Chapter 11: The Lion, the Stick and the Hammer

Allen could only gulp in fear as he tried to stand back up and run away. Anyone in their right mind who was facing a gigantic beast would be scared.

Especially when they're not as powerful like Allen himself.

His initial plan was to find a tree to climb on. But since the size of this lion was no joke, he was doubtful about that. His plan was completely dismissed in his mind when the lion took down the trees.

Groaning in frustration, Allen ran away. He made sure to find his trail so he could come back to his camp. It was miles way back, but he didn't have any better plan.

His speed wasn't like what it used to be. He was now faster, running close to the ground like when he was hunting. He deliberately kept the hammer to not slow him down. Sure it wasn't as heavy, but he needed to be as light as he could to escape.

As he ran, the trees behind him fell down one by one. The lion was fast, but the wide grin on its face showed that it was only playing with him. With its size, it could reach tens of meters in one leap, but it wasn't doing that. It was enjoying the thrill of chasing its meal.

"I don't taste good!" Allen yelled, helplessly trying to persuade the predator. "I taste really bland. Like– I don't know, a potato?"

The lion slammed its front paws, making the earth shake and Allen to fall. He stood back up and looked at the lion, this time, the lion licked its lips and stared at Allen with malicious intent.

"Oh, my God," Allen gasped.

Before the lion could pounce on him, he spun and leaped off the ground. He landed on both legs, eyes wide in shock. He didn't expect he could do that, nor did he think he could nail it.

"I'm flexible!" Allen yelled. "Ha! See that, lion? You can't just catch me."

The lion made a low growling sound. It lowered its body, making Allen think that it was backing down. The boy immediately regretted his decision to stop running when the lion leaped off the ground and went straight for the kill.

The boy took his hammer out and bent his knee, preparing himself for the impact. He didn't know why his body was acting like this, but what he knew is that it was too late to back out now.

'Enhanced Instincts II activated.'

Closing his eyes, his hands made their move. He felt all the twich and let it do its thing. With a swift swing of his hammer, Allen clashed his weapon with the lion's claws. His body felt like it was gonna blow away, but he remained steady. He forced his feet to stand and his body to hold on.

He opened his eyes and saw the claw of the lion, grinding with his hammer. The sparks from the two were brighter as the friction got stronger.

Allen didn't know how long he could last. He already felt the broken bones in his body the moment his hammer met the claw, now he has to maintain his stength to keep the claw from reaching him.

As the seconds passed by, the large crescent-shaped nail of the beast was slowly reaching the boy's face. His hands were giving up while his strength was long gone. How he managed to last even a few seconds against this beast was a miracle, now he was trying to hold out.

He closed his eyes and was about to accept his fate when the twitching of his body started again. He followed the motion, taking a step back and letting go of the force in his hammer while spinning to avoid the claw.

The beating of his heart was so loud, he could hear the drumming in his ears. He was nervous– scared, even. One slip up and he would be literally obliterated. A single nail was the size of his arm, the full paw would cut him like paper.

His legs took him to the side of the forest where he felt a sticky substance under his shoes. He looked down and saw that he was at the entrance of a swamp.

The stench entered his nose, making his face scrunch in disgust. Judging from the smell, there was a lot of dead creatures in this swamp. He looked behind him and almost puked when he saw a pole with human skulls.

The thick five meter pole was covered with green goo and the human skulls. What's more disgusting about it was that some of the skulls still have flesh in them. Apart from the goo and the skulls, the pole also had large thorns in them.

While the sheer look of the pole was terrifying, Allen could only think what beast made this. He was sure as hell that it wasn't just a natural occurrence. Something in these woods was something horrifying that it could do something as this.

The lion growled in front of him, making the boy wake up from his thoughts. He gazed back at the lion who had anger written all over its face. He raised his hands to show that he was surrendering, when he realized that the lion wasn't growling at him.

It was then that a terrifyingly ominous aura came out from behind him. Allen couldn't turn back. He was still afraid that the lion would pounce on him when he turns his head, yet the presence of the creature behind him was saying that he should turn.

Conflicted, Allen ran to the side of the lion while the beast leaped to the direction of the swamp. It let out a roar that blew away some of the goo and the skulls, showing a skinny stick insect that was a thousand times the size of the ones in Earth.

It cracked its body and opened its limbs, showing its long slender arms and legs. It was now twice the size of the pole while a single limb was the thickness of Allen's body.

It cracked its body while stretching its arms, screeching while looking at the lion.

Now he knew why his instincts led him to the swamp. Instead of fighting the lion, his gut led him to this beast who was as equally mortifying.

The lion roared and the stick beast screeched. The two ran towards each other, clashing with a powerful impact. The force from their clash sent a sonic boom-like force around the forest.

"I'm too low-leveled for this," Allen gulped. He was about to turn around when he felt another clash, this time, both beasts groaned in pain.

It was like a light bulb lit up above his head. He turned back and hid under a bush. Gripping the hammer in his hand and tapping himself in the back, he watched the two beasts fight.

The lion raised its claw and slashed it across the stick beast's face. It threw its head to the side, taking the impact fully. It returned its gaze to the lion and screeched, raising its long slender arms and slamming it on the lion's body.

The lion roared in pain as the thorns from the stick beast dug in its flesh. Allen scrunched his face after seeing the blood ooze out of the lion's body. He was a couple of meters away, but he could feel the pain of the beast.

The lion returned the favor by growling and pouncing on the stick beast. It got on top of it, its paws digging on the stick beasts arms. There was a wide proud grin on the lion's face, feeling victorious after pinning its enemy.

The grin was swiped off from his face when the stick beast cracked its lege and bent them forward, digging the thorns on the back of the lion. The latter released a painful growl. It shook its head and decided to finish the fight.

It raised its head and let out its fangs, sparkling as the sunlight shone over it.

Just when it was about to obliterate the stick beast's small head, a hammer was thrown into their direction. The hammer smashed the slender beast's head, making the lion look around in shock.

Allen was in the air where he threw the hammer to completely destroy the head. He landed on the ground and dashed forward, using his speed to swiftly grip his hammer and swing it up. It caught the lion's jaw, cracking the bones in its head.

'Swamp Skull Hoarder killed. +50 EXP.'

'Sunshine Lion killed. +200 EXP.'

'Sunshine Lion Code gained.'

'First Grand-grade beast killed. 2000 EXP is rewarded.'