Namkhai and 1991 tried their best to injure the monster. The Bomber set off explosion after explosion, but they only shook the swampy muck and the ground—the creature’s thick shell didn’t even crack.

  “What the hell is it made of?!” 1991 swore. “I’m blowing it up, and it doesn’t even care!”

  The monster suddenly turned and charged at Namkhai.

  “Damn it!” flashed through his mind.

  The monk spun around and ran, leaping over roots and hummocks.

  “Hey, hey, hey! Easy!” he shouted, breathing heavily. “Let’s do this without biting!”

  The crocodile-crayfish snapped its jaws right next to him. At the last moment, Namkhai dodged aside and, without stopping, shot upward, grabbing onto a tree trunk.

  “Phew…” he exhaled as he climbed higher.

  From the top of the tree, he saw the mutant prowling below, losing sight of him.

  “Did it lose me? Lucky I thought to climb a tree.”

  He watched the creature carefully, assessing its movements.

  “This beast is too big and too tough…” he muttered to himself. “And what’s strange - it’s way too fast. If I had time… I could build up a strike and release everything straight into its face…”

  He froze on the branch, then slowly grinned.

  “Oh, wait,” he whispered. “I can prepare right now.”

  Namkhai planted his feet firmly on the branch and clenched his fist. All his power began to slowly gather at a single point.

  “I need more…” he said calmly. “This enemy is far more dangerous.”

  The monster gradually calmed down. It stopped right beneath the tree, conveniently positioning itself under Namkhai, and slowly began to lower itself, preparing to lie down.

  “Oh… perfect,” the thought flashed through the monk’s mind. “As soon as it lies down I’ll strike straight at its head.”

  But at that very second, before the crocodile could even touch the ground, a powerful explosion slammed into its skull.

  “HA-HA-HA! Take that!” 1991 roared from somewhere to the side.

  The shockwave was so strong. Smoke and mud instantly swallowed the space around the mutant.

  “H-hey…” Namkhai barely held on, gripping the branch as the tree beneath him shook violently. “That maniac never warns anyone before pulling off a blast like that!”

  The monster burst out of the thick smoke. Its shell was battered and cracked in places, but it hadn’t suffered any serious damage.

  “No way…” 1991’s voice trembled.

  The wounded monster let out a roar that made the swamps shudder. It went berserk, slamming into trees with fury and ripping them out by the roots.

  “Oh shit…” Namkhai whispered.

  One trunk after another began to fall, snapping with deafening cracks.

  “HEY!” Namkhai shouted to 1991, who was also perched on another tree. “You just made it angrier!”

  The creature continued to wreak havoc, gradually drawing closer to the tree Namkhai was on…

  “I’m not finishing charging in time…” Namkhai growled, feeling the power in his fist become unstable. “Fine here goes nothing. I’ll strike with what I have!”

  He was already about to leap from the branch when he suddenly noticed movement.

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  From above, landing directly on the monster’s back, came Delilah.

  “That girl?!” Namkhai blurted out.

  She held her leather gloves between her teeth and pressed her bare palms against the monster’s back.

  Nothing.

  Delilah's eyes narrowed. She understood immediately it was because of the shell. Without wasting time, she straightened up, ran along its back, and, keeping her balance, reached its head. Her palms slammed down onto the crocodile’s head.

  Nothing again.

  “Damn it…” Namkhai whispered. “Even that doesn’t work?!”

  The thick skin wouldn’t let her curse through. The monster twitched and noticed her.

  A furious roar rang out, and the creature swung its body with all its might. Delilah couldn’t hold on; she was thrown aside and crashed to the ground.

  The crocodile turned, hissing viciously. Slowly, confidently, it moved toward her, jaws spreading wide. At that moment, Namkhai dropped down, falling straight onto the monster’s head, and drove his fist into its skull with all the power he had gathered.

  The mutant’s head slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash. Mud and swamp sludge exploded in all directions. Namkhai landed nearby, breathing hard, his fist trembling.

  Namkhai stood there, gasping for air, his fist shaking. Delilah was nearby, staring at the monster embedded in the ground.

  “Finally... it’s dead,” Namkhai exhaled.

  But the crocodile suddenly jerked, pushed itself up onto its limbs, shook its massive head, and let out a furious roar. The ground beneath their feet trembled.

  It snapped its gaze toward Delilah and swung an arm.

  “RUN!”

  She didn’t argue. Both of them bolted, leaping over roots and falling trees. The monster charged after them, completely ignoring everything else around it.

  “HEY!” 1991 shouted, hurling another charge.

  The explosion thundered near the monster’s side. Zero reaction the creature didn’t even turn its head.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me…” 1991 clenched his teeth. “It doesn’t feel my explosions at all, but it chases them like a rabid beast!”

  In that moment, the demolitions expert glanced around and noticed a dark silhouette standing on a nearby tree.

  Phobos.

  He was just standing there calmly, watching.

  “HEY!” 1991 shouted at the top of his lungs. “What are you just standing there for?! Help already! You got promoted, didn’t you?!”

  Phobos didn’t answer. He didn’t even move. Only a single thought spun through his mind:

  Lucky. Two at once zeroed out.

  The comm channel clicked.

  “Phobos,” Andok’s voice was calm, but tense. “Why are you inactive? Your subordinates are about to die.”

  “I’m analyzing,” Phobos replied evenly. “And frankly, there’s not much that can be done here. They refused to listen to me.”

  “Analyze faster,” Andok cut in sharply. “If those two die, you’ll have problems. You’re the squad leader this is your first mission in that role. Losing half the unit on the first assignment is an extremely bad start.”

  Phobos slowly exhaled.

  “Damn it, Andok....” he thought. “Already pulling on the leash.”

  He shifted his gaze to Namkhai and Dalila running for their lives, the monster smashing everything in its path behind them.

  “Fine… just this once, on the first mission, I’ll help these animals. After that, they can survive on their own.”

  Phobos sharply addressed 1991.

  “Hey you. Blow up the ground between the monster and those two. Can you do it?”

  “What?..” The man froze for a second. “Well… probably. But why?”

  Phobos was already assuming a combat stance.

  “Just do it. On my command.”

  A dark, viscous portal began to open beside the killer. He stepped halfway into it and, glancing back, threw out curtly:

  “Now.”

  “Got it!”

  The explosion tore the ground apart between Namkhai, Delilah, and the monster. Mud, silt, and chunks of roots shot upward and crashed straight into the creature’s face. The beast roared, blinded, and staggered to a halt, shaking its head.

  At that same instant, a portal opened directly above its skull.

  Phobos emerged from it, planting one foot on the monster’s head, and without losing a single moment, swung his katana.

  “HRRRAAAAH!”

  The blade went straight into its eye. The monster shrieked and collapsed into the swamp, twitching violently, but still alive.

  Namkhai and Delilah stopped, breathing heavily.

  Phobos pointed his katana at the monk.

  “Gorilla. Open its mouth.”

  “WHAT?!” Namkhai’s eyes went wide. “Are you insane?! I don’t want to get eaten!”

  Phobos irritably pulled down his lower eyelid and stuck out his tongue.

  “Idiot. The eyes and tongue aren’t protected by the armor. Use your brain.”

  Delilah understood instantly. She dashed toward the creature and motioned to Namkhai: lift it.

  “Heh,” Phobos scoffed. “The girl clearly thinks faster than you.”

  “You too?!” Namkhai snapped. “Why was I even put on a team of lunatics?!”

  There was no choice. Gritting his teeth, he gathered all his strength and forced the monster’s jaws open. The creature twitched, let out a muffled roar, and began to thrash.

  “Hurry!” Phobos shouted. “Before it fully regains consciousness!”

  Without hesitation, Delilah dove straight into its mouth.

  “WHAT?! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!” Namkhai screamed. “Are you out of your mind?!”

  For a split second, everything froze.

  Then Delilah placed her palms on its tongue and instantly slipped back out.

  Namkhai slammed the jaws shut with a heavy crash and leapt away with her.

  The monster screamed. Its body twisted violently, thrashing through the swamp, uprooting trees in convulsions of pain. The water foamed. The ground trembled.

  Then silence. The creature collapsed, motionless.

  All four stood beside its corpse, catching their breath.

  Phobos sheathed his katana and said calmly:

  “Mission complete. Target neutralized.”

  Andok’s voice came through their earpieces:

  “Excellent work. You demonstrated high combat competence against the mutant. There’s just one problem.... The mission was to capture it alive.”

  — .......