Chapter Fourteen: The Black Bear Boss

The three of us traveled together for an entire day without encountering any formidable monsters—just a handful of minor creatures that were easily dispatched. After quite some time, we each logged off, agreeing on a time to meet the next day before taking our rest.

The following day, I logged in on time, and the three of us continued our journey. “This damned jungle, ugh!” the Roc began to grumble. But at that moment, my little black dog started barking incessantly up ahead, making me tense and ready myself, hands hanging alertly by my sides.

"Is there a monster? What kind of monster is it?" Phoenix asked cautiously, keeping her voice low.

We advanced slowly, and for a while, nothing appeared—no monsters, just a place that looked like a nest, exuding a dreadful and intimidating aura. My little black dog barked nonstop, cowering behind me and trembling. Seeing my pet like this only added to my anxiety.

Roc, visibly uneasy, asked, “Could it be a boss? Should we avoid it?”

“Perhaps. But the further we go, the stronger the monsters become. There’s definitely something unusual ahead. What do you think? Should we take a look? Maybe we’ll find some good equipment,” I replied with a nonchalant ease.

Phoenix fell silent for a moment before saying, “I think we should avoid it unless absolutely necessary. We really shouldn’t provoke monsters like that right now—with our current levels, we could be wiped out.” She still vividly recalled that devastating near-wipe at the hands of Gale and his people.

At that moment, we noticed a group of five people heading toward the so-called nest. “Should we check it out?” I suggested.

Roc quietly set down the double-edged greatsword from his shoulder and whispered, “Let’s go. Since someone else is taking the lead, we can just watch from a distance. Who knows? We might be able to pick up some loot if things go wrong for them.” He flashed a wicked grin, “If they die, maybe we’ll get a few pieces of dropped gear.” With that, he crouched low and slipped off to the left.

Phoenix and I exchanged helpless, wry smiles. That Roc was always out for easy loot and clearly hoped for the same this time. Seeing him sneak off, we had no choice but to follow.

We watched as the five players stealthily made their way through the dense forest, keeping hidden as they approached the nest to within about ten meters. There, they crouched and concealed themselves. From a distance, we could clearly see a slope ahead, with a massive cave halfway up. The mouth of the cave was over three meters wide and high, shrouded in darkness. We had no idea what kind of beast called it home. The five spread out and cautiously approached.

Of the five, four were men and one was a woman. The woman was a mage, one of the men an archer, and the other three warriors.

Judging by their gear and bearing, each was roughly as strong as us, with one or two decent pieces of equipment apiece. They formed a formidable party.

The five split up and peered into the nest, hesitant to enter outright.

After a moment's hesitation, one of the warriors picked up a large stone, summoned his courage, and hurled it forcefully into the massive cave.

With a thunderous crash, the stone struck the cave wall, echoing loudly within.

Immediately, bestial roars erupted from inside.

The five were unperturbed, faces alight with excitement as they hid on either side of the cave entrance, bracing for battle.

A shadow darted forth, and two jet-black bears, each about a meter tall, charged out of the cave, roaring.

As the bears emerged, the two warriors on either side sprang into action. Blades gleamed as they each struck with their double-edged greatswords, drawing pained howls from the bears as they toppled, blood gushing from their round bodies.

But these two bears were not the true targets. The five remained hidden, still on guard.

A furious roar shook the depths of the cave, as if the cries of the two slain bears had awakened something terrifying. The roar was deafening, shaking dust loose from the ceiling.

The five now wore tense yet exhilarated expressions. The three warriors gripped their blades in both hands, ready to strike at any moment. The archer nocked an arrow, aiming at the heart of the cave. The mage had finished her incantation, poised to unleash her spell as soon as a target appeared.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Heavy footsteps echoed from within, drawing nearer, until at last a colossal head emerged.

It was a massive black bear, standing nearly three meters tall on two legs. Its head was as large as two basketballs, its eyes the size of infants’ fists. The creature was round and bloated, its body covered in dense, jet-black fur. Its forepaws looked as broad as giant fans.

As it emerged, the three warriors struck in perfect unison, their longswords slashing deep into its enormous body. The archer’s arrow thudded into its hide. The mage raised her staff with a sharp cry, summoning a half-meter-long translucent blade of wind that slashed across the bear’s chest.

In an instant, all five attacks struck true. The three first-tier warriors’ greatswords sank deep into the bear’s flesh.

“We’ve wounded the black bear boss!” one of the warriors shouted in delight, trying to wrench his blade free for another blow.

Suddenly, he realized his sword was stuck fast in the bear’s body. Before he could react, the black bear let out a roar that rattled their eardrums and swiped its massive paw at him like a fan.

With a dull, sickening sound, the warrior’s head was knocked clean off, soaring through the air like a ball before slamming into a distant wall and bursting open—splattering like a smashed watermelon. A bright red damage number—554—flashed above.

Hiding not far away, we shuddered with horror.

The three warriors’ weapons remained lodged in the bear’s body, leaving them vulnerable. The black bear boss swatted at them as if crushing mosquitoes: one headless body hurtled through the air, another warrior’s skull and torso were pounded into a bloody pulp with a single blow.

The last warrior tried to abandon his weapon and flee, but after only two steps, the bear’s paw struck his back, launching him like a ragdoll deep into the forest, his fate uncertain.

Witnessing this, our faces turned pale and cold sweat broke out all over.

The three warriors, who were by no means weak and wore blue-grade equipment, were slaughtered like nothing. This black bear boss was the most powerful monster we had yet encountered in the jungle.

With the warriors—the front line—annihilated in an instant, the female mage and the archer realized their peril. Without hesitation, they turned and fled in desperation.

Regret filled their hearts. They’d discovered the nest, thinking luck was on their side, hoping to encounter a boss and score some loot. With their decent equipment and levels, five against a level-ten-something boss monster shouldn’t have been a problem.

But none of them could have imagined how terrifying this black bear boss would be, dispatching three warriors with a single swipe.

The mage ran, screaming, “Help me! Save me! I don’t want to lose a level!” Her words had barely left her lips when the archer, a step behind, let out a wretched cry: “No—help—ah!” His voice was cut off as we saw the black bear boss seize him in one massive paw, open its blood-red jaws, and with a chilling crunch, bit through his head. It then hurled the headless corpse away with brutal force.

Its target was not the mage, but us. Clearly, our hiding spot had been discovered. I heard the wind whistle as the corpse hurtled toward us—its force was terrifying.

“Watch out!” The speed of the incoming body made dodging almost impossible. Abandoning any attempt to evade, I braced myself and caught the corpse with both arms.

Even prepared, I was stunned by the impact. The corpse, thrown by the black bear boss, struck me head-on. I spat a mouthful of blood as I was sent flying, crashing through a small tree. Only after colliding with a second tree did I finally come to a stop, collapsing to the ground.

In that instant, I lost 130 health points.