Chapter 232 — An Unyielding Opponent

The battlefield had fallen into an uneasy silence.

Evan stood upright amid the ruins of the rocky terrain, his left hand hanging slightly lower than his right. Green and golden light still circulated beneath his damaged armour, repairing the injuries inflicted by the one-eyed Terra Bear, but the pain had not entirely faded.

Across the shattered ground, the beast stood with its head lowered.

Blood streamed from its remaining eye, partially obscuring its vision. The wound Evan had inflicted was severe enough to make every movement uncomfortable, yet the creature showed no intention of retreating.

Its forelimbs remained wrapped in thick Earth Elemental armour, and every breath released from its nostrils carried the force of a furious snarl.

It was blind, or close enough to it.

And it had nearly crushed Evan anyway.

'So that's your trick.'

Evan lowered his gaze toward the ground.

The revelation had changed the battle completely. Until now, he had treated the bear's extraordinary reactions as a combination of instinct and experience. That assumption had nearly cost him his life.

The beast wasn't predicting his movements.

It was sensing them.

Every footstep sent vibrations through the earth. Every landing disturbed the rocky surface. Even the lightning that propelled Evan forward couldn't erase the physical consequences of his movement.

As long as his feet touched the ground, the bear had a way to find him.

'An excellent ability, but not an absolute one.'

Evan slowly bent down and picked up a small stone.

He weighed it in his palm before looking toward the bear's left side.

Then he threw it.

The stone struck the ground several meters away.

TIK!

The one-eyed Terra Bear reacted instantly.

Its head snapped toward the sound, and its enormous claw descended with terrifying speed.

BOOOOM!

The rocky surface exploded beneath its paw.

Stone fragments shot into the air as the claw tore a shallow crater into the ground. The bear held its position for a moment, searching for the intruder that had dared to approach from that direction.

Evan remained completely still.

His eyes narrowed.

'It detected the impact, but it attacked the point where the vibration was strongest.'

He picked up three more stones and threw them in different directions, varying their distance and the force behind each throw.

One struck a nearby pillar.

Another bounced across the ground.

The third disappeared into a shallow depression between two rocks.

The bear's head shifted toward each impact, but it didn't attack. Instead, it lowered its body and pressed its forepaws firmly against the earth.

Evan watched closely.

The beast wasn't responding to every disturbance blindly. It was distinguishing between scattered impacts and the movements of a living target. The moment it detected something approaching with enough force to suggest an attack, its instincts took over.

'You can distinguish the difference. That's why those random stones didn't fool you.'

A faint smile appeared on Evan's face.

'But you still need to interpret what you sense. And interpretation takes time.'

The bear suddenly raised its head.

Earth Elemental energy surged around its forelimbs.

Several massive boulders began forming above its shoulders, each one compressed into a dense projectile. Evan's expression sharpened as the beast released a furious roar.

The boulders launched.

They scattered across the battlefield.

BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM!

One smashed into a distant pillar. Another struck the ground to Evan's right, while a third crashed into a ridge several meters behind him. The remaining projectiles tore through the rocky terrain, destroying everything in their paths.

One landed close enough to send fragments of stone across Evan's boots.

He didn't flinch.

The bear was gambling.

Unable to pinpoint his exact position, it had saturated the surrounding area with destructive attacks, hoping to catch him within its range. The strategy was crude, but with the sheer force behind its boulders, even a near miss could become dangerous.

Unfortunately for the beast, the battlefield was far too large.

And Evan was no longer interested in playing by its rules.

"Your senses are impressive," he murmured, watching the bear turn toward the next disturbance. "But you've become too dependent on them."

His expression hardened.

"Let's see how you handle a little confusion."

[Dark Veil]

Darkness spread across the bear's remaining eye.

The beast roared and shook its head, attempting to clear the unnatural obstruction from its vision. Its forelimbs scraped across the ground as it searched for Evan, but the necrotic veil offered it no target to strike.

Evan didn't move toward it.

Instead, he raised both hands.

Earth Elemental energy gathered above his shoulders, drawing loose stone fragments from the ground. Two spikes formed in the air.

The first was crude and thick, its shape uneven and its tip barely sharpened.

The second was narrow, carefully compressed, and pointed enough to pierce a vulnerable gap in the bear's armour.

Evan studied the pair for a moment.

Then he fired the crude spike.

SHWOOOM!

It shot toward the ground several meters in front of the bear.

CRACK!

The moment the spike struck, the beast reacted. Its forelimb crashed downward, pulverising the projectile and tearing apart the earth beneath it.

Evan watched the response without changing expression.

The bear had reacted to the disturbance, just as he had expected.

But the attack had never been intended to hit it.

Evan waited.

The beast remained focused on the first impact, its body lowered and its forelimbs pressing against the fractured ground. Earth Elemental energy rippled beneath its paws as it attempted to determine whether another threat was approaching.

That was when Evan launched the second spike.

SHWIIING!

The narrow projectile crossed the distance in an instant.

The bear sensed the movement and began turning, but its response came a fraction too late. The spike struck the damaged region around its remaining eye, driving through the weakened armour and piercing deep into the flesh beneath.

THUD!

The beast's head jerked violently.

Then its roar tore through the Southern Region.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOARRR!

The sound shook the surrounding stone formations. The bear staggered backwards, its enormous forelimbs clawing at the ground as it attempted to locate the attacker responsible for its agony.

Evan had already retreated.

He watched the beast thrash about, its wounded head swinging from side to side as its claws destroyed everything within reach.

For the first time, the one-eyed Terra Bear had lost more than its vision.

It had lost its certainty.

Evan raised his hand again.

Ice Elemental energy gathered around him.

The temperature across the battlefield dropped sharply. Moisture condensed in the air, and pale mist curled around his arms as dozens of ice spikes formed overhead.

He flicked his wrist.

The spikes shot forward.

SHWOOOM! SHWOOOM! SHWOOOM!

They struck the bear's armour from multiple directions, shattering against the hardened earth. But that was not their true purpose. Each impact released a burst of freezing mist, spreading across the beast's shoulders, back, and limbs.

The bear roared and tried to move.

Its forepaw lifted.

Then struck the ground again with a heavy, sluggish impact.

Ice spread across its armour.

The first layer was thin, barely more than a coating, but Evan continued attacking. More spikes burst against the beast, each one releasing another wave of freezing mist. The temperature plunged further as ice accumulated over the rough plates of earth.

The bear's movements grew slower.

Its massive claws dragged across the ground, carving shallow furrows as it struggled against the growing weight and cold. Earth Elemental energy surged around its body, attempting to reinforce its armour and break the frozen layers apart.

Evan refused to give it time.

He formed another volley.

SHWOOOM! BOOM! CRACK!

Ice burst across the bear's chest and forelimbs. Frozen layers connected, thickened, and spread until its body was almost entirely enclosed within a mass of ice.

The beast roared again.

The sound emerged muffled and distorted from within the frozen shell.

Evan clenched his fist.

The remaining moisture in the air rushed toward the bear, freezing into thick sheets that wrapped around its body. Ice accumulated over its shoulders, sealed its legs, and encased its massive torso until the creature resembled a monstrous statue trapped within a glacier.

He continued feeding mana into the spell.

The frozen mass expanded.

Layers piled over one another, forming a jagged mound that rose several meters above the ground. Only when the entire beast had disappeared beneath the ice did Evan finally lower his hand.

Silence returned.

For several seconds, he simply watched the frozen mountain.

His breathing was heavier now.

The repeated ice attacks had consumed a considerable amount of mana, and his body was still recovering from the damage inflicted earlier. He could feel the strain in his limbs, but he ignored it.

The battle was approaching its conclusion.

He wasn't going to waste the opening.

Evan began walking toward the frozen mound, his boots crunching across the thin layer of ice spreading over the ground.

He had taken barely a dozen steps when the mountain trembled.

KRRRRR...

Evan stopped.

A deep vibration travelled through the frozen mass.

Then another followed, stronger than the first.

KRRRRAAAACK!

Cracks appeared across the ice.

They spread rapidly from within, branching through the frozen shell as the enormous creature trapped inside began forcing its way out. Earth Elemental energy pulsed beneath the ice, and the ground around the mound shook with each surge.

Evan's eyes narrowed.

'You're still moving?'

The ice cracked again.

A massive slab broke away from the side of the mountain and crashed onto the ground. Another followed, shattering into fragments as the beast's armoured forelimbs pushed against the frozen prison.

The bear was breaking free.

Even after losing its sight, suffering a direct wound to its remaining eye, and being buried beneath an enormous mass of ice, it still possessed enough strength to resist.

Evan felt a faint surge of respect.

'Your endurance is ridiculous.'

He reached toward his inventory.

Crimson Edge appeared in his hand.

The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, mana began pouring into the blade. It flowed through the weapon in heavy waves, gathering along the edge until crimson flames erupted across the steel.

The flames twisted upward like a living creature, their light illuminating the fractured ice and the ruined terrain around him.

Evan adjusted his grip.

He tried to draw lightning into the flames.

A sharp crackle spread across the blade, but the two energies refused to merge into a stable attack. The lightning scattered along the weapon's edge, disrupting the flow of mana and threatening to destabilise the concentrated flames.

Evan abandoned the attempt.

'Not worth forcing it. I'll use what I can control.'

He drew the remaining energy into Crimson Edge.

The flames grew denser.

They no longer flickered like an ordinary fire. They coiled around the blade in layers, compressing into a narrow, brilliant edge that radiated enough heat to melt the ice beneath Evan's feet.

The frozen mountain convulsed.

KRAAAAAAACK!

A massive section of ice exploded outward.

The one-eyed Terra Bear emerged from the collapsing prison, its armoured body covered in frost and its enormous claws tearing through the remaining frozen layers. Its chest heaved as it dragged itself free, and its head turned violently toward the battlefield.

The creature was furious.

It had been blinded, wounded, deceived, and imprisoned.

Now it was determined to crush the enemy responsible.

Earth Elemental energy surged across its body.

The remaining ice shattered.

The bear lunged.

Evan moved at the same instant.

Lightning flashed around his legs as he closed the distance, Crimson Edge raised above his shoulder. The bear's forelimbs came up to intercept him, but its movements were slower than before. The accumulated damage, the freezing attack, and the effort required to escape had finally begun to take their toll.

For the first time, Evan could see the exhaustion beneath its rage.

He didn't hesitate.

Crimson Edge descended.

SHRAAAAAAAAAK!

The blade struck the bear's chest.

For an instant, the two forces met in a violent stalemate.

The hardened earth armour resisted the flames, its outer layers glowing red as the heat spread across the surface. Cracks appeared, but the armour held, forcing Evan to pour more mana into the blade.

His arms trembled under the resistance.

The bear roared and drove its forelimb toward him.

Evan twisted aside, but the armoured claw still struck his shoulder. His defensive shell fractured, and the impact forced him several steps backwards.

Pain flashed through his body.

He nearly lost his grip on Crimson Edge.

Evan planted his feet and tightened both hands around the hilt.

'You don't get another chance.'

He drew the flames inward.

Instead of allowing them to spread across the bear's armour, he concentrated them along the blade's edge, compressing the raging energy into a narrow line of destructive heat.

The flames changed.

Their colour deepened from crimson to a searing red-white at the centre, while sparks scattered from the steel like fragments of burning metal.

The bear charged again.

Evan stepped into its attack.

BOOOOOOM!

The beast's claw slammed into his reinforced forearm, cracking the bone and earth layers beneath his armour. Evan's body lurched under the impact, but he used the contact to anchor himself rather than retreat.

He drove Crimson Edge forward.

KRAAAAAAAAAAASH!

The concentrated flames tore through the fractured chest armour.

The hardened earth split apart.

A jagged line ripped across the bear's torso, widening as the blade drove through its defensive shell. Fire erupted from the wound, spreading beneath the broken armour and engulfing the beast's chest in a violent surge of crimson flame.

The bear staggered.

Its enormous body shook as the attack tore through the protection it had relied upon throughout the battle. Pieces of burning earth armour fell away, striking the ground with heavy impacts before crumbling into glowing fragments.

Evan wrenched Crimson Edge free and retreated.

The bear remained standing.

Its chest had been ripped open by the attack, leaving a massive wound beneath the ruined armour. Its fur was charred, and smoke rose from its body as the flames continued consuming what remained of its protection.

Yet its forelimbs still pressed against the ground.

Its body trembled.

And it refused to fall.

Evan stood several meters away, breathing hard as he watched the beast struggle to remain upright.

For a moment, he couldn't help feeling impressed.

That same concentrated attack had burned through the body of the tree monster he had fought earlier. Against an ordinary opponent, it would have been more than enough to end the battle.

But the one-eyed Terra Bear had endured it.

Not because its armour remained intact or it had found a way to counter the flames.

It was simply refusing to surrender.

Evan lowered Crimson Edge slightly.

"You really are a formidable opponent."

The bear's head lifted.

Its remaining eye was ruined, its chest was torn open, and the energy sustaining its Earth Elemental armour had nearly faded. Yet it still turned toward Evan, guided by the vibrations beneath its paws.

It released a low, broken growl.

Evan's expression softened by the smallest degree.

"You forced me to rethink every part of this fight. Your strength, your instincts, and that ridiculous ability to sense the ground..."

He exhaled.

"I'll remember you."

The bear's forelimbs trembled.

One paw slid backwards.

Then the other.

Evan watched without moving.

The one-eyed Terra Bear attempted to take another step.

Its body failed to respond.

The enormous creature finally lost its balance and crashed onto the rocky ground.

BOOOOOOM!

Dust rose around its fallen body.

For several seconds, Evan waited.

There was no movement or growl.

No tremor from its paws.

The one-eyed Terra Bear had died before its body struck the ground. It had simply remained standing through the last fragments of its strength, driven by an instinct that refused to accept defeat.

Evan approached the corpse slowly.

He stopped beside its head and looked down at the ruined creature.

The battle had taken more from him than he had expected. His mana reserves had fallen dangerously low, his armour was damaged, and several parts of his body still ached despite his recovery ability.

But he had won.

And the opponent he had defeated was no ordinary beast.

Evan raised his hand.

[Raise Undead]

Necrotic energy spread from his palm, sinking into the enormous corpse.

The dead Terra Bear twitched.

Dark energy crawled through its damaged body, forcing its muscles and bones to respond. The ruined flesh began to mend, and the shattered remains of its armour gradually dissolved into the surrounding earth.

Then the creature's remaining eye opened.

Dark green flames ignited within its socket.

The one-eyed Terra Bear pushed itself upright.

Its wounds had closed, its body had returned to a stable condition, and the brutal damage inflicted during the battle had been erased by Evan's control over death.

Yet something caught his attention.

The thick Earth Elemental armour covering its forelimbs had not disappeared.

Its claws remained encased in hardened earth, their surfaces dense and dark, as if the elemental energy had become a permanent part of the summon rather than a temporary ability.

Evan stared at them.

'That's unusual.'

He had raised dozens of Terra Bears, but none had retained their elemental reinforcement in this manner. Ordinary summons could use their natural physical traits, but the earth armour had always dissipated after the creature's death.

This one was different.

Perhaps the ability had become deeply integrated with the bear's body. Perhaps the strength of its control over Earth Elemental energy had left an imprint that survived the transition into undeath.

Evan couldn't be certain.

He studied the claws for another moment before opening his summon interface.

'I'll treat it as a unique trait for now. There's no reason to dismantle something that might prove useful.'

He issued a command.

The newly raised undead Terra Bear lowered its head, then disappeared into summon storage.

Evan remained for a moment longer, surveying the destruction around him.

The battlefield had been transformed into a wasteland of broken pillars, shattered ice, and deep craters. Burned earth marked the place where his final attack had landed, while fragments of the bear's armour lay scattered across the ground.

The fight was over.

But his work in the Southern Region was far from complete.

Evan opened his status interface and checked his remaining mana.

Less than thirty percent.

He clicked his tongue.

'That cost more than I wanted.'

The battle had forced him to use several of his abilities in rapid succession. He had won, but continuing toward the central region in his current condition would be reckless.

The Ironhide Bear was waiting there.

And unlike the one-eyed Terra Bear, it would not be a target he could afford to underestimate.

Evan recalled the remaining summons and left the battlefield.

He travelled for several minutes, moving away from the destruction until he found a quiet section of elevated rock hidden between two natural ridges. The position offered a clear view of the surrounding terrain while keeping him concealed from most ground-level threats.

He climbed onto the highest ledge and sat down.

Then he closed his eyes.

Mana began circulating through his body.

The natural regeneration of the Trial environment was already considerable, but meditation allowed him to guide the energy more efficiently, nearly doubling the rate at which his reserves recovered.

Gradually, the strain in his body began to ease.

Evan opened his summon storage and reviewed his army.

The list was long.

More than six hundred summons were under his command, including eighty-three Terra Bears. The remainder consisted of Goblin Warrior Skeletons and the ordinary Skeletons he had raised throughout the Trial.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

He had spent a substantial portion of the Trial building this army. Every battle had provided new corpses, every difficult encounter had taught him something about the creatures inhabiting the forest, and every loss had forced him to adjust his methods.

His strength was no longer limited to what he could do with his own hands.

He had an army.

He had information about the region's rulers.

And he had begun to understand the kind of enemy waiting in the center.

Evan closed the interface.

'The Ironhide Bear won't be easy. Its strength is even greater than the one-eyed Terra Bear's; I'll need to use everything I've prepared.'

His expression settled into a calm, focused look.

He wasn't going to rush blindly into the next battle.

He would recover his mana, review his available summons, and approach the central region only when he was ready.

The wind swept across the Southern Region.

Far away, beyond the broken pillars and rocky ridges, the heart of the forest remained silent.

For now.

Evan returned to meditation, allowing time to pass while his mana slowly recovered.

The next battle would demand more than brute strength.

And he intended to meet it on his own terms.