Chapter 30 Hunting and Thunder Strike

The hunter squad left White Plains City and, led by a guide, headed to the designated engagement point. By evening, they arrived at their destination, next to a guard post.

The area was a series of rolling plains and hills, offering little cover. According to the guard post's predictions of the bears' movements, the two Riftclaw Bears would arrive soon.

Under Weber's command, the hunters began checking their equipment, preparing for battle. Everyone knew this would be a fierce fight, and the atmosphere was tense and grim.

Zhou Jing was quietly wiping his longsword, secretly pondering how to snatch a kill later.

At that moment, Barron suddenly came to his side, reiterating his instructions with concern:

"Jason, you lack experience. Just pay attention to our actions and provide support from the side."

"I know."

Zhou Jing nodded, glancing at his teammates in the squad.

In this main attack squad, Barron and two others were responsible for engaging head-on, while five others were the damage dealers. He and Weiss were to roam and deal damage.

On the other side, in the support squad, Weber's facial muscles were taut. His face was grim as he silently sharpened his blade. As the tallest person present, he had volunteered for the most difficult task, fully embodying the spirit that with great power comes great responsibility.

"Last time we fought the White Web Spider, Barron led a group of ordinary hunters in an ambush using traps. This time, my teammates are all extraordinary beast hunters, yet we have to fight head-on. I wonder what it will be like..."

Zhou Jing pondered to himself.

Suddenly, a roar echoed from afar.

"Roar—"

Everyone's faces tightened, and they all looked in the direction of the sound.

On the crest of a distant hill, two dark Riftclaw Bears appeared, charging towards them, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The Riftclaw Bears were five meters tall, covered in dense black fur. Their paws were disproportionately large, and their claws were extremely long, gleaming like steel.

Their bodies bore some scorch marks and wounds, injuries sustained when breaking through the traps laid out by the town's guard post. However, these were minor. Traps that could severely injure most exotic beasts – pitfalls, spikes, flames, and so on – only left superficial wounds on the thick-skinned Riftclaw Bears.

Although it was said that creatures with a lot of fur were vulnerable to fire, the Riftclaw Bears were heavy enough that they could extinguish the flames by rolling on the ground a few times.

"Drink the potions!"

Weber commanded in a deep voice, taking out two bottles of hunter potions and gulping them down.

All the hunters acted almost simultaneously, drinking their potions. One by one, empty bottles fell onto the meadow.

Zhou Jing also drank a bottle of hunter potion, feeling a faint sensation, though it seemed mild.

Before he could think further, Weber had already unsheathed the greatsword from his back, gripped it with both hands, and roared furiously:

"Go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Weber charged out first, followed immediately by his three teammates.

"We'll take the one on the left!" Barron also took out his battle axe, roared, and charged forward.

Zhou Jing exhaled, gripped the heavy sword on his back, and ran forward with the squad.

The next moment, a dozen hunters collided with the two Riftclaw Bears in a deafening crash!

Boom, boom, boom!

In an instant, figures flew everywhere.

The few who had directly confronted the Riftclaw Bears were knocked away, landing on the meadow. They quickly rolled to their feet and continued their attack as if nothing had happened.

The force of the collision also halted the charge of the two Riftclaw Bears.

"Roar!" The Riftclaw Bears roared, their claws swiping out, creating gusts of wind that flattened the grass.

Weber's greatsword and Barron's battle axe slashed out, each intercepting the claw strikes of a different Riftclaw Bear.

Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew as the Riftclaw Bears' claws were deflected.

The terrifying force of the rebound sent both men flying. Barron tumbled, scraping a trench in the ground.

Weber, though not as disheveled, was forced back a dozen steps, his greatsword almost slipping from his grip.

Without pausing to ease the ache in his arms, Weber shouted:

"Separate them!"

He led the support squad to draw the attention of one of the Riftclaw Bears, pulling it away. The main attack squad pulled in the opposite direction, attracting the aggro of the other Riftclaw Bear.

After several attempts, they finally separated the two beasts, creating two separate battlefields.

Although the Riftclaw Bears had powerful bodies, they were still beasts. Many hunters knew their habits, allowing the squad to find ways to maintain aggro.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Each claw strike of the Riftclaw Bears was powerful, creating whistling gusts of wind. They were also agile, occasionally rolling nimbly, making them far more formidable than the White Web Spider.

But in Zhou Jing's vision, the insight granted by his combat intuition came into play again. He could anticipate and observe every movement of the Riftclaw Bears.

Having already gained the enhanced physique of a Transcendent, his movements could fully keep up with his combat intuition. Although the Riftclaw Bears' attacks were fierce, he was able to evade with ease.

Although the Riftclaw Bears were more dangerous, Zhou Jing found it far easier than facing the White Web Spider back then.

However, the hunters were in a dangerous situation. The Riftclaw Bears' massive claws swept around continuously, gouging furrows in the ground with loud thuds.

The hunters could only turn into rolling masters, using the gaps in their evasions to strike a blow or two.

The support squad on the other side was in even worse shape. Weber, who was trying to hold off the Riftclaw Bear, was being sent tumbling all over the place, covered in dust. He had no room to deal damage and could only delay, hoping that the main attack squad could break through.

Zhou Jing followed the main attack squad in surrounding one of the Riftclaw Bears, occasionally slamming his heavy sword into its body, causing ripples in its thick fur, but the damage was limited.

He observed his teammates' actions. Most of them had tacit understanding, advancing and retreating with coordination, constantly engaging and cooperating, leaving more wounds on the Riftclaw Bear's body.

Under the cover of his teammates, Weiss kept circling behind the Riftclaw Bear, trying to poke its rear. He truly grasped the essence of "large bodies have weak behinds", developing his own tactic as a bomb disposal expert. Wherever his spear pointed, only the scrotum remained.

Zhou Jing had no one to cooperate with, so he could only roam and look for opportunities on his own.

At the first moment of engagement, he spent 10 Star Points to check the Riftclaw Bear's attributes.

[Attributes: Physique 38, Resistance 40 (First Order AX), Perception 7, Spirit 8, Energy 0]

"38 points in Physique, it must be inclined towards strength... Its Resistance is even higher than its Physique. So 40 points is the limit for the first order of attributes."

Zhou Jing watched the battle, analyzing it rapidly in his mind.

The Riftclaw Bear's attributes were stronger than Weber's after his second enhancement. Barron and the other two could barely manage to engage it head-on, already bleeding from their mouths and noses. It was difficult to withstand such a behemoth in terms of strength. Every blow they took was a rebound, and their internal injuries were gradually worsening.

Zhou Jing also noticed that perhaps because he was a newbie, the other hunters didn't cooperate with him much, making him an outsider.

But this indirectly created a situation where the other teammates bore more pressure, while he had ample room to deal damage.

Although this might not have been the hunters' intention, it was indirectly created, and Zhou Jing was invigorated by it.

"Since I have such an advantage, I can't waste it..."

Zhou Jing's eyes flickered, and his mindset became even calmer.

He didn't immediately rush in recklessly. Instead, he maintained his current speed, moving and dealing damage with the squad's rhythm, quietly observing and recording the Riftclaw Bear's fighting habits.

As if self-taught, he quickly estimated his own agility and the Riftclaw Bear's attack reactions, assessing the maneuvers his physical abilities could accomplish.

As he focused on observing, the hunters were shouting non-stop.

"Don't stand on its left side, it's used to attacking that position!"

"Hit its paws and hind leg joints to slow it down!"

The hunters responsible for dealing damage attacked continuously, but their weapons could barely penetrate the tough fur, only leaving some shallow cuts. At most, they could disrupt the Riftclaw Bear's balance, relieving some of the pressure on Barron and the others.

The Riftclaw Bear's body was covered in tough fur. To deal effective damage, they had to hit its vitals, but its vitals weren't as obvious as the White Web Spider's, making it difficult to deal with.

The hunters consciously attacked the Riftclaw Bear's vitals, but the Riftclaw Bear could dodge attacks aimed at its vitals by slightly shifting its body, reducing the damage.

"Eyes, ear canals, crotch..."

Zhou Jing silently counted the vital areas, his gaze sweeping over the Riftclaw Bear's body, finally locking onto its eyes.

"Five meters tall... If I jump up with all my strength, I should be able to stab its eyes, but I'll become a target in mid-air, unable to dodge its subsequent counterattack. So it's best to climb onto this bear's body... That requires very agile movements. The Thunder Leopard potion mainly enhances my agility and explosive power... It's doable!"

Zhou Jing took a deep breath, the excitement of battle rekindling.

The next moment, his mind became clear, his thoughts dissipating, and he was incredibly focused.

In his vision, the Riftclaw Bear's external flesh, blood, and fur seemed to disappear, as if only a skeleton displayed by lines remained, showing the Riftclaw Bear's most fundamental movement trajectory.

I see it!

Zhou Jing's eyes sharpened. He threw away his heavy sword, drew the longsword from his waist, held it in his left hand, then stepped forward, his speed suddenly increasing.

Swish!

Like a bolt of green lightning, he abruptly broke away from the squad's rhythm, rapidly closing in on the Riftclaw Bear from the side.

"Roar!" The Riftclaw Bear noticed him, roaring and swinging its massive paw down.

Zhou Jing spun around in an emergency maneuver, narrowly avoiding the edge of the claws.

Bang!

The bear's paw left a deep imprint in the ground.

Just as his body brushed past the bear's paw, Zhou Jing's right hand shot out, grabbing the thick fur on the bear's arm, pulling hard to propel his entire body.

The explosive force contained within his body detonated, and he leapt up, climbing onto the Riftclaw Bear's arm, constantly tugging at the thick fur, propelling himself up the Riftclaw Bear's arm, like an agile gecko.

"You're courting death! Get down!"

The hunters' expressions changed drastically. They didn't expect this newbie to suddenly rush in, and they hurriedly shouted to stop him.

They knew they could climb onto the Riftclaw Bear's body, but no one did it. It required greater agility, and there could be no mistakes. Otherwise, once they lost room to dodge, the Riftclaw Bear could simply slap them with its other hand or roll on the ground, eliminating the hunter who had climbed up.

Barron's expression changed, and he thought something bad was about to happen. He didn't expect that even after his repeated instructions, Jason would still get reckless.

In his view, this was no different from seeking death.

The Riftclaw Bear sensed something climbing on its body, and it slapped its other paw at Zhou Jing on its arm, like swatting a fly.

The bear's paw, carrying a strong gust of wind, magnified in his vision, and he was still hanging in mid-air.

Zhou Jing abruptly held his breath, as if locking his strength inside his body.

A flash of lightning appeared in his eyes!

[Thunder Strike]!

A surge of electricity instantly coursed through his entire body, and a stronger explosive force suddenly arose in his sturdy physique.

Bang!

The bear's paw struck his arm, but it hit nothing.

At the critical moment, Zhou Jing stepped hard on the Riftclaw Bear's arm, leaping up, suddenly rising a section, narrowly passing through the range of the strike.

In mid-air, his line of sight was level with the Riftclaw Bear.

The moment the man and beast met eyes!

A cold glint flashed.

Poof!

The longsword stabbed into the Riftclaw Bear's left eye, blood gushing out like a spring!

"Roar!!"

The Riftclaw Bear let out an earth-shattering scream, ignoring the other hunters who were seizing the opportunity to trim its feet. Its pair of bear paws clamped down on Zhou Jing in mid-air.

With the longsword still stuck in the Riftclaw Bear's eye, Zhou Jing hung in mid-air, gripping the hilt with both hands, borrowing force to swing up.

Bang!

The bear's paws converged in mid-air, causing the air to vibrate, but they hit only emptiness.

Zhou Jing narrowly avoided the strike, his explosive strength and astonishingly agile Transcendent physique allowing him to flip over and land on the Riftclaw Bear's head.

At that moment, his posture had changed to holding the sword in reverse. He exerted force and pulled!

Poof!

The longsword was pulled out, and the Riftclaw Bear's pierced eyeball became a gaping hole, gurgling with blood.

Without changing his expression, Zhou Jing stabbed the longsword into the Riftclaw Bear's intact right eye with his backhand, then quickly pulled out the sword. His feet slammed hard against the Riftclaw Bear's neck, and his entire body flew backward.

Bang!

The next moment after jumping down, the Riftclaw Bear had already slapped its own bear head, which was the location where Zhou Jing had originally stood. The violent wind swept Zhou Jing's eyelids painfully.

Falling from mid-air, Zhou Jing's feet landed on the ground, and he performed a nimble roll to dissipate the force, quickly standing up, raising his eyes to look at the Riftclaw Bear.

The physically blinded Riftclaw Bear was roaring in pain, but also dizzy from being slapped by its own paw. It rolled around like a top, its pair of bear paws frantically sweeping at the open ground, forcing all the hunters back.

"I got it!"

Only then did Zhou Jing exhale the air in his lungs, his tightly closed pores opening, sweat rapidly seeping out, instantly wetting his armor.

Exiting the [Thunder Strike] state, a wave of soreness swept through his entire body, consuming a great deal of energy.

The entire series of dangerous operations took only a few seconds. Zhou Jing squeezed out the energy of his Transcendent physique after being enhanced by the Blood of the Exotic Beast, and in cooperation with his own combat intuition, he narrowly managed to blind the Riftclaw Bear's eyes.

The hunters looked at the painfully rampaging Riftclaw Bear and couldn't help turning their heads to look at Zhou Jing, surprised and excited.

"Good lad! You're amazing!"

"Well done!"

Zhou Jing's series of operations was smooth and flowing, directly dealing serious damage to the Riftclaw Bear, making many hunters wet themselves in excitement.

Many hunters reckoned that if they didn't value their lives, they might be able to do something similar, but the success rate would be extremely low. They couldn't achieve such precise judgment and action every time. Any small mistake would mean their death.

This newbie hunter was alright. He was a reliable teammate!

Aside from the shock, everyone was overjoyed and instantly invigorated.

A Riftclaw Bear that had lost its sight was much easier to deal with than before!

This "Jason Wood" opened up the stalemate with a wave of adventurous operations, and his main attack squad's job was to quickly kill one of them!

Barron gasped, his heart surging with shock.

He guessed that Zhou Jing's enhancement effect would be good, but it still exceeded his expectations.

He also didn't expect "Jason" to be so sharp in his first actual combat.

Like Will back then, this combat talent was also very rare... Could this also be a talent of the Wood family?

Without thinking about it, Barron quickly returned to his post, attacking the blinded Riftclaw Bear with the others.

After Zhou Jing blinded the Riftclaw Bear, the pressure on everyone was greatly reduced. They cooperated with each other, leaving more wounds on the Riftclaw Bear, and soon patches of blood were left on the ground everywhere.

Weber, who was struggling to hold back the other Riftclaw Bear in the distance, also noticed the main attack squad's results. He was immediately invigorated and put in even more effort to hold the other beast's attention, preventing the two exotic beasts from merging.

Zhou Jing was a newbie hunter, and Weber didn't have much hope for him, but he didn't expect a surprise.

Because of Zhou Jing, most of the hunters had retained their physical strength well, and their injuries were not serious.

The battle was going well!

Weber immediately realized that the situation was quite favorable, and while secretly marveling at Zhou Jing's ability, he adjusted his tactics without saying a word.

"No need to retreat. Kill the other Riftclaw Bear here and completely eliminate this threat!"

ps: Recommended Fantasy novel. This is a dark world, where time is disordered, all laws are extinct, and all saints have retired.