Chapter 242
Underground, where things that hate light crawl on their bellies.
The snake-people who had once established the kingdom called great Valusia were driven away by giant land animals and fragmented,
Then fell to ruin through the First Ice Age that struck the planet.
However, that too was a story from long ago.
While Yurik was trapped in Shambhala and Yesung was captured by Yog-Sothoth and slept,
The scattered snake-people had once again joined forces around Ig, their father and the god who protected their race.
Though they had once been great mages, they could not rely solely on ancient mysteries.
Actively following the Elder Things and Mi-Go races, they eventually developed a scientific civilization unique to the snake-people.
[Mighty Father, God of Serpents.
Share your wisdom with us, If our race prospers and someday fills the ends of the earth with serpent multitudes,
Then we shall exalt and praise your name!]
When Ig, their creator, saw this, it was very good, so he shared everything with the snake-people.
Knowledge of the stars, secrets of the universe he had swum through.
The serpents who absorbed Ig's knowledge built a new city, 'Yoth,' as Ig's faithful believers and children.
When Yoth first revealed itself under the sun, the snake-people swore to Ig.
They would offer him a city beautiful enough to rival Valusia, their distant utopia.
Since this city was built under the mercy of the benevolent Serpent King, it was fitting that everything belonged to Ig.
Greatly satisfied with the serpents' dedication, Ig fell into slumber in the depths of Yoth.
The snake-people of Yoth who had offered their city explored like the Mi-Go and researched like the Elder Things.
There were various crystallizations of science achieved by the snake-people.
Fierce and violent beasts created to guard against beings like the giant land animals that had caused Valusia's downfall.
The snake-people gave these beasts the name 'Vormi' and raised them as guards, escorts, and useful labor.
Then, to tame the Vormi, they manufactured and injected drugs based on their own blood.
The Vormi, subdued by the serpents' serum, became docile,
And the snake-people race, having achieved this remarkable feat, sought to reach even higher places.
They discovered the unique properties that existed in each individual organism.
There were similarities among the same species, but not everything was perfectly identical.
Then what if they mixed these?
What about transplanting them to other individuals?
If they tried transferring their properties to beings of entirely different species, what would happen then?
Mystery and magic were awe, but science was pleasure.
Uncovering the secrets of life and manipulating existing elements made the snake-people feel almost like gods themselves.
Many things besides Vormi were born.
Bizarre insects mixing serpents and crustaceans, lizards that could crawl quickly on six legs.
Experimental subjects with heavy bodies like Vormi but scales like serpents.
In an era when the snake-people were drunk on the joy of creation and proclaimed Yoth's prosperity,
The event that would call forth the second destruction came silently.
The formation of ice fields starting from the planet's polar regions.
Due to this, the planet's environment, which had entered a stable period, began to change little by little.
Yesterday was cooler than the day before, and today was colder than yesterday.
The place where Yoth was located had originally been enveloped in warm, tepid air.
However, now it had become dangerous to go outside unless it was daytime,
So the snake-people sensed the crisis. They gathered together and wracked their brains.
But the delusion of changing the climate of a massive planet could not be achieved even with their great science.
In the worst case, if the entire planet became covered with cold frost,
They would have no choice but to leave the planet as Ig had done.
However, crossing between planets and galaxies to find new planets was far too inefficient.
[Then what should we do?]
[Where must we go?]
The snake-people scientists, with their race's survival at stake, gradually lost their self-control through repeated discussions.
[The problem is the faction obsessed with ancient mysteries from the beginning! If we had time to devote to such things, we should have put more effort into the revival of science!]
[How could that be? It was merely laying the foundation of faith for our great Father, Ig, the god of serpents! You who worship science are the ones who look ridiculous now!]
They blamed each other for not coming up with better opinions.
They found fault with Yoth's location, dedicated to the serpent god,
And cursed the chance that made them born on such a planet.
[No, that can't be. Our existence is not wrong! There is no life that commits sin merely by existing.]
[Then is it proper for us to die? Is it right to freeze to death in the cold merely for the reason of existing?]
[That is not the planet's fault. All of this is natural law. However, the fact that we were born with bodies so vulnerable to cold... is all the fault of the Serpent Father, our creator Ig! Everything is his fault!]
The runaway blame-shifting eventually returned to the sleeping god.
The creations made in Ig's image rebelled against their creator.
[That might be so. We are his part and descendants. We resemble him. But we are smaller and more powerless.]
[In an era where our race's survival is at stake, we can no longer expect his protection.]
[Impudent, impious! Our glorious Father sleeps beneath Yoth!]
[He gives us no advice. Just as we are the creators of the Vormi, to him, even if our race perishes, it's a problem that ends with creating a new race!]
They, the creators of the Vormi, chillingly pinpointed exactly what their creator had in mind.
A creator cannot empathize with the suffering of their creations.
This was a difference in rank, a difference in time survived.
A new stirring arose among the snake-people gathered there.
[Then what should we do?]
[Must we slowly perish like this?]
Time passed without anyone finding an answer.
As the cold air gradually tightened around their throats,
In an era when death breathed cold breath beside them and tormented them,
A strange 'prophet' came to find them.
*
The moment when one of the snake-people scientists met the prophet was on a clear, cold morning.
The scientist had been walking on slightly frozen ground all dawn, thinking about the helplessly approaching death.
Even when building Yoth, he had not anticipated such a terrible future would come.
No one other than the snake-people scientist would have anticipated it either.
Lost in thought while walking, he reached the boundary of the territory occupied by the snake-people.
The smell of patrolling Vormi reached his tongue tip intensely.
At first, nothing seemed particularly wrong.
However, his keen tongue distinguished a strange smell among the Vormi's intense body odor.
Just from tasting, he couldn't distinguish what kind of smell it was.
His curiosity piqued, the snake-person crossed the territory and followed the scent.
After walking for a while, the snake-person met an intelligent being under a tree withered and twisted by cold.
He wore a white cloak like snake-people who worshipped Ig.
The face under the cloth pulled up to his head was not clearly visible, but looking at his smooth hands, he didn't seem to be of the snake-people race.
Resting while leaning on an old staff, he turned to look at the snake-person at the sound of presence.
"To meet someone like you in such a place. It's an honor."
A fresh and gentle voice.
The snake-person could understand his words that didn't hiss.
[What is your identity?]
"I'm just passing through the area. The weather has become so cold from up there that I was trying to go to a warmer place."
[You came from above? Are there many of your kind up there?]
"Once there were, but now only I remain. Not all of my people were as sturdy as I am."
The snake-people scientist didn't lower his guard, but still felt some sympathy thinking this intelligent being was also from a race vulnerable to cold.
The slightly visible mouth of the intelligent being in white robes was curved in an arc.
"But what brings you here? Do you have companions nearby?"
[This is our territory. I came to observe because I detected a strange smell.]
"Oh my, it seems I have committed a discourtesy. I'm sorry. But please forgive me. It's been so long since I could have a conversation like this..."
[Understanding our language is very rare. I feel the same seeing another race.]
"Is that so? Have your people never migrated? When moving around, you'd encounter many things."
[We have not migrated since building our great city, Yoth. The great serpent god sleeps in that land.]
"Ah, I see. I pay my respects to the god you revere. It would be difficult to leave the land where your god resides. Then surely you must have ways to prepare for the cold. It's fortunate you don't have to endure migration. Wandering long in search of a place to rest is painful."
The snake-person listened to the stranger's words and grasped what he wanted to say.
If he had been wandering for a long time and was also an individual vulnerable to cold, he would surely be curious about the snake-people's cold countermeasures.
Having deduced this far, the snake-person felt relieved but couldn't be at ease.
While it was good to understand the stranger's intentions, even the genius snake-people spanning the ages couldn't devise a way to stop the planet's changes.
The burning-hearted snake-person just hissed uncomfortably in silence.
The stranger quickly noticed the snake-person's mood and spoke soothingly.
"No one can be perfect. If my words displeased you, I apologize. Since I've upset you, what should I offer you? That's right, shall I tell you about the things I've seen while wandering until now?"
[Such things are not efficient at all. It would just be a waste of time.]
"Not at all. Aren't you curious about what I've seen? I've seen creatures that are strong and long-lived, and also very weak creatures that live briefly but multiply their numbers tremendously. They all had points worth learning from."
Creatures?
The snake-people were masters of genetic manipulation, but the types of life forms that could be procured within their limited territory were obvious.
If they could reference the characteristics of new creatures,
Wouldn't they be able to see a way to overcome the trials facing their race?
The snake-person hesitantly approached the strange intelligent being.
The closer he got, the stronger the faint fishy smell from the cold, hardened ground and ice became.
The stranger waited patiently until the snake-person came close enough.
Finally, when the snake-person settled in place, he opened a red book as if he had been waiting.
It was a book too ornate to just carry around, but the stranger seemed familiar with it.
"What story shall I tell you first? I think a story about an alien race that lived on this land in very ancient times would be good."
The quiet, low voice resonated pleasantly, and the snake-person unknowingly closed his wrinkled eyes tightly.
It was quite natural that the two intelligent beings parted while promising their next meeting.
[It was a beneficial story. My research on individual variation in my people had stopped. This story would be very interesting to him.]
"I'm glad I could help you. Will you come together next time? I have plenty of stories."
[I accept your kindness.]
Behind the snake-person who hurried back, unable to contain his excitement at encountering strange information and culture, the man in white robes stood as if seeing him off.
When the snake-person disappeared from view,
A strong wind blew and stripped off the robe the man had been wearing.
With violent fluttering sounds, hair flowed down over his shoulders like a waterfall catching the sunset.
However, the man paid no mind to his disheveled hair,
And watched the place where the snake-person had disappeared without any movement.
The voice that had been gentle and affectionate just moments before flowed out indifferently.
"This time, it's your turn to accept my kindness."