“You… you’re not seriously considering going after it? Are you?” One of the deadweights asked, completely forgetting his decorum in front of his commanding officer.

“Of course we are! We have to track it and evacuate any settlements this monster approaches! Have you forgotten your duties as a Ranger?!?” For the first time in this 2-week patrol, Vinnick showed a displeased scowl.

“Ser! No I have not! I… I was merely pointing out that it is better to rush back to the castle for reinforcement!” The deadweight replied in defense, with a slightly higher pitch.

“There are dozens of settlers in the Northwestern Settlement and the Logging Camp, and they are doomed if we don’t warn them in time. Do I look like a coward pretending to be a Ranger to you, Mitt?” Vinnick stared down the deadweight with the intensity of a midday sun.

“No ser!” The deadweight’s pitch went an octave higher. “I was thinking maybe we should send the trainees back as messengers to the Legate. They’d be useless in a fight against a Champion anyways.” Haha, this guy could probably do a falsetto if he really tried!

Wow, that was smooth. I would’ve been touched by his concern for my safety if his legs weren’t mildly shaking in terror. But he did have a point- the trainees were much more useful for evacuation and messaging than fighting a beast of that caliber. And Vinnick seemed to agree.

“Alright, let’s rush to the Northwestern Settlement first. Once we get there, we’ll split the patrol group into two. I’ll lead one group to track and delay. Mitt, take Bezz and Mancho to escort the settlers and the trainees back to the castle. I doubt you 3 posers would be any more useful against that bear than the trainees despite coming from nobler stock.”

Gottem! That was a sick burn! And that’d explain how they got into 1st Squad in the first place. They’re probably unacknowledged bastards from nobles and Knights who got in through connections. Sigh… why are there parasites like them everywhere I go?

***

Fortunately, the settlement had not been attacked yet. We quickly informed the settlers about their impending massive bear problem and advised them to prepare for evacuation.

I walked up to Vinnick and said, “Ser, permission to stay with the 1st group?”

Vinnick looked at me with an amused expression. “Rummy, you’ve done decent work these past 2 weeks, but this fight is way over your head. You’re much safer with the evac group.”

“Ser, with all due respect, I disagree with your assessment.”

Vinnick smiled a bit and replied. “I’m gonna be honest with you, son. I’m not even sure if I’ll live through the battle. A Champion mana-beast isn’t something you can fight without squads of Rangers or Knights backing you up. What makes you think it’s safer with us?”

“It’s simple ser. Humans aren’t the only ones fleeing that rampaging bear in this area. Would it be that surprising for the evac group to run into a pack of wolves or, gods-forbid, another bear? If I have to fight either way, I’d rather be led by a wolf than a rat.” I explained.

“It’s a rare thing to value chivalry in the untamed Wilds. Very well, trainee. You have my permission to stay. Rejoice! It shall be an honor to fight and die next to real Rangers!” Vinnick said with a glint in his eyes.

Uh oh, I think he may have misinterpreted something. I wasn’t some chivalrous idiot looking to die with honor. I was just being rational here- going with Mitt was an option full of risk and devoid of reward. Hell, it wouldn’t shock me to see him abandon the settlers and the trainees the moment he led us right into a tough enemy with his subpar scouting skills. Fighting the bear wasnear suicide, but under the command of a Decanus with a spine, it wasn’t impossible to win, or at least delay the fucker until reinforcements arrived. Hell, the potential reward for killing such a monster could jumpstart my efforts to tech up under the radar.

Plus, I was sick and tired of having to carry deadweights and parasites just because they came from the balls of somebody rich. I shall have nothing to do with them anymore in this life.

After one of the scouts returned with the news that the bear was spotted due south of the settlement, the strike team began prepping. Vinnick ordered trap pits to be dug around the main avenues of the settlement, and impromptu spiked barriers were put around the southern entrances. To make sure the bear comes to us and not the evac group, Vinnick started a bonfire in the center of the settlement and began roasting wolf meat. We were as ready as we’ll ever be.

The settlers and the evac group escaped towards the castle, moving southeast (towards the Bear Cave we were just at). If everything goes right, Keith should have some reinforcements at the Logging Camp by tomorrow. If we couldn’t beat the Champion bear, the plan was to scatter and take potshots as we slowly retreated to the Logging Camp. Vinnick wasn’t kidding when he doubts even his own survival. Stalling a Champion mana-beast for that long is a tough ask for just 8 Rangers and a rookie.

Fifteen minutes later, I spotted some movements due south of the camp. A sequoia-like tree got violently knocked down like a jenga tower. An intimidating roar reverberated throughout the settlement, sending a dreadful chill to each of our souls. Bear.

“CONTACT SOUTH!” I yelled at the squad. Looks like the party was just about to begin. Time for the guest of honor to arrive.

When I gazed upon the Champion bear mana-beast, I felt a sense of awe and terror gripping my soul. Sure, I’ve seen magic up close in this fantasy genre world, but seeing a massive bear the size of a fucking school bus with jet black coat peppered with crimson spots lumbering towards me was a radically different way of experiencing the fantasy genre.

With bloodshot eyes and canines and claws as long as my hands, this monster looked the part of a Champion. The savage aura put out by this bear made every hair on my back stand up and filled my mind with fear. The usually relaxed demeanor of the 1st Squad was replaced by a nervous tension.

That feeling only intensified as the bear mana-beast entered the town and within shooting distance.

Then I noticed something- the bear is drooling. Now, that may be from the delicious smell of grilled wolf meat from Vinnick’s bait, but what if this bear had this world’s equivalent of rabies? That’s not that far-fetched of a theory considering how many bears this thing had killed and cannibalized. This could be a possible path to victory if we somehow outlast it before the rabies claims its life.

OK, I could do this. I could…OH FUCK! This thing could breathe fire!?!? That’s OP as hell! The spiked barriers I’d spent 15 minutes building were incinerated in 15 seconds. Even though I was hiding on the rooftop of a cabin a good 50 meters away, I felt a wave of heat washing over me as the bear advanced through the ashes of the barriers and into the settlement.

I nocked the arrow on my bow and waited for the order. The atmosphere was tense and dreadful. After a few steps into the settlement, the bear noticed us and howled in rage. As it charged at us, it suddenly fell into a pit 5 meters deep. Wow, Vinnick’s adept-level earth mana crystal is amazing! I’ve gotta get me one of those.

“LOOSE!”, screamed Vinnick. A volley of arrows from different angles hit the bear at various spots. Sadly, most of them bounced off its thick fur. My shot managed to graze the snout, producing a devastating paper cut to it. Vinnick scored the only real hit with an arrow to the right eye.

*ROAR!*

The beast got really pissed! Swinging its mighty claws with reckless abandon, it dug out a ramp for itself and climbed back out.

*twang* *twang**twang**twang**twang*

The volleys continued to pour in. Some got swatted by the bear. Some bounced off of the fur. Only a few shots managed to deal critical damage to the face. Fortunately, we’ve managed to hit both of its eyes, so the bear should be blind for the remainder of the battle.

The bear roared once more, but this time, its injured eyes glowed green. I saw the eye regenerate itself in real time as the arrows that were embedded in the eyeball slowly got pushed out and fell to the ground.

Vinnick looked in horror as his death-by-a-thousand-paper-cuts battle plan went up in smoke. The squad had limited stamina and arrows, so we only stand a fighting chance if the minor damages we’ve done accumulated over time as we conduct a fighting retreat. If the bear healed through all that damage... well, fuck.

“KEEP FIRING! Let’s see how many times this bastard can heal itself! This thing has fire-affinity, so use <<Frostbite>> if you can!” Vinnick tried to rally the Squad, but I think deep down, he knew he had a losing hand. But with the stoic determination of an Imperial Ranger, he pushed on.

Meanwhile, I was considering whether I should run or not. The rational part of me was screaming at me to GTFO while I still had the chance. But the greedy side of me told me that I could win, and that the rewards for winning could jumpstart my harem plan by years.

Ultimately, the decision was made by the damn bear. It charged up the freshly dug ramp out of the pit and closed the distance on one of my squadmates in an instant. Shit, that thing was blazing fast too? If we scattered and ran, we’d be chased down individually in minutes. At this point, even the rational side of me was saying that an all-out burst damage attack was my only possible way out of this.

“AHHH! AHH!! IT BURNS!!!” A fellow Ranger took a flame attack in the chest and fell from the roof. Then the bear swiped at him and the poor man got sliced into freshly seared pieces before he hit the ground. Holy shit, this bear made trained Rangers look like a Star Trek redshirt!

“Brian! Godsdamn you foul beast!” Vinnick yelled. But the bear paid him no mind as it ate its mid-battle snack. My commander was about to explode in indignant rage when I yelled out my plan.

“Heck of a long shot.” He replied from the rooftop next to mine.

“Ser, it’s our only shot.” I yelled back.

Redshirt Rangers B and C ran out of arrows, so they took out their swords with grim expressions and approached the Champion. The bear, after a quick snack, furiously charged with a blazing speed. Before it could reach them, it fell into another pit. Redshirts B and C began to retreat when a blast of flames from the pit suddenly engulfed them both. After several seconds of agonizing screaming and flailing, they stop moving. Horrifying as it is, their deaths had brought us a golden opportunity.

“NOW!” I shouted as I jumped off the rooftop and sprinted toward the bear.

Vinnick and the rest of the squad moved closer to the trapped bear and went full-auto on their volleys. Shot after shot landed on the eyes, snout, and ears of the bear. It retaliated by wildly swinging its claws, blasting the soil in front of it.

Taking advantage of this chance, I jumped onto the back of the bear’s head with a nocked arrow. I overcharged the <<Air Blast>> spell while imagining a massive rifling airflow pattern around the arrow.

As I loosed the arrow, I fired an overcharged <<Air Blast>> point blank.

*BOOM!!!*

Strength instantly drained from my legs. The mana-beast roared in pain. Judging by how deeply the arrow was embedded, I’d say I (at least) cracked its skull on that shot.

*ROAR*!

The bear’s strength went up to another gear as it bursted out of the pit and shook me off. I fire off another overcharged <<Air Blast>> as I’m falling off. My accuracy wasn’t very good on the move, but at point blank distance, I managed to land the 2nd shot right next to the 1st one.

*BOOM!*

I hit the ground hard on my back since I didn’t brace for a landing during my shot, knocking the wind out of me. Gasping for air, I briefly reconsidered the series of “rational” decisions that resulted in me fighting a motherfucking Champion bear mana-beast to the death. Then I crawled up and ran towards another pitfall. I dived into it as a streak of fire singed the back of my leather armor, bracing the walls of the pit with my bow to slow down my fall. The bow snapped under the pressure. And the pit lit up in a hellish red color from the flames that almost roasted me.

Well, that should give the squad a chance to finish it off. I doubted rabid bears are smart enough to understand object permanence, so it should’ve forget about me and refocus on the others. Guess I should just chill in this hole and wait for...

The pit suddenly shook and trembled as the bear roared and charged in my direction. Oh fuck. Looked like it wasn’t gonna let me go. That… complicated things...

I took out my spear. Well, that’s checkmate. Honestly, I thought my plan was pretty good. I just wished the bear didn’t have it out for me and targeted the other Rangers instead. Sigh… hoped I get another life after this… I really wanted to make my harem dream a reality...

The bear crashed through the top of the pit and fell towards me. As I resolved myself for my last stand, I saw Vinnick with a sword through the hole I’d made with my overcharged shots. The Decanus leaned his entire weight into the sword, but it still won’t go any deeper. Hmm, hold on. It appeared that I had one more card left to play after all...

I made a gun hand gesture at the bear as I gathered all of my remaining mana. Then I overcharged an <<Air Blast>>. This time, I visualized an air bubble with the shape of an artillery shell aiming at its chin. As it began to swing its claws at me, I fired my overcharged <<Air Blast>>.

*BOOM!*

The spell violently knocked the bear’s head backwards, right into Vinnick’s sword. His sword lodged hilt-deep into its head! My vision started to blur, indicating that I just ran out of mana. On top of that, the last 3 overcharges had rendered my thumb-sized mana crystal to pinkie-sized. I doubt I could cast another spell even if I had the mana. Right before I passed out, I heard Vinnick yell, “Eat this <<Frostbite>>!!!”

*ROAR!!!*

Despite getting hit square in the head, the bear still managed to take a swing at me. My spear got caught in the swing and was instantly shredded. Luckily, the bear’s claw missed my defenseless noggin and savagely gouged the earthen wall 20cm above my head. The last thing I remembered before waking up in a tent was a deathrattle cry that would haunt my nightmares for years to come. Vinnick must’ve given that bear the mother of all brain freezes~