Chapter 13: Ferocious

"It's Crocodile Lizards, one big and one small," Zhou Wan said urgently. "The large one is nearly three meters long, and the small one is about a meter and a half! They've spotted us."

"Damn it!" Liu Feng cursed, quickly scanning their surroundings. "We can't fight in the water. Lure them ashore and head forward. I remember there's a restaurant at the neighborhood entrance. We'll go to the second floor."

He pointed toward a row of shops just outside the complex, a dozen meters away to their front right. The first floor was already a third of the way submerged.

"Zhou Wan and Minghu, go first. The three of us will bring up the rear. Hurry!" Liu Feng ordered decisively.

The team instantly picked up the pace, the five of them wading desperately through the waist-deep water. Chen Yan let out a furious roar, planting his massive frame at the very back of the group. With a baseball bat strapped to his back, he gripped a fire axe with both hands, standing like a sturdy dam.

The dark shadows beneath the surface clearly sensed their prey accelerating, and their own speed surged in response. Two distinct V-shaped wakes ripped across the murky water.

"Han Ning!" Liu Feng shouted.

"Understood." Han Ning's expression turned grave. Facing the incoming attack, he pushed both hands forward into the empty air.

In an instant, ten dark green vines covered in sharp Wooden Thorns shot out from the murky water like hunting Poisonous Snakes.

SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!

The sound of the vines breaking the surface rang out in rapid succession. The majority of the vines targeted the smaller, faster Crocodile Lizard. Seven or eight vines accurately wrapped around its limbs, neck, and long tail.

"HISS!"

Bound by the vines, the small Crocodile Lizard jerked to a sudden halt and began to struggle madly. The vines pulled taut, emitting a teeth-aching creak as water splashed in all directions.

Han Ning's facial muscles twitched involuntarily. He could clearly feel the tremendous force traveling up the vines, constantly yanking at his arms. While this small Crocodile Lizard was considered small, that was only in comparison to the beast trailing behind it. Overall, it was a full size larger than the juvenile Crocodile Lizard he had encountered ten days prior.

The durability of the Intermediate Vine Technique far exceeded the Basic Level, yet it still struggled against the monster's sheer brute force.

Meanwhile, relying on its formidable size and strength, the Giant Crocodile Lizard simply snapped two or three blocking vines. Its speed only slightly reduced, it kept its bloodthirsty maw lined with razor-sharp teeth wide open. Trailing a foul, bloody stench, it lunged straight for Chen Yan at the rear.

"Monster, back the hell off!" Chen Yan roared like thunder. His muscles bulged and strained, a faint, rock-like grayish-white luster surfacing on his skin.

Instead of dodging, he took a bold step forward to meet the beast head-on. Swinging the sharp fire axe with every ounce of his strength, he viciously slammed it toward the beast's hideous head as it breached the water!

BANG!!!

An extremely muffled, deafening crash rang out like two trucks colliding, sending a massive spray of water into the air.

Chen Yan let out a muffled groan. The massive recoil sent him stumbling three steps backward, and he fell flat on his back into the thigh-high floodwaters. The fire axe nearly flew from his grasp; the webbing between his thumb and forefinger had split open, streaming with blood.

The Giant Crocodile Lizard was also affected; the sheer force of the heavy blow smashed its head downward, violently halting its forward momentum.

"Now! Head upstairs!" Liu Feng roared, seizing the precious opening.

Carrying his buzzing Oil Saw, Lu Minghu had already rushed to the restaurant entrance alongside Zhou Wan. The staircase leading up to the second floor was still exposed above the water line. Lu Minghu bounded up the steps like an agile cat, with Zhou Wan following closely behind.

"Han Ning, help Old Chen evacuate! I'll cover the rear!" Liu Feng shouted at Han Ning. At the same time, his gaze hardened, locking onto the small Crocodile Lizard that Han Ning had temporarily trapped and was still thrashing wildly.

Several chunks of concrete rubble and a rusted half-pipe Scattered in the murky water suddenly levitated. As if controlled by an invisible giant hand, they hurled themselves at the small Crocodile Lizard's head and spine, whistling through the air!

BANG BANG BANG!

The dull thuds of heavy objects slamming against scales rang out. Though the strikes didn't cause any critical injuries, the sudden impact brought a jolt of pain to the small Crocodile Lizard. It listed to the side, its frantic thrashing interrupted, and temporarily abandoned the chase.

Han Ning immediately waved his right hand, leaving only two vines behind to continue harassing the small Crocodile Lizard. The remaining vines pivoted, wrapping around the fallen Chen Yan and dragging him backward, quickly opening up some distance from the Giant Crocodile Lizard.

The four of them scrambled up to the second floor at top speed.

The staircase opened up into a narrow hallway, flanked by several private dining rooms and a main dining hall. Inside the hall, overturned tables and chairs lay scattered in a complete mess. Most of the windows were shattered, allowing the howling wind and rain to pour in.

"Block the staircase!" Liu Feng's slightly breathless voice rang out from below as he scrambled up on all fours, looking completely battered.

By this time, Chen Yan had recovered his wits.

"PTOO! PTOO!"

He spat out a few mouthfuls of dirty water. Planting his burly frame right at the top of the stairs, he braced himself with the fire axe held horizontally across his chest. Han Ning catalyzed his vines once more, weaving them into a makeshift barricade net.

Almost the very instant they finished setting up their Defense, a heart-stopping roar and the violent sound of something slamming into the staircase echoed from below.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The wooden staircase groaned in agony under the tremendous impacts, raining down a shower of splintered wood. Both Crocodile Lizards were clearly enraged.

"The big one is coming up! Get ready!"

Liu Feng's eyes were sharp as his gaze swept across the hall. Several heavy, solid-wood chairs began to tremble slightly, as if awakened by an invisible force.

Lu Minghu stood a little further back. The buzzing whine of his Oil Saw's high-speed chain sounded exceptionally grating within the dilapidated hall. He gripped the handle tightly, his eyes fixed on the staircase landing.

Standing directly facing the stairwell, Zhou Wan drew back her Compound Bow. A coldly gleaming carbon-fiber arrow rested securely on the rest. With the bowstring held at a half-draw, the arrowhead tracked micro-adjustments following her gaze, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

HONG LONG.

With a massive crash, the wooden floorboards at the top of the stairs, along with Han Ning's woven vine net, were shattered to pieces by a terrifying force. Wood chips, dust, and broken vines flew everywhere.

A colossal, hideous head covered in slippery, pale white scales burst through the entryway, bringing with it a nauseating, foul stench. Its yellow, slit-like pupils—each the size of a ping-pong ball—instantly locked onto the closest person: Chen Yan.

"ROAR!"

The deafening bellow nearly blew the roof off. The Giant Crocodile Lizard forced half of its massive body onto the second floor, swinging a thick forelimb as it swiped at Chen Yan, who was blocking its path.

Chen Yan reacted with incredible speed. Caught in a life-or-death crisis, he unleashed an astonishing surge of reflexes. The grayish-white, stony luster on his arms rapidly intensified. Raising the fire axe, he met the creature's strike head-on without a shred of fear.

BANG... CRACK!

A heavy, muffled impact exploded through the room.

Like he had been struck by a speeding truck, Chen Yan's feet lifted off the ground, and he was sent flying backward like a cannonball, violently crashing into the wooden partition of one of the private dining rooms.

The heavy fire axe flew from his hands, spinning through the air before embedding itself into a distant wall.

Having landed a successful blow, the Giant Crocodile Lizard whipped its massive head around. Its long, barb-covered tail swept out in a vicious horizontal arc, aiming straight for Lu Minghu.