5. Confrontation

In the vast, open plain where Nolan had once stood, an uninvited guest appeared.

A black lion with a mane the color of crimson flames emerged from the depths of the forest. Standing a towering three meters tall and four meters long, it moved with confident, deliberate steps, each one pressing deep into the earth. Its powerful leg muscles rippled beneath its dark fur, exuding a strength that left no doubt—this creature was no herbivore.

Nolan, meanwhile, was shamelessly hiding in the branches of a tall tree, doing his best to remain invisible.

Only moments ago, the system's warning had nearly given him a heart attack. He didn’t know whether creatures like this had ever existed on Earth before his transport, but he was certain of one thing—someone who had only seen kittens and puppies couldn’t be expected to stay calm in front of such a monstrous beast.

"If I were still on Earth," he thought, "I'd be running back to my mom and locking myself in my room right now."

He watched as the lion sniffed around the area where he had been standing just minutes before. It was only a matter of time before the beast would pick up his trail.

A flash of light caught Nolan's eye, and a translucent panel appeared above the lion’s head.

‘Charcoal Lion: Lv. 10’

"Of course it has a name like that," Nolan thought, eyes widening. Even though it looked terrifying, the strange name was almost laughable. Still, this was another perk of the system: a passive ability to identify creatures within his field of vision.

Although it didn’t provide much information—just a name and a level—it was enough to nearly send him into panic mode.

"System, you piece of shit! A level 10 beast? How in the world am I supposed to fight that with my pathetic level 0? The system says I have a 5% chance of victory? That’s being generous—it’s probably closer to zero!"

Suppressing his thoughts, Nolan tightened his grip on his spear and closed his eyes, controlling his breathing. He remained motionless, ready to strike when the lion was directly beneath his hiding spot.

'This is my one chance. A frontal confrontation between a level 0 and a level 10? Might as well try winning a Nobel Prize with such chance,' he thought bitterly.

He knew that a surprise attack was his best shot at survival. Ambushing the lion with all his strength and speed would give him an edge—however small it is. If his attack failed, there would be no choice but to flee and hope the beast wasn’t faster than him.

Keeping his gaze locked on the massive Charcoal Lion, Nolan opened the system interface in his mind, flipping through the item list.

"This is why I saved my IP. No better time than now to use it."

His eyes stopped on one particular item.

Intoxicating Flower:
Able to release pollen that induces a daze in the target. It can cause hallucinations or, in small quantities, knock out creatures as large as ten elephants. Cost: 1000 IP.

'Dang, its quite expensive.'

With the spear gripped tightly in his right hand, Nolan carefully took out the flower with his left. Its petals, delicate and ancient-looking, shimmered faintly, betraying the hidden power within. Though there were stronger items available in the system, he wanted to conserve his resources. Besides, the flower seemed perfectly suited for the situation.

Lifting his arm to cover his nose, Nolan held his breath and waved the flower gently in the lion's direction.

A cloud of pollen, invisible to the naked eye, drifted from the flower, moving steadily towards the lion as if guided by an unseen force.

The pollen didn't need wind to carry it. Once directed, it simply floated towards its target like a bullet from a gun.

The lion, its instincts sharp, seemed to sense something was wrong. Its scarlet eyes flickered with caution, and its muscles tensed as if preparing for an attack. Flames licked the edges of its maw as it growled, the air around it growing hotter. But it was already too late.

The lion’s eyelids began to droop, and its once graceful movements became sluggish. It twisted its massive body, trying to fight the drowsiness, but the more it blinked, the heavier its eyes became.

Watching this, Nolan felt a rush of relief. His plan was working. He had been terrified that the lion's monstrous physiology might render the flower's effects useless, but it seemed even beasts from this strange world weren’t immune.

The lion let out a final, low growl—a sound that, in Nolan’s ears, was like music. The once fearsome creature staggered, its legs wobbling beneath it as the intoxicating pollen took full effect.

Nolan shook the flower harder, ensuring that every last bit of pollen was released.

When he finally stopped, the Charcoal Lion collapsed onto the ground, its body twitching slightly before going still. The once terrifying predator was now caught in a dream, leaving Nolan to breathe a heavy sigh of relief.

"Never thought I'd feel sorry for a lion," he muttered, gazing down at the creature. "But I’ll take what I can get."