Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Venomous Insect Valley 2

“It seems there’s something significant lurking.”

Mandok God and Gu Pae shared this thought.

No matter how much of a venomous insect otaku I became, I was also someone who understood social cues.

So, while I hid my happiness inside, I maintained a serious expression.

“This is truly a dire situation.”

‘If an otaku wants to live as a hidden one, they need to be adept at blending in with ordinary folks. But my lips keep curling into a smile, and that’s quite troublesome.’

As I struggled to conceal my joy internally, Mandok God declared he would scout ahead before we ventured deeper into Aina Mountain.

Having no idea what awaited us, he made the decision for safety’s sake.

After all, he was the strongest among us.

“I’ll take a look around, so everyone retreat to the spot where Yun River meets Amok River. It seems birds are still flying over there.”

“Across the river, you mean?”

“Yes, that direction.”

Following Mandok God’s gesture, I spotted birds indeed fluttering over the land beyond the churning waters where we had crossed the river.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that on this side of the river, there were no creatures, while the other side bustled with birds and other insects.

It felt like something had divided the area along the river.

I nodded quickly to Grandfather’s orders and led the group across the river.

After all, it was wise to heed his warning that danger could lie ahead.

“Understood, Grandfather. Now, everyone, let’s move over there.”

“Understood, So-ryong! What are you all doing? Hurry up!”

“““Yes, Deputy Commander!”””

As we retreated across the river with my companions, I began to ponder.

What on earth could be waiting for me?

‘Is there something from Aina Mountain on this side of the river, claiming it as its territory?’

But the more I thought, the more I felt something was off.

Aina Mountain wasn’t just a solitary mountain on flat land; it sat at the end of a mountain range.

Moreover, the vast expanse of grassland in front of the mountain seemed to stretch far and wide.

Although I hadn’t encountered many venomous creatures in this area, the ones I had met seemed to be uniquely evolved from ordinary life forms from my past life.

The Blue-Spotted Centipede was an evolved version of a centipede, Lizards were evolved from lizards, and Yo-hwa was an evolved form of a spider.

Based on that reasoning, it was hard to imagine a creature claiming such a vast territory.

No creature with such a unique trait had existed in my memory.

“It’s just too big, no matter how I think about it.”

Feeling perplexed, I muttered to myself, which caught my older sister’s attention.

“What’s going on, So-ryong?”

“Oh, Grandfather mentioned there could be a large venomous creature nearby, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is off.”

“Off, you say?”

“Yes, the Blue-Spotted Centipedes absorb natural energy and, aside from the ones that were hiding underground with their mother tending to her eggs, they tend to drive other creatures away from the area. But it seems odd here.

Looking at the path leading from the river to Aina Mountain, there are no signs of life. It’s far too vast for something to claim it as its territory.

If nothing is here, then creatures that would need to feed would struggle to find food. Unless they, like the centipedes or lizards, absorb energy instead.”

– Tsu-rit?

– Gguruk?

“Not you guys.”

The little ones stuck their heads out of my clothing at the mention of them.

Worried they might get too feisty, I quickly reached out and gave each of the five a gentle scratch on the head, then tucked them back inside.

– Tok Tok.

Suddenly, I felt something tapping on my shoulder.

Turning my head, I found Yo-hwa leaning towards me.

“Hey, you can’t forget about me!”

After giving Yo-hwa a quick pat on the head, I overheard my sister and Gu Pae engaged in conversation.

“It’s true what So-ryong says; if there’s a creature that needs to eat, it seems odd for it to leave this place so barren.”

“Listening to So-ryong, that really does make sense.”

“Yes, the interaction between animals and plants forms a biological balance known as ecology, and when these ecosystems blend, it’s called an ecosystem. This is indeed peculiar.

In a healthy ecosystem, even the minuscule bugs invisible now become prey for small animals, which then attract larger predators, but if nothing exists here, that suggests they would go hungry.”

“Ecology?”

“So-ryong, you’re sounding quite wise all of a sudden.”

As I conversed with my sister and Gu Pae while keeping an eye towards the Aina Mountain where Grandfather had vanished, I noticed him soaring back towards us using the Lightness Skill.

He reached the river’s edge and leaped across in one bound, sporting a serious expression.

“Nothing at the entrance of Aina Mountain. I doubt the Venomous Insect Valley has anything either. What a drag.”

‘Damn it.’

The reality of what Grandfather stated hit me now.

It meant that not only Aina Mountain but even the Venomous Insect Valley was utterly void of life.

It was said that there were mysterious venomous creatures in the Venomous Insect Valley; something either devoured them or they simply vanished.

This would mean we’d have no chance to catch others in the valley, so it seemed imperative that I had to catch that creature somehow.

Although we had managed to catch a few on the way here, it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy me.

‘No matter what, I will capture that big one!’

“No matter what it is, I can’t return empty-handed, so we must catch it.”

Grandfather nodded in agreement.

“Yes, that seems necessary. First, we need to find a good spot to rest and conduct a search. Do you have any good ideas? The venomous creatures, So-ryong, you’re the expert here! Ha ha.”

“Y-Yes, the expert.”

I awkwardly smiled, recalling the incident with the Golden Hair Bee King.

Then, I resolved to gather information by precisely mapping out this vast land devoid of any creatures.

Understanding the rough size and shape would give clues about where that creature might be hiding.

“Let’s start by marking how large and wide this empty land is on a map, Grandfather.”

“I see you think the center will be its lair?”

“Yes. No matter how vast it is, typical creatures usually center their territory.”

‘Though I need to examine the terrain, they tend to occupy the center of their realm.’

Thus, I sent out warriors to begin a preliminary exploration of the surroundings.

As evening approached, the gathered warriors returned, and the peculiarities they discovered began to unfold on the map.

“What’s this? There’s definitely something odd here.”

“Indeed.”

Both Grandfather and my sister remarked upon sensing something unusual.

I nodded as I eyed the map.

It was truly strange.

“It starts from Aina Mountain, bordered by a mountain range to the north, a river to the west; this lifeless land clearly ends there. Yet, it stretches endlessly to the southeast along the river?”

The map indicated an inexplicably empty patch of land extending southeast from Aina Mountain, an alien domain claimed by an unknown colossal being.

Reports from the warriors stated that signs of life appeared along the rivers to the west and north, whereas the eastern and southern sides extended endlessly without borders.

This shape seemed odd for any creature’s territory.

“We’ll have to move along the river at dawn to see how far it stretches. It shouldn’t be too dangerous if we stay on this side without crossing.”

“That does seem wise.”

All through the night, I pondered this strange formation that eluded understanding.

I barely managed to get some sleep until dawn broke, and as soon as the first light appeared, I hurriedly got ready to move.

From time to time, I would spot Grandfather scouting across the river.

And just like that, two days passed.

Two entire days without sight of the end of this realm.

“It’s been two days since we’ve been following the river, yet we still can’t grasp its shape—it’s truly bizarre.”

“Indeed, Grandfather. It’s just too vast.”

All of us gazed into the quiet grasslands.

Then, the warriors preparing food and my sister began distributing meals to everyone.

“So-ryong, here you go. Have some of this. Come on, you all go help your mother while your father rests.”

“Thank you, Hua Eun.”

My sister now seemed quite comfortable with addressing our parents as ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad,’ no longer hesitating.

As I lay in the grass, unwrapping the dried meat she handed me for lunch, I noticed dragonflies darting above.

‘There sure are a lot of dragonflies here. Must be the river nearby? Wait a minute?’

Seeing the dragonflies stirred something in me, and I leapt to my feet, requesting Grandfather’s help.

I felt like I had to verify something about the dragonflies’ appearance.

“Grandfather, could you go back to the area we passed? Please check how many dragonflies are flying across the river?”

“Dragonflies? You must have a thought brewing. Very well, I’ll check.”

As Grandfather placed dried rice cake in his mouth to soften while he considered my request, he then retraced our steps.

About an hour later, he returned and reported back.

“The dragonflies are alike on both banks; it’s about half a day’s distance from here too…”

His voice trailed off, and I nodded in understanding as he continued to command.

“Split the party into two. Those skilled in Lightness Skills and stronger martial arts, step forward!”

“Yes, Grandfather of the Clan!”

As per Grandfather’s orders, the group quickly split into two lines, and my sister rushed over to me.

“What’s going on, So-ryong?”

Startled, perhaps wondering why we halted mid-meal.

“Regardless of the beasts on land, don’t flying dragonflies have their own freedom to roam?”

“That’s right.”

“If a fearsome creature exists, it wouldn’t be able to remain unseen. Dragonflies wouldn’t take long to return if whatever it is merely disappeared from sight.”

“Oh, what do you mean?”

“Yes, all along, we assumed this area had been claimed by something else, but it seems something is moving ahead towards that direction.”

The reason this land seemed endless was that an unknown colossal entity was continuously moving away from us.

*

As Grandfather, Gu Pae, and a few members of the Poison Blood Team finished their meal, we prepared to leap into action using our Lightness Skills.

I aimed to lighten my body as much as possible, simply draping myself in Chao’s cloak.

Something ahead was constantly retreating; thus, I had to increase our speed!

“Then, please take care of the other kids.”

“Yes, So-ryong, I’ll look after the others; you all head off first.”

– Kkuk!

– Tsu-rit!

– Kisit!

“Right, I’m not going alone; I’m just heading out first, so follow along at your own pace.”

“Let’s go, So-ryong!”

“Yes, Grandfather!”

After our meal, we crossed the river and swiftly began to form a line.

When employing the Lightness Skill, I had to be cautious of my surroundings, so when traveling as a group, we ensured to keep our formation tight.

As I ran beside Grandfather, alongside Gu Pae, the scenery blurred past us in a flash.

The soothing sound of the river’s current filled my ears.

“Ugh, ugh.”

“Is it tough for you?”

“No, I’m managing just fine.”

Under normal circumstances, I would be gasping for breath, but with something waiting ahead, there’d be no way I’d drop down from this amount of exertion.

After running for a while, as the evening sun painted the river red, we suddenly found ourselves before a thick jungle filled with subtropical flora and familiar banana plants.

“With the dense jungle ahead, everyone needs to keep their guard up! The poisonous creatures are not like us—hiding and re-emerging without warning.”

“Understood, Clan Head!”

“Understood, Grandfather!”

We encountered the jungle of Yunnan I had only heard about.

Grandfather’s warning to exercise greater caution came immediately, and while we continued to track forward cautiously, the dense forest somewhat hampered our speed.

Eventually, just as Grandfather was about to suggest we stop for the day, a peculiar sound interrupted him.

– Swishhh…

A strange noise echoed.

– Swishhh…

– Swishhh…

The sound of towering grass swaying in the wind.

No, it was the thick bamboo shaking in the violent gusts.

That sound was drawing nearer, and as we pushed through a bit of the jungle to investigate, a vast, blood-red basin came into view.

– Swishhh…

“Is this… Ants!?”

What appeared before our eyes was a swarm of blood-red ants about the size of two human fists connected together.