31 Chapter 30: Dangerous Creatures (1/2)
I dodged to the side and kicked the Diamondback Crocodile again, snapping its head to the side and sending it spinning back into the swamp with a giant splash.
”Kuh!”
I winced and knelt down, holding my leg. As expected, it was going to be difficult to fight a Diamondback Crocodile. Its armored scales were doing more damage to me than I was dealing to the damned beast.
”Oi! Are you all right?”
Ban Zhang called out to me from the side, having been forced to dodge when the Diamondback Crocodile charged at us. I threw a hand out to stop him from coming nearer.
”Yeah! Stay where you are! Don't give the Diamondback Crocodile an easy target!”
”Right!”
Ban Zhang backed away, and both of us turned our attention back to the swimming Diamondback Crocodile, which didn't look hurt at all. I gritted my teeth as I glared at the monster.
It's best to retreat instead of trying to defeat this monster!
As the Diamondback Crocodile reared up in the swamp, I withdrew rapidly and tried to widen the distance between us. Ban Zhang followed my lead. As clumsy as it was, the Diamondback Crocodile was still pretty fast for something of its immense size. It burst out of the swamp, ready to dart at me like a speeding missile.
The damned thing had chosen me as its target instead of Ban Zhang. Well, that was fine. If it had launched and killed Ban Zhang, I would never be able to live with the guilt of dragging my friend into this mess with me.
”Fei Wu!”
”Ugh!”
When I tried to jump back, the pain in my foot suddenly flared up and hindered my movements. Dropping clumsily onto the ground, I stumbled back and watched as the Diamondback Crocodile swiftly approached. Looked like I had to give it another kick…but I would only aggravate the current injury on my foot…
Splash!
My jaw dropped when the entire space froze in a moment. The Diamondback Crocodile, which was rapidly clearing the ground between us, was now blasted off its feet by a large current of water. Stunned, I turned around and watched as Ban Zhang directed a highly pressurized spray of water at the beast, forcing it back into the swamp.
”What are you waiting for? Get up and run!”
Ban Zhang scowled at me, even as he continued to pressure the Diamondback Crocodile. He gestured impatiently to urge me to move.
”I don't know how long my Black Tortoise Hydrant Blast can hold it! It's a Rank 4 magical beast! None of us is a match for it! It's better to escape!”
As if to prove his point, the Diamondback Crocodile slapped the pillar of water with its tail, reducing much of the pressure. The Rank 4 magical beast was beginning to fight against the tremendous pressure exerted by the unending stream of water.
Time to beat it.
”Thank you!” I called out to Ban Zhang, but he was already moving away, disappearing into the forest. Sparing one last glance at the staggering Diamondback Crocodile, I quickly spun around and sprinted away, trying my best to ignore the throbbing pain in my foot.
*
I finally collapsed on the ground, unable to bear the pain. Closing my eyes, I rested against a nearby tree to catch my breath and circulate my qi to speed up the healing of my foot. I honestly doubted it was going to help much, but it would be better to rest for a bit and recover slightly than to hobble around recklessly with a half-broken foot.
”Ban Zhang?”
In the confusion, we got separated. We didn't have a choice. With the Diamondback Crocodile pursuing us, we split up to confuse it. I was in no position to see where Ban Zhang went.
On the other hand, there was no sign of the Diamondback Crocodile, so I was safe. The magical beast had clearly chosen not to chase me.
”Damn…”
Despite the absence of danger, I couldn't help but feel an unease in my heart. I could only hope that the Diamondback Crocodile didn't choose to pursue Ban Zhang instead. I was the one who wanted to play hero and save Qing Xin Xia and the rest. But it wasn't worth the life of my good friend to pull that sort of stunt.
But if I didn't do that, Qing Xin Xia and the rest would still be in danger…
Moreover, even if I didn't do that, I was certain Ban Zhang would have intervened anyway. He was that type of person after all
Stay safe, my friend.
Scratching my head, I took a deep breath and leaned against the tree. Closing my eyes, I extended my qi sense, but as I expected, I couldn't detect Ban Zhang's presence at all. We must have gotten pretty far away from each other. Furthermore, with my stamina and daily running, I often ran a lot faster than I believed myself capable of.
Gripping the roots of the tree tightly, I fervently prayed that Ban Zhang would be all right. Gulping, I waited a little longer, hoping against hope that he would show up and yelled at me for being reckless as he always did.
Ban Zhang never appeared.
Well, sitting around isn't going to help either.
Once my foot felt a bit better, I stood up and began exploring the forest in hopes of locating Ban Zhang. Even with my eyes closed, I found myself surrounded by a maelstrom of living creatures' qi. Fortunately, I was still in a relatively deserted area, so I could sift out the human qi from the magical beasts' qi. Yet I could tell that several of them were clustered together. It seemed that a group of candidates had ganged up on a Rank 4 magical beast or something. Ban Zhang was not among them, and I was about to move my attention away when I realized an irregularity regarding that situation.
Huh…something's wrong.
I blinked in confusion. For some reason, the humans were all running in my direction while the Rank 4 magical beast was chasing them.
”You've got to be kidding me…”
”RUN!”
”AAAAAAAAAAH!”
”HELP!”
Screams and shouts rang across the forest as a group of students sprinted out from amidst the trees and into the clearing I now occupied. A gigantic white tiger about three meters in height bounded out, pouncing on a screaming boy and tearing him into shreds. Without missing a beat, it switched targets, lunging at a shrieking girl and swiping at her. She went down in a spray of blood, her body ripped apart.
”NOOOO!!!”
”Save me!!!”
Biting my lip, I raced forward and leaped at the Spirit Tiger, which was feasting on a poor girl. It glanced up hatefully, its snow-white jaws stained red and dripping with blood, and let out a fearsome roar.
That wasn't going to scare me, you jerk.
Just as the Spirit Tiger reared up to pounce on a hapless boy who had tripped and fallen over, I kicked it right in the neck. The Spirit Tiger's head snapped to the side and it staggered, but I flipped over and kicked its knee, sending it sprawling onto the ground. Snarling, the Spirit Tiger swiped at me, but I jumped back, staying out of range of its claws.
Good…if I stay out of its range, I might just be able to beat it…!
Even though the Spirit Tiger was a Rank 4 just like the Diamondback Crocodile, my attacks were going through. No doubt it was because the Spirit Tiger was not as armored as the Diamondback Crocodile.
At least that was what I thought, but…
”GUOOO!”
With a furious bellow, the Spirit Tiger lashed out, its claws disappearing into a blur. Its speed right now was incomparable to before, and it caught me entirely by surprise.
”Guh?!”
Blood spurted out of my arms as I tried to block its strike and was flung backward. Hitting the ground, I slid backward, coughing as blood dribbled out of my mouth.
What immense power!
Even though the Spirit Tiger wasn't as armored as the Diamondback Crocodile, it was far faster, more agile and more powerful.
”RUOOOR!”
The Spirit Tiger sprang at me, lashing out with its claws vengefully. I helplessly lay on the ground, still stunned from the tremendous impact of its blow and unable to get up.
Now I understood why I managed to land a few hits in. Earlier, I had caught the Spirit Tiger completely by surprise. It wasn't even fazed by my attacks, my kicks not even leaving a single mark. And even if I wasn't stunned and helpless, I wouldn't be able to avoid the pounce right now, given how fast the Spirit Tiger was.
”Yaaaah!”
The boy I just saved slammed into the Spirit Tiger's side, knocking it over. I blinked when I saw him engulfed within a dense golden aura of yang qi, forming a pseudo-armor. The Spirit Tiger slashed at him, but he blocked its claws with his encased arm. Still, the magical beast was far too strong for the boy and he was sent tumbling backward.
”Gr…”
The Spirit Tiger growled as it turned to face him. The boy rose up shakily, but was otherwise unscathed. Watching the thick yang field around him and the amount of qi he emanated, as well as that familiar handsome face and spiky hairstyle, I suddenly recognized him.
”Zhu Jiao?!
”Eh?! What?!” Zhu Jiao paused and turned to stare at me. Then his eyes bulged, almost to the point that they might fall out of his sockets. ”FEI WU?!”
”Hey, don't shout my name like that! It sounds like you're calling me trash!”
”Er…how?! You're still alive?! Eh?”
”Focus on the battle first!” I ordered. Zhu Jiao blinked and then realized that I was right. Unlike him, the Spirit Tiger was not fazed by my appearance.
Shaking his head, he kept his eyes on the Spirit Tiger, which was pawing the ground and getting ready to pounce on him. Zhu Jiao then raised his hand and gestured at me.
”At my signal, run!”
”Eh? But…”
”This is a Rank 5 magical beast! Even if we join forces, we still won't be able to defeat a monster like this!”
”Huh? Rank 5? Isn't it Rank 4?”
”No! A Spirit Tiger is at least Rank 5!”
As if it was annoyed upon hearing the name that the humans labeled onto it, the Spirit Tiger agitatedly bellowed before pouncing on Zhu Jiao. Zhu Jiao didn't respond with a punch. Instead, he slammed his foot onto the ground just seconds before the Spirit Tiger reached him. A cloud of sand billowed upward and pelted the Spirit Tiger's face, blinding it and causing it to shriek and tumble over, clutching its eyes.
”Now!”