Subdues An SSS-Class Ranking Beast

Talon felt his heart sink as he realized the truth - by attempting to defeat the sabertooth through sheer force, he had only made it stronger. Each time it recovered from the brink of destruction, it was able to augment itself further by reabsorbing all the energy it had expended.

"A hydra..." Talon muttered under his breath, remembering the ancient legends. To defeat such an insatiable, self-perpetuating entity would require subtlety, not raw might.

But the sabertooth was having none of it. Free of the crater at last, it immediately locked eyes with Talon and let out another chest-compressing roar of challenge.

Talon raised his hands in a placating gesture, desperately trying to stall and give himself time to think. "Great sabertooth, I did not mean to encroach upon your territory. This was all simply a misunderstanding."

The words had no effect on the single-minded beast. It bunched its haunches, clearly preparing for another earth-shaking charge.

Heart pounding, Talon tried a d