Duoluo Dalu: Hail Hydra

Xiaotian stood still, staring at the Ironjaw Croc with the kind of calmness that made people uncomfortable. He didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't even breathe too obviously. He just… stared.

The croc, mid-growl, paused.

Xiaotian tilted his head slightly. "You don't get it, do you?"

The croc hesitated, then gave a tiny shake of its massive head.

A smirk formed on Xiaotian's lips. "You can understand me, right?"

The croc gulped and gave the faintest of nods.

"Good."

Xiaotian calmly controlled one of his hydra's heads and brought it right in front of the croc's mouth. The croc flinched back slightly, confused. Was this some kind of trick? A test? A new scam it wasn't aware of?

"Now… bite."

The croc blinked.

For the first time in its life, someone was willingly offering their flesh to be bitten. This wasn't how things worked. This was the opposite of how things worked. Its brain temporarily shut down, running on the spiritual equivalent of Windows XP trying to load a 4K video.

If the croc could talk, it would probably say, Bro, you a masochist?

Xiaotian's smile slowly widened, the kind of smile that could fit perfectly on a villain who just revealed his master plan. His eyes gleamed with an unsettling light.

"Trust me… you don't wanna test my patience."

The croc shivered. Its predator instincts were in full rebellion. This was prey! Human prey! And yet, its survival instincts whispered something else: This is not prey. This is a horror movie protagonist who just decided you are next.

With all the willpower it could muster, the croc activated Titan Jaw and chomped down on the hydra's neck. Flesh tore apart with a sickening rip.

Silence.

Then the air around Xiaotian shifted.

He felt something… change. The energy inside him didn't just shift. He focused, channeling his energy flow, willing it to do something ridiculous.

Success.

Where two heads had been, one now there were three in total.

The croc, still holding a chunk of hydra meat in its jaws, stopped chewing. Its small reptilian brain struggled to process what just happened. It wasn't every day you bit off someone's head, and instead of dying, they got two more heads in return.

Xiaotian flexed his fingers, feeling the newfound energy surge through him. He let out a slow exhale.

This is insane.

Then his brain did the calculations.

One head lost = two heads gained.

More heads = more power.

More power = ???

??? = PROFIT.

His eyes widened as realization struck. Wait a minute…

He inhaled sharply. His lips parted, his gaze lifting toward the heavens as if he had just unlocked the secrets of the universe.

"Wait… are you telling me…"

His breathing hitched. The background music in his mind swelled to a dramatic crescendo.

"Each head… is a SEPARATE martial spirit?!"

There was silence.

Then, somewhere deep in Xiaotian's soul, a small, childish version of himself started laughing like a maniac.

Bahahahaha!

This wasn't just good. This was game-breaking. This was the equivalent of finding an infinite money glitch in a single-player game. This was what speedrunners dreamed of.

"I'M A WALKING MULTI-SPIRIT CHEAT CODE!"

The croc stared at him, deeply regretting all of its life choices.

Xiaotian, still high on this discovery, turned to the croc, eyes filled with renewed excitement. "Alright, buddy, you know where I can find a stronger version of you?"

The croc hesitated. Should it really betray its fellow spirit beasts like this? Wouldn't that make it a sellout?

Xiaotian rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look. You guys literally eat each other the moment one of you gets way too hungry. Let's not act like you suddenly developed morals."

The croc hung its head in shame. That was fair.

"I'll even let you have a piece of it."

That sealed the deal.

A short while later, the two stood before an older, meaner-looking Ironjaw Croc, one roughly 670 years old. If the previous croc was a tough street thug, this one was a seasoned crime boss who had seen things.

The battle was short and brutal.

Xiaotian and his croc 'friend' tag-teamed the poor beast. Xiaotian didn't even need to use Void Step; his hydra's regeneration gave him an absurd advantage.

Eventually, the older croc collapsed, its massive body twitching as its yellow spirit ring hovered above it.

Xiaotian stared at the floating ring, feeling an unusual pull.

Then it clicked.

It wasn't just him being drawn to it, it was his other hydra heads.

Nice to know my cheat is just perfect!~

Excitement bubbled inside him. He grabbed the last swig of Molten Whale Rubber, chugged it like a frat boy at a party, and sat down to absorb the spirit ring.

The moment the ring entered his body, knowledge flooded his mind:

Titan Jaw – A powerful biting skill that temporarily enhances jaw strength, allowing the user to crush defenses and bite through even the toughest materials with immense force.

After that he made some mental notes:

1. The Wyrm Hydra spirit gave him insane healing abilities and shared senses.

2. Tearing off a head resulted in two growing back(Summoning and using them require energy... Farmable energy).

3. Each head acted as a separate martial spirit.

Wait. This is stupidly broken.

He could feel his power rising, almost reaching level 19, Spirit Master.

So… I could literally farm my way to the top?

His brain immediately rejected the idea. That was the dumbest way to get stronger.

…But also the smartest way.

He cackled internally.

No. No, I can't be too obvious. I need to stay lowkey. Stay hidden. Be subtle. Like Batman.

Xiaogang and the bodyguard returned to where they had last seen Xiaotian.

The bodyguard squinted. "Where'd he run off to now?"

They circled the area a few times before finally spotting him.

Sitting on a rock. Roasting crocodile meat over a fire.

With a crocodile.

The croc sat beside him, looking incredibly tense, like it was trying very hard to blend into the scenery. Its eyes darted between Xiaotian and the approaching duo as if debating whether to run for its life.

Xiaogang and the bodyguard slowly turned their heads toward Xiaotian, then back to the croc, then back to Xiaotian.

Finally, Xiaogang broke the silence. "Explain."

Xiaotian took a slow, deliberate bite of the meat. "Long story. Why don't you guys sit down and grab a bite while I explain?"

A short explanation, a very awkward walk, some discussions and spirit demonstrations later, the group was making their way back toward town. The croc followed closely behind Xiaotian, waddling slightly with each step.

The bodyguard side-eyed the beast. "Are you sure you want to bring this thing with us? It'll attract unwanted attention, from both the inside clan and outside."

Xiaotian glanced at the croc. "Well, it wanted to follow me, and I thought, what kind of young master would I be if I didn't have a spirit beast pet?"

The croc growled in disagreement.

Xiaotian raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't like being my pet?"

The croc rolled its eyes and shook its head.

The bodyguard smirked. "It's a she."

The croc nodded.

Xiaotian blinked. Then, with a completely straight face, he muttered, "How very young master-like."

The bodyguard nearly choked.

Xiaogang sighed. "You're getting worse."

Just before they reached town, a group of rough looking men blocked their path. Standard bandit energy. Dirty clothes, sketchy grins, and an overwhelming confidence that only came from underestimating the wrong people.

The first spirit ring hunt is never completed without this scene! Xiaotian was excited.

The leader, a burly man with a jagged scar running down his cheek, stepped forward with a sneer. "Well, well, well. Looks like we got ourselves some rich folks."

Xiaotian sighed and crossed his arms. "Let me guess. This is a robbery, and you want all our valuables?"

The leader grinned. "Smart kid. That's exactly right. Hand over the crocodile and wait, how did you even tame that thing?!"

Xiaotian casually cut him off. "But you're new at this, aren't you? And you have a powerful backer."

The leader's smile faltered. "How did you-"

Xiaotian smirked. "Simple." He held up a finger. "One, we arrived in a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan carriage. Any experienced bandit would've done the basic info gathering to confirm the identities and backed off immediately."

The robbers exchanged uneasy glances.

Xiaotian held up a second finger. "Two, despite our bodyguard looking like he could solo your entire gang and the fact that our 'cheapest' clothes, which we are wearing right now, still look better than what most noble families wear, you still chose to attack. That level of stupidity only comes from people who think they're untouchable."

The leader's face twisted with rage. "Brat, I've changed my mind. I'm going to kill you-"

Xiaotian casually turned to the bodyguard. "Do you have something to add?"

The bodyguard adjusted his glasses with his right hand middle finger, a dark smile creeping onto his face. His beast spirit form began to manifest: claws extending, muscles bulging, eyes glowing with barely restrained power.

One of the bandits took an involuntary step back. "Uh… boss?"

The leader swallowed hard, but before he could back down, the bodyguard lunged.

Later that day, the talk of the town was how seven bodies were found near the forest.

Xiaotian, meanwhile, sat comfortably inside his carriage, enjoying the rest of his crocodile barbecue, humming a cheerful tune as the croc chewed on a leftover bone beside him.

Xiaogang pinched the bridge of his nose. "This trip was supposed to be normal."

The bodyguard nodded, mouth full of meat. "At least the food's good!"

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If you like the work, support this new author with spirit stones... Oops! Power stones... And please give me your suggestions and feedback. Especially about the hero's dialogue choices...

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