Bran knelt low, his assault rifle steady in his hands, eyes locked dead ahead.
Through his sights, a colossal black shadow emerged from behind a cluster of towering trees—a fully grown black bear, massive and imposing. It sauntered forward with an unhurried, languid gait, its head swaying from side to side, seemingly sniffing the air in search of prey.
Upon noticing a group of soldiers not far away, their rifles raised and alert, the bear halted. It fixed them with a wary, probing gaze.
Ivy, clutching a large-caliber custom handgun, had already brought the beast into her crosshairs. The weapon, clearly modified, bore a mounted scope, through which she kept the bear's head firmly in sight.
"Seems fortune favors us today," Ivy whispered through her earpiece. "What a magnificent specimen—we could fetch at least ten thousand alliance credits for this bear. But watch your shots—don't ruin its pelt, or its value plummets!"
Her voice, though quiet, was commanding. As she tightened her grip on the oversized pistol, her arms squeezed against her full chest, creating a deep, provocative cleavage—an unexpected allure amidst the tension.
"Understood!" came the synchronized response from her hidden comrades behind the trees.
Sensing imminent danger, the bear rose to its hind legs and unleashed a thunderous roar, its feral eyes fixed upon the Viper Squad soldiers.
Now towering at nearly three meters, it snapped a thick branch with a single swipe, then charged, fury blazing.
"Open fire!" Ivy cried.
A storm of bullets erupted from the rifles, fiery muzzles spitting death toward the beast's skull. Ivy too squeezed her trigger, her massive handgun barking with each round. The explosive report of her weapon dwarfed that of the rifles—how such a seemingly delicate woman wielded such devastating firepower was anyone's guess.
From afar, Xiao Feng and White came to an abrupt halt. White's brow furrowed.
"They've opened fire… Must be something big—listen to that barrage."
"Shall we go see?"
"We should," White nodded. "I'm curious to see what they've run into."
The two dashed toward the hail of gunfire.
But despite the onslaught, the black bear remained unscathed—undaunted, unrelenting. It continued its charge, uninjured and enraged. A shadow of fear crossed Ivy's beautiful face.
"This bear is mutated—it's an F-class magic beast!" she called out. "All units, fall back! Fall back immediately!"
It was her first encounter with a mutated beast of such class, and though she retained her composure, terror flickered in her eyes.
If rifle rounds couldn't penetrate its hide, then only a heavy sniper might prove effective.
The squad retreated in measured steps, firing relentlessly at the bear's head. Cook held the rear, cradling a heavy machine gun—the only weapon likely capable of harming the beast. Planting his feet, blood pumping with adrenaline, he roared, "You b*st*rd, come get some!"
His heavy weapon spun to life, six barrels whirring, unleashing a stream of blazing bullets straight into the monster's skull. Shell casings, each twelve centimeters long, cascaded to the forest floor like metallic rain.
But even as he fired, Cook could see clearly through his goggles—the armor-piercing rounds only left shallow grazes, failing even to draw blood.
He ceased fire, realization dawning: this battle could not be won—only fled.
With a sharp pivot, he bolted toward the squad. But the mutated bear was fast—too fast. It closed the distance in a heartbeat. With a primal roar, it reared up and slammed its paw downward in a killing blow.
If struck, Cook would be crushed beyond recognition.
"Aim low, Cook!" Ivy's voice rang out.
Cook dropped instantly. At that moment, Ivy emerged with a grenade launcher. With a deep thump, an egg-sized grenade hurtled toward the bear's chest.
The explosion rocked the clearing, forcing the beast back a few steps. Yet when the smoke cleared, it bore no wound—only a few singed patches of fur.
This was the might of a G-class beast. Not even grenades could harm it.
Still, the blast bought precious seconds. Cook scrambled to his feet and fled back to the squad, drenched in sweat, lungs heaving. He glanced at Ivy, still standing bold and defiant, the grenade launcher firm in her hands.
"Boom—boom, boom!" Ivy gritted her teeth and kept firing.
The bear lumbered forward through the blasts, unphased, drawing closer and closer. As if out of sheer stubbornness, Ivy poured every remaining shell into its chest.
"Ivy, fall back now!"
"It's too close! Move!"
"Cover Ivy with suppressing fire!"
The Viper Squad raised their rifles again, unleashing a storm toward the beast's head, desperately trying to carve an escape route for Ivy.
But the bear—monstrous and relentless—lunged forward. It landed before Ivy with a crash. She turned to flee, but a hidden root caught her foot. With a soft cry, she fell.
She rolled over, eyes wide. From the ground, the bear seemed even larger—like a living fortress, bearing down with unstoppable momentum.
A woman of courage though she was, Ivy instinctively covered her face and screamed.
But the expected impact never came.
A thunderous crack rang out. Ivy slowly opened her eyes.
White stood before her.
Tall and immovable, his tattered trench coat billowing in the aftermath.
She had not seen his lightning kick to the bear's head, which had sent the beast reeling. But the rest of the squad had. Their mouths hung open in astonishment.
Bran gasped, "That's… that's insane…"