Chapter: 64 (Title TBA)

*** Author's Note ***

Finally, after days of revising this pain in the ass chapter, I finally finished.

I could visualize the situation, the hard part is putting it into words. Moments like these only strengthen my belief that I have a long, loooong way to go to become a passable writer.

Don't have any idea for the title though, and I don't want to sit for another hour or two thinking about it.

So without further ado, here's today's chapter!

***

What was that? The ominous presence that I have been sensing for a while now suddenly vanished. Like it was never there. I carried the wood chunks on my arms as I gaze around, still trying to catch even a glimpse of who is emitting such presence. But try as I might, I only see the empty woods before me.

"Maybe I am just thinking about things. Been fighting for my life lately and my nerves are getting to me. Better go back to the farm and deliver these wood so that they could start cooking breakfast. I am getting a bit hungry." I told myself as I started to walk back where I came from.

But suddenly something big entered the zone of my Sense. Looking at the direction where I Sensed a presence, I saw bushes rustling. Then, appearing from the bushes…

"ROARRRRR!" A thunderous roar shakes the very ground I am standing on. As I focus my vision at the figure appearing from the bushes, I finally caught sight on what caused it. Lo and behold, a 2.5m bear stood before me. "ROAARRR!" He let out another roar as he swings his meaty paws, which proceeded to break a tree in half like a toothpick.

Well, that answered the mystery of the fallen tree.

I slowly backed away from the bear. I've come across bears before when I was out camping with my family and my dad took me hunting, although those bears are also intimidating, we've handled it just fine scaring one by being loud while with the latter we had bear stew for dinner. But those bears were nothing compared to the monstrosity before me.

My mind raced on what to do to escape this predicament. The coat of this bear is darkish brown. Is it a brown bear or a grizzly? Is it even the same as the bear from back home? The bears I know back home couldn't snap trees like chopsticks so it is safe to say that this monstrous bear is nothing like I have ever seen.

"Growllll…" It started to walk on all fours as it circles around me.

"Easy now…" I whispered softly in an effort to calm the animal down. "I am not here to harm you… I am just collecting wood… Be a good bear and go eat some honey or something."

The bear doesn't seem to be amused by me as he stops before me and started sniffing. After a few intense seconds, the bear sneezes, sending his snot on my face.

"Ewww! You sneezed on me you son of a bitch!" I said as I punched the bear on the nose by reflex. A mistake that I slowly realized as the bear took a single step back, seemed to be surprised by my sudden action. Unfortunately, he didn't remain surprised for long as it was replaced with anger as the bear stood on his hind leg, showing his massive size as he towers over me. "Sorry, Mr. Bear. I didn't mean it. It was an accident." I told the bear.

"ROAAAARRRRR!" The very air seems to shake at his thunderous roar. Welp, I guess he didn't accept my apology. It's time to bolt out of here!

I threw the chunks of wood on my arms towards the angry bear's face and started to run as fast as my feet could take me. I am not delusional enough to think that my action was enough to stop the bear but it should at least buy me a few seconds to escape. The loud sound of trees breaking comes from behind me. I stole a quick glance on what was happening which I regret as seeing a 2-ton heap of muscle barreling towards me as it topples every tree that blocks his way will surely haunt my dreams for days to come.

"Shit! It is gaining on me!" I shouted. Damn it! An animal that large should be slow! Seeing it running at almost 50 km per hour is cheating that I could cry! "Damn it" I cursed to myself. If I can't outrun it. I must fight it. Suddenly turning around, I see the bear is only 2 meters away from me. The gigantic animal lunged at me, claws in front ready to rend me to shreds and maw open ready to maul me to death. In response to the animal's lunge, I stepped in and duck under his swiping claws, and with an uppercut, I closed his gaping mouth. Success! I cheered as I thwarted the dumb animal's attack. Only for my celebration to be cut short.

I did stop my impending doom from fang and claws, but I didn't take into account his 2-ton frame that was coming at me at 50 km per hour.

I felt the pebbles scrape at my body as I roll on the forest floor after I was sent flying after getting rammed by the bear. I spat a glob of blood and cursed "Fuck!". This bear hit like a truck. Well, considering its size, I could clearly see this bitch as a truck. Good thing I was able to activate Shell before I got hit or I would've been reduced to a meaty paste, which the bear would appreciate since I broke its jaws with my uppercut.

A dream which proves that I am too much of an optimist as glancing at the bear made it obvious that my attack did little to no damage to the bear. The bear looks more confused that he wasn't able to bite me in half rather than hurt from my punch. The bear roar in anger and charges at me once more. This time I am prepared and avoided its claws by sidestepping. I then delivered a Reinforced kick to its face once more, but just like my punch earlier, it was ineffective.

"This bastard is a god damned tank!" I shout as I avoid getting mauled by the skin of my teeth. The bear is indeed strong. It can one-shot me, no doubt. But its attacks were too wide and simple, making it easy to predict and avoid. I rained down attack after attack at the beast's face. But to no avail. "What the hell? You dumb beast, why are you so tough!" I cursed the beast as I jump away, avoiding another claw swipes which uprooted a tree.

This is crazy! Why is this bear too strong? Wait… Oh shit!

Since I was too focused on the bear's size, there was one thing that slipped my attention. This bear is using Mana to reinforce its body! It is not much but the mana that is covering its gigantic body is no doubt an Aura.

Damn cheater! You are already big and strong, and now you are using Aura too? What the hell man. Give me at least a fighting chance!

I kept on dodging all the attacks, trying to find a way to win as I do. There is no way I could penetrate its defenses even if I use all of my dwindling Ki to reinforce my own attack if I attack normally. I need an attack that could take it down with one hit. But what? How?

My train of thought was suddenly cut short as I tripped on a trunk of a fallen tree. The bear didn't miss the opportunity and pounced on me. "Graaahhh! Shit!" The bear stepped on my right arm and I can hear my bones break from its sheer weight. I want to shout in pain as I feel my arm getting crushed by the bear, but this is not the time for that. Now that I am trapped under his body, the bear was determined to bite my head off. "Oh no, you don't!" I scream as I stretch my neck out of the way and then plunge my middle finger at the fucker's eyes. "How do you like me now bitch?! That's right bitch! Your eyes are still a weak point!" I shout as I plunge my finger deeper as I could inside the bear's eye socket. The bear roars in pain and swatted me away with his paw. I was flung against a tree and landed face-first on the ground. "Damn it..." I said as I push myself off the ground with my left hand. "My right hand is useless now." I murmured as I gaze at my bloodied right arm hanging loosely on my side. As I stood I felt a hot sharp pain emanating from my stomach, as I look down I can't help but curse the heavens as I see blood spurts out of the two claw marks that run from my hip to my stomach. "Give me a fucking break!" I said as I pressed my wounds to stop the bleeding.

"Groaarrr!" The bear roars once more and trashes around, sending trees flying left and right until it created a clearing in the woods.

Shit… I can't win. I should run… But where? If I run back to the farm it would only put Miya and her family in danger if this bear run after me. Not to mention that running away is all but impossible considering the sorry state of my body is in. No. There is only one way.

"Man, I sure have shit luck, don't I? How many times have I already face situations like this? To either do or die." I say to myself. I feel my strength slowly fades away as my blood pours out of my wounds. I need a one-hit delete kind of an attack. "Oh right… I have that." I facepalmed as I remember one of my last life and death battles, causing my face to be splattered with blood from my hands. But the last time I used that move, I have a lot more Ki left on my tank, not to mention the Void energy that I don't have right now. More importantly, what if I fail in performing the technique? The technique not only requires me to focus all my energy at one point and shoot it out of my fist, but it also needed to be Amplified if I want it to punch through the beast's defense, a technique that I still haven't fully grasped. If I fail from Amplifying the attack, it would not be much different than just punching the beast with my bare hands.

"ROAAARRRR!!!" The bear let out another thunderous roar as it finally remembered who caused the pain it is suffering from.

"Heh… So this is it huh…" I whispered as I take a stance, right foot forward, left foot back, and bend my knees. "Come, Yogi! I have a sandwich here waiting for you!" I then started to concentrate all energy I could to my left fist. This is not enough, need more! I tried to draw more energy until I feel myself about to faint. The bear also started to charge towards me. the 2-ton heap of muscle looks like a truck about to run over me. But even as I face death once more, I don't feel scared. I feel, calm for some reason. The bear is only a few meters away; he will get here within a second. Focus Cloud. Do it like how Bilya said earlier when chopping wood. Release the energy at the point of impact and let it all out!

"Uooooohhhh!" The bear pounced and swiped his paws once more. The damn bear sped up all of a sudden, screwing with my timing. If I don't do something, he will hit me before I could do anything.

Shit… This bastard is too fast! If I only have even a second, I could…

Then, something happened. I felt something within me drains out as the bear suddenly froze for a second.

Chance!

I used some of my Ki to Amplify my feet and I lunged under him. Then with all the strength, I can muster I released my attack. "Ki wave explosion!" As my fist landed on the bear's chest, I shoot out all the Ki I could muster. When the orb of Ki touched the bear, I Amplified it at the same time I made it explode, multiplying the force from the attack.

Success!

I watch the giant bear took a few steps back. Its chest was a bloody mess.

"ROOAAAARRR!!!!" The bear roar once more and started to approach me, it seems he is determined to kill me even when he himself is on the verge of death.

"How was the taste of my knuckle sandwich Yogi? Too spicy for your taste eh? Wanna have some more?" I taunt the bear. But when I tried to channel Ki for another attack, I felt my knees turn into jelly and fell to the ground. "Shit…" I wanted to push myself up, but my limbs feel like lead. My eyes feel heavy and my vision is hazy. "This is how I die huh? Damn… It would be great if I could see your faces before I go… Shit…" I whispered before my eyes close and darkness once more surrounds me.

--

"Cloud! Cloud! Wake up Cloud!" I hear a voice calling to me. "You will catch a cold sleeping in the open like this." He continued.

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes. What greeted me was Bilya standing over me.

"Wha… What happened?" I asked him.

"I don't know lad. You tell me. My daughters told me to find you after you haven't come back for 2 hours. When I got here, I found you sleeping against a tree with a dead bear a few meters away from you." He said while pointing at the bear.

"The bear is dead?" I asked him in a low voice. I couldn't believe it… The bear looks like shit before I lost consciousness, but he still has a few minutes of life on him left. Was I wrong? Did my attack one-hit kill him?

"Yeah… Dead as a doornail. Didn't expect a bear this large to wander this close to the farm. It seems to be a bear that was able to harness Mana too. I reckon it could snack on a cow or two a day if it was able to get on the farm. Good thing you killed it before it does." He says as he walks around the bear. With a grunt, he then lifted the bear and turned it around, laying the dead bear in the prone position. "Wow… Look at the chest of this thing. That is some technique that you used there." He said curiously as he checks out the wound on the bear's chest. He then stood up and walked towards me. "Animals who are able to use Mana are a tough cookie, and you just killed one. I guess my daughter was right." He says as he helps me to my feet.

I winced as I thought I was going to feel pain from my wounds but I was surprised when I felt none. I look at my right arm and besides the ruined sleeve of my shirt, it looks fine. After a few punches, I felt no pain. It was like new. I then look at my stomach and it was the same, it was healed. Only the tears and bloodstains were the only thing left of my grievous wounds from before. How could this happen? I know I could still heal, but not this fast or automatic as before. Unless… Do I still have some Void energy left? I can't feel any trace of it in my body, but other than Void energy, boosting my ability to heal, I don't have any other explanation.

"Don't worry about clothes lad. Life is worth more than any material possession. For once it is gone, not even all the riches in the world could bring it back." He pats my shoulder to reassure me.

"Thanks," I told him as I slowly walk towards my fallen foe.

"I said don't worry about it. After all, my daughters wouldn't let it go if you came to harm after I sent you out here to gather wood." He laughed heartily as he picks his ax which he left beside a tree. "Hmmm… I see you also broke the bear's neck. Not letting an animal suffer unnecessary pain, like a true hunter I see." He said as he inspects the bear's head.

Broke its neck? When did that happen? Did I possibly continue to fight after I went unconscious? I mean, I heard stories that tell of fighters continued fighter long after they lost consciousness, basically going into autopilot and battle instincts. If so, that would explain a lot of things.

"They say the meat of beasts that could harness Mana is not only tasty but is also rich in energy. This sucker will fill you up with Mana in every bite." He says as he examines the bear's paws. "Expensive too. Nobles would pay a 10 gold a Kilo in order to strengthen their core by eating this kind of meat."

Wow… I don't know how much gold is worth but I would reckon that it is a lot, and with this 2-ton monstrosity, I would get 20,000 gold. I guess lady luck is finally smiling at me. "Wow… That is a lot. I don't mind sharing the profits with you when we sell this. After all, I wouldn't be standing here right now in one piece if not for your pointers earlier." Father always says that repay kindness in kind. I wouldn't mind giving half or even more to him and his family. After all, too much money will only attract unwanted attention to me. Best to travel inconspicuously and there is nothing more suspicious than an unknown stranger throwing money left and right.

"I can't do that lad." Bilya refused.

"Why not? I really don't mind. I don't need too much gold." Seeing that he is still unconvinced, I continued. "How about you think about it as payment for food and lodging? I don't have any plans on going on a journey any time soon and will need a roof over my head. This will be my advance payment to you for treating me well even though I am a stranger." I reasoned with him.

"No lad. I literally could not." Seeing my confused look, he continued. "While I will still reject your offer even we could sell all these Mana infused meat, we could not sell this to the market if we want to keep our necks. See. Hunting without a permit from the nobles is prohibited."

"What?!" I shout.

Prohibited? Then what did I fight so hard for? I fought to survive, sure. But knowing that I could be earning a butt load of gold for all of my troubles, only to learn that all of that is out of my reach…

It sucks… It really, really sucks!