This is an Ordinary Mission

Deep in the night, in a forest far away from the town.

"Awooooo!"

A series of deafening roars echoed incessantly through the woods.

Blue light flickered beneath Lin Mu's soles, sticking him to the side of an ancient tree.

He was a good seven or eight meters above the ground.

The ancient tree he was clinging to was currently shaking violently.

Lin Mu's eyes were grave as he looked down.

It was a bear, massive in size, standing over three meters tall!

The bear's eyes were the size of eggs, blood-red and savage!

Its razor-sharp fangs emitted a faint, ghastly white glow even in the dark of night.

The bear seemed to have gone mad, repeatedly slamming into the ancient tree in an attempt to knock Lin Mu down.

This system quest is getting harder and harder!

This was one of Lin Mu's ordinary quests for the week.

Ordinary Quest: Kill one Violent Wild Bear, quest reward 300 Gold Coin.

How could this be called an ordinary quest?

This was practically asking for his life!

Ever since he set out to train with Jiraiya, he had been doing fewer ordinary quests.

Last time, he had spent 3000 Gold Coin to purchase a Senju Hashirama Template Fragment, leaving his finances in a dire state!

Now that he had finally entered a period of free training, he had decided to take on some quests to refresh his Gold Coin balance.

After all, he now had the purchase rights for the Wood Style: Wood Human Technique.

As long as he saved up 10,000 Gold Coin, his strength would see another terrifying leap!

However, seeing the 300 Gold Coin reward, Lin Mu knew things weren't that simple.

Killing a Chunin only gave 50 Gold Coin, yet this Violent Wild Bear offered a full 300!

That was a six-fold difference.

Based on the bounty price, one could tell just how strong this Violent Wild Bear was.

At the very least, it was six times stronger than a Chunin!

Such strength was already comparable to an ordinary Jonin.

Of course, even if this beast had the strength of a Jonin, Lin Mu was undaunted.

The moment he laid eyes on the bear, he had charged straight in.

Finish it early, pack up early, get paid early.

But the bear's first swipe had slapped him awake.

With a crisp sound, Lin Mu was sent flying five or six meters away like a ragdoll!

So powerful, this strength is absurd.

Has this bear mutated?

You only give me 300 Gold Coin for this level of strength? Bah, black-hearted shop!

Moreover, the Violent Wild Bear grew more irritable the longer they fought; it didn't seem to know what pain was, and Lin Mu saw no negative effects from the wounds he inflicted.

Its attacks became increasingly frantic. Although Lin Mu had carved countless wounds into its body, its combat power hadn't decreased—it had only grown stronger.

This is too violent!

Taking one last look at the Violent Wild Bear attacking crazily beneath the tree, Lin Mu took a deep breath. This time, he would take the beast down in one go!

"Wood Style: Great Forest Technique!"

Lin Mu performed a few simple hand seals, guiding the chakra within his body to circulate in a special way, affecting the surrounding trees.

Crack, crack, crack...

On the surrounding trees, branches extended wildly, turning from hard wood into vine-like appendages that lashed out to bind the Violent Wild Bear.

"Awooooo!"

The bear roared again, its sturdy, powerful body pulling with all its might.

The branches wrapped around it were torn apart instantly, and it regained its freedom.

But in that moment, it exposed a flaw!

"Wood Style: Explosive Spear Tree!"

Lin Mu shouted, his chakra surging and rising violently, as if burning like fire.

The muscles in his body shifted and changed, extending vines that coiled around his right arm.

Lin Mu's right hand expanded, swelled, and grew at a speed visible to the naked eye!

In the end, this single right arm was as massive as his entire body.

The chakra within his body continued to surge into this arm, making the giant wooden limb even harder and heavier.

"Die!"

The moment the Wood Forest Technique entangled the Violent Wild Bear, he began to condense his right hand.

By the time the bear successfully broke free from the restraints of the Wood Forest Technique, his Wood Style: Explosive Spear Tree was already prepared.

The glowing blue chakra dissipating from his feet, Lin Mu used the ancient tree for leverage, his body springing forward like a cannonball to crush the giant bear on the ground.

In terms of pure attack power, this move was the strongest ninjutsu he currently possessed.

"Wood Style: Explosive Spear Tree!"

The giant wooden fist slammed fiercely directly onto the top of the bear's head.

A massive roar erupted, and the Violent Wild Bear was smashed directly into the ground, leaving a half-meter-deep crater beneath it.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo..."

Lin Mu landed not far away, watching the giant beast in the deep pit, his chest heaving violently.

Having consecutively cast the Wood Forest Technique and Wood Style: Explosive Spear Tree, even with his current robust physique, he was struggling to keep up.

More than half of the thick chakra in his body had been consumed by this point.

However, the system's kill notification had yet to sound.

This meant the beast was playing dead; it was still alive!

What a cunning creature; if not for the system by his side, he might have fallen for the beast's trick.

"Too bad this master is the true child of destiny!"

Lin Mu felt a moment of pity for the giant bear in his heart, then drew the Samehada from his back.

Recently, Lin Mu had been feeding the Samehada with his own chakra, and the rapport between him and the great blade had improved significantly.

Seemingly sensing its master's killing intent, the barbs on the Samehada stood on end, and the blade as a whole became rigid.

Dragging the Samehada with both hands, Lin Mu leaped, rushing toward the giant bear at high speed.

But just as Lin Mu approached within a meter of the giant bear, the bear that had been lying obediently on the ground as if dead suddenly scrambled up.

The massive bear paw swung out, intending to swat Lin Mu into a pulp.

Just as expected!

Lin Mu thought to himself, Good thing I'm quick-witted!

Then, his body twisted at an incredible angle, and the giant bear paw grazed past his back.

Ssh—

A sharp, intense pain flared; he knew the skin and flesh on his back had been torn open by the bear's claws.

A ruthless look appeared in Lin Mu's eyes as he swung the Samehada toward the giant bear's neck at the final moment.

Rip—

The sound of skin and flesh being shredded rang out, and a large chunk of flesh from the giant bear's neck was sliced away directly by the Samehada.

"Awoo!"

Gushing blood flowed from the neck; having been struck in a vital area, the giant bear staggered a few steps before collapsing to the ground.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the normal mission: Kill Violent Wild Bear ×1, reward 300 Gold Coin!"

"Whew..."

Lin Mu's legs went weak, and he collapsed directly onto the ground.

The battle was finally over!