39 A Reptilians Chase (2/2)
The Patriarch didn't answer the Elders questions. Not one single soul knew how the green talented disciple had gotten their hand on high grade spirit stones.
The precious materials allowed Shin Sumi to continuously escape the crocodile's attempt at biting her from behind.
The roars were diminishing in strength, just like Shin Sumi's own stock of high grade spirit stones when she reached what looked like the end of the forest.
The terrifying presence behind her that surpassed everything she had ever felt stopped like against a wall as soon as she crossed the threshold formed by the last few trees.
In front of her laid an enormous wasteland similar to what the first few platforms of this stage of the tournament looked like.
The land wasn't simply bare, it was also completely flat, having no sort of hills or canyons whatsoever. Nevertheless, a huge mountain range could be seen on the other side of the wasteland, in the direction of the yellow pillar of light.
”I've made it?!”
Shin Sumi continued without stopping for a stick of incense's worth of time. Behind her, no more roard or heavy footsteps from the huge crocodile.
When she gathered enough courage to turn around, the forest was already far behind.
Just under the cover of the trees, the long greyish green shadow of the beast could be seen, pacing around but not daring to step on the wasteland.
”It... can't come here” Shin Sumi asked herself, incredulous. ”Why is that so? Is it simply because of the rules in this place, or is there more to it?”
She was starting to get a bit more confident and even went back towards the forest slowly and carefully, tempted by curiosity.
The pacing crocodile roared in frustration, a roar that was completely normal, not a Shinsoo enhanced one. It flailed its tail violently, splitting down a nearby trunk in the process.
Once again, Shin Sumi was amazed by the strength of the reptile, her breathing cut short at the display of power.
She was now about a kilometer away from the canopy, a distance that the crocodile could cover in a few short bursts of speed, but enough to allow Shin Sumi to run to safety once more.
Unintentionally teasing the crocodile, Shin Sumi observed it from the distance. Keeping a kilometer wide radius for safety, she walked along the length of the forest, followed by the crocodile.
She eventually joined the side of the river that came from the mountain range, river which was the only natural thing around that differed from the flat and barren wasteland.
The crocodile sunk heavily in the waters, only keeping its back and head over the water level, eyeing Shin Sumi and bubbling with rage.
Shin Sumi took another single step towards the beast, feeling that something wasn't right with this place. That was enough. The crocodile had enough.
It jumped towards the banks in much the same way it had when it attacked her the first time, roaring and biting all over the place.
As soon as it touched the ground though, a cry that was far more terrifying than the crocodile's distorted the air from seemingly far away but everywhere at the same time.
The cry was a mix between a shriek and a roar and surely came from an even more powerful beast.
A 'ziiing' sound followed suit to the cry. Shin Sumi only saw a blur that caused her eyes to retract in their orbits.
She felt herself fall to the ground, her unconscious sight only catching a glimpse of the retreating crocodile, returning to the river and escaping as quickly as it could, its tail between its legs.
Shin Sumi didn't really lose consciousness as she caught herself on the ground at the last moment. Her memory of the last breath of time before her fall were half gone, and she could only remember a blur without seeing it in her mind.
The crocodile was gone, as was the thing that made it flee.
Shin Sumi had no idea what had happened. In fact even the Elders back in the sect viewing the whole interaction had not known what it was. Only the Patriarch and the Great Elder Chu Xuanba had an inkling of what the thing that made the crocodile flee was.
Everyone was flabbergasted, the higher ups included.
Shin Sumi got up and slapped her thighs to get rid of the dust that had accumulated, and to remind her muscles not to flinch more than they were already.
Looking up at the bloody red sky, she didn't know if she should cower in fear or praise whatever that was. The only thing important was that she was alive and the crocodile was gone.
It now seemed clear that there was a reason the reptile knew about why it couldn't get to Shin Sumi once she had passed the last trees. In its own foolished the creature had been baited into going in the open area and had been punished for that.
Shin Sumi approached the place where the beast had been struck by the blur before fleeing. Something dark and pointy had been left there, that contrasted greatly with the grey dusty ground.
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In all rationality, the intelligent crocodile would never try to attack her again and after making sure that it was really gone, Shin Sumi didn't fear an attack and crept closer until she could see what the object was.
”A claw! Part of the crocodile's claw!”
She knew it was not the entire thing. She had seen firsthand what the beast's legs looked like, and a single claw was as big as her leg, yet this part was only the size of a hand.
The pointy part had been smoothed by the ages and the blood of its prey, and veins and cracks could be seen on its surface. Yet what impressed her the most was the clean cut that had severed the beast's talons.
It reminded Shin Sumi somehow of the way she had cleaved in half the Stone Leaf Tortoise all these months ago.
”A perfect cut, so smooth.. Yet it wasn't made by a blade... What was that thing?”
Taking out her precious Gold Tyrant Flying Sword for a test, Shin Sumi ran the edge against the claw. Nothing.
Pouring a bit more power into it as well as a wisp of Shinsoo, she tried again.
”No way. I can't cut that! Whatever did it is leagues away from me and my sword. Its speed is faster than a human's eyes, and its power is ridiculous.”
She suspected that the real reason she had nearly lost consciousness back then was not due to any sort of attack but simply the presence of something unfathomably strong.
It was a known fact that experts in the cultivation world could make crowds fall unconscious simply by standing there, exuding raw strengths with every fiber from their beings.
What had happened was just that. A raw power acting fast like lightning and leaving her unable to do anything.
It was clear that the crocodile had just suffered a warning. With the preciseness of the cut that had severed its claw, it was obvious that the entire crocodile could have been killed in a flash. Yet the thing that let out the distant cry deliberately let it live, as well as her.
Bowing in a few general directions, Shin Sumi expressed her thanks to the crying presence, holding the severed claw with both hands.
She tried to feed it to the grey nut but with the claw being about five times its size, the nut simply rolled around and quickly became uninterested.
Shin Sumi also bowed once towards the river that flowed through the jungle area, somewhat feeling empathy for the crocodile. After all even though it had tried to make her its snack a few times, ultimately she was the one to bait it and make it lose its claw in what could only be a painful process.
Swearing a silent oath, Shin Sumi promised the crocodile that they would settle their bet the next time she entered this trial's dimension, if it happened.
But for that she had to become stronger. Right now the fifty meter long green crocodile was something she couldn't surpass, and the creature that had punished it even more so.
Making it her new objective of strength, Shin Sumi found in herself a new calling for power.
On the other side of the wasteland laid the first mountain range. Thunderous clouds obscured the high peaks, as if they were warning disciples not to cross.
Popping a Confusion Pill into her mouth, Shin Sumi walked in the direction of the storm.