The trail of broken branches leaded to a large area with the trees that slightly apart from each other. Some of the wet green leaves had bloodstains on it.
The bear's ragged breathing stared at the bandit who only held one scimitar because his left hand could no longer move. His bleeding hand just hung and swayed following his body movements.
'Alas, even if I attack it, the flesh is too thick to penetrate in a single slash. I'll die first before I can make it retreat,' thought the bandit who realized his hopeless situation while his breath pace increasingly.
Just as the bear was about to attack the bandit, a loud shout was heard from behind followed by a powerful slash on the bear's back. The bear roared in pain and immediately turned around and brushed off the person who had just disturbed him. That person was Zaltar with his double-edged greatsword.
"Attacking without attacking, means counterattacking when they're in attack territory. Okay, it shouldn't be that hard," Zaltar said to himself to reassure.
The bear advanced on Zaltar with both hands, Zaltar immediately parried the attack but unexpectedly, the bear's thrust was stronger than he expected. Zaltar was pushed back followed by the bear's scratches which forced Zaltar to jump backwards away.
"I knew it was impossible! That technique only works if I'm stronger than the bear."
The bear attacked again and Zaltar jumped to dodge it. The bear attacked again and he dodged again. That was it. For several minute, it just Zaltar dodging the bear.
'Damn, at this rate, I'm just waiting to die. It's impossible to retreat because my defenses will be wide open. It's impossible to keep dodging like this because the bear must have more stamina than me. And it's impossible to attack because the bear is stronger than me.'
Zaltar was in deep thought and realized one thing, when Zhen parried his attack during a sword fight, the elf did not use his strength to block the attack, but rather redirect the momentum of the attack.
"Maybe that's the real intention." Zaltar stopped dodging and prepared for the next attack.
The bear raised one hand to strike the limped man, Zaltar mimicked Zhen's action, parried and immediately tilted his sword and allowed the bear's attack direction to be temporarily diverted.
'Time to attack!'
*BAM!!!*
Zaltar's body was knocked away by another hand.
"AAAAA!!! IN THE END THE TECHNIQUE DIDN'T WORK!!! WHY DID I TRUST THAT CRAZY ELF?!" Zaltar shouted in frustration after feeling several of his ribs were cracked.
While Zaltar was desperately trying to survive, the bandit immediately tried to heal his left arm but it seemed impossible as several bones of his arm were broken and the flesh and nerves were torn apart by the bear.
'What was Zaltar thinking? He had a hard time fighting me and now he's trying to fight a bear that took my left hand. He have gone mad,' thought the bandit who tried to walk away but suddenly stumbled and could only sit down.
"Damn, it looks like my legs are tired after running and fighting with that bear. Damn it!" the bandit shouted
Zaltar's condition was not much better, he returned to his previous pattern of dodging the bear's attacks with all his might.
'Damn, it's bad, it's really bad, that elf technique is completely useless and now I'm out of options. As expected, it all comes down to strength in the end.'
Zaltar continued to monologue in his mind and hoped to find a solution while dodging desperately.
'It's easy for him to make a quick counterattack-'
Zaltar suddenly realized one thing that seemed to be the core of Zhen's words. He stopped jumping and prepared for the next attack.
The bear lunged and raised one hand to strike. Zaltar waited a little longer and when the bear launched an attack, he jumped diagonally towards the bear's attack.
A quick slash followed as he immediately bent and rolled. When he managed to dodge, he turned back to find the bear preparing for a follow-up attack.
*Bam!
Zaltar was thrown and he felt two of his ribs were broken. As the limping man stood up and surveyed the situation, he noticed the bear had raised one hand to keep it from touching the ground.
Zaltar smiled, "Heh, so that's what it looks like. Attack without attacking."
The bear was no longer aggressive and became more cautious. It just observed Zaltar who was also observing it.
"Not just waiting and parrying an attack, but waiting and performing a fatal attack in an instant as soon as the opponent enters the attack range area."
Zaltar looked at his sword, "but it's too heavy, such fast maneuvers require a lighter and more..."
Zaltar saw the scimitar lying among the bloody leaves and picked it up. He swung it a few times then looked at the bear.
"Yep, I'm sure I can kill that bear this time."
Zaltar stood up confidently and now smiled broadly at the bear. "Come at me, are you afraid to fight a cripple?"
The bear dashed at Zaltar and the man did the same as before. Waiting for the bear's attack to enter his slashing area and jumping forward diagonally to the attack, dodging and slashing quickly at the same time then jumping away and repeating it again, and again, and again, and again.
After getting 10 slashes to the arms and torso, the bear began to think again about facing the smiling Zaltar.
"This time I will slash your neck many times until it cut off. Step forward!" Zaltar declare his stance with great confidence.
The bear could sense the aura that the limped man exuded and decided to turn around and move away.
"What? Give up? Haha."
Zaltar laughed for a moment then sat down and stretched out.
"Phew~ it's a good thing he retreated. Hahahaha. Ouch! my ribs" He carefully touch his chest and feeling a bit pain. "I didn't expect to be able to apply the teachings of that crazy elf. Hahahaha..."
"Zaltar! Why did you save me?" asked the bandit who was now able to walk although it was a bit of a struggle.
"Save you? Oh no, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to test the technique I just learned."
"Technique?"
"Yes. Attack without attacking."
"Huh? How can you attack without attacking? Are you crazy?"
Zaltar just laughed, "You're right, it's an absurd technique." Zaltar sighed after finishing laughing. "Crazy absurd technique by the man with crazy strong strength."
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The trees fell one by one, but not because of natural phenomena, rather because of slashes from Reginald that Zhen continued to avoid.
"How many times have I told you, I was not sent by the kingdom. I just want to kill you," Reginald shouted, pointing his scimitar at Zhen.
"But you are from Eleindal, right?"
"So what if I'm from Eleindal?!" Reginald slashed once more, but thr elf dodged it.
Zhen continued to dodge while thinking something that was a bit off in his mind, 'If he's not working for the kingdom but still knows about the tradition of killing heroes from other worlds, then he's just a puppet.'
"Don't run, Zhen the silver death! Fight me!"
' The question is, does the mastermind want me to come there and interrupt, or does he want me to stay away so that I don't interrupt?'
Zhen landed after successfully jumping to avoid Reginald's umpteenth attack.
"Alright Reginald, I'll dance with you."