The Hunhui in front of me, or rather, the old Compy seemed quite taken aback.

With his level being so high, it wasn’t possible to gauge his status with just a wild guess.

But you didn’t always need skills to read someone’s state.

Just look at that expression.

What kind of lizard was I dealing with here?

He was probably thinking something along those lines.

A kind-hearted lizard like me, pulling a stunt like this.

Honestly, I felt a little guilty.

But as the saying goes, a book thief isn’t really a thief.

I could afford to set aside my conscience for a moment in the name of learning.

“Ge-gegek.”

Clang.

I proudly flaunted the necklace that the Serpent Queen—no, my wife—had given me once again.

Selling out my conscience and shaking the token she gave me.

The Compy stared at me with an expression of disbelief.

But staring wasn’t going to change anything.

If I threatened him with the Serpent Queen’s debt like this, he’d have no choice but to teach me.

However, a lizard’s heart was a fickle thing, and going about it this way wouldn’t exactly endear me to him. Even if he taught me, it would likely be half-hearted at best.

It wasn’t like the Serpent Queen’s death beam would reach all the way here anyway.

So, what should I do?

I needed to make Compy interested in me.

The reason I’d acted so arrogantly was to get his attention.

Whether that attention was positive or negative didn’t matter.

Now, it was time to turn that attention into genuine interest.

I noticed a stream nearby.

I dashed toward it at full speed.

Tat-tat!

I leaped, almost as if I was about to dive headfirst into the water, but instead, I lightly stepped onto the surface.

It was the secret of the Soaring Dragon Step.

I stood gracefully on the water and slowly examined Compy’s expression.

His dull eyes widened in surprise.

Compy surely recognized this movement technique.

It couldn’t be a coincidence that the Soaring Dragon Faith and Soaring Dragon Step shared the same characters.

At first, he must’ve thought some arrogant fool had shown up, but then realized that this lizard was none other than the Serpent Queen’s mate.

He probably assumed I was just showing off my connection to the Serpent Queen, only to be surprised that I knew such a profound technique.

There was no way he wouldn’t be intrigued.

Tat-tat-tat!

Compy began to move.

He seemed to be walking slowly, but in reality, he was moving quickly.

And just as I thought, his destination was the stream.

Without any effort, he too stepped onto the water’s surface.

Not a single droplet splashed—his Soaring Dragon Step was flawless.

“Ge-gegek.”

The large lizard and the small lizard stood on the water, staring at each other.

Perhaps we were kindred spirits.

“Kek-kek.”

Compy gave a subtle nod.

Finally, it seemed he was willing to teach me.

Compy extended his small hand toward me.

Good. It’s the right decision.

Let’s keep things pleasant and learn these techniques.

I raised my hand to meet his.

Tap.

Just like when I fought against Nephela Jurassic and her ant army, our hands collided.

Fwoom.

And in that instant, the world flipped upside down.

No, it wasn’t the world—I had flipped.

My massive body flew through the air, and I was unceremoniously dunked into the water.

Sploosh!

Though I was just submerged in water, it wasn’t like I was hurt.

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t pissed off.

Furrr…

I poked my head out of the water, glaring at Compy.

Tap, tap.

Compy made a strange gesture, signaling with his hands.

“Kek-kek!”

He smiled.

Well then.

Learning truly is like this, isn’t it?

[You use Reverse Scale LV1.]
[You temporarily acquire Gaegek Death Beam LV1.]

He told me to make the first move.

There was a glint in Compy’s previously dull eyes.

He hadn’t expected me to take things this far.

It was clear what Compy had been thinking.

He knew he had to teach me because of his agreement with the Serpent Queen.

But he didn’t want to just give away his techniques, so he was trying to establish some kind of mentor-student relationship.

Hence, that little display of dominance.

Did he really think I’d fall for it?

I only have one master.

...And now, the Serpent Queen is officially my wife.

Zhoooom!

A powerful death beam shot out.

Its target: Compy.

...Or rather, just above him.

I wasn’t rude enough to blast him in the face, even though his little dominance display had been annoying.

A show of force should be met with a show of force.

The lizards around us might get caught in the crossfire, so I reduced the beam’s power and aimed it at the sky.

Kwakakakak!

Even with the reduced power, it was still strong.

I hadn’t aimed directly at Compy, but if he stayed still, the shockwave could still injure him.

If he ducked down dramatically, he’d avoid any harm.

Now, let’s see what he’ll do.

“Kek-kek!”
“Ge-gegek!”

...Huh?

What was this?

Suddenly, I found myself staring at Compy—who was now perched on my shoulder.

He truly lived up to his title of Soaring Dragon.

To have such agility.

I had a good grasp of his abilities now.

Before his lips could curl up into a smirk, I decided to shake him off.

Dragon Scale Transformation.

Chaaaa!

My scales shifted into an extremely offensive form.

My body now resembled that of a porcupine, and there was no way Compy could stay attached without getting hurt.

Boing!

Compy bent his body like a bow and launched himself into the air.

His agility was incredible.

He was faster than my scale transformation.

Alright, this is what makes learning exciting.

[You use Reverse Scale LV1.]

•  

Our battle took place entirely at the stream.

Using the Soaring Dragon Step, we both moved across the water, trying to knock each other in.

Every now and then, we threw attacks that could probably break bones, but so far, neither of us had landed a hit, so it wasn’t a problem.

Compy’s combat abilities exceeded my expectations.

He was controlling his internal energy with extreme precision, focusing solely on dodging my attacks with footwork and using grappling techniques to try and knock me over.

If he had deactivated his miniaturization and attacked with full force, I’d probably already be floating down the stream by now.

But he didn’t.

This wasn’t a life-or-death fight to the end.

It was a form of training.

The method might’ve been a bit harsh, but there was no better way to learn than through experience.

Compy didn’t know it, but I had a skill called Reverse Scale. By taking hits and analyzing the principles behind the techniques, I could learn them for myself.

In fact, I’d already mastered a couple of his strange martial arts moves.

Soaring Dragon Fist and Soaring Dragon Kick.

That’s probably what they’re called.

They weren’t bad, but they didn’t quite suit my current size.

I hoped he’d use something stronger, but he hadn’t shown me anything beyond that.

And honestly, I was getting tired.

I hadn’t taken any serious damage, but each time I got hit by one of his tricky moves, I felt a dizzying shock. If I were smaller, I probably would’ve been knocked out from a concussion by now.

Should I just admit defeat and thank him for the lesson?

“Grrrr…”

No.

That would be too embarrassing.

He was the one who knocked me into the water, after all.

Just like he hadn’t used his full power, I hadn’t either.

Sure, some might argue that using Reverse Scale and Gaegek Death Beam already counted as using full power, but I knew the most effective way to defeat Compy.

And it wouldn’t even take much effort.

I hadn’t used it yet out of respect for him.

And to steal his techniques, of course.

This was the final round, so I might as well go all out.

“Kekegek…”

Compy’s energy shifted.

He had figured out my intent.

Tat-tat-tat!

Compy charged across the water.

He planned to end this duel with one final blow.

The Soaring Dragon Step was a technique that incorporated the principles of Soaring Flat Palm.

The more skilled you became with the footwork, the less water would splash with each step.

At the highest level, you could move as if walking on solid ground.

Compy had already reached that level long ago.

Yet, despite that, a huge splash of water erupted around him.

That splash was deliberate.

The scattered water droplets began to converge into a single point.

A watery armor began to envelop Compy, taking the shape of a small dragon.

It was, in every sense, a Soaring Dragon.

Finally, he was showing me something real.

Ssssuuu.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself.

This was my full power.

Komodo Style, Fifth Form: The Queen’s Token Defense.

Compy’s fist, aimed at my head, came to a sudden halt.

He clearly hadn’t expected me to use the Serpent Queen’s precious token as a shield.

But I was her mate.

Even in a friendly duel, I couldn’t afford to lose.

Whack!

I smacked Compy with my tail.

Sploosh!

The small Compy couldn’t dodge the unexpected strike and fell into the stream.

It wouldn’t cause any serious harm.

But I was more than satisfied to see his body drenched in water.

Yes.

This was my victory.

“Ge-ge-ge-ge-gegek!”

•  

“Kek…”

Compy seemed to be in shock, turning his head away.

Even a few taps from his claws didn’t move him.

Hey, come on.

“Ge-gegek.”

As dirty as my tactics may have been, he was now officially the lizard who lost to me.

And in front of his followers, no less.

On top of that, he was the one who initiated the fight.

He even used his big technique at the end.

[Your divinity has increased.]

“Kek!”

Maybe I should’ve held back a bit more.

But who told you to start the fight?

“Gegek!”

He seemed a little sulky, but after some time, it looked like he was getting over it.

When I sliced up the Terror Bird meat I’d brought as a gift, he quietly approached, hands behind his back.

As expected of someone called Hunhui.

I bowed my head in gratitude for Compy’s magnanimity.

“Ge-gegek.”

It turns out food really is the best way to bond.

After sharing the meat with the lizards, the awkward tension finally eased.

“Gegek.”

I tried speaking to Compy.

“Kek?”

Sigh, how can a conversation consist of just Kek and Gegek?

At least communication with the Serpent Queen or the Bird King was easier.

Even Shicksick and the spiders could communicate somewhat thanks to our shared faith.

But with Compy, we didn’t share the same faith, and he couldn’t talk, so communication was a real challenge.

Still, I wasn’t too worried.

Even without words, he had pretty high intelligence.

As long as I conveyed my intentions with my body language, he’d understand.

“Ge-gegek… Ge-gek! Ge-gegek! Ge-ge-gegek!”

I enthusiastically gestured as I communicated with Compy.

By the time the lizards had picked the bones of the Terror Birds clean, I had finally managed to get my point across.

What I’d been trying to convey all along was that I wanted him to teach me miniaturization.

The other techniques I had seen and felt with my body were satisfying enough, but my main goal was learning miniaturization.

Compy seemed deep in thought for a moment before curling his lips into a sly smile.

What?

Why that expression?

You did understand me, right?

“Kek!”

Compy wore that dull look again.

He looked like a lizard who had lived for all of eternity.

The aggressive fighter I’d faced at the stream was nowhere to be found.

Then Compy started to dance.

...I had a feeling this was coming.

But really, I have to do that to learn miniaturization?

Compy stared at me, as if saying, “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Alright, fine. I’ll give it a try, even if it’s ridiculous.

From the brave Komodo-lania, I assumed the dull expression of a Gecko.

If the snakes and spiders saw this, they’d probably be disappointed.

“Ge-gegek…”

But I had no choice.

This was a hurdle I had to overcome in order to learn miniaturization.

I mimicked all of Compy’s weird, wiggling dance moves.

...This better work.

Or I’m blasting him with a death beam to the face.

[You use Reverse Scale LV1.]
[You temporarily acquire Miniaturization LV1.]

It worked!

Okay.

Sorry for doubting you.

Let’s give this a try.

If I use it now, I’ll be able to use it more easily next time.

Chaaaaak.

My vision rapidly lowered.

My massive body shrank from Komodo-lania to the size of a Komodo.

Yeah. This size is about right.

Shhh-aaak.

Huh?

Now I’m shrinking from Komodo to Crocodile King Lizard.

Well, this isn’t bad either.

I could probably carry Tang So-yeong on my back at this size.

Shaaak…

Now I’m shrinking from Crocodile King Lizard to Green Basilisk.

...Can I stop shrinking?

Swooooosh…

And now from Green Basilisk to Green Gecko.

Wait, this is too small!