I’m suddenly terrified and regret it terribly.
That’s when.
I heard the mother centipede’s cry.
“Keke, keee…”
I noticed that there was relief mixed in it.
I looked to the right.
Big Eyes is alive.
Twitching, wriggling, clinging to his mother.
‘Ah…’
I stopped abruptly.
“What are you doing! Why aren’t you running away?”
‘…Even if I want to run away, I have no magical power left.’
I have only one option left.
I turned to look at the approaching Riokku.
Yes, I’ll jump into his mouth and eat his heart.
I’ll have to fight the parasites inside, but.
His saw-like teeth are chattering.
I’ll jump in time with that rhythm.
Yeah, fuck it, what else can I do but die.
I wonder if I’ll be born as an earthworm in my next life.
He came right up to me.
I couldn’t use Leap or Acceleration, but.
I jumped up.
Tak!
And everything went black before my eyes.
I wasn’t dead.
Something had swallowed me whole.
Not Riokku, but something else.
I could see the soft gums, wet tongue, and tightly closed white teeth.
Somehow, it feels familiar and warm.
Kuung!
Whatever had me in its mouth collided bodily with Riokku.
It shook violently inside the mouth, to the point where I couldn’t tell up from down.
I was careful not to slide down my father’s throat.
Yes, it’s father.
He had come and put me in his mouth.
I asked him to just shoot a destruction beam when it was dangerous.
Did he not have any magical power left, or did he insist on coming himself…
‘Dad!’
I simply couldn’t blame him.
But.
‘Put me down!’
How can he fight with his mouth closed?
Setting aside not being able to shoot that destructive beam.
If he can’t bite or sink in his venomous fangs, a snake only has constriction left.
There was no way he could strangle a bug stronger than him to death from the start.
So, he needs to put me down.
Or just swallow me whole.
‘I said spit me out!’
The answer to that was a physical impact.
Kwang!
For a moment, my body floated up.
Riokku’s cry can be heard from outside.
And the clear smell of blood.
A gush of blood surged from my father’s throat.
Damn it…!
After that, more impacts.
Blood.
Riokku’s roars.
Father didn’t even scream, and never opened his mouth.
He just writhed and headed somewhere.
In the midst of that.
I heard my father’s voice for the first time.
It wasn’t advice to me, nor a warning to Riokku.
「…Honey.」
That was it.
‘Ha.’
I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
Even though there was nothing to laugh about in this situation.
I asked Pelerian.
‘Can you go outside and let me know what the situation is like?’
“…Alright, I’ll take a look.”
Pelerian did so.
==
“Oh my.”
A part of the soul of the old magician Pelerian let out a sigh.
Although he had seen countless cruel things, the sight before his eyes was truly horrific.
The state of the beautifully shining snake was miserable.
The scales that held starlight were torn and ragged, with the skin peeled off along the back.
From the tail to about one-third of the body was half-cut and dangling.
Blood was streaming from one eye.
Despite all this, with its mouth tightly shut, it crawled slowly.
Behind it was Riokku.
His condition was not ordinary either.
Only two of his six legs remained.
His antennae were broken, and parasites as big as snakes were dropping from his crushed belly and rear.
But it seemed that killing intent, or hunger, still remained.
He was slowly continuing to chase the snake.
“Indeed, that father was not ordinary either.”
Pelerian muttered bitterly.
Wobble.
The Polaris Serpent finally collapsed.
==
Kuung.
With the impact, my vision brightens.
Father’s mouth opened.
I crawled out, staggering.
My body was dyed bright red.
It was all father’s blood that he had vomited.
I checked his condition.
His eyes were unfocused.
He wasn’t dead. He was still breathing, sae-ek sae-ek.
But it looked like he could breathe his last at any moment.
‘I really don’t understand…’
I feel like I’m about to cry.
Snakes can’t cry, but it feels like tears are about to fall any moment.
I used almost all the potions Nanaluk gave me.
I poured them all down father’s throat, leaving just one bottle.
I left it just in case, after looking at father’s status window.
‘Why did you hide it so much?’
Father didn’t answer.
His focus seemed to return, like he was looking at me.
‘Now stop and rest a bit. I’ll give you a potion too…’
I’m not sure if father listened to me.
──────────────
[Polaris Serpent lv100]
[Traits]
[Observer of the North Star], [Coward], [Devoted Husband], [Avoidant]
…
──────────────
I think his health or magical power must have run out.
That’s how severe his injuries were, and how terrible the fight was.
──────────────
[Skills]
[Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin Hemotoxin lv10], [Hell Constriction lv20], [Destruction Beam lv20]…
[Gigantification lv10]…
──────────────
Among his skill list, what caught my eye.
‘Gigantification lv10.’
Father’s huge body started to shrink.
The Gigantification he had been using continuously was released.
──────────────
[Status]
[Fear], [Relief], [Injured], [Dying], [Blood Loss], [Crippled], [Gigantified]…
──────────────
He kept getting smaller.
Finally smaller than Riokku, then smaller than a gorilla, and even smaller than Spot.
At first, I wondered how father met mother when he was so big, but it was actually the opposite.
The shrinking finally stopped.
Father’s real size was just a bit bigger than me.
‘You weren’t that small after all.’
Before father’s breath could stop, I took out the potion and poured it into his mouth and on his wounds.
It seems to be improving slightly. Still frustratingly slow though.
I want to look after Father, but I can’t.
“Squeeeeeak!”
Damn persistent bug.
Riokku was dragging its body closer with its two remaining legs.
‘Wait here for a bit.’
This time, I’ll fight.
So, it would have been better if we were both honest a little earlier, right?
「Leaping Horn lv3 surpasses the limit of skill ‘Billy’s Horn lv4’.」
「Temporarily gained ‘Billy’s Horn lv10’.」
I’ve restored my magical power by swallowing a lot of precious magic stones.
With that, I borrow a means to fight Riokku.
「Using Billy’s Horn lv10 to borrow ‘Gigantification lv10’.」
「Success.」
「Temporarily gained ‘Gigantification lv0’.」
「Leaping Horn lv3 surpasses the limit of skill ‘Gigantification lv0’.」
「Temporarily gained ‘Gigantification lv1’.」
All the magical power I worked hard to restore is consumed in an instant.
「Using Gigantification lv1.」
My field of vision rises.
My body grows larger.
「Becoming gigantic.」
Finally.
Even if just for a moment.
As big as Father.