[Stoneback Bear]
Threat Level: 6
Health: 780 / 780
Physical Attack: 80 – 120
Physical Defense: 95 – 120
Magic Resistance: 70 – 90
[A mid-tier wilderness predator rarely encountered by beginner hunters. Thick stone-like plates protect most of its body, making frontal attacks ineffective. However, the throat and underside remain vulnerable points.]
The roar of the Stoneback Bear rolled through the forest like thunder.
Several students flinched instinctively.
The creature stood nearly three meters tall when it raised its head, its massive shoulders layered with thick gray fur and jagged plates of stone-like armor. Every step it took pressed heavily into the soil, leaving deep footprints behind.
Wang Hao's voice came out strained.
"…That thing is huge."
Zhang Wei had already drawn his sword.
The blade was long and slightly curved, its metal surface carrying faint rune markings. It was clearly not an ordinary weapon.
He stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself between the monster and the students.
"Everyone stay back," he said firmly.
No one argued.
Even the more confident combat classes took a few steps behind him.
Only Su Qinghan remained closer to the front, her frost weapon resting lightly in her hand. Her calm expression hadn't changed since the bear appeared.
The Stoneback Bear lowered its head and sniffed the air again.Then it roared once more, the sound vibrating through the trees.
Without warning, the creature charged, the ground trembling under its massive weight as it bore down on the group. Zhang Wei moved instantly, his sword flashing upward in a powerful, sweeping arc to meet the incoming threat.
CLANG!
The blade struck the bear's shoulder with a loud metallic sound.
Sparks flew.
The monster staggered slightly, but it did not stop. Its armored hide had absorbed most of the impact.
Zhang Wei frowned.
"Tough hide."
The bear swiped its massive paw toward him.
The strike was fast.
Far faster than something of its size should be able to move.
Zhang Wei dodged sideways, the claws barely missing his chest. The force of the swing shattered a small tree behind him.
The students gasped.
"That attack would've killed someone instantly," Wang Hao muttered.
Zhang Wei attacked again.This time his sword aimed for the bear's neck.
CLANG!
The blade struck the armor plates along the creature's shoulder.
Again the sound of metal striking stone echoed through the forest as the bear roared angrily, its massive body twisting violently in an attempt to bite its attacker.
Zhang Wei retreated a few steps, his eyes fixed on the beast as he focused on maintaining a safe distance.
"Su Qinghan," he called.
The girl nodded.
She stepped forward, her weapon gathering pale frost energy.
"Frozen Thorn."
She then thrust forward, as a sharp burst of ice energy shot toward the monster's exposed flank.
CRACK.
The frost struck the bear's side with a sharp, crystalline crack, instantly encrusting a patch of its thick fur and toughened skin in a layer of jagged white ice. The monster slowed for a moment, its massive limbs seizing as the sudden chill bit deep into its flank, momentarily halting its relentless momentum.
But the pause lasted only a heartbeat. The bear shook its massive frame violently, the sheer force of its muscles shattering the thin layer of ice into a cloud of glittering shards. Its rage intensified, its eyes glowing with a renewed, savage light as it let out a roar that seemed to vibrate the very air. Behind the line of combatants, the students began to look nervous, their initial confidence crumbling as they realized the beast was far from defeated.
"That thing is barely hurt!"
"It's too strong!"
Wang Hao clenched his fists. Even from this distance, he could feel the pressure coming from the battle.
Lin Yi stood quietly beside him, his eyes followed every movement.
Zhang Wei was strong.
His attacks were precise and powerful.
But the Stoneback Bear's defense was incredible.
Every strike that landed on the armored plates lost most of its power.
And the monster's strength was terrifying.
One mistake would mean death.
A level six monster.
Normally, a group of beginners would avoid something like this entirely.
Zhang Wei slashed again, his blade finding a narrow gap and finally cutting a shallow, jagged wound near the creature's neck. Dark blood splattered across the dirt and low-hanging leaves, staining the forest floor.
However, the injury only served to enrage the bear further, its roar turning into a guttural, blood-chilling snarl. The monster lunged forward with violent speed, its massive claws slamming into the earth where Zhang Wei had been standing just a heartbeat earlier.
BOOM.
Soil exploded outward.
Zhang Wei rolled aside and regained his footing, his breathing had grown slightly heavier. Even for an experienced hunter, fighting a creature like this alone wasn't easy.
"Keep your distance!" he shouted to the students.
Su Qinghan attacked again.
Her frost weapon struck the same wound Zhang Wei had opened.
The ice energy deepened the injury slightly.
The bear roared in pain.
But instead of retreating, the monster suddenly changed targets.
Its glowing eyes shifted toward the group of students.
Toward the weaker prey.
"Oh no," Wang Hao whispered.
The bear charged.
Straight toward them.
"Scatter!" Zhang Wei shouted.
Panic spread instantly.
Several students ran in different directions.
The massive creature thundered forward like a living avalanche.
Lin Yi didn't move.
His gaze remained fixed on the monster, as the distance closed quickly.
Twenty meters.
Fifteen.
Ten.
Wang Hao then grabbed Lin Yi's sleeve.
"Brother Lin, run!"
Lin Yi calmly pulled his arm free.
"Relax."
Wang Hao stared at him like he had lost his mind.
The Stoneback Bear raised its massive claw.
Eight meters.
Seven.
Six.
Lin Yi's hand moved.
The froststeel dagger appeared in his grip.
Cold energy spread across the blade instantly.
Five meters.
Four.
Zhang Wei saw it.
His eyes widened.
"Kid! Move!"
Three meters.
Two.
Lin Yi stepped forward.
Titan's Grip activated.
His muscles surged with explosive strength.
The bear's claw came down.
At that exact moment—
Lin Yi moved faster.
His body slipped beneath the descending paw.
The dagger flashed upward.
A streak of silver light cut through the air.
SHHK!
The blade pierced directly into the creature's throat, slipping through the small gap beneath its armored jaw.
For a single second, everything froze.
The bear's roar turned into a choking growl, as Its massive body staggered.
Lin Yi then twisted the dagger, its cold energy erupting from the blade.
The wound instantly froze.
The monster collapsed.
BOOM.
The ground shook as the three-meter beast crashed heavily into the dirt.
Silence fell over the forest.
Absolute silence.
Zhang Wei stood frozen.
The students stood frozen.
Even Su Qinghan's calm eyes widened slightly.
Lin Yi calmly pulled the dagger free.
Frost mist drifted from the blade.
Behind him, Wang Hao's mouth slowly fell open.
"…Brother Lin."
Lin Yi glanced back.
"Yes?"
Wang Hao pointed weakly at the giant corpse.
"You just killed… a Stoneback Bear."
Lin Yi looked at the monster.
Then shrugged slightly.
"Looks like I did."
Inside his mind, the system's mechanical voice sounded again.
Ding.
[Monster defeated]
[Reward: 120 EXP]
A moment later—
[100× amplification activated]
[Final reward: 12,000 EXP]
The experience bar surged violently upward.
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]