Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 4: The Flying Heavenly Snake

“I thought we’d jump straight into the capture once the location of the Flying Heavenly Snake was pinpointed, but… we couldn’t just rush out.”

Being the top-tier venomous creature meant we had to be well-prepared, after all.

So the first thing we prepared was Magnificent Yellow.

It had once protected people from the fearsome venom of the Gimjo, so it was a must-have insurance.

This would be achieved by mixing the herbs with the Tang Clan’s vision to create the Magnificent Yellow that we would use, and Grandfather promised to make it before we set out.

Bubble, bubble.

Watching the herbs boiling in the cauldron, Grandfather said, “They say we couldn’t make it into the Ten Great Venoms because our poison is too weak, but we can’t let our guard down.”

“You’re right, Grandfather. Safety can never be overly emphasized.”

I was itching to catch it, but Grandfather’s words were undeniably true.

Having died from a snake bite in my past life made me more aware.

I mean, I never imagined a snake would crawl out of a hotel room, but catching a viper is inherently dangerous regardless of safety measures.

Living animals have their own personalities, so even average responses can lead to unexpected events.

As Grandfather prepared the Magnificent Yellow everyone could carry, I had a task assigned to me: the bag.

“The real issue is where to keep it once we catch it.”

“The snake can escape through even the smallest gap, so it’s essential to keep it in a bag,” I explained.

“That’s how we do things in our Tang Clan,” answered Grandfather.

While it was fine to leave the Magnificent Yellow to Grandfather, the real concern was the bag.

Snakes can slip through the tiniest openings, which is why usually, when capturing a snake in the wild, you toss it right into your pocket.

Afterward, you typically put it in a box or cage.

Even reptile experts use similar methods for that reason.

If you just put it in a bag without securing it in a box or cage, one tiny hole could allow it to wriggle free, and it often jumps out and bites when you open the lid.

Even seasoned reptile experts often experience snakebite accidents because of this, which is why they employ these methods.

Thus, a substantial bag was a necessity, especially since we were almost sure the Flying Heavenly Snake was a spirit-grade serpent.

Regular fabric would simply get torn apart.

“Using regular fabric would be impossible, right?”

“Definitely. Do you have any good ideas?”

“Uh, me?”

“Aren’t you the expert?”

“……”

I suggested finding something useful from the Tang Clan, but Grandfather said nothing suitable for capturing such a creature was available there either.

Apparently, they used to have some, but it was too old and unusable now.

So we needed something strong and durable, something that a spirit-grade viper couldn’t escape from, but here, in the Central Plains, there were no advanced materials like carbon fiber from my past life.

‘We need something stronger than steel, with high elasticity and durability.’

While Grandfather was busily making the Magnificent Yellow, I was thinking of how to create a bag for capturing the snake.

Then, quite by chance, I stumbled upon the solution.

Interestingly enough, there was a fiber nearby that was stronger than steel, more elastic, and more durable.

“Soryong! The Golden Money Trap Spider has disappeared!”

One warrior had come running to report that while checking on the Golden Money Trap Spider, he hadn’t noticed it had burrowed into the ground.

Hurrying there, I found that it had already built its home in a small jar.

I had placed it in a jar filled with dirt, and following its instinct, it had burrowed in and prepared a trap.

Trap-dwelling spiders like the Golden Money Trap Spider dig vertical tunnels underground and weave a silky home inside to live in.

The whole mix-up likely occurred due to the different people taking care of it.

I quickly dug through the center of the jar and pulled out the sock-like silk home where the spider was hiding.

Then I showed it to the warriors to confirm there was indeed a spider inside.

“Behold! This Golden Money Trap Spider digs tunnels in the ground and creates its home from silk. It’s merely hiding inside, so there’s no need to worry.”

“What? I almost believed you; it was so well hidden!”

With my reassurance, the warriors from the Venomous Insect Team finally calmed down.

I thought it might be necessary to hold a seminar about the venomous insects and provide some training.

“Well, that’s not unusual. These creatures have strong appetites, so feed them crickets or other insects daily. Please clean up any waste they leave outside the holes as well. And don’t forget to lightly mist them with water every morning.”

“Got it, Soryong!”

After conveying a few notes on the Golden Money Trap Spider to the warrior, I turned to leave, holding the torn, rubber-balloon-like spider silk home.

‘If only I had a bag just like this… Huh? Wait a minute. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?’

Seeing the torn home of the Golden Money Trap Spider sparked an idea.

I quickly dashed over to Yo-hwa.

“Yo-hwa! Yo-hwa!”

–Kish?

Yo-hwa had chosen a rock under which all the giant army ants had perished as her temporary refuge. As I called for her below, she swiftly climbed down the rock pillar.

I showed her the torn silk of the Golden Money Trap Spider and asked, “Yo-hwa, can you make something like this?”

–Kishi?

The reason I requested a bag from Yo-hwa was that spider silk is twenty times tougher than steel at the same weight and is four times stronger than the special fibers used for bulletproof vests.

Not to mention, spider silk doesn’t cause any rejection reactions in living beings, and it’s so elastic that it can stretch up to fifty percent of its length.

And Yo-hwa, being a spirit and a creature of the Ten Great Venoms, her strength was unquestionable!

Just looking at the thread tied around my waist, which hadn’t broken during the giant army ant incident, proved this material was likely the finest fiber in this age.

‘With this, I could make a bulletproof vest!’

Gesturing and miming to explain my request to Yo-hwa, I even drew a picture in the dirt.

“I’d like you to make a big bag that looks like this using your spider silk.”

–Kish!

“Is that doable!? Oh, awesome!”

With my request, Yo-hwa puffed out her belly and swiftly began to spin the silk.

The ends of her legs were hooked, all designed to climb with silk.

As Yo-hwa’s legs moved, the silk began to take on the shape I envisioned.

Moments later.

–Kish?

She asked if this was good enough.

A large sack similar to what I had described was completed at Yo-hwa’s leg tips.

Since it was made by Yo-hwa, the finishing touches were a bit rough, but…

When I tried to tidy the messy edges with my Flying Dagger, the material wouldn’t budge, and it stretched like elastic!

As expected, the elasticity and strength were no joke.

It was even slightly translucent, showing what was inside.

“Oh, amazing, Yo-hwa!”

At my praise, Yo-hwa put her hands on her head, clearly wanting more compliments, so I quickly patted her head.

She truly deserved it for creating such a perfect bag to contain the Flying Heavenly Snake.

“Well done! Well done!”

–Kishishi…

“Thanks to you, Yo-hwa, I’ve relaxed a bit! Now, I must show this bag to Grandfather and we should head out tomorrow!”

Thanks to Yo-hwa, who solved what I had been fretting over for days in an instant, I felt a wave of relief.

I dashed back to where Grandfather was making the Magnificent Yellow.

Upon arrival, I shouted, “Grandfather! I’ve made it!”

“Huh? What exactly did you make?”

“The bag! I’ve made a bag out of Yo-hwa’s silk, and it’s a tough one that can’t be cut by knives!”

“From Yo-hwa’s silk? Let me see…”

After inspecting the bag for a while, Grandfather’s expression turned into one of astonishment.

“Whoa! This is indeed spirit-grade! That means we can set out immediately tomorrow!”

“Then I’ll get the warriors ready for our departure tomorrow!”

With our biggest obstacle cleared, it was time to set out.

*

People might not be well aware, but even in my past life, there were flying snakes.

I once introduced them in a broadcast, but people dismissed it, claiming that sky-dwelling snakes were a lie and impossible.

But they existed—five kinds, to be precise.

They belong to the genus Chrysopelea, found in tropical jungles, and while it’s technically not flying but gliding, there’s a reason they’re called flying snakes.

These snakes prey on lizards, frogs, or small birds inhabiting high trees, so they opted for gliding to move quickly.

“Today’s broadcast: Introduction of the flying snake.”

“These guys glide. Isn’t it impressive?”

‘Ah, I knew this would happen.’

‘That Fabre guy is pushing it again.’

‘The Venomous Insect Team is pulling out fresh content, huh?’

‘Fabre, just gliding? That’s a stretch to draw in viewers!’

This was the kind of commentary I heard as viewers flocked in, but there was a reason I introduced them as flying snakes.

It was because referring to their movement as gliding was a bit misleading.

Why is that?

It’s because one type, known as the Paradise Snake, can glide for distances of up to 250 meters!

2.5 meters? Nope. 25 meters? Nope. 250 meters.

That’s a distance equivalent to connecting two football fields!

It’s not just a few meters; these snakes glide horizontally for a remarkable distance of 250 meters.

Thus, they are referred to as flying snakes rather than glide snakes.

If they glide horizontally for 250 meters, it’s practically the same as flying!

‘After all, 250 meters counts as flying.’

The reason this species of Chrysopelea can achieve such horizontal glides is due to its physical characteristics.

When they leap, they first climb to the top of a tree, stretch their bodies into a J-shape, and change their form.

These snakes can spread their ribs like wings, transforming their bodies from a round snake form into a flat, glider-like shape to maximize lift.

After that, they leap off the branch, shaking their heads as they soar towards their target.

So, I thought the Flying Heavenly Snake would be similar.

Everything in the universe must abide by the laws of physics, right?

Despite the grand name of Flying Heavenly Snake, the primitive folks in this world were likely to call any gliding snake a flying snake.

Since the Flying Heavenly Snake is said to inhabit the Gorge of Winds, a deep canyon, it seemed to glide along the winds blowing between the valleys—at least that’s what I pondered.

Yet…

Having waited for two days in the narrow valley where it was reportedly seen…

‘Is that snake really flying?’

I finally caught a glimpse of the majestic Flying Heavenly Snake, gliding effortlessly in the sky between the valleys, as if it were a sea serpent swimming through the ocean.

“Just as the records stated, it really is flying.”

Hearing Grandfather Mandok admiring it, I blinked in disbelief.

“Uh, isn’t this a bit odd, Grandfather?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, a snake is flying!”

“Exactly, and it’s a Flying Heavenly Snake.”

“Ah, so that’s what they call it…”

Lately, I was surrounded by so many puzzling occurrences.

As I looked up at the sky, my older sister addressed the Ogong, stroking them gently, “You all better transform into dragons and fly majestically through the skies!”

–Tsloot!

At that, Chao made the loudest noise, almost as if in response!