I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 82

Wait, why did it feel like I was hearing music?

It almost made me feel like I should start dancing at any moment.

Looking into those dull eyes gave me an oddly strange feeling.

But the feeling stopped at that.

Could this creature really be the Tusulus I was searching for?

The atmosphere was somewhat similar, but there was something off about it.

Let’s take a closer look.

【Coelophysis LV24】

【Traits】

「Poison Resistance」「Light Bones」「Soaring Dragon Faith」

【Status】

「Curiosity」「Miniaturization」

【Coelophysis】

A dinosaur that can grow up to 3 meters in length but weighs only about 45 kg, thanks to its unique skeletal structure. Its light weight enables it to move quickly, and its specialized skeletal system allows it to make precise turns while running at high speeds.

Coelophysis.

This guy was a fairly well-known dinosaur.

It might not be as famous as the Stegosaurus or Triceratops, but if you dig a bit deeper into dinosaurs, you'd know the name Coelophysis.

There’s even a whole family of dinosaurs named after it.

It’s relatively well-known.

But that’s beside the point.

Was this really the Tusulus I was looking for?

My answer: No.

Sure, it was definitely small.

Much smaller than what was stated in its status window.

And I could see that miniaturization had been applied.

But there was something lacking for it to be the Tusulus.

Would something this minor have been acknowledged by the Serpent Queen?

She’s very strict.

The only reason she let things slide with me was probably because I’m me. From what I’ve gathered from her occasional comments, she’s definitely no pushover.

There was no way she would acknowledge a mere level 24 dinosaur.

And on top of that, one of its traits was "Soaring Dragon Faith."

This indicated it was under the influence of someone else.

In other words, the Tusulus I was looking for wasn’t this creature.

This guy was merely a subordinate of the Soaring Dragon.

“Ge-gegek!”

“Ke-ke-kek!”

The Coelophysis tilted its head, its eyes going wide.

“Kehek!”

It must have just noticed the jewelry hanging from my neck.

Yeah. If this were Hunhui, he wouldn’t have reacted like that.

It flapped its arms nervously, making a fuss.

“Kek-kek!”

Then, cautiously, it approached and started drawing something on the ground with its claw.

Looking closely, I could see it was drawing a picture.

Yes, a picture.

It wasn’t perfect, but it clearly resembled an arrow.

I’d never seen a dinosaur with this kind of intelligence before.

No matter how smart a dinosaur could be, communication like this was unheard of.

It must have been taught by someone.

Most likely, that someone was the Soaring Dragon, its god.

In other words, Hunhui.

“Kek!”

The Coelophysis tilted its head again, as if asking me if I understood the symbol.

With that level of intelligence, it’s at least as smart as Tang So-yeong. Maybe even Shicksick.

“Gegek.”

I nodded, indicating I understood.

It was probably telling me to follow it.

The Coelophysis’s face brightened up.

It pointed its snout toward the fallen Terror Birds.

It seemed to be asking if it could have them, since I wasn’t going to eat them.

Well, I might as well give it a gift. It wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression.

“Ge-gegek!”

I followed the Coelophysis as it led the way.

With one Terror Bird in my mouth and another wrapped in my tail, my pace was inevitably slow.

After walking for a while, I witnessed a strange sight.

I came across a rare creature.

It was a lizard.

Yes, a lizard.

Since arriving at the Hundred Thousand Mountains, this was the first lizard I’d seen.

How could lizards be rarer than dinosaurs?

Look at the way it walked, hands behind its back.

It looked like a seasoned martial artist with a deep well of internal energy.

Its face resembled the Coelophysis from earlier, with those dull eyes that made me want to dance.

But in stark contrast to that, the sheer power it exuded was overwhelming.

Just watching it made my body tingle.

I hadn’t felt this much pressure from either the Serpent Queen or the Bird King.

It wasn’t that their power was lesser than this Compy’s.

The Serpent Queen and the Bird King were mythological creatures: a basilisk and a Quetzalcoatl.

It made sense that they were strong.

But this small creature was a Procompsognathus.

It hadn’t evolved even once, yet it had forcibly raised its level to reach such heights.

Normally, as one’s level increases, so does their size.

But this Compy had trained miniaturization to the extreme, refusing even that natural growth.

Its size was smaller than a regular Compy.

It stared directly at me.

Or rather, at the necklace around my neck.

Thump.

My heart raced.

To be honest, I’d been getting a little overconfident.

I thought that even if I encountered a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur, I wouldn’t have too much trouble defeating it.

After all, I’d gotten bigger, and I had internal energy and martial arts on my side.

I’d encountered other spiritual beasts and even defeated the Cockatrice, so I thought no ordinary dinosaur could challenge me anymore.

But that was a mistake.

Just as I could use internal energy and martial arts, dinosaurs could do the same.

The pseudo-ankylosaurus had displayed powerful external martial arts, and the Dilophosaurus had even used a secret technique from the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Despite witnessing this firsthand, I had grown complacent.

Look at the immense internal energy that Compy possesses.

Size means nothing in the world of dinosaurs.

A Deinonychus I easily devoured could just as easily defeat me if it consumed enough spiritual elixirs and reached a higher level.

“Ge-gegek!”

I needed to let go of my arrogance.

Look at Compy’s dull face.

If it had deliberately hidden its internal energy, would I have even suspected?

Had I underestimated an opponent based on their size in battle, I would have ended up as a giant grilled lizard skewer.

Compy walked toward me slowly.

Its steps exuded the calm demeanor of a veteran master.

After inspecting my necklace, it gave a slight nod.

It was probably signaling its willingness to teach me.

It was going to teach me the secret of miniaturization.

But that wasn’t enough for me.

This tiny creature possessed such deep internal energy.

What could that mean?

It meant that it knew a vast array of martial arts.

Not the kind suited for human bodies, but techniques designed for lizard bodies.

And the name of its faith? Soaring Dragon Faith.

Soaring Dragon.

Where had I heard that before?

The very first martial art I learned: Soaring Dragon Step.

“Ge-gehek...”

I let out a sinister chuckle.

Are you ready, Reverse Scale?

It’s time for a righteous faith thief to make his move.

Might as well take some martial arts while I’m at it, since they don’t wear out.

Compy looked slightly confused.

It seemed to have caught on to my intentions.

But what could it do?

Compy still owed a debt to the Serpent Queen.

And who was I?

The Serpent Queen’s mate, of course.

“Ge-gegek!”

I shook the necklace given to me by the Serpent Queen.

Our wife says you have a debt to repay, right?

[The Serpent Queen thinks being a house husband wouldn’t be so bad.]

Fine. I’ll be a house husband if that’s what it takes.

Now, bring out your hidden martial arts.