Derek froze, his heart hammering as his eyes locked on the creature before him. It was at least a C-class magical beast.
'Impossible,' he thought, tightening his grip on his sword. 'There shouldn't be anything above D-class here. What the hell is this thing doing in this forest?'
But there was no time to wonder. The girl would die within seconds if he hesitated.
The bear roared — a thunderous, earth-shaking sound that rattled Derek's bones. He lunged forward, feet skimming across the dirt, sword raised high. His blade whistled through the air and struck the beast's arm with full force...
Clang!
The sword bounced off like it had hit solid steel.
The bear barely flinched. Its clawed paw swung sideways in a blur, forcing Derek to roll away, narrowly avoiding being bisected. He came up breathing hard, dust streaking his face.
