The trio's eyes met. No words were needed.
Both of them nodded at once and started moving. Surrounding it.
The plan was pretty basic—hit it from far away first. Make it move where they wanted. Keep it under control.
Kyle sucked with a bow, so he was just a bait. The distraction. Honestly he was fine with that. The closer he could get the easier to finish it himself later on.
The bear was just sitting by some trees. It looked calm but also ready to snap. Its black fur moved when it breathed.
Even from there, Kyle could feel it. It was heavy. This wasn't some little pig or whatever. One mistake and... yeah. Broken bones. Everything crushed.
Then Garrick moved first.
Thwip.
The arrow flew cleanly, burying itself deep into the bear's shoulder.
"ROOAAAR!"
The forest shook as the bear roared in pain and rage, rearing up briefly before slamming its front paws into the ground. The impact sent dirt and leaves flying.
The bear's head snapped toward Garrick's position, eyes burning with fury.
Before it could charge—
Thwip.
Luna's arrow struck next, piercing the bear's side.
The beast howled again, twisting violently. Blood dripped onto the soil as it turned, shifting targets toward Luna.
But before it could rush at her, another arrow from Garrick pierced its leg.
"Keep moving!" Garrick shouted.
They repeated the pattern—hit, move, reposition—forcing the bear to turn again and again. The plan worked... at first.
But the bear was learning.
With a sudden burst of speed, it ignored Garrick completely and lunged forward, breaking through the loose circle they'd formed. Straight at Luna.
`Damn it—!` Kyle cursed under his breath. `I'm still too far.`
Kyle had been trying to circle closer, waiting for the moment his skill [Mind Control] could reach it—but that plan shattered the instant it charged at Luna.
He burst from the bushes, sucked in a breath, and shouted.
"HEY!"
The bear suddenly turned its head toward him while charging.
Kyle stepped forward anyway, trying to sound confident. "Yeah, you! Come over here, you black lump of meat!"
The bear let out a low snarl and immediately changed direction, locking onto him.
Kyle felt a cold chill crawl up his spine. Instinct screaming at him to run as several hundred kilograms of pure muscle charged straight at him.
He swallowed, forcing a small, awkward grin. "...Okay, maybe that was a bit much."
The ground shook with each heavy step as it got closer. Kyle took a breath, trying to steady himself while quickly judging the distance between them.
The bear leapt.
`Now.`
Kyle's eyes flared crimson, activating his skill [Mind Control].
"Stop," he ordered calmly.
The command slammed into the bear's mind.
For a split second, the beast's body jerked violently, muscles locked, claws digging deep into the earth as it tried to halt its momentum.
But it was already too fast. Too heavy.
Kyle's pupils shrank.
`Shit!`
He threw himself to the side at the very last second.
The bear slammed past him with a deafening crash, its bulk smashing straight into the tree behind Kyle. The trunk groaned loudly before splintering, bark exploding outward as the impact shook the forest.
Kyle hit the ground hard, rolling across dirt and leaves. Pain exploded through his side as he came to a stop against a tree trunk.
`Guhh... ordering it to stop mid-charge was a mistake.`
So he just jumped up, didn't even think about it. The dagger was out as he ran right at it.
The bear was screaming, totally lost and mad, shaking its head. Its paw hit the dirt hard, trying to turn that huge body around.
Garrick and Luna saw the opening and went for it. Two arrows flying at the same time, hitting the shoulder and chest.
The bear let out an awful roar, really painful and desperate sounding.
Kyle moved so fast. He slid right under the neck and shoved the blade up with everything he had left.
The blade went right in, deep into the soft part under the jaw. just... straight through.
The noise just stopped. then turned into a gross, choking, gurgling sound.
The bear's massive body shuddered violently. Its legs buckled, strength draining away in seconds as blood spilled onto the forest floor.
Kyle ripped the dagger free and jumped back just as the bear collapsed.
The ground shook one last time as the massive body hit the earth.
Silence followed.
Kyle stood there, chest heaving, dagger dripping, staring down at the unmoving corpse.
A familiar system window appeared before his eyes.
[You have slain a Black Bear]
[Unused Stat Points: +4 | Shop Points: +40]
Kyle exhaled slowly. "...Huh."
He straightened, wiping the blade clean against the bear's thick fur.
"That was easier than I expected," he muttered.
He looked himself over—scratches, soreness, lingering pain in his shoulder—but nothing serious. No broken bones. No fatal wounds.
He stared at the corpse for another moment, eyes calm.
"It was dangerous," he admitted quietly. "But I wasn't even injured."
`It seems animals aren't much of a threat to me anymore.` He sheathed the dagger and turned away. `I'll need to target monsters if I want to grow stronger.`
Behind him, Luna finally found his voice. "...That was insane."
Kyle glanced over his shoulder, smirking. "I prefer efficient."