The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 56
The young dragon was, of course, of Imperial Royalty.
A boy dragon, a couple of years older than Baeksa, about Hwaryeong’s age.
The small boy, pressing trembling hands against the wound that welled blood from his abdomen, looked up at someone.
The boy spoke in a wavering voice.
“How… how could you do this? What threat could I possibly pose?”
The boy’s face, standing on the threshold of death, was drenched in bewilderment—confusion that this moment made no sense to him, more than pain itself.
“Brother, I’ve never desired anything, truly…”
Then another member of the Imperial Royalty standing opposite the boy let out a cruel laugh.
“You speak as though one can live in the Imperial Palace without ambition? Had I let you live, it would have been my own death someday.”
Through a Memory Fragment, Baeksa could discern that this was the boy dragon’s half-brother.
The half-brother laughed wetly and continued.
“Your soul is useful to me at just this moment, so I shall take good care of it. Don’t worry yourself. Even in death, it won’t truly be death.”
With those words, everything before her eyes flooded red in an instant.
And Baeksa’s consciousness was yanked violently out of that memory.
“Hah!”
The backlash darkened her vision and made her head spin. But Baeksa quickly steadied herself and lifted her head.
‘Oh.’
Even in death, it won’t truly be death.
Could he have meant it in this way?
Had that brother known the younger one’s soul would continue living on in this form?
Baeksa looked at the small bird protecting her, feeling lost.
The mysterious force was still being held back by the small bird.
‘My power alone isn’t enough.’
The power gathered in this place—it was the souls of dragons who had been slain unjustly.
She couldn’t understand why they were concentrated here, but one thing was clear: they were beyond her ability to absorb.
So what was she to do now?
Even the small bird of light was fading now. And as time passed, Baeksa felt herself becoming one with this space.
At this rate, it seemed she would soon become part of this realm entirely.
‘I don’t want that…!’
Just that brief glimpse had been terrible. She didn’t want to stay here.
It wasn’t the darkness itself that frightened her—it was the unknowable things lurking beyond it.
Each memory she’d glimpsed was dreadful and pitiable, but there were so many of them she couldn’t reach any single one.
Her power fell far short.
And those pitiful souls were now attacking her furiously, trying to consume her.
If she made one wrong move, she too would become part of this fragment.
Fear washed over her.
Her small hands trembled.
“Please, anyone…”
Get me out of here.
Save me from this place…
The moment Baeksa clutched the Bead tightly to herself.
“Yeona!”
A small, faint voice reached her from very far away.
Baeksa, who had been gripping the Bead with her eyes clenched shut, slowly opened them at the familiar voice.
And she whispered softly.
The child’s mouth opened slightly.
“Hwanya…!”
***
The young Vermilion Bird attacked the Ghost Dragon with sharp talons, vicious and unrelenting.
Just as the Ghost Dragon was about to cross the border of Namto and return to Haeseo Kingdom, Hwanya had thrown himself into its path.
The Ghost Dragon, contrary to legend, was smaller and dimmer than expected, yet the power that emanated from it was not diminished at all.
The overwhelming force made Hwanya falter.
‘There’s no time for this.’
If the Ghost Dragon pushed him aside and returned to the Capital, it would be over. Then he would never be able to pursue it again.
It was forbidden for Beast-kin in Namto to fly beyond its borders into open sky. To be spotted by the Imperial Army would mean instant death.
‘I absolutely cannot let it escape!’
Hwaryeong had gone to call Father; Father would come soon.
If he could just buy time until then, somehow it might work out.
Hwanya soared high into the sky, spreading his burning red wings as he dove toward the Ghost Dragon.
His hooked talons aimed for the creature’s throat. The young Vermilion Bird and the Ghost Dragon grappled fiercely overhead, rolling and tumbling over each other.
Flame erupted, and the fierce deadlock stretched on without either side yielding an inch.
Yet as the fight wore on, it was inevitable that Hwanya was losing ground.
The Ghost Dragon showed no sign of fatigue, while Hwanya’s Flame had dimmed to almost nothing compared to when he began.
‘I can’t lose.’
With desperate resolve, Hwanya flew upward once more into the sky.
Namto had already lost Myeongyeong.
Their mother had passed away while they were searching for Myeongyeong.
He still doesn’t know how, or why, Mother died.
And now he was supposed to lose Myeongyeong’s daughter as well?
From the way the Ghost Dragon was trying to cross the boundary of Namto, it must have come from the Imperial Palace.
If he let this creature slip away now, he would never see the little snake again.
The baby snake who wasn’t used to being outside but had smiled so happily about coming out.
His younger sister, who had smiled so sweetly, asking if they couldn’t just get along starting now.
‘I can’t lose.’
Hwanya gathered every ounce of his strength and raised a tremendous Flame. It was so powerful that the entire area bubbled with heat.
And he flew toward the Ghost Dragon at tremendous speed.
As Hwanya, now transformed into a single pillar of fire, came diving down, the Ghost Dragon curled its body tight and charged toward him.
In the emptiness of the sky, Ghost Dragon and Hwanya collided once more.
A deafening explosion tore through the heavens.
From the billowing smoke, something folded its wings and dropped.
It was Hwanya.
From the start, this was not a creature a young Vermilion Bird could face.
A fledgling whose feathers hadn’t even fully grown should never have challenged it.
That he held out this long was already remarkable.
But.
‘I can’t…’
As Hwanya plummeted toward the ground, his eyes blinked weakly.
He tried to move his wings, but the battle had drained him so severely he couldn’t move at all.
Would he lose someone again like this?
If he lost them this way, would he forget again?
Then would he foolishly search through his memories again, desperate to remember what he’d lost, opening his head over and over?
Regretting what he couldn’t protect, longing for it, grieving it…
‘Hwanya…!’
The bright, innocent face of the baby snake, smiling at him, flashed before his eyes.
He had promised to be as kind to her as Myeongyeong had been to him.
But he lost her before he had the chance. All of it felt like his own fault.
The ground rushed up toward him at terrible speed, and he couldn’t even think to spread his wings to slow his descent.
Before the overwhelming difference in power, the young Vermilion Bird was helpless.
Looking back over his memories, Namto had always played the role of the one who loses.
So it should be natural for anything to be taken from him, and yet…
As the ground hurtled closer, Hwanya squeezed his eyes shut.
At this rate, he would crash into the earth. The impact would surely bring grave injury.
But it was already too late.
As he waited for the collision with his eyes closed.
Shrieeeek!
A massive Vermilion Bird dove in and caught Hwanya.
Boom! Crash!
The impact of taking the blow on his entire body sent massive wings crashing through every tree in the forest.
“Hwanya!”
It was Ju Jeokseo.
Ju Jeokseo set his son down immediately, then flipped his body over with his beak to check his condition.
“Father…?”
“You did well. You held on admirably.”
Knowing his father had arrived, Hwanya finally let out a breath.
The boy had always believed his father would somehow see this through.
For all sons, their father is a hero.
Hwanya, who had fought his part, folded his wings and curled up his body.
Ju Jeokseo, confirming that while his vital force was damaged, there was no mortal danger, let out a breath of relief.
Then he lifted his head to gaze at the Ghost Dragon overhead.
The Ghost Dragon, too, seemed to have taken impact from the collision with Hwanya and was composing itself.
Once composed, it would return at once to its master.
He shook his head.
‘So it truly is the Ghost Dragon.’
A thing of legend, born from the accumulated resentment of countless dragons—an abomination.
That Hwanya held his own against this creature at all spoke volumes. Ju Jeokseo launched himself skyward without hesitation.
And as his massive wings unfurled, the immense Wings of Flame stretched across the heavens in all directions.
Roaarrr!
The manifestation of Ju Jeokseo, the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord, King of Namto.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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