The King of Birds felt a growing sense of unease.

Why was that old man acting so calm?

Did he perhaps have some hidden defenses prepared for this attack?

Of course, what the King of Birds had sent wasn’t his strongest card.

There were beings like Pilbang, Nachaljo, or the legendary Biyikjo among his forces.

The Megatherium he had dispatched this time was, by comparison, a bit weaker.

However, it was still not an opponent to be underestimated.

In terms of raw strength alone, it could easily rival a divine beast.

Moreover, the Queen of Serpents' companion had been reduced in size.

It made no sense that the Megatherium couldn’t handle a small lizard.

"What are you hiding?"

Boom!

Once again, the King of Birds shot a destructive beam from his beak.

It was a suppressing attack, but its power was still enough to destroy several trees in an instant.

Honhwi evaded the attack with ease.

This wasn’t the situation the King of Birds had expected.

Even as powerful as he was, defeating the Small Dragon without expending his full strength would be challenging.

So, he had attempted to shake the old man's confidence, but it wasn’t working.

The Honhwi he knew would have wavered by now.

Yet, the small dragon seemed confident that the little beings in his territory were safe.

The King of Birds couldn’t understand it.

Could it be that the old man had already allied himself with the Serpent Queen?

It wasn’t impossible. The Queen’s companion had entered his territory, after all.

However, that didn’t mean his domain was safe.

The Serpent Queen herself wasn’t there, only her companion, whose size had diminished, leaving most of her power lost.

The Queen of Serpents couldn’t enter the Small Dragon’s domain herself.

Just as the King of Birds couldn’t freely enter it.

If the Queen wanted to act, she’d have to send someone else, under strict conditions.

Even the Serpent Queen’s followers couldn’t enter Honhwi’s domain.

That’s why the King of Birds had sent the Megatherium instead of a divine beast. It was brainwashed and made to submit without following the King’s religion.

For the Serpent Queen to intervene, she would need to use a similar method, but she didn’t have mind control abilities, making it difficult for her.

In other words, it was safe to assume that the Serpent Queen wasn’t involved.

So what exactly was this old lizard relying on?

"Do you really think that little creature can defeat that beast?"

There’s a saying: "You won’t know until you measure the length."

But this time, the difference was so stark, it didn’t even need to be measured.

At the King of Birds' question, the Small Dragon simply smiled.

"Kraraaaa!"

With a single roar, the Small Dragon took to the sky.

He didn’t have wings, nor did he have any divine power, so how could he fly?

Soaring Dragon's Sky Step.

The name meant the small dragon steps beyond the skies.

At that moment, the pouring rain played in his favor.

The Small Dragon, who had perfected the technique, used the raindrops to leap into the air.

The King of Birds was astonished.

When he was in his shrunken form, maybe, but how could he step on raindrops with that huge body?

His master was still strong.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be defeated.

Swish!

The King of Birds flew swiftly, dodging the Small Dragon’s attack.

Sizzle!

The intense heat evaporated all the raindrops around him.

The Soaring Dragon's Sky Step could be countered by the destructive beam.

It put a bit of strain on the body, but it left the Small Dragon with no way to reach the King of Birds.

Of course, if Honhwi were to leap with explosive strength, he might reach him, but the King of Birds wouldn’t let that happen. He flew higher into the sky.

Neither had inflicted critical damage yet, but the longer the battle dragged on, the more it would favor the King of Birds.

Both combatants knew that all too well.

Despite this, the Small Dragon didn’t back down.

Instead, he became more aggressive in his attacks.

The King of Birds' goal was to capture the Small Dragon.

But ironically, that was also Honhwi’s goal.

The King of Birds realized it.

The old lizard was convinced that the small being could defeat the Megatherium.

"Do you really believe that’s possible?"

Swoosh!

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Hundreds of feathers shot out from the giant wings of the King of Birds.

Each one was like a massive blade.

Pop! Pop!

Sizzle!

The King of Birds added his destructive beam to the attack.

Honhwi barely managed to dodge the onslaught.

But the assault wasn’t over.

Whooooosh.

A massive whirlwind appeared next to the Small Dragon.

The previously fired feathers mixed with the whirlwind, forming a giant storm of blades.

There was no way Honhwi could avoid this attack.

The whirlwind moved at the King of Birds' will.

However, the Small Dragon didn’t try to dodge it.

Instead, he chose to leap toward the King of Birds.

The battle was about to be decided.

"You’ve been careless!"

The King of Birds spread his beak wide, preparing another destructive beam.

And then, it happened.

Crack.

A sudden, skull-splitting pain.

This was the recoil the King of Birds felt whenever a creature he had brainwashed died.

Splurt.

Instead of a beam, red blood spurted from the King of Birds’ mouth.

The Small Dragon didn’t miss the opportunity.

The falling raindrops gathered around him.

The figure of a great dragon formed around his body.

Soaring Dragon Ascension Strike.

BOOOOM!

Honhwi's terrifyingly powerful strike, charged with internal energy, hit the King of Birds.

"Urgh!"

The King of Birds was flung far away.

He quickly assessed his condition.

His body was trembling.

Was it because of the Small Dragon’s strike?

No, that wasn’t it.

The attack had been brutal, but it wasn’t enough to inflict a critical wound on someone like him.

The reason he was injured was simple.

The Megatherium had died.

"Ugh…."

Blood poured from the King of Birds’ mouth once again.

The Serpent Queen’s companion had foiled his plan yet again.

It had killed the divine beast, Gokadoori, and now it had taken down one of the few remaining great beasts.

The King of Birds glared at the Small Dragon with eyes full of fury.

He wanted to kill the old lizard right then and there.

And he had the power to do so.

But that was a power he couldn’t use recklessly.

If he used his full strength, the Serpent Queen would invade immediately.

Not to mention, the divine beasts he had managed to control would escape his grasp.

"How dare you… how dare you…."

He swallowed his rage.

The Small Dragon stared at him from a distance.

Both knew that it would be difficult for the Small Dragon to defeat the King of Birds.

The King was conserving his strength, and Honhwi was aware of it.

And so, the choice was handed over.

Would the King of Birds use all his strength here, only to be killed by the Serpent Queen afterward?

Or would he flee in disgrace?

"Keh-keh-keh!"

The King of Birds' pale face flushed red.

"You’re lucky."

He forced himself to calm down.

If he acted rashly and played into the Small Dragon’s hands, it would be over.

This was a small defeat.

The Megatherium had lost to the Serpent Queen’s companion.

But only a fool would let that small defeat turn into a major one.

It was time to admit defeat and retreat.

Grit.

He clenched his teeth.

Swoosh!

The King of Birds spread his wings and soared into the sky.

"Next time, I will truly kill you."

These accursed lizards.

The King of Birds decided to withdraw.

He flew back to his nest, formulating a plan to eliminate the Serpent Queen’s companion, who had now become an unpredictable variable.

What does it mean when your level rises?

[Gomoto-Rania LV7]

HP: 4420/4420
MP: 1120/1120

It means my body has healed.

I swung my arm.

All the broken bones were mended, and even the small wounds had long since disappeared.

Whew, I survived again.

I had felt this when I was still a Gecko, but leveling up really is a broken ability.

I had been seriously injured, yet I had recovered without a single scar.

Other creatures don’t heal just because their level increases, so this must be the power of the status window.

It gives me chills to think that my enemies might have the same recovery ability. I imagine that’s how my opponents felt, facing me.

Of course, I couldn’t control the timing of my level-ups, but just knowing I’d recover after a tough fight made battles more efficient.

It meant I could fight more dangerously and recklessly than others without a second thought.

Even if I lost an arm, I’d recover as long as I won the battle.

"Geh-geck…."

The Geckos that had fled earlier cautiously approached me.

It seemed they hadn’t gone far, watching the situation from a distance.

I told them to run far away.

"Geh-geck!"

Did they stay because they never doubted my victory?

"Geh-geck-geck."
"Geh-geck!"
"Gik-gik!"

Other lizards began to gather.

"Kiiiik!"

They looked at the fallen Megatherium and then back at me, screeching in disbelief.

"Geh-geck!"

The Geckos seemed excited, as if they were explaining what had happened.

[Status: Gigantification is deactivating.]

Conveniently, Gigantification ended right at that moment.

My body shrank little by little.

"Gik-gik!"
"Kiiiik!"

The lizards seemed about ready to faint.

I thought Gigantification wasn’t all that impressive, but seeing their reaction made me reconsider.

Even though I was still the size of Gomoto-Rania.

Come to think of it, the fact that Gigantification happens as a rebound to Miniaturization is actually quite useful.

I could keep my size small most of the time, then use the rebound effect to become even larger in battle, giving me an advantage.

Of course, I’d need to manage the size reduction carefully.

Also, it’s just a theory, but the longer I maintain Miniaturization, the larger the rebound might be.

If I held my breath and stayed miniaturized for a year, I might even become bigger than the Serpent Queen.

What about that old Compy?

He’s already ancient. If he deactivates Miniaturization, it would be something to see.

"Gek-geek!"
"Kik-kik!"

The lizards were dancing in circles around me.

If I looked closely, it did resemble that weird dance the old man had taught me.

Ah.

I could feel it.

The divine power was gathering.

The Small Dragon Faith was gradually shifting into the Gekek Faith.

Sorry, old man.

You shouldn’t have left your post.

….

Wait, why is that old man taking so long?

Don’t tell me something happened to him?

Sigh. Nothing gets done without me.

I’ll have to find him, wherever he is.

[Your divine power has increased slightly.]

…But first, I’ll gather the divine power these lizards are offering.

I’m not being lazy, I’m just doing my due diligence.

Making sure everything is in order.

I’m sure the old man will understand.

I was starting to feel sleepy.

Just five minutes, and then I’ll go find him.

"Gek-geck!"

Has it already been five minutes?

Then maybe ten more….

Huh?

"Geh-geck?"
"Gek-geck!"

That dull look.

It was the old Compy.

He looked a bit bigger than before.

Though he still wasn’t far from lizard-sized.

Glad to see you, old man.

Do you have any idea what’s been going on while you were away?

"Geh-geck."

One look at the Megatherium’s corpse should tell you everything.

…Wait, why does he look like that?

His face was shaped like a triangle.

Perfectly… livid.

He glanced between the lizards dancing around me and my face.

"Keeeeek!"

My divine power.

My faith.

That’s what he must be thinking.

"Gek-geck."

Sorry, old man.

These lizards like me better.

Sssshhh.

I adjusted my scales to show off my handsome lizard face.

"Kiiiik!"

The lizards went wild.

"Kee-kek…."

The old Compy looked shocked.

Was he really that upset about losing his divine power?

I thought it was a fair trade.

We could even remain in an alliance like I had with the Serpent Queen.

"Keeeeeek!"

The old man glared at me.

That expression.

It didn’t seem like he was angry about losing his divine power.

So, why was he so mad?

Flash.

I had a strange feeling.

It was like the vibe you get when your future father-in-law catches you fooling around with other women.

Why am I suddenly thinking of something so specific?

Is this a side effect of Miniaturization?

It’s making me have weird thoughts.

"Keeeeek!"

[The Small Dragon is enraged by your shameless behavior.]

[The Small Dragon declares that you will never get his daughter.]

…Why?