Comment and Coupons: Thank You Everybody! Chapter 182
58. Magical Beasts and Desert Ruins
181 – Magical Beasts and Desert Ruins #1
30.
20.
10…!
And finally, when the distance between the ground and me became zero.
I let out a rough, “Ughhh!” As I stretched out my front paw in an X shape to touch the ground, I felt the sensation and immediately spun around like a tornado, rolling over as if I was front flipping.
Piiiiiing!
My body spun endlessly like a sharp thorn, rolling forward continuously. It felt similar to Batus’s deadly move, the “Destruction Sphere.”
I shook off all my random thoughts and focused entirely on the act of ‘rolling.’ As my body made countless circles, I felt something hard touch my back.
Kwaang!
With a tremendous explosion, something crashed down on me, breaking apart.
Barely stopping my rotation, I looked up to see that I had collided with a massive rock—or maybe a small mountain. The impact caused it to crumble and crush me under its weight.
Boom, bang, vroom!
As the falling rocks threatened to bury me alive, I lifted my front paw to block them. In that moment…
Dangle.
I realized something was off with my front paw. It was drooping helplessly, bent at a bizarre angle.
“Was I really so unrealistic to hope my front paw would come out unscathed after falling from that height?”
From the crumbling rocks, I let out a scream like a dying animal.
It could have been my final cry.
*
I don’t know how much time passed before I opened my eyes again.
–Guuyinng.
When I opened my eyes, I found a fluffy, cool Yingyi lying like a pillow beside my head.
–Guuyinng.
Yingyi asked if I was awake. I lifted my head off its soft body and sat up.
–What the heck is this?
I noticed there was something hard strapped to my front paw and neck. It looked like dry twigs, tied together with a thin veil like a splint, keeping me immobilized.
‘This delicate fabric is from Azidahaka.’
I barely managed to turn my restrained neck to check my surroundings. All I could see in the pitch-black darkness was a flickering campfire.
–Hmm.
Hmm.
From the echoing voice, it felt like I was in some underground place, maybe a cave.
–I don’t think I’ve reached the afterlife…
I felt throbbing pain in my neck, front paw, and back. As long as this wasn’t hell, I wouldn’t be experiencing such pain after d*ath.
‘Seems like I somehow managed to survive. Phew.’
I took a deep breath. A sharp pain was piercing my chest, likely due to something wrong with my ribs.
‘Guess I should be thankful for surviving after that fall.’
Considering the injuries I sustained, it’s probably the worst since I got here, right after fighting the Snake Queen El-Gasa.
–So, how long have I been out, Yingyi?
–Guuyinng.
–What? A week? Really?
–Yinggying.
–Goodness, it seems my injuries were quite severe then.
I tried to recall everything that happened. I had fallen from Azidahaka’s back and rolled, but then got crushed and hit by rocks…
The impact from falling from the sky and then being crushed by rocks must have broken something in me.
‘At least I’m still alive.’
Deep injuries could be fatal, but as long as I could breathe and digest food, I could eat things to gain experience. If I leveled up, these injuries would heal in no time.
‘I’ve collected enough experience; leveling up should be right around the corner. I need something… something to eat.’
With my body wrapped in bandages, I crawled around, looking for food.
–Grrooowl…!
Yingyi growled urgently, as if to stop me from moving. I didn’t see a single ant around, so I decided to stop moving and lay back down on the ground.
–I need to eat something.
–Guuyinng.
–You want me to eat you?
–Ying.
–No way, buddy. No matter how hungry I am, I can’t eat you.
There’s a Buddhist myth about a poor rabbit that tried to offer its own body as food to a monk who had nothing to eat.
Seeing this noble offer, the divine being carved the rabbit’s shape into the full moon to praise its heart and devotion.
Perhaps Yingyi was displaying a similar spirit of sacrifice. But even though I’ve devoured countless things mercilessly, there’s no way I could eat Yingyi, who had become family.
–I can’t eat you, but I can’t ignore your kindness, so let me just give you a lick. Just a taste… just a taste…
I grabbed Yingyi’s body with my splinted front paw and stuck out my tongue to lick his soft fur. It tasted just as refreshing as grape-flavored cotton candy ice cream.
That alone was enough to awaken my senses. Perhaps it was due to some mysterious ingredients mixed with Cloudring’s body, but the pain throughout my body seemed to ease a bit.
–Guuyinng.
Lost in the cotton candy licking trance, I regained my focus on Yingyi’s words. That plump body of his, which had gained weight, was now reduced to less than half its original size.
–Uh-oh, did I lick too much?
–Guuyinng.
–What? You could have eaten some too. But you’ve only let me lick you!
–Guuyinng.
–You really expected I wouldn’t eat? What is this creature…?
I discreetly looked away from Yingyi, whose body had shrunk to the size of a cabbage. Then I looked around again.
With a quenched throat from licking Yingyi’s body and my pain finally easing a bit, I noticed the dark stone wall around the campfire.
–So, where exactly am I? And where did Azidahaka go?
Using my splint-free back legs, I pushed myself up.
Walking on two legs, I picked up a branch meant for firewood in my mouth and used the campfire light to illuminate my surroundings.
Flames danced.
The branch I was holding caught fire, and everything around me lit up.
Pitter patter.
As I strolled slowly around, the stone walls and the murals drawn on them came into view. The pictures carved into the stones and rocks were weathered and blurred, buried in what looked like sand.
It was obvious this place hadn’t been maintained or visited in ages.
‘Looks like some kind of ruins.’
The first thing that came to mind were the cave murals I saw on Mount Sinai when I encountered Adonai. And if I traced my memories a bit further back, it reminded me of the underground ruins I fell into when I was born in this world.
That’s where I met El-Gasa.
‘The ruins are similar to the ancient nest I saw in the underground ruins made from neatly cut stones.’
Looking at the endlessly dark stone corridor, I furrowed my brows.
If I go deeper in, there might be a gigantic queen snake coiled up waiting for me. Could I handle a surprise attack while injured?
Rustle.
Just then, I heard a sound behind me. Turning around, I saw a black shadow that seemed to be carrying a ton of stuff in its arms.
“You’re awake.”
–Thanks to you, I slept like a baby, you awful fiend! You really tossed me off? I thought I was a goner!
“That was unavoidable! I had no idea there was a griffon on my back… Why do you do stuff I’d never expect from you? I didn’t even know you had that ability!”
–And now you’re acting all high and mighty. How is it that you’re the one mad at me?
The sheer audacity! This is a universal trait of women in any realm. Is it possible that even the lady-like Azidahaka can be a brat?
It’s likely because she’s been treated like royalty that she has trouble accepting her mistakes.
More accurately, she knows her faults but refuses to admit them due to pride and embarrassment.
‘Being angry makes my whole body ache. This is…’
I controlled my ragged breath and seated myself against the stone wall.
–Please give me some food. That’s what you brought, right?
I glared at the golden scorpion Azidahaka was holding. While it was a scorpion, its size was comparable to a large dog, meaning there was plenty of meat on it.
The last scorpion I tasted, whether it was Dom Perignon or Scorpians or whatever, was delicious, so I figured this one would also taste delicious when roasted.
“Humph.”
Fwooosh!
Azidahaka blew onto the fading campfire, making the flames flare up. The golden scorpion roasting over the fire emitted a heavenly, salty aroma.
Grrroowww!
According to Yingyi, I had been unconscious for about a week, so my stomach, which hadn’t eaten anything during that time, was growling at the delightful smells.
“I think it’s ready now. Let me have a taste.”
Azidahaka ripped off a leg of the scorpion and shoved the juicy, steaming flesh into her mouth.
Om nom nom.
“It’s a bit undercooked, but this Salt Scorpion is at its saltiest and most delicious right now. I think it should be fine to eat.”
–Now hurry up and serve me some. I want to taste it!
“Are you asking me to feed you?”
–Of course! Do you really think I can eat it with my broken front paws?
Though I sounded grumpy like a cantankerous old man, my anger was justified. Honestly, I hadn’t cursed the one who nearly killed me, which was pretty kind of me. If she weren’t my companion who’s shared so much with me, I would have spewed fire in rage.
Literally blue flames.
“Ugggg…”
Azidahaka made a flustered sound behind her tiara that covered her face. With a resigned expression, she tore off a leg of the scorpion and brought it to my mouth.
–Yeah, blow on it to cool it down. I can’t eat hot stuff with my cat tongue, but I can breathe fire.
Huff, huff.
“As a noble dragon, I never expected to be doing this…”
–I never imagined I would be in pieces like this!
My growling made Azidahaka shrink back. Being a high-level being capable of empathizing with others, she likely realized how angry I was.
“Wh-…”
–What? I can’t hear you! Did you hurt your ears when you fell, or did your neck get injured? Did you fall instead of me? What’s going on!
At my mocking, Azidahaka trembled her shoulders.
“I said I’m sorry! I really didn’t do it on purpose! You know why I wouldn’t do something like that!”
–Sorry doesn’t fix anything!
“…!?”
–Just no! But if you really feel sorry, you should treat me better from now on. When I ask for water, you bring me water; when I ask for food, you feed me right away!
“Ugh…”
–Water.
“What?”
–What are you doing? Get me water!
“I… I didn’t bring any water…”
–Then you need to go get some! Do dragons have to explain everything? Is it game over if you say you don’t have it?!
“…”
Azidahaka fell silent and got up from her spot. I could feel her sharp red eyes glaring at me through the tiara that covered her face.
–Does staring at me make water magically appear? What are you waiting for? Go fetch it already!
“Alright, alright.”
Azidahaka swished her thick tail and disappeared somewhere.
After sensing that she was completely gone, I freed my front paw from the splint and gnawed on a few more of the scorpion’s legs.
–Delicious.
Though my front paw throbbed a little, I knew it was healing enough for me to move a bit.
‘At this rate, I probably won’t even need to level up for a few days before I’m fully healed.’
Having become an adult, my enhanced stamina displayed an unbelievable healing ability.
–Guuyinng.
Yingyi called out to me. After picking on the scorpion’s hind leg, I rewrapped my splinted front paw and bared my fangs in a grin.
–Let’s keep going like this for a while. That brat who dropped me needs to be taught a lesson. She doesn’t seem to get my lies after all.
Perhaps emulating the griffon or the countless lies I had told had polished my speaking skills.
I looked happily at the neatly bound splints and smiled contentedly.
–Hehe.
–Guuyinng…
[Author’s Note] If you enjoyed reading, please press the recommendation button at the top of the mobile screen! With just two seconds of your time, you can give a writer a happy day!
