Arlo, with a determined look in his eyes, finally decided to confront his greatest foe.
"Hey, old friend, have you been missing me?"
Arlo's voice quivered with anticipation as he locked eyes with the crocodile lounging in the river's center. The crocodile returned his gaze, a silent understanding passing between them.
With a swift motion, Arlo activated his shield and plunged into the water. The shield shimmered around him, forming a transparent bubble.
As he propelled himself towards the crocodile, it suddenly submerged itself. Arlo navigated the river current with gentle strokes.
The faint growl of the crocodile echoed through the water, sending chills down Arlo's spine. He called out,
"Show yourself, let's have a dance. Every time I've seen you over these past two months, the pain of crushing every single bone kept tingling on my body."
"GRRRR..."
The crocodile's growl resonated through the water, creating ripples on the surface.
"BANG!"
A massive thud against the shield from the crocodile's powerful tail sent Arlo reeling backward. As the crocodile emerged, it charged at him with renewed vigor.
Arlo kicked off towards the shore, the crocodile hot on his heels, relentlessly battering the shield.
A strategy began to form in Arlo's mind. He realized that he couldn't defeat the crocodile in its natural habitat, regardless of his newfound strength.
Arlo's increased muscle mass had made him faster, but not fast enough to evade the relentless crocodile. If not for his active shield, he would have been torn to shreds.
Arlo neared the shore as the crocodile dove underwater once more, its tail whipping around swiftly. It shot up from beneath Arlo's shield and spiraled towards him.
"CRACK!"
Arlo heard the ominous sound of cracking and glanced down. The crocodile had managed to shatter the shield, a feat thought to be nearly impossible. But for the crocodile, it was merely an obstacle.
After breaching the shield, it lunged upwards, its jaws wide open. Arlo reacted quickly, raising his shield, but it wasn't enough.
The force of the crocodile's attack sent Arlo flying into the air, leaving a trail of sound waves in his wake.
'Why am I airborne? I blocked the crocodile, didn't I?' Arlo mused, puzzled.
As he soared through the sky, he saw the crocodile's gaping maw. Its teeth, larger than his fingers, glinted menacingly.
"I see, I'm still not strong enough to defeat this monster. I hope this ends quickly." Arlo resigned himself to his fate after seeing the formidable enemy.
Arlo plummeted, landing flat on his face straight into the crocodile's open mouth. As soon as his stomach made contact with the crocodile.
"WHOOSH!"
The crocodile disappeared into Arlo's stomach.
Arlo fell back into the water, staring at the sky, bewildered,
'What on earth just happened?'
A window prompt appeared:
[Side Quest Updated: Slay the Guardian of Yedlin, Mera]
[Congratulations on slaying the Guardian of Yedlin, Mera]
[Time: 2 months]
[Reward: Mera scale]
[Mera scale Inscription:
Mera is guardian of Yedlin clan, protecting her land, even after her entire clan was massacred. She has been in countless battles; her skin is harder than diamond. Only devourer can slay her.]
[Mera's Final Message: She thanks you; she can finally join with her master Hyen.]
"Huh… The crocodile was a female," Arlo mumbled.
Another prompt appeared:
[Dungeon Name updated]
[Lost legacy of Yedlin Clan]
[Congratulations on completing Lost legacy of Yedlin Clan.]
[Dungeon Explored: 100%]
[Reward: Save the data of dungeon to revisit any time.]
Another prompt overlaid the previous one.
[New slots opened in the Save Data menu: 1, 2, 3]
["Lost Legacy of Yedlin Clan", "June 3, 2022 A.C. (After Cyber)", Empty slot]
Suddenly, the dungeon was enveloped in darkness as the sun vanished. It was the first time night had fallen since he had entered.
A profound silence descended. Suddenly, the river's flow ceased, leaving Arlo floating and gazing upwards, perplexed by the unfolding events.
Gradually, the sky was illuminated by the ethereal glow of the auroras. Arlo had never witnessed such a spectacle before. He felt as if this moment was his alone in the entire world.
The aurora's lights danced and morphed in the sky like softly billowing curtains. Arlo's mind found peace, and his body began to heal.
As dawn broke, the sun appeared out of nowhere.
Despite his victory, Arlo was plagued by the thought that he hadn't truly defeated the crocodile. So, he decided to attempt the Impossible mode.
Why can't he just move on? Why does he insist on prolonging the chapters?
After some contemplation, Arlo selected the Impossible mode.
---
Arlo found himself beneath the towering Sherman tree. He craned his neck to see its top; it seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky.
Realizing the futility of climbing to survey the area, he headed towards The Den of the Supreme Lion.
Upon arrival, he was taken aback. The rubble that once lay scattered now formed a colossal wall extending in all directions. Once inside, he was greeted by an endless sea of stone lions.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Arlo couldn't contain his surprise. He was faced with an army of stone lions.
Arlo assumed the numbers had merely increased, but the stone lions would be the same as in other difficulties.
Suddenly, one of the stone lions took notice of Arlo. Arlo also spotted it and quickly activated his shield.
[Player Arlo Templeton – You are dead]
---
Arlo found himself back under the Sherman tree.
"Huuuuhhh… What just happened? Why am I back here?" Arlo exclaimed, bewildered.
A window prompt flashed:
[Player Died: Lives: I II III
Lives remaining: 1]
Then it dawned on Arlo that he had died. It hadn't even crossed his mind until he saw the prompt.
His confidence shattered, Arlo finally decided to leave the dungeon.
[Exit the dungeon or not]
[1. Yes 2. No.]
Arlo selected 'Yes'.
---Blank---
[End of Chapter]