Chapter 178: Fighting the Crimson Horn Bear
"Beautiful technique. That was like watching a master artist at work." Noah observed with admiration. The way that Alissa fought that bear made it look effortless, as if she were merely playing with it.
Valeria nodded with obvious pride in her student’s development. "Alissa has achieved what we call the flow. Few practitioners reach that level of artistic combat."
After both demonstrations concluded, a third Crimson Horn Bear appeared from the forest depths, as if the creatures were responding to the challenges from the hunting party.
Valeria turned toward Noah with an expectant gaze. "It’s your turn."
Noah nodded with a grim expression, feeling the pressure of fighting something significantly above his current power level. The bears had demonstrated power and cunning that made them genuinely dangerous opponents rather than simple training exercises.
Unlike Alissa and Kip, who were Adepts fighting an apprentice-rank beast. He was a novice fighting an apprentice-rank beast, which made all the difference in the world.
But before he could take his first step toward combat, a familiar voice whispered directly into his ear with a teasing tone.
"I will give you a very good present if you win, you will like it. Hehe~"
Lola’s seductive whisper sent his heart rate climbing several beats per minute despite his attempts to ignore it. Her tone made his mind wander into places that were forbidden.
She never misses an opportunity to make things complicated.
Noah shook off the distraction, though the promise lingered in his mind as additional motivation beyond simple survival and training advancement.
"Alright, let’s do this," he declared with determination, walking forward with his sword at his side.