The sky was filled with a rain of petals.

A breathtaking scene, one that truly embodied the phrase Mancheonhwawu, unfolded before me.

Poison, feathers, and concealed weapons hidden within the fur, all rained down relentlessly.

I had to avoid it.

Somehow.

Pababababat!

I braced my legs.

But...

Thunk!

I lost my balance immediately.

The injury I sustained was worse than I thought.

Blood flowed from my side, the damage inflicted when the creature executed its death roll.

I couldn’t muster strength in my legs.

But still, I had to avoid it.

Somehow...

[Warning! HP is critically low.]

There was no way I could avoid it.

Even if I was in perfect condition, dodging that entire barrage would have been impossible. How could I hope to avoid it now, in this state?

I looked up at the sky.

Hundreds, no, thousands of poisoned needles and concealed weapons filled the air.

Even with the Baidokbulchim technique, I couldn’t block this attack.

As cruel as it was, it had a paradoxical beauty. There was no blind spot in this ruthless attack.

Mancheonhwawu.

I never thought I would live to see such a thing.

And to witness it being used by none other than a Dilophosaurus.

At least I get to see something magnificent before I die.

The barrage of weapons came closer.

This is the end.

Time seemed to slow down.

Like a reel of memories flashing before my eyes.

Strangely, I didn’t feel regret.

It would be a lie to say I had no lingering attachments to life.

But I didn’t think my life had been meaningless.

I was born as a gecko, evolved into a basilisk, and ultimately became the King Lizard.

I think I raised Tus and Pus well enough.

When I first met them, they were snot-nosed little brats, but now they’ve grown quite a bit.

I didn’t realize they could control inner energy, but I suppose they’ll be fine anywhere now.

Besides, Tang So-yeong took them with her, so I’m sure she’ll take care of them.

Tang So-yeong.

There are a few odd things about her, but she’s a smart and capable woman.

I hope she raises Tus and Pus well.

I feel a bit guilty about not giving them my poison, but they’ll manage.

I’ve even seen real dinosaurs and eaten some of them.

I’ve wielded martial arts in the body of a lizard.

Yes, martial arts.

Baek Yeon-yeong.

My master, who I met in the Silver Dragon Cave.

If I had followed her, I wouldn’t be dying like this.

I would have lived my whole life as a small lizard, dying peacefully of old age.

I would have liked to talk to her more, get to know her better. But I don’t regret not following her.

Becoming a hungry King Lizard was better than becoming a fat pig.

Looking back, my life wasn’t so bad.

A second life, absurdly granted.

I kept my promise never to run away again, so I have no regrets.

But if there is one thing I regret...

Nephila Jurassica.

You’re still here, aren’t you?

The first bond I formed after coming to this world.

We fought, we backed each other up.

Because of you, I almost died, and because of you, I survived.

If I hadn’t met you, I might still be a gecko.

You were the first turning point in my second life.

Spider.

I wanted to apologize if I ever saw you again.

I thought I might see your face after this was over.

But... I guess not.

I’m sorry.

Shwaaaak!

A concealed weapon flew toward my neck.

This was the end of saying my goodbyes.

...

……

“Kieeeeek!”

Thud!

The concealed weapons flying toward me suddenly stopped.

What blocked them was an enormous web.

And standing before me...

Red eyes.

Black legs.

The form of a tiger spider.

“Kieeeek!”

It was Nephila Jurassica.

…How?

Shwaaak!

Nephila Jurassica shot webs, blocking the incoming barrage of weapons.

Thud!

Her highly viscous webs were enough to stop the Mancheonhwawu.

Clang!

The few that got through were deflected by her steel-like legs.

“Gegegek!”

She let out a triumphant cry.

Nephila!

I’m so glad to see you right now.

“Kieeek!”

Yes.

There’s hope now.

With Nephila Jurassica here, maybe... just maybe, we can survive this.

Pwak!

“Kieek...”

Was I seeing things?

Why could I see a part of your body that should be hidden?

There was a huge hole where there shouldn’t be one.

Crack!

Her legs were damaged as well.

Thwack!

Two of her legs were shattered by the relentless barrage of concealed weapons.

There was no way a single spider could block the Mancheonhwawu.

Even though she had grown since I last saw her, she was still smaller than me.

How could a smaller spider block something that even I couldn’t?

“Gegegek!”

Get out of the way!

You stupid spider.

Why are you interfering just to die like this?

If I act now, I can still save you.

With my last bit of strength, I swung my tail to send her flying.

Shwaaak!

Her web shot out, wrapping tightly around my ankle.

It was clear what that meant—I wouldn’t be able to move for now.

To shoot that web at me, she had to turn her back.

Thwack!

In that brief moment, another one of her legs was severed.

“Gegegeeeek!”

Why?

Why are you doing this?

We only spent one day together.

Why would you go this far?

I’m not afraid to die.

But I don’t want to see this innocent spider get caught in this.

Please.

“Gegegegek!”

Thudududu!

The Dilophosaurus, as relentless as ever, kept up its assault.

Thwack!

Another one of her legs was torn off.

She couldn’t even shoot webs anymore.

Her arms weren’t capable of deflecting the concealed weapons, and her abilities were all but gone.

With a few legs still remaining, please, just run away.

There’s nothing you can do by staying here.

“Kieeeek!”

Nephila Jurassica cried out just like the first time I met her.

And then, even with her barely intact body, she began crawling toward me.

Her body, now missing most of its legs, was covered in more and more wounds. Of her eight jewel-like eyes, only two remained.

Yet, she didn’t give up.

The barrage of concealed weapons kept flying.

Just moving in her current state was a miracle.

Even if she tried her hardest, there was no way to stop this one.

Pabababak!

Nephila Jurassica dragged her remaining legs as she climbed atop me.

When I first saw her, she seemed larger than anything. Now her body felt so small.

“Gegegegek!”
“Kiooong...”

Even though she had no strength left to cry out, she foolishly shielded me, taking the full brunt of the enemy’s attack on her back.

I didn’t care what happened to me.

But please.

Please, you survive.

If there’s such a thing as a miracle, let it be the power to send this spider to a safe place.

A light began to emanate from Nephila Jurassica’s body.

“When emotions reach their peak.”

Suddenly, Tang So-yeong’s words echoed in my mind.

“When something is taken to its absolute extreme.”

True metamorphosis.

“The most powerful transformation happens when you’re protecting someone.”

There was hope.

She could become a spider with a hard exoskeleton, or one immune to poison.

Yes.

If it’s this, she could survive.

Shwaaaaak!

A powerful light enveloped the entire swamp.

Nephila Jurassica’s form began to change.

Nephila Jurassica’s emotions had reached their peak.

The emotion was a desire to protect the lizard she loved.

Instinctively, she realized something.

She could move on to the next stage of evolution.

What form she evolved into was entirely up to her.

Countless possibilities unfolded before her.

A spider with speed, one with a venomous stinger like a scorpion, or one with an exoskeleton as hard as iron.

All were powerful species.

It was the evolution she had longed for.

But none of those forms could protect the one she loved.

The lizard had grown larger, and compared to him, she was still small.

No matter how much power she gained, she couldn’t protect him in her current state.

To save him, she needed a larger body.

She needed a form that could completely shield the lizard.

That option existed.

It was a choice that no living being would ever make, an inefficient, foolish choice.

Spiders without emotions wouldn’t make such an inefficient decision.

An inefficient, foolish decision.

Nephila Jurassica had learned that such a decision was love.

She didn’t know much about love.

All she knew was the cruel truth—that those who sought it were devoured by their mates.

And so, she had hesitated.

When she parted from the branch, would she have caught the lizard if she hadn’t hesitated?

When she circled around here so many times, if she hadn’t hesitated, would they have met?

When she was caught watching the lizard, if she hadn’t hesitated, would things have turned out this way?

Nephila Jurassica looked at the giant lizard.

The lizard had grown so large that she could no longer wrap her body around him.

Blood flowed from his side, and one of his eyes had been completely crushed.

If she had stepped in earlier, this might not have happened.

She had hesitated again.

She made a decision.

She would hesitate no longer.

Yes.

For Nephila Jurassica, love was the choice to never hesitate again.

Was it because I dared to hope for a miracle?

Nephila Jurassica’s transformation wasn’t what I expected.

There was no hard exoskeleton. The fact that she coughed up blood suggested she wasn’t immune to poison either.

Why? Why did she transform into this form?

The only things she had now were her two red eyes and a head of short, golden hair.

Nephila Jurassica’s upper body had become as fragile as that of a human.

In this situation, her evolution was more like a regression.

Her body had grown weaker, and now she was even easier to hit with the incoming weapons.

Pabababat!

More concealed weapons lodged themselves into her back.

Human flesh, soft and delicate, couldn’t withstand the Dilophosaurus’ attack.

Her body was torn apart.

Drip.

Blood trickled from Nephila Jurassica’s mouth.

This was a mistake.

A foolish, reckless mistake.

A choice that only hastened her death, a truly stupid choice.

And yet.

And yet...

Nephila Jurassica was smiling.

Despite being unable to speak.

Despite this absurd evolution.

Despite her broken body.

What could possibly make her so happy?

She was just... smiling.

Brightly.

The web binding me was loosening.

There was only one meaning behind this.

Nephila Jurassica’s body tilted.

Thud.

Like a fallen petal, her upper body collapsed onto my chest.

Didn’t they say spiders didn’t have hearts?

Thump.

No, spiders do have hearts.

Thump.

It was faint, but her heart was still beating.

Yes.

Nephila Jurassica was still alive.

Her arm reached up.

Her cold hand brushed my injured eye.

Was she worried about an eye?

Despite what state she was in?

No.

She was still alive.

So...

So...

Thud.

Nephila Jurassica’s arm fell.

Lifelessly.

There was no sound.