NOVEL NEXT Chapter 166
Chapter 166: Fabre in the Four Heavenly Houses
A wildfire, part three.
First off, the transformed Hwa-yang was unbelievably cute beyond reason.
With a chubby, steamed bun-like body dyed bright orange and tiny, dark purple legs, it had short front and back limbs, and an expression as if it had reached utter enlightenment.
And there were bumpy protrusions on its back that looked like flowing magma, forming the overall image of the matured Hwa-yang.
‘It’s cute, but judging by its appearance, I shouldn’t expect anything too impressive?’
However, it was best not to expect it to reach the level of the Ten Great Venoms or the Twenty-Four Poisons Branch, at least that was my thought.
Clearly, it lacked the aura that I had sensed from the Ten Great Venoms or the Twenty-Four Poisons Branch that I had encountered thus far.
No, it wasn’t just lacking; it could be said to be trivial.
Chao had a six-meter-long body, could fly, and possessed venom that could turn protein into water, almost like hydrochloric acid, while Yo-hwa had a body that was both sturdy and light, as well as a steel-like thread that induced hallucinations along with paralysis poison.
And that wasn’t all! Silver Silkworm Moth, Mo-ji, and So-ji were still larvae, yet had healing and debuff abilities at the same time, and the Unnamed Black Tiger had a body based on wasps, which came with sonic attacks.
But what about Hwa-yang?
The venom was impressive, but it just looked…
Yeah, it looked like a huge orange potato.
‘Why are you a potato?’
Of course, “potato” wasn’t a bad descriptor.
The term carried two meanings; it meant that it truly looked like an actual potato and that it had a similar physique to a Rain Frog I had raised in my previous life.
Rain Frogs were bulky and round-bodied, which earned them the nickname “potato,” and they would plod around with their dumpling-like bodies and short legs, croaking ‘peeeak!’ which attracted quite a fan base.
Even without venom, it had been one of the few cute frogs I had raised.
Hwa-yang’s appearance was almost identical to those frogs.
Right down to the triviality…
In my past life, the general opinion of those frogs had been that they were not noteworthy.
They were so trivial in appearance that they amassed quite the fanbase; that was precisely what Rain Frogs were.
‘Ah, it makes sense why Hwa-yang resembles them; they share similar ecologies!’
Lost in thought about those frogs, I gradually began to understand why Hwa-yang boasted a similar physical structure to them.
Rain Frogs lived buried in the sand of African regions, only coming out to delight in the rain or at night.
Hwa-yang seemed like it would only emerge when there was something burning, so perhaps despite their differing ignition sources, we could say their vibes were quite alike.
Hwa-yang had endured a decade eating minimal sustenance before maturing, reminiscent of the way Rain Frogs would wait underground until it rained.
‘Sure, it lacks dignity, but there hasn’t been a single amphibian among the creatures I’ve raised, and it looks mildly cute enough; I should find satisfaction in that.’
It was like scratching a scratch card only to find I won about 5000 won.
Not completely failing, but still a bit disappointing.
However, since I hadn’t raised any amphibians, now that Hwa-yang was in my hands, I thought I ought to raise it well and gently patted the head of Hwa-yang, who was gazing at me with its dazed eyes.
“I look forward to taking good care of you going forward, Hwa-yang. Congratulations on becoming an adult.”
As I caressed its head, I could see its eyes reflecting happiness and heard its first croak.
– Kii!
Once again, that adorable croak reminiscent of a Rain Frog hit my ears.
“Our Hwa-yang’s croak is so trivial… No, it’s cute.”
– Kii! Kii!
Was it enjoying the petting? Hwa-yang’s eyes began to flutter shut as I continued to stroke it.
With the lingering disappointment swiftly settled, what was next was to identify what this creature truly was.
I decided to examine Hwa-yang more closely.
I was dying to know what its true identity actually was.
Up to now, I hadn’t any clue about what it could be.
Here I was, a walking encyclopedia of venomous insects known as “Spicy Fabre,” yet I couldn’t grasp what on earth Hwa-yang was.
Setting aside everything else, I couldn’t even tell if it was a frog, toad, or a tadpole.
Sure, I could excuse its uncertainty before it matured, but now that it had matured, it still seemed indistinct.
Of course, amphibian classification could be quite tricky.
In my previous life, I also struggled with the vague lines between frogs, toads, and tadpoles.
Typically, classifications divide species based on genetic, morphological, and physiological traits, but the class of amphibians containing frogs is known for its numerous exceptions.
Some frogs have the rough skin typical of toads, while some frogs have legs that are unable to jump like tadpoles, and others could be toads yet exhibit characteristics of frogs, leading to classifications that are absolutely not definitive.
Therefore, as I stared at Hwa-yang with a serious expression, it looked back at me, seeming to ask what was wrong, and croaked softly.
– Kii?
“Not at all, I’m just observing you because you’re cute.”
At first glance, Hwa-yang appeared to resemble a toad, given the bumpy nature of its back.
But judging by its leg length, it wouldn’t be able to jump at all, and when I noticed its non-webbed feet, it resembled a tadpole more closely.
However, judging purely by appearance, it looked like a Rain Frog, making classification difficult.
– Tsuret!
It was in that pondering moment about Hwa-yang that I suddenly heard Chao’s astonished cry from beside me.
Turning my head, I saw Chao with her antennae perked up in surprise, staring blankly at me.
It was rare to see her this surprised, which was curious.
“What’s up? Chao? What’s the matter?”
I tilted my head and asked what had her so shocked, but Chao remained rooted in place.
“Chao? Hello?”
Waving my hand in front of her eyes, hoping to snap her out of her daze.
That was when I noticed something sparkling in Chao’s eyes as she looked at me.
‘What was that? Are there embers left around here?’
I swiveled around to examine the surrounding area, but around the mountaintop, with only ash remaining, there weren’t any signs of embers.
Just then, a strange sound bubbled up from above.
– Wagaruk…
“Uhm…”
As I gradually raised my hand to touch my head, suddenly feeling heat.
Blue flames were rising from my hair!
“F-Fire!?”
“Tsuru!”
“Gyaaaa!”
Startled, I quickly buried my head into the ashes, but the flames didn’t extinguish.
Despite covering my head with half of Sister Seol’s fur cloak, the flames unnaturally flickered above it.
– Wagaruk!
This didn’t feel like normal fire at all.
As Hwa-yang evolved, it seemed its venom had evolved too; I felt like it could lead to significant trouble, so I hurriedly asked Chao to bring Hwa-eun, Seol, Bin, and Dong-i.
I needed them for neutralization!
“Chao, go tell Mom to bring Seol, Bin, and Dong-i! Hurry! Got it?”
– Tsure!
Hearing my request, Chao soared into the sky and disappeared down the mountain. I anxiously gazed at Hwa-yang, and from Hwa-yang’s back, bright blue flames, called Cheonghwa, flared up just as they were above my head.
– Wagaruk.
‘I didn’t anticipate the venom to evolve; I wonder if I’ll be fine?’
I thought whatever the alternate universe me was handling things would do just fine—only to find out the other universe me was still me.
*
The wait for Hwa-eun’s arrival felt like an eternity.
Remarkably, my hair felt intact, but flames flickering like a candle atop my head left me on edge.
I felt like a candle myself, and naturally, I grew anxious.
What if the flames started to come down and melted away my hair?
And alongside that, the primal fear for men.
Even if I didn’t die, would all my hair truly be scorched away?
‘If I lost all my hair at this age, it would just be better to be dead!’
When a scalp is injured, it’s called a bald spot, which implies that only that part would lose its roots for a lifetime.
But open wounds?
That would guarantee a lifetime of baldness.
Thus, dealing with two fears, it was only natural I was losing my mind.
“Damn it… Hwa-yang, can’t you put out this fire!?”
In a panic, I asked Hwa-yang whether it could extinguish the flames, but it merely stared at me with its vacant eyes.
In this frantic moment, the absurd expression on its face added to the frustration.
‘Gyaaaa!’
Just as I was pacing back and forth in anxiety.
Suddenly, I sensed an unusual sensation within my body.
Unlike before when I’d been poisoned—feverish, in pain, or coughing blood—this time, I noticed my Qi was being drained slowly from my dantian.
“What’s going on!?”
And as my anxious heart reached its peak, it felt like my Qi was rapidly escaping from my whole body as if I were in battle.
‘No way, is this burning my Qi!?’
Whatever shock it was, Hwa-yang’s venom felt like it was consuming my Qi.
Before maturation, it had burned blood and bodily fluids; but now that it had matured, it seemed that my Qi had become the new fuel.
– Gluck.
‘What will happen if my Qi runs out?’
As I thought about the impending doom of what might happen if my Qi were to disappear, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.
My Qi began to dwindle even faster.
‘No, no! Calm down, calm down, So-ryong! It’s nothing serious! Just calm down!’
Three-quarters of my Qi had already been depleted.
Quickly, I settled into a meditative position to recover my energy.
I had to buy time until Hwa-eun arrived.
Not long after I sat down beside Hwa-yang to channel my energy, I sensed ashes stirring in the air, and Hwa-eun’s and Sister Seol’s voices rang in my ears.
“So-ryong! I just knew this would happen! What in the world is going on! This isn’t a candlelight!”
“So-ryong!”
I quickly closed the energy channel and opened my eyes, only to see Sister Seol pacing back and forth anxiously.
Hwa-eun was pulling Seol, Bin, and Dong-i from her skirt and quickly adhered them to my body.
“Hwa-eun… I’m so sorry.”
“I get it. Save your apologies for later. Just hold on a little longer! Kids, I’m counting on you to help your father!”
– Koo-koo!
– Kuu!
– Kyu!
“So-ryong, you need to let me know once you’re detoxified, okay!?”
From the looks of Sister Seol’s reaction, it felt like once detoxification was complete, there would be nothing left of my back, but if it meant detoxifying, I could give up my back, remaining calm while waiting for the detox.
‘If I could exchange my back for Hwa-yang’s adulthood, it’d be worth it. It’s nothing.’
Then, just like last time, I felt Seol, Bin, and Dong-i attaching themselves and starting to gleam on my body.
Soon I could hear Hwa-eun and Sister Seol announcing that the flames above my head were diminishing.
“It’s going down!”
“Ah, the flames are decreasing!”
‘Phew… I was unnecessarily anxious.’
I felt the detoxification and could ease my previously tense heart.
Just then, Dong-i, who had been diligently neutralizing, started groaning.
– Kyuuh…
Following that, I could hear Bin and Seol also struggling.
– Kuu…
– Gookuuk…
Shortly after, they separated from my body, gasping for air.
“What’s wrong, Seol? Bin?”
“What’s not working?”
It was likely due to the evolved venom making detoxification arduous.
– Wagaruk.
Once the three ceased detoxifying, flames erupted newly from above my head.
‘Damn it, why does nothing ever go smoothly for me…’
Was it bad luck, or did disasters strike at once without gentleness?
As I pondered if I needed to do some ritual to change my fortunes, a surprised exclamation came from Hwa-eun.
“Is that the Blue Magma Toad?!”
Perhaps due to my presence, it seemed like Hwa-yang, now matured, had caught her attention.
The Blue Magma Toad literally translates to “Cheonghwa” in its species classification, which felt a touch overblown.
‘W-What!?’