Chapter 21: The Lightning Misses, As Expected
Of course, Rapi's lightning magic missed its mark. The bear, towering over five meters tall, didn't have a single scratch on it. But that was fine. The bolts of lightning hadn't hit the bear directly, but they'd affected its surroundings. The druidic natural forces gripping my body were neutralized and scattered by the electricity.
Unlike me, the bear hadn't prepared itself, so it took the full glare of the lightning straight to its eyes. I'd signaled Rapi the moment before, and I'd already closed mine.
"Urk—!"
Spilvena clutched its eyes with its massive paws and slumped down. I charged straight at it.
Crack—! Boom—!
The ground split and heaved upward. Stone formed a spherical barrier around the bear—a testament to the druid's experience. Even after two ambushes, it swiftly deployed its ritual.
"Too late, you big bear bastard."
I recreated my Swiftness trait using only mana control. Crunch—! I stomped down on the rising earth. At the same time, I channeled the compressed mana I'd gathered from using and recovering my aura blade into my legs. My muscles tightened, mana coiling like a spring. I released the fully compressed mana and muscle power in a single explosive kick forward.
"Wha...!?"
I shattered through the waves of stone encasing the bear. One leap brought me right up close—close enough to feel its breath. The bear's mouth gaped open in panic, and a foul, bloody stench wafted from it.
I slashed. I poured my charging momentum into the blade. I focused the faint starlight into a single point.
Flash Thunder.
"...!"
My body, airborne, passed the bear and landed on the ground. I shook off my sword to release the force. At the same moment, a vertical line appeared on Spilvena.
Shlick—! Thud—!
The bear's body split clean in half and collapsed with a wet splat. Blood from the massive beast soaked the earth.
"Evan...!"
Rapi came running, tears streaming down her face.
"I never imagined... I really never imagined the branch chief would eat everyone. I didn't believe you when you told me, Evan..."
Unlike Anna, who was barely an acquaintance, Spilvena had been close to Rapi. The sting of betrayal must have hit her harder. I patted the head of the weeping girl.
Just moments ago, when she'd seen the corpse with only its lower half intact, Rapi had dry-heaved. I'd calmed her with a mana-infused hand and used a minor trick. Telling Rapi that Spilvena was the traitor—while sticking close to the bear—had been done with that same minor technique.
It was a skill I'd developed for fighting the Abyss in soundless zones: a blend of bone conduction and telepathy. Vibrating mana to produce sound audible only to a touched target. I'd told her not to freak out and to listen. That the bear seemed like a traitor, with evidence to check.
"Just like you said, Evan... there was blood on the branch chief's teeth."
"And you smelled the blood stench through the beastly musk, right?"
"Yes... I used the staff's crystal to cleanse the mana, and faintly but clearly, I caught the scent of blood."
The bear had tried washing away the blood smell, but I'd rolled in blood-soaked battlefields for too long. My body instinctively picked it up without conscious effort.
Of course, blood scent alone didn't prove betrayal. But Spilvena had plenty of suspicious signs.
First, Amon's first wife was from Spilvena's tribe. During the three-day prep for the Shadow Forest search, I'd scoured the city. No other druids or tribal remnants in Rimhold besides Spilvena. Merchants said there had been some, but they'd all vanished at some point.
Second, I'd recognized the energy from the Abyss spawn we faced when Anna betrayed us. She'd called it a mage, but that maggot used natural forces, not mana. No wonder its soul stayed intact despite devouring so many—it must've been druidic natural power and soul rites.
I'd initially thought the maggot was Spilvena. But no. The Spilvena I saw back in Rimhold was unscathed. Even a druid boosted by Abyss power couldn't heal a wound from a demon-sealing blade that fast. I'd dismissed my suspicions, chalking it up to heightened nerves.
But seeing the half-eaten corpse and the bear's reaction confirmed it. The bastard had unconsciously licked its lips. And in its disrupted natural forces, I sensed faint Abyss energy. A gap others might miss—it had wrapped it in natural power to hide. But after dealing with the Abyss so long, I was a pro at detecting that vile mana.
"Professor said she had a friend in Rimhold and even wrote a letter of introduction..."
Rapi babbled through her tears, a mix of anger and grief. She wasn't mad about being fooled herself, but about her mentor being deceived.
Comforting her wasn't a bad idea, but it wasn't over yet.
"Rapi, calm down and raise your staff again."
"...Pardon?"
I shoved the bewildered girl behind me, sheathed my sword, and drew my spear. I jabbed the halved bear corpse.
"Evan...?"
"A guy who ate at least twice as much as that wood-tentacle freak wouldn't go down this easy."
Even a half-baked Abyss spawn had used druidic natural forces to devour life mana.
"And this bear bastard's on a higher level than that one."
"N-No way—!"
Crunch—!
From the severed cross-section of Spilvena, massive teeth erupted in a cluster. Blackened fangs larger and fiercer than the wood-tentacle user's, brimming with far greater power. The blood soaking the ground turned black. The eerie blood flowed back to its owner.
Slither...! Chomp—! Chomp—!
The huge teeth devoured the blood, the earth, even the air. As if time rewound, the massive bear restored itself and rose. Its shrewd druidic yellow eyes vanished, replaced by the emotionless glow of Abyss-tainted eyes.
"Heh heh heh...! How long have you known?"
The bear rolled its neck and grinned wide, fangs gleaming. It had gorged more life mana during recovery—its already huge form swelled even larger.
This thing's a legit vampire bear now, isn't it? No bombs prepped. Catching it would be a pain.
"Since you were in your mom's belly."
I thrust my spear hand forward while pulling a dagger from inventory and hurling it. Thunk—!
"Such foul language. Mortals are always like this."
Spilvena ignored the metal piercing its flesh. It eyed us with amusement. I'd expended most of my mana, so no aura blade. Even sharpened mana barely fazed it. The bear lounged casually despite the mana churning its insides.
"You crazy monster bear, how many'd you eat?"
Teeth blocked the spear and dagger at the wound, endlessly munching the infused mana. The Swallower's power emanating from Spilvena felt akin to the true Swallower.
Crunch—!
Its teeth devoured not just mana but the weapons. I planted a foot on the bear's swollen belly and backflipped away. Even in that brief clash, it hadn't counterattacked. Just observed me leisurely.
"Hmm... As expected of Hero Evan. Normal folk tremble and lose will at Abyss mana exposure. You're different."
"You know me? Been a while. Want an autograph?"
Its adventurer guild act had fooled me. Impressive thespian of a bear.
"Keh heh heh heh. I burned the Great Forest and freed the tribes—how could I not know, as chieftain? I've even watched you fight from afar a few times, Hero."
"Fucking stalker bear."
It spoke casually, but the situation was dire. I'd burned through mana recreating aura blade and traits. I could force one more, but it'd revive via Swallower's power. Attrition favored it overwhelmingly. Magic would just feed it—Rapi's spells would empower the bear.
Hard to take it down now. Hell, it might eat us instead.
But.
"Come at me, bear bastard. I'll show you a hero's power."
"..."
It didn't know I was weakened. Proof: it wasn't rushing in. Recalling my old fights, no doubt. A few clashes, and it'd notice. But for now, the info gap was my edge.
In this standoff, I endlessly pondered battle tactics. Aura blade sustain: about 1.3 seconds. Like before, requiring simultaneous mana compression and circulation. A body-wrecking method. With status window restricted, butchering this thing meant pushing further.
Form 1.3-second aura blade in 0.2-second bursts. Endless compression-circulation to shred the body in one go.
Click—!
Five daggers in my left hand, slipped between fingers. Iron mace in right, for pulverizing hide.
"Time to carve you up."
I crouched into a sprint stance, muscles primed to launch anytime.
"No, stand down."
Spilvena crossed its arms. Closed its soulless eyes. Infusing Abyss waves laced with natural power.
What bullshit is this?
"I decide when to stand down."
"Heh heh heh... Truly heroic. But no reason for me to fight a hero head-on like a fool."
The crazy bear planned to flee. I compressed and circulated mana to blood-reversal limits. Starlight aura blade beaded like dew on the daggers. I hurled them the instant it coated.
"Hmph—!"
The bear scoffed, uncrossed arms, and clapped hands. Stone pillars erupted faster than before. Crunch—!
The overforced daggers neutralized in one hit.
"Insane... Aura blade formation speed is monstrous. And wasting it on thrown weapons."
Spilvena shook its head.
"All the more reason not to tangle now. Keh heh heh heh."
The laughing bear clapped again. Rumble—!!! Roar—!
Blending Abyss mana with amplified natural forces—druidic arts? The ground quaked like an earthquake. Earth crumbled, massive tree roots surged, stone pillars blocked paths.
"Kyaaah—!! Evan!"
Rapi lost balance on the heaving ground and fell. I bolted to her without hesitation.
"Heh heh heh... Hero indeed. Knew you'd do that. But there's more."
Snap—!
The bear clapped behind me. Stones merged above falling Rapi. A boulder rivaling the bear's bulk plummeted toward her.
You mad bear fuck. Abyss-corrupted, it treated old bonds like trash.
"Hup—!"
I stowed the mace. Shattering it would still leave deadly shards. Drew my sword.
Racing to Rapi, but distance grew. The bear pushed my footing rock away. Shaking it off meant Flash Thunder again. Aura blade on daggers had already shortened sustain. Using now would cut it more.
Still, had to.
Once more, I focused aura blade's mana circulation not on sword but legs. Crunch—! Crack—!
"Guh... Fuck."
Base stats restricted overall. Two trait recreations tore muscles instantly. Calf bone snapped in half, jutting out. I bit my tongue to endure.
Stepped on the falling boulder and charged. Flash Thunder.
Slash—!
The massive rock halved. Two chunks plummeted to Rapi's sides. Boom—!
Dust billowed. A split-second later, and she'd have been crushed.
"Evan...!!"
I grabbed the tearful Rapi's hand. We were still falling. Hitting ground like this risked spinal damage. Pushing harder would tank my slim odds further. Time to borrow her power.
"Rapi—! Dump all your mana downward!!"
"Y-Yes—! Right away..!!"
Rapi struggled to aim her staff downward from my arms. Lightning crackled, blue mana surged. Ignoring ritual completion, she blasted lightning magic hastily at the sharp rocks below.
Boom—!
"Keh heh heh!! Not today, Hero. Eat everyone else first, then we settle it."
Its clear voice pierced my ears amid the lightning. The bear was already fleeing far off.
That bear fucker... I'll kill you myself.