**[Komodo-Rania LV20]**  
HP: 5110/5110  
MP: 1630/1630  

As a basic rule, the more you evolve and level up, the more experience you need for each level.

And yet, I’d achieved the impressive feat of jumping straight to level 20.

Of course, about half of that was thanks to the "savings" my followers diligently gathered for me over time. But the other half was a generous parting gift from the Biyi Bird.

While there’s still some way to go until my next evolution, this was a major leap forward.

The Biyi Bird provided vastly more experience than beasts of the same level—truly worthy of being called a sacred beast.

Considering that, the amount of experience locked away by the Kekec faith must be immense.

Though Tus, Pus, and Shikshik leveled up significantly, they’re still in a growth phase.

Just like when I was a gecko lizard, every small achievement brought rapid level gains.

In other words, the experience they gathered probably wasn’t much in the grand scheme of things.

All combined, it might barely amount to one level for Komodo-Rania.

…Maybe Nephila even invested and compounded the experience she collected?

I’ll think about that later.

Right now, my focus is on claiming the rewards right in front of me.

With the Biyi Bird defeated, I could probably escape this space soon. If I’m forced out suddenly, I’d have to leave behind this rare gift.

At the very least, these two Biyi Bird roasts are mine to keep.

I hungrily tore into the two Biyi Birds.

Leveling up had fully restored my stats, but it didn’t fill my stomach.

Eating for energy is always essential.

I devoured the Biyi Bird meat eagerly.

Crunch.

Munch.

Gulp.

The taste was straightforward, not unpleasant at all—just like chicken.

Thanks to Firey’s flames, it even had a pleasantly charred finish.

Not bad, considering how grotesque it looked.

After dealing with the Dimetrodon meat, I finally got what I had been waiting for.

**[Biyi Bird’s Inner Core]**

**[Biyi Bird’s Inner Core]**

Yes, I had obtained the inner cores of the Biyi Birds.

However, they looked a bit different from usual.

The naming format of these cores wasn’t like the others I’d encountered.

High-grade, mid-grade, low-grade.

Every core I’d seen so far had been classified this way.

Sometimes there was a word indicating the color of the core.

Even with the sacred Cockatrice I’d defeated, the naming was no different.

The giant Imoogi captured by Baek Yeon-Yeong had a similar naming pattern.

But these were unique.

These inner cores were named after the Biyi Bird itself.

And each head held one core.

“Kreeek!”

The tougher the battle, the greater the reward.

Just by looking at them, I could tell these cores were rare—and I had two of them.

“Krek-krek.”

I quickly tucked the cores securely into my scales.

I didn’t consume them immediately; I slid them into a spot where they’d be easy to retrieve.

Since their naming format was unlike any other core I’d seen, eating them recklessly could have unexpected consequences.

…Though my body can usually handle anything, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

As I gnawed on the Biyi Bird’s bones, I locked eyes with Nephila Jurassica, who was watching me intently.

“Kreeek!”

It’s been a while, Spider.

I definitely didn’t forget about you just because I was distracted by food.

Nephila simply stared at me, lost in thought.

Seeing her look at me like that felt a bit embarrassing.

I pushed aside the Biyi Bird bones.

Maybe she had something she wanted to say to me.

Then Nephila Jurassica suddenly extended her hand toward me.

Her movements were gentle, almost as if she was trying to pat my head.

I lowered my head slightly, responding to her gesture.

Of course, since she was only a spirit, she couldn’t actually touch me.

“Krek?”

Yet, I somehow felt a faint warmth.

She lingered there, delicately touching the Kekec hologram.

I don’t know how it works, but thanks to Nephila Jurassica and the combined efforts of Kekec’s followers, we managed to defeat the Biyi Bird.

Especially Nephila, who even gave direct assistance during the battle.

How many times do I owe you my life by now?

I bowed my head in gratitude.

“Krek…”

Nephila smiled faintly.

Though her upper body appeared human, she didn’t speak.

Is it because she’s a spirit that she can’t talk?

Probably not; the Snake Queen spoke fluently.

…Maybe she hasn’t learned how to speak yet.

That would make sense.

Nephila has lived her life as a spider, only recently grasping humanization.

It’s likely she hasn’t had much contact with humans.

Knowing spider language is one thing, but speaking human language fluently would be difficult.

Considering she sees me as a lizard, she might even learn to chirp “Krek” before she learns to speak human words.

Who needs words, though?

With other creatures—no, with other arthropods—we spiders understand each other just by looking.

“Krek-krek.”

Still, it would be nice to hear Nephila’s voice, even if it was just her usual chittering.

I recalled the first time I met Nephila.

When I’d climbed up a tree to escape the Oviraptor, she welcomed me with open arms.

As a friendly neighbor, she even shared her food with me.

Thinking back on those memories, I looked at Nephila and noticed her smile had disappeared.

What’s wrong?

…Did she catch onto the fact that I was embellishing my memories?

No. Nephila isn’t the type to fuss over trivial things like that.

There must be some other reason for her sudden mood change.

Nephila was staring intently at something.

I swallowed nervously and followed her gaze.

From the ground, her gaze traveled to my body.

She was looking at my neck.

Is there something on me?

I lowered my head to check, but nothing seemed out of place.

The item from the Snake Queen was intact.

…

It finally hit me.

Nephila Jurassica had seen it.

The Snake Queen’s token.

In other words, she’d realized I was now “taken.”

“Krek-krek.”

It’s a misunderstanding.

I’ll explain everything.

Thud!

Nephila’s third leg struck the ground hard.

…Aren’t you a spirit?

Why did that leave a dent in the ground?

“Kreeek…”

It’d be nice if she said something, but her silence made it even scarier.

At least let out a chirp or two.

Nephila drew closer and lowered her head, mirroring the action I’d just done.

She looked down at her chest.

Then raised her head again to glance at the token on my chest.

Then, lowering her head, she looked at her own chest again.

Nephila Jurassica’s face turned red.

I couldn’t tell exactly why, but something about her current state felt dangerous.

“…Y-you.”

I doubted my ears.

Nephila, who hadn’t spoken a word until now, had uttered something.

The tone was hesitant, but there was intent behind it.

It seemed she was indeed upset with me.

But why would she be looking at her chest while being angry?

Could she be asking for something similar?

“Krek-krek-krek.”

Surely, she’s not comparing the Snake Queen’s internal energy pouch to her own, right?

Besides, Nephila has never even seen the Snake Queen.

…Or has she?

Despite the distance, my followers have occasionally sensed what I was doing.

And since Nephila holds the title of priestess, she might be even more perceptive.

Finally, I realized why Nephila was pouting.

She intended to scold the Kekec deity for being distracted by the energy pouch.

“You…”

No, this is a misunderstanding.

Yes, I sometimes look at the Snake Queen’s energy pouch absent-mindedly.

But there’s no hidden desire behind it.

When you see something that big, your eyes just naturally go there.

That’s all it is.

An unavoidable reaction.

“Krek…”

Of course, that wasn’t something I could say out loud.

Though I kept my words to myself, it seemed Nephila, as Kekec’s priestess, sensed my thoughts.

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and her brows furrowed.

Plop.

Nephila grabbed me with one hand.

…Even though I shouldn’t be capturable, it felt like she had me firmly in her grip.

Rustle.

The fabric of her mysterious black outfit began to disappear.

“Krek!”

Startled, I let out a cry.

I quickly raised my front paws to cover my eyes.

But unfortunately, the gaps between my claws left an opening, forcing me to observe Nephila closely through it.

What I saw was just her face.

Of course.

She had a look that seemed to say, “Did you really think…?”

Through the gaps between my claws, Nephila’s pouting face was visible.

Shnk!

And at the same time, a web shot out.

…She aimed a web at me?

Come to think of it, didn’t she have an “appetite” in her stats?

“Kreeek!”

I yelped, but by then, the web had hit its mark.

Its

 target: the Snake Queen’s token on my chest.

Nephila’s web wrapped around it like silk, adding a new decoration to the token.

The upper part of the vanished outfit turned into black dye, and her web became white dye.

Ultimately, a new symbol appeared on the Snake Queen’s token.

A small black lizard.

Wrapped entirely in webs.

Satisfied with her work, Nephila nodded.

It seemed to be her way of marking her territory.

Knowing that the token benefits me, she allowed me to keep wearing it, but also made a claim of her own.

So that others would know I was not just the Snake Queen’s partner, but also the holy beast of Kekec.

She truly was a priestess.

…But why a lizard bound in webs?

Not exactly a mighty look for a divine beast.

Nephila stared at me.

Nephila Jurassica looked like she was deep in thought.

Did something else cross her mind?

She was drooling slightly as she watched me.

Is she hungry?

“…Krek?”

Looking closely, I noticed a web under my leg.

It was leftover from her artwork.

But somehow, it managed to wrap around my leg in a binding way.

…Nephila, don’t tell me?

“Krek-krek!”

Just as Nephila lunged toward me, it happened.

Schlik!

My body began to be pulled upward, slowly, toward the ceiling.

I instinctively realized what was happening.

I was being transported out of this place.

Nephila stomped her legs in mild frustration.

And there she was, smiling brightly, Nephila Jurassica.

She must have known I was about to leave and decided to play a little prank.

Perhaps it was also a small act of revenge for my fascination with the energy pouch.

…

Or so I choose to believe.

“Kreeek!”