I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 120

Chapter 120 Bigger is Better

Like a child being dragged to the dentist, I planted my feet firmly on the ground in resistance, but it was a futile effort.

When the Snake Queen gave a firm tug, I was yanked right out of the ground, left dangling helplessly in her grip.

No matter how I looked at it, my body weight had to be well over a ton.

How on earth was she lifting me?

I struggled and thrashed, trying to break free, but then she asked me if I was curious about how her tongue looked.

That could only mean one thing: if I didn’t behave, she’d toss me straight into the mouth of the Basilisk.

“Eek…”

I had no choice but to walk quietly.

…Come to think of it, it’s probably time to change my cries.

I couldn’t keep making that “gegek” sound forever.

Hadn’t I temporarily gotten rid of the “gegek” when I became the Crocodile King Lizard?

Let me try to recall that moment.

“Kerong!”

“Stick to what you usually do.”

“Gegek…”

With a sorrowful lizard expression, I continued walking toward the Snake Queen’s temple.

No one interrupted us on the way to the Snake Queen’s temple.

There was no sign of revenge from Gaetsalgoadal or any wild animal attacks either.

Well, what wild animal would dare attack when the Snake Queen and her mate were walking side by side?

We bowed our heads respectfully to the Black Dragons guarding the temple and entered the interior.

“Heh heh. I can just imagine the look on that Gaetsalgoadal’s face.”

I laid my body down in the nest, taking out the items I had received from Argentarvis and the core of the Beihj Bird.

Today’s events weren’t something we had planned, but the outcome had turned out quite well.

The mighty Komodo-Lania had defeated the Beihj Bird.

In terms of combat power, I was probably a step, no, two steps below it.

Its speed was so fast that it was hard for my eyes to follow.

Gaetsalgoadal must be feeling pretty bitter.

Considering he had deployed all three of his subordinates, it must have been a carefully planned move.

Though it seemed like my escape had rendered that plan useless, he even used a gourd with powers worthy of being called a divine artifact.

He vaguely grasped my level-up and tried to block it.

He also drove me into a corner with beasts stronger than me and many other animals.

It would’ve been strange if I hadn’t been captured.

“Gegek.”

As a result, the Bird King’s side suffered a significant loss.

“The Beihj Bird is dead, and the Imoogi Bird lost one of its wings. It’s a shame we couldn’t finish them off, but this much should be enough to deal a heavy blow.”

That stone lying near the lake had been the Imoogi Bird’s wing, huh.

For a bird to lose a wing was a devastating injury.

It wouldn’t be able to fly with only one wing.

After all, birds are creatures that must take to the skies to show their true worth.

…Though there are some exceptions that can’t fly.

Moreover, the Imoogi Bird often used its feathers as projectiles for attacks.

We had severely weakened its overall strength.

The Bird King, Filbang, and the wounded Imoogi Bird were their remaining forces.

Sure, they might have subordinates like the Terror Birds, but the Snake Queen also had plenty of underlings.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this recent ambush had tipped the scales in our favor.

Gaetsalgoadal’s blunder had been thoroughly exploited.

…But why hadn’t Gaetsalgoadal participated in this ambush?

If he knew our location, wouldn’t it have been more efficient for the four divine beasts to attack together?

It felt like watching a Demon King deliberately sending his four heavenly kings to help the hero grow stronger.

“As it happened before, Gaetsalgoadal won’t be able to move recklessly anymore.”

The Snake Queen probably knew Gaetsalgoadal better than anyone.

So, just as she said, there was a good chance Gaetsalgoadal wouldn’t make any moves.

But that didn’t mean we should let our guard down.

“To prepare for a full-scale war, that guy will need time. At the very least, he’ll have to reattach the Imoogi Bird’s wing and gather his subordinates.”

She truly was the Snake Queen.

Perhaps she had intentionally let the Imoogi Bird go.

In war, a wounded soldier can cause a bigger drain on resources than a dead one.

A dead soldier simply reduces numbers, but a wounded one requires additional care and attention.

The same was true now.

Since the Imoogi Bird needed time to recover, the Bird King’s side wouldn’t be able to act freely.

In the meantime, we had to strengthen our forces.

How long?

Until Argentarvis had fully recovered.

Since we used the Unicorn’s horn, it should recover far faster than the Imoogi Bird.

Although both the Bird King and Snake Queen were delaying their full-scale battle to heal their wounded, our side would recover first.

An Imoogi Bird in a half-recovered state versus a fully restored Argentarvis.

It was obvious which would be more useful in battle.

“Gegegek!”

We didn’t discuss strategies and plans for too long.

The Snake Queen believed there was no need to rush, as we could refine the Beihj Bird’s core and absorb it later.

She cut the conversation short, hinting at another topic.

“Let’s leave it at that. Now, let’s talk about the gift I mentioned earlier.”

It felt like she was a robber without a weapon.

Had she already left the gift somewhere?

“What’s with that triangular face?”

“Gegek.”

I opened my eyes as innocently as possible.

“What do you think I’m going to ask for?”

“Gegek?”

I looked at her with innocent eyes.

“…It might hurt a little.”

Huh?

What did she mean by that?

Why would I be in pain?

“Now, close your eyes.”

Why would I need to close my eyes?

Absolutely not.

I strongly expressed my refusal, but the outcome had already been decided.

“Eek…”

I closed my eyes and went limp.

“Uhuht. What a good child.”

Gulp.

What in the world was she going to do to me?

Even though I had a lizard’s body, I still had a human mind.

That meant I had a certain level of awareness.

Let me use my brilliant mind to think this through.

Gift, close your eyes, it’ll hurt a little.

What could this be?

As I was grumbling and groaning in my mind, it happened.

“Stay still.”

The Snake Queen’s hand gently stroked my head.

Gift, close your eyes, it’ll hurt a little, stay still.

And now she was stroking my head.

Anyone who wasn’t an idiot would have figured it out by now.

The Snake Queen’s true intentions.

And on top of that, hadn’t she been coiling her body around mine for a while now?

“Gegegek!”

She was serious today.

She was really going to end me.

“Heh heh. I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.”

This couldn’t happen.

I couldn’t lose something so precious to me like this.

“It’ll be over in a moment. Relax.”

The Snake Queen tightened her grip.

“Geeeeek!”

And at that moment, something precious was taken from me.

“Did you think it’d end with just one time? We’re far from done.”

“Gegek! Gegegegek!”

I resisted with all my might, but the Snake Queen didn’t pay any attention and continued to rip away at what was precious to me.

“Your scales are so beautiful.”

Schlick!

No, not my dragon scales!

And why only the ones on my forehead!

*

“Huaaahm…”

Tang So-yeong, a second-rate warrior, yawned.

She stretched once and glanced at the table.

There were spiders on it.

“Kee-ong…”

“Kieeek…”

As usual, she expected them to just make their usual sounds, but something was different today.

Two spiders were staring blankly into space.

Tang So-yeong couldn’t tell what they were looking at, but she decided to join them.

Strangely, the face of that lizard suddenly came to mind.

Komodo.

The ancient death with a tail.

She was a divine beast and a mystical creature whom I met in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, and she was my benefactor who saved my life.

Thanks to Komodo, a member of the Five Great Families was also able to stay at the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

…Although, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

“Huaaahm.”

Tang So-yeong yawned once again as she lazily swung her arms, following the spiders.

“…Did I not sleep enough? I suddenly feel tired.”

Tang So-yeong yawned repeatedly.

For some reason, she felt like the strength was draining from her body.

“Doesn’t it remind you of that great warrior all of a sudden?”

“Kieeeng…”

“What are you even looking at? Show me too.”

It was clear that these spiders were looking at something.

Occasionally, they would stare into the empty air and make those ‘Kieeeng’ sounds.

But Tang So-yeong couldn’t figure out what they were seeing.

Even when she asked several times, they only responded with ‘Kieeek’ sounds.

Maybe if I act like these spiders, I might see something too.

Swish, swish.

Tang So-yeong mimicked the spiders, swaying her hands awkwardly for quite a while.

How long had she been waving her hands like that?

Tang So-yeong’s head began to droop.

“Ku-ong…”

She was nodding off, dozing while sitting in the chair.

“Kiooong!”

“Kieeeng!”

Two spiders, hugging each other tightly, cheered loudly.

“Huek? Wh-what is it?”

Startled, Tang So-yeong instinctively joined them without knowing why.

“Kieeeeng!”

“Kiooong!”

“Waaah!”

Tus and Pus glanced at Tang So-yeong.

“…Why, why are you looking at me like that? Wasn’t this something we were supposed to do?”

“Kieek.”

“Ahem, well. Actually, one of the Tang Family’s training methods is to respond to sudden noises…”

“Kiehyu.”

Did it just sigh?

Tang So-yeong thought she must have misheard.

After all, a spider couldn’t sigh.

And especially not while looking at me.

“Huaaahm. Anyway, I’m really tired. Is someone draining my energy?”

Though her guess was quite accurate, Tang So-yeong dismissed her own thought as just a joke.

“How could that be? I’m not the shrine maiden of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or anything… But still, I am sleepy.”

Nod.

Her head slowly drooped again.

Just as she was about to fall into a pleasant sleep, drooling from her mouth.

“Kieeeeeek!”

“Kyaaah!”

Tang So-yeong woke up startled once again.

“Wh-why are you doing this?”

The Spider Maiden.

Nephila Jurassica had awakened.

Since Tang So-yeong was responsible for her physical condition, she couldn’t help but worry at every little reaction she showed.

Nephila Jurassica stood beside Tus and Pus, waving her hands just like them.

“Kiooong.”

“Kieeeng.”

“Eeengyeeng.”

“…What was that crying sound?”

Ignoring Tang So-yeong’s question, the spiders all stared into the air again.

Tang So-yeong couldn’t see anything, but she just joined in, mimicking the spiders once more.

More time passed.

The spiders, still clinging to each other, began grinding their teeth.

Tus and Pus pounded the table with their short legs.

Then, all of them shifted their gaze away from the empty air they’d been staring at.

Tus and Pus scurried into the house Pus had made with her spider silk.

“…You’re already going to sleep? But today’s training isn’t over yet.”

“Kieek!”

Pus’s short leg slammed the door—presumably of her spider silk house—shut.

Tang So-yeong, startled again, let out a sigh.

Their goal had been to match Komodo’s size.

Every day, the spiders would diligently train for that one purpose.

But now, it seemed as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have or were angry, and they refused to continue training, retreating into their home.

“…What on earth did you see? Please tell me too.”

She whimpered, but Tus and Pus didn’t bother to respond.

“Ah!”

When Tang So-yeong turned her head, she saw Nephila Jurassica.

Having grown up seeing all sorts of strange creatures since childhood, her nerves were quite strong.

But even she would occasionally get startled by Nephila Jurassica’s face.

It wasn’t that it was disgusting, but it just looked scary.

It gave off the vibe that if she let her guard down, she’d end up wrapped in webs.

“Kieek.”

Approaching this closely meant she had something to say.

Was she here to ask about the bone metamorphosis?

Tang So-yeong thought as much.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Kieeeek!”

Tang So-yeong and Nephila Jurassica began their communication.

It took a bit of time, but Tang So-yeong eventually succeeded in understanding the spider’s intent.

She had a unique ability, and she was already good at communicating with other species, so it wasn’t that hard.

As long as the spiders weren’t intentionally refusing to answer, like those little ones, she could usually communicate with them.

“So, you’re asking if you can’t grow a specific part during your bone metamorphosis?”

“Kieek!”

Bone metamorphosis.

For someone like Tang So-yeong, who was merely a second-rate warrior, it was an incredibly distant concept, but bone metamorphosis for mystical creatures was different.

A mystical creature’s bone metamorphosis was an evolution of their entire species.

Having grown up in the Tang Family, Tang So-yeong had seen this process countless times and could even guide it herself.

That’s why she was training these spiders and healing Nephila Jurassica.

“Hmm… I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anyone revert to their original form after undergoing bone metamorphosis like you did, Spider Maiden.”

Even for someone like her, this case was extremely rare.

Nephila Jurassica’s upper body had transformed into a humanoid form, but to save her life, she had forcibly reverted to her previous form.

If she underwent bone metamorphosis again in this state, would she revert to the form she showed earlier, or would she transform into something entirely different?

It was an intriguing question.

“But in theory, it should be possible.”

Tang So-yeong smiled with satisfaction.

Wasn’t she asking this question because she wanted to become stronger for the sake of the great warrior?

“Kieek!”

Of course, that was only Tang So-yeong’s assumption.

“…What? Your chest? You want to enlarge that?”

What was she talking about?

No matter how she looked at her, the creature in front of her was a spider.

Even if a spider underwent bone metamorphosis and took on human-like traits, wanting to enlarge a fatty part of the chest seemed odd.

“Well, I am an expert, but when it comes to the chest, I’m not so sure…”

Nephila Jurassica lowered her head.

Then, she raised it again, staring intently at Tang So-yeong’s chest.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Nephila lowered her head again.

“Kek.”

Did that mean ‘you win’?

Was it only Tang So-yeong’s imagination hearing such a thought?

Even though Nephila Jurassica had lost confidence in the face of the overwhelming energy pouch of the Snake Queen, her mood seemed to improve somewhat, thanks to Tang So-yeong’s sacrifice.

“D-did you just laugh?”

“Kikekek.”

Nephila Jurassica mimicked the annoying sound of the lizard’s cry.

“…Of course, the great warrior does sometimes look at me with disapproval, but that’s unrelated to this, you know?”

It had happened in the cave where the Utahraptor was.

When the Komodo was in Baek Yeonyeong’s embrace, he purred contentedly, but whenever he was near Tang So-yeong, he would send a disappointed look her way.

Tang So-yeong fell deep into thought.

Her expression gradually changed.

From the wistful maiden of the Tang Family, reminiscing about her memories with Komodo, to the martial artist of the Tang Family who had realized his true nature.

“…Wait, was it really because of that?”

So, that’s why the spider also wanted a bigger chest.

“Are you really a mystical creature?”

Tang So-yeong’s illusion of Komodo was shattered that day.

And from that day forward, the phrase “bigger is better” was added to the doctrines of the Gecko Faith.