Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 165

Chapter 165″Ryong, where do you think you’re going so fast?! And why are you holding Hwayang?! You’re going to get poisoned a second time! Hwa-eun! Hwa-eun! Come see what So-ryong is up to!”

Seol’s reprimand shot toward the back of my head like a hurled knife.
Even though she wasn’t a member of the Tang Clan, she was scolding me like a true elder.
To make matters worse, she was calling for Hwa-eun, who had been relaxing in the cabin with Bini, Seol, and Hyang.
There’s no tactic more cowardly than telling on someone, and it appeared Seol was going to report me directly to Hwa-eun.
Seol… I believed in you… How could you…
A small feeling of betrayal washed over me, though I had to admit her concern was valid.
Hwayang’s skin was covered in poison, making direct contact risky, and yet I was clutching him tightly while dashing toward a mountain engulfed in flames. Seol’s fussing was only to be expected.
But even if I were poisoned again, even if Hwa-eun yelled at me later—how could the illustrious Spicy Fabre show restraint at a moment like this?
This was my sole opportunity to discover Hwayang’s true nature.
Right now, Hwayang was a lottery ticket waiting to be scratched—I had to do it now. When would another chance like this ever appear?
If Hwayang ate something simple and inexpensive, like Cho or Bini did, it wouldn’t be a problem.
But his nourishment was pure flame.
That meant feeding him was an exorbitant undertaking. A fire of this scale demanded a king’s ransom—not something I could produce whenever I wished.
So even if it makes me spit blood, I won’t let this opportunity slip away.
I knew Seol was anxious about my well-being, but I hadn’t thoughtlessly grabbed Hwayang without a strategy.
I am Fabre, after all.
An expert in managing poisonous beings. Did she truly assume I’d handle Hwayang without any safeguards?
I had backup plans ready.
With Seol, Bini, and Dong nearby, curing any poison would be challenging, but not impossible.
Furthermore, having survived poisoning once already, I likely had built up some immunity.
So, paying no mind to the sharp warnings behind me, I engaged my light-foot skill and vaulted over the water channel Bini had created, making a beeline for the foot of the mountain.
One of the four ignition points was nearby, and now the whole mountain was burning like a giant fire pit.
The scorching heat made it hard to get near. If I intended to feed Hwayang, I would have to begin at the perimeter and slowly move inward.
I’ll need to strip the flames back layer by layer, like peeling an apple.
Holding onto that idea, I got to the base of the mountain with Hwayang still in my arms.
Upon arriving, I saw Sword Dragon, who was overseeing the blaze, turn toward me with a startled expression.
“So-ryong, it’s not safe here! What are you doing all the way over here? Hm? What is that? Another poisonous being?”
Since my other creatures had been introduced previously, but Hwayang had been primarily concealed in the water bucket inside my cabin, this was Sword Dragon’s first look at him.
“Correct, he is another one of my companions. I’ve come to give him a meal.”
“…A meal?”
Sword Dragon looked bewildered at the mention of food.
Just then, I sensed Hwayang squirming eagerly against my chest.
Confronted with such a magnificent spread, he was fighting to get loose and charge ahead.
“Okay, okay, go on.”
I relaxed my hold a little and angled his head toward the fire.
As I moved nearer to the flames, the raging fire on the closest tree suddenly twisted into a whirlpool and poured into Hwayang’s mouth.
A shocked exclamation came from behind me.
“So-ryong! That fire is too strong—W-What?! He’s… consuming the fire?!”
Sword Dragon’s voice quivered with amazement.
The enormous blaze eating the tree had been swallowed by Hwayang in a split second.
I was taken aback myself.
Hwayang had already developed all four limbs, and now his way of eating fire was totally changed.
Back when he was legless, the flames were pulled in slowly and thinly, like a fine strand of silk.
But now?
Now, it was as if a huge industrial vacuum had been switched on. The fire disappeared immediately.
Wow… This is unbelievable.
I stood frozen, gazing at Hwayang.
He looked back at me, then—
Thwap. Thwap.
He whipped his tail against both sides of my face.
“Hey! Okay, okay, I understand!”
He was telling me, Move faster and find more food.
Like Heungbu being struck by Nolbu, I shook off my stupor and bolted toward the next fire.
Even though I’d been hit, I felt… strangely pleased.
His tail was remarkably soft—it cupped my cheeks so gently.
Who else on earth could claim to have been tapped on the face by a giant tadpole’s tail?
I got hit, but I’m delighted…
Smiling foolishly, I quickly moved Hwayang in front of another fire.
And the instant I did—
A breathtaking scene played out before my eyes.
With every movement I made, every change in where I stood—
Every flame in the vicinity, big or small, was pulled directly into Hwayang’s mouth.
It was like watching a vacuum clean up debris, but instead of debris, it was fire.
But even though he was consuming flames at a incredible speed, Hwayang remained unsatisfied.
He repeatedly turned to me, his face filled with urgency, pushing me to go quicker.
“I’m going as fast as possible, Hwayang!”
I knew he wanted more speed, but it was difficult.
The fire had extended along the mountain’s sides, creating linked walls of flame.
To feed him properly, I had to locate each separate fire and guide him to it.
Hwayang could easily consume connected flames, but isolated fires needed to be fed by hand.
Plus, the heat from the flames Hwayang was absorbing was like being in a steamy room to me.
But if I ventured even a step too far into flames he hadn’t absorbed—
It felt like stepping into an oven.
I need a smarter method.
The fire wouldn’t burn indefinitely. Once the trees were nothing but cinders, the wildfire would fade on its own.
I had to make sure Hwayang ate as much as he could before that occurred.
Is there another approach…?
I stopped briefly, surveying the burning mountain, searching for a new idea.
Then, my eyes fell on something I didn’t expect.
From behind, I recognized the voices of Hwa-eun and Seol.
“Ryong! Return here immediately!”
“So-ryong! It’s not safe! Come back!”
They had caught up and were shouting at me in a panic.
But I wasn’t looking at them.
I was looking at Seol’s cloak.
Specifically, the leopard skin covering her shoulders.
And suddenly, in my thoughts, the pelt and the burning fire merged together.
An ideal match.
Should I risk it?
Great risk can bring great reward, yes?
Without a second thought, I ran to them.
“Seol! Let me borrow that pelt for a minute!”
“Absolutely not!”
“So-ryong! We have to discuss this!”

Before I could give my reasons, they seized me by both arms and began pulling me back.
“Hold on, just listen! If I lose this chance, Hwayang may never fully grow!”
“What?!”
“Why?!”
“It’s because—”
While I frantically explained as they dragged me, both Hwa-eun and Seol became quiet and thoughtful, then eventually gave a nod.
“I see your point, but this seems far too dangerous.”
“She’s right, So-ryong! It’s much too reckless!”
Their worry was sincere, and I understood the reason.
The flames were so violent that they feared I would be injured.
But was I the type to quit?
This is Spicy Fabre, a man who refuses to recognize defeat.
“I’ll take every precaution. I won’t be harmed. I’m begging you. Please! Please! Hwa-eun! Seol! I’m pleading with you!”
“Ah, st-stop clinging to me like that, So-ryong! And don’t put your arm around my waist—no, ah, hold on…!”
“I won’t say yes just because you’re begging—huh? Hey, my shoulder…!”
Initially, they were both unwavering in their refusal.
But when I begged with the desperate look of a husband negotiating for a new toy, they finally yielded.
Naturally, I also took a moment to rub Seol’s shoulder and keep an arm around Hwa-eun’s waist.
Finally, Seol let out a breath and passed me the leopard pelt from her shoulders.
“…What do you plan to do with this, exactly?”
I didn’t answer, but snatched the pelt and ran to the closest water channel.
There, I drenched it thoroughly until water ran off it, then draped it over my body.
And then—
I hoisted Hwayang onto my head and charged directly into the fire.
“This.”
“So-ryong!”
“So-ryong! If you make it back alive, I promise you’ll pay for this!”
If I’d tried to explain first, they would have never agreed.
That’s why I acted without delay.
True to form, their angry shouts followed me.
But there was no alternative.
Even if they punished me later, I had to do this now.
To ensure Hwayang consumed enough fire, I needed to get to the center of the inferno—the heart of the fire.
And this was the only method to get there.
What about the fallout?
That was a problem for another me in another world to handle.
I’m counting on you, my other selves!
—Whoooosh!
As fire roared overhead, it was immediately drawn into Hwayang’s mouth.
Not delaying, I shifted direction and raced toward the mountain stream flowing down the slope.
Even with a wet pelt, surviving the trip without burning was improbable.
However much water the pelt had soaked up, it would dry out eventually, so I had to re-soak it in nearby streams as I advanced toward the fire’s core.
I ran, allowing Hwayang to feed on the flames above, until I reached the stream.
The moment I entered the water, I noticed an unusual heat.
‘Ugh, fire is no trivial matter.’
The wildfire’s heat had warmed the shallow stream, making it like a tepid bath.
After submerging the pelt again, I pushed onward, going up the stream along the valley.
Above, sparks and glowing ashes fell like a cascade of fire.
The brilliant light from the flames hurt to look at.
I continued upward, using the valley for protection, until—
“…Ugh. Is this the end of the line? The summit is still so far away.”
Despite all my effort, I hadn’t reached the fire’s core.
After climbing for thirty minutes, I’d made it to the stream’s origin, but the fire’s heart was still beyond reach.
“Can we actually get to the core?”
The area around us was now safe, cleared by Hwayang’s feeding.
But there was no more water beyond here, so I couldn’t continue upward.
It was frustrating, but it seemed this was as far as we could go.
I lifted Hwayang from my head, met his gaze, and let out a breath.
“Hwayang, we did our best, but we have to stop here. So let’s just—YEEEOOWW!?”
Just as I was going to concede, I noticed Hwayang’s tail.
It was a third shorter than it had been.
Not because it was injured, but because it had been burned down while he consumed the fire.
The words I was about to say suddenly changed.
“…No, wait. Trying hard isn’t a reason to quit! We need to succeed! Forget it! We’re pushing forward! A man lives once—and dies once too!”
…Okay, to be honest, I’d already died once before.
But that’s not important now.
Filled with resolve, I knelt by the flowing stream, scrambling for a new idea.
That’s when—
—Tsrut?
A well-known voice sounded in my head.
Glancing up, I found Cho soaring above, looking for me.
Wait, that’s it!
In a flash, an idea hit me.
The strongest flames—the absolute peak of the fire—would be at the very top.
If I wanted Hwayang to take in the most fire, I needed to go straight to the highest point.
And that’s when a crazy scheme came together in my head.
“Hwayang, let’s eat up all the fire around us first!”
I needed Cho to land here.
So I had Hwayang clear the surrounding flames before calling Cho down.
Cho! Your dad is down here! Come!
As soon as Cho saw me, he descended through the fire and started reprimanding me instantly.
—Tsrurur! Tsur! Tsutsurut!
His scolding was just like Hwa-eun’s.
After soothing him, I shared my plan mentally.
Cho, pay attention. Hwayang has been hungry for a decade. This could be his only shot to grow completely. We need to support him…
As I sent the mental image, Cho’s antennae moved.
He was questioning if I was sure.
I gave a firm nod.
—Tsrut?
In the vision, I turned Seol’s leopard pelt into cords.
Then, I fastened myself to Cho’s body, attaching myself to his front.
Once airborne, I’d hold Hwayang out in front and dive straight into the highest flames like a shooting star.
Because Hwayang absorbed heat along with fire, the area behind would be protected, allowing me to plunge directly into the fire’s core.
Cho’s reaction?
Total astonishment.
But I had one final trick.
Cho, you’re my most loved child, aren’t you? You’ll help me with this, won’t you?
—Tsuruut?
A lengthy silence.
Then, he consented.
“Okay, let’s do it!”
With Hwayang leading the way, we dropped from the sky like a meteor.
The instant Hwayang met the core of the wildfire—
The entire mountain exploded into a giant whirlwind of flames, swirling into Hwayang’s mouth.
—WHOOOOSH!
Like an enormous black hole for fire.
Or maybe a red hole.
And the moment every flame was gone—
We landed hard on the ashy peak of the mountain.
—THUD!
‘Is everyone alright!?’
—Tsrururt!
Cho replied, assuring me we were safe.
As the ash cleared, Hwayang’s real form came into view.
Gyaaah— what?!
Something was wrong.
Hwayang appeared… cute.
Exceptionally cute.
Did I just end up with a losing ticket…?!
He didn’t have the imposing presence of a mighty beast.