Chapter 75: Fighting two

And it was much larger than any normal tiger—easily three times the size, maybe more. Where a regular tiger might weigh four or five hundred pounds, this mutated specimen had to be well over a ton of pure muscle and killing instinct. Its paws were the size of dinner plates, each one tipped with claws that looked more like curved daggers. Its head was proportionally massive, with a jaw that could probably crush steel, and its eyes glowed with that same sickly yellow light he’d seen in the reptilian Dabba.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Then the second Dabba was a leopard, perhaps a snow leopard based on its build and features, but at this point it was so heavily mutated that its original species was almost irrelevant. It was as huge as the tiger, matching it almost exactly in size and mass, which was deeply unnatural. Snow leopards were typically much smaller than tigers, but the mutations had erased those natural differences entirely. And like its companion, it had black and white fur as well, though the pattern was slightly different—more spots than stripes, creating a dappled effect that would have been beautiful under different circumstances.

A single thought occurred to Jelo as he stared down the two mutated Dabba standing side by side, their massive forms blocking his path forward. He wondered how a tiger and leopard were working and coordinating together like this. In nature, big cats were solitary creatures, territorial and aggressive toward their own kind, let alone different species. Tigers and leopards would never hunt together, would never cooperate in any meaningful way. They were competitors, not allies.

But these weren’t natural animals anymore. The radiation had changed them in fundamental ways, twisting not just their bodies but apparently their behaviors as well. Maybe the mutations had somehow made them pack animals, overriding millions of years of evolutionary programming. Or maybe survival in this hostile environment had forced them to adapt, to work together because the alternative was death. Either way, facing two coordinated predators of this size was significantly more dangerous than facing them separately.

Jelo activated his newly acquired Assess skill, focusing his attention on the two creatures before him. Information flooded into his vision almost instantly, text appearing in translucent windows that overlaid his normal sight without blocking his view of the threats.

**[Mutated Tiger Dabba]**

**[Rank: D3]**

**[Threat Level: High]**

**[Notable Traits: Enhanced strength, pack coordination, radiation adaptation]**

**[Mutated Leopard Dabba]**

**[Rank: D3]**

**[Threat Level: High]**

**[Notable Traits: Enhanced speed, pack coordination, radiation adaptation]**

Both of them were rank D3. Jelo processed that information quickly, his mind working through the tactical implications. D3 was a serious threat level, significantly higher than the E-rank Dabbas he’d fought back at the academy. These weren’t weak creatures he could simply overwhelm with superior skill or clever tactics. They were genuinely dangerous opponents.

Jelo hadn’t done an attributes test in a while, so he didn’t know his exact rank with certainty. The academy required regular testing to track student progress, but he’d been avoiding them for obvious reasons—the last thing he needed was someone noticing irregularities in his growth rate or abilities. But based on how he felt, based on the power flowing through his enhanced body after his recent level-up and the stat increases he’d gained, he suspected he was somewhere between E and D rank himself. Probably closer to D after everything he’d absorbed and achieved.

Which meant he should be able to take on these Dabba. The ranks were comparable enough that this wasn’t an automatic death sentence. It would be a real fight, difficult and dangerous, but survivable if he played it smart and used every advantage he had.

Besides, while Dabba could be very strong and powerful—sometimes even matching or exceeding human ability users in raw physical capabilities—they lacked one critical quality that humans possessed. Intelligence. Problem-solving ability. Tactical thinking. Creative adaptation.

Which meant a rank D3 human and a rank D3 Dabba were not the same thing at all. The human was many times more powerful and deadlier in actual combat, because they could think their way through problems, adjust strategies on the fly, use their environment, set traps, exploit weaknesses. A Dabba fought on instinct and physical prowess alone, no matter how mutated or enhanced it might be.

That was Jelo’s advantage. His ability to think, to plan, to adapt. And he intended to use it fully.

Jelo then decided to taunt the two Dabba, partly to gauge their intelligence and partly because he was genuinely curious how they’d react. “Come on then,” he called out, his voice carrying clearly across the space between them. “Don’t waste time circling around looking threatening. Just attack me already.” He spread his arms slightly, presenting himself as a target. “You’ve got the numerical advantage. You’re so sure of yourselves. What are you waiting for?”

He wasn’t sure if the Dabba understood English or could comprehend his actual words. Animal intelligence was unpredictable at the best of times, and mutated animals even more so. They might have enhanced cognitive abilities, or the mutations might have actually made them more bestial and instinct-driven. There was no way to know for certain.

But his words—or perhaps just his aggressive tone and body language—seemed to provoke them exactly as he’d intended. Both creatures growled more fiercely, the sound rumbling through their massive chests and echoing off the surrounding ruins. Their lips pulled back from teeth that were far too large, revealing fangs designed to tear through flesh and crush bone. Their muscles tensed visibly beneath their striking black and white fur, coiling like springs ready to release.

Then they both charged, running at him with terrifying speed and coordination.

The ground shook slightly under the impact of their paws as they closed the distance, moving with the explosive acceleration that only big cats possessed. The tiger came in from the left, the leopard from the right, trying to split his attention and create an opening that one of them could exploit. It was a classic pincer movement, simple but effective against most prey.

As they reached him, Jelo lunged using his enhanced speed, his body blurring into motion faster than a normal human eye could track. The tiger’s claw came down toward where his head had been a fraction of a second before, but he slipped past the strike with minimal movement, wasting no energy on unnecessary dodging. The massive paw smashed into the ground where he’d been standing, sending cracks radiating through the already damaged earth and throwing up chunks of debris.

He immediately counterattacked while the tiger was recovering from its missed strike. Jelo sent a Dragon Claw projection directly at the tiger’s exposed side, the claw-shaped energy construct shooting forward with devastating force. The attack caught the tiger cleanly, tearing into its flesh and carving deep furrows through muscle. The creature squealed in pain—a sound that was disturbing coming from something so large and dangerous—and staggered sideways from the impact.

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