Injured

Erian felt the itch in his back was getting more intense. When he touched it, he discovered to his amazement, that his wounds had stopped bleeding and were drying up already.

Huh? How is this possible? I was clearly injured now, not yesterday. How is it that my injuries are already scabbing?

Erian stroked it and although he felt a bit of pain, he could feel that he was already healing at a rapid pace. Erian couldn't possibly think of any reason except the technique. It seem to have given his body rapid healing.

His contemplation was soon disrupted. Erian stood up and glanced at his surroundings.

!*<>

The rays from the moon aided him. Erian frowned slightly. He had been a scavenger for five years and he could say with confidence that he had been to every corner of the 300-meter safe zone of the Waste Site, the problem was that he couldn't recall where this place was.

Suddenly, his expression changed drastically.

Since he couldn't recognise where he was, it could only mean one thing… he had unknowingly crossed the three hundred meters safe zone!

With a blackened face, Erian immediately chose to withdraw but just as he was thinking about it, a large beast that looked very much like a lizard emerged from the side of a heap of syringes. It seem to have been attracted by the noise the Rattus had made before it died.

The data of the beast was then revealed before him.

[Name: Twin-Horned Crocodile]

[Level: Eight]

[Quality: Normal]

[nuclear Energy: 1325 points]

[Effect: Skin as though as metal. Meat can increase one's strength when eaten over a long period of time.]

[Extractable: Two sharp horns which can be forged into weapons. Its skin can be used for soft iron. It's tongue for pharmaceutical purposes.]

[Too weak to form Extractable DNA particles ]

[Absorbable]

Erian gulped nervously. If he knew he was going to be fighting he would have at least brought a kitchen knife. It might be useless in front of this Twin-horned crocodile, but Erian would still feel a bit safe wit b the weapon in hand.

The crocodile was large, probably even taller than a normal adult once placed vertically. It's horns are sharper and looked very much like tempered steel. Despite its large body, its movements were stealthy. It did he make any obvious sound while walking through the pile of metal.

Standing stiffly, Erian raised his hands in the air. "Alright, I know I'm in your territory right now, but would you believe me if I said I arrived here by mistake?"

Two clouds of steam air puffed out from the Twin-horned crocodile's nose as the beast snorted.

"I guess that's a no?"

"Whoosh!"

The Twin-horned crocodile was very fast and while it wasn't as fast as the Iron-skin Dwarve Rattus, there was an enormous strength behind its charge.

Erian didn't dare tangle with the beast, he knew his limits.

Quickly, he leapt sideways, rolling away from the direction of the beast's charge.

"Crash!"

A mountain of syringes tilted over and fell sideways, creating a loud bang sound and metallic dust in the air. Its horn appeared quite stock within the pile of metal and glass.

Seizing the opportunity, Erian quickly moved to the side of the beast.

Other warm currents of energy flowed from within his body, into his fist. He immediately punched heavily at the side of its skull.

A resounding bang echoed and his eyes opened widely from the collision. Erian felt his arm go numb and his body shook, staggering three steps backwards from the rebounding force.

"What tough skin!"

Astounded, Erian hurriedly retreated about ten meters away, staring warily at the beast. His all out attack hadn't dealt much damage to the beast. He was the one being affected instead. Was this the difference between levels? He should have gotten off the Iron-skin Dwarve Rattus rather than suckling its energy.

The Twin-horned crocodile instantly became very furious, it's legs shuffled around the metal garbage, moving very fast.

Erian didn't have time to ponder when it charged at him once more. Since his attacks could barely affect the beast, Erian gave up on attacking and focused on evading instead.

The Twin-horned crocodile passes Erian's side for the second time, slamming into another heap of steel as Erian narrowly avoided being skewered.

Just as Erian jumped and rolled, evading the Twin-horned crocodile for the third time, the Twin-horned crocodile's eyes turned savage and its tail suddenly whipped sideways.

Erian was barely able to cross his arms in defence before the tail smashed against his chest like a swinging sledgehammer!

"Wham!"

His body was sent flying ten meters backwards like a broken kite. Skidding and bouncing against the ground like a football. His back eventually slammed into the flat surface of a large metal object, making it form a human-shaped print on the surface.

"Bang!"

Erian groaned loudly, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. Feeling several of his ribs broken and also his arm extremely numb. His left one in particular seem to have been dislocated during the attack. That tail whip was just too powerful.

An intense vibration is transmitted from the ground. Erian's eyes fluttered open and groggily saw the Twin-horned crocodile charging rapidly at him with intense speed and force, already a meter away from him.

Erian was shocked awake. If those horns stabbed into him, there was no chance he would be able to survive the attack no matter how strong his physique had gotten. Now he had an idea why most people don't usually survive this deep within this site. It was because of beasts like this.

Smashing his right arm against the ground, his body was pushed upward and he flipped backwards, hiding behind the large sheet of metal.

His feet had just touched the ground behind the large metal sheet when an explosive force rammed into the steel, instantly deforming it.

Erian who was behind the sheet felt as though he had been bashed by a moving train, making his body tremble. It took all of his willpower to hold on and not stagger backwards. One of the large horns of the Twin-horned Crocodile stabbed through the metal sheet and emerged from the other side, a few centimetres away from Erian's torso.

Erian's body trembled even further. If his body had been in that position, he would have been stabbed through by the horn!

The beast didn't stop and charged even further, pushing both Erian and the metal sheet backwards. Sparks flew off as the metal sheet dragged against the ground, creating loud screeching sounds in the dark of the night. Erian gritted his teeth and struggled back against the force, but it wasn't to much effect.

Seeing the horn that had punctured the metal sheet by his left, he grabbed the exposed horn of the beast, roaring within his mind. 'Absorb!'