Chapter 163: Evolution, A Crossroad of Choices
“Gaeek….”
This time, I didn’t feel the gaze that had been watching me.
Was it my imagination?
I hoped it was, but my senses were rarely wrong.
The original plan was to capture the Fire Rat and evolve immediately, but things got a bit tangled.
Since nothing happened right away, I decided to look at the evolution list first.
I needed to see it to decide how to act next.
[You have met the conditions for a special evolution.]
A special evolution, right away this time?
Good. It felt like a waste of time before, looking at those bogus options.
For a lizard at my level, ordinary evolution felt a bit lacking.
[Your potential has exceeded its limit.]
A pleasant message appeared.
When the status window added commentary like this, it usually meant I’d be rewarded with something good.
[A hidden option has been revealed.]
【Komodo-Lania】
【Komodo-Salamander】
【Komodo-Toryong】
【Komodo-Steel】
【Komodo-Paryong】 (Condition not met)
You can evolve into one of the above.
Something was different from before.
Previously, the conditions were listed next to each option.
For example, consuming a Dilophosaurus core allowed evolution into a Komodo, and eating a Fire Carp enabled Salamander evolution.
Also, unlike before, the prefix "Komodo" was now attached to all options.
It seemed similar to how most dinosaurs had "Saurus" or "big lizard" in their names.
Komodo was no longer just a species but seemed to symbolize an ancient death with a tail.
This meant I no longer needed to worry about losing faith.
The lineup was excellent.
At first glance, it felt like my past efforts were being rewarded properly.
Let’s examine them one by one.
Salamander
【Komodo-Salamander】
The divine beast of the Gecko, Komodo, imbued with the energy of fire.
A gigantic lizard covered in flame-like scales across its entire body.
It is a sacred beast capable of freely manipulating the power of fire, holding the potential to become a dragon.
The Komodo has accepted the energy of fire.
I’d never seen another of my kind, but surely, there must have been something similar out there.
Considering how the Tang family revered the Komodo as a legendary sacred beast, there must have been one.
But things were different now.
The divine beast of the Gecko, Komodo.
There could be ordinary Komodos, but I was the only one of the Gecko faith.
In other words, I’d be the only one of the species Komodo-Salamander.
“Gaegegegek…”
It was an incredibly tempting choice.
During my last evolution, I’d agonized over Salamander and Lania.
Lania was a great choice too.
In most battles, my larger size had been a significant advantage. Dominating with overwhelming physique might seem simple, but its destructive power was immense.
Still, I regretted missing out on the fire-wielding lizard, Salamander.
If there hadn’t been any faith restrictions, I would have chosen Salamander immediately.
And now? A Salamander without faith restrictions?
Moreover, since it inherited the characteristics of Komodo, I could expect fire-wielding abilities to be added to its existing form.
Let’s keep it as a candidate for now.
Toryong
【Komodo-Toryong】
The divine beast of the Gecko, Komodo, imbued with the energy of earth.
A beast that devours the earth with its enormous body.
It freely manipulates the power of the earth and holds the potential to become a dragon.
Toryong!
A dragon! A dragon!
And it manipulates the power of the earth!
...Wait, calm down.
Just because it has "dragon" in its name doesn’t mean it’s an actual dragon.
Remember the Green Basilisk.
A beast that devours the earth with its massive body.
Not a lizard, not a snake, not a reptile, not a dragon.
Just labeled as a beast.
What did that mean?
It was trying to trick me.
Toryong likely referred to an earthworm.
Maybe because I devoured the Death Worm, it offered me something strange.
Of course, the size would grow enormous, and its combat power would be impressive.
But the moment I became Toryong, I’d lose my arms and legs.
The snake mother and daughter might like it, but I didn’t.
You’re dismissed.
Let’s move on to the next.
3. Steel
【Komodo-Steel】
The divine beast of the Gecko, Komodo, in a corrupted form.
A sacred beast said to burn mountains with fire and freeze the ground with hail.
It harbors resentment for failing to become a dragon and attempts to kill everything in sight.
In terms of abilities alone, this one might be the best.
Fire and cold.
It claimed to handle both those powers.
But that was all.
This one had no future.
While the others were described as sacred beasts with the potential to become dragons, Steel had no such potential.
I would be disqualified from becoming a dragon before I even had a chance.
Moreover, phrases like "corrupted form" and "tries to kill everything in sight" appeared in its description.
It carried an ominous tone in many ways.
It felt like a dark evolution or something similar.
If I chose that, I might end up as some skeletal lizard.
You’re dismissed too.
Next up.
Paryong.
Paryong.
This option had several differences compared to the others.
【Komodo-Paryong】
The divine beast of the Gecko, Komodo, that has passed the Trial of the Dragon Gate.
A sacred beast capable of ??? ??? ???.
A lower-tier dragon species with the potential to become a true ???.
Some of the text appeared garbled.
However, based on what I could see, I could make an educated guess.
Unlike the others, this one was something that could be called a dragon.
Being labeled as a "lower-tier dragon" likely meant it was a mythological being, akin to a basilisk.
It could possibly be even greater than that.
However, I couldn’t choose Paryong right now.
Why? The words "Condition Not Met" were displayed.
And the condition was the Trial of the Dragon Gate.
Simply catching the Fire Rat wasn’t enough.
This was as far as I could go in reviewing the list.
Given the current circumstances, my choice was Komodo-Salamander.
Unlike the others, it came with no penalties, and if I could fully wield fire, my combat abilities would become significantly stronger.
But it wasn’t a situation where I could evolve easily right now.
Taking a quick look at the list was fine, but during evolution, I’d be in a vulnerable state for an extended period.
What if someone attacked me during that time?
I might end up reverting back to a regular gecko lizard.
I needed to evolve in a safe location, at the very least.
So, should I descend the mountain for now?
No.
That felt like a waste too.
The Trial of the Dragon Gate.
And Paryong.
As a man, I couldn’t just ignore those words after seeing them.
There had to be something at the top of this volcano.
Having defeated the guardian, I might be eligible to take on the Trial of the Dragon Gate.
Let’s climb for now.
After all, the Trial of the Dragon Gate might just be about reaching the summit of the volcano.
It was worth trying.
And I wanted to uncover the source of the gaze that had been watching me.
With my level raised from defeating the Fire Rat, my condition was perfect.
I could take down most opponents in my current state.
And if they turned out to be too strong, I could just run away.
“Gaegek.”
But first, let’s grab the delicious elixir snack in front of me.
The Fire Rat’s fur didn’t burn, so I could peel it carefully and make good use of it.
Not to mention its core.
After expressing my gratitude to the ever-generous Fire Rat, I extended my sharp claws toward it.
As I climbed higher, the volcanic energy grew stronger.
But I could handle it with ease now.
The effects of the Ice Orb still lingered, and the Fire Rat had helped me as well.
The Fire Rat’s core, now inside me, was working hard to boost my strength.
Additionally, the Fire Rat’s fur draped over my body shielded me from the heat.
At this point, I could probably settle down and live on this volcano.
The Fire Rat’s core had granted me a strong resistance to fire.
Unfortunately, it didn’t unlock any additional evolution options.
Choosing Salamander might influence my next evolution, though.
Since its effects were straightforward, it didn’t place a significant burden on my body.
Perhaps because the energy of the Fire Carp still lingered in me, the Fire Rat’s power blended in seamlessly.
Considering this, Salamander seemed like the perfect choice.
Continuing my ascent, I finally reached the summit.
Sensing movement, I reduced the sound of my footsteps and hid behind a rock.
If a terrifying monster appeared, I’d unleash a Gecko Death Beam immediately.
Peeking out slightly, I spotted what appeared to be a human figure.
…Was that the being that sent killing intent toward me?
Perhaps because of the heat in this place, my Wild Eyes didn’t activate properly.
It looked blurry, as if surrounded by intense heat waves.
It didn’t seem to have noticed my presence yet, so I decided to watch for now.
Judging by its appearance wasn’t wise, but it didn’t look like something to ambush right away.
It was a woman with red hair.
She was soaking in a hot spring.
Her body, which could only be described as violent...
…Snap out of it.
I didn’t want to seem like some perverted lizard spying on someone bathing.
…Not that it wasn’t true.
She was definitely an unusual person.
Bathing up here in such a dangerous place?
No matter how nice the hot spring was, this was ridiculous.
...Wait, was that even a hot spring?
Wasn’t she just sitting in lava?
“Hmmm.”
The woman hummed lightly as she stared into the void.
“Did you come all the way here because I sent some killing intent on purpose?”
What in the world?
How could she have seen through my perfect disguise?
“You couldn’t possibly think you could hide that massive body. Drooling while watching me... were you planning to ambush me?”
Drooling?
What a misunderstanding.
I was just curious because I saw a human here.
Still, based on the way she spoke, it didn’t seem like she intended to fight me.
If a massive lizard like me had been peeking at her, most would scream and launch a preemptive strike.
Shhhk.
The red-haired woman rose from her spot.
Ssss….
Drops of lava splashed from the hot spring onto the ground.
She was clearly no ordinary human.
Since this was the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, maybe she was a friend of Baek Yeonyeong.
While I wasn’t sure at first, she wasn’t emitting any killing intent now, so she seemed to be decent.
And looking at that body, she had to be a good person.
Unfortunately, a black cloth draped over her body.
Even so, it couldn’t fully hide her destructive figure.
“Hmmm….”
The red-haired woman hummed again.
Suddenly, something changed.
Two black horns sprouted from her head, and a long tail grew from just above her hips.
It resembled that of a reptile.
So, she was a mystical beast too?
Of course, no ordinary human would be here.
Still, her appearance was quite unique.
Those two horns.
And that reptilian tail.
...Was there a mystical beast like that?
The woman smiled slightly as she looked at me.
At the same time, my previously inactive Wild Eyes suddenly triggered.
【Red Dragon lv???】
“Namgoong Yeon wasn’t lying, it seems.”