The dust floated in the air for a long time.
Law walked along the bear's massive arm until he reached the bulging flesh of its paw.
When he stepped on it, even though the surface layer of the skin is as thick and hard as calluses, he can still feel the soft and elasticity underneath the calluses.
Law wondered how the bear can use such elastic paws to generate such destructive power.
Squatting down, Law ran his hand over the rough callus, then used his ability to cut out a square chunk of the bear's paw.
The paws of the Hand-Hand Bear are quite different from those of the bears on Earth. Beneath the callused exterior lay translucent yellow flesh, crisscrossed with intricate and mesmerizing patterns.
Pressing down on the flesh, he felt it bounce back immediately, like gelatin. However, unlike fat, it was firm and resilient, which shows that it is clearly meat. It even gave off a faint coconut-like aroma, with none of the usual gamey or musky scents.
With proper lighting, perhaps a little luster will emerge, like a magical ingredient from 2-D World.
Law swallowed his saliva. He often teased Buhara for drooling over food, thinking it showed a lack of restraint. Now, faced with such an enticing ingredient, he realized he was no different. It's just that he hadn't encountered something this appealing before.
He held the chunk of paw meat in both hands, then jumped off the bear's paw. He walked several steps before turning back to look at the bear's massive corpse, thinking to himself, 'If Buhara was here, so much meat would not have been wasted.'
The Hand-Hand Bear is twelve meters tall, so if it is dragged to a small village, it will be enough to feed the villagers for several days.
However, Law could only carry the piece of paw meat he had carved out. He did think about staying here for a few days and eating as much as he could, but it was just a thought.
This is the central location of the Amaromi Forest. Wild beasts could appear at any moment. If it weren't for the residual pressure of the bear's roar, many wild beasts would have already been drawn in by the scent of blood.
If his own Aura was strong enough to intimidate these instinct-driven beasts, Law might consider staying longer.
Unfortunately, at his current level, that was impossible. If he stayed, he would only be annoyed to death by the wild beasts that kept coming.
It is impossible to stay here for a few days, but one day is still possible. After all, this is a B-level ingredient and letting it go to waste would be a shame.
'I remember there was a guy wearing sunglasses in the Ten Dons' Shadow Beasts. His Nen Ability was a conjured red cloth that could wrap things in it and shrink them to the size of candy. That would've been perfect for moving this bear.'
'There is also that Hunter named Knov. His Nen Ability allowed him to conjure a dimensional space. That's practically a portable storage space.'
Staring at the bear's corpse, Law couldn't help but long for a similar ability.
"You really took down this monster!"
At this time, the woman in the safety helmet ran from behind Law, staring at the bear's mountain-like corpse, unable to hide her shock.
"What are you still doing here?"
Law turned around and looked at the woman in the helmet, feeling somewhat helpless. He thought that this woman was quite courageous to dare to stay.
"I was, uh… waiting to see if you'd, um, kick the bucket… cough, cough."
The woman in the helmet pretended to cough a few times and then said, "I mean, I was worried about you!"
"Well, I really appreciate your concern." Law's half-lidded eyes showed his skepticism, and her earlier slip-up had already revealed her true intentions.
"How did you kill this monster?" The woman looked at the body of the bear frequently while speaking. To her, this monster had been terrifying enough to bite most of her companions in half and swallow them whole.
Law was about to dismiss her question with a casual remark when suddenly, a chill ran down his spine and his half-lidded eyes snapped open.
Boom!
The lake behind him erupted violently, as though several bombs had been detonated simultaneously. Massive tentacles, each thicker than the bear's arms, burst forth from the water, coiling like snakes around the bear's corpse.
Splash!
The lake water fell from the sky and turned into heavy rain, drenching both Law and the woman.
The woman tilted her head back, opened her mouth, and stared blankly at the enormous tentacle that emerged from the lake.
With his back to the lake, Law couldn't see what was happening. But the instant he heard the commotion, he grabbed the chunk of paw meat in one arm, scooped up the stunned woman with the other, and sprinted toward the forest at top speed.
The lake surged with wave after wave, crashing violently against the shore.
The seven or eight tentacles that had emerged from the lake coiled tightly around the bear's corpse, lifting it effortlessly into the air and holding it suspended above the water.
After sprinting a considerable distance with the woman in tow, Law finally turned back toward the lake. When he saw this shocking scene, his face suddenly changed, and a chill crept up to his heart and spread throughout his body.
The tentacles gripped the grizzly's body tightly, suspending it midair above the lake. Blood poured freely from the bear's body, likely due to sharp structures on the tentacles that had pierced its tough hide.
"Squid? Octopus?" Law muttered under his breath. Regardless of which it was, the sheer size of those tentacles, which are thicker than the bear's arm, meant the creature itself must be unimaginably massive.
'There is no such monster in the information I had reviewed!'
Blood gushed from the grizzly's body, dyeing the now-calm lake surface a vivid red. The tentacles remained eerily still, allowing Law to see the thick layers of algae covering their surfaces.
Just as Law was debating whether to make a swift exit, the tentacles suddenly sprang into motion. Like taut springs releasing, they yanked the bear's body into the lake without warning.
The massive corpse struck the water with an earth-shaking crash, sending waves several meters high surging toward the shore. The tentacles and the bear disappeared entirely beneath the lake's surface.
"Gone…"
Law stared at the blood-red lake that was gradually calming down. His heart pounded furiously in his chest, refusing to settle.
The woman in the helmet was utterly petrified. The Hand-Hand Bear was already scary enough, but the tentacles that emerged from the lake were actually able to lift such a huge bear.
Moments later, as the lake surface returned to stillness, the blood began to vanish rapidly. Within no time, the red hue was gone, replaced by the lake's original pale green. It was as if some unknown force had absorbed every trace of blood.
Seeing this scene, Law wasted no time grabbing the woman and pulling her deeper into the forest.
At this moment, Law was completely terrified. Fortunately, the tentacles appeared relatively late. If he was caught by them, even ten lives would not be enough to survive that.
"What is that creature? Why isn't there any information about it?"
As he led the woman into the dense forest, Law's heartbeat gradually slowed, but his mind remained fixated on the image of the seven or eight tentacles hoisting the bear's body into the air.
"I've never heard of such a monster in the Golden Lake." The woman wearing the safety helmet finally came back to her senses and said in a trembling voice.
Law glanced at her without saying anything, and stopped after he found a suitable place.
The fierce battle with the Hand-Hand Bear had consumed a lot of his stamina and Aura. He needed to rest for now and then set off as soon as possible to return to Amaromi Village.
He started a small campfire, and the firelight shone on Law's body, bringing some warmth.
When the tentacles came out, Law and the woman in the safety helmet were both drenched by the lake water.
Sitting by the fire, Law asked the woman a few questions and learned that her name was Sasha. She had come to the Amaromi Forest in search of the fabled Golden City.
Law was quite interested in the legend about the Golden City, but he felt that this legend was more like hearsay and it was hard to guarantee that this place really existed.
'She's really not afraid of death.' After learning about Sasha's purpose, Law secretly gave an evaluation. But then, he thought about the unknown monster under the lake again.
Sasha had not yet escaped from the shadow of the lake monster as well. Every time she recalled the sight of the tentacles, a chill ran through her body, causing her to shiver periodically.
'I can't let myself be paralyzed by fear!'
Taking a deep breath, Sasha steadied her nerves. She then removed her jacket, revealing a thin white short-sleeved shirt that outlined the fullness of her chest and vaguely showed her underwear.
She needed to dry her clothes quickly to avoid catching a cold.
Law, who was lost in thought about the monster in the lake, didn't notice Sasha's actions.
He only noticed when she was down to her white bra and in the process of removing her wet pants.