Alex squinted, a look on his face that seemed almost like he was watching a joke unfold. He was sure Ed was just making things up.
But Ed didn't flinch, his face steady. "It's a bear demon."
Alex scoffed. "Nonsense. If it were a bear demon, the aura would be much stronger. I should have sensed it immediately—"
"ROAR!" Before he could finish, a nearby tree was violently knocked over, and a giant bear, its rough hide covered in thick layers of mud, suddenly burst out from the underbrush!
The terrifying roar made the surrounding trees tremble slightly!
Alex's scalp tingled, and everyone around him was startled by the sudden appearance of the monster.
"A bear demon! There really is a bear demon!" Thomas exclaimed in shock.
Lucas yelled, "Big Brother, look! The bear demon's body is covered in mud, masking its scent! That's why we didn't sense it!"
Alex's expression stiffened. "Stop talking! Get ready for battle!"
The bear demon's eyes were bloodshot, and it was already in an extremely agitated state as soon as it appeared.
This was the most dangerous condition for a monster to be in!
Not only that, but the bear demon immediately charged at the humans, its ferocity on full display. In an instant, Alex and Lucas drew their swords and prepared to face it.
David, also frightened, pulled out his sword and followed Lucas.
Thomas's face was taut with concentration as he unsheathed his steel sword and stepped back, positioning himself protectively in front of Ed.
"ROAR!" Without any warning, the bear demon lunged straight at Alex, who was at the front.
Even though Alex raised his steel sword to block, the immense strength of the bear demon knocked him back a few steps!
The battle had begun so suddenly that Alex wasn't fully prepared for the attack.
Thomas's eyes widened in alarm. "This is bad! If the bear demon manages to suppress its opponent from the first strike, it'll keep up the pressure for the rest of the fight!"
Sure enough, after Alex staggered back, the bear demon seized the opportunity and pounced. Its massive body was like an unrelenting, violent machine!
With razor-sharp claws, the bear demon relentlessly attacked Alex, its strikes growing faster and fiercer with every passing second!
Alex couldn't keep up. He was forced to retreat, calling out desperately, "Lucas, David, help me!"
But Lucas and David, holding their steel swords, seemed slow to react, standing behind Alex, clearly hesitant.
"Big Brother, you're struggling even as a level 2 Apprentice! If I go up, I'll get killed instantly!" Lucas said with a pained expression.
But under Alex's constant orders, Lucas finally rushed in.
Minutes later.
David's cold body fell to the ground, already dead. There was a deep claw mark across his chest, a clear sign of the fatal blow he had received!
He had been killed instantly by the bear demon!
Now, only Alex and Lucas remained, barely able to keep the bear demon's relentless onslaught at bay.
The two were pushed back step by step, their bodies bearing several fresh injuries as they tried to hold their ground.
Meanwhile, both Alex and Lucas clearly had several new wounds on their bodies!
Thomas, watching from a distance, was sweating profusely.
"This is terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!"
"No wonder they call it the Nightmare Wasteland. We've only just arrived, and already we're up against such a dangerous monster!"
Ed, however, remained expressionless, his eyes fixed on the bear demon. In his mind, an image of a monster's profile appeared naturally, accompanied by a line of information.
Low-Level Monster Codex.
According to the Monster Codex, monsters are classified into several levels, ranging from weak to strong: D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS.
The D and C ranks are the most common and represent the weakest monsters. In Ed's Low-Level Monster Codex, the highest level recorded is B rank.
Monsters like wild wolves and water demons are considered D-rank, the weakest of the weak.
Slightly stronger monsters, such as griffins, ghouls, and bear demons, fall under C-rank.
Once a monster's rank reaches B or higher, it undergoes a significant transformation in strength. However, so far, Ed had never encountered a monster above C rank.
Right now, Ed's mind was focused on the bear demon, specifically the information related to it.
Lines of data appeared in his mind:
"The bear demon is considered mid-tier within the C-rank monsters."
"Omnivorous, solitary, but moves quickly and possesses great strength! Against Apprentice-level Hunters, it poses a significant danger…"
In the blink of an eye, Ed had fully understood all the information about the bear demon!
Meanwhile, Alex and Lucas were once again locked in battle with the bear demon.
After several more clashes, Alex and Lucas remained in a state of being overpowered.
Beside them, Thomas was extremely tense. "This is bad. The bear demon's tough hide is just too much to handle!"
"Alex and Lucas's steel swords can only inflict minor damage on it."
The bear demon's physical strength was already formidable, and with its body covered in mud, the dried mud acted like armor, making it nearly impervious to blades and weapons.
Thomas tightened his grip on his steel sword. "It looks like there's only one way to go—I'll have to help them!"
"Though, I've never fought such a powerful monster like a bear demon before…"
Thomas's mind was conflicted when suddenly, he heard Ed's voice.
"The bear demon's weakness is in its armpits, and every time it attacks, it always raises its arms."
"When it raises its arms, there's a three-second window to strike its armpit. If you time it right, you can easily kill it!"
After hearing this, Thomas's face turned pale with disbelief. "Ed, are you sure about this?"
Ed was confident in his knowledge of the Monster Codex. "You can try it for yourself."
Thomas, taking note of the information, moved forward, joining Alex and Lucas to fight the bear demon together. The three of them barely managed to match the bear demon's strength.
Of the three, Thomas and Lucas were the most vulnerable. Alex, being a level 2 Apprentice, was much stronger than the two of them, so he could withstand a hit from the bear demon.
But for Thomas, every time he collided with the bear demon head-on, it felt like his internal organs were being shaken!
"The bear demon's strength is truly terrifying! If this keeps up, I'll end up like David, dead on the spot!"
Suddenly, Thomas remembered Ed's earlier advice. "Wait, there's no other way to go now, might as well try Ed's technique!"
Seizing the opportunity, Thomas took a step back, no longer engaging in direct collisions with the bear demon. Instead, he waited for the right moment.
He was waiting for the bear demon to raise its arms!
What Thomas didn't anticipate, however, was that his retreat would cause the others to panic. Soon, the bear demon attacked once more, its claws coming down with deadly force.
What had previously been an assault that required all three of them to withstand was now a struggle. With one person missing, Lucas was struck and immediately sent sprawling to the ground, his hands feeling as though thousands of needles had pierced them!
Grimacing in pain, Lucas struggled to speak through gritted teeth, "Thomas, what the hell are you hiding for? Are you trying to get me killed?!"
Alex was also in pain, retreating several steps. He was about to join Lucas in yelling at Thomas when he suddenly saw that...
Thomas had seized the exact moment when the bear demon had begun its attack.
The bear demon had exhausted its arm strength, and its vulnerable armpit was now completely exposed to Thomas.
"Perfect chance! Damn it, I'm going for it!" Thomas thought, with no other options left. His eyes widened, his body fully pumped with adrenaline.
Summoning all the strength he had, Thomas swung his sword at the bear demon's exposed armpit with all his might!
"Crack!"
A clean, sharp sound rang out as the blade cut through the soft, weak flesh of the bear demon's armpit.
Despite the bear demon's thick hide, its armpit was made of soft tissue, and Thomas's sword didn't meet any resistance. It sliced right through the joint, severing the entire arm in one swift blow!
"ROOOAR!!!"
The bear demon let out an agonizing scream as its arm flew into the air, landing a good ten meters away on the ground.
Blood poured from the wound in its severed arm, and Thomas, riding the wave of his excitement, quickly seized the opportunity. He swiftly drove his sword into the wound!
"Whoosh!"
The sword slid down the cut and plunged into the bear demon's chest, shredding its internal organs to pieces!
The bear demon collapsed to the ground, dead.
Alex and Lucas both stood frozen, their eyes wide in disbelief. Even Thomas himself stood there stunned, not quite believing what had just happened.
Thomas pulled his sword free, his mind racing with disbelief.
"I… I actually killed a bear demon! And so easily! It was like killing a chicken or something!"
At that moment, Thomas couldn't help but think of Ed.
"God, he was right! Ed really knows what he's talking about!"
This victory was all thanks to him.
Lucas and Alex rushed up to Thomas, both astonished. "Thomas, I had no idea you were... this strong."
To defeat a bear demon like that? This wasn't something any ordinary Hunter could pull off!
Though Thomas wasn't the highest-level Hunter, the skill and precision he demonstrated in combat earned their respect. But Thomas shook his head.
"No, no. It's not me who's strong. Actually, it's Ed, the little brother. He taught me how to fight."
"Ed?" Both of them furrowed their brows in confusion.