Tianlan shut his eyes, originally planning to simply endure until the match ended.
However, the scene of the Brown Demon Bear tearing apart Namu in his dream suddenly surged back into his mind.
He jolted awake, heart thundering out of control.
Breathing heavily, he coughed.
"Brown Demon Bear… looks like I can't just give up like this. Then—I'll struggle to the very end."
He checked the injuries across his body.
"If I remember right… I'm at about 300 points now… still short of three B-grades? So I really might not make it…"
At that moment, the image of the Brown Demon Bear flashed across his mind.
"I remember there was a Brown Demon Bear nearby… Looks like I don't have a choice."
Tianlan picked up the dagger from the ground and took a deep breath.
"But I need to treat my wounds first. Charging in like this is basically suicide."
He searched around for medicinal herbs, cleaned and bandaged his wounds as best he could, then leaned against a tree to rest, letting both magic and stamina recover a little.
At the same time, he calculated how many contestants were likely left—judging from the last round and this one, there should be around seven or eight more who needed to pass before the match would end.
Outside the barrier, Cang Song and Zhenyue watched the surveillance feed and both let out a breath.
"Seems the kid hasn't given up."
"I thought he planned to lie there until the match ended."
Twenty minutes later, Tianlan rose to his feet.
"Time to move… otherwise it'll be too late."
He began heading toward where the Brown Demon Bear was last seen.
Suddenly, a terrible thought struck him.
"Wait—what if someone else already killed it!?"
He grabbed his head in despair.
"Ahhh! I miscalculated! Hurry! Please still be there!"
He sprinted at full speed.
Fortunately, when he arrived, the Brown Demon Bear was still there.
Tianlan crouched in the distance, watching quietly.
The massive beast stood two and a half meters tall, muscles bulging like iron boulders. Its coarse brown fur was thick and heavy, faint dark-red magic flowing between the strands.
Not overwhelmingly strong magic—but enough to harden its skin several times over.
Tianlan looked at the bear, then at the dagger in his hand.
"…It's huge. Can this tiny dagger even do anything? Feels like stabbing it a hundred times wouldn't kill it."
He closed his eyes and rapidly ran combat simulations. Seconds later, he opened them.
"The heart…? With its size, this dagger can't even reach it. That leaves only—its carotid artery!"
Tianlan suppressed his aura and silently approached.
His gaze locked onto the side of the thick neck—its weakest point, where the major artery lay.
But with his height, to hit it—he had to jump.
Gritting his teeth, he launched himself upward!
The dagger gleamed coldly, streaking straight toward the Brown Demon Bear's exposed neck—
Just as the blade was about to pierce its fur, the bear suddenly sensed the attack and whipped its head around!
"GRAAAAHHH!!"
Its enormous maw gaped open, fangs nearly clamping down on Tianlan's upper body.
"Damn—stealth attack failed!"
Tianlan forcibly pulled back the strike, wrenching the dagger into a new trajectory.
In mid-air, he twisted his body awkwardly, reversing his grip.
"Then—new target!!"
The blade lunged toward the Brown Demon Bear's left eye!
Just as its fangs were about to close around him—
Tianlan surged magic into the dagger and drove it viciously into the bear's eye!
Squirt—!
Blood burst out.
Roaring in agony, the Brown Demon Bear swung a massive paw and batted Tianlan away.
He hit the ground rolling, the freshly treated wounds tearing open again.
"Ugh! This strength… feels stronger than Kuangyan! But thankfully, it's slower than him!"
Gritting his teeth, Tianlan forced himself upright, reset his stance, and charged again.
Right straight punch, sweeping kick, continuous attacks pummeled the giant beast—
but he quickly realized:
These blows barely scratched it.
The bear swung its paw; Tianlan dodged with ease.
It lunged; Tianlan leapt aside, rolling on the ground and snatching up his fallen dagger mid-movement.
He closed in on its flank, dagger flicking out with a crisp slash.
"Chi!"
The blade pierced its ribs—but only left a shallow wound.
"Too thick…"
Tianlan took a deep breath, coated the dagger in stronger magic—
"Sky-Splitter Slash!"
The blade carved a deeper wound, but still nowhere near fatal.
With a furious roar, the Brown Demon Bear slammed a paw down.
BOOM!
Tianlan was sent flying again, coughing blood as he landed on his knees.
His instincts screamed at him: run!
But then he remembered—this was inside a barrier.
Running meant instant elimination.
He slapped himself hard across the face, forcing clarity back into his mind.
"Instead of running and waiting to be eliminated… I'd rather fight to the death! If I die, I die in its hands!"
Gripping the dagger, he charged once more.
"Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!"
The dagger stabbed into different spots on the bear's body as Tianlan dodged its claws, though his own body was still cut repeatedly by near misses.
Both combatants were bleeding.
Tianlan suddenly felt—the Brown Demon Bear seemed to be getting faster.
But the truth was—
he was slowing down from blood loss.
"Hah… hah… Damn… its hide is too thick… at this rate, I'll be the first to drop… I need something that can pierce through… ideally a killing blow to the head or heart!"
He thought of Wind · Compression Cannon—
but immediately dismissed it.
"No… I don't have enough magic left!"
Then, suddenly—an idea sparked.
"…Whatever! This is already my last strike!!"
Tianlan continued his relentless assault, forcing the Brown Demon Bear back—
until it finally opened its bloody jaws…
And lunged straight for his head.
(To be continued)