I Became the Only Reptile in the Community

Chapter 29

—–CROW—– 

He was a giant of a man, nearly two meters tall.  Menacing muscles, like living weapons, covered his entire body, crisscrossed with countless scars.  He stood casually in our home, as if he belonged there, and spoke of having waited for us.  He had the ears of a tiger on his head, and a tail swayed behind him.

‘A sacred beast.’

There was no doubt.  He was a sacred beast in human form, achieved through transformation.

I didn’t know why a sacred beast was here, waiting for us.  But he didn’t seem friendly, so we distanced ourselves, preparing for a potential fight.

“Not bad judgment.”

But we didn’t know.  We didn’t know the extent of the man’s power.  We had entered his domain the moment we stepped into the cave.

“But you chose the wrong opponent.”

His slitted pupils, characteristic of a beast, narrowed as he focused on us.  The moment our reflections appeared in his deep amber eyes…

*Thump.*

An invisible pressure, like a weight from above, crushed us.

“-Kyaaa?!”

“Haaaack!”

“[Ugh!]”

This was… gravity.  A monster that could manipulate gravity with a mere glance.

I forced my head up, resisting the pressure.  This level of gravity… it was painful, but bearable.

“[Who… are you?]”

I met the man’s gaze and asked.  How did he know about us and why was he waiting?  And why was he using gravity against us?

“…So you’re the source of that energy.”

But the man didn’t answer.  He simply kept his gaze fixed on me as he walked towards us.  His leisurely steps belied the increasing gravity.  The pressure doubled, and the ground beneath me began to crack.

But I didn’t cry out in pain.  Instead, I smiled.  While the increasing gravity, focused solely on me, was painful, it also lessened the pressure on Cheong and Silphy.

“[Khahaha…!]”

“Why are you laughing?”

“[You’re so weak it’s funny! It feels like I’m covered with a light blanket!]”

*Crack. Crackle.*

As if waiting for my provocation, the gravity intensified.  A third of my body was now sunk into the ground.

But I continued to laugh, my expression mocking.

‘Focus on me.  All of your attention, on me.’

Ignore the others completely.  That would be our chance to counterattack.

*Rumble.*

When nearly half of my body was buried in the ground…

‘Now! Cheong, Silphy!’

Cheong and Silphy, now free from the effects of the gravity, attacked the man.  Silphy’s sharply honed wind blades and Cheong’s powerful paw swipe struck the man simultaneously.

*Scrape, clang.*

“-I-Impossible!”

“Myaang?!”

But their all-out attacks failed to injure him.  Just how tough was his body?

The man turned towards Cheong and Silphy, and the gravity crushing me lessened.

“-Ugh!”

“Kyaang!”

But the pressure on Silphy and Cheong increased proportionally.

‘Does he control gravity based on who he’s looking at?’

That was a broken ability.  But it also had a clear weakness.

‘Huu.’

If he controlled gravity based on his line of sight, then all we had to do was stay out of his sight.  Just like I had used the focused gravity to create an opening for Silphy and Cheong’s attack.  And now, while they endured the gravity, it was my turn to attack!

*Crackle.*

My strongest attacks were fire and lightning.  I gathered fire energy and held it in my mouth.

‘H-Hot!’

It felt like I had a mouthful of steaming hot, freshly boiled potatoes.  I wanted to exhale and cool down, or splash water in my mouth.  But that would weaken the flames, reducing the chances of injuring the man’s tough body.

“Sssss.”

“Hmm?”

Sparks flickered between my teeth.  I was at my limit.  The flames, compressed to their maximum, were struggling to be unleashed.

I signaled Silphy and Cheong with a glance, and they flattened themselves against the ground, bracing for the impact.

“[Imugi Breath, you bastard!]”

*Fwoosh!!*

The moment they were out of the way, I opened my jaws and unleashed the flames.  A torrent of fire erupted from my mouth, engulfing the man’s upper body and raising the temperature of the cave.

“-We got him!”

“Myaang!”

Cheong and Silphy cheered, high-fiving each other.  A premature celebration.  It had been a good attack, but Silphy, caught up in the excitement, uttered the forbidden words.

“-He’s definitely ‘finished’ now!”

‘You idiot, Silphy!’

Why would you jinx it?!  Now he’s going to get back up!

*Smash.*

“[Gah!]”

“-El!”

“Myaang!”

As expected, a rough hand burst from the flames and grabbed my throat.  His grip was so strong that even with just one hand, he was choking me, preventing me from breathing, let alone spitting more flames.  The flames died down as I struggled for air, and the man’s figure became visible again…

“-He’s fine?”

The man stood there, unharmed, holding my throat.  Aside from some scorch marks, there were no visible burns.

“You control fire.”

*Squeeze.*

“[Ugh.]”

“Small.  Incredibly small compared to other Imugi. Your appearance is also unusual.  I’ve never seen a black Imugi before.  Is it a mutation?  Is that why you emitted that strange energy?”

The man examined me closely.

“How old are you?”

My age?  I didn’t know why he was asking.  But with my throat in his grasp, I couldn’t afford to lie or stall.  I answered truthfully.

“[Not even a year old, you child abuser…!]”

“A year?”

My words were laced with venom, but the man ignored it, his eyes gleaming at the word “year.”

“An Imugi in less than a year, with this much power…”

*Thump.*

“I like it.”

And I saw it.  A genuine smile of anticipation on the man’s face.

“Grow stronger.  Strong enough to leave a scar on me.”

“[Crazy…]”

The man turned to leave the cave.  I watched him, a suspicion forming in my mind.  Did he come here just to fight me?  From what he’d said, he had sensed the energy I emitted when I became an Imugi and had come to investigate, leading to our fight.  He seemed satisfied with my power, considering my age, and had decided to let me go, wanting to see how much stronger I would become.  He’d gotten his fill of curiosity, taken a number for a rematch, and was leaving…  Wait, Cheong?

“Haaaack!”

*Chomp.*

While I was lost in thought, Cheong had bitten the man’s leg.  Of course, her teeth couldn’t pierce his thick leg muscles.

“This one…”

The man looked at the defiant Cheong, then shook his leg dismissively.

*Thud.*

“-Cheong!”

“I have no interest in weaklings.”

“-You…!”

*Crash!*

“-Kyaaa!”

“Your control over wind is impressive, but that’s it.  Your precision and control are lacking.”

The man swatted Silphy away with his tail.  I wanted to join the fight, but after enduring the gravity and pushing my still-recovering body to attack, I couldn’t move.

“[Stop it, both of you.]”

Why were they still provoking him when he was clearly leaving?  We had no chance of winning right now!  Just let him go!

“Krrrrrr.”

Especially Cheong.  She was still nipping at him, and her persistence made me uneasy.  What if he got annoyed and changed his mind?

*Thump.*

“Hmm?”

Then it happened.  The man stopped, his gaze meeting Cheong’s furious glare.  My mind went blank.  Were we going to fight again?!

“Hmm.”

But contrary to my fears, the man only glanced at Cheong.  He then left the cave without another word.

“[Phew!]”

That was a relief.  There would have been casualties if we had fought again.  I glared at Cheong, who was still glaring at the cave entrance, and climbed on top of her.

“Myaang!”

“[This is all your fault.]”

“-Ugh, I want to lie down too.”

“Haaaack!”

Silphy joined us, adding to Cheong’s burden, and I listened to her pained cries as I looked at the cave entrance.

“[Hmm?]”

What was that?  That strangely indented area on the ground.

I stretched my head closer and saw a single human footprint.  Had he left it on his way out?

“Haaaaack!”

“-Ugh, I’m tired.”

“[Ten seconds.]”

“Myaang! Myaaaa!!”

I didn’t know.  I just wanted to rest and think.

—–CROW—–