A Ranked Black Bear

Elon urged the other men to stay back as he went after the bear with Aiden. It was already getting dark at that point, yet it only seemed fun to Elon. Entering a forest to kill a bear felt just like going on a hunt, and even though the creatures in this world weren't just animals but beasts, Elon wasn't shaken at all.

"You should stay back, my king. I can singlehandedly kill the bear on my own," Aiden said as they walked.

"You're the one who's supposed to stay. I can tell you haven't entirely recovered from your injuries," Elon said.

"My king... I—"

"Elon," Elon interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Let's get to work, Aiden."

Elon didn't give the young man a chance to say another word and went straight into the forest. Aiden had no choice but to follow him...

At least, even though Elon refused to stay back and let him fight the bear alone, Aiden would be there to support him.

Although it wasn't completely dark, the dense canopy of trees made the forest shadowy. Luckily, they had brought two wooden torches with them, allowing them to see almost clearly.

"We don't even know where exactly the bear is... That could be troubling," Elon muttered, but Aiden caught every word.

"Bears are known for liking peaceful areas, cold ones to be precise," Aiden stated.

"I know, right? But we have no idea where's peaceful here," Elon said, hesitating.

"I... I can guess where we might find it. That way, we might not come across any other beasts on the way. Most creatures here fear the Black Bear, so they wouldn't reside anywhere close to its territory," Aiden explained.

"I see... Let's follow your lead, then."

They both progressed further, with Aiden leading the way this time. They stayed completely alert, ready to detect danger from any direction. To be honest, Elon didn't want to encounter any beasts — not because he feared fighting them, but because it would waste valuable time.

Fortunately, they didn't face any problems until they finally reached their destination.

After reaching a quiet spot in the forest, where a large stream flowed, they finally found the bear. It was lying near the water's edge, its massive body resting in what seemed like a peaceful slumber.

"Fucker," Elon muttered the moment he spotted the bear.

Although the bear might not have heard his voice, the light from their torches was enough to rouse it.

RRRRR...

Suddenly, the bear, which they thought was sleeping, stood up at once. Its gigantic body towered over them as it threw bloody stares at the two men standing just meters away.

"Stay here, Elon. I'll go kill it," Aiden said and attempted to charge at the bear.

However, Elon grabbed him back before he could take a second step.

"Come on... We have a bloody shooter here. Watch me blow its head off," Elon said, quickly positioning the AK-47.

Without wasting a second, he racked a round...

CLACK!

DAK-DAK-DAK-DAK...

He fired madly at the bear, which suddenly began charging at them. Somehow, the bear dodged all the shots, its massive body moving with unnatural agility as it avoided each bullet.

It was as if the bear possessed some kind of power that granted it heightened reflexes, but Elon was still stunned that such a huge creature could be so fast.

'Insane agility... Fuck!'

Elon cursed inwardly but kept shooting. This time, the bear was already much closer, and when it got near enough, it almost landed a devastating slam on them. Elon and Aiden barely escaped, falling to different sides to avoid the deadly attack.

"Crap!"

RRRRR!!!

DAK-DAK-DAK-DAK!

__________

**[Warning: You are out of bullets]**

"Reload the fucking magazine!"

__________

**[Reloading...]**

**[Reloaded.]**

__________

Before Elon could make another attempt to shoot, the bear had already closed the distance. It swiped its massive claws at Elon, those razor-sharp talons capable of tearing through flesh in one go, only inches from his chest.

Elon's eyes widened as he saw death rushing toward him.

But just as he instinctively shut his eyes, a loud bang echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of a heavy body crashing to the ground.

Elon opened his eyes to see Aiden standing in front of him, extending a hand to help him up.

"Get up, my king," Aiden said.

Elon stood, his eyes still filled with shock.

"What did you do?" he asked, staring at the bear struggling to get back up.

"The First Beam of Destruction, my king... Elon," Aiden responded.

Elon suddenly recalled that term. It was the Arcane Art Aiden had mastered in Fyn, a kingdom in the north of the Althera Empire.

There were two reasons why Aiden had wanted to learn Arcane Magic...

First, because mana could be easily negated by Negators whenever a mage was around them. Arcane Magic, on the other hand, didn't require mana at all.

Second, mana could be exhausted after prolonged use, leaving a mage vulnerable. But with Arcane Magic, that exhaustion wasn't a factor — and against a Negator, magic wouldn't work anyway.

Unfortunately, the bear wasn't dead.

It rose again after a moment of struggling, and this time, it attacked with even more ferocity, despite its injuries.

But now that the bear was wounded and wouldn't try dodging, Elon seized the opportunity.

DAK-DAK-DAK-DAK-DAK!

Five bullets hit the bear — straight to the head and heart. The creature had no choice but to succumb to the overwhelming force of death, collapsing with a thunderous bang.

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[—A Ranked Bear Killed, nice one, host—]

Brienne praised.

__________

**[The MC Aiden Skyborne is stunned by how you blew the bear's head off with three straight shots, terrified by the gunshot sound. His respect for you has grown.]**

**[You have gained 200 Approval Points.]**

**[Approval Points In Store: 278.]**

__________

"Come on, it's dead. Let's head out," Elon said, trying to snap Aiden out of his astonishment.

Aiden might have been deeply amazed by the power of a bullet, but Elon was equally impressed by the Beams of Destruction spell. Aiden had been suffering from low self-esteem after losing to Xaven, but Elon knew he was still one of the strongest warriors in the Althera Empire.

Sooner or later, Elon would have to counsel Aiden back to his full strength. But for now...

"Let the work continue!"