Creature

Aryan's POV:

This body of mine was surprisingly weak and lacked understanding of its power. Despite having the ability to destroy a small house with its power, if used properly, it was only at the second level of the qi stage. Considering its level, it should have been able to defeat the lion without even touching it. However, it resorted to punching that kitten, and even then, only managed to break its neck, a rather pathetic display.

Creatures in this world seemed too feeble to pose any threat to me. I needed beings from the lower realms, creatures with a cultivation level of 3, and yet, even those posed a challenge. Sighing, I acknowledged that this task was going to be more challenging than I had initially thought.

Rahul's POV:

Doubt began to creep in as I questioned whether this man was truly me. If there was anyone other than me, they would have had a traumatic experience like none other, starting with placing a lion in front of me and later summoning an unfamiliar creature. I died multiple times, only to be revived each time, and the worst part is, I remember it all. Frustration and confusion overwhelmed me; I felt sick. But somewhere in my mind, I felt excited for the first time in my life. I didn't need to hold back, something that I didn't even realize. For some reason, I had a smile on my face.

When I learned that I was strong enough to defeat all the earthly creatures, he introduced beings from unknown realms. The first creature resembled a large cat, but it had scales all over its body like a crocodile and a tail with sharp spikes as large as me, making it a formidable opponent. My attacks were ineffective, and my defense was futile in front of that creature. One slash from its tail was enough to put a hole through my body.

After countless failed attempts, he suggested decreasing the level of the challenge. I refused, determined to win. Frustrated and weaponless, I focused on the opponent at hand. The open field offered no cover, and my hands were too weak to block the creature's tail; my agility was the only thing keeping me from dying immediately.

I requested a weapon, but he denied my request. Frustrated, I decided to win without one, but how? My mind raced, assessing the situation. I realized my fists couldn't kill the creature, only injure it if the attacks were stacked. I needed a new strategy.

As the creature attempted to pounce, I moved backward, utilizing my agility. Its superior strength posed a challenge, but I recognized a pattern in its attacks—body lunges, powerful strikes, or tail attacks. It felt as if it didn't know how to attack other than those ways.

I initiated an attack, aiming to strike the upper head to gain an advantage. The creature opened its jaw to devour me. At that moment, when the creature was about to eat me, I felt energy coursing through me. Closing my eyes, I focused more clearly on the energy. The energy focused; I used that energy to come out of my body and attack the creature—a wave of energy blasting through my hand, redirecting its head slightly. Seizing the opportunity, I launched a powerful punch, knocking the creature down and sliding down its scaled body.

Reaching the tail section, I faced the challenge of the spiked tail. With all my strength, I punched the spike as many times as I could in that short period. The creature retaliated, attempting to slam me with its tail, but I used the moment to evade the clash with the ground.

I looked down; one of the spikes had broken. The severed spike provided a makeshift weapon. I jumped, getting spiked, and getting backward to avoid its jaw, creating distance as the creature enlarged, increasing its strength. Despite the odds, I refused to request a new challenge. I concentrated on the creature's eyes as its fury heightened.

As it lunged at me, I halted my momentum, broke my leg muscles, and stepped aside, using my other leg to gain the needed momentum. I landed perfectly at eye level, noticing how its head seemed dented as if its skull had been crushed a bit. Seeing this, I drove the spike into its skull. Although the creature was still alive, it screamed in pain.

Lying on the ground, it attempted a final attack with its tail, severing my arm. I seized my last chance, calling whatever energy I had to launch a powerful kick on the spike that was in that creature's eyes. The creature howled in pain, and I battered and broken, emerged victorious.

Truth be told, I looked pathetic, with one arm fully cut, and both legs torn. Apart from my broken bones and bleeding head, I wasn't even sure why I was enduring this immense amount of pain. It was driving me insane. Just as I was falling into unconsciousness, a man came in front of me, and I felt as if I had never faced any dire circumstances before.

That man was me, just another version of myself. I looked at him and said, "So what's next?" He replied, "Now it's time to give you real lessons of understanding. We will be going for 100 years of seclusion to prepare you for the challenges. After all, I am not going to help you once you start the journey."

I panicked and exclaimed, "Hey, wait! 100 years is way too long, and I can't live that long, you know. I am mortal, not like you." He looked at me and said, "No, you are not a mortal, fool, not with my half soul inside you. Even so, I still have my family waiting for me." He calmly stated, "I will just freeze the time of this chaos so you don't need to worry about your family."

But I persisted even then, "I am mortal; 100 years is far too much for me. Let's just do one year, or at most ten." He looked at me and said, "Don't worry; you won't even notice the difference in time. And as I said before, you are not a mortal, at least not like other mortals." Understanding that he wouldn't listen to anything I said, I just left it. Sigh.