Chapter 78: Chapter 78
"Be careful, this isn't your ordinary mature specimen!" Alden quickly warned before rushing forward with his sword drawn.
The Earth Bear's speed wasn't slow at all. Although its massive, bulky frame made it appear somewhat clumsy, it actually moved quite rapidly. Covering the fifty-meter distance in just two or three seconds, it closed in immediately and engaged Alden head-on!
When blade met claw, Alden's face flushed red as he gritted his teeth, barely managing to hold his ground.
The Earth Bear's strongest attribute was its constitution, which meant its strength wasn't as terrifying as one might imagine. Even though this particular Earth Bear was considerably larger than typical mature specimens, its raw power didn't surpass Alden's, who specialized in strength-based professions.
If not for the pressure added by its multi-ton massive body, Alden wouldn't have struggled so hard to withstand the assault.
From behind, the ranger Solan fired an arrow that accurately struck the Earth Bear's chest.
The sharp arrowhead collided with the thick fur as if hitting an iron wall, falling powerlessly to the ground without even piercing the bear's hide.
Solan clicked his tongue in frustration. "What a tough bastard!"
Using his sword as a shield, Alden took the blow directly, retreating only half a step before locking into a stalemate with the creature.
But the Earth Bear wasn't facing just one opponent. Almost simultaneously as it attacked again, Lin Mo gripped his sword with both hands and unleashed a full-power slash aimed at the bear's basin-thick arm.
When the sharp blade made contact with the thick fur, Lin Mo felt a strange dissipating sensation that halved the attack's power. The remaining force barely broke through the skin before getting firmly stuck in the dense muscle, penetrating less than ten centimeters deep.
For a creature of the Earth Bear's massive size, such an injury could only be described as moderate at best.
Ellie attacked from the opposite side simultaneously, her fierce thrust barely managing to pierce the bear's hide at the shoulder.
"This thing..." Alden felt shocked. He'd encountered mature Earth Bears before—while stronger than average elite monsters, they'd never reached this level of toughness.
Clearly, just as he'd warned at the beginning of the fight, they weren't dealing with an ordinary mature specimen.
If regular mature Earth Bears posed a threat level of 1, this one likely reached 1.3 or higher.
Even Ellie's attacks barely penetrated its defense. Alden admitted that if he were in her position, he'd only manage to inflict light wounds.
Against a massive, vitality-rich monster like the Earth Bear, trying to slowly whittle it down with such minor injuries would be extremely difficult.
One mustn't forget that the Earth Bear possessed far greater stamina than them. If the battle dragged on, they'd be the first to exhaust themselves.
Honestly, if this had happened before Lin Mo joined the team, Alden would already be planning their safe retreat.
Fortunately, their squad now possessed a blade sharp enough to breach this Earth Bear's defenses.
"Everyone, create openings for Lin Mo's attacks!" Alden quickly established their combat strategy, stepping forward to block the Earth Bear's counterattack against Lin Mo.
Ellie also advanced again, her sword tip aimed at the Earth Bear's eyes.
While the bear's fur provided excellent protection, its eyes remained vulnerable weak points, forcing it to dodge hastily.
Ellie's tactic clearly angered the creature, which swung its left paw at the half-orc girl.
Unable to dodge in time, Ellie could only block with her sword before being sent flying backward along with her weapon, crashing against a tree with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
As the Earth Bear prepared to press its advantage, a figure suddenly flashed from its side. In the next instant, blood sprayed across its vision as its nose went flying through the air.
The Earth Bear roared furiously, both paws swinging simultaneously toward Lin Mo.
Lin Mo responded with a cold laugh, not even bothering to dodge. Activating his [Tenacity] skill, he gripped his sword with one hand while throwing a punch with the other, meeting the bear head-on.
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With a tremendous impact, Lin Mo stood unwavering while the Earth Bear's right paw suffered from his sudden change in tactics—the bear's palm was sliced open by the blade, blood gushing forth like a spring.
Solan's sharp cry accompanied the release of his bowstring, the arrow shooting forth dramatically.
Unlike his previous shot, this arrow spiraled through the air with a faint white arc trailing from its tail—clearly a skill-enhanced attack.
Taking advantage of the Earth Bear's compromised position, the arrow accurately struck its left eye, sinking deep into the socket!
"Beautiful!" Alden praised, stepping in to relieve Lin Mo and resume containing the Earth Bear.
Lin Mo slipped back into stealth, waiting for opportunities to strike at the bear's less protected areas whenever openings appeared.
After brief recovery, the injured Ellie rejoined the battle, seeking attack opportunities.
Although Rick the knight and Carson the assassin struggled to contribute significantly in this high-level combat, they continuously sought chances for surprise attacks to distract the Earth Bear.
Under the team's coordinated assault, the Earth Bear quickly found itself completely overwhelmed and struggling to respond.
As its condition deteriorated, the Earth Bear's rage gradually subsided, its remaining right eye clearing with realization that continuing this fight would end badly.
After swiping another paw to force Alden back, it turned and fled at full speed.
"Trying to escape?" Lin Mo drew a dagger from his waist and hurled it forcefully.
The dagger flew straight and true, accurately embedding itself in the opening beneath the Earth Bear's tail.
The Earth Bear howled in agony, as if cursing vehemently, yet never slowing its frantic escape.
Its speed proved tremendous—Alden couldn't hope to catch up, and neither could anyone else in the team.
Watching this behemoth about to slip away, how could Lin Mo simply stand by?
He stomped the ground violently, propelling himself forward explosively and visibly closing the distance with the Earth Bear.
Alden's warning cry reached Lin Mo's ears just as the fleeing Earth Bear suddenly spun around. Its bulky body glowing with faint green light, it opened its bloody maw wide, aiming to bite off Lin Mo's head.
Lin Mo's pupils constricted sharply. Instantly activating [Tenacity], he executed a quick [Cross Slash] with his sword-wielding right hand, meeting the bear's sharp teeth head-on.
The tremendous force enhanced by multiple tons of weight made Lin Mo's arm tremble slightly, while the overwhelming stench assaulting his face made his scalp tingle with alarm.
Fortunately, he'd remained vigilant throughout, combined with Alden's timely warning—otherwise he might have truly fallen for this creature's ambush!
The vertical sword slash sliced through the Earth Bear's gums as [Tenacity] mitigated the recoil effects, allowing Lin Mo to quickly recover from his post-attack stiffness. Matching the bear's follow-up movement, he reached out with his left hand and firmly grasped the attacking paw.
In the next instant, Lin Mo delivered a powerful kick squarely between the Earth Bear's two fist-sized "bells."
Excruciating pain made the Earth Bear's legs instantly weaken. Lin Mo withdrew rapidly, and as the massive body collapsed, he thrust his sword deep into its mouth, aiming straight for the throat!
The Earth Bear finally exhausted its strength, its resentful eyes filled with fury.
This human clearly possessed substantial power, yet insisted on using such underhanded tactics, specifically targeting its "vulnerable spots"—utterly shameless!