The feast was over.

Argentavis had reluctantly urged us to stay the night, but we didn’t have the luxury of time.

Drinking wine and sharing a meal to solidify our alliance—that was the most time we could spare.

Argentavis handed us a few items, wrapped in the same multicolored cloth I’d seen at the Silver Dragon’s Lair.

These were supposed to be items Gechalgoatal feared.

Not enough to defeat him outright, but they were the reason Argentavis had escaped with his life. When I wondered if giving us these items would leave him vulnerable, he just shrugged, confident in his ability to flee. With an all-out war looming, he figured it would be better for us to have them.

No one knew the Bird King better than the Snake Queen, so her judgment seemed sound.

The sun was beginning to set.

After leaving Argentavis’s territory, we didn’t head back to the temple.

The Snake Queen said there was somewhere else she wanted to go.

“Birds have poor night vision. We should move now,” she explained.

She had a point.

Snakes are nocturnal, and birds are diurnal. Even a powerful bird would struggle to fly in darkness unless it was an owl or some night hunter.

And with the Snake Queen moving in her Lamia form instead of her true form, it would be even harder for them to locate her.

Maybe that’s why she’d made such a fuss during the day.

“We’re heading north!”

After announcing this loudly to mislead them, we slipped away to another destination while they were off guard.

Slither.

I moved alongside the Snake Queen.

“Shik-shik.”

Shik-Shik, curled around my neck, hissed softly.

Since forming a silent pact with Chirp-Chirp, her gaze had grown more resolute.

Though, of course, she was still as round and adorable as ever.

But her determined expression faded quickly as her little head started to droop.

Her eyes were open, but I could tell she was probably sleepy.

And understandably so; it was late, she’d just eaten a satisfying egg meal, and she was at that age when sleep came easily.

Plus, all that bickering with Chirp-Chirp must’ve worn her out.

"Korolong…"

The little snake snored quietly.

It didn’t seem strange at all anymore. I’d grown so accustomed to it.

The Snake Queen glanced at the sleeping Shik-Shik and smiled softly.

Lately, it seemed I’d been seeing her smile more often.

When we first met, I never would’ve expected such expressions from her.

“Perhaps it’s because she takes after me. She sleeps a lot.”

Does the Snake Queen also sleep a lot?

Could it be that she stays holed up in the temple simply to nap?

With trivial thoughts like these, I followed the Snake Queen as we traveled on.

After some time, the Snake Queen, walking beside me, came to a stop.

“We’ve arrived.”

Tall reeds blocked my view ahead.

The Snake Queen, seemingly expecting this, parted the reeds with her hand.

What lay before me was a vast, open lake.

The jungle is usually dense with trees, so the feeling of openness here was quite rare.

Yet this lake, even in its openness, blended seamlessly with the surrounding jungle.

Short trees lined the edge, and the lake itself was fairly expansive.

Despite the dark night, the bright moonlight reflected off the lake’s surface, illuminating it.

Crickets chirped, making their presence known.

Fireflies danced through the sky, lighting up the night.

“What do you think?” she asked.

In this world, I’d seen countless breathtaking sights: the dilophosaurus using Tang Clan’s secret technique, *Ten Thousand Blossoms in the Rain*, the cockatrice with the heads of both a chicken and a snake, the spider who begged to be spanked, and the talking snake.

Each scene had been a shock, sights that defied my understanding.

But if I had to choose the most beautiful sight, I’d select this moment without hesitation.

I don’t have a refined eye for art, but this scene was beautiful beyond words.

“This is my favorite place. The air is clean, the water’s clear, and just watching those glowing insects in the sky warms my heart.”

Indeed, this view was worthy of being called a masterpiece.

But there was one thing I didn’t quite understand.

It was beautiful, no doubt.

Coming here late at night was no regret.

But this place didn’t seem aligned with our purpose.

Weren’t we gathering strength to take down the Bird King?

Seeking elixirs, forming alliances, or figuring out ways to defeat him.

That was our primary goal.

So why come here instead?

The Snake Queen wouldn’t have made such a decision lightly.

Her blood ran cold, and her judgment was far sharper than mine.

There must be another purpose.

Perhaps there was a hidden opportunity here.

“I wanted to show this to you.”

The words that came from the Snake Queen’s mouth were not what I had expected.

She’d brought me here just to show me this place?

That didn’t seem right.

Maybe the source of her fire was here.

Or perhaps a powerful spirit creature resided beneath the lake.

Yes, that would make sense.

The Snake Queen gave another soft smile.

“Our little princess seems to be sleeping soundly. Place her down over there, along with the items we received from the former Bird King.”

Where she pointed, I saw a nest made of reeds.

It looked like the perfect size for Shik-Shik.

She must have brought her here several times before.

“Gegeek.”

Without a word, I placed Shik-Shik gently in the nest.

“Are you done?”

“Gegeek.”

The Snake Queen wrapped her tail around me.

“Gegeek?”

She gave me a playful smile.

“Relax. You might get hurt otherwise.”

With a firm grip, she held me by the nape.

Then, from our spot on the low hill, she launched us into the air.

I had no choice but to fall along with her.

Splash!

Even though the height wasn’t great, my weight caused quite a large splash.

So that’s why she had me put Shik-Shik down.

To toss me into the water.

I didn’t know her exact purpose, but she’d chosen the wrong opponent.

When it came to water, I wasn’t easy prey.

I was a master of the *Azure Dragon Ascending Technique*.

I quickly paddled to the surface.

Just as I was about to strike back at the Snake Queen who’d thrown me in—

“Ufufu, did I surprise you?”

That’s cheating.

With her laughing like that, how could I strike back?

“I’m sure you’re curious about why we’re here. You must have a lot to do, and you wouldn’t think I’d bring you here just for the scenery.”

It was as if she’d read my mind.

“Gegeek.”

I nodded lightly.

“The reason I brought you here was to thank you.”

The Snake Queen bowed her head.

“Gegeek!”

I was a bit taken aback.

Thank me? For what?

“Thanks to you, I was able to form an alliance with the former Bird King.”

I waved my hands dismissively.

All I’d done was go around going “Gegeek.”

And technically, I’d stolen the unicorn’s horn.

“You may think it was nothing, but I owe you a huge debt.”

That’s my line.

I’d received far more from the Snake Queen and Shik-Shik.

I’d obtained the *Blaze Fruit* and *Ice Ginseng* at the same time, not to mention the rare *Millennium Golden Spirit Fruit*.

Priceless elixirs that I might never have found on my own.

After receiving all that, this much was the least I could do.

“To be honest, before you came, the situation was dire. Gechalgoatal had allied with Gogadu Lake’s Water Tortoise, which was a huge advantage for him. Using its powers, his followers gained resistance to my abilities.”

Indeed, most of those who believed in the Bird King were resistant to petrification and poison.

He must have used the cockatrice’s power to counter the Snake Queen.

“As time passed, things got worse. With no variables on my side, the Bird King’s growing forces had a clear advantage.”

The Snake Queen and the Bird King constantly tried to keep each other in check.

That’s why it was so important to have subordinates with the freedom to move.

The Snake Queen had lost her strongest subordinate.

“Did you know, you shattered a plan Gechalgoatal had spent decades building in one fell swoop?”

Her praise made me feel a little shy.

Normally, I’d be giving her my best “gegeek” look, expecting some sort of elixir.

But right now, I didn’t feel that way.

Maybe it was because of the beautiful scenery.

Or perhaps it was the nagging unease in my chest.

“Now we’re on equal footing. With me, the former Bird King, the army under Argentavis, the Black Dragons allied with me, and even that old man joining, our forces are evenly matched.”

It was a reassuring list, just hearing it.

The Snake Queen and Compi were both so powerful that I couldn’t even gauge their levels.

If Argentavis fully recovered, he’d be on par with them.

In ground battles, the Snake Queen’s Black Dragons would shine.

One stegosaurus could take on five terror birds.

In the skies, Argentavis’s pterosaurs would hold their own.

And we had the famed secret weapon—Komodo-rania.

With that, victory would be ours.

“This should be enough to win.”

It was nearly time.

There wasn’t much left before the Bird King would fall.

“So, my partner…”

I

 expected her next words to be something like, “Stay strong till the end.”

She’d brought me to this cherished place of hers to bolster my spirits.

She lingered in silence, then slowly opened her mouth.

“Will you leave the jungle before the battle begins?”

Her words were far from what I’d expected.