Tus and Pus sat in front of me.

The one pressing herself close to me was Pus, and the one with the enormous venom sacs would be Tus.

Something felt off.

There were too many strange things happening. The most perplexing was that human speech was coming out of my mouth.

Even my body felt different. It was familiar yet foreign at the same time. And the bed I was lying on—it wasn’t that large, barely big enough for half of my usual form. But now, it accommodated my entire body with room to spare.

My body had shrunk—to the size of a human.

…Yes.

Right now, I possessed a human body, a human face, and a human voice.

"Hey? What's wrong? Are you embarrassed all of a sudden?" asked Pus.

"No way!" Tus replied with a laugh. "I mean, who do you think made us into these bodies?"

Both Tus and Pus were also in human form. And I, too, had a human body instead of my lizard form…

…

…What was I thinking about?

"Really, is there something wrong?" Tus asked with a hint of worry.

"Did I bite too hard yesterday?" she added, her face filled with concern.

I only had one thing to say.

"I’m just happy to see you."

"Oh, come on. You were clinging to us all yesterday!"

Yes.

Tus and Pus were always by my side. There was no reason for me to feel uneasy about that now.

"Ohohoh. Good, good. Let's finish up before Sis arrives…" said Pus with a mischievous grin.

"Sis?"

A sister?

Did Pus even have someone she called "Sis"?

The answer soon appeared.

Creak.

The wooden door swung open naturally.

"Have you woken up, my lord?"

A lovely woman, dressed like a noble’s daughter, entered the room. Golden hair. Red eyes. Impeccable attire.

It was an all-too-familiar face.

"…Nepila?"

Nepila Jurashica.

With her appearance, Tus and Pus began glancing around nervously. Nepila, it seemed, was the one they referred to as "Sis."

Well, they did have a certain degree of respect for her before.

"I could hardly rest last night, but seeing my lord brings me boundless joy."

Nepila’s formal language mixed with poetic phrases. Judging by the tone, she was happy to see me.

"It’s been a while."

"I have awaited you every day, my lord, pining with yearning. I am overjoyed that our affections resonate with one another. I cannot contain my feelings any longer…"

Despite her refined appearance, Nepila’s mouth began to drool as she spoke. The word “hunger” crossed my mind.

"S-Sis, you can’t! We… we have plans today, remember?" Pus interrupted.

"Yes! We've all been looking forward to today, so you shouldn’t jump ahead!" Tus added.

Tus and Pus were thankfully protecting me from her advances. But what was so special about today?

"Patience leads to sweetness… My lord, please know how much I am restraining myself."

The way her drool dripped gave me the impression she was, indeed, holding back.

"…I understand."

But something was wrong. My words felt stilted, as if I hadn’t spoken in ages.

"What… day…?"

Forming sentences was the best I could manage. Had I developed a speech impediment?

No, I didn’t remember anything like that. Perhaps my tongue was clumsy. Or maybe it was a more fundamental issue—as if I’d forgotten how to speak.

Fortunately, they seemed to understand me well.

"My lord, surely you haven't forgotten?" Nepila asked, sounding slightly hurt.

"Oh, there’s no way! We planned this for so long."

"Yes! That’s why we just had a little taste yesterday, remember?" Pus added with a teasing glance. "Just a taste, right, Sis?"

I tried to act like I knew what they were talking about, but they saw right through me. Tus and Pus both gave me knowing looks.

Nepila, placing her hand over mine, leaned in closer.

"Did we not agree to meet those with whom we once shared ties, my lord?"

I remembered.

How could I have forgotten? Today was the day to reunite with them.

---

We set out for a place that was all too familiar—a lake, or perhaps a pond. No, calling it a swamp would be more accurate. It was the place where I had first met Tus and Pus.

A spot brimming with old memories.

And there, I saw familiar faces waiting.

"Oh, there you are, brave Gao!" called a woman with brown hair, waving cheerfully.

It was Dang So-Yeong. But her expression seemed strange—less happy to see me and more relieved, as if she'd just escaped a dire situation.

I soon found out why.

"Is it fitting to make me wait?" came a voice, firm and stern.

It was Baek Yeon-Yeong, waiting with a frown.

My late awakening had caused me to miss our meeting time, leaving Dang So-Yeong alone with Baek Yeon-Yeong. Given her unease around Baek Yeon-Yeong, it must have felt like sitting on pins and needles.

We spread out a mat and enjoyed a lively conversation. We even played in the crystal-clear waters, incomparable to how it was before.

Nepila had prepared a lunch for us. When Dang So-Yeong grumbled that there was nothing but meat, Tus and Pus “reprimanded” her. Baek Yeon-Yeong brought out jars of honey she claimed were donated anonymously.

Each person shared the food they'd brought, and memories of past events flowed freely.

It was a happy moment.

Time seemed to slip by unnoticed.

"Remember that time we went fishing here?" Pus said, her cheeks flushed.

"…Actually, I came prepared," she added with a sly grin.

"Siiis!" Tus playfully nudged her.

Fishing, huh? It reminded me of our first meeting. I remembered Tus using spider webs to catch piranhas…

Spider webs? Piranhas?

What kind of memory was that?

Forget it. It probably wasn’t important.

I cast my line into the lake, and everyone’s eyes turned toward me, which felt a bit intense.

The line remained still for a while, and the boredom crept in.

"Sigh, this does bring back memories," Baek Yeon-Yeong remarked.

"It was so challenging to teach you martial arts."

I smiled slightly at her words, recalling when she first taught me. She’d held my arms and tail, muttering unintelligible things about martial arts.

…Tail?

"Oh, by the way, Gao… would it be all right if I collected a few drops of venom before we part ways?" asked Dang So-Yeong.

Venom?

Did humans normally have venom?

Something felt off.

Splash!

Snap!

Suddenly, there was a tug on the fishing line—a massive one.

Forget the stray thoughts; focus on the present.

I gripped the fishing rod tightly.

Crreeeak.

But whatever was on the other end was impossibly heavy.

Crack!

The rod was close to breaking. If I wasn’t careful, the fish might pull me in.

"Is it heavy?"

Right. Baek Yeon-Yeong could easily handle this…

I shook my head.

For some reason, I felt that I shouldn’t rely on Baek Yeon-Yeong for this. I had to overcome this myself.

Craack!

I pulled with all my might.

The rod finally snapped.

"It must be a truly powerful creature."

Thud!

With the rod broken, I tumbled backward.

"So I should…" Baek Yeon-Yeong began, but her words trailed off as she looked at my face.

"Are you… crying, now?" she asked.

"Huh? Gao! What’s wrong all of a sudden?" Dang So-Yeong called out, worry on her face.

It wasn’t because I lost the fish.

It was because, in the vastness of this lake, I recognized the presence of something immense.

The being that had bitten my line—I realized who it was.

A giant crest.

Red skin.

Grotesque attire.

It was a face I knew all too well.

And at that moment, I also understood that all of this was an illusion.

A daydream, a fabricated dream meant to make me submit.

It was a painfully happy dream.

Or perhaps, a possible future if I had accepted his power.

Realizing this on my own was nearly impossible. The longer I remained in this blissful vision, the weaker my resolve would become.

It was a brutal illusion.

But my heart was far more resilient than any illusion Ketchalgoatal could conjure.

Yes.

This was all an illusion.

I needed to break free.

…But.

It was so tempting.

If I accepted Ketchalgoatal’s offer, I could live to see this future.

If I removed my own desires and thought objectively…

Even if I escaped now, could I defeat him?

No.

It was impossible.

Should I stay in this illusion forever? Or accept Ketchalgoatal’s offer and become his servant?

It was a death sentence either way. Nothing I could do would challenge him. No matter how I gathered my strength, I couldn’t win.

Why not let myself die here…

"You’re not yourself," said Baek Yeon-Yeong in a cold tone.

"You’ve grown in size, but you're weaker than a little lizard."

I looked up at her, feeling a mix of frustration and anger.

"Yeah, Gao, you’re not like this," Dang So-Yeong added.

…

"Who was it that saved me back then?" she asked quietly.

"Even now, my sister and I still talk about that moment."

…

Dang So-Yeong, Tus, and Pus all spoke up.

The situation was different now. I couldn’t win, no matter how hard I tried. Not even the Snake Queen could hold her ground against Ketchalgoatal. What could I possibly do?

"Master."

Nepila Jurashica’s hand tightened around mine.

"Do you know why I came to adore you?"

My first encounter with Nepila hadn’t been pleasant. To survive, I had to steal her food.

"An army of ants came swarming in. I couldn’t handle it alone."

Nepila misunderstood. I’d led the ants to her nest on purpose.

"Yes, I know. That tiny lizard lurking, plotting to steal my meal—it was you who brought them."

If she knew, then why?

"You could have just run away, yet you came back to help."

Nepila smiled warmly.

"When I was in danger, you shielded me with your body. You could have died. Had I not had my inner core, that little lizard would have certainly died."

Nepila’s small hand gripped mine tightly.

"I fell for you because of that."

I’d fled countless times in my life.

"Follow your heart, Master."

I gritted my teeth.

An illusion. Or perhaps, an alternate future.

A life where I was human, surrounded by those I cherished.

Leaving them behind, I took a step forward.

Creeak.

I naturally released Nepila’s hand as my body reverted to its original form.

Black scales.

Sharp claws.

A long tail.

Yes.

A human body wasn’t for me.

I kept walking, and a black and red wall appeared before me.

If I crossed this wall, I’d escape this place.

…Or, I could stay and live that beautiful future.

A future as a human.

…

It no longer mattered.

"Slice."

Swooosh!

The wall blocking my way split in two.

It was time to leave.

No turning back.

Gritting my teeth, I took another step forward.

Craack!

I broke free from the illusion.

And then—

"I’ve been waiting for you."

Before me stood a woman with red eyes.

A being possessed by Tae-Sae.

I had come face-to-face with the Snake Queen’s mentor.