REINCARNATION PARADISE

Thick smoke billowed into the sky, blending the acrid stench of burning gunpowder with the charred scent of scorched fur, creating an unpleasant odor that made Su Xiao frown. His vision was obscured by the smoke, preventing him from locating the exact position of the giant tiger.

"Roar!!"

An angry tiger's roar echoed from within the smoke. Hearing the roar, Su Xiao became highly alert, but his muscles remained relaxed. Tight muscles would slow his movements, creating fatal openings during a fight.

The long blade in his hand hung naturally, its tip touching the ground.

The tiger hadn't appeared yet, still hiding in the smoke, but Su Xiao could sense that the beast had locked onto him.

A strong gust of wind swept through the forest, dispersing the thick smoke. At that moment, a massive figure emerged from the dissipating smoke—it was the tiger.

The once-majestic beast no longer looked as imposing. Large patches of its fur had been scorched black, and the singed hair clung to its skin, with faint embers still smoldering. Its enormous body was riddled with wounds, and numerous iron spikes were embedded in its flesh.

The most severe injury was to one of the tiger's eyes, surrounded by spikes. Dark red fluid seeped from its eye socket.

Seeing the tiger's condition, Su Xiao smiled. Even if the beast wasn't dead, its combat abilities had been reduced by at least 90%. His trap had worked perfectly.

After all, humans are the most dangerous creatures in nature.

The tiger, with a gust of wind, charged at Su Xiao, covering the distance in just a few strides.

Compared to the tiger's massive frame, Su Xiao was no taller than one of its front legs. Yet, strangely, his heartbeat quickened in excitement, facing such a colossal opponent.

Before the tiger could close in, Su Xiao kicked off the ground, sending dead leaves flying, and in a few swift steps, he was in front of the tiger. He slashed at its front paw with his long blade.

Splat!

Blood sprayed as the tiger's front paw was cut, a deep wound carved by Su Xiao's weapon, the Dragon Flash. This blade, rated at 10, easily tore through the tiger's tough hide and cut deeply into its muscle.

The tiger howled in pain, its movements sluggish from the earlier explosion, its brain still foggy.

Just as the tiger was about to retaliate, Su Xiao leaped to the side, positioning himself at the tiger's left, its blind spot now that its left eye had been damaged.

The tiger's massive paws swiped at the air, gleaming like metal. A direct hit from one of those paws would be devastating, but Su Xiao deftly dodged every strike.

Taking advantage of this, Su Xiao stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly, and delivered another deep slash to the tiger's paw.

The reason Su Xiao kept attacking the tiger's legs was simple—his height made it impossible to reach the beast's throat or head, its vital areas.

With those dangerous paws in play, he couldn't recklessly attack its weak points.

Still, Su Xiao was in no rush. There were a few hours left before his side quest's deadline, and while he had time, the tiger did not.

In just a short while, the ground was soaked with blood. It wouldn't take long for the tiger to collapse from blood loss, after which Su Xiao would finish it off.

The tiger seemed to realize this as well, and its one good eye glared at Su Xiao with hatred. Slowly, the beast began backing away, preparing to retreat.

That's how wild beasts are—when facing overwhelming odds, most will try to flee unless they have offspring to protect.

Self-preservation isn't just a human instinct; animals follow it too, especially this intelligent tiger.

Panting heavily, the tiger's claws dug into the earth, ready to flee at any moment.

But Su Xiao wasn't about to let the tiger escape. He had spent too much time setting up his traps.

As soon as the tiger showed signs of retreating, Su Xiao unleashed a flurry of slashes, leaving bloody gashes across the beast's body.

The tiger's health bar had dropped to just 8%. There was no question—it was going to die.

In the Reincarnation Paradise, there was no rule where enemies become enraged at low health. When their health drops below 10%, any creature would be severely weakened.

Far from a berserk frenzy, the tiger could barely walk straight now, let alone mount an organized attack. It wanted nothing more than to escape.

For the sixth time, the tiger tried to run. Su Xiao thrust his blade into its hind leg, then yanked the sword outward with a powerful tug.

The sensation of cutting through muscle was unique, and Su Xiao could feel the faint tremors as his sword tore through the tiger's flesh.

The tiger roared in agony, its hind leg now bearing a deep wound. Before blood could fill the gash, Su Xiao saw the severed tendon inside.

With its tendon cut, the tiger had no chance of escape. It was done for.

Perhaps realizing this, the tiger changed its tactics. No longer trying to flee, it faced Su Xiao directly, growling menacingly.

Su Xiao stood before the massive beast, his bare torso drenched in tiger blood.

The slick, warm feel of the blood sharpened Su Xiao's instincts, making him appear even more ferocious.

Standing before this house-sized predator, Su Xiao smiled—softly, almost gently.

The ruler of Mt. Colubo had dominated these lands for years, never fearing any creature.

But now, this giant beast felt a hint of fear toward Su Xiao. It sensed that this smiling human might take its life.

"Roar!"

A defiant yet terrified roar echoed across Mt. Colubo.

Su Xiao moved with fluid grace, zigzagging toward the tiger, changing direction now and then.

The tiger lowered its body, clearly preparing for a final, desperate fight.

Suddenly, a paw shot out toward Su Xiao's face. This strike was fast, much faster than before—the tiger had hidden its true speed for a last-ditch effort to take Su Xiao down.

If Su Xiao got hit, even if he survived, he would be forced to retreat.

Though it seemed like Su Xiao had the advantage, the truth was far more dangerous. The gap in strength between him and the tiger was too large. Even after slashing the tiger repeatedly, it had only lost 1% of its health—most of its loss was due to blood loss.

But if that paw hit, this fight could be over.

The deadly claw approached, but Su Xiao kept moving forward, not backing down. He rushed toward the paw.

At the last moment, as the claw was about to hit, Su Xiao spread his legs, dropping into a kneeling position and leaning his body back.

The blood-scented paw brushed past his nose, its force lifting his hair.

With a hand pressed to the ground, Su Xiao launched himself upward, positioning himself directly beneath the tiger's exposed throat.

Without hesitation, he slashed.

Blood gushed out in torrents, drenching Su Xiao.

While Su Xiao fought for his life against the tiger, a small figure hid in a distant bush. Judging by the size, it was a child.

"So strong…" the child muttered.

Peeking out from the bush, the boy's head was topped with a straw hat, a few green leaves stuck to it.

Guess who the little kid is. You've probably figured it out by now, right?

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note :- I am Not that familiar with a lot of the fictional worlds mentioned in the story. So if I make a mistake naming something please correct me by writing a paragraph comment on the mistake. Thank you.