Chapter 173: Fait Accompli
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: Fait Accompli
There was something Baek Rang used to say all the time.
You’re nothing but scales.
You don’t even have any fur.
That’s what she’d say as she pushed me away with her front paws.
It’s common sense that lizards don’t have fur.
It would be more plausible for me to suddenly sprout wings.
But now, I had become a being that shattered even common sense.
I had become a lizard with a lush coat of white fur.
Though, it made me wonder if it was even right to call myself a lizard anymore.
“…It’s just… I was curious because you suddenly grew fur.”
Baek Rang avoided my gaze.
Just a moment ago, she had been stroking my fur nonstop, but it seemed she had finally come to her senses.
“H-Hmph. I guess… I guess this fur is decent enough.”
Though embarrassed, she kept stealing glances at my fur.
I wondered what fur really meant to wolves.
Seeing how Swish-Swish also loved my scales, maybe it was a measure of appearance.
“…The color is the same as mine, too.”
She fidgeted with her fingers.
Then, as if some strange thought crossed her mind, she suddenly let out a little giggle.
And then our eyes met again.
“Gekgek.”
“…Hmph!”
She suddenly smacked me on the chest.
I still couldn't quite grasp the principles behind Baek Rang’s actions.
Is this what all females are like?
“Gek?”
“What do you mean, ‘Gek’?! You perverted lizard!”
What’s with her all of a sudden?
“Touching me all over while I was asleep.”
She said it in a way that could easily be misunderstood.
I only touched her ears, tail, and cheeks.
“Hmph, whatever. I did save your life, so I’ll have to get proper repayment.”
Didn’t I save your life once, too?
I wanted to say that, but only gekking sounds came out of my mouth.
And even if I was right, it didn’t change the fact that Baek Rang had helped me.
So, you want something else, do you?
Let’s hear it.
“…So.”
All her earlier bravado vanished, and she began to fidget again.
Yet her tail was still wagging, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
“This time… you can’t say anything, even if I touch you all over, okay?”
Gulp.
I heard the sound of her swallowing.
Baek Rang’s eyes were fixed intently on my white fur.
Geez, she’s not a kid. What’s so great about touching this stuff?
“…You touched me, so I’m doing it too!”
But I am a kid.
*
“Purrrr…”
Baek Rang fell asleep in my arms, letting out a cute sound.
I was about to invite her to the Gaegaek Cult, but she must have been more exhausted than I thought.
It seemed the horn of the Gakisu could heal the body, but not fatigue.
The power Baek Rang had shown when fighting the Red Dragon was drawn from beyond her limits, so it was bound to take a toll on her body.
“Hyororong…”
She had returned to her wolf form, no longer in her uncomfortable human body, and was curled up in a ball.
Was this an invitation for me to pet her as much as I wanted?
“First, with me… Then Ilang and the others in order…”
Hearing her talk in her sleep, she must have been incredibly tired. I decided not to bother her for now.
Besides, there was something just as important as petting her fur that I needed to do.
From Gomodo-Lania to Gomodo-Elder Dragon, and from Gomodo-Elder Dragon to Gomodo-Crushing Dragon.
It was time to check what I had gained from two evolutions.
“Gek.”
Gektaechang.
【Gomodo-Crushing Dragon LV1】
HP: 14800/14800
MP: 7400/7400
…Is it okay to get this strong?
My stats seemed to have doubled since I was a Gomodo-Lania.
No wonder I was still breathing after taking Lizamone’s ultimate technique.
To be honest, the numbers probably weren’t that high for having gone through two evolutions.
However, considering my body size hadn’t changed much from my Lania form, it was a pretty satisfying result.
But HP and MP weren’t the most meaningful resources.
The more the better, of course, but after a certain point, it felt like it was just a numbers game.
What was important was something else.
“Gek.”
Skill Window.
【Skills】
「Eagle-Snake Life-Death Struggle」「Dragon's Claws」「Little Dragon's Sky-Ascending Steps」「Small Heavenly Cycle」「Myriad Poisons Immunity」「Gaegaek Mental Cultivation Method」「Gecko Wall-Walking Art」「Ancient Dragon Leg Art」
「Dragon's Horn LV1」「Gaegaek Death Beam LV10」「Dragon Scales LV10」「Reverse Scale LV5」「Poison Generation LV10」「Poison Collection LV10」 「Dragon Blood LV1」…….
Skills like Tail Severing were now further down the list.
A few skills had leveled up, and Hundred Poisons Immunity had at some point evolved into Myriad Poisons Immunity.
Among them, the skill that caught my eye the most was the one right below my martial arts.
Dragon’s Horn.
It probably meant the horn of a dragon.
Dragon Scales, Dragon Blood, Dragon Fangs (presumably).
And now, I had Dragon’s Horn.
I knew instantly that fur had grown on my body.
I could see it, after all.
But I couldn’t see my horns.
It would be weirder if I could see what was on top of my own head.
I walked over to a puddle on one side of the cave and checked my reflection.
…Is that me?
I bared my teeth and grinned.
Wasn’t I a lizard with a cute face that no one could dislike?
Seeing it like this, I felt a new sense of awe.
My body hadn't gotten that much bigger, but my arms had become incredibly thick.
I could probably smash most enemies’ skulls in with a single swing of these.
I could also use Miniaturization to grow even larger, and while my body was suited for quadrupedal movement, I could switch to bipedalism in a pinch to increase my weight class.
My melee combat abilities had skyrocketed once again.
The strength of my Dragon Scales had also become incomparably tougher.
I’d seen enough of my arms; it was time to look at the two horns on my innocent-looking head.
There really were horns.
Two of them.
They stretched straight back, so they probably weren't suitable for combat.
If I had to use them, they might be somewhat useful when headbutting an enemy.
…That’s what an amateur would think.
The existence of a skill meant it had a special ability.
With a pounding heart, I activated View Details.
「Dragon's Horn LV1」
The horn of a dragon.
Allows temporary use of the ?? of the ?.
There’s a saying: simple is best.
The simpler the description, the better the effect.
When I first got Tail Severing, I thought, Why give me two of this useless skill? But its simple description belied an incredible effect.
The original Tail Severing could infinitely create Gomodo tails that all creatures loved, and the new something-pretending-to-be-Tail-Severing had saved me countless times.
Dragon’s Horn was the same.
The description was simple, but its effect was anything but ordinary.
The characters were broken, but I could probably interpret it as the Power of the Dragon.
Of course, my interpretation could be wrong, but for now, that was the only way to read it.
The Power of the Dragon.
It wasn't hard to guess what that was.
I had used it in my battle against the Red Dragon.
It was probably that ability to quell fire energy and make plants grow.
A lizard who didn't know any better might hear that and think, Just plants?
But having used it myself, I knew just how amazing this ability was.
On land dominated by fire energy, seeds deep within the earth sprouted in an instant and grew into enormous trees.
It consumed a lot of resources like MP, but it was fast enough to block the Red Dragon’s flames, and the sheer volume of plants was immense.
It was an ability that synergized extremely well with my fighting style, which often involved hiding variables and creating variations.
Since plants grew even on the volcano, it was safe to assume they could grow almost anywhere.
I could probably even manipulate the trunks of fully grown trees at will in a place like a jungle.
“Gekgekgek…”
So this was the power of a middle-rank dragon.
Well, the Red Dragon could spew fire everywhere, so I should at least be able to do this much.
Fire energy and cold energy.
And plants.
I could now control a total of three forces.
I could also use poison, but let’s set that aside for a moment.
These three forces I wielded had something in common.
Fire, Water, and Wood.
It meant I could control three of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements.
Of course, I wasn't very good at controlling fire and water, and I was just using the power of Hwari and the Snow Ginseng.
But what if I could also control the powers of Earth and Metal?
A lizard that wields the power of the Five Elements.
And what if I could control the powers of Yin and Yang on top of that?
“Gekgekgek…”
A laugh escaped me on its own.
A golden future unfolded before me.
Of course, it was a future too distant to think about now, but I had already obtained what amounted to three of the five elements.
“Gekgek.”
If the power I could control with Dragon’s Horn wasn’t the Power of Wood, then I’d be barking up the wrong tree, but there was no way making plants grow wasn’t the Power of Wood.
Just because I made it rain for a moment didn’t mean it was the Power of Water, right?
There were no enemies around, and my body felt fine.
Should I try using Dragon’s Horn?
I focused my mind.
I drew up the internal energy from my dantian, and then…
“Geeek!”
Dragon’s Horn!
….
“…Geeeng?”
Is this not how you use it?
I just used it according to my will before.
“Gekgegek!”
I tried striking a cool pose, but no plants grew.
…Do I have to use the horns?
Tap, tap.
I tapped my horns, but nothing happened.
“Gekgek…”
This is making me stubborn.
“Gek!”
MP was consumed.
But nothing happened.
…Is it because there are no plants around?
I could see a dandelion-like flower blooming over there, so that didn’t seem to be the case.
Did the skill just scam me?
“Gekgegek!”
Alright.
Let’s see who wins.
Just as I was engaging in battle with this imaginary foe…
Creeaak.
“Gek?”
A strange sound came from the floor.
Crack.
Crack?
I was sure I used the ability on that tiny plant over there.
Why is the floor…
CRACK!
“Geeeeek!”
The rocky floor split open, and an enormous amount of vegetation began to grow.
Fwoooosh!
The skill hadn't failed; the plant right beneath me had been growing the whole time.
And I, oblivious, just kept pouring MP into it.
Still, as they say, failure is the mother of success.
If I learn my lesson once while testing it out like this, I won’t make the same mistake again.
…This seems like a bit much, so let’s trim it down.
SWIIISH!
As I was wildly slashing at the growing plants, I heard Baek Rang’s voice from over there.
“Hey, you did this, didn’t you?”
It seemed the plants had woken her up.
“Ugh, you big nuisance.”
Despite her words, she began to emit cold energy, freezing the overgrown plants.
Crrraaaackle!
After a long struggle, we finally managed to get the situation under control.
I’d say that was a lesson learned on the cheap.
“Since when were you so friendly with plants?”
“Gekgek.”
Baek Rang walked over to my side.
“But this is a little strange. You went to the Dragon Gate on a volcano, so why are you using the Power of Wood?”
“Gek?”
That was a bit odd, but it wasn't entirely impossible.
I wasn't an ordinary spirit beast; I was a divine beast under the protection of the status window.
…Wait, didn’t I evolve this time without the status window’s help?
“Not many spirit beasts have overcome the trials of the Dragon Gate, so I’m not sure if this is normal.”
“Gekgek.”
“That red dragon might know… but asking it would be impossible, I suppose.”
I felt a hiccup coming on.
Baek Rang seemed to think I had defeated the Red Dragon.
But in reality, I had put a leash on its neck and stuck it in a hot spring.
It wouldn’t be a disaster if she found out, but I had a feeling I’d be on the receiving end of a contemptuous glare.
“…What’s with that look on your face?”
“Geek…”
“Come here.”
Sensing something was off, she started sniffing the air.
“You smell suspicious.”
“Geek!”
That tickles!
Baek Rang buried her nose in my scales and took a long sniff.
“…Hey.”
I never knew she had such a preference.
Then again, dogs do like to sniff things.
“……Those plants that just grew.”
Baek Rang swayed on her feet.
She moved as if she were drunk.
“That’s catnip…”
Looking completely dazed, Baek Rang took a playful bite out of me.
From the way she was acting, she seemed drunk.
…But if it’s catnip, isn’t that for cats?
You’re a wolf.
“…You’ll grow bigger as time passes, won’t you?”
She stared intently at the area around my tail, then lifted her head to look at my face.
“This won’t do…”
Crrraaaackle.
Her cold energy froze my legs.
“While you’re still small… I have to make it a fait accompli…”
What are you talking about, Whitey?
“Geeeek?”
“Stay still!”
I’m only one year old