Chapter 11 Friendly Neighbors
I had read a few martial arts novels before.
Seeking the core, or elixir, I was looking for was often called a stroke of fortune.
A spiritual being filled with abundant Yang energy and a core brimming with extreme Yin energy, the Myriad-Year Fire Carp.
The Golden Spirit Tree, said to grow on mountain peaks or cliffs untouched by human hands, and its fruit, the Myriad-Year Golden Spirit Fruit.
The Great Rejuvenation Pill, one of Shaolin’s two great elixirs, rumored to bring even the dead back to life.
There were other elixirs such as the Azure Sky Immortal Dew, Myriad-Year Fleeceflower Root, Myriad-Year Golden Mushroom, Golden Frog, and more, which were all beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Obtaining them was like plucking stars from the sky.
You had to defeat powerful spiritual beings or climb to the top of legendary mountains to find even a single fruit.
If there weren’t any creatures with cores rolling around near me, finding an elixir through normal means would be impossible.
Did that mean I gave up on evolving?
No, it didn’t.
I acknowledged that finding a core or elixir was difficult with a lizard’s body.
But the condition for evolution was that my body was imbued with spiritual energy.
This meant that even without a core, if I could fill myself with that energy, evolution might still be possible.
If even a carp or a toad could create a core, why couldn’t I?
I was quite a spiritual lizard myself.
I reached out and gently touched my white belly.
It felt soft and pleasant if I ignored the fact that this was my own body.
There must be something like a dantian inside this belly.
The energy from the core I received from the spider must be there.
If there was a dantian, then accumulating internal energy should be possible.
Of course, I knew nothing about the mental techniques, mental methods, or divine skills from martial arts novels.
I only knew one thing.
A footwork technique called Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step.
It seemed like if I could master this, something akin to an internal energy mental method might emerge, but I didn’t know how yet.
But I wasn’t discouraged. Even third-rate martial artists in the martial arts world had methods to train their internal energy.
Qi Circulation.
Something all martial artists should naturally do.
While third-rate practitioners might not reach the heights of attaining something like the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak or Five Qi Towards the Origin, they could still circulate their internal energy and accumulate it.
If even third-rate martial artists could do it, there was no reason a lizard with a slight touch of martial arts couldn’t do it.
I coiled my tail and sat cross-legged.
It was quite difficult to sit in a lotus position with a lizard’s body.
But my body was flexible, so I could sit in a lotus position by feeling like I was folding my legs.
I knew what Qi Circulation was but didn’t know how to do it.
Of course, I was just an ordinary human before.
My knowledge was limited to reading a few martial arts novels.
However, I could meditate.
I tore off a lotus leaf and covered my eyes.
I thought of a vast lake.
An endlessly wide lake.
A drop of water falling into the lake.
Even though it was just a drop, the ripple reached the end of the lake.
At the end of the lake, a large crest appeared.
Its owner roared loudly.
Yes, it was a Spinosaurus.
Spinosaurus was a common dinosaur that ate fish, and its size was actually smaller than a Tyrannosaurus, resembling a pseudo-pelican, and could never be a match for a Tyrannosaurus—any passing raptor knew that.
Huff….
Huff….
My tranquility shattered.
That vile Spinosaurus. Appearing in my imagination and breaking my focus.
It was a failure.
Not only did I fail at Qi Circulation, but even my meditation was disrupted.
I slightly moved the lotus leaf aside and stared into the void.
“Gekgegek.”
Though I failed, I made an effort.
Maybe the effort itself would move me to be granted a skill called Qi Circulation.
…….
I was reincarnated unfairly as a gecko lizard, so I deserved at least that much!
When would I ever achieve enlightenment or anything?
Give me a reincarnation perk or something.
…The status window was cold.
I knew the truth.
Even if Qi Circulation existed as a skill, I would have to succeed at least once to gain it.
Yeah.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll keep trying until it does.
Clearing my mind.
Focusing on the drop of water falling into the lake.
The small drop of water created ripples and reached the end of the lake.
The ripple collided at the end and vanished without a trace.
Another drop of water fell.
That drop of water….
“Kwaeeeeeek!”
Ugh, hold on.
Hold on.
Yeah. Holding on once made my mind even clearer.
The water….
“Kwaeeeeeeek!”
You’re dead.
Let me see your face.
【Beelzebufo LV12】
I retracted my head again.
I’m sorry.
Please continue with what you were doing.
Why is that toad named like that?
It sounds like one of the seven demons or something.
Probably with a title like Greed in front of it.
I slapped my cheeks a few times to gather my thoughts.
Come to think of it, my name wasn’t any less impressive.
A Basilisk, no less.
Though it had the slightly unimpressive prefix of Green.
That toad might be in a similar situation to mine.
I also mistook the Basilisk for the legendary creature at first.
It might just be an ordinary toad.
I peeked my head out again.
__________________________
【Beelzebufo】
A giant toad over 40 cm long, nicknamed the Hell Toad.
It mainly uses its muscular hind legs to ambush prey.
The poison secreted from Beelzebufo’s body is a deadly toxin that even predators avoid.
__________________________
Wait a minute.
Why does it have such a grand description?
What’s a Hell Toad?
I want to be called the Legendary Lizard or something too.
And how is that only 40 cm?
It looks like it could swallow me whole.
Its golden glossy body looked unusual. I thought it was just a trivial toad, but its name and description made it seem different.
“Kwaeeeeeek!”
I retracted my head again.
Right.
Training was supposed to be more effective in such extreme situations.
I should remember the teachings of Beelzebufo of Greed.
“Kwaeek!”
I waited until that toad quieted down.
When practicing Qi Circulation, someone would stand guard around you.
If disturbed during practice, it could result in internal injury.
If that sound broke my concentration, I might get hurt.
But only if I succeeded in Qi Circulation.
I heard the sound of the toad jumping.
“Kwaeeeek….”
The sound grew fainter.
Now was the time.
Time to perform Qi Circulation.
It felt like I should call it lunch instead of breakfast by now.
So, Qi Circulation’s Circulation wasn’t the same as breakfast in the morning….
“Gekgek.”
I shut my mouth and sat cross-legged.
I closed my eyes and emptied my mind.
A drop of water fell.
The energy in my dantian began to circulate through my body.
Just like a drop of water creating ripples, it spread throughout my body.
“Guoouuong!”
The ripple broke.
“Kaek!”
At the same time, I spat out a mouthful of blood.
…Did I just cough up blood?
That meant I almost succeeded in Qi Circulation.
But I couldn’t rejoice just yet.
The toad finally quieted down, and I managed to focus intensely and almost succeeded, but that vile roar shattered my concentration. It might take who knows how long to grasp the thread again.
Moreover, I ended up spitting blood.
I felt a surge of anger towards the owner of that roar.
It must have been that creature I saw earlier.
If it were the Hell Toad, it would have been a different story, but I could handle you.
I sharpened my claws on a pebble.
“Turtle, turtle. Stick out your head, or I’ll roast you.”
Let me see your face too.
【Astrochelys Radiata LV16】
I lifted my tail to block my view.
Were my eyes deceiving me?
Why was its level 16 and its name like that?
I lightly moved my tail, but what I saw didn’t change.
…But this time, I had to trust in detailed inspection.
__________________________
【Astrochelys Radiata】
A land tortoise growing up to 50 cm long.
Named the Star Tortoise for the star patterns on its shell.
Also known as the Radiated Tortoise, it’s a rare species with few individuals remaining.
__________________________
Star Tortoise?
Something seemed wrong.
A Hell Toad and a Star Tortoise.
Then the lizard in between should be called something like a Sky Lizard.
Why did only names like Long Tail Water Lizard come to mind?
“Guouououng!”
I finally found the thread, but that tortoise prevented me from doing Qi Circulation.
No, it would quiet down soon.
Tortoises were originally kind animals.
I saw many stories.
Like the Tale of the Rabbit and the Tortoise.
“Gueeeek!”
Wait, that was a turtle.
This guy is a land tortoise.
“Guououng!”
Why are you lingering around here?
There isn’t much food here either.
Even I had to go all the way to
where the piranhas gathered to hunt.
Patience.
Training is like enduring.
If I endure like this, Qi Circulation might go even better.
“Kwaeeek!”
“Guouououng!”
Sigh.
Now they’re doing it together.
At least the fortunate thing was these creatures were active during the day.
I didn’t know if the Basilisk Lizard was nocturnal or diurnal, but I was from the owl clan. Whether day or night, I could adapt somehow.
It was rather fortunate that their active times overlapped.
They’d quiet down by night.
I killed time practicing my footwork… no, my swimming technique.
“Kwaeeeeek!”
“Gueeeek!”
“Kwaeek!”
“Guegek!”
…Was this a dream?
Why did it seem like the sound was getting louder?
And more frequent.
I peeked my head out slightly.
【Astrochelys Radiata LV16】
【Astrochelys Radiata LV11】
【Astrochelys Radiata LV6】
【Beelzebufo LV12】
【Beelzebufo LV11】
【Beelzebufo LV6】
I retracted my head again.
I had made a big mistake.
Even if they were diurnal, it didn’t mean they’d be quiet at night.
And at sleeping time, their families gathered in one place.
They competed with each other, making noise all day long.
This place was hell.
Qi Circulation wasn’t the problem.
If I stayed here, I wouldn’t even have basic survival rights.
Could I even sleep?
Even if I caught prey in the hunting grounds, I felt like they’d steal it if I ran into them.
Why were my neighbors like this?
….
Spider, how are you?
I miss you today.
I’ve been through so much.