I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 302

"Hah, well, it was always strange that a spirit beast like Great Hero Ko hadn’t been able to take human form until now."

Soyeong spoke as she held Tus in her arms.

Considering Tus was now bigger than her, it was surprising she could hold him at all, but Tus and Pus had mastered size reduction.

If it were the old Tus and Pus, this would have been impossible.

But now, they carried the title Anansi along with their names.

Their species description had already stated that they could imitate my techniques, so it was only natural they’d learn to shrink themselves.

It seemed like a useful ability.

If they shrank down and nestled into my scales, they’d be practically invisible.

Of course, their ability to shrink was one thing, but seeing them nestled comfortably in Soyeong’s arms was something else entirely.

The Soyeong I knew and the Tus and Pus I knew weren’t this close.

But after spending so much time together, it seemed they had grown quite attached.

"Hehe. It’s really amazing. But more than anything, I love being able to hear Great Hero Ko’s voice directly."

"Kiiong!"

"Kieeeng!"

Tus and Pus both nodded in agreement.

Honestly, I still felt a little out of it.

I had longed for a human body, and now that I had it, I thought ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) I’d feel something more.

But all I could think was, so I’ve finally become human.

"Personally, I think your lizard form is cooler, but this one isn’t bad either."

Soyeong, for once, was giving me a compliment.

A cool lizard and a cool human were completely different things.

If I had to pick between the two, of course, I’d prefer to be a cool lizard.

"I should take a good look before you turn back into a lizard."

"Kiiong."

Tus and Pus nodded along.

...Huh?

"What do you mean, turn back?"

Why would I turn back into a lizard?

I had finally attained a complete human form—why would I go back?

If I needed the strengths of my lizard form, I could just use Incarnation to get them.

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

Soyeong looked confused, as if she had just assumed I would naturally revert back.

"Hmm... Well, I suppose it’s up to you, but... didn’t you collapse twice on the way here?"

"I did."

"But you don’t seem to have any major injuries?"

"Probably?"

Soyeong leaned in slightly.

"You don’t feel dizzy or lightheaded right now?"

"Dizzy?"

Now that she mentioned it...

I had spent so long as a lizard that suddenly being human did feel strange.

"A little?"

Soyeong’s eyes narrowed as she examined my bandages.

"Then isn’t it obvious?"

"...Wait, are you saying there’s something wrong with my body?"

"That’s exactly what I’m saying! Great Hero Ko, this is your fault for having such an unstable body."

...Huh?

Something about that felt off.

But I decided not to dwell on it.

"Look, I’m an incredibly talented physician, so I can tell... Your internal energy is constantly leaking out."

"What?"

My internal energy was leaking?

That explained why I felt a bit hazy.

"Of course, since your cultivation level is so high, you’re naturally regenerating it. But not fast enough to cancel out the loss entirely."

So the longer I stayed in this form, the more my internal energy would drain.

...It wasn’t completely unreasonable.

After all, the true forms of spirit beasts weren’t human—they were animals.

Just like how I could shrink myself, taking on human form was just another transformation.

So much for being thrilled about this.

I had hoped to maintain this form permanently, but that was looking less and less likely.

Even if passing out didn’t force me back, slowly draining my internal energy was a fatal drawback.

In a completely peaceful world, maybe it wouldn’t matter, but in my current situation, where battles could break out at any moment, I couldn’t afford to keep bleeding energy.

"And personally... I just have a bad feeling about you staying in human form for too long."

"Yeah, yeah."

Nephila, who had been quietly twisting strands of my hair, agreed.

The fact that the cult’s physician and a priestess were saying the same thing was unsettling.

I could brush off whatever Soyeong was saying, but Nephila’s words alone were enough to give me Gae-Rong chills.

But what exactly did they mean by "a bad feeling"?

"I just think that the cult’s followers who have been holding themselves back won’t be able to restrain themselves any longer."

That was a Gae-X-level warning.

For some reason, I suddenly thought of a half-dried lizard.

No—since I was human now, should I call it a mummy instead?

I couldn’t just dismiss Soyeong’s words.

Just look at the Serpent Queen.

She had held back before only because I was too young.

But now?

Now I was a fully grown adult male.

Even though my lizard form wasn’t exactly juvenile, every spirit beast I met had insisted that I wasn’t a fully matured adult.

But that was no longer the case.

Now, I was a full-grown man.

And considering my mental age from my past life, I was an adult in every way.

That meant I was in prime condition to become the Serpent Queen’s meal.

I could already imagine her temple shaking for four weeks straight.

...That was a Gae-X disaster waiting to happen.

"And also... if you stay like this, you’re going to have to take responsibility for it."

"Responsibility?"

"You know, like making cute noises and snuggling into followers’ arms."

...She had a point.

A tiny lizard burrowing into someone’s chest was just adorable.

Even a stranger would just wonder "Why is it doing this?" instead of pushing me away.

I knew this firsthand.

I had tested it several times in the Heavenly Demon Cult.

But a full-grown man doing that?

A tall, muscular guy throwing himself into someone’s arms?

That was instant social disqualification.

With my master’s incredibly generous personality, she might tolerate it...

But not all humans were like my master.

Let’s run a simulation.

If I was still a lizard, I’d sneak into Seolhwa’s room and steal my share of sweet rice dumplings.

If Seolhwa caught me, I’d shamelessly demand compensation for past grievances.

I would receive Gae-Rong as a reward.

But if I did that as a human?

Breaking into her room would be trespassing.

I had thought being human was perfect, but this was a serious flaw.

No—I was Gae Gak’s divine beast.

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Now that I had finally shed my lizard body, how could I let myself be swayed by such trivial desires?

I wouldn’t die just because I couldn’t have Gae-Rong.

"So, just keep the snuggling limited to me and Miss Geumji, okay?"

Soyeong puffed out her chest and spoke proudly.

Honestly, I was grateful just for that.

Yeah, for now... Soyeong and Nephila...

...

I’m going to starve as a lizard, aren’t I?

*

“Geroong... Gerurung....”

“My disciple’s growth is truly remarkable.”

A hungry human was worse than a well-fed lizard.

I had abandoned my human form and was fully indulging in my life as a lizard.

“Kerung... Kerururung....”

“That cry is always fascinating. Do you like my embrace that much?”

“Gekekek.”

One might call this shameless, but truthfully, my master seemed to enjoy this as well.

Every time I visited the Heavenly Demon Cult, she used me as a makeshift body pillow, so I figured it was something mutually beneficial.

I resolved to use my human form only in situations where it was absolutely necessary.

The constant depletion of my internal energy was a major drawback, and I could still make use of my lizard form’s strengths.

Now that my master had officially acknowledged me as her disciple before the elders, I would only remain in my human form during special circumstances—like facing them directly.

Or, I could use it as a trump card during battles.

Jinlong didn’t know I could transform into a human, so it would definitely catch him off guard.

My master gently stroked my belly before pressing lightly against what I assumed to be my dantian.

“Geeeek....”

“Hm, you’ve truly gained enlightenment. You’ve fully entered the state of perfect harmony.”

“Gekgek.”

All thanks to you, Master.

“Moreover, you obtained two more inner cores from this battle. That means my disciple now possesses a total of four high-quality inner cores. And they all belong to spirit beasts of the Supreme Realm.”

“Gekek.”

“But no matter how talented you are, digesting all of them at once would be impossible.”

Huh?

What does that mean?

Was she implying that since I couldn’t consume them all, I should be generous and share?

Master, you really have a cute side.

I wouldn’t mind giving them to my master.

“Gekgek.”

“I have no need for them. I’ve already received more than enough from you. How could I take even more?”

Huh?

So she wasn’t asking for them?

“You are a being of faith, my disciple. Therefore, instead of giving them to me, it would be more appropriate to bestow them upon your followers.”

Since I couldn’t consume all of these inner cores anyway, she was suggesting that I distribute them among my believers.

That was my master’s will.

“Lizamon... That one seems to have taken a great leap forward. A warrior of that caliber will be invaluable in the coming war.”

Lizamon hadn’t advanced in rank, but her species itself had evolved.

She was no longer a Crimson Dragon—she had become a Flame Dragon.

No longer a mid-tier dragon species but now a high-tier one.

She had surpassed Chodo and Docheol and had now become, without question, the strongest blade of the Gae Gak Sect.

“And if you use those inner cores... your followers could grow to a similar level of strength.”

I currently had four Supreme Realm spirit beast inner cores.

One was for my personal use, meaning I could strengthen three of my followers.

Would it be wiser to invest further in Lizamon to push her strength to new heights?

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Or would it be better to raise others to her level?

It was a delightful dilemma.

The stronger my followers became, the stronger I, their leader, would be.

But there was a problem.

If I handed inner cores to some followers, wouldn’t the ones who didn’t receive them feel left out?

“As a leader, you must make a careful decision. Even if they feel disappointed, there is no helping it. Besides, who says you must give them inner cores?”

“Gek?”

“The followers I know would be more than happy with a different kind of reward.”

Of course, my followers were all devoted, but still, if I didn’t give them an inner core, wouldn’t they feel a little let down?

No other gift could compare to the value of an inner core.

“In fact, I believe the ones who receive the inner cores might end up feeling more regretful.”

Huh?

What does that mean?

My master was staring intently at my lower body.

“...Gek?”

“Well, how you choose to compensate them is up to you.”

What the hell does that mean?

...I had a feeling thinking about it too deeply would only harm me.

I’d worry about alternative rewards later.

For now, I’d just lay back and say, "Take whatever you want."

The real issue at hand was deciding who would receive the inner cores.