Thick smoke rose to the sky, and the stench of gunpowder mixed with the burning smell of fur, creating a strange odor that caused Su Xiao to frown deeply.
His view was obscured by the dense smoke, making it impossible for him to determine the exact position of the giant tiger.
"Roar~!!!"
An angry tiger roar came from within the thick smoke. Hearing the roar, Su Xiao was highly focused, but his whole body's muscles remained relaxed.
Tensing muscles would lead to delayed movements, causing deadly flaws during combat.
The long knife in his hand naturally hung down, the tip touching the ground.
The giant tiger had not yet appeared, hiding within the thick smoke, but Su Xiao could feel it had already discovered him.
A strong wind blew through the jungle, dispersing the rising smoke.
It was at this moment that a massive figure, with some lingering smoke, burst out from the dense smoke—it was the giant tiger.
The giant tiger that appeared in Su Xiao's sight no longer looked as majestic as before; large patches of fur were scorched, the burned fur clinging to the skin with glowing embers still flickering.
The massive body was also riddled with wounds, countless metal spikes embedded in the flesh and skin.
The most severe injury was to one of the tiger's eyes, surrounded by metal spikes, with black and red liquid oozing from the eye socket.
Seeing the giant tiger's injuries, Su Xiao smiled; such wounds would reduce the tiger's combat strength by at least ninety percent, even if it didn't die. His trap was very effective.
Indeed, humans are the most dangerous creatures in nature.
The giant tiger charged at Su Xiao with a whistling wind, reaching him in just a few strides.
Compared to the massive tiger, Su Xiao was not even as tall as its front leg.
Yet for some reason, Su Xiao's heart began to race; the giant opponent somewhat excited him.
Before the tiger could charge at him, Su Xiao pushed forcefully off the ground, scattering dried leaves as he rushed to meet the tiger, slashing at its front paw with his long knife.
"Squish."
Blood splattered as a wound was carved into the tiger's front paw. "Zhan Long Flash," with a rating of 10, effortlessly cut through the tiger's outer skin, deeply cleaving into the muscle beneath.
The tiger roared in pain. The previous explosive injuries had left it somewhat sluggish, and its brain still slightly dazed.
As the tiger prepared to counterattack, Su Xiao leaped to the side, positioning himself at the blind spot created by the tiger's blind eye on its left side.
Two millstone-sized tiger paws swiped continuously forward, the claws gleaming with a metallic sheen. If Su Xiao were caught, the consequences would be dire, yet the tiger couldn't touch him in the slightest.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Xiao stepped forward, both hands gripping the knife's hilt, delivering another slash to the tiger's claw.
Attacking the tiger's paw was a matter of necessity; at least four meters tall, it was extremely difficult to target vital areas such as the throat or head.
With the threat of the two claws, Su Xiao dared not recklessly attack the tiger's vulnerable parts.
But that wasn't an issue; there were a few hours left before the deadline for the side mission, giving Su Xiao time, unlike the giant tiger.
After just a short battle, the ground nearby was stained with blood. It wouldn't be long before the tiger would collapse from blood loss, then it would be at his mercy.
The tiger also realized this, its one eye glared hatefully at Su Xiao while it began to consider retreating.
Wild beasts are like this; in extremely adverse circumstances, most will choose to flee unless cubs need protection behind them.
Avoiding harm is as much a beast's nature as it is a human's, more so given this tiger's high intelligence.
The tiger panted heavily, claws digging deeply into the ground, ready to flee at any moment.
With the battle at such a degree, how could Su Xiao let the tiger escape after spending valuable time setting up traps?
Just as the tiger showed signs of retreat, Su Xiao unleashed a continuous slash with "Zhan Long Flash," leaving several bloody gashes on the tiger's body.
Seeing the tiger's health bar at just 8%, it was surely doomed.
In Reincarnation Paradise, there was no case of becoming "Berserk" with health below 10%. When health drops below 10%, any creature becomes extremely weak.
Never mind going berserk, the tiger could barely run now, its attacks chaotic and solely focused on escaping.
On the sixth attempt by the tiger to flee, Su Xiao drove his long knife into its hind leg, gripping the hilt with both hands, fiercely pulling outward.
The sound of the blade slicing through muscle was distinct, as Su Xiao felt the mild vibration through the knife handle from the flesh tearing apart.
With a wail, a deep wound appeared on the tiger's hind leg. Before its blood could fill the wound, Su Xiao saw a severed tendon inside.
With the tendon cut, the tiger lost any chance of running away. It was doomed today.
Perhaps the tiger realized this too, changing its demeanor and continuously roaring threateningly at Su Xiao.
Su Xiao stood before the giant tiger, his bare chest stained with tiger blood.
The slippery and warm feeling of the fresh blood stimulated Su Xiao's ferocity, making him seem particularly fierce at that moment.
Facing this beast the size of a house, Su Xiao laughed softly.
The 'Master of Mount Corvo' had dominated the mountain for many years, fearing no creature.
But at this moment, this giant beast felt a little afraid of Su Xiao because this smiling human might take its life.
"Roar~!"
A roar tinged with anger and fear echoed across Mount Corvo.
Su Xiao, moving agilely, charged at the giant tiger, frequently shifting his position.
The tiger flattened its body, seemingly ready to fight Su Xiao to the death.
A tiger claw, carrying a rancid gust, swung towards Su Xiao's face, fast and fierce. This giant tiger had concealed its speed until this dying moment to deliver a lethal blow to Su Xiao.
If hit by this claw, even if he survived by luck, Su Xiao would have no choice but to flee.
Although Su Xiao appeared to have the upper hand, that was not the case. The gap in strength between him and the tiger was too wide; even after several slashes, the tiger's health bar had only reduced by about 1%, hardly significant, considering the tiger was quickly losing blood.
But if he took a direct hit from the tiger's claw, the battle might end.
With the deadly claw almost upon him, Su Xiao continued his forward momentum, seemingly choosing to meet it head-on.
As the claw was about to strike, Su Xiao spread his legs, dropping into a kneeling stance, lowering his center of gravity, his whole body leaning backward.
The tiger claw, with its heavy metallic scent of blood, swept past the tip of Su Xiao's nose, the wind raising his hair.
Kneeling on the leafy ground, Su Xiao narrowly evaded the tiger's claw.
With a palm on the ground, Su Xiao leaped up, now directly under the tiger's head, exposing its vulnerable throat.
Su Xiao wasn't going to be polite, taking a direct slash.
Blood gushed out in torrents, enveloping Su Xiao in a bloodbath.
While Su Xiao and the tiger fought desperately, a small figure was crouched behind a distant bush, appearing to be a child from the size.
"So, so strong."
The shrubbery rustled, and the child's head peeked out from the bush, with a few green leaves perched on top of their straw hat.