Chapter 6: First Request Quest 3
■First Request Quest 3
I thought finding the bear itself was going to be a challenging job, but the giant bear was found immediately afterward. I even noticed it right away. Because from the area where the crossroad, it's shadowed shown immediately, I could hear the sound of rubble collapsing and the screams of people and horses.
Bearded Guy immediately rushed to the scene to assess the situation. As I followed the suit, keeping an eye on the surroundings while the Bearded Guy dealt with the giant bear. If any other monsters approached, I was prepared to engage with them.
Lidell and I would only be a hindrance if we join in combat against the giant bear, so it would be more beneficial for us to remain vigilant and repel any unnecessary monsters in the vicinity.
"What is that creature over there?"
Bearded Guy said with confusion. The others seemed to agree, but I couldn't immediately tell what they were questioning.
It was my first time seeing a giant bear. But considering it was described as "giant," it must be a massive bear. In my memory, the largest brown bears stood at around three meters when standing upright. The monsters in this world tend to be larger than the animals, I'm familiar with, so I imagined it to be around four meters. However, the giant bear in front of me was a bit bigger than I had imagined, about five meters or so, but well I guess it's bit abnormal... To me.
Based on my past experiences, I had mentally prepared myself through visualization exercises so that I wouldn't be startled and immobilized upon encountering this kind of situation. Fortunately, I was quite familiar with bears, including those at the zoo, and its scale didn't differ much from what I remembered as a child... Well, considering that I've grown bigger myself, it should be monstrously huge, but not to the extent of covering the sky.
"Is that the bigger one?" Bearded Guy asked to confirm what had surprised him, just to be sure.
"It's not just big, it's twice sizes bigger than we expected. This is completely different!"
"Should we run!?"
As they said that, fear started creeping in. If even the bear-like Bearded Guy were surprised, it must be considerably powerful. Perhaps I had been too complacent, relying on the number of party members. Upon closer reflection, I couldn't imagine withstanding a swing of its arm.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine. I couldn't help but recall the tragedy of that night—the aftermath of its claws that can even tore through armor...
"No... Let's run, Bearded Guy."
If it's different from the requested task, there's no need to push ourselves. There's nothing to gain from dying. While it's unfortunate for those who would be attacked, ultimately it's someone else's problem. First and foremost, I must choose to survive. It may leave a bitter taste, but I don't want to die either.
"No, we'll manage somehow. But this is unexpected. The four of us will handle it, so You, Magician and Noble Boy, stay back. If any of us fall, don't hesitate to run, as you won't be of any help anyway. It's better to run and call for reinforcements."
"Are you sure about this?"
"If Cloyd's magic hits, we can defeat it!"
I should listen to the opinion of the veteran here. The words "defeat it" helped alleviate some of the growing fear. After all, I've only been an adventurer for a month. It's probably best to follow the order of Bearded Guy, who has been doing this for ten years.
"Understood. If it seems impossible, please run away!"
As a precaution, I readied my bow and moved away from the combat area with Lidell.
By the time we rushed to the scene, the giant bear had pulverized the carriage with a swing of its arm and then struck the two horses attached to the carriage with another swing, sending them flying.
Can we really handle that!?
The horse directly hit by the blow scattered its entrails in the air and was blown away, while the other horse was thrashing around with a broken leg, writhing on the ground.
Near the carriage, the driver lay on the ground, bleeding from the head. The amount of blood was so significant that it seemed impossible for him to alive.
Further ahead, a man and a young girl were hiding, as if seeking shelter behind the broken cart. Both of them seemed terrified, desperately trying to conceal themselves. The girl had a hood covering her head, making it impossible to see her expression, but her body seemed huddled and she crawled, hiding in the shadow of the carriage.
It was only natural. Even I, who had been hunting monsters for some time, found this terrifying—!
"Lidell, look over there!"
I pointed to one side of the forest in a frantic manner and called out to Lidell.
I had hoped to rescue the two if there was an opportunity, but just as I did, another giant bear emerged from the forest.
The second giant bear appeared about twice sizes smaller than the first one. The request for subjugation had come from the guild for this one, and it seemed like the bear that Bearded Guy facing was an unexpected monster. Such a question crossed my mind.
"There's another one!?"
Lidell expressed concern about the worsening situation. Even though it was smaller, it was still a giant bear. It didn't seem favorable for the two giant bears to converge while Bear Beard and the others were dealing with the first one. Bear Beard also appeared to be fully occupied with the first giant bear.
This is bad. Should Lidell and I take on the smaller giant bear ourselves, or should we retreat...? Bearded Guy and the others don't seem to be in a situation where retreat is an option. If we expose our backs in the midst of this evenly matched battle, the tide could quickly turn against us.
"Akito, we can't let that giant bear join the others. Even if we can't defeat it, let's keep its attention here until the other side bear is dealt with," Lidell said.
Lidell also believed that the new giant bear should not be allowed to join Bearded Guy's battle.
"We'll keep its attention, but don't push yourself too hard! If Lidell and I can successfully divert the attention of the giant bear, that would be enough," I responded.
In the meantime, the giant bear continued to attack the two individuals hiding behind the carriage.
"Y-You'll be the decoy!"
The man who was hiding behind the carriage abandoned the girl and ran away. The girl also tried to escape, but she suddenly clutched her throat and crouched down in fear. For a brief moment, her hood flipped back, revealing her face.
"Louise!?"
Why is she here!?
It became clear that the giant bear captured the fleeing man with its fierce gaze and then went after Louise, who remained behind.
"H-Help me! I'll repay you!!" Louise scream.
While Louise was crouching, the man ran towards us on his own. I couldn't just ignore him. But more importantly, I had to save Louise!
"Is the slave mark affecting her? She can't escape!" Lidell exclaimed in an unusual angry tone. I didn't understand what the slave mark was, but if Louise couldn't escape, we had no choice but to divert the giant bear's attention to us.
"I'll draw the giant bear's attention!"
I pulled back my bowstring, aimed at the giant bear.
Due to the large target, the arrow hit the giant bear's right shoulder without missing. However, it was far away, and it probably didn't cause much damage.
Nevertheless, I managed to get its attention. I shot two more arrows in quick succession. Both arrows aimed at the torso hit the chest and arm without missing.
"Akito, it's coming!"
The giant bear let out a roar of anger. Just hearing it sent shivers down my spine, and I reacted a bit late.
"!?"
The giant bear, its anger revealed, changed its target to me and dashed towards me with astonishing speed.
I tried to regain my composure and ran towards a large tree nearby, intending to use it as a shield, but it seemed like I was about to be caught before reaching it.
How can it be so fast despite its massive size!
"Ha!"
Lidell struck the side of the giant bear's face with her shield from the side. The giant bear, angered by its target being disrupted, now shifted its focus to Lidell.
The giant bear's attacks were monotonous, swinging its log-like arms. But if I were to take a direct hit, I would be sent flying along with my shield. Even a simple mass-based attack was a threat to humans.
Furthermore, its claws were unnaturally sharp. When it attacked the horse earlier, it tore through flesh with those claws.
"Akito, create distance!"
"Y-Yeah!"
We created distance from the giant bear, timing it when it stood up and swung both of its arms. It was clear that engaging in close combat would be a mistake.
However, the giant bear closed the distance once again with a dash on us.
Lidell stopped and raised her shield as the giant bear lifted its upper body and swung its right hand down, putting its weight into the attack.
Lidell managed to deflect the charge of the ferocious bear, but the powerful claws continued to shred her shield to pieces.
"Akito! It won't last much longer!"
"We need to do something! Hold on just a little longer!"
The bow wouldn't be able to deliver a fatal blow to the giant bear, and even magical bullets wouldn't be effective in restraining it. While Lidell defended against the bear's attack with her shield, I quickly switched my bow to a sword grip and moved towards the bear's right hand.
As I saw Lidell's shield shatter, I aimed for the giant bear's extended arm and swung down with all my strength, channeling my Enhanced Body ability.
"Haa!"
It was almost a desperate move, but I was in a state of heightened tension, which allowed me to control my magical power exceptionally well.
However, the strike, intended to sever its arm, only managed to cut through about half of its upper arm before hitting the bone stopping the blade to cut through.
"It's shallow!?"
"No, Akito, it's enough! Don't push it any further!"
Unexpectedly, the giant bear stood up on its hind legs and let out a roar, whether it was due to the unexpected pain or its anger.
My body tremble out of fear, reacted to the monstrous roar, and taking advantage of the moment when the bear's movement paused, Lidell swiftly moved around to the bear's left side and struck its hind leg.
The giant bear couldn't bear it any longer and decided to run away, but due to the pain in its right arm and leg, its posture collapsed, and it fell to the ground.
"Akito, go to the opposite side!"
"Y-Yeah!"
Snapping back to attention at Lidell's voice, I seized the opportunity to face the giant bear, positioned on the opposite side.
Unable to use its right hand, the giant bear tried to stand up while maintaining balance with its left hand. However, with the damage inflicted on its leg by Lidell's attack, it was unable to stand properly. Nevertheless, as if it were a wounded beast, the giant bear became even more aggressive.
Since it couldn't attack with both hands, it started thrashing its head, attempting to bite. Each time it approached, Lidell and I struck at its face.
It didn't seem like we could afford to let our guard down. I felt that by continuing our attacks, we were maintaining the current state of the battle. Lidell probably felt the same way.
"Akito, don't get too close!"
"I know!"
I dodged the bear's swiping arm by rolling away and immediately stood up, keeping it in my line of sight. I couldn't afford to take my eyes off it. If I did, I would be attacked from behind in an instant, controlled by that fear.
I had never faced such a formidable opponent before. Yet, the fear was compelling me to maintain the current situation. I didn't feel like I could escape, even from a wounded giant bear.
"!?"
I evaded the bear's attempt to bite me by rolling once again. I had no room to gracefully dodge its attacks!
"Akito! Don't stay too far from me, or you'll be cornered!"
Rolling around had created some distance between Lidell and me. As the giant bear was momentarily distracted by Lidell, I closed the gap.
"Lidell, aim for its eyes!"
In response, Lidell's sword aimed for the bear's eyes, but its violent thrashing made it difficult to find a precise target.
"Waahh!!"
"Don't push yourself! Just avoid its attacks!"
In one of the attacks, Lidell's sword hit the bear's right eye, temporarily blinding it.
With its right eye compromised, the giant bear shifted its focus to Lidell using its left eye, but I didn't miss that opportunity.
Fortunately, or rather, instinctively, I had always attacked by capitalizing on the openings Lidell created during our hunts. This time was no different, and my body moved almost reflexively.
"Hah!"
Just like when I attempted to sever its arm, I struck with a powerful blow from above to the exposed right side of the giant bear's neck.
The impact of the attack was palpable, as it sank into the flesh, but it didn't manage to sever the thick muscles enveloping its neck.
Nevertheless, whether I had cut an artery or not, the giant bear thrashed about, splattering load amounts of blood from its neck.
"Dodge, Akito!"
"!?"
In desperation, the bear swung its arm, narrowly passing above my bent head. The mere graze of its arm was enough to blur my vision with its tremendous impact. With my vision impaired, I relied solely on survival instinct and rolled backward to create distance. Its shadow passed in front of me, and I felt a strong impact against my chest, but there was no pain.
The giant bear continued to thrash about, as if in its final struggle, but I saw Lidell seize the opportunity and pierce its heart with her sword.
However, the giant bear continued to thrash about.
Unable to endure any longer, Lidell released his sword and distanced himself, observing the situation. After a while, whether due to massive blood loss or for some other reason, the bear collapsed and stopped moving.
Lidell created an opening for defense, and I seized the opportunity to strike, while Lidell delivered the finishing blow. This flow of battle can be considered the very essence of our hunting style up until now.
"That was close." "That was close." Lidell and I said the same sentence.
Although we hadn't sustained any direct hits, considering the possibility of being killed with a single blow, we couldn't say that the victory came easily.
After all, we were in a bad state. Lidell had lost his shield, and my leather armor bore clear claw marks, torn and tattered. Additionally, due to rolling around, my body was aching from bruises. It was far from safe or unscathed.
In hindsight, the crucial point was the injury to my arm. If I had made a mistake there, Lidell without his shield and myself relying on it, the two of us might not have been able to win.
"What about the Bearded Guy?"
We couldn't afford to let our guard down. The battle was still ongoing.
Although I was concerned about Louise, fortunately, she didn't appear to have suffered any serious injuries, despite showing signs of fear.
"They're still fighting. It seems they're not having an easy time either," Lidell indicated.
The direction she pointed to revealed that the battle was still raging on.
As a precaution, we readied our swords and observed the fight between the bear fangs. If their formation were to crumble, we would have no choice but to intervene before the situation became critical. Escaping would likely be more difficult.
The giant bear and Bearded Guy were facing seemed to boast nearly doubling the hardship compared to the one we had fought. However, the attacks themselves were similar, swinging their forearms and occasionally lunging to bite. The smaller giant bear seemed to be faster in terms of speed. However, the power of its attacks was incomparable. A single strike from the giant bear snapped a tree with a trunk diameter of about 30 centimeters.
But Bearded Guy and Marcus, skillfully dodged the giant bear's attacks and dealt damage with Nicholas's bow and Cloyd's magic.
Immediately after Bearded Guy and Marcus distanced themselves from the giant bear, a fireball with a diameter of about 30 centimeters manifested above Cloyd's head and then flew towards the giant bear's eye. It struck true, piercing the giant bear and causing flames in its body. The scent of burning fur and the sound of agonizing screams filled the forest. The giant bear fell with such force that it seemed as if a minor earthquake happened.
After observing the situation for a while, the bear fangs, having finally seen the motionless giant bear, lowered their weapons and collapsed on the spot to catch their breath.
"I didn't want to roast it to a crisp if I could avoid it, I will take the fur, but we didn't have good choices that time, so there was no helping it," Nicholas with his bow looked a bit disappointed, but Cloyd's reasoning was solid, so there was nothing to be done about it.
Bearded Guy and Marcus, who took on the role of frontline defenders against the giant bear's attacks, had suffered minor injuries, but fortunately, nothing serious.
"You did well, even as a shaved-headed magician and noble guy. If that other giant bear had attacked us from behind, we would have been wiped out for sure," Bearded Guy said.
"Yeah, thanks to you, we made it," I replied.
Bearded Guy and Marcus, as frontline fighters against the giant bear, must have felt a great deal of pressure.
"Just distracting it would have been enough to help us, but I'm surprised you two managed to defeat it," said Nicholas.
"Normally, it's not the kind of monster that novice adventurers can defeat. From what I could see during the occasional glimpses of the fight, the two of you had excellent coordination," added Cloyd.
Nicholas and Cloyd seemed unable to hide their surprise. It was only natural since we ourselves were astonished. Let's not mention that we were trapped in a situation where if we couldn't defeat it, we would definitely die.
Chapter 6: 3/3 End
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