Chapter 295: Rexian Bear

As soon as Rees’ hand touched Leon’s shoulder, Leon’s hand shot up like a vice and clamped down on it with terrifying force.

Grab

Crack

"Shit-" Rees cursed as he instinctively tried to pull back.

*Crack*

The sound didn’t stop.

Bone fragments grinded against each other inside Leon’s fist as Rees’ hand was crushed mercilessly. Blood leaked out between Leon’s fingers, dripping onto the dirt below.

Leon’s expression twisted grotesquely. His brows furrowed, his jaw clenched so hard it looked like his teeth might shatter. Every muscle in his body trembled as if on the verge of tearing itself apart.

’It hurts like hell... no—worse than hell,’ Leon thought, his consciousness wavering.

’It’s like my body is being thrown into a fucking grinder again and again. It stops for a moment... just long enough to give me hope... and then it starts all over again.’

His breathing grew uneven.

’Thousands of needles... no—millions—piercing every part of my body at once. Inside my bones. Inside my veins. Fuck... how long do I have to endure this!?’

Rees staggered back, clutching the ruined remains of his hand, his expression pale despite his undead body.

’I don’t think Master Leon will be able to successfully absorb all the power of that core,’ Rees thought grimly as he forced himself to sit on the stump of a fallen tree nearby.

’But... if he somehow does... then nothing in this world will be able to stop him after this.’

Six hours passed and night passed...

"Hm...?" Rees slowly lifted his head.

A thin ray of sunlight pierced through the canopy of the forest, illuminating the ground in a soft golden hue.

’It’s morning already...’ His hollow gaze returned to Leon.

Leon was still seated on the ground, completely motionless.

Dried blood crusted his face, neck, and arms. His skin looked scorched, almost cooked, as if intense heat had been sealed beneath it. With every slow breath he took, white-hot steam poured out of his mouth and nostrils.

Shhhhhhh...

Fuuuuuu....

His chest rose and fell sluggishly. Sweat gathered across his body in thick layers, dripping down like condensation on burning metal.

’A normal human would’ve been dead long ago...’ Rees thought, his voice heavy.

’How strong is Sir Leon’s will... to endure such agony for so long without losing himself?’

Crack—Crack—Crack—Crack

Suddenly, the sound of breaking echoed through the clearing.

Rees’ eyes widened.

Leon’s skin began to ripple unnaturally, as if something beneath it was shifting and rearranging itself.

"What the- !?" Rees jumped back to his feet.

Crack—Crack—Crack—Crack

Leon’s eyes snapped open.

They were completely bloodshot.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

His scream tore through the forest like a dying beast’s howl. The pain returned all at once, magnified beyond comprehension. Bones shattered inside his body one after another, twisting and snapping as if an invisible force was tearing him apart from within.

His limbs bent at impossible angles. His body convulsed violently, as though possessed by something monstrous.

"T-The final phase...!" Rees shouted, panic bleeding into his voice.

"It’s the final phase! SIR LEON—THIS IS THE LAST PHASE OF THE ABSORPTION! YOUR BODY IS RECONSTRUCTING ITS SKELETAL STRUCTURE! YOU HAVE TO SURVIVE THROUGH IT!"

CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK

"IT HURTS LIKE HEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL—!!!" Leon screamed.

"IT HURTS—IT FUCKING HURTS—!!!"

Larger bones snapped violently. His legs twisted with sickening sounds.

Rees clenched his fists.

’He won’t survive like this...’

’Water. I need water—now.’

He slammed his wand into the ground.

<Undead’s Scan>

Mana spread outward in invisible waves.

"Fuck..." Rees muttered. "No river nearby..."

Gritting his teeth, he poured more mana into the spell.

"I’ll extend the range to the maximum."

It didn’t take long.

Ten kilometers away—a river.

"There."

"Alzeris Vom... Julan Revio... Telekenris... Roka."

Thud

The spell activated.

Leon’s broken, convulsing body slowly lifted into the air.

’The heat inside him is rising too fast,’ Rees thought urgently.

’If I don’t get him into water immediately... his body will explode.’

He quickly shoved his wand aside and pulled a piece of paper from within his robe. Dense runes covered its surface, an emergency spell.

"I’m sorry, Medina..." Rees whispered.

"But this is an emergency."

"Olmar Ilon Yumol Loruo... Des Tele Froun Porte."

Thud

The moment he struck the ground with his wand, all the mana inside his body was violently drained.

Both of them vanished.

...

Ten kilometers away...

Swish

Leon and Rees reappeared in front of a massive river connected to a towering, majestic waterfall.

Using the very last drop of mana in his body, Rees guided Leon over the river.

The spell collapsed.

SPLASH

Leon’s body crashed into the water.

His screams stopped instantly.

Thud

Rees’ body suddenly stiffened.

He fell face-first onto the ground like a discarded doll.

’Shit...’

’All my mana is gone... Those two spells took everything...’

’It’s fine... the necro-heart will regenerate some mana soon and I’ll be able to’

Shush

His thoughts froze.

’What... was that?’

Sniff—Sniff

’It’s near my legs...’

Sniff—Sniff—Sniff

The sound grew closer.

Rees’ hollow eyes slowly shifted upward as a massive shadow loomed over him.

"Gaww...?"

A monstrous creature stared down at him.

A Rexian Bear.

Sixteen feet tall. Ten feet wide.

Two massive heads.

One head sniffed Rees’ bony body.

The other sniffed toward the river.

Its scarred head was covered in deep cuts and old woundsmarks of countless battles it had survived.

’No... no no no...’ Rees’ mind screamed.

’Not one of these... Why does it have to be a Rexian Bear?’

’If winter had lasted even one day longer... this wouldn’t have happened.’

’It has to be the lord of this area who just awakened from it’s winter sleep.’

’A Rexian Bear is as strong as a small dragon. They can kill ogre chiefs in single combat. Their skin is tougher than metal, and their jaws can crush a Vulmort Tortoise’s shell easily.’

’And after winter sleep... their senses are heightened enough to smell blood from kilometers away-’

"Gaww..."

The second head suddenly turned toward the river.

Then it moved.

’No—!’

’Sir Leon—!’

Rees desperately tried to move, forcing every last fragment of mana in his body to respond.

’I have to stand... I have to-!’

But his body didn’t move.

*Splash*

The Rexian Bear stepped into the river.

Moments later, it found Leon.

Grab

The beast clamped its jaws around Leon’s unconscious body.

And dragged him away into the forest.