Chapter 864

Chapter 864: Rusty Black Bear

In the days that followed, the trade caravan continued northward, steadily advancing along the mountain road, gradually approaching the castle where Baron Moroz resided.

Another afternoon arrived, and Lolan Hill rested with her sword inside the carriage. She had grown accustomed to sleeping on the bumpy ride.

The caravan moved forward as usual, with several riders chatting behind the carriages.

“Probably we’ll arrive tomorrow. This mission was rather fortunate; we haven’t encountered any demonic beasts or bandits.”

“There are fewer demonic beasts these days,” one of the riders remarked reflectively.

“It’s because of the war. The duke and the royal family’s armies have swept through the southern region several times, so there aren’t many powerful demonic beasts left.”

“However, war isn’t a good thing. I had an old friend whose village was looted by soldiers during the chaos. He went to the local lord for justice, but that minor lord dared not offend the officers of the duke and the royal family, so he didn’t dare to ask, and up until now, they still don’t know who plundered their village.”

“The town is safer. At least there are churches, adventurer halls, or some neutral organizations around, so those soldiers wouldn’t dare do too much.”

“I think we should tell our families to move to the city. It would be more stable. I see no peace settling down in the southern region.”

“The empire’s nobles will always find a way. Regardless, if they want to collect taxes, they can’t ignore these bandits.”

“Let’s hope so, but I think the nobles are also struggling.”

As they chatted, a sudden series of urgent whistles came from ahead.

“What’s going on?” The caravan erupted in commotion. Steps and hoofbeats echoed, and the accompanying mercenaries picked up their weapons, rushing forward.

A roar sounded from the front of the caravan, like the rumbling of heavy rocks, causing tremors.

In the chaos, Lolan Hill pulled back the curtain of the carriage and jumped out, hurrying forward.

In the yellow-green forest path, a large black bear stood across the road, roaring uneasily and walking with small steps. Its black-red eyes stared at the humans, saliva dripping from its mouth.

Though the black bear wasn’t standing upright, its towering and robust shoulders were taller than the carriage. Under its gaze, the armored mercenaries in front of the carriage seemed inadequate.

Species: Black Bear Evolutionary Form

Status: Starving (Nervous – Aggressive)

Sequence: Primal Sequence 5 · Rusty Black Bear (Rating: Ordinary Gold Rank)

Talent:

Resilience [Common]: Increased muscle toughness and enhanced strength. (Common among bear-type creatures.)

Abilities:

[Rusty Fur] (Exceptional): Ability to harden fur in battle, greatly enhancing physical resistance. (Extraordinary professional ability, +1 Resilience)

Skills:

[Punch Lv.4][Bite Lv.2][Endurance Lv.4]

An ordinary demonic beast with common talents, reaching Sequence 5 was already its limit. Lolan Hill assessed the black bear, observing the evaluation given by the virtual screen.

“Everyone, take a step back slowly, don’t provoke it.” Miss Sharin called out from the crowd, directing everyone.

In the tense atmosphere, people held their swords and knives and took small steps backward. The ropes on the horses were untied, allowing the exhausted horses to separate from the carriages. People then pushed the carriages slowly backward.

The black bear’s pupils fixed on this group of humans, occasionally emitting low roars, pacing uncertainly. It could sense that several individuals ahead had considerable strength. Although it hadn’t found anyone stronger than itself, the sheer number made it hesitant, constantly wavering.

Seeing the group retreat again, the bear’s stomach emitted a hollow growl, akin to a ghost’s wail, causing many in the caravan to feel weak-kneed.

Suddenly, the bear’s pupils narrowed, and its body surged forward.

It ran a few steps, bristling its fur, and charged into the crowd like a spear.

Several mercenaries wielding greatswords and long spears swung their weapons fiercely. The extraordinary light from the blades clashed against the blackish fur, producing sharp sounds and sparks. The blade-like fur was cut.

Before the mercenaries could react, the massive bear’s strong body crashed into them, like a speeding truck, sending everyone flying, bones and organs shattered, blood spraying.

“Ahh!”

Seeing the black bear stop and prepare to crush the person lying on the ground with its paw, a figure raised a greatsword and rushed forward with a roar.

Slash—

The sword grazed the bear’s paw, sparking, before being swatted away. Though it failed to block the bear’s strike, it bought crucial half a second, allowing the adventurer below to roll and narrowly avoid the attack.

Plop!

The bear’s paw struck the dirt, sending stones flying and hitting those around, causing pain. Seeing the human on the ground wasn’t dead, the giant bear opened its mouth and bit down fiercely.

With a hiss, a bright silver sword blade got stuck between the bear’s teeth, drawing blood, finally stopping the predatory black bear.

“Mesia!” Miss Sharin exclaimed from behind, seeing the perilous scene.

Under the giant bear, which stood as tall as two stories, a silver-armored swordswoman gripped the sword tightly, blocking the crushing jaws. The close combat allowed others to see the fresh red flesh in its mouth and smell the foul stench.

Leveraging the moment the bear was stopped, several adventurers reacted, dragging their companion out from under the bear. More mercenaries rushed in, wearing thick armor, attacking from the side to distract the giant bear.

Seeing it couldn’t bite through the sword in its mouth, the black bear reared its neck, ready to throw the girl aside, while its front paw swung to knock her down.

Seeing this, Lolan Hill dropped her sword and dodged the bear’s paw.

After being thrown far into the forest, the sword embedded itself in a tree. The bear then charged through the crowd, scattering everyone, and smashing several carriages.

Seeing the goods scattered, Miss Sharin couldn’t help but cry out. These were all money. But compared to the Sequence 3 mercenaries and adventurers, this black bear was too strong. Almost no one in the caravan could stop it.

The only threat left was the silver-armored girl swordsman.

“Everyone, fall back. I’ll lure it to the other side.” Lolan Hill retrieved her sword and began directing everyone. Everyone started to listen without hesitation.

Seeing the black bear charge toward the crowd, Lolan Hill stepped quickly, aiming directly for its eye.

Compared to the iron-like fur covering its body, the bear’s eye remained vulnerable. The sword blade pierced it, drawing blood.

Roar!

A heart-shaking roar emerged from the bear, its remaining eye turning blood-red. It angrily turned, its giant paw carrying a fierce wind, striking the one who wounded it.

Crack!

Lolan Hill was sent flying, crashing into the woods, sliding several meters before stopping.

Ouch. The girl gritted her teeth, supporting herself with a tree, her eyes focused on the charging figure, then moved forward again.

In the astonished gazes of others, the swordswoman narrowly dodged the bear’s paw, avoiding the sweeping jaws, and struck the other eye of the giant bear.

Blood splattered, the bear roared, but it lost track of the girl this time.

Without sight, other mercenaries approached slowly, harassing it with bows and arrows, pulling back and forth.

After several hours of effort, they finally bled the giant bear to death. Its iron-like fur had resisted most attacks, leaving only its eyes and mouth as vulnerabilities.

“Whew, it’s over.” Many sighed in relief, collapsing on the ground, realizing they were drenched in sweat.

No wonder it was a Sequence 5 giant bear. Even in such dire straits, it lasted several hours before being killed by a group.

“If Mesia hadn’t injured its eyes, we might have been in real trouble,” Miss Sharin said after the fight.

“It was everyone’s effort. Alone, I couldn’t have done it,” the girl modestly shook her head, silently telling herself to stay humble.

“No, it wouldn’t have been easy. The caravan might have been destroyed,” Sharin disagreed.

“At least we won. Hopefully, we can get some materials from the giant bear to compensate for our losses.”

Afterwards, experienced mercenaries began skinning and dismembering the giant bear, with many gathering to watch.

“What a big bear! What does it usually eat? It seems very hungry.”

“I don’t know, but let’s not dwell on it.”

“If it hadn’t died, we’d be the ones suffering. Don’t pity it too much,” the bearded uncle said, noticing Lolan Hill staring at the carcass.

“Yeah, I understand,” the girl nodded, not being someone who blindly believed in mercy.

“Come here, drink some water, wipe off the blood. You’re our hero. We should celebrate tonight.”

“Let’s rest first. We’ll see what happens next,” other mercenaries joined in, comforting the girl, then joking around.

“Bear paws are rare delicacies. Let’s look forward to tonight and let our heroine taste everyone’s cooking.”

“Heh, it’s not all bad. If it weren’t for this black bear, we wouldn’t have had a feast in a long time.”

“How about some wine to liven things up?”

“Forget it. Miss Sharin will probably stop us. She’ll say to save it for the city.”

“Ah, yeah. We should be careful outside.”

“I’ll check the cargo for spices. Such a fine bear meat shouldn’t be eaten simply.”

As the members discussed excitedly, Sharin approached Lolan Hill.

She sat beside Lolan, examining her closely before relaxing.

“You’re safe. That was too close. I almost fainted,” Sharin patted her chest.

“Thanks to the armor, just a little scrape.” The girl shook her head, not seeing it as a big deal compared to past experiences.

But to fit her current identity and sequence, she had to suppress her strength, winning in a seemingly dangerous yet clever way.

“Right.” Sharin nodded, then fetched something from the carriage.

“These are ten extraordinary gold coins. Take them. Once we reach our destination, I’ll give you more payment. This time, it’s all thanks to you.” She placed a small bag of coins in the girl’s hand.

“No need to refuse. This is what you deserve. After selling the remains of the bear, you’ll get half the profit.”

“Thank you, Sharin.”

Lolan accepted the coins, no longer able to decline politely.

“Enjoy tonight. We’ll rest today and leave tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

The sun slowly sank, and the forest on the earth rose with wisps of smoke. The scent of roasted and cooked meat spread throughout the camp.

After the ordeal, everyone gathered around the campfire, celebrating the night. The name of Miss Mesia became known and spread among them.

What nickname should be given to this beautiful and brave swordswoman?

‘Beast-Slaying Mesia’, ‘Stronger than a Bear’, or ‘Heroic Swordswoman’.

Today, 6k words, consider it an extra update.

The plot will unfold gradually, so don’t rush.

(End of Chapter)