Nil finally stoped at some point when he could no longer see the footprints again.
"And here it stopped." Nil said while turning his back in a certain direction.
And as so it was anticipating it, a figure jumped right at him from the ceiling of the cave.
*Bang*
The figure landed heavily on the floor with a loud thud as Nil have already move out of the way before it reach him.
"Ha, just as expected, it is a sand cat." Nil said looking at the cat that is unlike any cat on earth.
The cat in front of him has a fur that looks greyish brown, It's height easily reaching 3 feet and it's slender limbs end with terrifying blade-like nail that seems to be forged from steel itself. The only comparison it has to earth cat is it's shape that is similar to earth cat.
Before he reach the place where the footprints end, he have notice a a caved in section in the ceiling which one could use as the perfect ambush point.
And when he reach the place where the footsteps end, he could see that strain was putted at those footprint like the Sand Cat was squatting in order to perform a jumping motion.
With those clues he could connect that the Sand Cat knew it was being tailed and had jumped inside the caved in area in the ceiling to set an ambush for it's tailer, and he only turn his back toward it's direction in order to lure it out.
*Growl*
The cat growled at Nil, trying to circle round him or find a blind spot where it can attack Nil from.
"Come on, you know cats on earth meow not growl. Why don't you meow and I might think of walking away and leave you alone" Nil said while taking a certain stance.
Placing his feet in some kind of position, he bend his knee then position his hands while steadying his breathing.
It seems like he is taking a martial art stance.
It limps faintly on the left side, however no injury on its left leg or body, not even a scratch, coupled with it wobbling slightly, it has some internal injuries. Nil deduced.
All these seconds the cat has been circling him he haven't been doing nothing either. He have been using that opportunity to check out the weakness of the cat.
Checking where he can strike from and which spots on the cat is vulnerable.
The cat finally took the offensive when it notice the bipedal creature in front of it is not making any move.
*Gnarl*
With a loud gnarl it dashed at Nil, surprisingly fast for a creature that is heavily wounded internally.
Nil dodge the paw the cat tried to attack him with while hitting it on it's front right knee trying to break it's leg.
but its leg did not quite break, however he still achieve one of his intended effect.
*Growl*
*Gnash*
The cat and Nil exchanged some more couple of attacks in quick succession within a minute.
The cat couldn't land a hit on Nil and Nil too can't land a meaningful hit on the cat after it stopped underestimating him.
Nil quickly take some handful of breath before quickly ducking down to avoid the cat that just jump at him.
Before the cat could fully jump across him though, Nil immediately attack the left side of the cat with his fist in rapid succession.
*Crash*
The cat crashed on the floor, and recoiled in the pain, but it quickly stood up.
"This is getting interesting." Nil smiles, huffing faintly trying to draw some more oxygen.
"Come on, you afraid?"
It now has a desperate look on its face, it'll either run now or do something very desperate in order to them the tide of the fight. Nil noted after studying its facial expression.
*Grooowlll*
The beast made a motion like it is roaring while sprinting at Nil.
Leaping at Nil, it raised it's claw however something was off about the point where it leapt from.
Nil have noticed that it normally leap at him from 1.5 metre before it reaches him, but now it is leaping from over 2 metre which suggests something going on.
And Nil got the answer to the reason why it leapt as that distance sooner than expected.
With a sudden boost midair, the cat velocity increased exponentially almost seemed like a blur to Nil.
At the last second Nil dodged to the side avoiding the trajectory of the cat claw.
He dodge in such a way that even if the cat is able to bend it's body to some extent it's claw still wouldn't hit him.
However what Nil did not anticipate in that instant is that the cat will actually activate a skill that makes it's nail and fangs elongate while still mid flight which it quickly use to slash at Nil skull.
"No, ain't gonna let a cat ruin my face." Nil brain quickly thought at a speed surpassing the speed of thought.
Circulating the mana that has been passively flowing within him all these while, he pumped them out of his core in rapid succession, led them through his vein and started circulating it in a specific pattern.
*Whoosh*
The claw flew just a millimeter short of Nil face as he suddenly gain a speed boost.
[Ding!]
[You have learn a skill, 'Charge']
[Skill grade: Celestial grade.]
A system voice announced, how ever it did not shout like usual, but rather sounded as low as possible so that it won't disturb Nil fight with the cat
*Thud*
The cat landed with a loud thud on the floor but before it could turn back, Nil have already sprint at it with the skill still active.
*Crunch*
Nil punched at the skull of the cat, breaking it's head with a punch that could not even harm it's leg before.
[Ding!]
[You have killed a beast at the first level of liquid gathering realm.]
"That's for trying to ruin my face."
"Tsk, why are you trying to claw at my faces." He said irritatingly.