I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 126

Chapter 126 Training Till Death

The Inner Demon incident ended just like that.

I could feel the core of the Beihj Bird firmly settled in my dantian.

I’m not sure if this is the correct analogy, but its energy felt like steel feathers.

Solid like steel, yet light as a feather.

Usually, cores would grant the internal energy they held, but this one was different.

It was more like Seolsam or Hwaryi than the other cores I had consumed so far.

I’ll put off refining the power that has entered me for now.

First, I had to explain things to the Snake Queen, who had her eyes covered as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

“Gegegek….”

Of course, there’s no way I could explain anything with these croaking sounds.

But maybe I could at least convey my sense of injustice?

“It’s fine. I understand.”

“Keck.”

It’s not understanding—it’s misunderstanding!

“Hmm…. I did notice that you seem excessively fond of unnecessary fatty tissue, but your tastes are quite peculiar.”

“Kek!”

…Was it that obvious?

But that was honestly beyond my control.

As a human, or rather, as a mammal, how could I have remained indifferent in front of something so magnificent?

From the Snake Queen’s perspective, she might think that internal energy pouch is a useless organ.

After all, reptiles don’t nurse their young.

…So then, why does she have that form?

Could it be because I like it?

That can’t be the reason.

She had that form from the first time we met.

The reason the Snake Queen carries such large things is probably because of her master.

Her master was no ordinary person either.

“Do you really like that outfit so much?”

“Gegegek!”

I shook my head vigorously.

Honestly, there’s no man who wouldn’t like that.

But the reason I didn’t nod was because of the one wearing it.

For some reason, the Snake Queen didn’t seem to distinguish between the clothes and the person wearing them.

Since my Inner Demon took on that form, she probably thought she should appear similarly.

In other words, as a Basilisk.

“Gegegegegek!”

I was strongly opposed to it.

If there were such a thing as a mental strength stat, I would surely hit rock bottom.

I croaked in protest.

“I can’t quite understand.”

Understanding will hurt you!

“I do have some outfits, but if that’s how you feel, I’ll leave it be.”

Outfits?

She had clothes?

Let me describe the Snake Queen’s appearance.

I’ll skip the detailed description of her face.

To put it briefly, her face could rival Baek Yeonyeong’s.

They do resemble each other quite a bit, after all.

But that’s not the important part.

First, the Snake Queen’s lower body.

She had the appearance one would imagine when thinking of a Lamia.

Though it was hard to notice since one’s gaze naturally gravitated towards her upper body when looking at her.

Now, the Snake Queen’s upper body.

She seemed to know she had an excellent figure, as she dressed provocatively.

No, calling it “dressed” might not be entirely accurate.

She only covered certain parts with some unidentified skin tissue.

Of course, when going out in her Basilisk form, she would cover much more, especially when showing her humanoid appearance like the Argentarvis.

But she was fundamentally someone who lived far from the concept of clothing.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I wouldn’t have clothes because I have alcohol?”

“Kek.”

Then why haven’t you been wearing clothes all this time?

I gestured enthusiastically, trying to convey my thoughts.

“Do you think it’s common to walk around in human form? Even transforming into this shape once a year could be considered a lot. Why would I bother with clothing for such an inefficient task?”

Hadn’t she been staying in human form this whole time?

When she ate, splashed around in the lake, and even when she slept in her nest.

I’ve seen her Basilisk form far less often.

The point the Snake Queen was making was that even if she had clothes, she hadn’t bothered to use them because she rarely took on a human form.

But from what I’ve seen, she’s been mostly in human form.

I stared at the Snake Queen.

She flicked her tongue, catching my scent.

This scent.

And this taste.

It was the taste of a lie.

I didn’t say anything, but the Snake Queen, perhaps realizing something, slightly turned her head.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just more convenient to be in this form when going in and out of the temple. It’s not like I’m intentionally staying in this form because I think you like it.”

Yeah, right.

“Keck-keck.”

“What kind of expression is that? …It looks both sinister and strange. Your face really does express a lot.”

What did I do?

I was just looking.

The Snake Queen avoided my gaze.

It was a surprisingly refreshing reaction.

I would’ve liked to enjoy that reaction more, but my scales wouldn’t survive if I pushed it further.

“That’s enough. Ah, right. Did you see the princess off well?”

The Snake Queen hastily changed the subject.

I wanted to hear her say something like, “Fine, I stayed in this form because I knew you liked it,” but I decided to leave that fun for my future self.

I couldn’t keep teasing the Snake Queen, and I also had to talk about Shikshik.

I nodded as she intended.

“Kegek.”

“Good. I suppose she’s not crying because I’m not around… She’s a brave one. Though she might be sad without her mate.”

She might be sad for a while, but it won’t last long.

It’s just my guess, but she’s probably establishing a pecking order with the other lizards by now.

She didn’t seem too pleased with the lizards clinging to me.

Might she have already swallowed one?

“…Is Soaring Dragon doing well?”

I made the same face she had mentioned earlier.

Why not just admit you’re worried about your son?

What’s with all the roundabout talk?

“Gegegek.”

I moved enthusiastically, conveying Soaring Dragon’s condition.

In short, he was doing well.

“Hmph. He’s certainly long-lived.”

Though her words were harsh, I could see the relief in her expression.

The Snake Queen shared a few more stories about Soaring Dragon.

Since she had shown me the past through the Inner Demon, it seemed there was nothing left to hide.

I croaked back appropriately to her words.

The conversation flowed naturally toward the main topic.

The main topic, of course, was the upcoming battle.

“…Indeed. As you might have guessed, Soaring Dragon will not be participating in this battle.”

Old Kompi would sit out of the fight. Instead, he would be tasked with protecting Shikshik. According to the Snake Queen, the Argentarvis might even entrust Jjaekjjaeki to that side as well.

In a way, they’d be babysitters.

“Although their forces have significantly diminished, Soaring Dragon’s absence will be felt. That’s why your role has become even more important.”

Ahem.

I raised my head proudly.

A Komodo-Lania that had consumed the core of the Beihj Bird.

Wouldn’t I be able to take down a Fiery Phoenix on my own?

“Until the former Bird King’s treatment is complete, we need to maximize your strength.”

Her words meant one thing.

Training.

And more training.

Since I had consumed the Beihj Bird’s core, I needed to make this power fully my own.

For the remaining time, I had to train as if I were dead.

At most, I had five days.

The time for idle chat was over.

“Focus solely on your training.”

The Snake Queen reminding me of this was her way of saying we should each do our best in our respective roles.

I would focus on gaining strength, the Snake Queen would craft a weapon to defeat the Bird King, and she would also gather the remaining troops.

It wouldn’t be a long time, but it would be hard to see the Snake Queen for a while.

Shikshik was also in Soaring Dragon’s territory.

In this vast temple, I would be all alone.

…It seems I’ll be spending time alone for the first time in a long while.

It might feel a bit lonely, but it won’t be for too long.

I might feel a bit cold when I sleep, eat alone, and croak by myself, but I can endure that much.

…Shikshik, I miss you already.

The Snake Queen stared at me.

“Mate. Whose core did you consume again?”

Why was she suddenly asking this question?

It was the Beihj Bird’s core.

The Snake Queen’s expression was strange.

“It was the Beihj Bird’s core. You and I split it and ate half each.”

It was the kind of look a grumpy cat gives before pouncing in play.

She stayed still for a moment, then suddenly leaped.

Whoosh!

The Snake Queen abruptly threw herself at me.

Crash!

Caught off guard by her attack, I fell over.

The Snake Queen had pinned me down.

I raised my head, wondering what was happening.

“Isn’t this how you should be if you’re going to train?”

Thump.

Thump.

I could feel the beating of her heart through my skin.

Training?

I could do it all day.

*

Guoooo….

At the nest of the Gaetsalgoadal.

The Bird King looked down at the Imoogi Bird and the Fiery Phoenix with cold eyes.

“You’re telling me… you failed in your mission?”

“T-that’s because!”

It wasn’t fair.

She had done her best.

That was what she was about to say.

Kuuuu….

A heavy internal force crushed both the Imoogi Bird and the Fiery Phoenix.

“Kr, krgh…!”

The Fiery Phoenix managed to endure it, but the Imoogi Bird couldn’t, falling to her knees.

Though the fact her wings had been severed and her body wasn’t in good condition played a part, the truth was Gaetsalgoadal’s power was far greater than she had imagined.

It surpassed even the Snake Queen’s energy.

“I-I’m sorry….”

The Imoogi Bird couldn’t say anything more.

She had been planning to betray Gaetsalgoadal and take his place, but in her current state, she couldn’t even resist him.

The force that had been pressing down on her vanished.

“Khak….”

She barely managed to gather herself.

“Are you telling me… the Beihj Bird lost to him?”

The Beihj Bird was a strong spiritual beast.

On its own, it might not seem like much of a threat.

However, when two of them joined forces, they could surpass even the Imoogi Bird’s strength.

It didn’t make sense that a mere lizard could defeat the Beihj Bird.

Moreover, it wasn’t a normal battle.

A perfect plan had been laid out, designed to counteract his abnormal abilities.

After isolating him from the Snake Queen, the Beihj Bird would take him out directly.

In the process, a large number of pawns had been deployed to drain his stamina, and even that mysterious power he possessed had been suppressed.

There had been no unexpected variables.

At best, he was just a first-class lizard.

Even in the unlikely event that he had somehow reached the peak, it shouldn’t have mattered.

There was no way someone at the very beginning of the peak stage could defeat the Beihj Bird.

This was the same lizard that had barely managed to defeat Gogaduris.

How could such a creature possibly beat the Beihj Bird?

Could it be that I had somehow caused that lizard to grow stronger?

No. It wasn’t the lizard who won.

The more plausible explanation was that the Snake Queen had intervened, saving the lizard and killing the Beihj Bird.

The Bird King let out a low growl.

This operation had been an overinvestment.

Though it was just one spiritual beast doing the actual fighting, the battle had been prolonged by the efforts of the Fiery Phoenix and the Imoogi Bird.

And yet, they had failed to kill the lizard.

Worse still, with the Beihj Bird’s death, the lizard’s growth had accelerated.

Additionally, the former Bird King and the Snake Queen had formed an alliance.

The recent battle had resulted in the loss of a spiritual beast and countless animals.

The Snake Queen’s forces would continue to grow with time.

Ironically, the best course of action for Gaetsalgoadal would be to attack the Snake Queen now, while suffering losses.

The longer he waited, the worse his position would become.

“Kheuhuh….”

Gaetsalgoadal wore a sinister smile.

“Yes… that would be more entertaining.”

It was the same smile he had shown the Snake Queen when his feathers first grew.

“Only then will I be able to break your spirit….”

The Bird King spread his massive wings.

Szzzzzzz….

A repulsive black mist seeped into the Imoogi Bird’s shoulders.

“Kr, krrgh!”

The Imoogi Bird groaned in pain.

Paah!

Her wings, which had been shattered like stone, regrew anew.

“Hahh…. Hah….”

She gasped for breath and checked her condition.

The injuries inflicted by the Snake Queen were completely gone.

Not only that, but she felt stronger than before.

“With this, I can take down the Snake Queen right now…!”

“No.”

The Bird King shook his head.

“We wait….”

Gaetsalgoadal’s eyes gleamed with greed.

“Until that lizard comes to find me himself….”