A wry smile tugged at Luke’s lips.

"System... care to explain what exactly this is supposed to mean?"

The system assured him after the last incident that no similar mistake would happen.

Luke was strong enough to face only level two beasts and yet...before even beginning the second round...

[Host... please check its level.]

Luke blinked.

His gaze instinctively rose toward the creature’s status.

Just as the system had suggested.

[Lvl 2]

"Oh."

Realization dawned on him.

So this one was weaker.

Luke’s grin widened.

Nice.

His eyes flickered toward the countdown timer.

Only a few seconds remained before the barrier disappeared.

A hammer materialized in his right hand.

The memories of his previous encounter with a bear were still vivid.

The helplessness.

The desperation.

The overwhelming feeling of being hunted by something far beyond him.

He hadn’t forgotten any of it.

And, by some twisted stroke of luck, a creature almost identical to the source of that trauma had decided to greet him the moment he arrived.

[5... 4...]

Luke lowered his stance.

His eyes narrowed, burning with focus.

[...3... 2...]

His fingers tightened around the weapon’s handle.

Gamma surged through his body.

His muscles tensed.

His heartbeat accelerated.

The world around him seemed to sharpen as energy coursed through every vein, heightening his perception and flooding him with adrenaline.

The bear growled.

Luke grinned.

This time, things would be different.

[...1.]

Bzzzz!

The barrier vanished.

Luke blurred forward.

The bear, which had been lazily scratching the tree moments ago, suddenly snapped its head toward him as if sensing the murderous intent racing its way.

A deep growl erupted from its throat.

Its massive paw swept through the air in a blind slash, claws carving through empty space.

Luke wasn’t having any of that today.

He vaulted over the attack with ease, slipping beyond the arc of the claws before driving his hammer forward.

Thunk!

The weapon slammed into the beast’s chest.

The impact forced the bear to stagger backward, one heavy step digging into the earth.

Luke immediately pressed the advantage.

The hammer spun above his head in a vicious arc before crashing downward, aimed once more at the creature’s chest.

But this wasn’t some sluggish target.

It was a predator born and raised in the wilderness.

Its instincts exceeded Luke’s expectations.

Just before the hammer could connect, the bear abruptly leaped backward.

Dooom!

Its massive body crashed into the tree behind it.

The trunk shuddered violently.

Leaves rained from above, scattering across the forest floor.

Luke lowered his hammer.

The bear steadied itself.

For a brief moment, neither side moved.

Man and beast stared at one another.

The bear’s crimson eyes burned with hostility.

Luke’s own gaze remained sharp and unwavering.

Neither had suffered any real damage.

Neither intended to retreat.

The fight had only just begun.

Just then—

Grrrr

The monster didn’t attack.

Instead, it allowed its massive body to topple forward.

The sudden movement forced Luke to take a step back as he drew his hammer to the side, preparing a horizontal swing.

The bear rolled.

Actually rolled.

Its enormous body tumbled across the ground the instant it sensed the incoming strike.

The hammer sliced through empty air.

Luke let out a snicker.

Good instincts.

Far better than he had expected.

The bear scrambled back to its feet and immediately burst forward on all fours, attempting to turn its retreat into an ambush.

Luke clicked his tongue in annoyance.

He failed to recover his hammer’s position in time, leaving him dangerously exposed.

For a split second, he was on the verge of being flattened by the charging beast.

"Fuck it!"

He released the hammer entirely and hurled himself backward.

The bear thundered past the spot where he had been standing barely a moment earlier.

Luke didn’t waste a second.

A dagger materialized in his hand as he immediately gave chase.

The monster sensed him approaching.

Rather than slowing down after its failed attack, it accelerated, trying to create distance.

Luke’s eyes narrowed.

"Like hell I’m letting you go."

Without hesitation, he invested several points into Speed.

The effect was immediate.

Strength surged through his legs.

The ground beneath him seemed lighter.

The forest blurred.

In an instant, his pace increased dramatically.

The bear hadn’t anticipated the sudden boost.

As it tilted its head to check its pursuer’s position, its crimson eyes widened.

The hunter was no longer behind it.

He was beside it.

The beast opened its massive jaws, preparing to lunge.

But Luke was faster.

Far faster.

Before the monster could even turn its body, Luke lunged.

His dagger flashed forward.

Stab!

The blade sank deep into the bear’s eye.

"GHUAAAANG!"

A deafening roar erupted from the beast.

Its charge instantly faltered. Momentum carried its massive body forward as it stumbled and rolled across the ground.

Luke didn’t waste the opportunity.

The moment his feet touched the earth, the dagger vanished from his hand and a pair of steel claws materialized in its place.

He sprinted after the wounded monster.

The bear was still writhing in agony, struggling to recover from the destruction of its eye.

Luke pounced.

Landing atop the creature’s back, he raised both arms and drove them downward with every ounce of strength he possessed.

SQUELCH!

The claws plunged into the softer flesh around its neck.

Blood erupted from the wounds.

Crimson splashed across his arms, painting his skin red. A few droplets struck his face as well.

The bear convulsed violently.

Its body twisted and thrashed, desperately trying to throw him off.

Luke didn’t care.

Leaving both claws embedded within the beast, he kicked off its back and launched himself high into the air.

As he rose, his weapon changed once more.

A hammer appeared in his grasp.

Luke gripped it with both hands.

The world seemed to narrow.

The wounded bear.

The raised hammer.

The distance between them.

Nothing else mattered.

Holding the weapon high above his head, he poured every shred of strength into a single strike.

Then he brought it down.

THUNK!

The hammer connected.

CRACKLE!

Violent arcs of thunder erupted across its surface.

For the briefest instant, the forest turned white.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion detonated from within the creature.

The bear’s body swelled unnaturally before rupturing apart.

A torrent of blood burst outward in a crimson wave.

Chunks of flesh, shattered bone, and mangled organs were hurled through the air as the thunderous force tore through the beast from the inside out.

Its ribcage exploded into jagged fragments.

One massive forelimb was ripped completely free and sent spinning through the forest before crashing through a cluster of bushes.

Blood rained across the clearing.

By the time the thunder faded, the monster no longer resembled a living creature.

Only a mangled crater of flesh remained where it had stood.

Luke remained standing there, amidst the horror he has caused.

He would be lying to say that it didn’t shock him but somehow, he didn’t feel anything other than pure satisfaction at the moment.

He hunted what could have killed him.

And that’s what he was supposed to do here.

Hunt.

••••••

A/N:- Hope you liked the Chapter. Should I lessen the gore description? I felt it was better this way to show the strength of his new armament.