Chapter 138: Crocadooledoo! Wait, it’s an alligator

Everyone looked around after Lopis commented on not seeing anyone, and sure enough, there was no one to be seen.

"This place is massive! How can it be abandoned?" Terin wondered

Kanan squinted his eyes. He could sense and see that there was a surprisingly low number of spirits in the area.

"Could it be...Alue, once we get to the docks, I want you to check the trees to see if the Verminus Plant is already here."

"Okay. It might take some time, given how large the swamp is."

"That’s fine. We have time."

As they drifted closer to the docks, Kanan paused, spotting something swimming past him in the green-tinted water.

He narrowed his eyes and activated his senses. Beneath the platform, multiple creatures were moving through the water at incredible speed, circling them from every direction.

"Something’s coming," Kanan warned. "There are several creatures beneath us. They’re moving extremely fast."

Terin immediately grinned and tightened his grip on his spear. "Good. I was getting bored."

Fera raised both hands, strengthening the barrier around them. Lopis looked toward the distant village, scanning the wooden structures and massive trees for any sign of movement, but there was nothing. No one who could warn or help them.

They were almost at the docks when the water exploded.

A massive alligator beast erupted from below, standing upright on its hind legs as it slammed both muscular front limbs against the barrier. The impact shattered it instantly, sending fragments of spirit energy scattering across the water.

Fera shouted in pain as the Gator Beast lunged for her head.

Terin thrust his spear forward, sending a blast of wind into its chest, while Lopis’s shadows wrapped around one of its legs. Kanan struck it with a concentrated beam of spirit energy that knocked it backward.

"To break Fera’s barrier with one strike? That creature is strong," Terin said, skidding across the platform.

"Very," Kanan replied, watching as more gators surged from the water.

Reda grabbed Alue by the arm and teleported him directly onto the docks before vanishing back into the fight. Fera wasn’t so lucky. A beast smashed into the platform, sending her tumbling into the water. She immediately formed a barrier around herself as three gators surrounded her, slamming their bodies against it repeatedly.

"U-Uhh, guys! Help!" she yelled as cracks began forming across the barrier.

Kanan saw her struggling and dove into the water. The next few seconds were brutal. Kanan tore through the gators with beams, strikes, and bursts of spirit energy, destroying them before they could reach Fera.

Reda flashed between the remaining beasts, teleporting around their attacks and driving her knives into their throats, eyes, and other vital points. Terin blasted them away with powerful gusts of wind while Lopis’s shadows pierced through their bodies.

One gator suddenly swam toward Kanan from behind. Fera spotted it and raised her hand, a barrier forming directly around the creature before crushing inward.

"Got you!"

"Thanks." Kanan smiled, helping Fera out of the water.

Fera giggled, playfully punching Kanan in the chest. "Someone has to look out for you, Shaman."

The water finally became still, a nd for a moment, everyone thought it was over. Then the docks exploded.

An enormous gator beast burst through the wooden structure and clamped its jaws around Alue’s leg, dragging him into the water.

"ALUE!" Fera screamed.

Kanan dove after the creature, but catching up to it proved difficult. "It’s extremely fast!"

Reda grabbed Fera and teleported them underwater. Fera immediately formed a barrier, and the gator slammed into it with enough force to crack the surface.

"Terin!" Reda shouted as she raised her head above the water.

Terin unleashed a massive blast of wind, launching the beast violently out of the water. Lopis caught it in midair with dozens of shadows, binding its limbs and holding it completely still.

Kanan appeared above it. A massive beam of spirit energy erupted from his hands and tore through the beast’s torso, blasting an enormous hole through its body.

Its head, arms, and legs fell back into the water, leaving every other part of its body completely vaporized.

"Nnnghhh!"

"Alue!" Reda rushed him out of the water, and when she saw his leg, she covered her mouth in shock.

"Ohhh, that’s bad."

"Not helping, Terin." Kanan prepared for a moment like this and took out his first aid kit, AKA the system inventory.

"I know, but like, Nemean, that’s bad."

"Shush! Guys, hold him down."

Alue was shaking in pain, deep leg wounds causing him to thrash violently. He wouldn’t stop groaning and grunting, and when Kanan cleaned the wound, he would scream loudly.

He was forced to eat a detoxification pill just in case, including a poison antidote pill. Kanan wouldn’t take the risk.

"Hold on tight, Alue; it seems that a tooth broke off in your leg. I have to get it out." Kanan didn’t enjoy playing doctor, wishing he had taken a healer with him. But by the time he had finished, Alue had passed out from the pain.

The bleeding was stopped, and Kanan put herbs on the wound to prevent it from being infected, then wrapped a bandage around the leg with splints.

"Is he going to be okay?" Fera asked

"For now, yes. The bleeding was stopped, I removed the broken tooth, and I cleaned him up as best as I could. I’ve also given him an antidote and detox pills just in case. The main issue is that the beast not only tore through his flesh, but also his bone. So he won’t be walking for a while."

"Dammit! Poor Alue. How did that beast even find him? He was on the docks!" Terin shouted out of frustration.

"I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter for the time being. We need to find a healer. These splints can help, but he needs to be healed properly."

Lopis continued to look around the village, not understanding why it was abandoned. "Surely there’s someone here who can help, right?"

Water began to splash behind the group, more gator beasts swimming their way.

Sighing, Kanan stood up and summoned his staff. "Finding the Helsik Tribesmen will have to wait. Terin, you’re with me. Fera, protect Alue. Reda and Lopis, have our backs."