The three magnificent beasts growled at me, their sudden appearance dispelling all my dark thoughts. Barely half a minute ago, I had been on the verge of giving up, but now, an unexpected surge of determination washed over me. I no longer wanted to face Eternal Damnation; instead, a newfound survival instinct urged me not to surrender. It was as if something in my mind had switched, refusing to let me give in so easily. After all, I had been thrust into this challenging place against my will, and I refused to be a coward. Or maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to escape...

The bears growled once more, converging toward me.

"Faking it till you make it," I whispered to myself, trying to summon confidence.

I cleared my head, focusing on my options and quickly used FOCUS on one of the bears:

"Angry Bear level 4; Mob

The Angry Bear is a mob found in the forest of any floor. They are powerful but slow, and their fur is worth a lot. Their level will be based on which floor they are found."

"Level 4, fuck shit!" I thought as I tightly gripped my rusty knife.

"Alright, they are slow; use that to your advantage," I muttered, trying to bolster my spirits.

One of the bears lunged at me, claws outstretched. I quickly dodged, evading its attack. Surprised at my reflexes and speed.

"I did it!" I shouted, feeling proud of my accomplishment.

SWARGGFFF!

Before I could revel in my victory, another bear struck me from behind, causing damage to my suit and reducing my health to 42. Reacting quickly, I jumped out of harm's way and applied my only health patch from my inventory. The green glow enveloped me, and my health returned to 67. However, it was my only means of healing, and I knew from now on, I wouldn't be able to heal anymore.

Surveying the scene, I saw the three bears advancing towards me. Fear tried to seep in again, but I pushed it away, determined to muster optimism.

"I can do this!" I shouted, trying to rally myself.

Backing away on the path, I created some distance between the bears and me. As they were slow, I aimed to use my speed as an advantage. I was shaking with both fear and adrenaline. Holding the knife firmly, I contemplated my next move.

The three of them were still together, but one was slightly behind. I ran around them quickly, capitalizing on my speed. The two in front took a moment to turn back and follow my movements, allowing me to get closer to the one lagging behind. I slashed at its head with my knife.

BAM!

My attack fell short, and the bear retaliated by slapping me with its paw, sending me flying about ten feet in the air. I hit the ground hard, but managed to protect myself by blocking the attack with my arms. Despite this, my health dropped to 55. I quickly got back on my feet as the other two bears joined the fray.

They attacked, and I dodged their strikes with all my might. But avoiding their attacks wasn't enough; I had to find a way to strike back. Panic tried to creep in once more, so I focused on calming myself amidst the bear's encircling presence.

I tried to relax, clearing my mind. Inside my head, thoughts of optimism battled against defeat. Could I really do this? Or should I just give up? I reminded myself that I could conquer this challenge and defeat these foes. Yet, as the chaos of battle swirled around me, confusion clouded my judgment. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"I can run away; I can outrun them," I thought, considering a desperate escape.

Once again, I darted around the bears, attempting to evade and flee.

"Live to fight another day," I repeated, my voice filled with determination.

I managed to pass them swiftly, making it impossible for them to reach or attack me. They growled in frustration.

One of the bears glowed red, and from its mouth, a red ball of energy hurtled toward me. Reacting quickly, I jumped, narrowly avoiding the attack. However, I was not yet used to my new strength and the sudden height I reached surprised me, causing my landing to stutter. I crashed onto the ground, shaking my head and rising to my feet once more. Now, all three bears glowed red, launching a volley of energy balls in my direction.

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Moving as fast as I could, I did my best to avoid the projectiles.

"Oh, come on!" I exclaimed, skillfully dodging the barrage. "This is freaking cheating!"

BAM!

Despite my efforts, one of the energy balls found its mark, knocking me to the ground. My health plummeted to 45.

Though the energy balls didn't inflict substantial damage individually, their sheer number took a toll on me. They kept coming non-stop. Fatigue washed over me, my now low health weakening my body and mind.

"This feels hopeless," I thought.

But I didn't want to go back to dark thoughts, I needed to focus.

I lashed out, striking the ground with a punch that cracked the earth beneath me. Reminding me that I was stronger than I knew.

"I've got this!" I shouted at the bears, fiercely determined.

Dodging the next volley of energy balls, I propelled myself forward, my vision hazy yet I tried to aim on my blurry target. The bear attempted to attack with its claws, but I was ready this time. I evaded its strike by swirling in the air, landing with force on the ground and using my rusty knife I slashed both its feet horizontally. To my surprise, my knife sliced through cleanly.

The rusty blade held up well, and the strength I possessed still amazed me. The bear collapsed, its feet severed nearby. Blood spurted from the wound. Without hesitation, I swiftly turned and thrust the knife into its head, ending its life instantly.

+255 XP

A smile stretched across my face as I caught my breath.

"I've got this, you piece of shit!" I declared triumphantly.

However, before I could fully revel in my accomplishment, the two remaining bears retaliated with red energy balls.

"I need to stop doing this!" I said to myself.

The back to back energy balls struck me with extreme force, hurling me across the dirt path like a puppet. My health dwindled to a mere 25. My vision blurred severely, and I struggled to catch my breath. The two bears drew closer, but I was too weary, too feeble. My health bar flashed red, signaling the incoming death.

My head throbbed, and my chest burned. Attempting to stand, I found my arms trembling in pain, barely capable of supporting me.

The bears closed in, their presence looming large and seemingly insurmountable.

"I've got this..." I mumbled weakly, barely clinging to the last shreds of strength. "I can..."

Once again, the beasts advanced toward me. I couldn't discern their forms clearly, but I could intermittently perceive their movements. Dark figures against the backdrop of a bright sky and verdant trees.

Filled with rage, I shouted :

"Come at me, motherfuckers!"

Gripping my knife tightly with both hands, I summoned every ounce of strength in my legs. With a burst of energy, I launched myself toward one of the shapes, stabbing forward with all my might. My arms extended as far as possible, encountering the resistance of the creature's body that broke under my blade tearing through it. I went through its arm and destroyed its chest. Momentum carried me forward, my body crashing into the bear, and together, we collided to the ground in a thunderous impact, raising dust, debris, and blood.

+255 XP

Exhaustion washed over me. My vision remained blurred and inconsistent. Beneath my hands, I could feel the fur of the fallen animal shredded to piece. Suddenly, darkness descended as the last bear blocked the sunlight, poised to attack. Frantically, I searched for my knife, but in the chaos of the moment, I had let it slip from my grasp. It was lost somewhere within the dead body, my hands covered in blood. Panic set in as I desperately sought the blade.

It was too late.

The bear attacked, and I swiftly dodged, my reflexes kicking in without hesitation. That high Dexterity Stats in action.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed through the pain coursing through my body. The bear growled in frustration, its aggression evident.

I quickly created distance between us, retreating as fast as I could. "I've got this," I reassured myself, determination filling my voice.

My mind raced, thinking of my abilities and how to trigger them. The power of invisibility seemed particularly useful in this situation.

"Intention," I spoke aloud, focusing my thoughts.

As the bear closed in on me again, a wave of calm washed over me.

"I want to activate 'Hide and Seek'," I declared.

In an instant, my body shimmered and disappeared from view. A timer appeared on my HUD, indicating 40 seconds of remaining time for the ability.

Moving cautiously, I paced myself, mindful that excessive movement would generate smoke and give away my position. However, the smoke seemed sufficient to confuse the bear, hindering its sense of smell as it sniffed around.

Perfect.

Crouching low, I moved stealthily, enduring the persistent pain wracking my body and the blurred vision. Despite these obstacles, my determination remained unwavering.

The enraged beast unleashed energy balls in random directions, unaware of my whereabouts. Its attempts to locate me proved futile as I was now behind the animal, immobile.

Yet, one problem persisted - I had no weapon. My knife was somewhere amidst the remains of the previously slayed bear.

I took a deep breath, gathering my resolve.

"I am stronger than I think," I affirmed.

Prepared and focused, I tensed my legs, retrieving my crossbow from my back. I remained composed, ready to seize the opportunity.

Once again, I inhaled deeply. The bear drew closer with each passing moment.

"No ammo, no problem," I thought to myself.

The countdown for my ability reached 12 seconds.

The frenzied animal continued its aimless barrage, the projectiles landing perilously close to my previous position. Backing towards me with every new shot.

4 seconds, then 3, 2 , ...

Right before hitting 1 on the timer, the beast was in reach.

With a burst of speed, I lunged forward, slamming the crossbow into the bear's head. Wood and blood exploded in a chaotic spectacle. The bear crumpled to the ground, defeated, and so did I, exhausted.

+255 XP

I did it. Finally, I achieved victory.

Collapsed on my back, I lay there, utterly drained and in agonizing pain. However, a triumphant smile crept across my face.

Uncontrollable laughter erupted from within me. I couldn't restrain it, lying amidst the pool of blood, dirt, and flesh, I laughed.

"FUCK YOU!!!" I shouted at the sky, releasing the pent-up frustration.

"I've got this," I finally said calmly, a grin adorning my face. "I can do this."

And I kept laughing.