Virus King - Chapter 187

Chapter 187: The Hydra’s Let-Off! A Magical Way to Clear the Level!

TL: YYang

“Human! Can you understand what I’m saying?!”

Seeing that none of his older brothers were paying attention to him anymore, the snake head called Little Nine turned around and fixed its gaze on Chen Bai, who was watching warily from a distance.

Chen Bai’s eyelids twitched rapidly, but he still nodded:

“I can!”

“My brothers don’t want to fight you, and I don’t like fighting either. Why don’t we have a little chat instead? If the conversation goes well, we’ll let you pass. How about that?!”

“???”

Was such a good thing even possible?!

Sure enough, starting from this point, the Abyss had begun to offer somewhat unconventional ways to clear its challenges. Without exaggeration, this nine-headed hydra was by far the most peculiar Abyssal creature Chen Bai had ever encountered—hands down!

Nonetheless, Chen Bai still nodded.

He wasn’t really afraid of anything at this point.

At worst, he’d have to start all over again. He was already used to that. If he could clear this difficult stage without resorting to combat, that would naturally be ideal.

“Great! Here’s the deal—why don’t you tell me stories about what’s outside the Abyss? Sounds good, doesn’t it?!”

Could an Abyssal creature really be this easy to talk to?! Chen Bai glanced at the white snake head, which seemed quite different from the massive snake heads of its older brothers. After some thought, he nodded again.

“Outside the Abyss, there exist countless worlds across the heavens and the cosmos. In the boundless universe, there are entrances to various realms—vortices and wormholes! Countless species of all kinds exist there!

Among these species, the majority are humans or humanoid beings, each with a variety of innate abilities and gifts!”

“Oh… what about you? Are you a pure-blooded human? And by the way, what’s your name?!”

“Chen Bai…”

The white snake head nodded:

“What a strange name. But I’ll remember it. Chen Bai, what kind of world do you come from?”

“…”

A back-and-forth exchange ensued. It was, without a doubt, the most peaceful moment Chen Bai had experienced since entering the Abyss.

The massive nine-headed hydra was busy with its other heads focusing on their respective tasks, leaving only this white snake head, chattering nonstop.

It reminded Chen Bai of a curious child, maybe around ten years old, eager to know everything about the world.

Judging by its behavior, that analogy didn’t seem far off.

However, many of its questions left Chen Bai at a loss for words.

While he was describing his homeland, another voice suddenly interrupted the conversation.

“Human, did you just say there are poets in your homeland?! Are they the kind of bards who appear in the travelogues of poets, those wandering minstrels found on the continents?!”

The voice came from the seventh snake head on the other side.

Chen Bai nodded. If he could get through this encounter without drawing his weapon, that would be the best-case scenario.

This snake head’s eyes darted about before speaking:

“The Abyssal Will only requires us to test you. Little Nine may be easy to talk to, but I am not! Here’s the deal—recite one of the classic masterpieces from your poets. I will judge whether it’s worthy, and if it is, you shall pass!”

Chen Bai looked at the seventh snake head that had interrupted:

“Would you prefer to hear poetry from our East or the West?”

“Hmm?! Are you saying that your world’s nations even have different languages?! A mere human world has this much diversity? Start by explaining this to me!”

Chen Bai immediately began reciting, choosing an internationally renowned work—Tagore’s The Furthest Distance in the World.

“The furthest distance in the world…”

Truth be told, Chen Bai had never thought much of Western poetry.

Compared to it, the classical poetry of the East seemed far more elegant and profound.

It wasn’t necessarily a matter of skill, but rather the artistic conception that the Dragon Tongue language could convey. Even across all the countless worlds of the universe, Chen Bai had yet to find a language that could rival its beauty—not even the Abyssal demon language used here and now.

However, this particular poem caused Old Seven’s eyes to light up with excitement:

“What a great poem! Do you have more? What about the Eastern poetry you mentioned just now?!”

Chen Bai didn’t waste time with unnecessary words. This time, however, he spoke not in Abyssal but directly in Dragon Tongue:

“The white sun sets behind the mountains,
and the Yellow River flows into the sea.
To see a thousand mile view,
go up another floor!”

“???”

Old Seven looked at Chen Bai with a strange expression:

“This is…”

“This is our language. Only through our language can the true meaning of these poems be expressed,” Chen Bai replied.

This time, Old Seven didn’t speak. Instead, Old Four, who had been flipping through a book with his tongue and engrossed in reading, turned his head toward Chen Bai:

“What an intriguing language! Its brevity and clarity are remarkable. Although I don’t fully understand it, I can sense its meaning through the ripples of spiritual resonance. Human, do you have books to teach this language? Can I have a look?!”

Chen Bai blinked and, seeing three snake heads staring intently at him, answered:

“I don’t have any with me, and besides, I’m here to challenge the Abyss! However, if you’re interested, I can bring some to you after I leave the Abyss.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind? A human like you dares to dream of challenging the Abyssal Will? I have no idea how you managed to take down that dumbass Baphomet—maybe he scrambled his brain fighting Yeenoghu.

But don’t think for a second that beating that idiot means you’re actually capable of clearing the Abyss!

And leaving the Abyss? You’re dreaming!”

This came from the third snake head, whose foul mouth instantly made Chen Bai’s face freeze.

“Human, while Old Three’s words are harsh, he isn’t entirely wrong. Even if you pass this stage, the trials beyond—and the beings waiting for you—won’t let you through so easily!”

“So why not stay here a little longer? You could teach me that peculiar language and recite poetry for Old Seven. What do you think?”

Chen Bai shook his head immediately: “Once I’ve passed the trials, if there’s a chance, I’ll have a proper conversation with your main body. But for now, forget it. If you’re willing to let me pass, then let me pass. If not, then make your move! As for the books you want, whether you attack me or choose to let me go, if I succeed in clearing the Abyss, I’ll bring them to you.”

The speaking snake heads exchanged glances. Then, under Little Nine’s persistent persuasion and a bit of mutual shoving, none of the snake heads were willing to take control of the body and fight the human before them.

In the end, the nine-headed hydra twisted itself into a tangled mess and, in a manner Chen Bai could never have anticipated, tied itself into a knot and died.

And just like that, he passed the stage…

In the midst of an unreal sensation, the Abyss continued to descend, layer by layer.

Meanwhile, on the 350th Layer of the Abyss, in a shadowy darkness, the massive nine-headed hydra swayed its heads slowly.

Old Four was the first to speak:

“What do you think? By letting him off like this, can this human actually clear the trials?”

“Maybe he can, but more likely he won’t. Still, that’s the nature of living beings—moths to a flame may seem foolish, but it’s also the most majestic thing about life! Ah, I must compose a poem in honor of this human. By the way, what was his name again…?”

“Forgot…”

“Chen Bai…”