[Check Out My P4treon For +40 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my p4treon][p4treon.com/echotales]
===
The Great Jagras leader's ravenous consumption lasted only a few minutes before it was interrupted.
It wasn't that Ethan didn't want it to eat more of the gift he had meticulously prepared; it was because time was limited. He had only been able to gather a few clusters of Poison Toadstool, Parashroom, and Nitroshroom in total—just enough to mix into the Kulu-Ya-Ku's most nutrient-rich internal organs. Any more consumption, and it might start eating the good meat.
A cloud of pinkish mist burst from its body. The familiar pungent odor rushed into its nostrils, and the Great Jagras leader instantly remembered the culprit who had split its head open two days ago.
It pulled its head, covered in blood and gore, back from the Kulu-Ya-Ku's abdominal cavity. Its heart pumped blood rapidly, and its eyes almost instantly turned blood-red from the congestion.
The creature had immediately entered its Enraged State!
"Hey! You big idiot over there, look this way!"
Seeing a familiar figure waving and gesticulating at it, the Great Jagras leader charged forward in a blind fury without thinking.
Ethan, seeing the monster charge toward him like a tank, was delighted rather than alarmed. He turned to run, but continuously shouted provocations at the creature behind him.
I'm not afraid of you chasing me; I'm afraid you won't.
If the monster ignored him and retreated to the safety of its pack, Ethan would indeed have a difficult time. But the fact that it immediately entered its enraged state upon seeing him and began to chase, without even calling its minions for help, suited Ethan perfectly.
And so, with Ethan's deliberate provocation and occasional slowing of his pace—making the Great Jagras leader think it could catch up—the two gradually moved away from the nest in a game of chase.
Ahead, a wide, open clearing was vaguely visible. Large and small wooden stakes were scattered around the perimeter, and in the center stood a wooden structure covered in moss, which looked like a long-abandoned lumber yard, judging by its half-collapsed state.
"Roar-awooow! Roar!"
Seeing that it had failed to catch the hateful little thing for so long, the Great Jagras leader's rage-addled brain recovered slightly. It remembered that it had minions it could command.
So, the Great Jagras leader paused, stiffened its neck, and raised its head, letting out a long howl with a distinct rhythm.
"Who do you think you are, the Demon King of the Heavens?!"
Ethan saw the action, immediately stopped and turned, and flung a self-made Flash Bomb into the air with a quick flick of his arm.
Having been caught off guard once before, the Great Jagras leader knew how vile the small things this creature threw were—they either caused blinding light or severely disrupted its sense of smell. Therefore, the moment it saw the throwing motion, it cut short its summon howl, closed its eyes, and turned its head, successfully avoiding the flash that instantly erupted.
"Tsk, you're learning, aren't you…"
Ethan clicked his tongue and unslung the Sword and Shield from his back. Although he wanted to lure it even further away from the nest, this location was good enough.
Feeling that it had successfully avoided the flash, the Great Jagras leader opened its eyes and let out a brief, excited roar when it saw the hateful little creature had finally stopped running. It charged forward frantically.
Ethan vigilantly watched the monster's movements. Seeing it raise its head high as it entered attack range, Ethan did not retreat. Instead, he inserted his sword into the shield, planted the shield in front of him, and braced his arms, assuming a guard stance.
The next moment, the Great Jagras leader's bite landed on the slightly curved surface of the shield. Though it failed to sink its teeth fully, it still left a row of shallow bite marks on the surface.
Ethan felt a colossal force suddenly transfer through his arms to every muscle in his body, making his upper body lean back. He had to quickly retreat two steps to dissipate the impact and prevent himself from losing balance.
Steadying himself, and feeling the slight ache in his arms, Ethan's gaze met the Great Jagras leader's over the top of his shield. He snarled and grinned. "Heh, that was quite the punch!"
He had deliberately taken the bite head-on to test the monster's raw physical strength, which would help him determine whether to focus on hit-and-run tactics or direct confrontation.
The result? The creature was indeed incredibly strong, far above weaklings like the Jaggi, but that was the limit of it. It hadn't reached the level where he couldn't counter it at all.
While the Great Jagras leader was adjusting its posture after the attack, Ethan raised his blade and swung down, leaving a bloody gash at the corner of its mouth.
As the force of the first strike was spent, Ethan immediately raised the sword in an uppercut, but the Great Jagras leader had already lifted its head, so the blade met empty air.
Ethan was unfazed. He stepped forward with his right foot, pivoting his body. Using his waist to drive his arms, he executed a horizontal slash that cut across the scales of the monster's chest, drawing a spray of blood.
"Roar!"
The Great Jagras leader let out a cry of pain, but a one-inch-deep wound like that would only be serious on a human. On a nine-meter-long monster, it was merely a flesh wound, only enough to make it hurt a little.
The pain did not make it flinch; instead, it fueled its ferocity. The Great Jagras leader didn't retreat but lunged forward again, raising its head to bite down on the head of the annoying little creature.
Impeded by the resistance of slicing through scales and muscle, the horizontal sword swing was slightly delayed. When the Great Jagras leader bit down again, the sword had not yet exhausted its inertia and was still swinging backward. The shield, used to counterbalance his body, had only just begun to turn to face the front, not fully meeting the large, fetid mouth.
"Bang!"
Ethan stumbled and retreated several steps to the right before regaining his balance. The force of the Great Jagras leader's attack wasn't completely deflected. He let out a muffled grunt, his expression slightly unnatural, suggesting pain.
Sensing the opponent was hurt, the Great Jagras leader let out a triumphant roar. Since encountering this small creature, it had constantly been injured and frustrated. This was the first time it had successfully hurt its opponent.
"Ugh, block stun…"
Ethan subtly moved his shield-holding right arm, feeling the continuous dull ache assaulting his nerves. He had clearly suffered some degree of sprain, possibly accompanied by muscle strain and slight impact trauma.
Ethan sighed softly, regrouped, and looked at the Great Jagras leader, only to notice that the monster hadn't seized the chance to pursue him. Its earlier triumphant roar was now becoming broken and intermittent, sounding somewhat pained.
Ethan was first puzzled, then noticed that the rank saliva dripping from the Great Jagras leader's mouth had turned slightly purplish from its initial clear state. Realization dawned, followed by immense delight.
Good, good, good! The "big treat" this creature ate is finally taking effect! It was worth all the effort I put into preparing this surprise for you!
The Parashroom must have been working alongside the Poison Toadstool. Although the monster wasn't completely paralyzed, Ethan could see that the Great Jagras leader's movements were now stiffer and slower than before.
Ethan decisively inserted his sword into the shield's internal groove and sheathed it on his back. He then pulled a can of pale green liquid from his waist pouch.
"Gulp, gulp… Ha! Let's go again!"
===
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 45 on my p4treon, go check it out
Gain access to exclusive early chapters, and so much more. This is your chance to get a ton of exclusive content while supporting my work.
p4treon.com/echotales
if you want more updates == supports with power stones
Power Stones == Bonus Chapter
every three 5-star reviews == Bonus Chapter