Chương 374: Last Resort

Vale and Nym stood side by side, facing the strange creature that towered over them from the depths of the ravine. The beast's enormous frame shifted restlessly, its remaining eye locked onto them with a mixture of pain and aggression. Yet despite its terrifying adaptability, one thing had become immediately clear. Its eyes did not regenerate. Vale narrowed his gaze, carefully studying the wounded creature as it scraped its claws against the stone floor, leaving deep marks in the ground.

'So you can adapt... but you cannot heal?' A faint smirk crossed his face.

'That only works in our favor.' His mind raced through every possibility, every weakness, and every opening they could exploit. The beast was powerful, far beyond what most creatures they had encountered could ever hope to become, but power alone did not decide a battle. Information did. The first exchange had already revealed something important. The creature could reinforce its body, alter its defenses, and evolve around attacks, but it could not undo damage that had already been inflicted.

Slowly, Vale lowered himself until one hand touched the ground, his posture becoming almost predatory. His eyes never left the monster as he spoke.

"I'll go right. Aim for its eyes, or any other weak point you can find." Nym spun her blade once in her hand, the sharp sound of steel cutting through the tense silence between them. Despite the fear buried beneath her expression, her focus remained steady as she tightened her grip.

"Alright. Just be careful, okay? Don't you dare die on me." Vale glanced toward her, a small grin appearing despite the impossible situation surrounding them.

"You too. There is still a date I have to take you on, remember?" Under normal circumstances, those words would have been enough to completely fluster her, but neither of them had the luxury of embarrassment. The massive predator before them demanded their full attention. One mistake, one hesitation, or one wrong movement would be enough for it to end everything. Instead, Nym simply let out a quiet breath of amusement.

"Isn't it a little unprofessional flirting while something like that is standing right in front of us?" Vale's grin widened slightly as he shifted his stance.

"When did I ever claim to be professional?" He took a deep breath. Then, before the creature could react, he moved.

"Keep up!" Vale launched himself forward, charging directly toward the beast. The creature responded immediately. Its enormous jaws opened wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth before it lunged forward with enough force to shake the ground beneath them. The pressure of its movement sent dust and loose stones scattering across the ravine floor. Vale narrowed his eyes. At the final possible moment, he kicked against the ground and threw himself sideways, narrowly avoiding the crushing bite.

The beast's jaws snapped shut behind him with enough force to crack the stone beneath them. But Vale noticed something. Its movements were unstable. Losing one eye had affected its perception, making its attacks less precise and easier to predict. And he intended to exploit that weakness. With a fierce grin, Vale grabbed one of the creature's bone-like horns as it passed and used its own momentum to swing himself onto its back.

His foot planted firmly against its thick hide while he sheathed one blade in a single motion. He pulled back his fist. For a brief moment, everything seemed to slow. Then he struck.

"Lion's Claw." The pressure surrounding his fist erupted outward, releasing a violent shockwave that slammed directly into the creature's back. The impact echoed throughout the ravine, cracking against its hardened armor and sending vibrations through the stone beneath them. The beast released a furious scream. Vale's eyes widened slightly.

'It still works.' A grin formed across his face. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

'Good.' He raised his fist again, already preparing another strike, but before he could bring it down, the creature reacted. The beast threw its entire body sideways and slammed itself against the ravine wall. Vale's instincts screamed. He released his grip and launched himself away, barely avoiding being crushed as the stone wall cracked beneath the creature's weight. Pieces of rock and tangled vines broke loose from above, collapsing onto the beast's back and partially covering its body.

For a brief moment, its vision was obstructed. Vale landed several meters away and glanced toward the pile of debris.

"Seems like my lucky day." Before he could make another move, Nym shot past him. Her blade was already drawn. She didn't hesitate. Her eyes moved rapidly across the creature's body as her ability searched for an opening. Every scale, every movement, and every exposed section was analyzed in an instant. Then she found it. A weakness. A small opening between the hardened scales near its leg. Nym accelerated.

The beast thrashed violently, attempting to free itself from the vines and regain control, but she was already beneath its massive frame. Taking a deep breath, she swung. Her blade cut through the exposed gap. Blood sprayed across the ravine floor, coating her armor and face in crimson as the creature released a furious roar. Nym retreated. It was the correct choice. The beast reacted almost instantly, dropping its entire body weight downward and crushing the area where she had stood only moments earlier.

The impact sent cracks spreading through the stone beneath it. The creature roared in pain as it finally tore away the remaining vines, shaking the debris from its body and turning its remaining eye back toward the two hunters. It was wounded. But it was far from defeated. And worse... It was adapting again.

"Nice job," Vale said as Nym landed beside him, both of them keeping their eyes locked on the wounded creature. Nym glanced toward the damaged leg, then back at the beast as it slowly pulled itself free from the remaining debris.

"Not nice enough. It can still move perfectly fine. I barely slowed it down." Vale lowered himself into a combat stance again, carefully watching every movement the creature made. Nym immediately mirrored him, tightening her grip around her blade. The beast shifted. Then it charged.

"Let's think positively here," Vale muttered, though his expression suggested he knew exactly how bad the situation was. He moved. The creature noticed. But instead of blindly pursuing him like before, it changed tactics. One massive claw slammed into the ground, digging into the stone and stopping its own momentum with terrifying precision. Its jaws snapped shut only centimeters away from Vale. His eyes widened slightly as he barely managed to avoid the attack.

"Whoa..." He quickly jumped backward, creating distance between them.

"You're actually smart." The beast continued forward, carried by the force of its own movement. But as it passed, Vale noticed another transformation taking place. Its body shifted. The thick scales covering its frame rearranged themselves, while the pale bones protruding from its body became thinner and lighter. It was changing again. The creature was sacrificing durability for speed. Vale's expression darkened as he looked toward Nym.

"Not good. It adapted again. It's faster now." Before she could respond, the beast released a thunderous roar that swallowed his words completely. Vale froze. The timing was too precise. It hadn't simply roared. It had waited until they were communicating.

'Did it just interrupt us?'

"This is bad," Vale muttered. Nym remained beside him, waiting for an opening while the beast's remaining eye stayed fixed entirely on Vale. And Vale refused to look away. Not even for a moment. Because he understood exactly what the creature wanted. If he gave it even the smallest opening, Nym would become its next target. Then, slowly, Vale's grin returned.

"Well... screw it." A strange excitement began burning inside him. The thrill of facing something that could truly challenge him. A worthy opponent.

"I could use a good fight." He stepped forward, raising his weapon.

"So come on, beast." The creature responded. It charged. Vale charged as well. But something felt wrong. The beast's jaws remained closed. It wasn't preparing to bite. It was pretending. At the last possible second, the creature shifted its weight and raised one claw. It had predicted him. It wasn't trying to attack him directly. It was baiting him into reacting. The claw descended. Vale tried to stop his momentum, but he had already committed himself.

He twisted his body desperately, barely avoiding the strike as the massive claw crashed into the ground beside him. The impact exploded outward, sending dust, shattered stone, and debris through the ravine. Then, from within the cloud, the beast attacked again. Vale barely managed to raise his arms before the claw struck him. The force sent him flying backward. His body slammed into the stone wall with enough power to shake the entire ravine.

"Vale!" Nym moved. She rushed toward him without hesitation, but the beast reacted just as quickly. Its massive tail swept toward her. Nym twisted her body at the final moment, avoiding the strike by only a few centimeters. Using the creature's own momentum against it, she stepped onto its leg and launched herself upward. Then she ran. Across its spine. Her expression hardened as she reached the beast's head, her blade already raised toward its remaining eye. Their only weakness. She swung.

But before the blade reached its target... The beast smiled. It understood. The tail behind it suddenly shifted. The appendage stretched longer, extending far beyond what should have been possible. Before Nym could react, it slammed into her body. She was thrown across the ravine and crashed into the stone wall. Pain exploded through her skull as she struggled to move. She tried to stand. She couldn't. Her body refused to respond, the force of the impact leaving her temporarily paralyzed.

The beast slowly turned toward her. Its remaining eye stared down at her with something disturbingly close to amusement. Its jaws opened. Rows of jagged teeth emerged as thick saliva dripped from every sharpened edge. Then, A rock struck its face. The impact was meaningless. The stone shattered instantly. But it was enough to draw its attention.

"You bastard..." Vale stood there. Blood ran down his face, his breathing ragged as his damaged left arm hung uselessly at his side. His only remaining weapon was held tightly in his hand. But he was standing.

"I am not dead yet." The beast lowered its head and released a deep growl. Then it attacked. Vale forced himself to move, but his injured body couldn't keep up anymore. He was too slow. The jaws closed around his arm. Pain erupted through his entire body as the creature lifted him from the ground, holding him effortlessly by his ruined limb. Nym watched helplessly, desperately trying to force her body to move despite the pain. She couldn't. The beast stared at Vale.

Like a hunter admiring prey that had finally been cornered. A faint amusement flickered within its remaining eye. Vale was powerless. Broken. Completely at its mercy. Or at least... That was what the creature believed. Because despite the pain, despite the blood, despite every reason he should have been afraid... A smile slowly formed across Vale's face. A wicked smile.

"Got you."