episode_0073

“What on earth is that dragon?” “What is holy blood?”

Jules’ eyes look down at me, longing for an explanation.

Where should I start explaining? ···I didn’t know what to do, so I had to tell the whole story about Amor.

Naturally, I also brought up the story about Grace.

When the story about the Precious Blood was brought up for the last time, Juul had a strange expression on his face.

“I thought he was sleeping peacefully, but he was doing all kinds of strange things.”

“There was nothing I could do at that time.”

“Okay. I guess it couldn’t be helped. I would have done the same.”

I’m glad if you think so.

Now it was time for me to ask a question.

“What is Juul’s relationship with the dragon?”

“Have we talked about this before? There are many inexplicable and huge plants in the world.”

“Yes.”

“There are only eleven that have been revealed so far.”

Why is that story coming out now?

“So?”

“There are several types of plants that can move. There are thorn trees and Ents that eat living things, and there is a root snake that raised me.”

···I have no idea what you’re talking about.

“A root snake is a moving tree. How do plants grow people?”

Didn’t Jules call the priest father in the first place?

But how did the root snake raise him?

“You once said that when an elf dies, the area under its head turns into roots, right?”

“Yes.”

“A root snake is a dragon whose body becomes a tree root while its head remains alive.”

“···Yes?”

“Snake also means Wyam, a type of dragon. He is nicknamed Snake Tree among warriors.”

Snake tree?

It’s not even a Greek myth… Are you saying they turned living things into trees? Is this also the protection of the Earth Mother God? If so, it would mean that the dragon eventually became like Amor.

What if it was pinned to the ground?

I can assure you, it is absolutely not a blessing.

“···That’s not something everyone knows, right?”

“Only dragons, southern archaeologists, and high-ranking officials know.”

Even knowing that much is enough to keep counting.

I get it now. Amphityre said that Gan, the Immortal is reaching into the South, which means they are targeting the Root Serpent. No matter how good the effect of holy blood is, it cannot show permanent efficacy.

They started looking for other victims like Amor.

It is natural that as humans live for hundreds of years, their feet become wider.

The watchman also planted spies in the South, and there is no way that someone who lived for hundreds of years would not have planted spies among the high-ranking people in the South.

A war targeting root snakes could break out.

“Maybe the root snake is dangerous.”

“What?”

Jules opens his eyes wide.

This is very important── “Pfft!”

Jules burst out laughing. What, why are you smiling?

“No one can defeat a root snake unless they are a servant.”

“No. The opponent is…”

Jules shakes his head.

“The Root Snake is the god of destruction. If you put your mind to it, the South could be destroyed within a day. The walls of the large intestine can also be reduced to powder in an instant.”

uh?

“The power of the root snake is a power that transcends perception. Because they are not demi-humans, they are kept in check by Dragonia, but it is a different story if they are attacked first. Everyone has to take the risk of extinction.”

Jules doesn’t brag.

That’s what Jules is like. Even so, I can’t imagine it. A tree or something can destroy the South in one day?

“···Is that so?”

“Besides, root snakes are omnivorous. If you tell them, they will eat everything except the heads of the immortals. Even if the legends about immortals are true, wouldn’t they survive if their bones were melted in the stomach?”

I understand well that root snakes are not as soft as Amor.

But questions remain. In the first place, the roots of plants are not designed to be easily moved.

It’s common that you can’t be as fast as an animal, so how can you break down the colon wall? If your head was fixed somewhere in the first place, wouldn’t you be able to see what was where you reached out?

A mosquito buzzing in my ear shatters my thoughts.

The sun has already set. Perhaps because I didn’t take the shortcut, I’m still in the exact center of Naga territory.

“Let’s sleep here today.”

“Yes.”

I immediately started making fire.

While I was lighting a fire with a hand drill, I noticed that the scar on my palm that I thought would last a lifetime had disappeared. Amor’s blood even removed the scars on his body.

···I think my telomeres may have completely worn out.

“I want to catch a fish, but if I do that, Naga will be like hell. I’m sorry, but let’s starve today.”

“I won’t starve.”

From time to time, I dug up edible mushrooms and stuck them into a tree and put them on the fire.

Nuts similar to chestnuts were thrown into the fire. It is clearly similar to chestnuts, but when fully ripe, it becomes soft and sweet like a sweet potato.

“What’s mine?”

“There are a lot of mushrooms.”

Jules’ portion was also grilled over a fire and pepper and salt were sprinkled on it.

“Mushrooms are the least edible among grasses. It feels like roasted intestines when you chew it and it smells good too.”

It’s not grass. ah!

Juul picks up an unripe mushroom and eats it!

“When it’s done, eat it!”

I know that anything raw is good.

The good news is that since I am someone who eats a lot, I picked up a lot of mushrooms and fruits for this occasion. Plus, I’m a person who likes sweet things.

Ramrats like to eat meat.

Thanks to this, it was difficult to even find rats around Root Village. Even mice and baby birds end up in the ramrat’s stomach.

In the case of Naga, they were subhumans who enjoyed eating meat, so although they were sensitive to hunting, they were tolerant of picking mushrooms and fruits.

Should I say I never paid attention in the first place?

As a result, there were fruits and mushrooms strewn about along the way.

“Huh? It smells like Nightcrawler?”

While I was looking away, Jules’ gaze was directed somewhere.

“What is that?”

“Haesoo. This must be caught and killed. The meat is delicious, and the by-products are expensive.”

Jules eyes become sinister.

······I think you are more interested in meat than extermination of harmful birds?

“So, what kind of seawater is it?”

“It’s quite an unusual seawater. If you’re going to live in the South, you’d better come and take a look.”

It just means follow me.

“···Yes. I’ll follow you.”

“First, make a torch and bring it with you.”

torchlight? Why are people so bright at night?

Jules got up and started heading towards the inside of the marsh.

I made a torch and belatedly chased after Jool. Jules was already waiting for me far ahead.

“What kind of animal is a nightcrawler?”

“I can’t explain it. You have to see this to find out.”

You can’t explain? What on earth is that?

“Looking at them gives me goosebumps. If the mantid is a nimble hunter, the nightcrawler is a nasty hunter.”

As I walked into the wetland where I didn’t want to go, there was something white… walking around. I thought about taking off my shoes because it was locked up to my ankles, but I compromised by just taking off my socks.

The white thing was shining brightly in the moonlight and was carelessly wandering over the wetlands.

“That’s Nightcrawler.”

Juul unravels the curved sword.

“Take the torch and approach that white thing. If I tell you to stop, you stop no matter what. And never touch it. never! Got it?”

“Wait, are you trying to use me as bait?”

“I’m doing it because it’s safe.”

“I know. It’s a joke.”

Because there’s no way you would do something like that to me.

As Juul said, I quietly approached Nightcrawler.

As it got closer, its neck was bent this way.

“You saw that… right here? Jules! It’s coming this way! What do I do now? Juul?!”

“Go closer.”

“Yes?”

“Just take five steps closer and don’t move any further. Then wave your torch loudly, and when I give you the signal, fire Nightcrawler.”

···Oh my God.

As Juul said, I walked just five steps.

Maybe this was the boundary, but Nightcrawler didn’t go any further than that. If I just stretch out my hand, I’ll reach the barrier, and it’s just staring at me.

Nightcrawler was a white human with no facial features.

Other than that, it has an appearance that is close to being perfectly human. The body is as beautiful as if someone carved it into a sculpture.

Literally like a piece.

What’s even more disturbing is that the appearance keeps changing. To my taste! Nightcrawler twists, his facial features begin to appear, and his body begins to take on detailed curves.

like that······.

“Jul…?”

Nightcrawler was transformed into Xul’s appearance.

” Shake the torch loudly! Never touch Nightcrawler.”

Juul enters the wetland very quietly.

Jul… Nightcrawler gently reached out to me, but he couldn’t touch me. Nightcrawler is now starting to gain color, with white hair and bronze skin.

···It’s unrealistic.

There are two natural disaster-level monsters standing before your eyes, right?

Plus, Nightcrawler isn’t looking at me, he’s looking at the torch.

As Juul said, he waved the torch loudly, and Nightcrawler clamored to catch it.

Of course I can’t reach it.

Juul continues walking into the empty wetland.

What are you trying to do secretly behind the scenes?

···What’s this?

I had an erection.

I’m not excited. No, of course he had a great body, but how could he be excited in this situation? But it became so hard that it hurt.

······What on earth is this?!

“Jeez! Leave the torch alone!”

At Jool’s signal, Nightcrawler’s ship was destroyed.

There was no change in Juul’s expression after the earthquake, but the earthquake area turned white and was bubbling.

At the same time, a strange phenomenon occurred.

The torch went straight into Nightcrawler’s stomach.

Nightcrawler’s body melts in an instant, grabs the torch, and pulls it away.

Shoot!!! pop!

The wetlands burst open. The spray was fierce.

Something ate Nightcrawler! After washing away the bees and water from the splashing wetland, what was revealed was a monkfish. Like a mudskipper, it uses its fins to support its body.

The malformed upward-pointing mouth and eyes, saw-like teeth, and goby-like fins were extremely disgusting. The eyelids that protrude like chameleon eyes spin round and round and then turn towards me in an instant.

“This is Night Crawler!!”

Zul jumped in and cut between the eyes of Nightcrawler, who emerged from the bottom of the swamp.

Kkukduduk───!

The sound of a bone being smashed can be heard so clearly that it gives you an eerie feeling.

Clap!

When Zul pulled out his sword, Nightcrawler’s head was split in two.

“He is a monster that possesses and eats animals. The moment it touches it, it is dragged by that sticky bait and gets eaten by it. Instead, if your body is exposed like just now, you can’t do anything.”

Jules got excited and started dismantling Nightcrawler.

······Mushrooms don’t fill your stomach.

“If you already knew, it wouldn’t have mattered if you didn’t take it in such a dangerous way.”

“The camouflage color of these guys is unmatched. Even the texture of the skin changes according to the camouflage, and even if the body is stepped on, it will never move unless it is bitten by the bait. By making use of that ability, instead of hiding in the ground like just now, they can disguise themselves as stones or trees.”

This is Juul’s job, so it can’t be helped…

It was uncomfortable to see the bees and bug blood in the wetland splashing all over my face. Juul cut the long string that was connected between the nightcrawler and the bait and held it out to me.

“This is the toughest and strongest string I know. If you go to Ymir’s tomb and ask for processing, the best bowstring will be made. And this…!”

Jool slices Nightcrawler’s chest.

That heartthrob really…!

“It’s a delicacy.”

It’s a heart the size of my head.

But Jool’s hand didn’t stop and went back into Nightcrawler’s stomach.

“This is a delicacy─── Oh shit.”

Suddenly, a disgusting smell wafted from Nightcrawler.

It was a familiar smell. In an instant, old thoughts heated up my brain. I desperately caught my breath. no. That’s just fish bile!

“···Didn’t your bile burst?”

“How did you know? I guess I can’t eat liver.”

Juul brought out the bastard’s heart and the bait that was still writhing like an octopus’ foot.

“The Nagas are watching. Naga will take care of the rest, so let’s just take this.”

“······.”

I didn’t notice it at all.

I received word, but even though I looked around, I couldn’t figure out where Naga was watching us.

“Where is Naga?”

“I think I saw you swinging fire and approached you. About three people are already here.”

“How did you find out? I can’t even see it.”

“Even if you can’t see it, you can tell because you can smell it.”

Jules came towards me, shivering.

“Let’s go and roast a heart.”

The smell of Nightcrawler’s bile was so disgusting that I couldn’t stand it. I’m like this too, but there’s no way Juul can handle it. Thanks to that, Juul was taking off his armor, washing it, and drying it over a bonfire.

Nightcrawler’s heart had a chewy taste similar to the pork belly at a sundae restaurant. I’m so glad I have salt and pepper. Thanks to this, the nostalgia seemed to subside.

“This is my first time eating heart meat with salt.”

For the first time, I ate it all in one gulp.

“I can’t help it. Because the heart is so big, you can’t even salt the inside.”

A splashing sound is heard from afar.

It looks like the Nagas are probably tearing Nightcrawler apart.

“Oh, what did Nightcrawler look like to you?”

“It’s Jule.”

Jules opens his eyes and looks at me.

Then he burst out laughing. Something seems off.

“The bait on Nightcrawler’s head is the main ingredient of aphrodisiacs and drugs.”

Now I understand.

Because I still have a stiff erection.

“Starting with hallucinations and aphrodisiacs, it makes the animal’s mind dazed and forcibly aroused by smell alone. Plus, it makes me feel better and makes me feel closer to that white thing.”

If it touches the bait, it will be eaten by the nightcrawler.

Just as Jules said, it was a very unpleasant monster.

In that case, that bait would be a projection of an ideal type.

“What did it look like to Juul?”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“It’s unreasonable for me to just say this.”

“You’re not going to tell me?”

I was very annoyed.

For some reason, it didn’t subside, but that’s because of that. Since I thought it was a physiological phenomenon, there seemed no need to cover it up, so I revealed it openly. Jules laughed and looked at me in disgust.

“Then why did you bring out drugs that make you excited just by the smell?”

“Julias buys it for a high price.”

Julia?

ah! I remembered something I had forgotten. There was some medicine that Julias gave Jules to ask about. I opened the wooden box and handed Jules the medicine that Julias had given her.

“Now that I think about it, what is this?”

Jules took the vial and examined it.

But he doesn’t answer and just looks at me mischievously.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“I don’t know how to read.”

“But?”

“Julias said you should ask Jules what kind of medicine it is?”

hmm. Jules let out a nasal sigh and looked at me with his chin resting.

Just for a moment. He speaks with an expression as if he is provoking.

“Try it if you’re curious.”

Called.