“Gek…”

This time, I didn’t sense the gaze that had been watching me.

Was I just imagining things?

I’d like to think so, but my senses are rarely wrong.

The original plan was to capture the Fire Rat and immediately evolve, but things had gotten slightly complicated.

Since nothing was happening right now, I decided to check the evolution list.

Seeing that would help me determine my next steps.

[You have met the conditions for a special evolution.]

A special evolution, straight away?

Yeah, this time I didn’t have to waste time on misleading options like before.

For a lizard of my level, a basic evolution would be a bit disappointing.

[Your potential has exceeded its limit.]

A pleasant message appeared.

When the status window goes out of its way to add words like this, it usually means something good.

[Revealing hidden options.]

__________________________
You can evolve 【Komodo-Lania】 into:

1. 【Komodo-Salamander】
2. 【Komodo-Earth Dragon】
3. 【Komodo-Steel】
4. 【Komodo-Fire Dragon】 (Conditions not met)
__________________________

Something was different this time.

Before, the conditions were listed alongside each choice.

For example, eating the Dilophosaurus core would allow me to evolve into a Komodo, and consuming flame energy would enable me to evolve into a Salamander.

Additionally, unlike before, each option now included the prefix "Komodo."

It seemed similar to how dinosaurs often have "saurus," meaning "large lizard," in their names.

Now, "Komodo" appeared to mean something more than a species – it seemed to signify an ancient death with a tail.

In other words, I no longer had to worry about losing my faith.

The lineup looked impressive.

At a glance, it felt like my past efforts were finally being rewarded.

Let’s review each option.

---

**1. Salamander**

__________________________
【Komodo-Salamander】

The sacred beast Komodo imbued with the essence of fire.
A giant lizard covered in flame-like scales.
It wields fire freely and holds the potential to become a dragon.
__________________________

The Komodo had embraced the essence of fire.

Though I’d never seen a creature quite like me, something similar must have existed.

Considering that the Tang Clan revered Komodo as a mythical beast in legends, there must have been Komodo somewhere.

But now things were different.

I was no ordinary Komodo.

Just as I am the only Komodo that speaks, I would be the only Komodo-Salamander.

“Geggek…”

It was a very appealing choice.

During my last evolution, I had debated between Salamander and Lania.

Lania was a great choice, especially since my larger size provided a significant advantage in most battles. Overwhelming my opponents with sheer weight was simple but incredibly destructive.

But I regretted missing out on becoming a fire-wielding lizard, the Salamander.

Now, with no restrictions due to faith, I could become the Salamander right away.

And with Komodo’s abilities, I’d gain the power to control fire in this form.

Let’s keep this as an option.

---

**2. Earth Dragon**

__________________________
【Komodo-Earth Dragon】

The sacred beast Komodo imbued with the essence of earth.
A beast that devours the earth with its massive body.
It wields the power of earth freely and holds the potential to become a dragon.
__________________________

Earth Dragon!

A dragon that controls the power of the earth!

…No, stay focused.

Just because it has “dragon” in the name doesn’t mean it’s a real dragon.

Remember the Green Basilisk.

A beast that devours the earth with its massive body.

It wasn’t even called a lizard, snake, or reptile – just a beast.

What does that mean?

It’s a trap.

The Earth Dragon means a worm.

It probably appeared because I’d eaten the Death Worm.

Sure, its size and combat power would grow tremendously.

But the moment I became an Earth Dragon, I’d lose my hands and feet.

Maybe the snake family would appreciate it, but I certainly wouldn’t.

You’re disqualified.

Let’s move on.

---

**3. Steel**

__________________________
【Komodo-Steel】

The corrupted form of the sacred beast Komodo.
It burns mountains with fire and freezes the earth with hail.
It harbors resentment for not becoming a dragon and seeks to destroy all in its sight.
__________________________

If we’re looking at abilities alone, this one seems the strongest.

Fire and frost.

It can wield both powers.

But that’s all it offers.

It has no future.

The other options all mention the potential to become a dragon, but there’s no such promise for Steel.

It’s disqualified from dragonhood even before becoming one.

Moreover, with its description as a “corrupted form” bent on destroying everything in sight, it seemed ominous.

It felt like a dark evolution.

If I chose this one, I’d probably end up as a skeleton lizard.

Let’s skip this too.

Moving on.

---

**4. Fire Dragon**

Fire Dragon.

This one was very different from the other options.

__________________________
【Komodo-Fire Dragon】

The sacred beast Komodo after passing the Dragon Gate trial.
A mystical creature capable of ?? something ???
Holds the potential to become a true ??, a lower dragon species.
__________________________

Some of the text was unreadable.

But I could make an educated guess.

Unlike the others, this creature could genuinely be called a dragon.

Being referred to as a lower dragon likely made it similar to the mythological Basilisk.

Maybe even stronger.

But I couldn’t choose the Fire Dragon right now.

Why? Because of the words “Conditions not met.”

The condition was the Dragon Gate trial.

Capturing the Fire Rat alone wasn’t enough.

That was as far as I could go with the list.

For now, my choice would be Komodo-Salamander.

Unlike the other options, it came with no penalties, and if I could fully control fire, my combat power would increase significantly.

However, this wasn’t the right time to evolve.

A quick look at the list was fine, but evolving would leave me defenseless for a considerable period.

If someone attacked me during that time?

I might revert to being a gecko.

Evolution should be done in a safe place.

So, should I head back down the mountain?

No.

That didn’t sit right.

The Dragon Gate trial.

And the Fire Dragon.

As a man, I couldn’t simply ignore these words.

There was definitely something waiting for me at the volcano’s peak.

Having defeated the guardian, I might be eligible for the Dragon Gate trial.

Let’s climb up and find out.

After all, the Dragon Gate trial could simply mean reaching the peak of the volcano.

It was worth a shot.

And I also wanted to uncover the source of that gaze.

With my level increased from capturing the Fire Rat, my condition was perfect.

I could probably defeat most opponents in my current state.

And if it turned out to be too strong, I could just run away.

“Geggek.”

But first, let’s not waste the nutritious treat right in front of me.

The Fire Rat’s fur hadn’t been burned by the flames; if I harvested it well, it would come in handy.

There would likely be a core in its body too.

After expressing my gratitude to the generous Fire Rat, I sharpened my claws.

---

As I climbed higher, the volcanic aura grew stronger.

But in my current state, I could easily endure it.

The ice elixir’s effects lingered, and the Fire Rat had helped me.

Its core had merged into my body, providing strength.

On top of that, I wore its fur, which shielded me from the heat.

With all this, I could probably settle down and live on this volcano.

The Fire Rat’s core granted me strong fire resistance.

Unfortunately, it didn’t open new evolution options.

Choosing the Salamander might influence my next evolution.

Its effects were simple but didn’t place a significant strain on my body.

Perhaps the fire element I already possessed made it blend naturally.

From that perspective, Salamander was indeed the perfect fit.

After more climbing, I finally reached the peak.

Sensing a presence nearby, I lowered my footsteps and hid behind a rock.

If a terrifying beast appeared, I’d launch the Death Beam immediately.

Peeking out, I saw what appeared to be a human.

…Was that the presence sending me killing intent?

Due to the intense heat, my Wild Eyes ability wasn’t working properly.

The figure appeared blurred, as if shrouded in heat haze.

It didn’t seem aware of my presence, so I decided to observe.

Judging by appearances can be deceiving, but they didn’t seem like the type to attack on sight.

It was a woman with red hair.

She was bathing in a hot spring.

Her body was… well, quite imposing, to say the least.

…Focus.

I probably looked like a creepy lizard spying on her bath.

…Not entirely wrong?

Definitely a strange person.

Who bathes up here in this dangerous place?

No matter how good the hot spring might be.

…But was that even a hot spring?

Wasn’t she just soaking in lava?

“Hm.”

The woman let out a hum as she gazed into the air.

“You came all the way here just because I sent a bit of killing intent?”

Unbelievable.

My perfect disguise had been exposed.

“There’s no way you thought you could hide that bulk. Drooling as you watch – were you planning to ambush me?”

Drooling?

What an absurd accusation.

I was just curious to see a human up here.

From the way she spoke, she didn’t seem inclined to fight.

A massive lizard peeking at her

 should normally cause her to scream and attack first.

Swoosh.

The red-haired woman rose from the water.

Sizzle…

Droplets of lava dripped to the ground.

Clearly not an ordinary human.

This was Ten Thousand Grand Mountain, so perhaps she was a friend of Baek Yeon-Yeong.

She no longer exuded any killing intent, suggesting she was harmless.

And judging by her physique, she could only be a good person.

Much to my disappointment, a black cloth wrapped around her body.

But even so, it couldn’t hide her powerful figure.

“Hm…”

The red-haired woman hummed again.

In that instant, her appearance changed.

Two black horns sprouted from her head, and a long tail appeared above her hips.

Like a reptile’s tail.

So she was a mystical creature too.

It made sense – no regular human could be here.

Her appearance was peculiar, though.

Two horns.

And a reptilian tail.

…Is there a creature like that?

The woman smiled slightly as she looked at me.

And at that moment, my Wild Eyes ability finally activated.

---

【Red Dragon lv???】

“So Namgung Yeon wasn’t lying, huh?”