Translator: Nox

Chapter: Chapter 21

A Duel of Young Monsters

Opening the Drawer Chest revealed an egg the size of a chicken egg.

It hadn't hatched yet. The egg shook from side to side, indicating it was struggling inside.

"Uncle, this looks tough. I don't think it can break out of the egg."

"Monster eggs are tough. It'll take a while."

It wouldn't break even if a rock fell on it. Breaking out of it was the first hurdle.

"Uncle, can we help? Let's break the egg for it."

"I wouldn't recommend that."

"Why?"

"If it can't break out of the egg on its own, it'll die within three days after hatching. It'll end up being eaten by another monster."

Cheon Dowoon hadn't brought it with the intention of raising it. If the egg hadn't cracked while he was mining Glowstone, he would have left it there.

He only intended to keep it until it hatched, so he didn't want to create an artificial environment more than necessary.

"And many monsters have violent tendencies. They have low intelligence, so they're often swayed by instinct. Like appetite. You shouldn't keep such species close."

It might be possible to keep it around out of misplaced sympathy. But even if he kept it alive that way, the day would inevitably come when he would have to deal with it himself.

"Wouldn't it be harder if you got attached and had to kill it... or send it back to where it lived?"

"I see."

Cheon Dowoon changed his words in the middle to protect Kim Nari's mental health.

Kim Nari nodded obediently, as if she understood. She didn't insist on raising it.

Kim Nari knew that Guu was unusually docile.

As the two chatted, Nam Ki-seok, who had been on guard from a distance, slowly approached.

An opportunity to witness a monster being born from an egg. He was curious about this rare opportunity.

"Oh... this is a monster egg."

Before he knew it, he had joined them and was looking at the egg. If something dangerous happened, Cheon Dowoon would squash the monster flat.

He watched with that in mind for 20 minutes. The egg only shook and didn't break open properly.

Nam Ki-seok, who had been watching out of curiosity, became anxious with a supportive heart.

Even if it was a monster, watching it struggle to survive was heartbreaking.

"Big Bro, isn't it going to be able to break out like this?"

"That's possible. Monsters that hatch from eggs don't have a high hatching rate. The egg is too hard, so they often starve to death inside."

Kim Nari's expression darkened at Cheon Dowoon's words. She clenched her fists and stared at the egg as if cheering it on.

Crack. A piece of eggshell about 1 millimeter fell off. Something yellow was visible through the triangular gap.

"Scales...! I just saw yellow scales."

Kim Nari shouted. As the creature inside the egg moved, a jet-black eye appeared.

Kim Nari fidgeted at the sight of the moist eye.

"Ah, Uncle. I think it's crying."

"That's impossible. It's probably just wet from the mucus inside the egg."

"Its eyes look like they're asking for help."

"Monsters don't ask other species for help. They're very wary."

Kim Nari stamped her feet at the realistic words. She fidgeted, then grabbed the egg and held it out to Cheon Dowoon.

"T-This egg might have grown weak because of us!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The egg cracked in the Volcanic Zone. It inhaled toxic gas because of that. That's why it's so weak. I'm sure of it."

Kim Nari said, closing her eyes tightly. She desperately continued, not even knowing what she was saying.

"So we have to help it. Otherwise, this baby will be wronged. It would have hatched fine if we had left it alone. It couldn't. So...!"

Was it okay to say this? Kim Nari felt her heart pounding.

This was a different matter than choosing clothes. Cheon Dowoon had told her to choose and wear the clothes first.

But not now. This was a situation where she was opposing something he said no to. What if he thought she was being presumptuous? Kim Nari bit her lip in fear.

She was scared of the situation. But she didn't want to watch the little monster in the egg die.

"It can live if we help it a little. So... I, I mean..."

Tap. A light touch stroked Kim Nari's head. When she opened her eyes, Cheon Dowoon had taken the egg from her hand.

"I won't break the egg for it. If it gets into the habit of relying on someone from birth, it won't survive long inside the Gate."

Kim Nari's expression brightened at Cheon Dowoon's words. She nodded with a bright smile.

Cheon Dowoon smiled faintly at the sight. He poured Mana into the hand holding the egg.

The baby monster, whose energy had been depleted, widened its eyes at the abundant energy.

Woo-ooo, I feel stronger! What is this? I don't know what it is, but I can't miss this opportunity.

The monster pushed the egg with its tail with all its might.

Its eyes were filled with determination, as if it knew this was its last chance.

Crack. A large piece of eggshell fell off. As light poured in, the monster poked its head out.

"Snake...! Uncle. It's a snake!"

What poked its head out of the egg was a bright yellow snake like a chick. The snake slithered onto Cheon Dowoon's palm.

"Ooh...? I-It has legs! Chick-like legs!"

Kim Nari jumped up and down in place, shouting.

The snake had two chick-like legs on its lower body. The snake stood tall on its slender legs. It straightened its long body and looked around.

20 centimeters long. A slender snake the thickness of a little finger. The yellow snake looked at Cheon Dowoon and let out a fierce roar.

-Peep!

A chick's sound popped out of the snake's head.

People gathered around the tiny snake.

Cheon Dowoon looked down at the baby snake with an ambiguous expression.

"I thought a dangerous species would be born since it's from the Volcanic Zone."

What came out was a yellow snake the thickness of a little finger. It even had chick legs.

The way it walked around peeping didn't look threatening at all.

"Guu. Have you ever seen a species like this?"

-No, this is the first time I've seen it. I've seen many snake-type monsters... but I've never seen anything like this. Even its cry is unique.

While the two were talking, Kim Nari took out bread from the Drawer Chest. It was bread she had eaten last night and saved to eat later.

When she tore off a nail-sized piece and held it out to the snake, everyone's attention was focused on it.

The snake peeped and went to Kim Nari. It explored the bread placed on her finger and then bit it.

"It ate it!"

Kim Nari smiled brightly.

"Uncle. This child is docile. It didn't bite my finger. It only ate the bread."

Cheon Dowoon smiled, anticipating what she would say next.

"This child is docile and even weak. It'll die if we send it back to the Volcanic Zone."

"Does it look like that?"

"It does. Uncle's house is safe because there are no monsters. It would be good for it to recuperate here like Guu."

Cheon Dowoon's lips curled up at the words that came out smoothly.

Kim Nari was now able to express her opinions confidently.

"Nam Ki-seok, what do you think? What do you think about taking in this snake?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes. I was wondering what a Hunter who subdues monsters thinks."

"Uh, well... if it's a Hunter's opinion... um..."

Nam Ki-seok racked his brain. What was the intention of this question?

Should he say to kill it like a Hunter would? But next to him was Kim Nari, who wanted to save the snake.

He couldn't bring himself to say kill it when she was looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"Um... wouldn't it be okay to save it? It's so small that it doesn't seem like it would be a threat."

"Really? Guu, what's your opinion?"

-Is my opinion needed?

"If we're going to have it live here, we should hear everyone's opinion."

-Hmm... live here.

Guu wasn't a monster species that lived in groups like the Snowy Mountain's snow rabbits.

Therefore, his basic nature was that he disliked being crowded, but strangely, he liked living here.

Cheon Dowoon, who could communicate with him.

Kim Nari, who couldn't speak to him but took care of him.

Even Nam Ki-seok, who was fun to watch with Mandragora's humming.

He felt good when he was with them. Since coming here, he had never felt the loneliness that had followed him like a shadow.

Wouldn't the joy be doubled if a new member joined the family? The corners of Guu's mouth turned up.

-It's not bad to have a youngest member. I also agree to take in this snake.

"Everyone agrees. Then let's have it live here. Of course, if it likes being alone and wants to leave, we'll leave it alone. Kim Nari, you have to understand this too. Forcing it to stay alive would be painful for the snake."

"Is it painful even if it dies if it leaves Uncle's house?"

"Maybe it is. Everyone pursues different things. There are those who want to live freely even if it's just for one day."

Cheon Dowoon said, recalling what happened at the research center.

His roommate, who he wasn't close to but had lived in the same room for four years. A bird-headed boy who always longed for freedom.

Due to the side effects of the experiment, his head had turned into that of a bird, and he wanted to leave the research center and live freely.

With a body transformed into a monster, there was no way to survive outside. If he was unlucky, he would be mistaken for a monster and subdued by Hunters.

Even knowing that, the bird-headed boy always tried to escape the research center.

'Maybe it's because the avian cells were too strongly affected.'

It was like trapping a creature that could fly in a small box.

This snake was the same. If he kept it at home to save it, it might be an act of inflicting pain.

Cheon Dowoon's thoughts were interrupted by Guu's voice.

-Come to think of it, I forgot to mention something. If you keep this guy here, there's something you need to be careful about. Monsters from the Volcanic Zone like to eat plants, so be careful.

"Plants?"

-Yes. It's not their staple food, but it's a delicacy. It's hard for grass to grow in the Volcanic Zone. They eat everything they see.

Guu looked outside the house.

-They especially like plants with strong Mana.

"Plants with strong Mana."

Cheon Dowoon's gaze also turned outside the house. The Mandragora leaves planted in the garden were swaying in the wind.

-It would be good to watch this snake tonight. It will definitely try to dig up and eat the Mandragora.

Guu warned with a serious face.

The second hurdle for the snake to stay here. Forming a good relationship with Mandragora became an important issue.

Late at night, when everyone was asleep. An emergency meeting was held in the garden.

-Hoo-eung, hoo-eung!

-Hoo-euung!

The three Mandragoras checked each other's safety by touching their rootlets in the ground.

Their expressions were dark. They were serious. Days of satisfaction with the abundant Mana since moving to this place.

That peace was broken today.

-Peep!

The Mandragoras flinched at the sound of the predator nearby.

They dug through the soil with their rootlets and climbed onto the garden. They saw a small snake walking towards them.

Mandragoras have poor eyesight. But as such, they had the ability to sense the movement of the opponent through the flow of air.

-Hoo-euung!

Enmity, murderous intent, energy for predation. That snake was aiming for them. Sensing that, the Mandragoras moved quickly.

Pabat. Small roots 10 centimeters in size formed a triangular formation.

Formation A. Mandragora defense built. The three roots spread their leaves while facing each other's backs.

-Hoo-euung!

Don't come closer. We have rootlet attacks. They made threatening sounds and swung their slender rootlets wildly.

Podak podak.

Every time a 7-centimeter rootlet hit the ground, it made a podak sound.

-Peep!

The yellow snake paused at the threatening attack.

The snake stood tall on its chick legs. It made its body look bigger by raising it high like a cobra.

The snake didn't know that it was a useless threat to Mandragoras with poor eyesight.

Hwiik hwiik. The snake shook its head from side to side, showing a threatening appearance.

Podak podak. The Mandragoras swung their rootlets to prevent it from approaching.

Serious atmosphere, serious expressions. They glared at each other and circled around each other.

"This is... quite the showdown."

Cheon Dowoon, who had come out and sat in front of the house, muttered with an interested face.