BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM - Chapter 916: Bestial clash (4)
Erik watched as the metalfur bear stood on its feet after Erik had killed the Luminaclaw bear. The creature had witnessed the swift and brutal efficiency with which Erik had slaughtered its opponent.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, a silent understanding passed between the hunter and the prey.
The Metalfur bear’s injuries were grave, and it knew there would be no escape if it chose to fight.
So instead, it turned and began limping hastily away into the foliage, but it was still fast. Mira, Emily, and Amber could do nothing to reach it; it was too fast for them.
Blood stained its matted fur from many gashes as it fled, seeking survival.
Erik looked at the creature as it fled. He considered giving chase and finishing what he had started.
The kill would grant him experience and mana, strengthening him further. For a second, the creature’s pitiful state made him feel sorry, but there was no way that he would have left the creature roaming around the forest. It was too strong.
The metalfur bear disappeared into the forest, fleeing from the one who had ended the life of its opponent.
“Stay here,” Erik said to Mira, Amber, and Emily. “I will take care of it.” The three women nodded.
<June, please collect the blood and the brain crystal.>
<Yes, master. >
With that, June turned into a human and started collecting the blood and brain crystals. He was naked, of course. While Mira and Amber didn’t have problems with that, despite being jealous that the others could see June, who so closely resembled Erik, naked, Emily was blushing.
June and Erik were amused, but aside from that, they didn’t care. Being seen naked was the least of their problems.
Erik started running after the injured metalfur bear, following the trail of blood and broken vegetation it left behind.
His feet flew over the forest floor as he dodged trees and jumped over roots and fallen logs.
The bear’s head-start and injuries prevented it from moving fast, but he was still not slow. The trail, though, was already growing faint.
Erik focused on his surroundings, scanning for any signs that would reveal the bear’s location.
He saw splashes of blood on top of the trunk of an oak tree, showing the bear had passed through there.
He sped up and spotted more breaks in the foliage ahead, the bear’s bulk having crushed branches in its passage.
Erik kept searching. He saw where the metalfur bear had slipped on wet leaves, leaving huge claw marks gouged in the trunk of another tree.
The blood trail was growing thicker now. The bear’s injuries were taking their toll, and Erik was closer to the target.
Erik found the beast after some time on the forest floor. He crept forward and came across the bear lying behind a fallen log.
Its sides heaved with labored breaths as blood continued to ooze from several deep wounds. While seeing its pitiful state, Erik almost felt sorry for it again. The bear had been trying to escape and survive, but its injuries were too severe.
As he approached, the bear’s blinking yellow eyes met his, and Erik could see the fear and defiance in its gaze.
Erik maintained eye contact with the wounded creature for a moment.
The bear let out a low growl as Erik stepped closer.
As he raised his weapon, the bear sprang to its feet with a fierce roar, slashing out at Erik with its claws.
Erik threw himself back, avoiding the claws covered by metallic fur, so sharp that they could pierce even Mernium, the second-strongest and hardest material on the planet.
The claw sliced through the air where Erik had stood just moments before. Erik rolled to his feet and produced a hardened slime flyssa, pointing it at the injured beast.
The metalfur bear bellowed in rage and charged, swiping its huge paws at Erik’s head.
He dove low and thrust upward with his blade, sinking it into the beast’s belly.
The bear roared in pain and almost slammed its body into Erik. If he got it, the man would have been knocked to the ground. But he was too fast to let that happen.
Erik rolled out of the way as the bear’s jaws snapped shut mere inches from his face.
He regained his footing and sprinted behind a tree, placing it between himself and the enraged metalfur bear.
The creature slammed full force into the tree trunk, but Erik was ready. As the bear reared back, stunned by the impact, Erik rushed forward and plunged his blade deep into the beast’s
throat.
Scarlet blood sprayed over Erik’s face and clothes as the metalfur bear collapsed to the ground with a final wheezing breath.
Erik cleaned the blood from his eyes and watched as the beast’s yellow eyes slowly clouded over in death.
Erik didn’t use that much mana; he didn’t know what he could meet inside the forest now that the thaids from the Eldraith mountain range were rushing out of it, and he didn’t want to risk
as much as he did with the Hevadrin.
He played it purely on physical terms.
[METALFUR BEAR KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]
[0%…1%… 5%… 30%… 70%… 100%]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED, STARTING CONVERTING PROCEDURE.]
[3…2…1…0]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTED INTO EXPERIENCE. 8424 EXPERIENCE POINTS AND 84.24 DNA POINTS AWARDED TO THE HOST.]
Erik observed the huge metalfur bear lying lifeless at his feet. Its ferocity was now gone, leaving behind only a bloody carcass.
Erik kneeled down beside it. He slipped his backpack off and opened it, pulling out an empty
vial.
He found an artery in the bear’s neck and drained its blood into the glass container.
Next, Erik used his hardened-slime flyssa. With a simple motion, he split open the bear’s
skull.
The bone gave way with a sickening crunch, exposing the brain crystal at the center of the creature’s brain.
The source of its power glowed with a subtle light that flickered as Erik pried it loose.
