So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

I once had a really bad case of mouth ulcers.

That is, when I was human, not a snake.

I had one of my few proud specialties.

That was being good at eating spicy food.

I could devour fairly spicy things while sweating profusely and dripping snot.

Fire chicken stir-fried noodles, or bizarrely spicy rice cakes?

Those were just everyday things.

But after reaching an age where I couldn't get praised just for eating spicy things anymore.

I became indifferent even to the spicy food I used to like.

Actually, I didn't like spicy food, I liked the praise that came when I ate spicy food well.

So I wasn't particularly seeking out spicy things anymore.

Then one day, of all days when I had severe mouth ulcers, I got a craving for spicy rice cakes.

Since I had less patience than a mouse dropping, I couldn't resist.

The moment I stuffed the spicy rice cakes into my mouth waguwagu.

I realized what the expression 'mouth on fire' meant.

And now.
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As a result of my mouth actually being on fire.

'It's completely different!'

Much more painful than pouring spicy sauce on mouth ulcers!

Of course I had flame immunity, but immunity works more complexly than expected.

It's not that an invincible barrier forms that completely ignores whether there's fire or not.

More precisely, fire 'becomes unable to damage me'.

Ironically, I inevitably experience damage light enough not to be judged as damage.

Like the pain felt when having mouth ulcers and taking a mouthful of rice cake broth with added capsaicin.

Whatever governs skills and the three realms doesn't seem to judge that as 'damage' from hellfire.

My mouth was incredibly hot, and painful too.

Because the lion went berserk inside my mouth.

Several holes were actually punctured.

Blood and saliva are dripping jureuruk from there.

I desperately need potions.

Living in the zoo consumed too many potions.

They finally ran out so I couldn't use them when I really really needed them.

But I couldn't let Raota die either, so indeed things don't always go as you want.

Well.

To think I alone, no not alone but I took down such a strong lion.

I've gotten much stronger too.

Plus it was a smart battle too. By becoming a snake charcoal kiln myself to kill the undying lion.

Shame no one saw it.

Honestly, I wished someone had watched and marveled.

"That was quite clever for you."

How nice it would have been if just one person had been there.

"But there were many lacking points. Did you think your mouth and cheeks were too tough? If he had calmly dug into your throat you might have died instead? Hmm..."

Not the outcast fairy old man who talks too much.

Like Madam Rila.

"Well anyway, good job for now."

'Thanks for now.'

I answered with 'for now', the minimum modifier of thanks.

I remained frozen as I was after killing the lion.

'Ugh, want to spit it out.'

"Don't spit it out, that's precious."

'What was the lion' is in my mouth.

I didn't want to swallow it because my mouth hurt but I have no choice.

Since I feel like I'll faint any moment, I need to eat something.

Gulp.

And the lion lived up to his seemingly expensive worth.

Whether from absorbed power of time, or from diligently maintaining his body while eating many other monsters.

There was a magic stone inside.

「Consumed grade 10 magic stone」

Wow...

I wouldn't have known before. How amazing a grade 10 magic stone is.

But now I knew.

The highest grade magic stone in Pelerian's magic stone storage was grade 9, and there was only one.

"Is there a magic stone?"

'Yes, there is.'

"You're lucky. What grade?"

'Grade 10.'

"You're too lucky."

Pelerian clicked his tongue.

Hmm, is it that good?

"Magic stone grade and monster rank don't perfectly correlate. But grade 10 means he really was close to disaster level."

Seems I really was lucky indeed.

「Absorbing massive amount of monster energy」

「Exceeded absorbable limit」

Nooo!

Even I who eat everything well couldn't devour it all?

But I had a vine grass who would help me.

'Isil, quickly absorb without missing any!'

Empathy is still connected.

I could feel Isil absorbing the monster energy I spilled with Growth by Absorption skill.

「Skills generally increased in level」

「Skills generally increased in level」

「Skills generally increased in level」

This is new too.

Eating magic stones doesn't make levels increase.

I had used them for things like skill evolution before, but to think it would raise skill levels wholesale.

This went really really well.

Almost want to do a joy dance.

But I don't even have energy for that.

Now I really need to return to the zoo headquarters.

First release gigantification and...

No, can't lie down yet.

Huh, why is the ground coming to me?

Getting closer, stop.

Kwang!

My head hit the ground with a thud.

Blood gushed walchak from my mouth and wounds.

Ow, is this all my blood?

The ground is soaked with bright red blood.

One curious point.

Do red blood cells also get bigger when using gigantification?

If so, maybe I could see donut-shaped red blood cells if I look carefully.

"Hey! Get yourself together!"

Donuts, sounds delicious.

Definitely more delicious than lion monster.

"Damn it, if you collapse here now you'll die."

Why do you keep cursing scarily.

I'm a bit scared of cursing.

Because I heard too much when young...

Ah, one bad thing about becoming a snake is not being able to close my eyes.

The slightly weakened raindrops beat against my eyes.

Nevertheless consciousness gradually faded.

"I think I can protect you! Get up!"

Ah...

Cold.

Dark.

==

Wasn't a storm coming?

The rain stopped before dawn even broke.

Until the rain gradually subsided and finally stopped. The big white snake stood still on the hill.

Though the flames and smoke from its mouth and nose had stopped, it still wasn't in good shape.

Because it kept dripping blood.

Many monsters who still survived were watching that snake.

The old lion, Ambejeu had frightened everyone in the zoo.

Moreover, he even fought without backing down against the fearsome Director Kadam, so everyone was on edge wondering if a disaster was truly being born.

But the white snake killed such an Ambejeu.

And ate him.

It was an unbelievable story.

Unless seen directly that is.

Countless monsters were quietly hiding around this hill.

Not daring to reveal themselves, watching the snake standing tall.

The pouched rat was also included among those quietly watching that snake.

'The boss did, something amazing.'

The pouched rat was the deputy advisor of Zoo Animals.

He was relatively satisfied with his position.

Well, the previous boss Raota hadn't cared what the pouched rat did.

So he was diligently doing as the snake ordered.

'To kill, Ambejeu...'