Chapter 17: The Sound of Breathing (Extra Chapter for Tips) (Continued)

Superhuman Mode, activate!

Bzzzt!

The familiar ringing sounded in my ears, but it still did nothing to make me feel safe. This desert lizard was simply too fast!

Even with Superhuman Mode activated, I couldn't get away from it. Before its jaws could snap shut, I leaped backward and slammed hard into a shelf, but the giant lizard was so fast

that it caught up with me even as I was sent flying!

Rrrrgh~

A muffled growl rang out again, and its enormous jaws lunged toward me. Its body wasn't very tall; at four meters long, it was only about a meter high. But with its mouth

gaping open, I thought... it wouldn't have been surprising if it swallowed me whole.

Its sharp teeth were lined with tiny barbs. I was leaning against the shelf, which hadn't toppled yet thanks to Superhuman Mode, but the desert lizard had already caught up

and was snapping its jaws at me.

I jerked my hand up, ready to pull the trigger, when a shadow suddenly flashed before my eyes!

Crack!

Even in Superhuman Mode, I heard the loud crack clearly. At the same time, a sharp pain shot through my right hand, and with another snap, my wrist

twisted at an unnatural angle.

Its tail!

Ugh!

The intense pain made Superhuman Mode vanish in an instant. The enormous momentum of that tail sent me flying. The world spun around me

as I crashed to the floor.

Thud!

The force carried me into a slide across the ground. Between the ceramic tiles and the sand, friction was almost nonexistent. I slid sideways, then

slammed my back hard against something sharp!

Ugh!

I groaned and instinctively curled up. Then I heard a strange, rapid pattering of footsteps beside me!

It was coming again!

I had