Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 166

Chapter 166
At the very least, Hwayang’s fully grown form was incredibly endearing.
His body was plump and bun-shaped, colored a vivid orange, with short, deep purple limbs that seemed dipped in dark ink.
His front and back legs were notably stubby, his eyes held a dazed, almost enlightened expression, and his back was studded with rocky outgrowths that mimicked molten lava—this was Hwayang’s ultimate form.
He’s charming, but… maybe I shouldn’t set my hopes too high.
Just by looking at him, I had a strong sense he wasn’t on the level of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts or the Twenty-Four Venomous Monstrosities.
It was clear at a glance—he didn’t carry the same intimidating aura the others possessed.
No, it wasn’t just a lack of presence… he felt almost comically unimpressive.
Take Cho, for instance—six meters long, able to fly, producing a corrosive venom stronger than acid that dissolves proteins.
Or Yo-hwa, with her deceptively light yet incredibly resilient body, bladesharp steel silk, mind-bending illusions, and numbing poison.
Even Moji and Soji, still in their larval stage, possessed a fearsome mix of restorative and weakening abilities.
And the Gwaemyung Black Wasp? A monstrous wasp with a heavily armored body and attacks based on soundwaves.
But Hwayang?
Yes, his venom was potent, but…
His looks…
Well, he resembled a giant orange potato.
Why are you built like a potato?
Not that I meant it negatively.
Calling him a potato served two purposes.
First, he honestly looked the part.
Second, his build was very similar to the Rain Frogs I’d kept in my previous life.
Rain Frogs were rotund and pudgy, with squat, little legs.
They shuffled when they moved, and when they called out, it was with a comical “Bweeeeh!”—which made them hugely popular among a certain segment of frog fans.
Even though they weren’t poisonous, they were among the few frogs I actually raised, purely because of their absurd cuteness.
And Hwayang…
He was the spitting image of them.
Down to his hilariously unimpressive vibe.
Now that I consider it… his behavior patterns are similar, too.
Rain Frogs were burrowing amphibians native to Africa.
They hid underground, only coming out after dark or during rainfall.
In the same way, Hwayang only emerged in the presence of fire—his trigger wasn’t water, but flames.
Much like a Rain Frog lying dormant until the rain arrives, Hwayang had survived for ten years on almost nothing, waiting until he could achieve his final form.
Alright, then. Even if he’s not majestic, at least I finally have an amphibian in my group. He’s cute enough that I can live with it.
It was like buying a lottery ticket and winning a small prize—not nothing, but not exactly exciting.
Still, I didn’t own any other amphibians, and since he was officially mine, I decided I ought to care for him well.
I reached over and softly patted his head, gazing into his vacant-looking eyes.
“You did a good job, Hwayang. Welcome to being grown up. Well done.”
As I petted him, he half-closed his eyes contentedly and produced his first sound.
—Kiiiii!
Exactly as I anticipated—his voice was adorably feeble, just like a Rain Frog’s.
“Hwayang, even your voice is… well, it’s charming.”
—Kiii! Kiiiii!
He blinked slowly, his eyelids growing heavy as if the head scratches were lulling him to sleep.
But I wasn’t finished.
Now that I’d made peace with his underwhelming looks, it was time to determine what he actually was.
I had to study him closely.
Because even now, I still had no idea what kind of creature he truly was.
I was supposed to be Spicy Fabre, a living database of poisonous beings, an expert on toxic organisms—and yet I couldn’t identify what in the world he was.
I couldn’t even decide if he was a frog, a toad, or a narrow-mouthed frog.
When he was a tadpole, it made sense not to know.
But now, as an adult, his classification remained a mystery.
To be honest, amphibians are famously difficult to classify.
Even in my past life, the distinctions between frogs, toads, and narrow-mouthed frogs were often unclear.
Typically, species are categorized by genetics, physical form, and biological function.
But frogs, toads, and narrow-mouthed frogs all fall under the Amphibian Order—a group filled with endless exceptions.
Some frogs have rough, toad-like skin.
Some frogs can’t jump properly, much like narrow-mouthed frogs.
And some toads have features typical of frogs, making the divisions nearly pointless.
That’s why I was deeply focused on examining Hwayang, when—
—Tsrut!
Cho suddenly let out a sharp, surprised cry.
I turned to look.
Cho was completely still, shocked, his antennae rigid and upright.
It was unusual to see him so startled.
“What is it, Cho? Did something happen?”
Cho didn’t answer.
He just gazed at me, utterly stupefied.
“…Cho? Are you alright?”
I moved my hand in front of his face, trying to break his trance.
And then—
I noticed something reflected in his eyes.
Wait… what is that?
Thinking there might still be some burning embers nearby, I glanced around.
But no.
The mountain peak was buried under white ash—every fire had gone out.
So… what was that glint in his eyes?
Then—
—Fwoooosh…
A faint, sizzling noise came from above me.
“…Oh.”
I lifted my hand, and the instant my fingers touched my hair—
I felt a burning sensation.
A blue flame was dancing on top of my head.
“W-what?! Fire?!”
—Tsururur!
—Gyaaahhh!
In a frenzy, I shoved my head into the ash, trying to put out the flame.
It didn’t die down.
I snatched what was left of Seol’s fur pelt and draped it over my head.
But rather than going out, the fire simply ignited the fur as well.
—Fwooooosh!
This… this wasn’t ordinary fire.
Hwayang’s venom must have advanced along with his metamorphosis.
If I didn’t act wisely, this might turn very dangerous.
“Cho! Bring Hwa-eun, Seol, Bini, and Dong! Now!”
I required all three of them to cleanse the poison.
—Tsrut!
Hearing the desperation in my voice, Cho instantly launched into the air, flying down the mountainside.
As I turned back toward Hwayang, feeling increasingly nervous, I noticed something even more concerning.
The same blue flames were raging across his back.
Azure Fire.
—Fwoooosh.
I hadn’t planned for his venom to evolve… Damn, am I going to be alright?
I’d trusted that another version of myself from a different world would deal with the fallout…
But apparently, he was just as impulsive as I am.

***

The wait for Hwa-eun felt like it stretched on forever.
Oddly, my hair wasn’t actually burning, but having a flame flickering on my head like a candlewick made it impossible not to panic.
I felt like a human candlestick, and the idea that the fire might gradually consume me from the head down filled me with profound dread.
And along with it came mankind’s most basic fear.
Even if I made it through this, what if all my hair was burned away?
If I went bald at my age, I’d prefer death.
A scalp injury could permanently destroy hair follicles—leaving a bald spot forever.
But a burn?
That meant total, irreversible baldness.
So, torn between the fear of dying and the fear of lifelong hair loss, it was only natural that I was nearly losing my grip.
“Damn it… Hwayang, can’t you control this fire!?”
Frantic, I looked to Hwayang for assistance, but was only met with his vacant, oblivious stare.
As though he had risen above all earthly worries.
His calm, slow-blinking, Zen-like look juxtaposed with my emergency was enough to drive me insane.
GAHHH!
Just as my fear reached its height, something unusual began occurring.
Unlike standard poisoning, I didn’t experience fever, discomfort, or the taste of blood.
Instead, my internal energy was steadily seeping away from my dantian.
“…What’s going on?”
The more nervous I grew, the quicker my energy faded, as though I were engaged in intense combat.
Wait… is this fire consuming my internal energy?!
I didn’t understand how or why, but it appeared Hwayang’s upgraded venom no longer burned blood—it now burned Qi.
—Gulp.
What occurs when my internal energy is completely depleted…?
Not knowing what might happen once my Qi was entirely gone made my fear intensify drastically.
And the more fearful I became, the faster my energy drained.
No! Stay calm, So-ryong! It’s okay! Just breathe!
By the time I managed to steady myself, almost a third of my energy had vanished.
I swiftly assumed a meditation stance, beginning Qi circulation to regain what I could.
I only needed to hold on until Hwa-eun got here.
Just as I focused on my breathing, I heard the rustle of ash being disturbed—and then the urgent voices of Hwa-eun and Seol.
“So-ryong! I knew it! Look at you! You’re like a walking candle!”
“So-ryong!”
Breaking from my concentration, I opened my eyes.
Seol was angrily stamping her foot, scowling at me.
Hwa-eun swiftly retrieved Bini, Seol, and Dong from her sleeves and placed them on me.
“Hwa-eun… I—I’m sorry.”
“Save the apologies! Don’t move! You three, help him!”
—Kkukku!
—Kuuu!
—Kyuu!
“So-ryong, you and I are going to have a serious discussion when this is over!”
From Seol’s tone, it was clear that once I was cured, my back would pay the price.
But if a few hits were the cost of Hwayang’s evolution, I could accept that.
‘If my back is what it takes for Hwayang to grow up, then it’s a fair trade.’
As expected, Bini, Seol, and Dong began to glow softly as they started the cleansing process.
Soon, I heard Hwa-eun and Seol cry out.
“It’s working! The fire is dying down!”
“The flame is getting smaller!”
‘Whew… I overreacted for no reason.’
I could sense the detoxification taking hold.
Just as I started to unwind, however—
—Kyuuu…
Dong suddenly whimpered, sounding strained.
Then Bini and Seol did the same.
—Kuuu…
—Kkukkuuu…
A second later, all three staggered backward, breathing heavily.
“What’s wrong? Bini? Seol?”
“Is there a problem?”
It seemed Hwayang’s enhanced venom was too potent, making it hard even for them to purify.
—Fwoooosh!
And the moment they pulled back, the blue flames on my head flared up again.
Damn it! Why does nothing ever work out simply?!
If something could go wrong, it always did—that seemed to be the story of my life.
Maybe I really should look into getting a blessing or a cleansing.
Just as I was grumbling about my misfortune, I heard Hwa-eun suddenly inhale in astonishment.
“W-wait… Is that… the Qinghuo Lava Toad?!”
She had just noticed Hwayang, now in his complete adult form.
Qinghuo Lava Toad?
That name… sounded far too impressive for how absurdly cute Hwayang appeared.
What in the world is that?!