Chapter 41: The first night 3

Kael’s eyes remained fixed on the massive shadow between the trees. For a moment, he simply stared at it. Then recognition hit him. He knew that monster.

Kael’s expression changed slightly.

"Are you serious?"

The creature slowly stepped out from between the trees. It was a bear, but calling it a bear, however, almost felt misleading.

The monster stood nearly three meters tall when it raised its upper body, and its enormous frame was covered in thick, charcoal-black fur that seemed to absorb the moonlight. Its shoulders were broad enough to make the surrounding trees look thin by comparison, while several layers of dense muscle shifted beneath its hide whenever it moved.

Two curved horns protruded from the sides of its skull and swept backward along its head. Its crimson eyes reflected the faint light of the moon, but there was something unsettling about them.

They did not look like the eyes of a mindless beast. The creature looked as though it was carefully observing the campsite.

Several long scars ran across its muzzle and chest. Some were old enough to have faded into the dark fur, while others still looked relatively fresh. Its front paws were enormous, with three long black claws extending from each one. The claws were curved like short blades, and Kael had little doubt that they could tear through thick tree trunks with ease.

The monster took another step and the ground seemed to tremble beneath its weight. Kael immediately remembered what it was.

The Grimclaw Bear!

It was considered a mini boss in the game. It was one level below an actual boss, but that distinction did not make it harmless. During the early stages of the game, players were usually advised to avoid fighting it unless they had specifically prepared for the encounter.

Kael had fought monsters stronger than this before. But that was in the game. Even so, seeing the Grimclaw Bear standing directly in front of him was completely different from fighting one through a screen.

"Why are you here?"

The question left his mouth quietly.

The Grimclaw Bear was not supposed to wander this far. In the game, it usually remained close to its territory and rarely traveled into the outer areas of the forest without a specific reason.

Here it was.

Right in front of Team 37’s campsite.

Kael looked toward the southern part of the forest.

’What’s going on out there?’

Either way, he did not have enough information to figure it out. More importantly, he did not have enough time.

The Grimclaw Bear lowered its head. Its nostrils flared as it smelled the air. Kael glanced behind him.

Everyone was asleep.

They had spent most of the day traveling through the forest and fighting the Bloodfang Direwolves. All three of them needed the rest.

Kael looked back at the Grimclaw Bear. Then he looked at his sleeping teammates again. For a few seconds, he debated whether he should wake them.

If they fought together, they would obviously have more manpower.

Darius could engage the monster from the front. Elias could provide ranged support while Mira stayed behind them and handled healing.

That sounded reasonable.

But Kael quickly noticed the problem. Darius’ hands had only recently recovered from the injury caused by the Bloodfang Direwolf’s attack, and he had already spent most of his strength during that battle.

Mira could heal them, but doing so would force her to remain relatively close to the fight.

Elias could attack from a distance, but visibility at night was terrible, especially beneath the dense canopy.

And there was another problem.

Kael had already seen how powerful the Grimclaw Bear was supposed to be. Its movements were unpredictable, and its attacks covered a wide area.

If all four of them fought it together, their formation could easily become a weakness.

Kael frowned.

Some battles were simply better suited for one person. He had learned that during his gaming days.

When an opponent was overwhelmingly stronger physically but relied on large, predictable attacks, having several people around could sometimes make things worse. One person could focus entirely on reading the enemy and avoiding its attacks. A group, however, had to worry about protecting one another while maintaining formation.

This was one of those situations. At least, Kael believed it was.

He looked at the Grimclaw Bear again. The monster was staring directly at the campsite.

Kael slowly exhaled.

If he woke everyone now, the Grimclaw Bear would probably notice the movement. Then the fight would immediately become chaotic. If he fought alone, at least he could control the distance.

It was risky. Very risky in fact. But Kael was not exactly planning to stand in front of it and exchange punches.

He had a sword. He had his techniques. And most importantly, he had no intention of fighting fairly.

Kael made his decision. He did not take long to grab his sword. The moment he moved, Quinn noticed.

The white spider turned toward him.

"Qiu?"

Quinn immediately prepared to jump down from the branch.

Kael shook his head.

"Quinn, stay guard for the others," he said without glancing at Quinn’s direction.

Quinn froze.

Its front legs remained raised for several seconds. Then the white spider slowly lifted both front legs straight upward. The gesture looked remarkably similar to a salute.

Quinn remained completely still. It almost looked like it was saying, "Aye, sir."

Kael continued charging toward the Grimclaw Bear.

His breathing slowed. His grip tightened around the sword. The Grimclaw Bear released a low growl.

Rawr!

The sound rolled through the forest. It did not sound like an ordinary animal. It sounded deep enough to vibrate through the trees.

Kael increased his speed. The moment his foot pushed against the ground, his body shot forward. His movement was considerably faster than it had been during the battle against the Bloodfang Direwolves.

Cyan-colored energy flowed around his body. Thin traces of cyan light streamed behind him as he accelerated through the darkness. But Kael didn’t notice it.

The Grimclaw Bear’s head snapped toward him. Kael closed the distance almost instantly. His sword came from the side. He did not aim for the head. It was difficult given how tall it was. And that would be too risky to target. Instead, he targeted the monster’s ribs.

The blade struck.

CLANG!

The impact sent a sharp vibration through Kael’s arms. His sword cut through the thick fur and touched the flesh underneath.

A thin line of blood appeared across the monster’s side.

Rawr!

The monster cried for a bit.

Kael landed several meters away. He looked at the wound. It was shallow. Wasn’t enough to hurt it but enough to anger it deeper.

He had not expected to kill a mini boss in one strike. His main purpose for doing that was to taunt it.

And it seemed he succeeded, looking that the monster’s attention was now fully focused on him.

Still, the result confirmed one thing. Its defenses were even tougher than he remembered. The Grimclaw Bear was now staring at him. Its crimson eyes locked onto Kael.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then the monster roared. The sound exploded through the forest.

Several birds suddenly flew from the surrounding trees. Kael’s clothes fluttered from the force of the roar.

He stared at the monster.

"Okay. You definitely noticed me."

The Grimclaw Bear charged.

Kael moved immediately. He ran toward the deeper part of the forest. He needed to lure it away from the camp. Away from his teammates.

Several times, the monster managed to outrun him, but Kael narrowly dodged every attempt to kill him. His calmness and judgment allowed him to read its movements and react at the right moment. In a fight where he was clearly outmatched in speed, his timing had become his sharpest weapon or most durable armor.

Arriving at a clearing, far enough from the camp, Kael finally stopped running. The monster immediately attacked him. But Kael managed to dodge at the right moment.

The monster grew increasingly annoyed that a fly like him was able to dodge its attacks. Once again, its enormous paw swept through the space where his head had been.

Kael ducked beneath it, allowing the claws to pass only a few inches above his hair.

Returning Tide Sword.

First Form: Flowing Step. It focuses on footwork, balance, and positioning. Its principle was simple: Do not stop the wave. Move with it.

After the attack missed, Kael initiated the Second Form of his Returning Tide Sword.

Second Form: Turning Current. A very useful technique against powerful opponents. The principle of the second form was more direct: Turn the force instead of resisting it.

And the third form was where you used defense as offense.

Third Form: Returning Tide. It uses the momentum redirected by the second form. Its principle was: What moves away must eventually return.

The blade struck the creature’s foreleg. Another shallow wound appeared.

Kael immediately retreated.

The Grimclaw Bear slammed its paw into the ground.

BOOM!

The impact shook the earth beneath Kael’s feet. He almost lost his balance. Kael quickly recovered and moved backward.

That thing was strong.

He had known that already, but experiencing the force of its attacks firsthand made the information much more convincing.

One clean hit could seriously injure him. Two could end the fight. Kael glanced toward the campsite’s direction.

Everyone was still probably asleep. ’That’s good’. He did not regret his decision. There was another reason he preferred fighting it alone. He did not have to worry about someone else getting caught by an attack meant for him.

If he made a mistake, that was his problem. Kael returned his attention to the Grimclaw Bear.

"Come on."

Hearing his provocation, the monster charged again.

Kael waited.

Three steps.

Two.

One.

He moved at the last possible moment, letting the bear’s claws sweep past him. As its momentum carried it forward, Kael stepped onto its foreleg and shoved off with his weight, throwing the beast off balance. The bear stumbled sideways, struggling to regain its footing.

Fourth Form: Receding Wave. A defensive retreating technique. It deliberately gives ground while redirecting the enemy’s consecutive attacks, allowing an aggressive opponent to gradually lose balance and positioning. The principle of the fourth form was: The tide retreats only to gather strength.

Seeing the monster stumbled, his sword came down toward the side of its neck.

Fifth Form: Rising Current. A counter attack designed to exploit an opponent’s moment of imbalance. Its principle was: The current rises where the enemy least expects it.

The blade struck.

This time, the cut was deeper. Blood spilled across the dark fur.