NOVEL NEXT Chapter 76: Crocodies
*Earlier*
In this Tier 2 Gate, there are many groups of dungeon beasts roaming around.
The goblin groups, a swarm of giant beetles, the wolf pack, and even the herd of boars.
But don't be mistaken into thinking these motherf*ckers are the only ones that exist.
There are many other groups scattered across the dungeon, each ruling over their own respective territory like self-proclaimed kings of the dirt... or water.
And one of those groups lives near the lakes. (Yeah, you're already getting where this is going, right?)
Step too close to their watery domain, and you'll quickly find yourself facing the merciless wrath of the Crocodies.
A Crocodie is no joke of a beast.
Towering, reptilian predators armored in jagged, rock-hard scales, their entire existence is basically spelling out "brutal dominance."
Despite their hulking size, they're capable of terrifying bursts of speed, launching themselves forward with crushing precision.
Their greatest weapon is their monstrous bite — once those jaws clamp shut, the lock is absolute.
Bone gets pulverized, flesh is torn apart, and escape isn't even an option written in the menu.
Patient, ruthless, and devastatingly efficient, the Crocodie stands as one of the truest apex predators of this dungeon, respected and feared for both its size and the brutal finality of its attacks.
And as fate would have it, one particular group of beasts had just been forced to the sidelines, waiting idly while their leader was occupied in a duel.
Unfortunately for them, a nearby crocodie happened to notice this sudden vulnerability.
Its cold reptilian gaze locked onto the herd, and it wasted no time moving toward the resting place of the dominant Crocodie — their boss.
The scout wasted no breath.
It relayed what it had seen: six males, three females, and three boarlets.
All of them, except for the little ones, were bloodied and injured, standing on the brink of collapse.
The moment the boss crocodie heard this report, it didn't even hesitate.
Its guttural growl rumbled across the water, and in an instant, every crocodie under its command surged forward, ready to take advantage of the most perfect ambush opportunity they had been waiting for.
Now you might be asking, "Hold up, why didn't they just ambush the boars earlier? They sound strong enough."
Well, dear reader, that's because they were too damn scared of the boss boar.
Yeah, the boss boar isn't just some chunky bacon-on-legs.
She's a powerful beast in her own right — strong enough to kill the crocodie's boss in a head-on fight.
On top of that, she's a nightmare to ambush because she has a natural ability that allows her to detect approaching threats before they even get close.
With that ability, she could easily position her herd to counter-attack before a crocodie could even get within striking distance.
But now? Now the boss boar was busy. A little TOO busy.
She was locked in a duel against the alpha, too far away to detect her herd, and her entire group was fully focused on watching their leader fight for dominance.
So there was absolutely no alarm, protection, or any chance of her suddenly stopping the duel and going to their direction to check up on them.
So tell me, isn't this the most perfect time to gut these boar f*ckers where they stand?
The crocodies slithered forward, their massive bodies moving with surprising silence, every swim carefully controlled, every sound swallowed into the background.
The only noises left in the area were the occasional snorts of the weary boars and the distant, brutal clash of the duel taking place between the boss boar and the alpha wolf.
Finally, they hit the land.
Jagged claws pressed into the dirt, scaly limbs advancing step by step, the formation closing in tighter with each passing second.
The first to notice the danger were the boarlets, their small eyes widening as the shadows of the crocodies surrounded them.
But it was already too late.
The predators had fully encircled the herd, and with no leader to raise an alarm, the ambush fell upon them in an instant, striking from behind with merciless precision.
Large monstrous jaws clamped down on thick necks, the sound of bone shattering muffled by the sheer strength of those jaws.
Flesh ripped, veins snapped, and the prey was dragged down without even the mercy of a cry escaping their throats.
One by one, the boars were silenced, their bodies pulled into the murky lake where the water ran dark with their final struggle.
The silence of the slaughter was more chilling than any roar.
The only sound left was the grinding shift of scales against the ground, the Crocodies dragging their victims deeper into the water with unrelenting force.
And just like that, the boar herd's numbers were reduced to only one.
The moment Lanz arrived, his eyes widened, pupils dilating as his brain scrambled to process the sight in front of him.
His chest tightened and his breath caught in his throat.
Sweat trickled down his face in slow, heavy lines, his skin burning with the sting of reality finally settling in.
"What the actual f*ck just happened," he muttered under his breath, his voice cracked with disbelief. "Where the hell did those b*tch ass boars go?!"
Before he could even try to piece together an answer, the air itself split apart under two thunderous cries.
Almost perfectly in sync, the boss and the alpha raised their voices into the night, their roars colliding like blades meeting mid-swing.
The boss's shriek tore through the forest, chilling and commanding, shaking the branches above and forcing the ground itself to hum beneath the weight of her voice.
At the same time, the alpha unleashed a howl that carried raw fury, his rage flooding the air until it pressed against every tree and every rock.
Both cries carried a single order — reinforcements.
The command rushed outward in every direction, vibrating through the area, reaching for the ears of their allies who were supposed to be waiting nearby.
When the cries ended, silence crashed down over the battlefield.
Neither leader lowered their guard, neither allowed their stance to falter.
Their bodies shook from exhaustion, their muscles burned from the relentless duel, but their eyes stayed locked onto one another.
They waited.
Their breaths came heavy and uneven, their ears sharpened, desperate to catch even the faintest sound of movement that would announce the approach of their forces.
But there was nothing.
The silence stretched on, dragging out longer than it should have, and then the realization struck them both at the exact same time.
The silence was wrong.
Their heads snapped to the side in unison, gazes locked onto the direction where their allies were supposed to be waiting.
For the first time since the beginning of their brutal clash, the unwavering confidence in their eyes broke, replaced with a raw disbelief that cracked through their pride.
The sight waiting for them made their bodies stiffen like stone and their pride shattering into pieces.
Horror swept across their faces, the raw kind that beasts like them weren't supposed to feel.
Their allies were gone.
End of Chapter 76.
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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO
Level: 16
EXP: 18 / 160
Next Reward:
Global System Tracking: DISABLED
World Rank Association: UNLINKED
Stats:
STR: 20 | AGI: 10 (Affinity) | VIT: 8 | DEX: 5 | INT: 17 | WIS: 5
[Available Stat Points: 0]
[Derived Stat — MANA: 90 / 90]
Skills:
[Quick Sever Lv. 1]
[Crimson Slash Lv. 1]
[Phantom Stride Lv. 2]
[Instinctive Blade Lv.1]
[Predictive Guard Lv.1]
[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]
[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]
[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]
Equipment:
Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)
Training Ring (+1 VIT)
Bag :)
Ring of Genorya - ???