Fabre in Sacheon's Tang-Chapter 264: Where the Spirit Beast Went (8)

– Ts, Tchkit!?

The creature let out a startled screech at the sight of Cho suddenly appearing in front of it.

It flinched and began backing away, trembling. Clearly, it was spooked.

Seeing it recoil like that, Cho swelled with confidence and began inching forward to apply more pressure—when Hyang’s urgent voice rang out.

– Tsurut! 『Sister, be careful! It shoots poison from its butt!』

– Tsururur? 『From its butt?』

– Tch! 『Yeah! It moved its butt and sprayed it!』

Cho had been planning to close the distance, but froze in place at Hyang’s warning.

Instead, she kept her distance and studied the creature closely.

Small head, multiple legs, and a round, plump body—so round it reminded her of Yoha Sister. That rotund body alone made it easy to imagine something being fired from its rear.

It didn’t look like it would spit poison from its mouth. Most likely, just like Yoha Sister packed her mass into her abdomen, this thing stored poison in its bloated rear.

Which meant caution was crucial.

Without knowing the range of its spray, charging in recklessly was too risky.

Cho paused for a moment and decided the best option was to intimidate it into surrender.

She couldn’t afford to look weak in front of her sisters—not after Hongdan had already been sprayed. She needed to show dominance, like Cheongil Sister always did.

She couldn't lose the authority she'd finally earned as Sister.

『Tchut. 『There’s no way I’m embarrassing myself in front of my sisters.』』

Cho coiled her large body in the air, twisting dramatically to make herself look even bigger.

Then, extending her antennae toward the creature, she questioned it again.

– Tsururur. 『I asked if you sprayed my sister with poison.』

Just as she expected, the creature shrank back further, even more terrified.

Its antennae trembled. Its eyes were shaking. Even its shell was quivering.

See that, sisters? she thought smugly. This is the power of being the big sister.

She turned to glance triumphantly at the two riding on her back—

– PrrrRRRRK!

A buzzing sound suddenly erupted.

Whipping her head around, Cho saw the creature’s quivering back shell splitting open—revealing wings.

It launched itself toward her face in a blink.

It hadn’t been shaking in fear—it had been getting ready to fly.

– Tch! 『You little—!?』

Startled, Cho flung herself backward, wings flaring as she rose to avoid the sudden charge.

– Pooook.

With a loud burst, the creature’s rear sprayed a thick white cloud into the air.

Just like Hyang said, a dense puff of smoke-like poison erupted from its lower body and spread like a fog bank, covering the trio in midair.

Reacting instantly, Cho wrapped her wings and limbs protectively around her sisters.

Heat and a wretched stench enveloped her shell.

– Tsururur? Tsururur? 『Are you okay? You two all right?』

She checked the two nestled in her embrace, and both nodded quickly.

– Tsururur? 『What about you, Sister?』

– Kki, kkii... 『Th-the smell...』

It wasn’t until she got sprayed herself that Cho finally understood what Hongdan meant by “stinging.”

It really did feel like sitting too close to a bonfire—intense heat followed by a prickly sting on the shell.

That poison was definitely heat-based, like flame.

– Tsururur. 『I’m fine.』

She reassured her sisters and, once sure they were safe, turned her head.

Far off in the distance, the creature was flying away.

It sprayed them—then ran?!

The same electric blue fury that she’d felt when she first heard what happened to Hongdan now surged through her again.

Cho carefully lowered Hyang and Hongdan to the ground.

– Tsurururur. 『You two, go back to Bini! I’m not letting that thing get away!』

And with that, she shot into the air in hot pursuit.

She couldn’t let it escape.

– Tsurut! 『Sister! Wash off the poison in water!』

– Kkii! 『Big Sister! You have to wash the poison off!』

Their voices called after her as she disappeared into the sky.

***

The creature flapped its wings madly in the distance.

It had gotten quite far, but its wings glinted under the moonlight every time it beat them—making it easy to track.

Cho silently followed, and when it eventually flew close enough for its rear to be visible again, she dove briefly toward the nearest pond.

She dipped herself in and out of the water to rinse off the poison, just like her sisters said.

She couldn’t afford to fight while still covered in it.

The creature, too, couldn't stay aloft for long. It eventually fluttered downward and landed in the brush.

Probably to rest or hide—maybe thinking it had lost her.

Cho dropped altitude immediately and slipped into the undergrowth, staying out of sight.

The creature, believing it was safe, began grooming its antennae leisurely.

It must’ve thought it had gotten away clean.

But Cho didn’t let her guard down.

It hadn’t even folded its wings yet, and was still busy preening. She scanned the area for something heavy to drop on it.

– Tsurut. 『A rock would be perfect, but there’s nothing around...』

Then her eyes fell on its unfolded wings.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Cho’s gaze darted around—then she sprang toward a nearby puddle.

She scooped up as much thick mud and water as she could and shot back into the air.

If it was a spirit beast, dropping a stick on its head wouldn’t do much... but muddying its wings would stop it from flying.

Better yet, if she buried it completely, it wouldn’t be able to spray any more poison.

Cho hovered above the creature, aiming.

A few blobs of wet mud dripped down from her belly.

They landed right on the creature’s head.

It looked up, startled, trying to figure out why mud was falling from the sky.

But all it saw was... more mud.

– Thud. Splatch.

– Pooooook.

A massive lump of mud landed directly on top of it.

Its antennae, its face, its wings—all splattered in thick muck.

Cho smirked at the satisfying sight—

But then, something strange happened.

Startled by the impact, the creature reflexively released another burst of poison.

– 『Tsurut!?』

The moment Cho saw it, a brilliant idea lit up in her mind.

Poison—it took a lot of internal energy to produce.

And no matter the creature, the amount of poison they could carry was limited. That was true for Cheongwol Sister, and it was true for Yoha Sister too.

So if this little guy kept spraying so recklessly, it would surely run out of poison soon—and once it did, Cho could easily punish [N O V E L I G H T] it.

A creature without poison was no threat at all.

With that in mind, Cho hovered over a nearby puddle and began bombing the fleeing creature with more mud.

Judging by how it had crashed earlier, the first splash had soaked its wings enough to keep it grounded. It didn’t even take much effort now to keep dousing it.

– Splat.

– Pooook.

– Splat, splat.

– Pooook, pook.

Each time a clump of mud landed on its head, the creature reflexively spat more poison.

And before long, the reeking stench filled the area—only for the creature’s attacks to start slowing down.

The once forceful poison bursts were now weak and sputtering.

– Pfft. Splat.

After a few more rounds of this—just as Cho had planned—the creature stopped producing poison altogether.

Its supply was clearly depleted.

Descending slowly and triumphantly, Cho declared,

– Tsururur. 『Looks like you need a good scolding today.』

– Ts, Tchki...

Caked in mud, its antenna stuck to the back of its head, the creature glanced up at her with one eye, clearly begging for forgiveness.

But Cho didn’t hesitate—she darted forward and coiled around it tightly.

– Tski!

– Pfft...

The creature screeched and tried one last time to spit poison... but all it could manage was a limp puff from its rear.

– Tsurururur. 『No more poison, huh? Now you can’t pull anything funny!』

– Tski...

One sharp bark from her, and the creature immediately went quiet.

Capture: complete.

– Tsurururur!

Cho’s victory cry echoed through the night sky.

***

With the creature wrapped up in her coils, Cho flew with pride back toward where her sisters were waiting.

They were at the swamp’s edge—she had told Hyang and Hongdan to meet up with Bini there, so they’d all be gathered by now.

Cho’s antennae curved in smooth, confident arcs.

She’d captured the thing all by herself. Her antennae couldn’t help but puff up a little.

Her sisters’ respect for their Sister was now fully secured.

Soaring beneath the moonlight, Cho arrived at the place near the riverbank where the swamp began.

Below, she spotted her sisters gathered, glancing around.

– Tsururur. 『It’s Sister!』

– Tsurut!? 『Where are you!?』

Bini saw her first and called out to the others.

Descending slowly, Cho dropped the captured creature before them.

– Thud. Roll roll roll.

The round thing landed in the grass and rolled a little before stopping in front of the trio—who immediately jumped back in alarm.

– Tsurut! 『Poison! Poison!』

– Kkiit! 『Eek!』

They were clearly still nervous from the earlier encounter—but Cho smiled calmly and said,

– Tsururur. 『Don’t worry. It’s all out of poison.』

At her words, the three erupted in cheers.

– Tsurururur! 『Sister, you’re amazing!』

– Tsururur. 『Sister, you’re so cool!』

– Kkiit! 『Sister, you’re the best!』

Basking in their admiration, Cho raised her antennae in a smug little arc and replied nonchalantly,

– Tsururur. 『Eh, it was nothing.』

Her sisters stared at her with sparkling eyes full of respect.

Turning to Hongdan, Cho added with theatrical grandeur,

– Tsurut. 『Hongdan, you sprayed it with poison too, right? Since it dared to poison my sister, it deserves the same treatment.』

– Kkiit! 『Got it!』

Fired up, Hongdan crouched and aimed the yellow line on her belly at the creature.

She didn’t particularly enjoy smelly poison, but she was a venomous creature, after all.

– Kkiiiit! 『You sprayed poison at me when I just asked who you were! Now it’s your turn to get scolded!』

As she shouted and prepared to attack—

– Rustle, rustle.

From the pirate village side of the woods, a sudden noise in the underbrush—

And then, a figure stepped into view.

Black hair like soot. Red clothes.

It was... Mom.

Of all the people who shouldn’t have shown up—Mom was the worst.

All four sisters recoiled in horror, letting out gasping cries.

– Tsururur! 『M-Mom!?』

– Tsurut! 『Why’s Mom here!?』

– Kkiit! 『Eeeek!』

– Tiring. Tiring.

But then, the sound of light steps—

A spiderlike figure stepped into view, and they all let out sighs of relief.

It wasn’t Mom.

It was Yoha Sister.

– Tsururur... 『O-oh... it’s Yoha Sister?』

Cho spoke up on their behalf, breathing easy again as Yoha approached and asked,

– Kishat! 『What are you kids doing out here? You’ve been sneaking out every night for days, so I followed you and—wait, what is that?!』

– Tsururur. 『Sister, so the thing is...』

Cho quickly explained everything that had happened.

Thankfully, Yoha Sister was kind—unlike Mom—and she actually understood their situation.

But when she looked down at the trembling round creature lying in the center of the group, she tilted her head in confusion.

– Kisha! 『Wait... isn’t that the thing Oppa’s been looking for? The Seogwa?』

Seogwa. The creature Dad had been searching for.

Could it really be?

Cho blinked and looked at Yoha, asking,

– Tsururur. 『Sister, are you serious? Dad’s been looking for this thing? But it’s not even red!』

– Kishat. 『Ah, that red part shows when it’s cut. Normally, it just looks like a round thing with stripes.』

– Tsurut? 『Really?』

– Kishat. 『Yeah. Though... this one looks a bit different. I’m not sure. Something like this, we should probably show Dad directly.』

All five of them fell silent, staring at the little round creature in the middle—now trembling with fear.

***

At dawn, a sharp, sour smell drifted into my half-asleep brain.

Something stank.

As I groggily sat up and turned toward the source of the odor, I spotted... some enormous stink-bomb beetle-looking creature flailing on its back right next to me.

“...What the heck are you?”

It was definitely bizarre.