The bear hacked away at the woods, closing in on Mike's location.
But the bear noticed Mike circling back around it.
The fat lard rooted the nearest tree as Mike returned to the path, sling in hand.
"Hey ugly! Would you care for some breakfast?" Mike sarcastically questioned, the bear grunted and uprooted the tree it was holding onto.
"No? Ok!" And he swung his sling, again.
He waited for the bear to throw the trunk first, his logic?
It can't hold onto that thing forever and it's trying to block the stone. But I can swing this shit till morning.
The bear roared and tossed the tree at him once again, Mike jumped into the grass on his left like a goal keeper.
The log crashed too close for comfort, but no harm was done.
Mike got up and began swinging again, it's not hard to do, just tiresome after extended periods of time.
He launched the stone, it hit the bear hard in the snout. Blood began to drip.
The bear switched to swiping now, it trudged towards Mike and reached out to grab him.
Tuck and roll!
Mike rolled back, he felt like he was playing dark souls again.
The cycle of dodging and launching an attack repeated.
But Mike grew tired, and the bear was on the brink of collapsing. He was so close, but he didn't have any more stones.
It thrashed around the trees as it bleed, now was the chance to get the bow and arrow.
Would it notice?
Mike took the gamble and ran back into the woods, if stones can make the bear bleed then what could arrows do?
He could hear the bear reach out to attack him, but it was too slow!
Mike found his bow and arrows stashed near a tree, right where he kept them.
"Now, to kill the bear."
Mike ran through the woods but not straight towards the path, the bear would be waiting for him.
He went further down the path, forcing the bear to keep moving.
Mike rejoined with the path and readied his bow.
These makeshift arrows arent very good. But they can do the job if I bleed the bear to death.
Hopefully these arrows don't break the moment they hit the skin.
He readied his breathing and took aim, he could feel the rope scratch the skin on his finger.
The bear desperately chased down Mike, it was uneven in posture. This couldn't go much longer for it. At least that's what Mike expected.
Mike shot the arrow, it flew straight from the bow.
Thank God, it won't snap!
It snapped.
But not before piercing the eye of the beast.
The bear writhed in pain, ripping the arrow made it worse.
Mike would have tried to shoot again but this bow was going to fall apart any minute now.
"Aah fuck this. Back to the sling."
I knew I wouldn't be able to use the bow and arrow that much but still. I shot his eye!
Mike leisurely picked up a stone as the bear swung around in circles.
He took his time fitting the sling again, victory was in sight. Even if he couldn't kill the bear today, it would still be a clear victory for Mike.
But I still have to try don't I?
Mike swung the sling once again, our boy is smiling in his exhaustion.
But something felt off from the feeling in his fingers.
The rope, it might break apart soon.
I need to make this shot count.
This time, Mike jumped, the increase in momentum is bound to make the stone even more deadly.
He let go of the slings end and dragged it forward, Mike felt the rope snap.
It hit the bear in its right shoulder, but couldn't pierce the skin.
What?
The bear thrashed around wildly, the blood flew here and there.
But then it stopped, the blood, not the thrashing.
Mike caught a glimpse of another challenge.
It healed.
It can fucking heal. All those injuries are gone.
Even it's sight will probably come back soon.
Just how much energy are you reserving?
A shit ton.
Mike was wrong, dead wrong, completely and utterly wrong.
The bear didn't walk slow because he was too large, it walked slow to save energy. Not optimise it.
It had always been saving energy, there was not a single moment where it wasn't saving energy.
But that would render my efforts tonight both fruitless and meaningless.
Not only have I just barely scratched this dickhead, it would appear that I haven't scratched the surface of what it can do.
I can't win right now, but I can make the most of what I learnt tonight.
If you learned that it's enemy on the battlefield was a tank, a woodcutter, a ranged unit, a self-healing and a hunter: Would you still fight?
Well Mike's answer was no.
Mike turned heel and bolted for it, kind of like what we wanted Tyson to do.
But alas, the studio couldnt pay his actor so they cut him out of this season.
The bear isn't chasing me, why?
Mike figured it was a good distance to turn around, he felt like he was watching anime again.
The bears mouth was wide open, jaw down and everything. What was weirder was the ball of water forming in the air.
Just beyond its tongue, really small droplets came together, like some kind of energy blast charging up.
Is that magic? It's real?
Those droplets formed into a bigger blob, which swirled round and round. It was going to fire any minute now.
Back to the original escape plan.
Mike took a moment to admire the fact that "atleast magic exists in this fucked up hellhole" and ran.
He turned to the forest, now even when this water ball thing would blast, the tree's would cover him.
Just how much can this bear do? Right now I can't stick around but I need to be sure before I kill it.
If there's one thing I hate in Anime, it's attacks taking too long to fire.
The bear fired the attack long after Mike dissapeared from its sight.
That is, it took 20 seconds. Mike counted until he heard the blast.
I know the time, but not the effectiveness of the water-ball. But I've done enough tonight.
And Mike ran, to his own sanctuary.
Far away from magic, far away from the unknown.