Chapter 22: Assassin’s Duel With a Beast

What emerged was a deep green beast, its body covered in jagged spikes. A massive jaw full of teeth opened wide, and slitted pupils locked onto them like a predator to prey.

It was a monstrous crocodile.

“Shit!”

“GROOOAAR!” The creature roared and lunged onto the giant water lily.

Luke stumbled backward, his foot slipping off the slick edge of the lily pad—and with a splash, he tumbled into the cold, murky water below.

Beneath the surface, he saw the creature’s shadow slicing through the depths toward him. He drew both kukris just as the beast opened its jaws. Panic surged through him. He knew what came next. If a crocodile bit down, it rolled—and dragged its prey under to drown.

In a desperate move, he activated Assassin’s Dash underwater and veered to the side.

He kicked hard, swimming toward the shallows until his feet finally hit solid ground. The crystal was there, glowing faintly.

Princess Charlie leapt down beside him, sword in hand.

“Go! Take the crystal—now!”

It was the only crystal. If the crocodile destroyed it or it sank too deep, they’d be trapped in that place.

“GROOOOAR!” The beast bellowed from a distance, then suddenly dove.

A wave surged as it swam straight toward them. Charlie snatched the crystal, tossing her sword upward into the tunnel.

Just as Luke and Charlie turned to climb, the monster exploded from the water. Its tail swept out in a brutal arc, smashing them backward. Luke swallowed water and scrambled upright—

Only to see the crocodile hurtling at him.

He hurled both kukris. They multiplied mid-air, striking the beast. It snarled and twisted, dodging the second wave of blades. Then it spun violently in the water.

Its spiked tail slammed into Luke.

He was sent flying, crashing into the deep zone.

“Oh God…”

He understood the monster’s plan. It was dragging him where he’d be helpless—in its territory.

“GROOOAR!” It surged toward Charlie. She dodged to the side, snatching her sword as it came back down.

Luke swam and hauled himself onto a nearby lily pad. He raised a hand.

“Return!”

The kukris zipped through the air and slammed into the monster’s back.

Nothing happened.

The blades struck with full force—then rebounded harmlessly, clattering into the water.

Luke’s eyes widened.

Natural armor.

“GROOOAR!” The beast flung Charlie back and clamped its jaws around her—tearing off her arm.

Luke screamed and leapt, bounding from one lily pad to another. He flung both kukris again, this time straight into the monster’s open mouth. They pierced soft flesh.

The beast shrieked and spat the weapons out.

Its gaze locked onto Luke—and it charged.

The crocodile dove under and struck from below, shattering the lily pad. Luke jumped to the next one, sprinting toward the crystal. But the monster clamped down on the edge of the pad and began pulling it apart.

Suddenly, Luke found himself adrift in the middle of the lake.

Nowhere to run.

“GROOOOOOOAR!”

The monster had done exactly what it wanted — dragged Luke away from the shallows, into the heart of the lake where the waters grew deeper. This was its territory now.

Charlie surfaced. She tried to swim.

“The crystal! Take the crystal!” Luke shouted.

But the lily pad beneath him lurched. He fell to the side as a massive jaw snapped up, narrowly missing his leg.

Rows of jagged teeth tore into the thick leaf like wet paper, ripping it apart in seconds and sending green fragments flying across the water’s surface.

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The crocodile was furious.

Luke thrust his hand upward, fingers splayed, willing the kukris to return—expecting the usual hum and flicker of energy. But nothing came. No pull, no glow, just silence and empty air.

“No. No, no, no…”

His blood turned cold.

The blades had sunk too deep. They were out of magnetic range.

He’d lost his weapons.

“AAARGH!” The monster lunged up onto the pad. The sheer weight sent it sinking—and both of them fell into the water.

With another vicious dive, the crocodile surged forward, its jaws snapping just inches from Luke—and in the blink of an eye, both of them disappeared beneath the surface, swallowed by the depths.

The monster zigzagged through the water toward him as Luke, panicking, activated Assassin’s Dash again and again, trying to escape.

Through the murky depths, he saw those glowing reptilian eyes drawing closer. The silhouette was right on him.

He was sinking fast, desperate, the dash barely giving him any distance.

The crocodile opened its massive jaws and lunged.

Luke pointed his hands—his kukris flew toward him from afar.

Just as the beast closed in, he dove underneath it and drove both blades upward.

He felt them sink into flesh.

The monster roared beneath the water and snapped wildly, but Luke had latched onto its underside. It writhed, trying to bite him, but couldn’t reach—like a dog chasing its own tail.

With a furious thrash, the creature began to spin, twisting underwater in violent rotations to shake him off.

Luke held on.

He slashed and stabbed, driving his kukris deep again and again, carving through whatever he could reach.