Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 194

 Trailing the bear from above for several seconds, Alex and his group finally moved in as they were about to make contact.

"Haa!"

One of them, who was supposed to be holding an axe, suddenly switched to a hammer-like weapon and slammed it into the ground with a shout.

Why?

I wondered but quickly understood the reason. The ground rippled and rose where the weapon struck, and though I couldn't see it from behind, it likely hit the bear's jaw directly. The bear's head was knocked back.

"A blessing or a protection..."

It must affect the earth or the ground. This way, they could stall the bear without a direct hit.

Without a moment's delay, the rest of the team began to run. They were going to attack before the bear could regain its posture.

"Oraaa!"

First, Alex used the elevated ground as a foothold to leap up and strike the bear's head with his club. I had read somewhere that bears, with their thick necks, are less likely to get concussed like humans from a blow to the head, but with the added effect of "prayer," it surely did some damage.

The other members also stabbed and slashed at the bear's hind legs with spears and axes. While this didn't seem to inflict damage, it functioned as an effective harassment. The bear, now standing up, raised its arms to swipe forward.

The sheer size of the bear standing up was overwhelming. Though we kept our distance, it felt like we could reach out and touch it.

"Ah... we can do this."

The bear's attention was focused ahead, and because it leaned slightly forward, its back was completely exposed. Unsure if it would work, I couldn't let this opportunity slip.

"Take this!... Oof!"

I activated the "Shadow Sword" and thrust it into the bear's exposed back. At the same time, I realized something very troubling.

Given the difference in size, even a slight bump could be fatal, so I had only driven the sword in halfway for safety. Even so, this weapon had pierced through various monsters before. That's why I could tell: it hadn't even reached the bear's muscles, let alone its organs.

I can't defeat this thing.

Looking down, I saw that while we were avoiding the bear's attacks, we couldn't land any effective hits either. Maybe instead of attacking with a small team, we should have surrounded it with a larger group and kept attacking.

Alex and the others were calling out to each other, trying to keep the bear at bay, but they couldn't land a decisive blow.

The bear's back was still unguarded... Should I aim for the head? No... with it moving so violently, that's impossible. The back it is then...

Just as I was floating about five meters above the bear's head, thinking this, I noticed a flash of light, not from a bonfire, but something else, near our main camp.

When you see the light, retreat upwards.

I recalled Zig Halt laughing and saying this as he explained what to watch out for when working with him. I quickly ascended.

As I rose a few more meters, the light from before flashed again in the same spot. This time it wasn't a signal flare but an attack spell from Zig Halt.

The moment I realized this, the spell shot past me a few meters below.

"Whoa!"

Looking back at the passing spell, it gradually thinned out and eventually disappeared, but the trail extended almost to the nearby mountain.

I've seen Zig Halt's magic up close several times before and even had it pass near me. But while those encounters made me feel some heat, they never felt like they were burning my skin. And now, despite wearing thick clothes...

"What?!"

I was so startled I forgot we were still fighting the bear. That spell must have been aimed at the bear, but what happened...

"No way."

Turning back, I saw the bear slowly collapsing as if it had lost all strength.

"One shot..."

Looking closer, I saw that its head had been severed. There were no significant marks on its body, so the spell must have pierced its neck. What kind of accuracy and power was that...?

The adventurers around us, seeing this even in the midst of battle, were cheering.

When I looked back towards the main camp, I saw Zighalt, illuminated by the bonfire, striking a pose. He must have descended from the platform to fire the spell to avoid hitting the forest.

Were we just in the way of his sniping...?