I caught Gongbok.

Wooooom.

I mean, I really caught it.

With my fox marble.

“What… is this?”

It looked like Gongbok had been sucked into the fox marble, almost as if it were a trap specifically designed to capture a monster.

“Ah….”

Gongbok’s voice sounded thin and feeble.

“Why… is my voice like this…?”

The voice had become noticeably delicate. Yet, I could still tell it belonged to Gongbok.

What kind of phenomenon was this?

Did its voice really need to change like that?

Could this be the original voice of the fox marble? It was all so far beyond my understanding.

Still, it didn’t seem like a bad thing.

Sure, it was a shame that I couldn’t harvest Gongbok’s inner core or any of its other useful parts. I’d intended to send it off honorably, but I also believed in making use of what could be salvaged. I could have consumed the inner core and used its incredibly tough scales to craft all sorts of things.

Especially with the Snake Queen’s extensive knowledge in this field, it would have been a tremendous help.

But I hadn’t entirely lost everything.

For some reason, the fox marble had quickly absorbed all of Gongbok’s materials. I didn’t know how to extract them yet, but having them stored was better than nothing. I could figure out a way to retrieve them later.

Besides, Gongbok’s body had already begun to turn translucent, so there likely wasn’t much I could salvage anyway. In that sense, the fox marble absorbing Gongbok’s remains might actually be a stroke of luck.

Additionally, the marble now exuded Gongbok’s power.

Since I was planning to use the marble anyway, having it wield the power of metal wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It did make me uneasy, though, keeping the opposing forces of my primary power—wood—and metal in the same place.

Eventually, I’d have to handle both at once, but for now, stabilizing my wood-based abilities took precedence.

Uuuugh…

What’s more, Gongbok’s consciousness was still alive within the marble.

Namgoong Yeon.

No, I mean Al-You. There was still information I could extract.

“I thought I’d died honorably, but to end up in this state… how utterly humiliating.”

If I coaxed it carefully, I might be able to draw out more details—especially regarding True Dragons and the Dragonborn Children. Information about them could never be too plentiful.

And since it had controlled the Dragon Gate for centuries, I could also learn how to wield its powers.

Woooooom!

“Ugh! What’s happening in here?! Why did you even call me out?!”

Something intense seemed to be happening inside the marble. Though I couldn’t see inside, I felt as though Gongbok’s scales were being tugged at from all directions.

As much as I wanted to investigate, there were more pressing matters to address.

I needed to check on my followers.

The last time I saw them, they were all alive.

While they’d sustained injuries, thanks to Baekrang and the Iron-Clad Dragon’s icy barrier, the damage had been minimized. Encased in ice that even they couldn’t break through, they were safe for now.

Sure, if the enemy had launched a sustained assault, the ice might not have held. But thankfully, that hadn’t happened.

The battlefield was, quite literally, a wasteland.

Gongbok had attacked indiscriminately, crushing both allies and enemies alike with its immense power of steel. My allies endured the onslaught with the combined defenses of ice and my wood-based power, but most of the enemies were annihilated.

As a result, the battle had largely come to a halt, and the followers encased in ice were safe.

But even amid this devastation, someone had kept fighting.

“Little one!”

It was Red Dragon.

In her human form, she greeted me with a bright smile.

Her face was streaked with blood, but I could tell it wasn’t hers.

Red Dragon had defeated Akbulhwi.

…Unbelievable. She really did it.

She was much stronger than before. The aura she radiated now was extraordinary.

Previously, her energy was dominated by blazing fire, but now it felt more multifaceted.

That’s right—plum blossoms.

I could sense the essence of plum blossoms emanating from her.

She must have gained enlightenment during her battle with Akbulhwi.

I’d grown significantly in this fight as well, but it seemed Red Dragon wasn’t far behind. While she was undoubtedly weaker than I was when I struck down Gongbok, given my inability to wield my power freely, we could be considered equals under normal circumstances.

“…Uh, well.”

Despite calling out to me so cheerfully, Red Dragon suddenly avoided my gaze.

She probably thought I saw her as a traitor.

If she hadn’t shared the information, this battle wouldn’t have happened.

Although we’d emerged victorious, it had been a series of miracles strung together. If even one thing had been lacking, it would’ve ended in disaster.

My followers, dead or gravely injured.

And me, helplessly watching and wailing.

Red Dragon seemed to understand this, lowering her head.

“…I’m sorry.”

She said something she normally wouldn’t.

I knew she had her reasons for betraying us. Swallowing that poison had left her no choice but to obey.

If I hadn’t foreseen the future, this would have ended in catastrophe.

But I did see the future, and I cut through fate.

So blaming her would be foolish.

Besides, she fought Akbulhwi.

And in the end, she was the one who pierced Gongbok’s defenses.

If not for her plum blossoms incinerating Gongbok’s thorns, I would have collapsed before my blade could even reach it.

Whatever else, Red Dragon was a valuable follower and the primary reason we secured victory.

Swish!

My regrown tail wrapped around her waist.

However, simply forgiving her outright would hurt her pride.

As the Divine Beast of Gae Gak Sect, it was only right to administer a fitting punishment.

Smack!

I lightly slapped her on the butt.

It was my way of telling her to clean up the aftermath.

Red Dragon’s eyes widened briefly before she burst into laughter.

“…You really do understand me so well.”

There was no time to waste.

If we didn’t free the followers trapped in ice, none of us would get any sleep tonight.

“Hmph, so you’re saying I won’t be getting any rest tonight?”

Exactly.

Which meant—

“…Huh?”

Fwoooosh!

Red Dragon’s flames surged.

It was the fire that would awaken the followers encased in eternal ice.

“You know, I feel a little… strange right now. How should I put it? Like I just can’t hold back anymore?”

She was saying some frightening things.

“Still… I’ll try my best to wait. After all, our Divine Beast needs to recover first.”

Her golden eyes shifted to a faint reddish-pink hue.

…Come to think of it, didn’t Tang Soyeong mention the poison might have side effects?

Red Dragon struck a peculiar pose, licking her lips seductively.

“Gegegek!”

I darted away immediately.

Her laughter echoed from afar.

That’s more like the Red Dragon I know.

…She was joking, right?

Next, I headed to where Tang Soyeong was.

Unlike the others, she was human. It was only right to tend to her injuries first, given her role as our healer.

Protected by Nephila and the spiders, Tang Soyeong lay limp and unconscious.

“Keeeeeng!”
“Kioooong!”

The spiders, who’d been clinging to her and weeping, bounced up and down.

It seemed they wanted to celebrate my victory but were too distraught over Soyeong’s condition.

Even Nephila wore a sorrowful expression as she silently watched over her.

Tang Soyeong.

In many ways, she was the one who made the Gae Gak Sect possible.

She’d interpreted my croaking as “Gae Gak.”

…Without her, I wouldn’t have developed the Gae Gak martial arts or any of my techniques.

Though I might treat her harshly at times, it’s only because I care for her in my own way.

“Kioooong…”
“Keeeeng…”

The spiders, who normally tugged playfully at her hair, were now wailing with sorrow.

...

Wait a second… doesn’t she look completely fine?

Her shallow chest is clearly rising and falling.

I moved closer to Tang Soyeong.

She was holding her breath and pretending to be unconscious.

I leaned in even closer.

Her lips twitched.

Pop!

“Eek!”

When I lightly patted her on the butt, she jumped up in surprise.

“Go-Great Warrior?”

Unbelievable.

She was faking it in this situation?

“Kioooong!”
“Keeeng!”

The spiders screeched as if they had expected this all along. But they also waved their legs excitedly, relieved to confirm she was unharmed.

That’s a relief.

If Gae Gak’s healer was fine, we could treat the injured followers much faster.

I felt a little bad about putting her straight to work, but we didn’t have much choice.

“Hehehe…”

Tang Soyeong grinned up at me, her expression far too cheerful. Something felt off.

Looking at her closely, I noticed her face was oddly flushed, and she seemed to be… drooling?

“Maybe I mishandled the poison… uuuu…”

It didn’t seem likely, but her expression was strangely seductive—well, by her standards, anyway.

Tang Soyeong stared at me intently.

She licked her lips.

Pursed them slightly.

It was the same gesture Red Dragon had made earlier, but there was something distinctly different about it.

“Great Warrior…”

Her trembling voice called out to me.

She lowered the collar of her robe, exposing one shoulder.

Click here for illustration.

…Has she finally lost her mind?

“Ahhh…”

Ahhh?

“Uuuugh…”

Uuuugh?

“Greeeat Waaaarrior…”

Yep, something is definitely wrong with her.

“Kioooong?”
“Keeeng?”

Normally, the spiders would’ve jumped in by now, unleashing their “Gomodo Technique: Furious Smackdown.” But even they seemed baffled, tilting their heads in confusion.

They didn’t move to intervene, clearly as bewildered by her behavior as I was.

Honestly, I didn’t fully understand it either, but if I had to guess… she was trying to seduce me?

“Uuuugh…”

Good grief.

Our one and only healer, reduced to this state.

But it’s fine.

I’ve been saving a special technique for situations like this.

1. Lift Tang Soyeong.

“Fufufu…”

Tang Soyeong smiled like everything was going according to her plan.

2. Raise her with my tail.

“No matter how much I look at it… hmm? A tail?”

She reached out to gently touch my raised tail but froze, her eyes widening.

“G-Go-Great Warrior?”

It seemed she realized something was wrong.

But it was already too late.

“I-I’m perfectly fine! Just now, I was just—!”

Thunk!

“Eek!”

Tang Soyeong yelped as she rubbed her head, which now sported a fresh bump.

“W-Wait a moment! I’m fine now! Completely fine!”

But we weren’t done yet.

“Kioooong…”
“Keeeng…”

As if on cue, the three spider sisters approached her, their intentions clear.

“Aaaaaah!”

Thus, the healer of Gae Gak Sect, Tang Soyeong, was successfully treated with Gomodo Technique: Furious Smackdown.