Thank you to everyone who gave comments and coupons. Episode 176
56. The Magical Beast and the Small God
175 – The Magical Beast and the Small God #1
【Sanctuary: Heavenly Realm】
I thought I had gotten used to most things, even including the letters floating before my eyes.
“Well, it’s my first time seeing a sanctuary.”
I had seen all sorts of monster-infested ancient nests, but I had never encountered the word “sanctuary” before.
I stepped through the bubbling stream, gleefully splashing about. As I tried to walk toward something radiating a mysterious energy inside the cave, a voice called out from behind me.
“Thinking of going inside?”
It seemed like Abraham had finally come to a resolution regarding the issue with Rivino and Isaac, as he looked at me, drenched in cold sweat.
In the end, it looked like Abraham accepted this giant dragon as part of his tribe and as a daughter-in-law.
—Still embarrassed, are you? Your cheeks are all red.
“Please, stop it…”
—Nope! You asked me to. We’re family now.
Rivino cradling Isaac’s head, and I shifted my gaze to Abraham, who was casting disapproving glances at them, then pointed my front paw toward the deep dark cave.
—So, the Divine Being Adonai is in there?
“That’s correct. According to the law, only one person can go to meet Him at a time. Go ahead first; you are qualified to meet Him.”
—Alright then. I’m on my way.
Splash-splash.
I followed the flowing stream inside, my feet dancing again as I ventured deeper into the cave.
‘But it’s so dark. I can’t see anything.’
Just as I felt uncomfortable in the pitch-blackness, something happened.
Whoosh.
The stream beneath me suddenly emitted a gentle white glow, illuminating my surroundings. It was truly the only way to describe it as a “path of light.”
With the glowing waters brightening up the cave, colorful shapes and patterns sparkled, asserting their existence beautifully.
When I placed my front paw on the painting on the wall, it dimmed as if a shy creature was hiding its face. When I pulled my paw away, it shone brightly again.
‘Pretty! So this is indeed a sanctuary. How fascinating.’
Unlike the chaotic atmosphere of the ancient nest, where I worried about leaving the gas stove on at home, here in this cave, all my fur seemed to settle down, and I felt a sense of calm.
Purr, purr—an involuntary low-frequency sound I made when in a good mood escaped my mouth.
‘It feels good like I’m being healed. But how far does this cave go? I feel like I’ve walked quite a distance, and it’s not like there are any other paths.’
While I was puzzled and looking around, I soon felt something lightly touching my face—a thin, transparent membrane.
‘A soap bubble? No, this is…’
It felt less like a soap bubble and more like plunging my face into still water. As I stretched out my front paw, I distinctly felt a thin layer of surface tension in the transparent air.
‘There’s something beyond this thin wall.’
As my front paw pierced through the thin barrier, it seemed to vanish into another world. Concepts of hidden worlds, secret doors, and fantastical spaces flashed through my mind.
‘This is interesting. I should find out what’s on the other side.’
With a little resistance pushing me back, I strained my body forward like I was trying to burst a water balloon with my face.
‘Just a little more!’
I shut my eyes tight and pushed down with my hind legs for an extra boost.
Boom!
The sound of something exploding echoed through the cave, and the resistance blocking my body fell away cleanly.
When I opened my eyes, right in front of me stood a small shrub-like entity growing in the middle of the vast cave.
‘A tree? Is that tree spouting water?’
The water at my feet seemed to be gushing forth from that tree. A tree that continuously spills fresh water—how very curious, I thought for a moment.
“I thought you were an evil beast, yet here you are, neither a beast nor a god but a curious little child. However, seeing that you have broken through my veil, it’s clear you possess great power.”
A voice that echoed through the cave spoke in a thin, delicate tone, ambiguous in gender.
I looked around, muttering to myself.
—Are you Adonai?
“I am I. Names are just temporary labels given for the sake of my poor children. I cannot be defined by any words of this world, nor measured by any standards.”
—Hmm, for something like that…
I approached the water-spewing shrub.
The tree was about half my size, and perched upon a dry branch was a tiny human figure, not much bigger than my palm.
—You’re so small I could measure you with my front paw…
The creature looked like a tiny fairy straight out of a fairy tale. Its n*ked body shone with a light so bright that it almost hurt to look at.
—Anyway, nice to meet you, Adonai. You’re even smaller than I thought.
According to Azidahaka, the Divine Beings were supposed to be huge, fitting their names. Some were said to stretch their legs to the ocean floor and reach for the sky with their arms.
But the being before me was so small it felt absurd to call it a god. It looked frail and delicate even.
“I know what you’re thinking, little brother. This body has diminished over the ages; my power now only allows me to sprout water like this. I can barely manage that anymore. My long life is nearing its end.”
Adonai’s small body flickered. It looked like a dying fluorescent light.
—What? Why are you dying right after meeting me? I have so many questions for you.
“O brother clad in the skin of a beast, I may not have many answers. But to the last remaining descendant of the world, whom I have not met for thousands of years, I will answer as long as my power allows.”
—Thanks for that.
I nodded and expressed my gratitude lightly. It seemed like this Adonai thought of me as his youngest brother.
As a Magical Beast birthed from the refined powers of the Divine Beings, it wouldn’t be surprising for me to be regarded as his brother, despite my beast-like appearance.
‘Hmm, what’s something I should ask right now?’
As I pondered over what I should ask, I suddenly couldn’t think of anything. Was the burden of rote learning on Koreans responsible for this mess?
—Um, okay, so about the World Tree’s forest. There are twelve mythical creatures in there trying to take my life—satanic beings, if you will. Is there an effective way to deal with them?
At my question, Adonai’s body flickered once.
“I don’t know much about the World Tree’s forest either. I came to the west before all my brothers were consumed by the savage snake. As for those mythical creatures, I’m not well-acquainted with them.”
—Hmm.
“But I do know the name Satan. He was a young beast who lived alongside the savage dragon Laplace.”
—You mean Satan lived with Laplace?
“Yes, he was a sheep with thick black fur. Naming him and feeding him was usually the job of the dwarf Adam. Though it was a long time ago, I remember it vividly, as if it were just yesterday.”
—Adam? The first human you mean?
“The first human. Yes, the very first dwarf we created in our image, Adam and Eve. Those dwarves trapped in tiny flasks… now the world belongs to those called humans.”
Flicker, flicker.
Adonai’s light dimmed gently.
Flicker, flicker.
Whether it was because its lifespan had come to an end, the glowing stone was slowly flashing. Batus and Adam swapped out the glowing stone hanging on the wall and lay down on the bed.
In a corner of the royal palace, the room that had now become familiar twirled around and spun. As Batus closed his eyes to sleep, memories long buried and never forgotten came pouring back of a very long past.
‘Eve.’
Batus recalled his deceased sister. The beginning and end of everything—his sister and his lover.
She was no longer alive, yet her gentle warmth, soft voice, and hair swaying in the wind vividly appeared before his eyes.
He could bring her back soon.
‘Not as a beast or a dwarf, but solely through the powers of the gods could she be resurrected.’
Adam opened his eyes and clenched his fist in front of him.
Gwaaaah.
How many mistakes had he made while living nearly an eternal life?
The “wildling”, a bizarre creature neither beast nor human, was born from stealing the gods’ mud that created humans. And then there were the cursed who bore no names—the “Vacanich.”
They were never meant to exist and had tarnished the world’s rules.
‘But this time, the chance has come to resurrect my dead sister. This is the last opportunity. It’s not about creating a mere imitation; it’s a chance to bring back the real Eve…’
Batus and Adam fell into a deep sleep, dreaming the impossible dreams, just as they always did.
—So Satan and Adam are living witnesses of the history from the time when the gods were still alive until now.
I nodded along as I listened to Adonai’s explanation. Living beings in this world generally grow stronger with age.
That means Adam, the World Tree, and this Satan guy must possess an unfathomable level of power.
‘I’ve heard Satan is particularly dangerous among the mythical creatures. Isn’t he a peer of the World Tree?’
Azidahaka probably didn’t know this fact either, for even with his perspective of the past, he couldn’t see anything about Satan.
“Beasts are powerful, little brother. It was a beast that put an end to our arrogance soaring high into the sky. Right now, you might also fall prey to them and become their nourishment.”
—Yeah, I figured that’s why I came to meet you. But aside from history lessons, you’re not much help.
“My diminished power has its limits. However, I can give you a baptism to awaken the divine power within your body for your sake.”
—Awake the power within my body? Oh!
I gasped, my mouth forming an O in surprise. Powers were special abilities that mythical creatures possessed. The Magical Beasts that ate the Fruit of Good and Evil of the World Tree received god-like capabilities.
For instance, the deer spirit Milgast had “Intimidation,” Adam had “Naming,” and the rebirth and incarnation powers held by Nialli and Guki were all abilities of mythical beings.
It was said these were bestowed upon beasts through the energies absorbed from the gods by the World Tree. So, the very body that served as the source of this energy could awaken such terrifying and convenient abilities.
Adonai reached out a small palm toward me.
“Bring your face closer to me, little brother.”
I leaned my face toward the shrub. I felt Adonai’s tiny hand resting on my nose.
“How fascinating, the body of a beast. And though you have the spirit of a brother, your soul is like that of a dwarf. Little brother, what is your name?”
—White… One.
“White One… What a lovely name filled with affection. Now, let’s begin the baptism. With this, you become one of us.”
Gwooooom.
A significant pressure surged from the small palm pressing down on my nose. My body’s fur and spikes stood on end.
—Gahhh.
An involuntary, goofy sound escaped my lips.
But rather than feeling uncomfortable, it was like every muscle I hadn’t used and every spot on skin I couldn’t reach was receiving a deep massage, a strange yet pleasant sensation coursing down my spine.
“Done.”
With Adonai’s brief reply, words appeared before my eyes.
【Achievement ‘Incarnation’ has been accomplished.】
‘So that’s how skills appear; through achievements, huh? Let’s see what rewards I got for this.’
I rolled my eyes to look at the various letters that popped up in front of me.
Am I going to gain something like intimidation or some terrifying guts? Or perhaps it could be another fantastic ability.
If it’s divine power, it’s sure to grant me something incredible and formidable.
—Huh…? What’s this…?
However, after reading the letters, I squinted in confusion.
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