"Woofer, run!" Orion shouted, grabbing Woofer and fleeing without a second glance!
But a massive fireball erupted behind them, turning the night into day!
Flame Breath!
Boom—
The explosive fireball scattered, igniting trees and rapidly raising the surrounding temperature.
The crimson flames lit up the night like flares.
On the walls of the Blackstone Tribe.
"Look, what is that?" a giant guard shouted.
"Fire! Are those damned centaurs attacking again? Or is it a fire-type magical beast rampage?!" another guard panicked, instinctively running towards the chieftain's tent, but halfway there, he remembered something and turned towards the elders' tent.
It was a special time, and he needed to report to the elders quickly.
...
Boom!
Scorching flames swept through, setting trees ablaze.
Orion couldn't slow his pace, desperately fleeing towards the tribe.
But the Flame Magical Bear was closing in, its savage roars and fiery breath echoing through the forest. With a roar, it summoned a massive fireball from its mouth!
Boom!
A thousand-year-old tree was struck, snapping and about to crush Woofer!
"Damn it!"
Orion roared, surging forward, using his muscular right arm to barely hold the falling trunk!
"Run!"
Woofer howled and darted away.
But the delay allowed the magical beast to reach Orion, snapping at him!
Orion dodged aside, the bear's impact cracking the ground, and it roared at him again.
No escape, only a fight... Orion forced himself to calm down, his body trembling slightly.
Was it tension or fear?
No... it was the twisted excitement in his bloodline when facing a formidable foe!
"Come on, fight me!"
Orion stomped the ground, charging the bear, his greatsword slashing down!
Bang!
The bear's claws were as hard as steel, clashing with Orion's greatsword, locking them in a stalemate!
But Orion quickly realized the bear's strength was increasing, making it hard to hold the sword!
Boom!
The bear's other claw swiped, forcing Orion to withdraw and roll, a wave of fire engulfing his vision!
The unstoppable Flame Breath left Orion charred, his hair singed, his body blackened.
Orion gritted his teeth, and in this dire moment, the panel displayed a prompt!
[Newbie task triggered: Eat 20 pounds of Flame Magical Bear meat, Defense +5]
Oh shit... Orion almost cursed. Was he supposed to eat the bear's meat mid-battle?
Spit!
Orion wiped the blood from his mouth.
Want to eat meat? Fine.
Survive, complete the task, and all will be well. Fail, and he'd be the bear's dinner.
The crimson flames turned the surroundings into a sea of fire, stark against the dark night.
Orion knew his tribe would notice the disturbance and come quickly.
Calculating the distance, he needed to hold out for about 10 more minutes.
Ten minutes... once his parents arrived, they'd easily kill the bear!
He couldn't overpower it now, so he had to stall.
Orion continued fighting the bear, keenly aware of his surroundings, adrenaline heightening his senses, dodging each lethal attack!
"Ha!"
Orion seized an opening, using his greatsword to push the bear back, then swiftly drew his spear, targeting the bear's hind leg!
The spear flew true, striking the bear's hind leg.
Roar!
The bear roared in pain, opening its mouth for a full-force attack!
Intense fire elements gathered in its mouth, forming a fireball several times larger than before, like a small sun in the night!
Boom!!!
The small sun flew at high speed, Orion's pupils dilating, knowing he couldn't dodge, so he braced with his greatsword.
Giants had formidable physiques, top-tier in the Barren Mountains. With his current build, he could withstand the attack, but he'd lose combat ability afterward.
But Orion had no choice, praying his parents and sister would arrive soon.
Please hurry!
As the massive fireball was about to engulf Orion, a wolf shadow leaped out, shielding him.
The world fell silent for a moment.
"Woofer..."
Orion murmured, then everything turned white.
The fireball exploded, flames roaring like waves.
When the fire elements dissipated, Orion struggled to rise, having avoided direct harm, but Woofer was gone.
On the ground, only a charred skeleton remained.
"Ah... ah... why..."
Orion's eyes reddened with rage.
"I'll tear you apart!!!" Orion roared, clashing with the bear.
No technique, no strategy, just pure brute force, primal physical combat!
But Orion's size and strength were no match, quickly pinned by the bear.
Orion tried to rise, but the bear's strength kept him down, biting relentlessly.
Orion's eyes turned blood-red, an indescribable fury filling his heart.
When rage reached its peak, Orion's eyes turned completely red.
He roared, passively triggering Blood Rage.
The bear roared, horrified as the giant beneath it rapidly grew!
Seconds later, Orion transformed into a nearly 15-foot-tall blue giant!
In Blood Rage, his attributes and size doubled!
The bear, momentarily stunned, realized it was being lifted.
A massive arm hoisted it up!