Golden Clawed Giant Bear

Ryan thought to himself, "Since things have come to this, there's no turning back. Sometimes, having no choice might just be the best option."

As he glanced at the fading light of the sky, Ryan knew he had to find shelter for him and the mute girl for the night—he didn't want to spend another evening out in the forest.

Following Silver Moon's guidance, the two of them made their way to a cave. Though dimly lit, the entrance was hidden well, providing an excellent place to hide. With that, they settled down in the Demon Beast Forest.

Time passed unnoticed. Over the course of a year, in a small ravine in the Demon Beast Forest's outskirts, a girl stood with her eyes closed, concentrating intently on something. Her long, blue hair floated in the air, and beside her stood a muscular young man with dark brown hair, silently observing her.

These two were Ryan and the mute girl. After a while, the mute girl slowly opened her eyes, pointed in a direction, and immediately began moving, with Ryan following close behind.

Ryan never expected that the mute girl, whom he had originally considered a burden, would become his eyes in the Demon Beast Forest.

Her sharp senses and keen insight left him slightly envious. It was thanks to her special abilities that their movements in the forest became much easier.

With the mute girl's guidance, they were able to avoid several hunting teams and powerful demon beasts.

Over time, the two developed a perfect synergy. The mute girl handled the scouting, while Ryan focused on hunting demon beasts. Before he knew it, Ryan had become quite a formidable fighter.

After about ten minutes, the mute girl slowed her pace and looked toward some grass near a large tree.

It seemed that something was wriggling in the grass. Ryan was about to signal for the mute girl to hold off and let him check, knowing that though she was perceptive, she lacked combat ability.

Before he could speak, the mute girl rushed forward, and just as Ryan was about to follow, he saw her pick up a small bird from the grass.

Its soft, colorful feathers covered its body, and its long tail was especially beautiful. Despite its appearance, it looked a bit lethargic, and there were traces of blood seeping from its wings—it seemed to be injured.

The mute girl held the bird to her chest, clearly delighted. Ryan could only smile helplessly, watching as this little girl had run so far for a bird, but seeing her happy, he didn't say anything.

The mute girl, holding the injured bird, turned toward Ryan. Just then, a shadow darted out from behind the tree and lunged at her.

The mute girl sensed the danger but couldn't react in time due to the short distance. Ryan was startled by the sudden attack. Without thinking, he dashed to the mute girl, pulling her aside just in time.

Before they could catch their breath, Ryan felt a sharp pain in his back. As he shielded the mute girl, a massive paw from the shadow struck him hard, the claws tearing through his cloak, and blood began to seep through.

Grimacing in pain, Ryan looked at the mute girl to see she was unharmed. He forced a smile and slowly got to his feet, fixing his gaze on the shadowy figure that had attacked them.

When he finally saw the beast clearly, his heart skipped a beat. It was a Golden Clawed Giant Bear.

The bear was black, with needle-like fur covering its entire body. It had massive golden claws, which is how it got its name. The Golden Clawed Giant Bear was a type of demon beast, known for its tremendous speed and strength. But what made it most terrifying was the golden claws, which could bypass defenses in battles of the same level.

Although this bear appeared to be young, it was still no less than a fifth-tier demon beast!

"Why would it be here, on the outskirts of the Demon Beast Forest?" Ryan wondered.

Before he could think any further, the Golden Clawed Giant Bear roared and charged at him.

Ryan's eyes sharpened, and with a flick of his wrist, a black dagger appeared in his hand. He dashed forward to meet the bear's golden claws.

The impact of the bear's claw against the dagger created a sharp, metallic clang.

Though Ryan managed to block the bear's attack, the force was so overwhelming that he was sent flying. His hand, still gripping the dagger, went numb from the shock.

The bear, not willing to give him a break, lunged again.

Having witnessed the bear's power, Ryan didn't dare face it head-on. Instead, he used his agility to dodge the bear's strikes.

However, he soon realized he had underestimated the bear's speed. Even though his movements had greatly improved over the past year, he was still barely able to keep up with the bear.

As time passed, Ryan felt his stamina starting to wane. He gritted his teeth, his body feeling heavy. "Looks like I'm not going to make it through this one…"

Ryan shouted at the motionless figure of the mute girl standing at a distance, "Mute girl, you need to leave now! Go back to the cave and wait for me. If I don't come back, just leave and never come back again. Find somewhere safe and live well."

But no matter what Ryan said, the mute girl didn't move, her eyes locked on his figure, clouded with a mist of emotion.

At that moment, the giant bear sensed Ryan's exhaustion, its speed slowing down as it became more persistent, roaring in fury. Its attacks became faster and sharper, forcing Ryan to struggle to keep up. He was struck by a massive paw, sent flying, and his dagger slipped from his hand. His chest was ripped open with three deep gashes, blood pouring from the wounds.

Seeing that Ryan had lost the ability to fight, the giant bear moved in for the kill.

Just as the bear's jaws opened wide to clamp down on Ryan's neck, it suddenly stopped.

The bear turned its confused gaze toward the mute girl, while Ryan also looked toward her, curious.

What he saw left him stunned. The mute girl was now hovering in mid-air, her long skirt swishing in the breeze, tears still visible on her face. Her blue hair stood on end like the mane of a wild lion, and she glared at the giant bear with fury.

Before Ryan could react, the mute girl swiftly picked up the fallen dagger with such speed that even Ryan couldn't follow her movements.

She then charged directly at the bear. For some unknown reason, the bear, sensing her fury, seemed startled and stepped back, momentarily ignoring Ryan in its fear.

The mute girl and the giant bear clashed, and though she had no combat experience, her berserk state allowed her to overpower the bear in speed and agility.

Her strange speed and fluid movements threw the bear off balance, and in just a few breaths, the bear's massive body was slashed with over ten deep cuts from the dagger, though none were fatal.

Ryan called out, "Mute girl, go for its eyes! Its eyes are the weakest part!"

The girl, now focused, darted in and out of the bear's massive form with ghost-like agility. She appeared in its blind spots or out of range of its attacks every time, her movements razor-sharp.

After a few exchanges, there was a cry of pain from the bear as the mute girl pierced one of its eyes. The bear, realizing the damage, tried to retreat.

But the mute girl wasn't going to let it escape. She flashed forward again and, in the blink of an eye, stabbed its other eye.

With both of its eyes destroyed, the giant bear had completely lost its fighting ability.

Ryan struggled to his feet, continuing, "Stab its heart. Don't let it get away."

He knew that giant bears like this usually lived in packs. If this one escaped, it could bring trouble. The demon beasts had an incredibly sharp sense of smell, and without preparation, they could be a dangerous threat.

The mute girl reversed her grip on the dagger, spun in front of the bear, and stabbed it directly into its heart. With that, the bear's massive body collapsed to the ground, its life extinguished.

Though the bear was down, the mute girl didn't stop. She continued stabbing the dagger into its chest, her rage undiminished.

Seeing the destruction she caused, Ryan couldn't help but mutter, "This girl is terrifying when she goes all out."

With the danger averted, Ryan waved his hand and stored the giant bear's body in the pendant around his neck. Now, only the mute girl remained, sitting on the ground, clutching her dagger.

Ryan rushed to her side, gently helping her to her feet. Once upright, she collapsed into his arms, crying.

Despite his own pain, Ryan softly stroked her hair and whispered, "Mute girl, thank you."

At his words, the mute girl shuddered, and her sobs grew louder.

Ryan comforted her, using the water element to clean up the area. He didn't want to leave any trace for other bears to follow.

Being naturally cautious, Ryan knew they couldn't stay here long. He spoke softly, "Mute girl, we should leave now to avoid attracting more bears."

The mute girl nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something. She ran toward the nearby bushes, picking up the injured little bird, before she joined Ryan to leave.

Back in the cave, the mute girl, exhausted from the battle, immediately collapsed and fell asleep.

Ryan didn't disturb her. Instead, he built a small fire and roasted some wild meat. He drank some medicinal wine from his pendant, reflecting that this was the worst injury he'd sustained since coming to the Demon Domain Forest.

As he sat by the fire, watching the mute girl sleep, Ryan couldn't help but think, "It seems Silver Moon didn't just ask me to save her because she was pitiful."

The mute girl's actions today had made Ryan realize that her background was far more complex than he had originally thought. The secrets she carried might be just as deep as his own.