I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 810 – Side Story 83: Unknown Danger (4)

The giant snake, ruler and spirit beast of the forest, glared at the enemy who had invaded its territory. Its scales trembled with an eerie sound, and fierce hostility filled its vertical pupils as it stared.

Normally, it would have sneered at the intruder's presence and swallowed them in one bite, but this time it couldn't because the opponent was also an existence of equal rank to itself.

It faced the giant armored pangolin, the ruler of the adjacent area on the forest's outskirts. The creature was blatantly trying to invade this side's territory. For the snake, this was incomprehensible. Why?

Until now, they had divided their territories and gotten along well without disturbing each other's tempers.

Ordinary beasts always fought due to their wild nature, but spirit beasts were different. They had become separate existences far transcending their own species, and therefore could sometimes think more deeply and calmly than even humans.

Because the snake was such a creature, it couldn't help but feel puzzled in the current situation.

There was no hostility toward this side visible in the armored pangolin that had suddenly appeared without warning.

Rather, it was filled with fear toward something, wanting to escape this situation as quickly as possible.

Afraid? Not of anything else, but that armored pangolin, a spirit beast of equal rank to itself?

The snake understood even less. Then the snake's senses detected four humans following behind the armored pangolin.

It was a group consisting of two men and two women.

The appearance of humans wasn't strange. Recently, many humans have been appearing near this forest. Of course, the snake didn't pay much attention since it wasn't its territory. Though it must be uncomfortable for the spirit beast of that area.

What was questionable was why the armored pangolin was with those creatures, and why their numbers were so small compared to other human groups.

Hssssss.

The snake flicked out its tongue. The snake spirit beast could read the taste of particles floating in the air through its tongue. Through this, it could discern the opponent's emotions, general condition, and the power they possessed.

This was why the snake had immediately noticed that the armored pangolin was terrified when looking at it.

Hsss!

Having assessed the human group, the snake spirit beast was greatly startled. Not a single one of the humans there could be taken lightly. One side gave off a thick smell of water as if made of water, and the other side, while human, had the scents of various beasts mixed together.

The other woman smelled of cold, sharp metal. Yes. Up to that point it was fine.

The problem was the long-haired man there, Rudger Chelici.

The snake's scales trembled. If the first trembling had been from anger, this one was from fear.

The snake spirit beast thought. Was that really human?

Though it had a human form, the power it possessed was by no means human. Far beyond that, to a degree that even itself, a spirit beast, couldn't estimate.

The instinctive trembling felt when facing an overwhelmingly powerful predator. However, the snake spirit beast was the ruler of this place. It had risen to the position of spirit beast by overcoming crises of death numerous times.

Just because it faced a strong enemy didn't mean it could immediately tuck its tail. The armored pangolin gazed at the snake spirit beast with a pitying look.

But at the same time, its reaction showed understanding. Yes. It couldn't help it. Hadn't it itself had similar thoughts? Rather, this side felt more wronged. At first, it charged in angrily, thinking it was a spirit beast that had crossed over from outside, only to find such a 'monster' there.

But even so, it couldn't persuade the snake spirit beast. One way or another, the armored pangolin was also in a helpless position.

"Is that the one?"

Rudger muttered as he walked forward. The armored pangolin awkwardly sidled away to make room.

The snake frowned at the sight. It glared at the armored pangolin with a look asking if it had no pride despite being a spirit beast.

Even receiving that glare, the armored pangolin turned its head away as if it knew nothing. The snake spirit beast was rather flustered by that reaction.

"Hmm. Indeed, for a spirit beast, even a snake is tremendously large."

Rudger quietly observed the snake spirit beast. Its red scales gleamed, and its length from head to tail appeared to exceed 30 meters.

A snake of a size that would only be seen in giant monster movies. Moreover, its face was fierce and had protrusions growing above its head, making it look like an Eastern dragon.

Naturally, being a snake, it would have fangs, and being a spirit beast, it would use deadly venom far surpassing ordinary snakes.

"Furthermore, seeing that it has roughly assessed this side's level, it seems to have some means of judging an opponent's strength."

The snake glared at Rudger. Its instincts screamed to lower its head immediately, but spirit beasts didn't move by instinct alone.

Sometimes there were times when one couldn't back down even knowing one should. The snake spirit beast intuited that now was that time.

Rudger read its resolve and fighting spirit.

"As a guest who came uninvited, I won't be too rough."

Shaaaaa!!

The snake spirit beast opened its mouth wide and lunged at Rudger.

Swsswss.

The giant snake spirit beast moved like a wave crossing the forest, passing through gaps between trees. Each time, trees fell and paths were created. The armored pangolin used its forepaws and scales to grind away paths that couldn't be cleared in time.

The snake spirit beast had lunged at Rudger confidently, but the fight ended in less than 30 seconds.

It couldn't even be called a fight in the first place. The result was more overwhelming than a young boy playing with a rhinoceros beetle.

In the end, the snake spirit beast also submitted to Rudger and was assigned the role of clearing paths through the forest.

The snake spirit beast lamented quietly to itself about how it had come to this. But it couldn't be helped. In the world of the law of the jungle, from the moment one was caught by the strong, fate was already decided.

During those short 30 seconds, the snake had received humiliating and painful treatment it had never experienced since becoming a spirit beast. Thinking positively, it should be grateful it didn't die.

Hssss.

However, there was one thing it wasn't pleased about. Leaving aside everything else, why did he take its teeth?

At least he didn't pull out the fangs, but it was just bewildering that he took teeth raw, of all things.

Anyway, having had its teeth pulled was one thing, and the snake spirit beast had to do as Rudger instructed for now. If there was any consolation, it was that there was a companion in a similar situation beside it.

Who would have thought that they, who had been in a position of rivalry due to their adjacent territories, would come to empathize so deeply with each other in this way?

The sorrowful gazes of the snake spirit beast and the armored pangolin spirit beast tangled in the air.

Kuwaaaaak!

At that moment, a roar warning of danger burst out from beyond. The sound was so resounding that the forest trees swayed greatly, and birds fluttered up into the air.

This too was a warning-filled cry unleashed by a spirit beast.

The snake spirit beast recalled who lived in this area.

It was a giant gorilla. A creature that had become one with trees, its entire body made of hard tree bark. However, it couldn't be taken lightly just because it was wood. Its skin was harder than most metals.

Its size didn't fall short compared to the two spirit beasts here, and it was quite troublesome since it was nimble enough to climb around trees and could even use weapons.

That gorilla spirit beast had now detected that two spirit beasts had joined forces and invaded its territory, and was reacting to it.

Soon after, with a crashing sound, trees fell and the giant gorilla revealed itself.

The creature pounded its chest with both fists like beating a drum. It was a clear warning that it wouldn't tolerate even a step over the line.

The snake spirit beast and the armored pangolin spirit beast looked at each other. The two spirit beasts whose eyes met flinched simultaneously.

The two spirit beasts' ominous gazes shifted to Rudger. Rudger was now looking at the gorilla spirit beast with interest.

Kwaaaaak!

The gorilla spirit beast, unaware of this, vigorously beat its chest to establish dominance somehow. But it didn't take long to realize something was strange.

Kwak?

It had thought the two spirit beasts had joined forces to attack it, but their reaction was somehow lukewarm. The way they just stood there watching even though it had appeared was strange too.

Rather, how should it put it? They were sending pitying looks toward this side, making it even harder to understand.

The gorilla spirit beast belatedly realized that the two spirit beasts were together with a group of humans.

Casey asked Rudger.

"Don't tell me again?"

She made a slightly appalled expression, realizing what Rudger was about to do. She knew spirit beasts were dangerous, but having seen the spectacle twice before, this time she could clearly see how it would turn out.

It was the same for Veronica.

"Uh, well. At this point, rather than feeling tense, I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for the spirit beasts."

Spirit beasts possessed strength that even Master-level knights couldn't help but be tense about. Considering the peculiarity of the situation and pure physical output alone, it was even possible for spirit beasts to kill Master-level knights.

Yet despite encountering a spirit beast in the forest, instead of tension, she only felt pity. Veronica couldn't help but seriously wonder if there was something wrong with her head.

Hans looked down at the snake tooth he had received from Rudger, then looked at the gorilla, then looked at Rudger again.

"Big brother, surely not?"

Rudger didn't answer. Instead, he gave a slight grin, then stepped forward toward the gorilla spirit beast.

The snake and armored pangolin startled and made room. The gorilla spirit beast showed an even more puzzled reaction. Those creatures who were rulers of their regions were afraid of just one small human like that?

Moreover, it couldn't understand why they were looking at it as if pitying it. The gorilla spirit beast's fierce gaze turned toward Rudger.

Its face contorted, and it expressed unrestrained anger toward this small human.

How dare a tiny human subject step before me? The gorilla spirit beast finished preparing to bring down its fist and crush Rudger as is.

Ah.

The snake spirit beast and armored pangolin spirit beast looked at the gorilla's judgment with pitying eyes.

But at the same time, the two spirit beasts felt relieved because one more comrade would be added.

Uho uho!

The gorilla spirit beast with a nosebleed prostrated itself flat before Rudger and begged. The fight had been easy. The surroundings were devastated, and the gorilla spirit beast had been unilaterally beaten up by Rudger.

The devastated surroundings were also traces from Rudger slamming the gorilla spirit beast around in all directions.

The gorilla spirit beast could belatedly understand. Why that cunning snake and the prideful armored pangolin had joined hands and were moving together. Why were they cowering while watching that tiny human's mood?

The gorilla spirit beast had to endure the throbbing pain in its gums. It was because its teeth had been cleanly broken from getting hit by Rudger's magic.

"You guide us too."

The spirit beast immediately understood what Rudger was saying. And it also understood why those two spirit beasts had come this far.

But it was too late to realize. Thus, a new spirit beast was added to Rudger's party.

The three spirit beasts, now increased to three, exchanged glances with each other. They realized that Rudger's party would continue heading toward the forest's interior.

The deeper into the forest they went, the stronger spirit beasts existed. They were predators whose territory they didn't want to carelessly invade.

But would those predators really be stronger than this small human? The three spirit beasts exchanged glances and simultaneously nodded their heads.

Having embraced mana and transcended their species, they maintained reason while still retaining the intuition they possessed as beasts.

And the beast instinct and intuition they possessed was telling them.

That this human would not stop until reaching the forest's center. And that in that process, there would be many spirit beasts joining them.

Kkyaeaeaeaek!

From far away came a cry like a chicken being strangled. It was a cry that made them feel instinctively creeped out despite being fellow spirit beasts.

But the three spirit beasts who had become one body now had an indifferent reaction.

Soon after, a giant bird with a beak running on two legs appeared, crossing through the forest. It looked like a mix of reptile and chicken, and its bulk was also considerable.

It too was one of the rulers of this surrounding area. Especially its power to turn prey into stone just by looking at them was quite threatening.

Upon appearing, it glared at the three spirit beasts.

The three spirit beasts sent compassionate looks toward that spirit beast.

Kkyaek?

It tilted its head as if not understanding. The gorilla spirit beast waved its hand at the creature and patted the spot beside it with its hand.

It was a gesture saying to figure it out and come over here quickly. It was the best advice that could be given as a fellow spirit beast colleague, to kneel on its own before being subjected to the unknown danger that had come from outside.