I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 315

I ended up learning more than I expected.

First and foremost, the most important takeaway: Spinosaurus actually exists.

From an outside perspective, I must’ve looked a little unhinged.

If anyone who knew what my inner demon looked like had read my thoughts, they’d probably say, “This damn scaly freak finally crossed the line.”

But that’s not what this is.

My inner demon is none other than the former Gomodo.

And the form he took was, by default, a Spinosaurus.

He also told me there’s another creature out there that looks exactly like the form he took.

Possibly a dinosaur that’s lived since ancient times.

So powerful that it’s grouped with the Tyrant Dragon and Southern Lizard King under the name “Spinal Dragons.”

And that kind of being actually exists.

With that information, I finally understood why my inner demon hated his current form so much.

If it's enough to be lumped together like that, then that other creature is probably connected to his father in some twisted way.

Maybe it’s even got some bad blood with Gigano.

Taking on the form of such a being and ending up looking ridiculous?

I didn’t mean for it to happen, but yeah... that’s humiliating as hell.

Honestly, I feel like putting him in a maid outfit out of nowhere would be less offensive, but I’m pretty sure this added some extra emotional damage.

Still, this gives me a bit of insight into why Gomodo chose me.

Gomodo is a child of the Tyrannosaurus.

And I was a man who, right up to the moment of death, fought for the glory of Tyrannosaurus.

I went around preaching that Gigano and Spino could never compare to the might of the Tyrant.

Gomodo must have taken a liking to that version of me.

...Or what if it’s the other way around—what if I became a die-hard Tyrannosaurus fan because of his influence?

Nah. No way.

My admiration for the Tyrant came from deep within my soul.

And if it was Gomodo’s influence, then half of South Korea must be under his spell too.

— If you want more information about the Spinal Dragon, accept my offer. It doesn’t matter how you do it—just bring Gigano to his knees. ...Though it probably won’t be the original but one of his descendants, you still have to get it done.

There was a time I thought the Spino info was just a gag, but now I think it might actually be useful.

It might help me figure out # Nоvеlight # the relationship between me and the previous Gomodo.

The Tyrant Dragon. The Southern Lizard King. The Spinal Dragon.

If I can uncover the relationship between those three, I might finally understand why Gomodo chose me.

And beyond that—what kind of person the Heavenly Demon was.

And of course, what kind of dinosaur the Tyrant Dragon, my idol, truly was.

I mean, wasn't it said the Heavenly Demon’s master was the Tyrannosaurus?

So then the martial arts the Heavenly Demon practiced were—

Tyranno Fist, Tyranno Claw Techniques, Tyranno Dominance Steps.

Just the names alone make a man’s heart roar.

I still don’t know how the hell he used fists and claws with those tiny arms, but the fact that he pulled it off proves he really was the ultimate dinosaur.

But first, I’ve gotta take care of Giganotosaurus.

I’ve never been this motivated in my life.

— See? I knew Spinal Dragon preferences would be the perfect motivation.

No, not that kind of motivation!

That’s info I wouldn’t listen to even if you gave it away!

— Are you sure about that? fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

...Fine. If you do tell me, I’ll at least listen.

— Hooh...

Don’t make that voice.

I'm just thinking it might come in handy as a blackmail tool or something.

“Heh heh...”

Ugh, why are you two coming out now?

*

So, I need to find Gigano...

Problem is, I have no clue how to find him.

I know he lives near the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, and I also know it’s not that far from the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts.

But I can’t just barge in blindly.

Gigano is the right-hand beast of the Beast Palace Lord, and their relationship with the Heavenly Demon Cult is apparently based on mutual respect.

If a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Cult starts causing havoc there?

That’s just dragging my Master’s name through the mud.

Sure, an unidentified lizard named G might swoop in and go on a rampage, but it’d only be a matter of time before my identity got exposed.

And then I’d be on the receiving end of some painful discipline from both my Master and Seolhwa.

And it’s not like the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace is openly hostile either—they’re neutral for now.

They might even side with us. I can’t risk starting a fight preemptively.

If the spiritual beasts and martial artists of the Beast Palace support our cult, things will go a lot more smoothly.

That decision, though, is up to the Elders and my Master.

“Gehk-hyuu...”

How the hell am I supposed to handle this?

“Kiyong.”

“Kiyeng?”

The moment I sighed, Tus and Pus responded immediately.

“Kiyooong.”

One of them lifted her butt slightly and gave me a look that said, Wanna rub my spinnerets?

“Kiyeng...”

The other one stared at my tail with unusual focus.

I’ve gotten so used to Tus and Pus that I kind of hate myself.

But whatever. Duty calls.

Come here, you little fluffballs!

“Kiyong!”

I stuffed that soft, squishy rice cake body into my mouth—

Wait. Where’s Jaekjaeki?

The feathered one of the rice cake trio, Jaekjaeki, is... missing?!

“Gekgek.”

I tapped So-Yeong with my tail.

“What is it?”

So-Yeong, who had been scratching her back while lying down, looked up.

Why the hell is she lying there like a spoiled cat?

She's making me want to scold her.

“Why is your face going all pointy again?! I haven’t even done anything!”

Wait... why is her neck twisted like that?

...You’ve gotta be kidding me.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

She wasn’t scratching her back—she was scratching her belly just now?!

“...Can I give you one hit for that?”

“Gekgek.”

Just a joke, just a joke.

“Gehgehgek.”

By the way, have you seen Jaekjaeki?

“Oh, Lady Birdie? She’s probably at the Serpent Queen’s temple. When she heard from Lord Go that the Snake Princess was staying there, she fluffed up her feathers like crazy.”

So that’s where she went.

Well, as long as the two are getting along, that’s nice to see.

...They are getting along, right?

Wait, did she go there just to brag that she evolved from Baebsae to Sobung?

Like some kind of weird teabagging?

But Shik-Shik’s evolved too, so that wouldn't work on her.

Plus, the Serpent Queen is right there supervising.

...Tch. Why do I have this vivid image of Jaekjaeki crying with all her feathers plucked out?

The Serpent Queen is currently focusing on controlling her inner energy.

It’s not just any Neidan—it’s the Neidan of a spiritual beast at Hyeon-gyeong level, so she has to suppress her power and manage the flow carefully.

She said I’m a rare case, and normally, people should handle it like she does.

To help with her energy circulation, I visit her quarters at set intervals.

She doesn’t even have time to eat properly, so I have to feed her.

Sure, it’s not like she can’t eat by herself, but if Fasir says that’s how it should be, then that’s how it’s gonna be.

And sometimes, she’ll pull me into her arms and ask me to feel her internal energy—something I really don’t want to do, but I end up doing it anyway.

I absolutely did not make any “gerorororong” noises and approached it with total seriousness.

...Though now that I think about it, my “gerorong” might be a little lacking lately. Maybe I should ask for another round?

I was thinking that when—

Tap tap.

Light footsteps approached.

At that familiar sound, I turned my head—and golden hair, cascading down to her shoulders, brushed against my snout.

“Playing with the little ones?”

Nephila gently stroked the now-miniature Tus and Pus with one hand.

“Kiyeng!”

Tus and Pus seemed to think of Nephila as their big sister.

If it had been So-Yeong doing that, they’d have probably bitten her fingers off, but now they were just snuggling up to her.

“I practically raised them myself, and they’re already so ungrateful...!”

I ignored So-Yeong’s old-lady-style complaint and replied to Nephila instead.

“Gekgek.”

“Is something troubling you?”

Of course. It’s Nephila.

She picked up on it in one glance!

“Um... Lord Go’s been sighing nonstop since earlier, right? It even looked like he was breathing out something fiery...”

And you saw that but didn’t say anything?!

“Hyaak!”

Bonk!

“Gekgek.”

Like Nephila said, I did have something on my mind.

How the hell was I supposed to naturally make my way into the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace to fight Gigano?

No matter how I turned it around in my head, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

Nephila stared at me quietly, then gently closed her eyes and took my front paw in hers.

I was a little startled by the sudden gesture, but no words came out.

It felt... sacred. Like something I shouldn’t interrupt.

She may have started out as a simple spider, but now she was the official priestess of the Gae Gak Sect.

Nephila slowly opened her eyes.

Her red, gem-like eyes gazed into mine, and her small lips moved slightly.

“Mm... go see Mother in a little while.”

“Mother,” huh?

Nephila’s way with words wasn’t as fluent as other spirit beings.

A bit clumsier than Baekrang, but slightly smoother than Bicorn.

It made sense—she spent nearly her entire life as a spider and only recently got a human form.

Actually, the fact she made it this far in such a short time was incredible.

She was even faster than I had been, and I started out as a human.

She must’ve meant my Master when she said “Mother.”

“I mean, it’s not... yeah, let’s just say that’s what I meant. Anyway, go see her.”

With Nephila’s words, I would gladly let out a gerorong in my sleep.

She was probably in a meeting right about now.

I casually shifted into human form, gathered my things, and made my way toward my Master’s location.

As a direct disciple, I was allowed into Elder meetings without much fuss.

My Master had said I didn’t need to attend complicated things like meetings, but the flip side of that was that I could come whenever I wanted.

So I took a seat naturally and listened in.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Movements from the Martial Alliance, and the Heavenly Demon Cult’s strategies to counter them.

A heated debate over which Elder’s affinity would match which opponent.

And then... someone bragging about their Heavenly Demon Moon Steps proficiency?

Wait, what?

Why are we talking about that?

I kept listening while munching on Seolhwa’s glutinous rice balls.

Seolhwa’s face started to sharpen as her plate emptied.

And then—

“Cult Leader! A messenger from the Beast Palace has arrived!”

The shout came suddenly.

And inside, I cheered.

Knew it—Nephila!

When I get back, she’s getting five kisses on the cheek.

They sent someone at just the right time. Unbelievable timing.

“The Barbarians sent a messenger?”

The Elders murmured that the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace wasn’t the type to send formal envoys.

Honestly, that lined up with the image I had of the place too.

Still, if a messenger was sent, proper courtesy dictated we offer a certain level of respect.

“Hm. They arrived without notice, so we must respond accordingly.”

But that’s not how the Heavenly Demon Cult works.

They’re a group that worships only their god, the Heavenly Demon. Why show respect to someone from outside?

They wouldn’t kill the messenger outright, sure—but they were the kind of group where things that couldn’t happen anywhere else were just standard here.

“Let them in.”

No special arrangements. No reception room. Just calling the envoy straight into the meeting room.

Arrogant? Maybe. But if anyone’s earned the right, it’s my Master.

Who could dare say otherwise?

And to be fair, it was the other party’s mistake for sending someone without advance notice.

The Elders looked visibly impressed by my Master’s sheer dominance.

That’s what it means to be the Cult Leader.

So satisfying.

At least, that’s what the room seemed to think.

To me, it just looked like she didn’t want to move to another room.

But I didn’t say it out loud.

After a short while, the envoy from the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace arrived.

A thick black mane. Brown leather.

Massive front paws the size of a human head, and sharp, dagger-like teeth and claws.

Wait... they literally sent a lion?

“I am Maeng Po, son of Lord Maeng Gak, ruler of the Grand Moon Beast Palace, known as One Who Stands Above Ten Thousand.”

Turns out it wasn’t a literal lion.

Just a human wearing lion skin.

I focused on Maeng Po’s words.

Finally—our bridge to the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.

What would he say?

Maybe a little verbal sparring?

That would be perfect. I could use it as an excuse to sneak in, smack Gigano upside the head, and bolt.

But nah, probably not.

He’s the son of a Palace Lord, not some back-alley thug. He’d at least know basic etiquette.

He was probably here to propose some kind of alliance.

“I come to demand that the Cult Leader of the Demonic Sect open the path to the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts.”

A moment of silence for the word “messenger.”