Adil heard a strange noise. He looked down—it came from his stomach. "Hah, man, I'm hungry. How long has it been since I ate?"
He sighed and reached for his side. "Hmm..." he muttered, activating the temporary arm with the mana orb.
The orb pulsed. "Oh my... It's glowing."
He stepped into the cave. It was pure darkness, silent and cold. But the glowing arm lit the way, casting a faint light on the jagged walls. Each step echoed, and the deeper he went, the stronger the hum of energy around him became.
As Adil moved forward with cautious steps, he muttered,
"I gotta be careful though..."
Behind him, an eye opened in the shadows. A loud noise echoed—and before he could react, the Zider lunged from the darkness, its tail whipping toward him like a cannon.
Adil spun instinctively, blocking the strike—but the impact shattered the bones in his left hand.
"Argh!" he grunted, stumbling back.
The creature stepped into the light—20 feet long, 1000kg of pure muscle and rage.
Even the largest Dragon Komodo barely reached 10 feet. This thing was a monster.
Suddenly, a system prompt flashed in his vision:
Creature identified: Zider
Danger Level: E++
Trait: Dense Skin
"Ouch..." Adil muttered, smirking with annoyance.
"Okay, he never told me the Zider was that big. I thought it was just a small lizard..."
The Zider roared and lunged again.
"Dammit!" Adil growled, grabbing his blade with his right hand.
He dodged to the side just as the beast slammed into the cave wall, shaking the ground. Without hesitation, Adil struck—his blade slicing toward the creature's flank.
Though he was left-handed, he had trained his right hand enough to fight. And with the mana arm, stronger than any average limb, he had just enough power to push back.
Zider screamed, but the attack wasn't enough to deal any fatal damage.
"Oh no... I nearly died while defeating that Gatekeeper, who was E+."
Adil stared at the horns jutting from its skull—curved like blades, stained with dried blood. If he hadn't dodged, he wouldn't be fighting. He'd be digesting.
As Adil's left hand began to heal, he felt a sharp pain—but he endured it. He ran toward the other side to create some distance, but the lizard quickly lunged and crawled over him, crushing his body under its massive weight.
Adil screamed, "Aahaghhh!" He quickly began stabbing the Zider countless times with his right hand, while using his left to try and hold its mouth open.
His bones shattered—then healed. Then the pain began. And the process continued.
Adil thought, "Can't I explode my mana arm inside its mouth with the time I have left?"
Suddenly, the system appeared:
Mana Arm Detonation: Available
Time Remaining: 60 seconds
Adil shouted, "Do it!"
He thrust his right hand deep into the Zider's mouth—and detonated the mana orb. The blade, still stuck inside the creature's body, exploded with it.
The Zider screamed in agony. Smoke poured from its mouth, filling the cave with the stench of burning flesh.
It staggered back, then violently spat out the blade. It clattered to the ground—already melting from the acidic liquid inside the Zider's body.