A scent of damp earth was mixing with the coppery tang of blood. The battle raged on, but the two young fighters were barely holding their ground against the relentless Vaelith Bears.
The boy gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on the spear. His arms trembled with exhaustion as he lunged, aiming for the beast's throat. The spearhead struck true—but the bear barely flinched, absorbing the blow with its thick hide. With a deafening roar, it swiped its massive paw, sending him staggering backward.
The girl, undeterred, raised her staff. Arcane energy crackled at her fingertips before bursting forth in a streak of violet light, striking the second bear square in the chest. But the beast only growled in irritation, shaking off the attack as if it were nothing more than an insect's bite.
Hidden behind the thick underbrush, Velren clenched his fists. He knew this creature well. The Vaelith Bear wasn't just any beast—it was a monster of resilience. Blades barely cut through its hide, and even magic struggled to break its defenses. He had witnessed it before. Their attacks weren't working.
'They're not aiming for the right spot…'
Velren's mind raced as he recalled what he had learned from the wolves. The Vaelith Bear was not invincible—it had weaknesses, but brute force alone wouldn't expose them.
His fingers brushed against the hilt of his knife. His muscles tensed, ready to spring into action. But just as he prepared to move, Gramps' voice cut through the tension.
"Patience."
Velren turned to see the old man, still poised in his stance. Still locking his eyes on the battle ahead. His grip on the katana was firm but unmoving, its like his whole presence was steady as a mountain.
'You think I didn't know that?!'
Velren's instincts screamed at him to move, to help, to do something. Yet, he couldn't ignore the words that had been drilled into him over the years. The wolves didn't strike recklessly. They waited, watched, and attacked only when the moment was right.
The battle continued, the boy and girl was growing more desperate with each passing second. Then, in a brutal instant, the bear's massive paw connected with the boy's side. A sickening crack rang through the air as he was sent flying, crashing into the dirt with a strangled cry.
"No!"
The girl's scream pierced the clearing, and her magic was faltering as she turned to her fallen companion.
Velren's stance shifted. His body tensed, ready to move.
'Now—!'
But before he could react—
Gramps moved first.
A blur.
One moment, the bear was advancing toward the wounded boy with its fangs bared for the kill. The next—
It stopped.
The beast's massive form trembled, and its steps were faltering. A deep, guttural noise escaped its throat, while confusion was flickering in its beady eyes.
Standing beside it was Gramps, with the katana unsheathed. His stance was effortless, his blade glinting under the pale moonlight.
Velren's breath caught in his throat.
'What the hell…?'
Then—
Blood.
A crimson spray erupted from the bear's thick neck. Its massive body staggered, and the strength from its limbs was draining as it let out a final, gurgling roar.
Then, with a final, heavy thud, the bear's massive form collapsed onto the forest floor.
The girl, panting, turned toward the new arrival, her wide eyes were flickering between Gramps and the lifeless beast. The boy, wincing in pain, gritted his teeth as he struggled to lift himself up. Both of them were too stunned to speak.
Gramps, however, paid them no mind. His sharp gaze had already shifted to the remaining Vaelith Bear. The beast, as if sensing its doom, hesitated. It took a slow step back, flattening its ears, all while its darting its gaze around the clearing.
Then—
Its gaze was locked onto something.
A boy, peeking through the thick brush.
And then it charged.
Desperation—or perhaps instinct—drove it forward. A final attempt to escape the inevitable.
"Look out!" the girl screamed.
The massive bear was upon him in an instant, swiping its claws through the air, aiming to rend him apart—
Only to meet empty space.
A glitching afterimage of the boy flickered in its place.
Before the beast could react, a shadow loomed above it.
Velren descended from the canopy, with his knife poised with precision. He drove the blade deep into the side of the bear's throat—right at the junction where muscle met the base of the skull.
The bear jerked violently, cutting its roar off into a gurgle as its limbs convulsed. Blood spurted from the wound as it staggered, and its massive frame was thrashing in a desperate attempt to fight back. But the damage was done.
Its strength waned. Its towering form wobbled, then gave way, crashing onto the forest floor with a final, shuddering breath.
Lifeless.
Velren stood atop its motionless body, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. His fingers were still tight around the hilt of his knife, and the adrenaline coursing through his veins were refusing to settle.
'Shit! That was way too close!'
Before he could regain his composure, Gramps rushed toward him. And his expression—
Velren blinked. Was that... worry?
"I'm fine—" Velren started, but before he could finish, the old man thrust the katana back into his hands, he then brushed past him without a glance.
"…Huh?"
Gramps didn't stop. He moved toward the thick foliage where Velren had been hiding earlier and reached into the bush. His sharp gaze scanned the ground, searching—
Then, with a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxed.
Velren stared, dumbfounded, as the old man carefully picked up a familiar wooden box, untouched and unbroken. The very same one he had been forced to carry earlier that day.
Gramps exhaled, tugging a small smirk at the corner of his lips.
"Thank the gods…" he muttered.