Chapter 2

Three days later.

"Well then, I'm off." Arscythe said after hanging the bow on his back.

"Take care, Ars." saying so, Isabella waved at him.

He looked at the peaceful sky as he entered the forest. The sun is already high. He had finished tending to the vegetable garden earlier this morning and had lunch too.

The forest was full of tall green trees and dense bushes good for a hiding spot. Plenty of mushrooms and wild grasses grew here. It was home for lots of wild animals, just perfect for hunting. However, it was getting harder and harder to hunt these days, with wild animals suddenly dwindling in numbers. Arscythe knew how to control his hunts. He knew better than anyone not to abuse the forest of its benefits.

As such, he moderated his hunts to once or twice a week. As long as they still have food stock left, he sometimes tried to lessen his consumption as much as he can. But the deer meat that he procured three days ago was almost consumed. Now it was time for him to hunt.

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Some time passed, and the sun is already setting.

Arscythe frowned as he still had not seen a single life ever since entering the forest. Not catching anything is normal in a hunter's daily life, but not seeing any life in the forest was not. It was bizarre. The forest was eerily silent the whole day, not even a cricket can be heard.

He contemplated for some time whether to continue hunting or not, but eventually chose the latter. Arscythe turned and walked towards his house.

Shortly after, he stopped. He can faintly smell the scent of metal. No, not metal. He knows this smell too well.

Blood.

A few meters away from him, he saw small pieces of flesh in a puddle of blood. He took a look at the surroundings, and noticing the quietness, he frowned. When he got close, he got a full picture of what it was.

It was a severed head of a boar. The body was nowhere to be found, and the decapitated head was missing some pieces, looking like a work of some vicious animal.

"What t--!?"

Suddenly, Arscythe jumped and rolled to the side. A big shadow immediately struck where he was just a moment ago. When he looked up, he got a clearer view of the shadow.

Its height is at least 3 meters tall while standing with two legs. 'It' has brawny arms and paws with sharpened claws, dripping with fresh blood. Its whole body was shining with a metallic luster and it was engraved by white patterns. With its eyes shining an ominous color of red, 'it' stared down on Arscythe. It was a giant metallic bear.

"What... "

[Guuoooooo!]

The giant metallic bear answered Arscythe's muttering with a loud roar. It raised its massive paws, casting a shadow on Arscythe. Seeing it, Arscythe snapped out of his daze and rolled to the side again. When the bear's paws finally struck down, barely missing Arscythe, its force created a small crater on the ground.

Arscythe quickly stood up, putting an arrow on the bowstring and fully tugging it. He shot the arrow to the bear's eyes. When shooting an animal that big, it's best to target its soft spots like eyes or mouth. The arrow hit the bear's right eye accurately, displaying Arscythe's accuracy.

However, the one that broke on impact was the arrow, not the eye. The bear only appeared more furious. It roared once again.

"Damn it!"

The bear dropped on all fours and charged towards Arscythe. Arscythe did not run. Instead, he threw the bow aside and readied his knife. You can't outrun a bear. Everyone knows that. Once you assumed that you can outrun a bear just because of its massive body, that's the moment you dug your own grave. Arscythe also doubted that he'll be safe up in the trees, as bears are natural climbers.

The bear stood up and swiped with its claws. Arscythe dodged to the side and went behind the bear. The metallic bear turned around but Arscythe was already stuck on his back like a fly. No matter how fast the bear turned around, Arscythe was already behind it.

Then, the bear suddenly raised its two paws and formed it like a hammer. It struck the ground hard, making the earth around him crack and quake. Arscythe, who was only a few meters behind its back, was swept by an aftershock and was thrown backward.

"Kuk! What the hell!" Arscythe groaned. Then, as if seeing a chance, he madly dashed towards the metallic bear. He jumped. Arscythe hugged the bear's neck like he's hugging his long lost lover. The bear got more furious and tried to shake Arscythe off. But the human on its back is sticking like glue to it.

Arscythe gritted his teeth. His whole body is aching but he ignored it. He raised his knife and stabbed the bear's neck continuously. He was appalled to see that it did not even leave a scratch. Then, he changed the target and stabbed its eye. It produced a cracking sound.

The knife blade fully went in, leaving only the hilt outside.

[Gurraaaaa!] The metallic bear shrieked. Not even this creature can endure a hit to the eyes.

Taking this chance while the bear was still distracted, Arscythe turned tail and ran. He knew he can't beat the bear. No matter what technique you use, under absolute power, everything else is useless. The metallic bear's defense is not something he can forcefully break. It might be different if he has something he can use that can pierce through the bear, but alas, he doesn't.

"Just… what is that creature?"

Arscythe muttered while panting. He just ran at full speed, disregarding everything. He can't kill it, he can't outrun it, but he can still hide from it. He can hide his smell by smearing mud on his body, and it is up to his luck if he can lose the bear. He can't head home yet, or else the bear will find Isabella too. He gritted his teeth as he turned behind to look.

Seeing no pursuer, he sighed in relief.

But as if mocking that relief, a figure appeared on his side. The metallic bear swiped its claws. Caught unprepared, Arscythe's right arm got fully separated from his body. The world slowed in his eyes as he watched his right arm flying across his vision. Then, he felt the pain. Extreme pain.

"Kuaaaaaaaaaa!"

Arscythe dropped to the ground as he screamed. He coughed up blood. The pain in losing his right arm made him temporarily lose his senses. He looked at the perpetrator. The metallic bear's expression looked like its laughing, mocking him. The metallic bear had the intelligence to know it had complete victory over its prey.

Arscythe bit his tongue to forcefully wake himself. He can't stand up. The metallic bear watched its food struggle.

Arscythe struggled to move. His vision was turning blurry. There was a strong urge inside him that wanted to just lie on the ground and rest. He wanted to rest for a bit and take a breath. But if he closes his eyes, he knows he might not be able to open it again.

Whenever his eyes closed, a face appeared in Arscythe's mind. A crying face that he can't forget. As if finding energy out of nowhere, Arscythe struggled to crawl away from the bear.

"I...can't die... can't..."

He muttered repeatedly. His consciousness was slowly fading away. He did not know how much time has passed or how far he got away; he just continued to drag his body as he left a trace of blood on the soil. He already lost feelings to his legs long ago.

Not noticing that he was heading to a cliff, he fell. The hill cliff was not too deep but it was steep. His body rolled like a log as he crashed to the ground.

"Kahak! KAhk...kuk..."

He coughed another mouthful of blood. He's losing too much blood, he knows it.

He might die here.

This place might be his graveyard.

When that thought came across his mind, Arscythe trembled. He was afraid. Not because of death, but because of leaving someone alone. If he dies now, the metallic bear might find his sister. When that moment comes, there was no need to think about what will happen next.

He doesn't want to see Isabella gets hurt. He can accept his death if he at least brought the bear down with him, but he can't even scratch its body, let alone kill it. Especially now that he only has one arm left.

As such, he refused to die.

He doesn't want it.

He doesn't want to die in this place.

If only he has a weapon that can damage the bear…

If only he has the strength to kill it…

He still has someone he needs to take care of.

Someone was waiting for him to go home.

"Isa...bella..."

A low growl came from not far away. The metallic bear was slowly crawling towards him.

Despair filled Arscythe as his body turned cold. He just laid there, desperately hoping.

At that moment, a white light entered his view. It showered him a warm light, and a temptation assaulted Arscythe to touch it.

He reached out his left hand to grab it. His muddy consciousness can still make out its appearance. It's a floating white cube.

The moment he touched it, a blinding light exploded. He finally lost consciousness.