Chapter 14: The Beauty of Battle
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, the acrid smell of burning gunpowder mingling with the stench of singed fur to create a strange odor that made Su Xiao frown.
His vision was blocked by the thick smoke, making it impossible to determine the exact location of the giant tiger.
"Roar~!!!"
An enraged tiger's roar came from within the smoke. Hearing it, Su Xiao's concentration sharpened, but the muscles throughout his body remained relaxed.
Tensing muscles would slow his movements, creating fatal openings in combat.
The long blade in his hand hung naturally downward, its tip touching the ground.
The giant tiger had yet to emerge, hiding within the smoke, but Su Xiao could sense that the beast had already detected him.
A strong wind swept through the jungle, gradually dispersing the rising smoke.
At that moment, a massive figure, trailing wisps of blue smoke, charged out from the haze—it was the giant tiger.
The tiger that appeared in Su Xiao's sight was no longer as majestic as before. Large patches of its fur were scorched, the burnt strands clinging to its skin with faint sparks still flickering.
Its massive body was covered in wounds, countless iron nails embedded in its flesh and hide.
The most severe injury was to one of the tiger's eyes. The area around the eye was studded with nails, and a dark red liquid oozed from the socket.
Seeing the tiger's injuries, a smile curled at the corner of Su Xiao's mouth. Even if it survived, its combat effectiveness would drop by at least ninety percent. His trap had been very effective.
Indeed, humans were the most dangerous creatures in nature.
The giant tiger lunged at Su Xiao with a howling wind, covering the distance in just a few strides.
Compared to this behemoth, Su Xiao wasn't even as tall as its front legs.
Yet, for some reason, Su Xiao's heartbeat began to accelerate. Facing such a massive opponent excited him.
Before the tiger could reach him, Su Xiao stomped hard on the ground, sending dead leaves flying. In a few quick steps, he was in front of the beast, his long blade slashing at its forepaw.
"Puchi."
Blood splattered. The tiger's forepaw was cut open. As expected of a weapon with a rating of 10, it effortlessly tore through the tiger's hide and sank deep into the muscle.
The tiger roared in pain. The earlier explosion had slowed its movements, and its mind was still somewhat dazed.
Just as the tiger prepared to counterattack, Su Xiao had already sidestepped, positioning himself perfectly on the tiger's left side—the blind spot of its injured eye.
Two millstone-sized paws clawed forward repeatedly, the extended claws gleaming with a metallic sheen. If Su Xiao were caught by them, he would pay a heavy price. Fortunately, the tiger failed to touch him.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Xiao stepped forward, gripping the sword hilt with both hands, and delivered another slash to the tiger's paw.
The reason he chose to attack the paws was out of necessity. The tiger stood at least four meters tall, making it very difficult to strike vital areas like its throat or head.
With the threat of those two paws, Su Xiao dared not recklessly attack the tiger's weak points.
But that was fine. The time limit for the side mission was still a few hours away. Su Xiao had time, but the tiger did not.
In just a short while of fighting, the ground nearby was already soaked with blood. Soon, the tiger would collapse from excessive blood loss, leaving it at his mercy.
The tiger realized this as well. Its single eye glared at Su Xiao with hatred, but it was beginning to consider retreat.
Such was the nature of beasts. In extremely dire situations, most would choose to flee, unless they had cubs to protect behind them.
Seeking advantage and avoiding harm wasn't just a human instinct; beasts were the same, especially this highly intelligent tiger.
The tiger panted heavily, its claws sinking deep into the soil, ready to escape at any moment.
The battle had reached this point; how could Su Xiao let the tiger escape? He had spent precious time setting up the trap.
Just as the tiger began to retreat, Su Xiao launched a series of slashes, leaving several bloody, gaping wounds on its body.
Looking at the tiger's health bar, which was only 8% remaining, it was as good as dead unless something unexpected happened.
In Reincarnation Paradise, there was no berserk mode when health dropped below 10%. Instead, any creature became extremely weak.
Forget about going berserk; the tiger could barely run properly now, its attacks were chaotic, and it only wanted to escape.
When the tiger attempted to flee for the sixth time, Su Xiao thrust his long blade into its hind leg, then gripped the hilt with both hands and violently dragged it outward.
The sound of the blade cutting through muscle was unique. Gripping the hilt tightly, Su Xiao could clearly feel the slight vibration transmitted to the blade as the muscle was severed.
The tiger let out a mournful howl. A deep wound appeared on its hind leg. Before the blood could fill the wound, Su Xiao saw a severed tendon inside.
With the tendon cut, the tiger had lost its chance to escape. It was doomed today.
Perhaps the tiger realized this as well. It changed its demeanor, turning to face Su Xiao and continuously issuing threatening roars.
Su Xiao stood before the tiger, his bare upper body splattered with tiger blood.
The slippery, warm sensation of blood stirred his ferocity, making him appear exceptionally fierce at that moment.
Standing before this house-sized beast, Su Xiao smiled—a remarkably gentle smile.
The 'Master of Mount Colubo' had dominated Mount Colubo for many years, never fearing any creature.
But at this moment, this giant beast felt a hint of fear toward Su Xiao, because this smiling human might take its life.
"Roar~!"
A roar, tinged with both anger and fear, echoed across the entire Mount Colubo.
Su Xiao charged at the tiger with agile steps, occasionally changing direction.
The tiger lowered its body, seemingly ready to fight to the death.
One tiger claw, carrying a bloody wind, swiped at Su Xiao's face. This strike was swift and urgent. The tiger had been hiding its speed, revealing it now in its death throes to deliver a fatal blow.
If that claw hit him, even if Su Xiao survived by luck, he would have no choice but to flee.
Su Xiao seemed to have the upper hand, but that wasn't entirely true. The gap in strength between him and the tiger was enormous. Even after slashing it a dozen times, the tiger's health bar had only decreased by about 1%, which was negligible. That 1% also factored in the tiger's rapid blood loss.
But if he took a direct hit from that claw, the battle might be over.
The deadly claw was already upon him, yet Su Xiao maintained his forward momentum, actively meeting it.
Just as the claw was about to strike him, he spread his legs into a kneeling position, lowered his center of gravity, and leaned his entire body backward.
The blood-soaked tiger claw brushed past the tip of Su Xiao's nose, the strong wind lifting his disheveled hair.
His knees scraped through the leaves on the ground as he narrowly dodged the claw.
Slapping one hand on the ground, Su Xiao sprang up like a fish leaping. He was now directly beneath the tiger's head, exposing its vulnerable throat.
Su Xiao naturally didn't hesitate and delivered a slash.
A gush of blood sprayed out, drenching Su Xiao completely.
While Su Xiao was locked in a life-or-death struggle with the tiger, a small, thin figure was hiding in a patch of bushes in the distance. Judging by its size, it was a child.
"S-So strong."
The bushes rustled, and the child's head poked out, a straw hat on top adorned with a few green leaves.
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