The day was wearing on as Lucas, Finn, and Evelyn continued their journey towards the city of Ardenia. After the incident with the bandits earlier, the atmosphere was more relaxed, although everyone remained vigilant against potential dangers. The forest around them began to open up into a vast meadow, and they could see a rocky path that marked the road to the city.Evelyn walked ahead confidently, occasionally raising her magic staff to survey her surroundings. Finn, on the other hand, moved more casually, occasionally picking wild flowers by the roadside or disturbing small insects that passed by. Lucas was in the middle, balancing between these two contrasting travel companions."So, where are you from, Lucas?" Evelyn asked suddenly, breaking the silence. She turned around with a curious look."I've never heard of your family name before."Lucas, who was always careful with his answers, just smiled faintly."Oh, I... came from a faraway place. You may not have heard of it because I don't socialize in big cities very often."Evelyn nodded, though it was clear she was still curious."I understand. The world is vast. There are many places that people don't know about. But you seem experienced enough for someone from a remote place."Lucas chuckled."I'm a quick learner."Finn, who had been listening to their conversation while picking wildflowers, inserted his own comment."Ah, maybe Lucas comes from a mysterious place where all great adventurers are born. Or maybe he's just lucky to have gotten good training."Lucas just smiled, not wanting to reveal more. He knew that his system window and gacha were secrets that had to be kept.They walked for a few more hours, and the terrain changed to become more rocky with some large trees scattered here and there. They decided to stop for a moment and rest under the shade of a large oak tree that towered over the roadside."How about we take a break here? The journey is still long," Finn suggested, yawning widely."I'm starting to get hungry too. Does anyone have any food?"Evelyn opened her bag and took out some dry bread and a bottle of water."This is enough for now. We can buy more food in the city later."The three of them sat on the grass and began to eat quietly. Finn, who could never stay still, started talking again."So, you know, there's a rumor in town about a hidden treasure somewhere around here," he said as he chewed his bread."They say the treasure can give you incredible magical powers."Evelyn snorted."Rumors like that always circulate in every city. Treasure, magic power, legendary weapons... You can't believe everything.""But there's no harm in checking, right?" Finn grinned. "You know, sometimes legends are true."Lucas watched them both as he took a bite of his bread."I guess we could check if we have time. But we also can't forget our main goal of finding the missing villagers."Evelyn nodded in agreement."That's right. We have to stay focused on our mission."As they were talking, they suddenly heard a rustling sound from the bushes near them. Lucas immediately stood up, his eyes scanning his surroundings."There's something there," he said, his voice tense.Finn lowered his bread and put on a serious face."An animal? Or... something worse?"Evelyn raised her magic staff, ready if something appeared."Be ready," she said, her emerald green eyes sharpening.From behind the bushes, they could hear the sound of fast and heavy footsteps. Getting closer, Lucas saw a large shadow moving quickly."Watch out, it's something big!" he exclaimed.Suddenly, a tusked bear burst out of the bushes, with thick brown fur and long, sharp fangs that looked like small swords. The animal growled loudly, showing its dominance and aggressive intent."Great, this is just what we need, a wild 'amusement'!" Finn said sarcastically as he backed away.Lucas immediately drew his sword and stepped forward, trying to draw the bear's attention."We have to work together! Evelyn, do you have a spell that can hold it back?"Evelyn immediately began to chant a spell."Aqua Bind!" she shouted.A burst of water emerged from the tip of her staff, forming a rope of water that wrapped around the bear's front leg, slowing its movement. However, the bear was much stronger than she had expected. With one powerful pull, it tore the water rope as if it were just a thread."Finn, attack from the side!" Lucas shouted as he jumped towards the bear, swinging his sword with Blazing Slash.The fiery slash hit the bear on the side, causing it to roar in pain, but the large animal still stood and became even angrier.Finn moved quickly, jumping from the other side, and threw a throwing knife right at the bear's eye. However, the bear moved slightly to the side and was only hit on the head, making it even more enraged. With a loud roar, the bear swung its claws at Finn."Watch out!" Evelyn shouted.Finn rolled quickly, barely avoiding the large claws, but he managed to dodge in time.Lucas realized that this fight could be more dangerous than he had imagined."I need something more," he thought. He accessed the System Window and activated the Cloak of Shadows. His body suddenly disappeared in a dark mist, confusing the bear, its eyes searching for its missing prey.Evelyn saw this as an opportunity."Thunder Strike!" Evelyn shouted.Lightning struck the bear from above, causing it to stagger back and tremble. Finn jumped again, this time aiming his knife at the bear's throat. The knife pierced deep, causing the bear to let out a final roar before finally collapsing to the ground.Lucas reappeared beside them, panting."Good job, everyone," he said. "That bear was no easy opponent."Finn laughed while wiping sweat from his forehead."You can say that again, Buddy. That was one tough monster!"Evelyn smiled, though she looked tired."Yes, but we worked well together. Maybe there's hope for us as a team."Lucas smiled slightly, feeling more confident in his allies."Let's continue our journey. The sooner we get to Ardenia, the better."