"Ughhh…"

Thanks to Tang Soyeong, the healer of Gae Gak Sect, the injured were treated quickly.

At first, I wasn’t expecting much, but her skills were undeniable—she truly lived up to her lineage from the Tang Clan. Her mastery of acupuncture was dazzling.

She also made brilliant use of the medicinal herbs growing in my domain, demonstrating an almost miraculous ability to mend broken bones in no time.

"Huff… huff… huff!"

As a result, the wolves were nearly fully recovered.

From Ilrang to Chilrang, they wagged their tails enthusiastically as they gathered around me.

Watching the eight furry creatures rush toward me never got old.

They licked every part of me they could reach, each one trying to outdo the others with their affection.

"Awwooo!"

Seven black wolves and one white wolf rolled onto their backs, showing their bellies.

A white wolf?

My gaze naturally turned to Baekrang, who was wagging her tail with ease.

"…Keng?"

Baekrang made a startled sound, but then casually tapped my scales with her front paw as if nothing was amiss.

Tang Soyeong had been acting strangely earlier, and now Baekrang seemed a bit off, too.

Normally, she’d act aloof and wag her tail subtly, but now she was behaving like Chilrang.

"…What? Am I not allowed to act like this?"

Her golden eyes glared at me.

Not that there was anything wrong with it.

"Gek!"

Come here, you!

Just as I was about to ruffle her fluffy white fur—

Ssshhh!

Smooth scales coiled around my arm, pulling me back.

"Gek?"

It was the Snake Queen.

"My partner prefers scales over fur," she said, her tail tightening around me even as Tang Soyeong treated her wounds.

“What nonsense. He loves my fur,” Baekrang retorted, grabbing my arm with her paw as if unwilling to lose.

"Geeeek…"

The Snake Queen and Baekrang had known each other for some time. After all, the Snake Queen had introduced Baekrang to me.

"Hoho, looks like you've grown bold," the Snake Queen said, her tone icy.

I instinctively felt my left arm freezing over, while my right arm seemed to be turning to stone.

"Geggek!"

Stop it, both of you!

"Scales and fur are fine, but feathers are better," Argentaavis chimed in, glancing at his wings.

Was he… was he seriously considering joining this? Please, I can handle Chicky, but not you, big guy.

"T-Take it easy, Snake Queen! You shouldn’t move so much!" Tang Soyeong exclaimed.

She was applying herbal paste to the Snake Queen's wounds, the last of the critical injuries aside from Argentaavis.

It was natural that the Snake Queen and Argentaavis were the most injured since they had fought Gongbok directly.

"For a human girl to possess such medical skill… perhaps I should interact with humans more often," Argentaavis mused.

He seemed quite taken with Tang Soyeong’s abilities—though probably just her medical expertise.

Considering he was injured when we first met, requiring treatment with a unicorn horn, it seemed the King of Birds had a frail constitution. No wonder he was so interested in someone like Tang Soyeong.

"Hehe… scales… feathers…"

Tang Soyeong muttered something under her breath, her eyes glinting with excitement.

It wasn’t Argentaavis or the unicorns; it was Tang Soyeong herself.

She seemed utterly delighted at the opportunity to treat such high-ranking mystical beings.

I glanced over at the unicorns.

"Some… thing… about… polygamy…"

They were… well, one unicorn was trapped, surrounded by bicorns, who were groping it relentlessly.

The unicorn kept looking at me, silently pleading for help.

But the bicorns, being as rough as they were, paid no attention to its minor injuries and instead indulged in their instincts.

Given that their horns were valuable enough to use as medicine, those small wounds would likely heal on their own.

"Hang in there, unicorn. Whether you ascend as a true unicorn or become a bicorn like them is up to you," I muttered.

My gaze shifted to the Iron-Clad Dragon.

Despite its near-indestructible body, it seemed perfectly fine.

"Haaa… I am deeply ashamed to have struggled so much."

The Iron-Clad Dragon looked awkward.

But really, it wasn’t his fault. After all, he had achieved the incredible feat of taking down the Keratosaurus.

Still, he probably felt guilty about how the battle had played out—being tossed around by the terrain manipulation and only managing to defeat the Keratosaurus by exploiting an opening during Gongbok’s indiscriminate rampage.

Given the mismatch in elemental attributes, it couldn’t be helped. Besides, he had used the power of the snowy mountains to protect the followers.

If anything, the Keratosaurus must have been even more frustrated. No matter how hard it attacked, it couldn’t leave a single scratch.

Considering that, it was clear the Iron-Clad Dragon had been the right one for the job.

"Divine Beast, everything’s ready."

Red Dragon spoke to me.

Since her condition was the best among us, I had entrusted her with the cleanup.

Truthfully, I had a feeling that exhausting her a bit would be the best way to preserve my sanity.

I climbed to a slightly elevated hill, where I could overlook everything Red Dragon and my followers had prepared.

As I stood there, everyone’s attention focused on me.

The Snake Queen and Argentaavis.

The bicorns, still tormenting the unicorn.

Baekrang and the wolves.

Red Dragon and the spiders.

They all looked at me.

And then I roared.

"Gegek!"

By now, no one failed to understand the meaning of this cry.

"Polygamy forever!"
"Awooooo!"
"Kioooong!"

All my followers lifted their heads and echoed my roar.

"Gegegek!"

We had achieved a complete victory.

No one would dare encroach on my domain again.

I shifted my gaze to what Red Dragon had prepared.

The bodies of the foolish invaders who dared set foot in my territory.

I didn’t want to antagonize humans, but if they threatened my precious ones, it was a different story.

If their lingering grudges became a problem, I’d deal with it. To protect what was dear to me, I would do whatever it took—even if it meant dirtying my hands.

This was my creed and my vow.

Wooooom.

The fox marble, which had been quietly resting, suddenly floated into the air.

Flaaash!

A violet light burst forth, as if soothing the spirits of the dead.

"…The Fox Orb," the Snake Queen murmured, watching the spectacle.

"As expected of my son-in-law," Argentaavis said with a nod.

To the others, I must have seemed like the ultimate master of the fox marble.

"Hooray for our Divine Beast!"
"Keeeeeng!"
"Who else but our Divine Beast could wield such an artifact?"

Even Red Dragon looked proud as she gazed at me and the marble.

"As expected of the Great Warrior Gomodo. To calm vengeful spirits like this…!" the Iron-Clad Dragon exclaimed in awe.

Flaaash!

The violet light expanded, consuming all the bodies piled up nearby.

"Hooray for… huh?"
"What is that thing?"

Baekrang muttered, her voice filled with disbelief.

Of course, she was surprised.

The marble had eradicated not just the corpses but also the lingering spirits, leaving no trace behind.

"Gegegek?"
"Wait… why do you look surprised too?"

That’s because… I am surprised.

"Gegegegek!"

What the heck? This is terrifying.

I didn’t tell it to do that!

I just wanted to bury them all in one place!

*

The Fox Marble was acting strangely.

Not only had it absorbed Gongbok, but now it had taken in the Huashan Sect as well.

I wanted to believe it was soothing their vengeful spirits, but the fact that the bodies had disappeared was troubling.

Did it just… eat them?

I stared at the violet marble, as if it were screaming, "I’m an incredibly suspicious artifact!"

I had so many questions, but unlike earlier, it showed no reaction.

Even Gongbok’s voice was silent.

Could this be a side effect of consuming too many spirits?

Whatever the case, there was nothing I could determine immediately.

Still, looking on the bright side—

I’d dealt with the Huashan Sect and successfully destroyed the evidence!

…Maybe I was being a bit too optimistic.

There was still work to do.

Eliminating the head of the Huashan Sect wouldn’t solve all the problems. I needed to think about Namgoong Yeon and meet with the person Gongbok had called Chodo.

There were countless loose ends to tie up, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on them.

We’d won the war and punished the enemy.

What comes next after a victory like this?

Rewarding those who contributed to it.

Even though some followers had been treated, not everyone was fully recovered.

"Huff… huff…"

But surprisingly, everyone was waiting patiently. Given how diverse the group was, there were often small disputes, but now they were all silent, their gazes fixed on me.

Or rather, on the bubbling cauldron beside me.

The aroma wafted through the air, causing my followers to gulp in anticipation.

If the Fox Marble had its fill, it was time for us to eat too.

“Hey, are you really sure about this?” Baekrang asked, wagging her tail.

“Is this… really okay?” Tang Soyeong added, drooling slightly.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had something nourishing…” The Snake Queen’s tail swayed in excitement.

"Keeeng!"
"Kioooong!"

Tus and Pus wagged their backsides, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Mmm…"

Even Nephila glanced back and forth between me and the cauldron, licking her lips.

There was a reason for all their excitement.

What was cooking in the cauldron was none other than… my tail.

It might seem barbaric, but there’s no better meal for recovery.

Admittedly, I wasn’t completely comfortable with the idea of feeding my followers my tail.

And it’s not like they’d been desperate to eat it—though Nephila had occasionally tugged on it while I slept. But she’d never gone so far as to sever it.

However, if it was already severed?

A tail that would rot away anyway—why not share it?

And this wasn’t just any tail.

This was the tail I had honed into a blade using Dragon Speech. Together with the severed horn and scales, it had formed a weapon powerful enough to pierce Gongbok’s armor.

But after defeating Gongbok, its durability had significantly diminished. It was no longer fit for use as a weapon.

So what was left to do?

Turn it into food.

As strange as it sounds, the efficacy of my tail had already been proven. And with the horn infused into it, it was bound to be even more potent than before.

Thus, I proudly presented the dish: Gomodo’s Tail Soup.

"Gek!"

I ladled the soup into wooden bowls, handing them out to my followers.

The reactions were immediate.

“This… this is amazing!” Baekrang exclaimed in awe.

“So this is what the Great Warrior tastes like…” Tang Soyeong muttered in shock—wait, what?

Her choice of words felt off.

"Kioooong!"
"Keeeng!"

Tus and Pus cried tears of joy as they devoured the soup.

Even the presumed herbivores like the Iron-Clad Dragon and the unicorns ate without hesitation.

Chomp chomp chomp.

The wolves buried their snouts into their bowls, eating ravenously.

While I felt a sense of pride, there was also a lingering chill running down my spine.

It felt as if I’d revealed something that should’ve remained a secret.

Still, seeing them enjoy the meal made it worth it.

“I should’ve brought my daughter. How could I enjoy such a delicacy alone?” Argentaavis muttered regretfully.

I suppose it was a shame Chicky and Shrieky couldn’t taste it.

“If only no one were watching…” the Snake Queen murmured, her gaze fixed on the bowl—but not the soup.

"Gek!"

Stop staring!

Even as I scolded her, I glanced around to check on everyone.

The effects of my tail in its usual state were already on par with the Millennial Golden Spirit Fruit. Now, infused with the horn, it was likely even more potent.

At first, there were no noticeable changes.

Except for one thing.

Tus and Pus… their cries were starting to sound a little strange.

But since they’d always been prone to odd noises, I didn’t think much of it.

At least, not until their bodies started to glow.

"Kioooong?"
"Keeeng?"

A white light enveloped Tus and Pus.

Flaaash!

Tang Soyeong let out a startled scream, choking on her food.

“This is… could it be a rebirth? No way—kehhek!”

She coughed, shocked beyond words.

A rebirth?!

They were finally evolving.

Though it was unlikely they’d achieve full humanization like Nephila right away, any evolution was a welcome sight.

Given their levels, it wasn’t surprising that they were evolving now. If anything, it was overdue.

But the fact that it happened after eating my tail…

Was my tail somehow a catalyst for evolution?

A stray thought crossed my mind.

When Nephila evolved into Arachne, she skipped a stage that should’ve corresponded to something like a Green Basilisk for me.

And back when I lived in the acacia tree, I’d occasionally given Nephila pieces of my tail as I stole her prey.

In other words, Nephila had consumed a massive amount of my tail over time.

Could my tail have served the same function as an inner core?

Was that why Nephila had been able to evolve into Arachne?

"Keeeng…"

Nephila met my gaze.

She was drooling.

Come to think of it, every time she looked at me, there was always that spark of hunger in her eyes.

I’d assumed it was just her being her, but now it seemed like something more.

Her evolution, it seemed, had left her with a lingering appetite for me.

Not figuratively—literally.

And now Tus and Pus had also evolved after eating my tail.

Which meant…

I now had three spiders with their sights set on my tail.

"Geeeeeeek!"

Cancel the evolution!