Chapter 43 Twenty Seconds
The black bear launched a flurry of attacks, each successive strike losing power and ferocity.
What once resounded as formidable impacts dwindled into mere swats against the iron plate.
"That should be the end of it," Qi Xia remarked, observing the diminishing strength in the bear's assaults. "Its energy is spent."
Indeed, as Qi Xia anticipated, the bear's final feeble attack left it warily observing the iron plate. After a few heavy snorts, it ceased its assault. Though it didn’t appear overly fatigued, it chose to retreat, relinquishing its offensive.
"Is it really over?" Qiao Jiajin cautiously peered around the edge of the iron plate. "The bear still seems to have some strength left."
"Animals are different from humans," Qi Xia explained. "To cope with the constant dangers in nature, they rarely exhaust themselves completely. Even if it has some strength left, it won't fight to the death against this iron plate."
True to Qi Xia's words, the Asiatic black bear, now resigned, turned away and ambled toward a nearby corpse—the body of a woman who had perished at the beginning of the game.
She was now a more certain and safe source of sustenance for the bear.
The sound resembled that of a plastic bag bursting with liquid, and vivid crimson spilled across the ground.
The bear prodded the ruptured organs with its snout, then began selecting its preferred pieces with its tongue. Before long, the {chewing} sounds echoed, as if it were savoring a delectable meal.
Everyone turned their heads away, unable to bear the grisly spectacle.
The black bear gnawed at the corpse while keeping its gaze fixed on the iron plate, creating a bizarre standoff between the two sides.
Luckily, time was running out.
Amid the tense and oppressive atmosphere, the bear refrained from any further aggression. It continued to devour the corpse's belly, leaving a few ghastly ribs exposed.
Qi Xia glanced at the clock—only 30 seconds remained. The game was nearing its conclusion.
But at that moment, the Asiatic black bear suddenly growled, twisted its massive body, and charged once more. It seemed aware that time was running out and intended to make one final, desperate effort.
"Here it comes! Get ready!" Qi Xia shouted, alerting Qiao Jiajin.
Qiao Jiajin quickly adjusted his stance, leaning his entire body against the iron plate at an angle.
The line behind him quickly reformed, each person grasping the clothes of the one in front with a newfound unity and determination, ready to withstand the bear’s assault.
They believed they could withstand this attack, but to their horror, the bear reared up on its hind legs. The towering figure, standing over two meters tall, cast an oppressive shadow over the group.
"Not good..." Qi Xia muttered, sensing imminent danger.
In the next moment, the bear placed its massive front paws on the iron plate and leaned its head over. Its open mouth revealed remnants of human flesh lodged between its teeth.
The deafening roar felt as if it would shatter Qi Xia's eardrums. The bear's fetid saliva sprayed across his face, a sickening reminder of the beast's ferocity.
"Hold on!" Specs shouted.
Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth, exerting all his strength to hold the table against the overwhelming force. He could feel the crushing weight, several hundred kilograms, bearing down on him, threatening to flatten him.
"This...mother...fucker..." he managed to gasp out.
Qi Xia immediately stepped forward to brace the plate alongside him. The bear's terrifying strength left the others momentarily paralyzed with fear.
Realizing it couldn't push the iron plate forward, the Asiatic black bear shifted tactics. With a menacing growl, it gripped the edge of the plate with both paws and began to pull it towards itself.
Qiao Jiajin and Qi Xia, caught off guard by the black bear's unexpected move, felt the iron plate pulled out from under their grip and thrown down to the ground.
The abrupt shift in momentum caused both men to lose their balance and topple over.
The iron plate hit the ground with a resounding crash, leaving everyone standing exposed to the furious bear. With Qiao Jiajin and Qi Xia closest to the beast, the danger was palpable.
Before they could react, the bear swiped its massive paw at Qiao Jiajin.
Instinctively, he rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the blow. The paw struck the ground where he'd been, leaving a deep gouge in the earth.
"Hey! Swindler Lad! Get up quickly!" Qiao Jiajin shouted urgently as he rolled to the side. "If you stay down, you’re dead!"
Qi Xia lay on the ground, struggling to regain his footing. The impact had struck him in the chest, leaving him gasping for breath and wracked with pain. Despite his attempts, he found it almost impossible to rise, collapsing back to the ground each time.
Qiao Jiajin, now on his feet, glanced anxiously towards Qi Xia. "This is bad... Swindler Lad, get up!"
Seeing Qi Xia’s struggle, the Asiatic black bear shifted its focus. Realizing that Qiao Jiajin was still agile, the bear abandoned him and turned its attention to Qi Xia, its powerful form advancing menacingly.
Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth and sprang into action. With a determined run, he launched himself into a flying tackle, driving his knee into the side of the black bear's face.
The bear howled in agony, its eyes snapping shut as it lashed out with its front paws. One of its blows struck Qiao Jiajin squarely in the abdomen.
Though seemingly haphazard, the attack landed on a particularly vulnerable spot. Qiao Jiajin was propelled backward, crashing to the ground.
"Cough cough... Damn it..." Qiao Jiajin gasped, the sharp pain suggesting that his ribs might be fractured.
"What—what do we do?" Specs stammered in panic. "We have to save them..."
In a moment of inspiration, he turned urgently to the middle-aged man. "Ole Lu! Take off your shoes! I have a plan to save them!"
"Don’t be ridiculous!" Ole Lu retorted. "Specs, are you trying to throw yourself into the flames? The bear is nearly done; if it eats them, we’ll be safe! The time is almost up!"
Specs glanced at the clock and saw that less than twenty seconds remained in the game.
The Asiatic black bear extended its forearm menacingly toward Qi Xia. Despite the game nearing its end, it was clear that Qi Xia faced imminent death.
Qi Xia had tirelessly battled the black bear to protect the group, and regardless of his ultimate intentions, he had indeed safeguarded their lives.
After a moment of inner conflict, Specs resolved to act.
"Hey! You bastard!!" he shouted, leaping forward with determination. "Don’t touch him!!"
The Asiatic black bear recoiled in surprise, momentarily halting its advance.
The middle-aged man looked on in shock and barked, "Damn it! Specs, are you out of your mind?!"
"Blind bear!..." Specs paid no heed to the middle-aged man’s outburst. With a mix of bravado and desperation, he taunted the Asiatic black bear, "Come and chase me if you’ve got the guts—"
Before he could finish his challenge, the black bear lunged at him with a thunderous roar.
Specs’ face went pale as he spun around and fled. He had hoped to divert the bear's attention for a few moments, much like Qiao Jiajin had done, but the bear’s sudden aggression left him scrambling.
Specs had never imagined how harrowing it would be to be pursued by a massive carnivore driven by relentless bloodlust. The hot, rancid breath of the bear wafted relentlessly behind him, a chilling reminder of the danger he faced. Despite his efforts to steady himself, his legs trembled uncontrollably, causing him to stumble and fall repeatedly.
Each time he managed to rise, he would stumble once more, as if the very ground beneath him conspired against his survival.
At this rate, he feared he might be undone by his own clumsiness long before the bear could catch up to him.