Chapter 60 A Dead Lizard Looks Good Even After Eating
The Snake Queen.
I had vaguely heard of her before.
Wasn’t it that Yu-Gyo Drea… no, the Cockatrice who had mumbled about her?
Moreover, according to the parrot, that Cockatrice was the king of birds.
A snake, with the title of Queen, acknowledged by the king of birds. She must be at least as strong as the Cockatrice.
And seeing that there were creatures serving the Snake Queen, she likely had a religion or at least followers devoted to her.
A literal queen-like existence.
She was very likely the ruler of this jungle.
**[Status Ailment: Acquired the Snake Queen’s Brand.]**
**【Komodo LV9】**
HP: 250/990
MP: 173/410
**【Status】**
「Snake Queen’s Brand」
「Snake Queen’s Brand」
The Snake Queen is watching you closely. Those who serve the Snake Queen can recognize her mark.
And I was marked by this being.
“Ge-ge-ge-ge-k!”
This was bad.
Of course, that brand wasn’t objectively harmful.
It didn’t reduce my health or impose any restrictions.
The problem was that other snakes could recognize me.
Other snakes recognizing me? Aren’t they just snakes?
I’d like to think so, but I had already encountered a being that transcended the species of snakes.
The Titanoboa I met in the Silver Dragon Cave.
And that creature, which evolved into a multi-headed monster.
Just as I evolved into a Komodo, the creatures in this place seemed capable of evolving into mythical beasts.
There was no guarantee that such beings wouldn’t emerge under the Snake Queen’s command.
Even an adult Titanoboa was a formidable opponent for me.
And the Snake Queen, who commanded such beings, would undoubtedly be immensely powerful.
Even the snake in the Silver Dragon Cave didn’t earn the title of Queen.
I needed to consider my survival options.
Should I run to Baek Yeonyeong and ask for help?
Would she take care of the enemy with a Yeonyeong Punch if I wagged my tail and rolled over?
I imagined Baek Yeonyeong.
She dealt with the Snake Queen in one blow and walked toward me.
Then she whispered.
“…Huiya, I’ll need a lot more scales this time.”
The imaginary Baek Yeonyeong turned me into a roast chicken.
“Ge-ge-k!”
No way!
Losing just my scales would be a blessing; she might even reclaim my core if I couldn’t handle it.
In reality, I had no way of knowing where Baek Yeonyeong was.
Yeonyeong chance was out of the question.
Of course, a frontal confrontation was to be avoided at all costs.
So, what should I do?
The Snake Queen.
And the king of birds.
Their relationship didn’t seem particularly amicable.
Wait, come to think of it, didn’t the king of birds keep asking if a dragon was a snake or a bird?
The king of birds brazenly pushed the dinosaur-bird theory.
Then what about the Snake Queen?
Naturally, she would advocate for the dinosaur-reptile theory.
I was a fervent supporter of the dinosaur-reptile theory.
Even while suffering from the Cockatrice’s destruction beam, I didn’t abandon my belief.
If I played my cards right, I might be able to sway the Snake Queen.
Of course, there was a higher chance of becoming a lizard skewered on a stick before I could explain.
The best course of action was to avoid encountering the Snake Queen altogether.
The primary goal was to obtain the serendipity here and leave quickly.
Both the Snake Queen and the king of birds were problems.
“Ge-ge-ge-ge-k….”
The python slithered up and coiled around my leg.
Couldn’t you have told me sooner?
Could I still cancel the invitation now?
No way.
What exactly was this snake’s relationship with the Snake Queen?
Just a regular devotee?
That seemed like too much protection for an ordinary devotee.
If it were just a regular devotee, the Snake Queen wouldn’t be furious.
She might be angry about her devotee being taken away, but I didn’t think she’d go as far as branding me.
This snake was probably a devotee the Snake Queen cherished greatly.
She wouldn’t have favored it for its strength, so there must be another reason….
Could it be kin?
“Hiek!”
Probably not.
She seemed to cherish it for its appearance.
With that kind of look, it’s understandable.
Round and cute.
“Hie-ek….”
The python twisted its tail.
Sigh, why did Tus and Pus keep coming to mind when I looked at this snake?
There’s no title like ‘Loved by Snakes,’ though.
I needed to obtain the serendipity here and get out.
Staying too long would surely lead to a bad ending.
*Sigh,* I came here seeking serendipity, and what a mess this had become.
I almost died at the hands of the king of birds and got branded by the Snake Queen.
My only gain was a somewhat cute-faced snake.
I was in for another round of hardships.
Wouldn’t some serendipity drop somewhere?
I thought while looking at Shikshik.
Wouldn’t some elixir drop?
I scrutinized Shikshik.
Shikshik, a snake exuding an air of nobility.
Every time I looked at it, I felt it was like a young lady who hadn’t tasted the harsh realities of life.
She naively entered the jungle, but things didn’t go as she planned.
Then she met a lizard.
She stared at me intensely, for a long, long time.
Usually, in these stories, the innocent young lady gets swayed by the cunning lizard’s tongue.
She ends up giving away the serendipities hidden by her family to the bad boy.
“Ge-ge-ge-ge-k….”
The python flinched, sensing my gaze.
Right.
There must be something.
I ran my hand over the still-unhealed wounds.
Ah…. If only I had eaten the Oviraptor meat alone, my wounds would have fully healed….
“Shii, shiiik!”
The python turned its head away.
“Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-k….”
If I didn’t obtain an elixir, I would end up as lizard sashimi….
**【Ball Python lv14】 is troubled.**
Indeed.
I had a feeling you’d know everything.
Now, spit it out.
[【Ball Python lv14】 is deeply pondering.]
The expression on its face screamed, ‘I know where the Snake Queen’s treasure is hidden.’
It must be weighing its options in its mind.
Between the Snake Queen and the lizard it just met today.
But usually, these stories end with giving body and soul to the bad guy.
Chwalararak!
I transformed my dragon scales again, into a shape that Shwikshwik would like even more.
“Hiieek!”
The python was startled once more.
[【Ball Python lv14】 is seriously contemplating.]
One last bit of chatter.
Shwikshwik.
If you tell me now, I’ll make you rank higher than Tang So-yeong.
[【Ball Python lv14】 says it has a place only it can tell you about.]
There you go.
From now on, you’re ranked third.
*
【Komodo LV9】
HP: 412/990
MP: 240/410
【Status】
「Brand of the Snake Queen」
On the way here, I managed to hunt a Protoceratops and fill my belly.
But that was it.
This jungle was tougher than I had thought.
The giant sauropod heads that occasionally appeared made it hard to understand why the terror birds were strutting around. They were so massive that even the gigantic trees of the jungle couldn’t hide their heads.
I thought the terror birds would end with just one bite and a toss.
Maybe fighting would be different.
There’d be nothing I could do if they shot destruction rays from a distance.
Even if we left out the sauropods, the others weren’t easy either.
Predators like the terror birds were at a level you could call cute.
I hadn’t met a carnivorous dinosaur larger than them, but each of the herbivorous dinosaurs had incredible specs.
Just like the one in front of me now.
【Stegosaurus LV35】
__________________________
【Stegosaurus】
A massive plated dinosaur estimated to be up to 7.5 meters in length and weighing up to 5.3 tons.
It has a unique structure with a long, stout body that rises significantly in height from head to tail.
Its tail has two pairs of bony, sharp spikes used to fend off predators.
The bony spikes of a Stegosaurus are strong enough to crush bones.
__________________________
This guy was one of the named ones.
Even those who didn’t know much about dinosaurs knew this plated dinosaur.
If you didn’t know, you’d think it was just a common herbivore, right?
But this guy was basically larger than an elephant.
Right now, if it stepped on me once, I’d become lizard leather.
Currently, I was staring it in the eyes.
I gulped and watched its movements closely.
Just in case it attacked so I could respond immediately.
“Hiieek….”
Was I lucky, or did I have some standing?
The Stegosaurus watched me for a few seconds before continuing on its way.
Well, at this level, a Komodo should get this kind of treatment.
After the Stegosaurus moved away, I walked a bit more under Shwikshwik’s guidance.
Not far from where the plated dinosaur had been was a gigantic building.
Yes, a building.
The Silver Dragon Cave and other caves could be thought of as naturally made.
But the building in front of me was entirely unnatural.
It was a place you could call a temple or a shrine.
It hadn’t been maintained for a long time, with moss and vines everywhere.
There were a few giant snake statues, but the bird-shaped statues were broken.
Some herbivorous dinosaurs also lived here.
They seemed to be wary of me at first but soon started doing their own thing, uninterested.
Yeah. Let’s not bother each other.
Even though I looked like this, I was blessed by the Snake Queen.
If those guys had been hostile towards me, it would have been really troublesome.
Honestly, it would have been tough to take down even one head-on.
They weren’t guardians of this temple, so why were they standing there so menacingly?
All different species, too.
I didn’t understand it, but it was fine as long as they didn’t clash with me.
This place must be where the fortune Baek Yeonyeong mentioned was located.
Seeing the character for ‘heaven’ written all over the place, it was likely a place built by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Snake statues lying around everywhere.
And the place Shwikshwik hinted at while looking around nervously.
It was obviously a place deeply connected to the Snake Queen.
Taking anything from here might really anger the Snake Queen.
But what did that matter?
I was already marked.
As long as I could eat and run, it was all okay.
Besides, a well-fed dead lizard has a nice sheen.
In an emergency, I could throw Shwikshwik and run.
“Hiieek!”
Just kidding, just kidding.
Now, shall we go in?
To the Snake Queen’s temple.
I entered through a narrow entrance.
The inside was spacious, but there wasn’t much to see.
The interior was cleaner than I expected.
Click.
Click?
Feeling a chill, I quickly ducked my head.
Whoosh!
A rusty iron arrow grazed past my head.
…Right.
So this was that kind of place.
I activated Sprint.
I reverted my dragon scales to a defensive state.
I planted my feet on the ground for the Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step.
“Hiieek….”
Trying to stop a righteous lizard with just this.
I’m going to loot this place to its very foundation.