When the girl pulled her longsword from the ghoul's neck, the entire scene fell silent.
"What just happened?" a dismantler asked. "Wasn't she cornered in the ledge just a second ago?"
"I don't know, I didn't see it clearly. She seemed to just... pass through them suddenly."
"She's not dead? I thought for sure she was a goner..."
Then, a wave of thunderous cheering erupted from the crowd!
Xu Xiaoyou rubbed her aching shoulder and let her longsword hang low in her hand.
A few drops of crystalline sweat clung to the strands of hair near her ears. She shook her head gently and tied her loose hair back into a ponytail.
She remembered that previously, simply using Scatter and Bolt! had nearly exhausted her physical strength. But now, even after enduring a battle, she didn't feel any fatigue. She was in peak condition.
She surveyed her surroundings. After a long while, her gaze locked onto a figure on the high platform—the one who controlled the arena's stone gates.
Behind the floor-to-ceiling glass, that figure watched her with indifference.
"Is this enough to prove myself?" Xu Xiaoyou spoke.
Her voice was the only sound echoing through the space.
The figure didn't answer.
A moment later, three simultaneous rumbling sounds rang out.
Another stone gate opened.
From the darkness, the howl of a beast rolled out like thunder, vibrating through the air!
Xu Xiaoyou tightened her grip on her sword.
This was a roar she had only ever heard from the mouths of large apex predators.
It possessed immense piercing power, shaking the heavens and striking fear into the hearts of all animals, as if declaring ownership over its prey!
A massive creature, brownish-gray in color, slowly stepped out from the darkness. The moment she saw it, Xu Xiaoyou’s expression became incredibly grim.
Its broad, powerful paws left deep prints on the ground. Rancid drool dripped continuously from its stinking, cavernous mouth, and with every step, the flesh beneath its brownish-gray fur quivered.
This was a brown bear that had been starved for days, its aura radiating madness.
This wasn't a hetero-race of the animal type; it was a genuine, living bear!
Furthermore, it was covered in heavy alchemical armor. The crimson patterns on the armor were currently glowing, making it look like a war pet specifically designed to break enemy lines and slaughter.
Xu Xiaoyou couldn't fathom how these dismantlers had managed to get their hands on such a thing.
"Roar..."
Upon seeing the blonde girl, the brown bear’s breathing grew more frantic. Its paws scraped the ground repeatedly, leaving terrifying gouges in the stone. Hunger had driven away all reason; it couldn't wait to pounce and tear the person before it to shreds.
A dismantler sat on its back, holding a war spear high.
The crowd was screaming!
"Ichi!"
"It's Ichi!"
"Lovely Ichi! He's grown another size in just a few days!"
"Wooooo!"
The strength of a brown bear was immense. A single swipe from its paw could exert over sixteen hundred kilograms of force, easily shattering a prey’s spine or an adult’s skull.
Not to mention, the brown bear before her was significantly larger than any she knew of. It was nearly three meters long and likely weighed over a ton!
Even from her distance, it looked like a moving mountain.
She swallowed hard, keeping her eyes fixed on the beast.
While these omnivores usually avoided attacking humans proactively, playing dead in front of a starving brown bear was the height of stupidity.
Brown bears weren't like other large predators that would bite the throat and wait for the prey to suffocate before eating.
They would often disembowel their prey while it was still alive and feast on the organs.
She had absolutely no fondness for this species.
"Kill!"
The dismantler on the bear's back raised his spear and barked the command.
As the bear let out an ear-splitting roar, the second battle commenced.
Watching the massive figure approach, Xu Xiaoyou didn't try to face it head-on. Instead, she turned and sprinted toward a specific direction.
"ROAR!!"
After its paw swiped through empty air and its tempting prey fled, the bear was enraged. It roared and tossed its head, charging after Xu Xiaoyou with startling speed!
Xu Xiaoyou didn't look back.
The sound of the wind breaking behind her drew closer. She knew full well that her speed could never outrun a brown bear.
Just as the wind-whistling paw neared her head, she decisively activated Scatter and Bolt! once more. Her form split into countless shadows as she ducked, weaving perfectly through the gap under the bear's raised arm.
The bear’s reactions were incredibly sharp. The moment it realized its prey had dodged, it spun around and pounced again, its entire body descending like a mountain.
Xu Xiaoyou hadn't expected it to react so quickly. She hurriedly raised her longsword horizontally in front of her, hoping to block the swipe.
The disparity in their strength was extreme. Almost the instant they made contact, Xu Xiaoyou’s sword was bent under the pressure. She was sent flying, tumbling several times across the ground.
A piercing howl rang out like a death knell. Ignoring the ache that felt as if her body was falling apart, Xu Xiaoyou scrambled up, wiped the dust from her face with the back of her hand, and a skill card appeared at her fingertips.
She used another Scatter and Bolt! to put distance between herself and the bear.
This time, her body darted and flickered as she ran toward a stone pillar, leaping up and reaching the top in a few swift motions.
The pillar was nearly four meters high. Even if the brown bear stood on its hind legs, it wouldn't be able to reach her.
Just as she intended to pull out a stamina recovery card, the brown bear broke into an unsettling, human-like smile. A wave of unease immediately washed over Xu Xiaoyou.
That smile was like that of an evil spirit, sending chills down her spine.
The brown bear stood upright, wrapped its paws around the pillar, and suddenly lunged upward, climbing at an incredible speed!
"Forgot these things could climb trees," Xu Xiaoyou hissed.
Fire condensed in her palm as she kicked a nearby brazier down at the bear.
A massive cloud of hot ash showered the bear's face, and sparks flew into its eyes. The stinging pain caused it to roar in fury, its aura becoming even more manic as its climbing speed increased!
At the exact moment the bear reached the top of the pillar, Xu Xiaoyou leapt backward, violently hurling the Fireball Bombardment toward the beast's face!
The blazing sphere of fire struck the bear, but a large portion of the energy was absorbed by its alchemical armor.
It was as she suspected—an attack of this level couldn't harm this fellow; it only served to further incite its inner frenzy.
After landing, the bear stood tall and roared, unexpectedly bucking the dismantler off its back.
Shock flashed across the dismantler's face. He tried to raise his spear for protection, but the bear's massive paw had already descended, crushing his head instantly.
Listening to the gruesome sound of chewing echoing through the arena, Xu Xiaoyou gripped her sword tightly. She didn't take this opportunity to attack. Instead, she was counting silently in her mind, waiting for something.
After a long while, the brown bear raised its head again. Its wet muzzle was stained with blood, with half a section of intestine still hanging from its teeth. Blood and drool dripped down steadily.
"ROAR!!" it bellowed with all its might.
The roar, the girl's labored breathing, and the cheers all worked together to drive the atmosphere toward a fever pitch!
Rate on N.U.
