Chapter 17 The Great Labyrinth
The speed of my fall increased.
At this rate, even if there was water on the ground, my body would burst and I would die.
I had to somehow reduce my speed.
Shhwaak!
I reached out and grabbed the nearest wall.
Shwa-ja-ja-jak!
I thought I could climb the wall, as I still had some characteristics of a gecko.
However, that trait was no longer effective.
The speed of my fall decreased, but I couldn’t hang onto the wall.
I needed to slow down even more.
I spread out my barely grown tail as wide as possible to increase the surface area touching the wall.
Chiiiik!
It hurt terribly.
The wound that hadn’t healed was exposed to the frictional heat.
It felt like my flesh was cooking, or rather, it actually was.
Though painful, I couldn’t remove my hands and tail from the wall.
The moment I let go, I would fall to the ground and die.
To reduce the frictional heat even a little, I alternated between my hands and feet on the wall.
As I was slowly roasting and falling towards the ground, my hand suddenly grabbed onto something.
Clench!
It was too dark to see well, but it felt like some kind of thread.
Was it the fur of a beast? Or perhaps the stem of a plant?
There was no time to determine that.
Thanks to the thread, I was able to hang in mid-air for a moment.
It was precious time to cool down my overheated body.
Snap.
Of course, that luck didn’t last long.
The thread, damaged by my rapidly falling weight, soon snapped.
Pa-ba-bak!
I felt my claws being ground down in real-time.
I tried to climb the wall again, but it was still impossible.
At least this way, I would avoid instant death.
Thud!
My small body crashed straight into the ground.
“Geh-eh-ek!”
Even though I’m a lizard that doesn’t usually complain, I let out an involuntary scream.
But screaming meant I still had the strength to shout.
In other words, I was still alive.
[“You have acquired ‘Hardened Skin LV1’.”]
[“You have acquired ‘Flame Resistance LV1’.”]
Ugh.
If you’re going to give it, do it sooner.
…No, wait. You might take it back again.
I’ll use it well, status window.
【Green Basilisk LV6】
HP: 24/75
MP: 25/32
Although my HP had been greatly reduced, I had to be grateful that it ended like this.
If I hadn’t slowed down just a bit more, I would have become a lizard patty.
I would have been perfectly roasted by the frictional heat, achieving a great Maillard reaction.
…Tsk, I’m thinking about food even in this state.
It seemed my thinking was becoming more lizard-like.
I couldn’t help being hungry.
The energy I used while being chased by the caiman was enormous. The energy consumed while regrowing my tail was also significant. In this situation, it was natural to want to replenish my energy.
Unlike an ordinary lizard, I could endure to some extent.
If I were just a three-day-old lizard, I would have cried out by now.
I was hungry, but I didn’t feel like I would die.
There was something I needed to solve before my hunger.
Where exactly was this place?
Even with the mind of an elite lizard, I couldn’t immediately figure it out.
The ground collapsed, and I fell to the bottom.
I couldn’t have imagined there would be a place like this near the swamp.
Light seeped in from where I had fallen.
Though it was nighttime, only a little moonlight was shining through.
Still, it was several times better than complete darkness.
I could roughly see the overall appearance of this place.
Stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Stalagmites growing from the floor.
As expected, I had fallen into a cave.
I felt a slight breeze.
This meant there was an exit somewhere.
I didn’t have to worry about suffocating to death.
I craned my sleek head to look up at the hole I had fallen through.
Could I climb up with my movement technique and wall climbing?
Alright. Let’s give it a try.
Imagining myself with a red hat and mustache, I leaped towards the wall.
*
To cut to the chase, I failed spectacularly.
I wasn’t an Italian plumber.
If the hole was straight, I might have managed to climb it. However, as the structure narrowed towards the top, it was impossible to climb the wall.
Beyond a certain height, the wall was too slippery to hold on to.
But it wasn’t entirely fruitless.
[“You have acquired ‘Night Vision LV1’.”]
I gained night vision!
Of course, it probably had nothing to do with the wall climbing.
It likely developed because I had been in a dark place for so long.
Still, having night vision made me feel more secure.
Even if someone tried to ambush me, I would be somewhat prepared.
I unintentionally reached level 6 in Crisis Detection.
I had done almost everything I could here.
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【Skills】
「Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step」「Minor Heavenly Circuit」「Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity」「White Orchid Heart Technique」
「Tail Cutting LV9」「Sprint LV8」「Crisis Detection LV7」「Tail Cutting LV2」「Eyes of the Wild LV2」「Cold Blood LV1」「Predation LV1」「Gourmet LV1」「Hardened Skin LV1」 …….
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A slightly organized skill window.
I stared at the skill window.
There was something I needed to address.
There was a traitor among my skills.
You, yes, you.
「Tail Cutting LV2」
The one pretending to be Tail Cutting.
I poked the skill pretending to be Tail Cutting with my claw.
Crackle.
「%! Cut ■□ LV2」
%! cuts.
The name changed as the skill window flickered.
It felt like an error in a game rather than just a name change.
That strange description.
I had seen this a few times before.
The first time was when I acquired the skill Webbed Footstep.
The Webbed Footstep tried to evolve into Large Webbed Footstep, influenced by the skills I had.
And then, this guy appeared.
This guy pretending to be Tail Cutting responded to the Webbed Footstep, and as a result, I learned the movement technique Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step.
The next time was when I was chased by the caiman.
I clearly activated Tail Cutting, but it felt like something else was cut.
Because of that effect, the caiman vomited everything in its stomach while chasing me.
Moreover, fragments of a high-level core were scattered everywhere.
It was too timely to be a coincidence.
I kept staring at the thing pretending to be Tail Cutting.
It’s time to answer.
…….
The status window remained silent.
「Tail Cutting LV2」
Cuts the tail.
The description of Tail Cutting returned to normal.
It seemed it still wasn’t ready to tell me.
I had never suffered losses because of this skill.
Rather, I could say I only gained from it.
However, it left me feeling uneasy.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was accompanied by something beyond my control, even though it was clearly helpful.
What exactly was this skill?
One thing was certain, it wasn’t a simple Tail Cutting skill.
Judging by the significant damage it caused the caiman, it might be more impressive than I thought.
“Geh-ek….”
I thought hard, but no answer came.
Still, it was certainly useful.
“Geh-ek.”
Let’s keep it for now.
But, if it messes up, I’ll discard it right away.
I didn’t even know how to discard skills, and I wasn’t sure if ‘keeping’ it was the right expression, but I reset my mindset.
Maybe it would behave if it could read my thoughts.
The issue with the skill pretending to be Tail Cutting was settled.
Now, it was time to move on to the next agenda.
What was the most important thing for me right now?
Escaping from the cave?
Of course, that was important. It was the primary goal.
However, there was something I needed to do before that.
It was to fill my empty stomach.
My HP was significantly low, and I was extremely hungry.
At this rate, I would starve to death before escaping from the cave.
If I encountered an enemy, I would be devoured by even the weakest of them.
It was time to return to being the ruthless hunter, the Green Basilisk.
Although I had night vision, it was still difficult to identify any prey.
Creatures living in such places naturally had camouflage.
But I had Eyes of the Wild.
I activated the skill, focusing my eyes.
I could see.
Numerous names and levels.
The skill’s level had increased, allowing me to see not only in more detail but also over a wider area.
Within my radius, there were about thirty creatures in total.
…Wasn’t that too many?
【Scutigera LV1】
【Scutigera LV1】
【Scutigera LV1】
Tsk.
No.
If they were all level 1, they must be weak insects.
The more, the better.
But Scutigera?
Why did it have such a name?
Would it taste like spaghetti?
I opened my large mouth and dashed towards them.
And at that moment, my night vision level increased.
[“Night Vision LV1” level up.]
My vision brightened instantly.
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【Scutigera】
Also known as house centipedes, these creatures belong to the order Scutigeromorpha.
They can be found easily all over the world and, despite their appearance, they are beneficial insects that eat pests.
The number of legs increases with each molting, with adults having an average of 30 legs.
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Oh.
Wait a minute.
Those are house centipedes!
Shiiik!
I urgently dug my front legs into the ground.
I had narrowly avoided sticking my head into a hell filled with dozens of house centipedes.
“Kiiiek?”
The centipedes all stared at me.
I was a basilisk lizard.
Such bugs couldn’t harm me.
They were no different from the aphids I hunted on the first day.
Like water beetles, they were creatures I could easily deal with.
However, it wasn’t easy.
Those things….
They were just too creepy!
It was a different kind of fear compared to the caiman.
I tried to erase the image from my mind as much as possible to avoid distress, but the sight of the house centipedes at such close range was hard to forget.
I nonchalantly stepped back using only my hind legs.
【Megarachne LV4】
【Megarachne LV2】
There were spiders gathered over there.
Yes, spiders were reassuring.
…Did Tus and Pus manage to escape safely?
I wouldn’t have eaten them anyway, as they were not nutritious.
I approached the area where the spiders were gathered.
I was the idol of spiders.
It was an opportunity to gather followers of the Green Basilisk cult.
I could also secretly fill my belly.
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【Megarachne】
The name means giant spider.
With a body length of 55 cm, it is an enormous species and is classified as a sea scorpion rather than a spider.
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“Kieeeek!”
“Geh-ek!”
…It wasn’t a spider?
But it looked exactly like a spider.
The name even meant giant spider.
I quietly stepped back again.
At least we hadn’t become hostile, so that was reassuring.
Where could I find something a bit cuter?
Something small and delicious like a cricket.
I was cautiously retreating when something tripped me.
My Crisis Detection, now level 7, sounded an alarm.
Wiiing.
I had a feeling I shouldn’t look up.
But I couldn’t resist my curiosity.
【Arthropleura LV17】
【Status】
「Annoyed」
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【Arthropleura】
It is the largest millipede, growing up to 2.6 meters in length, 55 cm in width, and weighing up to 50 kg.
It contains strong venom but prefers a herbivorous diet over carnivorous.
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Its shell, almost violet in hue, had a rainbow-like sheen. It had an armor comparable to the caiman. Despite being a millipede, it coiled like a snake without looking awkward.
Hiss.
The corrosive saliva dripping from its mouth enhanced its intimidating presence.
I mustn’t show fear.
I had to act as if I had always belonged in this cave, as if I were an arthropod and not a lizard.
“Shiaaaat!”
It didn’t work.
It seemed to sense the incongruity of an arthropod standing on two legs.
Arthropleura.
The giant millipede.
“Geh-ek!”
I was about to let it go, but thinking about it made me angry.
I activated Sprint.
I prepared to use Tail Cutting as well, ready to escape with all my might.
Tudududududut!
It was a strategic retreat, not just running away.
You should consider yourself lucky, millipede.
If my HP was higher, one of us would have been on the altar today.
“Geh-ek!”
Rumble!
…Don’t follow me. I was just joking.
Grrr!
I consumed a high-level core, you know. If I evolve, you’ll regret it.
Kwagagak!
I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.
Please, don’t chase me.
Please, I beg you.