I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 246

Each word Docheol spoke sent chills down my spine.

I wanted to dismiss his words as the ramblings of an eccentric old man, but something about his voice felt off.

It was deep, sure, but there was an artificial quality to it, as though it had been carefully crafted.

Considering his human appearance had been a façade, it wasn’t hard to imagine he’d manipulated his voice as well.

It was clear that this beast had more secrets than he was letting on.

But even so, his strength was undeniably real.

The sheer presence emanating from him was like a living embodiment of killing intent. One wrong move, and my neck would be gone.

“Grrr...”

I focused my mind and began the test.

BOOOOM!

A wave of roots and vines surged toward Docheol, like crashing waves.

It wasn’t my full power, just a basic use of the Dragon Gate’s abilities, but it was enough to gauge his strength.@@@@

“...Wood-based energy, is it?”

For a brief moment, the ever-smirking Docheol’s expression darkened.

“I heard you defeated Gongbok, but did you take down that green girl as well?”

The "green girl" must mean Cho-Do.

So, he was keeping tabs on his kin. Perhaps he cared more than he let on.

CRAAAASH!

His massive forepaw smashed through the oncoming roots with ease.

I hadn’t expected to wound him, though.

What I aimed for was the small openings created by his attacks.

CRACK!

I launched myself forward, driving toward his flank.

The Dragon Claw Strike lashed out.

“Not bad at all!”

The fact that Docheol had the composure to comment meant he had room to react.

SLASH!

He swung his claw toward me, and I met it head-on.

My right arm collided with his left paw, both trembling from the impact.

BUZZZZ.

The force reverberated through my scales, shaking my very bones.

“Impressive! I suppose you’d need this level of strength to defeat Gongbok!”

Even though his arm quivered slightly, Docheol showed no hesitation as he barreled toward me.

CRASH!

He continued his relentless assault, charging like a maddened boar.

Such a reckless strategy wasn’t ideal—it left him vulnerable to counterattacks.

But his absurdly tough body made up for that flaw.

An ironic situation, where two mindless forces collided, and only the advantages remained.

WHAM!

A simple body slam was anything but simple.

If that hit connected, it’d shatter every bone in my body.

While he wasn’t as massive as Gongbok, Docheol still dwarfed me in size and strength.

BOOM!

Of course, that’s assuming he could hit me.

SWOOSH!

Bending my body like a drawn bow, I slipped out of his range in an instant.

“Soaring through the heavens!”

Docheol exclaimed in surprise.

But his reaction was short-lived as he quickly adjusted his trajectory.

Just dodging once wasn’t going to stop him.

He’d keep coming until he landed a hit.

While I could try to shoulder his charge, I wasn’t about to let his cursed aura touch me directly.

I planted both feet firmly on the ground.

Like a small dragon leaping to the sky, my movements flowed naturally.

SWISH!

“That footwork in such a small body? That’s cheating!”

One of my specialties was speed.

The ever-changing motion of the Soaring Dragon Ascension Steps defied physical laws to the point of absurdity.

BOOM!

I leapt off the roots and vines that sprung from the ground, creating platforms mid-air.

SLASH!

I struck his flank.

CRASH!

“Ghhk!”

This time, Docheol grimaced and staggered back, visibly affected by the attack.

“That movement... it feels familiar.”

The Soaring Dragon Ascension Steps were familiar to him?

Could he have encountered the old master of the technique? Or perhaps another spiritual beast that used it?

“Come to think of it, your face also feels familiar.”

Creating some distance, he studied my face carefully.

“How dare you... before me?”

The black and crimson energy around him grew even more intense.

Even from a distance, his killing intent felt sharp enough to slice through my scales.

“Hiding your power can be considered a strategy—to lull your opponent into carelessness and then strike with everything you’ve got.”

BOOM!

With each step he took, the ground caved in as though meteors were striking.

“But your eyes lack such murderous intent.”

Damn, this old man was sharp.

“Are you... looking down on me?”

Rumble...

Dark clouds gathered overhead.

“Fight me with everything you’ve got! Show me the strength of a true male!”

I let out a dry laugh.

Who was he to demand such things when he wasn’t even using his full strength?

Still, I was beginning to understand what kind of creature Dochel was.

He accused me of holding back, yet he was conserving his own power.

Even his initial old man form wasn’t genuine—it was just an act.

Yes.

Docheol was a walking contradiction.

A creature with battle lust who also possessed an avoidant personality.

What if his battle lust was something imposed on him by another?

Cho-Do despised Docheol, and Docheol looked down on her, calling her a “green girl.”

Was it because she was weak?

No, that couldn’t be it. Cho-Do was at least as strong as Gongbok, if not stronger.

Then why did he treat her that way?

Gongbok respected Docheol, but Cho-Do viewed him as the worst.

What was the difference between them?

The only visible factor was gender.

Could it be that he dismissed Cho-Do simply because she was female?

That seemed plausible, but his strange fixation on males nagged at me.

And the fact that he was jealous of me?

“Prove your worth as a male!”

Gongbok once mentioned that Docheol had an obsession with looking cool.

Why would someone this powerful care about such trivial things?

It had to stem from some deficiency—something he couldn’t change, no matter how hard he tried.

Speculating wouldn’t solve anything, though. My little lizard brain could only handle so much.

The answer would come from his own mouth if I pushed him far enough.

And now that he was finally showing his full power, it was time to act.

To make him submit, I had to utterly crush him.

He needed to realize that no matter how many times he tried, he couldn’t win.

Grrrrr...

[Status: Miniaturization has been lifted.]

Crrrack.

[Due to the effect of 「Miniaturization lv10」, 「Status: Gigantification」 has been applied.]

For the past week, I had prepared for this moment.

Using the backlash from Miniaturization, I unleashed Gigantification.

“So, that small size of yours was your only weakness. Now the story changes!”

Docheol roared with laughter.

“Yes, now you can truly call yourself a male!”

He seemed pleased with this simple concept of matching strength with strength.

But he was mistaken.

What I had been holding back wasn’t just this.

“Good! Let’s end this duel once and for all!”

Docheol’s words cut off mid-sentence.

Because I was ready to show him what true power meant.

Crackle.

The power of wood wasn’t just about controlling plants.

Wood corresponded to the East, the season of spring—the beginning of life.

Spring rains fell because of thunder; seeds spread because of the wind.

Crash!

My right hand surged with the force of a raging storm.

Hum.

The fox orb reacted to the wood energy, swelling into a typhoon.

Zap!

Blue lightning coursed through my left hand.

From the heavens, lightning struck relentlessly, resonating with the wood energy of my domain.

In my right hand was the storm.

In my left hand was thunder.

And together, they would unite into one devastating force.

Inhale.

If he thought he could stop this, let him try.