"So how am I supposed to kill that thing, Master Erik?!" Rud shouted, practically in Erik's face.
"First, drop the formalities," Erik muttered.
Rud glanced at Yosul, then turned back. "I'm afraid I can't do that… Master Erik."
"At least stop saying 'Master Erik.'"
"I'll try that… Master Erik."
"Huh." Erik sighed.
The three of them stood near the edge of the lagoon, staring down at a massive saltwater crocodile sprawled across the muddy ground. It lay there motionless, basking, its eyes closed.
"Do we really have to kill it? It's just sleeping," Rud asked.
"Considering how close it is to the road," Erik said, "someone else will kill it even if we don't. Besides…" He crossed his arms. "This'll help me figure out how to teach you."
Rud nodded, then asked, "So, what's the first thing I should consider… Master?"
Erik blinked. "Huh. Let's see…"
He racked his brain for something smart to say—something a seasoned monster hunter would pass on.
Shit. My mind's blank.
He looked at Rud—eyes wide with curiosity and anticipation.
It's okay. I'll just improvise.
"The first thing is understanding what you're dealing with," Erik said. "That thing looks to be about ten feet long. Now, tell me, Rud—if you were facing it head-on, how would you take it down?"
"Umm…" Rud studied the crocodile.
"I'd strike it in the heart. From the left side."
"Why the left?"
"Well… I think from the side it's less protected. And it only has armor on its back, right?"
Erik narrowed his eyes. "And how do you know its heart is on the left?"
Rud blinked. "Huh? Isn't that where it's supposed to be?"
Gotcha!
"First lesson," Erik said. "Don't go for a vital point based on assumptions. You don't act on what you think you know. Even if the heart is a vital point, the fact that it doesn't have armor over it could mean something else entirely. What kind of skin does it have? How thick is the flesh? We don't know."
"Then how are we supposed to—"
"That's up to you to figure out," Erik interrupted.
"Huh?"
"You can't learn anything without facing it. Unlike humans, monsters are unpredictable. You can't wait and think your way through a fight. The key to killing a monster is decisiveness."
Rud's expression lit up with understanding. "Ohhh!"
"Alright," Erik said, picking up a small stone. "Get out there. Don't worry—I've got your back if things go south."
Rud drew his sword and started moving slowly toward the crocodile.
Erik and Yosul climbed a nearby tree for a better vantage point. Erik kept the stone in hand.
"You did great, Erik," Yosul said, grinning. "You might have a natural talent for teaching."
Erik didn't answer.
He just smiled faintly.
Even I can't believe I said those words…
Rud stepped into the crocodile's territory, the mud soft beneath his boots. He glanced back at Erik, uncertain.
Erik didn't say a word.
Instead, he threw the stone.
It hit the crocodile square between the eyes.
The beast's lids snapped open. Its golden pupils locked onto Rud.
Then it charged.
Rud bolted forward—straight at it—only to veer hard to the right at the last second. The crocodile slid in the mud, momentum dragging its hulking body sideways. Rud spun, took a stance, and lunged for what he assumed was its heart.
But the crocodile snapped its head around faster than expected—jaws clamping down on the blade.
Rud's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why the hell—?" he muttered, then drove a fist into the beast's head. It released the blade with a snarl, and Rud jumped back several paces, breathing hard.
"How the hell did it move like that?" Yosul asked from the tree.
Erik, crouched beside him, smirked. "Look at the skin around its neck. There's too much of it—that means it can tilt its head all the way around and look straight back."
Yosul raised an eyebrow. "You knew?"
"Of course I did," Erik said with a grin.
Below them, Rud didn't waste time.
With two fingers from his left hand, he ran mana along the edge of his sword. It shimmered faintly. Then he lowered his stance.
The crocodile snarled and charged again.
Rud didn't move.
Instead, he stabbed the air four times in rapid succession—blades of mana cutting across the creature's face. Blood burst from the gashes, and its right eye tore open in a spray of red.
Erik's eyes narrowed. "That's an impressive skill."
"Yeah," Yosul nodded. "Rud's speed and swordsmanship are elite-level. What he lacks is tactical thinking."
Rud charged forward again, and the crocodile did the same. At the last second, Rud faked right, then cut left behind the creature. He leapt into the air.
The crocodile turned, jaws wide open.
Rud landed—one foot on the upper jaw, the other on the lower—and drove his sword down into the top of the beast's head. Then, using the embedded blade as leverage, he swung around to the back of the creature.
He grabbed its front left leg, yanked the sword free from its skull, and drove it with all his strength into the side—right where he guessed the heart would be.
The blade bounced off.
The skin felt like rubber.
Before Rud could react, the crocodile whipped its tail.
The blow sent him flying. He landed hard in the mud, curled in, and rolled back onto his feet—barely.
The crocodile bled heavily, but it wasn't slowing.
Rud panted, nearly out of breath.
Alright, kid, Erik thought.
Let's see what you do now.
The crocodile charged again.
Rud didn't retreat.
He took a stance—and something changed.
His aura surged. Mana enveloped his entire body in a dense, focused haze.
"He's going to do it," Yosul said.
Erik didn't ask what. He just watched.
Rud took a single step forward.
Then, with a deafening boom, a shockwave blasted from the point of contact. In the blink of an eye, Rud appeared behind the crocodile—its left legs sliced clean off.
Blood sprayed the mud.
Rud ran forward again, leapt to the side, and grabbed the creature by the neck with his left hand. He pressed the sword into the place he'd struck before—and drove it in slowly.
The blade went deep this time.
But the crocodile thrashed.
It swung its tail again, but couldn't reach him. Rud adjusted, pulled the blade out, and stabbed again—deeper, this time, just behind the first wound.
The monster convulsed.
Then finally—stilled.
"Argh! I did it!" Rud shouted, breathless, and collapsed beside the beast.
Then the crocodile moved.
Its body spasmed violently—tail twitching, jaws snapping.
Rud scrambled backward on all fours, weaponless. "Ahh!"
Erik moved.
He launched from the tree in a flash of light, landing beside the beast. His dagger gleamed for a fraction of a second—then sank into the top of the crocodile's head.
The skin split open in an explosive crack, and with one clean motion, Erik sliced through the neck—severing the head.
Blood rained over him.
He turned to Rud, wiping his face with his sleeve.
"Rud," he said flatly, "always confirm your prey is dead."