"We've been walking for some time. Why is there nothing around us?" Moon asked, his voice nearly swallowed by the freezing wind that tried to push him back with each step.
Selene squinted her eyes, trying to get better vision while protecting them from the harsh wind that carried stinging ice particles. "Not sure, but if this persists, we should just return. We can't wander aimlessly forever."
Moon nodded, and they kept moving forward, their footsteps crunching through the deep snow.
Thirty minutes into their trek, Moon's foot caught something solid beneath the snow, and he almost tripped, stumbling forward before catching his balance.
He looked down to find a half-buried body of an arctic bear, its thick white fur filled with snow. The creature appeared to be dead, frozen in place, its massive form partially concealed by the drifts.
"Hey, check this out."
Selene turned to face Moon, then her eyes widened in surprise at the sight.
"That's a dead bear. It looks quite large, too." She moved closer, kneeling to examine it. "Let's harvest the fur. We can make proper clothes from it, better than what we have now."
They worked quickly despite their numb fingers, using Selene's knife to carefully separate the pelt from the frozen carcass. The fur was thick, dense, designed by nature to survive in exactly these conditions. Once they'd carved out enough material, they fashioned crude but functional coverings—wrapping the fur around their shoulders and torsos, securing it with strips of leather.
The bear fur blocked the wind far more effectively than their previous clothes ever could.
After finishing, Selene and Moon continued their journey, but more carefully this time. The body of the dead bear meant predators were active in this area. The creature wouldn't have simply died from cold; this was a beast born and adapted to these temperatures.
Something had killed it.
Not long after, they continued, savage sounds reached them.
ROAR!!!
Moon raised his hand, signalling Selene to stop. They moved cautiously toward the source of the noise, keeping low, using the terrain for cover.
What they found made them both freeze.
Two massive beasts locked in combat.
One was another arctic bear, even larger than the dead one they'd found, its claws the length of daggers. The other was a creature Moon had never seen before—something wolf-like but much larger, with icicles jutting from its spine and shoulders like armour.
Both beasts fought with terrifying ferocity. The bear's claws tore through the wolf-creature's hide, drawing blood that steamed in the cold air. The wolf retaliated with jaws that could crush bone, its teeth finding purchase in the bear's shoulder.
"These creatures... they would kill us easily," Moon muttered, watching the display of raw power. Either one of these beasts could slaughter them without breaking a sweat.
Selene nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving the fight. "This is dangerous, but it's also an opportunity."
Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "Let's wait until the right moment, then strike. When they're both exhausted."
Moon nodded his head in agreement.
He'd been thinking the same thing; this encounter was served on a golden platter. A chance to gain massive experience and lives without having to face either creature at full strength. They would be the third party, waiting until both combatants were weakened, then reaping the rewards.
They settled into position behind a snowdrift as they watched, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The perfect moment came when one of the beasts was about to die. Both Selene and Moon attacked
Selene's eyes trailed along the bloody gash on the beast's hide.
"Now!"
They launched their attacks from a distance, targeting the weakened beast that was on the verge of death.
Their attacks swam through the air before smacking the dying beast in full force.
Wail!
The barrage of attacks drew out the cry of the beast, filled with agony and despair. The light in its eyes began to fade, and within moments.
It was dead.
The arctic bear became furious, it had been battling the beast that had killed its kin for hours, shedding sweat, blood and tears to overcome the challenge, and in the end, its kill was stolen.
[You have killed a level 8 Arctic Wolfer.]
[You have gained 20 lives.]
[You have reached level 4!]
The notification flashed across Moon's eyes as the kill registered. He had gained an incredible number of lives from the kill, increasing his survivability in this place by a large margin.
Before he could celebrate the achievement, a loud roar filled the area.
ROAR!!!
"Moon, it's coming!" Selene's hurried voice entered his ears, muffling the sound of his pounding heart.
Moon took a quick gulp before forming another water attack and throwing at the beast that was charging towards both of them with killing intent.
Splash!
Splash!
Both attacks landed, slowing it down for a split moment before it continued its charge.
"MOVE BACK, WE NEED TO CREATE DISTANCE!"
Moon did as told and immediately tried to create more distance as he conjured more spells to hit the approaching beast with.
Selene did the same thing, moving back and sending her spells towards the incoming beast without delay.
Despite their attempts to slow down or kill the charging beast, the arctic bear was still able to close the distance.
Within striking range, the beast outstretched its limb, ready to claw Selene's face off.
Moon's eyes widened before he threw a hurriedly made water stream to distract the bear. The distraction was momentary, but it massively helped Selene to dodge the attack that would have killed her instantly.
"Thank you!" Selene breathed out as she leapt back several feet.
Moon barely had the chance to acknowledge her statement. The bear turned its full attention toward him now, its eyes blazing with fury at the one who'd interfered.
Shit.
Moon immediately tried to retreat, but the beast charged toward him on all fours with explosive speed, its wounded state forgotten in its rage.
Within seconds, the beast was directly in front of Moon, its massive body blocking out everything else.
Time seemed to slow as its claws extended in a killing arc.
Moon tried to dodge, but his foot caught in the deep snow, making him stumble.
"No!! Moon!" Selene's shout was desperate, her attacks launching a moment too late to distract the beast.