CHAPTER 161: THE BEAR

The chamber breathed smoke. Heat rolled faintly from the cracks in the floor, where red embers pulsed like the last heartbeat of a dying fire.

Jae let the glow guide his steps as he entered, Yuna following close behind. The air was thicker here, almost heavy enough to cling in his lungs.

The bear was waiting.

Its shape dominated the center of the room, massive shoulders hunched forward, each breath rising and falling with the slow rhythm of a predator at rest.

Fur bristled with a faint sheen, dark and coarse, and when it raised its head, its eyes caught the ember light? pale orange, rimmed with something unnatural.

The low growl in its throat built quickly, swelling until it rolled into a full roar that rattled the walls. Loose grit shivered from the ceiling, scattering around their boots.

Yuna flinched. Jae stepped ahead, planting himself between her and the beast. His gaze swept over the bear: the arc of its claws, long and hooked; the way it spread its weight evenly across thick forelimbs; the twitch of muscles under fur as it prepared.

Every little detail mattered. One wrong read, and that bulk would flatten him.

"Stay back," Jae muttered without looking at Yuna. He rolled his shoulders, lifted his chin. "I’ve got it."

She didn’t argue. Her mana hummed faintly behind him, restrained but ready. He caught the edge of it and smirked, she wanted to help, but she trusted him to take the lead.

The bear’s breathing quickened. Its muscles tightened, then loosened. It was watching him the same way he was watching it.

Jae angled his stance lower, one hand flexing near his side, testing the feel of his center of gravity. Not yet. The beast hadn’t moved, and he wanted to see the reach of those claws before committing.

He edged forward, then snapped a short strike, fast but controlled, a testing move rather than a true attack. The Dragonfire stayed dormant for now; the steel edge alone bit against fur but skidded off thick hide.

A shallow scrape. Nothing that would matter. The bear’s head snapped toward the strike, reacting instantly, and Jae slid back just out of reach.

"Thick skin," he muttered.

The bear roared again, this time sharper, and lunged. The ground shook under its charge, claws raking sparks from stone. Jae pivoted hard, stepping into Ember Step.

Smoke flared in his wake, thin wisps curling to obscure the beast’s view as he slipped past. The bear’s paw struck only haze, missing him by inches, though the wind of the swipe still tugged his shirt.

He countered, blade flashing out, cutting across its flank. The strike landed, shallow again, but enough to sting. The bear wheeled with surprising speed, snapping its head toward him.

Its intelligence showed in that instant, no blind fury, no wasted follow-through. It learned his rhythm quickly, forcing him to reassess.

Jae grinned. "Not just muscle, huh?"

Another lunge came, claws arcing. Jae parried one swipe with his blade, the shock of it ringing through his arm. He ducked beneath the follow-up and swung a fist forward, knuckles glowing faintly.

Gravity Punch connected with the beast’s shoulder. The impact rippled through its body, staggering it half a step. Dust cascaded from the ceiling again, small stones rattling to the floor.

The bear growled, shaking the blow off. Jae saw it then, the shift of weight, the flex at the base of its neck. A weak spot. If he pressed hard enough, he could crack it open.

But he didn’t rush. He circled, breathing steady, his mind working even as sweat began to bead at his temple.

It charged again. He danced back, boots scuffing over loose rock, letting the beast’s momentum carry it wide. Each swipe came quicker, tighter. Its patience was thinning.

Jae matched the rhythm, weaving around claws, letting his blade carve shallow cuts that never quite broke deep enough.

"You’re testing me too, aren’t you?" he muttered. The bear’s eyes seemed to glint in response, as though it understood.

Yuna’s voice reached from behind him, soft but tense. "Jae..."

"Not yet," he cut her off, never taking his eyes from the beast.

He used the environment next, darting sideways toward a jagged wall. Ember Step carried him past another swipe, smoke trailing to confuse its aim.

The bear slammed shoulder-first into stone, the chamber trembling under the impact. Rock cracked, dust spilling like a curtain, but the beast shook it off without hesitation. It turned again, still sharp, still relentless.

Jae hopped onto a low rock, shifting higher to change the angle. The bear’s paw swung upward, claws cutting through empty space. He leapt down before it could follow, landing light and circling wide again.

Always moving. Never giving the beast a clear corner to trap him in.

His blade scraped across its foreleg, the strike ringing against bone under hide. A growl rumbled deep in its chest, angrier this time. The air in the chamber vibrated with each sound, like the walls themselves were warning him.

Another swipe came, faster than before. Jae blocked with his sword, the force nearly knocking him back, then rolled away to bleed the momentum.

His lungs worked harder now, chest rising with sharp breaths. He kept his grin fixed all the same.

The bear adjusted, each attack more deliberate. Its charges were no longer wild but aimed to limit his space, driving him against walls or toward rough ground.

Jae caught the pattern, three swipes, one pause, then a sudden lunge. It wanted to corner him, force him into a mistake.

He tightened his grip. A weak opening lingered near the shoulder, another just beneath the thick fur of its neck.

But each time he lined for a strike, something in its eyes made him hold back. Too soon. Too obvious. He needed one clean window, not a half-chance.

The chamber grew louder with their struggle. Dust shook from the ceiling each time the bear slammed near a wall, sprinkling down over Jae’s hair and shoulders.

Pebbles rattled underfoot when they shifted positions, forcing him to adjust balance quickly. The embers in the cracks of the floor pulsed harder now, reacting to the mana stirred by the fight.

His breathing steadied again. He wasn’t here to waste strength. Not yet. Each move he made was measured, just enough to probe, enough to learn.

Yuna stayed still, eyes locked on him. Her mana pulsed faintly behind her, like a storm waiting to break, but she didn’t move. She trusted his judgment, even if it meant biting her tongue against her own instincts.

The bear roared again, full-bodied this time, and charged. Faster, harder. Its claws tore gouges into the floor, scattering sparks from ember cracks. The weight of its bulk rushed forward like a falling wall.

Jae lowered his stance, grip tight on his blade. The fight was shifting. This wasn’t testing anymore, the beast was ready to break through.

"Alright," he muttered under his breath, smirk tugging at his lips. "Round two, then."