The Marine Spiny Lizard

Matthew Long walked to the edge of the rooftop, peering down below. Muttering to himself, he said, "Something feels off tonight."

Simon followed closely, observing the water beneath where they had just discarded the corpses. Dark shapes were moving, and as they surfaced, it became clear they were Water Rat Beasts. These creatures didn't climb the ropes but instead entered through the windows on the thirtieth floor.

"What seems off? Are you referring to these Water Rat Beasts?" Simon asked, watching the beasts swarm through the windows.

Matthew Long gazed intently at the water, his expression solemn. "I didn't expect so many Water Rats to emerge. There might be something bigger lurking behind them."

At that moment, a new creature broke through the water's surface. It was a large lizard, nearly two meters long from head to tail, with a grayish-black body. Unlike the Water Rat Beasts, it didn't enter through the windows but scaled the outer wall towards the rooftop with the agility of a gecko.

"What on earth is that?" Matthew Long exclaimed, clearly encountering this creature for the first time.

Simon activated his "Insight Sigil," and information about the climbing lizard flooded his mind.

"Name: Marine Spiny Lizard, a common species among Level 3 Spirit Beasts. It possesses venom glands in its mouth and has a certain probability of evolving into the elite Marine Spiny King. Killing a Marine Spiny Lizard does not grant special abilities."

"A Marine Spiny Lizard, a Level 3 Spirit Beast?" Simon's heart tightened as the creature scaled the wall swiftly, its head emerging over the rooftop edge.

Matthew Long didn't allow the creature to climb up undisturbed this time. He struck first, wielding his steel shovel with both hands, aiming at the emerging head of the Marine Spiny Lizard. Sensing danger, the lizard swiftly retracted its head, causing Matthew Long's blow to miss. Almost immediately, another lizard head emerged from a different spot, and a Marine Spiny Lizard clambered onto the rooftop.

Clearly, more than one Marine Spiny Lizard had appeared.

The newly emerged lizard was about four or five meters away from them. Simon noticed its head and, gripping his iron rod, rushed towards it, shouting, "These Marine Spiny Lizards are Level 3 Spirit Beasts. They're venomous, so avoid getting bitten. Lily Grace, stay clear of them!"

Lily Grace, being only a Level 1 Spirit Beast user, was particularly vulnerable. She was smaller and physically weaker than most Level 1 users, and her abilities were no match for these Level 3 beasts, or even the Level 2 Water Rat Beasts.

As Simon approached, the Marine Spiny Lizard had already reached the rooftop. It opened its mouth, emitting a low growl, and lunged at Simon. These lizards were distinguished by the row of fleshy whiskers beneath their jaws, resembling a goat's beard, which added to their bizarre appearance. Its gaping maw revealed sharp teeth, and it viciously aimed for Simon's leg, seemingly unconcerned about the iron rod in his hand.

"Beast!" Simon roared, swinging his iron rod with full force towards the gaping maw of the creature.

His arms, capable of exerting seven hundred pounds of force, combined with the weight of the iron rod, struck directly into the Marine Spiny Lizard's open mouth. Several sharp teeth broke and flew out, blood gushing from its jaws as it staggered backward with a muffled grunt.

Unlike the cunning Devourer Hounds, the Marine Spiny Lizard, despite its fearsome size, seemed rather dim-witted. Though it was a Level 3 Spirit Beast, its simplicity brought Simon a sense of relief. Such beasts, despite their size and strength, were not particularly difficult to handle as long as one avoided their bites.

Meanwhile, another Marine Spiny Lizard had clambered onto the rooftop. As Matthew Long rushed to intercept it, the one he had previously deterred also ascended. 

Now, three Marine Spiny Lizards stood on the rooftop.

Lily Grace, aware of her limitations, had sensibly retreated to the stairwell, knowing she was no match for these formidable creatures.

Matthew Long, wielding his steel shovel, engaged the second lizard. The third, however, charged directly at Simon, who was closest.

Realizing the danger, Simon's heart sank. Although these lizards were not very intelligent, their venomous bites posed a significant threat. Facing two of them simultaneously would be perilous.

Seizing the moment before the Marine Spiny Lizard could charge, Simon swung his iron rod repeatedly at the injured lizard. His strikes were swift and fierce, but the creature, now maddened by its injuries and the loss of several teeth, responded with wild fury. It charged at Simon with reckless abandon, showing no intention of evading his blows. Forced to retreat, Simon dodged its relentless onslaught, landing three or four solid hits.

"This beast is truly formidable," Simon muttered.

He quickly realized that the Marine Spiny Lizard's thick hide and tough flesh made it resistant to his attacks. Even a direct hit to its head, which left it bloodied, failed to fracture its iron-hard skull. Despite the superficial wounds, the creature remained very much a threat.

Meanwhile, Matthew Long, with a series of furious shouts, faced a similar predicament. His steel shovel struck the lizard before him multiple times, yet none of his blows inflicted a fatal wound. The lizard's incessant ramming forced him to retreat carefully, wary of its venomous bite. 

Recalling Simon's warning about the creature's toxicity, Matthew Long dared not take any risks, maintaining his distance and avoiding any close encounters with the perilous lizard.

Unable to swiftly vanquish the Marine Spiny Lizard before him, Simon found himself besieged, caught between two of these formidable creatures. The situation grew dire as he glimpsed yet another lizard's head emerging over the rooftop edge—a fourth Marine Spiny Lizard was about to join the fray.

"This is bad. If we don't resolve this quickly, we're in serious trouble. The longer this drags on, the more perilous it becomes for all of us."

No one could predict how many more of these lizards would appear. Additionally, the swarm of water rat beasts that had infiltrated the thirtieth floor might emerge via the stairwell at any moment, leaving them no time for prolonged combat with the lizards.

As the Marine Spiny Lizard before him roared and charged once more, its massive jaws gaping, and another lizard lunged from the right, Simon made a swift decision. He narrowly dodged the right-side lizard's attack, gripped his iron rod firmly with both hands, and thrust it into the gaping maw of the charging lizard ahead.