I hold back a curse as I hear the voices of the kids ahead of me. However, they sound different. Almost like they're yelling something else. As I arrive at the scene I notice they're all standing in a group, their hands on their knees as they pant heavily.

"What's going on?" I ask as I approach them.

They look around at me before pointing at a giant black bear that's standing over the orc kid, pinning him to the ground. The other kids are standing with their mouths open as if they're too frightened to do anything. I can't help but frown as I study the bear. The images from my owl hadn't shown me everything, but now that I stand here I can see that it's not like the bears in my memories. It has two tusks on each side of its maw, and its legs and spine have thick bones on display as armor protecting them.

The tusked bear glares at me before standing on its hind legs, revealing that its chest has the same thick armor. Roars sound through the cavern not too far away. That must be the others my owl spotted. There should be seven or eight of them in total. I glance at the petrified kids, who haven't said anything about the makeshift mask covering the lower half of my face. Honestly, I'd been worried they would be more scared of me, a masked man in a dark cavern, than the bears.

"Stay back, I'll handle this," I say as I motion for the kids to get behind me.

"Wha-?" One of the girls chokes out a word.

"What are you going to do?" A boy asks with wide eyes.

"Stay behind me," I repeat before stepping closer to the bear.

I focus on it, studying its powerful build as I send a mental order to my golems. Arachea and the spiders catch up to me right at this moment and start fanning out. They remain in the darkest areas of the cavern, away from the kids' sight. However, I can tell the sound of their metallic clacking on the rocks worries them. The owl I've had following the kids swoops down and lands on my shoulder as I continue to stare down the monster.

"Hey, what's that?"

"It's a weird bird!"

I roll my eyes as I listen to the kids yelling. They have to be the most annoying creatures on this planet. Can't they see I'm trying to focus here? The bear growls at me as its attention focuses on the owl on my shoulder. It lowers its center of gravity and lunges toward me. However, I'm expecting it and I block its swipe with my arm!

The tusked bear seems to hesitate as the strength it's so used to relying on fails it. I can tell it's wondering how such weak-looking prey could possibly match it in power. Although I grin at the monster, I can feel the strain the effort of holding it back is placing on my damaged Avatar. It won't be a good idea to rely on this method once the other bears join it.

My owl screeches as it releases its satellite feathers. Two loud, squelching noises ring out as the bear is blinded by the projectiles. I groan as I slide my free arm under the bear's and twist my body. With a quick, explosive movement, I throw the bear through the air toward my spiders waiting in the darkness.

Thud!

I blink as I stare at the bear. It's motionless where it fell, but that's probably because Arachea and its minions were waiting. They didn't even give it a chance to understand what had just happened before they pierced its entire body, with Arachea going for its brain! Well, that was surprisingly easy. My eyes dart to the kids, who are staring at me in shock. Wait. Did I just make them think I'm a monster? I frown as I think about the situation.

"What did you do?" One of the kids asks as they edge closer to me.

"Did you use magic?" The little rat warbeast girl asks with wide eyes, her voice trembling.

I hold out my arm to stop them. I don't want them to see Arachea and the spiders. "I'm sorry, but this is dangerous. You should get your friend and get out of here."

"But, how did you do that with the monster?" The orc boy asks as he gets to his feet, wiping his tears and snot from his face.

I shake my head as I try to explain the situation to them. "There's nothing that can get you out there. You're safe. Please, leave. There are more dangerous things lurking around."

"How did you know about the bears?"

"Wait, were they chasing us?"

The kids start bombarding me with questions. It seems like I can't talk my way out of it. I've obviously made them curious, and after this experience, they've lost their confidence to find their way back out without running into trouble. So, I have to bring them with me. I turn to look at the Arachea and the spiders, waiting for new orders. Keep an eye on the kids from the shadows, don't let them see you. Also, remember this place, I want you to retrieve that tusked bear's corpse on the way back.

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Arachea bobs in its version of a nod as I smile at the kids. Which, they obviously can't see because of the mask. But I think they realize it from my eyes as they smile back. It takes a little coaxing, but I get them to start moving. Of course, I take the lead. Which is why I told Arachea to keep an eye on the kids. Don't want anyone falling behind or wandering off when I'm not paying attention.

"Hey, what are you doing here, mister?" The dark elf boy with white hair asks. "Do you work for the Lord? You must do, right?"

I raise my eyebrow at the kid without slowing my pace. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you're so strong. Who else would you work for?"

I chuckle at the kid's innocent view of the world as I listen to the other kids speculating. I see. They believe the greatest goal of anyone strong enough should be to work for the local lord. They don't even put something like working for the royal family in their sights as their existence is akin to a legend out here. Well, I guess that makes sense. Why would royalty come all the way out here? But it seems they do get the chance to see the lord every year during the harvest festival when they travel to town.

"No, I don't work for the lord," I chuckle at their expectant gazes and gasps of surprise. "I'm just a traveler that stopped by these caverns to hunt those monsters."

Of course, that's a lie. But the kids don't need to know that. They'll probably just think they were lucky that I happened to be here when they were attacked. I don't think they'll question it too much. After all, I could have left them to die.

"Really?" The orc boy asks, his voice tinted with disappointment.

"Wait, if you're not one of the lord's men, then how can you afford such nice robes?"

I feel my stomach lurch as I realize what I've done. They're going to get it into their heads that I'm hiding some big secret! Ugh! I mentally curse myself as I realize how this is going to go. They'll definitely want to brag about being saved by a big shot. I've got to do something about this.

"Ahem, mages make quite a bit of money too, you know?"

Nice save! They won't question that since they asked about me using magic earlier. That should be a reasonable explanation for them. Although I can tell they're still a little curious. Maybe I should just throw a rock at them?

"So, what brings you all this way?" I ask to distract them.

"Oh, we wanted to see the ruins," The elf girl answers.

"That's a bit dangerous. You should never go into the ruins alone," I frown, shaking my head at them. "What would you have done if I hadn't been here? You would've ended up in quite a bit of trouble. Some ruins even have much worse things in them than those bears."

"So, you're saying we shouldn't have come here in the first place?" The orc boy asks with a frown.

"You catch on quick. Listen, don't do anything too dangerous or stupid when you get back home. I'm sure your families will worry if you get into any more trouble."

"Awww, do we have to go home already?" The elf girl whines.

I feel a sense of annoyance through my bond with Arachea. It seems it doesn't like the attitude of these kids. I can almost feel its desire to teach them a lesson. I mentally pat Arachea and tell it to calm down. It's not an issue to me. The kids are just eager for some excitement. And what could be more exciting than a strange mage that saved their lives? They probably think I have a ton of exciting stories to tell.

"Yes," I sigh. "I'm sorry, but I can't look after you while I hunt the rest of the monsters."

"Aww!" The kids complain as one, making me chuckle.

"Will we see you again?" The rat warbeast girl asks.

"I doubt it," I say with a slight smile. Which earns another round of groans as we reach the cavern's exit. "You should be fine from here. Now, off you go."

The kids give me a reluctant look, but they slowly make their way outside. However, the orc boy stops and looks back at me.

"Uhm, thank you." He says while lowering his gaze. "If you ever need anything, you can look for me in the village over in that direction. I'll definitely do whatever I can to repay you!"

I feel a smile forming on my face as I shake my head at the boy. I shouldn't get too attached. Between the nature of my existence and the uncertainty of the future, it wouldn't be a good thing for me to make him any promises. I look at the orc boy as he stares at me with a determined expression. I'm sure this kid would be willing to go through hell for this secret of mine. Which is exactly why I can't let him find out anything.

"It's all right, just take care of yourself."

"Okay," he says before turning to join his friends.

I turn my back on the exit and stare down the tunnel, back to where the other monsters are located. My head starts spinning as I think about all the possible problems that could arise. What if they talk to someone who knows how to fight? Surely they'd notice something off about my fight with the bear?

Well, they aren't going to know it's me unless the kids got the chance to point me out. No, wait. Apparently, my clothes will stand out in these parts. If the kids mention that part, it won't be hard to recognize me. However, they might think I'm just another mercenary. And besides, I don't plan to leave the ruins any time soon.

I frown as I consider my options. I should just kill the rest of the monsters before anything exciting happens over at the outpost. My eyes are narrow as I recall what's at stake. Yep, I need to stay focused.

"Oh well. There's no point in worrying about it now. What happens with those kids will happen," I say aloud to myself as I start jogging down the tunnel. Arachea and the spiders follow behind me. They have my orders, so it's time to get to work. The hunt continues!