Discussing business.

Good. I appreciate the term.

But instead of testing my patience, it would be great if she got straight to the point.

Staring at that internal energy reservoir was practically torture.

"Oh-hoho. You’re an odd one. If you were truly a lizard with legs, you shouldn’t be embarrassed by seeing a body like this."

She hit the nail on the head.

There was no real reason to hide the fact that I used to be human.

But it wouldn’t help me if that truth were revealed.

Who knows what this snake and her daughter might do?

They could suddenly become curious about what human flesh tastes like.

...Though I doubt little one would ever do that, the Queen of Snakes might.

She could decide to eat me, in some sense of the word.

Focus.

Look at the internal energy reservoir in front of you.

Yes.

I’m staring just to avoid suspicion.

"At this point, there's no need for me to introduce myself, is there?"

Of course not.

The one before me is the Queen of Snakes.

A Basilisk whose level can’t even be measured.

"You must have met the King of Birds. And survived."

The Queen of Snakes smiled slightly.

"Since I can sense traces of him, I can tell you didn’t side with him. As you might have guessed, the King of Birds and I don’t have a friendly relationship."

That’s obvious.

The King of Birds, ruling over everything from terror birds to parrots.

The Queen of Snakes, who commands snakes, including anacondas and Titanoboas, though I haven’t seen them yet.

Even a passing Microraptor could tell that the two of them are dividing the jungle between themselves.

The King of Birds and the Queen of Snakes.

Could they be married?

Is this just a big marital spat?

"...Your expression is rather unpleasant, lizard with legs."

But you're also a lizard with legs.

"The King of Birds is the sworn enemy of all snakes. Snakes are born to kill birds."

Well, it seems they aren’t married after all.

Yeah, no way a beauty like this would marry a freaky birdman.

"Why? Were you thinking of becoming my mate?"

Being with a Komodo dragon is better than... wait, what?!

"Why so surprised? With you so close to me, it’s common sense that I’d be able to read a fragment of your thoughts."

What kind of common sense is that?

“Hissss!”

The python, doing its best to defend me.

…Wait, aren’t you a snake?

Why are you acting more like a cat?

The little one started biting the Queen of Snakes' fingers.

Good job, little one.

"Her teeth have gotten sharp. If she continues to grow like this, she might one day take my place."

The Queen of Snakes gently petted the python as it gnawed on her fingers.

"Birds and snakes are mortal enemies. But because of the balance of power, we haven’t been able to make any moves."

The terror bird and the Basilisk.

It would be a spectacular sight if the two fought.

Even if one of them won, the other wouldn’t come out unscathed.

Naturally, some third force aiming for control of the jungle would attack.

“There’s one trying to disrupt that delicate balance.”

And that would be me.

The legendary creature, the Komodo dragon.

The Queen of Snakes planned to use me, the wildcard, to topple the terror bird.

Of course, that’s a strategy worthy of the title of queen.

I couldn't help but admire her clever scheme.

"Geegegek..."

With the power of a Komodo dragon, I could easily break the balance.

Should I just sweep them all away?

Wipe them out completely so they can’t even utter a word?

“Hmm... I’m afraid you’re not the one I had in mind.”

...Is there a hole I could crawl into?

Maybe I could squeeze into the hole the little one went through earlier.

If I contort my body just right, I think I can fit…

[Cold Blood’s effect is activated.]

The heat in my face gradually cooled.

Well, it’s natural for a lizard to have a moment of delusion, right?

I’ll just brush it off and act shamelessly.

"Geegek..."

“Of course, I still need your help. But you're not enough to tip the balance on your own...”

"Gegek!"

Stop it.

I get it, I was wrong.

"Oh-hoho. You're quite adorable."

"Sssrrr..."

The python started snoring softly.

...Did you fall asleep just because she petted you a few times?

“The one who will break the balance is a snake carrying the Morning Star.”

A snake with the Morning Star?

“A vile traitor who betrayed me.”

The Morning Star—what a grandiose name.

Lucifer.

First Beelzebub, and now a Lucifer snake?

Wait a minute.

The Morning Star?

The Queen of Snakes is a Basilisk.

If she was betrayed by a snake carrying the Morning Star, then…

•  

Meanwhile, in a building of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Tang So-Yeong was feeling conflicted.

Why, as a member of the Tang Clan, was she here, in the heart of the Demonic Cult?

If she told someone, no one would believe her.

She wasn’t treated like a hostage, either. In fact, she was being treated quite generously.

She had everything she needed, including hot water for her daily baths.

Her body was comfortable, but her heart grew heavier.

And what troubled her most...

“Kiyeeeek!”

Were the spiders that had been causing havoc since earlier.

The small venomous spider was grinding its teeth.

“Kioooook!”

The silk-spinning spider, unable to contain its rage, rubbed itself furiously against a lizard-shaped ball of silk.

“Kiyaaaaaak!”

The largest spider was clashing its legs together and roaring in a certain direction.

What’s going on with these spiders?

Tang So-Yeong, who had handled countless beasts and spirit creatures in the Tang Clan, had never experienced something like this.

And strangely, her own emotions were becoming more and more unsettled.

It felt like something precious was about to be stolen from her by someone else.

“P-please calm down. I feel strange too, but there’s no need to act like this here!”

The spiders glanced at Tang So-Yeong.

Maybe it was because they had spent so much time together, but Tus and Pus seemed to settle down.

“Keng.”

Of course, that was just Tang So-Yeong’s misunderstanding.

Tus and Pus let out an unpleasant noise and resumed their behavior.

"...Keng? What does that even mean?"

“Keng!”

There was no way humans and spiders could communicate.

Even though Tang So-Yeong had an exceptional ability to connect with spirit creatures, she couldn’t understand everything they said.

But based on their expressions and the sounds they made, she could guess what Tus and Pus were thinking.

They were saying something like: "You’re beneath us."

Whether it was her own misunderstanding or the truth, no one knew.

"O-okay. Let’s settle the pecking order today. I’ll show you the Tang Clan’s secret technique, the Ten Thousand Blossoms Dance of the Rain… Wait, why are you both charging at me? Hiiiii!"

Just as Tang So-Yeong was about to get pummeled by the spider sisters, the door creaked open.

Tus and Pus immediately acted as if nothing had happened.

“…Ouch. Damn spiders!”

Tang So-Yeong didn’t even notice the door opening as she prepared to retaliate against the spiders.

"Get along with each other."

The dry, emotionless voice froze Tang So-Yeong in place.

No matter how many times she heard it, she never got used to that voice.

It was the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

One of the top ten masters, closest to being the world’s strongest.

Baek Yeon-Yeong.

Tang So-Yeong struggled to control the trembling in her body as she greeted Baek Yeon-Yeong.

"H-hello…."

Her voice was barely a whisper, like a tiny ant.

It was not the kind of greeting a member of one of the Five Great Families should offer, nor something the leader of the Demonic Cult should hear.

But Baek Yeon-Yeong didn’t seem to mind.

"Are you settling in comfortably here?"

They had treated her far too well.

Not only had they provided everything she needed, but she had also been allowed to see the inner workings of the Demonic Cult, which were normally hidden from outsiders.

One thing that shocked Tang So-Yeong was that this place was also filled with spirit creatures.

Everywhere, smaller versions of Dalopo could be seen running around. The cult members interacted with them patiently, trying to build bonds.

It was a stark contrast to what she had seen in the orthodox sects.

In the Tang Clan, except for a few moderates like her, the dominant method for controlling spirit creatures was through violence and fear.

But the Demonic Cult members were different. They were committed to communicating with these creatures, with patience as their guiding principle.

This made Tang So-Yeong confused. The methods of the Demonic Cult seemed more righteous than those of the orthodox sects.

"Take a seat. I’ve brought some refreshments. Let’s talk for a while."

And so began an intimidating tea time.

But Tang So-Yeong’s anxiety quickly disappeared as the sweetness of the snacks melted in her mouth.

The refreshments Baek Yeon-Yeong brought were a special treat, cherished by Baek Seol-Hwa, the priestess of the Demonic Cult. But of course, Tang So-Yeong didn’t know this, so she gladly accepted them.

"Uhuhuhu..."

As Tang So-Yeong savored the treats, she gradually relaxed and began conversing with Baek Yeon-Yeong.

The topics were nothing serious.

Updates on the large spider’s recovery and training plans for the smaller ones.

She also talked about the things she had observed during her time with the Demonic Cult.

Especially her observations about spirit creatures.

Since Baek Yeon-Yeong had a strong interest in spirit creatures, their conversation, surprisingly, flowed smoothly.

“I didn’t expect there to be so many spirit creatures here.”

"Most of them are animals with the potential to become spirit creatures. There aren’t many who have developed cores yet. Even fewer can handle internal energy, like Hui."

The conversation gradually shifted to creatures capable of handling internal energy.

Tang So-Yeong spoke about Dalopo and Komodo, leaving out only the most classified information held by the Tang Clan. Spirit creatures that could wield internal energy were rare and impressive.

Naturally, the topic turned to a certain creature.

One that one person referred to as Go Daehyup while the other called it Hui—the not-so-small lizard they had both encountered.

“Oh, right. You mentioned that Go... no, Hui Daehyup would have a great opportunity. Could you tell me more about that?”

Tang So-Yeong was both worried about the Komodo and curious about what kind of opportunity the leader of the Demonic Cult had mentioned.

Baek Yeon-Yeong elegantly sipped her tea.

"In the vast mountains of Ten Thousand Great Peaks, what could be called a great opportunity is always related to spirit creatures."

She glanced at the finger the Komodo had once bitten.

"You’ve likely never heard of it. It’s a very rare spirit creature."

Tang So-Yeong eagerly awaited her next words, full of anticipation.

"A snake that carries the Morning Star."

Listening to a story about an unknown spirit creature always filled her with excitement.

"The Gogadorisu."