Chapter 130 Na Chal Jo’s Lament
“Kyahhh!”
A scream echoed from Na Chal Jo.
The power of Gecko Death Beam LV5 was far stronger than before.
Moreover, with my miniaturization released and gigantification applied, the beam’s impact was even greater.
Naturally, my mouth had grown larger, and the strength of the Gecko Death Beam increased.
On top of that, I had the advantage of a surprise attack.
The creature, who had shifted from bird form to human form, was caught off guard.
In other words, I struck with my strongest attack when it was most vulnerable.
According to the calculations of my sharp reptilian mind, the attack should have forced Na Chal Jo to split back into Na Chal & Jo.
“Again! Again! This crazy lizard!!!”
However, the creature was still standing.
No, let me correct that. It wasn’t unharmed.
At the moment of impact, a large hole had been punched through its abdomen.
Compared to the size of the beam, it was a small wound.
But it was a fatal injury that could’ve ended its life at any moment.
Yet Na Chal Jo didn’t die.
A dark, murky tissue from its left arm quickly surged into the hole, regenerating the flesh within moments.
Na Chal Jo never had such an ability before.
If it did, the Snake Queen would’ve surely mentioned it to me.
Instantly killing it with the Gecko Death Beam had failed.
But that didn’t mean I should stop.
Bababak!
I rushed towards it at high speed.
I leaped through the air as if flying, immediately swinging both arms down.
Whoooong.
“This damn lizard is crazy!”
I crossed my Dragon Claws at a single point, amplifying their power.
With the claws at my current size, they should be as powerful as the Nine Yin White Bone Claws.
In short, if I landed a hit, I could crush its head.
Kwoaaaang!
Na Chal Jo barely dodged my attack.
My hands, which sliced through the air, slammed into the ground.
Jjeooook!
A powerful tremor occurred, strong enough to make it feel like the earth itself was shaking.
Guuuuu…
It had survived the Gecko Death Beam and evaded the Dragon Claws.
But I had no intention of stopping here.
As soon as I realized it had dodged by leaping into the air, I spun my body rapidly.
Swaeaeaeak!
My tail lashed out like a whip.
Paaang!
Kwajik!
“Kyahhh!”
I landed a direct hit on Na Chal Jo’s left shoulder.
My momentum surged.
I activated The Reverberating Aura That Covers the World.
Kuugugu…
With overwhelming internal energy, I bound Na Chal Jo’s movements.
“Damn it, this is too much!”
Despite being overwhelmed by my continuous assault, Na Chal Jo seemed determined to mount a counterattack.
In desperation, it transformed its arms back into wings and fired countless black feathers at me.
In its situation, this was the best it could do.
I couldn’t dodge the feathers and maintain the Reverberating Aura That Covers the World at the same time.
I focused my mind.
Those feathers were dangerous.
Some of them had enough force to pierce even my giant scales.
I deflected what I could and dodged the rest.
Thud!
Pakak!
Kwaduk!
“You insane lizard!”
Na Chal Jo swung its left wing.
It was like it was swinging a sword.
If I got hit by that, I’d suffer significant damage.
I activated Dragon Scale Transformation.
Chwajajak.
I sacrificed the sharpness of my dragon scales and increased their thickness.
Now, my body was like it was clad in heavy armor.
This form was optimal for blocking its attacks.
I raised one arm to block the attack.
Kwagagagak.
The moment it hit, Na Chal Jo swung its other hand towards me.
Thud!
However, it couldn’t break through the scales I had focused on defense.
“Goddamn, you’re tough as hell!”
Chwajajak!
Feathers flew at an incredible speed.
I dodged what I could and blocked the rest.
The creature attacked and then quickly retreated.
“…Did you really kill the Beihj Bird?”
It figured things out quickly.
“Seriously, I don’t want to fight with you, so why do you keep doing this?”
What nonsense was it spouting now?
Before it could run its mouth further, I fired another Gecko Death Beam.
Sssss…
Jjeooong!
A blue beam, brimming with my internal energy, shot out.
Na Chal Jo hastily dodged but couldn’t escape completely.
Ssssss…
Its right wing evaporated on the spot.
“Kyaaak! You bastard!”
But only for a moment.
From the area where the wing had been cut off, new tissue began to sprout, like decayed skin regenerating.
“You still don’t get it? I told you, you can’t kill me!”
It was tougher than I’d expected.
“And please, just listen! I really don’t want to fight with you!”
The reason I kept pushing forward without listening to it was simple.
I could tell it was scheming something with that slick tongue of its.
From the beginning, this mission was to eliminate one quickly and then team up to take on the rest.
But Na Chal Jo was more resilient than I had anticipated.
It survived two Gecko Death Beams.
Even though I had grown stronger, it remained unscathed.
This wasn’t normal.
It must have temporarily gained strength for some reason.
I had a feeling that if I pretended to cooperate, it might reveal its secret like a third-rate villain.
Since I had no other options, I decided to listen to what it had to say.
If it tried anything funny, I’d attack immediately. After all, I had broken free from the Beihj Bird’s mind control before.
“…Fine. You don’t seem like a completely clueless lizard.”
“Gekk.”
“Listen, why don’t you switch sides and join us?”
Ssss…
“Wait, wait!”
Na Chal Jo hurriedly flapped its wing-arms.
“The Snake Queen can’t beat our king anyway! You know that, don’t you?”
It acted like it was stating an obvious fact.
And it bothered to tell me, its enemy.
What could its true intention be?
Was it just trying to shake my resolve?
I decided to stay still and see how things unfolded.
Seeing how excited it was that I was listening, there was a good chance it would spill some information.
“Think about it. We already knew you met the former Bird King. And I could’ve healed my severed arm instantly. I was just waiting for you guys. We could have attacked first and had the upper hand.”
If our plan had gone well, Na Chal Jo should have been injured.
There was no way it could recover faster than Argentarvis, who used the horn of the unicorn.
The plan I had devised, to finish off Na Chal Jo quickly, had been based on the assumption that it was already hurt.
However, the creature was perfectly fine.
No, it had actually grown stronger.
“Yeah, now you’re starting to think. Listen, big lizard, how about switching sides and joining us now?”
An offer to surrender.
It was an absurd suggestion.
Who in their right mind would surrender in this situation, and who would accept it?
As per your request, here is the translated passage from I Became an Evolving Lizard:
The creature wouldn’t have needed to do this if their side truly had the advantage.
“You’re probably thinking there’s no reason for this, right?”
Na Chal Jo smirked.
“There is a reason. We need you.”
Na Chal Jo looked at me with seductive eyes.
“From the start, the Bird King has been stronger than the Snake Queen. If we had attacked earlier, we would’ve killed her by now.”
I knew that was an exaggeration.
The Bird King hadn’t made a move because other forces were keeping him in check.
“The Bird King doesn’t want a simple victory. He wants to utterly subdue the Snake Queen.”
I was about to dismiss his nonsense and launch an attack when I remembered Gaetsalgoadal’s behavior.
There had definitely been some inconsistencies.
What if the Bird King had come directly when they ambushed me at the lake?
Flying at night wouldn’t have been a problem with Fiery Phoenix around.
If the trap they laid for me had included both the Beihj Bird and Na Chal Jo, I wouldn’t have been able to resist.
If Fiery Phoenix and the Bird King had joined forces, they could’ve defeated the Snake Queen.
The Bird King didn’t act that way because he was a simpleton.
He must’ve had his reasons and intentions.
“That’s why we need you.”
Was he telling me to betray the Snake Queen?
It was a laughable suggestion.
“This could be a good offer for you too.”
Na Chal Jo licked his lips.
“In front of that queen, you and I could roll around together…”
This insane bird brain.
Jjeoooong!
A blue beam struck Na Chal Jo’s head directly.
Kwaaang!
“Ugh… You really don’t understand, do you?!”
Na Chal Jo’s body briefly melted away, and then he abandoned his pretty human face, transforming into a gigantic bird.
“Hah. I tried to keep this easy, but even if I can’t beat you, I can hold out until the Bird King wins, you know?”
Tu-papapap!
Swaeeeak!
Hundreds of feathers continued to shoot toward me.
Tuh-tuh-tuhng!
I protected my head and endured the attack.
“Yeah, I guess you prefer this form over my human one, huh? I’ll roll around with you until the Snake Queen howls!”
Na Chal Jo spewed horrible words.
I wanted to grab that beak and tear it apart, but I had no time to deal with him.
I needed to join the Snake Queen immediately.
But I couldn’t shake off Na Chal Jo.
Even if I tried to retreat, there was no way he’d let me go.
Even if the Snake Queen’s subordinates tried to block him, they wouldn’t last long.
Even if I somehow miraculously managed to shake him off, it wouldn’t be the end of everything.
The frontlines would collapse.
Na Chal Jo could help Fiery Phoenix, and together, they could aid the Bird King.
I had to kill him or, at the very least, disable him.
If I went to the Snake Queen, the balance would collapse, but if I stayed to confront him, the Snake Queen might be in danger.
…If only someone could hold that creature off for a moment.
I gritted my teeth.
I couldn’t count on support.
There were no more wild cards left for us.
“Ilbu…”
…Ilbu?
“I-ilcheooooooor!”
A mad charge from Unicorn.
No, it was now a creature more fittingly called Two-Horned Beast.
Kwaaang!
There was still a wild card.
Even I acknowledged its power.
Our match hadn’t been decided.
But it wasn’t enough to face Na Chal Jo.
The Unicorn’s horn was already severed.
It knew that too.
Yet, it rushed past me and charged at Na Chal Jo.
That meant it was letting me go for the sake of victory in this war.
We didn’t have a good relationship.
It was likely sacrificing itself because of the Snake Queen.
…I’ll remember you, Unicorn.
….
“Kyaaaaak! W-what the hell is this crazy thing?!”
…Huh?
The sight of the Unicorn?
Unicorns are said to worship pure maidens.
Body, mind, and spirit.
They are mythical creatures that use their single horn to pierce and kill those who violate purity.
…That’s what’s known, but in reality, it was a little different.
They don’t show unconditional hatred towards non-virgins.
Pure and devoted love.
If it’s a love for a single person, the Unicorn’s horn will acknowledge it.
What Unicorns truly celebrate is not virginity but pure love.
With that in mind, the black lizard in front of it could be considered a mortal enemy.
It wasn’t just that the lizard seduced a pure maiden, but the fact that there wasn’t just one.
The Unicorn could still feel the dull phantom pain from its severed horn.
It cursed and resented the lizard.
It had resolved to hunt down and destroy that lizard someday.
The Snake Queen, despite having a daughter, was still a pure maiden.
And her daughter too.
Both were absolute, perfect beings in the eyes of the Unicorn.
Yet, they were becoming tainted by the lizard’s color.
The Unicorn wept into its front legs.
Though they seemed happy now, it could foresee their destruction as time passed.
Love, after all, could never remain equal when shared among many.
That was the Unicorn’s belief.
But the more it dug into the lizard, the more its own conviction seemed to waver.
“Ilbu… Ilche?”
It felt like its skin was turning black and two horns were about to sprout.
But it couldn’t abandon a lifetime of belief.
The Unicorn had joined this war to uphold its creed.
To destroy the black lizard, its mortal enemy, with its own horn.
…Though that horn had been long severed.
It despised the black lizard.
It hated the lizard for taking away the pure beings.
Above all, what it hated most was that the lizard’s words reminded it of the saying of a fallen kin that had gone from One-Horned to Two-Horned.
“If they’re happy, isn’t that true love?”
That was what had been said.
“Ilbu… Ilcheoooor!”
The Unicorn let out a heart-wrenching cry.
But now, an opponent far more terrifying than the lizard appeared.
A disgusting scent that made the root of its severed horn throb in pain.
The black bird in front of it was an abomination.
If it had taken the pure maiden, it should’ve made her happy.
Na Chal Jo, who had declared his intent to take away the Snake Queen’s consort.
Naedorarae.
Neither the Unicorn nor the Two-Horned Beast could ever forgive this.
The Unicorn had a duty to eliminate all beings that threatened the pure maiden.
There were no exceptions.
Even the black lizard in front of it was no different.
It couldn’t forgive him either.
But to protect the love of the pure maiden…
Even its own beliefs could be set aside for a time.
That was the true duty and right of the Unicorn.
Without its horn, the Unicorn could no longer bear the title of One-Horned.
But the horn of the Unicorn had never grown from its nose.
Even a hornless beast could be called a One-Horned if it possessed the heart of one.
“Mono… Monagamyyyyyyyy!”
The Unicorn’s horn was a purifying heart of denial.
A sacred spear to annihilate those already pierced.
The true form of the Unicorn had been revealed.
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