So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

If this is a dream, it's definitely a nightmare.

"What dream are you talking about!"

Pelerian finally popped out of the ring.

If it's not a dream, it's a problem.

Because this place was undoubtedly hell.

'What is this?'

I thought the purple sky would have turned clear blue.

That's what the gorilla heard from the sage, that's what Pelerian's explanation was, and that's what Deshnan's records said too.

That after the festival ends, we would return to normal days.

But it wasn't like that.

A crimson sky greeted me.

The magical energy in the air was so thick that my mouth felt dry.

'Where is this?'

"On, the big... root."

It seems the gorilla moved me here with the cocoon.

Thanks to that, I could see the surroundings at a glance.

'Why are there so many monsters?'

Numerous monsters were circling around the root.

There were more monsters filling the plain than when the insect army and monkey army fought.

Their number seemed to easily exceed ten thousand.

There were various monsters from huge ones to small ones.

"Yesterday, suddenly... they came."

'After I started evolving?'

"All at once to here..."

I belatedly noticed that only the gorilla among my subordinates was visible.

It was ominous to no end.

'Where are the rest!'

"I, made them... escape."

I was afraid they might have been eaten by those monsters or were circling down there.

I let out a sigh of relief.

'You really did well.'

Recruiting the gorilla was the best choice.

But the situation was by no means good.

"It's a Monster Wave."

Pelerian said with a pale face.

"This is undoubtedly a Monster Wave."

'Is that when those monsters gather and make a mass charge towards the inner part of the continent?'

"Yes."

'I thought Monster Waves don't occur in the great forest.'

"It's been like that until now. It was like that even when I was alive."

Pelerian's expression looks perplexed as well.

"But is there anything eternal in this world..."

That must be it.

Maybe one day, crazy monsters gathered together, made an oath of brotherhood, and decided to go on a picnic outside the great forest.

And that day is today.

"If it's a Monster Wave, there should be a leader, right?"

In a Monster Wave, there's a leader monster that roars at the front.

Monsters fall into madness and follow that leader towards the center of the continent.

Where could that crazy monster be?

Is it that huge elephant circling down there?

Or is it the one that looks like a giant slug?

The commander of madness who would cause numerous casualties was nowhere to be seen.

"Uh, uhh Cap...tain!"

At that moment, the gorilla looked at me and panicked.

What is it? Why are you acting like that?

Pelerian also shouted in surprise.

"You, you're floating!"

My body was floating up.

And the monsters that were circling stopped all at once.

「A leader is being selected.」

Those guys are looking at me with dull eyes.

Don't tell me.

...it's me?

Am I supposed to lead these monsters out?

I don't want to do that.

Zap.

At that moment, a dull impact rang in my head.

My insides suddenly feel hot.

It feels like my stomach is on fire.

For some reason, madness and anger seem to be invading my mind.

Lava is boiling inside.

Ugh.

Urgh.

"Bleargh!"

I vomited the remaining mucus in my stomach.

Hmm, my stomach feels better and my head is clearer.

「You are immune to mental attacks due to the 'Indomitable' trait.」

No way.

Did someone just try to launch a mental attack on me?

To lead the Monster Wave along with the monsters?

I explained what just happened to Pelerian.

"What, if that's the case..."

There seems to be only one thing capable of doing this.

The one that helped my evolution and bore a radiant fruit for me to eat.

The one that emitted a fragrance to lure the monsters is only one.

"The World Tree is instigating a Monster Wave!"

The World Tree was a suspicious tree to no end.

Is it because I didn't become the leader?

An anomaly occurred.

The root shook, and then thorn-like roots sprouted from the ground.

Bang bang bang bang!

Some of the monsters filling the ground were skewered by the roots like kebabs.

They withered and twisted instantly as if their blood had been sucked by vampires.

Creak.

And something started to form at the exact position where the radiant fruit had been.

A bright red fruit is growing rapidly in real-time.

'Uh, I think we need to run away.'

Where to?

There's nowhere to go.

The crowd of monsters was packed densely below.

The bright red fruit finally grew to the size of a bull.

Pop-

The fruit's skin burst and red liquid dripped down.

Something crawled out from inside.

It was a monster.

"Is it a Treant?"

A Treant is a monster like a walking tree.

Its body was covered with something like tree bark.

But it looked exactly like a snake.

Just like it was modeled after me or my father.

"...Grrrr."

A wooden snake covered in bright red juice that looks like blood.

I quickly focused my eyes to look.

──────────────

[Root's Chimera lv100]

[Traits]

[Madness], [Ferocity], [Leader], [Low Intelligence], [Baby], [Crown]....

──────────────

It's a crazy baby tree snake!

Its level is 100, and I can feel overwhelming strength.

I don't think I can win even if I fight.

It slowly approached me and the gorilla.

It's a tree, but could it be carnivorous?

Its teeth are sharp.

Drool is dripping from what looks like its mouth.

"Uh, aah..."

The gorilla hid behind me, trembling.

I'm scared too.

I'm scared!

But, since it's a baby. And since it's of low intelligence, maybe we can do something.

Oh well, here goes nothing.

「Using Crown of Domination lv1.」

「Failed to dominate 'Root's Chimera lv100'.」

Farewell, world.

What good is a crown.

「Partially succeeded in taming 'Root's Chimera lv100'.」

What did you say? Then did it work!

Crown is the best!

At that moment, it suddenly bit my head.

I almost activated Heavenly Thunder Spirit.

I exercised insane self-control and endured.

"Is, is he dead..."

The gorilla screamed, but.

The chimera didn't chew me.

Instead, it bit me very lightly and then licked me with its tongue.

'?'

Does it think I'm its mother or something?

On its head was a crown similar in shape to mine.

I don't think it has exactly the same skills though.

Maybe it's a chimera created in the image of me, the victor of the festival.

'Crown' was clearly written in its traits too.

Unlike me, it's very ugly, but...

Crack-

A tree root like an arm sprouted from its nape and wrapped around me.

It held me immobile as if a child holding a doll.

You need to not have arms and legs to be a real snake!

It jumped off the root while holding me like that.

Boom!

The monsters lying on the ground burst like tomatoes.

Nevertheless, not a single one tried to run away.

It seems all the monsters here are in a state of madness.

The wooden snake, which looked the maddest of all, raised its body.

And it roared in a way not at all like a snake.

"Grr-woooooo-!"

The other monsters howled in unison in response.

The chimera started to move.

And the monsters surrounding it followed like a living colony.

"So this is the starting point of the Monster Wave."

I was watching that.

While being held like a doll by that leader.

I barely managed to lift my head and look at the gorilla on the tree.

She raised her right hand with a very regretful expression.

It was a salute posture.

'...We're fucked.'

It seemed certain that was the case.

==

And.

Further away from the Shadow Forest.

Near the border of the Palamu Rainforest where the goblins had now disappeared.

Gunter was standing still.

Beside him was a magician from the magic tower.

The magician was acting a bit like a madman.

He made a cylinder with his right hand and brought his eyeball close to it as if there was a treasure inside.

It had been 15 minutes since he started this inexplicable behavior.

Finally, the magician smiled brightly.

"I can see it, I can see!"

He informed Gunter in a voice that whistled due to his missing front teeth.

"The Monster Wave has started! It's coming this way!"

The magician had been observing the situation in a distant region through his familiar.

Gunter replied without changing his expression.

"Thank you."

He ordered his knights.

"It has begun. Everyone, prepare!"