“And the world calls it Tusulisuu.”

Tusulisuu! The name alone conjured up an image of a bustling city with water in the background and some kind of soothing music playing. I could almost imagine this creature dancing with a goofy expression on its face.

I turned to look at the Snake Queen.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Honestly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that these mythical creatures were all playing a massive prank on me. I mean, what’s with their names?

First Dilopho, then Angilo, and now this? And don’t even get me started on Gokadurisuu. It’s obvious they’re all secretly conspiring behind my back to come up with these names.

And now Tusulisuu? At this rate, we’ll have something ridiculous like “Lizard Master of the Volcano” showing up next.

…No, that can't be, right?

“Gegek.”

I stared at the Snake Queen with the sharp eyes of a lizard.

But, as expected, she didn’t shy away from my intimidating gaze. Instead, she emphasized her sly trick of flaunting her inner energy, like a trap.

…Fine, I’ll let it slide this time.

“Hmm… I hate to say it, but I can’t understand why you lizards are so obsessed with those fat lumps. Surely you wouldn’t be interested in milk either.”

“Kek!”

That’s a man’s instinct! I can’t help it.

Baek Yeon-Yeong is terrifying, and Tang So-Yeong is a bit lacking. But the Snake Queen? She’s just right.

Just as I was subtly enjoying the sight of the Snake Queen’s profound inner energy, pretending not to look, Shik Shik suddenly coiled around my foreleg and started biting it.

I couldn’t help but find the sight endearing, watching the little one try so hard to gnaw at me. What did she think she could achieve with those tiny teeth? Especially now that my Dragon Scales were even thicker—there was no way those little fangs could get through.

If she kept this up, she might lose a tooth.

I was about to gently pull her off when—

Crack.

Crack?

I lifted my paw to see Shik Shik hanging from it, wide-eyed in surprise.

And lying on the ground was one of my scales.

Did she just… break my Dragon Scales?

“Gegegek?”

My Dragon Scales were currently at level 10. Even before I evolved, they had been sturdy enough to withstand Baek-Woon’s sword with ease.

Now, they were even tougher.

But Shik Shik’s tiny teeth had broken through them?

“Hieeeek…”

Shik Shik was just as shocked as I was, coiling her tail tightly in disbelief at what she’d just done.

If she had her own status screen, I’m sure she’d receive an achievement for this.

“The snake who broke the scales of a dragon.”

Not all Dragon Scales have the same toughness, and the scales on my neck, for instance, are much stronger. Still, Shik Shik shouldn’t have been able to break even the weaker ones.

Had she gotten stronger without me realizing?

“Ho… Could it be because you have so few followers? Even so, your faith surpasses mine in terms of power.”

The Snake Queen slithered over, picking up the broken scale.

That’s right. My faith.

More than that, my religion—the Dog God Faith—had grown powerful.

One of its effects was enhancing the abilities of its followers.

And those abilities, I assume, grow in proportion to my strength.

Which means that as I’ve grown stronger through evolution, so has Shik Shik.

“Gegek!”

I should be congratulating her like the cool and magnanimous lizard I am, but for some reason, my eyes narrowed into a fierce glare.

After all, I went through so much trouble to get stronger!

If I’d known this would happen, I’d have slacked off too and just believed in the Dog God Faith.

“Hieeek…”

Shik Shik looked up at me with hurt in her eyes, her tail giving my leg a light smack.

And then she started to charge up her destruction ray—

Wait, Shik Shik, hold on a second.

That’s gonna hurt… a lot.

“Hieeek!”

Luckily, she didn’t actually fire it.

Thank goodness for Shik Shik’s mercy.

“Hieeek…”

Her once round face had turned slightly triangular.

…Was she sulking?

Now that I think about it, I did gain the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Spirit Fruit and the Thousand-Year Frost Ginseng Wine because of her.

…

“Gek…”

Thinking back, I realize that I owe my current evolution to Shik Shik’s efforts.

She really is deserving of her rank as the third in command of the Dog God Cult.

Even though she’s technically the fourth follower, I’ll let her be called third in recognition of her power as a divine beast.

“Gegek!”

As a gesture of apology, I gently stroked Shik Shik’s tail.

“Gororong…”

She purred, clearly pleased, her face returning to its usual roundness.

As I continued to stroke her, the Snake Queen suddenly grabbed my other arm with her white hand.

“I have to admit, I’m rather tempted.”

She seemed to be intrigued by the special nature of my faith.

She knew better than anyone how strong her daughter had become, so she must have had a sense of how powerful my faith had become as well.

“Shall we continue where we left off? You’re in need of Miniaturization, correct?”

“Gek!”

“And there’s the being known as Honhwi who can teach you the technique, right?”

“Gek!”

“And I know where Honhwi resides.”

“Gek!”

The Snake Queen and I were communicating perfectly.

My next mission was clear: find Honhwi and learn the art of miniaturization.

If I mastered it, I could shrink down and roam freely without issue. It would be perfect for relaxing on Baek Yeon-Yeong’s hand, enjoying a peaceful life, and spending happy times with the spiders.

…By happy times, I mean playful moments, not those strange ideas the spiders sometimes had.

“But here’s the thing… I’m not sure I want to tell you for free.”

“Gek?”

Why the sudden change of heart?

“I was going to just tell you. That creature owes me a favor, so if I just tell you where it is, you could handle things easily.”

So, now you’re not going to just tell me?

The Snake Queen was eyeing me like she wanted something in return.

But what could I possibly offer?

This felt like it might require some negotiation.

Maybe I’d need to go out hunting? At my current level, I could easily fetch a mid-grade beast core.

Ssssslide.

The Snake Queen moved even closer to me.

“I’ve been holding back, but I can’t anymore.”

Even though I was bigger in this form, the pressure from her was overwhelming.

“I can’t hold back any longer.”

Her eerie words sent a shiver down my spine.

Even though I had grown in size, I still found the Snake Queen a bit intimidating.

It was like how I felt a little afraid of Baek Yeon-Yeong, even though I knew she meant no harm.

I clutched Shik Shik’s tail, trembling slightly.

Shik Shik, do something.

“Hiyyaaak…”

But Shik Shik just purred contentedly, thinking I was still stroking her tail.

Snap out of it!

“Gegek!”

“The Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Spirit Fruit, the Thousand-Year Frost Ginseng Wine, and the Thousand-Year Fire Root… Even for me, giving those to you was no easy task.”

That much was true.

The elixirs I had consumed were far beyond what I deserved.

I was immensely grateful for them.

After all, my evolution into Komodo-Rania was thanks in large part to those elixirs.

“I should receive proper compensation.”

Didn’t I already pay you back by dealing with the Cockatrice?

“Gegek…”

I glanced around nervously.

The Snake Queen had to be joking.

She was probably going to make me run a few errands and then laugh it off.

Yes, that had to be it.

Thinking that way made me feel a lot more at ease.

I couldn’t fall for her way of speaking.

After all, I’d spent enough time around her to know how she operated.

Don’t get tricked.

She’s probably just planning to make me do some small tasks.

That’s what I thought, anyway.

Until I saw the Snake Queen lick her lips with her long, unsettling tongue.

Sluuuurp.

Her tongue, far too long to belong to a human, slid over her lips.

Then she stared at me, her eyes fixed.

“I’m going to have to eat you.”

…Please be gentle.

“Gegegegegek!”

Tonight’s dinner was Komodo-Rania tail stew.

Well, not really stew.

My precious tail, dripping with blood, lay quietly before the Snake Queen and the Snake Princess.

It felt like I was selling my body to them. In a way, I was, but…

This felt different somehow.

The idea of them eating my tail was strange, but what could I do?

It would regenerate anyway, so I might as well make use of it.

My tail had become something akin to an elixir, after all.

I had consumed so many elixirs that it made sense my tail had absorbed some of their properties.

Shik Shik bit into it with enthusiasm.

How cute.

I might as well use my regenerative abilities to my advantage.

“It’s truly a rare delicacy.”

The Snake Queen praised the taste.

Was that… supposed to make me feel good?

Is complimenting the flavor of food even praise when I’m the food?

I pondered that philosophical question for a moment.

“Despite having so much muscle, it’s not too tough. There’s a mystical balance of frost and fire that gives it a unique flavor unlike any other meat.”

…You really don’t have to go into that much detail.

“Piaak!”

Shik Shik patted her belly with her tail, clearly satisfied.

Well, as long as the two of them enjoyed it.

Now that I thought about it, this wasn’t so bad.

There was practically no penalty for losing my tail like this.

Sure, in battle, losing my tail, even for a moment, could be a huge disadvantage.

But this wasn’t a combat situation. Even if I were attacked right now, the attackers would flee the moment they saw the Snake Queen.

All I had to do was roll around lazily while my tail regenerated.

There was no downside for me, and there were benefits, too.

For one, by eating my tail, Shik Shik could grow even stronger.

And even the Snake Queen would gain strength from eating it.

If the already powerful Snake Queen grew even stronger, I’d have nothing to fear.

After all, the Snake Queen and I were in a kind of alliance.

…Though if you really think about it, I’m more like her subordinate.

“Kek…”

I watched the Snake Queen finish off my tail.

So, what do you think?

Do you feel any different?

“Unfortunately, aside from the delicious taste, I don’t feel much else.”

What?

That couldn’t be right.

I’d seen Shik Shik grow stronger after eating it.

“It’s likely that only those who share your faith can gain power from eating your tail.”

That made sense.

Just because I ate an elixir didn’t mean my tail would become an elixir.

It only worked as a sort of holy relic for those who worshipped me.

“I wish I could just throw everything away and pledge my loyalty to your faith.”

The Snake Queen had her own faith to follow.

It made sense that eating my tail wouldn’t increase her strength.

So, did that mean she ate my tail for nothing?

Would the Snake Queen really do that without knowing?

No, I didn’t think so.

Look at her—she’s smiling just a little.

“But since that’s not possible… this will have to do.”

[The Snake Queen Faith is now influenced by the Dog God Faith.]

What?

[Komodo-Rania has become the partner of the Snake Queen Faith.]

Wait.

Can she just make that decision without consulting me?

Shouldn’t I at least be asked for permission?

…No, this wasn’t a change to my Dog God Faith.

Only the Snake Queen Faith had been affected.

If I were to compare it to something, it was like adding a new line to a religious text, saying, “This lizard is the companion of the Snake Queen.”

Of course, it didn’t mean we were actually partners in the literal sense.

It was more like a ceremonial title.

Still, why would she do something like that?

Since it didn’t affect the Dog God Faith, I couldn’t exactly complain, but…

Even lizards have feelings, you know.

It was like selling my name without asking me.

I should definitely protest.

“Gegek…”

[You now share a portion of the experience points gained by the followers of the Snake Queen Faith.]

[You now receive a portion of the divine power generated by the followers of the Snake Queen Faith.]

Mother-in-law… no, I mean, wife, I didn’t realize your intentions.

“Piaaaaaaaaak!”