Chapter 31
"Grrr."
A low growl echoed from behind as Ray was processing the meat. Startled, his cheerful expression quickly transformed into a serious and focused gaze. Ray swiftly turned around and laid eyes upon a large, hairy creature approaching him.
Despite its size, the creature's appearance wasn't particularly intimidating. It had a plump body and long limbs, exuding an air of dim-wittedness as it charged toward Ray. Momentarily stunned, Ray underestimated its speed, deceived by its bulky frame.
Before long, the massive creature closed in, swinging its enormous claws at Ray. Caught off guard by the sudden speed, Ray instinctively ducked and countered with a stab from the knife he had been using to process the meat.
"Plop!"
The sound that followed the knife's thrust didn't inspire confidence. It felt as though Ray had stabbed into a dense jelly-like substance, devoid of the splattering blood he expected. Realizing his sneak attack had failed, Ray cautiously retreated, pulling back the butcher knife embedded in the creature's body. The distance between them widened.
Only then did Ray examine the knife in his hand. What he saw shocked him. Despite the absence of blood during the stab, Ray had hoped for some impact. However, there were no visible bloodstains, indicating that his attack had been futile.
"What thick skin!" Ray cursed.
Locking eyes with the enraged red gaze of the creature, Ray could sense the bear's fury. Although he couldn't ascertain why the hulking mass of flesh was attacking him, he suspected it could be due to the honeycombs he had stolen earlier or the scent of flesh and blood from his recent hunt that had triggered the bear's aggression.
Despite the unclear motive behind the creature's anger, Ray remained undeterred. His immediate concern was how to defend himself against the ferocious beast before him. Without any time to ponder, the bear lunged at Ray once again.
As Ray glanced at the knife in his hand, an idea flickered subconsciously. He instinctively looked at the creature's stomach. True enough, there wasn't a single scar, as if the previous stabbing had never occurred.
Witnessing this, Ray felt a pang of frustration.
"Damn, does it have invulnerability? How can I defeat this mass of flesh if I can't wound it?"
Ray racked his brain, becoming increasingly frustrated as he found no inspiration. Meanwhile, the bear was closing in on him.
Just as despair began to consume Ray, he suddenly recalled an internet joke about a bear training a world-class fighter. Though seemingly exaggerated, wasn't it worth a shot?
"That's it! If I can't injure it with a knife, why not rely on gravity to bring it down?" Ray exclaimed with hopeful enthusiasm.
With that, Ray's silence and frozen state came to an end. The once-concerned young man took the initiative to step forward and embrace the large creature before him. As a result, the creature's claws missed Ray's body, and at that moment, Ray crossed his legs, blocking the creature's legs. With a powerful motion, Ray forcefully pulled the creature's shoulder in a circular motion.
"Bang!"
A thunderous sound reverberated as if a thousand-year-old tree had fallen. The bear seemed dazed after being slammed by Ray. How could such a small monkey overpower him? Was something wrong with him? Doubt clouded the bear's mind, making it question its existence.
Meanwhile, Ray experienced a surge of exhilaration. He never imagined that one day he would be able to boast about wrestling a bear. Despite his joy, Ray remained vigilant, immediately positioning his body to secure a grounding martial move.
Hope was all well and good, but reality proved bitter. Just as Ray was about to wrap his arms around the creature's neck, the bear swiftly evaded and seized Ray in an even tighter grip.
"Hey, isn't that cheating?!" Ray grumbled, annoyed that he couldn't gain the upper hand. While Ray complained, the bear flung its body backward, throwing Ray off balance.
After the toss, the bear struggled to stand upright. It fixed its gaze on Ray, preparing to resume its attack. Ray, lying defenseless on the ground, instinctively clutched his aching stomach. He looked so pitiful that his mother would surely faint if she saw him in that state.
The bear approached Ray impatiently, moving with less speed and stability than before, but it still managed to reach him without hesitation. Once nearby, the bear didn't immediately unleash its claws on Ray. Instead, it lifted Ray with its large hand.
As the bear lifted Ray, it couldn't help but sneer. It doubted whether such a lightweight monkey could bring it down. Seeking to regain its dignity, the bear slammed Ray just as Ray had done to him earlier.
"Bang!"
Ray, who had just been slammed, felt the world around him spinning.
"Ugh!"
Unfazed, the bear lifted Ray into the air again, preparing for another slam.
Weak and hanging in the air, Ray mustered the strength to retrieve two hairs from his storage ring.
Slowly, a white and red mist started emanating from Ray's body pores.
The bear, observing this, paused and narrowed its eyes curiously.
Seizing the opportunity, Ray mustered the little strength he had left and managed to dodge, escaping the bear's grip. He quickly retrieved a healing liquid from his storage ring, never taking his eyes off the bear monster before him.
Sensing Ray's movement, the bear finally snapped out of its disorientation.
Ray safely consumed the healing liquid, which alleviated the dizziness in his head to some extent. Though his mind had calmed, Ray silently worked on steadying himself. The towering bear figure, on the other hand, remained wary, its narrowed eyes still fixed on Ray.
It was evident that Ray's recent actions had aggravated the bear beast, triggering its instinct to become more vigilant. Ray, observing this, felt a slight relief that the bear didn't immediately launch an attack. The two sides stood their ground, staring at each other, moving in a circle like rival gangsters in a TV show.
After a while, as if they had an unspoken agreement, both the large and small creatures dashed toward each other. They caught and embraced one another, crossing their legs in preparation for a slam.
"Splash!"
The wind howled as their slam was restrained. The two creatures remained entangled, still in their pre-slam positions. Both sides gritted their teeth, struggling to bring the other down. It was clear that they were evenly matched. The bear once again doubted its strength. How could it be on par with a skinny monkey?
In the next moment, Ray slightly loosened his body. The bear, who had been restrained for a while, finally managed to pull Ray. The bear grew arrogant, thinking that Ray lacked resilience. However, Ray's body, which had initially relaxed and seemed easy to slam, suddenly solidified and gathered momentum.
The force Ray generated was tremendous as if the previously lightweight rope had suddenly become heavy, catching the unprepared person pulling it. This time, it was the bear being slammed by Ray.
Bang!
Ray's slam was even stronger than before. The crushing force, combined with the bear's weight, shattered the surrounding ground, creating a chaotic mess. The ground simply couldn't withstand the kinetic energy unleashed by the slam.
Seeing the bear dazed, Ray seized the opportunity to lock onto it. Unfortunately, the bear realized that Ray couldn't fully secure the lock. Apart from their equal strength, the bear's large body hindered Ray's efforts.
The two creatures continued to alternate between slamming and locking onto each other. Although Ray had the advantage of being knowledgeable in grounding-based martial arts, the bear was no pushover.
Several moments passed, and the activated talent corridors were nearing completion. Sensing this, Ray clenched his teeth and prepared to take a gamble based on his thoughts during the fight.
With determination, Ray pounced, as if to embrace the bear as before. The bear didn't seem too startled, perhaps accustomed to such moves. However, after a while, Ray's hand suddenly changed direction, shooting toward the bear's head.
"Three-clawed dragon!" Ray shouted deeply.
Splat!
A sound resembling the bursting of rubber echoed. Ray's index and middle fingers plunged into the bear's eye socket, stained with fresh red blood dripping between his fingers. The bear, experiencing intense pain in its head, was left stupefied.
Ray swiftly withdrew his hand and distanced himself from the bear. As he moved away, he stood vigilantly, anticipating the sound of another falling tree.
Kaboom!
Witnessing this, Ray exhaled the turbid air from his lungs, feeling a sense of relief. After a moment, Ray approached the lifeless body of the bear. In the eye socket, there was a deep bloody hole, indicating that his attack had crushed the bear's brain.
After confirming the bear's demise, Ray collapsed backward, landing in a sitting position, appearing utterly exhausted. Just as Ray weakly sat down, the sound of applause resonated from a nearby area. Hearing this, Ray could only direct his gaze toward the source of the sound, and to his surprise, he recognized two familiar individuals—the oddballs who had tracked him down the previous week!