From Behind
Black fur, four legs, and a snout right out of a horror movie. The Corrupted Bear has small veins of sickly dark pus dripping out of it's flank. It snarls so loud it feels like it's right in front of me. The beast paws at the ground, angrily rearing onto its back legs and then returns to all fours. The virus has just barely reached the brain and the resulting creature is a confused mess. However, as a creature exceeding Lvl. 7, it is exceedingly deadly and aggressive. Little tufts of dirt rise from the ground as it carves bloody furrows into the dirt with overly long claws. After infection, its deadliest traits have been enhanced and now the already massive claws of a normal bear have become dagger-like instruments. The beast has trouble even walking for its claws are so long they stick in the forest floor, but when it's this close, that's small consolation.
"Lin! What do we do?" Yin clutches my cleaver with a desperate panic. Standing by the fire, I stab the already smoldering branch inside until it ignites into a blazing torch! I toss it on the ground in front of us for light and then step between the terrified girl and the beast. It snuffles at the edge of the darkness, testing the light. The eyes are a clouded black. On a living creature it would probably be blind. But this is normal for the Corrupted. Before I have time to think, it charges!
"CRAP!" I shout, no longer able to keep my cool as a mountain of muscled infected flesh crashes across the path towards me. It's huge, and as a Lvl. 1 Hunter, far stronger than I am. Fortunately, the intelligence of bears is not terribly high to begin with. Placing the butt of my makeshift spear against the ground, I wrap both hands around the shaft and hold it steady, meeting the beasts charge! Foul wind washes over me as the terrifying snuffling grows closer and the distinct whoof of a bear's angered breathing.
Thud!
It rams into the spear and the thick wood bends back until I'm scared its going to break. My hands tremble. A mound of dirt rises as the base of the spear pushes against the ground. I use all my weight to push down on the shaft and keep it from turning as the bear rams into it. In the flickering light of the rapidly dying torch beside us, I see the beast's disfigured skull. My spear has penetrated the rotting fur on its chest with three prongs. It presses onwards, trying to pull itself onto the spear and reach me. Each of its paws are as thick as I am and bat at the shaft of the spear, causing loud thumps every time they hit. However, it's own giant weight and momentum are keeping the spear steady.
"Yin! Get the neck!" I scream. Even though the trunk of the tree I cut is thick, I doubt it can hold much longer. If this thing wasn't undead it would have just backed up and doubtless ripped the spear out of my hands. But fortunately, its inability to cherish its own life is causing it to continuously impale itself. "I don't know how long I can hold it!"
"On it!"
I see a slim figure dart past us. Praying that she can reach the neck of the tall creature, I do my best to keep it steady. She's fast. The stats of a Lvl. 3 Hunter have boosted all of her normal capabilities. In an instant she's beside the bear, just behind the paws.
Hack!
The butcher's knife flashes in the dying light as she brings it up and down on the Corrupted Bear's neck. However, it'd be more accurate to say that she swings it forwards, because the bear is so tall that she can't properly swing down. Without gravity on her side, her strike fails to sever its head.
GRAAAAWWRR!
The cleaver stops, buried a quarter of the way into its neck. A hideous roar echoes and the bear pushes sideways with a massive paw, sending Yin sprawling. When I see her go down, my vision turns red. Instantly, I lean into the spear with everything I have, trying to drive it into the bear's heart! Though it is infected, it is still a living being and suffers damage from having a wooden stake rammed into its chest!
"You piece of-!��� I let go of the shaft and roll sideways, going to Yin. She held onto my cleaver as she fell away. It's on the ground beside her trembling form, black blood staining the dull steel. Going to her, I examine her for injuries. There's a long bloody scrape on her arm but otherwise I think she's okay, just dazed. Ducking down, I take the cleaver from her. "You okay?"
"Ow…" She moans gently, but nods. I turn back to the creature which has managed to break the thick spear in half during its thrashing. Blood is spurting out of its chest and neck, but it is very much still alive. I help Yin to her feet, and grimace. This is going to be hard to do. The Corrupted Bear whines in pain, its breath sounding demonic as it rolls about. Finally, as the last of the spear is crushed under its massive weight, it also faces us. Yin reaches for the cleaver in my hand.
"Relax. It's not a bite wound. I'll protect you." I don't let go, shaking my head. "This is too dangerous. I didn't think it would be behind us. Just this one time, I'm going to make an exception and level up for you."
"Didn't you say that last time?" Yin's face looks a little less frightened as I stand tall. She draws the replica katana. "You're not very good at following your own rules."
"Heh." I grunt and rush forwards. There's no time to exchange more words, I can't let the bear recover. It watches me approach and lashes out blindly with a giant paw. Diving underneath, I roll to the right and try to get to the wound Yin made in its neck. My cleaver finds its way into the cut and I feel the hard boney plate of its last vertebra disk just above the spine.
Damnit!
Though I'm a finger's breadth from cutting into its spinal cord, the bone stops my blade just short. Then the bear swipes at me and I have to let go of the cleaver.
Too fast!