Day 3 of Founding the Gaegak Religion

"The aunt has spoken: is there food?"

I left the swamp briefly to search for prey, just for a while.

Not too far—just enough to remain within reach of the water in case of emergency.

Though my body has changed, I still feel more comfortable living near the water.

However, the reason I came out of the swamp is simple.

I'm hunting for stronger prey.

Like the creatures ahead of me now, gathered in a group.

"Screech!"

[Deinonychus LV4] [Deinonychus LV6] [Deinonychus LV5] [Deinonychus LV9]

The pack of Deinonychus spotted me and quickly scattered.

Thud-thud-thud!

"Screech!"

The one that seems to be the leader tilts its head as it gazes at me.

[Deinonychus LV9] [Status] [Alert] [Hunger]

It must be trying to assess my strength.

Wondering if it can hunt me.

Even if it can catch me, it's probably thinking about whether it would harm the pack.

These creatures dared to attack a Baryonyx, so of course, they’ll come after me as well.

"Screech!"

With the leader's cry, one of the Deinonychus lunges at me from the side.

I know it's a feint.

I’m familiar with their tactics.

Their goal is to exhaust me by wearing me down in a series of attacks.

But I won't allow that.

[Using “Poison Generation LV1.”]

I produced a large amount of poison in the air.

The Deinonychus that pretended to attack but then tried to retreat found itself drenched in the suddenly appearing poison and let out a painful scream.

"Screeee!"

It wasn’t enough to kill it instantly from just being covered in the poison.

However, the purpose of this poison was to make its body wet.

And obscure its vision.

Stopping its movements was the key.

The timing of its retreat was off, and waiting for it was the merciless Winged Lizard.

Thud!

I slammed it down.

A perfect one-hit kill.

Now, they will flee.

Did I overpower them too quickly? I should have held back a little.

"Screech! Screee!"

Oh?

Look at that.

When one of them died fighting the Baryonyx, they ran away immediately. But against me, do they think they can win?

"Screech!"

Another Deinonychus charged at me from a different direction.

[Using “Poison Generation LV1.”]

Swish!

The Deinonychus avoided the poison.

Has it figured out a way to counter it after seeing it once?

Smart for a dinosaur.

But what can it do against me, the Winged Lizard?

[Using “Poison Gathering LV1.”]

Shwaa!

The poison from the dead dinosaur’s body and the poison scattered on the ground suddenly gathered into the air.

Its target was the Deinonychus’s belly.

Slash!

The poison surged up as if it had become a spear, aiming to pierce through the creature’s hide.

No matter how sharp and hardened the poison became, it couldn't pierce the creature's belly skin.

But once again, this attack was also poison, and the Deinonychus, now covered in it, reacted the same way as before.

"Screeeee!"

Boom!

[Your level has increased.]

I took down two Deinonychuses in a flash.

The leader glared at me.

You should have planned better.

If all four of you had attacked at once, things might have been tougher for me.

"Screech! Scree!"

The leader retreated, along with the last remaining companion.

Dragging three bodies is too much trouble anyway, so there’s no need to pursue them.

I’ll let them live, so the prey will multiply.

Of course, now that they know I’m here, they probably won’t come near this place again.

I dragged the Deinonychus carcasses back to my lair.

Waiting for me there were my four followers.

...But isn’t it usually the followers that chat and the guardian beast that brings the food?

Isn’t this backward?

"Lord Go, you’ve worked hard." "Screee!"

Tang So-Yeong was busy massaging the leg of Nephila Jurassica.

Crack!

A satisfying sound echoed.

I’m not sure if physical therapy works on a spider, but I’ll leave it to her.

I glanced at Nephila Jurassica.

I wondered if she had recovered by now.

My concern wasn’t small.

[Nephila Jurassica LV30] [Status] [Injury] [Crush] [Appetite] [Languor] [Devotion]

The word ‘injury’ was still attached to her status.

Before anything else, she needs to eat.

I can’t feed her poisoned meat, so first, I’ll remove the poison.

[Using “Poison Gathering LV1.”]

The poison within the Deinonychus's body condensed into a small orb.

The poison had broken down the meat’s tissue, tenderizing it perfectly, and eliminated any potential side effects. A skill that’s useful in both battle and everyday life.

The Winged Lizard is amazing.

"Lord Go! You’re not going to waste that poison, are you?"

Tang So-Yeong hurriedly pulled out a jar from her belongings.

Where did she get that?

It looks expensive.

"If you’re just going to throw it away, please..."

I had no reason to refuse, so I poured the poison into the jar she handed over.

"Hehe… I’m rich now…."

Huh?

Weren’t you collecting it for research purposes?

Aren’t you from a prestigious family?

You’re not planning to sell this, are you?

Though her intentions seemed suspicious, it wasn’t my concern.

If she made a lot of money and bought me some elixirs, that would be nice.

Now that the poison has been extracted, it’s time to prepare the meat.

We wild spiders would eat it raw, but with Tang So-Yeong here, I’ll prepare it properly.

Of course, they don’t eat much, so I only need to prepare a little, but that’s actually harder.

It’s easiest to just cut it up with my claws.

"Lord Go. Let me help!" "Screech."

I shook my head.

For one, it’s faster if I do it, and I’m also looking for a core.

Though Tang So-Yeong’s human hands are more delicate, I can’t rule out the possibility that she might take the core and flee with it in the night.

Including my tail while I sleep.

Though she hasn’t shown any interest in the Dilophosaurus core and reveres me, I can’t be too careful.

Faith can sometimes twist in strange ways.

Like with Tus and Pus.

Being cautious is always a good thing.

If the Deinonychus had a core, I would give it to her.

Even if it has one, it would only be low or, at best, mid-grade.

But right now, I can’t afford to give away even a low-grade core.

Because of Nephila Jurassica.

Not for some romantic reason, but for selfish motives.

Nephila Jurassica is level 30.

From what I’ve experienced, level 30 is the point where most species can evolve. In fact, Nephila Jurassica’s max level is quite high for a spider.

If I could feed her a good core, maybe she could evolve again.

I recalled Nephila Jurassica’s appearance.

It was a tense moment, but how could I forget that sight?

Golden fur resembling leopard spots and crimson eyes.

It feels like such a waste.

It’s not that I’m hoping for her to turn into a human so we can live happily ever after.

Nephila Jurassica still has a terrifying face that startles me every time I see her.

Maybe if she had a human upper body, her wild expressions would be less frightening.

It would also be easier on the eyes.

With higher intelligence, she could control her appetite better.

It’s not that I’m interested in the human form.

Really.

"Screech."

I rummaged through the Deinonychus’s insides, but once again, there was no core.

What a disappointment.

Maybe the leader had one.

In any case, I was satisfied with having a meat feast.

Even though there’s a lot of meat, it’s no problem.

I have the “Gluttony” skill, so I can eat almost infinitely, and once I consume enough, my level rises.

Even without that skill, the Winged Lizard’s large body can easily hold an entire Deinonychus.

Cores.

I need to find more cores.

Where can I get them?

Maybe it’s time to hunt those flying fish from the upper swamp.

Or head to the higher parts of the swamp to hunt stronger creatures?

As I pondered Nephila Jurassica’s evolution, Tang So-Yeong’s sharp voice interrupted.

"Lord Go! The spider lady…!"

Nephila Jurassica had collapsed.

"Shreee…"

Fortunately, the spider recovered quickly.

But even so, the word ‘injury’ hadn’t disappeared from her status.

Tang So-Yeong had a grave expression.

"It’s not good. She recovered fast this time, but she may collapse more frequently in the future."

That was bad news.

I need to gather more cores.

"I’m saying this just in case, but this isn’t something that can be fixed by eating more cores. She’s already consumed half of the Dilophosaurus core. More would be poison."

Then what do we do?

"Screech…" "There’s one way..." "Screech!" "We need to take her to Dangata."

"Screech?"

Dangata is a settlement in Sichuan, where the Tang family resides.

"The materials and facilities there should be enough to heal her. Since my legs have healed, I need to return to Dangata anyway. If the spider lady comes with me, we can fix this. However, I don’t know if she’ll want to go."

According to Tang So-Yeong, Nephila Jurassica was one of the spiders that lived in Sichuan.

Which means she almost became a material for the poisonous substances there as well.

"…Spider lady, are you okay with that?"

She’s obviously going to refuse.

"Screech."

Contrary to my expectations, Nephila Jurassica nodded.

She was agreeing to go to Sichuan with Tang So-Yeong.

"Screech!"

I pointed to Tus, Pus, the location where the Dilophosaurus died, and then to Tang So-Yeong, using my fingers to convey my thoughts.

I stuck out my tongue and pretended to faint.

What I meant was, "If you go to Sichuan now, won’t they punish you for losing the Dilophosaurus, and won’t Nephila end up becoming a material like those spiders?"

And Tus and Pus as well.

"The Tang family holds the Winged Lizard in much higher regard than you think. You’re seen as a sacred, legendary creature. If you take your poison and scales, they’ll welcome you with open arms."

Is that so?

Should I entrust myself to the Tang family then?

And live near Sichuan.

"Of course, there’s a faction that opposes the Winged Lizard, so there’s a slight risk of assassination…"

Never mind.

Anything but the Tang family’s assassins.

Anyway, it seems I need to accompany Nephila and Tang So-Yeong to Sichuan.

There’s no reason for me to stay in the Ten Thousand Mountains either.

I could live in the mountains near Sichuan.

I’ve grown bigger, so I could enjoy the fresh air.

I slapped my tail against my back.

"Screech."

I’ll give you a ride.

"Oh, there’s no need for that. The spider lady and I can manage on our own…"

Tang So-Yeong naturally climbed onto my back.

Knowing her, she’d probably start bawling the moment she left the swamp.

Plus, isn’t the Ten Thousand Mountains far from central China?

It might take years for her to reach Sichuan at her pace.

It’s a bit of a hassle, but I can’t let them go alone.

Nephila got hurt because of me, so I have to take responsibility.

Tus and Pus also climbed onto my back.

"Screech!"

Nephila Jurassica waved her hand.

"That hand gesture…"

Can you even interpret things like that now?

"I think she’s saying there’s somewhere we need to stop by before we leave."

A place to stop by?

"Right, we can’t just leave right away. We need to make medicine for the spider lady and prepare for the journey."

Then get down.

Maybe for long trips, but letting them ride all the time will spoil them.

I gently pushed them off my back with my tail.

"Kyaa!"

Nephila quickly regained her energy and tugged at my finger.

"Screech!"

She insists on going to this place now?

Fine.

Let’s make a stop, like a family outing.

…Come to think of it, this spider.

Didn’t she give me a lot of cores?

Could it be that she stole them from the Tang family?

We need to stop by urgently before leaving = She needs to collect something.

I get it now.

She has a treasure hoard!

I’m not greedy, but I wouldn’t mind having a look.

"Screech screech screech!"

"Lord Go, excuse me, but you’re drooling."