Fierce Clash!

The tempestuous waves battered the rugged shoreline, bursting upon the jagged rocks and erupting into cascades of frothy white spray.

On the sandy beach, Ryan's gaze remained undisturbed, piercing through the mist of sea spray to the formidable opponent before him, a dragon-headed giant crab of mythical proportions. As it lumbered closer, translucent, gray-text prompts materialized before his eyes.

[Dragon-headed Cancer: The Beach Cancer, a brave creature that shattered its own shell to don a dragon-head-shaped skull. It survived, underwent a fusion mutation, and absorbed vast amounts of spiritual power to ascend as the monarch of Beach Cancers. A unique species, it eclipsed ordinary bird dragon breeds in power. Its armor-like carapace, formidable claw strength capable of crushing stone, a lethal horn on its back, and a mastery over the manipulation of water currents made it a daunting adversary.

- You feel an immense pressure!]

The prompt "You feel an immense pressure" surprisingly brought relief to Ryan. He recalled previous encounters where dire warnings such as "This entity far exceeds your power, retreat immediately!" had greeted him. This time, the absence of the word "invincible" sparked a glimmer of hope, no matter how faint, victory remained a possibility.

Ryan's expression was stoic as he gripped his longsword firmly, poised for battle. With a swift, low stance, he surged forward, each stride propelling him rapidly towards the behemoth that towered nearly three meters tall.

Despite his human frailty, Ryan charged unflinchingly at the colossal crab. The scene was a striking contrast, the small stature of a man against the vast bulk of the aquatic titan.

The Dragon-headed Cancer moved with agility deceptive for its size. It's large, ponderous steps covered ground quickly, closing the gap between them.

Within moments, they were mere meters apart.

"Swoosh —"

The crab's mammoth blue-black pincers, each larger than a grown man, sliced through the air with a swoosh. As they descended, a powerful gust buffeted Ryan's hair violently backwards, a grim reminder of the raw power he faced, dwarfing the mere lash of an ordinary beach crab.

"Cang!"

Ryan swiftly positioned his longsword defensively, the blade catching the eerie glow of the dusk as it awaited the relentless attack of the giant pincers. With a practiced twist of his wrist, he attempted a technique of 'releasing force', aiming to deflect the monstrous claw with finesse rather than brute strength.

However, the moment his sword made solid contact with the colossal pincers, a shock of immense force reverberated through the metal. Ryan's face flushed a deep crimson, his pupils constricted in a mixture of shock and pain. Without a moment's hesitation, he pivoted the sword, using it as a fulcrum to shift his stance dramatically.

"Boom!"

The ground beneath erupted, hurling fine sand into the air like a stormy mist. The force of the impact sent vibrations coursing through the beach, causing Ryan to stagger, barely maintaining his balance. His hands, tightly clutching the sword, bled profusely as the creature's strength overwhelmed him.

The power of the Dragon-headed Cancer was a terrifying revelation. The mere glancing blow was unbearable; a direct hit would likely be catastrophic, comparable only to a meteor strike carving deep into the beach.

"This is no ordinary foe!" Ryan realized instantly. The Dragon-headed Cancer was not a creature to be overpowered by sheer force. Its lineage from the Beach Crab endowed it with an evolutionary advantage, making it a formidable opponent far beyond the capacity of typical beach dwellers.

If his doppelganger possessed a level 10 strength, perhaps a frontal challenge would be feasible.

But not today. Not with his current prowess.

The sheer mass and strength of the Dragon-headed Cancer rendered it nearly invincible in a physical contest. For a human to grapple with such a force was tantamount to suicide.

Regaining his footing, Ryan discarded all hesitation and rolled to the side with urgency. As he completed his maneuver, the crab's other pincer swept through the air where he had just stood, its spiked surface whistling menacingly close. The displaced sand formed a fan-shaped blast zone, a testament to the strike's lethal power. The pincer missed him by mere centimeters; a second later, and he would have been crushed.

His rapid response was born from experience. Having battled Beach Crabs countless times, Ryan was well-versed in their tactics. Although the Dragon-headed Cancer had evolved from these common foes, it retained enough of their combat essence for him to anticipate its moves. This familiarity was his only edge in a fight that was quickly proving to be his most dangerous yet.

After its initial strike missed, the dragon-headed giant crab showed no signs of slowing its assault. With a colossal force, it easily extricated its pincers from the sandy depths. Raising its formidable claws like twin hammers, it relentlessly pursued Ryan, intent on smashing him into the ground.

"Damn it!" Ryan cursed inwardly, his feet scrambling back in a desperate retreat.

The crab's massive pincers surged forward, slicing through the air for nearly ten meters before they finally halted, leaving Ryan slick with cold sweat. He knew all too well that a direct hit from those monstrous claws would not just injure him, it could be fatal. One serious blow could incapacitate him long enough for the crab to deliver a final, crushing hit.

With a grim realization, Ryan understood that he must avoid a frontal strike at all costs. His eyes hardened with determination.

After a brief pause, the dragon-headed giant crab resumed its attack with increased ferocity. This time, it opened its pincers wide, moving laterally in a motion eerily reminiscent of a human hug, but far quicker than before. It closed the distance rapidly, the raised pincers poised to crash down upon him.

Trapped, with no time to dodge, Ryan bellowed a defiant "Die!"

[High-spirited War Cry], activate!

Visible ripples emanated from him, washing over the dragon-headed giant crab. To Ryan's astonishment, the creature momentarily seized up. Although the [High-spirited War Cry] itself had no magical effect on the crab, the intense concussive sound waves disrupted its movements.

Ryan speculated quickly, could the massive internal cavity within the crab's dragon-shaped carapace be amplifying the sound waves, causing them to reverberate painfully inside it? Clinging to this theory, he found a new surge of hope.

The morale boost from his war cry enveloped Ryan in a faint white shimmer, enhancing his strength and speed by 12%. Seizing the moment of the crab's vulnerability, he lunged forward, ready to exploit the unexpected advantage.

Ryan's muscles tensed and swelled, straining against the fabric of his trousers which split at the seams from the force. Gathering his energy in a brief, intense moment, he launched himself upwards, aiming a piercing strike at one of the dragon-headed giant crab's most vulnerable spots, its eye.

The armored behemoth, a fortress of natural defense, had only two significant weaknesses. One was its starkly exposed eyes, and the other, its gaping mouth which, while perilous due to the potential of ensnaring a blade, was less of a viable target. Thus, targeting the eyes was Ryan's strategic choice.

"Ding——!"

The sword thrust forward, slicing through the air with lethal intent. Sensing the imminent danger, the dragon-headed giant crab abruptly emerged from its stunned state, retracting its eyes just in time to avoid a fatal blow.

"Is it just a scratch..."

Ryan grimaced in disappointment as his attack merely grazed the creature. Using the crab's own claw as leverage, he vaulted gracefully back to the ground, creating distance between himself and the formidable foe.

Retreating a few steps, Ryan narrowed his eyes and observed the crab defensively positioning its colossal pincers in front, crafting an impenetrable wall of armor.

"What is it doing?" Ryan pondered aloud, a mix of confusion and curiosity stirring within him.

Could it be that the lingering effects of the [High-spirited War Cry] and the superficial damage to its eye had caused the dragon-headed crab to hesitate? Ryan considered this as he prepared for the next phase of this unpredictable battle, his mind racing to anticipate the crab's next move.