Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 430: How Unpleasant!

As Yeon-woo returned leisurely after dealing with the demons that had entered a certain radius, the Earth Serpent spoke to him.

“Is it really that unpleasant?” It was a voice no one could mistake for anything but unpleasantness.

Though a serpent, it lacked a face to display expression; if it had a human-like face, it would surely be wrinkled in distaste.

It was a triple dose of unpleasantness.

“What kind of feeling would that be?”

[If I were to relate it to a human’s perspective… it would feel like dirty bugs crawling over my body.]

“Easy to understand analogy, thank you.”

It was likely a decent metaphor coming from the Earth Serpent.

While humans might think crawling bugs are dirty or filthy, to the Earth Serpent, which was close to the essence of nature, both humans and bugs might be considered the same.

“Shall I scratch you if you have an itch?”

[What a generous offer.]

The Earth Serpent let out a snicker. Snickering was something Yeon-woo hadn’t heard from it before.

Whether it genuinely found it amusing, he wasn’t sure; it seemed more like the Earth Serpent had learned to express feelings while Lucrecia stayed with it.

‘Perhaps it learned that from someone who reacts so vividly.’

If Riley were to take a page from Lucrecia, her emotional range would certainly increase.

The Earth Serpent had a sparse emotional range while Riley was nearly frozen in her emotions, so any dramatic effect couldn’t be expected.

“Still, I’m glad you’re up and about.”

[That’s because I’m quick to wake.]

“You can make jokes too.”

[Well, I suppose it’s not bad to be friendly with humans.]

If it felt that way, Yeon-woo was grateful. If he could earn the Earth Serpent’s favor by offering some labor, that would certainly be a win-win situation.

However, he hoped it wouldn’t grow fond of humanity as a whole; not everyone was as kind as he was.

[Ugh~, so annoying~.]

Lunaria cackled, but Yeon-woo lightly ignored it.

Engaging with a god’s mockery was tedious, and objectively speaking, he couldn’t deny he felt a bit annoying.

That being said, he couldn’t actually sue a god for defamation, so ignoring it was the best option.

Where would you find such a well-behaved victim?

Anyway, receiving help from the Earth Serpent, which could survey the entire Hammer of Earth Gorge as if it were its own body, was encouraging.

It meant he could reasonably expect not to be ambushed by Shuyo.

“Please, I beg you, do not sleep.”

[I can’t promise that as I enjoy sleeping too much.]

Hearing the Earth Serpent tease him, Yeon-woo let out a deep sigh.

Even though communication had become easier with more expressed emotions, the playful banter made it tiring.

Such irony it was.

*

“No, it’s not like it’s a cockroach….”

After a few days, Yeon-woo found himself muttering such words.

He was utterly fed up with the endless onslaught of the Sloth Cult’s minions.

“Was the scale of Sloth this massive…?”

“Hmm, it doesn’t seem like there are that many demons.”

“Are they splitting…?”

It was clear what Shar was hinting at. The way they looked suggested they were prone to splitting.

So he had been meticulously slicing them until they could no longer regenerate. There was no need to intentionally split them in the name of experiments.

“It certainly could be. I’ve seen the way they bulk up and gain strength.”

“Hm-hm, after bulking up sufficiently, they can just shed parts away.”

With that assumption, no matter how few Sloths there were, it wouldn’t pose a significant problem. Even one could theoretically split into an infinite number.

He wished researchers could proliferate like that. If only that were the case.

[Didn’t I say? They’re just dirty bugs.]

The Earth Serpent chuckled. It made sense considering its size; even one or two bugs wouldn’t make much of an impact.

The situation made Yeon-woo feel like a mother monkey picking ticks off her baby monkey.

“I didn’t expect it to be this bad; moderation is key… By the way, am I the only one taking the heat here for Lucrecia? I feel like I’m the only one suffering.”

“Bad timing, huh? Guess Dad’s destined to struggle.”

“Right? You don’t think I’ll die from overwork, do you?”

“The Half-Dragon’s body isn’t weak enough to die from overwork.”

Damn it. It sounded like a wide road of hardship lay ahead.

Well, it felt nice to be able to work hard for the family, unlike before his regression when he was half-dead from overworking.

“Yeah, it’s best to get work done while I can.”

Nodding along, Yeon-woo fiddled with Relin’s Warehouse. Then, with a sizzling sound, a connection was established.

“Riley, please gather some helpers.”

On a different note, Yeon-woo knew better than anyone that overworking was poison.

Honestly, he didn’t expect it to be this much; had he known, he would never have come alone.

Even if he had the Master’s body, excess fatigue would eventually have negative effects.

[Understood. How many do you need?]

“The more, the merrier. At least at the Expert late-stage or above.”

[Got it. I’ll contact those who can move right away and look for a follow-up team.]

There was but one thing for Yeon-woo to say to Riley who could clarify even without elaboration.

“Good.”

[Are there many humans coming? Interesting.]

“Can I set up a base camp nearby?”

[Go ahead. Anywhere else would be a hassle to stay.]

Fortunately, he quickly received permission to make the area near the lake a campsite.

This is why maintaining a good relationship with landowners is necessary.

*

Though permission to set up a base camp had been granted, it didn’t mean they could erect walls and structures.

It would probably be better to handle it with tents out of consideration for the Earth Serpent; it preferred not to touch the terrain.

As the night passed and morning broke, the support team that had arrived began unpacking near Yeon-woo’s camp.

There were many familiar faces, but the most familiar one was, of course, Baek In-hwa.

“…You look tired.”

“So do you. Did you lose sleep?”

“Yeah, a bit.”

Baek In-hwa answered nonchalantly to Yeon-woo’s question. He momentarily wondered what could cause her to lose sleep.

But considering she was being treated as a secret weapon to confront Shuyo, it might have been a bit pressure-inducing.

“…Oh, sorry. Did I make it too burdensome?”

“I’m used to this level. It’s fine.”

If she were truly accustomed and fine, then she wouldn’t have lost sleep, he thought but wisely kept that to himself.

Being good at pretending to be strong was also a necessary social skill.

“Still, thanks to you being here, it should be easier. We have an awful lot coming at us.”

“…Do you think I could freeze them?”

“You’d freeze them while picking your nose.”

“…I don’t pick my nose.”

That wasn’t what he meant, but maybe it was an unguarded comment.

Regardless, Baek In-hwa’s expression brightened as if gaining confidence from his words.

While she was still around the late Expert stage, she certainly gave off the vibe of hovering near the Master wall.

Ideally, if she could clear out the Sloths and break through the Master wall to fight Shuyo, that would be perfect. Yet Yeon-woo doubted that would happen.

“Most likely we only have a few days of leeway, so it’s better to prepare yourself mentally.”

“Understood. I’ll strive to reach the Expert level in the meantime.”

Baek In-hwa huffed defiantly as she released an attitude just like always. It was such a spirited expression.

Yeon-woo felt a sense of time passing. He had grown quite familiar with Baek In-hwa’s expression muscles, enabling him to read such changes.

“Hey, how about we have dinner together?”

“Sure. I’ll be right back.”

Baek In-hwa was so excited by his last bait that she took off immediately.

Thus far, there had been no news of demons appearing, but he believed the Earth Serpent would guide him when the time came.

After all, the Earth Serpent could cover the entire Gorge.

“…Then, I’ll take a bit of a break.”

After running around without sleep for several days, he needed some rest.

His skin had become coarse. He couldn’t show up before Nea with a skin like this.

Now that he had helpers, he thought he could rest a bit. With that in mind, Yeon-woo went to sleep.

Perhaps aside from this moment, he may no longer have the chance to sleep ahead.

*

[Go south from there.]

A voice brushing against his ear, reminiscent of a snake flicking its tongue, made Baek In-hwa shudder.

She had heard that the Earth Serpent would speak to them, but the sensation of telepathy felt too strange to get used to quickly.

“Understood.”

[It’s nice to have someone who listens well. Your abilities are outstanding; truly remarkable. Most importantly, it’s very refreshing.]

Nodding, as she dealt with the incoming Sloth demons, the Earth Serpent offered such praise.

Saying ‘refreshing’ usually downplayed ice powers, but coming from the Earth Serpent, it strangely felt like a compliment.

It must have been a matter of scale; while she might be creating monumental icebergs, to the Earth Serpent, it was like merely presenting a shard of ice.

The Ice Shield struck out like a flurry at some liquid creature, which attempted to engulf Baek In-hwa in a wave-like manner. As the physical contact was made, the demon’s liquid form froze instantly.

It had never managed to swallow even the Ice Shield.

“…The compatibility is certainly good.”

[Looks that way. At this age, I never expected to receive help from a human; good surprises can still exist.]

“I’m glad I could help.”

The Earth Serpent had particularly been engaging with Baek In-hwa. While she felt a bit frightened, knowing that the esteemed Choi Yeon-woo had endorsed her reassured her to communicate easily.

‘Perhaps other Hunters don’t share that same sentiment.’

Baek In-hwa assessed that this was why the Earth Serpent was interested in her. Her assessment was accurate.

Other Hunters had become too terrified of the Earth Serpent and only received orders, lacking the bravery to communicate.

[You speak beautifully. Such a cocky child. Playing around with the heart of such a good kid.]

Baek In-hwa blushed awkwardly at those words.

She hadn’t been toyed with. No, to be precise, she wished it could be, but she felt that way.

[…You’re pretty deep in it, huh.]

As the Earth Serpent peered into the numerous pink fantasies swirling in Baek In-hwa’s head, it muttered softly.

Still, it felt cute enough to say. After this business concluded, it even pondered giving her some kind of gift.

As such thoughts passed, the Sloth demons froze completely. Baek In-hwa, blushing, struck the frozen demon with the back of her hand.

Crash, clear ice shards scattered. In that moment, Baek In-hwa looked as joyful as a pure-hearted girl.

[Hmm, I didn’t expect you to be a little scarier than I imagined.]

(To be continued in the next chapter)