[ Eric ]

“If you want to live, help me!”

I knew the bear would be slow because while I was talking he just got ready for another attack with his paw. I barely dodged it and swung my pickaxe at him. I did hit him but I barely destroyed that armor of stone. It would be worse if I attacked him with an ax. I repeated the sequence of dodge and attack. Tae also joined after he saw how easy it was. It will be an easy reward for me! Finally, I reached his skin and stabbed him. Probably he was never hit like that because his roar was louder than earlier. I was waiting for another easy attack but the bear stood up on his two feet and with his two paws, he smashed the ground. Both I and Tae went flying. It wasn't a smooth landing but at least I didn’t break anything.

[ Eric ]

“Tae! Are you all right?!”

[ Tae ]

“Yeah!” I heard him but I don’t know where he is. Also, the bear is nowhere to be seen. It has my pickaxe in him. Only one left for me. The ground started to shake again but it was more intense than the last time.

[ Eric ]

“Get ready! It’s coming!” I shouted.

[ Tae ]

“Coming?! From where?!”

[ Eric ]

“I don’t know! Can’t you feel the vibration?”

[ Tae ]

“What vibration?” When Tae said it I realized that the bear was under me. I jumped away but I still was caught in the attack. This bear attacked like a shark. He sank into the earth and jumped on me from underground. Thanks to that attack I got a few bruises.

The bear roared again. The bits of stone started to fly toward him. This bear is able to control the earth. That’s how he sank into the ground, how he closed the path, and how he has that armor of stone. But it’s still an animal. The bits of stone that were going to regenerate his armor pushed the pickaxe even deeper. I could see blood pouring between the plates of armor. It was definitely a deep wound because of how the bear was moving. He also used his left arm more often since the wound was near his right arm. Whether he was injured or not, his punches were as strong as earlier. I really could use some kind of spell to finish him off.

I tried to go for his weak spot again but the bear was prepared for that. He didn’t attack me with his paws but with stone. I flew into the wall and it felt like cars from both ways crushed me. I couldn’t move. It was too painful. The bear was going to kill me if not for Tae. He blocked the bear's attack but he also got hit and went flying. The amount of blood in the air and on the ground shocked me. It completely shattered his right arm.

Bear was more focused on finishing Tae than me. I didn’t want anyone to die in front of me. Especially Tae. I hardly stood up when I did that I coughed out the blood. The first few steps were painful but then I didn’t feel anything! Was it because I was dying or was it because of the adrenaline. Anyway. I had one thing on my mind.

[ Eric ]

“I’ll kill this thing right here! Right now!”

I didn’t try to mine his armor like last time. I used a pickaxe to push his armor and to push the pickaxe that was inside him. The bear roared again. When he looked at me, without hesitation I pierced his eye with my pickaxe. It went so deep that I probably injured his brain. It was enough to kill it…

But will Tae survive?

...Will I… survive?

Everything was dark but I could feel that I’m sitting on the chair… again. Deja vu? Something similar happened earlier…

[ Loki ]

“You did kill it!” Said Loki but he still didn’t revealed himself.

[ Eric ]

“Right… we meet for the first time like this… Wait! I killed the bear?!”

[ Loki ]

“Yup.”

[ Eric ]

“YES! But… I’m close to dying... “

[ Loki ]

“Now? Yes. But you’re going to be rewarded for killing the monster. The first reward would be healing you completely and the second would be some kind of power…”

[ Eric ]

“Give me something strong! And… cool!”

[ Loki ]

“I know what to do.”

A giant wheel of fortune appeared in front of me with like a thousand possibilities. At that moment I realized how much he likes the idea of randomness.

[ Loki ]

“Humans love that kind of game!” Said Loki with excitement.

[ Eric ]

“Can’t I choose?”

[ Loki ]

“Well… If you want to choose, you won’t get a chance for two abilities…”

[ Eric ]

“Let’s spin the wheel!!!” I said it without second thoughts. If I’ll be lucky (like always), I might get two cool abilities!”