Finally!

Blake remained under a rock overhang while he waited for Metal to scout the remainder of the scenario. While he rested, the rain continued on for what seemed forever.

Finally, after he thought the downpour would never end, the sky began to clear. To the east, he could see the blue horizon that contained just a hint of green. That verdant tinge to the heavens was the only visual clue that he was no longer on Earth.

Of course, Blake did not need the reminder when he constantly felt the thirty percent higher gravity that pushed upon him. It affected every physical movement he made. If he had not grown used to adjusting the strength of his movements on the fly in his past life, he would have extreme difficulty now.

Blake recalled the first time he entered this heavy world. He was level two at the time, yet had much lower attributes than he did now. It felt like he had the weight of the entire planet against him, and he had almost died multiple times. He would have, if it were not for his two abilities and his companions.

Out of the four members of his combat party, only Jeff refused to complain. He remained reserved, as always.

I guess it’s time to go.

Metal finally located the last Ursa. He retrieved his spear and set off across the boulder field to join his companion. When he neared the marked area on his map, he did his best to hide from the Ursa. Blake crept from rock to rock as he occasionally peeked over top of them.

Eventually, he was able to view his prey and inspect it.

Ursa Level 1

Mana

Now that’s unexpected.

The Ursa were almost always connected to chi, however, that did not mean they were limited to its use. He had used this portal enough in his past that he had encountered Ursa of all energy types. If he were to guess, he would say that Ursa who did not utilize chi were only seen once every four or five scenarios.

In his opinion, chi fighters countered mana users. Mana allowed its users to cast powerful abilities from a distance, but while they did so, they were unable to move. The spell forms required to launch the ranged attacks required specific body motions that needed to be maintained until completion. If a person interrupted the gestures in any way, they would be forced to begin anew.

The best way to eliminate a mana user was to rush them and force them to dodge your attacks. That method had worked very well for him in his past, and he intended to utilize it again. Assuming, of course, the Ursa did not have a way to counter it.

I don’t see any active effects.

One advantage mana users held was the ability to cast spells which maintained their effects for minutes or even hours. If they were properly prepared, the pre-cast abilities would negate his advantage long enough for them to destroy him.

Mana Shield was the bane of his existence.

Luckily, at level one, the Ursa would have only a single ability. It did not have a bubble of mana around it, and he did not see any other active abilities either.

So, it probably has an attack spell.

The Ursa continued its path along the rocks as it wandered the hillside. He searched ahead of the monster to find a large rock he could utilize for cover and ambush, but was disappointed when none were apparent.

It was very convenient that he had a companion he could use to discover its spell. He smiled as he mentally contacted the wraith.

Metal, I have a job for you. I want you to show yourself to this Ursa and draw out its spell.

I am to be bait again, Master? It seems you do not value my life.

He rolled his eyes.

You’ll be perfectly fine. Just keep your distance from it, and as soon as it starts casting, hide.

Very well, Master.

Blake watched eagerly as the wraith became visible and alerted the Ursa to its location. The monster roared and immediately began to mime an ability. It froze, mid-movement, and raised its front paw. The Ursa maintained eye contact with his companion while it formed strange gestures with its limbs.

There was no way to tell how long the spell form would take to perform, so Metal immediately turned invisible the moment it noticed the motions. Without a subject to focus its attack, the spell form collapsed, unable to be used until the cooldown period was over.

Now!

Blake charged the Ursa before its spell was available to cast. It took twenty strides to reach the large monster. In that time, the spell’s cooldown reset, and the monster began to cast once again. It looked utterly ridiculous as it controlled its movements and made strange gestures.

Damn!

With the spell form under way, there was no time for him to be cautious. Instead, he lunged forward with his spear aimed directly for its face. Just as the tip of his weapon entered its open mouth and pierced its skull, the Ursa finished casting.

Electricity coursed through him, and locked him in place. His hands were frozen around his spear as he fell between two stones, paralyzed. With his full weight on the weapon, he took the beast to the ground with him. It squealed and lashed out with its arms as the metal diced through its brain.

Almost the moment Blake hit the ground, he was once again able to move. He rolled to the side, out of range of the frenzied monster, as he waited for it to bleed out.

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When it saw him rise to his feet, it lunged forward in desperation. As it dove toward him, the haft of the spear caught on a rock and further impaled itself within the beast. Immediately, its eyes grew dim and it fell to the ground, still.

That was closer than I’d like…

“Your luck is truly astounding,” Metal stated as he became visible.

“I make my own luck.”

His companion’s only response was a grunt.

Once he confirmed the Ursa was dead, he pried the weapon from its corpse, and checked his log to see how much of an effect the spell had on him.

Paralyze partially resisted. Duration reduced by 80%.

Looks like Magic Resistance is doing its job well!

Blake grinned broadly. Spells which did not directly damage their target were much harder to resist. At level one, Shocking Stun would paralyze a target for five seconds. However, once cast, it would become unavailable to use for twice that length.

It was common practice for a mana user to stun their enemy, run away, and recast the spell before it could reach them. This allowed them to keep their target at a safe distance until their party members were able to assist them.

Unless, of course, the spell was partially or fully resisted.

With his high Magic Resistance, Blake was barely affected. At this level, he was relatively certain he could take a fireball to the face and fully resist its damage.

He was not, however, willing to test that theory out.

Just one more left.

The trip across the boulder field towards the final mark on his map was only slightly less irritating without the rain. Now that the sun peeked from behind the clouds, the entire landscape was covered with steam. He felt as if he were in a sauna, and if his Physical Resistance were not so high, he would definitely chafe from the wet leather against his skin.

After he climbed a steep hill, he warily approached the last Ursa in the scenario. The boulders were smaller at the top of the rise, and he was forced to lay prone across the rocky ground to remain hidden while he spied on his enemy in the distance.

Dang… I was hoping it used mana.

Like the first two beasts he fought, Analyze revealed that it used chi. With his higher level Magic Resistance, he would most likely resist any spells cast on him. However, chi could be used to supercharge the Ursa until it was almost unbeatable.

The effect would be even greater since these Ursa were level one and had greater physical attributes than the creatures he fought before. If he were to guess, their Physical Power and Physical Resistance were at least two or three points higher than the level zero Ursa he fought before.

I really need to upgrade Analyze.

Blake shifted impatiently around the rocks. Every time he activated the skill, he gained experience in its use. Once he reached one hundred percent mastery over it, he would be able to spend nano to increase its level. Unfortunately, until he gained a class, it would remain at level one. Class spells and abilities can not exceed your level, and general skills are limited to one higher than your level.

Metal, it's time for you to play bait again.

Blake explained his plan, ignored his companion’s complaints, and watched as it became visible to the last Ursa. The monster immediately responded to the encroachment upon its territory. It roared in anger and charged the wraith, who hovered over open air, just beyond a ledge.

He watched as the Ursa quickly closed the distance, and leapt off the rock outcropping into the air with its jaws wide. Metal immediately phased, and the monster harmlessly passed through the wraith to crash to the ground below.

Yes! That was too easy!

Blake rose to his feet and rushed to the ledge so he could see the remains of the Ursa, concerned he did not yet receive an update from the system. To his surprise, instead of monster paste splattered across the boulders, he saw an angry beast in perfect health.

How did it survive?

Regeneration would allow it to quickly heal, but the ability could not bring it back to life. Blake saw no damage through its tawny fur, and its movements were unimpaired.

It has to be Hardened Shell. Damn.

At level one, the chi ability lasted five seconds and could be used every ten. While it remained active, the user’s skin became fortified and rigid, preventing harm. However, it came at a cost to movement speed. Blake would have to wait for the spell to expire before his attacks could harm it.

The monster roared as it saw Blake above. It immediately began to climb up the steep, rocky embankment, desperate to reach him.

Thank God it’s not very bright.

When it reached the top of the rise, he would have space to maneuver with stable footing, while the Ursa would be forced to cling to the side of the cliff. It would not be able to counter his attacks, while its claws were used to support it.

He readied his spear. Just as the monster crested the ledge, he thrust it downward with a grunt. When the metal tip impacted the beast, it felt as if he struck solid rock. The weapon vibrated harshly in his grip as it rebounded from the hardened surface.

Exactly as expected.

He began to count the seconds. Rather than back away to safety, he redoubled his assault. The thrusts did no damage to the beast, but with its mobility reduced by the spell, the constant barrage prevented it from completing its climb. Blake redoubled his onslaught of attacks as the Ursa clung precariously to the ledge, unable to rise higher.

Five seconds later, he let out a grunt of satisfaction as the spearhead finally penetrated its fur. The Ursa screamed and launched itself upward. It rose above him, and Blake was forced to release his weapon and back away, lest he be crushed when it landed.

Fine, I’ll just use my sword.

Blake unsheathed his blade and rushed the beast before it could recast Hardened Shell. When it landed, the rock beneath his feet shook from impact. He feigned an attack. When the Ursa moved to block it, he redirected to strike its injury.

Once it was steady on its feet, it pried loose the spear lodged in its shoulder. The monster grunted as the wound was made larger. Blood dripped from the injury, yet the beast ignored it. Instead, it threw his spear off the cliff face, and immediately attacked.

Blake dodged to the side. Its fangs found purchase on his boots, and it bit down on the hardened soles. Before its teeth penetrated the nano-hardened leather, he hurriedly extracted his foot from the shoe and backpedaled away.

The leather footwear was immediately crushed between its jaws.

When it focused on him again, he saw a slight shimmer on its exposed skin. It rushed forward again, but this time at reduced speed.

Rather than defend himself, Blake turned to flee while he counted down. All he needed to do was outlast the Hardened Shell and he could land another blow. For five seconds, he circled around the monster. Finally, the ability expired and he turned to hold his ground.

Metal! I need you to distract it again! Show yourself and act like you’re going to attack it!

The wraith complied, under protest.

The Ursa lunged again. However, when it saw the wraith, it redirected the strike to block his companion’s attack. It did not know that Metal could not harm it, and Blake took advantage of the mistake.

With both hands on his longsword, he swung with his full strength and sliced deeply into the already wounded shoulder. The blade sank past its fur and flayed its muscle. It roared in agony as its front left leg was rendered unusable.

The Ursa tried to attack with its right, but stumbled off balance. Blake exploited its loss of footing and quickly chopped his sword down on its exposed neck, just as his count reached zero.

Unfortunately, Hardened Shell activated just before impact. With only three usable legs and reduced mobility, Blake had no trouble escaping the hobbled creature while the ability remained active. When the spell wore off, Blake stopped his tactical retreat, and tore into the beast again.

It took twenty minutes of constant focus before the beast finally began to fade. The Ursa grew weak from blood loss and its movements were slowed. Finally, with a last great chop, his longsword bit into the back of its neck and severed its spine.

When the monster finally died, Blake collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. The fight had been perilous, yet he had triumphed, mostly due to his intimate knowledge of the beast’s spell. A notification suddenly vied for his attention, and distracted him from his lack of breath.

He opened the alert and his eyes widened when he saw the new achievement.