EP.16
The speed of my fall intensified.
Even if there was water on the ground, I would surely burst upon impact.
I needed to reduce my speed somehow.
Swish!
I reached out and grasped the nearest wall.
Swoosh!
Since I still retained the characteristics of a Gecko Lizard, I thought I could climb the wall.
However, that ability was not applicable in this moment.
My speed only lessened, but I couldn’t cling to the wall.
I had to reduce my speed further.
I stretched my newly grown tail as wide as possible to increase the surface area in contact with the wall.
Screeek!
It hurt like hell.
The wounds I hadn’t yet healed were exposed to the friction heat.
It felt like my flesh was cooking—actually, it probably was.
It was painful, but I couldn’t let go of the wall with my hands and tail.
If I did, I would fall to my death.
I alternated between my hands and feet to minimize friction.
While I was getting roasted, I suddenly managed to grab on to something.
Snap!
Although it was dark and hard to see, it felt like some thin thread.
Could it be animal fur? Or perhaps a plant’s stem?
I didn’t have the luxury to ponder that.
Thanks to the thread, I was momentarily suspended in mid-air.
It was a precious moment to cool down my burning body.
Snap.
Of course, my good fortune didn’t last long.
The thread quickly broke under my falling weight.
Thud!
I could feel my claws being ground down in real-time.
I tried climbing the wall, but it was futile.
Still, with this much, I should avoid instant death.
Boom!
My small body slammed onto the ground.
“Geeeek!”
A lizard that normally wouldn’t scream let out a short shriek involuntarily.
But me screaming meant I still had some strength left.
In other words, I was still alive.
[You have acquired “Tough Skin LV1.”]
[You have acquired “Fire Resistance LV1.”]
Phew.
If you’re going to give them, could you at least do it a bit faster?
…No, right. They’ll probably take it back.
I’ll use them well, Status Window.
【Green Basilisk LV6】
HP: 24/75
MP: 25/32
Although my HP had dropped significantly, I should be grateful it didn’t end here.
Had I not managed to slow down just a tad more, I would have turned into lizard patties.
Being cooked by friction heat, I would have surely tasted delectable.
…Ugh, even in this situation, I’m thinking about food.
I feel like my mindset is turning into that of a lizard’s.
Hunger couldn’t be ignored.
The energy expended while being chased by the Cayman was immense. Not to mention, the caloric loss from growing my tail couldn’t be overlooked. It was only natural to crave calories in this situation.
However, unlike an ordinary lizard, I could endure it to some extent.
If I were just an ordinary three-day-old lizard, I would have been wailing.
Though I was hungry, I didn’t feel like I was on the verge of death.
There were other matters that needed resolving before hunger.
Where in the world was I?
Even with my elite lizard intellect, the answer wasn’t immediately apparent.
I had plummeted to the ground after the ground collapsed beneath me.
To think that a place like this existed near the swamp…
I couldn’t have imagined it.
I could see a glimmer of light from where I had fallen.
Even though it was night, only a faint moonlight shone through.
Still, it was much better than total darkness.
I could finally see the overall shape of the place.
Stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Stalagmites growing from the floor.
It was a cliché, but I had fallen into a cave.
A slight breeze was blowing.
That meant there had to be an exit somewhere.
I didn’t think I had to worry about suffocating to death.
I cautiously poked my sleek head out to look up at the hole I had fallen through.
With my movement technique and climbing abilities, I thought I could make it up.
Alright. Let’s give it a try.
Imagining a red cap and mustache, I leapt toward the wall.
*
To get straight to the results, I spectacularly failed.
I was no Italian plumber.
If the hole had been straight, I might have managed to climb out somehow. But as it narrowed upward, climbing was simply impossible.
Above a certain height, the wall became too smooth to hold on.
Still, it wasn’t a total loss.
[You have acquired “Night Vision LV1.”]
You’ve gained Night Vision!
Of course, my wall-climbing skills were irrelevant to this situation.
Being in darkness for too long probably caused it.
Still, having night vision made me feel somewhat reassured.
Even if someone were to launch a surprise attack, I would be somewhat prepared.
Without intending to, I had also leveled up my Crisis Detection to level 6.
With that, I had nearly finished everything I could do here.
__________________________
【Skills】
「Soaring Dragon Ascension」「Quick Escape」「Tenacious Defense」「White Dragon Heart Technique」
「Tail Cutting LV9」「Sprint LV8」「Crisis Detection LV7」「Tail Cutting LV2」「Wild Eyes LV2」「Cold Blood LV1」「Predation LV1」「Gourmet LV1」「Tough Skin LV1」 ……
__________________________
My skill window was somewhat organized.
I stared intently at the skill window.
There was something I needed to address right now.
Among my skills, there was a traitor.
I mean you, yes you.
「Tail Cutting LV2」
You pretending to be tail cutting.
I lifted my claws and poked something that pretended to be tail cutting.
Sizzle.
「%! Cut ■□ LV2」
Cuts %!
The skill window flickered and the name changed.
It felt less like a name change and more like a game error had occurred.
That strange description.
I had seen it a few times before.
The first was when I gained the skill Webbed Steps.
It tried to evolve into a larger version of Webbed Steps due to the skills I possessed.
And at that time, this thing appeared.
This thing masquerading as tail cutting responded to the Webbed Steps and allowed me to learn the Soaring Dragon Ascension movement technique.
The next time was when I was chased by the Cayman.
I clearly executed Tail Cutting, but it felt like something other than my tail was being cut.
Because of that, the Cayman ended up expelling everything it had inside, scattering shards of high-ranking internal organs everywhere.
It was too timely to be mere coincidence.
I continued to glare at whatever was pretending to be Tail Cutting.
Shouldn’t you answer soon?
…….
The status window remained silent.
「Tail Cutting LV2」
Cuts the tail.
The description for Tail Cutting had returned to normal.
So, it doesn’t intend to tell me just yet.
Of course, I hadn’t incurred any losses because of this skill.
On the contrary, one could argue I had gained more than I lost.
However, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.
It was indeed beneficial, but it felt like I was involved with something beyond my control.
What could the true nature of this skill be?
One thing was for certain: it was not just a simple tail cut.
Given that it dealt significant damage to the Cayman, it might be far more formidable than I anticipated.
“Geeeek….”
I thought hard, but no answers came.
Still, it was clear that it was useful.
“Gekek.”
For now, I’ll keep it with me.
However, if it pulls any nonsense, I’ll be sure to dispose of it immediately.
Even if I don’t know how to discard a skill, my resolve was renewed.
Perhaps it might behave properly if I read its thoughts.
The matter of the Tail Cutting apprentice was settled for now.
Now it was time to move on to the next item on the agenda.
What was most important to me at this moment?
Escaping the cave?
That would definitely be important. It was my primary objective.
However, there was something that needed to come first.
That would be filling my growling stomach.
My HP had significantly dropped, and my hunger was no joke.
If this continued, I would starve before I could escape the cave.
If I encountered an enemy, I would likely be devoured by one that I could comfortably defeat.
It was time to face the merciless predator, the Green Basilisk.
Even with night vision, discerning whether there was prey here would be no easy task.
Those living in such places had natural camouflage.
But I had Wild Eyes.
I focused my vision to activate the skill.
I can see.
Countless names and levels.
Since the level of my skill increased, I could not only see in greater detail but also over a wider area.
Within the radius where I was located, there were approximately 30 creatures in total.
…Isn’t that a bit too many?
【Scutigera morpha LV1】
【Scutigera morpha LV1】
【Scutigera morpha LV1】
Ugh.
No.
Regardless, if they are all level 1, they are likely extremely weak bugs.
The more there are, the better it is.
But what about Scutigera morpha?
Why does it have such a name?
I wonder if it might taste something like spaghetti.
With its large mouth agape, I charged towards the creatures.
At that same moment, my night vision leveled up.
[「Night Vision LV1」 has leveled up.]
In an instant, my sight brightened.
__________________________
【Scutigera morpha】
Also known as the House Centipede, this species is commonly found all over the world and, contrary to its appearance, is a beneficial insect that preys on pests. Its number of legs increases with each molt, and as an adult, it typically has an average of 30 legs.
__________________________
Oh.
Wait a moment.
That’s what it is.
It’s a Grimah!
Sizzle!
I quickly planted my front limbs into the ground.
I barely grazed the head of several Grimahs clustered together in hell before retreating.
“Kiiiii?”
The Grimahs all turned to look at me in unison.
I am a Basilisk Lizard.
Such insects cannot harm me at all.
They were no different from the aphids I had hunted on the first day.
They are creatures I can cook as easily as water beetles.
However, it’s not that simple.
Those things…
They look way too disgusting!
It was a different kind of terror from the Cayman.
If I detailed it further, I feared I would struggle myself, so I tried to erase the image from my mind. Still, the sight of the Grimah, which was close enough to feel its breath, was hard to forget.
Feigning nonchalance, I discreetly backed away using only my hind legs.
【Megarachne LV4】
【Megarachne LV2】
There were spiders over there.
Alright, if it’s spiders, I can relax.
…I wonder if Tuss and Puss managed to escape.
They likely wouldn’t have thought to prey on something so lacking in nutritional value.
I approached the gathering of spiders.
After all, I am the idol of the spiders.
This was an opportunity to gather the followers of the Green Basilisk faith.
I could secretly fill my stomach too.
__________________________
【Megarachne】
Its name means “giant spider.” With a body length of 55 cm, it is an extremely large species and is classified not as a spider but as a sea scorpion.
__________________________
“Kieeeeeek!”
“Geeek!”
…Wasn’t it a spider?
No, it completely looked like a spider.
Its name says giant spider, after all.
Once again, I cautiously pulled my feet back.
Still, since we hadn’t formed an antagonistic relationship, I was relieved.
Now, are there any cute little creatures around?
Something small and delicious like a cricket.
Just as I was sneaking back a bit,
Thud.
I tripped over something with my foot.
My Crisis Detection, now at level 7, blared its sirens.
Wiiing.
I felt an instinct to not lift my head.
But I couldn’t resist my curiosity.
【Arthropleura LV17】
【Status】
“Displeasure”
__________________________
【Arthropleura】
This is the largest millipede species, growing up to 2.6 m in length, 55 cm in width, and weighing up to 50 kg. It possesses strong venom and prefers herbivorous food over carnivorous.
__________________________
Its iridescent shell was close to a purplish hue. It had a thick carapace comparable to a Cayman. Coiled like a snake, it resembled a millipede but looked utterly comfortable in that position.
Sizzle.
The corrosive saliva dripping from its mouth heightened the intimidation factor.
I must not show any signs of fear.
I needed to act as if I belonged in this cave, as if I were not a lizard but an arthropod.
“Shiaaaaat!”
It had no effect.
It seemed startled by my bipedal stance.
Arthropleura.
The giant millipede.
“Geeek!”
I had intended to let it pass, but I found myself irritated upon reflection.
I activated Sprint, prepared to use Tail Cutting if necessary.
Tudatadatadadada!
That was a full-on retreat.
No, it should be considered a strategic withdrawal.
Consider yourself lucky, plaything.
Had my HP been sufficient, one of you would have been on the sacrificial altar today.
“Gekek!”
Kuguuuu!
…Don’t follow me. That was just a reflex.
Guuuuuuu!
I am a lizard that has devoured high-ranking internal organs. If I evolve like this, you’ll regret it!
Kukakakak!
I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.
Please, just don’t chase after me.
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