How the bastard of the Return Sword Family lives
Episode 245
Naga’s Forest (5)
“But the backlash is still strong. If I try to focus on something else right now, they’ll try to eat me right away. It’s so annoying.”
There was a hint of irritation in his voice.
I don’t know why we keep picking fights that won’t work out anyway.
Denglong pursed his lips tightly.
Because I felt like I couldn’t say anything here.
‘This child… … was clearly a child that Julius, that friend, cherished. A child that Theo also followed with all his heart.’
Hilda’s first sublimation ritual failed, leaving her unable to use her original body any longer.
The body began to disintegrate.
So she chose another way.
Anyway, the body is just a tool to her, so let’s use another tool.
So the one chosen was Evelyn.
They were of the same gender and had quite a well-trained body, so they stood out.
Of course, changing into another body is not as easy as it sounds.
Because it was not an easy task to absorb or expel Evelyn’s soul.
Moreover, the penalty Hilda’s soul received due to the dissonance between spirit and flesh was quite large.
So Hilda was sucking in more life.
That was the reason why the four units that had been deployed into the forest were ambushed.
The life force of such strong beings would be of great help not only in stabilizing the body, but also as a raw material for the Sublimation Gate.
But Deungryong kept wondering if this was really the right choice.
Even though they committed these acts in a hurry to meet immediate needs.
In the end, not only the various forces but even Ragnar became enemies.
“I think I need to control my resistance a bit more. Keep watching outside. Something was detected a little while ago. It could be Ragnar.”
“Your name.”
“When Ragnar and the Electors deploy all their forces and chaos breaks out… … that is when the Gates of Ascension will open again.”
Hilda’s voice became quiet again.
Turning his body the other way, Deungryong muttered softly.
“I don’t have much time left on this earth… … .”
At least you shouldn’t live a life of regret.
The future didn’t look good.
* * *
The group gasped when they heard Hilda’s location.
Right in the middle of Naga’s forest.
It is said to be the deepest part of the realm that has now become the land of the dead.
Originally, it was the site of Naga’s altar, but now, just getting near it will drain your life and kill you.
They said that it was impossible to approach unless you went out, so if you approached it, there was a high chance that you would die.
“It would be better not to approach it at this point.”
“But that doesn’t mean we can just sit back and do nothing!”
“Yes. So I’m also looking for a way. Please wait a moment.”
Julius pounded his chest in frustration.
I’d like to jump in right away, but that would only end up being poison to Evelyn.
“It’s just like a cheese trap.”
Theo felt frustrated because it seemed like Hilda was mocking them and asking why they weren’t coming soon.
It’s even more frustrating because you can’t lead the army.
As he was wondering if there was a way, an idea suddenly occurred to Theo.
“Didn’t you say earlier that there are exceptions to the curse?”
“Yes. Lady Hilda knows that too, and she is still using the Nagas as slaves to procure the necessary supplies.”
“A curse that deflects me… … .”
Theo sent a message to Lordbroke, gathering his thoughts.
‘Rhodi.’
“Why is that?”
‘Can I learn polymorph magic?’
『Polymorph? Why is that… … You, really?』
‘Yes. I’m thinking of putting on a mask.’
So Theo changed his mind.
Wouldn’t it be okay if you just go out yourself?
Fortunately, the dragon had one very convenient power.
Polymorph.
A magic that was invented in the past by ancient dragons who felt inflamed over a long period of time and transformed into other species to play.
Lordbroke was intrigued by Theo’s idea, but he also thought it sounded plausible.
If it’s hard to access right now, why not create a workaround?
In an instant, magical knowledge flashed through Theo’s mind.
Pfft!
The moment Theo lightly mumbled, his body changed into a halo of light.
My upper body swelled up on its own as scales grew all over my face.
And the height grew in an instant.
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“Hey, you?”
Julius and his colleagues all looked on in surprise.
Theo had already gone out.
Wellington and the other Nagas all looked surprised.
“Human! Humans are gone, and I have a new comrade I’ve never seen before!”
“Polymorph! It’s definitely polymorph!”
“It smelled like an ancient dragon, but it wasn’t really human!”
“iced coffee-“
Theo moved his body around, lightly checking the voice.
“It’s not as uncomfortable as I expected.”
“Is it… magic?”
“Similar.”
Wellington looked dumbfounded.
How to rescue Evelyn and the remaining Nagas, all the thoughts I’ve been racking my brain over the past few days have gone down the drain.
“Can I use that magic too?”
“Me too please.”
“The temperament is just like a normal Naga. If Robert saw it, he would really covet it.”
Julius and Princess Plum also showed deep interest.
“That’s enough. Don’t reject the magic.”
Theo cast a polymorph spell on each of his companions.
Dash! Dash! Dash!
Thanks to this, the group was able to have a special experience where their bodies changed.
Finally, after the change to Wellington was completed, the Nagas’ reaction became more intense.
“Humans! All of them have gone out!”
“It smells like our clan!”
“Maybe we can get across the pond!”
I was so excited.
“What does it mean to cross the pond?”
“It is exactly as I said!”
“More details.”
At that moment, the oldest-looking Naga among the Naga tribe slowly walked out of the water.
It was a Naga with an enormous body that seemed to be a meter larger than the average Naga.
His deep eyes gave off a wise man’s vibe.
“Elder! Elder!”
“The elder has finally come forward to negotiate with humans!”
“My name is Terepun Bapsta Gereskunidium, and I am currently leading the clan in place of the deceased chieftain. You can simply call me Tere.”
“This is Theo Ragnar.”
Tere spoke the Imperial language quite naturally compared to other Nagas.
He said, nodding heavily.
“This ‘Pond of Life’ reaches all the way to the central area where the Gate of Ascension is. So if you cross here, you can get to the central area in one breath. However, the water here is deep, and the water is only allowed to our Naga, so Well has never thought of passing through.”
Theo looked at the pond.
An endless width came into view.
No matter how well it was hidden, there must have been a reason why Hilda still didn’t try to get her hands on it.
“I will guide you myself. Could you please… help us?”
“That’s a given. Didn’t you help us first in Naga? Now it’s our turn, Ragnar.”
“Thank you.”
Tears welled up in Tere’s eyes at the thought that she could finally save her clan.
* * *
But crossing the pond of life right away was by no means an easy task.
First of all, I had to get used to Naga’s body, and I also had to learn how to swim.
Fortunately, since all of my group members were excellent inspectors, it only took a day to get used to it.
After three days, I was able to swim, albeit clumsily.
with a plop!
“You crazy bastard! What if you suddenly dive in there? You’ll get water!”
“Poohahaha! My sister ate that, I didn’t… …!”
“This kid is real!?”
Erica was furious when she saw Holkus laughing at her, so she dove deep and rushed at him.
Holkus was giggling until his tail was grabbed and he was dragged deep into the water, struggling.
Ray shook his head as if he didn’t want to get caught up in the commotion of the siblings and focused on his swimming.
Kinkarnon and Leje were chatting lightly about what they had seen on the seabed.
“What we saw was a city, right?”
“Because it is known that they originally created a civilization that was no less than that of us humans.”
“I guess this is the site of that historic site.”
Beneath the pond lay a sunken city.
An old city that no one uses now.
But each and every building was so vibrant that it seemed like they could be used immediately if the pond water was drained.
“There is a legend that the body of an old guardian is buried beneath that city.”
“The Guardian’s Corpse?”
It was an interesting legend.
Wellington nodded as Theo showed interest.
“Yes. Of course, it seems that the Naga tribe here doesn’t know anything more in depth. It seems like they didn’t feel the need to know on purpose.”
Theo looked at the pond quietly and smiled faintly.
I definitely felt like it gave off a similar vibe to the Krimhild statue.
‘Then there are two mysteries?’
Suddenly, I had that thought and thought that maybe it could be used to attack Hilda.
‘I’ll have to take a closer look as I pass by.’
* * *
“I’ll take the lead. But if you feel uncomfortable or exhausted while swimming, give me a signal immediately. My clan is following behind you, so they’ll help you right away.”
After two more days, the group finally decided to cross the pond.
As I said, Tere took the lead.
Behind him stood a group of sturdy Nagas, nodding their heads.
They were all volunteers with the sole purpose of saving their fellow countrymen.
“How long do you think it will take to get there?”
“It would take a whole day. The pond is so big, and we have to take as many detours as possible to avoid being caught by them.”
Theo nodded.
It certainly didn’t look like it would be easy to get through.
“Then follow me.”
Terega slowly sank into the pond.
Theo and Wellington followed right behind.
Slap.
The water was quite cold.
Then, an unidentifiable energy seeped into my skin.
‘I told you to take this as much as you can.’
The reason why the Nagas and other races could not pass through this pond was very simple.
It was because there was an unidentified energy mixed in.
If you cannot digest this, it will become a life-threatening poison.
But if you can digest it, there is no better elixir than this.
The Naga people called this the ‘water of life’.
The blood of the old guardian that he left behind for the Naga tribe when he died.
One of the reasons it took so long to learn how to swim was because it took a lot of time to learn the breathing technique to do it.
Phew-
Theo took a long breath, reflecting on the realizations of the past few days.
Gulp!
I tried to dive slowly.
