Chapter 7 Would you believe me if I said I could walk on water?
The Basilisk.
A legendary creature with venomous skin and the petrifying gaze of Medusa.
It was quite famous. Even in death, it would take at least two enemies with it, an image of excellent cost-effectiveness.
That’s the kind of basilisk I knew.
But now, I could evolve into a basilisk?
I didn’t think it was a bad thing.
In fact, it was good.
But I couldn’t understand the reason.
It was already absurd for a gecko to evolve into a chameleon or another lizard, but that was something I could somewhat accept.
However, this was different.
If I had the petrification skill or venom, like a basilisk, I would understand.
But the condition for this special evolution was none other than sprinting.
I couldn’t fathom what running fast had to do with a basilisk.
But I wasn’t a foolish lizard to pass up this opportunity just because I didn’t know the reason.
I wasn’t the kind to refuse what was given to me.
Evolving into a cheat species like a basilisk was great.
I made my choice.
‘Green Basilisk.’
I’m already becoming a basilisk, so what’s next, a dragon?
As I entertained such thoughts, my body started to change.
Crack.
Creak.
Every bone in my body was shifting.
It felt like watching a time-lapse video, with my bones growing in an instant.
My bones formed a new skeleton.
A slightly bigger frame. And a longer tail.
Naturally, the tissues on the bones also started to change.
Rip.
It felt similar to shedding my skin, but different somehow.
It wasn’t just dead cells peeling off.
New tissues that matched my new skeleton were forming.
Every muscle was being newly formed.
The skin and scales covering them were far more intricate compared to the gecko’s.
The pure white room began to shake.
Crack.
A small fissure appeared in the room.
I realized what this room was.
It was the egg I saw when I first came to this world.
I used my long claws to widen the crack in the egg.
Crack!
Without anyone’s help, I broke out of the egg.
[Congratulations! The Green Gecko has evolved into a Green Basilisk!]
I was no longer a gecko.
I was now a mythological being, a Green Basilisk.
“Kegegek!”
…But why did my cry sound the same as before?
No, it must be that synchronization hasn’t happened yet.
I saw the name Green Basilisk instead of Green Gecko.
And a spider was staring at me intently.
“Kieek!”
Yes, nice to see you too.
But could you move your face away?
It’s a bit scary.
“Gegek.”
I turned my head.
Despite my changed appearance, the spider seemed to remember I was the gecko. Had it been waiting for me to hatch? How admirable.
“Kioon….”
It wriggled its two front legs.
What’s wrong?
You’re making me uncomfortable.
It tapped me with its third leg.
When I looked, there was a ball of silk in front of me.
Upon closer inspection, it was still a living insect.
“Kiong!”
Was it telling me to eat it?
The spider pushed the ball of silk with its long legs.
“Gegegek.”
It would be impolite to refuse a gift.
And I was hungry.
Since it was freshly caught, it wasn’t dry, and juice burst in my mouth.
Ugh.
I had eaten quite a few insects, but I still wasn’t used to the taste.
I was eating just because I was hungry.
However, the more I ate, the hungrier I got.
As the food filled my stomach, I seemed to remember the forgotten hunger.
“Kioon!”
The spider handed me more insects it had prepared.
I stuffed the insects into my mouth.
Maybe it was because of the evolution, but I was extremely hungry.
The bitterness was incomparable to the first one, but I just endured it and ate.
Since my bones had grown and my skin had restructured, it seemed a significant amount of nutrients had been consumed.
It was to the point where I thought I would have starved to death if I hadn’t eaten.
…Thinking about it that way, it was a bit chilling. If the spider hadn’t waited for me, I might have died helplessly.
Next time I evolve, I must stockpile food.
“Kiek!”
The spider kept handing me insects.
It knew I had saved its life after all.
I opened my mouth wide and swallowed everything it gave me.
I felt a warm sensation rising from within.
Had it given me spicy insects?
My stomach was now somewhat full.
The most anticipated time had come.
It was time to check my current situation.
[Green Basilisk LV1]
HP:50/50
MP:20/20
My level was reset, but my HP and MP had increased.
It wasn’t called evolution for nothing.
It seemed that reaching level 10 would allow me to evolve.
But seeing the spider’s level, it didn’t seem like evolution was guaranteed at level 10.
It was time to set aside the miscellaneous thoughts for a moment.
With a pounding heart, I used the detailed view.
Expecting the abilities of the strongest lizard, incomparable to the gecko.
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[Green Basilisk]
Its body length is about 70 cm, but a large portion is its tail. It weighs around 300g, making it relatively light.
Thanks to the broad scales on its feet, it can run on the water surface, balancing with its long tail to move quickly.
Because of its ability to run on water, it is also called the Jesus Lizard.
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Wait a minute.
It’s a basilisk.
Where’s the petrifying gaze?
At the very least, there should be an explanation about the venom, right?
No.
This isn’t a basilisk!
[The effect of Cold Blood has been activated.]
Whew.
Calm down.
My Wild Eyes aren’t very reliable.
Didn’t they miss the fact that ants use venom and paralysis stings?
There might have been omissions this time as well.
Please.
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[Skills]
「Tail Cutting LV9」「Wall Climbing LV4」「Cold Blood LV2」「Predation LV1」「Wild Eyes LV1」「Tail Cutting LV1」「Sprint LV7」「Stealth LV2」「Paralysis Resistance LV2」「Acid Resistance LV4」「Webbed Feet Walk LV1」
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Petrification… none?
No.
But there’s a new skill added.
Maybe that’s another name for petrification.
「Webbed Feet Walk LV1」
You can run on water.
That can’t be true.
….
What’s the use of this?
What am I supposed to do by running on water?
I might as well have chosen the Armadillo Armored Lizard.
What’s the difference between this and the gecko?
I swung my tail irritably.
Swish!
My now thickened tail had thinned significantly, making a whip-like sound.
It had not only thinned but also lengthened considerably.
If my body length was over 20 cm, the tail was at least twice that.
This was quite satisfactory.
My main weapon was my tail, after all.
I started with Tail Cutting and fought enemies by swinging my tail instead of my short limbs.
The increase in the range of my main weapon was good news.
This alone could be as good as petrification.
…No, it wasn’t.
My mouth felt bitter.
If the name had been something like Long Tail Lizard, I wouldn’t have been disappointed.
Why did it have to be Basilisk?
As soon as I saw the name, I had devised dozens of plans, now all in vain.
But I couldn’t stay despondent.
I had already evolved, and though it fell short of my expectations, it was true that I had become stronger than before the evolution.
I needed to make plans for what to do next.
Living up in the trees was no longer viable. I had grown too big.
Though my bulk was mostly tail, it made living in the trees uncomfortable.
My dangling tail would surely catch the attention of passing dinosaurs.
Besides, I had acquired the skill Webbed Feet Walk.
It indicated that I was a creature meant to live near water, so it made sense to move there.
“Gegek.”
Nephila.
I’m leaving this place.
“Kioon….”
Could it understand my words?
It grabbed my tail with its long legs.
But what’s inevitable is inevitable.
“Kioooooong….”
It had been a short meeting, but it was enjoyable.
“Gegek.”
Should I stay a bit longer for courtesy’s sake?
Even if I went down the tree, it wasn’t like I’d find the water immediately.
As I leveled up, I would grow bigger, but I could manage here for now.
Since I had become friends with the spider, I wanted to stay a bit longer.
We could now be called friends.
“Kioon….”
But why are you drooling?
“Kieeeng….”
And what’s with those eyes?
My tail was dripping with the spider’s saliva.
It was gently pulling my tail.
You crazy thing!
I cut my tail off at once.
“Hiiooooong!”
The spider banged its long legs in frustration over the lost prey.
I shouldn’t have trusted that spider.
Cancel my thoughts of staying longer here.
As I fled, I turned my head to see it one last time.
“Kieeeek!”
The spider was clinging tightly to my severed tail.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
If I hadn’t realized it sooner, I would have been where that tail was.
I almost became a cocoon.
[Achievement unlocked.]
What the?
An achievement?
Is this some kind of achievement for falling for the name basilisk?
[An Achievement That Would Surprise Iguanodon!]
Wasn’t it a raptor last time?
Does this mean it’s a better achievement?
I had some expectations.
It would heal my tender heart that was betrayed by the spider.
[Spiders have no heart.]
Yeah. No heart.
[You have received the love of such a spider.]
Yeah. Received its love.
…Yeah? What did I receive?
[You have obtained the title “Loved by Spiders.”]
What is this?