Chapter 13 - Purple-Patterned Black Bear

Mist clung to the cliffs of Misty Valley.Baruch frowned, deep in thought, but couldn't wrap his head around it. Dragon blood was incredibly violent; mere contact would burn ordinary people's skin to a crisp. Yet this tiny stalk of Blue Heart Grass could let one withstand that searing heat."Forget it. Children will have their own destinies. I'll just leave information about the Blue Heart Grass behind. If my descendants turn out unworthy someday, there's nothing I can do," Baruch thought. After a long while, he finally let go of those worries. "Besides, I'm now a true divine beast—the Azure Dragon. My Yulan bloodline must be extremely pure. Perhaps my descendants won't even need to drink living dragon blood to awaken their bloodlines. Though that means there'll likely never be another Linley.""Asus, wait in your cave for my telepathic message. I'm going to wander around. Once I leave the Magical Beast Mountains, I'll reach out, and then you can come find me," Baruch said to him.He wanted to train extensively in the mountains; having Asus follow him would defeat the purpose of the trial.Asus nodded, flapped its wings, and soared away."I'm deep in the Magical Beast Mountains now. There must be no shortage of high-rank magical beasts," Baruch mused. "Still, 8th-rank beasts pose little challenge to me now. Only 9th-rank ones can push me to fight with all my might."Ultimate Warriors were almost invincible among their peers—even few magical beasts of the same rank could stand against them.Baruch turned and left.The Magical Beast Mountains stretched on endlessly, covered in vegetation that had grown for untold years, making travel arduous. Most troublesome was the constant need to climb over hills or wind through winding paths.Though Baruch was an 8th-rank warrior with a formidable physique, he couldn't traverse it as if on flat ground. Unwilling to hack through the thorns blocking his way, he simply detoured around them."ROAR!!" A thunderous roar of rage suddenly echoed, shaking the ground slightly. Curious, Baruch quickened his pace toward the sound, and soon spotted a colossal magical beast."A Purple-Patterned Black Bear! A 9th-rank one at that!" Baruch murmured in mild surprise. Purple-Patterned Black Bears were high-rank magical beasts—even in their growth stage, they reached 9th rank, boasting fearsome strength. Not even peak 9th-rank human warriors could defeat them."Who are those people, daring to hunt this bear? Are they suicidal?" Baruch wondered. A group of humans was attempting to capture the bear, enraging it beyond measure.Counting carefully, he saw ten of them: two in mage robes, the other eight warriors clad in armor and wielding weapons. The emblems on the mages' chests marked them as 8th-rank Magisters.Surely the warriors joining such a dangerous hunt were at least 7th-rank."ROAR!!" The Purple-Patterned Black Bear roared furiously and charged at them with massive strides.THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!This bear was a veritable war machine. Standing three stories tall, its thick, powerful paws could crack even the sturdiest city walls with a single swipe!"Hold it back!" an elderly white-haired mage shouted. "Buy me time to cast my spell!"He and the other mage began chanting incantations, but 8th-rank spells required time to prepare. By the time the bear swatted one warrior to death, the two Magisters finally unleashed their magic.8th-rank Fire Spell—Dance of the Fire Serpents!8th-rank Wind Spell—Howling Gale!Wind fueled the flames, and flames intensified the wind. Though both were 8th-rank, cast in tandem, their power rivaled a 9th-rank spell. Clearly, the two mages had fought side by side for years, their coordination flawless."ROAR!!" Fury blazed in the bear's eyes."Crap! We didn't kill it!" a warrior cried, his face pale as he raised his heavy axe to strike the fatal blow.The bear swatted him with a massive paw. The warrior stumbled back ten meters, axe clattering to the ground, then collapsed and spat out a mouthful of blood.An enraged Purple-Patterned Black Bear was terrifying. Its towering frame and mighty paws packed infinite power—one swipe could turn an 8th-rank warrior into pulp.Worse still, 8th-rank spells barely harmed it; its hide was too thick, its body too resilient."What a fearsome beast! No wonder it ranks among the top 9th-rank magical beasts—most dragons aren't its match," Baruch muttered, watching intently from a large tree, his expression grave as he admired the bear's prowess.Even the powerful attacks of 8th-rank warriors felt like mere scratches against its hide.In less than a quarter hour, four of the eight warriors lay dead—some crushed by a single paw, others torn apart alive by the bear."ROAR!!" The bear fought with bloodshot eyes. High-rank magical beasts like this were no less intelligent than humans, and far stronger than 9th-rank human warriors. Even 9th-rank fighters could barely hope to survive against it, let alone 8th-rank ones.Terror filled the warriors' eyes; even the two mages had gone pale.CRUNCH! The bear's enormous paw slammed down on an 8th-rank warrior. A sickening crack of bones and splitting skull rang out. His aura shield shattered, and he was flattened into a pulp."They're doomed," Baruch thought, a chill running down his spine as he silently mourned them. "This bear is far too strong—stronger than any 9th-rank human warrior. They can't escape.""Wait, more people are coming!" Sudden footsteps reached his ears. Glancing over, he saw another group of ten approaching—eight warriors and two mages, dressed similarly to the first party, clearly allies.Baruch frowned in confusion. The original group, including the fallen, boasted two Magisters, four 8th-rank warriors, and four 7th-rank warriors—a force powerful enough that few families in the Kingdom of Finlay could match it."Could they be the royal family of Finlay?" Baruch guessed. Right now, Finlay's royal family was far stronger than it would be five thousand years later. Its founder was a Sanctuary warrior who still lived—so powerful that even the Church of Light dared not oppress them. This Sanctuary warrior, Finlay, was likely no weaker than Pope Ernst of the Church of Light.It was no surprise they commanded so many 8th-rank warriors and Magisters."Baghra! What's going on? It's been less than half an hour since your signal—how did we suffer such heavy losses?" the leader of the new group demanded. Around fifty years old, clad in black armor and wielding a greatsword, Baruch instantly recognized him as a 9th-rank warrior."My lord, this Purple-Patterned Black Bear is incredibly strong! We can't hold it back!" the warrior named Baghra replied, voice tinged with grievance. "It's attacking madly—even united, we're no match.""Hmph! I'll deal with you later!" the leader snarled, then swung his greatsword at the bear."ROAR!" Excitement flickered in the bear's eyes. It feared no one except Sanctuary powerhouses!With its thick, impenetrable hide and terrifying strength, it could flatten even a dragon with one paw. The leader's strike barely left a mark."Damn it! This beast is at peak 9th rank—on the verge of becoming a Sanctuary magical beast!" the leader's face darkened. "Stay alert, everyone! We attack together to wound it first!"Clearly, their goal was to capture the bear alive, not kill it."ROOOOAR!!" The bear seemed to understand, its pride stung by the challenge. It charged the leader in three huge strides, paw swinging down.BOOM! The leader stumbled back three steps. The bear's paw slammed into the ground with a deafening crash, shaking the earth. The ground within ten meters of its paws shattered completely."Wow, that's incredible power," Baruch thought, his heart jolting. "Even in a head-on fight, defeating it would be tough." This bear was a true war machine, almost unstoppable—even dragons of the same rank would fear it."Still, my battle blade Slaughter is a Mid-Rank Divine Weapon. It can slice through its hide effortlessly—I have nothing to fear," he reassured himself. No matter how tough its defense, it could never withstand a divine weapon.Though divine weapons required God-Realm powerhouses to unleash their full potential, even a ten-thousandth of their power was more than a 9th-rank magical beast could handle."Without weapons, I could only beat it if I mastered Momentum," Baruch knew. His current realm was still too low—merely "Effortless Strength," not even Momentum, let alone Mysteries.For 9th-rank warriors, mastering Momentum paved the way to Sanctuary. In Sanctuary, understanding Mysteries was the key to growing stronger."Still, they outnumber it badly. The bear is strong, but it can't defeat so many. Barring surprises, it's doomed," Baruch mused.As the saying went, two fists couldn't fight four hands. He doubted the bear would prevail. Worse, he saw the four mages muttering incantations—they were preparing powerful spells.