Chapter 33

Why do you look like a human being when you’re a snake?

I suppressed the urge to tear my hair out.

“So why did you bring me here?…”

The child answered innocently.

“I woke up and I was hungry.”

I thought you saved my life! Was I just prey to you?

“……why did you leave the other person behind?”

“My stomach hurts if I’m not picky with what I eat.”

I really didn’t want to interpret what he meant, but I could understand what he meant at once. It meant that I looked fresher than Jegal Hyun. That’s why he dragged me here by my ankle.

A little scratch on his food doesn’t change the taste.

“You said you’d… take me there. Is that a lie?”

“I’m not lying. I’m hungry, but I’ll bear with it and take you there.”

The child replied calmly. I could realize what he meant when I looked into the child’s eyes. This kid said he’d take her, but he didn’t say that he would let her go.

I bit my lips and couldn’t stand it, so I asked.

“If you take me there… are you gonna eat me?”

“Yes, I’m hungry.”

I screamed without realizing it.

“I gave you dried persimmons earlier!”

“But it’s too little.”

Dammit, if I knew this would happen, I would have packed so much food to the point that I would hurt my back.

Now I’m going to be eaten by Imoogi.

Wait, my dad’s probably looking for me by now.

I don’t know how long I was unconscious for, but he must already be searching in the cave. Then all that was left was to buy time. Let’s hang in there until Cheomna finds me.

“Are you going to eat me right there?”

“No, there’s a place that I eat at.”

So I guess I’m not gonna be eaten right here.

“Are there a lot of people who come here?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I’ve used magic to prevent that. It’s gonna be hard to find the place.”

Why did you do such a useless thing? It’s going to be hard for my dad to find me.

I hid my anger.

“So… how do you hunt?”

“I just eat the things around me.”

“Do you only eat people?”

“You don’t seem to know, but you don’t grow tall if you’re picky. And there are so many delicious things in the world.”

“Human beings are delicious, too. But I have a stomachache after eating.”

“Doesn’t that mean you shouldn’t eat it?”

“But human beings are the only ones that I can eat and am full with one bite.”

“What did you eat before that?”

“Bugs and mosses. I’m hungry no matter how much I eat.”

I heard that animals that become used to human flesh are impossible to train.

‘I barely survived the suicide bomber, and now I’m dealing with a cannibalist. What’s wrong with my life?’

At this point, I somehow have a strong will to get out of this situation rather than fear.

I pursed my lips and thought.

“Moss and bugs. It must have been bad.”

“What you gave me is the best.”

“But what should we do? I don’t taste as good as dried persimmons. Besides, I’m  small and skinny. You won’t be full.”

“Hmm…”

The child looked at my body and was silent with a serious look on his face.

He seemed to be considering changing his prey to Jegal Hyun.

“It’s okay. I’ll just eat you.”

“Don’t do that and think about it. Get me out of here and I’ll give you a lot of dried persimmons. You said that it was delicious right?”

“Yes, it was delicious. Do you have another one?”

Does he think I’m selling dried persimmons?

“I don’t have it now. We have to get out of here.”

“I want to eat it right away.”

“It’s always best to eat after holding back…”

I shut my mouth. There was something to eat. It’s not dried persimmon, but it’s much better.

I opened my pocket and spoke as nonchalantly as possible.

“Wait a minute. I’ll look for it.”

“Yes.”

I could see what I was looking for among the junk in my pocket.

A small bottle as big as a finger. I held it tight.

If there’s anyone you want to control, feed them this. He’ll probably be obedient like a pet.

This was what the Poison King grandpa gave me. I don’t know exactly what this is, but grandpa wouldn’t have lied to me.

But there was a big problem.

He said that it works only if I put a drop of my blood in the bottle before feeding someone it.

‘Somehow I have to put my blood in it and feed it to the kid. That way I can live.’

Even if I extract my blood secretly, I wouldn’t be able to hide the smell of the blood.

Then it would be less suspicious to do it openly.

“I looked it up and that’s all you ate earlier. There’s no more.”

“Yes.”

The child stretched his shoulders as if he were disappointed.

“Are you that hungry?”

“Yes.”

“Then do you want to bet with me?”

“What’s the bet?”

I proudly took out the bottle and uncorked it.

Fortunately, the child didn’t seem to notice anything.

“Do you know how to eat appetizers?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s what you eat before you order the main dish. You don’t know if I will be delicious until you actually try me.”

“No, you look delicious. My mouth is watering because of the delicious smell.”

The child stuck out his red tongue and licked his lips.

I rubbed the goosebumps on my arms.

“……maybe I don’t suit your taste. I’ll give you a little bit of my blood in this bottle. Try it. If it’s more delicious than dried persimmons, you don’t have to take me to that place and eat me right here.”

“Really?”

“You said you were hungry. I can’t help it. But if the dried persimmon tastes better, let me out of here. Then I’ll give you as much dried persimmon as you want.”

I was hoping that the child was such a fool that he wouldn’t realize that he could just eat me here and rob my house to eat dried persimmons. Please!

“All right.”

Yes! What a dummy!

I was just praying that be fooled but he actually complied!

“But do the thing that you did before.”

“What do you mean?”

“You touched my hair when I ate. I like that. Do it again.”

……don’t provoke motherhood my maternal instincts now! I feel guilty now! You’re a snake!

“Whoo.”

Let’s calm down.

As long as I get out of here, I can ask my grandfather to give you an antidote and release you. Of course, after putting a ban on harming people.

I narrowed my eyes slightly and stuck out the bottle.

“Okay, I’ll touch you as much as I can. Go ahead and drink up.”

“Yes.”

The child took the bottle. I watched the contents of the bottle go into the child’s mouth with bated breath.

Time passed by so slowly that it felt like a thousand years had passed, but I could see that he had drunk it.

‘Got it!’

The child felt like eating again for a moment, but later frowned.

“It’s a little weird.”

“See? You have to try it to find out.”

“It’s not that… “

“If not that, what then?”

The child groaned to try to explain what he was feeling. I opened my mouth carefully as I examined the child’s behavior.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“Sit down.”

The child squatted down as soon as he finished speaking. After that, he tilted his head sensing that something was wrong. I held out my hand after carefully observing the child’s condition.

“Hand.”

The child put his hand on my hand.

“Huh? What is this……?”

The child looked puzzled. He seemed to have no idea what had happened to him.

‘I feel a little guilty, but… whatever.’

He looks innocent and pure, but that’s just the way it looks. He is a snake that eats people.

It was much better for someone to forbid him from killing anymore.

“But I took away two of Aku Ryun’s opportunities… is this okay?

Let’s move on. I’m going to live first.

I patted the child on the head. The child’s eyes closed. There was a clear sign of satisfaction.

“I’ll be your master from now on.”

“What’s a master?”

“Me.”

I pointed at myself with my finger.

“You must listen to everything that your master says. Your master and god are the same level.”

“Same level?”

“That’s how strong a master is.”

“I’m stronger than you. So I’m the master of the master?”

“That’s not it.”

“Why?”

“Think about it. Can you break my orders now?”

“……no, I can’t.”

“See, you’re stronger than me, so why can’t you disobey my orders? It’s because I’m your master.”

“Uh… really?”

“Of course! I’m telling you! You’re lucky. I’m a generous owner, so when you do good things, I’ll give you dried persimmons.”

“Oh, really? Then you can be my master.”

The child nodded gently. The child’s eyebrows were fluttering.

Ah, you’re a fool.

I stroked the child’s head and ordered proudly.

“Now, take me to the place you brought me from.”