Blake fell from the portal into the Ursa world. Unlike his previous entrances which were just a few feet off the ground, this one spat him out eight feet up.

Shit!

While midair, he was unable to change his orientation and was forced to crash into a large boulder below him. His boots slipped off the slick rock, and he landed hard on his rear.

Stupid high gravity.

Despite the pain, he quickly scanned the surrounding area for threats. Rain fell from the sky in sheets, which limited visibility. He appeared to be in a boulder field on the side of a large hill. Some of the rocks were small, only a foot or two wide, while others jutted up from the ground a good fifteen feet.

With no Ursa within his immediate sight, he summoned his companion to scout the area as he crouched behind a particularly large boulder to shelter as best he could from the rain.

“Metal, scout the scenario and label everything on the map. I want you to start with the top of that hill there,” he pointed. “And then circle around me. Oh, and this is a level one scenario, so the Ursa should have magic.”

This will put me at risk, Master.

“No it won’t,” he shook his head. “The chances of them having a spell to see through invisibility are almost zero. Besides, at level one, they’ll only have a single spell. If they can see you, so what? You can just float away. And if they use any magic on you, tell me what it was. Now, go.”

His companion turned invisible. When Blake checked his map to ensure it followed his directions, he saw that it had already moved toward the top of the hill as he ordered. The ability to scout the scenario without exposing himself to danger was one of the reasons he decided to risk the increase in difficulty.

Rather than be subjected to possible ambush, he would be able to initiate the fight in a location which favored him. It gave him a massive advantage, as he would only choose to engage when he held the upper hand.

As he waited, the downpour changed to a sprinkle.

Well, this is crappy weather. Montgomery would have complained non-stop.

With no cover to hide under, he was forced to sit in the soaking rain as he waited on his companion. It was a warm day, and steam rose from the ground, further occluding his vision. Despite the precipitation that fell, he was already sweating profusely, and the skin beneath his armor itched.

I guess I need to wear the earring.

He retrieved the gaudy piece of jewelry from his pocket and pierced his ear. It provided him with 1 additional point of Magic Resistance, something he would need for this scenario.

Blake fiddled with his spear, bored, when the first enemy label appeared on his map. It was a quarter mile away and down hill. He immediately stood and began to leap across the wet boulders toward the closest Ursa. With how slick the rocks were, he was very careful where he placed his feet, but it did not hinder his progress initially.

Metal, scout the area around that Ursa. Warn me if anything else approaches it or me.

It took almost ten minutes to reach his first enemy. Despite his caution, he still slipped on moss covered stone twice. When he was within fifty feet of his destination, he slowed to a more methodical pace to remain hidden.

Finally, when he peeked his head around a large rock, he saw his quarry. The Ursa lay beneath a large rock overhang, asleep. Its brown matted fur was damp, and it looked as if it found the shelter mid-storm.

Blake quickly Analyzed the creature and was not surprised at the information it returned.

Ursa Level 1

Chi

Maybe I’ll get lucky for once and kill it while it sleeps.

If he could eliminate it before it could cast a spell, its access to chi was meaningless. After all, what good was an empowered attack when it had a spear lodged in its brain.

To be sure of its state, he remained still and observed the prone Ursa. When another five minutes passed, and it did not shift its position, Blake began to stalk toward it.

Slow and steady, slow and steady.

His heart began to hammer within his chest and resound in his ears as he reached ten feet away, and then five. When he came close enough to strike, he slowly raised the spear above his head with both hands, and then thrust with all his strength.

Yes!

The tip of his spear easily penetrated its closed eyelid and sank deep into the skull of the beast. The Ursa roared and opened its singular good eye to locate the source of its injury. Blake had dealt it a mortal wound and only had to wait for its life to leave it.

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His foe locked eyes on Blake and growled with a low rumble. It stood on shaky legs and stumbled forward as it tried to reach him. He carefully backed away and drew his longsword, just in case it was still capable of fighting back.

Suddenly, it reached with a paw and ripped out the spear. His weapon tumbled to the ground below, already forgotten. Before his very eyes, the Ursa’s mortal wound began to scab over.

Shit! It has regeneration!

Regeneration rapidly healed all wounds, and used chi as its source of fuel. The Ursa would continue to be restored until its well of energy ran dry. His only hope was to drain it of energy before it could fully recover.

Blake immediately rushed forward with his sword. With a good portion of its brain missing, the monster’s reactions were delayed. He slashed deep into its leg near the joint, and felt deep satisfaction when its tendon was severed.

Immediately, the Ursa slumped to the ground before it rose again on three legs. While it labored to recover its balance, Blake swapped his sword for the fallen spear and renewed his attack outside the range of its claws.

With the relative safety the lengthy weapon offered, he was able to launch a barrage of attacks. As he maintained his onslaught, he focused intently on his footwork. One slip on the wet rock and he would die.

As the battle lengthened, the beast bled profusely from its many wounds. However, to Blake’s dismay, the longer he fought, the more responsive it became. The original injury to its brain had mostly healed, and it suddenly opened its injured eyelid.

Its sight was fully restored.

With a curse, Blake redoubled his assault as he tried desperately to damage it faster than it could heal. The Ursa, however, was finally able to utilize its full speed.

He ducked below a swipe to his head and was then forced to leap to the side. As the monster lunged forward to sink its deadly fangs into him, he deftly drove his spear deep into its open jaws.

The Ursa reared back with a cry and slapped the spear away. Once his weapon was dislodged, blood began to squirt into its now closed mouth, and it choked audibly.

Blake snatched the bloody spear from the ground. He was about to launch another attack when he noticed its wounds had stopped healing.

Finally! How much freaking chi did it have?!

Without any energy to draw from, the regeneration spell was unable to heal its numerous injuries. Now, he only had to wait as it slowly died from blood loss.

Either the Ursa recognized it only had a limited time to act, or it suddenly went berserk with rage. Blake leapt to his side and barely avoided the beast's charge. He dropped his spear as he rolled over the hard rocks and was unable to retrieve it when the Ursa continued to attack. Blake fled as the beast desperately tried to reach him.

He opted to lead it on a long chase.

Eventually it collapsed to the ground, exsanguinated. Out of breath, he too sank onto a boulder. The fight had been far more difficult than he expected, and only his incredible speed and stamina had allowed him to escape the Ursa’s wrath. Without the many achievements which boosted his attributes, it would have been an impossible feat.

Of course, he would have never attempted it without them.

How does it feel to be the bait for once?

Blake snorted at his companion’s snark.

It feels great! Although, it’d be even better if I could phase through every attack.

Metal did not respond to Blake’s retort. After he checked his map and ensured his safety, he opened his log.

Holy crap, was it worth it.

Because the Ursa was a level above him, he gained five times the nano from its death. The Architect promised greater rewards for higher risk, and the ten million nano he received proved it. In a single battle, he gained the same amount as an entire scenario. He checked the scenario status and saw it twenty-five percent complete.

Just three more to go.

While he recovered, he ordered Metal to scout the rest of the scenario. The rain picked up and pelted his face, and he soon grew tired of wiping his eyes. He climbed to his feet, found his dropped spear, and relocated to the dry shelter where the Ursa originally resided.

Ten minutes passed before the next enemy appeared on his map, over half a mile away. With a sigh, he stood and tramped through the downpour.

Maybe I should bring a raincoat next time. This is ridiculous.

His entire body was soaked, yet he somehow still sweated. He had already been in this scenario for an hour, and the storm showed no sign of diminishing.

When the next Ursa became visible, only fifty feet away, he began to creep behind rocks to hide his advance. He raised his head above the rocks and Analyzed the beast beyond. It, too, was level one and a chi user. However, unlike the last Ursa, this one was not sleeping. It scrambled over the large boulders and browsed the plants that grew between them, oblivious to the heavy downpour.

Hopefully it doesn’t have regeneration.

He could not sneak up on the monster before him. He would either need to face it in open combat, where he would be at a disadvantage, or find some way to even the odds. As he contemplated his options, a smile suddenly lit his face.

Hey Metal, I’ve got a job for you.

What duty do you require, Master?

I want you to show yourself to the Ursa and then lead it on a chase right past me.

You wish to utilize me as bait? Again?

Yes. Make sure you stay only ten feet ahead of it.

Very well.

He imagined he heard the wraith sigh at the order, yet he did not feel even the tiniest bit of guilt. His companion could safely phase through any attack or even the rock itself. Blake, however, would be subjected to heavy risk. While Analyze remained at level one, he had no idea what chi-based spell the Ursa had access to.

He silently prayed for anything but regeneration.

Blake instinctively tightened his grip on his spear at the sound of the Ursa’s roar. The ground shook as the heavy monster charged. Metal sped past the rock he hid behind, and he readied himself for his attack.

The moment he saw the Ursa, he thrust forward with his full strength. His spear bit deep into the beast’s underbelly. It stumbled and rolled past him. The shaft of his weapon caught on the edge of a boulder, as it tumbled and ripped further into its gut.

Blake unsheathed his longsword and leapt after the injured beast. Once it came to a rest against a large outcropping, he attacked with a quick thrust of his sword. The blade bit deep into its shoulder. Before it could counter, he quickly withdrew the blade and retreated.

The Ursa’s claws suddenly glowed bright red and swiped through the area he just vacated. Without his body to halt their momentum, the talons continued in an arc until they sliced through solid granite like a hot knife through butter.

Good, it's not regeneration.

Once its attack failed, it struggled to rise to its feet. However, the spear was still wedged firmly within its gut, which hindered its movements. Blake took advantage of the situation and rushed forward for another attack. He was extremely careful to remain outside the range of its deadly enhanced claws, but soon another wound was added to its injured body.

Three methodical attacks later, it succumbed to his blade.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he retrieved his spear. While he planned the encounter well, his initial strike had been fortuitous. Blake could not have asked for a better setup. It was on the ground, pinned, and unable to readily strike him. He could only hope his next encounter went as well.

Two down, two to go.