“Okay, follow me.” I spend the rest of the afternoon tracking down the location of the bear. We encounter more droppings from time to time, as well as scratched up trees that the beast has rubbed itself against and sharpened its claws on. By the time the sun is setting, I’m sure we’ve gotten close. It’s actually Yin who spots the cave in the side of a small hill. Huge claw marks are carved into the stone around a deep, dark hole.

There’s no mistake.

This bear is definitely big and recently corrupted.

Looking at the entrance, I get a creepy feeling. To be honest, by the time I fought a Corrupted Bear, I was already Lvl. 7, in my last life. And I had a party at my back.

“Is it in there?” Yin hangs back, unwilling to go near the dark cave. I examine the outside for clues. There’s plenty of fresh bear tracks and droppings so I know we’re in the right place. “Do we have to go inside?”

“No…it’ll be too dangerous to enter its den. Instead, let’s smoke it out.” I fumble around in my coat and find my flint. Looking around, I start gathering dead wood to make a fire. Once I have a good blaze going, the sun is already almost over the horizon and nightfall has begun to set. The forest has become a dark place full of terrors. Our fire is now the strongest warmth in this place. Grabbing a dead branch full of leaves, I place it in the flames until it begins to smoke and char. “Okay, I’ll smoke it out of the den. With any luck, it’ll run itself onto my spear. Then you finish it yea?”

“H-Hei!” Suddenly as I’m about to toss my burning branch into the bear’s lair, I hear a scream from behind. Fear blossoms inside me as I realize I’ve miscalculated. A prickling feeling takes over my stomach as my heartbeat pounds and adrenaline spikes through me. A second later, the terrifying roar of a Corrupted Bear tells me everything I need to know.

Crap. It was behind us.

*GRAWWWRR!*

#

Black fur, four legs, and a snout right out of a horror movie. The Corrupted Bear has small veins of sickly dark pus dripping out of it’s flank. It snarls so loud it feels like it’s right in front of me. The beast paws at the ground, angrily rearing onto its back legs and then returning to all fours. The virus has just barely reached the brain and the resulting creature is a confused mess. However, as a beast exceeding Lvl. 7, it is exceedingly deadly and aggressive.

*Tsss*

Little tufts of dirt rise from the ground as it carves bloody furrows into the dirt with overly long claws. After infection, its deadliest traits have been enhanced and now the already massive claws of a normal bear have become dagger-like instruments. The beast has trouble even walking for its claws are so long they stick in the forest floor, but when it’s this close, that’s small consolation.

“Hei! What do we do?” Yin clutches my cleaver with a desperate panic. Standing by the fire, I stab the already smoldering branch inside until it ignites into a blazing torch! I toss it on the ground in front of us for light and then step between the terrified girl and the beast. It snuffles at the edge of the darkness, testing the light. The eyes are a clouded black. On a living creature it would probably be blind. But this is normal for the Corrupted. Before I have time to think, it charges!

*GRAAAAWR!*

“CRAP!” I shout, no longer able to keep my cool as a mountain of muscled infected flesh crashes across the path towards me. It’s huge, and as a Lvl. 1 Hunter, far stronger than I am. Fortunately, the intelligence of bears is not terribly high to begin with. Placing the butt of my makeshift spear against the ground, I wrap both hands around the shaft and hold it steady, meeting the beasts charge! Foul wind washes over me as the terrifying snuffling grows closer and the distinct whoof of a bear’s angered breathing.

*Thud!*

It rams into the spear and the thick wood bends back until I’m scared its going to break. My hands tremble. A mound of dirt rises as the base of the spear pushes against the ground. I use all my weight to push down on the shaft and keep it from turning as the bear rams into it. In the flickering light of the rapidly dying torch beside us, I see the beast’s disfigured skull.

*GRAWWWR*

My spear has penetrated the rotting fur on its chest with three prongs. It presses onwards, trying to pull itself onto the spear and reach me. Each of its paws is as thick as I am and they bat at the shaft of the spear, causing loud thumps every time they hit the sturdy wood. However, the beast’s own giant weight and momentum are keeping the spear steady.

“Yin! Get the neck!” I scream. Even though the trunk of the tree I cut is thick, I doubt it can hold much longer. If this thing wasn’t undead it would have just backed up and doubtless ripped the spear out of my hands. But fortunately, its inability to cherish its own life is causing it to continuously impale itself. “I don’t know how long I can hold it!”

“On it!”

I see a slim figure dart past the bear and I. Praying that she can reach the neck of the tall creature, I do my best to keep it steady. She’s fast. The stats of a Lvl. 3 Hunter have boosted all of her normal capabilities. In an instant she’s beside the bear, just behind the paws.

*Shing*

The butcher’s knife flashes in the dying light as she brings it up and down on the Corrupted Bear’s neck. However, it’d be more accurate to say that she swings it forwards, because the bear is so tall that she can’t properly swing down. Without gravity on her side, her strike fails to sever its head.

*GRAAAAWWRR!*

The cleaver stops, buried a quarter of the way into its neck. A hideous roar echoes and the bear pushes sideways with a massive paw, sending Yin sprawling. When I see her go down, my vision turns red. Instantly, I lean into the spear with everything I have, trying to drive it into the bear’s heart! Though it is infected, it is still a living being and suffers damage from having a wooden stake rammed into its chest!

“You piece of-!” I let go of the shaft and roll sideways, going to Yin. She held onto my cleaver as she fell away. It’s on the ground beside her trembling form, black blood staining the dull steel. Going to her, I examine her for injuries. There’s a long bloody scrape on her arm but otherwise I think she’s okay, just dazed. Ducking down, I take the cleaver from her. “You okay?”

“Ow…” She moans gently, but nods. I turn back to the creature which has managed to break the thick spear in half during its thrashing. Blood is spurting out of its chest and neck, but it is very much still alive. I help Yin to her feet, and grimace. This is going to be hard to do. The Corrupted Bear whines in pain, its breath sounding demonic as it rolls about. Finally, as the last of the spear is crushed under its massive weight, it also faces us. Yin reaches for the cleaver in my hand.

“Relax. It’s not a bite wound. I’ll protect you.” I don’t let go, shaking my head. “This is too dangerous. I didn’t think it would be behind us. Just this one time, I’m going to make an exception and level up for you.”

“Didn’t you say that last time?” Yin’s face looks a little less frightened as I stand tall. She draws the replica katana. “You’re not very good at following your own rules.”

“Heh.” I grunt and rush forwards. There’s no time to exchange more words.

I can’t let the bear recover.

It watches me approach and lashes out blindly with a giant paw. Diving underneath, I roll to the right and try to get to the wound Yin made in its neck. My cleaver finds its way into the cut and I feel the hard boney plate of its last vertebra disk just above the spine.

Damnit!

Though I’m a finger’s breadth from cutting into its spinal cord, the bone stops my blade just short. Then the bear swipes at me and I have to let go of the cleaver.

Too fast!

Putting both hands in front of my face and crouching down, I take the impact of the blow head on, unable to dodge with only the stats of a Lvl. 1.Hunter. Instantly burning pain overtakes my forearms, I can feel the insanely long and sharp claws digging into my flesh and catching on the bone. It’s like being struck and stabbed at the same time and suddenly I’m in the air, flying backwards. When the ground hits my back, I see stars and every bit of air in my lungs whooshes out.

“Hei!”

“Ugh.” I cough out as Yin rushes over. The bear’s claws have carved deep chunks of flesh from my arms and I can barely feel them anymore. Just this deep, dull, ache. Holding up a hand before her worried face, I struggle to my feet. She only looks more concerned as she sees the damage done to my arms. “I’m okay…just didn’t expect it to be so fast. Crap, I lost my cleaver.”

Squinting through the darkness because the torch has gone out, I can see the Corrupted Bear swaying. Unlike a Fresh Undead, it is a living creature and having a knife driven almost all the way through its spinal cord will cause it to slow down. Yin takes a defensive stance in front of me, ready to protect me with her life, but I pat her on the back and push her out of the way.

“I got this. Let me protect you one more time before you become stronger than me.”

“Are you sure?” Yin hesitates, holding her replica katana out with concern. “It looks like you really hurt it. Maybe I can finish it with this now?”

I shake my head.

“You’re not ready yet. Just let me be cool this one time, okay?” Regaining my breath, I put my hands over hers and she lets go of the katana. It feels good to be holding a sword again, even if I can barely feel my hands. Yin calls out to me as I turn to go.

“Pfft, just this once. Next time, I’ll protect you!” She shouts and I smile.

This one really has the heart of a true warrior.

Dashing forwards, I pick up speed. The bear does the same, meeting me with a thunderous charge!

*GRAAAAWWWR!*

A feint. That’s all I use the katana for. I swing left and the metallic reflection of the blade causes the bear to shift slightly. Then I spin around its paw and leap into the air. Still spinning, I look over my shoulder behind me in midair to see the cleaver still buried in its neck.

Just a little bit more!

“HAH!” I breath out and kick backwards right onto the handle, shoving my cleaver deep into the cervical disk and breaking through! The bear topples instantly and I land beside its fallen body, crouching to absorb the impact. Under the moonlight, I listen closely, making sure its dead. Any second, I expect Yin to come by to congratulate me. I can already see the system message which is happily informing me that I have reached Lvl. 4. Despite the horrible injuries to my arms, strength floods my body. My stats have risen a lot. Perhaps too much.

I didn’t want to be the one to deal the last blow.

“Hey, Yin, you have to admit, I looked pretty cool there, right?”

Tap

Tap.

Tap!

Footsteps from behind.

It’s Yin.

But she isn’t saying anything.

Not screaming congratulations or calling my name.

“Is something-?“

I turn in time to see her ferocious face as she crashes into me. I just barely manage to hold onto the katana and keep it from cutting either of us as I tumble around in her embrace. Something jagged nips the numb fingers in my left hand. It’s a sharp pain, but then I’m on the ground.

“Yin?” I mumble, still trying to get my head together. “Why did you do that?” However, she’s already rising. Ignoring my questions, she stands over me and I see a dark shadow where I was just standing by the bear. It has four limbs, about the size of a man, and the tell-tale signs of corruption. Dark spots of infected pus coat its fur. An infected wolf. Instantly, I understand. It was an ambush. I try to sit up, wondering why my left-hand hurts so much. Yin gasps as another wolf comes from nowhere.

“NO!”

She dives down to the ground and the wolf sores overhead. I can see the gleam in its cloudy eyes as it stares down at me before it passes. The spittle on its fangs is murky black with taint. Suddenly, I look down at my hand.

No…no…no!

“Yin! Get back!” I stare down at my left hand with rising horror. A familiar burning sensation, cold and hot at the same time is spreading up my numb arms. Small jagged cuts from a canine-like mouth are carved into my palm and fingers. “It bit me.”