The coordination between the cultivators was impressive, and for a moment, it seemed like they had the upper hand. Chen Yu felt a surge of confidence. "I can help! I'm actually helping!" he thought, excitement bubbling in his chest. But they needed more. The bear was massive, and even with their skill, they weren't doing enough damage to bring it down quickly. They needed an opening.
His mind raced. The bear was staggering, but it was still too dangerous. He had the element of fire in his arsenal. If he could disorient the bear just long enough for the cultivators to land a killing blow, that might be all they needed. Chen Yu focused, summoning the fiery Qi from his dantian, his hands crackling with heat as small flames flickered to life in his palms.
"Alright, Chen Yu, small bursts. Nothing crazy." He aimed at the bear's hind leg, hoping to destabilize it further with a jolt of heat. The flames shot forward, small and controlled, and struck the creature's fur. The beast roared in pain, bucking wildly as the fire singed its skin. One of the cultivators leaped forward with a cry of triumph.
"Now! It's weakening!"
"Iron Body Formation!" the third cultivator, dressed in sturdy brown robes, shouted as he slammed his palm into the ground. The earth around him shifted, forming a shield that blocked one of the bear's frenzied swipes. "Go for the legs!"
The cultivators pressed their advantage, their swords flashing as they aimed for the bear's now-exposed limbs. Chen Yu's heart raced. It was working. They were going to win. But then, just as he prepared to send out another bolt of fire, the system's mechanical voice echoed in his head.
[Warning: Unstable elemental usage detected. Elemental imbalance may cause unintended consequences.]
Chen Yu blinked, momentarily frozen. "Unintended consequences? What does that even—"
But before he could reconsider, a flicker of excitement shot through him. He had another card to play. Lightning. If a small bolt of fire worked, then a jolt of electricity would be even better, right? He could shock the bear into submission, maybe even paralyze it long enough for the cultivators to finish it off.
Ignoring the system's warning, he focused on summoning the lightning Qi. It crackled along his fingertips, unstable and volatile, but he aimed it at the bear's side, hoping to send a debilitating shock through its massive body. "Just a little boost," he muttered, releasing the bolt.
The lightning shot from his hand and struck the bear squarely in the side. For a split second, Chen Yu thought he'd done it. The bear froze, its muscles twitching violently as the electricity coursed through its body. But instead of collapsing, the beast's eyes flared brighter, and its body seemed to absorb the energy. It let out a bone-chilling roar, shaking off the cultivators' attacks as if they were nothing.
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The system's voice returned, its tone flat and devoid of emotion.
[Alert: Element of lightning has revitalized the Shadowclaw Bear. High-tier beasts possess affinities for absorbing certain types of spiritual energy.]
Chen Yu's stomach dropped. "What? No… no, no, no! I made it stronger?!"
The bear's wounds began to heal, its Qi surging with newfound vitality. One of the cultivators looked up in disbelief. "What the—how is it recovering?!"
"Fall back!" the female cultivator shouted, her voice tight with panic. "It's absorbing energy—something's gone wrong!"
Chen Yu watched in horror as the bear, now fully rejuvenated, let out another deafening roar and charged forward with terrifying speed. It slashed through the Iron Body Formation like it was made of paper, sending the cultivator who cast it flying through the air. He slammed into a tree with a sickening crack, his body crumpling to the ground, motionless.
"Blazing Crescent Slash!" the flame-robed cultivator yelled, desperation in his voice as he swung his sword, but the bear was faster now—too fast. It swiped his blade aside and lunged, its jaws clamping down on his shoulder with a brutal crunch. His scream filled the air as the bear shook him violently before tossing him aside like a ragdoll.
Chen Yu's breath caught in his throat. "No… no, this isn't happening… I was trying to help…"
The last remaining cultivator, the woman with the determined expression, gritted her teeth and charged forward one last time. "Wind Slice!" she cried, her sword glowing with wind Qi as she aimed for the bear's neck. But the bear was ready. It twisted its massive body, swatting her attack aside with a brutal swipe of its claws. She flew back, hitting the ground with a dull thud, her sword clattering uselessly beside her.
Chen Yu's entire body shook as he watched the Shadowclaw Bear turn its glowing eyes toward the fallen cultivators. They were broken, defeated, and now, one by one, it moved in for the kill. The woman tried to crawl away, but the bear's massive paw came down on her back, pinning her to the ground as it lowered its jaws.
"No!" Chen Yu screamed, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the beast. He tried to stand, to move, to do anything, but his legs felt like lead, his body frozen with terror and guilt.
The bear finished its grisly work, blood staining its fur as it turned and lumbered back into the forest, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. Chen Yu sank to his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"I did this," he whispered, staring at the lifeless bodies around him. "I tried to help… and I made it worse." His hands shook as the reality of his actions sank in. He had been so sure he could make a difference, but in the end, his inexperience had cost the cultivators their lives.
The Shadowclaw Bear let out a triumphant roar, its massive form towering over the fallen cultivators, blood dripping from its claws. Despite the injuries it had sustained in the battle, it stood victorious, its glowing red eyes still burning with primal fury. Steam rose from its nostrils in the cool morning air as it surveyed the carnage around it, and then—its gaze shifted.
Straight to Chen Yu.