There are creatures that are born from natural instincts.
There are those that are born from a creator's design.
And then… there are the ones the world itself seems to hesitate before creating.
The one before me was one of those unfathomable glitches.
A serpent… no, calling it that felt almost disrespectful.
The thing was poetry carved into bone, muscle and mana. Twenty feet, maybe more if it uncoiled fully, its scales a sheet of white so pure it didn't look real.
Each one reflected light like carved ivory, or like marble that had learned to breathe.
And yet, the air around it wasn't divine. It was heavy.
Archaic if I could call it.
It was like the creature had inherited the silence of centuries and was simply tolerating us in its presence.
As she said, this was the [White-Scale Naga], an evolved variant of the [Argent-Scale] line, if the old Dungeon Compendium was to be believed.
However, honestly, neither the Compendium nor my black guide had any business being that optimistic.
'This thing wasn't an evolved variant. It was evolution's final draft.'
Its head rose from the coiled mass of its body with the sort of grace reserved for monarchs.
A crest of opalescent fins flared subtly behind its skull, catching the light in soft gradients of blue and gold.
And those eyes… twin slits of patient intelligence, the kind of gaze that makes you question whether you're the one intruding in someone else's dream.
"I've seen 2D dragons that looked less offended by existence," I gasped, muttering mostly to myself.
The air in this part of the dungeon hummed faintly… it was not from the creature's movements, but from the barrier around it.
"Who would have thought… The same safe zones that protect us could also become a natural disaster's nest."
Not being a conventional light green one, mine was a shimmering dome of dark green mana pulsing rhythmically, enclosing the creature and three eggs that looked like someone had stolen pearls from a god's jewelry box.
"A safe zone… ha." The ends of my lips twitched at the very sight of it.
Safe Zones are supposed to appear for challengers, to give humans a moment's breath between all the fights, blood, and deaths.
They are a privilege you only earn after you clear a floor. In this dungeon, it wasn't supposed to appear in the middle of nowhere.
Additionally, it wasn't something that should be housing a creature. But then again, as only I might understand, the Safe Zone was only being true to its nature here.
'The one who holds it, is protected by all threats.'
Unlike the dungeon safe zones, mine did not have any specific limitations. If I was the first one inside it, it would heal and protect me. Only those that I want could enter this zone, with those hostile to me being marked as enemies.
The safe zones weren't supposed to appear for monsters. They should naturally block all the creatures except the humans… but that's not how my safe zone was made.
"Haaa… that's a powerful snake right there, everyone."
There it was, my baby, immaculate, separating the Naga from the field of corpses just outside the boundary like an apology from the dungeon itself.
"It is strong, but not impossible to defeat… however, I cannot take it down on my own even if I tried." Sir Exile had presented his evaluation of the being. "It is a mother protecting her children, not just a mindless beast."
Looking away from Sir Exile, I looked at the beast again, feeling that unspoken connection between creation and consequence.
The Naga mother looked back at us with her deep eyes, but she didn't hiss. She didn't strike us either.
She wasn't a wild beast, not yet. She was here to protect her eggs, and she was going to continue doing that until her babies were born into this world.
The mother simply watched us as we stayed at a distance, not coming near the safe zone or trying anything foolish.
Her eyes locked onto mine across the barrier, and for one ridiculous, humbling heartbeat, I felt like a student standing before the teacher who'd just caught her rewriting their lesson plan.
In that brief moment, both the mother and I understood something deep. Something that the others could not sense even if they wanted to.
"Yeah," I whispered, not to myself or the others, but to her who sat inside the dungeon. "You know, don't you?"
The green dome pulsed once, slow and deliberate, almost like a nod, recognising my presence.
She knew the safe zone was my creation, and she knew I was going to take it down as well.
'She knows she is in a very bad position right now. But something tells me she will not back down till the end, especially because it is related to her children.'
I sighed deeply once again, rubbing my temple which stunned both Reddy and Sir Exile.
'Fantastic… just as I thought, it is another anomaly. Just what we needed, huh?'
Qwy, perching on my shoulder, chirped softly in agreement, feathers glimmering faintly in the light of the dome.
The scent of honey drifted up between us, spreading comfort, curiosity, and maybe a warning to the mother that, even if she rebelled, the consequences would not be in her favor.
"It's not her fault that she evolved so suddenly, Sir Exile." The words left my mouth with a visible spark of empathy.
"She's just trying to protect her family… is that something wrong?" My feelings as I watched all the dead bodies, all the blood around this place contradicted my words. But I still continued.
"She simply must have wished for survival. The safe zone guarded her, and she attacked those who scared her by coming too close… must she die, Sir?"
Empathy for a beast that had killed more than a dozen innocent people might seem deviant, but, what would you do if you were in her shoes? Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveIＦire.net
Was it really the safe zone's fault for doing what it was supposed to do? Or was it my fault as the one who created it…?
'Was I responsible for these deaths?'
I'd have to say yes, yes I was the one who now had the blood of all these lives on my hand.
But then again, should the killer be punished for defending himself or should the justice served be more ruthless?
'She will harm the first floor and so she must die. Her remains will help the humans and so she must die.'
They were only looking at their own profits anyway. The death of these people didn't matter to them from the start.
And yet, my question still silenced the branch manager for a moment… before he nodded with a bitter expression, the fate of the snake mother being clear in his eyes.
"We must put her to rest…" His grim ultimatum echoed throughout the cave, resembling the bitter words of the One who Muet read other's Fate.
It's a shame but fate wasn't too kind to her this time.
'And since I can't show her the kindness she deserves l… fate isn't too kind to me this time either.'