After hours of tracking, stalking, and shooting through the dense wilds, Rahul and Revatibala had found their rhythm in the hunt. Animals fell one after another, and the shared experience points flooded in—a thrilling reward for their synchronized efforts. Rahul even leveled up mid-hunt, but adrenaline kept him too engaged to check the new stats.
But the forest wasn't done with them yet.
Their high came to a screeching halt when Revatibala, suddenly tense, placed a cautious hand on Rahul's shoulder and whispered, "We should go now…"
In front of them loomed a massive shadow—an apex predator. The sloth bear towered at nearly six feet and weighed well over 300 pounds. Rahul's minimap showed it like any other threat, with no unique marker to differentiate it from lesser foes.
Yet where Revatibala saw danger, Rahul saw opportunity.
"Can you climb trees?" he asked, eyes locked on the beast.
Her stunned silence lasted only a second. "Y-Yes, I can."
"Then climb one. Don't come down until I say so."
Obediently, she retreated to higher ground, while Rahul faced down the beast alone. He finally used his Assessment skill, revealing the harsh truth:
[Apex Predator: Sloth] [Level Difference: Huge] [Risk: Hard]
Still, he was armed—not with bows or rusting muskets, but with modern firepower. Rahul loaded his MP40, a submachine gun chambered with 9×19mm rounds, and began a careful approach. His rifle was too slow, explosives would destroy the carcass, and the pistol wouldn't cut it—this had to be a mid-range showdown.
The sloth bear, unaware of its hunter, was busy scavenging.
And then came the sound of wrath.
DHUGG-DHUGG-THUSS-THUSS
Shells flew, smoke erupted, and the bear was showered in blistering lead. Rahul's burst emptied the magazine. The air was thick with the stench of gunpowder and hot metal. Lesser creatures screamed and scattered. The jungle itself recoiled.
But the beast didn't fall.
Still charging, the bear roared and lunged with devastating force, slamming its claws into Rahul's chest. The pain was instant and immense, as if Wolverine himself had slashed through him.
➖Ping➖
[-297 Damage to Host]
[Host will lose 10 HP for 45 seconds – Aftereffects Damage]
Bleeding and breathless, Rahul crumpled to the ground. He played dead, his body screaming in agony. The bear, half-blind from bullet wounds, hovered—until another voice pierced the chaos.
"Hey, you fat fuck!"
Revatibala, defiant from her perch, had drawn the beast's rage. She loosed a single arrow and fired two rounds. But the bear slammed the tree, knocking her weapons to the ground. She was now unarmed and exposed.
Rahul didn't wait. Still prone, he drew his Browning pistol and unloaded every bullet he had left. The wounded bear charged once more—but this time, its body collapsed mid-sprint, crashing into the jungle floor.
➖Ping➖
[Host Leveled Up]
[Host Leveled Up]
[Earned 25,000 EXP + 19,920 Soul Points – First-time kill of enemy 23 levels higher]
[Title Unlocked: "John Ramgo"]
(50% more damage to beasts in jungles, 20% lower chance of being hit by enemy fire in wildlands, 10% increased agility on jungle terrain)
[Earned: 75,000 EXP + 40,000 Soul Points – Sloth Bear Kill]
He couldn't rejoice. Vision blurred, hearing dulled—he was spent.
Revatibala rushed to his side, shouting, crying, trying to bring him back. But Rahul's consciousness faded, slowly, painfully.
The jungle had taken its price.
---------------------
🔜 Coming Up Next – Chapter 8: Ashes Beneath the Flames
A savage battle leaves Rahul bloodied, but not broken. As he awakens in the arms of the woman who saved him, fate throws in a new twist—revenge has arrived at their doorstep. Grenades roar, bodies fall, and justice is served in bullets and fire.
But victory comes at a devastating price.
When the smoke clears, something precious lies in ruin—and some losses cut deeper than any wound.
🔥 If this chapter lit a fire in your heart, don't forget to vote, comment, and follow the story. Your support keeps Rahul fighting and the pages turning.