Lían frowned as he stared at the place where his leg had been.
The pain was intense.
But—
it wasn't as unbearable as he had imagined.
*...Losing a leg really hurts.*
He clenched his teeth.
Blood continued drifting into the surrounding water.
*But if I keep bleeding like this...*
*I'll die.*
A thought suddenly surfaced.
*If I die here...*
He froze.
*Will I return?*
His eyes narrowed.
*Or will the simulation end?*
He couldn't be certain.
The copy had told him that his body would be restored whenever he died.
But—
that had been during the previous training.
This was different.
These opponents weren't there merely to teach him.
They were meant to kill him.
*No.*
Lían shook the thought away.
*I can't waste time thinking about it.*
His gaze shifted toward the crocodile.
*If I kill it...*
*Will my leg return?*
A brief silence followed.
Then—
his eyes hardened.
*I guess I'll have to kill it first to find out.*
Lían raised his hand.
The surrounding water immediately gathered around his body.
It pressed against the wound.
The bleeding gradually slowed.
Then—
stopped.
He examined the injury.
It was still there.
The pain remained.
But the immediate danger had disappeared.
Lían slowly exhaled.
*Good.*
He tightened his grip around the condensed water blade.
The crocodile turned toward him.
Its enormous body surged through the lake.
Lían's eyes narrowed.
*This time...*
*I'll finish it.*
He moved.
The surrounding water accelerated his body.
Instead of charging directly toward the crocodile—
Lían circled around it.
The beast's remaining eye followed him.
Its tail swept across the water.
Lían ducked beneath it.
A current carried him forward.
He passed beneath the crocodile's enormous body.
*The mouth.*
His gaze shifted upward.
*That's where I'll enter again.*
The crocodile suddenly turned.
Its jaws opened.
Lían accelerated.
The moment the mouth opened—
he shot directly toward it.
This time—
he didn't hesitate.
The crocodile's jaws closed behind him.
Lían disappeared into its throat.
His eyes became cold.
*Let's see...*
*How much damage you can take from inside.*
🙁🙁
The crocodile's jaws slammed shut.
**BOOM!**
Lían disappeared into darkness once again.
But this time—
he was prepared.
He immediately pressed himself against the inner wall of the crocodile's mouth.
The beast's tongue twisted violently beneath him.
Lían raised his hand.
Water gathered around his arm.
*I only have one chance.*
He didn't waste it.
The condensed water blade shot forward.
**SHHK!**
It pierced deep into the flesh beneath the crocodile's tongue.
The demon beast convulsed.
Its jaws opened violently.
Lían was nearly thrown out.
He grabbed onto the surrounding flesh with one hand.
The crocodile roared.
The vibration shook through his entire body.
Lían's ears rang.
*It's reacting.*
He pulled the water blade free.
Then—
he drove it into another vulnerable point.
**SHHK!**
Blood spread through the water.
The crocodile violently shook its head.
Lían's body was thrown against its inner jaw.
Pain shot through his remaining leg.
He gritted his teeth.
*I need to go deeper.*
He gathered the surrounding water.
Instead of forming a blade—
he created a narrow current.
It wrapped around his body.
Then—
he allowed the crocodile's swallowing motion to pull him deeper.
His eyes widened slightly.
*It's actually working.*
The crocodile's throat contracted.
Lían was dragged downward.
He immediately controlled the water around himself to prevent himself from being crushed.
The passage became narrower.
Darker.
The surrounding flesh pulsed violently.
Lían's expression became serious.
*This should be close to its throat.*
He raised his hand.
Water gathered around his palm.
Compressed.
Then—
he released it.
**BOOM!**
The compressed water exploded inside the crocodile.
The beast's entire body convulsed.
Its tail smashed against the lake floor.
**BOOM!**
Another violent tremor passed through the water.
Lían was nearly thrown from the throat.
But he held on.
*Again.*
He gathered another mass of water.
This time—
he compressed it even further.
The water became almost invisible.
A tiny sphere formed before his palm.
Lían stared at it.
*All the force in one point.*
His fingers tightened.
Then—
he pushed forward.
**BOOOOOOM!**
The explosion erupted inside the crocodile.
The demon beast suddenly stopped.
Its enormous body froze.
For several seconds—
nothing happened.
Then—
blood began pouring from its mouth.
Lían's eyes narrowed.
*Did it work?*
The crocodile's body suddenly jerked.
Its remaining eye widened.
Then—
the massive creature collapsed into the lake.
**RUMBLE!**
The water surged outward.
Lían was thrown from its throat.
He immediately controlled the surrounding water and slowed his descent.
He hovered beside the motionless demon beast.
Silence.
The crocodile no longer moved.
Lían remained cautious.
He waited.
Several breaths passed.
Nothing.
The system's voice finally echoed through the endless world.
**[Second opponent eliminated.]**
Lían stared.
His breathing slowly relaxed.
Then—
he glanced down at his missing leg.
"...So?"
Nothing happened.
His expression became confused.
*...It didn't come back.*
He stared at the empty space where his leg should have been.
*Then dying really would have restored it...*
*But killing the opponent doesn't.*
A moment later—
another notification appeared.
**[Combat evaluation continues.]**
Lían's expression immediately changed.
"...Wait."
His eyes widened.
*That means...*
*I have to keep fighting like this?*
🙁🙁
The system's voice echoed through the endless world.
**[Additional information.]**
**[You currently possess five restoration opportunities.]**
Lían's expression changed slightly.
**[Each restoration opportunity can return your body to its original condition.]**
**[Restoration may be requested at any time.]**
**[Once all five opportunities have been exhausted, the current trial will end.]**
Silence.
Lían remained suspended within the water.
His gaze slowly lowered toward his missing leg.
*...So that's how it's going to work.*
He quietly considered the information.
*Five chances.*
*If I use one now...*
*I'll only have four remaining.*
His expression became thoughtful.
*But is using one now really necessary?*
He looked at the wound.
Blood was still slowly escaping.
*I'm injured.*
*But I'm not dying.*
His gaze hardened.
*Not yet, anyway.*
He had already learned how valuable these restoration opportunities were.
If he could continue fighting without using one—
there was no reason to waste it.
*If I use one now...*
*I'll recover completely.*
*But I'll also lose one of my five chances.*
He slowly shook his head.
*No.*
*I'll save them.*
*I'll use one only when my condition actually reaches the point where I can't continue.*
Lían raised his hand.
Water immediately gathered around the wound.
He compressed it tightly against the severed limb.
The bleeding gradually slowed.
Then—
stopped.
Lían carefully moved his body.
The pain remained.
But it was manageable.
He took a slow breath.
*I can still fight.*
His gaze shifted toward the empty lake.
*Five restorations...*
*And an unknown number of opponents.*
His expression became serious.
*I need to use them carefully.*
He slowly raised his sword.
The water surrounding him began moving once again.
Then—
Lían noticed something.
His missing leg was still affecting his balance.
He adjusted his posture.
*I'll have to adapt.*
He looked toward the endless water.
*Until I actually need that restoration...*
His grip tightened.
*I'll keep going.*