My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System-Chapter 51 – Tigon of the Bladed Tail

As Erlin mentioned, taking the northeastern route would shorten their path. So the trio began moving in that direction.

The forest grew thicker, wilder. Even though the three of them were powerful, they remained alert—this was the territory of corrupted beasts.

They encountered several on the way, but Zane and Shelby actually welcomed such obstacles. It was the perfect opportunity to train, to grow.

Their path was soon blocked by a massive feline creature.

It stood tall and powerful, resembling a tiger in body, but with the majestic mane and head of a lion. A Tigon?

No. Not quite.

Its tail thrashed violently—adorned with bladed tusks like curved daggers growing from the bone itself. Its fur glistened dark with corruption, and the air around it was tinged with a low growl of mana instability.

Ding!

[Corrupted Beast Detected]

[Target: Corrupted Tigon]

Zane examined the clearing.

The area was marked with deep scratches on trees and... piles of droppings. A territorial zone. The beast had claimed this place.

The Tigon roared, the sound thunderous and deep, echoing through the forest. Its golden eyes locked onto the intruders, fangs bared in warning.

Zane didn’t flinch.

He welcomed the challenge. His eyes scanned the overlay of information the System projected.

[Tigon’s Stats

Strength: 567

Agility: 590

Intelligence: 520

Health: 870/870

Mana: 770/770

Zane quickly compared them with his own:

Strength: 520

Agility: 535

Intelligence: 590

The Tigon outmatched him in two areas—but stats weren’t everything.

Zane’s weight, dense body, and fighting techniques gave him an edge others couldn’t see on paper.

He stepped forward confidently.

The beast roared again and charged.

Zane didn’t retreat. Instead, he sidestepped at the last second and struck its side with a precise, powerful flick of his fingers.

Bang!

The Tigon stumbled, tumbled across the forest floor, and crashed into a tree.

Zane calmly observed its health bar:

[Health: 830/870]

And rising.

The wound closed rapidly before his eyes.

"Only 40 damage?" Zane muttered, brows furrowed. "I expected at least 90. What does this mean?"

Ding!

[Damage output is affected by multiple factors including the target’s passive armor, health regeneration rate, and hide thickness.]

Understanding dawned. "So it’s not that I’m getting weaker—it’s just that this beast is heavily armored."

Zane had begun reading his opponent in just a few exchanges.

The Tigon let out a guttural snarl and charged again, this time with claws extended toward his neck.

It was fast—very fast.

But not fast enough.

Zane ducked under the swiping claws and delivered another flick—this time under the beast’s belly.

Smack!

The beast was launched backward, crashing through a large bush and slamming into a thick branch before falling to the ground.

[Health: 775/870]

Zane smiled. "That’s better. Let’s see... 40 from the flick again. 10 from hitting the tree. 5 from impact with the ground."

He calculated without breaking focus.

Watching nearby, Erlin prepared to intervene. She frowned as she observed Zane’s strange technique.

Why just flicking? Why not use proper spells or martial skills? It doesn’t look effective at all.

Before she could step in, Shelby raised a hand, his eyes fixed on Zane with unwavering confidence.

"Don’t interfere," he said firmly.

"But why? Look at him—he clearly doesn’t know how to fight. And what even is that flicking technique?" Erlin pressed, frustration bubbling.

"Little girl," Shelby replied without taking his eyes off the fight, "that’s not your place to question. Believe me, Zane knows what he’s doing. Just stay out of it."

Erlin bit her lip but backed off.

The battle raged on.

The corrupted Tigon tried every trick it had—claws slashing, jaws snapping, tail lashing—but none of its attacks landed. Zane, calm and observant, continued flicking at opportune moments. It wasn’t flashy, but it was measured. Effective.

Then, Zane decided it was time to end things.

He rushed in. The Tigon met him with a ferocious swing of its claws. Zane ducked under it and prepared another flick. But just then, the beast’s tail lashed forward like a whip.

He halted his attack mid-motion, twisting his waist with perfect timing to evade the tusked tail strike.

Tch, that tail’s becoming a problem, he thought, narrowing his eyes.

The Tigon shifted tactics, relying more on its bladed tail now, sensing Zane’s hesitation to engage. The tail strikes were fast, unpredictable, and made Zane’s precision-based technique harder to execute.

But he didn’t back down. He watched—calculated—looking for a crack in its movement.

After a full minute of relentless dodging, he realized something: there was no opening.

So... he decided to make one.

Zane stopped evading and surged forward instead.

As the tail came for him again, he caught it mid-whip, gripping it tightly with his left hand.

The Tigon’s eyes widened in instinctual panic. It thrashed, trying to yank its tail free.

Too late.

Zane grinned devilishly.

Still holding the tail, he positioned himself behind the beast and began flicking—again and again—right at the same spot on its muscular hindquarters.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The sound echoed like rhythmic slaps, sharp and clean. He flicked with terrifying precision and force, each hit landing on the exact spot as before.

The Tigon screamed in agony.

It tried to turn and bite him, but Zane spun with it, never letting go of its tail, always one step ahead. He looked like a centrifugal machine, perfectly in motion.

The flicks continued.

Pop! Pop! POP!

The roars from the corrupted beast turned from fury to desperation, then to pathetic whimpers.

Nearby beasts fled from the terrible sounds.

Finally, the massive Tigon gave a final shriek—then collapsed to the ground, its body limp and motionless.

Dead.

Zane exhaled and released the tail, stepping back.

Just then, Shelby’s figure blurred and reappeared behind him with a satisfied smirk. He patted Zane lightly on the back.

"Well done, my boy," Shelby praised. "You really improved this time."

Zane nodded, his chest heaving. "Thanks, senior."

Without missing a beat, Shelby crouched next to the Tigon’s corpse and began his usual post-battle ritual—dressing the beast, carefully carving meat, extracting organs, and storing them all into his shimmering silk pouch.

Erlin had been watching silently, but now her curiosity flared.

She pointed at the pouch. "Big Brother Shelby... what is that silky bag?"

Shelby didn’t answer. He was too focused, methodical in his butchery.

Zane chuckled. "It’s an interspatial pouch. You can store large items in it without carrying any weight."

Erlin’s eyes sparkled.

She leaned close, brushing her lips near Zane’s ear and whispered, "I want one. That pouch... help me get it, please?"

Zane’s ears turned red. "Stop it," he whispered back. "There are many like it on Earth. I’ll get you one when we’re back. Just don’t run your mouth and provoke him."

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om