After a round of chase with Baekrang, we returned to the place where the Magnosaurus lay.

"Can you carry all of this? Should I help with some of it?"

The Magnosaurus was certainly huge, with substantial muscle mass that made it quite heavy. But it wasn’t beyond my strength to move it. Besides, hauling something this heavy could be a form of training.

To drag a beast like this, I’d have to grip its neck with my teeth.

Though I mostly relied on my claws in battle, my teeth were also formidable weapons. A good bite could snap bones, and if that didn’t finish the job, I could release venom to weaken my opponent.

Most of my techniques, like *Dragon Claw Strike*, utilized my limbs, so my teeth had seen little action. The *Death Beam* was a mouth-based skill, but it didn’t actually involve biting.

Training my teeth in this way wasn’t a bad idea.

“Gek-gekk.”

Thinking ahead wasn’t a bad plan, so I clenched my jaws around the Magnosaurus’s neck and began dragging it along.

“Not tired? You’ve got some serious strength, I’ll give you that,” Baekrang commented, observing my legs closely.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, clearly eyeing the Magnosaurus as food.

We could reduce its weight by eating some now, but I figured we should save some for the wolves waiting back at the den.

“Hmph…”

Baekrang, who had been so quick to smack me earlier, was now walking right beside me.

I couldn’t quite understand wolves and their whims.

Understanding young wolves was one thing, but Baekrang, as a spirit beast, was a bit of a mystery.

“But something doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Gek?”

“This thing, it usually lives midway up the mountain.”

Our original plan had been to climb to the mid-mountain area, deal with the Magnosaurus, and then descend.

The plan assumed that other creatures would attack along the way, making the journey difficult until we reached the Magnosaurus.

But since it had come down to us, we’d managed to finish the whole fight in one go.

“Creatures near the Dragon Gate always try to stay as close to it as possible. The stronger they are, the higher they live.”

However, the fact that the Magnosaurus had come down to lower ground was strange.

Drawn by the Dragon Gate’s power, it likely grew stronger by devouring challengers on the mountain. Even if prey became scarce, it could find something within the volcano to sustain itself.

So why had it come down? The only explanation seemed to be that something had forced it to retreat, yet its body had no injuries.

During the fight, I had noticed something odd.

The creature’s state, as seen through my *Wild Eyes*: Fear and confusion.

That didn’t fit the ferocious aura it projected.

There was a strange sense of familiarity in the situation, too.

…Right.

The Utahraptor.

Back in the cave, I’d encountered a Utahraptor terrified and fleeing from a pseudo-Ankylosaurus under Baek Yeon-Yeong’s control.

So this Magnosaurus might have come down in fear, much like that Utahraptor.

“The fire rat is strong, but it doesn’t usually cause a scene unless something enters its territory…”

It would make sense if the mountain’s guardian was acting up, but something didn’t add up.

My instincts told me there was more going on.

“I’ll need to be extra cautious when I challenge the guardian.”

“Gek.”

I nodded lightly.

Defeating the fire rat could very well be a turning point in my life as a lizard.

To ensure victory, I’d need to be thoroughly prepared.

With Baekrang by my side, we returned to the den.

---

“Heh-heh-heh.”

From the youngest to the oldest, the wolves wagged their tails, welcoming Baekrang and me.

Interestingly, the younger wolves made more of a fuss, while the older ones tried to act more dignified.

But wolves will be wolves.

Their tails wagged furiously, betraying their excitement.

Even Baekrang, their elder, couldn’t hide her wagging tail, so how could they?

“…Would you cut that sly look?”

“Gek.”

Baekrang began dividing the Magnosaurus meat into portions, setting aside parts for the preparation we needed.

“They won’t be able to eat too much of it, anyway.”

Can’t eat much?

I’d been feeding them meat more regularly, and they were still wolves, after all.

With seven of them plus Baekrang, they should be able to handle this amount.

“Whimper…”

Chilang looked uncertainly at the meat.

“Oh, the creatures near the volcano tend to have a spicy taste. That’s why.”

Spicy?

*Spicy*, you say?

“Gek-gekk!”

I took a piece of meat in my mouth, and a pleasant tingling spread across my tongue.

“You even handle spicy food?”

Baekrang sounded a bit surprised.

Spicy taste in the wild was often a defense mechanism.

Most animals would avoid something with a spicy flavor.

But I, the lizard with a human mind?

Spicy food was something I’d happily pay for.

“Gek-gekk!”

So, fire-wielding creatures have a spicy taste. Fascinating.

Wait, could that fiery bird I missed last time taste like… *fire chicken*?

If I encounter it again, I’ll definitely hunt it down.

Seeing me enjoy the spicy meat, the wolves hesitated only briefly before starting to eat.

“Awoo!”

“Whimper…”

They quickly adjusted to the taste and devoured the meat.

While we ate, Baekrang gathered the materials I’d collected.

After forming the Magnosaurus’s inner core into a rounded shape, she infused it with her icy energy.

Since she’d already done most of the preparation, it didn’t take long.

*Crack!*

A single blue orb formed.

“This should be quite useful. It’s single-use, but once you consume it, you’ll have strong resistance to fire for a while.”

Baekrang had created an imitation of an ice crystal.

Though it didn’t have true icy powers, it significantly increased fire resistance.

She claimed it was essential for facing the fire rat.

Apparently, its attacks could surpass even the volcanic *Thousand Blossoms Fire Rain*.

“Gek-gekk.”

I carefully took the blue orb in my claws.

Since it was single-use, I’d save it for my confrontation with the fire rat.

“Awoo! Awoooo!”

As the wolves savored the Magnosaurus meat, they all bolted outside.

Peering after them, I saw they were frantically lapping up water from a puddle.

“Told you not to overeat.”

Baekrang sighed, sending a chill over the area.

*Crack!*

A thin layer of ice formed over the puddle.

“Awoo!”

The wolves happily gnawed on the ice.

Hmm, ice.

They had pretty good taste.

The more I observed Baekrang, the more I admired her abilities.

Her fur was fluffy, her powers were impressive, and she was a *dog*, after all.

She looked like a classic white pup, too.

“…I don’t know what you’re thinking, but that look on your face is insulting.”

“Gek.”

Baekrang slowly approached and sat down beside me.

Close enough that her tail brushed against me.

“I’ve noticed something. Ever since you arrived, the pack has become… softer.”

*Softening*, huh?

When they first met me, these wolves had bared their fangs.

Their faces had sharpened, like little raptors.

But after I joined, their faces gradually softened.

Starting with Chilang, each wolf slowly morphed from wild wolves into playful puppies.

I hadn’t intended that.

All I’d done was pet their fluffy fur a few times.

As wild wolves, they’d probably never been touched by another, so they fell quickly under my spell.

Baekrang, their elder, didn’t seem to pet them very often.

Of course, if I sensed this was weakening their wild nature, I would’ve stopped immediately.

I wasn’t going to be with this pack forever, so I wouldn’t act irresponsibly.

But fortunately, they still seemed fine.

They wagged their tails in the den, but showed their fierce hunting instincts outside.

“These wolves weren’t like this before. It feels like I’m seeing a domesticated dog,” Baekrang said.

Well, wolves and dogs aren’t too different.

“It feels strange. Out of nowhere, they started trusting this lizard.”

“Gek-gekk.”

Baekrang was right. Wolves and lizards don’t usually make good friends.

But I’d already become close with humans, snakes, spiders, and birds, so I was an exception.

“You’re leaving soon anyway, so I don’t understand why they’re so attached to you.”

Baekrang tapped the blue orb with her paw.

“I think they like you even more than they like me.”

“Gek-gekk.”

Maybe if you’d treated them better from the start.

“What do they even see in you, just a lizard with scales?”

Scales have their own charm, you know.

If you met Shek-shek, you’d get it.

“Seriously, it doesn’t make sense. You’re all scales, not a single fluffy hair.”

She really emphasized the lack of fur.

Did wolves see me as some bald creature?

To be fair, they were all covered in fur.

Especially Baekrang’s chest fur, which was exceptionally fluffy.

“Oddly enough, even when I shift into my human form, they seem less impressed now.”

She was right.

Ever since I’d started petting the wolves, Baek

rang occasionally transformed into her human form to pet them herself.

Except for the rare times I fell victim to her tricks, it didn’t seem to have much of an effect.

It all comes back to the lizard.

It’s not about appearances but skill. Petting a dog requires true mastery.

“What’s so great about being petted with those big paws?” Baekrang mused, staring intently at my claws.

With the wolves outside, it was just the two of us.

*Gulp.*

The sound of Baekrang swallowing was painfully clear.

Maybe she hadn’t eaten the Magnosaurus meat?

Come to think of it, she’d been holding back since the start.

Just as I was about to step away and offer her the rest of the meat—

*Plop.*

Baekrang placed her paw on me, stopping me in my tracks.

“So, my conclusion is, there’s something special about those paws of yours.”

Her tail wagged slightly.

“…I want to find out what it is.”

Her golden eyes fixed on me.

“Could you… pet me?”

In her own roundabout way, Baekrang was asking to be petted.

I suppose if the wolves would miss me after I left, it was wise for her to learn my technique.

“Gek-gekk.”

I’ll make sure you can’t live without the touch of a lizard.

Baekrang’s tail swayed like a pup’s.

No, this wasn’t a wolf’s tail anymore—it was a dog’s.