The white chick, still unable to fly properly, soon perched on the head of the fallen Imugi, like a small clump of white fluff.
It looked as if a baby bird had landed on his head.
'What? How can this chick sit so steadily?'
Unable to believe it, he swallowed a hollow laugh and spat out the grass that had stuck to the corner of his mouth.
He shook off the dust, stood up, and looked at the white orb in front of him.
'I brought this firefly-like creature along, didnāt I?'
Lai was completely taken aback by this situation.
Not only did the hatchling use one of the high-level spells, Teleportation, accurately, but it had also come out of the lair completely.
Lai flew around frantically, looking flustered.
Unfortunately, Imugi was not skilled at comforting others, so he scratched his cheek and watched for a moment.
'Christina used it so easily, is it really that surprising?'
It was more surprising than he thought that the young hatchling, who he hadnāt taught, could use a movement spell.
Thinking about it, if it were natural for ordinary hatchlings to use movement spells, it wouldnāt make sense for just one firefly to be attached.
'Che. I canāt do anything about it now that itās already used.'
Instead of dwelling on what was already done, he decided it was better to think about what to do next and looked around to assess the situation.
The direction of Christinaās lair was clearly visible.
Only the roof, partially obscured by trees, was visible, but it was a golden, translucent dome.
Feeling that they werenāt far from the lair, Imugi decided to walk around to get a better look.
Lai, unsure of what to do, followed, and the young bird, perched on Imugiās head like an ornament, began to look around.
Fresh flowers and lush trees grew wildly but harmoniously, without encroaching on each other.
It was similar to the world he had been in, yet different.
It looked like a dense forest but had the order of a garden.
For Imugi, who had lived in a place where not even a single blade of grass could grow properly, this was a novel sight.
'Is this what itās like outside the lair?'
Wherever he went, living things existed: grass, trees, small animals, birds, and butterflies.
Imugi slowly inhaled and exhaled.
'This land and the lair are connected as one natural entity.'
The lair was the center of a vast mana source, like a heart, and the surrounding land received mana from the lair to nurture life.
Stretching his stiff body, Imugi yawned, and Lai, unsure of what to do, looked at him.
The baby bird on Imugiās head spread its wings and roared energetically.
Enjoying the freshness of the outside air, it turned to Lai and chirped happily.
Hearing the pure chirping, Lai snapped back to his senses.
These were the beings Christina had shown favor to, and the ones she had personally entrusted to Lai for safety.
Lai wanted to protect and take care of them well.
Although the essence he sensed from Imugi was of a type that Lai, a light spirit, found repulsive, they were beings Christina cherished.
With his mind made up, Lai emitted a warm light and gently circled the baby bird.
Then, he flew in front of Imugi and the baby bird, casting a soft glow.
Lai moved forward to guide them in the direction of the lair.
'This firefly-like creature seems to be suggesting we go this way.'
Imugi glanced at Lai and started walking in the direction the spirit was leading.
Although worried, Lai guided them to the safest path possible.
The white baby bird, watching quietly, shook a black feather and made a curious chirp.
Imugi, sensing the birdās question, 'Is it okay to follow?', nodded.
The bird answered succinctly and calmed down.
He followed Laiās guidance and thought to himself.
'If I had planned to leave them behind, I would have used the movement spell without Lai.'
If there were any problems with this outing, he would surely face restrictions on his every move in the future.
Therefore, even if he went outside, he needed to follow Laiās guidance and show that he could return properly.
Although he had the ability to use a movement spell, it would be best to show that he could control himself and not wander off recklessly, like a smart hatchling.
'Christina is a capable person. If she judges that the child she has taken in has exceptional talent, she will likely nurture that talent in that direction.'
Fortunately, it seemed that Christina genuinely wanted Imugi to do well, so this approach seemed feasible.
He could also take the opportunity to relieve his frustration and gather information about the area around the lair.
If he could return safely, everything would be perfect.
'Iām worried that I might seem too smart and raise suspicion.'
Things were going smoothly.
However, not everything went as planned.
For example, they could suddenly face a life-threatening situation while trying to return.
While walking through the forest, Imugi noticed a plant with a particularly pungent and unique aroma.
It was ginseng, or Korean ginseng, and more specifically, the heavenly seed, known as the celestial seed!
Imugi, eyes wide, approached the ginseng cautiously and examined it.
'...Amazing. Itās very potent, fitting for something grown in a sacred mountain. The energy is different.'
He couldnāt help but exclaim in admiration.
'Might this help me regain my strength?'
A thought flashed through his mind, and his eyes widened.
Swallowing, he reached for the herb.
[ (ļ¾Šļ¾;ā”;ļ¾Š“ļ¾) ]
Lai, as if in a panic, blocked his hand and displayed an expression of light.
Imugiās expression crumpled.
The baby bird, sensing his discomfort, fluttered up.
[ (ļ¾Šļ¾;ā”;ļ¾Š“ļ¾)! ]
Lai darted around, trying to stop him, flashing light and making X-shaped movements in front of his face.
Imugi tried to grab him with both hands but couldnāt catch him.
'Why is this firefly so fast?'
Ignoring Lai, he reached for the herb again, and Lai darted back and forth in front of his face, displaying expressions of light.
With a flick, Imugi swatted Lai away, and the light orb flew back with a ( ĖĢ£Ģ£Ģ„į·āĖĢ£Ģ£Ģ„į·
) expression.
At the same time, the baby bird, as if seizing an opportunity, leaped from Imugiās head and tackled Lai.
Imugi, determined to prevent Lai from interfering again, quickly pulled the herb.
Without giving anyone a chance to stop him, he shook off the dirt and stuffed it in his mouth.
The taste of dirt was evident, but he thought that if he ate it, the annoying firefly would give up.
But just as he was about to turn around confidently, thinking Lai couldnāt interfere,
A shrill scream erupted from the half-eaten herb, nearly bursting his eardrums.
At the same time, his stomach churned, and his head spun.
Feeling a severe dizziness, he dropped the herb he was holding.
"Peep, peep, peep! Kree! Kree?"
The startled baby bird rushed over in panic, and Lai, flustered, didnāt know what to do.
The herb root, fallen to the ground, screamed even more frantically, and he staggered, unable to keep his balance.
'Damn. Wasnāt this the celestial seed I knew?'
10th Chapter: Pulled, but...
Even covering his ears, the sound waves shook his body.
It felt like his qi was being twisted.
He tried to vomit what he had eaten, but it wouldnāt come out.
What he had pulled was not ginseng but a <Mandrake>, which screams when pulled and kills anyone who hears its scream.
Though it was a medicinal herb, it required risking death to obtain.
Lai, the light spirit who knew this, darted around, unsure of what to do.
[ ( ĖĢ£Ģ£Ģ„į·āĖĢ£Ģ£Ģ„į·
)!!! ]
Lai cried out for help with his entire body.
The surrounding plants and distant animals turned to look at the spiritās plea, but no one could drown out the mandrakeās scream.
Just as Imugi felt he was about to die, collapsing and gasping for breath,
The wind created a barrier of air around the screaming mandrake.
At the same time, it enveloped the fallen Imugi in a protective wind barrier.
In the compressed air pressure, the mandrake was placed in a vacuum.
The screaming began to weaken.
After a complete silence, only the gentle sound of the wind remained.
The surrounding air suddenly became calm.
A light rustling of grass was heard, and
The startled Lai and the baby bird, with tears in its eyes, looked at the green-haired figure.
The shaded green eyes under the bangs were eerily calm.
The small tuft on the hat and the feather of the bird perched on it swayed together.
Standing there like a dark forest, he felt particularly out of place in Christinaās lair.
He looked at Imugi and, without a word, rolled him over with his foot.
Then, he laid Imugi down, looked up at the sky, and took a round pill from his pocket, pushing it into Imugiās mouth.
Without chewing, the gel-like substance melted in Imugiās mouth like water and slid down his throat.
As the pain subsided and his consciousness returned, Imugi looked up at him.
The one who had saved Imugi from danger turned around without a word.
Feeling his presence disappear, Imugi lay there, weak.
Cold sweat trickled down, but his body was gradually recovering.
Meanwhile, Christina was facing the giant red dragon, Pasyas.
"Itās been a while, Pasyas."
The golden-eyed, red-bodied dragon filled the vast stalactite cave.
He had arranged this meeting because it was a matter that needed to be discussed in person, but he didnāt know the details.
As the elder of the red dragons, he had allowed this audience because Christina was the elder of the gold dragons.
However, there was a part of him that found it less than agreeable.
As a result, Pasyas, the elder of the red dragons, had a somewhat lax attitude.
The cave, filled with stalactites, was large and beautiful, but it was too small to accommodate two dragons.
Christina, who knew him, didnāt transform into her true form and sat on a rock in front of Pasyas.