Thank you all for the comments and coupons! Here’s the 232nd episode!
72. The Magical Beast and the Gift of Grace #1
I kicked off Yingyi and propelled myself into the air, deflecting the shockwaves with my front claws and finally delivering a claw strike to Jupiter’s body.
Zzaaak…!
I felt the sensation of flesh slicing and bl**d vessels being severed as my sharp claws dug in.
With no wings to support me, my body began to descend back to the ground. Just in time, Yingyi swooped in to catch me with her fluffy body.
━ Ying.
I flopped down onto her soft form, lifting my head.
“…….”
In the sky, Jupiter hung suspended, not moving an inch.
I had precisely torn through the area between his neck and chest—there’s no way he could avoid a fatal injury.
━ Kyuuiing.
━ Did I just finish him? Oh no, Ying, don’t jinx it!
I issued a serious warning to Yingyi, who muttered something resembling a resurrection incantation, then cast an anxious glance at Jupiter.
Psyshhwoooosh.
Soon, three claw marks were fiercely etched into Jupiter’s body, and thick bl**d splattered against the downpour like a torrential rain shower.
“Grrrrr…!”
The guy began to plunge down to the ground. The way he fell, splattering bl**d everywhere, looked just like a plane going down in flames.
Thud.
Collapsing into the muddy ground, Jupiter laid there like a goldfish that had been snagged on a hook, mostly just gasping as his wounds gaped and his mouth opened and closed.
“Grrr… th-this scratch…!”
He tried to rise as if resisting the pain and injury, but each time, the claw marks under his neck stretched deeper, morphing into lethal wounds.
━ You should know when to give up. It’s over.
I stepped forward, looming over the fallen Jupiter. He looked up at me, gritting his jaw as he continuously struggled to move.
“Grrraaargh! This d*mn world, this lousy life… is this how it ends?!”
━ While I agree it’s a lousy situation, your life isn’t ending—it’s just beginning. A long, painful life. Someone has to take responsibility for what’s happened, don’t you think?
“You b*stard…!”
I raised my tail high, then struck down fiercely to smack Jupiter on the head.
Wham!
After a sound like a sonic boom, he fell silent, eyes rolling back white.
Slashhh.
In that moment of silence, as everyone looked on, all we could hear was the relentless sound of pouring rain.
After I calmly observed the cold bl**d of Jupiter being washed away by the rain, I slowly turned my gaze skyward to the heavy clouds.
The cold rain soaked my fur, chilling me to the bone.
After the intense conflict, the refreshing relief that followed felt like bathing in the rain without an umbrella—so sweet and exhilarating.
Thud, thud.
In a daze from various emotions while being rained on, I suddenly felt a stirring in my stomach, as if I had swallowed a fireball. I momentarily tensed up, fearing what Jupiter might have done.
━ Ggghhh!
Pfffft.
I promptly barfed up the jeweled nectar onto the wet, muddy ground.
If I had swallowed something, only to spit it out, it meant that the jeweled nectar was certainly beyond my abilities to handle.
Whooosh, whooosh.
The nectar I expunged and the gem ambrosia clutched by the unconscious Jupiter resonated; they seemed to connect with each other, flashing like they were having a melodious dance. Enchanted, I grasped both gems and held them high.
Whooosh, whoosh, whoosh…!
Bam━!
The gems began to glow brighter and flickered more rapidly until they dazzled everyone with an intensity that could blind.
━ Eek.
I squinted as the light blazed as if the sun was about to combust right in front of me, causing me to scrunch my shoulders in reflex.
‘What in the world is this!’
The jewels in my front claws felt as if they were stuck to me like they were meant to stay forever. They almost seemed to absorb something from within me!
━ Whoooaaa…!
That sensation of something being drawn in wasn’t just a figment of my imagination.
Each gem clutched my claws, pulling at the exhilarating energy within me—likely my magical power—like a sponge soaking up water.
━ What the heck is going on?!
I twisted my body like a squid desperately drying out! I didn’t understand what was happening, but one thing was certain: if this continued, I might end up like a mummified husk with nothing left but bones!
I decided to trust my instincts. No matter how much I squirmed, those gems had no intention of letting go.
Crack!
‘These stones…!’
Just these glowing pebbles were threatening my life!
I reignited the fiery passion in my heart that had cooled after the battle with Jupiter and slammed my front paws together.
Bang!
The nectar and ambrosia collided, ringing out a clear note.
Bang!
As they collided again, both emitted shaky sounds as if they were cracking from the damage. At that moment, I had a revelation about the true essence of these two gems.
A gemstone of destruction, ambrosia.
A gemstone of regeneration, nectar.
The cycle these two gems created could very well embody eternal immortality!
When Jupiter claimed he could recreate the desert, it was likely because he understood the power of these jewels.
━ Ugh.
I reined in my strength, gritting my teeth as I brought the two jewels together with all my might.
Crackle!
Clink!
━!
It sounded as though glass had shattered, and the dazzling light unleashed wrapped around my body warmly, sweeping the storm clouds away.
[Achievement unlocked: “Sparkling Gems!”]
[Reward: Right to “The Ancient Nest: The Great Plains.” ]
*
━ Hey, Kim! Get over here and clear some rocks!
“Dude, I’m busy building legs! There’s a new river formed in the city! Go ask those foul creatures for help; they’re strong enough.”
━ Oh come on, don’t be so small-minded. Those beasts will be worn out after two days of cleaning debris.
“Just watch, I’ll handle it.”
━ Whoa, who is this? Isn’t it Totuga with that lush beard? Living large, I see! But what’s with that fabulous beard…? Hey, I’m losing fur too! Help me out here!
“Not telling you.”
Since records began, or perhaps even since the lore of creation, Cairo and the vast desert beyond had faced unprecedented torrential rain.
After pouring down, the rain flashed dramatically, leaving only white clouds dotting the sky like cotton.
Under the warm sunlight, the stone dwarfs labored on disaster recovery, rapidly restoring the fallen city at astonishing speed.
━ Impressive! Can they really build that intricately just by eye? The supervisor will be thrilled.
I couldn’t help but be shocked by the stone dwarfs’ extraordinary craftsmanship. Soon enough, tiny birds flew in, chirping enthusiastically overhead.
━ Cheep cheep cheep cheep. Cheep! Cheep, cheep, cheep. Yes, baby!
‘What in the world is that bird noise…?’
Wondering if I had misheard, I scratched my ears with my front claws, and beside me, a raccoon shaded himself, grinning broadly.
━ Those are bobwhites! Did they really fly all the way from the Ancient Forest to here!?
Lifting my front paw high, the small sparrows perched on it like it was a tiny stand, cocking their heads in confusion.
━ Cheep cheep!
Flitter-flutter.
Then they flapped their tiny wings and soared off somewhere, while Azidahaka watched with a smile on her face.
“It’s a wonderful omen that the animals from the rich eastern lands are coming here. Just yesterday, a pack of Tartarus wolves journeyed a great distance, and now bobwhites join them… They instinctively seek good hunting grounds. Within a few years, this desert will be teeming with life again.”
Standing atop the central spire of Cairo, Azidahaka removed her tiara and gazed longingly at the distant horizon of the desert.
“Grass will grow on the dry sands, and many beasts will frolic in those lands. It is certain.”
With a voice filled with hope, Azidahaka spoke passionately. While I wondered how a barren desert could transform so dramatically in just a few years.
Through my eyes, I could see the ruins of Cairo, with wild grasses and weeds poking through the cracked tiles of the fallen streets.
I’ve heard that after the rain ended, on the second day, shoots and delicate grasses began to peek through the sand in various places in the desert.
“Perhaps the rain that fell on a desert suffering from a prolonged drought awakened the slumbering seeds hidden deep within the sand. For what Jupiter did, it certainly had some good results. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this place changes. This land may even be called something other than a desert.”
I had no doubt that Azidahaka believed this desert would give birth to countless lives.
I contemplated the shattered jewels from my battle with Jupiter and replied casually.
━ This place will now be known as The Great Plains.
“Nice! A vast land where many grasses grow. The Great Plains. The Fire Dragon’s Great Plains. It has a nice ring to it.”
━ Wait, why is the Fire Dragon in front?
━ That’s right! I like a colorful, dreamland name!
━ No, Leaf, you just stay quiet.
I feared if Leaf named it, it would end up being something like “The Dreamy Rainbow Land.”
‘Please tell me it didn’t actually change names…? I can’t see any writings about a name change…’
As I nervously shifted my eyes, the Fire Dragon Azidahaka let out a snicker.
“Now that Jupiter has lost his position in the west, this land belongs to me. So, doesn’t it make sense to call it The Fire Dragon’s Great Plains?”
━ What are you talking about? I did all the important work here. This is White One’s Great Plains. Uh, wait, that doesn’t sound quite right. The land of the white fields… ah, I need something catchy…
━ How about the Rainbow Plains! What do you think? This one should work!
The raccoon Leaf exclaimed cheerfully, perhaps inspired by the long-hanging rainbow in the desert.
The rain that had poured down like it would sweep the world away left behind a rainbow so large and beautiful that I had never seen before.
Spanning beyond the clouds and pyramids, the colorful arc hung at the horizon, resembling a bridge connecting this earthly realm and the heavens.
Lost in the stunning beauty for a moment, I shook my head vigorously to redirect the conversation to practical concerns.
━ Let’s think about the name for this land later. For now, we really need to extinguish the urgent fires. So, is it true we still haven’t found that Satan fellow?
Just two days prior, during my fierce battle with Jupiter.
In the Underground Prison of Olympus, it was reported that the Griffons, distracted by a war with dragons, had allowed the evil spirit Satan to slip away.
I wasn’t sure what that pitiful creature, now reduced to a mere beast, could do after its escape, but the unsettled feeling remained, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable until he was found.
Clap, clap.
As I applauded, terrifying beasts began to flap their wings and fly toward me.
Flap flap!
━ Did you call for us?
Minerva the griffon, wearing glasses, landed gracefully in front of me.
━ Yeah, I just wanted to know if anyone’s spotted Satan yet.
━ Oh, if that’s the case, Mars, in charge of military affairs, is diligently combing through available forces. By the way, the stone dwarf’s tech advisor and military advisor Mars said he had something to discuss with you about new policies. Now that the army and council have disbanded, we need to set up a new council and security force, and there’s a lot to do….
━ I don’t care about that; you all take care of it.
After battling with Jupiter, I had become the strong ruling power over broken Cairo.
But even in power, I didn’t have much, so I left the details to those who had been running things already.
━ I’ll get back to work then. Oh, as a social policy advisor, I should mention that about the wedding with Chino…
“……!”
Zing.
Under the piercing glare from Azidahaka, Minerva, the wise griffon, quickly changed her tune.
━ …I mean, when do you think the festival would be appropriate? I think coming up on the day of the ram would be suitable. By then, most of the construction will be complete.
