Minutes passed as she sped through the dense forest, covering a considerable distance before abruptly halting. Her sharp gaze locked onto a small stream below, where a massive bear was 'fishing.' The beast remained still, waiting patiently until, in a flash, it lunged forward, snatching a passing fish from the water with an almost effortless motion. Letting itself drop onto its haunches, the bear bit into its still-twitching prey, completely engrossed in its meal.
To an ordinary human, the sight might have seemed cruel, but for Amelia, an experienced hunter, it was nothing unusual. Yet, what captured her attention wasn't the act itself—it was the bear's sheer size.
'That's a big bear…'
The creature was colossal, its brown fur bristling under the sunlight. Towering at twelve meters tall, it dwarfed anything she had encountered before.
Her eyes gleamed with excitement. 'This will be a good last hunt.'
Without hesitation, she positioned herself fifty meters above the beast, ensuring a safe distance. Considering its size, there was a chance it could leap far higher than a normal bear. If she remained only twenty meters above ground—like during her previous fights—she'd be dangerously close to its reach.
Steadying her breath, she drew her bow and took aim. She poured an enormous amount of aura into the arrow, far more than she had ever used before. The sheer concentration of power caused the projectile to shimmer, its surface radiating a faint glow. Then, in a single smooth motion, she loosed it.
'Penetrating Shot'
The arrow sliced through the air like a falling star, its trajectory flawless, heading straight for the bear's skull. The beast, still absorbed in its meal, remained completely unaware of the impending attack.
"Thunk!"
A deep, resounding impact echoed through the forest as the arrow struck true, embedding itself in the bear's massive head.
But rather than exploding on impact or piercing straight through—as the sheer force behind the shot should have ensured—the arrow merely embedded itself a single inch into the bear's thick skull.
Amelia's eyes widened. 'What the—?!'
She knew exactly how much power she had poured into that shot. That arrow should have sliced through tempered steel like a knife through butter… yet against this beast, it had barely left a mark.
The bear's massive head jerked forward slightly, its meal completely forgotten. Then, with slow, deliberate motion, it turned its gaze toward her. A thin trickle of blood ran down from the shallow wound, but there was no pain in its eyes. No confusion.
Only rage.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from its chest, the very air around it vibrating with fury. Then—without warning—it moved.
Amelia barely had time to react before the beast launched itself skyward, covering an impossible distance in a single bound. Her instincts screamed, and she kicked off the branch just in time, throwing herself sideways as a colossal claw slashed through the space she had occupied mere moments ago.
Boom!
The impact was devastating. The tree, thick enough that five adults stretching their arms couldn't encircle it, shattered like brittle glass beneath the sheer force of the bear's strike. Splinters and debris rained down as Amelia twisted midair, landing swiftly on another branch further away.
'It's fast!'
She had expected power. A beast of this size should be strong—it radiated an overwhelming aura of dominance. But what she hadn't expected was this level of speed.
With fluid precision, her fingers moved, nocking another arrow onto her bow just in time. The bear wasted no seconds. It lunged again, its immense form tearing through the air toward her. She dropped, letting herself fall to a lower branch an instant before the bear's claws obliterated the spot where she had just been.
Still airborne, she aimed upward, eyes locking onto the beast.
'Dividing Shot.'
The moment she released the arrow, it split mid-flight, multiplying into fourteen identical projectiles. They rained down, striking the massive creature from multiple angles.
Yet even as each arrow found its mark, Amelia didn't allow herself a moment of relief. She moved again, distancing herself, her expression shifting. A frown crossed her features… but alongside it, a battle-hungry grin.
Because her Dividing Shot had done nothing.
'Not even a scratch…'
Her mind raced. 'Dividing Shot won't cut it, and even Penetrating Shot barely made an impact. If I want to take this thing down… I'll need to hit it harder.' Her fingers tightened around the bowstring. 'Maybe it's time to test that prototype.'
As she had this thought, she once again placed an arrow on her bowstring, but before she could do anything else, the massive form of the predator was already upon her, its fifty-centimeter claws poised to tear her apart.
A deafening boom echoed as the enormous brown bear landed on the thick branch she stood on. The wood groaned under its weight, cracking instantly, but Amelia barely paid it any attention. Her gaze was locked on the incoming claws, her body reacting instinctively. She let herself fall just in time, feeling the rush of air as the deadly swipe passed inches above her.
Hitting the ground was out of the question—down there, she would be an easy target. Without hesitation, she twisted midair, landing on her feet before channeling all her aura-infused strength into a powerful kick aimed directly at the bear.
A dull thud resounded as her strike connected, pushing the massive beast back slightly. However, that was all it accomplished. The bear remained unfazed.
Their gazes met for a brief second—her emerald eyes locking onto the bear's much larger hazel ones. A strange, tense stillness settled between them, as if an unspoken truce had been established.
Then, with a furious roar, the bear shattered that moment. Enraged by the audacity of the small bipedal creature that dared to strike it, it lashed out again. This time, Amelia was much closer, leaving her with far less time to react.
"Fuck–" she cursed, jumping backward while raising her arms and pushing her aura cloak to its maximum. At this moment, she knew she wouldn't be able to fully dodge the attack. Bracing for impact was her only option.
And what an impact…
The bear's paw slammed into her, making her aura flicker violently, though it managed to hold. Even so, the sheer force of the blow was like being hit by a truck. The next thing she knew, she was sent flying, a sonic boom trailing in her wake.
She covered hundreds of meters in a fraction of a second, but she barely noticed the blur of her surroundings—her focus was consumed by the sharp pain radiating from her arms and ribs. The impact had been brutal, but as she quickly assessed her condition, relief flickered in her mind. 'Nothing's broken…' The aching in her bones told her she was battered, but she was still battle-ready.
Her relief was short-lived. Before she could regain control, her back slammed into something solid. A sickening crack filled the air as the central trunk of a massive tree shattered under the force of her collision, sending splinters flying in all directions. The impact slowed her down, but her momentum still carried her forward. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain, her sharp gaze snapping toward the approaching shadow.
'It's following me…' she thought grimly, yet despite the dire realization, the battle-hungry grin on her lips told another story.
Reaching for an arrow, she nocked it to the bow she had managed to hold onto even while being hurled through the air. Without hesitation, she infused it with a high concentration of aura—though this time, the energy she channeled felt different, sharper, more turbulent… windy.
Still airborne but slowing down, she took aim at the approaching beast and released the arrow.
'Penetrating Shot—Wind Style Variant Prototype.'
The arrow shot forward, wind spiraling around it, distorting the air as it broke through the distance. The brown bear, caught off guard and unprepared for its prey to not only survive but launch a counterattack midair, failed to react in time. The projectile, moving at a speed that shattered the sound barrier, reached its target before the beast could even process the danger.
The arrow struck exactly where Amelia had aimed—right where she assumed the bear's heart was. Unlike her previous Penetrating Shot, this one did far more than just graze its thick hide.
The winds spinning violently around the arrow amplified its piercing power dramatically. Instead of merely embedding itself in the beast's flesh, it drilled through the dense fur and layers of muscle, carving a path deep into its chest. The arrow lost momentum before fully exiting the other side, but the damage was done—its sharp tip lodged deep within the creature's heart.
The effect was immediate.
A deafening roar, far louder than any before, tore through the forest. This time, it wasn't just anger—it was pain. The bear, momentarily disoriented by the agony, misstepped on the massive branch, its balance faltering. The next second, its colossal body plummeted to the ground, crashing at high speed. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the trees, the resulting explosion of sound akin to a bomb going off.
"Ahh… ahh…" Amelia's breath came ragged and uneven, her ribs throbbing with every inhale. The pain made breathing difficult, but with a slight shift in her posture, she managed to stabilize herself, landing on a nearby branch.
Even as she fought for breath, her gaze never wavered from the spot where the bear had crashed, now obscured by a thick cloud of dust. Despite her arrow piercing its heart, she refused to lower her guard.
With a creature of that size and strength, nothing was certain until she saw the kill notification. And so far, it hadn't appeared.
Tensing, she began backing away, putting more distance between herself and the dust-covered battlefield. She had no intention of letting her guard down—not until she knew for sure that the beast was dead.
Her caution was immediately justified. Seconds later, a thunderous roar tore through the forest, shaking the very ground beneath her. The sheer force of the sound sent a shockwave rippling through the air, scattering the thick cloud of dust and debris. As the view cleared, the massive form of the bear was revealed.
Amelia's eyes weren't on its battered body or even on the gaping hole where its heart should have been—clear evidence that it was on the brink of death. No, what caught her attention, even as she kept moving without pause, were its eyes. The once hazel orbs now burned a deep, blood-red, filled with unrestrained rage and pure, murderous intent.
Then, despite its mortal wound, the beast lunged.
Its speed defied logic, moving as if its injuries didn't exist, as if sheer hatred alone propelled it forward. But this time, Amelia was ready. She had anticipated its desperation and reacted immediately, forcing her body to move at full speed while firing Penetrating Shot—Wind Style Variant Prototype in rapid succession.
The bear recognized the danger. Whether by instinct or sheer determination, it dodged some of the spiraling arrows, while others it blocked with its massive forearms, causing fresh wounds to tear into its thick flesh. Yet, despite the damage accumulating on its body, it refused to slow down. Consumed by a singular, all-consuming hatred for the prey that had wounded it so grievously, it continued its relentless pursuit.
Unfortunately for it, Amelia had no intention of allowing it to close the gap. She pushed herself harder, running at her absolute limit, keeping just enough distance between them while continuing her assault. The chase stretched on for minutes, the bear's movements growing noticeably slower, its massive frame becoming sluggish under the weight of its wounds.
Then, at last, it collapsed.
Its body hit the forest floor with a heavy thud, motionless. A soft chime echoed in Amelia's mind as a notification appeared before her.
['Orange' Brown Bear killed: 6M XP received x1]
[Class:...]
She barely spared a glance at the level-up notifications, her focus instead shifting to her own condition. Finally stopping on a sturdy branch, she took deep, steadying breaths. Her toned legs trembled slightly, the muscles burning from the extreme exertion she had just put them through. She had truly given it her all during that chase, and it showed.
After catching her breath, she took a moment to assess herself. 'Fortunately, my initial assessment was correct. Nothing's broken,' she thought, releasing a small sigh of relief.
A satisfied smile crept onto her lips as her gaze fell upon the massive carcass below. "I killed this… fufufu," she murmured, her voice laced with excitement before a soft giggle escaped her. The lingering thrill of battle, the exhilaration of triumph—it all blended together into a sensation she loved.
"Cough… cough…" Her moment of celebration was cut short as a sharp pain flared in her ribs, triggering a fit of coughing. A small grimace crossed her face. "Maybe I shouldn't laugh too much," she muttered, wincing slightly.
Deciding to take a break, she allowed herself to drop onto the thick branch, granting her body a few well-earned minutes of rest. The forest's tranquility seeped into her limbs, calming the lingering tension. When she finally noticed that the hour she allocated herself had nearly slipped by, she stirred again, raising a hand to cast a Clean spell on herself.
After all, she was drenched in sweat, and there was absolutely no way she was going to face Mikael in such a disheveled state.
With one last glance at the beast's lifeless body lying below, she activated the extraction feature. After waiting for five minutes, her form vanished in a flash of bright light.
Author Note:
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