Chapter 46
Cold Blood.
Calm my head.
[The effect of 「Cold Blood lv5」 is activated.]
Good.
Let’s quickly think with a cool head.
【Tang So-yeong】
【Status】
「Worship」「Joy」
This is a very good state.
【Arthrocofus lv9】
【Status】
「Worship」「Crush」「Watchfulness」
【Anthracomartus lv8】
【Status】
「Worship」「Crush」「Jealousy」
This is a bit problematic, but it’s still worship.
It’s probably a slightly distorted form of faith.
Considering the young age of Tus and Pus, it’s understandable they might be under such an illusion.
【Nephila Jurassica lv30】
【Status】
「Injured」「Crush」「Affection」「Adoration」「Admiration」「Single-mindedness」「Desire to Reproduce」「Possessiveness」「Appetite」
This is bad!
Alright.
I could roughly understand what this spider’s emotions were.
Thanks to that, I received a title, and Nephila Jurassica saved my life without fearing death.
I understand.
But the last part is the problem.
I felt bad for escaping on the branch, but seeing that, all such thoughts vanished.
If I hadn’t escaped, I could have really become lizard skewers.
26 eyes were staring at me simultaneously.
Cold Blood.
I needed to work a bit more.
[The effect of 「Cold Blood lv5」 is activated.]
My head cooled down in real-time, but it heated up again.
I couldn’t calm down.
Those eyes.
And seeing the drool dripping down, I realized what instinctual fear was.
“Kieeek….”
Nephila. Please don’t drool.
“Keeng.”
“Keeng!”
You too.
“Seeing a Komodo in real life, now I can die without regrets….”
Tang So-yeong.
You can’t do that too.
Why are you drooling?
Three spiders and one person approached me slowly.
I spread my hands wide and calmed them down.
Like calming three raptors in a certain movie.
Calm down.
“Gegegegek!”
Fortunately, their movements stopped.
It seemed they hadn’t completely lost their minds.
How long would this last?
I needed to find a solution quickly.
At least I needed to do something about Nephila Jurassica’s appetite.
I quietly offered the tail I cut off when I was a king lizard.
It felt slightly unethical, but it was already a severed tail.
And this spider had a history of eating my tail several times.
Nephila Jurassica carefully took my tail with both hands.
“Kieeng.”
Yes.
Eat that and calm down.
“Keeng!”
Tus and Pus also jumped at my tail.
Should I let them eat it?
What if they cut off my tail one by one while I’m sleeping?
Well.
That’s the Crocodile King Lizard’s tail and I’m a Komodo now, so they should know the difference.
Let’s put out the urgent fire first.
Eat that for now.
“The, the Komodo’s tail….”
I told you no.
“Gekgek.”
I gently wrapped my tail around Tang So-yeong’s legs and pulled her towards me.
“…Hah! I didn’t realize it.”
Yes.
Let’s keep our last remaining humanity.
You’re different from those spiders.
“Maybe I’ll sneak….”
You’re different, right?
Thanks to sacrificing my tail, the situation was somewhat resolved.
The three spiders were engrossed in eating the severed tail.
And in front of me was Tang So-yeong.
As someone who kept chanting Komodo, she should have a lot of information.
Spill out the information quickly.
Unless you want to see the inside of a Komodo’s mouth.
“…You look exactly like I heard. These sharp scales, blue eyes. I knew you would become like this.”
I’m a Komodo now.
But why did this woman call me Komodo even when I was a Crocodile King Lizard?
Did she see me as a Komodo candidate?
“If, if I just take one scale, I can be forgiven for this. I might even get rewarded…. Hehehe….”
Tang So-yeong was fiddling with my scales.
Fine. Considering what I’ve seen, I can give up to ten scales.
Except for the ones on my head.
I don’t want to evolve into a Pachycephalosaurus.
“Gekgek.”
But, you move quite well?
I glanced at Tang So-yeong’s legs.
They looked perfectly fine.
In fact, it seemed she had been walking fine since she woke up.
Tang So-yeong seemed to understand the meaning of my gaze and looked a bit awkward.
“C, cough!”
Well, it could happen.
I won’t kick you out immediately just because your legs are healed.
But you should have said so as soon as they healed.
“My, my legs are healed!”
Yes.
You shouldn’t act.
You can’t lie.
“This must be a blessing from Lord Komodo….”
Does this lead here?
No.
Actually, it’s good.
This was also something I needed to address.
Divinity.
And religion.
They kept saying faint divinity, so I thought it was nothing, but suddenly religion came up.
It was as shocking as the spiders’ status messages.
“Gekgek.”
“Indeed, Lord Komodo… to heal my injured leg immediately!”
I told you not to do that.
“Kieeng!”
The spiders were also making happy noises while shaking their hands.
“Keek!”
“Lord Komodo is truly amazing!”
“Keeeng!”
This was a bit burdensome.
It felt like they were worshipping me.
[Conditions have been met.]
Huh?
Light started radiating from my body.
Was I evolving into a glowing lizard?
The light was dark.
It looked more like the effect of a final boss rather than a divine light.
It was an ominous color.
“This… this is…!”
I didn’t know what it was, so explain it to me.
Tang So-yeong hurriedly bowed.
“To witness a miracle after meeting the divine beast…!”
A miracle?
Don’t use such grand words.
I’m just becoming a glowing lizard.
The light slowly faded.
The spiders and Tang So-yeong looked up at me.
They didn’t say anything.
…What should I do?
“Gekek.”
Tang So-yeong bowed once more, and Tus and Pus followed her action.
“Gegek… Gegek(塏揢)…? Grasping the high ground! So, there was such profound meaning in the cry! Right. The beginning of the Gegek Cult! This is the first start of the Gegek Cult!”
What’s that?
It’s not Gegek, it’s Gekek.
And it doesn’t have such grand meaning; it’s just a cry.
At Tang So-yeong’s exclamation, Tus and Pus clapped and responded.
“Kaek!”
“Kaek!”
Tus and Pus imitated my cry.
No, are they imitating Gegek?
Fine. Imitate as much as you want.
Nothing changes anyway.
[The faith of 【Gegek】 has been established.]
__________________________
【Gegek Faith】
Faith of the Gecko Lizard level.
This is the faith of those who worship the legendary divine beast, Komodo.
Although it’s too early to be called a religion, it has very high potential for development.
The faith of the members is very high.
Members
First Believer: 【Arthrocofus lv9】
Second Believer: 【Anthracomartus lv8】
Third Believer: 【Tang So-yeong】
__________________________
What’s this?
It’s starting to get scary.
And there’s no Nephila Jurassica in the list.
Well, it makes sense since worship wasn’t in the status window.
Weak divinity gathered and became faith.
It was really amazing.
So, is this the end?
Didn’t it forget something?
If something grand like this comes out, it should give something.
An achievement that would astonish Komodo! Something like that.
I glared at the status window.
Gaining dragon scales and other stuff was very good, but I’m still hungry.
Give me more.
[Due to the effect of the Gecko Lizard level faith, the abilities of the believers are slightly enhanced.]
No.
Not give me more.
Give me everything.
[You now share a portion of the experience points gained by the believers.]
Sharing a portion of the experience points?
This is truly an astonishing achievement.
I almost jumped in surprise.
This couldn’t be a bad effect.
Isn’t it almost like automatic hunting?
Of course, I wouldn’t leave hunting to Tus and Pus.
Same for Tang So-yeong.
But if I increase the number of believers later, it could be quite beneficial.
It would be good if Nephila Jurassica joined as a believer.
Sigh, why doesn’t she believe in the great Komodo?
“Gekek.”
Nephila. It would be good for you to join quickly.
If you join now, you’ll be the fourth in rank.
Of course, being below Tus and Pus might be a bit embarrassing, but who knows? Maybe later, I’ll recruit someone like Baek Yeonyeong. Then, you’d be higher in rank than that person.
“Gekek.”
Think it over.
“Kieek!”
Nephila Jurassica tried to understand my words, then shook her head vigorously.
There’s a limit to communication with Gekek and Kieek.
Alright, here’s the deal.
If you join now, I’ll rank you higher than Tang So-yeong. We have a bond, after all.
“Kieeng.”
The spider lowered its head and continued eating the severed tail meat.
That’s it, that’s good.
Let’s not provoke her.
I barely calmed her down with my tail.
Leaving Nephila for now, should I have a solid conversation with our first believer?
“Kieeng!”
Pus nodded.
….
How did she understand without me even making a sound this time?
As expected, the first believer is different.
“Kiooong!”
Then, the second believer, Tus, reacted angrily.
I realized it.
My believers could read my thoughts.
Let’s try an experiment.
‘Tang So-yeong!’
Tang So-yeong showed no reaction.
Sigh, is this not it?
I thought it was like telepathy, but maybe it was just a coincidence?
But the spiders responded immediately.
‘The Myriad Flower Rain is not a martial art of the Sichuan Tang Clan but of the Beggars’ Sect.’
Tang So-yeong tilted her head.
“…What? I suddenly feel bad!”
It wasn’t completely ineffective.
Some part of my thoughts. Only a very small part seemed to be conveyed.
Of course, it seemed like she didn’t know it was from me.
It was a mixed blessing.
But it wasn’t bad to have.
‘The Five Great Families are the Moyong Family, the Jegal Family, the Namgung Family, the Habuk Paeng Family. And the Hwangbo Family, not the Sichuan Tang Clan.’
“My, my mood feels strange!”
A new long-distance scratching technique that leaves no evidence.
I had learned a very sinister new skill.