210 The grizzly bear

Kazumi returned after scouting the area around them. While Kazumi was returning, she noticed Ester with her fists clenched and slightly shaking.

‘Ester is afraid even if she agreed to continue going forward. She makes me want to protect her, hehe.’ Kazumi joked.

[Vincent, I’m back after taking a good look around. Let me report my findings.]

[I found another tree on our left side with claw marks and a few trampled branches and grass. Fortunately, the claw marks are precisely like this one.]

[I matched the size with a few documentaries you sometimes saw as advertisements with my Photographic Memory skill, and I can safely say it should be a young medium-sized grizzly bear. I am about ninety-five percent certain it’s a bear, though.]

Vincent sighed in relief, and most of his worries disappeared after the report. ‘If it’s an ordinary bear, we should be able to take it. ‘ He believed.

“Kazumi returned with her findings, and she said it’s a young medium-sized grizzly bear. Adding to the information, Lupa said there is only one. I think the fight shouldn’t be dangerous if we ambush it.” Vincent then raised his hand and added, “I say we continue onwards cautiously.”

‘I don’t know how cold winter can get in this world, so the pelt of a bear will help us stay warm in the winter. I could also go to Fabioso Shop and see if they could turn the pelt into clothes. It’s better to be safe than sorry.’ Vincent planned ahead of the hunt.

“I want to fight too. Wolves aren’t afraid of bears. I will show the power of white wolves to the weak bear.” Lupa raised her hand with an eager and impatient expression on her face. ‘I want to kill the grizzly bear and ask for a reward, hehe.’ She slyly thought.

.....

“Owwie!” Lupa soon uttered after Ester gently pulled her ear.

“You better behave and be careful. Or does my troublesome sister want to see her mate injured and unconscious again?” Ester lectured Lupa.

Lupa nodded and tried to hold the excitement of fighting a grizzly bear from showing. Lupa raised her extended finger to point. *sniff, sniff* Her nose twitched from catching a scent, and her finger slightly moved on the right side.

“There! I found our prey! ” Lupa eagerly announced.

[Even if Lupa didn’t have enhanced senses, after discovering the tracks left by the bear, a tracker might ascertain the same discovery.]

[The claw marks on this tree are fresher than the other ones I found on the other. Strangely, I estimate a day might have passed. It’s as if the bear is currently marking its territory. Well, this discovery can only be made by yours truly with my memory bank.]

-That’s better then. We might catch it off guard while marking a tree. But let me think first.-

Vincent rubbed his chin while pondering if they should move forward. The situation drastically changed, from harvesting to hunting.

It’s not about going to a cave, harvesting anything inside, and leaving while watching for danger anymore. Now it is to go and fight a grizzly bear, preferably with an ambush, then go into the cave if the situation permits.

“I am the tank while you both are the attackers. So, Lupa, if the situation becomes dangerous and I can’t lead, Ester will be in charge. S listen and protect Ester.” Vincent planned.

Next, Vincent looked at Ester and warned, “Remember to only use the compressed wind bomb on something soft like flesh. It’s better the be drenched in blood and gore than covered with wounds and fragments.”

“I understand.” Ester agreed while nodding.

After the plan to fight the grizzly bear passed with a unanimous vote, Vincent and Ester followed Lupa to ambush the grizzly bear and hope for a quick and easy hunt.

However, after a few dozen meters, Lupa perked her ears from nearby disturbance and stopped. “I thought I heard people fighting before, but now I am certain something is happening! I’m hearing a lot of shouting and screaming... the bear must be attacking people!” She urgently notified after being sure of her findings.

“Let’s go but be careful. We will prioritize our life this time even if we see others die in front of us. Don’t forget that we will only act if we can beat the grizzly bear. If not, we run.” Vincent knew his words sounded disgraceful, but after all the hardships they experienced, he felt his life and the life of his beloved had higher importance.

Lupa nodded and quickened her pace toward the direction of the disturbance. A few meters later, the three hid behind a low bush and a tree. Then they started observing what was happening.

Vincent was baffled by what he saw after peeking from a safe distance. Many goblins were running for their lives in chaos, and a few goblin corpses were lying on the ground. The brutal death spree appeared to have started recently.

Goblins have the appearance of a child, with most of them having ugly faces and very few have adequate faces. Their strength didn’t appear to be higher than a child’s as the six-foot grizzly bear was killing the goblins left, right, and center with ease.

“A few goblins are trying to fight with sharpened sticks... but they are barely doing anything... are they frozen in fear?...” Vincent stated what was on his mind.

“Ugh... this is making me feel sick... what will we do?” Ester didn’t like the horrible sight in front of her. Ester felt her stomach-churning, and the feeling of puking felt very near.

“We go to hunt? The green children distract, so we kill with an ambush.” Lupa said while her tail wagged excitedly. Lupa wanted to hunt the grizzly bear without caring about the massacre in front of her. Because of her past, Lupa acted as if it was an everyday event to her.

.

[Name] Brown Grizzly Bear

[Race] Grizzly Bear (Female)

[Age] 3

[Condition] Healthy

[Stats] Strength 30 || Agility 25 || Perception 33 || Mana 0

[Detail]

A grizzly bear mostly found in forests. Opposite to snow grizzly bears, the lighter the fur, the weaker the grizzly bear is. Grizzly bears stay with their parents until their fur darkens to the color of soil.

.

Vincent used Inspection to assess the power of the bear. After using Overheat to fight, the stats will become stronger than the Brown Grizzly Bear.

Thus, Vincent decided to see how strong the weak-looking goblins holding a trembling makeshift spear were as a comparison.

.

[Name] Goblin

[Race] Goblin

[Age] 4

[Condition] Tired, Terrified

[Stats] Strength 6 || Agility 7 || Perception 5 || Mana 0

.

*Sigh* Vincent now had a grasp of the situation, and it wasn’t going to be a pleasant one.

However, Vincent disregarded that their stats were almost identical to the stats he had on the first day. A goblin might have beaten him if he was unlucky enough to meet one before meeting Ester.

‘If we intervene, we can save the goblins, and if we leave, the goblins will die a horrible death. The grizzly bear is strong, but us three can take him with little to no injuries if I decide to tank. My stats should help me tank with no problems.’ Vincent racked his brains for an answer on their next move because the situation changed yet again.

Kazumi wanted to leave all the thinking to Vincent because she wanted to help him learn and grow as a better leader. To think before acting on impulse was a thing Kazumi wanted Vincent to learn.

-I reflected on what to do. Kazumi, do you agree to kill the grizzly bear and save the goblins? I don’t think they will attack us after saving them. Would they? I hope they aren’t mindless monsters that become docile only after they are enslaved.-

[I thought you would want to help them, Mr.Hero, hehe.]

[I scanned my memories while you were assessing the situation, and I discovered how goblins of this world are humane, unlike the vicious ones we know of in stories. We shouldn’t get attacked if we save them since the goblins have some intelligence.]

historical

[Additionaly, I have a record in my memories of a goblin slave saying a few simple words in the city as well, but you weren’t paying attention at the time to remember this. In other words, we should be able to communicate with the goblins after we deal with the brown grizzly bear.]

-Then...-

[This omnipotent being agrees to your suggestion. I approve of hunting the bear, so go and act like the hero you are.]

Vincent looked at Lupa and declared, “We will kill the bear. Hide and prepare to ambush while I will hold the bear still. I need you to chop off its head, and if it’s not possible. Hmm, how about you cripple its legs to make it fall.”

“Ester, you say behind me, and if the situation becomes hairy...” Vincent cracked a smile at Ester and continued with a joke, “Paint us with red and gore. I bet the goblins with faint with our gory appearance, hehe.”

Ester, “I will support you then.”

Lupa, “I will go for the kill.”

*WHISTLE!*

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a loud whistle echoed throughout the whole area where the goblins were running in chaos for their lives, and a few brave ones were getting swatted like flies.

The loud whistle caught the attention of everyone, causing a momentary pause to all the killing. On a branch was a goblin covered by the shade, yet a pair of gleaming purple beads glared at the grizzle bear.