17 The Shadow of a King Without a Crown

The days were passing and the exploration of the valley was progressing well. There were only a few areas left to visit. The group had been able to hunt several wolf packs again. They also found some of the wolves that had ran away. These had taken refuge in caves on the opposite side of the valley.

The counter therefore already showed more than thirty wolves defeated, as well as two bears. The second bear was a little less ferocious than the first one, but the fight was just as tough. Fortunately, with the knowledge gained from the previous fight, many mistakes that were made were not repeated.

Today, the team was exploring the eastern end of the valley, which was also its highest spot. Here wildlife was extremely rare and landscapes were very rocky.

The atmosphere, however, was heavy. Lei's senses in particular told her that they were in serious danger, yet she decided not to inform the team as she had no proof. She thought that she was imagining things, and that in any case, despite the light fog, the visibility at this altitude was relatively correct, so nothing serious could happen to them.

After an hour's walk in this area they finally arrived at what looked like a plateau. The plateau was not very large, it could be compared to a square about twenty metres wide and forty metres long. Most of its ends were leading to a ravine, but one of its ends led to a cliff that was none other than the side of the main mountain.

In this cliff was dug a gigantic cave. This one was incredibly dark, as if it had been dug specifically under a certain angle that prevented the sun penetrating inside.

They moved slowly towards the cave, dreading what was potentially inside. When they were only about ten metres away from the cave, Lei's senses were awakened to their fullest, which made her shiver. Scared, she took a step backwards. She was no longer able to move forward.

"What's going on, Lei?" Loki asked.

Although she had heard his question, she couldn't take her eyes off the cave. A few seconds later, she stammered a few words, a little panicked:

"I... I think we should get out of here."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"I can feel it... Something dangerous is sleeping inside. "

Lei's heartbeat was accelerating. Although she wasn't especially known for being as cold-blooded as Loki, seeing her panicking like that, the rest of the team was slightly destabilised.

Divided between retreating and exploring, the group was stuck.

"Well, we didn't come here to take any risks. Although I don't think there are any wild animals stronger than a bear in the area, we can't be sure. Let's get out while there is still time. "Loki suggested.

The team nodded, although Sora was a bit gleeful. Part of her wanted to explore the cave.

As the group began to turn around, a huge growl was heard. It was so powerful that it forced Lily to kneel down.

It wasn't like the howling of your common bear. A bear's howl was capable of inciting doubt and fear in a psychologically fragile person. Here we were talking about real paralysis, and even the bravest men would not be able to remain serene when hearing this.

Although determining the psychology and power of a wild beast by relying on its cry was not an exact science, in this situation Loki was convinced that this animal was stronger than they were. Much stronger.

"QUICKLY! Run! "he shouted.

The three girls didn't argue, and instantly started running. Only a few seconds later, something rushed out of the cave. The silhouette of the creature appeared to them.

It was a gigantic bear, almost twice as massive as the first one they met. Its coat was dark, almost black. On its hairless skull, a gigantic scar showed evidence of a past battle. His gaze was as piercing as his grunts.

---

In the distance, the man watching Sora's group was of course always present.

"It's... Shit. I should to warn her. "

The man took out a communication device that was similar to a telephone, but much smaller.

*BEEP*

"Lorena. Code red. The king is out. I need reinforcements. We're in sector 12, 7. The retreat is imposed in a westerly direction. Escape velocity: 20 kph maximum. Hurry, we can't hold out much longer. "

"All right, we'll be there in five minutes. "

*BIP*

So he put back the device in his pocket and watched again the group fleeing. Unfortunately, they had already been caught. This bear was well known to the school. It was an indomitable animal, which had so far managed to escape from the assault groups that were chasing it.

It was a real thorn in the side of the school. This ground being specifically intended for the training of young arcanists, it had to be provided with a minimum of risks. In spite of the situation, the only real dangers in this forest are the weather and the wild animals. Nevertheless, in order to avoid any overflow, guards are made available.

This bear was the only dark spot. He was usually called 'The King of the Forest', and was reputed to be invincible. Of course, these were only titles, and an Arcanist of rank S was quite capable of eliminating him quickly, so let's not mention an Arcanist of rank S+.

Unfortunately, these arcanists were often requisitioned for military missions, they rarely worked for private institutions such as schools.

This guard, for example, was only of rank S-. This was an honourable rank for an Arcanist, but nevertheless a standard one. He was therefore certain that he could hold him for a while, but he doubted that he could defeat him.

---

Loki and the other three girls were running as fast as possible towards the forest. He was so tall that they hoped to be able to run away from him between the branches. Unfortunately, his load was so powerful that most trees could not resist him. He quickly caught up with them.

No sooner had he caught up with them than he kicked Loki. The blow was so powerful that it easily broke through Lily's fence, and Loki flew away for almost five metres.

"LOKI! "Lily shouted.

She went straight to him, despite the danger. The bear had stopped immediately after his attack and stared at them. He seemed to despise them and laugh at their weakness. Step by step, he came closer to them, slowly.

Loki was far too wounded to get up. He was bleeding rapidly, due to a haemorrhage in his chest. Tears were streaming from Lily's eyes. She panicked, but didn't want to abandon her friend.

He was only a few metres away from them. A violent shock occurred. It was as if a meteorite had crashed specifically where the bear was positioned. When the dust caused by this shock fell back, the young teenagers noticed a human figure. They didn't know it, but it was the person who had been watching them from the beginning.

"Hurry ! Run away !" he said. "I'll hold him back."

Unfortunately Loki was too injured to be moved. So Lily began treatment. Unfortunately, she was only able to treat minor injuries. Meanwhile, the man began his fight with the bear.

His singularity was simple and rather practical. He was able to enter in symbiosis with his own muscles, which enabled him to increase his strength without suffering any consequences. He was therefore faster than a normal human being, and a lot stronger. For a while, he was able to compete with the bear because of his speed. Unfortunately, he was not able to inflict much damage on it. Unlike a human being, the bear's coat was resistant to any shock or impact. Even a blow from a sword could not pierce this coat, as it was so dense and resistant.

He was losing more and more ground. Unable to injure his opponent, he also managed to dodge all his opponent's counter-attacks, unfortunately, this only led to a dead end, and the outcome would inevitably be unfavourable for him. Fortunately, he knew that reinforcements would arrive, and that an Arcanist of rank S would accompany them.

---

Shortly afterwards, a dark aura appeared nearby. Everyone's attention in the vicinity was caught, including the bear. Within the halo, a crack in space formed. Little by little, a portal opened and from it three silhouettes emerged. One of them was Lorena Melany.