Al seeing the dire bear charging at him, uses the burning technique from the start of the battle. With his body bulging and feeling the increase of his strength, he sweeps his spear hitting the the bear's face by the end of the spear.
Al hears the sound of his spear hitting the bear's face and the bear's roar in anger that follows. Then he finds holding the spear which had slightly bent after hitting the dire bear's face. He then remembers that the skull of the dire bear is the hardest part of their body, which they sometimes used to ram their hunting target.
He prays to the totem that he bought the silver iron spear from the market at the beginning of the fall. Al notices the bear standing it its hind leg and roars at him to intimidate him. But has the opposite reaction in him because he sees the chest and belly of the dire bear to pierce with his spear.
He steps forward and attacks to pierce the dire bear but the bear's paw stops all his attack. Seeing he is unable to land a hit and finds energy in his blood rapidly consuming. He lets out a whistle signaling the rest of the hunting party to come out in the open and start their attack.
They may not match the dire bear alone but together they can. Their job is to divert the attention of the bear so he can land an attack on the dire bear and kill the bear before he runs out of energy.
But if he cannot kill the bear before his energy runs out, his goal is to seriously injure it so that his hunting members can finish the bear without his help. Thinking this Al comes closer to dire bear to attack.
Before, he used to keep his distance from the paws of the dire bear and attack with his spear but his energy is consumed rapidly and he has left only two meatballs, they were prepared by the elder, and eating one restored half of his energy in a couple of minutes. So, before he runs out of energy he has to kill the dire bear or seriously injure it for his hunting members to kill it or the bear is afraid to attack us and run away for them.
Coming closer to the bear is a risk he had known as the bear's paw swept out the flesh from his shoulder, and he wanted to drop the spear. But he gritted his teeth and held on while his spear pierced the chest of the bear.
The bear roars in pain and tries to bite his head off but stops by his hunting partners and quickly pulls back the spear because he feels the spear hit on one of the rib bones of the bear. He steps to his left to block the bear paw's attack on one of the hunting members.
He is pushed back one or two steps by the bear's paw. He watches the bear suddenly turn right and with his mouth, tear the head of Mal from his body.
A wave of fury overtook Al, clouding his pain. With a primal cry, he leaped onto the bear's back and plunged his spear beneath its thick skull. The bear roared in a frenzy, thrashing wildly in its attempt to dislodge him. The hunting party scrambled for safety as the enraged beast rammed into trees and plunged into the river.
The icy water hit Al like a wall, his grip on the bear slipping as he fought to stay conscious. His breath burned in his lungs, his underwater endurance far inferior to the bear's. Summoning the last of his strength, he kicked off the bear's back and wrenched the spear free.
Gasping for air, Al hauled himself onto the riverbank, deliberately choosing the side opposite his companions. His gamble worked—the bear turned toward him, its bloodied form lumbering forward. Behind it, the river's flow narrowed into a deadly gorge with waterfalls on either side.
The dire bear surged through the water, its powerful strokes leaving ripples that echoed across the river's surface. Al stood on the riverbank, his chest heaving as he clutched the bent silver iron spear tightly in his hands. His muscles burned from the strain, and blood trickled down his shoulder where the bear's claws had torn through his flesh. Yet his eyes burned with determination.
"Not today," he muttered, steadying his footing on the rocky bank.
Opposite him, Al's hunting party regrouped on the opposite riverbank. Their faces were pale, their weapons slick with blood. None dared to cross the torrent to his side—the river's current was treacherous, and the dire bear still lurked beneath the surface.
Al's sharp eyes tracked the bear's massive form, just visible as it moved through the clear waters like a shadow of death. The roar of the waterfall to his right filled the air, a constant reminder of the danger ahead. Anything caught in that cascade would face certain doom.
His breath steadied as he reached for the elder-prepared meatballs, consuming both in quick succession. Warmth spread through his body, his energy gradually returning. His mind raced, calculating his next move. A plan began to take shape—reckless, dangerous, but his best chance to end the fight.
Gripping a nearby rock, Al hurled it into the river, aiming just to the bear's left. The splash rippled outward, drawing the beast's attention. Slowly, the dire bear surfaced, its guttural growl reverberating through the valley. Water streamed from its matted fur as its beady, hate-filled eyes locked onto him once again.
"Come on, you beast," Al taunted, his voice steady, strength returning with each heartbeat. He took a deliberate step backward, inching closer to the edge of the waterfall. His gaze never wavered, daring the monstrous creature to follow.
The bear roared, water cascading from its matted fur as it lunged toward him. Al crouched low, his spear at the ready, and waited for the perfect moment.
When the bear's massive form emerged from the river onto the slippery rocks of the bank, Al made his move. He dodged the first swipe of its deadly paw, feeling the wind from the blow graze his cheek. Pivoting on his heel, he drove the spear into the bear's exposed flank, angling it upward toward its heart.
The beast howled in agony, its roar reverberating through the valley. It spun wildly, dislodging the spear from Al's hands and sending him sprawling to the ground. He scrambled to his feet just in time to see the bear charge at him, blood streaming from its wounds.
With no weapon in hand, Al turned and sprinted toward the waterfall's edge. He could feel the ground tremble beneath him as the dire bear gave chase. Just as he reached the precipice, he stopped abruptly and pivoted to face the oncoming monster.
The bear reared up on its hind legs, towering over him as it prepared to strike. Al lunged forward, grabbing the spear that still jutted from its side. Using all the strength he could muster, he twisted the weapon and drove it deeper, aiming for the creature's heart.
The bear roared in pain and fury, its massive body teetering precariously close to the edge. Al leaped backward just as the bear lost its footing on the slick rocks. Time seemed to slow as the beast tumbled backward, its massive form crashing into the roaring cascade of the waterfall.
Al watched as the dire bear disappeared into the churning waters below, its furious roars fading into silence. For a moment, the only sound was the thunder of the waterfall and the labored breathing of the hunting party, who had crossed the river to join him.
Al sank to his knees, his body trembling with exhaustion. He glanced at his hunting companions, their faces etched with a mixture of relief and sorrow. The loss of Mal weighed heavily on them all, a grim reminder of the battle's cost. But despite the sacrifice, the dire bear—the monstrous foe that had threatened them—was finally defeated.
From the opposite riverbank, cheers began to rise, tentative at first, then growing louder as the reality of their victory settled in. A few hunters immediately set to work, fashioning makeshift wooden bridges to cross the swift-flowing river and reach Al's side.
Al gave a faint nod, his gaze remaining fixed on the river below, where the churning waters had claimed their fearsome adversary. "We did it," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the roar of the waterfall.
Closing his eyes, he whispered a prayer to the totem, his words carried with quiet reverence. He offered thanks for the strength and guidance that had brought them through the trial, even at such a great cost.
As Al finished his prayer, a faint yet distinct sound reached his ears—the sound of clapping, slow and deliberate, echoing from above the waterfall on the far side of the gorge.
The hunting party froze, their attention snapping toward the source of the noise. One of the hunters squinted against the dawn's light and pointed. "Up there! Look!"
Al followed the gesture, his muscles tensing as his eyes fixed on people with familiar attire standing atop a jagged rock formation near the waterfall's crest. Al and his tribe members recognize the hunting party of the snake tribe.
Al frowns upon seeing them, every tribe has a hunting ground to avoid conflict, and this their tribe's hunting ground. The snake tribe is very well aware of it. They only sent scouts to find their tribe location, this time a hunting party with a blood awakener invaded their hunting ground.
He hears the leading figure, a blood awakener named Neel speak," Al, did you hunt the dire bear for a gift to our tribe?"
"There is no need for any gift, you will treat every newly joined tribe member equally."
Al watches Neel jump down the waterfall to his side. Al tightens his hold on his spear and is ready to activate the burning technique anytime.
Neel takes a glance at his hunting party who jump down the other side of the river bank, " You can ask them if you do not believe me." People at his hunting party reply with," Sir Neel is right, we treat every new tribe member equally."
Neel continues," If you still do not believe them, Al take me back to your tribe, I will give my word to your elder."
Al knows the last sentence is the most important. Even if he says, he will join their tribe they will not believe me. He takes a glance at his hunting party and replies," Neel, from where did you hear this nonsense, that our tribe will join your tribe."
He took a step forward, his voice lowering to a threatening tone. "If we eliminate you and your hunting party here, your tribe won't survive the winter. Think it over, Al."
Al and his companions instinctively readied their weapons, the tension thick in the air as the prospect of battle loomed. Al's heart pounded, but his resolve remained unshaken. He knew the fight ahead was one they couldn't win outright. Yet, if he could take Neel down with him—or at least deal a crippling blow—it might ease the burden on his tribe.
Taking a steadying breath, Al activated the burning technique, his body surging with renewed energy. His muscles tensed, veins pulsing with heat, as his stance grew resolute. His voice, filled with unyielding authority, echoed across the riverbank as he declared, "Our tribe will never join yours."
Neel smirked at Al's defiance, his expression darkening. Without hesitation, he activated his burning technique. His muscles bulged grotesquely, and a silvery light shimmered ominously at the tip of his spear. "Then, after I defeat you," Neel growled, "we'll see if you still have the strength to refuse."
With that, Neel charged forward, his spear aimed directly at Al's heart. His movements were swift and forceful, a testament to his prowess as a blood awakener. Al braced himself, his grip on his spear tightening as he prepared to meet Neel's attack head-on.
But before their clash could occur, a sharp yell from the other side of the river cut through the tense air. Al instinctively leaped backward just as a spear hurtled through the air, embedding itself into the ground where Neel had stood moments ago.
Both men froze for a moment, startled by the unexpected intervention. Al's eyes darted to locate the source of the spear, and relief washed over him as he spotted Ajis—the previous hunting chief—perched on a sturdy branch of a tree behind him.
A rare smile of relief broke across Al's face. "Teacher Ajis," he said, his voice a mix of surprise and gratitude.
Ajis nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze fixed firmly on Neel. His calm yet commanding voice carried weight as he addressed the Snake Tribe leader. "Neel, return to your tribe and deliver a message to Bale. Our tribe will not join yours. And let this be the last time I see your people trespassing on our hunting grounds. If it happens again, none of you will leave alive."
Neel glared at Ajis, his expression a mixture of frustration and contempt. The silvery light at his spear's tip dimmed slightly as he lowered it. He didn't bother responding, his pride wounded by the interruption. Instead, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and barked at his hunting party, "Let's go!"
Without another word, the Snake Tribe hunters began scaling the rocks near the waterfall, their figures soon disappearing into the dense foliage above.
Al exhaled deeply, the tension in his shoulders easing as the immediate threat receded. He turned to Ajis, gratitude evident in his eyes. Ajis simply nodded again, his expression unreadable, before stepping down from the tree to join the others.