Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

When asked to lure the lizard, the Peng Clan head immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready for action.

As someone with such a straightforward personality, I knew he needed some guidance, so I gestured for him to come over to the campfire first.

“Before we proceed, let’s come up with a proper plan for luring it,” I suggested.

“I’ve been thinking—do we even need a plan? Wouldn’t it be easier to just knock it out with one hit? That way, we can capture both the lively one and the other one in one go,” he proposed.

The Peng Clan’s reputation for solving problems through sheer strength was well-known, and true to form, the head proposed skipping any strategy in favor of brute force.

His suggestion made me chuckle awkwardly. Knowing the sheer power behind his strikes, I could already imagine the horrifying outcome if he used his massive blade on the delicate lizards—it’d be a quick and brutal “splat” situation.

‘The thought alone is terrifying.’

“If you strike, Clan Head, even a lizard capable of driving away a Martial Alliance soldier would likely die on the spot… and in a very gruesome way.”

The Peng Clan head burst out laughing, clearly enjoying the compliment.

“Haha! You’ve got a sharp mind, haven’t you? That soldier only lost to the lizard because he spends too much time behind a desk. You’re right, though—if I strike, the lizard might not survive. Ah, the tragedy of being so strong!”

“Yes… quite a tragedy indeed,” I muttered, trying to keep my expression neutral.

As he patted my back with enthusiasm, I struggled to understand what part of the conversation had made him so cheerful. At that moment, my sister’s voice reached me through a sound transmission.

[The Peng Clan doesn’t get along well with the Zhuge Clan. The Zhuge Clan sees the Peng Clan as a group of muscleheads who try to solve everything with brute strength, while the Peng Clan views the Zhuge Clan as overly intellectual scholars who only use their brains.]

‘So that’s the history, huh? The Zhuge Clan are the scholarly types, and the Peng Clan are gym rats… What a contrast.’

When the Peng Clan head and the soldier had interacted earlier, I hadn’t noticed any tension, likely because of the situation with Yeong-yeong. But learning this background gave me some context.

With the Peng Clan head in high spirits, I led him to the campfire and began explaining my plan.

“Clan Head, here’s what I propose: while you lure the lizard away, Lady Hwa-eun and our Poison Creature Unit will block the escape routes. In the meantime, I’ll check on the other lizard.”

“Are you sure you can handle it? What if it turns out not to be sick? You said your martial skills aren’t very advanced.”

The Peng Clan head had a valid point, but before I could respond, my sister interjected.

“In that case, I’ll stay by So-ryong’s side. Clan Head, you can focus on luring the lizard, and our unit will handle blocking the escape routes.”

“That sounds like a better plan. Is there anything else we should be cautious about?”

“Yes! Just make sure the lizard doesn’t climb the walls. If it gets on the walls, it could bypass the blockade and come straight at me.”

“Got it. I’ll approach the lizard, lure it away, and make sure it doesn’t climb the walls. Let’s get started!”

With the plan in place, we moved quickly. If the lizard truly was sick, there was no time to waste.

We approached the dome-shaped rock again, and as expected, the warning sounds of the lizard echoed through the cavern.

Kyaaaa!Maintaining a distance of about ten meters, we spotted the lizard in front of the rock, its tail raised and swaying from side to side. I signaled the Peng Clan head.

“Clan Head, you’re up!”

“Understood! Everyone, move as we discussed!”

The moment the Peng Clan head stepped closer, the lizard reacted with a hiss, taking a defensive step forward, its small body brimming with determination.

“Haha! Come at me if you dare!”

Tung!Striking the flat side of his blade with his palm, the Peng Clan head made a loud noise, provoking the lizard further. As he took another step forward, the lizard launched itself at him like a spring.

Thud!“Oho! It’s got some weight! This one’s strength is comparable to a first-class warrior in the Peng Clan! How exciting!”

The lizard slammed into the blade, creating a heavy impact sound, but it was clear that the Peng Clan head wasn’t just relying on brute strength. He subtly redirected the lizard’s charge, switching their positions and blocking its path back to the rock.

Now trapped, the lizard hissed and tried to retreat, but the Peng Clan head advanced, cutting off its escape.

“Now’s the time!”

At his signal, the Poison Creature Unit moved swiftly, surrounding the lizard and completely cutting off its access to the rock.

With the aggressive lizard occupied, it was finally our turn to act. Shouting to my sister, I rushed toward the rock.

“Let’s go, Lady Hwa-eun!”

“Yes, So-ryong!”

Kyaaaa!Thud!The lizard’s hissing and the sound of its body colliding with the blade echoed through the chamber.

Finally, we reached the shaded area beneath the rock, where the second lizard lay motionless. Even as we approached, it didn’t move.

“Is it really sick?” my sister asked, carefully observing the lizard.

Kneeling before it, I nodded.

The lizard was suffering from dysecdysis—a condition where it couldn’t shed its skin properly. Its eyes were covered in a white film, and its tail was decaying at the tip.

As we drew closer, it seemed to sense our presence, turning its head slightly in confusion. But with its vision obstructed by pus and retained skin, it couldn’t see us. Its feet and tail were similarly encased in unshed skin, and the decayed portions suggested it had been struggling for a while.

“So-ryong, what should we do now?” my sister asked, glancing between me and the lizard.

There was only one solution in this situation.

“We’ll have to treat it immediately,” I replied.

“Treat it? Here? We don’t have any medicine or tools!”

Her concern was valid, but I smiled reassuringly.

“It’s fine. All we need to do is peel it.”

“Peel it? You’re going to peel the lizard?”

“Yes, completely,” I replied, reaching out toward the lizard lying motionless on the ground.

As I placed my warm hand on its cool skin, the creature flinched slightly, but it didn’t resist—it was too weak to put up a fight.

“If you stay still, I’ll help you get better,” I murmured softly. Creatures like this often understood tone more than words, and as if comprehending, the lizard stopped moving altogether.

Gently stroking its head to calm it, I grabbed hold of the translucent, un-shed skin and began pulling.

The skin stretched but didn’t tear easily.

“Oh!”

My sister’s eyes widened in surprise as she blinked at the sight. It was probably the first time she had seen a lizard shedding its skin. Unlike snakes, lizards often eat their shed skin in the wild, making it rare to find intact remnants.

“These creatures shed their skin just like snakes do,” I explained.

“Ah! I didn’t know that!”

Pulling the stretched skin, I quickly realized there was a problem—the skin was far tougher than usual. Normally, it would tear easily when pulled, but this one was so thick it resisted.

Shedding is often a delicate process, but this time, the tough skin made it especially difficult.

However, who was I if not the renowned expert in venomous creatures and reptiles, Spicy Fabre?

I swiftly took out a hooked knife from my pack and carefully placed it against the stubborn skin. Applying steady pressure, the blade finally pierced through, and with a satisfying tear, the skin along the lizard’s back peeled away, revealing its glittering blue scales beneath.

“It looks like a jewel, So-ryong!”

The vibrant blue shimmered like a galaxy, as my sister had aptly described. Carefully, I continued peeling the skin, pulling it down toward the hind legs.

The skin rolled down like a sock being pulled off, the remnants coiling into a small bundle. Despite some difficulty at the claws where old skin had accumulated, a firm tug resulted in a satisfying pop as the shed came off, resembling a small rubber glove.

“It’s fascinating! It really does look like a glove,” my sister remarked, examining the shed skin.

Back in my previous life, whenever one of my pet lizards experienced shedding issues, I’d peel their skin for them. This process often became a popular segment during my broadcasts, with viewers finding the sight of the peel and the final “rubber glove” oddly satisfying.

Here, it seemed no different. My one and only audience member appeared to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

“Can I try, So-ryong?”

“Of course. Just hold this part gently and pull slowly. If you pull too hard, it could hurt the lizard’s feet,” I instructed.

While faint crashing and cracking sounds echoed behind us, I couldn’t care less. A date involving peeling lizard skin? This was practically a dream scenario for someone like me.

‘One of my gaming friends used to say his dream was to raid dungeons with his girlfriend. This is my version of that,’ I thought, grinning.

Starting with the left hind leg, then the right, followed by both front legs, we worked together to peel away the remaining skin, producing four little “rubber gloves.” All that remained now was the tail and the head.

“I’ll handle the head myself. If we’re not careful, we could damage its eyes, and that could lead to blindness,” I explained.

Though slightly disappointed, my sister nodded in understanding.

Gently, I rubbed the edge of the lizard’s snout, lifting the stubborn skin around its head. The translucent layer came off gradually, revealing its delicate features beneath.

“It looks like it’s wearing a raincoat,” my sister commented with a chuckle as the skin began peeling back further.

As I continued, she suddenly asked, “So-ryong, can I take care of these lizards? You already have the O-gong centipedes, after all.”

Crash.

What I thought was an ideal date had taken a sharp turn. This was the equivalent of your girlfriend playing on your PC and then asking to keep it.

Smiling awkwardly, I offered a compromise.

“Why don’t we split them? There are two, so we can each raise one.”

“Split them?” She seemed to consider the idea for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, that sounds fair. It’ll be even more meaningful that way.”

‘Crisis averted.’

It felt like narrowly avoiding having to give up my main PC by offering a backup laptop instead.

Taking a deep breath, I resumed peeling the skin from the lizard’s head. The final hurdle was the layer over its eyes.

Peeling lizard skin required great care, especially around the eyes. The skin could leave behind residue that might cause infection or inflammation.

Cradling the lizard in my arms to prevent it from squirming, I carefully used the tip of my hooked knife to lift the translucent film over its eye. Slowly, it came away, revealing a bright yellow eye that blinked and stared directly at us.

“Feeling better?” I asked.

The lizard, as if to confirm, licked its now-clear eye with its tongue.

After cleaning the other eye, only the tail remained. But as I turned my attention to it, I paused.

“So-ryong, what’s wrong?” my sister asked, noticing my hesitation.

The issue was the lizard’s tail. Half of it was necrotic and would need to be removed. While the tail served as an energy storage organ, cutting it off could leave the lizard at risk of starvation, especially since we didn’t yet know what it ate.

Before I could decide, a panicked voice rang out behind us.

“So-ryong! Be careful! We lost it!”

Turning around, I saw Gu Pae’s alarmed face. The tall grass rustled violently, and a moment later, the other lizard—the aggressive one—emerged, breathing heavily.

Its eyes burned with fury as it glared at us and let out an enraged hiss.

Kyaaaa!“It’s okay! We were just trying to help!” I said, holding up the lizard in my arms as proof.

Kyaaaa!The angry lizard wasn’t buying it. Its reddened eyes fixed on me as it hissed louder, clearly misinterpreting the situation.

I glanced down at the lizard in my arms and the knife in my hand, realizing how this must look.

It was as if I were holding its companion hostage, knife in hand, ready to do harm.

Panicking, I extended an empty hand toward the angry lizard.

“It’s a misunderstanding! I can explain! We’re just trying to help, I swear!”