Just as the crocodile man darted to one side to evade.
Ruboo discarded his pistol, thrust his right foot forward, twisted his waist, and lashed out with his left arm, the short blade whipping through the air.
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
The blade sliced through the air, its friction producing a shrill, piercing screech.
Under the crocodile man's stunned gaze, the blade's gleam, like a crescent moon, traced a graceful arc as it streaked towards its chest with blinding speed, leaving no time to dodge.
But that was not all.
Just as a stinging pain shot through its body, it suddenly realised the blade's glow had abruptly transformed into a fiery red.
Controlling the flames!
Ruboo's pupils flashed with fiery light.
The ability it had held back since the battle began erupted in that instant.
Instantly, a wild mass of flames enveloped the blade.
As the blade sliced through the crocodilian's scales and pierced its flesh, the burning flames transformed into writhing serpents of fire, darting wildly within the creature's body.
Instantly, a scream far more agonised than before erupted from the crocodilian's throat. It then began thrashing about wildly, lashing out in all directions with frenzied, uncontrollable violence.
Ruboo drew his blade and retreated.
Visible on the crocodile man's chest, beyond the long gash, was the charred, blackened interior, thoroughly scorched by the flames.
The effect was excellent. It had been well worth keeping himself hidden until now.
Ruboo smiled faintly.
Had he unleashed the flames prematurely, his meagre spiritual energy would have merely inflicted minor burns upon the crocodile man, rather than causing the internal scorching he now inflicted.
Fortunately, the crocodile man possessed formidable physical strength.
Had it been anyone else, Ruboo's blade would likely have ended their life outright.
The crocodile man's current fury was but a fleeting moment.
Soon, when it came to a gasping halt, appearing utterly drained,
Ruboo raised his dagger: "Carry on!"
A flash of silver light, and the blade struck again.
The crocodile man's pupils contracted, his gaze fixed intently on the dagger. Though it no longer emitted flames, he dared not let his guard down, carefully countering the attack.
Yet one possessed a physique enhanced to 1.8, while the other bore a gravely wounded body.
Before long, after Ruboo had whittled down the crocodilian's tail further and delivered a powerful kick, the creature crashed to the ground.
Now was the moment!
Ruboo gripped the blade's hilt with both hands and thrust downward with all his might.
Rip!
Green blood spurted forth.
The crocodile man's massive hands clamped down on the blade as he mustered his last ounce of strength, his eyes blazing with savagery.
Its gaping maw, large enough to swallow half a body in one gulp, stretched to its fullest extent. Revealing fangs far denser and sharper than those of a normal crocodile, it lunged like a hare, snapping towards Ruboo's head mere inches away.
Ruboo showed not a flicker of panic; indeed, this very moment seemed premeditated.
[Spirituality: 0.3]→[Spirituality: 0.5]
"What foul breath! Allow me to freshen it for you!"
Ruboo fixed his gaze upon the crocodilian's gaping maw.
Boom~~
With all his Spirituality channelled into it, flames far more intense than before erupted instantly within the crocodile man's maw.
The crocodile man's movements froze abruptly, followed by violent tremors throughout its entire body.
Soon, it came to a complete halt.
With a thud, it collapsed to the ground, utterly still.
"It's over."
Ruboo released the dagger still clutched tightly by the crocodile man.
The plan had proceeded smoothly.
To avoid any complications and to rescue Madison as swiftly as possible, meeting Zoe's request.
During the confrontation, he deliberately used the dagger as bait to pin the crocodile man's hands, forcing the desperate creature to resort to its only weapon: its massive jaws.
The flame-manipulating ability inherited from the Salem witches was marked by his gaze.
At such close quarters.
The crocodile man opening its jaws, exposing its greatest weakness, was nothing short of suicide.
A flash of spiritual light erupted from the crocodile man, sealing itself within the Book of Containment, signifying a death beyond resurrection.
The pages turned, revealing a new entry.
[Designation: 004]
[Name: Grimmley Boting]
[Type: Mutated Crocodile Man]
[Status: Contained]
[Abilities: Crocodilian Transformation; Crocodile Control]
[Description: A man who consumed the flesh and blood of a legendary colossal crocodile to avenge his wife, sister, and unborn child. Driven by extreme rage and bloodlust, he mutated into a crocodile-man, supplanting the colossal crocodile to become the new terror of the swamplands.]
The new containment has been completed, granting Ruboo ten additional days of leisure.
But that's not all—the Crocodile Man unexpectedly yielded 150 containment points.
That was considerably more than he'd received for Heather and the Minotaur.
"I don't feel the Crocman is stronger than Heather or the Minotaur. If containment points aren't based on strength, then what are they based on? The extent of their wickedness? In that regard, the Crocman certainly wins."
Only the grave robbers and a handful of daring youths in the town had met their end at Heather's hands.
The minotaur Bastien spent more time serving as the Voodoo Queen's comfort device.
The Crocodile Man had existed for ages, with a steady stream of sacrifices from his followers. By that measure, the blood on his hands was undoubtedly the most.
When viewed in this light, it does make sense.
Of course, one cannot determine the cause.
Perhaps it has to do with strength, with crimes, with other factors and so forth.
"We still lack sufficient intelligence."
Ruboo shook his head; the crisis was far from over, leaving him no time for idle thoughts.
Moreover, there was no point in hoarding the containment points; converting them into combat strength to resolve the remaining troubles was the proper course.
Ruboo turned his attention to his abilities.
He could learn both of the Crocodile Man's skills.
However, [Crocodile Transformation] would turn him into something neither quite human nor quite beast, with no means to revert. He passed on that one outright.
[Control Crocodile] was equally useless, merely commanding crocodiles to obey. It paled in comparison to the crocodile man at the petrol station—Old John—who could sense every crocodile's presence.
However formidable crocodiles might be, they couldn't withstand a single shot unless engaged in underwater combat.
Of course, entrusting this ability to New Orleans' renowned professional swamp hunters would undoubtedly bring in a steady stream of wealth.
Ultimately, Ruboo's gaze lingered between [Telekinesis] and [Mind Control].
Given the impending encounters with numerous armed individuals, and to avoid duplicating lethal skills like [Fire Control],
he selected [Mind Control].
Eighty points were deducted, and under the influence of the Containment Book, [Mind Control] was swiftly mastered.
Ruboo then examined his remaining points.
The previous containment points had been exhausted during the battle with the crocodile man, leaving him with 70 points remaining.
Awakening the third ability required 120 points, which he dismissed for now.
Ruboo allocated all remaining points to [Physical Constitution] and [Spirituality].
[Physique 1.8] → [Physique: 2.0]
Upon reaching this point, the progress suddenly halted.
Ruboo discovered he had unexpectedly gained a new ability.
[Health]: With Physical Constitution at 2.0, you become immune to the vast majority of illnesses.
A rather splendid ability.
Though it doesn't directly enhance combat prowess, Ruboo—who once lay bedridden for a week with a serious illness—deeply appreciates the value of good health.
Many others would surely share this profound understanding.