"Kiieek!"

Pus and Tus trembled as they looked at me.

Yeah, I suppose it's good to see them again after so long.

At least they're still alive.

That's a relief, but what exactly is going on here?

Why are they with that crocodile?

And they almost got trampled, too.

As if trying to kill me wasn't enough, that thing was about to kill these little ones as well.

It couldn't have been hunting them to eat.

There's no way those small creatures would fill its stomach.

Let’s not get distracted by other thoughts.

Focus on the enemy in front of me.

Thud!

I pushed the Caiman away.

At the same time, I subtly nudged the spiders with my tail.

It would be troublesome if they stayed too close.

"Go somewhere safe."

【Piranha Caiman LV30】 【Status】 「Enraged」

I stared at the Caiman.

It cocked its head as if trying to figure out who I was, then let out a loud roar.

"Graaaaaah!"

It must have recognized me by now.

After all, my body holds its naedan.

The Piranha Caiman.

The first time I saw a Piranha Caiman, it wasn’t this big.

But given that it had reached level 30, this one must be a unique variant.

And if I hadn’t stolen its naedan, it might have evolved even further, so it's no surprise it’s grown to this size.

Still, I’m no pushover.

This isn't like that stormy night.

I’m not backing down anymore.

"Grrrr..."

I growled low.

Splat, splat, splat.

The Caiman charged at me like a bullet.

With the water level low, it couldn’t swim and gain its full speed.

But it's still fast.

For such a massive body, the speed is ridiculous.

I braced my hind legs into the ground, ready to meet its charge head-on.

Crack.

The Caiman must have been startled.

Who would dare face it directly like this?

Its weight was far greater than that of the millipede I had fought earlier, but I could endure it now.

Slash!

Of course, its attack wasn’t just a simple charge.

Its large teeth aimed for my neck.

If that hit, I’d be dead.

Whomp!

With quick reflexes, I tilted my head back to dodge the bite.

The Caiman's teeth snapped at empty air.

And as its jaws closed, the chance to counterattack came to me.

You shouldn't be so foolish as to lead with your head.

Boom!

My claws, as sharp as a dragon's, struck its snout hard.

Though the beast was huge, it wasn't a fatal blow.

But if I kept hammering at it, I would eventually break through.

Boom!

The Caiman didn’t just sit there and take it.

Since we were in close quarters, neither of us could use our jaws freely.

Instead, it raised its front leg and began attacking in the same way as I was.

Bam!

I could handle it.

Since it was just using brute strength, the blows weren't too painful.

The damage I dealt was much greater.

But if this dragged on, I would be the one to fall eventually.

Even though my attacks were stronger, its sheer durability gave it an advantage.

Crunch!

I jabbed twice at its neck with my Dragon Claw Hand.

Its tough skin prevented any serious damage, but it was enough for now.

I slammed its head with my tail while leaping back to create distance.

Tat-tat.

The slugfest ended here.

I’d learned enough.

Its leg muscles' strength.

The durability of its neck.

And its reaction speed.

I’m no fool who fights in the way my opponent wants.

It has the upper hand in strength and toughness.

But I have speed.

I dug my feet into the ground.

The Caiman isn’t slow, either.

Its top speed was nearly equal to that of the Green Basilisk.

But I’m faster now than I was back then, while it remains the same.

Which means...

I’m faster than it.

"Graaah!"

Now that there was distance between us, the Caiman could finally use its jaws.

With its huge mouth wide open, it charged at me again.

Tat-tat!

I leapt into the air, stepping on its jaw.

My landing point was its tail.

Crack!

Grabbing the tail’s tip with my Dragon Claw Hand, I bit down on its middle section.

Crunch!

The teeth of the Crocodile Monitor are sharp enough to pierce even a crocodile's hide when used properly.

"Kieeeek!"

It shrieked in agony, thrashing wildly.

Not missing the opportunity, I injected venom into its body.

The Caiman didn’t stay still.

It whipped its tail frantically, and my grip began to loosen.

Just a little longer.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Thud!

My grip broke, and its tail struck me squarely.

Boom!

I crashed into the ground.

Thankfully, the water in the marsh dampened the impact, but it still wasn’t a light blow.

My whole body tingled.

It’s certainly not an opponent to take lightly.

But I had achieved my goal.

【Piranha Caiman LV30】 【Status】 「Enraged」「Poisoned」

It’s been poisoned.

Its hide might be tough, but once the venom was inside, it wouldn’t matter.

Still, the amount I injected wasn’t enough to bring it down immediately.

But it would be enough to weaken it.

I dodged the Caiman’s tail and bit its hind leg.

Crunch!

After injecting more venom, I quickly retreated.

Yes.

This strategy could bring it down.

Once again, it came at me with a body slam.

I dodged to the right, evading its charge.

I spotted the injured spot on its neck.

If I bit there, it would be a critical hit.

Crunch!

I poured the last of my MP into releasing venom.

With this...

Crunch!

Damn.

Somehow, its jaws had clamped onto my left hind leg.

It hadn’t ripped the leg off immediately, but...

Krrrr!

It was now tightening its grip, preparing to spin.

The signature move of a crocodile.

The death roll.

If I’m lucky, I’ll only lose a leg, but it could also drag my whole body into it.

There’s only one way to survive the death roll.

You have to spin at the same speed.

Whirrrrr!

Even as my body twisted, I didn’t stop attacking it.

I kept biting at its neck, clawing at its eyes.

Crash!

After rolling several times, the Caiman’s mouth finally opened.

I pulled my leg free and created some distance.

This is bad.

My leg was still attached, but it was no longer functional.

I had to consider it as good as lost.

Most of my mobility was gone.

The Caiman seemed to realize that, too. It didn’t look disappointed about failing to rip the leg off.

"Grrrr..."

My left leg wouldn’t respond.

The only choice left was close combat.

Come on, then.

"Graaah!"

The Caiman roared as it charged at me.

I also surged forward.

With my leg injured, I couldn't escape by creating distance. The only option was to close in further.

With our bodies raised, the close-quarter battle began again.

Boom!

A Dragon Claw Hand infused with internal energy struck its head.

Blood spurted from the Caiman’s nose.

Its condition was far worse than when we first began.

Victory wasn’t out of reach.

Slash!

Its front leg raked across my side.

Ugh...

Being bitten on the leg and clawed on the side at the same time doubled the pain.

I couldn’t retreat now.

Just a little more.

Boom!

Just a little more!

Crack!

I kept landing hits.

Even though I took considerable damage myself, I refused to fall.

Thud!

The Caiman suddenly spun its body and swung its tail.

That’s an attack I couldn’t avoid.

I leaped back to create distance.

...Right. We're far apart again.

Which means its bite attack would be effective again.

And in my current condition, I wasn’t confident I could avoid it.

Rumble!

Its speed had visibly slowed.

But even with its reduced speed, I couldn’t dodge.

It opened its massive jaws.

Those sharp teeth aimed straight for my neck.

I couldn’t avoid it.

Crunch!

Its teeth sank deep into my body.

Or more accurately, my tail. I sacrificed my tail instead of letting my neck get torn.

It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to use my tail-shedding ability.

The pain was excruciating.

"Grrrrrr..."

The agony of flesh being ripped apart.

Blood dripped from the remains of my tail.

The Caiman greedily chewed on my tail.

It looked down at me with arrogance.

It must have thought it had won.

My health was plummeting, while it was replenishing energy by eating my tail.

The Caiman slowly approached me.

[HP is critically low!]

The status window, my instincts, everything told me I was on the brink of death.

At this rate, I would die.

All that was left for the Caiman was to toy with a weakened lizard.

...That's what it thought.

"Kieeeek!"

It let out a horrific scream, vomiting blood.

【Piranha Caiman LV30】
【Status】
「Deadly Poison」「Critical Condition」

The multicolored string and straw tied around my tail.

They weren't just decorations.

They were soaked in the venom of the poisonous insects from the Silver Dragon Cave, along with my own poison.

It had been concentrated over the course of a week.

And now, the Caiman had swallowed that venom.

"Kheeeeeck!"

The reason I engaged it in close combat, testing its resilience, the reason I kept widening the distance, draining its stamina, and even let it bite my tail—

All of it had been leading to this moment.

With its energy depleted, the Caiman immediately began devouring my body, thinking it could regain strength.

Strong, but simple-minded.

That was your fatal mistake.

Step.

Boom!

I slammed my Dragon Claw Hand into its skull.

Crack!

I kept hitting it over and over.

The reason I chose to evolve into the Crocodile Monitor instead of the Water Monitor was for this very fight.

The one who watches over crocodiles, the one who opposes them.

The first creature I ever feared.

And now, I’ve overcome you.

I bit into the Caiman's neck while it was still dazed.

Crunch!

My sharp teeth dug deep into its tough hide.

I clenched my jaw so hard I felt my teeth would break.

Crack!

Its thick neck bones shattered.

The sound of breaking bones was oddly satisfying.

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

…….

I won.

I brought it down.

I placed my foot on the corpse of the Caiman.

Now, this swamp belongs to me.

Looking up to the sky, I let out a victorious roar.

"Geggegegek!"

...Oops, I messed up again.