“Round two is going to be fun.” I cracked my neck and began circulating the small amount of Demonic Qi still lingering in my body.

That punch? A one-off. I didn’t have enough Qi to pull it off again. Still, it should’ve sent a clear message to the monster — I wasn’t easy prey.

*Ding

[Full body restoration activated]

My broken fingers healed quickly, ready for action. As the snow plume scattered, I caught sight of a Bleeding Berry bush stuck to the Bearowl’s shoulder.

It was the closest one around, but there was no reason to take such a risk.

“Karl, please run away. Don’t let Abby’s sacrifice be in vain.” The Frost Elf tugged at my arm, her gaze darting toward my village.

Abby?

The familiar name gave me pause. Taking a closer look, I finally noticed the massive husky clinging tenaciously to the monster’s right ankle. Abby’s jaw and forelegs were locked in a desperate attempt to slow the Bearowl down. His lower body hung limply, crushed and bloodied beyond recognition.

Another wave of memories hit me. The girl tugging at my arm was Elfina, my childhood friend, and that husky was Abby, her loyal companion. Back when I was sickly and bedridden most days, they were among the few I could call friends.

Seeing them in this state ignited a rage deep within me. But anger didn’t change what needed to be done.

Elfina clearly couldn’t fight anymore, she’d been running for help. Abby was holding on by sheer will alone. That left only me. But with the limited Demonic Qi I had, charging into a fight wasn’t an option.

It also wasn’t wise to lead the Bearowl toward my village since most of the hunters were still out gathering honey. The best course of action was to run, find another Bleeding Berry bush, and form a Qi Core before striking back.

Outrunning the Bearowl would be difficult, but it was worth a shot.

“Hold on tight.” I hoisted Elfina onto my shoulder like a potato sack. If this were some romantic tale, I’d be holding her in a princess carry as we fled. Too bad this was reality, and efficiency came first.

“Put me down and run! I’m its target, not you!” Elfina protested, slapping my back with her free hand.

I glanced over my shoulder to assess Elfina’s condition. Her breathing was labored, her slaps weak, and her calf muscles visibly spasming. Exhaustion had taken its toll. Use her as bait to save myself?

“Yeah, no. Not happening.” I ignored her protests and ran.

At this pace, it would take another half hour to reach my village.

But after barely ten minutes, my body began to fail me. Sweat poured down my face, my breath grew shallow, and my lungs burned as if they were on fire. My legs screamed in pain, and my speed faltered.

Behind us, the sound of snapping branches and furious wingbeats drew closer. The Bearowl was closing in, fast.

Once again, I was reminded of how weak this body was.

I searched for another Bleeding Berry bush on my minimap, but the system kept locking onto the closest target — the one embedded in the monster's shoulder. There wasn’t enough time to fix this oversight.

Elfina’s resolute voice broke through my thoughts. “Put me down, Karl. I can act as bait while you get help from your village.”

I turned my head slightly to glimpse her expression. Despite her steady tone, her hands trembled as they gripped her staff. Her pale fingers clutched it so tightly that her knuckles went white. Her determined gaze wasn’t fixed on the Bearowl, it was on Abby.

Running wasn’t an option anymore.

There were no Bleeding Berries in sight, and exhaustion would soon render us defenseless. If we wanted to survive, there was only one choice.

Fight.

“You’re a [Healer], right? Can you heal me while I fight that thing?” I asked without slowing down.

Elfina shook her head. “No, I can’t heal anymore today. I can only support you from afar with throwing weapons.”

It was barely noon, yet Elfina was already out of healing power. Either something dire had happened at the Frost Elf's village to drain her so early, or the gods of this world weren’t as reliable as I hoped.

Oh, right, not gods, they’re called Guardians.

“Better than nothing.” I sighed. Our only chance of survival rested on getting that Bleeding Berry bush stuck on the Bearowl’s shoulder.

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“I need those Bleeding Berries on the monster chasing us. That’s our only way to survive.”

“What? Are you insane? You’ll die!” Elfina snapped, her voice shaking.

“Elfina,” I said firmly, “can I trust you to help me get those berries? If we want to live, now is the time to take a risk. Can I have your support?”

Her violet eyes stayed glued to Abby, still dangling from the Bearowl’s foot like a rag doll.

“Okay,” she finally said.

“Good.” I nodded. “Here’s the plan. I’ll throw you toward that pile of snow over there, then turn back and face the monster. Look for your chance. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Let’s do this,” she replied, her body tensed.

“Three… Two… One… Now.” I gently tossed her toward the pile of snow, making sure she landed safely.

Demonic Qi surged through my veins, gathering in my right fist as I made a sharp U-turn.

In a blur, the Bearowl was upon me, its blood-soaked teeth gnashing inches from my face. Its massive bear claws swung in from both sides, ready to crush me.

I dashed forward, my fist glowing with energy, and delivered a bone-shaking uppercut straight to its jaw.

[Four Directional Protectors Arts – Smashing technique – Head of the Black Turtle]

The impact rattled my entire body as the recoil tore through my right hand. The attack wasn’t strong enough to cause significant damage, but it disoriented the Bearowl for a crucial second. Gritting my teeth, I forced more Demonic Qi into my body, pushing it to the limit.

I twisted sharply to the left, channeling every ounce of strength I had. Using both my momentum and the Bearowl’s own, I managed to flip the massive beast over my head. It crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar, its back slamming against the snow-covered earth.

Chance.

With the last bit of Demonic Qi coursing through me, I charged toward the exposed Bleeding Berries on the Bearowl’s shoulder.

Twenty steps away, the monster locked its maddened gaze on me, preparing to strike.

But Abby sank his jaws into the Bearowl’s leg once more, drawing its attention. The beast roared in frustration and slashed at the husky with its massive claws. A sickening sound followed as Abby let out a whimper and collapsed motionless onto the blood-stained snow.

Ten more steps.

“Noooooo!” Elfina wailed, her voice breaking as she hurled a small glass bottle of blackish-brown resin at the Bearowl. The beast instinctively raised its wings to block the projectile. The bottle shattered on impact, spreading flammable resin across the feathers and fur of its wings.

Elfina quickly pulled out a glowing red stick, no bigger than her finger, and threw it with precision. The instant it made contact, flames erupted, engulfing the Bearowl’s wings in a blazing inferno. The beast thrashed wildly, its roars turning to screams of pain as fire devoured its flesh.

Why didn’t she do this sooner? I wondered briefly. Was it because she only had one resin bottle?

Shaking the thought from my mind, I surged forward during the chaos. I closed the last few steps and grabbed as many Bleeding Berries as I could from the monster’s shoulder.

The plan was a success.

“Karl!” Elfina screamed, her voice filled with terror.

I turned and immediately understood why.

Raising my left hand to block the incoming strike from the Bearowl was futile. The force of the blow felt like being hit by a speeding bus, shattering my left hand instantly. Before my brain could even process the pain, my body was flung through the air like a ragdoll.

My back collided with a tree, snapping it in half with a deafening crack. An explosion of agony erupted in my chest as sharp pain radiated from my spine to every part of my body. Gasping for air, I struggled to breathe, each breath shallow and labored.

Stars danced in my vision, and my ears rang incessantly, drowning out all sound. Even though Elfina was right in front of me, her panic-stricken words were lost in the void of my disoriented senses.

Through the haze, I saw the Bearowl thrashing in the snow, desperately smothering the flames devouring its wings.

There’s no time to waste.

*Ding

[Full body restoration activated]

Just in time, a warm and calming sensation washed over me, mending my shattered body and healing all my wounds.

“Don’t pass out! If you pass out, you’ll die! KARL!” Elfina’s voice trembled as she shook my shoulders repeatedly.

“I’m fine.” Under her wide, disbelieving eyes, I pushed myself upright. Ignoring the fire in my muscles, I grabbed all the berries and shoved them into my mouth.

The moment I swallowed, it felt like thousands of blades were slicing through my insides. My organs screamed in agony as blood oozed from every pore on my body. The scorching heat coursing through me, coupled with the acrid smell of burnt flesh, was eerily reminiscent of the time I’d been immolated.

I turned toward Elfina, whose lips were moving frantically, but her words were lost to me. Perhaps my hearing was still dulled by the blood seeping from my ears.

Fighting through the pain, I focused on the raging life force surging within me. I drew Mana from the air around me, fusing it with my own life force to forge Qi. Wrapping the Qi with the raw emotions of rage, frustration, and despair, I turned it into Demonic Qi then directed it toward forming a Qi Core.

*Ding

[Full body restoration activated]

*Ding

*Ding

…

I ignored the System’s message, focusing solely on gathering Demonic Qi into a core. The searing pain ripping through my body was nothing compared to the torment I had endured watching a world collapse.

Come on, come on. FASTER!

*Ding

[You have formed a Qi Core]

[Condition met: Form a Qi Core. You have unlocked Skill – Plundering Qi: Level 1]

Finally, a chilling sensation, like a relentless snowstorm, seeped into every fiber of my being. My Qi Core thumped like a beating heart, refining my life force and Mana into Demonic Qi. Unlike ordinary Qi, it was cold and chaotic, but it was our ticket to survival.

I opened my eyes to see Elfina standing resolutely in front of me, her staff gripped tightly in trembling hands. Despite shivering from head to toe, she held her ground. I couldn’t help but smile at her illogical yet endearing determination.

The Bearowl, its wings now reduced to smoldering remnants, charged at us like another mindless, crazed beast.

With my newly formed Qi Core still empty, I grabbed my left hand and snapped it without hesitation.

*Ding

[Full body restoration activated]

Just like with a Mana Core, my Qi Core refilled each time my body underwent restoration. This blessing was ridiculously overpowered. A shame it was only temporary.

Empowering myself with Qi, I stepped in front of Elfina. My muscles and bones rejoiced as waves of power surged through me.

At last, I could use the third of the five techniques in my martial arts — a move that required a stable Qi Core.

“Round three, motherfucker.” I cracked my neck and shot forward, striking the Bearowl’s snout with a palm thrust.