I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 256

The woman with white hair gently stroked me.

"Contrary to what the Guild Master said, it’s quite docile, isn’t it? Look at this—it’s even purring as if it’s happy."

Purring? I’m not a cat, so what’s with the purring nonsense?

"Gerolong."

"This... this can’t be...!"

The Guild Master looked at me, completely bewildered, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

To him, I must’ve seemed like a hopelessly violent lizard. Always snapping at anyone who got close, stealing elixirs daily—that’s the picture he had of me.

But, surprisingly, all of that was an act.

This, the calm and collected demeanor, was closer to my true self.

"I’ve heard that it becomes suspiciously docile around women, but I didn’t expect it to wag its tail so cheerfully...."

The Guild Master had worked hard to find a way to deal with me.

He’d figured out that bringing women to fan me would make me behave—at least somewhat.

Sure, they were all beautiful, but I’m not some basic lizard who gets swayed by charm.

To be precise, the people around me were all so exceptionally attractive that most didn’t even register.

I hate to admit it, but none of them were on par with Soyeong.

Though I’ll concede, their figures were better than hers.

"Ahem..."

The Guild Master stole a quick glance at the woman’s rather generous "energy pouch" and cleared his throat awkwardly.

He was probably thinking, You’re a lizard, how can you even care about that?

Sorry, but I’m a lizard who has reached the pinnacle of enlightenment.

I’ve realized that size doesn’t matter.

...Although, having something substantial is still a nice bonus.

And after seeing Docheol, I’ve learned that appearances aren’t everything.

My perceptive lizard eyes could tell that there was more hidden beneath her attire.

Not "Gerolong" but "Kelorolong"—a sound entirely devoid of elegance.

Whatever was hidden, it felt significant, though I wasn’t sure what.

The woman stroking me was a cold beauty.

Her "pouch" was impressive, and her internal energy wasn’t just for show either.

That’s why I decided to play along and pretend to be captivated by her.

From what I could tell, her internal energy rivaled that of Akbulhwi.

Her attractive face was just a bonus.

...Honestly, maybe I’ve always been drawn to strong women.

I did always find myself wagging my tail endlessly in front of my master.

Yeah, that’s it. Thinking of it this way makes me feel better about myself.

"How could anyone claim such a docile lizard is violent? Guild Master, do you think I don’t know what’s going on? Skimming off a few elixirs here and there, while still taking full payment—this isn’t the first time."

Crack.

Frost spread around the room.

What I’d only speculated was now confirmed—she controlled ice.

For a spiritual beast, that might not be too surprising. But for a human, wielding this kind of energy was no small feat.

With us, even creatures like Tus, Pus, and even Chillang had begun dabbling in ice, so it wasn’t a big deal. But for a human, this was remarkable.

"I-it’s the Ice Phoenix Divine Art!"

The Guild Master shouted in alarm.

The Ice Phoenix Divine Art.

Hearing that name confirmed her identity.

She must be from the North Sea Ice Palace, one of the outer martial realms.

They were a group known for their clichéd aesthetics—blue eyes, western features, and a 90% chance of having a constitution that made them perfect for yin-yang unity with the protagonist.

The woman before me must be the Palace Mistress of the North Sea Ice Palace.

"Gek..."

But holding me in her hand like this wasn’t right.

It’s only because I’m not a regular lizard that I’m fine, but if I weren’t, I’d already be a frozen lizard popsicle by now.

Also, if this really is the Ice Phoenix Divine Art, it’s kind of underwhelming.

Maybe she’s holding back her power because she’s conscious of me.

Her output wasn’t even on par with Tus and Pus.

"Huff... huff..."

The Guild Master was panting heavily.

He probably thought the Ice Palace Mistress had shown him mercy.

Sure, he’d be terrified of the damage to the elixir storage if she caused a scene, but it was also because if the elixirs were destroyed, his own downfall would follow.

...Though, to be fair, a certain lizard had already stuffed all the nearby elixirs into its mouth. But hey, they weren’t destroyed—I’m just storing them.

"Are you using this innocent lizard to cover up your mistakes? Am I right?"

"T-that’s not it..."

"Not it? Are you planning to lie to the end?"

What should I do?

My tail wagged lazily.

I needed to get a grip.

Getting all googly-eyed over a pretty face wasn’t befitting of the Divine Beast of the Gae Gak Sect.

"Kelorolong."

The Guild Master was clearly trying to backpedal.

“...This lizard is an elixir intended for him.”

“Him?”

“Yes, the Black Cloud Guild exists entirely thanks to his grace. This matter is out of my hands. If you could find it in your heart to forgive this incident, we’ll offer you a freshly arrived Fire Pearl as compensation.”

The Guild Master continued referring to the True Dragon as “him,” which Arin didn’t seem to recognize.

It was suspicious, though. The Guild Master spoke as if Arin was aware of the True Dragon’s existence, even though she clearly wasn’t.

“A Fire Pearl... I suppose I’ll have to accept that.”

Arin nodded slightly, though she looked dissatisfied.

“But in the meantime, is it alright if I keep this lizard with me?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Well, according to you, this lizard is wild and dangerous, yet it’s perfectly tame in my presence. Wouldn’t that be beneficial to your guild?”

Arin pressed her hand firmly against my stomach.

“Geeeek!”

Let go, you maniac!

I may not be an ordinary lizard, but pressing down that hard is too much!

It almost felt like there was some emotion behind it.

...Not that a lizard could elicit that kind of emotion from a stranger.

“And I, for one, would like to learn more about this interesting lizard.”

The Guild Master—no, the Black Cloud Guild’s leader—couldn’t hide his inner turmoil.

He was undoubtedly weighing his options.

Should he cater to Arin, with whom he’d built a long-standing relationship of trust?

Or should he ignore her demands and take a hard stance?

“...If it’s the Ice Palace Mistress, then I suppose it’s fine.”

He grudgingly agreed, clearly unwilling to risk losing her as a client.

“Hmm, is that so? Then I’ll take that as a yes. Guild Master, you’re free to leave now.”

I wanted to stir up more trouble, but there wasn’t much I could do.

I’d unexpectedly run into one of the few people capable of keeping me in check.

It seemed I’d have no choice but to lounge around, eat, and wait for Docheol to show up.

“Oh, before you go, if you have any honey dumplings made with Okbong honey, bring them to my quarters. I’ll pay double for them.”

Okbong honey!

This person really knows their food!

“Gerong.”

I started drooling.

It was one of my favorite snacks.

So, they even had it here?

...That bald guy didn’t share something like this with me?

Unforgivable.

“Oh my, you understood me? I said Okbong honey, and you’re already drooling?”

Arin grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and lifted me up.

I’d had it a few times before, and it was delicious.

“Do you really like honey dumplings that much?”

“Gerong.”

“Well, I thought you might.”

Arin smiled.

It seemed we were surprisingly compatible.

We shared similar tastes, and she seemed to like me to some extent.

What was a sinful lizard like me supposed to do?

It looked like I’d be fattened up and lazing around again this time.

As I was happily lost in thought,

Snap!

The hand holding me by the scruff suddenly gripped my entire body.

She tightened her hold on me with one hand.

“So, you did steal all those elixirs, didn’t you?”

Arin looked at me, startled, and spoke without moving her lips.

[Got you at last, you thieving lizard.]

This was... telepathy?

...Wait, thieving lizard?

Who else would call me that?

It made sense coming from the Black Cloud Guild, but Arin had been defending me just moments ago.

I looked closely at Arin’s face.

And then, I realized.

Why had I, upon seeing her “pouch,” instinctively gone from “Gerolong” to “Kelorolong”?

Why did the placement of that beauty mark seem so familiar?

[Didn’t I tell you I’d be watching?]

The person who had captured me wasn’t the mistress of the North Sea Ice Palace.

It was Baek Seol-hwa.