(Arin's Perspective)
Beneath the northern cliffs of the Academy forest, a small valley lay spread out before the mouth of a damp cave. The scenery was far from picturesque; dozens of green Goblin corpses lay scattered in gruesome conditions, spreading the copper stench of blood that had already begun to invite forest flies. A grim atmosphere blanketed the area, a silent warning to anyone who had never seen the true face of death.
I stood in the center of that slaughter field, looking up at the cliff. Erika waved her hand, preparing to descend.
"Wait a moment, I'm coming down!" she shouted.
Without warning, the girl jumped. In mid-air, transparent hexagonal platforms formed beneath her feet.
First Circle Magic: Mana Step.
She hopped nimbly from one platform to another, descending the steep cliff as if walking down an invisible staircase. However, on the final step, about three meters from the ground, her concentration wavered. The platform cracked before her foot could plant itself firmly.
"Ahhh!"
Erika slipped, her body plummeting freely toward me.
My reflexes took over. I lunged forward, spreading my arms as fast as I could. Gravity pulled her down, and I caught her just in time.
THUD!
The impact was hard because I had already extinguished my Aura. My balance faltered. We both tumbled onto the ground slick with black Goblin blood. Erika punched into my chest, and I became her soft cushion.
When the rolling stopped, our faces were separated by only a few centimeters. Her warm breath swept across my cheek. Those blue eyes widened in shock, staring straight into my black ones.
Silence.
The world seemed to stop spinning for three seconds. My face felt hot, but the crimson blush on Erika's cheeks was far deeper, rivaling the color of a ripe apple.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat awkwardly, breaking the freeze.
Erika jolted as if electrocuted. She scrambled up, straightening her robes with frantic, stiff movements.
"A-Are you okay?" she asked without daring to meet my eyes.
"My ribs are safe. You?"
"I-I'm fine too. Thanks for the catch."
"You're welcome. Next time, use the stairs."
The awkwardness still hung in the air, thick and ticklish. To divert it, I immediately stood up and pulled the dagger from the sheath at my waist.
"Let's work. We collect the eyeballs. It isn't good to linger here; the smell of blood will attract other predators," I suggested, trying to sound professional.
"A-Alright!" Erika nodded quickly, a little too enthusiastically.
We began to work in silence. Gouging out Goblin eyeballs one by one as proof of the hunt. It was dirty, disgusting work, but for us, every pair of eyes was a point toward our grade. Slaughtering twenty-three Goblins in a single assault was no small feat for first-year students. If we remained consistent, the top rank was no longer a dream.
Imagining the shocked faces of those arrogant nobles later... ah, it tasted sweet. This feeling brought a breath of fresh air amidst the rancid stench of Goblin corpses.
Once our jars were full of staring eyes, I walked toward the cave mouth. The afternoon sunlight still illuminated the shallow front section of the cavern.
Erika followed behind me, her steps hesitant. The deeper we went, the heavier and fouler the air became. A sharp smell of ammonia pierced our noses, making our eyes water.
We reflexively covered our noses with our sleeves.
Right at the end of the cave, there was a natural pit about a meter wide. In it, a pile of greenish-gray mounds accumulated, emitting thin wisps of smoke.
"Ugh!!" Erika bent over, holding back vomit. "W-What is that? It smells like a corpse soaked in urine!"
I, on the other hand, smiled widely behind my sleeve. I immediately took out an empty glass jar and a small shovel from my bag. With quick, efficient movements, I shoveled the filth and packed it into the jar.
"Arin! Are you crazy?!" Erika backed away to the cave entrance, her face pale as she looked at me as if I had just eaten carrion. "Why are you taking that shit?!"
I sealed the jar tightly, then waxed the lid.
"This isn't just any shit, Erika. This is Cave Goblin Guano. Its nitrate and sulfur content is incredibly high. This stuff can sublimate at extraordinary speeds if exposed to heat," I explained while walking out, inhaling fresh air greedily.
"So?"
"Veteran adventurers use it as a base ingredient for military-grade smoke bombs. It fetches a high price on the black market."
"Smoke bombs made of poop? I'd rather die than be trapped inside that smoke."
"Haha, relax. Once processed, the smell disappears. All that remains is thick white fog."
Erika could only sigh deeply, staring at me with a look of resignation. It seemed she was getting used to my madness.
Suddenly, my smile vanished.
My ears twitched. The sound of rustling leaves came from the direction of the forest, followed by a subtle vibration in the ground.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP.
The sound of four legs running. Heavy and incredibly fast.
The hairs on my neck stood up. The intensity of the sound was different from a Goblin. This was an apex predator.
"Erika, behind me. Now!" I ordered sharply.
Erika flinched at the change in my expression. She immediately ran to hide behind my back without question.
The bushes in front of us were torn apart roughly. A giant figure burst out with impossible speed.
The monster stopped, clawing the earth until grass flew. Its height while standing on four legs already reached my shoulder. When it reared up, it would be nearly three meters tall. Its body was as large as my dorm room.
Its fur was thick brown, matted and full of dried mud, with silver-white tips that shimmered in the sun.
Silver-tip Bear. A Grizzly. Tier 3 Monster.
My heart seemed to stop beating. This was impossible. A monster of this class shouldn't exist in the beginner area. The academy's magic fence should have held it back.
The Grizzly growled low, a sound that vibrated the ribcage. Its eyes were glowing red, staring at us not as threats, but as an afternoon snack.
Retreat was not an option. The moment we showed our backs, this monster would chase us down and split us with a single swipe.
I took a deep breath, then screamed at the top of my lungs.
"HELP!!! HELP!!! TIER THREE MONSTER!!!"
My voice echoed in the valley, but was swallowed by the dense forest. No sign of instructors or supervisors. We were alone, trapped in a terrifying silence.
"Damn it," I cursed. "Erika, back up twenty meters. Keep a safe distance. Prepare your magic."
Erika nodded stiffly, her face bloodless. She retreated with trembling steps.
I drew my longsword, knowing full well this standard steel wouldn't be able to pierce the bear's thick hide. If we ran, we died. The only way was to survive until help arrived.
The bear stood twenty meters in front. I stood on the front line as the vanguard. Erika was ten meters behind me, her wand glowing dimly because her hands were shaking violently.
ROAAAAR!
The roar was deafening. The Grizzly charged. Its speed was terrifying, like a freight train that had lost control.
I didn't block it head-on. That would be suicide. With my remaining strength, I leaped to the left, slamming the flat of my sword against a large tree trunk.
BAM!
The loud noise distracted it for a moment. The bear's ears twitched, its head turning slightly. Its running momentum was disturbed.
"Now, Erika! Fire!"
Erika screamed, firing dozens of Mana Bullets reinforced by the stacking technique.
Du-du-du-du-du!
Clumps of blue energy slammed into the Grizzly's right shoulder. Thick fur scorched, skin blistered. The smell of burning flesh wafted out. However, no blood spurred. The fat and muscle of this bear were too thick, acting as a natural shield.
The attack didn't kill it. It only made it angry.
The Grizzly ignored me. Its red eyes locked onto the biggest threat: the mage in the back. The monster turned sharply, earth churned by its claws, and ran straight toward Erika.
"ERIKA! HOLD IT BACK!" I shouted while running to chase the monster from behind. My legs felt heavy; I was too slow.
Erika panicked. Her distance from the Grizzly was only fifteen meters. Blood began to drip from her nose due to the side effects of excessive magic use. She forced herself, chanting again even though her head felt like it was going to split.
Du-du-du-du!
A barrage of mana bullets rained down on the bear's face again. The Grizzly was forced to raise both arms to protect its eyes, its pace slowing drastically due to the knockback.
However, Erika reached her limit. Her vision spun, causing her last shot to miss high, shearing a tree branch. The girl stumbled and fell to her knees, clutching her head while moaning.
The monster lowered its arms. Its face was now pitted, full of burns. Pure rage radiated from it.
Distance: five meters. The Grizzly leaped, the swing of its claws ready to decapitate Erika.
At the last second, Erika's instinct took over. First Circle Magic: Mana Shield. A thin transparent dome appeared in front of her.
SHATTER!
The sound was loud like breaking glass. The shield shattered into pieces in an instant. The Grizzly's destructive power was too great.
However, the shield absorbed the cutting force. Erika wasn't sliced in half. But the kinetic force still went through.
The girl's body was thrown like a rag doll, flying eight meters back before crashing into a bush.
"ERIKA!!!"
Erika lay still. Blood gushed from her nose. She was totally unconscious.
The bear snorted, hot steam coming out of its nose. It walked slowly toward Erika's body, preparing to enjoy its meal.
CLANG!
I threw my sword sheath, hitting the bear's head.
The Grizzly turned, staring at me.
I stood in the Plow Guard stance; sword at hip level, tip pointing at the enemy. My breath was heavy, as if suppressing a turmoil of rage in every exhale, wishing to vent it all on that monster.
"Your opponent is me, Ugly Bear," I growled.
The Grizzly roared, forgetting Erika, then charged at me with unnatural speed.
The bear swung its right claw horizontally, a haymaker that could decapitate a horse. I dropped my body beneath the swing.
I used the Grizzly's running momentum. While sliding on the ground drenched in black blood, I slashed my Longsword at the tendon of its rear leg.
Steel met thick muscle. My sword tore the skin, but the Grizzly's muscle was too dense to sever. My sword got stuck for a moment.
Unfortunately, my withdrawal was too late. The Grizzly kicked backward. The impact hit the side of my body. Even though I used Junior-level Aura, the force threw me five meters away to crash into a tree.
Crack!
Two of my ribs fractured. My longsword slipped from my grip, falling too far to reach.
The Grizzly turned, eyes glowing red. It stood on two legs, towering like a tower of death, then dropped its body weight to crush me.
I had no time to stand. I drew the dagger from my waist as a last resort.
The monster opened its defense wide. This was the moment. The only chance.
I closed my eyes for a second. Focusing the surge of Aura into my left arm holding the dagger sheath.
Inhale... Hold... Compress... EXPLODE!
I punched the descending Grizzly's lower jaw using my left hand coated in solid mana.
A sickening sound of exploding muscle echoed. The monster's jaw was twisted forcibly to the side with the loud crack of bone, altering the direction of its bite.
My left arm broke in three places. The humerus fractured in a spiral from withstanding the recoil. My arm now hung uselessly.
The bear staggered to the side, confused and in pain from its dislocated jaw. However, the monster raged blindly. It flailed its claws randomly. One claw grazed my chest, tearing through the breastplate and creating a deep horizontal gash. Blood poured heavily from the trail of the wound.
Both were now on the brink of death. I knelt, my vision blurring from blood loss and the excruciating pain in my left arm. The Grizzly roared with a nasal, terrifying sound.
I only had my right hand holding the dagger. My legs trembled, while the Grizzly leaped toward me.
I flowed all remaining energy, all reserves of adrenaline, all the mana my heart could pump into two points: my thigh muscles and my right arm.
SNAP!
My thigh muscle fibers tore as I jumped vertically upward, meeting the bear's deadly embrace.
I entered its guard. Entered its hug.
My right hand, now swollen and purple from the flow of forced solid Aura, drove the dagger right below the Grizzly's neck. Into the soft area between the collarbones; the suprasternal notch. Seeking the main arterial path to the heart.
SHUNK!
My dagger sank to the hilt. The momentum of my explosive jump was so great that my fist followed, penetrating the neck flesh.
Simultaneously, the Grizzly's body weight—nearly a ton—slammed into me.
We both crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Grizzly on top, me on the bottom.
CRUNCH!
The sound of breaking bone was horrific. My right femur snapped from the impact of the jump. My left collarbone was crushed under the monster's weight.
The world went dark for a moment.
Silence.
The giant body of the Grizzly crushing me convulsed once, then went still. Dark, viscous ichor poured from the monster, pooling on my face and chest, warm and sticky.
Beneath that pile of fur and muscle, I gasped for air. My lungs struggled to expand. I couldn't feel my legs. My left arm was destroyed. My right arm was numb inside the bear's neck. Luckily, the Tissue Elasticity Serum I drank earlier blocked the excessive pain receptors temporarily.
"Hah... hah..."
I glanced into the depth of the forest through the gap in the bear's fur. Two silhouettes arrived with lightning speed.
A tall man and a dwarf in black armor. Instructor Brook and Karim. Their faces were pale, full of panic.
Seeing them, relief flooded my chest. Erika would be safe under their protection.
Unconsciously, my vision darkened. The pain slowly faded, replaced by a comfortable cold.
"Rest..." my mind whispered.
And I surrendered to the darkness.