The wind howled across the northern ridge as the Great 17 climbed higher.
Loose gravel rolled down the rocky slope beneath their boots while the terrain became steeper and more jagged. The trees had almost completely disappeared now, replaced by bare stone and tall cliffs that stretched toward the sky.
Kai walked slightly behind Victor and Lena.
His Hybrid Vision Eyes were already active.
The massive energy signature they had detected earlier was growing clearer.
And it was enormous.
Larger than anything they had faced since arriving at the ridge.
Victor slowed as he reached a natural stone plateau.
"Here," he said quietly.
The group stopped.
Ahead of them the terrain opened into a wide rocky basin surrounded by steep cliffs. The ground was scarred with deep gouges and shattered stone, signs of something powerful moving through the area.
Marcus looked around.
"This place looks like a battlefield."
Kairo crouched near a cracked section of rock.
"Something big lives here."
Kai's vision traced the glowing energy patterns across the basin floor.
Heavy movements.
Massive steps.
Something had been hunting here recently.
Then the ground shook.
A deep rumble echoed through the basin.
The creature emerged from the far side of the rocky field.
It was enormous.
Nearly twice the size of the Horned Juggernaut they had fought earlier.
Its body resembled a monstrous bear, but thick black armor plates covered its back and shoulders like overlapping shields.
Two massive tusks curved upward from its lower jaw.
And its claws were long enough to carve trenches into the stone beneath its feet.
The creature roared.
The sound shook the cliffs around them.
Hybrid Vision Eyes pulsed.
The system appeared immediately.
Beast Identified
Name: Ironback Warbear
Tier: Advanced Intermediate Predator
Traits:
Extreme physical strength
Heavy armor plating
Crushing claw strikes
Weakness:
Lower neck joint
Inner shoulder gap
Marcus grinned.
"That one looks fun."
But before anyone could rush forward—
Aiden stepped ahead.
His calm voice stopped the group instantly.
"No."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Aiden looked toward the massive creature slowly walking across the basin.
"This one is different."
Victor studied the beast carefully.
"He's right. The armor plates are thicker than the others."
Lena nodded.
"And it's not charging."
The Warbear watched them.
Its glowing red eyes moved calmly from one hunter to another.
It wasn't rushing.
It was measuring them.
Kairo leaned against a rock casually.
"So what's the plan?"
Aiden stepped forward.
"I'll handle it."
Marcus blinked.
"You sure?"
Aiden didn't answer.
He simply walked down the slope into the basin.
The Warbear roared again.
The ground trembled as the massive predator charged.
Kai watched closely.
This was the rank one hunter of the Great 17.
Until now Aiden had barely fought.
Now Kai would finally see why he held the top position.
The Warbear swung its enormous claw downward.
Aiden moved.
Not fast.
But perfectly timed.
The claw slammed into the stone where he had stood a moment earlier.
Aiden stepped sideways and struck once.
His sword flashed across the beast's shoulder joint.
The blade slipped between two armor plates.
The Warbear roared in pain and swung its other claw.
Aiden ducked beneath the strike and moved behind the creature.
His movements were smooth.
Effortless.
Every step perfectly placed.
Kai's Hybrid Vision Eyes followed the battle closely.
Aiden wasn't reacting randomly.
He was predicting the beast's movements.
The Warbear turned and lunged again.
Aiden stepped forward instead of retreating.
His blade struck twice in quick succession.
One cut opened the creature's inner shoulder.
The second strike landed near the lower neck joint.
Both attacks hit the exact weak points the system had identified.
The Warbear roared violently.
It reared up on its hind legs and slammed both claws toward the ground.
Aiden jumped backward just before the impact shattered the stone beneath him.
Dust exploded into the air.
The massive predator charged again.
But Aiden didn't panic.
He waited.
Hybrid Vision Eyes showed Kai something incredible.
Aiden's movements were incredibly efficient.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
Just precise combat.
The Warbear lunged again.
This time Aiden stepped directly toward the beast.
His blade flashed upward.
The strike cut deep into the creature's neck joint.
The Warbear staggered.
Aiden spun and delivered a second strike across the same wound.
The armor plates cracked open.
Marcus whistled softly.
"Damn."
Victor nodded quietly.
"Perfect timing."
The Warbear tried to swing its massive claw again.
But its movements were slower now.
Aiden stepped inside the creature's reach.
His sword drove straight into the exposed neck joint.
The blade pierced deep.
The massive predator froze.
Then its enormous body collapsed onto the rocky ground with a thunderous crash.
Silence spread across the basin.
Kairo exhaled slowly.
"Well."
Marcus laughed quietly.
"Okay, that was impressive."
Victor stepped down into the basin beside Aiden.
"That fight ended quickly."
Lena walked closer as well.
"Clean execution."
Aiden pulled his blade free from the Warbear's neck and wiped it calmly.
He didn't look tired.
Kai watched silently.
That battle had revealed something important.
Aiden wasn't flashy like Marcus.
He wasn't fast like Lena.
He wasn't unpredictable like Kairo.
He was simply efficient.
Every strike was exactly where it needed to be.
No wasted effort.
Marcus crouched beside the fallen beast.
"Let's see the crystal."
But this time Aiden reached down first.
He cut through the armor plates and removed the glowing crystal from the creature's chest.
The crystal was huge.
Larger than most they had collected today.
Aiden examined it briefly before storing it.
Marcus stood up.
"Worth it."
Kai turned slightly away from the group.
The system appeared again.
Battle Participation Reward
+50 XP
+28 RP
Kai sighed quietly.
Still fifty.
Even after fighting something that powerful.
The XP ceiling hadn't changed.
But the Reward Points were increasing steadily.
Victor looked toward the higher cliffs surrounding the basin.
"There are more creatures deeper in the mountains."
Kairo stretched his arms.
"Good."
Marcus cracked his knuckles again.
"Let's keep going."
Aiden looked toward the mountain path leading further upward.
"We continue."
The Great 17 began climbing out of the basin.
Kai followed quietly behind them.
Hybrid Vision Eyes scanned the cliffs above.
Several new energy signatures were already moving through the mountain terrain.
Stronger beasts.
More dangerous fights.
Kai looked down briefly at the system interface.
System Status
XP: 1,822
Reward Points: 454 RP
The XP gains were slowing.
But his abilities were improving.
His RP continued growing.
Kai looked up toward the towering cliffs of the mountain.