Chapter 165

Words : 1264 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 165: Chapter 165 Sensing danger drawing near, Clayton quickly searched for a safe place to hide. Moments after he fled, a black-furred creature burst into the spot where he had just been standing. Finding no one there, the black bear began sniffing the air. Once it caught a scent, it bolted in a single direction. From a distance, Clayton spotted the bear charging toward him and couldn’t help but curse. "Why the hell is this stupid bear chasing me?! Wasn’t it supposed to go after that pheasant?!" But no matter how much he complained, the bear kept coming—locked onto his scent as if it were the only thing it could detect. To be sure, Clayton looped around the area several times. After testing it out, he confirmed it—the bear really was hunting him. Frustrated, he had no choice but to keep running, still without a plan. Meanwhile, the mysterious pheasant had vanished without a trace, adding to Clayton’s growing irritation. Already fed up with the constant chase, the bear finally snapped. Its crimson eyes flared as it let out a thunderous roar—and in its mouth, a terrifying magma projectile began to form. As soon as it was ready, the bear launched it straight at Clayton. Swoosh! Clayton’s eyes widened. "Ugh... this monster has an elemental trait? That’s terrifying!" he panicked. He immediately dodged and activated his water-circulation armor. Cesssss! He narrowly avoided the blast, but the intense heat alone caused the water armor to evaporate. A chill ran down his spine. He couldn’t begin to imagine what might’ve happened if he hadn’t been wearing it—his internal fluids would’ve likely vaporized. The mere thought of taking a direct hit made his breath catch. Dreading another attack, Clayton stayed sharp—and sure enough, the black bear opened its mouth again, charging up a second magma shot. He dodged just in time. Bang! The projectile exploded nearby, sending a shockwave through the ground. Even though he’d already seen the attack once, the blast still made his scalp tingle. He realized he couldn’t afford to take this fight lightly. If this were just an average mid-tier one-star monster, he’d have dealt with it easily. But this beast wasn’t ordinary—it had a mutated magical trait. Power-wise, it was probably just a step below a high-tier one-star monster. Clayton cursed himself for provoking it. As he tried to think, the bear fired again. Clayton dodged and countered with a water wave spell. Cessssss! The ball of magma sizzled and cooled into a dark, stone-like mass. But even in its solid form, it kept flying and slammed into the ground ahead. Bang! Another explosion shook the battlefield, tearing open the earth and leaving behind a massive crater. Clayton gritted his teeth. Even after neutralizing the heat, the projectile’s sheer force remained devastating. The bear’s one clear weakness was its lack of agility. Clayton began to think of ways to exploit that. Not far from the chaos, the missing pheasant sat perched, blending seamlessly into the surroundings—as if the brutal battle had nothing to do with it. Its beak still gripped the dragon blood fruit it had stolen earlier. If Clayton knew that the very pheasant he’d been hunting was sitting nearby, watching his suffering like a spectator, he would’ve been furious—furious enough to stew the bird just to vent his rage. The fight dragged on. Clayton continued dodging and counterattacking, drawing water from his dimensional space. But every strike was either blocked by earth magic or absorbed by the bear’s thick hide. Fortunately, he still had several skeletons helping him distract the beast. Without them, he’d likely have been killed by now. But the bear’s patience was running thin. At one point, as Clayton prepared to dodge again, the bear suddenly stomped the ground multiple times—an expression of pure dominance. At first, Clayton was confused. Then the tremors hit. The ground shook violently beneath his feet, nearly toppling him. He barely managed to steady himself. Then it hit him—the bear was trying to knock him down so he couldn’t escape. And it worked. Just as he regained balance, another magma projectile hurtled toward him. Clayton panicked. With unstable footing and no time to move, dodging was impossible. In desperation, he quickly formed a massive water dome around himself and dove inside. But before the dome could fully solidify, the magma projectile slammed into it. Cessssss! BOOM! A loud hiss was followed by a deafening explosion. Though Clayton wasn’t hit directly, the water around him began to boil violently. The pressure burst outward in steaming jets. The blast flung him into the air. As he soared, a searing heat enveloped him—his skin turned bright red, like a shrimp thrown into a boiling pot. The bear didn’t waste the opening. While Clayton was airborne, it fired another magma projectile his way. Unable to dodge freely, Clayton quickly pulled out a black marble and launched it downward. A surge of water erupted from behind, catching him midair and steering him toward the marble’s trajectory. Thanks to that, he narrowly escaped death once again. Knowing he was still in danger, Clayton immediately ordered his skeletons to divert the bear’s attention. Three of the seven skeletons transformed into medieval iron knights and charged at the bear with everything they had. Bang! Boom! Spell after spell, blow after blow—they fought fiercely. But the bear blocked every attack with earth magic or its ironclad hide. The skeletons began to falter. The tide of battle was now completely in the bear’s favor. Then, without warning, it spread its arms—and a wave of molten magma erupted from its body, engulfing the three skeletons in a fiery flood. Watching them dissolve, Clayton could only offer a bitter smile. Even outnumbered, the beast maintained absolute control. Still, he didn’t dwell on it. The skeletons had fulfilled their purpose—buying him precious time. Suddenly, the black bear turned and locked eyes with him, its gaze sharp and unrelenting. Clayton knew there was no more running. This time, he had to stand and fight. He quickly ordered the remaining skeletons to spread out. "Alright—activate Nightmare Abyss Formation!" The skeletons shifted into position. Clayton and the bear stood frozen for a moment, reading each other like warriors before a duel. Then, in a blink, both moved. Clayton began building up mana for his Abyssal Vortex Spell. The bear charged its next magma sphere. After a few tense seconds, both unleashed their strongest attacks. Swoosh! Swoosh! Two powerful spells ripped through the air, tearing apart everything in their path. BANG! A tremendous explosion followed. A wave of scalding steam swept through the area. Trees collapsed one by one. Clayton and his skeletons dug in, struggling to maintain control of the vortex. Their bodies trembled under the strain. The bear, no longer in control of its attack, could only wait nervously. Clayton poured more mana into the vortex. Then he saw it—cracks beginning to form on the magma sphere. Sensing the moment, he ordered his skeletons to amplify the mana flow. Seconds later, the projectile shattered—its deadly energy gone. Clayton grinned. Without hesitation, he redirected the remaining vortex straight at the bear. The black bear, unwilling to take the hit, hastily conjured a molten shield. The vortex slammed into the magma wall, triggering another fierce clash. This time, the heat wave was even stronger. Everything around them was blown apart or vaporized. The bear fought to stay standing—but it survived. Just as it began to relax, something dropped from the sky and landed nearby—startling both the bear and Clayton. Curious, Clayton approached. It was... The long-lost pheasant.

Chapter 165

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