“Hm... I’m not sure about the maid uniform, but the Su-gul Mi-ju might take some time to make. The materials aren’t that common.”

My teacher muttered as she read a letter from the Queen of Snakes.

As I had expected, she was asking for a schoolgirl maid uniform.

The Queen of Snakes and my teacher’s schoolgirl uniform.

“Hehehe...”

*Snap!*

“Gek!”

And so, time passed.

I spent more time in the basement, once again increasing my resilience under the guise of a sparring session, and during the day, I experimented with spiders and various other things.

When I felt a little tired, I’d sneak into Baek Seolhwa’s room to steal a snack.

I almost got caught a few times, but come on, who am I?

I’ve reached the realm of the Flying Dragon, so my body became harder to catch.

To be more accurate, I developed a sense of where Baek Seolhwa was at any given moment.

Her scent and the feeling of something large nearby gave me a sharp instinct.

“Gek-ggek…”

I spent these peaceful days, and as night fell, I’d sneak into my teacher’s bedroom once more to play the role of the pillow.

Though the days were peaceful, I couldn’t stay here forever.

There were things like the Dragon Offspring to deal with, and I also needed to be cautious of the Shaolin monks.

It was time to start preparing to take my followers with me.

“By the way, Hyiya, are you planning on taking the Tang family’s daughter into your territory?”

My teacher stretched my body as she asked me.

“Gekk.”

“Even though she’s from the Tang family, I wasn’t planning on sending her away, considering her connection to my disciple.”

Tang So-yeong came to the Heavenly Demon Cult for Nephila’s treatment.

The only place that could treat her was the Heavenly Demon Cult at that time.

To be precise, there was nowhere else she could go back then.

Had I carried her to the Tang family, she would have been caught by hunters along the way and turned into lizard roast.

Thanks to my teacher’s care, even though she’s from the Gu-pai Faction, Tang So-yeong was able to stay here.

But now, Nephila had been cured.

Her reason for staying at the Heavenly Demon Cult was gone.

Though my teacher had mentioned this, it seemed she wasn’t planning on immediately sending her away.

My teacher knew that if Tang So-yeong went back to the Tang family like this, a bad ending would surely await her.

“Now that she’s a disciple, I can’t really say anything. I don’t oppose bringing her into your territory. A doctor with her skills is rare, especially one who can deal with mystical creatures.”

Tang So-yeong is quite a skilled doctor.

She saved Nephila, who was on the brink of death, so despite her appearance, she’s exceptional in her medical abilities.

Of course, I don’t personally need her healing skills.

With my ability to level up and recover all my conditions instantly, her healing isn’t necessary for me.

But other followers don’t have that ability.

As my territory continues to expand and the number of followers increases, Tang So-yeong’s skills will be essential for the Gek Cult.

“However, no matter how close she is to mystical creatures, she is, after all, human. As the leader of this faith, remember that she must always keep that in mind.”

Well, I can’t think only of my perspective.

Thinking back to when I lived with Tang So-yeong, she probably had her own troubles.

She’d lie flat in the nest I made.

Sometimes, she’d have serious discussions with the spiders.

She’d secretly eat the dried meat I had made.

…We got along well enough, I suppose?

“Gekk.”

No matter how I think about it, Tang So-yeong seems like she’s better suited to live with me.

It feels like she’s too comfortable here.

She’s even gained a bit of weight.

Though, the important things haven’t changed.

“The most concerning thing is her appetite. I tried to ignore it, but she eats a lot for her size.”

If my teacher says that, how much does she eat?

She eats so much, yet doesn’t gain any size.

I’m a bit disappointed.

“Of course, I’m not concerned about the food itself. No matter how much she eats, it’s nothing compared to the food intake of mystical creatures.”

“Gekk.”

That’s true.

No matter how much Tang So-yeong eats, it’s nothing compared to my own meals.

“But even if the meat is good, a human can’t eat only that every day. Plus, feeding her raw meat, instead of cooked, isn’t good for her health.”

Well, I used to complain about eating only meat, too.

Though I’m carnivorous, I’m not incapable of eating plants.

It’s more of a balanced omnivorous diet, I guess.

I should consider making Tang So-yeong eat some vegetables.

And those Bicorne creatures look like herbivores, despite their appearance.

If I ask them, they’ll probably bring some edible herbs.

I’ve gathered a few helpers, so when I go back, maybe I should try cooking.

Though with lizard hands, I’m not sure how easy it’ll be, but I can always ask those with human bodies.

“Also, you’ll need to be mindful of her living arrangements. If she’s living with mystical creatures, it’s fine, but since there are humans around…”

“Gekk-gekk.”

Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.

She’ll be perfectly content if I just toss her into the bushes and let her scratch her belly.

“Hmm… If I have some free time, maybe it wouldn’t be bad for me to visit your territory.”

“Gekk.”

That’s a bit awkward.

It’s fine if my teacher visits my territory.

It would be a welcome event.

But my territory? It might not be so welcoming.

The prey might get scared and run away the moment they sense her power.

“Geeeng.”

“What’s with that expression?”

…And I feel a bit awkward too.

It’s like when your parents come to visit your dorm room.

It’s not intentional, but all the creatures in my territory are female.

What if my teacher finds out?

She won’t say anything directly, but I’ll definitely feel uncomfortable.

“Are you hiding something?”

“Geeeeng…”

It was impossible to deceive my teacher.

“I respect your privacy, but remember to stay within proper boundaries.”

“Gekk!”

Of course, Teacher!

“Before you do anything without my permission…”

Why is she suddenly saying this?

What’s permission?

And what does she mean by “anything”?

I swallowed nervously.

“Snip.”

My teacher lightly grazed my tail with her finger.

“Gekekek!”

And immediately, I realized that what she meant by “cutting” wasn’t my tail.

“It’s no joke.”

Right. I should have expected this from her.

“Gek?”

“I could cut it now if I wanted to.”

“Geeeek!”

You can’t just say things like that!

---

At night, I played the role of the pillow.

And during the day?

“I’m the lizard!”

“Catch him!”

I became the main attraction of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

I thought I was just sneaking into Baek Seolhwa’s room to steal rice cakes and watch people walk by, but now they’re obsessed with catching me.

“That lizard was peeking into the hot springs!”

“I saw him lurking with that suspicious look!”

Even though I did nothing wrong, the followers are fixated on me.

“Gekk-ggek…”

Even though I’ve shrunk, I’m not at a level where regular followers can catch me.

No.

In fact, shrinking may actually make it harder for them to catch me.

*Swish!*

“Ahhh!”

“Did you see that? It dashed across the water like a wild animal!”

I showed off my Basilisk agility, and they couldn’t get enough of it.

But it wasn’t just the regular followers trying to catch me.

“I got him!”

Hmm...

This one looks like someone of Baek Yun’s caliber.

I saw several top-tier martial artists surrounding me.

Five or more of them formed a tight encirclement.

Normally, a lizard wouldn’t be able to escape from this situation.

*Swish!*

Suddenly, a huge plant grew up, blocking their movements.

“Cough! Why are vines suddenly—!”

“Ahh! This plant’s strange! It’s binding me!”

“Hehehe…”

I showed them the difference in our levels.

Even if they brought a Peak-tier martial artist, catching me would be difficult.

They would need someone at the Absolute Peak to even have a chance.

“…I moved the drawer, too.”

A strong-looking figure appeared.

I could feel the deep internal energy emanating from this large figure.

It was Baek Seolhwa.

“Today, I’m definitely going to make you an obedient disciple.”

Her glowing blue eyes burned with intensity.

“Gekk-ggek!”

Her intense gaze showed no weakness.

This is good.

Come at me!

“You lizard!!”

“Gekek!”

---

The big lizard fight began.

The kind-hearted priestess threw things at me while trying to catch me, drawing the attention of the followers.

Most of them watched the game of tag between the lizard and the priestess.

Even Baek Yeon-yeong, the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

“Master, are you really just going to leave that mystical creature alone?”

A voice echoed from the empty air.

“There’s no one here, so feel free to

 do as you wish.”

“Understood.”

*Swish.*

A figure dressed in a black mask slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was the Left Law of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

The Shadow Sword Ghost, Woo Jin-un.

“I clearly told you to do as you wish.”

Baek Yeon-yeong glanced at Woo Jin-un.

“But…”

“Are you defying the master’s command?”

“No, I’m not.”

Woo Jin-un removed their mask.

Flowing black hair cascaded down.

“Ah. It looks good.”

“Thank you.”

Woo Jin-un’s voice grew thinner.

From a more masculine tone to one that sounded more like an ordinary woman’s voice.

The Shadow Sword Ghost, Woo Jin-un.

She was known in the world as the darkest blade of the Demon Cult.

If I were to sum up Woo Jin-un in one word, it would be “assassin.”

Her alias, “Shadow Sword Ghost,” came from being like a ghost hiding in the shadows.

For an assassin to have an alias is a kind of insult.

But, since she’s the Left Law of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Woo Jin-un’s identity couldn’t remain a secret.

The moment an assassin’s identity is revealed, it means their mission failed.

But Woo Jin-un had never once failed.

So how did her identity become known?

The answer is simple.

Everything about her that was known to the world was false.

Her face, her voice, her name.

And even her gender.

Narin.

That was the true name of the Left Law.

“Alright. Continue with what you were saying.”

Baek Yeon-yeong looked at Narin’s face, seemingly satisfied.

It was a face that would be deeply etched in the minds of every man who saw it, so it was impossible for her to walk the assassin’s path.

But Baek Yeon-yeong had discovered her talent and helped her rise to the position of Left Law.

“…Are you really going to leave that creature running around?”

Narin was one of the few who could voice her opinion to the master.

Baek Yeon-yeong listened to her words.

It was clear she was telling her to continue speaking.

“The Elders don’t seem too fond of that creature.”

Narin knew a lot about Baek Yeon-yeong and the black-scaled lizard.

She was the one who had been watching me in the shadows.

“If you keep exposing it like this, sooner or later, it will cause serious trouble.”

Baek Yeon-yeong didn’t answer her question.

Instead, she posed a new question.

“What do you think of Cheonma?”

Despite her confusion, Narin answered the question.

“He is our sun.”

“Our sun.”

She murmured the word again.

She was thinking of the lizard that had been given the name “sun.”

“What do you mean by sun?”

She briefly looked at her ring finger.

“Is Cheonma a being so powerful that nothing can defeat him? Is he the absolute being who grants our wishes?”

The master of the Heavenly Demon Cult speaks of Cheonma.

“Yes. Cheonma is a being so powerful, no one can oppose him.”

“Hmmm…”

Baek Yeon-yeong casually continued.

“Do you really believe such a being exists in this world?”

The leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult is denying Cheonma?

That can’t be right.

“No matter how great a tree is, it will eventually fall with time.”

No, she wasn’t denying Cheonma’s existence.

“What I mean by ‘sun’…”

She was redefining the concept of Cheonma.

Baek Yeon-yeong’s gaze fell to the ground.

A red fruit rolled and touched her feet.

It was a fruit that had a long way to go before it could ripen.

“The one who prevents hunger.”

My throat was dry, and my stomach was hungry.

That’s why Baek Yeon-yeong joined the Heavenly Demon Cult, and Narin, who was in a similar situation, came along as well.

The Heavenly Demon Cult was a place for the poor and hungry.

The sun they believed in had to be the one who kept them from starving.

*Crunch.*

Baek Yeon-yeong bit into the red fruit.

Autumn hadn’t yet come.

Yet, the Heavenly Demon Cult already had the abundance of fall.

The lizard that makes gekking sounds.

No, it was all because of the one lizard walking the path of a true dragon.