Chapter 53: Lizard Hunting
“Two-Horned flying to Three-Horned, huh?” Dean said with a grimace.
“The Three-Horned Giant Lizard has strong vitality. To take it down, you need to either sever its neck or crush its heart. Even after that, it will still move for a while, so don’t get close until Dean and Chris say it’s safe,” Retze explained, cautioning us.
Even if it stops moving, it might still react if poked. It can thrash around quite a bit, especially with its tail.
This particular Three-Horned specimen was on the larger side, its puffed cheeks indicating it was a mature male. Its body, which would turn a pale gray upon death, was currently a mottled green and brown.
“Before that, the skin on its back is tough and harder than bone. It’s difficult to deal with from above or the sides,” Chris quietly drew his sword.
“The chance will come when it raises its head and exposes its throat,” Dean readied his grip on his sword.
Hmm. I had been slashing away indiscriminately with the Zanzenken from above and the sides, so now that I had to fight with a regular sword, I wasn’t sure how to approach it. If I hit the skin, my sword might chip. I should have thought it through a bit more before engaging.
With that in mind, I decided to observe their skills.
We split into two teams, with Dean circling around to the tail of the Giant Lizard—not directly behind, but slightly to the right. Chris positioned himself slightly to the left in front. Both of them were careful to suppress their presence while being mindful of the wind direction.
Once they were in position, they nodded to each other.
Dean struck at the tail of the Giant Lizard with his sword—no, he actually hit it. As the startled Giant Lizard twisted its body to bite at Dean, Chris took the opportunity to thrust his sword into the extended neck in a graceful arc.
They quickly distanced themselves before the Giant Lizard began to thrash about.
To face the enemy that had attacked from behind, the upper body was lifted, and the neck was bent back, exposing the stretched skin. Chris aimed for the softer skin beneath the throat, targeting the thinner area with his sword that had excellent piercing capability.
If he didn’t pull out the sword immediately after cutting through the bone, the contracting muscles would either trap the sword or break it.
Chris executed that maneuver in an instant. It was impressive how well they coordinated without prior discussion. They must have divided their roles based on the characteristics of their swords, working in perfect harmony.
“Impressive,” I remarked.
“Truly remarkable,” Ash and the Butler chimed in, clearly impressed.
“Phew, even if I think I’m okay, my heart’s racing. I’m such a coward,” Retze exhaled beside me.
“That was amazing,” I said, but it felt like they couldn’t have done it without each other. I didn’t want to be a mere spectator!
As I watched, the movements of the Giant Lizard weakened, and eventually, it came to a stop.
“Now then, please assist with the dissection,” Chris turned to us.
Sure, sure. I’m good at dissection. I had been using the Zanzenken for this before, but I made sure to practice with a regular knife to understand its properties for making armor.
As a result, the knife I carried for show was actually more expensive than the sword.
While Dean and the others struggled to remove the head’s horns and claws, I started by clearing away the unnecessary protrusions.
The hard, bump-like protrusions were located from the head to the neck and the inner sides of the hind legs. They could be knocked off with a strong hit. These glands emitted a foul odor, and it seemed these protrusions were hardened secretions rather than scales.
Next, I inserted the knife into the anus located between the hind legs and began cutting the skin open. I could really use a sharper knife for this.
“Wait, are you experienced?” Dean interjected.
“It’s just a lizard, right?” I shot back! Dissecting a Giant Lizard isn’t something you do every day, huh? Well, maybe if it’s not a Demon Beast, it could be possible?
So, from the hole I made earlier, I followed the scent glands—
“You seem quite experienced,” the Butler stated definitively.
“This skin…,” Retze hesitated.
“It’s just your imagination,” I asserted.
“…”
“…”
“…How about we go hunt some lizards?”
“Wouldn’t that be the One-Horned variety?”
“How many do we need for a sheet per person?”
What!? Did they catch on!? But it’s not a One-Horn; it’s a Two-Horn. I’ve never even seen a One-Horned Giant Lizard.
“Gene, have you ever entered the Forest as a Gold Rank?”
“I plead the fifth.”
“Well, that’s what I figured. If they find out you have connections to Gold Rank, even if it’s just a casual acquaintance, they’ll start pestering you for material requests and whatnot. It’s better to keep quiet.”
I don’t know a single Gold Rank person. Was that the moment I should have answered honestly?
While Retze prepared our meal by the riverside, the other four went lizard hunting. Apparently, One-Horned lizards are common around here, and Ash and the Butler would handle those, while Dean and Chris would take care of anything else that showed up.
Ash and the Butler could probably take down Two-Horned or Three-Horned lizards in no time. With their weapons, they could employ the methods Dean and Chris had just demonstrated.
“Oh, there are protrusions on the inner sides of the hind legs too.”
“Really?”
I was teaching Retze the dissection steps. It’s my own method, though.
This area is said to be a breeding ground for Giant Lizards, with many ordinary ones around, which proportionally means there are also many Demon Beast variants. The stronger specimens gradually move deeper into the Forest, scattering as they go.
Right now, since there are Three-Horned ones, we can’t let our guard down, but because there are so many Giant Lizards, it seems there are fewer other Demon Beasts and animals, making it a prime spot for lizard hunting.
There are also more of those black, melted-looking Spirits appearing. Most are smaller than those in the training grounds, but there are some larger ones too. If one attaches itself to you, you could become a Demon Beast, so we can’t let our guard down. Do the larger ones turn into horned Demon Beasts? So many mysteries.
“By the way, Retze, how much lard do we have?”
They say Giant Lizard meat is similar to chicken, and I want to make some karaage.