Free Web NovelChapter 29: Chapter 29: Buy One, Get One Free
Shit!
Watching the behemoth charge toward him, Xie Yuan felt the hair on his body stand on end.
’Why is something this huge so damn fast!’
The clearing, shaded by the tree’s canopy, was quite large. Xie Yuan was a good twenty or thirty meters from the edge of the forest now; it was definitely too late to run for it.
Besides, trying to outrun a black bear in the woods was clearly not a wise decision. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
As the black bear rapidly closed the distance, saliva already dripping from its gaping maw, Xie Yuan tightened his grip on his axe and clenched his jaw.
Then, he spun around and ran, heading for the trunk of a massive tree so thick it would take several people to encircle it.
The bear’s charge had the momentum of a runaway carriage. Xie Yuan was no fool; he had no desire whatsoever to meet it head-on.
He couldn’t outrun it, so his plan was to make for the nearby tree and lead it on a merry chase around the trunk.
The bear was incredibly fast, but its agility was lacking. His only choice was to maneuver and wait for an opening.
Xie Yuan, axe in hand, dashed to the tree trunk in a few strides and dodged behind it.
In just those few steps, the bear had gotten dangerously close. The very instant Xie Yuan ducked away, a massive claw swiped out, missing his clothes by less than a foot.
BAM! The claw slammed into the tree. The massive tree, with a canopy spanning a hundred meters in diameter, trembled from the impact, showering the forest floor with a rain of green leaves.
The black bear howled, using the moment to slow down before angling its body to go after him behind the tree.
Just then, an axe came chopping out from behind the trunk.
Cleave!
Seeing the bear momentarily obstructed by the tree as expected, Xie Yuan slowed his pace, waiting behind the trunk for this very opportunity.
He didn’t dare get too close. Gripping the very end of the Tiger Bone Axe’s handle, he leaned out and struck, but the cleave didn’t hit a vital spot, merely slicing into the black bear’s shoulder.
The bear was thick-skinned and tough-hided, so the blow wasn’t fatal. But a wound to the shoulder would further impair its already limited agility.
Xie Yuan struck and immediately retreated, yanking his axe free with a spray of blood and taking off again.
"ROAR!"
The black bear cried out in pain, retreated a step, then glared at Xie Yuan’s back with bloodshot eyes and charged forward once more.
’How is this blind brute running even faster now? Damn it!’
Xie Yuan cursed inwardly.
It seemed the blow hadn’t seriously injured the black bear. Instead, it had only enraged it, making it run even faster.
Fortunately, Xie Yuan had chosen his battlefield well. The black bear couldn’t leverage its immense strength, powerful muscles, or incredible straight-line speed. It could only follow him around the big tree, unable to catch him for the moment.
But while the bear couldn’t catch Xie Yuan, he couldn’t shake the beast either. He didn’t even dare to slow down—if he lagged by even a step or two, the bear’s massive claws could snatch him.
Seeing the bear’s bloodlust ignited, chasing him tirelessly with red eyes, a fierce look entered Xie Yuan’s eyes.
He held his breath and accelerated, dashing around the corner of the trunk first. Then he spun around and swung his axe again!
As the bear emerged from behind the tree, it didn’t expect another axe to come swinging at it and could only roar as it ducked its head.
With a sickening THUD, Xie Yuan’s axe once again bit into the black bear’s left shoulder.
’Even though it wasn’t the same spot, wounding the same side will still hinder its movement!’
As before, Xie Yuan yanked his axe free and ran, leaving a trail of blood dripping from the blade.
The successive attacks thoroughly enraged the bear. It roared and charged, but its movements were now noticeably slower.
With its left shoulder bleeding, when it tried to plant its paw to turn right and follow Xie Yuan in a circle, its turn was a fraction of a second slower.
*Gasp...*
After another lap, Xie Yuan was panting. Seeing the bear fail to keep up around the turn, he spun around, axe in both hands, and repeated his tactic, bringing the blade down once more!
The moment the bear’s head appeared, it was met with another axe blow. This time, the axe struck its back, slicing through thick hide and fat and provoking a furious roar!
Xie Yuan turned and sprinted away, chuckling to himself:
’It’s just a beast, after all. No brains! *Huff*...
’So tired, but I can still run a while longer. Good thing I had that breakthrough recently. With my Inner Power, my stamina is way better than before. Otherwise, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to outmaneuver this damned bear!’
The fight with the beast hadn’t lasted long, but Xie Yuan’s heart had been pounding like a drum the entire time, never once slowing down. The toll on his stamina was immense.
Luckily, the damned bear was injured. A few more hits, and victory would be in sight.
The benefits of his martial arts training were becoming clear, and it wasn’t just the increase in stamina. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Those basic Pile Skill routines covered fundamental footwork and fist techniques. For instance, the straight punches and Charging Fists he used in his earlier spar all had precise methods for generating power. The martial arts of this world were all practical combat skills, not flashy, useless forms.
Xie Yuan trained diligently day and night. He hadn’t noticed it much in his daily life, but now his footwork was considerably more nimble. He had been running around this tree for a while now without tripping on a single root, and his speed hadn’t dropped.
If he hadn’t trained in martial arts, or if he hadn’t had his recent breakthrough, then no matter how powerful his axe was, he probably would have died under the bear’s claws today.
’One more for you!’
Seeing he had once again left the bear on the other side of the tree, Xie Yuan turned, took a deep breath, and swung his axe with all his might!
This time, however, something was different.
As the black bear poked its head out, red light glinting in its eyes, it actually swatted out with its massive right paw first!
BAM! The paw struck the axe.
Xie Yuan felt an immense, unrivaled force slam into him. The axe was sent flying sideways, and he staggered back.
He froze for a second, stunned.
’This blind brute... it actually learned?’
’Is this a fucking bear spirit?’
No matter how dumb a beast was, it wasn’t a video game boss. You couldn’t just abuse a glitch to kill it.
The black bear was also panting heavily. It suddenly reared up on its hind legs, its cavernous maw breathing out a nauseating, foul wind!
Xie Yuan dodged the bear’s swipe with a sideways roll, then scrambled back toward the tree, struggling to get to his feet.
As he rounded the trunk, he caught a glimpse of the black bear limping and falling behind. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat.
’Good thing I hacked its shoulder and weakened its mobility first, or I’d have been a goner just now!’
Xie Yuan didn’t dare stop for a second. He kept running around the tree, his eyes fixed on his axe lying in the clearing, but he didn’t dare go out to retrieve it.
’This isn’t working. I don’t know if I can outlast it in a battle of stamina... This bear is insane. Any other animal would have run off long ago with these injuries. All for a stupid fruit? Why is it so obsessed?’
Even though he called it a stupid fruit, Xie Yuan had no intention of throwing it away. That was a last resort.
If it really came down to it, he would either throw the fruit far away or eat it himself. But he felt he could still salvage the situation.
’Once I lead the bear to the other side, I’ll dash out, grab the axe, and a couple more swings should finish it.’
Xie Yuan considered his plan as he continued to sprint around the tree, his ears pricked for any sound.
’Strange... Why can’t I hear it running anymore?’
Only then did Xie Yuan realize that he hadn’t seen or heard the bear for a little while.
CRACK! The sound of a branch snapping came from above his head.
Xie Yuan snapped his head up.
There, on the lowest branch of the great tree, the black bear was clinging to the trunk with all four paws, a pair of scarlet eyes locked onto Xie Yuan.
Then, it kicked off with its paws and leaped down from the tree with the force of a falling mountain.
Shit!
Xie Yuan had never imagined the black bear would climb the tree. His reaction was a beat too slow.
He threw himself forward with all his might, narrowly—so narrowly—dodging the bear as it crashed down.
The ground itself seemed to tremble. The black bear was dazed from the fall, but with its tough hide, it just shook its head and got back up.
Now, bear and man were in the open clearing, separated by only a few feet.
The black bear roared and swiped with its paw. Xie Yuan, who was just trying to get up, could only kick himself forward with all his strength, letting out a muffled grunt.
Its claws had grazed his leg.
Xie Yuan felt a searing pain in his leg; blood was already flowing. If it weren’t for his bark-level Iron Cloth Shirt, the flesh would have been torn wide open!
But he had no time to check the wound. His eyes fixed forward, he threw himself forward again from the ground!
The axe was right in front of him!
He got it!
With the axe in his hand, Xie Yuan turned his head to see the black bear already pouncing!
He summoned all his strength and rolled continuously, dodging the attack in the nick of time.
His mind was blank. Gritting his teeth, Xie Yuan pushed himself off the ground, got to his feet as fast as he could, and stood looking down at the panting black bear, axe held in both hands.
Three Axe Strikes!
A cold light flashed through the woods, tracing a jagged line.
A roar that shook the forest erupted from the black bear, then immediately died down.
Its head and left shoulder were almost completely severed, connected to its body by just a thin layer of muscle and sinew.
Watching the black bear finally go still, the tension left Xie Yuan’s body, and he could no longer support himself, collapsing onto his butt on the ground.
Bracing himself with both hands on the ground, Xie Yuan watched the blood slowly pool beneath the massive black bear and suddenly burst into triumphant laughter.
He, all by himself, had taken down a bear!
He felt for the fruit in his shirt. Thankfully, it hadn’t been crushed.
Then, looking at the massive black bear before him, a wide grin spread across Xie Yuan’s face.
"Buy one, get one free! I never expected an extra prize today!"
