I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 208

Time left: one month.

In this one month, I had to prepare to face them.

I needed to push my resources to their absolute limit.

The highest priority was training my followers.

I couldn’t take on the entire enemy force alone, so I needed them by my side.

From my perspective, Chilrang might seem like a cute puppy, but in reality, even he was a predator stronger than most humans.

Not just a wolf—a direwolf.

Thanks to Baekrang’s influence, he had grown far larger than a typical direwolf.

If the youngest of the pack, Chilrang, was this formidable, his older siblings were giants, comparable in size to tigers.

If I could harness the wolves' agility on the battlefield, they would prove invaluable.

Of course, with the overwhelming number of enemies, complete safety wasn’t guaranteed.

This would be an all-out war.

Even so, my goal was absolute victory with zero casualties among my allies.

I understood how difficult that was.

Even achieving victory alone was uncertain, let alone preventing any losses.

The chances of failure were high.

But I had to try as hard as I could.

That was one of the reasons I prioritized training my followers.

“Keeng!”

“Kioong!”

Tus and Pus had also started mastering the power of ice.

“Awooo!”

The wolves, including Chilrang, were progressing as well.

Compared to Baekrang’s strength, their abilities might seem insignificant.

Even with a full month of training, achieving meaningful results would be tough.

But if we focused their icy powers on defense?

At the very least, they’d have a better chance of surviving.

Baekrang concentrated on teaching them techniques essential for survival.

With Cheoldooryong (Iron-Clad Dragon) joining the fight, the icy abilities of my followers would only grow stronger.

“Ilbooo... Dachuuuooor!”

“Ilbo! Ilbooo!”

The Two-Horned Beasts didn’t seem capable of wielding ice, but they remained solid assets.

While they might not match the enemy’s elite forces, most foes wouldn’t withstand the charge of ten of them.

I tapped their horns with my claws; their durability was impressive.

The beasts had been sharpening their horns, preparing for battle.

“I hope we don’t lose anyone.”

Baekrang stretched and approached me.

She looked exhausted, having spent countless sleepless nights preparing.

I felt guilty but knew I needed her to endure a little more.

While I had tasks to handle personally, Baekrang oversaw preparations within the territory: setting traps, training the followers, and managing supplies.

It was no wonder she was so tired.

“Those two—Tang Soyeong and Nephila—are working the hardest,” Baekrang said, gesturing toward them with a paw.

"Neither of them is particularly suited for combat, but they’re still doing their best to help."

Despite her own struggles, Baekrang didn’t complain.

How could someone—or rather, a wolf—be so kind?

Without thinking, I reached out and patted her head.

“...You know, you keep treating me like a dog... It doesn’t make me feel good,” she muttered.

But her tail wagged gently.

“...Forget it. Talking to you always feels like I’m being drawn into something.”

She glanced at me briefly before settling beside me with a soft plop.

“Is everything coming along?”

“Gegek.”

“Of course, I shouldn’t have doubted.”

A brief silence fell between us.

Baekrang broke it, unable to bear the stillness.

“Taking down Gongbok is going to be the hardest part... Do you think it’ll go as planned?”

The Dragon Descendant, Gongbok.

What I needed to focus on now wasn’t my tail.

It was the Fox Marble.

Elsewhere...

“These damned monks...”

Namgoong Yeon muttered under his breath.

“To think Master Hyemyung opposed this personally.”

Akbulhwi responded, “It seems things won’t go as smoothly as we’d hoped.”

Namgoong Yeon sighed.

The Nine Great Clans and the Five Noble Families, despite their rivalries, always united under the banner of the Martial Alliance when the Central Plains faced crisis.

Akbulhwi, the leader of the Hwasan Sect, had attempted to form the Martial Alliance with the justification of striking the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts. However, the Abbot of Shaolin had opposed it, leading to the plan's failure.

"Is it a miracle or what? No matter how many plans I lay, they always find a way out," Namgoong Yeon muttered.

"Do we even need to go that far? It’s just a few mystical beasts," Akbulhwi replied dismissively.

Although Akbulhwi had agreed to Namgoong Yeon's suggestion, he thought the latter was overcomplicating things.

After all, it was just one lizard.

Sure, the lizard might have some other mystical creatures under its command, but Akbulhwi was confident he could handle the leader alone.

"It’s not just a mystical beast. It’s a mystical beast imbued with divinity," Namgoong Yeon countered. "Its strength likely surpasses even the Red Dragon."

"Stronger than the Red Dragon?" Akbulhwi mused, his interest piqued.

"...I trust you’re not planning to face it directly. Throwing the Red Dragon at it should be enough to ensure it destroys itself. There’s no need to waste energy," Namgoong Yeon added.

"You’re right. It’s best to conserve our strength. Who knows if that devil of a Cult Leader might emerge," Akbulhwi said, stroking his beard.

"The Red Dragon... is she doing well?" Akbulhwi asked.

"Irihwa. She accepted the Go poison on the condition that her stability was guaranteed," Namgoong Yeon replied.

"...As expected of her," Akbulhwi said, closing his eyes briefly as if lost in thought.

"The Tang Clan has sent us a valuable gift—not only a means to control that fiery beast but also a mystical creature capable of manipulating Hollow Energy at will," Akbulhwi continued.

"...Though the condition was to pluck the Tang Clan’s 'flower,' " Namgoong Yeon added.

It was an overwhelming level of support for eliminating just one lizard.

Although Akbulhwi found it somewhat irritating, he didn’t let it bother him too much.

"I wonder what sort of 'flower' they’re referring to. But we’ve already gained plenty, so it’s only fair to uphold our side of the deal," Akbulhwi said, as if reminding himself of the Tang Clan’s ways.

"The Red Dragon and the Tang Clan’s mystical beast... Namgoong Yeon, are you still uneasy?" Akbulhwi asked.

No matter how he calculated it, the forces seemed excessive for their mission.

Even without forming the Martial Alliance, this army should be more than enough to achieve their goal.

"Not to mention, that other mystical beast will also be joining the fight," Akbulhwi added.

Namgoong Yeon immediately understood who Akbulhwi was referring to.

"Yes. Gongbok will arrive on time."

"Hoho... Gongbok. Every time I hear its name, I’m amazed. A dragon’s descendant known to mere humans," Akbulhwi said with a dangerous smile.

Namgoong Yeon could sense the killing intent radiating from Akbulhwi.

"...I trust you’re not planning to target Gongbok," Namgoong Yeon said cautiously.

Akbulhwi silently smiled.

Gongbok, said to possess a body impervious to harm—a Diamond Invincible Body.

Legends claimed that no sword could cut through Gongbok’s form.

But Akbulhwi thought differently.

To him, there was no such thing as an uncuttable foe.

That was his creed.

"I’ll leave it alone... until this matter is resolved," Akbulhwi said finally.

Namgoong Yeon sighed again.

The leader of the Hwasan Sect, Akbulhwi—his strength and renown were assets, but controlling him was an entirely different matter.

"You jest too much," Namgoong Yeon said, stepping back cautiously.

"...This is not our only mission. Please, endure just a little longer."

Namgoong Yeon’s gaze fell on the sword sheathed at Akbulhwi’s waist.

"Hahaha! Do you take me for a petty outlaw, slaying our allies' mystical beasts?!" Akbulhwi bellowed with laughter.

"Just as you said, I was only joking," he added.

But Namgoong Yeon knew his words were a lie.

Whether it was sheer bravado or a veiled warning tied to his true intentions, Namgoong Yeon couldn’t be sure.

But there was one thing he knew for certain.

He couldn’t stand with Akbulhwi to the very end.

And Akbulhwi was well aware of that too.