Elite Creature

After Su Xiao landed this nearly fatal strike, the giant tiger's body began to go limp, its massive frame collapsing toward him.

Su Xiao, positioned beneath the giant tiger, felt the space above him darken and immediately realized something was wrong, rolling his body to the side.

"Boom."

Dust billowed as the giant tiger crashed to the ground, appearing as though it were already dead.

Covered in blood, Su Xiao stood up and stared vigilantly at the fallen beast. He did not approach it, because the health bar above the giant tiger's head still showed 5% remaining.

The Master of Mt. Colubo was not dead; this clever giant tiger actually knew how to play dead to lull Su Xiao into a false sense of security.

"What a clever beast."

He gave his long blade a light flick, sending the blood staining the steel flying, forming a semi-circle of splatter on the ground.

"Hoo~."

Heavy, ragged breathing echoed. Although they had only exchanged a few blows, the situation had been fraught with peril, consuming a vast amount of Su Xiao's stamina.

His physique was 5 points, which meant his endurance was not particularly high—it was merely on par with a normal person.

In the real world, raising a single attribute point was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Su Xiao's three full years of grueling training had only earned him 1 point in Strength and 2 points in Agility.

Yet, with just these 3 points above the average person, Su Xiao already possessed the strength to crush ordinary people, showing just how massive the changes were with every point gained.

One minute, two minutes—the man and the tiger entered a stalemate. The Master of Mt. Colubo continued to play dead, and Su Xiao did not move to attack, needing to recover his stamina.

The giant tiger, lying in a pool of blood, suddenly opened its single eye, which held a mix of despair and unwillingness.

It was hard to imagine a beast could display such complex emotions, but it was not entirely strange; animals in the One Piece World tended to have higher intelligence.

In a desert kingdom within the One Piece World, there was even a lecherous camel that would only carry women.

The Master of Mt. Colubo struggled to stand, its single eye fixed on Su Xiao as black-red blood trickled from the corner of its mouth.

Having recovered some stamina, Su Xiao slowly closed in on the Master of Mt. Colubo.

"Roar~."

A low, threatening growl emanated from the beast, and a tiger paw swiped tentatively toward Su Xiao.

Su Xiao immediately retreated, but a few seconds later, he stepped forward again.

He chose not to engage the giant tiger head-on; Su Xiao knew full well that even in its current state, the beast still had the power to kill him.

The power scaling in the One Piece World was too high, and Su Xiao could only respond with caution.

Realizing that Su Xiao was stalling for time, the Master of Mt. Colubo fell into total despair. It had encountered an experienced hunter.

The Master of Mt. Colubo trembled on its limbs, struggling to stand straight, before letting out a heaven-shaking roar. This was perhaps its final roar at the mountains and forests.

After the roar, the Master of Mt. Colubo dragged its broken body and lunged directly at Su Xiao, indifferent to the blade in his hand or the ruptured organs within its own body.

"Boom, boom."

As the Master of Mt. Colubo charged, the ground within several hundred meters vibrated slightly.

It was coming; the beast before him was making a desperate final stand.

The Master of Mt. Colubo certainly possessed a soaring momentum, but its battered body left it lacking the necessary follow-through.

Its chosen method of attack was simple: biting. It opened its massive maw to tear into Su Xiao head-on.

However, due to the severed tendons in its hind legs, the Master of Mt. Colubo collapsed after only a few steps. Its pouncing motion immediately distorted, turning what was meant to be an attack into a suicidal gesture.

The wide-open tiger mouth landed right in front of Su Xiao, which caught him by surprise, but his movements remained swift as he thrust his blade forward.

Dragon Slayer Flash first pierced through the giant tiger's soft oral cavity, then punched through a layer of bone, sinking deep into the beast's brain matter.

As a white-rated piece of equipment with a score of 10, Dragon Slayer Flash was among the top tier of white gear, even surpassing some green-rated items; its sharpness was absolutely reliable.

Suffering such a grievous wound, the giant tiger's eyes finally began to dim, and the health bar above its head plummeted to the minimum, about to empty entirely.

To still be alive after sustaining such an injury—what astonishing vitality.

Then, an unexpected scene unfolded.

The giant tiger, its brain pierced by the blade, actually pushed its body forward voluntarily. This drove the blade deeper into its brain, but Su Xiao's expression shifted.

As the giant tiger lunged forward, his arm entered the beast's bite radius.

The tiger's jaws snapped shut, and Su Xiao's right arm was clamped firmly in its teeth.

He immediately felt his arm, which held the blade, being pierced by sharp objects; first came a wave of numbness, followed by excruciating pain.

Although his entire arm began to go numb, Su Xiao did not let go of Dragon Slayer Flash.

Cold sweat streamed down his temple as Su Xiao's free left hand produced a Flintlock.

Pressing the Flintlock against the giant tiger's single eye, Su Xiao pulled the trigger.

"Bang."

The single eye burst, spraying bodily fluids everywhere.

This shot was the final straw; the giant tiger's health bar emptied, and the blood-stained maw that had been clamped onto Su Xiao's arm finally released its grip, allowing him to pull his arm free.

His upper right arm was now a mangled mess of flesh and blood. He tried to move it, and fortunately, the bone was intact; though it hurt immensely, the skeletal structure remained undamaged.

The giant tiger that had taken this bite was already at the end of its rope; its injuries looked severe, but that was not actually the case.

[You have killed (Elite Creature) Master of Mt. Colubo]

[Master of Mt. Colubo is an elite creature. You have gained 3.2% of World's Source. You currently have a total of 8.9% of World's Source.]

[Your talent 'Spirit Eater' has activated, permanently increasing your mana by 15 points. Current mana: 91 points.]

The notification from Reincarnation Paradise allowed Su Xiao to relax slightly; the Master of Mt. Colubo was truly dead.

Massive blood loss and exhaustion left Su Xiao's entire body limp, and he collapsed onto the ground.

He took a cigarette from his Storage Space and lit it with a snap, thin wisps of blue smoke curling upward.

"Heh~, hehe~."

Covered in blood, Su Xiao sat on the grass, his head lowered as his shoulders shook uncontrollably. He had become addicted to this feeling of being on the razor's edge of life and death during battle.

The winner lives, the loser dies; although cruel, it was also very simple.

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Su Xiao looked toward the giant tiger's corpse.

Floating above the tiger's body was a pale green Treasure Chest, which was flickering with an alluring green glow.

Blood-soaked, Su Xiao struggled to his feet. This was the first time he had ever seen a green Treasure Chest.

Opening a white Treasure Chest could yield magical equipment like the Late Wife's Pendant; what could he obtain from a green Treasure Chest, which was even more precious than a white one?

Su Xiao felt a burning anticipation, but now was not the time.

In this forest full of unknowns, other dangers could appear at any moment. The ground nearby was stained with a large pool of blood, and the scent of gore might attract other predators.

Su Xiao put away the green Treasure Chest and used the hilt of his blade to knock out all the tiger's teeth before preparing to head to a nearby water source to wash his body.

But just then, a faint rustling sound came from a bush a dozen meters away.

Su Xiao's gaze sharpened instantly. He gripped Dragon Slayer Flash tightly and stared at the bushes.

"Who is it? Come out!"

Su Xiao shouted sharply. If it were a beast in the bushes, it would definitely have reacted.

However, the opposite was true; the bushes were deathly quiet, which made him grow wary.

There might be someone in the bushes.

The weather is getting hotter and hotter; Fei Wen is most afraid of the heat~~~.