“It’s definitely golden... So-ryong, what is that thing?”

Hwa-eun’s voice reached me amid my excited shouting.

While I was already screaming in a panic, having guessed what it was, Hwa-eun seemed confused, only seeing the top of the creature’s head gently emerging above the water.

It was clear she couldn’t grasp its full identity since, unlike me, she hadn’t climbed up there yesterday and seen it moving. She didn’t realize the head and body were connected.

She was likely trying to guess what it was by looking at just the head, like I had done yesterday.

“That’s its head, and what you thought was an island—that’s its body.”

I quickly moved behind Hwa-eun, took one of her hands in mine, and guided her fingers along the creature’s body from the head downward, sketching its outline in the air.

Only then did Hwa-eun, shocked by the size and the shining golden head under the moonlight, cry out in a dazed voice.

“Is that... a turtle? A giant golden turtle?!”

We still had to confirm the full body, but at least the head was golden.

Yes, just like Hwa-eun said, that was undoubtedly a golden turtle.

Turtles, also known simply as "tortoises," are a unique type of reptile found in oceans, rivers, and even deserts all around the world.

What stands out most about them is their hard shell.

Most turtle species have their bodies protected by a tough carapace, and while it differs by species, their trademark defense mechanism is to hide inside their shell when sensing danger.

Turtles are reptiles with modified ribs forming a solid shell that covers their body.

They can be categorized by habitat as aquatic, semi-aquatic, or land turtles, and they reproduce by laying eggs.

Their slow, unbothered movements and expressionless faces make them comforting pets.

Plus, they aren’t that hard to raise, so just about everyone has kept a turtle at least once.

Even though I specialized in venomous creatures, I was no exception.

I’d raised several turtle species too.

No fur, reptilian, and cute.

And some species are absurdly expensive, making them a lucrative side business if raised well.

Some go for tens of millions of won per turtle.

And among those turtles, that one right there—it was exactly the kind I’d desperately wanted to raise in my previous life.

The Big-Headed Turtle.

Yes, that turtle also known as the Big-Headed Turtle.

It looked like a spiritual beast modeled on a Big-Headed Turtle, because the part of its head poking out of the water was nearly a quarter the size of its body.

“That’s insane. With a head that size, it’s definitely a Big-Headed Turtle!”

As the name suggests, the Big-Headed Turtle is a species known for its huge head.

Its head is so large it can’t retract into its shell. It's a very cute species found in southeastern China and parts of Southeast Asia.

They come in various colors like orange and pink, but in my previous life they ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) were registered as endangered species, so you couldn’t import or acquire them in Korea at all.

“Today’s a total jackpot for Spicy Fabre, huh?”

I’d always wanted to raise an orange one, but this wasn’t orange—this was a step above.

The peak of elegant coloring: gold.

I immediately called out to Yeondu.

I had to check right away whether its whole body was golden.

“Yeondu!”

—Shiaa!

Yeondu, who had brought Hwa-eun earlier, seemed to understand my feelings and quickly wrapped around me.

Suddenly, Hwa-eun grabbed my wrist.

Oops.

Charging off again without even showing a hint of remorse after just causing trouble in front of her.

I flinched, expecting a scolding, but then Hwa-eun’s voice came.

“So-ryong, let’s go together. What if something dangerous happens again, and you end up in the water...”

Maybe because she’s from the Tang Clan, maybe because she’s my match, or maybe just because she’s a woman who loves shiny things—she wanted to go see the golden turtle too.

But she seemed to remember helping me change my clothes after I fell in the water, and trailed off, blushing.

I also felt my face heating up and nodded quickly.

“Ah, yes. Understood, Hwa-eun.”

As the thought of her changing my clothes crossed my mind again, I hesitated briefly, but then we both let Yeondu wrap around us and lift us into the air.

We headed toward the place where Cho was talking with the golden-headed turtle.

The moon was larger than yesterday, but the sky was cloudier, making it darker and easier to travel unnoticed.

—Tssrrrr.

—Brgrrrrr.

—Tssst.

As we flew through the sky and reached Cho’s side, the turtle’s blinking eyes turned to look at me and Hwa-eun.

Then, Cho and the turtle continued their conversation.

Had they chatted more after I fell asleep yesterday?

Surprisingly, the two seemed to be getting along well. As we arrived, Cho circled around me and Hwa-eun, wiggled her antennae, and introduced us.

—Tssrrrrrr. 『These are my mom and dad.』

—Brgrrr.

The golden turtle blinked at Cho’s introduction.

It looked like it was greeting us, so I bowed in return.

“Ah, yeah. Nice to meet you. I’m So-ryong. I’m Cho’s dad.”

“N-Nice to meet you.”

“And this is my... uh... wife, Hwa-eun. You can just think of us as a pair.”

Would a spiritual beast even understand distinctions like ‘partner’ or ‘wife’?

I started by saying she was my wife, but then rephrased it using animal terms—“a pair”—which made Hwa-eun’s eyes go wide as she turned to look at me in shock.

But it wasn’t exactly wrong, and since I was explaining to a turtle, she awkwardly smiled and nodded.

“Y-Yes, exactly.”

Then, bubbles began rising from the water.

—Brgrr. Brgr.

As expected of a spiritual beast, it seemed to understand human speech well. In response to its murmur, Cho translated for us.

『—Tssst. Tssrrrr. (It says it’s sorry for what happened yesterday. Its name is Geumdo.)

“Geumdo? It has a name?”

—Tssst. (Yes, Dad.)』

Geumdo—“gold” plus “island.”

A name that literally meant “Golden Island.”

I opened my eyes wide in surprise at the turtle’s self-introduction.

Not just the name, but the fact that it even had a name at all was shocking.

I’d encountered many spiritual beasts before, but this was the first time I’d met one that had a name.

Maybe it was because they were wild creatures and didn’t need names?

None of the amazing beasts I’d met until now had names of their own.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The closest was Orange, the Ji-yeong Snake, who’d arrogantly given himself a title like “the master of this region.”

—Brgrr.

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, another cluster of bubbles rose from the turtle.

And again, Cho translated.

『—Tssrrrt. (When Geumdo was very small—just the size of a palm—it was raised by a human for a short time. That person gave it that name.

They named it that hoping it would grow as big as an island. The person’s name was Tang Hwaseong, and once Geumdo got big...)

“Tang Hwaseong!?”

“Cho, did you say Tang Hwaseong!?”』

At the name “Tang Hwaseong” from Cho’s mouth, both my and Hwa-eun’s eyes went wide.

And for good reason—Tang Hwaseong was that person.

Hwa-eun’s ancestor. The one who authored the Secret Compendium of Venomous Creatures.

Then that meant this turtle had to be at least two hundred years old.

‘No, seriously—how old is this turtle?’

Some turtles, known for being as slow in metabolism as they are in movement, are said to live for centuries. That’s why they’ve been worshipped as symbols of longevity in Eastern traditions.

The name of one species of sea turtle literally translates to "Longevity Turtle"—same idea.

And since this one was a spiritual beast, it seemed it lived long as well.

‘As expected of a turtle, huh?’

In any case, that meant it was the perfect setup for a friendly conversation.

After all, nothing starts a conversation better in society than shared roots, backgrounds, or school ties.

‘What? You graduated from XX University? What? You're from the Gimhae Kim clan? What? You're XX’s nephew?’

I was wondering how to build rapport with this turtle, but now? This was the perfect opening.

“What a coincidence! If this Tang Hwaseong person really did raise venomous creatures, then I’d say we were meant to meet.

This here, Hwa-eun—she’s about, I don’t know, seven generations down from Tang Hwaseong.”

Since it was an elder, I politely adjusted my tone as I explained. Immediately, the turtle’s eyes widened and bubbles rose from beneath the water.

—Brgrgg?

『—Tssrrr? (It asked, “Is that really true?”)』

“Yes, my match’s name is Tang Hwa-eun. She’s from the Sichuan Tang Clan.”

I nodded as I listened to Cho’s translation and smiled.

The turtle seemed genuinely pleased.

Turtles usually don’t show emotion, but that expression was unmistakably one of joy.

Oddly enough, I could even feel the emotion coming off it.

—Brgrt.

『—Tssrt! (Sichuan Tang Clan! That’s right! A descendant of Tang Hwaseong! That’s what it said.)』

As expected, Cho’s translation confirmed it was delighted.

I, too, responded with genuine joy.

Everything was going smoothly.

“What a fateful encounter! It’s an honor to meet you. To come across a trace of Ancestor Tang Hwaseong like this...!”

Just as I finished greeting it—

More bubbling sounds rose from below.

Maybe because I’d spent so much time living with spiritual beasts, or perhaps because my level in Beast Heart Art and Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art had risen, but I could sense something from those bubbles—an emotion beyond just joy. A hint of regret.

And then, a request came through.

—Brgrrr. Brgr.

『—Tssrr. Tssstss. (If you’re Tang Hwaseong’s descendant, then I can trust you—and you must know a lot about spiritual beasts like me too.

That’s great. I have a favor to ask. I’m sick right now... I can’t move or travel. That’s what it said!)』

Now that I thought about it, we’d first noticed Geumdo because it screamed in pain.

Shared background and it’s sick?

This was it.

It was time.

Time for what?

Time to make it mine.

“But of course. Of course we must help. Could you tell us in detail where it hurts? I’ll find a way—whatever it takes—to help you.”

I said this with conviction, vowing that no matter what, I, So-ryong, would heal this turtle. And then came more bubbling.

—Brgrrr, brgr.

『—Tssrt. At first, it says its back just tingled a bit, but now it can’t even move.』

“Its back?”

At the mention of Geumdo’s back hurting, Hwa-eun’s voice followed.

‘So-ryong... could it be old age?’

A valid concern—after all, two hundred years is more than enough. But Geumdo might not be as old as we thought.

Age is measured in human terms.

—Thud.

As I was pondering turtle illnesses, something drifted down from upstream—a large tree root bumped into Geumdo’s head, then floated downstream.

Startled by the impact, Geumdo twitched, and that sudden movement sent muddy water splashing up from the Yellow River.

And in that moment, I suddenly had a hunch about why it was in pain.

‘Ah! Of course!’

I quickly told Cho.

“Cho, go bring Bini. Tell Elder Geumdo—Grandpa? Grandma? Doesn’t matter—tell them we’ll climb up on their back and take a look.”

—Tssrr! Tssrrrrr.

“Yeondu, take me and Hwa-eun down onto that back!”

—Shaaaa.

Geumdo began to sink beneath the water as if Cho had explained we needed to examine its back.

Once on the shell, I turned to Hwa-eun.

“Hwa-eun, if there’s a rotten smell beneath this soil, would you be able to pick it up?”

“Rotten smell? Hmm... depends how deep it is, but I’ll give it a try.”

She was a daughter of the Tang Clan with a sharp nose, so it was possible. As soon as I asked, she began crawling around, sniffing at the ground.

By the time Bini arrived, Hwa-eun suddenly jumped up in shock.

“S-So-ryong. I think it’s here.”

As I walked toward her, holding her nose and looking horrified, the stench hit me too, creeping up from below.

I immediately turned to Bini.

“Bini, could you dig here a bit? Be careful. If something hard shows up, don’t touch it.”

—Tssrrr!

Bini nodded quickly at my request and began digging.

A few moments later—

About twenty centimeters beneath the sandy surface, the golden shell of the turtle began to emerge in the moonlight.

Which meant it wasn’t just the head—its shell was golden too.

‘A real golden turtle!’

As I admired the dazzling gold shell, something caught my eye.

Among the radiant hexagonal patterns exposed by Bini’s digging, one was pitch black.

And as the wound surfaced, the stench grew stronger.

As Hwa-eun and Bini recoiled from the smell, I moved closer to inspect the wound.

“Ugh.”

—Tssrr.

‘As expected.’

The shell was rotting and breaking down.

This was Shell Rot—a turtle’s shell decay disease.