The Stonehide Grizzly's roar had long since faded, swallowed by the stillness that followed.
Alex exhaled slowly, activating Monster Insight with a thought. An interface flared to life above the monster's head, listing detailed information on the Stonehide Grizzly.
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[Stonehide Grizzly]
[Rank: B]
[Affinity: Rock]
[Description: Massive, bear-like creatures with limbs as thick as boulders and covered in natural stone armor. They resemble moving boulders more than living creatures, and their thunderous steps cause the ground to tremble with each movement. Though not intelligent, these monsters are guided by pure instinct and a relentless drive to crush anything in their path. Their sheer brute force and stubborn resilience make them one of the most dangerous monsters in their class.]
[Abilities: Stonehide Armor, Boulder Toss, Rock Wall, Seismic Slam]
[Weaknesses: Less intelligent, acts more on instinct. Vulnerable to agile and ranged attacks.]
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Just behind him, Sherry had already repositioned to higher ground—a rocky ledge nestled beneath the overhang of a craggy bluff. Not too far, but just far enough to stay out of direct danger.
With practiced ease, she summoned her tamed monsters.
Alex glanced toward the ridge again, gaze narrowing.
"Aurora," he said mentally, "still tracking us?"
"Yes," she answered. "That drone is still here. Hasn't left since we stopped."
He grimaced. 'Of course it is.'
His eyes flicked upward—barely perceptible against the pale sky was the black silhouette of a hovering orb, palm-sized and humming faintly. An Observation Drone, issued by the Academy. Embedded with tracking wards, high-resolution enchantments, and long-distance relays.
The Academy deployed thousands of these during Wilderness Survival Training. With five thousand students roaming a monster-filled expanse, there weren't enough instructors to physically supervise them all. So they relied on drones. Usually, they drifted in and out—checking in, logging data, moving on to the next team.
But this one hadn't moved.
Alex's jaw tightened. 'Why now?'
"Because we crossed into B-rank monster territory." Aurora said, reading his thoughts. She hovered behind him, her form flickering between opaque and translucent.
The presence of the drone wasn't the problem—it was what it could see.
To others, Alex was just a swordsman—no talent for magic, a commoner. Sure, there were artifacts that let anyone cast magic, but if someone saw him casting without any external help… it would raise questions. Dangerous ones.
And this time, the drone wasn't leaving.
The Academy normally wouldn't interfere unless a student was at risk of death. Someone might be watching them. Worse, everything could be getting recorded.
The plan had to change.
His original strategy had been straightforward: overheat the Stonehide Grizzly's stone armor using concentrated bursts of
But under surveillance? If the drone got a clear view of him conjuring Dark Fire, then?
That was a risk he couldn't take.
He adapted. Situational flexibility was one of his strengths. So, he'd stick to the first step: draw the monster's attention.
"Sherry," he called out, "attack when I say."
She gave a small nod.
She was a mage—yes, a tamer, a summoner. But all that also meant she was physically fragile.
Alex couldn't afford to let the Grizzly lay a claw on her.
The Stonehide Grizzly had already spotted them from across the clearing. It breathed like a bellows, nostrils flaring as it caught their scent. Its massive frame shifted, hind legs bracing as it dug into the earth.
'Right. Come at me.'
He activated his D-rank skill: Taunt.
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Skill: Taunt (Active)
Rank: D
Description:
- Forces nearby enemies to focus their attention and attacks solely on the user for a short duration.
- Effective against monsters and foes with lower mental resistance, disrupting their target priorities.
- Enemies with strong willpower or mental resistance may resist or break free from the effect more quickly.
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The Grizzly charged.
Its lumbering bulk moved with startling speed for its size. Mid-charge, one massive arm swung forward—and with a sound like cracking stone, it hurled a boulder straight at him.
Alex dashed to the side.
The rock slammed into the earth where he'd just been, exploding into a spray of debris and dust.
He didn't slow down.
Instead, he sprinted toward the oncoming monster, hand reaching back as he drew his sword from the storage ring in one smooth motion.
His boots skidded across loose gravel. Then, with a burst of force, he kicked off a raised rock and launched himself sideways—angling toward the Grizzly's left flank, narrowly evading its forward momentum.
Alex landed in a low crouch, blade humming faintly as it drew on his physical strength.
'…I can still break through your armor with sword and strength alone.'
The Stonehide Grizzly's armor cracked with a sharp snap as Alex's blade drove into its flank—stone splintering like brittle shell under the sheer force of his swing.
The monster staggered, its left shoulder plating fractured and jagged. It roared in pain but didn't retreat. Instead, it turned toward him ferociously.
Alex raised his left hand and gave a sharp signal.
Sherry moved instantly.
"Bellio." she called.
The plush-sized creature at her side responded at once. In the blink of an eye, its tiny body expanded.
It transformed into a colossal, whale-like monster. Its back shimmered in vivid blue, its belly a pristine white. Glowing aquatic markings flowed along its flanks like slow-moving tides. The air chilled; the scent of brine and sea spray swept through the clearing.
The Stonehide Grizzly didn't even turn. Its instincts should have screamed. It should have moved, shielded itself—anything. But mindlessly, it locked its attention solely on Alex.
Bellio opened its massive mouth.
Mana surged, gathering like a storm, condensing into a spinning core of furious light.
A geyser of compressed water burst forth, roaring with a force strong enough to shear stone. It slammed into the Grizzly's exposed back—striking directly over the fractures Alex had just carved.
The impact hit like a cannon blast.
The Grizzly howled. Its armor plates buckled, then shattered—stone shards and clumps of earth erupting in all directions.
Alex didn't hesitate.
He shot forward, blade flashing. With a burst of acceleration, he drove the sword upward—thrusting between the exposed gaps, piercing through muscle and bone in a single, fluid motion.
The Stonehide Grizzly gave one final shudder. Then it collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending dust clouds and loose stones rolling across the ground.
Alex glanced down at the shattered remains of his sword.
The once-straight blade was now a jagged stump, the tip buried somewhere deep in the Stonehide Grizzly's thick neck. Even after reinforcing it with mana, it had barely held together long enough to land the killing blow.
He sighed, flexing his wrist. Ordinary swords didn't cut it anymore.
Even with mana-enhanced strength and durability, a regular weapon just wasn't enough against a B-Rank monster like the Stonehide Grizzly.
"You okay?" Sherry asked, approaching quietly. Bellio was already back in his plushy form, nestled in her arms and blinking lazily like none of it had happened.
"Yeah," Alex replied. "Sword's dead, though."
Sherry nodded, her eyes drifting to the broken half of the blade still lodged in the monster's neck. "I'm… honestly impressed it lasted this long."
Alex looked at the creature in her arms.
Bellio appeared almost ridiculously harmless—round, soft, barely the size of a backpack. Just moments ago, it had unleashed a blast of water powerful enough to shatter armor.
"That's the first time I've seen him in that form." Alex said.
Sherry glanced down at Bellio, a fond smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah. He's from the Blue Whale monster species. Fully grown, they can reach over thirty meters from head to tail. Bellio's still young, but… even now, his true form is colossal."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "And he usually stays like that?" he gestured at the plushy version.
"It prefers it," she said, glancing down with a fond smile. "Takes less mana to maintain. Easier to manage. And apparently…"—her voice softened—"it says it's cozier this way."
Bellio blinked slowly, then let out a sleepy blorp.
Alex chuckled.