The beast roared, meeting the attacks head-on, barely suffering any damage.
“Tsk, he’s tough," Owen gritted his teeth, sidestepping a swipe from the bear’s massive claws. "His defense is going to be a problem to break through.”
From a distance, Reese nocked his new arrow, feeling the weight of the crafted projectile in his fingers. Kei's craftsmanship had given it higher attack power and enhanced penetration—but now, it was time to test it in action.
He drew back his bowstring, Aether surging into his grip.
"Alright, let’s see how much damage this can do."
Activating his skill—
[Skill Name]: Vector’s Barrage]
[Description]:
A skill that manipulates the trajectory of a projectile by continuously redirecting it mid-air. The arrow weaves unpredictably, striking multiple times in succession before losing momentum. The length and number of redirections are dictated by the user's Aether reserves and control.
[Effects]:
- Multi-Strike Redirection – The projectile automatically veers toward the target upon impact, striking up to five times before dissipating.
- Aether Efficiency Scaling – The number of additional strikes increases based on the user's Aether input.
- Momentum Retention – The more the projectile ricochets, the faster and sharper its subsequent impacts become.
- Weaving Path – The erratic movement makes the projectile difficult to predict or block.
Additional Notes:
- Projectiles must make initial contact before the effect activates.
- Excessive Aether infusion can cause the projectile to become unstable, ending the effect early.
The arrow shot forward, striking the Boulder Veined Bear’s armored hide—and then vanished in a blur.
A split second later—BANG.
The arrow reappeared at another angle, slamming into the beast’s side.
BANG.
Then from above.
BANG.
Then from below.
Reese grinned as Vector’s Barrage activated at full force, the arrow ricocheting unpredictably, striking over and over. Each impact grew sharper, chipping at the bear’s thick fur-lined armor as the force multiplied.
The Boulder Veined Bear roared, thrashing violently, trying to swat at the blurry streak of death carving into its body—but it couldn’t react fast enough.
Kei’s eyes flickered with intrigue. "Huh. Now that’s pretty useful."
Reese was stunned by the results—so were his friends.
Even with the Boulder Veined Bear still raging before them, they each took a second—risking being swatted into oblivion—to glance at Kei greedily.
Their intentions were clear.
They wanted his crafted weapons.
Kei, catching their expressions, grinned.
“Alright, my little test subjects, if you want one—you better make sure that bear doesn’t kill you first." He waved his carving tool like a professor handing out an impossible assignment. "So, work hard and make papa proud.”
They groaned, but none of them denied their obvious desire for more of his creations.
“Also, Reese," Kei continued, "you might want to retrieve that arrow. I only made one, and it looks like it can be used again.”
Before Kei even finished his sentence, Reese had already beaten him to it—willing the arrow back to him with his vector control, plucking it from midair as it returned.
Placing it away for later, he switched back to his regular arrows, knowing he’d save the special one for a more crucial moment.
As of now, besides Owen’s earth attack, the arrow Kei crafted for Reese had been the most effective at penetrating the bear’s defenses.
Curious, Kei decided to test something.
He reached into his inventory and pulled out a handful of bone projectiles.
Three regular.
Two coated in Aether.
With a flick of his wrist—he sent them flying.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The non-coated projectiles shattered on impact, completely ineffective against the Boulder Veined Bear’s rigid defenses.
Then—
Pchh.
Pchh.
The Aether-coated projectiles hit harder, managing to pierce the hide, drawing a small spurt of blood—but even they broke apart on impact.
Kei clicked his tongue.
“Seems like I’ll need better projectiles. These bone ones are getting obsolete.”
Those attacks did well to distract the bear for a moment, giving Talia just enough time to reposition.
With a surge of Mirage Force, she conjured multiple illusions, causing the Boulder Veined Bear to lash out at a false target.
The massive paw swiped through empty air.
Owen saw his chance.
Slamming his foot into the ground, he surged forward with his shield, tackling the bear head-on and forcing it to stagger back from the unexpected impact.
Reese’s arrows followed immediately after, firing in quick succession to provide cover fire—forcing the bear to stay defensive.
In that moment—
Kai leaped high into the air, spear in hand, his Adrenaline Force fueling his strength.
He swung down with all his might, aiming to drive the spear deep into the bear’s back.
Then—
CRACK.
A sickening snap rang through the battlefield.
Kai’s spear—split clean in half.
“What the—” His eyes widened in shock, gripping the broken weapon mid-air as he fell back to the ground.
Before the Boulder Veined Bear’s massive claw could swat Kai like an insect, a sudden gust of wind blasted him backward, just enough to dodge the incoming attack.
Kai stumbled, regaining his footing, staring at the two broken halves of his spear in disbelief.
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“Tsk… That was my only spear,” he groaned, frustration clear in his voice.
Kei, standing a distance away, simply shrugged.
“You still have your hands and feet, don’t you?” he said, twirling a bone projectile in his fingers. “Last I checked, you had Adrenaline Force, not Spear Force—so quit whining and get to it.”
Kai gritted his teeth, but he knew Kei was right.
Weapon or not—he still had a fight to finish.
"Don't be frustrated," Kei lectured, watching Kai with a smirk.
"You should be stressed and agitated by now—your fight or flight should be kicking in."
Kai rolled his shoulders, shaking off the last of his hesitation as his Adrenaline Force pulsed through him.
"Use that to your advantage, hormone boy," Kei continued. "Adrenaline is nothing but a hormone that kicks your body into overdrive—that means it helps unlock the potential of your body."
Kai's breathing steadied, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, his muscles burning with energy.
"The better you understand your body, the better you should be able to fight—or at least, that's my guess." Kei flashed a grin.
"And swinging a stick around wouldn’t help you much with that."
Kai’s fists clenched as his body thrummed with energy.
"Fine then," he muttered.
No weapon? No problem.
His fight wasn’t over yet.
Watching his friends struggle against the bear, Kai knew he had to come up with something.
"If you'd like, I know a monkey that can train you in hand-to-hand combat. It’s a really good teacher—taught me how to fight," Kei said, throwing a few casual punches and kicks.
"...A monkey?" Kai blinked.
"Yeah, real strict, though. Likes to ragdoll its students if they mess up," Kei added, a nostalgic grin on his face.
Kai was still trying to process that sentence when Kei’s expression shifted.
“Actually—keep your eyes open and pay careful attention.”
Something was coming.
Kai furrowed his brows but followed Kei’s gaze.
At that moment, the Boulder Veined Bear raised its massive paws, the earth trembling in response.
Reese and Talia tensed, readying their counterattacks.
Then—
The bear lifted into the air.
Its massive frame jerked upward, as if gravity had suddenly flipped.
"What the—?" Reese started, eyes widening.
Confused glances shot between them, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.
Then—
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
A piercing bleat rang out, cutting through the battlefield.
A black sheep with marble-white horns, gleaming like polished stone, appeared in midair—barreling down like a comet.
Its horns shone with an intense, blinding white glow.
And then—
CRASH!
The bear slammed back down to the ground with explosive force.
The earth shattered beneath it, sending dust, debris, and stone flying.
The bear roared in shock and pain, its body twisting, struggling, but it was completely disoriented.
Kai’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
“What the actual hell was that!?”
Kei just stood there, grinning proudly.
"That," he said, hands on his hips, "is my Wooloo."
A fierce battle broke, sheep vs bear, large claws vs horns, thick wool vs earthen fur,it was the battle of the ages whou would who would prevail, next time in the world of this expanse
That’s what kei monologue in his head, excited to wtiness a clash amongst beast
“thts the black sheep from before” “its really strong”
“I guess its not so bad kei befriended it”
“lets go wooloo you can do it”
“you named it after a pokemon? Looks more like Dubwool”
Without giving the Boulder Veined Bear a chance to orient itself, Wooloo spun around, delivering a fierce double kick.
“Ooh, Double Kick against a Rock-type? That should be super effective!” Kei mused, thoroughly entertained.
The attack landed cleanly, powered by Ebb & Flow Force and Lunar Force, a forceful push erupting outward and sending the bear skidding back.
Not letting up, Wooloo kept its momentum, its horns shining brilliantly as it barreled forward for a tackle.
The bear retaliated, swinging a massive paw downward to meet the charge head-on.
Horn vs. Claw.
At first, Wooloo was on the losing side, its hooves digging into the ground. But then—
Astral projections of its white horns flickered into existence, ghostly echoes of its real ones.
With a sharp tug of its head, Wooloo’s force exerted a pulling effect, shifting the bear off-balance for just a moment.
And in that moment—
It unleashed its pushing force.
The bear stumbled backward, struggling to keep its footing.
And just like that, the battle continued—sheep and bear clashing again and again.
Kei, however, had something on his mind.
“When you hear Lunar and Tidal, what do you guys think of?”
The others were too engrossed in the action to acknowledge the question, but Owen absently responded, “Mostly water. Why?”
“Just wondering,” Kei hummed, watching Wooloo’s shifting energies. “You’ve got Bastion Force but can use Earth. Wooloo has Ebb & Flow, Lunar and Tidal—moon-like forces. Was just thinking… what if water was in the cards for Wooloo?”
Owen frowned slightly, considering it.
“…That’s a good question.”
As if to answer that very question, Wooloo leaped backward, its movements suddenly fluid—like water shifting with the tides.
In midair, another astral projection came to life, but this time—
Its form flowed differently.
Water-like ripples coursed through the spectral horns, and as Wooloo moved, a sound echoed—
The receding tide.
Then—
The astral horns surged forward, carried by an invisible current.
And as they struck—
The crashing of waves.
A fierce tide-like force slammed into the bear, its body overwhelmed by the sudden shift in momentum.
The ground beneath it cracked, debris flying as the weight of the impact drove it backward.
Kei's eyes lit up.
“Well. That answers that.”
The berserk bear, clearly damaged, became even more frenzied.
Its strength skyrocketed.
Each movement now carried explosive force, sending out shockwaves that forced Talia, Reese, and Owen backward.
They couldn’t approach. The sheer power radiating from the beast made it impossible.
Kei glanced at Owen.
“You still want to capture it?” he asked casually.
Owen hesitated.
“Uh…?”
That was all he could manage.
“Alright, Zeph!” Kei called out, sensing Owen’s conflicted thoughts.
“Make sure you don’t kill it.”
A shriek echoed through the area—sharp, wild, almost unnatural.
A massive gale-like palm materialized in the air, formed from pure wind, and like a spectral hand of judgment—
It slammed down.
BOOM.
The earth caved in. The bear was driven into the crater, its massive body struggling against the overwhelming force pinning it down.
The others could only stare.
Frozen.
Shocked.
“Hey Zeph,” Kei continued, far too casually, “he wants to learn martial arts—your new student.” He pointed at Kai.
But nobody heard him.
They were too busy staring.
They remembered.
What Kei said before.
The blue monkey.
An Apex Boss.
And now…
They were in its presence.
And it made them feel like they were suffocating.
“What the…?”
“It’s like…a calamity.”
“This is what an Apex Boss is like?”
“How the hell did Kei defeat this thing… and he calls it a friend?”
What the hell?
Zeph gave Kai a casual glance, then pointed at the others with a questioning look.
Kei tilted his head, then grinned.
"Hmm? Why not?"
He gestured toward Talia, Owen, Reese, and Kai.
"They could learn how to fight too. You’ve got four new students."
Zeph raised four fingers.
The meaning was obvious.
"Four vials of blood?" Kei sighed. "That’s all I have left… but fine. I might make myself dizzy getting more for Wooloo and Hachi."
The others still hadn’t fully processed what was happening when Kei turned to them.
"Hey guys, that’s your new teacher."
They barely had time to react.
The earth roared.
Craters formed.
Jagged spikes of stone erupted from the ground, careening toward them.
“Hey Zeph, look what I learned!”
Kei brought his hands together, palms pressed as a sharp wind began to gather.
Zephyr Wind surged, his Tempest Convergence activating—
The wind around him amplified. It latched onto his intentions, spiraling into a pointed form.
Aether swirled.
A blade-like arrowhead of pure wind took shape in his hands, thrumming with power.
The additional effect of Tempest Convergence kicked in—
Projectile-based attacks enhanced.
Precision increased.
Speed amplified.
Impact force multiplied.
Kei’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Then—
He fired.
The wind arrow rocketed forward.
It pierced through the air— tearing through all the earthen contructs.
And nearly went clean through the bear.
"Whoops." Kei blinked.
"Too much."
He scratched his head, guilt creeping in as he realized he almost killed the target of Owen’s quest.
Zeph, on the other hand—
His eyes lit up.
A new application of Zephyr Force.
And he wanted to learn it.
Almost at death’s door, the Boulder Veined Bear made a desperate attempt to flee.
Its massive body swayed, dragging itself away from the battlefield, using the very earth it commanded to pull itself forward.
Everyone watched in tense silence.
“Oh no, the earth is shifting—it’s trying to escape!”
Reese, Talia, Owen, and Kai all moved at once, rushing to cut off its path—
Then—
A giant spectral maw appeared out of nowhere.
CLAMP.
The bear’s final roar echoed out—
Weak.
Defeated.
It stopped struggling.
“Be careful, Hachi! Don’t kill it!” Kei called out.
A low woof of understanding echoed in response.
From above, the Fangcub landed gracefully, its ethereal fangs dispersing as it released its grip on the bear.
The quest notification appeared before Owen’s eyes—
[Quest Complete: Subduing the Boulder Veined Bear!]
Before he could react, a blur of movement rushed past him—
Zeph. Wooloo. Hachi.
They tackled Kei to the ground, causing a puff of dust to rise.
Kei laughed, struggling to sit up as all three creatures voiced their excitement.
"Alright, alright, I get it—I missed you guys too!"
Owen, Talia, Kai, and Reese stared blankly.
At this point, they’d come to terms with how absurd Kei was—
But seeing three insanely powerful creatures affectionately cuddling him was...
Too much.
And then it hit them.
“Wait—what do you mean, ‘four new students’?!”
Kei glanced at them, still half-buried under his companions.
“You guys are too weak.”
His words were casual.
Blunt.
But they carried a harsh truth.
“You almost lost it the second a friendly Apex Boss showed up."
He stared at them, his golden-orange eyes sharp.
"What do you think will happen when you're in front of one that actually wants to kill you?"
Then—
“Dammit, Hachi, that hurts! ARGH, Wooloo, don’t learn from him!”
The Fangcub chomped onto Kei’s sleeve.
Wooloo, not wanting to be left out, lightly headbutted his chest.
Kei groaned.
His friends stood there, watching the ridiculous scene unfold—
At a complete loss for words.