Lee, Ira, and Oscar take a step forward and stand in front of the other bear.

The first to act was Ira. She pulled out her two Glock 17 guns and started shooting at the face of one of the bears.

Shoot

Shoot

Shoot

"Howl"

The bear grimaced in pain as the bullets struck its face, but the wounds seemed to be light, causing it to feel the pain similar to that of a bug sting. The bear quickly recovered, raising its right paw to shield its head from the incoming bullets.

Ira continued firing and communicated to the others while shooting, "This bear is different from the normal ones we know. It's much tougher; my guns aren't causing as much damage as they should have. And it's smarter too; it's using its paw to shield its head."

/

Oscar intervened, "Let me try something. Ira, cover for me."

Shot

Shot

Shot

As the bear's head was bombarded with bullets from Ira's guns, it raised its paw over its head, hindering its vision.

Capitalizing on the opportunity, Oscar moved closer to the bear while Ira kept up the barrage of gunfire. Utilizing military techniques he had learned, Oscar delivered a palm strike with his left hand to the bear's right shoulder. The bear seemed momentarily stunned by the impact, while Oscar felt like he had struck a sturdy tree. His hand was temporarily paralyzed, but remarkably, the bear's paw experienced a similar effect.

Although the bear was the first to recover, it attempted to retaliate by swiping its left paw at Oscar's face. Oscar, anticipating the attack, moved forward, colliding with the bear's shoulder. With his own paw temporarily paralyzed, the bear's bite landed on Oscar's shoulder. The pain surged through Oscar's body, but he managed to raise his gun with his free hand and aimed at the bear's left eye, firing three shots into it.

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Shot

Shot

Shot

As the system voice echoed in Oscar's head, "Kill short face bear: 150 points and D rank reward," he yelled, "Guys, this isn't the alpha bear Rono that the hidden mission mentioned!"

"Roar"

The appearance of the other bear was now revealed. It was significantly larger than the previous one, covered in black fur. A fresh scar marred its right eye, evidence of a confrontation with another animal. An aura of danger emanated from it.

Enraged by the loss of its companion, the black bear started charging in Oscar's direction.

Oscar exclaimed, "Oh, shit!"

Ira, seeing the charge, aimed her guns at the black bear's face.

Ding

Ding

Ding

/

However, Ira's bullets failed to penetrate the tough hide of the alpha bear Rono, falling uselessly to the ground.

Oscar's instincts sensed the imminent danger emanating from the approaching black bear. His body, honed through various missions as a soldier, recognized the urgency. Attempting to move, Oscar realized his limbs were unresponsive. With the death of its companion, the black bear had instinctively clamped its jaw onto Oscar's shoulder. Struggling to move, Oscar grasped the bear's jaw with his uninjured hand, attempting to pry it open. But the force required was immense, and using only one hand wasn't enough to break the bear's grip.

Oscar summoned every ounce of strength he had, veins bulging in his head and hand. His body strained beyond its limits.

"Aaaahhhhhh!"

As the system voice resonated again, the message had changed:

"Break Strength Limit"

"Gain 250 points

Gain 20 points to Strength

Gain 10 points to Cell Vitality

Gain 10 points to Immunization Strength"

As the message faded, Oscar felt significantly stronger. Channeling his newfound strength, he exerted all his might through his uninjured hand, successfully prying open the bear's jaw.

Drip

Drip

His shoulder bled, bearing the marks of the bear's bite, with a portion of flesh missing. Meanwhile, the black bear, riddled with fury over the loss of its companion, approached only a few meters away from Oscar. With no time to escape, Oscar assumed a defensive stance, raising his hands.

[This is the consequence of underestimating them too much. I'm sorry, my new friends, brothers, and sisters. I hope you'll make it,] Oscar thought.

A foreign object suddenly soared past Oscar and landed in front of the black bear.

Lee shouted, "Cover your eyes!"

Reacting instinctively, Oscar shielded his eyes just as the black bear continued its charge, unaware of the impending danger.

"Flash"

Upon impact, the object emitted a blinding flash of light, causing the black bear to charge forward blindly. The bear raced onward, colliding forcefully with the stone wall of the cave.

"Boom"

A cascade of stones tumbled down, landing on the back of the black bear Rono.

Lee exclaimed with relief, "Phew, I made it just in time."**