Chapter 16: The Great Labyrinth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: The Great Labyrinth
My fall was picking up speed.
At this rate, even if the ground were covered in water, my body would explode on impact.
I had to slow down, no matter what.
Shhhk!
I reached out and grabbed the nearest wall.
Scraaaaaape!
My gecko traits were still there, so I thought I could cling to the wall.
But that ability wasn't enough now.
It only slowed my descent; I couldn't actually cling to the wall.
I had to slow down more. Much more.
I pressed my newly grown tail against the wall, using it to increase my surface area as much as possible.
Sizzzzzle!
It hurt like hell.
My unhealed wounds were exposed to the searing friction.
It felt like my flesh was cooking. No, it probably was cooking.
It was agonizing, but I couldn't pull my hands and tail from the wall.
The moment I let go, I'd hit the ground and die.
To reduce the friction even a little, I alternated my hands and feet, bracing them against the wall.
As I fell, getting roasted to a golden brown, my hand managed to grab onto something.
Grasp!
It was too dark to see clearly, but it felt like some kind of thread.
Was it animal fur, or maybe a plant vine?
I had no time to figure it out.
Thanks to the thread, I was briefly hanging in the air.
It was a precious moment to cool my searing hot body.
Snap.
Of course, that stroke of luck didn't last long.
Damaged by the force of my fall, the thread quickly snapped.
Scraaaape!
I could feel my claws being ground down in real time.
I tried to cling to the wall, but it was no use.
Still, at this speed, I could probably avoid instant death.
CRASH!
My small body slammed into the ground.
“Geeeeek!”
I'm not the kind of lizard to cry out in pain, but a scream escaped me against my will.
But the fact that I screamed meant I still had the strength to make a sound.
In other words, I was alive.
[You have acquired 「Tough Skin LV1」.]
[You have acquired 「Fire Resistance LV1」.]
Phew.
If you were going to give them to me, you could have done it sooner.
…No, wait. It might take them back.
I'll use them well, Mr. Status Window.
【Green Basilisk LV6】
HP: 24/75
MP: 25/32
My HP had taken a huge hit, but I had to be grateful that was all.
If I hadn't managed to slow down just a little more, I would have become a lizard patty.
Roasted golden-brown by the friction, the Maillard reaction would have been amazing.
…Damn, thinking about food even in a situation like this.
I feel like my thought process is becoming more and more like a lizard's.
I couldn't help being hungry.
I'd burned an enormous amount of calories while fleeing the caiman, not to mention the energy it took to regrow my tail. It was only natural to want to refuel.
Still, unlike an ordinary lizard, I could endure it to some extent.
If I were just some ordinary three-day-old lizard, I'd probably be crying gek-gek-gek.
I was hungry, but I didn't think I was going to die from it.
There was something more pressing than my hunger.
Just where in the world was this place?
Even with my elite lizard brain, the answer didn't come right away.
The ground had collapsed, and I'd fallen to the bottom.
To think there was a place like this near the swamp.
I never imagined it.
A sliver of light trickled in from the hole I'd fallen through.
Though "light" was a strong word. It was night, so it was just a faint glimmer of moonlight.
Still, it was infinitely better than complete darkness.
I could make out the general shape of the place.
Stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Stalagmites growing from the floor.
It was probably obvious, but I had fallen into a cave.
A faint breeze drifted by.
This meant there had to be an exit somewhere.
It seemed I wouldn't have to worry about suffocating to death.
I craned my sleek head and looked up at the hole I'd fallen through.
Could I make it back up with my footwork and wall-climbing skills?
Alright. Let's give it a try.
Imagining I had a red hat and a mustache, I leaped towards the wall.
*
To get straight to the point, I failed spectacularly.
I was not an Italian plumber.
If the hole had been a straight shaft, I might have been able to climb out somehow. But the hole narrowed as it went up, making it impossible to scale the walls.
Above a certain height, the walls were too slippery to even hold on.
Still, it wasn't without its gains.
[You have acquired 「Night Vision LV1」.]
I got Night Vision!
Of course, it probably had nothing to do with my wall-climbing attempt.
I likely got it from being in a dark place for so long.
Still, having Night Vision made me feel somewhat reassured.
Even if someone launched a surprise attack, I'd be somewhat prepared.
I'd also unintentionally leveled up Crisis Detection to 7.
I'd done about all I could for now.
【Skills】
「Lesser Dragon's Ascent Steps」「Small Heavenly Cycle」「Ten-Poison Immunity」「Baek-ran's Heart Method」
「Tail Sever LV9」「Sprint LV8」「Crisis Detection LV7」「Tail Sever LV2」「Wild Eye LV2」「Cold Blood LV1」「Predation LV1」「Gourmet LV1」「Tough Skin LV1」 …….
A slightly more organized-looking skill window.
I glared at it.
There was something I had to address right now.
There was a traitor among my skills.
I'm talking about you.
「Tail Sever LV2」
You, the one pretending to be Tail Sever.
I lifted a claw and tapped the thing pretending to be Tail Sever.
Fzzt.
「%! Se■□ LV2」
Severs %!
The skill window flickered and the name changed.
Rather than the name changing, it felt more like a glitch in a game.
That strange description.
I had seen this a few times before.
The first time was when I got the skill called Webbed Walk.
Influenced by my other skills, Webbed Walk tried to evolve into Great Webbed Walk.
And that's when this thing showed up.
This thing pretending to be Tail Sever responded to Webbed Walk, and thanks to it, I learned the footwork skill called Lesser Dragon's Ascent Steps.
The next time I saw it was when I was being chased by the caiman.
I definitely used Tail Sever, but I felt something other than my tail being cut.
Because of that, the caiman chasing me suddenly vomited everything in its stomach.
On top of that, the high-grade inner core was shattered and scattered everywhere.
It was too timely to be a coincidence.
I continued to glare at the thing pretending to be Tail Sever.
Aren't you going to answer me?
…
The status window said nothing.
「Tail Sever LV2」
Severs the tail.
The description for Tail Sever also returned to normal.
Does that mean it has no intention of telling me yet?
Of course, I've never suffered a loss because of this skill.
In fact, you could say I've only gained from it.
But something felt off.
It was definitely helpful, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was accompanied by something beyond my control.
What on earth was the true identity of that skill?
What was certain was that it wasn't a simple Tail Sever.
Seeing as it dealt definite damage to the caiman, it might be more incredible than I thought.
“Geck…”
I thought hard, but no answer came.
Still, it was definitely useful.
“Gek-gek.”
For now, I'll keep it around.
However, if it tries any funny business, I'll discard it immediately.
I didn't even know how to discard a skill, and I wasn't sure if "keeping it around" was the right expression, but I renewed my mindset.
Who knows, maybe it could read my thoughts and behave itself.
The issue with the Tail Sever wannabe was settled for now.
Now it was time to move on to the next item on the agenda.
What was the most important thing for me right now?
Escaping the cave?
Of course, that was important. That was the number one goal.
But there was something that had to come first.
Filling my starving stomach.
My HP was low and my hunger was no joke.
At this rate, I'd starve to death before I could escape the cave.
If I ran into an enemy, I'd get eaten even by one I could have beaten.
It was time to return to being the merciless hunter, the Green Basilisk.
Even with Night Vision, finding prey was no easy task.
The creatures living in a place like this would have natural camouflage.
But I had Wild Eye.
I focused my eyes and activated the skill.
I could see them.
Countless names and levels.
As the skill's level went up, I could see not only in more detail but also over a wider area.
In the radius around me, there were about thirty life forms in total.
…Isn't that too many?
【Scutigeromorpha LV1】
【Scutigeromorpha LV1】
【Scutigeromorpha LV1】
Tsk.
No.
Anyway, if they're level 1, they must be very weak insects.
The more the merrier.
But Scutigeromorpha?
What's with that name?
I wonder if it tastes like spaghetti.
I opened my large mouth and charged towards them.
And at the same time, my Night Vision leveled up.
[The level of 「Night Vision LV1」 has increased.]
In an instant, my vision brightened.
【Scutigeromorpha】
A creature of the centipede order, also known as the house centipede.
It can be easily found anywhere in the world and, unlike its appearance, is a beneficial insect that eats pests.
The number of legs increases each time it molts, and an adult has an average of 30 legs.
Uh.
Wait a minute.
That's that thing.
It's a house centipede!
Screeech!
I hastily dug my front paws into the ground.
I'd just stuck my head into a hell swarming with dozens of house centipedes, and yanked it right back out.
“Kiiiiii?”
The house centipedes all looked at me at once.
I am a basilisk lizard.
Insects like that can't do me any harm.
They were no different from the aphids I hunted on the first day.
They were creatures I could cook up as easily as a diving beetle.
But, it wasn't easy.
That thing…
It looks too disgusting!
This was a different kind of terror from the caiman.
Describing it in detail would probably make me suffer, so I tried my best to erase the image from my mind. Nevertheless, the sight of the house centipedes, so close I could almost feel them, was hard to forget.
Pretending to be unfazed, I used only my hind legs to slide backward.
【Megarachne LV4】
【Megarachne LV2】
There were spiders gathered over there.
Yeah, spiders are fine.
…I wonder if Tus and Pus escaped safely.
They weren't nutritious anyway, so the caiman probably didn't even think of eating them.
I approached the place where the spiders were gathered.
I was the spiders' idol, after all.
It was a chance to gather followers for the Church of the Green Basilisk.
And I could also secretly fill my stomach.
【Megarachne】
The name means "giant spider."
It is a very large species with a body length of 55cm, and is classified not as a spider but as a sea scorpion.
“Kieeeek!”
“Geeeek!”
…It wasn't a spider?
But it looks exactly like a spider.
And its name even means "giant spider."
Again, I stealthily backed away.
Still, it was a relief we didn't become hostile.
Let's see, aren't there any cute little guys around?
Something small and tasty, like a cricket.
It was then, as I was stealthily backing away.
Thump.
Something bumped into my foot.
My level 7 Crisis Detection blared like a siren.
Wheee-ooo.
I had a feeling I shouldn't look up.
But I couldn't suppress my curiosity.
【Arthropleura LV17】
【Status】
「Annoyed」
__________________________
【Arthropleura】
The largest millipede, growing up to 2.6m in length, 55cm in width, and 50kg in weight.
It possesses a strong poison and prefers herbivory over carnivory.
An iridescent shell, almost purple. Thick armor that seemed to rival the caiman's. For a millipede, it was coiled like a snake, but it didn't look awkward at all.
Hiss.
The corrosive saliva dripping from its mouth amplified its intimidating presence.
I absolutely must not show any fear.
I had to act like I'd always been in this cave, like I was an arthropod, not a lizard.
“Shiaaaaat!”
It didn't work.
It seemed to find something strange about an arthropod walking on two legs.
Arthropleura.
A giant millipede.
“Geeeeek!”
I was just going to let it slide, but now that I thought about it, I was pissed.
Activate Sprint.
Preparing to even use Tail Sever, I used my secret technique.
Tatatatatat!
It was none other than… running for my life.
No, it should be seen as a strategic retreat.
You should count yourself lucky, millipede.
If only I had more HP, one of us would be dead by now.
“Gek-gek!”
RUUUUMBLE!
…Don't follow me. I was just talking big.
RUUUUUMBLE!
I'm the lizard who gobbled up a high-grade inner core. You'll regret it if I evolve!
CRASH-RUMBLE!
I'm sorry. I'll never do it again.
Please stop chasing me.