The Battles of Afterlife - Chapter 11: The Giant of the Eastern Pond

Mark opened his eyes before the first rays of the sun illuminated the horizon.

No matter how much time had passed since he had left Earth, old habits died hard.

His eyes fluttered open as soon as the light touched the curtains of his room.

He sat up immediately, scanning the perimeter.

No threats.

No enemy.

Only the distant noises of the city waking up.

Mark stood up and stretched.

His muscles felt tighter than ever.

The hot shower and a good night’s rest had done their job.

A blue interface displayed before his eyes.

[Status Check]

Name: Mark Vance

Level: 4

Health: 140/140

Mana: 40/40

Condition: Excellent

He smirked.

“Good.”

Mark washed his face at the washroom before fastening his equipment.

He attached his iron short sword to his hip while throwing over his iron-tipped spear.

The Taskmaster’s Iron-Plated Boots felt particularly comfortable as he pulled the string at the back of his boots.

He silently stepped out of the inn before most of the villagers had opened their eyes.

The cool air of the morning greeted him as he stepped out.

There were only a few farmers at the streets, working at their daily chores.

Mark had intended to pay a visit to the town hall later.

But for now, he needed to train.

A soldier that did not train was a dead soldier.

While walking along the eastern part of the village, a sudden blue message displayed before his eyes.

[SYSTEM EMERGENCY QUEST DETECTED]

Mark halted immediately as another message appeared.

[Hidden Trial Activated]

Objective: Proceed east of Oakhaven

Cross the Eastern Pond

Defeat the Giant Crocodile

Difficulty: High

Recommended Level: 5

Reward: Substantial Experience, Rare Item, Bonus Class Evaluation

Failure: Quest Failed

Mark narrowed his eyes.

Giant crocodile?

The system did not usually give direct orders.

If it did, the rewards must have been particularly worthwhile.

Without another thought, Mark turned around and proceeded eastward.

It took nearly half an hour before he arrived at the clearing where the Eastern Pond laid.

The pond was quite large, stretching for more than a hundred meters.

A thick mist clung to the water, giving the place a mysterious atmosphere.

Mark pulled out his Inspection ability.

[Eastern Pond]

Dangerous: Moderate

Alert: Apex Predator Resident

Mark’s eyes narrowed further at the message.

Yet another warning.

A sudden message appeared before him.

[Cross the pond to enter the trial]

Mark scanned the area.

He could see a formation of rocks that created a bridge over the water.

Without another word, he stepped onto the first rock.

Then the second.

Then the third.

All were quiet.

Too quiet.

Mark’s danger sense perked up immediately.

He halted.

Something was wrong.

The water behind him suddenly began to rise.

Not splash.

But rather rise.

As if something beneath the surface climbed up.

Mark turned around.

His breath hitched in his throat.

The illusion of the landmass had been a gigantic reptilian head!

Two yellow eyes locked onto his position.

Rows upon rows of jagged teeth bared down at him.

A blue message appeared overhead.

[Giant Swamp Crocodile]

Level: 6 Elite Beast

Health: 500/500

Mana: 50/50

Description: Ancient and powerful ruler of the Eastern Pond.

The giant crocodile burst out of the water with incredible force.

BOOM!

A wave of water crashed over the rocks.

Mark immediately activated Sprint.

His body shot forward.

The crocodile’s jaws snapped at the air where he previously stood.

CRACK!

The force of the attack sent cracks crawling across the rocks.

Mark jumped onto another rock and immediately threw his spear forward.

The weapon flew like a missile, embedding itself across the crocodile’s scales.

CLANG!

[Attack Dealt 5 Damage]

Mark’s brows knit together.

The enemy’s defense was ridiculous!

The giant beast’s tail swept across the water, sending more waves crashing over the rocks.

Mark was thrown backward, barely avoiding the attack.

[You received 18 Damage]

Health: 122/140

The monster was undeniably strong.

Stronger than any foe he had faced till this point.

The crocodile lunged forward again, sending another wave of water crashing over the rock formation.

Mark’s combat instincts flared to life immediately.

Rather than run away, he analyzed the battlefield.

The crocodile’s scales rendered most attacks ineffective.

However, its eyes were likely weak points.

Same went for its mouth and underbelly.

It was time to think!

The beast opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar.

At the same time, Mark moved.

“Heavy Strike!”

Blue energy crackled around his short sword.

He dashed forward, sliding under the crocodile’s snapping jaws.

The momentum allowed him to bring his blade upward, cutting across the monster’s lower jaw.

[Critical Hit!]

[You dealt 48 Damage]

Health: 452/500

The giant crocodile roared in pain, dark liquid dripping from the wound in its jaw.

For the first time, Mark saw an opening in the beast’s defense.

Unfortunately, it was not large enough.

The crocodile’s tail swept across the water, slamming into Mark’s side with bone-crushing force.

SMASH!

Mark crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to guard himself.

The impact sent him flying through the air, skidding across the water before he finally landed on another rock.

[You received 35 Damage]

Health: 87/140

Mark grimaced.

His whole body ached from the impact.

He immediately dove toward the closest rock, trying to get away from the raging beast.

The giant crocodile’s body cut through the water like a ship, growing closer and closer to him.

Mark climbed up the rock as the beast’s jaws snapped at the air.

It was fast.

Too fast.

Yet, it still possessed one major weakness – its sheer size.

And the next part of his plan revolved around that very weakness.

Mark activated Sprint again and began running over the rocks.

The crocodile followed closely at his heels, determined to end his life.

One.

Two.

Three.

Mark ran over three more rocks before he reached the largest formation in this part of the pond.

It looked unstable, with numerous cracks decorating its surface.

Perfection.

He turned around as the crocodile drew near.

Its jaws opened wide in a fearsome display of power.

Mark waited until the last moment before activating his Heavy Strike.

Rather than attacking the crocodile, he slammed his short sword into the weak point of the rock formation.

BOOM!

The weakened rock crumbled to dust, sending thousands of kilograms of rock crashing down on the giant beast.

The giant crocodile’s body slammed into the rock formation, burying itself in the rubble.

At the same time, an explosion of water shot up into the air, drenching Mark in cold liquid.

[Environmental Damage Detected]

[You dealt 140 Damage]

Health: 312/500

The giant crocodile let out a low roar of pain, one of its legs pinned beneath the rock.

Mark nodded approvingly.

“Nice.”

This was truly how a soldier fought.

With not brawn, but brains.

The giant crocodile struggled furiously, trying to free itself from the rock.

But every movement sent more of the formation sinking into the water.

Mark took advantage of the situation, leaping onto the beast’s back.

The crocodile thrashed violently, sending great amounts of water shooting into the air.

Mark’s grip on his short sword slipped slightly, but he managed to hold on.

He brought the blade down on the crocodile’s back repeatedly.

[You dealt 22 Damage]

[You dealt 25 Damage]

[You dealt 21 Damage]

The health bar continued to decrease.

244…

219…

198…

The crocodile finally broke free of the rock, sending a shockwave in all directions as it rolled on its side.

Mark was thrown off the beast’s back, but he did not waste any time.

He watched as one eye on the crocodile’s side was fully exposed.

Without hesitation, Mark gripped his short sword with both hands.

“HEAVY STRIKE!!”

Blue energy swirled around his blade.

With a grunt of effort, Mark dove down toward the exposed eye of the giant crocodile.

The glowing short sword flew downward like a meteor, stabbing straight into the crocodile’s eye.

[Critical Hit! Weak Point Strike!]

[You dealt 210 Damage]

Health: 0/500

The pond grew silent.

The giant crocodile let out one final roar before its massive body slumped forward, crashing into the water.

For a few seconds, Mark floated on the surface of the water, breathing heavily.

Then, golden energy began circling around him, sparking in the air.

[Elite Beast Defeated!]

[Giant Swamp Crocodile (Level 6) Slain]

[Experience Gained: 320]

[LEVEL UP!]

You have reached Level 5!

All Health and Mana have been restored

5 Attribute Points Granted

1 Skill Point Granted

Class Awakening Available

Numerous notifications appeared on his interface.

[Quest Completed]

[Hidden Trial Cleared]

[Reward Obtained]

Rare Item: Crocodile King’s Scale

Bonus: Exceptional Performance Rating

Mark climbed up onto the nearest rock formation as the golden energy surrounded his body.

He felt stronger.

Faster.

More aware.

The system suddenly showed another message.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Your performance against the Giant Swamp Crocodile has been satisfactory.

Class Evaluation Updated

Additional Class Options may become available

Mark stared at the message in confusion.

Additional class options?

The system did not indicate any more class choices!

The sun was rising higher in the sky, casting a red light across the horizon.

Mark turned around and looked at Oakhaven in the distance.

His Level 5 awakening was waiting for him.

In his heart, Mark knew that something bigger awaited him.

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