The party lead by Shin started their first adventure and headed to the plains outside the city wall where new team and beginners like them tend to level up.

But fighting common low level monsters wasn’t as fun as Shin have expected so he decided to widen the hunting ground to look for a stronger monsters.

And as they walked to a more dangerous area in the forest, they found a party of 4 several meters away from them facing a big armored bear. A to be specific.

Shin halted the girls as he watches the scene with interest.

Judging by their equipment, they were probably new party like Shins’. Most of them only wore leather armors and ordinary long sword.

“Ooooohh…. We are in luck guys. A rare area boss appeared!” said the man with a spear in his hand.

“Veteran adventurers said that this monster give instant +3 level and a bunch of loot if defeated!” another man said excitingly as he draws his sword.

“That’s right but they also said that never engage it if you’re 5 level below it!”

“We may all be level 12 but we have the numbers. It’s 4 to 1. It should all be alright” said the girl

“Yeah!”x3

They couldn’t be more wrong.

Their conversation was heard by Shin as he and the girls draws closer to them.

It’s because he knew to some extent that that monster is definitely out of their league that’s why he muttered those words.

He warns the girls for the impending danger so he instructed them to stay put and hide behind the tree. Shin added that Yuffa has to prepare her staff in case of any situation which she eagerly nodded holding Tanya tightly.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“!”x4

The party frantically turn towards their back from a sudden appearance of someone, needless to say it was Shin.

“Who’re you?!”

“Ya tryin’ to nab our loot after we defeat it, huh?!”

“We found it first! Go away!”

…

“? .. Y-you?”

Contrary to the boys’ reaction towards Shin, the girl looked at him like she wants to say something.

“That monster is 6 levels higher than you lots. Fighting it with your current equipment is like suicide”

“Don’t even try to trick us. If we agree and left, I’m sure you’ll call your teammate and steal our prey!”

“Yeah! Go away!”

“? ..” the girl only looked at Shin with mouth agape.

Shin warned them out of concern but was denied immediately yet he wasn’t angry but only gestured them like he was saying “go ahead” and distanced himself.

Having Shin backed away, the party turns their attention to the monster in front of them who oddly been calm for a while after it tried to attack them. It only stood there like it was imposing superiority but clearly its stance indicates that it was on guard.

“Position yourself in each direction! We will attack it in all side. Clarisse! Take advantage of the range of your bow and support us in a distance. You distract it!”

The man holding a spear supposedly their leader lets out instructions to each member as they nodded in agreement. He may have lashed out on Shin unreasonably but he gave a quite impressive battle plan.

As was instructed, the girl hops away and knocked several arrows at once as she targeted the silver bear. The other members position themselves as they plan to attack in different direction.

They drew closer in vigilance.

The silver bear continued to remain still, unmoving.

“Now!” shouted the leader.

Hearing the cue, the girl fired several arrows with a confindent smile on her face targeting the silver bear’s eyes as it used its arm as a shield. Their leader saw that action and as it go according to plan, they charge at it with force.

“We’ve got you!!”

Their leader jumped and thrusts his spear while consequently the other two stabbed their sword.

Feeling the flesh as they stabbed their weapon to its body..

“Did we get it? I think we did! That was easy”

Smile of confidence started forming in their lips

Triumph is visible in their faces..

But not for long,

They look at the bear that is unmoving and tried to pull their weapons.

But can’t..

It’s like it’s stuck.

They pulled it hard but it won’t even budge.

“!”

Looking at the distance, the girl twitched as she saw the movement of the bear who they thought was dead.

She tried to shout but no words came out. Her fear engulfs her vocal cords.

Unaware of the impending danger, the men still tried to pull out their weapons.

“It’s stuck! Maybe we just left it as it is. Besides we—“

“We what boss?”

Their leader tried to say something but stopped midway.

As he raises his head to look up at the face of the monster they thought was defeated, what he saw was entirely opposite to what they have expected.

Cold sweat drifted in their leaders face as he turns pale.

The other two saw his expression and reflexively looked at the monster.

All blood left their faces after they saw it.

They found it looking at them in its glowing bloodshot eyes with clear murderous intent.

Oh-oh. I tried to tell you but oh well. Shin said in his mind. He was just standing there watching how it would progress. He plans to help out if things get ugly but not for now. This would teach them a lesson or two.

“Run!!!”

The first to recover from fear was the girl.

She shouted her lungs out in order for her comrades to snap out of their consciousness.

But it was a little too late.

Before her teammate could even react to her voice, one of them flew into the woods colliding in a nearby tree like he was just some rock casually thrown away as the monster swung its arm with force. It was their leader.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiii-“

The other two shriek in fear when they saw their leader’s lifeless body.

They started to run away but the monster’s attack speed was much faster. Its sharp claws dug deep into their backs. The other man looked at the girl who watched them in terror, helpless as he extended his arms begging for help while the claw is still dug in his back. But the monster was merciless. It continued to push its claws out until it punch way through his chest.

“You can’t look!”

Even in a distance, Yuffa saw it clearly how horrible the situation was and covered Tanya’s vision to avoid her being traumatized by the scene.

While the girl who watched her comrade die wanted to run away but her fear impaired her legs. Shaking, the girl fell into the ground. She even tried to knock her bow but her strength left her body.

Because the girl made a sound as she falls, the monster looked at her and directed its bloodlust. Its action made the girl fall into complete despair. ‘I’m gonna die’ was the only thing on her mind.

The bear monster started running to the girls’ direction in all fours. The girl wanted to crawl away but the next thing she knew, the bear monster was looking down on her as it gritted its teeth.

It raised its claws.

Death is upon her. She can only close her eyes as she didn’t want to see her inevitable death. She tightly closed her eyes but—

*Clang!*

A sound of metal clashing sounded.

The girl who heard that sound slowly opens up her eyes and saw a man stands to block the bear monster’s attack. Her eyes widen as he look at him. It was Shin.

“Y-you …”

Shin who couldn’t stay any longer, decided to help.

He was aware how cruel of him about not helping the other three but truthfully, he underestimated the bear’s power. Shin only expected that they’ll only end up with bruises or cuts not death.

Well, what’s done is done. He said. The least he could do to repent is to save the girl.

The minute he saw the monster closes up to the girl, he ran at full speed,

As the monster raises its massive claws, Shin summoned a katana but few inches longer that those normal one. He used it to parry the monster’s attack.

Shin managed to block it yet the bear’s sheer strength caused him to move an inch. The bear wasn’t finished attacking, it raised its other claw and swing it full force but Shin was a step ahead and summoned another katana identical to the other and parries it. He now wields two katana.

This is the first time he used this kind of weapon so it naturally consumed fairly large amount of mana but he didn’t worry as he still had plenty of reserve.

The two contested their strength; both didn’t move and continued to press their weapons together.

Shin cannot move not because of the bear’s power but because the girl is still sitting in the ground in shock behind him.

“Oy”

He tried to talk senses to the girl but was unresponsive. Looking at her blank expression made him pissed a little bit so he kicked off some dirt to the girls’ direction

*cough* *cough*

Dusts must’ve gotten into her as she coughed. That gave some senses to her as her body twitched and realized what situation she was in.

“If you don’t want to die, run towards those trees over there. Frankly, you’re getting in my way” he said to the girl as he pointed the direction by tilting his head sideways.

“H-huh?..”

“Just run.” Shin said calmly but there was impatient tone mixed in.

Even though the girl was confused, she still ran towards the place where Shin pointed.

After confirming she got away, Shin leaped backwards to put distance between him and the bear monster. He then took a good look at it and smiled seemingly amused.

The monster didn’t waste time and runs to Shin as it swings its lightning-fast claws. Though the speed its speed is terrifying, Shin dodged its every attack effortlessly.

*Rawwwrrr!*

The monster releases its battle cry.

It became pissed as it can’t catch up to Shin’s fluid movements.

Every time the bear attacks, Shin just casually turn sideways to evade it.

Maybe realizing that it was being played with, the lets out an ominous red aura. This is its special skill as an area boss.

The bear’s special skill uses its own vitality to maximize its full capacity such as power and speed. This will only last a minute but the result was obvious.

Before, Shin just casually avoiding its every attack using only his agility but now, he uses his weapon to defend him from those dangerous claws. It managed to keep up with him yet the smile on Shin didn’t even left his face.

He was now enjoying the fight unlike a little while ago with those bunnies and frogs. This monster in front of him is a very decent opponent so he decided to get serious for a bit.

To gain distance, he performed a high arc back flip. And as he landed, he uses that momentum to dash forward.

*Rawwwwrrrr!*

The bear shouted another war cry to face the incoming Shin.

It swung its claws to intercept him but Shin used that exact moment to land on it and jumped a couple of meters above the bear.

The bear couldn’t react immediately. It looked around cautiously but it couldn’t find him.

But the time it looked up, what entered its vision was Shin in a sword-drawing stance on a falling motion using only one of his katana.

It tried to howl another war cry but couldn’t. Its head left its body as Shin slashed its neck in godlike speed horizontally.

He then landed and recalled his weapon.

The silver bear’s lifeless body releases tiny blue lights as it disappeared gradually and turned into exp points.

[Invoker Skill unlocked]

Shin checked his Guild card, in the level section it displayed level 12 and learned a new skill.