To accomplish his objective in this challenging trial, Asher needed to tap into his creativity and audacity. Alone, he couldn't destroy the settlement, so he had to seek external assistance, and who better to approach than a massive and ruthless bloodthirsty beast? Over the past few hours, Asher had been cautiously traversing the forest, doing his utmost to evade both goblin scouts and the formidable bear itself. With just two hours remaining in his time limit, Asher stumbled upon a suspicious-looking cave. Its entrance was littered with numerous bones and bore the telltale signs of dried blood splatters. Only the forest's sovereign could leave such a macabre decoration behind.
With heart pounding and visions of a bear three times his size filling his imagination, Asher cautiously crept toward the cave. As he peeked inside, half-expecting the bear to be actually waiting to pounce at him, to his simultaneous astonishment and predictability, there was the bear—laying on the ground, curled up, and snuggling with what appeared to be its uncooked & unfinished meal. It had made itself a cozy nest of torn-up meat and was deeply engrossed in a food-induced slumber. The bear was nestled in a carnivorous comforter, snoring away in a protein-packed dreamland.
"Okay... How should I approach this?"
Asher kept his distance, thinking hard about how to get the bear to the settlement without risking his life. However, no matter how he thought about it, he had only one option.
"I've got to draw it toward the settlement and play the bait... Ha~, I really hope this plan pans out."
Fortunately, Asher still had the bow and quiver he'd taken from his Animated Guardian, when he had switched it with the Spikeguard Shield. He settled into a comfortable yet close position to the bear. Slowly, he pulled back the bowstring, an arrow delicately nocked, and with focus and patient precision, Asher released the string, sending the arrow hurtling towards the bear's sleeping area. And then... bam!
"Well, not that I expected to actually cause any significant damage with that shot..."
Having managed to land a rather measly amount of points of damage on the bear, Asher now was confronted a furious and agitated beast, its sights locked firmly on him. With a deafening roar, the bear charged towards Asher, ready to unleash its fury. "ROAR!"
"Time to run!" Asher exclaimed as he broke into a sprint toward the goblin settlement, with his guardian right beside him, matching his pace.
As Asher dashed through the dense forest, the enraged bear hot on his heels, chaos unfolded amidst the towering trees. Twigs snapped, leaves rustled, and the thunderous pounding of paws echoed through the woods.
Dodging between gnarled roots and darting around trunks, Asher weaved through the forest like a dancer in a high-stakes ballet, leaves and twigs crunching beneath his feet. The bear's ferocious growls were a relentless reminder of the peril at his back.
Finally, Asher burst through the forest's edge, arriving at the goblin settlement. His sudden appearance jolted the goblin guards stationed at the gate. Swiftly assessing the situation, one of the goblins produced an unusual instrument resembling a horn. With a quick breath, they blew into it, unleashing a resounding noise that reverberated throughout the settlement, serving as a warning to the horde within that danger was approaching.
"Its your turn!"
As Asher neared the entrance to the settlement, he swiftly veered to the right, heading in the opposite direction of the gate. Before the bear could react to his unexpected turn, a sudden taunting cry pierced the air, bringing the bear to a halt as it shifted its focus to the source of the noise: Asher's animated guardian, which had just unleashed its newly acquired 'Provoke' active skill. With the bear's attention now diverted, Asher seized the opportunity.
"Good! Now head inside the settlement!"
Following his command, the guardian made a beeline for the settlement. Two goblin guards stationed at the entrance attempted to block its path, but the imposing figure charging behind the guardian was too menacing. They hastily stepped aside, anticipating the inevitable collision. With a swift charge, the guardian rammed the wooden gate open, gaining entry to the settlement. Following suit, the bear charged in, crashing through the gate and the walls that had held it together, debris of the once sturdy gate flying all around, crashing on the close huts.
The abrupt intrusion into their homes had the goblins on high alert. They swiftly encircled the bear from all directions, while the leader of the settlement, a menacing hobgoblin, emerged from its dwelling and cautiously advanced toward the massive bear.
"Zarvok norkle!" the hobgoblin uttered, attempting to communicate with the intruder.
"ROAR!" the bear continued to roar in a frenzied state.
Meanwhile, the guardian's taunt had served its purpose, and its duration came to an end. It successfully diverted the bear's attention and returned to its master's side.
The goblins, armed with crude weapons and warily eyeing the frenzied bear, formed a tight circle around the intruder, lending an eerie atmosphere to the tense standoff. The hobgoblin leader, approached the bear with slow, deliberate steps.
"Zik-morlock!" the hobgoblin repeated, attempting to assert dominance while its fellow goblins muttered nervously.
The bear responded with another deafening roar, its massive frame quivering with aggression, a daunting adversary to any creature in its path. The tension in the air was palpable as both sides held their ground, uncertain of what would happen next.
Amidst this nerve-wracking confrontation, Asher watched from a concealed spot, carefully planning his next move, knowing that the outcome of this encounter could shape the fate of his trial.
With the tension reaching its peak, Asher swiftly nocked an arrow onto his bowstring, drawing it back. His target was the bear's broad back, a vulnerable spot exposed to his attack.
"You'll have to kill each other for me." Asher muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the tension-filled air.
In a split second, he released the arrow, and it sailed through the darkness and the falling rain, finding its mark with accuracy. The arrow struck the bear's hind, eliciting a howl of pain and fury as the bear's frenzied rage intensified.
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The goblins, startled by the sudden turn of events, took it as a signal to attack. With a chaotic battle cry, they descended upon the bear, brandishing their crude weapons, while the hobgoblin leader seizing the opportunity to strike with them.
The battle raged on, a gruesome scene, with numerous goblins meeting their gruesome end at the hands of the bear's raw strength and razor-sharp claws. The forest floor became a canvas of carnage as the unfortunate goblins fell victim to the beast's relentless onslaught.
Yet, the bear was not impervious to their relentless attacks; the sheer number of goblins allowed many of their strikes to find their marks on the massive bear's body. Each wound, though small individually, collectively added to the bear's pain and determination to fend off its assailants
The hobgoblin leader played a pivotal role, skillfully directing the bear's attention towards himself. The hobgoblin maintained its position as the primary focus of the bear's wrath, allowing the goblins to exploit the opportunity to their advantage.
"My EXP's..." Asher muttered, remaining hidden as he bore witness to the massacre unfolding before him. His thoughts fixated on the numerous fallen goblins, each one a missed opportunity for experience points.
Minutes dragged on, and the battlefield dwindled to just the hobgoblin, barely standing, and the bear, its fur matted with blood from the numerous wounds it had sustained. Both combatants understood that the impending outcome would determine the victor of this gruesome duel.
Observing how events had transpired, Asher couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He waited patiently, allowing them to continue their brutal exchange until their health pools had significantly depleted, seizing the perfect moment to make his move.
"Now! Use provoke!"
Just as the bear was about to land its final blow on the hobgoblin, Asher quickly commanded his guardian to use its "Provoke" skill. This unexpected move halted the fight between the hobgoblin and the woodland bear, making both of them turn their attention to the guardian.
During this brief pause, Asher told his guardian to do its best to keep the adversaries at bay and strike when possible. In the background, Asher made the most of this momentary distraction, firing his remaining five arrows at the hobgoblin. With the injuries it had suffered from the bear, Asher's attacks, his guardian's counters, and the reflected damage from the Spikeguard's effect, the hobgoblin found itself overwhelmed and defeated. This victory meant Asher was the one who took down the hobgoblin and reaped the rewards.
You have killed a 'Hobgoblin(Elite)'. You have earned 55EXP! (55/200)
Although Asher yearned to celebrate his recent victory, he couldn't afford to linger as his attention now shifted to the wounded bear. Fortunately, there was no need for him to flee this time; it was a now-or-never situation. The bear itself was on its last legs, a formidable opponent but barely clinging to life. If Asher could muster the courage to stand his ground and face this colossal creature head-on, the potential rewards were beyond imagination. He had every reason to accept this daunting challenge.
With his quiver depleted, Asher made a quick decision, opting to pick up one of the goblin guards' spears.
"The 'Provoke' skill may be on cooldown, but that doesn't mean my guardian can't draw its attention," Asher muttered to himself. "Guardian, attack it, and whenever it retaliates, use your shield for defense. Position yourself opposite to me so that I can strike from behind. When it turns to face me, you strike from behind. We've got this!"
Asher and his guardian moved into position. The bear, weakened and disoriented, struggled to maintain its footing. Asher held the goblin guard's spear tightly, his hands trembling with a mixture of fear and anticipation.
The guardian, true to Asher's command, engaged the bear, drawing its attention by bashing the spikes of his shield into the bear's body. As the bear roared in pain and anger, it attempted to lash out, but the guardian skillfully defended itself with its shield, deflecting the bear's attacks and allowing the reflected damage to do its job.
Asher approach from behind,With a swift and measured movement, Asher thrust the stolen spear into the bear's exposed flank. The bear howled in agony as the weapon found its mark, inflicting a significant wound. Asher withdrew the spear, readying himself for another strike.
This synchronized dance of offense and defense kept the bear off balance, preventing it from focusing on a single target. As Asher and his guardian continued their coordinated assault, the bear's strength waned further. The forest echoed with the sounds of their struggle, each strike and roar bringing them one step closer to victory. Their perseverance and tactical prowess paid off as the most long-awaited prompt appeared before him.
You have killed 'Savage Woodland Bear(Boss)'. You have earned 150 EXP! (205/200)
Congratulations for reaching Lv.3! You have acquired 5 Attribute points!
You have completed the 'Trial of Awakening' third trial!
You have gone past the required objective! Calculating reward...
You have earned 300 points for clearing the third trial!
You have earned an additional 100 points for killing an 'Elite' mob!
You have earned an additional 300 points for killing a 'Boss' mob!
Whoa!" Asher exclaimed, his eyes widening as the numbers of prompt kept scrolling, revealing the unexpected bounty of points he had earned from this single trial. "I've earned 700 points! I guess they weren't joking when they said I could gain extra points by exceeding the trial's objective."
For clearing the third floor of the trial, you will be rewarded with a random Equipment...
You have gone past the required objective! Reward will be upgraded, matching your achievement...
Congratulations! You have earned the 'Woodland Bear's Body Armor (Magic)'!
Having finished the third trial early, you may remain until the end of the allocated time. (YES/NO)
Before Asher could respond, a sudden glimmer caught his attention, emanating from the defeated hobgoblin and the savage woodland bear. He approached the fallen adversaries, his curiosity piqued. To his astonishment, resting atop each of their lifeless forms were two enigmatic gem-like stones, each sculpted in the likeness of their respective vanquished opponents.
As Asher picked up these radiant treasures, he couldn't help but marvel at the dazzling spectacle they presented. The gem corresponding to the hobgoblin was a regal shade of purple, skillfully crafted to resemble the hobgoblin's face, while the one representing the bear bore a fierce red hue, its visage etched onto the gem's surface with a small green leaf atop its head.
https://i.imgur.com/xZpFB6b.png [https://i.imgur.com/xZpFB6b.png]
"W-WHAT!" Asher exclaimed, unable to contain his astonishment as he read the descriptions of these remarkable gems.