HBWnovel Chapter 105
Chapter 105
"Kaaak!"
Parrots fluttered around frantically.
The jungle was home to countless parrots. Despite their poor combat abilities, barely stronger than that of flying geckos, there were an uncountable number of them.
Even a gecko trained in So-Ryong’s Sky Step could easily take down a parrot.
So why were there so many of these weak parrots in the jungle, despite their inability to compete in basic survival?
The answer lay in the unspoken rule of the jungle.
No matter how hungry you were, parrots were not to be hunted.
Parrots held a special status.
Although not true spiritual creatures, they could speak and fly across the sky, serving as essential messengers in the jungle’s vastness.
Especially in a place where powerful beings constantly vied for dominance, parrots became invaluable as neutral messengers, respected even by the Bird King himself.
Parrots, in turn, maintained their neutrality, refraining from taking sides. While individuals might practice their own faith, it was the parrots’ sworn duty to remain impartial while delivering news.
"Snake Queeeeen!"
"Kaaak!"
"Consort! The consort!"
"The playbooooy!"
The sudden reappearance of the Serpent Queen.
And with her, the consort, appearing like a comet.
The parrots’ wings beat faster than ever as they spread the news.
Their message spread, reaching even to the nest of Kachalgatal.
One parrot lingered nearby, ready to report what it had learned.
"Kaaak!"
It didn’t dare approach too closely.
The moment it mentioned the Serpent Queen, it realized Kachalgatal’s mood had darkened.
“Uwoooo...”
Kachalgatal let out a low growl.
He had learned of the Serpent Queen’s appearance.
Even without the parrots, he would’ve known eventually.
Through his newfound power, he could share the sight of his followers.
But the Queen had not appeared in his domain, which meant it would’ve taken longer to reach him.
"Kaaak! Kaaak!"
The parrots’ assistance was clearly invaluable in this instance.
The parrot, feeling a chill of unease, quickly flew away from the nest.
Though Kachalgatal had never harmed a parrot before, it now felt it might be the first.
Fwoosh.
A massive fireball shot out suddenly.
"Kaaak!"
The parrot couldn’t escape in time.
Fwoosh!
The powerful fire incinerated the parrot in an instant.
Thud.
Reduced to ash, the parrot fell to the ground.
"Grrrr..."
The one who launched the fireball was a massive stork-like bird.
No, could it even be called a stork?
Its body was absurdly large, almost making it difficult to categorize as a bird.
One thick leg contrasted with its thin, seemingly delicate remaining leg.
Most strikingly, despite being a bird, it wielded the power of fire.
Filbang, known as Kachalgatal’s right wing, was a spiritual creature of immense power.
"Grrrr..."
Filbang landed deftly on his single leg, letting out a strange, inhuman growl.
“Aha.”
A voice responded in amusement.
Another bird, or more accurately, a half-human spiritual creature.
“True to form, Filbang. You’re as fiery as they say.”
The left wing of Kachalgatal, Nakaljo, stood there smirking.
Filbang growled at Nakaljo, unable to hide his disdain.
“Grrrr...”
Nakaljo’s smile faded instantly.
“What’s that? Are you challenging me?”
Nakaljo snapped, her voice sharp.
Neither hid their hostility.
How could I forget such a sight?
It was the largest tree I’d ever seen.
“Gek gek.”
The Serpent Queen’s tail coiled around mine.
Then, without warning, she charged toward the tree.
Was she planning to bring it down?
It seemed impossible, but if anyone could, it would be her.
...But what about me?
“G-gegek!”
Just before I became a lizard pancake, I clenched my eyes shut and let out a panicked squeal.
The Serpent Queen collided with the tree.
Crash.
To my surprise, the anticipated sound of splintering wood and the impact of my body smashing into the tree never came.
Had something happened to my hearing?
No, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Whoosh...
I could clearly hear the wind blowing past.
I cautiously opened my eyes.
Before me was a rough terrain that resembled a mountain range.
The tree hadn’t been real.
It was an illusion.
“What a coward.”
“Piiak!”
Shikshik chirped happily, as if she’d known all along.
A little warning would’ve been nice.
I may look tough, but I’m quite fragile inside.
As we passed through the illusion, a misty mountain range greeted us.
It was breathtaking.
Though curious as to how such a place could exist within the jungle, I knew there’d be no one here to explain it.
The Serpent Queen had her mouth open...
...Wait, why was her mouth open?
“You’re late.”
Fwoosh.
The air surged, as if every particle within the space was converging in one spot.
It was a precursor to her devastating beam attack.
A far more powerful beam than any I’d seen her use before.
“Hieek!”
I quickly flattened myself against the ground, covering Shikshik with my chest.
Shikshik squeaked in irritation, flailing her tail, but I couldn’t risk letting her go.
Boom!
A massive beam split the air.
The energy blasts I’d seen until now had always been short bursts.
Three seconds of sustained fire was impressive by most standards.
I knew, having used a similar skill myself, how much effort it took to maintain.
Yet the Serpent Queen held her beam for tens of seconds without strain.
Ziiing!
With every movement of her head, the beam shifted its trajectory.
Boom!
It was as if she intended to destroy everything in her path, shattering the mountain range in a relentless assault.
After what felt like ages of
bombardment, a cry echoed from afar.
“Kieeeeeeeek!”
Only then did the Serpent Queen halt her assault.
“Finally decided to show yourself, huh?”
Something with the shape of a giant bird was soaring toward us.
“Kieeeee!”
The massive bird cried out, slicing through the sky with ease.
**[Argentavis LV70(-15)]**
It was the former king of birds.@@@@