Chapter 10: Bloody Battle
I belatedly clenched my fist tightly.
I had safely passed Hector’s test, but it was merely a stroke of luck.
‘I couldn’t even react……’
In fact, it was a natural result.
This side was a newbie, and that side was a top-tier knight.
Still, frustration welled up.
It was no different from having my nose cut while my eyes were open.
“……”
I tried hard to calm my mind.
It’s a problem that will be solved if I become stronger as soon as possible.
Just before leaving the family to head to the academy.
Jace had achieved victory in his sparring match with Hector.
This body had that much outstanding potential.
Then I should be able to do it too, by any means.
“Good. I’ll try anything.”
It was time to put in effort.
I decided to challenge the achievement I had been putting off.
[Emergency Quest]
[Hunt Target: Bear]
[Reward: Achievement Points +50,000]
A bear that boasts nuclear punches.
It’s not just a formidable opponent but extremely dangerous.
If I make a mistake, I might get taken down instead.
That’s precisely why it was worth challenging.
Just repeating training would only be an empty shell.
The difference between having real combat experience and not having it is tremendously significant.
The moment I awaken the sensation of crossing between life and death, I will be able to take one more step forward.
“……”
People who have grudges against Jace.
People who have expectations for Jace.
The difference between the two is opposite, but the method of dealing with them was the same.
Later, I’ll clash with the Demon King’s army.
It was wise to prepare in advance from now.
At minimum, I wanted to have the power to protect Seria.
As a man, I wanted to respond to the girl’s heart.
“So hurry up and come out!”
Searching for a bear across thirty thousand li.
My journey proceeded swiftly.
Since I had been hunting all along, finding traces wasn’t particularly difficult.
Heavy footprints…… no doubt about it.
I had finally entered the bear’s territory.
I calmly surveyed the surroundings.
I didn’t forget to secure an escape route just in case.
How long had I been walking?
Before I could even perceive something, my body reacted.
Sure enough.
A bear burst out from the bushes on the opposite side.
“KUEOONG!”
“……”
I thought it was a rather modest size for a bear.
But when it stood up on two legs, I felt a strong sense of intimidation.
What would drop if I caught the bear?
For some reason, only bear gallbladder came to mind.
That, that, that…… thing that looks like a red bean.
It would actually be completely different, but anyway, that’s it!
I drew my sword and held it straight up.
It was the moment when the battle of the century began.
*****
We often use the expression ‘stupid bear ,’ but.
Bears are surprisingly agile and can easily climb trees.
Not only are they strong, but they’re also fast.
More than anything else, I tried hard to grasp the creature’s movements.
Wow, look at those claws.
The moment I get hit properly, it would be straight to the afterlife.
So I focused on defense rather than offense.
“KRRRRR……”
It glared at me as if it would tear me apart.
Wild beasts don’t originally forgive intruders.
Even considering that point, it was excessively aggressive.
It charged at me relentlessly.
I was barely managing just by dodging.
Even in the midst of that, I occasionally thrust my sword in.
“……”
I had expected it, but it was indeed a difficult opponent.
Its hide was thick, so half-hearted counterattacks were useless.
That aside…….
Why is it so desperate?
The habits of wild beasts are mostly similar.
If superiority is certain, they pounce like lightning, but.
In cases like now where we’re evenly matched, they should step back slightly and look for openings…….
‘It’s charging at me as if it’s seen its mortal enemy……’
Could it mean that my existence is that threatening?
Because it was reckless, there were many opportunities to attack, but it was much more troublesome than expected.
Suddenly, my posture became disheveled.
I lost my balance due to the uneven ground.
“───!!”
Evasion was impossible.
I could barely manage to take a defensive stance.
In the end…….
I was pushed back with a SWOOSH by the bear ‘s front paw swipe.
Ah, I got hit in the bones!
It hurt terribly because I couldn’t absorb the impact.
I even sustained considerable injuries from the successive attacks.
If it weren’t for strengthening my body with Mana, chunks of flesh would have been torn off.
“……”
I hadn’t intended to, but as a result, I had underestimated the creature.
Now was not the time to be picky about means and methods.
[Currently Owned Points: 21,500 points]
[Strength Enhancement II]
[Required Achievement Points: 10,000 points]
[Agility Enhancement II]
[Required Achievement Points: 10,000 points]
I invested points without hesitation.
It felt like my abilities had increased by about 10%.
I hadn’t become strong enough to be completely different.
But in a close match, it was quite a meaningful figure.
I gripped the sword tightly and thrust it strongly.
The sensation of penetrating deeply…… soon blood gushed out.
Since I had switched to offense, my defense became relatively vulnerable.
I twisted my body with all my might, but I couldn’t completely evade.
Even though I concentrated Mana on my left arm, claw marks were clearly left.
Before I knew it, the brown bear had turned into a red bear.
My appearance probably wasn’t much different.
My heart was pounding.
I was excited as if adrenaline was being secreted.
My head was calm, but my body was heating up on its own.
While continuing the life-and-death bloody battle.
An unfamiliar sensation flowed from my body to the sword.
“───!!”
A rippling aura of light.
Though faint, it was definitely sword energy.
Indeed, nothing is as effective as real combat.
Bear , tsk. Just wait!
I’ll slice you up with this big and beautiful sword energy!
That was my intention, but…….
As if it had cleverly noticed, it showed its rear and fled.
I didn’t hastily pursue.
Since it was already prey I had caught, I was relaxed.
Right at that moment.
A small figure burst out from behind a large tree.
“……”
Daddy bear is fat.
Mommy bear is slim. Baby bear is so cute…….
I wasn’t sure about the first two lines, but.
The last line was revealed as a clear fact.
A cute and adorable baby bear.
Bear are cute when they’re cubs too.
The bear I was fighting with took a final battle stance in front of the baby bear.
“……”
Situation assessment complete.
I was enveloped in a displeasing mood.
You, don’t tell me…… were you a mother bear?
Oops! I unknowingly touched a child’s mother!
The expression seems a bit strange…….
Anyway, this revealed all the facts.
Now I understand why it was so desperate.
It had attacked me fiercely because it had a cub.
If I press forward like this, I can accomplish the quest, but…….
‘Ah. Let’s quit, let’s quit……’
How can I eliminate the mother in front of the cub?
There are things that must be protected in any situation.
When I put away my sword without regret, the system window displayed a message.
[Emergency Quest]
[Hunt Target: Bear]
[Reward: Achievement Points +50,000]
[If abandoned, re-challenge impossible]
Fine, fine.
I won’t take those measly points.
It was quite a significant amount of points, but.
With time and effort, I can sufficiently obtain them.
Just as I was thinking that, something absurd happened.
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Righteous Heart]
[Reward: Achievement Points +100,000 and 1 Free Exchange]
Huh? What the heck is this?
It seems the disease of randomly giving out rewards has struck again.
The points being double the original amount was surprising, but.
Including the exchange voucher, it was almost triple.
“……”
When something is being given out, it’s proper to accept it without questioning.
Indeed, people should live kindly and see what happens.
I stared intently at the mother bear.
Yes, it was a female…… Anyway, it was a splendid match.
Suddenly, I felt awkward.
This is completely…… like I barged into someone else’s house and caused a ruckus, isn’t it?
I should disappear quickly, if only out of embarrassment.
When I turned around and was about to take a step.
“KUEOONG!”
“……”
A bear even larger than the mother bear appeared.
Based on the circumstances, it was the father bear, and it was in a very angry state.
How dare you touch my wife? Just wait!
With that feeling, it attempted a front paw swipe.
I had no motivation to fight back at all.
I was the only sinner who had disturbed a family’s peace…….
Well, I had already gained a lot.
Achievement points and a free exchange voucher.
Most importantly, manifesting sword energy was the biggest gain.
There was no reason to risk my life fighting.
I swiftly escaped through the escape route I had secured in advance.
Sorry, guys…….
Actually, I’m also an innocent victim.
I just fell for the system window’s wicked temptation…….
So stop chasing and live happily!
*****
Seria couldn’t concentrate on her class.
Her attention was entirely focused on Jace.
‘I just need to endure a little longer……’
Only a few days left.
Soon the punishment would end and he would return to the academy.
Hero Academy had a tight schedule due to its nature.
Seria was especially busy because she belonged to the student council.
Still, she could make time to be with Jace.
“……”
Someone she had been closer to than family.
Someone who would become family before long.
For the girl, Jace’s existence couldn’t help but be special.
Should I go see him, or not?
The conflict was getting more intense.
Since they had been together since childhood, Seria could guess Jace’s psychology.
That he didn’t want to show himself because he was in a weakened state.
According to that, she should keep some distance for a while, but…….
‘But what can I do about wanting to see him?’
Perhaps because their bodies were apart.
She felt restless as if they should originally be one.
While understanding Jace’s feelings.
On the other hand, she wondered if it was necessary to go that far.
There are no perfect people in the world.
Jace was close to perfect, but he also had some lacking parts.
Though they were minor flaws, they were in a relationship that shared various secrets…….
When her thoughts reached him.
Seria, as always, diligently activated her happiness circuit.
‘Maybe he’ll be secretly happy if he sees my face?’
Eventually, the girl shook off her hesitation.
She wanted to become a support for her one and only lover.
And so she went to find Jace with light steps, but…….
“───!!”
My goodness…… his whole body is covered in blood.
Anyone would think he had a bloody battle with a bear.
Why are there so many wounds too…….
The girl’s heart ached to the point of being upset.
“What on earth happened…… I need to treat the wounds first.”
When she approached with big strides.
As if embarrassed to show such an unseemly sight, he awkwardly looked away.
How did someone she knew end up in this state?
“Don’t tell me you were attacked by a bear?”
“No, it’s the opposite. I was the one who attacked.”
“───??”
“It wasn’t as dangerous as I thought. So you can calm down.”
He continued speaking nonchalantly.
From that attitude, it seemed safe to feel relieved.
When I examined the wounds, they were at a level that would be fine if treated immediately.
Still, the trembling in my chest didn’t stop.
If he had weakened, he should have refrained from overexerting himself accordingly.
Instead, it seemed like he was pushing himself even harder than before.
“I need to wipe off the bloodstains first. If it’s uncomfortable to move, I’ll wash you.”
“───!!”
As if that wasn’t necessary.
He reached the lakeside with quick steps.
While Jace was washing with his upper body bare.
Seria stared blankly at that sight.
A body covered in wounds.
Somehow there wasn’t a single healthy spot.
Apart from being worried.
The girl’s heart became restless at her lover’s roughened atmosphere.
Should I say he had become more dependable?
At that sexiness, wicked thoughts naturally arose.
Since they were in an engaged relationship, it wasn’t embarrassing but rather natural…….
“Bear the pain and endure it.”
“───!!”
“You should have been careful from the start.”
I got irritated because he kept getting hurt.
Strength went into the hands applying medicine and wrapping bandages.
“Anyway, you defeated the bear, right?”
“Mm, I almost caught it but just let it go.”
“Why?”
“Because it had a cub.”
Even without the following explanation.
Seria could clearly understand the situation.
That warm humanity was one of Jace’s strengths.
Suddenly, the desire to hug him arose.
So she lightly wrapped her two arms around her lover’s neck.
This level of affectionate behavior wasn’t particularly significant.
His broad back welcomed Seria.
The girl gently closed her eyes in that familiar tranquility.
“You went through all that trouble but gained nothing.”
She gently scolded him.
He would probably laugh sheepishly and chuckle.
That’s what she expected, but Jace’s reaction was completely different.
“That’s not true. I gained quite a lot.”
Seria tilted her head.
He couldn’t be talking about experience.
No matter how strong a bear might be, it couldn’t compare to monsters.
Once, Jace had received a perfect score on his practical evaluation.
He had cleanly defeated an A-grade dangerous Ogre by himself.
The girl’s question was resolved in a form she really hadn’t expected.
“Though it’s still weak, I manifested sword energy.”
“Is, is that really true?”
He turned around and smiled broadly.
At that innocent smile, old memories came to mind.
When Jace first mastered sword energy, he had proudly shown off and declared confidently.
-I’ll protect you with this power. Forever.
How could she forget those sweet words?
It felt like she had returned to the past.
It was a needless worry.
With this, even a trace of anxiety completely disappeared.
A situation where she couldn’t contain her joy.
Seria boldly raised the level of her affectionate behavior.
“───!!”
A reaction that somehow felt cute.
That became even more stimulating, making mischievousness well up.
The girl held her lover tightly and didn’t let him go easily.
