I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 39

“Listen to me. Coming with me has a lot of advantages, don’t you think?”

“Kieeek!”

“Let go of your grudges and let’s think about this rationally. Just consider the size difference between you and the Great Warrior.”

“Kieeek...”

“If you return to the Tang Clan, I’ll personally see to it that you’ll be reborn, completely transformed...”

What in the world are they talking about?

Since when did they become so friendly?

“Kieek!”

Tus, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, waved his hand.

“Oh, you’re back... Huh? What’s that in your mouth?”

Tang So-Yeong pointed at the Deinonychus in my mouth.

“This... this is... just like the one I saw before...”

She started getting all worked up, explaining about the Deinonychus.

But her explanation wasn’t useful information, like what I’d see in my status window.

She rambled on about how she encountered a Deinonychus yesterday, how smart it was, how she barely escaped using smoke bombs.

Yeah, it was all useless information.

“As expected of the Great Komodo Warrior...”

Tang So-Yeong’s overblown admiration ended, as always, with her praising the “Great Komodo.”

“Great Warrior, may I prepare this meat for you?”

I gave her a glance over.

How did she plan to handle all that meat with such a weak-looking body?

There’s a reason it’s called dragon-handling skills.

“Please trust me. I’ll repay the favor you’ve shown me with the best cooking I can offer. Besides, I’m skilled at preparing venomous meat.”

She pulled a wooden container from her bag.

Clink.

The sound was familiar.

She opened the lid and showed me the contents.

A white, colorless, and odorless powder.

Could it be... salt?

“Gek gek!”

Get on with it immediately!

From today on, all cooking duties will be handed over to Tang So-Yeong.

I crouched down and watched her culinary skills.

She began slicing the large Deinonychus into manageable pieces.

Removing the skin was a tough job, so I helped a bit with my dragon-handling skills.

Now, the remaining chunks of meat looked quite appetizing.

But, honestly, the only way we could cook it here was by roasting it.

The usual method involved sticking the meat directly into the fire and grilling it.

If I put a little more thought into it, I might have come up with skewers.

But Tang So-Yeong had gone a step further.

Fizz.

There was a sword resting over the campfire.

It was the sword I had picked up.

She placed thin slices of meat on the hot surface of the blade.

Sizzle.

Then she sprinkled it with the white, snow-like salt.

The thinly sliced meat cooked quickly.

Tang So-Yeong transferred the well-cooked pieces onto a leaf-plate.

I flicked my tongue, waiting for the cooking to finish.

Today’s meal?

Deinonychus Salt Mix!

“Geggegek!”

See? I have a good eye for people.

Bringing her along was the right choice.

Tang So-Yeong.

You’ve earned second place in my rankings of people I’ve met here.

But don’t get too cocky. Keep doing your best because you never know when things might change.

As I was enjoying the salted meat...

“Great Warrior, may I have a word?”

“Gek gek.”

I eagerly nodded my head.

After making such delicious food, of course.

“I have a request.”

Oh, you want some venom?

Take it, take it.

If you want, I could even give you a piece of my shed skin.

“How about leaving the spiders in my care?”

Huh?

“Kieeek?”

That’s not what I expected.

“You probably want to know why these spiders react to me the way they do. Let me explain.”

Alright, let’s hear it.

“Have you heard of Godok?”@@@@

I nodded.

“These spiders were supposed to be used as ingredients for making Godok.”

I looked over at Tus and Pus.

They were waving their legs lightly, probably recalling some conversation they’d had with her before I arrived.

“I won’t say I had nothing to do with it, but I never wanted to make Godok.”

Based on what I’ve picked up, I can guess what happened between Tang So-Yeong and the spiders.

She’ll say it’s up to the spiders to decide, and Tus and Pus will choose her, leaving me a sad Crocodile King Lizard who’s lost custody.

How underhanded.

Chomp.

“Kyah! It’s wet! But... it’s also kind of comforting.”

After giving Tang So-Yeong a light smack, I rolled over lazily.

A sweet smell wafted through the air.

It smelled a bit like honey.

Shrik.

I flicked my tongue to amplify the scent.

“Mmm... that smells so good...”

“Kieeng...”

Looks like Tang So-Yeong and the spiders noticed the scent too.

It was a pleasant, relaxing aroma that made me feel sleepy.

I had just eaten, and the day was warm, so maybe I’d take a nap.

They say you gain weight if you lie down right after eating, but on the flip side, it’ll help me bulk up.

No reason not to.

...This smell is really nice.

I could get used to this.

...

[Your Crisis Detection LV7 has increased in level.]

A sharp sensation made my scales bristle.

I immediately opened my eyes.

【Dilophosaurus LV35】

【Dilophosaurus】

A medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur, 7 meters long and weighing around 400 kilograms.

Its sharp, long teeth are somewhat small relative to its gums, but its wide roots make for sturdy teeth.

It’s a ruthless hunter that uses its long arms and sharp teeth to slaughter its prey.

“Krreung!”

I growled loudly, but Tang So-Yeong and the spiders showed no signs of waking.

So, this sweet smell was the poison?

The sweet scent I smelled earlier was its venom.

If I weren’t immune to poisons, I would have been affected too.

...It doesn’t seem to be life-threatening, though.

I guess it’s some kind of sedative.

Its goal must be to knock us out.

Probably so it can eat us alive.

“Grrrr...”

I growled low at the creature.

“Grrrr...”

Its red eyes glared at me fiercely.

My heart pounded in my chest.

I had seriously underestimated the Dilophosaurus.

The ones I’d seen in movies were no bigger than Deinonychus, so I never gave them much thought.

But seeing one in person made me realize how wrong I was.

It was on the same scale as a Baryonyx, not a Deinonychus.

“Kieeek...”

The creature pointed its tail at Tang So-Yeong.

Then it shook its head a couple of times.

“Krrrk krrrk...”

It seemed like it was trying to talk to me.

Predators don’t fight each other if they can help it.

Even if they win, they risk getting injured, which could lead to their own death later.

It seemed the Dilophosaurus didn’t see me as an easy opponent it could defeat without getting hurt.

And since its venom didn’t work on me, it probably wanted to avoid a fight.

“Krrrrrk...”

It kept pointing at Tang So-Yeong.

The message was clear. It wanted her, and it was offering to leave me alone.

There was no need for bloodshed.

To it, she was just food.

...I didn’t want to fight it either.

The creature was strong.

It reminded me of the Baryonyx I’d seen from a distance.

It gave me the same feeling I had when I first encountered the Caiman.

If I could just take Tus and Pus and walk away, that wouldn’t be a bad option.

After all, I didn’t have any deep connection with Tang So-Yeong.

I’d only met her a little over a day ago.

If I weighed my life against hers, of course, my own survival came first.

Leaving her behind might leave a bad taste in my mouth, but nothing is more important than staying alive.

But...

I couldn’t retreat.

It wasn’t because I wanted to save her.

I had made a vow—to never run away again.

And I had to keep that vow.

“Grrrrrr...”

Besides...

I’m the ruler of this swamp.

Dilophosaurus.

Let me teach you your place.