The mutated giant crocodile hadn’t reacted much when Evan pierced it earlier, but now it thrashed violently, twisting its massive body and scraping its wounds against the ground. The poison was finally taking effect.

  “Second round,” Evan said.

  The moment Ant Strength cooled down, he grabbed FangBro and prepared to strike again.

  “Careful this time,” he warned. “It’s moving too much.”

  “Relax,” FangBro said confidently.

  He activated earth?phase movement, bringing them to the monster’s neck. Then he kicked off the air—literally stepping on nothing—like a wuxia master performing light?footwork, landing on the giant crocodile’s back.

  Evan didn’t waste the opportunity.

  Ant Strength + Needle Strike—another wound opened.

  They shifted positions—another wound, another bottle of poison.

  But this time, retreating wasn’t so easy.

  The giant crocodile slammed the ground.

  Raging Tides — Enhanced Version.

  A terrifying shockwave burst outward. The earth caved in, then a wave of invisible force blasted upward, striking everything within ten meters—ground and air alike.

  FangBro tried to escape underground, but the underground was the first zone hit. Going up was also within the blast radius.

  No escape.

  At the last second, FangBro opened his mouth and spat out golden threads. They wove together faster than the eye could follow, forming a massive oval cocoon around them.

  Steel Cocoon.

  CRACK!

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The shockwave hit.

  The cocoon fractured instantly, cracks spreading like spiderwebs—then it shattered completely.

  But it had absorbed most of the blast.

  The remaining force still slammed into them.

  Evan tasted blood. Pain shot through his entire body. His organs felt displaced.

  But he knew—without that cocoon, he would’ve been crippled or forced to detonate his Regenerator Core to survive.

  Then—

  His vision blurred.

  A wave of dizziness hit him.

  The enhanced Raging Tides carried a stun effect.

  The giant crocodile lunged, jaws wide enough to swallow a car. Evan and FangBro were tiny specks before that monstrous maw.

  Just as the jaws were about to close—

  They snapped out of the stun.

  FangBro grabbed Evan and used his light?footwork to retreat.

  The giant crocodile chased them relentlessly.

  Both men reached into their pockets at the same time and hurled every bottle of poison they could grab straight into the monster’s open mouth.

  The crocodile bit down.

  Dozens of toxins exploded inside its mouth—corrosive, blood?eating, larva venom, everything mixed together.

  A chemical apocalypse.

  The monster roared, a deep, guttural sound that shook the ground. When it opened its mouth again, its entire jaw was melting—poison, saliva, blood, and mucus dripping out in horrifying streams.

  It rolled violently, tail smashing the ground like a wrecking ball.

  Evan and FangBro exchanged a look—then retreated to a safe distance.

  They collapsed onto the ground, panting, watching the monster thrash in agony.

  Evan finally understood how terrifying the enhanced Raging Tides was. Bigger range, stronger force, longer stun.

  He wanted that skill even more.

  Both men were injured and exhausted. They needed time to recover—and time for the poison to work.

  Ten minutes later, the giant crocodile lay motionless.

  “Third round,” Evan said.

  They moved in.

  This time, they didn’t need to pierce the armor. The monster’s body was covered in rotting, corroded wounds.

  They sprinkled poison like chefs seasoning barbecue—generously and evenly.

  Then—

  The “dying” monster suddenly sprang up.

  A massive claw swung toward them.

  “It was faking!”

  FangBro reacted instantly, grabbing Evan and fleeing.

  But the monster dove underground—mud exploded upward.

  “It can burrow?!”

  Not earth?phase movement—just brute?force digging.

  “It’s trying to escape?” FangBro guessed.

  But Evan felt the tremor beneath their feet.

  No—

  It wasn’t escaping.

  It was ambushing.

  The ground split open.

  The giant crocodile erupted upward, jaws wide—

  Evan and FangBro were thrown apart.

  Evan used Rhino Charge to barely escape the snapping jaws.

  He turned back—

  Just in time to see the monster’s mouth close around FangBro.

  And swallow him whole.

  Evan froze.

  His mind went blank.

  FangBro…

  Gone?

  FangBro has been swallowed.

  But is he dead… or is this another one of his bizarre survival skills?

  Tell me your theory:

  Is FangBro actually gone? Or is he about to pull off something insane?