*Aria's Pov*
The massive creature lumbered into view, its body covered in bark-like armor and its claws glinting like polished steel. Its glowing green eyes locked onto us, and I swear I heard it growl, Lunch.
System, What the fuck?! Can't you see we're about to be bear food?!
The Pine Bear roared, shaking the forest around us. Bits of its bark-like armor cracked and shifted as it moved, making it look like a walking, very angry tree. It charged, its claws tearing up the ground.
"System, are you serious right now? A riddle?!" I yelled, diving to the side as the bear's claws swiped where I had been standing. "This is NOT the time for a quiz!"
[System Notification:
Answer the riddle to reveal the creature's weakness. Timer: 45 seconds. ]
The beast roared, and I felt a chill—not from my magic, but from sheer primal terror. Its bark cracked, releasing bursts of green spores that burned through the ground like acid.
[System Notification:
Pine Bear emits toxic spores. Use ranged combat to minimize risk.]
"Ranged combat, huh? Fine!" I shouted. With a wave of my hand, jagged ice spikes formed in the air. "Glacier Spikes, go!" I launched them at the bear. The first spike hit its chest, shattering on impact. "What?!"
[System Notification:
Ice resistance detected. Adjust attack strategy.]
"Adjust strategy? To what?!"
Leah yanked me to my feet. "What are you doing? Stop dawdling around and stand up!!" she shouted, drawing her sword. And rushing forward again.
"Fuck!" I snapped, dodging another swing. "What the fuck is 'I'm alive, but I don't breathe, I can eat, but I don't drink. I grow, but I don't sleep. What am I?!'"
Leah groaned, parrying a claw with her blade. "Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke?"
Titan, bless his silent stoicism, didn't waste time complaining. He charged at the Pine Bear, his massive sword slashing at its bark armor. Sparks flew, but the beast barely flinched.
I scrambled to think. "Alive, but doesn't breathe. Eats, doesn't drink… grows, doesn't sleep…" I muttered, ducking behind a tree for cover. "What the hell is it?!"
The bear roared again, this time catching Leah's sword with one of its claws. She staggered but managed to hold her ground, her blade biting into the creature's thick hide.
"Ice magic isn't gonna do much to this thing," I muttered, summoning a freezing spike and flinging it at the beast. The ice shattered on impact. "Great. Just great."
Titan roared—a metallic sound that somehow carried emotion—and unleashed his flamethrower attachment. A jet of fire shot out, bathing the Pine Bear in flames. For a moment, I thought we had it, but the flames were weak, sputtering out before they could do serious damage.
"What is that, a campfire?!" I shouted. Titan turned his head towards me, and if he had eyes, I was sure they'd be rolling.
The System pinged again. [Time remaining: 29 seconds.]
I gave up. "Leah!" I screamed, flinging another ice spike. "What's the answer? 'Alive, doesn't breathe!' Think!"
She dodged a swipe from the bear, then ducked under another. "How the hell should I know? A rock?!"
"No!" I yelled, barely avoiding the bear's massive paw as it swiped at me again. "A rock doesn't grow! Titan, any ideas?!"
Titan, still blasting his flamethrower, turned his head towards me. Without a word, he motioned with his free hand—fire.
My eyes widened. "Fire! It's fire!"
[Sytem Response:
Congratulations. You've found out you're not stupid after all. ]
I'm ignoring you!
Leah, slashing at the beast's legs, barked a laugh. "Oh, great! Too bad Titan's flamethrower's running on fumes!"
Sarcastic much?
The Pine Bear, now partially charred but still very alive, roared louder than ever. It swiped Titan's flamethrower attachment aside and charged at me.
Fire, Fire, Fire... I only have Ice magic what the fuck would ice do!?
Shit...
Wait...that's it! There was that!
"Hahahahaha!" I laughed as I looked at the bear again from a safe distance.
I could hear Leah, mutter something about me being crazy, but who cares!
I then used Ice magic to keep the guy from moving, but I know that'll only hold him off for about 10 seconds or below so I have to be fast!!
"Perfect." I visualized the sensation—like holding ice so long it burned like fire. That intense heat, the paradox of ice searing flesh. "Let's make this work."
[System Notification:
New Spell Created: Frostburn
Effect: Supercooled ice creates a burning sensation on contact, dealing fire-like damage over time.]
The air around me froze, frost climbing the trees and ground. I felt the raw power surge through me, and I grinned.
"Hey, Pine Bear!" I shouted. The creature turned to me, growling low. "Feel the burn!" I unleashed Frostburn, sending a wave of glowing, searing cold straight at the beast.
The ice struck its exposed flesh, and the bear let out a deafening roar. Steam rose where the spell hit, the icy burn eating through its armor. The green spores it emitted hissed and evaporated on contact.
"Leah! Titan! Now!"
Leah didn't hesitate. She launched herself into the air, sword glowing as she brought it down on the bear's exposed neck. Titan followed, his massive blade cleaving through its side.
The bear staggered, its roars turning into pitiful growls. I poured the last of my mana into another Frostburn, coating the beast in a layer of icy fire. It collapsed, writhing, before finally falling still.
[System Notification:
Pine Bear defeated. Rewards:
500 gold coins
Skill Upgrade: Frostburn (Lv. 2)
Ice Magic (Lv. 3)
Glacier Spikes (Lv. 2)]
I collapsed onto the ground, panting. "Remind me… to never… go north again."
Leah landed beside me, wiping soot off her blade. "Not bad for a walking ice cube." She grinned. "You actually made a decent spell."
Titan patted my head like a proud parent, his silent approval warming me despite the exhaustion.
I glared at the System notification. "500 gold? Really? That was a high-level predator, and we almost died!"
[System Response:
Consider it a learning experience.]
"Learning experience, my ass," I muttered, already dreading what the System had in store for us next.
Little Theater:
Aria: *sighing dramatically* "Ugh... I'm so tired. I just want to crawl into my bed and cuddle with it all night long..."
Leah: *raising an eyebrow, smirking* "Oh? Is the bed really that charming? What's it got that I don't?
Aria: *Looks towards the barren land then at her*
Leah: (╬ Ò﹏Ó)