WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: HidingTurtle

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Became the Ophidian of the Apocalypse ◈

Chapter 39: Setting the Route

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Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede.

A superior species of the Red Teeth King Centipede.

It had the modifier “crimson teeth,” but strictly speaking, those were not poison fangs. They were venomous talons.

Being stabbed by those red, tooth-like venom talons caused unbearable pain.

Ordinary centipede venom was painful but not deadly. This dangerous monster was different.

If enough of its acidic venom entered the body, flesh would melt into mush.

Tamer Melchi had once seen the Giant Centipede melt and devour an entire elephant.

“Euhahahaha!”

Melchi laughed loudly.

“Those cowardly bastards.”

The Runga Tribe warriors turned pale the moment they faced the Giant Centipede.

It was only natural.

Taming monsters was incredibly difficult to begin with.

Even raising wolves or ostriches was no easy task. At least once a month, some goblin would get bitten to death by a wolf.

Trying to tame something more dangerous than that was practically a suicide attempt.

And Melchi had survived that suicide attempt.

Melchi had tamed one of the most dangerous monsters in the Palamu Rainforest, the Giant Centipede.

A year ago, when Melchi returned to the Krok Tribe with the docile Giant Centipede, everyone had been shocked.

That day had been the best day of Melchi’s goblin life.

Melchi had been too scrawny to become a warrior.

Melchi had been ugly and unpopular.

Yet after gaining the ability to command the Giant Centipede like an extension of the body, Melchi had become one of the Krok Tribe’s executives.

Melchi had even gained the epithet, Tamer.

How had Melchi managed to tame that Giant Centipede?

The centipede listened only to Melchi. The other goblins had learned that fact only after several of them became centipede feed.

Everyone wanted to know Melchi’s taming method.

If it was easy and widely applicable, Melchi’s value would disappear again.

Knowing that, Melchi had desperately kept silent.

Even when Krok beat Melchi, Melchi gave no answer.

A year later, Melchi was still the only tamer of a Giant Centipede.

‘Though I don’t know how much longer that’ll last.’

For the past year, Melchi had not taken off that coat, not even to sleep.

Melchi had always made sure the oversized coat did not slip from that scrawny frame.

Melchi shouted in a shrill voice.

“Centipede!”

The Giant Centipede reacted to the call.

“Kill every last one of those Runga goblins!”

The Giant Centipede did not obey immediately. She remained still.

Melchi clicked their tongue. Despite her appearance, the centipede was not a particularly aggressive monster.

“Right noooow!”

Only after Melchi shouted again with authority did the Giant Centipede begin moving.

Nine meters long, five hundred kilograms.

Her hard carapace would only be scratched even if struck with an iron axe.

Forty-two pairs of legs. Eighty-four in total.

Each pointed leg was like a dagger.

In other words, she was covered in eighty-four deadly weapons.

Even without using her venom talons, her physical attacks were lethal.

The Runga goblins scattered in an instant.

“Spread out! Keep your distance! Don’t bunch together!”

Nanaruk’s voice rang out as she commanded them.

If they stayed grouped together and got crushed, it was over.

Hop Goblin warriors or not, they would be flattened.

“Aaaah!”

“Waaah!”

Even the brave warriors screamed and leaped away in shock.

The centipede’s charge kicked up a massive cloud of dust.

Perhaps because she kept smashing rocks and digging into the ground, the stone dust became thick enough to make breathing difficult.

Visibility blurred.

Then Nanaruk saw her younger brother, Kadiram.

A black shadow from the centipede fell over Kadiram.

“Kadiram!”

Nanaruk rushed forward, shoving Kadiram aside.

The centipede’s enormous head shot toward her.

So did those bright crimson venom talons.

Clang!

The venom talons snapped shut just in front of Nanaruk’s face.

She barely survived by throwing her head back.

Nanaruk swung the axe in her hand.

Clang!

Sparks flew when it struck the centipede’s carapace.

Nanaruk stared at her axe in disbelief.

Its blade had chipped. The centipede’s carapace, on the other hand, was perfectly intact.

That meant even Nanaruk had to strike the joints precisely to damage the centipede.

But how was she supposed to do that against a centipede constantly writhing around?

“Fight defensively.”

That was the request Nanaruk had received.

The one making it was the snake. The snake had to be trustworthy.

“Hm?”

In the middle of this life-or-death situation, Nanaruk tilted her head.

How had she understood what the snake wanted?

For some reason, Nanaruk had always been especially good at understanding what her snake friend meant.

Lately, though, it had become more extreme.

She could understand the meaning behind just a few tail flicks.

It was the same this time.

Don’t fight the centipede too hard. Retreat and fight defensively.

I’ll figure something out in the meantime.

Nanaruk immediately understood that request.

How?

Her head felt strangely itchy.

【Hop Goblin Nanaruk Lv. 30】

Nanaruk, the greatest warrior of the Runga Tribe.

It had been a year since she stopped gaining levels.

After reaching the absolute limit a Hop Goblin could attain at such a young age, something had begun to sprout within her body and mind.

Yet Nanaruk herself had not properly noticed that change.

Besides, this was not the time to worry about something so trivial.

The centipede attacked again.

Boom!

Nanaruk sprang into the air.

She landed on the centipede’s back.

Nanaruk began running across it.

The centipede’s body swayed, throwing Nanaruk into the air.

Other goblins caught her.

Nanaruk grinned and brushed back her hair.

The Runga Tribe had not suffered a single casualty yet.

The Giant Centipede was rampaging, so even the Krok Tribe warriors could not do anything.

All they could do was cheer for the centipede from far away.

Yet a single Hop Goblin named Nanaruk was drawing the centipede’s attention all by herself.

“What’s she doing...?”

“Argh, this is so frustrating!”

The centipede did not look particularly motivated either.

Frustrated gazes turned toward Melchi.

“Do something!”

“Why is the centipede moving around like that?”

Anger surged through Melchi.

How dare they raise their voices at an executive, at Tamer Melchi?

‘If I were Ayutar, would they dare squeal like that?’

A bitter mix of inferiority and rage welled up in Melchi.

“Centipede! Fight properly, or else...!”

Just as Melchi was about to threaten the Giant Centipede,

Whoooosh!

A sudden whirlwind swept through the area.

There had not been a breath of wind before. Why now?

The ground was covered in thick white dust mixed with powdered stone.

When the cloudy wind swept through, it became impossible to keep anyone’s eyes open.

Melchi quickly raised an arm to shield their eyes.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

Cries rang out from all around.

They were making such a fuss over getting sand in their eyes.

They acted tough, but damn it.

Thinking that, Melchi tried to force their eyes open.

When Melchi’s bloodshot eyes finally opened, every goblin nearby was lying on the ground.

They clutched their throats with both hands and gagged.

Then,

Sting.

A sharp pain made Melchi look down.

A snake had raised its head near Melchi’s feet.

The snake had bitten Melchi’s ankle.

A venomous snake?

Something surfaced in Melchi’s mind.

‘Heart-Eating Snake.’

When that name first appeared, Melchi had dismissed it as the ramblings of a loser.

Not anymore.

Even Ayutar, who had been so powerful, had supposedly died to the Heart-Eating Snake.

‘I have to run...’

Melchi tried to flee.

But Melchi’s body had turned stiff.

Thud!

Melchi fell backward, the back of Melchi’s head slamming into the ground.

The snake crawled over Melchi’s body.

‘Ah...’

Was this how Melchi would die, with Melchi’s heart eaten?

The snake opened its mouth wide.

That was the last thing Melchi saw before dying from the venom.

* * *

*「Your level has increased.」

What the hell? That startled me.

Why was Melchi so weak?

My Deadly Venom was an extremely efficient skill.

Against weak opponents, I could look absolutely unstoppable.

Of course, it was useless if I couldn’t bite them, and someone with truly strong Venom Resistance could probably shrug off even my venom.

This guy looked like an executive, so I thought he’d hold out well. I never expected him to die before I could even eat his heart.

Still, it didn’t matter. I hadn’t planned to eat this scrawny goblin anyway.

I opened my mouth and tore at the coat.

Unlike the oversized coat, the body beneath it was painfully thin.

And there they were, just as I expected.

Little centipedes.

Hello, babies.

I had wondered why the Giant Centipede, who had the Gentle trait, was fighting us.

Besides, didn’t she obviously look like she didn’t want to fight?

The goblins had failed to notice, but as a fellow monster, I knew right away.

She was being forced to obey orders.

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【Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede Lv. 31】

【Traits】

[Gentle], [Mother]...

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The one commanding the great Giant Centipede was not even a Hop Goblin. It was an ordinary goblin.

I was curious what ability the bastard had, so I focused my eyes.

That was when I saw a baby centipede poking its head out from Melchi’s scrawny ankle.

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【King Centipede Larva Lv. 2】

【Traits】

[Baby], [Cuteness]

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It was not the goblin’s status panel that appeared, but the baby centipede’s.

At that moment, the pieces fell into place.

I punished this outrageous goblin kidnapper.

Come here, cute little ones.

Ah, you’re tied up.

There were three centipedes in total.

Ropes were tied around their necks, connecting them to the goblin’s body.

I chewed through the ropes with my teeth.

There, there. You’re so well-behaved.

Maybe because they were still larvae, they were small, with yellowish, semi-transparent carapaces.

The baby centipedes were only as long as a human forearm, but they were remarkably smart.

They climbed off the goblin’s body and onto mine.

Let’s go back.

To your mother.

Boom!

Unaware that I had rescued her babies, the Giant Centipede was still wreaking havoc with thunderous crashes.

Wait.

How was I supposed to stop her?

Times like this made me regret not being able to shout.

Luckily, the baby centipedes began calling for their mother.

“Kekekeke.”

“Keeeeekeke.”

“Keke!”

They were so adorably noisy.

The Giant Centipede stopped short.

Her eyes were tiny compared to her massive body.

She looked down at me.

Right, now was the time.

I dipped my head in a bow.

Silence settled over the battlefield.

The Giant Centipede returned the bow.

Phew.

That was a relief.

The babies clinging to my body climbed down.

They crawled up their mother’s motionless body and pressed themselves tightly against her belly.

The Giant Centipede wrapped them warmly with a pair of legs.

She looked determined to protect them from now on.

Ah, this was so touching I could cry.

It made me think of Medusa Mom, too.

Our Medusa Mom turned disobedient children into bloody pulp, though.

Where was Dad, anyway? I wanted to see him someday.

*「You have achieved the accomplishment, ‘Friend of Centipedes.’」

Huh!

After Guard Captain Murder, which had been an unfortunate accident, I had already earned my second accomplishment.

I checked it right away.

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【Friend of Centipedes】

You have formed a friendly relationship with centipedes, terrifying and cruel monsters.

Centipede-type monsters will look upon you favorably.

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Terrifying and cruel?

That had to be some ridiculous misunderstanding.

Either way, I hoped to get along with centipedes from now on.

Just as I thought, centipedes really were gentle creatures.

She no longer treated us as enemies.

Instead, she held her babies close and roared toward the sky.

“Keeeeeeek!”

Let it out, Giant Centipede.

After letting out a satisfying roar, the Giant Centipede immediately began running.

Toward the dead Melchi and the Krok Tribe warriors.

Screams erupted.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

Melchi’s corpse became a lump of meat too mangled to recognize.

The same went for the Krok warriors who foolishly tried to face her instead of running.

Once she fought in earnest, the Giant Centipede was terrifyingly strong.

She skewered enemies with her venom talons and crushed them beneath her enormous body.

And that meant the Krok Tribe’s defensive formation had been shattered.

“White... Ululullulu!”

Nanaruk came running toward me.

I naturally climbed onto her shoulder.

“Let’s go get Krok! Everyone, follow the centipede!”

Big Sis Centipede had scattered the enemy, making things much easier.

The Runga warriors easily dealt with the fleeing Krok goblins.

Before long, we reached the excavation site.

Beneath Elephant Rock.

There was a wide-open hole and signs of artificial structures.

The passage was narrow enough that only one or two people could barely pass through at once.

Out of dozens of holes, we found the one Krok had entered.

Nanaruk selected several elite Hop Goblins to accompany her and ordered the rest to stay behind.

“Guard the entrance. If we don’t come back after a while, or if something happens, get away from the rock!”

While she spoke, I raised my head and looked at the structure.

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【Pelerian’s Secret Dungeon】

Dungeon No. 123, stores Magic Stones.

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We had finally arrived.

-The rat has already gone in. Hurry up and chase after him!

Pelerian said that.

In my mind, I muttered the line I had heard to death in Dungeon No. 8.

‘A monster intrusion has been detected. Activating the Interception Snake.’

* * *

A field of corpses stretched before us.

They had all died to the traps installed in the dungeon.

‘Just how many traps did you set up?’

-The more traps, the better.

More traps, the better. I could get behind that.

Still, a lot of goblins had died.

The first ones were mostly elderly goblins.

They had clearly been used as meat shields.

Arrows, spears, fire, falls, the causes of death varied.

Next came goblins with their faces covered in dust.

Judging by the pickaxes scattered around them, they had probably been workers excavating the dungeon.

The last group was made up of well-built Hop Goblins.

They must have been warriors who stayed by Krok’s side.

Krok had sacrificed even those who were supposed to protect him.

We soon found that monstrous tyrant.

A suspicious hollow opened ahead, and beyond it stood an iron door.

It was clearly the true final entrance of the dungeon. The door had the same decorations as the others.

-Th-that bastard...!

Krok was pressed against the door.

Nanaruk gritted her teeth and shouted.

“Krok!”

Krok’s face was covered in blood.

I stopped Nanaruk from rushing at Krok.

Nanaruk looked confused, while Krok smacked his lips as though disappointed.

“Hehehe, you idiots.”

Krok laughed to himself, apparently half out of his mind.

“You chased me all the way here because you wanted to die. What a shame.”

I used Mana Detection.

The ceiling, walls, and floor, every part of the place glowed red.

“You would’ve died if you took one more step.”

I could tell for certain.

This dungeon’s security was on an entirely different level from the ones I had broken through before.

“If you want to catch me, come over here and catch me! Euhahahahaha!”

How had that bastard made it over there?

There had to be a safe path through the traps.

But Nanaruk and the goblins could not bring themselves to cross the hollow.

Corpses crushed into bloody pulp were stuck to the walls and ceiling throughout the space.

“Euhahaha!”

I really wanted that laughing to stop.

“Tch...”

Nanaruk seethed with frustration.

Don’t worry.

I’d show her the path through it myself.

‘Pelvigation, show me the way.’

-Arrogant little brat.

The ancient monster who had designed this dungeon personally was right beside me.

Pelerian silently began guiding us.

Footnotes:

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