I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 17

Where am I now?

Because I had been chased relentlessly by the giant millipede, I had no idea where I had ended up.

I ran for my life, and thankfully, it seemed like the creature had lost interest and turned back.

But I couldn’t go back either.

I had become a lost little lizard.

It was cold, I was hungry, and it was dark.

My body shivered uncontrollably.

I had never tried to regulate my body temperature before. At most, I’d gather some leaves to make a blanket.

Even with that, I hadn’t had any trouble moving around, but this time was different.

Was it because I was injured? I could tell that my movements had noticeably slowed down.

Even after resting, my HP wasn’t recovering. In fact, it was steadily decreasing.

“Geh...”

I wandered aimlessly, making the sound of a sick lizard.

Maybe if I could put something in my stomach, I might recover a bit...

Thud.

My foot bumped into something.

I hoped it was food and looked at it closely, but it wasn’t a living creature.

A small round object, either brown or black in color.

It was about the size of an energy core.

Wait, another energy core?

I lifted my head and then lowered it again.

Energy cores were valuable, but right now, they were useless to me.

Even a small cricket to fill my stomach would be more valuable.

What good is an energy core?

I didn’t have the strength to digest it anyway.

Still, maybe I should put something in my stomach?

With a glimmer of hope, I focused my gaze to determine what it was exactly.

But even with my “Wild Eyes,” no information appeared.

So, it wasn’t an energy core?

If it were, my Wild Eyes would have detected it.

Even fragments of energy cores would be recognized, so there was no way a complete sphere could escape detection.

Then what was it?

Could I eat it?

Was it an egg from another creature?

No, I would’ve recognized that immediately.

Sss.

I flicked my tongue to catch its scent.

It was strange.

It smelled like nothing I’d encountered here before.

A rich, mouth-watering scent that made my mouth water.

Yes, it was the smell of grains.

A scent I had forgotten.

And, faintly, there was a sweet smell like honey mixed in.

Grains and honey.

A sharp-minded lizard would have questioned why something like that was here.

But a hungry lizard didn’t have the luxury of doubt.

Chomp.

Gulp.

The crunchy texture was incredibly satisfying.

It couldn’t even compare to the spider-special bug cocoon I had eaten before.

The taste of grains and honey filled my mouth.

If I had to describe it in one word, it felt like I was eating a dense rice cake made of powdered grains.

I didn’t need to know what it was.

It was delicious. So delicious that I forgot I was a carnivorous lizard.

In no time, I devoured the entire thing, and feeling disappointed that it was gone, I flicked my tongue.

And then, I realized that the same smell was all around me.

There wasn’t just one of these mysterious rice cakes.

I started scrambling around, picking them up and eating them without hesitation.

Chomp.

Gulp.

Chomp.

Crunch.

I was in bliss.

Some were rich with the savory taste of grains, while others were overwhelmingly sweet with honey.

It felt like the calories in these rice cakes were enormous, as I could almost feel myself gaining weight in real-time.

Moreover, my “Gourmet” skill level increased significantly.

No matter how powerful the Cult Master was, dreams were her domain.

And yet, he had secretly gone to a place he himself had sealed off. Not exactly an inspiring example for the followers of the cult.

“What’s he thinking, leaving the Priestess out of this? Does he think he’s some kind of prophet now? And what were you doing, Za Ho-Beop?”

Woo Jin-Un felt nothing but frustration. Why was he being blamed for the Cult Master's actions?

There was only one thing he could do.

“I heard about it from Woo Ho-Beop...”

Since Woo Ho-Beop wasn’t here, Woo Jin-Un figured a little bit of blame-shifting wouldn’t hurt. It was also a form of revenge for making him handle the most difficult tasks alone.

Baek Seol-Hwa sighed deeply and crossed her legs.

It was an action unbecoming of a Priestess, but there was no one here but Za Ho-Beop and her.

As long as Za Ho-Beop kept his mouth shut, it wouldn’t be a problem.

And Za Ho-Beop wasn’t the type to gossip.

“So, what kind of dream was it?”

After a brief hesitation, Woo Jin-Un answered.

“He said he saw a dragon.”

“A dragon?”

“Yes, a massive green dragon devouring the earth.”

Baek Seol-Hwa shook her head in disbelief.

“So, he packed up a bunch of Wallbreaking Pills and went to the Silver Dragon Cave because of that dream?”

“Yes.”

“Good grief...”

Seol-Hwa pressed her temples.

The Cult Master’s disappearance meant that she would have to act as his proxy for the time being.

She was fine with taking over for him. After all, they looked exactly alike, and it was her duty as the Priestess.

But why hadn’t he told her?

Was he planning to sneak away and finish everything without her knowing?

It was a good thing she had found out. If she hadn’t, and an important visitor arrived, it would have caused utter chaos.

“I told him to let me know whenever he went anywhere...”

Baek Seol-Hwa sighed heavily.

“Za Ho-Beop. You...”

At some point, Za Ho-Beop had disappeared.

He had long since slipped out of the building with his shadow-like steps.

“Ugh...”

Her target of frustration was gone.

In truth, it wasn’t Za Ho-Beop’s fault, but Baek Seol-Hwa, who had ascended to the position of Priestess at a young age, couldn’t help but feel the need to blame someone.

Calm down, calm down.

It’s not Za Ho-Beop’s fault.

The Cult Master has done this more than once.

“Hoo...”

Baek Seol-Hwa sighed deeply.

She would have to prepare to impersonate the Cult Master, just in case.

As she rummaged through her drawers, she spotted a small, intricately decorated box with mother-of-pearl inlays.

She smiled, forgetting her anger for a moment.

The box contained rice cakes made with the rare honey of the Jade Bee.

Just thinking about the taste made her face light up.

Maybe I should eat one.

She hesitated.

It would be delicious.

No, it would be incredibly delicious.

But it was expensive.

And the cult’s finances were starting to dwindle. As the Priestess, she couldn’t afford to indulge in luxury.

But at that moment, it seemed like only the Jade Bee’s honey could soothe her anger.

The source of her anger was the Cult Master, so it would only be fair to charge it to him, right?

Baek Seol-Hwa nodded.

It was a perfectly logical conclusion.

Problem solved.

Now, all that was left was to claim her well-deserved reward.

With reverence, she opened the lid of the box.

Upon seeing the contents, Seol-Hwa screamed.

The rice cakes, which should have been inside, were completely gone.

“This... this...”

There was only one person in the Heavenly Demon Cult who would do such a thing.

“Baek Yeon-Yeong!!!”

Seol-Hwa shouted the name of the Cult Master, who had already entered the Silver Dragon Cave.

Of course, there was no way he could hear her.

“Just wait until you get back!”

The Priestess of the Heavenly Demon Cult swore vengeance on her sister.

Of course, the precious rice cakes had actually been devoured by a small, cute lizard, but there was no way Seol-Hwa could have known that.