I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 253

Back when I was still a small lizard, I once found myself trapped in a cave.

It was during a stormy night.

I was living peacefully with Tus and Pus, but during a hunting expedition, a piranha caiman ambushed us.

While I managed to get the spider sisters to safety, I was caught off guard when the ground beneath me suddenly gave way, plunging me into a damp and dark cave.

A place teeming with venomous insects stronger than me.

At the time, it was nothing short of a hellish maze.

If my mentor hadn’t been on an errand to the Silver Dragon Cave and happened to find me, I might still be trapped there.

Thanks to their guidance, I wasn’t just rescued; I gained the opportunity to learn.

I transformed from an ordinary lizard into one capable of wielding martial arts.

I, who would have spent my life croaking Gegeks endlessly, instead stumbled into a serendipitous twist of fate.

Everything I am now, I owe to my mentor.

That’s probably why I let my guard down completely around them, curling up and purring like a contented lizard whenever I’m near them.

...Although, to be fair, there are other times when I let my guard down, but that’s just instinct.

Even so, my time with my mentor wasn’t long.

I’d even entertained the idea of sticking around as a pet lizard, but my mentor gave me a moment of clarity.

“Stop running,” they said.

“Face the caiman that trapped you and land a blow on it.”

With those parting words, my mentor left me in the cave.

Alone in the Silver Dragon Cave, I trained relentlessly to grow stronger.

And then, I met the kind centipede who now stood before me.

I’d call it my first true bond after meeting my mentor.

Of course, if you looked at it from the outside, it wasn’t anything remarkable.

Unlike the other creatures in the cave, the centipede didn’t attack me. In fact, it helped me by trading the inedible bugs I couldn’t stomach for crickets, which I could manage.

While some might see it as nothing more than a peculiar, docile centipede, I didn’t take its kindness lightly.

The centipede’s goodwill extended far beyond just that.

The cave’s most common food source was grotesque creatures like house centipedes.

Eating them would have been crossing my final line.

Even now, despite having the body of a lizard, I’ve managed to maintain my human mind relatively well.

Sure, I’m not exactly the same as I was when I was fully human, but I’ve managed to adapt to life straddling the line between human and spiritual beast.

I’ve gained experience, learned who I am, and found a way to live without losing myself.

But back then, it wasn’t so easy.

I was still reeling from the transformation from human to lizard.

Every day was a struggle to survive.

Just when I thought I could catch a break after building a nest with the spider sisters, everything was taken from me.

Wandering in a pitch-black abyss, my fleeting encounter with my mentor felt like a brief spark in the void.

If I hadn’t met the kind centipede back then—

If I had crossed that line when my identity was still fragile—

I wouldn’t be who I am today.

I would have become a beast, not a spiritual being.

I wouldn’t have returned to Tus and Pus, I wouldn’t have cared about meeting Soyeong, and I wouldn’t have even acknowledged Sishishi—I’d have ignored or attacked them outright.

So, this centipede isn’t just my benefactor. It’s my beetlefactor.

“Gegegek!”

I’d assumed it had been devoured by that centipede monster, but here it was, alive and well.

As a lizard who rarely tears up, I couldn’t help but feel my eyes grow a little misty.

...Wait, is that the centipede’s drool?

Is it hungry or something?

Anyway, it’s been so long, kind centipede.

“You look oddly familiar... Have we met somewhere before?”

The centipede tilted its head, looking like it was on the verge of remembering.

“Gekgek.”

It’s me—the lizard from back then.

“Gasp! That cry...!”

It seemed to recognize me now.

“Could it be... that baby lizard from the cave?”

“Gek!”

Yeah, it’s me from—

Wait, baby lizard?

Did it think I was a hatchling back then?

Well, to be fair, I probably was. I hadn’t even been a month old at the time.

“But that lizard... it was definitely...”

The centipede trailed off, its gaze uncertain.

“Is it really you?”

Its green saliva dripped as it stared at me, wiping its mouth with its fourth leg.

Thanks to Nephila, I was used to sights like this by now. Any other lizard would’ve screamed.

“Oh, my goodness.”

It tapped my scales with its seventh and ninth legs.

“I was so worried back then!”

But then, as if remembering something, it suddenly stopped and averted its gaze.

“...I’m sorry. That centipede monster was so terrifying that I couldn’t bring myself to help.”

Why are you apologizing for that?

If anything, I should be the one apologizing.

You only got attacked because you tried to share crickets with me.

“Gegegegek.”

But seriously, how did you survive?

“I quickly molted and escaped, but I didn’t have the courage to save you.”

So, the centipede monster had only eaten your molt?

Even I had been fooled, so I’d call that a near-miraculous skill.

It might even rival my tail-shedding technique.

“But how did you survive?”

“Gekgek.”

I gestured with my hands and feet, explaining what had happened.

Though the centipede wasn’t a member of the Gae Gak Sect and couldn’t fully understand, it seemed to grasp the key points.

“My goodness... You defeated that centipede monster? With that small body?”

“Small body,” huh?

The moment I let out a feral growl that didn’t match my small lizard form, the air in the cavern shifted.

The enormous Arthropleura, its body coiling like an ancient serpent, paused mid-slither. Its massive form radiated an intimidating aura, the kind that would make most creatures cower. But for me, its threatening presence felt more like an invitation. A challenge.

The kind centipede—my benefactor, who once saved me in a similar dire situation—was trembling beside me, clearly paralyzed by fear. To her, this monstrosity must have been the embodiment of terror.

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“Don’t worry,” I said with a flick of my tail, as if my small gesture could calm her racing heart. Of course, she couldn’t understand me, but my unwavering stance seemed to convey enough.

“Kiiiiaaaaak!” The Arthropleura let out another ear-splitting screech, its segmented body coiling and uncoiling with each guttural cry. The cavern walls echoed the sound, amplifying its menace.

“Gekgek,” I chuckled darkly.

This overgrown millipede thought it could intimidate me? It was nothing but a bigger version of the creature I had already defeated in the Silver Dragon Cave. And back then, I was far weaker, just a tiny, struggling lizard.

Now, I wasn’t the same.

“P-please! Run away!” the centipede stammered, her legs fumbling as she tried to shield me with her body. Her kindness was touching, but unnecessary.

With a casual swipe of my tail, I pushed her aside gently. “Gek,” I assured her.

This wasn’t her fight—it was mine.

The Arthropleura, seemingly insulted by my lack of fear, lunged toward me with terrifying speed. Its massive, armored body moved like a train crashing off its tracks, aiming to crush me beneath its weight.

I didn’t flinch.

Instead, I leapt forward, my claws glowing faintly as the scales of my evolved form shimmered under the dim cave light.

“Kiiissaaaaaak!” The creature twisted mid-air, its giant mandibles snapping dangerously close to my tail.

“Too slow.”

I landed squarely on its back, my claws digging into its segmented armor. The beast writhed violently, slamming itself against the cavern walls to dislodge me. Rocks tumbled from the ceiling, and the air filled with dust, but I held on, my claws finding purchase even against its slick exoskeleton.

“Grrrrk...” I growled, a sound that resonated with primal dominance.

This was no longer a simple fight for survival. This was a reminder—a declaration that I was no longer the prey.

The Arthropleura finally managed to fling me off with a powerful twist, sending me hurtling across the cavern. I slammed into the rocky ground but landed on all fours, unharmed.

“Gek!” I barked, taunting it.

Its multiple legs scrambled as it turned to face me again, its beady eyes gleaming with rage.

This time, I didn’t wait. I surged forward, my speed far surpassing its lumbering movements. Before it could react, I was beneath its body, striking its vulnerable underbelly with a devastating blow from my tail.

“THUD!”

The beast let out a guttural scream, its massive body convulsing as it collapsed to the ground. Its armored segments shuddered violently, the light in its eyes flickering as its strength waned.

“Gekgek.” I stood atop its fallen form, my small frame a stark contrast to its defeated bulk.

The cavern fell silent, save for the sound of the centipede’s shaky breaths.

“You... you actually... defeated it...” she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief and awe.

I turned to her, flicking my tail as if to say, Was there ever any doubt?

But my moment of triumph was cut short when the Arthropleura let out a weak, final hiss.

“Kssaaak...”

It wasn’t a cry of defiance—it was a plea.

I paused, my claws poised for a killing blow. The sight of its broken body, heaving with labored breaths, stirred something within me.

This wasn’t the same as before. I wasn’t that desperate little lizard anymore, fighting tooth and claw for survival.

I had evolved—not just in body but in spirit.

“Gek,” I muttered, stepping back.

I wouldn’t kill it. Not this time.

Instead, I turned to the kind centipede, who was watching me with wide eyes. “Gekgek,” I said, gesturing toward the fallen beast.

She hesitated, then nodded. Understanding dawned on her face.

“This... this is why you’ve become so strong,” she murmured. “You don’t just destroy... you lead.”

The Arthropleura let out a faint hiss, its massive body slumping further into the ground. It wasn’t dead, but it was clearly no longer a threat.

With a final flick of my tail, I turned and began to walk deeper into the cavern.

There were more trials ahead, more beasts to face, and more treasures to claim. But for now, I left the Arthropleura with a single thought lingering in the air:

I wasn’t just a lizard anymore—I was a force to be reckoned with.