The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 83

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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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Episode 83
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Silence descended outside the warehouse where Baeksa and Doeui had entered.
The massive White Dragon had appeared only for a fleeting moment before vanishing, yet everyone had witnessed it with perfect clarity.
A White Dragon had manifested in the skies of Namto.
Coiling its body into a circle like a lotus blossom, the White Dragon had cast its gaze over the beast-kin as if surveying them before dissolving like smoke.
“Father, j-just now…?”
Hwaryeong pointed toward the sky in utter disbelief.
“Shh.”
Ju Jeokseo reached out and covered Hwaryeong’s mouth.
Before long, his pupils contracted.
As the king of Namto, a descendant of the Vermilion Bird, and the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord, Ju Jeokseo sensed the overwhelming intensity of the Flame of the Vermilion Bird right before his eyes.
It was, without a doubt, the flame of the Divine Beast itself.
“The Divine Beast has descended in person.”
It was unprecedented for the physical manifestation of the Divine Beast to descend on its own.
In fact, such an event had never occurred in history.
‘For the Divine Beast to appear in person must mean…’
He bowed his head in deep reverence, and everyone standing behind him immediately lowered their heads as well.
Led by the Divine Lord, every member of the Vermilion Bird Family showed their utmost respect to the Flame of the Vermilion Bird.
They remained still until the flame enveloping the warehouse flared into a brilliant white and finally flickered out.
***
Once the ordeal was over, the sudden release of tension left her body completely exhausted.
Her limbs felt weak and heavy.
‘But I still have to go outside.’
No one would dare enter this place until she stepped out on her own.
Before leaving, the little snake turned to look back at the spot where she had been sitting.
Neither the golden, rounded soul nor the Flame of the Vermilion Bird remained.
Yet that did not mean everything that had transpired was a mere illusion.
The experience from moments ago remained vividly etched inside the child’s heart.
Using that very experience as nourishment, she felt as though she had suddenly grown much stronger.
Tottering to her feet, the child scooped up the bead and gently pushed the door open.
Creak.
As the warehouse door swung open, streams of light poured through the gap.
Instantly, every single gaze waiting outside converged on the little snake.
“Uncle!”
Baeksa smiled brightly upon spotting Ju Jeokseo and trotted over to him.
Ju Jeokseo scooped the child into a sudden, tight embrace. Holding her close, he scanned her up and down to check her condition.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Were you alright? Hmm?”
“Yes! I’m completely fine. It didn’t hurt at all. And, and I met the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast inside!”
The little snake chattered excitedly, sharing her story in a bright, animated voice.
“I know, I saw. We could tell from out here that the Divine Beast had descended.”
Ju Jeokseo stroked Baeksa’s round head just as he always did.
“You did wonderfully, sweetheart. I’m so proud… wait.”
His hand caught on something unexpected.
Looking puzzled, he turned the child around to face him and parted her hair to get a closer look.
Meanwhile, Siyeom, Hwanya, and Hwaryeong, who had been waiting anxiously, crowded around them.
“What’s wrong?”
“Father, why are you messing with her hair like that?”
“No, look at this…”
He stammered, pointing to a pair of small bumps protruding from the little snake’s head.
“Aren’t these horns?”
“Huh? You’re right! Baeksa, you grew horns!”
“Hold on… are these dragon horns?”
Bewildered, the Vermilion Birds ruffled through Baeksa’s hair, staring intently at the tiny, adorable horns.
Shyly gripping Ju Jeokseo’s arm, Baeksa nodded her head.
“The, the Divine Beast helped me.”
“With what?”
“The Divine Beast said I was fully prepared to become a dragon, and offered to help…”
The child gently parted her bangs to reveal her dragon insignia.
It was entirely different from the one borne by her Father, the Emperor, and it bore no resemblance to Songra’s or Yeoryun’s either.
A lotus-shaped insignia, far more elegant and radiant than theirs, rested upon the child’s forehead.
The insignia flashed with light before softly fading away. Instead of remaining visible permanently, she could now manifest or hide it at will.
In that exact moment, the same realization struck everyone present.
‘Then that White Dragon was truly…’
They had all witnessed it together.
The form of the White Dragon that had briefly soared above the warehouse.
To think that magnificent creature had actually been Baeksa’s true form.
“This is unbelievable. So these are real dragon horns? My little snake wasn’t a snake after all, but a dragon?”
Hwaryeong poked and prodded Baeksa’s tiny horns, his face flushed with excitement.
Baeksa offered a shy, beaming grin.
“Father, look at these horns! They’re so tiny and cute! I wonder if there are any horn ornaments? I want to decorate them by tying some pretty ribbons.”
Hwaryeong practically bounced up and down with excitement, acting as if the miracle had happened to him.
Even Hwanya, whose face rarely betrayed any emotion, was wearing a soft smile today as he gazed at Baeksa’s horns.
Ju Jeokseo gently touched the small, endearing horns and spoke.
“Jangwangshin did say that absorbing the Ghost Dragon would be beneficial to you.”
“Yes, he told me it would be good for my body.”
“It seems he foresaw this outcome. Congratulations, Baeksa. Both your horns and your insignia are beautifully delicate.”
A radiant smile blossomed across Ju Jeokseo’s face as he offered his congratulations.
Baeksa self-consciously patted her own horns with a sheepish look.
It seemed Yeoryun and Songra could retract or display their horns whenever they pleased, but she found it difficult to hide hers, perhaps because she hadn’t gotten used to them yet.
‘Even so…’
The little snake—no, the baby dragon—crinkled her eyes and smiled happily.
Deep down, she offered her heartfelt gratitude to Jangwangshin and the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast.
‘Thank you so much, Jangwangshin, and Divine Beast.’
To tell the truth, she hadn’t truly believed it until now.
She had constantly doubted how she could possibly be a young dragon when she lacked both horns and a Cintamani.
But now, even if she wanted to deny it, the truth was undeniable.
What had sprouted were dragon horns.
What had appeared on her forehead was a dragon insignia.
Furthermore…
When the child activated her supernatural ability, closing and reopening her eyes, shimmering trails of energy materialized within her field of vision.
This was the new power Baeksa had obtained.
‘I can see the flow of energy. It looks just like ripples of water.’
They were the Dragon Eyes.
For now, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what types of energy she was looking at.
Yet one thing was certain: Baeksa’s field of vision had expanded to a degree that defied comparison to her past sight.
Of course, she couldn’t sustain it for very long.
The moment she blinked, her vision snapped right back to normal.
Because her supernatural ability was still weak, she apparently couldn’t maintain it for an extended period.
Even so, gaining a brand-new ability was something well worth celebrating.
While the baby dragon remained nestled in her uncle’s arms, Siyeom stepped aside to inspect the spell formation.
The spell formation, which had been flickering precariously, had settled into a completely tranquil state without a single tremor.
“Excellent. You did a wonderful job, Baeksa. The task is safely finished.”
The words had barely left Siyeom’s mouth when Doeui stepped out from behind the temporary wall partitioning the warehouse.
The boy was radiating a faint trace of ghostly Qi that he hadn’t yet managed to suppress.
It was the lingering aftereffect of subjugating all the lowly ghosts that had lunged forward to seize the young dragon’s body.
“Doeui!”
Baeksa scrambled to her feet and trotted over to him.
Accustomed to this routine, Doeui gently cupped Baeksa’s cheeks and checked her over.
“Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?”
“Nope! I feel amazing. What about you, Doeui?”
Before Doeui could even formulate an answer, Siyeom took a long stride forward and chimed in.
“He looks perfectly fine to me… wouldn’t you say, Doeui?”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Your supernatural ability has grown even further during this brief window. It seems the dragon’s energy was beneficial to you as well.”
“That’s true.”
Doeui gave a concise nod.
“Baeksa, you were a great help to me. But what is this…?”
Doeui’s eyes narrowed as he noticed the tiny horns protruding from Baeksa’s head.
Immediately afterward, his eyes widened in sheer astonishment.
Baeksa let out a sheepish giggle.
“Hehe… it turns out the ghost dragon fragments really were good for my body.”
“You grew horns? How?”
Having emerged a step late, Doeui pressed for answers since he had missed the explanation.
Hwaryeong let out a chuckle, sauntering over to sling an arm casually over Doeui’s shoulder.
“Curious? That’ll cost you five coins.”
“Hwaryeong.”
Hwanya chided his brother firmly.
Doeui roughly shook off Hwaryeong’s teasing arm.
Yet he didn’t actually seem annoyed. His gaze remained entirely fixed on the adorable horns crowning the little snake’s head.
“I’m truly happy for you, Baeksa.”
He spoke with genuine joy, as if celebrating his own triumph.
“Congratulations on getting your horns.”

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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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