I have some memory of reading martial arts novels.
Obtaining an inner core or an elixir, the things I'm looking for, was often called a "fated encounter."
There was the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, a spirit beast brimming with Yang energy, yet whose inner core was filled with the opposite—a dreadful Yin energy.
There was the Golden Spirit Tree, said to grow on untouched mountain peaks or cliffs, and its fruit, the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Spirit Fruit.
There was the Great Reversion Pill, one of the Shaolin Temple's two great sacred elixirs, rumored to be able to bring even the dead back to life.
Besides those, there were other elixirs that ordinary people could never hope to approach, like Gongcheongseokyu, Ten-Thousand-Year Fo-ti, the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Turtle, and the Golden Frog.
Obtaining them was like plucking a star from the sky.
You had to defeat a powerful spirit beast or climb a legendary mountain peak just to find a single fruit that might not even be there.
Unless creatures with inner cores were just rolling around all over the place, I had to give up on finding an elixir the normal way.
But does that mean I've given up on evolving?
Not at all.
I admit it's hard to get an inner core or an elixir in a lizard's body.
However, the condition for evolution is to have spiritual energy dwell within the body.
In other words, even without something like an inner core, there's a chance I can evolve as long as I fill myself with that energy.
Even carps and toads can create inner cores, so why can't I?
I'm a pretty spiritual lizard myself.
I reached out and gently touched my white belly.
It was soft and felt quite nice. If only it wasn't my own body, that is.
There must be a dantian inside this belly.
The inner core I got from the spider—the energy inside it should be there.
If I have a dantian, it should be possible to accumulate internal energy.
Of course, I don't know any of the mental cultivation methods, heart formulas, or divine arts from the novels.
The only thing I know is a single footwork technique.
A footwork technique called the Little Dragon's Heavenly Ascent Steps.
I feel like if I tinker with it just right, some kind of internal energy formula might pop out, but I don't know how yet.
But that was no reason to be discouraged. In the world of Murim, even third-rate martial artists had a way to train their internal energy.
Qi Cultivation.
It was something anyone who had set foot on the path of martial arts was expected to do.
Of course, if a run-of-the-mill third-rater did it, they wouldn't reach states like the Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit or the Five Qi Returning to Origin. Still, the fact that they could circulate their internal energy to build it up was no different.
If a third-rate martial artist could do it, there was no reason a lizard who had merely dipped his tail in martial arts couldn't.
I curled my tail and sat in the lotus position.
Trying to sit cross-legged in a lizard's body was no easy task.
Still, my body was flexible enough that I could manage it by sort of folding my legs.
I knew what Qi cultivation was, but I had no idea how to actually do it.
That was only natural; I used to be an ordinary human.
My only knowledge came from reading a few martial arts novels.
But I could at least meditate.
I plucked a lotus leaf and covered my eyes.
Imagine a wide lake.
An endlessly sprawling, wide lake.
A single drop of water falls onto the lake.
It's just one drop, but its ripples reach the very edge of the lake.
At the edge of the lake, I see a large crest.
Its owner let out a great roar.
Yes, it was a Spinosaurus.
Everyone knows—even a passing raptor knows—that the Spino is just a common fish-eating dinosaur, a pseudo-pelican that's actually smaller than a T-Rex and no match for it.
Gasp…
Hah…
My composure shattered.
That damn, sneaky Spino. Appearing in my mental image to break my concentration.
A failure.
I couldn't even meditate properly, let alone perform Qi cultivation.
I slightly moved the lotus leaf aside and stared into the air.
"Gek gek gek."
I failed, but I did try.
Maybe the system would be moved by my effort and toss me a skill called 'Qi Cultivation'?
....
I was unfairly reincarnated as a gecko, so at least give me this much!
When am I ever going to achieve enlightenment?
Cut me some slack with a reincarnation perk or something.
…The status window was cold.
I already knew, really.
Even if a skill called Qi Cultivation actually existed, I'd probably have to succeed at least once to have a chance of getting it.
Right.
If it doesn't work, I'll do it until it does.
Clear your mind of distracting thoughts.
Focus on the single drop of water falling on the lake.
A small drop of water sent ripples racing toward the edge of the lake.
The ripples hit the edge and vanished without a trace.
Another drop of water falls.
That single drop of water is…
"KWEEEEEEEEK!"
Hoo, be patient.
Endure it.
Right. Enduring it once actually cleared my mind.
The water…
"KWEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"
This bastard.
You're dead.
Let me see your face.
[Beelzebufo LV12]
I quickly pulled my protruding head back in.
My apologies.
Please, continue what you were doing.
Seriously, what's with that toad's name?
It sounds like one of the seven great demons.
It feels like it should have the title 'Greed' in front of it.
I slapped my cheeks a couple of times and steeled myself.
When I thought about it, my own name was pretty intense too.
I was a Basilisk, for crying out loud.
Even if it had the slightly lame modifier 'Green' attached to it.
Maybe it was in a similar situation as me.
Didn't I also mistake 'Basilisk' for the one from the legends?
That thing could just be an ordinary toad.
I peeked my head out again.
__________________________
[Beelzebufo]
A giant toad over 40cm long, nicknamed the 'Toad from Hell.'
It primarily hunts by ambushing prey with its muscular hind legs.
The venom secreted from its body is so potent that even predators dare not touch it.
__________________________
Hold on.
Why is its description so grandiose?
What's this 'Toad from Hell'? I want to be a 'Legendary Lizard' or something too.
And how is that only 40cm? It looks like it could swallow me in one bite.
The golden sheen on its body was unusual. When I saw it before, I thought it was just some unremarkable toad, but seeing its name and description made me feel differently.
"KWEEEEEEEEK!"
I pulled my head back inside again.
Right.
Training is always more effective in extreme situations like this.
Let's remember the teachings of Lord Beelzebufo of Greed.
"Kweeeek!"
I waited until the toad quieted down.
When one performs Qi cultivation, they often have others stand guard.
If you're interrupted midway, you could end up with internal injuries.
If that sound broke my concentration, there was a high chance I'd be the one getting hurt.
Of course, that was assuming I even succeeded at Qi cultivation in the first place.
I heard the sound of the toad hopping away.
"Kweeeek…"
The sound grew more distant.
Now's the time.
Time to perform Qi cultivation.
Though at this point, I should probably call it lunch instead of breakfast.
You know, since the joshik in ungi-joshik (Qi Cultivation) and the joshik for breakfast…
"Gek gek."
I shut my snout and sat in the lotus position.
I closed my eyes and emptied my mind.
A drop of water falls.
The energy in my dantian began to circulate through my body.
Like a single drop of water creating ripples, it spread to every corner of my body.
"GROOOOAR!"
The ripple was broken.
"Keck!"
At the same time, I coughed up a mouthful of blood.
…Did I just cough up blood?
That means my Qi cultivation was on the verge of success.
But it was too early to celebrate.
The toad had finally gone quiet, and with immense focus, I had almost succeeded, but it was all shattered by that hideous roar. I had no idea how long it would take to find that thread of insight again.
On top of that, I'd needlessly shed blood.
Rage toward the owner of that roar boiled inside me.
That must be the other one I saw earlier.
I might not be able to handle Lord Demon Toad, but you? You'll be a piece of cake.
I began sharpening my claws on a pebble.
Turtle, oh turtle. Show your head, or I'll roast you and eat you.
Let's have a look at your face, too.
[Astrochelys radiata LV16]
I lifted my tail to cover my eyes.
Is there something wrong with my vision?
Why is this one level 16, and what's with that name?
I cautiously moved my tail aside, but what I saw didn't change.
…Still, if there was ever a time to trust the 'Details' view, it was now.
__________________________
[Astrochelys radiata]
A land tortoise that grows up to 50cm.
As its name, 'Star Tortoise,' suggests, it has star-shaped patterns on its shell.
Also called the Radiated Tortoise, it is a rare species with a small population.
__________________________
The Star Tortoise?
Something feels very wrong here.
The Toad from Hell and the Star Tortoise.
Then shouldn't the lizard between them be something like the Lizard of the Sky?
Why is it that, at best, the only name that comes to mind is something like 'Long-Tailed Water Lizard'?
"GRWRAAAAAAR!"
I had just found the key, but now I couldn't practice Qi cultivation because of this tortoise.
No, it's okay, it'll quiet down soon.
Turtles are supposed to be nice animals, right?
I've seen it a lot.
In stories like The Tale of the Tortoise and the Hare.
"GRAAAAAAAAH!"
Wait, that was a terrapin.
This bastard is a land tortoise.
"GRAAAAAK!"
Why on earth are you loitering here?
There's hardly any food around.
Even I had to go all the way to where the piranhas gather to hunt.
Patience.
They say training is the same as enduring, after all.
If I keep enduring like this, my Qi cultivation might go even better.
"KWEEEEEEEEK!"
"GROOOOAR!"
Phew.
Now they're doing it in stereo.
Still, the one silver lining is that these creatures are active during the day.
I don't know if basilisk lizards are nocturnal or diurnal, but I'm a night owl. Day or night, I can adapt one way or another.
It's actually a relief their active hours overlap.
It'll get quiet when night comes, right?
I killed time by splashing in the water… no, by practicing my footwork.
"KWEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"
"GRAAAAAAAAAAK!"
"KWEEEK!"
"GRA-GEK!"
…What is this, a dream?
Why does it sound even louder?
The frequency seems to have increased, too.
I peeked my head out slightly.
[Astrochelys radiata LV16]
[Astrochelys radiata LV11]
[Astrochelys radiata LV6]
[Beelzebufo LV12]
[Beelzebufo LV11]
[Beelzebufo LV6]
I pulled my head back in.
I've made a huge mistake.
First, just because they're diurnal doesn't mean they get quiet at night.
Second, when it's time to sleep, their families actually gather together.
And third, they spend all day making noise as if the families are competing with each other.
This is hell.
Qi cultivation wasn't the problem.
If I stay here, I don't think even my basic right to survive will be guaranteed.
Will I even be able to sleep?
I had a feeling that even if I caught prey at the hunting grounds, I'd get it stolen if they found me.
Why are my neighbors like this?
….
Hey, spider. Are you doing okay?
I miss you today, for some reason.
So much has happened to me.