The Snake Queen.

I vaguely remembered hearing about her before.

Wasn’t it something the feathered dragon... no, the human-faced bird mumbled?

Also, the parrot said that bird was the King of Birds.

A snake who holds the title of "Queen," acknowledged by the King of Birds. She had to be at least as powerful as the human-faced bird.

Moreover, the fact that there were creatures serving her implied that she likely had a following, if not an entire religion.

She was, in every sense of the word, a ruler.

There was a good chance she was the true master of this jungle.

[Status Ailment: You have acquired the Snake Queen's Mark.]

【Komodo LV9】
HP: 250/990
MP: 173/410
【Status】
「Marked by the Snake Queen」

「Snake Queen's Mark」
The Snake Queen is keeping a close eye on you. Creatures who serve the Snake Queen can recognize this mark.

And now I’d been marked by her.

“Geggeggek!”

This was bad.

Though the mark didn’t seem to have any harmful effects—my health wasn’t decreasing, and no restrictions were placed on me—there was still a problem.

The fact that other snakes could now recognize me.

Who cares if other snakes recognize me?

That’s what I wanted to believe, but I had already seen a snake that transcended its species.

The Titanoboa I encountered in the Silver Dragon’s Lair.

And the multi-headed monster it evolved into.

Just as I evolved into a Komodo, it seemed that the creatures here could evolve into mythical beasts straight out of legends.

There was no guarantee that creatures under the Snake Queen’s command wouldn’t be just as formidable.

Even the fully grown Titanoboa had been a tough opponent for me.

And the Snake Queen, who ruled over them all, was bound to be unimaginably strong.

Even the snake from the Silver Dragon’s Lair didn’t earn the title of Queen.

I needed to consider my options if I wanted to survive.

Should I run to Baek Yeon-Yeong and ask for help?

Maybe if I wagged my tail and played dead, she’d take care of the Snake Queen with one punch.

I pictured Baek Yeon-Yeong in my mind.

She’d deal with the Snake Queen in one strike, then calmly walk over to me.

And then she’d whisper...

"...Hya, looks like I’ll need a lot more scales from you this time."

The Baek Yeon-Yeong in my imagination turned me into rotisserie chicken.

“Geggek!”

No!

If I was lucky, she'd only strip off my scales, but she might also harvest my core, saying I wasn’t pulling my weight.

Besides, I had no way of knowing where Baek Yeon-Yeong even was.

So, the Baek Yeon-Yeong option was out.

Obviously, a direct confrontation with the Snake Queen was out of the question.

So, what was left?

The Snake Queen.

And the King of Birds.

From what I could tell, those two didn’t seem to get along very well.

Wait a second. The King of Birds kept asking whether dragons were birds or snakes.

He was aggressively pushing the theory that dinosaurs were birds.

And the Snake Queen?

Naturally, she would support the theory that dinosaurs were reptiles.

I, too, was a passionate believer in the dinosaur-reptile theory.

Despite being hit by the human-faced bird’s destructive ray, I never wavered in my conviction.

If I played this right, I might be able to win over the Snake Queen.

Although, I’d likely end up as lizard skewers before I could even explain myself.

In any case, the best option was to avoid meeting the Snake Queen altogether.

The best thing to do was to quickly find the opportunity I came here for and get out.

The Snake Queen was a problem, but so was the King of Birds.

“Geggeggek...”

The python slithered up and wrapped itself around my leg.

You could’ve told me all this sooner.

Could I still cancel the offer of Lizard Faith?

Of course not.

But what exactly was the relationship between this snake and the Snake Queen?

Was it just a regular follower?

It seemed too pampered for that.

If it were just an ordinary follower, I doubt the Snake Queen would be this angry.

Sure, she could be upset that I took one of her followers, but would she go so far as to mark me?

This snake must have been someone the Snake Queen cherished.

Not for its strength, but for some other reason...

Could it be blood-related?

“Hieek!”

Probably not.

She just seems to dote on it because of its appearance.

With that cute, round face, I can see why.

“Hieeek...”

The python twitched its tail nervously.

Sigh, why does this snake remind me of Tus and Pus so much?

I don’t have a title for being loved by snakes, after all.

I needed to hurry up, find what I came here for, and get out.

Staying here any longer would only end badly.

Ugh, I came looking for an opportunity, and now I’m stuck in all this mess.

Almost got killed by the King of Birds, now I’m marked by the Snake Queen.

All I’ve gained from this is a cute-faced snake.

Looks like I’ll be struggling again for a while.

Maybe some opportunity will fall out of the sky.

As I thought about this, I stared at the python.

Perhaps there’s some kind of elixir lying around?

I gazed at the python intensely.

For a snake, it sure looked fancy.

Every time I looked at it, I couldn’t help but feel like it was some pampered princess who had only recently tasted the bitter side of life.

Like it had come into the jungle not knowing what it was getting into, and then met a lizard.

I stared even more intently.

Stories like this usually end with the pampered princess giving up all her family’s hidden treasures to a bad boy.

“Geggeggek...”

The python flinched at my gaze.

Yep.

You’re hiding something, aren’t you?

I ran my hand over the part of my body that was still injured.

Ah... If I had eaten the Oviraptor alone, I would have fully healed by now...

“Hiss, hiss!”

The python looked away, avoiding my gaze.

“Geggeggeggek...”

If I don’t find an elixir soon, I’m going to end up as lizard sashimi...

[The 【Ball Python lv14】 is deep in thought.]

Exactly.

I knew you’d know something.

Come on, spit it out.

[The 【Ball Python lv14】 is seriously conflicted.]

I could practically see it on its face—I know where the Snake Queen’s treasure is hidden.

It was probably weighing its options, thinking about whether to side with the Snake Queen or the lizard it had just met today.

But usually, in stories like this, the pampered princess always ends up giving everything to the bad guy.

Ssssss!

I once again transformed my scales, turning into a form the python would find even more impressive.

“Hieeeek!”

The python was once again startled.

[The 【Ball Python lv14】 is seriously considering its options.]

This is my final play.

Python.

If you tell me now, I’ll make sure you outrank Tang Soyeong.

[The 【Ball Python lv14】 says it knows a place it can show you.]

That’s more like it.

You’re officially third in rank now.

【Komodo LV9】
HP: 412/990
MP: 240/410
【Status】
「Marked by the Snake Queen」

Along the way, I managed to hunt a Protoceratops, filling my belly.

But that was the extent of it.

This jungle was far more dangerous than I expected.

I was starting to understand why the human-faced bird strutted around as it did. Every now and then, I’d catch a glimpse of a massive sauropod head towering over the trees. Even the colossal jungle trees couldn’t hide their massive heads.

I doubt even the human-faced bird could do much against something like that. It would probably end the fight by just biting down once.

Still, it’d be a different story if it shot a beam from afar.

Aside from the sauropods, the other creatures weren’t pushovers either.

Predators like terror birds seemed cute in comparison.

Though I hadn’t encountered any large carnivorous dinosaurs yet, the specs of the herbivores alone were overwhelming.

Like the one standing right in front of me.

【Stegosaurus LV35】

【Stegosaurus】

A massive plated dinosaur, estimated to reach a maximum length of 7.5 meters and weigh up to 5.3 tons. Its body is long and stocky, with a distinct feature where its height sharply rises from head to tail. It has two pairs of sharp, bony spikes on its tail, which it uses to fend off predators. The tail spikes are powerful enough to shatter bones.

This guy was a famous one.

Even people who don’t know much about dinosaurs recognize the Stegosaurus.

To the untrained eye, it might look like just another herbivore.

But this thing was bigger than an elephant.

One step from it, and I’d be crushed like a lizard skin.

Right now, I was staring it in the eye.

I gulped and kept a close watch on its movements.

If it charged, I needed to be ready.

“Hieeek...”

Was I lucky, or did I actually have some standing here?

The Stegosaurus stared at me for a few seconds before continuing on its way.

Well, I suppose a Komodo deserves this level of respect.

After the Stegosaurus moved away, I followed the python’s lead and continued walking.

Not far from where the Stegosaurus had been, I came across a massive structure.

That’s right—a building.

Unlike the Silver Dragon’s Lair or other natural caves, which could at least be considered naturally formed, this structure was anything but natural.

It was a temple. Or perhaps a shrine.

It hadn’t been maintained in a long time—there were vines and moss growing all over it.

Large stone statues of snakes stood tall, while any bird-shaped statues were broken.

There were some herbivorous dinosaurs living here, too.

They eyed me warily at first but then went about their business, as if uninterested.

Good. Let’s not bother each other.

After all, I’m blessed by the Snake Queen now.

If those dinosaurs had turned hostile, I would have been in serious trouble.

Frankly, I would have struggled to take down even one of them in a head-on fight.

They weren’t here to guard the temple, so why were they so intimidating?

And why were they all different species?

I didn’t understand it, but as long as they didn’t bother me, it didn’t matter.

This must be the place Baek Yeon-Yeong mentioned where I could find my opportunity.

Judging by the snake statues scattered around, and the spot the python had pointed me to, this place was clearly connected to the Snake Queen.

Taking anything from here would probably make the Snake Queen extremely angry.

But what did I care?

I was already marked.

Might as well take it and run. Once I’ve eaten my fill, everything will be fine.

And hey, a lizard that dies full at least dies happy, right?

In the worst case, I could always throw the python at them and make a run for it.

“Hieeek!”

Just kidding, just kidding.

Alright, let’s head inside.

To the Snake Queen’s temple.

I slipped through the narrow entrance.

It was spacious inside, but there wasn’t much to see at first glance.

The interior was surprisingly clean.

Clunk.

Clunk?

A chill ran down my spine, and I ducked instinctively.

Swoosh!

A rusty iron arrow whizzed past my head.

...Yeah.

This place was definitely not safe.

I activated my sprinting ability.

I reverted my dragon scales back to a defensive form.

I crouched down, ready to use Soaring Dragon Step to leap away if needed.

“Hieeek...”

Did they really think they could stop a righteous lizard with a trap like this?

I’m going to rob this place down to its foundations!