Chapter 1

The air of the jungle was damp and sticky, as if licking at your skin.

Occasionally, a lukewarm breeze would blow through, but instead of washing away the discomfort, it only fanned the flames of irritation, like the breath of some disgusting creature.

“Ha… The wind is fanning the flames. What an appropriate metaphor.”

Theo absentmindedly voiced the thought that popped into his head, hoping to lighten the mood.

But despite his joke, the atmosphere didn’t change much, and the sticky clothes clinging to his body remained unchanged.

In this world, there are people who don’t hesitate to take great risks to achieve their dreams.

And Theo was one of those people.

*Crack*

*Kieeeek!*

In an instant, a sinister sound of a tree thicker than his waist falling echoed, followed by an even more ominous, spine-chilling roar.

Along with it, the figure of a massive snake, with scales like boulders, large enough to swallow a person or two in one bite, could be seen in the distance.

“Ha… Ha… That crazy bastard just doesn’t get tired, huh.”

If his sister were here, she’d scold him for using bad language, but Theo was alone now, and even if she were here, he wouldn’t have the time to care.

Theo, who had been making pointless jokes to escape reality, snapped back to his senses and quickly moved his feet.

The source of that roar was a Basilisk, a monster that sat at the top of the Verde Jungle’s ecosystem.

Theo had a dream of leaving his small village, traveling the world freely, and becoming an adventurer who would leave his name in every corner of the world.

If he became an adventurer, he could lessen the burden on his sister, who worked alone to support him, and later, if he succeeded financially, he could even take care of her. Most importantly, he could explore the vast world, see many things, hear many stories, and gain countless experiences.

But where there are good points, there are also bad ones.

The life of an adventurer was dangerous and unstable, and even those who took such risks only a handful succeeded. So, when his sister found out about his dream of becoming an adventurer, she vehemently opposed it.

That’s why Theo decided to bring back the head of a Basilisk as proof to convince his sister.

If his sister had heard this, she would’ve been horrified, but objectively speaking, it wasn’t a reckless plan.

He had talent that didn’t belong in a small village, he never stopped working hard, and he didn’t hesitate to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to become an adventurer.

He wasn’t lacking in talent, he put in enough effort, and his research was thorough.

In fact, he had successfully hunted a Basilisk.

Although it was smaller compared to an adult, and it didn’t even have the fully developed Evil Eye that could petrify anything in its sight, it was still an immature specimen.

But even so, that monster was enough to dominate the Verde Jungle, and killing it was an achievement that proved he had the capabilities of a high-ranking adventurer.

No, considering that Theo was a sixteen-year-old boy with no adventuring experience, it was a remarkable feat for his age.

All that was left was to take the Basilisk’s corpse back and gain his sister’s approval.

But no matter how thoroughly Theo had prepared to hunt the Basilisk, there was something he hadn’t anticipated.

It was the season when Basilisks entered their breeding period, and coincidentally, there was another Basilisk in the Verde Jungle that had migrated in search of a mate.

“You damn pedophile!”

Even though he had saved the Basilisk from being socially ostracized for its sexual deviancy, this ungrateful creature only sought to kill him.

Was even the social taboo against pedophilia useless in the face of a Basilisk? Truly, the ruler of the Verde Jungle!

Ah, actually, I killed the real ruler.

Even while running for his life, Theo didn’t lose his sense of humor and cracked jokes, but despite the lighthearted tone, the situation was dire.

For a reptile with no legs, it moved surprisingly fast and showed no signs of tiring.

Truly, a monster worthy of its Silver-rank difficulty.

A Silver-rank monster was dangerous enough to wipe out a small village without a proper guard force in a single night.

To hunt a Silver-rank monster, at least four Silver-rank adventurers would need to form a party to take it down safely.

In other words, no matter how talented he was, a sixteen-year-old boy who hadn’t even registered as an adventurer yet was no match for such a foe.

If only the creature would give up, but it didn’t seem likely to let go of the one who had killed its mate.

Truly, the determination of a Basilisk in heat was terrifying.

Even after hours of running, the Basilisk showed no signs of giving up.

“Die, pedo!”

But it was Theo who was in danger of dying.

As he ran without rest, a small hut came into view.

It wasn’t a building meant for human habitation, but a resting place for hunters to store their belongings or take temporary breaks while hunting in the forest.

He had seen similar huts in the forests around his village, so recognizing it wasn’t a problem.

Of course, hiding in a crudely made wooden hut wouldn’t stop a Silver-rank monster.

But the light leaking from inside the hut suggested that someone was inside.

“If I ask for help from the person inside the hut…”

Of course, the chances of the person inside being strong enough to defeat a Basilisk were low.

No, honestly, it was practically nonexistent.

So, if he asked for help, there was a high chance that an innocent hunter would die because of him.

Was it right to involve an innocent hunter in a mess caused by his own mistakes?

Thinking this far, Theo, who had already reached the hut, couldn’t help but stop.

But perhaps his hesitation lasted too long.

The sound of the Basilisk breaking through trees and charging closer was now right at his heels.

At that sound, what came to Theo’s mind wasn’t his own death, but the image of his sister waiting alone at home after his death.

Come to think of it, he had left home without telling her because he knew she’d oppose it…

If I die here, she’ll wait for me forever, not even knowing I’m dead.

At that thought, Theo reflexively stepped inside the hut.

Unconsciously stepping in, he immediately regretted it, but by then, his body was already fully inside.

And what was inside the hut wasn’t the human hunter he had expected.

“…Basilisk?”

For a moment, he panicked and thought it was a Basilisk, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t.

Its head resembled that of a reptile, like a snake, but it was more like a dragon or a lizard, something he had only heard about in rumors.

Moreover, while its neck and below were covered in reptilian scales, the rest of its limbs were identical to a human’s.

Upon closer inspection, the reptilian features seemed secondary, and overall, it looked like a human with lizard skin draped over it.

Only then did Theo realize that what was inside the hut wasn’t a human, but a Lizardman.

The Lizardman, unfazed by Theo’s sudden entrance, leisurely stirred some mysterious liquid in a pot.

“This isn’t the time! I’m sorry, but there’s a Basilisk outside!”

“Enough.”

But the Lizardman cut him off and quietly extended a hand toward him.

The gesture seemed like it was asking Theo to take his hand, or perhaps it was reminiscent of a demon king tempting a hero.

Feeling an inexplicable pressure, Theo, despite the urgency, stopped speaking.

Satisfied with Theo’s reaction, the Lizardman crooked one corner of his mouth and spoke.

“Boy. Do you want food?”