Chapter 4 – Venomous Rebirth
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The choice burned in his mind.
Venom Lizard.
The moment he willed it, fire erupted inside him. His body convulsed violently, his claws scraping deep grooves into the stone. His throat burned with acid, his bones cracked like snapping twigs, and his scales rippled as if molten metal poured beneath them.
He couldn't scream—his jaw locked tight—but the sound of his bones shifting echoed louder than any cry.
I'm… breaking apart…
Then, as quickly as the agony rose, it shifted—pain blending into a fevered ecstasy. His body wasn't dying. It was shedding.
His skin peeled in strips, falling like molted snakeskin, revealing darker, glossier scales beneath. His teeth lengthened, sharp as daggers. His tongue grew longer, forked, twitching with venomous hunger. His glands throbbed near his jaw, swelling with liquid power.
The lizard thrashed once more, then stilled. His vision sharpened. His senses widened.
The world was different.
Every sound vibrated in his skull—the distant drip of water, the faint heartbeat of scuttling insects, even the whisper of air slipping through cracks in the stone. His tongue flicked, and for the first time he didn't just taste the air—he saw it. Trails of scent formed pictures in his mind, glowing threads that painted the dungeon in invisible color.
Slowly, he rose.
Not crawling.
Standing taller, tail balanced, muscles coiled with newfound strength.
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[Evolution Complete.]
[You are now: Venom Lizard.]
[Stats increased.]
[Skills enhanced.]
Poison Resistance → Lv.3
Acid Spit → Lv.2
New Skill: Venom Fang (Lv.1)
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The words carved themselves into his skull, each one a hammerbeat of triumph.
He hissed, jaw opening wide, fangs dripping with liquid green venom. A single drop fell, sizzling a hole into the stone floor.
He stared at it, then laughed. A rasping, guttural laugh that echoed through the cavern.
This power… this body… I'm no longer prey. I am predator.
His stomach growled, deep and hungry. The evolution had burned through his energy, leaving him ravenous. But this time, his hunger wasn't desperate. It was greedy. He didn't just want to eat to survive—he wanted to devour, to test his new strength.
He slithered forward, body sleek and fast, following the scent trails that lingered in the air.
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He found them deeper in the cavern.
Not slimes. Not rats. Something new.
A group of four kobold scavengers—dog-headed humanoids barely taller than his body length, carrying crude stone daggers. Their yellow eyes glowed faintly in the dark as they gnawed on scraps of bone, growling at one another.
The lizard froze in the shadows, tasting their scent.
They're different… smarter. Weapons. Tools. They're not mindless like slimes.
The kobolds stiffened suddenly, ears twitching. One sniffed the air, growled, and barked a warning.
The lizard hissed. His tail lashed.
No running. No hiding.
Let's see how my new body fares against prey that can fight back.
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The first kobold lunged with its dagger raised. The lizard darted low, faster than before, his claws scraping sparks from the stone. His fangs sank into the kobold's ankle.
Venom flooded instantly.
The kobold screamed, dropping its dagger as it collapsed. Foam bubbled from its mouth within seconds, its limbs convulsing violently.
The others snarled, circling him. One slashed down with its blade. The lizard twisted, tail whipping hard. His tail struck the kobold in the ribs, sending it crashing into the wall with a crack.
The remaining two came at once, stabbing and snapping. Their blades sliced his scales, shallow cuts spilling blood—but the lizard didn't flinch.
He reared back, throat swelling. Acid burned up his chest.
He spat.
A stream of sizzling liquid splashed across both kobolds, their flesh melting as they shrieked in agony. The stench of burning fur and meat filled the cavern.
Moments later, silence.
Four corpses lay scattered. The lizard's tongue flicked eagerly, savoring the victory.
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[You have slain Kobold Scavengers x4.]
[Exp gained.]
[Skill leveled up: Venom Fang (Lv.2)]
[Title acquired: Predator of the Weak.]
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The lizard paused.
Title?
He rolled the words in his mind. They resonated with him, a recognition of his shift in the dungeon's hierarchy. No longer food. No longer the hunted.
I'm becoming something more.
He fed hungrily on the kobolds, ripping through flesh and crunching bones. Their blood was bitter, but rich in energy. His wounds closed faster. His muscles twitched, eager, restless.
But more than that—he felt a strange pull.
Not hunger. Not instinct. Something deeper.
This feeling… He glanced at the kobold corpses. Is it dominance? Command?
For a heartbeat, he saw an image—himself not just fighting alone, but surrounded by followers. Creatures that bowed to him, served him, killed for him.
The vision faded, but the hunger remained.
Not just for food.
For power.
Yes… I'll build an army. And this dungeon will not just be my hunting ground. It will be my kingdom.
His venom-dripping jaws curled in a grin.
Step by step. Kill by kill. From this crawling lizard… I will rise. Demon Lord. Demon God. The world will kneel.
And with that vow burning in his chest, the Venom Lizard slithered deeper into the dungeon's abyss.