Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 238

238

Natasha, the head of the Snake Family, was a long-lived beast-person.

So much so that even some of her closest aides didn’t know exactly how old she was.

She was also a beast-person who maintained her youth despite her long life.

On a whim, she had married the head of the Black Panther Family, who was powerful enough to rival the Imperial Family.

However, due to differences in their upbringing and personalities, she ended their short marriage and returned to seclude herself in her territory.

She wasn’t a beast-person particularly specialized in combat.

Rather, her specialty was a powerful but auxiliary ability.

So, when minor and major disputes arose, she initially tried to resolve them by mobilizing her subordinates.

Fortunately, she was also a quite capable commander, so she successfully overcame the disputes involving combat.

That is, until the crocodiles, acting under the Imperial Family’s secret orders, appeared in large numbers.

In this land, which resembled a vast rainforest, there was a swamp teeming with life.

For quite some time, the snakes had competed with the crocodiles over this swamp, and the snakes had emerged victorious.

The pushed-back crocodiles had settled downriver.

But suddenly, they came claiming that the land was their ancestors’ territory, and furthermore, the Imperial Family’s land, demanding it be returned.

Moreover, despite originally being weaker than the snakes, they displayed entirely different strength for some reason.

It was from this point that Natasha noticed the Imperial Family’s abnormal intervention.

Although the crocodiles occasionally caused trouble, they were a cunning race that valued their own safety above all else.

For them to attack, even during their spawning season, regardless of gender, was highly unusual.

It was too abnormal.

But even though she realized it, she didn’t have a suitable way to respond.

The snakes, who were also in their spawning season and outnumbered, suffered considerable damage from the sudden attacks.

They were barely holding on, but after repeated attacks, they reached their limit.

“I will go to Aquasia del, Mother.”

This was why she had no choice but to swallow her pride as a lord and seek cooperation from the Orca Family far away.

Already, just for respecting aquatic beast-people, the snakes were treated as heretics among land animals.

Yes, that was all fine and good.

But…….

Shuaaaah!

……What on earth was this?

Before her eyes, the crazed crocodile beast-people were floating up into the air and falling to the ground.

A man with one hand in his pocket stood amidst the fallen crocodiles.

Around the man, swirling streams of water fiercely guarded their position.

Clearly, it was one of the lord’s brothers, named Atlan.

Meanwhile, there was also someone standing quietly among the fallen.

He looked so composed that it was hard to believe he had been in a fierce battle.

If it weren’t for the blood on the sword he was holding.

He was also said to be one of the lord’s brothers.

And that wasn’t all.

There was that humpback whale with bandages wrapped around his fists.

And that orca woman with her long hair braided down.

Each and every one of them was a formidable powerhouse.

It was strange how they had remained unknown until now.

Most of all…….

“Snake Family Head, is this the right one?”

Natasha wasn’t even surprised by the face of the random man who suddenly appeared before her.

Nor was she surprised by the fact that the man was dangling by his ankle.

She was only focused on the beautiful woman who was holding the man and asking her with a nonchalant expression.

Yes, the most unusual thing was this orca lord.

“……That’s right. The leader of the crocodiles.”

“Hmm. So it is.”

“……It must have been difficult to catch him with the Imperial Family’s support. You’re amazing.”

“Really? It was boring.”

Natasha tried hard to suppress her surprise.

She didn’t need to emphasize the fact that the snakes had suffered greatly because they couldn’t catch that leader.

“You seem very accustomed to battle.”

“As those stinky guys believe, are we crazy battle maniacs who fight every day?”

“…….”

“Ah, excuse me. This stink isn’t about you. I’m talking about the lion cubs.”

The smiling face looked youthful.

“But you still have a questioning look on your face?”

“Indeed. It’s quite amazing.”

“Ah.”

Even at most, Calypso Aquasia del would be in her early twenties.

Despite her youthful appearance, her body stiffened as if she were facing an old lord.

“We’re used to fighting.”

Perhaps from a long time ago? The orca lord’s face was playful as she said this.

“Lord, to prevent the next battle altogether, it would be good to raid the crocodiles’ spawning grounds.”

Natasha and Calypso turned their heads to the young man who had just appeared. It was Levi, the young man with glasses.

“How will you find that out?”

“It seems like it wouldn’t be difficult with Whale and Yo… no. With Ekion, would it be okay to check?”

Natasha was a little dumbfounded.

It was called the spawning season, but it was the time when the clan, with their animalistic instincts, gave birth.

The spawning grounds of a clan were treated as top secret, and this was the same for both snakes and crocodiles.

“I remember something. It’s just a guess, though.”

“Really? Go and see.”

What kind of memory did he have? Natasha was about to interject but then shut her mouth.

It was an animalistic sense. Even if she left it as it was, they wouldn’t lose anything.

“……I didn’t expect you to help this much. I’m already worried about how to repay you.”

“Ah, don’t worry. We’ll only take as much as we helped.”

Watching that, Natasha felt a chill run down her spine for some reason.

* * *

Levi, Whale, and the Dragon Duke returned the next morning.

“I found it. The spawning grounds.”

Levi said in a place where everyone in our group except the snakes had gathered.

‘It’s amazing. Levi is moving with someone other than Atlan or Hauser.’

When he pretended not to remember, he subtly tried to hang out with Atlan, who remembered when he needed protection.

But to single out the Dragon Duke, let alone Whale.

‘It’s amazing again. That means he acknowledges him as a comrade, right?’

“How did you find the place?”

“I heard something a long time ago, so I looked into it just in case. Since crocodiles bury their eggs by digging in the ground, I heard that the crocodile beast-people’s birthing places are also underground.”

I crossed my arms and tilted my head.

“Wow, let’s take over that place? That sounds like a villainous thing to do.”

“It would be suitable for shortening the fight to the shortest time possible.”

After some thought, I nodded.

“At least pregnant women and children should not be harmed at all. Is that possible?”

“It won’t be difficult. Whale.”

At Levi’s call, Whale raised his hand slightly.

“While moving with Hyung [older brother/term of endearment], I examined the crocodiles that fell in between.”

“Who knocked down those crocodiles?”

“Me and the Dragon Duke?”

“Yeah. Keep going.”

“There was something wrong with the crocodiles’ minds.”

Whale’s ability is diagnosis and treatment. More precisely, time-reversal treatment.

“There was something digging into their minds, their heads. Like a strange bug?”

“……Was it a pitch-black bug? Like an earthworm?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

I frowned. It was an existence I had seen very briefly in the 3rd playthrough [a previous attempt at the game/story].

Under the Crown Prince, there were many who would do anything to win the war.

The representative of these was the ‘Monkeys’.

Among them, there was a guy who, taking advantage of the chaos, controlled and suppressed ordinary beast-people through cruel experiments, and then strengthened them to the point of straining their bodies…….

He was devising a way to make them slaves who only thought about fighting.

‘It’s an experiment that failed in the 3rd playthrough…….’

The Crown Prince also has memories, so did he succeed this time?

“Then can you treat it with your ability, Whale?”

If he could diagnose it even though it wasn’t an illness or injury, could he also treat it?

It was an attack that we were helplessly defeated by in the 3rd playthrough.

We were only at an advantage because the experiment failed and only a very small number of people successfully became slaves.

“It’s possible.”

Whale nodded.

It was truly fortunate, as we didn’t know how many more of these guys we would face in the future.

‘Even if a crocodile-level beast-person is strengthened, it won’t be difficult to deal with.’

But what if the predators above that level change like this?

The change in power will be significant.

“But I can’t do it alone, I need the Dragon Duke’s help.”

“What?”

“So……. If what’s in their head is a bug anyway.”

Since it was a living creature, it was difficult with Whale’s ability alone.

But the Dragon Duke’s ability is time manipulation. If he stops the body’s time for a moment, Whale can recognize the bug that has infiltrated the body as an object and treat it.

“Wait a minute, it’s definitely amazing, but there’s a problem.”

Belus, who had been quiet, raised his hand and said calmly.

“If it takes time to treat one person at a time, that’s also a problem.”

The point was valid. I was thinking that too.

Whale nodded in response.

“Hmm, that won’t be a problem either.”

“Why?”

Whale glanced at the Dragon Duke. Noticing the gaze, the Dragon Duke nodded slowly.

It’s not a problem for the Dragon Duke to stop the time of a unit.

“And the materials for treatment aren’t that expensive or rare.”

“Huh?”

“If I had to say, it’s about the level of treating a deep cut?”

“Wow. ……That’s a bit. Amazing?”

I blinked at the unexpected solution.

‘Wow, the Crown Prince must have considered this as his last resort…….’

Because Whale is alive.

Because the Dragon Duke is in our camp, it’s been shattered.