“Kyieeek!”
Pus and Tus were trembling as they looked at me.
Well, it’s been a while, so I suppose it’s a bit heartwarming to see them.
So they’re still alive.
That’s a relief, but what on earth is going on?
Why are they with that alligator?
And it nearly stomped on them too.
Not to mention, it was trying to kill those little ones as well.
Surely, it wasn’t hunting them for food.
There’s no way it could fill its stomach with those tiny creatures.
Let’s not think about that.
I need to focus on the enemy in front of me.
Smack!
I pushed the Cayman away.
At the same time, I subtly brushed the spiders aside with my tail.
Being too close would only cause trouble.
“Stay somewhere safe.”
【Piranha Cayman LV30】
【Status】
“Fury”
I stared directly at the Cayman.
It tilted its head, probably trying to figure out who I was, then let out a loud roar.
“ROAAAAR!”
It must have realized who I was.
After all, I have Low Qi inside me.
The Piranha Cayman.
The first one I encountered wasn’t this large.
Since it’s reached level 30, I suppose this one can be considered a unique specimen.
Moreover, it wouldn’t be surprising if it evolved had I not stolen its Low Qi, so it wouldn’t be odd for it to be this big.
However, I won’t be intimidated.
That stormy night is long behind me.
I won’t back down anymore.
“Grrrr…”
I growled lowly.
Thud, thud, thud.
The Cayman charged straight at me.
The shallow water made it impossible for it to swim well, so it couldn’t reach its full speed.
However, it was still fast.
That bulk moving at such speed.
It truly is a ridiculous amount of power.
I rooted my hind legs into the ground to brace against its charge.
Crack!
It must have been startled.
Who would dare to confront it head-on?
Crash!
A weight far greater than that of the previous creature pushed against me.
But I was still able to hold my ground.
Boom!
Its attack wouldn’t end with just a headbutt.
Those massive teeth were aimed at my neck.
If that hit me, I’d be done for.
Thud!
With nimble movements, I tilted my head away to avoid the teeth.
Its teeth merely bit into the air.
And at that moment when it closed its mouth, the opportunity for me to attack arose.
I shouldn’t foolishly stick my head out.
“KA-BOOM!”
Like dragon claws, my talons struck its bridge of the nose with force.
Given its size, it probably wouldn’t be too critical of a hit.
However, if I kept pounding on it, eventually, it would crack.
“KA-BOOM!”
But it wouldn’t just take my hits quietly.
We were too close for it to use its mouth freely.
It began to strike back with its front paw, attacking in a similar manner.
Crash!
I could hold on.
Its strikes were just brute force, so they didn’t hurt that much.
The damage I dealt far exceeded what I received.
However, if this situation persisted, it’d be me who’d end up collapsing.
Even if my attack power was higher, its absolute durability was still superior.
Crunch!
I swiftly jabbed twice at its neck with the Dragon Claw Technique.
While the solid hide blocked significant damage, this was enough.
As I struck its head with my tail, I propelled myself backwards to create some distance.
Thud.
The melee would end here.
I grasped what I needed to understand.
The strength of its leg muscles.
The durability around its neck.
And its situational response capabilities.
I wasn’t a fool who would fight in the manner it desired.
It had the upper hand in power and durability.
My advantage lay in speed.
I pressed both feet onto the ground.
It wasn’t that its speed was particularly slow.
Its top speed was almost on par with that of the Green Basilisk.
But I had become faster since that time, while it remained the same.
That means I’m faster than it.
“ROAAAAR!”
Now that there was some distance between us, the Cayman had the luxury of using its mouth.
With its massive jaws wide open, it charged straight at me.
Thud!
I leaped into the air by stepping on its jaw.
My landing point was on the Cayman’s tail.
Crunch!
Grabbing the tip of its tail with my Dragon Claw Technique, I bit down on the middle section.
Snap!
The teeth of the King Crocodile Lizard were sharp enough to pierce through even alligator hide if they clamped down properly.
“Grrrr!”
Clearly in pain, it screamed and thrashed around.
Without missing a beat, I injected poison into its body.
It would not remain still.
Its tail began to thrash wildly, and my grip was loosening.
Just a little longer.
One second, two seconds, and three seconds.
Boom!
My grip slipped, and I got smacked by its tail.
Crash!
I slammed down onto the ground.
Though the swamp was slightly watery, reducing the damage, it was still not inconsequential.
My whole body was tingling.
Truly, it was not an opponent to underestimate.
But I still achieved my objective.
【Piranha Cayman LV30】
【Status】
“Frenzy,” “Poisoned”
It was now poisoned.
Just because its hide was tough, it wouldn’t matter much once the poison was injected inside.
However, the amount I just injected wouldn’t be enough to bring it down.
But I would be able to annoy it at least.
I would dodge its attacks and whittle it down bit by bit.
The Cayman’s tail came rushing at me.
I immediately leaped and bit down on its hind leg.
Snap!
I injected poison once more and quickly pulled away.
Yes.
If I keep this up, I can take it down.
Once more, the Cayman went to charge.
Moving my body rightward, I avoided the hit without taking it head-on.
What caught my eye was the neck, where I’d wounded it earlier.
If I bit there, it would be a critical hit.
Snap!
I used all my remaining MP to release more poison.
With this, it should be…
Crunch!
Oh no.
I realized its mouth had somehow clamped down on my left hind leg.
While it hadn’t bitten it off immediately, it was still serious.
But…
Rattle!
As it tightened its grip, the Cayman began to roll violently.
The crocodile’s death spiral.
If I expected to lose just a leg, I had better think again, as my whole body could get caught up in this.
The only way to survive the death roll was to rotate at the same speed.
Swoosh!
Even while spinning, I continued to attack it.
I kept biting down on its neck and scratching at its eyes with my claws.
Crash!
How many spins had I completed? The Cayman’s jaws suddenly opened.
Quickly, I yanked my leg free and created some distance.
This was not good.
While my leg was still attached, it had already lost its proper function.
I had to assume it was severed.
I had lost a significant portion of my mobility.
Did the Cayman realize this? It didn’t appear disappointed, despite not being able to sever it.
“Grrrr…”
My left leg wasn’t responding.
My remaining option was a close combat approach.
Indeed.
Come.
“ROAAAAR!”
The Cayman roared and charged headlong at me.
I too advanced forward.
To avoid those jaws, I had to either increase the distance or engage in super close combat.
With my injured leg, I couldn’t create distance, so I had to close in instead.
A melee battle began as we positioned our bodies against each other.
KA-BOOM!
I struck it squarely on the head with my empowered Dragon Claw Technique.
Blood burst forth from the Cayman’s snout.
Its overall condition was far from good compared to the start.
I didn’t have zero chances of winning after all.
Swish!
Its front foot clawed at my side.
Ugh…
Since I had my leg bitten while getting injured on my side, the pain compounded.
I cannot retreat like this.
Just a little more.
ROAAAAR!
Just a little more!
Crunch!
I kept landing effective hits.
In the process, I had taken quite a bit of damage myself, but I couldn’t fall.
Boom!
The crocodile spun its body in an instant and swung its tail.
This was an attack I had no choice but to evade.
I propelled myself backward to create some distance.
…Yes. I had created distance again.
That meant its biting attack had become viable once more.
And with my current condition, I wasn’t confident that I could evade it.
Crack!
Its speed was noticeably slower.
However, with one leg already out of commission, I couldn’t afford to dodge.
It opened its massive jaws wide.
Its sharp teeth aimed for my neck.
There was no way to escape this.
Crunch!
Its teeth mercilessly bit into my body.
What it bit was my tail. To avoid losing my neck, I hurriedly spun, sacrificing my tail instead.
The sequence of events was so rapid that I couldn’t even use my tail-cutting technique.
An overwhelming pain surged through me.
“Grrrr…”
The agony of flesh being torn apart.
Blood dripped from my tail.
Drip, drip.
It gobbled up my tail with a voracious appetite.
The Cayman looked down at me with arrogant eyes.
It must be confident of its victory.
As my stamina continuously dwindled, it replenished its energy by feasting on my tail.
It slowly approached me.
[HP is insufficient!]
The system notification, and my instincts warned me that my life was in danger.
At this rate, I would surely die.
All that was left for that alligator was to prey on a lizard too exhausted to fight back.
…That’s what it must be thinking.
“Grrrr!”
It let out a horrific scream and spat out blood.
【Piranha Cayman LV30】
【Status】
“Venomous,” “Near Death”
The multicolored threads and straw bound to my tail.
They were no ordinary decorations.
They were poison-laden bundles, soaked with the venom of the poisonous insects found in the Silver Dragon Cave and my own poison.
Tightly concentrated poison that had been brewing for a week.
And it had just swallowed that poison.
“Grah!”
The close combat was meant to assess its resistance.
By continuously creating distance, I drained its stamina.
Even finally allowing it to bite my tail was all for this moment.
Since its stamina had weakened, it would think it could simply tear me apart and devour me.
Strong, yet simple.
That is your downfall.
Thud.
ROAAAAR!
I brought my Dragon Claw Technique down upon its skull.
Crunch!
I kept striking it relentlessly.
Choosing the Crocodile Monitor instead of the Water Monitor was not just a trivial decision; it was a conscious choice due to this creature.
The guardian of the alligators, the nemesis of the alligators.
The very first source of my dread.
I have overcome you.
I clamped down on the Cayman’s neck, which was still dazed.
Crunch!
My sharp teeth sank into its hide.
I gripped tightly, enough to shatter my teeth if I weren’t careful.
Crack!
Its thick vertebrae shattered.
The sound of breaking bones rang cheerfully in my ears.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
…
I won.
I brought it down.
I placed my foot on the Cayman’s corpse.
Now, I am the master of this swamp.
I looked up at the sky and roared.
“Geh geh geh geh!”
…It seems I keep making mistakes.
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