CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: DESPERATION

Before he could react,a giant paw hit him through the cloud of dust. His body flew back like a bullet, the beasts in his path were turned into blood and goo.

When he came to he saw a giant lion with a flaming mane, it savage red eyes glared at him with unconcealed malice. The aura radiating from it was terrifying.

The air boiled and shimmered from the intense heat radiating from it giant body. He wanted to turn around and run as fast as he could but he knew that cave was his only hope.

Over the years his sense of danger had grown slightly, it was more of an instinctive feeling that was on and off than a proper ability and right now it was telling him if he does not get in there he will die.

He also noticed the effected beasts were growing stronger by the second. When he looked up the red moon was not yet full but it was growing.

Faster than any moon ever had, he knew it would be a full moon by midnight and something told him he didn’t want to be out by then.

So he was terrified, really terrified of the lion infront of him but he still gritted his teeth and lunged at it. He knew he had no hope of beating a mid rank 3 with peak earth grade bloodline.

But he still faced it with everything he got. He shot as many webs at it as he could but they were burnt within seconds. But it was enough, he knew they couldn’t hold it.

His intentions was to blind and distract it, when he got close to it he jumped, his body soared through the air and with all the strength he could muster he rammed his claw on it face.

It took two steps back, blood dripped down it face. It roared in anger then turned it eyes at him. ’ Shit, I’m sorry I’m sorry’ a flaming claw rammed him on the side like a bus before he could even react.

He tried to activate haki but he was too mentally drained to maintain it. It merely flickered and disappeared. Trees and red eyed beasts zipped past him as he soared through the air.

He threw up a mouthful of blood and he felt his scales crack. He landed upon the army of beasts and crushed them into paste, the impact shook his organs.

Before he could stand up, a giant ball of fire exploded on him. The heat was so intense he felt his blood boil. When the flames died down he found himself in a giant burnt crater.

Everything around him including the other beasts were burnt to charcoal, only rank 2 beasts survived and only because they were far away from him.

He doesn’t like to boast but amongst rank 2 his defence was definitely the best, it probably could even match that of rank 3 defence oriented beasts.

’This might’ve been a bad idea.’ he growled in pain. Although he complained, the plan had worked. The lion lunged at him with it giant maw.

It dagger like teeth gleamed like bloody daggers under the red moon or maybe they were just bloody, he didn’t know. This was exactly what he wanted.

With the lion standing infront of the cave, he couldn’t get in, he needed to draw it away from the cave first and what better way to do that than pissing it off enough to chase him.

Just as it was about to bite him he shot web on it face and blinded it then rolled to the side, this time he had used all the web he had left. It would take time to burn it all off.

He was staking everything on this move and as he thought, the lion was distracted trying to get the web off. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

He had to get to the cave as fast as he could but he had forgotten the lion was not his only opponent. The buffalo charged at him from the side.

He rolled forward to dodge then the ground froze around him followed by a wave of cold air. He felt his movements slow down, mind you he was kind of a cold blooded creature.

His body could not regulate heat as well as a human could. So when the wind seeped into his body it greatly effected him but he didn’t have the luxury to spend too much time on that.

He gritted his teeth and shrugged off the freezing pain. This was one weakness of his scales, they could not fully block elemental demage like heat or cold.

He ran even though his muscles felt stiff, then slashed his tail to his left. A sound of clicking metal echoed. A giant mantis appeared like a ghost.

But unlike before this time it was not sent flying but merely backed off 2 metres. ’ I’m getting weaker, this is bad.’ he was panicking, his strength was dropping over time while they only grew stronger.

He really couldn’t afford to be help back by these things, if the lion free itself before he reaches the cave he doubt he would be able to.

When the buffalo charged at him again he did not dodge. He met it horn with a claw then using all of his strength he threw it at the wolf which was giving him the most trouble.

It seems neither expected that, the wolf failed to dodge and both were sent rolling through the forest crushing every creature in their path.

Then using his tail he blocked the mantis but did not push it back. He grabbed it legs with his claws, before it react he ripped them off. While the mantis was fast and it scythe blade was dangerous it had very little durability.

He bit it head off just as it was about to swing it scythe like arm at him. Now that the three most troublesome opponents were removed he rushed for the cave without much trouble. His body was still covered in blood.

While those three are the only ones that have him trouble he was besieged by both rank 2 and 1 beasts every second, the rats being the most numerous. His claws and tail swung left and right sending limbs, blood and organs flying every second.

The lion removed the last of the web on it face then turned and looked at him. ’ F*** I’m so close’ he cursed in his mind as he tried to run even faster. However the lion did not move to attack as he had expected.

The cave drew closer and closer, when he was merely 2 metres away from it he jumped. His razor sharp claws gleamed under the red moon as he flexed his arm preparing to shatter the blue barrier.

His claws drew closer to the barrier inch by inch, he felt relief rise inside him, even if the lion were attacks now it will be too late. Just as his claw was mere centimetres away from cave barrier something flashed to his right.

’Huh?’ then BOOOOM.