Shaking my head side to side, I confirmed that what I saw was indeed a depiction of a person.
Surely, they couldn’t have drawn a chimpanzee dressed in clothes.
So, this world had humans after all.
The round food I had just eaten was also likely made by them.
In other words, someone had visited this space.
What a careless person to spill precious food in this cave!
I worried that they might be anxiously searching for it, but thought it had been too long already.
I had swallowed something that belonged to someone else.
Those rice cakes must be pleased to have become my nourishment.
If left untouched, they would have been devoured by a bizarre creature.
Compared to that, being eaten by such a gentlemanly lizard was quite the privilege.
Lost in such strange thoughts, I refocused on the wall painting.
The curves and straight lines were bizarre yet beautiful, flowing into one another.
Traces of martial arts. It might even be reasonable to call them sword marks.
Honestly, to my eyes, they were just lines. Yet, I could still sense a hint of their beauty. Surely, they contained the mystery of martial arts.
However, that was all I could gather.
I couldn’t discern anything beyond that.
The only reference I had was the wall painting next to it.
If the sword marks were for advanced practitioners, this one seemed suitable for beginners.
I examined the beginner’s section slowly.
The first thing that caught my eye was a drawing of a person swinging a sword.
Cut horizontally.
Cut vertically.
Thrusting.
Ah, the Three Essentials Sword Technique it is.
The Three Essentials Sword Technique is the fundamental swordsmanship.
It refers to the sword techniques encompassing the mysteries of heaven, earth, and humanity, being both basic and crucial.
If one were to learn from scratch, they would need to start with the Three Essentials Sword Technique.
Of course, assuming I was human.
Unfortunately, this body was a lizard with a long tail.
I tried to sharpen my claws as much as possible, but they would hardly substitute for a sword.
Perhaps if I evolved further, it might be different, but the claws of the basilisk I drew were little more than a pipe dream.
It was disappointing, but I had to pass on the swordsmanship.
After glancing past the Three Essentials Sword Technique, I examined another picture.
There was an illustration of someone spreading their insides and launching a fierce attack on the enemy.
Movement Technique. No, it was a martial art that could be referred to as a Skill Technique.
With quite a few movements involved, it seemed like it could be incredibly useful if mastered.
Yet this one too… pass.
And why is that?
Because the person depicted was bald.
Other illustrations had hair drawn, yet in this wall painting, there was none.
I couldn’t learn a martial art practiced by a bald person.
It’s not that I have a specific aversion to baldness.
I respect them.
I even think they can be quite cool.
However, martial arts have a peculiar trait; some can adversely affect the user.
They can turn you into a Celibate, require you to live your whole life as a virgin, or even turn you into an incredibly beautiful girl.
…Isn’t the last one not an adverse effect?
In any case, it could be a martial art that causes all one’s hair to fall out.
Of course, if it meant getting stronger, I could sacrifice a little hair.
But I have no hair at all.
Being a lizard, after all.
The scales may possibly correspond to what hair is for humans.
If those scales were to fall off, I would become exceedingly vulnerable.
Thus, my decision to skip that martial art isn’t rooted in personal feelings, but a thoroughly rational one.
“Gek gek.”
I continued to inspect the wall paintings, but there didn’t seem to be any martial arts worth learning.
I completely ruled out using weapons like swords or spears, and martial arts didn’t quite suit my hands either.
Given my strong legs, learning a kicking technique could be worthwhile, but it didn’t resonate with me.
Ugh.
That bald person’s martial art looked relatively decent, but…
No, something else should come up.
Swoosh.
As I pondered over martial arts, I suddenly heard sounds approaching.
It was the sound of something slithering along the ground.
Ssssss.
Immediately, I shifted into a defensive posture.
“Saaak!”
The creature revealed itself.
A pure white snake took on an aggressive stance.
【Titanoboa LV1】
【Status】
“Hostility,” “Baby”
__________________________
【Titanoboa】
The largest snake, growing up to 15 meters in length and weighing as much as 1.2 tons. The thickest part of its body exceeds 1 meter, and its head alone measures over 70 cm. It primarily feeds on fish longer than 2 meters and small crocodiles.
__________________________
Titanoboa!
Just reading the description was terrifying.
Of course, that was only the description.
“Saaak!”
Wow, the name Titan definitely has some weight to it.
But with its size, it looks like it might only be as dangerous as a bloodthirsty leech.
The one before me seemed far too small to be a true Titanoboa.
It felt like I should be facing off against a piranha, not something serious.
There was simply no way it could stand up to me.
“Gegegeck!”
The thought of eating snake meat made my mouth water.
Though I was full, meat was a different matter altogether.
I charged at the snake swiftly.
Titanoboa may seem fearsome due to its size, but I knew it lacked any poisonous abilities.
In other words, this smaller Titanoboa would merely become my source of protein.
It would be an overwhelming victory.
Swoosh.
SLAP!
A chilling sensation brushed past my cheek.
It was the snake’s tail, like a white whip.
After arching its body like a bow, it flicked its tail with a burst of momentum.
…Was this how a Titanoboa hunted?
No, that couldn’t be right.
It must be that this one is unusual.
“Saaak.”
The white snake retracted its tail and flicked its tongue.
Nod.
In a peculiar posture, it raised its tail and moved the tip slightly.
…You’re not a snake, are you?
That gesture clearly seemed provocative.
That “saaak” sound must mean, “Come at me!”
I wouldn’t fall for such a low-level taunt.
I wasn’t a wild lizard; I was a dignified lizard with intellect.
I was on a different level from the creatures born in this cave.
Nod.
“Gegegeck!”
Using the Little Dragon Ascending Step, I closed the distance with it.
Thud!
However, its tail struck me, halting my advance, and it used the rebound to create distance once more.
Truly a snake.
It was rightfully worthy of being called a master of Snake Fist.
Whenever I tried to close in, it would dart away, and when we were separated, it unleashed one-sided attacks.
It was a type of enemy I had never encountered before.
It lacked overwhelming size, poison, or solid defense.
Still, it was tricky to deal with.
It was even difficult to get close.
At this rate, I might absurdly lose to this tiny snake.
Thud!
Its tail came flying at me.
There was no way for me to defeat it.
At least, that was the case in the past.
I sharpened my claws.
I swung at the incoming tail that struck like a whip.
CRACK!
I felt it catch the snake’s tail.
The white snake seemed startled.
It must have thought I was just an ordinary lizard.
This was the martial technique of an unnamed bald person.
I could feel the tail I had grabbed jerking around.
As expected, since it used its tail to attack, it had a significant amount of muscle.
However, the tail wasn’t its exclusive weapon.
SLAP!
I swung my long tail back at the snake’s head.
The creature’s tail was immobilized.
I could attack unilaterally now.
Hey, snake that tried to attack me, how does that feel?
SLAP!
My tail was also quite powerful.
After all, it was being used as a third leg.
At the same time I struck its head with my tail, my claws dug into its flesh.
“Kieee!”
The creature was thrashing about.
However, once my claws sank in, they showed no signs of letting go.
SLAP!
Unleashing an unrelenting barrage of tail strikes, I charged directly at its neck while it was dazed from a concussion.
CRACK!
[Level Up!]
Master of Snake Fist.
Even though it was my enemy, it was impressive.
“Gekgek!”
I roared, stomping on the defeated snake, now reduced to mere meat.
In respect, I would make good use of your flesh.
Chomp.
Crunch.
Must be the muscles; it was a bit tough.
But it was still edible.
Though the abundance of bones was a drawback, it had its own unique flavor.
Ah, this is nice.
It finally felt like a livable place—no, a dragon lizard’s residence.
With food that wasn’t just bugs, and a wall painting that could be described as a fortuitous encounter, there was nothing to envy here.
But honestly, didn’t I perform quite impressively in that last battle?
I felt like I’d used some martial arts skills and even mimicked enemy attacks.
Isn’t something supposed to be given to me for that?
I glanced at my status window.
Skill Attack.
Please give me a skill attack.
No changes appeared despite my glaring at the status window.
Do they not easily grant martial arts?
…Well, since I have time to spare, if I gnaw on that wall painting, something should come out of it.
Having consumed the snake’s essence, should I try Qi regulation?
I might realize martial arts through it.
I blindfolded myself with a piece of snake skin and took a meditation posture.
My energy, starting from the Lower Dantian, began to circulate throughout my body.
My mind grew clearer.
It felt as if the essence I had eaten and the experiences from earlier were becoming truly mine.
A warm sensation enveloped my entire body.
It was a cozy feeling as if something was wrapping around me.
A pleasantly soft texture.
Along with it came a faint scent of flowers.
Had I crossed beyond the Great Transformation and reached the realm of Three Transformations Purification?
My growth was truly astonishing.
My body slowly began to lift.
I had heard about this before.
That a master with profound Qi regulation could float in the air during meditation.
“How fascinating.”
Moreover, I could hear a voice like jade rolling on a silver tray.
It must surely be the voice of a fairy.
Five Essence Regulation.
I had already gone beyond Three Transformations Purification and reached Five Essence Regulation.
“I’ve never seen a lizard in meditation before.”
Now, I was reaching enlightenment.
“My body feels hollow; I already intended to nourish it, so this is quite fortuitous.”
Throwing aside the lizard’s body and my new….
Nourishment?
That didn’t seem like something a fairy would say.
Using my forelimbs, I slyly peeled off the piece of skin covering my eyes.
What I saw was something that enveloped my body in a peach color.
It looked quite soft and chewy in color and shape.
Waoong.
Chomp.
Instinctively, I bit into the soft skin.
My solid teeth couldn’t penetrate it.
It was certainly soft.
Yet, it was hard.
What an absurd contradiction was this situation?
No matter how much I chewed, nothing changed.
Whose finger is this, possessing such a texture?
Wait a moment, finger?
Why did I think of this as a finger?
Still biting down, I slowly turned my gaze.
A pair of blue eyes came into view.
The owner of those eyes was quietly watching me.
Eventually, noticing I was looking at it, it spoke in a gentle voice.
“…So, did you find the lady’s finger that delicious?”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.