Bears weren't supposed to be nocturnal.
They were usually diurnal, meaning active during the day, or crepuscular, roaming at dawn and dusk. But bears were nothing if not adaptable. They shifted their habits when it suited them.
And apparently, tonight suited this one just fine.
Ethan felt it before he saw it.
The forest seemed to lean away from something massive moving through the undergrowth. Branches cracked, and leaves shook as a deep, wet breath rolled through the darkness like a warning drumbeat.
Then the familiar translucent screen slid into view above its head.
His heart dropped straight into his stomach.
{Beast Status}
{Race: Graveback Bear
Growth Stage: Juvenile
Beast Rank: D
Strength: 30
Speed: 22
Stamina: 24
MP: 10/10}
"…Fuck me."
Ethan didn't even try to soften it.
This wasn't just the strongest beast he'd seen; it was a giant fucking bear to boot.
'That's only a Juvenile?!'
Moonlight spilt across its form as it stepped into view, and it was easily three times Ethan's size. Its hide was thick and dark, scarred with old wounds that spoke of battles won long ago.
Muscles and dense blubber rolled under its fur with every movement, each step deliberate and confident. Its claws were curved like sickles, digging into the soil, and its muzzle was broad, teeth yellowed and thick, breath steaming faintly in the cool night air.
As for its eyes, they were sharp, intelligent, and... amused?
This thing wasn't starving nor desperate; it was curious.
'I am so dead,' Ethan thought flatly.
He didn't stick around to admire it.
The instant the status window appeared, Ethan activated Beast Assimilation, pain flaring through his veins as his body shifted into the familiar Ulfen-enhanced state.
Without hesitation, he ran as the world around him sharpened.
Darkness peeled back as his vision adjusted unnaturally, shadows separating into shapes, scents layering over one another in dizzying clarity.
But he wasn't sightseeing, he was fleeing.
Meanwhile, heavy footfalls thundered behind him. They weren't rushed or frantic; they were almost leisurely.
'Makes sense, it has double the speed stat I do normally!'
Then suddenly, the pressure spiked, and Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.
Using its MP, the ground shook as the beast burst forward.
A bear's most terrifying attack wasn't finesse; it was overwhelming force. A sudden, explosive charge meant to end things instantly. Weight, claws, momentum, all crashing together in a brutal embrace.
Bear Hug.
The beast lunged.
Ethan twisted at the last second.
Instead of being crushed outright, a massive paw slammed into his side.
Crack!.
Agony detonated through his ribs as he was sent flying like a ragdoll, smashing into a tree hard enough to rattle his teeth.
He hit the ground in a coughing heap, blood spraying from his lips.
It had swatted him like he was nothing more than a fly, but Ethan was still relieved. If he had been caught in its attack... it would have been all over.
As for the bear, it let out a low and satisfied huff, watching as its prey struggled.
'Its toying with me.'
Despite that realisation, Ethan remained calm and forced himself to breathe, every inhale a knife to his side.
"Fuck," he wheezed. "I'm done for."
He couldn't think of a single way that he could beat this beast. Of course, facing it head-on was suicide, but there was no clear trick or weakness that he could exploit either.
This was a predator, a giant D Rank one at that.
'Its stats are crazy, and it's a bear for God's sake. Even at E Rank, I would be fucked.'
This was the third predator he had faced: the Ulfen had been tough, the Owl Beast had caught him by surprise, but this was on an entirely different level.
No matter how much he had changed, he hadn't suddenly become an overpowered Titled.
'To S Ranks, this bear would be like an insect. Something they could kill with no effort, but to me...'
He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and start to lose his cool, but he quickly snapped out of it. There was no point feeling sorry for himself; no one was coming to save him.
'I have to figure it out, just like I always have.'
And that's when he heard it - a distant chorus of howls that his Ulfen-enhanced senses latched onto instantly.
'It's a pack of Ulfens or wolves or whatever the fuck.'
Ethan could feel it: a dozen presences moving through the forest with purpose.
Wolves are not exactly nocturnal either, but more crepuscular. They also often hunt at night, and Ulfens were close to wolves in every other way, so this made sense.
That's when a crazy idea sparked in his mind - a gamble that would either pay off exponentially or cost him his life.
'If I'm assimilated with Wolfy… even at the minor stage… maybe they'll think I'm one of them.'
It sounded insane.
But insane was all he had left.
With a groan, Ethan staggered to his feet and broke into a sprint, straight toward the howls. Then, guided by instinct, he threw his head back and forced a ragged, wolfish howl from his throat.
The sound was cracked and imperfect.
Under different circumstances, he would have laughed at himself, but for this, it did the job.
It carried, echoing in the forest and drawing the attention of surrounding beasts, including the pack he intended to call over.
He could almost feel them begin closing in on him quickly, not that he slowed down. Behind him, the bear followed, and that was enough to keep him running for his life.
But unnervingly, it was unhurried, curious, and confident.
That's when Ethan arrived at a clearing in the forest, one that was large and felt like it had been prepared as a stage for what was about to take place.
The clearing opened up suddenly.
Moonlight flooded down, and yellow eyes ignited the opposing darkness.
One.
Two.
Five.
A dozen Ulfens stepped from the shadows, their forms lean and scarred, fur bristling as they assessed the scene.
Their Beast Statuses hovered above their heads. Ethan skimmed over a couple to find that they were all E Rank. Their growth stages were also Prime or Mature, so their stats surpassed the Juvenile Ulfen he had faced initially.
Ethan was now in the centre of the clearing.
In front of him was the pack of Ulfens, and behind him was the Graveback Bear.
Silence stretched tight enough to snap.
He was blood-soaked and barely upright, his heart hammering like it wanted out of his chest. Meanwhile, his head swivelled between the bear and the pack, unsure whether they would team up and split his corpse or fight each other.
The answer became clear when one of the Ulfens, the largest among the already giant wolves, stepped forth and snarled.
But not at Ethan, at the bear.
Another followed.
And another.
The pack shifted, bodies spreading out instinctively, forming a loose ring around the ursine beast.
Ethan's eyes widened.
"…No way."
The Graveback Bear roared, and moments later, the clearing descended into chaos.
Ulfens darted in and out, snapping at the bear's legs, harrying it from every angle. They moved like a living organism: one feinted, another struck, a third retreated before the counterblow could land.
The bear swiped, claws tearing through air and fur alike, sending one wolf tumbling broken into the dirt. Another was the victim of its Bear Hug, crushed under its weight and squealing.
But for every wolf hit, two more replaced it.
They went for joints, for eyes, and for any openings that appeared, going for the kill on the beast as they fought in unison.
Meanwhile, the bear bellowed, furious and no longer amused.
Watching it made Ethan's skin crawl as he crept out of the way.
'It actually worked…'
He had sparked a miniature war through desperation and a crazy idea, but he had no plans of watching how it unfolded.
"I'd love to stick around, guys," Ethan muttered, clutching his side as pain flared again, "but I've really got to go."
His MP was draining fast, and the edges of Beast Assimilation were already fraying. The second it deactivated, he'd be nothing more than an injured human standing among enraged beasts.
As such, he turned and ran.
Behind him, roars and howls collided, the sounds of teeth and claws echoing through the forest. There was no way either side would come out unscathed, and whoever won would be weakened and distracted.
Hopefully, enough to forget about him.
Ethan didn't slow down until his lungs burned, but as he ran, one thought lingered, cold and sinking.
'This trial… really doesn't want me to live.'
And looking at the timer, he knew the night wasn't done with him just yet...