After the proclamation by Baek Yeon-young, “Hey folks, what’s the best food for a lizard?”, the elders pondered and gradually left their seats.

In the Cheonryong Pavilion, only Baek Yeon-young, the leader, and Baek Seol-hwa, the priestess, remained.

“Are you alright, my lady?” Seol-hwa asked, showing rare concern.

Baek Yeon-young shrugged as if amused by Seol-hwa’s unusual question.

“Who’s asking—Seol-hwa, the priestess, or Seol-hwa herself?”
“...Both.”

Baek Yeon-young, the leader of the Cheonma Divine Cult, was a woman closer to becoming the Supreme Martial Master than anyone else. Had she belonged to an orthodox faction, she would have already claimed that vacant title. Worrying over her was almost pointless.

“You dealt with the Taese?”
“It wasn’t exactly a defeat—I merely severed its power.”

“But didn’t you use the Cheonma Divine Arts for that?”

Facing Taese was a different matter. It wasn’t that Taese was nearly as powerful as her, nor that she feared its presence. Seol-hwa knew that only a fraction of Taese’s true form had manifested, posing no real threat to Baek Yeon-young. However, her concern stemmed from the unique nature of Baek Yeon-young.

Unlike other martial artists, who mastered inner strength through structured training, developed over generations, Baek Yeon-young had grown up as an orphan, unable to study any school’s techniques. Her martial arts were self-taught and unconventional, mastering techniques from opponents she defeated and crafting her own methods. Hence, as the leader of the Cheonma Divine Cult, she could wield even Shaolin’s arts and other diverse techniques. It was an approach that defied traditional wisdom—she wielded Shaolin’s skills without their meditation practices and swung Hwasan’s sword without their enlightenment.

This was why she took no disciples; she had nothing to teach. Her martial arts were her own personal discoveries, not something that could be passed down. But there was one exception: the Cheonma Divine Arts, a legendary martial art believed to be recorded by the first Cheonma. Reproducing it through her methods was impossible, forcing Baek Yeon-young to diverge from her path. Consequently, she seldom used it, and there were limited records left of the technique anyway.

"Yes, I can’t exactly say I’m fine.” Baek Yeon-young admitted. Yet, to confront Taese, she had no choice but to use the Cheonma Divine Arts, as regular techniques couldn’t harm its core.

Ordinarily, Baek Yeon-young didn’t sleep. Like other masters, she could alleviate most fatigue through controlled breathing exercises. However, even the best masters needed sleep for things beyond the reach of these techniques. Yet Baek Yeon-young avoided sleep due to nightmares that haunted her each time she did, a side effect of forcefully learning the Cheonma Divine Arts. Despite her disciplined exercises, her condition was uneasy.

“How could I be alright when no one’s told me the ideal food for Sekchuk?”
“Are you joking right now?”

Sekchuk.

Seol-hwa had a vague idea of why Baek Yeon-young would bring this up—it had to be that black lizard they had encountered, the one that bizarrely walked on two legs. Asking such a question now implied that the lizard was somehow involved in dealing with Taese. In other words, Baek Yeon-young had exerted herself because of that lizard.

“Hmmm… Right, it did seem to enjoy the honey-filled dumplings.”
“Did you give it my dumplings?”
“Not exactly. I may have just… dropped them.”

Once, when Baek Yeon-young left for Eunryong Cave, Seol-hwa’s cherished dumplings mysteriously disappeared. She had assumed Baek Yeon-young took them, but apparently, they had been fed to the lizard. Always with that lizard—it seemed like in the future, too, Baek Yeon-young would exhaust herself for its sake. She might think it’s nothing, but Seol-hwa saw it differently; Baek Yeon-young was like a volcano on the verge of erupting, risking a descent into madness.

“Maybe try giving it insects instead of my dumplings,” Seol-hwa retorted, half-joking but partly serious, wanting to reclaim her lost treats and express her frustration with Baek Yeon-young’s disregard for her own well-being.

“Gek gek?”

The lizard put on an innocent face, as if clueless. Surely, it wasn’t talking about me, it thought. Did they buy it? After all, it wasn’t the only lizard in the world, right? Besides, it lived near the jungle—why would it come all the way here? It started to slip away stealthily.

“The only lizard that croaks like that is you,” Seol-hwa stated.

Busted.

But all gecko lizards croak like that, it thought. Still, it seemed like other geckos only inhabited Sorong’s territory, so they probably didn’t know other types existed.

“Don’t even try that face, Hui.”
“Gek.”

“Even for a lizard, you have such an odd face… Wait, what am I even saying?” Seol-hwa muttered, realizing she was sounding increasingly like Tang So-young.

Shwoosh! Seol-hwa swiftly caught the lizard, squeezing it firmly.

“Gek gek!”

Using its secret technique, it attempted a feeble bite on her finger.

“Why do you keep nibbling on my fingers?” she sighed.

Seol-hwa barely flinched. “The trade-off was a unicorn horn for your tail, right?”

The lizard promptly shut its mouth, realizing its attempt was futile.

“And don’t think I forgot about you swiping my dumplings.”
“Gek gek…”

The situation was grim. Her aura was overwhelming, her inner strength undeniable. Seol-hwa was clearly a formidable master. Even looking away didn’t lessen the pull of her energy.

“What are you staring at so intently…?” she asked, catching the lizard’s gaze.

“Gek gek.”

She let go, and the lizard fell onto the shelf above. “Gek gek!” Delighted, it dashed off, grabbing another dumpling in passing. Nice to see you again!

Just as it tried to escape…

“Think you’ll get away twice?”

Seol-hwa lunged, pouncing like a predator. Although caught off guard earlier, this time it was confident it could evade her. But she leaped, a full-body tackle aimed at trapping it.

“Gek!”

How crude, thought the lizard, yet it continued to flee. Just escape that huge aura pouch and…

“…Gek gek.”

Soft.

“Huff, finally caught you,” she muttered. Her clever trick had entrapped it, and now, snuggled in her grasp, the lizard made a blissful expression.

“Why do you look so happy?” Seol-hwa asked, confused.

It’s a misunderstanding. Truly.

“Stop wriggling!” she yelled.

*

“…Honestly, this is just strange.”

Sitting in a meditative posture, I faced Baek Seol-hwa as she talked—though it felt more like she was lamenting aloud.

“What’s so good about such a weird little lizard, anyway?”

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like she intended to harm me. Judging by her tone, she only meant to scold me for sneaking off with her dumplings, but seeing me just staring back at her with a clueless look made her give up on that idea.

“Hui, you’re really just a lizard, aren’t you?”
“Gek gek.”
“You clearly came here with someone, so why do you keep wandering around on your own?”

Seol-hwa mumbled to herself.

“If you bring a pet home, you should be responsible for it,” she said, like a parent urging their child to walk the family dog.

“Small as you are, you’d still freak out any of the followers who saw you.”
“Gek…”

Freaked out, she says. I’d already witnessed a hulking martial artist shed tears when he failed to catch me.

“And why would a lizard refuse to eat bugs?”
“Gek.”

Despite her words, she popped a piece of dried persimmon into my mouth. Slowly, I savored its sweetness, letting the flavor spread through my mouth.

“I can’t keep looking after you, so I’ll take you back to your owner.”
“Gek gek.”

I shook my head. Baek Yeon-young would only offer me bugs.

Undeterred, Seol-hwa reached out to grab me by the scruff and lift me.

“Gek ek!” I dug my claws into the ground, resisting with all my might.

“How are you holding on with that tiny body?” she murmured.
“Gek gek.”

It was clear I wouldn’t go quietly. There was no way I could eat something like a death worm.

Seol-hwa hesitated, appearing to ponder for a moment, before sighing in resignation.

“Come on.”

With a slight tap on my head, she tried another charm. Even though I may look harmless, I’m a holy beast of the Gaegeuk Sect, after all. One embarrassing display should be enough for a lifetime.

“Good boy.”
“Gek?”

My vision suddenly filled with a soft, creamy expanse—a subtle scent of honey wafted through the air.

“…Alright, let’s get you back.”

Why act so stern after casting a charm on me?

Snugly trapped in her arms, Seol-hwa made her way to the building where Baek Yeon-young was staying. She knocked on the door.

“My lor….” she began, then paused to clear her throat. “Ahem, sister, may I come in?”

Sister? So Seol-hwa was her younger sister?

Well, using inner energy levels to gauge age is meaningless. By that logic, Tang So-young would be an infant.

No answer came from inside, which was expected—Baek Yeon-young was likely asleep.

“That’s odd. I didn’t think she ever slept.”

Nonetheless, Seol-hwa opened the door, revealing Baek Yeon-young lying on the bed.

“S-sister?” Seol-hwa’s expression turned to shock. “Is she… dead?”

What an odd way to put it.

“Wait, she’s really asleep?”

Why make such a fuss over her sleeping? Baek Yeon-young may be incredibly strong, but she still needs sleep like anyone else.

“This doesn’t make any sense.”

Seol-hwa cautiously approached her sister. Beads of sweat covered Baek Yeon-young’s skin, her expression tense, as if plagued by a nightmare.

“Sister, I’ll wake you.”

Just as Seol-hwa reached out to shake her, Baek Yeon-young’s pale fingers twitched, clenching and unclenching. Seol-hwa looked between me and Baek Yeon-young, then reached down and picked me up by the scruff.

“Gek ek…”

She placed me in Baek Yeon-young’s hand. Instinctively, I gave her finger a gentle bite.

“Unbelievable,” Seol-hwa muttered.

Baek Yeon-young finally relaxed, settling back into her slumber. Her usual expression returned, and she even seemed to smile, as though enjoying a peaceful dream. Was she the type who needed something to hold on to while sleeping?

Seol-hwa’s wide eyes shifted to me.

“What… is going on here?”
“Gek gek.”

She’d been unable to sleep, but now she hadn’t even noticed that I’d been out of her grip. My mentor seemed more absentminded than I’d thought.

“I brewed all sorts of potions, and none helped…” Seol-hwa pressed her fingers to her temples, seeming almost betrayed by her own knowledge.

Could Baek Yeon-young really have a sleep disorder?

“It’s impossible for her to be sleeping this soundly…”

Maybe today’s just a good day. There’s no need to be so startled. Judging by her expression, though, it seemed like she’d be able to keep sleeping for a while.

“Hui, what exactly are you?” she whispered.

What am I, indeed?

…Maybe her favorite cuddle toy?