“Squueeaaaak!”

An obnoxiously loud alarm went off.

It worked too well for its own good.

I stretched, extending my limbs as much as possible.

It was already the third day.

“Squueek!”

The volume was so loud that I wanted to yank out the batteries.

Last night had been like hell.

I had barely managed to fall asleep, only to have those creatures start making noise again as if they never needed rest.

Ugh, I need to teach those toads and tortoises a lesson.

I absentmindedly scraped my claws against a lotus leaf.

I peeked out slightly, alternating my gaze between the toad’s oily golden skin and my claws.

What if I used my Soaring Dragon Sky Step to leap and rush at the toad, attacking its belly with my sharp claws?

…It wouldn’t work.

Look at that weird golden oil. For some reason, I had a foreboding feeling that the moment I touched it, my claws would sizzle and melt away.

Leaving the toad alone, I turned my attention to the tortoise, groaning nearby.

Maybe if I used the momentum from jumping off the reeds and headbutted it with full force, I could deal some damage?

…No, the moment my head hit that golden shell, I’d turn into a lizard smoothie.

I ducked back into my hiding spot.

Why are these thugs hanging around my home?

Sigh.

A deep sigh escaped me.

I had spent all day yesterday trying to practice breath control, but in the end, I failed.

It was all because they wouldn’t stop making noise.

The best I could do was catch a few moments of sleep when it got a little quieter.

Yawn.

I opened my mouth wide and yawned.

I was starting to feel hungry.

Though my breath control had failed, maybe I could at least look forward to some breakfast.

Glancing around cautiously at the tortoise and toad, I moved stealthily out of my hideout.

[Your skill “Stealth LV2” has leveled up.]

I crept along carefully. It seemed like they hadn’t noticed me.

Now that I was far enough away, it was time to go all out.

I planted my feet firmly on the ground.

Whoosh!

I sprinted at full speed and quickly reached my destination.

I had arrived at what I called my hunting ground.

The area was filled with suitable lotus leaves and reeds.

At first glance, you might mistake it for a lake, but it was more of a large marshland.

It was the perfect place for me to operate.

I sat cross-legged on a leaf of an unknown plant.

I wasn’t here just for food.

Since my breath control had failed, I needed to find another way to accumulate internal energy.

I had a few leads.

Soaring Dragon Sky Step
A footwork technique resembling the movement of a small dragon. Allows you to walk on water and scale walls as if flying through the sky. Boosts basic speed and makes it easier to learn other martial techniques.

The first clue was the footwork technique.

Thanks to the status window, I noticed that if I repeated certain actions, I would often gain skills that matched those actions.

Stealthy movements increased my “Stealth” skill.

Sustained exposure to acid gave me “Acid Resistance.”

"Other martial techniques can be more easily acquired."

This phrase likely indicated that the conditions for learning other techniques were being relaxed.

For example, if there was a martial art that required you to throw 10,000 punches, maybe you only needed to throw 1,000 to master it.

Training.

The only thing I could do was train relentlessly.

Unless, of course, I could find a second clue.

Gourmet LV1
The more delicious food you eat, the easier it becomes to gain inspiration.

This was a skill I had acquired after eating piranha sashimi.

It makes it easier to gain inspiration.

Could that word, "inspiration," be synonymous with "enlightenment"?

It might seem like wordplay, but in the martial arts world I know, such things matter.

Stories of martial artists stuck at the peak for decades, only to gain enlightenment right before their death and split the sky with their sword, are common.

The idea of gaining enlightenment at a crucial moment was not just a trope; it was an essential aspect of martial progression.

I had to find a way to achieve enlightenment.

It was the only way to advance to the next stage.

I knew what I had to do.

I had to combine footwork training with the benefits of the “Gourmet” skill.

That meant hunting on the water.

“Gekgek!”

I steeled my resolve.

Water Beetle LV1

My “Wild Eyes” skill was probably the most versatile skill I had.

It allowed me to not only gather information about my enemies but also detect things that weren’t immediately visible.

The only downside was that the skill was still at level 1.

I figured that the skill’s performance would improve once I leveled it up more.

I locked my gaze onto the water beetle.

I didn’t even need to check the specifics.

It was barely worth more than the aphids I had seen on trees.

Although, since it was a water-dwelling insect, the hunting difficulty would be much higher than an aphid’s.

But that wasn’t a problem for me.

Sploosh!

I sliced through the water as I charged toward it.

My hind legs moved at an incredible speed, almost 20 beats per second.

My long tail helped me maintain balance.

Both hands reached out toward my prey.

I ran across the water’s surface, using the Soaring Dragon Sky Step.

With great speed, I plunged my claws into the beetle’s back.

Crack!

The water beetle stopped moving instantly.

“Gekgek!”

I looked down at the beetle with a satisfied grin.

With this much power, shouldn't I be granted some real martial art? Maybe Soaring Dragon Strike or Soaring Dragon Fist?

No matter how long I stared at the beetle, though, nothing changed.

You can’t expect too much from your first try.

I quickly began preparing the beetle.

Peeling off its soft outer shell to reveal the plump flesh inside wasn’t too difficult.

I took a large bite.

Hmm…

Maybe it was because I had eaten sashimi yesterday, but this wasn’t as tasty as I’d hoped.

It tasted exactly like what you’d expect a water beetle to taste like.

Nothing more, nothing less.

It wasn’t bad for an insect, but the strong odor of the water beetle was a bit off-putting.

It definitely wasn’t what I’d call gourmet.

Still, no need to waste food.

It might help me level up, after all.

“Gekgek!”

I quickly devoured the entire beetle.

One wasn’t enough to satisfy me.

I scanned the water again, my eyes glinting with hunger.

I’d love to catch a fish, but I could sense instinctively that the piranhas from yesterday were still lurking nearby, waiting for me.

I had a feeling that if I tried to use my tail as bait, they’d pull me into the water immediately.

If only I had better tools, I could catch fish.

Something like a reed wouldn’t be strong enough, but if I had a fishing line…

Well, for now, I’d just have to settle for catching more beetles.

Splash!

I darted forward and captured another water beetle. This time, I switched things up by knocking it unconscious with a swift blow from my tail.

Maybe I’ll save this one for later.

Since it’s already knocked out, it’ll keep like preserved food.

Alright.

Let’s catch a few more.

Maybe I’ll find some shrimp if I’m lucky.

Just as I was about to capture another beetle, I suddenly felt the sensation of someone watching me.

I quickly turned my head.

But I didn’t see anything.

I squinted my eyes.

Anthracomartus LV3
Arthropleura LV4

These were names I had never seen before.

Anthracomartus
A 3cm-long ancient spider. It has a flat body and large forelegs, and it hunts prey using its two venomous fangs. It’s very timid and pretends to be dead when it feels threatened.

Arthropleura
A 4cm-long ancient spider with a mix of spider and scorpion features. It has a non-venomous tail and can produce waterproof silk, though it doesn’t build webs with it. It has a unique behavior pattern.

As I read the information on the two spiders, I received a welcome message.

[Your skill “Wild Eyes LV1” has leveled up.]

Anthracomartus LV3
Status: “Frightened,” “Hungry”

Arthropleura LV4
Status: “Innocent,” “Hungry”

Wild Eyes had evolved.

Now I could even see the status of my enemies.

So, the ones watching me were these two little spiders.

Compared to Nephila Jurassica, they were tiny.

“Gekgek.”

Careful, little ones. If I were another lizard, you’d have been eaten already.

If not for my bond with Nephila Jurassica, I might’ve swallowed you two whole by now.

Their fuzzy appearance even made them look a bit appetizing.

But no, I’ll pretend I didn’t see them.

I turned my head away.

And yet, they started crawling toward me.

“Kieee…”

Why are you coming toward me?

I’m a lizard, and you’re spiders.

Why are you approaching me?

...Wait.

Green Basilisk LV2
HP: 55/55
MP: 24/24
Title:
“Beloved by Spiders”

I remembered the title I held.

The ability to not be attacked by spiders.

In other words, I was seen as a friendly lizard to these spiders.

“Kieee!”

The spiders waved their front legs at me.

Despite being different species, they were trying to be friendly.

If only my neighbors could learn from them.

“Gekgek.”

I tried my best to communicate with them.

Meeting creatures that didn’t see me as a threat was rare.

“Gekgegek!”

The larger spider, Fus, came forward.

“Kiooo…”

It rubbed its belly.

“Kieeeng…”

Toos, the one with the venomous fangs, also whimpered.

Were they trying to say they were hungry?

Considering I had already seen their status with Wild Eyes, that was probably it.

I looked down at the unconscious water beetle beneath my feet.

Fus bounced up and down excitedly.

“Kiong!”

So they were hungry.

Without hesitation, I pushed the water beetle toward them.

The two spiders stared blankly at me.

“Gekgek.”

Don’t just stand there.

Go ahead and eat.

“Kioong!”

The larger spider lunged at the water beetle, and the smaller one followed right behind.

Go ahead, eat up.

Nephila Jurassica, are you watching?

They’re not the same species, but I’m happy I could repay some of the kindness you showed me.

Tears welled up in my eyes even though I’m not the type of lizard to cry.

I wiped my eyes with my tail.

“Gekgekgek.”

Are you two enjoying your meal?

“Hiooong…”

The water beetle began chewing on the spiders.

Fus and Toos!

Whack!

I quickly lashed out with my tail and subdued the beetle.

“Kiooo…”

Fus and Toos trembled, hugging each other tightly after narrowly avoiding death.

...How have you two even survived out here?