Chapter 84 Miniaturization
The Hunhwi in front of me, that is, the Compy elder, looked quite flustered.
His rank was too high for me to see his condition with my wild eyes.
However, I didn’t always need to rely on a skill to discern the state of my opponent.
Just look at that expression.
What kind of guy is this?
He must be thinking something like that.
For a good lizard like me to be committing such a robbery.
Honestly, I felt a prick of conscience.
But there’s a saying that a book thief isn’t really a thief.
If it’s for learning, it’s okay to abandon my conscience for a while.
“Gegek.”
Clink.
The Snake Queen.
No, I showed off the necklace my wife gave me once again.
Selling off my conscience and flaunting the token given by the Snake Queen.
Compy looked at me with a bewildered expression.
But staring like that wouldn’t change anything.
If I threatened him with the Snake Queen’s debt, he’d have no choice but to teach me.
However, lizard feelings being what they are, it’d be hard for him to feel good about me if I approached it this way. Even if he taught me, it would likely be half-hearted.
The Snake Queen’s destructive ray wouldn’t reach here.
So what should I do?
I needed to make Compy interested in me.
I acted arrogantly to catch his attention.
Whether it was positive or negative.
Now was the time to turn that interest into positive curiosity.
I spotted a stream up ahead.
I sprinted towards the stream at high speed.
Tadat!
I sprang up as if diving into the water, then naturally walked on the water’s surface.
It was the mystery of Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step.
Standing leisurely on the water, I slowly observed his expression.
His dull eyes had widened.
Compy would know what this stepping technique was.
The fact that Soaring Dragon Faith and Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step shared the same Chinese character wasn’t a coincidence.
He thought some arrogant guy had shown up, but it turned out that guy was the Snake Queen’s mate.
He thought I was acting up because of the Snake Queen, but I knew such a profound stepping technique.
He couldn’t help but be intrigued.
Tadat!
Compy started moving.
It seemed slow, but it was actually fast.
His destination was also the stream.
He naturally walked on the water.
Not a single drop splashed, a perfect display of Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step.
“Gegegek.”
A big lizard and a small lizard staring at each other on the water’s surface.
We might be fellow disciples.
“Kek.”
Compy nodded quietly.
It seemed he finally felt like teaching me.
Compy’s small hand reached out to me.
Yeah. You made the right decision.
Let’s share techniques pleasantly.
I raised my hand to meet his.
Tok.
Just like when I faced Nephila Jurassica and the ant army, our hands touched.
Bwoong.
And at that moment, the sky flipped.
No, it’d be more accurate to say I flipped.
My heavy body flew into the air as if I were flying, then plunged into the water.
Splash!
I only fell into the water, no damage done.
Even if there was no damage, it didn’t mean I felt good.
Brrrr….
With just my head sticking out of the water, I glared at Compy.
Tilt, tilt.
Compy made a strange gesture with his hands.
“Kekek!”
He was grinning.
Right.
Learning was like this.
[You have used 「Dragon’s Reverse Scale lv1」.]
[You have temporarily acquired 「Gecko Death Beam lv1」.]
He was the one who told me to attack first.
Compy’s dull eyes sparked with energy.
It seemed he didn’t expect me to go this far.
His thoughts were obvious.
Anyway, he had to teach me because of the promise with the Snake Queen.
He didn’t want to just give away the techniques, so he tried to form a master-apprentice relationship.
That’s why he made the preemptive strike earlier.
Did he think I’d just take it?
I had only one master.
…The Snake Queen was now my wife on paper.
Boom!
An immense destructive ray was fired.
Its target was Compy.
…Right above him.
Although his attempt to intimidate me was annoying, I wasn’t mean enough to shoot a death beam at his face.
Intimidation with intimidation.
Since there were lizards watching nearby, I reduced the power a bit and aimed at the sky.
Kwagagak!
Even so, the power remained strong.
Although I wasn’t aiming directly at Compy, he could still be hurt by the wind pressure if he stayed still.
If he panicked and laid down, he could avoid any damage.
What would he choose?
“Kekek.”
“Gegegek!”
…Huh?
What was happening?
Suddenly, I found myself staring at Compy clinging to my shoulder.
Truly worthy of being called a Soaring Dragon.
He possessed such agility.
I roughly gauged his skill.
Before his lips could curl up, I shook him off.
Dragon Scale Transformation.
Chwajang!
The dragon scales took on an extremely aggressive form.
My body now resembled that of a hedgehog.
Naturally, Compy, who was clinging to me, couldn’t avoid the damage.
Twong!
He bent his body like a bow and successfully leaped into the air.
What an incredible springiness.
He was faster than my scale transformation.
Yeah, he had to be at this level for it to be worth learning.
[You have used 「Dragon’s Reverse Scale lv1」.]
*
Our duel only took place in the stream.
The goal was to walk on the water with the mystery of Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step and make the other fall in.
We exchanged blows that seemed capable of breaking something, but so far, neither of us had landed a hit, so it was fine.
Compy’s combat ability was beyond my expectations.
He was fighting with extreme restraint.
He aimed to evade my attacks with his stepping technique and trip me with his martial arts.
If he attacked me directly after releasing his miniaturization, I would have been floating in the stream long ago.
But he didn’t.
This wasn’t a life-or-death duel for each other’s lives.
It was a form of training.
The method seemed a bit intense, but feeling it with the body was crucial for mastery.
Compy didn’t know, but I had the Dragon’s Reverse Scale skill. If I learned the principles of the techniques while taking the hits, I could absorb them.
In fact, I was already at a level where I could use some of his strange martial arts.
Soaring Dragon Fist, Soaring Dragon Kick.
These were probably the names.
Not bad, but they didn’t seem to suit my current size.
I wished he’d use a stronger technique, but he didn’t show anything beyond this.
I was also getting tired.
No serious injuries, but each time I was caught by that mysterious technique, I felt dizzy from the shock. If I were a bit smaller, I would have collapsed from a concussion long ago.
Should I acknowledge defeat and say I learned well?
“Grrrr….”
No.
That would hurt my pride.
Who made me fall into the water?
Just as he hadn’t used his full strength, neither had I.
People might say I was lying after using Dragon’s Reverse Scale and Gecko Death Beam, but I knew a way to effectively beat Compy.
Without much effort.
I hadn’t used it out of respect for Compy.
And to copy his techniques.
This would be the last time, so let’s give it a shot.
“Gegegek….”
Compy’s energy changed.
He seemed to have read my intent.
Tadadadadad!
Compy ran across the water.
He intended to end the duel with this strike.
Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step embodied the mystery of the Stepping Stones Technique.
The more skilled one became, the less water would splash when walking.
At the extreme, one could act as if walking on land.
Compy had long since reached that level.
Even so, an enormous amount of spray formed around him.
It was a spray created by Compy’s will.
The scattered water droplets started to gather into one.
The water armor encased Compy.
It formed the shape of a small dragon.
The name Soaring Dragon was fitting.
Yes.
You finally show it.
Hssss.
I gathered strength in my entire body.
Hwoop.
I was all-in too.
Komodo Style, Fifth Form.
Displaying the Queen’s Token.
Compy’s fist, which was about to strike my head, hesitated.
He didn’t expect me to use that precious thing as a shield.
But I bore the name of the Snake Queen’s mate.
Even in a duel, defeat was unacceptable.
Whack!
I struck Compy with my tail.
Splash!
Compy, being small, couldn’t avoid the surprise attack and fell into the stream.
There wouldn’t be any serious damage.
But I was satisfied with just soaking his body.
Yeah.
This was my victory.
“Gegegegegek!”
*
“Kek….”
Compy turned his head, seemingly shocked.
Even when I tapped him with my claws, he didn’t budge.
Hey, come on.
“Gegegek.”
Although it was a dirty method, he had officially become a lizard defeated by me.
And that too, in front of the followers.
Besides, he made the first move.
Even used a big technique at the end.
[Your divinity has increased.]
“Kek!”
Maybe I should have lost moderately.
No, who told him to attack first?
“Gegek!”
He seemed sulky, but after some
time, he started to loosen up.
When I sliced the Terror Bird meat I brought as a gift into pieces, he approached silently with his hands behind his back.
Indeed, he was worthy of being called Hunhwi.
I bowed my head in gratitude for Compy’s generosity.
“Gegegek.”
After all, sharing a meal was the best way to get close.
After sharing the meat with the lizards, the awkward atmosphere eased considerably.
“Gegek.”
I spoke to Compy.
“Kek?”
Sigh, how could we communicate with just Kek and Gegek?
It was easy to communicate with the Snake Queen or the Bird King.
Even Shikshik or the spiders could communicate somewhat due to the faith.
It was quite inconvenient to communicate without the same faith or being able to speak.
But I wasn’t too worried.
Even if we couldn’t talk, the intelligence was high.
I could convey my intentions through gestures.
“Gegek…. Gegek! Gegek! Gegegek!”
I worked hard to communicate with Compy using my body.
By the time the lizards had eaten even the meat attached to the Terror Bird’s bones, we finally started to understand each other.
What I had been appealing for all this time was to learn Miniaturization.
Although I was satisfied seeing and feeling other techniques, my original goal was Miniaturization.
Compy seemed to be deep in thought, then gave a sinister smile.
What?
Why that expression?
Did you understand what I said?
“Kek!”
Compy wore a dull expression.
He looked like a lizard that had seen the world.
The combative look he had by the stream was nowhere to be seen.
Thus began Compy’s dance.
…Right. I had a feeling this would happen with that face.
But I had to do these movements to learn Miniaturization?
Compy stared at me intently.
It seemed to say, why aren’t you doing it yet?
Okay, let’s try it as a leap of faith.
I adopted the dull look of a gecko lizard from the fierce Komodo.
If the snakes and spiders saw this, they’d be disappointed.
“Gegek….”
But I had no choice.
It was a mountain I had to climb to learn Miniaturization.
I mimicked all the odd, wriggling dance moves.
…It better work.
I’ll fire a Death Beam at your face if it doesn’t.
[You have used 「Dragon’s Reverse Scale lv1」.]
[You have temporarily acquired 「Miniaturization lv1」.]
It worked!
Yeah.
Sorry for doubting you.
Let’s try it.
If I use it now, it’ll be easier to use next time.
Chwajang.
My vision rapidly lowered.
My gigantic body shrank from Komodo-Lania to Komodo.
Yes. This size was just right.
Chwajak.
Huh?
I shrank from Komodo to Crocodile King Lizard.
This wasn’t bad either.
I could at least carry Tang So-yeong on my back.
Chaaaaak….
From Crocodile King Lizard to Green Basilisk.
…Can’t I stop this?
Chuuuuuk….
From Green Basilisk to Green Gecko.
No, this is too small!