Chapter 94: Misunderstanding
I didn’t really know the standards that divided different levels of mastery.
If I went crawling to Baek Yeonyeong, begging for her to tell me, she probably would, but it was something I couldn’t figure out on my own. I couldn’t grasp the extent of my power.
And I also didn’t know the level of the top masters in this world.
However, if the opening of the middle danjeon was the standard for reaching the pinnacle, then I could certainly call myself a master at the pinnacle.
Of course, it would be hard to compare myself to humans.
Before my middle danjeon opened, I might have been called a first-rate master.
And that man, Baekwoon, whom I had seen, was likely first-rate as well.
But even if five Baekwoons gathered, they wouldn’t be able to inflict meaningful damage on me.
That’s the difference between me and ordinary humans.
In other words, even now, when I had just reached the entrance to the pinnacle, I would be much stronger than a human at the same level.
The higher the level, the smaller the gap would become, but for now, where external power still played a significant role, the strength of a 7-meter-long lizard armed with dragon scales would be nothing short of a disaster for warriors.
“Gegek!”
Moreover, this wasn’t the end of my growth.
Even though my middle danjeon had opened, the elixirs and cores within my body were still not satisfied.
My home had become a bit larger.
The heat and cold could now stay in different rooms.
But still, they were complaining that my danjeon was too cramped.
Greedy bastards.
Well, I had eaten quite a few elixirs.
Since the cores and elixirs were behaving this way, it was good news for me.
If I could handle my mental cultivation technique better or somehow improve the danjeon itself, I could fully absorb the power of the remaining elixirs.
The amount of power left was greater than what had already brought me to the pinnacle. If I could make all of this power mine, I might even be able to look beyond the entrance to the pinnacle.
For now, I was satisfied with this.
If that guy Baekwoon saw this, he would have rolled over in disbelief.
After I saved him and demonstrated some of Jongnam’s swordsmanship a few times, Jang Bong had muttered to himself.
He said he hadn’t reached the pinnacle in ten years.
Of course, after he said that, the mysteries of the Thirty-Six Swords of the World were directed at Jang Bong.
Baekwoon had received instruction from none other than one of the Nine Great Schools, Jongnam.
From what I heard, he seemed to have been quite a promising talent.
Even so, he had not been able to surpass the wall to the pinnacle and had remained first-rate for ten years.
Compared to him, I was highly exceptional.
Reaching the pinnacle after only three months of being born.
It was an achievement that naturally made me want to cry out in joy.
With my thoughts on the pinnacle concluded, I turned my attention to the mental cultivation technique I had just acquired.
「Gecko Heart Technique」
**Gegekgakgekkaikgaegekaeggaegk** (愾喀塏揢開客).
It is a cultivation technique created by a lizard who became the partner of the Snake Queen and the Snake Princess, and who stole the body and mind of a spider, captivating even humans.
This technique circulates internal energy throughout the entire body using the mysteries of the gecko, enhancing proficiency in techniques related to dragons.
…What kind of explanation was this?
Can this be edited?
I observed my father-in-law’s expression.
If that man had a skill like “Wild Eyes” or its superior version, and he could read my skills with it?
Then my colorful romantic history—no, my history with female mates—would be exposed.
“Kek…?”
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like he had such a skill.
The old man was just staring at my suddenly amplified internal energy with a surprised expression.
The Kompi old man stared for a long time before finally nodding his head.
[Soaring Dragon acknowledges you.]
[【Soaring Dragon Faith】 is influenced by 【Gecko Faith】.]
Oh?
[【Komodo-Lania】 has become the son-in-law of 【Soaring Dragon Faith】.]
Was my father-in-law acknowledging me?
Nice!
…Was this really a good thing?
Now, I was irrevocably entangled with the Snake Queen’s side.
I thought I was just a husband on paper, but my father-in-law had found out.
And now, he was going around bragging about it.
Could I still take it back?
…Did the Snake Queen plan this all along?
No way, right?
Sigh. This wasn’t a good situation.
I should try to clear things up now.
I might get hit a few times with a stick, but I could still straighten out the misunderstanding.
[You share a portion of the experience points gained by the followers of 【Soaring Dragon Faith】.]
[You share a portion of the divinity sent by the followers of 【Soaring Dragon Faith】.]
Nice!
—
*
Guaooo.
The lair of Gaetsalgoadal was like a massive temple.
The King of Birds, with its enormous wings spread wide, gazed down at the ground.
“Uwoooooo!”
He let out a roar filled with anger.
The situation was not good.
The wound inflicted by the Snake Queen still stung, and the one he received from Soaring Dragon was also annoying, though not dangerous.
“How dare they… How dare they….”
His voice had become sluggish, unlike when he had faced Soaring Dragon.
Even so, the unique majesty of a king remained, making his eerie voice even more chilling.
The wounds on his body were annoying, but not a serious problem.
The real issue was that his carefully laid plans had been thwarted.
To be more precise, he had lost two of his subordinates.
They weren’t just any ordinary Terror Birds, but subordinates so excellent that their loss pained him deeply.
Of course, that didn’t mean the King of Birds had been completely overtaken by the Snake Queen.
Even though he had lost two of his subordinates, he still maintained a delicate balance.
This meant that before their loss, the King of Birds had the upper hand.
Yet, he didn’t attack the Snake Queen.
Was it because of the bond they once shared under the same master?
No. That couldn’t be it.
The reason he hadn’t attacked her was due to uncertainty.
Would Soaring Dragon side with the Snake Queen, or would he remain a spectator?
Even if he defeated the Snake Queen, he would be exhausted.
Even if Soaring Dragon chose to remain neutral, he couldn’t ignore the possibility that his allies would betray him.
That’s why he had waited.
To widen the gap between him and the Snake Queen and to achieve an overwhelming victory.
To become strong enough that he wouldn’t have to fear Soaring Dragon’s intervention or any betrayal from his own forces.
He had slowly and steadily carried out his plans over a long period.
He had not only increased his forces by recruiting quadrupedal beasts like Megatherium but had also tampered with those in the Snake Queen’s camp.
The most notable example was Gogaduris.
When he brought him to his side, the King of Birds had thought the moment was near.
But then, everything had fallen apart with the appearance of a lizard carrying dragon scales.
The moment he first encountered that lizard, he should have killed it, even if it meant overexerting himself.
He had never imagined that such a weak creature would cause such a massive disruption.
Not only did it single-handedly defeat Gogaduris, but it also withstood the King of Birds’ mental attack when he descended. Not only that, it even led to the Snake Queen’s counterattack.
It was something a mere lizard could not have accomplished.
Moreover, the lizard became the Snake Queen’s mate.
Considering it had entered Soaring Dragon’s territory alone, it wasn’t just a puppet of the Snake Queen either.
It was truly an equal partner to the Snake Queen.
And if one considered that it was only three months old, its potential seemed boundless.
The Imoogi Bird possessed dozens of abilities.
One of them was controlling the bodies of birds that believed in it.
In a way, it was an extension of brainwashing, and he had once used this ability to possess Gogaduris.
Of course, he had been countered by the Snake Queen.
Even without directly possessing a body, he could still wield his abilities in many ways.
Every bird’s eyes were essentially the eyes of the Imoogi Bird.
This was why he had scattered Terror Birds throughout the jungle.
Although he couldn’t directly enter the territory of the Snake Queen or Soaring Dragon, he had ways to exert indirect influence.
The Snake Queen’s mate had mercilessly hunted the Terror Birds.
Instead of eating them on the spot, it dragged the corpses into Soaring Dragon’s territory.
The King of Birds quietly observed the scene.
He wondered what the Snake Queen’s mate’s purpose was for entering that territory.
Its purpose was to learn the art of Chu-golgong.
The technique of reducing one’s body size, used by Hunhwi.
Given that the lizard’s size had nearly doubled since he last saw it, it must have faced various difficulties due to its sudden growth.
The Snake Queen had likely sent her mate to Hunhwi to resolve that issue.
Whether that was the primary goal or just an excuse, it was clear that it was learning techniques from Soaring Dragon.
Eventually, the Imoogi Bird’s vision—through the Terror Bird’s eyes—spotted
the Snake Queen’s mate, whose size had drastically shrunk, and Soaring Dragon, who looked bewildered.
Although the shared vision was cut off as the lizards devoured the remaining meat, the King of Birds had gathered all the information he needed.
He acted immediately.
His plan was to intercept Soaring Dragon and send his subordinates to kidnap the Snake Queen’s mate.
If it didn’t work out, killing it would suffice, but kidnapping and brainwashing it would deal the greatest blow to the Snake Queen.
It was a perfect plan.
With its reduced size, it couldn’t possibly defeat Megatherium.
However, the Snake Queen’s mate once again defeated Megatherium.
Unlike the death of a Terror Bird, when Megatherium’s life ended, the King of Birds also suffered a blow.
The unexpected pain had even caused him to be hit by Soaring Dragon’s attack.
Suppressing his anger, he retreated.
It was the third time he had failed to capture the Snake Queen’s mate.
He hadn’t paid much attention the first time, but the second and third times had shaken the balance of power in the jungle.
His grand plan was on the verge of collapsing because of just one lizard.
Should he launch an all-out war now, while his forces were still intact?
No.
That would be a fool’s choice.
If he started an all-out war, he might indeed be able to kill both the annoying lizard and the Snake Queen at once.
But the numerous repercussions that would follow made an all-out war impossible at the moment.
If he had intended to do that, he would have attacked long ago.
The King of Birds changed his thinking.
The situation had deteriorated to this point because of that one lizard.
If he could just deal with that lizard, things could return to the way they were.
Killing it wouldn’t be bad, but if he could brainwash it and make it his ally, the Snake Queen’s faction would undoubtedly collapse.
The symbolic significance of a mate was something that couldn’t be ignored.
“Uwooo….”
The King of Birds summoned his subordinates.
To explain the plan to capture the Snake Queen’s mate for sure.
**Philbang, Nachalcho, or Beihj Bird**.
If he used one of them, taking care of that lizard wouldn’t be difficult.
Of course, the King of Birds had hesitated to use them until now. But if he could turn the Snake Queen’s mate to his side or kill it, that level of sacrifice was worth it.
The Snake Queen’s mate was strong, but it hadn’t yet fully grasped how to control internal energy.
If compared to a human, at best, it could be considered first-rate.
It hadn’t even opened its middle danjeon.
Sending just one of the three should be more than enough.
It might even be an excessive investment.
They were spirit beasts with a definitive rank.
Their mere existence could hold both the Snake Queen and Soaring Dragon in check.
This meant that if either the Snake Queen or Soaring Dragon noticed the absence of one of them, they might immediately launch an attack on the King of Birds.
One wouldn’t be a problem, but if the two joined forces, issues could arise.
That’s why sending one of the three was considered an excessive investment.
“Uwooo….”
But it was worth it.
And they were spirit beasts with enough power to complete the mission as soon as they located that lizard.
They might be away for a while, but it wouldn’t be for long.
How long would it take to deal with a lizard that was only at the level of a first-rate human?
The unpredictability was a bit unsettling, but it wasn’t as if it could reach the pinnacle in that short period.
What kind of being could reach the pinnacle in less than three months of being born?
The King of Birds, Gaetsalgoadal, thought this.