My feet touched solid ground with a thud. I was freed safely—but there was no relief in that. The large and small serpents around raised their heads as if poised to strike. Small snakes might be tolerable, but giant ones capable of swallowing lay coiled at a distance. Even Grace couldn’t save from being suffocated in a serpent’s belly.
“小 one,”
The scarlet serpent—clearly a Transcendent—rested its chin on a raised hand. tal decorations jingled at its wrist and fingers; its long, sharp nails glead like gemstones. Its upper body was bare except for golden pauldron-like armor, leaving its muscular abdon exposed. From where a mammal’s navel would be, red scales began to scatter, rging into its serpentine lower half. Around its waist were layered bands of tal and jewels, from which hung gauzy fabric thin enough to be translucent.
It looked like an exotic deity. Its human torso was that of a breathtakingly handso man; its snake body shimred with beauty yet sent chills down my spine. I swallowed dryly and t its gaze. My heart skipped a beat, but I didn’t look away. I truly felt like a mouse facing a snake.
“Are you the proxy of the Filial-Rebels?”
“...I cannot answer—I’ve not heard the circumstances.”
I spoke politely. Its question betrayed that it belonged to the Filial-Addicts. No need to aggravate it.
“I rely accepted the ssage asking if I would receive system admin privileges.”
I had no real idea what was happening. The serpent’s eyes narrowed.
“I had hoped you were the killer of the mage.”
“...If a mage you an—”
“Gyos Sanus. Once connected.”
Surely not another revenge plot. Thankfully, it showed no such sign.
“It was rely fortune. In truth, I tightened the noose myself.”
“I heard the mage renounced Transcendent status. Foolishly so.”
Its low voice was dry, devoid of emotion. A decent reaction. If it dismissed lightly, it might take its Filial-Addict duties lightly too. I gauged the mont and asked cautiously.
“Must you ruin the world? There are hundreds—missing one should matter little.”
It once said there were hundreds of worlds.
“You seem of the Filial-Addicts, yet I doubt you truly care for filial piety...”
The serpent’s lip curled.
“I do not worship the Origin as creator. Nor do I revere it for preservation or study.”
Not like Diarma or Ruga Peya. I dared hope.
“Yet I submit to the Origin’s devouring.”
Its tallic voice continued coldly.
“All life devours or is devoured. The weak are consud; the strong consu. Sotis the weak bite the neck of the strong and turn the tide. Such is the way of living beings.”
Its black-and-gold pupils looked at disdainfully.
“The Origin too partakes in life’s flow. Thus I, most aptly, embrace the greatest consumption.”
“...So you expect to stand by and be eaten?”
“Fight.”
The scarlet serpent raised its torso. Its gem-like, gold-flecked scales all bristled with a tinkling, crystalline sound.
“Under a predator’s threat, the deer hardens its hoof, the wolf sharpens its fangs. Consu only the safe fare of your pen and you invite no change, no growth.”
Its fangs bared in a smile.
“O small one, I am the king of devouring that crawls the earth, the red poison that dissolves and swallows.”
“...!”
Suddenly a lethal aura swept over . The venom the red serpent restrained surged, and the other snakes recoiled en masse. I had nowhere to flee.
“...gak!”
Poison Resistance L-rank—without it I’d have literally been dissolved by the venom. My vision swirled; I coughed blood. My knees buckled, palms hitting the floor.
I survived only because of Resistance; the toxin still coursed through . My skin chilled as my interior burned. My throat dried like a vicious fever.
“You... cough... cannot kill ...”
“For one so weak, you endure well.”
The scarlet serpent reseated itself in my blurred view. I coughed blood again. I needed an antidote—sowhere in my inventory. Low-grade, but...
“The Filial-Rebels’ offer I accepted—but a coward scanned even before the fight is worthless.”
I’d misjudged this. It ramd its tail around again.
“Crawl here. If your feet carry you, I may reconsider.”
With a flick, I was thrown high. As I distanced from the venom, my Resistance began to restore my body. My vision cleared enough to see—
“Damn you, serpent brat!”
The motley snakes surged. That mad beast! I landed deftly as they hissed and slid aside. Pain radiated through , but I pushed upright. First, potion. Though the Elder said not to, I had no choice. I fumbled the bottle—
– Ssssss!
– hiss!
Sharp hisses pierced my ears. Snake heads lifted, aiming at . I popped the cap and drank.
Glupp.
A serpent as thick as my forearm lunged, fangs bared. I offered my arm, grabbed the snake, tore it off, and flung it aside. No sooner had I downed one than another attacked. Damn, at least their venom didn’t work on now!
“If they swallow , it’s over.”
Behind lay monstrous snakes ready to devour an elephant whole. The Predator King’s throne was far—five minutes’ run at best. He had power and long arms.
I drew my sword still sheathed and slashed the coils to keep them at bay, stepping back toward the throne. The small snakes parted, and larger ones inched closer. I needed sothing—ah!
“Wait, hold on!”
I tried to gear up, but the snake pack gave no pause. One down, three on top of —this would be—
– peep!
A sudden birdsong. Grace appeared—a bluebird. The snakes’ gazes whipped to her. Bird and snake: the ultimate predator–prey. Even the smaller snakes were the perfect snack. As Grace fluttered down, the snakes gaped in fear.
“Be careful, Grace!”
– cheep!
Grace responded boldly, and as the snakes distractedly hissed, I donned my armor at last. No sooner had I strapped on my gloves than the giant snakes began to surge forward with a low rumble. The smaller ones yielded a path, and Grace returned to .
– peep! hiss!
“It’s okay.”
Birds and snakes—prey and predator. And one predator of snakes...
“A cat, isn’t it?”
Of course, only against small snakes; larger ones might eat cats—but then I’d be a large cat.
– skree!
A serpent dozens of ters long yawned wide. Facing that as a re snack, I unleashed the Delouse skill. In an instant my viewpoint soared, the snakes shrinking to miniature size.
– hiss!
– shh! hiss!
The king serpent recoiled, closing its maw. The pack withdrew like a receding tide. The cat who’d eaten a dragon: Delouse.
– kyah!
An enormous form, but a re illusion to them. With the Transcendent roar, the snakes froze. I seized the chance and sprinted for the throne. My large leaps covered ground quickly—
– sss-st.
From behind, a jet-black colossus struck. Its scales above its head flared into a dozen horn-like spikes. I couldn’t dodge at my stats. I twisted toward the throne’s direction. Then—
Thud!
The black serpent slamd . Skill released, I shrank midair, lightly floating toward the throne—and just before passing over it—
Bang!
I drew my gun, aid at the ceiling, and fired. The recoil halted my flight, and I dropped straight down. Borrowing the Wildcat Set’s power, I landed neatly before the throne. I spread my arms in salute to the scarlet serpent.
“I have arrived, Your Grace. Though I did not crawl upon the earth.”
Unlike serpents, I still had legs. The Predator King’s eyes curved slowly—it seed my score was not poor.
“Then give the situation report for the probationary administrator.”
The scarlet serpent wasn’t the worst Transcendent. It bore us no grudge and likely accepted victories cleanly. The hardest part would be to actually defeat it.
“Very well. You seem worthy of hearing.”
The Predator King leaned back on the throne’s crest and spoke.
“The Filial-Rebels wished to curb further reckless interference in your world by appointing an Awakened proxy rather than a Transcendent.”
...So because the Transcendents went too far, they decided to step back and leave it to your world’s people? That was refreshing news. They should have done so long ago.
“Thus they selected you as temporary system administrator.”
“Then the Filial-Addicts also granted our world’s Awakeneds administrator privileges?”
“Indeed. It was impossible until you inherited Chatterbox’s legacy, restoring balance with another non-Transcendent administrator.”
“...If I had refused the inheritance?”
“You would have beco advisor, not proxy wielding the system.”
A position to advise Transcendents on system use. That might have sufficed for the rookie. But I couldn’t pass up the chance to touch the system. The Filial-Addict’s proxy—perhaps the prophet?
“Choose five Awakeneds from your world.”
“Five?”
“Chess pieces are needed—start with five.”
Hmm... arranging a stage like Chatterbox? Of course Yuhyun goes first. Then Yerim? Seong Hyunjae, Director Song, Hyunah, Noah—that’s already five without Yerim.
‘This ti it’s non-broadcast dungeon fights—more dangerous than before.’
Better exclude Yerim. I’d tell her to go ho with the kids—she’d be angry, but it couldn’t be helped.
“I’ve decided.”
“Use the system to send ssages and obtain consent.”
“...Yes?”
Send ssages via system... Opening it like a status screen, I felt unfamiliar magic shift, and a window appeared.
[Temporary System Admin ? Han Yujin]
I tapped the screen. New text appeared:
[Trainee Voice Recognition Mode Activated]
“I need to ssage five people: Awakeneds of my world.”
[Select region.]
A scroll of symbols and numbers appeared. No ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) manual! What?
“F—France! It’s France!”
[Alan Beyer
Alan Lindsay ...]
Nas in alphabetical order popped up. Wow, so many Awakeneds...
“Han Yuhyun in France!”
[Han Yuhyun]
“And...”
I glanced at the scarlet serpent. It instructed :
“Send a ssage for consent to the Awakened affiliated with Temporary Admin Han Yujin.”
“Yes. Yuhyun, send ssage to Han Yuhyun.”
I dispatched the affiliation request. Would he doubt? Soon:
[Awakened Han Yuhyun ? Consent]
He accepted. Well done, Yuhyun! Next, I ssaged Seong Hyunjae. No reply... then:
[Awakened Seong Hyunjae ? Refuse]
“...Huh?”
Hyunjae refused. Why? Angry at being cast out? Or thought Transcendents were ddling.
“...Can I modify later?”
“Five is the minimum.”
Then I left Hyunjae and ssaged Director Song:
[Awakened Song Taewon ? Unsuitable]
What?! Why would she be? Despairing, I ssaged Hyunah:
[Awakened Moon Hyun-ah ? Unsuitable]
Unsuitable again. Is this a glitch? Only a few left... Should I ssage Yerim?
[Awakened Noah Ruhir ? Consent]
Thankfully, Noah accepted. Three slots left. Yerim or Kim Seong-han must join. I chose Yerim:
[Awakened Park Yerim ? Consent]
I selected her—Hyunjae I could persuade later. Two slots left. Riette would fill one; she consented imdiately. Peace can’t talk well, Yunyun can’t fight, Myeong-woo can’t, Evelyn would refuse... Who else?
‘Hwang-lim or Sisiho?’
Only those choices? Both have good skills—Hwang-lim for duplication, Sisiho for group battles. I often saw Hwang-lim lately.
[Awakened Hwang-lim ? Unsuitable]
“Why are they like this?!”
Then:
[Awakened Sisiho ? Consent]
...Fine. I can replace later—persuade Director Song or Hyunah.
“Done.”
“They seem done on their end too.”
“Wait—I represent the Filial-Rebels?”
“As you’ve changed them.”
The Predator King rose. Darkness fell; space itself shifted—
Whoosh—!
A wave crashed. A towering wall of water surged, halted by the returned scarlet serpent. The Predator King laughed and parted the wave with one hand.
[Blue Fish!]
[Red Serpent!]
In the gloom, the rmaid Queen erged—blue and red scales glittering.
[First ti I’ve seen one pierce that hull.]
[Its snake-like severed waist reattached itself.]
Their two powers clashed oppressively. Without my protective buffs, I’d have lost my mind. The two Transcendents gazed at each other and vanished into the darkness. In the cleared space opposite—
“...Seong Hyunjae?”
A familiar face stood there—missing an eye and an arm.
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