“Listen to me. Coming with me has a lot of advantages, don’t you think?”
“Kieeek!”
“Let go of your grudges and let’s think about this rationally. Just consider the size difference between you and the Great Warrior.”
“Kieeek...”
“If you return to the Tang Clan, I’ll personally see to it that you’ll be reborn, completely transformed...”

What in the world are they talking about?

Since when did they become so friendly?

“Kieek!”

Tus, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, waved his hand.

“Oh, you’re back... Huh? What’s that in your mouth?”

Tang So-Yeong pointed at the Deinonychus in my mouth.

“This... this is... just like the one I saw before...”

She started getting all worked up, explaining about the Deinonychus.

But her explanation wasn’t useful information, like what I’d see in my status window.

She rambled on about how she encountered a Deinonychus yesterday, how smart it was, how she barely escaped using smoke bombs.

Yeah, it was all useless information.

“As expected of the Great Komodo Warrior...”

Tang So-Yeong’s overblown admiration ended, as always, with her praising the “Great Komodo.”

“Great Warrior, may I prepare this meat for you?”

I gave her a glance over.

How did she plan to handle all that meat with such a weak-looking body?

There’s a reason it’s called dragon-handling skills.

“Please trust me. I’ll repay the favor you’ve shown me with the best cooking I can offer. Besides, I’m skilled at preparing venomous meat.”

She pulled a wooden container from her bag.

Clink.

The sound was familiar.

She opened the lid and showed me the contents.

A white, colorless, and odorless powder.

Could it be... salt?

“Gek gek!”

Get on with it immediately!

From today on, all cooking duties will be handed over to Tang So-Yeong.

I crouched down and watched her culinary skills.

She began slicing the large Deinonychus into manageable pieces.

Removing the skin was a tough job, so I helped a bit with my dragon-handling skills.

Now, the remaining chunks of meat looked quite appetizing.

But, honestly, the only way we could cook it here was by roasting it.

The usual method involved sticking the meat directly into the fire and grilling it.

If I put a little more thought into it, I might have come up with skewers.

But Tang So-Yeong had gone a step further.

Fizz.

There was a sword resting over the campfire.

It was the sword I had picked up.

She placed thin slices of meat on the hot surface of the blade.

Sizzle.

Then she sprinkled it with the white, snow-like salt.

The thinly sliced meat cooked quickly.

Tang So-Yeong transferred the well-cooked pieces onto a leaf-plate.

I flicked my tongue, waiting for the cooking to finish.

Today’s meal?

Deinonychus Salt Mix!

“Geggegek!”

See? I have a good eye for people.

Bringing her along was the right choice.

Tang So-Yeong.

You’ve earned second place in my rankings of people I’ve met here.

But don’t get too cocky. Keep doing your best because you never know when things might change.

As I was enjoying the salted meat...

“Great Warrior, may I have a word?”

“Gek gek.”

I eagerly nodded my head.

After making such delicious food, of course.

“I have a request.”

Oh, you want some venom?

Take it, take it.

If you want, I could even give you a piece of my shed skin.

“How about leaving the spiders in my care?”

Huh?

“Kieeek?”

That’s not what I expected.

“You probably want to know why these spiders react to me the way they do. Let me explain.”

Alright, let’s hear it.

“Have you heard of Godok?”

I nodded.

“These spiders were supposed to be used as ingredients for making Godok.”

I looked over at Tus and Pus.

They were waving their legs lightly, probably recalling some conversation they’d had with her before I arrived.

“I won’t say I had nothing to do with it, but I never wanted to make Godok.”

Based on what I’ve picked up, I can guess what happened between Tang So-Yeong and the spiders.

Tus and Pus must have been meant for Godok, and by some chance, they encountered Tang So-Yeong.

That’s why they’ve been angry with her all this time.

Makes sense. If I were a spider, I’d have bitten her already.

Honestly, it’s impressive they’ve let it go this far without attacking her.

“Godok... it’s just too painful. No matter who it’s used on, it’s an excruciatingly cruel poison.”

“Kieeek...”

“I argued against it. I thought it would be better to nurture them naturally and turn them into Inmyeonjiju.”

That’s a good idea.

But I doubt anyone accepted it.

Tus and Pus were still wary of her, after all.

“It wasn’t accepted, of course. It was beyond my authority. So, these spiders were set to be put into jars soon.”

“Kieeeng...”

Pus shuddered, recalling that moment.

“But then an intruder broke into the Tang Clan’s vault. They stole various mystical medicines and creatures, including the jars containing the spiders.”

“Kieek!”

“From the tiger-like spiders to these little ones here. Thanks to that, there are no more spiders left in the Tang Clan.”

So, these spiders escaped after the incident at the Tang Clan’s vault.

What luck.

“And now, to find some of those spiders here, in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains... it feels like fate.”

The Ten Thousand Great Mountains?

They made it all the way here?

Wait, what?

This place is the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?

Why didn’t anyone mention that until now?

“That’s why I want to take care of these spiders. Since spiders have become rare, there’s no chance they’ll be used for Godok. I’ll raise them with care. They’re very talented.”

So, she wants to take Tus and Pus with her, seeing their potential?

“It’s not easy for an ordinary spider to become an Inmyeonjiju. Evolution... no, I suppose transformation would be a better word.”

Transformation? That’s a cool term.

“If they continue to cultivate their core and internal energy, their species itself could evolve.”

Yeah. I’ve experienced that twice.

“That’s the general idea of transformation, at least when it comes to mystical creatures. For humans, the process requires something more... like enlightenment.”

It’s not just a simple click of the status window, huh?

Now I feel a bit guilty.

“If there’s the usual way of transformation, then there’s also another method. A true transformation.”

“When emotions reach their peak—whether it’s rage, sorrow, or joy—there are cases where they evolve into a different species.”

This was pretty valuable information.

“And the most powerful trigger is when they want to protect something.”

Sounds like something out of a boy’s adventure manga.

“These spiders are the most intelligent mystical creatures I’ve ever seen. Ah, excluding the Great Warrior, of course. High intelligence means they can feel deep emotions. In other words, their chances of transforming are very high.”

I see what she’s getting at.

Currently, spiders are rare in the Tang Clan.

And Tus and Pus have a high chance of becoming Inmyeonjiju, making them prime candidates for becoming mystical creatures.

Tang So-Yeong wants to take them back to the Tang Clan and raise them into Inmyeonjiju.

It’s a noble goal.

Maybe she wants to redeem herself for losing Dalopo, but based on what she’s said, it seems like a good thing for Tus and Pus too.

“Grrrr...”

But I can’t let them go.

I’ve raised them.

How could I trust the Tang Clan with my precious Tus and Pus?

For all I know, they could be stuffed into a jar the moment they arrive.

Absolutely not.

I’ll raise them myself.

“Kieeeng!”

Tus and Pus gathered at my front legs.

Even though they might be slightly painful to hold, they’re still too precious to let go.

You two don’t want to study abroad, do you?

This swamp is the best place, isn’t it?

“Kieeeng...!”

That’s right.

“The spiders don’t seem to want to leave either. But please reconsider. Eventually, you’ll need to address the size difference between them...”

Huh?

What do you mean by size difference?

“Kieeng...”

Why are you two embarrassed?

I think there’s been a misunderstanding here.

Forget it. Explaining won’t make a difference, so I’ll just focus on the food.

Crunch crunch.

After finishing our meal, the four of us—or rather, the three creatures and one human—were basking in the sunlight at our nest.

The campfire is nice, but nothing beats the warmth of the sun.

“Yaaawn... I don’t really understand the Great Komodo Warrior’s training methods, but they seem to be working...”

Tang So-Yeong yawned widely.

Tus and Pus, also feeling drowsy, snuggled up beside her.

When did they get so close?

Wait a second, could this be part of Tang So-Yeong’s plan?

She’s gaining the spiders’ favor when I’m not around, and later she’ll take them away.

She’ll say it’s up to the spiders to decide, and Tus and Pus will choose her, leaving me a sad Crocodile King Lizard who’s lost custody.

How underhanded.

Chomp.

“Kyah! It’s wet! But... it’s also kind of comforting.”

After giving Tang So-Yeong a light smack, I rolled over lazily.

A sweet smell wafted through the air.

It smelled a bit like honey.

Shrik.

I flicked my tongue to amplify the scent.

“Mmm... that smells so good...”

“Kieeng...”

Looks like Tang So-Yeong and the spiders noticed the scent too.

It was a pleasant, relaxing aroma that made me feel sleepy.

I had just eaten, and the day was warm, so maybe I’d take a nap.

They say you gain weight if you lie down right after eating, but on the flip side, it’ll help me bulk up.

No reason not to.

...This smell is really nice.

I could get used to this.

...

[Your Crisis Detection LV7 has increased in level.]

A sharp sensation made my scales bristle.

I immediately opened my eyes.

【Dilophosaurus LV35】

【Dilophosaurus】
A medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur, 7 meters long and weighing around 400 kilograms.
Its sharp, long teeth are somewhat small relative to its gums, but its wide roots make for sturdy teeth.
It’s a ruthless hunter that uses its long arms and sharp teeth to slaughter its prey.

“Krreung!”

I growled loudly, but Tang So-Yeong and the spiders showed no signs of waking.

So, this sweet smell was the poison?

The sweet scent I smelled earlier was its venom.

If I weren’t immune to poisons, I would have been affected too.

...It doesn’t seem to be life-threatening, though.

I guess it’s some kind of sedative.

Its goal must be to knock us out.

Probably so it can eat us alive.

“Grrrr...”

I growled low at the creature.

“Grrrr...”

Its red eyes glared at me fiercely.

My heart pounded in my chest.

I had seriously underestimated the Dilophosaurus.

The ones I’d seen in movies were no bigger than Deinonychus, so I never gave them much thought.

But seeing one in person made me realize how wrong I was.

It was on the same scale as a Baryonyx, not a Deinonychus.

“Kieeek...”

The creature pointed its tail at Tang So-Yeong.

Then it shook its head a couple of times.

“Krrrk krrrk...”

It seemed like it was trying to talk to me.

Predators don’t fight each other if they can help it.

Even if they win, they risk getting injured, which could lead to their own death later.

It seemed the Dilophosaurus didn’t see me as an easy opponent it could defeat without getting hurt.

And since its venom didn’t work on me, it probably wanted to avoid a fight.

“Krrrrrk...”

It kept pointing at Tang So-Yeong.

The message was clear. It wanted her, and it was offering to leave me alone.

There was no need for bloodshed.

To it, she was just food.

...I didn’t want to fight it either.

The creature was strong.

It reminded me of the Baryonyx I’d seen from a distance.

It gave me the same feeling I had when I first encountered the Caiman.

If I could just take Tus and Pus and walk away, that wouldn’t be a bad option.

After all, I didn’t have any deep connection with Tang So-Yeong.

I’d only met her a little over a day ago.

If I weighed my life against hers, of course, my own survival came first.

Leaving her behind might leave a bad taste in my mouth, but nothing is more important than staying alive.

But...

I couldn’t retreat.

It wasn’t because I wanted to save her.

I had made a vow—to never run away again.

And I had to keep that vow.

“Grrrrrr...”

Besides...

I’m the ruler of this swamp.

Dilophosaurus.

Let me teach you your place.