Chapter 16: It is Over!

The screams finally slowed down, and the silent giant beast lay motionless on the ground, its massive body covered in scorched marks…

Looking at the giant beast lying on the ground, the people who had rushed over still felt a bit of disbelief. They looked at each other like fools. Had a beast so huge that it could make someone lose their will to fight really been killed so easily by a Small Fireball?

To be honest, from the moment Snow screamed, to the battle between Luo Pei and the Pinecone Bear, and finally to Old Strom using a fire spell to kill the Pinecone Bear, only a few moments had passed. This series of rapid changes happened so quickly that many people still did not understand what had happened.

—But… this terrifying beast… really seemed to be dead?!

After a long while, a few scattered claps sounded first, followed instantly by a thunderous roar of applause. The hunting team members, who had finally reacted, cheered wildly.

“Ahhhh~~ We did it!!”

Actually, it wasn’t “we” who did it. From beginning to end, only Luo Pei, Old Strom, and at most Isaiah Thomas had contributed. Everyone else was just watching. But at this moment… who cared about such details!!

One could imagine that killing such a huge magic beast, which was as large as half a house, was an experience that would be enough for them to brag about for a lifetime.

Luo Pei, who had been knocked away by the Pinecone Bear, pushed himself up to stand. Seeing the “corpse” of the beast lying to the side, an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face. He truly had not expected to kill this terrifying magic beast so smoothly.

On the other side, Old Strom stood in place, panting as he recovered his energy. His face was pale, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He was only a Level 1 Magic Apprentice, so his mana storage was relatively limited. The rain of fireballs just now, especially the final compressed Small Fireball, had completely exhausted his mana. His current condition was not much better than Luo Pei’s.

At this time, amidst the loud cheering, Snow, who had been paralyzed with fear, stood up. With an angry face, he walked toward the “corpse” of the beast, gritting his teeth as he said, “Damn thing, you dared to scare me, you dared to scare me! Scare me again and I’ll turn you into a pinecone bear cake!”

Killing the giant beast was exciting, but everyone who had personally participated had performed well. Only he had lost face. Once they returned to the village, this scene would surely make him a laughingstock. Therefore, Snow was currently filled with shame and anger, wishing he could tear this damn beast into pieces!

One step, two steps, three steps…

Seeing Snow’s reckless behavior, Luo Yan frowned slightly. However, seeing that everyone was in high spirits, he did not speak. But who would have thought that just as Snow approached the “corpse” of the fallen Pinecone Bear, a heavy and suppressed roar suddenly echoed. The beast, which everyone thought was dead, suddenly leaped up again, swinging its forearms wildly in the air.

[…Damn it, it’s not dead, and it’s gone berserk!!]

Seeing this, Luo Yan felt a huge headache. Had he actually encountered such a tiny probability event? Snow was completely stunned on the spot. The impact of the beast suddenly standing up again was far greater than the impact of the initial attack. Now, he couldn’t even move his eyes; he just stared blankly as the beast’s paw approached his head, about to die a miserable death…

However, at this critical moment, Snow suddenly felt an unstoppable force pull his collar. Before he understood what was happening, he was thrown away.

It turned out that Luo Pei was standing not far behind Snow. Seeing this, he rushed behind Snow almost by reflex and pulled him back…

Although Luo Pei successfully saved Snow’s life, he put himself in danger!!

His injuries had not healed. He was now forcing his Battle Aura to circulate regardless of his wounds. Although he saved Snow, he was now completely exposed to the Pinecone Bear’s attack!!

The bear paw struck down with immense force…

Under this life-and-death stimulation, Luo Pei’s potential fully erupted. The golden light on his body grew even brighter. He twisted his waist and shifted his step, tapping his left foot slightly, and actually managed to step back one pace in a completely impossible situation.

With a whoosh, a sharp wind brushed past his face, making Luo Pei’s skin sting. However, a tiny difference in distance led to a huge result; the paw narrowly missed the tip of Luo Pei’s nose and slammed heavily into the ground.

If Luo Pei had not taken that impossible step back, he would likely have died on the spot!!

A single step was the difference between life and death…

With a loud boom, the ground shook as if a magnitude seven earthquake had occurred. A huge hole appeared at Luo Pei’s feet, and sand, dry branches, and fragments were sent flying several meters away. The hunting team members standing in the distance turned pale. When they looked at the Pinecone Bear again, their eyes were filled with fear, and their hands and feet began to tremble slightly.

Everything had happened too fast for them to have a clear impression, and then they had been intoxicated by the joy of victory. Only at this moment did they truly feel the horror of this beast, which was as large as half a house. Their previous arrogance vanished, replaced by deep fear and a heavy sense of crisis.

Especially since the danger was far from over!!

Having missed the first strike, the Pinecone Bear immediately swung its other front paw, striking fiercely at Luo Pei. This time, Luo Pei had no room to dodge. His body was in the air; the only thing he could do was rely on his Battle Aura to endure.

In the next moment, Luo Pei grit his teeth, his eyes turning red. The golden light on his body became as dense as a solid object. He retreated rapidly and crossed his arms, desperately guarding his chest and abdomen. However, that layer of solid golden light was like a thin sheet of paper before the giant claw of the Pinecone Bear. It provided no obstruction at all and was easily torn apart!

With a roar, the bear paw tore through the Battle Aura and slammed heavily into Luo Pei’s chest. Instantly, Luo Pei felt a sweetness in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was sent flying by the impact. The sprayed blood formed a long arc, creating a vivid rainbow under the sunlight.

With a dull thud, Luo Pei fell to the ground and slid a long distance, leaving a long scratch on the earth. Finally, he lay there sideways and motionless, unconscious and in an unknown state of life or death.

On the other side, seeing Luo Pei fall, the beast roared again and charged forward like a bulldozer. Its eyes were full of ferocity, as if it wanted to tear Luo Pei into eight pieces.

Exclamations of terror rose one after another!!

At that moment, a thin figure suddenly appeared in front of Luo Pei, blocking the charge path of the beast. Everyone was stunned. Looking closely, it was the village orphan, Isaiah Thomas!!

Isaiah Thomas now had a determined face. He stood firmly in front of Luo Pei’s body, gripping his wood-cutting knife with both hands. He clearly had a determination to die just to block the beast for a moment. Although he knew it was a suicide mission, he wanted to buy some time.

Because they only needed a little bit of time…

Old Strom had already begun chanting his spell again. They only needed a little bit of time…

Even if it meant gambling with my life…

The beast saw that it had reached Isaiah Thomas. The roar rolled past everyone’s ears like thunder, and a bloodthirsty, wild aura hit them. However, a faint smile flashed at the corner of Isaiah Thomas’s mouth. He knew that as long as he could block the attack once, it would be enough.

—Even if I am an egg hitting a stone, I have no regrets!!

Amidst the wild and ferocious roar, the Pinecone Bear stood up on its hind legs and struck down with its giant paw. Facing this terrifying pressure that seemed to come from the depths of the soul, Isaiah Thomas met it without hesitation with a determined face. At that moment, a thin layer of silver light suddenly flashed on his body…

Silver light?

Seeing this, Luo Yan was slightly stunned, but he had no time to think. At this critical moment, he appeared to be in extreme panic, clenched his fists, and screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Dad~~”

Everyone around was screaming, and no one noticed Luo Yan’s shout. But the ordinary hunting team members did not know that as Luo Yan screamed, an invisible wave of mental energy leaked from between his brows, striking directly toward the Pinecone Bear, leaving ripples like water in the air.

—High-level mental strength skill… “Mental Shockwave”!!

Mental Strength was also a powerful force. High-level Professionals could even lift a thousand-pound rock or flatten an ordinary person into a pancake using only their mental strength. However, using mental strength directly for attack or defense was very dangerous. Once mental strength was damaged, the mildest result was a decrease in element control, and the worst was becoming an idiot… Luo Yan did not want to use the “Super Electromagnetic Flying Needle,” but undoubtedly, the “Mental Shockwave” was more discreet and safer. More importantly, because he really didn’t know how to explain it to Old Strom, he hadn’t even brought the “Super Electromagnetic Flying Needle” with him!

He had really been a bit careless this time…

But fortunately, for an opponent of the Pinecone Bear’s level, a “Mental Shockwave” was enough…

In an instant, the powerful mental strength swept across, and the scene seemed to freeze:

[…The beast as large as half a house roared and stood up, looking incredibly ferocious. Its giant paw slammed down, seemingly ignoring the little creature blocking its path…]

[…Opposite it, Isaiah Thomas shimmered with a thin layer of silver light, his face determined, gripping his wood-cutting knife with both hands, struggling to hold the line…]

[…Not far behind them, Old Strom was clumsily chanting his spell and forming hand signs, sweat rolling down his forehead…]

[…And on the other side, Luo Yan had his fists clenched, screaming shrilly at the top of his lungs…!]

Everything seemed to happen in the same second. In the next moment, the silent and invisible Mental Shockwave arrived, “smashing” heavily onto the beast’s “head” like a giant hammer!!

Instantly, the beast’s pupils dilated slightly, and a dazed expression flashed across its face, as if it were daydreaming. Its massive body paused slightly, and over ninety percent of the power it had built up suddenly vanished. The crashing giant paw became soft. Although it still looked powerful, the remaining strength was less than ten percent…

A loud boom sounded. People only saw the giant paw swing, and Isaiah Thomas was sent spinning away, sliding for over ten meters before slamming heavily onto the ground. He lay there motionless, whether alive or dead was unknown. After all, it was a freak muscle bear with physical strength comparable to a Level 4 magic beast; even less than ten percent of its power was more than he could bear.

However, his persistence was not entirely in vain. Because Isaiah Thomas blocked the path, the Pinecone Bear’s attack slowed down and could not reach the fallen Luo Pei. By the time it stood up on its hind legs again, a violent fluctuation appeared in the air, and Old Strom’s magic arrived.

Level 1, Tier 5 magic, “High Compression Fireball”!!

A small fireball the size of a human head, appearing extremely compressed and burning with pale white flames, roared forward. It brought strong elemental fluctuations that seemed to shake the space itself, striking directly at the standing beast!

…The giant bear roared and swung its forearms rapidly, but the small fireball was clearly faster. It sliced through the air and crashed straight into its roaring open mouth…

A loud explosion followed! The Pinecone Bear’s head was blown to pieces!!

The gruesome scene stunned everyone!

A silence, a deep silence followed. The headless corpse of the beast still swayed back and forth toward Luo Pei, as if expressing its unwillingness. But all the hunting team members stared with wide eyes. They knew it was truly over this time. No creature could continue living after losing its head, no matter how strong its vitality.

It was finally over!

A heavy thud sounded as the massive body of the Pinecone Bear crashed to the ground, falling right in front of Luo Pei’s feet. One forearm was still stretching out, only half a paw’s distance away from him…