Noah maintained his stance, aura flickering around his body while wind magic prepared for whatever combination attack the situation demanded. His confidence had grown with the successful attack, but it wasn’t to the point that he lowered his guard.
"Use your reach advantage! Keep it at sword’s distance!" Lola called out to him softly.
The wounded bear attempted a desperate charging attack, but Noah was ready this time. His experience with the bear, combined with his wind-assisted mobility, allowed him to sidestep while delivering a series of cuts that opened multiple wounds.
"Perfect combination! This is what makes you unique, swordsmanship and magic working together!" Valeria shouted.
The Crimson Horn Bear’s movements grew sluggish as blood loss weakened it. But the creature’s final attack came so suddenly, so desperately, that it nearly caught Noah off guard.
Only his agility and wind talent saved him from the bear’s last-ditch claw swipe, which would have injured him.
Noah’s finishing strike combined everything he’d learned. His blade found the creature’s heart.
The Crimson Horn Bear collapsed with a final roar, its eyes losing their glint as life left its body
"Well done!" Multiple voices shouted simultaneously.
Noah stood over his defeated opponent, breathing heavily but satisfied at having successfully faced his first Tier 2 challenge.
"Incredible fight!" Valeria declared with obvious pride.
"That aerial move was cool!" Alissa added with admiration.
"You outthought a creature known for tactical intelligence!" Kip contributed with excitement.
Lola approached him, her ruby eyes sparkling. She moved her mouth without uttering anything. Yet Noah heard it loud and clear.
"You definitely earned that present I mentioned."
[Your Swordsmanship skill has reached level 9!]
The notification brought immediate satisfaction to Noah.
His combat against the Crimson Horn Bear had pushed his swordsmanship to the very edge of novice rank. One more level would officially elevate him towards Apprentice status.
Level 9 swordsmanship. Almost at apprentice rank, just in time for the tournament.
After celebrating his victory, Noah didn’t miss the opportunity to harvest valuable materials from his defeated opponent. Beast cores from Tier 2 creatures seemed to be important.
Despite his wealth, Noah wouldn’t miss out on the free money that was earned from his fight.
He carefully extracted the core from the creature’s chest, feeling the concentrated mana inside it. The core went straight into his storage ring alongside his growing collection of valuable items.
Always harvest what you can. Beast cores might be worth some serious money.
Noah turned toward his companions with curiosity about their next plans. "What are you guys planning to do now? Continue deeper?"
Valeria nodded. "This was just the beginning. Alissa and Kip will now head deeper into more dangerous territory to fight adept-rank beasts."
Adept-rank beasts. That’s a whole different level of danger.
Her eyes studied Noah’s expression as she continued. "Would you like to come with us? The experience of observing high-level combat could be valuable for your development."
Noah thought carefully about the invitation. He had just levelled up his swordsmanship, which represented excellent progress toward his goals. Spending time understanding more powerful creatures while witnessing adept-level combat techniques would provide insights that training couldn’t match.
"I’ll come," he decided.
His reasoning was simple. Watching adept-rank combat should teach him things he couldn’t learn anywhere else.
Plus, Lola’s here for protection if something goes catastrophically wrong.
They continued deeper into the forest, leaving behind the relatively safe territory where Tier 2 creatures represented the primary threats. The atmosphere grew heavier as they approached regions where genuinely dangerous predators made their homes.
Trees towered overhead, and the place was silent. It was unknown whether the place was simply void of life or whether something dangerous was lurking around.
The aura they eventually encountered proved to be exponentially more powerful than the Crimson Horn Bear he had struggled to defeat. The difference wasn’t small at all; in fact, it was extremely large.
That thing would kill me without breaking stride.
Noah frowned as he stared at the monstrosity blocking their path ahead. The beast was a minotaur, but not the relatively civilised version from classical mythology. This creature embodied savagery.
It stood nearly twelve feet tall, its humanoid torso covered in coarse fur and muscle. The bull’s head had jagged teeth that dripped saliva continuously, while its red eyes tracked Alissa’s approach.
It clutched a weapon in its massive hands, a makeshift club constructed from entire tree trunks bound together with sinew and metal. The basic but effective bludgeon could crush apprentice knights like insects.
That club weighs more than I do. One hit would paste me completely.
"Alissa, this one’s yours," Valeria announced with confidence in her disciple’s capabilities.
She’s going to fight that thing alone?
"Noah, stay well back. You might be caught in stray attacks that could seriously injure you. We also don’t want to block Alissa’s movement or distract her."
Noah and the others retreated to what was considered a safe distance—roughly a hundred yards from where the confrontation would occur. Even at that range, the minotaur’s aura made the air feel oppressive.
Alissa approached the massive creature with a calm expression, confident in her swordsmanship despite the size difference.
She looks so small compared to that thing. But she’s not afraid at all.
The minotaur roared a challenge that echoed through the forest, raising its tree-trunk club with the intent to crush the small cat-girl who dared to approach its territory.
The battle began immediately.
The minotaur’s first strike created a crater where Alissa had been standing. But she was already gone, her agility keeping her ahead of attacks that would break boulders.
Alissa’s blade work targeted the minotaur’s joints and weak points, each strike calculated to exploit the creature’s size disadvantages while avoiding its devastating counterattacks.
The combat continued for several intense minutes, with Alissa demonstrating that she was an adept swordsman who could hold her own against such a powerful monster. Her techniques flowed seamlessly between offence and defence.
Alissa used the minotaur’s brute force approach to create opportunities.