
“My magical power is offsetting Nialli’s influence. Feels nostalgic. We’re almost to my room.”
After walking for a while, we came to a corridor lined with statues. After trudging down a dark path, seeing the glowing stones affixed to the walls still radiating light lifted my spirits.
However, the illuminated statues revealed a rather bizarre sight.
— A decapitated statue? What a charming hobby.
I could vaguely tell they were human figures, but everything above the neck was either smashed or lopped off! Talk about some serious heretical repression!
“They’re all my statues. A decapitation, you say? Looks like it’s Nialli’s handiwork.”
Azidahaka raised her shackled hands and touched her neck, as if feeling the loss of her own carved likeness, now destroyed.
As we strolled among the statues, we stumbled upon a gigantic golden stone door.
It looked like massive elevator doors, with two double doors flanking a gleaming red gem that glimmered like a disco ball!
“Well, let’s get this door open. White One, give my head a gentle pat.”
— Now?
Taken aback by Azidahaka’s unexpected request, I hesitantly patted her soft hair with vigor. After a few moments of this, flames erupted from Azidahaka’s mouth, radiating warmth.
Watching her with a raised eyebrow, she spat the fire towards the red gem.
Whoosh!
The gem glowed brighter and, with a thunderous rumble, the doors flung open.
“Let’s go in!”
Azidahaka skipped through the opened doorway.
‘What a magical door lock!’
It seemed like only Azidahaka could unlock it with her powerful flames.
【Impressive. This place seems untouched by any corruption at all.】
Entering Azidahaka’s divine realm, Usir was wide-eyed, gazing at his surroundings in awe. I nodded in agreement with Usir’s silent assessment of ‘impressive.’
The room was brimming with piles of gold coins, jewels, and Azidahaka’s golden statue scattered about—a brilliant sight.
More of a ‘treasure trove’ than a ‘room,’ to be honest. If Raccoon Leaf were here, I bet he’d dive headfirst into those coins without a second thought.
But I wasn’t particularly interested in treasures.
— Let’s quickly untie your shackles. We’ve come a long, hard way. Where is that purifying spring or whatever?
“It’s over in that corner. I hear water flowing.”
Pointing to where I could see a small fountain, crystal-clear water constantly gushing upwards, a pleasant sight indeed!
‘Could that be the spring?’
I led Azidahaka to the fountain. She dipped her finger into the water and licked it off.
“Hmm… What color is the water?”
— Water has no color. Just, you know, water color.
“Is it colorless? Simply transparent and colorless?”
— Yeah.
“Sigh…”
At my reply, Azidahaka let out a deeply-felt sigh.
“The spring isn’t fully complete yet. It might need more aging. Or maybe it lacked ingredients… Creating an elixir is definitely not easy without the blending skills of Witch Eve.”
She grinded her teeth in frustration.
— Wait, you mentioned ‘elixir,’ right?
Her words made me furrow my brow; that was something I’d heard of before! The elixir was a mystical potion entwined with my deep friendship with Witch Eve.
“Do you know about elixirs!?”
Azidahaka exclaimed loudly in my direction. I scratched my face with my front paw and tried to think.
— Well, I don’t really ‘know’—I’ve just heard of them. I was kinda buddies with Witch Eve.
“Then do you perhaps know what the final ingredient is? The copy of the cookbook I possess has a torn final page—perhaps what was there was a really critical ingredient?”
— What ingredients have you put in so far?
— Chili frog eggs, harpy feathers, and…
Azidahaka listed off the ingredients she had used. While I didn’t know much about elixir ingredients, I did have some solid knowledge about the key ingredients.
‘Looks like that’s missing.’
According to Eve, the bodily fluid of a magical beast is essential for crafting an elixir. However, none of the ingredients she mentioned included that crucial element.
— You’re missing one ingredient.
“W-what is it!?”
Azidahaka almost shrieked the question. I sighed, feeling somewhat awkward.
— But getting it isn’t easy. It’s going to be a tough task. But I do know how to make it. It’s all about the process!
“You can make it? Process…?”
Her head tilted, conveying confusion.
“Is it going to take a long time? Will it take a while to fetch it from outside?”
— Nah, it’s not that complicated. About twenty minutes should be enough. I can even help you make it!
“Oh!”
Azidahaka brightened up and shouted cheerily. I left her to bask in excitement and turned my attention to Usir, who had been quietly listening all along.
— Usir, do you still have that sausage from your bag?
【Yeah, does it look like it’s needed as an ingredient?】
— I mean, close enough. We need a thick, long one. Do you have honey or some sauce?
【I have Gold Sesame Oil. Brought it just in case.】
— Good job.
I looked at the sausage Usir handed me along with the bottle of golden liquid and nodded in satisfaction.
— Alright, this should be sufficient. Now, Usir, just wait here for a bit.
【Is there anything I can help with?】
— Nope. I’ll handle this quickly, so no worries. Now, is there a kitchen around? I need a sealed-off space, like your bedroom or something.
I asked Azidahaka, who was standing there, trying to process everything.
“There’s a kitchen. You should head there. There are probably some other ingredients left too.”
— Good, a stroke of luck.
I led her to the spot she pointed out.
The kitchen resembled a laboratory filled with chemical concoctions, beakers, and tools—what a sight!
The icy white tiles and metallic instruments allowed me to regain some composure.
— Alright, first you have to promise me something. No matter what happens, don’t get startled. Deal?
“That’s nothing. Compared to all the shame I’ve faced, it’s small potatoes! I’d do anything for the elixir. I can’t give up now that I’m so close to completion!”
— Good, then kneel on the floor. You’ll have a lot to help with.
I made Azidahaka kneel on the bland floor. Then, pulling out the sausage and that Gold Sesame Oil, I drenched the sausage in the oil.
— Just a bit of prep is needed to get the special ingredient. I need your help, being a mythical being and all. Now, open your mouth.
“W-wait, why should I open my mouth?”
— Didn’t we just agree on no surprises? You said you could handle anything!
“W-well, that’s true…”
Having worn a blindfold for years, Azidahaka seemed a tad too timid. I forced her mouth open and stuffed the oil-soaked sausage inside.
“Ah!”
— It’s just a sausage. We’re going to slosh it around in your mouth now. Absolutely do not bite, chew, or swallow, okay?
I waited for her response after removing the sausage from her mouth.
“The Gold Sesame Oil is delicious. Can I lick it?”
— That’s fine! Now, I’m putting it back in. This will take about twenty minutes.
I doused the long sausage with the oil lavishly. It was time to showcase the skills I learned from Vitali!
—
If you enjoyed the read, don’t forget to hit that recommend button at the top of your mobile screen! With just a two-second action, you can gift a happy day to this writer! 🖊️
