What should I say when I see Grandpa?
The Hero's mind wandered with random thoughts, and he was gradually about to fall back into sleep.
Suddenly, a chill ran up his spine, and the Hero felt his hairs stand on end; he snapped his eyes open.
[Special Event Occurred, Hero's Detection automatically successful]
"Stop the carriage——!!!" Instinct faster than thought made the Hero cry out subconsciously.
"What——?" The little girl and the guards were startled by his shout, while the coachman looked back in confusion.
"Miss, we're still far from our destination, did you leave your luggage at the station?"
The coachman's face showed some dissatisfaction, his handling of the reins unaffected.
These two Chocobos are his old partners, they don't take orders from passengers.
But in the next moment, the Chocobos let out alarmed screams, their sturdy legs skidded on the ground bringing the carriage to a halt, carving a long mark in the earth; the people inside jostled about due to the abrupt inertia.
[Keep footing, 50+ successful]
[Guard and Little Girl]
[Hero (Agility+19, Perception+15)]
D100+34=d100(92)+34=126
Note: Only a Critical Success can lead to a combat scenario with Magic Creatures.
[Magic Creature (Snake) Level]
[Guards' Level (Professional+10, Guard+5)]
The abruptly halting Chocobos didn't consider their partners in the backseat; the coachman, unable to react in time to the stop, was thrown into the air and then unforgivingly yanked back down to earth by gravity.
The coachman rolled several times on the ground, groaning in pain.
Those in the carriage were not so disheveled; the agile guards steadied themselves, and a guard beside the little girl also reached out to steady his young mistress.
Some looked at the Hero with surprise and confusion, while others faced the front with a changed expression, their hands simultaneously reaching for their sword hilts.
But the Hero was already a step ahead, jumping out of the carriage with a grave expression, standing in front of the shivering Chocobos, and looking up.
[A Magic Creature (Snake) LV66 appeared]
[It is an R7 immature Fantasy Species——]
4. Snake. Conceptual Element Block
6. A resting Soaring Serpent
7. King of Feathered Serpent
8. Phantasmal Serpent - Child of the Void
9. Rainbow Snake's Shadow
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
There lay a massive, massive White Snake.
She coiled gracefully in the middle of the road ahead, as if completely unaware that this was a human-made road, a human territory.
Beneath the snake's body, frost formed layer upon layer, spreading ice far and wide, easily claiming the smooth road surface, declaring that this was not naturally human land.
Her arrival was so abrupt, like thunder from a clear sky; her presence, so powerful, like an iceberg in a sea of fire, casting an unbelievable aura across the world.
The Chocobos, which were tall by human standards, were only slightly bigger than one of her scales, and now they were digging their heads in the ground, shivering non-stop, the brown-yellow feathers fluttering to the ground.
The Hero swallowed hard, resisting the trembling in his legs.
"Don't come out, and don't draw your swords."
He raised his hand to the guards in the carriage, signaling them not to act rashly.
He might not be as strong as these guards, but as a Beast Spirit Mage, and as a snake, he intuitively sensed the power of this Magic Creature.
Although he could see that the White Snake was not an opponent to be reckoned with just by its size, the Hero saw deeper information.
While he didn't know why the White Snake had appeared so close to the city, if it was so inclined, it could easily destroy fortresses.
Demon King Level... no, even above that.
Perhaps even his father and mother would not be her match.
So, it was absolutely necessary not to show hostility; with just a breath, this snake could turn him and his companions into ice sculptures.
At this moment, the movements of the group seemed to wake up the powerful Magic Creature, who, for some reason, had appeared here. She opened her eyes, the ice-blue vastness of her pupils slowly moved, focusing on the Hero.
When bathed in the White Snake's gaze, the Hero's Magic Power felt a strong stimulation, and he almost transformed involuntarily.
In the face of this intense crisis, the Hero's mind raced; he knew that after transforming, he might not have the rationale to converse with the White Snake. So, he resisted the urge, forced himself to calm down, and slowly spoke.
Hearing his own voice vibrating from his throat, the Hero's emerald eyes widened in surprise.
He tried to speak to the White Snake, but what came out was an unexpected hissing sound.
His overly active Magic Power appeared to affect his body, allowing him to speak another language without transforming.
[Double Critical Success reward, the Hero learned the Special Skill: Snake Language]
But there was no time to explore the changes within himself, the Hero refocused on the White Snake and cautiously spoke again.
'Hello, are you there?'
The White Snake's head, large as a hill, slowly moved closer, she flickered her forked tongue, and as a fellow snake, the Hero could see that she was tasting his scent and more information he didn't know.
The creeping white mist and chilling air clung to the Hero's whole body, frosting his hair with a thin layer of white.
[White Snake's attitude (Charm+15, Green Snake+15, Double Critical Success+50)]