In the Chip's simulated space, Green was enjoying the battle. Three Mountain Berserker Bears surrounded him on all sides. Under the Chip's simulation, the three Mountain Berserker Bears faintly displayed signs of teamwork. If an ordinary squad faced these three Mountain Berserker Bears, being able to escape with one or two people would have been a blessing. Total annihilation was the most likely outcome.
Green's face was already drenched in sweat, and rivulets streamed down his cheeks, yet his face was filled with excitement.
"Roar!" The three Mountain Berserker Bears attacked Green simultaneously.
Seeing the three Mountain Berserker Bears charging at him at the same time, Green launched a frontal assault as well. Blue data flickered in his eyes, and the gaps between the three Mountain Berserker Bears flashed rapidly into his mind. The instant the two sides were about to meet, the three Mountain Berserker Bears each chose a different method of attack.
One swung its left forepaw, another swung its right forepaw, while the one in the middle charged straight at Green. Their triangular assault sealed off the angles on the left, right, and front. An ordinary Knight facing such an attack could only end up separated from his head.
But in Green's eyes, things were not that simple. He forcefully pushed off with his left foot, and his speed accelerated again. At the instant the two sides were about to make contact, Green exerted force with both feet and spiraled into the air, passing perfectly through the gap between the three bears. The Longsword in his hand slid along his body and swept across one bear's forelimb.
"Shhk!" One bear claw snapped off with a crisp sound.
The three bears had been unable to defeat Green when they were unharmed, let alone now that one of them had lost its combat ability. Fresh wounds continued appearing across the bears' bodies. Just like the Mountain Berserker Bears that had died at Green's hands in the real world, the three Mountain Berserker Bears eventually died by Green's hand after their injuries became too severe and they bled out.
[Huff... huff... huff...]
After defeating the three black bears, Green collapsed straight onto the ground and gulped down fresh air. With the Chip's enhancements, these Berserker Bears could use tactics, constantly compressing the space available for Green to dodge and even employing a strategy of trading injuries for injuries.
[Checking physical condition]
[Left arm missing]
[Blood loss greater than 1,500 ml]
[Severe laceration to left shoulder]
```
"Hiss." As the simulated adrenaline subsided, intense pain surged from the wounds, and Green could not help sucking in a sharp breath. If he had not dealt with his opponent before the adrenaline was exhausted, then once the intense pain arrived, he would probably have been the one to die.
Looking at his severed left arm, Green could not help feeling a lingering fear. The last Berserker Bear had used its life to trade for an injury: after taking Green's sword through the heart, it suddenly delivered one final blow, breaking Green's left arm and tearing away most of the flesh on his left shoulder with its claws.
"Fortunately, this is in virtual space. If this had happened in the Human World, an injury like this would have been fatal even for a Knight Apprentice." Looking at his shoulder, which had already been reduced to minced meat, Green's eyes were filled with lingering fear.
"When a life-form makes a final counterattack before death, it still needs to be taken more seriously. Who knows what kind of power a life-form can erupt with in its final moment?"
Given Green's physical body, even if he had been struck head-on by the Berserker Bear, his injuries should not have been this severe. But that final blow had clearly surpassed the upper limit of its strength, nearly costing Green his life on the spot.
[That should do it. Today's training ends here.] Feeling the excruciating pain from his severed left arm, Green chose to end the day's training.
[Exit training]
Green, who had still been lying on the ground, suddenly felt his vision blur. The surroundings seemed to turn into a mosaic. The castle's original ceiling entered his field of vision. Realizing that he had returned to reality, Green—whose mind was utterly exhausted from the simulated training—quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In a lush, verdant forest stood a handsome young man who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen. He had short black hair. He could not be called extraordinarily handsome, but the confident air he exuded was captivating without people even realizing it. His brown pupils held a sharp gaze, like a drawn sword revealing its edge.
The young man held a Longbow in his hands. Under the sunlight, the special-metal bow had been pulled into a full arc by his strength. Even the metal arrowhead, despite being bathed in the sun's warmth, made people feel a chill run through their bodies at a single glance.
"Whoosh!"
The white-fletched arrow was like the Death God's reaping sickle, piercing straight through the prey's brain. A Mountain Berserker Bear toppled stiffly onto the ground. Even until its death, it had not understood what had happened.
The young man had killed his prey in a single strike, yet no joy appeared on his face. Instead, his expression grew increasingly solemn, and the gloom between his brows deepened.
This young man was Green.
Ten days had passed since Green completed his hunt for the boar and bear. After that, Green went hunting in the forest every day. As the number of hunts increased, he also discovered something abnormal.
The powerful beasts in the forests of the Annabur Mountains had begun moving toward the forest's outskirts. Combined with the rumors from the Saladin Kingdom, this was not a good sign.
There had to be a reason for the beasts' migration. If it was not a shortage of food, then some powerful life-form had certainly occupied their territory, forcing the beasts to retreat toward the outskirts.
Deep within the Annabur Mountains lived a Berserk Mountain Giant Bear of Grand Knight level. To force such an overlord-level creature to migrate, only an operation on the scale of a human Legion could make such a creature abandon its territory and choose to yield.
"There isn't much time left. The Saladin Kingdom is moving faster than anyone imagined."
[Establishing an analysis model. Estimating when the Saladin Kingdom will launch its attack.]
Blue data began refreshing continuously. One line after another was added to the model as it analyzed the situation between the Saladin Kingdom and the Lodin Kingdom. Economic conditions, the domestic situation, geographical conditions, the speed at which the beasts of the Annabur Mountains were migrating—all these factors were incorporated into the model.
[Estimated time: 90–150 days]
So soon? The time made Green's heart tighten. He hurriedly looked at the Chip's analysis results.
[Economic conditions: The Saladin Kingdom's tax revenue doubled last year, but the nobility's overall wealth showed no obvious change. A large amount of money went missing without a trace. Grain trading at White Oak Port of the Maas Alliance increased. It is estimated to be intended for use in war.]
[Domestic situation: The internal situation of the Lodin Kingdom is treacherous and turbulent. Baron Klow has already sent the news to Grand Duke Lothan, yet there has been no discussion anywhere within the kingdom. The news is estimated to have been placed under Lockdown. A brutal struggle is underway among the upper nobles of the Lodin Kingdom, and they have no attention to spare for the outside world.]
[The migration speed of the beasts in the Annabur Mountains is increasing. The current density of Knight-level beasts continues to rise, and the physical constitution of the beasts appearing is continually improving. They have already approached the limit of Knight level. According to a normal-distribution analysis, a Grand Knight-level beast is about to appear.]
Green's face had turned ashen. Faster each time—every time Green used the Chip to make a projection, the time until the Saladin Kingdom's invasion grew shorter.
There was still too little data. The Chip did not possess an all-seeing God's-eye view and could only make projections based on the current circumstances. It was normal for the results to be inaccurate.
Green sighed inwardly. Then he swept his eyes across the surrounding environment, ensuring that the Chip had finished recording. He hoisted the Mountain Berserker Bear's corpse and walked toward the castle without looking back.
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