**Chapter 23: Tier 5 Beast**
The beast and I continued our stare-down. The beast was the one doing the staring while I was looking around.
I glanced at the beast and almost screamed; it was coming closer, but my body was frozen, as if stuck in place by very strong glue.
'Shit, shit, shit, I can't die like this. No, I can't,' I cursed silently in my mind, watching the approaching beast.
I looked to where Kevin was, and to my fright, he had disappeared. He was no longer at the entrance I had made.
'Damn it, I knew he never cared. He was just using me. You hear that, Helios? He was using me. I shouldn't have trusted him. You see why I don't trust people? They can betray you in a split second, and…'
I continued to rant, but I received no answer from Helios.
'Oh, so you've left me too, huh? Well, it was to be expected. How did I even convince myself to listen to any word you said? I don't know what you want from me. I don't even know who you are.'
'Shit, it's getting closer. Shit, shit, shit.'
The beast was moving very slowly, but in a matter of seconds, it had crossed the 5-foot mark and opened its massive jaw, revealing rows and rows of countless teeth. It seemed to enjoy watching me shiver.
'Please, anybody, please help.'
If not for the fact that I was unable to move, I would have been on the ground, bawling my eyes out.
I begged, but I received no response, so I gave up asking for help.
'I knew it. I can't rely on anyone apart from myself, and I am not going to die here today. I can't go through all I went through in the trial and on Earth and just die here because of some fucking beast.'
The moment those words flowed in my mind, something happened.
I felt a strange warmth from my chest under the armor, and a huge rush of energy entered and filled up my body.
For the first time since meeting this beast, I moved. I raised my hand and saw silver and blue light wrap around me.
This power felt strange and familiar at the same time.
I didn't have time to even think about where this power came from because the moment I raised my hand, the crocodile realized that I could now move and immediately rushed forward.
I saw the jaw about to snap shut over me, and I moved my leg.
*Swoosh* *Snap.*
I took a step, and I had appeared far away from the crocodile, just below the hole I had made, while the sound of the jaw snapping shut echoed off the walls.
I looked at the crocodile that had missed its target. I could leave now, but I didn't. That beast had frightened me so much, and it was going to pay.
After the crocodile's jaw had missed me, it looked around for me. When it found me, it immediately rushed at me with a speed that was unbelievable for something its size.
I summoned my sword and dagger and prepared to meet the crocodile head-on.
Kevin had returned to the main cave where they were staying after finding out that Nicholas was in trouble. He knew that the beast was a Tier 5 and a powerful one at that, and the only way he could think of saving Nicholas was to use something as bait.
He couldn't use himself because the beast was a lot faster than him.
He was preparing what to use when clanking sounds began to reverberate in the cave. He stopped what he was doing and stood up; he knew that sound all too well.
"Ugh, why now?" he groaned in an irritated voice while summoning his sword.
As soon as he summoned his sword, a creature with the upper body of a gorilla and the lower body of a spider appeared at the entrance of the cave.
The beast was about 5 feet tall, its upper body had green fur with red stripes on its arms and green hairs on its eight legs.
As the first one entered the cave, three more followed.
*Sha* *Slurt.*
The sound of flesh being stabbed and blood being spilled echoed in the cave.
The crocodile rushed at me, and I stepped to the side and at the same time stabbed my dagger into the exposed skin on its neck, then vanished and appeared in another spot.
The crocodile roared in pain as blood flowed from its wounds.
It was staggering due to the countless wounds on its body.
One of its eyes was missing.
The beast looked at me with its only remaining eye and released a rage-filled roar.
I shook my head and vanished again, but this time I appeared above it and stabbed its head, pinning it to the ground and ending its life.
I stared at the dead crocodile as the following messages entered my head:
- [You have slain a Tier 5 beast: Nile crocodile.]
- [You have received a beast armament.]
I watched as the power left my body, returning me to my previous state.
Using my dagger, I dug out the spirit stone of the crocodile and stood up.
I opened my storage space and put in the spirit stone.
I looked at the beast one last time and turned away. I dismissed my swords as I walked over to the lake; I tried as much as possible to avoid the blood of the crocodile, but it still managed to get on me.
I finished washing off the blood and stood up.
"That reminds me, where is that little wolf?"
At some point during the fight, it had left my arms.
As if reading my thoughts, the little wolf came from behind a stone and jumped into my arms. I touched its head and spoke,
"So, you went to hide, huh?"
The wolf tilted its head and stuck out its pink tongue playfully.
I felt my mouth curved upwards; for some reason, I was happy that the little wolf was okay.
"Let's get out of here," I spoke and turned to leave, but I stopped. I felt woozy, and my body was swaying.
"What's happening?"
I felt a liquid on the side of my neck as it flowed from under my helmet.
I used my hand to touch it, and it was blood... my blood.
My ears were bleeding, and so were my eyes and mouth.
I dropped the little wolf as I slowly fell to the ground.
"Woof, woof."
The barking and whimpering of the little wolf were the last things I heard as I fell unconscious.
**Inside Nicholas' Spirit World**
Helios watched the scene of Nicholas dropping to the ground with sad and drained eyes, his golden body was flickering,
"I'm sorry, Nicholas. I wish I could help you more."
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