EP.38
The small moonlight illuminated the dark branches above.
I felt dazed. How did I get here, and why?
I couldn’t remember anything.
What surrounded me were countless corpses.
At that moment, as I silently observed the gruesome sight, something tugged forcefully at my body.
It felt like a large hand grabbing my shoulder.
No, it wasn’t just my shoulder.
Eight hands held onto me.
I couldn’t do anything.
A wave of helplessness rushed over me.
Drip.
A cold liquid fell on my back.
Chills crawled across my body.
That thing’s hand gently grabbed my tail.
I needed to escape.
I had to find a way to escape, no matter what.
Right, now that its hand was on my tail, this was my only opportunity.
If I could just cut off my tail and get away…
…But the tail didn’t sever.
I was slowly being dragged toward it.
I looked back.
What I saw in my eyes…
“Kyeng!”
Tus Pus waved its hand in front of me, greeting me.
It was just a dream.
Was my body weak these days? I must have had a nightmare.
I don’t remember the details well, but it seemed quite horrific.
If I could sweat, I would have drenched myself in it.
With a flicker of hope, I slightly moved my tail.
No matter how I looked, there seemed to be no problem.
Now that I think about it, this tail has been quite beneficial.
Waving my tail was enjoyable, and it greatly helped me maintain balance when standing on two legs.
Moreover, how many times has it saved my life because I cut it off?
I patted my long tail.
I’ve indeed cut this tail quite a lot.
I might have left a few with Nephila Jurassica too.
…Nephila Jurassica.
I wonder how she’s doing.
Seeing my tail and Tus Pus suddenly reminded me.
Now that I have a bit of breathing room, should I go visit her?
As I’ve been with Tus Pus, my immunity to spiders has increased significantly.
Nephila Jurassica is, in a way, an attractive spider too.
If Tus Pus is gentle and cute, then Nephila can be considered a bit of a tough style.
Her legs are long and slender, and her face is a bit scary.
She could be considered one of those older sister types.
With a look resembling a tiger spider, and with blonde hair and red eyes, she’s a fierce sister. Plus, she wears a flashy leopard print…
Oh dear.
What am I thinking?
I’m bound to have another encounter with a Symma.
Or am I already consumed by a Symma?
Thinking seriously about a spider’s appearance, huh?
Forget it, forget it.
I’ll meet Nephila when the time comes.
If I meet her now, I feel like I’ll earn another strange title.
I shook my head.
Get out of my head!
“Kyeng?”
Tus Pus tilted its head in confusion.
No, I’m not thinking about anything.
It’s a good thing you’re a male.
“Keeng…”
…You are male, right?
While carefully side-eyeing Pus, who was slyly pressing its rear against me, and Tus, who was gently biting my tail, I shifted my gaze to where Tang So-young was.
For some reason, she was tightly bound in a spider’s web.
When I glanced at Pus, it wiggled its legs with a proud demeanor.
“Keeng!”
Yeah, there must have been a reason for it.
It looks like she did something unusual during the night.
Was she trying to extract my venom?
I was planning to pull some out and give it to her in the morning, so why would she take a difficult route?
That spider web should be manageable.
Just work it out among yourselves, the three of you.
…But why is there no reaction?
Shouldn’t she be yelling something like “Eeek, please let me go!” while bawling?
She’s not dead, right?
A quick glance showed her small chest rising and falling.
I see you are still breathing.
It doesn’t seem like she’s asleep… I guess she’ll wake up on her own.
Tang So-young.
What a strange woman.
I picked her up because I was intrigued by the mention of “Tang,” but to be honest, I sometimes think it was a mistake to bring her along.
She’s noisy, and when she’s around, Tus Pus can become quite aggressive.
It’s not good for the emotional development of the young ones.
However, there have been benefits.
First of all, Tang So-young sees me as something more than just a lizard.
She consistently engages with me and infers responses from my actions.
It’s not precise, but we can communicate to some extent.
I don’t know if she mistook me for an aunt or something, but the fact that she can communicate without fear is a significant advantage.
The reactions of those men who ran away from me are normal.
They might even come at me with a knife.
In that sense, Tang So-young’s slightly peculiar mindset can be seen as beneficial.
One good point about her talking to me is that I can gather information quickly.
What I need the most right now is information.
I’ve secured most of the basic conditions for survival.
As long as I don’t go higher up in the swamp, my life isn’t at risk.
Since I can make a living, I naturally became curious about what kind of place this is.
A martial arts world teeming with dinosaurs.
But it’s not just me; other beasts seem to use something akin to martial arts too.
Without information, I could easily get knocked out by a Pachycephalosaurus wandering by.
In that regard, Tang So-young has certainly been helpful.
First, there’s the information about the leader of the Demon Cult lurking around here.
If I hadn’t heard this and waved happily at a human, I could end up skewered on a lizard kebab.
The leader of the Demon Cult…
Just thinking about it gives me the chills.
Upon encountering them, I should run away immediately.
Plus, I also confirmed the existence of a Dilophosaurus claiming to be called Dallopho.
Dinosaurs exist? I know that.
The first living creature I saw after coming here was an Oviraptor.
However, the fact that a human exists who tames dinosaurs is a different story altogether.
Dinosaurs may not be that smart, but it’s significant that Tang So-young was managing one; it escaped, but still, the fact is that humans and dinosaurs are interacting.
It means that someone might try to capture me under the impression that I’m a dinosaur.
…Wait a minute, isn’t this why Baek Yeon-Young taught me martial arts?
To take me along after raising me?
Sorry, but I’m not a lizard who can be bound to someone, so I must politely decline.
In fact, if Baek Yeon-Young were to put a leash on me and drag me, there’s really nothing I could do, but I’d still show my will by struggling.
Enough of these distracting thoughts.
The morning has broken, and the ones in my nest should all still be fine. I need to go hunt with some peace of mind.
With an extra mouth to feed today, I should catch something big.
*
It’s a strange thing.
It suddenly crossed my mind that I felt like someone was watching me.
I haven’t wronged anyone, so why would there be an assassin after me?
But it just seems to be staring; it hasn’t approached me more than necessary.
Since it lack responses indicating a danger sense, it shouldn’t be anything dangerous…
Still, it’s a bit concerning.
Since it’s not an immediate threat, I should try to ignore it.
It could just be the second Tus Pus, startled by my presence.
【King Crocodile Lizard LV13】
HP: 422/422
MP: 111/111
【Titles】
「Beloved by Spiders」
「Master of the Silver Dragon Cave」
「Master of the Swamp (Lower)」
I leveled up to 11 when I defeated a Cayman, and I’ve increased by 2 levels in the last week. Since I’ve been hunting only the creatures in the swamp, the leveling-up process has been slow.
It’s a little disappointing, but better safe than sorry.
Let’s search for some prey.
If possible, I want something stronger.
I’d like to catch a flying piranha, but it’s too fast, so I’ll pass.
Should I try to catch the leader of the toads or turtles?
If it really is a spirit creature, my level would spike instantly.
I was wandering the swamp like this.
“Chirp… chirp.”
A strange cry echoed.
It lacked energy, but it was a sound I could never forget.
Deinonychus.
It was that creature.
_________________________
【Deinonychus】
A small carnivorous dinosaur measuring 3 meters in length and weighing between 60 to 100 kilograms. It is a highly intelligent hunter that hunts large dinosaurs in packs. Its second claw on the hind legs is extremely sharp, and it prefers a hunting method that causes excessive bleeding by puncturing the prey’s belly.
_________________________
It moved slowly while concealing its presence.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t confront it. Deinonychus hunts in packs.
The risk would be too great.
One might be manageable, but against two or more, I would have no chance.
However, the situation is different now.
As far as I could see, there was only one.
Had it come alone for a drink, with no traces of its companions anywhere to be found?
This was the perfect opportunity.
If not now, I might never know the taste of Deinonychus meat for the rest of my life.
Silently, I submerged into the water.
I swam quietly, like an alligator in the water.
Sliding closer.
As I approached, the Deinonychus also began to inch closer.
It was the most ideal situation.
The creature stood on the shore, glancing around.
It seemed somewhat fatigued.
It must be thirsty.
How thirsty would it have to be to leave its companions behind and come drink alone?
It staggered a little closer.
Splash.
Its snout touched the surface of the water.
Gulp.
Yes.
Right now!
Kwah-ah-ah-ah!
With a massive splash, I lunged onto the shore.
My target was the Deinonychus’s neck.
“Ki-iiik!”
It let out a startled cry, shocked by the sudden attack, but it was already too late.
Its neck was already caught between my teeth.
Crack!
I had to end it in one strike.
The Cayman’s signature technique.
Death Roll.
Kuh-kah-kah-kah-kah!
Thud!
【Deinonychus LV7】
【Status】
「Poisoned」「Dying」
It didn’t take long for the Deinonychus to separate into “Dei” and “Nonychus.”
[Level has increased.]
No matter how much of a Deinonychus it was, it wouldn’t stand a chance when ambushed.
Wait, there was something strange attached to that status screen I saw earlier?
Yes.
It definitely showed “poisoned.”
Did it eat some toad or something?
Its body was sluggish, so it was already affected by the poison.
Even without the poison, the result wouldn’t have changed, so there’s no need to regret it.
I should hurry and take the meat before its companions arrive.
Finally, I would taste Deinonychus meat.
…
Once again.
I felt the sensation of someone watching me.
Someone was aiming for the back of my head.
What is this tingling sensation in my body?
It doesn’t seem to be hostility.
I don’t know who it is, but let me at least see their face.
Leaving the Deinonychus corpse momentarily, I stood on two feet.
Splash!
I dashed towards the direction of the gaze, cutting through the water.
I could see thick underbrush.
For just a moment, red eyes were visible as well.
Yes.
You are the one who has been watching me.
Swoosh!
At that moment, as I slashed through the underbrush with my claws.
Its presence vanished.
Not a trace remained.
As if it had never been in this location from the start.
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