I Became the Only Reptile in the Community

Chapter 17

—–CROW—– 

Mythical Creature.

A mystical, wondrous animal, too profound for human comprehension. A state achievable only by a select few beasts, beings so powerful in the story that their mere presence could turn the tide of any situation.  And this was the position I currently aspired to.

However…

I truly… never imagined this outcome.  Well, it was understandable. Who would have thought this possible?  That I wouldn’t be able to reach the goal I’d been striving for?

That day should have been just like any other.  Wake up, eat Amrita, play with Silphy and Cheong, browse the gallery, eat Amrita for lunch, play again, browse the gallery, eat Amrita for dinner, play some more, and end the day.  A typical, uneventful day.

But today was different.  The morning was the same, but the afternoon brought an unexpected addition to the schedule.

-Hey, you two are trying to become mythical creatures, right?

It all started with that question from Silphy.  Puzzled by the sudden question but sensing an urgency in her eyes, Cheong and I nodded without hesitation. We weren’t lying; we were here to become mythical creatures.

-I knew it!

Silphy was even more delighted by our answer than I’d anticipated. I suspected her reaction stemmed from the difference in lifespans.  Naturally, the lifespans of mythical creatures and beasts were vastly different.  Mythical creatures lived incredibly long lives, long enough that I was striving to become one to survive until the time of the original story.  And spirits had similar, if not longer, lifespans.

Silphy must have been thinking, if we didn’t become mythical creatures, wouldn’t she have to say goodbye to us soon?  She must have been worried.  The thought of her two friends disappearing after she’d finally ventured out of the cave must have been painful.

‘But both of us dream of becoming mythical creatures.’

So Silphy could rest assured.  If we both became mythical creatures, she wouldn’t have to lose her friends.

-Th-Then, should I help you?!

Perhaps that was why, unlike her usual playful self, Silphy suddenly offered to help us.

‘What? What brought this on?’

Why was she suddenly thinking about our separation and lifespans? There must have been a trigger. I narrowed my eyes, observing Silphy carefully, and noticed something collapsed in the distance.

‘That’s…’

The stone tower Silphy had brought from deeper inside the cave. A tower made of ten pebbles, meticulously carved and stacked by the wind.  I’d been surprised it lasted as long as it did. It seemed to have finally crumbled.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Did she have this epiphany after seeing the collapsed tower?  Surely not. She couldn’t have pondered life and death just from a collapsed stone tower.  …Could she?

‘Should I call this an overreaction or a rich imagination?’

Well, since she was offering to help, I’d go with a rich imagination.  Think positive.

-Then gather here!

Ssssss.

Hop.

We quietly gathered in front of Silphy.  Perhaps because we were so obedient, Silphy’s eyes widened.  Even Cheong, usually mischievous, was complying, which must have been a surprise. But even she had some sense.  Seeing Silphy’s serious demeanor, Cheong refrained from playing around and quietly followed her instructions, a wise decision I wanted to applaud.

‘…Oh, I don’t have hands.’

Then a mental applause. Clap, clap, clap.

-Alrighty then!  First, I’ll explain the essential steps to becoming a mythical creature!

I already knew.  A body adapted to mana and the mental fortitude to control it.

-First, to become a mythical creature, you have to control mana!

I already knew this, but I didn’t interrupt or point it out.  Seeing her diligently explaining things for us, anyone would have done the same, right?

-Uh… mana is the energy that permeates this world…

“Meowww~”

“Sss.”

Unlike me, Cheong seemed to be struggling with the lesson.  She started getting distracted and yawning more frequently. I nudged her with my tail to keep her focused, but even I was reaching my limit.

-So, from what I’ve seen, your bodies are almost fully adapted, so all you need to do is learn how to retain mana within your bodies!

How could I keep Cheong focused?  While pondering this, Silphy’s words surprised me.  Our bodies were almost fully adapted? I thought it would take more time. This was unexpected.

-The fact that you can move so freely in this place is proof enough of your aptitude.

Silphy explained that the level of mana adaptation required to become a mythical creature wasn’t that high.  Since the process involved accumulating mana within the body and gradually increasing it while adapting the body, as long as you could withstand the initial intake, you were good to go.

-The main reason it’s difficult to become a mythical creature is because beasts generally have low intelligence.

If beasts had human-level intelligence, there would be many more mythical creatures.

‘This is a bit of a shock.’

I had assumed that becoming a mythical creature was difficult because of the long adaptation process and the difficulty of controlling mana. But apparently, it was mainly due to the low intelligence of beasts.

-You two are incredibly smart, unlike other animals I’ve seen. So you should be able to become mythical creatures easily.

Whoosh.

-Mana is closely related to us spirits. So I’ll check your mana compatibility, current level, and the path you need to take, and let you know.

With that, Silphy placed her hand on Cheong’s body. The gentle breeze in the cave picked up, and Silphy closed her eyes, concentrating.

-Hmm.  Cheong will become a mythical creature without any problems if she continues like this.  She instinctively knows how to handle mana. Is it because both her parents are mythical creatures?

“Meow?”

-As expected of Cheong! You’re amazing!

“Meow, meow!”

I’d expected this assessment of Cheong.  Honestly, she was so exceptional that I couldn’t imagine her not becoming a mythical creature.  And both her parents were mythical creatures.  She was a super silver-spooned creature from birth.

“Meow!”

Ignoring Cheong, who was now excitedly prancing around after being praised, Silphy came over to me.

-Now, let’s see about El.

“Sss.”

“I’ll be in your care.”

I was different from Cheong.  Silphy had already mentioned that I wasn’t born with any special lineage.  I’d reached this level thanks to the characteristics of ancient times, the Amrita I’d been eating since birth, and my human intelligence from my previous life.

Slide.

Silphy’s hand gently stroked my body.

1 second. 5 seconds. 10 seconds.

Just like with Cheong, a gentle breeze swirled around us, and Silphy closed her eyes, concentrating.

-…

“Sss?”

‘Silphy?’

But unlike with Cheong, Silphy didn’t open her eyes, no matter how much time passed.  Instead, she started sweating, her face contorted in what seemed like pain. What was going on? The atmosphere grew heavy.  Even Cheong, who had been playing around, sensed the change and quietly came over, waiting for Silphy’s results.

10 minutes. 20 minutes. 30 minutes.

A full 30 minutes passed before Silphy finally moved. Her hand retreated hesitantly, and her eyes trembled.  Seeing her like this, I couldn’t expect good news. I asked nervously,

“Ssssaaa?”

‘Is it bad?’

Nod.

She didn’t answer, just nodded silently. What had she sensed?

-El. You…

Silphy’s voice trembled as she spoke.

-At this rate, you won’t be able to become a mythical creature.

Those words were enough to plunge me into despair.

“Sss?”

‘What?’

-El, that venom you have… it’s more dangerous than I thought.

She explained why I couldn’t become a mythical creature.

-I knew your venom was developing rapidly, but I didn’t know it would become this potent. This… this doesn’t make sense. You’re supposed to be an ordinary snake, how can you have such venom…?

My venom.

It was preventing me from becoming a mythical creature.

-I’ll… I’ll try to find a way.

Silphy hadn’t anticipated this situation.  And neither had I.  I never thought my greatest weapon would become an obstacle to my growth.

“Sss.”

“So if I just get rid of the venom, there’s no problem?”

-That’s right. But the way to do that…

It was alright.  That was enough.  I felt grateful to Silphy.  Grateful that I’d learned this crucial information now. If I’d found out much later, I didn’t know how I would have reacted.

Ssssss.

I moved away, out of their sight. I didn’t want them to see what I was about to do.

-W-Where are you going?

“Sss.”

“I’ll be back soon, just wait a bit.”

-I’ll find a way! It might take some time, but I’m sure we can solve this!

There was no telling how long that would take.  The moment I learned the cause, I’d already made up my mind.

‘Now that I think about it, it didn’t quite fit.’

A creature dreaming of becoming a dragon using venom?  Even Imugis didn’t use venom.

‘I might not be able to eat for a while.’

Usually, you lose your appetite after throwing up, right?  Leaving Silphy and Cheong behind, I slithered deep into the bushes.

—–CROW—–