And we jumped.
For a moment, it felt like everything slowed down—like we were falling in slow motion. But then, reality snapped back, and we crashed hard into the water.
Kad barely managed to keep his head above the surface.
I was underwater, disoriented and cold. I kicked upward, broke the surface, and gasped for air.
"Gieeeel!" I shouted.
Kad pointed ahead—there he was.
Giel was floating, unconscious.
I swam to him as fast as I could, struggling to keep his head above water. A piece of metal debris from the ship was floating nearby. I hoisted Giel onto it, panting heavily.
"Kad, come on! We have to get to the island!" I called out.
We swam what felt like forever. My arms were burning, my legs numb from the cold. But the island grew closer and closer with every stroke.
Finally, Kad's eyes lit up.
"Mike! Look at that massive base!" he shouted.
I turned my head, and my jaw dropped.
It covered at least thirty percent of the visible island—huge steel towers, platforms, watchtowers. It looked more like a fortress than a training facility.
We dragged ourselves to the shore, pulling Giel along. I leaned him against a tree and checked his pulse.
"He's alive… He's okay," I sighed with relief.
The sun was nearly gone now, and the sky turned a deep orange. We were too exhausted to move anymore. My muscles ached, and we were soaked and cold. Kad and I gathered what dry sticks and branches we could find, but we had no flint, no matches—nothing to start a fire.
Then suddenly, the System popped up in front of my eyes:
NEW QUEST: Kill all bears (0/4)
I blinked in disbelief.
What? Bears? Now?
I braced myself.
There was no way I could hide my powers now.
I still had 20 unused stat points—but I couldn't assign them mid-battle. No time. No cover.
That's when the bears appeared.
Two of them charged straight at us through the underbrush.
Kad gasped.
"Oh no—bears!? What do we do, Mike?!"
"Stay calm," I said without hesitation.
"I've got this."
He looked at me, confused. He had no idea what I could really do.
Quest: Kill all bears (0/4)
Reward 1: Level up to Level 4
Reward 2: Portal Key (Grade A)
Let's do this.
I moved.
In a flash, I rushed the first bear—three swift hits and it collapsed instantly. Dead.
The second bear lunged at me with its claws raised, aiming to rip me open. I ducked, rolled beneath it, and sprang up into a counterattack.
"Wolf Strike!" I shouted.
A faint aura surrounded my fist—it was gray, glowing slightly with raw force.
I struck.
The hit landed clean. The bear flew backwards, crashing into three trees, snapping them like twigs.
Dead.
Bears defeated: 2/4
The third one came rushing in. I didn't hesitate.
One clean strike.
Gone.
Easy.
But then—
A sound behind the bushes.
Louder. Heavier.
A massive gray bear stepped forward, towering over the others. It had only one eye. A long scar crossed its face. But more than anything—
I felt it.
That aura.
Heavy. Violent.
It pressed down on my chest like a weight I couldn't ignore.
I swallowed hard.
"This one… he's strong," I whispered.
"The strongest aura I've felt so far."
My heart pounded.
Could I win?
"I don't know… but I guess I'm about to find out."
I dashed forward and launched myself into the air with a surprise attack aimed straight at the bear. But it dodged—fast. Suddenly, it raised not one, but both of its massive claws.
I had no way to block. The only way out was up.
But then—it jumped too.
Direct hit.
Pain exploded through my body. My nose was bleeding. Warm blood streamed down my forehead.
HP: 45
Then the system popped up:
Hint: Try using your abilities.
Right. The system was right. Without my skills, I wouldn't last another second.
I staggered back to my feet, raised my fist, and shouted:
"Raaahh! Wolf Strike!"
My fist collided with the bear's face. It hit hard—but it wasn't enough.
System: Boss Battle Initiated
The bear's aura flared—stronger, darker, more violent.
Before I could react, it clamped its jaws around me and hurled me across the clearing—straight into four trees.
The impact was brutal.
HP: 10
"No… this is bad…" I muttered, barely conscious.
Everything hurt. My vision blurred. My body was screaming.
The gray bear launched into the air again, preparing the finishing blow.
I shut my eyes.
Was this it?
Then—a crash. A figure slammed into the bear, knocking it away just in time.
It was Giel. He was awake. He had saved me.
"What's this?" Giel shouted, standing between me and the bear.
"You trying to kill one of my new friends? I don't think so."
He turned to me and grinned.
"What, Mike—did the bear bully you or something? Hahaha!"
Kad ran over, panic in his voice.
"Giel! That's not funny! Look at Mike!"
Giel lifted a hand. "Relax, Kad. I've got this."
"Leave the bear to me."
Giel revealed his power.
He focused – and suddenly the ground around him began to shake.
Gravity magic.
With a mighty pull, he tore two trees out of the earth and hurled them at the bear with full force. But the bear slashed through them like they were made of paper.
Giel didn't hesitate – he dashed forward and struck the bear:
One hit. Two. Three.
But before he could land the fourth, the bear grabbed him violently by the shoulder.
"Wahhh!" Giel screamed as the bear threw him through the air.
He crashed hard onto the sand near the shore. Motionless. Unconscious.
Was this the end?
I looked at Kad – he was frozen in place. There was no way he could handle this creature.
No… now everything depends on me.
I stood up, wiped the blood from my nose, and looked at my HP.
Beneath my health bar, a line of text appeared:
"The full moon has awakened."
+20 bonus stats to all attributes.
Luck was on my side. A +20 to everything… even if only for tonight, I'll take it.
My health began to regenerate.
I turned toward the injured gray bear and shouted:
"Now it's your turn!"
I ran. Faster than before. Stronger. Sharper.
I dodged all of its attacks with ease — its claws, its fangs, even its throws.
It tried to swipe at me.
This is my chance.
I punched it straight in the stomach. The bear was launched back — but I chased after it without hesitation.
I leapt into the air and slammed its head into the ground, just like I had with the shadow knight.
I whispered:
"Go… got you…"
Then I collapsed.