What kind of Serpent is my father?
It was a journal written in the language of the elves.
"A beautiful and excellent specimen. Its body was healthy, and its scales gleamed. Its ferocity is natural for a Medusa Serpent, but the spot-like pattern on the back of its neck was especially beautiful."
A spot-like pattern.
It definitely had one.
What a pervert.
Calling someone else's mother beautiful…
"That individual headed south, passing through the Arkan Basin and reaching the outskirts of the Great Forest. It is common for a pregnant magical beast to move to a safer outer region, but this time it went unusually far."
I was becoming more and more certain—it was my mother.
From what I'd heard, a magical beast like a Medusa Serpent appearing in that region was extremely rare.
"It was likely due to discord with her mate. She was a gentle individual."
So there really was a father.
Did she leave home because of a marital fight?
The fact that Medusa Mom was "gentle" was the most shocking part.
"It has been about a month. If she gave birth safely, the offspring should have been born by now. I will retrieve them afterward…"
The record about my mother ended there.
Perhaps because of the lightning, part of the journal had burned away.
Damn.
For some reason, my eyes stung.
Ah… must've been dust.
Medusa Mom would never return.
She'd never see her mate again either.
Just what kind of fight makes a pregnant mother leave her partner and set out alone?
—Strange fellow, this Shadow Elf.
I agree.
Deshnan was definitely insane.
Judging by the journal, he had been raising magical beasts.
He had built his own "zoo" inside the Great Forest.
"You said you knew him. And what exactly is a Shadow Elf?"
Something like a dark elf?
With that ashen skin and clearly sinister magic, it seemed likely.
—A Shadow Elf is literally the dark shadow of an elf. Just as elves originate from the World Tree, Shadow Elves originate from its roots.
"The roots?"
Pelerian gave a brief explanation about elves and the World Tree.
Deep within the Great Forest stood a colossal tree—the World Tree.
It radiated positive mana, and elves were born by receiving that mana.
The tree itself was unimaginably large and powerful.
I didn't know how a tree could be "powerful," but I knew it was enormous.
If you climbed high enough, you could see its hazy silhouette from anywhere.
But in truth, its roots spread far wider and longer than its trunk and branches.
—They extend across the entire Great Forest. Some of those roots even emerge above the ground.
Those were the roots seen throughout the forest.
—Those roots emit negative mana. Shadow Elves are born from that negative mana. In other words—
Pelerian declared solemnly:
—They are of low birth. Twisted and evil from the very beginning.
I was impressed.
Pelerian wasn't just a racial supremacist—
he was also a classist.
—Why are you looking at me like that? Just look at him. He's deranged. That's why he built a magical beast zoo and spent centuries lurking around like a creep.
That might be true… but coming from someone who creates chimeras, that's a bit rich.
—Comparing me to someone who sold his soul to a demon is an insult. He's also a wanted criminal. Take that earring.
The earring lay where Deshnan's head had disappeared.
[Deshnan's Earring]
A mark proving he sold his soul to a demon.
It didn't look ordinary.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed to give off a sinister aura.
Why should I take this?
—The bounty on him is enormous. That earring will serve as proof of the kill. It's something only he could never remove.
"Oh right, you said he was wanted. How much is it?"
—3,000 Radak gold coins.
Whoa!
I don't know what Radak gold coins are, but 3,000 sounds like a fortune.
But… could I even claim it?
If a Serpent walked into a bounty office, wouldn't I just get hunted on the spot?
—Don't worry. There are places where even you can claim it.
Then that's fine.
Still, why did this Shadow Elf become a wanted criminal?
He was creepy and perverted, sure—but that can't be the only reason.
—He stole countless things and killed many people for his goals. And no one could catch him, so the bounty kept increasing.
Pelerian trembled with anger.
—He even stole one of my precious magical catalysts. Dragon scales—something you can't even obtain anymore…
"Dragon scales?"
That immediately caught my interest.
Why would Deshnan steal something like that?
—He was obsessed with breeding magical beasts. He believed he could create the ultimate creature through selective breeding and training. I don't know what he did with the dragon scales, but…
If you eat dragon scales, don't you gain a dragon's power?
—Do you think it's that simple? …Anyway, even I couldn't catch him.
"He was that strong?"
If even Pelerian couldn't catch him, and I killed him…
Does that mean I'm now on Pelerian's level?
—Don't be ridiculous. He had an ancient magical artifact. Something like a cloak that allowed him to completely hide himself anywhere. That's why he was never caught—and how he handled dangerous beasts… though it seems he doesn't have it now.
At that, my eyes lit up, and I searched Deshnan's body again.
But unfortunately, there was no cloak.
If I had that, I could go anywhere.
I could become an assassin who moves through shadows.
Wait… a thought suddenly occurred to me.
"Now that he's dead… those items don't have an owner anymore, right?"
Pelerian and I spoke at the same time.
"An invisibility cloak!"
—"The dragon scales!"
Could his base be nearby?
—Search the journal more.
For once, Pelerian and I were perfectly in sync.
I was already flipping through the journal.
And sure enough—there was a clue.
"I moved to the Shadow Forest in the northeast and built a new home. It seems the 'festival' will soon be held in this area. The massive red roots of the World Tree have emerged here. It's safe since it's on a cliff, and the sight of the sunset above the World Tree is magnificent. There are two types of magical beast colonies: insects and primates…"
My heart raced.
There were several other clues as well.
—With this much information, we can find it.
Good. Time to go get my invisibility cloak—
"He's awake!"
At that moment, the goblins cried out in joy.
Turning around, I saw Nanaruk slowly getting up.
She looked around in confusion—her last memory must have been being captured by Deshnan.
The goblins explained the situation to her.
Judging by how they pointed at me, she seemed to understand that I had defeated him.
Nanaruk ran toward me.
I puffed out my chest.
Yeah, that's right—I'm the one who killed that Shadow Elf.
She hugged me tightly and spun around.
"You saved me again!"
She spun me around and showered me with kisses.
She seemed incredibly happy.
Wow… this was the first time I'd been kissed since I was five.
And the first one… was from a goblin.
What incredible luck.
Nanaruk had always been a cat-like beauty—
and after evolving, she seemed even prettier.
She lifted me high into the air.
Then she started tossing me up—
Wait, I'm getting dizzy!
You're supposed to do this with multiple people, Nanaruk!
Looking around, the other goblins were cheering and waving their hands.
Ah—even Medusa Mom was visible in the distance. She hadn't left and had been waiting.
Someone shouted my name.
"Ululululu!"
"O Uroboros!"
Wait… someone said that wrong.
Looking closer—it was the Great Shaman grandmother.
Once she started calling me Uroboros,
the other goblins followed.
Has she gone senile? Why change my name?
Sure, Ululululu is hard to pronounce, but still…
"Uroboros! Uroboros!"
And then—
Something unprecedented happened.
[You have obtained the title 'Uroboros'.]
Oh?
Uroboros.
That's… a pretty cool title.
I did like the title Heart-Devouring Serpent, but I couldn't help but check this one.
[Uroboros]
Also known as Ululululu.
A serpent that calls lightning, a serpent that devours evil—or such a serpent god.
Currently worshipped by only a very small number of goblins.
The more widespread this faith becomes, the more worthy its bearer will grow.
What is this.
This is way too cool. A Serpent god?
It was clearly on a different level from Heart-Devouring Serpent.
I wasn't sure if there were any immediate benefits, but the phrase "gain worthy status" stirred something deep inside me.
When I told Pelerian about it, he seemed surprised.
—That is definitely not a title for a human, but for a magical beast… It's the kind of title possessed by calamities that surpass even magical beasts.
Among magical beasts, there were apparently those of the highest rank.
—And this is a growing title. The more your fame spreads, the stronger its power will become.
Uroboros.
For some reason, I really liked the name.
I felt good.
***
Pelerian's dungeon had been discovered once again.
The news reached Iris Selena, who still held the title of Golden Leaf Inspector.
Naturally, she returned to the World Tree.
The elder's residence.
Iris's expression as she climbed toward it was utterly resolute.
One defeat.
And one retreat.
Not only had she failed to find Pelerian, but she had also failed to recover even a sample of the chimera due to the human hero Gunter.
It was disgraceful.
And infuriating.
Even if she hadn't used her full strength, it didn't change that fact.
And even if she had… she probably couldn't have defeated that human hero.
After returning, Iris threw herself into relentless training.
She repeated exercises she had never skipped before, refining both body and mind.
Now, Iris Selena's presence was like a sharpened blade.
"Elder, I have come—"
Her expression instantly twisted.
Such a drastic change in expression—especially for someone as composed as Iris—was rare.
But it was unavoidable.
There, sprawled across the sofa, was a human woman casually munching on elf snacks.
The one person Iris hated most.
"Oh, the loser's here!"
What an opening.
The woman waved her butter-covered fingers lazily.
Her fiery orange hair was tied into twin tails.
She wore a tight jacket and black leather pants that hugged her long legs.
At her feet was a massive backpack, almost as big as her body.
"Elder, why is this woman here?"
"I have no idea."
The elder feigned ignorance, sipping tea.
Iris's sharp gaze fell on something—a luxurious tea tin on the table.
It was clearly human-made.
She understood immediately.
So this woman had finally bribed the elder.
"Langrey. Why have you come here?"
"What, is it illegal for a hunter to enter the Great Forest? And call me by my name, not my title."
Hunter.
That was her profession—one who hunted magical beasts.
But Heillit Langrey was better known as one of the Eight Heroes.
Among them, she ranked at the very top in battles against great magical beasts.
An unbelievable level of power for someone still in her twenties.
Iris tried to ignore this rude and barbaric human.
"Elder, the matter you summoned me for—"
"You ran away crying after getting beaten by Gunter, right? Like 'waaah!'"
Iris wasn't skilled enough to completely hide her emotions.
The mask she forced onto her face cracked.
"…I did not cry. Did the elder say that?"
"Who knows?"
The elder avoided her glare.
"Why are you here, Langrey!"
"Is this your house? Anyway… fine, I'll tell you."
Langrey lazily twisted her butter-covered hair.
"I got some info from the Magic Tower. Apparently, a 'festival' is about to happen in the Great Forest."
"Mm."
So it was that time already.
Iris frowned.
The "festival" wasn't an elf event.
It was a natural phenomenon that occurred once every few decades—
for magical beasts.
The World Tree's mana would reach saturation, bloom, and its roots would bear fruit, attracting magical beasts.
They would gather, devour one another, and evolve—giving birth to named monsters.
"This one's supposed to be pretty big. Might even trigger a monster wave."
"Do you believe such foolish doomsayers?"
In the Great Forest, monster waves did not occur.
That was common sense.
Still, some scholars insisted that one day, the beasts would flood into the continent, bringing ancient disasters long forgotten.
Of course, in Iris's lifetime, nothing like that had ever happened.
"Doesn't matter to me. I came to hunt some monsters—and that wanted Shadow Elf too."
"Deshnan?"
"Yeah. I'll collect his bounty too."
"Must be short on money."
"Then why don't you give me some allowance, grandma?"
"…!"
Iris clenched her fists, trembling.
Though still young by elf standards, Langrey often mockingly called her "grandma."
"Nice pants, right?"
Langrey stood up, showing them off.
The black leather looked extraordinary.
"I made them from the hide of a Black Shadowling."
"How barbaric."
"You should change your clothes too. You always look so outdated. I'm thinking of making a jacket next… maybe from…"
Heillit Langrey made her own clothing from the monsters she hunted.
"Serpent skin. I like Serpents."
"…."
"I heard a Serpent was wearing Pelerian's ring. And you still couldn't catch it."
The elder quietly slipped out of the room.
Just how much had this woman heard?
"So why did you fight Gunter anyway? I told you he was dangerous. Your half-baked swordsmanship isn't enough. You should've used the magic you learned from Pelerian."
"…."
"Oh my—don't tell me you're still sealing your memories? That's just pathetic."
Iris couldn't respond—her fists trembled.
She wasn't good at arguing.
The type to think of better comebacks only after it was over.
"Anyway, I'll get going—wait, what?"
Langrey suddenly froze.
She looked genuinely startled.
Were those tears…?
"Leave."
"…R-right, I'm going."
At Iris's cold dismissal, Langrey nodded quickly and left in an instant—
a swift exit befitting one of the Eight Heroes.
"Ahem… well…"
The elder cleared his throat, pretending to tidy the table.
"Elder."
"…Y-yes?"
"Pelerian's dungeon… where is it?"
"Yes… I'll tell you. Of course I will."
The elder deliberately avoided looking at the faint glimmer in Iris's eyes.
… … …