NoveLight ™
Shik Shik was biting the Queen furiously. Her usually round face had turned triangular, a sure sign she was genuinely angry. Shik Shik had grown incredibly strong; after all, she had managed to bite through my Dragon Scales.
However, despite her best efforts, the Snake Queen's fingers remained unscathed. Undeterred, Shik Shik kept attacking. She truly was the Snake Queen’s heir.
“Piaaaak!”
Was it a coincidence that I suddenly remembered the time Baek Yeon-Yeong had bitten my finger?
Let’s focus on the situation first. The Snake Queen seemed to have interfered with my religion and faith somehow.
[Dog God Cult]
King Lizard-level Religion.
A religion built around the Dog God faith and worship of the Komodo. Its followers are incredibly diverse, with steadfast devotion.
Affiliated Faiths: [Dog God Faith] [Snake Queen Faith]
Followers:
Wait a minute… the spiders' levels have shot up! Last time I checked, they were lower than Shik Shik’s. Looks like they’ve been living well. That’s a relief.
Something strange had been added to my religion. A new category called “Affiliated Faiths” appeared, and Snake Queen Faith was boldly listed there.
[Snake Queen Faith]
Allosaurus-level Faith.
A powerful faith dedicated to the Queen of Serpents, a being capable of rivaling the king of birds. This faith is followed by those of her species and others.
[Komodo-Rania] is recognized as the Snake Queen’s consort. The Snake Queen’s followers now worship [Komodo-Rania].
The Snake Queen Faith… It’s safe to assume that every snake in this jungle follows this faith. Even the black dragons around the temple are probably linked to it.
And now, I had become the consort of such a faith.
That’s right—I'm officially married now.
If the spiders found out, I could already imagine them wrapping me up in webs, cackling in their eerie voices.
It was unsettling, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I could consider this arrangement as purely formal, and on paper only.
The faith change hadn’t affected me directly. It was entirely within the realm of their faith.
This situation reminded me of a story from Korean mythology. The one about Hwanung meeting Ungnyeo, a tale of two tribes—one worshiping the sky and the other worshiping bears—forming an alliance through marriage.
This felt like something similar.
The Snake Queen and the Dog God faith had entered into a formal alliance, with the title of “consort” acting as a symbolic gesture. It was all a matter of business, nothing personal.
The Snake Queen wasn’t interested in me romantically; she made the decision for mutual benefit. And perhaps she was eyeing my tail as a nutritional boost.
To those who didn’t believe in the Dog God faith, my tail was just a tasty piece of meat.
But now that the Snake Queen Faith was affiliated with the Dog God Faith, it probably meant the benefits of my tail would apply to her as well.
In short, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
I just had to shamelessly accept whatever benefits came my way from my mother-in-law—I mean, wife.
“Piaaaak!”
Bolphyton’s triangular face turned toward me. Shik Shik was attacking me now. Why the sudden change in target?
Snap!
“Gegegegegek!”
Shik Shik whipped her tail and started wrestling with me.
Shik Shik, it’s just a paperwork issue. It’s not like I’m cheating on anyone.
“Hieeeek!”
…Wait, why am I even explaining myself?
It’s not like I’m actually cheating!
“Ufufu…”
The Snake Queen covered her mouth, stifling a small laugh.
Hey, instead of laughing, why don’t you try stopping her? Shik Shik’s round face was getting sharper by the second. If she evolves into a dark version, she’ll end up as Skull Shik Shik.
“Princess, don’t worry. He’s not my consort, but the Snake Queen’s consort.”
“…Piyak?”
Shik Shik tilted her head, looking confused.
“If you become the Queen someday, naturally he’ll be your consort.”
“Ssshirik!”
Shik Shik’s face returned to its round shape. She seemed to finally understand the deep meaning behind the Snake Queen’s words.
…Wait, was there really a deep meaning?
Why are they deciding these things on their own while I’m just standing here?
“Hiek…”
Shik Shik loosened her bite on me.
“There will be other trials to face, but if you become the Queen, the official consort will be you.”
“Hieeek…”
Shik Shik’s tail gently wrapped around my leg, swaying gently. What a simple snake.
I mean, she is simple, right?
“Princess, I expect this to motivate you. If you don’t want to lose him to your mother, you’ll have to work harder.”
“Piyaaaak!”
“If I ever think your growth is slowing down, who knows what I’ll do.”
“Hieek!”
What does that mean?
“I could show you exactly what it means to be a true consort.”
“Piyaaaaak!”
Is this supposed to be motivational?
The Snake Queen wrapped her tail around my other leg.
“I wish I could perform a sacred ritual until the moon changes and returns to its original form.”
Sacred ritual? Is this related to faith?
“But since we’re different species, a long ritual would be impossible. I’ll have to settle for a fortnight.”
What kind of ritual takes that long?
“Princess, how many siblings do you want…?”
“Piyaaaaaak!”
Boom!
Shik Shik unleashed a destructive ray, cutting off the Snake Queen’s nonsense.
Thank you, Shik Shik.
“…It was just a joke, a joke.”
That expression isn’t very convincing, though.
“There’s no way I could enjoy myself alone without involving my daughter.”
Ssss…
The Snake Queen’s tail coiled around me.
Despite my now massive size, I couldn’t resist. It wasn’t a matter of strength; there was something intangible about the Snake Queen’s slithering body that made resistance impossible.
“And so, my dear consort…”
Sssst…
The Snake Queen’s body slowly wrapped around me, and Shik Shik followed suit, trying to wrap herself around me as well in an effort to stop her.
I could feel the cold reptilian temperature pressing against me.
“You must go find Honhwi and learn from them.”
Right, Honhwi. All this conversation was supposed to be about miniaturization.
“They owe me a debt. When they see you, my proclaimed consort, they will repay it.”
As expected from the wise Snake Queen.
I never doubted her for a moment.
“However, Honhwi is unpredictable, so don’t assume you’ll learn anything from them just by meeting them.”
I didn’t need them to teach me directly. I had my Reverse Scale, which could copy abilities.
If I was lucky, I could just observe their technique and replicate it.
“There are a few places where they might be, but they’re a wanderer. You’ll have to put in some effort to track them down.”
Effort? Please, with my size and movement techniques, I could cover the jungle and find anyone in no time.
“Oh, and take this.”
The Snake Queen handed me something.
It was a luxurious-looking accessory made from a combination of jewels and seashells.
“Having this will show even the smallest creatures that you’re my consort.”
The Snake Queen’s generosity was impressive.
This was an official pass, essentially.
[Gift from the Snake Queen’s Heart]
…Why is the name so strange?
Meanwhile…
“You’re lucky,” Baek-Woon said.
“Indeed,” Jang Bong replied.
The two of them were discussing the strange lizard they had encountered earlier. It was a tiny creature, barely a foot long, but it had easily taken down a massive beast with a single strike.
Had it wanted to, that little lizard could have easily wiped them out. But instead, it had helped them find their way out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, dealing with a few troublesome dinosaurs along the way.
Baek-Woon and Jang Bong couldn’t help but reconsider their views on mythical creatures after these encounters.
If meeting Komodo had been the catalyst, encountering Tusulisuu had been the confirmation.
They were ashamed of themselves.
They had wanted to kill such creatures out of greed for their power. Now, Baek-Woon felt foolish for even considering it. He hadn’t even possessed the strength to kill them in the first place, and that made him feel all the more embarrassed.
“To think, I’ve been saved by mythical creatures twice now,” Baek-Woon muttered.
“Indeed,” Jang Bong replied.
“…They’re better than humans.”
Jang Bong flinched at that remark but didn’t say anything, reminded of the Blood Patriarch’s betrayal.
He, too, was reflecting on his choices and thinking about returning home to live a quiet life.
“What do you think of Komodo?” Baek-Woon asked.
“Of course, I think of him as an awe-inspiring divine beast.”
Baek-Woon clicked his tongue. That wasn’t what he meant.
“I mean, how will you treat him when we return?”
“Well, I’ll spread his glory far and wide…”
“Don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
Baek-Woon sighed.
“The martial world is obsessed with mythical creatures right now. What do you think would happen if we told people about the creatures we met?”
Jang Bong thought for a moment, then realization hit him.
“They’d send a second expedition…”
“Exactly. We’ve been shown kindness. At the very least, we shouldn’t cause them any harm.”
“I see. I nearly made a grave mistake.”
“If you must talk about their glory, add a little creative flair.”
“Creative flair, huh? I like that idea.”
And so, they continued their journey, chatting as they walked. Eventually, the entrance to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains came into view.
Finally, they could return to the martial world.
“Phew… it’s a relief to have made it out,” Baek-Woon said.
“Indeed. With that little mythical creature gone, it seems there aren’t any more threats around.”
Just then, there was a rustling sound in the bushes.
Baek-Woon instinctively reached for his sword as a figure emerged from the foliage.
“Baek-Woon!”
“…Namgoong-hyung?”
It was Namgoong-Yeon. However, despite recognizing him, Baek-Woon didn’t lower his guard. His sword remained pointed at Namgoong-Yeon’s throat.
“What’s the meaning of this, Baek-Woon?”
“Last I checked, the Left Guardian of the Demonic Cult was hunting you.”
It was the Left Guardian of the Demonic Cult who had pursued Namgoong-Yeon. Baek-Woon couldn’t believe that Namgoong-Yeon had managed to escape.
He remembered clearly that Namgoong-Yeon had led them straight into the heart of the Demonic Cult’s territory, where they had faced the cult’s core members, including the Cult Leader.
Yet Namgoong-Yeon had somehow survived.
Baek-Woon couldn’t dismiss it as mere luck.
“How did you escape?”
“Come on, do I have to be caught to prove myself?”
“Answer me.”
“…Alright. I’ll admit it’s hard to believe, but I encountered a mythical creature.”
“A mythical creature?”
“Yes, and it was friendly toward humans.”
Baek-Woon lowered his sword slightly, though he remained cautious. He had a certain fondness for Namgoong-Yeon, beyond just recognizing his skills as an informant.
“Are you going to trust me now?”
“If you had other motives, you wouldn’t be calling out to me like this. You’d have ambushed me.”
“Kekeke, as expected of Baek-Woon. I’ll buy you a drink of Sohongju later.”
“No need. Let’s focus on getting out of here first.”
Baek-Woon, Namgoong-Yeon, and Jang Bong started walking together, talking about their respective experiences.
“Oh, by the way, judging by your reactions earlier, it seems you guys also encountered a mythical creature?” Namgoong-Yeon asked.
“Mythical creature?”
“I’m talking about a creature that’s friendly toward humans. You guys met one too, didn’t you?”
“Komodo…”
“There were no mythical creatures! We just fought off a few strange birds!” Jang Bong quickly interjected, cutting off Baek-Woon.
Baek-Woon frowned.
What is going on?
He had been about to tell Namgoong-Yeon about the mythical creatures they encountered, but…
Why had he stopped?
Baek-Woon felt something off, an odd feeling creeping in.
Why had he suddenly felt the urge to share that information with Namgoong-Yeon?
“…That doesn’t seem right, Baek-Woon. Come on, tell me. You encountered a mythical creature, didn’t you? The kind that walks like a human and does things only humans can do?”
Look at that expression.
Namgoong-Yeon’s face resembled that of a demon waiting for the right information.
“Tch. If I’d seen a mythical creature, do you think I’d have let it live? I told you, we just fought some strange birds.”
Namgoong-Yeon pressed for more details, but Baek-Woon’s story remained unchanged.
“I see. Well, if you say so.”
With that, their conversation ended.
“Oh, by the way, I know this amazing inn…”
Namgoong-Yeon shifted topics easily, as though he hadn’t been prying for information moments earlier.
Watching him act so differently from before, Baek-Woon could only hope that the strange feeling he’d had earlier was just paranoia.
He didn’t want to have to draw his sword against Namgoong-Yeon.
Time passed, and there were no unusual incidents.
Aside from the fact that the number of birds circling above them had increased dramatically.
TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!
If you want to buy me a coffee ko-fi.com/kimsu