Chapter 106: Liam Vs Ironblood Bear
The Ironblood Bear roared again, a thunderclap that made the air vibrate in Liam’s chest. Saliva flew in steaming arcs as it bared its teeth, its crimson eyes fixed on him like a predator sighting prey.
Liam tightened his fists and spread his stance, lowering his center of gravity. He had no idea how strong he truly was compared to this monster, but his instincts screamed that he couldn’t just run.
He needed to test himself here, to know what his new body and powers were worth. And if things went south, he could always slip back into the Dimensional Space.
The bear lunged and it’s movements was like an avalanche in motion, each step shaking the ground. Its paw, broad as a shield, swept sideways with crushing force. Liam ducked, the wind of the swing brushing his hair, and drove his fist forward into its ribs.
Boom!
The impact echoed like stone cracking under a hammer. The beast staggered half a step, its body jerking from the force, but then it roared even louder, swiping again with murderous rage.
Liam leapt back, his enhanced agility saving him by a hair’s breadth. His chest rose and fell, excitement surging through him. "Not bad. My hits work... but not enough."
He darted forward again, fists flying in a flurry. His knuckles slammed into its torso, his kicks hammered its thighs, each blow landing with a thud that would have shattered concrete walls. Yet the beast endured, muscles rippling under its dark fur, hide that was like iron.
The bear swung down with both paws, the ground erupting in dirt and stone as Liam rolled aside. A claw grazed his arm, slicing through fabric and leaving a shallow cut. Blood welled, but almost immediately the wound knitted shut, the starfish regeneration trait working its wonders.
The bear’s red eyes widened briefly at the sight of the wound closing. Then it roared again, furious, pressing its assault.
***
A distance away, hidden behind a fallen log, the three cultivators who had fled earlier now stared with wide, incredulous eyes.
"That... that mortal is still alive?" whispered the younger woman, with a pale face.
The older mad clenched his sword hilt so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Alive? He’s fighting it! With his bare hands!"
The second woman shook her head in disbelief. "Impossible. A mortal against an Ironblood Bear? Even Senior Brother Zhou who just reached the Foundation Establishment realm had to run away from confronting it."
Their eyes followed the youth in black, as he was forcing the beast back step by step.
***
Liam ducked under another paw strike and slammed his elbow into the bear’s jaw. The crack echoed, and the beast staggered sideways with a guttural snarl. But before Liam could follow up, its bulk twisted unnaturally fast, its hind leg sweeping out.
The kick connected.
Liam grunted as his body lifted off the ground, pain exploding across his ribs. He smashed through a tree trunk, splinters raining over him, before tumbling back onto his feet. His breath came ragged, but his body was thankfully unbroken.
The bear growled, foam still dripping from its jaws, and charged again.
"Alright... let’s up the stakes," Liam muttered, wiping blood from his lip. His eyes narrowed as he thrust his hand forward, mind locking onto the beast.
Invisible force slammed into the bear, halting its charge mid-step. Its claws gouged trenches into the soil as it strained, muscles bulging against the unseen restraint.
Liam’s skull throbbed instantly, his vision tunneling at the edges. The sheer mass of the beast was monstrous; holding it felt like trying to stop a freight train with bare hands. Veins stood out on his temple, sweat dripping down his face.
"Down!" he snarled, focusing harder.
The ground trembled as the bear’s forelegs buckled under the telekinetic pressure. With a strangled roar, the beast toppled sideways, crashing into the earth with an impact that sent shockwaves through the forest.
For the first time, the Ironblood Bear looked stunned, as its crimson eyes widen, its limbs flailing as it tried to rise.
Liam didn’t give it the chance.
He dashed forward, his every muscle coiled like a spring, and he slammed his fist into its snout. The crunch was sickening. The beast’s head snapped sideways, blood spraying from its nostrils.
But Liam didn’t stop as again and again, he continued raining blows like hammers against the beast’s skull, its chest, its limbs. Each punch carried the weight of a battering ram. The bear roared and swiped desperately, but Liam slipped past..
Bones cracked under his strikes. Fur and flesh split. The once-mighty predator staggered backward under the storm of blows, its roars turning from rage to pain, then to fear.
***
The cultivators watching from afar could only gape.
"This... this can’t be real," the older man whispered hoarsely.
"He’s... winning," the younger woman said, her voice trembling.
"No, look at it," the other muttered, pointing. "The bear’s eyes. It’s... terrified."
Sure enough, the beast that had once charged with unstoppable ferocity was now recoiling. Its crimson eyes, once blazing with bloodlust, was now filled with fear of the mortal before it.
***
Liam struck once more, his fist slamming into the bear’s chest so hard it collapsed onto its side, coughing blood. The ground cracked under its weight as it let out a low, pitiful groan.
Panting hard, Liam stood over it, fists clenched, ready to finish it. But then he froze.
The beast’s massive eyes met his. It was no longer glowing with rage, but wide and trembling. It whimpered, a sound that rumbled like distant thunder but carried none of the earlier malice.
It was begging.
Liam blinked, lowering his fists slowly. His chest heaved as his heartbeat thundered in his ears. He had dominated it, broken its will. And all that was left was to kill but he felt that it wasn’t necessary.
If he was deduce what happened from the roars he had heard. The people he met earlier went looking for trouble. Injured or killed one of the beast’s family and angered it.
He thought about this, exhaled sharply and stepped back. "Go. Get out of here."
For a long moment, the bear didn’t move. Then, with a low groan, it staggered onto its trembling legs. Blood dripped from its jaws as it backed away, eyes never leaving Liam’s. Then it turned, crashing clumsily through the trees before vanishing into the night.
Silence followed.
Liam stood still, the adrenaline still coursing through him, his fists trembling from the release of tension, and his temples throbbed fiercely from the telekinetic strain.
"Wow! So awesome!" He said, smiling from ear to ear.
He turned, his eagle-sharp eyes flicking to the shadows where the three cultivators hid. Their faces were pale, their bodies frozen as though they’d just witnessed the descent of a god.