EP.40
Dilophosaurus.
This is the name of the monster I have to face.
It’s on a different level compared to the foes I’ve dealt with so far.
It’s an opponent that truly fits the description of a medium-sized dinosaur.
In comparison to a Baryonyx, it is definitely smaller.
However, when compared to me, the difference is disheartening.
If I stand on two legs, our heights might be similar.
But the difference in weight is overwhelming.
It weighs 400 kg. However, it seems it’s not fully grown yet, so it may be lighter.
My weight, as indicated by my status screen, is 15 kg.
Of course, I’ll weigh more as I grow larger, but the disparity remains disheartening.
It’s a challenging opponent.
Before fighting, let’s clear away any distractions.
Swish!
I swung my tail and struck Tang So-young.
That should be enough to wake her up.
Tang So-young came to her senses.
She looked back and forth between me and the Dilophosaurus, her face pale.
From her sluggish movements, it seems the effects of the poison are still lingering.
She can’t even speak.
I can tell she wants to help me, but that’s not necessary.
“Grrr…”
In fact, her presence is a hindrance.
Swish!
I pushed Tang So-young away with my tail once more.
Only then did she start to gather Tus and Pus, retreating cautiously.
Good.
She’s got a good sense of awareness after all.
Get as far away as you can.
“Kraaahhhh!”
The Dilophosaurus charged at high speed.
What it’s targeting is not me, but Tang So-young.
With a King Crocodile Lizard right in front of it, is it aiming for something else?
That’s audacious.
I stood up on both legs.
Swish swish!
I charged toward it, kicking the ground at an incredible speed.
The legs of a Green Basilisk strike the ground 20 times per second.
Now transformed into a King Crocodile Lizard, I also possess those traits of the Green Basilisk.
Stronger and faster than before.
With the explosive power characteristic of the crocodilian species, I rapidly closed in on it.
My sharp claws targeted the enemy’s head.
Swish!
But naturally, it ducked its head and avoided my attack.
“Yikikikik!”
I expected as much, but it’s still not easy.
The fundamental difference in size is a problem.
The Cayman can walk on four legs, allowing me to close that difference somehow. But it walks on two legs. Even if I stand on two legs, I can’t close that gap.
The penalty for failing my attack was, of course, its counterattack.
Will it claw me with its talons or bite me with its teeth?
Or perhaps…
Poison!
Swish!
Its crest instantly expanded.
Dozens of kinds of poison erupted from it.
Realizing that one kind of poison wouldn’t be enough to take me down, it seems it changed its approach.
Just smelling it makes my mind feel hazy.
However, that’s all it is.
What can it do with just dozens of kinds of poison?
“Hundred Poisons Immunity!”
A hundred poisons cannot dare invade my body. I possess an exceedingly strong resistance to toxins.
I am immune to a hundred poisons.
Immediately, I moved my claws to target its head.
Swish!
Again, it nimbly moved and evaded my strike.
But it wasn’t entirely in vain. My claws managed to nick the edge of its crest.
“Kyieeeek!”
Unlike other parts, the crest is not particularly durable.
Perhaps it’s painful, as it thrashed about wildly with its tail and legs, trying to catch me.
Even a blind attack is dangerous if it hits.
I need to get out of here.
I took a breath.
The poison it possesses cannot inflict fatal damage on me.
Even if it could, it wouldn’t be at a level where it could be used in a critical situation.
However, the likelihood of my poison working on it is extremely low.
Our poisons mutually negate each other.
What remains is a pure hand-to-hand battle.
“Craaaah!”
It roared and charged at me.
It’s fast.
Incredibly so.
I quickly leaped back to dodge.
Swish.
Now, while it hasn’t stopped moving…
Hup!
I leaped into the air and gathered strength in my hands.
Now is my chance.
It’s the Dragon Claw Technique that can pierce through a Cayman’s hide.
There’s no way I can’t inflict damage on it.
Kraah!
The moment I employed the Dragon Claw Technique, it swiped at my claws with its talons.
“Yikikik.”
That stance from before.
And that power.
It feels all too reminiscent of herbivorous creatures.
It was indeed the Dragon Claw Technique.
Thud.
The Dilophosaurus charged at me with incredible speed.
After spreading its arms wide, it crossed them to attack a single point.
I’m certain. That attack closely resembles the Dragon Claw Technique.
This is dangerous.
I quickly crouched down and rushed toward it instead.
Due to the sudden change in height, its claws only sliced through the air.
Meanwhile, I was able to focus on targeting its vulnerable spot.
The crest I aimed for earlier.
The heart located at its center.
I concentrated power from my toes to thrust strongly.
Crack!
It’s solid.
However, the original Dragon Claw Technique isn’t a thrusting motion.
It’s meant to clutch the enemy with claws like a dragon.
Swish!
I slashed its chest in a clawing motion.
Crimson blood flowed out.
But it’s superficial.
I can’t be satisfied with just this level of injury.
Once again…
Thud thud thud!
Just as I slammed down onto its chest, its sharp talons struck hard against my side.
Swish!
I was pushed back by its force but did not fall.
However, the damage I received was not insignificant.
My head spun dizzily.
The Dragon Claw Technique.
Such a vicious martial art.
To think I would feel this overwhelming pain after just one allowance.
This isn’t the time for admiration.
It rushed toward me immediately.
Thud!
I quickly rolled to evade the follow-up strike.
The Dilophosaurus leaped into the air, slamming its front claws downward.
Crash!
Thanks to my roll, I barely managed to avoid it.
It continued to unleash a barrage of attacks.
Even without using poison, it was exceedingly agile with its assaults.
I was being pushed back.
The injury on my side was quite significant.
Focusing on evasion, I continued to retreat.
Since it too was utilizing the Dragon Claw Technique, the likelihood of gaining the upper hand with my claws decreased.
The same goes for its teeth.
Before it could reach me, I would be caught in the Dragon Claw Technique.
I had thought I had grown considerably, but once again, size was a hindrance.
It was gaining momentum.
It made sense, as I hadn’t counterattacked and had only been evading for a while.
The Dilophosaurus pushed me toward my resting place.
Thud!
The reason for funneling me toward this location was clear.
To corner me against the wall, aiming for a decisive blow.
“Karrl!”
Its claws and teeth never touched me.
I alone lacked the strength to match it.
Furthermore, my condition was worse off.
Thud!
Avoiding its continuous strikes, I found myself flying into a corner.
The accumulated branches and miscellaneous debris collapsed around me.
It must be smiling triumphantly.
After all, I had been driven to the corner as per its plan.
It might even be unaware that I had orchestrated this.
Its claws are short. Its teeth fail to reach me.
If that’s the case, then I just need to extend its claws and teeth.
Swish.
Next to me lies a sword.
I had been forced into this position for this very moment.
I’ve never swung a sword before.
It’s even difficult for a lizard to grip a sword.
But what does that matter?
Crack.
I bit down on the sword with my mouth.
I don’t expect to stand a chance against it using this sword.
How could I defeat a stronger opponent with an unfamiliar weapon?
It’s coming.
It hesitated for a moment as if wary of the sword I held in my mouth, but thinking it made no difference, it immediately opened its jaws and approached.
I advanced as well.
Its right front claw curled inward.
Its talons are as sharp as a fine sword.
If it collides with this sword, the blade is more likely to become dull.
I spun my body, aiming the sword’s edge at the enemy’s neck.
The Dilophosaurus swiped its talons at the blade.
Crack!
My decisive blow was blocked by the Dragon Claw Technique.
But there was one thing it overlooked.
Screech!
“This sword was just used for cooking earlier.”
It’s only natural for it to get burned when gripped barehanded.
It thrashed wildly and jumped into the swamp water.
Right. If it’s burned, it should jump into the water.
Splash!
The Dilophosaurus stepped into the marsh.
Now, the counterattack begins.
I dropped the sword and chased after it.
Land creatures slow down in the water.
It’s only logical, except for me.
Swish!
I glided across the surface, launching the Dragon Claw Technique at an unexpected angle.
Splat!
A deep wound appeared on its right hind leg.
“Kraaaak!”
It moved its body in apparent confusion.
The more it panicked, the deeper it would sink into the swamp.
Slash!
The Dilophosaurus unfurled its crest and sprayed a large amount of poison.
I wouldn’t believe it could inflict damage on me with that.
If so, it was merely a distraction.
It was buying time to escape this marsh.
I can’t allow that.
Whoosh.
I dove deep into the water.
It thought it was obscuring my vision with the poisonous mist and was scrambling to come ashore.
Exactly.
It’s only tightening the noose.
Snap!
As soon as my feet hit land, I burst out of the water and pounced on it.
I aimed for the leg I attacked earlier.
Snap!
I bit down precisely.
Thud…
At the same time, its talon struck at me.
Crack!
Unable to dodge while biting its leg, I paid the price with my left eye.
Its claw sunk into my eye socket.
“Grrr…”
The pain was overwhelming, as if I might lose consciousness.
Indeed, it was no simple enemy.
Well.
I can spare one eye for this.
I bit down hard enough to break my teeth.
King Crocodile Lizard, secret technique.
Death Roll.
Thud thud thud!
I latched onto its leg, spinning madly.
Crack!
It wasn’t just sitting still either.
Perhaps it had some instinct, trying to twist its body in response to my movements.
I can’t let that happen.
One of its arms was already penetrating my eye.
I held onto its arm tightly.
No matter which way it turned, I’d take either an arm or a leg.
Thud thud thud!
Crunch!
Bang!
In the chaos, I lost my grip.
However, the achievement was quite significant.
Its leg was reduced to a mere remnant, and its left arm was in tatters.
Of course, the damage I sustained was considerable as well.
Losing one eye and sustaining a major wound on my side.
Maybe from bleeding too much, my body was growing weaker.
I need to finish it.
If I delay any longer, even if I do win, I might end up losing my life.
Perhaps it was thinking the same, as it glared at me fiercely.
“Krrrr!”
Alright.
Let’s see what we’ve really got.
With a leap, I charged toward it.
In that moment, the Dilophosaurus vanished.
No, it leaped to an incredible height, enough that it seemed to have disappeared.
It must have injured its legs; how could it do that?
Such questions didn’t matter.
Its crest spread wide.
At some point, it was filled with thin hairs like numerous fine needles.
“Kikikik!”
Countless needles and poison filled the sky.
It was the Sichuan Tang Sect’s secret technique, “Ten Thousand Blossoms in the Sky.”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.