Damon wasted no time, springing into action once more. He shot forward like an arrow, covering the distance to the still-dazed monster in an instant. Raising his leg high, Damon unleashed a devastating downward kick directly into the Beowulf Tiger's rising form.
Bam!
The powerful strike sent the massive beast crashing back down to the ground. But Damon did not relent, following up with a spinning kick that launched the tiger flying once more.
Fswoosh!
The Beowulf Tiger soared through the air, smashing through a dead tree in the process as it was sent hurtling away by the force of Damon's relentless onslaught.
Damon knew these beasts, especially the mana-empowered monsters, would not go down easily. Undeterred, he prepared to launch his next attack. But just as he was about to strike, something flew straight towards his head. He identified the projectile as a sharp, broken tree branch cutting through the air like an arrow, aiming for his right eye.
Reacting quickly, Damon threw his head back, lowering his center of gravity to dodge. His body's flexibility allowed him to avoid the projectile, which grazed his ear, leaving a minor injury that healed almost instantly.
Using a backflip, Damon put some distance between himself and the Beowulf tiger that had launched the attack with its tail. The monster growled, blood dripping from its forehead. Its pitch-black, glassy eyes glared at Damon, as the young man and the monster engaged in a tense standoff, the air thick with anticipation.
Damon's golden eyes were solely focused on the crimson blood dripping down from the beast's forehead. Time seemed to have slowed down, and the only things moving were the crimson blood slowly falling to the ground and the beast's heartbeat.
Damon felt a surge of heat coursing through his body. Unknowingly, his golden eyes started taking on a crimson hue, and his senses sharpened. It was as if a terrific beast was about to rise up, like a predator waking from its slumber.
Damon was confused by what was happening to him. "What is going on?" he muttered, shaking his head in an attempt to stay focused. Fortunately, he was able to regain his composure and keep his attention on the situation at hand.
As Damon's eyes took on a crimson hue and his senses sharpened, the Beowulf Tiger suddenly flinched. It was a primal, instinctual fear - the fear of prey confronted by an absolute predator. The monster unconsciously took a step back, its instincts telling it to flee this formidable presence.
However, the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come when Damon regained control of himself. The Beowulf Tiger was left confused, wondering if it had overreacted to the human's transformation. Anger began to rise within the beast - how dare it be scared of this trespasser, no matter how different he was from the others who had entered its domain.
The Beowulf Tiger's resolve hardened. It no longer believed it would lose this fight. This human would be devoured, just like the rest.
The Beowulf Tiger knew that its usual tactics would not be effective against this somehow strange opponent. As an intelligent predator, it quickly shifted its strategy.
Violently slamming its massive forelegs into the ground, the tiger kicked up a powerful cloud of dust, using it as cover. Then, its tail lashed out like a bat, swatting broken tree branches and hurling them at Damon from multiple angles.
Damon recognized the beast's heightened intelligence. Recalling Lilith's warning, he realized he could not underestimate this monster. He had to respond with equal cunning.
Kicking a medium-sized twig upwards, Damon spun and struck it horizontally. To the monster's surprise, the twig intercepted the incoming projectiles, embedding them into its flat surface.
Noticing two stones on the ground, Damon controlled them as if they were a ball and hurled them towards the dust cloud where the Beowulf Tiger was hiding. The sudden chill and the approaching stones forced the monster to flatten itself on the ground to avoid them.
The stones barely missed their target, scraping the tiger's fur as they passed overhead. The beast shuddered, realizing that had it reacted even a fraction of a second later, the stones would have pierced its skull.
This exchange had ended in a draw, with both combatants demonstrating their formidable intelligence and adaptability.
A tense standoff began as both Damon and the Beowulf Tiger prepared to spring into action. Damon quickly picked up an object before advancing on the monster.
The distance between them was closed in an instant. The Beowulf Tiger opened its jaws wide, trying to swallow Damon whole. In a desperate move, Damon sacrificed his arm, allowing the beast's powerful jaws to clamp down on it.
The tiger's fangs pierced through the flesh, but to its surprise, they could not snap the bone. Damon's arm was incredibly hard, far stronger than any ordinary metal. The man stifled a groan, his face scrunched in pain, but his eyes remained resolute.
With his free hand, Damon wielded the object he had picked up - a short, thick twig with sharp edges. Mustering all his strength, he plunged the makeshift spear into the underside of the monster's jaw, driving it up through the skull. The Beowulf Tiger died instantly, its eyes wide in shock and incomprehension.
Damon and the dead monster tumbled to the ground, the tiger's jaws still clamped around his arm. As he retrieved his limb, Damon noticed that the wounds had already healed, the teeth marks disappearing as if time had been reversed.
"Incredible," he remarked, marveling at this remarkable regenerative ability. Plopping down in front of the fallen beast, Damon took a moment to catch his breath and compose himself after the intense battle.
Meanwhile, Lilith had watched the entire fight from start to finish. She nodded approvingly, impressed by Damon's resourcefulness.
"For someone from a backwater world, he is really quite remarkable," she mused.
Lilith knew with certainty now that Damon was from her own race. He had inherited some of her own abilities.
"And his instant regeneration is even something I can envy," she continued, a smile spreading across her face. "It is on par with my own, which I only acquired after reaching the final stage. Yet he possesses such a quality from the start. What an incredible child he is."
Lilith's smile held a dangerous, captivating quality, one that could bring down entire realms.
In the shadows, Baalor observed everything, frowning as he reevaluated just how dangerous this young man could be. Perhaps he would attempt to teach Damon a lesson under the guise of sparring. But considering the clear disparity in their powers, Baalor decided against it - at least, not yet. He would bide his time, watching and waiting for the right moment to test the limits of Damon's abilities. Well, educate him should be the most fitting term.