Fabre in Sacheon's Tang-Chapter 262: Where the Spirit Beast Went (6)

Something round appeared between the bushes, then quickly vanished.

A mottled pattern flashed into view for a moment before disappearing right in front of the trio’s eyes.

– Kkiit! 『It’s gone!』

Just as Hongdan shouted that it had disappeared, the three of them were about to dash through the grass toward where the round object had vanished.

Then, something their dad had said to Bini and the others gently resurfaced in Bini’s mind.

“There’s a spirit beast nearby that looks like a seogwa, so be careful, okay? Right now, Moji and Soji are making cocoons, remember? You kids might be fine since you’re not humans, but since you live with Dad, you might smell like a person. That beast once fought with a human, so you really have to be careful.”

That warning about a spirit beast nearby that resembled a seogwa.

Could that thing just now have been that one? Bini tried to picture a seogwa in her mind.

A seogwa was a red fruit with spiky bumps, the kind Dad used to eat while spitting out the seeds. The kind that dripped juice.

But the thing that flashed past just now had only been round in shape.

No matter how hard she thought about it, it didn’t look anything like a seogwa. So Bini started moving again.

It just couldn’t be a seogwa, no matter how she looked at it.

Most of all—it wasn’t even red.

– Chyaaak. Chyak.

Pushing through the bushes, the three of them quickly sprinted toward the direction where that round object had disappeared.

With Bini’s large body, the grasses parted left and right, and in front, Hongdan swiftly slashed away the entangling weeds with her pincers.

Then, ahead of them, something was flattening the grass as it moved, and soon, that round object came into view once more.

It was that thing.

Something round.

– Tsururut! 『There it is!』

– Kkiiiik! 『Sister, I’ll block its way!』

Bini shouted as she straightened up and confirmed the shape of the round thing.

Rushing ahead out of curiosity, Hongdan blocked its path and asked,

– Kkii! 『What are you?』

The thing stopped as it moved.

– Kkiit? 『I said, what are you?』

As Hongdan asked who the round creature was—

At that moment, it sensed the presence of Bini and Hyang approaching from behind and turned around.

Its eyes met Hyang’s and Bini’s.

For a moment, it seemed startled, and its antennae bristled upright—and then a strange sound burst out of the creature.

– Tschit!?

– Bboooong! Bbop bop bop bop!

A series of squelching sounds rang out, and at the same time, white smoke spread out around them.

With a foul stench, Hongdan’s scream pierced through the damp surroundings.

– KKIIIIIIII!

***

– Kkiiieee. Kkii.

Hongdan was now completely covered in the foul-smelling toxin the round creature had sprayed.

While they were still staring at the thing that had sprayed the awful poison onto Hongdan, Hyang and Bini quickly rushed to her side.

She looked seriously injured.

She was trembling, rolling on the ground, twitching her antennae in pain.

– T-Tsutrut!? 『A-Are you okay, Hongdan?!』

– Kki, kkii... 『It hurts...』

At Hongdan’s words of pain, Hyang and Bini’s eyes sparked with fury.

They had only tried to ask its name—and it had the nerve to spray poison at Hongdan?

Overcome with rage, Bini and Hyang whipped around.

They didn’t know what it was, but they were going to give it a beating.

But by then, the creature had already disappeared.

In that brief moment while they’d been checking on Hongdan, it had vanished.

– Tsurut! 『Where the hell is that thing?!』

It had clearly run away.

As Hyang shouted in anger, Bini raised her body and scanned the area.

Then, curled up and trembling, Hongdan looked up at them with teary eyes and cried,

– Kkiiiee... 『Sister, it hurts...』

A whimper that sounded like she was about to die.

In an instant, the fire in their eyes turned to panic.

– Tsururu! 『Ah, that’s right! Hongdan, hang on! Bini, take care of her first!』

– Tsurut! 『Got it, Sister.』

Even though the stench was awful, Bini immediately grabbed Hongdan with her mouth.

Then she rushed off toward the water.

She remembered how Dad had once washed the pirates in water when they got hit with Hwayang Sister’s poison, fearing they might’ve been contaminated.

– Tsurut! 『Where are you going, Bini?』

– Tsururu. 『To the water! Remember, Dad washed the poison off with water!』

– Tsurut! 『Ah, right!』

They pushed through the tall grass once more, running.

Bini ran straight to the nearest pond and dipped Hongdan in and out repeatedly.

– Splash. Splash.

– Kkiii... kkii... 『It hurts... it hurts... it huuuuurts...』

Even though Hongdan kept struggling and whining that it hurt and she didn’t want to go in, they had no choice.

Dad said the best way to clean off poison was with water.

After several rounds, the stench started to fade.

Bini pulled Hongdan out and set her down, checking her condition.

The poison that had soaked her shell had turned it slightly soft and damp, but the poison itself seemed to be completely washed away.

There was still a bit of odor, but that was all.

– Tsurut!? 『Are you okay, Hongdan?』

At Bini’s worried question, Hongdan fluttered her soggy wings and limbs, then twitched her antennae and said,

– Kkiiik. 『It stings...』

It didn’t seem like she was dying anymore, but the places where the poison had hit were definitely stinging.

Still, it didn’t look like there was any serious injury, so Bini and Hyang breathed a sigh of relief.

They were really afraid it might have been something serious, but it didn’t look too bad.

The stench when it had been sprayed was horrendous, but it didn’t seem like the poison itself was especially lethal.

Just in case, Hyang hugged Hongdan tightly for a long time.

To make sure there wasn’t any poison left on her.

And after a while—

Just as Hongdan was saying she felt okay, Hyang, her antennae curling in fury, let out a furious cry.

She might be safe now, but their rage at the one who did this to her hadn’t faded at all.

– Tsurut! 『Where did that bastard go?! Let’s find it and make it pay!』

To harm Hongdan like that—

As the oldest, this was something that absolutely couldn’t go unpunished.

Especially because Hongdan was someone Hyang cared deeply about.

Even before she evolved, when she was just little Hyang, she and Hongdan were always together. There was no way she could let this go.

To dare poison her little sister?

They had to hunt it down and beat it to a pulp.

– Chiiik.

A drop of venom dripped from Hyang’s mouth.

As it hit the grass, flames flared up with a whoosh, then vanished.

– Tsurut! 『Yeah, let’s get it!』

Bini, the youngest of the O-gong Sisters, also growled in anger, agreeing fiercely.

Still holding onto Hongdan’s trembling antennae, Hyang cried out,

– Tsururururu. 『It hurt, didn’t it? Hongdan? Don’t worry, Sisters are gonna go beat that bastard up! Just wait a little bit! Bini, let’s go! We have to track it down and give it a proper thrashing!』

– Tsurut! 『Got it, Sister! Hongdan, get on my back quick! You’re gonna help us spray it too!』

– Kkii! 『Got it!』

Hongdan, who had been slumped and defeated after being doused in poison, quickly climbed onto Bini’s back, reassured by her sisters’ strong presence.

She could spray poison too, so just like her sister said—she was going to pay that thing back in kind.

Her stinging antennae only made her angrier.

Just as the three sisters, full of fire, were about to head off in search of that thing again—

A voice echoed in Bini’s head. Her dad’s voice.

‘Bini, where are you?’

Bini, leading the way ahead with confidence while carrying Hongdan, came to a dead stop.

She had no doubt now—they’d been caught sneaking out. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

– Tsurut. 『Bini, aren’t you going?』

– Kkiit? 『Sister, you’re not going?』

Just as ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Hyang and Hongdan tilted their heads at Bini’s sudden stop, her antennae twitched, and a soft whimper escaped her toward the others.

– Tsururur... 『What do we do? Dad found out...』

– Tch! 『What?!』

– Kkiit! 『Really?!』

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

At Bini’s tearful confession, Hyang and Hongdan’s antennae bristled with tension.

If their dad found out they’d snuck out, they were going to get in trouble for sure.

He’d told them it was dangerous and to stay put, and they had gone out on their own.

The three of them exchanged awkward smiles.

– Tsururu.

– Tsurut.

– Kkii.

Yep, definitely time to head back—fast.

And right on cue, Hyang heard their dad’s voice too.

‘Hyang, where are you? You’re with Bini, right? Daddy’s getting mad.’

– Tsurut... 『Dad keeps calling us...』

With their dad calling nonstop, the trio had no choice but to put their revenge plans on hold for now.

They’d been caught sneaking out, and they had to hurry back.

As they went, they silently agreed: this incident was going to be a secret.

Not just because they’d snuck out, but because if their dad found out Hongdan had gotten seriously hurt, they’d definitely get a major scolding.

Their dad doted on them—if he knew someone had almost gotten hurt, it wouldn’t end with just a lecture.

– Tsururur. 『Let’s keep it a secret from Dad for now, okay?』

– Tsurut. 『Got it!』

– Kkii! 『Okay, Sister!』

But even if they hid the injury, Bini still hated making their dad upset.

In a worried voice, Bini turned to Hyang.

They may have been born at the same time, and Bini didn’t love how Dad called one “Sister” and the other “Dongsaeng,” but in times like this, she really leaned on Hyang.

– Tsururur. 『But what do we do if Dad’s really mad? Hyang Sister?』

– Tsururur. 『Don’t worry. You just have to do this.』

– Tsurut. 『Do what?』

– Tsururur... 『Like this...』

As they changed direction and headed back to where Dad was, Bini’s body arrived in front of the old house.

Their dad was standing there with his arms crossed, waiting for them.

“Where have you three been? Daddy was worried!”

His arms crossed, his eyes glaring, he looked furious—just like Hyang said he would.

So Bini acted fast and wrapped herself around him.

Then—slap slap—she smacked her cheeks against both sides of his face.

“Oh—you little... You think this will get you out of troubl—”

– Churum.

– Chururum.

As the salty taste of Dad hit her tongue, his voice softened immediately.

“You little... Fine, Daddy forgives you—but what’s that smell?”

– Tsurut!?

– Tsururur.

At his comment about a smell, the girls concentrated as hard as they could to avoid getting caught.

And just like Hyang said, their dad’s expression soon turned all smiles as he petted them gently.

“You just felt cooped up, huh? I get it. But still, don’t go off on your own like that again, okay? Daddy gets worried.”

Wrapped around him just like Hyang said—it really seemed to be working.

Bini thought to herself, once again, that even though Hyang was smaller, she really was an Sister.

Then came a sharp and piercing voice.

“So-ryong! If you’re going to discipline them, do it properly! No wonder they’re getting so spoiled!”

It was Mom.

– Tsurut. 『Sister... What about Mom?』

Bini quickly whispered to Hyang, panicked. But Hyang drooped her antennae and answered with a sigh.

『Tsurut. There’s no hope with Mom. We’re getting scolded.』

Mom didn’t fall for their cute tricks.

Maybe Dad would—but not her.

***

Night had fallen, and the world was pitch black.

Just like eyes opening in the darkness, Hyang twitched her antennae silently.

She carefully moved toward Bini, who looked like she was asleep in the corner.

– Tap tap.

As Hyang poked her, Bini immediately raised her antennae.

She wasn’t asleep.

From the ceiling, still cloaked in the dark, Hongdan scurried down and climbed onto Bini’s back.

The three had gathered in the middle of the night for one reason: that thing from earlier.

They were going to get revenge.

If a younger sibling got hurt and the older sisters didn’t avenge them, they weren’t worthy of the title.

Speaking only through their antennae, the trio slipped out of the large building where they lived and quietly made their way outside.

As they stepped out, soft dew fell around them.

Because they were near the riverbank, a thick mist blanketed the ground. It would make spotting the creature harder, but they decided to head toward the edge and avoid the patrol uncles instead.

– Tsurut! 『Let’s go!』

Just as Bini shouted from atop her sister’s head—

A voice called out from above.

– Tsururur! 『Where do you think you’re going?』

Startled, the three looked up.

In the fog, there stood Cho Sister, glaring down at them with narrowed eyes and bristling antennae.

– Tsu... 『W-We were just...』

Frozen, none of them could answer.

Cho looked them over and mentioned their mom.

– Tsururur. Tsurut. 『Unacceptable. Dad told you not to go out, so I’m telling Mom everything.』

At Cho’s threat, Hongdan and Hyang’s antennae drooped low.

But among the O-gong sisters, one still fumed in fury at her words.

Dad had called Cho the eldest sister—but going and tattling to Mom? That wasn’t how a real Sister acted.

– Tsururur! 『You’re the eldest and you’re tattling to Mom?! You don’t even know why we’re out here! That weird thing from earlier hurt Hongdan, and we’re out here to pay it back!』

– Tch? 『What!? Someone hurt Hongdan?!』

Cho froze at Bini’s words.

And even Bini, who had been shouting, flinched at the sudden shift in Cho’s expression.

In the dark, Cho’s eyes began to glow with a blue hue.

A chilling, low whimper escaped her.

– Tsururur... 『Someone hurt our Hongdan?』

– Tsu, Tsurut. 『Uh? Y-yeah...』

– Tsuru... 『Lead the way.』

As the eldest among them, this was something she could never allow.