As Kain pursued the Riftbear through the woods, the wind carried secretive sounds. Thick vegetation rubbed his legs while sending up earthy fragrances that concealed their movement. Kain took deep breaths to survey his surroundings through a well-trained eye. The wind direction, together with delicate soil imprints and snapped branches at a Riftbear's shoulder height, revealed the path it had just taken.

  Kain squinted as he matched the tracks against his recollection. Smaller paw prints and different stride patterns. This isn't the same level 9 Riftbear I saw before. Interesting. The presence of multiple Riftbears in one area indicates either environmental stability or territorial competition between the animals.

  He told Lyra, beside him, that these tracks did not belong to the same animal. "This one's a level 8. Different animal entirely."

  The Lightning Dao created an incessant comforting hum beneath his skin. Electric energy surged through his fingertips while he knelt to study a recent scratch along the tree trunk which served as a territorial mark from the bear.

  "How can you tell the difference?" Lyra whispered while her new [Predator's Gaze] scanned the area with intense focus.

  "Experience," Kain replied simply. Through decades of hunting experience, he learned to understand the delicate signals of the natural world. But he couldn't explain that to her—not yet. Perhaps not ever.

  The wind shifted subtly, bringing new information. Kain froze. His senses heightened.

  With a subdued command, he pointed at the sturdy oak across the way. "Now. The bear's coming through this passage."

  Lyra quickly understood and agreed with her [Silent Step] ability, letting her climb without moving the foliage. Kain climbed onto a branch that gave him both protection and an uninterrupted view of the forest floor beneath him.

  "How did you know?" Lyra asked, her voice barely audible.

  "Wind direction," Kain explained, settling into position. "We're downwind. It won't catch our scent. I deliberately guided us along this path to avoid detection."

  He kept silent about how his [Hunter's Sense] from his past life emerged instinctively in his new existence. People who had spent decades within the System discovered abilities that defied its strict classifications.

  The forest floor became eerily quiet because something large was drawing near. But it wasn't the bear—not yet. A recognizable armored creature trotted below while its hide reflected an oily shine within the forest's staccato light.

  Lyra hissed, "Hog," as she gripped her tusk blade more firmly. "Level 5. Let's kill that stupid thing."

  Kain used his hand to restrain her as he placed it on her shoulder. He whispered, "Wait," as his gaze followed the hog and moved beyond to detect slight movements in the nearby bushes. "The bear will come."

  His internal timekeeper, which had been refined from many hunts, tracked the seconds in silence.

  Three... Two... One...

  The Riftbear burst from the thick undergrowth as its enormous body became a streak of tangled fur and shiny crystalline armor. Integration-transformed Riftbears developed dense mineral plate armor along their shoulders and spine unlike natural bears which featured an inner blue glow at the joints.

  The hog turned to confront its enemy with aggressive tusks directed downward. The beast released a high-pitched scream reverberating through the forest canopy while maintaining its position against a superior foe.

  The poor guy stands no chance at all, Kain thought, surprisingly empathetically even to himself.

  The massive bear attacked with unexpected speed, striking hard with huge paws ending in razor-sharp black claws. After sidestepping the initial assault with surprising nimbleness the hog retaliated by thrusting one sharp tusk through the bear's armored hind leg.

  Dark, viscous blood splattered across the forest floor while the bear emitted a roar fueled by pain and fury. The sound resonated throughout Kain's body while awakening memories of similar hunts that had occurred many years earlier.

  The injured Riftbear radiated primal rage through its blazing eyes. The animal spun with an unusual elegance before delivering its paws down in a powerful strike that shattered the hog's tough exterior and crushed its spinal column. With a final twitch the hog fell beneath its attacker as the bear let out a victorious roar.

  The bear moved slowly with an impaired gait towards its slain food and positioned its enormous head down to start consuming the twitching body. The bear's fur was clotted with blood at the spot where its tusk had penetrated its hide, revealing an unexpected weakness.

  "Now," Kain whispered, locking eyes with Lyra. "This is our chance."

  He evaluated the injured Riftbear beneath him while his hunter's instinct effortlessly assessed the strategic advantage. The bear's wounded leg compromised its fighting mobility by a minimum of 30%, which represented a significant disadvantage for a creature that depended on unmatched power and swiftness.

  Kain remembered his previous life's hunting expeditions as he acknowledged that his wounded prey would yield less experience. The System maintained consistency in its combat rules, stating that creatures with reduced combat abilities would correspondingly provide fewer rewards. The balance between risk and reward has changed significantly, which benefits our side. The 20% experience penalty becomes irrelevant when survival likelihood rises by 50%.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "I'll engage first," he explained, efficiently outlining the plan. "Draw its attention and keep it focused on me. Use your [Silent Step] to flank unseen and strike the wounded leg. We'll share the experience if you land the finishing blow."

  Lyra nodded her expression a mixture of fear and determination. "Don't get killed," she whispered, activating [Silent Step] and disappearing down the tree and into the foliage with uncanny silence.

  Kain breathed deeply, centering himself. The Lightning Dao's body reacted as energy began to collect around his limbs. In another existence, an S-Rank hunter would treat this level 8 creature as a trivial challenge without breaking a sweat. His body was still developing, and his abilities had just started to awaken when he faced a genuine challenge.

  As lightning energy flowed into his legs, he could sense his muscles gaining strength as electricity moved across his skin. The recognizable feeling provided reassurance through the memory of old strength but also brought annoyance because his current abilities were so much weaker than before.

  He felt the System responding back to his initiation of the Dao and physically felt his agility and strength enhancing.

  I need to be careful with my energy reserves here. This will not be an easy fight.

  Kain let out his last breath and dropped from the branch onto the forest floor behind the feeding bear with a planned, loud landing. The massive creature abruptly stopped moving and turned its blood-covered muzzle in his direction when its feet crushed the leaves.

  "Hey there, beautiful," shouted Kain as he directed additional lightning power into his legs. "You wanna dance?"

  The Riftbear extended to its full nine-foot stature while maintaining its bent form. Blood trailed from its injured leg yet the bear's intelligent wrathful gaze indicated it remained alert and capable.

  Kain sprinted toward the bear, which appeared to be a self-destructive tactic to any onlooker. His lifetime of hunting expertise enabled his mind to compute trajectories and angles as he moved.

  He remembered the eight limbs principle from his training when his bow failed to work in his former life. Hands, elbows, knees and legs. Each a weapon when properly applied.

  Despite having a wounded leg the bear roared out a challenge while raising its body upwards. The bear reached almost ten feet in height despite its injury while its armored shoulders sparkled with foreign mineral deposits integrated into its fur and skin. The predator evolved into a monstrous force through its transformation.

  Kain triggered his [Lethal Voltage] ability to transfer electrical energy into his lower limbs. The massive bear closed the distance with breathtaking speed, and its powerful paws struck with lethal force that would break bones upon contact. Kain waited until the final moment before channeling, and Kain activated his ability to blur away as the bear's attack missed its mark.

  The dodge was effective but imperfect. Kain grimaced while he shifted his momentum to move electrical energy from his legs into his upper body and arms. His control struggled to maintain the energy flow while he worked to redirect it.

  Damn it. My mind remembers, but this body can't keep up.

  Precious milliseconds of reaction time slipped away because of his internal frustration. The bear's unexpected agile pivot led to its secondary attack catching him off guard. Kain tried to protect himself with an electrified elbow strike, which missed its target due to poor timing. His strike failed to connect because it bounced off the bear's armored shoulder instead of reaching its vulnerable face.

  The bear's huge paw delivered a powerful counter-attack that propelled Kain backward into the air. A burst of pain overwhelmed his ribs during his fall while the surroundings spun in a disorienting haze of green and brown.

  Mid-flight, Kain's training reasserted itself. Kain redirected his residual Lightning Dao energy into his legs which helped him maintain control during his landing by creating an electrical stabilization that prevented a painful crash. The forest soil ripped open as his feet carved furrows while he balanced his momentum and one hand pressed against his injured ribs.

  I'm too fucking slow. I still need to synchronize my reflexes with this physical form.

  The wounded bear attacked faster than expected as its injured leg slowed its movement slightly. The bear's roar sent the forest canopy into shaking while birds and small animals escaped in panic.

  Kain analyzed his choices with clinical accuracy while dodging another attack. His S-Rank hunter skills pressured him to perform advanced techniques which his F-Rank body currently could not handle. The inability to translate knowledge into physical performance drove him to madness. His energy level dropped below fifty percent. His thoughts instructed him to save his energy by reducing the fight's tempo.

  "Not an option," Kain growled to himself, ignoring his more rational thinking.

  He moved straight toward the bear while focusing his Lightning Dao power into his right hand. Visible crackling surrounded his knuckles when he boosted the [Lethal Voltage] to its full power. The bear rose up to confront his attacker while snapping its jaws in a lethal bite toward his head.

  Kain evaded the enormous jaws by diving below them while moving across the grass under the bear's weight. Using his fluid movement he shifted his upward momentum to deliver a powerful uppercut to the bear's chest area.

  The electrified punch delivered by his fist hit with a deafening force and sent electricity through the beast's body powerful enough to temporarily halt its heartbeat. The Riftbear reeled backward while its nervous system worked to recover from the electrical assault.

  A shadow emerged from underbrush behind the bear. The [Silent Step] ability enabled Lyra to become completely invisible which allowed her to materialize before Kain and the bear like a phantom. The dappled sunlight made the tusk-blade shine as she thrust it into the bear's wounded leg with flawless precision to sever tendons and muscles like a surgeon.

  The bear released a deafening roar as it threw back its head in pain while its injured leg collapsed under its weight. The massive bear fell to a kneeling position becoming unexpectedly vulnerable despite its huge size and strength.

  Now or never.

  Kain concentrated his remaining Lightning Dao energy into his palms. Dangerous levels of electrical current surged through him until his skin emitted a blue-white glow as he concentrated the [Lethal Voltage] into one powerful attack.

  Kain released a battle cry and charged toward the bear with both hands, targeting its unprotected neck. The protective armored plates on its neck would have repelled the attack, but the bear's head was thrown back, creating a vulnerable gap between the plates.

  Kain unleashed a spear of electrical energy from his hands that penetrated the bear's defenses before targeting its central nervous system. The creature experienced violent tremors while its eyes expanded from thousands of volts attacking its brain stem. The bear and hunter remained momentarily linked together by a blinding blue-white lightning arc that seemed to persist forever.

  The Riftbear made a last rattling growl before collapsing. The massive body of the Riftbear crashed down onto the forest floor generating earth tremors that Kain sensed through his feet.

  Complete silence fell over the area, with only Kain and Lyra's labored breathing breaking it.

  [Level Up! You have reached Level 6!]

  [Level Up! You have reached Level 7!]

  [Congratulations! Multiple Level Advancement Achieved]

  [New Path Unlocked]

  [Combat Proficiency Significantly Increased]

  The fallen beast caused Kain to stagger back as he found himself completely drained of energy. Each muscle in his body protested with intensity yet his grim satisfaction suppressed the pain. He'd survived. They'd survived.

  The primary experience points accrued to Kain because he landed the finishing blow, even though he preferred Lyra to earn it.

  Wide-eyed Lyra stood beside the enormous bear corpse while she observed system notifications that nobody else could see. The look on her face changed from shock to joy as she realized what their victory meant for her.

  "I... I leveled up. Twice!" "Look at this!" she exclaimed while moving cautiously around the bear's body to reach him. "I'm level 4 now."

  Kain nodded while he monitored his system notifications with cool detachment. Level 7 already. His swift progress presented both optimism and worry as it appeared the System had started speeding up his development because it might have identified his unusual rebirth. The System had started paying attention to his swift progress.

  [System Notification: Path Specialization Required]

  [Combat Style Recognition: Eight Limbs Method Detected]

  [Weapon Preference Analysis: Incomplete]

  The display showed him a new notification that seemed to pulse with urgent significance.

  [Lightning Dao Evolution Path Selection]

  Choose Specialization Direction:

  [Warrior's Arsenal] - Specialize in weapon mastery. Choose from:

  [Storm Archer] - Infuse ranged weapons with lightning. Exceptional precision and penetrating power.

  [Thunder Blade] - Channel lightning through bladed weapons. The Thunder Blade specialization channels lightning into blades, which increases cutting force and delivers electrical damage when striking.

  [Living Weapon] - Reject external weaponry. Your body acts as a conduit for Lightning Dao power which magnifies electrical potential across all eight striking points. Provides access to sophisticated martial techniques through body-based cultivation methods. Higher skill ceiling but steeper progression curve.

  [Selection Window: 5 Minutes]