Chapter 179: The Valley of the Pyramid and the Magical Beast
57. The Valley of Magical Beasts and Pyramids
”Even in the end, meeting the young brothers and the pitiable children was very entertaining. My magic is now scattered to the point where I can barely summon water… This can’t last longer than a hundred years. But I hope I’ve been of some help to the children who took care of me…”
— Is she talking about the children being the people of Abraham’s tribe?
”Yes, it’s hard to leave them behind. But time is running out. Young brother, could you grant me one small favor?”
— What is it? Speak up.
This person had poured all their remaining strength into helping someone they had just met. If I didn’t help fulfill this last request, I truly feared some cosmic retribution.
”I’ve designed ten commandments for the children. Please memorize them and convey them to the children later. Since I won’t be there to guide them, I thought long and hard on creating these laws… First of all…”
— Hold on, wait a moment. I might forget, so I should write it down somewhere.
I looked around and grabbed a thin, flat stone slab lying on the ground.
“Ah, finally you’re out! Did you meet Lord Adonai inside? Is he in good health?”
As I stepped out of the cave, the harsh sunlight made me squint involuntarily. Abraham and his group had waited over a hundred years for my return, and now they greeted me enthusiastically.
I handed them the two stone slabs.
— That was it. He’s gone now. But he left this as his parting gift to you.
“What…what is written here? What does it say?”
‘Aha, they don’t know Hangul…’
I read the ten commandments of Adonai aloud to them, one by one. Simple yet fundamental moral precepts: Love each other, do not hate your neighbor, etc.
“Very basic, indeed… Is this really supposed to be treated as commandments?”
In response to Abraham’s question, I nodded sagely, feeling like a wise old prophet.
— The simplest things are often the most important.
At my response, Azidahaka tilted her head, intrigued.
“The atmosphere has changed. The chaotic magical energy I sensed earlier has now settled. Something significant must have happened inside that cave, no?”
Swish swish.
Her swishing tail, her delicate curves faintly visible through her translucent veil—all of it made me feel inexplicably happy to see her again.
Without hesitation, I reached out and pulled her by the waist, burying my nose in her scent.
— Aah, the smell of a woman I’ve missed for a hundred years! So soft! I could sniff this all day!
“Wh-what are you doing?! There are people around! L-let me go!”
Sniff sniff.
The slightly indignant Azidahaka slapped me lightly with her palm. I could tell it was supposed to be harsh, but now that I could see clearly, I easily blocked her hand with my forepaw.
With that, she tripped and fell to the ground.
“What… what’s going on? Why am I on the floor…?”
I grinned mischievously as she struggled to comprehend the situation.
— It’s called the power of a Gundam.
— Whiiiine!
Ascending the path was perilous, but the descent felt refreshingly easy and smooth, like a satisfying trek downhill after a tough climb.
— So this desert feels different after a hundred years, huh?
At the base of the rocky mountain, I gazed up at the towering peak and across the vast wilderness stretching before me. Azidahaka stood beside me, glaring at me suspiciously.
“What do you mean ‘a hundred years’? What exactly happened in there? What happened to the divine being named Adonai?”
Judging by her accusing tone, she was still upset about me grabbing her and sniffing her in front of others earlier.
— Look, I’ve already told you, and you wouldn’t understand even if I explained. Trust me, you don’t want to know.
Meanwhile, the details of the experiences from this “hundred-year dream” began fading rapidly, like sand blowing away in the desert wind. Dreams, when you open your eyes, tend to vanish quickly unless you keep replaying them in your mind. Now, all that remained was the vague feeling of it being an extremely tiring and boring ordeal.
Abraham, safely descending from the mountain, bowed his head repeatedly in gratitude.
“Truly, I do not know how to repay this kindness. O White One with White Fur, and Azidahaka, your names will forever be etched in our clan’s records, honored and praised through the generations.”
“It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but… thank you.”
Isaac, fidgeting nervously in the arms of the dragon-like creature Rebino, still managed to bow deeply to me in gratitude.
— Don’t mention it. And honestly, it was a great experience for me as well. We’ve found your water source, and the dragon crisis is resolved. You’ll be fine from here. Take care.
I casually waved my paw to dismiss their overwhelming gratitude.
The jackals nearby barked loudly, as if bidding us farewell.
— Are you sure it’s okay for us to remain here? Are we a bother?
— Nah, you stay with Abraham’s tribe. You guys are too weak to travel with me anymore. You’d only slow me down. I’ve got further to go anyway.
I decided to leave the jackals with Abraham’s group. Honestly, they were too frail and dependent—finding refuge with Abraham would benefit both them and the tribe, which was lacking in young men.
— You see? Everyone ends up happy in the end. Perfect world-building.
“Ugh… Did I just hear something that made my tail curl up? Please, be more mindful with your words!”
Azidahaka clutched her tail protectively, curling it up like a chameleon’s.
— Anyway, it was nice meeting you. Take care, and hey, no joining weird cults, alright?
— Actually, I’m planning to form a society devoted to worshiping white fur.
— Hmm…
Her words made my skin itch uncomfortably, as if someone was scratching an imaginary itch beneath it.
— Whatever, go ahead.
With that simple dismissal, my encounter with the desert fairies and the jackals came to a quiet end.
As we parted ways and trekked further along the desert sands, Azidahaka smiled gently beside me.
“Things are shaping up to be more interesting than expected.”
— Interesting? You mean “down there”?
“Wh-what?! No, I was talking about the village and the white fur-worshipping group!”
— Sure, sure.
I shrugged, pretending I didn’t care, though secretly, I was fascinated by the rhythmic sway of her tail as she walked.
“Hey! Stop that!”
When I reached out and gently grabbed her tail, she jumped like a startled cat, and again, her tail curled up tightly, mimicking a chameleon’s.
— What? I just thought your tail is beautiful. And it smells nice.
“Are you implying something? You’re acting like you’ve been deprived of women for decades…”
— I just realized how lucky I am to have you around.
Flashbacks to my captivity in the dreamscape, daydreaming about beautiful girls, played in my mind. If I’d spent those 100 years with Azidahaka—or someone like her—it would’ve felt like a blink of an eye. We could’ve done all sorts of interesting things together.
“Oh dear, my scales are standing on end again. But it feels… oddly truthful.”
— Of course it’s true. I spent roughly a hundred years thinking about you.
Though in truth, my thoughts weren’t just about Azidahaka. Every woman I’d shared memories with—Eve, Vitali, the snake witch Kaah, and even the harpy Salome—had all made appearances in my fantasies. There was no need to tell her all of this, though.
— Quiiii!
— Be quiet, Yingyi.
I gently shushed the creature perched atop my head.
“So, where do we go now? Did the divine being mention anything about BoOk or Satan?”
While smoothing out her curled tail, Azidahaka turned to me with a question. I recalled the final words of the divine entity Adonai.
— He said we should head west to where the sun sets. Satan, the one who imprisoned him, headed that way.
“West… really?”
Azidahaka crossed her arms, deep in thought, and after what felt like an eternity, I finally broke the silence.
— What’s wrong? Anything troubling you?
“It’s dangerous. The west is the domain of the feathered ones. Jupiter resides there.”
— Ah, you mean griffins?
Jupiter is said to rule the western territories, his species comparable in strength only to dragons. They were undoubtedly fierce creatures.
“Are you sure we’re supposed to head there?”
Despite her questioning tone, there was an unmistakable undertone of hesitation. She clearly didn’t want to confront griffins.
— Are you scared of griffins?
“It’s not fear… I get an uneasy feeling, as if something unseen is brushing against my back…”
Azidahaka, revered as a saint by humans and a goddess by ancient fairies, possessed the rare gift of foresight. When she mentioned a foreboding sensation, it was something to take seriously.
“I feel like something is brushing against my back…”
— That’s my tail, silly.
“Wh-what? Seriously, stop teasing me!”
Without realizing it, I had been subtly brushing my tail against the curve of her waist, the fabric of her flowing attire providing little resistance.
I didn’t quite understand why I was acting this way, but the urge to tease and touch her was overpowering.
‘Maybe spending 100 years with only dark-skinned males in military service has taken its toll. I can barely control this sudden surge of lust.’
It felt like I had regressed to my awkward teenage years when I was around fourteen or fifteen, perpetually struggling with urges and feelings I didn’t fully understand.
— Come on, it’s not like touching will wear you out. And we’ve been through this before, haven’t we?
“You’re not making me feel any more comfortable. You’re acting strange.”
— So, does that mean you’re not into it?
“…”
Instead of replying, she turned away, leaving me with an awkward silence. Without hesitation, I coiled my tail around her slim waist like a makeshift sash.
— How does someone have such a tiny waist?
I gave her a gentle squeeze with my tail, reveling in the sensation of her slim yet toned figure.
“Stop it! I’m going to lose my temper. There are people watching!”
She freed herself from my tail and pointed at the creature perched on my head.
— What, watching? Cloudring doesn’t have eyes. And does it matter if no one’s watching?
“No, that’s not what I mean… Never mind. Just stop it!”
At that, Azidahaka refused to speak any further, clearly offended by my relentless flirtations.
‘This is fine, easy things are no fun.’
As I mulled over this thought, I smirked to myself, mentally bracing for a long haul of patience spanning a hundred years.
[Author’s Note] If you enjoyed this chapter, please hit that “Recommend” button on the mobile screen! Your simple gesture can brighten an author’s day!
