Yosul handed Erik a cloth, and Erik wiped the blood from his face. His shirt, however, was soaked in the crocodile's guts and gore.
"I'm sorry, Master Erik!" Rud said, bowing so deeply his forehead nearly slammed into the dirt. "Even after all that, I still couldn't kill it!"
"Yeah, you can stop doing that now," Erik muttered, peeling off his blood-soaked shirt. "Wearing this will only make things worse."
He turned toward the crocodile's massive corpse, eyes narrowing.
"Anyway… let's see what we're really dealing with."
"What are you gonna do?" Rud asked, just as Erik rolled the beast onto its side and plunged his dagger deep into its belly.
With a swift motion, Erik carved through the thick scales and muscle, splitting the abdomen open with a wet, tearing sound.
"What are you doing?!" Rud recoiled, eyes wide with shock.
Erik didn't answer. He pulled the flaps of flesh apart, exposing the internal organs.
"Hmm…"
Yosul and Rud stepped in closer to take a look.
"Rud," Erik said, voice flat. "You lucky bastard."
"What?" Rud blinked, confused.
"Look closely," Erik pointed inside. "Your sword didn't even graze the heart. The only reason this thing died is because your stab severed the artery feeding blood to its brain."
They leaned in. Sure enough, the crocodile's heart—smaller than expected—was tucked behind the front left leg, shielded by bone and muscle.
"If you'd gone just a few inches to the right, it would've kept fighting," Erik said. "The only way your method works is if you cut the leg clean off first. Then stab the heart—right here."
He pointed to the precise spot.
"Considering the size of this beast, no one would guess it had such a small heart. That's the thing about monsters. The outside never tells the whole story."
"Huh…" Rud rubbed the back of his neck. "So, cut off the leg, then go for the heart. Got it."
He grinned, resolve sharpening his voice.
"I'll get the next one for sure."
"Alright," Yosul said, stretching his arms. "Let's go find the main course."
He stepped ahead, leading them deeper into the muddy terrain—toward the bounty's real target.
They finally came across a dense patch of mangrove trees, their roots twisted into the muddy ground like skeletal fingers.
"Looks like the lagoon is just up ahead," Yosul said as he stepped over a fallen branch.
"So… how are we supposed to find the right crocodile?" Rud asked, scanning the waterline. "I mean, it's not like it's wearing a sign."
"Other than the fact that it's supposed to be twenty feet long, we've got nothing," Yosul said. "Hmm… any ideas, Erik?"
"Scars or injuries," Erik replied.
Both Yosul and Rud turned toward him.
"Only confident adventurers would've gone after a monster that size," Erik continued. "Unless it caught them completely off guard—which is unlikely if there were multiple people—it probably sustained some wounds during the fight."
"So we're looking for one that's already injured," Yosul said thoughtfully.
Erik nodded, eyes still sweeping the terrain.
The three of them circled the lagoon's perimeter, checking the shallows and every patch of thick brush. But there was nothing. No tracks. No cave. No signs of a nest. By the time they reached the point where the lagoon met the sea, there's no sign of it anywhere.
"I think we should try the other side. Against the current," Yosul suggested.
"Alright," Erik said.
The group doubled back and followed the river upstream, moving along the muddy bank.
"This is weird…" Erik muttered after a while.
"What is?" Yosul asked.
"The monsoon ended just a few days ago. This river should still be full. Why is it almost dry?"
Yosul glanced at the sluggish current. "You're right… Let's keep going."
As they continued, a faint sound began to echo through the trees—a soft, hollow rush. The sound of falling water.
They followed the noise until they reached a shallow waterfall. Only a thin silver stream spilled over the rocks. Below, the riverbed was bone-dry, veins of cracked mud splitting it like old scars.
And resting on those stones were crocodiles. At least a dozen of them, most smaller than the ones they'd seen before.
The three of them crouched low and crept up to a high ridge for a clearer view.
"They're all here," Rud whispered.
"Looks like it…" Yosul murmured. "Oh—there. In the corner."
Under the shade of a wide tree, nestled in the mud, was a massive crocodile. Its body was covered in old scars—thin, jagged lines crisscrossing its flanks like a map of battles fought and survived.
"That's the one, isn't it?" Yosul asked.
Erik narrowed his eyes. "Fits the description. Definitely over twenty feet long."
He turned to Rud. "What do you think? Can you take it?"
Rud hesitated, then clenched his fists. "I'll do it, Master Erik."
"Alright then. With all the smaller ones around, going straight for it would be a pain. I'll handle the small ones. They won't attack me right away—not unless they see me as a threat. The moment I kill one, that's your signal to go after the big one. Understood?"
"Yeah," Rud nodded, steadying his breath.
"Good."
Erik pointed to a spot across the clearing—a narrow angle through the trees. "Head over there. It'll give you the best approach when you move in."
Rud crept away, staying low.
Erik and Yosul remained behind, waiting in silence.
"You think he can really handle it?" Yosul asked.
"I don't know," Erik admitted.
"He already used up a good chunk of mana fighting the last one…"
"Mm."
Yosul reached to his belt. "You'll need a sword. Take mine."
"No," Erik said, drawing his dagger. "This is enough."
He looked down at the blade, then toward the clearing. "Besides… there's something I want to try."
"Oh?" Yosul raised a brow. "What is it?"
Erik didn't answer.
Down below, Rud reached his position and waved.
"Alright," Erik said, rising to his feet. He stepped onto the edge of the ridge, then leapt.
He landed silently in the clearing, mud splashing beneath his boots. A few of the smaller crocodiles turned their heads toward him—eyes narrowing.
Erik raised his dagger.
It's time to see what this new power can really do.