Rapid hoofbeats shattered the forest's stillness as Hillman and Linley galloped along, followed by ten elite garrison soldiers. The morning breeze carried the scent of vegetation into their faces. Sitting astride his horse, Linley gripped the reins tightly, his young face taut, but his eyes shone with mingled excitement and nervousness.
This was his first time truly taking part in a battle against a magical beast. The cool touch of the Fine Iron Short Sword in his palm steadied his restless heart a little. Hillman glanced at the boy beside him from time to time. Seeing that he looked nervous but showed no trace of fear, Hillman inwardly nodded.
Before long, the outline of Blackwind Valley came into view. From a distance, they could see dust billowing at the valley entrance. They could faintly hear deep beast roars and the sharp clash of weapons, punctuated by hunters' agonized screams.
"Everyone, dismount!" Hillman reined in his horse and sprang down, his voice low and urgent. "Groups of five, fan out and flank it! Maintain formation. No charging in on your own!"
The ten garrison soldiers answered in unison and swiftly split into two groups. Gripping their newly forged Fine Iron Long Spears, they watched the valley entrance with keen eyes. Their intensive training over the past days had transformed them. Now, facing the oppressive presence of a fourth-rank magical beast, not one of them backed down.
Hillman placed a hand on Linley's shoulder and said solemnly, "Remember what I told you. Whatever happens, stay behind me. No trying to be a hero."
Linley nodded firmly and tightened his grip on his short sword, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure.
The two hurried toward the valley entrance. The closer they came, the more pungent the heavy smell of blood grew. In the clearing at the entrance, a massive Ironclad Berserk Bear was roaring wildly. It stood a full three meters tall, its body covered in thick, blue-black scales like a coat of hard iron armor. Its bell-sized eyes were blood-red, drool dripped from its jaws, and blood-soaked strips of cloth still hung from its fearsome claws.
Opposite the Ironclad Berserk Bear, five hunters huddled behind a boulder. All were wounded, their weapons scattered across the ground, their faces filled with despair. Their hunting traps had already been completely destroyed. Clearly, this Ironclad Berserk Bear had caught them off guard.
The Ironclad Berserk Bear suddenly raised a forepaw and slammed it into the boulder. With a thunderous crash, several cracks instantly appeared across the rock, sending fragments flying. The hunters cried out in alarm, their faces turning even paler.
"Now!" A cold gleam flashed in Hillman's eyes. His eighth-rank battle qi erupted, and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Battle qi enveloped the Fine Iron Long Spear in his hands, bathing it in dazzling silver light. Its tip aimed straight for the Ironclad Berserk Bear's eyes-the weakest part of its entire body.
"Roar!" Sensing danger, the Ironclad Berserk Bear abruptly turned, its thick tail sweeping toward him like a steel whip and whipping up a howling gust.
Hillman was prepared. Shifting his footwork, he narrowly evaded the blow. In that brief opening, his spear had already thrust toward the Ironclad Berserk Bear's eyes.
The Ironclad Berserk Bear reacted extremely quickly, jerking its head aside. The spear grazed its cheek, leaving a deep, bloody gash. The searing pain drove it into an even greater frenzy. Opening its gaping maw, it spat a mass of foul-smelling wind blades at Hillman.
"Watch out!" Linley could not help calling a warning.
Hillman pushed off with his toes and darted backward, shouting, "Combined attack formation! Go!"
The garrison soldiers, already lying in wait on either side, immediately moved. The two squads positioned themselves to support each other and thrust their spears simultaneously, their tips glinting coldly as they struck precisely at the joints of the Ironclad Berserk Bear's limbs. The scales around those joints were relatively thin, making them excellent targets.
Clang, clang, clang! Metallic clashes rang out as the spears struck the scales, scattering sparks without piercing them. Even so, the tremendous force of the impacts checked the Ironclad Berserk Bear's movements for an instant.
"What a tough hide!" one of the garrison soldiers exclaimed.
"Concentrate on its hind-leg joints!" Hillman called again. Spear in hand, he kept moving, searching for an opening. "Its hind legs support that massive body. Break its joints, and we can restrict its movements!"
The soldiers immediately shifted their attacks. Their spears darted out like venomous snakes from their holes, stabbing repeatedly at the Ironclad Berserk Bear's hind-leg joints. Though they still could not pierce its scales, every strike made the beast roar in pain, and its steps began to falter.
Linley stayed close behind Hillman, his eyes fixed on the Ironclad Berserk Bear's movements, his heart pounding. He could distinctly feel the terrifying pressure radiating from it, making even breathing somewhat difficult. But he did not retreat. Instead, he carefully studied how Hillman and the garrison soldiers attacked, silently committing their methods to memory.
Suddenly, the Ironclad Berserk Bear wheeled around. Ignoring the soldiers' attacks, it lunged at the one closest to it. The soldier's expression changed drastically. He tried to dodge, but it was already too late.
"Look out!" Hillman's heart clenched. He was about to rush to the rescue when a small, slender figure darted out even faster than he did.
It was Linley!
Hillman's pupils contracted sharply. "Linley, come back!" he shouted.
But Linley seemed not to hear him. Gritting his teeth, he circulated his battle qi furiously, instantly gathering that faint, pale-golden energy along the blade of his Fine Iron Short Sword. Moving like a nimble monkey, he circled to the Ironclad Berserk Bear's side. As it lunged at the soldier, he drove his short sword hard into the area beneath its ribs.
The scales there were thinner than anywhere else!
Shluck!
With a soft sound, the Fine Iron Short Sword actually pierced beneath the Ironclad Berserk Bear's ribs, sinking more than three inches deep.
The Ironclad Berserk Bear let out a deafening roar of pain. Its massive body shuddered, and it turned, fixing its blood-red eyes on Linley in utter fury.
Startled, Linley hastily released the sword hilt, turned, and ran.
"Damn it!" Hillman cursed. With no time for further thought, he unleashed his battle qi at full strength and thrust his spear toward the Ironclad Berserk Bear's eye like a meteor streaking after the moon. The strike held all his strength and an unstoppable momentum.
The Ironclad Berserk Bear was just about to pursue Linley when it sensed mortal danger. Forced to abandon its target, it jerked its head backward.
Shluck!
The spear struck its eye socket nonetheless, and blood instantly gushed out. The Ironclad Berserk Bear gave an agonized scream and flailed its claws wildly, smashing several nearby trees in two.
"Now! Everyone, attack with all your strength!" Hillman shouted.
The garrison soldiers seized the opening and launched a fierce assault, stabbing their spears into the Ironclad Berserk Bear's wounds again and again. Blood kept spraying. Its movements grew slower and slower, its breathing weaker and weaker.
At last, it let out a defiant roar, and its massive body crashed to the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust.
The battle was finally over.
Linley slumped to the ground, gasping for breath, his back already soaked in cold sweat. For that instant, he had truly thought he was going to die. Yet when he saw the short sword lodged beneath the Ironclad Berserk Bear's ribs, an indescribable excitement welled up within him.
He had done it! He had actually wounded a magical beast at the peak of the fourth rank!
Hillman strode over and pulled him to his feet. A trace of lingering fear showed on his face, but he could not help smiling with gratification. "You little rascal. You certainly have some nerve. But next time, no acting on your own. Understand?"
Linley chuckled and scratched his head. "Understood, Uncle Hillman."
The surviving hunters hurried over, weeping with gratitude as they addressed Hillman and Linley. "Thank you, Captain! Thank you, young hero Linley! If you hadn't arrived in time, we would probably have died in that bear's jaws today!"
Hillman waved a hand to indicate that there was no need for such formality, but his gaze settled on the Ironclad Berserk Bear's corpse, his brows drawing together slightly.
This Ironclad Berserk Bear should not have appeared near Blackwind Valley. Magical beasts at the peak of the fourth rank usually lived deeper in the mountain forests. Why had it suddenly come here to attack a hunting party?
Moreover, its condition seemed somewhat abnormal. It had been more frenzied than an ordinary Ironclad Berserk Bear.
Deep misgivings arose in Hillman's heart.
He crouched down and carefully examined the Ironclad Berserk Bear's corpse. Suddenly, he discovered a tiny wound on its neck, seemingly inflicted by some sharp weapon. The muscles around the wound were abnormally rigid.
"It seems this matter may not be so simple," Hillman murmured to himself, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.
Deep in the distant mountain forest, a dark figure silently slipped away like a phantom, leaving no trace.
The sun sank in the west, its golden afterglow spilling over the entrance to Blackwind Valley and stretching everyone's shadows long across the ground. Hillman looked at the still-excited Linley beside him, then at the rolling mountain forests in the distance. The unease in his heart grew ever stronger.
A plot targeting Wushan Town and the Baruch Clan seemed to be quietly brewing.
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