Comment and Coupon Givers, Thank You All! Chapter 166
53. The Mountain of Beasts and Gods
165 – The Mountain of Beasts and Gods #1
The grandeur of Sinai Mountain was truly staggering up close. Its barren form, devoid of any trees, looked as if an enormous rock had been placed upon the ground.
“Climbing this won’t be easy.”
As I gazed at the steep cliffs and rugged paths, worries started to creep in. Azidahaka, who was peering up at the mountain next to me, uttered in a small voice.
“Indeed, it lives up to its name as a dwelling of gods. The summit is so obscured by clouds that it’s invisible. I feel a weak magical presence from up there. Different from a dragon’s power… more like your vibe.”
Azidahaka placed their palm gently on top of my head. I couldn’t sense any magical powers, but the moment I stepped onto this rocky mountain, I could feel my fur and spines calming down.
It was like returning to a long-forgotten hometown; the tension that had been tightly strung inside me suddenly unwound.
“Look, there’s a path over there. Our tribe used to ascend Sinai to offer prayers and receive laws and revelations from the top.”
Abraham, our chieftain, pointed a finger toward a corner where a staircase, crudely formed from rocks, could be seen.
—Well, that’s convenient. Does this path lead to the summit?
“The path only goes halfway up. Beyond that point is a sanctuary where no one dares to create a way.”
—Hmm, sanctuary, huh? If the path is cut off partway, getting back and forth will indeed be hard.
My gaze fell on the boy standing behind Abraham, Isaac. He looked so nervous, staring up at the mountain as if he were about to burst into tears at any moment.
—Was it really okay to bring him along? Wouldn’t it have been better to leave him at home?
“Every man of the clan, especially the chieftain’s son, has the duty to ascend Sinai at least once to fast and pray. Furthermore, the fate of our entire tribe and this boy himself depends on this occasion, so hiding at home isn’t right.”
“Y-yes. This is my burden to bear. It’s my fate to endure. I can’t just hide while you brave guests risk your lives for me.”
Isaac’s voice was slightly trembling, but I could feel his determination emanating clearly.
I squinted my eyes at the responsibility-burdened boy, who didn’t seem to worry about his own danger.
—That’s all well and good, but if he gets taken hostage or accidentally becomes a troublemaker, even I wouldn’t have a good plan. He’d better take care of himself.
“I understand. I may not be able to do much, but… I can carry your burdens.”
Isaac picked up the bag that was strapped to Azidahaka’s back. Azidahaka smiled as he watched Isaac struggle with the heavy load.
“What a good boy.”
“This child is the blessing of our tribe, born to me when I was nearly a hundred years old, so he’s even more precious.”
Abraham gazed at Isaac with affectionate eyes. I couldn’t help but wonder what it felt like for a father to have to offer his son, whom he fought so hard to have, to the pagans at the end of his life.
—So, that’s what it means to be a chieftain.
Standing above someone means bearing a heavy responsibility. I recalled how Lao-Hoo and Kublai sacrificed their lives for the beasts.
—That’s tough.
I decided to shake off the weighty matters and lighten my mood.
—So, you’re quite the capable fellow. How did a hundred-year-old man manage to have a child?
Following in Batus’s footsteps to the human world, I noted that aside from Batus, humans here weren’t much different from those in my old world.
—Old Knight Shuleiman said he was nearly seventy. So this old guy must be older than him.
Even humans with fairy bl**d might possess a special vigor compared to others. Curious about his secret, Abraham chuckled and replied.
“Of course, it wasn’t the ordinary way. I followed the wisdom of Lord Adonai, who resides atop this mountain.”
—Adonai?
As we ascended, the rocky steps grew steeper with every height we gained. It felt less like walking and more like crawling up the stairs.
Thud thud.
Watching stones tumble beneath us made my head spin a bit. If I tripped at this height, I’d crash down to that dizzying bottom and surely get hurt badly.
Of course, with my sturdy claws and grip, it would take quite a bit for me to fall.
—Is everyone holding up?
But for the others, especially old man Abraham over a hundred and little Isaac, this might be akin to torture.
“I’m fine.”
Abraham pulled himself up, using his hands on the stairs.
His muscular forearms, visible beneath his dark skin, made me understand why he could still father a child in his old age.
“Phew…”
However, little Isaac, laden with the heavy bag, had sweat streaming down his face like a waterfall. He was clearly struggling.
—I think we need to take a break soon. I’m getting hungry too.
“Just a bit further up, there should be a flat resting spot. Once we reach that, we can take a break. Come on, son, a little more strength!”
“Yes, I’ll do my best…!”
After a bit more exhausting climbing, we indeed spotted a flat area with a cave-like indentation in the cliff, just as Abraham had said.
I tilted my head at the drawings on the cave walls that looked like they had been drawn with white chalk.
—Interesting drawings.
The wall painting, seemingly crafted with the clumsy hands of a child, depicted a radiant sun with people bowing before it.
While I stared intently, Azidahaka approached and admired the mural with me.
“It looks like someone was worshiping something. My tower has many such images, too.”
As Azidahaka mentioned, the maze city of Sumer was adorned with golden murals showing people worshiping scale-covered dragons. The Fire Dragon Azidahaka was revered as a goddess among the tower’s people, so it was no surprise that such a culture of worship existed.
This was similar, with the sun-like figure appearing to wield influence comparable to that of Azidahaka in the golden city.
—Hmm. Is this thing that Adonai character?
I recalled the name “Adonai” that Abraham mentioned. An immortal being said to have lived in this mountain before history was recorded.
The Divine Being Adonai.
Perhaps the last remaining divine being in this world was sleeping atop this mountain.
—I’d love to meet them. Maybe they could help with finding the jewel.
“I’m curious too. The reason I moved to this western region was due to rumors of an ancient existence that might still remain there. I didn’t expect that the last being would be hiding in this desolate rocky mountain.”
As Azidahaka and I discussed Adonai and the gods, Isaac, who had finished preparing the meal at the back, spoke in a gentle voice.
“Let’s eat. It’s not much, but…”
After simplifying our provisions for climbing the mountain, we only brought dried meat, goat milk in leather pouches, some salt, and dried cactus.
When we combined it all in a pot and let it boil, we ended up with a somewhat appetizing stew.
“Here you go.”
Isaac carefully handed us the bowls he had filled for me and Azidahaka. As the warm content filled the bowls, my stomach let out a loud growl.
Gulp.
I lowered my mouth to the bowl and sipped the broth, and the salty flavor of the jerky spread delightfully in my mouth. It felt satisfying, almost like replenishing the salt I had lost through sweat.
—Delicious. The view’s great too.
Just a slight turn of my eye revealed a world that stretched out far and wide; it felt like my heart was wide open. For a moment, I wished for a drink of makgeolli.
Sneak. Sneak.
I shrugged at Isaac, who was watching me cautiously.
—What is it?
“Um, I was just wondering where that fluffy one went…”
—Oh, Yingyi? I sent them up to the summit first. If anything happens, they’ll fly back to warn us of danger.
With the ability to float in the sky like a cloud, Yingyi had become an essential scout in this open desert. That’s why I had sent them ahead.
“Oh, I see.”
Isaac nodded as if his curiosity was satisfied. However, there was a hint of unease in his voice.
Sneak. Sneak.
—What now?
Isaac jumped, startled, his shoulders trembling.
“Um, it’s just that fluffy one…”
—If you mean Yingyi, they’ve gone up already, haven’t they?
Shake shake.
“Can I… touch that fluffy tail?”
—Oh, I see.
I nodded, glancing at my swaying tail. Other humans usually pet or touch me without asking, but this one was showing consideration by asking permission first—definitely a bright kid.
—No.
“W-What…?”
—Just kidding.
I offered my tail to him. No human could resist the curiosity of my fluffy tail that wiggled like a chubby squirrel.
“Wow, your tail is…”
As Isaac stroked my tail in wonder, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride and arrogance as I asked him.
—So, how do you feel about my tail?
“I-it’s long and beautiful…”
—You’ve got good taste. As long as you’re chieftain, your tribe’s future will be bright.
Seriously.
I turned my head toward a gaze I felt nearby. There was Azidahaka, looking like they had something to say.
—What’s up?
“Uh, nothing. I just didn’t expect you to let the boy touch your tail… even if you’re pretty, you do know he’s a boy, right?”
—What?
I frowned deeply, feeling a bit annoyed.
—What are you talking about? What do you think of me, huh? What kind of thoughts are running through your mind to say something like that?
“No, it’s just that there was a certain vibe between you two…”
—Hmph, you’re being ridiculous. That’ll never happen in my life.
I yanked my tail away from Isaac’s hand.
Isaac’s eyes widened when my tail was suddenly snatched away. A fluffy white tuft flew over his head.
—Yingyi!
—Oh, you’re back! What did you see up there? Any news?
I caught Yingyi with my front paw and leaned in to hear what the little creature had to share. Along with the rustling of its fur, I heard its adorable voice.
—Yingyi, grr.
—Really? That’s a big problem.
“What did it say? What went wrong?”
Azidahaka tilted their head toward the little Yingyi in my paw. I adopted a serious demeanor and replied.
—It got hungry and came down. This little guy has been eating a lot lately.
“Oh, I see.”
I offered a piece of mutton jerky that I had saved for Yingyi. After scarfing down its meal, Yingyi vibrated contentedly.
—Yingyi.
—So, you saw a big cave up there?
—Grr.
—Is there a cave leading all the way to the summit?
—Grrr.
—And there are scary-looking beings inside?
“Wait, I’ve been curious about this; can you really understand what it’s saying? Is this little one actually saying that?”
Azidahaka, perhaps puzzled by the conversation between me and Yingyi, interjected with a question. I shrugged, trying to maintain a serious expression.
—Beats me. I just know what I feel.
“Y-You mean, it’s just a gut feeling?”
—Yingyi.
“Could it be… just a moment, come here for a second.”
Azidahaka carefully took Yingyi from my paw into their palm. Then, they removed their tiara and looked at Yingyi with their crimson eyes.
“This little guy doesn’t have the ability to see, so I can’t read its thoughts even with my powers. But… I’ve heard that amongst the powers of mythical creatures, there is one called Telepathy*. It’s a rare ability that allows thoughts and ideas to be relayed from one heart to another. Could this little one possibly be using that…?”
—Power of a mythical creature? How interesting! But it’s not like that thing is a mythical creature.
I burst into a fit of giggles. Powers refer to special abilities obtained after consuming the Fruit of the World Tree.
If talents are ordinary skills, then powers can be described as a special and rare tier of skills.
But Yingyi was just a little cute Cloudring. There couldn’t possibly be anything as terrifying as a power. At the very most, it could transform into a dark cloud and sh**t lightning.
Of course, that would indeed be impressive.
—Yingyi.
“Hmm, was it just my misunderstanding? I’m not feeling any specific thoughts here…”
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